Pulse November 2015 | Page 60

ASK THE EXPERT SCOTT STEINBERG TechSavvy Global CEO Scott Steinberg says there’s no reason to fear change. In his latest book, Make Change Work for You, the strategic innovation expert offers ways to future-proof yourself despite the uncertainties of tomorrow. PULSE: Change is constant—how can working professionals and organizations succeed in such unpredictable environments? Scott Steinberg: To succeed in unpredictable environments, you have to find the courage to take chances. In uncertain times, everyone wants to be risk-free. Instead, to get ahead and/or create competitive advantage, you should be risk-averse—i.e. recognize that change is coming, and make smart, calculated and cost-affordable bets that can help you gain the insights, talents or capabilities today that will be in-demand tomorrow. Whatever your goal is, pick a portfolio of promising growth opportunities to pursue—launch a new product line or re-launch an existing one; attend night school or take online computer programming courses—and start pursuing them immediately. Just don’t sit still while times, trends and competitors are also evolving. Staying ahead of the curve is easier than it sounds, as long as you’re staying in constant motion. P: We live in a fast-moving and highly disruptive world today. What can people do to future-proof themselves? S: Be courageous. Rather than wait for opportunities to find you, seek them out. Instead of exercising the same skills every day at work, specifically seek out the education, training and experience today that you’ll need to succeed in the future. Speak up, volunteer, and take action—constantly 58 PULSE ■ November 2015 push your creative thinking abilities and comfort zone. Encourage yourself to learn, grow and take on more leadership and responsibility. Look for opportunities to pounce on problems to fix and promising projects to volunteer for. Think about what you need to do right here, right now to get to where you’d like to be tomorrow. Then do it. The more promising new options and avenues you pursue, the more chances you’ll create to put yourself in fortune’s sights. P: What is the most surprising thing people learn