Bala V Sathyanarayanan serves as EVP & CHRO at Greif, Inc (NYSE: GEF ) & Chairman of the Board of Directors at Balmer Lawrie - Van Leer Ltd.
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Interns, you are at the start of your professional career, a period that is brimming with opportunity. You have a chance to figure out what kind of career you want, work among experts in your field, develop and refine your skills, gain valuable work experience and so much more. Here are some tips and tricks that can help you achieve your full potential during your internship.
1. Be a business person.
During your career, not only is it crucial to understand your role in the business and where you can add value, but more importantly, you have to speak the language of the business. In order to do so, you have to think, act and behave like a business person. This means having sufficient knowledge about what drives the business and its functions. What are the key activities that drive the operational and financial results of the business? How does the business make money? The story of a business is most often told through its accounting. Hence, it is critical to develop financial literacy and business acumen, no matter your job title.
2. Leave it better than you found it.
For any project you are involved with during your internship, find a way to not only understand it but also strive to leave it better than you found it. Always seek out opportunities where you can slightly improve or smoothen part of the process. Be intentional about the projects you are working on and actively examine how they can be enhanced. Even if what you have brainstormed is a minor tweak or small innovation, don’t hesitate to share it with your manager. If they can use that piece of data or business intelligence to further connect the dots and make certain business calls down the line, it is a win.
3. Have a bias for taking action and following through.
Have a bias for action and always follow through on your commitments. Favor action over inaction by taking risks and making decisions efficiently, even in the face of uncertainty. Learn more and do more. Your success will be measured by what outcomes you delivered, so focus on showing initiative and being research-oriented. Voice your ideas and be curious about the projects that are going on around you. When you are aware of the work that is happening around you, it is much easier to step in when someone needs help.
Moreover, have good energy. Regardless of whether you’re physically in the office or not, energy is contagious. When you bring good energy, it will energize those around you, resulting in an engaged and energized workforce that raises the level of the organization. So, have a bias for action and ensure that you follow through and deliver on the actions you have committed to.
4. Be a change leader.
Just because you’re an intern doesn’t mean you can’t change things. Leadership is not a title; you don’t have to be a vice president, director or manager to be a leader. Leadership is about being empowered to act. Therefore, if you think there is something that needs to be changed, voice it. It is perfectly acceptable to question processes and inquire about why some systems are set up the way they are. However, this must be done tactfully. You must honor the past and try to understand the rationale behind the operations. Only once you have fully grasped it, can you begin to brainstorm alternate solutions and create a compelling rationale for change.
5. Be candid and to the point.
In your communications with your fellow interns, colleagues and managers, always get straight to the point. Do not hesitate or beat around the bush. Have uncomfortable conversations. Speak with respect but speak with candor. Be direct and lead with data. Having data that backs up your argument and enhances your communication as it provides the listener with insight into what you’re trying to communicate. Prioritize two-way communication and listen with an open mind. Creativity is always encouraged, so think of unique ways that you can get your point across.
6. Solve complex problems holistically.
Always look at a problem holistically, rather than in isolation. Be a systems thinker. Ensure that you’re not just solving the problem that is in front of you. Look for the opportunity to solve it in the broader context of what the organization is trying to achieve. Do not put on a band-aid to temporarily fix a problem that is in front of you. Instead, find a way to get to the root cause of the problem and unpack it from the inside out. Brainstorm resolutions and carefully consider how they will impact the problem from all sides. From there, you will have a clearer idea of how to identify the optimal solution.
These are some best practices that you can follow to make the most out of your internship. Be a business person and a change leader, have a bias for action and follow through, be a complex problem solver, be candid and always leave things better than you found them. Strive to keep these six gears in full operation, not just during your internship but throughout your career, and you will be set up for success.
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