Can business really be personal?

[EDIT]  This is an old unfinished post that I am completing today ...
[EDIT 2] Took out a few sentences in 2018 to reflect a few changes in my attitudes towards work

Two back to back "international business trips" in a span of 10 days are making me think long and hard about human relationships and its relevance in the context of business.

Can a friendly relationship be sustained in a business context? Is there any value given to morality and righteousness in the context of a business relationship? Does every activity in a business relationship have to be transactional and built purely on the foundation of the impact it has to the bottomline?

In business school we are taught to believe that by changing from a transactional mode to a strategic partnership mode the best results are achieved for both parties involved in the relationship. The problem with "my" business education is that while the abovementioned core point has been emphasized and driven in through tons of theory and case studies, the real world seems to be scattered with examples that are added in an insignificant section usually titled "caveats".

What have I learnt over the past three months (still valid after 6 years in 2018!):

1. In the bay area, all relationships are transnational - in your face, get my work done and get out types - the only thing good about it all, everything is laid out on the table, there are no implied meanings, no nuances to worry about. The contract is paramount, everything else follows.

2. There is no appreciation for a job well done, doing a job well is considered to be routine, slipping or screwing up even slightly is completely unacceptable - this is an known paradigm that I am practicing everyday.

3. Everybody wants to find ways for controlling the outcome of every single action - including me.

4. Expectation mismatches are common, it is almost impossible to find a clear and logical middle ground while trying to fill the expectation gap, you have to come up with compromises, out of the box ideas and other methodologies to continuously fight this never ending battle.

5. Out of business compulsions management has to put on a two faced approach in some situations. The internal face sympathizes with the employees while the external face has to be sympathetic to the customers even if the sympathies at loggerheads with each other.

Flexing those muscles

I stand guilty of not having flexed my muscles much for the past two years. Neither have I physically exercised well enough over the past two years nor have I written anything extremely creative ("creative" is a relative term). I stand guilty in my own court of not having done the two things that I think are quite important (though not the most important) for my own physical and mental well being.

First things first, life is going just great. Apart from a few medical scares in between and a few frustrating quarters at IIM Bangalore (thank God I am done with my PGSEM as of December 2011), everything else in my life seems to be interestingly poised. From a professional perspective, I got out of my comfort zone and made a risky move into the field of application engineering for Android. I think the pay offs are coming through. I have a great bunch of colleagues, been through one cycle of ramping up customers to bring out super products (check this) and most of all besides the technical competence that I am building up, I am also in-charge of a team of 11 contract engineers. My vision of creating a non-linear support model for Android customers will be tested in the coming year 2012. On the personal front, I think I know that I am not cut out to be a bachelor for the rest of my life and I look forward to being married to the pretty girl I have been in love with for the past three years. I have to move out of my comfort zone and convince my parents to bless this matrimony so that it actually fructifies before Christmas 2012.

Essentially what I am doing in 2012 is to move out of my comfort zone to get many long pending actions completed. Two important actions that I would like to do for sure

1. Exercise regularly

I have stopped using the elevators at office and at home. Walking up five flights of stairs is the first step I am taking to improve my health here.

Thinking of picking up a treadmill, since my work seems to keep me in office for more than 10 hours at a stretch usually.

Should go for a light jog in the afternoons in the office gym. I pay a membership fee that has been wasted for the past two years.

Stop eating red meat completely and cut down the usage of oil in food preparation that I am in control of.

Really give Yoga and meditation a shot ....

2. Write regularly

There are so many things I feel passionately about ... policy decisions, technology, philosophy ... I have got to start putting down my thoughts on paper (the virtual kind ...).

My writings should not just be technical or philosophical, I need to get back to writing stories, especially those that deeply explore human emotions and relationships.

Perhaps I should work freelance over the weekends for anybody who requires a copywriter ... really ambitious goal but possible perhaps ...

A few more resolutions that are slightly unrelated:

1. Figure out how to use Google+

2. Start using Twitter regularly (or at least periodically)

Well this is atleast a start after more than two years!