Jul 7, 2010

Narayana Murthy's Letter on Working Late ..


To: Dear All,


It's half past 8 in the office but the lights are still on... PCs still running, coffee machines still buzzing... and who's at work? Most of them??? Take a closer look...
All or most specimens are??-something male species of the human race... Look closer... again all or most of them are bachelors...
and why are they sitting late? Working hard? No way!!!
Any guesses???
Let's ask one of them...
Here's what he says... "What's there 2 do after going home... here we get to surf, AC, phone, food, coffee... that is why I am working late...
importantly no bossssssss!! !!!!!!!!!
This is the scene in most research centers and software companies and other off-shore offices. Bachelors "time-passing" during late hours in the office just bcoz they
say they've nothing else to do... Now what r the consequences. .. read on... "Working"(for the record only) late hours soon becomes part of the
institute or company culture. With bosses more than eager to provide support to those "working" late in the form of taxi vouchers, food vouchers and of course good
feedback,(oh, he's a hard worker... goes home only to change..!!). They aren't helping things too... To hell with bosses who don't understand the difference between "sitting" late and "working" late!!!
Very soon, the boss starts expecting all employees to put in extra working hours. So, My dear Bachelors let me tell you, life changes when u get married
and start having a family... office is no longer a priority, family is... and that's when the problem starts... becoz u start having commitments at
home too.
For your boss, the earlier "hardworking" guy suddenly seems to become an "early leaver" even if u leaves an hour after regular time. .. after doing
the same amount of work.
People leaving on time after doing their tasks for the day are labeled as work-shirkers. ..

Girls who thankfully always (its changing nowadays... though) leave on time are labeled as "not up to it". All the while, the bachelors pat their
own backs and carry on "working" not realizing that they r spoiling the work culture at their own place and never realize that they would have to
regret at one point of time.

* So what's the moral of the story?? *
* Very clear, LEAVE ON TIME!!!
* Never put in extra time " *unless really needed *"
* don't stay back un-necessarily and spoil your company work culture
which will in turn cause inconvenience to you and your colleagues.
There are hundred other things to do in the evening...
Learn music...
Learn a foreign language...
try a sport... TT, cricket..... ....
Importantly Get a girl friend or gal friend, take him/her around town...

* and for heaven's sake net cafe rates have dropped to an all-time low
(plus, no fire-walls) and try cooking for a change.

Take a tip from the Smirnoff ad: *"Life's calling, where are you??"*
Please pass on this message to all those colleagues and please do it before leaving time, don't stay back till midnight to forward this!!!

IT'S A TYPICAL INDIAN MENTALITY THAT WORKING FOR LONG HOURS MEANS VERY HARD WORKING & 100% COMMITMENT ETC. 
PEOPLE WHO REGULARLY SIT LATE IN THE OFFICE DON'T KNOW TO MANAGE THEIR TIME. 

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