Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/501801
28 / MAY.JUNE.2015 RINKMAGAZINE.COM As your time with the company grows, seek lateral transfers or increased respon- sibility without necessarily a correspond- ing increase in title or pay. Realize you are making yourself more valuable to your employer and view the stretch assignments as an investment in yourself. Although we are living in a time of an increasing sense of entitlement, we must all take care of ourselves. 3. You can't rest on your laurels Many talented people feel that they do not have anything new to learn in their chosen field. They believe what got them there is enough. They become complacent. They decide they don't need to put in more effort and stop striving for success. When you reach a goal, celebrate your success, but identify your next goal and begin to take action. When you stop mov- ing forward and rest on your laurels, in actuality you are falling behind all the oth- ers who continue to move forward. 4. Staying current Likewise, you need to stay current with industry trends by reading industry lit- erature and blogs. If you are moving into management, read leadership books and blogs. New trends are frequently enter- ing the workplace. You have the choice to be aware of and lead the change or try to catch up — or even worse — resisting the change. Joining industry and trade associations is another way to educate yourself on cur- rent trends. 5. New and old generation A big issue in many industries is getting several generations to work well together. Each generation has differ- ent learning and working styles. You have several options to handle this reality. The first is to do nothing, since it's your fellow employee's responsibility to get with the program. You can leave it to your company's leader- ship to implement a program to fix the prob- lem. The higher percentage choice is to educate your- self on the differences between generations, the issues these differences bring to the workplace and some things others are doing to address them. You can use this infor- mation to change how you interact and to the extent you can, help your company improve their processes. Ben took Jack's advice to heart. After graduating from college, he got a job with another company in another field. His education did not stop when he left school. He subscribes to industry and management blogs, has joined his industry association, seeks out challenging assign- ments and develops relationships with other successful employees at his company. He has been identified by his management as a high-potential employee and is one of the youngest employees at his level. Ben's future is bright. Amazing what a chance encounter in an elevator can do. J Walt Grassl is a speaker, author and performer. He hosts the radio show, "Stand Up and Speak Up," on the RockStar Worldwide network. For more infor- mation on bringing Walt Grassl to your next event, visit WaltGrassl.com. , Continued from page 26 Education is Continuous Education is Continuous WHEN YOU STOP MOVING FORWARD AND REST ON YOUR LAURELS, IN ACTUALITY YOU ARE FALLING BEHIND ALL THE OTHERS WHO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD.