Suppose you wake up early in the morning and pour yourself a cup of tea/ coffee. Then, you sit down to complete the unfinished task. An hour goes by, and you are focused on your work. Things are going great, and half of your work is done.
Suddenly a notification comes, and you are distracted. After you are done with the text and call, you try to go back to work, but it takes time for you to understand where you left off. As a result, your tasks take more time than they should.
Does this example sound familiar? Has this kind of incident happened with you?
Interruptions during work can tremendously affect your work performance and can lower the quality of your work. Today, we will discuss how you can avoid these situations and what are ways to improve work performance. So, let us begin!
What is Work Performance & what is its significance?
Work performance, also known as job performance or employee work performance, is the ability to do your job well and carry out responsibilities effectively. Employees who work well are more likely to receive a raise or promotion.
Managers or leaders can use several ways to measure employees’ work performance. The most common ones include:
- Speed
- Quality
- Efficiency
Balancing all three of them is pretty challenging. Also, there are different elements used in every position.
For instance, a content writing firm may value efficiency and quality to meet client’s needs and desires. Therefore, the speed can be somewhat sacrificed, but the writers do not compromise on the quality of the content.
It is essential to know how your performance is measured at the workplace. Your efforts will show that you are a valuable asset to the company, which can put you in the line for a pay raise and promotion.
Now, here arises a question, i.e., how can one improve work performance? The following section offers answers to the same. Take a look!
Ways to improve work performance
In the present scenario, modern professionals need to keep updating their resumes and performance to stay ahead in the competitive market. You can’t rely solely on your superior to offer you training and sharpen your skill set.
Therefore, working hard on your talents and improving your work performance is essential. Below are strategies that you can start implementing from today itself to improve your job performance.
1. Stop Multitasking and Begin Focusing
One of the most significant components that affect work performance is low productivity. If you are not able to develop good organizational and time-management competencies, then you are not likely to go far in your career because these are the essential skills every employee must have!
Today, it is easy for employees to get distracted because of the internet and social media platforms. Therefore, it is vital to stop wasting time on such diversions and work on enhancing functionality at the workplace. This will help build focus, and the work will be done more efficiently.
2. Set Goals & Benchmarks
It is easy to set challenging goals, but over time they may seem daunting and out of reach. So, do one thing – set 2-3 big targets you would like to achieve every year. Set weekly and monthly milestones and work towards your small goals as well so that by the end of the year, your long-term and short-term goals are readily accomplished.
3. Determine your Strengths & Shortcomings
In order to know your strengths and weaknesses, you must keep assessing yourself. This will help you understand what skills you already possess that can improve work performance. Along with this, you will also become aware of your shortcomings where there is room for improvement. You can even take help from your boss or colleagues to provide you with an honest assessment.
4. Healthy Work-Life Balance
Having a good work-life balance is essential to offer your best at work. Usually, your work might take the majority of your time, but it is also crucial to have at least some hours for self-improvement!
Having hobbies outside of work and taking ample rest prevents you from burning out. You can try activities like meditation, sports, yoga, etc., to keep your stress levels in check.
Apart from this, you might also find some hobbies that will help you progress at work. For instance, you can acquire skills like leadership, negotiation, time management, etc., that will be helpful in your personal and professional life as well!
5. Have Clear Communication Skills
Communication is the key to maximizing your work performance. For instance, if you are not sure about a particular task given to you, don’t feel afraid to ask for clarification. The most successful business leaders are curious and seek unique ways to solve issues. Thus, make sure to inculcate communication skills to function efficiently in the workplace.
6. Try to Arrive Early
Most workplaces are peaceful before the actual workday begins. Therefore, if you arrive early to the office, it will enhance your productivity and work performance. In addition, within a quiet office, there are fewer distractions and temptations that will help you start your day with optimism.
By arriving an hour early in the office, you will feel more accomplished, as you can start working on your daily tasks while everyone else is arriving and making themselves tea/ coffee!
7. Prioritize Crucial Tasks
We tend to save the least desirable tasks until the last minute, no matter how critical they are! But that’s not right.
Getting done with the crucial tasks for the day is essential so that you are free to move on with other work assignments or reward yourself with a break!
By prioritizing high-value tasks, you demonstrate to your boss and colleagues that you can be relied on to progress towards accomplishing goals – even if it is a task you don’t enjoy!
8. Continuous Learning
Another great way to improve work performance is to be committed to professional development. Take an interest in learning about your role, responsibilities, and industry as much as possible. Trust us – You will realize how beneficial it is to keep learning while working!
Not only does continuous learning help you acquire new skills or sharpen the existing ones, but it also builds knowledge that you can apply to accomplish your future goals. So, make sure to keep assimilating new things to get better job opportunities.
9. Understand your Limits
It is vital to understand that all of us have limits when it comes to workload. You know that you are nearing your personal limit if you start to feel tired, distracted, or begin to procrastinate.
Therefore, recognizing your responses and taking small breaks is recommended to avoid burnout. After you have refreshed your mind, you can return to your original task with enhanced creativity and productivity!
10. Be Realistic
One of the secrets to working productively and effectively is to realize that nobody is perfect. We all have our ‘off days’, where we feel less motivated and lack confidence. Basically, we tend to underperform on specific days.
If you are realistic about this notion, you are less likely to be affected by your low productivity levels. You will also become more empathetic towards your colleagues who are experiencing a rough day. This will help boost team morale and relationships.
Work Performance – Commit to the changes now!
We are all in control of our effectiveness, creativity, and productivity at work. So, why not use it to improve work performance?
Whether you decide to reach the office early or visualize your ‘long-term’ goals, every small change will have a significant impact on how you work and how others perceive you. So, make a commitment to yourself – start trying the ways mentioned above and see how they work like a charm!
Also Read: Behavioral Competency at work
