How to be successful at your workplace?

Most people want a decent financial ability to support their families and not to lack the necessary things. This depends a lot on the attitude we have towards the work and profession we have chosen. This also causes the respect we have from people. A few days ago I had a discussion with my sons and I decided it is good to share with other readers the advice I gave them. So, what to do to be successful at the workplace?

Learn your profession well

God said through the mouth of the wise King Solomon the following truth:

Do you see a man skilled in his work? He willstand before kings; He will not stand before obscure men. (Proverbs 22:29)(NASB)

A man skilled in his work is the one who knows his job well, and can work at the highest quality. Because he works very well, he is valued by people and those who have high positions in society, will call on his services and he will enjoy their respect and the honor of all people. Therefore, learn a profession well. Start learning now. I know young people who have become very good professionals because they have made the effort to learn.

One winter I had some troubles with my car because every morning I could not start the engine. I went to many famous masters from the city and no one could fix the engine, no matter how much they tried. I thought that I needed to change an important part of the engine, since no one could fix it and I had to have the same bad experience every morning. Someone advised me to appeal to a young man working at a shop near the Northwest Hotel in Chisinau. My friend took the car and went to that master and what do you think? … That young wasn’t even 20 years old, but he was very busy with his job, with a row of cars waiting for him to be be fixed. I asked him to examine our car and though he was busy, he was also friendly and came to examine it. He looked at the engine, then took a piece of wire from the ground and checked something. Then he told my friend to go and change a small and cheap detail, which was considered good by all the other masters. He also said to us to come back if the problem were not solved. He didn’t even want to take money. My friend did as he was told and my car has never had any problem during winter. When I saw this, I could not believe my eyes and I gave my friend money to go and pay that young man properly for his work and for being a man skilled in his work. He was a great blessing for me to solve the problem I had.

Do qualitative work

Sometimes people who know their job well, scamp. Do not be one of them if you want to be successful in your profession and have respect from people. God teaches us in the Bible:

Whatever you do, do your workheartily,as for the Lordrather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the rewardofthe inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom youserve. Forhe who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, andthat without partiality. (Colossians 3:23-25)(NASB)

When you do not do qualitative work, it is a way of deceiving your neighbor. In fact, when you go to buy a cloth, and reaching home, you see that it is torn or stained, how do you feel? Deceived and fooled … Do not do this to others. Do your job well and at the highest quality.

Do work on time

When people turn to someone for a service, they normally set a deadline when they expect to have the requested product or service. Those who provide product or service are committed to do it until the deadline. If you want to have the respect of people, respect the time and do as you have spoken. When you promise, think well if you manage it on time and you should better take a few more days, because it is better to finish your work ahead rather than to be late and ruin your name and relationship with people. Lord Jesus said:

But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these isofevil. (Matthew 5:37)(NASB)

If you do not respect the terms which you have promised, thus you are giving an opportunity to the devil and ruin your name and relationships with people. You can be the best expert, but if you never respect the terms and do not carry out your promise, you will only be at a loss.

Do not be greedy

Greed at work is manifested when one requires more money than the cost of his work or product is, or worse, ultimately requires more money than they agreed in the beginning.

Once, when I was visiting the church in Istanbul, I decided to have lunch in a cafe with one of my friends. We looked at the prices written on the menu and ordered what we thought was cheaper. We were surprised to see that they brought us very little food, but even more surprised when they brought us the bill, where was indicated a sum three times bigger than we had ordered. When we asked, we were told that they included the taxes and the payment for using the dishes, for the cloth table, etc. We didn’t discuss or debate too much, because we, unlike them, consider important to have a good name as Christians, and do not want to ruin our name because of money. But we will surely not go to that cafe next time. And those who did wrong will get their reward according to their greed, as Scripture says:

So are the ways of everyone whogains by violence; it takes away the life of its possessors. (Proverbs 1:19)(NASB)

Do not become arrogant

Some people, especially young people, since they begin to have more professional success, become arrogant and thus, cut their own branch under their feet. Once I used the service of a young programmer to write a program. I could ask someone more experienced to do it, but I always think to give a chance to young people to learn and grow professionally. When you use the services of a young man or woman and are patient to help and teach him, it is a way of pouring water on the root, as watering a tree so that it may grow. God says to those who help the youth:

Thegenerous man will beprosperous, and he whowaters will himself be watered. (Proverbs 11:25)(NASB)

Let’s go back to the story of that young man. In the beginning he had a good attitude and I always appreciated and paid according to his work. But at some point he began not to do his work on time, to delay it, to give various excuses and when I asked him to give me the written code, about which we concluded from the beginning that its price was included in the price I originally paid him, he asked a very high price just for the code, without which the development of the program could not be continued. I did not want to talk too much with him, so I paid the money, but I told the young man that he was not right, that he only ruins his name and relationships with those who had helped him and that it was not right before God to proceed that way. It is interesting that the elder brother of this young man, has a beautiful and a very different attitude concerning the profession and the services he offers people. But that young man does not want to learn either from me or from his elder brother.

Do you want to be successful at your workplace and have success in relationships with people?

• Learn your profession well
• Do qualitative work
• Do work on time
• Do not be greedy
• Do not become arrogant

Translated by Felicia Rotaru