Discuss the most difficult constructive criticism or feedback you have received. How did you address it? What have you learned from it?

“Now-a-days, I cannot see the passion towards work any more” – my manager’s words, which landed on me like a bombshell, when I received my latest annual appraisal. Barely three months ago, I had received ‘Outstanding’ rating, for the second consecutive year, from the same Manager. I had always tried to go beyond assigned responsibilities; always eager to suggest and implement innovative features that added value to the software products I designed; always the first volunteer for every proof-of-concept that came along. When all this had earned me a promotion earlier than my peers, I could not understand where I had faltered this time, when my commitment towards work had never taken a backseat (or at least I thought so).  

A little bit of self-introspection told me that I was still completing assigned tasks before time. But, having raised my manager’s expectations from me (as a result of past performance), was this enough? Becoming a little more self-critical, I realized that the number of independent initiatives that I undertook now had reduced considerably. This was so, perhaps, because my interest in financial markets had become more than just an extracurricular pursuit. Serious about studying Finance, I had registered for CFA level I and FRM (Financial Risk Manager) exam. With only four months left for both exams, my attention had shifted to them, more so as I was very new to the Finance field. Consequently, as I came cross interesting concepts, I had an urge to delve deeper into them. So absorbed in this self-study, I started leaving office immediately after completing my designated work; I did not take any new proactive initiatives on my own, and even devoted less time in mentoring juniors, as I used to do earlier. These observations had made my manager question my commitment and passion towards work. Subsequently, as I learnt that my Manager was planning to make me Solution Architect, a role in which I would lead 8 developers, I understood why my current behavior was a disappointment for him.  

As a result of this feedback, I realized that I was devoting a large chunk of my time and efforts to Finance study. While I was so passionate about the latter, I changed my style of study in such a way that I could do this, while still not compromise my commitment to my primary job responsibilities. While studying for CFA and FRM, whenever I came across an interesting concept that I wanted to research more, I refrained from doing so, right at that moment. Instead, I would note down the topic, and wait for weekends to delve deeper into it. I also made sure that I studied new concepts (which needed more brainstorming, and hence, more time) on weekends, and kept weekdays only for revisions. This way, I was able to keep weekdays primarily for my core job. In office, I mentored newcomers about project nuances, so that I could devote more time to fresh project developments, and also reduce dependency on me. This included involving my team more with clients, so that I did not have to attend every client meeting. I travelled onsite to gather requirements for the new project. I also submitted 3 innovation papers on project-related innovations I had carried out, in ‘Tech Con 2008’. With these efforts, I re-tracked the way I earlier worked, regaining my Manager’s trust. Finally, my innovations, during the project, saved HP effort equivalent to 32 man-days. Simultaneously, time I cleared CFA Level1, Level II and FRM exams with top grades. 

While this feedback was a temporary disappointment, I was a great lesson. Although it is commendable to assume additional onus, if it enhances one’s skill set (in my case, this ‘addition’ was my pursuit of finance-related knowledge). However, it is equally important to ensure that embarking on a new task does not make one compromise on other commitments that may be equally meaningful. Had I shared my finance-related ambitions with my manager earlier, he would have kept realistic expectations from me as far as the project was concerned, and perhaps, even helped me in my new pursuit. The lesson is now well-learnt, and I hope to remember it for good.