Peak Pathway Magazine's Blog : career development forum

  1. Trim Your Task List  We all know how paralyzing   it   can be   to   start a big   project   or tackl e   a crazy to-do list. So don’t overwhelm yourself with a massive   task   list!   Give yourself 3   to   5 important items that you need to accomplish in one day, and   focus on those. If you get them done early, you can always add a few more things to your list, but keeping it manageable will keep you productive — instead of just keeping you busy.  2. Swap Your To-Do List for a Schedule Sit down, look at your available time for the day, and be realistic about what you can get done. Then make a game plan: schedule specific slots of time for each of your important tasks—and be sure to include breaks. By dedicating time and structuring your day, you can take advantage of the   times of day you're naturally more focused and motivated , make tangible progress on important work, and ensure you...

1. Don’t forget the human element You’re not alone on a team. You’re managing the expectations of stakeholders, your boss, and your team. You have to collaborate. There are a lot of tools out there you can use for collaboration to maintain transparency. So how do you do that? You think to yourself, I’m going to run business requirements on what the team needs and how to collaborate. And in the end, you can find yourself presenting a “fantastic” solution to your team, that seemingly comes through with all of the business requirements and it’s free. But then, all of a sudden you run into limitations and your team stops using it. 2. Communication is king You need to learn how to communicate within your team. That’s the biggest thing you have to learn overall for every project’s success. A project manager’s primary function is to communicate and bridge the communication between all the different personalities. A project manager has to be that kind of pilot—to bridge the commu...

1. They Lead:  O bvious...right? Leaders lead. They don’t wait for someone to ask them to take charge because without pausing to think about it, a leader does just that. So if you want to be a leader, then lead...this should go without saying but there are many missed opportunities to lead in our everyday lives. Leaders take the initiative if they see their boss needs extra help instead of waiting to be asked…they introduce themselves to a new employee and show them the ropes...heck, they will borrow some kids and teach them something. Being a good leader means being comfortable leading, so natural born leaders tend to do it whenever and wherever they can. 2. They Make Lists :  Leaders start their morning by making a list of what they need to accomplish that day and they take pride in crossing off those tasks. Smart leaders try to get the biggest chores done first so they don't hang over them...causing them a loss of productivity or added stress. Like Nike famously says,...

Why self-awareness is crucial for leaders Fundamentally, self-awareness is about understanding your own mental state. It’s knowing about yourself: When are you energized? When are you in a bad mood? Where are you strong in, and where are you weak? What are you tendencies, your biases, and your leanings toward? What might your   blindspots   be? This self-knowledge is irreplaceable. Without self-awareness, you can’t make informed decisions. You don’t know if you’re getting in your own way — if a strong irrational personal bias or misguided mental model is shaping your view on things. Self-awareness is also critical as a leader because it means that you can build healthier relationships with your employees. Ben himself admits how his lack of self-awareness kept him from resolving an employee conflict as well as he’d like. He   recalls: How to improve your self-awareness as a leader Assume positive intent. One thing that Ben tries to keep in mind...

  1. Honesty Results form a November 2014 Pew Research Center Survey showed that 84 percent   of the 1,835 respondents considered honesty the most essential personality trait for any leader. Honest leaders inspire not just through words but through actions. They're the kind of leaders who build their teams from the ground up. They understand that effective leadership is built on trust, and that honesty in leadership generates a stronger team dynamic. Honest interactions with employees build the kind of relationships that make success in the workplace attainable for the entire team -- not just the boss. 2. Openness In the world of personality evaluation, openness is one of the   Big Five   dimensions of personality that psychologists use to evaluate individuals. It refers to how open an individual is to new experiences and how imaginative and insightful an individual can be.  In 2014, strength-based leadership deve...

1. Let them grow, even if they grow elsewhere. When Robert Half and Enactus   studied Generation Z, they found that 38 percent of respondents prioritized honesty and integrity above all else in a boss. However, “mentoring ability” came in second at 21 percent. Workers today don’t just want to work for straight shooters: They want to learn from people who are willing to help them grow. Many times, that growth occurs entirely within the context of the company. A leader who helps an employee learn to be a better SaaS marketer has a strong chance of keeping that employee over the long haul. Some employees aspire to grow in directions that don’t match the company’s current vision for the future. However, what they bring to the table is no less valuable and will contribute to the broader skills and culture of the company. Truly authentic leaders assist in that development, too, even if it means an employee will eventually leave. 2. Don’t promote risks while punishing failure...

Start With the Clothes It’s true that first impressions matter, and to create a professional attitude, you must dress accordingly. If your work place is buttoned-up and formal, then follow suit, wearing professional-looking suits, pantsuits, slacks and a jacket or blouse, keeping accessories muted and tasteful. Respectful, Educated Speech An essential part of maintaining a professional demeanor is the language you use and what you discuss. Don’t use slang, curse words or poor grammar Don’t interrupt or talk over others Keep personal biases and prejudice out of workplace conversation Don’t over-share personal information Don’t make crude jokes Don’t spread gossip Don’t tease or make fun of others Maintain a habit of using simple niceties, such as saying, "Please" and "Thank You" and when you can, hold the door open for others, and express gratitude and share credit where credit is due. Do Your Job Well One of the best ways to establish your...

  1. Redefine achievement and accomplishment The idea of deriving self-worth from your 9-to-5 isn’t unreasonable in the slightest: you worked hard to get where you are in your career and you’re proud of every milestone you manage at work. If you’re that person, it’s even more important then that you consider achievements outside of a work context as valuable to your every day. If you’ve tasked yourself with reading a particularly dense book, or promised yourself this would finally be the year you learn to make bread from scratch, realise the value in diversifying your personal skills and that all these things contribute to you growing as a person. Making a new friend is an achievement, as is being there for a long-time friend in a time of need. 2. Start that side hustle A   side hustle isn’t just a way to get out of your current job, it can also be a way to redefine your skills and capabilities outside of your current career context. It doesn’t have to be big (alth...