lshanahan (4/23/2013)
Maybe it's little old me, but I was surprised at the very least at the statement: "Having knowledge about the way your business works, the way they use data, or solve a problem, could be valuable in your existing job."To me, that simply isn't "valuable", it's downright critical. I'm a relative newcomer to the development/DBA world, but I've always taken to heart something my wife tells me over and over: "I don't care how it works, I just want it to WORK and help me get done what I'm tryng to do."
People are important, but learning the business and working in different departments isn't critical. The vast majority of our workforce doesn't do this and many do their jobs well.
However, if you want to get your career moving faster, then you need to do more. More could be working with people in your group, or it could be working in other parts of the business.