How to Prevent Personal Obsolescence

Posted By DAVE MARQUARD
August 23, 2017 Category: Other

                      CAUTION! Personal obsolescence in a leader/manager can manifest itself in organizational under-performance, less than optimal personal compensation, and even unemployment. Don’t let this happen to you! Here are three simple actions you can take NOW to help prevent your own personal obsolescence. 1. Embrace Your Industry & Market More than 2,500 years ago the great Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu (544 BC to 496 BC) wisely observed: “If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles”. To modify this ancient axiom a little, “You need not fear a hundred salary reviews, decisions, or market/industry changes, if you know the industry and the market”. Having worked a dozen years for a large conglomerate before founding my own companies, I witnessed a common mistake by new division executives who often believed they didn’t need to put in the considerable extra time required to learn the industry, market, and or even their products. This mistake was most often rooted in the erroneous belief that their highly developed “soft” skills would win the day for them. Soft skills, which include people skills, are important. However, it is the preponderance of a combination of hard and soft skills that will make your organization— and you—successful. If you don’t take the time