When was the last time you recommended to your employees that they take some time during the day to "learn" and to think differently? To take some time to figure a better way, a new way. To think out of the box. This is the conundrum facing most businesses today. Businesses are so busy just trying to be the best day-to-day that there is little to no commitment to "reaching for more" and investing in the time to find new. We all know that to stay the same is the equivalent of a slow death. With innovation moving faster than a blink of an eye, it is essential for businesses to commit to "new" ideas, products, services and establish efficient and more creative ways to do business. Just ask a newspaper ad salesperson or someone who works for a printer or someone who worked at Polaroid. Speed is speed and it is here to stay.
In our business, there isn't a year that goes by that we aren't feeling like we belong in college again. It's the commitment to our industry. Learn, learn and learn... stay current. Don't fool yourself. Even if you are in a "slow moving" industry, trust me, there is someone out there searching for a new way to revolutionize a piece of what you do.
Here are five tips to making sure you stay on top of your game in your industry. Trust me, there is a payoff to being forward thinking.
1. Identify three to five bloggers that have a grasp on your industry. If you don't know of any, ask around or search Google to find the best sources. Follow these bloggers.
2. Commit to 15-30 minutes a day to actually read the blogs of the folks you are following.
3. Start your own company blog. If you read something that is interesting, most likely your customers are also going to find it interesting. Re-purpose what you find and add your own personal spin as it relates to your industry. For writing the blog, do not commit to more than you can bite off. For example, if you think that once a month is all you can operationally manage, don't commit to more than that. As you get better at blogging, you may decide that you can do it more frequently.
4. Share what you find with your employees. By sharing your interesting finds, this will encourage them to find interesting information too.
5. Share the information that you read in client meetings. All clients love to hear "what's new" in the industry. They love it when someone does their work for them. Incorporate the information and new ideas you find into your presentations.
Following these tips will surely make a difference in your ongoing learning and sharing curve. There is no teacher standing over your head anymore pushing you to learn more. It is up to you. The above tips are solid first steps to success.
