
We all have different working styles, but how you get the job done impacts the way you are perceived. Discover what kind of co-worker you are – and get expert advice on what you need to do to get that promotion!
function checkRadios(f) { var el = f.elements; for(var i = 0 ; i < el.length ; ++i) { if(el[i].type == "radio") { var radiogroup = el[el[i].name]; // get the whole set of radio buttons. var itemchecked = false; for(var j = 0 ; j < radiogroup.length ; ++j) { if(radiogroup[j].checked) { itemchecked = true; break; } } if(!itemchecked) { alert("Please choose your answer for question #."); if(el[i].focus) el[i].focus(); return false; } } } return true; }
Question of 7
Each morning, when you get to work, you begin the day by:
You’re at a weekly staff meeting and it’s time to update the team on your projects. You:
Your boss calls a last-minute brainstorming session to discuss ways to improve the business. You:
It’s Thursday at 5 p.m. and you’re going for drinks with your team. You’re:
A colleague comes to you for advice on how to handle a problem at home. You:
It’s the end of the day and the office is almost empty. You’re:
A panicked colleague calls to ask for help on a project she was assigned to manage. You:
The perfectionist
“Your strength is getting the job done from start to finish,” says Barbara Quinn, Chatelaine’s career expert and president of the B.C.-based 22c Partners Inc. “You expect high standards for yourself and others. In fact, you probably find it difficult to work with people who don’t care about quality as much as you do,” she adds. But co-workers may find it difficult to live up to your expectations and sometimes give up trying, making the situation even worse from your perspective. The less they try, the more frustrated you get. “To make your life easier,” advises Quinn, “work on choosing your targets of perfection, i.e. your own work. Not everything has to be 100 per cent brilliant all the time.” Start by learning to focus on the big items and let the small ones slip. “You’ll probably be more fun to work with,” says Quinn. The 11th-hour flower
“Your strength is keeping options open and being spontaneous, not expending useless energy and worry until the job has to get done,” says Barbara Quinn, Chatelaine’s career expert and president of the B.C.-based 22c Partners Inc. “You always complete the job in the end and find it tiring working with people who plan everything to a tee,” she adds. But co-workers may think that your methods are haphazard and worry that they’ll have to pick up the pieces to get the job done. If your confidence is making others sweat, it might damage your reputation. “Try working a little ahead of your deadline—even just a few times, to experience the relief of not leaving it to the last minute,” advises Quinn. “You might enjoy it!” The juggler
“Your strength is in juggling many balls in the air at once, sometimes with one hand tied behind your back,” says Barbara Quinn, Chatelaine’s career expert and president of the B.C.-based 22c Partners Inc. You thrive on multi-tasking, adds Quinn, but co-workers may find your methods exhausting. They might also feel inadequate doing one thing at a time. Sometimes juggling is a necessity, but why not mix-up your methods? “If you have trouble finishing a task before moving onto the next, try to improve your organization,” advises Quinn. “Make a to-do list, schedule your responsibilities and focus on completing one thing at a time.” Quinn suggests shadowing a “one-task-at-a-time person” to see how it feels to complete a job from A to Z. Quinn’s final piece of advice is to put files in a folder with labels for each project. “It gives the illusion of being organized,” she explains, “And will actually improve your ability to deliver.” |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|