Archive for July, 2006
By Rajesh Setty on Sun 30 Jul 2006, 4:49 PM - 5 Comments
Technology professionals can relate with this very well although I think this applies to any knowledge worker.
When you start your career, the biggest disadvantage you have is that you don’t have “enough experience” on the job. Seems like a fair assessment so you agree to work under the guidance of “more experienced” people. As you understand the business, technology and the work itself, you start gaining experience. You are also recognized for your contributions and with increase in experience, you are given increasing responsibilities. So there is progress – in your mind atleast. Seems like your strategy of gaining experience is working. So you repeat this cycle multiple times and rightly so – you start getting higher responsibilities – in other words you start “growing in your career.” Experience is an asset, you think, and your goal is to get “more experience”
One fine day (you will say “all of a sudden”) you start noticing that experience is no longer an asset. In fact, it is a liability. People start saying that “You have too much of experience for this job. We are looking for someone with 8-10 years of experience” and decline making offers to you. You are perplexed. People who were saying that they need more experience suddenly feel that you have “too much of experience” – what has gone wrong?
Here are my $.02 on the topic:
* Earlier in your career when people make an assessment that you have “less or no experience” it seems very logical. The next step for you seems like you are supposed to “make up” and the way for making up is to “gain more experience.”
* The rat race begins and as we all know in the technology world, you can get vERY busy and you may not have time to make the “necessary investments” in yourself.
* Since only 3% of the people have goals in life, 97% of the people have no idea if they are sprinting or drifting towards a goal (??) Since there is no goal, making an assessment of whether you are really “making progress” is very difficult. So, when there are “short-term victories” you may end up thinking that you are making “serious progress” in your career.
* While you are gaining experience, you are also getting older. That’s the part that people tend to forget. When you hit 40, suddenly there is a realization about age but unfortunately you get rewind the clock. Obviously, you can’t compete with younger folks on how aggressively you will look at your career. It is at this time that the “nature of experience” you gained in your earlier years becomes very important. If the “right experience” was not added to your arsenal, it is almost certain that it will be of little use in your next phase of life.
* Let me provide an example. At 40, if you were to compete for the position of a Vice President, being the “most experienced programmer” won’t help. They are looking for a different “kind of experience.” In fact, under most circumstances, being a “most experienced programmer” might create a problem even to continue as a programmer. Folks younger than you might have offer other kinds of flexibilities (travel, long-hours etc.) that you may not. So, in this case, you might be at a disadvantage with more experience.
In summary, remember that when you are blindly following the crowd (like trying to gain experience without a plan) you will end up where the crowd will end up – feeling cheated and stressed when they reach 40. You can change your game by having a game plan. This is one thing that you should not leave it to the mercy of your manager or your company. It is your life so it is fair to assume that your career is your responsibility.
Posted under Main Page.
By Rajesh Setty on Thu 27 Jul 2006, 3:13 PM - 4 Comments
I know you should not judge a book by its cover. People do. So if the book is good, why not spend some time to get a good cover?
I know that first impressions can be wrong. You should not judge a person just by the first impression. People do. They may not give him or her a chance to make a second impression. So if you have something of value, why not go the extra mile and create a great first impression?
They say – who you are is more important than how you are perceived. I respectfully disagree. Both are equally important. If you bring something of value to the table but don’t package it well, people may not have the time to peel the package to discover the hidden gem that is inside you. For one, they are extremely busy and they want to make split-second decisions, sometimes, even for important things. How you are perceived becomes extremely important in this time and age. If you ask me, I think one of the biggest reasons why some of the smartest people don’t get what they deserve is because they don’t know how to manage how they are perceived.
Question:
What is a quick way to find out how you are perceived?
Answer: Watch how your colleagues, friends and/or family members introduce you to other people. There is a message there. You may think you are something but others may think you are something else. Watch what peoeple write about you. It may not be accurate but it is what they got about you. If who you think you are and how others are introducing you don’t match (in any way – positive or negative) you have got some work to do.
You are busy and you just want to get your work done. You may even think that if you execute your job brilliantly, perceptions will be automatically managed. I wish this was true. If it was, there wouldn’t have been so many disgruntled employees out there.
If I have to be explicit and clear, here is the quick summary:
Your job is to make promises that you can keep. Keep those promises consistently. And, don’t forget, show people that you did make and keep those promises. The last part is what most people are not comfortable. They think it is their manager’s job to figure that out. For once, let’s assume that it is your manager’s job. Why not make it easy for your manager to clearly see that you consistently make and keep your promises. We both know that your manager has other responsibilities too. Why not make it easy on him or her when it comes to you and your work. Why not walk the extra mile and leave nothing to chance?
Posted under Distinguish yourself, Main Page.
By Rajesh Setty on Wed 26 Jul 2006, 1:18 AM - 2 Comments
Finally, this eBook is ready!
I have spent months on this one. It is a 19 page eBook that outlines a simple, yet powerful framework for building long-term relationships. I have spoken on this topic at various companies including but not limited to Cisco, Sun, Oracle and Agilent Technologies.
The price for this eBook is $4.97 and it is being sold via BitPass (like Paypal but provides immediate delivery of content)
Here is the link:
Lasting Relationships eBook ($4.97)
Note: You can also get this eBook for FREE if you buy my book “Beyond Code” via 800-CEO-READ before the end of this month (July 31,2006) More on that promotion at
800-CEO-READ July Promotion: Buy Beyond Code
Special thanks to Karthik Sundaram at Purplepatch Services for sponsoring and designing this eBook.
Posted under Main Page.
By Rajesh Setty on Tue 25 Jul 2006, 4:28 PM - 5 Comments
It was the second half of 1997. I had just relocated to the Bay area (California) from Singapore. One of my first projects as a project manager for a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) company was to implement a new support application for the Lincoln Telephone company (at that time)
That was my first trip to Lincoln. Believe it or not, I had never seen snow until that time in my life so I was kind of excited about that (apart from the project, of course)
When I rented a car, I saw that there was a medium-sized plastic stick on my car seat. I couldn’t make out what it was and thought that these folks have not cleaned the car properly. I promptly deposited that stick in the trash bin and drove away with my rental car to Residence Inn where I would be staying for the next 8 weeks or so. The day went by quickly in the usual shopping activities. Next day morning, I got ready quickly as I wanted to be on time for work. When I came down, there was a surprise waiting for me. The whole night it had snowed like crazy. It was fun to watch the snow. However, there as a problem too. All the cars in the parking lot were covered completely with snow. While I remembered the general area where I parked, I had no clue where EXACTLY I had parked my car. That, by the way, was my first experience with snow.
I thought for a while. Time was ticking away and I didn’t want to go late on the very first day. I had to do something. Luckily I had gloves and I started removing snow on the number plates to find my car. In a few minutes I did find my car but now the whole car was covered with snow. I started to clear the snow in my own (crude) way. A gentleman who was walking by stopped and asked “Don’t you have a scraper?” and I asked back “What is that?” He smiled and said “Wait, let me get you one” and walked to his car. In less than a minute, he came back with a scraper and my jaw dropped. This was exactly the same kind of “plastic stick” that I threw away in the trash can at the car rental counter.
Of course, now I know all about the snow in Nebraska and the snow scraper. If you think about it, the world is never the same again for me. However silly it might sound, the new world for me now has a snow scraper in it. And, I can’t NOT know what a snow scraper is.
Now, with that in the background, here is my point:
Many things in life are just like that. Once you become aware of them, you can’t NOT be aware of them EVER again. Some of them, you can become aware of, through experience and for some of them, you need teachers and mentors that will make it easy for you. As you can see, awareness is a funny thing. Until that incident, a snow scraper was nothing for me. After that, there is no question in my mind about what a snow scraper is. In fact, before that incident, I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I came to know that through experience. If you have the time to learn everything by your own experience, you would be paying a very big price for that education. Teachers and mentors help a BIG way by lowering the cost of acquisition of awareness of what is relevant today.
So, please go and find a mentor that will take you to the next level.
Posted under Main Page.
By Rajesh Setty on Tue 25 Jul 2006, 1:07 AM - 6 Comments
A simple question. Please answer honestly to yourselves. If you feel like sharing, please do. If not, it is worth thinking about for yourself
What project are you undertaking today in your life that you will be proud of ten years from now?
Cheers,
Raj
Posted under Main Page.
By Rajesh Setty on Mon 24 Jul 2006, 10:44 PM - Leave Comment
While this can make you laugh, it also has an important lesson – “How you look at things depends mainly on who you are”
For those geeks that are out there, here are the imaginary resposnes from scientists for the age old question – “Why did the chicken cross the road?“
Andre Ampere: ‘To keep up with current events.’
Albert Einstein: ‘Did the chicken really cross the road or did the road move beneath the chicken?
Alexander Graham Bell: ‘To get to the nearest phone.’
Robert Boyle: ‘She had been under too much pressure at home.’
James Watt: ‘It thought it would be a good way to let off steam.’
Thomas Edison: ‘She thought it would be an illuminating experience.’
Jean Foucault: ‘It didn’t. The rotation of the earth made it appear to cross.’
Karl Gauss: ‘Because of the magnetic personality of the rooster on the other side.’
Gustav Hertz: ‘Lately, its been crossing with greater frequency.’
Georg Ohm: ‘There was more resistance on this side of the road.’
Erwin Schrodinger: ‘Since the wording of the question implies the absence of an observer (else the fowl’s motivation might easily be deduced), it is evident that the chicken simultaneously did and did not cross the road. In the face of this, any speculation as to the bird’s purpose must be viewed as mere sophistry – and as such is beyond the bounds of this discussion.’
Hat tip:
Mukundan from BlueFile
Posted under Main Page, Smile Please.
By Rajesh Setty on Mon 24 Jul 2006, 12:11 AM - Leave Comment
I remember an old joke (they say it really happened) where someone parked right next to 
the sign “Fine for Parking Here” and when confronted he quipped “The sign clearly says that it is ‘fine’ to park here. In fact, by reading the sign I thought you were encouraging people to park right here.” Of course, the signs now a days are very clear – “No Parking”
A couple of days ago, Seth mentioned about Zig Ziglar’s comment on stop lights. This joke actually is a great lesson on how we continue to use a few things in our lives even though they really don’t represent what they should.
“Stop lights should really be called ‘go’ lights. Because if you take them away, traffic stops”
– Zig Ziglar
Enjoy!
Posted under Main Page, Smile Please.
By Rajesh Setty on Sun 23 Jul 2006, 12:45 PM - Leave Comment
We are always buying insurance policies. No. Not those related to your life and car. Just those simple insurance policies that will protect our ego just in case something we say doesn’t turn out the way we said it would.
Rather than talking in abstract terms, here are some examples:
You say: I have not decided what I want out of my life
Small print: You are buying an “Irresponsibility insurance.” Nobody can now blame you for not reaching your destination. If you don’t have one, how can you reach there? In fact, wherever you go, you can say that it was circumstantial and it was not where you wanted to go.
You say: I don’t know whether this will work or not
Small print:
You are buying “No Accountability insurance.” In case it works you can take the credit. If it does not, you can always quote this and keep your head high.You say: I don’t know what I want in my new job
Small print:
You are buying the “No satisfaction ever insurance.” This will give you full coverage to see that whatever your job turns out to be, that is NOT what you wanted.
You say: I don’t have a plan for this one
Small print: You are buying “OK to fail insurance.” If you fail, you can say that its not because of you. If the plan was right, you would have come out in flying colors.
You say: I am just doing this for fun
Small print: Most often, you are buying “Save my ego” insurance. You are free to not put any serious effort on this and nobody will come and question you. There might also be another angle to this. If you succeed big in this effort, you can say that you succeeded albeit doing this just for fun almost posing a question – “Could you imagine where I would have been if I had taken this seriously?”
You say: I am not the only one responsible for this
Small print: You are buying “Zero accountability” insurance. If things don’t get done, you can always say that you thought someone else would be doing it.
Of course, you can come up with your own examples from your life or lives of those people that are close to you. Insurance policies are required. However, insurance policies should not cripple you. Not taking any risk may be the biggest risk that you are taking.
Posted under Distinguish yourself, Main Page.
By Rajesh Setty on Thu 20 Jul 2006, 7:00 PM - 2 Comments
A few weeks ago, Kiruba Shankar (India’s #1 blogger) and I had a conversation (about 20 minutes) about “Beyond Code” and “Life Beyond Code” and a few other things. The podcast is now up on Kiruba’s site. Here is the link:
Podview: Kiruba Shankar interviews Rajesh Setty
Thank you.
Posted under Endorsements, Main Page.
By Rajesh Setty on Wed 19 Jul 2006, 10:17 PM - 11 Comments
Imagine you are walking up the stairs. When you are almost at the top, you may think that the first few steps on these stairs are no longer useful so why not knock them off and save some space. The thought seems ridiculous, yes, but in real-life that’s what many people do. They get a ton of contribution to their growth from several people and after sometime forget who all helped them. Then repeat the cycle with a new set of people.
I touched on this briefly when I said “Never forget any help.” How difficult would it be to forget help that you received? It’s easy especially if you don’t need that kind of help anymore. What would be worse than forgetting help? It would be to invalidate that help or contribution. Take a look at some ways of invalidating contributions of the past:
a)
Anybody could have done it. Note:
May be. May be not. But the person did do it. That’s what matters.
b) It was not a big deal after all.
Note: Yes, when the job was complete it all looks simple. A problem for which you have a solution may not be a big problem after all.
c) If they didn’t do it I would have taken it up myself. It was easy.
Note: Yeah Right!
d) The person was not doing anything important anyway. This kept him/her occupied for sometime.
Note: How do you know?
e) The person also benefited from this. So it was not like it was solely for our benefit
Note: The person knew how to leverage his time better. Shouldn’t you just worry about what benefit you got rather than worrying about whether somebody’s work “exclusively” benefited you?
f) It is not directly benefiting us
Note: Do you know how to notice value? Are you using the right criteria to judge the person?
g) He was just doing his job
Note: But you did get the benefit from the job. So what’s the point in not acknowledging it?
If you remember using that kind of language in the recent past, that should sound a warning bell. Remember, if you move around with people who invalidate contributions of others, it is easy for you to fall into the same trap. If you are in that group, it shouldn’t surprise you if one day you end up on the recieving end. After all, if you and the group can do it someone why won’t the rest of the group do the same to you sometime?
Never invalidate contributions. That will put you right in the middle of the commodity crowd.
Posted under Distinguish yourself, Main Page.
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