Business Capability Workshop
Sian Jaquet, 23rd July
There was a great atmosphere at North Shore Golf Club for this lunchtime event, with several people commenting on how good it felt to be doing something “normal” – to be out and about, networking with other local businesses.
Over the course of an hour, Sian talked at length about her personal and professional life, explaining what her experiences have taught her, and how these learnings reassure her in a time of such extraordinary uncertainty.
It is OK to recognise that we are not in complete control of the world around us. It is OK to feel scared by what’s happening, and it is OK not to know exactly how to act or what to think. There is no definitive right answer to coping perfectly. However, Sian firmly believes that resilience is a learned life skill, as is self-awareness. By recalling how we have managed previously with stressful situations, we can find the means to cope today.
Sian lives her life in accordance with her core values, which include courage, integrity and contribution. She emphasised how important it is to clarify our values, and to follow them, because: “we are who we choose to believe we are.” Personal values can help with feelings of reward and fulfilment, but if someone’s work or personal life clashes with their values, that’s when things almost always unravel.
Especially now, empathy is an essential quality – for ourselves first. After all, if we’re trying to take care of a group (of employees or loved ones), how can we do this if we aren’t looking after ourselves? Sian reminded us that, if there’s ever an emergency on a plane, travellers are instructed to put on their own oxygen mask before assisting someone else!
Sian concluded by saying that, eventually, these troubled times will pass. We should take heart from knowing that we will survive, but need to acknowledge that the world (including ourselves) won’t be the same again.
