For me, 2018 was about breaking out, going up a gear and reaching a new level of success not just for me as an individual but also for the wider success of my company. I wanted to see things change for the better. I pretty much thought that meant an increase in profit and not a lot else.
As I look back over 2018 the source of my pride does not come from the financials, but the cultural changes made that created our success this year.
In 2018 we failed more than we succeeded and that is ok, in fact for me it is a necessity.
The culture we created over 2018 has shaped the wider success not only of our business overall but individual successes of young, ambitious, talented individuals. Their success is not only measured in financials but also in the increased confidence, resilience and general experience which will hopefully see them take their careers to a higher level.
As leaders it is our absolute RESPONSIBILITY to prioritise our staff and support them. Millennials are suffering with the highest level of work-related anxiety, low self-esteem and depression. This is not only an epidemic limiting individual success and wellbeing but also impacting our business success on a monumental scale. Yet, it goes unrecognised and ignored because leaders do not want to tackle the long-term issue.
“The responsibility on companies is even greater than it has ever been before to take care of its people… [Leaders] you are responsible for the lives of human beings…”
– Simon Sinek
Personally, I have found that encouraging and empowering them to take on difficult challenges is a start but allowing them to fail is imperative. However, allowing them give up is unacceptable.
Young professionals have been told their entire lives that they can have anything they want, and they don’t have to wait to get it. And worse yet they have been told that the taking part is what counts and not the work that goes into making something a success. They have been told that they can have it all and when they arrive in the workplace and they don’t get it, they give up. I am not suggesting we do it for them but merely demonstrate that consistency beats intensity.
Let them experience the pain of failure. As leaders it is not only our job but also our responsibility to encourage them to pick themselves back up.
For me, 2019 will not be about the customer experience, increasing sales etc. it will be about support and encouragement of individuals to pick themselves up, dust themselves off and go again. This is how we breed confidence and resilience in our staff.
My absolute belief is that genuinely caring about our people will not only bring long-term success for young individuals but generate wider success overall.
Take care of your people!
and take the first step in building an exciting and rewarding career in recruitment.
