Posts tagged Business Person
Perpetual Student – A Key to Career Security
Oct 4th
I recall being 27 years old and nearing the end of my graduate studies. My grandmother, who never had an unpleasant word for me and had left school after the fifth grade, said: “Stuart, what a shame. You are 27 years old and not working.” I was so embarrassed! Now I am much more than twice that age and still working. I am also still a student — a perpetual student — but no longer embarrassed. Instead, I feel blessed.
Management guru Peter Drucker offered this thought: “To make knowledge work productive will be the great management task of the last century, just as to make manual work productive was the great management task of the last century.” Achieving success and significance requires current knowledge or, more specifically, application of current knowledge.
Each of us should strive to be a perpetual student. Continuous learning and judicious application of new knowledge and skills help us earn career security. By career security I mean much more than job security. Career security means always being engaged, as an employee or independent professional or business person, and doing what we love to do.
How can we continue to learn? The most effective way to be a perpetual student is to seek varying and challenging assignments — so that we learn as we go. “Seek” is probably too soft — we should demand varied and challenging assignments.
Consulting is an excellent platform for continuous improvement via “on-the-job-learning.” The technology-driven and client-driven consulting field demands continuous learning and, at the same time, provides many continuous education opportunities. When our children were teenagers, I recall coming home and telling them about the stimulating consulting work I was doing-new projects, new people, new locations, and new technical and non-technical challenges! The response was a resounding disinterest. Years later, my oldest daughter and two colleagues founded an economic consulting firm in California. My wife and I visited her after about a year. She was so exited about consulting and said something like: “Dad! I am exposed to new projects, new people, new locations, and new technical and non-technical challenges.” I could not have said it better.
Besides the experience route to continuing one’s education, there is also more formal ways such as university courses, seminars, webinars, and self-paced learning. Some employers offer mentoring programs or tutoring and teaching opportunities. Work in different sectors of our economy such as business, government, and academia and gain many useful lessons. Actively participate and sometimes lead committees and task forces formed to carry out well-defined charges. Travel to and experience different cultures. Get out of your comfort zone and learn.
As a result of continuously learning – of being a perpetual student, when faced with a new situation you are more likely to say: “This reminds me of…” You get the idea.
Be Your Own Cheerleader and Believe in Yourself
Aug 28th
When asked, most of us can rattle off a whole list of things we believe in. But if I were to ask you the most important question of all: “Do you believe in y-o-u?” you might come to a screeching halt.
Many times, we go through life picking up the belief system of our families and the values of our friends, without asking ourselves whether the ideas are truly meaningful to us.
You might go along for years without any real problem, and then suddenly hit a wall. Maybe you don’t get the job you wanted or the relationship you hoped for. Suddenly you’re filled with self-doubt, and it’s confusing.
One of the biggest causes of stress and unhappiness is an underlying lack of self-confidence. When you doubt yourself, it’s hard to make decisions because you second-guess yourself all the time, trying to please others and trying not to make a mistake they will criticize or condemn.
Life is full of mistakes! That’s how we learn what doesn’t work, so we can discover what does. At least, we have the potential to learn if we don’t get stuck in regretting the mistakes we make. Looking back over your shoulder all the time means you are going to stumble on the path today because you won’t even see the roadblocks in front of you.
Have faith that you are capable of growing and learning from the things you try that don’t work out so great. Be inspired by the stories of people who surmount their struggles and go on to excel. You can do it, too, even if you aren’t an Olympic champion or a celebrity or an award-winning business person or artist.
Take a few minutes now to make a list of your best qualities. Some of them might be that you are kind-hearted, friendly, generous with compliments, a good team member. Everyone’s list will be different, so don’t worry about whether the list sounds “good enough” – you are enough just the way you are.
Now realize that if you don’t have faith in your own ability to succeed, then who will?
In your own world, be a winner. Focus on your goals and keep striving to learn from what doesn’t work, so that you will find the things that do.
