Be the architect of your own destiny

By Fred Ouma

THERE were training courses for everything in ancient Athens.
A young friend of Socrates trained to become a general in the Athenian army. When Socrates asked him about the course, the friend replied that he was taught logistics, marching and man management.

“Were you taught strategy?” Socrates asked, to which the friend replied, “No.”
Socrates told him to go back and learn strategy and planning or ask for his money back.

Subsequently, the study of planning, tactics and strategy was the key to any generalship.

Socrates’ advice is valid even at the workplace today. You need to use strategies to find out your right role in the corporate world.

You need to plan for a satisfying and motivating career.

Here are some smart and proven strategies:
Know your destiny
Take charge of your career in the same way you take charge of a project or work, a commitment to your child, or your financial situation.

Understanding your strengths boosts your confidence and encourages you to explore career options based on your talents.

“Don’t expect others to notice your talent or strengths and care for your aspirations and goals. You have to be the architect of your destiny,” Fagil Mandy of FAMECON, an educational and leadership consultancy, said.
Consult for insight

Take help from mentors, coaches, and friends who know you well for your personal grooming.
These people, says Mandy, could lend you considerable insight about your talents and abilities.

“They can serve as a mirror, allowing you to see your own strengths reflected in their view of you,” he adds.
He suggests that you ask them for their perception of your strengths.

“What should you do more or less? What qualities do they most admire in you? What habits do they dislike in you?

Alternatively, you may consider forming a “career board” to help you develop your plan of action.

Assemble individuals who know your strengths and potential, believe in you and are willing to offer their insights, connection and support. Ask them about the opportunities and your future roles.

Such inputs, agrees Ruth Ssenyonyi, a counsellor, will be of immense benefit to you. “Remember, opportunities come through extended network of relationships,” she says adding, “There are innumerable roles people can and will play in your development process. You are limited only by your reluctance to ask them for assistance.”

Acknowledge failure, maximise strengths
While you should not ignore your weaknesses, it is not wise to focus only on your limitations. Remember excellence is rarely achieved in minimising error.
It is more likely to be achieved by maximising strengths.

Experts say there is a corresponding positive cycle associated with your use of strengths – your resulting success motivates and emboldens you, builds your confidence and provides a hedge against future disappointments.

There is also strong evidence that such confidence itself leads to improved problem-solving and decision-making.
As Bruce Barton, an advertising executive-cum-author says: “Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside them was superior to circumstances.”

So this week take a peek inside the box called “you” and see what unspoken treasures are waiting to be exposed.
The world is waiting for your gift.