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
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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