Mentor Log #2: The three Cs that guide me

Consciousness. Compassion. Communication.

Are you looking for career growth? Are you at cross-roads, unhappy with your current role and wondering what to do next? Are you ready to pivot?

If yes, these three Cs can work for you too.

The three Cs have been guiding pillars for my career. And for my everyday life. They were not innate in me. Nor were they overnight revelations. I picked them up over years of trials, tribulations, failures, and epiphanies. I worked on them with guidance from my mentors, persistent practice, and focus.

Each of these pillars are deep discourses on their own. Rather than re-inventing what is available in several books on these topics, I will discuss why these are relevant to your (professional) life and let you internalize it. If any one topic warrants further conversations, we can delve deeper.

Consciousness

Be aware. It is paramount for you to know who you are, what you want, what your strengths and weaknesses are, and where you are headed. For me, this journey began early in my career and refined over time when I sought to find out what made me happy and why? You can read about it here.

Being conscious abolishes the victim mindset, allows you to take control of your own destiny, and empowers you to pursue your goals to your fullest potential. I have a questionnaire here for anyone interested in my #2022menteecohort. You can try answering them too. For the interested reader, Fred Kofman's "Conscious Business" is a great book.

The path to self-discovery is tough, yet magical when you get there. Once the consciousness sets in, you are mindful. There is clarity and compassion when you interact with yourself and others.

Compassion

I am not just talking about being kind or having empathy. Compassion requires you to recognize others' predicaments and motivations, and to bake that into your actions -- positive actions.

LinkedIn's Executive Chairman CEO Jeff Weiner says it best. Compassion is empathy + action.

Compassion is a more objective form of empathy

Read his remarkable piece on managing compassionately here.

Recognizing the meaning of compassion, and consciously practicing it puts you on a path to own your work environment. Compassionate management has been immensely impactful for me. As an example, compassion has been the most important weapon in my arsenal during negotiations. Understanding the other side's needs, constraints and motivation helps me architect creative deals that work for all stakeholders. Here is another example of how it has helped me create a great work environment .

Communication

Clear communication, whether verbal or written, that brings out your conscious personality, and your sense of compassion can work wonders in your career. Learning to articulate succinctly is vital to translate your thoughts to actions.

One of my ex-bosses, also an important mentor, has the habit of responding with a single word - CRISP - if he gets everything he needs from succinct email responses. I constantly challenged myself to earn these CRISPs. In order to accomplish this, I needed to not just answer the question asked, but understand context, recognize his expectations and do the due diligence for potential follow-up questions. I would then craft up a short email that is crisp, yet complete and thoughtful.

This is an example of compassionate communication at work - recognizing what the other person wants, and taking objective action.

Communicate with compassion. Keep is simple. Keep it crisp.

Putting it all together

It is easy to see that the three pillars are very complementary to each other. While I don't profess mastery of these pillars, I can attest that diligent practice generates a marked improvement in your professional life. Whether you need more recognition for your work, wish to develop a better relationship with a colleague, or hope to have a career conversation with your manager, the three C's should help.

As for the Mentee cohort, this log should give you a sense of my style and feedback themes. I hope you are looking forward to the journey as much as I am.

#mentorship #compassion #consciousness #communication #leadership #compassionatemanagement #careermanagement