Our Career Runway
Paula Kensington
How can we take the ecosystem of a major transport hub, such as an airport and apply those fundamentals of structure, process and people to our own professional journey.
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Blog
Filtering by Category: Futureproof
Mind the gaps: Don’t forget the fundamentals of business
Paula Kensington
What had gone wrong? I believe the business had lost sight of the basics. There was a lack of effective leadership, little strategic direction and a dearth of reporting capabilities. Not only had business plateaued, the company had lost direction and stalled. It was missing clarity and a strategic plan.
Read MoreAn Act in Three Parts: Igniting Sustainable Platforms
Paula Kensington
I have been consolidating my thinking this year – being forced to stay home tends to sharpen your focus on the important things, I’ve discovered – and have calibrated my internal compass. This has given me a clear direction for the next decade in terms of what I want to deliver to the world.
I guess you could call this my ‘how’ stage of thinking. I’ve always been very good at the ‘what’ – that is, working out what I want to achieve – but it was time I pushed myself into the ‘how’ – that is, how I will go about achieving those goals.
Read MoreAre Four Eyes better on the business of You?
Paula Kensington
I have talked a lot about strategy, including having a 10-year plan and clarity about what is important. But I was challenged on this at a women’s networking function I hosted recently. The question was: isn’t a linear 10-year plan too rigid, going against all my ideas about allowing for new thinking and looking out for opportunities?
Read MoreDon’t assume the obvious is obvious
Paula Kensington
I seem to have my best thoughts when I am travelling. Maybe the change of scenery helps to shift my BAU (business as usual) thinking and tap into something more creative. The escape from normal routine seems to allow me to explore and think differently. Note to self to explore that more often!
Read MoreSWOT up on the strategy of ‘you’
Paula Kensington
I often talk about you being your own CEO. In that case, you should have a plan for where you’re heading and a strategy for getting there. How often you do you assess where you sit in the strategy of ‘you’ and how you are going to own your success? The first thing you should consider (and it’s another principle I often repeat) is what got you here won’t get you there. That is, you can’t rest on your laurels, because things keep changing and so should you.
Read MoreSomewhere under the rainbow is your arc of opportunity
Paula Kensington
When you look out to your career and/or personal horizon, what do you see? Is it a clear vision of where you want to be or do you find it difficult to see past all the obstacles standing between you and the future you are trying to envisage? When I talk to people about planning and strategising for their future, I’m often met with responses such as “everything is holding me back” or “I can’t visualise my future because I can’t see how my goals might be fulfilled”.
Read MoreWhy today will set you up for tomorrow...
Paula Kensington
How do you feel about the future, right now? Hmmm…. It’s OK, be honest. But I bet a high percentage of you haven’t really thought about how changes in your industry are already affecting you and your work. The future, however, happens regardless of our industry, background, experience, role, age or culture. Historian Yuval Harari’s opinion is that anyone, any person, falling behind in today’s digital revolution will not be able to catch up. So what does this really mean for you, your work, team, roles and responsibilities? Should you be worried?
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