Every Company Needs a Good Map

This reminded me of the process I went through that eventually led to my first book: Maps for Modern Magellans. It started when someone suggested that I write white papers on topics I felt qualified to address. I was looking for an executive position at the time and it seemed like a good idea. I made a list of topics and made a few notes that night. Before I wrote the papers I had the job so the list of topics just sat for two years. 

When I began to write I found I knew less than I thought about each subject. I started to study and read more and more. Having been a researcher, I knew how to find material. I focused on each topic and tried to check my experience against the material I was reading.

While the book has yet to be a best seller (there is always hope!) I know it did great things for me personally. You could see it as continuing education or a refinement process.

In any case, I highly recommend that you begin to write down your views and thoughts on topics you feel are important to your job, career, or life. You will find, as many do, that the person who benefits the most is you. You will also see that you may know more than you thought and that, as Martha Stewart likes to say, "...is a good thing."

What topics do you feel are important to know well for a job in your industry? 

BTW - if you are looking for a sales job in a medical or laboratory related industry, PHCConsulting, who Ms. McKee works with, have some great material about the various aspects of the industry. This is NOT a paid link. I just visited their site after finding the referringlink. I am impressed by teh material there and I think it may be a good resource for readers of this blog.