Keys to success?

Last night I was being asked my advice about how to succeed in the world of financial services. The lady asking the question was coming at the subject from the point of view of needing to know and understand the environment one is one and adapting. She seemed surprised when I too a contrary view.

Of course if one needs to change something in the world of self vs (working) environment, then it is obviously easy to change oneself, even if that requires you to start working out of your comfort or preferred zone. But that assumes that one cannot change the combination of self and environment. One of the things that has long been true and is increasingly and more widely true in the modern world of employment, is the variety of potential employers and the lower barriers to change. There were over 300 banks in the City of London. I could work for any of them with moving house or even my commute; instead I might have to turn right rather than left or walk 200m rather than 100m.

In that world I learnt that it is better to understand oneself and strive to find a compatible and suitable environment to work. With the range of different types and sizes of company, cultural backgrounds and maturity there is a broad range of environments. My contention drawn from personal experience is that if one is in an environment that suits you and you enjoy, doing a role that excites you and you enjoy then your performance lifts exponentially and it is from this that personal success is derived.

In essence, by all means look to adpat in the short term, but if you are always adapting and finding yourself twisted out of shape it is far better to lift yourself out and into a different and better environment.

I think I made myself understood in the end.