They Understand That Good Things Take Time
Millennials have often been criticized for their need for instant gratification. While it might be true for some of them, grit had to be part of this generation’s makeup. Now in their 30s and 40s, they have endured school shootings, 9/11 terrorism, and the Great Recession…and they are now growing and thriving. It’s only human to get frustrated when we don’t see the instant rewards from our work. Contributing to a project day in and day out, and not getting recognition or confronting bureaucratic idiocy, is disheartening. Many employees may be tempted to just quit.
If your employee has grit, however, they know good things take time. Setbacks are not failures, but part of the journey. When personal interests align with goals, it’s easier to persevere and feel that your efforts will be rewarded. People with grit stay and push through.
They Are Open to Learning New Skills
Learning new skills – especially tough ones, such as programming or designing – takes a lot of time and effort. Not every employee you have will be motivated to get better or acquire new skills in order to do their job better, but workers with grit will.
While the time investment scares many, people who have grit understand that the journey is worth it if they can get to a point where they are more proficient in a range of activities. This is beneficial for your business because you know they’re open to updating their knowledge and abilities as time goes past. Rest assured they will never drag your company down by refusing to keep up with the times!
They Tend to be More Loyal
In the business world, people come and go. When your company is flourishing, you have plenty of applicants wanting to get hired. When your company is struggling, however, you notice that the amount of help available to you is scarce.
This is where having employees with grit is key to the survival of your business during hard times. When you are going through financial or reputational difficulties, a lot of workers may decide it’s easier to leave than to attempt to fix the problems with you.
Workers with grit, however, are more willing to remain where they are if they see that your company is a place where they can grow and become better. Due to this, they are unlikely to leave just because things are getting hard. Instead, you can rely on them more to provide ideas and weather the storm.
They Are Not Discouraged by Failure
What happens if a worker commits a mistake or fails in delivering according to your goals? Some of them may become defensive, or may choose to settle for an easier role. Not for employees with grit!
These employees are not afraid of failure, knowing that it’s just a stepping stone to greater success in the future. With this knowledge, they are more likely to keep trying to do better. This improves their performance and the quality of your company’s results over time.