Monday 5 December 2016

Directors Of Tomorrow





 
Attending the IOD conference was an amazing opportunity for myself as I really aspire to be a businesswoman of the future, so just being surrounded by professional, ambitious and, in some cases, controversial people was very inspiring. Attending conferences is very personal to the attendee and every person takes away different aspects from the event and different angles are approached so here is what I took away from my few hours of listening in to the discussions and debates that were presented.

Guest speakers spoke about the risk of inaction to a business and our community. I thought it was very interesting when it was discussed that you shouldn't eliminate learners, instead you must speak to them. Nurture them, harness and encourage them to develop them and let them know that it is okay to fail as above all, failure is the key to success. It was interesting to hear that a company is only as good as its weakest staff member, so this nurturing part is crucial, and necessary for the survival of a business in the competitive world. It was said that learners (i.e. people with the knowledge and skill but don't use it to their advantage) they should be spoken to by the leaders about what resonates with them in their life and what they care about, and see if and where there is potential overlap for their company's mission. If there is no overlap possible, it was said that leaders should be encouraged to learn from the learners as much as possible as everyone has insight if they are given permission to share. It was evident to see that successful leadership was where the leaders were respected by the learners, and one where the leaders respect the learners in order to create good communication and team work which is vital for the success of the business as a whole.

It was clear to see that the panel of deputies were very passionate about Guernsey and preserving our strong and tightly knit community which is very unique in the world we live in today. Education was the main focus during the evening and how we could potentially improve education to benefit future generations, particularly for the benefit of Guernsey. This is when I felt very proud to be able to listen in as I felt like my opinions and view were very important in this debate as I am young and I am the future generation.

The island has become heavily dependent on its financial services sector and it was clear that most people felt that whilst it was necessary to support that sector to maintain its growth, it is also important to help other sectors grow and prosper.  I sensed also a concern within parts of the population that the importance of the financial services sector isn’t properly understood and that there is a tension with that sector.

Regardless of that, it was clear that everyone saw education as playing a key role in sustaining the financial services sector and helping other sectors to grow.  Since migration and housing are other key concerns of many, it seemed clear that a stronger focus on education, and education focussed on the needs of Guernsey, will benefit the Island as a whole and reduce the perceived over-reliance on labour from off-island.  In other words, education should be directed at contributing to economic and social developments and improvements in the community.

It also seemed to me that there is a need for businesses and education to work better together.  I felt that work experience that I had earlier this year, and me being at the IOD Conference, helped me understand better the need for this stronger connection.  I have been able to see how those studies relate to ordinary business life.