Ten things all professionals should master in 2017

New Year, New You, right? Many apply this mantra to their personal life, but we also believe it could be applied to your professional life too. So we’ve provided you with some solid and achievable goals that should be on your list to master throughout 2017, to make it the best year yet for your professional development.

1. Daily Creativity

It can be easy to lose your creative sparkle once your daily workload begins to build. Many begin to push their blogs to one side, give up on writing that book or pop their paintbrush down for a little longer than they should. However, having a daily time slot where you can unleash your inner creativity will help clear your head, putting you in a better frame of mind for the day. You never know, you may also create something wonderful. Only time will tell.

2. Design Skills

A picture can often speak a thousand words, and in this ever growing visual world having the knowledge on how to create simple designs and images will make your life a lot easier. Even if you only master the basics on how to tweak or pull together small designs this year, it will put you in great stead for the coming years also. Why not get started and learn the basics in under 25 minutes?

3. Excel

Regardless of the type of environment, you work in; there’s no denying that a good working knowledge of Excel will make it easier. From keeping track of your finances to creating daily reports, having in-depth knowledge of Excel is a vital tool that every professional should master.  To help you get started, take a look at this article.

4. Hiring

Having the right team around you can make or break for many professionals, and one thing that is vital to master is hiring the right candidate. While many enlist specialist teams’ help with the recruitment process, knowing how to correctly hire for yourself is the best way to ensure you will be left with the best team. Knowing what you require from a candidate and picturing how they’ll fit within your team is essential for employee retention and general peace of working within your business.

5. Measure Success

Success is different for each professional, but having a clear vision of what you class as success and how you would measure it is extremely important. Take some time to consider what you would class as professional success, and look at a variety of ways you could measure it. Once you feel comfortable with one form of measurement, stick with it. A clear measuring tool will give you a great indication of the direction in which you’re heading.

6. Listening

Whether it’s taking on board feedback you’ve been given, factoring in changes in your chosen career or even just making a note of advice from family and friends. Set aside your emotional responses and take a step back to really absorb information from others in your life. Listening is an important part of communication, and often one of the toughest things to master.

7. Skill Sharing

Not only is skill sharing a way to help you develop professionally, but it also helps other people grow. Many of the skills we’ve learned and developed have been honed through the help of others, and being able to share skill sets and learn from others is a key cornerstone for professional success. Co-working is a great way to share skills in a relaxed and comfortable environment.

8. Time Management

With lives getting busier and work demands growing, it can often feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day. Not only should you be working on ensuring all work is complete promptly, you should also focus on ensuring your work/life balance is equal. Remember, if you have a dedicated desk with Us&Co you have access to your space 24/7, allowing you to plan your days perfectly.

9. Keyboard Shortcuts

Many of us depend on our computers for our day to day lives, not to mention to thrive in our chosen business areas. Learning a handful of keyboard shortcuts will not only make your life easier but also help you amaze at your next board meeting. Here are some to get you sorted.

10. Saying No

When you’re your own boss, it can often feel like saying no is a big faux pas and that you should be grabbing every opportunity that comes your way with both hands. However, saying yes too often can cause more problems than it will solve. Learning to say no occasionally will help ensure that you can manage your time better and help you focus on the items that truly matter.

Tackling each of these steps throughout the year will leave you ringing in 2018 ready to tackle anything the year has to throw at you.