REWARD
can support new tutors and the payroll profession more broadly.
on transparency, compliance and good interpersonal relationships. If you jeopardise these values, then everything you do suddenly becomes questionable. Being authentic relies on trust in yourself; a confidence that you know what you want. I struggle with my self-esteem so this can be tricky – lacking confidence to relay my ideas to others can appear flaky. I’m an eternal people pleaser, as are a lot of payrollers, and I’m guilty of trying to fit my square peg into others’ round holes. This idiom tends to suggest that it just won’t work, but my experience is that I end up shaving off the sides and corners until I do fit, diminishing myself and my values until I’m technically the ‘right’ shape, but no longer resembling the real me. I really need to have more confidence in myself, and not be afraid to search out some of those square holes even if it is a little more difficult and means saying no sometimes. “We need people that have both the technical expertise and the emotional intelligence to inspire people to make a commitment to the payroll industry” Can you see where we’re going? The second pillar that we studied was insight. As tutors, we’re often the first contact students will have with the CIPP – we’re the face of the Institute. Being able to provide insight into the wonderful world of payroll is a real privilege but also a great responsibility. When I started studying payroll, I really admired some of my tutors. I suppose I had professional crushes on some of them! I wanted to be like them, with their exciting job titles and huge wealth of experience. Now I feel privileged that I get to work alongside some of them. But with that comes the dreaded imposter syndrome; something that hits most of us at some point in our careers. To be a good leader you need to have confidence in both your own achievements and be capable of
supporting others with their aspirations. As a tutor I often feel like I’m about to get caught out. I read amazing assignments that tell of big teams, intricate systems, complex payroll issues… my payroll experience is on a much smaller scale, and I sometimes feel I’m being hypocritical to think I can be of use to those students who are clearly more experienced than I am. I need to remember that the inspiration comes from providing the insight to others to achieve their own goals. It’s not a competition. In summary These two pillars support each other – once you’re clear in your own vision, you can authentically share that with others and provide them with the insight to create and achieve their own goals. Paying it forward is vital to raising the standards of our profession and we need people that have both the technical expertise and the emotional intelligence to inspire people to make a commitment to the payroll industry. So, if you’re looking to improve your authenticity and ability to share your insight, then consider some of the following: Ask for feedback One of my biggest barriers is my own self- esteem, or lack of it. I’m my own worst critic so I’m working on asking others for their thoughts to help challenge my own perceptions. Learn when to compromise Good relationships inevitably involve flexibility but don’t forget your core values and don’t change yourself to fit with someone else’s ideals. Investing in yourself will help others Being an inspiration to others isn’t always about being the top of your profession. Others will admire someone who is committed to being the best they can, creating an environment of self- actualisation. What’s next? I’m feeling younger by the minute and looking forward to our final topics of innovation and coaching. Look out for what I’ve learned about those in a future issue of Professional . n
EQ versus IQ Enter the Gateway to Gold certificate! Ignoring that gold rhymes with old, I have embarked on a journey of self-discovery to develop my emotional intelligence as a leader. That was the first preconception challenged. Just like not all heroes wear capes, it turns out that not all leaders drive expensive motors and get private healthcare. Instead, a leader demonstrates high levels of emotional intelligence to inspire those around them, and if I can develop that then I’ll hopefully be a more effective tutor. Emotional intelligence (also known as EQ) refers to our ability to manage and regulate our emotions. Unlike the cognitive IQ we might be familiar with, this is often undervalued in the workplace. How many times do you see a gap on a job application form to cover this compared to the space for your qualifications? Yet our EQ can hugely impact the people around us. We completed an EQ questionnaire to give us a score against the four pillars of emotional intelligence for leaders: l authenticity l insight l innovation l coaching. This has formed the basis of a series of reflective assignments and been a real eye-opening experience. We get so caught up in thinking that development is about qualifications, but if you’re looking at ways to improve yourself then why not consider working on your EQ instead of your IQ? A square-ish peg in a round hole The first pillar we explored was authenticity. Being an authentic leader isn’t just about portraying a corporate image or towing the company line but is more about genuinely believing in what you do. We will all have worked with someone who just isn’t a fit for the team despite being ideal on paper. Now imagine that in a leader. They lead you up the garden path but when you get there, they’re nowhere to be seen. Disheartening much? No one enjoys the company of someone who says one thing and does another. The problem with inauthenticity is that it creates an atmosphere of mistrust. Payroll is a profession based
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 98 | March 2024
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