Three Ways to Improve your Personal Effectiveness
Three ways to improve your personal effectiveness
You may be thinking about how you might be able to improve your personal effectiveness.
Your personal effectiveness is a measure of your ability to make rapid progress towards your own goals or the goals that have been assigned to you.
If John is working hard, but he is not making rapid progress towards his stated goals then we can safely say that John does not have a high degree of personal effectiveness.
On the other hand, if John is working steadily, and at the same time, is making rapid progress towards his stated goals, then we can say that John is personally effective.
Personal effectiveness includes the following subset elements:
- Knowledge
- Skill
- Self-discipline
1. Personal effectiveness requires more knowledge
It is said that knowledge is power.
That is true, but only if that knowledge is specialised knowledge.
Specialised knowledge that is organised and then put to work towards the attainment of a valuable, long range goal, is power.
That is what the phrase really means.
Your personal power is enhanced by gaining additional specialised knowledge that you then organise and put to work towards the attainment of your valuable, long range goal.
So my first recommendation to you is this: In order to improve your personal effectiveness: study, read and learn more about the technical aspects of your profession.
Read. Study. And learn.
2. Personal effectiveness requires more skill
Skill may be defined, in our context as: the proper application of knowledge.
Knowledge is not enough!
You have to be able to DO, what you know.
Skill is the application of knowledge.
Skills development is based on the following three principles.
- Practice
- Perfect and
- Repeat
For example, I am currently learning to play, "The heart will go on": (The theme to Titanic), on the guitar.
It is true that I do know that piece of music, meaning, I intellectually understand it.
But understanding the music score is NOT the same as being able to play it.
Developing the skill of being able to play the same piece of music, at the right speed, without too many errors or omissions, takes hour, upon hour of practice.
Skill development requires practice, practice, practice.
And not just mindless practice, but thoughtful practice, when you are trying to improve the quality, speed and spirit of the performance.
This is the act of taking knowledge and turning it into skill.
My second recommendation is this.
Practice, perfect and repeat:
- Practice your knowledge.
- Perfect your performance.
- Repeat it again and again until your knowledge becomes a semi-automatic response.
3. Personal effectiveness requires self-discipline
In order to engage in the act of studying and skills acquisition, you will almost certainly, need to practice on days that you don't really feel like practicing.
You will almost certainly need to study at times that you don't really feel like studying.
And at those times, you will be faced with the choice:
To be, or not to be. That is the question.
To be studying and practising when I don't feel like it, or not to be. That is the question.
- NON effective people don't work, when they are not in the mood.
- Effective people will work, even when they are not in the mood.
A gold medallist contender IS a gold medallist contender only because you can see her, out on the track practising and perfecting her skills, and repeating them over and over, and learning. And she is doing all this in the rain, on a day that she would rather be at home, watching TV.
A NON effective person thought about training today, but said, "I can't go training today. It's raining." And there is some good sport on TV today. I'll watch that instead and get inspired!"
Personal effectiveness requires that you develop self-discipline.
Self discipline may be defined as the ability to make yourself do what you need to do, even when you don't feel like it.
If you do only those things, for which you are in the mood, then, you will never actualise your full potential.
If John only does those things, for which he is in the mood, then, he will never actualise his full potential. And if John never actualizes his full potential, then he will lose in the race to the person who did.
My third recommendation is:
Develop your capacity to make yourself do what you need to do, even at the times, when you don't feel like it.
Develop your self-discipline.
Summary
Your personal effectiveness is a measure of your ability to make rapid progress towards your own goals or the goals that have been assigned to you.
Three ways to develop your personal effectiveness:
- Study, read and learn more about the technical aspects of your profession.
- Practice, perfect and repeat.
- Develop your capacity to make yourself do what you need to do, even at the times, when you don't feel like it.
FREE Training Needs Analysis!
In order to get the best from your training, you need to discover your relative strengths and weaknesses. Take our FREE training needs analysis questionnaire now and get a report in less than five minutes!
Definition: personal effectiveness
Personal effectiveness is your ability to move quickly towards any set goal. You show it only when you: 1) make clear, rapid progress on chosen or given aims; 2) organise and use specialised knowledge, not just hold it; 3) turn that knowledge into strong skill through steady practice; and 4) keep working through self-discipline even when you feel flat.
Show CG4D Definition
- Delivers rapid progress towards stated goals
- Applies organised specialised knowledge in action
- Transforms knowledge into skill through deliberate practice
- Is sustained by self-discipline regardless of mood
Article Summary
Personal effectiveness grows when you study to gain specialised knowledge, practise until that knowledge becomes reliable skill, and push yourself with firm self-discipline on the days you feel flat; follow this loop and you reach goals faster with less wasted effort.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions that frequently get asked about this topic during our training sessions.
What is personal effectiveness in simple terms?
How does specialised knowledge boost personal effectiveness?
Is knowledge alone enough to improve productivity?
What is the practice-perfect-repeat cycle?
How can I turn new knowledge into skill quickly?
Why is self-discipline vital for personal effectiveness?
How do I work when I am not in the mood?
Thought of something that's not been answered? Ask Us Today!
Did You Know: Key Statistics
The 2024 LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report states that 68% of firms rank upskilling as their top people plan, up from 59% in 2021. A 2023 McKinsey Global Survey finds that teams who set clear weekly goals show 40% higher output than teams who review goals less than once a month.About the Author: Chris Farmer
Chris Farmer is the founder of the Corporate Coach Group and has many years' experience in training leaders and managers, in both the public and private sectors, to achieve their organisational goals, especially during tough economic times. He is also well aware of the disciplines and problems associated with running a business.
Over the years, Chris has designed and delivered thousands of training programmes and has coached and motivated many management teams, groups and individuals. His training programmes are both structured and clear, designed to help delegates organise their thinking and, wherever necessary, to improve their techniques and skills.
Blogs by Email
Do you want to receive an email whenever we post a new blog? The blogs contain article 5-10 minutes long - ideal for reading during your coffee break!
Further Reading in Personal Development
-
How to Build More Self-Esteem
Learn how to improve self esteem: set fair goals, master a skill, dress sharp and praise yourself in private to boost lasting confidence without arrogance.
Read Article > -
How Introverts Can Make Their Voices Heard
Learn how introverts speak up at work with positive self talk, meeting prep, confident voice tones and clear body language. Boost confidence and share ideas.
Read Article > -
Why Some People Are More Successful Than Others
Discover four traits all successful people share: clear goals, detailed plans, strong motivation and constant feedback. Apply them to boost your success.
Read Article > -
Is Being Open Minded a Good Thing?
Learn smart open mindedness: filter ideas with critical thinking, ignore unsupported claims, and use your limited time on evidence-based voices that add value.
Read Article > -
How to Improve Yourself
Learn a seven step personal development plan that sharpens skills, lifts energy, builds self belief, improves communication and wins the willing help of others.
Read Article >
Looking for Personal Development Training?
If you're looking to develop your Personal Development Skills, you may find this Personal Development Training Course beneficial:
Open Training Course Pricing and Availability
Next Open Course Starts in 17 days, Birmingham, places available