Master the Habits of Effective People: Essential Career Skills for Technical Professionals, #2

By Phil Charles

Every successful person, as well as a millionaire success stories, have one thing in common: They have all mastered highly effective performance habits.

With an aid like Master the Habits of Effective People, you will be introduced to transformative daily practices for high achievement that will help you to align your professional life.

If you are looking to change your habits and transform your career life by adapting the habits of highly effective people, then this is the book you need.

Inside Master the Habits of Effective People, you will discover:

• the characteristics of effective people
• the behavioral psychology and neuroscience behind habits
• key habits that promote success
• the unhealthy habits that need to go
• learning from mistakes to shape your future

And so much more that will take you from effectively mastering your focus to mastering the habits of effective people.

With routine tips for success, how to change mental and emotional habits, and everything in between, Master the Habits of Effective People is the only guide you need to achieve results.

Don't just plan your future; set your plans in motion with your copy of Master the Habits of Effective People today.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Phil Charles
• Release date: Nov 27, 2022
• ISBN: 9781925996098

Book preview

PREFACE

Whether you realize it or not, you already have the skills and knowledge to be a more effective technical professional – you just need to organize your professional practice to be more effective.

Imagine for a moment. What if you could get your work done without working such long hours? What would it be like to spend more time with your family and friends or do some things you only dream about because you have freed up time?

How would it make you feel if you could get your work done without stressing out or being frustrated? What if you could feel secure that you are protecting your future career by developing effective habits?

Does this sound impossible?

Keep reading to learn how.

How this book came about

Developing professional practice has been my long-term interest, which began when I started my career as a technical professional. While developing my technical skills after finishing university, primarily learning on the job as a civil engineer, I soon realized I was lacking in many of the essential non-technical career skills, such as setting priorities, effective communication, making decisions, and managing the use of my time, together with daily routines to be more productive.

These skills are not taught to technical professionals at university. When I became a professor many years later, the curriculum had not changed but still only focused on technical skills – if anything, the curriculum had been reduced.

So I undertook further study in several different areas, including business, public administration, and education (ending up with six degrees!), but this formal education only resulted in the limited development of these essential, non-technical skills. So, I supplemented my development by reading books, such as The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by the late Stephen Covey — which I found very useful.

To achieve goals you’ve never achieved before you need to start doing things you’ve never done before. ~ Stephen Covey

In working with technical professionals throughout my career, as I rose to be a senior manager, then switched to become a consultant and ultimately a professor, it was evident to me that there was not near enough emphasis by employers, or professionals themselves, on developing non-technical skills. As a result, I really see the need to help other technical professionals and decided to write this series of practical ‘how to’ books on essential career skills for technical professionals, not just from a theory perspective but from practical, real-world experience.

Who is this book for?

This book focuses on technical professionals — those working in science, mathematics, engineering, technology, and related fields; or those with specialized technical knowledge, skills, and experience, usually with tertiary qualifications. It is important to maintain the depth of specialized knowledge in the face of the pace of change in knowledge and technology; however, technical professionals need to have a working knowledge of a broad range of non-technical skills. This is referred to as a ’T’ professional - depth in technical expertise and breadth in essential career skills.

The tools and techniques outlined in this book are also more broadly applicable to anyone struggling to master success habits to be more effective.

What can you expect

Here are three things that you can expect from reading and applying the concepts outlined in this book:

Become more productive – by applying the success habits, you will be able to get your work done more efficiently and effectively, which will free up time to even be more effective, going the extra mile. Or you will be able to spend more time with family, as well as on other enjoyable personal pursuits.

Enjoy your work more – you will be more in control of your time and work and feel satisfied with a job well done.

Protect your future – by developing success habits and essential career skills, you will protect your future career. You will have developed more of the desired skills employers seek than others competing for that promotion or job opportunity. Alternatively, you can be a better consultant, contractor, or business owner.

How to make the best use of this book

Reading this book alone is not enough to get the most out of it. You must also take action, apply what you learn, and build your career skills and professional practice.

My suggested approach is:

Skim read - the first read through is to obtain a broad overview of the concepts

In-depth read - the second read involves a more considered read, particularly of the techniques you may be interested in applying and consider how you might benefit. Take notes as you go through the book, highlight the parts that resonate with you, reflect on the key points that appealed to you, and answer the questions at the end of each chapter.

Reference - as you apply concepts and techniques and build effective habits, refer back to ensure you have understood all the salient points.

If you apply the techniques and suggestions outlined in this book, you can expect to become a much more effective professional by the end of the book. However, this is not a once-and-done exercise; you should consider it an ongoing process as you progress through your career.

There is also a Companion Guide, which you can use to record your responses to the reflection questions.

INTRODUCTION

If we keep doing what we’re doing, we’re going to keep getting what we’re getting. ~ Stephen Covey

If you’re struggling with developing effective habits, don’t worry because you’re not alone. Many professionals find it challenging to change their behavior or stick to a routine. We have all developed bad habits, such as not planning our day or procrastinating and, as a result, not getting projects completed on time. That is why it is important to adopt the habits demonstrated by effective people.

I found more success as a technical professional when I started planning my week ahead of time, building success habits, and blocking particular times for specific tasks. Sunday evening is my preferred time to review the week ahead, not only my work but also setting aside time for myself to relax and get fit. As a result, I have accomplished more of the important things in work and life.

In today’s super-competitive world, there seem to be never enough hours in a day to get everything done. As a technical professional, you likely juggle many competing demands on your time. Finding time for everything is tough, let alone setting aside time for developing good habits.

To increase your productivity and achieve success in your professional career, you must Master the Habits of Effective People. Effective professionals have mastered the art of sustainable habit formation; they make time for planning and goal-setting, break tasks into manageable steps, and establish clear deadlines. They are high achievers who plan in advance, set goals, break down tasks, establish clear deadlines, and care for themselves to improve their productivity. These are all habits of effective people that can help you succeed in your professional career.

What can you expect from this book?

Suppose you’re looking to improve your productivity and achieve your goals. In that case, you must first form good habits, such as breaking tasks into manageable steps, rewiring bad habits, incorporating more productive ones, and taking proper care of yourself.

This book will help you determine which habits you need to develop, which to rewire, which to drop, and which to include for optimal performance. Once you’ve mastered these habits, you’ll be well on your way to success. Let us take a quick look at what you will find inside.

Part 1. Setting The Foundation has four chapters covering characteristics of effective people, types of habits, how habits are formed, and what habits promote success.

In Chapter 1: Characteristics of Effective People, you’ll discover the key characteristics of high achievers and how and why they are successful. By understanding these qualities, you can emulate them in your own professional life and work towards achieving greater success.

Chapter 2: Types of Habits, examines the many habits that affect productivity. Each one has its unique characteristics and challenges. There are productive and unproductive habits, so it’s important to know the difference. To be successful, you need to be aware of these habits, work on developing the productive ones and break the bad habits.

Chapter 3: How We Form Habits outlines some techniques for forming habits and maintaining them effectively over time. It also looks at some common stumbling blocks and how to overcome them.

Chapter 4: What Habits Promote Success, explores some of the most important habits for success and offers tips for developing them. Whether you want to get more out of your career or simply live a better life, these habits will help you get there.

Part 2. Habits That Hinder Success has two chapters covering habits that hinder you and need to be broken to be effective.

Chapter 5: Habits That Hinder High Achievement, looks at some of the most common habits that can hinder your success and offers tips on overcoming them.

Chapter 6: Unhealthy Habits That You Need to Break, considers some of the negative or unhealthy habits you need to break and offers tips for successfully making those changes.

In Part 3. Success Habits, the habits