9 Characteristics Of Highly Skillful People

“Good vibes.”

Photo courtesy of  citirecruitment via Flickr

How often do we hear that these days? It seems everyone in the workplace has to be reminded to take it easy, remain to be positive and cheerful people, and well, think “happy thoughts.”

Stress comes from a variety of factors --- traffic on your way to the office, rude building guards, horrible bosses, inefficient co-workers, deadlines, quotas, etc. And then there’s also rush hour traffic going home. A Global Workforce Study found that 38% or nearly four out of ten workers are bothered by excessive pressure on the job while a bigger percentage worries about their financial state and retirement. Too much worrying, it seems, is causing 63% of workers to be disengaged with their jobs. The low workplace engagement shows that a majority of employees lack motivation and are unhappy and unproductive. This also means that a company or organization is in trouble.

Stress and pressures are part of the job but how greatly they affect you is your decision. In a call center set-up for example, clients and accounts will not always be in your favor but how you take such inconveniences defines who you are. The difference is happiness --- yes, happiness and success are related. Happiness is the key to success. In the book “Happiness At Work: Maximizing Your Psychological Capital for Success,” author Jessica Pryce-Jones wrote that her research revealed that happy people get promoted more, earn more, learn more, are more creative, and generally achieve greater success. Being positive and having the right attitude towards work contribute to a successful career. Here are the nine traits of highly skillful, productive, and happy people in the workplace.

They focus on things to be done

Not everything is important. Among the traits of skillful people is being able to distinguish between important matters and trivial ones. They know their priorities on a daily basis. Productivity coach Sara Caputo says “productivity is about getting the right things done” and not getting bogged down with too much work only to finish nothing. Try the 80/20 rule: 20% of what you do produce 80% of your desired results. Productive people recognize that value determines priority, they have laser-like focus, and also know how to delegate tasks.

They are organized

Another characteristic of highly skillful people is having a system that works. They have a system that saves them time and energy and generally makes work easier. To be successful at something, employees have to organize a scheme compatible with their goals. This involves having the right tools like a computer or a website and being faithful to strategies.

They know how to set aside distraction

There are countless distractions a.k.a productivity pit stops when we try to get our jobs done. Highly-productive people know how to turn these all off ---- may it be music, a trending YouTube video, bothering calls and texts, and even personal problems. They know how to manage their energy and again, focus on the things that matter.

They don’t take themselves too seriously

Dwight Eisenhower once said that “sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done.” And it’s true; humor, tasteful humor, is a key to career success. A survey by Robert Half International found that 91% of executives believe that sense of humor is important in career advancement while 84% believe that people with a good sense of humor do a better job. Positive and cheerful people have more of what international business speaker Michael Kerr calls the “humor advantage.” A positive and fun culture attracts customers, encourages creativity, and helps address different business situations. Humor also beats stress, humanizes, puts others at ease, and helps build trust.

They are happy with what they do

There is humor and then there is happiness. As stated above, happiness is directly related to success in the workplace. A happy call center agent, for example, is one that is likely to stick around. They don’t just work for their personal career growth but takes into account the future of the company by yielding better results in terms of productivity, creativity, and customer loyalty. Their perky mood alone can rub off to customers and their positive energy spreads throughout a burned out office. This is how positive traits contribute to career success --- happy employees genuinely care for what they do and are rewarded for it.

They get back on track faster

Some things don’t always go as planned. There will be setbacks along the way. Positive and productive people respond to a problem with a solution and not waste their time on blaming and shaming themselves. They find out what’s wrong and they go out and fix it. They quickly get back on track.

They are not selfish

Highly productive people are not selfish. They allow other people to grow and be whatever they want to be. These people share their knowledge and talent. They are team players and it makes them feel good to be part of someone else’s success.

They know how to take it easy

Highly-productive people take breaks. They are not too hard on themselves and try to do ten things at once. They don’t have to take working lunches everyday and yes, they do take vacations. Refreshing their minds and refreshing their bodies are part of their strategy in being the best that they can be.

They never stop learning

A highly-productive employee never stops at an “I don’t know.” He gets the training and learns the skills necessary to find the answer. Laura Stack, president of a consulting company says these people “have the motivation, drive, and can-do positivity to make things happen.” They acknowledge the need to upgrade their skills, attend trainings and seminars, and consult with industry leaders and colleagues.

An employee who is good at what he does is happy with what he does. He knows how to make things happen in a manner that will not stress him out, push him to his limits, and drive him crazy. Being productive means getting the right work done efficiently and loving every minute of it.