According to IBM researcher Bruno Michel, the biggest career mistake is allowing yourself to get too comfortable. “Growth and comfort don’t coexist,” he says in Quartz at Work. “Neither do change and comfort.”
This advice is key for human resource professionals, who constantly learn new techniques to ensure the workplace thrives. Northwest Missouri State University has an online program tailored for future leaders in HR: Master of Business Administration in Human Resource Management.
Students in Northwest’s program gain a rich and diverse education with highly qualified professors guiding the way. Northwest is committed to helping you become a specialist adept at recruiting, screening, interviewing and placing employees. You will also build skills involving accounting concepts, strategic management, analysis and organizational development — all necessary skills for building and growing a successful HR department.
What Do the Experts Say?
In an HR Certification Institute article, writer Barry Lawrence reiterates the importance of abandoning your comfort zone: “Embrace new technologies, lead with proactive HR innovations, and improve analytical skills to align measurable people results with improved customer service and external goals — not just internal goals — of organizations.”
Lawrence also reported that technological advancements, such as social media applications and video software, are factors that enable HR professionals to empower employees and support productivity.
With courses like MGMT 54654: Organizational Training and Development and MGMT 54618: Executive Seminar, Northwest’s MBA program keeps up in the evolving field with examinations of successful contemporary business practices, fundamental development for 21st century organizations and the best training models suitable for always-changing environments.
HR Dive urges human resource specialists to keep up with industry-wide changes involving the identification, hiring and support of skilled workers as well as with fiscal responsibility and analytical reasoning. It warns that “HR execs that don’t grasp visual thinking, strong digital communication skills, organizational design and data security will fall behind their peers in top-performing companies.”
When asked about the importance of pushing beyond one’s comfort zone, HR executive David Van Rooy said in a Forbes article that his work requires staying ahead of change and being willing to swim upstream. “This can be daunting because it includes an element of risk and necessitates people stepping out of their comfort zones,” Rooy said. “The people who do this successfully are able to make a tremendously positive impact and find even more opportunities to make a difference.”
Rooy has spent a portion of his HR career with an international company, serving more than two million employees at one time. His responsibilities have included employee engagement, workforce planning, compensation, benefits and performance management. Rooy’s bottom-line: “It is possible to be successful maintaining the status quo, but true differentiation is achievable only for those who are willing to dive into new areas.”
Time to Dive?
When you’re ready to step outside your comfort zone to distinguish yourself in HR, consider an MBA in HR Management from Northwest Missouri State University. With four start dates a year to choose from, you can begin the journey soon.
Learn more about Northwest’s online MBA in HR Management.
Sources:
Forbes: 6 Ways Pushing Past Your Comfort Zone Is Critical to Your Success
Quartz at Work: The Biggest Career Mistake Is Getting Too Comfortable
HR Certification Institute: HR Leads Business
