CATEGORY:Promotions / Career growth

“I Am Shy. An Introvert.”

“I am shy,” said Jazen.

“Basically, I am an introvert. I don’t feel comfortable meeting new people. In fact, in my school and college days, I had very few friends. Mostly, I was invisible!”

“Now, you are telling me that just talent and hard work are not enough.” Jazen continued.

“And that, if I don’t network, I will be left behind, passed over and not achieve my aspirations.”

“What should I do?”

My heart went out to Jazen. I know exactly how he felt. I had met so many young professionals like him – sincere, hard-working, passionate – but aloof and shy and ‘invisible’.

How frustrating it was for them to see less-capable colleagues move ahead because they were more outgoing and confident and assertive!

“May I tell you a story, Jazen?” I asked.

“Yes, go ahead,” Jazen said, as he sat forward in his chair.

The Girl Nobody Knew

This story is about a young lady. Let us call her Rupa.

Throughout school and college, Rupa was the “shy girl.” The girl who nobody knew. Even her teachers, sometimes, would struggle to remember her name.

Rupa wondered why it was so hard for her to make friends and enjoy social events. But, as the years passed, she became so used to being known as “shy”, that she gradually accepted it as part of her identity.

In her final year of college, a counsellor administered a psychometric test to Rupa. As they went through the results of the test, she had a ‘Eureka’ moment. She was an Introvert!

Over the next few days,

Rupa read everything she could about personality types. She realized that she was not alone – that nearly half the population shared some or all characteristics of introversion.

Rupa learnt that there are many benefits from being an introvert – the ability to listen, the ability to think ahead and plan, the capability to reflect and review, the inclination to view the world rationally and calmly.

She also learnt that the corporate world is not kind to an introvert. Because it is hard to be open, difficult to make small talk, painful to establish rapport with new people, she realized that she was at a disadvantage when it came to attending networking events and building new relationships, which are crucial elements of employment and employability.

While this was discouraging, Rupa squared her shoulders. Now she knew. She knew who she was, and what strengths this gave her, and what weaknesses she had to overcome.

In her usual thoughtful way, she listed out steps that she could take to overcome this ‘disadvantage’ and turn it into an asset.

Step One – Shy People Can Plan

First, Rupa cast her mind back to recalling all the interactions that she had witnessed – between her classmates, her brother’s friends, even her parents.

She listed out the normal topics of conversation –

• The weather
• Family
• Mutual friends
• Common topics such as movies, books, current affairs, clothes, celebrities, etc.

She then listed out two things more –

• A list of questions she could ask, to maintain a conversation
• A narrative that she could use, without diffidence, if she was asked any questions or was asked to share something about herself

On completing this exercise, she decided to test it with two of her classmates who were outgoing and had many ‘friends’. She felt nervous and worried but gathered the courage.

The next day,

She reached out to the first classmate and then the second and put her plan in action. She started the conversation and then asked a few questions. Soon, all she had to do was listen! In both cases, the classmates talked and talked and talked. And Rupa listened and nodded and assented.

Within a week, both the classmates were seeking Rupa out. They loved that she was such a good listener, and that they could talk to her about anything.

“You are such a good conversationalist,” said one classmate, not realizing that Rupa barely said more than 10 words during the whole time!

This exercise gave Rupa confidence. Even better, over time, the two classmates then introduced Rupa to their friends, thus expanding her network without her seeking it!

Delighted, Rupa moved to the next step.

Step Two – Shy People Can Empathize

Rupa had already realized that she was not the only introvert. Many of her classmates were, too!

She also realized that she felt more comfortable talking to other quiet or mild people.

So, Rupa drew on her reserves of empathy.

Instead of being scared of starting a conversation, she focused on how she could help other introverts by interacting with them. After all, who could empathize better with an introvert than another introvert?

Again, she chose two classmates.

Over the next week,

Rupa reached out to them in her gentle and unassuming way. She did not push. She let it be known that she, too, was shy, but was available to talk.

It was slow going, but step by step both her introvert classmates opened up to Rupa. Over the course of the next 3 weeks, she learnt about their amazing talents, their achievements, their lives. She felt so good!

“We’ve been together for so many years, and never known one another!” she thought.

At the end of the third week, one of the classmates thanked Rupa. “I am so glad that you reached out to me,” she said, “I have never had real friends before…”

Rupa was on a high! She moved to the third step.

STEP 3 – Shy People Can ‘Socialize’

Rupa had avoided social networks.

Yes, she had a Facebook account and a LinkedIn account, but they were mostly dormant.

She realized that she had not understood the power of these online networks. Now, she recognized that such networks were good for an introvert – that people like her could nurture and build relationships without having to take the stress of face to face interactions all the time.

The next few days,

Rupa revived her online networks and re-connected with her few connections.

Gradually, she started adding one or two thoughtfully, evaluating each to ensure that she picked people who she could add value to, and she could gain learning from. She tentatively started writing a few of her thoughts as posts and articles on LinkedIn and was delighted to see many readers liking and commenting on them. This encouraged her to extend her writings to Facebook, and to open a Twitter account.

In a few months, Rupa had a decent sized online network, and had even developed some of her connections into friends, with whom she would chat one-on-one. Two of her connections had even reached out to her asking if Rupa would like to consider a position in their companies.

Rupa, the introvert, had learnt how to network!

Introverts Do Not Need To Be Invisible

“So, what do you think?” I asked Jazen, sipping on some water.

His eyes shone.

“Thank you for sharing this amazing story,” he exclaimed. “Did you know Rupa personally?”

“Yes, I did,” I said, “She was a member of my team, but much later.”

“Where is she today?” he asked.

“Oh, Rupa is now the General Manager – Operations with a large insurance company,” I answered.

“Do you know of other introverts who have done well?” Jazen continued.

“Dozens. Hundreds, probably,” I said, smiling, “ and most of them very successful!”

“Wow!” he said, and sat back. His eyes continued to shine.

A Chance Meeting

Jazen and I kept in touch regularly. 8 months later, we had the opportunity to meet at an industry conference. We shook hands happily, and then agreed to catch-up for coffee during the first break.

“So, I hear things are going well?” I asked.

“Very well!” said Jazen. He seemed much more confident than when we had last met. “As I have informed you, I am now managing a small team, and we are building some amazing apps.”

“And how’s the networking going?” I asked, smiling.

“Rupa’s story was a turning point in my life, Shesh,” Jazen said, with seriousness. “In the last few months, I have followed the learnings from her story and life has changed so much, for the better!”

“I am so glad,” I said, smiling with delight.

“And not just for me,” he continued. “I am now passing on these learnings to other introverts, and each of them is reverting to me saying how things are improving and how they are doing so much better.”

“Can you please thank Rupa for me?” he asked. “I owe her so much!”

“I will,” I promised, “and perhaps someday, you could both meet?”

“Oh, that would be wonderful! I look forward to meeting her!” said the introvert.

****

[Note : This is part 3 of a three-part series on Networking]

Does this article inspire you to take steps towards enhancing your networking skills?  Take the first step today.  Make a commitment.  Tell me a ‘yes’. 

In three months, let us revisit this article and check on your progress. 

Cheers | Shesh | Singapore | 20 October 2020.

Post Script :

1. For other interesting CEO Chronicles click here.
2. Follow me so that you don’t miss the next issue of CEO Chronicles.

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I Was Never Taught How To Network.

No one taught me how to network. In fact, when I was young, I was told that networking was ‘sucking up’.

I was told that it was not for smart and capable people, but only for weak fools who needed to survive on the whims of others.

Just like much of the advice I was given when I was young, IT WAS WRONG!

But I was foolish. So I followed the advice I was given.

I was also arrogant. I believed that I did not need others.

“My work will speak for itself”, I thought.

“My outstanding performance will make me stand apart and visible”, I believed.

“Networks are for suck-ups”, I consoled myself. “I can do this on my own!”

But, even foolish and arrogant people change over time.

As I saw others progressing faster, as I noticed colleagues being chosen, as I slid back in the hierarchy of life, I realized that just talent and hard work are not enough.

I needed to do more.I needed to do something different.

So, I reached out to my mentor.

You Are Effective, But He Is Successful

“Okay, Shesh,” she said, after she had listened patiently to me. “Let me ask some questions.”

“You said that you are efficient, hardworking and always deliver. I have known you for a while and I agree. But, your management promoted Ronald. Let us try and figure out why.”

“Okay,” I said reluctantly. I was not keen on talking about Ronald. We had joined the company at the same time, and he was now two levels ahead of me.

“Is Ronald efficient, too?”

“I guess so,” I muttered.

“Does he work as hard as you?”

“No!” I burst out. “He never stays late, he goes out to lunch with our colleagues, he rarely comes in on weekends!”

“Does he deliver his results?”

“Yes,” I said, morosely.

“So, how does he do this? He is efficient, he delivers results, but he seems to work much less.”

“I don’t know,” I muttered, looking down.

“Do you think you can find out?” my mentor asked, kindly. “May be spent the next 2-3 weeks observing Ronald and seeing what he does differently?’

She saw me squirming. “I think it will be very helpful, Shesh,” she said, still kindly, but with much more authority.

I agreed.

Give, And You Shall Get

I did not enjoy the next 3 weeks.

Not only did I shadow Ronald, I also saw that he was having a wonderful time.

Ronald knew how to network. He would rarely sit at his desk. He moved around the office leaning against other’s desks, talking and laughing. At times, he would pull up a chair and sit for longer, listening and nodding.

And when he was at his desk, a stream of colleagues would come by and chat and laugh and even flirt!

One day he went to lunch with the HR team. The next, he brought in a couple of burgers which he shared with the CFO in his office. On Friday, he bought 12 donuts, kept in on his table and shouted, “First come, first served!” and stepped away from the stampede.

One Monday, he asked me out for lunch. The cheek!

“Sorry,” I said, “I am busy, I have to complete the monthly RFQ.”

“Come on, Shesh,” Ronald said, “there’s always time for work. There’s this new Indian restaurant I am dying to try out. Be a pal!”

But I was firm, and refused. Why did I feel so terrible?

In the third week, I asked some of the members of my team what they thought of Ronald.

“Oh, he’s so wonderful,” said Anna, “he lights up the room!”

“Ronald? Such a lovely guy!” said Yu Jian. “Always willing to help, even when he is really busy!”

“You know, he got my son the Pokemon set when he returned from Bangkok!” gushed Minnie.

Honestly, I was getting quite tired of Ronald. At least the three weeks were coming to an end.

Ask, And Will You Receive?

I was back at my mentor’s place. I had just recited (with the help of my notes) everything I had learned about Ronald.

She sat back and smiled. It was not a nice smile. It was the smile of an executioner before he swung the axe.

“Thank you, Shesh,” she said. “It mustn’t have been easy.”

I grunted.

“I have a question. Let us say that you and Ronald are each given a big project. A project that neither of you can complete just by using your own team. Clear so far?”

I nodded.

“Both of you are given the same timeline, and it is tight.”

“Which of you, do you think will get the support from your colleagues to help finish this project, in full, on time?”

My mouth opened to speak, and then shut. I looked at her. She was looking back at me, a tiny smile on her face. She waited.

It took me more than a minute to squeeze out the words. “Ronald will.” I said.

“What about you?”

“Well, some of them will help…” I started. “A few of them may help…”

I shut my mouth and pondered. “May be one or two of them may help me,” I said, quietly.

“What do you think makes your colleagues want to help Ronald, but not you?” she asked, gently.

He Knows How To Network.

“They like him. They consider him a friend,” I answered. “He does things for them. Listens to them. Buys stuff. Donuts and pizzas. He talks to everyone all the time.”

“Would you say he invests in them?” she asked.

“Hmmm, yes, he does.” I replied.

“Would you say he gives a lot to them,” she asked again.

“Yes, he does.” I said.

“Does he do this with an agenda, you think?” she continued, “some kind of sinister purpose?”

I smiled. “No,” I said, “Ronald is actually a nice guy. He cares about the people around him.”

“Thank you, Shesh,” my mentor said. “Even when you hate it, you are honest. That is such a refreshing quality!”

Your Network Is Your Net Worth

My mentor sat forward.

“I know your views on networks, Shesh,” she said, seriously. “I know that you think they are facile and unjust and for weaklings.”

“You are wrong. I have wanted to say this before, but the time was not right. You would have ignored me. Now, you are seeing the difference between two similar capabilities, but with one multiplied by the factor of networking, and the outcomes thereof.”

“You are at the cusp of understanding how important it is to be seen, known, liked and trusted. A network is like a stage. Without one, you are part of the dark, unknown and unseen. With one, you are in the spotlight, and you are visible to the world who will yearn to see you succeed.”

I looked at her and nodded. She was right. I had spent so many years of my career not recognizing this elemental truth.

“From next week, I will teach you the art and science of networking. There are five main approaches that you will need to understand and master. Are you ready to do so?”

I nodded again. “Yes, I am,” I said.

She got up to see me to the door.

“I will leave you with this African proverb, Shesh,” she said, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with others.”

Time To Build An Springboard.

As I drove home, I recapped what I had learnt over the past three weeks.

1. Being effective is necessary, but not sufficient.
2. Without a network, I have no leverage.
3. A network is a force multiplier. A strong network would allow me to contribute and achieve so much more.
4. I have come as far as I can, alone. To go further, I need the support and goodwill of people.

I had wasted so much time. Enough. I was ready to expand my horizons.

****

[Note : This article is part 1 of a three part series on Networking. Today we discussed WHY. The next two articles will discuss the HOW and WHEN of Networking.]

Do send your inputs to me, either as a comment or as a PM.

Cheers | Shesh | Singapore | 22 September 2020.

Post Script :

1. For other interesting CEO Chronicles click here.
2. Follow me so that you don’t miss the next issue of CEO Chronicles.

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To survive a crisis and win, we need to master the “Five Weapons To Deal With The Post-Pandemic World”.

Rajat and Lynn knew about the Five Weapons.

Rajat ignored them.

Lynn honed them.

Storm On The Horizon

News item in September 2019 : Oil prices dip below US$ 40 per barrel

News item in December 2019 : IEA predicts flattening of global energy demand

Viral blogpost in December 2019 : China doctor arrested for posting video on ‘runaway virus’

News item in January 2020 : Wuhan locked down; virus rampages across region

News item in February 2020 : Thousands infected in Italy; virus sweeping into Europe

Having Sight, But No Vision

Rajat Chandra was a lucky man.

He had had a comfortable career so far. In his mid-thirties, Rajat was the Operations Manager in a reputed Maritime Services group headquartered in Singapore. He had just completed 5 years in the company, and was well thought off, by his management and his team-mates.

Rajat was good at his job, and knew enough to deliver steady outcomes. He was happy – he felt secure and stable.

A few months before, in November, the Managing Director nominated middle managers in Rajat’s company to attend a two day training seminar on career management. Run by two former CEOs, who were now professional coaches, the seminar addressed various career issues and concerns. One of the sessions was on the Five Weapons professionals needed to survive a crisis and thrive in the corporate world.

The session described and discussed the Five Weapons –

1. Situational Awareness
2. Flexibility & Mobility
3. Networking
4. Strategy & Planning
5. Continuous Learning

Rajat had enjoyed the seminar. He found the ‘Five Weapons’ session stimulating and fun, and the examples, both from historical and from current times, interesting.

But he also felt that he did not really need these weapons. The combination of security and stability had given birth to new feeling – complacency.

Famous Last Words

“Why would I need weapons?” Rajat thought. He was part of a good company, where the leadership took care of and invested in the employees. And, he was doing well, and had been promoted a year ago, and was hoping for another promotion within the next couple of years. He got along with his boss, and his numbers were looking good.

“These Five Weapons are more for executives and managers who are either in companies not doing well, or who are not doing so well themselves,” Rajat thought. In fact, he had shared this opinion with one of his colleagues  (and a good friend) Lynn Cheng.

“I don’t agree,” Lynn had replied, after hearing Rajat out. “I think all of us need to master these weapons. We have no control over the external environment, but we can prepare ourselves for the worst case scenario so that we can survive a crisis.”

Rajat had laughed. “Lynn, what worst case scenario? You know I read about global economics and finance all the time – the world is doing well, in fact never better! Why would I spend time mastering things I am never going to use?”

Lynn was insistent. “No, Rajat, those two CEOs were not fools. They did not sacrifice one-fourth of the seminar to focus on things that we would not need. Did you know that this is a newly incorporated session? They evidently see something we don’t.”

“No way,” Rajat scoffed, “We are doing great, and nothing is going to change that!”

Prepare For The Unexpected

Lynn Cheng had also had a nice life so far.

She was 31 years old and was Deputy HR Manager. She had been with the company for a little longer than Rajat. Lynn had started as an HR Officer, and had been promoted thrice in six years. She was that rare HR professional – trusted and liked by her colleagues.

Lynn was different from Rajat in one critical aspect. She knew that security and stability could be unpredictable and transient.

Lynn was completely energized by the career management seminar. Every session spoke to her, resonating with her own thoughts and opinions.

When she was younger, her father once quoted the then CEO of Intel, Andy Grove, to her :

“Success breeds Complacency. Complacency breeds Failure. Only the paranoid survive.”

The day after the seminar, Lynn started her journey to mastering the Five Weapons.

The Warrior’s Path

She first tackled Situational Awareness.

Lynn broke it into three parts – her company, her market and the general environment.

She read as much as could find about her company’s history, growth and performance. What she couldn’t find, she asked of her boss and colleagues. She spent some time with the CFO and understood the financial issues and stresses that the company was facing.

Lynn subscribed to various domain newsletters on the maritime sector. As she pored through these, she realized that the maritime industry was in bad shape. Hundreds of companies had closed down in the past few years, and even the remaining ones were financially teetering.

Then, she started browsing the internet on global issues – the increasing nationalism, the trade war between US and China, the struggles of emerging economies, the failures in world trade and cooperation.

Within two weeks, Lynn fully agreed with Andy Grove – “In such an environment, one definitely needs to be paranoid,’ she said to herself, “I will need to master the Five Weapons if I want to survive a crisis.”

Within four weeks, she realized that neither her nor Rajat’s jobs could be taken for granted. One misstep here or one change there, and the company would need to cut costs drastically.

In parallel, Lynn started planning her Strategy (and upgrading her Learning).

In her reading, she also learnt about the forces that were disrupting HR. During this, Lynn had come across a McKinsey article on how 40% of HR jobs in the future would be done by computers and bots. She agreed with the article – “Much of what we do is repetitive and patterned,” she thought, “So easy to digitalize.”

She realized that some parts of HR – talent management, performance management, employee engagement – would be difficult to offshore or digitalize. “If I want to continue in HR and survive a crisis, I will need to become an expert in these areas,” she said to herself.

Lynn looked for and joined two HR professional forums so that we could keep track of the state of the art and find avenues to learn and develop herself.

She visited a career counselor. “What areas, other than HR, can my current capabilities and competencies help me excel in?” she asked.

Lynn had always been good at Networking.

Now, she bumped it into high gear. Within 6 weeks, she had got to know and interact with more than 50 managers and leaders in the HR world through the forums.

A close friend advised her to develop her social media profile. With some help, she started writing a weekly blog on HR issues and inviting her friends, colleagues and acquaintances to contribute and engage.

Lynn also started a new initiative – she started calling on and meeting with HR and non-HR managers in the various organizations in her building. There were more than a 100 companies, and she planned to build at least one relationship in each company in the next 6-7 months.

Finally, Lynn evaluated her personal situation, to see how Flexible she really was. 

She totaled up her assets, calculated her monthly outgo, spoke to her parents about their needs, consulted a wealth manager friend. Lynn quickly learnt that she had not given her own financial security enough priority in the past. Being flexible, she realized, was to a large extent, an outcome of being financially independent.

Lynn calculated that she had enough to sustain herself for about 9-12 months. But that was not sufficient. To be able to survive a crisis, she needed to be able to sustain at least 24-26 months.

She sat with her (newly appointed) wealth manager and put in place a new approach. Together, they laid out specific goals to achieve and decided on a savings and investment plan to reach this soon. She also enlisted for an online course in personal investing.

By March 2020, Lynn was well on her way to achieving most of her milestones, if not her goals. She felt much more confident that she could survive a crisis now, but did not allow herself to become complacent.

Tragedy Strikes

On 15 April 2020, both Rajat Chandra and Lynn Cheng received notices of termination with immediate effect.

“The Company is unable to sustain its current operations, and regretfully needs to seek judicial protection,” said the letters.

Rajat was shocked and flabbergasted.

Lynn was saddened. But not surprised.

You Shall Reap What You Sow

Today, four months later, Rajat is at home, applying for jobs. His savings are gradually running out. He now suffers from hypertension and is on medication.

Meanwhile, Lynn is Talent Management Specialist in one of the top e-commerce companies in the world. She earns 30% more than what she did previously.

Lynn is not resting, however. She continues to hone her Five Weapons.

1. Situational Awareness
2. Flexibility & Mobility
3. Networking
4. Strategy & Planning
5. Continuous Learning

Lynn knows that success is never final. That she has to be armed and ready for the next shock, the next upheaval.

Lynn is not just a survivor. She is a winner.

As you can be, if you master the Five Weapons…

****

If you are more Rajat than Lynn, start learning how to wield the Five Weapons NOW. If you are more Lynn than Rajat, help me share these principles with your colleagues and friends, so that they may prepare themselves before it is too late. 

Do send your inputs to me, either as a comment or as a PM.

Cheers | Shesh | Singapore | 11 August 2020.

Post Script :

1. For other interesting CEO Chronicles click here.
2. Follow me so that you don’t miss the next issue of CEO Chronicles.

#BillionDollarLearnings #radicaladvice #ceochronicles #purpose #mentoring #careers #career #careeradvice #careerguidance #bestadvice #personaldevelopment

Five weapons to deal with the post-pandemic world? Really? Why do I need them?

Read on…

I am so sorry, but…

“…we have to let you go…”

“…we need to reduce salaries by 50%…”

“…we are out-sourcing your entire department to Philippines…”

“…the company is unable to meet its obligations, and going into liquidation…”

I truly hope and pray that you have not heard any of the above sentences.

But there is no guarantee that you will not hear these directed at you in the next five years..

Why?

Because disruption, change and transition are becoming the permanent feature of our lives, both in the workplace and out of it.

And because the markets are morphing faster than most companies can cope with.

Because ‘black swan’ events are becoming as common as white swans.

Because politicians and nations are tearing at the tapestry that has been painstakingly developed over the past 70 years, leading to nationalist bombast and global disconnects.

And because you are unprepared and do not have all the tools and weapons you need to survive and thrive in an uncaring, juggernaut world.

The world has changed beyond recognition in the last 6 months. An organism without intellect, form, strategy, or desire has rendered us fearful, cowering and suspicious of one another. It has stopped us from entering our workplaces, from travelling, from entertainment, from sports. It has rendered us humans, the most powerful of all species on earth, impotent.

Oh No! What Should I Do?

Prepare.

You need to prepare to survive and thrive in a situation where the odds are against you.

Prepare to fight forces that are much more powerful, and win.

And to prepare for the future, look to the past.

Hannibal and the Romans

The year was 218 BCE.

Carthage and Rome were at war.

Hannibal, Carthage’s general, realised that he was taking on the most powerful army in the world.

His first major battle in Italy at Trebia was an incomplete success as the Roman center broke free and escaped.

So, he changed his tactics. Deep in the forested hills of Italy, Hannibal planned to trap the entire Roman army. Taking advantage of the aggressive pursuit of the Roman general Flaminius, Hannibal led the Romans onto a narrow path between Lake Trasimene and the rolling hills.

Hannibal had set a small force at the far side of the lake with large amounts of baggage, fire and plenty of smoke. This was to make it seem that they were the rearguard of his army marching or preparing to march just over the next hill. Flaminius took the bait and sent his men in a pursuit column to quickly march along the narrow road between the hills and the coast.

Little did Flaminius know that the hills he was squeezing past contained the vast majority of Hannibal’s hidden army. Once Flaminius’ force had all been funneled into the gap, the Carthaginians charged down the hills, smashing into the disorganized Roman marching column. Nearly the entire 30,000 man Roman army was killed or captured. Hannibal won decisively.

The battle of Lake Trasimene remains, after 2,200 years, the biggest successful ambush in history.

What weapons did Hannibal use to succeed against a vastly superior force?

The Five Weapons

Hannibal was only 27 years old when he took over as general of the Carthaginian army.

He did not have the experience that Rome’s generals had; nor he did not have their massive armies; and he surely did not have their unending wealth.

What he had was five weapons. What he had was (AND SO CAN YOU!) :

Weapon # 1 : Situational Awareness 

Situational awareness is the study and perception of environmental elements and events, understanding them and their impact, and recognising their impact on the future.

It is critical to planning and preparing yourself for the changing, shifting world. It is necessary to ensure that we are not caught unawares, and find ourselves on the wrong side of any table.

Hannibal learnt everything he could about the countries and armies around him. He sent out spies, he built networks, he made allies – all to ensure that he was always situationally aware.

This allowed him to understand Rome’s military tactics and plan his own to counter them.

Weapon # 2 : Flexibility & Mobility 

Hannibal realized early the need to be agile, the need for speed, the ability to turn on a dime.

He recognized that inertia was a fatal flaw; that the tortoise wins only in fables and not in real life.

He trained himself and his armies in moving quickly. Legend has it that the entire force of 8,000 soldiers could set up or break camp in less than 6 hours. He developed the concept of redundancy – he not just had a Plan B, he had a Plan C, a Plan D and a Plan E – and he ensured that he could switch from one to the other at lightning speed.

Weapon # 3 : Networking 

Long before Facebook and LinkedIn, Hannibal knew the criticality of networking.

First, with his own army. Hannibal lived among his soldiers and worked alongside them. He knew his men well, and built amazing relationships.

Second, with adjoining kingdoms and countries. Hannibal realized that if he was going to war, he would need allies. He could not leave his back vulnerable while rushing forward. He built alliances, partnership and friendships across Europe.

Weapon # 4 : Strategy

Hannibal had a clear vision and strategy; but he did not cast this in stone. He knew, long before modern military strategists, that “no battle plan survives the first contact with the enemy”.

He had a broad overarching vision (he knew what he wanted to achieve), and multiple approaches and strategies that he could shift between, choosing the most optimal path for that moment in time.

By doing this, Hannibal always kept ahead of the situation unfolding around him.

Weapon # 5 : Learning

Hannibal is one of the earliest historical generals who is known to have been ‘a student for life’.

He realised that his knowledge needed to be continuously updated and refreshed. If it was not, his strategy would be out of date, his plans would become stale, his relationships would wither.

He would read and listen and ask questions and send out scouts and pore over maps and understand cultures and behaviours.

When he won, he spent time understanding why. When he lost, he did the same. Every day was a day to add to his knowledge, to his understanding, to his appreciation of the world.

The Art Of War

Hannibal, like you, lived in tumultuous and disruptive times. He, too, was young and ambitious. He, too, wanted to survive and win and succeed.

Let us be clear – you, like Hannibal, are at war. A different kind of war, but a war nevertheless. You are at war with political incompetence, corporate greed, geopolitical tension, black swans, climate change, morphing workplaces. Each of these can hurt you, render you and your family vulnerable and homeless, can cause you hurt and pain and suffering.

You, like Hannibal, need to arm yourself with these five weapons that will allow you to battle with and overcome the challenges that you face today and will face increasingly tomorrow.

What are these five weapons?

1. Situational Awareness
2. Flexibility & Mobility
3. Networking
4. Strategy & Planning
5. Continuous Learning

Armed with these five weapons, Hannibal took on the most powerful army in the world and won.

So can you.

****

If you fear the ‘I am so sorry… situation’ for those you care, help me share thse principles with them, so that they may prepare themselves before it is too late…

Please send your inputs to me, either as a comment or as a PM.

Cheers | Shesh | Singapore | 28 July 2020.

Post Script :

1. For other interesting CEO Chronicles click here.
2. Follow me so that you don’t miss the next issue of CEO Chronicles.

#ceochronicles #careeradvice #careers #bestadvice #hiringandpromotion #personaldevelopment #success #leadership #purpose #fulfilment

The Gang Of Four

(and the Mystery of the PERRfect Employee)

“Wow, I love this Japanese scotch,” said Chow Yen, “It is so smooth.”

“I am really glad.” said Anders. “I find it amazing, but I was not sure if you would like it, too.”

Faizal sipped on his orange juice. “Okay, whose turn is it today? And what is the problem we need to solve?”

“My turn,” I said, “and thanks for taking the time. Remember, when we last met, I spoke about recruiting a senior manager for our engineering services division? It’s been five weeks and almost 20 candidate interviews and we are still far from finding the right person.”

Chow Yen leaned forward. “20 interviews? Wow, that’s a lot!” Chow Yen was the General Manager of a logistics company, and ran a team of more than 500 people.

“I agree,” said Anders, “20 interviews means at least 200 candidates? That’s a lot of time and resource to fill one position.” Anders was the COO of a shipping company with operations across the world.

“I know,” I said glumly, “that is why I need the help of the Gang of Four.”

Faizal laughed. “You are not going to let that name go, Shesh?” he asked, “We sound like a set of B-movie villains!” Faizal was regional CEO of a global manufacturing company.

“If it was good enough for Sherlock Holmes, it is good enough for me!” I shot back.

The Gang Of Four is the informal group of four friends – Anders, Chow Yen, Faizal and I – which meets once every 5-6 weeks to catch up, and more importantly, to discuss issues and problems each of us was facing and to find approaches and solutions together. Today, we were in a rooftop bar just outside the CBD, enjoying the evening breeze.

The Perfect Employee

“Coming to the issue at hand,” I continued, “my question is this – what qualities make up a perfect employee? What should we be looking for and testing for? Somehow, all my recruitment policies and processes don’t seem to be choosing the right people. The ones we recruit are okay functionally, but behaviourally fall well below the bar.”

“If I have to answer this, I need at least 2 more drinks,” said Chow Yen, smiling.

“This is a good problem to solve, Shesh – what qualities make up a perfect employee!” said Anders. “I know the first quality I look for. May I start?”

“Of course, Andy, go ahead!” said Faizal, leaning back.

The Proactive Employee

“Whoever I hire has to be #proactive.” said Anders. “She must think ahead, take initiative and do things without being instructed or asked.”

“I agree 100%,” said Chow Yen. “I call this ‘self-management’. We must not need to tell the employee what is expected. He should know what needs to be done, do it and then after reporting completion, move to the next activity.”

“Wow,” said Faizal, “I think we are all brothers of different mothers! I feel the same way, though I call this quality ‘self-motivation’. Such an employee knows what his role is, and does what it takes. He is persistent, doesn’t get impacted by failure, and keeps moving forward towards his goal.”

“Such people are naturally positive, too,” said Anders. “They look for and at the bright side, constantly see opportunities rather than problems, and motivate and encourage the people around them.”

I was scribbling as fast as I could. “Proactive, self-managed, self-motivated, positive,” I wrote, and hoped that I would be able to read my writing later.

“I remember an amazing quote by a US Senator, #williamsprague,” said Faizal, “He said, ‘Do not wait to strike the iron when it is hot. Make the iron hot by striking it.’ That is what I call being proactive.”

“Thank you, this is great,” I said, “What’s the next quality?”

The Emotionally Intelligent Employee

“I look for people with high #EQ – candidates who are emotionally and socially aware,” said Faizal. “They tend to be more friendly, open, responsive and flexible.”

“Very true,” agreed Chow Yen, “An emptionally intelligent employee also knows how to adapt to different situations and teams, and so, tends to be much more versatile.”

“This is a tough one for me,” said Anders, “if I have to choose between IQ and EQ, I tend to go with the former. He may not be as flexible or adaptable, but he can deliver results.”

“So are you saying that you would prefer a competent jerk?” joked Chow Yen.

“No, no,” protested Anders, “no jerks, please! EQ is important in certain roles, and less necessary in others; IQ is critical in all roles.”

“I am not so sure,” I said, “I understand where you are coming from, Andy, but in my experience, average intelligence + hard work + EQ makes for a very trainable and competent employee.”

“Fair enough,” said Anders as he digested this input, “I get where you guys are coming from.”

“I agree,” Chow Yen said, “I remember reading that ‘Emotional Intelligence is not the opposite of Intelligence. It is not the triumph of heart over head – instead, it is a unique intersection of both.’”

“Thanks, guys,” I said as I finished writing, “may I share what I believe is a really important quality?”

The Reliable Employee

“The most important quality in any employee,” I said, ‘is #reliability. The candidate needs to his team and his colleagues can depend on.”

“Absolutely,” said Anders, “this is a critical quality. An employee who does not keep his commitments, or misses deadlines, or arrives late to meetings and appointments is a serious menace to his team and the organisation.”

“No disagreements here!” exclaimed Faizal. “This is a baseline requirement, especially for senior and top management. I do not promote anyone who is not known to be dependable and consistent.”

“Agree wholeheartedly,” said Chow Yen. “a reliable colleague is far more valuable than a smarter colleague who is not as reliable. A couple of months ago, I had to let one of my business managers go because he was always delivering less than he promised.”

“Have you guys heard of Wolfgang Schauble?” asked Anders. “He is one of Germany’s most senior politicians. He has often said, ‘Reliability is the pre-condition for trust’. And I think he has hit the nail on the head. I cannot trust someone who I cannot rely on.”

“That’s a great quote!” said Chow Yen. “I am going to put it up on my wall.”

The Resilient Employee

“If we are done, may we move on to the next?” asked Chow Yen, after having ordered his next drink. “I have one quality that I look for carefully : #resilience. Every employee, especially in today’s crazy world, needs to be resilient. This is not a quality that is talked about much, or even understood much.”

“What do you mean by ‘resilience’?” asked Faizal, leaning forward.

“Resilience is the ability to adapt,” said Chow Yen, “a measure of a person’s mental and emotional plasticity.”

“Yes, and the ability to get hit and then get up and keep fighting,” said Anders, who is a big MMA fan.

“I agree,” I said, “Resilience is a rare and amazing quality to have. To me it connotes adaptability and agility. A resilient employee is usually a dependable and proactive one.”

“Now, I get it.” said Faizal. “And I agree – this is a great quality to have. I must note this down.”

“My Finance Director’s office has a great poster that moves me everytime I see it,” said Chow Yen, “it says, ‘My roof collapsed in last night’s storm. Now I can see the moon when I look up’.”

“Oh wow, that is beautiful!’ I said.

“Amazing quote,” said Anders, as he rose and stretched. “Gentlemen, I have to take your leave. Thanks for a wonderful evening. Shesh, will you share a recap of our discussions?”

The PERRfect Employee

From: vshesh@radicaladvice.net
To: anders@shipco.com; faizal@manco.com; chowyen@logco.com
Sent: Friday, January 9, 2017 10:55 PM
Subject: The Gang of Four : meeting #11

Gentlemen,

A quick recap of our discussions this evening.

The main question : ‘What qualities make up a perfect employee?’

All of us agree that the four main qualities (of a PERRfect employee!) are –

• Proactivity
• Emotionally Intelligence
• Reliability
• Resilience

Please prepare yourselves, when we meet next, to discuss this further. How do we test for these qualities? How do I, as a prospective employee, develop these qualities?

Have a great weekend!

Best regards…

****

If these four qualities of the ‘PERRfect Employee’ resonate with you, click 👍🏻 below, and shout out “YES!” in the comments.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this instalment of CEO Chronicles. As always, I look forward to your feedback and suggestions! Please send me a message or write to me.

Cheers | Shesh | Singapore | 14 January 2020.

Post Script :

1. For other interesting CEO Chronicles click here.
2. Follow me so that you don’t miss the next issue of CEO Chronicles.

#ceochronicles #careeradvice #careers #bestadvice #hiringandpromotion #personaldevelopment #success #leadership perrfect employee perrfect employee

Your First Job

Two weeks ago, I published, “How To Ensure Your Dream Job”. In the days that followed, I received close to 200 comments and private messages. The bulk of the messages said, “I am a fresher. Can you tell me how I can land my first job?”

It is more than 35 years since I was a fresher out of college, and the world was different then. Rather than excavate the past, I decided to speak to those of my mentees who had clinched their first jobs in the last 3-5 years. What, I asked them, is the most important step you took to lock in your first job?

Their responses amazed me. And when I compiled them, they came together beautifully, forming a winning approach that freshers will find easy to understand and execute.

7 Simple Steps

1. Vijay (Senior Sales Executive in an Industrial Products Group) :

“The most important step I took was to be clear about my career goal. It was not easy, but I took the time to think about the various options I had, and what resonated with me, and what I really wanted to do and become. Once I was able to narrow this down, I knew what companies I wanted to work in and what jobs I needed to apply for.”

“Unlike many of my friends, I applied to only 4 companies, which seemed the right fit for what I wanted to do. I received two interview calls and amazingly, both companies offered me a job.”

2. Monica (Customer Service Manager in an FMCG Company) :

“The smartest thing I did was to have the right internships. Over my four years at college, I did three summer internships and two winter internships. In total, I was part of eight projects – in marketing, operations, sales and customer service. Also, I received four letters of appreciation. I benefited in two ways – one, I learnt that I really enjoyed customer service and after-sales jobs (and decided that that is where I wanted to be); and two, the companies I applied to placed a lot of value on these internships and my learnings during them.”

“During placement, two of my target companies offered me jobs. And, in both cases, I was hired at one level above other freshers because of my ‘experience’!”

3. Emily (Operations Manager in an Engineering Services Company) :

“I believe what led me to success is my research on the companies I applied to. In almost every interview I attended, one of the first questions was, ‘Why do you want to join our company? What do you know about us?” In each case, I was able to immediately talk about the company, their products and services, their culture and vision, and why I thought I was a good fit.”

“I could see that the interviewers were impressed, and the discussions that followed became so much more friendly and warm. In one case, the Vice President on the interview panel shook my hand as I was preparing to leave and said, ’The job is yours, come over to the office on Monday, and we’ll start the paperwork.’”

4. Chetan (Marketing Executive in a Consumer Goods Group) :

“I made sure that I had a customized resume. Many of my batchmates were just submitting the exact same copy of their resume which was based on a standard internet template. I knew I had to stand apart. So, I made sure that each resume and cover letter I submitted was designed for that particular company and the job role, so that it matched what the recruiter was looking for.”

“I owe this to my advisor. He advised me that my resume was the window between the recruiter and me, and that I had to ensure that the recruiter has the best possible view of me. I am still very chuffed that, while my grades were not the best, I got more interviews than any of my batchmates!”

5. Ethan (Data Analytics Engineer in a Fintech Company) :

“I attribute my first job to the two recommendation letters I received. The first one was from my data science professor who guided me on my final project. The other was from my mentor at the company I did an unpaid internship with in my junior year. Both the letters were very detailed and described what they thought of me, my strengths and capabilities, my character and my knowledge and skills. The interviewers spent a lot of time discussing these letters and seemed very impressed with them.”

“Actually, when I first received these recommendation letters, I just filed them away – I didn’t think they would be of any use. How wrong I was!”

6. Dana (Cost Accountant in a Payroll Services Company) :

“I used my network. One of my father’s close friends worked at an payroll accounting firm. I asked for a meeting with him in my junior year, and asked him if he could recommend me for an internship. He graciously agreed to do so, and I spent my summer working in his team. When I was in the closing stages of my final year, we met at a party. He asked me whether I enjoyed working with his company, and I said yes, of course. He then asked whether I would like to work full time with them. I was thrilled!”

“The very next day, he connected me to HR and within 3 weeks I had my first job offer. I did not need to apply anywhere else!”

7. George (Digital Marketing Executive in a Pharma Group) :

“I owe my success to social media. I was always fond of digital platforms and had over the years, built a substantive presence on quite a few of them – LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Medium, and so on. In all the interviews I had, the panels seemed to have looked me up on socal media and were impressed with my profiles. One interviewer actually asked me to help her in marketing her e-book!”

“I realized early on that I would be one of hundreds of freshers seeking jobs. So, I had to find a way to differentiate myself. I chose social media because it is fun, I am quite good at it, and I heard that more and more companies look at candidates’ online presence.”

Easy!

As I compiled these 7 responses, and as I pondered over them, two things crossed my mind.

The first : “I wish I had been this smart when I was completing college!”

The second was an old adage : “There are no limits to what you can accomplish, except the limits you place on yourself!”

Epilogue

And so, collating these amazing inputs lays out the 7 simple steps to your first job :

1. Have a clear and focused career goal (you may want to refer to my article on goal setting).
2. Seek relevant internships. Build knowledge, experience and recognition.
3. Identify the companies where you want to see yourself grow; research everything about them before the interview.
4. Create a custom resume for each company. Give the prospective employer the best possible view of yourself.
5. Get written recommendations from senior people who can vouch for your capabilities.
6. Approach prospective employers through the right channels and networks (you may want to read my article on networking)
7. Create an impressive online profile and build a personal brand.

What do you think? What worked for you? Can you add to the 7 steps? If so, please share your approach in the comments; it will add value to young freshers starting their careers.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this installment of CEO Chronicles. If “your desire for success is greater than your fear of failure”, send me a message or write to me.

Cheers,

Shesh.

(Singapore / 17 December 2019)

Post Script :

1. For other interesting CEO Chronicles click here.
2. Follow me so that you don’t miss the next issue of CEO Chronicles.

#radicaladvice #ceochronicles #mentoring #jobsearchadvice #careeradvice #success #purpose #fulfilment #careers #jobseekers #hiring

Blowing in the wind

I looked down at the envelope in my hand. It seemed too thin to be good news. I did not want to open it. If it was what I thought it was, this would be the 7^th such rejection.

Nevertheless, I girded myself and opened it, hoping that I was wrong.

Sadly, this was one of the few times in my life I was right.

“…we regret to inform you that your candidature was not successful. We wish you all the best…”

I crumpled the letter. This was a company I really liked – it would have been a dream job.

What the hell was I doing wrong?

I was doing everything the experts told me to do.

“Do your research,” they said.

“Create an amazing cv and cover letter,” they advised.

“Prove that you are versatile,” they recommended.

“Prepare for your interview diligently,” they instructed.

“Ensure that you follow-up,” they prescribed.

I followed all these ‘best practices’ even though I realized that 8 million other eager professionals were also doing exactly the same. The fact is that we were reading from the same playbook, and listening to the same ‘experts’. I was just another leaf in the Amazon rainforest.

How would I be seen? And noticed? And thought worthy of being offered a job?

What made me special? Why should a company choose me over someone equal in most if not all respects?

Lost and clueless, I did what I always did best – went to my mentor to ask for his advice.

Is it me you’re looking for?

“Okay, Shesh,” he said, after he had listened patiently to me pouring my woes. “Let me ask a hypothetical question.”

“Let us say that you were the captain of a basket ball team. One of your players leaves. You have to replace him. How would you do this most efficiently?”

“Well…” I racked my brains. “Well, yes, I would either look at good players from other teams that we have played, or I would ask my team players or the coach to recommend candidates they feel would be a good fit.”

“Very good,” he said, “and if you were the president of a prestigious social club, and wanted to add new members, would it be more efficient to put out an ad or ask your current members to recommend friends?”

“Of course I would ask the current members!” I said, without hesitation.

“Why did you respond the way you did?” he asked.

“Well, a player whose capability is known is a much better option than an unknown one. And a friend of an existing club member is more likely to fit in to the club much better. Isn’t this obvious?” I said, puzzled that he even had to ask this question.

“Very true,” he said. “Then why do you believe that organisations think any differently?”

“What?”

“Organisations are just like teams or clubs,” he said, smiling a little at my gawkish response. “They want the best fit, the best candidate, the employee who can add most value. However robust or structured their hiring process may be, wouldn’t they be more comfortable with a known quantity rather than have to test an unknown one?”

It’s not what you know; it’s who knows you

“You mean…” I started hesitantly, “You mean companies hire only through referrals and recommendations?”

“I am saying that if they have a choice, they will surely do so,” he said. “Wouldn’t you?”

I looked at him, my mind racing. Various instances ran through my head. My tennis partners; our quiz group; the intern we had just hired.

“Wow!” I exclaimed, “You are absolutely right. Almost every social and sports group I am part of is a result of recommendations and networks!”

“Our whole life is a result of networks,” he said calmly, “your parents’ choice of your school; the college you decided on; the friends you have; the woman you married; the day-care centre your son goes to. Almost every decision we take, we take after consulting people we trust, finding recommendations from forums we find credible.”

“However,” he added, “it is puzzling that when it comes to our careers, we believe we can find our dream job by shooting off applications by the dozen, and attending cold-call interviews. Companies are run by people, you know, and people behave the same outside them and in them.”

“So, finding your dream job is less about research or cvs or cover letters or interviews. Oh, all these play a part. But, it is more about you, your achievements, how well you are known, who knows you, and their perception of you. Does this make sense?”

Network = Net Worth?

It made sense. It made a whole lot of sense. Just because a company is run with policies and processes, that does not mean that people change the way they were conditioned to behave.

“So, what you are saying is that,” I said tentatively, “without a strong network, I have no hope of finding the job I want?”

“No,” he said, a little impatiently, “I am saying that with a wide network, with a reputation that precedes you, you can ensure that you get the dream job you want.”

“If you are a good basketball player, but no one knows of you, why will anyone choose you for their team?” he continued, “If you are a successful and likeable person, but are unknown to the social club, why will they believe you are a suitable member?”

“Remember,” he said,

“A network is like a stage. Without one, you are part of the passive audience in the dark, unknown and unseen. With one, you are in the spotlight, and you are visible to the world.”

As I walked home, I replayed the conversation in my mind. It seemed so obvious now. The 4 takeaways I left with were not just for me, but valid for anyone seeking their dream job..

1. People prefer to hire and work with those they know and trust.
2. A wide network helps us become known and builds a positive perception.
3. This will make it easier for people to find us and hire us.
4. We still have to go through the hiring process, but we will start with an solid advantage.

What’s Your Story?

Do you recall Robert Kiyosaki’s advice from CEO Chronicles # 14?

“The most successful people in the world look for networks; everyone else looks for work.”

What did you do to ensure your dream job? How did you differentiate yourself? Please share your inspiring story in the comments, it will surely serve as a guide to all those seeking their own!!

I hope you have enjoyed reading this installment of CEO Chronicles. If you want to ‘build your own stage, and shine in the spotlight’, send me a message or write to me.

Cheers,

Shesh.

(Singapore / 03 December 2019)

Post Script :

1. For other interesting CEO Chronicles click here.
2. Follow me so that you don’t miss the next issue of CEO Chronicles.

#ceochronicles #mentoringmatters #jobsearchadvice #radicaladvice #mentoring #success #purpose #fulfilment