Board Impulse Thoughts (BIT) – A little BIT for everybody

39th Board Impulse Thoughts with Ntokozo Ncongwane and her views and assessments of the upcoming and last 12 months.

1.Which were your biggest learnings over the past 12 months?

It’s not possible to talk about the last 12 months without bringing up the pandemic, economic pressure and political turbulence. These events, though unwelcome and life changing for me personally, emphasized the importance of empathy and transparency. While I was aiming to remain efficient and continue business operations with little obstruction, it was important to understand that people deal with changes differently, and being transparent about business processes resulted in a less disruptive continuation. It became crucial to listen, share and receive feedback with an open mind. That meant ‘failing’ forward by learning about other people's ideas and experiences without being defensive or dismissive.

Another learning for me was the importance of intentional diversity in decision making across regions, especially when hard decisions needed to be made. A diverse outlook can lead to rapid innovation, because most often a diverse team has an outlook that tends to better anticipate disruptive market changes.

2. What would be your advice for people who are feeling uncertain about their careers at this time

In times of uncertainty and rapid change, it’s common for people to question progress and professional balance. This can also be a good time to review or create a career vision. A vision will help you define what you really want, because it compels you to outline the experiences and accomplishments you’re aiming for. Change is inevitable, but when possible, anticipate it. That way, during uncertain times, you can navigate it via your vision. Also remember that change with no purpose will lead to frustration. Ensure your vision is communicated to relevant support structures and has manageable, realistic steps to hit goals.

In short - hold on to your vision, and if you don’t have a vision for your career, borrow one.

3. What are your observations on executives over the last 12 months, did they change their habits and attitudes?

?Executives understood that at the heart of business continuity stands solid business relationships built on trust. Over this period, executives relied-on those business relationships to create a distinct mark of excellence in service delivery during uncertainty. To be agile and still deliver a ?great end-to-end customer experience?across every touchpoint, you need partners that have a good history and forward-looking outlook. Partner Programs at Intel are built with that in mind.

?It’s also become evident that technology led innovations have been a key contributor to sustaining some of the most vital sectors. Executives thought differently about technology to ensure sustainable innovation by sharpening talent strategies and applying digital transformation. Going back to the basics from my perspective was vital. The most visible area was in the thorough implementation of IT Infrastructure with a resilient cyber foundation by simplifying and automating key user systems to enable control and clarity.

?4. What do you expect from 2022?

Hopes are high that this year will be the catalyst in turning climate talks into action around the world.?Boards and executives can no longer ignore the bell ringing worldwide for businesses to make significant operational changes to address climate change. Innovation will be the driving force behind this change, backed by research and more collaboration across industries. 2022 could also be an interesting year for the hybrid work force to seed unique innovations, because as observed given the flexibility and tools to work when, where and how they choose, employees tend to deliver transformative ideas and results.

Still, the day-to-day of 2022 remains : adjusting to post-pandemic realities. The added pressure of the war in Ukraine has exposed complexities around supply chain challenges to already fragile economic times. The outcome of our post-pandemic realities remains to be seen, but my hope is for greater regional collaborations and a new structure for the global value chain.

Ntokozo Ncongwane is a participant at the Board Academy. She is partner marketing manager in a global organization at Intel . As a Global Partner manager for EMEA her responsibilities include developing strategy, managing co-marketing campaigns, maximizing brand equity & creative to deliver business and customer value. She worked in various marketing Snr roles in sales & marketing in Johannesburg, South Africa before moving to Munich , Germany.