By Benjamin Lewis, MBA, CHTM
You do not have to look very far to find people investing in staying active. Whether it is a new phone app or wearable device that tracks the number of steps you take or flights of stairs you climb, or just a new pair of running shoes, many of us spend time and money to keep ourselves active and motivated. However, as HTM professionals, we must also spend time and resources on remaining professionally engaged. With a small amount of research, you will find that there are just as many options for you to stay professionally engaged as there are apps and gadgets to help keep us physically active. Opportunities may present themselves in our daily activities and some will require a little more effort which we will need to seek out. Maintaining a healthy balance of the two can help keep you “professionally healthy.”
Consider some of the following suggestions on stepping out of your daily grind to find out what else your profession has to offer:
Get out on the floor
In the HTM field we have the tendency to get in a rut. Whether it is going to a department to pick up a broken piece of equipment and then straight back to you shop, or heading to a meeting and then back to your computer to balance another budget or approve another purchase, we tend to let the everyday drown us. Next time you leave your work area, consider taking a detour and engage with staff that you do not see daily. You will find out a considerable amount about how you and your team are doing, and make new work acquaintances as well.
Join a multidisciplinary committee
Chose to work with a new committee that lets you engage with the audience that will help you improve your program. Whether it is a committee for EOC, capital purchases, education, or community projects, there is likely a committee that you can participate in that takes you out of your everyday safe zone in which you can find value.
Get involved in your HTM or biomedical association
You can find great satisfaction in being an active member in your local HTM or biomedical association. Your local organization should be a place that you can find knowledge, opportunity, value, and ideas that will keep you current, and if it is not that place, change it!
Attend an industry convention
You will find most of what you should be getting out of your local association at a large industry convention, just on a much larger scale. This is a good time for you to see the technology and service trends that are driving the industry. It will also give you a chance to meet your peers that may not be your neighbors and meet vendors that can provide value to your program that you have never had a chance to interact with before.
Get certified
CBET, CRES and CHTM all take time and money to earn. Maintaining these certifications require continuing education, which will force you to actively seek and document professional activities outside of your daily scope. In addition, Information Technology is here to stay in the HTM field. Consider a CompTIA A+ or equivalent, which will separate you from the HTM pack for certain hybrid roles.
Stepping outside of your norm, whatever your norm may be, will allow you to break a mental sweat and stay in great professional shape. Being active in your career provides opportunity for learning, networking, and engagement, which will give you a chance to see yourself and your program through a different lens, allowing you to grow and polish your program into a greater success.
