Key West Florida Weekly

Ready to rise

In the working world, dedicated role players must be prepared when called upon.


 

PORTS HISTORY IS FILLED WITH the players bench and playing a big role in a victory.

Likewise, in the working being a dedicated and consistent player can prepare someone for a promotion that entails bigger responsibilities. The key, as in sports, is being ready when called upon.

“Understanding and fulfilling your role as you await your opportunity is a critical aspect of truly growing so you are prepared to make good on that opportunity when it happens,” says Grant Parr, a mental sports performance coach and the author of “The Next One Up Mindset: How To Prepare For The Unknown.”

“Athletics is filled with role players ready to meet the demands and the game speed of competition,” Mr. Parr adds. “The mental preparation is equally important in the workplace for those aspiring to climb the ladder and be continually successful.”

Here are five ways the author suggests for spending time wisely while waiting in the wings and for how to be well-prepared for the next, bigger opportunity:

 Maximize your role – The path to promotion, Mr. Parr says, starts with the right mindset in lower positions. “Training the mind for success is essential. It begins with fully understanding and embracing your role. Doing that consistently gets you ready for the next one.

“Your role will be what you make of it — a launchpad for future success and a support to others while you learn, or a holding pattern leading toward stagnation and frozen development.”

 Set achievable goals and commit – “How you approach your goals matters,” Mr. Parr says. “You need to write them down, including all the tasks required to accomplish them, and you need to visualize the feeling of reaching them.”

 Remove negatives – These invariably come up. “Be aware of the obstacles, people and thought processes that can derail you, demotivate and distract you from making the most of your opportunity,”

Mr. Parr says. “That way, when those things appear, you are prepared to manage them and stay on track.”

 Lead and set an example – In sports, he says, always being one of the first to practice and among the last to leave, and being the one who always encourages others are things that stick in your teammates’ minds and make them see you as a disciplined, winning example they can count on.

“In the business world,” he adds, “your chances of reaching the next level are greatly enhanced when you exemplify a team-first, cheerful attitude on a daily basis, always being helpful to the levels above you as well as your own team, and going the extra mile.”

 Study good examples/role models – It certainly helps in sports — and the corporate office is no different, Mr. Parr says — when it comes to the benefits of learning from mentors or reading up on achievers who had humble beginnings.

“Watch, listen to, read and learn from the advice and experiences of those who have excelled,” he advises. “Moving up in the world entails lots of things that can knock you down. Embracing your role, whatever it is, means embracing the struggle to get where you want to go. You are working toward something higher, preparing for the unknown, and it requires diligence and commitment.” ¦

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