- August 2, 2019
- Posted by: Jack Hardy
- Category: News & Annoucements
As part of the 10 Year Birthday celebrations the directors have been quizzed about themselves and the company, so that they can share their experiences.
This blog focuses on David Orange the Sales & Marketing Director, taking a closer look into his mission and influences in life.
Hi David, can you introduce yourself please?
I’m David Orange, Sales & Marketing Director for Talk Staff, I’d describe myself as someone who is always on the go and who loves a challenge. I’m told I have an infectious personality and absolutely love all things People (even the bad stuff!).
Outside of work I have an eclectic range of interests and hobbies, some which have seen me tread the boards of Amateur Musical Theatre and Plays, be a judge for the Eagle Awards in Derby, hold a solo glider pilots licence all this whilst still enjoying a pretty full on health & fitness regime (Think HIIT Classes, Running and Football) – Add into the mix a young son and my love for hosting family and friends at dinner parties and BBQs, I’m pretty much always doing something.
What life experiences or events have influenced who you are, what you think and what you do?
Having been within the business community for over a decade, I’ve been lucky to meet some very inspirational people and I’ve heard of other people’s success, all which have been built on very different foundations.
Personally, I’m a firm believer that as a person you reap what you sow, which has been something that has been instilled in me by my own parents who worked tirelessly throughout their own lives. Over the years, I have been inspired by them more times than I can remember.
I’ve always been a pragmatist, but as someone who wants to see results fast, balancing my desire to ‘get on with it’ and ‘get it right first time’ have been a challenge.
Over the years however, I’ve learnt the ability of using the ‘difficult’ times to fuel positive outputs and have developed a way of working which allows me to deliver results efficiently.
What is your mission in life?
There are many, many ways to answer this question, but personally its simple – I’m driven towards making the very best life for my family and I, whilst spending my work time doing a job I love.
It’s important to acknowledge that life isn’t about having the best cars and houses or having the best technology at your disposal, this is all material.
I am however passionate about creating positive change through people and it’s important to remember that every contact and interaction you have with people in your life creates a change, what that change looks like is dependent on that individual interaction.
How do you identify yourself, and how do you want to be seen by others?
At work: I’m not really one for titles, although my title is Sales & Marketing Director, I’ve been called many things (not always pleasant!) – however, titles are less important than what I do on a week by week basis – something which changes almost every week!
I’d like to think that if you asked any of my peers, they would describe me as someone who gives as much as I can in every individual day, naturally passionate about delivering the best service and someone who leads from the front. Always keen to develop people to the best of their potential as well as learning new things.
I’m a passionate people person and love to meet new acquaintances, drink coffee and add value wherever I can, it’s important that people see me as approachable both internally and externally.
My clients would probably describe me as someone who is naturally passionate about people change and always one to champion the people agenda.
At Home: I’d like to think that I’m a pretty good Husband, a reliable Dad to a wonderful 3-year-old boy and a supportive Son to my parents and grandparents.
What activities/jobs do you find easy and what do you find challenging?
In a continually growing business, every day can be a challenge, being naturally ambitious is as much of a blessing as it is a curse. The want to always be 10 steps in front of where you are now is a constant, and as such a solid strategy and patience is all you need.
That said, in this type of environment, it’s entirely normal to be driving positive change within the business, meaning lots of projects running simultaneously – some which involve doing tasks for the first time.
The challenge is to continue to push forward, even when it feels like there is a lot/too much to do – break projects down into smaller tasks, it ensures that you stay on track and deliver within the project timelines.
When doing tasks for the first time, draw upon the knowledge and expertise around you, it’s a sure-fire way to make those challenging tasks a little easier.
How open are you to feedback and how likely are you to admit mistakes?
The one skill that is greatly underestimated is the power of listening, something that most people have available to us from day 1.
Feedback is something that I actively encourage, and this isn’t just from certain levels within our business, all feedback is helpful as long as it’s constructive. I feel that it’s incredibly important to take on board other people’s point of view and at hear out the opinions of others.
No one person knows everything, everyone has their own set of knowledge and skills that they have honed, so listening is a great way of learning new things.
In terms of mistakes, we’re all human, so when I am wrong I’ll happily hold my hands up and look to move forward in a positive way – positive challenge is a great way of bringing new ideas to the table and can sometimes be the making of excellent solutions.
There’s more to come!
There will be more blogs to follow from both David and Gary about them, Talk Staff and the future! Follow our social media pages to make sure you don’t miss them!
Last Updated on 4 years by Gary Parsons
