Hello Community!!
First things first, I would like to generously thank the SCN for recognizing me as SAP Mentor. It is difficult to fathom that I have had such a great start to this year – Having featured as Topic Leader across 4 forums during the SAP Tech Ed event @ Bangalore and then getting recognized as SAP Mentor.
Just attended the SAP Mentors call yesterday and it gave me goose bumps about what all things SAP Mentors do / can do. It made me realize how much more I have to learn and contribute
All this looks like a fairy tale to me, because I never came into SAP consulting with an intention to make it big or to have a great career in SAP. May be it would sound hard to believe, but I came for a funny reason – “I would get to travel & meet lot of people”. A similar funny reason exists for why I pursued the qualification I pursued. But yes, whatever I came for, I did the day-to-day chores of SAP with my heart fully into it and delivered every assignment with the best level of sincerity I could
I have been often labelled as a “Go-Getter” and to be honest, I liked it. Managers do frequently use the term “Go-Getter” for resources who deliver a task delegated, taking full ownership of it. But I feel the time is ripe to make a paradigm shift. Instead of calling them as such and encouraging resources to be a “Go-Getter” – it would help, for the sake of a better community to have around, if we encourage our teams to be “Go-Giver“.
What is the triggering point for me to think so is not important. But may be frequently calling someone as a “Go-Getter” would nurture them to be someone who will only be interested in “Getting”. Honestly, the world needs people who can give, rather than get. And tell me honestly, what makes you feel happy – Giving or Getting?. May be the answer would differ depending on the phase of life one is in, but eventually most of us gradually move towards the “Giving” phase of life
When you grow up as a team lead, you have to think of your team first. When you become a manager, you have to think of your leads who in turn take care of the team. I have many a times had discussion with my managers on how to keep the team members motivated with rewards, recognition, progressions, etc. But that discussion between us both is for someone else (The Team). And honestly, it is a very special feeling when the team with you feels happy to be with you. As a lead / manager, may be one has to find the happiness in “Giving”.
Today when I look back at my personal journey of SAP, I can say I gave more (knowledge) than what I got (from others) and in turn I got more (respect/recognition) than (the knowledge) I actually gave.
The first step towards making this paradigm shift is to have the right leaders / Team Leads who know to GIVE. That ideally makes you a LEAD in right perspective.
Best Regards
Ajay Maheshwari
P.S.
1. Dedicated to all the “Go-Getter” lovers.
2. Feel free to disagree with.