Two years at Infospectrum… Retrospection

Today is a Saturday, and yet I am at my desk in the office; for today happens to be the 10th of May, the date I joined Infospectrum India Pvt Ltd two years ago.

When compared to the 35 years each spent by my parents in their respective government offices before retiring last year, my two years would seem too short a time-span to indulge in nostalgic thoughts, and yet it is difficult not to get into a retrospective reverie.

I vividly remember my first day in the Nagpur office. Coming from a small start-up firm in Pune, Infospectrum was the first big company I had joined. Looking at the lines & lines of desktops and smart-looking people talking about latest technologies and platforms, I was getting more & more nervous about how I would survive.

One of the prime reasons for my worry was that I had just switched my profile, from a .NET programmer to a technical writer. The decision had come after a lot of brooding over my strengths and weaknesses, and though I was feeling confident about myself, there was feeling of worry gnawing at the back of my mind.

I needn’t have worried so much, especially since I had joined such a friendly lot.

In last two years at Infospectrum, I have worked on a wide variety of projects. My project has been one of the biggest in the company, and the opportunity to work in a big team has honed my skills as a team-player. With lots of pressure-cooker situations and challenging deadlines to beat, there has never been a dull day at work!

(My project team, after achieving the Best Project award)

Though my prime responsibility has been towards marine logistics and maritime surveillance projects, from time to time I have also done documentation for projects related to finance, HR and space domain. Each one has been a learning experience in its own.

It’s been a pleasure working under different project managers, Pankaj Khorgade, Vijay Phulwadhwa & Vinaykant Shukla, Vishal Kulkarni, Harshawardhan Pandit, Shishir Dani (Account Manager)… each one of these has a unique style, and I have learnt quite a few things from them.

(Shishir sir, Vijay sir, Vinaykant sir)

At Infospectrum, we experience a truly flat organizational hierarchy. I have been able to write to and talk to the top management without being conscious of any divide of position or grade.

Sangeeta Ma’am and her HR team, as well as Admin & Finance departments have been a source of continuous support all these years. Whenever I have had any problem, I didn’t feel a moment’s hesitation in approaching them and they have always been very co-operative.

Some of my best moments have been the as a member of editorial board of Pulse, monthly newsletter of Infospectrum. The debates and discussions (and occasional fights) that go into making each edition of newsletter would need a separate blog post of their own!

(Team Pulse)

Many of my colleagues have become life-time buddies... Sandeep Sinha, Manjusha Singh, Amit Joshi, Ashay Kulkarni, Snehal Kawale, Chandrakant Raju…

There are two people of whom I must make a special mention…

Jay Chopde, CEO - Infospectrum… He has been a real, live example of the dynamic CEO that I had only read in business magazines so far. I always wonder how he takes time to manage such a heavy workload and yet pay attention to every minute detail that crosses his eyes. His regular column in Pulse, Random Thoughts has been a source of inspiration and ideas.

Tushar Joshi… my friend, philosopher & guide, who was instrumental in bringing me to Infospectrum. Thanks Tushar, it’s been a wonderful journey so far!

As I look back upon the path traveled by me till now, I can’t but help feeling a tinge of dissatisfaction…I did a few things right, but I could have done better... Last year saw me traveling to Norway, to work on a documentation project that concerned radars. It was an immensely learning experience, yet I seem to have failed to capitalize upon it. I am now working hard to get the things back on track.

Today, Infospectrum is a CMMI Level 3 Company, aiming for more peaks of success in future. To know more about it, visit the company website. If you want a personal perspective, I would strongly recommend Tushar Joshi’s Infospectrum blog.

[Disclaimer: This is a personal blog-post. The opinions expressed here are my own and not those of my employer. ]

The Art of Listening

The other day,

I was talking on phone to RVP, a friend of mine. Things were heating up a bit, as they usually do when we talk longer than a certain threshold time-period. In the course of quarrel, she snapped, “You never pay attention to what I am saying!” This was the 455th time she’s said this - 455 being the number of days since we started talking to each other. So it wouldn’t have come as a surprise, if it wasn’t for the angst.

That made me sit up and take notice.

Listening is a prime requirement for my profession. As a technical writer, I have to interview the Subject Matter Experts for information. Going by the peer reviews and feedback received over the last two years, I seem to be doing a fairly good job of it.

Furthermore, as a senior editor of Pulse, our company’s monthly newsletter, I often interview the top management, and senior project managers/team leaders. Since we have not yet begun with the practice of using a tape-recorder during these interviews, I note down the salient points and then expand upon it, mostly from the memory. The drafts are sent to the interviewees and they invariably come back with minor changes, if any.

The point I am trying to make here is:

When it comes to office work, not many are complaining about my listening skills. Is talking to our family-members, friends, and relatives any different, in terms of communication?

Apparently,

... there does seem to be a difference. Ever since this realization has dawned, I have started to pay attention to the way I listen or interrupt during talks. Hope the improvement is perceptible to those whom it concerns!