Resourcefulness

RESILIENCE - the last of three important attributes to a successful corporate career.

What is resilience?

Too many people like to run with the herd. Like the buffaloes. Winners look ahead. Goal-oriented and determined to reach their objectives.

Like salmon - swim hundreds of miles upstream against rugged rapids, preyed upon by hungry eagles and bears. They don’t stop until they die. They are all merely ordinary adversaries.

Never give up. Never accept "NO" as an answer. Always

If There’s a Will, There’s a Way

BUT, there is a catch - to know the limit. Too much of resilience is aka stubbornness

You would not want that, right?

Assessment Tests

In general, there are three main types of assessment tests:

1. Personality & Motivation
2. Interests
3. Abilities

Let us focus on the first part - Personality & Motivation Tests.

There are various types of instruments that measure our personality and motivation. They are designed with specific objectives and these tools can be very useful in identifying our individual inner feeling and thinking.

Some of my favorites are:

• Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) by CPP. More than 2 million annually have benefited from this instrument. It is an useful instrument to learn your preferences for a lifelong growth and development. Key word - understand self & others. Four dichotomies: Extraversion-Introversion; Sensing-iNtuition; Thinking-Feeling; Judging-Perceiving.

• Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation-Behavior (FIRO-B) by CPP. Identify the key motivators that drive behaviors and help transform a group of individuals into a cohesive team. A powerful instrument to discover our need for participation, influence, and closeness. Must-have instrument for mentoring & coaching.

• Occupational Personality Questionnaires (OPQ32) by SHL. SHL provides over 250 assessment tools of various instruments. One of the instruments i.e. OPQ32 provides valuable information on individuals preferred behaviour on 32 personality characteristics. The dimensions are grouped into three areas: relationship with people, thinking styles, and feelings & emotions. You will love it once you mapped the 32 dimensions into your own competency framework.

• Personal Profile Analysis (PPA) by Thomas International aka DiSC: Dominance -Influence - Steadiness - Compliance. High on each D-i-S-C meant that the person likes to be around people, loves to complete one task at a time, cautious in decision making, and lives a challenge & taking charge.
  

I will explain later on the individual instrument - the advantages & disadvantages & how to cheat on it.

1+1=3

“The whole is more than the sum of its parts” said Aristotle, more than 2300 years ago.

In charting your career path, you ought to develop ‘allies’ within the organization. Allies are few trusted inner-circled associates in strategic position within several departments whom you nurture over the moons.

These allies will lend you some unparalleled advices, vital inside information, and specific do’s & don’ts.I will not named it as an office politic though. It is more of your own ‘diplomatic-envoys’ in managing your long term career.

However, please note that allies may be a double-edge sword. Just like mutual protection alliance between sovereign countries, you do not want your allies to be your liability, one way or another. Thus, few golden rules to be observed:

1. Your chosen one must share a common goal as far as career is concerned. Verified their past career movement. Understand their motives. You do not want to choose your potential rivals.
2. Choose your allies carefully. Never put your trust blindly. Spread it out well within the organization. Never put all your eggs in a basket.
3. Prefer allies with high potential in moving to higher level. Higher level is a relative connotation. Do not exclude driver, tea-lady, secretary, committee from sports & recreation or Khairat Kematian etc.
4. Allies must be at least a proven average performer within the organization. Nobody wants to be associated with the pariahs
5. Allies must enjoy sufficient amount of “visibility” in the eyes of senior management level. I will explain more on visibility in different blog entry
6. Always have a safe and sound escape plan to get out from the alliance. Watch survivor or apprentice series to learn more

Support your allies well and make them oblige to return your favor – when you need it. When the time is ready, use your allies as wild card. Be it a promotion, transfer, bonus payment, special assignment, etc whatever your interest serves you.

Believe me, in a rat race, you must work hard to climb the corporate ladder. It would be even faster if someone push you up as well.

How to Skin MY Cat

Read a research journal on common traits of successful leaders (political, cultural, social, spiritual and economic). Then, crossed-reference the findings with successful entrepreneurs and innovators. From the study, it been concluded that all successful people shared two qualities:

1. They sleep less hours than ordinary Joe
2. They read, read and read. Considered it as an obscene act of reading.

Well, it is a good motto for a social agenda. Kind of more-with-less thingy (-more reading, less napping- will look good in a placard), except these indicators did not accurately forecast our future talent.

What are the observable attributes that differentiate Gates, Rowling, Powell, Fuller, and Buffet? Tutu, Lama, and Ibn Sina? Roosevelt, Mahathir Mohamed, and Mandela? How do you identify these rare talents as early as possible? Hopefully, they will do same research on them soon.

As an HR practitioner, finding a less-than-mortal talent is a mountain to move by itself. You can’t find them by sifting through those glossy resumes. Talent is not hereditary, unfortunately. Upon extensive assessments, interviews, profiling, reference checking etc, there are three observable behaviors that matter:

1. ATTENTION TO DETAIL


2. HIGH PACE


3. RESOURCEFUL

There you go - the secret of successful people. I will give you the description of these observable behaviors later.

*wink-wink*

MEOW!

Tender your resignation (with dignity)

Anyone can quit a job. Easy. But you must plan it appropriately so that people will see credibility in you. At least, they will not have any opportunity to pass the blames to you later.
I assume that plan B, plan C etc are readily available. Otherwise, please don't be a stupid donkey.

1. Plan & prepare your resignation letter with the effective date accordingly. Check your calendar thoroughly. Make full use of public holidays, Saturdays and Sundays. Send the letter on Friday after 5:00 pm.
   


2. Never disclose your next station. Ever! Even if you have a special relationship with your current immediate supervisor or your smoking buddy. Mention something like "you are currently negotiating with few Companies and still finalizing the details".
   


3. Avoid airing any dirty laundry to anybody except your immediate supervisor and your immediate's immediate supervisor. Move on and get a life. Or, at least a hobby such as blogging. Ha ha ha
   


4. Go on and have farewell lunches with your colleagues. But please, do not go missing or abandon your current assignments. One or two days of medical leaves within the transition period are acceptable, though. Please do not go slow and abandon your assignments into the handover sheet. Maintain your pofessionalism. People will know... & appreciate you better.
   


5. Prepare a complete handover sheet - detailing all your outstandings. Stay focus. Continue working diligently even to your last day.
   


6. Thanks everyone. Even if they do not deserve it at all. Maintain good relationship with few allies
   

Once your resignation is tendered, always expect the unexpected. For better or for worse.

Good luck!