Nicola Wood

We’re continuously focused on giving and receiving feedback - it helps us develop, bonds us as a team, and ultimately drives higher performance. Over the course of this month, we will all take time to reflect, to assess H1 performance and importantly, discuss with our managers what our aspirations are for H2. I’ve been reflecting on the benefits of feedback and for me, the key takeaways are: 💰 An investment in myself - this feedback helps me take that next step in my development 📈 Improved performance - with the above comes incremental improvement in performance too ❤️ Stronger team bonds - for want of a better word, this diffuses conflict and builds trust ⭐️ Increased engagement - where I’m talking about my development with my manager, I’m feeling more engaged and invested in So… take that feedback as a gift, even if you’re not expecting any presents that day! 🎁

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And about just like that, we step into the month of May. As I was thinking about May this morning, I found it really is a perfect time to pause and reflect on the importance of self-care. Why is May the month when we should prioritise self-care? 🌸 🌼 May marks the transition of seasons, with summer or winter approaching. This change in weather brings a shift in energy and can have a significant impact on our wellbeing. May often coincides with an up shift in gear, when it comes to all things - work, school and the general busyness of life. The pace of our daily routines pick up, and it's easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of responsibilities. This is where self-care becomes even more vital. Amidst the bumpy ride of change and transformation and the hustle and bustle of life, self-care provides us with the opportunity to nurture ourselves. It reminds us that we are not alone on this journey; we are in it together. By prioritising self-care, we can replenish our energy, reduce stress, and cultivate a sense of balance. So, let us embrace the month of May as a reminder to take care of ourselves. Remember, self-care is not selfish; it is a necessary act of self-preservation. So, take a deep breath, and let's make May a month of self-nurturing and personal growth. As always I share an image from #postivelypresent - what will you take away from the graphic? #SelfCare #MaySelfcare #wellbeing

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What is one important area to train your kids? My mum used to wake up very early to fry eggs, make coffee and cook porridge for breakfast. Just one call and I would be off my bed while her other children and grandchildren needed many reminders.  Despite having two eggs for breakfast every morning, the doctor was puzzled that I did not have high cholesterol then during the annual check-up.  Though life was good, I asked myself what problem would I face in future? Would I have to take over the task to keep waking others up? 😱 What did I do? I prepared my mum's grandchildren to be self-independent. Young ones are easier to be trained. Now they use phone alarm to wake themselves up every morning and they manage their schedules for lessons, work and appointments. Good to have foresight of what might go wrong and take necessary action to prevent the problem! What is an important area to train your kid? #Parenting #Self-independence 

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As with the Olympics, coaching makes leadership training more effective.

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🌟 The Power of Tenderness: Redefining Leadership 🌟 In today's evolving business world, the qualities that define effective leadership are being redefined. Research supports the idea that tenderness, often associated with traditionally feminine traits, is a powerful tool for leadership. Embracing tenderness allows leaders to tap into their authentic selves and unleash their full potential. Tenderness in leadership goes beyond gender stereotypes and offers a fresh perspective on strong leadership. It means leading with empathy, understanding, and compassion, creating a work environment where employees feel valued, supported, and appreciated. Female leaders have a unique opportunity to challenge the status quo and create a new paradigm of leadership that celebrates authenticity and encompasses traditionally tender qualities. By embracing tenderness, female leaders can connect with their teams on a deeper level. They can foster a sense of belonging, open communication, collaboration, and innovation. Tenderness allows leaders to understand their employees' needs and provide the necessary support and encouragement to help them thrive. It requires forgiveness and a growth mindset, creating a culture of psychological safety where employees feel empowered to take risks and learn from mistakes. Respect is another crucial aspect of tender leadership. Treating employees with respect and dignity builds trust and fosters a positive work environment. By embodying tenderness, female leaders create a space where diverse perspectives are valued, and everyone's contributions are appreciated. This inclusive approach encourages collaboration and drives creativity and innovation within teams. Embracing tenderness does not mean sacrificing strength or ambition. On the contrary, it is a powerful demonstration of resilience and courage. By being true to themselves and leading with tenderness, female leaders can inspire others and challenge preconceived notions of leadership. In a world where the perception of female leaders is still evolving, it is crucial to recognize that the issue lies with workplace culture, not women. Organizations must create environments that value authenticity and diversity, where tenderness is seen as a strength. By doing so, they can unleash the full potential of their female leaders and create workplaces that are compassionate, supportive, and successful. Let's celebrate and harness the power of tenderness in leadership, paving the way for a more inclusive and successful future. #TenderLeadership #AuthenticLeadership #EmpathyInAction #RedefiningLeadership

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Before embarking on a transformative journey, it is imperative for leaders to rigorously articulate and convey a strategic 'North Star'. A clearly communicated 'North Star' not only aligns the collective efforts toward a common goal but also fosters clarity, efficiency, and a profound sense of purpose. This shared vision also becomes the driving force behind innovation, adaptability, and a cohesive team spirit, all of which are essential elements contributing to the success of the transformative journey. ________ Interested in #Strategy, #Transformations, #Technology, #Leadership, #Agile and #ProjectManagement? Subscribe to my newsletter, where you'll find the latest tech trends and insightful perspectives in these dynamic fields. Join the conversation - subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/e-cTej4t

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While still cognisant of the diverse schools of thought put across by pundits as to why some economies are way ahead of others, I came across this fresh, interesting and palpable view by Lester Dekoster in his book - Work: The meaning of your life (A Christian Perspective). I leave this here

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Recalibration is essential for growth. I asked for advice recently from a senior leader in my data division on increasing impact 💢. Key points were as follows: 1) Create an impact matrix to identify what I spend my time on and repurpose initiatives for higher impact where applicable. 2) Consider development opportunities that set me up for success. 3) Spend time increasing my contribution outside of the organisation. Moreover, if you're a high achiever like me, impact motivates you. In which case, stop and recalibrate to ensure high impact 💫. #productivity #motivation #personaldevelopment #machinelearning

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Reflecting on Leadership: Enabling or Diminishing? I came across a thought-provoking post by Pramod Veturi that truly resonated with me. It speaks to a critical distinction we've all experienced in our professional journeys: the contrast between leaders who diminish us and those who enable and empower us. The true mark of an effective leader lies in their ability to: - See Potential - Support and Challenge - Empower - Delegate Control - Coach As leaders, it's essential to reflect on these points and evaluate our approach. Are we enabling growth and fostering potential, or are we unintentionally diminishing the very talent we aim to cultivate? Let's strive to be the leaders who propel our teams forward, both personally and professionally. #Leadership #Growth #Empowerment #TeamDevelopment

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A fortnight ago, while attending Alumni Day at Maryhill Girls’ High School, one of the lovely ladies recommended a few books to read in preparation for our upcoming Career Day with our younger sisters. One book that piqued my interest was Quit by Annie Duke. The book introduces grit and quit as two opposing forces. In most cases, grit is seen as a great virtue, embodying perseverance and determination, while quitting is viewed as a vice. Does quitting always equate to failure? The short answer is NO. Similarly, does hanging on always lead to a win? NO. Consider the below when quitting is beneficial in the long run. For instance: 1. In Sports: You are climbing Mt. Everest and the weather turns terrible. The guide advises that it's dangerous. Despite having trained for a long time and your goal being to reach the peak, quitting makes more sense than endangering your life. 2. At Work: In a terrible work culture, it might not be a one-person fight, especially if you have no leverage to make a change. You're better off finding an organization with a culture that suits you. 3. In Relationships: Does giving a narcissistic partner a thousand chances change them? More often than not, no. Or dating for years without a commitment to the future. However, giving up too quickly is not a good thing either. Consider the following: 1. At Work: If your boss is mad at you for delivering a task late because you had another critical matter to attend to, will you quit your job? Of course not. You might instead engage in dialogue and reach a consensus. 2. In Relationships: If you have a misunderstanding with your spouse, will you always pack up and leave? Definitely not.You might end up leaving daily for the rest of your life. 3. As a Parent: If your child falls sick often, will you abandon them because it’s expensive and time-consuming? Certainly not.The children need love, and care. 4.In Sports: If the opposing team scores first in a football match, do you concede defeat immediately? No. The book explains the strategy of when to quit, outlining steps that should be met before making the decision to quit. A few pointers I have gathered while delving deeper into the book: i) Persistence is not always a virtue, nor is trying to correct mistakes an excuse to justify quitting. ii) Sometimes, when the world is screaming at the top of its lungs to quit something, take time and listen. Wiser people have lived before us and seen it all. Refusing at this point makes grit folly. iii) Quitting involves forecasting a problem, meaning the decision to quit is based on how the future looks, not the present. iv) Quit while you still have a choice. v) Quitting is always made under uncertainty. The “What if” question will arise. Perseverance is driven by certainty—you keep trying to know. But don’t go to extremes. The strategy of knowing when to quit applies here. I am excited to see what more the book holds 😊 . #strategy #decisionmaking #gritandquit #accountability

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Series 4 of 4 Personality colours and the impact on corporate relationships in leadership. Understanding the personality "colour" of your boss is a strategic approach to navigating your career effectively. By recognising and adapting to your boss's communication style and decision-making process, you position yourself as a more aware and proactive employee. This awareness builds better working relationships and collaboration, and increases your ability to influence outcomes positively. Aligning your approach to match your boss's "colour" can accelerate your career growth, because it shows your emotional intelligence and adaptability. Embrace this, and you'll find yourself not just surviving, but thriving in your professional career. This finishes my series on the colour personalities of bosses and how awareness can significantly improve your career. #career #careercoaching #stress #stressmanagement

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Here are 5 tips to foster innovative mindsets:

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From Turmoil to Triumph: Be the change in a toxic workplace Facing challenges is an inherent part of our professional journey, and when these moments arise for a team member, our collective support does far more than just help an individual tackle the immediate issue; it establishes a solid foundation of trust and mutual respect that enhances the morale of our entire team. The importance of a robust support network in cultivating self-assurance and a sense of worth is well-recognized among us. I advocate for the power of empathy and the pursuit of shared advancement. These values are universal, transcending the boundaries of our workplaces and touching every corner of our lives. By choosing to stand for each other, we ensure no one feels invisible It’s essential to remember that despite our varying connections within the team, it is the choices we make on our shared journey that truly distinguish us. While we may not always be able to be cheerleaders for one another, we must make a conscious effort to support our colleagues during their struggles, stress, disappointments, bad-days, etc. Be there for our teammates, elevate one another in challenging times, and rejoice in our shared successes, no matter the scale. From one peer to another. I stand by you!! #peerforpeer Neetu Choudhary Jaspreet Bakshi Adila ᴄᴛᴀ sᴄᴘᴄ,ᴇᴍᴄᴄ,sʜʀᴍ,ɴʟᴘ,ʜʏʟ Nicola Thompson Shruti Shankar Gaur, Ph.D. Mridula Sankhyayan Jayesh Sampat Monika K. Ashish Jhalani

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For managers in your organisation to be effective team coaches they need to have better conversation and coaching skills. These are essentials skills to promote positive team coaching experiences.

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I was invited this afternoon to attend an innovation workshop held by HR to come up with some innovative ways to resolve some high friction processes in our daily BAU. The Topic assigned to our team was UAT, and at the beginning we were very clueless about how we could improve or revamp the UAT process as it’s traditionally done manually, and require efforts from many departments, so it could be very inefficient and sometimes lead to unsuccessful UAT. However we were encouraged to think out of the box, and after some intense discussion within our group, one of the pain point to solve for is coming up with the test cases in UAT, what systems to test, will there be collateral impact to other systems, what are the fields to tests…etc. Our solution is to leverage GenAI to identify the systems that will be impacted, and generate the test cases, while have automated testing and generate test report for checkers to review and approve. Our idea sparked a lot of questions, among other groups, nonetheless the idea to have GenAI to write test cases also receive a lot of likes from other groups, confirming that it is a real problem across the bank. Special thanks to Brian Chang and the HR team to organize such workshop to challenge us to be innovative and have the platform for us to come up with new ideas.

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A friend spoke with me. He launched a business initiative some years ago. The initial results were not promising but in recent months, the outcomes were good. By now, he has moved on to lead another team. In a recent meeting, his successor reported the good results to senior management. But there was no acknowledgment of the foundation laid by my friend. Instead, the successor apparently took credit for everything that was done. My friend felt it was unfair. He felt a punch in his gut. After some discussion, we agreed that life is not always fair. Timing is everything. He might have sowed the seeds but it's for someone else to harvest. It would be nice if there was acknowledgment of his contributions. But the lack of which does not take away his credit and credibility. Feeling unfair in this case is natural but it does not help. When we look at the Chinese character 阔 （broad, pronounced as kuo), it contains two words: 门 （gate, pronounced as mern) + 活 （live, pronounced as huo). As we walk through the gates of life, we aim to live to the best of our ability. We work hard to open up possibilities for ourselves and others. To sustain this journey, we breathe more, reflect, be grateful, and learn to let go in order to move forward. We all want to be successful. But, it's not about success at a point in time. Rather, in my view, it's more about making contributions and impact through the cycle of our lives to leave behind a legacy with no regrets. When we open our doors to others, the world will open its doors to us. As well, when people leave their organisations, what they remember most are the memories of working together and how they are treated, and less so of the so-called "work success". And friendship is what we cherish. Some months later, my friend celebrated his 15th year anniversary with his company. To his surprise, he received a special commendation from his manager for the strong foundation he laid over the years for the company in various groundbreaking roles. He should be proud of that. Even though the commendation was just a piece of paper with a tin of "branded tea"...and no additional "monetary rewards", he was grateful for this gesture. And don't assume that the bosses aren't aware of what is going on. Time will prove everything. Life is like a balance sheet. What we do along the way will determine if it's a positive or negative equity at the end of the day (depending on whether there are more debits or credits, more assets or liabilities, not forgetting the off-balance sheet items). Monetary rewards are important. But often, what people look for is just that small gesture...that pat on the shoulder...that act of recognition and appreciation. That said, if it is so simple, why does it not always happen? Good weekend everyone. 忍一时，风平浪静 退一步，海阔天空 人一生，鞠躬尽瘁 再回首，已百年身 #livemore #gatesoflife #happiness

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🔆 Children’s Day is not merely a celebration of youth. It’s a moment to ponder the profound lessons children teach us. 💡 Their bravery, honesty, persistence, curiosity, and mindfulness can significantly enrich our professional lives, leading to a more rewarding and prosperous career. 🚀 Children’s readiness to take risks and explore without the dread of failure is inspiring. If we adopt this childlike bravery, we can foster innovation and growth. Welcoming challenges and venturing beyond our comfort zones can unlock new opportunities and career advancements. 🤝 Honesty, a trait often observed in children, is equally commendable. By being candid and genuine with our colleagues, we can forge stronger bonds and cultivate a unified workplace. 🚴‍♂️ Persistence, a defining characteristic of childhood, is equally critical in the professional realm. Success is often the fruit of relentless effort and determination. 🤖 Children’s innate wonder and curiosity are essential for ongoing learning and development. By continuously seeking knowledge and embracing new experiences, we stay versatile and well-prepared for the dynamic demands of the professional world. 🤗 Last but not least, children smile sincerely and often, making the world a better place, and that truly matters! Genuine smiles indeed have a remarkable impact on our lives.

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Engaging Training Sessions -The Challenge: Trainers often face disinterested audiences, despite being experts in their subjects. -Expertise Isn’t Enough: Simply having deep knowledge doesn’t guarantee audience engagement. -The Solution: Injecting humor can make training events more engaging and memorable. -The Impact: A well-delivered, humorous training session can transform a room of disinterested faces into an interactive and attentive audience. Craft your training events with humor to captivate your learners and leave a lasting impression! #Training #Engagement #HumorInLearning Reference: td.org

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The Book on Rebel Talent by #Francesca Gino shares so many wonderful ideas and stories about the Rebel Talent in organisations and their grooming and optimisation. People who question their own assumptions and strongest beliefs, as well as accepted norms around them, to identify more creative, effective ways of doing transcendent work. People who are deviants, but in a positive and constructive way. Five core elements of Rebel Talent, Novelty, Curiosity, Perspective, Diversity and Authenticity. There are strong habits that pull us towards the familiar and comfortable. We need to learn to "break" these habits, like so many Han Dynasty urns. Only then will we be ready to transform them - and, ultimately, to create our own success.

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