Discussing the importance of personal development is critical when the boundaries between our personal and professional lives are becoming hazier. Mavie Global work is primarily concerned with teams: how they function, how they perform, and how they hold one another accountable. The importance of individual personal development in business teams and leaders cannot be understated, though, as teamwork is a manifestation of people working together.
Personal development is not taught in business school, or it wasn’t for me. There is a distinction between work and personal life in our culture that is sometimes implicit and other times explicit. The phrases “work-life balance,” “don’t mix business,” “Don’t bring your personal life into the job, “Don’t take work home with you,” and other similar advice is all examples of this.
Both a life at home and a life at work are required of us. However, this is absurd, if not destructive. Separating ourselves from our professional selves is doable but could be better. We must approach ourselves as complete beings and apply our entire selves to our work. Our development is part of this.
Humans constantly evolve, develop, learn, gain new perspectives, and become more fully realized, authentic versions of themselves. It can be purposeful for personal development to occur, although it frequently does not. Nevertheless, whether we are leaders or not, it is in our best interests to make it intentional and in the best interests of our businesses.
There are many ways that personal development can help professional progress, but in this article, Mavie Global will focus on four that stand out in particular.
- Higher Compassion
The human experience is unique in many ways, yet it is common to everyone. Learning more about ourselves helps us understand our leaders, team members, and clients. We consistently provide far better customer service as our compassion grows, which benefits our business outcomes, values, culture, and, eventually, our bottom line.
- Reduction in Reactivity
We’re all prone to acting out occasionally, especially in high-stress situations, when we’re being forced to perform a task we don’t want to or don’t know how to complete, or when we feel like we have too much on our plates. Reacting is natural, but it’s typically not beneficial. Personal growth enables us to become more mindful of our thoughts and behaviors. You may start to realize how you react every time your employer emails you. Or you could retaliate when a coworker doesn’t answer your message promptly.
We frequently point the finger at the external trigger event when we respond. But since we have no control over outside factors, we have no leverage. Our reactivity is something we can manage. Even if we might not be able to stop it, we can still acknowledge it, take a deep breath, and establish our center before reacting. When we successfully control our reactions, Mavie Global believes we can also help our coworkers and direct reports control their reactivity, making the workplace more enjoyable and outcome-focused for everyone.
- Greater Sense of Our Values, Direction, and Clarity
Although everyone enjoys this benefit, leaders particularly benefit from it. How frequently do we start working and climbing the corporate ladder only to realize that we have no real idea why or where we’re going? We are all heavily socialized to pursue particular kinds of success and accomplishments and to uphold particular values by our parents, peers, and society. But are these triumphs, achievements, and ideals ours to pursue?
Personal growth can assist us in identifying what is truly important to us, guiding our decision-making about our professional relationships, our organization’s goals and priorities, and our culture’s future development.
- Leadership Transforms From the Personal to the Organizational
We are more than just workers. We are neighbors, parents, partners, and members of the community. We can choose to be leaders or followers, or even worse, victims of our circumstances, no matter what happens in our personal lives. This involves the capacity for organization, teamwork, inclusive communication, openness, and the guts to act and make changes when called for. Compromise skills, healthy dispute-resolution skills, and the capacity to create an atmosphere of trust and support are all part of leadership. The ability to serve others, acknowledge others, and express thanks for the abundance of good fortune we receive daily is also a requirement for personal leadership.
Whether we are managers or individual contributors managing our careers, our teams, our support of others in our business, or people who support our success, all of these talents are necessary for the workplace. Leadership is the quality of leading a fulfilling life regardless of our situation or scenario, not a professional or personal talent.
How to Make Time for Personal Growth in Your Day
You undoubtedly want to know how to incorporate daily personal growth into your understanding of what it is and what it entails.
Here are two suggestions from Mavie Global for adding personal development to your day. However, there are many more. I suggest writing down any ideas for activities under each category before deciding which ones you can fit into your day or week. Play around with it and try new things.
Weekly Timetable:
Try breaking up the five areas of personal development into themed days if you feel it would be too much to work on them all at once.
Here’s an illustration:
- Mental Exercise on Monday
- Socializing on Tuesday
- Wednesday: Your choice or a combination of them
- Thursday: Emotional exercise
- Friday: Physical Exercise
- Saturday: You get to pick or mix it up.
- Spiritual exercise on Sunday
Active Day:
Try this if your day is full and you need help with how to fit in personal development. Each requires little time or is completed while carrying out an existing strategy.
Mental: While you’re driving to work, listen to a podcast. This is a shameless plug for the GenTwenty podcast, full of quick but insightful and motivating conversations.
Social: Why not invite a coworker or friend to join you for lunch instead of taking a solo break? Practice listening attentively while eating lunch. You can apply some excellent advice from positive psychology.
Spiritual: Before getting ready for work, start your day with a brief devotional or five minutes of meditation.
Journaling is a good way to process emotions. You can utilize a diary prompt or reflect on your day. Start with anything that first comes to mind.
Physical: The idea that working out must take hours to be effective is widespread. Long workouts are occasionally beneficial. However, it is impossible to accomplish when your day is full. Refrain from fully preceding your workout as a result. Instead, pick a quick fitness regimen or make time for exercise every day.
Conclusion
Being able to grow both personally and professionally is crucial. Pursuing a passion can significantly improve your personal and professional lives, whether you’re looking to advance a skill or learn more about a subject you’re interested in.
While it’s critical to monitor your growth and progress, it’s equally crucial to assess how this personal growth impacts your productivity in and outside the context of your primary role.
Any improvement doesn’t happen overnight. Whatever personal development means to you, achieving the desired results requires dedication and a clear understanding of the skills you want to acquire. Consider what you want to get better at. Determine your personal development objectives before you start working. Is it your ability to communicate? Do you desire to develop more solid relationships? Is your career going nowhere? Decide on the main areas of personal development you want to focus on because you’ll use them to create your strategy to get where you want to go.
