Every Experience Matters

My boss called me and another team member to a meeting room. He had a very serious look. we already have enough issues in this project, I was concerned. He explained the issue, a report is not balancing, looks like a software bug. Given all the surrounding factors related to this project, no wonder this issue created some heat.

The developer (my teammate) and my boss are talking about the logic of the report and where it can go wrong. I kind of felt all of that flying over my head. What input can I give here, I was thinking, I am not the smartest person in the room, I am not even good with numbers, I was not involved in developing this report or even gathering requirements, plus I am very new in this team.

I just dragged the printed report. Not for any reason, just you know….. just because I can′t blankly look at them while they are in deep discussion.

I just glanced at the numbers and started doing something familiar to me without thinking. In a few minutes, I said “I think I found which two records which are causing the problem.” ?My boss looked at me in surprise, he asked “how did you do that?”. I was surprised too. I was not surprised about my answer, I was surprised why he looked so surprised. “I just did some quick manual calculations”, I said. Honestly, I didn′t use any complicated calculations, just simple additions, and subtractions.

Even after many days, I couldn′t understand what surprised them about my finding. Later I realized something eye-opening to me. I realized how I solved the issue. My practice in reconciling lengthy reports comes from a time I have already forgotten.?

A long time ago I was a Banking Assistant. That was my first Job. I worked in the counters of Commercial Bank of Ceylon Ltd, a Foreign Branch in Sri Lanka. My father was a Banker, so it was a great opportunity in my parent’s eyes. I never wanted to be a Banker. When the push came hard, I made a deal with my dad, “I will accept this job, only if you let me continue my higher education in IT”. After hours of negotiation, we settled into me taking the job and studying part-time.

I hated the job. My mind was not there, my mind was in the IT world. In my mind, this job is a roadblock in my path to the IT world. ?One of the tasks I had to do as part of my job was balancing monthly reports. I remember, me and my friend going through pages and pages of printouts because the printout total doesn′t match some Ledger Balance. I downright hated it.

Guess what, that job I hated has given me a skill that was hidden in me for so long. When I picked up those printed reports on the table, without thinking too much, I did the same thing I did many years ago. I was so surprised to realize this.?

Every experience, every win, every loss, and every failure ultimately get you to where you are supposed to be. You never know when your past experiences and skills will step in to help you. If you are stuck in a role that you dislike, by all means, get out of there and find something you like……but until then remember to collect some skills, experiences, and good memories. Many years fast forward, and I have to accept?that I have gained skills and experience during those days and have also created lifelong friendships and fond memories. ?