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Being a productive Consultant and enjoying it!

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Are you one of those ‘New year, new you?’ people? Whether or not you made new years’ resolutions it’s hard to avoid the fresh start feeling that floats around throughout January. We’re split on the value of resolutions in our office but one thing we all agree on is the importance of healthy work habits. I’m a fan of making one critical change that will deliver real ROI and focusing on that; too many resolutions are breakable because they encompass so many things. At the moment my change is breakfast – making that healthier. Here’s a roundup of the ways that the Adam team make sure they stay productive and focused, even in the face of difficult days.

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Goals

 

The best way to start your year is to make sure you know what you are working for. It’s essential for success in any career and for your personal wellbeing. Being part of something bigger than just landing a fee is a key driver for all of us. This year really take the time to set your goals around something you want to achieve, both short and long term. When you’ve done that, ask yourself why they are important to you. What will you feel like when you’ve achieved these goals and ambitions? Have you discussed them with anyone else – your partner, family and even your manager at work? It’s critical to get the buy in of those closest to you to get their support, but it will also add to your motivation – you’re not just in this for yourself!

How much does your manager invest in you achieving your personal goals and ambitions? Does the business you work for align with the things that matter to you? Are you able to achieve those goals how things are right now or do you need to make some changes? These are all great questions to be asking yourself. If they do align and your manager is involved, then perfect! Here’s to achieving all our goals in 2017! If not though, what can you change so that you feel part of something or achieve the things that you want to achieve?

Plan, plan, plan!

 

Once you’ve got the destination you need to plan your journey. Identifying a clear path to achieve your goals will help you hone in on the development areas that, once improved, will enable you to thrive. Communicating these goals with the right people should (and will) give you the help that you need to bring your goals and ambitions to life. Blanket KPI’s across the whole business are the exact opposite to this; you’ll need a bespoke plan taking you towards your goals and ambitions. Your manager can help you with a structured plan to keep you motivated and on the right track.

Get to the gym

 

I’m a firm believer that a healthy body is a healthy mind. Find something that you love doing, that you enjoy and then keep doing it. I find that working out before work perks me up and means I’m energized from the minute I walk into the office. Others prefer going over their lunch hour; it helps break their day up and they return to the office refreshed and ready to go. The lunch time gym sessions have very much become a team thing here at Adam, going to the same classes and keeping each other motivated. Even this blog idea was conceived on a lunchtime jog up to the Manchester Velodrome! There’s loads of merit in a post-work session too, helping to unwind and forget about the day’s tribulations. Lots of the team that aren’t early birds love a post work work-out.

Or break up your day

 

Not everyone is a gym bunny but it’s still important to get out of the office at your lunch time. A lunch break is just that; a break. Of course, there are always times we need to be at our desk, but make sure that you get out of the office to refresh and take your mind of the days’ stresses – even half an hour’s downtime is essential to give your mind a rest and get your creative juices flowing. You’ll be surprised at how much of a fresh perspective it’ll give you when you get back.

Family time

 

It’s critical to spend time with those closest to you. After all they’re often the reason why we work hard and long hours! But what’s the point if you can’t spend time with them? We’re a ‘work smart’ culture but sometimes working out of standard office hours is unavoidable. You can always save the admin until later that night or book that candidate call for the evening. Making sure you take the time to help the kids with their homework, have a family meal and put them to bed gives you balance. You can always pick up with the perfect candidate a little later in the evening. Recruitment is a hard job with its long hours and more often that than not there’s a reason it’s office based – you can’t build a team or a healthy culture if everyone is working remotely – but it’s quite often unnecessarily restrictive. Why can’t you be speaking to that candidate from home or writing a job advert in front of the TV with a glass of wine?

Take ‘You’ time

 

I’d encourage everyone to take time out to relax, whether that’s a beach holiday, hiking in The Lakes or a spa weekend. Having something booked in for your upcoming downtime is important and will keep you motivated. I’m lucky that we have a Vitality healthcare scheme which can get up to 75% off Champneys spa’s that I took advantage of over the Christmas break, much to the joy of my wife!

Network and meet people

 

Recruitment is increasingly about the strength of your relationships within your given specialism. Relationships are made face to face and not over the phone – get out of the office and meet people! You’ll learn more about both the people and your sector, and you’ll undoubtedly enjoy your job more! We’d prefer our consultants are out of the office all day meeting their candidates and clients, getting to know them properly and building meaningful relationships. We certainly don’t want people chained to their desk; so much so that we’ve just teamed up with Freshwalks in Manchester, encouraging people to get out of the office and do our own event in London – Adam & Ale – that brings together the leading folks in their respective fields in a fabulously informal setting.

This list has the potential to be limitless and I could wax lyrical about the things I encourage our staff to do, but ultimately, it’s all about what works for you. Take control, get organized and think about what you want to achieve. The rest, with a bit of work and plenty of R&R in between, will just fall into place.

If you want any advice on any of the above then feel free to get in touch…