opportunity is knocking

At times, our professional growth may feel slow or even halt. We lack new projects, or maybe tasks feel repetitive. We might feel useless or bored.

We needn’t stay that way!

When I started feeling something along these lines, I decided to take action rather than dwell in discomfort. A lack of obvious opportunities can’t stop me.

“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”

Michael Jordan

Growth takes effort, intentionality, and sometimes a dash of creativity! I started asking more questions, both of myself and to those around me, to brainstorm ideas to put into practice.

For everything I’ve shared, please remember that we should be respectful of others. This is especially true when people are likely going out of their way for us!

Before asking for help, we should consider what we need and be as specific as possible. If they say no, honor that and check another door.

Here, we’ll cover:

1. 🫵 Look within your own team
2. 🤝 Don’t underestimate other departments
3. 🤔 Reach outside your company
4. 😊 Work on your own project(s)

🫵 look within your own team

Whether it’s a direct teammate or an admirable person on another team, start within! Don’t jump in “half-cocked,” though.

Some ideas I started with to identify potential mentors or contacts internally:

• What to learn first? Figure this out if it’s not already known. This can help pinpoint who to ask for advice or indicate what we need once we connect.
• Consider the “quiet” folks within! Some are uncomfortable in large groups, but have ample knowledge to share. They may thrive in a more personal environment; these people are hidden gems who make great mentors.
• Ask management for ideas. If you’re newer to the company or you’re struggling to identify someone to connect with, they may have better insight into who is best in certain areas we may not have considered before. They also often know who has bandwidth to help.
• Have you asked to help with a new project? Not always, but sometimes having the conversation is enough to inform your manager you’re bored, burnt out, or want to grow in a different area. They’re supposed to be on your side and will likely do what they can to help!

Once internal help is identified, think before connecting. Especially if the person(s) we’ve found are more senior, we do not want to waste anyone’s time. It may be the only chance we get to talk with them! Plan questions to ask or concepts to learn before reaching out. It’s helpful to them if we share a bit about what we want to learn and why.

The more clear the questions we bring, the better the experience for all!

Here are a few examples:

• Hi [name]! 👋 I was working on X project and noticed you were involved in the early design stages. If you have time, would you be willing to share how some decisions were made and what kind of constraints there were? I’m interested in learning about [X-related topic] and I’d appreciate hearing your experience.
• Hello, [name] 😊 - We haven’t yet had the opportunity to connect! I admire the way you handled Y solution. Do you have some time to chat sometime? I want to grow in this area and I believe your insights would be so helpful!
• Hi [name], my name is [Mindi] and I work on the Z team. [Manager] suggested I reach out because you are great with XYZ tool. I’m looking to better understand how it interacts with our platform. Is this something you can help me with?

Genuine acknowledgements or willingness to learn will often catch their interest. If at all possible, try to add in some way that it might be beneficial to them, too.

Perhaps the Engineering Manager shared that their recommendation is actively looking for opportunities to mentor. We can tie that into our request. Or maybe if we learn from this person, we could take this smaller task off their plate while we grow.

The benefit to them will depend on the situation.

🤝 don’t underestimate other departments

Unless an organization has strict policies barring collaboration across departments (Is that a thing? 🤔), connecting with new people working in other areas can bring a wealth of insight and information.

🚨 Take care! We should be helpful - and respectful - of their time. Be specific!

One-on-ones don’t just have to be between managers and their team! We can connect just to discuss what’s at hand in a one-on-one atmosphere, possibly even more than once or on some regular cadence. We could also try connecting over lunch or coffee, in-person or virtually.

Some scenarios to consider include:

• Connect with others in support roles who work with customers that touch, or are adjacent to, something we’re building.
• Talk with someone in sales or marketing to better understand a user’s mindset when they purchase our company’s service.
• Locate a manager-level person to ask for advice about their department, or maybe whether leadership is something we want to pursue from another perspective.

Whomever we talk with, we will almost certainly learn something new! Often I am surprised at what I learn when asking more questions or hearing about what others do in their day-to-day. I’ve even collaborated with them to make something easier for one or both of us!

Even if your organization doesn’t openly support this approach, the benefits can far outweigh concerns for lost time or efficiency. Connecting with others expands our understanding of the overall organization, improves our empathy, and helps us think more creatively.

Sometimes asking for forgiveness rather than permission isn’t a bad approach 😉 but use your best judgement!

🤔 reach outside your company

Whether you find someone internally or not, there is almost always someone in your network who can help! Or, someone within your network can connect you with someone in their network. It’s all a big web after all. 🕸️

Remain considerate of others and their time. As you share more about your goals and desires, ideally you have a strong idea of what you want to accomplish to guide you to the right connections.

If your idea isn’t entirely solidified, perhaps they can connect you with someone they know in the domain or working with a similar technology that can help you pinpoint what you’re working toward learning. The more you know about your goals, the better the connection could help you get closer to those goals.

There are several ways you can reach outside your network. If you start sharing more, you might be surprised who you or your network will find!

Here are just a few examples. Think outside the box; you might find other avenues that work better for you!

In-person ideas:

• Talk to people you interact with frequently. This might be family members, friends, neighbors, acquaintances at the grocery store, clubs, your child’s school, or other similar places where you interact with other humans.
• Attend local events. These events can be tech-related but don’t have to be. As you connect with people outside your normal domain, you might generate new ideas or find connections you had never considered.
• Join hackathons. If you’re lucky enough to have a hackathon in your area, I recommend attending! I’m on the lookout for some myself.

Virtual ideas:

• Leverage social media. I lean toward LinkedIn because it’s the professional option, but reaching out to folks in your network on other platforms, too, couldn’t hurt. With LinkedIn, you also have an insight advantage, knowing what tech they work with or where they work.
• Attend virtual events - Similar to in-person events, these can be tech-related but don’t have to be. There are loads of webinars and networking events online to expand your opportunities.
• Open Source - If you have the time and capacity, consider working on open source projects to expand your skills!

😊 work on your own project(s)

Whether you have a cool idea or find a cool way to play with something new, working on personal project(s) is yet another great option.

“Don’t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them.”

Madam CJ Walker

If you’re solely focused on learning, you can have a great time tinkering with new technology, patterns, languages, etc. If no one looks over your shoulder, the world is your oyster; experiment away!

At the same time, this can be tricky. When you work alone, you can gain some odd habits or you may not learn “best practice” techniques. If possible, share your work with someone you like and trust so you can talk through it, discover what you learned, and possibly get some insights from this other person’s perspective.

Better yet, find a friend or two or more to work on a project with. You’ll have camaraderie, multiple brains to pool knowledge to share, and hopefully have fun in the process!

Whatever path (or paths) you choose, there’s opportunity for you waiting behind a door. You just have to start opening them! 🚪

🍀 still no luck?

I recognize that the above won’t always work or it might just take too much time. It’s worth noting if it is time to consider leaving your job. In several places I’ve come across the reminder that stagnation is a career killer.

Keep learning, keep growing, and challenge yourself. Onward and upward, my friend!

PS I would love to hear if you try any of these and how they went for you!