Personal investment is a committed act to a four-step cycle of goal setting, training selection, training attendance and training implementation. Follow these four steps to make the personal investment a helpful habit in 2019:
1. GOAL SETTING
The first step in the personal investment cycle is to list your goals, preferably towards the start of the year. Consider your role and list which skills are needed to carry out this role. These should form the basis for your goals.
If you don’t know where you’re heading, then how are you going to know if you get there? By attending training that isn’t focused on your goals, chances are you won’t gain much and you’re less likely to implement what you do learn.
Keep in mind that your training does not always need to be associated with property management.
To know which training you need, you must first understand your career aspirations.
Once you have established your goals for the next 12 months and listed the skills you require to achieve the promotion or pay increase, you can start researching what training is on offer.
2. TRAINING SELECTION
The second step is looking at your goals and matching them to training courses which give you the skills you need.
For example, at this point in your career, you may be working as a property management coordinator.
In order to gain the skills, knowledge and confidence to gain promotion to managing a portfolio, it will be necessary to undertake training in portfolio management and property investment.
Keep in mind that your training does not always need to be associated with property management. Sometimes sales conferences or leadership training, for example, may be more suitable.
3. TRAINING ATTENDANCE
The third step is attending the training you have committed to. Sounds like a no-brainer, but ‘attendance’ means being present at the training course or seminar both physically and mentally.
You must undergo your training with 100 per cent focus if you want to get 100 per cent out of it.
This is where you need to differentiate between online and in-class training. Online training courses are one of the best forms of learning, provided that you sit in a quiet location and are free from interruptions.
It’s no different to sitting in a classroom, except that there is no need to travel to a distant location. If part of your training is to attend an in-class workshop, then prior to the workshop you should write down what you are aiming to learn.
4. TRAINING IMPLEMENTATION
The final step is where most principals and property managers come undone – implementing the new skills and knowledge you have attained from your training.
This means implementing not just once but continually, so you bring positive change to your role or business. Only then have you succeeded in achieving your goal.
Once you have gained your new skill or knowledge, it is important that you start putting it into practice. It’s not good enough to simply complete your training then expect a promotion or increase in salary immediately.
You must first implement the newly learned skills or knowledge and work towards gaining the respect and confidence that you are truly making a difference to the business – helping the business achieve its targets, as well as achieving your own.
