First Ever Appraisal Discussion
Disclaimer: One is professionally obliged not to discuss anything in context of appraisal discussions. I am a professional. This post is not about my obligation or professional experiences. Whatever I say here is like catching a ball on the boundary, throwing it back on the field, falling outside the boundary and then jumping back inside to catch the ball again. You get the drift? If not, you're not a cricket fan.
Appraisal discussions and salary hike is a yearly process (half early in life of some lucky super humans) in most organisations. More often than not there are protocols defined around these processes. I have zero intentions in talking about those protocols and boring you to death.
Back in the year 2013, I was about to have my very first career appraisal and I learnt that the process has potential of uplifting my salary from 'so low' to 'don't-know-how-low' levels. Unlike most of my peers I was serious about it. I wrote thousands of words in the appraisal form about how my performance was pivotal and indispensable to my team, project, client but not to the central government who were not able to tax my income yet. I had dared and dreamt of being in a tax bracket then (it's laughable now but I was really serious then). I was so determined that I had prepared decks, charts and graphs about my work at the organisation to make my case in front of my reporting manager. I also saw hour long videos Prof. Deepak Malhotra from Harvard Business School on negotiation skills. All this should have kept me in the best place of the bell curve. I was sure. Surer on the day before appraisal discussion. Appraisal discussion took few minutes of my valuable time and I suddenly recalled one of the other videos by same Prof. Deepak Malhotra which is popularly known as 'Quit early, Quit often'. To my recollection, surprisingly my peers who weren't as prepared for this process as I was - were in the same pool (some swimming, some in safe zone and others drowning) and like a good friend I had recommended them to watch that 'Quit early and Quit often' video now. I watched. They did it in life too. Everybody does.
I am not writing this to tease the corporate processes and make fun of anything here. My intent is purely at channelizing the focus of relatively younger minds into something more fruitful than their first hike or first appraisal discussion (the experienced professionals need no advice here may be or I dare not to give them any). There's a lot of learning that happens in the first year and if some of them pushes you to a corner, don't just fall back. Seek and seize opportunities of being in the spot light. Speak your mind. Make your voice, opinion, and value be known to others. There would be observations that will be not to your liking and 80% of people would say 'this is how it happens.. get used to it'. You have to remember that 80% of people on earth aren't very successful or rich either. You have to join the other 20% club and appraisals that happens once in a year cannot determine that. No matter how high or low you're rated and appraised, your hunger and pursuit to be the part of the better 20% club shouldn't die. It's not going to be very easy but it's going to be worth it.
Meanwhile do watch out Prof. Deepak Malhotra's videos (Harvard Business School) on youtube or articles on other platforms.
P.S: My first day at my very first organisation after college - I was pin-pointedly told by one of the highest ranking heads of organisation, in front of all new freshers, that I will not have a very long professional career. True Story. It doesn't matter why 'I' was told so. I am just saying people say anything, don't take it to heart.