As each industry is changing and evolving, experts have to keep up with the trends. In order to stay successful, staying on top of the news and best practices for your company should be a top priority. But with these constantly changing trends, it can be difficult to choose where to put your efforts and investments. Forbes asked their panel of Forbes Coaches Council how leaders can maintain expertise in their field. Let’s check them out below!
- Stay True to Your Values – Linda Zander from Super Sized Success says that in order to keep the success going, one must never lower your values to “become relevant” or that you will lose market share. While making decisions, let your values be the leader in making those choices.
- Consider Trends Objectively – By looking at trends this way, leaders can accept or reject the findings. Adopting a trend blindly could harm your company, so stepping back and looking at each trend objectively will help you come to the right decision. – Frances McIntosh, Intentional Coaching LLC
- Leverage News Apps and Google Alerts – Once you get to a certain level of industry expertise, that sticks with you. But the topics that are potentially your top focus, are the ones that are doing the changing. In order to stay on top of these changes, use apps/tools like Google Alert to inform yourself about what is happening in the industry. – Karen Rhodes, Shockingly Different Leadership
- Be a Lifelong Learner – Krishna Kumar from the Intrad School of Coaching says there are three goals that leaders should be continually working on. First, embrace being a lifelong learner. Second, be selective at what you put your time and money into. Third, when dealing with limited information, apply critical thinking.
- Speak About Trends – Experts did not gain knowledge overnight. They started with good stories, a strong point of view and eventually developed quality content around the subject. Speaking about these trends, news and industry best practices give the expert some edge in the subject. – Jim Vaselopulos, Rafti Advisors LLC
- Focus on Networking – Networking and speaking with your peers is a great way to stay current. These discussions will not only contain summaries of books and articles but also bring opinions and perspectives.
- Keep Reading – Adriana Rosales from Adriana and Company TM LLC, says “my closest friends are people I have never met.” She has been able to stay ahead on trends because of how much she reads and stays in the know.
- Build Time for Learning Into Your Weekly Schedule – Build your daily routine to include both learning and thinking. Use this time to read, network, strategize and stay up to date on industry trends. – Shefali Raina, Alpha Lane Partners
- Stay Open and Curious – Kate Dixon from Dixon Consulting says sharing what you know and staying open and curious is a great way to maintain industry expertise. Interacting with people in your industry and even outside your industry can help you see new trends and practices.
- Be Eclectic – Treating everything as a learning opportunity will only help you succeed in your industry. Inga Bielinkska from Inga Arianna Bielinska Coaching Consulting Mentoring says, “great leaders of not use a one-size-fits-all approach.”
- Think About Your Audience – What worked for one thing, might not work for the other. Growing your knowledge and learning can help deliver the value your customers are relying on you for. Being an expert in your craft means thinking ahead and being dedicated to bettering all aspects of your craft. – Monica Kang, InnovatorsBox
- Attend Large Industry Events – Going to events like these gives you exposure to changes and trends affecting the industry you’re apart of. You can create new connections and organize meetings with colleagues and clients. – Antonia Bowring, ABstrategies LLC
- Set a Learning Practice that Works for You – Always strive for consistent learning. Successful industry leaders stay curious and think of themselves as a constant learner. Bobbie Goheen from Synthesis Management Group says to always ask yourself, “of this information, what am I already applying successfully and what’s one idea I can add to make me or my team more successful?”
Becoming an industry expert takes a lot of components but hopefully, these 13 tips can help you get ahead of the curve and learn something new! To check out the full article, click here!