Everyone likes a bonus! Over the next couple months, I will be sharing a couple of my favorite career development bonus tips with you.
The first tip I have for you is about the power of teams.
We often think of our career development and growth as just being us. Thinking we have to study hard, work hard and rely on ourselves to push ahead in our career.
The reason we often believe that is because we hear society telling us that same story over and over. For example, I’m sure you have heard stories in the news like “self made millionaire” and other similar stories. They make it sound like the person rolled out of bed, did everything alone and suddenly became a millionaire.
They don’t always tell you about that person climbing the ranks, doing the grunt work and struggling at times along the way. They also don’t always mention the people that supported that person through it all, whether that was family and friends, people that worked with them, or vendors they got supplies from.
The truth is, no one can do it all alone. First, it would be very lonely and not very fun. Second, there are always people in the sidelines helping us along, and that is your team.
Teams have so many variations and you may have many different teams in your life. People may come and go on your teams but there is always a lesson in the relationship and you always come away better in the end, whether that is for knowing better, doing better or learning more.
Have you ever thought about career development via serving? There are many opportunities for you to serve on a team. Look for committees of people doing a project you believe in or want to be a part of. Volunteer for a position of leadership in an organization you are a part of. You will be surprised at how good it feels when you are serving.
One of my favorite sayings is “When you are feeling lost or having a hard time in your own life, volunteer to help someone else and it will make you feel so much better.” I truly believe that is the case and I think you will see the same.
Once you join a team, whether a personal passion you want to be a part of, or a career team that will help you move forward and help you to be more involved, you will realize the benefits of serving others and being included in a group of people that all have similar beliefs to you. It can be so much fun to collaborate together, connect and grow.
Most companies have process improvement/cross functional teams. Let your manager/director know that you would be willing to serve on that team. Perhaps you even have a process improvement idea you would like to spearhead.
Serving in this way is also a great way to meet people from other departments, expand your network as well as grow and expand your knowledge base about the organization.
Take some time to consider the teams you would like to be a part of, or even start your own if it is appropriate.
If there is any way I can support you, please reach out. I am happy to help however I can.
