As a society, we're obsessed with achievement. But what happens once you're considered objectively successful, with a great salary and a job that energizes you? It's easy to rest on your accomplishments and your way of getting work done, perhaps even feeling there's not much left to learn.
But in this economy, you can't afford to sit back -- even though it might be tempting.
'Successful people fall into the trap of thinking they don't need to change anything because their behavior is working for them,' says Marshall Goldsmith, author of 'What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful.' 'Every time they get promoted...they get positive reinforcement even when certain skills are lacking.'
Know Your Weaknesses
But examining where you might have shortcomings can make or break a career.
David Hale of Columbia, S.C., quickly rose to the top of the military police force and was granted the highly sought-after position of polygraph examiner with the Army Criminal Investigation Command.
'I was my own biggest fan, and being cocky, I would try to force confessions from suspects either prior to or based on their exams,' he says. But he didn't take the time to understand that criminals are more likely to confess to people they like and trust. 'My results fell way below other examiners,' Mr. Hale says.
Mr. Hale didn't realize he needed to change until his boss transferred him and said that if his confession rate didn't increase, he would be fired. He studied forensic interviewing, worked on relating to subjects on an emotional level, and pursued courses in leadership, counseling and psychology. Eventually, Mr. Hale began to rise again in his career, and he became known as one of the top polygraph examiners anywhere.
Necessary Skills
Becoming as successful as you can be -- after you've already climbed part of the ladder -- means you need two things.
For starters, you need outstanding people skills: Listen carefully, think before you speak, reciprocate favors and manage conflicts diplomatically.
Second, you must regularly take a hard look at yourself and address your weak points. For example, if you have a communication issue with one person or a group of people, step away from the blame game and ask yourself, 'How can I be better?' Make sure people are honest with you by requesting feedback anonymously and confidentially.
If you're employed by a large organization, consider contacting human resources to see what training is available. You may have the opportunity to take leadership-development courses online or in-person for free.
But the most important thing to keep in mind is that just because you're skilled or talented in a particular area doesn't mean you should simply pass go and collect your $200.
I, for instance, was hesitant to work with a speaking coach because my audience evaluations didn't mandate it, but once I learned that the top speakers in the world -- from Tony Robbins to President Barack Obama -- have worked with coaches, I changed my mind.
Says Mr. Goldsmith: 'Strong leaders don't coast.'
在這個社會上，我們都熱切渴望取得成就。但是，一旦你被認為是真正取得了成功，擁有高薪和讓你活力四射的工作，接下來會發生什么呢？你可能很容易滿足于你取得的成績和你完成工作的方式，甚至感覺沒有多少東西需要學習了。
但在當今的經濟環境下，你不能停下腳步休息片刻，盡管它充滿了誘惑。
《今天不必以往：成功人士如何獲得更大成功》(What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful)的作者戈德史密斯(Marshall Goldsmith)說，成功者往往會跌入一個陷阱，認為他們不需改變任何事情了，因為他們的辦事方式行之有效。即便是他們缺乏某些技能，每當他們得到提 拔時，他們就會得到正強化。
了解不足
評估你存在的缺點決定了職業生涯的成敗。
南卡羅來納州的黑爾(David Hale)很快就升為憲兵的頭目，并得到了很吃香的美國陸軍犯罪調查司令部(Army Criminal Investigation Command)測謊員的職位。
黑爾說，我很自信，只崇拜我自己。我會在測謊前或根據測謊結果強迫嫌犯招供。但他并未從中了解到犯罪分子更可能會向他們喜歡和信任的人招供。黑爾說，我的業績落到了其他測謊員的后面。
黑爾并未認識到他需要改變，直到有一天他的上司對他進行調動，并說如果他的招供率再不上升，他就會被解雇。他研究了法庭審問學，在實踐中努力從情感層面切入審問話題，并學習了領導力、咨詢和心理學課程。最終，黑爾在他的崗位上再度獲得了晉升，成為了一名測謊高手。
必備技能
在你已經爬了一段職場階梯以后，盡你所能的成功意味著你需要兩件事情。
首先，你需要出眾的人際交往能力：認真傾聽，說話前應深思熟慮、回報別人的關心和能夠策略地處理沖突。
其次，你必須定期認真審視自己，消除你的弱點。比如，如果你同一個人或一群人存在溝通問題，不要怨天尤人，而是要問問自己：我怎樣能做得更好？通過尋求匿名和秘密的反饋，確保人們對你講的都是真話。
如果你受雇于大型組織，可以考慮同人力資源部門接觸一下，看看公司提供那些培訓。你可能有機會參加免費的網上或面對面的領導力開發課程。
但應該銘記于心的最重要的事情是，僅僅因為你在某一具體領域才華出眾并不意味著你就應該忽視學習，能夠輕松過關享受職場勝過。
比如，我曾猶豫是否與演講顧問合作，因為我的聽眾評價顯示我不必這樣做，但當我得知世界上頂尖的演講者──從羅賓斯(Tony Robbins)到奧巴馬總統──都曾與演講顧問合作時，我就改變了想法。
戈德史密斯說，強有力的領導人不會飄飄然。
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