Good news! You’re well on your way to improvement if you’re looking at this blog. The first, and sometimes the biggest, hurdle to improving performance at work is seeking it out.
According to a 2017 Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience study, the best way to improve your skills is to cultivate a growth mindset. Step two is getting the right people to help you on your way. And step three is to remember to keep track of your results.
Before we dive in, check out our growth mindset guide. Matter’s compiled this master guide of growth-minded individuals that smirk in the face of challenge, the do’s and don’ts, and folks that can benefit from adopting this mindset.
What do you consider improvement?
Work performance refers to your history of responsibilities and ability to complete a job well. Your performance may be measured based on different factors like tasks completion or timeliness. If you don’t know the metrics for success in your role, it's ideal to benchmark against competitors or look up statistics online. For example, here are ideal KPIs if you work for a non-profit.
No matter where you are in your career, you can set goals to improve your work performance. Pay raises and promotions are often based on your performance metrics, so improving your productivity is directly linked to career progression.
Why you should always find ways to improve?
Check out this TED Talk by Stanford professor Carol Dweck. With her years of research behind growth and fixed mindsets, she describes how there's two schools of thought when individuals approach a problem: "Are you not smart enough to solve it? Or have you just not solved it yet?"
How to improve your performance
Improving your work performance can help you achieve a sense of work satisfaction and make you valuable to your company. This can open up more career options, provide more job security, and possibly lead to higher compensation.
Show up earlier ⏱
Consider developing the habit of arriving at work 15 to 20 minutes early. This extra time to avoid the stress of traffic, make a cup coffee, and prepare for the day. Bonus: Leadership is often impressed with team members who arrive ready-to-go.
Set productivity challenges 📍
In order to foster more engagement and energy towards your work while improving your performance, set your own productivity challenges. For instance, if you typically write four blogs each day, try writing five in the same amount of time. Or, maybe you work on building a website, then consider learning about website protection and great user experience as well. This challenge can boost your motivation and morale.
Use your feedback 👷♀️
If you’ve received any constructive criticism during annual reviews, performance reviews, or just in passing, take the time to put it into practice. Feedback based on your performance is very useful to identify areas of improvement. Criticism is a measurement of your performance and gives you a chance to focus your efforts on your professional and personal development.
Go supercharge your performance
Improve your performance in the long term by championing feedback! Know that you are only done improving when you think you are. Anything is possible with a growth mindset. Even when you think you have mastered a topic, ask questions and seek new ways to expand your mind. Or take it to the next level with a performance coach.
