Learn to succeed

The proverb “Today a rooster, tomorrow a feather duster” couldn’t be more relevant in our inexorably changing world today. There is a dire need to stay relevant and positioned for success in these times of shifting paradigms. Needless to add, for executives managing to stay ahead in this constant state of flux can be especially demanding.

A recent post here on LinkedIn on the most in demand skills for 2017 is bound to make a few feel vulnerable. Prognostications of AI and robots replacing some of today's workforce don’t help either. Ongoing professional development, therefore, may be the key to succeeding in this environment and maintaining a sustainable competitive advantage . Here’s the elephant in the room - many of us are in denial that our skills are rusty, or that we need to acquire new competencies, given the current stages of our individual careers. Inertia and perhaps sheer confusion on what skills are going to be relevant for ‘me’ tomorrow are usually the reason for this denial. To change the status-quo and as a first step, the question of individual developmental needs must be answered through the rigors of self-reflection. 

For me, the blow below my belt was my 12 year old asking me ‘How do you make metal things from 3D printers?’ last year. I had sat smug, reveling in the fact that I had amassed invaluable experience in diversified manufacturing only to realize that parts, components, assemblies and all kinds of finished products could now be made quicker and cheaper by 3D printers. I began by ‘YouTubeing’ it (video) and over time familiarized myself more with the technology and its applications with some hands on experience. The point is, that the skills which we acquired in classrooms yesterday and the experience that we are so proud of today, may not help us cut the mustard tomorrow.

The good news is that learning new skills (technical or soft) or improving on old ones, is now easier than ever before. The avenues to learn are endless. I for one, milked the recent LinkedIn Learning promotion and brushed up on things like Lean 6 sigma, SCM developments, Online Marketing, Operations Management,Cash Flow Analysis, Growth Hacking and much, much more. The most obvious places to go are:

•         www.Slideshare.net  Discover-Share- Present is the banner that greets one on the landing page. No matter what the topic; there is bound to be a presentation, infographic or document that you will find useful on your particular subject.
•         www.lynda.com (LinkedIn Learning) offers thousands of video courses on business, technology, creative skills and executive learning.
•         www.youtube.com The Google of AV content. It takes a little effort to sieve down to specify videos but it’s an invaluable resource for learning about emerging technologies and new skills.
•         www.Ted.com If you haven’t experienced Ted then you’re playing the troglodyte. Yes the talks are primarily on technology, entertainment, design and societal development but there are some riveting videos on business relevant topics to explore too https://www.ted.com/topics
•         Apple Appstore/ GooglePlayStore. ‘There is an app for everything’. Search for subjects like project management, six sigma etc. Bingo!
•         Newsletters, Blogs & Curated Content. There are a plethora newsletters from sources that one can sign up from. HBR, Mckinsey, The Economist and others offer great targeted content for executives. The weekly HowesDubai blog is an excellent roundup of the regions economic and financial news. Subscribe to the ones that add value to you and then make sure that you actually open the emails and skim them, at the very least.

On a side note, a few great places to hire business experts(on your terms)for services while you focus on growing your business, include Fiverr , HourlyNerd, Upwork and the regional clone Nabbesh .Whether you’re starting a business, raising capital, needing market research, managing or selling a business, you can hire a subject matter expert to work it for a fraction of the cost of Zegna suited consultant. For inspiration, pay (not really) a visit to www.mashable.com . Like many other sites it’s a millennial hang out for news, trending stories and information. Don’t drown, but stay informed.

Another good way to keep current (&learn) is to spend some quality time with the millennial who are joining our rank and files (the mice joining the rat race- at the risk of sounding impolite) I often pick a subject where I am an initiate and strike a conversation to get the ball rolling. I’ve found these topical conversations to be brilliantly stimulating and their enthusiasm extremely contagious. Apparently, it’s a ‘millennial thing’ to collaborate, innovate and share – awesome!

They say that comfort is fatal, you don’t even notice how it kills your dreams. Up-to-date financial, technical, managerial, and leadership skills are a must to stay in the game. Don’t get me wrong, I am not suggesting that you devour every whimsical management book that hits the shelves but you could be losing your mojo if:

•         You’re a marketer and still a non-believer in big data and the power of social marketing.
•         You’re an HR professional and not already harnessing the power of cloud based software to help employees learn, collaborate, share feedback, set goals and manage teams.
•         You’re an FP&A professional and not leveraging Saas to do the heavy lifting and reading up on IFRS requirements in an increasingly small, but global world.
•         You’re a manufacturer and not moving towards a connected factory (ioT) adopting 2D materials and 3D printing technologies.
•         You’re a in the financial services industry and not on board with the power of emerging FinTech ecosystems & Crypto Currencies.
•         You’re a retailer with weak online presence, not set up for mobile payment or slow at adopting digital in-store
•         You’re a _______________?

Everything is now a service- XaaS.! A term that describes a broad category of services related to cloud computing and remote access.

I’ve been fortunate to have lived across continents, worked in a multitude of industries, held incredibly diverse roles and along the way I’ve had to position myself for success, by building my portfolio of skills. To quote Wayne Gretsky “I skate to where the puck is going to be..” 

Read an article, watch the video, download a podcast, reach out to an expert, enroll for a course or join a group - whatever works for you. No matter where you are in your career, staying relevant professionally will be a big part of your success tomorrow. If you don't invest in yourself, you're probably a bad investment for someone else.

Mene mene tekel upharsin, heed, or you risk going from a rooster today, to becoming a feather duster tomorrow…