Episode 292 : Man, machine and manager

Many, many moons ago, (so many that we go back to the last century!), I emphatically stated that I do not want to manage people.

I said I prefer managing machines because I find it easier to handle them. No emotions to be sensitive to, all one has to do is type out commands and curse at the machine, and indirectly at yourself, if the commands fail.

The Indian industry, on the other hand, encourages everybody to become managers. The natural progression in the scheme of things is to be at the bottom of the ladder, and start climbing. You first become a senior in the team, then you begin to lead the team and then you manage the team.

The aspiration of many a software coder is to free oneself of the daily drudgery of assembling and disassembling code so that one can then boss over hapless others. My aspiration on the other hand was (and still is) to free other software coders from the daily drudgery of assembling and disassembling code. Rather noble, don't you think?

It appears my manager wants to groom me into becoming a good manager. That there are two levels of authority between that role and my current role seems to have gone over his head- he probably thinks there is only one. Normally one would be forced to dream of a possible double promotion and a hefty hike, but these days such dreams don't tango with each other.

I, on the other hand, am finding being a recluse increasingly inviting. That the sideburns stretched themselves into a beard could be a sign.

Another sign that pulls me towards being a recluse are these daily thoughts of getting to Varanasi using a train, not a motorcycle.

Which is a sign more ominous than any other.