The Attitude Formula into Building a Successful Career
When you are aiming for the career ladder, both opportunities and challenges will come your way. If you are struggling and asking yourself, “what are the things that I need to do to progress in my career, and how do I do them?” Froilan Florendo will tell you that it is all in you.
Mr. Florendo is the CEO and President of HR Network, who delivered a learning session in Thought Leaders about building a successful career. His session emphasized the importance of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSA) principle, his attitude formula, and the key traits to achieve success.
KSA Principle
KSA stands for Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes (‘Abilities’ in other sources). These three are important metrics used as determinants of an employee’s abilities. Your level of KSA can propel you to career development and growth and can be the crucial pieces to your promotion.
Knowledge
It has always been said that “learning is a continuous process.” Every day, you learn new things, and this does not exempt work. Learning at work will make you well versed in your field and job. Having sufficient and sometimes more knowledge can give you advantages and will help your career in the long run. Training and learning sessions can be helpful in expanding your knowledge. Make the time to learn and never stop learning – the more you know about your job, the easier it is to work.
Skills
Another key part is skills. Developing your skills will help you perform better at your job. “Skills are enhanced through continuous mastery,” as per Florendo, that is, through practice and training. And while acquiring knowledge can bring you so much information, enhancing your skills will make you even better.
Attitude
Attitude is one’s “feeling or thinking, whether positive or negative, towards a specific thing.” While knowledge and skills are important to be acquired, it is the attitude that affects our decisions and drives our behavior. Thus, attitudes play a significant role in establishing our career.
There is a famous quote by Zig Ziglar that says, “It is your attitude, not aptitude, that determines your altitude.” To put simply, while knowledge and skills are equally important, your attitude which determines your behavior is the most critical component of KSA. Thus, it is important to always assess your attitudes toward the things that matter.
“It is your attitude, not aptitude, that determines your altitude.”
Florendo, in his talk, focused on speaking about attitude. According to him, “attitude determines the way you deal with the situations presented to you.” Your positive or negative feeling towards a certain situation will determine how you will react and decide on what to do. And it is in this manner that attitude plays a key role in determining your success.
“Look beyond what you can see,” Florendo said. “How you react to situations will be determined by your attitude.” It is important to make sure that your attitudes are aligned with the decisions you will make. And while toxic positivity is a danger, it is sometimes good to become optimistic in certain situations to help you cope and not lose track of your goals. A positive attitude will keep you on track with the journey.
Attitude Formula
So, how do you keep a good attitude? This formula by Florendo will help you to develop a good attitude in your career.
Passion
We always hear the saying, “do the things that you love.” Quoting renowned author Robert Kiyosaki, who said, “passion is the beginning of success,” Florendo reminded us that the key to having a positive attitude is doing the things that we love. Discover your passion and discover the career you want. In this way, you will enjoy doing your job, which will make your work better. It is hard to stay in a job you do not want to do.
Vision
After determining your passion, create a vision for yourself. “Establish a vivid picture of where you want to be,” Florendo noted. A vision guides us of how we want to achieve success.
Self-discipline
Obstacles and temptations will come your way along your journey, and it is important to practice self-discipline. Lou Holtz said, “Without self-discipline, success is impossible.” Practicing self-discipline requires a lot of effort but it is worth it. As Florendo mentioned, “pursue what is right despite temptations.” Self-discipline will keep you on track of your goals.
Success: Making It Happen
While these principles are key to success, it is most of the time true that success is dependent on the person. External factors may influence one’s journey to success, but Florendo said that with resiliency, patience, and a positive attitude, you can make success happen.
Resiliency helps us bounce back from setbacks. Florendo advised to use those setbacks to your advantage and “turn them into major successes.”
Patience helps us to wait for the right time and persevere to become more successful. “There is no such thing as instant career growth. You have to be patient,” Florendo emphasized.
Lastly, having the right frame of mind is also essential. Have an optimistic perspective when it comes to achieving your goals. Setting your mind on the things that you can achieve can dictate your actions into pursuing it.
