On a sunday afternoon I got a mail from one of my team members updating the status of his work. He is a smart one in the team so obviously victimized with loads of work, which made him to work during the weekend. Is this an exploitation?This may sound like exploitation. But actually it is not. It is opportunity in disguise.
India and China are becoming (should I say already became?) outsourcing hub for the developed nations like US & UK. As a matter of fact US & UK are exploiting the low cost labour in India and China. But for the countries like India and China with over population and poor employment opportunities this 'exploitation' is certainly an 'opportunity'. In fact a great opportunity that has changed many lives.
Total number of employees in India's top 3 IT companies alone has reached around 200,000. Recruitment projections each of these companies show are mind-boggling. Our work environments are becoming more and more competitive with highly intellectual people around. To stand out in the crowd there is a lot need to be done by each individual. It has become not an unusual thing for the people who are 'meeting the expectations' to end up with lower performance ratings. Everyone is crazy about 'making a difference' and going that 'extra mile'.
There is a saying: You can achieve little with little sacrifice; you can achieve more with more sacrifice; you can achieve great with great sacrifice. Achievement is always directly proportional to the sacrifice. If we look at the history of great achievers there would be lot of sacrifices in their lives.
In my experience I have realized that when it comes to getting opportunities & growth one should let others exploit (positively). That’s the hard reality now.
India and China are becoming (should I say already became?) outsourcing hub for the developed nations like US & UK. As a matter of fact US & UK are exploiting the low cost labour in India and China. But for the countries like India and China with over population and poor employment opportunities this 'exploitation' is certainly an 'opportunity'. In fact a great opportunity that has changed many lives.
Total number of employees in India's top 3 IT companies alone has reached around 200,000. Recruitment projections each of these companies show are mind-boggling. Our work environments are becoming more and more competitive with highly intellectual people around. To stand out in the crowd there is a lot need to be done by each individual. It has become not an unusual thing for the people who are 'meeting the expectations' to end up with lower performance ratings. Everyone is crazy about 'making a difference' and going that 'extra mile'.
There is a saying: You can achieve little with little sacrifice; you can achieve more with more sacrifice; you can achieve great with great sacrifice. Achievement is always directly proportional to the sacrifice. If we look at the history of great achievers there would be lot of sacrifices in their lives.
In my experience I have realized that when it comes to getting opportunities & growth one should let others exploit (positively). That’s the hard reality now.
12 comments:
Looks like even you have worked - atleast read your official mails - on a sunday afternoon. If thats true, did you feel it - exploitation.
Ofcourse it is :-)
Ofcourse it is :-)
Are you trying to add a feather on his cap by exploiting him, there by letting him to gain much experience :) -> Crazy Proj Manager....
Sarath
Yes, It is!
Well if it is every sunday I would agree that it is an exploitation.
A statement made by one of the big shots in my company on work-life balance made me really think a lot. Statement follows:
"When we (Indians) start think about work-life balance and crib that we would only work for 8 hrs a day, no weekends etc we would start increasing our billing and start loosing the low cost advantage."
Its kind of scary that kids these days - believe me a person who has spent not even a year was cribbing me that work-balance is not good. Who knows slowly India might loose the competitive advantage in the years to come.
The industry still has to find its equilibrium and settle down. If people really feel exploited by the trend, the steam cannot be sustained for a long period.
Venki..at last you have made your first debut in my blog..:)
Thats absolutely true seeni. Your way of blogging is unique machan...You have been justifying your thoughts with examples..Good. This blog reminds me a famous quote "NO PAIN.NO GAIN"...I would rate 4.0 in the 5 point scale :)
SARATH
Thanks for the compliments Sarath. :)
(I will strive to reach 5 on your five point scale...)
Seeni, I kind of contradacting what you say. In my point of view, I do not agree that the more you sacrificee the more you benefit. Offcourse I agree that more effort you put in the more benefit you reap. Though it looks directly proportional, it is not actually. For example you are a bad manager, and a guy under you has put a lot of effort and sincerity to succeed a project, and you don't seem to care a penny about him then his effort and work all goes in vain. In tamil there is a famous adage "Pathiram arinthu picchai idhu". Same thing applies to your work, if you are not doing work for a appropriate person you are being exploited. The word exploited is applicable only if your work goes unnoticeable and not appreciated properly. Basically it is "Vizhalukku irraitha neer"
Also, there is another criteria. Doing your work properly, putting more work does not mean you are working hard. You may be inproductive (guys who are productive please ignore this it is not meant for you). People can cut a tree in two days, with 5 minutes sharpening of axe it can be done in a day. I have seen people who are hardworking and intelligent being in the hands of wrong team and manager have become morning buds waiting for their right sun to make the blossom.
Next thing I don't understand that how can a head just say that we will loose advantage if we start working 8 hours per day. On the other hand we have another head Murthy stating people should plan their work and should not work more than 8 hours(there is a big forward going aroung with his speech). Why there is two different opinion from two heads of the corporate?, after all they just want the work to be done in right or wrong way. Low cost advantage is a option to gain the business initially but cannot be strategy to sustain it. Though the clients are intially thrilled with low cost advantage, their long term image about a company only depends on the quality deliverable one can provide. To maintain this, young people are being exploited, with exploitation we never get quality deliverable with which we loose the clients confidence as the days pass also the interest of young engineers. Putting more effort should be let to the choice of individual not by external means.
If a guy is spending more effort out of his own interest or to shape his personality, characteristics or skill set, that is well and good. But he is being made to work for more hours by others it will not make any good to him. One should be putting more effort for the competitive advantage but not definitely through doing their regular activities.
As rightly said by venki, industry needs to set a equilibrium, if the people feel being exploited by the trend, then the steam cannot be sustained.
Barani, when you are putting more effort to achieve something you are sacrificing other things that you could do during that time.
That's justifiable in all cases.
Even if a person is working so hard putting more effort in achieving something but a bad manager is not giving proper recognition for his effort, the person would have learnt something. (at least he would have learnt dont work so hard if your manager is not good enough to give you due credits...!!!).
Anyone (should I say any good manager) would easily find whether a person is working late to complete an easy task or a tough task. An unproductive person would be exposed pretty soon. Cant pretent long.
You can say that I want all my employees to work only for 8 hrs a day. What is the ground reality in the IT industry? You very well knew it. Last night I called my friend in CTS to crib about my long working hours. After talking to him I felt good that my workign hrs it better than his. I know Wipro has a mandatory rule that employee should swipe at least 9 (or 9.5) hrs a day. Even if you dont have work.
Leave that out. my point is about the competitive advantage a person should create. No matter how smart you are you would have to put more effort (and sacrifice your personal things) on the job or for the job to go that 'extra mile'. If not, you would just be 'meeting the expectations' and there would be someone else who has stayed long and did something extras for his project/company to score good.
I have seen married people and even girls whining that bachelors have a great advantage and they spend more hrs at office and end up with good ratings. (Again it is not about spending more time, it is about doing something extra for your job....which can be achieved only by putting more efforts).
Low cost is an advantage. That's not the only advantage. no one would compromise quality for low cost for a long time. Customers are moving towards 'Faster, Better and Cheaper' mentality. Whoever gives that in a sustained manner they would be the winners.
To conclude, exploitation is not direct. It is indirect. Many people are ready to be exploited to achieve competitive advantage. If you dont it, someone else would be ready to do it. Reality.
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