care-o-graphs

Many a times if you were to ask an individual especially in a car retail showroom what he aspires to be in the coming 3 years, what kind of an answer would one get?In Mumbai you may see him wanting to scale 1-2 notches higher than his current position plus he may aspire a good jump in his salary etc.In other parts there might be a sedate response stating "manager" or "I don't know" or move to a higher Brand etc.Seldom does one find the urge to explore beyond the boundaries of the city they live in or even the trade he or she is in.Some have the aspirations of being absorbed in the Wholesale /parent company which is a bit difficult as it is assumed that "retailers" are not best suited for the whole sale operations.Hmm!!I wonder if that is true.I would think every person if he gets a feel of the hands on experience of the on ground retail operations he would definitely be a better whole seller.Strategies that are made in the ivory towers or light houses throwing light across the stormy seas,would be better driven and make practical sense if one has been through it.Do we really show a growth path to any of these individuals , even the brightest amongst the lots ?All we see is the band of brothers who keep shuttling between the blocks and switch trade plates every 2 years and coming back to square one in 70 % of the cases.It appears to be rudderless most of the times and or sometimes we see fancy titles distributed without grooming and training or even checking the competencies.What one may learn is through the trainings given by the OEM once or twice a year.( that too if the retailer sends him/her) or may not with the fear that he may learn too much and be an asset for someone else....what insecurity!What a terrible thing to do!Sometimes certificates obtained during training are held back at the retail end so that the candidate has no proof to show his possible employer in case he wishes to switch.The person in turns sticks around trying to find a toe hold in the organization or buys time till he gets something new.If not he sucks up to his superior and becomes man Friday.(I am not a yes man, when my boss wants me to say no i say no:-)).Then come the class of the old timers who stick on better than any glue on earth as they have dedicated their life to be just there.The world for them is the premise they spend 9-10 hrs a day or the city at best with no ambition, no drive or risk taking ability to be some one in life or create his own space.If we go on creating such classes how will we ever get a broad minded, self driven,global thinking leader in this space.Do we have to find degrees in retail management that are taught in the universities that might help churn out such people.Even if they do will they get that space , authority and empowerment to express themselves and get things done when the markets heat up.No career paths in sight and a restricted space doesn't one waste his precious time .You have one life and one great opportunity,and one must really explore and check his own worth in the markets beyond the virtual boundaries one creates for himself.No one really is for you and there is no guiding beacon...its purely what you want to be and how .YOUR TIME STARTS NOW AND IT DOESN'T STOP FOR ANYONE.So if you haven't checked out what you want to do in life with a plan atleast 2-3 years ahead then start now.Personal and professional goals will help you and your family to take charge of the challenging times one is going to face in the future.Don't drive into a blind tunnel. if you choose to do so then have the steering in your hand atleast.