Keeping fresh vs learning the language
(Pam) I'm in the midst of a dilemma at work. On the one hand I want to learn everything there is to know about tv so that I can talk the same language as them, influence them, impress them. On the other hand I'm supposed to be an outside, fresh perspective that always inspires a new viewpoint specifically from a non tv background. I have to learn the tv language to be successful at influencing and inspiring people with trends, but keep over-steering and forgetting that I'm there not to conform but to challenge! Anyone experienced anything similar?
posted by ROInnovation at 1:27 PM
1 Comments:
I face the same thing at Microsoft. You've got to be able to talk software to really score points with the engineers around campus. However, I don't want to be a hardcore software guy... then I'm not adding value (because we have enough of those folks).
I interviewed someone the other day who stays fresh by committing to become an "expert" in something new every month. Sure, she inundates herself with her own business category, but keeps her mind fresh by always introducing it to new ideas, hobbies and topics. Last month was Japanese rock gardens, the month before was the history of the Congo. The other members of the team do the same, and at each weekly staff meeting, someone presents their new expertise to the group (sort of like grown-up show and tell). That way, they spread metaphors, have laughs, and constantly think about material outside their category. I thought it was a pretty neat idea. You could get your team onboard as well!
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