I love to go on adventures. Whether it is a new hiking spot in my neighbourhood, or a backpacking trek in another part of the world, I am constantly looking forward to new experiences. I am not the kind of person that plans out every aspect of a trip and I don’t have a great sense of direction, but what I do have is an open mind and an attitude that whatever happens, it will be a great adventure.
My adventures are honestly a matter of trial and error. I start with an idea of what I want to do and then rely on what I like to think is good logic and problem-solving skills to get there; figuring it out as I go along. My goals are flexible and for me it’s more about the experience than where I end up. I have my priorities, the things that are important (mostly finding a new bakery or beautiful scenery), then the other “would be nice to dos”, and the rest is just about enjoying the whole experience. I love experiencing different cultures, traditions and talking to people from all over the world about their views and perspectives about their own culture and their views of Canada from a non-Canadian perspective. I always learn something new and love to spend time reflecting on my day.
So how does this adventurous attitude help me out at work? It might seem like someone who loves to escape work might not like their job, but I love mine. I work for a company where my adventurous attitude, logical decision making, problem solving and ability to see multiple perspectives help me in every aspect of what I do. When planning what needs to be done for a client, we look at the end goal, then figure out what is the best way to assist them. We recognize that needs might change and we are constantly adapting how we do things. We never have an attitude of there only being one right way, or this is the way we have always done things. We try, listen, and even fail and adjust sometimes, but this only makes what we do better. We listen to different opinions and have an open mind about the way things are done. We look at the big picture and fill in the details as a team. We compile ideas and perspectives from all departments, and even if at first it seems like a particular department might not have anything to do with what we are talking about, they always contribute a different point of view that we had not considered. The skills I use when I’m off on an adventure are the same skills that we use to drive the company forward and adapt to the ever changing needs of our clients.
Running a good business means you need to be able to adapt to the needs of your customers and your employees. Your employees drive your business and owners need to look at the needs of their employees just as often as they look at the needs of their customers if they want to truly be successful. What skill sets, backgrounds, perspectives, and knowledge base of your employees have you not tapped into yet? So many skills can be adapted for so many different situations at work. Do you have employees that coach sports? Have you considered them to lead a project or a team at work? Think outside the traditional box of “work” skills and start looking at employees’ interests and passions. You might be amazed at what other skills employees can bring to the workplace when you start engaging them in things they are passionate about.