Did You Add Tools in 2025?

Let me define the tools that I’m talking about here – skills and/or competencies that we all need to have in our jobs to be successful. As you move through your career, you continue to add skills or competencies to your toolkit. Much of that is based on your career progression over 5, 10, 20, 30 years in your career. Of course, your career may also shift into a totally new vertical career ladder, for example, moving from Engineering to Sales, a big change.

As we quickly approach year-end, I challenge you to look at your repertoire of tools or competencies while you have time to breathe during the holidays, and ask yourself honestly if you have added tools to your toolkit in 2025. If you have added several tools to your portfolio, that is great, good for you! If your response is that you didn’t add any tools, or you’re not sure about your response then that’s an issue. The key here is that if you are not going forward, you are going backwards. Standing still in your career or in business for that matter is not a good thing because others are passing you by.  

I would challenge you as you move into 2026 to look at what skills or competencies you plan on adding next year. Once you identify what those are, what is your game plan to make that happen?  Do you need to talk to your manager about this to gain their support? Do you need to go back to school or gain a formal professional certification?  It’s better to put this plan in place in the first quarter of next year so that you have the rest of the year to make it happen.

When you look at executives in your company or others that you truly admire, chances are they have done a similar process or exercise on a regular basis to continue to grow in their careers to get where they are today. Many people do way more research on the next car they will buy vs. their career plan – don’t be that person.

Enjoy the holidays and enjoy time with your family and friends. If you do this introspective exercise as things slow down over the next few weeks, I know it will pay off for you significantly in the next year.