#2 Preset Expectations? Hit a Refresh!
New bees are anxious about the set lines they have heard from their elders on “how bosses are?” I think it's high time that we set the expectations right!
Do you remember your first day in your first corporate job?
The glitter in the eyes, butterflies in the stomach, and a plethora of questions crossing the head every second. The fear of losing out on personal time, boss scolding, urgent deadlines, dominating managers, and feeling of being a future corporate slave.
Oh, Wait! I am not saying all this. These are the common prenotions we all hear from those who are working in that world for years. They paint a little picture in our heads, and while we try to adjust to that new external environment, we kind of also start fitting that one-sided picture into our scenario. The lens or the canvas, which should be white for us, now seems to be already painted with a greyscale tone. All we have to do is to place the right pieces into that canvas, just like a puzzle to complete it.
I want to break this stereotype right here! Everyone has a different purpose and unique outlook towards this corporate space, which evolve their personalized experiences — gone back to those days when all managers and bosses used to have common traits. With time, if we have developed, so do them and the working environment. Still, no one tells us to enter with an open mind whenever we start these journeys and accept what may come.
I felt lucky that no one gave me such advice when I was starting my corporate journey. More so because I come from a business background, and rarely anyone has this experience to offload to me. The other day, my friend narrated his plight with his manager, which made me rethink these prenotions. His first job and manager have assigned a team leads to train him and acquaint him with the business segment. Two weeks into the system, he completed his training, and the manager started offloading the work to him. My friend didn’t like this behavior and taunted him as a stubborn and inconsiderate manager. The underlying reason was that the manager should have made the efforts to recheck and ask him about the training.
However, the manager didn’t take any such step to connect and ascertain how he is doing. While he was narrating this, I tried to portray a typical manager, which everyone usually thinks. Once he was done telling his story, I asked him, “What’s stopping you from approaching back your manager? Why do you think it’s only his responsibility to check on you? Why can’t you update him on your progress? Unless you make an effort to connect, you shouldn’t expect him to make that for you. There could be plenty of reasons for him not being able to reach out to you. But if you want some guidance and his time, you are free to drop him a mail and block his calendar for a discussion. Aren’t you?”
Lastly, I would like to close by requesting you to enter this arena with a blank canvas painted colorful and bright. Leave behind all the prenotions and accept that the experience is unique for everyone.
With this, I wish luck to all the new joiners and welcome first-timers to the corporate world. Hope you have a great time and don’t forget you will get what you give in! So, boost up your energy to jump into the oceans of golden opportunities.