It is time to pull out the crystal ball and see what 2018 has in store for us.
As a Portfolio Manager or CIO, there is no doubt you will be looking for the next big opportunity that will help you achieve the alpha you seek for your investors.
As a COO or Head of Operations, you are probably planning on how to manage the growth of your business. Perhaps it is expansion in funds, staff or reporting requirements.
As the CTO/CDO, you might be looking into ‘that new thing’ (Big Data, AI, Machine Learning etc.) that will help your business move towards 21st century technology.
Whatever is ahead of you, HOW you go about it will determine your success.
My wife is a teacher at a private girl school in Sydney, and her influence from work carries through into our family life. One of the themes that have been very prevalent across our education system in recent years (and exemplified with posters in our household), is the concept of a Growth Mindset. An idea researched heavily by Carol Dweck, Professor of Psychology at Stanford University.
It teaches our children to not be locked in a fixed mindset but understanding the value of failing and, even better, that doing things differently can produce better results.
Are we that different in business?
We should not be afraid to discuss failures and I can safely say, that at Investment Control Systems we have had our share of failures in 2017. Have they been business critical? No (you wouldn’t be reading this if they were). However, the vision we had for our business, services and products 12 months ago looked somewhat different to where we are today.
Thankfully, we have had great clients with us on this journey and they have been a big part in turning failures into great opportunities - for both us and them – based on a shared ‘Growth Mindset’. There is no doubt, growing together is far more fulfilling than doing it on your own.
Catherine DeVrye, former Australian Executive Woman of the Year, states that the 7 most expensive words in business today are: ‘We have always done it that way.’
When you look to execute your plan for 2018 and beyond, make sure you work with a partner that is focused on growing and learning with you – in every aspect.
All the best for the coming year.
