Utkarsh Rai [Rai - Faster, Smarter, Higher: Managing Your Career

Utkarsh Rai is Vice President Software, Infinera and Managing Director, Infinera India. He is also an angel investor for startups. Utkarsh is a recipient of the Udyog Rattan Award and has several books under his belt. He is passionate about many things in his life like globetrotting, learning about different histories and cultures, and fitness. For more information, contact him at .

Published by

Rupa Publications India Pvt. Ltd 2016

7/16, Ansari Road, Daryaganj

New Delhi 110002

Copyright Utkarsh Rai 2016

The views and opinions expressed in this book are the authors own and the facts are as reported by him/her which have been verified to the extent possible, and the publishers are not in any way liable for the same.

While every effort has been made to verify the authenticity of the information contained in this book, the publisher and the author are in no way liable for the use of the information contained in this book.

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No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

ISBN: 978-81-291-3750-0

First impression 2016

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The moral right of the author has been asserted.

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated, without the publishers prior consent, in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published.

To

Professionals of the Twenty-first Century

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

Many bright people do not reach the position they deserve simply because they lack the realization that by confining themselves in their cubicles and focusing narrowly on their work they could earn kudos only in the beginning of their career but not later. Some of them are puzzled at how even being on the right side of their managers is still not helping them to grow. Some are frustrated because even though they work very hard, they are neither compensated well nor given better opportunities. Some are not able to cope up with their difficult colleagues while others dont know how and when to say no to their managers. Then there are those who become very nervous in front of their managers bosses as they are unsure about how to say things without hurting their managers. These woes are plenty and are not necessarily just about junior employees, but managers too. Managers have unfair expectations like demanding respect from their teams but not doing enough to earn it. Many of them focus only on managing upwards failing to realize that managing downwards is equally important.

Hard work is necessary for a job, but not sufficient to grow in your career. You must realize that over the years, several other skills start to play a role in addition to your subject matter expertise. Being in a hurry to rise, dont ignore the need of honing your other skills, as sooner or later you will start cribbing about being treated unfairly. It is during such phases that you start committing blunders further putting a brake in your career growth.

Workplace dynamics are constantly changing. Unlike the new employees, those who have stayed longer fail to come to terms about these changing dynamics. Dont be one of them. Dont try to solve new challenges with your same old behaviour because you will fail and then point fingers at the company for being side-lined. This lack of such understanding leads to angst about losing out in the corporate race. Frustration sets in but there is hardly any realization of what could be done differently.

This book addresses career management from the perspective of managing key relationships at work and is divided into chapters on how to deal with various stakeholders of your career. Relationships that can help you learn, realize and correct mistakes, and understand others perspectives on problem solving. You can also leverage the key peoples position in the company to seek out advice and mentor you in enriching your career. They can pinpoint your blind spots and help you to decide courses, trainings and feedback to make you more effective. Successful management of key relationships will also help you to adapt to the dynamic ecosystem and play a vital role in deciding or supporting your career growth.

Any relationship management has to start first with the self . You spend most of your time on thinking about others, but hardly any time on self-realization and taking steps based on that. This chapter covers topics that are important for bettering your self like having a clear goal and building a good brand. People spend innumerable months and sometimes years thinking about what went wrong and how someone else was responsible for their pathetic situation at work, but the truth is that it could just have been a lack of self-awareness on their part.

talks about the most favourite of all workplace discussionsyes, it is about managers! You have all spent enough hours talking about how they should see things the way you see them, and how they should respond the way you want them to respond. This section gives you practical tips on how you can manage your manager.

deals with how to manage your team effectively. As employees look towards their manager for growth in their career, those who are in a management role need to look both at the manager and his team members. Managing people is an art and even the most successful of managers sometimes gets stuck because they have not been able to manage their team effectively.

talks about a competitive and challenging relationship, that is, how to deal with your peers. All your skills are tested in managing this relationship. Peers are neither your managers nor do they work for you. Even if they are not directly related to your career, they can enhance or spoil your career. It is a tender relationship that must be nurtured.

worried about how it will be perceived. Besides, you may be apprehensive about what his manager will think of such a meeting. You like many understand the importance of such relationships, but self-doubt and myths might hinder your approach. This chapter talks about the role your managers boss plays in your work life and how you can leverage it to your advantage.

talks about managing your managers peer. This relationship is highly underutilized because people fail to see its potential. Of course, it requires a highly skilled approach and this chapter describes how to hone this art and lists the benefits in doing so.

talks about how the support functions HR, Finance, IT, Admin., etc., impact your career negatively, if not managed well. This chapter talks about dos and donts in managing such interactions.

The last chapter talks about acrobatics of future. It discusses how to manage your career in times when on one hand longevity has increased and on the other hand your ability to remain employable for longer period of time has reduced.

Although the book is written in masculine gender for the purpose of uniformity, it is applicable to all. It will enable your career to grow faster by adopting the smarter approaches mentioned in it and thereby help you in realizing your higher dreams. The book is based on my interactions with over thousands of professionals. Observing them keenly on how they struggle to realize their career goals has helped me to write this book.