Yes, but how? How can you and I Open Our World? First, we need to think about this in two arenas both at work and outside of work. The good news is that although the activities may be different in these two arenas, we paint from only one palette. ALL of our experiences, activities, and relationships will help us lead at a higher level.
Here are some ideas to consider to Open Your World at work
- Shadow someone from another department or team
- Work at a clients facility for a dayor longer
- Listen in on customer calls
- Travel with senior leaders from the company
- Have lunch with someone from another department at least once a week
- Serve on a cross-functional team
- Begin collecting best practices from top performers
- Interview recent retirees and seek their counsel on current issues
- Find a mentor (formal or informal) from another department
- Lead anything you canproject team, ad hoc group, work group, fund raising campaign, corporate fitness effort, department meeting, corporate blood drive, continuous improvement team, or Christmas party. Chances are good youll learn more by leading than anything else.
Here are some ideas to Open Your World outside of work
- Travel
- Volunteer
- Find a new hobby
- Learn a foreign language
- Spend time with interesting people
- Read widely
- Do home projectsoutside your comfort zone
- Find a mentor from a field unrelated to your own
- Enjoy the artsmuseums, plays, concerts
- Stretch yourself with adventure experiencesskydiving, white water rafting, scuba diving, mountain climbing, hot air balloon rides, etc.
We live in a big world the best leaders seem to know that. Make the most of it and reap the benefits both short term and for decades to come. How big is your world?
What can you do in the next 30 days to Open Your World?