It is okay! ??

This article captures some prefatory learnings I imbibed from the experiences, I went through, in my "whatsoever" short corporate career-span. My perspective, my thoughts laid here might not be novel but definitely could be a refresher for anyone who is early in their career.

It is Okay!

It is Okay to be not able to deliver something in due time, but it is NOT Okay to keep the stakeholder waiting in anticipation without any prior intimation.

It is Okay to not like the kind of work you have been asked to do, but it is NOT Okay to keep your manager unaware about your exasperation. If they don't know, they can't fix it.

It is Okay to have too many things on the plate, but it is NOT Okay to not prioritise things that are Important. If you give the excuse that everything is a priority, then in actuality, nothing is a priority.

It is Okay to take a week-long leave, but it is NOT Okay to not align someone for all of your critical work threads.

It is Okay to be on a Snooze mode on weekends and not respond to emails or slack, but it is NOT Okay to forget responding to them, the first very thing on a Monday morning.

It is Okay to not get the same level of growth or hike as your peers, but it is NOT Okay to not act on the feedback, reflect back, and make yourself better than your previous version.

It is Okay to not be the Smartest in the room or in your team, but it is NOT Okay to portray yourself as a non-dependable employee with your actions. Leaders seek for dependable employees more than smart ones :)

It is Okay to convey that you don't have any more bandwidth for additional work, but it is NOT Okay to overcommit and under-deliver. Believe me, you will try to do everything, but you will not be able to achieve the desired outcomes on anything.

It is Okay to be not able to achieve the desired outcome on any assigned task or project, but it is NOT Okay to not seek any help or not convey where you are stuck & facing a blocker.

It is Okay (and quite common too) to have anxiety creeping in on a Sunday evening/ night about work. Lay calm on the bed for 15 mins, close your eyes, just try to recollect all the pending tasks/ things that you need to do, prioritise them in your mind, and plan your next 2-3 days tasks in advance. Believe me, while you may think, it is a lot, you would literally be able to bring all the threads on track in the next one or two days by following this.

And the most important of all...

It is Okay to be busy all week long, but it NOT Okay to not call your parents/ closed ones with an excuse of you being busy. Many of us must have spent some great time with our parents during the pandemic; The joy, the sense of fulfilment in the eyes of your parents when you are home is priceless. They at-least deserve a call once in few days (if not everyday) to fill up the void you left.

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_Aditya Shankar

PS: I will keep adding my learnings, experiences as I progress further in my career