15 years
Tomorrow (14th July, 2018) marks 15 years of my service at Virtusa, an agile IT services consulting firm recognized by Gartner as a Visionary in its 2017 Magic Quadrant. Okay, so what’s the big deal and why do I feel the need to blog about this milestone? Is it even a milestone at all? Isn’t it just servitude to an organization that grows bigger out of our collective effort? Just why?
I’m not going to bore you with a history of my accomplishments throughout the years and in no way do I intend to write a biography. The short answer is that my tenure at Virtusa was crucial for my own self-discovery. And yes, this is still my first job after University!
15 years ago, I was a Graduate with hardly a clue about what I wanted to achieve in life other than maybe explore what was beyond University. I recall having a desire to explore, to stoke the fires of curiosity regardless of the status quo, to maybe one day travel the vast expanse of the cosmos (okay, I’m getting ahead of myself). Maybe that is exactly why I loved Role Playing Games such as the Mass Effect trilogy, which helped me virtually discover planets, meet various different species and… you get the drift. Stepping into the corporate world was something different for me. I wasn’t the person who would feel happy dressed up in work-wear nor was I too keen on following rules such as the 9–5 routine. For that matter, I still am that same person; I detest any organization that presses a 9–5!
Fast forward 15 years to the present and I still carry that desire for space exploration. However, a lot has changed. I don’t find myself tied down by daily task delivery nor have I ever felt that way at Virtusa. Flexi-hours helped break the iceberg, however something else seemed to resonate with me better than just freedom to innovate and basically define my own role for myself. Looking back, I believe this has everything to do with the corporate values I practise. I’d have loved to say that it was the people who made the difference, however that would be discriminating against folk at other organizations. People are people regardless of where they are and it would be naïve of me to say that I feel comfortable with everyone at my workplace. To be honest, these 15 years have taught me to deal with uncomfortable situations — that should prepare me for my space journey, no less! Corporate values are what define an employee and I for some reason took them all to heart. They’ve changed over the years, however more or less bring about the same message. PIRL (Passion, Innovation, Respect & Leadership) is what it’s called.
My desire to explore and create play perfect tango with Pursuit and Innovate and I’ve already referred to this. Respect is something that we all take for granted and it is only through my tenure here that I’ve come to realize what it truly means. Do not ever call yourself respectable or a person who respects others until you can smile and empathize with the guard at your security desk, the janitors and parking attendants. I’ve been brash in my past and have practised a form of superiority complex. Over time, I’ve learnt that we are all people playing different roles at different times. This is why I am now strongly opposed to using terminology such as “Resources” to refer to “People”. The next time you see someone cleaning your work space, just smile and greet them as you would your most loved kin. It does work wonders.
As for Leadership, I understood that humility has a major role to play with any Level 5 Leader. Are you the type who loves to lead, however cannot contain yourself when it comes to victory? If so, you’re far from being a Leader. I recall times where I’d brag about my favorite Cricket team’s victory on Facebook while demeaning the opponents. There is a difference between celebrating cheerfully and being a total douche. Humility does not mean you should not celebrate, however in such a situation, do so without affecting others around you. Have a sense of empathy for people, especially those who have lost. Credit your team and ensure you step aside from the limelight. Challenge yourself to better your accomplishment instead of brandishing your laurels. Have you been humble today?
As I stated before, I’ve found my true calling for innovation and exploration while employed at Virtusa. It has enabled me to focus on empathy and uplifting people regardless of their beliefs or nature. Yes, I have had ups and downs in the many different roles I’ve played, however I realize that I’m strongest when I’m fully in sync with my own values. Ever since, I’ve defined my own corporate vision as well as understood what I need to achieve in life. It may be 5, 10, 20 or 30 (assuming I live that long) years, however I will get there. My experience of 15 years has fuelled this desire in me further and refined me enough to live my own personal vision. I am in no means tied to any organization, however I do understand why I’ve held on for so long and why I’m still proud to be a Virtusan, 15 years later. I am the embodiment of our corporate values and in turn, I embody my own personal ones too. It has never been the work, exposure, remuneration, benefits, people or comfort. It has always been and will always be the values.
So… why did you leave? :)
