The first few months are the perfect time to make some new year resolutions and career goals for the year ahead. According to Workplace Learning Report 2018 by LinkedIn, 57% of senior leaders say that personal, social and communication skills are more important than technical skills.  Maybe you’re satisfied with your current position, but want to improve the way you work, or develop new skills?

If you can apply creative thinking to work, you can achieve outstanding results that go beyond your imagination. There are two main ways that creativity is absolutely needed in the workplace: Creative thinking and creative problem-solving.

A study by cognitive psychologist Lorenza Colzato and Dominique Lippelt at Leiden University, published in Mindfulness show that meditation can promote creative thinking. “We need rest and space. Slow down and be meditative, lay in bed for five minutes and let your mind go. Make space for thoughts that aren’t linear.” career coach Kathy Caprino suggests.

Whether you're trying to convince co-workers to choose your idea or settle a new deal with your supplier, persuasion is a vital tactic to get ahead. Employers especially value persuasive skills because they impact so many aspects of the workplace resulting in increased productivity. Persuasion skills can be learned just like any others, and they are a key part of being able to influence others to achieve your goals and objectives.

According to Dorie Clark, author of “Entrepreneurial You” to be persuasive, individuals must establish themselves as credible and communicate with authority. It helps to first consider the situation from the other person’s perspective first and discover what they might want to get out of the interaction.

In any company, most of the works are done through a process involving many people. Effective collaboration is achieved when the results of the team’s efforts are greater than those which individual members could achieve on their own. Departments that have the necessary skills to collaborate effectively outperform those which don’t.

The best way to collaborate with others is to show them that it’s in your best interest to help. And for the best result come with the fastest time, assign tasks clearly so that no one repeats work and steps on others’ toes.

“It is not the strongest of species that survive, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the most adaptable to change.” — Charles Darwin

It’s even more important today because the world is changing at the fastest rate it has ever changed. And it’s only going to change even faster. How can you prepare for this? Do things out of your comfort zone. Learning new things that will help you grow professionally or personally on your own time. Be prepared for whatever life throws your way

“A timeless skill, mastering time management today will serve you the rest of your career.” - The Skills Companies Need Most in 2019 – And How to Learn Them by LinkedIn

Time management is a skill that takes time to develop and is different for each person. The trick is to organize your tasks and use your time effectively to get more things done each day. This can help you to lower the stress level and do better at the workplace.

A to-do list, a calendar and a notebook should help you structure your day effectively and help you keep track of what you’re doing like your weekly events, meetings or scheduled interviews. Make yourself a habit of using these things and you can access important information easily without having to memorize word by word all the time.

 

This year, you might change your career path, get your dream job, or plan to achieve a promotion. Taking time to invest in yourself is one of the best things you can do for your career and make this year your most successful career year yet!