Kabir Bedi OR Kiran Bedi?

Those were my initial days in DSQ. Just out of college…I hardly had any industry exposure or experience. But I used to be a bundle of energy (even now I sometimes feel, I am more energetic than some college fresh grads!). I knew nothing on IT or Computers! But was radiating with confidence…had a lot of guts to question anything and everything under the sky…truly I was in a state of what you call (ignorance is) bliss!

Readers please note that right from the time I started talking as a kid till this date, I have this disease of ‘verbal’ diarrhea. No medication works. Even the strongest medication was tried (my hubby’s rude advice and criticism which ended up in ‘Mouna vrat’ for a few days… I mean he refused to speak to me). Nothing works! L

One of our senior VPs, who was impressed with my articulation of thoughts and (a few) ideas, called me to meet him one-on-one. May be he liked my energy?! I am still wondering what made him call me because I am sure he repents it till today J

He was asking me what my aim in life was and what ambitions I had. I was so excited that such a senior person was talking to me. He asked me what I wanted to become. I was (in full-flow) telling him very animatedly all the people I admire. I said I liked Jayalalitha’s courage in dealing with issues. So far, so good! Then, I said, I wanted to become like ‘Kabir Bedi’….

See, now, don’t laugh at me! I told you I was excited. Least, did I think that growing a beard would be a challenge! I just spurt it out but realized I made some mistake somewhere. My VP had a twitched brow, a face full of question marks and very hesitantly, he asked “You mean, er, hm, Kiran Bedi?”. Knowing girls of this age, may be he was unsure if I really wanted a gender change or I had made a mistake. I was magnanimous enough to admit that it was just a slip of the tongue (it was a slide, not a slip!). I retorted “Yes, yes, the same Bedi!” with a very ‘matter-of-fact’ look on my face. He then breathed a sigh of relief… He then quickly concluded the conversation and let me go.

The next I heard about him was when he had quit DSQ in a week’s time after that. Now, don’t blame me for it! I am innocent…

Why Processes? - Contd...

Part 3:

Since we can’t leave tasks to be performed differently by different individuals, we try to streamline activities by framing processes around them.

But, why is quality always looked at as ‘documentation’ or an overload of that? Why should we document? Is there any relationship between ‘process-focus’ and ‘documentation’ at all? Do we need SEI or ISO to tell us we are process-oriented? Why?

Let us take the example of your mother making ‘Dal’ or some delicious ‘Sambar’ in her kitchen…

She has the process ‘institutionalized’ in herself. She is habituated to making it a thousand times. Hence, she need not go through a manual or look at a written down process. She knows clearly what she is doing.

On the other hand, you/your wife/sister/brother want to emulate her cooking skills. You need to note down (document?!) the process, follow it a few times until you become an expert!

Alternatively, you could watch her and repeat the steps. But that is not scalable! You can’t really pass it on to the others who may want the recipe…

That is exactly what we do in business. We have some experts. They have tried and tested many recipes for successful projects. They have documented all that worked (and those that did not too!). If they had not documented or felt lethargic about it, we would be reinventing the wheel now! What a waste of everything it would have been?!

Now, you may ask me, why do I have to document my own project-related details (why a requirements document, a design doc and a test plan)? Well, wait for me to continue on more ‘whys’…

Why Processes?

Part 1:

Those of you who have ‘worked’ with me ;-) would know how much I philosophize on this subject. The main reason being, all the quality manuals/policies/procedure documents/guidelines/templates of any company would have loads and loads of information on How/What/When/Which/Where/Who and what not? But, there would not be any mention on “Why we need these processes”. May be the Quality Evangelists always thought that this is a silly question. And, it is “understood”.

The fact of the matter is, unless we face a challenging situation, we never realize, as practitioners, “Why” we need these processes.

Without asking a “Why” knowledge is not complete. For those of you who follow Tamil and have watched our evergreen “Puratchi Thalaivar” singing “En endra kelvi ingu ketkamal vazhkai illai” (translated “there is no life if we do not ask the question why”).

Asking a why enriches the knowledge by making one understand the rhyme and reason for every theory/concept/action.

So, again, WHY processes?
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Part 2:

There are successful small-timers who do not have processes. But they have to have the same set of people executing the projects.

So, first step, we need processes so that what person A does very well is repeatable by person B (and all the others), in more or less the same precision as person A. This is the baby step towards becoming BIG. Avoid ‘people-dependency’.

Else, we would stay in that ’small-timer’ position until we breathe our last.

However, the choice is yours! Do you want to grow “BIG” or remain where you are and be contented with that? Ask yourself…

More to come…

My Blog Post Categories

I plan to categorzie my posts under the following headings? Makes sense?

1. Fun 'n' Frolic
2. Processes
3. Project Management
4. Team Building
5. Communication
6. Personality Development

Any modifications required?

Manager? Whats the big deal?

Why should there be so much hype about 'Managers'? We all are managers in our own respect, aren't we? Let me tell you how.

When you are a team member (does not matter if you are a developer or a tester), you need to 'manage' your code/testing with the time allotted and the quality expected. Other than this you also need to manage very well your peer groups, coffee sessions, luncheons, outings - all this and more without creating a dent on your work! Though your official responsibility ends ONLY with your work, since what you do is the 'core' of software services, there is so much more responsibility on you!!

When you become a 'Lead', you once again 'manage' your time with your deliverables, deadlines, quality, teams, management, personal life, et al. Here you are held responsible not only for your work but also that of your teams.

The 'Manager' is a little more loaded because for no fault of his, he can actually be punished. So, if the manager is smart, he will know how to delegate work to the right people and stay in peace. This is the main challenge as a Manager. If this hurdle is crossed, then what is the big deal being a 'Manager'?

Thought will pick your brains on this.

My first interview…a debacle!

Last semester in the college; lots of campus interview schedules were posted on the notice boards. Friends had all of a sudden turned competitors in life. Everything looked challenging and strange. A whole host of Aptitude Tests, GDs (no, not my name…I meant the Group Discussions), Tech Interviews and Personal Interviews were happening all around. There were shouts of joy and ramblings of disappointments…

I was nervous. I had to attend interviews too. But I had stumbling blocks in the Aptis and GDs (you see, GDs in any form is a pain!). There was this company (anonymity maintained, so that my reputation is saved!) who had called for an interview first. So there I was in my first interview without having to undergo (and fail) any of the tests and discussions.

At the appointed hour, I presented myself, in front of the interview panel. It was a 4 member team. The job was for a ‘Marketing’ position. I have always been proud of my gift of the gab! So I was sure to talk my way through.

After the initial round of introductions and background stories (in which I gave an exemplary performance), one of the interviewers asked me (straight in my eye): “What would you propose as a marketing strategy for marketing product x in India?” I am not joking but I could kind of feel my head spin. I thought, and thought and thought…then I said. “Look, I have a mental block. I am unable to answer this question.”

I guess the interviewer empathized with me. He asked me to sip the water from the glass kept there and asked me some other ‘general’ questions about our campus-life and degree and all that. I was so bright in answering all these questions. Then after a few minutes, another guy shot the second question “What are the various marketing techniques that you have come across?” Once again, I went blank… Once again, I had the same feeling of my head-spinning…Once again, I thought, and thought and thought…Once again, I said (a little bit apologetically), “See, I have a mental block. Can I answer this question after sometime?” The panel members looked at each other. I felt like killing myself as I knew very well that look meant “What the hell is she here for?”

They were growing impatient with my ‘mental block’. So again a couple of other light-weight questions/discussions. By now, the third interviewer asked me “Now, let me give you a case study. Let us say, your area is not yielding results in marketing product y. How will you approach this problem and meet your targets?” Needless to say, I said the same words again, shamelessly.

The panel now became silent. Now they asked me if I had any questions. If I had had the experience that I have today, I would have understood what that meant. But so gullible that I was, that I asked them “Do I stand a chance to be offered an appointment in your esteemed organization?”

The look that the interviewers gave me now, conveyed that my ‘mental block’ was transferred to them… if only they had had the power to bring me down to ashes, I am sure they would have done that. Thankfully, I escaped!!!

Puff...puff...here comes my first post...

Thanks all who encouraged me to start my own blog. Incidentally, I also attended a forum on techniques of good writing. Some experts kept insisting writing is Science. I strongly disagreed, though! It has to be an ART! Otherwise, how come all those who top their Science papers in school do not usually come out well in their Literature papers?! If a Research Scientist could also write gripping tales, he is really a gifted person. Well, well...my first post is not about whether Writing is an Art or a Science... it is just a launch post...

I would be talking about projects and the goof-ups, some fun stories from my personal life, some of my friends, some incidents which left a deep impact in me, when I cried most, when I laughed most and what not? Welcome all to the world of GD!