Are you looking for attainable actions, that will enable you to achieve a more fulfilling nine to five? Of course you are! All of us want to achieve success at work, and doing so is about more than just turning up, logging on and getting through your tasks. Whether you're a career girl or run your own business, here are five habits that all of us should work on getting right.
Learn The Art of Negotiation
The ability to negotiate will help you both in your personal life, as well as in your career. Being able to persuade another party to come around to your way of thinking, and settling on an agreement that suits you both will allow you to go far. In terms of your career, being able to negotiate is useful for the big and small things. From asking for a payrise to smoothing things over with colleagues in the workplace, as a negotiator you'll almost always get what you want- in a way which pleases the other party too.
Don't Be Afraid to Speak Up
As women, we can have a disadvantage in the workplace due to general stereotypes that we've all grown up with. There's the underlying assumption there that women are weak, meek and mild- and these aren't traits that you want to be associated with you as a strong career woman. Learn to speak up in a way which gets your point across, but without being rude or disrespectful. Pay attention to your language- when conveying ideas saying things like 'I could be wrong' or 'this may seem silly' weaken your message. Switch to using an active voice which is far more powerful. You can disagree with others without arguing, and can put your point across without seeming brash. Consider the language and tone you use on a day to day basis.
Use Your Time Well
All of us are pushed for time, life can be busy and hectic when you're working full time as well as running a home, trying to maintain hobbies and being social. But as women, most of us are primary caregivers to our children meaning this is another element that we have to work into our busy schedules. So managing time well is more important than ever, and one place we can make the most of this is on our daily commute. The time spent getting to and from the office could be used to catch up on emails or life admin. You could organise your calendar, or do something stimulating such as read or listen to a podcast. There's a surprising amount of things you can do in this time that can allow you to get ahead or get yourself organised.
Get Organised
Speaking of organisation, this is another important habit that all of us should be working on. Start with your morning, a well planned out start to your day can set you up for success later on. Lay out your clothes the night before, prep your lunch and make sure your bag or briefcase contains everything you need. Get up in time to enjoy a healthy breakfast. Utilise calendars and to-do lists to ensure you never forget a meeting, appointment or deadline. Keep on top of your emails by dedicating a certain amount of time to them each day so nothing gets missed. Keep your desk clear, have your paperwork filed and be sure that you know where everything is and where it needs to be. When you're organised, you're always ready to tackle whatever the day throws at you.
Be Confident
Improving your confidence in general can help you to achieve all of your career and business goals. Push yourself and do what scares you as a way to get out of your comfort zone and break free of the limits you've set yourself. For example, if you're afraid of public speaking then taking a course in exactly this can massively boost your confidence, even if it's very daunting at first. Have a think about your skills and abilities, and be confident in knowing what you have achieved, and what you will continue to achieve.
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