Building Career Narratives

Building Career Narratives

A part of this talk was delivered to a WIPRO Leadership group on October 22, 2013 (c) Meeta Sengupta

No part of this is to be replicated without permission or attribution

A part of this talk was delivered to a WIPRO Leadership group on October 22, 2013 (c) Meeta Sengupta

No part of this is to be replicated without permission or attribution

Meeta Senguptameetasengupta@gmail.com

@meetasengupta

Meeta Senguptameetasengupta@gmail.com

@meetasengupta

Do stories have names?Do stories have names?

Tell me a story...Tell me a story...

•Your story..

•Or maybe just the punchline..

•Your story..

•Or maybe just the punchline..

Was that your Elevator Pitch or Story?

Was that your Elevator Pitch or Story?

So, What is a story? So, What is a story?

What made it a story?What made it a story?

Plot

Conflict

Motivation

Dialogue

Rhythm

Tone

Characters

Voice

Pace

PoV

Dramatic

Question

Conflict

...

...

...

Let me read these to you...

Let me read these to you...

Passage 1Passage 1

•“Some people climb mountains, one day I may.”

•“Some people climb mountains, one day I may.”

Passage 2Passage 2

•“Everyday, as a child growing up in the hills, I would look at the snowy mountain peaks and tell myself, ‘One day I will reach the summit’ ”

•“Everyday, as a child growing up in the hills, I would look at the snowy mountain peaks and tell myself, ‘One day I will reach the summit’ ”

Before I ask you the real question, very quickly: Do you have anything to say to A or B?

Before I ask you the real question, very quickly: Do you have anything to say to A or B?

Why did A engage us less/more than B?

Why did A engage us less/more than B?

Stories are StickyStories are Sticky

•Whether in learning

•Or in Selling...

•Whether in learning

•Or in Selling...

What makes stories enhance learning?

What makes stories enhance learning?

•Emotional connect

•Nested loops

•Personal branding

•Flow and rhythm

•Glamour and Aspiration

•Emotional connect

•Nested loops

•Personal branding

•Flow and rhythm

•Glamour and Aspiration

Classically.. Classically..

•“Tell me, and I’ll forget. Show me, I may remember. But involve me, and I’ll understand”

•A story is the shortest path to involving the audience in the content.

•“Tell me, and I’ll forget. Show me, I may remember. But involve me, and I’ll understand”

•A story is the shortest path to involving the audience in the content.

On that note, a story..On that note, a story..

• Mr. Prabhu has been to many training courses and has learnt a lot from them. He is also a very dedicated reader of business books. He is a steady worker at office, and often gets a chance to sit in on senior leadership meetings.

• Mr. Prabhu was recently rather upset. He had found out that the COO of the company did not even remember his name, despite having met him a few times and discussed projects.

• Mr. Prabhu does not like this situation. What can he do?

• Mr. Prabhu has been to many training courses and has learnt a lot from them. He is also a very dedicated reader of business books. He is a steady worker at office, and often gets a chance to sit in on senior leadership meetings.

• Mr. Prabhu was recently rather upset. He had found out that the COO of the company did not even remember his name, despite having met him a few times and discussed projects.

• Mr. Prabhu does not like this situation. What can he do?

Elements of a Career Story

Elements of a Career Story

Intertwining of Stories

Establishing Your Circle

Identity

Personalise Industry Insights

Achievements Against all Odds - Conflict, Struggle, Victory

Reason to meet again - this is a serial, not a short story

(c) Meeta Sengupta Not to be used without permission or attribution

(c) Meeta Sengupta Not to be used without permission or attribution

What of career goals? What of career goals?

•Explicit or Implicit?

•Career Goals are the reason for telling the story, they are not directly part of the story..

•Explicit or Implicit?

•Career Goals are the reason for telling the story, they are not directly part of the story..

Embed your Goals in your StoryEmbed your Goals in your Story

Storifying your goalsStorifying your goals•Let us ...

•Take 3 minutes...

•Embed your professional goals in the story of your career goals so far. Maximum 30 seconds to speak

•Let us ...

•Take 3 minutes...

•Embed your professional goals in the story of your career goals so far. Maximum 30 seconds to speak

Personalise for ResonancePersonalise for Resonance

Who cares? Who cares?

•Who cares for your plan? Or your goals?

•How do you make them care?

•Who is part of your team in the journey to your goals?

•Who cares for your plan? Or your goals?

•How do you make them care?

•Who is part of your team in the journey to your goals?

Build your Story TeamsBuild your Story Teams

Pch. Not Enough. Pch. Not Enough. •Storifying makes it interesting...

•Is that enough for impact?

•Storifying makes it interesting...

•Is that enough for impact?

Build NarrativesBuild Narratives

A Narrative... A Narrative...

•A consistent interweaving of stories and evidence over time

•The Ramayan. The story of Pakistan. The story of the Indian as IT geek.

•A consistent interweaving of stories and evidence over time

•The Ramayan. The story of Pakistan. The story of the Indian as IT geek.

Narratives are built on Narratives are built on consistencyconsistency

Types of Narratives...Types of Narratives...

• The hero

• The victim

• The firefighter

• The captain

• ....

• The hero

• The victim

• The firefighter

• The captain

• ....

The Narrative Feeds the BrandThe Narrative Feeds the Brand

The Power of the Narrative...

The Power of the Narrative...

•What did Dravid and MSD do differently?

•Did their narrative impact their value?

•What did Dravid and MSD do differently?

•Did their narrative impact their value?

Narrative Drives ValueNarrative Drives Value

Narrative Building in Action..

Narrative Building in Action..

•Narendra Modi

•Rahul Gandhi

•Narendra Modi

•Rahul Gandhi

Narratives need SubstanceNarratives need Substance

Narratives of LeadershipNarratives of Leadership

•Stories of rescuing the team via thought leadership

•Stories of standing up for the welfare of the team without compromising the deliverable

•Stories of creating impact for self, company and team

•Stories of creating followership in clients and staff

•Stories of rescuing the team via thought leadership

•Stories of standing up for the welfare of the team without compromising the deliverable

•Stories of creating impact for self, company and team

•Stories of creating followership in clients and staff

Building Narratives...Building Narratives...

•Your personal Narratives...

•Who builds them

•What are the elements

•Sustaining the Narrative

•Your personal Narratives...

•Who builds them

•What are the elements

•Sustaining the Narrative

Your Narrative... Your Narrative...

•What do you want to be known to be...

•A good leader

•A mentor

•A team player

•A visionary

•What do you want to be known to be...

•A good leader

•A mentor

•A team player

•A visionary

.......................

Writing your EpitaphWriting your Epitaph

•In memorium to....

•In memorium to....

Growing into LeadershipGrowing into Leadership

•From task to ask

•From delivery to accountability

•From managing people to being an ambassador

•From inward looking to outward facing

•From task to ask

•From delivery to accountability

•From managing people to being an ambassador

•From inward looking to outward facing

Leaders Tell StoriesLeaders Tell Stories

Do you have what it takes?

Do you have what it takes?

•Yes?

•No?

•Not yet?

•Yes?

•No?

•Not yet?

Find and Fill the GapsFind and Fill the Gaps

How would you know? How would you know?

•Johari Window

•Peer Review

•Positioning Exercise

•Johari Window

•Peer Review

•Positioning Exercise

Map to ExpectationsMap to Expectations

Not yet? Not yet?

•Plan for when...

•Plan development needs..

•Plan lifelong learning..

•Plan for when...

•Plan development needs..

•Plan lifelong learning..

Narratives need CurationNarratives need Curation

Carpenters bend wood, Fletchers bend arrows, Wise men fashion themselves -

Buddha

Carpenters bend wood, Fletchers bend arrows, Wise men fashion themselves -

Buddha

The Case of MM, (almost) General Manager

The Case of MM, (almost) General Manager

•MM has been a project manager for over ten years, and has received glowing reports for the past three years.

•She had some difficulties adjusting to a managerial role but has now found her groove

•She is being considered for promotion to a General Management position. But is not sure she can make it.

•What can MM do?

•MM has been a project manager for over ten years, and has received glowing reports for the past three years.

•She had some difficulties adjusting to a managerial role but has now found her groove

•She is being considered for promotion to a General Management position. But is not sure she can make it.

•What can MM do?

LLL is about Self Determination

LLL is about Self Determination

•Hierarchies and Beyond

•Cognitive Choices

•Giving fuel to your Targets

•Hierarchies and Beyond

•Cognitive Choices

•Giving fuel to your Targets

Beyond the myth of corporate Beyond the myth of corporate slaveryslavery

Self DeterminationSelf Determination

Personal Vision

Stories Sustain

Narratives

Stories feed Narrative

Learning grows

Stories

Leaders build strong NarrativesLeaders build strong Narratives

You are the storyteller of your own life, and you can create your own legend or

not -- Isabel Allende

You are the storyteller of your own life, and you can create your own legend or

not -- Isabel Allende

Thank YouThank You

meetasengupta@gmail.com@meetasengupta@meetasengupta