Truth Seeker

I.T Consultants are great karma yogi’s

5/30/05

You must have missed noticing, but, have no doubt. The greatest karma yogi’s of today are walking amongst you, unnoticed and unrecognized. They are the I.T consultants. I mean the exciting kind of Information Technology and not the boring Income Tax types.

Here is the epical story of Arjuna as it happened in the ‘consulting world’.

Arjuna and his colleagues had left the ‘Kuru’ company they worked for after they figured the System’s Manager with a blind passion for legacy systems was not going to be supportive of their progressive ideas. They joined a consulting company, managed to win the confidence of the CEO and were hired to do an implementation to replace the legacy systems in the ‘Kuru’ company.

Arjuna, the Functional Lead of the project had worked real hard to prepare for the implementation. And finally, after all the grueling time spent on design and testing, it was time for the cut over. Before the first process of the cut over began, Arjuna asked the Change Management consultant (who offers advices but no hands), Krishna, to give him an idea of the impact to the employees of the organization when the new systems go live. Krishna spread the big diagram in front of him and said ‘here are the jobs that will be cut and these are the people who are going to lose their jobs because of the manpower reduction that the new systems will achieve’. Arjuna looked at the list and was aghast. The list included those who had served the organization loyally for 25 plus years, those who had taught Arjuna how the business functioned and a number of ex-colleagues.

Arjuna, losing his courage said: ‘Krishna – I do not want to do this implementation. What success am I going to enjoy when it will have the blood of those most dear to me. It is better that I quit working and become an academic than do this implementation. I am not in a position to go ahead. Let the legacy systems remain”.

Krishna replied: “Don’t act too silly. This behavior does not fit your stature. You have a great name for being a good Functional lead. Losing your reputation is as good as death for one in this consulting business. Forget these foolish thoughts and let us get started’.

Arjuna: “No Krishna. I am serious. May be my mind is confused. Consider me not as a colleague, but as some one you will counsel and instruct what you think is best for me in the long run”

And, then started the great discourse of “Consultant’s Gita” as narrated by the greatest Change Management Lead of all times, Lord Krishna.

Krishna , looking at Arjuna with compassion in his eyes and a half-smile dotting his lips said: “Arjuna, you are grieving over what should be grieved for. And in spite of your foolishness you pretend to be a wise man. Those who have understood the true spirit of the consulting profession do not grieve over either those who suffer in their jobs or have become unemployed because of the actions of the consultant.

The role you have on a project is like the cloth you wear. And, changing roles or moving from one project to another is like casting off old clothes and wearing new ones. Just as you have progressed through the different phases of this project like Analysis, Design and Testing consider the ‘Cut over’ also as another phase that has an end and a new beginning. You were there before the project started. And you will continue to be there after the project has ended. Know that what does not end with a project to be your true self and the roles assigned in a project as super imposed on you”

“As a consultant you will be required to perform many roles. Consider the implications of your actions in those roles as that of the role only. As a performer of the role, you only have the right to perform the assigned duty and do not try to take ownership of the results of the entire project. Therefore, perform your duty perfectly as a consultant without getting attached to the role in your heart”

Thus it continued until Arjuna said, “My mind is clear now. And, I will do this duty as you wish”

posted by Hari Narayanaswamy @ 12:08 AM