Are you working at the top of your license?

This was a new phrase for me when I heard Josh Bersin discussing it in a recent podcast episode where he referenced the focus on this in the medical profession and its broader application in the war for talent. It made me start thinking about our roles as leaders in organizations - have we started the work to redefine what makes up the work in a job so that we're aligning skill sets so that people are spending the predominance of their time on the things that they're really good at and that helps the organization be most successful. 

This topic of redefining jobs and focusing on moving toward a skills-based economy may be the next topic in my monthly People Strategies newsletter (https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6957032166643924992/ ), but for today, I want to focus on what this means for you leading yourself.

What does working at the top of our license mean if we're not in a licensed profession?

🎯It means we need to assess ourselves, our skills, and the value we offer an organization when we focus on those things.

🎯It means that we're spending the bulk of our work efforts doing the work we are more uniquely qualified to do.

🎯It means that we're looking at ways to eliminate, reduce, automate, reduce, or delegate the work activities that are not using those higher-valued skills that add the most significant impact to the organization.

Where do you start?

Start by asking yourself these questions:

❓What am I really good at? 

❓What is the most value-add work that I do?

❓What differentiates me from other people doing this work?

❓When I focus more of my time on the efforts aligned with what I'm really good at, what changes in the impact I make?

❓What work am I spending significant time on that would be better performed by someone else or automated/re-engineered?

Now what?

 Now comes the fun part - figuring out how to make it happen.

✔️If the change is already within your control (prioritizing your activities)- start making the changes.

✔️If the change requires the awareness of other people - start having the conversations

✔️If the change requires funding or approval - start building the case for change, figuring out the right people you need to work with

If we want to make the maximum impact, we need to spend time in the areas where we add the most value. 

Our job is to figure out what those are and make it happen.

The result: we are happier; we perform better; our teams, our organizations, and our clients reap the benefits.

Start today to work at the "top of your license and see what the impact is.

What would it look like for you to work at the "top of your license." What would be different for you?