The date June 12 is a regular holiday in the Philippines as a commemoration for Philippine Independence. And while you can’t declare yourself truly independent from all the constraints of the authority from the office (unless you ultimately decide to be your own boss), you can use the ways below to declare some autonomy and independence at work!
Ways on How You Can Show Your Independence at Work
Be organized
To help you accomplish your tasks in an efficient and effective way, organization is the key. Start with your emails. If you get a large volume of emails per day, it’s a good idea to sort them. Which are really important? Which can you read later? Create sub-folders in your inbox and organize your messages per topic or sender. This way, you’ll immediately know which emails are important.
Next, organize your files and your calendar. You need to organize your files so that whenever you need something, you can easily locate it and wouldn’t waste time looking for it like looking for a needle in a haystack. An organized calendar will help you keep track of your meetings, events, and other appointments that you wouldn’t need someone else reminding you of what you should do today.
Take Initiative
After organizing, you now know which of the responsibilities, projects, and tasks you have are the most important. Take initiative in your work. If you are part of a new project, you can start by creating a draft of the project and showing it to your manager. Showing initiative is a must-do in demonstrating your value at work. You are showing dedication to your professional development and growth by taking the first step before any orders are given to you.
Learn how to look for answers
Sometimes, you’ll encounter things that you don’t know or you’re not familiar with. But, before you go immediately to your colleague or your manager, ask yourself: are there other ways that you can find the answer that you’re looking for? Can a Google search help you with your query? Or can you find it among your files?
You can combine different methods to find what you’re looking for. If you can’t find the answer through your own search, show your manager or coworker what you got and then from there, they can help you. This doesn’t mean that you can’t ask your boss or your co-workers questions. But if you can find the answer yourself, why not?
Independence at work shows that you are self-motivated, which can impress your boss. Your independence allows the management to focus on other priorities. How important is independence at work for you?
