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Fall is officially here. Shorter days, crisper mornings, turning leaves, and kids returning to school. I have always loved the energy of this season 鈥� including going back to school. Not only would I reunite with classmates after summer break, but I would experience the buzz of excitement about new classes and teachers. It was so full of promise and potential!

In school, the expectation is we are there to learn. At work, we might feel weighed down by an unspoken expectation that we are supposed to already know.

What if we could infuse our work with a sense of curiosity and discovery 鈥� no matter where we are on the journey? What if we entered each day as an opportunity to learn something new?

This growth mindset can aid your continued professional development but also lower your stress. It allows you to see the world as dynamic, and within that, a recognition that your stability and security are less about what you possess and more about what you can make happen. As you embrace this idea of lifelong learning, you are more prepared to weather the unpredictability of our world.

There鈥檚 another benefit of getting better at what you do: trust.

Trust is a complex concept. It can be both solid and fragile. We all know it can be hard to earn and painfully easy to lose. When training people how to build trustworthy relationships, I talk about it in three categories:

1. competency 鈥� being good at what you do,
2. character 鈥� doing the right thing, being loyal, kind, and respectful; doing what you said you鈥檇 do, and
3. communications 鈥� being clear, candid, transparent and timely; keeping people in the loop.

For the purposes of this column, I am going to focus on building trust through competency.

Most leaders are elevated into their role because they have proven to be technically good at what they do. They are perceived as competent in their jobs. It may show up as delivering quality work, providing a thorough analysis of data, troubleshooting system glitches, managing a budget, or creating efficiencies in a workflow. When you demonstrate high-level expertise and skills, people begin to trust you in that domain. You become the go-to person in your field. People seek your counsel. They trust your capabilities and judgment as it relates to your craft.

Getting better

In Stephen Covey鈥檚 book 鈥淭he Speed of Trust,鈥� he spells out 13 behaviors one can practice to build trust. One of those, 鈥済etting better,鈥� is about continuously investing in your competency to increase your capabilities. At the core of trust is credibility, and Covey explains that to earn it, one needs to remain relevant and deliver results.

Relevance

It鈥檚 no secret that the world is changing at a rapid pace. We cannot assume that today鈥檚 knowledge and skills will be sufficient for tomorrow鈥檚 challenges. By staying on top of trends, tools or knowledge in your field, you are better positioned to bring value to your organization. It keeps you from getting complacent, restless, or bored in your role.

Results

Our skills are visible only when we apply them. The more consistently we do that, the more we can make a real impact. When we leverage our strengths to be of service to others and to contribute to an organization鈥檚 goals, we are seen as a trusted resource that delivers.

Investing in ourselves speaks volumes. By continually elevating your craft, you are role-modeling a commitment to excellence. You are raising the bar for your teams to bring their best and for your organization to be resilient and competitive. And perhaps equally important, you are believing in yourself 鈥� fueling your own motivation, job satisfaction, self-confidence, and self-trust. You are becoming what I consider a 鈥渨orthy collaborator鈥� 鈥� someone who adds credibility to the conversation.

How can you level up your craft?

• Seek feedback. Find out what is valued and appreciated about what you do. Find out where you could be better.
• Assess your organization鈥檚 needs. Where is there a gap in your organization that you could fill? Perhaps there鈥檚 an opportunity for cross-departmental collaboration.
• Mentor/teach. Sharing your knowledge not only elevates others but helps you hone your own skills. Good teachers keep learning!
• Take classes. Find a program that appeals to you, no matter whether it gives you continuing education credits. Reignite your joy of learning to spark enthusiasm for your work.
• Get certified. Perhaps there is a certification in your field that would lend increased knowledge and credibility to your craft.
• Join a professional organization. Find your tribe where you can go deep and geek out together to build your competencies.
• Hire a coach. A professional guide can help you tap into your motivation and identify any blocks that may be keeping you plateaued.

Getting better is not about coming from a place of 鈥渘ot good enough.鈥� It also is not about reaching a point where you no longer have questions, doubts, or nothing left to learn. It is a recognition that you bring passion to being a professional in your field and care about doing great work. It is a way to reinvigorate your work and inspire others to do the same!

For my part, I just signed up for a two-day facilitation workshop, where I get to be the participant learning new skills and refining established ones. I am already excited about going back to school next month!

How will you level up your craft?

Karen Natzel is a business therapist who helps leaders create healthy, vibrant and high-performing organizations. Contact her at 503-806-4361 or [email protected].

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed in the preceding commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Daily Journal of Commerce or its editors. Neither the author nor the 91视频 guarantees the accuracy or completeness of any information published herein.