Lauren Lanzillo serves as Associate Vice President of Culture and Community for UG2. She published an article in the September / October issue of FMJ drawing from her deep expertise in internal learning and development.
In “There Is an ‘I’ in Team,” Lauren points out that, while leaders are responsible for providing employees with the right training opportunities, much of the work of development and improvement falls to employees themselves.
Self-improvement takes effort and intention. It’s not necessarily intuitive, and professional development experiences don’t always emphasize the strategies you need to bring your “A” game to your job, your team, and your career.
Fortunately, Lauren outlines five key ways to do just that. Her suggested strategies for continuous improvement include:
- Connecting with a mentor. Stepping outside your comfort zone to find the right mentor can bring long-term benefits — particularly if you seek out someone with skills and a style that don’t mirror your own. Innovation often happens when you collaborate with people who have fresh perspectives and different approaches. Once you find the right mentor and establish a relationship, put in the time and effort necessary to nurture it.
- Building soft skills. Technical skills are essential for professional advancement, but don’t overlook communication, teamwork and problem-solving skills. Those are the attributes necessary for leadership that will set you apart from your peers. Sharing information, practicing empathy, and listening are keys to building trust. Listening lets you go beyond Band-Aids and get to the root of a problem.
- Cultivating openness and curiosity. People who bring a mindset that values continuous learning, who frequently seek out new challenges and who welcome feedback and constructive criticism are building skills for long term success. The resulting growth will serve their careers — and their teams and companies — very well.
- Knowing your natural strengths. Traditional career coaching and supervisor evaluations often focuses on addressing employees’ weaknesses and areas for improvement, but recognizing and leveraging strengths is just as important. Be aware of what you bring to the table, whether you excel at process improvements or really shine in customer service, and actively seek out opportunities that leverage and build on those areas of excellence.
- Finding purpose in your work. Meaningful work not only leaves you with a strong sense of reward and fulfillment, it also propels you toward success in your career. Figuring out the aspects of your work that you truly value takes time and intention, but it will help you shape a rewarding path forward. One way to approach this is by honestly assessing how you feel about your accomplishments, day-to-day tasks and upcoming challenges.
Organizations are only as strong as their employees, but both can thrive if individuals are happy in their jobs doing things that motivate them and amplify their strengths. Striving for a team mentality with a focus on the “I” can be an unbeatable combination in Facility Management.
For more insights from Lauren on development and improvement, read the full article in FMJ.