Harland Sanders, born in 1890, grew up on a farm in Indiana. Cliched it may sound, like most successful people, his childhood was filled with trials & tribulations. From babysitting his siblings from the age of six, cooking from seven, dropping out of school in the seventh grade, working in a farm, doing a stint in Cuba with the Army, stoking the steam engines of trains, selling insurance, tires, making lighting systems, and so on, he did everything.
In 1930, he acquired a service station in Kentucky, later converted it into a full-fledged restaurant. In 1939, he made a breakthrough with his signature recipe of chicken, frying with a secret mix of “11 herbs & spices” in a unique pressure cooker. In 1950, the Governor of Kentucky conferred the title of “Colonel” to Sanders.
Later, Sanders made a deal with a restaurateur friend, started to sell his chicken dish as “Kentucky Fried Chicken” in exchange for a 4-cent royalty on every piece sold. After making deals with more restaurants, he rose to further fame. Sadly, in 1956, a new interstate bypassed Sanders’ restaurant, he was forced to sell the location at a loss. He was left with a $105 monthly Social Security check as his sole income.
Sanders didn’t give up, rededicated himself to the franchising project he couldn’t focus on so far. He hit the road along with his wife, a car with the pressure cookers, flour & spice blends. He made deals with the restaurants after running demos in their kitchen. By 1963, he was flooded with franchise requests, had more than 600 restaurants across the US & Canada selling Kentucky Fried Chicken. In the same year, he got an offer to sell his franchise rights. Initially reluctant, he later sold his rights for $15.1 million [in 2015 dollars].
Ironically, Sanders wanted to be known for his food, not to make money. He spent the latter years giving interviews on talk shows & doing commercials. Up until he died in 1980, the Colonel had travelled 250,000 miles each year visiting the KFC locations & promoting the brand in the media.
WHERE FOCUS GOES, ENERGY FLOWS.
We spend a major part of our life working, towards building a career, some take up jobs. Navigating between the million bosses & few leaders, the staple appraisals, WORK is something worth chasing till one hang their boots. Indeed, career is a MAZE, some navigate swiftly, some crawl, some stay still, some get lost, resurrect unexpectedly, some end up with lousy jobs, some just give up. People retire with varied strokes, some quietly, some with a bang, some burnt out, many with nothing to look back, there are all kinds of it.
Assuming one starts working at 22, retires by 58, career can be split into 3 parts, each spanning 12 years, the PREPARATORY, ACCELERATORY & SUSTENANCE phase respectively.
PREPARATORY phase [22 to 34 years] – This phase is all about setting the trajectory of our career, fueling ourselves with a clear purpose. When we know the purpose, we give our best. Mostly fresh out of college, a blank slate, it’s a deep dive into unknown waters. We should look for OPPORTUNITIES to work under & with the experts/ performers in the workplace, handpick mentors for a lifetime. Simply put in, soak like a sponge!
Look for ….
- company with good culture & work values
- a challenging job, exposure to updated technologies
- mentors, competent leaders/ good managers at the workplace
- scope to learn modern/ contemporary systems & concepts
ACCELERATORY phase [34 to 46 years] – Here, the focus is to get into positions of authority, seek brass titles, good compensation & benefits. Any compromise will impact the overall financial growth throughout, mostly irreparable. One must get defined in the rungs of the organization matrix. It’s time to chip off & smoothen the rough edges around us. After all, we are gearing up to hit the centre stage in the next phase.
Ensure ….
- compensation, benefits, titles & authority align with the experience
- copious scope for growth/ higher responsibilities
- access to the top management
SUSTENANCE phase [46 to 58 years] – This is the final phase of our career, we look for something “EXTRA” in it. The aim is to sink into leadership roles, build large teams, redefine the policies, ethical framework, values & systems of the organization. Challenges are infinite, but with ample opportunities in it to turn the way an organization thinks. The right people set a new trajectory, often change the course of the company. Here, developing OTHERS is the MANTRA for success.
Create ….
- healthy work environment
- teams with the right attitude
- organizational values & culture
POINTS TO PONDER –
1. Poor alignment of career to goals/ focus areas in any of the 3 phases can lead to DIMINISHED overall growth.
2. Avoid looking for lighter roles, the classic “9 to 5” jobs in the PREPARATORY phase of career. It would be an expensive and irreparable blunder.
3. Any slip in the PREPARATORY phase, we have to forego some or most of the expectations in the next phase, the ACCELERATORY phase.
4.Keep learning contemporary developments/ concepts. Nothing can replace new & constant learning.
5. The early second phase gives us clarity on what management expects from us & what one must expect in return.
6. The changes in our personal & professional life define our expectations from the role/ company at any time.
7. Beware of mediocrity, tough to get rid of it. We tend to forget the purpose of what we are doing.
8. Periodic evaluation of our career progression vis-à-vis career objective/ goals helps to do the course correction, as & when required.
9. One can’t catch up with market compensation in one BIG leap anytime. It should start shaping up from the early second phase.
10. Getting into a disturbing work environment, handling a compromised team in the SUSTENANCE phase is a recipe for disaster. Everyone wants to retire with a sturdy record, grace & pride.
11. Watch out for health in the SUSTENANCE phase, both age & role demand more from us.
“A career is a marathon. Don’t sprint it.”
Nageshwari A & Venkatakrishnan R
