So, everyone knows (or should know) that recently President Obama signed into law a Health Care Bill that means a lot to this nation. And now employers and employees are scrambling to figure out what this really means to them. HR and Accounting professionals everywhere are fielding questions from CEOs, COOs, Board Members and team members alike.
How would it look if, when asked, the VP of Finance shrugged his shoulders? Or, the VP of People said, “Let me look into that one up. I am not familiar with it”? You’re not familiar with this HUGE, National impacting event? Where have you been?
You may not be a VP but your response to questions like this can either build or take away from your credibility. No, you do not have to have the answer to every question. BUT if something is going on that affects your realm, be it professionally, your area of responsibility at work, or even personally, you should be able to at least give the highlights. Show that you are attentive to the current events in this country and not only what is happening in your world at work.
So the big question from a NuProfessional is, “How do I know what I need to know? How do I determine what is important?”
First off, everything is important. You don’t have to split your TV between the local news and CNN all day, every day. You need only to be familiar with it. Below are a few ways I have learned to stay abreast and at least able to be a part of those important conversations.
- Local News & CNN: These are traditional methods of keeping current on events. It seems like I am constantly on the go and rarely have time to sit down and watch the news. The trick I have learned is to multitask. I put the local news on my television while I am getting ready in the mornings. When eating in the Garage Cafe or at a restaurant, I pay attention to the scrolling marquee at the bottom of the TV screen.
- Professional Organizations: Join a professional organization whose mission is to educate its members while having an impact on the community. I am a member of both the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Birmingham chapter of SHRM. Being involved, talking to other professionals, and even reviewing the website, highlight the important topics as well as allows an opportunity to dig deeper in the details.
- Blogs/Social Networking: How simple can it get? If you don’t want to research topics, sign up for a blog that will send them to you. Or follow a highly respecting professional in your field on Twitter. If you would like, you can follow me @conniejewel. Oh, I did say highly, how about you follow @kris_dunn?
The above are three sure fire ways to stay informed. I am sure there are other ways available, but these work for me. Be a part of the conversation, build your credibility, and brand yourself.
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