THE REAL HEROES @ SIEMENS

“It is six o’ clock in the evening and the hands of the clock are tickling fast. There is dead silence and the place is abandoned. Office timings have crossed and everyone has already reached home. After all it is India meeting the Pakistan in the Semis of the Cricket World Cup 2011. But in this deserted territory, six eyes are glued to their computer screens desperately trying to figure out the cost overruns of a project. Amongst these three musketeers, two are amateur kids trying hard to tackle their difficulties but their efforts are hardly bearing any fruit. But as they say that ‘at the end of every tunnel there is light’, these two greenhorns are shown the right path and suddenly the problem no longer remains a problem. Courtesy: A young man of fifty, their boss.”

When whole of India was watching their home team play, these two novices were reverently watching ‘their Tendulkar’ bat. Being their Chief, he could have simply ordered them to complete the task and he himself could have feasted on the high profile cricket match. But He is different and He always leads from the front.

This is Mr. Joseph Thomas- our ‘Thomas Sir’ for you.

 Thomas is a true team man. Out of ten, if he distributes eight tasks among his subordinates then he ensures that the remaining two are personally taken care by him. Not to mention he is equally involved in the other eight too.

Technically, he is undoubtedly the best amongst the lot. His standard is such that whenever a knowledgeable person is seen at the workplace, his/her skills unknowingly get compared with Thomas.

Thomas always goes to the root of every situation. It is because of this quality of his and of course his practical brilliance that the Switchboard Factory Kalwa was able to handle numerous difficult projects of difficult clients like IOCL, Volkswagen, Mahindra, Tata Power, HPCL, BPCL, EIL and the list goes long and still continues.

It was the year2007-08, when there was no dedicated team for the execution of Gas Insulated Switchgear at Kalwa, Thomas who was a part of Air Insulated Switchgear along with his team had shown the courage to accept this challenge and had successfully sailed through the novel project of IOCL  

But one project which raised his standards to an all together new height was definitely TYCO THERMAL CONTROLS. When many shied away from this so called non-standard type of switchboard, it was Thomas who not only executed the project successfully but also ensured that Siemens earned good profits.

It was Thomas’ Midas touch that he dug out gold from the ‘not so happening’ Verbund (Intra Company) Business of Switchboard Factory. With his proper planning, he streamlined the process for such projects. While giving practical solutions to the internal customers, he also made it a point that a hawk eye is being kept on the project costs.

It was Thomas’ brainchild to do the C2 costing (costing done after complete manufacturing to check if there is any cost overrun) for all Verbund projects. It once happened that his experienced eyes sensed some sort of ambiguity in the costing sheets of a certain project. On doing a detailed costing himself he came across many catastrophic revelations. Then and there a decision was taken and today you will find that C2 costing is done for all the Verbund projects.

Irrespective of one’s age or cadre, he is always ready to help. People too knock his doors to quench their thirst for knowledge just like the voyagers who go to the river. And like an eternally graceful river, doors of his cubicle too are open for all, 24x7! The same doors are also open for discussions. Though his experience speaks for itself but still He hears to others’ opinion with a patient ear. Had it not been the case then he would have not stood with me in the middle of the dispatch section when I was skeptical about some of the crucial dispatches of the month. At that time, his industry experience was of glorifying 23 years and I, I had just celebrated my 23^rd Birthday.   

 He always treats his team as his own family. He is always behind them like a stanchion in their good or bad phases, be it professional or personal. And for his team, he is not just a boss. He is a Father!

No doubt that he has achieved many accolades in his alluringly long career but what makes him stand apart is indeed his humble nature. With a work experience which is slightly more than my life experience, his legs are still firmly grounded and this truly makes him one of The Real Heroes@Siemens and we@Siemens are proud of him.

We Have Moved On, But…

2012, It’s now two years that I am a part of the SIEMENS family and in these two years many things have changed and adapting to these changes not only I, but also each one of you reading this article has moved on. After all it’s human to move on and to move ahead.

While Pravin Wakade moved on to Germany (While you will read this, he will be back, see we move on), Chetana moved on from ‘US’ and is again back with ‘us’. If Kallu is busy developing the business, Ajgaonkar too is managing the orders, they have moved on. Sid and Kashid are no longer boys, they are men-responsible men! Bhapkar and R.K. too are in the queue to follow the trait. Kiddo Vrushali is now a mother to a kid and regarding me, giving up my age old visual aid, today I see with my own eyes.

So, in some or the other way, each one of us has moved on.

Yes, we are moving, but if we see around meticulously, things aren't really changing. I mean every day we still wakeup cursing the alarm clock. Every Tuesday, we still get the Idli and as always we stand in long lines for the Vada Pav every Wednesday.Every month we fight vigorously for the Turnover (Lovingly called as TO). At times we defeat the target and most of the times the target defeats us. The controversial game of IPL is still being played with a great vigor and a lot of glamour, criticizing it's demeanor and cursing the expensive ticket prices, we still march to the Wankhede. Come every Dassera, the canteen serves us the same menu and when all the lovely ladies have their treasuries of Sarees to flaunt we boys mostly wear the same old kurta, year after year (Check for the pictures of Bhapkar and that of mine clicked during Dussera 2010 and 2011, you will realize that I am not lying). So, even if we move on, the things around us doesn’t really change as we think.

While I write this and you are reading this, we have moved on to August, yet another August! The 3^rd of August!

August actually means ’respectable’ and it indeed is. For the Hindus, August sometimes mean the divine month of SAWAN (Shravan in Marathi). For Muslims, it is at times RAMZAN. Brothers vow for their sisters’ well being in August and thus Rakshabandhan is celebrated. August embarks the beginning of new Friendships with the Friendship Day. Lord Ganesha sometimes pays His visit to His devotees in August. Lord Krishna too celebrates His Birthday in August and so are many of our Friends and Family members. Not to forget India won her independence in 1947, the month then was also August!  August is undeniably divine. But 3^rd August for us stands as an exception to all this. That black date which each one of us wants to forget and forget at the earliest.

But,

 

No matter where we have moved and how far we have moved, this date brings with it a wave of sadness and the world around us stops, making us, rather forcing us to look back, to look back at Him. He who always walked ahead of His own pace. But on that day, 3^rd August 2010, while walking, engrossed in His own thoughts He moved on and on so far that it was impossible for us to catch hold of Him.

He was gone, far, far away from this world, leaving behind a vacuum in our world which was once adorned by His presence.

They say,”We should give time, time and time heals all our wounds”- True, but it is this same time that takes us back to the memories, memories that make us sad as if everything has happened just yesterday. And the heart asks only one question, WHY?

We try to answer ourselves in various ways, I too have tried this but have never been successful in getting a convincing answer and thus the question still remains the same, WHY?

Unanswered, we move on, Life moves on. Many Dasseras will come, many Birthdays will follow. Every occasion which will serve good food will bring back the memories of this Foodie Friend of ours. Every tough situation will ask us to think in His inimitable way and every prank played will be compared to that of this great Prankster. Though making us sad, taking His name will definitely bring smiles on our lips after all He was the ray of light when one thought that there is no hope ahead.

Today, on His second death anniversary (while I write these two words, my hands tremble, but accepting the reality we have to move on), come let’s close our eyes and pray for that Divine Soul who was a Friend, a Philosopher and a Guide.

The Man who was VIVEKANAND! - He who was always there with us and will always be with us in our memories, in our hearts.

You will always be in our Prayers Dear Vivek and we know that you are listening. We know that we are not alone, You are definitely watching us. With this strong belief we move on, Life moves on!