PRCI Veteran C K Sardana describes the Nine key points
to remember to perform
and then outperform!
A batch of 276 Engineer Trainees joined a leading Public Sector Undertaking
in 1978. After undergoing six-month training at Corporate HRDI, they were
posted in different Units and a few in the Corporate Office.
After nearly 30 years, one reached the top position as CMD, five
became Directors and twelve became Executive Directors. Out of the balance,
about 30 left the Organization and remaining could reach middle level position
at Corporate/Unit levels.
How come, only one out of 276 ETs reached the top? In his case,
as also in the case of five Directors, there must have been something
outstanding. Which were the outstanding traits? Let me elaborate.
Sustained self
development -- There is a word in
Japanese -- Kaizen -- which means Continuous Improvement. Japanese, as a people
and as a nation, follow this dictum. This was the guiding factor for the above
Six persons. Through self-study and observation of the 'achievers' style of
thinking, responding and operating, they developed themselves not just in
knowledge but in the practice of the knowledge gained.
Enhancing professional
qualifications -- During the job,
they looked out for institutions running specialized courses, through distance
mode, in key Management areas like International Marketing, Law, OR, HR,
Financial Management, Entrepreneurship etc. They joined those Courses and thus
obtained an edge over others.
Exposure in/through
leading institutions – They always looked
for specialized courses – short term and long term – in institutions like IIMs,
IITs, Universities – and persuaded the Management to sponsor them. Institutions
included world-renowned Harvard Business School in USA. They attended those
courses thereby enhancing their self development leading to gaining name and
fame as ‘achievers’ and also those with ‘potential for higher responsibility’.
Movement within the
Organization -- Initially, each ET
was allocated to a certain Department. Having spent a few years in that
Department, they offered themselves for posting in other Departments including Finance,
HR, Marketing, Administration -- to name a few. Here they learnt the
nitty-gritty of those functions thereby equipping themselves for varied and
higher responsibilities.
Membership of
professional bodies – They became active
members of professional bodies like AIMA, ISTD, Institution of Engineers, IEEE,
Quality Forum etc. This brought them in close contact with professional in
various fields thereby enhancing both connections and connectivity required for
upward movement.
Reading success
stories – Success stories of
top corporate leaders like JRD Tata, Dhirbhai Ambani, V. Krishnamurthy, S P
Wahi, to name a few in India, and Ford of USA were their favourite books. It
was not casual reading but looking for outstanding traits, taking notes and
preparing action plan for implementing them in their own life. They kept
self-monitoring as a regular exercise.
Body language – This includes communication skills. No matter
how much one knows the subject, what is more important how does he communicate
that to the peers, seniors and those who matter. The latter form impressions
from the content and the method of communication. Such impressions help
selecting among so many candidates the best for higher positions.
Remaining in focus – Remaining in focus is different from
remaining in limelight. The latter may produce animosity among various
aspirants for higher positions and, therefore, should be shunned. Instead,
remaining in focus should be aimed at.
Confidence in self and
in associates – Without this, no one
can rise. The six achievers, mentioned in the foregoing, followed a sustained programme of developing their
self confidence and also confidence in associates. This helped them reach much
higher levels than those who had also joined the Organization at the same time.(The author is Former
General Manager/BHEL/New Delhi. Email id: casardana@gmail.com)
