The business of a business is business

For once at least the ruthless and brutal side of the mushy mushy corporate world is shamelessly lying naked in front of the world. All the good old words like "employee friendliness", " work life balance", " duty towards society" have been been conviniently thrown out of the window. Its time for "cost cutting", "right sizing" and what not! I am not blaming the companies...if they dont have the cash how can they pay the employees. And thats why I say that the business of a business (organisation) is business (trading, making money et al)...the social responsibilty is something they like to believe that they practice in. When one's house is on fire, one does not go out for charity. One saves one's a**. And thats exactly whats happening. Thats why some of the Wall Street companies who received the bail out packages, distributed a good sum among themselves; who knows kal ho na ho (what will happen tomorrow).

Its a good lesson for everyone who thinks comapny really really care for you. There is nothing personal between an individual and the organisation he or she belongs to. The relationship is strictly professional and thats the way it should be. You bring business, you contribute, you are paid. As soon as the employees feel too much personal, there is a tendancy to get complacent and getting into the 'comfort zone'. The employees thinks he or she can enjoy certain priviledges - its the birth right. Its disaster for everyone.

However there should be an ethics in everything. Even wars abide by certain code of conduct.
Only the jobless understands the pain of losing the job -- the nagging worry of feeding the family, paying the telehone bills, mortgages and a thousand other things. One day as soon as you walk into "your" organisation, you are called in a conference room, given logic on why the company does not need you after so long dedicated years of service and then you are escorted out by the security guard. Surely better treatments can be meted out. But these things are more common now than ever before. These are realities, which we cannot escape from. Heads will roll and we just keep our fingers crossed and hope that its not ours!!
Welcome to the corporate world!!

When elders want gifts from Santa Claus

Its good to be a child again...and hope that in Christmas time Santa Claus brings goodies for us, like he did when we were kids.
Its good to think that when one wakes up in the morning one will see gifts wrapped in glossy papers beside one's pillow. The cricket bat or the soft toy or the magic pencil that one wanted so desparately from dad, who never got!

Time has changed...from being young boys and gils, we have matured to responsible adults.

But in these changing times I have a feeling that millions of elders will want Santa Claus to shower them with goodies. After all, gifts are not only for kids. Surprise gifts are a joy for everybody. But in hard times such as these, when the world is reeling under the economic slowdown, we pray that the gifts that Santa Claus give need not necessarily be surprising. The gifts are humble requests - an urge, a plea, you may say. Geeting back the job that one lost few weeks ago, bringing the smile to the family when the happy days were around, buying the gifts for wife and family which was so affordable not-so-long ago are all we hope to get.



O Santa...please bring us back the old smile and the laughter that we seemed to have forgotten ages ago...We may not be a children now, but we still expect gifts from you...something to cheer about!

Wishing all the readers a Merry Christmas!
Tough times don't last, tough people do. We shall overcome!