DM Mirzapur, Divya Mittal, is as much known for her Twitter threads compilations as much for her administrative prowess. The 2013-batch Uttar Pradesh cadre IAS officer writes threads on varied topics that she feels are “worth sharing with the world” on her Twitter handle, @divyamittal_IAS.
The IIM Bengaluru and IIT Delhi alumnus, and ex-trader in London, regularly shares lessons learnt on her journey on Twitter, and her most recent thread was on how to excel at the workplace. Before becoming an IAS officer, she also worked in the corporate sector for a while, and from her experiences, she suggests 10 things you should do, to excel and stand out at your workplace.
BE SINCERE
Ms. Mittal’s first suggestion is based on the importance of being sincere at the workplace. She says that this is an obvious thing to say but cannot be over-stressed. “Be very sincere about your work. Don’t have a lackadaisical approach towards it. Meet deadlines, be punctual and professional.”
KNOWLEDGE
She then writes about how important it is to be knowledgeable. “After getting a job, we feel that we only learn on the job. We stop reading and finding out the latest in the field. Read from books, journals, Twitter, etc., about the latest in your field. Knowledge gets you respect.”
BE RESPECTFUL
Stressing on the need to be respectful towards colleagues, she says: “Be respectful towards seniors, colleagues and especially juniors. Respect goes a long way in earning you a special place in people’s mind”.
CAPITALISE ON OPPORTUNITIES
About the importance of capitalising on opportunities, she writes: “There are sometimes unique opportunities that come up to showcase your talent. You must capitalise on them. Can be in the form of some project, a presentation, organizing some event, etc. People remember these things.”
LEARN TO SAY NO
Probably one of the most important life lessons for all is learning to say no. Emphasising its importance at the workplace, Ms. Mittal writes: “While you have to be sincere, learn to say no to unreasonable requests. Otherwise you will be miserable and it’ll show in your work. If you feel the deadline is too difficult to meet, let them know that you’ll try, but it’s difficult to meet.”
TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
While saying that one must take on extra responsibility if one can, she also adds a word of caution to it: “Take on extra responsibility if you can. That’ll make you stand out. But make sure that people are respecting that. Otherwise, you will end up being the workhorse without anyone respecting you for it.”
NETWORK
It goes without saying how important networking is in today’s world. Talking about it, Ms. Mittal writes: “If you are like me, you hate networking. But I have learnt, you must talk to people. Don’t have to be overly extrovert, but be genuinely interested in people. You will be noticed more.”
LISTEN
Problems in communication can derail a good corporate career, she writes. “The most important thing in that is to listen. Don’t be in a hurry to respond.”
DON’T GOSSIP
Advising to stay away from any gossip, she says that even though it may be interesting, it puts one in very bad light. “Discuss ideas and thoughts rather than people. Otherwise your gossip buddies will also talk lightly about you.”
SMILE
Smile more, is her tenth and last advice! “A cheerful demeanour can go a long way in making you stand out as a good worker and a good human being,” she concludes.
