A Checklist for 2012: Learning From Mentors

By Jessica Titlebaum, Co-founder of Women In Listed Derivatives

Whenever I am standing at a crossroads, faced with a challenge or swamped with work, I make checklists. With a new year upon us, I wanted to share a few action items that I have learned from my mentors and a checklist that has helped me achieve my career goals. Whether it’s recognizing impressive characteristics in other people, learning a new language or dressing up, these measures can help you advance in 2012.

• Identify role models. Everyone stresses the value in finding a mentor, but I think that identifying a role model is equally as important. We all need someone to look up to and someone we can strive to be like. Think about the last person that really impressed you and why you felt that way? What qualities did they have that you admired? Also, look at people that have jobs you would like someday. What are their responsibilities and what skills can you acquire that would be helpful in that position?
• Step outside your comfort zone. This might mean getting involved with a project outside your scope at the office to acquire new knowledge or to join your company’s softball team to network with colleagues. This could also mean traveling to a city you have never been to before to experience new scenery. I stepped outside my comfort zone last year when I attended the Burning Man festival in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. I am not a fan of camping out or not showering for a week but in unfamiliar territory, I was able to see that there are several ways to achieve one goal. Stepping outside your comfort zone provides you with a new perspective and rejuvenation.
• Align yourself with supportive and motivating people – and take advantage of technology to do so! I am a big believer in feeding off other people’s energies, which is why it is so important to surround yourself with positive influences that drive you to improve. It happens that three of my closest confidants live in London, Mexico City and the other, in Ho Chi Mihn City, Vietnam. When it’s 8 pm in Chicago, it’s 10 in the morning in old Saigon but that doesn’t stop Mary and me from talking for free on a video camera. I also feel more productive and can multi-task when using applications like Skype or Facetime because I am hands free. I can walk around the house, cook dinner and talk to friends as if they were in the same room.
• Learn a new skill. If you always wanted to speak Italian, learn it fluently. With our global economy, you never know when your company will send you to Rome. On a different scale, this could also include taking a class on Microsoft Excel, InDesign or even a social media workshop. Learning a new skill will make you a better-rounded person and open new doors.
• Think positive. Good thoughts attract good things.
• Dress up. I used to work from home every so often and I found that I was more productive when I was dressed in work clothes. If I took a conference call in my pajamas, I was more casual in the conversation and said things I should have left out. When I was dressed in a suit, I was more professional and kept a business mindset. On a related note, a mentor once told me that I should dress for the job I want, not the job I have. She said, ‘if you dress like a power woman, you will feel like a powerful woman.’ I was also told to roll up my sleeves and reveal my wrists because it conveys confidence.
• Get rid of clutter. I recently started a new job and one of the first things I did was clean out my closets. I wanted a fresh start so I donated old clothes to Goodwill. I also cleaned up my business card books, my desk and my lap top computer. Getting rid of the physical clutter clears your mind and expands your mental capacity to strategize, brainstorm and evaluate new ideas.
• Go to coffee with one stranger a week. You might have 50 new friends by the time 2012 is over but you can never underestimate the value of networking. Meet with everyone and anyone because you don’t know with whom you will experience synergies, or who other people know. Remember, it’s not who you know but who knows you.

Finally, everyone can benefit from having a mentor. The sole purpose of a mentor is to guide you and prepare you for your next endeavor. They provide different perspectives, open you up to new possibilities and help you find opportunities in places you wouldn’t necessarily expect. It’s also important to thank the people that have helped you along the way. This is my thank you to the remarkable professionals that have taken me under their wing, pushed me out to the ledge and forced me to fly.

Now roll up your sleeves and get to work.