Work Smarter By Curating Your Media Consumption
Want to know a secret? Working smarter is less about amassing comprehensive knowledge and more about picking up little tips along the way. You don’t need a degree in organizational psychology to upskill your practices; you just need to be intentional about the content you consume.
As someone whose greatest joy was nerding out in a graduate seminar debating theories, I’ve found that professional development outside of academia looks a little different. Instead of deep diving into complex texts or exploring theoretical frameworks, my routine professional development today feels a lot lighter and more practical.
I love learning new things but, as a busy creator on a small team, I have to find sources that fit into a fast-paced environment and have a short gap between knowledge and practice. Structuring learning opportunities into my daily routine allows me to regularly improve my work, consistently offer more value to my clients, and have conversations that resonate when networking.
Since I love a good think tank - let me share some of my favourite ways to integrate gleaning knowledge into my daily work life!
Podcasts - press pause on the true-crime for a few minutes!
Imagine a world where you replace the thrill of an unsolved mystery with that of a more efficient workflow process. Ok, I may not have you convinced, but I promise if you find the right podcast you will be swayed! Whether you commute or work from home, there are plenty of opportunities to play a podcast in the background of your day.
Pop on a podcast when you are doing something with a low mental load so you can listen in with one ear - and hit that replay button real quick if you missed something interesting. Find a go-to podcast that gives you valuable knowledge from a host you find engaging. I love Adam Grant’s “Work Life” because: he’s not afraid to challenge his guests (disrupt and evolve, Botree style), he’s an expert in his field of improving organizations (our passion), he provides concrete examples that give me ideas I can quickly apply (our style), and he quotes people a lot (Botree is all about cross-pollination of ideas).