Good Bye, Amdocs !

I have not written anything, implicit or explicit, about my company, Amdocs, till now, in any of my blogs. The reasons range from a formal don’t, read company policy, of not writing any personal view in an open world , to a general lack of interest on any company topic in my personal space/blog. However, as I bid adieu to the company today after working here for 5 years, I feel an inner compulsion and desire both to put forth my views on it.

Amdocs has meant so much to me, that a part of me will always be addressed by it. I remember the day we got selected for it in our Campus Recruitment at the College; it was merriment for all. Post-joining in Pune, I got a chance to move to Cyprus, which I still reckon is the best phase of my life. Not only for the changed and excellent environs it provided, but for the instillation of the ‘excellence’ ethos. I had lost this ethos somewhere in the mad rush during my school and college times. My foreign travels (business or personal), my work experience, my cultural interactions, my learnings etc at Amdocs shaped my views greatly. I re-got the urge and desire to excel, in whatever field, company, project etc I work on.

Often we lament about the company, supposedly on its poor pay, bad working conditions, reduced travels, fewer growth opportunities …. But the reality is these cribs and carps will remain even if we work in heaven. If we focus just on the positives, Amdocs is one of the best companies, and it still remains so.

Having said that, no company or sector is without the need for improvement. My personal experience accumulated over the years has felt for these many times. The biggest problem with the company and IT sector in general, is the sense of aloofness or alienation that gets generated amongst the employees.  Easier money, a relatively better life style, an AC laced cubicle… all bring indifference and lethargy on the employee’s part; while the work pressure and requirements, its secluded domain etc further ensures that an employee is detached from anything outside its campus. So, a person might be very good in company’s work, Amdocs methodologies, APRM terms etc, but when he sees himself vis-à-vis the rest of the world, he is practically zilch in comparison. And the worst part is that this anomaly grows over the years, and when one realizes it after many years, he feels he could have known and done much more for himself, family, friends, society than just get tangled in phone calls, Internet, emails etc

A lot of this is attributed to our wrong philosophies. The term ‘Customer is the King’ is so grossly misused and misinterpreted that I practically hate it now. There can be no other king in this world than yourself, and people you work with. To satisfy Customers’ unjustified requirements and our own endless desire for package/post promotion, seniors’ appreciation, bonus, incentive etc that we openly flout the basic norms of behavior. For me, the most excruciating part has been to tell my juniors or team members to do a work in 1 day when I myself knew it will take 2 or 3 days. It is not only wrong, but also immoral. Similarly, the sense of guilt has overtaken me many times, when I have browsed Facebook when there is important pending work. Someone watching Youtube in critical office hours is as bad as a manager scheduling meetings deliberately after 6 pm. Someone shooting emails at 1 am in the night, when he could have done that in office hours is an inefficient person, to speak it bluntly, unless it is emergency. Office hours are sufficient, if properly managed from both upper and lower ends, for the work. The rest should be used for personal development – guitar lessons, gym, exams preparation, movies, books, family and friends bonding, computer programming, general awareness etc whatever is relevant to the person. If indeed one is seriously interested in the project or application, he should study advanced things of those after office hours, and not do routine tasks.

Thus, for me, the criteria for the success of a project aren’t just the timelines it achieved, or the reduced number of defects it had, but actually they are also the general growth, empowerment and happiness it brought to its stakeholders, including the employees who delivered it. Not that I have followed my words every time, but there has been a sincere attempt from my side to meet them. I have not been an overtly ambitious and over achieving employee of Amdocs. However, what I know is that I have done my work sincerely keeping not only the professional expectations in mind but also the basic human and social norms in front. This can be judged, better though, by my colleagues, team members and managers.

As I move into the Civil Services of Indian Government, I will have to confront different and probably bigger challenges and opportunities. There will be definitely some positives but also hitherto unknown negativities, viz. nepotism, corruption, inefficiency etc. I only hope that I appreciate the grand scope of its work, and also fight, to my level and capability, against the odd elements. And for that, I know, my life lived in Amdocs will always help me. Thank you and sincere gratitude to you, Amdocs!