Goodbye and Goodluck

Two years back I walked into Oracle as a novice fresh out of college. I had big dreams coupled with enthusiasm and a burning desire to learn, to explore and to contribute. Over these two years, I have matured a lot, been exposed to different technolgoies, new concepts, facing and meeting many-a challenges. I may not have delivered 100% output always but I have certainly learned to put in my 100% effort. And for giving me the best and more importantly, getting the best out of me, I give full credit to your constant support, mentoring and encouragement .

As I prepare to say my goodbyes, I take this opportunity to thank you all for each each one of you has in his/her special way contributed to my betterment and growth over these wonderful two years. Also I would like to share some memorable moments and experiences during my stint here at Oracle.

Damon May: Unfortunately there isnt a single English word that can completely describe Damon. Thus, I need to take a couple of lines!:) Damon is a manager who never makes you feel he's your boss. With his clarity and precision in talks, he makes overseas discussions feel like conversations had sitting next to one another . I remember this once when Rutwik and I were beginning to take an issue lightly , Damon's single mail saying that 'this is bad' effectively communciated that he was annoyed with our attitude . Ambiguity and high-handedness has no place in Damon's manner. Till date, I have neither hesitated in seeking clarifications from him nor have I ever been unconvinced with his answer. Thanks for everything Damon!

Cory mclean: 'Committment' is either defined in the dictionary or in Cory's attitude towards work. :) I have never heard the word "NO" from Cory. No matter what the complexity of work or how tight the deadlines maybe, Cory doesnt get worked up instead he simply steps on the gas and charges up his team to work full throttle. However, as it may seem, it is not all work, no play for Cory. He manages to cheek out sufficient time to devote to his extra-curriculars..one must see his rock-climbing pictures to know what I mean.

Jeff Glanville:
If you need a person who can listen in English, think in French and reply in German then Jeff 's your man!:) Jeff can listen to a technical person, think as product manager and can reply in customer tongue . It has been an absolute pleasure working with Jeff. He helped me believe that you dont have to conform to English idioms because one can be jack of all trades and master of all too.

Beth Easterling :

If you don't understand it then you should ask for explanation. The above line might seem very obvious to many but it is really difficult to implement it in life. I learnt that from Beth. I clearly remember this quality of Beth when we were discussing merge project. Everybody was talking about setup/runtime/test/production/pre-production. It might sound easy to many who have lot of experience in product but i bet most of us were getting confused too. But it was Beth who asked this simple question and Thank God she asked. It made talks so simple.

Dave Merill: I still remember the only time I was in touch with Dave during his visit to India. Though he never spoke to me in person, but the manner in which he addressed us all expressed his great ability to peep into future and see how and what in the present can impact the future. He helped me understand the importance of thinking twice before taking each step.

Meg Lloyd: Of all the people discussed here, my least interaction has been with Meg. I still remember this talk Meg gave us . She said: "If we analyze how people check their mails then we will see that they can work more efficiently if they check their mails once in the morning, once in afternoon and once before leaving for home" . Though it seemed a small thing but I practised it and really felt the results. Thanks Meg. And yes, all the very best for your backyard garden. :)

Mehul jain: Very few people, specially with Engineering in Mechanical, can be as talented in Software engineering as Mehul is. Let it be writing scripts, writing documents, executing plans or even helping customers with certificates and SSL issues; Mehul has done all jobs with aplomb. All the very best for the future Mehul! You are an out-n-out achiever.. there's nothing stopping you! Keep the spirits high ! :)

Prakash pulla : Prakash, to me, is synonymous for ' systematic ' . There is a proper , systematic fashion in which he does every task. It really helped to learn how one can get-things-right-at-the-first-go by removing all ambiguities before one starts working on something.

Raja Ram Bhakta: The ability of a person to be a manager and a peer at the same time can be best learned from Raj. He makes you understand a problem in a way a peer would explain it to you and simultaneously conveys what a manager needs to. I shared an amazing comfort level with him and never hesitated in seeking clarifications/help. Thanks Raj!



Anurag khanna: I admit that I am awful at planning. And I never realized this until I worked under Anurag. He is such a meticulous 'planner' that it makes me realise that I have miles to go to learn the ABC of planning!:) Let it be managing resources or setting deadlines, Anurag manages it all in a realistic and efficient manner. Managers generally either push their team for project deadlines to look good in the eyes of superiors or set very relaxed dates to gain brownie points with their team. Anurag has always managed to strike a perfect balance between the two mentalities.

Rutwik chandorkar: Rutwik is undoubtedly the best mentor I have had. He has not only guided and encouraged me during my early days at Oracle but has also been my idol as far as technical skills are concerned. He has always been the perfect blend of a friend and manager. It was great working with you Rutwik and I am very glad that we are still in touch and hope that we continue to be!

I Thanks for your time and patience for going through this long post.:) I would love to (and sure hope the feeling is mutual ;) )to keep in touch with each one of you, so I part not with a goodbye..but with a 'hope-to-meet-again-soon' .........:)

With best wishes,

Shalinder Mahindru
Shalinder18@gmail.com
Shalinder18@yahoo.com