INGREDIENTS FOR AN OFFICER'S ASTUTE PERFORMANCE

 

 

Performance efficacy does not come easy to officers sitting at higher echelons of the corporate ladder. Key posts definitely entail high work demands in terms of deliverables; needless to say more challenges to face up to. Without having undergone a cumulative series of personal development process, normally spanning over a significant time span, an aspirant for efficacious performance in any coveted role will not surpass the challenges laid at his feet. The process starts with acquisition of a pivotal fundament, i.e. KNOWLEDGE.  Knowledge pertinent to the field of work concerned must first be at hand, otherwise the next stage of development will not materialise - much less eyeing the hope for career progress in the same field.

Take the example of a young aspirant coveting to be an astute fund manager as his objective. Firstly, he must already have attained a foundational academic degree – like finance, economics, accountancy, business administration etc.  An academic foundation may not suffice. The aspirant should also pursue professional accreditations – like Registered Investment Advisor (RIA), or Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), or Capital Market Service Representative’s Licence (CMSRL), or Federation of Investment Managers Malaysia (FIMM) licence. Yet attaining professional papers may still not be enough. The next phase of development is to don a keen interest to pursue research on pertinent subjects; such as economic forces, geopolitics which have bearings to the investment climate, market forces, stock market updates, various industry updates, specific corporations’ data etc.

Relevant encompassing knowledge is the key fundament, or also known as the foundation for any coveted career. I use the analogy of constructing a very tall building. The maximum height of a majestic skyscraper depends on the foundation set for it. The deeper and firmer the foundation, the taller and steadier is the construction. Similarly, the more profound the knowledge relevant to a specific job, the firmer is the potential for career advancement of that aspirant.

Having profound pertinent knowledge serves as the primary fundament.  Yet it still requires some vital pillars for supporting performance efficacy. Using the analogy of a skyscraper again, robust pillars are needed to complement the foundation. The foundation holds the pillars; the pillars complement the foundation to support the robust building structure. So, what are the pillars for supporting job performance, then? Answer: DEDICATED HANDS-ON WORK EXPERIENCES! The aspirant must be prepared to stretch his hands into the practical work pile in order to get accustomed to what the real practical feel is.

To hone the capability for executing tasks efficaciously, one must be adequately exposed to all aspects of the role. He ought to assimilate both the micro and the macro elements that either positively or negatively impact results. For example, an aspirant aiming to be an astute fund manager must first learn the hands-on nitty gritty perspectives of fund components design. Apprenticeship under the guidance of a seasoned fund manager invariably is needed. He must pick up the hands-on holistic analysis tasks, gaining hindsight and foresight for curtailing risks on one hand and anticipating fund growth potentials on the other hand.

Acquisition of knowledge may span over some years as diligence to grasp the right academic and technical substance over time is involved. Selecting the pristine ingredients suited to complement the key fundament toward attaining the desired position will be more arduous – this effort rests much on APPTITUDE, which is the propensity to apply effectively what has been learnt (knowledge) into practical work.  Such a “challenge” necessitates resilience (forbearing tenacity) and perseverance (persistent tenacity), both being prime ATTITUDE essences for staying focused on the job.  Notwithstanding the attitude mind-set, yet two supplementary factors are still needed to mould an aspirant’s aptitude realm – the absorption dimension for learning; and the analytical capacity for visualising actualities.

 Holistic comprehension of a work situation relates much with hindsight (taking cues from past experiences) and foresight (projecting the future scenarios, coupled with cognisance of the present scenario). An aspirant being imbued with holism is one who manifests the right technical know-how plus inclusive grasp of the practical work aspects. Obviously, significant time span will be unavoidable in order for any high career aspirant to reach the stage for executing sound discretions.  I reiterate that besides the right foundational academic degree befitting the job, professional qualifications may be required; then due diligence to get entrenched in practical work aspects related to the coveted job role must take place.

Only by completing the entire development process postulated in the narratives above, can an aspirant then attain performance astuteness – there is no short cut to the development process. And only by being equipped with performance efficacy can the aspirant formulate action plans congruent to the job. Finally, I highlight another “truth”, i.e. Astuteness and Prudence co-lever one another. They are inseparable. Astuteness enables perceiving the right perspectives of a subject. Prudence enables executing the right decisions and actions that produce desired results, in support of the perception. In short, an astute cum prudent protagonist in any career field may aptly be termed a wise one.

To recapitulate the sequential key points: (1) Relevant foundational academic degree. (2) Relevant professional papers. (3) Research on pertinent subjects related to the job scopes. (4) Wide hands-on work experiences. (5) Resilience and perseverance (Right Attitude). (6) Absorption dimension for learning and analysis (Right Aptitude). (7) Holism mental frame.

I end my sharing with a few self-coined quotes and a humorous cartoon on wisdom:

# A wise man knows he needs to keep on learning as there is always something new or old to learn.

# A wise man first scans the scenarios in order to decipher the prevailing trends, then forms his opinions thereafter.

# Wisdom does not immediately arrive at a conclusion until all options are considered.

# Wisdom calls for recognition of all related facts linked to an issue, and not just the issue per se.