10 Lessons I learned From Two Decades Of Disruptions.
2020 has ushered in a decade of disruptions. Disruptions will no doubt jolt you out of your comfort zone. You can choose to create possibilities for yourself or go into a downward spiral emotionally and mentally.
In the last decades, I have experienced both voluntary and involuntary disruptions in my career. In my 20s, I lost my job due to a corporate buyout while most of my peers have well secured jobs in MNCs. That was a pivotal point for me. As a young upstart, I was determined to be ahead in the “race”. I started taking ownership of my career by taking up professional courses like Toastmaster, Negotiation Skills and whatever self improvement books I could get hold of and getting advice from friends, building my network so that I can manage my own career trajectory. I did my research and chose to join a sunrise industry that gave me a career breakthrough. I developed grit and hunger.
4 years ago, I took a career break. That was a much needed pause to recharge, reflect and recalibrate my life's priorities. It was liberating stepping off the corporate threadmill. I started learning new skills (outside of Marketing), do volunteer work, reconnect with old friends. I got myself certified as a coach and practiced professionally. To date I have clocked more than 250 hours of coaching and still sharpening my saw. And more importantly I continue to keep abreast of industry development to stay relevant. I developed agility.
Last year when I was disrupted temporarily, I was unfazed. Life went on and my 3 months gardening leave was spent delivering speeches at conferences, keeping myself updated on AI and learning about future trends. I started my coaching practice and volunteered at startups too. I developed possibilities.
What kept me going through these disruptions was a growth mindset, drive and faith. Disruptions creates possibilities and force you to take stock of what's really important in your life. Here are 10 lessons I have learned and I hope they will inspire you to take positive actions in the midst of volatility.
(1) Embrace Imperfection
“I am not good enough. I don't think I will measure up…” These voices still ring in my head occasionally. Doesn't help I am my toughest critic.
Recognising that we are always “work in progress” is a good start. To be truly at peace is to be able to accept who you are and those around you. Don't be too hard on yourself when things don't go well. Reflect and focus on areas you can improve on and keep learning. While you embrace your imperfection, it's no excuse for not setting goals and work towards it. Set your own bar to move from good to great. Today I take pauses to reflect on my accomplishments and reflect that #IamRemarkable.
(2) Celebrate Failures
Failure is underrated.
There is no success without failure. Jack Ma once said “Failure is Progress”. I have built winning teams, won marketing awards, and consistently exceeded business targets. I have also made hiring mistakes, shown little empathy in leading teams, made the wrong call on marketing investment. These mistakes offer me the most valuable lessons. I still keep a log book of my failures, my learnings and my weekly reflection. Don't be disheartened when you fail, reframe so that you can move forward.
How you respond to the failures also define you. It can build resilience, perseverance and discipline. So if you are facing a setback now, chin up, the best is yet to be. You will come out of it wiser. That's part of agility.
(3) Keep Evolving
The world is constantly changing and Covid-19 has just accelerated many transformations. It is then more important in periods of transition, to evolve out of outdated perceptions of who we are – “I am not good at this”, “This is too difficult for me”, or “I can only do this” etc. These mindset demons stop you from moving forward. Never be afraid to pick up new skills, build new network, look outside of what you have been so accustomed to.
Keep up with industry development by reading or networking. Being socially aware will also help you identify new industry trends, new skillsets and business opportunities. Keep evolving to be future ready.
(4) Drive Matters
Drive fuels actions. You might have laid out a good plan but never seem to take actions. The lack of urgency is likely because you don't have a strong need for it or it is simply not a priority. I have friends who complain about poor work environment and have laid out plans to look for jobs. Yet there is simply no urgency until they suddenly found themselves out of job. The need to put food on the table or mend the bruised ego will likely jolt them to take actions. If you lack the drive, talk to a certified coach (not any friend who offer advice) to help you get that clarity in your next move.
(5) Give Back
If you can find ways of giving back or helping others, you will realise how blessed you are. That feeling of gratitude produce oxytocin, endorphins which helps you sleep better, manage stress, gives you more energy and focus. This in turn create happiness which is important if you are going through rough times. When you start having an abundance mindset (instead of scarcity), you will see opportunities coming your way.
(6) Build A Collaborative Network
When you are going through rough times, it's important to build your circle of support instead of going into hibernation mode. Having an outlet to vent your frustrations and a listening ear will help in your mental health. Know that you are not alone in your journey. Nurturing your network over the years will also help you bounce back to work quickly. It is also a 2 way relationship, you will need to think of how you can contribute to the network as well.
(7) Build Your Personal Brand Intentionally
For many, your work identity is represented by your job title or company. When disrupted you lose that identity and knowing what you stand for. In fact this would be a good time to develop your personal brand based on your values and beliefs and not lived under the shadow of corporate brand names.
Personal branding is not about visibility and creating lots of noise on social media. Too many self professed personal branding coaches on social media! Think of what you want to be remembered for. Assess your core competency, your values and beliefs. Understand what value can you create or problem do you solve for organisations or as an entrepreneur. And be single-minded and consistent in your personal branding efforts (both online and offline).
(8) Develop Financial Discipline
A strong financial foundation allows you to weather any storms. Because you don't have to put food on the table, it gives you the runway to create a new career or experiment with different options. You would be in a better emotional state to make the right career decisions too. As a rule, pay yourself first before spending. Differentiate your needs from the wants. And always stay invested to make your money work harder for you. Circuit Breaker has made me realised what is important and helped me reduce my discretionary spend.
(9) Stay Fit
Exercise produces endorphins that affects your emotional state. More than that a healthy glow on your face gives you a renewed level of energy. This is important to sustain your effort to get back to work especially during this time where there are more job applicants than job opportunities. Staying fit also keeps your wallet healthy especially when you don't have company health benefits.
(10) Stay Anchored
If you have a religion, stay anchored in your faith and count your blessing. There is always rainbow at the end of the storm.
I have learned to be grateful for what I have and strengthened my faith through the storms. And I found peace in anchoring on God's promises in these uncertain times.
“..those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31
Faith will help you ride through the storms.
I believe career success is no longer following a defined, lockstep path. It’s about being able to constantly renew yourself, taking risks and putting yourself in front of more and evolving opportunities. Uncertainty and change are the new markers of the world we live in today. To thrive in the future economy, one needs to be adaptable to the constant changes.
2020 has ushered in a decade of disruptions that will be beyond many people's imagination. To survive and thrive, move in tandem with the velocity of change. Be curious and stay agile.
About the Author
As an experienced Marketer and Business Executive, I help startups/scale-up to build their brand and scale across Asia. Adeline is also a leadership coach and she works with Business Leaders and teams to build a high trust culture and human capability.
A newly minted Author of “REINVENT 4.0 – The Keys to Unlock Success and Thrive in Uncertainty”, I am also a REINVENT Coach.
Adeline helps clients and solopreneurs
- find their niche and uniqueness
- shape their personal and business strategy
- position and brand themselves
- improve their leadership skills to lead and grow their business as they chart a new career and life path.
Here's a link to Adeline's book. If you are keen to find out more, reach out to Adeline!
