Hi! Managers: Focus on positive payback

In fact, those lucky students and managers played a great part in making those places right, for them and for those around them. Most places have a culture and procedures that have been honed over time. New people joining a firm must, in turn, fit in and make these institutions "right" for them. Fitting in does not have to mean being a conformist. Fitting in and seamlessly getting your way are part of life's skills.

Similarly, corporate boards of directors have their unique ways and means. Whatever a new director's taste for governance or influence over management may be, the rest of the board most likely will not suddenly keel over just to accommodate his or her views. There are exceptions of lone mavericks making their marks, but their tenure tends to be brief.

From my own experience, many of those "right" places have had certain characteristics in common. They allowed me much independence and empowerment. To round out my competencies, I was encouraged to delve into my areas of expertise as well as picking up new but essential knowledge, all the while practising the management of people and acquiring the art of working with and leading others. In sum, I was allowed to learn, to make mistakes, and to pick the proper balance of any of the above areas.

More importantly, I was encouraged to recognise my weaknesses and seek remedies. New assignments, technologies, and new teams were therefore not as much a threat. This was because I was empowered by the knowledge of the gaps in my expertise and the reassurance that support would be readily available as I needed it. My end of the bargain was to deliver what I promised.

In terms of time management, those "right" places encouraged me to pick the right balance of focus. I was not expected to dedicate all my time to the core tasks or technology. There were times I could set aside for networking via professional societies and advanced seminars. Finally, when the situation allowed, I could pursue projects of specific, special interest. The latter, during non-crisis times, involved taking time away from work to pursue new subjects and new interests - and on full pay.

Assuming you have been on the receiving end of the right job, you should now be in a position to replicate the environment that allowed you to mature and be who you are today.

You may remember some of your mentors and supervisors who helped make those places right for you. Now it is your turn to provide such an environment: make someone under your supervision appreciate the same experience, and that someone will in the future remember the good environment and so replicate it for his or her immediate colleagues and teams.

Don Bhasavanich is a councillor at the Thailand Management Association. Follow his articles in Hi! Managers on the first Wednesday of each month.