It can be difficult to think beyond the bounds of your everyday duties on the job, but there is a huge benefit to setting and executing personal development goals with regard to work. The more you invest in yourself as a professional, the greater your chances of advancing your career through your newfound skills or knowledge.
What can you do to invest in your personal development? We asked 13 thought leaders to share their best personal development goals for the workplace.
I Give Everyday
I start each day with being mindful to extend myself by interacting with a stranger each day. Whether it is smiling, saying hello when I pass someone one the street or in an elevator, I often create conversation with people I don’t know. It could be a small gesture of holding the door open for another person, giving an honest compliment, or to have a little chat as I wait in line to pay for my coffee. Somehow this habit sets a positive tone for an enjoyable day.
LT Ladino Bryson, vCandidates.com
Make a Difference
I aim to do work that makes a difference in the lives of others as well as makes me proud of my efforts. Completing everyday tasks with a strong sense of connection allows me to focus better and work harder.
Zack McCarty, Qwick
Tackle Public Speaking
Considering that public speaking continues to be the number one fear among Americans, improving this skill is a great goal for every professional to have. Because it is often done so poorly, it is an easy place to shine if done correctly. This will instill confidence in any individual that makes more effective public speaking a personal and professional goal.
Ryan Nouis, TruPath
Improve Active Listening Skills
A personal goal I have is to always improve my active listening skills. An active listener takes time to process what they have heard and consider it carefully before giving a response. This in turn helps me become a better communicator and makes for smoother, more productive conversations with coworkers.
Denise Gredler, Best Companies Arizona
Stop and Observe More
It is so easy to get lost in your work and your specific duties, but a goal for myself is to stop and observe more. There are other departments who are doing amazing work and oftentimes I get so caught up in my work that I forget to acknowledge and celebrate the work of those around me. I think when you can genuinely appreciate the work around you, it makes you want to contribute to the bigger picture that much more.
Emily Bosak, Staffing Agency SEO
Learning Independence Over Time
Independency is my personal development goal. When you begin working on anything for the first time, you have to rely on experts, mentors, and supervisors. As time goes by, you should be more and more independent of what you do. Of course, mentors and experts may still help you but you shouldn’t come to them with every single question. This independence also visualizes in the form of being able to support others. In the beginning, you’re the one that needs help. Now, it’s you who can help.
Jakub Kliszczak, Channels
Sales and Writing Improvement
My personal development goals right now all involve writing and sales. I would like to get better at writing blogs, guest articles, and sales copy. I’m in the middle of a few books from round two of four I was told to read and will be halfway to my goal as soon as I finish these two books. Communication is the ultimate goal here and these books and topics will help me get better overall with communication in the workplace.
Ben Walker, Transcription Outsourcing, LLC
Growing the Email List
One personal development goal I have for myself is to double the size of my business email list. In order to do this, I will have to become a better marketer and help more people in my field. This goal will have a domino effect on my entire business because if I can reach and help more people, the business growth will come naturally.
James Pollard, The Advisor Coach LLC
Developing Yourself
I’ve been working on learning. How to be more effective as a student – both in the traditional sense of consuming content and at being coached. I’ve spent much of my career developing others, now taking the time to sit in that chair is very important for me to be able to continually improve in my own domain.
Nicole Spracale, Coaching & Consulting
Create Something Bigger Than Yourself
The tool in which I’m using for this is my website. Each week, I show up multiple times to create content that’ll help people solve daily problems they may be facing in their business lives. Each time someone’s question is answered – I’m slowly doing my part to enhance other people’s lives. My goal is to create the largest online sales training resource worldwide.
Khabeer Rockley, The 5% Institute
Improving Communication
My personal development goal at work is to become better at communication with the people that work for me. I want to become more empathetic and a better listener so I can lead my team more effectively and find out the challenges they face every day at work.
Jane Kovalkova, Chanty
Get Better Every Day
I think of work as a wonderful playground to up my personal qualities. Negotiating, persuading, prioritizing, delegating and making tough decisions are just some of the personal qualities I improve every day at work. I do think that they are valuable ones even in my every day-to-day. What I am looking to achieve through work? Get 1% better every day – that way by the end of the year, you are 365% better than when it started.
Snezhina Piskova, Oliver Wicks
Taking a Step Back
I think it’s always important to strive to perfect your trade. While perfection is unattainable, it is the continuous act of learning that helps you attain specific goals. Personally, I want to write more blog posts that increase traffic, drive awareness, and thought leadership. As a manager, I wear a lot of different hats when it comes to managing my team, but I also have to remember that just because I am a manager, doesn’t mean I can’t take a step back and write for both myself and my company. I am a writer at heart and that is what I enjoy most. I am working to manage effectively, but also enjoy and develop myself as a writer both in my personal life and for GreenRope.
Alessandra Gyben, GreenRope