We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit.

—Aristotle, Greek philosopher.

Exceptional employees, those who earn their fellow workers’ respect, and achieve recognition and appreciation from their supervisors and employers, have the common exceptional skills in communication, computer skills and people skills that make them stand out of the company pool, primed for promotion or bonuses.

Good communication. 

How to develop this: Constant writing and reading help develop the mind on how to organize one’s thoughts better. Read newspaper reports frequently as these directly and correctly deliver news and information in a direct, short manner. 

Good computer skills.

How to develop this: Start an interest with computers and computer software and share this interest by befriending your co-workers in the IT department. Browse through the Internet and do some casual research. Some software can be downloaded for trials and their manuals are actually free to read.

You can also invest some seminars and workshops offered by computer schools for the evenings and weekends. These are reasonably affordable and you get a certificate for the training. Having new computer skills gives you more value as a worker.