Imagine meeting the same person in four different situations.
In one, they are comforting a worried child.
In another, they are leading an important meeting.
Later, they are caring for an elderly parent.
Finally, they are helping neighbours during a community emergency.
Would you expect exactly the same behaviour in every situation?
Probably not.
The person is the same, but the role is different. And every role asks
something different of them.
We All Wear Many
Hats
Life is like a stage on which each of us performs many roles.
Some roles come to us by birth. Others come through choice, education, work,
relationships or experience.
At different times in our lives, we may be:
- a child
- a student
- a friend
- a spouse
- a parent
- a grandparent
- a colleague
- a professional
- a manager
- a leader
- a mentor
- a citizen.
Each of these roles carries responsibilities.
And every responsibility quietly asks,
"Are you ready?"
Success Means
Different Things in Different Roles
Think for a moment.
What makes someone a good parent?
·
Patience.
·
Love.
·
Listening.
·
Guidance.
Now think about a good project manager.
·
Planning.
·
Decision making.
·
Communication.
·
Organisation.
Now think about a trusted friend.
·
Empathy.
·
Honesty.
·
Reliability.
·
Presence.
Notice something interesting.
The definition of success changes with the role.
No single quality is enough for every situation.
Instead, every role calls upon a different combination of competencies.
Competencies Are
Not Random
Sometimes at work people believe competencies are simply long lists created
by HR departments or management experts.
While at home, in family, community ‘competencies’ are hardly talked about. Individuals
are evaluated in terms of success as defined by others.
In reality, competencies arise from life itself. Whenever life gives us a
new responsibility, it quietly asks us to grow.
When we become students, we learn how to study.
When we begin working, we learn how to contribute.
When we supervise others, we learn how to guide.
When we become parents, we learn patience in new ways.
When we become leaders, we learn to think beyond ourselves.
Life itself is the greatest teacher.
Competencies simply describe the capabilities that life asks us to develop
along the journey.
Growth Is Not About
Becoming Someone Else
Many people worry that self-development means changing who they are.
It does not.
The purpose of development is not to replace your personality.
It is to strengthen your ability to fulfil the responsibilities that matter
to you.
A thoughtful person can become a better communicator.
A quiet person can become an excellent leader.
An energetic person can become more disciplined.
We remain ourselves while becoming better versions of ourselves.
Why Organising
Competencies Helps
If every role asks for different competencies, one question naturally
follows.
How do we make sense of so many competencies?
Should we simply memorise long lists?
Or is there a better way?
Just as a library arranges books into meaningful sections, competencies too
can be organised into groups.
Some help us manage ourselves.
Some help us work effectively.
Some help us build relationships.
Some help us lead people.
Others help us perform specialised professional work.
Organising competencies does not make life more complicated.
It makes learning simpler.
Instead of wondering "Where do I begin", we begin to see
a clear path.
A quite Conversation With Yourself
I suggest spend a few quiet moments thinking about these questions:
- Which roles are most
important in my life today?
- Which new roles am I
likely to take on in the next five to ten years?
- Which role do I find
most challenging?
- What qualities do I
think that role is asking me to develop?
There are no right or wrong answers.
The purpose of these questions is not to judge yourself, but to become more
aware of the journey ahead.
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