Surviving at work

Having worked since I was 19 i believe I'm in a position to offer some advice to the younger ones on how to survive at work.
1.Your work .
Make sure you know your job scope .This is the basis of what you are there for.Master the things which you have to do daily and be punctual when it comes to meeting deadlines.Never let your boss remind you that a piece of work is due.
If you are competent in your job no one can touch you.Aim for the sky, be the best in your field and realize that to do that there is no substitute for hard work.
Develop your own work brand.What sort of person do you want to be known as? Hardworking? Pleasant?Reasonable?Knowledgeable?Approachable? A team player?It is important for people whom you work with to identify you with certain traits.When I was the District Education Officer ,one of the Directors of Education in his farewell speech said"I wish I had the diplomacy and patience of Mr.Toh".It was a good compliment and that was my brand mark while I was in service as stated by my superior.
2.Your attitude.
How do you view your work? Like it? tolerate it? enjoy it?.A lot depends on how you view your work.If you enjoy doing what you are doing that's fine but if you are not then everything becomes a drag and maybe its time to take a step back and decide what to do.Continue with what you are doing or take the next bold step?Take the case of a CEO in one company who was laid off because of bad times and went on to make pastries and became so successful that he never went back to the corporate world.
A cheerful and friendly demeanor will make your working life so much more pleasant.Look at things from a positive perspective and never let work problems upset you ,just tell yourself these things are part and parcel of working life.
3.Dealing with people.
People are part of every organization and you cant run away from this fact and there are all types of people whom we come across.If you are in a position of authority you have to learn to be objective and mould everyone into a cohesive team member.Never get personal in a working relationship .Its so easy to personal but so difficult to be objective.Be a team player yourself and always think of group interest instead of your own.But being a team player does not mean that you follow blindly for at times you may disagree with the group and in such cases at least have your say.
Look at the good side of others and try to overlook their weaknesses.That is human nature.By so doing you become more positive yourself.People do change and will change if they see the need for it.There are examples of people who have changed for the better or worse because of a certain catalyst.The key is what will the catalyst be?Can you be that catalyst yourself or be the one to initiate it?
(To be continued)