PREVENT FUTURE SABOTAGE

This piece is meant for those who are in their early career stage. Observe your senior managers. Are they receiving the support they need or are colleagues quietly sabotaging efforts? If the entire team is showing lack of cooperation or not putting in efforts as compared to what the team had done for a previous manager, then some history has to be dug out.

Remember the golden rule “Do unto others, as you wish them to do unto you”. I will request all early career professionals to be careful of the choices they make. The boomerang effect works.

A manager is unable to get his team to be productive players. There is no new development, no proactiveness and everyone has an excuse for not contributing. The only members he can influence are the juniors.

If you dig into the manager’s history you will find stories relating to behavioral issues. His behaviour or type of cooperation or contribution as an early career professional have all been saved in the mental database of his colleagues. What he displayed earlier in his career…. unprofessional behaviour, uncooperative attitude, lack of contribution to corporate life is now being returned in magnified dose. Remember the boomerang effect.

With these thoughts in mind all early career professionals can make conscious choices of how they will behave. Keep in mind that one day you will be in the position of that manager and you will seek cooperation and proactiveness from your team. Your team will comprise juniors, peers and also seniors. So, remember the golden rule “Do unto others, as you wish them to do unto you”.

An early career professional who upskills, stretches himself(herself), observes where help or assistance is required and offers it, learns about the nitty gritty of the organization, contributes to corporate life, and believes in self accountability has a better chance of leading and managing a team in the future.

We have a strong tendency of doing “tit for tat” (something unpleasant that you do to somebody because he/she has done something to you). This can go on and on, and never end. If you are wise, you will learn to avoid it and instead channelise your energy to more productive aspects. I encourage you to prevent future sabotages.