Dumbo Dumpster

This is another common sight in chennai!!! This dumpster decided to dump the sceptic tank wastage on the pavement!!! Chennai might not have a comprehensive waste management system, but that does not mean people can choose to dump thing where they want to. And this comming from one of the contracted companies who should have been trained regularly on waste management - is definitely a joke. I cannot stress more that chennai needs a more sophesticated society. The one that existed during Thiruvalluvar days. And what makes a mature society is mature people. This guys is not. If someone is watching - please note the name of the company that handles this truck and the registration numer.

Is this a curse from hell?? I don’t think so…

One of my previous posts considered traffic jams because of some immortal, elite group of people visited Chennai. Please take a look at the picture below. This was taken right down the Cathepara Bridge towards Saidapet. This traffic Jam is not due to some supernatural descendent from hell. This hell is because of decedents of Chennai. All because people decided to criss cross roads without any regard to what will happen subsequently. If everyone – or even 75% of people decide to follow things like lane discipline, waiting on signals etc – we would not have had this situation on that day. In fact, it can be quite confidently argued that most of such traffic in Chennai is because of such gross disregard to simple rules.

It doubles when it is spread…

I’m definitely not referring to knowledge here. I'm talking about a private player who does not really care about his own city mates. This truck is carrying a load of sand, butwithout any protective gear around it to prevent it from spreading. Hey - this could disturb the visibility of other road users - and think what might happen if one motarist fails to watch this poperly!!! Well - there cannot be one policeman for each such incident. But my plea to all my fellow chennia ites would be to consider this not as a burdern but responsibility - we are maturing guys - let us show it to everyone.

Don’t think twice – don’t care….

This was a pathetic picture taken from just outside my house. Some damn genius decided to dump construction material right on the entrance that leads to our small little colony. Did he/she ever think it would be difficult for more than 30 families inside the colony to navigate? Quite understandably, NOT!!! Well, I really cannot understand where such indiscriminate disregard to some 30 families comes from? Could it from the fact the he is part of the “Sarkari Babu” network. Or could be because he is paying some overgrown good for nothing pigs more popularly called “rowdies” – maybe I’m dramatizing things, but this is what contractors popularly use right. Well – all this can change only when the more popular red tapism and government employee raj ends in India.

Pay for a premium, but don’t expect anything here…

There is so much money can buy. But in Chennai, not a decent public transport. The so called “deluxe bus” was launched with so much fanfare that for a second, I thought Chennai has grown up. But not for long. Please see the pictures below. This is what you get for paying more for those duplex buses that ply around the city. Well, people make a better society no doubt, but definitely infrastructure has to be better for people to realize that it is worth the effort to make thing better. This seems to lack in Chennai – even at a time India and China are supposed to bring the world out of recession.

Waste Dumping, on the way….

Chennai is notorious for using walls and transforms as urinals and roads as dumping grounds. This has been noted by many bloggers, journalists and even (maybe) corporation officials. But, nothing seems to stop us from just throwing waste around. Throwing waste around is bad, but using the roads as dumping yard is worse still. Please take a look at the picture below.

This picture shows that using the roads as dumping ground is not only considered a highway to paradise, but also happens so systematically that people are going to say the system is defeated if dumping waste on the roads (the fringes though) is strict a no no.

From my experience with certain other countries (very limited though), I can confidently say that people make the system they want to be in and not the other way round. With such sightings around Chennai, I’m sure we have a long way to go to be recognized as a mature society, leave out being called a “developed” place. Anyway, my promise to not do such things is only reinforced wit such sightings. And I sincerely hope many more people join the brigade.

Companies Should Think Bullish In Times of Recession

“Recession”, the dreaded demon has almost succeeded in killing the economies of many developed and growing countries. History says that the current recession might be equivalent to the “Great World Depression in 1929”, a collapse in world economy caused by the First World War. Well, just because there is a recession does not mean that companies must think bearish. How can you improve a dying economy by cutting costs??

Everyday I read the paper or visit a news site, all I can read is “Company ZYZ cuts down 1500 jobs, ZYE cuts 1467 jobs etc….”. Even globally renowned companies like Hewlett and Packard, IBM, and Sony have succumbed to the tactic of downsizing people. The worst thing is Indian companies are following suit.

Now, since we have already stepped into recession, the only way companies can beat economic slowdown is by thinking positively,i.e by being bullish. But unfortunately, they consider downsizing as the sole option, which is negative and infact counter-productive. Let me say why?

SAY NO TO DOWNSIZING
1)Companies that downsize not only throw out employees in redundant posts, but sometimes even those who are in vital posts or in production. In doing so, they only gain a temporary reprieve, but they lose permanently in terms of experience, hands-on knowledge, and skill set.
2)By sending out employees who have contributed significantly, the company sends an indirect message to the other employees that they might be next. The last thing they need during troubled periods is a team of employees working in constant fear. The end result is a fall in production and thereby further loss in revenue.
3)Many companies do not realize that downsizing can be detrimental in the longer run. Good and talented employees may fear to join such MNCs due to their notorious record.
4)Suppose there is a mini boom, the company has to spend more amount of money to recruit resources and train them again. Good and talented employees are in a way, the proverbial goose that lays a golden egg per day. So why kill the goose?



Instead of following negative methods, companies can resort to positive measures which may be painful in the short run, but may bring prosperity in the future.

1) If really required, Announce a 10% pay cut across employees at middle and lower levels, and 15-20% at management levels. This paycut must only be for a stipulated period.
2) Announce that employees would be rewarded significantly if they provide ideas, suggestions to enhance profits. Bring transparency in such rewarding system. Let employees know that good performances will be rewarded.
3) Conduct a thorough performance appraisal for employees at all levels. Identify the people who are performing poorly. Warn them to perform properly or sack them immediately. Bad employees are a big NO NO.
4) DO NOT cut any employee-beneficial measures such as Cab facilities, food allowances etc. Most employees adjudge a company by these measures more than salary. Cutting down these measures would only cause employees to doubt the company.
5) Analyze the talent pool for resources who can do multiple roles, and then delegate the appropriate responsibilities to these people. This not only reduces the cost factor, but increases productivity and also helps an employee to develop his/her skill set.
6) Address the members of the management to THINK CREATIVELY and come out with various innovations to increase revenue, tap new markets, implement good marketing strategies etc. Make the MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTABLE.
7) Thinking futuristically. Companies should try to spend a amount of their revenue genuinely in measures that reap long-term gains such as training employees on new market trends, technologies etc.
8) The last and the most difficult thing to do. Keep your employees happy. Organize fun events on a small scale. Reward employees who ensured that the success of a crucial project despite obstacles. Ensure a good management-employee rapport. A good rapport with an employee means good business.
9) Avoid providing exorbitant salaries to CEO/COO? or other managers.
10) Avoid wasteful expenditure by all means.


Some people may say that the measures that I have listed above are either already used or not doable. All I wish to say is that you cannot beat recession by just cost-cutting. True cost-cutting involves the cutting of wasteful expenditures, followed by increased investment in revenue generating methods. You cannot save a sinking ship by throwing cargo off the board, but rather by plugging the hole via which water is gushing. Similarly, you cannot save a company by downsizing, but rather by inventing methods that allow the company to find new clients, increase revenue and form a nice in the market.

As they say, “Necessity is the mother of all inventions/innovations.” This recession is the perfect time for companies to innovate. The Management of every company should think positively and implement innovative measures to beat the trend.


I end by saying, “An average company finds a difficulty in every opportunity while the great companies find an opportunity in each difficulty”, which category do you belong to?