As I wrap up my MBA coursework I am getting the question more and more: “What’s next for you?”
My honest answer at this point is a definitive “I do not know.”
What’s next
In honor of this week’s SHRM Leadership Conference (which I am lucky enough to attend for the 5th time as a volunteer leader on the Indiana State Council) there is an emphasis on the SHRM phrase “We Know Next” and the hopes I have that I can make it to the WE side of things.
Over the last three years, my journey toward the Master’s degree has been very much about adding to my knowledge through learning and new experiences that I cannot get through either my day job or through my many volunteer duties. As a voracious consumer of information, the program has been a fabulous way to enhance my skills and learn about new ways to look at things and approach situations. When paired with my undergraduate studies in science, the MBA curriculum has really pushed me to examine the world in a much more critical manner. Now, that critical thinking is being focused inward and I do not have a ready answer for that inevitable question “What’s next?” To help figure it out I am laying out strengths and likes as I start to get input from people I know and trust.
- I know I like being in the middle of new things and change does not scare me.
- I view new tools and technology as fun and believe they are there to open possibilities
- I certainly fall in the “glass is half-full” category and believe that people are inherently good
- I like connecting people to each other and new information
Even though I do not have the answers, I am confident that it will evolve and I also have faith that everything happens for a reason. After all, just being here is a miracle on multiple levels!
