Be aware of your deficits & overcome them

Having a fat bank balance, enjoying a high social status and wielding power cannot be interpreted as signs of being successful. You may still harbour unfulfilled desires and aspirations. On the contrary, you may have none of these and yet be contented with your life. While possession of some qualities boost the prospects of a successful career, there are some that ensure that your career is in perennial doldrums. The general tendency among people is to overcome the latter category, little realising that in the process, they wreak havoc with their careers.

You could be excelling in your career or not doing so well. You could be passing through any stage of your career. Under all situations, you should remember that some deficits will invariably put your career at risk and as a result, you may suffer immense disenchantment and dissatisfaction. Five major deficiencies that can your impact career adversely are:

• You harbour a rigid approach to things: The boundaries that you draw for yourself and the values that you subscribe to, help you to face challenges. But they cannot be sacrosanct; with the passage of time, they may become redundant and hence need to be reviewed. As human beings, we are intelligent and possess inherent capabilities; but we get disillusioned when people do not support us. You need to be open to suggestions and new ideas; in other words, you have to be openminded and flexible. The world is changing fast and it is imperative that you not only accept, but be part of the change being witnessed. And when you shed rigidity, opportunities will come knocking at your door. 
• Your social skills are not up to the mark: If you lack social skills, life will never be smooth sailing for you. On the contrary, if you possess good interpersonal skills, you will be able to nurture good associations and collaborate effectively with others. You need to communicate with sincerity and be genuinely willing to accept new ideas. But if you are arrogant, sceptical and suspicious, you will find that these nasty qualities will continue to surround you because the people around you will beam out your own perspective. In order to draw out the best responses from people, you need to exhibit your best bearings. And for that you need to improve your social skills at work.
• You are not enterprising: Success will continue to elude you if you do not take initiative. You have to be enterprising in all your endeavours, which may be difficult if you are relatively junior in your company.  The fact is that you cannot bask in the sunshine without taking risks. You simply cannot afford to rest after delegating work. Being enterprising and dynamic calls for shedding apprehensions.You should not be unduly worried when additional responsibilities are assigned to you. Remember that new initiatives on your part will serve to propel you on your career path.
• You fail to see mistakes as learning experiences: The process of learning occurs when you acknowledge that you have committed a mistake or when you admit that you do not possess a specific skill. If you do not learn from your mistakes, you will repeat mistakes. You need to be thus forward-looking and develop good judgement; this will only be possible if you introspect.  Mistakes that you commit should also be viewed as opportunities for self-improvement. Your career will move in the correct direction if you can identify your mistakes and initiate corrective actions.
• You tend to avoid accountability: Responsibilities can be avoided by you, but then the adverts effects of the same will be yours to justify. When things do not move in the correct direction, you simply cannot go about criticising people or circumstances. You may not be responsible for whatever has happened, but if you evaluate why it took place, you will realise that the adverse fallout offers you a bundle of opportunities to do things in a different way. Well, negative results, if they have to be there will be there, but your character will come to be defined by the manner in which you respond to it.

You can overcome your deficiencies and thus open up new windows of opportunities for your career advancement. The need to accept change positively needs no emphasis because any and everything that will happen in your life will be brought about by what you do. Therefore, pyou too must change and adapt to emerging challenges that ushers.