Recession Time - Handle complex issues with zeal, shun mundane tasks

I am sharing with you all an article sent by my friend, which I found quite relevant to the current situation we see around us.

Handle complex issues with zeal, shun mundane tasks

Today surviving the job market crisis is uppermost on the minds of employees irrespective of where they work. The current economic meltdown, being one of the worst of its kind, has spread its tentacles far and wide. Companies across the sectors are considering job cuts and pay slashes if the slump continues. In these trying times employees have no option except to work extra hard to retain their jobs. Till recently to move ahead a good enough performance would do but not a ny longer. Under the changed circumstances, forget about career advancement, just to retain your current position you need to put in a sterling performance. Your success depends to a large extent on your ability to deliver tangible benefits to the organisation. No matter how hard you already work, you have to constantly keep raising the bar of your performance and make a positive difference. It’s time you changed your focus from simply sustaining the existing momentum to achieving something bigger.

Here’s how you can plan your efforts to make a greater impact:

Reflect on your achievements

You may be working really hard, in fact longer hours than you would like to, but are you able to accomplish something noteworthy? Don’t be surprised if you draw a blank. It happens to most of us because we hardly focus on achieving something beyond the routine. Unless you are willing to go that extra mile you are unlikely to have truly significant accomplishments to your credit. Identify the major areas of your responsibility where you can make a favourable impact such as customer satisfaction, profit margins, cost savings, process improvements or mentoring and resource development. Reflect on your achievements till date in these domains and find out how you can improve on them to make them look extraordinary. But to succeed in your efforts you must do away with mediocrity in every form.

Avoid sticking to paths of least resistance and try to explore new ways of accomplishing things. If you focus solely on problems that are easiest to solve you will not be making much progress in upgrading your status to that of an outstanding performer. Instead of dumping complex issues upwards try cracking them. Your already overburdened boss will be only too happy to find you handling things independently.

Doing just the needful is no longer enough. Don’t limit your efforts to achieving what is already defined. Explore what more can be achieved. Define new standards of performance that will stretch you enough to bring out the best in you. For example think on new ways of providing customer delight or better ideas to boost your organisation’s profit. Instead of simply providing what the client wants examine his needs. You will be able to come up with new ideas to serve him better.

In an organisational setting you come across several dependencies while discharging your duties. Do not blindly expect that everything will fall into place automatically. When you rely on others and they do not live up to your expectations, your deliverables get hampered. It is always better to follow up regularly with others to ensure that everything is on schedule. If some of the vendors are creating problems by faltering on schedules too often don’t feel helpless. Take pains to visit problem vendors and sort things out. When your success is interlinked with the performance of others make sure that they adhere to quality norms and also stick to schedule. You can make a favourable impact on the company’s bottom line only if your deliverables are on time, within budget and of high quality.

Develop the tenacity to succeed irrespective of the odds you face. Continuously work with your team members to make them reach their true potential. Don’t assume that they know their jobs well. Reiterate what you expect from them often to ensure they do it right. Train them to think big as well and encourage them to surpass the targets set.

If you are determined to make it big you will find ample opportunities to succeed even in adverse times. So set your sights high and start pursuing lofty goals now.