SwitchIdeaSwitchIdea.com is a Mumbai based internship startup connecting students to potential employers in the country.
I used to work for a reputed international bank and ideally speaking, I should have been the happiest person around – great brand to work with, high-end office infrastructure, impressive package, intelligent team and an easy work culture. But it was not the case. I was not performing well, there were mistakes in my paper work and the customers were not happy with the service rendered. It was chaos! The reason was not that I was not giving my one hundred percent, but it was being new to the banking industry. I was nervous of its demand of speed and accuracy in transactions.
Then one day, my college friend called up offering me an impressive deal. He was working in a newly set up bank and he told me to come and meet his manager for a great opportunity. I was not really thinking of a job change, but I figured, what is the harm in trying? This change could be just the one I needed.
I went to meet the manager and indeed he had a better package deal for me, however with just one condition. He asked me to transfer details of customers of my old bank. I remember thinking if that conversation was for real? It seemed like a movie script to me…
“No, I will not do it !” I said in firm voice and I never met them again. The next day I went to my office and worked as usual. After that day, I started working with greater confidence.
It is not always easy to take the ‘ethical’ decision in a particular business or work situation. My decision of not providing that information to the competitor was correct. Whether the company knew it or not, their information was protected and it sure made me proud!
The above incident shows that it’s not only the skills and the speed which makes a better employee, it involves building a strong character and learning a lot of other facets of workplace life!
Yes we can judge an employee on various limits and the basic traits are well divided in four categories (Source: A study conducted by Jeffry Gandz and Victor Murray)
CHARACTER
The moral qualities of an individual defined as a single term, is known as character. It has distinctive components like traits, values and virtues. In simple language, these components talks about certain features of a personality, like how you react in a difficult situations, how organised you are with things, routine and work, what is the level of curiosity and whether you are able restrain your emotions in conflicts and so on.
Like in any relationship, the workplace also demands some good virtues in form of honesty, integrity, loyalty and good conduct with colleagues. A person who can empathize with his team members or even customers goes a long way in maintaining good professional relationships.
So if you follow a routine, are self disciplined, punctual, calm and peaceful and have good moral values then you score a positive in this category. The rule is simple: a genuine smile can get you friends and a distasteful scorn can make people avoid you. The rule is applicable in office as well.
COMPETENCY
The management of task is either knowledge based or behavior based. There are some people who are able to do well because of their high technical skills, training and experience. There are also those who excel because of their social skills, delegation power, negotiation art and discipline. Here, the competency in handling processes or people is equally important.
In the second situation the person is not an expert of the work methods but knows to take as well give instructions. He knows the right way of conduct and has enough insight to see the bigger picture. When your staff are willing to sacrifice a little to meet organisational goals, then success will follow.
Competency is the systematic approach to handle the external and the internal forces of a work environment. It also refers to your creative ability and instinct needed to handle the man, machine, method, material and money. It also judges your leadership traits.
Be sure you don’t act like a super- hero who would do all on their own. It’s always a team effort and it should always be acknowledged.
COMMITMENT
A good employee is reliable, trust- worthy and responsible worker. The people who strive to improve productivity, are the ones who work more effectively even with challenges and criticism. Yes, the goal is far more important than daily ordeals. This focus is essential in all the employees.
There is an affection for the job you do and that is transformed into good, useful work. This approach is useful for your personal growth as well as for the organisation.
Any relationship look for a commitment in the long run and organisations are the same. They don’t invest money on employees that they leave them in between or get lured by brighter prospects. They also want a longer run relationship which is healthy and transparent.
INTELLECT
Know what, know how and know why are the three pillars of intellect needed in a good professional. The employee should have the sound knowledge of a work process, he/she should know to apply their knowledge in practical terms and lastly they should be confident enough to take strategic decisions when required.
The employee should learn to be proactive, i.e. he/she should be ready for any crisis that can occur and should always have an alternate plan in for any emergency.
All the employees should be trained and evaluated at every stage so that they grow as individuals as well as professionals.
Intellect is comes naturally for some but it can also be acquired! Always be ready to learn more from people, experience and available resources.
In a nutshell an ideal employee is a dreamer! They dream to make it big in the industry and also dream about making their company a bigger name in the industry itself. They work smartly to fulfill these dreams and the vision of the organisation.
