There’s certainly an opportunity at every nook and cranny…

Opportunities at every click – that’s an old ClickJobs advt that has remained etched in my memory. I’ve always wondered if that is really possible when you take the larger picture of life into consideration—to be able to find an interesting opportunity at every turn. I think one should be an opportunist for this to be true.
And why shouldn’t one be an opportunist anyway. After all today’s career demands that one is an opportunist, proactively seeking to find and get hold of what they are looking for. Sit back and assume that life will work out; things will come to the one who works and shuts out the world and you can kiss your career progression good-bye.
I think it’s bad to be a downright selfish opportunist who won’t think twice to walk over someone to get what they want. If someone is focused and wants to achieve what he aspires for, it would be better he works hard towards achieving what he wants, while keeping a close watch of what is happening around and how he can make use of the situation to his advantage without crushing someone else’s dreams or without taking credit for someone else’s toil.
Look at what Agnes Olubunmi Amos did with her life after recession snatched her of her job. Agnes was disheartened just like all the other professionals who lost their jobs, but she did what no one else would have thought of doing and turned her life around and created her own opportunity for a living. Jotting down her fears, prayers, hopes and experiences in her personal diary everyday as she searched for a job without success, Agnes later realized that her personal thoughts can become a book that can give solace to millions like her. And that was how – “The Journey of a Christian Job Seeker” was born. A hit in the US, the Indian edition of the book hit the stands in September this year.
Nothing but sheer grit and determination to survive could have urged Agnes on, but what is commendable is the way she found an opportunity even in her everyday musings. Now who would have thought of that!
As Alexander Graham Bell once quoted– “When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.” Agnes’ progress was certainly stunted by recession but not for long since she did not let that bog down her spirit. What is really admirable is the opportunity that she was willing to see in something that most of us would have considered a pointless endeavour.
Well, I’m sure if all of us keep our eyes wide open it wouldn’t be difficult to see an opportunity in everything too. And it’s high time we started doing just that.

A friend at work…. Is that a necessity?

A recent employee experience at work survey done at my organisation was an eye-opener of sorts, especially the questions pertaining to camaraderie at work. I can’t be sure about the results but it did make me wonder about the friends that we make at work. After all we spend most of our day at work so isn’t it logical enough to connect and bond with peers?
A lot of survey results about life at work talks about the need to have at least one friend at work since it is supposed to make work more interesting. Some skeptics even reasoned out with me that if you love what you do, what is the need for a friend? After all you go to work to work and not to socialise. A valid point, I do agree but isn’t it true that all work and no play can make Jack a dull boy, dull and cynical to say the least.
Though there are certain jobs that demand you’re engaged throughout the day, a little diversion hurt no one. Be it going out for a smoke or for lunch, I’ve realised that being a loner can be tedious. I remember a time when my friend at work had to quit for personal reasons, leaving me clueless for a week. Even though I knew about it I was not prepared when it actually happened. Every time I wanted to do something I used to wonder if I should just go alone or join a group of people who looked at least remotely my type (you can picture ‘almost nerdy’ me feeling lost).
However my friend’s leaving had an advantage. I started talking to more people and didn’t focus my non-working time socialising with just one of my colleagues. Which I trust gave me a more combined perspective of events at work and also my work. When you have a few more people’s perceptions on some of your break-through ideas, it can help you gain firmer traction, since it lightens the environment.
This is my view since I sure have seen it work many a times, simplifying things tremendously. But forget about discussing work, isn’t it true that friends make work enjoyable just like the times when you survived through a boring lecture in college when you had friends to laugh away your boredom with?
Your current job should be your calling at least that is what it should be, so it shouldn’t be difficult to get immersed in it. But, you can’t deny the fact that a good hearty laugh can be a great way to distress when things are not going your way. And when you have friends at work who can take your mind off it for some time, I do believe it wouldn’t be difficult to get back to work rejuvenated.
After all when you know you have someone to keep you company, even a boring workday can seem bearable. I’m happy I have a big gang of friends at work. I definitely love what I do (if you don’t, find a job you’d love) but there are times when nothing can be more relaxing than being surrounded by colleagues who’ve become friends.

Employee Empowerment

Lately I’ve been hearing a lot about organisations talking about empowering their employees that I’m starting to wonder if it is actually taken seriously and practiced at all! What does this term mean anyway! Does it mean that the organisation trusts its employees implicitly enough to let them shoulder more responsibilities?
A friend of mine works at an organisation where they take the whole empowerment thing quite seriously. He gets to go for some real fancy workshops ever so often and is taught the basics of taking decisions (as if he doesn’t know how to do that already). Well, I can help but wonder what’s the point in attending multiple workshops, getting all excited, waiting to get to work to implement those ideas, only to be told you’re not really allowed to do that?
Almost everyone in an organisation has a reporting head so it is expected to report your decision or your actions, which invariably gets thumped down by kind and understanding words. Yet I do agree that there are times (a lot of times) when you think a particular idea might work wonders only to be told that it will not; and surprisingly it is true. I’ve gone through that a few times myself when I thought I’d come up with a new break-through solution only to be told its not really break-through, but you know what, when you have the idea tossed around and get an opinion, even you’ll realize it was a dud. But does that mean that your ideas can be pushed down everyday or every time?
Empowerment is a necessity to ensure evolvement and the personal growth of individuals. However how organisations go about achieving this is what can create more value. Knowing that your decisions are trusted can certainly boost anyone’s morale and add to it functional or operational responsibilities and you can be more than sure of an increased feeling of self-worth.
Keeping a close watch of subordinates is what happens most often. A good manager on the other hand should be willing to let go of certain responsibilities and test the capacity of their subordinates if their sincerely hoping to empower people. Overseeing functions is one, but offering sufficient freedom to implement ideas can go a long way in building the morale of the team. And as organisations strive to expand and grow it is more than necessary today to strengthen their foundational structure – their employees to ensure that their organisational strategies sail through tough times.