Janice Bryant Howroyd is an entrepreneur, mentor, author, and more, and she’s sharing her insights on making it big in business today.
When just starting out, how did you find the determination to push through boundaries, eventually becoming a self-made founder of a multi-billion-dollar company?
The determination I’ve engaged to build my organization was instilled by my parents, who saw the need for a girl to harness the powers of thought and discipline in order to succeed in life. Throughout my career, no matter how advanced our technologies and processes are developed, the platform of determination has been the foundation.
How has technology benefited your work and why should companies consider implementing technologies in their workplaces?
It’s difficult for me to envision a company not using technology today. In December, I head to Ghana where businesses are being built and managed from technologies available on cell phones. Many of the workers we represent across over 22 countries, including the USA, prefer communication via cell. Predictive analytics and process maturation all require technology. When technology eases the effort of workers and supports the goals of companies, we win. Technology allows us to win for our clients before we win for ourselves! That’s as it should be.
How have you seen the workforce change over time?
People are people. How we shop and transact life situations have changed as technology has crept into all areas of our lives. This is dynamically true for worker relationships. Workers often prefer video interviews to office interviews, they complete applications electronically and that’s before they even show up for the first day of work. Mobility and data access are only part of a greater shift in worker relationships. The power of immediate organization and information sharing are present more, and social responsibility in the workplace and by the employer are very important today. Goals, individually, are shifting to quality of life experience which often allows for more creative ideas about compensation and workday requirements. It’s an exciting time, and innovative companies can be leading, instead of following, with so many opportunities in consideration.
What advice do you have for professionals looking to grow their careers?
Professionals who want to grow their careers should follow my ABCs. They were tools for my growth and I’ve been told they have helped many people. They are:
- A: Ask the right questions
- B: Be where you say you’ll be
- C: Communicate
We see a lot of importance on work-life balance and how this is rapidly changing. How has the focus on employee happiness evolved over time?
Employees have always wanted to be happy in life. Historically, we worked to earn money to allow us to do the things we’d prefer to do. Today, we prefer to find work doing the very things we want to do and we are prepared to engage technology and mobility of space to achieve it.
