5 Ways to Optimize Success at Work Today

For too many of us we see our work day as something to get through, with the reward at the end of the day, when we hit the weekend, or when our paycheck arrives. However, work provides us with many opportunities to expand our skills and deepen our knowledge of our chosen field.

We can often enjoy our jobs more and experience greater success with a simple adjustment in the way we view our jobs and in our daily work habits and routines.

Try to add the following five strategies to your approach at work and you might achieve more of your career goals.

Meet someone new. This is a simple strategy but can pay large dividends over time. As you meet people in your workplace you expand your network, develop possible mentors, and learn more about the company. You might even develop a close friend. Developing relationships with colleagues and co-workers can be incredibly beneficial if you become unemployed and need to seek out new work. Some of your former colleagues might be hiring managers or might be able to recommend you to another company they now work for. Do not underestimate the importance of developing positive relationships with your team and other individuals within your company.

Learn something new. If you make it a practice to meet someone new each week you might also have the opportunity to learn something new from them. You do not need to develop a resume-altering skill. Learning a new shortcut with a computer program you use regularly can help you save time and ease your workload. Or developing a better understanding of the products your company sells can help you be a more effective employee. Make it a point to learn something new every week, if not daily.

Acknowledge the contribution of another. Build solid relationships and demonstrated leadership skills by recognizing good work done by those you work with. You can acknowledge their successes with a simple encouraging word or drop them an email or note letting them know you appreciate their contribution. This will go a long way toward creating a positive work environment and building a healthy rapport with your colleagues.

Speak to a customer or client. Developing an understanding of the needs of your clients or customers if crucial to becoming effective in your work so finds ways to seek out this perspective. You might read reviews of your products, walk through the process of a new customer so you better understand the experience, or meet directly with clients or customers to get direct feedback. Additionally, consider speaking with your sales representatives and ask to sit in on customer calls, visits, or other types of interactions with clients. You gain a sense for the strengths of your company and its products and services, as well as, the weaknesses and areas for improvement.

Investigate a competitor. Take some time to better understand your position in the marketplace by researching the competition. Get to know their strengths and weaknesses and understand what separates your company and its products or services from the competition. This kind of knowledge can, again, assist your understanding of how to improve the products and services your company offers.

This week meet someone new, learn something new, recognize the achievements of others, get the perspective of your customers, and understand your competitors to help you be better engaged with your work and set you and your company up for success.