Summer ‘09 in Columbus
This past summer was perhaps the longest period of doing nothing in my life. So here is how i spent my summer in Columbus, before joining D. So i graduated on 14th of June. The first week of doing nothing was fun, going to sleep at 4 AM, waking up at 1 PM, watching movies the whole day(well what ever remained for the day). On the first couple of weekends managed to squeeze in bd’s and oh yes, a five guys opened up near my apartment. The five guys fever lasted for a couple of weeks, when was then surpassed by MadMex. In the meanwhile, i thought i might as well do something productive and paid the annual membership for PMI and start preparing for CAPM (Certiified Associate in Project Management) certification. This i thought would keep me occupied for at least a month. It is not that CAPM certification will add anything exceptional to my resume by i thought it would compliment my Lean Six Sigma Certification well and would be inline with my aim of appearing for PMP(Project Management Professional) certification in mid 2010.
So, began July. Early in July my roommate and me made road trips to Atlanta and Pittsburgh, where we are going to be posted in our jobs. We finalized our apartments and signed out leases. It was fun driving across US, a total of 1,700 miles in a span of 5 days. It was spring time, the weather was great, but it rained for a few hours during our travel as we passed through Virginia(oh, beautiful Virginia). It was at this time as i drove on the freeway that i began to think, that it is this, this infrastructure, this intricate lattice work of roads, a seamless movement of men, machines and goods that India needs. It is the proverbial sustainable competitive advantage. But it is not easy or quick. It takes time, money and that all important political will and commitment to achieve the foundation that US built through the 1900s. Enough said about that. By the way, the aim of the road trip was to finalize the apartment to stay in and so i did. My apartment is right in downtown Pittsburgh. It has a beautiful view of the city from the 10th floor, it is a bit pricey 
, but it is close to office and near anything that matters in Pittsburgh, so i guess it is worth it.
So, began August. I gave my PMI CAPM certification exam and passed with flying colors(pardon the self adulation). I made some new friends in Columbus, got hooked to Counter Strike, tried out hookah at the local Egyptian restaurant and visited a couple of local clubs. All in all, August was fun.
And so it ends, a three month vacation between my MBA and first post MBA job. This was perhaps the largest vacation since the 3 month vacation between BE and Infy. Now that it is over, time to change gear, real life beckons!
It should feel great
Shouldn’t it. My MBA is done, grades are in and i am looking forward to a weekend of partying and yes of course my graduation. It occurs to me that i should feel a sense of accomplishment an unbridled feeling of joy(well not really) and yes some excitement for graduation but just feel relived. Maybe it is just the recession or maybe it is not a big deal anyway, completing the MBA i mean. Anyway MBA was fun, it changed me into something better… at least i think so
Trade off
Synergy. That ubiquitous word we find mentioned in every merger, alliance, partnership or business acquistion. That most elusive of things to actually realize business value from. Ok so, the most common synergy resides in cost efficiencies that are achieved through combining shared activities of two firms. It is THE easiest synergy to realize, if there was ever a low hanging fruit among synergies, this is it. Now, in order to achieve these cost efficiencies some people will lose there jobs, well someone will have to fire them. We slickly call it ‘active management of overhead’ or ‘SG&A trimming’ from a financial perspective or ‘right sizing’ in the realm of corporate strategy. Whatever it maybe, we state is so simply, in our case reports – an easy win, an obvious move. But it changes the life of people who are affected.I saw some one get fired the past week. I was a bit saddened by how quickly it happened, how quickly people forgot and moved on. The business student in me understands the logic behind it and does admire the ruthless effectiveness of the human machinery that kept on working inspite of this key ex-employee’s absence, but the person in me dislikes the way in which the termination was carried out. I felt like saying “show some respect” to those who oversaw the job termination.
Somethings must be done, like reducing staff but there is a civil respectful way of doing it and this way sometimes is not consistent with Effectiveness and Efficiency tenets and a trade off must made.
Stuck !!!
It is 3:55 AM EST and i am stuck at Newark on my way home back to Mumbai after a long 1 1/2 year away. It has been the most wretched half a day. What began with four hour delay at Columbus airport has now been surpassed by a 12 hour wait at Newark en route Mumbai. Well it is at times like these when we have time to think, you know really think – as there are limited number of things that you can do at the airport to pass time. People watching is fun but its charm wears off quickly especially as your frustration level with each passing minute rises
Isn’t it ironic that when we are physically stuck our mind races
Reluctance
Ah, when to the heart of man
Was it ever less than a treason
To go with the drift of things,
To yield with a grace to reason,
And bow and accept the end
Of a love or a season?
This is last paragraph of the poem “Reluctance” by Robert Frost. So so true… at least for me…
