THE CORPORATE CHAPTER

It is truly encouraging to see so many graduates embarking on different journeys in life; journeys that mark new beginnings in their careers; journeys that should be considered crucial foundations in their development as leaders.   Despite the economic crisis that affects many countries – there is still a growing need to employ graduates.

While many of us are overwhelmed by the opportunity awarded to us- an opportunity to be a part of the workforce, it is equally important to realize our responsibilities and expectations many of our employers have.

The hunger of being a corporate citizen began long before my tertiary days.  I fell in love with the idea of dressing up in formal attire; attending strategic meetings; conference calls, many trainings and business trips around the country. I also admired the title that followed at the end of different correspondences “CEO, CFO, COO, CII on e-mails, business cards etc.   What I soon realized is that for this hunger to materialize, a lot of work was required.

The reality of being an employee of a big organization is that you are accountable for your own development. The success of your career lies with you.  The first step starts when you decide to get out of bed in the morning and the attitude you adopt at that point.

You have a choice to make- whether you love what you do or whether you hate it. And if you hate it- what action are you going to take to change it.

 It is becoming evident that many graduates had expectations of what the corporate sector was about. And to our surprise, there are many discrepancies between what we expected and the reality of it. Some of us expected immediate promotions because we had qualifications.  Others expected different Salary Grades and some simply expected a smooth ride. Some of us expected intimidating colleagues or managers; while others are enjoying great working environments.  

Be it as it may, we still have a choice to make.   Are you going to let that salary grade affect your career? Are you going to let the bitter colleague affect your learning? Are you going to let your qualification shadow your learning and development? Are you going to let your pride hinder your progress? How are you going to deal with the discrepancy? How are you going to overcome this setback? How do you position yourself to make the most of the situation?

 What I’ve come to learn is that life is not a bed of roses. It is a journey that constantly requires a lot tough choices. Malcolm Gladwell wrote in his book, Outliers, that there are three things your job must provide;

1.     Autonomy (independence)to make decisions

2.     Complexity(challenge) to engage your mind

3.     Connection between effort and reward

He explains that when these things are in place- then your job will be meaningful. It is at this point that you will love what you do- where your colleagues’ bitterness will be irrelevant. It is through these three pillars that your journey will be meaningful and the title you’ve dreamed about will begin to materialize.

To my graduate friends, we have the qualifications, but without experience the qualifications are incomplete. Let us swallow our pride and learn. Let us leave our egos at home and humble ourselves. The more we learn, the better equipped we will be to lead our organizations to new levels. Malcolm Gladwell further wrote in his book, Outliers, “hard work is a prison sentence only if it does not have meaning.” So find the meaning in the work you do and free yourself from the prison you are in. The choice to succeed lies with you… what are you going to do?

CROSS ROADS

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood.  And sorry I could not travel both and be one traveler. Long I stood and looked down one as far as I could to where it bent in the undergrowth.

Then took the other, as just as fair and having perhaps the better claim, because it was grassy and wanted wear. Though as for that, the passing there had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay in leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh. Somewhere ages and ages hence; two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less travelled by. And that has made all the difference.

I am overwhelmed by how relevant a poem this old is today. It is strange how drastically things have changed over the years, yet somehow remain the same. We face the same challenges as our forefathers; poverty, lack of education, racial division and some sort of oppression- we suffer similar pains and illnesses and to some extent, embrace their fashion in our time.

There comes a point in one’s life when tough choices have to be made -for example, the institution to pursue your studies,  the qualification to pursue, the company to work for, the department of preference, the ideal wife or husband, the brand of car and the school your children should attend. There’s always an array of choices to made, and more often than not- they are not easy to make.

All too often I find myself asking “what do I want for my life?” “Where do I want to be?” “What’s the best solution to my problem?” With each probing question I ask-the answers seem to disappear with each education brochure I read or the different departments I work within the company. The threshold of my confusion seems to be slowly spiraling out of control.

I find myself at a cross road- faced with a tough choice to make; which road to embark on as I lay the first milestone of my career. I am currently in a graduate development program which entails rotating within different departments of the bank.  My passion to study further is forcing me to choose between Risk Management and Investment Management and the impact this will have on my career development. While both alternatives will influence my work- different reasons to pursue one over the other come into play .Do I pursue what will get me ahead at work or do I pursue something I find interesting? Do I pursue one over the other because it’s more familiar?  Or do I pursue one over the other for self development?

The possibilities each road offers are enticing, the prospects are both rewarding. The one road guarantees security and comfort and is travelled by a lot of people. The other however, is less familiar and unhampered - providing an opportunity for growth; a new arena to diversify and influence.  By default- our society does not like the unfamiliar as it’s perceived to be risky and uncertain-but what if taking this journey changes your life?

Many students and people have been at a cross road some point in their lives- a point where you had to choose one option over another.  Different factors could have influenced your decision- be it parents, finances or opportunities at that time. Some of us have followed the crowd because their way seemed easier and more secure-even though we wanted to take a riskier and more adventurous road.    

The question we should be asking ourselves today is “are we going to travel the road more travelled? Or “are we ready to forge our path- a road less travelled?

I believe the time for us to take responsibility for our destiny is upon us.  The first step starts with making a choice that is aligned to the vision we have for our lives; the kind of future we’ve dreamed about.

Like Robert Frost, stand at the intersection of your life and decide- do you want to succeed or fail? Do you want to change your situation or dwell in your misery?  Take the road less travelled and be the difference you want to see in your life.

Smile. Laugh. Live

Craft your Success

Many authors have written widely on the subject of success, with different definitions as to what success means to different people. Some define success as the accumulation of material things- cars, houses, jewelry and the likes. Others define success as the achievement of one’s goals and dreams. Strictly speaking ‘success’ is a rather subjective definition- based on different perspectives, situations and journeys in life.

According to the Oxford definition of success- it is defined as the accomplishment of an aim or purpose; the attainment of fame, wealth or social status or a person or things that achieves desired aims or attains fame, wealth etc.

 Our society plays a significant role in defining what success is and more often than not, their definition of success comes with stereotypes, a degree of comparison and pressure. To elaborate on what I mean- our society defines one as successful when they have attained a Bachelors degree from a recognized institution; employed by a popular employer; drives a certain brand of car and has a LSM( Living Standard Measure) of between 7-10. The very same communities are quick to dismiss anyone else who does not live up to these norms- classifying them as failures, rebels and unruly.

For those who have attempted to live up to these norms; they face immerse comparison. Our parents compare us to our neighbor’s children and their degree of achievement and further compare us with our siblings. They compare the degrees attained; where they are attained from and the jobs and salaries we earn.

Why is that?

It is every parents dream to see their children succeed and become respectable members of society. I believe it brings them fulfillment and a sense of “success”- the kind of fulfillment that they’ve achieved their mission in life.  Our societies too would love to see their communities prosper and thrive- with their children learned and accomplished.

Can we really blame society for sometimes being harsh on us should we not live up to these norms?  

No, we cannot. It is our duty to craft our own success- to craft a future for ourselves and for our country. We cannot blame our parents for wanting the best for us, even if it means they constantly compare us. We cannot blame our communities for reprimanding us for “failing’” to live up to the expected norm- what we can do however, is to establish our own definition of success.

I believe that success is a journey that each one of us travels; each with its special challenges; each a very unique journey. I also believe that we are all responsible for becoming Masters of our own success stories; authors of our own destinies and artists of our life’s master piece.

The art of crafting one’s success is dependent on the crafter of that story- in this case you. It is up to you to set a pace for your success- to set the aims of what you want to achieve in your own life. It is a process that requires you to actively participate in your own life. Set your goals that you want to accomplish in your own life- be it education, career development or being a contribution in your family.  Actively pursue the goals you’ve set for yourself- constantly working hard to make them a reality.

A journey of success would be incomplete without obstacles and setbacks; so prepare yourself to face different hardships in your pursuit of success. There will be failures- challenges and moments when you feel like quitting. All these are part and parcel of the pursuit of success- your definition of success.  What matters is how you respond to the setbacks.

Stephen Covey wrote in his book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, that you cannot control things that are beyond your control, so do not waste time focusing on those things, instead focus on your inner circle – the circle of influence- the things you can control and influence. So spend time focusing on the things you have direct control over and making them great. An author wrote that “success is a journey and not a destination.” With this said- you must continually embark on a journey of crafting your success- developing yourself; your career and your relationships.

My definition of success and yours might not necessarily be the same. But it is up to you to find your definition. I consider success as constantly overcoming my setbacks, achieving the different goals I set for myself- seeing my career develop and my relationship with different stakeholders grow and prosper. I define success as the journey I am undertaking each morning and each year- growing, learning and making a contribution to our society.

What is your definition of success?

“Don’t ever let someone tell you that you can’t do something. Not even me. You got a dream- you gotta protect it. When people can’t do something themselves, they gonna tell you that you can’t do it. You want something, go get it period” ( Will Smith- Pursuit of Happyness film”