Swings + Roundabouts Spring 2020

So, I sat down and thought about what adversity looks like, for me. I realised that the most significant adverse business event that I have been grappling with over the last few years has been the loss of older mentors and collaborators, all of whom have played a significant part in opening doors and securing work opportunities for me. These people are now retiring from business, and the result is something of a void, which I have to fill in some way. I also recognised that this is a far wider problem, which we all face as we move into older age groups. It is quite a depressing picture really, when we consider the vulnerability of older workers to redundancies and restructures, changing technologies, and pressures from younger members of the workforce! At the same time, I realised that my response to this adverse challenge was quite interesting. My approach has always been to ‘flip the problem’, until I can see an opportunity of some sort. So, my problem isn’t really about a shrinking network of colleagues and collaborators, but rather it is about what this situation could allow me to do in the future. By re-framing the issue in this way, I have been able to see that my real challenge is around making new contacts, growing new networks, and moving into new spaces. Clearly, this new re-statement of the problem leads to a positive strategy, where I can take actions which I am fully accountable and responsible for. Contacts and networks to one side, I have also been able to build tools (such as re- framing and opportunity-identification) into my training packages, so that I can share these techniques with other people. This includes Job-Seeker Training workshops, where I show people how to think less-like- an-employee and more-like-a-business, complete with a value proposition, an understanding of different business cultures, and a knowledge of personality types and work environments. PD for ECE Teachers Ng ā Ara Whai Hua – Teachers & the Quality Indicators Stepping up to Supervisor ECE Teachers – Compliance & the Licensing Criteria Transition & Continuity of Learning in ECE Learning Stories & the Principles of Assessment Annual Appraisal in ECE – Your Blue Book Online Local Curriculum STEAM in ECE Early Literacy Physical Activity & Movement Child Protection in ECE Go to www.ecc.org.nz/events for more information and booking. If you cannot see in our Calendar of Events when your desired workshop is available in your area, contact events@ecc.org.nz , or check out our e-Learning options. Some topics are available as in-house workshops. Being able to turn a crisis into an opportunity is a valuable skill which builds both capability and resilience. The more that we practice this skill, then the more paths we will see opening up for us, in our professional and personal lives. See whether you can embed this technique into your ECE thinking, and let me know the result! You can download a free PDF copy of ‘What Next? Personal stories about facing adverse events in business” at https:// drive.google.com/file/d/1Mmss-v5Lo3_ I6Cc0yuEOXGhuX9JIKqCs/view ABOUT THE AUTHOR Phil Sales is specialist business coach, interested in 'cool stuff' in the business development sector. For more about Phil, see https://iact15.wixsite. com/iactltd/who-we-are September 2020 { 31 }