Get to Know Your Canberra Branch Executive Committee - Manik Mahajan

10th Aug 2020

Highlights

• This week we have the spotlight on Manik Mahajan, Vice Chair, ACS Canberra Branch 
• Manik provides insights on what interests him about the tech industry, how he keeps his skills up-to-date and how ACS Membership has benefited him.  

1. What do you enjoy most about working in the tech industry? 

While I don’t work in the ‘tech’ industry per sector at the moment, I do see technology as an enabler for all the good that can be done when it’s applied to solve the right problems.  As a management consultant and educator at the Australian National University, I see so many ways in which seemingly simple technologies (e.g. digital forms) can create a cascading series of positive impact.  The trick is to not start with technology first, but finding problems worth solving, and then working back to find the right tools & technologies that can help solve these problems.  Who would have thought when physical distancing restrictions struck us due to COVID that we’d end up finding ways to connect with people across geographies in ways we previously weren’t?  Zoom was always there, but when we found ourselves confronted with an unforeseen catastrophe, we used this technology to get closer to people, no matter the distance. 

 That’s what I love about the technology sector the most: its power to connect people and communities.  

2. What is the key piece of advice you’d give to your younger self? 

Listen with intent, be kind, and learn to enjoy quiet. 

3. Tech changes fast. How do you keep your tech skills up-to-date? 

Reading. I make time to read at least one (1) hour every day – physical books, I’m old fashioned that way.  And I prefer reading across multiple disciplines – history, economics, organizational psychology, and biographies of people I admire.  You can’t connect any dots if you don’t know where to find them.  

4. What is your greatest challenge as a leader/ business owner? 

Ensuring that I’m helping people find meaningful work and achieve their definitions of success. 

'Get to Know Your ACS Canberra BEC' series aims to shed the spotlight on your Canberra BEC members and get their insights on key topics related to your ACS membership and the IT sector. This week we continue our ‘Get to Know Your ACS Canberra BEC’ series, with Kevin Landale, providing insights into keeping your skills updated and how to make the most of your ACS Membership.