Everyone knows what it’s like when someone new joins an organization or company. They come in with all these fresh, new ideas and full of energy. Some of the “long timers” may even laugh under their breath at the fact that this individual thinks they can change the way things are. Maybe you’ve heard phrases like “I tried to change that many times – good luck!” or “Wait until they’ve been here for a month – they’ll understand why we don’t do that” or “That idea will never fly around here!”. However, in many cases, these new individuals really do come in and make a significant difference because they don’t have all the ‘baggage’ some of the long-time employees have and have the ability see things in a different light.
Have you ever wondered what the other people in your organization think of you when they look at how you operate? Do they see you as someone who brings fresh, new ideas to the table and challenges the status-quo or are you a naysayer with lots of baggage and history that is weighing you down instead of being used as a building block? The length of time served at any company can be a very valuable asset as long as you continue to replenish your knowledge and acquire new perspectives and insights.
I believe an important part of anyone’s career is learning. Learning new skills, perspectives, best practices, ways of doing things, ways of thinking… and the list goes on! I had a call yesterday about the coaching process and during the conversation, the leader I was speaking with shared a quote with me that really hit home, which was “do something every quarter that could add a line to your resume”. In other words, learn something new that adds to your portfolio of skills, education and experience.
You’ve probably heard the phrase “If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always got”. I actually don’t think that’s the case with your career. If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll be passed by everyone around you and be left behind. Doing what you’ve always done won’t get you to the next level in your career so what are you going to do to add to your resume every quarter?
jenniferwarawa 
I think Jennifer is spot on with regard to making every day count, whether you’re a veteran with lots of valuable experience or a newbie with a fresh new look at what is already being done.
I’m well past my need to build lines on my resume, but that doesn’t give me any license to cruise. One of the best parts of running the kind of business we have (we’re an OEM supplier of software to Sage) is that we make sure every day is punctuated with copious thought on cool new things we might do.
This is not to say that all the things we do are inspired, or even successful, but the refusal to be side-tracked into a corporate rut (doing the same thing every day just because that’s the way it has always been done) has allowed us to build a very successful company where it is really fun to work.
As a group, we make sure the phrase “What if…” is a daily part of our conversation. Try it!