Navigating the new year...

I am a sailor.?It’s one of my passions outside of work.

We do a lot of sailing as a family and I have got my kids into it too - in fact, this is my eldest Finlay at the helm, last year...

But the reality for me is that sailing is not just something do outside of work - it is also the perfect analogy for work itself, especially with how things were playing out last year across the recruitment sector.

For those of you who don’t do much sailing, the general objective is to get from one place to another, whilst best utilising the conditions you are in and navigating the best route.

It is never a direct line, nor does the journey ever really align directly to what you initially planned. But you do always get to your destination… eventually!

After covid, the conditions were perfect.

We had a lovely strong breeze behind us, pushing us all along.

Clear blue skies.?The odd fluffy cloud, but pretty damn perfect conditions.

So what did we do?

We kicked back.?We let the sails carry us.?We enjoyed the ride. We relaxed.

Then slowly there was a slight change in wind direction. Did you feel it?

The skies started to cloud over a little. Not everywhere, but in quite a few places.

The conditions started to get a little bumpy.

In some places, a full on storm rolled in...

We carried on moving forward, as you do, but now with slightly less speed.

We kept going towards our goal, but we lost a bit of direction.

We kept sailing, but it felt we were being anchored.

But then the worst thing of all happened.

Some of the crew went down below... to sit out the storm and wait for it to pass.

Waiting for things to improve!

Relying on the conditions getting better rather than taking control of the boat.

In the sailing world, that's madness.

In the business world, that's madness too!

Well, it's now 2024 and the storm has passed.

It's still a bit windy. Sure, it's not perfect blue skies everywhere.

But the conditions have changed and are changing... for the better.

Think about the new business skills you have picked up last year.

The new knowledge. The new experience you now have.

Remember, the best sailors weren’t made in smooth waters...

So, now is absolutely the right time get your crew together, the right crew, and start readying your ship.

Remove anything and everything that is anchoring your ability to move forward.

Hoist your mainsail, trim your sheets and grab the helm with both hands.

It's time to go sailing, because a ship in port is safe, but that is not what ships were built for!

NB: if you are in recruitment and need help navigating 2024, then come and join The Recruitment Network - we'd love to have you aboard!