There’s a classic piece of career advice: “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.” The saying reminds us of the importance of a forward-thinking attitude and it’s a good point to remember if you strive to bring your best self to work.
In an article for SHRM, author and British business professor Dan Cable recommends enhancing your career by restructuring your approach to work. “Re-examine your signature strengths and bring them to your job,” he says. “Not only will your strengths make you stand out; they will brighten up your day and energize you to give more of your best self.”
Ways to Bring Your Best Self to Work
Who Are You When You Are Your ‘Best Self?’
Are you a different person at work than in your private life? Would you like to speak up more at meetings? Learn something new? Be a better leader or team member? Take steps to bring these traits out in yourself.
Below are four areas to focus on as you work toward being your “whole self” at work.
Show Some Respect
- Being a “better you” can start with being respectful of others’ feelings, opinions, backgrounds and culture. The respect you give will come back to you.
- Always say please and thank you. Show others you appreciate who they are as a person not just their accomplishments as a co-worker.
- For many people, “listening” means waiting for an opening to interject their own opinion. Instead, really pay attention to what others say.
- Do your best to lift up others. Helping your team members succeed also helps further your own goals.
Nurture a Positive Outlook
- Start every morning with positive thoughts. That might mean avoiding social media or the morning news, advises HuffPost. Start your day on a positive note by repeating a confident, grateful or optimistic morning mantra.
- Don’t be the office complainer. If there’s a problem, help find the solution.
Seek Opportunities to Learn
- Be open to learning. “Trying new things, especially those that scare us and push us out of our comfort zone, is a great way to practice having a growth mindset,” says Greater Good.
- Avoid distractions and boredom. Both are roadblocks to growth.
- Set your goals, then figure out how to obtain them. To improve your career, work on improving yourself and your skills.
Celebrate Success – Yours and Others’
- If you’re a supervisor, encourage unconventional ideas and solutions
- Create a “Win of the Week” bulletin board, suggests BetterUp. “Celebrate coworkers’ new, promising ideas as “wins of the week.” These shoutouts inspire others to pitch new ideas and share their visions.”
- Develop a culture of safety. In a Google study, researchers found that members of the most effective teams felt “confident that no one on the team [would] embarrass or punish anyone else for admitting a mistake, asking a question, or offering a new idea.”
Are You Bringing Your Best Self to Work?
Bringing your best self to work requires introspection and deliberate action. Managed successfully, it can lead you to being happier with yourself and your career.
For help advancing your career in a new position or new direction, contact the job placement experts at Pro Resources Staffing Services.