As we ease out of Lockdown, and many people around the world try and work out how to “get back to normal” at the office, it is becoming increasingly clear that we are nowhere near normal and won’t be for some time to come.
One of the implications of this is that many organisations are not prioritising staff development at the moment. This is understandable – I am not complaining, I do understand. But if you have a keen eye on your career and growth as a person, you can’t simply wait around for your company to start investing in you again. For the foreseeable future, your development is in your hands.
For the past few months, your world has probably been inundated with webinar opportunities. Some of these have been brilliant. Many have been worth less than the price you paid (and they were free, if you remember – yes, that’s my point). We hope that the webinars our team at TomorrowToday Global put out were valuable. You can find a full list and access the replays at http://oldsite.tomorrowtodayglobal.com/webinars/ and https://www.graemecodrington.com/webinars (yes, they were all free and remain so now).
If you did join us for a selection of these, we’d love to hear back from you about which ones you enjoyed the most. Just reply to this email and let us know.
So now you need to become more strategic and intentional in your choices for self-development. You need to be more strategic by choosing to develop yourself in ways that will make you more relevant and ready for a post-Covid world and the disruptions coming our way in the rest of the 2020s. You need to be more intentional – in this disrupted world we now live in, you can’t wait for your company to develop you, you need to take personal responsibility for your own development.
Our Tuesday Tip is for you to develop yourself with four different sets of online courses / resources / books / webinars / podcasts:
1. Increase your understanding of the changing world, and look for resources that help expand your knowledge of the world around you. Pick one podcast a week that helps you do this. More than just news (which can be so politicised these days), we’re suggesting looking for commentators and smart people who can help you make sense of the future.
2. Specifically look for resources that help you develop a skill you know you will need in the future. If you don’t know where to start with these skills, check out http://www.thefutureofworkacademy.com.
In research we completed a few years ago, we identified eight key sets of skills that we will need in a world of AI, robotics, automation and digital transformation, including: horizon scanning and future thinking, creativity and intuition, diversity intelligence, adaptive intelligence and problem solving, and being tech savvy.
Once you know what skills you want to work on, look for MOOCs (massive open online courses – just do a google search for your topic and ‘moocs’) that offer guided assistance in developing the skill.
3. Do something for personal enrichment and growth. This might be a hobby, an interest, a passion. At the beginning of lockdown I remember a few people saying how excited they were to have time to read books, catch up on boxset series, start a new hobby or even learn a new language. I think only Gwyneth Paltrow has been able to do this.
The rest of us have been working way too hard. But you need to step back from your frenetic lockdown pace, and take some time to develop yourself – not for work purposes, but just for you. For me, it is investing in a wine tasting course through Masterclass. (See below for a bit more about this.)
4. Do something just for fun. Read a novel, watch a movie, listen to an album of music you haven’t listened to in ages – the whole album, from beginning to end.
Take care of yourself, so you can take care of the work you need to do and life you’d like to live. Not just for the next few months, but for all the years that lie ahead. It’s up to you now, more than ever before.
SOME OPPORTUNITIES FROM OUR TEAM:
1. “Around the World in 240 minutes” session with 11 top speakers, hosted by the UK-based Speakers Corner.
THURSDAY, 2 July, from midday to 4pm South African / 11am – 3pm UK time.
Each speaker has 15 minutes to share insights into what companies need to do for the next few months and years to thrive in a disrupted world. Graeme Codrington of the TomorrowToday team is speaking at 2:10pm South African time.
Sign up now at: https://www.speakerscorner.co.uk/blog/around-the-world-in-240-minutes
2. Wine and History Session with master storyteller, Rob Caskie and Graeme Codrington.
SATURDAY evening, 4 July at 7pm South African / 1pm New York time.
This is being kindly hosted by Vergelegen wine estate, and will be an hour of delightful distraction. Learn a bit about wine and wine tasting, and hear an amazingly relevant story about slavery in South Africa, the Groot Trek and the Battle of Blood River.
Register now at: https://bit.ly/2BOoYPD
3. Build Back Better webinar meeting, hosted by the TomorrowToday.Consulting team.
FRIDAY, 17 July at 1pm UK / 2pm SA time.
This is their monthly meeting of business leaders that includes networking, learning from our community and insights into the future.
Sign up at: https://bit.ly/2ZjWoxv
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About the author of today’s Tuesday Tip – Graeme Codrington
Graeme’s breadth of knowledge and expertise makes him highly relevant – essential – in today’s rapidly evolving business world. Along with his formal qualifications and research credentials, he also has a wide range of personal experience and a deep understanding of how people and business work.
Now add his vast experience working with business leaders the world over during the past 20+ years, and you’ll understand why he is the go-to resource for leaders who are gearing up for the future.
Contact [email protected] to invite Graeme to work with your team.
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