We have started a new year, but we’re still highly uncertain about what’s to come. While we cannot control what happens around us, the sure thing we can control is how we react and how we affect others around us.
When welcoming the new year, it has always been about change, reinvention and the “new you”. People prepare resolutions and aim to stick to them. This year, though different, can still be about change and reinvention. However, it could be daunting given all the negative impacts we faced in 2020.
Every individual and business has faced negative impacts in different ways in the past year. Because of this, many of us have seen our careers of businesses come to a standstill. We are being forced to rethink our ways and the way we think, work and live our lives.
We have been in this new normal for a while now, to the point where it has simply become normal. Yet, we know our world will continue to change. We fall into this cycle over and over again. To survive these changes, we cannot stop moving. Here are some ways to drive new success in our careers or businesses in 2021 and overcome the negative impacts.
First, clearly define your customers, understand them, and build strong personal relationships. Our careers and businesses have been affected because of the changing behaviours of our customers. After all, they too have been facing changes and negative impacts in their lives. As a business, we cannot approach them in the same way any longer.
As a saying goes: we cannot please everyone. But I’d like to add that we can at least help and support our customers during these times. What are the ways we can adjust to answer their needs?
Additionally, customers don’t necessarily mean the end buyers, especially when some jobs don’t have direct contact with them. Customers can also mean the internal colleagues and teams we work with.
Second, work on communicating effectively. We all know by now that effective communication has become increasingly important, especially at a time when remote work is so widespread. With digitisation accelerating and more virtual workspaces emerging, effective communication is crucial to working effectively and driving results.
While discussing communication, we often associate it with verbal or written communication. However, it goes beyond that. Our body language, emotions and tone in communicating also matter. Communication breakdowns can happen, so understanding every aspect of effective communication can help reduce the chance of that happening.
Third, establish new habits and skills to achieve your goals. It’s never too late or early to transform and develop ourselves. The past year has taught us that we cannot wait.
Things may change for the better or for the worst, but we nonetheless have to adapt or risk getting left behind. Learning to establish new habits and skills so that we can more effectively achieve our goals can also drive us in positive ways, even in a climate of negativity.
Fourth, convert negativity into driving positive impacts. We cannot control all the noise that happens, especially during this time of unrest. Work — and life — is all about balance. While negativity can demotivate and derail us, it can also be used to drive us toward better results.
Doing this on an individual level is tough but necessary, especially when you work with others or lead an entire organisation. To convert negativity into positive opportunities, we begin with ourselves and strive to become role models to empower people.
Finally, do not give up. Many of us find it difficult to adjust and push forward when we face negativity and harsh adversity. It is the reality of life, but no one ever said it gets any easier. The reality we had to face during the pandemic was that we needed to keep moving forward even when there was no obvious direction.
In 2021, we may find even greater opportunities to apply the lessons we’ve learned in 2020. While easy to say, it’s not as easy to do. Nevertheless, we have no better option than to drive forward.
As Walt Disney once said: “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” In 2021, we will try to do just that.
Arinya Talerngsri is Chief Capability Officer and Managing Director at SEAC – Southeast Asia’s Lifelong Learning Center. She can be reached by email at arinya_t@seasiacenter.com or https://www.linkedin.com/in/arinya-talerngsri-53b81aa. Explore and experience our lifelong learning ecosystem today at https://www.yournextu.com
