“Control what you can control, and don’t worry about the rest.” It seems like sound advice, but it can be difficult to follow — especially in the workplace. You may not be able to change certain circumstances or other people’s behaviors, but you can change how you respond to these situations.

In a post on the Center for Management & Organization blog, Hannah Sincavage explains how you can focus on the factors in your control in order to own your professional growth. We share her thoughts in this issue of PromoPro Daily.

1. Choose your attitude. One of the best ways you can fuel growth is to change how you approach situations. Sincavage says you can choose to be enthusiastic, annoyed or ambivalent. By taking control of your attitude, you can decide how you feel during a task or situation and influence the outcome.

2. Focus on your productivity. You can’t make your clients respond sooner and you can’t ensure your colleagues meet their deadlines, but you have a say in your own productivity. You can choose which tasks to focus on first and how quickly and conscientiously you complete them, Sincavage says.

3. Cultivate a strong work ethic. When you want to advance in your career, you need to decide how hard you’re willing to work and what you can bring to the table every day. By reminding yourself of this, Sincavage says you can choose to work harder and be a team player in your organization.

4. Treat others well. You can choose how you respond to other people at work. Instead of typing out a curt email, try offering support to your co-workers.

5. Adjust how you see yourself. The opinion that you have of yourself can influence how you perform and how productive you are, Sincavage says. Remember that you deserve every success that comes your way. When you work from this mindset, you can ensure your professional growth.

6. Prioritize your growth. This means dedicating time every day or week to focus on learning new things. You could read books, explore research or engage in other professional development opportunities.

Some things can feel out of your control, like having to engage with difficult co-workers or clients. By choosing to focus on what you can control instead of what you can’t, you are much more likely to experience success.


Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Hannah Sincavage contributed this piece for the Center for Management & Organization Effectiveness blog. She works with the design team to provide learning solutions for different organizations.