It was my first project kick off meeting. All my previous projects were deemed too small to have a project kick off meeting and I had to skip the last major project kick off meeting because I was busy supporting another client.
All the people who had a stake in the project were there, including the COO and various other top management. It was an eye opener, and I was feeling very nervous when I was introduced to the rest when my role in the project was announced. I raised my hand feebly to acknowledge my name, pretending that I was cool and calm about it, when I was having butterflies in my stomach.
After the brief presentation on the project, it was time to eat some finger food and mingle around for some conversation. Since I was not taking on the major roles in the project, I quietly stand back in the shadows and just smile sheepishly at anyone who walked past me.
Somehow I wanted badly to be known by the management, both in the company and the clients. I want to take on major roles in major projects, to have my name flashed at the top of the organisation chart, and not a small footnote right at the bottom of the chart. I want people to sought me out during the finger food conversations to talk to me instead of wondering who is this guy smiling like a fool at the back.
The words from this management guy in a MNC bank who was my company’s client came back to me, ‘Are you hungry enough? To achieve, you have to be hungry.’
I am hungry. Very hungry.
