18 Years You Worked in One company...Wow how did you do that?

 Yes that is the reaction that I always get when I am asked the usual social questions about work. Today 15th July 2014 as I celebrate 18 years of my association with 2020 MSL, I tell myself, "Well done girl....you just reached the ripe age of new age companies." Since data shows In 1935, the average lifetime for an S&P 500 company was 90 years, today, it is about 18 years (source McKinsey).  So from here I could go extinct or continue for another many more years.....of course I can do that.  If Zohra Sehgal had a acting careers spanning 70 years why can't I do that.

As I introspect and think what led to this 18 years of a beautiful partnership, I want to share my mantra, specially with all the millennials who want to change jobs very frequently as their life is going by and they must experiment with new jobs, new colleagues and blah blah blah. The one magic mantra is partnership with your organisation and communication.


0-5 Years: The beginning of your career, are operational heavy years, you are caught doing a lot of drudge work and hence you get disillusioned. But these are also years of establishing strong relationships with your colleagues and clients. Set a personal goal to do one kick ass assignment, partner your client and say let us achieve this. When you achieve the goal CELEBRATE with the client. Some strongest relationships are established in this phase of your life.

5-10 Years: Make a pledge to yourself to sign up for a self development program every year. Partner your organisation and communicate that you would like to be nominated for a course, and if not just do it yourself. You are so worth it, invest in self development. I did that every year so much so that I made it a ritual to gift myself a course or sign up for a personal coach every birthday.

10-15 years: Partner and grow people who are smarter than you. Watch them, observe them and instead of being critical, notice them and pick up their good traits. Every person has some positive trait, imbibe those. This network of mentees will always be there for you. This is the best network you can ever have. This is also the phase when work life balance becomes a necessity and remember you set your work life balance, not the company. A book I will always remember that helped me understand that was "Winning by Jack and Suzy Welch".

15-20 years: Set an industry agenda and lead it, you are a asset to the organisation. Take a leadership stance and drive the agenda. Have a conversation with the organisation and get a buy in that you want to spend 10 percent of your time, doing this.

And, one more thing, express gratitude with a good attitude every single day.

A toast to 20:20 MSL, I could not have partnered with a more dynamic organisation.