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.
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