Is your ‘Slip’ turning ‘Pink’

Is your ‘Slip’ turning ‘Pink’ – By Pankaj Tuteja

All of us wish to remain in the Star Quadrant, forever. We are experienced people and know what will work, and stick to our success formula, which we developed during initial carrier navigation. Our brain is our wonderful companion and to keep us happy, it regularly feeds us with the images of our glorious past. Until the day, the color of the horizon starts fading. The twilight starts turning darker and darker. Suddenly, the markets are changing, Job landscape is re-calibrating and the new passion and energy is challenging the established executive clan. And thanks to technological advancement, the speed of change is like never before. Rules of the game are changing, and our ever successful success-formula is rendered ineffective. And after much of initial cafeteria rants and complaining, our cognitive system wakes up to seek a solution.  

The world is transforming, and offering us new avenues of opportunities. Market games are changing. The field, the rules, the goal post, the Ball, everything is changing. Recently TCS CEO N.Chandra stated at W.E.F. @Davos that Digital is no longer an option, but a default. The InternetOfThings (IoT) would transform every industry and society. It’s the 3^rd wave of connected economy. The 1^st allowed sources of information to be connected, and the 2^nd connected the individuals.

So what do we do, to remain relevant, and ride on the crest forever? While the “environmental denominator” is rigidly volatile and beyond our control, can we do something to enhance the “performance numerator” to stay ahead of the curve. And shun beliefs such as ‘too late’ or ‘too senior’ to change.

Let’s get back to the drawing board and redraw our priorities within the fundamental framework of survival.

1)        Invest in Acquiring knowledge – There is no pinnacle to denote the peak of knowledge. It’s always a good practice to keep pace with the changing technologies and social practices. Like we all learned to play with Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter, etc. , its incumbent upon us to learn latest market technologies, such as Digital re-imagination, Big Data Analytics, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Cloud…  . Over 50 billion devices are expected to be connected by 2020. Not far are the days when the pace-makers, home Appliances, Automobile, etc.. will be connected with each other, and humans and alike over the network. Our Prime Minister also laid out the “Digital India” vision where 250,000 Gram Panchayat’s are to be connected with the mainstream by mid-2017. These figures are quite startling, and generate immense opportunities around Designing, Developing, Distribution and management of Infrastructure and Services in the domain of Connectivity, Apps, Mobility, Services and Training.

And yes, your constraint is totally understood when you say there is no time to study all these things because you only have 24 hrs in a day. Well, that’s the denominator and is fixed. You need to find out how to spend your time and allocate your priorities, and increase the effectiveness of your numerator. Moreover, that WA group chat or Facebook masala might not contribute to our profession as much as acquiring new skills may.

Don’t let a day pass without you knowing something unknown to you. And one hour a day, to read your favorite topic is an easy task to begin with. And if you still don’t know how to file your IT Return, or that Six-Sigma project is yet to take off, then start now, and don’t wait for any divine intervention. Your astrologer is mostly good at telling you ‘what to do’ to fulfill your desires, and equally good at telling you the ‘blatant reasons’ when it doesn’t. And believe me; at least they know how to manage their career ambitions, better than most of us it seems.

2)        Enhance your entrepreneurial ability- Markets around the world have shown that being job dependent in long run is perilous to our endeavors. Our financial and social needs change with time and we can’t expect our organization to take care of our aspirations. It’s our responsibility, and it should not be difficult to understand. While organizations will extend all possible enablers to ensure our growth, we need to own this responsibility as early as possible. Exactly the same way we did, when we overtook the reigns of our life from the hands of our parents. The day, when we became responsible and stopped blaming others for our problems.

And the good news is that you have become an early entrepreneur, if you are able to see the complete value chain for the task you perform, if you know how the quality and quantity of your work is impacting the ecosystem as a whole, and if you know how to improve the efficacy of the complete spectrum. You may not be empowered to express your views yet, but that should not stop you from learning. You can learn good insights and practices by closely following a good boss. Even a not-so-good boss is a good source of learning in ‘what not to do’. Enhance your financial prudence, risk management skills, quality orientation and ability to see the bigger picture. Learn sincerely, and not just for the sake of it.

Also, never forget, Salaried person first Earn, then pay Taxes and then Spend the leftover. On the contrary, business person first Earn, then Spend and then pay taxes on the leftover. Choice is ours.

3)        Invest in People – People carry a certain image of our personality, even if we have not interacted with them before. The word of mouth is a powerful medium and can influence our image in a positive or negative way. Be good with your speech and intentions. Express yourself clearly. Genuinely help others whenever you can, without any considerations, or expectations of return. Empathy and compassion goes a long way in leading a meaningful and a fulfilling life.

There are numerous examples around us where people have committed themselves for others, yet remaining faceless. Name, Fame, Glory are short-lived achievements, and may deprive our soul of the actual fulfillment or progressing towards self-actualization goals. So never let others run out of good things to talk about you.

The world is changing, and always will. It’s time we take control of our profession, and navigate thru these treacherous waters. Let us Transform and not merely Translate this time. Few of us will sit ashore and keep complaining throughout the eternity, but few of us knows the art and science of remaining relevant. Good luck to them.