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Compromise for cost cutting?

We had a little party last night..many people leaving as 30th is the last day for most of them. Some of them were really happy to have a break. Some were worried if they can get a good job? It was a mixed emotion little party at the UNO pizza place. It was cool place right off the pike, covered with glasses. Slow music going on and people chattering like hell.

Well we had almost an hour and a half chitchat with people, on various topics from indian outsourcing industry to indian food. “How can you eat so spicy food?” to “It was difficult to cope up with indian co-workers in 80’s.”

Well this is something i want to share with you. One of the colleagues mentioned that when she used to work for GE, and they had just started with outsourcing, and bring indians onboard, there were lots of issues. One guy, would never bath, and wear same shirt for days..well, i had someone similar in my offshore team too ;)..
Then, about the food and the spicy aroma they could not tackle for a few days. The most surprising part was this. “People did not want to work together because they were from different classes.”
Yes!! you are damn right! Different social classes. The person from higher class did not want to work with a lower caste person. And they really had a hard time make the project work and meet deadlines.

This is ridiculous! I thought people who are well read, and achieve professional levels like this are beyond this stuff. But this conversation made me think differently. What the hell were they thinking? How could the americans still employed them?

Why do we still (?) fight in the name of caste and classes? Why is that barrier – if not physical, but emotional – comes in between when we are working in such diverse environment. Why do people start talking in their native languages in a meeting which has people who dont understand a word? What is it that makes the diffrence? Your class, or your thoughts??

Anyways, as time heals everything, americans got used to somethings. Indians who came here learned some of the american ways. And then they worked happily ever after 🙂

Do share if you have a similar kind of experience…

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