Why You Are Stalled, Part II

Last week I wrote the first in a series posts focused on how you can overcome a stalled career. The first part was about Kaizen, or constant improvement. This week I will discuss bringing passion back into the workplace.

Here’s Part II.

Why is your career advancement stalled? There could be many reasons. Some reasons are beyond your control, but there is one reason over which you have complete control. If you are stalled, ask yourself: Am I passionate for my career?

You may be skilled, experienced, and hard working. But to advance you need to display yet another level of commitment to your work. At Rakuten, we call this “Passionately Professional.” This is one of our Five Principles of Success.

A passionate professional is one who holds nothing back and is fully engaged in doing the best possible job at all times – no matter what the job may be. One can be passionately professional while running a company or mopping a floor. The mindset and visible display is key.

• Is your job your true joy?
• Do you think about your job and how you might do it better, drawing inspiration from the world around you even when you are not at work?
• Do you attack even the must mundane or your tasks with zeal?

When you are passionately professional, it shows in everything you do. When you are not, that absence of passion is just as visible. Are you passionate for your career?

Next week I will conclude this series with a post on Shikumika.