IN THE KNOW
Monday, August 11th, 2008Reading: it’s something you learned to do a long time ago. (I can barely remember learning the alphabet and how to sound out difficult words.)
When I was a kid, Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys were some of my favorite characters. I would stay up late at night, hiding under my covers with a flashlight just so I could finish one more chapter about them.
That enthusiasm waned a bit as I got older. Magazines replaced books and television replaced newspapers.
But reading is important, and not just for enjoyment. It’s important for success on the job too.
Think about your industry. How do you find out about trends or breaking news? Where do you turn to learn about new technology or applications? Do you have clients? How do you learn about what’s happening in their industries?
In our office, nearly everyone subscribes to several e-newsletters. Some are about marketing, like AdAge and MarketingProfs; others have a telecommunications focus. We also subscribe to client-specific items, such as health and sciences RSS feeds for our healthcare clients, or FMI daily Lead to keep abreast of changes in the supermarket industry.
A quick Internet search can yield a lot of great information, and most of it’s free. And don’t forget about the blogs! Your peers, clients, and even your competitiors are writing content that you should be reading. Â
Yes, reading takes time, but the reward is being well-informed, and that puts you and your company in a better position to succeed.
Build some time into your day for reading. Peruse industry blogs while you enjoy your first cup of coffee. Scan newsletters for pertinent headlines before you zip off to lunch. And since you don’t really get anything done after 4:30 anyway, take the last half hour of the day to catch up on industry gossip.
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