What does the future hold? Hope or Hardship?

 

If there's one thing that can be said, 2020 has been a year that made everyone pause and take stock. It wasn't because we were curious nor good planners, but simply we were forced into a state of reckoning. 

There were severe losses, where in many cases it, arguably, needed not happen. Many paid the ultimate price with their lives, and those who are remaining are in awe and wondering, Why?!?

Despite the hardships faced by everyone, the different attitudes of people shone through. People relied on their default values for survival. Not necessarily because they are/were uncaring, but simply because their hand was forced by the circumstances they faced and could not explain. 

Did these situations begin in 2020? A pause for reflection would reveal - NO! They began before this particular year. What happened in 2020 was that the harvest of all that we were sowing came in, and in many cases it was not what anyone would have hoped to have to deal with. 

The value systems of many may have caused their demise because of the choices they made. Some were reckless others were caring, the result however were the heavy costs that impacted - life, the economies, jobs, homes, coping mechanisms like disaster recovery, having to pivot to maintain a livelihood, and the list goes on. 

We saw many politicians and many leaders in their true light. Their behaviors make their followers bold to express their various opinions, even if they seemed far-fetched to other population segments. 

Many prayed and developed relationships with their God that was unprecedented. Why did it have to take a pandemic and other disasters/mishaps for us to make use of what was available to us all along - grace and favor. 

As we stand on the precipice of the unknown future, are we ready for 2021 or are we resigned to 2020 won? As we tend to say here in Barbados, you plan for the best and prepare for the worst. One thing is certain, where we face hope or hardship, we do so knowing that we are resilient as we were made that way. Let's expect that we will come out on the other end of the new year - capital, conquering our environment in which we are the ones who were given dominion from the Genesis of time. 

Wishing you an abundance of blessings in your future. 

The private/professional connection

 

In life, we see people living and working daily almost with the expectation that they can comfortably compartmentalize their lives. It seems like almost an expectation of the employer and fellow employees. Yet, on close examination, is it really realistic?

Do we take the opportunity to learn/understand what may be happening with the lives of people? They have fears, concerns, uncertainties, and challenges beyond measure that come in various forms. Many of these situations may be high with emotional content, yet the individuals are expected to conceal/downplay their personalities in order to be considered amenable by those around them. 

How can we create/is there a way to create an environment that caters to both the workers and the customers being served; where they are allowed to be human and yet cope within a professional environment?

So where does private stop and where does professional begin? There have been talks about drawing imaginary halfway lines between home and work. It doesn't work all the time. What can we do realistically that won't trivialize the entire process? 

Do you realize that privacy pertains to your profession life as much as it pertains to your personal life? Are you confidential? 

When I was growing up, there was an older person who used to call me "Secret Order", reason being they realized that I was the type of individual that I would not repeat everything I saw nor heard, especially if I wasn't told to relay a message. If I learned aspects of someone's business, it remained just that, their business. 

To this day, people seem to feel inclined to share elements of their lives they are never shared elsewhere. They never seem to think I would tell another, because I don't share experiences of others with them. Sure you would edify someone, but seldom if ever discuss anything negative. It does no one any good. 

Nowadays, it seems that with a mobile phone that has cameras and recording software has generated a movement of un-certified news hounds. People who seem willing to share for no reason other than to gossip. The information conveyed is seldom to help everyone improve, and often can seem damaging; adding stressors to already volatile situations. 

In certain work roles, you would have to manage information that people entrust to your care. It may be your role to handle that kind of information. Be careful and be CONFIDENTIAL. Do not share your work information at home and do not share your home information at work. You are an individual with many components, treat yourselves as such. As I would say while growing up, "Be a Samsonite not a cheap valise that scatters ones contents out in public". 

This is not to say I've been perfect, none of us are. We all make mistakes. As we grow from school to the world of work, we learn the differences about privacy along the way, and hopefully how to apply it in a professional setting. 

We generally tend to think of the best responses to what we should have done, after we have already taken action. Let's use the power of the pause, since it can save a lot of misunderstanding and mishaps. 

When we have moments to reflect on elements of our lives in its completeness, what would we remember? How do we think we will be remembered? Would we be able to say we are satisfied or would we have regrets? Let's look at our private/professional connections and see if we are making a positive difference in the lives of those around us. 

It's possible for you to create employment

 In this environment, there are so many seeking jobs that they almost seem preoccupied with that task. They write letters, scour the newspapers, and it seems like they want to actively seek to attend multiple interviews. It's a sort of push behaviour where you are trying to get in front the decision makers so that you are noticed. 

It almost seems like those seeking employment are hoping to get employed before they show what they are capable of doing. They are loaded with knowledge but have not demonstrated their ability to use their knowledge. Hence in the minds of prospective employers, they remain a high cost expense rather than being viewed with any value as an asset. 

In short form, many will be reluctant to pay you for having a degree. More people see the value in your ability to use the information you would have received while you studied. Many employers may not have been formally exposed to education themselves, and therefore don't adequately explain what they are truly looking for in employees/workers. 

Many people often quote, "Knowledge is power", yet it is when that knowledge it put to use that determines the true value of that said knowledge. 

To communicate you capacity for using your knowledge, it is going to be contingent on your ability to communicate effectively. How can you create an attraction of having prospective employers seek you out because you have a perceived value which they want. 

It's possible to communicate your abilities by:

• blogging - e Blogger is a free service once you have a Google account. It offers you the ability to reach a wide cross-section of people without having to leave your domicile. There are a variety of methodologies that can showcase your knowledge - Case studies, Situation analysis, Story telling, that make people think, offer inspiration, or just pull in even more information that contributes to overall communication of everyone. 
• LinkedIn - allows you to do the following: write articles, make contact with alumni, follow influential people, read articles written by others within industries/sectors that you may have an interest in. It allows you to gain practical insights so that you can find out how closely your education theory aligns with real world practicality. 
• Instagram, YouTube and other social media platforms allow you to offer practical insights as to why knowing you can be deemed desirable. Do you offer solutions rather than dwell on the problem? Though your page is yours, are you showcasing your best features that can help you gain traction as you seek employment? 

I hope that this article helps jog your thought process in your employment creation and pray that you'll be successful. Have a vision for how you want to live your life, and how you would like to be remembered. Look around out website for additional information that may be of benefit to you at www.bladesandbladesconsultancy.com Enjoy your day. 

Leadership - Thoughts and Observations

 

If we are paying attention, we would see examples of leadership in the university of life that offer lessons of consequence to all who are willing to learn. What we are about to embark upon in this article is not limited to what is being broadcast on the media; some examples can be said to be much closer to home. 

Without much ado, here we go:

• A leader should not depend on observing what he/she wants to hear, but look out for the lessons in what needs to be said to them. Do not surround yourselves with yes people. Yet, while seeking those who are frank and direct, do not tolerate rudeness from anyone. Be aware of who you are and whose you are. 
• Be clear about who you are serving; who relies on you for support, and who you can count on that offers reliability and consistency.
• Always be willing to weigh the advice you are given by your "supporters" with wisdom and clarity. 
• Ensure that you actions and reactions are consistent with the themes and messages you are supporting. 
• Be developmental always thinking about ways and means of improving those you lead and exposing them to positive opportunities for success and growth. 
• What legacy will you build and in what areas? Will you leadership build a platform that would enable others coming after you to have a foundation on which to build? Be precise about the type of organization that you want to build. 

The above list is by no means comprehensive but serves as a start for your leadership career. 

I would love to hear/read your feedback about what you think may be added and how do you see those approaches working for you. 

An Epidemic of Excellence

If we were to fight fire with fire, why couldn't we make an epidemic work for us as a region? With the recent pandemic fresh in our minds, we were able to see the impact it had on virtually every aspect of our society - commerce, trade, tourism and hospitality, healthcare, the environment and others. 

The tourism sector finally realizes that their locals are also people with spending power, and only now their backs are against the wall try to woo them in to use the products and services they sell. In many cases the locals, many of whom were treated badly before now reject them. It should be a wake up call for an industry that claims to offer hospitality, but only offered hospitality to people with foreign accents and foreign exchange. 

Hotels and restaurants clamour for industry recognised accolades of 5 star, green globe, luxury, prestigious, and the like; yet they lost to common touch of how to interact and treat their fellow citizens who work hard and save for vacations only to go overseas since they weren't appreciated in their own domicile. It's for this reason that Staycations may not have enjoyed more success than they could have. 

This was a discussion that many shared their thoughts on recently, and they were not complimentary to those who were hospitality practitioners. 

What can we do? We have to revamp the mindset of everyone in our countries.

As we learned, those of us who studied hospitality are no longer employed exclusively in tourism. We have gone into many diverse fields within which the what we learned in hospitality now plays an integral part in our careers. 

Business - Not suited for everyone

I know...the title of this can be offensive to some, however, given my time in the field I have found it to be true.

There's a lot involved in owning and managing a business. It is more so if you have the responsibility of staffing as well as the fulfillment to one's customers/clients. Rather than do a listing of what's required for business, perhaps a more blended approach would be more practical to those seeking to qualify themselves before entering the realm of business.

Though I can rattle off a list of characteristics necessary for the field of business, I get the feeling that a more detailed approach may be necessary to help the reader grasp what is really needed. In school, we get so caught up in passing exams and doing projects that like obtaining a driver's licence we only learn business when we get into it.

When you work for someone, you have a job which kind of shelters you. As I have often thought, doing a great job as a plumber doesn't necessarily equip you to run a great plumbing business. There are so many other elements involved. They include administration, operations, marketing, finance and accounting, paying attention to the legal elements including any intellectual property and contracts. Should you business be one that has staff, the HR issues never seem to stop - vacations, scheduling & payroll mixed with overdraft completes that episode. 

The invisible characteristics include determination, grit, discipline, backed up my character, fortitude, networks and competence are just some of the ingredients in the mix. If the mix isn't right, you'll know quickly. 

Do you have what it takes to be in business? Only you will know over time, but just remember, it's not for everyone. 

More wants than money...

 When you think about it, as we go through life and we take the opportunity to pause for a while, we would recognize that we have more wants than we have money. Why is that? 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I made the observation that Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs stood the test of the environment. For the first time in my personal history, I was actually able to see people, myself included, relate to this pyramid as the lock down took place. We were content to functioning at the level of our basic needs. 

People had cheques that were totally useless since the banks we not accepting them; and that is when they were open. For the most part, as a people, we became creative in our survival. We noticed the laws of living and their consequences/benefits. Maybe, for the first time in the lives of many, we stopped to pay attention to how our lives were impacted, and really gave thought to our circumstances. 

To put in a nutshell what the news said, the challenges faced at the most basic physiological level of needs cause many to have experiences at the safety level that no human wants to experience. 

In an effort to regain a sense of "normal", governments the world over sought to integrate practices that would enable people to regain some of their lost footing in life as it relates to the attending of their psychological needs. 

Was it too fast, where we are seeking to build on an already weak foundation as it related to the fulfillment of the basic needs of people? Only time would tell. There is mixed opinions about that process with even the arguments being put forward to the crisis of the pandemic was for a disease that isn't real. The behaviors of many speak to their coping mechanisms that they have. It provides a more clear insight as to what some people may have had to experience when they were locked off from the rest of the world and having to deal with the train of thought some people had. Their experiences could have been no less than horrible. 

One thing that is being slowly realized; normal has changed, whether we want to acknowledge it or not. 

This post COVID-19 environment is going to really test our ability to be our brother's keeper. It is going to let us see the harsh reality that as a people we are going to have more wants than money.