If you follow the news regularly, you will be aware that Thailand is facing tough times. Surprisingly, a lot of people are still working in a "business as usual" mode. Like the old saying about the frog in slowly boiling water, many lack awareness of adversity.
Some people might be aware of the adversity surrounding us. Unfortunately, they are waiting for instructions from their boss, in the traditional Thai style.
I hope today's column will be a wake-up call for all of us to jump out of the boiling pot.
I want to use this opportunity to invite all knowledge workers to adopt a set of habits that will help our organisations and eventually our country to recover faster. Here are seven habits of highly effective employees during times of crisis:
1. Be positive.
2. Do your best.
3. Use your strengths to help others.
4. Communicate effectively.
5. Stop gossiping.
6. Maximise resources.
7. Observe your ego.
Let's look at each one in more detail:
1. Be positive. If you are in any form of employment — full-time, contract staff or freelance — you should be happy, because there are a lot of us who are having a worse day than you. They are unemployed and some are struggling with heavy debts as well. It's time to stop whining about your customer, your work, your boss or your organisation. Under current circumstances, you don't have the luxury to look for personal comfort. Start contributing and do it in such a way that it wows everyone around you. That leads to the next habit.
2. Do your best. Why? Because tough times are when other people will notice how good you are. Crisis reveals the hero. The winner looks at a problem as an opportunity. Don't let your dark side pull you down. "Why do I have to do more?" "Isn't this someone else's job?" "Isn't this the job of my manager?" Those are selfish questions. Ask the right questions: "How can I be my best today?" "How can I do my job faster?" "How can I improve the quality of my work?" "How can I wow my customer?"
When you try your best, you don't need anyone to motivate you; the fruit of the labour in itself is a reward. You get a better result, more experience and increase your skills and knowledge. Nobody can take away those skills from you. Most successful people learn best during times of crisis. Hence, look at it as an opportunity to learn and grow.
Once you've tried these first two habits, you'll have a better chance to finish your job faster and more effectively. You should have more spare time. Don't waste it. Use it to help others.
3. Offer your strengths to help your colleagues. This is a good time to help people with whom you don't have a good relationship. If someone was once in conflict with you, help them. They will remember you and it will create a sustainable long-term relationship. Helping others during tough times is a long-term investment. One day if you need help, they will be happy to support you.
4. Communicate effectively. Misunderstandings that arise from ineffective communication are a major cause of problems inside most organisations. How can you communicate effectively? Start by being clear before you say or write a word. "How clear is my thinking?" Then, communicate.
Don't jump to the conclusion that the recipient understands you. Also ask yourself whether you've used the right media to convey your message to the people you need to reach. Ask yourself: "How effective am I in this communication loop?" "What went well?" "What went wrong?" "How will I do it better next time?" A great communicator always spends time each day reflecting for better self-awareness.
5. Stop gossiping. During a crisis, people like to spread rumours. Gossip thrives and misinformation travels fast. If you have some doubt about anything, ask the right person. Don't spread your doubt. If you hear some gossip that runs counter to facts that you are aware of, tell people the correct information to stop it.
6. Maximise resources. Ask yourself before you start doing anything: how can I maximise resources? It can be as simple as deciding whether to print a file or read it on the screen. Time — and not just your own — is also a very critical resource. "How do I save the boss's time?"
7. Observe your ego. You may be uncomfortable about applying some of the above-mentioned habits. But remind yourself that what got you here won't get you there. Don't hold on to the past. Get out of your comfort zone to help yourself and others prevail over this crisis.
Kriengsak Niratpattanasai provides executive coaching in leadership and diversity management under the brand TheCoach. He can be reached at coachkriengsak@yahoo.com. Daily inspirational quotations can be found on his Facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/TheCoachinth. Previous articles are archived at http://thecoach.in.th