For many business leaders, the past two years presented unprecedented challenges that put their management skills to the test. From shifting to remote working, to digitisation and automation, one thing we know for sure is that our pre-Covid business routine has completely altered.
In fact, it is the first time that businesses around the world are evolving at a rapid speed while tackling the changing business environment at the same time. As we navigate these changes, focusing on your vision, supporting your team and continuously assessing your financials is crucial. These elements will help you stay focused and achieve your goals in the year ahead.
Focus on your vision for the year
During school days, my elementary-grade teacher asked us to imagine our future using crayons and a sheet of paper and gave us a week to focus on the exercise. My classmates and I thoroughly enjoyed it and we would spend time thinking of every single detail.
But as grown-ups, not many of us spend as much time thinking of the finer details of our business’s vision. If I learnt one thing about leading a business through the pandemic, it’s that we need to have a complete vision for our business – of what we need to achieve – and tie our daily goals and actions back to that vision.
So spend as much time as possible outlining and imagining every detail of achieving and realising your goals. It will help you to evaluate your current situation and making decisions that would align with your vision, thus helping you achieve your goals faster.
Your team is your most valuable asset
During the past two years, countries around the world, including the US, experienced mass resignations. Employees quit their jobs to pursue entrepreneurship or opted to work for companies that cared about their mental well-being and those that provided them with more flexible working options.
Employees’ turnover during critical times does not only disrupt workflow, it also negatively affects a company’s performance, especially for start-ups, that usually have small teams.
The pandemic and mass employee turnover have prompted many companies to re-evaluate their culture. It also proved that small acts, such as employee recognition and providing your team with mental well-being, can go a long way.
Let’s step back and think of the following: do we provide a healthy company culture? And how can we create a company culture that inspires employees to thrive and help us retain our talent.
Keep your business and financial plans in check
Many of us have shifted strategies many times during the pandemic to keep our businesses afloat. Be flexible and agile, don’t wait long to decide. Focus on how you can incorporate in your business the elements that resulted in your success.
By continuously reviewing your business performance, it will be easier for you to avoid losses in the long run.
Leadership is all about the human touch
While the pandemic accelerated the adoption of remote working and digitisation, it proved that no matter how much we depend on technology, leadership and business is all about the human touch and that technology advancements don’t make us better leaders.
Now more than ever, traits such as empathy, critical thinking and ethics are key to supporting our teams and lead our businesses.
While we can’t always prepare for unexpected challenges, it’s always best to prepare for as many scenarios as possible that could arise in times of uncertainty.
So I urge you all to go back to your drawing boards and focus on your vision for 2022 while listing your new year resolutions.
Manar Al Hinai is an award-winning Emirati writer and communications consultant based in Abu Dhabi. Twitter: @manar_alhinai
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
SM Town Live is on Friday, April 6 at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Company%20profile
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
In the Restaurant: Society in Four Courses
Christoph Ribbat
Translated by Jamie Searle Romanelli
Pushkin Press
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'Laal Kaptaan'
Director: Navdeep Singh
Stars: Saif Ali Khan, Manav Vij, Deepak Dobriyal, Zoya Hussain
Rating: 2/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company profile
Date started: Founded in May 2017 and operational since April 2018
Founders: co-founder and chief executive, Doaa Aref; Dr Rasha Rady, co-founder and chief operating officer.
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: Health-tech
Size: 22 employees
Funding: Seed funding
Investors: Flat6labs, 500 Falcons, three angel investors
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
Teams
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan Shanwari, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf.
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (captain), Corey Anderson, Mark Chapman, Lockie Ferguson, Colin de Grandhomme, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Seth Rance, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.
MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Bib%20Gourmand%20restaurants
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