It was with great joy that we are hearing that, as a result of the imminent redundancies and current economic upheavals, City men and women are signing up for new careers in teaching.
We are happy not because of the context, but because of workers embracing a new opportunity to learn, influence and make an impact to themselves and society at large. This comes as no surprise to women in the world – on average, we are naturally more altruistic in work selection, appreciating community engagement and social impact, as much as personal satisfaction. Remuneration takes second, even third, place.
how can you empower your team to bring in their passions to the workplace?
We would equate that personal satisfaction to what Maslow, in his Hierarchy of Needs, called self-actualisation – the point you realise your own potential. You complete your projects at the best of your abilities, fulfilling your desired expectations, and, we would add, tapping into your passions. If you want to leverage this time to identify what makes you tick for the benefit of yourself and the company you work for, we invite you to ask yourself: What is the one thing that I enjoy doing that if I could I would do incorporate in my working day? How could I make this a reality?What are the most important things for me in relation to my work? Is it the money; the satisfaction from solving problems or ensuring that problems do not recur; the fact that I am doing something that challenges me, or the fact that I can push the envelope; ….? Make a list and then number them in order of priority. This will give you an idea of what you place greater importance to in your work. Think of a way you could align your values-list to your role. Perhaps seek the support of your mentor to discuss how to make it a reality within your organisation.
Is there anything that I really would like to do something about in the way, e.g. we handle new customers. the deliver the sales fulfilment process, etc?
Are there improvements I think we can implement there? As Anita Roddick said: “Irritation is a great source of energy and creativity”
Finally, if you manage a team, how can you empower your team to bring in their passions to the workplace? Is there a way they can combine their professional role with their hobby?
You may think that this is new-age thinking and that your business will not appreciate or support you on this. Give your HR or senior managers the benefit of the doubt: our experience supports the wide array of research on employee engagement and creativity – the more we do what gives us satisfaction and fulfilment, the more innovative we become. Apple, Google and 3M are but three companies that have leveraged the fruits of the passion-led creativity. Here’s to inspiring the Creative You!
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Good in a Room by Stephanie Palmer
Former MGM Director of Creative Affairs reveals the techniques used by Hollywood’s top writers, producers and directors to get financing for their projects and explains how you can apply these techniques to be more successful in your high-stakes meetings. The strategies used to sell yourself and your ideas in Hollywood not only work in other businesses, they often work better. If you want to ask for a salary raise, grow your client list, launch a new business or find financing for a creative project, you must not only present your ideas in a compelling way – you must also sell yourself. Good in a Room shows you how to construct a winning presentation and deliver the kind of performance that will get your project green-lighted, whatever your industry.
About Us
Aquitude is an organisational and personnel development consultancy with a passion – that companies must embrace and nurture gender and cultural diversity in order to attain competitive advantage. We bring out the best in your business and employees, leveraging innate strengths and qualities to achieve maximum performance. Want us to help you and your business?
Contact us on: [email protected]
