Through experience I have learned that in order to accelerate in any environment, you must take follow a common trend: Learn, Build and Execute. You can’t build a highly innovative project, without acquiring skills and knowledge. Saying this, you can’t execute a project into production without first learning about what you are going to build and then creating it. Even after you execute, you must review the process and learn from your mistakes for future engagements. While at work, when I get assigned a specific project, I tend to review all material surrounding that project before jumping into document creation. This way, you won’t miss out on key facts or information that may aid in the development of the material your creating. Sometimes after building my projects contents, I will go back and learn more, but I always push towards execution. If you are given a time limit or launch date for your project, you must know when to executive and when to keep learning in order to push the project forward. In general, I have listed what I feel an effective work process lifecycle is below:
Learn: Learn your job and the technical and communication skills that coincide with it.
Build: Build your projects and the tasks required of you through guidance from mentors, previously successful ventures and through research.
Execute: Execute your projects by proving value to your manager and demonstrating effectiveness.
In any professional environment, following the Learn-Build-Execute framework can significantly accelerate your growth and project success. This guide will walk you through each stage of this process.
1. Learn
Definition: Acquire the necessary skills, knowledge, and context for your job and projects.
- Review all material surrounding your project before starting
- Focus on both technical and communication skills
- Understand the broader context of your work
Tip: Don’t rush this stage. Thorough learning prevents mistakes and missed opportunities later.
2. Build
Definition: Create and develop your projects based on your acquired knowledge.
- Use guidance from mentors
- Reference previously successful ventures
- Conduct thorough research
- Be open to returning to the ‘Learn’ stage if necessary
Tip: Building is an iterative process. Don’t be afraid to refine and improve as you go.
3. Execute
Definition: Implement your project, demonstrating its value and your effectiveness.
- Meet deadlines and launch dates
- Prove the value of your work to your manager
- Demonstrate effectiveness in your role
- Review the process and learn from any mistakes for future projects
Tip: Balance the need for perfection with the importance of timely execution.
Implementing the Framework
- Assess the Project: When assigned a task, first determine what you need to learn.
- Set Learning Goals: Identify key areas of knowledge you need to acquire.
- Create a Build Plan: Outline how you’ll approach the project based on your learning.
- Establish Milestones: Set clear points for moving from learning to building to executing.
- Be Flexible: Be prepared to cycle back to earlier stages if needed.
- Review and Reflect: After execution, analyze your process for future improvement.
Balancing the Stages
Remember, while this framework is sequential, it’s also cyclical. You may need to return to the ‘Learn’ stage even after you’ve started building or executing. The key is to recognize when to move forward and when to step back for more information or refinement.
Pro Tip: When facing time constraints, know when to stop learning and start executing. Perfection can be the enemy of progress.
By following this Learn-Build-Execute framework, you’ll be well-equipped to tackle any project efficiently and effectively, accelerating your professional growth in the process.
