Mindset Shifts

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By John R. Nocero & Jennifer L. Kennedy
JenniferKennedy@barberinstitute.org

We read a meme recently that referenced what we bring to the table and how if needed, we’re happy to eat alone.  When you stop and think about it, the underlying message is that true results come from self-awareness and being able to shift your mindset. Long-term success does not stem, from short term, immediate gratification. It does not come from locking yourself in with the first person who shows some interest in your career.  There is no need to enter into a relationship (work or personal) for the sake of having someone. You need to figure out who you are; your needs, your wants before you think about sharing with someone else.  You also need to be willing to put in the work to go it alone.

To that end, aspire to be a person who has created the space for a wonderful partner to come into your life. Allow this thought it to resonate with the foundation of who you are. You’re good with them, but you are also good without them. Both of us would rather walk alone in the right direction than with another in the wrong direction. With this approach, the right partner adds to your lifestyle rather than detracts from it.

This new ambition should be focused on building a sustainable business practice that more closely represents who you are and the life you hope to live (McGuigan, 2017).  Compliance can be a lonely road.  You are the person no one really wants to meet with; the perceived bearer of bad news; the grim reaper of the organization. This can lead to compliance staff who “fluff” their findings and presentations, who become afraid to give the bad news. These are the folks who want so desperately to be liked, to be part of the cool kids, that they forget their role and can put the organization at risk.  There’s a way to change your organization’s mindset about compliance, but first, you have to change your own mindset.  As we said earlier, we’re happy to eat alone. We don’t need to have friends at work; we don’t really even care if you like us. BUT, you need to respect and value what we do and what we bring to the table. Compliance can and should be a collaborative effort and we’ve worked hard to earn that reputation and in the process changed the mindset of our organizations.

Once you have shifted the mindset of your organization you can focus on changing the mindset of your team. There are longer-term aspirations in the compliance world that include more than simply reaching financial goals, checking the boxes on the compliance work plan, or meeting regulatory requirements. To McGuigan’s point, you need to look at how to make your work sustainable and aligned with who you are.

We encourage you to review some of your goals over the coming weeks. It is a great time to do so since we just completed the end of Q1.  It’s time to quit majoring in minor things. Are you busy for the sake of being busy? According to Friedman (2017), there is a satisfying rush we experience when there’s too much on our plate: we feel needed, challenged, even productive. And yet that pleasurable experience is an illusion. It robs us of our focus and prevents us from making progress on the work that matters most. When things aren’t going your way, it’s easy to point fingers or feel sorry for yourself. However, the more we embrace negativity, the more that negativity spreads. As the author of Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, T. Harv Eker, points out, “Whatever you focus on expands.” So focus on working on your brand to get noticed for that next opportunity, or because you embrace the power in understanding and communicating your unique value proposition (McGuigan, 2017)

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