Ever wondered why , in spite of you being the best on the floor , the guy in the next seat is the more sought after one?
If yes, then maybe you would want to re-evaluate yourself after reading this.
Sachin - The God of cricket . Scoring -
Batting - 100%
Fielding - <100%
Bowling - < 100%
While I am not an authority on numbers, and a few fans may disagree, the point I want to make is that even Sachin has scope for Improvement. So , I hope you agree that each one of us too has scope for improvement.
What is it that you can improve ? If you have some ideas , please work on them. You may also want to add mine in your list.
The Hayabusa is one of the finest bikes made . You are Hayabusa.
I say that because both you and the bike, have somethings in common.
Funny? Read on !
The "Top Speed" of a person is the speed at which he or she churns out finished products , once he/she has learnt the art .
For example : Lets say I have learnt how to make a wooden chair . How many good quality chairs I can make in a day is my Top Speed.
Coming to Software Programming, If I have learnt a new concept of writing web services, how many good quality services can I write in a day is my Top Speed.
The skill being referred to here is proficiency .
A subtle point which is very important here is Quality. Any work we do , is a weighted percentage of quality .
If I make a chair , it should meet all safety and ergonomic standards. If I write a piece of code, it should be guaranteed bug free.
And there is also a Quality aspect to the individual . The skill I have acquired should have quality . I should know how to make ANY wooden chair . I should know how to develop or fix ANY code relating to the concept I have learnt.
Only when I have done so , am I at my Top Speed.
Which brings me to the second property . Acceleration.
The "Acceleration" is the time taken for the bike or the person to reach the Top Speed.
How many days did it take for me to learn how to make a fine chair? How many days did it take for mastering the web services concept?
The skill being referred to here is adaptability .
We should be ready for change when it comes knocking. Constantly upgrade skills to be market worthy.Don't start learning only when an unpleasant event forces you to rethink .
Most of us rate ourselves on the above two skills- Top Speed and Acceleration . When we master an art , we feel talented . And the most talented individual should be the most preferred one too .
But it may not happen !
Because , we usually dismiss as trivial ,the third property . Handling .
The "Handling" of a person is the ease which his seniors or peers feel , while dealing with the person.
I may be very skilled at making chairs , but , if I am not on good terms with the wood supplier , my supply may be delayed . And my Top Speed may be affected.
I may be very good at writing web services , but , if I am in unnecessary conflict with the testing team, my product may be certified late.
The above statements in no way suggest submissiveness . They suggest humility .
The skill being referred to here is maturity.
One should be considerate to all people he/she deals with .
Remember the time you made a sarcastic remark on your team mate since he was too busy to help? Or the time when you fought with your manager for not helping you clear the blocker and accusing the team of being responsible for your less-than-top-speed performance?
Well, sit back and think . Maybe , the teammate was really busy . Maybe , the manager had tried . Maybe , you could have gone with a Solution rather than a problem.
While , I do agree that each situation is unique , yet , as far as possible, try to help yourself first before trying to ask for help.
Maybe you could have asked the teammate for pointers . Maybe you could have made the call you wanted your manager to make ,to set the context beforehand and reduce his work.
Which one do you prefer ? A Razor or a Blade ?
A blade is a fine instrument . It can be used for a haircut , a shave or a nail trim . It is 100% efficient and capable of doing all three tasks , that too , at a much cheaper price.
Yet, we pay for three separate instruments each having lesser functionality - Scissor,Razor and Nail cutter - at much higher prices. Just because our friend, the blade , was difficult to handle.
If you are difficult to handle , Your company or manager will probably prefer to hire three different people instead of you and pay them higher salaries if needed , just so that they do not have to deal with you !
Which means, we need to be skilled AND have patience and maturity as our soft skills.
You with these skills will be a much sought after asset !
Wish you all the luck for being an achiever .
But, if you want to be an over - achiever , the below idea might interest you .
You are a Diamond . But your manager is stranded ,solitary, on an Island.
He has no use for a diamond . He will be happier if he has an iron rod instead, to dig and grow vegetables.
Situations make iron more valuable than diamond. Requirements may make your competitor more valuable than you .
If , as a talented and adaptable diamond, you can mold yourself to take the form of a diamond rod and solve your manager's issue , then you can still be an achiever.
Additionally , if you tell you manager , that once done with the digging , I can be of help in making a fire by acting as a prism in the sunlight , you are an outstanding performer.
In short , do your assigned duty first .Whoever contributes to business is helping. That is a basic expectation . In addition to that , if you can innovate and think of creative ways to help your team , automate to increase their efficiency ,then you will be a winner . Else , you may end up being a talented "also-ran" .
*If you have enjoyed reading this or if I could help you win , please do comment .
Feedback is welcome.
If yes, then maybe you would want to re-evaluate yourself after reading this.
Sachin - The God of cricket . Scoring -
Batting - 100%
Fielding - <100%
Bowling - < 100%
While I am not an authority on numbers, and a few fans may disagree, the point I want to make is that even Sachin has scope for Improvement. So , I hope you agree that each one of us too has scope for improvement.
What is it that you can improve ? If you have some ideas , please work on them. You may also want to add mine in your list.
The Hayabusa is one of the finest bikes made . You are Hayabusa.
I say that because both you and the bike, have somethings in common.
- Top Speed
- Acceleration
- Handling
Funny? Read on !
The "Top Speed" of a person is the speed at which he or she churns out finished products , once he/she has learnt the art .
For example : Lets say I have learnt how to make a wooden chair . How many good quality chairs I can make in a day is my Top Speed.
Coming to Software Programming, If I have learnt a new concept of writing web services, how many good quality services can I write in a day is my Top Speed.
The skill being referred to here is proficiency .
A subtle point which is very important here is Quality. Any work we do , is a weighted percentage of quality .
If I make a chair , it should meet all safety and ergonomic standards. If I write a piece of code, it should be guaranteed bug free.
And there is also a Quality aspect to the individual . The skill I have acquired should have quality . I should know how to make ANY wooden chair . I should know how to develop or fix ANY code relating to the concept I have learnt.
Only when I have done so , am I at my Top Speed.
Which brings me to the second property . Acceleration.
The "Acceleration" is the time taken for the bike or the person to reach the Top Speed.
How many days did it take for me to learn how to make a fine chair? How many days did it take for mastering the web services concept?
The skill being referred to here is adaptability .
We should be ready for change when it comes knocking. Constantly upgrade skills to be market worthy.Don't start learning only when an unpleasant event forces you to rethink .
Most of us rate ourselves on the above two skills- Top Speed and Acceleration . When we master an art , we feel talented . And the most talented individual should be the most preferred one too .
But it may not happen !
Because , we usually dismiss as trivial ,the third property . Handling .
The "Handling" of a person is the ease which his seniors or peers feel , while dealing with the person.
I may be very skilled at making chairs , but , if I am not on good terms with the wood supplier , my supply may be delayed . And my Top Speed may be affected.
I may be very good at writing web services , but , if I am in unnecessary conflict with the testing team, my product may be certified late.
The above statements in no way suggest submissiveness . They suggest humility .
The skill being referred to here is maturity.
One should be considerate to all people he/she deals with .
Remember the time you made a sarcastic remark on your team mate since he was too busy to help? Or the time when you fought with your manager for not helping you clear the blocker and accusing the team of being responsible for your less-than-top-speed performance?
Well, sit back and think . Maybe , the teammate was really busy . Maybe , the manager had tried . Maybe , you could have gone with a Solution rather than a problem.
While , I do agree that each situation is unique , yet , as far as possible, try to help yourself first before trying to ask for help.
Maybe you could have asked the teammate for pointers . Maybe you could have made the call you wanted your manager to make ,to set the context beforehand and reduce his work.
Which one do you prefer ? A Razor or a Blade ?
A blade is a fine instrument . It can be used for a haircut , a shave or a nail trim . It is 100% efficient and capable of doing all three tasks , that too , at a much cheaper price.
Yet, we pay for three separate instruments each having lesser functionality - Scissor,Razor and Nail cutter - at much higher prices. Just because our friend, the blade , was difficult to handle.
If you are difficult to handle , Your company or manager will probably prefer to hire three different people instead of you and pay them higher salaries if needed , just so that they do not have to deal with you !
Which means, we need to be skilled AND have patience and maturity as our soft skills.
You with these skills will be a much sought after asset !
Wish you all the luck for being an achiever .
But, if you want to be an over - achiever , the below idea might interest you .
You are a Diamond . But your manager is stranded ,solitary, on an Island.
He has no use for a diamond . He will be happier if he has an iron rod instead, to dig and grow vegetables.
Situations make iron more valuable than diamond. Requirements may make your competitor more valuable than you .
If , as a talented and adaptable diamond, you can mold yourself to take the form of a diamond rod and solve your manager's issue , then you can still be an achiever.
Additionally , if you tell you manager , that once done with the digging , I can be of help in making a fire by acting as a prism in the sunlight , you are an outstanding performer.
In short , do your assigned duty first .Whoever contributes to business is helping. That is a basic expectation . In addition to that , if you can innovate and think of creative ways to help your team , automate to increase their efficiency ,then you will be a winner . Else , you may end up being a talented "also-ran" .
*If you have enjoyed reading this or if I could help you win , please do comment .
Feedback is welcome.
