Put Your Money Where Your Talent Is

In today's ever changing and competitive workforce having talent is not enough. Just because you are aware of your strengths doesn't mean you are able to effectively apply them to the workplace. Strengths and talents must be nurtured and pruned. Tomorrow’s leaders need role models, mentors and learning opportunities.

This is not new information you say? Professional development is an enormous industry and everywhere you turn, organizations and associations are offering certificate programs, certifications and institutes that help prepare the leaders of tomorrow. However, many of us do not take advantage of these opportunities until our employer will cover the expenses or reimburse us.  Inevitably, we are placing our professional futures in the hands of our bosses and human resources departments.

Let's stop and think about this. We work for companies that can at any moment let us go, regardless of how long or how hard we worked while employed. We work for bosses that may or may not see our talents or seek to help us meet our professional goals. And, we are aware of the new mantra that today's professionals must have multiple streams of income and be proactive managers of their own careers. And yet we still wait for others to invest in our future by sending us to conferences, paying for our association memberships and funding our professional development activities.

If today's professional has to be a judicious manager of your career it is important to understand that this includes planning and even funding your own career development when possible. Don't wait for someone else to see your worth or for the budget to increase. Be your own manager, seek out and fund your own professional development opportunities by putting your money where your mouth is.

How do you swim: Treading water or diving in

How you swim may be an indicator of how you approach your work life.  When approaching a pool do you immediately head for the diving board and jump in?  Or, do you hesitantly enter the shallow end and slowly make your way into the water before breaking into a light tread?  Neither approach is right or wrong, but only one approach gets recognition and admiration.

Okay, so my metaphor may be a little far stretched, but work with me here.  Divers are the type of swimmers who are willing to give it their all.  Instead of approaching life with hesitancy, they throw aside their fears and worries and focus on the task at hand - making a good splash.  Those who tread water have a different approach.  They tend to hang around the side of the pool and go through a song and dance on the edge of the pool of how cold the water is. And, finally they slowly enter the pool and begin a cautious tread for the duration of their swim.

Like I said, neither approach is right or wrong.  But ask yourself, which swimmers tend to get recognized and admired by their peers?  And, which swimmers tend to enjoy themselves more at the pool?  The answer is the divers - the ones who toss aside their inhibitions and focus on making a splash.  In fact those who tread water, spend most of their time with other treaders admiring the divers.

I am not by any means implying that we should be reckless risk takers in our professional lives.  Though a good belly splash can't hurt, surely, knowing how to swim and proper diving techniques are also important.  However, what I am implying, is that we have a choice in our business lives to play it safe,  never giving too little or too much.  Or, going for the big splash and diving into opportunity and success.

If anything, at the end of the day, it's the divers who appear to be having the most fun!

The Two Rs: Risk and Rejection

What is keeping you from being "great"?  Is it that you don't have the time to pursue your dreams?  Are your finances keeping you from developing your ideas? Or, is it the people around you keeping you from fully tapping into your talent?  The answer is none of the above!  We can make a lot of excuses for not moving forward in life but they all normally come down to two words: Risk and Rejection. 

Chasing your dreams, developing your ideas and tapping into your talent all require risk.  I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but risk doesn't travel alone.  She has a BFF and her name is rejection.  OUCH!  Does this mean we shouldn't try new things, take on new challenges and pursue the American dram? No, it doesn't.  It means that if you are going to be one of those successful professionals who goes the distance, regardless of your course, then you have to take the two Rs together: take some risks and deal with some rejection.

Rejection is not all bad.  The difficulty is not in being turned down, but in how you respond to being turned down.  Just because you didn't get the job you wanted, were denied a pay raise or passed over for a promotion doesn't mean you don't have what it takes.  Instead of giving up, use rejection to propel you forward.  First, when you are rejected, remember that when one door closes, another one will open.  Second, when you are rejected, consider that the heavens are watching out for you and there is a good reason your path has been averted.  Finally, when you are rejected, never, ever give up.  Sometime it pays to try again, and again, and again....do you get my drift? 

The moral of the story...to move forward, to get better and grow bigger we must learn to overcome the fear and pain of Risk and Rejection.