4 Back to work Questions to ask yourself as a professional.

1. AM I THE LEADER I WANT TO BE?

Leadership is Influence, nothing more, nothing less”, says the world famous leadership coach John C Maxwell. In this instance the right question that to ask is, how much influence do you have in the workplace? Do you make decisions and people automatically follow and support your idea? When you have an idea do people buy into that idea?

A leader knows success does not come from one individual, they know they have to work with people in order to achieve success. Leaders know what they are capable of doing, but they also know what they are not capable of doing, and with that, they work with people with the rights skill to complete the task.

Leadership is not a title it is neither a position, it is influence based on commitment, teamwork and real interpersonal relationships.

Improve your leadership skills in order to improve your influence.

2. WHAT NEW SKILLS WILL I LEARN THIS YEAR?

Staying on top of your game requires a new game plan, new moves, new skills and new ways of doing things. What is in your skill box and what can you improve on?

It might even be time to invest in an entire new box of skills. Learn new technology, get with the latest trends and master it.

Do not be afraid of doing something that scares you.

3. IS MY CAREER ROBOT PROOF?

Your career is a not a one-day game it is long term and because of this we can become like robots. Just doing day in and day out, going to work, going home. Is there still joy and satisfaction in the process of your daily job? Or are you just going to work?

Are you still enjoying the process of working yourself up the ladder of success or challenging the status quo?

When, and yes when, you find yourself in that place, because it is part of the process. Do something you have never done before. Get out of robot mode as soon as you can:

Effects of robot mode:

• It slows you down
• You become stagnant
• You are less productive
• You are losing out on valuable opportunities

Time to turn your game plan around and hit it out of the park again.

4. WHERE IS MY PRODUCTIVITY LEVEL AT ON A SCALE FROM 1-10

By being productive I can get more done in less time, get some good wins under my belt and feel better, as I scratch some of my tasks of my to do list.

That is exactly where you start, that very long to-do list. Cut it in half and identify the most important things. Do them first. Get those big, daunting, important tasks done before lunch and finish the rest later in the day, still finish them.

Use the last portion of your day to plan for the next day and get a head start on tomorrow, you will feel much more recharged having to start work the next day knowing you have a plan.

It is important to assess delays and work them out of your process to illuminate them in future. It will give you more time to look for new opportunities and new business instead of doing damage control.

Now with all of that out of the way, have some fun while you work, engage with other colleagues, build valuable relationships, learn daily from the people in your circle and teach people below you in the organogram. Most of all, ask a lot of questions! 

JDC MERGES PURPOSE & PASSION. WE CREATE A UNIQUE BUSINESS PERSONALITY FOR ALL OUR CLIENTS GIVING THEM POWER AND INFLUENCE WITH THEIR BRAND. THIS HELPS THEM TO EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE THEIR BRAND TO THEIR UNIQUE AUDIENCE.