From childhood, the middle-class values inculcated in the then-young Prashant were the ones that perpetuated throughout my entire life. I was always willing to work hard and strive for more, as I believed the duo would help me achieve success.

These values also reflected in my work and the way I conducted myself at my workplace.

Efficiency, challenges, and success- these are the words echoing across the corporate offices quite often.

Success in the workplace is a highly coveted achievement that is often associated with high levels of performance and the ability to achieve set goals and objectives.

However, as I became a part of the workplace, I also realized that there is a common yet misguided belief that success can be attained without putting in the necessary effort and meeting performance expectations.

So today let us discuss the two sets of varied opinions and hence two crucial questions:

Will you succeed if you don’t perform?

A simple one-word answer would be

No.

Lack of performance can greatly hinder one’s chances of success in the workplace.

To understand why not performing leads to failure, it is essential to examine the definition of performance.

Performance is more than just carrying out tasks or actions; it involves putting in significant effort, utilizing a diverse set of skills and knowledge, and producing tangible results.

To perform one needs skills and action.

To outperform one needs dedication.

After completing a degree in mechanical engineering, I joined Hindustan Petroleum in Bombay (Now Mumbai). I was part of the marketing operations team and posted in Wadala terminal, which supplied gasoline to all the gas stations in Greate Bombay. I used to work in shifts and ensure that we effectively and efficiently managed the gasoline logistics. There were 6 operations officers. Only one of them was identified as a critical talent and was promoted. Rajan Pattan would soon be transferred to some other location. I realized that Rajan was indispensable as he knew every road in Bombay, the location of every gas station, restrictions on all the roads, and the schedules of all the restrictions. He had learned it with a lot of effort over the years. Therefore, Rajan could create the most efficient delivery plan and minimize the effort of drivers and helpers while maximizing the utilization of the fleet of trucks owned by the company. A lot of others would come and log in their eight hours, push out as many deliveries as possible, go home, and relax. I saw an opportunity to outperform everyone else. I was new to Mumbai and knew nothing about its topography. I had come from a small town. Every day, after completing the shift I used to sit in one of the trucks and cover one route to understand the topography, and the location of the gas stations with constraints of access. Soon, I was able to create a very efficient logistics plan. I was respected as a high performer by my manager and my peers, all of whom were senior to me.

Sr Terminals Manager (Sewree Wadala Terminal Complex) and my skip manager, Mr. BD Seth, identified me as the next high potential and gave me larger responsibilities. One day I locked the horn with him on some issue. It will be interesting to note here that I was 22 years old and Mr Seth was 50 years old. He said, “Fous on winning wars and not battles.” I said, “I prefer to win wars and battles.” Despite such skirmishes, he rated me as an A performer in all the three years that I was not there.

My performance helped me succeed strengthening my belief – “Perform and succeed”.

Moving to our next question:

Will you succeed if you perform?

Maybe or maybe not.

My success was not just because of my performance, but also because I had a manager who respected performance and did not let his ego colour the performance. However, such managers are rare. Aligning with managers and ensuring we do not talk back is essential to success.

Imagine a builder building a house, the first focus is always placed on a strong foundation, the one that bears the load of the entire house. This foundation is performance. However, one cannot live on foundation. One needs the superstructure and furnishing to make the place livable. Aligning with the manager and ensuring that one does not talk back is the superstructure and the furnishing needed to succeed.

Let’s say you have a power supply, but no ACs, then is the power supply a valuable addition?

Essentially, performance is the foundation on which success is built in the workplace. Without it, there can be no success.

In any workplace, it is important to meet organizational objectives and goals. However, sometimes employees prioritize their own objectives over the organization’s goals.

When such employees do not perform well, they are not contributing to the achievement of these objectives. The fate of such mediocre employees, once the performance report is presented, is getting fired.

This not only affects their chances of success but also hinders the organization’s overall success.

Moreover, not performing also reflects poorly on an individual’s work ethic and professionalism. Employers expect their employees to take their roles seriously and put in the necessary effort to excel in their work. When an employee consistently fails to perform, it is a clear indication of a lack of commitment and dedication to their job. This can lead to a negative perception of their abilities and potential for growth within the organization.

While individual performance is essential, it is not a guarantee of success.

Because in an organization, employees rely on the approach and style of their manager. In a lot of instances, being a human, the manager might also be more focused on fulfilling his own motives, ego, and power rather than the organizational objectives. Not every manager will be like Mr. Seth.

Hence, success in the workplace is not only based on individual performance but also on how well one’s performance aligns with the objectives of their team and manager.

To succeed, individuals must understand their manager’s point of view and priorities, enabling them to align their performance with the goals and objectives of the team, thus increasing their chances of success.

When you perform and align your objectives, style, culture, and approach to that of the managers, the probability of success improves further.

Achieving workplace success is a multifaceted concept requiring individual performance and stakeholder management.

Not performing can significantly hinder one’s chances of success, as it goes against the expectations of employers, reflects poorly on an individual’s work ethic, and affects team dynamics. To succeed, individuals must strive to perform well and focus on understanding the organization’s priorities.

Leveraging the power of creating a positive perception helps in the success of an individual.

The essential recipe to succeed in an organization are:
– Manage performance
– Align with peers and manager
– Align with organizational objectives

What do you think are the necessary ingredients for the recipe of success at a workplace?