Overcome Insecurity, Brain Drain in pandemic, Power of saying No - #Podcast #Newsletter
Welcome to Sridhar’s newsletter number # 26 & Podcast (Click Play button for Audio version of the Post). Appreciate you being here, so we can connect weekly on interesting topics. Add your email id here to get this directly to your inbox (https://sridhargarikipati.substack.com).
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This weekly newsletter is mostly about the article, books, videos etc. I read or watch or my views on different topics which revolves around my head during the week. Now, let us dive into this week’s reads.
1. Fear of Failure - Overcome Insecurity
What you think about yourself, what is your opinion about yourself matters the most than anyone else view on you. I will take my own example, for me project management is sacred at work. I have been that out of college resource at work and throughout out my journey has seen project managers and learnt what I would like to have qualities in me and what not as project manager as I become one down the road. Every morning just before my stand-up call, I remind myself, be kind, help team win, control my emotions etc. I can only do well, when I position myself in my own view that I am that good person, good manager, good resource first and see my own gaps on day-to-day basis, work on those gaps on the next day. Believing in self is very important as it is the first basic step, same as how baby learns to take steps with help of parents, there is self-acceptance first then one can take steps on own. I Still need to learn or get that feeling in cases like, how people can start a business or run a business. Yes, Basic thing is to get started.
Individuals spend all their energy defending and proving themselves to others, rather than on Individual growth and leadership. See the below link which I read this week sharing 7 Steps to Overcome Insecurity.
2. Brain Drain in pandemic time
Brain Drain, in Simple words the emigration of highly educated, skilled, trained, intelligent etc. from one country to another. This known phenomenon has hugely impacted 3rd world countries in the past and few developed countries as well. There is no solution any country has so far to resolve this issue. So why are we talking about this old age issue now? Just take an example of Indian IT workforce, where onsite opportunity is on everyone’s list. It is simple, people want to escape their current job market which is having lack of opportunities or in case of Indian IT employees one moved to abroad makes near to 5 times more than one make income at back home. So, it can be Opportunity, Pay or in some countries to be safe multiple reasons plays a role of person taking a decision to settle abroad. See moving abroad for couple of years or say 4 years or when someone is young and no dependencies at back home, can push even more years easy, but as they grow after 4th year of abroad get a change even for a temporary moved worker to look at multiple things to consider go back home or continue to be abroad. Brain Drain is known topic for many of us and irrespective of which country we are from, we are aware of ourselves or someone in our close contact staying abroad. In last 10 months, Covid-19 pandemic has made many to stay put where they are to avoid air travel etc., but still I have known many also in this times making move from one state to another state, one country to another country. There are many people who took the moving in this pandemic to their back home.
Ring to any one of your friend, if you be on call for few minutes only with them, the impression is for sure one conveys is that quality of life has improved way better compared to earlier work location. Yes, many are at homes since last 10 months where they were never before, have been spending in their local markets, it is a topic of discussion in every home dinner table to talk about how long they will be here, can they continue to work from home location, will they go back once pandemic is over.
No one can answer it easy. I will just talk about my world of people I know; it will seriously depend on this pandemic remote work revolution can move further once vaccinations are given. Will the companies going to support for jobs which can done remote, to be performed remote or will they go back to square one to be at worksite always? Although people have moved out of their work location to home location, but they are still working for their abroad company being remote. Once the workplaces are back to open, lot depends on of how their company will make decision, how one will feel about their career progress by being remote or being at worksite will play major role. People who have moved to abroad once due to their home job market issue, unemployment issue or bureaucracy issue at their home place, they need a change as they will play major role in person decision making process to be at home or move abroad.
Almost every one of us, would like to stay in the place where they live, work in the same place, see their place getting developed, have a better opportunities where they live for themselves and for their children. In Good economics for Hard Times, Author Banerjee and Duflo had walkthrough Immigration topic so well, I would refer you to give this book a read to understand many of complex topics which without right facts are misunderstood by many, Immigration is one of them. Many are thinking that this pandemic has resolved the brain drain issue. If you talk to just one person, you will know that it’s too far to be resolved.
On Leaving home, I remember sharing Warsan Shire poem in our earlier newsletter, once again it apt for this topic to be shared again.
no one leaves home unlesshome is the mouth of a sharkyou only run for the borderwhen you see the whole city running as well
3. Power of saying No
Let me share some of my history in this week’s newsletter. Every one of us are so ease at saying Yes, it is affirmative that you are friendly, supportive and what not, but especially when you say No to something you close one door between you and others, Saying No is a skill to be learnt. Yes, you cannot simply use it, as it requires courage, your communication skills etc. as once you say No to someone, it is difficult to engage further communication. Coming back to story,
We were of team of mostly 1-2 years, 3-5 (myself in) and few 5-8 years’ experience resources. Almost some 14-member team it was in year 2011. We are in project UAT support phase, our users were from different countries, so team was requested to give support 24*7 in shifts. Entire team was in conference room that day at morning 9.30 am where plan for UAT was discussed at high level, each subject matter expert was assigned to look at their areas and give support in others. so finally, when the shift timings discussion came in, my manager just simply said few in general shift, few in afternoon shift and rest in night shift. I was in the night shift slot with at least 4 others. timing for the night shift was from 7 pm to 9am. This part was shared in last 5 minutes when meeting was about to end and manager asked if we all good and have no questions, then we can leave now. I raised my hand and said I have a concern in this shift plan which I would like to discuss. Entire team was blank face and manager mentioned sure, all team can leave, we can discuss. So, all left the room and I simply took long breath. Manager asked me, what is the concern? I simply said, we should be planning for our billable hours, if it is support and we require extended support, then we should discuss this with higher management and get additional billable hours to be approved. On project plan for the 3 weeks support, at the time of planning a resource is allocated for 9 hours of their time in a day. If the plan requires a greater number of hours, we should discuss it with the billing team. In the planning phase, we cannot start with 14 hours per day per resource, the planned effort should be done against the available resource and available billable hours. See if the work is there during any day more, then automatically as responsible team, we will extend more than planned effort, but to begin with 14 hours in planning phase, we cannot start with more than expected 9 hours. Manager simply said, got it, let me go back and work the numbers. Hour later, timing for my shift was changed to 10 pm to 7am, others shift was also changed to in line with actual billable hours.
Learn to say No for sure in life.
Do say No,
If something is pushing your values, principals.
Someone using you for their work, as you were so easy to say yes to them always.
Say no to yourself, when you are not on your right path towards your goal, have a courage to say No to change course.
That is all for this week. See you again.
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