Diamonds in the Rough

As we see an ever-changing landscape in tech, have you ever felt a bit overwhelmed with how to keep up? Or maybe you’ve felt stuck, wondering if you can learn what you need to? I know I have. Throughout my career in testing, and now as I focus on engineering enablement, I have constantly had to learn more, do more, and evolve rapidly. Although I consider myself a lifelong learner (and find it to be a necessity in our field), there can be some unintended consequences. I was working hard, but I began to question the value I was adding, and even my own abilities. What was I truly capable of? How could I reach my full potential?

On my journey to self-discovery, I went back to school and earned a master’s degree in Applied Organizational Psychology, focusing on the human experience at work. Through my studies, I developed the scaffolding I needed and found new ways of learning that have helped me thrive, even in the face of adversity.

Join me as I dive into the psychological theories, techniques, and current evidence that can help us unlock what we are truly capable of and achieve a greater impact. I’ll discuss how we can craft our work to achieve greater motivation and satisfaction (and more!) by aligning our values, strengths and relationships. I will also examine how meeting the core elements and needs of our jobs (such as finding variety in our work, understanding the value we provide and the impact we have on others, having autonomy, and getting feedback) can help us reach critical psychological states leading to better outcomes. 

While a strong foundation in our jobs can help us realize our capabilities, we need to look inward. Adam Grant discusses how our progress depends less on how hard we work, but more about how well we learn. And the biggest surprise? It’s not just about what we know or our innate abilities - it’s about our “soft” character skills. Skills that you can build - from learning the art of imperfection, to getting comfortable being uncomfortable, to becoming a sponge for information and learning. We need to improve at improving!   

Anyone can rise to achieve greater things. As Grant states, “the true measure of your potential is not the height of the peak you’ve reached, but how far you’ve climbed to get there.” We can get there together!