Every now and then I read interviews with someone who has struck the big time - who appear to have come from nowhere - and is judged to be an “overnight success”. Usually the interview uncovers years of hard work and determination. I was reminded of this in reading a post on Rosabeth Moss Kanter’s blog headed “Instant Success Takes Time”.
She says that in her view ( and from her research)
” winners are more likely to take time to keep honing skills and testing ideas in preparation for change”
When I was a participant in a programme at the Columba 1400 International Leadership Centre on the beautiful Isle of Skye 5 years ago we learned their 6 core skills of leadership - awareness, focus, creativity, integrity, perseverance and service (referred to as AFCIPS). Shortly after that I was made redundant and set up Cameron Consulting as a coaching consultancy. Right from the outset I got the opportunity to become involved in projects that - although used my coaching skills - required much more and over that time I believe I have learned far more about me than I ever did in the previous 46 years.
When I am working as a coach with clients I am honoured to be there when they have a “light bulb moment” - when something which has been causing them concern suddenly becomes crystal clear. I had one of those myself last week . Up to then I had not really had myself down as a patient person. In fact my love of having several projects on the go at any one time kind of proved that to me. But then I got an e-mail confirming that I had won a contract for work for a client I first started speaking to about 3 years ago. As I reflected on AFCIPS and realised that all of those had come into play. Maybe there should be 2 Ps - to include patience?
We all have - or should have - an idea of what success would look like to us and I have some way to go yet. Rosabeth Moss Kanter says that “winners” are steady, disciplined and prepared. Worth thinking about in these days when we seem to be in such a hurry to get there - wherever there is …
Hearing late last night that Lloyds TSB was to take over Halifax Bank of Scotland has really made me think. We are living in interesting - and downright difficult - times and business casualties are inevitable. I have been trying to work out why this one has had such a personal impact on me.
I clicked on their website . The landing page probably sums it up for me. The picture is of their HQ - which sits proudly on the Mound in Edinburgh and is on the route I take when travelling into the City. It is truly a landmark and a symbol of the history of the Bank. When I left college in the late 70s - dropping out after a year - (I was not yet ready for serious study) I was looking for my first job. As a young woman at that time in Edinburgh getting ” a job in an office” was quite an ambition - and a job in a bank was even better. I applied to the 3 main banks then - the Royal Bank of Scotland, Bank of Scotland and Clydesdale ( all of which are permitted to issue their own bank notes would you believe!?). The Royal and Bank both offered me a job. Both interviews were held in beautiful old offices in St Andrew Square which at that time was the financial centre of the city. I took the Royal Bank offer and lasted a whole 9 months with them before joining the Civil Service. In all of the banks in Edinburgh though there are still people of my generation who joined straight from school and have worked their entire lives with that one organisation - and my thoughts are with all Bank of Scotland employees - but them in particular today. They face an anxious time right now.
I blogged yesterday about being prepared for situations like this. I still believe that is wise advice. But who would have seen this happening a few weeks ago? TV interviews of people who are affected cover the same ground - in a sector where there are already many job losses and likely to be more - what kind of alternative jobs are there with so many people hitting the job market at the same time?
I have strong connections with Lloyds TSB - my own bankers - and many friends and associates working in the sector. I will watch this story unfold and develop with interest.
I had loads of time to browse bookshops in Canada. I love wandering amongst shelves of books seeing what jumps up at me. I order most of the books that I know I want online - but I almost always come home with a book that I didn’t know existed if I have been in a real bookshop.
Even better ( and this appeals particularly to me as a Scot!) when I find a book in the “bargain” section. I discovered one by Tom Peters called “Talent - develop it, sell it, be it” for a whole $2.99 Canadian - which worked out at a grand £1.75!! It’s a wee book and a quick read but it really caught my imagination.
Not that there is anything new in it - just that the pages are sharp reminders of what we should all be doing in times of economic and job turmoil - as Tom puts it ” Being the CEO of Me Inc”. To do this he suggests that to understand your own personal brand you need to know who you are, why you are here, how you are uniquie, how you can make a difference and who cares ( including you yourself).
One of the coaching programmes I offer is called “What makes me so special?” It is based on 6 questions
- What is important to me
- What am I good at
- What am I passionate about
- What choices do I have
- What will success look like for me
- What do I want to be remembered for
Based on the answers to these questions I encourage clients to think about where they are now, what they are doing and how that might be different ( maybe better - but maybe just different!).
In the book , which was published in 2005 - Tom Peters says that in a fast changing business world we owe it to ourselves to have a plan for our future. It is my strong belief that we should not expect our employers to offer a job for life. Indeed the most successful organisations will be evolving all the time to thrive (and indeed survive). How that relates to how they treat their people is an issue for another time.
Over the past couple of days I have seen the pictures of the shocked employees of Lehman Brothers here in the UK leaving the building with boxes of possessions which possibly feels like the sum total of their experience with the company. This will be a sad/confusing/anxious time for most of them.
In a world of uncertainties why don’t you start thinking about your own “Me Inc” right now?
