The sound of the notification from her phone made Bimbo jump and she picked it up and rolled her eyes. Because her career was on the line, she had signed up on a programme to help her pick up new skills.
Actually, this plan to pick up new skills had been on her to-do list for over 7 years, but she kept rolling it over. Her typical style was that after the excitement of the cross-over service (a church service that holds from the night of December 31 into January 1 of the new year), she’d make new year promises and resolutions. They never seemed to work but it felt good just doing them because everyone else was doing them.
This year however was different. The failure of Bimbo to translate her promises and resolutions into action had become a problem at work. She had been a manager at her role for a couple of years and had settled with minimal upgrading of her skills over the years. She had just taken it for granted that the job was hers, especially since she worked in the family business. There was no way that anyone could sack her or even give her a query.
What she didn’t foresee was that the company would have financial troubles and a management consultant would be hired to get the company out of troubled waters. One of the things that was recommended was that there had to be a downsizing of staff based on productivity and qualifications.
When she got the memo about all staff being on probation for 3 months after which the decision on who to downsize would be made, Bimbo stormed her uncle’s office. He was the Chief Executive Officer, a second-generation family member who had taken over the company from her father after he passed on.
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“Uncle how can you do and even allow such a thing, and even subject family members to this type of treatment? Who ever heard of family members being on probation in the family business? This is not what Daddy would have done if he was here!”
Her uncle waited for her to finish expressing her displeasure.
“B-darling (as he fondly called here), you know that I always have your best interests at heart. You also know that your late grandfather and father ran this business successfully and the plan is for it to keep flourishing and also be passed on to you and your generation. The grim truth is that for this to happen, we have to review our performance from time to time and take tough decisions for the good of us all.”
“Old habits do not deliver new results. We have tried everything we know to do yet the company keeps bleeding. The board took the decision to bring in new blood, new ideas and help us kick-start new habits for the new results we desire. For your information, I am also on probation, and I am liable to lose my job as CEO if that is what is required to save this company. I am aware that even though you have travelled in the past for executive retreats and learning programmes, you didn’t attend most of them but used the time for personal programmes and enjoyment. We all really need to sit up and change our habits if this company is to remain the strong and vibrant organisation that it has been.”
As much as she hated to hear these words, Bimbo knew that her uncle was correct, and the era of complacency was over. She registered for an Executive learning programme at a Business School and even though she didn’t feel like going every day, she stuck with it and soon the progress at work was evident.
The year is still very young and while it is exciting to desire change, it is more important to follow through on those plans especially when the excitement wanes. Successful people do not do only what feels good but what needs to be done to make the change happen. Having someone to keep us accountable does help a lot. Remember, old habits do not new results. New habits, new results. Happy New Productive Year!
