Target Editorial Board Chair
Most of us have seen, heard and played a part in the mindset of “Not invented here!” We all want to believe that we’re capable, somewhat intelligent and have good things to contribute to our organization and community. That is absolutely correct!
But not to the exclusion of everyone else - we do not know everything. All of us have good ideas and best practices that work well for us, since we are in somewhat of a survival mode in our jobs. In this survival mode in the 21st century we must learn faster and faster. The Internet is both our friend and our competitor. Wikipedia tops Encyclopedia Britannica by a long shot for students working on reports and research and can provide good data for business problem solutions. It’ as all about learning faster and faster and we have many sources to study.
In our jobs as we are working in companies that may be pursuing continuous improvement in many forms and processes. It’s important to use the computer to research and also important to build your network of trusted friends and companies where you can compare best practices and ask for help directly when needing ideas and best practices that have already been proven in real life situations – not theory. Many of these are not published and not accessible on the internet!
This is what we call “Fast Learning”, by learning from others and avoiding the “Not Invented Here” mindset.
How many trusted friends do you have that you share knowledge with? When was the last time you shared what you know? Do people ask you to share? Building your network by sharing first is the best way to demonstrate you are a trusted source. Give it a try.
