Valenco case study #6 - Mahesh - work life balance or new challenge?

Background

Growing up in a densely populated area, Mahesh spent every available time playing sports with other children in the neighborhood. He developed a liking for badminton, practiced regularly, and was proficient enough to play for his high school.

In the quest for employment, he enrolled in an engineering college and graduated with a degree in computer science. Joined a technology services company and was assigned to write software code for the retail industry.

Today

Over time Mahesh has built a very good understanding of the systems, technologies, and processes of this retail industry; how they work, and where they can be improved.

Getting to his 40th birthday he leads a team of developers responsible for 3 key technology platforms of a large retailer. Having groomed a team well and monitored quality of output rigorously, his group consistently delivers on time, spec, and budget.

He can manage his work hours and has started to play badminton in the evenings. Rebuilt stamina and skills and is among the best players in the local community. He is also coaching his daughter and her friends in the game.

Many of the neighborhood mothers have him on speed dial.

He is beginning to enjoy the attention and this more balanced lifestyle.

Dilemma

When driving home from work, Mahesh often reflects that his work has become predictable and routinized.

Currently ranked in the top quartile of his peer group, he is concerned that by not be pushing himself harder, he will fall behind.

Starting to look for options, he has discovered that there could be other roles for him with his current employer and with peer companies.

Both with his current employer and moving to a new one, he can take on responsibility of similar work for another client. It will be a lateral shift, but the systems and technologies will change, needing him to learn and scale up. He will also need to build client relationships afresh.

If he performs well in his current role this year, he can pitch for responsibility of a cluster of clients. It will be a move up in the hierarchy, but one level removed from technology delivery. This is a role available only to proven performers, and hence an option only with his existing employer. With a new employer, he will need to demonstrate a few years of top-notch performance before being considered for a similar role there.

Cloud AI is a fast-emerging technology, drawing a significant amount of capital. It is expected to be deployed in every mid and large enterprise in the next decade. 

Mahesh has led multiple cloud migration programs for his retailer client. Seeing that in his background, there is interest from his current employer to have him in the center of excellence for Cloud AI.  He has also started to get calls from external recruiters to discuss similar roles.

If he takes this role, he will give up responsibility of the large team and the daily cadence of delivery operations. On the other hand, it is an opportunity to learn a new technology stream, and how to apply it. If the technology becomes mainstream, it will future proof his career for at least a decade.

Decision time

After a decade of marriage, Mahesh is home in daylight hours for the first time. His spouse has recently taken on a job and is now working full time She is keen that he make career choices which allow him time with their growing children and also shoulder some responsibilities which she had carried in the past.

Mahesh has a very good relationship with his manager and reached out to him for advice. He has also spoken with a few of his close colleagues and friends.

One of his friends has worked with you and has recommended that Mahesh also get your input.

What would you recommend to him?

1.       Continue in his current role.

2.       Move in a similar role within or to a new company. A change will challenge and re-energize him.

3.       Aim for the role progression with larger operational responsibility.

4.       Move into an emerging area of technology and grow with it.

5.       Another option

The recommendations which Mahesh received

The overwhelming recommendation was that Mahesh take a move to an emerging area of technology and grow with it. The other advice was that he keep an open mind to a role with his employer which will move him up the hierarchy and expand his scope of work.

This is what he has chosen to do

Having done a delivery partner role well, Mahesh decided that he should challenge himself again.

He recognizes the need to devote additional time to the family.

He also needs to ensure professional and financial stability for at least the coming decade.

Aiming to limit the number of simultaneous changes, he has opted for a senior role in the Cloud AI group, with his current employer. It retains his equity and network in the company and at the same time offers an opportunity to work on a leading-edge technology which could add years to his future career.

The new team consists of handpicked architects who are located across the country. Many of the discussions and meetings will be virtual and Mahesh aims to become a power user of Teams.

Since much of the interaction is virtual, he can work some days from home, saving the hours spent commuting to work. These saved hours can be invested into the family and his passion for sports.

Mahesh uncle continues to be is the most popular adult male among the aspiring badminton players in the community.

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