The Board-room's wish...

Hi there ! You obviously know me but have never heard me. I am the board room of your office. Yes ! The board room of your office, where your joining interview was held, your appraisals were discussed, your promotions were agreed and these days you occupy the interviewer's chair here, you hold group meetings and client meetings here many of which are also lead by you. I am so proud of your growth.

I know you find it unbelievable that I can speak but probably it is the need of the hour that makes me speak. When I overheard someone whispering in the corridors about your plan of quitting I was in tears and so I decided to break my silence.

I remember the day when you first walked into this room with your CV in hand. How nervous were you on that day? You were barely able to face the interviewer on that day and now I see you leading client or group meetings so authoritatively in this room that I feel immensely proud of your feat. 

And now I hear about this news !

Of course, it's your career and its your decision and me or for that matter anyone in this Firm may not be able to force you change your decision. But before you go ahead and implement your decision I thought I must speak to you in private and hence this monologue.

My friend, I have seen shaping of careers in this Firm of many of your today's Leaders, right from the day when they were still trainees. It's quite common for all successful professionals to get offers and opportunities. It will be a matter of shame for a professional if he does not have an offer in hand every single day of his career. However, does it mean that one needs to pick up every such offer that comes by?

I have witnessed young professionals like you getting upset or anxious on the timing of their own promotions or in many cases due to promotion or hiring of others and in almost all cases that is the prime reason of trying something outside.

First, as a rule never compare your position or promotion with others whether within the Firm or outside. I know it sounds too idealistic but if you pause a moment and look in the past you will find that our systems are so robust that it auto-corrects any such so called judgmental errors. You ought not to claim your promotion based on the judgemental error, if any, in someone else's case.

As a growing Firm, the recruitment is a continuous process for us and just because we have lateral hires joining us every week, we cannot calibrate our internal designations every week. Our annual appraisal cycle is meant to take care of any abnormalities in positioning due to lateral hiring and we do it consciously every year. You will agree that we cannot time external hiring with our internal promotion cycle nor lose external talent in fear of these abnormalities when we can and we do correct it periodically.

Second, the field that we are in, which is a pure knowledge field, people are known for their expertise and not for their designations. Of course we operate on a designation structure; but to my mind it is only to cater to people's ego who bother about it too much. For a true professional, it hardly matters in what capacity he serves the client so long as the client reposes the trust and faith in him for his advice.

In your professional career which may span for another 20-25 years, it hardly matters as to which year you occupied what designation. Once you learn to dissociate yourself from the ego of designations life will be much simpler and stress free for you.

The only reasons of possible change of job could be that the next job offers you something which this place will never be able to offer you. For example, change of career path from consulting to industry or own business or practice. The other reason could be that there is lack of faith in your abilities in the present place. Money, to my mind, should never be the decision making factor as the space in which we operate always has an equalizing effect over a period of time as far as money goes.

I don't think you have convincing answers to any of the questions raised above to justify your decision. Just think it over. All that you may get at the other place is available or can be made available just by asking. This Firm wants you to come forward and take those additional responsibilities.

Now about the new place. It is only human to get attracted towards the unseen, the unchartered. There is always fancy for the new. That is natural. But ask yourself a question - if we are uncomfortable with the lateral hires in our Firm, will the people in the new place be comfortable with you joining as a lateral hire. Will the equalization theory that I talked about earlier not applied on you? Have people not moved out of that place ever? Is whatever you are going for impossible to get here?

It is always a matter of pride to sit in a top chair where you grew from the ranks. It may hurt you when you will hear someone say that you left this place because you could not get that position here. Don't go with this blot. You have spent a number of years here and you are just at a curve in your career where unfortunately you cannot see up the curve but I can. Believe me, this is the last curve and up the curve there is all that you aspired for. Be patient and take this curve confidently and all is yours. By giving up at this stage neither you nor this Firm will benefit.

Lastly, if you peek into our epic - The  Ramayana - Seeta invited agony to herself and others around her by chasing the golden deer which never existed. Please remember, the golden deer never existed then, nor does it exist now. It does not exist even at the place that is luring you. If it did, as a Firm we would not have been at the top of our  profession for several years. It's your imagination and fancy of your mind which is at present being manipulated by the golden deer. The happiness outside is imaginary. You are wise enough to think for yourself.

I know many seniors have talked to you about  your decision but you are in no frame of mind to appreciate it. For this, you might remember as a child when you used to go to garden and while you had all the branded toys at your disposal, you wanted that balloon from the balloon-vendor at the garden. When your mom refused to buy one, you hated your mom. If it was not for the strict vigil of your mom, I am sure you would have done anything at the command of that balloon-vendor to get that balloon which you fancied at that moment. But you are better off today by not going after than balloon vendor.

My humble request to you is please don't fall prey to that balloon-vendor even now. Your mom (this Firm) loves you the most. She has brought you up to the level that you are, so much so, that because of which that balloon- vendor is eying to entice you. This is your home. Everything that you want is here and can be made available. I have seen you grow from an interviewee in this Firm to the level where you are. I want to witness hearing your announcement at that top post you aspired all these years and see you chairing meetings here as the boss. Please give me my wish.

All the best, my dear friend !