I attended a workshop by Capstone International earlier this month and would like to share some of the interesting takeaways on a few topics.
The first one is on receiving tough feedback. Interesting points are:
1) You don’t know what you don’t know so feedback is a gift
2) Stay calm
3) Listen openly
4) Resist self-defense
5) Thank and reflect
6) Be forgiving about others ability to give feedback elegantly – focus on the content because their perception is their reality
7) Ask yourself the learning question – “What will I do differently next time?”

Based on work from Professor Mary Dean Lee from the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University.
‘#4: Make a Difference
Make more than financial contributions to society. What philanthropic pursuits can you turn to?
“When you expect to live much longer, in better mental and physical health, the idea of shelving your expertise in retirement no longer makes sense,” Professor Lee says.
“Retirement is not an end but a beginning – an opportunity to experiment and explore, to engage in pursuits you value, and perhaps to reinvent our legacy.”’
My thought: I am a big fan of adult learning and personal development. It is also important to remain an active contributing and engaging member of the society even into retirement.

Based on work from Professor Mary Dean Lee from the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University.

“#3: Create a New Deal
Rather than completely retiring, stay on with redesigned schedules or responsibilities, reduce hours while transferring knowledge and responsibility to successors, or arrange contract work – such deals benefit an individual as well as an organisation. While not every company can do this, there may be more room to manoeuvre than you think.”
My thought: It is usually better to ease into a new situation. As some people say: If you don’t ask, you don’t get. Don’t burn any “bridges”.

Based on work from Professor Mary Dean Lee from the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University.
“#2: Find your own retirement metaphor
Detox from work stress, liberation from the daily grind, downshifting from a demanding career – take a flexible approach from one metaphor to another to craft a retirement that feels right.”
My thought: Every case is unique. Throw in your creativity and come up with your own metaphor if needed.

During my business trip earlier this week, I came across an article from the Velocity Magazine on the plane titled “Four things you must do before retiring” highlighting the findings from Professor Mary Dean Lee from the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University. Not that it is a subject constantly on my mind nor am I close to retirement, but I thought the ideas are excellent and worth sharing with my blog readers. The four guiding principles to help navigate late-career journeys are:
“#1: Prepare to go off-script
Few managers make a clear, irrevocable shift from full-time work to retirement. Careers end in many ways, from leaving when it feels right to becoming disillusioned with a company. Few completely control when and how careers end, so be ready to improvise and adapt.”
My thought: Here again our adaptability is key to smooth “sailing” and transition.

After discussing with a good friend of mine, who has just moved onto a NEW job, on this very subject of adaptability, I feel compelled to share her advice as I am a big fan of knowledge sharing. Her main advice is first to learn patiently what other people do in the team and then create value in your unique way. That is a great example of the beauty of diversity. It is the power of the “1+1 >2” collective effort.

Like many fellow Londoners, I was very disappointed and saddened by the result of the UK Referendum. Despite all that, the best advice I heard is “Keep Calm and Carry On”. We make better decisions when we are calm and have a clear head. Try to put aside the strong emotion and take a few moments to think things over before springing into actions.

To round off this mini-series on adaptability, I would like to highlight the importance of humility.  In order to adapt to a new environment and/or job, one needs to learn on your own or from others.  Having a humble heart will make asking others to help and receiving help an easier task.  It also means you can humbly spend more time in picking up a new skill if it is required of you without getting frustrated which is negative.  Remember if your goal is to learn and adapt successfully, don’t let yourself, in particular your ego, gets in the way.

As  I have been focusing quite a bit on my new job as well as life coaching lately, I have not been actively promoting my book as much as I should.

To my surprise, I discovered today that I sold one copy of my book in Poland and another copy in India.  As I said before and am still sincerely believing in it, every single copy and single reader COUNT!!!  I am very happy that my book has travelled quite far and reached some people that appreciate the subject of life-long personal development and learning.

 

 

Similar to learning something new, it is important to get feedback from others on how you are progressing on adapting to a new environment and/or role. It will help you identify blind-spots and confirm strengths. As discussed in a previous blog, we should process feedback wisely. Remember to stay calm and objective as there are usually areas of improvement included in feedback. Don’t get defensive. When in doubt, take your time to ponder and reflect on it. You don’t have to respond to it on the spot.