4 ways to get better at anything…

A funny thing happened to me today. I got accused of putting down a new idea because I didn’t understand it. While I think I neither misunderstood, nor belittled the idea in question, it never hurts to expand one’s mind. With that thought, here are four steps everyone – even me – can use to grow their skills and their perspectives.

1. Reading – Read everything you can get your hands on. The more diverse, the better. Magazines for the train or bus (I particularly like Wired, The Economist, Business 2.0 and Esquire), books for the beach (Blue Ocean Strategy”,Radical Evolution” and, yes, The Essential Drucker” represent the best books I’ve read lately) and, of course, blogs (check out Anne 2.1, Guy Kawasaki and Fred Wilson). Of course, some folks don’t learn from reading as well as other forms, so consider…
2. Taking a class – Check out local community colleges or online offerings like Stanford on iTunes U and (OK, back to reading) MIT’s OpenCourseWare. If you’re more into the human touch, focus on…
3. Networking – Connect to everyone you can. Along with LinkedIn or Facebook, find groups within your field in your local area. Finally, almost everyone can benefit from…
4. Mentoring – Musicians and runners have long recognized the benefit of practicing alongside veterans who can set a more intense pace. Why not you?

These might not expand every mind. But they couldn’t hurt.