Workplace goals to rekindle your career
WE LIVE in everchanging times: the multiple impacts of technological advances, Brexit, fashions — and, of course, yet another general election. But what does not change is the cycle of the year. And as we rapidly approach the end of another, we start to contemplate what 2020 may bring and how we can bring about positive change in the workplace, in spite of everything else.
Whether we run our own business or are employed, the setting of occupational goals is always important. Let’s consider first an entrepreneurial perspective. New Year brings the start of the annual sales cycle and, to drive our enterprise forward, we set ourselves sales targets for the forthcoming year.
In sales, unfortunately, you can’t just wave a magic wand and expect to achieve ambitious targets. Achieving demanding sales goals requires hard work and a perpetual balance between ambition and realism. It’s important to constantly review what and how you are doing and be brave enough to step outside your comfort zone. Are your goals SMART— Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-based?
It’s easy to set a vague goal, such as: “We want to find new clients from the finance sector”. Make it SMART by specifying how many new clients. From which part of the sector? By when? And what steps do you need to put in place to achieve that goal? Indeed, is that goal achievable? A goal that isn’t achievable is demoralising.
Think about the things you can do to bring about the positive change towards meeting those goals. Challenge yourself to increase the number of new leads you approach each week, book and attend more meetings each week, increase the number of proposals or quotes you send out and follow them up more tenaciously.
And if you are employed by someone else? This might be the time to renew your sense of purpose in the workplace. The start of the year is a great time to refresh and re-energise. Many of us consider a new year’s resolution, but according to a recent American study, just eight per cent of us achieve our new year’s goals, while 80 per cent fail to keep resolutions, many falling off this particular bandwagon before January is even out.
If you are fortunate to be thriving in your job, now is the time to consider some steps to keep it that way. Don’t let the grass grow under your feet: maybe learn a new job-relevant skill, or take on additional responsibilities in the workplace.
The bigger challenge comes for those who feel unsettled at best, desperate to find alternative employment at worst.
Take a long hard look at yourself and your work. Although it is sometimes difficult to identify, there will be aspects of your current role you enjoy, even if the parts of your role you dislike are more obvious to you. Identify the good and take some time to think critically about how you can harness the positive aspects and move them into a new role.
Maybe you will need to take some steps along the way before you reach your employment goal. This might include upskilling and some training, perhaps even new qualifications. It will almost certainly include thinking about how you can change the employment narrative — so your next prospective employer will be able to understand your workplace story, what has brought you to this place and what you will bring to their workplace that meets their organisational needs.
Seek information, advice and guidance from experts who can help you focus. Work Avenue offers focused and informative employment workshops, together with tailored one-to-one advice on topics including building a contemporary and elegant CV, how to harness the power of your transferable skills and how to use the interview to maximum effect. Make 2020 a year full of positive change.
Seek advice and guidance from experts who can help you focus’
Emma May is director of Operations & Employment at Work Avenue, which offers support to the entire community, helping people earn a living through getting a job or growing a business.
It is running a CV-writing workshop on December 9 and an interview skills workshop on December 18. More details at theworkavenue.org.uk