Transform Your Working Life - Productivity + Personal Branding Tips

Hi Mamamates! Today we've got a very special guest blog in store for you, by none other than Olivia Bath. If you don't know her already (where have you been?), don't worry, we'll fill you in! Olivia is an executive advisor, communications specialist and the face behind The Women's Vault, a platform that helps with all things confidence, negotiation and compressed hours.

Olivia provides on-demand masterclasses and resources for women looking to shake up their approach to life. Here at Mamamade HQ we're big fans; so much so that we've collaborated with Olivia on Instagram Lives - and we have much more to come in 2022!

The new year is often a chance to start afresh and establish new goals, particularly in your career, so let’s hand it over to Olivia to share her tips on productivity, personal branding, setting boundaries and more...

Image: Penny Wincer

January always brings introspection, as we consider the changes we would like to make in the year ahead; for many of us, hopes and ambitions for our careers are a key area of focus. Whether you’re considering a job change, are striving for a pay rise or promotion or simply need to reassess your work-life balance, there are many proactive things you can do to transform your working life: Here are a few tips on how to start the year as you mean to go on, and make positive changes.

Productivity

Are you as productive as you can be, or do you find you waste time becoming distracted or jumping between tasks? Productivity can prove particularly challenging as many of us continue home working, and look for ways to transition to a work headspace simply by switching between rooms or into a desk space. Consider following these tips to power up your productivity, feel more focused and use your time better. 

Here are 7 key things that you can do to improve your productivity:

1. Seek clarity around your role and responsibilities. Know the big-ticket items you need to focus on. 

2. Ditch bad working habits and distractions: turn off notifications, work in batches, create templates. 

3. Declutter your inbox and consider a social media clean up - unfollow any accounts that aren’t positive influences for you.

4. Delegate individual tasks which are swamping you, so you can focus on the important outcomes that align with the company vision.

5. Learn to effectively communicate expectations and set boundaries with others to allow for deep thinking time. 

6. Save your energy: stop spending so much time in meetings, on phone calls and away from your key tasks. Save your processing power for high-productivity work.

7. Assess your health: are you getting enough Vitamin D? It’s important to get out and get some sunshine. Make time for exercise - it’s amazing the energy you can produce by tiring yourself out physically. Check your diet - stock up on healthy favourites such as leafy greens and good fats.

Personal branding

What do you want to be known for at work? Think through your strengths and purpose, including a couple of career highlight stories, as these form the basis of your personal brand. Taking time to formulate your personal brand is highly beneficial, whether you’re looking to stay within your company and aim for promotion (you never know when a position may become available), or whether you’re looking for a new job. Ensure your online presence - such as your LinkedIn About section - is up to date and reflects your career aspirations. You’ll need a succinct and clear elevator pitch that you can tweak for different audiences. 

Promotion

If you feel you’ve been overlooked for a promotion previously, this could be the year to be proactive. Start by asking your manager for feedback on why you may have missed out on opportunities previously - try not to be defensive and ask for a performance improvement plan to help you progress. Hold yourself accountable for sticking to this plan - consider a mentor or career coach with an objective opinion, who can help you fast track. 

Setting boundaries

Take time to assess your workplace boundaries - watch my interview with Mamamade’s own Sophie where we discussed this in detail here. Unhealthy workplace boundaries can have a toxic effect - both on your home life and career.

More resources and tools to help you...

Mamamade subscribers can receive a 20% discount on The Women’s Vault Masterclasses, use the code: Mamamade. There are Masterclasses on Productivity, Personal Branding and Negotiation. The discount is valid on all Masterclasses until 28 February 2022.

Thanks so much, Olivia! 
Love, Team Mamamade x