Lazy Monday and ghost lamp..

Once an FB update on my friend’s wall read – What’s so big about weekend? They come fast and so as Mondays too. Well, it’s been always exciting to have a weekend, but on the other hand we have Mondays approaching fast as well. The pain for Monday blues starts as early as Sunday noon. And one of the most painful things is to get up early morning on Monday. The most irritating thing will be the alarm which I usually keep at 5.45 am and put the geyser on and again take a nap till 6 am. Sometimes I feel the alarm should not ring, but unlike other malfunctioning items, this has been quite loyal to ring at correct time. Looking at the dipping temperatures in Bangalore, it’s really a pain in a**. After getting ready, walking barely less than 100 mts to catch our office bus is kind of a longest walk I take. Right from my Geometric days, this has been the routine, not much is changed over a period of time except the pickup point (Earlier it was Vijaynagar and now it is changed to Bangalore International Public School). Well, though this mood will be till I get to office and catch up with pals there, but still that timing is like awful.  And to get in full working mood it almost takes half a day…

Like the any other early Monday morning, I had just finished my breakfast and about to get back to my seat I heard my colleague calling me from back. There was a kind of surprise fear on his face.

He pointed at one of the lights in our lab and said “Dinesh, can u see that overhang light?”

I had a close look at that and said “Yeah, why what happened?” (Though I am keen observer sometimes, this was a kind of a formal stuff)

“Just see carefully, that light is oscillating a bit and the remaining lights are stationary”

This made me to take a look at that light once again within a second. And gosh, it was oscillating and oscillating well compared to other overhang lights.

What the hell..?

All the other lights, some of them were ON and others were OFF are stationary, but this light was just giving a kind of a simple pendulum motion.  “This I have been observing from 7.30 in the morning. I was thinking it could be due to breeze or may be someone has accidentally touched it or something similar. But nope, this is not stopping at all. I mean I am really scared man” was his explanation without removing his sight from the lamp.

I had heard from colleagues who were working as technicians there before the new lab was built about some strange stuff. May not be paranormal, but they used to get frightened sometime too. No one knew exactly what was there earlier as the entire electronic city was far from the city.

Tiny layouts are popping up all over the places and the city is witnessing unprecedented growth. There are many layouts built nearer to burial grounds or even some may have been vanished making ways to layouts/apartments.   I was forced to think if there is any other negative energy over there which is abnormal and affecting our lamps.

On a lighter side, sometimes our deadlines too get going further and further delaying. Well, is that the same force which is creating problems for that lamp also? This could also generate some negative energy to our suppliers who, come what may don’t send the things on time. Without any reason our systems become hell slow and don’t let us work at normal pace at all (It happened to Harry, me and sunny many times).

I had heard and seen people getting affected from the paranormal things, but lamp…!!! This was the first time. Except in movies, where the doll or lifeless objects get processed, this was a kind of personal experience to me.

I tried to get closer to the lamp to check if something I could find (Though I was trying to be brave, but this was really getting scary). Below that lamp there were two control units (kind of a server). They could not affect the lamp as they were stationary. And if they affect, then the entire lamps should oscillate, but nothing, this is the only lamp which is just moving to and fro.

By that time few more of my colleagues had come and they were also curiously watching what’s going on there. Everyone saw from different angles… but none could come out with exact reason why the lamp is oscillating. Finally I decided I won’t go to that side and came and sat on my seat.

The lamp still oscillates to date and no one could make out why?

The secret unveiled:  

The lamp oscillates due to air coming from a small fan located exactly below it put up on the server.

The night shift incidents are mere a chatting events and nothing more than that. These are the most interesting topics discussed on a cup of tea for a kind of Time pass.

The systems slow down abruptly due to scheduled antivirus scans.

(Edited by: Amitha)

It Happens..

I waI was in flight, was going to onsite once again. was very happy plane takes off, n takes me to the sky. i looked outside the window, nice evening scene, feels like heaven.

i just lost myself in that beauty. someone’s voice disturbed me

“excuse me sir, would you like to have something?”

i turned back, and was surprise to see my beautiful old schoolmate, Saakshi.

“Hey Saakshi, is that you, how come you… wow, you looks still the same, pretty.. in this Air-hostess suit”

“Saurabh, wo…..w, I cant believe this is you.. ohh sorry I am on my job, will talk to you later”

she left smile on my face. I couldn’t believe in my eyes, It reminded me my school days memories.

How crazy i was about her, always followed her after the school, Wrote love letters, but never dared to give one of them. Always looking at her in the class,from last bench. she was the queen of our class. I fought with 2-3 other guys for her, how stupid I was.

I couldn’t stop myself, looking at her again, I was amazed to see that, she became more beautiful then she were at school.

she too looked at me and smile, then she said something to her fellow air-hostess, then they both started smiling.

I was clueless that wat happened. her colleague was also damn pretty. Oh my god, today you fulfill one of my dream.

I thought of going there and having chat with her, but i knew that, its her job, so I stopped myself.

Again started looking outside the window. we were above the clouds making an awesome scene outside, also inside, because of her smile.

I got some courage, and pretended that I am going towards toilet. I looked at her, she understood what I desired.

she came toward me and said : “extremly sorry yaar, I couldn’t talk to you much, so say how are you, where have you been these many years, and what’s your success story? for what purpose you are going?”

“hmmm…

i was always there, it was you who left everything after school,i searched you, so many places wherever i could, but no existence of you. then i completed my college, got a job in such a nice company, i didnt know, my company will give me this much, still i m going for an onsite job, dont know when will return back. you know, i got everything in my life except someone, with whom i can actually share my world, my success.

“someone…”

i looked straight into her eyes.. those blue eyes, i think she got the answer, who is that ’someone’ with some pain in her eyes, she said,

“sorry got to go,will give you my number”

i again, sat back to my seat,very silent, looking outside, and hoping some answer. it was dark outside by that time, some thunder in cloud, just like inside my heart. then suddenly, plane started getting hiccups.. everone got scared..

i saw Saakshi running towards mic, she made an announcement, that dont be panicas they are facing a storm outside.

but plane started shaking badly, everyone started feeling its the last moment of their lives…

i keep on watching Saakshi, and she to me…

then something hit my back hard.. and there was a complete darkness in front of me..

deep silent, but i could still feel the shaking plane, and people’s scream..

then someone shouted… ‘Saaaauuuuraaabhhhhhhhhhhhh !!!!!’

“Saurabh, wake up you are again sleeping in office, wake up, i need that report urgently”

Damn.. I looked here-there, same ODC, no Onsite, no plane.. no Saakshi..

I stared at my PM in anger.. Because of you only, that plane crashed!!

(I got this Forward from one of my Friends- Amandeep)

Lunch table and Nityananda

There has been a level of comfort we enjoy with some people, well and that doesn’t mean that we are not comfortable with others. Obviously in work place the above rule applies too. We have a group, who share across same breakfast/lunch table. We mean me, Harish, KC, KK VT. Occasionally Santhosh also joins us.. And it slightly makes us uncomfortable to add a new member as we may need to censor many things if someone else comes and joins us.

Talking more about our lunch group, we have all kind of people here. If KC is more kiddish, Harish and KK are a bit serious (Mind you, they are the people to watch out before we actually get on with argument). Personally they are most practical guys in the group (when I say group, it’s just lunch group). Santhosh and VT are kind of serious but not so serious kind of fellas. And this serious and serious but not so serious kind of attitude pops up when we have some or the other kind of discussion starts on the table.  The topic could be anything ranging from day to day issue in office to some useless topics like films, cricket or even commenting on someone’s behavior inside or outside office (Actually speaking, that’s none of our business, but we do it as we need to start with some topic and later take it forward to some other issue).

The other day we had a hot issue of Nityananda (well, atleast I can’t address him as Swami for all the deeds he has shown us on TV). After his hidden cam clip on TV which virtually made him bigger star than south Indian superstar Rajni and Kamal Hassan, he had to be bought on our lunch table for sure.

The debate was “is it ok to show someone’s bedroom scenes on television openly and debate about individual’s personal (can be read as s*x) life.” That too on primetime news hour slots when most of the families will be watching TV along with their family.

KK was strongly in favor of leaving Nityananda alone as he had just trying to satisfy his need in some way. May be that actress was involved in shooting that sleazy video or not, but that was not his fault at all to have ***.  KK also argued that there were people like Osho who always advocated people to achieve ultimate Moksha by means of practicing regular sex. Who doesn’t know about Osho’s famous advice to then Prime Minister Morarji Desai about keeping a good health.

Harish and Santhosh strongly argued it was not having something like that with someone, but he should have respected people’s feelings, who trusted him as Guru. If he wanted to embrace gruhastashrama, he could have come out of that swamy costume and surely was free to do whatever he could.  In other words Nityananda was playing around with people’s emotions in the name of preacher by giving lecture on life, mukti, karma and yoga… where as he was not free from pancha mahabhootas and was driven away from lust.

I argued on a conspiracy theory which had come out in Mid-day about his alleged tussle with Maran’s and Bangalore’s own godfather Muttappa Rai over some land issues (http://www.mid-day.com/specials/swamisexscandals/index.htm). There were several negotiations about his land in Bidadi and TN where respectively Maran’s and Rai had interest, but Nityananda didn’t heal to their demands (purely as given in the paper). Media which has become more powerful than ever used as tool to topple a person from top position within a night (May be RGV had an idea about the current affairs and hence did the movie RANN). Coincidently the news broke out firstly on Maran’s owned Sun network, as they called themselves a responsible media organization with loads of social responsibility to bring out truth to people.

Whatever is the discussion, a person who had regular visitors like Narendra Modi, BSY and many more high profile VIPs had no one standing for him after the release of his super hit movie on TV.  He joined long list of god men who first become famous and later became infamous for their alleged acts which society considered un-ethical. All in all, the Hindu religion as whole was hurt and people will see all god men with suspicion. Nityananda left a scar on face of all preachers which will take long time before it heals up.

To end the blog on a lighter note, a quote from Nityananda..

“It’s easy to search god, but very difficult to find hidden cams”.

This particular one was shared by our own Charan, and we named him Charananda. LOL

Outsourcing….

As recession appears to take path of recovery and economy on the verge of boom things look brighter for 2010. Apart from expecting a good and stable job market prices are also northwards and day to day commodities expected to be more and more expensive.

So all in all we again end up on same track. More salary (expected), but more expenses and more costly EMIs. Whatever we face here, but for Europe and US, India still remains low cost center. Despite Obama’s warning about cutting the tax soaps to all companies who outsource work outside US, things appear bright here.

I have been associated with OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) companies during my previous assignments and strongly believe calculated expansion/investments here in India reap more benefits rather than investing in suddenly. Few companies who have invested heavily looking on short term gains have laid-off people soon after the recession due to problems back home. Also these companies suffered because of lack of knowledge on Indian job market conditions. Paying higher salary helps in getting good talent, but it also has long term effect on profit margins of the organization and also delays break-even.

But there are some companies who follow a different approach before actually investing heavily here on Manpower as well as infrastructure. A Swedish auto and aero major company with which I had a brief stay for more than a year followed more systematic and calculated approach. They found, it is less risky to hire contract employees from service companies rather than hiring directly on payroll. This had helped in establishing not only a good Indo-European work interface, but also made sure to believe guys back in Europe that Indians could definitely do the work. Within couple of years as the work started to offload more from Europe, India center started hiring more and more people. Many of them were contract employees, who were looking out for a change from the services to OEMs. Though this is a relatively slow process, but surely yields more ROI. As these are the people who were actually aware of the process and work culture. Hence no need to spend on training or any other skill improvement.

In worst case of closing down any unit due to bad economy or any other unforeseen risk, contract employees could be sent back to the respective service companies and permanent employees can be relocated to other facilities. As this did not happen in the initial phase and already things start to move, there is less chance of LOSE-LOSE situation here.

One more important issue in Engineering services is the investment which is quite high compared to software business and also the delayed break-even period.

All in all, engineering outsourcing done in a systematic way by maintaining optimal resources back home and maintaining systematic investment approach proves to be more beneficial. But this should also create more opportunity to people out there in US and Europe rather than laying off folks back there and going on hiring spree here. As mentioned earlier, one should look at WIN-WIN situation thereby improving both economies.

Recession – A reality

I read somewhere in paper, If yours friend’s-Friend loses his job, then it’s “SLOW-DOWN”. And worst if your friend loses job then it’s “RECESSION”.

It was a regular day at office, as Mr.S is on his workstation and waiting for the log off after send-off party of one of his pals, who is moving out organization after working for close to three years. Just before he logs off for the day habitually he peeps at his e-mails for possible forwards and notices a mail from his HR manager with subject line “YOUR LAST DAY AT OFFICE”. Fearing the worst he looks for the contents which summarizes he has been laid – off, and the very same day is his last day. As Mr.S meets the HR immediately, the HR manager asks for a resignation letter to be written right there in his cabin with even the contents dictated by him. Mr. S remains stunned as he has no option but to obey t o what the manager is demanding. Mr.S is informed that his compensation for the immediate lay off will be three months pay as per policy and it will be paid in 45 days.

Recession graph

This is more or less a common scenario when recession strikes. There gonna be loads of uncertainty and no one knows his/her future in the company. Fear, tension, and additional burdens of EMI/liabilities make a common IT guy to suffer depression and breakdown. I have heard many stories of people shifting from bigger to smaller houses, postponing the marriages or going for kids, and cutting costs in every possible way they can.

Countries under current economic recession

It’s been close to three quarters when the predominant American economy was stuck by Shocking bankruptcy declaration by Lehman brothers. What followed was the worst, many more big time banks followed the suit and the recession which gripped o America started to cover world under its black cloud. The origin of the current economic slowdown traced to reckless lending practices involving the origination and distribution of mortgage debt in the United States. (LATE 2000 RECESSION IN WIKIPEDIA) The so called “Subprime” crisis triggered worldwide collapse of stock markets and sudden erase of wealth to many multi millionaire stock brokers and businessmen. People like Warren Buffet, Lakshmi Mittal, Mukesh Ambani lost staggering amounts stock market meltdown, where as ordinary people under the fear of recession started to spend less compared to what they used to spend in booming economy.

The downward spiral

As news papers and channels like CNN and CNBC started to analyze impact of recession on the common man, as employees of an American company, we too started getting worried about the fate of our jobs in near future. Though we had repeatedly assured by our top brass about quantity of work we get over a period of next couple of years is huge and need not worry, but still the thought of worse thing that may come always crosses mind every now and then.

Also my previous organizations where still some of my close folks are employed face the risk of losing jobs anytime. They face an uncertain every day, but also live under that constant fear and anxiety.

Some are relatively good, but some are really in a very bad shape. Some manufacturing firms have reduced the working hours as the production is low, some have laid off chunk of the work force. Just like manufacturing, even textile and construction industry face the same uncertainty. The common discussion when we old guys meet up is the situation in our respective companies.

One of my close pals, who are with a reputed IT company, was telling about the techniques and the HR policies becoming more and more stringent day by day. Employees are being laid-off for reasons like not entering the time sheet or forgetting to enter leave in time sheets and so on. Once an employee is sent home, less experienced folk is hired and trained to do the same job, needless to say at a lesser cost. Company has to be run at profit and obviously people are making sure that the redundant positions are eliminated (The famous Narayanmurthy quote – “Love your job and don’t love your company, because you don’t know when the company stops loving you”).

There was one more thing bought at our “talk-over-tea” was about laying off or taking salary cut altogether across various positions. As laying off skilled and talented work force will not only make other employees feel sick, but also makes the management difficult to search for the same talent in future when the project actually comes. There are top management executives taking salary cuts close to 50% and middle and lower lever folks taking cuts from 30-10% respectively to save the fellow employees. What one need to keep in mind is hiring an employee at later stages will not only involve project delay cost but also the cost company needs to spend to extensively search for the same talent. As most of management folks know this, one thing comes to my mind is that, really worthy guys will not be laid off anytime from the company. I feel that is a highly unlikely situation.

This is my second recession… We faced recession in 2001 when the WTC collapsed, and really had a tough time to find jobs as we were fresh graduates. Even during that period we kept on hearing about the stories about layoffs and struggles, but eventually the recession passed. This time around too, the recession will surely pass and the things become more and more strong and secure, but only we need to wait for that thing to happen soon. As they say there is a sun rise after a dark night, definitely there will be a BOOM after each RECESSION.

First rain of this summer…

Usually the summer never used to be so harsh in Bangalore. (Sometimes I felt is it the same Bangalore what it used to be couple of years back or have I shifted back to Hyderabad again).  Though, it used to be sunny but temperature usually used to be some what sustainable. This year summer was not only dry but also the temperature rose to a new level. Sun god (Helios in Greek mythology, Aditya/Ishaan/Mihir in Hindu Mythology, Aodh in scottish, Ciro in Spanish, Samson in Hebrew and so on…)  will be full swing by as early as 7.30 in the morning and one could simply rush to get into office so that a/c could give some respite. And as the day progresses you see the “anger and aggression” sun god. He reaches peak during noon and it almost becomes impossible to go out by then. Even we observe the heat coming from walls exposed to sun directly and even ceiling fans blow away hot air. Most of us who used to consume less or no water, gulp to have some relaxation from scorching heat. Even during the sun set, the heat wave just blows now and then in cab while we return from office.

Slight relaxation during evening and night, and me and Ams were desperately waiting for a good ice cream parlor where we could go after dinner and should be nearby our place. Finally we got one “Polar bear” ice cream center in Chandra Layout road … Though we love “Corner House”, but at least for time being the service and hospitality is fine.

Meantime again another day begins, and we start to feel the temperature might be more than what it was previous day. Somewhere around 2 in the noon, some clouds gather and cover the aggressive sun under them. As if uncomfortable behind the clouds, the sun tries to come out. But after some hide and seek the clouds over power and cover entire sky and with thunder lightning clouds announce they have won, making way to a cold wave followed by number of tiny rain drops. Mother earth happily receives the first drops of rainwater and the entire atmosphere around slowly turns into pleasant cold breeze… Finally respite from heat to Bangalore… A sigh of relief… Most would love to get wet into that rain… With a cup of tea, I recollect few lines of Marathi song from Milind Ingle’s album Garava… and watch that lovely rain outside with my office pals… 

उन जरा जास्त आहे, दर वर्षी वाटत
भर उनात पाउस घेवून आभाळ  मानत दाटत
तरी पाउले चालत रहातात मन चालत नाही
घामा शिवाय शरिरामधे कुणीच बोलत नाही
तितक्यात कुठून एक ढग सूर्य समोर येतो
उन्हा मधील काही भाग पंखा खली घेतो
वारा उनाड मूल सारखा सैरा वैरा पळत राहतो
पाना फुला झाडान वर्ती छपरा वर्ती चढून पाहतो
दुपार तलून संध्याकाळ चा सुरु होतो पुन्हा खेळ
उन्हा मागून चालत येते गार गार कातार्वेल
चक्य डोल्यान समोर रुतु कूस बदलून घेतो
पावसा आधी ढगन मधे कुठून गारवा येतो

As the rain stops, few people who took shelter under a big tree on South end road come out with sharp axe and ropes to cut the same tree. Yeah…The 220th tree is facing axe in the name of “namma metro” and many more are lined up to be sacrificed for giving shadow on every sunny day and providing shelter for number of birds, animals and people on a rainy day. For all the service they had done to mankind this was the end trees deserved.

Please stop cutting the tress in the name of development… Later our children and grand children will suffer for our mistakes..

Robin…

It’s been more than three months, I joined my new organization Moog controls. With new friends who fall in the same wavelength as mine, it did not take much time to adjust to new environment. The routine is more the less same as it was in Geometric. Usually have to take a walk from my place to pickup point, it takes less than 10 min (This is the only exercise I do and added up almost 4kgs more to my existing weight… Dinesh… U need to think seriously boy…). Our new cab driver Murthy is not much talkative as Manju, our cab fella in Geometric. He is quite, but pretty organized and decent. Minds his work, never mingles with anyone, and neither joins any cab parties either (we’ll change him soon though). But never misses out any of the cab mates unless it’s too late.

We have a good group in mechanical team. Very jovial and fun loving people, but at work all will be damn serious and professional.

Daily, I board cab around 6.20 in the morning and reach sharply by 7.15 (I take a good nap in cab). There won’t be much of noise as well as environmental pollution early in the morning. The day starts with cup of hot tea and some light gup-shup with pals. Usually will be related to some general stuff or pulling someone’s leg (or sometimes mine is also pulled). By 7.30 everyone will glue to their computer monitors. All of 27 heads will indulge totally themselves into work with occasional email forwards and chats across the table, either for some general discussion or kind of help seeking and troubleshooting from colleagues.

Almost a week back Ranjit, Chandru and Harish, my colleagues observed some sound coming from window.

“Tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic”…

Initially they though must be due to the window curtain frame hitting the glass… But later when it repeated regularly, they decided to check out from where the sound was coming from.

There was a small bird, Chandru calls Robin, was sitting and hitting the glass window. May be Robin was trying to come inside the office. Was he looking for an association with us or he wants to gain knowledge about what we folks do here…? Robin looks very handsome and smart. Since the windows will be shut to have a controlled temperature for AC, he has to knock the glass of the window. Interestingly he keeps knocking window glass on Gnaneshwar’s side sometime and Sripadh’s side. We think he is inclined towards CFD and Structural analysis.

“chewn….chewn….chewn….chewn….”

He grabs attention from the ones sitting near the window and moves away and sits on nearby tree calling his friends (or may be girlfriend/wife… wink). Robin is repeating this routine from almost a week and since we don’t understand his language, we are unable to establish a formal communication with him. But surely will establish soon and try to check out his area of interest and how soon we could be friends.

We would like to see Robin as one of our member and we share good time amongst us.

As the concrete jungles occupy the extension limits of the city, we are really excited to see tall trees and greenery around our campus. On a sad note, it’s really un-imaginable to estimate the number of birds and other species displaced from one place to other as we go on building the new apartments and software parks. There were hundreds of trees being cut in the name of flyovers, underpasses and metro project. It is hard to estimate how many Robins were either displaced from their homes and how many simply got killed in the name of these flyovers, underpasses and metro project. It sounds like some movie where an alien ship comes, displaces human beings from their place and occupies all of our land (Remember I AM LEGEND movie…?).

Frankly speaking the GARDEN CITY, Namma Bengalooru has lost all its charm when it comes to greenery. Daily so many trees are cut. The summer is becoming hotter and hotter. And this is gonna go worst in future.

Still the future is purely in our hands. We can still build a good future…

Wish the ecological balance of this planet is preserved and the nature and human beings maintain the equilibrium avoiding more man-animal conflicts…

(Photos – Chandrashekhar K N)

Ram Naam SATYAM

No one in corporate world would have dreamt about first week of 2009 would be so horrible. Indian IT industry was stunned by SATYAM chairman Ramalinga Raju’s resignation on Wednesday 7^th January 2009, from the post admitting to INR 7000 crore scam by inflating the company profits which was never existed in reality.  Raju also claimed to cook up the financial records from past several years showing profit and failed MAYTAS takeover bid was the last attempt to set the things right in India’s fourth largest IT Company serving more than 185 fortune 500 companies worldwide.  SATYAM was listed company in BSE, NIFTY and NYSE.

Complete Coverage in Times of India online

Complete text of Ramalinga Raju Resignation letter to Board and SEBI.

SATYAM headquartered in Hyderabad was one of the reputed companies with presence in more than 60 countries worldwide. SATYAM has also major presence in engineering services and consultancy. They have impressive client list, some of which include Bombardier Aerospace, Airbus, Boeing, GE, Caterpillar, Falcon, Oceaneering Inc and so on. Apart SATYAM subsidiary SATYAM Venture Engineering serves few of the well known automotive giants in Europe and Japan.

I worked for SATYAM during Feb thru April 2007 as Senior Analysis Engineer (Level 4) in Hyderbad. I was put up in SATYAM Technology Center campus in Bahudurpalli, which is located approximately 22 kms from city.

I had a mixed experience in Satyam. On one hand I had made few good friends out and learned many things technically, but I had a bad experience on how the things are managed there, especially from the people in middle level management. SATYAM has got many people across different verticals who are just there in company from long time doing nothing.
The day I joined at SATYAM (19^th February 2007), I was told repeatedly by the SATYAM staffer who was verifying the certificates that in case the credentials submitted are not genuine then I may be asked to leave anytime. The things did not simply stop there. When I was introduced to my reporting manager (SK – Level 7) and one more senior fellow (SP – Technical manager CAE Level Eight) in our engineering services group, they also repeated these things about sacking the employees. Thing is all of my certificates were genuine, but it gave an impression of uncertain future in Satyam. They were giving examples of how people were sacked on producing fake bills, LTA claims and so on. Really crap isn’t it ?

I have heard and also come across many organizations where people are taken into organization by making them feel good and confident about the company on first day at office. But in SATYAM I felt it exactly opposite.

Job wise, the kind of work we were doing was pretty good technically. As a culture, in SATYAM the managers there make sure that they give 12 hours work in 8 hour shift. I guess each manager is trained in that way before he takes up the charge. And especially when I joined, there were some escalations and we used to work from morning 9 to midnight. Even on weekends and holidays as well. I found absolutely no time to search for a house as the pressure was high at that time. I requested my manager who was aware of my situation to either extend my hotel stay from 15 days to a month or allot me some dorm in the campus for some time. But he simply kept on dragging the things. Speaking about the manager SK, who was had very little know how of technical stuff was more suited for regional politics and language bias.  He always used to start meeting in local language and end the meeting it in same language. People at manager level, who were there in SATYAM from a very long time always used to talk about SATYAM values and culture, about which the country is getting to know now.

As in case of any other company, the HR show lots stuff as CTC and talk as if their company best, but usually salary wise there will be many deductions as well. Variable pay is one thing which no one knows how they calculate. Apart the recruitment guy also told me about getting a shift allowance of 4-5k per month which none of us in the team got for couple of months. Later I got to know the shift allowance is being held every 2 months citing some disciplinary reason like incoming time delay or even the time sheet defaulting. (Guess this money is also being siphoned away in some way). To add to this, there was no word from HR regarding the notice period reimbursement or relocation advance despite my repeated follow ups. Later I got to know that people who claimed the bills from last 6-8 months are yet to receive their claims.  The circle HR was one of the most irresponsible and careless employee I have ever seen

I got opportunity at right time and shifted back to Bangalore, as I was getting suffocated in SATYAM. (I feel now I made a excellent decision by shifting). I put up my papers on 28^th of April 2007 and took a forced exit. I addressed all the issues to the center head and the ES circle head keeping SK in loop which forced me to take the decision to get out of the company.

Our only wish is the company gets back to normal and things get settled soon . I also feel all the useless people who do no work and think SATYAM is their ancestor property are shown the door and new and competitive people come on  board. I wish all the very best to my friends and surely SATYAM will be back with “What Business Demands…”

An un-ceremonial Adieu…

 

5.00 am. Friday – 5 December, 2008.

 

I was getting ready to go to office for the last time. Yes, it was my last day at Geometric.

May be this is the last time I get call from our cab driver Manju… and last time I sip tea in front of huge RMZ NXT campus in Whitefield road around 6.20 in the morning.

 

I spent more than a year and eight months in Geometric. I got offer from here when I wanted to desperately shift to Bangalore from Hyderabad (I was with Satyam computers for a very brief period of two months).

I cherish all the good time I spent in Geometric. Right from pulling legs of Amandeep by some Mallu girl’s name to dumb charrads game initiated by Vijay in our cab on the way back from office to home. 

 

In our department, we use to pull up Sahoo for not giving a single party for decades, but always a regular representative in all the parties.

 

I have also made some good friends… Sanjay, Ashwini, Ashok and Ashok, Harsha, Mahantesh and Haripriya. During my stay in Volvo, I had good time with my pals Rakesh, Prasanna, Murali, Nandish, Sheetal, Bala and Sunil… These memories I will always cherish.

 

Team Geometric CAE

– Snap taken during Sanju and Ashwini’s send off.

Well, I am satisfied with my work so far, and moving as I’m feeling stuck up due to lack of  growth. This may not be right time to move out as many of my friends suggested, but I think I got right opportunity. And I’m taking risk as later I dont want to regret.

 

I am sure I am gonna miss those piece of advice (let it be finance or any other issue for that matter) by Sat (Satish), that irritation in Sahoo’s voice to carry out some analysis which he was suppose to do as a part of his job, those number of quality meetings finalizing some template, those long hours in general shift evening cab, the brainstorming sessions in tea break about some useless issues…

 

It’s 2.30 pm and I have to finish my exit formalities. Signing off NDA and exit interview process to be conducted by Pratibha. Incidentally she was the one who admitted me here on my first day. I want to give my honest opinion about the organization for its improvement, but ‘NO USE’ anyway. It won’t work…As many of my predecessors did give the honest opinion…

 

Here goes my ‘Adieu mail’ to all my colleagues and friends in Geometric. I get immediate response from some friends wishing me ‘GOOD LUCK’ for my future.

 

“Change is the universal rule and I guess I am not exception to it…”  

 

All I can say is

“Thanks for all that lovely time guys… catch you soon and let’s have more and more fun… ”

 

Good luck and Bye Geometric.

 

Cheers

Dinesh

Put PEOPLE first…

Some time back, I got a forward from one of my friends. It was about frequent job hopping. Why do people change jobs quite often? (This is very true with my case as well…)

Infosys mentor Narayan Murthy says People don’t work for the company, they work for their managers.

So true… though the company may be good, and has maintained strong principles and work ethics. But if the managers under whom we work are not good, then perhaps the company has started to reach a dead end.

I should put my own example here. When my manger in first company changed, we had great expectations from new manager. But it took us a very little time to make out that he is an autocratic leader. To share few examples/instances…. The manager called one of my colleagues prior to his marriage vacation and threatened him to report to duty right away else lose the job… In a similer fashion, he did the same with one more colleague … He used to speak to people as if it’s still British era… Treating his subordinates like slaves… 

Though he was good with our team, but who knows… Once we are done with our job, he may surely give same kind of treatment to us as well.  

 Most of the people left organization in a short time… Leaving it dry, without experienced folks.
I have met loads of such people in my career, who have been very arrogant and hopeless in every single term, whether it is related to work or basic behavioral issue with subordinates. Most of such managers are technically dumb too… They have climbed up the ladder simply because of some godfathers or by ‘bucketing’  superiors. (This is one more management technique, which is not taught in any of the management schools…)

But one thing which is very common in all these people is “They don’t survive on long run” …

Among the managers I have mentioned above, most of them have been thrown out of the organization or will be asked to leave soon…

 One common thing here in engineering service industry is Middle level management takes everyone for a ride in top management…

For success of any organization it’s important that it treats its employees (people) well… These simple gestures make them to develop a bonding and belongingness to the organization… Hence they treat their customers (implies organization’s customer) well.. It’s very important to connect between an employee’s goals to the organization’s vision…  Instead of simply concentrating on profit margin or gross margin…

Any organization’s strength are its people… Its work force… They are the real face… and it’s very important to put them first… Putting people first…

I leave here with link to Robin Sharma podcast about importance of putting people first…

http://www.esnips.com/doc/7b77403b-065d-47f7-980a-c815b6ae0ce1/PutPeopleFirst

“Help people to realize their dream, they gonna help you to get your goals… Link the paycheck to purpose…”

“Show gratitude to your employees…”

“Leadership is about consistency around the fundamentals…”

Have a great day…

Cheers…