7 Tips to Survive in a Cut Throat Competitive Workplace

Most areas of business are extremely competitive and only the fittest tend to survive. Here are a few tips on how to survive in a cut-throat competitive workplace.

1. Keep your skills updated

One of the most important tips to remember to be able to survive in a cut-throat competitive workplace is, to constantly update your skills. You cannot afford to be a part of the workforce if your skills are irrelevant and outdated. Technology is constantly morphing the way things work and you need to move with the times or you may be thrown out. Be up-to-date on the latest systems procedures, latest gadgets in the office and everything else that is new.

2. Take initiative and grab opportunities

You can stand out in a crowd of employees by volunteering to do things that no one else wants to do. Grabbing opportunities as and when they arise can help you ensure that you are successful in your endeavors and get noticed by the right people in your organization. If you keep working like any other ordinary employee and don’t take initiative, you may not be able to survive in a very competitive workplace.

3. Try to be on the right side of office politics

You may hate office politics but it is unlikely that you can avoid it regardless of the size of the organization you are employed with. You can either be on the right or the wrong side of office politics. This means that you can either be the subject of office jokes, gossip and pranks or be the one laughing away with added benefits of having the support of the right people.

4. Make your own contingency plans

Companies love employees who can salvage a bad presentation or come up with a last minute idea to revolutionize a campaign launch. Making your contingency plans will not only help you to have a secure backup for yourself if things go wrong, but your boss will also assess your presence in the company to be more valuable than the ordinary Joe.

5. Go the extra mile, put more effort than required

No matter what task you are involved in, go the extra mile and do that extra bit to survive in a cut-throat competitive workplace. Get your seniors to notice your dedication and commitment and make yourself their go-to person. Once they start looking at you as a reliable employee, their dependency on your is likely to increase.

6. Share your opinion and contribute to decisions

Regardless of the kind of job profile you have been given, there is always scope to share your opinions with others from the same or even different departments. From opining about a recent update to a systems procedure or a change in the company policy, your views could virtually be about anything and everything related to your organization’s business and operations. Bosses constantly seek out people who can opine and add value to day to day operations in the business.

7. Let your work put you in your boss’ good books

There may be many ways to get into your boss’ good books, but the most effective and sustainable way to stay in there is to let your work shine out from others in your team. Do a good job every time, no matter how small or big a task you are given. Allow your work to be identified as exemplary to get into your boss’ good books. Any sane manager is likely to hang on to the employees whose work is perfect.