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At the start of my career, I was in complete awe of my Boss. From the pearls of wisdom that he effortlessly dropped every now and then to his charismatic personality, everything about him was impressive. He was someone I looked up to, someone that I wanted to become someday. And blinded by my veneration, I had placed him on a pedestal that was beyond mortal fallacies.
Eventually, on account of a pending promotion not coming through, I switched jobs. I had been performing well, and my Boss, I had hoped, would ensure that I got what I deserved. When this didn’t happen and an exciting opportunity came my way around the same time, the choice became simple.
“I am stuck in this role for over three years now, while many of those who had joined with me have already got promoted,” I spoke out during my exit interview.
“You are extremely talented,” he began, elaborating on how he had envisioned a remarkable career for me. “But if your concern about the promotion was so pressing, you should have discussed it with me at least,” he continued. He even tried to talk me out of leaving, but the alternative was far too lucrative for me to concede.
Now, several years hence, I believe I have succeeded in moulding myself somewhat upon my first boss. I even suspect that there are people who look up to me with similar reverence as I once looked up to him. However, deep within I feel like the same person, still drawing inspiration from my seniors at the workplace. Only, now my idols occupy glass cabins and corner offices. So then, are these new idols of mine infallible? Or am I, for those who admire me, in a position to meet all their unstated expectations?
The answer is no! My idols, like me, are humans first, who are possibly struggling with their own set of challenges. They have their own goals, priorities and challenges, and hence, it would be unfair for me to expect them to keep my cause at the top of their minds at all times. My career is my prerogative, and, unideal as it may sound, it is I who carry the onus of getting others to rally behind it.
In the real world, most things – a well-deserved career progression included – don’t happen on their own even though they should. And unlike popular belief, there is nothing wrong in initiating discussions with our superiors around our expectations every now and then. It is a bit like a child having to coax her mother for a feed when she is hungry. As the cliché goes, it is through our actions that we might be able to control our destiny and definitely not the other way around.
First published in Corporate Whispers column, Suburb Magazine – November 2017 Issue.