By Barbara Teicher

      When my father worked in corporate America, he managed a group of sales people. He worked 8 to 5, had no e-mail, no wireless phone or PowerPoint and was loyal to that company, and they to him. When he retired, they threw him a large party and sent him off with a watch, many memories and full benefits.

Oh, the times they are a changing.’ That was then.

This is Now
      With the breakneck speed of business today, and life in general, it seems small business owners, juggling multiple roles and a never-ending task list, work endlessly to keep up with the demands of the job and, at the same time, provide development for their direct reports.

 Many business owners today neglect to nurture the development of the most important resource they have…themselves. When you are the only person at the top of the ladder in your company, where do you turn to keep your skills current? What are you doing to stay up-to-date in your industry? How are you ensuring you have the skill sets to grow as your company grows? How do you discover new and different ways of managing, or making your core business better?

      How much of that education and training is current, within the last year? As your business continues to grow, there’s a definite change in practice. Leaders of growing businesses prioritize education and training as a critical part of their development and success.

Invest in Yourself
      Taking on the responsibility of our own ongoing development as managers and leaders is more important now than ever. But many professionals don’t know what to invest their time in. Here are some quick ways to get you started:

• One of the easiest, and most obvious, ways to improve your education is to be well-read and up-to-date on the latest business publications. Visit the Web site Books4Biz (http://www.books4biz.com/). This is a good site for free summaries and reviews of the latest business books, and has categorized them so it’s easy to find something pertaining to your industry or particular situation.
• Do you have a book budget? A friend of mine gave me this suggestion. At the time, I hadn’t really ever thought about it. By getting a corporate discount card, you can save 20 percent on your purchases. Building up your own personal library gives you the ability to have these resources at your fingertips.
• Many people learn better when they can see and hear concepts in person from someone who’s an expert in the subject.  Consider attending a management seminar or bringing in a resource to train or conduct a workshop. You can schedule a workshop on almost any topic: how-to conduct performance reviews, give feedback, resolve conflict, improve presentation skills and or how to give a motivational keynote address.

      Topics for training are as varied as the needs they cover. While it’s important to improve your skills, it’s also important to expand your knowledge and exposure to new philosophies, tools and current viewpoints.  Keeping yourself up-to-date is as much about continuous learning and exposure to the marketplace as it is about improving and expanding upon the skills you use to achieve your professional objectives.

Barbara Teicher is president of Etc. Executive Training and Coaching. You can reach her at (913) 707-5826 or www.etcexectrain.com.