It’s essential viewing for women in business – no matter what type of business you’re in: you must watch “The Holiday” at least once. I know, I know – you’re thinking it’s a sappy chick flick or you’ve already seen it and you KNOW it’s a sappy chick flick.
But THAT means you’re missing the awesome tips inside for women in business.
We’re told all the time that we should read self-help books and take courses and…well, you know how long the list is of things we SHOULD be doing. Why not sit down, relax, kick back and watch a click flick for some good old fashioned business advice? Now, if you haven’t seen the movie, this post is going to be a complete spoiler. Read on or click away and rent – you’ve been warned!
When all you care about is work, people notice. Amanda starts off our story by booting out a boyfriend who has sought solace in his (ahem) assistant after Amanda’s proven herself a workaholic who sleeps with her Blackberry. Bottom line is that when you don’t pay attention to the people in your life who want to be with you, they’ll go find someone else to be with. Take time each day to figure out what’s important and remember: we make room in our lives for what and who is important to us.
When someone’s a jerk, people notice. Iris, Amanda’s British counterpart, has been in love with Jasper for ages. While Jasper’s been dallying with other ladies, mind you. We open up on the company holiday party where one of Iris’s coworkers informs her that when your fella is shagging another gal, you never call him again – you don’t do his laundry. When she shares her Jasper story with Miles later on in the movie, Miles concurs: Jasper is not a nice guy. The lesson? Trust your friends and colleagues to tell you when someone (or something) is no good. It’s a great lesson for both business and living in general.
Sometimes it takes other people to bring out the best in you. By the end of the movie, Amanda’s found love with Iris’s brother in a remote London suburb, Iris and Miles are sharing puppy eyes for one another, Arthur’s received a lifetime achievement award (and accepted it using his own two feet) following some help from Iris and Jasper’s officially gotten the boot. The lesson? It’s why I have a wonderful career as an executive coach: I help people find their potential and provide support. It’s a greta day when I can help people see things that are right there in front of them but they can’t see without a little help. Go find YOUR support structure – that extra set of eyes. Let your career blossom!
And now I’m curious – is there a movie that you found unexpected wisdom in? Do tell – I’ll watch your movie if you watch mine!
