Live it up with the D

The hidden face of Indian IT - The Monster Managers

2012-08-07T15:45:00.001-05:00

For decades serious studies have been done on Management and leadership styles. Management experts or gurus painstakingly observed and analysed results based on consolidated qualitative and quantitative studies and provided us with theories and facts that underly modern management philosophies.

Today however there is a threat of all these studies and analysis going to waste in the Indian IT industry. This industry which sprung from the capitalistic west's outsourcing mania is just under two decades old. This means a large proportion of today's indian IT managers, are a newly evolved species yet to undergo an in-depth analysis. Sadly today's brand ambassadors of India are not very hard to study in-depth for their defining characteristics are as limited and shallow as their work ethics. In this highly competitive era that we live in, the pressure to keep one's bank account high is more than having good work ethics.

Gone are the days when a manager is someone that one looks upto for guidance and mentoring. Managers held a team together for years becoming a part of not just their livelihoods but also their lives. This enabled a manager or a leader to know every aspect of his employee - his weaknesses, strengths, capabilities, idiosyncracies - creating a mutual trust that inexplicably maintained a positive bond between the manager and his employee. In today's transient IT world, managers are either feared or hated for they are taught to care about numbers and figures that drive the business - often forgetting that these numbers and figures can be made better if the people behind these are well taken care of. Toady the lust for power and control, uninhibited financial greed, lack of ethics and misuse of control for self interest has started to unsettle the foundations of a good corporate culture that pioneers of Indian IT industry, built two decades ago.

An average Indian IT manager is someone who is irresponsible, money minded, conniving and most importantly a self respect lacking individual. Corporate greed forces organisations to put in practise some very employee unfriendly policies and claim them to be in the best interests of employees. In the larger sense it actually affects not just the employees but also the organisation itself. However since the policymakers themselves belong to the unstudied species of modern day Indian IT management -the question arises- will this failure really bother them? The answer is most certainly not. In reality, the policymakers gain financially as much as the organisation has lost, and by the time the damage is done, they have either retired early or moved on to other companies. One very obvious example of bad policy making is the largely unregulated and unstructured salary and grading policies of Indian IT companies. This directly paves way for greed fueled managers to float across organisations demanding higher than average salaries. This undeserving career growth is also aided by the presence of inside help during the hiring process, a practise that the modern management monsters have put into place by encouraging incompetent and unqualified people that they can exert control over to be placed in their reporting structure.

An outsourced project to the Indian IT world today showcases to the client, a beautiful structure and process from the outside. Customers unwittingly then pay millions and in some case billions of dollars in the hopes of a good long term IT service. Little are they aware of (or in some cases - care about) the chaotic insides of the IT industry in India. The huge gap between what is marketed to the client before the deal is signed and the reality of operations is seen eventually over a period of time by which time, the client has already paid the vendor quite a huge deal of money and will now try to spend more to simply get rid of them and find a replacement to 'fix' the damage. One such gap between what is marketed and what happens in reality is the utter disrespect most Indian IT companies have towards quality assurance practices - including compliance and security. A step motherly treatment towards following processes to avoid compliance issues grips Indian IT companies like a plague and the very management that should discourage this practice does the opposite - so as to reap short term financial benefits. Most of these stories go untold and uncorrected.

However few of them make headlines. Recent Indian IT stories where management has willing put client's confidential data at risk are on the rise in the mainstream media and the internet. Some stories are regularly showcased by the Western media to alert the outsourcing industries the real state of Indian IT operations. Much of the blame for such chaos has to be shouldered by the Indian IT companies that fed by greed and fueled by bureacracy have grown into an arena for one of the biggest corporate rat races in the world. A race where of all the rats that run in the race, the ones that trample others, backbite and prove to be the most disloyal claim the victory of becoming a manager. Sadly most of the other rats want the same victory - and the battle continues...

India - The Road to Excellence

2012-02-03T01:34:00.003-06:00

Recently, I met with a senior executive from Europe. He heads the IT operations of a well-known European bank in Chennai, India. He has been living in Chennai for the last nine years and it was interesting to see India and her modern IT workforce through his eyes. While talking about the work life here in India, one of the most interesting phrases he used was, 'I always wonder when I will find a European worker in an Indian office.' On the surface this might seem like a supercilious comment. However, there is a reason behind his search for a European worker in India and he most certainly does not mean European by ethnicity. After a discussion with him, I realized that what he alluded to was that he wished that Indians adopt a European attitude towards corporate life.

To better understand this statement and its implications on our current and future generations of Indian corporate workers, we must consider the key differences between the work style of Indians and Europeans.

During our conversation, we started discussing aircraft and I was talking about the comfort and safety of the Boeing 777 - of which I am a big fan. The Boeing aircraft are built at the state of art Boeing plant near Seattle in the United States. The senior executive from Europe started talking about German engineering and its excellence and how influential it is in today's motor world. Sometime during this chat, he quietly slipped in a question - would I get into a plane that was entirely built and assembled in India? Although I wanted to say, 'Why not?' my conscience told me to shut up. When he saw my response was muted with a reluctant smile and said, 'It is fascinating that Indians work better abroad but don't do the same quality of work in India.'

I have worked in India and abroad and I know that this statement has a lot of truth in it. There are many variables at play when comparing the quality of work delivered by Indians in their native country and abroad: motivation, the financial aspect, lesser bureaucracy, higher quality of living, and possibly even a constant reminder that they are foreign workers all creates the need and pressure to perform better are all variables that favour better work from Indians while they live abroad. Whatever the parameters may be, the underlying fact is that our work lacks quality at home.

The primary difference between the way we work in our corporate offices here is that somehow we seem to develop a careless attitude towards work. Whereas a worker from Europe does the same standard work whether he works in his home country or abroad. Sadly, the poor-quality Indian way of working is not limited to the corporate world. We see sub-standard services at hospitals, government organizations, public services,, telecom industry, internet providers, airport authorities - the list is almost endless. Poor quality has almost become a benchmark in itself. In places where excellent quality should be expected, we bow our heads and accept anything that passes the bare minimum criteria. This mentality is so deeply-rooted in our culture that it has, today, paved the way for Westerners to fear that nothing of great quality can be expected from Indians.

Another key difference between the Indian mindset and a European's is that, generally, European managers do not have a fear of getting their hands dirty. When you see Indians in managerial positions, they generally do not 'have the time' to look at the details of work done by their teams. They do not like to assist their staff with the day-to-day operational duties. In short, a manager starts to consider himself solely as a supervisor and avoids being a subject matter expert.

The third difference is something that we start to see right from a very young age in India, starting with the way we perform at schools. With our school systems forcing students to believe that writing volumes in exams or staying back late for special classes will guarantee good grades, it is easy to carry this mindset into the corporate world. This results in producing copious amount of useless work and staying late at the office with the vain hope of becoming productive. However sophisticated our offices look, however expensive our systems are, and however polished and westernized we may appear to our Western counterparts, the harsh reality is that we are still considered 'third-world.' This is not because of the explosive population (a large percentage of which still lives dangerously near or under the poverty line) or because we are still largely dependent on agriculture for our GDP. The face we present to the western world today is primarily through Information Technology and other corporate channels. Westerners don't come to India to judge us based on our farmlands or the quality of village life; they visit cities and corporate offices and see the work we do there. These are the segments of India that hold the most educated, well-travelled, multi-culturally exposed populations. This face of India is what needs an incredible amount of sincere and credible change toward better quality in delivery of products and services. Every Indian worker that faces the globalised world today should rise up to the challenge of being quality-centric and committed to all work he or she does. The day this happens, I believe Europeans will start flying in planes that are built in India. I hope that day is not too far into the future.

I wonder...

2007-10-09T13:25:00.000-05:00

What do we bring when we come here?
Except the pounding heart that cleanses the blood
and the soul that nourishes the thoughts that flood
and the flesh that grows with the years passing
and the spark of life that exists until there is meaning.

What do we take when we go there?
Except the warmth of our final sleep,
And the few tears shed on us as they weep,
And the prayers and chants said in our name,
Tell me, do we take money, wealth or fame?

In truth what do we feel and do when we are alive?
Suspect intentions of people we meet,
Not wanting to return a kind word or greet
Bitter quarrels which are finally pointless,
making oursleves appear cold and heartless.

And I wonder what we feel and do when we die?
Feel sorry for everything said and done?
Or earn some punishment from The One?
Or muse if our whole life was wrong or right?
Or sleep our eternal slumber nice and tight?

The Quest

2007-09-20T11:28:00.000-05:00

It has just sunk into me that we do not talk
I cannot look into your eyes for they mock
Give me a reason for my mind to stay free
Till then it is a hard heart that I see
Sometimes when I am in a half slumber
halfway between mind and heart - I linger
My mind enforces the truth behind our parting
while the heart steadily refuses to see reasoning
But what am I holding on to? Why are my hopes new?
When I know that ironically our memories are few
But some of those moments still linger within
I see no reason but madness trying to win
I am tortured to no end to understand your mind
I am dying to know why you left me behind
But someone who talks from inside my head
holds me back from questioning you instead
Let me see if my true love survives the test of time
be it minutes of silent words, be it hours of vacant passing,
be it days of empty thoughts, be it years of mindless wanderings
I will wait to see if the quest to love suceeds the language of silence
or if the sultans of ego are crowned triumphant in the end

Lost Love

2007-09-20T08:34:00.000-05:00

Time keeps moving but men keep waiting
some wait for lost thoughts some wait for lost money and others for lost things
But Thoughts may come back when memory revived
Money may come again with luck and fortune
Lost things are bought again to replace...
But most men wait for something
something that was a thing of the past
something that was once pure, once adorned, once cherished...
something that was once called Love
something that they could not replace...
Once lost, it is a thing that is rarely remembered
it is sometimes forgotten as time weaves her web
or sometimes shut down in the reccesses of the mind
or worst still sometimes denied by an inner force

But a few unexpected things unearth the forgotten past
A song loved by both or a flower's fragrance that reminds
thoughts of the special face on a moonlight night
floods back the memories of that past lover
drowning us in sweet pain that accompanies lost love
That which was once lost seems almost near at hand
the inner force that denied turns into inner peace
the fragrance opens the recesses where secrets hide
the song sweeps away times intricate web...
Until lost love's enemy intervenes
Reality...
And then, Time keeps standing still, but then men move on...

pic courtesy : http://library.lhs.usd497.org/Becca%20Raynes.jpg

The Walk

2007-09-17T22:44:00.000-05:00

Together we had walked once,

Holding hands on the road of life...

Now I walk alone,

As I watch your lonely walk ahead...

Isolation stares at me,

Urging me to find solace in her.

But she also walks with you

From the moment you left me behind.

And then I stopped walking,

And stood alone,

Watching the fading twilight

Wondering if we could walk together again.

It was then that you turned back

To face the old road where I stood still,

Waiting and watching……

And when our eyes met,

Isolation vanished...tracing her path back to her abode,

Then we walked again…

But this time though we both walked alone,

It was a better walk than the one before...

For neither of us had Isolation for company

But shared a new companion – Hope,

Who sat at the point where we would meet again,

As we walked towards each other.

Written with Pushkala Menon

Seasons Change...

2007-09-17T22:34:00.000-05:00

We met one autumn morn

As the leaves unfurled woken up by dew

And the wind blew softly on us as we held hands

Feeling blessed to have found new company

We came closer on a springtime noon

Speaking softly the language of heavens

Under blossomed trees that showered upon us

Its blessings in form of flowers that we loved

We became inseparable one summer eve

As the red Sun bid farewell

Dipping its tired head into the sea

On whose shore we stood holding each other

We said Goodbye that winter’s night

As frost fell and the fire of our love died

Leaving us cold, unloved and miserable

Feeling cursed as the darkness enveloped...

Darkness

2007-09-17T22:28:00.000-05:00

I was born and raised in darkness
as time flew I saw darkness everywhere
the cold darkness of feeling unloved
the darkness of fear as I walk alone
darkness of the human mind when betrayed
darkness of the people who break bonds
the darkness that slips quietly while you sleep
terrible darkness that makes misery when awake
it's something 'bout darkness of this world
that I muse as I die; that darkness engulfing me

The Alley

2007-09-17T22:16:00.000-05:00

I walked up high mountains to a deep valley

musing at the verisimilitude they bore to reality

Down the hills I went and sat on a tuft of grass

The beauty I beheld before me was alluring

The fir trees bowed to the wind enduring

and upon the slopes I saw little clouds pass

I stole silently past the spongy wanderers

crossing brooks, streams and blithe meanders

into the sleepy hamlet nestled in the valley

The hamlet had its church ringing bells so merry

the children danced and played games a many

I walked on not stopping until I spoted a dark alley

I stepped into the silent street my feet staggering

and in panic I cried seeing nebulous forms floating

tried in vain to turn back again...But I vaporised

I seemed to drift through unhappiness and tears

I was mixed with ghouls, ghosts and fears

what place is this I shivered, my mind terrorised

It was then a light appeared in luminous sharpness

chasing and battling with the piercing darkness

It carried me far far away, where to rest I lay

The light of hope said, the dark alley is a vault

of errs of human nature that makes conscience revolt

in the valley of life such an alley always will stay

It is in despair and sadness, hope will you amaze

Search for the light even in the darkest days

So you wake up everytime with a smiling grace

As Lonely as the Lighthouse

2007-09-17T21:28:00.000-05:00

The Remains of a Dream

2007-09-17T21:22:00.000-05:00

I woke up from that long strange dream

And my slumber was not as real as it seemed
There was an Agent of hatred in the nightmare

who held hands with the Queen of Passion

Together chaos and conflict ripped the very soul

Of a being that was being devoured whole

With the screams and agony of the cursed being

rang the unsung songs of love haunting

Is it a sin to love and not be loved the being cried

But in the end even the whimpers of agony died

And the beasts of malice and vice stood laughing

As the being drenched in blood lay writhing

There was a fleeting moment of seeing a face

Someone I had not seen for many days

Searched I did - calling out loud

for the face I had once loved

Instead I heard increasing jeer and laughter

My body jerked as my heart beat faster
't was then I woke up from the strange long dream

And my slumber was not as real as it seemed

I looked into the mirror and saw the poor being

I shook myself to disbelieve what I was seeing

Slowly the lips parted in a smile for ‘it was just a dream’

But the smile had forever left the eyes

In them instead reflected the secrets of my past

The love, the devotion and the madness

As I looked deeper into my eyes I gasped

for from deep within smiled the once loved face again

But now it was like someone I had seen never before

It was just a ghost from the days that had worn

But then why the dream, the long strange dream? I mused

It struck me then...that I should have known!

All remains in the sea are always washed ashore

The Road to Kent

2007-09-17T21:10:00.000-05:00

Trot trot the horses went,
down to a place called Kent.
'twas a cold winter's day at dawn,
She sat lonely and forlorn;
The carriage moved swiftly towards Kent,
Trot trot the horses went.

Just around a bend in the road,
stood a shepherd with his goad.
She saw that he had a leg missing,
Pity! Her heart beat took a missing,
Seeing at the bend in the road,
the one legged with his goad.

She tossed a coin at the urchin.
It fell down and he bent down searching,
He lost his balance the poor lame boy
and went crashing down like a toy.
All for the toss of a coin to the urchin
who had bent down for searchin'

Hark! The man driving had heard.
She rushed out to help the shepherd.
But so shocked was she to find,
her kindly assistance being declined.
The man driving had this heard
the refusal of help by the shepherd

Is it madness that you possess!
cried the enraged witness
A lady's help you refuse so eager
then why pick the coin you beggar?
Is it madness you possess?
roared the enraged witness

Be not harsh! said the lady fair,
Come hither boy! It is so rare!
To want a coin but not my help,
It does not good to yourself.
Tell me why? asked the lady fair,
Coins but not my help! 'Tis so rare.

My Lady said the poor shepherd boy,
Lady, Money makes life so cloy.
I bent down to pick your lost penny,
Never thought it be charity money.
My Lady said the simple boy,
Money makes life so cloy.

I refused your help to be stood on ground,
For it is like being lost and only once found;
For once fallen and taken help
would practise me every fall to cry and yelp;
I refused your assist to be stood on ground,
For it is like being lost and only once found.

If I get money and assistance today,
What will the morrow have to say?
One needs to learn to fend for oneself,
I vowed never to habit to pity myself;
If I get money and assistance today,
What will the morrow have to say?

Saying so the shepherd walked away,
tending his flock on its way.
The lady and her driver stood astound;
Shamed were they at the ken newfound.
Watching the shepherd walk away,
tending his flock on its way.

She went into her cushions again,
Thinking of the boy's boon and bane.
Man is not what he has but what he is;
This my mind should never miss
sitting amidst her cushions again,
she mused about the boon and bane.

Trot trot the horses went,
on their way to Kent.
'Cried I have at such things small
but I have been blessed all along'
Trot trot the horses went,
with the wise lady on her way to Kent.