A Vision for 2022

Today’s guest blogger is Carola Chard of CMCC in Hong Kong. CMCC was established in 2009 as a specialist recruitment firm for the apparel, footwear, toys and consumer goods industry. Since 2017 the firm has expanded to include new technologies, financial and legal appointments. Carola is currently serving on the NPAworldwide board of directors.

The year 2021 has almost come to its end, when you’re reading this. Congratulations, you made it through the past 12 months and the obstacles within! Traditionally the year end is the time to reflect on the past year and make resolutions and determinations for the coming year, so let me take the opportunity to share some of my thoughts.

It has been a challenging year for many in health and work, and a year of much transformation. Covid-19 has brought us unprecedented health scares, the loss of loved ones, and a health system to near breaking point.

Values and priorities have shifted dramatically for many, both in the workplace and at home. Staying safe from virus exposure became a priority. We all had to learn new skills fast to move from the familiar office environment to a virtual set up, sometimes for months on end. And those who could not work from home, like health professionals and those providing basic services, were exposing themselves to great risks in order to help others.

Travel plans have been made and rescheduled few times, only to be cancelled in the end. Families had to school kids at home on top of the work from home arrangements that already caused anxiety and stress.

Family gatherings were held on Zoom instead of face to face, and due to travel restrictions, many were unable to see their loved ones for almost two years.

But was it all bad news? Not really. We learned a lot, in a short time.

The shift in the way we were forced to work remotely during the pandemic has fast-tracked new technology developments and opened new avenues that will have a long-reaching effect on how companies engage their teams.

The employee of the future will want to have options to be on site or work remotely. Done wisely, it will reduce operational costs, carbon emissions and stress. Commutes and non-essential travel can be eliminated. This will be good for the planet and climate goals long-term.

New creative companies offering services useful during the pandemic have mushroomed, and entrepreneurial thinking has been rewarded

Some organizations, including our NPAworldwide network, had an excellent year as we were engaging with partners and sharing assignments and resources to assist clients. We are fortunate to have a system in place we can operate from anywhere in the world and we have reach to global partners, even when we or our clients were unable to travel.

The key to success in uncertainty is the ability to be flexible and quickly adapt to changing circumstances.

This will also be one of the top skills in the future employment world.

With a rollercoaster year of uncertainties behind us, and most likely more of the same ahead, we may ask ourselves what’s the point of planning for anything, as things may not go to plan at all, and must be changed over and over.

Especially in such uncertainty, it is crucial to establish a positive long-term outlook and set goals.

While details are elusive, we can have a firm vision in mind of where we want to reach in our life, and in our career. Only when we have the goal in mind, can we work effectively at getting there and removing obstacles along the way.

Any which way you can create the vision for your future is a good way. Write it down, keep a scrap book, create a vision board with photos, meditate or pray about it. Think of it as the destination pin on a map.

Once you have the destination, you can work out the different routes.

I always liked the definition “a vision is a dream with a plan.”

Celebrate each step in the right directions. Some days it may be just getting out of bed, on other days it will be landing a lucrative contract. It doesn’t matter if you feel sometimes overwhelmed. On those days, narrow the scope to celebrate bite-sized victories in an area you feel control over. Your home, your garage, your desk…

Stay flexible, be prepared that the route and timelines may change, expect surprises and learn to make the best out of a changing situation.

What helps to stay on course and focused, is appreciation and gratitude. Appreciate those who are supporting you along the way, those who work in the background and behind the scenes and be grateful for what they do. Appreciate your surroundings, nature, and the moments of peace.

Appreciation also includes you. Please remember.

With much appreciation to all my NPAworldwide friends, have a wonderful healthy and happy 2022!