What does personal growth mean to you? Grade 5 piano? A PhD? Or is it just staying on top of all the new technology we’re using to stay connected?
In business terms, growth is the process of improving some measure of an organisations success and often relates to increased revenue or reduced costs. In either case, it’s the employees within a company that make the biggest contribution to its success.
In the shoulder pad wearing 80’s, personal growth was linked to power, with enterprises dictating who would or wouldn’t make the cut for the next round of Excel of Powerpoint training or the coveted executive retreat.
As decades rolled by and hierarchical structures flattened, the internet made it easier for individuals to help themselves and today there are limitless possibilities to learn new skills. So why aren’t we taking full advantage? Perhaps we need to move our thinking away from the old mentality that linked learning directly to a pay rise or promotion and towards self-improvement as a long-term career strategy.
Choosing yourself means not waiting for a job crisis to prompt a skills refresh but instead actively looking for opportunities to enhance your existing knowledge and, as a direct result, your future prospects. Such investment helps you remain relevant to the job market and eminently employable for as long as possible and with an ever increasing retirement age that’s something we should all be striving for.
Whether you’re a workaholic or a clock-watcher, your worth is measured by your ability to do the job you were employed for and regardless of industry, it’s the self-motivated who climb the ranks and prosper.
So how can you turn the theory of personal growth into practice? Start by applying SMART goals to your learning.
Specific
What are your business objectives for the year ahead? How does your job support their achievement? What additional skills might be needed to make you the expert? Once decided, look at sites like Udemy, Skillshare and Future Learn to find relevant training.
Measurable
What will success look like to you/your manager/your company? Having a clear target focuses the mind. This could be something simple like committing yourself to listen to a podcast series. Try Marketing Over Coffee or Ask Gary Vee for starters.
Achievable
How much time do you have to dedicate to personal growth, given your existing work and outside commitments? Be honest and choose a format that appeals to your own style. Creative Live and Curious offer snack sized learning for even the most time poor.
Results Orientated
Achievement doesn’t have to be tied to accreditations or certificates. Bookmark sites like Guides, TedEd and Degreed for instantly actionable learning.
Time sensitive
Setting short term goals is an easy way to encourage your efforts. It only takes seven days to form a new habit, which could reap lifelong benefits. What could you learn this week? Download an app like Lynda or Quora and rather than donating your commuting hours to social media you could be honing a whole new set of skills.
Denholm find and place candidates that grow businesses every day. If you know you could be achieving more, start by talking to us.
