“Anantatv”: What I learnt from Young Interns and Analysts. Episode: 2.
As we start our next round of weekend coaching sessions with young adults, I wanted to share something that I learnt from our joint experiences from the previous round. I have always been a keen observer of the challenges that young interns and analysts face as they start their careers and how they can not only succeed professionally but also maintain their well-being. One may call it navigating the transition from one environment to another, managing complexities of inter-personal relationships at work, team dynamics et al.
In today's digital age, where the lines between work and personal life can blur, it is vital to emphasize the importance of a well-structured schedule. People who managed their time effectively reported higher wellbeing scores.
They identify priorities, allocate time to those priorities over a week, and chart out a weekly plan for themselves. This incorporates work tasks, personal time, and downtime to make it implementable. Those who kept a buffer for surprises were able to stay more organized and more settled despite the hiccups.
Of late, I have observed young adults are very aware of their lack of adequate physical exercise and mindfulness (with exceptions, of course). It is not an awareness issue, but more of de-prioritisation over other activities. What we have also observed that this generation is eager to incorporate changes, learn from other's experiences and use every tool available at their disposal to ensure success. Managing stress becomes a natural by-product. People who practiced mindfulness through techniques like meditation and deep breathing reported improved productivity, and an enhanced sense of general wellbeing.
Beyond work, life can get chaotic. People who took out time to read a book, pursue a hobby, volunteer reported a greater sense of wellbeing.
As the group shared recently, their biggest takeaway was that success and well-being are inter-related. What they seek from experienced leaders is a bit of support while they learn by making their own mistakes.
About the Author
Ashish Malhotra
Ashish is a seasoned Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) professional with over two and a half decades of corporate experience and entrepreneurship. He is a Mentor and a Coach to CXOs, senior and middle management and management students.
