Related Posts
I recently joined TCS but I was moved into very different project which was told during hiring. Also they told me for joining incentive but later after 65 days of joining they didn't give saying your business aproval got rejected. I really want to be with TCS but due to project dissatisfaction, I am looking for different job. I am not sure if I can leave the organisation soo soon(4 months) and it should not effect my carrier.
Tata consultancy sevices
If you have your PMP, was it worth it?
More Posts
Pro
Mentor
Anyone familiar with Nautic Capital?
Additional Posts in Consulting
New to Fishbowl?
Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
Get outside of your comfort zone every single time. Every time you are presented with an opportunity to do something you have never done before, take it. You will feel unprepared and may even experience the impostor syndrome for a while, but just keep pushing. I have found that in those opportunities is where you find real growth and life changing situations, even if you fail, the lessons in there will put you ahead of the rest. I will feel horrible at times (especially when you are a top performer) when you feel you are not there yet, you will feel defeated some other times and so on. But at the end is always worth it.
Some random observations over the years:
- Don’t mistake niceness for competence - the nicest manager I had was a wonderful human being with whom I am still friends. He was also the worst/weakest leader I ever worked for. It took me a long time to realize that.
- It’s not enough to perform well, you need to be able to play to other people’s’ egos and be non-threatening in order to rise in most organizations - especially if you are good at what you do. Meritocracy starts to fade as you rise up the ranks.
- We are all faking it at some level. The hallmark of competency is not necessarily knowing everything, but being able to solve problems with what you know and seeking help with what you don’t.
- Sense of humor : the ability to smile or laugh at something has opened way more doors for me than all the knowledge in my head. The best response to a joke is a laugh or smile - not an attempt to outwit the person who tried to lighten you up.
- Be careful whose advice you listen to. Stay away from those who diss rigor and hard work. There is no other way to be successful - for most of us at least.
Can you expand on how to be non-threatening and maybe give some examples?
Early in my career: show up when others won’t, work weekends, volunteer for activities with high visibility
Later in my career: learn to set the right boundaries, find leaders who will be advocates for you (not just mentors)
Chief
Don’t assume anything. Clarify even the smallest details.
“Ok, so just to be clear, this will a pdf document that I will send you in 2 days time, via email. We will go through it and we’ll seek your approval. The deployment of the process will then be taken over by you and your team”
Not “I’ll sort out the process for you.”
If you feel comfortable, it's time for a change.
It's always good to be at least slightly uncomfortable in your role/job/project, as that is when you will really begin to grow. Once you've got whatever made you uncomfortable down, move on to what's next
This is mine too. Growth really only happens when you’re uncomfortable. If you’re comfortable, you’re not growing. Has always been a great metric for me in deciding to move on and seek new opportunities.
Smoke weed everyday
Only at the hotel 👌🏽
Someone once gave me life advice that also works for consulting: The quality of your five biggest problems or concerns determines the quality of your life - diagnose what they are and make a plan for how to be actively resolving them. As someone that used to procrastinate and let things build up, I find this mindset to be very effective for getting important things done before they cause undue stress
1. Be competent. Be confident. Be caring. Sounds simple from a former Accenture senior leader but this has never failed me. Most company values are also a variation of this anyway.
2. Relationships are more important for promotions than assessment metrics and processes. Punch above your weight in building relationships. Many senior leaders enjoy grooming juniors. Find one that will take you under his / her wing, show progression and most importantly make them feel like your success is because of their efforts. They will want to do more for you and you will have someone you can learn from.
3. Worse advice I've ever heard is "if you can't convince them, confuse them". If you are a consultant that is frustrating or difficult to understand, then you would have failed at communications 101. Many ways to convince people depending on complex topics and conflicting priorities, both of with can be addressed through 1-on-1 private sessions.
I had an abusive Senior Manager for my first project - 3 months of hell & torture (I got nightmares for months afterwards too). In retrospect I realize it was such a huge learning experience because no matter what, I will never be like her in a professional or even personal capacity!💪🏻
This happened to me as well! Now I consciously think “what would D*anna do” and I do the opposite.
Don’t let your ego get too big. Plan and rehearse every detail. Never target someone you know. Always have an alibi. Have a contingency plan in case there are any accidental witnesses.
“The firm will take whatever you offer it. Know your boundaries”
My first boss ever gave me this advice, Differentiate between urgency and priority. Other people’s urgency shouldn’t knock down your priorities. Staying focused on end goal is very important. If you kept fixing the broken things alone, you can never build a house of your dream!
A priority goal is often well planned and is executed over a period of time. So only time priority becomes urgent is when someone hasn’t planned well or hasn’t executed what they planned so well and now in a reactive mode to fix the issue.
Urgency almost always signifies something has gone wrong, but if things are always urgent then there is a planning or execution failure in IT project management. It could also be a competency based issue or complacency in initial phases leading to urgency towards the end!
Always give people the benefit of the doubt
Hi D9 - So sorry you feel that way.
When did I discuss anti-black racism with you? Unless you are referring to the content from the church, I don’t recall discussing this topic with you here.
I hope and pray that you land a nice role soon as plan B what to do if anyone is let go.., it could happen to anyone so being prepared is good!
Here are some of the most important things to do if anyone loses their job:
Negotiate a severance agreement
Collect your last paycheck, along with accrued vacation balances
Review your non-compete agreement
Decide what to do about health insurance
Rework your budget and cut unnecessary spending
Reach out to your network
Update your LinkedIn profile
Evaluate your career path
Update your resume
Clean up your social media accounts
Connect with your coworkers
Brush up on your job skills and industry knowledge
Apply strategically for jobs
Determine what to do with your 401(k)
Take up a part time or free lance work till you land the job of your dream
Reevaluate your life priorities, may be you can pursue something that you are passionate about
This was great, thank you
Be kind.
Find a sponsor and be their ‘guy/girl’. Do a good job and be their go to person and they will sponsor your career and vouch for you in promotion discussions. Choose wisely.
Know your boundaries. Respect the work but also most importantly respect yourself. Whatever firm you work for always remember it is not a charity so don’t bust your guts or kill yourself if things don’t work out. There’s always a next time. Love your family and yourself and treat everyone you work with with respect no matter how frustrating they come across to you- Associates, Seniors, Managers, SMs, etc. This works for me all the time be it internal or clients, people will enjoy working for you, thus creating a positive mindset and feedback loop in your career.
When the entire economy is imploding don’t complain about your role on a project...or that’s the advice I wanted to give a consultant today.
Or TS / SCI
Build your brand, build your network, and always show up.
Volunteer for high visibility activities and always take things to logical conclusion so you are dependable.