Being yourself is admirable. But if you’re mature, you know that some of your traits that don’t present your strength may sometimes hold you back from achieving your potential. Do you tend to procrastinate or show up late for appointments? Are you overly emotional? Do you react inappropriately to criticism? Are you fascinating with gossip and rumours?
Your friends and family may have accepted these characteristics and you may have embraced them as areas that require work and improvement. But in a workplace, or if you’re looking to get a new job, these could get in your way, and undermine your chances of advancement. So should you have a work persona that is different from yourself? The answer is yes. The way your present yourself professionally should be a controlled version of yourself.
If you’re taking your time to work on your areas of weakness, your career cannot wait. You must be able to control your emotions, reactions, and interactions with others to be able to get and keep your job, and to advance.
Identifying your shortcomings and pushing yourself to present a professional image that is conducive to building work relationships are two essential elements in any workplace. It doesn’t mean that you will deceive anyone or pretend to be something that you’re not. It simply means that you can manage yourself well enough to prevent personal flaws from getting in the way of your professional success.
Where to start? Here are a few steps that could you put you on the right track.
Identify your shortcomings
Be honest about the areas that could be hurting you professionally — and personally. An office environment is less than tolerant for immaturity. Someone who breaks into tears for getting negative feedback may be seen as unprofessional, making things worse because of this reaction. Someone who engages in gossip or spreads rumours could be hurting themselves not for the negative impact of these activities, but for failing to fit the characteristics the employer is cultivating in the workplace.
Once you know your flaws, keep them in check. Know your triggers and work consciously on avoiding these issues. While you may take your time to fix or improve, your professional life needs an immediate attention. It is often surprising how one or two errors can be fatal to your chances of advancement in an organisation. So get focused on presenting yourself as an employee who is reliable, stable, trustworthy and flexible — among other many good attributes.
Ask others
Do you have a trusted friend or family member who is willing to give you blunt advice? Ask this person on what personal traits are most likely to undermine your chances in a work environment or in getting a job. Although many people are likely to tell you that you’re a catch for any employer, one or two of your friends may tell you that, for example, you need to be more considerate of others’ point of views, show more flexibility or avoid certain bad habits.
When you ask others, make sure you help them understand why you’re asking. In addition, don’t lead them to repeat your concerns. Don’t ask if they think you showing up late for meetings is a problem, because the answer is, of course, yes. Instead, ask them about how they rate you on punctuality based on their knowledge. Even better, ask option questions that could trigger answers. For example, ask what they think as your areas of strength and weakness.
Finally, if you want this discussion to be successful, don’t get defensive. If you respond to everything they say with a big argument to refute it, they are more likely to refrain from giving you feedback. Just listen and consider what they say, even if it sounds off-base or lacks understanding.
The writer, a former Gulf News Business Features Editor, is a Seattle-based editor.
Know your personal flaws
Adopt a professional image
Keep your negative traits in check
Work on identifying problems
Be open to others’ feedback
— R.O.
