Corporate Musings: Of Peace, Productivity and Purpose!
I closed the laptop even before it shut down. My hand was already reaching out for my mobile phone. I'd checked it about ten minutes ago. But life can change in ten minutes. Especially if that girl you've been tacitly hitting on chooses to initiate a chat-even if the message reads just "Hi". Or what's better - the notification that makes your heart skip a beat: "A recruiter has viewed your profile"
A few cubicles away, Rahul and Vinay were closing their laptops with a thud and reaching out for their phones. I could guess that Rahul was shopping for his date. And Vinay was already checking his mail on phone, for issues that could have occurred in the last forty five seconds to one minute.
There was a comfortable silence in Office. The silence that marks the end of a hard day. That happy silence that prevails when the rest of the to-do list can wait for tomorrow. That easy silence which lends to philosophical conversations with colleagues you could safely call friends.
"Yours is an OCD, Vinay" I mocked, as he feverishly unlocked his mail on phone. He ignored my comment and continued checking the mail. "I've always wondered how anything we do here, any issue we resolve...impacts the world outside. So after a certain time....things can wait. Peace."
"Which is why you should focus equally on personal life"said Rahul.
"Like you focus on your girlfriend?" Vinay interjected, looking away from the phone for the first time in the last five minutes.
"Fiancee now. I have personal commitments to look forward to. Productivity - in here and outside." corrected Rahul.
" I haven't thought about personal life much. My goal is the corner office by 45. Here...or anywhere else. I'm willing to do anything it takes. Purpose." said Vinay.
I pulled up a chair and settled down in between the two guys I'd come to befriend in office in the last year. All of us had embraced corporate life- again - after post graduation. The second innings, we had hoped, would transform our lives and careers. And on the surface, it quite did. We had better salaries, more glamorous sounding designations and mouthful of jargon that we could throw to confuse external and internal customers alike. Yet, a couple of years on, there was something gnawing at our spirits which refused to go away - after crunching numbers, wiping to do lists clean and closing that coveted order on Salesforce.
"Are either of you....concerned about Peace...and being happy in life? I've always wondered how being corporate is going to get us there." I thought aloud, while my eyes continually scanned the job site for the next corporate opportunity that might help me earn that thirty percent more. I must admit I'm continually torn between the practicality of life and the detachment one might experience if we simplify it.
"That's for when you are sixty. Now it's about ambition, success. Climbing the ladder" Vinay said, with closed fists that punched the air in energy. This guy could become a motivational speaker.
"But for all the effort you are putting my friend, your name still hasn't reached Headquarters. And everyday, you put yourself under unnecessary pressure" I said, with the serenity of a monk on my face, but knowing full well that I needed to step up my game at office.
"Listen guys" Rahul interjected. "May be, you staying peaceful and oblivious to your growth won't help....and may be stressing about performance all the time won't either. Do your bit and leave the rest. There are plenty of things to look forward to....in this wide world"
But what were those things....I always wondered. The bugger Maslow had put useless words and ideas into our system. While most people were happy with a stable job, decent pay and the perks that it brings along, here we were, looking to make sense of life, thinking how we could put our boundless energy and limitless intellect (no...we were not exactly humble, as we chatted up that day) to benefit us and if possible, the society at large. The path to "self-actualisation" - whatever that meant!
"We need to do something that shoots us to the limelight" urged Vinay. "A startup idea that is the next big thing. The Bansal's shipped books in their car...look at where they are now"
"Agreed...their net worth is hundreds of crores now. Imagine what they could do with all the money" Rahul joined in. The mention of money had the same effect that his fiancee's message had on him, give or take a couple of decibels in voice and a shade or two of the light in his eyes.
"I would retire and pursue my interests - if I had so much money. Enough of being corporate."I said, as a matter of fact. Ambition was never my strength. To be good at something, had no higher motive. I was going to school. So I better be good at studies. I played cricket. So I'd rather be good at it. The company was paying me - so I'd rather work hard. The rest somehow didn't matter. Hikes would come. But I'd never fight for the better-than-my-neighbour-hike. Being simple and single, meant I had more than I could spend anyways.
"Rome wasn't built in a day guys." I continued. "Growth takes time. It'll come when it has to come. Focus on it. But don't obsess." I had perched on top of the table now. "Let things be....just be...." I extended my arms, mimicking a sea of calm.
"Haan..this is one way to lead life. Just be. Don't worry, the wind will take us to an island. And the island will be our home. We will have a home anyways. Why do you want to take that particular course to reach that particular island? This is your point right...Alok?" asked Rahul, the tinge of sarcasm evident in his voice.
"Yaar...am atleast trying to enjoy the journey! We'll all get to be on the journey only once...right? Why do you have worry so much to be on a particular island? For all you know....once you reach the island, you may not like it! You were thrilled when you took up this role.....and within a year...you are already up for a change!" My voice had some conviction for the first time that evening. It felt like scoring a brownie point in a group discussion for a job back in college.I'd attended quite a few of them before I landed a decent job. And I was now eager to attend a few more for the same purpose.
"I'll never get this funda about islands" Vinay interjected. "But all I know, is that I want to be the captain of my ship. I'll not buckle down and take orders from someone...anyone" And his phone started ringing. The Universe seemed to have heard his vow. "Yes Sir. Will do that right away. Oh no...my laptop is not shutdown yet....next ten minutes...I'll create the chart too...Sure Sir. Yes.." Rahul and I burst out laughing as he cut the call. "Arey....wo tho Boss tha" Vinay explained, remembering what he had said a moment ago. "I need to captain his ship too...." Nice recovery indeed, we thought.
The conversation lulled into silence. Irrespective of the views we expressed, fact remained that we tried to answer a lot of questions to ourselves. We wanted to matter to the world, to our kin and though we hated to admit, we wanted to matter to ourselves. The last one probably was the toughest. Many jobs later, lakhs of rupees later and crucially, millions of minutes later, when we'd look back.... questions would come back to haunt us.
Did we live the Life someone else envisioned for us? Was our Success defined by our parameters or did Society decide that for us? Did we make money....or did we make memories? Was our construct of happiness defined by us or did we bluff ourselves to feeling happy? Did we bluff about being happy too?
Was being successful...being happy? Or was being happy....being successful?
Vinay had completed the task assigned by his Boss. His eyes were slightly red. He noticed it that we'd noticed that too.
"You are right Alok.....may be I shouldn't fuss about all this so much. I'll take some of your Peace" he said, in a sombre tone.
"On that note, my evening now has Purpose Vinay. She is upset I haven't responded to her texts in the last half hour I spent with you guys. Need to do some fire-dousing!" Rahul said, and rushed out.
I looked into my phone for the first time in the last half hour. She still hadn't seen my forward that was an implied conversation starter. I flipped windows. Nope. No recruiter had viewed my profile in the last half hour either. Clearly, my Productivity had a long way to go!
- 30th May 2018
There was a comfortable silence in Office. The silence that marks the end of a hard day. That happy silence that prevails when the rest of the to-do list can wait for tomorrow. That easy silence which lends to philosophical conversations with colleagues you could safely call friends.
"Yours is an OCD, Vinay" I mocked, as he feverishly unlocked his mail on phone. He ignored my comment and continued checking the mail. "I've always wondered how anything we do here, any issue we resolve...impacts the world outside. So after a certain time....things can wait. Peace."
"Which is why you should focus equally on personal life"said Rahul.
"Like you focus on your girlfriend?" Vinay interjected, looking away from the phone for the first time in the last five minutes.
"Fiancee now. I have personal commitments to look forward to. Productivity - in here and outside." corrected Rahul.
" I haven't thought about personal life much. My goal is the corner office by 45. Here...or anywhere else. I'm willing to do anything it takes. Purpose." said Vinay.
I pulled up a chair and settled down in between the two guys I'd come to befriend in office in the last year. All of us had embraced corporate life- again - after post graduation. The second innings, we had hoped, would transform our lives and careers. And on the surface, it quite did. We had better salaries, more glamorous sounding designations and mouthful of jargon that we could throw to confuse external and internal customers alike. Yet, a couple of years on, there was something gnawing at our spirits which refused to go away - after crunching numbers, wiping to do lists clean and closing that coveted order on Salesforce.
"Are either of you....concerned about Peace...and being happy in life? I've always wondered how being corporate is going to get us there." I thought aloud, while my eyes continually scanned the job site for the next corporate opportunity that might help me earn that thirty percent more. I must admit I'm continually torn between the practicality of life and the detachment one might experience if we simplify it.
"That's for when you are sixty. Now it's about ambition, success. Climbing the ladder" Vinay said, with closed fists that punched the air in energy. This guy could become a motivational speaker.
"But for all the effort you are putting my friend, your name still hasn't reached Headquarters. And everyday, you put yourself under unnecessary pressure" I said, with the serenity of a monk on my face, but knowing full well that I needed to step up my game at office.
"Listen guys" Rahul interjected. "May be, you staying peaceful and oblivious to your growth won't help....and may be stressing about performance all the time won't either. Do your bit and leave the rest. There are plenty of things to look forward to....in this wide world"
But what were those things....I always wondered. The bugger Maslow had put useless words and ideas into our system. While most people were happy with a stable job, decent pay and the perks that it brings along, here we were, looking to make sense of life, thinking how we could put our boundless energy and limitless intellect (no...we were not exactly humble, as we chatted up that day) to benefit us and if possible, the society at large. The path to "self-actualisation" - whatever that meant!
"We need to do something that shoots us to the limelight" urged Vinay. "A startup idea that is the next big thing. The Bansal's shipped books in their car...look at where they are now"
"Agreed...their net worth is hundreds of crores now. Imagine what they could do with all the money" Rahul joined in. The mention of money had the same effect that his fiancee's message had on him, give or take a couple of decibels in voice and a shade or two of the light in his eyes.
"I would retire and pursue my interests - if I had so much money. Enough of being corporate."I said, as a matter of fact. Ambition was never my strength. To be good at something, had no higher motive. I was going to school. So I better be good at studies. I played cricket. So I'd rather be good at it. The company was paying me - so I'd rather work hard. The rest somehow didn't matter. Hikes would come. But I'd never fight for the better-than-my-neighbour-hike. Being simple and single, meant I had more than I could spend anyways.
"Rome wasn't built in a day guys." I continued. "Growth takes time. It'll come when it has to come. Focus on it. But don't obsess." I had perched on top of the table now. "Let things be....just be...." I extended my arms, mimicking a sea of calm.
"Haan..this is one way to lead life. Just be. Don't worry, the wind will take us to an island. And the island will be our home. We will have a home anyways. Why do you want to take that particular course to reach that particular island? This is your point right...Alok?" asked Rahul, the tinge of sarcasm evident in his voice.
"Yaar...am atleast trying to enjoy the journey! We'll all get to be on the journey only once...right? Why do you have worry so much to be on a particular island? For all you know....once you reach the island, you may not like it! You were thrilled when you took up this role.....and within a year...you are already up for a change!" My voice had some conviction for the first time that evening. It felt like scoring a brownie point in a group discussion for a job back in college.I'd attended quite a few of them before I landed a decent job. And I was now eager to attend a few more for the same purpose.
"I'll never get this funda about islands" Vinay interjected. "But all I know, is that I want to be the captain of my ship. I'll not buckle down and take orders from someone...anyone" And his phone started ringing. The Universe seemed to have heard his vow. "Yes Sir. Will do that right away. Oh no...my laptop is not shutdown yet....next ten minutes...I'll create the chart too...Sure Sir. Yes.." Rahul and I burst out laughing as he cut the call. "Arey....wo tho Boss tha" Vinay explained, remembering what he had said a moment ago. "I need to captain his ship too...." Nice recovery indeed, we thought.
The conversation lulled into silence. Irrespective of the views we expressed, fact remained that we tried to answer a lot of questions to ourselves. We wanted to matter to the world, to our kin and though we hated to admit, we wanted to matter to ourselves. The last one probably was the toughest. Many jobs later, lakhs of rupees later and crucially, millions of minutes later, when we'd look back.... questions would come back to haunt us.
Did we live the Life someone else envisioned for us? Was our Success defined by our parameters or did Society decide that for us? Did we make money....or did we make memories? Was our construct of happiness defined by us or did we bluff ourselves to feeling happy? Did we bluff about being happy too?
Was being successful...being happy? Or was being happy....being successful?
Vinay had completed the task assigned by his Boss. His eyes were slightly red. He noticed it that we'd noticed that too.
"You are right Alok.....may be I shouldn't fuss about all this so much. I'll take some of your Peace" he said, in a sombre tone.
"On that note, my evening now has Purpose Vinay. She is upset I haven't responded to her texts in the last half hour I spent with you guys. Need to do some fire-dousing!" Rahul said, and rushed out.
I looked into my phone for the first time in the last half hour. She still hadn't seen my forward that was an implied conversation starter. I flipped windows. Nope. No recruiter had viewed my profile in the last half hour either. Clearly, my Productivity had a long way to go!
- 30th May 2018
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