I came across this blog written by Tyler J. Durbin a Gen Y
http://www.genyjourney.com I am re-posting it because I found it so impressive
that this emerging Gen Y leader was being highly accountable. It is quite good.
Enjoy!
Are you ready to be better today than you were yesterday? In today’s work environment, it is important to be a well-rounded contributor to your organization. That means you need to be achieving at the highest level at all times…what is holding you back from accomplishing this?
1. Recognize a Weakness is Present
Recognizing that a weakness is present is vital. Sure, your performance may be sufficient for now, but will your habits propel you to achieving at a higher level? Do yourself a favor: Take time weekly (or even nightly) to review your work habits and performance. Be honest with yourself and find weaknesses that you can improve.
2. Identify the Causes
This may possibly be the hardest part of fixing poor work habits. In my current position, I need to do a great deal of prospecting. I’ve been experiencing low success rates in my cold calling which is making it difficult to reach my sales goals. My weakness is not being able to increase my call volume. But why?
Whether it’s fear of failure, completing tasks in front of co-workers, or just a lack of any type of intrinsic or extrinsic motivation, you must identify the reason(s) this habit is occurring. What is the source of your issue? What factors are contributing the bad habit?
3. Know what you can control – and CONTROL it!
In trying to fix a weakness in your performance, make a list of all the things you can control. Here is my list:
• Number of phone calls I make per day
• Effectiveness in communicating my message
• Exhibiting higher confidence
• Getting excited to speak with business owners
No matter what your job entails, find things you can control and adjust them to perform at a higher level. Whether it takes setting a daily routine, becoming more proactive, sharing your ideas with others, listening to others – no matter the issue – there are elements that you can control….Now CONTROL them!
4. Set a direction – Stay the Course
The most important part of fixing weaknesses in your performance is to have a plan to fix the issue. Set small goals that will help you reverse your habit or weakness. Write the plan down and share with others.
My goal each day is to increase my number of calls per hour by 1. While that doesn’t sound like much, by the end of the week, I have added up to 20 calls per day to my total (puts me closer to a yes!). To hold myself accountable, I’m continuing to track my results, sharing my goals and results with my boss and posting on my social networks for tips and encouragement.
You now know your weaknesses, what is causing them, what you can control to fix them and have created a plan to achieve success…All over the course of one evening. When you wake up tomorrow, know that you are a better professional than you were the day before. This realization will breed a new level of confidence…build off of it!