Wednesday, February 4, 2009

From murky waters to potable water

Seemed like a good analogy. With the valuable assistance of a VIP (very intelligent person), what seemed like a very challenging, confusing and potentially issue-laden project may now have a clear path of least resistance. Should the approach work, it could mean establishing a new and better way forward on processes that are (very) likely to be needed again.

If I ever had any advice for young, career minded individuals, it would be to gather, grow and maximize your network of professional contacts. If you think about each of your contacts' unique knowledge, perspective and experience, and add them to your own (i.e. use their knowlege), you've got one hell of a whack of opportunity, man!

In fact, I don't believe many kids or even us, as adults, put enough stock in the relationship-building aspect of career growth. We think that it is all about doing our job really well, going it alone, even, to independently try to achieve great things. I am coming around to a totally different perspective, and that is that you will get a hell of a lot further by being genuine, asking for input and assistance, utilizing as many of others' resources to bolster one's own abilities, and illustrating a better way forward with a holistic view of your environment that is based on knowledge gleaned not just independently, but by getting information from others and using that information, combined with your own vision, most effectively.

Maybe others will think I am overstating this, but I think it is amazing the amount we can learn from others, no matter who they are. What do you think?

No comments:

Post a Comment