I’m scared. We are all scared. It’s natural to be scared and anxious when faced with an unprecedented situation. Some of us joke about it. Some people buy toilet paper (guilty). Some people share a ton of information and become overnight medical experts. We all respond in different ways when faced with uncertainty and a disruption of this magnitude.
I was talking with my brother, a local middle school math teacher, last week about how he plans to invest his time now that school is out of session for 3 weeks in the state of Michigan. He wasn’t sure what was going to happen but had some ideas for ways he could use this time to innovate his teaching to help his students. We are seeing this type of innovation on a global scale as major industries shift to address the needs of their "customers".
As life changes for you in this season of disruption, I want to support you in seeing this shift as an opportunity to grow and learn, personally and professionally. Embrace this powerful moment in our lifetime for creating future value by growing your capacity to contribute and lead.
Many of you are now working remotely and adjusting to a new routine of work and life. Just the shift to working remotely will increase your free time by 8.5 hours every week. Add to this total the amount of time freed up through the cancellation of events, sports, and family activities.
As you experience the sudden slowdown of your daily routines and commitments, consider investing some of your found time in growing your career.
DISCLAIMER: First, I recognize that many of our friends and neighbors are on the FRONT LINES of tackling this pandemic and we want to support our first-responders, nurses, doctors, childcare workers, institutional leaders, etc. in any way possible. Our attention to personal and professional growth is only possible because these amazing leaders are living out their calling right now to keep us all safe and healthy (Good hygiene language here). Second, your job responsibilities, family, and community are also really, really important.
Here is my list of 11 ways you can invest your time to grow your career in this uncharted season of disruption.
1. Take a Nap or Go for a Run/Walk
You are tired. We are all tired. The most important thing for you in the next 3 weeks may be to rest and recover from the trauma of this season. Your health and wellness can give you the capacity to contribute. Sleep and exercise can get lost when uncertainty is high. These simple commitments can give you the right frame of mind to learn and grow.
2. Connect with your “Top 5”
There are two ways you can think about this idea. One, take time to invest in understanding your top strengths in the Strengths finder inventory with Gallup. Second, reflect on your “top 5” people and reach out to them. Tell these friends, family, and supporters how much you appreciate them and encourage them this week.
3. Clarify your personal “Why”
We don’t arrive at our intended destination by accident. Spend time reflecting on what you really want in your career, in your life, and what impact you want to make professionally. Clarifying your core purpose will help bring your goals into focus.
Draft, refine, and finalize a simple purpose statement that articulates your personal "why". This will take time, reflection, and perhaps feedback from people closest to you. This exercise is also much easier to explore when you are well rested!
4. Take Stock of your current Job Performance
If you were to be brutally honest with yourself, what grade would you give your current job performance? Name the roles and responsibilities you’ve done really well, embrace your accomplishments, and own your limitations. What strengths do you want to build upon and what challenges do you need to address?
5. Eliminate the Clutter
Activity is not the same as progress. Examine your current job description, if you have one, and evaluate it task by task. What activities are leading to the outcomes you want and what is wasting your (and your companies) time? What isn’t happening that should be, what are you doing that could be added, and what needs to be eliminated? The art of elimination, clearing away the activities that aren’t leading to the results you need, is essential.
The same art of elimination is true for your workspace, either at home or in the office. Simplifying your workspace and your job description can help grow your impact and keep you in "flow" more of the time.
6. Define your 90/180/365 Goals
Take a short, medium, and long view of your upcoming year. What personal and professional goals can you set for 90 days, 180 days, or by this time next year? Write down the 3 most important goals for each timeline and share them with someone who will support and encourage you to follow through.
7. Find a new mentor (and mentee)
Find someone who will invest in your growth and development during this next season of your career. Who has the experiences you outlined in your “why” that can guide you? Invest in yourself and find a leadership coach that can help you take your career to the next level.
As importantly, make yourself available to support someone else in their professional journey. It is critical in these times to choose generosity and abundance over scarcity and greed. We retain 90% of the information we teach others, so find opportunities to give back.
8. Update your #LinkedIn Profile
Your profile is your virtual connection to the world. Are your profile and core messages aligned with your “why” and represent the contributions you want to make in your industry? Maybe it’s time to refresh your descriptions or choose a new profile picture.
9. Host a virtual meetup with your network
If you have time to invest, others are probably in the same place. Initiate a meetup (via #Slack, #Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc.) with your network or build some new connections. Choose a topic that interests you to discuss, or just reach out individually to connect 1:1 with people you have not talked to in far too long.
10. Level Up with a new skill (or two)
Some of the best career advice I have received is to follow your curiosity. What are you most interested in learning? How can you apply that directly to your job? You may find it helpful to see a list of the top in-demand hard and soft skills employers named for 2020. It may be as simple as picking up that book you have wanted to read for a long time.
Search the 1000's of online learning courses at Udemy or upgrade your LinkedIn account to gain access to the #LinkedInLearning platform. I have taken courses on both platforms and learned great things from highly engaging trainers on almost any topic you can imagine.
11. Write a 10x Content Article
I may not be modeling this idea with this article, but I love the concept of “10x content”. Basically, “content that is 10 times better than the best result that can currently be found in the search results for a given keyword phrase or topic.” 10x content elevates your message and content above the surrounding noise. What topic are you most energized by in your work? Study it in-depth (if you haven’t already) and create a piece of content (video, article, infographic, etc.) that makes you proud. Share and repeat!
Conclusion
I hope this list is helpful for you or others in your organization and network during these challenging times. This is a collective opportunity to be creative, learn new things, and connect more deeply with our closest people. I want to encourage you to seize this opportunity to grow your career in the midst of disruption.
I’d love to hear your suggestions for how we can grow our careers. What growth ideas would you add to the list? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comment section below.
Thanks for hanging in there long enough for me to say, "thanks for reading",
Matt V.
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Matt Visser is a Senior Consultant with Design Group International. He has invested over 19 years in growing nonprofit organizations and his greatest joy is empowering adaptive leaders to tackle complex problems.
To learn more about Design Group International and its’ work helping leaders and organizations transform for a vibrant future, visit http://designgroupinternational.com.