Everybody tells us to have a plan. Plan your career. Plan your education. Plan your future. In fact a whole cottage industry exists around us from early doors shaping us into the people we become as we turn off the cartoons and start watching the news.
I didn't follow a traditional career path. In fact it made no sense at all to anyone (least of all me) as it unfolded.
My jobs in chronological order were.
Aspiring pop star (Simon Cowell asked me to leave his office once)
Civil servant/speech writer (Michael Heseltine was sacked after something I had a hand in)
Supermarket manager (I was once disciplined for wasting time after opening a door in politeness)
Journalist (I invented the expression Toongate)
Spin doctor/customer services guru (I always wore a black suit to give bad news on the TV)
Director of a Housing Company (I was so often on the dining car to London the staff all knew me by first name)
Consultant ,coach and trainer (my first client said I was great for an hour and a nightmare for a week-she’s still a client by the way)
Business owner (I’ve spent thousands trying to understand the Chinese, unsuccessfully)
That short list spans 20 years and doesn't really do justice to the mistakes I made or the successes I've had.
The net result is me, today , trying to meet the needs of the customers and clients I have. And that's where you are. Meeting unfulfilled needs. Whether you work for someone or for several people your life, like mine, consists of trying to keep people happy.
For me, this success hinges on four things. If you can do them well you will succeed.
1. What is it you do for customers and clients that others can’t do?
2. Do you play to your strengths? (knowing what your strengths are helps)
3. Be prepared to let the customer guide you
4. Let things happen naturally, don't overplan.
Your life may be quite unstructured thus far, that’s good. Long may organised chaos reign.
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