charlesinhk – The Searchlight of Insight

Top 10 Tips to Start a New Job Well

May 28, 2023 No Comments

📈 Starting a new job? Here are ten tips that will get you off to a great start. Some of them are basic but still important to remember.

Have a read below and let me know if there is anything you would add!

1️⃣ Be punctual: Arrive on time for work and meetings to show that you are reliable and take your job seriously.

2️⃣ Dress appropriately: Dress professionally and in accordance with the dress code of your workplace. Ask ahead of time about the dress code in case you are uncertain.

3️⃣ Be friendly and polite: Remember, you will be making a lot of "first impressions" in the early days. Make an effort to introduce yourself to your colleagues. Be polite and friendly to everyone you meet.

4️⃣ Listen and learn: Take time to listen and learn from your colleagues and supervisors. Be open to feedback and ask questions to understand your role and responsibilities better. Specifically learn how decisions are made, how budgets are set and managed… and how your boss is measured on their success.

5️⃣ Set goals: Set goals for yourself and work towards achieving them. This will help you stay motivated and focused on your job. You'll have lots of early insights into things that could be changed, improved, or done differently. Keep a journal/list of these insights and tuck them away for rainy days or future goals.

6️⃣ Be organised: Keep your workspace organised and manage your time effectively to ensure that you meet deadlines to make those early impressions positive.

7️⃣ Build relationships: Build positive relationships with your colleagues and supervisors. This will help you work more effectively as part of a team and could lead to new opportunities in the future. Everyone you meet is a future resource and potential ambassador for you.

8️⃣ Show initiative: Take the initiative to offer help to your colleagues or to suggest new ideas that could benefit the company. Remember that list under Point 5 above.

9️⃣ Be adaptable: Be adaptable and flexible in your approach to work. Be open to new ideas and ways of working, and be willing to learn and try new things. It will take time to adapt to the company's culture and things might be different from what you are accustomed to. Maintain flexibility!

🔟 Stay Positive: Maintain a positive attitude and stay enthusiastic about your new job. This will help you to overcome any challenges and enjoy your work. Lots of people get cynical about their company over time. Don't let this happen – have every day be a new day.

Good luck and congratulations on your new job!

You can find the original LinkedIn post here, prior to my turning it into an article.

If you found this post helpful then please… like, comment, share, and follow below… thanks! 👇🏻

2022 LinkedIn Lives with Charles

December 30, 2022 No Comments

Hiring at ESF in Hong Kong!

20 December 2022

Join Charles Caldwell (ESF HR Director) Kunal Mulchandani (ESF Head of Talent Acquisition) with other HR colleagues as they discuss Hong Kong’s return to normal and ESF's 2023 career opportunities. This is an upbeat session talking about the amazing things happening in Hong Kong. And we love ESF. Let our staff speak for themselves with a 4.2 rating on #Glassdoor. Click here to watch this LinkedIn Live.

What Do You Do, To Reset?

24 February 2022

Hard to believe that we're two months into 2022 and the beginning of Q2. How are you feeling? Are you on track to accomplish your goals? To be the best that you can be? Do you need a tune-up or a reset for Q2 2022? Join me and Emily R. Williams, Allie Correal 🦋, and Maribel Ortega as we talk about success strategies for resetting and ensuring you have the most successful year possible. Click here to watch this LinkedIn Live.

How ESF assists staff with relocating to Hong Kong

11 February 2022

Join Charles Caldwell (ESF HR Director) and the ESF Talent Acquisition Team, Kunal Mulchandani (ESF Head of Talent Acquisition), Mike Diep and Karen Ng. We share how ESF assists staff with relocating to Hong Kong, before, during & after relocation. HK is a dynamic, exciting city & ESF is a great place as your next career destination! Click here to watch this LinkedInLive.

Strategic Thinking with Stephen Soo

11 February 2022

Thanks for joining us today and please tell us from where you are watching! Charles Caldwell and Stephen Soo CPA talk about strategic thinking and Stephen's world in Australia. Stephen shares his insights and thoughts on (1) Leaders taking time to deliberately plan and reflect (2) How the economy is in his part of Australia (Melbourne), (3) The current job market and (4) How people have reacted to the COVID global pandemic. Send us your reactions and comments, too. Click here to watch this LinkedInLive.

A Defining Moment In My Leadership Journey

6 February 2022

Charles shares a pivotal, defining leadership moment when he went from dominating employees to empowering employees. What we need today are leaders willing to "uncork the bottle", get out of the way and let employees flourish. Please tell me what you think… did this story touch you?

Click here to watch this LinkedInLive.

ESF is Hiring!

28 January 2022

Join Charles Caldwell (ESF HR Director) and Kunal Mulchandani (ESF Head of Talent Acquisition) as they discuss career opportunities currently available at ESF and why we love ESF. Let our staff speak for themselves with a 4.2 rating on #Glassdoor.

We believe we're making a difference for the future generation. As Charles says, "My ceiling is the next generation's floor." Kunal is a 3rd generation ESF graduate and now working at ESF. ESF has very motivated students – our staff always tell us this fact!

This is a very exciting time to be at ESF as subvention phases out and a new flagship Island School is built among many exciting projects.

ESF works on an accountability model but that doesn't make it any less of a caring organisation. Our staff benefit from working in a collaborative environment that provides internal mobility. Staff always report that the professional learning opportunities are outstanding. Visit English Schools Foundation careers section of our web site to find ESF job opportunities.

We finish on a note of highlighting the importance of pausing, reflecting, and looking after one's wellbeing as we move through the third year of #COVID.

Wishing everyone a safe & successful 2022 🎉🧨 and Happy Year of the Tiger 🐯

Click here to watch this LinkedInLive.

Pause & Reflect

26 January 2022

Click here to watch this LinkedIn Live.

First LinkedIn Live:

Stay Positive

25 January 2022

Click here to watch this LinkedInLive.

If you enjoyed this post, please click the thumbs up icon (above or below) to let me know, comment and pass it on. Thank you!

Finally, the Shirt Fits

March 1, 2020 No Comments

In March / April 2002 I sailed in Antigua Race Week with, among other people, the late David James. Towards the end of the week I attempted to buy a race week shirt… no extra-large la!!! There was no way I was going to leave Antigua without a shirt from such an amazing sailing experience. So… I bought a “Large” and VOWED that SOMEDAY the shirt would fit me. That shirt sat on the bottom of my drawer for eons, watching other well-weathered shirts come and go. “What about me?” it cried. You’re too small was the answer. Through the past 18 years I fought against age and weight, even completing a 47-day fast … yes, 47 days of no food on the controversial Master Cleanser, but the shirt never fit.

Until yesterday.

“That day” that I promised in 2002, was this weekend, Charles says kinda emotionally. The shirt danced for joy.

Alas, in my quest to fight aging and hold on to youth, in the poignant way that F. Scott Fitzgerald describes Gatsby’s desperation to regain Daisy’s love, this weekend I slipped below 180 lbs. (That’s 25 lbs lost, for the record.) I discarded two huge garbage bags of clothes that hung off me like bulky rags and thanked each item for their time with me. My favourite suits, who were my “Armour of God” during lots of difficult meetings – thanked and gone. I took the dog, deposited the bags at the Salvation Army so as not to have the items slip back into my human regard to hold on to the past. Together the dog and I walked the long walk home in search of the next milestone. (At left: yours truly at the helm during Antigua Race Week, 2002)

I have officially entered the post-Trent University weight universe. I weigh less than when I worked at Landmark Education in Vancouver and Toronto in the 1990s. We’re in the BC Yachts days, folks. What’s next? (At left: the crew from Antigua Race Week, 2002. The lion in my right hand was a US primary school project, sending the lion all over the world. It happened to land with me during a lot of travel!)

My Noom coach said, “listen to what your body wants next.” I listened. The body returned “I want a work-out. I want planking. I want intensity. I want more.” So I planked. The kids panicked, thinking I was having a heart attack. “No, I’m planking,” I laughed! Then Erika Gutierrez said, "you're never too old to learn how to shuffle dance."

Today marks 100 days of my weight loss journey. The next universe is the Trent University graduation dinner and then … high school. I ran fast back then but didn’t train well. I took advantage of my speed and scoffed at flexibility. Now I embrace training, tuning, flexibility… and the 1980s Nike LDV has turned into the Nike Next %. I’ll take it. I don’t know everything, but “now I know in part” and have less youthful arrogance – I hope and pray! I’m not good at any of this and am still relatively slow. But I see the vision. Where am I going? I’m going after my high school running times. No one knows them and I doubt Stephen Walton, who held the watch, remembers. But I remember, and I have those times in my sights. (At left, 1996 tuxedo pants still fit and are a bit baggy!)

What I didn’t expect, was how emotional this journey would be. What’s with that? I’m like all weepy here. It’s just a workout. It’s just a run. Or is it? Rational business brain says, “Yuh, that’s all it is, nothing more. Get over it.” But according to my feelings and intuition, apparently not. Regardless, radar says, “Keep sailing into the unknown. Believe in the horizon.”

Noom awards a break at 100 days. No lessons. No coaching. Meal logging optional. Last night there were protests and teargas in Hong Kong. Tonight there are three new coronavirus cases in Hong Kong. But tomorrow the running game resumes. Stay active. Move regardless of what the movement: walking, running, planking, stretching – it’s all good. Question your world. Aim higher because there’s something more.

So we beat on, shoes against the pavement, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

Now on Fiverr!

April 25, 2019 No Comments

Applewatch: 6 Action Insights After 6 Weeks

June 6, 2015 No Comments

In addition to breaking a 43-year habit, here is how #Applewatch has impacted my life six weeks into settling onto my left wrist. Let's put one thing to rest straight off: the battery. I use the Applewatch from roughly 7 AM to midnight, sometimes to 1 AM. In one month, the lowest the battery dipped is 52%. Most of the time battery usage is in the mid 60's. I could probably push usage to two days without a re-charge if needed.

If you’re following the latest articles on Applewatch, the following insights may sound familiar. But that’s not the point. I have found that I am not alone in my action insights – i.e. the insights that drive me to change behavior and take action via the Applewatch. This comes from reading usage articles, but also from Wristly. If you are an Applewatch owner, following Wristly is a must. Wristly is a new market research firm that provides early actionable insights and competitive benchmarks on newly released products. Through their Apple Watch Owners Research Project, they capture early usage trends, stats, insights, likes/dislikes, etc. It’s fascinating to see the traction of insights and behavior change taking place amongst fellow Applewatch owners. Here are some of mine:

To continue reading click here…

16 Life Tips After Being A Cover Story At 22

May 5, 2015 No Comments

At 22, I was on the front cover of Canadian Business magazine. The story of how I landed there is awesome and I am grateful to the magazine. (And that's another post.) The 30th anniversary of the issue passed uneventfully last summer. Looking back, if I had advice for that quietly arrogant, know-it-all, I would say the following:

(1) Advice is typically meant to be given, not taken, therefore always be cautious when giving advice. (Similarly, don'#IFIWERE22t coach anyone who doesn't wish to be coached.) Regardless, perhaps you can find some direction in the insights below, #IFIWERE22.

To continue reading click here…

#Applewatch Breaks 43-Year #Habit in Seconds

April 26, 2015 No Comments

The #applewatch went on sale at 3:00 PM in Hong Kong a few Fridays ago. I purchased it at 3:01 PM. The device arrived on 24 April, just as Apple promised. The set-up process was divine and super-fast. I felt as though I was entering The Matrix when asked to pair the device with my iPhone, using a swirling universe of blue dots… the prettiest QR code in the history of technology. Somewhere during this process, applewatch asked me if it would live on my left wrist or right wrist. I am right handed but wear my watch on my right wrist.

To continue reading click here…

Leadership In Action – So Simple

March 24, 2015 No Comments

Watch this sequence of videos from the Volvo Ocean Race currently taking place deep in the southern ocean and hear simple Leadership In Action. The six racing yachts are roughly 5 – 6 days from Auckland on Leg 5 of the race, charging into the loneliest and most dangerous, remote waters on the planet. Thousands of miles from land and closer to icebergs, these crews are in very stressful circumstances. Plus, the weather is insane and cold.
To continue reading click here…

Volvo Ocean Race & Prayer

March 22, 2015 No Comments

Sticking with the wave theme from my last post, I've been following the Volvo Ocean Race. Leg 5 is underway, and the six boats headed out from New Zealand a few days ago for the most dangerous part of the entire race. This is the most exciting part of the race to watch, too, and has me all introspective. The video above (snatched from the 2008/2009 race) will give you a sense of the speeds and force the boats and crews endure in the coming weeks.

But as these six #‎VolvoOceanRace‬ yachts charge into the loneliest and most dangerous, remote ocean on the planet, each will deploy a drifter buoy on behalf of ‪#‎NOAA‬ (U.S.-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). The buoys will help scientists understand how the southern ocean contributes to global weather, warming and environmental trends. Read more about this valuable partnership and project at this link.

Meanwhile, yesterday was the union Church AGM and I opened the meeting in prayer. I recall years ago when I regularly did the offertory prayer I used to post them on my blog. I decided to do the same for yesterday's prayer. Enjoy.

Opening Prayer for Union Church Annual General Meeting

Let us collect ourselves, sit up straight, breath deep. Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Be still and please bow yours heads in prayer.

Lord, Jesus Christ, come Holy Spirit. Come Holy Spirit. I pray Acts 1:8 upon our evening: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Breathe in the Holy Spirit.

I lift up before the congregation, a reminder that Union Church was founded on two principles on 27 July, 1849. First, is our duty to confess Jesus Christ and to do what we can to win men to the faith in the Gospel. To that end, I pray upon those here this evening, 1 Thessalonians 2:4 “For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.” Let us take a moment to hand over to the Lord Jesus any burdens, hurt, distress, guilt, sin, sorrow. Jesus is with us, he is as close as the breath in your lungs. Let everything go. Place it in the hands of our Lord and receive the Father’s love in its place. I pray that as the Lord examines us this evening that our hearts, motives and words will be pleasing to Him and filled with the Fruits of the Spirit. Let us continue to pray.

The second principle is “our duty not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, but be a union…” By the blood of Jesus I pray the words spoken in 1849… “We differ in small matters, we agree in great realities…. Believing that we have been individually received by Christ, we joyfully receive one another, and pray that our doing so may be to the Glory of God” this evening.

Let us pray for the wisdom and protection of all Union Church families and friends, but especially the existing leaders, new leaders stepping into positions tonight and for leaders stepping down from positions tonight. I pray Matthew 16:18, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” I pray further upon the leaders, Isaiah 54:17 “no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD and their vindication from me, declares the LORD.”

Let us take a special moment for those leaders stepping down, and pray thanks and give praise for their service. I pray Matthew 25:23, “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” On behalf of everyone at Union Church I stand prayerfully in the gap before Jesus and give thanks for you. Do you know the love of The Father, the Love that He has over you? Do you know the Joy of The Father… the Joy that He has over you? I invite everyone, as we enter in our Annual General Meeting, to enter into the Joy of Our Heavenly Father.

Praise be to God. Amen.

The Sound of Waves

February 23, 2015 No Comments

The triplets were born eleven years ago today at 10:41 AM (Jasper), 10:43 AM (Sela) and 10:44 AM (Carys). You all know the story and if you don't, here is the summary: 14 weeks premature, 3+ months in the NICU at QMH hospital, all three had brain bleeds (in fact Sela had the worst brain hemorrhage) along with a whole host of other issues. Thank the Lord that eleven years later you would never know. In fact, they're old enough that today Carys counted off their births. As re-counted by Carys just before dinner, at 10:41 AM Carys thought to herself, "Jasper was just born." At 10:43 AM, "Sela was just born." At 10:44 AM, "I was just born and now I am eleven years old!" Yes you are, Carys.

We had a small birthday dinner tonight, along with a wonderful cake made by Liza that won top marks for presentation. Allegedly Sebastian helped with the decorating. Afterwards the triplets opened a small pile of gifts – lately we've been reducing expectations that each birthday or Christmas doesn't always come with a big expensive present. Simple things seemed to please: a new football and drumsticks for Jasper. Blue-tooth headphones and desk lamps for the girls. Of course there was the Groupon helicopter ride for Jasper a few weeks ago and in mid-March a "One Direction" concert for the girls, but all in all, relatively low key. The girls enjoyed a Birthday Tram Party a few weeks ago. Jasper, in addition to the helicopter ride, had a movie night with some friends. In a few weeks we'll complete the birthday celebrations when Maureen (Tess' mom) with a fancy family dinner. Truly this year the triplets have subscribed to the Extended Birthday Theory including a spontaneous birthday cake at a friend's BBQ this past weekend.

The whole thing just amazes me. Each breakfast I sit and marvel at chatty Carys and how far she has traveled since eleven years ago tonight. It was about this time eleven years ago to the minute I started to set-up the web site. That night I consumed a block of cheese and a significant portion of a bottle of white wine, if not all. (I've since given up wine and other like beverages, and should give up cheese for this year's season of Lent.) Tess was in the hospital receiving minimal morphine after a c-section. Before I went to bed I prayed. The silence from God was so loud, I heard nothing. Many have heard me share how I heard an expectant nothing late that night, but I knew that God was listening. Years later I am starting to hear the sound in the silence as if the storm settled to the slow and peaceful chorus of rolling waves at night.

I then find years later what is considered to be the oldest sailors' hymn based on Psalm 107:23-30 from several hundred years ago:

When by the dreadful tempest borne
High on the broken wave,
They know Thou art not slow to hear,
Nor impotent to save.

The storm is laid, the winds retire,
Obedient to Thy will;
The sea that roars at Thy command,
At Thy command is still.

Happy 11th Birthday to Carys, Sela and Jasper!

No matter how hard the storm, stop to smell the roses and listen to the sound of the waves.

Author: charlesinhk

Hiring at ESF in Hong Kong!

20 December 2022

What Do You Do, To Reset?

24 February 2022

How ESF assists staff with relocating to Hong Kong

11 February 2022

Strategic Thinking with Stephen Soo

11 February 2022

A Defining Moment In My Leadership Journey

6 February 2022

ESF is Hiring!

28 January 2022

Pause & Reflect

26 January 2022

First LinkedIn Live:

Stay Positive

25 January 2022

If you enjoyed this post, please click the thumbs up icon (above or below) to let me know, comment and pass it on. Thank you!

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