Training to build skills may take us in new directions…but in many ways the new territory will appear to be very familiar. Building new skills enhances us, sharpens us, and enables us to master the basics – which is always the foundation of any success we achieve. However…
When you are considering your training goals for this year, try to tap into your natural strengths, your natural tendencies, and your natural orientation. And hone and sharpen that even more….
Here’s my experience
For example, I tend to be very analytical, as I like structured thinking albeit with a strong creative side.
I have an engineering degree…and MBA.
A while back, I moved in a new direction by building skills in a new area – Lotus Notes. Later, few years ago, I enhanced my background and experience with the PMP certification. Three years ago I earned the Six Sigma Green Belt certification. Last year I earned the ITIL Foundation credential.
While these were all changes, they also proved to be familiar territory! To a large degree, they leverage analytical skills and do require a certain thread of creativity.
What about your experience?
What are your natural tendencies? Where are your skills right now? Where were they a few years ago, and where do you want to bring them?
Here’s some food for thought:
A friend of mine went to a musical camp last year. There were world-class musicians in attendance.
These are seasoned musicians who go on tour…
…but the interesting thing was that they independently agreed on one thing, as here’s what my friend heard from several of them, independently:
“The thing I hate the most about being on tour is there’s no time to practice. I love to practice.”
We all have natural talents. And we need to use them, to practice them, to develop them! We all have things that we like to do, at which we excel, that make us uniquely qualified to do what we do.
Our job is to hone our natural talents, as these will be the basis for our most lasting contributions, whatever we do.
So…don’t look for magical answers or solutions. And don’t try to be something that you’re not because it appears there might be opportunities… Instead, rely on your own natural strengths, and good old hard work, persistence, and mastery.
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John Reiling, PMP
PMTrainingOnline.com
