I had my first job offer to work as an assistant accountant with a commercial automobile company. The year was 1988. I was a fresh commerce graduate. And it was perfectly natural for a young graduate to think of creativity and innovation as the only requirements for growth and development. As it happens with every young brain in that age, my mind was also full of new ideas and i used to consider it my primary duty to flood everyone i came across with those ideas.
It was a campus selection. (Yes! Simple B.Com. pass outs were offered jobs through their colleges in those times prior to LPG!) Eight of us were called for on site selection process. Finally three of us could manage to get final job offers. The salary offered was Rs. 1475 per month. Ultimately none of us finally joined but this decision had nothing to do with the compensation figures. In fact, one simple wall plate containing some instructions for the new recruits had played the spoilsport.
And what did that plate read? It just carried four simple instructions:
1. Boss is always right!
2. Shut your mouth and do your duty!
3. Any confusion? Go to number 1 !!
4. Any suggestion? Go to number 2 !!
All of us preferred not to join the place where our creativity and innovation were not welcome.
How do you rate this decision? Twenty one years have passed, and even today i can't decide. I am a teacher and entrepreneur, Krishnakant an advocate and Rajesh a school teacher. And the company? It has also grown to become indisputable market leader in its own category.
We can never have water tight compartments in life. Everything is relative. Isn't it?
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
These days will never come back!
What is it that a modern student covets most?
One view : He wants to enjoy every moment of his student life. He knows that these days will never come back and so he must make maximum out of every second available.
Second view : He wants to learn maximum and enrich his knowledge bank as much as possible. He knows that these days will never come back and so he must make maximum out of every second available.
Third view : He loves his friends and cherishes their company! He wants to enjoy every second of accompanying his friends and is always ready to sacrifice his own individual needs for the same. He knows that these days will never come back and so he must make maximum out of every second available.
Fourth view : He is confused. He knows that these days will never come back and so he must make maximum out of every second available. And so, he is even more confused. He is afraid of making any wrong choice. Hence, every day begins with a dilemma and ends in the same. When he enjoys himself or with his friends, a feeling of guilt grips him. Am i using my time to the fullest? Is this what my parents expect of me? And when, he dedicates his time to learning and personality enrichment, he also feels that he is missing something. Oh! But for the adventures of youth! The sheer pleasure of being in the right company at the right age!!
I can't offer any solutions. This post is not written to give any advice or something like that. The only purpose of this post is to throw this question open to you all, smart young readers. What do you think about this confusion? Don't you think that we need some more frank honest expressions, particularly from the young generation, on this perennial quandary?
One view : He wants to enjoy every moment of his student life. He knows that these days will never come back and so he must make maximum out of every second available.
Second view : He wants to learn maximum and enrich his knowledge bank as much as possible. He knows that these days will never come back and so he must make maximum out of every second available.
Third view : He loves his friends and cherishes their company! He wants to enjoy every second of accompanying his friends and is always ready to sacrifice his own individual needs for the same. He knows that these days will never come back and so he must make maximum out of every second available.
Fourth view : He is confused. He knows that these days will never come back and so he must make maximum out of every second available. And so, he is even more confused. He is afraid of making any wrong choice. Hence, every day begins with a dilemma and ends in the same. When he enjoys himself or with his friends, a feeling of guilt grips him. Am i using my time to the fullest? Is this what my parents expect of me? And when, he dedicates his time to learning and personality enrichment, he also feels that he is missing something. Oh! But for the adventures of youth! The sheer pleasure of being in the right company at the right age!!
I can't offer any solutions. This post is not written to give any advice or something like that. The only purpose of this post is to throw this question open to you all, smart young readers. What do you think about this confusion? Don't you think that we need some more frank honest expressions, particularly from the young generation, on this perennial quandary?