Personal development for my career: Summary of the podcast with Romain Coique.
- Jennyfer MONTANTIN
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
In this third episode of our podcast series, I had the pleasure of sharing a moment of conversation with Romain Coique, author of a poignant book that I highly recommend you read. This book, entitled "Deconditioning: Change Your Thought Pattern to Succeed," brilliantly illustrates the optimism and pragmatism that our guest of the day has demonstrated throughout his very atypical professional development.
A moment during which we discussed a subject close to my heart and which is still the source of many apprehensions in the public sphere. Indeed, I am talking here about personal development. This notion, so important in professional life, is still perceived today as a secret and intimate work of introspection that should not be revealed.
I - Personal development: A tool for changing your professional future.
From the outset of our conversation, it was with a mixture of astonishment and admiration that I learned a little more about Romain's career. It commands respect, because it was built through experience and determination, and above all because it was never linear.
"I was lucky enough to work for some great companies, but I don't come from that world at all. I originally worked in factories."
With these words, Romain describes the path he took over time, a path made up of numerous small jobs (cashier, order preparer, etc.) and which then opened up to new perspectives. And according to him, if these perspectives were able to appear to him, it is mainly thanks to the exchanges, the books he read, and all the experiences he was able to confront during this period. In his own words, he did not know at the time that it was "personal development," but it was indeed all the questions he asked himself that had an impact on his new professional direction.
"I was able to escape from this environment and gradually discover other things [...] I said to myself: I have to motivate myself."
II. Open up to professional mobility.
It is with enthusiasm that I note throughout our conversation how Romain has demonstrated an extremely positive mindset throughout his career. And it is largely this state of mind that has allowed him to achieve his goals in terms of "social advancement" and planning for the future. In this regard, he shares with me the importance of openness to increased social mobility, which, according to him, is becoming a major criterion for fulfillment in professional life.
“The days of staying in a company for 10 years may be over.”
And I can only admire Romain when he explains his vision of things in terms of projection. For him, each position he held, each job he obtained was only a step in his ascent and in the evolution of his career . Moreover, he goes even further in this reasoning, since he invites employees to adopt this way of thinking, and to no longer consider as definitive the situations that seem at first glance inextricable. In other words, it is a message of hope and motivation that Romain transmits to us. Nothing is acquired, nothing is fixed. It is up to us to accept certain things, to question ourselves and to explore the different facets of our activity and our personality.
"You have to keep in mind that there are scenarios that can be drawn up. The ideal is to be able to draw them up yourself."
III. Build a personal journey by drawing on one's own resources.
What struck me most in Romain's speech was the way he put the situation into perspective and the ease with which he nuanced the question of the responsibility of the different actors.
In fact, he explained to me that, in his opinion, we should not place all the responsibility for the employee's personal development on managers and other HR managers.
According to him, it is possible to create your own tailor-made professional (and even personal) training plan/path , based on your needs. This heavy training responsibility should not be left solely to your company's HR departments, which are often burdened by numerous internal constraints.
In a complex world, we must relearn how to learn and take action. If necessary, do not hesitate to visit his website www.romaincoique.com
“Everyone must find the right balance”
These are his own words, which perfectly sum up the complexity of the functions that managers must fulfill. To summarize, and this is once again what I took away from Romain's motivating speech, there are certain responsibilities and certain risks (measured, of course) that must be taken by the employee himself . Romain also underlines the secure framework on which we too often tend to rely when we engage in our professional life, and which would prevent us to a certain extent from "finding ourselves face to face."
And with this same idea in mind, it is with a smile that Romain lists for me the complex situations in which he himself has positioned himself, notably when he went abroad without holding "all the cards, all the ins and outs". Once again, I can only admire Romain's courage, who insists both on the importance of risk-taking and on open-mindedness. And despite the various barriers (financial, linguistic) that may arise in our path, it is essential to be aware of the "resources" and "financial aid" that exist and that can "make the difference" in the pursuit of one's personal project.
References for further reading:
Professional personal development as a lever for performance in business
Personal development in business: an asset for increasing productivity
The Problem with Personal Development
Personal development in business
Deconditioning: Change your thinking pattern to succeed!
Contact Romain Coique
Website: https://romaincoique.com/
Instagram @ romaincoique_jungletoi
Linkedin @ Romain Coique
Contact Jennyfer Montantin
Website: https://www.blossomtalents.com/
Instagram @blossomtalents
Linkedin @ Jennyfer Montantin
HR Community Meetup in Paris @ RH à Paris
On your podcast platforms: Ausha, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podcastaddict
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