#1: Networking
Networking is what launched and accelerated my career. I'm interested in the different types of networking because people underestimate the effort that goes into this. I believe it can be mapped and taught to others.
And my hope is that over the next few years, as I continue to learn more and more, I'll be able to build content, tools, and a course to help others learn how to leverage their network effectively.
#2: Feedback
Feedback is "the one that got away" in my life. For almost a decade I've been responsible for driving better feedback in my roles at Gong, Blend, and Pandora. Along the way, I've learned a lot about the importance of:
Social dynamics ā It's unrealistic to expect the next person you meet to be ready and able to provide the feedback you're looking for without taking interpersonal communication into account.
Planning ā Defining your approach, drafting your questions, and making the initial request are all important aspects of thoughtful preparation.
Tools ā Feedback is hard enough without reinventing the wheel. Workshops, feedback platforms, books, all seem to over-complicate the matter. There should be a simple but effective method for rapidly capturing feedback for whatever you're working on.
#3: Mindfulness
Mindfulness (as a form of meditation) may have saved my career and my most treasured relationships. I've learned methods for catching myself thinking before I act, which gives you just enough space to decide whether or not you want to go that route.
I want to learn more about mindfulness. I want to strengthen my own practice, while also learning to share it with others. It's a deceptively simple practice that you never truly master. In practice, you fail all the time and the only way forward is to begin again.