Getting a new job is always a new adventure. So when you find yourself in a new work environment, starting on the right foot and becoming goal-oriented might be confusing. While some jobs start you off with minimal work and slowly increase it over time, you’ll find others might just toss you into the deep-end without warning. So what do you do in situations like the latter? It honestly depends on the person and works best for them.
Some people like to be self-sufficient. They create their own goals and deadlines as long as you give them the necessary numbers. But a company can’t assume that all of their new employees are going to be like this. If they do, they might run into some avoidable problems. The most important thing a company can do for a new hire is guide them into their role. So whether you are a new hire or a business man looking for help with this, here are a few tips we recommend to be more goal-oriented.
Prioritizing and Organizing your Goals
Funny enough, the hardest part about being goal-oriented is knowing what items need to be done and in what order. In short, knowing what you’re trying to accomplish should be your first step. The easiest way to do this is to make a list of everything that needs to be done. It might look a little crazy at first but trust the process. From here, you separate the easy-to-do tasks from the lengthy ones. You can do this by putting them into categories, color-coding or listing them by importance. Do whatever helps you out the best!
By doing this you might find the best ways to accomplish all the tasks with little effort. This method really helps put all your tasks into perspective. Some tasks may be able to be done at the same time while other you’ll find need to have their own day dedicated to it.
Plan Out the Best Course of Action
After making your list of tasks, you will want to list out your approach to each one. Now this might sound kind of redundant to what we said above but this is more about the finer details. Think about how long each task will take, what efforts need to be done to accomplish the tasks and so on. This helps give a realistic timeline on how time consuming your work is. In doing this, you will be able to, somewhat, predict how your work week will go and if you need to ask for any deadline extensions. Because the last thing you want is to leave a task for the last minute and struggle to get work done. With saying this, also remember to schedule well needed breaks as working too much will do more harm than good. In our eyes, planning is essential for success.
Tackle One Task at a Time
After the organization and planning, it’s start to get to work! Sticking to your timeline is going to be essential. Putting off projects will throw off your whole work flow. This will lead to tasks becoming unaccomplished or poorly executed. Speaking of poor work, keep your focus on one task at a time. Multi-tasking may seem like a good thing but it can become overwhelming. Not only that, but studies have shown that when multi-tasking actually drops quality of work.
If you are in a situation where you need to do multiple tasks at once to accomplish the overall project, ask for some help. Imagine how much time and effort you’ll save by giving separate, but equally as important, tasks to separate people. Once you finish your main task, you can move on to the next one without having to worry about it again.
Track your Progress
Keeping track of all your efforts is a must when being goal-orientated. It might sound silly but looking at everything you accomplish at the end of the week is encouraging. We sometimes get so caught up in working that we forget all that we do. Not only that, you can use this to give weekly updates you any upper management that asks. Even if they don’t ask, keeping them in the loop of what you’re doing is a great way to maintain a good communication between departments.
Now there may be times that some projects just aren’t able to be completed. If that’s the case don’t be afraid to let management know. Explaining what hardships you’re encountering and the different attempts you made is the best approach. Don’t be afraid to ask for some feedback from their end along with what kind of deadline they want from you. This will put less stress on you and more accountability on their end.
Bring it all Together
Although it doesn’t seem like much, doing these few things will truly make a difference. Trying to tackle multiple tasks without a plan allows things to slip through the cracks. We’re not perfect so we need find different ways to help us be as goal-oriented as we can. If you need help on where to start, we can help you here at Reborn!
