Tag Archives: tips

How to improve collaboration in work teams

Collaboration can be a way to innovate and promote positive change. It can also boost productivity and efficiency.  When this happens, we improve our work relationships because we build a higher level of trust within our teams.  At Optimus Steel we want to create the type of environment where collaboration leads to success, which leads to higher performing teams and this positive cycle can repeat itself for continuous achievements.

Communication is a value

Communication is an essential tool in work teams, but we must also learn to understand it as a value. Communication and collaboration must be promoted and information must be shared in order to foster improved relationships, so that we can all better understand work processes and projects.

Being clear is essential, and for this we must learn to listen. We suggest you read our other blog article in which you will learn more about the advantages of active listening. 

Focus on your mission … and others

Everyone on the team must take care to fulfill their functions and achieve their goals.  However, to the extent that you can be mindful of your tasks as well as those of others, and in areas outside of yours, you will be more effective for the wider enterprise.

Thinking in terms of common goals is more useful than thinking only of your personal or department goals, because you may fail to take into account how these may or may not affect other areas.

All team members must be aware of common goals and understand that there should not be destructive inside competition, but rather an environment of building together.

Encourage openness and trust

Trust and collaboration go hand in hand: it is important that we all feel taken into account, listened to, and immersed in an environment where innovation, participation and joint efforts are welcome.

There may be differences, it is not about everyone agreeing all the time, but rather about one being able to communicate differences in a calm, sincere way, and without anyone feeling affected or offended in their work.

Tips for Boosting Leadership at Work

Tips for Boosting Leadership at Work

Leadership is an essential quality in all professionals; it is not an exclusive skill for managerial positions, and  is applicable to any position regardless of  place in the organizational chart.Leadership is not about commanding or controlling, but rather about inspiring performance from any place we may find ourselves in.

In the workplace, leadership is intended to help us be the best version of ourselves, by harnessing our talents and encouraging us to empathize with those of others.

Ways you can improve your personal leadership skills in the company

Learn to look at your mistakes as areas of opportunity

When we fail to acknowledge our mistakes, we create bad habits; these may range from stubbornly and personally denying our mistakes, blaming others for them, and even hiding them. All of this damages the work environment.

Accepting our mistakes is the wise thing to do. Although nobody likes to be criticized, we must learn to assimilate this information so that we can benefit from it, which will then translate into a friendlier work environment.

Plan and work in a disciplined way

An essential quality in leaders is decision-making power, but so is being able to plan and make those decisions intelligently. All this requires planning and resource management.

Learn to make the best of your time by scheduling activities, deliverables, and tasks, so that you can be certain they will be fulfilled in a timely manner. This will also help you be ahead of possible delays or incidents, so that you can also respond quickly  to  events by readjusting the original plan.

Develop a team growth mindset

The development of a leader does not depend  on themselves, but also their team growing together: when someone learns something new, overcomes a challenge, or innovates, the whole team advances.

Hence, a mindset of growth in union with empathy must be shared between all parties, so that everyone feels included. One way to achieve this is through active listening; learn more about it in this other article on our blog. 

Focus on the positive 

Applying positive thinking in your life drives away stress, and will make relationships consistently favorable. It is important to create environments of motivation, empathy, camaraderie, and then trust is created.
Celebrating small achievements, open communication,  and transparency are ways to align ourselves with positive thinking, away from defeatist thoughts, uncomfortable criticism, and negative work relationships.

active listening

Active Listening: Techniques and Examples to Practice it At Work

Active listening is much more than just listening; it is defined as a communication strategy that puts empathy into practice.  In addition to paying attention to what the person is telling us, it also involves paying attention to their emotions, ideas, and thoughts that underlie the main message. The listener should demonstrate that they have understood what the other wants to share.

Active listening is put into practice by paying attention to the message before taking action. Sometimes when we are told something, we react too quickly.: instead of paying close attention to them, we focus our attention on our response..

How to put active listening into practice at the workplace:

  • It is essential  the  person feels listened to, cared for and free to express themselves. A conscious effort on your part is required to pay attention.
  • It is not about pretending to be attentive or interested, it is about really allowing ourselves to listen to the other, giving them space.
  • Active listening is about building a sense of trust, closeness and being safe.
  • Learn to interpret non-verbal language  such as body language.
  • Active listening avoids automatic responses and making judgments, and it is not about pretending to be a psychologist for others – it does not imply or seek to give advice.
  • When we listen to the other person, we may not like what they are telling us; however, active listening is about allowing them to express themselves without feeling judged. Reproaches should also be avoided.
  • It is essential not to interrupt the other person; questions should  help them express themselves  to a greater extent.
  • You may repeat or paraphrase the other person’s ideas so that they know that you  understand them.  do not change the nuance of what was said or use it to try and read between the lines.
  • Assume a physical posture that lets the other know that you are willing to listen.

Why should we practice active listening at the workplace?

Here are some of the benefits of active listening in the workplace:

  • Improves communication in work teams , in addition to taking into account the emotional and human side of professional relationships.
  • Allows establishing relationships of trust in the work team.
  • Prevents misunderstandings.
  • Motivates others by making them feel heard.
  • Allows everyone to participate in continuous improvement.
How to manage pending work

Tips to Manage Your Pending Work

It is not uncommon for work to accumulate and then it becomes  an endless list of pending tasks. It is worlds apart from getting done with your daily workload and feeling productive. Procrastinating allows projects to pile up and you feel like the to-do list only gets bigger..

This can become  a problem when larger processes or tasks begin to be delayed, or when other teammates or collaborators cannot complete their own tasks in a timely manner, thus affecting various parts of the work structure.

Here are some tips and ideas that will help you finish your pending work and be more productive.

How to get done with your pending work list

Prioritize tasks and solve the most difficult ones first

It is essential to prioritize the list of pending tasks and establish which ones require the most immediate attention. Try to dedicate your first working hours to these tasks and avoid procrastinating.

Accept your abilities and face challenges

Sometimes, we avoid tackling difficult tasks we believe “this is not the right time”, or perhaps those that are too complicated, or that require a learning process.  At other times, the opposite happens: certain tasks seem so simple that we simply forget about them, since they do not require our immediate attention.

Addressing these tasks as small or big challenges can make a great difference when it comes to forgetting a pending task or not.

Say no to multitasking

Some people mix the idea of ​​being highly productive with multitasking. Contrary to popular belief, addressing several tasks at the same time does not make processes easier or faster; in fact, it delays them and is not effective.

Perform one task at a time and always try to finish it before starting another, that way the workload will be managed effectively.

Avoid unnecessary social distractions

If you’re on task, it’s best to stay away from your phone’s notifications, from replying to work conversations, or other distractions. Turn off or put away your phone, and choose a different time to check messages that would otherwise delay you.

Learn to take breaks

You can take breaks during your working day; these should be short and allow you to disconnect for about 5 minutes. These are not 5 minutes so you can check your social networks, but to relax, to take a moment for yourself, and to be able to focus again on your work.