Make Time to Learn

As I drove back to Minnesota from Georgia last week I had plenty of time to reflect on what I had learned in the past five months. I also thought a lot about what I should do for the next several months before I have to return to Georgia. While in Georgia I was learning about information technology (IT) solutions. Although I thought I knew these solutions well, I still found a lot of good information that I did not know. As I was thinking about what I learned; the answer came to me. I have been learning, but what have the others at Veracity been learning while I was away? Can Veracity continue to excel, especially in providing technology solutions, if we provide no guidance on continuing education to our employees?

As I thought about those two questions I also realized that this is not unique to just IT organizations; this also applies to almost every other organization. Continuing education can be difficult to implement and enforce in small businesses, as everyone already has a lot of work to do. Where are you going to find time to better yourself?

I am a firm believer in continuing education. In fact, I took the Strengths Finder 2.0 assessment awhile back and my #1 strength is Learner...no surprise, right! But I realize not everyone at Veracity is like me; although, at times I wish this were true. Regardless, we at Veracity need to pursue continuing education as our industry is always evolving and if we do not continue to learn we will soon be left in the dust.

So, my focus for the next several months is going to be around continuing education here at Veracity. Not just focusing on technology; but also on communication, leadership, and any other topics that can help Veracity and our clientele. I encourage each of you to take a moment and think about what you are doing to develop yourself both personally and professionally? Of course, I asked my wife this question and she stated that she is already perfect; so be careful who you ask.