Recession, Depression, Expression, Impression

Some of you might wonder about the title, but I mean what I say & I say what I mean that too in the order of appearance. The title I mentioned due to the following article Great Recession. Now first of all I have never heard about Mr. Michael Psaros, apart from C K Prahlad, Peter Drucker etc from the Corporate High Seat Accomodators. Second of all, what does it mean by forecasting a disaster? I would like to ask few questions such as :

• Based on what we are predicting recession ? I mean what are the parameters ?
• Why was it not forewarned when the market was singing big songs of success & upward mobil?
• Who are these people caused recession ? Consumers, Business Men, Investors, Government, Neghboring countries success ? What ?

Whenever such people give comments, they probably give based on their business graph. Now, listen to this side of the story. My ex-colleagues, who are very much part of the outsourcing industry - IT & ITES, said this last six months have been hectic for them. They had more business than usual. It was just yesterday, I spoke to my friend who is in UK right now, being a fresher in the IT industry, dared to leave his job and has started working as a Consultant / Freelancer & he mentioned the " F-word " for this recession hoopla. It was this evening, I had a brief discussion with one of my vendor, who was supposed to bring me business in the last semester, but could not because my skill sets (I am a Java Trainer, basically) were not his primary sale, said that business is actually as usual. I survived some how because my business decisions were not so much pre-planned, but I was not in the loss too. My very close friend is from travel industry & she says that the destinations she handles are Greece, Sicily, Turkey, UK etc & she says that she hardly feels its a recession since her work ends being pending every day & in fact she has even won a all paid (hotel(6/7 star), local travel, ticket & visa processes - all paid) trip to Turkey. Is this recession?

Another of my friend is from the training industry(which is supposed to be a cost function, according to my another senior most friend & very senior person in the IT industry, so his words should make sense all the time especially when he is VP Sales / HR for this CMM Level 5 company at Singapore) & she said that, she is unable to apply for leave due to growing work. My brother who is a fresher in the IT industry recently went to UK for overseas assignment. I myself made a short trip to Kazakshthan for an assignment. Work, money & business is as usual.

I know some one from manufacturing industry who will vouch for Mr. Michael Psaros though. But when was the last time you spoke to a business man who is not from the IT or service sector & looks happy about business? Brick & mortar business seciotns has already government regulations & silly issues like labour relations, credit cycle of the payment, etc. So I guess recession is just another reason to frown.

Now let us see around us & we will notice that, people are buying houses, cars (used/new), jewellery, travelling abroad, going for vacation within India, buying electronics & all other consumer durable goods. Film industry is not effected by this dread ful term, how come? If people are not having money or job or no business how come they would like to go for movie? It is said that A. Khan's Ghazini has grossed 200+ crores. How was that ? My ex-company has actually brought a new office near the new MMRDA Project along Ghatkopar-Andheri-Varsova link. Is this recession?

Now who is actually suffering? Well the ones who anyway have no talent to survive or they were making money as a byproduct. At present there is a financial buckle, but it is not for those who are talented or those who are skilled or in business circle those who have good repuation(& of course reputation in business means many things). I am myself getting offers for higher positions in IT industry, many are willing to work with the package I am asking for, though I have different priorites.

I would like to end with this small experience of mine. We all are people who have our behaviour based on the childhood habits. I had a neghbour who was 1 year elder to me. She was not academic but was very competitive. Her concerns, when the test scores were released was not whether she will fail or not, but how much any one has scored less than her. If she scored a disaster then she will find out whether every student in the class room has gone through & if she finds out that every body has scored less, like even the topper has made very average, she will be happy announcing her marks to the neighbour and at the same time blame the system for such result. I termed this as the rabbit-effect from the small fable we learned from our marathi school lessons. So, if you come across people yelling recession, they are the rabbits of this business and not the tigers / lions who will score a point in their habbit during tough times too. Tough time is a misnomer. Stay way from people like Michael Psaros & rabbits such as these. Follow the " F word " of what my dear european friend said about recession. I remember my ex-colleague’s words (who is a sales person but now is a GM of the Corporate department & an awesome inspiration in terms of aggression in business ) when I departed from the company, & he told me that “there are good parts of the business & there are bad part of the business, you make a choice to chase the good & avoid the bad to haunt”. The message is clear. “F word” for bad part & Welcome to the good part.