I grew up watching Mohammad Azharuddin, Ajay Jadeja, and Robin Singh field for the Indian team. They were the ones who completely changed the way Indian fielders moved on the ground. It was truly the start of a new fielding era for us.
However, if we look at who changed the perception of fielding on a global scale, it wasn’t them. So, who was it?
Think back to the 1992 Cricket World Cup in Brisbane. There was an iconic, horizontal, flying dive from backward point to run out Pakistani batsman Inzamam-ul-Haq.
Then, fast forward to 1998 at Edgbaston during the Emirates Triangular Trophy. Another unbelievable, flying catch sent England’s Robert Croft back to the dressing room.
I am sure you’ve guessed it by now. It was Jonty Rhodes. In my view, he is the man who single-handedly transformed world cricket with his athleticism. We used to watch in awe as he sent batsmen home from situations that seemed to offer absolutely “no chance.” Over the years, fielding standards have skyrocketed. Today, we see many fielders taking wonder catches. What used to be considered “impossible” in the old days is now viewed as a “half chance”—and converting those half chances is what decides the fate of matches today.
If we bring this back to our corporate world, the exact same rule applies.
It is all about converting half chances into tangible results. That is what creates a differentiator and separates you from the crowd, just like Jonty Rhodes separated himself from every other cricketer of his era. Jonty Rhodes did not just stay with traditional efforts on the ground for catches and run outs but brought a different angle to it and transformed it by influencing the cricketers globally. Understand the opportunities hiding around, we need to look at it from different viewpoints.
But how do we do that in an office? It starts by looking at our daily work from a different angle to see the real impact we are making. Most of the time, we keep our heads down, do the hard work, and forget to step back and analyse the bigger picture.
To catch a half chance, you have to look at a single problem through different lenses:
- The Internal Lens: Instead of just asking, “Did I finish this task?” ask, “How did this step make the next person’s job easier or faster?”
- The Customer Lens: Don’t just look at the data or the ticket you closed. Look at the real-world friction you removed for the end user.
- The Long-Term Lens: Look at a recurring problem not as a daily annoyance, but as an opportunity to build a permanent fix that saves time down the road.
When you shift your viewpoint like this, you start seeing the ripple effects of your work.
I remember back when I worked at EDS/Mphasis, we consistently relied on the 4+1 View Model when designing solutions. The goal was simple: ensure we weren’t just looking at the architecture through a single lens. A developer, a system engineer, an end-user, and a business stakeholder all look at the exact same solution from completely different angles based on the outcome they expect.
Applying that same architectural mindset to our daily tasks is how we spot those hidden opportunities. You realize that a routine task actually had a massive impact on a project’s success.
Once you find that hidden value, the next step is turning it into a success story. Of course, this isn’t about “cooking up” stories or inflating reality—it has to be completely genuine. It is about becoming a better storyteller for your own career. When you can clearly bring out the success stories from your daily work and share them effectively, you influence people and build credibility. But it goes beyond just checking boxes and delivering routine results; it’s about using those insights to actively drive change and transform the space you operate in. That is how you turn everyday efforts into match-winning results.
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