A shout-out to the IBM GBS Consulting Academy

An insecure peacock walks into a hotel lobby… 

No, this isn’t the beginning of a silly joke.

I have made a commitment to myself to blog regularly. Something I’ve tried with limited success in the past. And never on Linked In. I always though I had to spout some serious professional know-how if I was to post here. I have now decided to politely disagree with my past self. There are plenty of technical articles out there, and I might post a few myself in the future. Right now, I feel that it is more important and genuine to post what resonates with me at the moment, that I feel is worth sharing. After all, we are all multi-faceted personalities, not one-dimensional flex-board entities. :)

So, back to the insecure peacock reference. I recently attended a training for IBM Consultants. I wasn’t quite sure what I was doing there. I was uncertain on so many levels - as an Architect, why was I attending a Consultant training? No one from my practice was there that I knew of - and I was rather new to the practice. There was so much to do at work. And I was sure I would do something or the other to embarrass myself.

I had taken a DiSC assessment before the session, along with some online learning, and it told me that I am an Influencer - aka. a ‘peacock’ (It’s more of an iD, turns out) I didn’t feel like much of one. I'm not shy. I can speak to new people in the right context. I have manned booths at conferences, presented in front of multiple clients, spoken at external forums, published papers, patents. Despite all that, left to my own devices, I have this inherent tendency to just be. I’m not that person who ordinarily goes out of the way to start a conversation in an unfamiliar group.  I'd rather be the audience. That's my favorite bubble.

Being a long-term IBMer, I expected the sheer variety of skills, knowledge and experience I would find, going in. What amazed me was how much common ground we had. We were all so different and yet quite similar. I expected to be awed; I was charmed instead. The playing field really was level. Leaders left their auras behind- the ones thrust upon them by the responsibilities they shoulder. They shared anecdotes, personal and professional challenges they overcame. They had the courage to share painful mistakes and the lessons they learned from them. I learned the importance of soft skills - skills that would help me not just in my job but also in life.

I also learned a lot about myself. I learned that I can talk to strangers about anything under the sky and it doesn’t have to feel forced. That no one is really a stranger. As a person, there is always some common ground you can find with others. I realized I have stories to share too. And that sometimes it is OK to be as proud of my achievements as it is to appreciate and respect others for theirs. When I left home on day one, I thought I’d be squeezing out as much time as possible to focus on work, yet on day three I didn’t even think to pick up the laptop on my way out. 

Sometimes, life makes us feel boxed-in. Oftentimes, we are the ones unconsciously building those walls. I started with uncertainty and a sense of not fitting in. I expected to meet leaders and colleagues. Instead I met a lot of wonderful people and left feeling part of a community. I realized that everyone makes mistakes. It is how you deal with the aftermath and what you learn from it that defines you and helps you grow as a person. And I carry with me the realization that I get to choose who and what I want to be.