GROWTH

10 Ideas to Fuel Growth During the Quarantine

Make the most of your quarantine time: Accelerate your personal growth, clear your head, and reduce stress.

Make the most of your quarantine time: Use it to grow. With no commute, you have more available time. For some, you have new demands competing for that time with homeschooling children. For all of us, there is increased stress, so these development ideas will not only accelerate your personal growth but also provide a conduit to clear your head and reduce stress. Most of these ideas are free or low-cost.

1. Books. Reading is a great way to learn with maximum control over when and how much you consume at a time. Audiobooks are great because you can listen while you walk or clean.

Here are my recent favorites: Radical Candor by Kim Scott, Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek, Leadershift by John Maxwell, Atomic Habits by James Clear, The Autobiography of Martin Luther King edited by Clayborne Carson, How to Talk to Anyone by Leil Lowndes, People Over Profit by Dale Partridge, Everyone Communicates Few Connect by John Maxwell, 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth by John Maxwell, Relationomics by Randy Ross

2. Podcasts are another source of learning and inspiration. Like audiobooks, consume them while you do other tasks. But they have the added benefit of format variety. Some use an interview format where you can often hear a more raw perspective than you would expect in a book (this is one of my favorites). Many podcasts series will focus on a broad theme like leadership, or marketing, but feature a different topic each episode so you won’t feel in “suspense” between episodes. I like these “bite-sized” episodes.

Some of my current favorite channels: Mike Kim’s Brand You, Marketing Secrets with Russell Brunson, The John Maxwell Leadership Podcast, Master’s of Scale with Reid Hoffman, Building a Story Brand with Donald Miller, Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast, No Sweat Public Speaking with Fred Miller, Pricing Is Positioning with Paul Klein, The Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast, The Culmen Group Podcast, By Example with Carly Fiorina.

3. Webinars are a great way to learn without having to leave the house. During this pandemic, many webinars are free (my favorite four-letter ‘F’ word). You can consume pre-recorded episodes at your convenience. They are generally around an hour long and focus very narrowly on a particular topic. I find they are ideal for topics where examples help the learning process. Many save time for Q&A allowing you to personalize the learning.

Many industry associations, professional magazines, software companies, and business associations offer webinars. Many are free; Some are free but make a sales offer at the end; Others require membership. For example: Entrepreneur.com, Association for Talent Development, ConverKit, Talent Connections, Go Daddy, and co-working companies. Use Google to look for your favorite thought leaders or topics, followed by the keyword “webinar” for options.

4. I love YouTube for learning. There are so many choices. You can learn many skills, including PowerPoint, Excel, photography. Almost any topic is worth trying a search. Be careful: YouTube can be addictive, and before you know it, you are watching some family you don’t know on a Spring Break vacation to Yellowstone. (Yes, the 12-year-old captures Dad’s first lesson emptying the RV’s black water tank! And, it is epic!)

I am fond of TEDx Talks, The Futur, DailyTekk, PowerPoint University, Pitch Practice, One Skill PowerPoint Tutorials, Presentation Process. Or, search your favorite topic.

5. Online microlearning is a great way to learn skills related to data analysis, coding, software tools, digital marketing, sales funnels and lead generators. Costs vary from free courses to certificate programs to nano degrees. Some are focused on skill development, while others offer traditional academic value through a non-traditional approach.

There are quite a few out there like Udemy, Skillshare, edX, and Udacity. I have less experience with these, but I have used Udemy to learn specific skills with software tools.

6. Form a learning group. Read a book together (or consume some other content), discuss challenges with others, accountability, use Zoom or a similar product to meet once or twice a week. Target 4–6 participants who will commit to it and contribute to the discussion. Make it easy to be a member: Few barriers, as convenient as possible, low administrivia, and high value.

7. Join Mastermind with other professionals where you tackle a specific subject over period of time to learn from an authority and each other. Many use the term Mastermind to describe a variety of formats, but they are generally like the learning group above with more structure: Typically focused on a narrow topic, held over a defined period, and facilitated by an experienced leader.

8. Get a Coach/Mentor: Ask someone to mentor you. Find the right person, and you will grow faster than you can imagine. You are looking for someone who is several steps ahead of you solving problems you currently face. You probably know successful leaders in your community, child’s baseball family, or church. There are many like me who coach as part of our business. But don’t let that scare you away. During this pandemic, many of us are providing our services complimentary to help businesses and leaders who are struggling with the impacts. That’s a great way to experience the value. You will need to commit to it, respect the mentor’s time, and prepare for the sessions.

9. Be a mentor: I assure you, mentors learn as much as those they mentor. There’s something almost magical about reviewing your own experience and crystallizing your previous learnings for someone else. You grow in the process. But, you don’t want to waste your time, so only mentor someone serious about learning, prepared to be challenged, and willing to commit to your time together.

10. Focus: Don’t settle to learn just anything. A great way to use this time is to focus your growth in a particular area.

• Strength: You could focus your learning on one of your strengths, with the intent to take it to excellence.
• Transformational skill: There might be a specific skill you need to succeed in a changing industry. For example, you might need to learn more about digital marketing so your company can thrive in the new economy.
• Learn a complementary or ancillary skill. For example, if presenting is a key responsibility, you could dig into (1) language skills like headline or copywriting, (2) graphic design skills, or (3) presentation skills.

11. Bonus: Don’t forget the value of application. The sooner you put your learning into use, the greater your growth. Be intentional in applying your learnings. Practice the new skills. Even application in small steps will speed up your growth.

Author: Kevin D. Phillips is a consultant, executive coach, and leadership developer helping clients increase profitability, improve customer loyalty, and navigate challenges of rapid growth. As Build Them Up® founder, he is on a mission to help leaders improve organizational results by investing in the people who create them. Connect at www.KevinPhillips.com or on social media at www.HowdyKevin.com.