• Welcome to Tamil Brahmins forums.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our Free Brahmin Community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact contact us.

Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka: Indians don't speak up, just follow orders

  • Thread starter V.Balasubramani
  • Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
V

V.Balasubramani

Guest
[h=1]Excerpts from the article ‘Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka: Indians don't speak up, just follow orders’ appeared in the TOI.[/h]MUMBAI: Vishal Sikka, 47, took over as CEO of Infosys at a time when things looked dim for the once vaunted software company. It had gone through over two years of underperformance compared to some of its peers. Sikka's appointment was a surprise and a relief. .....................................

What do you see as your big challenges?

One is that the company processes have not kept pace with its massive growth. Another is that we have to improve the confidence of the youngsters. This is true for all Indian IT companies. The consistent feedback from customers is that though Infosys is without comparison in quality and delivery and we follow orders dutifully, we don't speak up, we are not proactive. As an innovator, this made me very sad. We are trained to solve problems, not trained to find problems. We have this cultural thing — if I speak up, it is questioning of authority. This is totally counter to the Western mindset. We serve Western companies, and they expect us to speak up. John McCarthy, father of artificial intelligence and who was in my examination committee, once told me this unforgettable thing: Finding and articulating the problem is half the solution. The other half is to solve it.

Many of the solutions to yesterday's problems will be automated. But no matter how intelligent robots become, they will not tell us what the big problems are, they don't have the imagination of human beings. That's why I'm moving the company in that direction.


Read more at
: Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka: Indians don't speak up, just follow orders - The Times of India
 
Dear Bala sir,

I think its not only an Indian problem....its over all an Asian problem.

Speaking up is a big NO NO anywhere in Asia..we Asians somehow have learnt to speak up for all the wrong reasons and keep silent otherwise.

You can see in Forum itself that many are reluctant to even question anything about religion becos they have been conditioned to only follow orders and NOT question.

Questioning religion is seen as a sign of arrogance or shallow understanding or worse still totally down in the Guna scale.

BTW sir..many prefer following orders becos its less taxing to the grey matter..someone else makes the rules and others just bleat 'Yes Sir..Yes Sir...Three Bags Full" and remain a Baa Baa Black Sheep for the rest of their lives.

Very rarely we have anyone asking 'Who is the black sheep??..adhu yaar yaar yaar"!LOL

But the there is also another scenario..many Asians feel speaking up means losing your temper and shouting..so even if they do want to speak up they totally lose control and lash out.

I think the problem is we Asians have not be allowed to be expressive since childhood..we are conditioned like the famous Pavlov experiment and only know to lash out to prove a point!LOL
 
Last edited:
It is the way we re brought up. We are subservient to our parents, later to wives at home and bosses in the office

We are not to question and we are there only to do and suffer.lol
 
hi

RULE NO 1.........BOSS IS ALWAYS RIGHT...

RULE NO 2......IF BOSS IS WRONG ....SEE RULE NO .1......

.MAY BE IN THE HOME OR OFFICE..lol


idhu eppadi irukku?..........
 
The consistent feedback from customers is that though Infosys is without comparison in quality and delivery and we follow orders dutifully, we don't speak up, we are not proactive. As an innovator, this made me very sad. We are trained to solve problems, not trained to find problems. We have this cultural thing — if I speak up, it is questioning of authority. This is totally counter to the Western mindset. We serve Western companies, and they expect us to speak up. John McCarthy, father of artificial intelligence and who was in my examination committee, once told me this unforgettable thing: Finding and articulating the problem is half the solution. The other half is to solve it.



Doctor Mam,

It is his opinion. Do we need to say ‘yes boss’ to this?


  1. images
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Now stephen hawking articulates that artificial intelligence will destroy human civilization. so back to square one. sikka is over simplifying and mixing issues. obeying is different from arguing and raising contradictions and opinions.

The japanese had their own model and are successful, so are chinease and koreans. India must follow the model that suits their culture and upbringing.
 
Dear Bala sir,

I think its not only an Indian problem....its over all an Asian problem.

Speaking up is a big NO NO anywhere in Asia..we Asians somehow have learnt to speak up for all the wrong reasons and keep silent otherwise.

You can see in Forum itself that many are reluctant to even question anything about religion becos they have been conditioned to only follow orders and NOT question.

Questioning religion is seen as a sign of arrogance or shallow understanding or worse still totally down in the Guna scale.

BTW sir..many prefer following orders becos its less taxing to the grey matter..someone else makes the rules and others just bleat 'Yes Sir..Yes Sir...Three Bags Full" and remain a Baa Baa Black Sheep for the rest of their lives.

Very rarely we have anyone asking 'Who is the black sheep??..adhu yaar yaar yaar"!LOL

But the there is also another scenario..many Asians feel speaking up means losing your temper and shouting..so even if they do want to speak up they totally lose control and lash out.

I think the problem is we Asians have not be allowed to be expressive since childhood..we are conditioned like the famous Pavlov experiment and only know to lash out to prove a point!LOL

Smt. Renuka,

I believe that in most asian countries, the religions themselves might be the root cause of this subservience, like bhakti, prapatti, complete submission to a god/guru whosoever. Since you have better interaction with asians, I would like to know your views.
 
I think we have all missed the big picture..Why bring religion into this

We have to be more creative...We need to be inquisitive..While we are good at jugaad innovation but how about developing unique products like Apple or Microsoft or Samsung..Probably like Make in India we need Think in India also..This will stimulate the process of thinking..Questioning is part of thinking..This is what I think Sikka is alluding to
 
Smt. Renuka,

I believe that in most asian countries, the religions themselves might be the root cause of this subservience, like bhakti, prapatti, complete submission to a god/guru whosoever. Since you have better interaction with asians, I would like to know your views.

Dear Sangom ji,

As far as I know when there is more than one race interacting..one needs to be very cautious when one speaks to a superior becos it can be easily escalate into a racial issue.

Then all sorts of misunderstandings can easily take place.

I feel its more of an Asian attitude instilled by Asian Gurus..some Asian countries did not really have an organized religion but nevertheless the Guru is God/Superior Being syndrome is there.

Like I remember reading some Zen stories where a Shisya comes to learn from a Zen Guru and the Zen Guru does not talk to him for 5 years and the Shisya is just supposed to wait till the Guru talks to him and after 5 years the Shisya got enlightened!

BTW I feel we Asians have this mentality that even a superior can get jealous of a junior..otherwise why was this term ever coined?

mā vidviṣāvahai |
May we not mutually dispute .
 
Dear Bala sir,

I think its not only an Indian problem....its over all an Asian problem.


Doctor Mam,

Is it not the ‘Yes boss’ attitude that made German soldiers to kill several lakhs of Jews in Nazi Holocaust?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Doctor Mam,

Is it not the ‘Yes boss’ attitude that made German soldiers to kill several lakhs of Jews in Nazi Holocaust?


Dear Bala sir,

In a reply to your earlier post..I had written that instead of saying Yes Boss..it is better to tell the boss "How would you like it?"

When I was working in the government service posted in the rurals I had a very difficult boss.

Anyone who opposes her is 'dead".

She will always shoot down what another suggested.

So after a while I decided to not suggest but instead ask her "how would you like it?"

When we ask a person "how would you like it"..the person has to start a discussion and they at times also ask you 'what would you like to suggest?"

So its tactic..by asking "how would you like it"....the Boss still feels that he/she is Boss and a temporary ego boost will allow him/her to loosen up and allows others to suggest and finally a proper goal can be reached.
 
Doctor Mam,


I would like to share a personal experience of mine:

A tender committee is to finalise purchase of modern gadgets. Top level Officers who happens to be Members of the Committee finalized a particular product, after getting thoroughly convinced about its price, quality, capability, specification, etc. But, one second level Officer (who was also a Member of the Committee bcos of his technical skill/expertise) refused to approve a particular product. And when the boss questioned, he said I am not convinced about this product’s functioning during rainy season, I mean about its water resistance or water proof, etc. (This device is supposed to be installed along the roadways-open space). The Members, who are all senior lot, were surprised by his answer! There was reason and hence the committee acceded to conduct a demo by using the device under shower for a while.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I think we have all missed the big picture..Why bring religion into this

We have to be more creative...We need to be inquisitive..While we are good at jugaad innovation but how about developing unique products like Apple or Microsoft or Samsung..Probably like Make in India we need Think in India also..This will stimulate the process of thinking..Questioning is part of thinking..This is what I think Sikka is alluding to

Shri ganeshji,

I believe that our religious bent has much to do with why we are best as a developing nation...always! It is because our prevailing religious trend is to look upon the God taking a new avatar, coming down to earth and solving the problem for us; we will do the prayers, offerings, worship etc., which is called bhakti! Bhakti has made the country a nation of subservience, to something other than oneself. This was the reason for continuous foreign invasion, colonization for nearly a millennium. Even though the country has gained independence, thanks to many international developments of that period, we have again been "colonized" through the much needed FDI, without which it now seems we won't be able to move even an inch forward.

People (at least a good percent of the people) now consider Modi to be the new Avatar and so they feel he alone, single-handedly, will raise India to Super Power status, that their job is merely to sing paeans of Modi and any criticism of Modi will tantamount to blasphemy!

Unless there is a paradigm change in the mindset of the people, no progress will be possible. I recall the old story of the cart-man who was taught that god helps only those who try to help themselves. But we, Indians today, are cart-men who will wait even till eternity for god to take the avatar and come down and help us out fully! That is how religion becomes integral to the matter.
 
Last edited:
This statement of Ambedkar is doing rounds in twitter, in connection with calling him as the father of India's constitution. When he was asked about it, he said - I have only put together what others insisted. I will be happy to scrap it as I think it is not good for india and its people.

Perhaps it is time to have a relook at the constitution, and delete all the amendments and rewrite articles which emphasize differences, with proper discussion.
 
Shri ganeshji,

I believe that our religious bent has much to do with why we are best as a developing nation...always! It is because our prevailing religious trend is to look upon the God taking a new avatar, coming down to earth and solving the problem for us; we will do the prayers, offerings, worship etc., which is called bhakti! Bhakti has made the country a nation of subservience, to something other than oneself. This was the reason for continuous foreign invasion, colonization for nearly a millennium. Even though the country has gained independence, thanks to many international developments of that period, we have again been "colonized" through the much needed FDI, without which it now seems we won't be able to move even an inch forward.

People (at least a good percent of the people) now consider Modi to be the new Avatar and so they feel he alone, single-handedly, will raise India to Super Power status, that their job is merely to sing paeans of Modi and any criticism of Modi will tantamount to blasphemy!

Unless there is a paradigm change in the mindset of the people, no progress will be possible. I recall the old story of the cart-man who was taught that god helps only those who try to help themselves. But we, Indians today, are cart-men who will wait even till eternity for god to take the avatar and come down and help us out fully! That is how religion becomes integral to the matter.

From a pliant & mumbo jumbo Prime minister who was content serving as puppet we now have an activist & articulate Prime Minister...We will definitely find ground some where

As far as thinking skills are concerned I think India is the fountain head of abstract thought, profound knowledge and rich & diverse philosophy...It will be a matter of time before we go back to the roots..India will shine in the global arena ..These are not some hallucinations of a disturbed mind but prediction based on the policies and programs that the PM is embarking..Hopefully we should see this sea change in the next 2 decades
 
Let indians and hindus get back their self worth and self respect and get rid of this west is best mind set. Bharath had a glorious past, good standard of living compared to the west of those days. Root cause of our decline is refusal to accept our native spiritual and karmic wealth. Rest will fall in place automatically.

Our concept of standard of living is not fat bank balance and mansions, but a decent quality of life, god and devotion oriented life style, respect for self, family and society. Politician made visible poverty is a curse, which will vanish soon.

Man made high cost lifestyle can be substituted by comfortable quality life for a wider section of the population.
 
Let indians and hindus get back their self worth and self respect and get rid of this west is best mind set. Bharath had a glorious past, good standard of living compared to the west of those days. Root cause of our decline is refusal to accept our native spiritual and karmic wealth. Rest will fall in place automatically.

Our concept of standard of living is not fat bank balance and mansions, but a decent quality of life, god and devotion oriented life style, respect for self, family and society. Politician made visible poverty is a curse, which will vanish soon.

Man made high cost lifestyle can be substituted by comfortable quality life for a wider section of the population.


:thumb:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest ads

Back
Top