GROW
BETTER
HOW TO
I N Y O U R W O R K P L A C E
SOLOMON PEOPLE SOLUTIONS

SOLOMON PEOPLE SOLUTIONS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Solomon Vijayanand
Coach Global Business Leaders
to Sustain & Grow their Business
Assisted more than 500+ clients, trained more than 10,000+
people for the past 29 years in various industries in the GCC,
India and the Far East providing Consulting, Training and
Talent Acquisition Solutions.
My specialties include Training and implementing Balanced
Score Card Systems, HR Systems, Coaching Entrepreneurs,
Senior Management on Leadership and Management
Development Training, Developing Sales Supervisors and Retail
Sales Teams, Marketing, Merchandising, Customer Service, HR
Skills, Soft Skills, People Skills and Personal Development in
Negotiation, Communication, Problem Solving and Decision
Making Skills to name a few.

This is the story of every individual who is or has been a part of a
proactive workforce. It is the story of every employee, manager, and
leader who started with one motive - To learn and grow. More importantly,
it’s the personal story of every individual who’s waiting for that one
opportunity to make it big.
The funny thing is that the workplace you are in may not be the one that
you originally desired. Now - imagine being stuck in a place that drains
you out of your mental peace, stresses you out, and leaves you
dehydrated due to lack of motivation. It’s a normal thing to happen. You
might as well say - “been there, felt that”. But what did you do then to
overcome these workplace challenges that can hinder your personal
growth in the long run?
Did you write a journal as a reference point for others to read in the time
of a similar crisis? Well, I did.
Of course, it didn’t occur to me first when I started writing these valuable
articles in the hope of making a difference. Helping a good number of
people in society usually requires more than a few words of inspiration. In
my case, I have worked on this guide for at least 21 days. Although
it may not seem like a lot of time, it is the perfect sweet-spot to achieve
certain milestones (More on that later.)
INTRODUCTION 01

Initially, my goal was to write a quick e-book for people to
access and read on the go - but less than a month later, my
new extensive e-book is underway. The next thing I remember is
writing down all that worked for me when I went through a
similar phase at the beginning of my journey, including the big
mistakes that could have been avoided had I got the right
strategy at the time. So, I am confident that this case study will
help you in your quest to grow better in your workplace.
BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO WHAT IT
MEANS TO “GROW BETTER IN THE
WORKPLACE,” ALL I ASK IS THAT IF
YOU LIKED THE BOOK:
Write to me as I’d
enjoy reading your
thoughts and
feedback.
01 02
Do share it with your
peers
02

“GROW BETTER IN THE WORKPLACE”
WHAT IT MEANS TO
Truth be told, when I think of both personal and professional growth, I
do not think of them as separate entities. For me, it isn’t just about the
six stages or the chapters in this guide, but a philosophy that always
has room for improvement. It’s about never compromising on
learning and having an insatiable appetite to improve your skills and
the quality of work you put out.
When I think of growth in the
workplace, it doesn’t just mean
a new job title. For me, it just
seems to be the only words that
make me want to create value.
Both for the team and clients.
For those of you, who'll read this,
Idon’t think my definition of
growth is any different than
most of you.
No, I don’t have a step-by-step
guide to living in the workplace
atmosphere for 365 days
straight.
And no, I’d be lying if I say I never struggled with these challenges
myself. After all, we’re humans, and it's okay to not be right about
everything all the time. I am just another person - like you, who often
struggles to do the right thing every single time.
....................................................
Solomon Vijayanand
Chief Enabling Officer
Solomon People Solutions
03

TABLE OF CONTENTS
I N Y O U R W O R K P L A C E
SOLOMON PEOPLE SOLUTIONS
CHAPTER 1 Overcoming Stress is a work in progress
(How to deal with stress at work)
CHAPTER 2 Show me the Real Stress Busters
(52 proven stress reducers anyone can use)
CHAPTER 3
The productivity strategy
(12 tips to work more effectively from anywhere)
CHAPTER 4 What does motivation look like?
(7 tips to stay motivated)
CHAPTER 5 The attitude of gratitude
(How your attitude defines your success)
04

CHAPTER 1
OVERCOMING STRESS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS
Dealing with stress is always going to be a work in progress. Some
people claim that the secret to overcoming stress is meditation while
others might argue that it’s only effective when you have identified
what triggered the stress in the first place, and if you can’t do that,
you are likely to burnout very quickly.
Identify the job stress triggers.
Learn to manage these triggers.
Recognising stress triggers is a two-step process:
05

ON A NORMAL DAY,
I MIGHT HAVE LISTED THE
FOLLOWING TRIGGERS AS
THE SOURCE OF MY
STRESS AT WORK:
I’m constantly tired
I have low enthusiasm for the job as my expertise is
being compromised.
I have less control over my work
I don’t feel appreciated
My skills aren’t being utilised efficiently
I don’t have a work-life balance
I can’t think clearly
Now, think about how you usually respond to each of these stressful
situations.
One of the most common responses could be - “My work is so
demanding because we do not have enough employees to support
the projects at hand” So, is there something that you can do to
change this?
When you align your thoughts about what outcome you desire and
identify what you can do to create a win-win situation - you’ll find
yourself invested in resolving things that stress you out.
Remember, your goal is to be better.
06

CHAPTER 2
SHOW ME THE REAL STRESS BUSTERS
To learn how to control stress takes a lot of work. Grinding long hours,
exercising, managing your work-life balance, making improvements
in your work each day, all of these pursuits can be a little too
overwhelming.
Initially, it was a lot for me to chew on. Even today, pursuing a habit of
self-awareness is a challenge. I often fall short on ideas on how to
navigate through certain stressful situations with ease.
However, the stress reducers below helped break through these
chains of emotions and helped get a lot closer to the ideal state of
mindfulness.
07

HERE’S A LIST OF 15 STRESS BUSTERS
THAT YOU CAN PRACTICE TO
MANAGE YOUR STRESS
1. Learn to have an optimistic view of the world irrespective of the
situation.
2. Try to do an extremely unpleasant task early in the morning. This
will help you to get rid of the anxiety during the rest of the day.
3. On weekends, use the time to change the pace of your life. It
means if your work week is slow and follows a set pattern, then make
sure you set up spontaneous plans to keep things dynamic for the
upcoming week. However, if your work week is fast-paced, full of
deadlines, and meeting new clients, then you might want to seek
peace and relaxation over the weekend.
4. Become more flexible at work. Learn to ignore some issues that are
not worth pursuing.
5. Focus on understanding rather than being understood.
6. To avoid unnecessary stress, select an environment that is in line
with your personal needs and desires. If you hate desk jobs, don’t
accept a job that requires you to sit at a desk all day.
7. When the stress of getting a task done gets in the way of getting
the work done - look for a way to divert your mind. Perhaps, onto
something else till you can find the focus to work on it again.
CHAPTER 2
08

8. Always try to talk and discuss your problems. It’ll not only clear your
mind, but also help you to concentrate better on the task at hand.
9. Keep a journal. Write down your thoughts to get clarity on things
and to get a renewed perspective.
10. Get enough sleep, irrespective of the workload.
11. Learn to say “No.” Saying “No” to extra projects and activities. As
you need enough time to relax and produce quality work on the next
day.
12. Always set up contingency plans for a ‘just in case” kind of
situation. For example: Just in case this doesn’t work, we’ll do that.
13. Relax and don’t set your expectations too high. Not to an extent,
where it becomes unreasonable for you to carry on.
14. Procrastination can be stressful. Whatever you want to do
tomorrow, do today; whatever you want to do today, do it now.
15. Get up a little early in the morning, even if it is just 15 minutes
before the alarm goes off. And prepare for the next morning the
evening before.
CHAPTER 2
09

CHAPTER 3
THE PRODUCTIVITY STRATEGY
It may seem like self-improvement is a never-ending affair, but it is
attainable if you make a habit to improve. To be productive means to
be able to accomplish more things with a little effort. This means you
can create more value with less stress, energy, and time.
To be more efficient, to get things done in a stipulated time
To be more effective, you must learn to choose the right task
to create the most impact.
The different types of productivity that are expected at work:
To become more organized to get maximum output with less
strain.
To stay motivated to do quality work.
To make better decisions while solving complicated
problems.
But to do this, you must understand the different levels of
productivity. These are:
10

However, you must never take productivity too seriously.
What I am implying is - you do not have to become a
robot to be highly productive. Rather, it’s about finding the
triggers. The one that you can work on to transform how
you approach your work, so you never have to sweat out
hundreds of hours to accomplish a task.
Goal setting - I like to create two lists, one for the week and one
for the day. Once the list is made, it’s not altered. The only focus is
to finish what’s written. You can use a calendar to keep tabs on
your tasks at hand.
Time Review - Every fortnight or once in 3-6 months, run a time
log. It means to record everything that you have spent your time
on. This analysis will help you to eliminate all the unnecessary
tasks that might be draining you of your energy.
The Ultimate Productivity Tool Kit
Here’s a list of some of the most effective tools to produce high-
quality work and be extremely productive.
It takes discipline to do the things you know you should do; when
you don’t feel like doing them. It takes discipline to be able to
follow your vision. It takes discipline to work on your dreams when
you could be relaxing with friends or watching TV. It also takes
discipline to search for and read the books, listen to the tapes,
learn the skills, or get the training that can greatly enhance your
progress towards your goals.
And there are countless other examples. If you desire success, you
need goals and you need to make plans to reach them. There are
countless other examples. For instance - if you desire success, you
need goals and plans to reach them. But without the discipline to
follow through, your dreams are likely to remain just that and
nothing more.
- By Garry Zancanaro
11

The top three tips have been shared below. Whereas
you can find a complete guide to the 9 tips here.
Tip 1: Delegating your most productive hours for top priority projects
is necessary. This will not only save time but also help your team
produce high-quality work for each respective client.
Tip 2: No matter how many things you need to complete before the
final submission, never resort to multi-tasking. It ruins your overall
productivity, and it's always better to concentrate on
just one task at a time. So, you can give your undivided attention to
the task at hand to create impactful work for yourself and the
organization.
Tip 3: Learn to put limits on distractions. It's hard, but not impossible.
Try to set a goal of working, for say - 30 minutes straight to wrap up
a task. Post completing the task, give yourself a short 5 minute break.
Similarly, if you aim at a task for a longer duration, reward yourself
with a long break.
MY PRODUCTIVITY CHEAT SHEET
12

CHAPTER 4
WHAT DOES MOTIVATION LOOK LIKE?
Many employees often get into the pit of merely surviving through
the course of the day. Feeling burnt out to make work - work.
Beyond the urge to thrive more than the others, the way you
survive at work also matters. So, the first question that you may
ask yourself is:
Am I motivated enough?
Well, if you are assigned a task that you feel deeply connected to,
you’ll be able to create more value. However, if you feel stuck at
work, it might lead you to feel disheartened. The first step is to
overcome the triggers that lead you to procrastinate. Instead of
feeling drained of the will to work, focus on the solutions that can
help you produce better results. It’ll be a slow process. So, don’t
forget to reward yourself for every achievement.
Increase your motivational intake - one day at a
time.
Having a pattern of reviewing your habits often gives you a fresh
perspective on doing things. This also helps in visualizing what
you want to accomplish. If your visions do not align with the work
that you are currently engaged in, then you must change them.
Some require extra effort to concentrate on their goals than most
people. Besides, if you stray from the path that you want to walk
on, you need to get back to your area of focus in no time. To
continue, you must imagine the rewards you’ll get when you
finally reach your destination.
13

Continue to Stay Motivated!
Bring it all to your work.
You can actively seek motivation and implement it in your day-
to-day work. But, when it comes to success, it is not achieved
accidentally. Consider this to be a process that helps you decide
what you want to do with your life. It’ll help to analyze what to
do when you accomplish your
goal. And what you need to do to get where you want to be. The
most important aspect of success is to visualize your goals and
stay focused until you attain them. Learn to channelize all your
energy to bring value to all that you do.
14

CHAPTER 5
THE ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE
"The attitude is the essence of success"
Many of the employees that I have previously trained equate
success with being grateful. The more you practice the attitude of
gratitude, the brighter the tomorrow awaits you.
Tough times never last
but tough people do
But the path to achieving this is not easy. This is why you must
always keep a constant check on your attitude if you wish to
succeed.
Robert Schuller
I’d argue, for most people, their attitude tends to stray away
from empathy and gratitude - when they undertake leadership
roles. This leads them to become a boss - that no one likes.
Instead, they must learn to control the triggers of a negative
attitude to steer clear of destruction
15

Most people don’t address these issues when they begin to
emerge. And by the time they do, it’s already too late. However, I
have listed the three most important areas that you can focus
on to carry out an attitude that attracts the right people.
1. Be aware of your conduct and your surroundings. A verbal
consideration during the meetings and courteous behavior in
the day is always well appreciated.
2. Take control of your surroundings. Create an environment
where others feel confident and effective enough to raise their
concerns. This further builds confidence and trust amongst the
team members.
3. Embrace an attitude of encouragement. This will help your
teammates outperform and achieve their goals with
enthusiasm. For most of the day, try to focus on the things that
you are truly grateful for. It won’t be easy. But you can either
choose to make a difference at the place you work, or you can
choose to be on the same path that’s leading you nowhere.
Three things to keep in mind this week:
16

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