Project Parasite!
They come! They see! They SUCK!
In a rather busy world, while we all were fighting the challenges of a global pandemic (COVID19), I came across a very different sort of novel challenges. It is an old foe; however the means take different shapes every time
They mushroom up in both aspects of life: Personal and professional.
Would you not mind someone ogling at or flirting with your girl at a club?
How does it feel when someone hacks your WiFi to use up all your data pack?
They are known by various names, viz., freeloaders, corporate hyenas, fence-sitters but I like to term them something new; something fitting to their nature. I call them Project Parasites!
Being a big fan of “words are powerful”, I decided to reel through my ink. Also, rather than engaging in scornful banter, I took an objective analytical approach. The grid below is the crux of the analysis
Basically, I wanted to analyze the human behaviour to a situation as per their skill set (both hard and soft) and their intent to do build something.
Hard skills can be domain specific while soft skills are in general. E.g : a doctor in a hospital with social awkwardness or a garrulous & jovial cashier at a kirana store or perhaps an extrovert banker with less product knowledge or perhaps an introvert real estate dealers with a good stock.
You see where I am getting at, hard and soft skills need to go hand in hand. There are various courses which helps you develop both but then one can only grow if some one has the intent to. Intent has to come from within like intent to be the best salesman, intent to treat people for free, intent to build relationships with people or intent to build a better world with better products.
So, based on skills + intent vs the work environment, the matrix is framed
I intend to narrate a few experiences of mine. This is to bring awareness to those who haven’t had the luck to encounter any such people and for those lucky ones, a platform to share their views. High five!
Now, I work as a product manager and I intend to build a better connected world. I am still honing my soft skills & hard skills as we speak, since I believe, there’s no end to knowledge.
During my tenure, I have encountered multiple such personalities who try to derive pleasure out of someone else’s hard work. Most of them come with a smile on their faces or a pseudo-helping hand in turmoil or a shoulder to cry on during crisis.
They start with gathering the facts and data from you. They might ask you share some document or contacts or issues from time to time. Their asks come in random sequence so that it is hard to detect. Although, some have the patience & caliber of persistent follow-ups. Just to get them out of your hair, you might think of giving them what they want. DON’T! It’s a trap
Post these, they will come up with some random plan to discuss with you and again it would be a mistake to share your inputs. They might use from flattery to threats. I request not to buy these.
If you do, the next day, you’d get some unwanted tasks at your hand while they project themselves as the one who planned the entire thing. Again, the follow-ups will continue and by the end of the project, they’d get away with a glowing recommendation and a feather in their cap.
A feather from your own wings.
I do not want to defame them. I believe they are doing the best they could given their limited skill set. However, it is always wise to be aware of the situation and have the foresight of the consequences of your action.
What I have learnt, & am still learning, is to ask the hard questions which unveils their clandestine objectives
“What’s your role in this?”
“What’s the objective of this request?”
“Which portfolio/product/market are you handling?”
“What’s your take on the this?”
In a way, to turn the tables.
Or you may nicely ask to stop ‘bothering’ you.
Don’t you hate those neighbours who barges in for some sugar or milk every now and then?
Revelations of such thoughts might bother some, might empathize with some and might intrigue some. Such instances might affect someone negatively too. However, I intend to look towards the positive side of it.
WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU, ONLY MAKES YOU STRONGER!
©Sankalpa Sarkar
