It’s Thursday and I am following up on my promise to you on how to move from ditch digger to architect. On Tuesday I mentioned that there are no tips, tricks, techniques to do so. I’ve thought about what you can do to begin to make a transition. Here are five “tips” to designed to set you apart in the minds of others.
1. Subscribe to a business magazine. BusinessWeek, Forbes, Inc., The Economist, Fortune are magazines that are available in electronic format as well as print. In it you’ll read about things and get more analysis than you’ll get from your local newspaper. Read it with the purpose that you want to stay head of all the other people in your field who AREN’T reading this magazine.
2. Lead a local group – There are lots of local groups that need help. In Kansas City, there is the Social Media Club, Adobe Users Group, and my group, The Mobile Media Club among others. Are you looking for something in particular and not finding it? See #4.
3. Accept discomfort – Sit in the front row of every seminar you attend. Get used to being seen. Accept the discomfort of being the guy in the front of the room who raises his hand and asks a question you think should be answered. When you walk down the street, give someone a compliment and don’t wait for a reaction. Just walk on. Put yourself on display.
4. Ask for help – You can’t do it alone. Acting alone is what made you a ditch digger in the first place. What do you need to do for your purpose? Ask people you trust to help you
5. Exercise – Get outside and exercise every single day if you don’t. If you do, keep it up!
What do you think? How does sitting in the front row of a a seminar translate into a purpose? How does subscribing to a business magazine make any sense? Why do you have to lead?
I think that sitting in the front row (or as close as you can get) has several benefits. It’s easier to see the speaker and any presentation material. It’s usually easier to hear. It helps sets the mental attitude that you are actually involved – a participant – rather than just watching.
As for having to lead – I’m not typically an ambitious or competitive person and that has done damage to me. If you don’t keep striving to lead you will soon not only keep from gaining any ground, you will lose ground!