Copy Cat.
February 25th, 2010 by Dharma SubramanianI was breezing through my latest issue of the Internal Comms Hub and I came across this article, “Three processes to enhance your professional skills.” You should read the whole article if you get the chance, but it was rule number three that resonated with me most: Imitation.
Author Sue Dewhurst elaborates, “I once business partnered with a leader who regularly urged his team to network, look for good ideas and ‘steal with dignity!’ Whether it’s by attending conferences, reading case studies, getting in a room with other communicators and sharing experiences or just picking up the phone to a colleague, taking the time to learn from other people’s successes and mistakes can pay dividends.”
While copying one’s personal style may be slightly frowned upon in our daily lives (e.g.: running to the store to buy the exact same shoes your friend has on), I think copying is the best way to learn at work – from basic things like e-mail and memo-writing styles, to bigger things like best practices and techniques for clients. No matter how many years of experience we may have under our belts, we should never stop watching and learning from those who work around us because often times, the best ideas, tips and styles come from across cube walls and not at large, lavish conferences. As mentioned in the article, “…sometimes you may come across a technique you’ve not tried before… other times you’ll be reminded of something you know is important in theory, but haven’t been doing in practice.”
May 23rd, 2010 at 3:15 am
being a copy cat could take you to a never ending shadow of who you copying is. there’s no harm having an inspiration but don’t copy all what they had. Mix it with your own touch.