I am passionate about continuous improvement. It’s a never-ending subject. And business is an ideal place to put it into practice.
Business is accelerating, and it’s always in search of growth.
If you suffer from the imposed rhythm, it can quickly become an agony. If you choose to embrace it, you can live exceptional experiences.
How to participate in this adventure while keeping yourself safe?
After reading more than 300 books on psychology, business, personal development, creativity… and more than 20 years of career where I went from salesman to executive, I would keep these 8 points if I had to summarize how to grow a career.
Photo by Ruffa Jane Reyes on Unsplash
1/Be Proactive.
Assume 100% responsibility.
You don’t have all the control, and you probably never will, but simplify the idea and take 100% ownership.
Your relationship with your boss isn’t working. Ask yourself what you could do to improve it?
Despite all your efforts, the situation is not improving? What can I do to change the situation? Confront him in a discussion to clear things up, look for another job, talk to his boss…
Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
― Viktor E. Frankl
2/Learn
Learn is your best tool to grow. Develop your ability to learn.
Not just the programs offered by the company. But anything that attracts your curiosity and can help both you and your team.
Reading is a growth booster. And it has helped me tremendously in the professional world.
Mr. Covey’s 7 Habits supported me as a salesman, as an executive, and still guides me today as a person.
3/Develop your productivity.
Because everything is moving so fast, your personal organization becomes crucial.
When we talk about productivity, we often think of applications, techniques, but they are only part of the equation and not the most important.
The 4 essential productivity keys in business
a. Start with the big picture and keep it in mind.
What do you want to do professionally? If everything was possible, what would you do?
I still have a mind map I made over 20 years ago. It described my professional options. And at the time, it looked crazy.
Guess what?
I met and exceeded all my expectations. Maybe I should have thought bigger 😀.
What you do today has nothing to do with what you can become tomorrow.
b. Learn to sleep well.
Professional life is exhausting. To be lucid, to make the right choices, you need to be rested and full of energy. Sleep is your best ally. I wish I had understood this earlier.
c. Learn to recover in a hostile environment.
“As soon as I close this project, I’ll slow down.”
There’s no such thing.
The business doesn’t slow down. It’s getting faster and more complex. You must learn to recover in this environment.
The key is to block out time in your schedule only for you and non-negotiable.
Time to think or deal with a file alone, play sports at lunchtime, time in the morning to make music, write, walk….
It’s in these moments that you will recover.
d. The one thing that makes or kills your day
Deciding what you will and won’t do is your most important decision.
Learning to follow through (perseverance) and bring your project to the finish line is crucial.
We tend to start a lot and follow few…
4/Work on your innovation muscle.
You have to change a lot and at the same time persevere. Isn’t it contradictory?
My way of understanding it:
I see a pattern in adopting a flexible mindset in the thought process and a consistent mind when it comes to actions.
We often associate innovation with big projects. But this is far from being the case all the time.
To stand out, innovate every day. Train your muscle.
Without anyone asking you to, regularly brainstorm on improvement topics.
- 10 ideas to improve our service meetings that I can share with my boss
- 10 ideas to improve the cash collection process
- 10 ideas to get more leads….
5/Learn to write.
Write in your journal to analyze your problems, your emotions, to transform your fears into actions.
Write a handwritten thank you card to a colleague, a client, a partner.
Write to explain before a meeting the critical elements of a project and facilitate the decision-making process for the group.
6/Welcome your doubts.
Complexity creates doubts. Will I be up to the task?
Doubt creates fear.
Fear paralyzes you.
Replace that with :
- Cut the complexity into small pieces.
- And take action.
Collect feedback on your first actions and adjust, modify until you find the direction.
Next time doubts knock on your door. Welcome them. It’s not a wrong signal; it’s a chance to grow.
7/The habit of extending your comfort zone.
A complicated case, a risky promotion, if that’s what you want to do. Go for it.
Expose yourself to risk more often.
Practice in everyday life. You’re afraid to jump from 3 meters at the pool, try it. It’s a controlled risk (pool with lifeguard 😀 ) in a secured environment.
8/Develop a hobby/side hustle.
The business is moving fast. What was true yesterday won’t be tomorrow.
A merger, an acquisition, a bankruptcy, a drop in result, no matter how good your work is, your situation can change at any time.
Or simply a desire on your part to do something else, to give another meaning to your life.
Don’t define yourself only by your position. Find and develop passions besides your main career. When you find something you like, invest some time.
It allows you to distance yourself from your primary job.
And maybe one day, you’ll decide to take the plunge and launch your new idea.
Many successful businesses started with a passion. 🙂
To sum up.
Life in the company is challenging, full of complexity, and at the same time exciting. If you have the desire and the energy, you can develop your career, learn a lot and earn a good living.
Enjoy the road.
Thanks, inspiring like always;-)
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