We sell our time – energy – knowledge – skills – experience – and our great wisdom along with bundles of enthusiasm and in return we get a salary and other benefits.
In my eyes we should have to perhaps register ourselves at Companies House as a Limited Company.
So how are we going to keep the doors of our Limited Company open for the rest of our careers, so that we stay of value and relevant?
We should liken ourselves to the functions and competencies of a business.
Sales Team – the need to talk confidently and positively about yourself is more essential than ever before.
Value creation – What new technologies do we need to keep us up to date and relevant; new ways of working and providing new solutions for ourselves and for those that we work with?
Outsourcing (external support and advice) – Having a great network of people around you for support and advice is essential. A company can’t run effectively and be successful by being reliant on just one person, neither can you.
Consultancy Skills – Essential skills in due diligence and negotiation skills, influencing others and presenting with conviction and originality, will keep you up to date and one step ahead of the game.
Subject Matter Expert – Think of your profession and your expertise, naturally you need to keep that going, but now also you need to become a subject matter expert on yourself as well as your profession.
Value delivery – You need to be exceptionally good at what you do and ensure quality and reliability by staying constant and of real value. Understand how people feel when they deal with you so you become your own customer support service.
HR and Learning and Development – Ensuring you are compliant and understand legislation, as well as continuous development, will keep you relevant. How do you carry out your own skills analysis, so you are what your company and industry need?
Finance – Its vital that you understand the financials and how your business and industry really operate and makes a good return on investment.
Marketing - Like businesses, you need different routes to market to keep yourself employed and to show what you have to offer, but don’t think short term, think long term. What are your ‘future opportunities’? You need to continue to market yourself now and get yourself known for future opportunities. Don’t just live for today’s job, plan for your future.
PR - What does your own PR stand for, what is your brand and how do you want people to see you and feel once they have met and dealt with you? What lasting impression to you want people to take away?
Business Operations – How does it all work? You don’t have to know the details of how all applications and technology work, but you do need to know how to apply them.
It’s a tough challenge to stay relevant and of value. Therefore, you need to commit time to get all these functions and competencies aligned, so you are fit and strong enough to maximise your future opportunities and don’t forget that you will always need bundles of enthusiasm.
Enjoy the Journey
David
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