I am sure you must have gone through the core values of Indus Net Technologies (INT). The three explicit values are – Create Value, Innovate Everyday and Love Technology.
Though we do show glimpses of these values and at times shine bright, but what we lack is consistency in adoption across the company and over a period of time.
It got me thinking – what is missing?
How can we achieve consistency and persistence of these values? Lots of interesting thoughts crossed my mind. I will like to share the first one with you.
Continued Education
In today’s world, it is critical to continue your education, contextual to your work, and to improve yourself as a human being, and a professional.
Why?
The world is changing very fast. Humankind’s progress in the last 100 years is more than what we did in the preceding 900 years. Our progress in the last ten years is more than what we did in the preceding 90 years. Similarly, the speed at which the world will change over the next ten years will make us forget the preceding 90 years.
We are already seeing Artificial Intelligence (AI), Drones, Robotics, Big Data, Analytics and IoT making major inroads into our life.
This is an exciting phase. However, exciting only for those who can make the most of it. And to make the most of it, you need to invest in yourself — get continued education. And trust me, no school, college, university or company can keep pace with this change to be able to educate you and prepare you for the future. Therefore, what will make you succeed (or fail) is your ability to learn yourself. In brief, self-learning.
How?
How do you self-learn? There is no silver bullet. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. But, this needs to be done. Let us start with the first step.
Let’s inculcate reading habit in ourselves. There are lots of areas where you can educate yourself and improve your knowledge and hence ability to be of value to the world in the years to come.
You can read books related to managing yourself (your time, projects, your mind and your team), domain (banking, insurance, retail, media, etc.), technology and the direction of the world with the application of technology, etc. Though reading fiction is interesting and I do not discourage, but the need of the moment is non-fiction. If you need a story, read inspiring biographies!
What else?
And once you have read those books, talk about those ideas. Discuss. Brainstorm.
Remember – Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.
Please use your time while you travel or before you sleep or when you wake up early. Successful people have spent hours in reading under the most testing circumstances. And, I am sure, you can too.
I am happy to help you choose a book to get started. Let me know what you do, what you want to learn and what interests you. In fact, if there is a book which is of general interest, I will buy it for the INT library (and you can be its first borrower)!
P.S.: When I travel outside India, one thing that stands out – people are always reading – in buses, trains (even when it is super crowded – they stand and keep reading!), in parks, on vacation, in recess – it’s a way of life. Curiosity and desire to learn is a way of life, which gives them a LOT of exposure to world and life. This has made them succeed. If there is one reason Europeans shaped this world in the last 500 years, it is their inherent curiosity and desire to read and learn.
Are you ready to shape your country and your life?