Are You Qualified?
“I never stopped trying to be qualified for my job” - Darwin Smith
If you are surrounded by constant change and growth, it’s important to regularly ask yourself the question, “Am I the most qualified person for the role that I am in?” Or asked another way, “Am I the bottleneck that’s restricting my organization’s growth?”
If your job’s requirements and responsibilities are stretching beyond your current capacity, then it’s vital that to put yourself in a position to grow. If there’s even a small disconnect here, then I recommend you ask yourself, “What am I doing to get better?” In a competitive marketplace, there are always candidates with more experience, more talent and maybe even cheaper than you. Knowing that, here are a few practical ideas on how to put yourself in a position to grow:
Ask a trusted friend or coworker where they think you have room to level up.
If you only engage with material that you are comfortable with, written by authors that you like, your worldview will never change. Find articles and podcast that you fundamentally disagree with.
I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but a mentor is priceless, and I can guarantee that there are multiple people in your circles that would gladly take you under their wing.
The right person for the job is the person that is in the seat right now. You. But that won’t last forever, so it’s important to stay ahead of the curve.
I think one of the most insulting things that we can hear in life is “Oh, you haven’t changed a bit” or “You’re the same person that you were all those years ago!” Change is good. How boring would it be to be the same person year after year?
Chances are, if you are humble enough and willing to ask yourself this tough question, then you probably are the right person for the job.
MT