By Linda Davies Carr

When I was younger, much younger, I overheard an old boyfriend talking about low and high maintenance girlfriends – I’ll leave that one with you, but the upshot was that the worst variety were the women who thought they were low maintenance but who were really high maintenance, again I’ll leave you with that one, but it got me thinking… it’s all about attitude. Now translate that into business…

There is one vital difference between high performance and high maintenance people and that is defined by their attitude. High maintenance people sap energy, time and manpower from the others, whereas high performance individuals lift those around them, sharing positivity, workload and inspiration. It can be all too easy to slip into the high maintenance position, something that’s best avoided at all costs.

So how can you ensure you’re high performance not high maintenance?

1. Don’t complain. If a problem arise, speak with your colleagues/your peers and help to create a way to solve the problem. A problem shared is a problem halved.
2. Be a team player. High maintenance people generally want to work alone and rarely work together as part of a team to solve an issue. Embrace your team and work in unity.
3. Admit to your mistakes. Making mistakes is natural, after all, we’re all human. Admitting to them evidences that you are human. While a high maintenance individual would blame someone else or make a fuss of a situation, a high performer will learn from the mistake and find the best way to solve it.
4. Take control. A key characteristic of a high performance people is that they take control. Whether that be of a team, a campaign or a situation, they’ll handle with the utmost professionalism and seek the best outcome for the business.
5. Instead of saying ‘why me?’ say ‘try me’. Embrace challenges that are asked of you, be honored that you’ve been asked and give it your all.
6. Don’t cause issues or drama. As soon as you start causing issues, your value as an employee will be weighed up against the issues you’re causing. It won’t take much for the balance to be swayed against your favor.
7. Be approachable. Whether a leader, manager, business owner or fellow colleague, being approachable is an admirable trait and one that will help to grow not only your team, but your personal success.
8. Be the very best version of yourself. This is key. If you subconsciously know you’re not trying your absolute best every day then something needs to change.

This article was originally posted on Thrive Global. Thrive Global is a behavior change media and technology company offering science-based solutions to lower stress, and enhance well-being and performance.