I promise to update my blog more often...

I have not had the time to update my blog for a while - have just been plain lazy…no other excuse. Here is what I have been busy with over the past few days…
- Krishnav’s second birthday party: Could never imagine it is so hard to organize a birthday party for a two year old!! Getting the invitation list done; finalizing the venue; negotiating for a good rate; deciding the activities, decoration, arrangement, music; selecting/ordering the cake, etc. Phew, I am done with most of the stuff; the party happens tomorrow – hope it goes off well.
- Deciding upon which MTB to buy: over the past few weeks, I have taken a fancy for MTBs (bicycles). I believe that rather than paying several thousands to a gym and then not showing up there on most days (based on my past experience), I might as well rekindle my passion for cycling – an activity I gave up more than 20 years ago!! Have been lost in the world of Trek 3700 versus Merida 50V versus Schwin Frontier, etc. – basically figuring out which brand to buy. Frankly, before beginning my quest for the best bike (in terms of best value-for-money), I could never imagine there is so much to a man-powered vehicle!!
- Work place complications: Don’t want to elaborate, but don’t we all have challenges at workplace all the time :-)

I am very excited about Krishnav’s birthday party tomorrow evening. Will post some pics and write a detailed note on how it went… And, I have resolved to update my blog at least a few times in a month.

Washroom dilemma!

Executives, officers, and VIPs -- do women fit into these categories? Yes, of course ….what a stupid question…. you may say!! (you may add a few expletives if you belong to the fairer sex!). Well, I thought that too…

At a recent visit to an organization (possibly one of the largest entity in India), when I took a bio-break during one of those never-ending meetings, I was perplexed to find four doors in the washroom lobby – Executives, Officers, VIPs, Ladies.

The company certainly has women officers (there were a couple in the meeting I was attending), and I guess there must be a few senior leaders as well (going by the law of averages). So why this “washroom dilemma” I thought. I really wanted to dig deeper into this, but I guess it would have been an inappropriate conversation to have – especially for a vendor vying for business. Later, unable to get that washroom dilemma out of mind, I thought of four possible explanations…

1. The company has common washrooms….. well that is highly unlikely, especially in a government organization which needs to be more aware of such potentially “dangerous” invite-the-union/women-activists-ire policies
2. There are “class” hierarchies in men, while the balance population is much beyond such (truly) meaningless hierarchy…. again, highly unlikely in an Indian organization
3. There are very few women executives….. certainly not true, cause my rolodex has business cards of several women executives at the company
4. Most of the senior leadership is men, so who cares anyways! If there is a senior lady visitor, they may open the VIP washroom (which remains locked – I realized it when in that moment of unrealistic self-admiration, I straight went for that door).

The fourth explanation is most likely true, and also the most intriguing (and disturbing). I am not sure here whether the organization is totally oblivious of the fact that women officers can reach the top; or they are just sensitive to the real estate optimization (since men clearly outnumber women in that organization); or perhaps, the company is making a statement – we not only consider women folk as equals, we also appreciate that they do not have any class barriers! I don’t know. But would love to see how Brinda Karat and community of women activists would react to this dilemma.

Working late...

I am one of those who DOES NOT TAKE WORK HOME! It sometimes however means that I need to stay in the office much beyond regular work hours. Today is one such day. And I thought I will put down my thoughts on likes and dislikes of working late over the next five minutes before I get on an overseas call:

What I like…
- No phone calls, yammer messages, and emails to break my chain of thought on whatever I am working on
- No colleagues walking into my office for unplanned discussion/issue resolution
- Very little distraction from adjoining cubicles (well mostly)
- Can play music on my laptop (and no need to use headphones!)
- Can enjoy a quiet cup of hot coffee
- If lucky, may find some left over cake in the canteen refrigerator (from a colleagues' birthday celebration earlier in the day!!)
- Roads are clutter-free (only relatively; don’t underestimate Gurgaon – world’s 24x7 back office!)
- Sometimes find time to update my blog between calls

What I hate…
- Next door office neighbor talking loudly on his phone (since most folks stay back for calls with overseas managers and/or clients)
- Cafeteria is closed, so no food
- No help around if there is an IT problem
- Eats into time reserved for my family

Man versus Nature...

Man can create modern gadgets to rein in the nature
He can ride waves, capture the Sun, and play storm-catcher
One “cough” from a mountain however can set things straight
Show the man who is mightier, and what controls his fate…

Men in suits, living by the clock, with business on their minds
No time to rest -- time is money, minimal effort to unwind
Living off a suitcase, hopping planes, living life in fast pace
Some to reach home early, most others (sadly) to keep ahead of the race…

Volcano destroying man’s “party,” seems totally absurd!
Nature is to support his desires, not to play wicked wizard!
Mountain sitting quietly under the ice had other plans on its slate
To show mortals his power, and a million egos it wants to deflate…

Nature is a quiet sufferer, mostly bearing man’s brunt
Catering to his greed and often letting him play the tyrant
Once in a while when nature decides to flex its muscle
A little smoking mountain is enough, not a longwinded tussle…

The message for those who may see is loud and clear
Man must keep nature on his side, not somewhere in the rear
He should check aspirations, simplify life, and accept his stature
Man, however modern, is no match for nature…

A poem by Sunil Puri; inspired by the recent volcanic eruption in a non-descript place that has impacted a zillion people across the globe (including a peer who is sadly stuck in a foreign land away from his family)

One year of back-to-work…

It has been over an year since I came back from my study sabbatical and started to work again. And the going has been great to date! I often wonder what has my (supposedly) celebrated MBA degree from the mecca of management education given me. Here goes...

Better skills (hopefully). The study sabbatical has certainly given me better understanding of economics, finance, marketing, operations, management, and accounting. It comes handy when having a conversation with a client with very different background – at least I am not left wondering whether he is talking stuff from outer space! The MBA has also polished my "soft skills " of leadership, teamwork, ethics, and communication that are so critical for effective management (Boss, hope you agree!).

More people to lean on! The degree has given me access to a network of ex-peers, other alumni, faculty, etc. This network will hopefully help me if I am ever on the cross-roads of career progression, or at some point building business relationships, or pursuing expertise outside of my current field.

A more “weighty” CV! The MBA degree is supposedly a recognized brand that signifies management and leadership training. The particular school (in my case IIM-A) also has brand associations that can help open doors based on the school's reputation. I have not had the opportunity to test the “weightiness” of the brand (thank god and my current employer for that!), but I am hoping it is true.