Much to be grateful for

 And here we are 31.12.2021. 12 weeks in a restrictive moon boot, 4 weeks of which were non weight bearing, stuck largely on your back or bum, throw in 10 days of Covid isolation, gives you much time to ponder life and where one is.

The overwhelming thought or emotion was or is gratitude, because no matter how poorly things were going at any time during this year, I know matter of factly that it could have been so much worse. Yes sure my folks packed up (kinda) 38 years of living in SA to relocate back to Accra, but we were able to help them do what they have wanted to do for a long while, whilst they are still alive and able to enjoy it. Sure my achilles was ruptured, but I was doing a thing I most enjoy (playing tennis with good people) when it happened. I also got some of the best care out there, my bro is a radiologist, so scans happened the same day, he referred me to a specialist who is one of the best in the game, circumstances lead me to go the conservative route in the treatment and it seems to be working 20 weeks later, I am friends with a great physio who looks after pro athletes (so my skinny legged weekend warrior injury is a non event for her :)) and she has been guiding me through the rehab process. During the first few weeks of my injury, I got to stay at a family friend's house because he has a granny flat that has the bedroom and bathroom and kitchen on the same floor (and a butler...didn't know this at the time, but sure glad Aggrey was there :)) and some really good friends who came to check in on me and even gave me their moonboots to use....as I said, things could be so much worse....

Re Covid, well im still here I guess, so much to be grateful for, because I know a few good souls that have succumbed...We will remember!!!

I am sitting at my desk Wesgro as I type this, I have a few bits of admin I have been trying to finalise over the past few days but my good friend procrastination, Netflix, the bed/couch and the fridge have regularly come to visit. Today I decided to get my bum up, go to the gym and then into the office where I have fewer distractions, so I can at least get some of the admin done if not all. 

I digress.....what I was trying to say was whilst typing the above I looked out my window and that picture is exactly what I get to see every day I am in the office, sometimes it has cloud cover, once in a while a bit of smoke, many a time when I'm here and someone is sent by Lucifer to try and test my day, I look to my left, see that glorious piece of splendid rock and I smile and I generally respond not today Satan, not today! :)

But that brings me to another point of reflection of this year. The beginning of December marked the 6th anniversary of my being at Wesgro. Coming in, I thought a year or 2 max and then I'm back to what I was doing, but it sure has been an interesting ride. In the 6 years I have been here, there have been very few times where this has felt like work to me. I have tried to think about why this is and there are 3 things that have really stuck out for me and they are as follows:

1. #People: I learnt very early on in life, whilst working at a receptionist at the then Health and Racquet Club (now Virgin Active) that this is the most important part of any job to me. That job, opening the club on Sundays and public holidays, as a student was, let's say rough, but were it not for the characters we worked with....yoh it would have been death!!! This organisation has got some really good people that work here. People that seem to know their 'why'. There are some folk here who I believe could earn significantly more in the private sector or somewhere else, if they wanted to (some have left to do that and good on them and their families, but by doing this they have also create a space for the next person to show what they can contribute, it was sad to see some of them leave, others... it was their time I guess, much like most things in life). A lot of the people in the organisation aren't doing what they do for recognition, many do it because they care about what we are trying to do, they care about doing their bit, in government, to ensure that the scarce resources entrusted to us by the public, assist the private sector in creating the much needed #jobs that will reduce unemployment, well at least that is what I believe. Sure there are some challenges and frustrations when we deal with personalities outside the organisation, but that is to be expected because their why differs from ours. Also we may also not always get it right as an organisation and the key is to take those learnings on board and be better for it.

2. #Purpose: At the time of applying for the job, I was the furtherest from looking for a job. The prior 9 years had been me trying the entrepreneur life, 3 years as an employee/shareholder in a below the line agency and then 6 completely on my own. Whilst in Ghana doing a project, a friend had come on a mission with Wesgro, the gentleman bringing the delegation to Ghana, told me more about what the agency does and that is how a 14mth or so series of Wesgro popping up in my life, lead me to applying for the role I currently hold. Clearly someone was trying to tell me something and so I had to listen right. When I got here, I won't lie I wasn't too sure what to expect, being employed again, running quite a big team, currently over 30 people and working in government doing something I wasn't too familiar with. But soon after I got here it just made sense. Ever since I left the investment banking/corporate world I decided that if I am going to turn my back on potentially making buckets of cash doing what I studied, then whatever I do next, must help others in a positive way and not feel like work, because as soon as it feels like work or a chore, I might as well get properly remunerated if it is going to feel like work right? Or find my next non-work feeling job ;) I honestly believe I have the best role at the agency overseeing export, investments and film promotion as well as 2 new divisions I helped set up, the #InvestSAOneStopShop and #DistrictUnit. I have no ambitions for any higher honours at the agency at the moment. Every day I wake up, my job is to work with people that do what they do to help government grow the economy and facilitate job creation...the why can not be clearer

3. #Leadership: I was fortunate when I came in, to have a chairperson who was pretty tough but in my mind principled and fair and a largely private sector board. It was initially intimidating and I sat and listened and I still do because there are some really wise heads in that group, they don't speak all the time but when they do, you are like dayuummm!!! Key for me though was the CEO, he was a big part of the reason for me taking this job and I am grateful to him and the chair and deputy chair for thinking I was able and capable off doing this role. What I liked about what he has done with the place is he helped build the organisation's profile and built a relatively flat unbureaucratic culture, where people were free to try things, their ideas mattered even if they weren't implemented :). He allowed his executive teams to run their teams. He is an interesting personality in that he is seen as a blue eyed boy so in some instances it made our jobs easier when we were dealing with stakeholders, but in other ways it was one hell of an unnecessary challenge, but once again...people right. I was pretty fortunate in that when I joined I inherited some good team members. It has been very interesting for me to watch how people have come in and had a 'why' very different from the organisation's 'why' and they eventually worked themselves out of the system. I believe I have a very hands off approach to leadership, in a way it mimics how I like to be managed. My thinking is you have been hired because we feel that you can very ably do the job you have been hired to do, so we agree on what we need to achieve and I let you get on with it, else why are we paying you right? I might as well do it myself. I quite enjoy watching people grow into their best selves and if there is something I can do to be a part of this journey, sign me up. Outside of the organisation I have been fortunate to witness the leadership of the #WesternCape Premier, past and present, the provincial MEC for economic opportunities, past and present, the head of department of economic development and tourism and dept of agriculture, DDGs, Chief Directors, the past Mayors of the #CityOfCapeTown, the mayco member for the economy and his team, different consuls general, our foreign offices overseas, the DTIC, CEOs of the #SaldanhaBayIDZ, #GreenCape and #AtlantisSEZ. To say it has been interesting may be an understatement!

It sure has been a gas these past 6 years. A little over 2 months we welcomed a new CEO, a year or so ago we welcomed a new chair and deputy chair... The energy in the organisation is different, but that is change and why it is necessary. We hope that it takes us to a higher level and as the saying goes, growth happens just outside your comfort zone. 

So here is to the year ahead and whatever it brings, if I were to feel as if 2021 was a annus horribilis it would be allowable, but au contraire... truly blessed and rather grateful. #mindset #perspective. Wishing you all a year that is everything you make it