They say that time management is the key to becoming a successful professional. While that is true, it takes more than just that to boost performance and conquer the challenges of a stressful work environment.
One thing sets apart a successful professional: determination, focus, and willingness to take challenges head-on.
Have you ever found yourself staying back late at work while your coworkers pat your back, tell you “Good job, Joe!”and leave early?
You probably feel left behind while they join each other at the bar and spend time together while you’re stuck at work, trying to figure out how to get past deadlines.
But successful individuals don’t focus on completing their work on time and executing projects. It takes more than that. They focus on working toward improving themselves—whether it’s personally or professionally—and taking control of their lives.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the things you can do to improve your performance at work:
Ask Questions
Don’t just listen to what everyone has to say. Don’t be the guy that’s always on the backbench!
Pitch in your own ideas, ask questions, be intentionally curious. Ask questions that further to concept discovery instead of criticize. If you don’t know something, look for ways to investigate or simply ask questions.
“But I don’t know anything yet”, some will say. That doesn’t mean you don’t know anything in the future. Take the initiative to learn what you don’t know. Remember that there’s so much to learn. Even if you’re an expert in a specific field, you will always be learning something new.
Analyze What Your Coworkers Are Doing
We are so busy trying to be better than others that we forget that the only person we should compete with is ourselves.
Don’t compete with your coworkers, they are in different stages in their lives. Compete with yourself, but analyze what your coworkers do that helps them focus better and manage their time.
Everyone has a method that works for them. Ask your colleagues what works for them and set your own space and see what works for you.
Listen and Try to Understand
Sometimes, one of the biggest mistakes we make is to not listen to those around us. Listen to what others have to say and try to understand their perspective, their views, their opinions, and their vision. This will help you in the long run.
By listening to others, you will be able to work with them better, and you will be able to boost productivity because you have access to different ideas, opinions, and work methods.
Last but not least, it’s important to remember that one of the most important keys to boosting productivity is inspiring yourself and keeping yourself motivated.
Jon Petz is a keynote speaker that focuses helping individuals in the corporate world find their true calling by helping them build their self-confidence, and working with them on their self-development and passion for learning.