Aiming Higher (Part 3): Who is Your Greatest Enemy?

In the past 2 posts for this series, I have dwelled around possible issues and problems as to why the Philippine BPO Industry has been having a shortage of leadership within its workforce. We could all come up with millions of reasons as to why many of us are not excelling in this industry. However, have you ever thought of who your greatest nemesis is? Look at the picture here and who is it pointing at? Yes, your greatest enemy to success is yourself! If you look at it carefully, when we point the finger on other factors that we blame for our misfortune, notice how four fingers are pointing back at us?

Though I don’t want to generalize but everyone goes through a tough stage in their career. Whether you are an agent or a team leader, there will always be something that will knock you down. Unfortunately, in my experience, many people when they get knocked down never ever stand up again. The usual reaction is to just crawl away and hide forever. I’ve known dozens of former co-agents of mine who could have become great leaders in the industry but for some reason hardly any of them ever did.

When I became a trainer, the one thing I always imparted to my trainees was the so-called “80-20” Principle. I emphasized the fact that success in any industry is actually the result of 80% Attitude and only 20% Skills. I’ve seen many hotshot and braggart agents who had impeccable phone handling skills but due to a bad work attitude (tardiness, chronic absence, insubordination, etc) they always end up falling short of their goals. Impressing your superiors to consider you for a promotion is one thing, but flaunting it too much is a sure road to failure. I’m happy to say that 5 of my former trainees are now supervisors and if they keep up the good work, they are on their way to a management career that will set them up for the rest of their lives.

There many factors that will deter us from reaching our goals and even when you become a manager, the obstacles to success actually grow bigger! Life is a never ending maze of problems and solutions. Your ability to pull yourself together and face these challenges head on is a great virtue to have if you really want to get somewhere. Quitting may seem like an easy option every time but somehow you will always live with questions in your mind of “what could have been if you had endured and persevered”. Don’t get me wrong, being promoted in this industry is not that easy. You really have to want it and push yourself all the way to get that coveted promotion.

I can’t deny that sometimes “Lady Luck” may have a hand in some promotions. Think of this; moving up in this industry is kind of like moving up in the movie industry. Sometimes, you get your “big break” faster than you thought possible. Other times, you have to wait it out until you get discovered or some actors even switch companies just to make it. Here’s a piece of advice when it comes to moving to another company; make sure it’s for a higher position! If it’s for something similar to what you have now or lower, then you are selling yourself short! It’s the same as going back to the drawing board and you are better off where you are now.

Ultimately, it is all a matter of patience and continuous improvement. Some people become operation managers in under 3 years while others wait for 5 years. No matter how long, if you really want it, keep that goal in focus. As for continuous improvement, true leaders always acknowledge the fact that each and every day is a learning experience and the roadblocks you encounter are, in fact, opportunities to improve. Many managers forget this essential fact that no matter if you are the CEO of a company or the new manager in an account, there will always be room for improvement. The most important thing is to enjoy the journey to success.

No matter how twisted or difficult if you truly do love being in this industry and want to be someone someday; savor that journey ahead.

Dr. France Jagolino is currently an Operations Manager for TaskUs Integrated Solutions, a California based outsourcing company. He gave up a promising career in Medicine to enter the BPO Industry where he has worked in almost every position from agent to trainer all the way to management. Dr. Jagolino is not only an experienced veteran of the industry but has also worked as a Leadership and Management Training Consultant for Shell and has written numerous articles on leadership, management, business, healthcare, customer service, social media and self-improvement. He is also a former TESDA Instructor for English Proficiency/Call Center Training and an inspirational speaker who was spoken in leadership motivation seminars in Asia and the Middle East.

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