Are You Listening?

We've talked about getting YOUR voice, and YOUR message out there in some of our previous posts.  This week, we're turning the tables.

One of the things humans are best at doing is learning from their peers and mentors.  Think about it.  When you were learning to do things as a child - something simple like walking or talking, how did you learn?  You watched others.  Going through the education system, you were instructed on how to do things, and given opportunities to test what you learned.  

Even after you graduated from high school, college, and post-collegiate educational institutions, you were still learning.  Whether your first job was working in a fast food restaurant, waiting tables at a local diner, or schlepping to and from meetings in an administrative capacity - you went through some sort of learning process.  When I worked at the local Dairy Queen while pursuing undergraduate studies, I went through a training program to show me the proper way to make the perfect DQ cone, among many other rules and guidelines to be a model employee.  Once I obtained my degree and entered the workforce, I still had some on-the-job training to learn the ins and outs of my day-to-day tasks.  

Do you think the CEO of Fortune 500 Company "X" stopped learning once he or she became CEO?  Absolutely not!  

Many of the people I have worked with continue to learn throughout their careers.  For many of them, it is listening to podcasts from people they find inspiring. Within my own network, I can reach my arm out and touch at least one person who listens to Gary Vaynerchuk.  As I write this post, I am listenting to a podcast by Dan Benjamin.  Others listen to more motivational podcasts, or news podcasts, or investment podcasts.  No matter what they are listening to - they are listening.  They are continuing to learn from others in their field.

Getting back to that CEO, obviously he or she is doing something right in their professional career to have landed the position they currently hold.  Just because they may have reached the top doesn't mean that they know everything.  Even Bill Gates (yes THAT Bill Gates) listens to others.

Whether you're looking for inspiration, updates, or a new take on something, it's sometimes easier to find what you're looking for if you're not looking in your own familiar box.   

Sidekick Media Services offers a variety of services - from web design, to social media, to audio production, to full-service video production and live streaming. We'd be happy to consult with you about your project!