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It was their first day at work. David, Iqbal and Geeta
were fresh recruits. It showed. As they waited for their
supervisor to arrive, they looked in awe of their new
surroundings, not sure what to expect. Around them was
the hustle and bustle of a new working day. They were
excited nevertheless, after all, this is what they had
wanted.
 Their
thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of a person
who looked warm and approachable. “Hi! Welcome to
Wipro,” he smiled. “My name is Naren Sharma.
I shall be in charge of your induction programme. I’ve
been with Wipro for the last five years,” he said
and smiled. “I can see that you guys look a bit
lost. Not to worry, I felt the same when I first joined.
We’ll get started soon, but before that, is there
anything you need or want to know? I’ll be most
glad to help.”
They already started feeling a lot less awkward. “Thanks
Mr. Sharma,” said Geeta. “Hey, no need for
the Mr., we go by first names here,” said Naren.
“Know what, let’s first have a coffee at the
cafeteria. We can talk more comfortably there.”
This was not the typical stuffy manager they’d
expected to meet, they thought, as they walked through
the lush green lawns towards the cafeteria. This guy
was friendly and keen to make them feel comfortable.
As they started to sip their coffee, Naren asked, “Well,
any first impressions...thoughts?”
Iqbal began. “The campus and the offices are impressive.”
David said, “I’ve always wanted to work with
Wipro, especially since it’s one of the most admired
companies.”
“True. Everyone congratulates us for getting into
Wipro,” said Geeta.
Naren smiled and said. “You must have met a few
people here by now. What do you think of them?”
Not really sure why he was asking this, they nevertheless
proceeded with earnestness.
“Well for one, the people I met at the interview
seemed to be very unassuming but intelligent,”
said David.
“Everyone was absolutely straightforward with us
right from the first interaction. They called a spade
a spade and made no false promises,” added Geeta.
“Unlike some of the people I met in other companies,
people in Wipro are not brash or flashy. There is a
quiet confidence about them,” said Iqbal.
“So, how would you describe a Wiproite?” Naren
asked. By now the three had warmed to the topic. In
quick succession they reeled out, “Sensitive..
thoughtful... straight forward... quietly confident...”
“But I wonder what makes the people here different,”
Iqbal continued. “Will we ever become like them?”
mused David. Taking the cue, Geeta asked. “How
does one become a Wiproite?”
“Good question. To answer that, we need to appreciate
what Wipro is,” answered Naren. “The real
Wipro is not in its sprawling campuses or its stock
market status. It’s in the Values that drive the
organisation, which are reflected in its people, in
the way you just described them.”
 The
recruits looked at Naren quizzically. So Naren continued,
“Let me explain this. Sensitivity and thoughtfulness
reflect HUMAN VALUES
and intelligence leads to newer ways of looking at things,
in a free environment. This could lead to INNOVATIVE
SOLUTIONS. Being forthright and honest shows
INTEGRITY. Finally,
our quiet confidence comes from knowing that we offer
very high VALUE FOR MONEY
to our Customers.” David, Geeta and Iqbal seemed
impressed by what they had heard. “So what you
are saying is, that you become a Wiproite by practicing
these Values.
But how do we imbibe them?” asked David.
Naren replied. “By understanding what these Values
are. Let me explain them one by one.”
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