Promotions and Emotions

‘There are politics wherever you go!’ – is the ultimate workplace enlightenment in almost everyone’s professional life.

By the time we realize pasture on the other side of the hill is just as green as (or as dry as) the one here, we would have spent more than half of our life. We realize that there is same competition, there are same types of people and there are the same politics wherever we go!

Sometimes we strongly believe (or sense) that someone or some people around us are conspiring against our professional growth. We feel that our hard work is not being recognized. Our commitment towards work, our proficiency, subject matter expertise, system knowledge and experience are going in vain.

Actually, what stops or hampers our professional growth? How do we think and react to the circumstances we face? What stops us from flying?

Answer is: WING, WIND and SKY

Most of us develop World Is Not Good (WING) attitude over a period of time when we don’t get what we expect. Our very kind ego doesn’t want us to feel inferior in our own sight. It invokes the fox within us that comes to the conclusion: unreachable grapes are sour.

We start blaming every other possible individual as the reason for not being able to grow. We start speaking the jargon built for such situations: I can clearly see ‘favouritism’ by the boss. That executive is an expert in ‘bucketing’. That team leader knows how to apply ‘butter’ to get her work done from the manager. I am always ‘being targeted’.

And the master of all: ‘There are politics here!’

While some or all of these points are partially true in some of the workplaces, our WING attitude blocks us from looking at anything good and thinking of steps or alternatives to grow. Everything appears yellowish to our jaundiced eyes. We neither learn to be blind towards negativity around us nor do we just walk out of such an unpleasant atmosphere. We keep blaming, complaining and still keep dwelling in the same place.

Next is WIND (Why I’m not deserving?) attitude. It’s exactly the opposite of the WING. We unnecessarily start developing a feeling of inferiority about ourselves and start questioning ‘Am I incapable?’ Well! It’s good to stand out of ourselves and introspect, however, in this phase of disappointment we generally do not ask the question ‘Am I incapable?’ to find out about true strengths and weaknesses. But we just ask this as a way of hurting ourselves more.

Again, while some of the time it is true that we may be lacking some of the qualities or qualifications, it is not always our ‘lacking’ that stops our growth. With such disturbed mindset, we simply lose our existing confidence. Gradually the question ‘Am I incapable?’ turns into the statement ‘I am incapable.’ We start believing what is not true; or, we stop trying to overcome our shortcomings. The best conclusion is not to come to any conclusion, especially when you feel bad about yourself.

Even if the World is good and even if You are good, sometimes we don’t get what we expect: The SKY (Skills, Knowledge and the Y-factor)

Every profession needs some job-related skills and knowledge. And then we have a term called X-factor. X-factor is some unexplainable spark that is hidden in an individual that makes him or her get noticed and helps grow. Out of many models, one model attracts the jury; out of many background dancers, one girl somehow gets noticed by the choreographer, out of many students one boy grabs the attention of the teacher – it’s difficult to define why! We call it X-factor.

Can we practise or cultivate X-factor? Maybe yes! By being active, by doing something more meaningfully, gracefully and differently, we may earn that X-factor. But we come across something called Y-factor. And this plays stupid tricks. It has nothing to do with your skill, your knowledge, your X-factor, your experience, dedication. It spoils the entire game.

A company makes a policy not to appoint or promote unmarried girls even if they have all the qualifications needed for the post. A manager does not recommend his subordinate’s name for the post of Assistant Manager with the foresight that the subordinate would overtake him. A team leader decides not to promote newlywed women with the fear that they may take longer maternity leave. A lady with excellent subject knowledge and teaching skills gets rejected for the post of a teacher merely because of her appearance. Another manager keeps a very eligible employee aside and brings HIS people to that place. How do we address such Y-factors? Well, that’s a million-dollar question.

One, fold the WING attitude and let it not flutter. It’s hard to practise but we should be wise enough to choose the right lens. Most of the time, the size of the good and bad things around us are not as big or small as they actually are. We look at problems with magnifiers and we wear an opaque glass while looking at happiness. Being blind to negatives may not dissolve the problems, but will make you use your energy towards finding a solution.

Two, stop the WIND attitude. There is no point in blaming, doubting and thereby punishing yourself. Many times you are a basketball trying to fit yourself into the golf field hole. You are in the wrong place! Isn’t it foolishness for the basketball to compare itself with the golf one? If we truly are unfit for something and you have identified it, the war is half won. We have identified the drawback and it’s all about working upon it.

Y-factor? How can you expect growth from someone so mean, selfish, senseless? The world is not small. The world is not all bad. If they have someone else to wrongly fit in your place, you also have someone else who places you where you fit rightly. If a flower has a hundred bees; a bee has a thousand flowers.

Every day, without your knowledge, through good and bad experiences, life is exposing you to new learning and new experience. And that will surely count and help sometime, somewhere in future.

If none of the above solutions makes sense, look around; there are people with the same problem. Comfort yourself by saying that you are not alone.