Game plan Change

Many of us have heard the saying ‘If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans’.  Indeed, when we talk of a game plan, we often forget that the word ‘plan’ is preceded by the word ‘game’. And like in any ‘game’; the rules are not for you to decide.

Life throws at us multiple situations that throw our plans off track. We have all encountered unexpected change at some point in our lives. How we handle it is indicative of our resilience and openness to change. However, no change is easy to come by. It is human to feel dejected if the change is not favorable. Only after some time has passed, does one gather strength to plan next steps.

When I got married last year, my husband and I were working in different cities and one of us had to work towards securing a transfer. I was then based out of Bangalore and my husband out of Kolkata. With Bangalore being the preferred city to start our married life, my husband tried to negotiate his transfer. In this hope, we waited six months for the decision as a long-distance couple. Staying apart after marriage and that too for six months, has its own challenges. Towards the end of the fifth month of waiting, my husband pressed his organization for a transfer. In order to speed things up, they said it would be easier if he took Kolkata.  And so we did. The want of staying together superseded every other challenge at that moment.

And hence it came on me to negotiate a transfer at my end. My team readily agreed to let me move to Kolkata since a few colleagues were stationed there. Having a team that gave me the flexibility to operate how I wanted and from where I wanted, is a luxury I cannot thank my team enough for.

Transitioning from a role that I was just growing into, leaving behind my larger team at the company headquarters where all the action was, trading lively team interactions and informal learning experiences for a calmer regional work location were all choices I consciously made. However, I made it a point that I won’t let a location change affect my commitment towards my work, my connection with my team members or change my role in any way.

In my case, since the transfer was self-initiated, my commitment to the job and my team was taken care of because of the deep gratitude I felt for my team for having transferred me on a personal request. Next came my role definition – since I moved within the same team, I ensured I continued to chase the same goals & objectives that I was driving last year. Continuity not only helps build traction but also helps maintain your existing professional ties. Most of my professional network was based out of Bangalore – but in continuing with my same set of objectives, I would still have reasons to connect with them and not lose touch.

We live in a world where working virtually is as good as replicating a physical work space. Hence, I minimized the self-doubt that by not being in the center of all action and away from the larger team & leadership, I will lose visibility. Out of sight is not always out of mind. I constantly connect with my team over phone calls or quick emails or office chat tools to stay in touch. If you ever encounter such a situation in life, believe that everything is possible in today’s hyper-connected world. Let your work speak for itself and you. Just stay connected, regularly update your colleagues on what you are working on so that they know whom to contact when in need. Pick something that is crucial to the team’s overall plans and you will inevitably stay connected.

Lastly, believe in yourself. Believe in your personal goals. You are the only one who knows what you want in life. If you want to make certain things happen in your life, faith in oneself is of utmost importance to achieve them. Without it, you will never be sure of any decision or action that you take.  Remember life has its own plans, you have yours – the game is not to be won but to be played together.

Until next time.