Roads to Success’ Post

Walking through the doors of Deloitte on my first day, I felt like I had arrived. It was the culmination of a dream that had started in front of the TV years ago. But as I took my place among the ranks of eager consultants, I quickly realised that achieving the dream was just the beginning. The reality of the dream is far more complex.   The corporate world is a maze, a network of unwritten rules and unspoken expectations. It requires more than hard work and enthusiasm; it demands emotional intelligence, the ability to read between the lines, to understand what is not said out loud. It's about knowing when to push and when to yield, when to speak up and when to listen.   These lessons were hard-earned, coming from mistakes and missteps as much as from successes. They're lessons I now pass on to the young professionals I mentor. I tell them that to thrive, not just survive, in their careers, they need to be as adept in managing emotions as they are in managing projects. It's a lesson I wish I had learned earlier, but one I am grateful for every day.   In this post, I want to open up a dialogue about the unexpected lessons of the corporate world. What has your career taught you that you never expected to learn? Ps. My first day at Deloitte may have been some time ago... #CareerGrowth #EmotionalIntelligence #WorkplaceWisdom

Discover Deloitte: An Inspiring Experience! 🚀 On Wednesday I had the incredible opportunity to attend Deloitte’s Discover Deloitte event, and it was truly an eye-opening experience! A big thank you to everyone who took the time to share their insights—I’m grateful for every opportunity to learn and connect! A huge thank you to Lilian Cheung, FCPA, FCA, Ipsa Mohanty, Kunal Verma, and Jessica Kearsey for sharing your journeys at Deloitte. Hearing about the flexibility, opportunities, and work-life balance at Deloitte was incredibly motivating. Your stories highlighted how Deloitte isn’t just about professional growth, but also about supporting personal well-being and creating a fulfilling career path. Connecting with professionals like Valentina F. and Jean Alain Lising, CPA, CA, CISSP from Risk Advisory and Wael Jabir in AI made me even more excited about the innovative work being done in data analytics and technology. Your insights into tackling client challenges and implementing solutions truly resonated with me, especially as someone passionate about bringing new ideas to life. Finally, meeting Keziah Nongo and Precious Ajose from the Canadian Black Professionals Group really stood out. Their commitment to fostering a sense of belonging within Deloitte left a lasting impression on me. Knowing there are spaces where everyone’s voice is valued makes a big difference. A big thanks to Chelsea Cha for shedding light on the application process and helping put together such a great event! It’s clear that Deloitte is not just about hiring talent but nurturing it every step of the way. 😊 One piece of advice that stuck with me came from Jennifer T. Lee : join a place where you find role models. I walked away from Discover Deloitte feeling that I had found exactly that—people whose careers and values I truly admire. #DiscoverDeloitte 💫

The heart of Deloitte's success lies in our commitment to fostering a positive work culture. As a proponent of well-being and a holistic approach to work, Stephen Sokoler's recent Forbes article on corporate love languages deeply resonated with me. ❤️ Here's how I weave these principles into my daily practices:   🚀 Engagement and Empowerment: Empowering my team to make decisions, meaningfully engage in discussion, and feel valued is crucial for cultivating a culture of trust and empowering each person to have a voice in shaping Deloitte’s future.   🌱 Growth: I actively support our team's development through internal promotions, training opportunities, and sponsorships for conferences and our Deloitte University learning programs, which fosters motivation and continuous skill evolution.   🙌 Feedback and Appreciation: Throughout my career, the importance of regular, constructive feedback has been paramount to my personal and professional growth.  Getting real actionable feedback is a gift - but it has to be just that - real and actionable.  Additionally, giving credit where credit is due and expressing gratitude regularly is equally important.   ⚖️ Work-Life Harmony:  As not only a leader but also a mom to two girls, I understand the importance of work-life harmony through flexibility, predictability, and employee assistance programs.    🏆 Recognition and Rewards: From public acknowledgments to bonuses and promotions, it’s extremely important that my team feels valued for their work. Deloitte offers many accolades through spot bonuses, applause awards and shout outs.    Just as we value personal connections, acknowledging others' corporate love languages is important to fostering connections. As we embark on a new year, my goal is to champion these practices, shaping a workplace that celebrates diversity, fosters growth, and values the unique contributions of every individual. #CorporateCulture #LoveLanguages #Deloitte   https://lnkd.in/eZHQwmtf

For Louise Harvey, there’s no ‘cookie cutter’ ideal for what a Deloitte partner should look like. As well as being passionate about her work, she’s never missed one of her children’s school plays. By prioritising her family alongside her career, she’s been able to grow within Deloitte in her own way, staying true to her values. Hear how she juggles life as a busy working parent, and discover more about life at Deloitte. https://deloi.tt/4alNtxW #WhatMattersToYou? #LifeAtDeloitte

Earlier this month, Deloitte hosted Well-Being Week, an annual week-long event focused on promoting the integration of well-being in our daily work, our teams, and our personal lives. This event came just when I started my own reflection on things I wanted (and needed!) to shift immediately and also in the coming year. As a volunteer coach at Deloitte, I was coaching my clients through this type of reflection and permissioning, too. As I close 2023 and prepare physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally for 2024, I figured I'd put my money where my mouth is and share my #MyWellBeingPledge. Simply, I commit to: 👩🏾For myself: Carving out 15 minutes each day for mindful curiosity, then doing a deep dive on Fridays to elevate my knowledge and explore ways to apply that knowledge. ✨For my team (seen here ⬇️): Be clear and transparent, notice and acknowledge the gifts that others showcase, and courageously share my gifts in support of offering different perspectives that elevates our work and our value in the organization. #WellBeingatWork #ReflectandGrow #CouragePermissionSlip #CourageousLeaders

What is it like to be a Partner at Deloitte? Watch this video from Louise Harvey to discover more about staying true to your values, family, entrepreneurial sprit and much more about our culture at Deloitte. Whether you are looking for an imminent move as a Partner or considering a reflective discussion to plan your next move feel free to get in touch with me directly for a confidential conversation.#LifeAtDeloitte

I published two posts a few weeks back with the questions why people want to join Deloitte, and why they stay with us. Now it’s time for the last, important, and also quite obvious question: why do people leave Deloitte? The answer to this, based on the data we collect in exit interviews and listening sessions, is most often connected to people’s own career development aspirations whereas e.g., compensation being lower on the list. We naturally wouldn't want our talent to leave Deloitte, but we understand we cannot totally avoid it either. While delivering real value to our clients and people, we also recognize our role as a learning platform, and there will always be situations when people do transition to next chapter in their careers outside our firm. But what we can do is to ensure the following: 📍 We continue to make sure inclusive leadership, job content, development opportunities and smart colleagues stay at the top of the list of why people do join Deloitte and work for us; and do this by providing our people with the learning and growth opportunities we promise. 📍 We emphasize the importance of the life-long learning part in our strategy as we stand on the doorstep of a whole new area in corporate learning and development – that calls for all people in professional services industry to learn whole new competencies. We all need to take action in aligning our skillsets to the future client agendas – both at organizational and individual level. Individualized learning paths that new technologies can provide to support one’s development are going to change the game fully. 📍 We make sure that our Alumni feel connected to us and know they are welcome back. Being “Colleagues for life” means we celebrate people’s achievement beyond Deloitte; while we naturally wish them also to return!   And in fact, in the last 12 months, 10% of the professionals we have hired are boomerang employees – i.e., people who have left but returned to our firm after leaving. And the total percentage of rehires in our organization has increased to 7%. Me being one of those! I had the privilege to meet two Deloitte Alumni, Colleagues for life Henrietta Haavisto and Titta Heikkinen, over lunch last week. I asked them why they left and what Deloitte gave to them. I was curious to hear their answers, and I'm sure you are too. Stay tuned! #Colleaguesforlife

🎉 Celebrating a Year of Growth at Deloitte! 🚀✨ 🌟 Reflecting on a Year of Achievements: From day one, each project presented an opportunity to learn and excel. Grateful for the challenges that shaped me into a more resilient and capable professional. 🤝 Building Lasting Connections: One of the most rewarding aspects has been the people. Colleagues who turned into friends, mentors who guided, and a supportive community that made every day enjoyable. The collaborative spirit at Deloitte is truly something special. 📈 Professional Development on Fast Track: Deloitte's commitment to professional growth is unparalleled. Whether through training programs, workshops, or exposure to diverse projects, this year has been a masterclass in continuous learning. 🔍 Navigating Complexity: The intricate projects and complex problem-solving have not only honed my skills but also broadened my perspective. Embracing challenges has become second nature, thanks to the dynamic work environment. 💼 Contributing to Impactful Work: Proud to have played a role in projects that make a difference. Deloitte's commitment to making a positive impact in the business world and beyond resonates with my own values. 🙏 Gratitude for the Journey: A heartfelt thank you to everyone at Deloitte – from teammates to leaders – for being part of this incredible journey. Looking forward to the next chapter and the continued pursuit of excellence. 🎊 Cheers to More Milestones: As I celebrate this one-year milestone, I am energized for the future. Here's to many more years of success, learning, and shared accomplishments at Deloitte! 🥂🌟 #DeloitteAnniversary #OneYearStrong #CareerJourney #Gratitude #ProfessionalGrowth

One Month at Deloitte ⚡: From Battlefield Myths to Blooming Potential✊ One month in, and my experience at Deloitte has completely shattered the preconceived notions I had about corporate life. Coming in, I envisioned a ruthless battlefield – a place of fierce competition and constant pressure. But what I've found is a far cry from that – it's more like a thriving ecosystem where collaboration and support are the cornerstones of success.🔑 The people here at Deloitte are truly amazing. They're not just colleagues, they're supportive 🤝teammates who are always willing to lend a hand. Gone are the days of fearing competition; here, it's all about working together towards a shared purpose.☝️ My managers, in particular, have been a fantastic surprise. They're not just bosses, they're mentors who actively invest in my growth and development. 📈They provide constant guidance and encouragement, pushing me to learn and challenge myself.🦾 The opportunities for learning and development are abundant. Every day, I'm surrounded by some of the brightest minds in the business, and there's a constant exchange of knowledge that fuels my personal and professional growth.📈🖋️ Deloitte has completely redefined my perspective on corporate culture. It's a place where collaboration thrives, support is genuine, and opportunities blossom. #DeloitteCulture #SupportiveWorkplace #LearningandGrowth #Mentorship

🌟 💼 Thrilled to share insights from a recent Deloitte event that was a deep dive into the intersection of personal #Purpose and #Career. The discussion sparked a pivotal realization for me: I found my true purpose when the joy of connecting with my clients and seeing the impact of our work had me waking up with enthusiasm, well before my alarm. This alignment of professional endeavors with my inner passion has been truly transformative and I can't talk about this enough to anyone that will listen! Discovering your purpose is not just a nice-to-have; it's a must. It's about finding that sweet spot where your passion meets your work and about creating a legacy where your work leaves a lasting impact. At Deloitte I've embraced the journey of making meaningful differences, driven by the belief that our actions can inspire and elevate those around us. Big thanks to Neisha for hosting, our Chief Purpose and DEl Officer Kwasi Mitchell for leading with vision, and the stellar planning team for bringing us together. Gratitude to my fellow panelists Meadow, Benicia, and Jay for sharing their wisdom and insights. And a heartfelt shoutout to all attendees who enriched the conversation with your engagement. To all on their own professional journeys: I encourage you to seek roles that challenge, fulfill, and align with your purpose, where your work meaningfully contributes to the broader narrative of your life and the lives of others. Let's keep inspiring and being inspired. 🌟 💼 #CareerPurpose #ProfessionalGrowth #DiversityAndInclusion #Inspiration #Leadership