We live in a fast-paced world where time is money and tight schedules are not unusual. When your workday is fully booked, you probably see few opportunities for personal development and career growth. Luckily, there are a lot of different approaches to maintain this growth. Because personal development at the workplace is easily overlooked, we asked our Talent Managers Els, Deborah and Mariken for some effective tips.
1. Learn from your mistakes
This may sound obvious, but it can not be stressed enough. Research has shown that people who embrace their failures are more likely to succeed in the long run. Embracing your failures means taking strategic risks and willing to be vulnerable from time to time. Seeking discomfort is not everyone‘s cup of tea, but it is a fast way to learn from your experiences and do better in future situations.
2. Set smart objectives
When you are building your career path, it is important that you set yourself SMART objectives (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound). It clarifies your end goal and shows you the way to get there. It lets you focus on what you should aim for and drives you forward.
3. Stay alert of your environment
In order to grow, you need opportunities. Get to know how your company works and look actively for new learning possibilities. These insights will not only help you in your search for new challenges, they will also help your productivity. It’s a win-win situation.
4. Have some ‘me-time’
Time is a valuable yet scarce resource in personal development. You can free up some time for yourself by scheduling some buffer time in your work schedule to have some time margin when doing your tasks. These buffers can then be used for personal development when your work is finished within the expected time frame.