Evaluate Your Work Processes

Your work processes are the habits and routines you’ve developed over your working life that enable you to do your work.  No matter what your area of expertise, every role is reliant on four work processes to be successful.
The first work process is communication.  There are different ways of exchanging information, getting feedback and having discussions. The combination of the tools you use (face to face meetings, phone, email, IM) the amount of time you take and the tone of your approach make up your unique communication style. You can increase your influence and impact or decrease them depending upon the effectiveness of your communication.
The second work process is collaboration. This involves how you work with other people to produce or create something. Do you share openly or keep things to yourself? Do you engage everyone who may be impacted by your work or wait until you are finished? A great resource to improve your collaboration is a book by Morten Hanson.
The next work process is completion.  How do you approach getting your work done? Are you a linear thinker who has a sequential process for getting work completed? Are you a spontaneous thinker who leaves room for input and improvement as you get your work done? Do you procrastinate or do you get tasks completed immediately? The expectations you set and mange as you complete your work matter.
The final work process is camaraderie.  This involves the relationships you make, manage and maintain at work. People remember how you make them feel long after they’ve forgotten what you’ve done.  Gallup has done a lot of research on relationships at work. They’ve concluded that people who have a “best friend at work” are seven times as likely to be engaged in their job. Check out www.vitalfriends.com for more information.
Evaluate your work processes (communication, collaboration, completion and camaraderie) and ask yourself whether they are serving you.
Do your work processes deliver the personal performance you need to fully realize your potential? If not, take steps to update and improve your work processes to maximize your effectiveness.