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 Young
professionals should take the initiative to bring a newness to all
that they do. By creating new ideas, new products, new processes
and new activities, you can keep yourself in the limelight and get
noticed by those who matter, says DNB Singh
An
organisation is a storehouse of various types of assignments and
activities. Sometimes, a new entrant is tested through tough assignments;
at other times, given routine jobs till he/she creates confidence
in the seniors about his/her competencies and abilities. Take the
initiative and go ahead deliberately, rather than sit back and receive
what is handed over to you. You can do this when you look for challenges.
Look
for challenges
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I have been doing my work so well. I have really tried to fit
in. In fact, I have not changed anything and have continued all
the laid-down routines perfectly. But, they still haven’t
promoted me.
Live
a routine life with routine assignments and you get a routine career
path.
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I love challenges and I go out of my way to pick challenging situations.
I love to take risks, in fact, like to create challenging situations.
This gets me noticed. My seniors have recognised my potential
and mettle.
Pick
challenging situations and handle them successfully and the organisation
will pick you for a promotion. Look for challenges and learn to
meet them. Create challenging situations and extract success from
them. Do not have a laid back attitude at the workplace.
You
are young, on the go and your career graph is upward directed. So
take the initiative. Create new ideas, new products, new processes,
new activities. Bring a newness to all that you do. Get the spotlight
focused on you. Make the organisation realise that it has made the
right choice and is lucky to have you on board.
Remember
that in your earlier journey at the college level, taking initiative
was not a cause for reward. You did exactly as you were told and
were rewarded for obedience. Toeing the line was important.
Not
necessarily so in an organisation. Achievers, winners have one thing
in common: they constantly take the initiative, create opportunities
to “impact” their environment and the organisation. They
don’t look for one single great achievement. They hoard in
their bags numerous, small, regular achievements.
Look
at yourself frequently and ensure that you are right out there in
the field playing hard. Cheering from the stands as a spectator
never got anybody the best player award.
Remember
every challenge accepted and overcome, every challenge successfully
handled will give you tons of credit to anchor your identity. Just
step out. Act. Take charge. Challenge, change and the world will
be at your feet.
My
HRD head was a tough competitor. He used to tell me, “I work
17-18 hours a day. Any one wanting to be on my team must be willing
to work at least 14-15 hours a day. I don’t want my people
to agree with my plans and suggestions; I want them to improve upon
them. I seek dissenters and not yes-men.” No doubt he became
the chairman and the director of the organisation. Can you meet
these expectations?
(Authentic
statement)
You
are making a mark, you are getting noticed. People are thinking
well of your capabilities and you got picked for that important
assignment. So seek special assignments.
Seek
special assignments
Good
news. Great to be handpicked. Positive happening. But hold on! Don’t
just jump into it. Ask questions, the most important being: What
is the ultimate objective of the project/assignment/presentation?
-
Who desired this project/presentation?
-
What is the timeframe?
-
Whose help do I seek?
-
Where will I get the data/inputs resources, etc, from?
-
What are the pitfalls to watch out for?
Generating
such questions and answering them gives you clarity. You will understand
the assignment thoroughly. But avoid going at it completely on your
own. Take help. Share with those who count. They will ultimately
share your credit when you succeed.
Look
around and seek to relate various activities. Get a feel of the
big picture and see how your job/project/work assignment relates
to the big goal/target. (This goal/target could relate to your unit,
location, department or the organisation). This will widen your
perspective and vision. You will have a better understanding of
your job responsibilities. Relating it to the big picture will help
you enrich your job. Learn to look at the larger landscape, at the
entire canvas.
As
soon as I understood the significance of being noticed I sought
opportunities where I would stand out so that my bosses would take
note. So far I have been quite successful because each time something
special happens I become part of it. I only hope this continues
to happen even when annual increments and promotions are being decided.
(Authentic
statement)
As
a CEO, I like go-getters, people who are aggressive and are willing
to make a sacrifice to prove their mettle. After undergoing the
special workshop we organise, I find that a lot of seekers are created.
You
may experience a culture shock when you first join an organisation
simply because things are contrary to the inputs given at college.
Sometimes, events could occur that are contrary to your value system.
Whenever any of this happens, and it almost always will, for God’s
sake don’t criticise or complain.
Don’t
complain
Criticism
and complaining arises out of not accepting circumstances, people
and situations as they are and wanting them to fit to your ideas.
Your colleagues were there before you and are likely to get defensive
over your cribbing and complaining. You may be viewed as unfriendly.
If your criticism is sharp, you may even be labelled as a nuisance.
You may thus lose their support and their help may be withheld.
Your learning process will suffer.
Completed
staff work is always time-consuming since work has to be done thoroughly.
Therefore, do not be in a hurry to put up the proposal/project/suggestion
and be done with it as if it is a weight to be taken of your chest.
Incomplete
staff work:
-
Is done in a hurry;
-
Reflects lack of homework, detailed study and application of mind;
-
Lacks thoroughness;
-
Does not generate all the alternatives but recommends the first
one that comes to mind;
-
Is of almost no use to the boss/management (except being an irritant);
-
Reeks of casualness, lack of interest and involvement; tantamount
to doing work without commitment.
Therefore
while you are on projects, be prompt, in-depth, studious and accurate
with a broad perspective/prospective focus on the ‘key result
area’. Quickly identify and obtain data from various sources.
Collect, select and organise data to get the outline for your first
draft.
After
the first draft is completed, sit down and think of any questions
that could strike the reader. Incorporate the answers into the text
of your proposal. Keep supplementary data ready for reference and
also for responding to queries.
Accuracy
is the hallmark of good completed staff work. One secret of success
behind good completed work is to sleep on a proposal overnight.
Ruminate over the data and review it again the next morning. You
will be in a much stronger position with regard to culling relevant
facts for your report.
In
case the proposal/project/suggestion is lengthy, it may be useful
to place an Executive Summary at the beginning.
Though
completed staff work is time-consuming, it needs to be prompt and,
therefore, does not allow for procrastination. Completed staff work
is the backbone of any management decision.
Therefore,
the greater the onus of the decision, the greater the depth and
quality required of the staff work. It will spell disaster for the
organisation if the subordinate and the boss are weak or lacking
in completed staff work.
Be
prompt with the staff work and the management will be prompt with
the promotion you want so much.
Excerpt
taken from ‘Do Not Dig Your Grave and Bury Your Career’
by DNB Singh; Macmillan India Ltd.
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