Summa Cultura

Success in the Workplace

By Engr. Ped Salvador, Ph.D.

August 29, 2012

The title of this article, “Summa Cultura” which means Highest Culture was deliberately chosen to give and provide a major emphasis on the importance of corporate culture in the desire of every company to attain success in the workplace and thus achieve performance excellence.

Wikipedia defines corporate culture as an organizational culture which embodied the collective behavior of humans that are part of an organization, and formed by the organizational values, visions, norms, working language, systems and symbols including beliefs and habits. Organizational culture affects the way people and groups interact with each other, with clients and stakeholders.

Each individual behavior and character however, was a result of the numerous and series of exposures one has experienced and attained from childhood up until the time he became a member of the workplace. Everyone therefore has a differing culture that will on one way or another affects the social interaction between employees in an organization.

Know Thyself

Success in the workplace always starts with oneself. According to Plato (428-347 BC), the famous Greek philosopher, delineated that unless you know yourself, you may not be able to understand yourself  and thus inhibit yourself in getting knowledge to benefit oneself. Moreover success is measured as a state achieved after the accomplishment of targets of the work functional objectives.

Today workplace targets are common in many companies and differs only in the criteria and methods of measurement  being used. A company may used the following basic criteria to measure both the qualitative and quantitative aspects of work activities. These are service quality, time of job completion, job accuracy, punctuality, absenteeism and cost of job activity.

Success Measurements

A company’s performance success is very visible when it measures the following success factors :

Self Satisfaction- Employees has all the indications of satisfaction as perceive from their reaction to their work activities and job performance.

Job Expertise-Employees becomes more specialized on their work functions.

Trust from Management- High employee performance results to more trust from management confirming  that their policies and guidance are working well.

Increase in Responsibilities- Employees that are considered fast tract in achieving excellent performance are given more responsibilities as a preparatory for a job promotion.

Increase in Compensation- Promoted employees and others who achieved the required performance targets received better pay and basic salary adjusted.

Additional Benefits- A company is now better able to provide additional benefits for the employees due to increase in sales revenue and profits.

Job Stability- Everything will now gear up to job and company stability. This will also may result to business expansion.

Individual Success in the Workplace  

The following vital components of individual success are necessary for a  person to achieve its performance targets.

Goal- Layunin

The first and most important step always start with goal. Goal depends on how big targets are set in work and in life. These targets are the main reason for which a person lives everyday of his life.

Hardwork- Sikap at Tiyaga sa Gawain

In order to achieve success in work and in life , the need to put in a lot of effort and hardwork is a necessity. Without hardwork and determination there will be no success. Even the late and famous scientist Thomas Edison made a comment that success is ” 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration”. There are truly no shortcuts to success.

Mind- Set- Pag-Takda ng Kaisipan

A person must develop a mind- set which depicts the struggle in achieving targets in the workplace. It shows the attitude towards work. It shows how firmly one person face the challenges he encounters in the pursuit  towards the targets.

Focus- Tuon  ng Pansin

This depends on how sharply a person focus on targets overlooking the obstacles in path. Obstacles are those dreadful things one see, when you take your eyes off your target.

Motivation- Nag-uudyok sa Sarili

Motivation is the main driving force behind an action, and knowing is not as important as doing. Certainly, an individual need some intelligence, knowledge base, study skills but if one person don’t have motivation, one person would not get far.

Inspiration- Nagbibigay Sigla

Different people get motivated differently, but mostly motivation is achieved through inspiration. Inspiration stirs one individual to action. It ignites for further advancement. It motivates a person to achieve targets, aims, goals and ambitions.

Managing your Life- Pamamahala ng Sariling Buhay

It depends on how a person manage everything in life, how to develop a good routine through effective management of time and other available resources.

Using God-Given Potentials- Gamit ng Sariling Galing at Talento

To be successful an individual need to utilize his underlying potentials that God has given to him. He must use his potentials in such a way that when you pass away, you must have this satisfaction that you have used up your potentials in a positive and worthy manner.

Taking Risks- Marunong Tumaya

In life and in work an individual should know how to take risks. Risk taking here is all about jeopardizing your gain in the achievement of something more valuable. The most successful person is one who is not afraid of taking risk at the right time.

The Real Success-Ang Tutoong Tagumpay

The real success is that which would help one not only in this life but also in the life after death. Real success is achieved when targets are set in accordance with a person  accepted  spiritual  principles. Our success should be such that it leave an everlasting impact in the world and the society we live in , so that people will remember us with respect, dignity and honor.

GMEDI Newsletter, September 2012 issue