Don't Dare Show Your Versatility in Public
Lesson learnt well in The Pioneer
In my new office the other day, after I finished preparing company literature on products like power interface unit, phase change material, nano-cooled green shelters, filter-less air conditioner, compressor-less AC, etc, our department needed a French translation of the product descriptions for the overseas market. As I volunteered to translate the matter, my boss looked amused. Immediately I remembered what a curse my versatility had proven in The Pioneer. I laughed and consciously changed the topic of discussion.
Eventually, our company had to pay a translator at the Alliance Française de Delhi an exorbitant Rs 6 per word for more than 30,000 words in the company literature, a task I could have done for free — my job profile does not include translation; therefore, no part of my salary can be considered to be the fee for the task — without compromising on quality.
That night I asked my wife to interpret the look on my boss's face when I had offered to translate the company literature. I asked her if my multi-faceted character is appreciated by so many people online, why it elicits negative responses in real life. She said people love to read about characters like me, but they find it difficult to come to terms with the fact that one such person is in their midst. A reader has this problem that he takes the protagonist of a story, even if it's non-fiction, for a super-human character. That, in turn, puts a notion in his sub-conscious that it's virtually impossible for such a person to exist in real life. If you claim to be one such 'existence', either you will be called a gasbag or, if within your interlocutor is convinced about your prowess, he will feel dwarfed in comparison. Hence his insecurity. Hence his adverse reaction.
On the other hand, if letting my colleagues know what I am capable of doing is misconstrued as bragging, not letting them know that I can help could be misconstrued as my being insensitive and indifferent to my employer's need.
Please comment.
In my new office the other day, after I finished preparing company literature on products like power interface unit, phase change material, nano-cooled green shelters, filter-less air conditioner, compressor-less AC, etc, our department needed a French translation of the product descriptions for the overseas market. As I volunteered to translate the matter, my boss looked amused. Immediately I remembered what a curse my versatility had proven in The Pioneer. I laughed and consciously changed the topic of discussion.
Eventually, our company had to pay a translator at the Alliance Française de Delhi an exorbitant Rs 6 per word for more than 30,000 words in the company literature, a task I could have done for free — my job profile does not include translation; therefore, no part of my salary can be considered to be the fee for the task — without compromising on quality.
That night I asked my wife to interpret the look on my boss's face when I had offered to translate the company literature. I asked her if my multi-faceted character is appreciated by so many people online, why it elicits negative responses in real life. She said people love to read about characters like me, but they find it difficult to come to terms with the fact that one such person is in their midst. A reader has this problem that he takes the protagonist of a story, even if it's non-fiction, for a super-human character. That, in turn, puts a notion in his sub-conscious that it's virtually impossible for such a person to exist in real life. If you claim to be one such 'existence', either you will be called a gasbag or, if within your interlocutor is convinced about your prowess, he will feel dwarfed in comparison. Hence his insecurity. Hence his adverse reaction.
On the other hand, if letting my colleagues know what I am capable of doing is misconstrued as bragging, not letting them know that I can help could be misconstrued as my being insensitive and indifferent to my employer's need.
Please comment.
Comments
In fact, I find multi-faceted individuals far more fascinating and interesting, rather than a monotonous genius. But I guess every person is entitled to his/her point of view.
That "entitlement" cost the company Rs 30,000 x 6 = Rs 180,000 !!!
Moreover, does one not need to value one's qualities and give them to only those who deserve it.... rather than squander them away to ungrateful wretches (not in relation to your story)? I am genuinely confused.
From experiences in my life I have learnt that I should never go beyond my assigned job even if I can manage the issue in a better way. If I do so people will either make a fun of me or will put a braggadocio tag on me. So I will try — but I am sceptic how long I will succeed — to exploit all of my innate calibre when I launch my own venture.
From my limited experience of the IT sector, employers only see " if you have done YOUR job" and not "how much you have contributed to the company". I dont consider this policy correct, but I decided not to challenge it. ( Three months into my first job, I dont have the confidence to challenge the system. I will have to prove my worth before starting my quest for policy change.)
Now, when there is not sufficient work allocated to me, I just spend my time reading blogs. ( I took a printout of your experiences in the "Pioneer", and completed it in two hours) Now, I am happy, and so is my manager.
In fact, the employer will be more than happy to see a versatile employee. It is the middleman between the owner and you who gets majorly psyched.
Thanks to a very broad-minded resident editor, The Statesman was a glorious exception till January 2005. I wish it gets some money to recover from its long ailment of indifferent journalism.
Most of people dislike others ones when they are better than them, more educated than them. They think they must feel to be under-estimated.
The reaction of your boss is not very clever, sorry.
Honestly, I think open-minded and clever people must use the other ones' abilities. By this way, each one will be able to improve itself and especially to learn, to become more educated, and so on....