Time to take responsibility for your own development?
It’s the New Year. Some people have gone back to work after the break with a heavy heart. Some have decided already that the want a new job in 2010 and will be scanning the job pages/sites as I write this.
It’s also the time for New Year Resolutions. They are about change. Change takes time .
Why do so many resolutions fail? Often because they are just too big.
Like any goal breaking a big goal into small chunks to build on is often the best way to go about it.
As human beings – and especially as employees – we hate to feel powerless. That we have no control over our future.
So one important step that we can all take this first week in January 2010 is to consider our own development needs. Ask for feedback from colleagues and your boss to help refine them. Think about your long term ambitions and make sure that what you do now will be useful then.
By all means discuss funding any training with your line manager but if the answer is “we have no budget” don’t use that as an excuse to sit back and moan about how unfair that is – decide what you can do with the resources you have. Not all learning opportunities come with a financial cost.
- Taking a voluntary role with a local group can help develop skills.
- Researching areas of interest on line can improve your knowledge.
- Asking someone you admire to mentor you can add a different perspective to how you view yourself and your skills and talents.
- Offering to listen to a friend and help them work out their future plans if they will do the same for you helps two people at the same time!
The longest journey starts with the first step – how about you take responsibility for that step today?
(With thanks to Wally Bock for this inspiring post )
Jan 07, 2010
Great tips, Jackie – inertia is the biggest barrier to success in some cases, no?
Jan 07, 2010
Thanks Andy…and yes I so agree. Waiting for something to happen – or for someone to make things happen for you – is surely the road to nowhere.
Jan 07, 2010
Jackie hi, sound advice often heard, less often actioned. If you are the type who leaves things to fate, chance, you are never in control, you are spot on the only way to progress is by taking responsibility. To do so though you also may have to confront and overcome self limiting beliefs and underconfidence often the causes of inertia.
Jan 08, 2010
HI John – and thank you for coming by. You make a very good point of course. Perhaps the difference between working in organisations where “develoment needs” are decided by the organisation and not the person – and those with a coaching culture?