How to actualise your potential

Ideal time to commence actualising one's potential (i.e identifying and converting your invisible potential into a talent) is when a student is in 8th class.

At this age, the landscape is open and unlimited. At this age the slate is clean with no baggage and therefore  is open to take any view. At this age, a student has lots of energy and curiosity to question the established tradition and even take a course that is uncharted, if it is needed. But the student is unable to do so because he has several disempowering beliefs that prevent him in actualising his potential.

For example, a student assumes that the most important step in actualising one's potential is choosing the 'right ideal discipline' (science, commerce or arts) after 10th class. This notion is unrealistic and imaginary. Finding one's 'right ideal potential' is not practical because researchers have found that one cannot predict one's potential early in life.  Even sportsmen, who are forced to start early in life, do not show 'extraordinary potential' at an early age. On the contrary, they have a small difference of 'above-average' abilities visavis other students of comparable age.

However, what distinguishes the successful from the rest is the way they spot and capitalise on their unfolding potential ! Researchers have found out that potential unfolds over a long time. It is not a one-shot method. It is a long duration process. The student must therefore possess the necessary skills to watch this invisible process of unfolding of their potential and smartly utilise this understanding for their own benefit. 

Specifically, converting the unfolding potential into a talent requires three foundation skills to be built in a student at early age: ( If you fail to develop these three skills, three possible scenarios emerge. Also read about them)

Foundation skill 1. Regulate his/her Self:  Because future can never be predicted, this foundation skill will help a student to become adapt and flexible to the opportunities that come his way. By knowing the functioning of his emotions, stress points, and willpower, the student learns to regulate his Self ( not control his Self). He also understand his strengths and vulnerabilities. This provides a 'stable and confident mental state' that is necessary to guide one's actions amidst the various distractions. 

Foundation skill 2. Chose a potential area in academic area to focus: The second foundation skill required to actualise one's potential is the skill to chose a potential area to focus.  Most of the students possess an average IQ of about 110-130. Einstein had an IQ of 160. To use his available IQ tactfully, a student has to focus on few areas of strength to gain in-depth knowledge in few areas that is required later to sustain excellence later in the life. He has to utilise his academic life productively to gain the most from his long academic life. 

Foundation skill 3. Understand and exploit interdependence of skill markets, people, knowledge and domains to deepen his academic skill : Because the world is getting more and more interconnected, a student has to understand these interconnections to find opportunities ( or negotiate bottlenecks) to actualise his potential. For instance, by understanding these interconnections, a student can use interdependence of people to gain more knowledge of a specific subject, say a language like French, by joining learning community of 'French-learning' groups. Or use interconnections between domains to learn English language to develop his 'right brain' which is as useful as his 'left brain' that is being developed with the subjects like physics and maths. Or use interdependence of markets, to monetise his skill of 'teaching' through internet.

On the other hand, if a student fails to understand this chaotic interconnected environment, he suffers on both counts. Not only he misses the opportunities, but like a man who is unable to make sense of what is happening around him, he is paralysed into inaction and waits for others to guide him. We feel he lacks initiative; but what he lacks is the ability to make sense of this chaotic interconnected environment ! 

Once the foundation is properly built, a student will identify and realise his fullest potential even at a late age!

Seminar on Careers in Software Industry

First of the series on career-seminar was held in Nashik on the 'Careers in Software". Mr N.C. Gosavi, Training and Competency Head, Manufacturing Vertical, TCS and Sanjiv Bhamre, Career Designer at Nashik presented  views of software career.  While N.C.Gosavi presented the view of 'careers' from Industry point, Sanjiv Bhamre presented the view of careers from individual's angle.

From left to right : Vinayak Ranade, Sanjiv Bhamre, Vishwas Thakur and N.C. Gosavi

Many misunderstandings of software careers were clarified in this seminar. For instance, Software career is not just one career: Career of developer. There is also a career of 'Enterprise and Industry Expert' who works with Ready made Package products like SAP, or Qualcom in Telecom, or Banking softwares. There is also career of 'Tester' and 'Engineering and Industrial Solutions' engineer as well as high end BPO career in knowledge based services like Legal ( where LLB and LLM graduates work) as well as  Analytics ( where CAs work).

Some of the notable characteristics of software careers identified in the seminar were as follows: 

Pros (positive points) about Software careers

• Software careers are both in customer facing functions ( where extroverts thrive) as well in internal facing functions ( where introverts are more likely to succeed). Luckily software companies also have jobs which are a mixture of customer facing and internal facing function.
• Unlike in other industries, but similar to music and sports, career growth in Software industry is both vertical ( up the hierarchy) and horizontal ( across functions and technologies)
• Like in the field of acting and cooking, Developers in this industry do not need any professional qualification.
• Software career can be initiated at the young age of 22 as well as after the age 30. I know professionals shifting to Software at the age of 45. 
• In Software, careers can be done part time as well as from home. This flexibility is very useful for girls.
• Because software careers have various options, even after joining a software company, one has to be keep eyes and ears open to search for the 'Next Direction'. Joining a software company is not the end act.

Cons (negative points) about Software careers 

• Software career is a one way entry: Many students join a software company because software jobs are easy to get. However, it is very very difficult to shift the career back to one's domain after joining software( say from software to electronics or accountancy)  if one does not like software job. Due to this difficulty, students with some interest in their domain ( be it mechanical, civil, electronics or domain) should never join software company in their first job. 
• Software careers are very stressful for two reasons. Working hours are too long. One has to work after 11 pm because US client day starts at that time. Secondly, because of the desk bound nature of the job, the stress accumulates in the body constantly.
• Software careers demand constant learning and upgradation of knowledge. There is no plateau. One cannot stop one's learning. 

More importantly, many careers will continue to be discovered as software is spreading to more and more functions. For instance, careers in retail shopping, or careers in tourism, or careers in training and teaching can be done from any town in India today without a help of big software company. Today one can find an Indian teacher in Nashik teaching mathematics to a child in Chicago if he can use software expertly. Or an tour operator organising tours of US sitting in Nashik. Or an astrologer catering to international clients. As software impacts various day to day activities of a common man, familiarity and mastery of software has become a must for everyone. 

Learn to use the feedback of your child's marks properly

During 1995-2000 and 2001-2012, Gujarat increased its annual rate of growth from 8.01% to 8.68%. During 2001-2004, the rate of industrial growth for Gujarat was 3.95% and during 2005-2009, it was 12.65%.

If someone shows you this kind of data, you will think that Gujarat is growing at a rapid rate. But this is data. Data, by itself, does not help. It helps only when sees it in relation with the proper context. When you see data in context, data becomes useful information.


For instance, if you compare this data with other states, you will find that states such as Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh have grown as fast as Gujarat. For instance, between 2001-2012, Uttarakhand grew by 11.81%, while Haryana grew by 8.95%. What is remarkable, Bihar and Orissa, the two most backward and poverty-stricken states, also had a growth rate of 8.02% and 8.13% during this period. Even smaller states like Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh grew by 11.01% and 8.96%, respectively. The same is true about industrial growth. For instance, you will find out that industrial growth for Orissa was 17.53% or Chattisgarh was 13.3%. 

Data, in isolation, often distorts the real picture. To make it speak the truth, one has to see it, in its proper context. Sometimes the ready context is available, as in the above picture. Sometimes it is not.

See what happens when you see the data of your child's marks in a test without context. For instance, if your child gets low marks in physics test, what does it mean? Is it low because the test was tough? Or is it low because your child was not prepared for the test that day? Or is it low because your child cannot manage the 'last minute anxiety' of test despite knowing everything? Or is it low because the child did not understand the 'chapters' involved in physics test?


Sometimes the marks are also low, not because of your child's inability. It is low because of inadequate teacher or teaching method, such as Mathew's teacher.

Mathew had been scoring poorly in physics till VIIth class. He found a teacher in VIIIth class who made it so easy to learn physics, that Mathew's learning disability of physics changed by 180 degrees. His marks in physics jumped up considerably in VIIIth. 

Sometimes the marks are low, because the 'teaching method' was not suitable for your child's learning style. For instance, did Mathew learn physics from his new teacher, because the teacher was using a 'working model route' to teach physics instead of 'conceptual route' as is the usual method followed by schools.? Or did Mathew learn faster because the teacher managed to teach 'concepts' in a lucid manner? 


In other words, the 'low marks' of your child may show your child's inability to learn something through the teaching method, or the teacher's incorrect use of teaching method? Both possibilities exist. But we often tend to use 'data' without it's proper context. We need to take effort to understand the context and take the action, and not jump to the first 'conclusion' that comes to our mind. Only after finding the 'right cause', we can 'correct' it. Otherwise we will be spending effort on useless activities.


Worse still, we convert data into knowledge and misuse the data.Data becomes knowledge, when we use data to convert it into action. For instance, when we conclude that our child is 'dumb because he is getting low marks in 'mathematics', we misuse data. When data is used for such purpose in a hasty manner, we do grave injustice to our child. We 'brand' the child as 'poor'. That prophecy becomes self-fulfilling. As the child loses more and more confidence, he starts believing that he is not really 'good enough'. And then it causes unintended consequences in his other life too. 


How do you use your child's data of marks? 

Early to bed and early to rise is not always good

I read this interesting article in TOI. Please read this if your child's bioclock is different than normal.

More than anything sleep dictate our hormonal balance. Michael Breus is one of the leading figure in sleep medicine. In his book, Good Night, he describes in detail the key function of sleep in our lives.

Melatonin, also called sleep hormone, actually helps regulate our entire 24-hour rhythm as well. Once released after the sun sets, it slows body function, lowers blood pressure and body temperature. That is why it is important to fall into a specific sleep habit, instead of changing it. Not all of us can change our sleeping habits easily because of this.

For more information about sleep disorders, visit www.sleepfoundation.org. It provides different kind of information on sleep related disorders like snoring and inability to sleep properly.More than the hours of sleep, it is important to ensure the regularity of sleep. For instance, shifting sleeping habits for weekends is not a good idea, because it disrupts our circadian rhythm ( our internal body clock)

Rise and decline of engineering career-path choice

Read this interesting article on 'Decline and fall of engineers'. It is depicting the world wide phenomena that  has been occuring as more and more career-paths are becoming popular. Three points to highlight are :

1. Lot of engineering students do go to MBA. Last year, in IIM Bangalore, 80% of the IIM graduates ( not engineering graduates) were found to be Engineers. Are engineers going ahead to become MBA's? Does that mean that these engineers leave Engineering because they realise that their career-path choice was wrong? Or does it mean that they leave engineering path to chose higher 'paying' path of management? I have met both type of engineers - some who are enamored by money, and some who chose to go away from engineering because they found Engineering is not their cup of tea. And how can one blame the money-seeking engineers, because even Maslow's need of heirarchy tells us that man strives first to fulfill his need of security and money, before he strives for satisfaction and actualisation!

2. Rise of humanities, liberal arts and design as career-paths. This is happening both because many students and parents are choosing their career paths instead of following treaden paths; but it is also happening also because these paths have become financially rewarding. As the markets have matured, these professions have become well paid. Their is a discernible shift from 'behind the hood' engineering industries to human-interface industries where behaviour scientists and designers are at the forefront. Success of a company like Apple is one example.

3. Remuneration ratio of 10-40-50 is shifting to 20-60-20 in many professions and industries: As a profession matures in the market, the remuneration ratios shift. When a profession is immature, only 10% of the top performers get the best salaries, 40% get average and rest of 50% are languishing in almost poverty. Think of cricket before 1980's or music in 2000 ! ( in India). Even the best of the cricketers had to work in a company to sustain themselves ! As the profession matures, the industry shifts to more balanced ratios.  Even if one does not reach the top, one can still earn enough. It becomes more and more easy to move into these professions.Today, even without playing test match, today's cricketers earn a lot. The same phenomenon is happening with other professions in humanities, designs and others in India.

Take-away to learn

What is more important is reaching and remaining at the top 20% of the group. That does not depend on what career you choose. Even if you choose the most paying career, that is not enough if you fall in the bottom 20%. Contrary to popular belief, it is not enough to choose career paths based on one's 'passion and liking'; because even passion dies if not fuelled.  More than anything else, your ability to remain in the top 20% depends on how you shape your career-path actively and how you utilise your personal life and people life to re-fuel your work-life.

Career does not happen automatically by just choosing it; it has to be shaped consciously and constantly. 

Use these 3 mechanisms to identify your child's gift

Just read this news today :

Aryaman Neelakantan, a Grade 3 student at Bangalore, won global rank 1 at 14th International Science Olympiad. The article in Times of India quotes that "his fascinations change over time.Initially it was dinosours, later it shifted to fossils, insects and bugs, and then to Rocks". At the grade of 3, he says he wants to become a Geologist !

These olympiads are taken by over 3000 schools. These olympiads conducted by Science Olympiad Foundation are for different subjects such as science, maths and language, and even IT knowledge. These tests are very good means to enhance your child's knowledge in these areas, starting from Grade 1 to Grade 12.

If the child likes a specific subject, he is more inclined to study that subject. But the curriculum of a traditional school does not allow the child to study 'ahead', and to know more about something that interests her. In Montessori method, as a child is placed in mixed age group of three years, a child can learn deeply about a subject from his seniors, if he is interested. In IB curriculum ( offered through International Schools), one can also take advanced tests of 'graduate level' if one is exceptional in a subject.

However, if your child is in a traditional school, these olympiads are very good for your gifted child due to three reasons. One, these Olympiads tests her proficiency visavis other similar students through which she finds that she is ' really good' in a specific subject. This itself is a good 'information' which the child uses to 'channelise' her energies. Two, by offering stiffer challenges, it grooms your child in developing her capabilities. By constantly offering challenges that are stiff enough, these olympiads therefore provide automatic motivation to a child to stretch his abilities. in our days, this function used to be performed by excellent teachers !

Besides Olympiads, some schools also offer special 'labs' in subjects like science and maths. These labs, if manned by good teachers, also offer the child the same advantages that these olympiads offer.

More importantly, these Labs and Olympiads offer your gifted child third unique advantage, the best learning environment of an informal group. It connects your child with other children who have similar interests. This 'informal social' group of 'similar interest' students is the best mechanism for your child to grow his abilities: because this group enables the child to find answers to his difficult questions, find one's solution in someone's question,  prod each other by finding difficult challenges and undertake projects that cannot be done by a single individual. Psychologists today have recognised that such informal network is a best learning crucible one can offer to a child.

We all are gifted in a specific subject or topic. We could be good in any of the streams of subjects, be it language, arts, design or science. Olympiads, labs and informal groups offer us a mechanism to explore our interests, find 'what we are good at' at an early age and even develop it.

If you understand this, you will realise that Internet today offers one of the biggest benefit to your children: an opportunity to join a virtual community of similar-interest students who could be located in any part of the world. Through internet, your child can become part of group of similar-interest students, even if the interest is as narrow as corals or butterflies or as wide as astronomy or mathematics. This was not possible in earlier days. And as you would have observed from Aryaman's case mentioned above, the interest may vary from dinosour to rock to animals. Finding such a group on internet,that is of interest to your child, is therefore a very easy way to 'identify' your child's gift and nurture it. And once he finds his interest and develops it (either through Olympiads, labs or informal groups), the next step of finding 'career-path' is as easy as Aryaman, who has found his path at Grade 3 age! 

Teach your child interdependence, not just independence

Most of the school systems today are run based on competition, where every child works on his own and tries to show he is better than others through his marks and awards. On the other hand, the real life is all about competition between 'Group of cooperators'**, whether it is the competition between companies, or the competition between individual players.

Contrary to popular perception, even competitions between players in individual games like tennis, badminton and golf are not competition between the two individuals, but competition between two teams. For instance a tennis player like Roger Federer has a team of coach, physiotherapist, tour manager (who manages the logistics and other matters in the various cities), agent ( to manage the activities outside sports), psychologists ( who is required to tune the mental conditioning), playing partners ( who play with the players) and others. So when Roger Federer sustains his game for ten years, it is not just the raw tennis-playing skill of Federer that is critical, it is the result of eco-system that Federer has created through his team.

In other words, cooperation comes before competition. Even our ancestors survived the harsh environment because they 'grouped together in tribes'. But we seem to have forgotten this simple lesson when it comes to helping our children gain this important skills of working together.

We rarely teach this skill of working together to our children in schools. Although psychology tells that after the age of 7, the student likes to socialise and work with other students, our school system do not encourage this 'working in group'. That is why, i guess, in a recent survey conducted by a education group in Bangalore, when students of VIIIth class were asked 'Which is the best time in your school?', majority of the students replied "Our best time in school is when we come/go to school in a bus". Isn't this a classic symptom of what students crave in a school?  It was Judith Harris, who found that more than the parents, the children are influenced  by their peers.Unlike traditional schools,  in a Montessori school, children from the age of 7 always work together in groups.

The skill of managing interdependence is not only about learning to work together in a group, although that skill is critical. More important part of the skill is understanding the 'interdependent loops' of which we are the part, and utilising those 'loops' to help us. For instance, if your child is learning 'language' such as French, the best way to learn the language is becoming a part of group of students who are learning French, and utilising that Group, to gain the skill of using French language ! When one is in a group of such students, they prod each other, correct each other. They find activities like going to French movies, or joining a web 'seminar' on 'French architecture', or go to a talk by 'French writer' who has published an English book. It is the cooperation of the group that not only creates learning, but also motivation to learn.

Last year, when i was coaching a college student, Astha i found that she was a student with average marks till 12th standard. But when she joined an Engineering college, she was in the top 5 in his Engineering college. When I found that she had become part of a group of students who were like her, i helped her find different ways in working with her interdependent group. I gave her few lessons on  conflict management, understanding one's role in the group, and simple skills of communication. They studied together in library,  challenged each other, worked together in a project. Astha had managed to use the 'interdependence' to her advantage.

As we live in a society, we are part of different groups. We work together with other building members of different neighbours to maintain our society clean and safe. We are part of political group which is setting up a library in our community. We are part of a NGO who is helping street students in our community to educate. We can utilise these different interdependent groups for helping our child 'be part of an interdependent' loop and learn both the skills: the skills of working together with diverse people, and the skill of using the relationships to one's advantage. 

If your school is not helping your child build his skill of interdependence, what are you doing for your child?

** If you want to read more about this concept of competition between group of cooperators read The Gardens of Democracy: A New American Story of Citizenship, the Economy, and the Role of Government by Eric Liu & Nick Hanauer