Last year, I completed 10 and each time this milestone is announced, both internally and externally, people keep asking me one question in the most bewildered manner: How has it been possible for me to work with a single organization for donkey’s years in an age where probably even 5 or 3 years is considered long???
I struggle to kind of quickly articulate why because obviously it is many factors. I would be lying if I say at varied points mid-career there did not arouse a sense of doubt in me doing so. I knew it could not be a bad decision though because I do benchmark every once in a while on skill sets at peer level, learning, exposure, role and of course the huge sense of satisfaction that I am driving change and growth and making a difference where I am. Coincidentally I found the answer to this FAQ over a late evening client conversation exactly on my work anniversary last year:
“ROLLING STONES GATHER NO MOSS”, remarked the client when he spoke of lack of senior level talent across many industries.
While great managers, a good Boss (I hate this word, still!), good teams, understanding clients are the most attributed factors to enable one discover their professional capabilities, if you are fortunate enough to get even 50% of these to be more pragmatic, the ball after that is in your court! And this is what many fail to recognize- that you shape your career, you mould yourself as a professional and what you make of the opportunities that knock your door depend more upon you than others. So, here are my 5 cents on what I think worked for me and what any of you can easily adopt to nurture an exciting and fulfilling professional journey even if it means a long stint in a single firm:
1. Passion & ownership: The most abused term, I know but I still rank it highest if you ask me for my secret recipe because I have experienced the difference it makes. There is a sea’s difference between serving an organization or client you work for because it helps you earn your bread and butter, or doing what your manager tells you to do vis a vis doing what you love doing, wanting to do it independently yourself, your way, proving your capabilities to yourself time & again and striving to provide clients/teams who work with you the best possible experience in doing so
2. Continuous learning and reinvention: Believe me, as you keep growing and gaining experience, it is so easy and very tempting to be almost convinced that you have been there and done it all! But that is the first step to stagnation. Sadly, people always try to address stagnation and seek new learnings outside of their current organisations when it is logically easier the other way round.
You need to ‘Stay hungry and stay foolish’ at some level, no matter how senior a professional you grow. Coz that’s when you will try new things with confidence, be willing to make mistakes and learn probably from teams and people working with you. Each time I felt I have been doing the same thing for too long and at regular intervals in these 15 years, I would pause to reflect of the opportunities that lie before me, more so in a growing organization like ours, my capabilities and what I would enjoy doing. The moment I had clarity and was confident, I would initiate conversations to express interest and try and gain the opportunity, if feasible. Of course, it is another thing that you need to be able to prove yourself or at least put in the best possible genuine efforts to do so.
And you are never too young! I had all of about 4 years’ experience when I took up the role of supporting in setting up and then growing our Chennai branch. Immediately post my second maternity, when I had constraints on the time I could spend, I realised that HR was a gap for the organisation that I could help address and add value in.
3. Focus: As much as continuous learning is important, focus is key to create visible, long term impact in the roles you take up and that is critical as you grow more senior, coz consistent performance is not easy. So, there are times you need to say no to being involved or doing too many things and stay focused on what your role demands of you for a longer stretch. This allows you go in depth, identify issues and find long term solutions, adding value much more meaningfully.
4. Remaining professional, neutral and genuine: As you climb higher up the hierarchy, handling soft issues becomes as critical as addressing the skills bit. For example as I grew in seniority and took up roles, many found it convenient to believe that it was due to comfort levels established with my manager, being a favourite, been there longer, etc. A complete let down if you are aspiring to grow by your own merit and if you have been patient enough to wait until you deserve it! You also begin to feel the subtle, unspoken resistance all around. Changing this was not easy! It was continuous and consistent efforts to never take advantage of the long stay, of directly working with the CEO, etc. and to try and gain respect not because of your title or where you are in the hierarchy but because of the value you add to a role, function, team or the organization. Again, it helps to continue to impose professional discipline upon yourself and despite the flexibilities, still follow processes such as periodic reviews and other company processes because it allows for easier correction and more importantly it conveys the message that you are following the rigour you apply to your teams. A buy in from a larger number of stakeholders is critical for senior professionals.
5. And last but very important, the biggest problem I have seen up close even with very senior executives is professional insecurity. If you want to continue growing, you need to either groom your team members or allow for new external executives who will gradually take you away from your current role. You also need to be able to amicably work with other senior executives and peers the organization might hire with minimal dynamics, which means you need to respect them in their roles despite your longer stay or seniority. The earlier and faster you allow someone to step into your shoes and stabilize themselves, it will get you thinking on what you should be doing next! And that is the first step to continue to keep the journey exciting, fun and new all the time!
It is up to you to see the need, lend your shoulders and take it forward!
Published with permission from Author.
Author is Sumathi Chari, Director, PRHUB.