Corporate Ethics

As I was writing this blog I was wondering, I could sound a bit theoretical while sharing this experience. However every person I had reached to, is follower of ‘love your job, not the employer’, and I have seen some very true spirited guys religiously following this. Infact skill of defining your job periphery yourself is what I am amazed at.

.
I must admit, we consultants have very tough life. No matters we are often made the topic of laughter by many. But seriously if you consider the circumstances we guys have to go through, it’s worth paying us monthly salary. We are supposed to know everything, almost everything, atleast the one for which we are paid and hired for. Even if you have slightest doubt in your mind regarding your competency or other, it can backfire you in future. If you are true in your doubt, you are saved, else you are screwed.

.
As I am accompanied by a fellow consultant in this project, it reminded me of the days that I had spent in Holland. Those days were really struggling and gruesome for me. I was new, first international trip, first direct interaction with the client and moreover had only 50% idea of what I was expected to deliver there. Gosh.!!! Those were the days, when every day I felt embarrassed in front of the client. It was tough to consult about something that even you had lesser idea. On top of that, it’s worst to have client more educated than you..!!! But I was saved by my manager in Holland. He kept holding my hands and directed me to the safest shore. He stood like a wall and shielded me from all negatives.

.
Anyways, reminding those days is really encouraging for me. Now I am accompanied by a fellow Infoscion who is as new as I was 2 years ago. He has the experience but may not have enough aptitude to stand in front of client’s expectations. My project is going well, touchwood. So what should I do now? Should I just leave him to client’s and Infosys manager’s mercy and let him drown? Or should I hold his hands and help him rise slowly and gradually?
.

If I go by the saying that I had mentioned above, I should have chosen the first path. Infact this would have relieved me of any additional duties and moreover I could concentrate on my own project. Hmm..that sound very simple, logical and practical. But I cannot forget the days that I had spent in Holland. If my manager had thought of it like the one mentioned as first path, I would have been thrown out of consulting. So I followed the second path. It was tough to help others keeping your responsibilities on fire, but I had to do it. I call this as ‘corporate ethics’. While helping this guy, I faced some dents from client regarding his project and my project as well. But now we are a team. There is no ‘his project’ or ‘my project’, its customer project that is handled by Infosys as a whole. I took the brickbats from the client even though I was remotely associated with it. But I hold the responsibility of our future commitments rather than past mistakes. That’s how we work in consulting.

.
Now put my case in industry other than consulting, be it manufacturing or marketing or any other, and see how people usually behave. These thoughts make my decision to join consulting stronger.