Genie in a Bottle

A rapid twitch of the lips.  That’s what it took for Samantha to change circumstances.  She could reverse her bad decision, change the course of someone else’s poor decision and come up with the best new advertising slogan to capture it all.  You don’t know Samantha?  Oh Friends, get to know her.  I’m sure you can find her on your local oldies television channel.

Alas, most of us don’t have this gift (I could say all, but hey, I’m in HR. I have to be inclusive just in case!).  We are stuck with the gifts we have to deal with life’s situations.  And those gifts aren’t bad, but our attitude about them might be.

Deferring action because we think we aren’t the most qualified or able-bodied person isn’t always the right course of action.  Sure, if you have access to buying expert talent or knowledgeable involvement, do it.  Those resources are awesome and should work together to help you improve your organization.  Sometimes, though, those resources aren’t as readily available.  Or worse, those resources become a crutch to your professional development.

Your development matters.  What are you doing to grow?

• Challenge Yourself – Decide to engage in your own areas of weakness. If you don’t understand compensation analytics, then get together with someone who does.  If that’s not available, read up on it.  Watch some videos.  Listen to a podcast.  There are more resources at your disposal than ever before.
• Attend Events – There are still great opportunities to learn in a group setting. National conferences are awesome, but not every employer will help you get there.  Instead, look for local SHRM, ATD or Chamber of Commerce events.  Register and attend, even if you’re not sure about the topic and speaker.  There are plenty of bad speakers, yes, but there are plenty of good conversations that happen with colleagues afterwards.  Even if your disapproval of the presentation, you’re challenged to think critically and develop your philosophies of engagement/work/HR.  Oh, by the way, there are lots of good speakers, too.
• Volunteer to Present – Think it’s easy? No?    That’s just a reason you should start to present.  And these opportunities don’t need to be grand.  Perhaps host a small group at your office.  Have 3-5 people come over so that you can share what you’ve been learning on a particular topic.  This will help you to articulate your position.  This is of benefit to both the hearer and to you.  It will develop you as a presenter, yes, but more to the point, it develops your subject matter aptitude.

There are other ways to develop, but this sampling can get you started on the right foot.

Sometimes, we wish that things were different.  We wish that we knew more, had more time, etc.  The simple truth is that you do this each day.  There is no magic.  No wands, no spells, no tricks.  Make the choice to invest in your own professional development.

And if you recall, Bewitched was 30 minutes of misunderstandings, missteps and mistakes.  Even witches don’t have it all together.