Social Media Marketing

Few Blog Posts from the past: Back on Our Dear Readers Demand:

Year:2008

Tomorrow onwards I start working in an open office. During renovation, the old traditional layout is being changed from a cabin (large rooms equal to or bigger than a living room) to medium sized cubicles and work stations. It looks impressive since the office is renovated. But it is only partially complete and the full looks with atrium and all other things would get ready in the next few months. So the full impact would be felt when the office is fully renovated. It would be a transformation worthy of notice-perhaps equivalent to an expensive cosmetic corporate surgery.

The first feature that I observe is that the Personal Computer occupies the pride of position, It is kept smack in the middle of the working area and the chair faces it. It seems as though the main function of most employees is staring hard at the computer almost the entire day. It is perhaps equivalent to keeping a note counting machine on every banker’s table as every banker ultimately deals with money. My belief is that computer is one of the tools we use in the course of our work. It could be a vital tool or an accessory (like a belt or a tie) depending on the individual and his position in the hierarchy. But that seems to be the accepted concept today. I am reminded of the cattle shed in some parts of Mumbai (Tabela in local language) where the cattle is tied and faces a trough containing the feed. Unlike human beings they are not let out as there is no space for grazing in Mumbai.

The second striking aspect is the positioning. The consultant informed us that the concept is that there should not be eye contact from one work station to another. This reinforces the concept that though other human beings are close by, they are mainly distraction to be avoided. So though they are visible and audible, ignore them and ensure that they are able to ignore you. So no loud conversation to spouse on buying evening’s requirement (she would come late, so pick up children, and keep dhal ready etc.), mouthing childish and sweet words or threatening words to growing and troublesome kids (do Maths home work beta, is the Hindi homework over, didn’t I tell you to…), romance within or outside office.

The third striking aspect is the mobile phone with varying ring tones. I recall a senior executive well past retirement age having the ring tone of Dhoom going off when he was making a serious point at an important meeting. They can be quite annoying. When someone else has a ringtone identical to yours, then you could get irritated thinking how could he have the same ring tone. So what would result after few days of annoyance is more subdued ring tone and many executives walking up and down the corridor murmuring into the telephone looking serious and sometimes focused clearly on domestic issues ( mama, I told you it is not possible this week….., did the plumber come? has the maid come and cleaned baba’s school dress?)

The fourth would be learning new techniques on seeming busy on important assignments while doing nothing. But that perhaps would not be difficult to any Indian working person.

Now, I wonder who invented work station. The word “work station” seems to give an impression of a temporary halting place – like railway station- and not a place where we spent a large portion of our waking time. It sounds like a station for working and nothing more. Perhaps it is an American usage where most things are impersonal – even family relationships. Every child is expected to have a separate room. A parent cannot go into his grown up children’s room without permission. So places without privacy are perhaps temporary habitats by their standards.

So off tomorrow to the new working station. Let me see how all of us working there fare. My hunch is that some of my colleagues could complain and look back to the glorious past and identify the fault lines loudly.

Open Office – Part2

It is nearly a year since I wrote the last blog. During that time, I visited Bhutan. It is an out of the way place for Indian tourists. I enjoyed it. My wife told me recently that she now appreciated the stillness of some of the places we visited in Bhutan. If anyone is interested to know more, do write to me. I have kept a diary of this visit and good photos also. If you enjoy chill climate in summer, seeing deep valleys, winding roads, waterfalls etc. then this is the place. It is not that expensive also.

My grandson put in 11 more eventful months to his 9 months of existence. The growth in the first three years of existence is said to be more that what happens in thirty years of existence in the later part of human life. So he started walking, communicating, speaking few words and being utterly mischievous. He has a lovely smile, which I am sure will break the hearts of many maidens who are yet to be born. He gave us a new perspective to life and living.

The open office grew on me. I became comfortable listening to the daily menu communicated by my office neighbor to the cook. I came to know the calling tunes of most colleagues. The older the person, the more dashing is the caller tune. Older persons do not change caller tune. The younger generation love change and that includes caller tunes also.

Most telephone conversations are conducted in loud tones. Except when confidential calls come, then everyone is capable of whispering on phone. The difficulty arises in concentrating on reading lengthy documents when the atmosphere around resembles a railway station. Then I remember Hindu philosophy which expects us to concentrate irrespective what the outside world resembles.

Share market crashed in an unbelievable manner. Many of us saw lot of paper wealth being extinguished on a daily basis. There is a muted recovery now. None of us are confident this would sustain or reach the old heights. Still some rise in Sensex is comforting.

What are most disturbing are job losses. For the first time in my 33 years of working life, I am seeing middle and junior level officers and executives losing jobs due to economic down turn. Management graduates are not getting placements even when they belong to good or great Institutions. This has never happened in the past. The situation in non metros is said to be equally bad. Small and medium enterprises are having great difficulties in surviving. I am not sure what is the level of job losses or erosion, but it is bound to be significant.

I had a lingering suspicion about IT related jobs as I could not fathom how far an average IT engineer would travel in his career. As a person coming from administrative side of business, I felt they would plateau out fast. Today’s scenario seems to confirm my belief that an IT person needs to contribute significantly to business to progress beyond the Rs. 25/30 lacs hurdle. Am I right? I would love some feedback on this rather instinctive rather than informed view.

USA has lost its charm for many Indians. The risk of being unemployed in a foreign country is frightening. India at least offers some kind of security within the bosom of the family or its extended version. Any way we are used to misery, somehow we will pull on. Would a father consider giving a qualified girl based in India to an IT bridegroom based in USA today without some qualms? Hard to say.

Why did I absent myself from blogs? Well, the creative urge dried up. I could not dream of something to write. I started and then left it midway. Today I decided I will scrawl something. I will be encouraged if I get 3 comments or criticisms or feedback. Does a person write for own satisfaction or for someone else to read, appreciate/criticise? I think both.

So, what do you say?

Let me know your views on the same

Anjeneyan

Image Source:

Cubicle

Personal Trip Clicks

In the dark zone on the lonely place of the barren land was an area of thick forest. This land of Crizol as they called it was a land of fear and horror.

Here lived a family and might I add a happy family.

One Sunday morning Joe and Ale had a fierce fight and as a punishment their step mother told them to go to the dense and extremely thick forest. Silently Joe and Ale walked out of the house. When they reached the forest a vicious lion was ready to eat them for brunch, what a great way to start the day.

They got scared and jumped into a downstream. That stream then….. changed their lives.

They reached an enormous place. There was a sign post outside the place.

On it was inscribed,

“Wolveric made by Stiffen Jones”.

“Hey”, said Joe, “Stiffen Jones is our ancestor”.

They met their ancestor’s assistant Romania.

She quoted, “Stiffen had made an elixir which could get a dead man with half blood back to life. A man named Crewin Hawk he is the man with half blood and he has stolen the elixir but he does not know that the heart beat scan of the great great great great great  children of Stiffen who you’ll are, has to go in it then only it can be activated .Now you children have to take back the elixir from him. Oh I almost forgot that Crewin can transform himself into a serpent and a wizard who has one eye. I do not know more secrets of this place. Stiffen had made a secret tree which shall open when you say ‘Elton mat’ .In that tree are the secrets of this place”.

After they reached the core of the tree they came across a lab having a computer which had all the secrets of Wolveric. They researched and through the speed of technology, now knew everything about Wolveric.

“Now go home your mother will be getting worried I shall call you’ll after half month and by that time I shall make one weapon only with that weapon you can kill Crewin .His son is coming back from Formica city .Bye till that time ”, said Romania.

After they reached home their mother was angry with them “where were you’ll, I searched the whole forest I did not find you’ll. Now eat your dinner and go to sleep”, she said.

After 15 days Romania called them back to Wolveric and said “The weapon is ready”.

It looked like a machine gun. “Crewin and his son have entered Wolveric” said Romania. “And now they are trying to destroy Wolveric because the Elixir is not working.” Now they reached Wolveric and Romania handed over the weapon to Joe and Ale. “The weapon can only used once, use it to kill Crewin”, said Romania.

They began to search for Crewin and his son.  They heard noises coming from the inner head quarters. They went in the direction where the noise was coming from. On the way they came across  an animal which had a head of a lion and the body of a human.

It seemed as if it was ready to kill them. It ran after them Ale said “Use the weapon” “No” said Joe “It can only be used once and we have to use it to kill Crewin” by that time a unicorn came along and gave a fierce weapon  to Ale and  voice came from it “Use it to kill the animal. From your true friend Romania”. Ale fired the weapon and that animal died.

They continued their task to save Wolveric. At last they came across Crewin and his son Joe said “You kill his son and I’ll manage this evil wizard”.

They had a fierce fight and Ale broke her bone. She then fainted .The son came and helped his father. Then Ale woke up and snatched the elixir from Crewin.

Just as Ale snatched it, Joe fired the weapon and that was the end of Crewin. His son warned the two kids “I shall take my revenge”, he cried. The two kids then went back to Romania gave her the elixir and the two weapons. She said “you’ll fought so brave for the Elixir, as a reward I am giving it to you’ll. Come back next year”, she said.

Then they went home and waited for next year.

Till then, adios!

Shivansh J

School St. Gregorios