A while ago I came across an article on MSN.com highlighting the 10 Attitudes of Successful Workers. The articles premise is that attitude really does make all the difference in how far you can take your career. Employees who have a positive attitude, high self-esteem and ambition will, of course, go further then ones who dont.

So I asked Self-Storage Talk members what factors they believed made for a super employee.  One member agreed with the lists No. 2 rule: Anything is possible. Love the reference to the Little Engine That Could, one of my kids favorite books and mine! My mom used to say Can't never could. So many people say I can't ... won't even try!

There were also some honest answers about feeling overloaded and, sometimes, burned out on the job. One SST member admitted she occasionally needs outside motivation to realize her full potential. Of course, staying motivated and giving 110 percent every working day isnt always possible. We are human, after all, and we do experience days where work just may not seem as important as other things going in our lives or around the world.

Still, its important that most days you are at your best. The December issue of ISS, our annual staffing, training and management issue, is here to help, with articles for both self-storage managers and owners.

For owners, theres information on finding the ideal manager from creating the right employment ad to streamlining the interview process to narrowing in on the best candidates. Plus, check out Kenny Pratts article on motivating employees through sales training.

New managers will glean plenty of solid information from Mel Holsingers article, I Got a Job as A Self-Storage Manager, Now What? And veteran managers can check the Top 10 Things Great Managers Do and see how they measure up. For more great articles on hiring, training, employee evaluations, motivating managers, interview tips and more, check out the management section of the ISS article library.

Realistically, no one can be a superstar every day. But by incorporating a positive attitude, solid skills and ambition, we can be a superstar most days.