By Motivational Keynote Speaker Jean Gatz

So now you’ve figured out what skills you need to add to get the results you want – in your work and in your life. (If you missed last week’s blog you can catch up here.)

But wait! You’ve also figured out that learning these new skills is going to require extra time and effort in your already busy life. Instead of giving up before you even get started, get creative about how you will learn the skills you need to STAND OUT in a positive way. You can choose to:

1. Learn the skill yourself. If you know that learning this skill is absolutely necessary to get the results you want AND you know you have the ability master it, then go for it.
2. Collaborate and share skills. Sometimes skills are easier to learn when you can bounce ideas around, watch others in action and share information. Get a group together and start learning from each other.
3. Trade skills with someone. One person’s learned skill is often another person’s strength. Find the right person and trade on your strengths. You each get to do what you enjoy, help each other, and learn from each other’s expertise.
4.  Invest in skill resources: Technology can help you integrate many skills into your life. Is there a tool or software program that can do the job? Check with those who’ve mastered the skill you’re working on and ask what resources helped them most.
5. Delegate the skill to someone on your team who specializes in this area AND whose job description includes these tasks. Don’t confuse delegating with pushing your work off on someone else. There’s a big difference between unloading your work on others and delegating to the appropriate person.
6. Hire people who already have the skills you need. They would love nothing more than to get paid to do what you don’t want to do. Be selective. Their performance will often reflect on you, and you will ultimately be responsible for the outcome.

These last two may not be options for you at this time. But whatever option you choose, remember that it’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you don’t give yourself enough credit for the skills you already possess! Even though I consider speaking and writing books some of my greatest strengths, there are other skills I need to make my strengths marketable and add value for my clients. But I’m honest enough to admit that learning every skill might not be the best use of my time. So I trade skills, collaborate with others, and invest in resources to fill the gaps.

Think about the skills you want to add and which of these options would work for you. There’s always more than one way to get anything done! Next week we’ll talk about Part 3 – the final part of the Success Equation. So stay tuned!

Got questions or comments? Email jean@jeangatz.com.  

© 2012 Jean Gatz CSP   www.jeangatz.com

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