Learn Ability To Work Independently

Ability To Work Independently

Introduction

Being able to work independently is a vital skill that employers seek in their employees. There are a lot of benefits to teamwork. Team members complement and benefit each other through their knowledge and experience. Even while working as part of a team, there are times when one is required to work independently and own the responsibility for the work one has done. 

Working Independently

The ability to work independently means having the aptitude to plan, organize and execute any given tasks or work with a minimal amount of supervision. Working independently has a lot of advantages but it requires a person to be disciplined and dedicated to his work. 

To work independently and be successful, a person needs to have the following qualities within oneself. 

•  Being self-aware, self-monitoring, and self-correcting;
  
•  Knowing what you need to do and when;
• Taking the initiative rather than waiting to be told what to do to get the job done or complete the task at hand;
•  Doing what is asked to the best of your ability, without the need for pushing or prodding, and working until the job is completed;
• Learning to work at a pace so that work can be completed on time;
• Taking ownership of your mistakes without looking for excuses; and • Refusing to let self-doubt or negative emotions due to negative past experiences take you off course.

Seven Skills for Independent Working

1. Organizational skills: It is the ability to keep work organized. It allows workers to look at all aspects of the task or project and focus on the task at hand to increase productivity and efficiency in the workplace.

2. Multitasking ability: While working on a project one has to keep track of many aspects of the project. Further, one should have the ability to focus on the current work, while searching for new projects. All these require multitasking.

3. Discipline and Hard Work: These are the most important skills required to complete the task at hand. To become result-oriented one has to make a work routine for oneself and stick to it religiously and be able to put in extra hours to complete the work.

4. Communication skills: Your communication skills will help you to build relationships with your clients. Whether you need to ask for work or payment of dues, these skills are helpful everywhere.

5. Ability to compromise: Compromise means to accept that you will reduce your demands or change your views or opinions to reach an agreement with someone else. This skill is crucial for getting work done by others, which is essential for independent working.

6. Flexibility and Adaptability: You should be flexible to consider any changes made to the work or work schedule by the client. You should also be adaptable to work with other people to complete the given task. 

7. Ability to deal with rejection and not take it personally: Not every client you approach will give you work. So you should be patient and not take the rejection of your proposal, personally.

Self Awareness

If someone asks you how you are feeling at the moment, what would you say? Just take a second and think about it. You might realize that at the moment you are curious, annoyed, confused, happy, sad, impatient, etc. Self-awareness refers to your knowledge or understanding of yourself and having a clear perception of your personality, including your strengths, weaknesses, thoughts, beliefs, motivation, and emotions. Self-awareness allows you to understand how other people perceive you, your attitude, and your responses to them in the current situation or the moment.

Self-awareness is the first step to mastering your life and getting what you want. It allows you to see where your thoughts and emotions are taking you and to take control of your emotions and behavior so that you can control them. Until you are aware of your thoughts, emotions, words, and behavior, you will find it difficult to take control of your life and change the direction it is taking, if you so need. 

Self Regulation

Self-regulation means self-control or the ability to manage your emotions, desires, and behavior to accomplish a given task. Self-Regulation is important for independent working. When we fail to self-regulate, we lose focus, balance, and self-control.

It leads to confusion, delays, and non-achievement of our goals. But being able to self-regulate allows us to become confident, calm, and free from stress. It creates an atmosphere where a person can work and utilize his abilities fully to complete the given task or achieve the set goals with high levels of success. People who can self-regulate attract people with similar skills and qualities and create a cycle of success that repeats.