What Do Great Employees Do Differently?

There’s somebody who just got promoted in your organization. The bosses and coworkers extolled him while advising others to learn from him. Now, you’re wondering, how did he do it? What is this particular employee that everybody loves doing differently? Some employees are good, while others are great, and they stand out. Achieving this as an employee may not be very difficult, and you do not have to work for years before getting that promotion.

Great employees are proactive. In addition to carrying out the assigned tasks, they have a sixth sense for identifying what others would naturally miss and would act quickly with very little supervision from the bosses.

They love their work and do it passionately. If you do the work you love, it would be difficult not to excel at it. Great employees go to work every day feeling very happy because they love their job. It is, therefore, easy for them to do well in the workplace.

They influence others positively. Successful employees have a way of motivating and influencing their coworkers to be great. They know just what to say to lift you when you're down. They are not always about themselves; they are aware of their surroundings and are always ready to make other workers and the organization great.

They are emotionally intelligent. How well you are able to control your emotions would go to determine how great an employee you become. They do not take offense or let any negativity get to them. Instead, they analyze situations carefully and act according to what is required.

Getting Your Employees Back to their Pre-COVID Success

For many years, you have built your brand values and reputation. The COVID-19 pandemic may have slowed progress down, but you can still get back to that success you enjoyed before the outbreak. As you start considering steps to get back fully into operation, you may want to focus on core values and excellent work that you’re known for. Gradually, before you know it, you’d be back to telling success stories.

Take things gradually. There is no point in giving your employees tasks that are more than what they can carry out, all in a bid to make up for the slowdown the pandemic brought. You also do not have to put them under the necessary pressure, as that will only affect productivity negatively.

Consider flexibility in operations. Some companies like Twitter have given their employees the option of working from home if they want. The pandemic took a toll on all of us, and there is no need to make things even harder. Consider simpler ways through which employees can be productive such as allowing them to work from home or give flexible working hours.

Consider looking at your overall outline of work. You may have been doing really good before the pandemic, but who says you cannot do even better after it. This is a time to look closely at the overall methods of carrying out tasks. Consider checking each worker's roles and responsibilities and make a change if there is a need for it.

Support and encourage more. Let your employees know that you still believe in them. Give them the necessary independence to get their work done. Let them enjoy themselves and their work as usual, and in no time, you will the lines moving right back up.

Surviving Workplace Bullying

Bullies intimidate others because they have a particular advantage, such as being a senior or being bigger than you. You're familiar with the fact that this is common in schools, but they also exist in the workplace. Although they can be juniors or at the same level as you, they are usually seniors who like to boss you around. They come in many forms, either complaining too much or making you do extra work. Now, how do we deal with this kind of impossible coworker?

Take a stand quickly. You may start seeing signs early on before it grows into full-grown bullying. Addressing the issue quickly makes it easier to tackle. Make your stand known when you notice a coworker acting improperly toward you. Meet them and clarify the situation immediately by asking why they have acted rudely. It may just be a misunderstood gesture, they may be going through a hard time, or it may be a bully alert. Taking a stand early makes you recognize which it is and which steps to take next.

If you discover no change after confronting the individual, it might be time to speak to a manager that can handle the matter. They may either speak to the bully directly or help you out with company policies that you can use to stop the act.

It is also important that you take care of yourself. Usually, bullies look for those who they can easily pick on. Taking care of yourself by having good self-esteem and ensuring you have your best interest at heart would communicate to bullies to keep off.

Effective management of remote workers

Remote working has been popular for some time now. However, the trend has been made even more popular with the recent coronavirus pandemic. Organizations are allowing workers to work from home while others are closing branches to give room for a more flexible model of operation — remote working. Managing your workforce is already a difficult task when they come to the office; how then do you allow remote working without losing productivity?

The first thing is to get them equipped with what they need to work remotely effectively. Supply them with the necessary technology, including cameras, laptops, phones, and internet connection. These are things they may have already, but it is important to easily distinguish between work and personal lives. Give them the software they need and get a technician ready when they encounter issues.

Communicate with them. These days, there are different means of communication that you can use to get how your employees feel. Dialogue with them as necessary, let them have all the information they need, and respond promptly to their questions.

Support and trust them. You need to put maximum trust in your employees when they start working remotely. As far as you give them the necessary support and show that you trust them, they would reciprocate by committing more to the job.

Encourage them by recognizing their good jobs. You may not bother them too much about processes as far as they get things done in time. Finally, remain welcoming when they suggest newer ways of working that may work.

How Should You Deal with Difficult Coworkers

The reality of working means that there will be coworkers — people who are employees of the same organization as you. Usually, when different people come together trying to reach similar goals, there are going to have different personalities. And it is almost impossible not to have at least one difficult coworker among your colleagues, who some reason, you won't get along with smoothly. Use these methods to navigate through the situation carefully.

Listen and ask questions. When your team has a coworker that tends to bring you down with their negative comments, it's important not to be quick to discard their criticism. Sometimes, part of what they say can be useful and critical individuals are essential in seeing all the sides of a project. Listening and asking questions helps you get valid points and solutions.

Collaborate. Some coworkers are overly competitive, thereby making them discredit or sabotage your efforts. Working effectively with such a person requires that you show interest in collaborating with them. Let them know that you can help each other out to achieve the company’s goals.

Avoid gossips. When someone comes to you bearing information about others and asking for your opinions, take great care in sieving through the entire information. The person might be a gossip who is likely going to share your views with someone else. Learn to leave this kind of conversation politely or change the topic.

Speak out. There are usually coworkers who want to undermine you or shift their responsibilities to you. You should help a coworker, but this must be limited to those who really need help. As for others who are only trying to avoid work, take a stand by speaking to them. Let them understand that you have your responsibilities too, and offer to explain the parts that you understand better.