Changing Seasons
October 30, 2022
7 years with the GSAT!
December 2, 2023
Corporate Culture is a frequently used, often misused and sometimes abused enigmatic word. There is a visible, overt culture that goes on walls of conference rooms and on PowerPoint backgrounds, which is usually easily rattled off by leaders and employees of a company. Then, there is an underlying, invisible culture, most aptly reflected by the shared values that play a greater role in influencing the work done and how it gets done. If the overt culture is like the traits of a human being, the invisible underlying culture is like its DNA which drives those traits. As opposed to published actions and structures followed in an organization, the DNA is not obvious from an external vantage point. In a nimble and agile company like GadflyZone, the values from the invisible portion of the culture iceberg (see image) frequently determine the paths of action in various situations, and hence become critically important. The term “Walk the talk” becomes easy when the underlying DNA is coherent and in full integrity with the visible culture that is desired.
It is this invisible DNA that has helped us, Abhishek & Suddha, to assimilate efficiently and effectively into GadflyZone. We joined GadflyZone within a month of each other. I, Abhishek (to the right in the pic below), still fondly remember my early days in the company. Just after completing my masters from KU Leuven, I was thrust into a world of complex problems and was introduced to Subject-Matter Experts extraordinaire, with immense knowledge in various disciplines. The precision and planning of every project deliverable is something that has stayed with me, and will inform my work throughout my career. My very first project required coordination across 5 different time zones for the customer and translation of data sources from almost as many languages. My prior experience with larger conglomerates – work and culture – was vastly different from the GadflyZone culture. The transition to GadflyZone was a metamorphic journey that was made possible only because of that invisible “Gadfly DNA” that drives everything that we do.
I, Suddha (to the left in the pic above), have an even more fascinating journey to narrate. After my masters from IIT Kanpur, I was onboarded in a completely remote manner. This was an unprecedented experience for everyone in the team. While companies around the world are still struggling to foster company culture and values in remote work programs, it is the invisible DNA that resonates in each and every Gadfly, which made sure of my smooth inclusion into the Gadflyzone family. Apparently, this company DNA permeates remotely and over Zoom calls and Teams meetings! Whether it was related to projects or in weekly rendering of Bollywood songs or our hilarious yet deep discussions during team lunches, remote or in person, this invisible DNA does thread through a lot of topics and areas.
As we persevere to work during tougher times ahead, it is important not to lose sight of this DNA that has kept us true to our core values. As we welcome the latest Gadfly, Yaswanth Kumar Geddam, it is up to us to ensure that the DNA baton gets passed without “mutation”. Hailing from IIT Madras, Yaswanth graduated with a masters degree in Metallurgical & Mechanical Engineering. He was selected for the esteemed DAAD KOSPIE-2021 fellowship at TU Darmstadt, Germany, wherein he worked on synthesizing and characterizing spinel-type metal oxides for functional applications such as electrocatalysts. Preceding this, Yaswanth graduated with a Bachelor of Technology degree from NIT Jamshedpur, India. In addition to the scholastic achievements, he has several sports accolades.
Yaswanth has bagged numerous awards in discus throw and volleyball. He has represented his university in various athletic and sports meets, and has also assumed various leadership roles in sports and cultural domains. In the picture above, he is using his athletic abilities to pull off a photo stunt! Wishing Yaswanth the very best of luck and looking forward to learning great things from him. We are extending the Gadfly DNA connections carefully to him to assimilate and pass on.
