The Ten Qualities Of Outstanding Employees

You only had to show up at work on time, work hard all day, be nice to everyone and avoid breaking the rules.

Years ago, great employees were dutiful, loyal and easy to please. They worked hard without complaining — that was one of their principal virtues. Unwavering loyalty is not the hallmark of a great employee anymore. That is a characteristic of a fearful drone whose greatest fear is that they might displease their boss.

Here are ten qualities outstanding employees possess. If your manager doesn’t value these qualities, maybe they are not the right manager for you anymore — if they ever were.

Ten Qualities of Outstanding Employees

1)Outstanding employees know more than just the procedures their job requires. They know the reason their job exists, and that knowledge lets them suggest tweaks and innovations that let them work more effectively.

2)Outstanding employees notice what is going on around them at work, and they integrate their constant learning into the way they do their jobs.

3)Outstanding employees form great relationships with people inside and outside the company. They know which teams they are a member of and they work to strengthen their team relationships so that things don’t get tense or stressful in a clinch.

4)Great employees look ahead and anticipate problems that might emerge on the job. They bring up potential problems early and push to get those problems addressed before they can do harm.

5)Terrific employees tell the truth about sticky topics like workload, work/life balance, difficult customers (or vendors, fellow employees or managers) and ineffective procedures. They find their voice and use it even when no one else dares to.

6)Awesome employees have a personal career plan or direction in mind. They don’t assume that their employer will manage their career for them. They manage their own careers!

7)Great employees address conflict rather than avoiding it. When they step into a conflict resolution process, they maintain respect for everyone in the mix. They don’t place blame on other people, and they don’t apologize just to keep the peace.

8)Top-notch employees ask for help when they need it.

9)Outstanding employees don’t rest on their educational credentials,  job title or honors bestowed on them. They are open to new ideas no matter who suggests them. They share their own thoughts, not the conventional wisdom they’ve been taught by other people. They don’t brag about themselves — that is a sign of fear!

10)Finally, excellent employees are coaches and mentors to people around them. They often hear “You are so generous to share your expertise!” They don’t take the view that knowledge is power. They know that knowledge is only power when it is shared with others.

You might be an excellent employee without being recognized for it — that happens to a lot of people.

If you are an outstanding employee stuck in an undeserving organization, your path is clear — it leads up and out of there, and on to your brilliant future!

Source: Forbes - Liz Ryan

Out Of The Box August 21, 2017