Simi Joel

Author: Simi Joel

  • What’s Your Superpower?

    What’s Your Superpower?

    You wake up in a cold sweat, heart racing, head pounding, with an eerie sense that something is wrong. You’re still groggy and your first thought is to go back to sleep, but something is pulling at you, its force so strong that you can’t ignore it. So, you roll out of bed slowly, but as your feet touch the floor, you yell in pain. It’s hot! What’s happening? The tightness in your belly grows but so does the pull. You have to get out of your house now!

    You rush out without another thought, running till you hit the road, barefoot and clothed only in your pajamas. You don’t see the stares of passersby, nor notice the crowd that’s slowly gathering, nor the phones recording your every move.

    There! Your eyes settle on a young girl down the road playing with a toy, just outside a small shop. Everything looks normal, yet you can’t take your eyes away from her. Then like a slow-motion movie, she throws her toy to the road, then runs after it giggling, unaware of the danger she’s running into. Everything else happens in a flash – the screeching tires of a bright red car racing towards her, a man’s horrific scream at the sight of his child, and yourself suddenly by her side, whisking her off the road just before the impact.

    Time slows down as your body relaxes. You can feel your heart slowing down. Your body begins to feel normal again. You can now see everything else; the father, clutching his daughter tightly to his chest, mumbling prayers of thanksgiving, the settling dust from the car’s final stop, then the awe-struck crowd and the whispers of ‘hero’, ‘supernatural’, ‘strange’ floating towards you.

    You should care, but you’re exhausted, so you ignore it all and start walking towards the place you call home. The crowd parts to let you go, no questions asked. You hit your bed as soon as you get home and fall into a deep sleep, unaware of the powers you’ve just received, not realizing how from that moment your life just changed. A superhero has emerged.

    How cool would it be to wake up with a superpower that would change the world! Super cool, right? Newsflash, you already have superpowers. They are not nearly as exciting as in this story, but they have the power to transform your life, career, and the world. In everyday language, we call them strengths.

    A strength is something that you are good at, with which you produce close to perfect performance consistently and with minimal effort. You also get an energy boosts, satisfaction and joy from doing it.

    Understanding your strengths is a continuous process, which requires you to self-reflect from time to time. It’s a valuable leadership and growth tool because it helps you focus more on developing the right skills, applying them in the workplace and doing work that you love.

    Here’s a compilation of simple questions to guide you to identify your strengths.

    As you go through these questions, write your answers so you can analyze them after.

    In which instances have you felt most successful either in your work or personal life? This could be as simple as when you teach others, or make a presentation.

    • What tasks come easily to you, which do you perform faster?
    • What do people compliment you on or ask for your help with?
    • What do you love doing and what types of problems do you enjoy solving?
    • What knowledge and skills have you learned in your career and personal life?
    • Which of these skills did you learn fast and what activities are they related to?
    • What extra tasks have you volunteered to do at or outside work because you enjoy them?

    Now pick each answer and highlight the skills you’ve built by repeatedly doing these activities. For example, writing requires creative thinking, attention to detail, audience/topic research, all of which are transferable skills in the workplace. Organizing games or social events require people skills. Working out requires discipline, patience, long term thinking. I hope you get the picture.

    What’s Next?

    You now have a strong base to chart a learning plan and hone your strengths to near perfection. So, zoom in and refine with new knowledge and experiences. For example, take a class or course, ask to collaborate on projects, and learn from people who have mastered these skills.

    If you are a leader or manager of others, you can do one better by using this skill to identify strengths in others.

    Congratulations, you read this to the end. What’s the next action that you would take?

    I would love to hear from you, drop a comment below.

    Cheers!

  • Embracing Oversized Opportunities

    Embracing Oversized Opportunities

    ‘You’ll grow into it.’ How many times did you hear this phrase from a parent during your childhood? When a new parent has to discard clothing items because a child outgrows them fast, they sometimes settle for buying items that are a bigger size than the child. If you’re that child, you don’t have a choice but to wear the outfit. If you’re lucky, you may grow into the cloth immediately. If not, you’ll get to play dress-up with it five years later.

    Sometimes, opportunities present themselves like an oversized Christmas dress, but unlike your physical stature that you can’t control or speed up on a whim, you can influence your development to fit into opportunities that seem bigger than you. It’s said that if a window of opportunity appears, don’t pull down the shade.’ But, in real life, there may be many reasons why you’ll choose to pass on an opportunity. One of those reasons could be because it looks too big or grand. Yet, many individuals have had their ‘lucky breaks’ simply by taking up opportunities bigger than themselves.

    As you set yourself up for success in the new year, I would like you to deliberately approach opportunities through a new lens. No matter how grand it seems, you can grow into it. How?

    Keep learning. What are your goals, dreams, and desires? Do you have the right skill set to bring them to life? If yes, great, upskill. If no, stop snoozing and get to work. Identify your learning gaps and proactively fill them. Keep in mind that learning is a marathon, not a sprint, so embrace lifelong learning. There are limitless platforms to learn anything. Google is your friend. Use it.

    Network and be part of the right communities. I hear about many new concepts, ideas, and ways of doing things in the most random conversations. Casual gist can provide a prompt that sends me on a full-blown learning journey. How much more deliberate conversations? These are a gold mine. So diversify your connections, make sure your circle is inspiring and committed to growth, be part of conversations.

    Innovate and experiment. The world has so evolved that as an individual, you can experiment on your own. Start projects and finish them, and take learnings. Experiments could be small things like writing a book or article, starting that podcast, leading a training, volunteering in a new sphere of experience. Some people have done what you want to do, so search for them, study their approaches and reapply. Also, don’t be afraid of failure. This may sound like an overused cliché, but it’s a valuable truth.

    Accept opportunities. After all your dreaming and preparation, and that thing you desire finally knocks at your door, invite it in and offer it a plate of steaming hot Jollof rice.

    Have fun. Yes, I said it. Not everything has to be a battle. Keep your energy up and enjoy your journey.

    Opportunities may not come tailor-fitted, but you can grow to fit.

    Did you find this interesting and helpful? Drop a comment below about what you look forward to in the coming year.

    Cheers!

  • 5 CONFIDENCE HACKS FOR SPEAKING UP IN MEETINGS

    5 CONFIDENCE HACKS FOR SPEAKING UP IN MEETINGS

    Deji stared keenly at the presenter who sat opposite him in the meeting room, but despite the compelling discussion going, his mind was in a different place. His tapping feet increased his anxiety, but he couldn’t help it.

    ‘Does anyone have anything else to say?’ the team lead asked as his eyes met his, but Deji hurriedly looked away. He had a lot to say, but what if it sounds stupid, or makes a mistake, or someone asks a question that he can’t answer. So, he stayed quiet, there was no point in drawing attention to himself, he thought. The meeting ended, and everyone left the room chatting, except Deji, who walked out with drooping shoulders. Another meeting done, and like all the others before this, he hadn’t said a word. 

    He hadn’t walked far when the presenter from the meeting walked up to him. I’d like to have a quick chat with you if you don’t mind. Deji swallowed and nodded, then followed him back to the room.

    ‘Sit please,’ the presenter gestured. They both sat and without hesitation, he started speaking.

    ‘I noticed that in the business meeting, you looked like you wanted to contribute but didn’t know how, so I would like to give you 5 tips for the next time you find yourself in that position.’ Deji nodded and the presenter continued speaking.

    1. Prepare for the meeting. Do your homework, understand the objectives of the meeting ahead and note down your ideas. Then practice what you want to say. You may discuss your idea with someone else and highlight your key points before the meeting. Also actively listen and take notes during the meeting, it would reduce your distraction and provide material for you to pull contributions from.

    2. Set a target for yourself. Ahead of the meeting, decide the minimum number of times you want to speak, then look for opportunities to do so.

    3. Don’t get anxious about being anxious. Instead take it as a sign that you’re ready for action, not incompetence.

    4. Contribute early. Don’t wait till the end of the meeting to speak. Speak early enough. This would help calm your jitters for the rest of the meeting. 

    5. Start with questions. If you are still in doubt about sharing full blown ideas, ask questions instead. Use this to bolster your confidence as you evolve in your contribution. This question could be to clarify something by reiterating what someone has said, then confirming what they mean. For example, “would you mind clarifying that again or to clarify your last statement of (insert what was said), do you mean (insert your understanding). 

    Deji had been listening with rapt attention up to this point.

    ‘Sir?’ he interrupted gently ‘Sorry Sir, what if there’s someone who dominates a meeting and has said what I planned to say, can I still contribute meaningfully?’ he asked.

    ‘Of course. You can agree with what the person said then add your rephrase. For example, “I agree with what “x” person said, this would be a beneficial idea, especially with (then add any other input). Also, don’t apologize when asking a question or contributing, you are part of the meeting. There’s no need to make yourself look smaller both with your words or posture’

    ‘Thank you Sir, I understand. but my voice isn’t as loud as some others, so how do I still get my idea across such that it would be taken seriously?’

    ‘I get this question a lot and my answer is simple. Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not. You don’t have to be the loudest in the room or use long exaggerated sentences to get your ideas across. What’s important is that you are concise, clear and confident. Project your expertise when speaking, resist the urge to over explain but top line is that you stay confident. In all of this don’t forget that your ideas are meant to be heard, and any good manager would appreciate your input.’

    ‘Thank you,’ Deji smiled. ‘I now feel more confident about speaking in meetings.’

    ‘You’re welcome Deji.’

    The presenter left the room with Deji following. This time he walked with his shoulders raised, and a promise to himself to speak up at the next meeting.

  • How to Lead a Volunteer Team

    How to Lead a Volunteer Team

    I stood at the side of the bustling room, talking, smiling and taking pictures with team members, guests and participants of the just concluded event ‘Go Pro from Uni’, organized by ProEdge. It’d been a packed 3-days of learning for participants, (and of course a lot of being up and about for team members), but my smile and outgoing demeanor belied the exhaustion my body felt as I chatted with as much energy as I could muster. But, despite and beyond the exhaustion, I was satisfied that the team’s months of planning had culminated in an impactful experience for all involved.

    Executing an event with a solely volunteer based team is no mean feat. So, how did we pull and keep together a team of young people who volunteered and dedicated time and resources to our vision? How did we achieve efficiency despite not having one physical meeting prior to the event? How did we manage our individual and team schedules with the diverse team of students, full time employees, youth corps members and entrepreneurs?

    I decided to put down my thoughts on some of the things that worked for my team, with the hopes that you find them helpful as you lead your teams.

    1.     Share the vision and paint the big picture of success. Many of our volunteers had participated in our first event and had experienced first-hand the impact of our initiative. Others were individuals we spoke to one on one, having identified their interests and passion for our work. So, everyone carried the vision – to inspire learning, and equip the Nigeria undergraduate for career success.

    2.     Co-create the building blocks for success. It’s okay to have your picture of what success looks like and a planning structure, but it’s also necessary that your team members are part of the process. Ask for thoughts on what needs to be done, offer guidance during the thought process, then summarize the list of tasks and assign.

    3.     Create teams-in-teams and assign leads for each split. For us, this improved ownership, created a sense of responsibility within each unit and improved collaboration.

    4.     Leverage technology for regular drum beats. Getting regular updates on deliverables was key for us, but keeping in touch was also important to grow the sense of belonging and build team bond, especially because we weren’t seeing physically. We used digital tools such as WhatsApp for day to day chats and updates, Google Hangout for voice calls, GoToMeeting for video calls/presentations, Google Docs for content updates, and Drive for file sharing.

    It’s okay to have your picture of what success looks like and a planning structure, but it’s also necessary that your team members are part of the process. Ask for thoughts on what needs to be done, offer guidance during the thought process, then summarize the list of tasks and assign.

    5.     Assign two or more people to tasks. Due to different individual quirks, pairing people to work on items was helpful in boosting confidence. The set up enabled those who were shy or nervous about publicly sharing ideas to first discuss with their partners before sharing with the broader team. In addition, it improved accountability and efficiency.

    6.     Play on interests and maximize areas of strengths. Identify areas of interests and assign tasks in line with these, but but don’t be afraid to push volunteers out of their comfort zones to take on more challenging tasks. Assigning difficult tasks helps grow individual and team capabilities.

    7.     Reward and create value for your team. In the absence of financial reward, the first thing we did was organize an exclusive Mentors Hangout for volunteers. In addition, through their work, we positioned them for contact with our guests, partners and attendees. This opened them up to interesting and valuable opportunities to learn and grow.

    8.     Say thank you and acknowledge individuals for exceptional work. Shine the light on your team members, willingly and openly give them credit for their work. ‘Where’s the young lady who sent me mails and called me? I’d love to meet her. Your design and social media team is really doing a great job’. It was a delight to hear these comments from multiple sources and such a pleasure to put the team forward for the work.

    9. Grow genuine relationships with team members. Get to know individuals and encourage them through the entire process.

    Over to you to reapply in your own way with your team and share your ideas also.

    Cheers!

  • SIMPLE TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE VIRTUAL MEETINGS

    ‘Hello, are you there? Can you hear me? Can you see my screen? Apologies, my network tripped off while you were speaking.’

    These are only a few of the lines I’ve heard repeatedly over the past few months of working from home and being part of virtual meetings. Meetings are necessary for productivity but can easily become a time-wasting activity if not properly done. With most company employees now working from home, staff and team members in different locations and local conditions, it’s even more important for managers to get a good grip of virtual collaboration. If not done right, you risk disengagement of team members, deprioritizing of key actions and an overall drop in business results.

    Today, I would share five tips that would help you deliver effective meetings.

    1.     Prepare: Set a clear purpose for your meeting and communicate this ahead to the participants. With an outcome in mind, it’s easier to steer the conversations within the limits of set objectives. Also prepare a simple outline of the information you would be presenting to guide your flow. In addition, do not encourage the reading of reports during meetings. Instead share a pre-read ahead so that team members can familiarize themselves with the information and formulate ideas. This would allow more time for discussion on core points and better inputs from participants.

    2.     Engage: invite only the necessary people. Don’t clog other peoples’ calendars with meetings that they aren’t relevant to them. Then at the start of the meeting, introduce members or let them introduce themselves. With team members in different environments, they risk having distractions from other things like emails, instant messenger apps, offline side conversations and more so it’s important to deliberately pull people into the present. In the course of the meeting, ask for individual input by name and encourage videos. Facial expressions matter, videos humanize meetings and helps you to quickly spot when there’s a lull in the room.

    3.     Set ground rules: there are no physical cues in virtual meetings, so there’s a tendency for some members to keep to meeting etiquette. So, set ground rules at the start of the meeting, e.g. mute when not talking or when in a noisy place, do not interrupt when someone else is talking, etc.

    4.     Focus: avoid distractions on your end and ensure that you follow the conversations. As the facilitator, ensure that you provide cues and direction when participants start discussing unrelated topics. This would help you avoid long meetings and keep within time limits.

    5.     Always close with clear actions, owners and timelines: as with physical meetings, the test of effectiveness is decisions. Before a meeting ends, summarize key points, actions, owners and execution timelines.

    Pro-Tip: do not allow passive aggressive behavior or blame passing if a team member cannot participate fully in meeting due to bad network connection.

    This list isn’t exhaustive but can greatly improve the quality of your meetings. I would love to hear which you find most helpful, or any other tip not captured here. Simply drop a comment below, and let’s learn from one another.

    Cheers!