I lost my one day pay for the second month consecutively due to being integral in my organization. This time though I tried to check it before I sent my monthly work done report, somehow it spilt and my integrity won again. Here the norm for those working as consultant says that they have to work for 25 days in a month irrespective of whether a month is having 25 working days or not. This system has been functioning well for the last 5 years ever since the newer category of “employee” called Consultants started rendering their services. I was looking from many sources for the literal meaning of who is a consultant. The popular Wikipedia defines like “1) A consultant is usually an expert or a professional in a specific field and has a wide knowledge of the subject matter.[2] A consultant usually works for a consultancy firm or is self-employed, and engages with multiple and changing clients. Thus, clients have access to deeper levels of expertise than would be feasible for them to retain in-house, and may purchase only as much service from the outside consultant as desired. 2) Some consultants are individuals hired by companies to do work for them on a contractual basis. They are not employees of the company hired to do a specific work. They are expected to do their job ethically and responsibly with minimum supervision.”
The second definition somehow satisfies my role as consultant here. Initially, I was told to join as consultant for 3 months till I got the Project Manager or similar designation. But I have already entered my third year of service as consultant in the same organization. Though some of constraints came from my family, but my own lacunae of not finding a “suitable” job within the two years became reasons for me to still remain as consultant.
I was untouched by this phenomenon called consultant for quite sometime until another terminology called young professional came into existence with some of my friends from IRMA joining here. However, it was conveyed that Young professional falls under a sub-category of consultant only. Later I tried for changing my designation from “Consultant” to that of “young” professional though I’ve already entered my thirties then. Time has some other reason to say to me because of which I remained consultant again. Perhaps, every consultant working here would have his/her own side of justification for working as consultant.
Every consultant is supposed to provide a monthly work “done” report (MWDR) mentioned date wise working details. The proforma for MWDR is CCPd (Cut, copy paste) in many cases while some are self defined. Here comes the tussle between integrity and smartness. What should one do while submitting their WDR - ethically fill their day-wise deliverables or smartly write out to secure their 25days earnings. Anyways, the above stated norms work smoothly for the consultants as long as the person is smart enough to show his/her responsibilities on MWDR. Not to say that they work like or in many cases better than any other employee who are on the payroll of this organization. But the way they obtain their result is what makes one to worry about. During initial months, one could expect that whole lot integrity getting flown directly from heart to MWDR. As few months pass by, smartness takes over integrity because one has more “ethical” things to attend to. When the months with lesser working days come like Feb or with more declared holidays come, then the real problem crops up. One cannot surpass or forego their pay for those days when their organization itself remained closed. One fine month, the consultants become expert in atleast providing their MWDR having atleast 25 days for which they render their services.
Though I was aware of the MWDR and its significance in fetching ones salary for that month, I somehow kept uninterested towards it for many months as much of my mental attention went to my betterhalf who was pregnant then at Chennai. Meanwhile the heads got changed and systems become more systematic in our organization with the start of the new financial year. With that change, the submissions of the so-called MWDR became mandatory and timely for ALL the consultants working here.
I started my probing why I lost my two days salaries in the last couple of months. Is it because of my negligence or due to any system error? In fact during October, there were only 22 working days though I had worked for 24 days whereas in November I did work for 24 days when there are only 23 effective working days. What should I feel now? I lost some of my balanced temper for sometime and then started to write this blog. Should I worry for the loss of few thousands or be proud for the victory of my integrity. I am still confused because in many ways money is becoming or already become the integral part of my life. Having set up a nuclear family with my wife and son in a metro like Hyderabad who is growing up fast these days, the dependency over money getting more and more day-by-day.
I am witness to both the worlds of employees – one which is speaking in terms of lakhs of money as their monthly package whereas the other side of the world still looking forward to a jump into 5 figured salary. And there is still a third world for which I am supposed to provide my services. This world is popularly known to us for its vagaries but still unknown as we have neither experienced nor have any ways for them to come out of it. When my better half asked me why I am like this behaving most of the times confused about what I am doing or what I am willing to achieve, I felt pity for myself. Because in this society of mine, where a deliverable of a highly qualified man is measured in terms of how much quantum of money that gets saved into the bank balance or how bigger the flat owned by him or how much luxurier the car possessed by him.
I still remember vividly when a question posed to one of my “D” gurus , Dr. Kurien, when he came during the welcome address of our batch at IRMA – “what is the secret behind your successful life – please say it in 3 words”. Even at the verge of reaching eighties, Dr. Ku did not take a second to reply. It came quick like a child asking its demand that “integrity, integrity and integrity” no doubt the reply bagged a huge round of applause from the young and vibrant audience. Those were the times in which I was literally drowsed in the hope of serving the society or working in rural areas. Gone are the days of IRMA dreams, having entered into the real world where most of things are done for the sake of others or commanded over by others, being integral has become one of the moral values to be read in the bookshelves or heard as a pleasant advice.
When we came across someone who proudly calls himself as an integral person like our own Dr. Kurien or our PM Dr.Singh we just associate this quality of mankind to those celebrities and not to that of a common man. In our present world, being smart is valued much higher than being integral. Smartness comes with a cost as advertised by many of the cosmetic companies. For being smart, one has to first cut down the level of integrity he has to maintain for himself, for his family or with his professional life. Not to say that those who are smart will not be integral, there might be exceptions. But in general, its difficult for maintaining both these values simultaneously.
Many a times, I acted integrally with my parents and close relatives just like as I was doing before marriage, I got snub from better-half for doing so. In other words I could not act smart or why did I tell everything to everyone. Again there is this problem of level of integrity. Whom can we call a person with 100% integrity – Gandhi, Kurien or Manmohan; the third one is under scanner because of his neglect towards many of the recent scams though his rest of lift history proclaimed him so. In the case of Kurien, he was integral to his nation, may be that is the reason why he got a ban over import of foreign butter/ milk powder. But in professional life, what integrity had paid him back for the life long service that he rendered to an organization. The exit of Dr.Kurien is not so explicable rather disheartening to many of those in D sector. Coming to father of nation, he was claiming himself integral ever since he started probing him in South Africa. Perhaps, that could be a reason for his quote of “my life is an open book for anyone willing to read”. Again the common stigma with Gandhi that anyone can emulate him but cannot become like him which is again like any other Prophets or religious leaders.
Sometimes integrity is confused with togetherness. I was witness to many people saying that the integrity of India is facing huge crisis when the demand for smaller statehood rose. It is true that integrity of India(ns) is facing the challenge rather. I still remember the quote that says “integrity pays” but it did not work out in my case. It took some of my pay rather than paying more. Whatever be it, I could not measure what I gained out of integrity for the time being, but I am sure of what I lost in terms of Indian rupees as part of salary cut.
Let me put smartly that Long Live India(n) Integrity!!
