I’ve been known by many different names over the years and most of them polite.  Come to think of it, they’ve all been polite although maybe any impolite ones simply haven’t reached my ears.  There’ve been a few I’ve liked more than others.  After 45 years as Heather Haydon, I was keen to keep my birth name and nickname, H-squared.  Then surprised myself and my now husband with a last-minute switch to Heather Watt on our wedding day.  I simply wasn’t up for the confusion.  I’m cool with most derivations although my eye begins to twitch when it’s written as Heather Watts – as my dad and my husband will testify, two of me would be a burden.

My name is part of my identity, and I was so pleased that over a year ago this amazing tool was being promoted.  #MyNameIs - Name Pronunciation Tool - Race Equality Matters.  So much better than asking candidates, “how do you like to be called?” at the beginning of an interview, although it’s been my fall-back position for so long.  Writing this reminded me about a manager I worked with back in the day.  He frequently called me Hazel rather than Heather, although I resisted the temptation to embarrass him.  Mostly my polite retort was, “think of me as a flower, rather than a nut”.  Looking back, he’d be mortified to learn that I didn’t enjoy the experience of working with someone who couldn’t get the details right.  I was just 20 and now I’m better equipped to recognise that’s why he recruited me!

And quite simply that’s the benefit of my strengths and experience.  I’ve learned about complementary skills and the power of teams.  Recruitment is not about cloning what we’ve got already but adding richness to the mix with talents from different backgrounds.  A previous assignment focused on business transformation and relocation.  While several managers were keen to replicate what they were losing from London, others sought to create the dream team of complementary strengths and aspirations.  For me, the latter added the most excitement as we needed to dig deep into team dynamics and diversity of approach.  Be honest, if you know me already, it’s generally taken for granted that I enjoy breaking the mould, so you’ll not be surprised.

It's been a while since I’ve updated my blog and I hope you’ll enjoy this light-hearted account of what’s kept me from writing.  The catalyst for this change of heart is mostly down to how busy I’ve been with stuff.  Thanks to a personal recommendation, I was liberated from retirement and haven’t looked back.

Well, maybe there’s the odd glance at how I used to fill my days – writing, some coaching, some caring and lots of creating.  My garden and my kitchen were where I spent most of my time.  Pruning and baking, sewing and writing replaced thankless commuting and completing VAT returns.  Of course, I missed creating havoc around Resourcing and Recruitment – who wouldn’t?  But I was happy walking in the pool, catching up with friends and plotting my next big adventure.

So here I am wondering why this refocus of attention has meant that I’ve lost my knack of juggling and balance.  There’s something here about self-confidence, too.  If you don’t do something for a while, you think you’ve forgotten how and of course that’s simply untrue.  Did I forget how to make an awesome bake, create sugar flowers or swim in the pool?  Clearly not, then what impacted my writing so significantly?

I still love my website and publishing my blog stories, although it seems that I may have lost my nerve when it comes to Linked In.  So much corporate content and slick imagery, I feared I’d got behind.  Hopefully with the imminent dawn of a New Year, I can put any “wobbles” behind me and sprinkle some fairy dust on your dreams and aspirations.  It’s time to dream big and make that list of what you want to do differently in 2023.  And if I can help with that, then get in touch – Let’s Talk.