Be enthusiastic, always ride the learning curve

WHAT WOULD a seasoned high-flying executive mom advise her 20-year-old daughter who is about to enter the workforce. Hema Ravichanderis special because she is not just a mom of a 20-year-old. She is also a seasoned HR consultant, with 22 years of experience who, at one point of time handled/shaped careers of thousands of young executives as Infosys HR head. At present, she is a consultant with the HR consultancy firm Mercer and also advises firms and CEOs on managing human capital. How should you handle your career in these heady, uncertain times? What are the golden rules? Here’s what Ravichander would advise her daughter. Read on: My Daughter, This is a special moment. You stand on the threshold of your career ready to set sail on a new and wonderful journey. An apt time for me to share with you some thoughts which I hope will provide you with a strong compass on the high seas of life. Looking back on my life, I believe one of the nicest things said to me is what my college principal once wrote in a book she gifted me — “Thank you, Hema, for your enthusiasm!” Enthusiasm, the first ingredient in the making of worthwhile outcomes, gives purpose and direction to any project. It is the ability to be positive, the desire to examine and assess the worth of the project in hand and once the worthiness has passed muster, to go ahead and get things done with a smile! Cultivate it. Remember, it is not just the situation, but your reaction towards it that will stand you in good stead. Be a student always. Too many of us stop studying the day we take up a job. It is so easy to get frozen on the learning curve. To stay relevant in this competitive world one should be au courant with the latest advances in one’s field. Else you will lose that important trait of career resilience critical to keep you ‘resumeable’ through life. So, when you take up a job, do keep aside time, whatever the pressures of the day, to read, assimilate and deploy new learning. Be performance-oriented . Fortune favours the persistent. Your hallowed educational institution provided you with the knowledge but it is your responsibility to develop the right skills and attitude. Focus on meeting deadlines, ensuring that any work you complete is of the highest quality. Too many careers waste away for lack of focus on execution excellence. A successful career takes nurturing!Instant results happen only in video games. Don’t ever lose heart if your hard work does not reap immediate dividends. Jumping jobs is not a silver bullet to rewards. Focus on the learning valueadd from your job, in these initial years. Get varied experiences, and gain depth where appropriate. Specifically, avoid falling into the easy trap of becoming a generalist without at least an area or two of specialisation in your chosen field. “No man is an island.” The circles of our lives constantly meet the circles of others. The influence we have on them and they on us dictate our lives. Choose your mentors with care and work with them diligently to get a true picture of yourself and to improve yourself as a person and a professional. To treat others the way we would want them to treat us, with fairness and compassion, is easier said than done. In one’s official capacity one would often have to take decisions which people may resent, generating anger. The Affiliation Motive, the need to be popular and be loved, is a universal human trait. Be true to yourself and work towards what is right, mindful that it should stand public scrutiny should the need arise. This is what will earn you trust and respect. Give back to society. Choose an area you are passionate about and give it your time and mindshare. It is our responsibility. And what’s more, it will complete you as an individual. Choose your life partner wisely. One who will support you in your career choices and will look at both your careers as an integrated one. Many a promising career derails without this synergy. Above all, develop a sense of humour. Many a battle is won if you look at things through the lens of laughter. Remember, life is an easel waiting for you to paint on. Go strongly into the sunrise, my child.

Source of this article is The Economic Times dated 05/02/07