Ideas

Be Heard

DO you think this world can be a better place everyday? Do you feel that you can make a real difference to your world? Do you believe in your thoughts and causes? And finally ARE YOU LOUD ENOUGH to speak out your thoughts? If you are not loud enough to make your voice heard, it does not hurt you much but it hurts the world around you, which you always wanted to change.

I am a strong believer of the generation that I belong to, the generation Y. As a generation, we are smart, independent, learned, and full of exciting ideas and we do care to go the extra mile. It is US, who can and will make a difference to the world we belong to. Simply because we know we can! Now, if WE are not making our opinions heard, then probably, this world is missing out on an amazing idea, a brilliant proposition, and an excellent breakthrough. We and the world around us believe in ourselves and we have to live up to that belief. And that is exactly what makes me not shy away from ideas that I bring about.

Back in the end of 2009, when I had just graduated in Electrical Engineering from Islamic University of Technology (IUT), I thought to myself, "There goes my freedom". I thought that I would no longer have the chance to leverage my own thoughts and opinions because I was no longer a student and professional life means business. When I got into British American Tobacco (BAT) Bangladesh in early 2010, my perception was proven wrong, much to my delight. "This kid is new in the block" should not be the reason to ignore a certain proposition; rather this should be THE REASON to give him or her a chance. And that is exactly what makes me a happy employee of BAT Bangladesh. In BAT Bangladesh, the culture is like an open microphone. Here, people will not only listen to you, but encourage the new ideas that you bring to the table and enthusiastically debate on it. Conversely, being new does not mean you have to comply with everything thrown at you. Here, you can challenge the status quo anytime; that is what I find most exciting everyday.

You do not have to lead by following; rather you can lead by leading your thoughts and sharing them with an open mind for discussion. Your colleagues will proactively ask you for your feedback and opinions. And guess what? If you go wrong somewhere, they will not shy away from debating on it either. And that is what makes an individual grow from strength to strength every day.

BAT Bangladesh always values the culture of hearing out the generation-Y. Because as far as I see it, new people with the opportunity to shouting it out loud will always bring more exciting ideas, and effectively challenge the status quo in new dimensions and make a difference to the world they belong to. Happy loudness everyone!!