Beyond Layoff

As a pet guardian, one wouldn’t want to be asking this question - "What do I do if my dog may have eaten some rat poison?" ... but it’s exactly what I googled a week ago and found articles like this - Rat Poisoning in Dogs The other day, my wife and I got a scare when we found a packet of rat poison lying around where Leo, our Beagle was playing. Looking at the plastic wrapper, I realized where it was from – I had using a few cubes from that packet to place in a secure area in the garden infested with rats. A few cubes were remaining in the packet that I had left in the window ledge. Either the wrapper with the leftover cubes had fallen down or the cubes had rolled into the garden while Leo had been simply sniffing around. Either way, the fear of poisoning began gnawing in our minds.  An hour after that Leo had his food but vomited it   out and had peed near where he sat, something he rarely ever did. We read up on rat poisoning and most articles talked about the “golden ...

 The other day I was pleasantly surprised to receive a mail from McGrawHill that a royalty amount was due to me This brought back memories of the grind in writing the book going through the editorial cycle and finally holding a copy in hand My book was published much before the proliferation of self-publication and eBooks where one can simply push any good, bad or ugly piece of work online on the largest bookstore in the world with a click of a button. So here are my experiences. Working with a publisher Working with a publisher can be an exciting and rewarding experience, but it also requires clear communication, understanding, and patience. When you partner with a publisher, they handle many elements of the publishing process, from editing and design to marketing and distribution. A good publisher brings professional editors who help polish your manuscript, ensuring it’s free of grammatical errors, consistent in style, and engaging for readers. Editors may suggest content edits t...

I have been reflecting on the untimely death of Indian professionals due to “high pressure” at work – first it was Anna from E&Y and now there’s news of Sadaf Fatima from HDFC who died mysteriously. A few years ago, I returned to India after spending several years living and working in the US. My wife and I had quit our jobs and moved back to India to be closer to my aging parents. After exploring various options, including entrepreneurial ventures, and networking extensively I was eventually offered the role of IT Director at a services company. The team I was leading focused on managing internal systems and application platforms like ERP, HR, and Finance. Mohan's viewpoint on YouTube Returning to India was quite a culture shock, and the traffic was a real eye-opener. I found myself commuting 1.5 hours each way to the office at a tech park, which meant spending 3 hours daily just on the road. After working 9 hours in the office and commuting, I was expected to join ‘manage...

 Membership in a corporate Employee Resource Group (ERG) can be a mixed bag, offering both significant advantages and potential drawbacks. On one hand, ERGs provide employees with a supportive space to connect with colleagues who share similar backgrounds, identities, or interests. This sense of community can foster belonging, elevate diverse voices, and create opportunities for mentorship and professional development. ERGs often play a critical role in driving inclusion within a company, giving members a platform to influence policies, shape workplace culture, and even impact business strategies that align with their values. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) defines ERGs as non-union, voluntary employee organizations led and comprised of members of the organization, formed around common interests. ERGs are often based on shared backgrounds, such as gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, or disability. In this brief video, Mohan shares his views on an ERG at a mult...

This week I got a WhatsApp message in a university alumni group about a GoFundMe page created by Aruna, a batchmate that talked about her husband’s suicide after he fell victim of a cryptocurrency scam. In the GoFundMe page, Aruna went on to explain  how her husband was an  “unfortunate victim of a cryptocurrency scam where he was skillfully manipulated into parting with our entire life savings. Through the shameless, methodical and savvy deception of these heartless cyber criminals, they utilized a “pig butchering” scheme and managed to convince him to pull every single penny out of our life savings, including all of our retirement funds. There is nothing left in our accounts, except debt and loans to pay.”   Video viewpoint by Author, Mohan Aruna’s family is the story of a typical middle-class American dream. She migrated to the US with her husband after her masters in India. They then spent the past couple of decades pursuing the American dream – seeking a Gree...

 The impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the job market has been a topic of significant debate and concern, with many questioning whether AI is actually leading to job losses. While the narrative often focuses on the potential for widespread unemployment, the reality is more nuanced. I asked this query in  Reddit's Futurology subeddit  last week and got nearly 200 responses that were polarized in two camps  The numbers are heavily under reported #vs Do you honestly believe that most companies would openly admit they are replacing people with AI?  Publicly traded companies would in fact be bragging about this. A summary of the top anecdotal Responses include: Individual IT Developers My team uses chatgpt extensively. **Mostly for code** but all kinds of other stuff too. We’re hiring less people. We have a hiring freeze right now, and 8 people just got let go. My department is shrinking. Yet, productivity is up…hmm, wonder how that’s possible…? Me + ChatG...