Compromise and Confidence

29th September 2008

Today, one of my Future PaathShala students (I call them Future Stars) called me, when I asked her that how is she? She answered, “I am not fine, Atul.” (Huh.. how she can answer like that? After all she is a Future Star!) I asked her about the reason of not being well. She started to tell me the story…

Basically, she is a BE and works for a well-known Indian IT company. One year back she got the job in this company, as a fresher. However, she was always victim of being ill-treated by one of her senior colleague. She always used to feel that why she(her senior colleague) behaves with only her in this way. But there was no other option in front of her rather than respecting her and doing what she can do, related to her work. She was actually waiting for confirmation after one year and a salary hike. She did not get confirmation though she completed her one year satisfactorily due to her senior never appreciated her work. She was very frustrated due to this but I advised her to be clam and concentrate on the work.

Now, finally after one year and some more months she got confirmation letter and a salary hike. But a salary hike, which was much lower than what she expected. Due to this she was totally broken and called me. ‘Atul, I just want to commit suicide!” she shouted. The first thought that came to my mind was, ‘What the hell!’. For no reason people find reason to commit suicide. But then I thought, it must be very important to her, and she might have faced lot of trouble during last one year and so. “Calm down”, I said.

She just started telling me what things she did to do her best in her job. And at the end, what she is getting? Just a confirmation letter and a tiny hike in her salary? That reminded me, two of my other friends, who were also working for MNC for more than a year, and absolutely not satisfied with their growth, and especially with their seniors. I was trying to convince her that this is not the end of everything.

“I am fed up of doing all this, I am fed compromising with my desires, I just want result now! I just want god damn final result.” She was furious. I told her to have patience, and she will get the final result one day.
Again she shouted, “No, I want the final result right now!”
“Well” I said, “and what you want as your final result?” I was really curious to now this answer.
“I want my monthly income to be doubled right now!” she said quiet confidently.

“Oh” I was shocked as I thought she is over optimistic about herself. “You think you deserve this amount as your salary with your current capability?”
“Yes”, she affirmed.
“Do you think your company will offer this package right now?”
“No”, she said, as it was too obvious.
“Do you think that any other company will pay you this much amount, with your current ability and experience?” I knew I was making her think now.
“Ya, why not?” may be she asked this to herself.
“Then why don’t you leave this job and find the job which will pay you what you deserve?” my question was straightforward.
“Do you really feel that I should leave this job?” she asked me quiet skeptically.
“Yes. Only if you want your final result to happen right now!” I delivered a googly to her.
“But I am getting to work on very good project here.. I am not sure weather I will get same kind of project anywhere else?” now a confident young lady sounding confused.
“See, you are changing your final result now. Tell me what exactly you want? You want double salary or you want to work on a very good project?”
“I want both!” she again sounded like, she knows what she exactly wants.
“Ok then, go and find out a job that can fill both the criteria…”
“ummm…”
“You said some time ago that you are absolutely fed of compromising… right?”
“Yesss”
“Then by doing a job which is not fulfilling your expectations, don’t you feel that you are compromising again?”
“Hmm… you are right.” She was thinking.
“Never compromise with your standard then, just start hunting for a new job… no matter if you sit at home for three, four, five or six months, if you believe that you are capable of earning this much money, with your current profile… just go for it!” I made her to think again.
“But don’t you think sitting at home and doing nothing is insensible?” she doubted my opinion.
“Absolutely not, that means you don’t believe yourself and you are already ready to make a compromise and live your life below the standard you deserve. If you really believe that you’re capable of getting your outcome right now, why don’t you just go for it?” I made her believe in herself.
“Yes Atul, you are right. I think I had lack of belief in me. But now I promise you, within next two months I will call you and give you the good news that I am doing job having doubled salary of what I am drawing now!” her voice was full of confidence.
“Superb… that’s really great.” I encouraged her.
“Thank you very much, Atul. Bye.” And she disconnected the line.