When I joined TCS, all those years back, I started with a healthcare project. The company we worked for had DCs all across the world, including two in India. Or was it three?

It does not matter. This is not about DCs.

There was this one person, whom the rest of the team did not like as much. They were senior to me. Everyone was senior to me at this point. But I was not especially close to them. I did not expect much from them.

And yet, they told me two things which have stayed with me in the years since.

1. Show your work.
2. Ask for help

Show your work

If you did something, tell people you did something. Most of the times we assume that our leads should know what we are doing. Our work should speak for itself. They are bad managers if they do not know what is going on.

But here's the thing, they are also humans. No body know what you are doing. Show your damn work! Talk about it. Make sure people are aware of what you are doing.

Ask for help

We have all had times, when we were unsure of something. Should it be X or Y? Is this stupid to ask, in this meeting? What would the rest of the team think?

It does not matter. If you need help, if you are unsure, ask for help. No one came here knowing everything. We learn. We grow. Asking for help, helps on this journey. As a bonus, it might help prevent a production issue!