Life

Simple Ways To Become A Better Business Person

by Erica Florentine

For those of us who feel passionately about our jobs, we know how important it can be to be certain we’re doing well at them each day. What’s more, many of us would like to learn ways we can improve in these jobs. There are some simple ways to become a better business person that we can all start practicing that can be extremely helpful in getting us to that next level. Whether you’re hoping for a raise, a promotion, or even just a personal feeling that you’re excelling, these tips can help get you there.

Every day, whether we realize it or not, we’re solidifying the kind of business person we are. Think about it — it’s true. Whether we’re taking small steps to become an organized, detail-oriented, successful one, or we’re slacking and sliding back the opposite way, every day matters. With that in mind, if we begin incorporating the right practices into our lives, we can be certain to head in the right direction in our careers. It doesn’t matter that we might all have completely different jobs, roles, titles, etc. What matters is the bigger picture and how we handle ourselves as a whole, despite our specific jobs. If you want to become a better business person — congratulations — that’s the first step… realizing that and committing to make it happen. Next, you simply need to understand the points we’ll talk about below and start putting the wheels in motion. Here are 11 simple ways to become a better business person:

1. Get As Organized As Possible

I'm not sure about you, but when my desk is a complete disaster, I find it a whole lot more difficult to get things done. If you want a quick and easy way to become better and more efficient at the tasks at hand, try getting yourself organized, according to Forbes. This includes sorting through your inbox, filing the paperwork that’s lying around, and the like. The outlet added that to ace your email habits, in addition to getting them organized, try to limit yourself to certain times of the day when you check email versus being married to your inbox at every moment of the day. It will help you to complete work without as many interruptions — therefore getting things accomplished faster and with less mistakes.

2. Be Mindful Of Accountability

Understanding the importance of accountability is a huge part of being successful at your job, according to Entrepreneur. This means holding yourself accountable for the things you’ve done incorrectly and making strides to avoid repeating mistakes and improving in the future, and being sure those who are below you on the totem pole understand accountability, too. If you want to succeed best at being a manager, Entrepreneur suggested being certain those who report to you are fully looped in on what’s expected of them at all times and are held accountable to those duties.

3. Form A Bond With Your Boss

Another way to boost yourself as a business person is to bond with your supervisor, according to U.S. News & World Report. The outlet noted your relationship with your boss should go well beyond check-ins here and there, and rather he or she should be someone you feel comfortable going to openly with questions or to seek feedback. Why? According to the outlet, this helps prevent there from being any miscommunication or misunderstanding around expectations.

4. Get Enough Sleep

What does sleep have to do with becoming a better business person? Well, a lot, actually. Think about those mornings you head into the office running on a mere few hours of rest and your brain seems to be on super-slow mode for the entire day. Fast Company noted there’s simply no way you can be better at your job if you’re always drowsy on the job. The outlet recommended being sure to set yourself a good bedtime routine by climbing into bed early enough to get a full night’s rest. You might also consider making it a point to turn off your electronics before bedtime too to prevent any distraction from falling asleep.

5. Get Enough Physical Activity

Likewise to getting the right amount of sleep, if you want to be better at your job you should also consider getting the right amount of exercise as well. According to Huffington Post, exercise is beneficial to your body in that it helps relieve stress and get your juices flowing, both of which will be incredibly helpful to you at the office. Stay attentive as possible by trying to incorporate even some moderate physical activity into your day, such as choosing the stairs versus the elevator, according to the outlet.

6. Practice Your Problem-Solving Skills

A big part of being successful is having excellent problem-solving skills. According to the Houston Chronicle, in your job — no matter what it is — you’ll always be challenged to face new problems. It’s how you manage these problems that will prove how you’ll do moving forward in the company. So, take a deep breath when a problem comes up and try your best to tackle it calmly and in stride.

7. Track The Time Spent On Certain Tasks

Setting mini deadlines for yourself throughout the day can make you a lot more productive. According to Inc., to increase productivity requires being mindful of how long certain tasks take to complete, and then trying to stay between the time limits. So, if you know working on a specific type of project usually takes you an hour, slate that exact amount of time out to complete it, and try to remain fully focused on the task until it’s done.

8. Nix The Multitasking Habit

On the point of focusing on one task at a time, according to Forbes, we should all be nixing our multitasking habits in order to be better at our jobs. The outlet cited a study out of Stanford that found those who are big on multitasking don’t pay as close of attention to work as those who avoid multitasking. If you want to deliver the best work possible, focus on completing one project before moving onto the next.

9. Prioritize, Prioritize, Prioritize

Business coach and entrepreneur Brain Tracy penned an article for LinkedIn in which he discussed how crucial it is to prioritize correctly if you want to succeed at work. Tracy suggested weeding through tasks to separate what’s most relevant versus least relevant for the day, and tackling them in that order. With your priorities in order, try to use a sense of urgency in completing them (but don’t rush too much — it’s not worth losing quality over it).

10. Treat Others How You’d Like To Be Treated

Being kind isn’t just for your personal life. You need to remember to be kind at work too if you want to make it far, according to the Houston Chronicle. The outlet said you should treat others at work the same as you would want to be treated — which means being nice and respectful to them. By treating people this way you’ll not only increase the chances they’ll return the favor, but you’ll also help give yourself a great professional image, according to the outlet.

11. Ensure You’re An Essential Part Of The Team

Ultimately, you want to be thought of as indispensable, according to U.S. News & World Report. To do this you should do your best to show you’re an essential part of the team — which means doing small things like taking on extra projects when needed, staying late if your boss asks you to, being helpful to others on your team, and so on, according to the outlet.

Getting ahead in your career is really all about how you handle your day-to-day at this moment in time. Take some of these tips and start incorporating them into your daily life, and you might soon find you’re becoming a better business person in no time.

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