Life lessons an employer taught

Six months back (14.Oct.2008 to be exact) I left my previous employer . It was a tough decision to make, after working with them for more than 7 years. It was equally tough to write the last day mail. This is what I ended up writing.

I have intentionally masked out some terms in the mail.

Dear all,

 

As some of you already know, I will be leaving B**** in the next few days. Although my dream was to work until retirement with this company, things took a different turn when I weighed work Vs family in a balance.

 

I’ve learned so much during my seven years here at B****. I believe I’ve grown both personally and professionally, and I attribute much of my growth to the amazing people that I’ve worked with and the awesome opportunities that B**** has provided me.

 

After a bit of googling I realised that writing a farewell mail is not all that easy when you want to do it from your heart. Let me share with you the most important life lessons I learned working for this great company. These are only my personal learnings and this could be different for others based on the situations they face.

 

1. Job-hopping is not all that essential

 

From my personal experience, job-hopping is not all that necessary for a faster career growth. It should be done only for the right reasons.

 

Whenever you are looking for the change, ask yourself these questions and evaluate the options given. It worked for me.

 

Am I leaving because,

1. The pay is too less -> You can convert an average salary into a good one if you have the right investment plans

2. The company is not meeting my demands -> Are you patient enough to wait for the right opportunities to come? People who have done this got better bigger opportunities than continuously demanding ones

3. I cannot tolerate some people (mostly managers :) ) -> Accept people as they are. You cannot change how other people behave. Talk openly to them. If it fails, ignore.

 

2. Performance evaluation (P***) is not all that bad

 

I have seen very few people who came out with a smiling face after performance evaluations. Agree that few bad managers exist everywhere. Keeping that aside, what I learned is, we can make a change to this if we drive these evaluations. Rather than complaining that managers are not setting objectives on time, can we try to set our objectives (some of them may be termed wishes) and tell the manager - "This is what I would like to do".

 

I am not speaking for managers here. I am not a manager myself. I am a TCP :)

 

3. Managing technology is easier than managing people

I learned that handling technology is easier than handling people. You realise it only once you are in that job. I salute all the good managers in B**** for the job they are doing.

 

4. Be different

I always tried to a different from others in whatever I do. I realised that this helps to innovate.

 

5. Do not compete with your colleagues, instead compete with the outside world

Many a times we compare ourselves with our peers to evaluate where we stand. Comparing yourself with outside world will make sure that you are valued correctly even outside B****.

 

6. Don’t say "I have no time"

This is one of the greatest learning I had with B****. I don't agree when someone tells me - "I have no time". If time is constant (24hrs a day) and it remains same for everyone, how can someone have less time. It's all about how you manage your time. As taught in time management trainings, make an Urgent/Important Task Matrix. Trust me, it works!

 

7. Keep doing DAR (Decision Analysis and Resolution)

An average human mind can keep only upto 7 attributes of an entity in mind. When you have to take a decision which has more attributes than these, always go for DAR. I used this even for my personal decisions and it worked effectively. But keep in mind that there are some decisions you have to take with your heart.

 

8. Storm your brain

When you are out of ideas do a brainstorming. You will be amazed to see the results coming out.

I did use a mindmap to come out with this mail :)

 

9. Johari Window

A great technique to understand interpersonal communication and relationships. Google for this term. You will know what I mean.

 

10. B**** Office Sans

This is one of the best fonts I have ever used :)

 

Thank you so much for making my time at B**** a truly enjoyable one. I will try to meet all of you personally before I leave. Please keep in touch with me at n*******@y****.com

 

My very best wishes for the future goes out to each and every one of you.

 

Mit freundlichen Grüßen / Best regards,

 

Nirmal TS