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Learn true values to carry right imprint
Imprinting is a phenomenon that is not new to us. It’s been endlessly experimented upon and has spawned numerous books, research papers and theories. Personality imprinting can occur when a person is exposed to new environments, circumstances or people during a period in which he is most vulnerable. The experiences we have had as children, adolescents and young impressionable adults can exert a profound influence on our attitudes, personality type and even the career
choices we make later in life. Very often, we carry the imprinted knowledge with us for life. Just like childhood or adolescence, entry into the world of work, marks yet another milestone in life. Young adults are eager to learn, experiment and try new things. They seek role models and trusted mentors they can look up to and emulate. At this stage of our life, we are sensitive to the cues of our environment and the people around us. It is a period when we pick up specific traits from our peers and superiors, cultivate skill sets, connections and confidence through our work experiences. Needless to add, early employment experiences can leave behind deep and lasting psychological imprints.
People working for organisations with a very powerful work culture tend to absorb those values and carry that stamp on their personalities long after they have left the organisation. The strength of career imprinting depends upon other factors like the kind of people a firm hires and their age along with the organisation’s inherent work culture. The stronger the imprint, the more likely it will influence their personality, decisions and leadership style for decades to come even as they change jobs, careers and lifestyles. Sometimes, the career imprint serves an employee well in his new office, and sometimes he is deemed a misfit because the values ingrained in him don’t fit well into the new situation. Being aware of your career imprint will help you make better career choices and leadership decisions. Compatibility is the key for success, and if there is already a strong career imprint impressed upon you, it is important that you select an organisation with an imprint that resonates and compliments your own, or at least ensure that you will be able to make the necessary adjustment. People who are in the early stages of their careers will benefit by choosing organisations that will be able to instill in them the qualities they wish to cultivate, and mould them into the leaders and ultimate professionals they wish to be.
A career imprint is usually resistant to change, but it is not completely immune- which is a good thing too. Sometimes, a negative career imprint will have to be undone. We live in a constantly evolving environment and we need to be able to change with the change to survive and thrive. If a career imprint is holding you down or making you seem like a dinosaur in a concrete jungle, may be it is time you consciously veered away from it, and cultivated more flexibility in your approach.
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BINDU SRIDHAR
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