“This means new hires today have an even greater need for hands-on training and soft skills than ever before, for example, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills”
“My advice for young people is, study what you love and intern in what you want to do. And I think it’s okay to pivot as many times as you need to.”
– Eva Chen, director of fashion, Instagram.
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”
– Steve Jobs, founder, Apple.
An internship chosen with care is a learning experience that empowers you with the skills that are needed to perform tasks which are specific to your career and can further enhances one’s performance while giving a big push to your career. Very specific and practical training is ideal for new age working professionals.
Individuals need to know their strengths and weaknesses and most importantly decide where their real interests lie. This step is important, because for the rest of your life you will either be enjoying what you do or be straddled with work that you detest. In the long run, a career should help you grow professionally as well as personally.
These days, rather than crunching numbers or preparing reports behind the scenes, many entry-level workers and interns are meeting with clients, identifying and resolving issues on real-time basis, and serving on cross-functional teams and processes. This means new hires today have an even greater need for hands-on training and soft skills than ever before, for example, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills. From a larger perspective, you may say that an internship is the new entry-level job. Employers want to hire college graduates who not only have the required education and training for the job but relevant experience as well.
“Individuals need to know their strengths and weaknesses and most importantly decide where their real interests lie”
Image Credit: Lagos Techie
Through internships, you can:
· Keep up with Emerging Trends – With the way businesses are constantly changing, one needs to continuously learn to keep up with these changes and internships help with this.
· Network – One of the most effective ways of creating strong networks in the industry is by joining professional internships. They help you interact with peers in the industry and there is great scope to create business contacts and connections.
· Take a career test drive – You can gain deeper insight into who you are and the type of work environments and tasks you enjoy most.
· Understand the practical aspect of work – Internships sharpen your skills and improve how you handle your work as they are practical and teach professionalism.
· Transition from “College to Career” – Lots of things change after college, starting with the time your alarm goes off in the morning! By building good work habits during your internship, the big adjustment from campus life to work life will go more smoothly.
· Earn more college credits – Your college may offer academic credits for internships. In fact, growing numbers of schools require you to complete one in order to graduate.
· Level up your CV – Internships are offered by professional institutions that are the setters of industry standards. Employers are generally interested in what professional courses and internships you have taken to improve your capabilities and your power to negotiate for a better salary or job.
“The bottom line is, good communication skills equate to good relationships, a better career path, better mental health, and a better chance for overall success in your career and personal life”
Employers often list communication skills as their highest priority, above even the qualifications for the job in question. Communication is essential in business to convey ideas, to have good relationships with colleagues and staff, to handle interviews, to create an impact with your presence, to network, the list is endless.
The bottom line is, good communication skills equate to good relationships, a better career path, better mental health, and a better chance for overall success in your career and personal life.
Forms of professional communication include written, verbal and non-verbal formal and informal communication. Not surprisingly, e-mail the most frequently used form of written formal communication today.
Here are a few simple points we need to keep in mind while writing a professional e-mail:
1. Pay attention to the subject line – Try to keep it concise and clear, and make sure it reflects the actual content of the e-mail. Avoid using ‘Hello’ or ‘FYI’, or other general greetings as subjects.
2. Always use a proper salutation or greeting – ‘Good morning’, ‘Good day’, ‘Greetings’ or ‘Hello’ are acceptable ways to begin your e-mail; while ‘Hey’ and ‘Hi’ are not appropriate for formal e-mails.
3. Write a proper introduction – Especially when writing to someone for the first time, it is best to include your full name along with some background information in the first few lines. For example, “Dear Ms. Mathews: My name is Anjala Singh, Editor of Literature Today magazine; I am writing to you regarding…”
However, in certain cultures (such as Japanese), it is not considered appropriate to introduce yourself directly to a potential contact, such introductions are customarily made by mutually respected third parties. So, it is always best to research the customs of a country you are unfamiliar with, before writing an e-mail or starting any kind of communication.
“Millions of e-mails are sent across the globe on a daily basis. Yet, a single poorly written e-mail can damage your professional image”
4. Avoid humour and sarcasm – It is easy to misinterpret e-mail messages if the context is not clear. Humour is culture-specific and can oftentimes confuse or worse, offend the recipient.
5. Do not use the ‘Reply All’ option unless it is actually needed – Avoid using ‘Reply-to-All’ unless everyone needs to know. For example, when a C-level executive (Chief Operating Officer, Chief Executive Office, and so forth) or their assistant sends an e-mail to ten staff members requesting volunteers for a project, reply to the sender of the e-mail, not to all the other recipients of the mail. Reply-to-All is a function for ongoing deliberations on a particular subject.
6. Break up your e-mail into concise points – Use bullet points when possible and stick to the basic information. Do not write an essay when three sentences can do the job.
7. Before hitting the ‘send’ button, ask yourself, “Does the receiver need all this information,” or, “Could this be better as a conversation over the phone instead?”
8. Reply promptly – On working days, formal e-mails should ideally be replied to within 24 hours.
9. Use proper language – Do not use short forms or acronyms, or slang in your e-mail.
10. Proofread – Check your grammar and spelling before hitting ‘send’.
Millions of e-mails are sent across the globe on a daily basis. Yet, a single poorly written e-mail can damage your professional image. It would be helpful to remember here that every successful person has superior communication skills. In fact, the most admired and best leaders are the most clear communicators. You can take the first step by improving your e-mail writing skills!
In a relatively short time-span, the Covid-19 pandemic has changed education in ways that we could not have imagined possible in such a time frame. From preschoolers to undergraduates, students of all ages have had to get used to seeing their teachers on a screen – attending virtual classrooms, submitting projects online and even taking tests online.
Online classes have been a part of our reality for roughly three decades now, making learning accessible to a greater number of people than ever before. With improvements in technology and connectivity, the market for online learning has grown phenomenally in the last few years. No longer limited only to higher education, it was gradually being incorporated into curriculum universally. As advances in online learning techniques made online feedback and assessments a reality, online learning became a two-way dialogue rather than a static, didactic method of teaching; and when the pandemic struck, it became a necessity almost instantly.
Teachers and students have had to adapt and quickly learn to take online classes effectively and efficiently. The learning curve has been steep for everyone involved, but the upside is too great to ignore – education would be at a standstill if technology had not progressed enough to enable online classes.
There are some challenging aspects of learning online; and here we have compiled is a list of things to help improve your experience.
Maintain a routine, as you would for regular classes – wake up on time, have breakfast and shower before you settle down to attend your classes. Treat your online class as any regular in-person class, as far as possible.
Be on time, or preferably early – Plan ahead and familiarize yourself with the software tools that will be used for your online classes beforehand. Learn how to mute your audio and control your camera, how to raise your hand or signal to indicate you wish to speak, how to send a private message; these are part of basic etiquette for online sessions of any kind.
Be mindful of what others can see and hear – ensure that the background is appropriate in case your camera is switched on during the class. Make sure that others in the vicinity are aware that you are attending a live class.
Create a dedicated study area – This can help you focus on your studies when it’s time for class and help disconnect when it’s not. Try to choose a quiet spot with minimum external distractions. Make sure it’s not too comfortable (like a bed or cushy sofa). Keep your books and stationary at hand; stay organized to avoid wasting time while the class is on.
Take notes – You may think that all the information is available online and you can skip this; however, the purpose of taking notes is not merely to record the class, but to put the material in your own words, thereby boosting retention and comprehension.
Avoid multi-tasking – distractions and switching between tasks can cause mistakes, it tires you out and hampers proper retention. It can be tempting to get some other work done while listening to your lecture, but that’s likely to backfire. Research shows that focusing on one activity at a time increases productivity.
Make a note of deadlines and test dates; check your email regularly to stay aware of any possible changes in the schedule for classes, projects or tests. It’s easy to miss things when you are at home if you do not have a daily reminder to check your messages.
Be prepared for connectivity issues – Try to optimize your internet connection; hard wiring to your router is the best option. If you are on WiFi, sit as close to the router as possible. Do not panic if you lose your internet connection. You can also keep your smartphone as a backup.
Have realistic expectations – With everyone thrust into this situation with no advance notice, teachers and students alike have had to learn on the job. Remember that teaching this way is most likely a new experience for your instructors as well. Be patient, and don’t panic at minor setbacks.
Get to know your teachers – If possible, introduce yourself via email. It’s nice to have a personal connection with your instructors, and if there are no in-person classes, it may be difficult for them to see you as anything but a name on a screen. Making an effort to connect with them can only be an advantage. Ask questions and speak up in class when it is appropriate to do so. In case you fall behind or need help, ask for it. Asking for help shows a genuine interest in learning, rather than simply attending and passing a class.
Connect with your fellow classmates – Get to know the other students in your class. Exchanging notes can be helpful to let you know whether others are on the same track or facing similar issues as you. Creating an online study group with other interested classmates can be useful to resolve queries and keep track of deadlines. Being in sync with classmates can prevent you from slacking off. Connecting with others also helps break monotony and reduce stress.
The world is waiting to go back to ‘normal’ and to see the end of this pandemic. But, in the meantime, there’s a lot to be thankful for in terms of technology and innovation that has allowed life and education to continue unabated.
As a Senior Lecturer at the Kelley School of business, Indiana University, Tatiana Kolovou teaches Business communication and Cross Cultural Communication to undergrads and MBA students. Tatiana is a professional speaker, trainer and LinkedIn Author, having authored 16 courses in the LinkedIn library, including the best-selling Communication Tips, which has over 2 million views. Born and raised in Athens, Greece, Tatiana has been based in the US for the last 35 years.
We had a great opportunity to talk with Tatiana about the importance of first impressions and how one can work on improving their communication skills.
Q1. From a professional standpoint, how important is a good ‘first impression’?
A1. It is critical. Our brain subconsciously makes a decision if someone is a friend or an enemy, it’s a kind of primal reflex that we have. Even if we meet someone on the street who we are not going to see again – we quickly decide. First impressions are formed in milliseconds, not even one second or three seconds; and we know this from published research on social cognition. So we must be quite mindful in the contexts where we want to be aware of what impression we make. Mind you, we are not always cognisant of first impressions we make when we meet someone in the market, grocery store, bookstore, or on the street; but if it is in the business world, when we are meeting someone for the first time we may want to influence that more and must be mindful to that effect.
Q2. What are the crucial aspects that determine the impression we make on others?
A2. Research on social cognition tells us that there are two dimensions – the first is likeability; the concept of warmth, deciding if someone is a friend or not, and we make that decision first. But, we then also decide if we trust the person enough to want to be on their team or to listen to what they say – that is the competence aspect. So, there are two components – warmth and competence. This study was first done at Harvard by Amy Cuddy and her research team. And even though we weigh both components, we first decide on warmth and then proceed with competence. These are crucial aspects of that first impression. For instance, in the context of a day care service where we take children, we want for the teachers to be not only very well organized and for the place to be clean, but we want the teachers first to greet our children and be warm with them. But then, we also want to trust that our children will learn. So that’s a good example of warmth and competence. The same stands for someone starting a presentation in a meeting – we want them (even though they may get right to the point) to make an effort to be welcoming at least, or to show warmth before the meeting begins, because we make decisions based on that. Since I also teach cross cultural communication, I would have to add here, that this depends on the context.
Q3. What factors help to build trust when the aim is to influence others or sway their opinion?
A3. To build trust you have to have a comparatively longer-standing relationship. Perhaps more than one or two interactions, or you have to have back and forth in a working / professional relationship. Building trust again depends on the context. Many times people trust you before they even know you, because you may be associated with an organization they trust. If it’s a famous consulting company or firm that is a known brand, one assumes that this person is trustworthy and should get a chance, as opposed to someone unknown. But in a context where you’re working with someone, you look at many different aspects of how trust is influenced – for example, the person’s reputation or what we call their ‘brand’.
There are certain behaviours that build trust. Does the person follow through? Do they keep their word? Do they have a network that can be useful to you? Do they bring together a good argument? Do they have their facts right? And, most importantly I would say, for people to influence others and sway their opinion, they have to be looking out for that other person. So if I’m trying to convince someone that they should do something, I should say, ‘this is good for you’; I have to focus on the person and what’s in it for them. I need to know them and what they want, and what they value. A very important part of trust-building is understanding your counterpart and what is a win for them as well. This takes us back to relationships – showing warmth and connecting with others at their level. So, knowing your context and knowing your audience to create that connection is an important factor.
Q4. What are the non-verbal aspects of communication that one can work on to improve their presence? Which specific non-verbal communication has the most impact?
A4. Presence definitely is based on non-verbals. Just one face-to-face interaction carries over ten thousand non-verbals; because non-verbals include intonation in the voice, use of space, how you stand, where you sit, what you’re wearing, how you gesture, and facial expressions. You can imagine that all of this is important. In a business setting or a meeting ‘how you show up’ would be quite significant, and that involves literally – your aura – your energy that you bring with you; how you stand and how you walk into a room, or how you sit in a chair. That’s how you show up.
Next, eye contact – I would say out of all non-verbal communications this comes first. Not just constant eye contact, but respectful and flexible, because in some cultures looking straight in someone’s eyes does not have the meaning it would in others, and we need to be sensitive to that. A lot of what we communicate is with our eye contact.
In the business setting, another critical non-verbal is a firm or confident handshake (I’m referring to the pre-Covid era of course). A handshake communicates confidence and ease between the person who is initiating it and the person receiving it. And then gestures and facial expressions are obviously significant. Dress and everything that involves dress – how a person carries themselves. For instance, if you see a person wearing a very expensive or well-tailored suit, but if they are not comfortable or confident in their stance – that sends a message. The same way, sometimes women wear heels higher than they are comfortable in. This can make them feel awkward, not comfortable in their own skin. So however you dress, you should be mindful to communicate a comfortable, for you, message. You want to be comfortable, and you want that to be part of what carries your brand. There is a really good book called ‘Power Cues’ by Nick Morgan, which discusses this in detail.
Q5. What is an effective method to improve speaking skills?
A5. It takes practice. In his book ‘Outliers’ Malcom Gladwell talks about 10,000-hour activities, the idea that people can become experts in any subject in 10,000 hours. I would say speaking takes more than that, as a non-native English speaker it’s definitely taken me more than that. But if there’s one thing to improve your speaking skills, its practice – practice, practice, practice. And possibly, put yourself in situations where you have to speak with conviction, where you have to get attention. My daughter, for instance, is a second year college student, and she is at home because of Covid and is attending university online. Because she felt quite secluded, I recommended that she volunteer with the girls’ swimming team for the local high school. We had a long conversation about how speaking in coaching – standing on the deck and calling out commands, needing to get attention from others and being comfortable hearing your voice – that is a fantastic practice opportunity to improve one’s speaking skills. So, try to put yourself in situations where you have to do a lot of practice. Practice impromptu speaking; there are several apps to help with this. One is called ‘LikeSo’ and it is in the app store. Another one that I really appreciate because it’s very innovative and progressive is called ORAI – Oratory Artificial Intelligence. You can practice impromptu speeches and keep improving your scores, and you can do this privately.
Q6. How has the current scenario post-Covid, with most official work taking place online, impacted business communication?
A6. Reflecting back to your question on first impressions – remember that even before Covid, our first impressions quite often are made with the picture that we post on our LinkedIn profile; or the intonation of our voice in our outgoing voicemail; or the tone and respect that we show in an email that we send out. So, first impressions are not always face-to-face. And in a the post-Covid, or Covid world we live in now, our first impressions are carried by our background and in our lighting, in the position of our camera, in all the ways that we are able to affect or show energy that comes across in a camera. I believe that post-Covid, we are still going to carry on a lot of business virtually, because it’s cheaper and more efficient. So it’s going to be very important that our communication maintains a certain level of crispness and impact. Being attentive to details and being able to carry our brand positively is extremely important. For more on this topic, see reference #4 in the latest LinkedIn Trends for 2021.
Q7. In your personal experience, what are the innate qualities of good leaders and effective communicators?
A7. Number one is awareness. Be aware how you come across. Get feedback from others. Some of the best feedback that I’ve received is feedback that I wasn’t expecting. But I do ask – what did you think of me when you first met me? How did this come across? You need to ask questions of people you can trust. Have some awareness of how you show up and how you come across and then see if you can influence it.
Good leaders and communicators understand their audience and they come prepared; they don’t bring a cookie-cutter approach to everything. Once they know who their audience is and what they need, they change their style, they adapt. Mind you, this does not mean that they are being manipulative or inauthentic. They are showing flexibility, they are not rigid.
Good leaders and communicators build trust first and they have a network that can help most. Remember, building a network is not something you do when you need a job or you need something. Having a network is the ability to pick up the phone and ask somebody (who may be living thousands of miles away) to do you a favour; and, because of the energy and goodwill that you’ve invested in the relationship, things happen. So, good leaders and communicators have that.
Good leaders and communicators function with a strong sense of integrity in everything they do. They function with integrity even when no one is looking. With trustworthiness and definite competence they will get the job done, they will get it done right and detailed as if they own it, even if they may not. And they do it with a level of care, and relationship and with best intent for everyone involved.
In this season of personal introspection, why does improving time management remain such a persistent, perennial goal for so many of us? The irony is that we need to become better managers of our own efforts to improve time management. We need to prioritize our developmental efforts. This path begins with turning away from alluring quick fixes and instead toward assessing and building our underlying time management skills before another new year’s resolution reaches its dissolution.
Time management is one of the most important aspects of life that enables one to make the most of the given 24 hours in a day. We all have the same hours every day, the reason why some achieve more is not only because they work harder, but because they work smarter! It is often said that by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail; most people will be ready to vouch for this. The only way to combat this problem is by promising to follow effective time management strategies. Like many other things, time-management is a strategy that can be learned and improved with time. So here I’ve curated a list of insightful time-management tips you should follow to ensure that you utilize every 24 hours in the best way possible:
1. WORK SMARTER
Time is the essence of life. Managing your time effectively will not only maximize your productivity but will also leave you some spare time to follow your heart. Setting priorities may not be easy, but prioritizing is good for time management. It always pays to make a list of the things you need to do, put a timeline to each activity and then prioritize them at the beginning of each day, week, or month. It is also advisable to have a time audit every once in a while, to help you know whether you need to make any adjustments.
2. DO IT NOW
It is said that we fail to manage our time appropriately because of procrastination. As Dr. Tim Pychyl explains in his book, “Procrastination is by definition an irrational behavior because it runs counter to our own idea of what will make us happy.” But is procrastination a time-management problem or emotional management problem? The problem in fact lies with your emotions and not with your willpower. The best way to combat this problem is by being mindful – through concentration, focus and equanimity. Research shows that emotional regulation plays a vital role in reducing procrastination and improving productivity.
3. CHECK FOR ADHD
Find out whether you are suffering from ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), which is one of the most common mental disorders affecting children and adults. ADHD can create special challenges at work. Handling ADHD along with a challenging job is no easy task, but by tailoring the workplace environment one can leverage their strong points while minimizing the negative impact of ADHD symptoms.
4. ORGANIZE ORGANIZE ORGANIZE
The power of good organization can never be overstressed. Organize your office, cubicle, or desk, one manageable step at a time. Then use the following strategies to stay tidy and organized:
o Set aside daily time for organization. Mess is always distracting, so set aside 5 to 10 minutes a day to clear your desk and organize paperwork. Experiment with storing things inside your desk or in bins so that they don’t clutter your workspace. Remember – a place for every thing and everything in its place!
o Use colors and lists. Color-coding can be very useful, even for people with ADHD. Manage forgetfulness by writing everything down.
o Prioritize. More important tasks should be placed first on your to-do list so you remember to do them before lower priority tasks. Set deadlines for everything, even if they are self-imposed.
o Find your peak performance time. Break your typical day into three to four time-slots and over the course of a week, rank these slots from your most to least productive.
o Treat your time like it’s money. Create a time budget that details how you spend your hours during a typical week. Categorize time into fixed time (must do’s) and discretionary time (want to do’s).
o Avoid ‘sunk cost fallacy’. When you think you might be spending too much time on an activity, step back and evaluate its importance – how valuable is the outcome, who will be affected if it’s finished or not finished, and so forth.
o Use a calendar app. Record due dates for tasks and appointments – and do this immediately when they are planned or requested.
5. MINIMISE EXTERNAL COMMOTION
Face your desk towards a wall and keep your workplace free of clutter. To discourage interruptions, you could even put up a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign. If possible, let voicemail pick up your phone calls and return them later, turn off email and social media during certain times of the day, or even log off the Internet completely. If noise distracts you, consider noise-canceling headphones or a sound machine. In other words, do anything that helps you minimize factors that stop you from concentrating and delay your progress.
6. BEAT THAT STRESS
Erratic sleep, an unhealthy diet, not enough exercise – these are all issues that can lead to extra stress, bad moods, and feeling out of control. The best way to stop this cycle is to take charge of your lifestyle habits and create healthy new routines. Eating well, getting plenty of sleep, and exercising regularly can help you stay calm and reduce stress symptoms such as inattention and hyperactivity, while regular routines can help your life feel more manageable.
All said and done, research shows that we are actually responsible for 50 percent of the distractions that sabotage our focus. When someone interrupts us, it takes an average of 29 minutes to resume our focus. When we do not choose where we direct our attention, time-management becomes a problem. It doesn’t matter how well we manage our time if we can’t focus our minds on what we want to accomplish. So, for time management, first learn attention management and always try to start the day on a high note. Remember what begins well also ends well if the focus and attention is maintained throughout the task. We all have 24 hours in a day to get things done; it is how we manage these 24 hours that matters – success doesn’t come from hard work alone, purposeful work is also important.
Going through the textbook descriptions of leadership traits, one would likely come across dozens of chapters on integrity, dynamism, charisma, vision, positivity, inspiration, et al. Rarely would one come across the nuances of leadership decision making under stressful and difficult situations, or relative to complex relationships and conflicting goals.
I am often confronted with situations while multi-tasking, where quick decisions are required to be taken under stressful conditions with negligible reaction time and with important long-term consequences. Over the years I have somehow become seasoned in dealing with these types of situations. However, I was recently stumped by an unusual audience question during an Educational leadership Conference where I was the keynote speaker. I was asked by a professor of a medical college to name the one single key to good decision making in such situations. I dare to confess, I did not have a straight answer. There was no magic mantra which I could spell out. And that led me to reckon and introspect within to get an answer; and I did!
‘Smart Switching’ is what I figured out. It is no secret that all of us in leadership roles constantly multi-task. Good leaders follow the principles of prioritization and queuing of urgent and important work (incidentally they are different and poles apart in functionality). However, when confronted with multiple urgent and important decisions, under constraints of time, the leader either buckles under stress or his decisions lack impetus and depth.
That is the time when one has to exercise a ‘Smart Switch’. It’s actually simple if practiced over a course of time. Imagine a typical situation of a Monday morning for the CEO of a multinational company. He could be faced with a situation which demands multiple quick decisions – all at the same time. Say, a finance decision on one hand as it’s the finance quarter-end closing, an urgent procurement to be negotiated by lunch, a prescheduled new-product presentation to attend, the usual Monday morning weekly meeting of Heads of Departments, a conference call with overseas office before they close, the list seems endless. And not to forget the nagging friend asking for a nine-hole game in the evening, his wife’s long text message pleading to attend the first equestrian class of the son, and if that is not enough, the Outlook inbox showing hundreds of unread mails from over the weekend – two of which are reminders from headquarters of a missed deadline of the monthly sales report. Gosh! While it seems impossible to many, it is a situation which a leader faces more often than not.
So what do we do? We make a ‘Smart Switch’. Take each decision at a time. Concentrate, focus and collect the right ‘dashboard’ for a decision. The dashboard being a set of right inputs, suggestions, risks and consequences given by your teams. Trust the dashboard. Decide to decide fast and not procrastinate. Once decided, believe in your decision. Give a clear path for execution and then forget about it. Switch to the next situation. Concentrate on the next dashboard. Repeat the process. Decide, forget and move on.
As I said, it is not easy and comes with time and experience. But one has to begin somewhere. For me ‘Smart Switching’ has always paid off, with the right decisions being made in a short period of time. Remember, leaders do not have all the time in the world to decide. Decision-making requirements keep pouring in and the leader has to keep pace. And, frankly speaking, that is the leader’s job; to make measured decisions.
Our first experiences tend to stay with us forever. No one ever forgets their first school, first best friend, first crush, or their first job. There’s something simultaneously exciting and nerve-racking about going through a new experience in life. First impressions can last a lifetime; and this brings me to my belief that having a good work environment at your first job is a critical factor when it comes to building certain characteristics that we end up practicing wherever our career may lead us.
The mind of a first-time employee is like a blank slate, ready to be filled with all the freshly accessible information at the new place of work. Newcomers are easily impressionable; there is an eagerness to prove themselves to family and friends, to show that they can hold their own in the corporate world. I have observed first-hand how newcomers tend to gravitate towards someone they can look up to and emulate, usually a senior team leader or a manager. This likely happens as, quite naturally, they envision themselves in that position of experience and authority some time in the (hopefully near) future. Subconsciously, one starts focusing on them, observing their habits and interactions with colleagues, listening attentively to their opinions, asking them for feedback, and so forth. And slowly, you may begin to agree with everything they say and how they behave in all situations.
Over the course of my career as a manager and trainer, I have had many opportunities to coach colleagues into future junior management positions and have almost always seen that their work attitude is a mirror image of the person or manager to whom they reported when they first joined the organization. While this may seem to be a good thing, as some organizations prefer familiar management styles, there are some drawbacks too – losing originality and unintentionally inculcating habits that may hinder your professional growth. Naturally, we all want to look up to someone or have a role model at the workplace, but this certainly shouldn’t influence us to such an extreme that we lose sight of our own personal values and beliefs. It is good to learn from others, as that is one of the most impactful ways to learn – by observing on the job. But be mindful to not lose yourself in this process, as it is easy to blend in with the crowd. Stick to practices that you have developed over the years; how you interact with others, how efficiently you complete a task, how punctual or tidy your appearance is. These are the things that make you, YOU; and that’s what will help you shine. And you never know, there may be someone who is secretly looking up to you!
I recently I had an interview with a young professional. We discussed the position, with questions back and forth where he made a very good impression. At the end of the interview, he asked an interesting question: what would be your recommendation on how to take care of my development for such positions?
Before I say anything else, this is one of the best approaches one can take. This person wasn’t looking at simply getting a job, he was looking at developing himself for a career that he finds interesting and motivating, and possibly has or doesn’t have the skills for. In essence, he was getting feedback on how others view him and was getting pointers for his personal development. No rocket science, but an elementary, important, and future-oriented question.
If you are strictly thinking about development only on the level of ‘knowledge’, then please remember, that development is not only about this. It is also about social, spiritual, emotional, and physical areas that could be played out in our personality, skills, emotional intelligence, relationships, conflict resolution, behaviors, habits, disciplines, time management, work-life balance, just to name a few.
“If you are strictly thinking about development only on the level of ‘knowledge’, then please remember, that development is not only about this”
But how do you get there? Is there a recipe? A formula? I doubt it. You might read different books and get different answers, but the three main things that have worked greatly as a basis for this development journey have been the following:
Companionship: Today more than ever, many people that pass through our lives leave traces, and influence, and guidance, and so many other things with us, whether we want it or not. Simply said; we are influenced by the network of people that surround us. Be deliberate about the type of people you are spending important time with, what are you learning from them? What habits are rubbing of? Are you developing and elevating each other? Are they there backing you up and are you backing them up? What kind of mentoring and support system do you have? Don’t walk alone, walk strongly accompanied.
Curiosity: Keep your mind and self in a learning mode. Try out new things, experiment with new ways of approaching situations, learn from others, ask questions, engage in a micro-learning, put yourself outside of your comfort zone. By doing this you are discovering new aspects and gaining new perspectives that will enrich you. Research, apply, learn.
“Be deliberate about the type of people you are spending important time with, what are you learning from them?”
Reiteration: Development never ends. It is an unremitting activity. It requires discipline to create the time within that endless cycle to be able to self-develop and to self-reflect on the needs that you must develop. Do it, continue, don’t stop, repeat, and start again.
When your development journey in all areas is important you will find the ways to do it (curiosity). You will find people, friends, mentors, peer coaches, that will be there with you along the way, sharing accountability with you (companionship). And you will be trying new things again and again, improving, learning, going through the next cycle, reaching the next level (reiteration).
To be sure, there are many different approaches to this. This is my ‘recipe’ I am sharing with you.
I am definitely interested in your stories, please feel free to connect with me through LinkedIn and share how you are growing and developing yourself.
