storm: esrian = arcgis martians, yes.. they are from another planet

During campus days… ArcView 3.x and PC ArcInfo were the first GIS software I used. I would spend ungodly hours in the Faculty Lab "playing" and experimenting ... so much fun… got me all interested in nerdy GIS things. I had some experience with AutoCAD and programming before and to some point felt that GIS is nothing more than a 'graphical database'. In campus I had no formal training... just use the Help tools and learn the software… motivation was to learn something new. I would feel so satisfied to get a good layout printed... or present my semester work using ArcView tools or analysis… customizing the interface made me feel like a super programmer. Campus days!!! How much that has changed with ArcGIS. Since joining ESRI SA, I have been humbled by the amount of work put into ArcGIS development. In my previous jobs I have worked with competitor software and always find ways to outdo ESRI software... but with ArcGIS, there is no fight. And now u wanna know why?? I found the answer in Redlands, California!!!

ESRI HQ in Redlands is full of brilliant and creative people... there is an aura in the air... you can smell the excitement and enthusiasm of people working here. There is a strong sense of commitment and passion in bringing change and improvement through GIS. You can see it everywhere and on every “ESRIAN” face. As I walk to HQ from my hotel daily (public transport sucks big time)... I can see people from all races, ages and form getting to work... mini United Nations. Its nice to see the glow and “ESRIAN” spirit in their expressions… maybe it’s the strong morning coffee… maybe its driving those monster cars... I dunno ;-)

ESRI Redlands practice flexi hours and casual dress code... in a way ... to bring a campus 'feel' to the professional working environment. This in turn creates a belonging to produce quality work because they place a lot of trust in the capabilities of these ESRIANs. This trust and bond is evident everywhere... from the cafe to the meeting rooms. ESRIANs know their purpose and work scope well. I kinda feel… hey… its like my campus days again... reminiscent of my experimentation and excitement using GIS. Cool.

The offices and cubicles are as I expected... just like the Germans… peaceful and quiet. People go about doing their work ... focused and that gets the job done. Maybe its because they are paid hourly... maybe its because they have tight schedules... maybe its because they have tough job interviews... maybe its because they have to pay higher gas. But I ASLO think its because of trust.. you can feel that ESRIANs are mature and know their responsibilities well... team work and sharing is the keyword here. Management does not treat the workers like schoolkids… or robots... vastly different from Malaysian culture. The ultimate goal I believe is to make a difference... change the world for the better... with GIS.

Now how can you beat that for motivation... no wonder ArcGIS is gazillion years ahead from the nearest competitor!!! It pays to trust ur employees... hope this concept stays on.