Seven Secret Oaths!

If you are an achiever in life, this blog is not for you. This is strictly for those who are confused, crazy, battling their fears, and those who have yet to achieve something.?

I spent 15 years at school. I learnt a lot of things. I learnt about geometry, how to use a beaker, test tubes & pipettes, how bad I am at art & craft, a few things about dinosaurs and the joys of life under the Mughals. On the contrary though, I don’t feel I learnt much about life and how to make the most of it. I studied about The Newton’s Law of Gravitation but never knew How to Remain Grounded. I explored the inner workings of brain & heart anatomy, minute details of DNA & RNA, but never learnt about how to understand myself and folks. I was one of the best in almost all the sports yet I failed to take things sportingly. I learnt to stand up when a teacher came into the room and to hand in my homework on time if I wanted to avoid punishment, but I wasn’t taught how to set vision, conduct and manage my emotions, how to face rejections or how to handle con?icts. For me, school prepared me for exams. It didn’t prepare me for life.??

If you asked me 16 years ago?(that’s when I started my Professional Journey),?‘would you want your life to be a dazzling and delightful experience both for you and those around you?, I would have answered?‘undoubtedly yes’. However, if you then asked me how I intend to make this happen, I would probably have waf?ed on for several minutes before coming to any conclusion?‘I’m not so sure’. But I’ve learnt a lot over the last few years,?I still am.??

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My responses now would be little different. They are based on over sixteen years of learning & experimenting marketing, studying psychology, handling teams and more importantly based on my observations and interactions with tens of thousands of people. My profession and my experience?(whatever little I have)?has given me a fascinating insight into what does and doesn’t work in work place. My work has taken me from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from SriLanka to Africa?(Ha-Ha);?my life has taken me from India to Europe and from UAE to USA. Whatever the country, whatever the culture, I learnt one thing – “people are basically the same. They have similar hopes, dreams, desires and challenges. They simply want to improve their lives (both personal & professional), be happy and create a better future for themselves and their family.”??

Now, I am not some glorified, saintly, spiritual soul and am clearly one among those who can't write?“try way too hard”?when it comes to soul searching. Of course I am an avid reader?(books are my best friend, by the way),?who’s fond of travelling, exploring new places, fear no adventure and most importantly simply loves observing people & personalities… who indeed takes pride in so far voyaged career path and professional milestones. Which also has been a continuous self-teaching experience.?

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And so dear friends, today I just wanted to share…?‘Few unsaid & unwritten rules’?not taught in any school. Practising them may help you achieve reasonable altitudes in your profession or you may find them absolutely tiresome & bootless. So I leave the decision with you, assuming that I am dealing with and addressing many gallons heads with few gallons brains.?

Imagine a world where everyone is blessed with equal ability, skill set and opportunities. How would you distinguish yourself from others??It’s the way you conduct yourself that stands out.?

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Many Leaders may seem to have “Achieved the Great Heights” based on their talent alone, but actually they have progressed and succeeded alongside a dozen people who are just equally talented and passionate to grow. It’s not enough to be skilled. Of course, you have to be skilled — ‘but’ with something else. That “something else” is exactly what these Unwritten Rules are all about.??

The Unwritten Rules that I am taking you through are built around the ageless code of conduct at work place that may kill or cure you as a professional. As I said, the choice of adopting them is absolutely yours. But as I believe that one should secretly pledge to practise them?(if chooses to adopt any of them)?at the same time these are no stringent laws/rules, I have designated these “Unwritten Rules” as?“Seven Secret Oaths”?here:??

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So Let's Get Started…??

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Oath One – I Will Give My Best Shot:??

However boring and trivial your early assignments may appear, give them your best shots. - Many young professionals feel that minor tasks are below their dignity and unworthy of their qualification & certificates. They expect to prove their true worth in some major, vital assignment. Actually, the attitude and passion with which you tackle your initial humble tasks will very likely be carefully watched and may affect your entire career.?Trick here, “Always remember! Your first few free samples, if genuinely impress the customer in terms of quality and efficacy; makes him your loyal supporter.”?

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Oath Two – I Will Keep Informed:?

One of the most important things you owe your manager is to keep him or her informed of all significant developments.?The manager’s biggest problem is to extract enough information to keep adequately updated.?While it’s the other way around too: Managers?owe it to their team to keep them properly informed. -?It is not fair to ask someone to carry out their tasksif they are not well informed.?Trick here, “plan a quick unwinding tea together daily or a Small Walk & Talk Session (Can be done virtually as well, these days).”?

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Oath Three – I Will Always Seek Opinion:?

Nurture the habit of seeking others’ opinions, suggestions and recommendations.?Particularly as a beginner, you just cannot know everything under the sun. Therefore, you must ask for help from others.?Trick here, “very easy, a good first question to ask is “What do you say?” Your biggest competitor would become your best friend, I promise!??

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Oath Four – I Will Give Careful Commitments:?

In dealing with customers and outsiders, remember that you represent an organisation, apparently with full responsibility and authority.?You may be only a few months old college pass-out or an industry wizard with mountainous experience, but most outsiders will regard you as a legal, financial, and technical expert of your organisation in all interactions, so be careful with your words and commitments.?Trick here, “Before making any commitment, Imagine that the most special people of your life are fearlessly travelling in your car and it’s you who’s driving and having all the controls over steering wheel, breaks as well as speed. Safe Driving, Reckless Driving, Accident: Choice Is Yours! ”?

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Oath Five – I Will Keep Cool Head:?

Don’t get excited in exigencies – keep your feet on the ground.?Most crises are not half as serious as they appear to be. Keep a cool head.?Trick here, “Before reacting to any situation, Just Ask Yourself the Question, “Will This Matter a Year from Now?” A year from now you aren't even going to care.??It will be one more irrelevant episode in your life. While this simple trick won't solve all your problems, but will definitely give you an enormous amount of needed perspective.”?

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Oath Six – I Will Always Empathize:?

Consider & Empathize the personal challenges and professional interests of your colleagues at every occasion.?This is not a compulsion – it is an opportunity and the privilege for every manager.?Trick here, “Always remember! Even Sachin Tandulkar has Duck Moments and Amitabh Bachchan has Flop Moments. But we don’t stop cheering for them.”?

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Oath Seven – I Will Refrain From Public Criticism:?

Don’t criticize and scold a subordinate in front of others, particularly in front of their own subordinates.?This damages their standing and their morale at the same time.?Trick here, “Just visualise any ugly spat between the two contestants of some Stupid Reality Show, now replace the uglier one with you.”?

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Remember all of us have once started this journey! None of us was then perfect and not that we are now… All of us have plenty of flaws… so we have to have some set of silent oaths to enjoy our journey, “Our Professional Journey”, we can very well test and try any of these, we can craft and create our own set of rules or all what we can do is, “silently take what you admire about your role models and try to bring that into your behaviours and thinking as well”. Though, there’s huge difference between saying, “I admire them and I follow them.” So, my advice to you buddy,?“take inspiration but use your gifted intelligence too”!?