Change is one thing that is certain in today's business world. New products and services enter the marketplace at rates faster than any time in history. Concepts move to products and services with the assistance of new technologies and innovations for development and creating awareness. New ways of doing business, solving problems and delivering results are constantly appearing on the business scene.
There is change and then there is experience. Experience is one of the greatest sources of learning and improvement. We learn from our successes and from our mistakes. Sometimes learning is obvious. Other times, learning is not obvious to us and needs to be introduced to us by some external source.
Constant change and experience generate the need for periodic refreshes of our skills and the way we approach our jobs. Refreshes place us on the Continuous Improvement path. Through Continuous Improvement, we adopt more effective ways of performing our jobs or utilizing our product - our skills, capabilities and qualifications. Continuous Improvement also enables us to consistently fulfill our brand promise.
Following are things that we can do to place ourselves on the Continuous Improvement path.
- Read and research new concepts and techniques.
- Add new skills to our product line.
- Participate in professional organizations to discover ideas through interaction with professional peers.
- Learn from our kids.
- Start or join a professional discussion group.
Designating a specific time will help you focus on reading and research. For instance, you could designate Wednesday evenings as professional research night. A small block of time each day such as 7:30-8:00am may be better for some of us.
Colleges and universities update their curriculum to stay current with the needs of the business world. Taking an updated version of a course that you took in college or taking courses to supplement what you learned will keep your skills current.
Professional organizations provide forums for people with similar interests to share their experiences and learning. By sharing with individuals in our fields, we become aware of new ideas, concepts and trends. Adopting new ideas, concepts and trends will enable us to stay even or get in front of the change curve.
Today's youth are sometimes exposed to new ideas and technologies before adults. For example, our youth adopted Facebook quicker than adults. Adults thought of Facebook as just a way of socializing. We came to realize that Facebook is an effective means of networking. Barriers to change are lower for youth. They will try while we are thinking about trying or even resisting. We can learn from the trials of our youth.
Professional groups can range from informal gatherings to coaching groups. Coaching groups enable its members to focus on specific subjects and to share ideas and experiences. Facilitation provided by a coach maintains focus. Group coaching is a lower cost alternative to one-on-one coaching.
As we wrap up the You, Inc. series, I would like to share an article in the March 23 edition of Time Magazine. The edition was dedicated to 10 Ideas Changing the World. The first idea was Why Your Job is Your Most Valuable Asset. Our 401(k) investments and real estate holdings have lost value during the current economic downturn. Much of the lost value was beyond our control. However, we can exercise a great deal of control over the value of our job. You, Inc. is a process that can help us get the most value from our most valuable asset, our job.
Are you interested in maximizing the value of your job?
Linwood Bailey
Principal
Fields of Success
Career Management Partners
