This weekend I am heading to Off the Charts, a conference on creating an on-line business. So appropriate given that I am a total neophyte when it comes to the virtual world. And yet I know it is the new economy. What is a coach doing going to an event like this? Why not a coaching conference?
The answer is simple; having a business, no matter what it is, can be a deep learning curve. I made a commitment to myself that during my first year in business I would invest in learning things I know little about. Next year I will again prioritize where my learning needs to be focused.
In Coaching in Organizations, Blanchard and Miller suggest there are three ways to learn and develop:
- On-the-job Development – coaching, developmental projects and learning through observation
- Social Learning – mentoring and networking,
- Training – conferences, e-learning, classroom courses
It stands to reason that when you put all three ways together the impact can be huge. Blanchard and Miller tell us that case studies where coaching was used to support training, productivity was 4 times greater than for those who weren’t coached. Coaching also benefits the on-the-job development as it helps in retaining and applying workplace skills.
It doesn’t matter whether you are self-employed or work for someone else; to keep relevant and increasing your knowledge, you have a responsibility to yourself to keep learning! And not all pro-d needs to be costly.
Not convinced? There are many more reasons and benefits of pro-d including:
- Keeping up to date with your industry
- Being more productive
- Networking to widen your professional circle and see who else and what else is happening outside your day to day world
- Achieving your career goals
How do you decide what professional development is right for you? Here are 3 questions to ask yourself:
- Has my job or duties changed? If so, there are likely skills to be gained such as learning to manage staff.
- Am I lacking inspiration in my current work? Even you need refueling with new ideas and possibilities.
- Are there new skills emerging that would support my work? This may align with new trends such as in social media and open/big data.
If you answered YES to any of these questions, then it is time for a little well-earned opportunity. If you work for someone else, then approach them with a plan – 3-year goals and how pro-d can support your growth. If you are the owner, why not put 10% of your earnings into a fund for your learning? Then spend it on learning what you don’t already know. Just starting out and funds are low? Try creating a mastermind group with other entrepreneurs. When you pool your skills and expertise, you can learn from each other. It’s all about committing to you and if you don’t do it, who else will?