When I am hired to speak to a company or association, I typically talk ahead of time to six to eight people who will be in the audience to get a better sense of the group. I ask them a series of questions about creative selling, teamwork, negotiations, how they get close to their customers and so on. Then I surprise them and ask what they do to get better at their jobs.Over the years, some of the typical answers I’ve received include: going back to school to learn new skills or get another degree, joining trade organizations and attending events, networking, listening to speakers, reading everything they can get their hands on, being more available, working harder and smarter, improving people skills and many more.
These are all great ideas, but I’d like to add to the list and share some of my ideas:
Improve your time management. Most people fail because they let time manage them. Time becomes a crook. Often it’s the people who make the worst use of their time who complain there is never enough of it.
Get organized. This will not only improve your productivity, but it will streamline your life, lower your stress and save you money. The Wall Street Journal reported that the average U.S. executive wastes six weeks per year retrieving misplaced information from messy desks and files. (I’m still working on this.)
Read more: Harvey Mackay: Getting better at your job
