Get to know Dan Short, London board member

I was fortunate enough to be invited to be a co-opted member by the chair of the board Faisal Butt. I was introduced to Faisal about three years ago and we have since worked together on a number of research projects and regional career development events. When I was invited, I accepted with no hesitation and I’m excited to be involved this year.

I have been working in the housing arena since 2004 and finding talent within housing over the years has been a really rewarding experience. I have seen a huge amount of change in the sector and I see a real value in promoting professionalism. This is especially true for the emerging talent in housing as they are facing a unique set of challenges such as; engaging with and empowering tenants, the acute shortage of affordable housing and ongoing welfare reform against a backdrop of ageing workforces and the skill shortages in a number of critical areas.

These challenges require the need to transform service delivery and invest in new technology, leading to significant changes in working practices and organisational culture. It has never been more important for housing organisations to invest in their people and CIH plays an important role in developing talent in the housing sector.

I have teamed up with the one and only James Caspell (neighbourhood director for Royal Borough Kensington & Chelsea and fellow CIH board member for the London region) to put on an exciting career development event in July 2019. This event will be perfect for housing professionals who are keen to develop their own career strategy where they will be able to network with like-minded people and listen to some key tips from some inspiring housing practitioners.

The London board have a fantastic programme of events happening this year so I will be playing an active role in promoting these events to our network and attending to show our support.

I am in a fortunate position where I get to hear success stories from all corners of the housing sector and from people at all levels. To summarise, my top 3 tips would be:

• Follow your passion – progressing in any industry requires focus, hard work, determination and resilience. Aligning your career goals to your passion will mean you can really make a difference in the sector you are in. It also means that you will feel fulfilled in your mission, you are more likely to stay motivated and actually have some fun at work!
• Take control – don’t sit and wait for great things to happen. Ambitious and successful people have an inner drive and they make things happen. Some ideas on how to take control include; making your vision ambitious and laying out short-term SMART objectives, seeking out the right mentor to give you an external view, carrying out a skills audit and start to design your career road map, seeking out opportunities to develop yourself and raise your profile. Aim high and go for it!
• Be yourself – It’s important to do things your own way. Don’t try and emulate other people as this will take too much energy and you may find that you are failing to meet the expectation. By all means, take the best bits from people you admire but don’t change who you are. The right organisation is out there for you. It is important to wait until you find the right cultural fit where you can be yourself at work.