Confronting My PEAKs 16 09 2025
As an average individual, I have sought to infuse excitement in my life by travelling new terrains. In my career spanning four decades, I have ventured out into the corporate, academic, and social sectors, in addition to trying my hand at writing, academics and entrepreneurship. Like a novice mountaineer, I had to evaluate my readiness to conquer each new peak. PEAK the acronym standing for Past performance, Experience for the task on hand, Ability to execute the selected task and Knowledge to handle the unforeseen future.
Using PEAKs was not unlike the 3600-appraisal I faced in 1990s in Wipro, where my supervisor, peers, team members and myself, appraised my performance. This being a personal venture, I had to self-evaluate from four different angles to ensure that I completed my 3600-appraisal of a different kind.
Past performance of my two decades corporate career gave me the confidence to try something new. Wanting to write, and a desire to emulate my student day heroes, my teachers was the trigger. All that I knew was my ability to apply diligently to a given task and put in the required hours, however long it may take to complete it. This gave me the confidence to embark on my adventure.
Experience is the bridge connecting the old with the new. I felt a bit more prepared for the teaching assignment, having been a faculty in corporate leadership training programs for a decade. Not taking this experience for granted, I spoke to a few experienced teachers to learn from them. Initially I feel that I overprepared for my classes and packed a lot more content that required. My later years were focused on limited content but more time spent to provide the context and illustrate it with examples.
My ability to write a book lacked any tangible evidence. But I believe I had the ability to learn. Like a curious child, I began to devour articles and books on writing. Set out to write book reviews to practice the new skill. A few kind and discerning readers critiqued it, provided valuable feedback and more important, practical suggestions to improve my writing and sustain my enthusiasm. With time, I think I am getting better.
Knowledge of the future that confront us is known only when are on our journey. My experience as an entrepreneur taught me despite your best preparation, your plans can go off road. Further, it tests the strength of your motives, willingness to learn, and tolerance for inconveniences that come your way. Resilience is the main quality that you need in meeting unforeseen challenges.
In all my new adventures and in my role of evaluating candidates for jobs, I found PEAK a good model to use. Performance is the trail covered, experience is flexibility to adapt to new terrains, ability is the skill-set you have, and knowledge is the map to your summit. It is a holistic view that honors the past, empowering the present, even as it prepares for the future. How have you navigated your peaks?
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