"A big setback I see is focusing on the problem and not on the solution."
Avil Beckford is the founder of The Invisible Mentor, the Art of Learning Leadership Academy, and the creator of The One Problem podcast. She is also an expert interviewer, skilled writer, blogger, and published author.
Her journey to developing effective reading strategies evolved out of a grieving process. As part of her healing, she created a challenge for herself to read the world. While reading many of the nonfiction books during the reading challenge, she experienced déjà vu. Haven’t I read this before, haven’t I read this before. She thought there had to be a better way.
Through research, she discovered that the most accomplished people engaged in leadership reading. Based on what she discovered she created a training program, which has morphed into what it is today. Avil teaches professionals the art of leadership reading, so they can easily incorporate reading into their busy schedule. Instead of reading a nonfiction book cover-to-cover, they learn the art of reading to learn what they need to know.
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Table of Contents
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
Avil Beckford: I love to read, and I cannot remember a time when I didn’t enjoy reading. I read every day because it gives me so much pleasure. I read different genres, but I love murder mysteries and detective stories because they help me to hone my problem-solving skills. My company is called The Invisible Mentor. An invisible mentor is a unique leader you can learn from by observing her from a distance. The name came to me in 2007 while taking a walk in High Park in Toronto.
2020 and 2021 threw a lot of curve balls into business on a global scale. Based on the experience gleaned in the past couple years, how can businesses thrive in 2022? What lessons have you learned?
Avil Beckford: The global pandemic has been horrible, and many people have died. But some good things are happening despite this tragedy. People are paying more attention to self-care. And companies are paying more attention to mental health and well-being. One of the things that people have to be mindful of is that when something bad happens, that tragedy presents opportunities.
That means that, instead of shutting down because of something incredibly sad, take time to reflect on the many opportunities. There’s often a window of opportunity, so you have to respond during a set time frame. As a leader and senior executive in business, what is your organization now able to do that it cannot do before. What processes are now redundant? Are there now new lines of business that the company can expand into? Is your industry expanding or contracting because of the pandemic?
Businesses have to invest in employee training and development. When you invest in your employees, they are happier, more engaged, and satisfied. Have a process in place to recognize employees. Let them know that they matter. For non-essential workers, who want to work from home, how about developing hybrid workplace policies, so they only have to go into the office a few days each week? The policy should ensure that employees who work from home are not penalized and prevented from getting promotions.
Allow employees to have a voice inside the company, especially over the work they do. Psychological safety is becoming more and more important. So leaders in companies have to act now. Make sure that employees understand the company’s top three strategic priorities, so they can contribute to helping the company achieve them
The pandemic seems to keep on disrupting the economy, what should businesses focus on in 2022? What advice would you share?
Avil Beckford: I live in Toronto, and only a few days ago, we came out of another lockdown. Companies need to focus on efficiencies and that doesn’t mean getting rid of staff. Companies can reskill and upskill employees. Recently, I’ve been thinking about artificial intelligence (AI). And every industry has been impacted by it. Many professionals are scared because of AI, but they have nothing to fear. I’ve been incorporating AI into my workflow, and what I’ve discovered is that AI works best, when humans are involved.
I attended a lecture in 2014 at the University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management. The speaker, Marty Neumeier, presented the Rules of Genius. He told us that there were four types of work.
- Robotic Work: This is work that’s algorithmic, computerized, efficient, and purchased.
- Rote Work: Work that’s interchangeable, routinized, outsourced, and managed.
- Skilled Work: This is work that’s standardized, talent-driven, professional, and directed.
- Creative Work: Work that’s unique, imaginative, non-routine, and autonomous. Original work is not “copyable”.
In terms of AI, the best work is creative work. Artificial intelligence can enable an organization to become more efficient. And at the same time can transition employees into new roles.
How has the pandemic changed your industry and how have you adapted?
Avil Beckford: Online training is now more widely accepted. I was already online.
What advice do you wish you received when the pandemic started and what do you intend on improving in 2022?
Avil Beckford: I can’t think of any advice. However, I’m building out my membership site, the Art of Learning Leadership Academy. And a big focus for me is customer service. Now that many organizations have had to move online, many will offer the same programs and services as you do.
How can you stand out? What can you do differently? I’ve attended training, and I’ve read several books on membership sites and subscription services. And while doing this research, I’ve stepped outside my industry, because I want to learn what others are doing right. This allows me to develop better customer service strategy.
Online business surged higher than ever, B2B, B2C, online shopping, virtual meetings, remote work, Zoom medical consultations, what are your expectations for 2022?
Avil Beckford: I expect that trend to continue. As I mentioned before, we just came out of another lockdown a few days ago. We’re not in a post-pandemic situation unfortunately.
How many hours a day do you spend in front of a screen?
Avil Beckford: I spend at least eight hours in front of screen, But I’m incorporating breaks into my day. I go for a walk and I meditate before I start my day.
The majority of executives use stories to persuade and communicate in the workplace. Can you share with our readers examples of how you implement that in your business to communicate effectively with your team?
Avil Beckford: For me, I think it’s more about metaphors and vignettes. For instance, when I want people to understand the importance of applying knowledge from the books they read, I use a specific example. I say that reading a book and not applying the ideas is like spending all day in the kitchen preparing a five-course meal and not eating it. People understand that.
Here’s another one I use. People love to read bestsellers. I say, because a book is a bestseller doesn’t mean it’s any good. It could be. But it could be a bestseller because of the promotion engine behind it. People also understand when I say this.
Business is all about overcoming obstacles and creating opportunities for growth. What do you see as the real challenge right now?
Avil Beckford: A big setback I see is focusing on the problem and not on the solution. Another challenge is staying where it’s comfortable instead of boldly going where no one has gone before. Not much good ever happens when you stay comfortable because you become complacent.
In 2022, what are you most interested in learning about? Crypto, NFTs, online marketing, or any other skill sets? Please share your motivations.
Avil Beckford: I bought a couple of books on Crypto, so I plan to read them. I want to learn more about membership sites and subscription services. I’m interested in intersection thinking. When I read a book, I pick out the big ideas, so I plan to connect seemingly disparate ideas to come up with something new. That’s what intersection thinking is about. It’s about connecting ideas across the different books I read.
A record 4.4 million Americans left their jobs in September in 2021, accelerating a trend that has become known as the Great Resignation. 47% of people plan to leave their job during 2022. Most are leaving because of their boss or their company culture. 82% of people feel unheard, undervalued and misunderstood in the workplace. Do you think leaders see the data and think “that’s not me – I’m not that boss they don’t want to work for? What changes do you think need to happen?
Avil Beckford: It’s a wake-up call. A big problem is that bosses don’t give their direct reports control over their job. Psychological safety is going to become a big issue in organizations. I’ve heard it said countless times that people quit bosses and not companies.
On a lighter note, if you had the ability to pick any business superpower, what would it be and how would you put it into practice?
Avil Beckford: It’s something I’ve been thinking about, and it’s network note-taking, and networked thinking. Most people would not have heard about this. There are a few note-taking applications that help you to make connections between your notes. The technology is not there yet because it is too difficult to use and understand. Most leaders will not invest time in learning this new technology. Those applications also help you with networked thinking. Intersection thinking is part of that.
What does “success” in 2022 mean to you? It could be on a personal or business level, please share your vision.
Avil Beckford: At the end of 2022, I’d love to have 2000 subscribers to my membership site, the Art of Learning Leadership Academy. That’s why I’m investing so much time to learn about membership sites and subscription services.
Jerome Knyszewski, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Avil Beckford for taking the time to do this interview and share her knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Avil Beckford or her company, you can do it through her – Linkedin Page
Disclaimer: The ValiantCEO Community welcomes voices from many spheres on our open platform. We publish pieces as written by outside contributors with a wide range of opinions, which don’t necessarily reflect our own. Community stories are not commissioned by our editorial team and must meet our guidelines prior to being published.
