Reading, wRiting & 'Rithmetic

Think about this post's title for a minute… how might a focus on “the basics” improve our occupational capital (aka the internal/external resources we bring to our work)? Based on a ton of my informal “field research," individuals who cultivate these “academic” skills have a solid foundation that supports all their personal and professional accomplishments.
 
Let me explain. Humans are verbal and curious by nature. Our quest for curiosity is both fueled and fed by our exploration of a variety of texts (aka READING books, magazines, websites, etc.) and our ability to communicate (aka WRITE) helps us share what we’ve learned, acquire additional insight, inquire of others what they know and think. When we add this all up… yep, here’s the ‘rithmetic part, we grow. We actually improve our ability to make connections between and among a variety of materials and experiences EXPONENTIALLY! In business terms, that means INNOVATE!
 
I came to this conclusion when I sat down to write this post. It was going to start, “I’m reading this really great book!” but what I realized rather quickly was that I wanted to communicate the major connection I had just made between the story and a human resource struggle I was helping a client navigate. As a result of this insight, the client and I co-created a completely new solution!
 
Who’s got time to read? Who actually writes much more than a text message? We think we’re being efficient, but in truth we’re shrinking and reducing our value to others in the process. Try this experiment: Pick a topic you’re interested to know more about. Find a book that’s related to the topic directly, factually, situationally, tangentially… fictionally, even! Dedicate the time to read it and write down the connections you make, the ideas that arise, the questions that beg further investigation. Apply this to just ONE occupational “struggle” and let me know how it all adds up for you in terms of inspiration, imagination and/or innovation!