Nothing is more gratifying than being identified as an expert in your
chosen career field:
To be the go-to person for questions and guidance
is an overwhelmingly positive feeling. As most career fields are
continually advancing, so should we. We should take advantage of
every opportunity to expand our job knowledge and our awareness
of additional disciplines that can help us grow both individually
and professionally. Learning new skills in leadership, management,
decision- making, process management, operations, planning, and
communications will make us more competitive for new, challenging
assignments and upward mobility.
Knowledge is power:
Knowledge is one of the few things that cannot be taken from
us. We can use the power of knowledge to grow personally and
professionally in whatever discipline we wish to pursue. Falling
in love with learning early in life will pay tremendous dividends.
We can have a dramatic influence on those we care for by helping
them grow intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. The more
informed we are, the more successful we can become.
No matter how many degrees, professional certifications, or licenses
we have, we should never stop learning or taking advantage
of educational events or opportunities to expand our level
of knowledge, skills, and technical expertise. Doing so not only
makes us more effective in our current position but also more
competitive for positions that are more responsible. Further, it
allows us to branch out into other career paths—for example, going
from a technical role to management or leadership positions.
In our technological age, we can acquire knowledge from numerous
sources. Free educational applications are offered daily.
It is just a matter of clicking the right buttons.
Knowledge is essential for personal and professional growth.
Whether we function in leadership, management, or a support
capacity, using our experience and technical expertise to move
the organization to the next performance level will open doors
we never knew existed. Unlike the government, big business
recognizes unparalleled performance much faster and rewards
it more graciously.
Take advantage of organizational subject- matter experts (SME)
and leadership- team members:
Get to know organizational SMEs and leadership- team members
when the opportunity arises during on- and off- campus events
and travel. Many such individuals enjoy sharing their experiences,
lessons learned, and wisdom. Ask them about their biggest
challenge or greatest achievement; the answers may surprise you.
Likewise, be prepared to respond to their questions regarding
your own personal goals.
Take advantage of downtime and travel time:
There are innumerable audiovisual products and applications on
the market—by renowned SMEs—that can be enjoyed during
downtime, during business travel, or while driving to and from
work. Another way to use downtime is to coach yourself to be
more aware of your surroundings and of people’s eye movements,
handshakes, or body language, to name a few examples.
Very few things compare with becoming a subject matter expert
in your job and chosen career field. Not only is it personally gratifying,
it represents a powerful tool in helping others achieve their
goals and those of the organization to be world- class. Knowledge
is power and using it to grow others will benefit everyone.
As leaders, we must identify and grow those individuals who also
share their knowledge with others to strengthen the organization.
Encouraging such individuals to acquire more training in
their specialty as well as management will appreciably benefit the
organization. Giving these individuals greater responsibility will
build a stronger management team.