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. 

Professional growth areas of focus include the organization, the industry, and the market. The industry can also be thought of as the career field, while the market can also be thought of as the customer segment. 

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. 

Good examples of having different markets within one industry are the legal and medical industries where lawyers and doctors focus on specific markets or customer segments. The real estate industry is another good example, which has two major markets of commercial and residential real estate. 

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). 

Think gyms (memberships), personal trainers, life coaching, family counseling, restaurant rewards clubs, or even healthy food truck services during lunch time, for large businesses away from business centers with restaurants. Healthier employees equal less sick leave and increased productivity.

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.

Professional growth forces include knowledge, skills, relationships, and technology. The common assumption is that most new employees (new to the industry or young) are not expected to have much strength in these forces. 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

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