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Office
Insights: Do you have "grit"?
If you
were asked to name three predictors of career success,
what would you say? You might mention intelligence,
talent, friendliness, or responsibility. But would the
word “grit” have occurred to you? Researchers have
recently found that “grit” is an excellent predictor of
achievement, possibly better than aptitude or
intelligence.
Grit is
defined as “determination to accomplish ambitious,
long-term goals despite inevitable obstacles”. This
quality seems to combine perseverance, passion,
self-discipline, and optimism. But interestingly, grit
does not correlate with intelligence. Those at all
levels of intellectual ability can demonstrate grit – or
the lack of it.
In
studies, grit has been found to predict success in
groups as diverse as West Point cadets, real estate
agents, and spelling bee winners. People high on grit
agree with statements like “I finish whatever I begin”,
but disagree with such statements as “My interests
change from year to year”.
So if
you’re a manager, look for evidence of grit the next
time you hire an employee. And if you’re a parent, the
grit studies offer two suggestions: 1) praise effort,
not intelligence and 2) help children find their passion
by exposing them to a wide range of activities. (Source:
Monitor on Psychology, November, 2007)
Related information from Your Office Coach:
“Six
Strategies to Boost Your Career” from our “Career
Insights” section:
http://www.yourofficecoach.com/YOCOfficeInsights/OI_career.htm#six%20strategies
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I'm Not "One of the Girls"
Q: I
am a male employee who has trouble relating to female
supervisors and managers. I don’t mind them personally,
but I resent the way they deal with events in their
lives, like divorces or weddings.
When
women managers have some sort of life event going on,
they spend lots of time talking with female employees,
but completely ignore me and the other men. They don’t
even acknowledge our existence.
I am
usually the first person to arrive at the office, but
the female managers don’t even say “good morning” when
they come in. They just start chatting with the other
women. How can I keep a positive attitude when I am
excluded from their conversations?
See the Complete Q&A |
