Last week on my weekly web TV series, JT on Jobs, I shared with viewers the story of the time I made one of the most traumatic communication errors of my life at work as part of the show called, "3 Steps to Speaking Up at Work." (You can hear me recap that embarrassing story in the short video below.) As a result, I am passionate about helping my clients become better communicators. One of the first things I have them do when there are communication problems at work is to take a quick test called the Interaction Style Assessment Test (a.k.a. ISAT). The ISAT helps them understand what their dominant interaction style at work is and how it can be contributing to the communication problem they are experiencing. The test also helps them see how the person they are having the communication problem with at work may be different from them in terms of their interaction style. Why is understanding interaction styles so important? In my experience, the majority of communication problems that happen at work stem from people misinterpreting one another. A simple word choice, voice tone, or even the lack of facial expressions or hand gestures can cause a breakdown in communication. And, it gets even worse when the communication is electronic instead of face to face. I wish more companies and HR departments would create better on-boarding processes and team building exercises designed to get their employees to understand and accept the different interactions styles of their peers and managers. It is vital to laying a foundation for the trust needed for teams to perform at their highest level. Sadly, it feels like only the big firms with formal training programs ever do this kind of work. I guess that’s why so many of the communication problems at work that I help people deal with involve small companies where there has been no such training or team development efforts. If you’ve ever had a communication problem at work, I invite you to take the ISAT for free on my site. Hopefully, it can help you next time a problem arises!
Everyone has heard of New Year's resolutions. You know, those promises we make to ourselves about things we'll do better in the year ahead. Sometimes these resolutions work, while other times we end up with gym memberships we never use! But have you ever heard of a career resolution? It's actually the same thing as a New Year's resolution, only career-focused.
However, with something as important as a career, you don't want to break these resolutions. That's why it's important to keep these goals manageable.
Here are four simple career resolutions that are easy to stick to and achieve.
Be Self-Aware Of Where You Stand In Your Career
BigstockBeing honest and self-aware of where you are in your career is the most important step in making strong career resolutions. If your career is going nowhere and you're unhappy, then it may be time to consider a career change, which will take you down a different path entirely.
But if you're happy and in good standing with your career, it's a lot easier to set goals for the year and build out a long-term career plan.
Find A Way To Grow Your Career
BigstockCareer growth is a very broad spectrum that means something different to everyone. It could be something as simple as improving on a weakness or building on a strength. It could also be learning a new skill or taking on additional responsibilities at work.
On a larger level, it could be seeking a promotion or moving into a leadership role.
Whatever the goal is, make sure it includes growing professionally. The worst thing you can do is stay the same! If you're not growing your career, you're dying—and becoming a lot less valuable to your employer. There are always ways to upskill!
Better Serve Your Professional Network
With current colleagues, former colleagues, and other professional acquaintances, you've probably built a solid professional network through the years. A strong professional network can come in handy if you lose your job or are looking to make a career change. However, you shouldn't just rely on your network when you're in need!
It's important to find ways to offer value to your network. This could include checking in with members of your network from time to time. Exchange messages on LinkedIn to see how they're doing or share relevant content of interest. If you can help someone in your network going through a career challenge, you should!
Maintaining a strong professional network is like an investment. If you want it to pay off, you have to put some time into it and be consistent.
Take Care Of Yourself
Bigstock
Working on your career is hard work! It's okay to be selfish sometimes. Whether you're working to grow your career or looking for a new job, it's important to find balance.
Your family and health always come first, so make sure your career goals don't interfere with that. If you want to set aside time during the week to work on your career that's fine, but don't miss important family events or milestones.
Don't let your career goals get in the way of your health goals. Go to the gym, take a walk, or go for a jog. Balance is key to maintaining healthy career and life goals. Sometimes you just need to adjust that balance as you go.
Need help sticking to your career resolutions?
Become a member to learn how to UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!
This article was originally published at an earlier date.