Sundaymail Editor
Changing Perspectives
Rutendo Gwatidzo
Happy New Year to you all! I wish you a prosperous 2023, one that is full of good health, peace and joy.
If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.
Many times we wish for certain things to happen but we do not always become deliberate about making them happen.
For instance, to live a successful, peaceful and joyful life, you need to know your identity, which helps you to become the person you want.
There are basic steps that should be followed in the journey of what we want to be.
As we begin a new year, it is important to focus on one critical question: Who are you really?
The definition you come up with will shape and guide your steps throughout the year.
We all exist for a reason and purpose. Being able to define who you are helps to identify your purpose.
The issue of identity applies to both individuals and organisations, as well as families and communities.
For instance, certain families and communities are known for peculiar traits.
Borrowdale Brooke, for example, is known for being home to affluent individuals and palatial mansions.
Who you are as an individual or organisation is like the foundation of a building – it shapes the whole structure.
What are you known for?
When people call your name or that of your organisation, what is it that they associate you with?
It is important to be able to define yourself before others define you.
The ability to define yourself will help you to get rooted in what you do, otherwise you find yourself following the wind. Inasmuch as you can work on different projects, there has to be at least one that you are really known for.
There are organisations that routinely change business models like clothes, and customers end up confused and consequently drift away.
Most times, success comes when you stand firm in what you believe, and remain relevant against all the odds.
Football icon Lionel Messi started playing soccer at a young age.
Playing football is what defines him.
Personally, I am a culture and change management strategist, as well as a human resources consultant, and I want to be well known for that.
Know what you stand for, and these are your values, principles, passion and strengths.
Most organisations have their vision, mission and value statements written on their websites or walls in their buildings.
These statements are supposed to define them because they are what they prefer to be associated with.
Sadly, this is not always the case.
While some organisations purport to value transparency, integrity and excellence, they are often dishonest and have poor customer service.
The challenge that follows when an organisation fails to maintain its identity is that different customers and stakeholders will then define it anyhow, according to how they see it.
Growth and expansion become challenges.
In other organisations, effective performance is made difficult by people whose personal values are detached from organisational ones.
There has to be an alignment between the two.
General facts
It is difficult to know what you want in life when you do not know who you are.
In most cases, people join different organisations according to who they are and what they want to be associated with.
Lack of self-awareness is a serious barrier to what we can become in life.
It is almost impossible to reach your full potential without knowing your identity and what you stand for.
Failure to identify purpose explains why some people spend a lot of time competing with others, instead of building their empires.
It is also the reason some people keep jumping from one task to another, and, at the end of the year, they probably have nothing tangible they would have done.
When you find your purpose, you cannot easily let go because it is what defines you and what you do best.
When you are passionate about something, your energy levels cannot easily run dry.
Without realising it, you find yourself putting in extra hours and sleeping less until you achieve what you want.
Find the uniqueness of your purpose and maximise on it.
Invest in yourself, believe in yourself and have faith in yourself.
In the process of defining who you are, you may make mistakes.
However, do not give up. Just fix the mistake and keep moving forward.
Be challenged to think deeply about who you are and what you stand for.
I believe by now most organisations have put down plans for 2023.
The ability to define purpose, identity or reason for existence is key in putting those plans into action.
Rutendo Gwatidzo is a culture and change management strategist. She is an HR consultant, speaker, mentor and author of the books “Born to Fight” and “Breaking the Silence”. She was on the Institute of Corporate Directors Zimbabwe (IoCDZ) List of 40 Influential Leaders in Zimbabwe 2022. Contact detail: 0714575805/ [email protected] / Rutendo Gwatidzo official fb public page.
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