Here's how you can effectively balance learning new skills with your current workload in BPO.

Goals set in the BHI (Beauty and Health Industry) can include: 1. Increase Customer Engagement: Boost interaction through social media, email campaigns, and personalized marketing. 2. Enhance Product Quality: Continuously improve product formulations and standards. 3. Expand Market Reach: Enter new markets or demographics to grow the customer base. 4. Improve Customer Satisfaction: Achieve higher satisfaction scores through exceptional service and product offerings. 5. Increase Sales and Revenue: Implement strategies to boost overall sales and profitability. 6. Sustainability Initiatives Adopt and promote eco-friendly practices in production and packaging.

I have come to realize that the BPO sector is dynamic and needs continuous improvement in skills and knowledge. Learning is important, especially when you are planning to grow your career. You need to understand your learning progression first to determine what will assist you in your BPO career. Once done, you can set SMART objectives. Objectives will help you compare your progress and ensure that you are on the correct learning path.

📅 Bill Gates, known for his "Think Weeks," dedicates time exclusively for learning and reflection, showing how daily learning sessions can lead to substantial knowledge accumulation. 🎧 Engaging with educational content regularly, such as podcasts or webinars, can enhance your skill set. For instance, an employee at Accenture used daily microlearning sessions to upskill and was promoted within a year. 📚 Consistency is crucial. As Warren Buffett said, "The more you learn, the more you earn."

I created a Task Tracker, a To-Do list, and a daily checklist to ensure that I consistently complete the tasks I have set for myself. It is important to have this plan with you. This will help you manage your time well in a busy schedule. The time slots that you assign don’t have to be long sessions. They can be as short as 5 to 10 minutes, which you can use to read a book or view an educational video. To ensure you don’t approach these learning activities haphazardly, planning the day, week, or month well in advance will help your learning. The tools that I use mostly is spreadsheets (Excel or Google Sheet). But you can use some tools such as Asana or Trello to create these trackers for yourself.

💼 IBM offers extensive internal training programs that have helped many employees advance their careers by learning new technologies without extra costs. 📖 Leveraging your company's resources, like e-learning platforms or educational partnerships, can be highly beneficial. A staff member at Infosys used internal training to transition into a more technical role successfully. 🔍 Utilizing available resources can save time and money while directly enhancing your professional capabilities. 💡 As Zig Ziglar said, "You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great."

Make sure that you use all opportunities provided by your company when it comes to learning and development. Sign up for all training/eLearning programs. Your best trainers would be your colleagues and managers. When you have time, use it to learn some extra tips or work hacks from them. Make sure that what you are learning are not shortcuts but effective ways to do your work well. In my work experience, I have learned many things from those who worked with me. Identify someone whom you would like to have as a mentor to support you in your learning journey. A mentor can always provide guidance on what you need to do to make sure that you climb the ladder in the BPO sector. If you need help, reach out to me!

🗂️ Example: President Dwight D. Eisenhower, creator of the Eisenhower Matrix, used this prioritization tool to effectively manage tasks and make critical decisions. 📈 Using the Eisenhower Matrix, categorize your tasks by urgency and importance. A project manager at Google improved productivity by prioritizing tasks, leading to better project outcomes. 🕰️ Efficient task management makes room for learning and development. 💡 As Stephen Covey said, "The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities."

When working in BPO, the common phrase used by many will be, “I don’t have free time.” But that is not the case. The issue is ineffective time and task management. You can start your learning journey from this point as you will try to understand how to arrange your tasks so that you will make time for learning. Look at the tasks, see what can be done in a short time and what takes longer. Decide what is important and what is not. Set a schedule/deadline in your task tracker to ensure that you finish these tasks on time. When you discipline yourself to complete tasks on time, you will notice that you are saving time. With practice, daily tasks become easier and faster to complete.

In BPO, what you learn today can be outdated in a year or two. Not everything will remain the same. So, keep an eye on trends and make sure that you are adaptable to new learnings. Years into working in the BPO, you will realize that something new pops up every now and then. To ensure that you have all the relevant skills needed to succeed in the industry, you need to be flexible. Once again networking platforms such as Linkedin is a key tool to use to be ahead. There have been many articles posted specially relating to how the industry will be in years to come.

To retain the knowledge you have learned and ensure that what you are learning is relevant to the work you are doing, you need to reflect regularly. This will also help you understand which knowledge or skills you need to pursue further. Always try to understand how much of your newly acquired knowledge or skill is relevant to your current work. After all, we learn something new to be effective and efficient in what we are doing.