Welcome to My Blog - Bhushan Kachru

                                             

                Reinventing Myself                    

                                                     Photo Credit-A Conscious Rethink

I had a bag full of intent and expectations and was seeing in my mind's eye a vision of how soon I would reach the pinnacles of my career. After going through thick and thin of career for many years, I was caught in the unexpected and out of the blue career jam. Like early adulthood years, my career jams lead to stagnation and disappointments. I was reasonably a successful professional having had a number of accomplishments, yet my job satisfaction and contentment was on the turn down. The only thing that I did not have was the ability to count on my hidden failures which were hammering to strike. Leo Tolstoy once wrote - “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” Perhaps it is true that I had been habitually looking furthest away from myself for imperfections and wrong doings of people around? Most of the time I found myself dismayed going to work every day, giving presentations, attending meetings after meetings some without purpose? Sadly I did not realize that instead I needed to search deep into my own actions, behaviors, fears and start incorporating positive and optimistic changes.

Sometimes during the year 2000, I got an opportunity to meet and pay respects to a reputed and learned Swami Jee whom I had known for many years for his blessings. After paying my obeisance, I casually broke subject of my facing consistent obstacles in accomplishing higher professional goals at that point of time in my career. He listened attentively and told me to come the next day. On the next day, he narrated following Zen story that gave all the answers. 

“A university professor went to visit a famous Zen master. While the master quietly served tea, the professor talked about Zen. The master poured the visitor’s cup to the brim, and then kept pouring. The professor watched the overflowing cup until he could no longer restrain himself. “It’s overfull! No more will go in!” the professor blurted. “You are like this cup,” the master replied, “How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?”

                                                        Photo Credit- Book of Sarah

He continued “Mr. Kachru, you seem to be up against scanning your inner self for reinventing ‘YOU’. He continued “Many times people feel that transforming of their life perspectives is a burdened process and resist it unless they see it leading to an immediate gain. Unless you rediscover yourself by carrying a planned process of self-renewal and self-criticism, you will continue to remain at the doorsteps of unaccomplished goals”. He continued “People habitually change friends, jobs, and lifestyles because they seem to be weak in adjusting to new situations. But when they are asked to amend attitudes, thoughts and beliefs to find and revive them, they resist and feel as if they are asked to sign their own death warrant”. He continued “reinventing needs patience, endurance, self-discipline, positive attitudes and a will to fight odds. Most attempt to alter their life, but leave mid way because they don’t seem to have goal clarity, and their mind-sets are not in tune with their goals”. Amending to reinvent ‘Myself’ was indeed hard to integrate, it neither happened overnight nor without sustained efforts in incorporating modifications gradually.

Having superannuated from active professional life few years back, I have understood and experienced that rediscovering ‘Me’ is a long drawn process. It envisages long and short term objectives which have to be crafted after lot of thinking and planning and mentally being prepared to face setbacks. It means letting go of negative habits, changing the direction of life by revamping a new set of choices.

Reactivate Yourself

                                         

Some of us leap from job to job and are able to receive significant jump in salary compensation/ job elevations. Staying in one job too long can indicate self-satisfaction in some cases but it is also true that majority among us may be stuck in the career jam by not converting opportunities. Career jam is an opportunity for change, self-introspection and rediscovering new directions.  During my long professional career, I hardly ever found professionals looking at themselves, their spots for improvement. In real meaning find answers to: ‘who am I’, ‘what is my uniqueness and internal distinctiveness to move ahead’? I therefore strongly feel that time is mature to Walk into the story of ‘Me’ dispassionately and analytically. We may also need to set of new goals,  and work out a strategy for achieving them. Following tips may be of help

 

1 Carry out an exhaustive 360 degree self-assessment and have detailed discussions with our trusted senior colleagues.     Their detailed views on spots of performance we need to work on. For a successful transition by way of reinventing “Me”, there is need to identify what is making us frustrated and what will make us contended. I am not advocating some minor adjustments here and there but largely focusing on overall self- improvement plan. Assess different stories of our career successes and failures? Remember it’s not about the depth of our technical knowledge. It’s all about our leadership style and how we create our image and influence across the organization.

 

2 In addition to our Unique Value Proposition (UVP), how do we plan to remodel connect and bonding with our organization’s stakeholders? What initiatives do we plan to improve knowledge and skills? How do we plan improving on our personality attributes, temperament, quality process and other interventions etc. Knowing our strengths will propel us on the path to success. Also write down our skills and talents.

3 It’s essential to dispassionately look at    existing story of ‘Me’, identify gaps between this and   planned part of reinvented ‘Me’. Secondly identify the gaps in both hard and soft skills. Once we know what the gaps are, plan how our strengths can support these.

 

4 Run through the current role and also carry a brief review of our career path so far, also list out small or big failures if any. Mirror on our past and current experience(s), expertise and special skills etc. List out what capabilities, abilities and competencies we want to remodel.

 

5 Spotlight on how our past successes can be made a base for contributing to our reinventing process. Try to move towards a policy that links our skills, expertise and competencies with the problems if any faced by the team/ group members to prove our unique value propositions.

 

6 Think of our core values as the base for our decisions, actions, and behaviors. We will know the direction we need to take for reinvention. Remember that our values and beliefs may change along with the age so keep an open mind. Secondly personal attributes such as transparency and integrity etc. are beliefs we develop early in life and are shaped by our culture, education and different socialization processes. Some values are maintained throughout our life while others may transform with the changing times. For example, I recall in a meeting of senior management team in one of my previous organization. No management team member spoke about difficulties employees faced in the organization/ departments. Every one tried to put it under the carpet possibly members did not wish to annoy the chairman of largest and reputed Indian media organization. I stood up and forthrightly put up employee’s issues before the chairman for his consideration. While I did this, there was pin drop silence. After completion of the meeting, many senior colleagues admired my forthrightness.  

 

7 Try to detach from existing comfort zones, habits, and self-perceptions. It is important to maintain a positive outlook and keep our mind and body energetic. Look at our own personal behavior before we criticize others for their poor behavior?    How often we’re in denial saying one thing, but behaving on the contrary. We don’t realize that our behavior is the driving force which is creating disagreements with others.

 

8 Most weaknesses may be known to us and have become part of our habits and style. Often we may try to hide these from others but when we meet head-on, we   may be in denying mode and instead give excuses. Whether we acknowledge our weaknesses or not, everyone still sees them. For example, as a member of the senior management team in one of my previous organizations, at the annual appraisal session, I was asked about my areas of improvement. I thought for few moments, I was forthright in saying, Sir I am sorry, I have a habit of brushing shoulders occasionally with other colleagues. Also I often expect my peer GM’s/VP’s to visit my office for discussions rather than I walk to theirs, clearly an egoistic attitude. The President& CEO was surprised because none of the other GM’s/ VP’s was able to self-criticize. In fact they tried to deflect smartly.

 

                                                    Photo Credit- Bans Seicen (Unsplash)

To sum up --We don’t need to find a dream job right away by leaving our current job. Yes surely a different ball game to know what to do next. Look for networking opportunities to further expand our career. Self- reinventing is time consuming and requires patience and determination. Don’t rush up and think of past letdowns or future apprehensions. Sustained efforts and willingness is all that is needed. You need to be convinced that attitudes, habits, and beliefs can be improved and amended through self experimentation. 

Bhushan Kachru

Blogger

Dear Readers

My wife Rita joins me in conveying our Best Wishes for a Happy and Prosperous 2021 to you and you’re Family. May the Lord give you Good Health & Lots of Happiness? Cheers!

 

With Lots of Love

 Bhushan Rita Kachru

www.reactivateyourself.blogspot.com