Just SUM IT

 On my exit after long stint at an IT Firm

A. The Last Exit

So this week culminated my 24 year stint at Capgemini – a journey where I traversed through various companies and concomitant email alias – Hughes Software Systems where it all started, followed by the progeny of various corporate actions including Flextronics, Aricent, Altran and eventually Capgemini.

As I traversed through the exit door, I reflected on my journey of 24 years of corporate life and some thoughts stayed with me. I thought it was apt to share these with an interested reader.

B. It always starts with client (and possibly ends with them!)

Many years back at an All Hands Meet, when I was much more naïve than today, we were having this debate of “customer first” vs “employee first”. I wondered what would customers get if employees were not motivated or not energized. But as I kept losing my hairs and as the promotions became more and more lethargic, I unequivocally realized that companies exist only and only to serve its customers. Obviously corporate compulsions, priorities and constraints leads us astray – and we become busy in solving internal matters of urgency - but what one should never forget is the raison d'être of a corporate life – to serve its customers.

C. TRUST matters

Possibly the biggest message I could share with the reader is that TRUST MATTERS – that TRUST IS MAGICAL and that you can do wonders by building and maintaining trust. In the course of my journey in more than two decades, there were innumerable instances where Trust helped me solve most complex problems which otherwise seemed impossible to solve. I was audience of some heated debates between multiple parties that went on for hours and hours – the issue was not that one of them did not make sense - the core issue was that neither party trusted other one.

I also realized that Trust was not just external (for customers) – it was all-pervasive and extended everywhere - with your team members, with your leader and with your colleagues. Trust allowed one to be taken at face value. Trust laid the foundation to our relationships and allows us to collaborate better.

D. Outside-In vs Inside-out

I also observed that it is common for one to get mired in the corporate maze, the internal constraints shrouding our view and starting to dictate our limits. So, instead of saying – “This is the client problem and I shall find all possible means to solve it”, we say, “there are so many constraints on my table, I can do only so much”. Inside-out view means taking our challenges to our customers who are least interested in them. Outside-in means seeing us and our organization through the lens of the client – and that is what matters. So, one must always start with client’s needs and navigate internally.

E. Context & the COMMON SENSE

I also realized that each problem had a unique context – the set of environmental variables that made it unique and peculiar. So, before we jumped on to solving a problem, it was imperative that we developed a deep and clear understanding of the Context – as an example, if client has requested something, then why was that request made? What was client business vision? What was client’s client take on this – and so on. CONTEXT defined the boundary conditions, the actors and their interactions.

Once context clarity was obtained, the other very important element was to apply “common sense” and come to solutions that were practical, easy to implement and with reduced risk profile. I strongly felt that among the various tool kits I possessed, one of the most potent one was my ability to apply common sense in a wide variety of context.. and come up with elegant solutions.

F.Respect matters

Just like the book “How To Win Friends And Influence People” by Dale Carnegie told us, I saw that one could easily become friends by becoming interested in other person rather than trying to get other person interested in me. A fundamental need of every human being was to be recognized, appreciated and “identified”. And once the basics of physiological needs (Air, water, food, shelter) and security needs (personal and financial security, well-being and environmental needs) were addressed, we landed upon “Esteem” and “Relationships”. Corporate life was no different – being good to others was a pre-condition to expecting good. Everyone sought respect, appreciation and recognition – obviously in an honest and transparent fashion. Respect carried considerable weight vis-à-vis pecuniary benefits while dealing with professional aspirations.

G. Learn a Lot but Unlearn More

Between 2000 and 2008, I went on to write 5 technology books, published domestically and internationally, where few of them domestic best-sellers. As time passed, the euphoria progressively evaporated and it even reached a point where I almost forgot about this achievement.

So not so long back, when one of my juniors met me in the escalator telling his junior, “you know this is the guy who has wrote many books”, I turned around to figure out who was being referred – only to soon realize it was “me”. Obviously, I had almost let go of all that achievement – unlearning all that was learnt in a decade. The unlearning process was creating space for the next cycle of learning and unlearning. So unlearn and let many things go… be free…

H. Break barriers of Communication

One of my team members had this uncanny habit of messaging me very late at night – some times even after mid-night. And many times I thought of asking him not to do this – but I never told him to stop. I realized that by messaging any time he wanted, he was assuming that there were no barriers to open and free communication. Another team member too called for good news, bad news and no news. And when I was about to leave, he wondered who would be his ears for all the news he had to share – some of them for no reason at all..

I. Carry your head on your shoulder

Maverick is what I like calling myself – unique, capable and idiosyncratic. I see the world through my lens and worlds sees through its.. And it was common for my persona to be challenged – the very core of my being. While we continue to evolve, adapt and improve, our core remains largely unaltered. And so it was important for us to carry our head on our shoulder – to be what we are and to make it better… to accept ourselves – and to ensure we are not being overwhelmed by the lens of the world.

J. Almost death-like – Almost

As an aside, in the last few days, as I kept delegating the truckloads of un-replied emails and many unfinished work items, many more kept coming in - unfettered. While all attempts were made to find right owners for current and future emails and actions, I paused for a moment and suddenly felt this was almost akin to death. And as you wait for your clock (read heartbeat) to stop ticking, there would be a pending great grandson school event invitation, and a friend’s card party and a sick relative in hospital seeking your attention and the taxman asking you nth time to file your returns on time. And suddenly when the unfinished agenda would remain “unfinished”, it would be time for us to pack and leave. I momentarily felt no different! Almost death-like – Almost!

Sumit Kasera

aka The Raconteur

aka Chachu

30th Jun, 2025