Matthew Mata'u’s Post

went through some files and found this document posted in a question on WIP. Well this is more learning to be done. Who is with me. Don't say it is Holy week and then you go do un-Holy things. This is a great week to focus on cleaning up your knowledge and focus on how the spring and summer months will provide you with what you need to do more -- be more https://lnkd.in/eAsvG_NG

Summer isn't just for vacations—it's a great time to brush up on your skills, too! Consider dedicating some time to learning new software, understanding emerging industry standards, or even attending a workshop or two. Not only will this keep you sharp, but it will also position you well for advancements when work ramps up again. What skills are you planning to upgrade this summer? Share your goals and let's motivate each other! #SkillBuilding #SummerLearning #ManufacturingExcellence

Officially, halfway through my semester in D.C. as a Clear Path Ag Policy Intern and a TFAS fellow. In these 6 weeks, there have been so many lessons learned, experiences, and opportunities too numerous to count. Here are my 6 take aways from my first time living in D.C. 1. Find people who will mentor, educate, and inspire you, they completely change your life. (Dana Faught, Jasmine Yu, Ph.D and the ENTIRE ClearPath team have been incredible.) 2. Make someone smile. every. single. day. 3. No question is too big or too small. (know who to ask and when.) 4. Go to every event, even if you aren't in that field or know anything about it. (My favorites have been a soybean reception, a tour of the Japanese Embassy, and a potato farmers event.) 5. COMMUTER SHOES and tote bags are your friends, heels and small purses are not. 6. Always have your hair fixed. (Makeup can run, and you can spill coffee on your suit. You hair can always look great.) Six more weeks to go, so many more lessons to learn. Every single day is a new lesson, and I can not wait to see where the next 6 weeks, 6 months, or 6 years lead.

Taking action is necessary for many things in life but knowing WHEN to take action is arguably the most critical. In "Clear Thinking" by Shane Parrish, he highlights the three rules for taking action based on the clarity, quantity, & quality of information you have - 1: ASAP - As soon as possible: If the cost to undo the decision is low 2: ALAP - As late as possible: If the cost to undo the decision is high 3: FLOP - First lost opportunity: If you start losing options The examples given where - Decide ASAP what to eat for breakfast, decide ALAP where to live, & be aware of FLOP when you choose where to intern. How, why, & when are the three biggest questions to keep in mind for each & assets for helping drive forward better decision making processes across the board.

Handshake Reflection One of the Activities designed into The Employment Bootcamp with Naomi Lucas is 'Handshake'. Professionals from different fields come to share their experiences about opportunities and realities in the workplace. 5 Lesson I learned are: 📌 See problems as opportunities; pay attention to what people see as a problem - they may have the potential for growth 📌 In building a business or a career, you can't give up, you just have to keep going. 📌 Have a curious mindset. Always seek the right knowledge and stay open to learning 📌 Be intentional about building your social capital. Be rich in people. 📌 Recognize the spiritual side of life; you must have spiritual backing - PRAY. These lessons are not only crucial for a successful career but also for personal development. By the way, I got my level 8 badge...

Stories of Growth: Hear from Knowledge Streams' Trainees on How Our Bootcamp Transformed Their Careers and Lives! Tune in to the firsthand accounts of newfound skills, confidence, and personal growth that have unlocked doors in the world of IT for our trainees. Join us in celebrating these success stories, where technical learning meets personal development. These testimonials echo the power of our approach in creating professionals ready for the challenges of today's IT landscape. Step into the world of possibilities with Knowledge Streams and witness the journey of turning dreams into successful careers.

Good financial advice academies focus on developing practical skills including soft and communication skills! Kudos to M&G Wealth who seem to be really focused on the practical development of trainee financial advisors. I’m loving hearing about the amazing work that Kenny O'Donnell FPFS, CII Certs (MP ER), MCSI, IMC, BAcc and M&G Wealth are doing Matthew Ings. Successful academies do far more than just focus on exam passes. 👍😊 The best of best focus on the practical application of the knowledge and building up trainee advisor confidence. 👍 Role plays ✅ Mentoring and coaching ✅ Goal driven financial planning ✅ Holistic financial planning ✅ I’ve said it before - passing our driving tests and becoming competent safe drivers are too different things. 🚘 You can be a diploma qualified advisor on paper but are you competent applying your knowledge in real client scenarios? 🤔 When doing your due diligence on financial advice academies please look under the bonnet to ensure that there is a very strong focus on the soft skills. 🙏These soft skills should be taught by a team of people who have been there, done it and worn the t shirt. 👕 👚 Learn from the best! 🤩 Exams are important but exam passes just provide the foundation! You must learn how to apply your knowledge for the benefit of clients in a safe environment! 📚 🤔 Build your confidence and skills to apply your new found knowledge. 👍😊 Great to see M&G! 🚀 #financialadvice #academy #traineefinancialplanner #roleplays #coaching #mentorship #practicalapplication

Recently, I ran into some problems teaching M&E to a small group of interns. What was the problem? Simple, but not really simple: inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes and impact. What do these terminologies mean? Is there some inconsistency with their usage? Do activities sometimes come up as outputs? Are outputs just product, services and project deliverables? Are outcomes sufficient or do we really need impact? Is impact about project or scale? These questions can be troubling for M&E practitioners; and I also had some trouble delineating them in my last outing. In an attempt to find a less complicated compromise, INTRAC Associate, Nigel Simister makes this profound statement, "outputs are the services or products delivered that are largely within the control of an agency; impact as the lasting or significant changes in people’s lives brought about by an intervention or interventions; and outcomes as everything in between." This summation doesn't solve the problem easily, and so, I would like to hear from you all. Kindly drop a comment on the subject. Good morning friends.

𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐂𝐒 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞. Recently, I have attended my 𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 as a 𝐂𝐒 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞 and It's a great opportunity to see the inner workings of the company and learn from experienced leaders. Here's the few key points that I have observed : 𝐏𝐫𝐞-𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐩: • 𝑩𝒐𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒔: Get a copy of the agenda and any supporting documents like financial reports, presentations, or proposals. • 𝑫𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑪𝒐𝒅𝒆: While company culture may be casual, dress professionally. • 𝑾𝒉𝒐'𝒔 𝑾𝒉𝒐: Research the board members. 𝐃𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: • 𝑶𝒃𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆 & 𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏: Pay close attention to the discussions, decision-making process, and how board members interact. • 𝑨𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝑳𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈: Take clear notes of key points, questions raised, and decisions made. • 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒇𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒎: Mute your microphone on video calls and avoid side conversations that could be distracting. 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: Follow up with your senior (𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘳) to discuss the meeting. Ask questions about anything unclear and share your key takeaways. *𝑵𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝑵𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒍*: 𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝒐𝒌𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒔! 𝑱𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈. Overall, attending my 1st board meeting as a CS Trainee is a valuable experience. It provides insight into the company's direction, strategy, and how decisions are made. By being prepared, respectful, and actively listening, you'll gain a lot from the experience.

You can always improve, and your resources are standing next to you every day. I often try to hang out at practices, engage in meetings, and attend presentations from our different departments throughout the year. During summer when it's a bit quieter, they see me around a lot more often. Every time, I learn something that I can be more intentional about in my own practice, and I leave with FOMO every day because there's a lot more to learn. This isn't even touching upon other support staff such as student advisors, directors of ops, academics, and equipment who have their own strengths as well. 1) Shadow your colleagues 2) Be intentional about your observations 3) Relate their given skill and traits to see how it can be applied to your domain 4) Enjoy the people and moment!