5 Personal Development Goals You Need In Your Workplace

By Toby Nwazor
Having clearly defined goals can do a lot to improve yourself. In fact, research shows that specific and sufficiently challenging goals led to a higher performance rate compared to easy and not specifically defined goals. The benefit of goals does not lie in the act of setting them, but in the effort taken to achieve each goal.

Self-improvement is what will make you successful in life. The reason is simple. Personal development attracts better relationships and an increase in wealth.

Personal development is something that should be practiced daily. This will keep you constantly prepared to face any challenge or obstacles life throws at you.

This is the reason why you should set personal development goals in your workplace. These goals will not only improve you in the long run, but also improve the overall running of the business. So whether you are the boss or employee, personal development goals are a must.

Here are 5 personal development goals that will make you successful in your workplace: ...

GOAL #1: IMPROVE YOUR ABILITY TO MANAGE YOUR TIME
In your workplace, you’ll face deadlines, orders and tasks that keep screaming for your attention every day. As the work piles up, time to have everything done time looks like a scarce commodity.
In such a situation, your time management skills will be put to the test. Time consciousness comes with a lot of benefits. It will help you become more productive, efficient and less stressed. You’ll have more time to put into other tasks.
To improve your ability to manage time, keep track of how you spend your time. Kill activities that cause distractions, like going on social media. Schedule a certain amount of time for each task and do not allow anybody or anything to interrupt that assigned time. This will make you more time-efficient and with constant practice it’ll be like second nature.

GOAL #2: BUILD AND IMPROVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE AT WORK
Good relationships in the workplace benefits the running of a business in several ways. It harnesses high performance teams, encourages support among each other and gives each employee in the institution a sense of belonging.
Each person working in a company has their specific duties and each person’s role in the company directly or indirectly affects the performance of the other. For the sake of harmonious and smooth running of the business, it is important for you to learn how to get along with the people in your workplace.
To improve your relationship with your coworkers, practice being likable, friendly and helpful to your coworkers as well as other members of the staff. This makes it easier for them to accept you. Try as much as you can to engage in an open, real and honest communication with people in your workplace. This will help open the doors to building trust and strengthening your relationship with the people in your workplace.

GOAL #3: INCREASE YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF YOUR INDUSTRY, COMPETITORS AND CLIENTS
Knowledge is power and better knowledge of your industry is a valuable weapon that gives you a comparative advantage over your competitors which will aid in the growth of your business or the company you work in. The information you gather will keep you up to date with the latest trends and strategies in the industry.
Keeping an eye on your competitors will help you know their strengths and weaknesses and how you can leverage on this knowledge to stay on top of your game.
Understanding your customer’s needs will help you and your business to devise ways to provide better services and develop products that will adequately meet their needs.
To increase your knowledge of the industry, your competitors and clients set aside some time to learn more about the business. Attend training and network with your counterparts in other establishments to abreast yourself of what’s happening in the business world. Conduct regular surveys to get to know your clients better and discover how you can help them.

GOAL #4: IMPROVE YOUR EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE (EI)
Emotional Intelligence (EI) refers to your ability to understand both your emotions and those of others. Proper use of this ability will help you manage people in a way that improves your business.
Your ability to understand and relate with people’s emotions can help improve communication with others including your clients and motivate them to take specific action. This helps to run your business smoothly and improve external and internal relations with people.
Improving your EI starts with self-awareness. Understanding your emotions and reasons why you react or respond to certain situations will help you better understand others too.
Start by observing yourself as well as others and try to understand why you or the person you are observing acts the way they do. Test drive your findings by engaging them in conversations. Are you able to soothe their anger, reduce their stress or motivate them to be more productive?

GOAL #5: ENHANCE YOUR LISTENING SKILLS
Who doesn’t want to be heard and understood? You create a good impression when you give someone a listening ear. Good listeners are good speakers. Taking time to carefully listen to your coworkers or clients will expose you to information or details that will enable you to do your job well and serve your customer better.
To improve your listening skills, actively listen to the person talking to you. Put your focus on what they have to say. Study their body language as well. Body language is equally a method of communication. Ask questions to clarify points and do not interrupt them. Listening is a skill that takes a lot of patience and practice to perfect.

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