Most people spend majority of their waking hours at work. As such, it makes sense for them to master the art of work in order to optimise the use of their talents and skills.

Needless to say that performance will also be greatly enhanced if you are in a vocation of your choice and interest. While it is not wrong to focus on working for money, developing the passion for what we do can help us excel in our work and thus result in even more gratifying rewards.

How do we excel  at work? You need to first identify the real reason for you to take on a job. Some of even found that they work for the greater good of the society. It may seem idealistic but it is a starting point. And to find out whether you feel sustained or nurtured by your work.

If you is, then you are on the path of performing well at work. In today’s work environment where many are only motivated to work for money, the consequences have included ill health, social problems while some suffer in silence.

The other path to excelling at work is to be the expert in the work that you do. The ability to learn, relearn and unlearn keeps us flexible to pick up new skills and to discard old habits that are hampering progress. To excel, one needs to understand the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ of doing a certain task.

By attending courses, learning from the web and willingly go for training are some of the ways that one can improve his working knowledge. The common trait of those who excel at work are those who are always on the lookout for new things to learn and skills to acquire, taking every opportunity to stay relevant in the workforce.

Multitaskers have been singled out to be workers most likely to excel at work. Researchers have tagged some as “supertaskers” who have extreme levels of productivity. This group of workers are able to stay highly focus while they interact with the world around them. They are driven by their goals in every way and juggle tasks without mistakes.

In today’s competitive career landscape, employers look for individuals who can bring fresh ideas to the table and take initiative, start new projects, pitch new solutions and create new opportunities for the business.

If you think this is enough to excel it is not. You also need to be mindful of the other basic skills such as good communication skills, good work ethic, the ability to adapt, job knowledge and management skills. Good communication skills will improve job performance because you will be able to discuss issues in the workforce, ask for  information about a task, work in teams and interact with co-workers and clients better.

Good communications complement exemplary management skills because those who are able to do this will be able mentor co-workers, promote teamwork and be a role model to other co-workers effectively.

Sometimes the quest for excellence can be a lonely and at times selfish one. In wanting to produce the best piece of work you would want to be able to control your factors. But when you work as a team, you need to consider the limitations and strength of others.

It may seem vexing, mundane and incongruous to spend time understanding your colleagues but that coffee chat may go a long way in your future plans on how best to use your human resource.

And if you are a teamleader in your organisation, this could avoid putting square pegs in round holes which always result in low productivity and lack of motivation. So an early realisation of the importance of the people you work with in your pursuit for excellence is pertinent.

You need to show up for the team in more ways than one. If your work is dependent on teamwork then you need to keep pace so that others can keep up. Showing up for your team and being their when they are down will nurture relationships that will result in people going the extra mile for you.

In the race for excellence and staying ahead in the game, the other factor that gets sidelined is ethics. Good work ethics enhances dependability, professional behaviour and positive attitudes. A person who is ethical will keep to his word and be committed to his profession.

And while you are at it, you need to be also mindful that you do not run in the opposite direction of the company goals. It would all be for nothing if you do.

Excel at Work seminar under D Jungle People’s The Leader’s Toolkit series of training programmes will be held from March 18-19. For more information https://djunglepeople.com/the-leaders-toolkit/excel-at-work/