A good organisation can be a springboard for career success depending on several factors such as your strengths, how you like to work and your career goals. So, what kind of organisation ’empowers’ you professionally? A good workplace:
Treats people right: An organisation that treasures people creates an environment that allows staff to try new things, take healthy risks, and unearth their potential. The progressive organisation’s philosophy is to have fulfilled employees who in turn commit to achieving the bottom line.
Does not put you in a box: Don’t join an organisation just to go do your job! Show you want to do more and support the wider success of the company. Don’t leave it to the organisation to guess what your needs are; learn to speak up. A good company will listen and enable you to make a contribution. In return, you get to develop yourself, your skills, hopefully chalk some achievements and enhance your career prospects.
Gives you influence: Some organisations are like an heirloom. Working for them gives you ‘authority’, opens doors to opportunities you normally wouldn’t have and gives you influence in the market place because they are known and respected. That’s not to say you are on the back foot if your organisation is less known. My point is as far as is possible aim to be as strategic about the organisation you choose to work for as you would the job you go after.
Is consistently evolving: And you get to evolve right alongside it because it’s always one step ahead, not stuck in maintaining the status quo. It gives people incentive to stay, takes personal development and feedback seriously and does not play power games with employees. It strikes a good balance between keeping its high achievers appreciated and helping those who are struggling to improve. Good organisations don’t expect staff to work round the clock to prove they are committed.
Encourages healthy competition: So that people feel energised to apply their skills, learn new ones and operate at a higher level. People are encouraged to be honest with themselves, to learn from others, celebrate when colleagues succeed and be a standard bearer. In such organisations, you get to be open about your mistakes and not be afraid to analyse your shortcomings in order to plan how to improve.
Has a culture of achievement: An achieving organisation has a strong senior team that sets a clear direction and frees people to make it happen guided by agreed values. People know the organisation’s success is their success. There’s open communication and teams rally together. Pull him/her down syndrome is not entertained.
Now take action: How can you piggyback on your organisation’s ‘greatness’?
