#Workgoals for the Busy Professional This Year

It’s 2019. You’ve returned to the office with a fresh start, positive outlook, and a clean inbox. You’ve planned out your entire Q1, H1, FY19 and you’re raring to go.

Right?

If that doesn’t sound like you, not to worry, you’re not alone. For the rest of us, I’ve jotted down a few #workgoals that will help make this year your best one yet.

Balance work and life.

Make this the year you finally achieve the elusive work/life balance. Connectivity and collaboration technology have increased our productivity, effectiveness and responsiveness. They allow us to work from anywhere, at any time. But the always-on work culture has blurred the line between work and life. And this comes with some undesirable side effects, like our ability to focus with continuous interruptions, having anxiety over responding quick enough, or the appearance of how hard we work when we are remote. Moreover, our performance can suffer.

“Constant communication can negatively affect our mental performance. Scientists have shown that distractions can lower working memory and IQ. Addiction to information and our devices is also a problem for some and could be leading to a rewiring of our brains.” – The Economist

The good news is that these challenges come with a solution. Collaboration gives us the flexibility to make our own rules for how we work and engage.

Setting boundaries for your digital life is imperative. Recognize that not everything can get done in a day. Know which messages require your immediate attention and which can wait. When you’re with your friends and family, put your phone away and be in the moment. You will have some very busy times throughout the course of the year, so when things are not as busy, aim to achieve balance where ever possible.

Boundaries and expectations go both ways. Think of your coworkers’ boundaries as well. I’ve made this mistake when I sent a quick message to a coworker in Webex Teams during their off-hours. It was a question I had top of mind that didn’t warrant an email. I didn’t expect an immediate response, but I got one … at 10pm their time. I was quick to apologize. Now, when I shoot off a message after business hours, I include “When you’re back in the office tomorrow…” as a preamble so they don’t feel pressured to respond right away.

Be more efficient.

Being efficient means doing more with less. What better way to get organized than to having tools that work together. The new Cisco Webex for Google Calendar Integration allows two of your favorite tools to work together seamlessly. You can schedule a Webex meeting right in your Google Calendar. Why take two steps when you can get something done in just one? The over 760,000 people who have already downloaded the app have the right idea.

Get a mentor. Or become a mentor.

Whether you are mentor or mentee, you can benefit from a collaborative relationship. As a mentee, you’ll increase your knowledge, learn to navigate challenges or opportunities in your career, and gain self-confidence. As a mentor, it’s an opportunity to work on your own leadership skills, like listening, teaching, and relationship building. In cross-generational mentorships, for example, both sides have something to offer, like institutional and industry knowledge from a more senior professional, or tech skills and tips from a digital native.

Make it formal or informal. Your mentor can be your senior or a peer. They may possess a special skill or job role that you’re interested in learning more about. With video conferencing tools like Webex Meetings, you don’t need to be located in the same place. Don’t let geography or time zones keep you from building relationships while gaining expertise, because being remote doesn’t mean you can’t be close.

Try something new.

Adventurous enough for bungee jumping or climbing Mount Everest? Or, perhaps you prefer to start small. If you haven’t seen the new Webex Meetings, spend 10 minutes walking through this Webex Meetings interactive demo. You’ll click through quick scenarios to see how Webex delivers your ideal meeting, makes taking it on the go seamless, and grants you the ability to meet anywhere on your favorite device.

Sign up for the free 30-day trial and see what Webex Meetings can do for you.

What #workgoals do you have this year? Tweet me at @Sarah_Gibb to let me know!