Knowledge is a gift that should keep on giving.
I have attended many seminars and training courses with various leaders, and one thing always stands out: the most successful businesspeople I know don’t just listen to and absorb information; they act on it. They don’t act on everything they hear, but when something resonates with them, they tend to act quickly.
Far too many of my colleagues and clients view seminars and workshops as one-time events; they don’t see them as an ongoing and accountable commitment to their own professional development. As a result, a great deal of useful information is lost to the demands of their busy schedule and their inability to sustain focus. I have certainly been guilty of this myself. When you invest in training, you should expect a return on that investment, but the results will only occur if you apply what you’ve learned.
Knowledge without action is just the passage of time. Life rewards those who continually strive to learn and get better at what they do. Besides hard work, what often separates people who are highly successful from those who are moderately successful is the willingness to be proactive and do the work necessary to gain the skills and tools that will secure their future. You should never assume that yesterday’s answers will solve the problems of today or tomorrow. While experience does bring wisdom, it must be balanced with a concerted effort to get smarter and more effective at what you do.
There is no shortage of resources available for professional or personal development. The internet has made this information accessible in ways previous generations could not have imagined. It’s easy to find seminars or lectures that address topics of interest to you, but what matters most is what you do with the information. A Harvard MBA is useless if you don’t properly leverage the experience, while a community college degree can be invaluable if you make the most of it.
The next time you engage in a training opportunity, I encourage you to walk away with 2-3 tangible action items that make sense to you and then ensure they happen. Approach any learning opportunity with a clear idea of what you want to get out of it before you begin. Come prepared with a list of questions that you want to get answered. Knowledge always resonates best when it is relevant. You will be surprised at what you can do when you develop these habits and consolidate activities over time.
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