Recently I was invited for a workshop on "Sustainable Production and Consumption" by an NGO; the workshop was supported by MOEF, UNEP, DEFRA and EC. I was reluctant to attend the workshop initially; the NGO was persistent that I should attend and contribute to the debate on Sustainable products. I could manage to squeeze in some time to attend the workshop as I believed that it was my social obligation.
The group debating various issues related to Sustainable products consisted of a few representatives from UNEP, EC, DEFRA, a few NGOs and two from MNCs, one from Unilever and the other me. This guy from the NGO was vocal in his criticism of the Corporate sector in general and MNCs in particular for spoiling India's environment...at every opportunity he was spewing venom on the corporate sector...the intention it appeared was to make us feel small with the guy taking a high moral ground, as a saviour of the environment. I did not know how much he had done to improve India's environment; but I know how much I had done in the last twenty years for environmental improvement. Initially I thought that I would ignore him; but his barbs became too much and needed to be curbed; at that point I asked him point blank if he was "more Indian" than us, who work of MNCs. I asked him this question in the presence of delegates from Europe and others; this guy was taken aback. He did not expect such a question. Luckily he answered "No" and I left the debate there (he did not open his mouth later during the discussion). If he had said "Yes", I had already prepared many questions to show his hollowness. This guy was speaking about plastics and their ban; he was wearing polyester pants and a shoe with PVC sole !!!
Just because one works for an NGO does not give him a right to put other Indians off....does it give him a right for a moral high ground? Am I "less Indian" than him ?
Wednesday, 26 December 2007
A long Innings
I have completed 25 years in Philips on 17 October, 2007... a long innings indeed !!!
Looking back....
"Why are you joining this lousy company".....this is what the HR guy at the HO told me in September 1982
"You will not continue for long in Philips....It is a useless Company" ....that is what Kolkata Chithappa told me in 1982
Is Philips a lousy company ? Is it a useless company ? For me it has been a "good" company.....there are many positives and less (avoidable) negatives to the company.
I have gone through ups and downs in the last 25 years....
I had to face "politics" in the beginning.....tried to wriggle out of it...but it had its effect on my career....I fear that political undercurrents were always affected my career in Philips till I was attached to the lab
When Dr. Vaid retired (or pre-retired) he handed over ALL the keys (including to those of confidential information) to me and announced that I would take over his function from then on....I later came to know that political under-currents do interfere with such professional decisions......Dr. Dutta, with no background in the functioning of the lab, took over as the boss.....
I was forced to take up a new function, at that time in 1985 an unknown entity, environmental coordination, which came in handy later......
By sheer luck and coincidence, I was made the National Environmental Coordinator in 1990, which till then was a POST MAN's job..... I happened to see the letter written by Shanbhag to HO, questioning the appointment of someone else to this position and recommending my name......
Dasgupta asked me in 1995 to come out of the lab and concentrate on Environmental Management....I think it was a good move...had I stayed in the lab, I would have been shunted to some unknown corner by this time.....the move also made me concentrate on this new subject...going through the Master's programme, the Ph.D., the professional qualifications of IEMA....ending up with a C.Env.....
While I was active in the BIS (ISI) committees on plastics and PCBs prior to 1990, with IPCA in the early 1990s, the change in track post-1995 had given me a wider canvas to work...from ASCI, CII, MOEF, BCCI, IEMA, Indsearch etc., and could earn me some recognition, including that from CSE.
Throughout I noticed that people come to you only when they derive some benefit from you.....while people who approach me changed over the period....I am satisfied that people still approach me for help....that means they derive some benefits from this association. Of course, I do not get benefited by such associations personally...never the less it gives me some satisfaction that I am still "wanted".
The shift from Philips India to Lighting, APR, did provide me with new challenges....the change was initiated by Dasgupta and recommended by Ramachandran....I was not sure if Bernard was indeed interested. The first challenge was to be accepted by various units and their people in the region...a tough one as I replaced a white skin....When Francis took over, the challenge was to be accepted by a Chinese boss....
Along with this change came the change in my life-style....too much travel to do my job....struggling with food and languages....struggling to convince people. At least now I believe that there is an acceptance... of course one does not know what goes on behind the scenes.....
During this long stint I had developed friendship with quite a few good souls....I am indeed privileged to know them....there are, of course, a few whom I would wish that I had not come to know at all....but life provides a heterogeneous environment to make it spicy....
I have met people who are outright selfish....some who are always scheming....some showing their power on the weak....some highly corrupt.....some always politicking.....some using the resources of the company to build their business....some weak....some psychophants.....some bullys.....some chameleons......some spineless....some cheats....some stupid......but the bulk of the people I came across here are warm, good mannered, well intentioned and lovely people. One's success depends on how one identified the the two groups.
I am wiser than I was 25 years ago....I never planned my career... probably I could never have planned my career... My career has been like a dry leaf blown by a breeze or a wind or floating on a flood water...you get stuck to something on the way....many successful people talk about their "planned career "...as usual they fit in what happened to their wishful thinking. Basic dictum is "if you are the right person, in the right place at the right time and noticed by right people" you have a chance of a good career. Lucky are those who occupy high positions; one's education or intelligence alone does not take one to the top. Sheer hard work, combined with intelligence, may take one to a certain level, provided one's relationship with the superiors was not marred by any personal issues. My philosophy, therefore, is: "Do your work to your utmost satisfaction. Enjoy your work. Leave the rest to GOD". Don't look around and get frustrated; there are people who specialize in bringing your morale and enthusiasm down. Avoid them.
What is the overall score that I would give for my innings in Philips so far: 60 %. This will open up a new debate.....let me see if I can open this subject later.
Looking back....
"Why are you joining this lousy company".....this is what the HR guy at the HO told me in September 1982
"You will not continue for long in Philips....It is a useless Company" ....that is what Kolkata Chithappa told me in 1982
Is Philips a lousy company ? Is it a useless company ? For me it has been a "good" company.....there are many positives and less (avoidable) negatives to the company.
I have gone through ups and downs in the last 25 years....
I had to face "politics" in the beginning.....tried to wriggle out of it...but it had its effect on my career....I fear that political undercurrents were always affected my career in Philips till I was attached to the lab
When Dr. Vaid retired (or pre-retired) he handed over ALL the keys (including to those of confidential information) to me and announced that I would take over his function from then on....I later came to know that political under-currents do interfere with such professional decisions......Dr. Dutta, with no background in the functioning of the lab, took over as the boss.....
I was forced to take up a new function, at that time in 1985 an unknown entity, environmental coordination, which came in handy later......
By sheer luck and coincidence, I was made the National Environmental Coordinator in 1990, which till then was a POST MAN's job..... I happened to see the letter written by Shanbhag to HO, questioning the appointment of someone else to this position and recommending my name......
Dasgupta asked me in 1995 to come out of the lab and concentrate on Environmental Management....I think it was a good move...had I stayed in the lab, I would have been shunted to some unknown corner by this time.....the move also made me concentrate on this new subject...going through the Master's programme, the Ph.D., the professional qualifications of IEMA....ending up with a C.Env.....
While I was active in the BIS (ISI) committees on plastics and PCBs prior to 1990, with IPCA in the early 1990s, the change in track post-1995 had given me a wider canvas to work...from ASCI, CII, MOEF, BCCI, IEMA, Indsearch etc., and could earn me some recognition, including that from CSE.
Throughout I noticed that people come to you only when they derive some benefit from you.....while people who approach me changed over the period....I am satisfied that people still approach me for help....that means they derive some benefits from this association. Of course, I do not get benefited by such associations personally...never the less it gives me some satisfaction that I am still "wanted".
The shift from Philips India to Lighting, APR, did provide me with new challenges....the change was initiated by Dasgupta and recommended by Ramachandran....I was not sure if Bernard was indeed interested. The first challenge was to be accepted by various units and their people in the region...a tough one as I replaced a white skin....When Francis took over, the challenge was to be accepted by a Chinese boss....
Along with this change came the change in my life-style....too much travel to do my job....struggling with food and languages....struggling to convince people. At least now I believe that there is an acceptance... of course one does not know what goes on behind the scenes.....
During this long stint I had developed friendship with quite a few good souls....I am indeed privileged to know them....there are, of course, a few whom I would wish that I had not come to know at all....but life provides a heterogeneous environment to make it spicy....
I have met people who are outright selfish....some who are always scheming....some showing their power on the weak....some highly corrupt.....some always politicking.....some using the resources of the company to build their business....some weak....some psychophants.....some bullys.....some chameleons......some spineless....some cheats....some stupid......but the bulk of the people I came across here are warm, good mannered, well intentioned and lovely people. One's success depends on how one identified the the two groups.
I am wiser than I was 25 years ago....I never planned my career... probably I could never have planned my career... My career has been like a dry leaf blown by a breeze or a wind or floating on a flood water...you get stuck to something on the way....many successful people talk about their "planned career "...as usual they fit in what happened to their wishful thinking. Basic dictum is "if you are the right person, in the right place at the right time and noticed by right people" you have a chance of a good career. Lucky are those who occupy high positions; one's education or intelligence alone does not take one to the top. Sheer hard work, combined with intelligence, may take one to a certain level, provided one's relationship with the superiors was not marred by any personal issues. My philosophy, therefore, is: "Do your work to your utmost satisfaction. Enjoy your work. Leave the rest to GOD". Don't look around and get frustrated; there are people who specialize in bringing your morale and enthusiasm down. Avoid them.
What is the overall score that I would give for my innings in Philips so far: 60 %. This will open up a new debate.....let me see if I can open this subject later.
Monday, 10 December 2007
Philosophical ??? or Hopelessness ???
I wrote this piece (as well as a few more that follow) a few days ago (10 December, 2007).....I was not sure if this is OK to share with my beloved ones....today I decided to post it....whether it makes sense or not I am not sure...but such thoughts do come often
I am alone...sitting in IIM, Bangalore. Sheila is in Pune. Maya in Vellacheri and Indhu at Mandavelli...not to speak of others, near and dear. Am I lonely only now...no for many years....what happened to all those days I enjoyed the company of others....do we really mature as we grow...we slowly get into our own path...may be a lonely path....is that maturity ? I call Sheila, Indhu and Maya now and then to ensure that I am not alone....does it really help ? I don't know. Do you know ? I know only this: I started my journey alone....I will end it alone. Whatever happens in between does not matter, because these are not permanent. All the ties and bonds are temporary....they vary depending on the moods of people and the usefulness of the relationship. They can be broken any time wihtout rhyme or reason...but the truth is that I don't have any control over it. I don't get love; I don't get affection; I don't get admiration....but I want to show that I have all these...just to cheat and please me....after all individuals live for themselves...not for others....what is good today can become a sour tomorrow..and the vice versa....simply these are all contextual....when am I gonig to grow / mature to be untouched by any of these emotions....I am looking for that day.
I am alone...sitting in IIM, Bangalore. Sheila is in Pune. Maya in Vellacheri and Indhu at Mandavelli...not to speak of others, near and dear. Am I lonely only now...no for many years....what happened to all those days I enjoyed the company of others....do we really mature as we grow...we slowly get into our own path...may be a lonely path....is that maturity ? I call Sheila, Indhu and Maya now and then to ensure that I am not alone....does it really help ? I don't know. Do you know ? I know only this: I started my journey alone....I will end it alone. Whatever happens in between does not matter, because these are not permanent. All the ties and bonds are temporary....they vary depending on the moods of people and the usefulness of the relationship. They can be broken any time wihtout rhyme or reason...but the truth is that I don't have any control over it. I don't get love; I don't get affection; I don't get admiration....but I want to show that I have all these...just to cheat and please me....after all individuals live for themselves...not for others....what is good today can become a sour tomorrow..and the vice versa....simply these are all contextual....when am I gonig to grow / mature to be untouched by any of these emotions....I am looking for that day.
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