The world is constantly moving, growing, and changing. You must continually learn and improve your skills to lead and serve others well. If you don’t plan for growth, you might find yourself in a situation where you’ll be forced to build your competency because of shortcomings that show up in your performance.
Often what we learn in school is only valuable as we enter the workforce. When you’re in a classroom, the need and application of the information aren’t immediately apparent. There is so much to learn beyond your formal education. You must develop deep, technical, or functional skills through direct training, on-the-job training experiences, or self-directed learning with in-person guidance or mentorship. You’ll likely engage in a mix of these types of education to learn everything you need to know.
If you want to improve as a software coder, there are several ways to do that. You could work with an excellent coder who can teach you. You could find a formal, standard education program on the specific skills you want to improve. Or, you could seek the information you need independently and validate your learning in the workplace.
Similar opportunities would help you improve in almost any skill or field.
Determining which skills you should pursue is the most critical factor in getting better at a technical or functional skill. You can improve your strengths to go beyond talented and excel through further development.
Beyond improving what you’re already good at, you’ll likely run up against some weaknesses in your career path. No one is good at everything, and you’ll need to grow in specific ways to fulfill your purpose.
CareerTruth challenges you to own your career. Owning your career means you should plan to achieve mastery that builds upon your strengths and talents. Building new technical or functional skills can be an area of development in your action plan. Don’t shy away from the growth before you because of limited or poor prior experience. You’re capable of far more than you realize.
If you are a manager and want to be an executive, there are technical skills in finance or your business’s technology you may need to learn to grow in the skills required of an executive.
Suppose you are in sales and you want to move into general management. In that case, you will likely need to learn different functions like manufacturing or marketing to make full enterprise decisions in general management.
Many of these technical or functional competencies are transferable to other areas of your development in leadership or outside your company. The key to great learning is your attitude to ensure you are not just checking a box but motivated to really understand the information and how it is applied.
Achieving mastery that allows you the freedom to build a legacy should align with your purpose.
Say to yourself: “I am learning this new skill to”…insert your purpose statement here. Learning may be easy, or it may be challenging and take time. The more you commit to being an intentional learner, the better you apply the new skill. CareerTruth helps you set purposeful goals that tie to your learning objectives.
Look at the following areas for technical or functional skill development. Discuss your skills with people who know you and your interests. Ask them to be honest about areas you could improve upon your strengths and shore up your gaps.
People Strategy and Human Resources
Marketing & Brand Management
Digital & Performance Marketing Services
Sales and Sales Enablement
Client – Professional Services
Finance & Accounting
Strategic Planning
Manufacturing
Supply Chain
Quality and Regulatory Affairs
Software Product/Service Development
Research and Development
Information Technology & Infrastructure
Data, Analytics, and Informatics
Innovation Strategy & Process
Doing this work well should feel good and proactive. Imagine, when you’ve completed this work with CareerTruth, you know your purpose and prioritized goals, and you plan to meet with your manager, HR department, peer, mentor, Board of Advisors, or CareerTruth Coach to discuss how you can be better at your new skill.
Everyone wants to help someone with this type of spirit for growth. In today’s modern, connected world, there are plenty of courses, online resources, work experiences, and people around you who want to support you. No matter the topic, you can figure out a way to learn it intentionally.