10 Tips the 2010s gave me, to help nail it at work

As we await the new decade to dawn it suddenly hit me that its been quite the 10 years.2010-2019 has seen me work at Goldman Sachs, American Express, John Lewis, Barclays, EE, Amazon and HSBC. Its not your typical working career path - and it wasn't always easy - so I thought Id share my Top 10 takeaways and reflections (as a reminder to myself if anything else):

1) Take risks - when I left a permanent role at Amex for a 6mth contract at John Lewis everyone thought I was completely bonkers. I felt I was too young to stick to one company given I didnt know what else was out there. Couple of years later, I did it again and left Barclays for a 12mth gig at EE for a change in industry. Its not easy starting over in a new company but part of having a jungle gym career (vs. a career ladder, where youre just focused on getting up) means you have to experiment to know what you want. You have to test and learn to grow: after each role Ive had a much clearer view of what I want from a job and employer.

2) Shake off negativity - as a British Pakistani Muslim I experienced plenty of casual racism growing up in a post 9/11 world in the South East of England. Even at work not everyone you come across is going to be on your wavelength but you cant get down in the dumps over every squabble with those you dont see eye to eye to. Use it as motivation to prove others wrong, or as Jane once told me to be like Teflon, and just brush it off. Water off a ducks back. Be present. Positive vibes only. You get the jist.

3) Get real - Boredom. Not being challenged. A manager who doesn't get you. Feeling under valued. Office politics. Getting the leftover dregs work nobody else wants. Favouritism. Micromanagement. A cultural mismatch.... there's a long list why you might not be happy at work. So rather than whining to your mates, do something constructive about it: give the feedback to improve your current situation and if things don't get better know when to walk away (rather than comfort eating on chocolate bars like I once did).

4) Manage your circle of influence - Surround yourself with people who better you, rather than those that are just there. Its so easy to just go with the flow but you might end up becoming someone you arent (or dont want to be). You want to have relatively equal measures of give and take with colleagues, suppliers, friends and partners; people who will genuinely be happy for your successes and a comfort during your lows are the ones to keep closest.

5) Ask questions - Status Quo Bias means it's super easy to just go along with how things were done before because trying to do something differently usually takes a lot more effort. If you can see something can be better why not speak up and try and improve it? Be careful on how you land your perspective though (I learnt this the hard way!) - you can be inquisitive but frame it constructively so you keep others on side whilst you investigate and try to understand, rather than attacking and putting people on the defense.

6) Build a diverse network - Extremist opinions (of any sort, not just terrorism per se) fester and snowball when you only hang out with people like you, and don't have healthy debates. Tolerance and empathy aren't something you can get overnight from a book or crash course, so step out of your comfort zone to build connections because the likelihood is youll learn something new. Working overseas for instance is especially powerful in giving you a new way of seeing things based on their local norms, which may be different to what youre used to.

7) Take a step back - it's human nature (also known as Projection Bias) to think everyone thinks like you. Just because someone has a different opinion doesn't mean you're wrong, because there's rarely a single right way. Whilst it can feel a little uncomfortable, its actually more useful to get together with colleagues of the opposite workstyle because they'll see things you've missed. Try to understand the other persons perspective rather than ignorantly ploughing on with just your view. Teamwork makes the dream work!

8) Have mentors - I've been fortunate enough to have been in some big companies that have formal mentorship programmes but you can just ask someone you look up to, keep in touch with a previous manager you clicked with or your current manager may be able to recommend someone they know. Whilst it can feel a little corny asking someone to mentor you its such a useful sounding board for objective, candid feedback. A mentor that gets you and has your best interests at heart is invaluable.

9) Pick feedback apart - don't just take it on face value because you might only be touching the surface. Ask for it from anyone and everyone, and frequently as opposed to just for your year-end (its too late to do anything by then!). If you do it at a random point in the year and give the respondent the ability to do it anonymously (e.g. a survey monkey link) you get better responses, both in terms of depth and number. Humility, to recognise you're not perfect, and a growth mindset are required to put the feedback into action.

10) Have a purpose - Its pretty in vogue right now for businesses to have a Brand Purpose but some colleagues recently shared a template to do the same for your Personal Brand. What do you actually stand for, represent or believe in? Whats the difference you want to make to the world? It can take some deep digging to figure this out but once you do, and start prioritising your efforts to align with your purpose, youll have a spring in your step.

Feeling grateful for the experiences so far, and cant wait to see what the next decade will bring!