Potential and Promise: A Journey of Self-Actualizing
Sometimes, the career path you’re on doesn’t allow you to achieve your full potential. At Koch, reaching out to your supervisor can help you better understand where you are and where you want to be.
Take Yashaswini B N, for instance. When Yashaswini (Yash for short) joined Koch Global Services in Bengaluru, India, she performed well as a Planview demand analyst. Still, she knew she had more to offer if given the opportunity. With her sights set on becoming a project manager, a role that would allow her gifts to truly flourish, Yash needed to find a viable path toward reaching her goal. She started that professional journey by initiating a dialogue with her supervisor, Suresh Sundaresan — a conversation about her future career aspirations that had actually first begun during her interview for the analyst role.
Taking the Next Steps Together
“I remember that, at the time, Suresh wasn’t just focused on the job’s role requirements,” says Yash. “He wanted to understand me, my broader gifts and talents and how we can grow together.” In fact, Suresh could see that Yash wanted to contribute in ways outside the typical role requirements for a demand analyst. Once she started at KGS, they met routinely to discuss her interests and how she could best use her gifts. “Yash had such a great aptitude and attitude,” Suresh says. “I could see she wanted and could do more, so I asked her about her aspirations. She answered, ‘Okay, what about project management?’”
“When I learned about the principle of self-actualizing, I realized I was missing out on something in my life. So first, I identified my interests and skill sets. Then I stopped and asked Suresh about them,” Yash says. Suresh decided the best way to determine if Yash would perform well in project management was to allow her to take on small projects alongside her regular duties and evaluate her performance. That methodical process allowed Yash to grow and learn in a safe environment. “We had a lot of good discussions along the way,” Suresh says. “Yash doesn’t just listen. She asks questions, gets answers and applies what she has learned. As a result, she was able to showcase her value to the organization quickly.”
Settling in and Taking Flight
Within five months of their initial conversation about becoming a project manager, Suresh completely moved Yash into her new role. Today, as a project manager for KGS, Yash helps own and drive projects from discovery to completion. “I’m an enabler for my team to succeed,” Yash says. “And it’s my responsibility to ensure I deliver projects on time.” Looking back, the deep trust she placed in her supervisor proved to be invaluable in her journey. “Nothing can happen unless and until I have a trusted, authentic relationship with an individual and understand what they are truly capable of,” Suresh says, “and helping colleagues to self-actualize by moving them into the right roles will maximize value for Koch.”
The Resources When You’re Ready
Are you a supervisor like Suresh looking to help your direct reports better achieve their full potential? You can start by tapping into our Supervisor Responsibilities and Expectations resource to maximize what you and your team can accomplish using the five dimensions as your guide. And for anyone looking to find a place where they can keep growing, you can learn more about how our roles are uniquely tailored to each individual here.
Insider Career Tip
Are you a Koch employee looking to find a role where you can continue growing? Our Internal Careers website is the perfect place to utilize our wealth of career navigation resources.
