The Hindu Business Line : Outside IT hours

There was a time when their big cars and the deep dark circles under their eyes told the world what they did for a living. "Either they were doctors or IT professionals," laughs Vishnu Mahanta, director at a well-known IT company. But no longer...

A growing number of IT professionals are disproving, with panache, the idea of the glassy-eyed geek staring 24/7 at blinking monitors, with weekends a distant memory left over from the halcyon days of school. Company sizes nor positions or designations come in their way of cultivating interests. Thus, while the CEOs among them manage to squeeze in a world tour, others volunteer with their favourite charities or become published authors in their own right.

V. Srinivasan, MD & CEO of 3i Infotech and an avid writer, recently authored a book called New Age Management Philosophy from Ancient Indian Wisdom. The book shows how the thoughts of contemporary management gurus compare with the timeless wisdom contained in the ancient Tamil verses of the Thirukkural.

It is easy to think that being the CEO of his own business would keep Bala J. Raman of Congruent Solutions tied to his desk. But being a CEO with a penchant for travel has its own advantages. "The summer of 2003, when in a moment of inspiration, we decided to take a road trip around the US as a family will be an indelible memory. With cell phones and the Internet, one can stay in touch with business and professional goings-on, thereby reducing any guilt that may rear its ugly head," he says. Today he is busy planning a similar driving trip around India.

"The concept of `project management' should be applied to our personal lives too," says Vaishali T.N. She should know... This techie from Cognizant Technologies hosts two shows on Jaya TV titled Vazhthukkal and Enna Samayalo.

Some others just believe in being `good sports'. Yugal Sharma, Country Manager, India & SAARC Region, Polycom Inc, maintains a strict schedule of playing golf on Sundays and tennis on alternate days. He enjoys playing cricket, which is his first passion as he has played at Central Zone and University levels. As a true Capricorn, he loves to take up challenging assignments and that is what keeps him "kicking and surely ticking".

AISHWARYA NARASIMHAN AND VAISHALI T.N.

An ace both on and off field, Aishwarya Narasimhan is a computer applications graduate at Cognizant with an impressive track record in the arena of table tennis. Currently Number 8 in the state-level (Tamil Nadu) women's category, she believes "in doing things because I want to do them, and not because I have to do them". Both she and Karthik — a Delivery Manager in Cognizant, based out of Charlotte, NC, USA, who was the Indian National Junior Chess Champion in 1998 and the Sub-Junior Champion in 1993 — say their organisation's "operational flexibility" helps.

Sharmila Gnanasekaran, R. Venkatesh Kumar and Pragalbh Vashishth are of varying ages and positions within software major Polaris. But they know how to face the music better than anyone else. Music of the harmonious kind is an integral part of their lives. Sharmila is into Carnatic music while Pragalbh rocks and Venkatesh has always had a penchant for percussion.

Boys will be boys... and what are they without bikes? Tarunpreet from Impetus Technologies is a developer when he isn't involved in performing bike tricks like the Wheelie or making doughnuts on the expressway. He owns a Karizma, Yamaha 135, and a kinetic GF 175. His weekends are devoted to these beauties on wheels.

Shipra Silswal, Assistant Manager - HR in the same company, prefers something less adventurous but equally fulfilling. Volunteering with Garima, an association that helps in educating needy kids, she wants to continue contributing for as long as possible and aspires to build a small children's home. Keeping her company is Srilatha Kappagantula from Polaris who works with the NGO Asha and has "always wanted to give back to society".

Companies also are increasingly realising the value of employees who nurture creative lives outside the workplace.

Bhaskar Das, Vice-President, Human Resources, Cognizant, says aspects such as flexible working hours and telecommuting are important for work-life management. Things like having a crèche largely address short-term requirements. "But long-term is more about how one can plan their career and focus on their core area of specialisation and their avocation — what they are passionate about in life."

Bhargavi Masilamanian, an HR-Coordinator in Virtusa, is currently pursuing her Masters in Fine Arts from Anna University in Chennai. Sometimes her classes coincide with mega recruitment drives (that usually take place during weekends). She says, "My managers are quite flexible" and that has kept her going.

The inclusive approach adopted by such organisations is even more telling in the case of employees with disabilities. Hari Raghavan, who is part of the Strategic Solutions team for the BFSI segment at IBM, is one such example. Raghavan is an MBA in Marketing and one of the few visually challenged people with a career in frontline sales.

He is also closely involved with Enable India, a Bangalore-based NGO that looks into issues of employment of the disabled. Raghavan helps in efforts to raise funds for the NGO by making presentations to corporates, trusts and businesses on the work done by Enable India. And that's not all. He is also a visiting professor for NAB Mumbai's vocational course and teaches students Entrepreneurship and Marketing.

Make life exciting

DIVYA RAMACHANDRAN

As Vice-President (mergers and acquisitions) at Helios & Matheson, a healthcare focused IT Services Company, Divya Ramachandran at 27 has been responsible for acquisitions totalling Rs 120 crore besides playing a key role in the acquisition of a controlling stake in a Nasdaq-listed corporation, TACT Inc. She is also a Director on the Board of their Nasdaq-listed US subsidiary. Divya uses some practical ideas to help nurture an exciting life outside work:

Normally, it is just a question of how much you want to do something apart from work than whether you have the time for it. If you badly want to join the local cricket team or a course to learn something new, do it. It makes sense to do it even on weekends alone if you don't find any other time.

In case you are constantly required to work weekends, explain to your boss that you will meet all your commitments even if you kept the weekends free for your class or match.

Plan ahead. Deadlines are the norm today so we need to find a way to work with them. Plan your work around things you really want to do rather than the other way around. You will be amazed at how well this works.

Enhance your friends' network to include people who do many different things. This will be a constant support group that will brainstorm ideas to keep diversity flourishing.

Get domestic help wherever necessary. It may stretch your budget but in reality reduces your eating-out bills and frees up valuable time for yourself.

Eat the right kind of food at the right time. A well-balanced diet is the best panacea in today's hectic workplace. Eat an apple instead of a samosa when hunger pangs strike at 4.30 or 5 in the evening. Get into the habit of taking two fruits daily to work. You'll be amazed at how many unwanted calories you avoid.

Finally, review your work to see if this is what you really want to do. For instance, if you're on a nightshift purely for monetary reasons, see if you really need the money now or whether some years of another job and an MBA from a good B-school will get you where you really want to be.

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