Sunday, October 26, 2008

The (changing) times... (?!)




Actually i had a different post earlier out here. Something to do with the difficult times that we are in globally, ironic situation that i find at work locally and confusing times otherwise. Some folks read it. One said i am being too tight and other said 'no comments'! Both are right. The global conditions have been talked, analysed and written about using the last byte available. Local condition at work is actually nothing much to really merit a comment. The confusion otherwise is essentially taking myself a bit more seriously than i ought to. So decided to put in a reform post! ;-)

However, my thoughts on the festivals and festive season remains. These festivals do give people a reason to look forward to that given day without their usual worries and fears. Here is sincerely wishing that every day is a festival..!

(the picture above taken with my mobile at Madurai Meenakshi Temple at the Navagraha sannidhi where people offer ghee filled dhiyas in an effort to appease Shani, Rahu, Kedhu and the likes)

Thursday, October 02, 2008

Quarter-ending dramas

The work place was overflowing till yesterday with the quarter ending madness.

People were stretched and stressed to the maximum. Tempers frayed and tantrums thrown around. There was a manic sense of urgency to do things which you do not wish to attempt in normal times. Orders had to be brought in and unreachable targets needed to be surpassed. What has been committed had to be met. Bosses had to be pleased. And so on.

But organizations pick people to do precisely this job. The sales guys in an organization are supposed to handle this stretching and stressing. They are there to put in extra ordinary efforts as opposed to normal way to doing things. They know that commitments have to be met and the boss is not going to be pleased if the same were not met. And they know how to handle this as well.

Why all this fuss, then?

Where there is more drama, less is the level of competence of the work place in general. All the shouting and yelling during such periods is a reflection of lack of a certain level of sophistication in terms of business assessment, sales closure and order execution spread over the period in question. It finally boils down to the individual’s level of confidence and self-esteem.

A quality work place should just address this aspect and the rest should pretty much settle in place.

Getting back to my work place, the quarter just ended for us and it is a holiday due to Ramzan out here. The shift from a maddening pressure situation at work to nil work is completely disconcerting, strangely.

I think, the pressure at work place due to the immediate work on hand, conveniently shields the other issues surrounding one’s work/life. To an extent that we actually tend to like that and allow it to be that way, controlling our lives. We get a credible alibi for not working on other things.

When suddenly there is nothing to do, all the remaining things come to fore! Well, one such thing is my slightly flourishing tummy and I have to do something about it! ;-)!