Wipro is my favorite company; I have never worked there, but was associated as a service provider. I always admired the Wipro way, it’s has produced the most number of entrepreneurs and some of the best know CEO’s in the industry, it is also very institutional by DNA.
Wipro has an ID card tag color system, were a person who is 4-years old in the organization gets to wear a different color ID tag. I always felt that it’s a cool HR concept, just to look around and see how many people are there with purple tags and feel good that the organization has retained its people.
This week I got my own “Mont Blanc” with my name printed on it, it a sign that I completed 5-years in the organization. Otherwise overly enthusiastic me, was completely emotionless and did not feel anything at all. Madhu’s words echoed over and over making everything sound trivial.
Few weeks ago, Madhu, my ex-Boss called me over for lunch, as ever we both got talking a lot about everything including our ex-colleagues who have been in the same company for several years. “Companies feel that your ex-colleagues are not risk takers”, was Madhu’s response to my view on how companies would like to hire people with very stable profiles, it took me by surprise. My immediate question was “do you feel the same about me?” he tired to sound diplomatic, but I had his view on it already.
“Not risk takers” haunts me every day; I tried to question my stand on this point in many ways and searched for answers.
- Will working in an organization for too long make your profile look like less risk taking?
As one spends longer time in an organization, there is always a comfort zone that develops, making you dependent and committed to it. Our social instinct of nurturing what we have takes away the imagination or the need to think out of the comfort zone making us less and less risk taking. But, is risk taking really positive, will it not be perceived as recklessness? Well, it’s as good as assessing a debtor’s ability to pay or willingness to pay based on past records.
- Are you able to do your job well or capable of doing your job well?
As the circle of influence develops over a period of time, ability to get things done becomes directly proportional to the time spent in the organization, undermining the actual capability of getting things done. No one really cares if it’s the ability or capability, if what ever has to be done gets done.
In the hindsight, when the best was about to come I had quit my earlier 3 jobs, did better than I would have in my earlier job. Never regretted, primarily, because I was determined to prove myself that I took the right decision and secondly because I was fearless.
Wipro has an ID card tag color system, were a person who is 4-years old in the organization gets to wear a different color ID tag. I always felt that it’s a cool HR concept, just to look around and see how many people are there with purple tags and feel good that the organization has retained its people.
This week I got my own “Mont Blanc” with my name printed on it, it a sign that I completed 5-years in the organization. Otherwise overly enthusiastic me, was completely emotionless and did not feel anything at all. Madhu’s words echoed over and over making everything sound trivial.
Few weeks ago, Madhu, my ex-Boss called me over for lunch, as ever we both got talking a lot about everything including our ex-colleagues who have been in the same company for several years. “Companies feel that your ex-colleagues are not risk takers”, was Madhu’s response to my view on how companies would like to hire people with very stable profiles, it took me by surprise. My immediate question was “do you feel the same about me?” he tired to sound diplomatic, but I had his view on it already.
“Not risk takers” haunts me every day; I tried to question my stand on this point in many ways and searched for answers.
- Will working in an organization for too long make your profile look like less risk taking?
As one spends longer time in an organization, there is always a comfort zone that develops, making you dependent and committed to it. Our social instinct of nurturing what we have takes away the imagination or the need to think out of the comfort zone making us less and less risk taking. But, is risk taking really positive, will it not be perceived as recklessness? Well, it’s as good as assessing a debtor’s ability to pay or willingness to pay based on past records.
- Are you able to do your job well or capable of doing your job well?
As the circle of influence develops over a period of time, ability to get things done becomes directly proportional to the time spent in the organization, undermining the actual capability of getting things done. No one really cares if it’s the ability or capability, if what ever has to be done gets done.
In the hindsight, when the best was about to come I had quit my earlier 3 jobs, did better than I would have in my earlier job. Never regretted, primarily, because I was determined to prove myself that I took the right decision and secondly because I was fearless.
Today, when I am convinced that Madhu is right, there is a sense of unwilling to try ‘living on the edge’, does it make me less fearless or more of a coward? What ever it is, it has shaken me up and is making me restless…..
- Kavitha Reddy