Personal Development Archives

Image of two hands reaching towards each other - one reaching down from the top of the image and the other reaching up from the bottom of the image

The Mentor-Mentee Relationship: A Two-Way Street for Learning and Growth

A mentorship can be a powerful tool for your personal and professional development, but don’t think that you are the only one benefitting. Mentorships can be incredibly valuable for your mentor, too.

Mentorships can help you gain valuable insights and knowledge from your mentor’s experiences and expertise. Your mentor can share their successes and failures, provide you feedback on your work, and offer advice on how to navigate challenges you may come across. This guidance can help you to develop your skills, knowledge, and confidence which can accelerate your personal and professional growth.

But mentorships are not a one-way street. These relationships also benefit your mentor in several ways:

Reinforcement of skills and knowledge – mentorships can provide an opportunity for the mentor to reinforce their own skills and knowledge. As they guide you, they will find themselves revisiting and reflecting on their own experiences and strategies. This reflection is can help them gain new insights and perspectives they can apply to their own current work.
Personal and professional growth – mentoring someone can be a powerful tool for your mentor’s personal and professional growth. It can help them develop their leadership, communication, and coaching skills. Mentoring can also provide a sense of purpose and fulfillment as they help someone else grow and achieve their goals.
Fresh perspectives – mentoring someone from a different background or with different experiences can provide your mentor with fresh perspectives. This will help them see their work in a new light and be able to come up with innovative solutions to problems.
Networking – mentorships can also provide an opportunity for your mentor to expand their network. As they work with you, they may be compelled to connect with other professionals who focus on your specific interests. This can help your mentor stay up-to-date on industry trends and they will make new connections, benefiting their own career as well.

Mentorships are a valuable tool for both your mentor and you. Don’t forget this when you are looking for one. It can feel like a lot to ask of someone, but most people would take your interest in them as a mentor as a high honor. The importance of knowledge sharing between those with expertise in an industry and those just starting out cannot be overstated. Mentorships are powerful relationships that can benefit not only you and your mentor, but the entirety of the industry you are working within.

We hope you found this useful, for more personalized advice, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Contact@quardev.com!

Continuous Learning: Essential for Your Personal Growth

Continuous Learning: Essential for Your Personal and Professional Growth

Continuous learning is a vital aspect of personal and professional growth. In today’s fast-paced and ever-evolving world, the ability for you to learn and adapt quickly has never been more important. Whether in your personal or professional life, life is full of lessons and it’s up to you what you take from each one you encounter.

One of the key ways to do this is by prioritizing continuous learning and professional development. In this blog post, we’ll explore the importance of continuous learning, as well as some practical tips for staying up-to-date and competitive in your career.

In the workplace, continuous learning is essential for career growth and advancement. With constant advancements in technology and changes within your industry, it’s critical to stay up to date on the latest trends and best practices. Not only will this help you to perform better in your current role, but it can also increase your chances of being considered for promotion or new opportunities.

Why Continuous Learning is Important?

Career advancement – continuous learning can lead to career advancement opportunities. When you demonstrate a commitment to ongoing learning you will be seen as more valuable and are more likely to be considered for promotions or new job opportunities.
Job security – in a constantly evolving job market, continuous learning can help ensure job security. By staying up-to-date with the latest technologies, techniques, and industry trends, you can remain relevant and a valuable asset to whomever you work for.
Personal growth – continuous learning also has personal benefits. It can help you to feel more confident and fulfilled in your work, as well as more equipped to tackle new challenges and take on greater responsibilities.

Continuous learning can take many forms, such as attending workshops, seminars, or industry conferences. Online courses and e-learning platforms are also great ways to gain new skills and knowledge; with the best result being, once you’ve gained knowledge it is your knowledge to use.

Tips for Continuous Learning:

Set learning goals – identify areas where you want to improve or expand your knowledge and set specific goals. This could include attending workshops, taking online courses, or reading industry publications.
Make time for learning – prioritize learning by scheduling time for it on a regular basis. This could mean setting time aside each week to read articles, watch videos, or attend webinars.
Seek feedback – seek out feedback from your colleagues, managers, or mentors to help identify areas where you can improve or build new skills.
Collaborate with others – collaborating with colleagues or joining a professional organization is a great way to learn from others and stay up-to-date with industry trends.
Embrace change – being open to change and new technologies will certainly help you to be a continuous learner. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new tools or techniques – these will help you be more efficient and effective in your work.

Continuous learning is a key factor in staying relevant and competitive in the workplace. By prioritizing ongoing learning and professional development, you can not only improve your job prospects and job security but also experience fulfillment in your career and personal growth.

Moreover, continuous learning has benefits well beyond the workplace. Engaging in lifelong learning practices can enrich your personal life, broaden your perspective, and increase your overall well-being. Learning new skills, pursuing new interests, and studying new topics can stimulate your mind and foster personal growth.

Continuous learning will also help to keep you mentally sharp and engaged – especially as you age. Our brains tend to become less agile, making it difficult to learn new things, however by continuously engaging in learning activities you can keep your mind active and improve your cognitive abilities.

Continuous learning is essential for personal and professional growth. It helps you stay competitive, adapt to changes, and become the best version of yourself. It’s up to you to seek out opportunities for learning and to make learning a lifelong habit. By doing so, you can unlock your full potential and achieve success both in your personal and professional lives.

We hope you found this useful, for more personalized advice, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Contact@quardev.com!

Titled - Employee Motivations in 2023 - image of a computer desk with a open laptop viewable, on the screen - the word Motivation and underneath a green loading bar three quarters of the way complete

Employee Motivations for 2023

Last year when we wrote about the biggest Employee Motivations of 2022, many elements, such as flexibility and autonomy, stood out as vital to employees; which is still holding true for 2023.

The Great Resignation of last year spoke to the growing movement of employees seeking purpose and personal value in their positions.

Some companies have really heeded the call and expanded mental health coverage or instituted retention programs that focus on personal and professional development. And some are still operating under the status quo.

If you are an employee, keep reading to see which of these motivations resonate with you the most. Our hope is that you can use this information to evaluate your current role. Maybe you will notice which of the aspects mentioned you feel satisfied with. Alternatively, maybe you will discover elements you can work with your employer to see more of as we move into the new year.

If you are an employer, we hope that these employee motivations will help you reflect on your current team and take into consideration what their motivations are. And ultimately, we hope that by keeping these in the forefront you end 2023 with a team that is even more motivated and engaged.

Professional Development

Why it’s important

Encouraging professional development allows employees to envision what their future might look like at the company. It also tells them that their role is not stagnant and that they will continue to grow. What’s more, having you as an employer support their professional development lets employees know that you value them and care about their careers.

Another benefit is that learning new skills will help employees increase their self-efficacy and sense of autonomy, which contributes to increased motivation.

All of these outcomes benefit the company; its culture, retention, and bottom line – it is an investment that needs to be taken seriously.

How to provide opportunities for professional development

Encouraging professional development can be done in a variety of ways. One of the simplest ways is to discuss personal and professional goals with employees. Asking them about their aspirations will show them that you care.

It also provides a chance for you to get to know your employees better. Another action you can take is to offer opportunities for upskilling and reskilling. Upskilling and reskilling helps employees feel more competent in their roles and more confident in moving into new ones.

It can be accomplished through a variety of means, including classroom training sessions, access to online courses, seminars/webinars, and mentorship programs.

Flexibility and Autonomy

Why it’s important

Giving employees more autonomy is critical for feeding intrinsic motivation. If employees are micromanaged, they will get the work done, but it will be out of fear of being reprimanded, not out of their own interest or drive. And if they keep completing work this way, it will inevitably lead to burnout.

Giving employees breathing room to do work on their own terms will decrease burnout. It will also foster a relationship of trust, which is essential when it comes to motivating employees.

It is also important to acknowledge that employees have lives outside of work and that this doesn’t mean that their work will be any less effective. Along with autonomy, offering employees flexibility to make their jobs more manageable.

Flexibility doesn’t mean scrapping deadlines altogether. It just means giving employees the freedom to do work on their own time.

How to allow more flexibility and autonomy

So, now that we’ve established their importance, what are some ways to offer flexibility and autonomy to employees?

One way is to provide flexible schedules. This may mean allowing employees to take extended lunches. It could also look like being generous with sick days or half days.

Additionally, you might consider giving employees the chance to choose their own hours or at least work collaboratively to decide on them. Some workers might prefer to start earlier or later in the day so that they can manage their personal demands.

Furthermore, in a study of 30,000 U.S. workers, 88% reported that the flexibility to work from home or the office had increased their job satisfaction.

Even if you prefer an in-person workplace, offering remote work, even just one or two days a week could go a long way toward improving employee satisfaction.

Recognition and Appreciation

Why it’s important

Everyone welcomes being recognized and appreciated. It doesn't have to be a grand public gesture, but it is always a good idea to show people that you see them, on a human level. Showing recognition and appreciation facilitates a positive relationship between the employee and the manager, which is huge. Going to work every day feels much less like a chore when you get along well with your boss.

Being shown appreciation makes work feel more human.

In addition, it helps employees see that their work matters and is making a positive difference in someone’s life. Feeling valued is essential when it comes to motivation. Nobody wants to do work where they feel their skills are not seen or appreciated

How to show appreciation

When it comes to expressing appreciation, consistency is key. Don’t wait until the performance review to pay someone a compliment. When an employee does good work that makes your job easier, make sure to let them know!

Small gestures, such as thank-you emails, written notes, or verbal words of thanks, can all help someone feel appreciated.

Furthermore, if your budget allows, bonuses and increases in compensation certainly go a long way in telling employees that you recognize their hard work.

Another way to help employees feel recognized is to celebrate milestones. Giving them a shoutout on their anniversary of working at the company or on their birthday shows them that you value them.

Positive Company Culture

Why it’s important

As a culture, we are becoming more aware of the role that mental health has on our overall lives. And hopefully, one of the positive outcomes of the pandemic we’ve all been dealing with these last few years will be that work will become more human.

If employees don’t feel that their basic needs are accounted for, they can’t be expected to perform well. Because let’s face it, we’re not robots made for work, we’re human beings with aspirations, ideas, and feelings.

Having a positive company culture makes employees feel cared for and comfortable at work. It also helps them stay mentally and physically healthy, which allows them to have the capacity to perform at their best and be most engaged.

How to make space for a positive company culture

A positive company culture is one that places emphasis on wellness, emotional and physical.

This might mean offering fitness programs to help employees stay physically and mentally healthy. Another thing a company with a positive culture might do is offer food and snacks throughout the day, to keep employees feeling well-fueled and energized.

Also, a company with a positive company culture encourages employees to have a good work-life balance. For example, especially with remote or hybrid work, it can be beneficial to gently remind employees to switch off at the end of their working day to help them avoid burnout.

Furthermore, something that is essential to a positive company culture is fostering emotional safety. If employees don’t feel comfortable speaking up about issues they’re having at work or in their personal life, they’re probably not feeling their best at work.

One way to foster emotional safety is to have an open-door policy. Make sure that employees know that they can come to you with their concerns at any time. This will strengthen your relationship with them and will help them to feel supported.

The bottom line

No two employees are the same, but in general, being treated with humanity and respect goes a long way. There are many actions you can take, both big and small, to make your employees feel like they belong at your company and to increase motivation.

And if you want to learn even more about what makes your employees tick, ask them! Asking for input demonstrates that you care.

If you are an employee, we hope that these elements resonated with you and that you are seeing them in your current role. You deserve to be appreciated and treated well.

We hope you found this useful, for more personalized advice, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Contact@quardev.com!

Not Sure What You Want to Do? Let’s Figure It Out!

There’s a good chance at some point, you’ve been asked the following - “what do you want to be when you grow up?” This question may have been fun to think about as a child, but now that you’re an adult and the pressure is on, it can be stressful and confusing.

Whether you’re just entering (or re-entering) the workforce or you have been employed but are looking to take your career in a different direction, the first step to securing a job that you can thrive in is to determine your goals.

Even if you’re only planning for a minor career shift, or simply want to work at a different company, reevaluating your priorities and motivations can help you to go into your next job search with some clarity.

If defining your career goals seems intimidating, you are not alone. The stakes seem so incredibly high. How can you possibly take your interests, experiences, and dreams, and decide on one thing you are meant to do?

We’re here to help get you started on that reflection and make it a bit less intimidating. Keep reading for some very simple and fun exercises to help you realize your career goals.

Don’t worry about the “perfect fit”

The idea that your perfect career awaits you and you just need to find it, has been fed to many of us. The pressure to find the ”perfect fit” can lead to having expectations that are unhealthy and unrealistic.

Take some of the pressure off. Don’t worry about finding the perfect fit, and just focus on coming up with some options that are a good fit.

Also, remember that choosing what you want to do does not mean that you’ll be locked into that career path forever. It’s actually quite common for people to make career shifts. In fact, a recent poll found that over half of middle-income workers are considering changing jobs right now.

Drop the “shoulds” from your life

In life, there are so many things that you are told you should do, in order to live your best life. Some of these are well-supported by evidence, like getting enough sleep most nights. But others, like the idea that you must receive a certain level of education to have a fulfilling career or that your path will be clear and straightforward, are not true.

All of these “shoulds” can cloud your judgment, and make it hard to get in touch with your true values and goals.

Before you go through the following self-reflection exercise, take all of your “shoulds” out of the equation. This might be tricky at first because so many of these thoughts are automatic but stick to it. The “shoulds” are probably not serving you as well as you think they may be.

Career assessments and personality tests

While career assessments and personality tests are not the end-all-be-all for defining your career goals, they are a helpful starting point. Many personality and career tests are not based on scientific method and haven’t performed well on tests of reliability and validity. But this does not mean that they can’t still be useful tools for you to use.

They can help you learn about yourself, your interests, your strengths, and your weaknesses.

Regardless of how accurate you find your results, taking the tests and interpreting them will encourage further introspection. If you find some careers that look promising, it might be a good idea to research those positions. For example, results may reveal strengths that really resonate with you. It might then be helpful to investigate careers that will require you to harness and apply those skills.

Here we’ve listed just a few free and popular career and personality tests (but there are many more available online) :

Career Assessments

• The MAPP Career Test

The MAPP career test is comprised of about 70 questions in which you are asked to sort your likes and dislikes. It’s supposed to take about 22 minutes. It aims to help you discover careers that would suit your interests and fit with your motivations.

The MAPP test has held up to reliability and validity studies and has been used by many institutions and career counselors.

• The Work Importance Profiler

The Work Importance Profiler is aimed to assess what’s important to you, and then show you careers that are compatible with your values.

Personality tests

• The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is one of the most widely used personality tests available. It takes about 20 minutes, and then upon completion, you are given a personality profile.

There are 16 possible personality types, that are presented in the format of four letters. The personality types are determined by whether you’re:

Introverted or Extroverted (I vs E)
Intuitive or Sensory (N vs S)
Thinking or Feeling (T vs F)
Judging or Perceiving (J vs P).

The test will give you a brief description of your personality type, along with a list of strengths and weaknesses. It will also provide you with careers that others of your suggested type are excelling at.

• The Big-5

The Big Five personality test will give you a score on five personality traits: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.

This test should help you understand some of your tendencies and skills. Providing you with important factors to keep in mind whilst in your career search.

Questions to ask yourself

These questions are all aimed to help you learn more about your specific skills and interests, and how you can match those with careers.

The more detailed and true you are with your answers, the more helpful these tools will be.

What criteria do you have for your life?

To define your career goals, a good place to start is to consider what criteria you have for your life, both in and outside of work. This can include positive and negative criteria: positive things that you would like more of in life, and negative things that you would prefer to avoid.

For example, a positive criterion could be that you want to work in an industry that allows for promotions and career advancement. Or maybe you want a lifestyle where you can spend frequent time with family.

Whilst, a negative criterion could be you don’t want to work in a highly stressful environment, or that you don’t want a role that requires you to work during your personal time.

What are your interests?

This seems like an easy question, one you’ve likely answered many times but this time you will need to dig deep. When you were younger, what did you enjoy learning about? What do you go out of your way to learn more about now? It’s helpful to understand what your interests are to gain insights into what you’d like to have in your life.

What are you passionate about?

The best and most fulfilling work often comes when you follow your passions. What is truly important to you? What are your values? Is there a topic that you could talk about for ages, or listen to others talk about without becoming bored?

What do you excel at?

Everyone has certain skills that just seem to come more naturally to them. This could be a specific technical skill such as coding, or it could be a soft skill, like empathy.

If you’re struggling to come up with answers to this one at first, it can be helpful to reach out to a close friend or someone who knows you well for insight. Taking the career and personality assessments will also give you a solid foundation to answer this question.

Who do you admire?

This question can really get you thinking about the qualities you value and can help you to direct your aspirations. You may think of people you admire for their job-related accomplishments, or simply for who they are as people.

Once you’ve determined the qualities you admire in others, you can begin to institute them in your own life.

How much additional effort are you able to put in to achieve your career goals?

There might be a certain job that you’re interested in, but it requires another degree or certificate. And maybe going back to school is just not practical for you at this point in your life. That’s perfectly understandable; going back to school is a huge commitment of time and money. It just means that you may need to get creative.

Depending on what it is you’d like to do, you may be able to find free courses that you can fit into your spare time. Self-directed learning has become more available and accepted.

Look for entry-level positions for the job you’d like. You may qualify for the position with the skills you have and then are able to gain skills and knowledge on the job.

There are many ways to get to where you’d like to be, they don’t all have to be conventional.

Find people on social media who are in your dream position and follow them. You will learn a ton about the industry, what it takes to make it, as well as potentially make valuable connections that can help you to achieve your goal.

If none of these are available to you, begin to pay attention to the aspects of your current position that you really enjoy. Focus on those. Does your current company have a position like the one you want? Seek cross-training opportunities to learn more and gain skills. After some time you will be able to apply those to the position that you are really interested in.

Ultimately, if you are not currently where you’d like to be, there are many roads you can take to get there. It’s most important that you just take the first step – regardless of how small that step may feel.

You are a wonderful collection of unique skills, experiences, and perceptions. And you are at your best when you are interested and invested in what you are doing. If you have it, take the time to truly get to know yourself. It will be the best thing you ever do. Future you will thank you!

Header Graphic - Authenticity - Bringing Your Self to Work

Authenticity – Bring Your “Self” to Work

“Just be yourself” - you’ve probably heard this throughout your life. Although cliché, it is great advice. Being yourself helps you to avoid burnout, form meaningful relationships, and even perform better. But being your true self is easier said than done in some situations. One area where you may struggle with authenticity is at work.

It can be particularly difficult for individuals with marginalized identities because they too often face consequences for being themselves. Historically, there have been strict written and unwritten rules for how to conduct one's self professionally, with those rules not always being fair to everyone. But it seems that many of those rules are now being questioned, as the majority of us have been working from home for the last couple of years.

In her Ted talk entitled “The Myth of Bringing Your Full, Authentic Self to Work,” Jodi-Ann Burey uncovers some of the challenges she has faced as a Black woman in the professional world. A quote that stands out from her talk is, “Without accountability to examine the systems of bias and power, the call for authenticity fails.”

Nobody, no matter their race, sexuality, gender, age, or any other part of their identity, should ever be made to feel like they must hide who they are in order to succeed in the workplace. We will discuss some ways that leaders and employees can make space for authenticity for all workers later.

But first, let’s get familiar with what it means to be authentic and why it is so beneficial.

What is Authenticity?

What does “just be yourself” mean at work? It doesn’t mean that you must act exactly the same way throughout all of your interactions, as that is unrealistic. Nor does it mean that you need to share every detail of your personal life. At times it may be necessary to protect your boundaries and keep aspects of yourself separate from certain settings or people. And that’s perfectly okay.

Authenticity is simply when our internal selves (our values, motivations, and interests) align with our behavior. This can look very different depending on your preferences and work style. Cultivating authenticity is a lifelong practice of learning about yourself, and it requires experimentation. You might try something and then realize that it didn’t feel right. When this happens, you learn something new about yourself and might be more comfortable being a bit more open in the future.

Benefits of Authenticity

Avoid Burnout

Hiding your authentic self in the workplace is likely contributing to burnout more than you may realize. The effort you expend trying to control your work image is costly — performing all day at work is exhausting. Once that pressure comes off, you free up so much energy to put into your work. You will also probably notice that you have more energy to spend on developing other aspects of your life, like your relationships. This brings us to the next benefit...

Form Meaningful Relationships

You might think it’s easier to put up a barrier while you’re at work and separate your social life from your work life. But you most likely spend a good portion of your days at work, so being able to have those strong connections at work will be extremely beneficial. The importance of having meaningful relationships cannot be stressed enough. Studies have found having strong connections to be related to better job performance, and even to increased longevity.

Perform Better

When you constantly put on a mask at work and feel like you have to stay silent on topics that are important to you, you will likely feel stressed and disconnected from your work. However, once that mask comes off, you’ll be better motivated to engage with and commit to your work and you can watch your performance soar. In an interview about authenticity at work, Human Resources and Recruitment Practitioner Madison Butler explains “When you empower people to be exactly who they’re intending to be in the world, you get people who are more focused on what they’re doing every day. If I’m not focused on the sound of my voice, I can really focus on what I’m saying.”

In Google’s research on what makes a successful team, they found psychological safety to be the most important factor. Psychological safety means that people are given the space to communicate openly, and they know that they can make mistakes without facing harsh consequences. Psychological safety is directly related to authenticity. When people know that they won’t be punished for being themselves, they are much more likely to act authentically.

How to Practice Authenticity at Work (and Make Space for Others to Do the Same)

Now that we’ve established what authenticity is and why it’s important, you might be thinking “okay that’s great, but how do I actually do it?” Whether you are in a position of leadership at your organization or not, we’ll go over some strategies to help you encourage authenticity in yourself and others.

As discussed earlier, some work settings might not be particularly conducive to authenticity, especially for those with marginalized identities. That needs to change. Both the companies and the employees will see the benefits of more open and inclusive workspaces. When authenticity is encouraged, it has been shown to lead to better employee motivation, innovation, and productivity, as well as much higher retention rates.

Make Inclusion a Priority

The first step in enabling authenticity for all employees is to make workplaces more inclusive. This starts with strong leaders who encourage empathy and a sense of belonging. Strong leaders also take steps to ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the recruiting process.

If you are not in a position of leadership, you can still play a major role in contributing to a more inclusive work environment. Some actions you can take to achieve this are to speak up if you see fellow coworkers being treated unfairly and to normalize authenticity by doing so as much as you can (without facing consequences).

Practice Mindfulness

Practicing mindfulness is a great way to increase your capacity for authenticity. Through mindfulness exercises, people can become more aware of their own values, feelings, and motivations. The more self-aware you are, the easier it will be to act authentically. Many also report that through mindfulness practice, they have learned to live more intentionally and remain more present in their day-to-day lives.

As the great philosopher, Ferris Bueller, once said “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” It’s easy to get swept up by your daily routine and miss out on quality experiences. Mindfulness helps you avoid this.

Practicing mindfulness can look really different depending on your preferences. It could be daily meditations, mindful walking, taking breaks to check in throughout the day, or anything else you like. There really are no rules to it; just make it work for you!

Push Yourself to Be Vulnerable

Being yourself can be scary, but once you step out of your comfort zone and open up just a little bit, it will start to be much less intimidating. You can start small, maybe by talking about some of the ways that you’ve had to adjust to the pandemic with your coworkers.

Be a Good Listener

Authenticity is very much connected to your relationships. This means that being authentic isn’t only about being yourself, but also about allowing others the space to do the same. Being a good listener pushes you to be more present in the moment, and in doing so you learn more about yourself and others. This is one of the ways that authenticity helps build meaningful relationships.

Having someone give you their full attention, and really listen to what you have to say is a beautiful thing. When you are a good listener, others feel seen and heard, helping to give them the confidence to be themselves.

Conclusion

The very truth of the matter is that you are a complicated combination of your DNA and your experiences. You have a perspective that only you can have. Bringing your full self to everything you do will only further strengthen the confidence you have in yourself. What you may be dismissing is that your unique perspective is so very important to the rest of us. You will think of things that we would not consider – and we can do the same for you. True collaboration is the only way we can solve some of the really challenging problems we encounter – and we all need to bring our full selves for that to be possible.