Maybe the next promotion looks like it is several years away. Or, perhaps changing jobs is not so appealing because of the uncertain economy. Whatever the reason, there’s no need to put career goals on hold. Instead, people can assign themselves new tasks or volunteer to work on new projects that will lead to personal growth and broader horizons, without necessarily changing jobs.
To gain the skills needed for long term career goals, people can identify a variety of developmental opportunities and incorporate them into their current jobs. Or, they can let their managers know what skills they are trying to develop and, together, they can choose projects that will help them improve in those areas.
Small Projects and Start-ups
These types of projects are available in any company. They provide opportunities to practice influencing skills, learn new content quickly, work under time pressure and strict deadlines, deal with new groups of people, and assume more than just one role.
Small Scope Fix-its
These opportunities are great for team-building, developing individual ownership, improving problem-solving and decision making abilities, and working under time pressure.
Small Strategic Projects
These projects require a different approach and focus. One will need to switch from the operational to the strategic. These opportunities are great for developing an overall understanding of the business, intuition, and for seeing how everything works together.
Formal Courses and Coaching
While research shows that people only retain a small percentage of the learning coming from formal courses, they are still a very useful developmental tool. Training courses provide intellectual stimulation, and, when coupled with a coaching component, they also create an environment conducive to increased self-awareness.
Activities Outside Work
Any type of volunteer work or community service, taking an active role in professional organizations, or coaching children’s sports teams – they all provide numerous opportunities to develop leadership skills, team-building and relationship-building abilities, and work with new people in a non-threatening environment. Since work is strictly on a voluntary basis, the pressure associated with the possibility of “failing” is less obvious.
Finally, it is critical to be aware that, for true learning to take place, one must commit to trying new activities and approaching them in new ways. Assuming that one already knows the best way to approach something is not usually conducive to personal growth. To really learn from the situation, one needs to do things differently and be open to new suggestions and ideas, even if that means getting out of one's comfort zone.
"The mind is like a parachute, it works best when open." (Anonymous)
 |
