A few
weeks ago I wrote an article covering the 5 Must-Have Qualities Of The Modern Manager. However it’s not just the managers
that need to adapt and evolve to the changing workplace; it’s also the
non-managerial employees. As I mentioned in the previous article dramatic
changes in the way we work are being fueled by new behaviors and new
technologies. In fact, there are five trends which area shaping the future of work. . To keep pace there are five
qualities that the modern employee needs to possess.
Embrace
change
Employees
have grown accustomed to doing things a certain way. They have used to the same
technologies and the same processes for many years but that doesn’t mean that
those technologies and ways of doing things are the best for our companies or
for ourselves. Consider that in a few years millennials are going to become the
majority workforce in the United States. These are people who grew up using
social and collaborative tools to communicate, collaborate, and find people and
information. This new workforce means new behaviors and new technologies;
employees should be stepping forward together and embracing the change that is
going to make their jobs and lives easier. As Winston Churchill said, “To
improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.”
Have
a voice in your company
For
the first time in the history of business “leader” and “manager” are not
mutually exclusive. Leaders no longer to have to be managers, they
have to be people who are passionate, knowledgeable, and comfortable with
sharing (which is another key quality mentioned below). New collaborative
technologies are empowering every single employee within an organization to
share their passions, interests, ideas, and feedback. If you care about
something you have the opportunity to become a leader and a known voice on that
topic within your organization. However, this can’t happen if you don’t speak
up. You can’t become a leader if you are scared of sharing your voice and your
opinions. This means using the new collaborative technologies that are
available to you to get recognized within your company. Why be a employee when
you can become a leader?
Be
autonomous
Now
that employees have the ability to work from anywhere at anytime, being
self-directed is crucial. There is no longer a manager watching your every move
and reminding you to “get back to work.” This a privilege but it’s also a
responsibility. A great deal of trust is being placed on you to accomplish your
tasks. As a modern employee you must be capable of executing on your
deliverables whether you are in an office, cafe, or at home.
Share
and help others
This
was one of the key qualities for the modern manger but it’s also a key quality
for the modern employee. Traditionally employees wanted to keep ideas to
themselves to get credit for their own contributions. This model is no longer
effective. With the emergence of collaborative tools, ideas and feedback can
easily be traced back to individuals within an organization. Sharing not only
benefits the team but it also benefits you as an employee. Your peers and
managers will recognize your can-do attitude and ability to lend a helping
hand. Sharing can take many forms; you can share your ideas, feedback, what you
are working on, documents, or anything else that you choose to. By sharing,
your team and neighboring departments will recognize your name. To be a modern
employee you must become comfortable with sharing and helping others.
Filter
and focus
In
today’s work environment we are pulled in many directions. We are on meetings
while we check email, simultaneously tweeting, editing a document, and IMing
with a colleague. With the proliferation of content and tools that
coworkers and friends can “ping” us on it’s all too easy to lose focus.
With emerging technology employees must remember to focus on what needs
to get done. This means being able to put people and messages “over ice.”
Information bombards employees from every direction which means employees
need to become adept at filtering out and focusing on what’s crucial.
What
other qualities do you think are crucial for the modern employee?
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