Ek din maine soucha,
Sapno ka hisaab banaoon,
Kyaa paaya kyaa khooya maine,
Is ki ek kitaab banoon…..(Accountancy)
Dekhaa…
Kuch sapne paida hote hee mare hoowey they…
Kuch Zindaa they magar darey hoowey say…
Kuch ke liye main zindaa houn..
Kuch muzhko zindaa rakhte hain magar zara say…(Reality Check)
The above poem was written by me for my son Abhay (in a minute) when he questioned if I really wrote poetry for my college magazine "DISHA" of BITS Pilani in India. That is history, not to be debated, but just to be acknowledged for what it is.
Come to the poem now....
The fact of the matter is that we need both, dreams, as well as reality. If we don't have dreams we cannot fulfill ourselves. If we don't have reality we are not in this "real" world and so dreams will never be fulfilled anyway!!! Dreams are like a painting which needs a canvas of reality to be painted upon.
This (poem writing) was a couple of years ago... What I wrote still makes good sense to me. I hope that the New Year brings dreams closer to reality for all whom I know.
2009 is coming to an end. I pray that all whom my family and I know, friends and foes alike, do well and "May God's Blessings Be Upon You and Your's for ever..."
PS: Please don't call me before 3pm on 1st January. It will be some time till I recover from the hangover......
Happy New Year And May The Good Lord (whomsoever you may worship) bless you with Health, Happiness and Prosperity. Cheers, Let the party begin !!!!
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Ignorence Is Not Innocence But Sin
The heading comes from a book "NIGHT SINS" by Tami Hog.
I am not a fan of the book or of the Author. The book is a good attempt but not a masterpiece. But then, who am I to judge?
However,the heading reminds me of what (Mahatma) M.K.Gandhi said once. It was in Hindi. The translation of what he said is (approximately) as follows: "If you don't condemn and oppose injustice, then you have agreed to accept it" (and hence you are a co-accomplice to the injustice).
This means that you are now a partner in the injustice....wherever and however it is being perpetrated.
Let's now get to the business/ management world.
Truth not told may mean supporting a lie!!!
Shoot! that is a terrifying thought....
Guys and gals, Managers..., please understand the difference between truth told and truth untold. The difference will make or unmake a situation or even a company.
Remember, The Truth Will Set You Free......If telling the truth gets you sacked, the company and the boss don't deserve you.
I am not a fan of the book or of the Author. The book is a good attempt but not a masterpiece. But then, who am I to judge?
However,the heading reminds me of what (Mahatma) M.K.Gandhi said once. It was in Hindi. The translation of what he said is (approximately) as follows: "If you don't condemn and oppose injustice, then you have agreed to accept it" (and hence you are a co-accomplice to the injustice).
This means that you are now a partner in the injustice....wherever and however it is being perpetrated.
Let's now get to the business/ management world.
Truth not told may mean supporting a lie!!!
Shoot! that is a terrifying thought....
Guys and gals, Managers..., please understand the difference between truth told and truth untold. The difference will make or unmake a situation or even a company.
Remember, The Truth Will Set You Free......If telling the truth gets you sacked, the company and the boss don't deserve you.
Satyameva Jaite ! (The Truth Will Win In The End) ....
Monday, December 14, 2009
Smile if you are a Manager
A Real Smile Does More Than Cure Your Ill Feelings. A Real Smile Melts Away Opposition…. (The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Swartz).
Busy in the business of running our daily lives, we have forgotten how to smile. Especially when it comes to work, we are so concerned with looking professional that we end up looking like stuck up idiots. I once worked for a company where my boss made it a point to look angry whenever he entered the office. For good measure, he would throw a tantrum within the first few minutes. The idea was to scare and intimidate everyone around. He succeeded quite well and we all made an effort to stay out of sight. If asked a question, we would keep our honest opinions to ourselves and try and tell what we thought the "boss" would like to hear.
I accept that anger can be used as a management tool. But once in a while, not all the time! When the manager comes into the office, his/her mood can set the mood of the staff for day. What would you prefer ? Happy employees working in tandem or people shit scared to tell you the truth and too intimidated to do anything meaningful ?
To all Healol managers : Please smile more often. Especially when you enter the office. You will be able to achieve more. A smile melts away opposition. You are ALWAYS on Candid Camera…..SMILE lah !!!
Busy in the business of running our daily lives, we have forgotten how to smile. Especially when it comes to work, we are so concerned with looking professional that we end up looking like stuck up idiots. I once worked for a company where my boss made it a point to look angry whenever he entered the office. For good measure, he would throw a tantrum within the first few minutes. The idea was to scare and intimidate everyone around. He succeeded quite well and we all made an effort to stay out of sight. If asked a question, we would keep our honest opinions to ourselves and try and tell what we thought the "boss" would like to hear.
I accept that anger can be used as a management tool. But once in a while, not all the time! When the manager comes into the office, his/her mood can set the mood of the staff for day. What would you prefer ? Happy employees working in tandem or people shit scared to tell you the truth and too intimidated to do anything meaningful ?
To all Healol managers : Please smile more often. Especially when you enter the office. You will be able to achieve more. A smile melts away opposition. You are ALWAYS on Candid Camera…..SMILE lah !!!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
The Indian Revenge (and Be Quiet)
I NEVER talk politics on my blog but just could not resist this one...
The Indian Prime Minister in in the U.S. of A this weekend. And he is lecturing Obama as to what should be done in Afghanistan and what should be done to Pakistan !!! How times change....
I am amused. This modern day Chankya strategy really seems to be working!!!
Fact....., China invaded India in 1962 to teach India a lesson ( as per Mao's words). Now they have learnt a few lessons themselves. India has one man called the Dalai Lama. Supposedly he is Chinese but speaks English in Indian accent. China cannot fight that one man with all it's nuclear or non-nuclear arsenel. As they say, a single mosquito in the room can spoil your sleep. Dalai Lama has been spoiling Chinese sleep for 50 years. May he do the same for many years to come. I call it the Indian Revenge.
(My wife is Chinese and she too is capable of this atrocity of loss of sleep on me. I love her anyway or atleast we both tolerate each other). That is the Chinese Revenge.
Fact..... Pakistan, with all it's terrorists and politicians (who support terrorism), is a failed state. I once read an article from one Major Ayaz Amir, in Dawn of Pakistan, that said that ISI should continue bleeding India slowly and continuously by terrorist acts since the Pakistan Army cannot win an all out war against India. This guy (Major Ayaz Amir) must be eating his words with a pinch or a sackful of salt now. Pakistan is at war with itself. What do you mean by winning this war in NWFP, Balochistan or rest of Pakistan ? Killing it's own citizens ? How many killed and how many displaced ? Pakistan WANTS to look good in the eyes of the world. It does not want to BE good. The Pakistanis try to justify or explain away each atrocity committed by their ISI trained criminals at home or abroad. Now the world is watching on CNN and Discovery channel the crimes that were planned in Pakistan and were committed in Mumbai. Major Ayaz....Indian revenge ...???
No explaination required here. Enough to say that those who sleep with the devil get impregnated by the devil and so be it........ Nov 26th is the anniversary of Mumbai attacks. I hope that Major Ayaz (who is now a politician) may find time to reflect where his advice has taken his country.
Fact....Russia got it's first US Dollars from India after the collapse of Soviet Union and therefore their economic system. Russia was and has remained a good neighbour to India. It is gaining economic strength due to it's energy resources. A strong Russia means a good strong friend for India. If you live in a good neighbourhood, chances are that you will progress too. Pakistan chose to be with the far off US of A. India kept USA at an arm's distance. The fact of the times required that India needed a friend in a hostile neighbourhood, being surrounded by East and West Pakistan and China. Now USA drones are firing misslies inside Pakistan. Call it friendly fire Maj. Ayaz ??? Or call it the Indian revenge ??
Fact....Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan, and liberated by Indian help) is quietly succeeding in economic terms. It has forgotten it's Pakistani and fanatic religious past and is concentrating on uplifting the lot of it's people. Why can't we all look at this country and learn from it ? Gramin Bank was formed here. Biodiversity is preserved, recycling is done as a matter of survival, carbon footprints of industries are minimal, no major wars or insurgencies, the only problem is between two women as to who will be the chief. This country is doing what others would like to do without making a big noise. Though being on the frontline of all weather problems, be they be tsunamis, ocean level rising or typhoons, the Bangladeshis are really trying hard to take the country somewhere. The Pakistanis are trying hard to commit suicide. Indian revenge ???
Friends, this is the crux of the matter. Don't shout when you are half way there. Get there and then (when you are there), there will be no need to shout. The world would know that you have arrived. Indians should learn from Bangladesh. I admire that country and wish them the best. May your efforts be rewarded...Jai Ho......
The Indian Prime Minister in in the U.S. of A this weekend. And he is lecturing Obama as to what should be done in Afghanistan and what should be done to Pakistan !!! How times change....
I am amused. This modern day Chankya strategy really seems to be working!!!
Fact....., China invaded India in 1962 to teach India a lesson ( as per Mao's words). Now they have learnt a few lessons themselves. India has one man called the Dalai Lama. Supposedly he is Chinese but speaks English in Indian accent. China cannot fight that one man with all it's nuclear or non-nuclear arsenel. As they say, a single mosquito in the room can spoil your sleep. Dalai Lama has been spoiling Chinese sleep for 50 years. May he do the same for many years to come. I call it the Indian Revenge.
(My wife is Chinese and she too is capable of this atrocity of loss of sleep on me. I love her anyway or atleast we both tolerate each other). That is the Chinese Revenge.
Fact..... Pakistan, with all it's terrorists and politicians (who support terrorism), is a failed state. I once read an article from one Major Ayaz Amir, in Dawn of Pakistan, that said that ISI should continue bleeding India slowly and continuously by terrorist acts since the Pakistan Army cannot win an all out war against India. This guy (Major Ayaz Amir) must be eating his words with a pinch or a sackful of salt now. Pakistan is at war with itself. What do you mean by winning this war in NWFP, Balochistan or rest of Pakistan ? Killing it's own citizens ? How many killed and how many displaced ? Pakistan WANTS to look good in the eyes of the world. It does not want to BE good. The Pakistanis try to justify or explain away each atrocity committed by their ISI trained criminals at home or abroad. Now the world is watching on CNN and Discovery channel the crimes that were planned in Pakistan and were committed in Mumbai. Major Ayaz....Indian revenge ...???
No explaination required here. Enough to say that those who sleep with the devil get impregnated by the devil and so be it........ Nov 26th is the anniversary of Mumbai attacks. I hope that Major Ayaz (who is now a politician) may find time to reflect where his advice has taken his country.
Fact....Russia got it's first US Dollars from India after the collapse of Soviet Union and therefore their economic system. Russia was and has remained a good neighbour to India. It is gaining economic strength due to it's energy resources. A strong Russia means a good strong friend for India. If you live in a good neighbourhood, chances are that you will progress too. Pakistan chose to be with the far off US of A. India kept USA at an arm's distance. The fact of the times required that India needed a friend in a hostile neighbourhood, being surrounded by East and West Pakistan and China. Now USA drones are firing misslies inside Pakistan. Call it friendly fire Maj. Ayaz ??? Or call it the Indian revenge ??
Fact....Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan, and liberated by Indian help) is quietly succeeding in economic terms. It has forgotten it's Pakistani and fanatic religious past and is concentrating on uplifting the lot of it's people. Why can't we all look at this country and learn from it ? Gramin Bank was formed here. Biodiversity is preserved, recycling is done as a matter of survival, carbon footprints of industries are minimal, no major wars or insurgencies, the only problem is between two women as to who will be the chief. This country is doing what others would like to do without making a big noise. Though being on the frontline of all weather problems, be they be tsunamis, ocean level rising or typhoons, the Bangladeshis are really trying hard to take the country somewhere. The Pakistanis are trying hard to commit suicide. Indian revenge ???
Friends, this is the crux of the matter. Don't shout when you are half way there. Get there and then (when you are there), there will be no need to shout. The world would know that you have arrived. Indians should learn from Bangladesh. I admire that country and wish them the best. May your efforts be rewarded...Jai Ho......
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Ambition..the dirty word
Ambition can be a fiend or an angel. Ambition can be likened to a spirited, speedy horse; it can carry us quickly over much ground if we keep a proper rein on it and guide it along the right road, but if given too much rein, it is in danger of landing us in the ditch.
B.C.Forbes (Founder of Forbes Magazine, 1917)
When talking about the ambitions of managers and colleagues, we often get confused. Either the person is “over ambitious or has no ambition at all!
Much as we use, respect and revile the word AMBITION, we fail to define the limit when a person has just the right amount of ambition. Do we expect each and every one to have the same amount of ambition? Or do we expect some to be very ambitious and others to hold their horses, both, just to suit our selfishly thought out script of how life should be at that particular time with that particular person?
Is being ambitious important or simply doing one’s best is good enough?
What defines the fine line between ambition and stupidity, between an angel and a fiend or between soaring to great heights and falling headlong into disaster, all due to ambition?
I think that I have confused myself enough with this debate. Flying in the air like birds must have been an impossible dream of man for centuries, now it is done regularly, and that too at twice or thrice the speed of sound. A machine which calculates a million times faster than a man was a ridiculous thought, but today our hand phones have more brain power than a dozen professors of mathematics combined. A man walking on the moon was fairy tale material till it was actually done. Looking at and talking to a person sitting a world away must have been a fantasy till just a few years ago. Now we can't imagine a world without live television, real time data transfers and video conferencing.
And all this happened because someone had a stupid ambition to do what was considered mission impossible. The guys who achieved all this did not put a rein on their ambition as the great finance guru Mr. Forbes postulated.
They let their ambition run wild. And thus, they changed the world for ever!
At the end of the day, I think ambition is a positive word, which is used to define the state of mind of people who dare and succeed in their set goals. Those who may be daring geniuses, but do not succeed are called stupid and “Over Ambitious”. There is a fine line here. Great success seldom comes at the first try. Great success at something amazingly different, achieved at the first attempt is more likely to be a lucky accident rather than real achievement. Hence, ambition needs an indomitable spirit and perseverance before one sees success. In the meanwhile, be ready to be laughed at, ridiculed and/or ignored (if you are lucky).
Mother Teresa once said, “When you are successful, you will have few real friends and many real enemies. Succeed anyway!”. In other words, let today’s failures be the foundation of future success. Be ambitious. Define and strive for your goals. You owe that to yourself and to all those who define who and what you are in God’s universe.
B.C.Forbes (Founder of Forbes Magazine, 1917)
When talking about the ambitions of managers and colleagues, we often get confused. Either the person is “over ambitious or has no ambition at all!
Much as we use, respect and revile the word AMBITION, we fail to define the limit when a person has just the right amount of ambition. Do we expect each and every one to have the same amount of ambition? Or do we expect some to be very ambitious and others to hold their horses, both, just to suit our selfishly thought out script of how life should be at that particular time with that particular person?
Is being ambitious important or simply doing one’s best is good enough?
What defines the fine line between ambition and stupidity, between an angel and a fiend or between soaring to great heights and falling headlong into disaster, all due to ambition?
I think that I have confused myself enough with this debate. Flying in the air like birds must have been an impossible dream of man for centuries, now it is done regularly, and that too at twice or thrice the speed of sound. A machine which calculates a million times faster than a man was a ridiculous thought, but today our hand phones have more brain power than a dozen professors of mathematics combined. A man walking on the moon was fairy tale material till it was actually done. Looking at and talking to a person sitting a world away must have been a fantasy till just a few years ago. Now we can't imagine a world without live television, real time data transfers and video conferencing.
And all this happened because someone had a stupid ambition to do what was considered mission impossible. The guys who achieved all this did not put a rein on their ambition as the great finance guru Mr. Forbes postulated.
They let their ambition run wild. And thus, they changed the world for ever!
At the end of the day, I think ambition is a positive word, which is used to define the state of mind of people who dare and succeed in their set goals. Those who may be daring geniuses, but do not succeed are called stupid and “Over Ambitious”. There is a fine line here. Great success seldom comes at the first try. Great success at something amazingly different, achieved at the first attempt is more likely to be a lucky accident rather than real achievement. Hence, ambition needs an indomitable spirit and perseverance before one sees success. In the meanwhile, be ready to be laughed at, ridiculed and/or ignored (if you are lucky).
Mother Teresa once said, “When you are successful, you will have few real friends and many real enemies. Succeed anyway!”. In other words, let today’s failures be the foundation of future success. Be ambitious. Define and strive for your goals. You owe that to yourself and to all those who define who and what you are in God’s universe.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
A Song Without Melody
A life spent without any achievement to talk about, nothing to say to children about your experiments and experiences, nothing to be remembered for once you are gone is like a song without melody or music.
It is not a song at all.
To all my colleagues at Healol and to all my friends I send a message:
Travel
Experience
Experiment
Achieve
Create
Enjoy all of the above. And more
These are the DOs.....
The Don'ts are as follows:
Don't be angry,
disgruntled,
disheartened,
disturbing (heh heh),
disssatisfied without reason,
and please dont do anything negative that starts with "Dis" and is joined with another word. (Mind you Discuss is a single word).
Life can be a song. A song needs both, lyrics and melody. Lyrics bring the meaning (in life), music or melody says volumes about the way how we live.
Life may not be perfect, (since nothing is), but it can be good.....The Song of Life with Lyrics of Purpose and Deed, made beautiful by the Melody and Music of the way we live.
Jai Ho!
It is not a song at all.
To all my colleagues at Healol and to all my friends I send a message:
Travel
Experience
Experiment
Achieve
Create
Enjoy all of the above. And more
These are the DOs.....
The Don'ts are as follows:
Don't be angry,
disgruntled,
disheartened,
disturbing (heh heh),
disssatisfied without reason,
and please dont do anything negative that starts with "Dis" and is joined with another word. (Mind you Discuss is a single word).
Life can be a song. A song needs both, lyrics and melody. Lyrics bring the meaning (in life), music or melody says volumes about the way how we live.
Life may not be perfect, (since nothing is), but it can be good.....The Song of Life with Lyrics of Purpose and Deed, made beautiful by the Melody and Music of the way we live.
Let the music begin...
Jai Ho!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
A Fortune Teller Told Me
I once read a wonderful book by Tiziano Terzani called "A FORTUNE TELLER TOLD ME"
The book's story is set in Thailand and is a true account of what happened to the author. (I have a special interest as Thailand is like my second home). A fortune teller tells this guy not to board a helicopter and it so happens that he somehow cannot (board) anyway. The guy replacing him does, the helicopter crashes, and everyone aboard died. The book is a book, part fact part emotions (not exactly fiction, but dramatized a bit based on facts). The crash really happened. People died.
So.....I read my own Janam Patri (Horescope) recently, at the age of 52, written by the "Great" Bhrigu Shastri, the greatest Hindu academic priest in his time. (Since my father was a Big Shot, nothing less would suffice). Bhrigu Shastri was the Greatest and since I was the youngest in the family (and therefore most loved and my father's favourite), I got most of everything.
I also learned (at great pain) to share and care. Slaps were frequent. Especilly if I ate before my mother. Kisses and hugs were frequent too. What to do? Indians will be indians.....What to do ? We are like this only....
When I used to come back from Delhi Public School, our family driver and family member (Gulzar Singh Gill) or Kaka as my father called him, (Kaka meaning Son in Punjabi) would have 100 grams of Kalakand for me. Indians will know what I am talking about. If I was naughty or misbihaved with Kaka, a swift and harsh reaction was to be expected from Papa (my father).
Getting back to what the Fortune Teller (Bhrigu Shastry) said about me when I was just a newborn. Gosh...It was so accurate that I have now started believing that there may be some sense in stars and numbers.
These guys, old guys, did have something solid. My predicted horescope is accurate to an extent that is amazing.
Which brings us to the question..... Can you really predict anything ?
My answer...don't discard "anything" before studying carefully. There may be a lot there, waiting to be discovered....Isn't discovery our purpose in life ??? Go forth, experiment, discover...Be blessed for ever....
The book's story is set in Thailand and is a true account of what happened to the author. (I have a special interest as Thailand is like my second home). A fortune teller tells this guy not to board a helicopter and it so happens that he somehow cannot (board) anyway. The guy replacing him does, the helicopter crashes, and everyone aboard died. The book is a book, part fact part emotions (not exactly fiction, but dramatized a bit based on facts). The crash really happened. People died.
So.....I read my own Janam Patri (Horescope) recently, at the age of 52, written by the "Great" Bhrigu Shastri, the greatest Hindu academic priest in his time. (Since my father was a Big Shot, nothing less would suffice). Bhrigu Shastri was the Greatest and since I was the youngest in the family (and therefore most loved and my father's favourite), I got most of everything.
I also learned (at great pain) to share and care. Slaps were frequent. Especilly if I ate before my mother. Kisses and hugs were frequent too. What to do? Indians will be indians.....What to do ? We are like this only....
When I used to come back from Delhi Public School, our family driver and family member (Gulzar Singh Gill) or Kaka as my father called him, (Kaka meaning Son in Punjabi) would have 100 grams of Kalakand for me. Indians will know what I am talking about. If I was naughty or misbihaved with Kaka, a swift and harsh reaction was to be expected from Papa (my father).
Getting back to what the Fortune Teller (Bhrigu Shastry) said about me when I was just a newborn. Gosh...It was so accurate that I have now started believing that there may be some sense in stars and numbers.
These guys, old guys, did have something solid. My predicted horescope is accurate to an extent that is amazing.
Which brings us to the question..... Can you really predict anything ?
My answer...don't discard "anything" before studying carefully. There may be a lot there, waiting to be discovered....Isn't discovery our purpose in life ??? Go forth, experiment, discover...Be blessed for ever....
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Your Dharma as a Manager
O King, Be Formidable and Firm,
Like a Rock, and follow your Duty
(Yajur Veda)
The duty of Managers is not to be liked or loved. Their duty is to be effective.
You have to be effective for the organization, effective for all the stakeholders, including staff, company owners, bankers etc.
Yet most managers want to be liked and loved by their colleagues. It is a fatal mistake.
The Vedas say it quite clear as stated above.
Be Formidable and Firm as in Uncompromising on basic Principles. Or else you are lost forever. You lose sight of Principles and you are in un-chartered waters. People have gone to jail for straying. Don’t do it. It’s just not worth it.
Be like a Rock so that your integrity is uncompromised and unquestioned for ever.
Follow your duty to achieve (with integrity) what needs to be achieved.
Never compromise on being firm, or following your duty to what is your target.
Don’t let others under your care take short cuts too. Their idiocy will reflect on you.
That does not mean being inhuman. It means being a good, honest, hard working human being who doesn’t compromise on basic Principals.
Is there a choice ???
Like a Rock, and follow your Duty
(Yajur Veda)
The duty of Managers is not to be liked or loved. Their duty is to be effective.
You have to be effective for the organization, effective for all the stakeholders, including staff, company owners, bankers etc.
Yet most managers want to be liked and loved by their colleagues. It is a fatal mistake.
The Vedas say it quite clear as stated above.
Be Formidable and Firm as in Uncompromising on basic Principles. Or else you are lost forever. You lose sight of Principles and you are in un-chartered waters. People have gone to jail for straying. Don’t do it. It’s just not worth it.
Be like a Rock so that your integrity is uncompromised and unquestioned for ever.
Follow your duty to achieve (with integrity) what needs to be achieved.
Never compromise on being firm, or following your duty to what is your target.
Don’t let others under your care take short cuts too. Their idiocy will reflect on you.
That does not mean being inhuman. It means being a good, honest, hard working human being who doesn’t compromise on basic Principals.
Is there a choice ???
Friday, July 3, 2009
My Mind is Without Fear
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high Where knowledge is free, Where the world has not been broken up into fragments By narrow domestic walls. Where words come out from the depth of truth, Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection. Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way Into the dreary desert sand of dead habitWhere the mind is led forward by thee Into ever-widening thought and action, Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
(Gurudev) Rabindra Nath Tagore. Nobel Laureate.
When I was studying at Delhi Public School at Mathura Road in New Delhi, (at that time that was the only DPS, as I am talking of 1961 and I was 4 years old), we had a Principal by the name of Mr. Din Dayal. He was a six footer with a mind as sharp as a knife and a cane as long as could be. He ran a tight and disciplined ship. No b***sh*t allowed. If you come late by 2 minutes to school, you will feel the sting of the cane on your small palms.
The grandson of our then President Dr. Zakir Hussein, Salman Khurshid , (later the foreign minister of India and now Corporate Affairs Minister) was the Head Boy. He took pleasure in telling us that our nails were not trimmed proper, or our shoe laces were not tied neatly, and a small insult would follow. But he was always decent if not perfect (since the Prefects were under him). I guess he left the dirty work for them. But I do remember him fondly.
The only consolation from the daily tortures that we went through (of strict and uncompromising madams who taught us) was a chat with my good friend, Alberuni Kidwai, who happened to be another grandson of Dr. Zakir Hussein. He was my classmate, friend and a good one at that. Humble to the extent that was unbelievable. We used to come to school in the same bus (I 31), he from Jamia Milia Islamia University and I from Defence Colony. I truly miss him and hope that one day I will be able to meet him again.
Every day we had an assembly and every day of the week we had a different prayer. Naturally, Mr. Din Dayal would lead. Black gown and all in place. The one prayer that I remember most is the one that I have mentioned above. From Rabindra Nath Tagore.
In the days when you are 4 years old, these words make no sense to you. Now, at this age of mine, they do make sense and I am happy that I am a part of “my country”. I also understand "my father", better.
I have retained my Indian citizenship for whatever it is worth, I have retained Indian citizenship for my children. It gives us an identity. We did not chose to be born in a particular country or race, but it gives us a responsibility to do the best we can for our stock.
I have done most of my work in and with India and have tried to do as well as I could for myself as well as for India. This is for my personal satisfaction. So be it !
My mind is without fear and my head is held high……..My father …lead me where you want to…….thought and action is my responsibility.......The rest, I leave to you...
(Gurudev) Rabindra Nath Tagore. Nobel Laureate.
When I was studying at Delhi Public School at Mathura Road in New Delhi, (at that time that was the only DPS, as I am talking of 1961 and I was 4 years old), we had a Principal by the name of Mr. Din Dayal. He was a six footer with a mind as sharp as a knife and a cane as long as could be. He ran a tight and disciplined ship. No b***sh*t allowed. If you come late by 2 minutes to school, you will feel the sting of the cane on your small palms.
The grandson of our then President Dr. Zakir Hussein, Salman Khurshid , (later the foreign minister of India and now Corporate Affairs Minister) was the Head Boy. He took pleasure in telling us that our nails were not trimmed proper, or our shoe laces were not tied neatly, and a small insult would follow. But he was always decent if not perfect (since the Prefects were under him). I guess he left the dirty work for them. But I do remember him fondly.
The only consolation from the daily tortures that we went through (of strict and uncompromising madams who taught us) was a chat with my good friend, Alberuni Kidwai, who happened to be another grandson of Dr. Zakir Hussein. He was my classmate, friend and a good one at that. Humble to the extent that was unbelievable. We used to come to school in the same bus (I 31), he from Jamia Milia Islamia University and I from Defence Colony. I truly miss him and hope that one day I will be able to meet him again.
Every day we had an assembly and every day of the week we had a different prayer. Naturally, Mr. Din Dayal would lead. Black gown and all in place. The one prayer that I remember most is the one that I have mentioned above. From Rabindra Nath Tagore.
In the days when you are 4 years old, these words make no sense to you. Now, at this age of mine, they do make sense and I am happy that I am a part of “my country”. I also understand "my father", better.
I have retained my Indian citizenship for whatever it is worth, I have retained Indian citizenship for my children. It gives us an identity. We did not chose to be born in a particular country or race, but it gives us a responsibility to do the best we can for our stock.
I have done most of my work in and with India and have tried to do as well as I could for myself as well as for India. This is for my personal satisfaction. So be it !
My mind is without fear and my head is held high……..My father …lead me where you want to…….thought and action is my responsibility.......The rest, I leave to you...
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Comedy of anger in business
A comedy of error in business...
I try not to take anything in life for granted. Stupid as it may be, I question everything, maybe just to know whether I and my grey cells are still alive and functioning.
So, I put a question before you and please let me have your comments. Here it goes:
An ace I read from Malcolm Gladwell’s book “blink”:
“Comedy comes out of anger, and interesting comes out of angry, otherwise there is no conflict”.
Shoot, I never understood that comedy comes out of anger. I thought that comedy was fun. It should come out of happiness. But does it ? Now I am confused and analysing. It's not funny anymore.
Can we not have fun without anger ? Professional artists/performers/stand up comedians etc. may transform their contempt of what is around them (the world in general) to comedy. Indeed, they almost always do. Most jokes are cracked at the expense of someone else.
I disagree. Comedy may also come out of joy of living. It may come out of just en(joy)ing yourself.
The best jokes are those which are cracked upon our self, because there is no other victim.
In our work too, if we realize that we have made a mistake and can own up to it, and laugh about it, chances are that WE SHALL OVERCOME. The alternative will be anger, conflict and disaster all around!
I was once working for a company which excelled in insulting it’s managers at the tiniest of mistakes. Actually, there was only one CHIEF who was doing it and the others were following the culture out of fear, or for pleasing him to get advantage.
I learnt from that experience.
I will never run an enterprise which thrives on insult or fear.
We have better things to do in life than to make a comedy out of other’s mistakes and misfortunes. Most comedy can be interpreted as insulting. You laugh at the language / color / appearance of others ? Look at yourself please...
You or I may be on the receiving end tomorrow.
Please en(joy) your comedy….
I try not to take anything in life for granted. Stupid as it may be, I question everything, maybe just to know whether I and my grey cells are still alive and functioning.
So, I put a question before you and please let me have your comments. Here it goes:
An ace I read from Malcolm Gladwell’s book “blink”:
“Comedy comes out of anger, and interesting comes out of angry, otherwise there is no conflict”.
Shoot, I never understood that comedy comes out of anger. I thought that comedy was fun. It should come out of happiness. But does it ? Now I am confused and analysing. It's not funny anymore.
Can we not have fun without anger ? Professional artists/performers/stand up comedians etc. may transform their contempt of what is around them (the world in general) to comedy. Indeed, they almost always do. Most jokes are cracked at the expense of someone else.
I disagree. Comedy may also come out of joy of living. It may come out of just en(joy)ing yourself.
The best jokes are those which are cracked upon our self, because there is no other victim.
In our work too, if we realize that we have made a mistake and can own up to it, and laugh about it, chances are that WE SHALL OVERCOME. The alternative will be anger, conflict and disaster all around!
I was once working for a company which excelled in insulting it’s managers at the tiniest of mistakes. Actually, there was only one CHIEF who was doing it and the others were following the culture out of fear, or for pleasing him to get advantage.
I learnt from that experience.
I will never run an enterprise which thrives on insult or fear.
We have better things to do in life than to make a comedy out of other’s mistakes and misfortunes. Most comedy can be interpreted as insulting. You laugh at the language / color / appearance of others ? Look at yourself please...
You or I may be on the receiving end tomorrow.
Please en(joy) your comedy….
Thursday, June 11, 2009
From Goodness to Greatness
Let’s talk about our jobs today. All of us do whatever we do, because we have to. Some try to do it well. Some go a step beyond and try to do a great job.
Why? I think it is because some people have a passion for excellence. As mentioned in my last posting, most achievements in the world are in pursuit of excellence. So what is the difference between Good and Great?
The Good is expected, the Great is recognized. Goodness is required or desired, whereas Greatness is respected and revered. Goodness is forgotten with time, Greatness becomes a timeless memory.
Look around you. Look at all the towering buildings. They were made by ordinary people and collectively they build these edifices to humanity. Look at the Taj Mahal or the Great Wall of China. Look at the creations of Michelangelo. Look at the great cities of London, Rome, Paris, Vienna. Think of how Hiroshima and Nagasaki were reconstructed (and so fast) after the atomic bombs were dropped on them.
All this my friends is Greatness in ACTION
The Great happens when ordinary people do extraordinary things. The Great happens when you refuse to pass yourself off as just another ordinary human being. No compromises. You can be Great! So why not try?
Why? I think it is because some people have a passion for excellence. As mentioned in my last posting, most achievements in the world are in pursuit of excellence. So what is the difference between Good and Great?
The Good is expected, the Great is recognized. Goodness is required or desired, whereas Greatness is respected and revered. Goodness is forgotten with time, Greatness becomes a timeless memory.
Look around you. Look at all the towering buildings. They were made by ordinary people and collectively they build these edifices to humanity. Look at the Taj Mahal or the Great Wall of China. Look at the creations of Michelangelo. Look at the great cities of London, Rome, Paris, Vienna. Think of how Hiroshima and Nagasaki were reconstructed (and so fast) after the atomic bombs were dropped on them.
All this my friends is Greatness in ACTION
The Great happens when ordinary people do extraordinary things. The Great happens when you refuse to pass yourself off as just another ordinary human being. No compromises. You can be Great! So why not try?
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
You are Right !
Whether you believe you can, or believe you can’t…you are right!
Henry Ford.
A.R.Rahman was a poor boy whose father died when Rahman was barely a teenager. In the year 2004 I saw a play “Bollywood Dreams” in Victoria Theater of London, the music of which was composed by Rahman. From the reaction of the mainly English audience, who were literally dancing in their seats, it was obvious that Hindi music and Rahman were going to go places. The recent Oscars prove the point.
But, it also proves other and more important points: The world does reward talent. It does reward hard work and persistence. It does reward sincerity.
Above all, it rewards those who believe in themselves and work single mindedly towards achieving something meaningful in their lives. It can be money, but most of all good work in the world is done to achieve excellence rather than monetary gain.
How to get there? Start with yourself. Do you believe you can ?
Henry Ford.
A.R.Rahman was a poor boy whose father died when Rahman was barely a teenager. In the year 2004 I saw a play “Bollywood Dreams” in Victoria Theater of London, the music of which was composed by Rahman. From the reaction of the mainly English audience, who were literally dancing in their seats, it was obvious that Hindi music and Rahman were going to go places. The recent Oscars prove the point.
But, it also proves other and more important points: The world does reward talent. It does reward hard work and persistence. It does reward sincerity.
Above all, it rewards those who believe in themselves and work single mindedly towards achieving something meaningful in their lives. It can be money, but most of all good work in the world is done to achieve excellence rather than monetary gain.
How to get there? Start with yourself. Do you believe you can ?
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
The Brave will inherit the World
“The Future does not belong to the faint hearted,
It belongs to the Brave.”
Ronald Reagan, US President, upon the explosion of Challenger Space Shuttle resulting in the death of 7 Astronauts.
Much as we think and plan, a lot in life goes haywire. Actually, when plans meet reality, reality always wins!
In affairs of the family, if you want to have a child of a particular sex (idiotic as it may sound), God may decide otherwise. You buy property thinking that you have made the best investment which cannot fail, and then the U.S. of A collapses bringing the whole world down with it.
In work too, our careers may not take the exact course that we have dreamt or planned of. Rarely do things move and progress exactly as we hoped they would.
Once and IF they do (move exactly as we thought), we promptly claim that we are smart, intelligent and unbeatable. A fatal mistake sirs and madams!
Nothing could be further from the truth. The really smart people know that to claim smartness based on a single success is stupidity! In fact, to claim smartness is ALWAYS stupidity.
Yet, we have to move on. Whenever we try anything or pursue anything worth pursuing, chances of failure exist. If we shy from the risk, we won’t achieve anything worth achieving. Nothing risked, nothing gained.
The world may belong to the meek, but the future belongs to the Brave. Use your guts! Be Brave!
It belongs to the Brave.”
Ronald Reagan, US President, upon the explosion of Challenger Space Shuttle resulting in the death of 7 Astronauts.
Much as we think and plan, a lot in life goes haywire. Actually, when plans meet reality, reality always wins!
In affairs of the family, if you want to have a child of a particular sex (idiotic as it may sound), God may decide otherwise. You buy property thinking that you have made the best investment which cannot fail, and then the U.S. of A collapses bringing the whole world down with it.
In work too, our careers may not take the exact course that we have dreamt or planned of. Rarely do things move and progress exactly as we hoped they would.
Once and IF they do (move exactly as we thought), we promptly claim that we are smart, intelligent and unbeatable. A fatal mistake sirs and madams!
Nothing could be further from the truth. The really smart people know that to claim smartness based on a single success is stupidity! In fact, to claim smartness is ALWAYS stupidity.
Yet, we have to move on. Whenever we try anything or pursue anything worth pursuing, chances of failure exist. If we shy from the risk, we won’t achieve anything worth achieving. Nothing risked, nothing gained.
The world may belong to the meek, but the future belongs to the Brave. Use your guts! Be Brave!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Ego at Work
Cast off anger,
From your heart,
Like an arrow from the bow,
So that you may again be friends,
And live together in Harmony.
(Atharva Veda)
The daily frictions of office life can be very draining on our energy and morale. Most (frictions) are un-required and almost all are avoidable. But heck, the ego comes in play and kills the harmony.
The trappings of position and designation, the size of your car, or the office and position thereof, the proximity to the seat of power, the perks and above all, EGO (as Sigmund Freud said, the concept of I, Me and Myself) is enough to ruin a perfectly functional relationship in the office.
Managers today are more informed and empowered than ever before. They should also learn to be more flexible, humble and understanding. An opposing point of view does not mean an inflexible stand. A discussion need not become an argument. An argument need not end up in a fight. A fight need not end up in bloodshed (physically or managerially).
We tolerate a lot of imperfections (perceived by us though not necessarily correctly), from our family members. Do we not tolerate our parent’s comments when we think we know better? Do we not tolerate our children’s misbehavior when they are young and naughty? Our siblings’ ideosyncracies?
Should we not give our colleagues at work the same space?
Keep your ego aside friends. You may be hurting your best friends (or yourself) for nothing.
Cheers!
From your heart,
Like an arrow from the bow,
So that you may again be friends,
And live together in Harmony.
(Atharva Veda)
The daily frictions of office life can be very draining on our energy and morale. Most (frictions) are un-required and almost all are avoidable. But heck, the ego comes in play and kills the harmony.
The trappings of position and designation, the size of your car, or the office and position thereof, the proximity to the seat of power, the perks and above all, EGO (as Sigmund Freud said, the concept of I, Me and Myself) is enough to ruin a perfectly functional relationship in the office.
Managers today are more informed and empowered than ever before. They should also learn to be more flexible, humble and understanding. An opposing point of view does not mean an inflexible stand. A discussion need not become an argument. An argument need not end up in a fight. A fight need not end up in bloodshed (physically or managerially).
We tolerate a lot of imperfections (perceived by us though not necessarily correctly), from our family members. Do we not tolerate our parent’s comments when we think we know better? Do we not tolerate our children’s misbehavior when they are young and naughty? Our siblings’ ideosyncracies?
Should we not give our colleagues at work the same space?
Keep your ego aside friends. You may be hurting your best friends (or yourself) for nothing.
Cheers!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Hunger and Waste
Friday, May 08, 2009
WASHINGTON: An estimated 3.5 million children younger than 5 are at risk of hunger in the United States, according to government numbers provided by an anti-hunger group.
That is more than 17 per cent of children who could suffer cognitive and developmental damage if they are not properly fed. The not-for-profit advocacy group Feeding America based its findings on 2005-2007 data from the US Census Bureau and the Agriculture Department. The study, released on Thursday, is the first to look at these numbers for children under the age of 5, according to the group. Feeding America runs food banks and feeding centers around the country.
The study also shows that in 11 states, more than 20 per cent of children under 5 are at risk of going hungry. Louisiana has the highest rate, with just under a quarter of children at risk. According to the Agriculture Department, 11 per cent of households lacked enough food for an active, healthy life before the economy worsened late last year.
The study looks at a range of children who are at risk, from those who have low quality or variety of food to those who regularly experience hunger.
I read this article in the newspaper “Jang” of Pakistan today.
Can you imagine that in the great U.S. of A, children will go hungry? And this, in the country known for its tremendous waste of food? An average American needs almost double the food compared to an Asian.
The only reason that I can think of is that while some are going hungry, others are wasting and wasting too much.
Companies are also like people. While some are struggling, others overuse and waste resources.
I once read that Mother Earth has enough of everything for all of us. We should know how to rationalize and allocate resources properly. So it goes for stable companies. The resources may be enough. Are we using and allocating them judiciously and rationally?
The time is now sirs and madams.
WASHINGTON: An estimated 3.5 million children younger than 5 are at risk of hunger in the United States, according to government numbers provided by an anti-hunger group.
That is more than 17 per cent of children who could suffer cognitive and developmental damage if they are not properly fed. The not-for-profit advocacy group Feeding America based its findings on 2005-2007 data from the US Census Bureau and the Agriculture Department. The study, released on Thursday, is the first to look at these numbers for children under the age of 5, according to the group. Feeding America runs food banks and feeding centers around the country.
The study also shows that in 11 states, more than 20 per cent of children under 5 are at risk of going hungry. Louisiana has the highest rate, with just under a quarter of children at risk. According to the Agriculture Department, 11 per cent of households lacked enough food for an active, healthy life before the economy worsened late last year.
The study looks at a range of children who are at risk, from those who have low quality or variety of food to those who regularly experience hunger.
I read this article in the newspaper “Jang” of Pakistan today.
Can you imagine that in the great U.S. of A, children will go hungry? And this, in the country known for its tremendous waste of food? An average American needs almost double the food compared to an Asian.
The only reason that I can think of is that while some are going hungry, others are wasting and wasting too much.
Companies are also like people. While some are struggling, others overuse and waste resources.
I once read that Mother Earth has enough of everything for all of us. We should know how to rationalize and allocate resources properly. So it goes for stable companies. The resources may be enough. Are we using and allocating them judiciously and rationally?
The time is now sirs and madams.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
The Struggle between Mind and Body
When I was studying at BITS Pilani, a play was performed by our college’s dramatic society, which was originally written by Girish Karnad (whom, incidentally, I consider a genius. A low profile giant of talent and without whom, Bollywood may not have existed in its present splendor). The play was HAYAVADANA and it moved me tremendously.
Two men, one with a brilliant mind and the other with a fantastic physique are vying for the love of one beauty. The story takes various curves and bends. Lord Ganesha and Ma Kali play their roles. The intelligent guy gets a head of a horse (stud) and the stud gets the brains of the brilliant man. My recollection may be a bit rusty (it has been thirty something years) but that is how the story develops.
Basically the play challenges us to decide as to what is superior. Beauty and physique or intelligence…It is a rare situation (not impossible though) when both can exist together. Hritik Roshan proves the rule by being an exception. Remember the jokes regarding the blond and brains (silly as they may be)?
In management today, the mind is the leadership; the body is the physical organization. In today’s economic situation, it seems that the mind has betrayed the body. In company after company, Management has over-eaten, over gratified itself, over extended the resources, and neglected the work and labor of its workforce. Golden parachutes and handshakes are for betrayers. Soup queues for those who are betrayed.
In other words, the brains have betrayed the body.
Yet, what will a body do without a mind? Can it exist and flourish? Logic says “NYET!”
So what is the solution to today’s mistrust between the body and mind?
Management HAS to win back the trust and thereby control of the organization. This will need calm and patience which you can equate to yoga. The mind has to stop wandering towards unimportant and trivial issues like which model of Benz to buy and focus on the Prime. Get business and get it now. Keep your organization (body) intact and active. Do it now or you will be like Hayavadana. Forever in struggle and never winning.
I have often told my colleagues that in business, profit is like food and cash flow is like breath. You can live without food for many days but few seconds without breath and you are history. Well friends, there you have it!
Now decide for yourself.. Can you get there without a mind (management)?
Two men, one with a brilliant mind and the other with a fantastic physique are vying for the love of one beauty. The story takes various curves and bends. Lord Ganesha and Ma Kali play their roles. The intelligent guy gets a head of a horse (stud) and the stud gets the brains of the brilliant man. My recollection may be a bit rusty (it has been thirty something years) but that is how the story develops.
Basically the play challenges us to decide as to what is superior. Beauty and physique or intelligence…It is a rare situation (not impossible though) when both can exist together. Hritik Roshan proves the rule by being an exception. Remember the jokes regarding the blond and brains (silly as they may be)?
In management today, the mind is the leadership; the body is the physical organization. In today’s economic situation, it seems that the mind has betrayed the body. In company after company, Management has over-eaten, over gratified itself, over extended the resources, and neglected the work and labor of its workforce. Golden parachutes and handshakes are for betrayers. Soup queues for those who are betrayed.
In other words, the brains have betrayed the body.
Yet, what will a body do without a mind? Can it exist and flourish? Logic says “NYET!”
So what is the solution to today’s mistrust between the body and mind?
Management HAS to win back the trust and thereby control of the organization. This will need calm and patience which you can equate to yoga. The mind has to stop wandering towards unimportant and trivial issues like which model of Benz to buy and focus on the Prime. Get business and get it now. Keep your organization (body) intact and active. Do it now or you will be like Hayavadana. Forever in struggle and never winning.
I have often told my colleagues that in business, profit is like food and cash flow is like breath. You can live without food for many days but few seconds without breath and you are history. Well friends, there you have it!
Now decide for yourself.. Can you get there without a mind (management)?
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
The Next Generation
PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION OF MANAGERS :
There is a fantastic Indian song which goes like this:
“Main pal do pal ka shayar hoon, Pal do pal meri kahani hai, Pal do pal meri hasti hai,
Pal do pal meri jawani hai…..(now I delibrately leave some verses and come to the management part)….
Kal aur ayenge nagmo ki khilti kaliyan chunne wale, Mujhse behter kehne wale , tumse behter sunne wale, Kal koi mujghko yaad kare, kyon koi mujhko yaad kare, masroof zamana mere liye, Kyon waqt apna barbaad kare ?”
I have never been so moved by such profound words regarding a Management Succession Plan.
Translation in English (in management terms) :
“ I am here for a minute or two, My story will last for a minute or two,
My existance is for a minute or two, My youth will last for a minute or two.
Tomorrow there will be others to pick the flowering buds of songs,
Those who say better than me and hear (understand) better than you,
Why should anyone remember me tomorrow ?
Why should the world waste it’s time for me ?”
The fact is that Owners / top Managers of a business think that they will last for ever. This is the reason that most companies do not last long and die with their originators.
If the owners who started the busniess have the wisdom of creating a professional management structure , duly EMPOWERED , to continue the business during their lifetime, chances are that it will last after they are gone, and will benefit numerous families (INCLUDING THEIR OWN) over numerous years.
The fact is that the world changes by the minute if not seconds.
The fact is that if you don’t adapt and accept change, you are a GONER!
The fact is that if you don’t have people to take charge, your creation will go to dust.
Now come the Million Dollar questions:
a. When is the right time to plan for the next generation of managers ? Answer : When you are born, the only certainity is that you will die. So plan immediately, for death as well as succession.
b. Whom to trust ? Answer : Trust those whom you hired. If you don’t trust those you yourself hired, well then you have been stupid, no fault of their’s. If in doubt, eliminate your doubt or eliminate (from your plans) those whom you doubt.
c. How much to trust: Answer: As much as you would like them to trust you.
d How do I ensure that the EMPOWERED don’t OVERPOWER me ? Answer : VALUES AND EVALUATION. If you have cultivated and treasured values like sincererity, transparency, honesty and loyality (to the common purpose), you are half way through. In addition, by transparent evaluation, you will find which of the empowered are actually worth empowering and which are having power without the base for it. In other words, you can separate the stallions from the asses.
No short cuts here. Create an organization and make it last through professionals. Trust these guys, empower them enough to take things forward when you can’t.
Remember what Buddha said , NOTHING LASTS FOR EVER. (Neither will anyone).
There is a fantastic Indian song which goes like this:
“Main pal do pal ka shayar hoon, Pal do pal meri kahani hai, Pal do pal meri hasti hai,
Pal do pal meri jawani hai…..(now I delibrately leave some verses and come to the management part)….
Kal aur ayenge nagmo ki khilti kaliyan chunne wale, Mujhse behter kehne wale , tumse behter sunne wale, Kal koi mujghko yaad kare, kyon koi mujhko yaad kare, masroof zamana mere liye, Kyon waqt apna barbaad kare ?”
I have never been so moved by such profound words regarding a Management Succession Plan.
Translation in English (in management terms) :
“ I am here for a minute or two, My story will last for a minute or two,
My existance is for a minute or two, My youth will last for a minute or two.
Tomorrow there will be others to pick the flowering buds of songs,
Those who say better than me and hear (understand) better than you,
Why should anyone remember me tomorrow ?
Why should the world waste it’s time for me ?”
The fact is that Owners / top Managers of a business think that they will last for ever. This is the reason that most companies do not last long and die with their originators.
If the owners who started the busniess have the wisdom of creating a professional management structure , duly EMPOWERED , to continue the business during their lifetime, chances are that it will last after they are gone, and will benefit numerous families (INCLUDING THEIR OWN) over numerous years.
The fact is that the world changes by the minute if not seconds.
The fact is that if you don’t adapt and accept change, you are a GONER!
The fact is that if you don’t have people to take charge, your creation will go to dust.
Now come the Million Dollar questions:
a. When is the right time to plan for the next generation of managers ? Answer : When you are born, the only certainity is that you will die. So plan immediately, for death as well as succession.
b. Whom to trust ? Answer : Trust those whom you hired. If you don’t trust those you yourself hired, well then you have been stupid, no fault of their’s. If in doubt, eliminate your doubt or eliminate (from your plans) those whom you doubt.
c. How much to trust: Answer: As much as you would like them to trust you.
d How do I ensure that the EMPOWERED don’t OVERPOWER me ? Answer : VALUES AND EVALUATION. If you have cultivated and treasured values like sincererity, transparency, honesty and loyality (to the common purpose), you are half way through. In addition, by transparent evaluation, you will find which of the empowered are actually worth empowering and which are having power without the base for it. In other words, you can separate the stallions from the asses.
No short cuts here. Create an organization and make it last through professionals. Trust these guys, empower them enough to take things forward when you can’t.
Remember what Buddha said , NOTHING LASTS FOR EVER. (Neither will anyone).
Friday, March 27, 2009
Satisfiers and Dissatisfiers
A few years ago, when I had to decide on whether and how much health insurance should we get for our employees, I asked a colleague whether she prefers health insurance or a hundred dollars in cash, her reply was CASH !
When I told her that her opinion may change if God forbid she is hospitalized or some illness strikes her, she said she didn’t expect something like that to happen to her. (Frankly, in my younger days, I also thought that all these things happen only to others and I am going to live healthy and happy forever).
I immediately remembered a lesson we learned while doing a course in management. There are some forms of compensation or employee gratifications that are satisfiers and there are some that are dissatisfiers. Satisfiers are literally those forms of remuneration that satisfy an employee. Dissatisfiers are those which fail to satisfy, no matter what the quantum. However, without dissatisfiers, no one will work with you or for you.
Respect from the boss and colleagues, a good working place and environment, the pride of working for a reputable firm and therefore a sparkling resume are great satisfiers.
Bonus, salary increases, incentives and perks like cars, children’s education etc. are all dissatisfiers. No matter how much you have, you will never be satisfied and always expect more.
Not surprisingly, all dissatisfiers are directly related to CASH.
How then does a senior manager or employer strike a balance between satisfier and dissatisfiers so that one can retain talent ?
My solution lies in COMMUNICATION. Simple transparent, logical and straightforward communication. Tell your people what they are getting and for what. Show them their cost to the company and relate that to their productivity. Inform that the two are directly related and if productivity is down, so will be their remunertation.
In addition, do be humane, generous and think about the long term potential of your colleague.
There are no sure shot solutions to management issues and problems. Nothing totally black and nothing totally white. A few grey areas will be there.
That is why the world needs managers !
When I told her that her opinion may change if God forbid she is hospitalized or some illness strikes her, she said she didn’t expect something like that to happen to her. (Frankly, in my younger days, I also thought that all these things happen only to others and I am going to live healthy and happy forever).
I immediately remembered a lesson we learned while doing a course in management. There are some forms of compensation or employee gratifications that are satisfiers and there are some that are dissatisfiers. Satisfiers are literally those forms of remuneration that satisfy an employee. Dissatisfiers are those which fail to satisfy, no matter what the quantum. However, without dissatisfiers, no one will work with you or for you.
Respect from the boss and colleagues, a good working place and environment, the pride of working for a reputable firm and therefore a sparkling resume are great satisfiers.
Bonus, salary increases, incentives and perks like cars, children’s education etc. are all dissatisfiers. No matter how much you have, you will never be satisfied and always expect more.
Not surprisingly, all dissatisfiers are directly related to CASH.
How then does a senior manager or employer strike a balance between satisfier and dissatisfiers so that one can retain talent ?
My solution lies in COMMUNICATION. Simple transparent, logical and straightforward communication. Tell your people what they are getting and for what. Show them their cost to the company and relate that to their productivity. Inform that the two are directly related and if productivity is down, so will be their remunertation.
In addition, do be humane, generous and think about the long term potential of your colleague.
There are no sure shot solutions to management issues and problems. Nothing totally black and nothing totally white. A few grey areas will be there.
That is why the world needs managers !
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Relationships.....
I quote a Hindi song which haunts me many a times:
"Humne dekhi hai in aakhonh ki mehekti khushboo, haaht se choo ke ise rishte ka ilzaam na do, Sirf ehsaah hai yeh rooh seh mehsoos karo, pyaar ko pyar hee rehne do koi naam na do"
Translation to the best of my knowledge :
"I have seen the fragrance of love in these eyes,
please don't touch by hand and give it an insult of a relationship,
It's only a feeling,
feel it with your soul,
Let Love remain just love,
Don't give it a name. "
How difficult can this be to understand ? Let Love be just Love....
I wonder if and when we will (ever) understand that love and friendship has to be unconditional, undefined, unrelated to our silly aspirations of what we want (selfishly) of others.
As blessed as we are , of good people around us, do we really, really, try our best to be good, honest and loving to them (unconditionally)? If you are honest, God bless you !
There is so much wisdom in simple things said by simple people.
"Humne dekhi hai in aakhonh ki mehekti khushboo, haaht se choo ke ise rishte ka ilzaam na do, Sirf ehsaah hai yeh rooh seh mehsoos karo, pyaar ko pyar hee rehne do koi naam na do"
Translation to the best of my knowledge :
"I have seen the fragrance of love in these eyes,
please don't touch by hand and give it an insult of a relationship,
It's only a feeling,
feel it with your soul,
Let Love remain just love,
Don't give it a name. "
How difficult can this be to understand ? Let Love be just Love....
I wonder if and when we will (ever) understand that love and friendship has to be unconditional, undefined, unrelated to our silly aspirations of what we want (selfishly) of others.
As blessed as we are , of good people around us, do we really, really, try our best to be good, honest and loving to them (unconditionally)? If you are honest, God bless you !
There is so much wisdom in simple things said by simple people.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Looting a house on fire
I quote from "36 Strategies of The Chinese", Accepting Ancient Wisdom To The Business World by Wee Chow Hou and Lan Luh Luh:
' LOOTING A HOUSE ON FIRE'
"When the enemy is in big crisis, that is the time to destroy him. This will enable the strong to conquer the weak as mentioned in Yi Jang's chapter on "Jue".
Wow! What words of wisdom ! The strong destroying the weak at their time of crisis. A zero sum game. Only one will stand when the war is over. And according to most Chinese philosophers, there are only losers and winners in business, No middle ground here. Sun Tzu et al.
My last posting was about happiness, which cannot be achieved if you are alone.
Really, what would life be if everyone else was dead ? Would you like to build a palace in the middle of burial grounds ?
No competition, no one to benchmark against, no one to look up to and emulate, no one to beat or better and therefore no happiness ?
Shoot, I would rather have competition and try to better them than to destroy them altogether.
Which brings me to the issue of Ji Yang and Sun Tzu and other so called ancient gurus of war who are now sold as gurus of management.
SUN TZU IS DEAD. and so is that style/brand of management. Business is not a zero sum game, neither is it a war. Only one man standing makes one man standing alone. One single man is not a civilization. People can co-operate and profit together. In fact, there is no other choice but to act, grow and prosper together. Competition is good, destruction of competitors is bad. Sounds contradictory eh ?
Ask the Americans. They tried being the ONLY power in the world. Now they have self desctructed themselves. A hard lesson is to be learned, at great pain I am sure.
' LOOTING A HOUSE ON FIRE'
"When the enemy is in big crisis, that is the time to destroy him. This will enable the strong to conquer the weak as mentioned in Yi Jang's chapter on "Jue".
Wow! What words of wisdom ! The strong destroying the weak at their time of crisis. A zero sum game. Only one will stand when the war is over. And according to most Chinese philosophers, there are only losers and winners in business, No middle ground here. Sun Tzu et al.
My last posting was about happiness, which cannot be achieved if you are alone.
Really, what would life be if everyone else was dead ? Would you like to build a palace in the middle of burial grounds ?
No competition, no one to benchmark against, no one to look up to and emulate, no one to beat or better and therefore no happiness ?
Shoot, I would rather have competition and try to better them than to destroy them altogether.
Which brings me to the issue of Ji Yang and Sun Tzu and other so called ancient gurus of war who are now sold as gurus of management.
SUN TZU IS DEAD. and so is that style/brand of management. Business is not a zero sum game, neither is it a war. Only one man standing makes one man standing alone. One single man is not a civilization. People can co-operate and profit together. In fact, there is no other choice but to act, grow and prosper together. Competition is good, destruction of competitors is bad. Sounds contradictory eh ?
Ask the Americans. They tried being the ONLY power in the world. Now they have self desctructed themselves. A hard lesson is to be learned, at great pain I am sure.
Friday, March 20, 2009
There is a truth deeper than experience
So 
much to learn
I quote from SHANTARAM, a book written by Gregory David Roberts, a convicted felon, drug addict, prison escapee who finally paid his dues to the society with a long incarceration. Take this friends:
"There is a truth deeper than experience. It's beyond what we see, or even what we feel. It's an order of truth that seperates the profound from the merely clever, and the reality from the perception.
We are helpless, usually, in the face of it; and the cost of knowing it, like the cost of knowing love, is sometimes greater than any heart would willingly pay.
It doesn't always help us to love the world, but it does help us from hating the world.
And the only way to to know that truth is to share it, from heart to heart."
Gosh, all this from a convicted felon !
We live in a world where we try so hard to hide the truth, let alone share it with others. Sharing the truth is sign of weakness. We feel vulnerable, sure to be taken advantage of, exposed, exploited, insulted, even violated.
Sharing anything? That's not on anymore ! Every man for himself is the norm of the day.
So, let me ask you, can you be happy without sharing ?
If you were to enjoy music alone, well someone is singing , so you are not alone. If you are eating food, someone must have grown the vegetables. If you are having a steak, the cow has died for you and an omlette involves the chicken. You live in a house, well, someone has built it and you wear clothes that someone has stiched. Pray to God and God gets involved !
Fact of the matter : Happiness cannot be achieved alone. Tell me if I'm wrong. Give me one example where happiness can be achieved without sharing with atleast one other and I shall buy you a good meal, PROMISE.
Yet, in our hearts, we all know that sharing never hurt anyone. A song, a dance, a moment of joy, a discreet but heartfelt handshake with my son, a kiss on my daughter's cheek, a hug to my wife, a pat on my sisters' back (even a big slap for that matter), an evening with my friends. God, I love it all !!!
" The Truth Will Set You Free" . Share Share and Share.
Amen
much to learnI quote from SHANTARAM, a book written by Gregory David Roberts, a convicted felon, drug addict, prison escapee who finally paid his dues to the society with a long incarceration. Take this friends:
"There is a truth deeper than experience. It's beyond what we see, or even what we feel. It's an order of truth that seperates the profound from the merely clever, and the reality from the perception.
We are helpless, usually, in the face of it; and the cost of knowing it, like the cost of knowing love, is sometimes greater than any heart would willingly pay.
It doesn't always help us to love the world, but it does help us from hating the world.
And the only way to to know that truth is to share it, from heart to heart."
Gosh, all this from a convicted felon !
We live in a world where we try so hard to hide the truth, let alone share it with others. Sharing the truth is sign of weakness. We feel vulnerable, sure to be taken advantage of, exposed, exploited, insulted, even violated.
Sharing anything? That's not on anymore ! Every man for himself is the norm of the day.
So, let me ask you, can you be happy without sharing ?
If you were to enjoy music alone, well someone is singing , so you are not alone. If you are eating food, someone must have grown the vegetables. If you are having a steak, the cow has died for you and an omlette involves the chicken. You live in a house, well, someone has built it and you wear clothes that someone has stiched. Pray to God and God gets involved !
Fact of the matter : Happiness cannot be achieved alone. Tell me if I'm wrong. Give me one example where happiness can be achieved without sharing with atleast one other and I shall buy you a good meal, PROMISE.
Yet, in our hearts, we all know that sharing never hurt anyone. A song, a dance, a moment of joy, a discreet but heartfelt handshake with my son, a kiss on my daughter's cheek, a hug to my wife, a pat on my sisters' back (even a big slap for that matter), an evening with my friends. God, I love it all !!!
" The Truth Will Set You Free" . Share Share and Share.
Amen
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Onions and Strokes
What happens when you shift focus in crisis
A man condemned to punishment was given a choice between eating a hundred onions or receiving a hundred strokes on his back. He settled for the onions, taking this to be the easier option. But when he could no longer stand the onions he shouted for the slippers. When he could stand the slippers no more, he once again wanted the onions. He ended by eating all the onions and receiving all the strokes.
Management lesson : Don't shift focus when in the middle of a crisis. You will end up making things worse.
In these times, being single mindedly focused is better than being scatter brained. Panic results in confusion, and finally one loses control of the desired outcome.
Elementry my dear Watson !
A man condemned to punishment was given a choice between eating a hundred onions or receiving a hundred strokes on his back. He settled for the onions, taking this to be the easier option. But when he could no longer stand the onions he shouted for the slippers. When he could stand the slippers no more, he once again wanted the onions. He ended by eating all the onions and receiving all the strokes.
Management lesson : Don't shift focus when in the middle of a crisis. You will end up making things worse.
In these times, being single mindedly focused is better than being scatter brained. Panic results in confusion, and finally one loses control of the desired outcome.
Elementry my dear Watson !
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Punga
Management lesson for the week:
Punga is a difficult Punjabi word to define. Roughly, it means asking for trouble when you don't need to. The following story will illustrate what I mean.
A Sikh was on a flight, with a parrot on the other side of the aisle. He noticed that every time a certain pretty hostess walked past, the bird would whistle appreciatively. The girl would give the parrot a dirty look, but nothing else happened. The last straw was when she was nipped by the bird while passing by. She stormed into the cockpit and complained loudly about the lewd passenger. The captain said there was little he could do, and asked her to put up with the bird’s behaviour until they had landed.
The next time she walked past, the Sikh got into the act, and pinched her. This time, she blew up and threatened to resign if the captain took no action. “OK,” he replied. “Throw them both out of the plane.” As the two fell from 30,000 feet, the parrot asked the Sikh: “Sardar Ji, can you fly?” When the panic-stricken man said no, the bird unfurled his wings and asked: “Then why did you take a punga with the hostess?
Moral of the story : Dont take punga if you dont know how to fly from 30,000 feet above the ground.We are living in turbulent times. Stick to well known Management Principles. No punga allowed.
Punga is a difficult Punjabi word to define. Roughly, it means asking for trouble when you don't need to. The following story will illustrate what I mean.
A Sikh was on a flight, with a parrot on the other side of the aisle. He noticed that every time a certain pretty hostess walked past, the bird would whistle appreciatively. The girl would give the parrot a dirty look, but nothing else happened. The last straw was when she was nipped by the bird while passing by. She stormed into the cockpit and complained loudly about the lewd passenger. The captain said there was little he could do, and asked her to put up with the bird’s behaviour until they had landed.
The next time she walked past, the Sikh got into the act, and pinched her. This time, she blew up and threatened to resign if the captain took no action. “OK,” he replied. “Throw them both out of the plane.” As the two fell from 30,000 feet, the parrot asked the Sikh: “Sardar Ji, can you fly?” When the panic-stricken man said no, the bird unfurled his wings and asked: “Then why did you take a punga with the hostess?
Moral of the story : Dont take punga if you dont know how to fly from 30,000 feet above the ground.We are living in turbulent times. Stick to well known Management Principles. No punga allowed.
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