My agenda is full, as is yours no doubt, and I must say it pleases me. I am an entrepreneur at heart and I am presently starting my third business, after having worked in several fields that are not necessarily related to each other. I have known successes and failures. A friend of mine, to whom I was mentioning being very busy, hinted that my karma was without a doubt one of success, and that got me thinking.

My question is simple: why do some people succeed in their ventures, while others do not. In other words, what are the keys to success in our work life?

I have managed employees for many years, which taught me a lot about the complexity of the human mind. In fact, it is not possible to write up a few lines on the ingredients of success, but there are a some that are essential, if not critical, to reaching our goals. Here are a few of them:

1)      Determination. “The only time success comes before work is in the dictionary”, words of wisdom from my dear grandmother. Do not expect to succeed by keeping your arms crossed. Any entrepreneur will tell you: only determination will help you advance. Turn into a pit-bull, but with gentle paws, so as not to get on the nerves of your customers and colleagues.

2)      Risks. Do not say no to the opportunities that are offered to you, in fact, take risks, but calculated risks. You must think before you act, but too much thinking may result in lost opportunities.

3)      Initiative. Do not wait for a project to be planned to perfection before implementing it, or you will never do it! Small wrinkles can be ironed out as you go along. Also, you cannot think of everything that can go wrong or foresee everything before you act. Just do it!

4)      Innovation. Think outside the box, find ways to stand out from the crowd: your colleagues and the competition. For example, search for the need or the flaw in a system and think of a solution that you can offer. Promote it and stick with it. You are the pit-bull with the gentle paws.

5)      Perseverance. Learn from your mistakes and do not be foolish enough to repeat them. Sounds simple? Any manager will tell you that this tendency can be found in many employees. In fact, many people are true to themselves: they repeat the same mistakes, till kingdom come. Even after hitting the wall many times, they just do not listen. Those who succeed make mistakes, take responsibility for them, and are smart enough to learn from them and not to repeat them.

6)      Adaptation. Yes, adapt! Change, whether organizational or social (ex.: internet and social media, or a change in management), creates uncertainty, and the loss of control that follows is not usually appreciated. If this period does not agree with you, you can turn the page and start over, but the fact is few organizations will back track to please employees who are allergic to change. If you cannot adapt to the new realities, your position may end up terminated prematurely.

7)      Accomplishment. Develop your talents and capabilities, and make them known. Even though specific tasks are assigned to you, you can still use some special talents that are not necessarily called for in your regular work. Why not do more, thereby going beyond your job description? Then, make your success known. This is especially important for women who tend to be more modest than their male counterparts. Nobody will know about your good deeds if you do not toot your own horn. Consequently, who do you think will get the salary increase, or the promotion?

8)      Excellence. Always give your 100%, and try to reach excellence in everything you do. Nobody likes slackers. What you do may not be perfect, perfection being an unreachable goal as it is, but everyone will appreciate your efforts, and they will be recognized by your customers, colleagues, and superiors.

9)      Motivation. People with little motivation will get… little. This is something all managers learn one day: it is very difficult to motivate someone who is not. The will to succeed comes from within, not from external resources, which are often a shot in the dark – think of the hype created in annual meetings that the sales people have to attend. To succeed, you must motivate yourself, and all the time.

10)   Honesty. Yes, be honest. No need to give an extensive explanation here, except for this: always act in a way that will not induce self-blame afterwards.

This list is not complete, and has been written to encourage thought on the subject, as it reflects the opinions of the authors. Know this, however: a few small changes can change the course of a career and lead to professional success.

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

Thomas A. Edison

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The authors can be reached at: consultation.virtus@outlook.com or mj.verhaaf@gmail.com