The Standard Group Plc is a multi-media organization with investments in media platforms spanning newspaper print
operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The Standard Group is recognized as a
leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key influence in matters of national and international interest.
A couple of days ago, I was listening to a conversation on the airwaves. As entertained as I was, there were points at which I almost deviated from the norm and called in to find out whether the views expressed were staged or whether there were actually people whose mode of reasoning was so outdated that it had no place in the current world.
Similarly, sometimes I find myself falling back on professional advice I received from someone who was well meaning, or maybe who was trying to protect me from what they perceived as failure. In most cases, I am able to discern logic from bad traditional conditioning but it takes practice and identifying what is not working any more so that I can dispense with it.
Taking risks
Has anyone ever expressed the sentiment ‘be content for the job you have and stop reaching for more’ in some shape or form? If you do not take risks, you are unlikely to experience growth. Feel the fear, do it anyway. If you need to, weight the pros and the cons and take calculated risks.
But do not create a mythical comfort zone for yourself because it will burst and leave you flailing. Do not let the biases that we were brought up with as women hold you back from reaching your potential. Not taking risks in your professional life is as outdated as the industrial age.
Corporate allegiance
In Japan, they have a concept of lifelong employment. We don’t. So don’t go through your life acting like the organidation you are with is a lifelong partner, or that you owe them for giving you a job. You earn fair wage for fair work, and that’s it. By all means, always be ethical and act with integrity.
But be on the lookout for opportunities elsewhere, especially those that challenge and stretch you.
Negotiating
We misguidedly think that negotiating for more money or time with your boss reflects that we are not grateful for what we have. But it is actually being cognizant of the value you bring to the organization.
As long as we have the facts to prove that we deserve more, whether it is based on the market rate or evaluation of our responsibilities, not negotiating is doing your skills a disservice.
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