WorQulture CEO, Joanna shared with us her best hacks on career success, productivity, and life.
Anyone who has worked in the modern workforce will tell you that your worth to a company is ultimately determined by how productive you are in the position to which you have been appointed. In summary, even if you are the sharpest employee, you won’t have a taste of career success if you are not productive.
Managers and everyone else require the skills to go from being just employees to becoming actual productive individuals in the workplace, contributing to the company's overall goals and success. Many businesses engage consultants, and some include it in their HR KPIs, in order to develop working structures and improve productivity. Joanna, the CEO of WorQulture, immersed herself in the world of HR and performance management, attending webinars, reading books, and taking courses that formed her current profession - building performance management systems for companies.
This interest stemmed from her early days as an employee when she discovered herself to be extremely performance-driven and was involved in discussions about designing a performance system for the firm she worked for at the time.
Joanna is no stranger to building career success, productivity, and work-life balance. She is frequently described as being both fun and intensely focused. She presently works as a business system specialist leading the WorQulture group and driving performance structure for businesses in need. "When I looked at the work environment, I noticed that many Nigerian organizations lacked structure; how can I help?" She said. Joanne developed WorQulture to provide that help. WorkQulture is a human resource consulting firm (the umbrella) that helps MSMEs structure their operations, performance management system, recruitment, consultancy, policy development, and implementation - most of our engagements are long-term, which allows us to better understand the business space.
Throughout her professional experience, one distinguishing feature of successful businesses has been rapid expansion and evolution, which results from a synergy of productive personnel and management. Productivity includes not just manual labour but also decisions that result in the success of any firm. To that end, Joanna has built an open environment in which employees feel comfortable trying new ideas and seeking dynamism in both the businesses she works with and her own.
Joanne mentioned Trello and Asana as two of her favourite productivity tools that aid her company's hiring process. Trello acts as a funnel, with certain ATS assisting with the software. Google Keep is another standout tool that she uses for optimal efficiency. She frequently sets reminders to drop everything and take a break in order to balance work and life. Here are some pointers to help you stay productive:-
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Be flexible - Know what works for you and plan your time around it for optimum productivity.
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Understand your work style - Do you prefer working in bed, on the sofa, or in an office chair? Examine your working approach and capitalize on the most effective routine.
Speaking on career success, Joanna believes that it is subjective to what you want to achieve rather than simply climbing the career ladder. There are several job paths you may not have considered, and limiting yourself to one area of work is hardly a true measure of success. Curiosity promotes career success; be prepared to investigate and not be afraid to have a working understanding of every area and position that intersects with your current role. She has worked in a variety of sectors, including finance, construction, advertising, and oil and gas, to name a few - this is a measure of true career success. Don't get stuck in one role, and don't be afraid to explore; you never know what success awaits you.
It might be difficult to prioritize learning when pursuing a career. Joanne has strived to reconcile her own learning with developing a successful business as an advocate of learning, unlearning, and relearning. Fuzu has also been an incredible platform with a significant influence on her learning path.
“Success for me is knowledgable, impact, and money. I want anyone that has worked with me to boast of a well-rounded successful career.” As you strive for a personal career, you must also address undesirable behaviors such as overworking, underworking, procrastination, and stagnancy - you may achieve this by:
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Staying curious - Keep exploring, don’t be afraid to try
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Going above and beyond - Put your best foot forward
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Maintaining work-life balance - Live life outside work and don’t feel bad when it isn’t always 50/50
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Develop self-discipline - Work to make sure you achieve your goals
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Don’t burn bridges - Relationships are important, do your best not to end them on a bad note.
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Stay learning - Learn, Unlearn and Relearn - no knowledge is wasted.
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Time block - Set out time to do things that calm you down, clear your mind, and make you happy.
Need more productivity tips? Here are 7 Things that Can Help You Become 5 Times More Productive at Work
