Did you know that your work performance is directly tied to just how much flexibility and work-life balance you get? And no, it doesn’t necessarily mean working harder; it means working smarter. So how are you going to accelerate your work performance this year? It’s easy to make resolutions; it’s human nature to try to hack the new year mindset, isn’t it? But how do you know those resolutions will actually move the needle on your Wildly-Important-Goals? How many times have you achieved a goal (e.g. publish the weekly highlight reports) and then slowly realized that it doesn’t really matter (because, for instance, no one actually reads it)?
To be honest, resolutions that aren’t backed by a clear strategy on how to enhance your performance at work, are like shooting fish in a pond…in the dark. (I just made up that analogy, I admit). You’re basically running on luck. So here are 6 definitive actions that will actually make a difference in your work performance because they’re directly linked to a performance outcome.
1. Master Software That Will Boost Your Work Performance
No matter which industry you work in, at some point, your work will involve software. Whether it’s Powerpoint, Excel, Word, Illustrator, WordPress, SAP or Primavera. This year, pick one relevant software and learn the heck out of it. Pace yourself. You have 12 months to master it, so don’t feel like you need to cram all your efforts into January. Platforms like Coursera or EdX have courses on everything imaginable so take advantage of the resources available, and the ability to learn on the go.
2. Acquire 1 Soft Skill That Will Enhance Your Work Performance
Do you have to write reports often? Make presentations? How’s your executive presence? Your time management? Could you be a better team player? Do your problem-solving skills need work? If you sit down and think about it, there’s a lot you could do that would make a difference in your work performance. However, pick only one to master in 2019. Pick the one that would make the most difference. The good thing about soft skills is that they’re transferable from job to job, making you an asset anywhere you work.
3. Become an expert on One Topic.
Your job probably has multiple aspects to it that you’re expected to be competent in. So how about you pick one of those competencies and become a world-class expert in it? For instance, some typical competencies for teachers include Lesson Plan Design, Lesson Delivery and Facilitation of Co-curricular activities. Picking one of these to become an expert in, say Lesson Delivery would boost the teacher’s work performance and output.
See also: 6 Goals To Set This Year
4. Pick one platform to share on.
We exist in the Information Age which makes it easy to share the knowledge and insights that we have. Knowledge shared is twice learned. A crucial step towards achieving any of the work performance goals above is to share what you’ve learned. Consider starting a blog, or sharing even on LinkedIn. If your team has a lunch-and-learn event, you could present at one of those. Or you could aim bigger and present at an industry conference, which lends you instant credibility as an expert. Win, win, win.
See Also:4 Ways To Keep Your Industry Skills On Point
5. Pick one person to coach or mentor.
A junior worker? An intern? A bunch of students at your alma mater? Decide who you’re going to invest time and energy in cultivating, and then coach and mentor them about thriving in your industry. In sharing what you know, you reinforce what you’ve learnt. Because they’re younger than you, they can challenge you into seeing things from a different perspective, infusing creativity into your work performance.
6. Pick one person to buddy with.
“Surround yourself with people who force you to be better.” Research shows that you have a 10% chance of achieving your goal if you simply make up your mind to do it. Ouch. Interestingly, your chances climb to 85% if you set an appointment with an accountability partner who will check that you’re doing the work you committed to doing. And it goes both ways. Iron sharpens iron. Your and your buddy can share insights on how you’re boosting your work performance. A literal case of two heads are better than one.
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In case you missed it, we started the women-only Blazers & Baby Lean-In Circles. Apart from being guided on achieving your goals and building friendships with like-minded women, you also get paired with an accountability buddy; someone just like you who is keen on doing her best work, and thriving while doing so. You can read more about the Circles here or sign up for an annual subscription, or a quarterly subscription.
