Do you approach each day with a conscious effort to improve communication and make sound choices? Personal effectiveness means caring about the difference you make as an individual. It is more than going through the motions, but rather, having a profound commitment to understanding who you are and how you can make a difference. If you join the ranks of people who are students of personal and professional effectiveness, your life will become more meaningful, both at home and on the job.

The Tools You Need

Tap into your full potential with this six-step process. Read the full article, written by our CEO, Suzanne Updegraff, to learn more about how to increase your personal and professional effectiveness.

Fortunately, there are well-established tools and programs to help individuals become stronger contributors to their organizations, establish better relationships and tap into their human potential. The following model outlines a six-step process to achieve those goals.

1. Awareness. Look inside and think about your habits, behaviors and the values that you hold dear. Explore how your core goals either help or hinder your progress. Self-awareness is the most critical step in the model because without it, you won’t recognize the need for change.

2. Desire. Many people are aware that their behavior is ineffective, but they don’t care. Self-awareness without a desire to change won’t result in change. The goal of improving conditions or your situation at work or at home can be a strong motivation for change.

3. Knowledge. You have access to vast amounts of information on how to change a behavior or habit. Gaining knowledge is an easy step if you know where to look. Explore the Internet, visit your local bookstore, take a college course or attend a seminar.

4. Practice. This is the hard part. Only when you practice (day-in, day-out) does a new behavior replace an old one. Effective practice begins with setting a deadline for beginning a change that will increase effectiveness.

5. Success. Develop an image or vision of what the change you are seeking looks like. Success often comes in small packages. Don’t overlook quick compliments from co-workers when they begin to notice your changes in behavior.

6. Habit Integration. It takes time and effort to integrate changes in behavior into your daily routine. Habits are born over time, and when practiced consistently, you’ll begin to experience your behavioral change in a natural way.

In the national bestseller, The Oz Principle, the authors define accountability as asking, “what else can I do to rise above my circumstances and achieve the results I desire?” Accountability is the process of, “seeing it, owning it, solving it, and doing it.” Effectiveness is achieved when you:

• Become self-aware of your behavior and strengths.

• Apply your core values to the choices you’re making.

• Practice new behaviors to create the self-image you desire.

• Make responsible choices for growth.

• Become accountable for your words, actions, choices and behaviors.

Once you understand and apply this model for personal and professional growth and effectiveness, remember to keep your thoughts positive. Positive thoughts become your words, and positive thoughts lead to positive actions. Keep your actions positive because actions become your habits. And keep your habits positive, because habits become your destiny.

Most importantly, understand that YOU are the most powerful person in your life. When you’re making the appropriate choices to receive the results you’re looking for, you’ll then become effective. The Greek historian Herodotus perhaps said it first more than 2,000 years ago: “Character is destiny.”

Access the full article and many others to learn how to leverage the power within you -the power of personal and professional effectiveness!

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