3 ms·

What happens to people having no aim?

5 points by abhishekdesai 19y ago

subwindow 19y ago
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 19y ago
  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.
jgrahamc 19y ago
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 19y ago
  (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.
- abhishekdesai 19y ago
  Yes it is common for offices to work in Saturday morning in India. But that is not the point here what I am trying to make. Many people commented on by blog and I am pretty clear now that it is not necessary for people to have same kind of motivation as I have because ultimately we are different. Working on saturday morning is not bad. Most businessman in America works 7 days a week and that makes that country looks so different.
hunterjrj 19y ago
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 19y ago
  "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 19y ago
    Thanks for the info. Very interesting stuff to know, especially your point about Bangalore being an expensive city.
    - plinkplonk 19y ago
      ", 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!!).
phaedrus 19y ago
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 19y ago
  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.
skmurphy 19y ago
This reminds me of Brendan Barnicle's MyLackey E-Mail http://www.fuckedcompany.com/extras/mylackey_letter.cfm 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.
allenbrunson 19y ago
so, that fear some people had that all the software jobs were going to india? i guess we can all rest easy now.

5 points by abhishekdesai 19y ago

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 19y ago
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.

jgrahamc 19y ago

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 19y ago
(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.
abhishekdesai 19y ago
Yes it is common for offices to work in Saturday morning in India. But that is not the point here what I am trying to make. Many people commented on by blog and I am pretty clear now that it is not necessary for people to have same kind of motivation as I have because ultimately we are different. Working on saturday morning is not bad. Most businessman in America works 7 days a week and that makes that country looks so different.

hunterjrj 19y ago

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 19y ago
"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 19y ago
  Thanks for the info. Very interesting stuff to know, especially your point about Bangalore being an expensive city.
  - plinkplonk 19y ago
    ", 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!!).

phaedrus 19y ago

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 19y ago
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.

skmurphy 19y ago

This reminds me of Brendan Barnicle's MyLackey E-Mail http://www.fuckedcompany.com/extras/mylackey_letter.cfm 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.

allenbrunson 19y ago

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