IF ONE DOES NOT OWN A BUSINESS AND has made a career choice of “working for somebody” it is essential to ensure that one’s equanimity is not lost when, at times, bona fide acts done or proposals made in the best interests of the enterprise that one works for are either disregarded or overruled.
AT TIMES WE BECOME VICTIMS of our very own biases and we may have, as the saying goes, “missed the big picture” and all the passion and attention that we may have invested in a particular piece of work that we may have turned out may still be inadequate or even unnecessary in relation to what the enterprise really needs. The answer therefore lies in understanding fully what is expected of us and to render the deliverables accordingly. Indeed, lest our labors be wasted, we should not even embark on something the nature of which we have not fully understood.
BY NO MEANS SHOULD WE ACCEPT a “NO” with passivity. This indeed is the real test of how thorough and persuasive we really are. We should ask questions or seek clarifications on why anything we have done is “unacceptable”. The trick really lies in making it extremely difficult for the powers that be to say “No” and that also means that we are bloody good as well as serious in all that we do – clearly, at the end of the day, the enterprise has employed us because it thinks we can add value, and from the standpoint of its own self-interest, it is highly unlikely that we will face a rejection of something that is actually done in its beneficial interests.
EVERY ENTERPRISE OR ENTITY in this world has its own unique brand of politics. It is of course possible that one may be marginalized or rendered ineffective at times when power politics takes a toll on the well-being of the entity itself. If the sidelining happens with increasing frequency, it is probably a clear signal that one’s time is up and to commence seeking greener pastures. But even if the politics gets intensive and it does not affect what one is doing one should carry on, regardless.
MY BELIEF REMAINS UNSHAKEN that in its own selfish interests, an enterprise would hate losing its true performers because its existence depends on them. Our own survival in this world depends on how good we are and indeed the enterprise that we work for would be committing hara kiri if it chooses to marginalize those responsible for its sustenance. At the end of the day, work has to be done, and done well, and doing a job well is the best insurance we have against all downturns.
pradeepgopalan.com 