In the past two decades, I’ve had the privilege to work as a coach, teaching and working with individuals from different spheres of life: footballers, entrepreneurs, investors, business owners, and so on.
They all have different meanings of what it means to succeed at work—making more money, getting more clients, making the team squad, stocks going up.
But regardless of whatever it meant, it made them happy and satisfied—that’s what success at work means: finding purpose, fulfillment, and contentment at your workplace.
You, too, can succeed at work—get the promotion before the expected date, get a mouth-watering salary increase just when you think you’re underperforming at work, and do well at work without compromising the time you spend at home with your family.
Perhaps you’ve been thinking about a fresh start at work or about how to make the most of where you’re at. Whatever kind of job you’re in and whatever level you’re at, you’ll learn the five key strategies for success at work in this article.
Let’s get started.
Follow these five tips on how to obtain success at work.
Choose A Work You Love
The first and most crucial step towards success at work is choosing the right career path.
This is the biggest difference between those who enjoy success at work and those who don’t. Some people are born knowing what they want to become in life, and they know exactly what their purpose in life is.
But for others, choosing a career path depends on how you define success.
Twenty years from now, what would your ideal life look like—where would you live? What would be on your schedule? What would a day in your life look like?
Once you can identify what you want for your future, start making conscious efforts towards that life. Don’t limit yourself to conventional career choices—explore different career paths that align with your vision.
Start taking small steps in the right direction and watch your efforts continue, leading you to a life you truly desire.
Remember, success at work is not solely defined by wealth or status but by how fulfilled and happy you are. You might not get paid when you start; you may never get paid, but you’ll find fulfillment.
When you do what you love, you wake up happy and excited every morning to complete each task with much energy and joy. You feel content and satisfied, knowing you’re where you want to be.
As the saying goes, do what you love and never have to work a day.
Align Your Goals
Every day you step into your workplace, you have something to look forward to. Imagine how much it affects your success at work. The more of your goals you can achieve at work, the happier you’ll be and the more success you’ll have.
Aside from your company’s goals, your own goals matter, too. The more your goals align with those of where you work, the harder you’ll work and deliver because it’s what you want.
It’s easy to get caught up in your tasks at work and forget what matters most—your personal growth, fulfillment, and success at work.
Take the time to reflect on your own goals and ensure that they are being nurtured and pursued alongside your responsibilities at work.
You don’t need too many goals to look forward to; make sure your goals are realistic and appropriate for your current position at your workplace.
Write your goals down. Any time you’re in doubt about where you’re headed, look at them. It is essential to write your goals down. And it’s okay if your goals change over time. Life isn’t always predictable so that you can adjust your goals.
Remember that achieving success at work takes effort, time, and energy. Having clear goals makes it easier for you on that journey.
Develop Yourself
If you remained at your place of work without increasing your knowledge and skill set, within a year, you’d become dispensable because so much would have changed, and you’d become invaluable to the company.
The best asset within your control at your workplace is you. If you want to become successful at work, you owe it to yourself to become the best version of yourself—invest in your growth and development.
There’s a wealth of information on the internet. You don’t have to know everything. Reflect on your strengths and weaknesses to identify areas that need development. Take training programs and courses on skills you lack. If you struggle with project management or public speaking, take a class immediately.
Don’t be left behind. There’s nothing attractive about incompetence. Go the extra mile for success at work.
Attend workshops, learn from your colleagues, and stay up-to-date with industry trends and tools. Position yourself as a valuable asset to your work, one that would hurt the company to lose. The more skills you acquire, the more valuable you become to your work and the higher your chances of success.
By improving yourself, you’re positioning yourself for when needs arise, and you automatically fit in. You’ll become the guy everyone can count on because you’re capable.
Stop Complaining
If you’re serious about being successful at work and ready to take the necessary steps for that to happen, then the one thing you need to do is stop complaining.
I get it. You don’t like how your boss treats you, you don’t like the way your co-worker looks at you, or you don’t like the role you’ve been assigned. It’s natural for you to express dissatisfaction, but complaining doesn’t change anything.
Let’s face the facts. Do you feel better when you complain? No, you don’t. You end up feeling more angry and bitter because nothing’s changed. Constant complaints make you look unattractive, inefficient, and unreliable.
If you’ve ever worked with someone who nags about everything, I bet you would never want to work with them again. Complaining pushes your co-workers away from you because they think of you as a negative and toxic presence.
Instead of complaining, do this instead:
- Look for a solution.
- If you don’t like the way your boss treats you, tell him.
- If you don’t like the role you’ve been assigned, ask politely for it to be changed.
Channel your negative energy into taking active steps to change your situation. Have a conversation. Make your intentions known in the best way possible. Be firm about your decision.
Delegate Tasks
One of the most essential strategies for success at work is learning how to share tasks. You don’t have to be the employer to assign tasks to people. If you thought you could do it alone, I’m sorry to inform you that you can’t.
The most successful companies thrive on teamwork—everyone knowing what is expected of them and doing it well. If you learn this strategy, you’ll be doing only the tasks you love and assigning the ones you don’t to someone else.
Understand that delegating tasks is not about dropping the workload on your co-workers. It’s about working hand-in-hand to get the job done efficiently. Know the strengths of each workmate and assign tasks accordingly.
Have a check-in system and ensure each workmate reports back to you. to keep you updated on the work status. If any issues need attention, deal with them promptly. Provide regular feedback to your team to ensure everybody is on the same page.
One of the great things about delegating tasks is that it’s an opportunity for your co-workers to learn and grow together. You get to know more about the capabilities of your co-workers and how best you can harness them.
Remember, you’re not the boss. Communicate with your co-workers politely and gently. Create an environment where everyone feels respected, valued, and supported.
Conclusion
If you’re familiar with any of the strategies in this article, then you must also be aware of the beautiful transformations at your workplace that result from implementing them. These five strategies, one at a time, are what you need for success at work.
Choose a work you deeply love. Align your career with your passions, dreams, and goals. Replace complaints with solutions to problems. Invest in your growth and development. Build a strong team, share tasks, and create a collaborative workplace.
To help you achieve success at work, check out my book, “DON’T BE A CRAB,” where I share the blueprint for achieving success at work and having fun at it.
