India > Getting to know the team

I wake up just before the alarm. I slept very well last night. I was definitely ready for a night of rest. In the restaurant, I meet my colleagues again. Aashima, Yogeshwari, and Vishal also join us for breakfast. They’ve come to the campus especially for this—very thoughtful! Rajesh, the Infosys delivery manager for the ABN Amro account, introduces himself. He has just arrived from Bangalore. Together, we take taxis to the other Infosys campus, a few kilometers away. The streets are busy during the morning rush hour. The other lane is completely blocked, so some cars drive against our direction, asking everyone to just move over a bit. The motorbikes weave between the cars. By far, this seems to me the most efficient mode of transportation in the city. At the Phase1 campus, my bag is checked. Security also verifies that my laptop matches the serial number on my visitor pass. I just let it happen. Inside, I meet the other managers of the ABN Amro account. Besides Rajesh, Upendra and Nilesh are also present. We have a brief moment to introduce ourselves and go over the program for the coming days. Then we present ourselves to the teams. In a large hall, all employees working for Functions within ABN Amro are present. Through an interactive quiz, everyone can find out how well they already know us. Who dives in the most? Who travels a lot? Who doesn’t like coriander? For many questions, it’s just a guess, which allows everyone a chance to win. It’s funny to see that someone outside the Controlling team gets the most answers correct. It’s also time for the more serious work. The vision for the coming years is presented, along with developments within the department. I walk with the controlling employees to their workspace. I recognize the place well from my previous visit in 2016. The teams have changed, but the environment is the same. Each Agile team presents what they are working on, what they have achieved, and their challenges for the coming year.

India - The presentation to the team

Even with the first team, it becomes clear that much time and discussion goes into the issues presented. You want to solve everything immediately, but that’s not always possible. We decide to shorten lunch a bit and schedule some presentations for after lunch. A generous buffet is ready for lunch. Some team members join us. After lunch, we don’t have much slack time either. Arriving slightly late again, we attend the remaining team presentations. By four o’clock, we have seen all team presentations and also received a briefing on Infosys’ future vision. It’s good that there’s also something lighter on the program. With the whole team, we play a few games to get to know each other better. For example, we pass a hoop around the circle without letting go of each other’s hands. At the end of the afternoon, I drive back to Phase2. I have a little time to do ‘nothing’ in my room. When I lie down on the bed, I have to be careful not to fall asleep—it’s been an inspiring but exhausting day. At 7:30, the taxi is ready again. We drive toward Pune to the Taj Gateway Hotel in Hinjawadi. On the rooftop terrace is the bar/restaurant “Vandaag.” Funny—an Indian restaurant with a Dutch name. From the eighth floor, I have a view of the street life below. In the distance, I can also see Pune’s buildings. Tonight we are dining together with Infosys management. Various appetizers appear on the table. Some dishes are spicier, others milder, prepared especially for us. Meanwhile, we discuss today’s program. The temperature on the rooftop terrace is pleasant. More appetizers keep arriving—different types of chicken, meat, and lamb. We decline the suggestion to go downstairs to the hotel for a full buffet afterward. We prefer to simply order a few more dishes and avoid having too much food brought out. At 11:30, I leave the rooftop terrace. After a pleasant evening, I take a taxi back to the campus.