If a company has no established set of core values, they still operate from values.
They just don’t know what their values are. They are not expressed, but they are still profound.
The best situation for a company is to express their core values clearly. They should be both visible and discussed. They should be understood fully by the staff.
I am blessed to work at a great company, one where we express core values and strive to live them out. They keep us focused; they make us better at what we do and how we do it.
One of our core values is “Pursue Knowledge”.
You might be wondering why this is a core value at our company or any company. After all, don’t most companies hire smart people who already possess all the knowledge needed when they hire them?
Well, that might be true if the world was a static, unchanging place.
We don’t live in a world like that.
The world we live in changes constantly, and that includes the world of business.
A Friend’s Tale
The other day I was talking with a friend. He is a very accomplished executive over 50 years of age.
We were talking about the need for continuing education, in order to stay current in our skills.
He was talking to me about a previous position he held. He told me about the requirements of a position he was considered for at a very prestigious hospital.
He used this exact phrase: “I didn’t keep up with any developments in management or leadership”.
His statement caught me off guard a bit.
But what he was reflecting is a real problem for people in the workforce. If we don’t continue to learn, the “fit” of our skills to a job can begin to degrade.
In other words, we have to pursue knowledge. When we fail to continue adding knowledge, we begin to become irrelevant.
The Antidote to Irrelevance
If we want to keep our skills current we need to add to our knowledge. Here’s how:
1. Read. Frequently. There is nothing more beneficial to adding to our personal knowledge than to read.
2. Read. Broadly. A danger for us is to read solely in our chosen field. Yes, we need to strive to be subject experts. But we also need a breadth of knowledge.
3. Take classes. One article I recently read said that “stacking certificates” may soon become more valuable than a formal degree (or advanced degree). Certification in a given area is already less expensive than a formal degree.
4. Take classes online. This is differentiated from the above only because I want everyone to remember that the Internet allows us to participate in some amazing educational opportunities, frequently at little or no cost.
5. Train someone else in what you just learned. Adult learners internalize what they learn far more readily if they teach it to someone else.
What about you and your company or organization? Are you continuing to add knowledge to your arsenal?
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Thad, your post today is a great reminder to us all. For a long time I have had the habit of regularly reading a book which is in a field NOT directly related to my work. This helps to keep my reading broad and hopefully my mind flexible. I just read a great book helping one understand Autism called, The Curious Incident of the Dog Barking in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon. Now it is back to Priceless: Curing the Healthcare Crisis by John Goodman, which definitely is within my own area of work-life responsibility!
Thanks Tony. I would love to hear more about the book on autism.
I like the “pursue knowledge” value. It’s the core of success. Your first two points start with reading. What an amazing time we live in where you can access and read the world’s knowledge in seconds? But so many people don’t take the time and stay current. The result is like your friend’s comment. And then it’s too late. Small, daily disciplines lead to success.
Thanks for the great insight Skip. I do think we overlook the amazing amount of information available to us. Staying current is so vital. Makes the old “snooze you lose” addage all the more true!
I read on a regular basis and do my best to read on a rather diverse number of topics. I should probably focus on reading on more things related to my niche but I think following some blogs helps me do that to a small extent.
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When I wrote about reading I obviously am including reading web articles (including blogs). Staying current means you stay aware.