A few years ago, I worked for the technology organisation of a big bank. I was a good performer and was consistently rated outstanding in annual performance reviews. This led me to believe that I was critical to the bank, almost irreplaceable. Over years however, as I saw many other such critical people leaving the bank and were replaced very easily by new people, I realised that the bank cannot perform if it relies so heavily on individuals. It might face a minor setback for a few weeks if genuinely critical people leave, but it will always bounce back.
Your worth to the bank, is not because of you – a person – but because of the role you are in. That role is usually more critical, who plays that role is just incidental. This realisation changed my mind about what my employer expects from me, and hence what I should expect from the employer.
People, no matter how talented, are fleeting – an organisation relies on roles, innovation and empowerment, not on people. Every person is just a wave in the ocean. A wave alone cannot be the sea. Countless waves have to come together to make an ocean.
The sound of thought 