Tag: professionalism

Seven Simple Habits That Make You More Professional

Seven Simple Habits That Make You More Professional

Working remotely requires professionalism as you can also expect when reporting in a physical office. Even if you are not seen by your co-workers, be reminded that your attitude at work contributes greatly to your overall performance. No matter how adept you are in your field, your personality may outweigh your skills anytime.

If you want to be more professional as a virtual assistant, there are simple habits you can start practicing now. Here are a few that you can start learning:

Be punctual always. Being on time is a simple habit but can affect your work performance tremendously. Punctuality shows how relevant you consider your work-related affairs. Regardless of the type of appointment, being on time will imply that you are proficient. You value not only your work but respect those people around you, who would be affected negatively if you are late.

Working remotely gives you more reason to prevent tardiness. You are just a click away from a phone call or video conference every time.

Avoid procrastination. If you procrastinate, it will indicate poor time management. To be more professional, you have to allocate time for your activities properly. Learn how to prioritize and set aside unnecessary activities.

If there are deadlines to meet, then you should make sure to create timelines for tasks and follow through.

Be interactive. You are not meant to work by simply obtaining instructions from your superiors or team members. You are also allowed to interact and share your ideas to make things better for the organization.

You would be more professional if you show regard for how things can be done more effectively. Exchanging thoughts to your colleagues would also promote a healthier workplace relationship since you encourage learning from one another.

Never take all the credit. In an organization, your work is not the standalone reason for the company’s success. Be reminded that every member of the team contributed to keeping the operations going.

If there are successful projects, never take all the credit, even if you took a larger chunk of activities compared to the others. Even if you are the lead, always share the triumph. In such a way, your team would not feel neglected but motivated to keep on winning.

Prevent gossip. No matter how tempting it is to talk about others with your co-workers, professionalism is all about setting aside personal matters while at work. To make this happen, consider yourself in the shoes of the person being talked about.

Instead of sparing time for gossip, dedicate yourself in bettering your productivity every day or learning new skills from your co-workers. Always consider your workplace as a training ground.

Stay organized. As simple as organizing your desk, you could actually look more professional. By making sure everything is in order, you would be free from distractions and you also create an environment that would encourage efficiency all day.

Even if you are pertaining to digital files, organizing your documents will ensure your superiors that referencing would not be an issue whenever you are working. You can carry out your tasks more effectively.

Show respect. The way you treat others, either at a higher or lower position than yours, reflects your professionalism. Regardless of rank, you should show respect to your colleagues. This is how you maintain harmony within the workplace. 

Moreover, respect can also be exhibited by following the organization’s rules. You may have a different opinion at times, but keeping mum to show respect is great professionalism unless the policies are already abusive. 

Working as a virtual assistant may appear easier since you only interact with your co-workers electronically. Nonetheless, regardless of your location, your professionalism would still be reflected by how you communicate, work with your team members, accept feedback, and behave while working.

By practicing the aforementioned simple habits, you would not only obtain a good performance record but become an inspiration to your colleagues. Your professionalism can even set forth your innate leadership.

Improvement as a Remote Worker Is a Continuous Process

Improvement as a Remote Worker Is a Continuous Process

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Being a remote worker is no longer a far reality for most people. As the pandemic ensues, there is no denying that more and more employees will have to get used to a comfortable workplace setting, specifically, for utmost health protection.

Nonetheless, the comfort brought upon by being a work-from-home worker should not negate your professional improvement. Your home office is now your ground, where you would mold yourself into a better employee as time passes, unless, you are a naturally stagnant person, who does not chase improvement of one’s self.

Improvement should not be defined as knowing what you need to do with regards to your work. As a good example, you should never consider yourself an improved employee simply because you got used to your tasks or you have finished the training. Learning what to do is different from being better at what you do.

If you want to be a better professional, you should look far ahead on what more you can be. How can you do this? It is easier said than done, as they would always say, but there is no refuting that it all starts on knowing what steps to take.

Primarily, you would never improve unless you do not know what should be improved. As mentioned earlier, it is not simply knowing what you need to do at work. You have to be better at what you are tasked to carry out. For instance, it is not simply submitting the deliverables on time, but challenging yourself to give results earlier than expected. Find out where you are most consistent, and you will be surprised at how much you can actually improve at.

Furthermore, you should also ask yourself if you have a career goal in mind. Do you see yourself handling bigger tasks in the future? If you do, then ask yourself, can you already be relied on in terms of the basic and small ones? At times, remote workers tend to be complacent with their usual activities, to the point that they do not realize it is a sign that they are not improving at all. Observe and you may discover that you are not progressing at all. Your employer may actually be hesitant to trust you for bigger responsibilities because you do not give him or her reason yet.

Simply because you are working online, you can no longer be a better professional. In truth, when you are a remote worker, there is a wide spectrum of skills you can obtain. This is regardless of your usual day-to-day tasks. If your job is concentrated on administrative tasks, why not take trainings to explore other work, which you have been interested in since then. For instance, website development, graphic design, accounting, etc. The online work industry is way too open at present for you to ignore the many opportunities to learn.

You also have to admit your mistakes at work if you want to improve. There is no person that would get better unless he or she embraces the truth that one errs. No matter how used you are to what you are doing, there will be instances that you will somehow lose focus or forget an important detail leading to your misstep.

Improvement as a remote worker can also be defined by how you appreciate the work you currently have. No one would be able to better himself or herself unless he or she obtains comfort in his or her space. If you get impatient, that is when you would start seeing your work as a burden or a chore. When that happens, even the possibility of getting used to your job is no longer there.

Lastly, bettering yourself comes from not-so-technical things, as well. Who would be a better professional, who does not even give importance to professionalism, teamwork, loyalty, or even honesty? No matter how effective and productive you think you are, if your personality is questionable at present, then you are overall an inefficient employee. Assess yourself and do not be consequential simply because you give results. Remember, if you are talking about skills, that could be taught. However, if you tend to give importance to how you deal with people around you, that could leave a mark not only on your superiors, but on your co-workers, as well.

As you go on with your professional journey, remember that you are in a continuous process of improvement. Be vigilant and watchful of yourself. If you maintain to do so, a path full of possibilities for success and growth would be laid down for you.

Understanding: What Does It Mean for a Remote Worker?

Understanding: What Does It Mean for a Remote Worker?

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As a remote worker, it is a common practice to simply exchange e-mails or make phone calls with your employer and team members. Some virtual staff even find it odd whenever they face a lot of calls in a position that should not require much of it. For instance, they are required to attend various meetings with suppliers, customers, and partners of their firm among others.

The aforementioned situation may be the reason why there are cases in the remote work industry that call for better understanding among professionals. When you say understanding, it means you have to look at a bigger perspective. It is not simply what you comprehend on the e-mails you have received or hear on the calls you are getting.

One good example is when a co-worker denied to assist you with an urgent project. You have to remember that simply because a message implying rejection was sent to you, the said team member takes things personally. For example, he or she does not simply want to help for you are new in the company. This is not the case most of the time. As mentioned above, you got to look at the situation in a different light. Possibly, your co-worker is caught up in an urgent task, as well, which resulted in him or her not being able to help. Moreover, due to the pressing importance of his or her activity, he or she failed to explain the situation well enough.

This is where understanding would come in. If you practice understanding towards your co-worker, you would never think negatively right away. You will consider other possibilities in the picture. Be reminded that prejudice is not often welcomed in a team, especially a virtual one. With the limitation of simply being able to coordinate via messages or calls, you do not tend to see your team member the whole time. You do not see him or her working on his or her tasks or making haste to meet deadlines. In truth, you will be deluged with tons of possibilities, which would most likely be false instead of true.

The same goes for your employer. Being a company owner or an executive imposes a lot of responsibilities. If he or she fails to assist you or answer your inquiry right away, this does not entail that he or she is showing a lack of care for his or her employees. Take note that this could connote that he or she is attending meetings or working on more important matters in the company.

To gain the said trait of understanding towards your employer and co-workers more effectively, you have to mull over the fact you also go through what they experience while working. It is simply a give-and-take process. If you are in their shoes (having to rush and work on critical activities), letting go of possibilities to support or communicate with your team members due to pending assignments, they would likely understand your situation and give you space, as well.

The most beneficial result when all people in an organization practice understanding is the lack of rift. Harmony would be maintained and there could be a more personal connection to one another. With the build-up of good relationships in a company, there will always be a promising success onward.

Remember, it is all about widening your view of the situation. Let understanding rule your thinking before being assumptive.

Are You Using the Term “OC” in the Workplace Correctly?

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The term “OC” is commonly being used to virtual assistants, who tend to be keen to detail whenever working. In other words, they do not mind allotting time counterchecking their work. However, what does this term really mean?

Psychology.org defines obsessive-compulsive disorder as an anxiety disorder in which time people have recurring, unwanted thoughts, ideas or sensations (obsessions) that make them feel driven to do something repetitively (compulsions). The repetitive behaviors, such as hand washing, checking on things or cleaning, can significantly interfere with a person’s daily activities and social interactions.

From the aforementioned definition, it is quite inappropriate to call someone an OC if he or she is simply critical in pointing out mistakes to avoid repetitive work. A much better term should be “efficient” or perhaps, “reliable.”

Virtual workers tend to forget the fact a person, who ensures mistakes are not present in a certain work prior to submitting it, helps an organization from project delays and extra operational costs.

In the same manner, for instance, you have a superior, who tends to perfect things out (no matter how long it may take), then you should be appreciative of your situation. Apparently, if you get used to such setting, you will be able to adopt the same ethic. As a result, you will not let your work be a substandard one. Always keep in mind that your work reflects who you are as an employee.

If you submit deliverables, which have to be checked repeatedly, you are making your client realize that it is useless to have an assistant. This is due to the fact he or she still has to do all the checking in the end. Extra work is synonymous to extra burden for him or her. As a virtual assistant, you are meant to handle the time-consuming tasks of your client. Give him or her peace of mind despite being occupied with other business matters.

Should the real concept of having an OCD is applied to a virtual assistant, then that person would never be satisfied with his or her work. Additionally, the said employee would never finish his or her task within a specified time.

As a remote employee, one should keep in mind there is a huge difference between having OCD and being an effective employee. If you use these terms interchangeably, there may be misconceptions. A person you are supposed to pay a compliment by calling him or her an OC may result to him or her taking it negatively.

This topic may be trifling for some, but remember if you are a true professional, you would not let this fact an inconsequential matter.

Can You Assure Professionalism From a Virtual Assistant?

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Oftentimes, businessmen or professionals in need of assistance with their work find it easy to hesitate in hiring a virtual assistant. This is understandable, especially if it is a fairly new concept for them. However, this common misconception about virtual assistant being an ineffective choice of employment should be debunked. There are many reasons why, and you could start with the utmost professionalism offered by virtual assistants.

There is not much of a difference. Did you know that even business people could attest that there is very little difference in terms of hiring a local-based employee and a virtual assistant? This is due to the fact it is simply true. You could say that the most apparent discrepancy between a VA and an office employee is the location of their workplace. The former is at his or her home, whereas the latter is at your company headquarters.

VAs do not need much of an adjustment. Most virtual assistants have years of experience working in an office-based setting. Thus, it is rather incorrect to assume that they are not aware of how things work in a company.

Furthermore, one cannot deny that once a VA is on board, he or she has to follow rules and regulations, which they have complied with previously, as well. Obviously, there is nothing much to worry about in terms of their adjustment. Once again, the major difference is where they will work, which is at their home.

Virtual assistants are used to a fast-paced environment. Most projects or work required in an online setting is subjected to a deadline. You could be certain that despite the urgency of tasks in your workplace, you would not encounter the VA faltering or complaining. Why? This is due to the fact they are used to such a situation, wherein they have to manage their time effectively to assure submission of work without missing the completion time. This can also be attested by the fact VAs work on an hourly or per-project basis.

Communication can still be seamless. If you worry about the coordination proper, then you should know that communication can still be seamless with a virtual assistant. With the advancement in technology, you have tons of options on how to communicate with your VA – e-mail, voice call, video call, or message. Relaying information, assigning a task, or even conducting a meeting is undeniably easy.

Virtual assistants also guarantee that the said communication means will not be affected throughout their shift given they use a stable internet connection. Should there be a cut-off, a backup is just right the corner.

Absences or late reporting should not be an issue. With the convenience offered by their setup, virtual assistants are less likely to report late or miss their work. This is regardless of their schedule, particularly if it is a night shift one. This keeps you from worrying about delayed projects or missed deadlines. Take note that office-based workers often report late or miss work due to their issue with the difficulty of transportation.

With the aforementioned facts, there is no refuting that hiring a virtual assistant could be your easy solution to common problems you encounter with your employees.