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No. 8: COMMIT TO ONGOING EDUCATION
STEP (OR HIKE) OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE
Editor’s Note: Following is the last part of our eight part series called, “Better Next Year,” by Fred Ode, CEO, chairman and
founder of Foundation Software..
This summer, I let go of
familiar.
In response to my
body’s need for a physical
challenge and my brain’s
demand for mental clarity, I took off
on a solo backpacking trip through
the Appalachian Trail. In just over
two weeks, I covered more than 140
miles in Virginia and Tennessee and
dropped twelve pounds along the way.
I also went for days without showering,
endured several severe thunderstorms
and slept outside alone (except
for the mice and other wild creatures
I heard in the night).
Was it worth it? Absolutely. By
stepping outside of my comfort zone,
I was able to reach a new height of
accomplishment. I felt stronger, more
capable and (dare I say) younger. Best
of all, I learned an invaluable lesson:
The only way to really grow is to take
on something totally new and unfamiliar.
Now, I am not suggesting that
everyone needs to go to such extremes
for personal and intellectual growth.
But everyone, regardless of who they
are, needs to continue learning and
improving, or they’re done. In order
for your construction business to
grow and avoid extinction, you must
push yourself and your employees
beyond the familiar.
I’ve met many contractors over the
years who are “doing well” and who
know how to do their jobs because
they’ve been at it for a long time.
Having reached a certain level of accomplishment, however, many slip
into cruise control and feel no need to
fix what isn’t broken. Yes, it’s easy to
get stuck in our comfort zone, but it
can be costly, too. When we limit our
learning, we limit the possibilities for
new opportunities and growth.
Learn to Strengthen Your
Weaknesses
The first step to ending complacency
involves taking stock of your
strengths and weaknesses, both on
a personal and organizational level.
To be better in your job, and to make
your company better, the greatest
challenge is to improve in your
weakest areas.
With an honest and humble
approach, you need to ask yourself
the tough questions: “What am I
avoiding or putting off due to a lack
of comfort?” and “What areas make
me feel incompetent or uneducated?”
Then force yourself to learn or accomplish
something new on a regular
basis. Finally, put your employees to
the same test. As you each experience
the new rewards that come from stepping
outside your “zone,” it becomes
easier and easier to do.
Learn to Accept New
Technology
One area that clearly exists outside
many contractors’ comfort zones has
to do with technology. And mainly,
fear is what holds us back—fear
of learning something new, fear of
having to work harder to learn, fear
of failure, fear of feeling dumb or fear
of changing comfortable routines.
Regardless of the reason, when fear
influences how we approach our jobs,
it affects the bottom line.
Whether we like it or not, technology
is all around us, and it isn’t going
away. Something as simple as e-mail,
for example, is the way business
operates and communicates today. A
contractor who refuses to use e-mail,
therefore, is simply undermining his
company’s ability to compete.
Because technology can appear
overwhelming, it sometimes takes
baby steps to adapt. Contractors need
to focus first on what is useful and
pragmatic for their business and
ignore everything else. Next, they
need to initiate a plan for learning
what best fits with their company
and their employees.
Above all, business owners need
to commit to ongoing technology
training and education for everyone.
Without the full support of management,
fear of technology (in its many
forms) will ultimately shut down the
learning process.
Learn to Be a Newbie
Remember when you were young and
learning something new brought a
rush of excitement? Back then, learning
was fun and inspirational because
you approached life as a student.
Today, however, you are a professional
with years of work experience
and skills under your belt. Admitting
that you need to learn something new
is often hard to grasp for people who
have reached the top of their game.
But it’s also what holds us back.
In Barbara Sher’s book, Its Only Too
Late if You Don’t Start Now, she writes,
“You can learn new things at any
time in your life if you’re willing to
be a beginner. If you actually learn
to like being a beginner, the whole
world opens up to you.”
For construction business owners,
committing to ongoing education is
the last, and perhaps most important,
ingredient to becoming better next
year. The key is to step outside your
comfort zone, strengthen your weaknesses
and approach life as a brand
new student. This approach to learning
makes you a leader, because you
are sending the message that learning
never ends. It is, in fact, the only
way to keep yourself and your business
growing and expanding.
Imagine feeling stronger, more
capable and younger in business—
much like my backpacking experience
made me feel. Why wouldn’t
you challenge yourself to learn and
grow if both you and your business
are guaranteed to benefit from this
newfound clarity? We can all be better
next year by continuing to change and
challenge the status quo.
Fred Ode is the CEO/chairman of
Foundation Software, developer of construction
job cost accounting software
called FOUNDATION for Windows. For
further information on FOUNDATION
for Windows, visit www.foundationsoft.com. Fred Ode can be reached directly
by phone at 800.246.0800 or e-mail
fred@foundationsoft.com. |
