Having the right attitude and mindset when you work in a business administration role of any kind is a crucial skill, not only for you but also for the company you work for. Knowledge of the tasks of the job is vital, but how you approach your role and future development is just as key. It will make you a valuable asset to any organization as well as ensuring that you have a successful career ahead of you.
What is business administration?
Business administration roles are as wide and varied as the range of sectors they are available in. You are essentially helping to manage a company’s time, resources and people in some way, whether it’s for a small enterprise or a large multinational company. There will be rewards and challenges, and you may move from one sector to another, but you will find that there are ongoing opportunities wherever you look if you are open to them.
Jobs in business administration include human resources, accounting, data analytics and working within IT.
As well as specific knowledge in areas such as accounting, marketing and technology, for example, it is important to have soft skills, and these can also be learned. They include people skills such as influencing others, giving feedback and communicating ideas. There may be times when you need to work on your own, and there will also be occasions when you will be collaborating with others or managing a team.
St. Bonaventure’s online MBA programs are designed to develop that all-important versatility that employers are looking for from prospective employees. As well as specialist areas such as business analytics and finance, students can obtain essential confidence and understanding of basic technology expected by all organizations now, simply by studying online.
The right attitude
It is much easier to train staff to do specific, tangible tasks than change their attitude. Therefore, for an employer, a motivated and open potential employee with the relevant skillset will inevitably be a more suitable hire than one with the relevant skillset but without the right attitude. Negativity can affect a whole team, even if it only emanates from one individual, so the right outlook is key.
Lifelong learning
Many business executives believe that a desire to learn throughout life is an important characteristic in their staff, feeling that it indicates that they will succeed in what they do. Whether it is reading self-help books, keeping abreast of industry developments or undertaking courses, a willingness to improve shows an open and curious mind.
Ensuring that you are up to date with the news, and visiting relevant websites that cover educational opportunities, also helps you to keep on top of what is going on outside your organization.
Communication skills
Good communication skills will ensure that you are able to deal with colleagues and customers effectively, whether in person or in writing. Writing reports for your degree or master’s will help to ensure that you are on top of the right terminology in use within the business world. These are constantly evolving, so a finger on the pulse is key. It’s also important to remember that these can be developed over time, and this understanding that learning is important whatever stage you are at in your career will help you to be more effective.
The mindset that enables you to not only do your job properly, but also grow your knowledge and understanding, is going to make you very valuable to any employer, and so when you choose any study program, these are things that you need to consider.
Improving knowledge
It’s not just about what you know, but also how you go about implementing your knowledge in any business landscape. Undertaking a course that enables you to put job tasks in the context of general administration and the requirements of the role highlights a candidate’s desire to learn and improve.
Organizational skills
Administration requires the right attitude to organization. You need to be on top of data of all kinds in order to enable others to do their jobs effectively. It is also important to be flexible, understanding that the needs of the company at a particular time may change quickly – so your mindset needs to be focused on getting the job done, even if this means that you have to adapt.
The bigger picture
The specifics of any job are hugely important, but another key element of having the right attitude towards any role within business administration is to get a perspective of the bigger picture. Establishing where your role fits within the department you work in, then the company itself, and the industry means that you can make decisions based on that knowledge. Also, establishing a global mindset ensures that you can see things from a much wider perspective, and you will therefore be ready for the challenges that our more connected world can throw at you.
Adapting your mindset towards growth
How one deals with failure is an important measure of adaptability and resilience. Many years ago, the psychologist Carol Dweck coined the terms ‘growth mindset’ and ‘fixed mindset’ to describe people’s beliefs about intelligence and learning. According to the Farnham Street Blog, what she and her colleagues found after studying thousands of children is that when students actually believe that they can become smarter, they understand that effort makes them stronger, and they therefore put in more time and effort, which in turn leads to higher achievement.
In fact, neuroscientific discoveries illustrate that people can increase their neural growth by the actions they take. For instance, simply by asking questions, using sensible strategies and eating well can make a big difference to our learning and attitude. It shows that you value your own wellbeing in a responsible and forward-thinking way.
In short, if we capitalize on the power of a growth strategy, it can help with any career, including that of a business administrator.
There are various ways that you can change your mindset towards success – including embracing failure and viewing it as a positive thing to learn from. Just think of all of the successful people who transcended their early failures, such as Steven Spielberg, who was rejected from three film schools before his first break, or Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling, who was turned down by 12 publishers before getting her first book contract.
Look for challenges
It is easy to fall into a comfort zone if you have been doing the same job for a while. However, sometimes finding a challenge, even if it makes you feel uncomfortable, can push you forward in a positive way. You may feel that you know what you can do, but if you try to go beyond that and succeed, then you will have not only done something new, but also improved your confidence, which will help within and outside the workplace.
Be open to feedback
People who want to grow often ask for feedback – if you are keen to improve your skills and prospects, you know that you need to challenge and develop. This is something that you expect when on a study program, and the expectation and experience you gain by going through that educational process will mean that you are open to the benefits of feedback moving forward. Being responsible for your own growth means that you will not wait to be told what to do next, but will actively seek out new learning opportunities based on what you have already identified as areas that need to be improved.
The need to develop
The good news is that a good and positive mindset can be learned. Any mistake we make can turn into a pointer towards a better outcome in the future. Appreciating colleagues – whether they are your boss, your teammate or someone you manage – can open up lines of dialog that enable you to move forward yourself. Getting the right qualifications is a step in the right direction and a great springboard to a rewarding career. Finding the perfect course with the resources you need, and the benefits of online learning, will allow you to step forward into the future with confidence and the assurance that the work you have done to obtain your degree or master’s will show prospective employers that you do have that positive growth mindset that many will require.