Marble Jar Gang Career Counseling: Behavior
The basic premise or formula is to recognize that when your skills + traits+ behaviors are placed in the right environment, the outcome will give you a greater chance of success and happiness in your work.
Behaviors– you have them!
Behavior consists of what you say and do and how you do it. Your potential employer will want to assess your behavior and your abilities to adapt to new environments and specifically to their cultural needs. 96% of employers will say they will take mindset over skillset. Let’s take a look at this important aspect of your personality.
Behavior is learned and therefore can be changed. Human behavior is influenced by many factors that can be physically, mentally or environmentally triggered. If you have shown that you are an adaptive personality then you have a greater chance of being selected. An un-adaptive person will appear maladjusted or odd. That alone can be the kiss of death in a company.
It is not expected that your behavior will be the exact same as anyone else. Your abilities and past experiences shape your behavior and these affect your instincts, drive, and motivations. Since behavior is learned and able to be changed you will want to understand your history of behavior in a work environment.
Ask some insightful questions and be true and honest to yourself!
1. When have I acted in an inappropriate manner and how did I learn to change that?
(ex: not a good member of a team, sent out nasty emails, gossiped, late to meetings, lost temper)
2. What were the most comfortable experiences for me personally in my previous jobs? (ex: a quiet office to myself, dictated my own hours, you liked to socialize with your team, could work from home, got to travel/didn’t have to travel)
3. What makes you happy, laugh and have a good day? (ex: telling jokes, getting through a hard task, working with people you consider friends, being able to use your phone at work for personal reasons, love your boss, you make a difference)
4. What makes you unhappy? (ex: people around you are dishonest, your boss isn’t fair, no one respects cleanliness in the break room, clocking in and out, no one is grateful, don’t get paid enough, you don’t learn anything)
Know your personality behaviors and what you want to surround yourself with and what you want to leave behind when you change jobs. If you want to add a marble to your jar, your homework is to make 2 columns, one titled Surround Myself and the other Leave Behind. In each column write 3-5 thoughts that are important to that topic for you. You will want it for the chapter on how to interview your prospective employer.
For a deeper dive https://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2014/09/13-human-qualities-you-must-have-to-succeed-in-work-and-life.php
“In looking for people to hire, look for 3 qualities: Integrity, intelligence and energy. And if they don’t have the first the other 2 will kill you.” – Warren Buffet