Monday, June 11, 2007

Productivity and India

Howdy!! So now that I have been working in India for the better part of 5 odd months, what are my learnings -
1. Do not believe anything anyone promises to you, be it a CEO of a big company or be it a maid in the house, majority of the folks just point blank lie.

2. Double check everything, so if someone gives you something, you have to ensure it is upto the mark, as to what you have paid for or what you have instructed

3. Persistance pays off big time.

4. Everything is emotional, people only work hard for you if you have an emotional bonding, professionalism does not exist. Nor do financial rewards or penalties make any difference to anyone.

Been trying to get the folks in my team to work, but no one seems to be interested, now I know why most of the outsourcing projects go down the drain, i.e. there is no single leader who can inspire the trooops.

So what is the point I am making, well there is some special way that makes people tick in India, which is very different than the western world, something that companies like TATA, Reliance have figured out, hence they thrive in the environment, for the regular company, it is finding out the secret receipe, that will take them to heights.

Been travelling alot (nothing unusual about that), Delhi was HOTTTTT.. around 47 degrees celcius, ie is around 120 F, felt the skin will peal off. Bangalore is pleasant.

Some of my sales efforts are paying off, still evangalizing about maps in India, will keep pushing, wish me luck and hope that I can figure out the secret sauce that makes us Indians tick.

Cheers,
Shiva