The Dynamic Mind

The Dynamic Mind

6 Secret Tips to Find a Purposeful Career That is Your Passion

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During our professional journeys, we can at times find it challenging to incorporate our passion into our careers. However, in this blog, we will uncover 6 tips to help you find a purposeful career that also fulfils your passion. Having a purposeful career has multiple benefits, including driving efficiency, achieving high-quality output and contributing to experiencing a great sense of achievement which is highly rewarding.

Passion: “Any form of activity that directly provides you with a great sense of fulfilment, purpose and joy. There is no defined time-bound limit to practising this activity.”

Write down your passions

Our first secret tip – allocate time towards reflecting and writing down all the passions that you have. In doing this, you should include any passions that previously existed; however, for one reason or another, it is not that prominent anymore. If possible, we strongly advise utilising a pen and paper as there is a strong neuronal connection with handwriting reflective accounts and the ability to build a stronger relationship with the information that has been documented.

We should feel comfortable having a safe and open conversation about our passions with others, including a support network, friends, family, and colleagues. We may even discover that those with who we share our passions may have similar interests which we were not previously aware of and this can strengthen our relationships. Equally, we must be mindful when sharing this information that others may not have the same energy and excitement regarding our passions. It is important that we do not get disheartened as we are all on our individual journey.

To help with staying connected with others, we can even support our mental health by sharing our passion during an outdoor walk. Being out in the open can help stimulate conversation and drive positivity.

Discover your why

Once you have written down and shared all of your passions, you can take the next steps and reflect on your passions that you have documented. Utilise a journal and implement a mindfulness practice approach to uncover the ‘why’. This will help to focus on achieving a purposeful career that is also a strong passion.

To help you get started, here are a few questions that you can ask yourself:

  • How did this passion begin?
  • What do I enjoy the most?
  • How has this passion positively impacted my life?
  • If I could not practice this passion again, how would I feel?
  • What are my current challenges?

When journaling the reasons behind our passions and uncovering our ‘why’, we may reveal a few aspects: observation of a serotonin and dopamine boost whilst practising our passion, development of a lucrative and technical skill,  or just that we simply enjoy it. Whatever the reason might be, understanding our ‘why’ is important and will assist with securing a purposeful career.

Can I monetise my passion?

Now we have discovered our passions and the various reasons behind them, we are able to focus on one and assess whether there is an economic opportunity.  This builds on the journey to finding a purposeful career. Ideally, the ultimate goal is to combine a passion we have and create a purposeful career at the same time. This is highly rewarding to us and others around.

We should remain focused and have the end goal in the back of our minds, starting small and slowly growing the business-passion venture over time. Start by brainstorming ideas and prioritise activities that will help achieve your goal, for example, market research, networking, and target audience segmentation.

If it is not feasible to build and create a business whilst working and balancing personal-life commitments, we can take time to assess if the passion and business idea can be implemented within our current working practice. Have an open discussion with colleagues/managers, human resources department and be appropriately transparent about the idea. The worst that can happen is rejection, however, taking the first step is closer to getting a yes.

Find others who have the same passion

Let’s take a deeper dive from the point made earlier regarding sharing our passions with our support network. Through this activity, we can gather whether other people have the same or similar passion to us. To go even further, can we identify people who would like to implement their passion into a purposeful career. This may take some time to recognise and even make us go out of our comfort zone, however this a process and a journey we should be kind towards. Platforms to consider but not limited to include utilising social media, networking events and colleagues. These tactics may take time to execute, so remain persistent and patient to achieve a purposeful career that is your passion.

Having conversations with like-minded individuals provides us the opportunity to learn from their experience and journey, understand how they have utilised tools to build a purposeful career which is held by their passion. Take the opportunity to share best practice, whilst also raising awareness of challenges. The gift of giving our knowledge on these topics is priceless.

Overall, finding other people who have the same passion is mutually beneficial, as we can grow together in leading a purposeful career that we enjoy and is our passion.

crowd of people in building lobby

Lead on this passion

Now we have identified our passion and the area where we are going to monetise, either in our current working practice, side-business or both, we must conduct a series of market analysis. This process involves understanding our current strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT). Through gathering information on our current gaps which need to be upskilled, ensures we are at the appropriate expertise level. We must also develop tactics to action these elements.

We are likely not the first person to implement our specific passion into a purposeful career, thus, it is ideal to carry out extensive research on our competitors. This includes learning how they began, factors that are working well for them and also areas in which they invested in and did not result in a positive outcome. This will help in ensuring we take the appropriate steps to build a purposeful career.

Another tactic to consider is teaching and upskilling others who have the same passion interest. As time evolves, we can be identified as a leader organically in this passion and these skills can be implemented in searching and securing a purposeful career.

Be patient

Lastly but by no means least, the art of being patient and mindful towards the process is an important tool to keep at hand. We can at times become heavily focused on only reaching the end goal and be disappointed with hurdles we encounter in between which delay our expected timeline. However, all these experiences shape us as a holistic professional and are useful in career development. To assist with dealing with these situations, account for challenges, document these occurrences and learn from them.

Take time to celebrate the small wins and be grateful!

Remember success, does not happen overnight, compounding efforts will pay off.

Let’s round off our 6 secret tips to finding a purposeful career this is your passion

We have outlined 6 tips to help you find a purposeful career this is your passion and the relevant steps in order to achieve success. Remember this goal is a journey, which will undoubtedly have both ups and downs along the way. Remaining positive and focused will allow you to achieve the desired result.

To help with maintaining a positive mindset, follow our Mindfulness Monday campaign on Instagram: @thedynamicmind

All 6 tips do not need to be executed immediately, but getting started is the first step in reaching the goal of finding a purposeful career that is your passion.

We would love to hear if you have any further tips – comment below.

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Uncover the Best Ways on How to Handle Negative Feedback at Work

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The majority of us do not enjoy receiving negative feedback both in our personal and professional lives. However, we all tend to experience it in any way, shape or form, and when these instances do occur, we need to be mindful of how we deal with the situation. Here we will delve into the best ways on how to handle negative feedback at work. These principles can even be applied in our personal environment.

Is it really negative feedback?

We may often jump to conclusions whilst receiving negative feedback, which can result in an uncomfortable and undesirable setting. It is really important we take the time to assess the situation, have a holistic view and understand the feedback. For example, does the person always have this particular feedback method, or is it too early in a project timeline to receive and give feedback? With this, we should also assess the provider’s persona, are they a “half-glass empty” type of character? If so, this can help digest the feedback delivered.

Whilst receiving feedback, we need to take the time to listen carefully and decide whether the information is either factual or opinion-based. This will assist with calculating and ensuring our response is accurate and relevant to the negative feedback provided at work. We also must be considerate, that both facts and opinions can be accurate, but as long as we can differentiate between the two, this will ultimately aid with handling any negative feedback appropriately. Although it might be difficult to digest initially, it could also be the case that the feedback is actually constructive rather than negative.   Where this is the case, this is crucial for future development (see below).

Be curious

Applying the principle of active listening whilst receiving negative feedback ensures we appropriately comprehend all the information. Once the feedback has been delivered, we must take the opportunity to ask a series of applicable questions. These questions should be specific and help in clarifying all the points that have been raised. Remember, we have the greatest opportunity and responsibility in positively shaping our professional road map, hence having an inquisitive mind on feedback, both positive and negative can contribute in driving our careers forward.

It is important to take an interest in the conversation even though the topic relates to negative feedback since this could be an area of opportunity to develop in and explore further. Have an open mind to the situation as you could in fact learn a skill or build a new network. To support with having an open mind and remaining positive, follow us on Instagram and join the Mindfulness Monday journey – @thedynamicmind.

Ensure to ask calculated questions which are specific to optimise the feedback provided. This will also help with constructing a progress plan of action. A few examples include:

  • What are the crucial areas that you believe I should focus on?
  • What should I start and stop doing?
  • Given the points you have raised are there any additional resources you can signpost me towards?

It would also be useful to take note of the various points being mentioned as this allows us to deeply reflect on the information at a later stage and not jump to any immediate conclusions or responses which we may later regret. Maintaining professional during times of negative feedback exhibits strong resilience and character.

Think about the future

Maintaining an open mind both in our personal and professional journey allows us to tackle any scenario which we face, no matter how challenging and difficult, as we should have the future outcome cemented at the back of our minds. This includes negative feedback at work. Equipped with this key skill, we can analyse the negative feedback provided and formulate an action plan to act on the suggestions which we believe are relevant and fact-based. Similarly, opinion-based suggestions can be worth implementing, however, we should assess whether this will truly lead to positive outcomes.

When preparing to execute the action plan, do not be worried if you cannot immediately identify scenarios that will allow you to execute them. The key is that you have reflected on the negative feedback and have made an effort to test and positively improve your current practice. We must focus on the small wins of positive change to build our professional profile. This ultimately will allow us to remain focused and have a clear vision.

gray concrete road under blue sky during daytime

Handle your response

As previously mentioned, we may rush to conclusions when we are receiving negative feedback, which could mean interrupting the other person whilst they are delivering the feedback as we are not pleased with the information that is being relayed. However, during these times we need to be mindful as to how we approach this situation and the manner in which we respond.

Even during difficult situations, we must place faith in others, such that they have good intentions, although their method of dissemination may not have been ideal. Hence, taking the time to respond is a good solution to practice as we could say something hurtful in the heat of the moment. This is not desirable both in our personal and professional setting.

It is worth noting that with our response, we must articulate our words carefully not to offend the feedback provider, and we should adopt a grateful attitude, that someone has taken the time and effort to provide feedback. This is true even if it comes across negatively. This positive outlook will assist in handling our response and the situation as a whole.  

To add, the tone and method of feedback provided could come across negative as the person may be nervous and concerned as to how we might feel. We must reflect on their experience and also appreciate that they have the courage to raise the topic with the mindset to help someone else, a characteristic we should also embrace.

We must consider our body language in responding to the feedback in both a face to face and digital environment – are we closed off, defensive or tense? We should take time to assess our posture, as being tense can send off negative energy and this will make the situation uncomfortable. Implementing an open figure can also help with obtaining an open mind (such as not crossing arms).

Summarise the best ways to deal with negative feedback at work

We have uncovered the best ways to deal with negative feedback at work, and the underlying principles can also be applied in our personal lives.

Document these key tips and if you have any other suggestions, we would love to hear about them.

  • Are the comments really negative feedback?
  • Always be curious and invest in yourself
  • Constantly think about the future: short-term pain for the long-term benefit
  • Ensure to appropriately handle your response

A combination of these elements will allow you to tackle any negative feedback which you may encounter. Remember to stay positive and have an open-mind during these experiences.

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10 Public Speaking Tips to Present With Confidence Explained

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The art of public speaking can often fall within the category of a soft skill as part of communication and listening. However, at The Dynamic Mind, we believe public speaking is in fact a hard skill as the art of delivering a presentation and speaking to an audience encompasses many attributes. Here we will uncover 10 public speaking tips to help you present with confidence, allowing you to excel in your professional journey.

1.   Understand your audience

During the planning phase of your presentation, it is ideal to understand who the audience is as this will determine the structure, level of detail and the angle at which to pitch the presentation. Carrying out the task of audience segmentation allows us to customise our content and flow towards our audience, who will either be predominantly data or emotionally driven. It is important to note that striking a balance between the two assists with delivering an impactful message.

If we did not carry out this exercise, this may directly hinder our delivery, resulting in poor audience engagement, low satisfaction scores and dampen our morale. This is an experience we want to avoid, hence understanding who the audience is in advance is critical for success.

2.   Research and prepare

A professionally delivered presentation is easily identifiable by the audience, as the presenter is delivering with confidence and relevant information related to the subject matter. We must take the time to conduct material analysis, incorporating the appropriate level of technical language and terminology for the audience’s literacy level. Consequently, understanding the audience in advance aids in determining how much detail is required.

It is important to emphasise the key messages throughout. Strategically repeating these points periodically will assist us in ensuring our audience remembers the information during and after the presentation. To support with this delivery, the presentation must be methodically organised with a structured, beginning, middle and end/conclusion.

3.   Timing of content

The timing of when the presentation is delivered may have an impact on how well it is received.
If possible, collecting the audience’s preference in advance will assist in selecting an optimal time.
For example, it may be ideal to avoid postprandial tiredness.  Once identified, we should aim to deliver short bursts of information, with our key messages voiced intermittently.

To ensure our audience maintains engaged, take appropriate pauses and switch from directly relaying information to asking open-ended questions. This can support with capturing the audience’s attention. Also, do not forget to regularly highlight the main take-home points, as this will instil hard memory with the audience.

4.   Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse

After we have appropriately structured our presentation and the accompanied dialogue is correctly aligned, now it is time to conduct rehearsals. This will allow us to become familiar, comfortable and confident with the content. This is our opportunity to rehearse in different environments to test ourselves. Practice with distractions, utilise friends and families as a “mock-audience” and anticipate questions that may be asked during the real event. Adding this to our practice will help with responding to unexpected live questions.

Take the principle of rehearsing anytime and anyplace where you feel comfortable. This may include a solo car drive, in the shower, cooking and even in front of the mirror. Reflecting on these moments on our delivery and the flow allows us to determine our presenting style preference. Once our unique presenting style is found, we should stick with it and execute it. The more we rehearse, the greater our confidence grows in the presentation style and this will positively support presenting with conviction.

5.   Body language

Whilst we are rehearsing, we must also be aware of our body language during these practice sessions. We must ensure that we have appropriate eye contact, both in a physical and virtual setting.
Further elements which should be considered in boosting our audience engagement include; variation in our tone of voice, open posture and avoiding directly reading off the slides.

Given we are now predominantly collaborating more in a digital environment, we must be mindful of our background environment to minimise any distractions. Similarly, with our audience working remotely, this together with their other commitments can influence their level of participation. Hence, assessing their body language and adjusting our delivery accordingly should be considered.

6.   Engage with the audience

To have a successful presentation, our content must be highly engaging with the audience such that they retain the information during and after the event. Throughout the building phase, schedule pockets of opportunity to engage with the audience. This can be conducted by playing a game, asking open questions and having break out activities.

Additionally, plan Q&A checkpoints across the session to highlight the audiences’ gaps and areas of interest. Responding to questions in real time allows us to build rapport quickly and make a direct impact. Furthermore, this immediately demonstrates that we have depth in our understanding of the subject matter and confidence in our delivery. Equally, if there are topics which we do not immediately know the answer to, remember that it is okay to follow up after the event.

It is also worth including a section to get the audience to feedback and present during the event.
This will help with them retaining the information and this activity could be related to the key desired take-home messages. 

shallow focus photography of man in white shirt

7.   Ask for feedback

Feedback is incredibly powerful in ensuring we are progressing in public speaking with confidence and importantly we must act on the constructive elements moving forward. To make the feedback effective, it is imperative to set out a 360-degree feedback template in advance which can be easily disseminated post the event. Once the feedback is received, take the time to document, analyse and plan on how to implement any suggestions, whilst also looking for opportunities to take them further.

Collecting feedback allows us to build a support network, since receiving feedback from a range of individuals allows us to grow as a holistic professional. Take the opportunity with the network to leverage each other’s skills, specialities and continuously seek feedback with one another to grow.

8.   Familiarise yourself with the environment

As it is becoming more common to conduct presentations through a digital medium, a few differences exist in comparison to physical face-to-face events which must be considered. These include digital platform settings, virtual/room background, internet connectivity and microphone clarity. If you have any others, we would love for you to share them.

With respect to face-to-face delivery, we must be mindful of the following; location – is it easily accessible for all attendees, is the room temperature comfortable, is the room lightening adequate, and is the external equipment functioning?  A possible option, could be to do a practice run through in the room in advance of any attendees to become more acquainted with the setting to help boost confidence.

 In summary, regardless of the delivery environment, it is imperative to take the time to assess it and become comfortable with all the levels of detail in order to present with confidence.

9.   Mentally prepare for success

Having the correct mindset during preparation and prior to starting builds the appropriate foundation for a positive and confident delivery to be executed. To help get in the right frame of mind, provide yourself with positive affirmations, check out our Instagram: @thedynamicmind, where we host a Mindfulness Monday campaign to help you get in the right mindset for the week ahead.

Whilst rehearsing, saying words to the effect of, “I will do great”, “I am ready” and “I can take on this challenge”, provides us with positive energy to deliver a confident presentation. It is important to visual success, the applause and encouraging feedback, as this positivity drives confidence.

10.   Smile and have fun

Finally, but by no means least, it is imperative to smile throughout and have fun!

Take the time to enjoy the experience. We have only one opportunity to deliver the presentation to the audience at that specific time and location. Hence, take on the challenge and enjoy the event.

We all may experience periods of nerves prior to starting, but use the adrenaline to turn those feelings into excitement and utilise the method of visualising success. The more excited we come across to our audience, the greater the engagement will be towards the information being presented. Positive energy is dispersed both in a virtual and physical setting. Thus, present with an elated smile, embrace the environment and relish the moment. 

Let’s conclude 10 public speaking tips to present with confidence

We have covered 10 public speaking tips to help you present with confidence both in a virtual and face-to-environment which include:

  • Know your Audience
  • Research and prepare your speech
  • Timing of content
  • Rehearse
  • Body language
  • Engage with the audience
  • Ask for feedback
  • Familiarise yourself with the environment
  • Mentally prepare for success
  • Smile and have fun

The above public speaking tips are highlighted to provide guidance in preparing you for your next public speaking event. Remember, to focus on the small wins and if you can only implement a few of the public speaking tips at the beginning, this is okay. Developing and excelling in public speaking is a journey and one we should be mindful of and be kind to ourselves throughout.

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The Top Benefits of Exploring the Deep Connection Between Nature and Our Mental Health

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The topic of mental health rightfully has gained prominent attention in light of recent events globally and now sits at the forefront of our minds in our daily lives. Previously the subject of mental health was not a widely accepted and open topic of conversation. However, as we all become more aware of the matter and gain empowerment in controlling our mental state, it is becoming a universally safe-subject of discussion. A topic which we should embrace and encourage others to speak up about!

What is mental health?

There are many different ways in which we all describe the term mental health and it broadly depends on the angle that we view the subject. At The Dynamic Mind, we relate to it as the cognitive, psychological and emotional state, determining our mood and actions, linked with our full state of wellbeing.

The topic of mental health can enter a conversation in a magnitude of ways and has many factors in which it can become the focal point. The feeling of stress is a great area in which our mental health is hindered, and we recently wrote a blog covering 5 Life-Changing Actions to Deal With Stress Management – take a read and see if you can implement any of the suggested methods. If you have any extras, we would love to hear about it!

We can reflect and comment on experiencing mental health difficulties as a personal silent battle.
It can even be a hurdle that we feel that we cannot overcome and are tackling alone. Often, when in times of challenge, we may find it difficult to realise that we have a wide, loving support network around us, who we can turn to and discuss our puzzling thoughts. If you feel you are or know anyone going through a difficult time and would like a safe space for discussion, do get in contact.

Nature and the relationship with our mental health

Exploring a deep connection between nature and our mental health can have a real positive benefit, not only in our own journey but others around us. Reflect on instances of when we may have had a heated discussion with someone and we need to “cool off”. Typically, this may include a short walk outside to get fresh air. This simple act of stepping outside is a moment we are interacting with nature and utilising it to aid with our mental health and state of wellbeing. A key learn from this, is that we build a positive and deep connection with nature in times of distress as a method to heal our mental health.

Taking the opportunity to engage with nature, from a simple walk, journaling outside or sitting by a window can boost our creativity and provide us with positive energy to fuel our day. A crucial element in determining the right mindset stems from ensuring we have an appropriate environment in order to carry out our tasks.

Steps we can take to be certain our tasks are completed effectively, include but are not limited to are: allowing sufficient natural light in the room we are working in, reducing external noise, removing any unnecessary distractions and having plenty of water to maintain hydration. Additionally, a benefit of spending time in a room with windows, is that it provides us with the opportunity to take a glance outside and appreciate the world drifting past during our hectic schedule. Hence, building on creating a deep connection with nature.

Being outside and interacting with nature offers us the chance for self-reflection and appreciation for what we currently do have, but also stimulates our minds in order to take note of driving factors to excel both in our personal and professional lives. This is a great opportunity to utilise the practice of journaling to assist with positively energising the mind. Furthermore, stepping into nature allows us to reduce or remove the feeling of being isolated and instead feel more connected.

Horticulture and the connection with our mental health

Horticulture, is a segment of the art of agriculture for our pleasure, utilising plants, crops, fruits and vegetables. Even if this practice is carried out on a small scale, from our gardens to allotments and more, this has the ability to deliver great benefit to our mental health. Horticulture provides us with an immediate sense of achievement, success, confidence and a self-esteem boost, as the hours we have completed in order to cultivate are rewarded both visually and internally.

Carrying out the art of horticulture ensures that we are outside with nature and enjoying green space. It provides us with the chance to channel our focus and energy away from any stresses and challenges we may be facing. From this, we can tap into our creative elements and produce aesthetically pleasing produce to enjoy and share with others.

This activity does not have be done alone.

Take the opportunity to network with others and build a community, share ideas, learns and get creative together!

green leafed seedlings on black plastic pots

Other tactics to assist with a positive mental health in nature

There are many other strategies that can be explored in order to drive a positive mental state of wellbeing and we will touch on a few:

  • Having a support network where we can share experiences in an outdoor setting.
  • Fuel our body with the appropriate levels of nutrients.
  • Give back to society – the rewarding feeling of giving without seeking return really does provide a great sense of satisfaction and boost our mental health.
  • Rest and take breaks, but do this outside and not in front of a screen.
  • Learn from others on their experiences with nature and mental health journey.

The final stretch on the importance of interacting with nature for our mental health

There are endless opportunities for us to engage with nature to better our mental health, support society and boost our morale. We need to relish all opportunities available to us, and this starts with small daily changes to interact with nature. Consequently, we will experience a positive shift in our mental health and wellbeing.

Take the time to explore a deep connection with nature, reflect on how you feel before, during and after. Document these interactions and assess whether you are experiencing a positive change. Be patient and if the first couple of times you do not feel a benefit, this is perfectly okay. Tapping into our mental health and driving a positive change is a journey and one we should be kind towards.

This post is in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK.

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Discover 6 Valuable Travelling Skills That Will Develop Your Career

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Let’s be honest, who does not enjoy travelling? Being able to meet new people, explore different cultures, collect experiences and create endless memories with your loved ones are some of the best parts of travelling.

Whilst having an amazing experience, we are going to take you through a series of reflection pieces on how travelling can provide you with 6 valuable transferable skills into your personal and professional journey. You may be surprised at how versatile these skills are!

Networking

It is pretty common practice to utilise our communication skills in order to complete many tasks, whether it is asking for an attraction recommendation, sharing travel stories or even booking a tour.  By doing this, we are evolving the attribute of networking.  To be a powerful networker, we need to be comfortable communicating our thoughts, ideologies and facts whilst also being effective listeners, demonstrating empathy and displaying adequate non-verbal skills. These are key qualities we readily develop whilst travelling and which can be applied during our professional journeys.  Interacting with fellow travellers and integrating with locals can enable us to become far more comfortable and confident in building professional networks, for example, meeting new people at networking events.   

When connecting with fellow travellers, sharing our experiences and highlighting similar interests, we are also gaining a deeper understanding of the person behind the story, often in a short space of time. This is a key element to nurture whilst in a professional setting. Being able to relate to our colleagues on a personal level whilst also having a professional relationship allows us to effectively collaborate, but importantly enjoy working together. Having a positive work culture should be at the pinnacle of our working ethos and will help drive our careers.

I am sure many of us have interacted with locals whilst travelling, truly making an effort to embrace and understand the culture. At times there could be a language barrier, hence we must improvise, learn key phrases in advance or even utilise translation websites. If you have explored any of these areas, you are developing a life-skill whilst travelling which can be utilised to develop your career.

These experiences can translate into the working environment, for example; presenting our data/research to a team in a formal and persuasive manner and accounting for a vast array of technical literate level colleagues in the audience, whilst appropriately delivering our material. In order to truly engage the listeners, we must ensure that we pitch the presentation across all viewers persona, adapt to the environment, and aim to have an open body language. This will become more familiar as we develop our skillset under the umbrella of networking and lead the way for successful presentations in the future.

Team Player

“Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.” – Steve Jobs.

Let’s take an opportunity to really reflect on the quote by Steve Jobs, highlighting that the success of any business achieving great things are always completed in collaboration by a team and never a sole individual. Can you reflect on a successful project in your professional and personal journey and truthfully state you achieved this in complete silo, or did you coordinate and work as an effective team player? Drop a comment below or email us as we would love to hear from you!

More often than not, we are team players working as part of or perhaps leading a team.

When we are travelling, there have undoubtedly been times when we have encountered situations such as being part of a group that has different activity agendas, cuisine choices, or even being with a partner who has a different preference on a specific situation. To effectively come to a conclusion, we must appreciate other opinions, understand their desires, respect their viewpoint and whilst displaying these traits, it is important to actively listen. It would be inefficient and ineffective for us to assist with solution finding without having fully digested the information presented. By taking this developed skill and applying it in our careers, we are likely to notice a drive in efficiency and higher quality output.

Being mindful of others around us is a practice we should all appreciate and incorporate in our daily activities. It will allow us all to have a peaceful, harmonious and positive relationship, both in our personal and professional setting.

Key aspects to take from travel learnings into our professional setting:

  • Establish and utilise each team member’s strength
  • Draw on previous experience that others may have and allow them to openly share this
  • Outline an agreed method of working
  • Understand team members communication preferences and aim to incorporate them
  • Respect the thoughts and opinions of others

Executive Decision Making

If we didn’t display executive decision making characteristics in making plans prior to and during the travels, chances are we would never get to a position of even departing for our trip! So, it is safe to say there is already an element of this skill within us; however, we will explore how this is elevated further during travelling and how it can be implemented to develop our careers.

This also ties in with being a team player, as communicating with others and effectively problem solving also require executive decisions to be made. During our travels, when balancing information to arrive at a result on a particular activity, dining choice, route option or any other scenario, we are applying logical thinking, acting mindfully and being considerate of others. Nevertheless, a decision must be made in order to move forward and get the best out of our travels.

Applying the principle of analysing information, respecting other views, arriving at a decision with a concrete rationale allows us to become well-rounded, trusted and reliable professionals. This can help with making decisions in the workplace, such as strategic decisions, recruitment decisions or even financial decisions. In making these decisions, we should be mindful of how we deliver the information, as both verbal and non-verbal delivery are equally important. These are key traits that we must display in our professional journey in order to excel in our careers, as executive decision making lies at the pillar of driving business forward.

silhouette of road signage during golden hour

Agile

As a result, of COVID-19 we have already shown a degree of agility in our personal and professional live, having been forced to collaborate with teams globally whilst working from home and continuing to drive our projects forward. In relation to travelling, it is also common that plans can change due to unforeseen circumstances. In these situations, we need to have an agile mindset to adapt to the situation, be creative and develop new plans in a timely fashion to maximise our travel experiences. Being able to “think outside of the box” and highlight our creativity also drives innovation.  Therefore, by applying these skills in a professional setting, we are able to develop ourselves as well as the business, delivering on the ultimate goal of progressing our careers.

Along the way, we may find that we network with fellow travellers, perhaps decide to stay longer in one location or are forced to change plans as a result of bad weather, for example. As a result of having an agile mindset, we are therefore able to easily adjust our original schedule. This principle can be applied in a professional setting, in project management, and either leading or working as part of a team, as obstacles will inevitably occur, causing us to change tact. It is important to not be discouraged from this situation, but to act in an agile manner, work effectively and keep the end goal in sight.

Additionally, agility helps us to push ourselves out of our comfort zone and try new activities on our travels, for example, bungee jumping, abseiling or being adventurous with local cuisines! Taking this principle and applying it within the professional setting can be extremely useful for our career.  We may be a lot quicker to volunteer to deliver presentations, lead on projects or even go on secondments with our new found confidence.

We should ensure to utilise the resources we have available, network with experienced professionals, and learn from one another. Having an agile mindset will allow us to reach our key milestones effectively. To assist, we have developed a FREE career development road map for you:

Open Minded

When travelling, the most effective way to learn about the location, get advice and top tips is to network with locals or other travellers, and more importantly be open minded to receiving this information. Ensure to respect others views on their preferences and recommendations, not judging their opinion and being courteous for their assistance.  Having exposure to different cultures in our travels for example makes us more likely to be respectful and have an awareness of cultures, faiths and religions and appreciate the importance of diversity in the workplace.  This is particularly important as diversity and inclusion goals are becoming a higher priority for employers.   

It is important to allow others to freely express themselves, communicate their views and suggestions. This is incredibly translatable to the working environment as we should all aim to allow everyone to bring their best selves to work and feel appreciated. This is only possible by embracing and practicing an open-minded culture. From this, we will be able to maximise efficiency, output and boost the team morale. As previously highlighted, having a positive and open work ethos is incredibly powerful and you will be rewarded as this allows you to develop your career.

Ensure to apply an open mind in projects and teamwork through accepting challenging feedback, overcoming obstacles and stress testing proposals in a professional manner. Being open minded goes hand in hand with agility to drive innovation.

Time Management

The final key skill we will highlight from travelling that can be implemented in a professional setting is time management. The principle of time management works in a similar fashion to executive decision making.  We would not have progressed very far with our travels if it was not for our already effective time management as otherwise, we may have missed our mode of transport to reach our destination, not booked our accommodation, or allocated annual leave to name a few situations.

The majority of people have a return ticket booked when they travel or have secured a means of return on departure. All the pre-activity formalities need to be completed in a timely fashion and adequate location research needs to be done in advance of departing to maximise time at the destination. This could include locating the top sunrise/sunset spots, best local restaurant reservations and quickest routes to a recommended attraction. In order to achieve all of these, we are required to implement effective time management by planning ahead, building in buffers to our schedules, and being realistic about how much time should be allocated to a task.

It is imperative that the attribute of time management is displayed during our personal and professional journey as we may at times be handling multiple tasks at once with different deadlines, or have multiple meetings to attend in a day.

To assist with this, we should prioritise our tasks, review our progress periodically, assign time blocks to complete activities and be open to request assistance if required. Being an effective professional requires utilising the time available and maximising output during a given period.

We have covered 6 valuable travelling skills that will develop your career

To summarise the 6 travelling skills that we have covered are:

  1. Networking
  2. Team Player
  3. Executive Decision Making
  4. Agile 
  5. Open Minded
  6. Time Management

From these skills and reflecting on travel experiences, we are confident that the above-mentioned skills can be translated into your professional journey and that you can demonstrate the following elements:

  • Ability to be a confident communicator
  • Respectfully work as part or lead a team
  • Take appropriate lead to make decisions
  • Be adaptable to evolving circumstances
  • Allow you to broaden your perspective to new scenarios
  • Balance multiple elements during working practice whilst performing above and beyond

Enjoy your travels and always reflect as every experience you encounter is part of your personal and professional development. These events have the ability to develop your career significantly.

Get in touch to share any additional skills.

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