I wrote this originally for Quora
It was an elder brother from my neighborhood. He was also my namesake.
It was an elder brother from my neighborhood. He was also my namesake.
He was 7 years older than me. Very mild mannered, always cheerful, always thoughtful. I was really fond of him.
As I was getting a job as a fresh graduate, in the non-profit/ development sector, he sat me down to tell me something based on his years of working in the sector.
You will see people dodging work. you will see people reluctant to take on new role, do anything that doesn't really emphasize their name. You will also find people unwilling to delegate, or even when they delegate, unwilling to acknowledge the contribution of others’ in the end product.They assign a hierarchy to the tasks, and what is considered a good enough work for them, and what is considered beneath them.Don't let all these deter you. Do anything and everything that helpes people. Try to work and learn as much as you can. You will see quickly that after a few years, you can do almost anything while they are falling behind with their ego.
It took me a while, but I understood what he meant as I went along in my new office. I kept trying to be useful, taking on each and every small and bug tasks. My influence and goodwill grew. And nowadays I am sometimes referred to as “the potato” - something that goes with all sorts of dishes, and I can be put into any project to see something get done. 6 years down the line, I sit in the important management and international strategy meetings because of consistently delivering value to those around me.