Looking for ways to improve work performance?
Whether you’re a newcomer at a job, want to be the one who secures the job promotion, or develop yourself professionally, improving your work performance can help you drastically in the long run.
Plus, top-performing employees are always favored more by the managers, and if you want to secure a spot in their good book or improve your work performance overall, keep on reading.
This article will discuss the 15 practical ways to improve performance at work and earn the respect of your coworkers. We have also narrowed the list down to the top 3 ways to improve work performance.
Let’s start!
Table of Contents
Top 3 ways to improve work performance
Keep away from distractions.
Distractions are the biggest productivity killer. You might be busy working on your project when a text from your coworker takes away your attention entirely. Your work zone has been interrupted, whether a text to ask for help on their project or a simple lunch plan. It will take a while to get back to work on hand.
You can effectively streamline your work and enhance your performance by managing distractions. One of the top 3 ways to improve work performance is limiting distractions or restricting them.
Things you can do to keep away from distractions:
- Please turn off your smartphone or set it to Do Not Disturb mode.
- Work in an environment with minimal noise.
- Try listening to music or creating a work playlist.
- If you are working remotely, create a space for work free of distractions, e.g., your smartphone.
Set milestones
A sudden wave of motivation might compel you to set big goals.
But let’s be real.
These goals are always hard to accomplish. Not to mention that even the thought of accomplishing them can feel overwhelming and put you off the project completely. Setting milestones is one of the most effective ways to improve performance at work.
You should divide your project into smaller, easily achievable tasks and allocate a specific deadline for every single one. This way, your work will be more organized and structured. Plus, you will feel elated once you finish one task and eager to begin another.
Things you can do to set milestones:
- Split big projects into smaller milestones
- Assign a specific timeframe to every single one of the tasks.
Avoid multitasking
Multitasking may seem like a perfect solution to eliminate all the workload piling on the top of your desk at once. However, multitasking has detrimental effects on your work performance.
Human brains are not designed to handle multitasking. It might seem like a quick way to get everything done. But multitasking slows you down and hampers your productivity. It slows down an individual’s work pace as the brain repeatedly switches from one task to the other, thus exhausting all the mental energy.
This is because your brain is actively switching from one task to another rather than focusing on only one thing at a time, leading to “task switch costs.”
Things you can do to avoid multitasking:
- Make a priority to-do list and stick to that while working.
- Please select the most important task, and work on it.
- Rather than simultaneously focusing on projects, prioritize one and work on it before jumping on the next one.
What should you do to improve your performance at work – 12 actionable tips!
Manage your time effectively
Managing your time successfully improves your work performance and boosts your productivity.
We only have 24 hours in one day and so much to get done. Skillfully coordinating your activities means allocating a time frame to each task. This way, you will submit the project on time, punctually during meetings, and reward yourself with some self-care time.
Things you can do to manage your time:
- Start your day early and create an organized to-do list.
- Please note all the day’s important tasks, allocate them a time frame, and focus on them.
- Be realistic while making a daily schedule, and don’t overload your schedule with more work than you can handle.
Know your flaws and work on them
You might have entangled yourself in a particular work regime for so long that it might be hard to recognize the flaws hampering your growth.
In that case, you must assess yourself and address all the inadequacies. For example, you might have difficulty being punctual and a habit of leaving things last minute. Or you slack off at work and distract yourself with your smartphone.
Things you can do to improve:
- Acknowledging all your weaknesses is the first step to improving them.
- Working in the same flow will not get you so far, so don’t settle for less when you can work on a weak spot and strengthen your skills.
Learn to say no
It’s alright to do a small favor to a colleague as you might need one from them someday. However, don’t let anyone dump their work on you.
We have only 24 hours in one day. Do you want to waste them on something unimportant when you can do something more worthwhile?
Set clear and firm boundaries, and learn to say no politely to anyone who tries to cross them. Be assertive and straightforward.
Things you can do to set boundaries:
- Say no to anything that can hamper your productivity.
- If you find it hard to say no, develop relevant excuses, e.g., “Sorry, I can’t. I already have so much work to do on my own.”
Give yourself a break.
You’re mistaken if you think falling into the endless abyss of work will get you a raise. The most it will get you is a pat on the back.
You mustn’t drown yourself in work but give yourself breaks to keep a hold of your sanity. It’s humanly impossible to be productive all the time. So, take regular breaks such as a coffee break or a walk.
Things you can do to take breaks:
- Try the Pomodoro Technique for work. It’s a method in which you focus on your task for 25 minutes, followed by a 5-minute long break.
- Take short breaks to go for a walk or coffee.
Build connections
Networking is one of the most important ways to improve performance at work.
Building connections make you more prominent in the field and gain new perspectives and experiences to help you in your job. You can also connect and socialize with the top performers in your field to learn from them and familiarize yourself with their top qualities.
Things you can do to network:
- Create a LinkedIn account and follow the people who are a part of your field.
- You can also attend talk shows, conferences, and seminars to connect with the people in your niche.
- Go to social parties, or you can organize them to connect with new people from your industry.
- Volunteer to be part of big projects connecting you to the experts.
Communicate effectively
Communication across the workplace is imperative for maximizing the performance of employees.
Effective communication is the key to boosting productivity and efficiency. Moreover, it creates a healthy team environment where the employees don’t hesitate to ask for help, feedback, and reviews.
Things you can do for effective communication:
- Invite your teammates on your coffee breaks and casually chat with them.
- You can also organize formal meetings with them. If there’s a problem, work on the possible solutions to resolve them. So, all of you are on the same page.
- Online applications such as Slack and Zoom prove excellent tools to accelerate your career growth.
Get regular feedback
Unsure of how your work has been so far?
Ask your manager for feedback.
Requesting feedback regularly is one of the most effective ways to improve performance at work; it can help you grow as an employee. This way, you will know about your inadequacies and obstacles and work on overcoming them.
Don’t wait for the annual review to know how you have been doing. Rather, ask your manager or supervisor about the quality of the work and improve accordingly. Plus, this leaves a good impression of you as someone mature enough to learn from their mistakes and improve them.
Things you can do to seek feedback:
- Request your supervisor for a feedback
- You can also ask your coworkers or superiors for constructive criticism.
Take care of your health.
Your health should be your priority. Yes, it should come before any project or assignment.
Besides, the better your health, the better your work performance.
If you’re always working, you’ll feel too tired to commit to any self-care regimen. So make some time for yourself every day and invest in self-care. It can be going for a short walk, eating less junk food, or getting at least seven hours of sleep every day.
Things you can do to stay healthy:
- Take a day off when you’re sick, and rest until you feel better.
- Keep a water bottle by your side to ensure you’re always hydrated.
- Whether you’re working remotely or in an office, sitting in front of your laptop can negatively affect your health so take short breaks. Get up, stretch and go outside for a few minutes to freshen your mind.
Avoid office conflicts
It’s easy to get roped into office drama and politics. A simple chat or gossip might seem harmless, but it can negatively impact your work performance. It will also drive your focus from work.
Keep away from pointless debates and concentrate on your work. If you’re caught up in any argument, encourage the two parties to calmly resolve the problem, as it may hurt their overall performance too.
Things you can do to avoid office drama:
- Don’t partake in any gossip or badmouth your teammate to another teammate.
- Use headphones to block out unnecessary drama.
- Change the subject when your coworker starts discussing someone else. Develop a diplomatic and amicable relationship with coworkers for better collaborations in the future.
Learn new skills
There is a lot of competition in the job market; many people offer the same skills.
So, what makes you stand out among this pool of talent?
Learning is a lifelong process that does not stop with age, and you shouldn’t be ashamed of learning a new skill to accelerate your career. Learning new skills while mastering your current talents will help you gain more opportunities to advance your career.
Skills like basic coding, project management, communication skills, foreign language, and social media marketing always come in handy. Furthermore, these skills will nurture your personal and professional growth simultaneously.
Things you can do to learn new skills:
- Enrolling in online courses that offer diplomas, e.g., web development, coding, video production, etc., provide excellent ways to improve performance at work,
- Read books to gain knowledge and insight into the world. Plus, books provide good conversation-starter topics.
- Look up software tutorials – Photoshop, Canva, Illustrator – on Youtube. They’re available for free!
Take part in mentorship.
It was easy to participate in mentorship programs in school/college. You could apply for an internship, work under your industry’s experts, and gain sufficient knowledge.
Participating in mentorship is one of the most enlightening ways to improve performance at work. It might seem intimidating now that you’re working in the same niche. But it’s not impossible. You can ask HR for any mentorship programs, and they will be happy to help.
A mentor will enlighten you with more knowledge that has the potential to advance your career. They will tell you all their mistakes and the lessons learned from them so that you won’t repeat such errors. Plus, a mentorship nurtures your growth on a personal and professional level.
Things you can do:
- Ask your supervisor if they can mentor you and teach you about the workings of the field.
- Socialize and connect with the experts in your field. You can befriend them and ask them for their wisdom and advice.
Use online tools to stay on track.
The right online tool can take a mountain of the workload off your back.
That’s because online tools are specially tailored to boost employees’ productivity, organize tasks and help in seamless communication among team members. Many software in the market can automate your workflow and streamline processes.
And if you’re looking for a faster review and approval process, check GoVisually – the #1 online review tool.
GoVisually helps streamline feedback and effectively cut the review time in half. With GoVisually, you can review all PDFs, videos, and designs faster and easier.
How to select an online tool?
- Identify your needs – productivity, project management, or communication – and search for the best online applications to facilitate you.
- Compare and read reviews to determine the right tool for you.
- You can also ask your coworkers for recommendations.
Key takeaway
If you want to attain the highest level of productivity and become the top performer at your workplace, you need to incorporate healthy habits into your work routine.
Unless you practice ways to improve work performance, your career will grow at a snail’s speed. So, learn new skills, prioritize important projects, and acquire new skills to reach the highest productivity ladder and become your company’s superstar!
And remember to use online tools such as GoVisually to cut down your work time and get things done efficiently.
Do share your thoughts with us if you have any recommendations on our list!
