The quickest way to stop growing and begin falling out of love with your job is to stop learning.
Expanding your knowledge or skills makes you feel like you are accomplishing more, which in turn makes you feel more successful.
The joy of learning and discovery carries a tinge of romantic adventure that will give you a new reason to fall in love with your job.
Is there a part of your job that you have always wanted to know more about? Perhaps you need some improvement in a specific area of your work.
Why not take a class at a night school or local community college? You may even decide to begin work on an advanced degree in your field.
Would you enjoy attending professional seminars or becoming involved with a professional organization? There are many good ways to expand your skills.
Perhaps your field has areas of specialization you would like to explore.
College, technical or vocational school classes can help you do that, or a general career-planning course can help you clarify your career goals.
Someone in your own company may be able to advise you on how to pursue a more specialized path or may be wiling to teach you some new skills.
All of those things will increase your knowledge of the organization,making you more valuable, opening doors for possible advancement in the future.
Another way to keep the excitement and romance in your job is to teach and promote skills training.
Some researchers estimate that more than 20 million American workers are functionally illiterate.
Yet managers prefer to spend their education and training dollars on leadership and computer training.
Few employers have been willing to partner with non-profit groups to offer literacy programs at the work site.
With the large influx of immigrants into the work force, businesses must be prepared to help meet the educational needs of those who need to overcome economic, cultural and language barriers.
There is a serious need to offer, subsidize and encourage more basic skills training.
Those at the lower levels of the organization must be included in these programs because this is the employee pool from which you will discover,motivate and train your future stars.
Consider the advantage of hiring a worker who you can economically train.
When you help someone who is willing to learn, you improve both of your situations.
You'll be gaining a valuable employee who is able to communicate in your company.
They will have new confidence and a better understanding of how best to do their job better.
Jane Boucher is an author and professional speaker with offices in Reno
and Ohio.
Reach her at 775-853-0226, 937-416- 9881 or janeboucher@mail.com.
Her websites are www.janeboucher.com and www.janeboucher.org.
