A Professional Growth Plan Can Help You Be More Effective & Efficient

Professional growth is to gain knowledge that helps you become more effective in the workplace. Professional growth is most effective when based on a good foundation of personal development.

Holistic Professional Growth (based on my book Opportunity Truth)

Foundation of strength: This includes applying the professional growth forces (knowledge, skills, resources, and relationships) to the professional growth areas of focus (your role, organization, industry, and market).

Art of purpose: This can be your professional career plan or strategy, your organization's strategy, or, best case scenario, both. 

Science of momentum: Professional growth science of momentum brings the same personal growth science of momentum to the workplace, including goal setting, productivity, grit, and investing. 

An industry can be thought of as the career field, while the market can also be thought of as the customer segment. Consider the legal industry, most lawyers specialize in a specific customer or market segment, like tax law, small business, family law, or real estate. The real estate industry has two basic markets, commercial and residential, which can be subdivided further. Consider the medical industry, most independent doctors specialize in a specific area (customer or market). 

You can keep up to date on many industry trends at IBISWorld’s website, including the fastest growing and declining, most profitable, highest profit margins, highest labor costs, and the most and least risky industries. They also have specific industry reports for different countries. 

Business in general has two main approaches, business to business and business to consumer. However, I submit that some business to consumer markets could sell their products or services to businesses (for their employees). Such B2B for B2C businesses could include gyms, personal trainers, life coaching, family counseling, restaurant rewards clubs, or food truck services.

The most important professional growth area of focus is the organization. When an organization deliberately develops a healthy culture it brings out the best in everyone, otherwise it causes people to be disengaged.

The common assumption is that most new employees (new to the industry or young) are not expected to have much knowledge or experience in these areas of focus. This provides a natural opportunity to set yourself apart from other new employees, by choosing to self-study the organization, industry, and market. 

You could increase your knowledge and understanding of your industry or market by reading some books, reading blogs, listening to podcasts, watching videos, or set a free Google Alert specific keywords for your industry or market and they will email you links to online articles each week. 

You could join an association or publication that covers the industry you are in. These often provide helpful updates on what is going on in the industry. You could also attend a trade show or annual industry event where they usually provide helpful training and networking.

You could volunteer part-time to gain relevant skills and increase relationships. However, this might not be a good idea in some industries or markets, just be careful you are not going against any policies in your organization, consider getting it approved by your supervisor. 

You could explore relationships in the industry or market through social media while also increasing your knowledge and understanding. You could also explore the technologies that could be helpful for your role in the organization, or for the organization itself. 

• So Good They Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport
• Linchpin, and The Dip both by Seth Godin 
• Mastery by Robert Greene
• Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans
• The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann
• Give and Take by Adam Grant
• Principles by Ray Dalio
• Sizing People Up by Robin Dreeke and Cameron Stauth
• The Proximity Principle by Ken Coleman 
• Rise and Grind by Daymond John
• Limitless by Jim Kwik
• Switch by Chip and Dan Heath
• Influence by Robert B. Cialdini
• Decisive by Chip Heath
• The E Myth Revisited has specific books for real estate agents and investors, dentists, contractors, and HVAC contractors

Executive Minds, Happen to Your Career, Career Tools, Career Cloud Radio, People Behind the Science, Repurpose Your Career, Invest Talk, Center for Investment Excellence, Mind of a Millionaire, Technology Revolution, Trailblazers, Unprofessional Engineering, The Engineering Career Coach, The Civil Engineering Podcast, Healthcare Executive, Restaurant Unstoppable, Eaters Digest, A Deeper Dive, Running Restaurants, Gym Secrets, Bigger Pockets Real Estate, Real Estate Uncensored, Best Real Estate Investing Advice Ever, Aviation Week, Airline Pilot Guy, MotorWeek, Under the Hood, Automotive News Daily Drive, Lodging Leaders, Suite Spot, Hospitality Design, Insurance Law, The Communicators (IT & Telecom), The Construction Leading Edge, The Art of Construction, Advanced Manufacturing Now, The Manufacturing Show, The Logistics of Logistics, and Leaders in Supply Chain and Logistics.

I want to highlight the Jordan Harbinger Show because he talks with some of the most successful professionals and leaders, about some of the most controversial topics, and often considers both sides of the topic. His website also has a great page titled “Starter Packs,” which provides many individual podcast episodes within a topic, to help you find helpful knowledge. Some of the Starter Pack topics include Entrepreneurship and Investing; Success and High Performance; Failure and Resilience; Communication; Debate and Negotiation; Women at the Top of Their Game; Technology and Futurism; Cyber Warfare; Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement; Cults, Scams, and Conspiracies; and Abnormal Psychology.

TED talks, iBiology Career and Professional Development, Association for Talent Development, Learning Technologies, eLearner Engaged, and Leadership with Mike.