Your time will come - And Organisational Politics and All.

 

Your Time will come – And Organisational Politics and all.

                                                                 Dinesh Kumar Kapila

This is how the game of life plays out. Including in our professions. A colleague, miles junior in age and obviously in hierarchy messaged me to say that his Departmental Head often stole his ideas. He said he did not mind, only with grace it could be stated that XYZ had suggested this course of action or interpretation. A couple of them rang up from far off offices to ask or rather sound me out, if what they were doing was in principle ok or logical, one was in a jam and wanted a way out. Being active on some platforms has often led to youngsters (at times much senior) request I should read through or listen to their concerns and issues. I find the issues and concerns remain the same. Mostly it is about Bosses ignoring suggestions or stealing suggestions, colleagues not cooperating, non responsive Bosses or a hierarchy closed off from its field staff etc. I honestly don’t want to be an agony aunt, but I also don’t want to just ignore if a person mails or messages or calls up and says all he / she wants is a listen and advise.

The concern I find is on their well being, the impact of a loss in professional advancement and the status and perks, or the inability to find an alternative job where they are located. Or should they resign from a small firm and move to bigger firm, but here their professional learning was immense. There are a couple who implied gender related biases or feelings had impacted them and their career. 

I have just been throwing them into my head.  Let us be clear, there are no yes or no or fail proof ideas and suggestions. These are human relations at work in a complex, goal focused, professionally competitive operating environment in often ambitious organisations, whatever be the size or scale. Everything cannot be reduced to rules, regulations or codes of conduct. That is often a guidepost or a Lakshman Rekha, to refer to when required. Our day to day lives are far too complex for rules and guidelines to enable smooth functioning by themselves.

Plus there are many interns and juniors and middle management professionals successfully negotiating their way through the labyrinths of their professional world. Instinctively, I often advise, exercise patience. If you are good at your work, you know the rules and law, the complexity and its solution, in short, are developing as a professional, it will mostly get noticed. Even the CEO and his immediate senior team know the strength and weakness of their senior team members and often the middle management. They do realise if a division or a department starts performing and assess who is contributing and to what extent.

The next is be positive minded. And don’t turn down assignments always as a pattern, once in a while the senior member will certainly understand but at times he or she has just to assign the work and look forward to the output. Don’t let them down. Do it and do it with a smile. Willingly. I once had a junior official, it was very cold, quite late, we were preparing for an important conference but she / he kept at it and willingly. This only enhances the professional respect.

One concern I often share if approached, is did you know the implications of the job when you took it up. Being a hugely populated nation, the employment opportunities being scarce (more on this separately), we often rush to take up the employment opportunity which comes our way. Let me explain. Banking involves taking a risk. On Loans and advances. It always has been and will be.  Once a group of young bankers, from all sorts of banks, approached me to be a mentor on a social platform. I did say yes, partly my ego was also satisfied ! Then I found it was all complaints and complaints and cribbing. On sitting late, non sanction of leave, abusive bosses, too high a target, too ambitious regional heads etc. Of course a lot of to and fro on sanction of loans and follow up. Even rude and wealthy customers. I tried to moderate the flow of concerns and requested we had to discuss rationally, success stories ought to be shared, the Branch Head maybe had his own compulsions etc. Place your issue in the organisational context and the intense competitive scenario.  Then one day, I did point out firmly  that we should know the contours of banking and the inherent risk and I singled out a few in the mode of a mentor for refraining from only complaining and only cribbing. Too cut it short there was such a backlash, I decided to quit and absolutely refused to become a mentor again. The essence, I wonder, how many of those who only complained, would really rise.

The good and the bad move together. More important, if the profession is not for you, you realise it, and you are young, move on. Find an alternative profession or try to move to another Department, maybe low profile, but lie low, assess yourself and then decide.  Otherwise adjust, pick up the professional knowledge inside out and prove yourself.         

Now biases, this is a sticking point. It has always been and will be. We are a complex nation, community, regional, sub community, religious, college, academic (engineer, MBA, Commerce, Social Sciences)  are all there. But most organisations do recognise merit and hard work. My advise has ben or rather suggestion, hang out with those you are comfortable, socially or in the evening, but refrain from being a part of any group or lobby. Just work, be comfortable with all and move on. Do not be biased yourself. At times it may impact. Adversely. Like a contender tor Chief Minister was left out as he did not belong to a certain community. For such a bias, there is no answer. But otherwise we can work our way around them with diligence and patience.  Make your place. And there always is an organisation culture, adapt to it. Internalise it.

As regards gender, be firm and clear. It may cost a few smiles of recognition and a certain comfort in the beginning but it finishes at that. Plus be aware about the legal safety and law. But as I said, there could be exceptions, but overall it just pays to be firm. The usual culprits are known across all formal organisations and do get outed.  

One important part. Don’t by pass your boss. Never. Unless imperative due to a complaint. Work the channels, be heard and participate when invited, but do not by pass. It normally is not taken well. And rightly so. If you have to, then give the feedback and share the discussion. However, if a senior calls, attend to it, but inform the immediate senior. And do not gossip or at least know with whom to gossip. Safety lies in hearing and sharing with extreme care, gossip we will, its inherent, but draw the line with your own wisdom. Gossip is aligned with jealousy, at times. Even otherwise, someone will be socially skilled, someone has an influential dad or uncle, someone is more smart or at home with words or wealthy. Fine, par for the course, just be aware, know your social and professional environment and be reasonably social. And attend to your duties professionally. It pays. Only exceptions get moved up on non professional grounds.  

Moving from a small company to a large company or vice versa, or relocating, or working for a start  up. Size up the organisational culture and operating environment first. Salary is important but not everything. Judge your professional ability for the new position and role and what it entails. And the lead time to stabilise. There are executives who now say we were at times regretting our move to a start up. But after five years, no regret at all.  

Let me revert to being positive and patience and add to it, keep your wits about you and a firm belief your time will come. It will come. Normally. Let me introduce a fable here. From long ago. There was a man, a widower, who had a young son. Always engaged in his business, he decided to remarry. His wife would ill treat the son and pamper her own son. The father would try to be correct but being busy, would often give in. The son, still very young, picked up the nuances of business though the atmosphere was too negative. This infuriated the step mother even more. Realising he had no place there, one day he just walked away with his clothes and some food. He was desperate, he needed a place to work, but wherever he went, he found no opportunity. His age and lack of experience went against him. But he stayed resilient, working part time with merchants and moving on, exploring. One dark foreboding night, he reached a large village.  Nobody gave him food or shelter, then the cold winter started falling. He asked at a house, if he could find an inn or even any shelter. He was guided by the house to a old large house, near the forest, but warned that a ghost occupied it. He would kill his victims if they stayed inside, he could stay on the outer side, under an awning, if he so liked. This young man, resilient, aware, intelligent and patient, walked to the house and settled in. He saw no ghost or threat. Asleep, he was shaken up and found the ghost was there in reality and wanted to kill him. The young man simply said, I am a living dead person, what will you gain by killing me. The ghost decided  to hear him out. He said I overall agree, but you cannot step out as I have a reputation to keep. I will give you food and shelter. The days passed. One day the ghost said he would be visiting relatives and would also come across the God Of Death, Yam Ji, if he was lucky. The young man quietly and feebly asked if he could request Yam Ji what would be his age at death. Just a natural question. The ghost agreed. He came back and said Yam Ji says you will live to be 82 years. The days passed. The son, still young, kept doing in his head and on paper, accounts and commercial transactions, to keep himself going. The Ghost now had to go visiting again. The young man now had a request, kindly do meet Yam Ji and request him to either increase my age by 6 years or decrease by six years. The ghost came back, said it took an effort, but Yam Ji has conveyed that you will die at 82 years, four months and exactly twelve days. No changes are allowed. Hearing that, the young man told the ghost i am setting out to start a business from this house. Your threat is just a threat,  I am dying at a date decided by Yam Ji. The ghost vacated the place. The young man flourished in life.

The sum of it, patience, professional knowledge, skill in application and being intelligent in your planning, dealing and execution. And never give in, mentally specially. Defeat starts there. Start again, rebuild yourself, update yourself but be positive and in a realistic manner overall. Know yourself.

Just to conclude, I met an industrialist from a major industrial city. Well read, he and his wife were superb company over a couple of hours. He told me, he had a flourishing manufacturing business, I failed to see the demand reducing and had a very, very tough few years. I have now clawing back, I have learnt my lessons. It’s a matter of time before I am back in the game again. Said with calmness, clarity and thought. Similarly, an industrialist in know, has risen consistently by just being immersed in the product, modernising consistently and staying true to his customers. His main hallmark. Self confidence and no hurry. Patience. And willing to slog for it. And tremendous knowledge of his markets and products. And machinery. And sincere and warm human relations with his stakeholders, wherever they may be.

Is that all there is to it, No, certainly not. But this is the essence. The economic factors, downturns, disruptions, technology are all external factors. For that one can only be aware. Equations change with the sudden departure of a top official too. Little can be done.

I once noticed on a social platform, a leading professional stated he was moving on and would only pursue his hobbies now. Some really senior executives complimented him, well played, your professional career. That is what it is. Let us stay that way then. Bye. 

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