When it comes to doing work, sometimes it is the little things that matter. Details, though seemingly small, are important to pay attention to when you are going throughout your day on the job. Whether it is remembering to write down a client’s name for later or catching a misspell on a report, you are pretty much going to encounter those small instances that might have a big impact on your work. And trust us, potential hires and employers are in high demand for people who pay close attention to details.
According to a survey conducted by Zety, recruiters and hiring managers ranked communication and time management — both detail-orientated skills — as the top soft skills they look for potential employees to have. So, let’s go over the details with you on why focusing on the little things actually matter and how you can develop your detail-orientated skills.
Why Does Focusing On Details Even Matter?
Paying attention to the finer details is important for a couple of reasons. First, paying strong attention to details in your work means that you are going to be much more efficient at what you do because all your focus will be put into understanding the means of how to carry out directions and tasks. This in turn your productivity will increase as you will be spending more time doing things correctly and moving on to the next responsibility and less time fixing your mistakes and falling behind.
Second, you will become a much stronger communicator. Believe it or not but paying attention to details certainly correlates to being able to communicate clearly. If you have to work on a project with someone, for instance, and your boss is giving you an overview of what to do, you are going to want to take notice of what is being said, mentally or physically by jotting down notes. Otherwise, if you are not, when you relay the information to your coworker you might end up accidentally omitting or misinterpreting key elements. As you can imagine, the project might not come out right, either being incorrect or incomplete.
By actively listening, you can take in all the details as well as ask any clarifying questions afterward. Not only does it show how considerate you are in the workplace, but it will show to clients and those working around you that you are a trustworthy source of information. Once you begin taking these things into account and adapt to a detail-orientated mindset, you will start to see your success at the workplace take form.
How To Develop Detail-Orientated Skills?
In a nutshell, developing detail-orientated skills is all about consistency and that means a whole lot of time management. You can start off with the biggest part by coming to work on time and being sure to communicate when you might need a sick day or have an emergency. It may seem small, but your clients and employers will appreciate how you respect their time and see you as committed to your duties.
It is also a good idea to make a to-do of all your tasks with the pending deadlines at the beginning of your day so you can schedule accordingly and keep to it. The list can either taken down on paper, in an agenda, or on your phone; it does not really matter where. What matters is that you stick to the list so that you are always staying productive and not forgetting anything.
Also, make sure to always check your work. Slow down and look at everything before turning in that report or scheduling that Facebook post. Do not be in such a rush. Do not skip out on proofreading everything and being considerate of the words you might be typing or saying. It is better to get things done right with a slight delay than quick and wrong.
But no matter how detail-orientated you can possibly be, you are bound to slip up once in a while. Do not be discouraged, however, because you can apply your skills here too. When you notice a mistake, make sure to fix it as soon as possible. Do not deny communicating the error. This is where paying attention to details comes into place as here you should explain what the mistake was and what steps you or the other person need to take to correct it, if possible.
Getting into the habit of doing these things will surely help you grow as a trustworthy and efficient worker. When developing your detail-orientated skills, also do make sure that you are not burning yourself out and are not focusing too much on getting things right. Yes, focusing on details is good but it will not always be your saving grace when an unsuspecting wretch messes with your plans.