TODAY’S sermon is a parable. The parable features my husband and me as we have volunteered to dance competitively in a fundraising Strictly-style event for Tiny Life and Women in Business. It requires us to master a triple step jive, a chachacha and a quick step.
This is unknown territory for both of us; it is miles outside our comfort zones. But these are all good places to be in the business world if you want to develop, you have to do something scary: it stretches you, and it pushes you, it makes you better.
Are my husband and I better for stepping out, are we rising to the challenge? For those who will attend on the night of our dance, I hope the answer is yes.
Everyone encouragingly tells us that we will be brilliant; it’s all about taking part and having fun! The truth, according to my 10 year old son who attends the dance classes, is that we are the worst couple.
He’s right, we are definitely challenged but we have to keep on going so there is nothing for it only practice, practice and more practice.
Our dance coaches help all the competing couples on our journey too; they ensure we put our feet in the right place. They guide and encourage us. The other dancers cheer us on too.
So with the preparations, practice, learning, and support I am confident that on the night we will execute a triple step jive, a chachacha and even a quick step and acquit ourselves. We may not have mastered them but we will dance them. We will have entered “new territory” and come out the better for it.
So yes the business coaches are right. To develop you must step outside your comfort zone.
We have Brexit, we have Trump, we have an election, we do not know what impact they will have on the economy, and on our businesses. They force us into new territory.
So in order to benefit we need to get ready, pick your moves, get support and practice as we will definitely need a few quick steps to survive in this new zone.
Back to my dancing parable: I know general consensus is that this is the age of collaboration. However, I must not lose sight of the fact that the event is a competition and there are two ways to win.
Having completed the SWOT analysis, our dancing will not give us our best return on investment. Our win will come from raising the most money, and you can help me on that front by going to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Roseann-Kelly1
:: Roseann Kelly (roseann@ womeninbusinessni.com) is chief executive of Women in Business (www.womeninbusinessni.com), the largest and fastest growing business network for female entrepreneurs and senior women in management in Northern Ireland, with 2,500 members spread throughout all industry sectors. Follow Women in Business NI on Facebook at www.facebook.com/women-inbusinessni or on Twitter @wibni
