Most of us are so busy running just to stand still at work that we rarely have any time to stand back and have a look at whether we’re really doing things in the most effective way.

But taking stock of our methods and the results they achieve every so often is a vital part of improving performance.

So where do you start?

Every time you finish a project, report or letter, it’s worth setting aside a little time to think about what you have done and what you could do next time to make the whole exercise go more smoothly.

For example, at the end of a meeting, how often do you take some time out to ask yourself: “How did that meeting go? Could I have got a different result if I’d tried a different approach?”

It may sound trivial but doing that can help you to understand how your peers, managers, staff, and – most importantly – your customers experience contact with you. Getting other people’s feedback is even more valuable. One way of doing this is to schedule five minutes at the end of each meeting to reflect with colleagues on what you’ve achieved and what you will do differently next time. For good teams, this will be a regular item on the agenda.

You should also make sure your manager is giving you regular feedback, and don’t be afraid to ask your colleagues for advice about areas where you think you could improve.

If you frequently clash with tenants, try talking to a colleague who’s good with tenants to see what they do differently. You could even consider taking a colleague with you to your next tenant meeting in order to give you feedback on your technique.

It may be uncomfortable to hear about areas in which you could do better, but unless you know, you can’t do anything about them. A spot of self-analysis can work wonders at increasing efficiency – and even lessening your workload in the long run.

Source

Housing Today

Postscript

Martin Horton is a leadership expert and director of services at improvement and development agency IDeA North and Midlands