I sit here,
writing my last blog post as CEO1Month at AdeccoME and muse on over the many
ways in which I have changed.
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"No one ever dreams of becoming a CEO for 1 month
straight out of university, I certainly didn’t either. I bagged an opportunity
that seemed impossible and then worked relentlessly hard to make it a reality"
_____________________________________________________________
I dared to dream, because I knew if I did, nothing would be impossible. Yet my
story didn’t just stop at achieving the seemingly impossible. My journey had
just begun and after one month of this outrageously wonderful experience I can
see how it has changed me as an individual and helped broaden my vision.
I first arrived at the office as a wonderstruck fresh graduate, ready to face any challenge thrown at me. But my one month has taught me far more than merely facing challenges and overcoming hurdles. They say power must be exercised with equal responsibility and I got to witness that in practice. Knowing that every decision taken alters the lives of everyone around you is always looming over a CEO’s head. While I was required to craft the future of Adecco, I was always conscious of the impact it shall have on its clients, customers, employees and the society. I learnt that often a small change in process results in drastic changes in structures, practices, tasks and maybe even impact society. I hence learnt to be humble and mindful of this as I upheld Adecco’s core values and worked towards implementing its key strategic priorities
Quite early in
my path I did also witness failure. I’ve often heard Management gurus talk
about failure and how it changed them. From Steve Jobs and Bill Gates to Nelson
Mandela, all vouch for the character that failure instilled in them. For me, I
witnessed it in its brutal gut wrenching reality. But what was important was
that failure though discouraging, didn’t make me distraught or succumb to
feelings of hopelessness. Instead it made me strive for a solution. I didn’t
find myself mad or heartbroken over the failure of my presentation but eager to
turn it around. I was lucky though, because I was surrounded by people who were
ever willing to help me, guide me and show me the error of my ways. All I
needed to do was reach out, ask and then listen. Yes, indeed my CEO1month
journey has taught me the power of diverse opinions and taking informed
decisions. Passion kept me relentlessly chasing after what I believe, but it
was the people who helped me forge the right path towards it.
At the juncture
of an unbelievable one month behind me, I learnt the importance and need to
change. As a management student we learnt theories on organizational change,
the crucial importance of it and how to achieve it. As a CEO1month, I was required
to lead and embrace change, relating why it was necessary and brainstorming on
how together we could achieve it. Suddenly I took on the role of being a
transformational leader and talking about why we mustn’t resist it. This
required not only organizational analysis but also a deep understanding of
self-reflection as change frequently reveals the importance of leveraging ones
strengths and eradicating ones weaknes
"For any person starting out, being a CEO is a dream, an impossibility, an ultimate target to achieve and to live this dream is inspiring in itself."
To be able to
sit through staffing meetings, PPM meetings, understand finances and budgets,
and be a part of client meetings and see all the functions intertwine to affect
the PNLs is the most crucial aspect I have learnt. To have the exposure to
understand every detail of the business, to be a part of every conversation as
it happens and grasp how things pan out in real time has been life-changing. I
have had the fortune to lead client meetings on my own and the fact that
AdeccoME had the confidence in my abilities has raised my own conviction. As a
graduate, one often finds themselves at the lowest rung of any business, not
understanding the difference our actions make in the corporate scheme of
things. This stint as CEO made me realise how important every person is and how
no work is ever too small. Not only has my talent here been recognized, I was given
the ability to explore my own ideas which has made me deeply loyal to Adecco
and everyone in this office. I felt deeply moved by the participation of every
person in my survey at Adecco. Post my presentation, everyone took out time to
give me feedback. For everyone to pause their busy schedules and give me
constructive feedback on my presentation was elevating. The team has been
extremely accommodating, and exceptionally admirable in their efforts to make
me feel welcome. This has helped me learn the importance of inclusion and
taking the extra step to build a culture of acceptance that enables employees
to hone their skills and follow their passion. AdeccoME has taught me that aid
can be given in all forms and a simple feedback has the power to create
wonders.
"My personal love for Adecco comes from its core values, and I have been fortunate to see these core values come to life at AdeccoME. "
The Heads of all departments really nurture team spirit. I watched as employees brainstormed over solutions, selflessly helped each other complete tasks and as the Heads encouraged a sense of achievement and pride in their work. Passion for work flows freely in the team, where departments relentlessly work to better themselves and their processes in order to achieve excellence. Customer focus is of paramount importance and consultants work hard to focus on it. Not only does everyone take responsibility of their business duties, they feel equally responsible to maintain integrity and respect in the office. Team leaders encourage entrepreneurship at all times, leading by example and endorse learning from success and failure alike.
I started my
first day with the knowledge that I was a dwarf being carried and elevated by
the magnitude of giants and I want to specially thank Romain Liot, CEO of
Adecco ME, for continuously pushing me to outdo my potential and being the
catalyst of change in my world. He graciously allowed me to head sales
meetings, something a fresh graduate would never have the chance to do and to
cross-question their business decisions if I wanted to. I have sat through
discussions between CEO and CFO Arnaud Caullie and been privy to seeing a
larger picture, balancing passion with informed decision making. I cannot
forget Ismini Papadopoulou, HR Business Partner and the patience she sought towards explaining
every procedure and guiding me through all my tasks. Damian Brown, Our P.P Director
and team members; Mira Mylyniemi, Asha
Manoharan, Scott Hayes, Garry Jarman, Jack Michelon, Steve Richardson, Sarah
Kabbarah, Matthew Nolan,Mohamed Bahaa and Imran Anwar who have been instrumental
in providing me feedback and opportunities to understand their departments and
working better. Jasmine Soyan, our Staffing Manager along with, Dhriti Saxena ,
Gulnazik Kyzy, Rizwan Siddiqui, Fares Al Bayati, Ruchika Kohli and Stefanos
Katsaris, who helped me decipher processes and establish practices, and I
appreciate their patience with me. I would also like to extend my gratitude to Maryam Al Fardan- Hr Manager, as well as, Rhoda M. Capio, Emelyn H. Suralta, Madelyn Morales, Ibrahim Al Asmawi, Amina
Riad, Mohammed Ullah, Yasmine Martin and Arun Chintha, for reaching out to me,
making sure I was comfortable, working hard to integrate me within the work
culture and aiding me in my daily tasks.
Lastly I would want to thank Nasser
Oudjidane, the Abu Dhabi - Branch Manager and Tiago Costa, Operations Manager
Qatar. We had very little opportunity to work closely together, however, they
still took time out to meet with me and explain their business operations to
me. I may not have had the occasion to meet all their team members; however I
have sat in weekly and quarterly meetings, which have born testimony of the
good work being done in their branches as well.
I may no longer
be CEO here at AdeccoME from tomorrow, but I will still feel the same fierce
loyalty as I do today. I am proud to be associated with Adecco and know that
our brightest days lie ahead. I look forward to continue contributing to the
business and growing along with Adecco, as we make BETTER WORK BETTER LIVES a
global reality.
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