Why New Year’s resolutions don’t work
Three time-tested work philosophies from Lazada leaders that you can pin on your 2023 career vision board
MANILA, Philippines — Let’s face it: resolutions are always tied to "New Year" for a reason—more often than not, they never make it past the beginning of the year and are easily forgotten after everyone has eased into reality.
So why still make them?
From the leading e-commerce platform that is thriving in the digital economy today, three leaders from Lazada Philippines share their thoughts about sustaining high performance at work, the essentials needed to thrive in this period of disruption and uncertainty, and insights on the breed of new generation leaders to whom the future belongs.
Take risks and take full accountability
At Lazada Philippines, employees are passionate about being a platform for businesses of all sizes to reach Filipinos across the country. As Lazada works towards creating more meaningful opportunities to drive the local economy, they invest in talent, and admit that their workplace is fast-paced and high-pressure, built for the dynamic, driven and determined.
Lazada Philippines CEO Carlos Barrera shares, “We are in the business of building businesses. We’re only going to do well if our sellers do well. We work with brands and also empower MSMEs. They’re the lifeblood of eCommerce and are willing to risk to really grow."
"With this responsibility comes the need to empower and invest in our talent—equipping them in various skill and competency areas. This applies not only to our own employees but even those within our ecosystem—our sellers and partners.
"I always like to challenge our leaders—make decisions their teams have challenges in making, take on responsibilities their teams can't bear, and help them get access to resources to succeed. I learned this from one of our brilliant Alibaba Group leaders, and I live by this philosophy," he added.
Be the shoulder someone else could stand on
Lazada is committed to building a more inclusive digital commerce industry with initiatives to uplift women and the youth, and provide them with opportunities to participate in the digital economy.
Sheryll Nito, head of Business Development and Platform Governance, shared that the future belongs to companies and leaders who invest in women and the next generation.
“Throughout my journey at Lazada, I never felt my gender became a barrier to success. I even see it as an advantage that as a woman, I possess the empathy to understand our consumers on a deeper level, and the ability to adapt to change and oversee multiple initiatives at once.”
In addition, the company launched Lazada x For The Women Data Science Scholarship, specifically to provide training opportunities to young women, in a country where households increasingly rely on the women in the family to uplift their quality of life.
For its first cohort, the scholars have since been placed in new data science roles, effecting a significant increase in their average monthly earnings.
“Our workforce consists of a healthy mix of both genders across all age groups who add value to our operations by bringing different and new ideas and a wealth of industry experience,” Nito added.
Create your future, don't leave it to chance and luck
Janet Basa-Siasoco, head of Business Analytics, naturally hinges her decisions on data, even for the smallest choices she makes.
“One of the things that make our culture special is that we’re highly analytical. Our people really know their data, their numbers, and they’re constantly tracking things. We are constantly adjusting.”
At Lazada PH, they have an open culture that motivates Lazadians to chart their development within the company. Through constant self-enablement and a solid support system, Lazadians drive their own career paths to create bigger impact in the organization and the communities that they serve.
Speaking of being-data driven, an employee survey is regularly conducted by an external partner, and through this constant effort to improve through feedback, the company aims to provide better opportunities to inspire their people and support them to pursue their purpose and grow in Lazada.
In the spirit of being aggressive and proactive in shaping what is to come in 2023, Barerra also closed the year by extending this for them to reflect on: “I want you all to think about what you want to do differently, and what we can do better next year to come back reenergized and to go all out from day one. It's important for us to continue our speed and to execute faster than ever; you will always have my support to make sure we all reach our goals together.”
Among these three resolutions, one thing is clear: resolutions work if they are made for the betterment of others beyond oneself. So go ahead and challenge yourself: what can I do differently this year to make those around me, not just myself, better than last year?
If you're passionate about enabling Filipinos to shop and sell online, innovating where retail meets technology, and working with a growing and diverse team in the Philippines and across Southeast Asia, find your own start to a promising career in e-commerce by visiting the Lazada PH LinkedIn page.
- Latest
