

What happens to people having no aim? - abhishekdesai
http://abhishekdesai.com/2008/04/what-happens-with-people-having-no-aim/

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subwindow
Wow. Just... Wow.

I understand that this is talking about India and I guess they have a
different work schedule than is standard here in the U.S., but this guy must
really have no clue.

To say that the need for employees to have a proper work-life balance means
that they have no aim or drive is not only wrong, it is toxic.

If this "training" is so useful, why not hold it on a non-holiday? Take it out
of the company's time, and not the employee's time.

~~~
davidw
Exactly...

> Nobody wanted to be the best in whatever they are doing. They wanted to
> enjoy the holiday they get just like any other unambitious person.

Which presents a course of action: those who want to be the best will spend
their own time to work towards that goal, and the rest can enjoy their
holiday. Trying to force people to do something they don't want is a bad
recipe.

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jgrahamc
They don't bother to use anything other than the default WordPress template.

Actually, this is a good example of a thought that someone has that shouldn't
have been made public. It's especially clear when the author has to say in
bold that he's not criticizing his team. If I was on his team I'd be upset as
being seen as an aimless, zombie.

Note that it's quite common in India for offices to work on a Saturday
morning.

~~~
plinkplonk
(Note: I am an Indian and live in Bangalore)

"Note that it's quite common in India for offices to work on a Saturday
morning."

 _Some_ offices (mostly very small companies) work on Saturdays. Most software
companies have a 5 day work week Monday to Friday, same as everywhere else.

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phaedrus
Amid all the criticism I'm seeing of this guy in the comments - yes, as
jgrahamc pointed out, this post expressed a thought that shouldn't have been
made public - let's back up and discuss what he's really talking about.
Imagine if he had expressed the question more tactfully, by not mentioning his
team specifically: It does raise an interesting question, one I myself have
often wondered about. How/why do some (most?) people go through life with no
ambition? What makes them tick? How do they stand crap jobs and not want to
have a better one, or want to be better at what they do?

~~~
davidw
The realization that they just want to float through and maximize for
happiness, rather than chase after things that they don't feel that they can
achieve in any case?

Not for me, but I think I can see the point of view.

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skmurphy
This reminds me of Brendan Barnicle's MyLackey E-Mail
<http://www.fuckedcompany.com/extras/mylackey_letter.cfm> With 50 people you
have to start measuring results not focus on effort or face time in the
office. I would be interested in what the employees feel would be the best way
to improve quality and productivity. They might opt for other changes than
working longer hours.

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hunterjrj
This makes me wonder if unions exist in India. I know nothing of the politics
in that country, however if the freedom exists for the people to form a union
and larger organizations treat their employees like this manager-of-the-year,
I wonder how long it will be before they form?

~~~
plinkplonk
"This makes me wonder if unions exist in India."

Most manufacturing industries are _heavily_ unionized. Outside manufacturing,
there is mixture of unionized and non unionized labor. India has been riding
an economic boom for the last decade or so, and though there is a lot of
misery among the uneducated/illiterate folks (and there are plenty of those),
for people who've made it through college, it is raining jobs. Unions have
lost some of their power under the relentless rise of opportunity.

All that said, the software industry is _not_ unionized.

There were a few tentative moves in that direction, but these were driven by
politicians trying to get a few more votes and didn't get too much traction
with the developer folks.

Frankly most developers in the local software industry are waiting for their
H1 visas (and eventually green cards). Who wants to rock the boat? Everyone is
rolling in money (Bangalore is more expensive than some American cities).
Hardly a conducive atmosphere for unions!

~~~
hunterjrj
Thanks for the info. Very interesting stuff to know, especially your point
about Bangalore being an expensive city.

~~~
plinkplonk
", especially your point about Bangalore being an expensive city."

I think I should have been clearer. As far as I know Bangalore is either the
most expensive or second most expensive city In India. (reliable statistics
are hard to come by).

To clarify.

Bangalore is expensive in terms of real estate / housing. I've been looking to
buy a house and I was quoted close to 2000 $ per square foot for a good
_apartment_ ! Insane!

Hotel rooms are booked months in advance and _very_ expensive.

Food /clothing etc is cheaper than in the USA , (though more expensive than
almost anywhere else in India (excluding Bombay, perhaps). Traffic is a total
snarl up at peak hours and power and water supplies are creaking (but holding
up, barely, so far). The more urban parts of Bangalore have good internet
connectivity (about35 $ a month for an always on , unlimited download
connection).

All that said, I wouldn't live anywhere else (in India). Bangalore is no
Silicon Valley , but what genuine technical talent exists in India is right
here (though submerged in the crowd of those who barely know how to write
"hello world" , but get "Senior Architect" type jobs in the large outsourcing
firms!!).

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allenbrunson
so, that fear some people had that all the software jobs were going to india?
i guess we can all rest easy now.

