This story is from October 17, 2019

'AdWise' workplace counselling: ‘After I returned from a break, I feel I’ve been given a raw deal’

Are you dealing with a tough boss? Are your colleagues being mean to you? Is your workplace culture hindering your growth? Talk to us. Our panel of experts will assist you in resolving your workplace related matters. 'AdWise' will appear on these pages every Thursday to help you with your workplace matters. Write to us at adwise@timesgroup.com
'AdWise' workplace counselling: ‘After I returned from a break, I feel I’ve been given a raw deal’
(Illustrative image)
Key Highlights
  • Are you dealing with a tough boss? Are your colleagues being mean to you?
  • Talk to us as our panel of experts will assist you in resolving your workplace related matters.
  • You can write to us at adwise@timesgroup.com
Question: After a sabbatical, I am back in the job market at a senior position. I have a track record of working in reputed organisations. I recently had a disappointing job interaction and wasn't given the offer, perhaps because the senior executive who took my interview felt threatened by my knowledge and experience. I was made to interact with only one person in the organisation and was not given an opportunity for detailed discussions, either with senior HR teams or higher-ups.
This has upset me, and I feel helpless. How can handle such a situation?

S Ramesh Shankar replies: I empathise with your position as it could be highly demotivating to return from a sabbatical and face a situation that you have described. All of us go through crests and troughs in our lives at work and beyond. Every time we are on a high, we feel good and when things do not go our way, we feel disappointed. This is natural. Please do not let that feeling affect your future.

You have come out of a sabbatical and just one interview not going your way should not dishearten you. If you think that you are competent and have the necessary skills required for the job, then move on and consider it as bad luck for that organisation not to have selected you. It is they who missed recruiting a talented person. So, in a way, it's more of their loss than yours.

Let me illustrate this through an example from a sport. If P V Sindhu had given up badminton because she lost a final in the Olympics, she would not have been a world champion today. Sportspersons teach us important lessons in life. When they lose, they consider it a learning opportunity and work harder to shine. It is not that they are not disappointed at losing a final. But if they keep brooding over a lost match, then they can never become a champion.


Now, let us look at your situation and attempt to reflect on it realistically. It may be helpful to analyse perhaps how the work culture has changed during your sabbatical. Today, the world is changing at a much faster pace than we can imagine. Hence, it is critical for each of us to be ahead of this pace of change - both in our work and personal lives to be successful. Reskill and keep yourself updated.

You don't mention how long was your sabbatical and reasons for it. Assuming it was for a short duration and for factors beyond your control, you need to realise that the world has moved rapidly even in your workspace during your absence.

Let me illustrate this with a few examples. I used to work in the steel industry in the '80s where we planned for 25 years strategically. Then I moved to the auto industry in the '90s and we planned for a decade. I worked in the FMCG space and it was a three-year plan. In the last five years, I worked in the technology and digital space and its plans lasted for a year.

A few months ago, I spoke to the CEO of a popular food delivery startup and their planning today is only for 24 hours. Hence, it is important to realise that you need to be willing to reset yourself to this new world after your sabbatical.

If you are willing to start afresh and assimilate your learnings, I am sure you will find the right place and your talent will show up as you adapt to this new world. As stated by you, you are a competent person and you have it in you to be a champion. Now forget the past and focus on the future. Remember there is a sunrise after a sunset. We have nothing to lose if we are willing to learn from our past and move into the future.
(S Ramesh Shankar has led HR teams in Siemens, ABB, Britannia Industries and Eicher Group)

Talk to us:
Are you dealing with a tough boss? Are your colleagues being mean to you? Is your workplace culture hindering your growth? Is there anything that's bothering you at work, which you're wary of discussing internally? Talk to us. Our panel of experts will assist you in resolving your workplace related matters. 'AdWise' will appear on these pages every Thursday to help you with your workplace matters. Write to us at adwise@timesgroup.com

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About the Author
Namrata Singh

Namrata Singh is editor - business trends at The Times of India, Mumbai. She specialises in sectors like fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), consumer durables, retail and the green economy. She closely tracks corporate groups like the Birlas, in addition to stories on consumer trends.

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