Want not to be laid off? Try 3 steps to extend your "workplace shelf life"

It's not easy to find a good job, and everyone doesn't like to bring more inconvenience to yourself like frequent job hopping, in this case, how to improve your "shelf life" in the workplace? In this article, the author shares several methods, hoping to help everyone.

As we all know, the workplace environment is very bad now, and many people from large factories have gone to the sea to do live broadcasts, teaching some so-called workplace "youth techniques" to make a lot of money, ask yourself, do you really need these things?

Their own bowls are smashed, how much useful knowledge can you gain other than being cut leeks?

At its core, each of us needs to pay attention to our "workplace shelf life", and you don't need to spend so much money to do this.

Let's start with this concept.

[Occupational shelf life], in short, is the period of validity during which a person remains competitive in their current occupation or industry.

So how to do it?

There are three actionable steps:

First, do a physical examination and give your workplace environment a regular physical examination;

second, find benchmarks and quickly supplement the necessary competencies in the workplace;

Third, read the classics and read to improve the personal circle of competence.

At the end, I have prepared dozens of classic books for you, cheering together.

01 Do a physical examination and give your workplace environment a regular medical check-up

In your career journey, it's important to understand and adapt to the workplace environment around you. This process can be called the "physical examination" of the workplace environment, and the purpose of this step is to determine whether the workplace is in line with one's own development and whether there is a reason to continue.

There are three key points:

1. Macro perspective: insight into industry trends

• Pay attention to industry reports regularly: Subscribe to annual reports and market analysis published by industry authorities, and use weekends or after work to read the latest industry developments, future forecasts and potential risks.
• Participate in industry forums: Actively register for industry conferences and seminars, and intuitively feel the cutting-edge trends of the industry and broaden your horizons by participating in discussions and listening to guest speeches.

2. Mesoscopic level: Assess the state of the company

• Company Culture & Values: Gain a deep understanding of the company's mission, vision, and core values, observe how these values are reflected in your daily work and decision-making, and assess how well your personal values fit with them.
• Promotion path and opportunities: Communicate with HR or line manager to understand the company's internal promotion mechanism, training resources and career development path, and clarify the individual's upward potential.

3. Micro Focus: Self-Positioning and Adjustment

• Matching personal ability with position: Conduct self-ability inventory, identify skill gaps, and formulate improvement plans according to job responsibilities.
• Work efficiency and time management: Record and analyze the allocation of working hours during the week, identify inefficient links, and try to optimize using tools such as the Pomodoro method and the priority matrix.

Through the above analysis, you can better understand your own workplace environment. At this point, you need to further analyze whether to stay or leave:

1. If you have the ability to improve and you don't earn much, then cultivate internal strength first;
2. If you don't have the ability to improve, you can make money, and you can set aside time for personal improvement;
3. If you don't have both, you can just choose to leave, which is a waste of time.

02 Find benchmarks and quickly supplement the necessary competencies in the workplace

Finding and learning from experienced seniors within the company is an effective way to accelerate personal growth and quickly improve professional ability.

This process involves not only identifying the right role models, but also how to gradually internalize their successful experience and core competencies through observation, imitation and practice.

There are three key points:

1. Identify benchmarks

• Define your learning objectives: First, clearly define the areas of competence you want to improve, such as leadership, project management, customer communication, etc., which will help you find benchmarks in a more targeted manner.
• Observe the inside of the company: Keep an eye out for colleagues within the company who excel in your areas of interest, especially those who are frequently mentioned and respected veterans.

2. In-depth learning and imitation

• Ask for guidance: Take the courage to reach out to your chosen benchmark seniors and ask them to be your career mentors. It can be a formal mentoring relationship or an informal exchange.
• Observe their daily work: Seek opportunities to participate in their work, whether it is project collaboration or daily meetings, and observe how they deal with problems and communicate and coordinate.

3. Practice and feedback loops

• Take responsibility: Take the initiative to take on more project tasks under the guidance of your benchmark seniors, especially those opportunities that can directly exercise the skills you need.
• Regular reflection and summary: Every time you complete a task or project, conduct self-reflection in a timely manner, compare the behavior patterns of the benchmark, and find out the gaps and deficiencies.

03 Read the classics and read to improve your personal circle of ability

In order to continue to develop in the workplace, it is particularly important to accurately select and absorb the knowledge of classic books, which can effectively accelerate the advancement of the workplace.

There are three key points:

1. Precise positioning and construction of book lists

• Self-diagnosis: Identify core needs and skill gaps at the career stage, such as leadership, project management, or professional development.
• Selected Bibliography: Research classic readings based on needs, including authoritative recommendations and award-winning works, to ensure that the books are both in-depth and relevant.

2. In-depth reading to transform knowledge

• Efficient reading method: using the SQ3R method, overviewing, asking questions, perusing, repeating, and reviewing to deepen understanding and memory.
• Practice Links: Read and think about how you can apply theory to your work, and set small practical goals, such as implementing a new strategy every month.

3. Share and communicate to amplify your impact

• Internal sharing: Organize or participate in the company's reading club, exchange ideas, and promote the team's learning atmosphere.
• Online Voice: Share book reviews on social platforms and blogs to build industry influence, while attracting feedback and iterating personal insights.

04 Final Words

A sentence I heard in the past two days is very useful: the reason why large factories are different from other small and medium-sized factories is that they have decades of correct experience accumulation, which can allow you to improve quickly.

But on the other hand, those who have achieved great results, those who come out of big factories happen to be disadvantaged, because their "correct model" will make them naturally proud and lack the resilience of the workplace.

Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the shelf life of your workplace.

Remember, the career journey is a marathon, not a sprint, and by consistently investing in self-growth, you will be able to effectively extend your "workplace shelf life" and ride the waves in the workplace!

I hope it will give you some inspiration, come on.

Author: Liu Xing talks about products, public account: Liu Xing talks about products

This article was originally published by @柳星聊产品 on Everyone is a Product Manager. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

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