Guru Mantras - Tips - Suggestions - For Young Managers / Officers - Setting Out
Guru Mantras - Tips – Suggestions – For Young Managers
/ Officers – Setting Out.
By Dinesh K Kapila
I have generally had a smooth
relationship with the young officers and managers, those who have put in some
years of service and are at the initial period of their long professional
journey. Across many organisations. Many of them have stayed in touch over the
years. Their success has been as though its mine, in fact I feel hurt when
anyone who has served with me loses out on an opportunity for advancement. I
have rather enjoyed the professional interaction with the junior and found I
would be mentally alert as the latest trends are known to them mainly.
Effective results in my opinion came about many a times by their pro active
responses. Of course there would be some
who may disagree about me but then that is as it may !
I am writing this more out of
what I learnt over the years while interacting with young officers and managers
in many organisations. Somehow many a youngster in many institutions has
approached me again, even if we have met once only earlier, for a chat to
clarify his / her mind or to seek a sort of guidance. These would be some large
NGOs, some at Universities and then Banks. Plus a few corporates. This piece flows
from that.
In any office youngsters are at a
loss initially, as to how to proceed and make their way. Fresh, they need to
know the ropes and the conventions and culture. Each picks up at his own pace.
However there are certain eternal principles which need to be known to them and
some biases and negative thoughts which build up should be let go. Firstly, as
you enter, be at ease, open to learning and acquiring knowledge and absorbing
the flavour and culture. And even if you have worked earlier at another
organisation, take your time to know the current organisation. One more input,
stop complaining or comparing with wherever you worked earlier. It clouds your
current assignment and relationship with
the employer via the senior officers. And don’t go studying the perks
and allowances immediately or at least do it discreetly. The informal grapevine conveys all
information, even if distorted, to the somewhat rarefied and supposedly
insulated offices.
What you should be focused upon
is reading, reading to acquire knowledge. The policies and procedures, the
circulars, the reports and the studies. Slowly, deliberately and at a pace
where the essence can be absorbed. Read extensively about the external
environment as it impacts the operations of your company and then try to relate
it to the organisation. Be fully aware
about your desk or assignment and know the details. This enables the building
of faith and trust, in addition, do not hesitate in providing inputs /
assessment / analytical reasoning, if called upon to do so. The perspective may
vary across a hierarchy but a sound analysis is always welcomed. Simultaneously,
be aware about the HR Policies and conventions and any financial guidelines.
One point, don’t try the mobile
news summary route. Though on a tangent, I was often constrained to not
consider for some short assignments some pass outs who were depending upon the
summarised news for inputs. Plus do try to understand your place and role within
the organisation and if the organisation is so structured, then the role in the
context of the local / state / national economy and its relevance. Understand
the mission, vision, culture, the operating environment, the nature of the
competition (competitors) and their competence, this lends a certain gravitas
and motivation too. Take the guidance of certain seniors too if so required to
understand this. This takes me to the need to be aware if a senior mentors you.
It may start very perfunctorily a bit once a senior sees a spark but if
responded to, can take a deeper role. Value this and engage professionally on
this, it imparts immense skill sets and a perspective. Even if a mentor is
retired, he can still open up professional upgradation, by way of a perspective
and networking. I would add to it the ability to network seamlessly or rather
effortlessly. It does pay dividends and I would like to distinguish it clearly
from “chamchagiri” or being obsequious.
Network both within the organisation and externally. Join up a professional organisation such as a
Management Organisation etc and do attend its meetings, it imparts a all new
view and professional insight. Plus it builds relationships.
Now developing written and
communication skills, this is actually most important. As the Bee Gees stated,
Words are all I have, honestly, words are all we have, all of us. Learn to
mould them together cogently and effectively. The formal office communication
should be able to convey the issue, the rules or conventions or the
implications and a well reasoned recommendation or solution. Learn to practise
your skills and while everyone need not be an orator or a writer, the
appropriate word here is effective, this is what matters. In verbal
communication, look directly, and calmly state the issue and your reasoning. If
it is well thought out, factors in varied possibilities and the logical mode of
action, even if more inputs are required and it would often be so, the initial
inputs do not go un-noticed. But remember to be correct in grammar and
spellings, don’t be careless.
Then an important aspect, many
organisation may value specialisation, but this is at the entry level and then
more roles get added up. Be a generalist too, in that, be aware of the Economy,
the place of your organisation, the competition, the nature of soft skills,
culture and social graces, literature etc. it seems a tall order but this will
count in a larger corporate certainly. specialisation is important but skill
sets and roles do change. Developing the skills of a generalist enables the
“look in” into other aspects and sectors or departments. It enables the proper
assessment of roles and responsibilities across multiple departments and
enables better liaison and coordination. However keep your professional skills
or specialisation alive and relevant and in addition try to develop a deeper
understanding of at least one more specialisation and skill. Develop a vision
of where are you headed and more importantly, your organisation. Step out of
your comfort zone and challenge yourself, do it discreetly but go about it. This
enables a better understanding of what shareholders and stakeholders or partner
agencies seek from the organisation. Plus it adds to the ability to negotiate
or discuss finer details in any assignment with external agencies.
Attitude, temperament and skills,
these are fundamental attributes which are always being assessed when a young
person joins up. Be clear about it, the formal appraisal comes much later, this
process is continuous and hence be
careful. The informal grapevine is a reality. Secondly, arrive in time for
meetings, don’t be dishevelled in clothes or looks and be prepared for your
area of responsibility. Dress appropriately, period. Plus don’t be over smart
and try to play the system, this can certainly pay dividends once in a while
but the reputation does travel. More important, don’t try to be satisfied by
doing the minimum required for the role and then justify it. Over a period of
time this pattern of work becomes a bit too evident. Seek inputs or guidance
whenever required, it is mostly extended, though avoid the non cooperative and
stiff uptight seniors if you are so unfortunate to have them. Along side, avoid the assumption that you know
everything, this is never welcomed and needs to be ignored. Focus instead on
learning and gaining a perspective. In fact the assumption you already know
often gets mixed up with being cynical and at times disobedient or over smart.
Value your job and assignment and let it be evident in terms of your output and
its quality. I forgot to emphasise, be an effective team player and don’t be
selfish, there is no need to discount yourself but do not over play your hand.
Contribute to the team effort willingly.
To reiterate, Being enthusiastic,
displaying enthusiasm (correctly and professionally), motivation, are all
valued, coupled with the all important take responsibility. This is always
valued. Make your entry in the organisation count. Develop your personality as
discussed above, an affable result oriented personality coupled with good
networking and coordination skills is often the key to professional success. Of
course with an intrinsic knowledge and the ability to speak and deliver the
message. Dress appropriately and correctly and develop the communication and
language skills, this builds an aura so to say of a quiet and effective
persona. Once the professional seriousness is there and encouragement provided,
the inner confidence gets developed and
later the professional acceptance too. These are time tested as I say.
You can always evolve and so can organisations, have the inner will, commitment
and focus. You can even be an extrovert professionally but an introvert at
home.
To continue, actually, we are
marketing ourselves and this “selling” so to say has to be consistent and based
on a sound professional foundation. We
are all inbuilt for this but need to consistently work at it. Measure yourself
and your changes and effective communication skills are another key area The
communication must deliver the message effectively, if it’s a corporate body
you work for, then the underlying commercial and target orientation should
never be lost sight off by the young professional. This is not negotiable,
build a comfort zone around this consistent orientation. Alongside radiate
warmth and confidence, it filters across and builds acceptance and a room to
collaborate further or to negotiate further.
We cannot foreclose options in
the corporate sector. Just by the way, I
knew a seasoned commercial banker who had an aura of competence and when asked
told me he could drop in at a potential customer, share his breakfast and walk
away with a deal, with maybe a relationship spanning years. Just by the way,
for a target orientation and in case it is sales related or a deal related, you
have to prospect and assess the market, go in for acquisitions and know when to
walk away too, communicate crisply but clearly,
understand and analyse the needs of the client and conclude with a
relationship for the future. Well maybe, the same applies in a manner of
speaking to a young professional too, on the long journey of 30-35 years.
What I want to state emphatically
and reiterate is that what is discussed above is learnable and can be acquired,
irrespective of background in terms of education, professional qualifications
or the town you hale from. But wherever from you maybe, have the heart to take
punches once in a while and to surmount problems too. This aspect is often over
looked but is crucial. Have the heart. The personality will evolve as the above
qualities and characteristics are worked upon. An achiever is not inherently
born with all the above attributes, it is worked upon. Not by some structured design
but by a continuous process of self improvement and motivation and then by what
your professional journey hands out to you.
Good Luck.
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