No matter how skilled or productive you are, there is always room for growth. You might be equipped with the knowledge, talent, and numerous skills but being open to constant learning is the best way to enhance your abilities at work.

Any employee should always look out for ways of becoming a better version of themselves. This is what favours them to improve their work performance, but also, creates potential opportunities for their professional development.

Anne Umulisa a copywriter at iBlue Concepts says that in all she does, she always looks for improvement and aims for higher expectations.

"Improvement of your work performance is the foundation of how you build your career. If you are not improving, how then will you know that you are doing great in your career?” she wonders.

Umulisa thinks that improving your performance is also an opportunity to grow as an employee and to progress your skills and knowledge.

For Yvette Uwizeye a statistician at Rwanda Basketball Federation, everyone has to make an improvement in what they do in order to succeed. "You have to improve your performance every day in order to be better at what you do and maintain your position. Growth in performance sets one as an example for others,” she says.

Uwizeye suggests five things to be considered while improving your performance:

First of all, you have to love what you do; you need to work as if you are working for yourself, don’t focus on how much money you will get but on your work, and also, carry yourself with ease at work as well as pray for your job daily.

Rogers Ndemezo, an employee says that taking up training can be beneficial when it comes to improving work performance, adding that human resource managers have a role to play in this regard.

 "When you improve your performance as an employee, it makes you an asset for the company. They see that you are delivering and putting in effort to advance your career, this also opens room for promotion,” he says.

How to improve your performance:

Set milestones

Setting clear milestones is important in both personal and professional life. As human beings, we have a habit of shooting for the stars and the same reflects in the goals we set. Now, it’s okay to be a little bold but when it comes to goals, it’s much better to think clearly and be realistic.

Setting goals is often an overwhelming process. So what you need to do is break your big personal and professional projects into smaller chunks and set your goals accordingly. Doing this will help you stay motivated and keep your energy levels up throughout the journey. Further, setting clear goals will make it easier for you to keep track of your progress. Allowing you to celebrate every small victory you achieve. 

Plan and prioritise

Organising, planning, and prioritising are crucial parts of our daily routine. In fact, there are several articles over the internet that provide valid reasons for the same. These are some simple workplace habits and time management tips that help you get things done in time and improve your overall work performance.

Communicate better

Communication is a two-way street. Effective communication is a practice that makes you certain about things at work, learn new and improved ways to achieve better results, and finally, improve overall work performance. Remember, every opinion matters and it can certainly help you take your work performance to a new level.

Handle difficult tasks first

This point is directly related to the above point ‘plan and prioritise.’ Obviously, you can’t do every task or activity at the same time. That’s why it is important to figure out what tasks should be completed first and what tasks can be postponed or delegated during the project planning stage.