This old adage is so true whether applied to recruitment methods, meetings or retaining talent to name but a few areas.
Blog
If I Only Had a Heart
“Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow know what you truly want to become” - Angela Ahrendts.
How many of you, during your career, have taken something on because someone else said “this would be a good role for you”? I'm certain that most of you will have done this at least once! Some of you may have done this more than once, or continuously, throughout your careers. If this is the case, there may come a point when you think “what am I doing?”. About 18 months ago, a very good friend of mine thought just this. He suddenly realised that he didn’t want to be doing the role he was doing, and that what was important to him had changed; or had it?
Our values and what drives us are deep-routed and initially formed by our parents. For example, religion is often set in place by the age of 7. Values, or your "core values", are what drive your behaviour, and can be defined as what makes you "you". If you don't live by your own core values there can be an incongruity, though we often chose to ignore this and the little niggles that something "isn’t quite right" though we don’t know what?!
Recognising what our core values are, and the emotional responses they evoke in us when they're not met, is a really powerful tool; a data source that we can use to determine the responses we choose to make. This could prove extremely valuable as a manager and leader in the workplace, and indeed for all of us, as this helps us in our decision making.
How many of you, during your career, have taken something on because someone else said “this would be a good role for you”? I'm certain that most of you will have done this at least once! Some of you may have done this more than once, or continuously, throughout your careers. If this is the case, there may come a point when you think “what am I doing?”. About 18 months ago, a very good friend of mine thought just this. He suddenly realised that he didn’t want to be doing the role he was doing, and that what was important to him had changed; or had it?
Our values and what drives us are deep-routed and initially formed by our parents. For example, religion is often set in place by the age of 7. Values, or your "core values", are what drive your behaviour, and can be defined as what makes you "you". If you don't live by your own core values there can be an incongruity, though we often chose to ignore this and the little niggles that something "isn’t quite right" though we don’t know what?!
Recognising what our core values are, and the emotional responses they evoke in us when they're not met, is a really powerful tool; a data source that we can use to determine the responses we choose to make. This could prove extremely valuable as a manager and leader in the workplace, and indeed for all of us, as this helps us in our decision making.
With the new year already in full swing, if you're more aware of your “niggles” or recognise, like my friend, that it's time to focus on what's really important to you and your core values, then here are some steps you could take to get clarity:
- Write down your core values - the ones you have to live by in order to be "you"!
- Think of a recent situation, in work or your personal life, when you felt a strong emotional reaction to a conversation/interaction with someone else. How did it make you feel? Which of your core values were being tested?
- What would be your ideal role? If it was 3pm on a Thursday afternoon, what would you be doing? In doing it, what would this allow you to be?
- Now reflect over your career and identify when you were at your best. What was it about a particular role? Was it the role itself? The skills you were able to use that played to your strengths? The team? The individuals in the team? The culture? The wider organisation?
- Draw out themes. You now know what's important to you and allows you to be your best, to play to your strengths, and be energised!
- Now think about your current role - how much of what you've highlighted of what was you at your best is present?
- Depending on your responses you may only have to make a few small changes to give you more energy, play to your natural strengths, or find your next appropriate role.
Realise that you are in control;
Aspire to do more of what gives you energy; and,
Do be brave, like the lion in The Wizard of Oz!
Blog Posts
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“If you do what you’ve always done; you’ll get what you’ve always got”Posted by Jacqueline Jardine - Tuesday, 22nd February 2022 at 11:30am
This old adage is so true whether applied to recruitment methods, meetings or retaining talent to name but a few areas.
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One of the positives of the pandemic is that there is no longer the monopoly on leadership due to position.Posted by Jacqueline Jardine - Friday, 17th December 2021 at 9:30am
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I have previously written about "Belonging - what does this mean to you?" (http://j-w-c.co.uk/blog-display/293). I want to now build on this and consider it from a team's perspective and what it means if you are a manager leading a team currently.Posted by Jacqueline Jardine - Wednesday, 8th December 2021 at 8:15am
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Earlier this year, I completed my Mental Health First Aider Training (MHFA) England, something I had wanted to do for a little while.Posted by Jacqueline Jardine - Friday, 19th November 2021 at 8:15am
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Recently, I was delivering the "First 90 Days in your New Role" for LHH. This is a workshop which generates great discussion around helping people who are still interviewing to find their next appropriate opportunity and to think about how they would answer this question at interview.Posted by Jacqueline Jardine - Tuesday, 21st September 2021 at 3:15pm
