4 Essential Principles For Influencing Your Industry
Everyone wants to make a difference in the pursuits they deem to be important, especially when their professional reputation is tied to it. Yet it’s true that not everyone in the world has the same positive contribution to the causes they care about. This isn’t always for lack of trying, but because managing a careful and consistent path forward is often tied to luck as much as it is initiative.
That said, if you really do care about changing standards in your industry, it’s important to change yourself and make yourself the right person to lead this charge. In this thread, we’ll discuss how professionals who raise their personal and working standards can stop at nothing to see improvements made within a business or industry, and some examples as to why this is so.
This can help inspire you to think outside of the box, and look forward with a sense of clarity. Without further ado, let’s consider what kind of approach that may take:
Asserting Your Rights Is Essential
It’s important to be strong not only in your professional candor, but in exercising the rights and measures that have been afforded to you, and often hard-won in the past. For example, if you notice that the company you work for has been very negligent about providing the right safety gear, putting you in harms’ way just to save a few bucks, then you’re completely right to document it, bring it to the higher-ups ,and even litigate if necessary.
Often, as oilfield lawyers will be able to tell you, it’s litigation that forces companies to provide compensation and take a harsh look at their processes that really does change industries, forcing them to be better, ensuring they enact new standards, and absolutely ensuring this doesn’t happen again.
So a lawsuit of this nature might help you get the compensation for an injury you really deserve, as well as helping future people like you completely avoid this difficulty. While this might not be as ‘business-savvy’ as closing a deal, or networking anew, it’s certainly just as valid as holding any other professional standard, and it’s important to remind yourself of that.
Believing In Change Can Inspire You & Others
Sometimes, all it takes is one very capable and willing individual to change a whole industry thanks to believing in change. Inspiring yourself and others can be a key way forward. For example, companies that choose to flip the script in terms of representation and diversity in their firm can showcase the value of having a team from all works of life. At one time, unfortunately, this was less the norm.
In some cases, it can also inspire a worthwhile means forward, and lead to true innovation. Think of how serving underserved communities like those with disabilities can help you not only ensure your value is delivered properly, but that it becomes adopted industry-wide. Taking risks, and not being afraid to voice them, is always a good idea as you seek tpo curate your professional reputation.
Representing Yourself & Those You Care For Can Break Boundaries
It’s important to never forget who you are and what you have to offer thanks to your unique perspective. Think of how it took Rihanna to bring the torch of providing makeup to suit all skin tones for it to become adopted industry-wide, even though this had been required long-before.
Sometimes, knowing where you come from and not feeling as though you have to fit a ‘business standard’ ahead of time can make a major impact, give you a unique perspective, and moreover helps you play the game according to your perspective rather than the framework of someone else. These tend to be the people who are followed by a willing and eager team, hopeful to learn.
You Have To Learn The Rules To Break Them
It may seem easy to disregard the essential nature of the rules in front of you because you wish to learn something new, but you have to learn those rules to break them. It’s hard to play jazz, for example, unless you know the scales of the instrument you’re playing and are relatively adept at following them. Then you can take the training wheels off and have fun.
The same goes in the business world, where the right accountability, documentation, understanding of contract employment, and marketing will help you flip the script and offer something new when the chance of beginning your own enterprise takes shape.
With this advice, you’ll see that influencing your industry is about being the right person, not necessarily having the most game-changing idea.
