MY ROLE MODEL_ AMITA SHANKAR

Had a lecture with our Eco Prof today for Applied Economics and she was excellent. This is the same Prof who inspired me to start blogging after sitting on my ass about it for so long. She said you have to get involved with whats going on around you.Yesterday we spoke about being Interconnected and joining the dots. How our decisions as a student or anyone for that matter has an impact on the economy as a whole.

When I look at it makes a whole load of sense to me. Yah I maybe really confused at times, but some things I know clearly.When you interact with someone for the first time you should always interact from a position of trust. That's how I was bought up , when my prof was talking about this in class she sounded just like my father. I talk to him sometimes about how people all around keep saying that you never really know what a person really is and they could all have ulterior motives. There are lots of my friends who subscribe to this way of thinking.But I don't think someone who thinks like that can remain sane. This does not mean that people don't exploit you, they do. But if your defences are up all the time you close yourself from having some really fun relationships. Call me naive but I subscribe to this.

In life Ive seen people who want to hide and be isolated because their afraid that the other person is going to do something.Then I can see my behaviour change as well and I also want to hide ............and then i think to myself what the F@%$ am I doing!It's not really worth it. But when we were talking about competitiveness and mistrust generating fear I could relate.When I was working at Citi everybody was keeping tabs on everbody else and they were measuring how to behave and it was just insane. With so much of pressure and targets we also had to see that we related to each other in the 'politically correct' way.Then there was someone like me who came in and was so frank that I had people telling me that these are the words you have to say. Actually telling me what words to say. Be diplomatic!Yes diplomacy is very important I understood that while I was working. And got mixed up about myself too there.Because as a frank person it went a bit against who I am. I'm thinking if everybody is talking politely and diplomatically is there going to be any real talking done at all? Thats why companies are moving to more dynamic structures that are allowing people to disagree and express their anger.
When I left my job and joined B-school I found myself a little brain dead because with handling so much of stuff at work I lost my creativity ..........(I am very creative) I felt as if there was no value add at work. But of course that is not so. With looking at my job and studying things in school I see where everything stands. Where diplomacy is needed where you need to speak your mind, where you need to obey and where you need to disobey. How companies, how people behave, how I behave. What are my strengths and weaknesses and a lot of other gas!

It's sad that one of my classmates had to leave the course yesterday. Guess the big man has spoken! He was another one of those outspoken people who are not afraid to speak their minds. Can get you into enough trouble but there have to be people like that to make the system work. We will miss him.