VM Mutually Inclusive - April 2019

APRIL 2019

MUTUALLY

INCLUSIVE How to find purpose in your work life

The purposeful path STRONG INTEGRATED FINANCIAL GROUP • MODERN MUTUAL • EMPLOYER OF CHOICE • MODEL CORPORATE CITIZEN

Editors’ Message Team, as you know, at Victoria Mutual we believe in purposeful work. When you are working from a genuine place of purpose, everything is better.

We’ve curated some tips to help you find your purpose at work. Also, in this issue, we help you to reach for excellence with 9 tips to achieve excellence at work. Plus, we help you to catch up on the news you might have missed, and share highlights from two very busy days in Montego Bay. Enjoy!

If you have any questions or comments, please send us an email at vmcorporateaffairs@myvmgroup. com

Clover & Dayton 2

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Nine ways to strive for excellence 3

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Two ways to find purpose at work

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In case you missed it!

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Two big days in MoBay

2 WAYS TO FIND

PURPOSE AT WORK When we are present to being useful to others who might need our help, we can find purpose in the moment.

“Every day it feels like I’m rolling a big boulder up a hill. I'm tired. I wonder what all this hard work is for,” an executive coaching client said, somewhat resigned.

For many of us, work is a pay cheque and we think we’ll find fulfilment elsewhere. Yet, by the time we’re done putting in the hours at work, there is no energy left for anything else. Despite all the research that shows that finding meaning in work is good for our well-being and for our work, Gallup surveys show consistently that almost 70% of us are disengaged. Many stay at work for the secure pay cheque and benefits.

Finding your purpose at work can change all of that.

ATM would give me. As I stood pondering options, an older lady walked up. She had walked in the summer heat. She too was disappointed to see the bank closed. I had forgotten my phone but she had hers, so we decided to look up other bank branches that would be open on a Saturday. We found one within two miles and I offered to drive her. As we sat in the car, she said her name was Wanda and shared her story. She had walked from the emergency centre in the community. Her husband was in hospice care. He was suffering from cancer and had complications from the chemotherapy. He had asked to be removed from life-support tubes. He was breathing on his own but hadn’t eaten anything in a few days.

Here are two ways you can find purpose at work:

Find purpose in the moment True story that illustrates the importance of finding purpose in the moment. One Saturday morning I went to the bank to get cash. The bank was closed and I needed more than the

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She had asked her two daughters to come back to town to say goodbye. I felt at once sad and grateful for our encounter. It seemed like we were both in the right place at the right time. We hugged as I dropped her back to the emergency centre. In that moment, I felt purposeful.

executive coaching clients to pay attention to their energy throughout the day as a way to expand their self-awareness about what fuels them. As they pay attention and reflect on this, they discover they can be more intentional about creating those moments of meaning and purpose.

When we are present to being useful to others who might need our help, we can find purpose in the moment. Many of us are in search of a grand purpose to which we can dedicate our lives like Martin Luther King or Nelson Mandela. I hope many of us find it. But, when we myopically search for this grand purpose, there is a risk.

Let's not lose the opportunity to recognise the daily moments where we can be purposeful . If you feel gratitude, you may have just found your purpose in the moment.

My client recently discovered that a particular work project really energises him because it serves the broader community. Another client found out that she was fueled by interactions with people where they were brainstorming ideas. Yet another client finds his peak moments when he is mentoring others. The key is to build more of these peak experiences into your work day so you find the meaning you seek at work.

Your well-being and your work are at stake.

What is your experience with finding purpose at work?

Find purpose in peak experiences

Adapted from an article that first appeared on Forbes.com, written by Henna Inam, a global C-level executive coach and author of Wired for Authenticity.

Many times we find ourselves unexpectedly fuelled or energised in a meeting, a work project or in an interaction with a colleague. I ask my

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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!

Were you able attend our recent Evening of Inspiration?

It was an awesome evening of worship. Here are some highlights:

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May will be a busy month. Not only is it recognised as Child's Month, it also features some key events for the VM Group. Here are some dates to mark on your calendar:

SAVE THESE DATES MAY 23 - LABOUR DAY

You know that the VM Team is always eager to lend a helping hand. This year we will be focusing on the Adopt-a-Clinic initiative and doing some work in Spanish Town. Look out for more information on this soon.

MAY 25

I AM VM Awards - Our Team worked hard in 2018. Now it's time to celebrate excellence. This year, we will be taking the celebration to our Fairview, Montego Bay location. It's going to be a grand affair. Look out for more information.

MAY 28

The VMIL Annual General Meeting will take place at the Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.

MAY 30

The VMBS Annual General Meeting will take place at the Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.

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TWO BIG DAYS IN MOBAY April 24 and 25 featured two big moments for the VM Group. The VM Financial Centre in Fairview, Montego Bay was officially opened during a lovely evening ceremony at the location. Keynote speaker at the event was Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr Nigel Clarke. The next morning, Victoria Mutual Money Transfer Services opened its third VM Money Express location, at 38 Market Street, Montego Bay. The opening featured a ribbon-cutting and blessing of the location.

Here are some highlights from both events.

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WAYS TO STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE

• Have pride in yourself and your work • Share your knowledge and talents with those who value them • Believe that you will make this world a better place through your contributions • Practice gratitude for the small and unpredictable moments • Learn something new as you work towards being your personal best • Show compassion and empathy for others • Choose to excel despite the level of difficulty • Honour your needs and make them a priority • Reflect on your successes that contribute to a larger goal

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