Choices and crossroads

Hackers and terrorist attacks

2008-09-14T07:05:00.000-07:00

With terrorists donning the dual role of hackers, it is time that we wake up to the world of cyber crime or then face the consequences of our actions.

Just a couple of months earlier we had US citizen Kenneth Heywood, who was living in Gujarat coming under scrutiny of the Anti Terror Squad (ATI) as his wi-fi (wireless fidelity) network got compromised by hackers/ terrorists to send an email on the serial blasts that took place in Gujarat.

Even while Heywood is waiting for his name to get cleared and for his life to return to normalcy, we have another unaware ‘common citizen’ this time in Chembur, Mumbai crying hoarse for becoming a ‘victim of technology.’

“Hacking has become a terror for common citizens like us,” said Sarika Kamath whose unsecured wi-fi (wireless fidelity) network caused her Internet Protocol (IP) address to be tracked by the ATI to the ill-fated terror email of the Delhi serial blasts.

Claiming to be innocent and hard-working people, Kamath alleges that her unsecured wi-fi network was compromised by hackers/ terrorists to send the email as the ATI questions her.

So, as broadband penetration and computer density increases, it is time to answer a few tough questions. How long can ‘common citizens’ avoid taking the responsibility for adopting a few basic security measures? What can we do to educate the ‘common citizens’ about cyber security concerns and ensure enforcement of basic security measures?

On a side note: Even the toughest security can be broken by sophisticated hackers. In articles published on September 12 and 13, UK newspapers claim that a group of Greek hackers had gained access to one of the computers on the CERN network on the day the first tests with the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) started.

The hackers put up a rogue webpage on the server. In the text on the page the hackers called themselves Greek Security Team and referred to the IT security staff on the project as "a bunch of schoolkids."

"We're pulling your pants down because we don't want to see you running around naked looking to hide yourselves when the panic comes," both The Telegraph and The Times quoted the posting in Greek left by the hackers.

Searching for the right fit

2008-09-11T23:16:00.000-07:00

People are fickle, but we are generally rational, so read the entry in one of marketing guru Seth Godin’s blogposts (http://sethgodin.typepad.com/). Whilst this entry was related to people making choices and marketing rational for buyers’ behavior, I was relating it to my search and people’s search in general for finding the right fit job.

According to the software industry apex body, Nasscom, the Indian IT/ BPO industry will employ close to 2 million people by end of 2008. The growth and impact of the tech sector on the Indian economy can be traced from its contribution to the GDP from 1.2 per cent in1998 to 5.5 per cent in 2008. However, even as the industry braces to cross total revenues for software and services of US$75 billion by 2010 one of its major pain points remains around talent and manpower attraction and retention.

Take for instance, the BPO industry. It is faced with attrition rates of close to 35 per cent according to /www.bpoindia.org/, whereas some companies have a churn rate of close to 100 per cent per annum. It is estimated that the industry would recruit 1.1 million people within the year 2008 and this is excluding replacement hiring.

As a follower of the IT/ BPO industry for close to a decade now as an insider and outsider, I have seen the companies change their stance from being just customer oriented to employee oriented. Yet the amount of research that goes into understanding the employees, its aspirations and making policies that keep employees interests at the forefront is negligible as compared to the amount of research that goes into discovering new markets, marketing spend and creating brands.

Of course, with the huge recruitment targets that companies have, they have woken up to the branding game. Hence rational people looking for a change would try and associate themselves with the companies portrayed image before they join the organisation.

Reasons for switching	Seth Godin on consumers switching product loyalty	Jobs
Matter to me:	Not matter to you or to the next guy, but matter to me. That's all I care about. (Example: it might mean more to me that my friends use your product than it does that you're cheaper).	Not matter to you or to the next guy, but matter to me. That's all I care about. (Having friends and people that I can relate to within the company.)
Worldview:	Based on the way I see the world, the assumptions I make, the truth that I believe in. (Example: If I don't trust young people as a matter of course, I'm not likely to choose you if you're young, all other things being close).	Based on the way I see the world, the assumptions I make, the truth that I believe in. (Example: If I don't trust young people/ startups/ entrepreneurial aspirations as a matter of course, I'm not likely to choose you if you're young, all other things being close).
Options I'm aware of:	If I don't know about you, you don't exist.	If I don't know about you, you don't exist.
Switching cost:	The incumbent gets a huge advantage, especially in high cost/high risk/network effect instances.	The incumbent gets a huge advantage, especially new title/ designation/ higher salary, compensation package.

Companies are building and maintaining competitive advantage in the job seekers market by implementing good HR practices. Some of the practices to retain and attract skilled resources include more involved HR, employee integration, management spending face time with employees to induce higher emotional attachment, provision for crèche, providing utility services like payment of bills, booking of tickets, restaurants, flexi work timings, focus on imparting new skills and higher training benefits. Besides, companies are also building of a brand name for creating awareness and attracting resources by larger media spends.

However, the reasons an employee chooses a company are not "we are #1!", "we are better!" and "we try harder." “Cheerleading skills are not a competitive advantage in most settings,” says Seth Godin. Here's what your board (prospective employer) wants to know:

Product Marketing (Seth Godin)	Recruiting new employee
What's your competitive advantage?	What's your competitive advantage?
Is it really, or are you dreaming it up?	Is the company your dream company?
How long will it last?	How long will your stint at the company last?
Can your competition copy it?	Can the competition lure you with higher money – is money your only motivation factor?
Does it resonate with the part of the market that is looking to buy?	Does the job profile suit you and is the role you were looking for?
Is the advantage big enough to overcome the switching cost?	Is the advantage that you (job seeker) bring to the table big enough to overcome the switching cost?

Friends and relationship status message

2008-09-11T04:16:00.000-07:00

In the good old days when a relationship blossomed or did not work it was simple. It was between the two people. Announcing to friends and family was on a selective basis and a gradual process. And if things did not work out for the couple involved, each went their own way or remained friends.

Yes, for common friends it could get complicated but with time such matters were resolved diplomatically.

Coming to the present, Facebook and social networking era. When in a relationship, the whole world can be told about it, in a single instant - a status change : xxxx is in a relationship with xyxyx. If it’s a complicated relationship, no problem, Face Book has an answer – its complicated. And when its over- there is the heart break sign and xxx is single update message. Nothing is personal any longer.

As for common friends, with Facebook, thank God, atleast the guessing game is over. If you don’t announce on Facebook, that means there is something fishy-- the couple is under pressure to know where the relationship is heading themselves.

And incase of an extreme case of a split in common friends and the need for friends to take sides. You could have friends lobbying to drop his/ or her ex from your list of friends. Its not just for fun that we are building communities and adding friends are we? Take a stand, be a friend, so it goes..

So, what are you doing these days?

2008-09-08T03:27:00.000-07:00

A picturesque life is that where there are no blips. A new job, boyfriend and even finding the perfect home all happen as and when you will it. There are no breaks.

Mine on the contrary, is full of blips. Currently, on a professional break, I am also single at 30. I have no excuses to explain the sorry state that I find myself often in while answering the question – so, what are you doing these days? I will write about being single and the issues related to it in another post. For now, I shall focus on taking a professional break.

The question is not as simple as it sounds. It is not Twitter, that asks you to define - what are you doing. The question requires a more meaningful answer than just saying - I am feeling sleepy. I am looking forward to the 3pm tea break, I am waiting for the day to get over or catching up with friends or working overtime to meet a deadline. Period.

Whilst the truth is that each one of us is driven by our goals and desires like searching for the perfect job, perfect relationship or finding the perfect home. The real question is - in this age of multi tasking, where speed and shorter time to market drive businesses, can individuals taking time off professionally, really survive? Is it necessary to seek a more meaningful existence by having a meaningful nothingness phase?

The truth is this is not my first professional break. I had taken one five years earlier. I needed to rethink my career choice. I had then made a switch from sales to journalism. Call it a quirk of fate, five years down the line, I once again landed in a sales/ business development job.

So, coming back to the original question- what are you doing these days, I have no real/ in-depth answer. I quit my job thinking I would become a freelancer/ writer. Two weeks into writing and searching for assignments and projects, I came to face with one of my real weaknesses – my inability to negotiate and talk money. The reason, I hated the sales jobs.

Third week into being jobless, I planned a backpacking holiday to Europe – might as well make the most of being unemployed. But the fear of being away from the network and 24/7 connectivity (getting a real job) took precedence over the need to have a holiday amongst other reasons.

Hence, while I am struggling with a more meaningful answer on how to spend my free time, and being gainfully productive, anyone who has ideas on what could be the next big idea – to make a million may be a billion dollars? May be, its entrepreneurship beckoning this time!!

Don’t take yourself too seriously

2008-08-12T00:30:00.000-07:00

Failure is extremely difficult to handle. But the only way to emerge stronger is by asking a question - what did this experience teach you?

My stint at Zensar Technologies was unplanned. I was happy being a journalist at Business Standard. I had dreamed of growing old and retiring with the company. But, life presented me a better opportunity and I found myself at Zensar Technologies. A dream company, Zensar is listed amongst the top 25 IT/ ITeS service providers in India and is headed by one of India’s most respected thought leaders- Ganesh Natarajan.

I joined Zensar on September 10^th 2007 with a set mind frame- I would be fulfilling not one but two or more of my dreams. Getting an education and at the same time saving money to buy a house and traveling the world. I was to leave for UK in 3 weeks to pursue my higher education.

But, is making dreams come true so simple? Once in the company, I found myself at crossroads. The question that begged an answer was: How convinced was I about completing the PhD (the organisation was banking a lot of money on me)?

I was unable to answer the question. I left on 31^st July, 2008 with the self consoling words of this being an unplanned stint after all.

So, what did I learn from my experience.
It was my dear friend and mentor, Ganesh, who once again showed me the way. “Don’t take life so seriously, Sap,” he said. I did not understand at first what he meant. Nevertheless, I used the advice.

While at the company, I worked with the BPO department and then got closely associated to a new unit that had just started its journey. I got to closely observe the way a corporate works in the field that I write about and would like to be an expert on.

What else did I learn? I have learned to trust my instincts and follow my heart. I have learned that even if we have a goal and the path looks fuzzy at first, if you stay on it, the road will appear. I have learned that, if you give something your hundred percent no matter what the outcome, you will be happy. I have learned that, there will always be criticism and you cannot make everybody happy. I have learned that people who matter are the ones that you should worry about and not the others.

The experience has enriched me, in more ways than one. I went to work for a company, knowing briefly some of the people. Over the past year, I have created deep friendships that will last me a lifetime.

Finally, I have learned that life is too short and we need not take it so seriously.