Getting and keeping the job
Congratulations on finding that job you have been striving for, all the effort, sacrifice and changes you have been through have got you to this point and its time to enjoy the fruits of your labour. We hope that this period of time leads to a personally inspiring, successful and productive step towards your key life goals.
Sometimes when people get to this point, unforeseen problems can arise, at Incite Solutions Group your Rehabilitation Consultants and the Employment Services Team are always available for a quick chat if you run into any problems within the workplace.
With this in mind we’ve included some helpful tips and routine management techniques to help with getting the most out of your employment and whilst managing your personal priorities .
YOUR ROUTINE
The first 1-2 hours after you awake are crucial on any work day. Your morning routine could actually be draining efficiency from your day.
A messy morning routine can cause two issues. Firstly we may be losing time in the morning by not preparing effectively for the day ahead. Secondly, different things we include in our morning routine can either start us off on the right foot, or negatively impact on the rest of the day, if you are running around last minute, not eating breakfast or sleeping in till the last second this is more likely to lead to heightened stress and a less productive day.
We live in a sleep deprived world.
It may seem counter-intuitive to recommend extra sleep in a time management post. However, getting the right amount of sleep can have a profound effect on your productivity, leaving you with more free time.
This happens due to short term effects such as improved memory, improved mood and clearer thinking. As well as this there are numerous long term effects such as improved health, improved weight control and stronger immunity.
This is a technique that is used by many high performing individuals. It’s simple.
Complete the task that you are least looking forward to, first. This is based on the idea that once you have completed what is likely to be the worst task of the day, everything that follows should be easy.
If we are moving to roles with a higher level of responsibility, more people will depend on us.
In this stage, we may experience difficulty in finding a balance between rushing ourselves off our feet and saying no. While it may feel unnatural at first, we need to learn to say no at times.
Figuring out who to say it to is the difficult part, this may take time.
Similarly to saying no, there comes times when we need to delegate. Again, this can be very difficult at first.
It is highly likely that we will experience times where we have too much on our plate. It is even more likely that there will be people who are better at completing certain tasks than ourselves.
Many of us do it, some of us are even master procrastinators.
Procrastination is an unhealthy habit which can leave us feeling stretched for time, anxious or even depressed.
Work now, procrastinate later. You’ll soon find yourself with more time than before to do the things you want to do.
The Pareto Effect states that 80% of value comes from 20% of the work we do, and it’s easy to see how to.
It’s time to take a look at the tasks that you’re completing and cutting out all of the unnecessary elements.
This is particularly important if we are not actively ‘managed’ or if we do not have someone to report to.
If we are completing a task to a time constraint, we are much likely to complete the task in an efficient manner. If we are working through a task ‘until it is done’, then we open the door to distractions.
We class leisure time here as anything that is not work related.
This may seem like an obvious one, however it’s easy to lose track of how much time you spend watching TV or time spent scrolling through social media.
It is also worth assessing if you are using your leisure time in the best possible way. Some activities, such as watching TV are enjoyable, but they are not flow-inducing. Thus, we may want to look at leisure activities in which we are more involved, such as playing sport or artistic hobbies.
Rushing from task to task can be detrimental to our mood, effectiveness, and productivity.
When we complete a task, we should take time to relax and re-charge our mind, before moving onto the next task. The break doesn’t need to be particularly long, even five minutes can make a significant difference.
Better yet, reward yourself on these breaks after completing tasks in order to train your subconscious mind.
A healthy lifestyle will likely supercharge your productivity. With this increased productivity we can feel the effects of improved time management.
For best effect, include exercise in your morning routine, speak to your Rehabilitation Consultant if you would like to discuss setting up a plan for pre-work exercise or healthy living plans.
Is it necessary to have your phone by your side, all of the time?
If you’re in a role where it is not, then it’s time to put your phone away. Often, one of the first things we do when we hit a mental block, is to reach for our phone. This can quickly escalate into lost time being distracted.
One of the best things we can do to limit distractions, is to remove them.
This is a big one to get the most out of your day.
One of the biggest ways we can do this is to optimise our commute to work. We could use this time to exercise, to learn a new language, read a book, listen to a podcast. The list goes on.
This isn’t limited to our commute to and from work, there are always opportunities to turn down time into up time.
Commit fully to the task in hand, regardless of what it is.
If a task doesn’t have our full attention, it will take longer. Be professional and commit fully.
If we commit fully, we can also expect the quality of our work to increase also. Furthermore, completing work that is of high quality can increase our levels of fulfilment.
Do you find yourself getting into the ‘flow’ when completing certain tasks?
Different tasks demand a different level of thought and pace and this flow we feel is down to the pace that our brain is working at. It can take time for your brain to switch from one way of thinking to another.
Thus, it may be a good idea to group certain tasks together to gain maximum efficiency. Through a little planning, this could see your days become more efficient.
Ok, so we’re not saying stop checking your emails completely.
However, checking our emails regularly can actually cause us more harm than good. The act of checking our emails distracts our mind from the task in hand causing us to break out of that particular work flow.
If something is urgent, they will almost always call you. Set a schedule for checking emails, such as 9am, 2pm and 4pm.
Again, this may seem counter-intuitive if you’re on a busy schedule. Why would we devote time to meditation to help our time management?
Meditation is a well used technique, which is growing in popularity among high performers. Many of which add it into their morning routine. It helps us focus on the present and more importantly helps us focus on one thing at a time. It is an integral part of achieving a Positive Psychology mindset. Speak to your consultant if you would like to discuss what meditation techniques might potentially work best for you.
Daily planning is integral to to build an effective schedule for the day.
As well as this, the planning in advance allows our subconscious mind to break down and assess tasks before we complete them. When we plan our days the day before, the act of planning can reduce anxiety help us feel at ease.
Set a schedule for the day, and stick to it.
This will depend highly on the area that is used to complete work.
Is your phone on the desk? Put it in a drawer. Find yourself checking Facebook and Twitter? Block them using a Chrome extension such as StayFocusd. Colleague always distracting you? Let them know.
Most digital calendars have reminders on them which go off fifteen minutes before an appointment. If not, your phone will most likely have a reminders feature.
When we aim to be on time, we’ll either be on time or late. This way we’ll often be late.
Aim to be early and we’ll most likely be on time. The benefits this will have on our frame of mind will far outweigh any potential loss of time from arriving early.
We all lead varied lives, some of us busier than others. Some things will work for us, somethings won’t.
MAKING THE JOB WORK
We all want our jobs to be fantastically enjoyable and also to be good at them, however this isn’t always the case. We’ve included some tips below if you ever find yourself struggling a touch with current employment, remember your Rehabilitation Consultant and the Employment Services Team are just a phone call away.
Try and Make the Job Work Is there anything you could be doing differently to make the job work? Could you ask for a transfer or a shift change? Is there anything that would make a difference and convince you to stay?
Work Hard Most employers don’t mind a little time spent on Facebook or texting, but do focus on your job and give your employer the time you’re getting paid for. When it comes to making lay-off decisions, and the company has to choose, your employer will keep the most productive employees. Make sure you’re one of them. If spending too much time on Facebook is your main vice, make it more difficult to visit the website by installing a Facebook blocker in your browser. Both Google Chrome and Apple offer a couple that are highly effective in keeping your Facebook time in check.
Be On Time Employees who are late to work, take a long lunch hour, use up their personal leave allowance, and/or leave early every day aren’t going to win any points with their boss or colleagues. Be on time, instead of making excuses for why you can’t be at work.
Should a personal issue be the cause of your lateness, speak with your boss to explain the situation. Ask if they would allow you to stay late to make up for lost time until you resolve the issue. Most employers will sympathise and be flexible if the matter is serious enough.
Be a Team Player Be the employee who gets along well with everyone, who doesn’t take part in workplace gossip, and who offers to help colleagues. A positive attitude and kindness goes a long way in earning respect and trust from your colleagues. This approach will even lead to your heightened satisfaction and happiness at work.
Be Flexible Flexibility can be a key component of hanging on to your job. When your company needs someone to change shifts, work weekends, put in some overtime, or take on new tasks, consider putting yourself forward if your personal schedule permits.
Don’t Complain Nobody enjoys working with consistent complainers, regardless of how legitimate the complaints are. If you don’t like your job, know that there are plenty of other people who would jump at the chance to get it. One way to stop complaining is to practice gratefulness by saying, “I get” to do something, instead of “I have” to do something. By changing one word, you will begin to start to see the glass as half full! There are some cases when it does make sense to speak up. If for example, you are being discriminated against or harassed by a co-worker, then it is important that you have a meeting with someone from HR, your team leader or your Incite Solutions Group Rehabilitation consultant if you feel particularly unsure.
Offer to Help One of the best ways to get (or keep) job security is to volunteer for new initiatives, to offer to help with projects, and to take on more responsibility. Doing so will also benefit you – the more you take on tasks outside of your comfort zone, the more you will learn and grow.
Keep Social Media and Work Separate Even if you don’t what you are doing at this moment in time, keep it to yourself or your trustworthy family and friends. Don’t post your discontent on social media, because chances are, the wrong person will see it. That, in and of itself, can cost you your job.
Be Positive A positive attitude is very contagious and a key component to keeping your job long-term. Something as simple as having a post-it note on your desk with the quote, “Cheerfulness is a choice” or a quote you find uplifting can help. Maintaining a positive attitude, even through tough times, will make your life and the lives of your colleagues much easier. If you feel stuck in a negative rut, make simple changes to your daily routine to become more positive.
Resilience is key Maybe it’s not your favorite job. Maybe you’d rather be doing something else. However, it is a paycheck and if you need the income, it can make sense to stay until you secure a new position. Remember you do not have to work in this position forever, see it as a stepping stone to something greater.
When All Else Fails When keeping your job simply isn’t feasible, and it isn’t always, take the time to prepare to job search and plan your departure. That way, you’re not scrambling to find a job because your job ended abruptly. Be sure you have secured a job before quitting, if you can. In fact, research shows that it’s much easier to find a job when you are employed.