7 things great employees do

This definitely isn't the first time somebody's written about what makes employees special. But it may very well be the first time anyone has tried to explain what will get your management excited about you and finally get you promoted.

The media will cite ridiculously esoteric research studies and pull all sorts of popular, feel-good stuff. That's great for feeding your ego and your addiction to distraction, but it does little to help your career.

Between us we have several decades of recruitment experience and in our view this is what employees really do to distinguish themselves in the eyes of management.

Take responsibility for projects with a fearless attitude. If it works out, don't waste a lot of time basking in the glory, at least not at work. Go out and celebrate with the other team members. Then it’s all about finding the next big challenge. And if it fails, don't point fingers. You take full responsibility and learn from it. That's when management will start to see you as one of them.

Demonstrate natural leadership. That means when you take charge of something, people naturally follow, even though you don't have the title or the authority. Never mind everything you read; that's what natural leadership is really all about. There are all sorts of different styles that work, but mostly it comes down to a fearless self-confidence and charisma that people find magnetic.

Say, "No problem, will do," and then do it. It's one thing to have a solid work ethic and get the job done. But it's another thing entirely to always accept challenging assignments with open arms and a simple, "No problem, will do" acknowledgement. And the tougher it is, the more confident you sound and the harder you work to make it happen. That's the sign of an employee who should be promoted.

Roll with the punches without taking things personally. I think that we all know that it's hard to keep your balance when the rug's just been pulled out from under you. The nature of contemporary business is one of constant change, reorganisations and layoffs. Companies come and go. One day you're rolling in resources, the next day you need three signatures for a chair. That's the way business is. And if you're flexible, you're adaptable, you've got fortitude and you don't take things personally.

Think of the company's goals as your goals. It has been said many times that blind loyalty to a company will enslave you and get you nowhere. After all, any employee can be fired or quit, and that's as it should be. When you start to identify with the goals of management -- live, eat and breathe them -- then you start to become management.

Do whatever it takes to get the job done, even when you're not getting paid for it. Put yourself out there, take risks, do the work, and accomplish things. Then, and only then are you in a position to ask for your reward. If your company doesn't acknowledge that then you have learnt a lesson, put your achievements on your CV and move on to a better place that values what you’ve done.

Grow the business or improve the bottom line. In the current European economic crisis it's all about doing more with less. Being more efficient, effective, innovative, motivational, engaging and being on the face of it happy about it. Think of it as a problem-solving challenge where the problem is how to grow the business or cut spending while improving productivity.

If you would like to discuss how the team at Chesterton Gray can help you with your corporate or personal career needs then please contact us at http://www.chestertongray.com/