"EVER BE AT THE PEAK OF EXCELLENCE IN EVERYTHING YOU DO"

Excellence-The quality of being excellent; state of possessing good qualities in an eminent degree; exalted merit; superiority in virtue.

Something in which one excels.

An excellent or valuable quality; that by which any one excels or is eminent; a virtue.

BEING AN EXCELLENT PERSON

Good Work Ethic means being honest and hard working. ... If you have a great work ethic but are incompetent, employers will not want you. Nor will they want you if you are incredibly productive but steal from them. Below are examples of Work Ethic and Work Excellence.

Work Ethic and Excellence

Good Work Ethic means being honest and hard working. Work Excellence means performing your job extremely well. You need both to succeed at work. If you have a great work ethic but are incompetent, employers will not want you. Nor will they want you if you are incredibly productive but steal from them.

Below are examples of Work Ethic and Work Excellence.

Work Ethic

• Pride in Work
• Attendance
• Integrity
• Attitude
• Maximum Effort

Work Excellence

• Productivity
• Customer Service
• Communication
• Follower ship
• Be a Good Team Player
• Continuous Learning
• Problem Solving
• Organization
• Time Management
• Appearance

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Pride in Work

A strong work ethic means taking pride in your work, regardless of what job you hold.

Every Job Matters

Every job, no matter how menial, serves a purpose. Every job connects to every other in a complex, invisible web.

Your Job Matters

It’s up to you to decide the value of your job. If you think no job’s important unless it saves lives, you might consider instead: How you help others? Society? Yourself?

Pride in Work Leads to Pride in Self

If you think you are a quality person, you will do quality work. You learn to think positively about yourself by doing positive things.

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Attendance

Few people have a perfect attendance record. If you can’t be there, you need to handle it properly. Here’s how:

Absences

Call as soon as you realize you won’t be able to work. Make the call yourself.

Vacations

• Ask for vacation time as soon as possible.
• Explain your reason honestly.
• Give your boss the exact dates.
• Offer to make up the lost time.
• Put your request in writing, using either a company form or a note that your supervisor signs.
• Arrange for a coworker to cover for you BEFORE notifying your supervisor, if applicable.

Late Arrivals

• Call in even if you think it will make you even more late.
• Speak with your supervisor, not a coworker.
• Give an estimate of your arrival time
• Apologize when you arrive.
• Don’t let it happen again.

Some reasons for missing work are more acceptable than others.

Acceptable

• I am ill with an infection or flu.
• My child is ill and I have to care for him/her.
• I was in a car accident on my way to work.
• It’s a religious holiday for me.
• My sister died.

Unacceptable

• My car’s not running and I don’t have a ride.
• Have to meet with my lawyer.
• Sister asked me to watch her children.
• Girlfriend/boyfriend and I had an argument and I’m too upset to work.
• Need to visit someone in the hospital.
• Need to get new contacts/glasses.
• Have a hangover.

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Integrity

To have integrity is to be sincere and honest. Integrity is Part of the Job

• When you agree to work for someone, you agree to follow the rules and be honest. Employers expect you to:
• Be honest and discreet.
• Follow company policies.
• Follow local, state and federal laws.
• Follow the written code of ethics for your occupation if there is one.
• Speak up when someone else acts improperly.

Integrity means Doing the Right Thing

You should always do the right thing. This includes avoiding behaviors commonly viewed as inappropriate and dishonest, such as:

• Stealing
• Using equipment
• Cheating on your time
• Abusing drugs and alcohol at work
• Violating confidentiality (employer, employees, customers)
• Tolerating others’ bad behavior
• Violating company policies

Sometimes Integrity can be difficult. If you find yourself in an ethical dilemma, you can clarify what to do.

Questions to Ask Yourself

Is it legal? If it’s against the law, DON’T DO IT. Even if your boss tells you to, the law may hold you responsible.

Would I feel proud about it? If your conscience tells you it’s wrong, DON’T DO IT.

Would I like everyone to know it? If you would not want your supervisor, coworkers, family… to know about it, DON’T DO IT.

Would it hurt someone unfairly? If it unjustly harms a person or an organization, either physically, mentally or financially, DON’T DO IT.

What would happen if I didn’t decide? If not deciding could result in harm, DO SOMETHING positive; don’t just wait.

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Positive Attitude

Employers want friendly people with positive attitudes. Positive attitudes make you easier to work with and they help make the company’s customers happy, too.

Your Attitude Shows

You can’t fake a positive attitude. You give away your real feelings through verbal and non-verbal signals.

Why Be Positive?

Most people find that being upbeat makes their lives—and jobs—much more pleasurable.

How to Be Positive

Look for the humor in the situation. Smile. Observe and imitate people who are positive. Remember to be grateful for all the good things in your life.

Your attitude has consequences or results. What attitude do you want to project?

• Positive attitude results in taking pride in work and behavior
• Positive attitude results in being eager to learn, change and grow
• Negative attitude leads to doing only the minimum
• Negative attitude leads to complaining and criticizing
• Positive attitude creates fun, creative work environment
• Positive attitude results in increased productivity
• Negative attitude results in illnesses and work absences
• Negative attitude results in limited opportunities for advancement

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Work Ethic

Employers value people who are “hard working” so you’ve got to give it your all.

Be physically ready to work. Don’t show up drunk, stoned, sick, exhausted or seriously injured.

Leave your home life at home. Sharing your personal problems takes time away from work and can contaminate your work relationships. People might seem sympathetic but you risk losing some of their respect if you reveal too much.

Limit socializing at work. Building relationships with coworkers is valuable and ultimately helps your productivity, but know when to get back to work.

Put in a full shift. Make up any personal time you take at work. Take breaks only in accordance with company policies. Conduct personal business, such as web surfing or phone calls, only during breaks.

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Maximum Effort

When you work hard, you put forth maximum effort.

Which of the following is NOT an example of working hard?

1. Don’t cut corners.

2. It is OK to produce sloppy or incomplete work.

3. Don’t give up.

4. Meet your deadlines.

Productivity

Excellent employees produce excellent results.

How can you be truly productive?

1. Do important tasks that contribute to the company

2. Accomplish what you set out to do

3. Do it on time

4. Do it well

5. Do more than you boss expects

You can increase your productivity if you have the best tools for the job.

1. Do some research

2. Put the request in writing

3. Meet with your employer

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Customer Service

To stay competitive, businesses and employees have to provide excellent customer service.

Who Is the Customer?

• Internal customers: Your supervisor, coworkers and others in your employer’s company.
• External customers: The public or other businesses.
• Potential customers: Those you don’t yet know.

Why bother with Customer Service?

• Most unhappy customers don’t return
• Former customers tell an average of 15 people about their bad experience

Examples of Good and Bad Customer Service

Good Customer Service

• Greeting customers
• Opening doors for customers
• Taking customers to items they want
• Answering the telephone cheerfully
• Promptly returning phone calls
• Doing exactly what customers request
• Responding calmly when customers express anger
• Acknowledging and apologizing for errors
• Listening politely to customers
• Asking customers if they need help

Bad Customer Service

• Talking with coworkers while customers wait
• Ignoring customers on hold
• Complaining to customers about coworkers
• Not looking up when customers enter
• Letting customers wander around lost
• Saying “it’s not my job;”
• Promising something you can’t deliver
• Failing to show up for appointments
• Suggesting customers are stupid or unreasonable
• Walking past registers with long lines

Customer Service

To please your customers you must deliver what you promise.

• High Quality
• On Time
• As Promised
• Reliability and Consistency

Another way to deliver what you promise is to communicate with customers.

• Let customers know you care about them
• Never let customers think you forgot about them
• Show your concern with words, body language and actions

Serving Customers in Person requires that you:

1. Greet customers as soon as they arrive.

2. Take customers to the item they request.

3. Acknowledge customers in line.

4. Serve in-store customers first.

5. Never conduct personal calls in front of customers.

You will encounter unhappy or dissatisfied customers. You will be required to handle the situation. When customers complain, don’t take it personally see it as a chance to make them happy. Customers want mistakes to be fixed promptly and respectfully.

At times, you may encounter angry or unreasonable customers. When customers are upset or dissatisfied, resolve the problem by being: Courteous, Contrite, Clear, Connected, Confidential, Cautious, Calm . Never engage the customer If he crosses the line and threatens you. Never engage an angry customer in a verbal or physical fight.

A great deal of business is conducted on the telephone.

Below are suggestions for handling telephone calls.

• Greet caller and identify yourself.
• Conduct your business quickly and efficiently.
• Show you care about the caller.
• Do not play “phone tag.”
• Reassure caller messages will be passed along.
• Put calls on hold as briefly and infrequently as possible.
• Do not make the caller repeat everything he/she said.

Communication

Communicating effectively means exchanging information and ideas.

• Speak Effectively
• Listen Effectively
• Write Effectively
• Read Effectively

Conversation Weakeners

Conversation Weakeners cause people to take you and your ideas less seriously. Below are examples of conversation weakeners.

Qualifiers

“This might sound stupid, but…” Saying this will lessen your ideas.

Fillers

“Um, you know, I guess…” Saying this will make you come across as uncertain.

Minimizing

“I was just lucky…” Saying this communicates that you are unworthy.

Poor Inflection

Making your statements sound like questions will make people doubt you.

Inappropriate Language

Street language, poor grammar, slang or swear words make you sound uneducated.

Victim Language

“But that was not my fault, sir…” Saying this suggests you are not responsible for your actions.

Being a Follower

Knowing how to follow Is as important as knowing how to lead.

DO’s

• Take the initiative
• Keep the boss informed
• Take responsibility
• Be solution-oriented
• Show support for your boss

DON’T’s

• Blame the boss
• Fight the boss
• Wait for problems to get fixed
• Feel frustrated by slow progress
• Be afraid to change

Team Player

Being a Team Player means you work hard, get along with others and focus on the common goal, not your personal glory. Follow these guidelines:

• Participate
• Don’t be shy
• Encourage others to participate
• Communicate
• Let go of your ego
• Value differences
• Expect conflicts
• Keep the project on track
• Keep your sense of humor
• Be considerate

Continuous Learning

To be an excellent employee you will need Continuous Learning.

What Is It?

Continuous learning means learning is a never-ending process to:

Stay current with technological, legal and knowledge advances in your area of expertise.

Develop new skills/Upgrade existing skills.

Where to Learn

• Read books and articles that relate to your job.
• Listen to business news about your field.
• Ask your supervisor to send you to job-related workshops
• Take classes at a community college.

How to Learn

• Listen and observe.
• Be curious, asking why and how.
• Be adventurous, exploring new ideas.
• Be willing to make mistakes.
• Be determined.
• Admit when you don’t know.

Continuous Learning

There are many Benefits to Continuous Learning.

1. Get hired easily.

2. Get promoted quickly.

3. Earn more.

4. Do not be bored with work.

5. Direct your own work life.

Problem Solving

Problem solving is a critical job skill of the new world of work. To solve a problem you must follow the seven steps below.

1. Define the Problem. If store sales are down and everything sells except the sweaters, the problem isn’t the store; it’s the sweaters.

2. Analyze It. Sweater sales are down. Are the sweaters priced too high or is it too hot to sell fall clothes?

3. Develop Solutions. Ask salespeople and customers how to get people to buy sweaters in the summertime.

4. Evaluate Solutions. Compare solutions that are logical, simple and cost-effective.

5. Select a Solution. Decide on the best solution to implement, using whatever criteria you decide. Ex: Have a two-for-one sweater sale.

6. Implement It. Get support from others, starting with your supervisor.

7. Evaluate It. Determine whether the solution worked and why it succeeded or failed. Ex: Sweater sales up 35%. Problem solved.

Organization

Organization helps you be efficient by allowing you to do what you want to do without wasting time.

Organize Your Duties

• Gather all the supplies before you begin a project.
• Break your routine tasks into parts.
• Take notes.
• Group similar activities.
• Automate everything you can.
• Clean your work area before you go home.

Organize Your Environment

• Arrange items by frequency of use.
• Use broad categories when filing or arranging items or tools.
• Throw or give away anything you don’t need.
• Use bins and boxes to store items in cabinets.

Time Management

To be an excellent employee, you need Time Management so you can complete your work on time.

Setting your Priorities

Begin with assignments or tasks that are:

• Important to your boss.
• Important to coworkers or other customers.
• New to you (because they might take longer than you expect).

Tools of the Trade

• Calendar. A calendar helps you remember appointments, deadlines and keeps you from over-scheduling.
• Daily Action List. Your daily action list helps you keep track of the individual activities that you need to accomplish that day.

Appearance

Your appearance at work is a big part of your work excellence. Be sure to follow these four rules:

• Keep your hair, body, face and clothes clean.
• Ensure safety and health.
• Try to fit in with co-workers.
• Minimize clothing that distracts others from the business at hand.

Manners

Manners are as important as your appearance. Conduct yourself professionally.

Always...

• Hold the door for customers.
• Let customers walk ahead of you unless you’re showing the way.
• Act confidently.
• Smoke only in designated areas.
• Put cigarette butts and chewed gum in the garbage.
• Keep the volume on your radio or stereo low.
• Never... Swear or yell at work.
• Interrupt a customer.
• Slouch, lean, put your feet up.
• Dip or chew tobacco in public.
• Chew gum in front of others.
• Pick at your nose, ears, fingers or clothes.

What makes a person excellent?

• The question has a double meaning. (1) What are the qualities that make people excellent? And (2) what does an excellent person do? These are two very important questions that you should ask yourself if you want to be on top of the mountain, among the top ten, five or two percent of your class, in your profession, market, or any other area.
• The answers wouldn’t fit in a blog post, that’s why you shouldn’t consider what I say as exclusive or definite. Let it serve its purpose in waking your imagination.
• One of the main qualities of an excellent person is high standards. They require the best performance. They always seek to better themselves. They don’t accept to just be good, but the best – and know that the best of today is the good of tomorrow. She doesn’t lose focus of her competition, but they’re not the reason why she’s motivated. She knows that letting herself be guided by the competition is not to lead. Her main opponent is herself. Her targets are dictated by the standards she determines.
• Clearly, the outstanding quality that dictates an excellent person’s behavior is — high standards. It also answers the second question: What does an excellent person do? Here are ten things:

1. They think big
2. They’re well-behaved and disciplined
3. They are obstinate in regards to success
4. They hate failure
5. They don’t waste time on stupid things
6. They associate with excellent people
7. They hate to associate with the mediocre
8. They don’t despise the details
9. They accept criticism as a method of help
10. They ask intelligent questions

• Theoretically, you should first be excellent, to then do excellent things. But the other way around works too. If you decide to do things with excellency, and consistently insist on this, you will eventually turn into an excellent person.
• The climb is steep. Few reach the top. But the view is marvelous.

6 Keys to Being Excellent at Anything

If you want to be really good at something, it’s going to involve frustration, struggle, setbacks and failures. It will require relentlessly pushing past your comfort zone. That’s true as long as you want to continue to improve, or even maintain a high level of excellence. The reward is that being really good at something you’ve earned through your own hard work can be immensely satisfying.

Here, then, are six keys to achieving excellence:

1. Pursue what you love. Passion is an incredible motivator. It fuels focus, resilience, and perseverance.

2. Do the hardest work first. We all move instinctively toward pleasure and away from pain. Most great performers, Ericsson and others have found, delay gratification and take on the difficult work of practice in the mornings, before they do anything else. That’s when most of us have the most energy and the fewest distractions.

3. Practice intensely, without interruption for short periods of no longer than 90 minutes and then take a break. Ninety minutes appears to be the maximum amount of time that we can bring the highest level of focus to any given activity. You may even have to start with 45 or 60 minutes. The evidence is equally strong that great performers practice no more than 4 ? hours a day.

4. Seek expert feedback, in intermittent doses. The simpler and more precise the feedback, the more equipped you are to make adjustments. Too much feedback, too continuously, can create cognitive overload, increase anxiety, and interfere with learning.

5. Take regular renewal breaks. Relaxing after intense effort not only provides an opportunity to rejuvenate, but also to metabolize and embed learning. It’s also during rest that the right hemisphere becomes more dominant, which can lead to creative breakthroughs.

6. Ritualized practice. Will and discipline are wildly overrated. As the researcher Roy Baumeister has found, none of us have very much of it. The best way to insure you’ll take on difficult tasks is to ritualize them - build specific, inviolable times at which you do them, so that over time you do them without having to squander energy thinking about them.

I’ve practiced tennis deliberately over the years, but never for the several hours a day required to achieve a truly high level of excellence. What’s changed is that I don’t berate myself any longer for falling short. I know exactly what it would take to get to a much higher level.

15 Ways to Become a Better Person

Life is a journey and becoming better every day is the goal.

"Make the most of yourself....for that is all there is of you." --Ralph Waldo Emerson

We've all made mistakes throughout our lives that haven't exactly put us in the best light--like bullying someone in school or telling what seemed like a little white lie. Chances are, however, you probably felt a little guilt and grew because of the situation.

I'm an average guy trying to become better in both my work and home life. I'll never be perfect, but it doesn't mean I won't try.

If you want to continue to grow as a person, here are 15 ways to make the most of yourself.

1. Compliment Yourself

Every morning before you go on with your daily routine, take a couple of minutes to give yourself a compliment. Whether you compliment your outfit, haircut, or how you recently completed a task using your unique skill sets, giving yourself a little emotional boost will make you happy. And, when you're happy with yourself, that emotion can be contagious to those around you. Inspirational speaker Tony Robbins has a mantra he says aloud to himself most days to put him in a peak performance state.

2. Don't Make Excuses

Blaming your spouse, boss, or clients is fruitless and won't get you very far. Instead of pointing fingers and making excuses about why you aren't happy or successful in your personal or professional life, own your mistakes and learn from them. When you do this, you will become a better person. When I personally started living up to my mistakes and downfalls, my life turned itself around. I became happier and healthier, and my relationship with my wife improved. We are happier than ever.

3. Let Go of Anger

Letting go of anger is easier said than done. While anger is a perfectly normal emotion, you can't let it fester. When this happens, you may make unwise decisions, and more important, it may affect your health. Research suggests pent up anger can cause digestive problems, difficulty sleeping, and even heart disease.

To help you let go of anger, Roya R. Rad, MA, PsyD, suggests you write your feelings down, pray or meditate, or begin to manage your thoughts.

4. Practice Forgiveness

Joyce Marter, LCPC, suggests you forgive and let go of resentment. She notes, "If for no other reason than for yourself, forgive to untether yourself from the negative experiences of the past. Take time to meditate, and give thanks for the wisdom and knowledge gained from your suffering. Practice the mantra, 'I forgive you and I release you.'"

5. Be Honest and Direct

How would you feel if a loved one or business partner lied to you? Chances are you would see that as a violation of your trust. If you want to be a better person in either your personal or professional life, you should always tell the truth and state as clearly as possible what you are trying to convey. Learn to articulate your thoughts, feelings, and ideas in an open and honest manner.

6. Be Helpful

Whether giving up your seat to an elderly person on the subway, assisting a co-worker on a project, or carrying in the groceries when your spouse comes back from the store, being helpful is one of the easiest and most effective ways to practice becoming a better person. I find that the more I help others, the better I feel about myself and everyone around me.

7. Listen to Others

As Jeet Banerjee notes on Lifehack, "listening to people and giving everyone a voice is one of the greatest things you can do." He adds that he "got to meet some of the most amazing people, close some of the biggest deals, and develop connections that will last me a lifetime all because I took time to listen to people. Being a good listener can change your life in a positive manner."

8. Act Locally

It may not seem like a big deal, but supporting a local cause, donating clothes, or buying from local farmers' markets or businesses are simple ways you can help your specific region. You may not be able to save the world, but you very well could make a difference in your neck of the woods. Get to know and care about your community.

9. Always Be Polite

How much effort does it take to say, "Thank you," or to hold the elevator door open for someone? Not much at all. However, these acts of kindness can make someone's day. I decided a few years ago that it doesn't matter if someone is ultra rude, condescending, or worse. The way someone else behaves is not going to determine my behavior.

10. Be Yourself

Tiffany Mason has five excellent reasons on Lifehack why you should be yourself. These include being able to align yourself with your values and beliefs, establish your identity, build courage, create boundaries, and find focus and direction.

11. Be Open to Change

Whether trying a new restaurant, traveling to an unknown part of the world, or doing something that has always scared you, you should always be open to change. This allows you to grow because you experience something new. It helps you be high functioning and self-confident if you are not wary of change.

12. Be Respectful

How would you feel if you had just cleaned your home and someone came in and tracked mud everywhere? You'd probably be a little ticked that they hadn't taken off their shoes. Take this mentality and apply it to everyday life. For example, don't toss your trash or cigarette butts on the floor of public restrooms or sidewalks just because someone else will clean it up. Be respectful of others' time, thoughts, ideas, lifestyles, feelings, work, and everything else. You don't have to agree with any of it, but people have a right to their opinions and yours is not necessarily correct.

13. Don't Show Up Empty-handed

Going to a party this weekend at your friend's apartment? Make sure you don't arrive empty-handed. Even if you've been assured that there will be plenty of food and drink, bring along a little something to show you appreciate being invited.

14. Educate Yourself

If you don't understand why one country is invading another, take the time to educate yourself on the current event. Ask a person intimately connected with the event for his or her thoughts. Remember, we're all interconnected, and being aware of different cultures, different people, and what their lives are like can make you a more well-rounded individual. This will also help you understand points of view different from your own.

15. Surprise People

How good does it feel to make someone smile? It feels pretty good, right? Surprise your loved ones or co-workers now and then, with a gift, a night out on the town, or by offering help when you know they could use it.

Becoming a better person doesn't happen overnight, but it is possible. Believe in yourself and know that it is possible!

What other tips have you found useful for becoming a better person?...Excellence is doing what typically nobody else is willing to do, better than expected – even if no one is watching....How do you create excellence in the workplace?

You would be surprised the number of immature people we have in the workplace nowadays. The tantrums, the yelling, the throwing of things and outright expression of emotions that is detrimental to work and the office environment.

Emotional maturity is an expected trait in the workplace, especially when excellence is expected at work.

To be mature at work is a way of bringing excellence in the workplace. To be mature means you are very self-aware of the how you feel about yourself.

This self awareness makes you conscious about your feelings and why you feel the way you feel. You put it under control or you do not feel the need to show it so openly that it affects your colleagues in the workplace. You must know the demonstration of these emotions can affect the morale of people around you.

You need to learn to be sincere with yourself before you can have a certain amount of maturity; ie. the maturity you bring to work everyday. Learn to be sincere with yourself with the kind of sincerity that disarms the dramas that feels compelled to come out and yells to the rest, “Look at me, look at me.” There is no place for this sort of immaturity at work. You need to do better if this sounds like you.

If you want to bring excellence in the workplace, learn to adjust, modulate and direct your emotions. Think before acting and understand that your actions can affect the rest, especially team member who works closely with you. How can someone approach you if they feel you are in a foul mood and days on ends? How effective and efficient can you be then? How will people around you achieve excellence in the workplace?

Learn to change as this will ensure that excellence in the workplace can surface. When you are open to change, the path opens to opportunity that never presented itself as everyone is fearful including yourself. It’s just something you never noticed due to all the drama from immaturity. It is something you did not realize and the time to reflect upon your actions.

Maturity allows you to understand that passion and persistence to pursue goals at work beyond monetary returns gives you a purpose of service in life. With passion, persistence and patience, excellence can be achieved in the workplace. You as an individual can inspire the rest to show their best at work without even trying too hard because you would have already created the environment to do so.

When you behave maturely at work, you become discerning. You know small acts can carry big meanings. Just like a mother who pats and encourages a child. A small act but it helps the child build confidence. Maturity brings excellence in the workplace because it allows you to respect and appreciate the work others do, and not look at it as an action to gain favors. More importantly ego is parked aside because of the level of maturity as a professional.

Maturity must exist if you want to have excellence in the workplace. A work place that is filled with people who are mature, ask how things can be done better. They do not ask why it is not done my way. Parking ego aside, more work can be done better and more efficiently. That can only come when maturity is an element everyone expects to carry to the workplace...May GOD help us to be always on the peak of excellence in all that we do!!!!