Scoring and Soaring High
Once you are on the runway of the career flight path, you just have to take off. There is no other realistic option. Then starts the journey. You have to plan soaring high in the initial years or risk the crash land.
It was my first year at office and I was really disappointed at having to land in a company. Its all because I did not want to land up in a company, the first place. I wanted to pursue higher studies. Though I liked the pay, I liked college better:). Thankfully I got into a division where in there is real product work rather than services. So thats point number 1. If you dont like something and forced to take it up, find the good sport in it.
Secondly the point that I considered myself to have landed up in a company rather than studies, made me undergo sleepless nights. It is that I wanted to prove above all to myself that I am better than the average or above average in this place. I always felt, to earn the first salary equal to my Dads’ I have to put in all the efforts he had put in all these years. And if Iam not @ top 5 % then Iam doing a disservice. I said : I should never ever feel guilty of getting the payslip.
To move up one needs to show that he is ready to take the next higher task. There has to be a balance between finishing off the current work at hand and not to over do oneself and burning ones’ hand. I had many times burned my hands for overdoing. Sometimes subtle sometimes not so subtle. One just gets to learn. The point is Finish your task, Step up to next task
The other thing I learnt is that consciously or unconsciously your actions should not make the others look bad / stupid. You might be a genius, but that doesn’t mean you have to pose like one by making the guy in next cubicle other look dumb. It has to be a principle and consciously one has to do it. The point is : never ever make your Manager / peer look like a fool.
There are two contradicting styles of handling things. Never to over do or to under do them. I had always tried to follow few things.
Say sorry in the open, It adds to the earnestness.
Wish someone personally and not as a group, It adds to sincerity in the wish.
Praise others genuinely not a fulsome praise.
If your team mate, dont hit him / her when [s]he is down.
If an adversary, dont hit him / her when [s]he is out.
Avoid blaming a person unnecessarily.
Be truthful to yourself.
The first time I came in to a project, I thought, I need to prove a point to myself. The idea of having a role model for oneself never appealed to me. Iam unique and so is everyone. No one can equal ME and never can I equal Mr.X. But that doesnt mean I have to boast myself to the hilt. There are and will always be a better person than me around. Humility is a characteristic one has to constantly remind oneself. Thala ganam koodadhu. It is but natural to feel proud. Pride is needed but humbleness should always be there. In front of peers and elders, be humble. But that doesnt mean you have to be in a shell always. When questioned, just blow the opposition to smithereens. I just remember two historic instances.
One more thing to consider @ office is to follow NAM :). Get away from office politics altogether. Bootlicking, back stabbing do help to get phenomenol short term gains. But just think what happens if you change team or your manager jumps the company. One will be in deep trouble then. Negotiation, flexibility and swift thinking are needed. But that does not require one to be a bully boy nor a “yes boss”. Just strike a balance most of the times and it should be fine…
Well the other point is come out of college life. Hi, “office / business talk” , bye, let these be the guiding states while talking to peers of opposite sex. It is not the college life where you just become friends upon first sight. Not anymore. It starts unwanted gossips which results in unwanted diversions. Once you build the rapport, friendship builds. Just dont jump right away !! Friendship is a long journey to be begun hastily…