Should You Monitor Your Own Performance?

July 17, 2018

Most people starting their own business and going out to the big world alone find it hard to manage their time and maintain their productivity. You might be used to a boss checking on you and your targets you had to hit to get that bonus. Now, your productivity is in your own hands. Below you will find a few reasons why you should monitor your work, manage your own time, and set clear targets.

You Need To Know Where You’re Headed

The main reason why you need to monitor your own performance is that you need a clear business goal and if you are not up to scratch you must improve. If you are a content writer and only produce 500 words a day, you are not likely to make a full time living. You have to set up a timer and enroll in a training to improve your skills.

You Are the Best Motivator

No boss or colleague will know better than you what makes you tick. Whether it is a weekend away after an early finish on Friday or a cash bonus, you can give it to yourself. If you have ever worked in the corporate world, you will remember which rewards motivated you the most. However, the fun about running your own business is that you can make up new rewards to suit your needs and preferences better.

Identifying Development Areas

Once you have started monitoring your own performance, you can identify the development areas. There are plenty of productivity hacks that you can apply in any business; from timers to targets and quality assurance. If you are working online, chances are that you might benefit from the latest spell and grammar checker that will reduce the time you spend on writing posts and articles. If you are manufacturing, you can set standards that are easy to apply to each product, making quality checks faster.

Better Time Management

Whether you are a researcher or an online trader, it is easy to get lost in the small details and postponing decisions. You can find online resources and make notes for your references, so you can make faster and better decisions. As an example, you can make a list with the header these are the advantages of one method and then next time you can choose the right approach for the task or business process.

Measurable Progress

In any business, being able to measure progress and development is important. You will have to keep on learning, improving your productivity, your business profits, and simplifying your processes. If you are not familiar with LEAN principles, it might be time to sign up for an online course, so you can focus more on eliminating waste of resources and time.
When you run  a one-man band, it is important that you measure your performance and set clear goals and benchmarks for yourself. Create your own rewards, plan your different business processes, and learn how to reduce waste and improve profitability.

Mark Asquith

That British podcast guy, Mark is co-founder of Captivate.fm, the world's only growth-oriented podcast host. A Harvard, TEDx, Podcast Movement and Podfest speaker (amongst many more!), he's a wildly approachable Brit and Star Wars/DC Comics geek.

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