Inefficiency and its Rewards - Part 2

In my last post, I talked about Inefficiency and how it might bring rewards to your inefficiencies. Today, we shall look what options are available for Ram.

We shall try to examine what options are available for Ram.

Option 1 – At that moment, when Ram would have heard that Shyam is going onsite, he would have multiple thoughts in this mind. The first and the obvious reaction is to get frustrated. Ram’s morale will go down and in his day to day activities; he stops taking interests. Ram starts looking for other options in the market. The way the IT market is going, getting a new job and at a better salary is very easy. The moment, Ram gets his first offer, he puts in his papers.

Now, the moment Ram puts in his paper, the leadership gets into action and now Ram will be given multiple options – he will be send onsite, his salary will be hiked in next cycle and what not. Ram may/may not withdraw his resignation based on the job offers he has in hand and what he is being offered. If his wishes are fulfilled, he withdraws his resignations.

I will call this the easy option. Why? Because putting in your papers is very easy and shows lack of character. The first minor obstacle in your career and you choose the “Patli Gali” (means the easy path) option. What is the guarantee that in the next company Ram will get what he wants? One can observe several such candidates who change companies like diapers, the moment things get dirty.

Option 2 – This option is the difficult one. The path of courage and taking a stand has never been easy. When Ram heard that Shyam is going onsite, he needs to remain calm and see the situation from the organization’s point of view. The requirement is immediate and Shyam is available. Let’s see what Ram should be doing.

1. Communicate - Ram needs to talk to his manager or supervisor and apprises them of the situation. He needs to tell them about his career plans, his aspirations. Remember, if you do not tell what you want, how you expect to get it.

2. Understand – When Ram joined this project, he needs to be aware of what his expectations are and how the project assignment helps in achieving those. Majority of time, mismatch of expectations is the root cause of problems. Talking to your manager/supervisor and understanding the role, duration and expectations from the project is very important. If you know, what you are entering into, there will less of frustration.

This starts from the day, one starts talking to a potential employer organization. One needs to ask questions and understand the company policies and working culture.

3. Availability – If Ram wants to move out of the current role/ assignment, he needs to make sure that there are members in the team who can do his work in his absence. If you can not move out of your current role/assignment, you will not be able to take up the next role or the assignment. You need to make yourself redundant. You will have to work with your manager/supervisor for the same.

All the above steps require patience on Ram’s part. Things will not change in one day. But, if Ram follows the option 2, he will come across a person of formidable character. He will demonstrate qualities like – leadership, mentorship, communication and ability to create a win-win situation for both the organization and himself.

In my next post on the same subject, I will try to cover what organization can/should do to make sure Ram does not feel frustrated.