It’s that time of the year again where renowned bloggers and respected authors write about their predictions as they gear up to paint their blank canvas for 2019! My preference has always been to look back over my shoulder at the past year as I reflect on lessons learnt from the workplace, energized at how one can positively do things differently and repurpose oneself for the year ahead. Upfront I must highlight that within the context of Recruitment and Talent Management, most of these takeaways are based on inherent human behaviours, sheer qualities, values and beliefs that we have been taught and have accumulated from the day we were born.
1. PAY IT FORWARD – IT’S THE SMALL THINGS THAT COUNT
The biggest contributing factor for any organization is your ability to “pay it forward” through enriching peoples’ lives, whether it be through knowledge sharing, mentoring and guidance or supporting them through difficult times by merely listening and placing yourself in their world – It’s the small things that count!
2. A BUMPY ROAD CAN ALSO PROVIDE WISDOM
Your envisaged passage to success within an organization might not be a smooth road, however, irrespective of how bumpy the road might be, learn, listen and capitalize on these experiences and teachings. Remain positive, continuously building on your knowledge base, wisdom, skills set and experience.
3. A POSITIVE MIND-SET IS CONTAGIOUS
If you joined a Leadership Team or EXCO, accept the fact that you might very well be faced with differences in opinions, inflexible mind-sets and personalities that might not necessarily be aligned to your way of thinking, values, culture and beliefs. The secret is to “hold your course” and continue remaining passionate and positive, as you continue contributing your wealth of wisdom and problem solving abilities into the Team. Through your influence, you could very well trigger an enormous positive spin-off for the team as a whole!
4. RESILIENCE TRUMPS LEADERSHIP SKILLS
Change is inevitable and the only constant, especially with the ongoing, underlying and unpredictable South African political and economic environment within which we work. We cannot escape the fact that Resilience and Perseverance is a given and essential leadership trait, with us being able to master the skill of how best to deal with unexpected or unpredictable future workplace events.
5. FUTURE-PROOF YOURSELF
Dedicate yourself to ongoing learning! Make the time to learn something new each day, challenging yourself on whether you are doing the best you can do to stay ahead of trends and be progressive in your approach in our new world of work! Maintain a “curious mind” and don’t settle for information at face value. Acknowledging that we have an overabundance of information at our disposal within our digital environment and most likely have built a strong and supportive network of business associates, industry specialists and partners through the years, there are no excuses to continually building your intellectual capital.
6. ALWAYS STRIVE TO MAINTAIN YOUR PURPOSE
Never underestimate your worth, contribution and purpose within your working environment.
Align your accumulated wealth of wisdom and skill to your organization’s procedures and practices, understanding that your way of working might not necessarily be aligned to the organizations. You might need to adjust, adapt or compromise on certain practices to the benefit of the leadership team and strategic intention of the organization as a whole. Don’t be afraid to question how you are contributing to “the purpose” and “the bigger picture” of your company. Research confirms that professionals are increasingly drawn to companies that present themselves as working towards a larger purpose or vision rather than exclusively financial ambition.
In conclusion, whilst the above reflection on my journey through 2018 might not have been all ‘rosy’, I look towards 2019 with renewed energy and excitement!
What were your takeaways from 2018 and how differently are you going to approach 2019?
I would love to hear from you!
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