From My Diary - Motivation

We started the work of making a new facility for the W H O audit, some time in the last week of August 08. We were given a dead line of end September 08. In turn I gave my people a target of September 27 th. The carpet area of 1500 sft , was by no means a small area, if we consider that we had to start from excavation on wards. Still we took up the challenge. The work involved the civil work, including partition works, false ceiling flooring and 2 toilets. It also involved air conditioning, lighting and procuring and putting all furniture in office, conference, dining area and pantry. Mind you all, this time also consisted of time required for mobilization of all resources. Just when we were almost there my project team thought that they could relax a bit . So I wrote a mail to my team leader on September 29 th. And Lo. The effect was that we could finish all the works , dot on time. Today we have our first meeting in that area only. Here is the text of my mail to my team leader, Mr. Srinivas Rao. Dear Srinivas Rao, Yesterday, I was completely shocked to note that you and all your vendors left with in half an hour of my leaving the site at 4. 30 PM. That reflects on the seriousness and commitment you people from generation next attach to the work. No doubt you all had certainly done a wonderful job during the last one month. There is also no doubt in my mind that this was certainly not a project which could have been completed in one month flat. But then we can not ignore the following facts:

Starting the work in the last week of August, We planned to complete it by 27 th of September. So, We selected all such materials which do not have too much linkage gaps between any two activities.

We changed the material of external walls, and still we all consciously agreed to maintain the dead line.

We also changed the make of the furniture from Wipro to Methodex, based on the feed back from materials. This was to ensure that we still maintain the dead lines.

Unfortunately, Some time during the last week, on September 23 rd or so, We all realized that we could still make it. Surprisingly, You relaxed. It reminds me of the recent Olympics. The great Jamaican Athlete, Bolt could have clocked 100 mtrs in a time of around 9.65 seconds or so. But he dropped his pace in the last lap when he realized that he is a world beater and it cost him a few Millie Seconds, which certainly would have created a record for decades to be broken.

That is the value of the last lap. We came so close to creating such a mile stone in executing projects in BE, or probably any where, with such limited resources. And still we lost that great opportunity. Why we are such poor finishers ?? I really got annoyed yesterday, not because we lost that finish date ( However, That was lost a couple of days back ) but because we are likely to loose the next date too, that is September 30 th, which I gave it to Mr. Mahesh Kulkarni. He in turn has informed every one and has planned inauguration tomorrow.

Certainly the world is not going to collapse, because W H O audit is still 2 weeks clear from now. And even if we do not finish by that time, the management is not going to postpone the audit. It certainly has a plan B in place. But why I got annoyed was because of the approach of PROCRASTINATION and DELAYING till the last moment. That is not at all acceptable to me at least.

I also feel that you all must be counting my last few weeks in the company, and telling your self Kab Ye Bala Talegi.

But then in long run you all would realize the value of TIME & COMMITMENT. I would be personally very happy if you make a conscious attempt to learn from this event. It would be for your good only. I have written to you because I always want every one in my team to be a winner and an achiever. Good Luck to you.

Thanks & Regards,

A G Ganu