Circle of Life

It was the Millennium year. The calendar in my room displayed the magical number 2000. Way before the world knew about social media, there was a large hue and cry about a potential massive computer meltdown nick named Y2K. The acronym stood for, Year 2000. 

Technology evangelists across the world spoke about a possibility of all computers going crazy a.k.a stop working altogether. This was expected to happen when the clock struck twelve at the midnight welcoming year 2000. Banks, financial institutions and every other entities that relied on computers for their operations were breaking their heads on how to solve the predicted doom.

On New Year's eve everyone held their breath for a catastrophe and the whole digital world to crumble along with millions of people getting affected since the world was already quite dependent on this magical box called computer. Time ticked. Clock did strike twelve. Nothing happened. The Nostradamuses of the world went back to their cocoons, never to come out for another Millennium.

A year later I was to become a graduate in Commerce. Just like many of my classmates, I had started to wonder what next? While there was a frenzy around computers in the world, our small town had still not embraced much of computers. While we had a Personal Computer (PC) at home bought by my dad from his brother, my first ever laptop was a good four years away. Internet connection required a dial-up modem and the noise made by that tiny white box was music to our ears! Google was founded just two years back. We used Netscape Navigator as a browser. At the risk of sounding like a cave man, looking back, the world those days felt quite archaic!

We were in an age where information overload was still limited to multiple rows of library books. Nevertheless, we tried our best to figure out from our professors and elders in the family about post graduate courses which were potentially good for our career. Two options that stood out were Masters in Computer Application and Masters in Management. Most of my batchmates chose either of these. A few ended up doing both! We did not really have lot of options. Even with all that, getting well paid good jobs were still a challenge for many of us.

A decade and a half later, I was speaking to my niece who worked in Australia in a gold mine. I was quite interested to know the nature of her job. Along with her team, every day she took an elevator at her work site, deep down into earth. After they reached a level ground, she got into a car that followed a monstrous truck as it proceeded to chew out the earth in front of it. My niece then inspected the loose earth to validate the presence of gold and assess the quality and quantity of the precious metal. What a job! 

I was equally surprised to know that this was not a one-off case. There were many girls and boys in this generation who discovered exciting career options and followed it with as much heart as their brain. I was stunned to see career options in plenty parading in front of these Gen Zs for their consideration. Probably Google and other unlimited source of information on career possibilities available at their fingertips literally helped. Interesting times indeed.

Another half a decade went by. I was recently invited to a joint session on AI Governance in a school in Dubai where stakeholders included students as well as faculty along AI / IT professionals. Among other things discussed, one point that stood out was a response from Gen Alpha students that they were worried about AI taking their jobs away. They expected to face challenges to find a job for themselves in this digitally emancipated world! 

That was the exact moment when the world took a full circle and stopped right in front of me with a grin that laced the border of sarcasm. 

Proximity Leadership

It had been three years since Alex joined the multinational company which is primarily into manufacturing. They had two major divisions, one dealing with products for businesses and the other had a range of end consumer items. There was a president each, Bob and Jim, heading these divisions. It was a hierarchical organization. 

For someone at Alex's grade, he never interacted with either president, not even to their reportees up to two levels below. While both the presidents had charismatic personalities, the chances for Alex meeting them remained as remote as ever. Having said that, Bob was known to be more jovial and took occasional rounds across office floors greeting people. Jim on the other hand was least spoken and rarely seen in public around office but was revered by the powers to be of the industry. He was considered as one of the most influential presidents in the world of manufacturing giants! But to meet him was next to impossible. It was even said that the top management usually took a private elevator to the nineteenth floor of the corporate headquarters, which housed the offices of both the presidents.

One fine day, Alex was waiting at the general lift lobby to go up to his floor which was on the fifteenth. The elevator arrived and along with three other waiting colleagues, he got into it. The door was about to close when he saw a quick movement outside. Soon enough, the door opened again. A man stood outside. Alex looked at him and felt like his eyes were deceiving him. 

The man entered the lift and greeted Alex along with the other three in the elevator. He had such a towering personality that Alex felt dwarfed in front of him. That was none other than Bob, the president of the division Alex worked for. This was the man Alex never thought he would meet in person ever! Bob looked at the ID tag on Alex, called out his name and had a quick chat about his department and how he liked his job. The few moments Bob spent with them in the elevator, turned out to be a defining moment for Alex. He did not even know what got him. But he knew one thing for sure, he was motivated beyond anything else ever in his three years in the organization. Alex returned home as a highly charged up employee and remained that way forever. The aura had its effect on him!

I am sure we all had been in the shoes of Alex, one way or other in our organizations at some point in our lives. Proximity, when it comes to leadership, plays a significant role, especially in an era when we see offices becoming more distant than ever. 

Now, the big question here could be, who do we think is right? Bob or Jim? Is this even a topic of discussion? For both, there is something right in their own ways of working. Eventually, it boils down to the personality of the leaders. Each one of us needs to have a clear understanding of our personalities and build ways of working that suits us. Else we may end up as someone who tried to get into the shoes of others which did not even fit us, not to even mention how awkward it looked.

We may work for organizations where we see Bobs and Jims of the world. Learn to appreciate them for what they are. All what is required from us is, when it is our turn, ensure that we adapt a leadership style that fits the best for us.

Happiness Lost & Found!

Reading has always been an interest ever since I was a child. Though not a voracious reader, I always had a book in progress in our library. Many of my friends knew this. A dear friend, once on his trip to Sydney, the year before Covid, got me a beautiful blade-thin gold coloured metal bookmark featuring a landmark in Sydney. I loved it, obviously! 

In addition to being an especially useful gift, the fact that the bookmark was very thin, proved quite easy to carry around in a book made me like that even more. Thick bookmarks were inconvenient and left a mark on the pages which most book lovers did not like. I have been using the bookmark ever since 2019.

Few weeks back, on a visit to Zulekha Hospital in Dubai, I was carrying a book with this lovely bookmark in it. As we were heading to the pharmacy after meeting the doctor, to my utter dismay, I realized that the bookmark was missing. I traced my route back to the doctor’s office from the pharmacy and searched all around the area for the bookmark that must have fallen off the book.                                                                                                             

After a while, it dawned on me that finding the proverbial needle in haystack could be easier. Nevertheless, I told the nurse in charge to look out for a golden bookmark and keep it safe for me if she finds it. I departed the hospital leaving a small piece of my heart there which was crying over a prized possession that was lost forever, or so I thought!

After reaching home, I tried to use another bookmark, a thicker one this time. Though it was a beautiful piece which we picked up during a recent vacation, something did not feel right. The way the bookmark stood out and made the pages feel uncomfortable with its thickness, made me suffer in unexplainable pain. I was mourning over my lost bookmark from Sydney.

Days passed by. I started to get used to the new bookmark, though not without feeling inconvenient every time I picked up the book to continue reading. As they say, time is the best healer, and I learned to move on.

I had another visit to the same hospital today. We reported for the appointment and as soon as the screening at reception was over, we headed to the nurse’s station. The same nurse was waiting there and took the claim forms from me. I must have been pre-occupied that I completely forgot about the lost bookmark and the request I had made to her about keeping it for me if she found it. I was in for a lovely surprise when she reached out to her desk and handed me something shining.

It was the bookmark I lost earlier!

My heart created a new record in its leap with happiness! I could not thank the nurse enough. A new chapter was born there speaking volumes about efficacious customer service.

I returned home as a delighted customer. Little things do matter.