by E. Elizabeth Carter
When I am conducting trainings in organizational behavior it is always interesting to me that some participants are actually shocked that there are those in the workplace who have no motivation or desire to move up in their organization and/or take on challenging projects. Instead these individuals are content to just do their job each day, collect their paycheck, and that is it.
However this can come with some consequences. If a person does not make any effort to enhance their professional development it can backfire in the long run. It is not only the perception in the company that they are “not a go-getter” but they also become stale because their skills are becoming obsolete in this ever-changing work environment. Status quo just doesn’t cut it anymore but many don’t realize it until it is too late. So stop with the excuses of lack of time, money, motivation, etc. and do something about it. Being a whiny broken record is not going to get you where you want to be. Be proactive!
This is actually a great time to do a reboot. There are so many options to take classes, network with others, hire a coach, etc. than ever before and you can do it all while in the comfort of your own home. The issue is that you just need to take the first step which is always the hardest. Brainstorm things that interest you even if it is things like cooking, gardening, etc. Then sign up for an online course and see if it works for you or not. It is true that some people are more visual learners and others are not so it is important to seek out the method that works best for you. By trying a low risk course of something you have a particular interest in is the easiest way to determine how you absorb the information. The length of the program could also be a factor to consider as well as how interactive it is.
Hopefully then you can find courses that are more oriented toward your career aspirations. If this does not work for you at all consider joining online networking groups that are more educational in nature where you are with like-minded people. These can be either mastermind or other types of professional groups that have a learning component.
The time to reboot is now; it just depends if it needs to be a major overhaul or just some minor tweaks. The important thing is that to be successful (whatever that definition means to you), you do need to allocate the time, effort, and resources to get it done.
