3 Questions You Need To Ask To Grow In Your Career

My career changed in the bathtub. 

It was a typical night at home. I was in my mid-twenties, so it consisted of a leisurely dinner and the company of my amazing wife, then-girlfriend. 

We dated for over six years, she'll never let that go.

As a true man, I decided to take a bath — screw stereotypes. 

Baths are amazing.

As a child, I hated reading. I didn't feel anything for the stories I was reading. 

Boring. 

Books didn't have me turning the page to see what happened next.

Movies were SOOO much better. 

Then there were the school textbooks, even for my MBA, snooze fest. 

Reading was boring, until today's bath.

My mom gave me a Kindle, the first generation. I still have the same one. 

I bought one of Dan Kennedys No B.S. books and decided to give it a try. 

I was enthralled with the lessons in the pages. It kept me reading. I was new to leading an organization and straight out of getting my MBA.

My MBA was a blessing. It built confidence in many areas of my business life but it didn't teach me about the business trenches.

This is where career wars are fought and won. 

This book started the process. 

I became addicted to reading. I then became addicted to executing the things I read.

 There are three fundamental questions you must ask every day in your career if you want to grow.

Funny enough, these questions come from the book "The Road Less Stupid" by Keith Cunningham. 

If you're asking yourself these questions, you're likely an A-player on your team. If not, you're a C-player, and your future is stagnant. 

Ask yourself these questions every day.

What else can I do? 

This question gets to the heart of growth. 

When my official career started, I was in sales, but my working started much earlier.

I was tasked with painting inventory shelves to spruce up a warehouse and making shakes at Gold's Gym for 12 hour days on the weekend.

I was wiping down sweaty machines at the YMCA, in pursuit of a personal training career and a college degree. 

No thanks. 

My career officially started - in sales before my MBA. 

We had a fundamental problem with lead generation and an executable sales strategy. 

So I took the lead and began to reinvent our business model. 

Once I became the V.P. of Acquisitions & Information Technology, I asked myself, how can I make our procurement strategy high caliber so we can fulfill our sales obligations. 

This then led to upgrading our company playbook, brand image, and marketing strategy, which led to where I'm at today, as CEO.

I asked myself each day, "what else can I do?" Every word you read on my websites, every design you see, every email you may have gotten, I've written. 

I learned basic coding, digital advertising, B2B sales, leadership, and many other skills. 

I always asked myself, "what else can I do to help us achieve our mission and goals?" 

Where can I get better? 

An add-on question to this is "What coaching do you have for me?"

If you're not improving, you're stagnant. I assure you you're not the best in the world at what you do.

You can always getter better. 

There's always room for improvement and growth. 

A recent hire told me he's an expert in aircraft fuel systems. Without hesitation, I said, no you're not. 

In fuel systems, there are improvements to make and other aircraft to study, so expertise is never fully achieved. 

I said, look at it this way. 

Michael Jordan could be viewed as an expert in basketball, yet, he practiced thousands of free-throw shots a day, working on his mastery. 

Mastery is never stagnant. We can always improve. 

What do I need to do or learn so that I continue to grow?

If you're not learning, you're not growing. If you're not growing, you're stagnant. 

Every day is a day to learn something.

I don't recommend learning underwater basket weaving if you want to grow in your marketing career. 

Look for things to learn that help you achieve your goals and grow in your organization.

You can always learn new things that apply to your passions, but it's essential to stay focused and learn things that truly matter. 

Here's a list of things I recommend for my team: 

• Supply Chain: Negotiation.

• Sales: Prospecting, opportunity creation, and setting a preference. 

• Marketing: Copywriting. 

• Warehouse: Lean Six Sigma. 

• Management: Leadership and productivity.

Sure there are a hundred other things you can learn but start with one area, build a foundation, and move on. 

By asking yourself these questions and executing on the answers, you'll see a profound impact on your career.