Not Performing to Your Potential? Maybe It’s Time for Some Self-Reflection

It’s important that we take the time to look ourselves in the mirror and evaluate how we’re performing.

We need to ask ourselves how we are measuring up against our employers objectives, against our personal goals and whether or not we are still on track for long term professional success.

What if you look in the mirror and you don’t’ like what you see?  Maybe you’re not performing to your potential, or you’re not sure that you’ve taken the right path.

Follow these steps to get yourself back on course.

Ask yourself the right questions

• Are there aspects of your job that you just KNOW should be easier?
• Do you find yourself doing the work and still questioning the results?
• Are you spending time on details that don’t move the needle?
• How would you spend your time if the pesky details were handled more efficiently?

Stop being a victim

Of course there are flawed processes and circumstances.  Everyone faces them in some form or another.  The opportunity is to rise above and seek out a solution that is feasible.  Once we get past the frustration of why things are broken, we can often find a way forward.

What if your flawed circumstance is lack of funding?

Then I challenge you to think differently.  Remember the question from above “How would you spend your time differently?”  Use the answer to that question as motivation.  It might be hard to justify funds for training for the sake of improving yourself professionally.  But if investing in training meant you could dedicate 50% of your time to a meaningful activity that is currently being overlooked, suddenly the investment doesn’t seem so extravagant.

Set a new goal

Decide when you want to start spending time on that other meaningful project.  What do you need in order to achieve that will free up the time required?  Training, consulting, data clean-up?  Secure funding from leadership based on your commitment to take on additional responsibilities.  Get training scheduled and push toward the new goal.  Keep leadership informed and track your progress.  Once you discover the power of self-assessment AND taking action, you’ll want to keep it up!!  It’s best to detail success now in anticipation of your next date with the mirror.

Start Now

Take this short 7 question quiz to uncover how efficient you are in using The Raiser’s Edge.  You may discover there are opportunities to save considerable time and improve the quality of your results.  If you discover there is opportunity, Blackbaud is here to provide the resources you need.  At the end of the quiz you’ll receive a coupon code for one free class to put you on the road to success.