Was it a clipping from my Dream...

Aug 18th...
A executive presentation to NRN...
my co-presenter- Naren
audience- few BODs of Infy and the OPs Council of minfosys...

This indeed does sound like a dream...but not anymore...:)

NRN was in Mangalore to mark the celebration of -completion of 10 yrs of Mangalore DC soon.
Naren and I made a presentation to NRN, MD Pai, Prahallad, Ramdas Kamath and the Extended OPs council members.The presentation was on Mangalore DC's Journey so far in the last decade and our plans for the coming decade. NRN was very impressed with the presentation and it seemed like a clipping from mydreams when he stopped by to say “you speak very well” after the presentation.
I also had the opportunity to lunch with him along with the Extended Ops council members at minfosys. This is probably one of those few executive lunches I have attended where in even after the lunch my plate was as full as it was when it began...

All I did during the 45 min was stare at the pioneer of IT revolution in India without even batting my lashes. NRN to me me seemed - a very simple man with a grand fatherly disposition when he spoke to me; a a true mathematecian when he conversed with the CFO, MD Pai; an ideal manager who knew everything about his business when he conversed with teh DC head Sudhil al and Naren; a very socially conscious citizen when he casually enquired about the managlore city with Naren.. A true Hero.- very simple, extremely assertive and totally impresive when he talks.
It was a great experience to just be in the same room as all these people. .. and I still can’t believe it all truly happened…

Noting is the same...Nothing has changed...

I am back! I am BACK! I find me repeatng that to myself quiet often these days...
When I landed in US, I couldn’t help but compare almost everything I came across there with it’s version back home. Having said this, I must confess I am not immune to the process of silent comparisons running through my mind-a second time.. now that I am back home.
Strange,but true-I find this place is exactly like it was 15 months ago. Nothing has changed-the roads, waiters or Infy. I tell my self-if something has changed.. its me... If I express myself, I stand the risk of sounding pompous. If I stay quiet and just give my self a li'l while to get used to the surrounding, I stand the risk of compromising on some learning I picked from a foreign land. I decide to take the risk of sounding "pompous"!

Here are a few things that could not escape my attention...
First of all, Roads: honking vehicles... there were more than one instances when I was almost tempted to go and give a piece of my mind to the BUS drivers...wanted to shake them and tell them that star wars were meant to be only on TVs .. the races with jedis were not to be simulated on roads....

Attitudes of the waiters: The minute you rest your butt on the seat, the waiter jumps at you with a list of all thats available in the hotel( majority of which wouldnt be listed on the menu)... The attitude of teh waiters makes you wonder if you are actually being a bother to them by choosing their hotel to eat.

I enter the office- and the door almost hit my nose flat ...:) seemed like..it just did not occur to the person before me to hold the door a li'l while longer.
The elevator...A full stop to acknowledging and smiling to the person beside you in the elevator.
A silent full stop to motive-less niceties...

Strange, but true- This place was exactly like it was 15 months ago. Nothing has changed...the roads, waiters or Infy...
Soon I will get used to the roads and drivers. Soon, the attitude to treat their customers with love and attention and subtle niceties in the foreign waiters that had so impressed me will be a matter of history. Soon, I will also not bother to greet the person next to me in an elevator...Soon I too will become a part of what I was..this time only with remorse... silently waiting for things to change and secretly hoping that it is soon....

But, isnt that the tone of a loser..Is waiting and hoping enough to bridge the gap between what-is and what-should?

Every Infoscion travels to a foreign country after approx 1.5 yr of experience at home Dc. Which means there is at least 30% of us who have seen both sides of the fence, each of who had undergone a culture shock twice...once at the foreign location land and once when we are back home. If each of us stops just waiting, silently hoping and does something to bridge the gap between reality that we live in and the ideal world that we imagine to be, things could be different.

Nope, I am not suggesting we try to drive sense into the reckless BUS drivers right away, but is it too much to ask for incorporating some basic behavior that we are very particular at client location, that each of us who works at the client location makes a habit of.

Is it too much to ask for..
To greet the person we come in contact with on day to day basis with a warm smile. A smile says "I like you. You make me happy. I am glad to see you". It automatically establishes a silent connection between people which builds towards making a warm and happy environment.

To Respect queues. Let us respect the time of the people waiting to be serviced ( at food court particularly) before us. Our time is very precious, but that does not mean we take other's time for granted.

To Hold the door open for the next person following you. It might mean waiting for a couple of minutes...but dont you think the wait is worth a few smiles and thank-yous..:)

Professional Attitude: Let us not use local languages to communicate at office. By doing so we not only respect our colleagues who are not familiar with the language, but also acclimatize ourselves to an international work culture.

To follow Road Rules: Let us follow the road rules and reduce honking. If 2000 people decide to consciously to follow road rules and avoid unnecessary honking, we can definitely make a difference. We can teach people by a being an example ourselves.

We can make a difference. So, Let us make a difference.

Appy Bday

This time you walk your way into 26 with new set of friends and wishes of the old ones...

Wishing 26 means...
many more friends,
many more good times,
many more targets achieved,
many more milestones set,
many more dreams...

and a lot of hard bday bumps... because this time around we are hoping for more macho men to be around you...

Happy Bday Anoop!