If you have recently joined the legions of working men and women in this country, congratulations! It is not an easy feat given the unemployment rates and level of competition. And if you are now struggling with some aspect of your work life, relax. We’ve all been there. You will get the hang of it soon.
But until then, here are some pieces of advice based on my own work experiences at a nine to five(ish) job that may help.
How to: Gather information
My initial impressions of my workplace and coworkers relied heavily on the first few people I came into contact with and trusted. It was only months later that I realised that while they may have been honest, their opinions were coloured by their own experiences, both good and bad. By relying on them, I had inherited their biases and potentially missed out on positive work relationships I could have formed with other people, including my manager.
So while it is a great idea to have a mentor who teaches you the ropes, when it comes to opinions about people, its best to form your own rather than relying on office gossip.
How to: Develop a work ethic
A gentleman at my office has an elaborate system to get out of doing anything other than the bare minimum. He complains, argues and behaves badly, all the while pretending to be busy with some inane task. This usually works and he is not assigned additional responsibility. Other people have other systems. The reason they give is that they are dissatisfied and as their efforts aren’t appreciated, there is no point in working hard.
Early on in your career, you have to decide what kind of work ethic you are going to have. Many of the duties you are assigned will be thankless. Your efforts may go unrecognised, which is disheartening. But that is not a good enough reason to stop doing what is required of you. In the spirit of honesty, you have to keep doing what is laid down in your job description even if you do nothing more. You are, after all, getting paid for it.
See: Office productivity: Work smart not hard
So every day when you go to work, commit to doing what is needed. Even on the bad days, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you did your best.
How to: Reduce the negativity
There are good and bad parts of every job. Even if you are lucky enough to land your dream job, some days are going to be a struggle. There are going to be annoying people and you may have a terrible boss who makes life miserable.
At these times, it’s very tempting to go into a negative spiral and join the dissatisfied majority which spend more time complaining about work than actually working. Venting is a good outlet at times, but try to avoid doing too much of it. It can actually raise your level of dissatisfaction and leave you feeling empty.
Try to find the good parts about your work and focus on them at least for part of the time. And if there is nothing good, then remember that you do have a life outside of your job. Fill the hours you spend outside of the office with enough good things that you are able to bring that positive energy to your workday.
How to: Stay healthy
If you have a desk job and spend most of your day sitting down, then I have some bad news for you. You are going to get fat, and sick. So try standing up and walking around more. While taking long phone calls, filing papers or doing any other little thing that doesn’t require you to sit in front of your computer, stand up or walk around. You will have more natural energy and also not acquire the potbelly that is the hallmark of office workers.
And if you are strong-willed enough, then don’t fall prey to the chai culture. If you are in need of more energy, sleep more, eat better and punctuate your work day with short walks or stretching exercises rather than guzzling down lots of caffeinated drinks.
How to: Communicate
Observe how your coworkers communicate with each other. Every organisation has its own jargon and that can be learned in a few weeks, but there is another layer of complexity: people in Pakistan rarely say what they actually mean, so unless you magically land in an open and honest work culture, the convoluted way in which communication happens will take some getting used to. You want to fit in first before you try to stand out.
As a general rule, avoid straight refusals as that really rubs people the wrong way. You may pride yourself on being a straightforward no nonsense person, but a lot depends on how you say things. You do not want to make people feel that they have been slighted. This doesn’t mean you have to be a pushover, but be careful about the tone of your responses. It can make a world of difference.
And finally…
How to: Work better
Once you get the hang of things, most office jobs are relatively simple. There are established work practices that you can follow. But inevitably, there are going to be mistakes. It’s impossible for anyone to produce perfect output every single time, so don’t beat yourself up if you make a mistake. Distance yourself from the embarrassment or anger and try to understand why the mistake happened. It will help you become more efficient.
Also read: Mediocrity: The Pakistani dream
Often, the problem is a lack of focus. Stress, distractions or a negative working environment take our focus away from the task at hand and we end up making mistakes. To improve your focus, pause for a few seconds before you start a task, and in your mind, spell out what you are going to do and how you are going to do it. If it’s a larger project, write the steps down. Also, stop checking your cellphone every two minutes.
These are some simple tips you can apply day-to-day to have a better work life. Like most other things in life, your job can be a struggle, but it can also be rewarding. The important point is to keep going and maintain a positive outlook.