“ Crossing the boundaries”
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Transcript of “ Crossing the boundaries”
“Crossing the boundaries”
March 14th 2012
My life My Choice
Let’s get started… The most important work that you will ever
do is on yourself as a human being.
AND
The biggest boundary you will ever cross is your own mind.
My life My Choice
Is this you? I am in my forties- I used to love challenges-
but now I fear whether I can pick up new skills and build new networks?...
I seem to have good team in place- but why is it that the decisions that we take go wrong many times?
I have a location constraint and I do not speak Hindi but otherwise I am topping in my job.
I am a woman – but I consider myself a professional first. I wonder whether there is a glass ceiling out there?
My life My Choice
Defining ‘boundary’ When was the last time that you did
something for the first time in your life?
My life My Choice
What is common across?
Salman Rushdie Mother Teresa Sonia Gandhi Narayana Murthy M S Dhoni Vidya Balan
YOU CANNOT CROSS THE SEA MERELY BY STANDING AND STARING AT IT..
My life My Choice
The Professional Continuum..
Consequences of poor boundaries
Role un clarity Compassion fatigue Potential for ‘splitting’ on teams Client professionalism compromised
My life My Choice
Consequences of tight boundaries
Communication suffers Risk averseness sets in Low motivation to perform Limited opportunity to learn new things
My life My Choice
Mid life Choices
My life My Choice
Middle age is the time when…
We feel we understand ourselves better… We feel we have probably achieved our
initial set of professional and financial goals..
We feel we are in the process of building a stable family structure…
It is also the time we can ‘re-set’ the agenda for the rest of our lives.
TIME TO CROSS SOME BARRIERS…My life My Choice
How did we choose our first careers?
Did we ‘choose’ at all?! Decision based on salary and perks
opportunity rather than basic understanding of one’s own strength or passion areas
So once these goals are met, what next? But the question remains- is it too late
to try something new?
My life My Choice
Not as easy as it seems..
Evaluated myself in terms of :- What have I been good at- What do I enjoy doing- What do I need at this point of time in my life
Self –assessment by Marcus Buckingham
Analysis and communicationInfluencing people
My life My Choice
Career options… Public Relations Role
Sales and Marketing Role in a company
Training and Consultancy
Teaching
My life My Choice
TEACHINGMy Mid life Career Choice
Professor and Head of Department-Chennai Business SchoolMy life My
Choice
Why teaching? Utilises my natural strengths the best-
academics and communication Takes forward my work experience Allows me flexible time as a home maker Am more of myself at work..there is no
divide
My life My Choice
Teaching- boundaries to be crossed?
Work environment( team versus individual) Social life setting Lifestyle/ Pay Student relationship building( task versus
people) ‘Staying updated’ on my specialisation area Gender bias versus corporate
My life My Choice
My journey… As a student- Analytical skills
-Engineering to Management
As a sales and marketing professional-Adaptability-Gender ratios-Age biases-Travel-Food-Language
As a home maker-Empathy-Religion-Culture
As a teacher- Sharing knowledge-Action to knowledge
My life My Choice
Which boundaries to cross?
Those you believe will take you forward as an individual
Challenge is exciting Self belief driven Least abrupt in process
Consider this… ‘Lack of ability to implement new learnings’- one of top
three reasons why new products fail.. ‘Flatter world’- one of the pre requisites to globalisation of
companies Diversity- one of main agendas in all international
conferences today Corporate - looking for correcting gender ratios ‘Global Etiquette’- part of educational institutional
curriculum Market research agencies- increasing usage of eclectic
groups for new concept discussions ‘Blink’ and ‘Bonsai Manager’- Power of intuition
Boundaries are.. Meant to be crossed.
Crossing them makes you stronger and more skilful.
Always learn the lessons on the journey while crossing.
My life My Choice
Ships are safest in the harbour butthat is not what they are meant for..