How to Stay Relevant During Chaotic Times: Never Stop Learning

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During this tumultuous year, we’ve seen layoffs, reorganizations, and soul-searching at organizations in every industry. It’s been a chaotic time. But through it all, when we talk to our colleagues and clients, the same theme keeps coming up: the need for talent.

Organizations need strong leaders more than ever. They need resilient, dynamic teams. They need people with skills that evolve with the needs of the business. In uncertain times, we rely on leaders and team members who stay calm, who keep their eye on the well-being of their colleagues, employees, and customers, and who look for solutions instead of sowing doubt and negativity.

The pandemic has upended “business as usual.” In order to survive and thrive, we’re all going to have to change, learn, and push ourselves out of our comfort zones.

How do we do that, both as individuals and as teams? In my last post, I offered ways to keep the business tempo up and avoid hibernating during the long winter to come. Today, let’s look at ways that you can make an individual commitment to learning the new skills you need to thrive, even in times of major change, stress, and uncertainty.

Step 1: Commit to Your Own Development

Even before the pandemic, major changes were underway. The World Economic Forum predicts that 85 million jobs will be displaced by technology by 2025. The upside of this shocking figure: 97 million new jobs will be created. 

What can you do with that data? Recognize the need for change and commit to your own development. No one is going to take your future more seriously than you. 

Step 2: Take a Skills Inventory

Begin with honest self-reflection. Ask yourself:

  • Where is my industry headed?

  • What technologies will disrupt my industry?

  • How will my customers’ needs change in the next 1-5 years?

  • What are the most important trends in my industry?

  • What are my current skills?

  • What do I need to learn to stay relevant?

  • What are the key skills I’d like to develop? (Consider hard skills like coding, AI, and writing — and soft skills like resiliency, flexibility, and empathy.)

  • What is my relationship with learning? How can I become more open to learning and getting uncomfortable?

  • How comfortable am I with change?

If you aren’t sure how to answer these questions, ask for advice from your mentors and managers. They likely have input on your strengths and the areas you need to develop.  

Step 3: Make a Plan

Then, make a plan to incorporate more learning into your routine. Could you set aside time every week or two for learning and development? Is there a specific course your organization offers, or a graduate-level class you could enroll in?

Here’s more good news: The number of free resources is greater than ever, and growing every day. 

In the ideal world, companies invest in training and development for their employees. But even if your company’s budgets have been cut in this area, you can still develop new skills. 

Lots of development can be done with no budget, so get creative! Who can you shadow to learn more about an issue, a customer, or a situation? What is the must-read book that your top-performing colleagues recommend? What skills can you work on with a mentor or with your manager? Which financial reports or filings should you be following? 

When I retired from the corporate world and started consulting, I had to find creative ways to continue to fuel my learning and development. Even without corporate training budgets, I stay connected and curious through free and low-cost resources like participating in Twitter chats, listening to podcasts, reading online industry publications, and attending virtual conferences and events. 

The bottom line:  To stay relevant and valuable, it’s up to all of us to constantly gain new skills, be open to reinventing ourselves, and push ourselves to grow and develop. Organizations need resilient leaders to help them survive and thrive. You have the opportunity every day to become more resilient and more prepared to lead. Will you take this opportunity or watch it pass by?