| The heading of this article could just as well have | | | | such a thing as telephone ethics, you know. If you |
| been "How to position yourself for promotion" or | | | | are prepared to pay for your use of the employer |
| "How to position yourself for career advancement" | | | | telephone, you are not abusing it. Do you really know |
| or "How to climb the success ladder" or something | | | | what you are costing your employer for using the |
| similar.What behaviour will improve your chances for | | | | phone? You are not supposed to use it for private |
| success? Behaviour which can be described as good | | | | purposes in the first place. It is a privileged instrument |
| work ethics.The answer on how to cultivate good | | | | entrusted to you to help you in your work and not |
| work ethics is simple. Make yourself one of the linking | | | | to cause financial loss to you employer.6. Be |
| pins in your organisation.A linking pin is someone to | | | | open-minded and ready for organisational |
| whom everybody turns to, to get information and | | | | changes.Whenever changes are announced, be |
| advice from. It is also someone who can link persons, | | | | positive and display a leadership role in executing the |
| sections and departments for better co-operation. | | | | new policies and strategies. If you participated in the |
| But most important of all, it is someone who can | | | | planning of the changes, then you were forewarned. |
| exert influence upwards, downwards and sideways in | | | | But even if you experience unexpected changes, be |
| the organisation structure. In other words you must | | | | first to look out for positive reasons for such |
| be able to influence people around you to carry out | | | | changes and to influence others around you to |
| the wishes, policies and strategies of top | | | | accept it with positive attitudes. Defending superiors |
| management, by earning respect through your display | | | | and higher management will increase your leadership |
| of expertise and thoroughness. You must also be | | | | status and trustworthiness. In a political sense it will |
| able to represent the valid wishes and needs of | | | | display your role as siding with management against |
| lower levels to top management. You can become a | | | | the disgruntled crowd.7. Arrange and organise your |
| linking pin by striving to attain the following traits:1. | | | | paperwork.A good filing system allows you to |
| Cloak yourself with expert knowledge in your | | | | retrieve required documents and information fast for |
| technical field of operation.If you are an electrician, do | | | | own use or for use by other parties. It is a reflection |
| not only be satisfied with your qualification. Try to | | | | of your efficiency and your ability for sound logic |
| gain more in depth expertise in this technical field of | | | | thinking. If you surround yourself with paperwork to |
| yours, to distinguish yourself from other electricians.If | | | | impress on others how busy you are, you are making |
| you are an accountant, avail yourself of in depth | | | | the mistake of your life. It can be interpreted in |
| knowledge about bookkeeping practices by studying | | | | many different ways, like you cannot cope with the |
| or reading up on subjects pertinent for your field of | | | | workload, you cannot delegate, you spend too much |
| technical expertise.You can bluff your way during | | | | on time wasters, you are too slow and worst of all |
| interviews, but once you have been appointed, | | | | you cannot manage yourself or others. If you cannot |
| people expect from you to perform. This is where | | | | get rid of papers, you will not find the time to attend |
| the cookie crumbles or you succeed. The point is you | | | | to the needs and development of your subordinates. |
| must not only perform at an average level, but you | | | | You will also not find the time to liase with colleagues |
| must display exceptional or above average expertise, | | | | or to discipline your section or department. You will |
| so that others can start to rely on your opinions and | | | | be a walk over and ripe for being misused by |
| advice.2. Produce accurate work.Cultivate a habit to | | | | subordinates not respecting you. Rather be a reliable |
| carry out your work correctly with a minimum of | | | | source of information with the time for training your |
| mistakes. Sloppiness or tardiness must definitely not | | | | subordinates and others. Clean up your desk to make |
| be present in your attitude, personal appearance or | | | | time for others.8. Read up on the principles of |
| any of your work outputs, be it notes, memo's, | | | | supervision and management.Familiarise yourself with |
| letters, spreadsheets, conversations or anything | | | | the knowledge on how to be a good supervisor or |
| related to your work.Imagine what will happen if | | | | manager. If you can display management capabilities, |
| debits and credits are being processed the wrong | | | | you will sooner be identified for promotion. It is |
| way around in a financial department. It will have | | | | better to be promoted for your managerial |
| disastrous consequences. Strive for professionalism in | | | | capabilities than for your technical proficiency. It will |
| what you do.3. Be quicker than most.This is one of | | | | allow you to perform your managerial duties better. |
| the best ways to demonstrate your superiority and | | | | Apart from being technically proficient, prepare |
| efficiency. By executing duties and tasks speedily, | | | | yourself in advance for possible promotion. Make |
| you are being more productive and can entice more | | | | yourself ready and available for your employer and |
| important tasks your way and thereby not only | | | | the future needs of your organisation.9. Confidential |
| increase your merit ratings, but also your ultimate job | | | | information.Your treatment of confidential information |
| rating. If you can perform your duties speedily, do | | | | is going to be a good gauge of your character. You |
| not wait and stay idle, but present yourself to your | | | | only have to make one mistake in this area, not to |
| superior for more work. Find a balance to be both | | | | be trusted ever again. If you have a problem in this |
| quick and accurate.4. Display awareness of | | | | area, rectify it quickly. Your superiors and employer |
| productivity.This must start with your own | | | | have to trust and rely on your discretion with |
| self-evaluation. Ask yourself constantly if you are | | | | confidential information. Some information must be |
| giving more back to the organisation in value, than | | | | kept confidential or secret until it is time for |
| what you are being paid every month. Although not | | | | disclosure. |
| easy to calculate, just thinking about it may have | | | | You must proof your ability for discretion with this |
| enough of an impact. Just imagine for a moment if | | | | type of information, so that they know they can |
| your organisation were to be solely dependant for | | | | trust and rely on you. Let them know and |
| profit on the output of human beings only. In other | | | | understand that you are part and parcel of |
| words nothing to sell or produce but labour output.If | | | | management.10. Show initiative.Make suggestions to |
| you can do more, it reflects directly on profit. Luckily | | | | improve methods of work and systems. See |
| a lot of organisations have machines that make up in | | | | problems as opportunities for improvement. Do not |
| productivity for what is lost by unproductive | | | | just report problems, but analyse it wisely and make |
| employees. But being more productive in what you | | | | recommendations for improvement. Recognise |
| do as a human being, can contribute significantly to | | | | opportunities for improvement and development and |
| the profits of any organisation. As salaries are one of | | | | utilise it.11. Be honest, open and direct.Harboring a |
| the highest cost elements in any organisation, this is | | | | secretive attitude of slyness with hidden agenda's, will |
| one of the first cost elements that come under | | | | not remain a secret for long. Other persons will |
| scrutiny during times of cost reduction efforts. You | | | | eventually detect it and despise you for it. You can |
| have to show your worth in order not to be included | | | | just as well fire yourself, because that is where you |
| in downscaling of the labour force. But more | | | | will end up. Nobody will trust you after you have |
| positively, you have to show your worth to be | | | | been exposed. Be open and direct in your |
| counted in for consideration for promotion.5. Get rid | | | | communications and handling of conflict situations. Do |
| of time wasters.Arriving late for work, stretching of | | | | not be afraid to air your opinions, as long as it is |
| tea and lunch breaks and elongated private | | | | genuine and true. Truthful mistakes can always be |
| conversations on the phone, are not only wasting | | | | remedied later on.Summary:Life is ever so short that |
| your valuable time, but are a reflection of your poor | | | | nobody can really afford to remain average in the |
| awareness of productivity. Private conversations on | | | | obscured crowd of nobodies. Make yourself stand |
| the telephone are one of the most abused methods | | | | out as someone with strong principles and work |
| of stealth stealing from your employer. If you cannot | | | | ethics, so that others can rely on your strengths. |
| be trusted on the use of the telephone, what else | | | | Qualifications alone, without work ethics, are totally |
| can you be trusted with? Are you a role model for | | | | worthless.Make the following words part of your life |
| getting rid of these time wasters or for abusing it? | | | | and your philosophy on your outlook of |
| Are you earning respect for your ethical conduct in | | | | work:Tenacity - keep on tryingConscientious - keep |
| eradicating time wasters or are you just one of the | | | | on thinking about ways to finalise and improve your |
| crowd? If you discipline yourself and others around | | | | workHumorous - make life bearable and |
| you on the economical use of time, you are on your | | | | enjoyableUrgency - you must finalise your work with |
| way to earn a respected leadership role. Others must | | | | speed and accuracyTrustworthiness - proof yourself |
| detect a sense of urgency in your execution of | | | | to be a reliable and dependable personOpenness and |
| duties to begin to respect and follow your example. | | | | honesty - be a person of honour and proud of |
| Do you want to be a follower or a leader? Do you | | | | yourself.Pierre du Plessis, CEO of Leaders Circle |
| want to stay obscured in the crowd for the rest of | | | | Educational Centre, specialising in Management and |
| your life or do you want to be recognised? There is | | | | Leadership issues. |