The Delta way

What makes a person realise his/her career dreams? Well, the obvious answer is that one has to set a goal and try to accomplish it. Getting into premier institutions like the IITs, BITS-Pilani and IIMs is not easy. A similar challenge is faced by many working professionals.
Take the big-four among the Indian IT companies. In the last two to three years, these companies would have added more than twenty thousand in terms of campus recruits to their workforce. It hardly matters which institution or university the recruit graduated from. Getting into such corporate houses seems easier than before, because of the huge intake, but how does one make it to the top?.
How can one be different from the rest? How can one be a cut above the ordinary? What is the delta that gets you an admission to your dream institutions or helps reach the top brass faster?
The answer is quite simple. It is ‘DELTA’. DELTA is the increment in the behaviour that one has to demonstrate which will clearly differentiate the person from mediocrity. Many adolescents relax after getting a job which pays them a yearly income of a good four to five lakh rupees. They get into the routine of conducting themselves with the daily schedule and remain among the majority — 85 to 90 per cent. Now coming to the DELTA, which is the recipe to zoom to the top five per cent.
D in DELTA is the ‘dedication’ with which you carry out the assignments that are entrust on you. The job given to you may be very simple or highly complex. The degree of dedication demonstrated should be impeccable.
E is the ‘energy’, of course the positive energy that one displays. Current trends indicate more young ones are getting older, not at all in proportion to their age and blame it on the early ‘burnout’, due to the nature of the job. While no job is bad, the choice of getting into the job lies entirely with the individual, so why blame?
L in DELTA is ‘learn, learn and learn’. This is a continuous process and in full agreement to Deming’s statement ‘learning is not compulsory, neither is survival’. An individual who learns a new thing every day will be unstoppable.The most important learning is not to commit the same mistake. This is one reason, most companies emphasise on the fact ‘we need people with experience’ as a part of their recruitment drive. Experience plays a very important role in moulding an individual.
T stands for ‘truthfulness’. Whatever be the given situation, one should never compromise on core values especially that of ‘integrity’. The newspapers are flooded with stories of the so called ‘greats’, who fell like a pack of cards and the reason for their fall is none other than compromising on integrity. While there could be a lot of short term gains, negotiation on truthfulness is definitely a ‘no’ in the long term. There are many examples of ‘top performers’ being shown the door as they were found guilty on the integrity count by their employers.
And finally, A is for ‘attitude’. This is missing in the present generation and sadly in a very big way. Lack of the right kind of attitude has killed the careers of many prodigies. Most employees working with a mercenary kind of attitude which is very dangerous. For a few dollars more, people are making amends to the ‘employer’s name’.
What is our contribution to the organisations that we work for? On the other hand, organisations are spending tons of dollars to improve employee satisfaction, curb attrition and in return they get more and more resignations.
Changing jobs frequently does not reflect a healthy resume as well.
DELTA is essential for making it to the top in any chosen field. Each one complements the other and five ingredients are absolutely necessary to hit the ‘right’ angle pointing upwards in career advancement. In my feeling good luck follows the person with the above qualities like a shadow.