Office Office

Beings of different breed,
With no cast, color and creed,
Each having his own history,
Such is my office story.

Leg pulling and making fun,
Speak whatever, given a spun,
Sarcasm in all its glory,
Such is my office story.

One is stud by the books,
And another just for the looks,
A marriage, yes yes, notory,
Such is my office story.

There is a property fanatic,
Few interested in market share,
On surface all hunky dory,
Such is my office story.

One fellow is persona satisfied,
Another sits with tongue tied,
Output less, more inventory,
Such is my office story.

One brings food for everyone,
There is one, hair getting none,
A finger pointed, laugh & merry,
Such is my office story.

One guy feels always in dumps,
Near to him, never fails to pump,
Failing to realize, is temporary,
Such is my office story.

More same than they different,
Neither enemies, nor best friend,
All riding same breakless lorry.
Such is my office story.

Another sunset, Another sunrise

16th May 2014, the day Indian General Election results started trickling in, was my last day with the firm I was working for. This was not my first resignation and given the dynamics of today’s job market, won’t be my last. Yet there was something unique about the current group I was working with.

This was not just a 9-5 job for me. This was a lot more. The project, the team and myself, bundled together. I worked long hours, yet never felt tired. There was a push each morning to reach office, not only due to excitement and challenge of work, but also due to urge to meet people in the team.

“The gang of 3″ as we came to be known, had great discussions, sometimes bitching about others, sometimes bitching about ourselves and sometimes just gazing the sky. I got a sister here, I got a brother here. It became a home away from home. We had our share of fights. But it was all fun.

I crave for the morning breakfast one used to bring, the evening snacks that other used to get. I can’t forget the pantry arguments, the women empowerment, the battered men talks, the usual gossip and trash talk.

How can I forget the HR bay and rolling eyeballs, the bachelors and their frantic search, the embezzlers and their gusto. The hyper guy in our team, I still worry he might get an attack; you were also a nice guy to work with. The kids that were there, I relish my time explaining you things. I must admit here, most of the answers I also didn’t know. I used to make them up albeit convincingly.

The boss of our team, I admire him a lot. Since he was the boss, so as a religion I cribbed and back-bitched about him. But was a good head to work under. I leaned a lot sitting next to him. The most important thing that I will take with me is how to keep the diverse group sane and happy.

I will miss you all, and would like to keep in touch, wherever I am. I could apologize for anything and everything untoward but then again I meant it all ;).

Signing off,
Arpit Garg

The power of NO

During my early childhood, in the absence of mobile phones, there were very few means to communicate real-time. I remember we waited, all dressed up for my father to come from office and take us market/movie or whatever that was promised. It often happened so; he came back late caught up in some work with no communication.

Now my father is what you can call a Community Character. He will go the extra mile to help people who come to him with problems. He would take charge of marriage arrangements to help out families that he knows of. When we were waiting for him he might get busy helping out some old aunt, uncle or someone who asked his help.

We used to get angry with him then, but today we can understand he was just helping his fellow men. People used to ask him for money, for medicines, child’s school fees and what not. He used to help out and mostly never got his money back.

It’s just that he didn’t know how to say NO. We can look at it both ways. Good or Bad. As I grew up and started discussing things more openly with my father, I realized that over the years he too came to understand the need to say NO. More so, when the people whom he helped, never helped back.

Life has changed a lot in last 10-15 years and time has become a scarcity now. Living in metros, fast paced life and hectic work in private firms has left very less time for an individual. It’s ever more necessary to prioritize and filter out things. People would love to let you do their work. Take for example office, do help out others but always complete your own work first. If you have to stay late helping others, it’s your family with whom you are spending less time.

When you say No, do it in a polite manner. Explain the other person that you would like to help out once you complete your own work, time permitting. It would help you in the long term. No point if your own work/family suffers. It’s very frustrating to say the least.

Tears of Joy

I have come to realize of late that I am getting too mechanical and work oriented. Day by day my life has started revolving more and more around office. Far cry from the days of the old. However somewhere deep down my old self has not been able to come to terms with this change. It has been in denial.

Today however that discussion was put to an end. I was stuck in some coding work which I was not able to crack. It has been 4 days and I was half mad already. As you grow in experience, you are required to solve things all by yourself. You can’t look up to others to help you out all the time. And so there I was with all my struggle.

I tried all tricks in the book but to no avail. For me a part of it comes as I feel my reputation is at stake. It’s a totally different thing altogether that I don’t have much reputation for real.

Where were we? Yes. It happened so that I was able to solve the pending issue. Like always it was the last place I would have looked. Anyways I was so relieved that emotions got better of me. For the first time I was close to what we can call Tears of Joy out of my office work.

I think that settles it my old self, I am for bad or for good, no longer the devil may care.  Another one tamed.

Overworked and Underpaid

Most of the time I talk to my colleagues, friends and other working population, One thing seems common; everyone by his/her own admission is overworked and underpaid. Well I too share the feeling and hence it becomes a common cord which helps us empathize.

Come to think of it, if everyone is overworked and if everyone is underpaid, it would be doing wonders for our economy. Imagine working 20 hrs a day for paltry sum, this would for sure create a huge amount of societal wealth and rid us of poverty.

Alas! That’s what I don’t see happening around. Where are things going wrong then? Well my friends, the things are going wrong in the brain and in the heart. Overwork and Underpay is just a facade.  There is no such thing in real. In fact it’s a vicious circle.

We always think that if we get more money, we will work harder. Hence most of us keep on changing jobs. But once that pay cheque becomes static too, we start feeling underpaid. The pay cheque remains the same, the work hours remain the same; just that our needs and wishes increase.

The easiest solution for this is become dynamic. Even if the work hours increase, if the rewards are dynamic too, the underpaid feeling will not pitch in. I am not just talking of monetary rewards. It constitutes mental peace and satisfaction too. Most of us who feel over and under are stuck with something we don’t really get drive from. It’s just a daily chore we need to perform.

After a while when our heart is not in it, it becomes unbearable. Whatever amount of money will not satisfy us. There will be a shallow feeling of being used and abused. Used and abused by the society and the system at large.

So work where your heart is. Short term you may earn some money elsewhere but believe me no point making your life a hell in the long run. Instead, you my friend have hell of a life to enjoy!

Years in Wilderness

Have been around a month since I jotted something down. And no I was not on a break. Last couple of months I have experienced something new and refreshing.

All my life I was lectured upon for lack of it. “You have the potential but lack that thing”. To be frank, I always laughed it away. Either I didn’t understand what was said, or was in denial. What I am talking about is the virtue of hard work.

I would be the first person to admit that I have never ever put myself through the grind. Everything that I had done to-date has been a natural flow.

Last couple of months I have come face to face with hard work. And I can’t explain in words, the feeling. It’s celestial. Earlier I used to wake up and go to office, lacking any excitement. It was just a routine. Now I am eager to go to office as I am eager to take on the work. I find pleasure working.

I was trying to figure out the reason for it. To a certain extent it’s again something I avoided to date. It’s called in depth knowledge. I prided myself to be jack of all trades, a versatile sort of. You know it’s nice to be jack of all, but in today’s day and time you got to be master of something. You have to go through the grind to become one and it’s not always pleasant.

I read it a long back what I have understood only now, “Most of the tensions in present day life come if you are not good at what you do”. Give your 100% to what you are doing, or don’t do it at all. Be the master at your work, your whole life will be a smooth ride.

I have promised myself to make up for the lost years. Got to rush. Have some work. Ciao!