I watch people.
I listen to people.
I learn from people.
I notice skills, attitudes, and behavior. I coach, blog, and help people find ways to help them achieve their goals. There are almost as many ways to accomplish this as there are people.
What follows are some of their ideas. I have listened to, adapted, distilled, and implemented concepts from some of the best people I have met from both the “for-profit” and the “not-for-profit” worlds. None of them are complicated, all of them work, and most importantly, you can start doing any or all of them today. They will make you better, and more productive, and help you achieve your personal and work goals.
Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know. You can control your attitude, start right now. You will have to practice and this may always be a work in progress. A good way to begin is by stopping yourself from complaining. Find ways to solve problems by talking with energy and enthusiasm to people who can actually help solve what is bothering you. Smile more and be genuinely interested in other people. There are many ways to accomplish this objective and you will be amazed at how the people around you respond. Each day try to be more positive and enthusiastic than you were yesterday. We all know people who “suck the energy” from us, and become one of those people who “add energy to wherever they are.”
Get up early. I know this can be tough, especially on cold wintry days. However, even an extra thirty minutes can make a huge difference in your day. Thirty extra minutes to work out, to prepare a better breakfast, to prepare, or simply to relax and enjoy your breakfast before heading to work. By the way, never skip breakfast; a nutritious breakfast will give you the energy you need to tackle your day.
Start each day the night before. Many people feel rushed, anxious, and like they are one step behind everyone else all day. Try not to do that to yourself. Go to bed early enough to get a good night’s sleep. Before going to bed, though, prepare what you are going to wear the next day, make your lunch, and make a plan of what you want to accomplish the next day. Sure, these are all small things, but each dial down the pressure you feel. If you have children, a certain amount of chaos is just part of the whole experience; however, look at as many elements as you can that can be prepared ahead of time.
Be on time, every time. I know this can be hard; however, it is one attribute that virtually every employer, customer, or client appreciates. Additionally, every single successful person I have ever met does this regularly. If they run late, they call/email/or text to let whoever they are meeting know that they have been delayed. Please note, being on time doesn’t mean arriving right on the scheduled time, it means arriving 10-15 minutes as a minimum before the scheduled time. Arriving early provides time to prepare, relax, and a “buffer” for unexpected situations.
Have a written plan for what you want to accomplish each day. Prioritize your list to make the best use of your time. Ask for help, as you need it, and revise each task as circumstances dictate. Appreciate that interruptions are going to happen; however, this small but very powerful tool will help keep you focused and on-task.
Take care of your appearance. Look at your co-workers, look at yourself, what would or could you improve about your appearance? For example, start with something small, how could you improve your nametag, is it straight, or are you wearing it? What other small things could you improve? What personal touches can you add to your appearance that set them apart from everyone else? Fair or unfair, other people will judge you on how you appear.
Always be learning. Try to read at least one book every month related to your career or job. Books are great, but so are podcasts, audiobooks (listen to them while driving to work instead of the radio) even YouTube videos count. Having a self-directed professional development plan will expand your knowledge base and can be done in as little as 15 or 30 minutes every day. If your organization offers courses, take advantage of them, as well as other workshops and seminars available in your community.
Keep your online time focused. Working online is a necessary component of everyone’s day. Keep the distractions to a minimum, and limit the online notifications from sources such as Twitter feeds, TikTok videos, and even news updates.
Be more prepared. Preparation is something that you control. Many average people do only what they are told to do, the very best will go over and above the minimum. For example, if you have a 30-minute meeting scheduled, spend at least the same amount of time researching and preparing for the meeting.
Make three people feel better about themselves every day. This is one of the most powerful tools to become better. To make someone feel better about themselves you have to be genuine. You have to take the time to watch, listen, and learn about the people around you.
Say “thank you” sincerely a minimum of 20 times each day. Count the number of times that you say thank you each day. Initially, you may be surprised at how few times you actually thank people for the things that they do. This simple consideration can have an incredible effect on people and it is so easy to do.
Ask questions and be curious, interested, and present during the answers. Perhaps one of the most important skills any of us can have is to have the ability to ask good questions and to listen to the answers. Too many of us fall into the habit of simply waiting for our turn to speak rather than hearing what the other person is really saying.
Watch, listen and learn. People can teach you many valuable lessons, some on purpose and some by accident. Even lessons learned about how to handle “bad luck” are important. One of the most important traits I have tried to develop is my listening ability. Listening to my associates, customers and clients, transport drivers, suppliers, and anyone that I spoke to has allowed me to gain valuable insights and appreciation for other perspectives. The solutions to most problems are known and available when you what, listen, and learn from other people.
Be organized. No matter what or where your workspace keep it clean and organized. It will help you, but it also helps build your reputation in the eyes of customers, clients, and co-workers.
Your time and your attitude are important. It is impossible to save time; you can only spend it, so use it well. Prioritize what needs to be done and then get started. Successful people have exactly the same amount of time as unsuccessful people.
It is easy to fall into a trap of feeling helpless or out of control. Successful people have the attitude when this happens of finding a place to start and then determinedly work towards their goals by using many of the tools we have already mentioned.
Be aware of rigidity. We all become entrenched in our thinking and while it is easier to see in other people, sometimes it is hard to recognize in ourselves. Keeping an open mind can even be more difficult the more successful you become. Training yourself to look at issues from other perspectives will help avoid rigidity. Developing an environment where the people in your circle are encouraged to give their honest opinions without reprisal will also help. Additionally recognizing that self-discipline is not rigidity and that rigidity is not discipline is also important.
Avoid pessimistic people. Unfortunately, pessimistic people are everywhere. You have seen them; they make you tired when you talk to them. These “the glass is half-empty people,” drain the energy from you and everyone else around them. Everyone needs to vent sometimes, however, avoid the people who only vent but never do anything about their problems.
Have intermediate and long-term goals. Not only should your goals for today be written down, but so should your intermediate and long-term ones as well. Goals should evolve and change; these are “living documents.” Decide what you want to accomplish and create action plans, and make them happen. If you don’t know, decide today what you think you want, you can always update them.
Balance. Too often for many of us, the balance between work and our lives is blurred. As a workaholic, my failure to have enough rest has negatively affected my career and the people around me. I have finally learned that being rested and having a good life away from work allows me to make greater contributions while I am working. Learn from my experience.
Interact with at least 10 people every day. In-person is best, online is okay. In general, most of us are social entities. It is my belief that the more connected we are, the better able we are to make a difference in the work we do. The best way to connect is by talking to people. Customers, clients, co-workers, friends, family, and prospects all of whom can help to keep you grounded and connected.
Enjoy what you do. It is cliché to say that “life is short,” however, it is true. Most of us have to work to provide a living for ourselves, but enjoying the experience is not only possible, but it is also preferable. Knowing the lessons in this post will help; applying them regularly will actually make it a reality.
Be better.
These lessons from my mentors, my competitors, favourite authors, and the people and friends who have helped me all work. You can start today and many of them will make a difference immediately. Please use them, succeed with them, and share them.
Good luck,
Paul.