Employees and employers have incentives for encouraging you to improve job performance, but the task may not always be easy. The first step is to analyze your daily habits and determine which ones are working against you rather than in your favor. You may need to think about time wasters, tasks that can be delegated, low productivity times throughout the day, and ineffective communication methods if you want to improve job performance in a meaningful way. Discussing the matter with a coworker or manager may be a good idea too, as these people may be able to help you identify problem areas as well as ways to fix them.
Communication skills are perhaps the most important skills needed to improve job performance. Not everyone is a natural communicator, and you may not have the tools to effectively communicate ideas and needs to coworkers and other employees. If you want to improve job performance in this area, consider taking a community college course on communication skills. If none are offered in your area, think about how you can be a better communicator; start by improving your listening techniques. An active listener is one who takes notes either mentally or on paper when someone is speaking so he or she can make the best and most accurate response.
Learn to delegate responsibilities and eliminate those tasks that are unnecessary. Many people write to-do lists, and most of the items on that list are non-essential tasks. Eliminate those tasks entirely, or delegate them to other people who can take care of them more quickly and efficiently than you can. Cutting down your work load will allow you to improve job performance by focusing more on important tasks; you will also be able to dedicate more time to important tasks that deserve it.
Take note of your most and least productive times during the day. Many people tend to slow down and feel tired in the mid-afternoon, and they are less likely to be productive during this time. Consider tackling difficult tasks first thing in the morning when your mind is fresh, and save simpler tasks that require less concentration for the afternoon. If your most productive time is during the afternoon, of course, simply switch this strategy around to accommodate your personal strengths and weaknesses. During low productivity times, try to do low-stress tasks that will not require you to communicate with others or make important decisions.
