Not my job

It is so painful when I come across people that say its "not my job" - a sure way to not get ahead in any organization. Well, there are job descriptions, existing work load which is seemingly takes away all the work hours, too much pressure already to deliver and you don't want to get distracted etc., Still, sending out a message "its not my job" is bound to deplete your good will. If you catch yourself wanting to say so, pause a moment and explore options:

• if your plate is already full, let your manager know about it and ask how you should prioritize,
• if a job is given on something that you are not competent on, ask for help.
• immediately offer to work on things that you can surely do, but seek help on things you do not know

There always are options. Telling "not my job" is usually a sign of disengagement.

Tyranny of Competence

I first came to know about the concept of "Tyranny of Competence" in Bob Quinn's powerful book Deep Change: Discover the Leader Within. This is a person that is so good at the skills of their job, managers will tend to overlook their other flaws in character. They assume the character flaws are offset by the positive impact such people create in their jobs OR worse, many a times managers would not have the guts to confront as the fear the world will come to an end if such a person leaves the organization. 

Unfortunately, in the long run, destruction caused by lack of character is always greater than the competency provided.

Steven Covey gave us the image of leadership, being equal parts character and competency. You can be the most competent person ever, but without good character, you’ll never become a great leader. (Conversely, you can be a person of utmost integrity and character, but without being competent at what you do, you’re no longer trustworthy and therefore will never make a trusted leader.)

You can spot such folks easily as they exhibit some of the following:

• They believe several work place rules that appear to most, won't apply to them (I'm  not talking of folks that talk to their manager and get a formal exemption. I'm just talking about folks that come from a sense of "entitlement" or "I don't care" kind of an attitude).
• They believe the first-right-of-refusal for anything lies with them
• They are overly critical (many times in public and/or in front of juniors) of few folks around them, without trying to help the organization or the individual about the issue they are critical about. At times such criticism crosses what is "reasonable" and in the worst case it can even be seen as harassment at work.
• This is my favourite. They take immense pleasure in chewing down their manager (or management in general) without really ever trying to understand the constraints and other ground realities in which the business (and hence the manager) operates.
• There is an air of superiority about them and they feel they can treat others like dirt with their technical competence providing the license to do so
• They use "high-bar" as a stick to beat others, while completely being oblivious to their own character flaws
• While they bemoan that they hardly get "constructive feedback", they normally do not agree when such a thing is given because of the sheer arrogance that they know better (on the technical side that is)

You can easily add more.

How to deal with them? If you are a manager, you ought to be telling them almost immediately when you see such a behavior and make them aware of the negative impact it is having on the team (I strongly recommend STAR-AR approach, for it gives how they could have acted in a different way, while still making their point). They should be made to realise that the most cherished and valued people are the ones with both great competencies and the same time exhibit the greatest of character. Such people are respectful and treat others with great dignity. Look no further, just point them to our founders Dr. T and Jeff K. 

Live, Love, Laugh

Sometimes we get overwhelmed and think everything is out of control so it’s helpful to read or listen to some inspirational words to help refocus on what’s important. Live, Love, Laugh. Here's a short video from the best selling author Wayne Dyer.

Questions

• Why waste time proving over and over how great you are, when you could be getting better?
• Why hide deficiencies instead of overcoming them?
• Why look for friends or partners who will just shore up your self-esteem instead of ones who will also challenge you to grow?
• And why seek out the tried and true, instead of experiences that will stretch you?

(Source: Mindset by Carlos Dweck)

Best form of motivation

Couldn't agree more

What RamP's reading (Aug'16)

Timeless Leadership: 18 Leadership Sutras from Bhagawad Gita

Although it was written well over two thousand years ago, the Bhagavad Gita ("Song of God"), a revered Hindu religious text, contains an immense wealth of ageless wisdom that speaks directly to the needs of today′s business leaders. Timeless Leadership takes this unlikely resource and teases out important lessons on 18 aspects of leadership, from commercial vision to motivation, decision–making, and planning. I have read a few different interpretations of Bhagwad Gita, but this one promises to be very different.

Mindset: Changing The Way You Think To Fulfil Your Potential

In this book, Stanford University Psychologist Carlos Dweck explains why it's not just our abilities and talent that bring us success-but whether we approach them with a fixed or growth mindset. She makes clear why praising intelligence and ability doesn't foster self-esteem and lead to accomplishment, but may actually jeopardize success. With the right mindset, we can motivate our kids and help them to raise their grades, as well as reach our own goals-personal and professional. Dweck reveals what all great parents, teachers, CEOs, and athletes already know: how a simple idea about the brain can create a love of learning and a resilience that is the basis of great accomplishment in every area.

Success vs Joy

This topic is so close to my heart. Re-posting.

This is from wonderful book "Success vs Joy" by Geet Sethi, who has won Billiards World Championship, six times. I present here some of sentences that inspired, impacted and provoked me. You will possibly like some, identify with some and simply smile at some.

• Joy is internal; Success is a creation of the society
• "There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path" - (quoted from The Matrix)
• The road to excellence is paved with joy, not with targets and numerical standards.
• There is joy in any activity that leads to personal growth and excellence. The process of growth and learning is the basis of joy. Where there is joy, there is no sacrifice.
• Discipline is concentrating one's efforts in a secluded environment and training yourself to focus on what you are enthused by.
• Pure action can be described as an action that has three qualities - concentration, consistency and humility. Killer instinct is another expression for concentration. Concentration is built through lifestyle and not through any formula or mantra.
• The genuinely talented player only plays selfishly, for himself and not for audience. That is what gives him unadulterated joy and pleasure.
• Commitment to joy will create its own success. Seek joy and success will naturally follow.
• I have have learnt that when I wanted success and was willing to sacrifice joy for it, eventually got neither.
• You have to be very clear about who are you and what gives you joy. Work hard learn, grow, and stretch out to reach to this joy. Use every cell in your body and brain to hit that personal sweet spot of joy. And my experience says that success just follows.
• Success is a result. Its a job well done. Success is not about achieving fame, accumulating money or having power. Success is personal and have nothing to do with what society may think. 
• My weakest moments, those situations where I lost my nerve, were at times when greed took over my entire being and I started playing for success, rewards and trophies.
• In the ultimate analysis, joy is finding your own uniqueness and being able to express this uniqueness through a perfectly executed stroke.
• Pride is not joy. Joy emanates from one's own actions, from what one feels deep down inside.
• For a performer there is no competitor. In the book of success there is, but not in the book of excellence.Excellence will come from the discovery of the self. So you have to forget the opponent and delve deep within to master your own frailties and insecurities.
• The real "I, me, mine" is independent of anybody's expectations - be they of parents, spouse, children, partners and above all your own. You just cannot live your life according to the expectations of others. Courage is in doing what you believe is right.
• Most of us would like to believe that we are intelligent and that we understand and appreciate this. Intuitively, most of us know what is good for us in the long run. But we do not listen to our inner voice because the cacophony around us drowns it.
• I have learnt to own up to my responsibilities and discard any expectations that others may have of me. I have also tried utmost to remove and eliminate any self-expectations. It is these expectations that show up as insecurities.
• I like to indulge in activities that give me joy. My joy lies in being myself, and living moment to moment. You can be alone, without being lonely.
• Those with strength of character are able to listen to their conscience, their inner voice, and then act accordingly. I define character as the courage of conviction to be your own self.
• If you want social status through a game, you will certainly be disappointed. The world does not really care whether you lose or win. You play for yourself and the joy the game gives you. Nothing else.
• Do not quit without a struggle. Do not give up unless you have stretched your potential to its limits. Only then you will experience the joy that makes life worth living. This is the joy that underscores success.