5 Ways to Be a More Productive Employee
[content field=”callout1″ format=”true” class=”calloutwide”]Another year is here, and many people choose to make a goal to be better versions of ourselves. Our work lives are an easily quantified place to start– we are given formal reviews and rewarded for jobs well done in promotions or pay raises.
There are other aspects of our career too – like why you’re always tired or can’t focus like you should – that could use some improvement too. Here are five ways to improve your skills and become a more productive employee this year:
Be open about what you need.
If your employer doesn’t know what you need, how can they help you? Become the best communicator in the office and be confident about what you want and need.
Lori Buckley, Psy.D., CST from the Sinclair Institute said, “I’ve learned that we can have it all, and that having it all can be messy and really hard! It’s important to accept and understand that there will be challenging days, weeks, and even months. Keep going!! I’ve also learned that we don’t need to do it all to have it all. It’s important to know when to say “yes”, and when to say “no” to people and things. When you’re clear about what you want and why it’s important to you, it’s easier to make good conscious decisions that contribute to your life, career and family.”
Eliminate unnecessary tasks.
Take a look at your job requirements. Consider each task and what it entails. If any of the tasks no longer impact sales, quality, productivity or safety, it is probably time to say goodbye to the task. Of course, discuss it with your manager and don’t make the choice on your own. Through elimination of unnecessary tasks, you can free up time to better focus on other things.
[Tweet “Improve your #work skills. Here are 5 ways to become a more #productive employee in 2016!”]Change how you think.
“The main thing in measuring integrity is someone’s motive and intent, not how many records they sell,” said rock band frontman Al Jourgensen.
Recognize that your thoughts and beliefs will always outweigh your behavior and should come first. If you do things just so you can be viewed as a great employee, but not because you want to do them, your actions will fall short.
Work hard to change how you think and you will authentically want to do many things that extend above and beyond your work responsibilities and as a result, you will become a better employee.
Take a lunch break.
Your noon break is essential to help you improve as an employee. Step away from your work for an hour. Many studies show that fresh air, walking, and socializing with friends all help you come back to your computer more ready to work and refreshed than if you’d skipped the mealtime away from your desk.
Give (and take) feedback with grace.
The start of the year means performance reviews – and they don’t always hold exclusively positive notes about your work performance. Embrace the comments that aren’t what you hoped for as opportunities to grow and learn. If you are in the position to dole out reviews, remember to give that feedback in a positive way.
Achievement is based on effort and also on focus. Focus on how to keep your mind on tasks and strip away the additional stuff. This will give you the chance to do a better job and give you more time to devote to the biggest upcoming project.