Happy New year to All of You and Your wonderful families! Hope the year has started off on a very good note!
It is the start of the New year and a chance to Write 365 pages of Sheer magic in your life-book.
I am sure each of you in the corporate world would be having good discussions with your Boss, Your teams, etc. periodically. Here are some tips (with host of inputs from the web) to make it as Effective as it can be! (Think WIN-WIN)
Make Your 1:1's productive – The Basics!: (Yes, these are basics)
1. Do them at the same time each week - make them recurring meetings so you can get into a weekly rhythm. Schedule them for an hour, although you can shorten them during weeks when you have little to discuss.
2. Don't cancel them. The easiest way to communicate to an employee that they're not important is to cancel their 1:1, no matter what the reason. If a conflict comes up, try to reschedule the 1:1 at another time on the same day, and apologize for doing so. Cancelling a 1:1 is worse than never scheduling one at all.
3. Take notes and prepare - in all of your meetings take notes on follow up items. Use those notes to prepare for the next meeting, roll the notes from that meeting into the next meeting, and so on... Having a meaningful conversation with anyone takes time.
As you’ll see in a moment, you start with an opener where you figure out where everyone is mentally, which builds conversational momentum into having a conversation of consequence
4. Let them drive (to start). Don't start a 1:1 by piling more work on employees. Encourage them to drive the agenda and bring a list of things they'd like your advice on or to discuss. You can try to bring these out by simply asking, "What can I help you with?"
5. Go fishing. Ask open-ended questions to try to ferret out concerns. They can be questions about a specific project ("How's project X going?") or even more broad ("What's keeping you up at night lately?")
6. Be transparent and honest. By encouraging your employees to raise real concerns you're going to get some tough questions. If you can't answer them, tell your employee that. If you do choose to answer, answer honestly and err on the side of transparency. If they point out a problem on the team acknowledge it and respond by telling them what you're doing to fix it. If they think they're due for a promotion and you don't, reset their expectations by doing a gap analysis.
7. Discuss career development. Every few 1:1's make sure to step away from project discussions and have a higher-level discussion about the employee's career and satisfaction on the team. These are sometimes called "stay interviews". Check in on what the employee's specific goals are and what they think will make them satisfied in their job in the coming months. If their goal is to be promoted, review the different things they need to achieve or demonstrate to move them further down that path.
8. Ask for course correction. You won't always get answers, but every couple 1:1's with an employee ask them, "What could I be doing better as a manager?" You can get some really great guidance this way, and it's much better to get this feedback throughout the year and act on it than be surprised on it at review time when you hear about it from your own boss.
9. Give course correction. Performance issues grow over time. Try to spot patterns early and give gentle feedback to reverse performance issues. Strengthen the tone of your feedback the longer the performance issue persists.
10. Coach them on communication. The one skill that can benefit any employee throughout their career is clear communication. Use your 1:1's as opportunities to coach your employees on communication. Ask them to write brief docs on relevant topics. If they are unclear explaining something, probe until you understand and then replay the point back to them, as an example.
11. Relax and enjoy - over time you can build up a very good relationship with most people simply through this time investment. Even though you may need to discuss tough issues, try to build up enough trust and openness between you that you can enjoy solving problems and working to make the company better. Too much tension gets in the way of problem solving.
12. Make it about them. Demonstrate the clear personal value of feedback. Consider why employees benefit from what you are asking them to participate in. Integrate into things people already do so you ensure employees will want to engage.
13. Separate feedback from compensation. Ensure that employees are focused on learning, and using feedback to improve instead of defending their performance. Rather than appraising, or judging behavior, focus on discussing performance in the context of coaching.
14. Make it social. Performance is about people, not process. Company goals must align to people’s individual goals. Making it easy to get feedback from more than one person. Allow it to become an organic process, where the team has a say in how feedback is done. This allows you to make the feedback bottom up. Gives power to your team and creates personal meaning for them.
15. Get managers on board. Employees are motivated by active coaching, feedback and input from their managers. Managers have to see how your process helps them get the work they care about - selling, building, servicing, etc. - done. If it doesn't you'll be seen as reducing value, not creating it.
16. Make it real time. In a real-time world, it doesn’t make sense to wait six months for helpful advice on how you can improve. Make goals and feedback real by making them part of regular operations. Rather than thinking about goals once a year, adapt your behaviors to support them in real time.
In the day-to-day running around, spending a few hours a week sitting in meetings can feel like a big-company practice that doesn't solve the issues of the day.
The reality is that 1-1's can add a whole new level of speed and agility to your company. 1:1's are a powerful tool for a manager has, to engage with his team; 1-1's are a crucial part of the "Operating system" of how a company runs.
A company lives or dies by:
• Getting the best people to join the company
• Keeping them engaged and productive
• Making great decisions about what these people should work on
Leadership <--> Management <--> Employees
Vision Information Tasks
Goals Projects
Strategy
Management priorities Problem solving
People – rewards, feedback
But let's think about what you get for that investment and alignment to Management’s Priorities.
1) Coaching and feedback
Coaching and feedback are imperative, but many of us struggle doing a good job.
Feedback should be:
• Immediate - the best time to give feedback is right after you observed the job performance. Did someone do a great job in a meeting? Tell him that right after the meeting.
• Continuous - feedback should happen year round, not just around performance review time.
• Informed - by feedback from peers, subordinates, even customers. Never rely solely on your own observations.
The regular cadence of 1-1's can allow you to offer feedback regularly, and it can ensure that feedback is informed by other team members.
• You addressed problems (if any) quickly
• Team feels their opinion is sought and valued
• Other team members gain valuable feedback
• You may have headed off escalating tensions between different team members
• You learned that you need to improve how you are asking your managers to work with each other.
Without the regular heartbeat of your 1-1's it may have taken several weeks for you to gather the information you need and work the issue. In the meantime, the problem may have blown up beyond repair. An investment of a few hours may have saved the company hundreds of hours down the line.
2) Better and faster decision making
You can share Top management focus areas with your team, worked it with them in your 1-1's, then get prepared which ensures that You
• Do not have to scramble - you use meeting time that you already had scheduled
• Did not panic anyone - you don’t have to schedule any last-minute emergency meetings
• Gave your team time to generate ideas and contribute
• Got a pulse on how your team is feeling and soothed concerns they may have
3) Communication and transparency
Quick, accurate, and transparent communication is the lifeblood of any company. Everybody needs to know what is going on at the company so that they know best how to contribute and feel invested in the company's success.
You never want your team to hear important news through the rumor mill. But in many cases you do what to give your more senior team member a heads up on important news so that they can help you deliver it and manage the aftermath.
What can be accomplished?
• Your most senior people have an opportunity to help with transition, given them a learning opportunity
• They feel trusted and more engaged going forward
• Your CEO gets input on what issues to address regularly
• Your managers were equipped to walk their teams through the news the following week
4) Team engagement
Now let's look at what is happening at this company:
• Everyone at the company gets time with their manager regularly. Issues don't fester, and emotions don't get pent up
• Everyone get regular feedback while they can still act it
• The team sees that decisions are made quickly
• Managers are improving quickly since they are trained and included in what is happening
• Managers seem in sync with each other and are delivering a consistent message.
The sound that surrounds successful regimen of 1:1s is silence. All of the listening, questioning, and discussion that happens during a 1:1 is managerial preventative maintenance.
The cliché is “People are your most valuable resource”. I would argue they are your only resource. Computers, desks, building, data centers… Whatever. All of those other tools only support your one and only resource: your people.
Showing posts with label Good to Great. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Good to Great. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Monday, July 22, 2013
Go Beyond your Boundaries
Let us start with some stories old and new!
The Elephant Rope
As a man was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not.
He saw a trainer nearby and asked why these animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. “Well,” trainer said, “when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”
The man was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn’t, they were stuck right where they were.
Here is another modern day story - Dog Collar Conditioning ~ By Lee Colan, Ph.D.
"I was taking a long walk with our small family dog, Sparky. Not sure who needed the exercise more. Although it was a well-worn path for both of us, this particular walk taught me a lesson about my dog and about me. Sparky is a great dog, but he is not a particularly well-trained dog. That’s a direct result of having a poorly trained owner. As a result, we have to be careful about leaving doors and gates open or Sparky will run like the wind.
This walk started off like business as usual. Then Sparky decided to continue his sniffing in one spot a little too long, so I gave the leash a gentle tug. As I learned later, Sparky’s dog collar had been loosened just one notch while he was at the vet’s office the day before. So this time when I tugged, his little head popped right out of the leash and he was free to roam, run or run like the wind!
But Sparky just sat there looking up at me, seemingly trapped. In reality he was as free as he had ever been. It was like a smorgasbord of all the smells and critters he could sniff and chase… a canine buffet! But Sparky stood still, paralyzed by the unknown of this freedom. He willingly let me reaffix his dog collar, allowing him to assume his normal comfort zone."
Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before? How many times have I stayed within my own self-imposed boundaries? Probably more often than I’d like to admit. How about you?
This “dog collar conditioning” frequently occurs in the workplace as well. Leaders’ boundaries are usually much wider than their team’s perception of those boundaries. In other words, we often condition ourselves to live and work in a smaller world because of our own limiting thoughts. We typically have more control and freedom than we think.
Our biggest barriers to greater success and freedom are not “out there.” They are “in here” (our head). To realize our potential, we must re-condition our thinking to stretch beyond the boundaries of our own comfort.
Remember, growth and learning occurs when we are uncomfortable.
So,
• Take off your “mental dog collar/Elephant rope” and explore new limits of success!
• Failure is part of learning; we should never give up the struggle in life.
• Choose not to accept false boundaries and limitations created by the past!
The Elephant Rope
As a man was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not.
He saw a trainer nearby and asked why these animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. “Well,” trainer said, “when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”
The man was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn’t, they were stuck right where they were.
Here is another modern day story - Dog Collar Conditioning ~ By Lee Colan, Ph.D.
"I was taking a long walk with our small family dog, Sparky. Not sure who needed the exercise more. Although it was a well-worn path for both of us, this particular walk taught me a lesson about my dog and about me. Sparky is a great dog, but he is not a particularly well-trained dog. That’s a direct result of having a poorly trained owner. As a result, we have to be careful about leaving doors and gates open or Sparky will run like the wind.
This walk started off like business as usual. Then Sparky decided to continue his sniffing in one spot a little too long, so I gave the leash a gentle tug. As I learned later, Sparky’s dog collar had been loosened just one notch while he was at the vet’s office the day before. So this time when I tugged, his little head popped right out of the leash and he was free to roam, run or run like the wind!
But Sparky just sat there looking up at me, seemingly trapped. In reality he was as free as he had ever been. It was like a smorgasbord of all the smells and critters he could sniff and chase… a canine buffet! But Sparky stood still, paralyzed by the unknown of this freedom. He willingly let me reaffix his dog collar, allowing him to assume his normal comfort zone."
Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before? How many times have I stayed within my own self-imposed boundaries? Probably more often than I’d like to admit. How about you?
This “dog collar conditioning” frequently occurs in the workplace as well. Leaders’ boundaries are usually much wider than their team’s perception of those boundaries. In other words, we often condition ourselves to live and work in a smaller world because of our own limiting thoughts. We typically have more control and freedom than we think.
Our biggest barriers to greater success and freedom are not “out there.” They are “in here” (our head). To realize our potential, we must re-condition our thinking to stretch beyond the boundaries of our own comfort.
Remember, growth and learning occurs when we are uncomfortable.
So,
• Take off your “mental dog collar/Elephant rope” and explore new limits of success!
• Failure is part of learning; we should never give up the struggle in life.
• Choose not to accept false boundaries and limitations created by the past!
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Personal Accountability
Hi Friends, here is something, each of us can benefit from being More Passionate about in anything we do!!By being Personally Accountable – what does Personal Accountability mean?
"Personal accountability" is...
“Being willing to answer - to be accountable - for the outcomes resulting from your choices, behaviours, and actions”
Meaning of Personal Accountability
That simple personal accountability definition focuses on the outcomes, which are at the END of process. In reality, "personal accountability" encompasses ALL phases of the process - the before, during, and after.
Throughout the process, you must be WILLING (not forced) to PERSONALLY take ownership for...
• Understanding and accepting the task.
• Taking actions to achieve agreed-upon results.
• Answering the results obtained, regardless of the outcome.
Accountability is related to the key notion behind accounting (not the regular accounting, but..) - to give an account of:
• What resources were entrusted to you,
• What you did with them, and
• What outcomes you produced
Some favorite expressions of small children:
"It's not my fault. . . They made me do it. . . I forgot."
Some favorite expressions of adults:
"It's not my job. . . No one told me. . . It couldn't be helped."
True freedom begins and ends with personal accountability." ~ Dan Zadra
As an Everyday Leader (Each of us are Everyday “Leaders” in our own right! :) ), one of the most important things we can do in times of change is to get our team to understand how taking personal responsibility and recognizing problems as opportunities, will not only help the company, but will help them as individuals.
In other words, sell the idea of...what's in it for me/them?
Authors B.J. Gallagher and Steve Ventura wrote a great little book about achieving success through personal accountability titled: Who Are "They" Anyway?
Their list showing how each individual in the company can benefit by adopting a "personal accountability attitude":
• You have more control over your destiny
• You become an active contributor rather than a passive observer
• Others look to you for leadership
• You gain the reputation as a problem solver
• You enhance your career opportunities
• You enjoy the satisfaction that comes from getting things done...the power of positive doing
• You experience less anger, frustration and helplessness—all leading to better physical health
• You realize a positive spillover effect into your personal life at home
According to Gallagher and Ventura, the most important words of personal responsibility are as follows:
The 10 most important words: "I won't wait for others to take the first step"
The 9 most important words: "If it is to be, it's up to me."
The 8 most important words: "If not me, who? If not now, when?"
The 7 most important words: "Let me take a shot at it"
The 6 most important words: "I will not pass the buck"
The 5 most important words: "You can count on me"
The 4 most important words: "It IS my job!"
The 3 most important words: "Just do it!"
The 2 most important words: "I will"
The most important word: "Me"
Advantages of Being Accountable:
You have much to gain by exhibiting personal accountability including..
1. You are trusted2. You are respected
3. You send the message that you are willing to do whatever is necessary for the success of the team
4. You are a "high performing" professional
5. You job security is likely increased
6. You improve the likelihood of being promoted
7. You can be trusted to complete challenging and meaningful job assignments
A company with thriving accountability looks quite different. Accountability enables a leader to create ownership for the company on behalf of its workers. That means developing ownership for problems, successes, goals, initiatives, people and results – a.k.a. getting things done. Accountability sets the controls in place, drives the business, and indicates what is and what isn’t on track.
Through accountability, leaders always make three important discoveries:
1) whether they’re on the right course2) whether they’ve got the right people in the right places
3) whether they’re achieving goals.
With these findings, leaders gain insight on instituting change and setting new objectives.
Creating passion through accountability is arguably one of the most important, best-kept secrets you must know to achieve such a track-record of success.
Be more passionate about what you do – It enhances your Accountability quotient!
Frank Tyger said it best..."Your future depends on many things, but mostly yourself."
***-----------------------------------------------***
With inputs from "Simple inspirations" and the internet!
"Personal accountability" is...
“Being willing to answer - to be accountable - for the outcomes resulting from your choices, behaviours, and actions”
Meaning of Personal Accountability
That simple personal accountability definition focuses on the outcomes, which are at the END of process. In reality, "personal accountability" encompasses ALL phases of the process - the before, during, and after.
Throughout the process, you must be WILLING (not forced) to PERSONALLY take ownership for...
• Understanding and accepting the task.
• Taking actions to achieve agreed-upon results.
• Answering the results obtained, regardless of the outcome.
Accountability is related to the key notion behind accounting (not the regular accounting, but..) - to give an account of:
• What resources were entrusted to you,
• What you did with them, and
• What outcomes you produced
Some favorite expressions of small children:
"It's not my fault. . . They made me do it. . . I forgot."
Some favorite expressions of adults:
"It's not my job. . . No one told me. . . It couldn't be helped."
True freedom begins and ends with personal accountability." ~ Dan Zadra
As an Everyday Leader (Each of us are Everyday “Leaders” in our own right! :) ), one of the most important things we can do in times of change is to get our team to understand how taking personal responsibility and recognizing problems as opportunities, will not only help the company, but will help them as individuals.
In other words, sell the idea of...what's in it for me/them?
Authors B.J. Gallagher and Steve Ventura wrote a great little book about achieving success through personal accountability titled: Who Are "They" Anyway?
Their list showing how each individual in the company can benefit by adopting a "personal accountability attitude":
• You have more control over your destiny
• You become an active contributor rather than a passive observer
• Others look to you for leadership
• You gain the reputation as a problem solver
• You enhance your career opportunities
• You enjoy the satisfaction that comes from getting things done...the power of positive doing
• You experience less anger, frustration and helplessness—all leading to better physical health
• You realize a positive spillover effect into your personal life at home
According to Gallagher and Ventura, the most important words of personal responsibility are as follows:
The 10 most important words: "I won't wait for others to take the first step"
The 9 most important words: "If it is to be, it's up to me."
The 8 most important words: "If not me, who? If not now, when?"
The 7 most important words: "Let me take a shot at it"
The 6 most important words: "I will not pass the buck"
The 5 most important words: "You can count on me"
The 4 most important words: "It IS my job!"
The 3 most important words: "Just do it!"
The 2 most important words: "I will"
The most important word: "Me"
Advantages of Being Accountable:
You have much to gain by exhibiting personal accountability including..
1. You are trusted2. You are respected
3. You send the message that you are willing to do whatever is necessary for the success of the team
4. You are a "high performing" professional
5. You job security is likely increased
6. You improve the likelihood of being promoted
7. You can be trusted to complete challenging and meaningful job assignments
A company with thriving accountability looks quite different. Accountability enables a leader to create ownership for the company on behalf of its workers. That means developing ownership for problems, successes, goals, initiatives, people and results – a.k.a. getting things done. Accountability sets the controls in place, drives the business, and indicates what is and what isn’t on track.
Through accountability, leaders always make three important discoveries:
1) whether they’re on the right course2) whether they’ve got the right people in the right places
3) whether they’re achieving goals.
With these findings, leaders gain insight on instituting change and setting new objectives.
Creating passion through accountability is arguably one of the most important, best-kept secrets you must know to achieve such a track-record of success.
Be more passionate about what you do – It enhances your Accountability quotient!
Frank Tyger said it best..."Your future depends on many things, but mostly yourself."
***-----------------------------------------------***
With inputs from "Simple inspirations" and the internet!
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
In God's own Country!
It has been a while since I wrote a blog – but I did not want to miss writing about a great trip that I had been to this summer.
Getting straight on to the trip to “Alappuzha” in God’s own Country – after some hiccups on the train ticket confirmation, we (Neela/ Divya and Yours faithfully myself)reached Alappuzha on a Cloud cast Friday – seething from the close to 40 degrees “Kathiri Veyil” in Chennai, this was a welcome change.
As we stepped out of the small and serene station, we faced our First surprise – government regulated pre-paid autos – people standing in queues and (think) it was a common ticketing station for bus/ autos. After collecting a nominal service charge of Re.1 (You read it right – it is Rupee ONE), we moved on to our Auto - the fares were very reasonable relatively.
As we were going in the Auto, my mind was drooling in the wonderful – rain carpeted roads making it dust free, water bodies, colorful flowers blanketing canvas green trees, unhurried lifestyle, fewer cars, traffic free roads.. Hmm… maybe in the future, we can think of settling down here and enjoy this life more regularly!
The auto driver while giving the change spoke in Perfect English (with a wee bit of accent) and wanted to check our travel plans and whether he could be of help. Getting down and thanking him for the offer and politely declining (as we had made our arrangements), we reached “Ashtamudi Homestay”. Neela was mentioning that Kerala was 100% literate and we had our first taste of it.
It was our first experiment with “Homestays” and we were not sure what to expect. We were greeted by a very pleasant couple to a nice compact furnished home. As we were waiting for our room to get ready, seeing Divya playing with a smartphone, the owner reminded us that “Sir, Wi-Fi is free” – Wow! Was now Divya’s turn - to call out one of her favorite dialogues “Technology has improved very much”.
After refreshing ourselves, we enquired with the Homestay owner on places to see around – the options were plenty -- sea shore, boat ferry, temples, shopping, Light house, temples, City center, restaurants, etc.
Feeling hungry, we ventured into “Hot Kitchen” (best “Vegetarian hotel” ~ house owner) in the city center which was about a Km away. After a heavy “full” meals, we were loathing around lazily in the city-center window shopping on the roadside and decided to take a break on the steps of a corner shop – to relish the scenery and observe the lifestyle of the people.
We realized there was a water-body close by and walked up to see a plant/shrubs grown ‘no water’ stream, with a lovely park with nice seating places. Chilling out for some more time there, Neela suggested why not we see any of the special places in/ around Alappuzha.
Having Googled the previous day, did know that there was a Palace/ museum nearby – but the auto driver could not recognize this place – he caught on to the word “museum” and informed us that there was a museum some 2-3 kms. away – so we decided to venture and see this museum, not knowing what to expect.
As we were going in the Auto, expecting to see a combination of – kings armor, swords, dinosaur bones (?), etc. we were in for next surprise – we reached a private museum called “Revi Karuna Karan Memorial museum” built by his wife, in honor of Revi, a third generation Coir exporter who had made it big.
Entry fee was Rs. 100/person and nothing until that moment seemed expensive – we went to see the museum and were in for our next surprise. One of the staffs took us around the museum explaining about the family and then the collections – “Largest private collection of Ivory crafted items”(Sir, Ivory is banned now, but our Sir collected this earlier with proper licence), ‘one of the largest private collections’ of “Swarovski crystals”, hand-made expertly crafted shells, Jade Buddha’s, 200 St Ft. murals of the world painted with traditional vegetable dyes, and much more – well maintained and worth every Rupee!! (Of course, we were politely told “No Photos please!”)
See more in http://www.rkkmuseum.com/ or better still, visit the museum to relish the beauty of the collection.
Neela’ s remark as we were walking out, “thought we are getting to become upper middle class, but now I realize that we have some way to go!” (Such was the richness of the collection – Value & rarity)
On to the beach – usual stuff -- waves, Sweet cup corn, popcorn, ice creams…and then the next surprise – Camel ride. Neela is very keen to go –– three of us on a camel, was indeed a sight to see! That was our surprise…to Alappuzha!
Tired, after a long day and getting a great sleep, we wake up next day to the claps of thunder – it is raining Cats and dogs for over an hour and we are worried about our office colleagues who would be arriving. Luckily the train reaches safely albeit 15 minutes late.
Part II of the Great trip starts… we get on to the houseboat – our group of 17 is broken into three – “heavy rains expected, so smaller houseboats Sir”…ok! Fine and then the Joy ride starts – being the first stay in a houseboat, I am coming to grasps with the comforts of the houseboat generator operated Fridge, AC, power backup, running water, furnished kitchen….Cool!
The Boat keeper announces that Lunch is ready – a quick shower and change of clothes and we are all set – great Lunch – Welcome drink, Rice, Sambar, Poriyal, Pappads, Fresh curd, pickle, dessert – Pineapple! (there is some debate whether it is Sambar or Rasam with others as the menu is the same in the other boats – finally we reach a compromise and find out the reason – Kalaki uthana Sambar, mela-la appadiya rasam…(on the lighter side!)
We are still awed by the scenery and then it starts – rains like as if it had reserved the shower for us to start the trip – in the safety of the boat, the sceneries look even more beautiful. The five of us in our boat just keep chatting and relish clicking away and then the boat keeper announces it is time for Chai...options are available – Coffee / tea and Divya prefers fresh Lime juice…all made available in a jiffy along with tasty Hot Nethram pazham bajjis – in that weather sipping the tea and eating the hot Bajjis…Wow, life could not be better!!!
It is soon evening and the boat is docked and we take a small trek out on the land path in between water bodies. Kids seem to love the location even better. Time for photo shoots – all of us turn models and everyone is busy clicking away. With all 17 of us on the same boat now for the evening, it is time now for some great games organized by Archana and Lakshmi --- fun evening passes fast and the boat keepers announce it is time for Dinner…kids relish on the tasty chappathis and we attack the other items (hungry from the trek and games and more importantly posing for the photos! )
Time to hit the deck and retire to our respective boats / rooms...we start to snore away – the boat is still docked and so not much of a rocking motion. In the middle of the night I wake up to see a small flashlight at a distance – still half asleep, I try to see from where the light is coming only to realize that the skies have cleared and the moon is shining away gloriously for us.
Great tea/ coffee and the boat keepers ask us to hurry up as the breakfast would be ready and we would be dropped back sharp at 9 AM. We continue to click the sun rise (West coast – Sun rise?) – Yep the sun rose over the lake bodies, only thing it was already up by the time we got up! After a Salt water shower bath, we get to eat another great breakfast - finishing off with a fruit dessert and tea/ coffee.
We dock and then the third part of the journey begins – it is a package tour and we are off to Cochin/ Ernakulum. We go to the sea shore and do loads of sea side beach shopping - bags, rings, mementos, picturesque fridge magnets, etc., and eat away on the side shops – tender coconut, masala chai, ice creams…the food fun continues, as well.
Later in the afternoon, we go for a Sea cruise…a one hour chartered boat ride into the sea – great view and next set of great photo shoots – the sea, the cochin dockyard, eagles flying low to catch fishes, the fishing nets, the export containers, the Port trust offices, Indian Naval academy offices..
Other interesting things about Alappuzha!
* Cell phones – hardly used; everyone had it, but on the whole of the first day, we probably saw only ONE person talking on the cellphone while walking on the road.
* Local specials – Kerala is famous for so many things, but we wanted to try the local food – Puttu/ avial, etc., and we got Dirty stares when we ordered these items – most of the hotels did not serve these, we continue to search and finally find a road side eatery which serves Puttu avial – Wow! Wasn’t that different and yummy!
* Small restaurants were serving herbal hot water in attractive colors (Pink, green, etc.)– in that weather, it seemed not only healthy, but also so tasty!
* Coming from a water starved place and not seeing much of water saving (e.g. Rain water harvesting) made me wonder how all states can work for equitable distribution of ALL resources! (Electricity, water, etc.)
* Lottery – TN has banned lottery ages ago but it was interesting to see Lottery tickets being sold at various places; was very tempted to buy, but wiser sense prevailed!
Time to go back home…the first batch leaves; we are booked for a later train and so there is time to go around Ernakulum – some more shopping and then we take the train – a great trip with Cool friends / Family and baggage’s of memories to carry!
The trip was wonderful -- only because of the organizers Kannan, Sangitha and the friends/families that made it – Ramya, Bala, Bavanthi, Vidhya,P rem, Sahana, Prajin, Archana, Lakshmi, Sasi, Janani, Ranjith.
See some of the cool trip snaps in:
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AbsmzlszcN2zjA
http://www.shutterfly.com/lightbox/view.sfly?fid=3a696c4dde32c4030031ecd658bfd733
https://plus.google.com/photos/116895324871472058451/albums/5882655184483894065?authkey=CL331djH6L7xdw
https://plus.google.com/photos/115081439666059971748/albums/5885180057459299345?authkey=CKrDjryOkcPBUQ&cfem=1#photos/115081439666059971748/albums/5885180057459299345?authkey=CKrDjryOkcPBUQ
Getting straight on to the trip to “Alappuzha” in God’s own Country – after some hiccups on the train ticket confirmation, we (Neela/ Divya and Yours faithfully myself)reached Alappuzha on a Cloud cast Friday – seething from the close to 40 degrees “Kathiri Veyil” in Chennai, this was a welcome change.
As we stepped out of the small and serene station, we faced our First surprise – government regulated pre-paid autos – people standing in queues and (think) it was a common ticketing station for bus/ autos. After collecting a nominal service charge of Re.1 (You read it right – it is Rupee ONE), we moved on to our Auto - the fares were very reasonable relatively.
As we were going in the Auto, my mind was drooling in the wonderful – rain carpeted roads making it dust free, water bodies, colorful flowers blanketing canvas green trees, unhurried lifestyle, fewer cars, traffic free roads.. Hmm… maybe in the future, we can think of settling down here and enjoy this life more regularly!
The auto driver while giving the change spoke in Perfect English (with a wee bit of accent) and wanted to check our travel plans and whether he could be of help. Getting down and thanking him for the offer and politely declining (as we had made our arrangements), we reached “Ashtamudi Homestay”. Neela was mentioning that Kerala was 100% literate and we had our first taste of it.
It was our first experiment with “Homestays” and we were not sure what to expect. We were greeted by a very pleasant couple to a nice compact furnished home. As we were waiting for our room to get ready, seeing Divya playing with a smartphone, the owner reminded us that “Sir, Wi-Fi is free” – Wow! Was now Divya’s turn - to call out one of her favorite dialogues “Technology has improved very much”.
After refreshing ourselves, we enquired with the Homestay owner on places to see around – the options were plenty -- sea shore, boat ferry, temples, shopping, Light house, temples, City center, restaurants, etc.
Feeling hungry, we ventured into “Hot Kitchen” (best “Vegetarian hotel” ~ house owner) in the city center which was about a Km away. After a heavy “full” meals, we were loathing around lazily in the city-center window shopping on the roadside and decided to take a break on the steps of a corner shop – to relish the scenery and observe the lifestyle of the people.
We realized there was a water-body close by and walked up to see a plant/shrubs grown ‘no water’ stream, with a lovely park with nice seating places. Chilling out for some more time there, Neela suggested why not we see any of the special places in/ around Alappuzha.
Having Googled the previous day, did know that there was a Palace/ museum nearby – but the auto driver could not recognize this place – he caught on to the word “museum” and informed us that there was a museum some 2-3 kms. away – so we decided to venture and see this museum, not knowing what to expect.
As we were going in the Auto, expecting to see a combination of – kings armor, swords, dinosaur bones (?), etc. we were in for next surprise – we reached a private museum called “Revi Karuna Karan Memorial museum” built by his wife, in honor of Revi, a third generation Coir exporter who had made it big.
Entry fee was Rs. 100/person and nothing until that moment seemed expensive – we went to see the museum and were in for our next surprise. One of the staffs took us around the museum explaining about the family and then the collections – “Largest private collection of Ivory crafted items”(Sir, Ivory is banned now, but our Sir collected this earlier with proper licence), ‘one of the largest private collections’ of “Swarovski crystals”, hand-made expertly crafted shells, Jade Buddha’s, 200 St Ft. murals of the world painted with traditional vegetable dyes, and much more – well maintained and worth every Rupee!! (Of course, we were politely told “No Photos please!”)
See more in http://www.rkkmuseum.com/ or better still, visit the museum to relish the beauty of the collection.
Neela’ s remark as we were walking out, “thought we are getting to become upper middle class, but now I realize that we have some way to go!” (Such was the richness of the collection – Value & rarity)
On to the beach – usual stuff -- waves, Sweet cup corn, popcorn, ice creams…and then the next surprise – Camel ride. Neela is very keen to go –– three of us on a camel, was indeed a sight to see! That was our surprise…to Alappuzha!
Tired, after a long day and getting a great sleep, we wake up next day to the claps of thunder – it is raining Cats and dogs for over an hour and we are worried about our office colleagues who would be arriving. Luckily the train reaches safely albeit 15 minutes late.
Part II of the Great trip starts… we get on to the houseboat – our group of 17 is broken into three – “heavy rains expected, so smaller houseboats Sir”…ok! Fine and then the Joy ride starts – being the first stay in a houseboat, I am coming to grasps with the comforts of the houseboat generator operated Fridge, AC, power backup, running water, furnished kitchen….Cool!
The Boat keeper announces that Lunch is ready – a quick shower and change of clothes and we are all set – great Lunch – Welcome drink, Rice, Sambar, Poriyal, Pappads, Fresh curd, pickle, dessert – Pineapple! (there is some debate whether it is Sambar or Rasam with others as the menu is the same in the other boats – finally we reach a compromise and find out the reason – Kalaki uthana Sambar, mela-la appadiya rasam…(on the lighter side!)
We are still awed by the scenery and then it starts – rains like as if it had reserved the shower for us to start the trip – in the safety of the boat, the sceneries look even more beautiful. The five of us in our boat just keep chatting and relish clicking away and then the boat keeper announces it is time for Chai...options are available – Coffee / tea and Divya prefers fresh Lime juice…all made available in a jiffy along with tasty Hot Nethram pazham bajjis – in that weather sipping the tea and eating the hot Bajjis…Wow, life could not be better!!!
It is soon evening and the boat is docked and we take a small trek out on the land path in between water bodies. Kids seem to love the location even better. Time for photo shoots – all of us turn models and everyone is busy clicking away. With all 17 of us on the same boat now for the evening, it is time now for some great games organized by Archana and Lakshmi --- fun evening passes fast and the boat keepers announce it is time for Dinner…kids relish on the tasty chappathis and we attack the other items (hungry from the trek and games and more importantly posing for the photos! )
Time to hit the deck and retire to our respective boats / rooms...we start to snore away – the boat is still docked and so not much of a rocking motion. In the middle of the night I wake up to see a small flashlight at a distance – still half asleep, I try to see from where the light is coming only to realize that the skies have cleared and the moon is shining away gloriously for us.
Great tea/ coffee and the boat keepers ask us to hurry up as the breakfast would be ready and we would be dropped back sharp at 9 AM. We continue to click the sun rise (West coast – Sun rise?) – Yep the sun rose over the lake bodies, only thing it was already up by the time we got up! After a Salt water shower bath, we get to eat another great breakfast - finishing off with a fruit dessert and tea/ coffee.
We dock and then the third part of the journey begins – it is a package tour and we are off to Cochin/ Ernakulum. We go to the sea shore and do loads of sea side beach shopping - bags, rings, mementos, picturesque fridge magnets, etc., and eat away on the side shops – tender coconut, masala chai, ice creams…the food fun continues, as well.
Later in the afternoon, we go for a Sea cruise…a one hour chartered boat ride into the sea – great view and next set of great photo shoots – the sea, the cochin dockyard, eagles flying low to catch fishes, the fishing nets, the export containers, the Port trust offices, Indian Naval academy offices..
Other interesting things about Alappuzha!
* Cell phones – hardly used; everyone had it, but on the whole of the first day, we probably saw only ONE person talking on the cellphone while walking on the road.
* Local specials – Kerala is famous for so many things, but we wanted to try the local food – Puttu/ avial, etc., and we got Dirty stares when we ordered these items – most of the hotels did not serve these, we continue to search and finally find a road side eatery which serves Puttu avial – Wow! Wasn’t that different and yummy!
* Small restaurants were serving herbal hot water in attractive colors (Pink, green, etc.)– in that weather, it seemed not only healthy, but also so tasty!
* Coming from a water starved place and not seeing much of water saving (e.g. Rain water harvesting) made me wonder how all states can work for equitable distribution of ALL resources! (Electricity, water, etc.)
* Lottery – TN has banned lottery ages ago but it was interesting to see Lottery tickets being sold at various places; was very tempted to buy, but wiser sense prevailed!
Time to go back home…the first batch leaves; we are booked for a later train and so there is time to go around Ernakulum – some more shopping and then we take the train – a great trip with Cool friends / Family and baggage’s of memories to carry!
The trip was wonderful -- only because of the organizers Kannan, Sangitha and the friends/families that made it – Ramya, Bala, Bavanthi, Vidhya,P rem, Sahana, Prajin, Archana, Lakshmi, Sasi, Janani, Ranjith.
See some of the cool trip snaps in:
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AbsmzlszcN2zjA
http://www.shutterfly.com/lightbox/view.sfly?fid=3a696c4dde32c4030031ecd658bfd733
https://plus.google.com/photos/116895324871472058451/albums/5882655184483894065?authkey=CL331djH6L7xdw
https://plus.google.com/photos/115081439666059971748/albums/5885180057459299345?authkey=CKrDjryOkcPBUQ&cfem=1#photos/115081439666059971748/albums/5885180057459299345?authkey=CKrDjryOkcPBUQ
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Go Slow to go faster
An interesting concept that I learned in China, adding some spice from the web!
Let us start with a true World war II story
During World War II, Navy fighter planes had a watch embedded in the steering column – not to help the pilot keep time, but to help save his life. The first step in a pilot’s emergency response process was to wind the watch. It may sound crazy, but Navy psychologists had proven that the split second required for a pilot to wind the watch was enough time for him to clear his head of distractions and to focus instead on the emergency at hand. The one second spent winding that watch bought him considerable time, enabling him to react in a more logical, coherent way.
You might have guessed more about the topic by now!
In today’s business world, we are all so busy, so stretched, so overcommitted, and so inundated with information, that we sometimes forget to wind the watch – to focus on what’s important and create space to accomplish our ultimate objectives…
Time to slow down and think. Which got me thinking…in today’s fast-paced work world, maybe there’s wisdom in slowing down. I know that it’s counterintuitive, as shorter and faster is usually preferred over longer and slower. After all, today is all about quick communication: email, social media including 140-character Tweets, webinars instead of conferences. We’re all just so busy. Therefore, quicker decisions, quicker action, quicker resolution allows us to move on to other things.
Today, speed reigns. But speed also kills.
Frank Partnoy, a professor of law/finance at the University of San Diego and author of “Wait: The Art and Science of Delay,” summed it up in an HBR article (“Act Fast, but Not Necessarily First”): “The crush of technology forces us to snap react. We blink, when we should think. E-mail, social media, and 24-hour news are relentless. Our time cycle gets faster every day.”
He continues by declaring that, as decision-making accelerates, long-term strategy becomes even more crucial, and that those who find time to step back and think about the big picture – even for a few minutes – will have a major advantage over those who knee-jerk react. “If everyone else moves too quickly,” he says, “we can win by going slow.” He believes that humans – leaders – are often better off resisting biology and technology by managing delay.
Partnoy references a military strategy, similar to winding the watch I mention above.
A decision-making framework developed by military strategist John Boyd decades ago is still being used by many military (and business) leaders today. It’s called the OODA model, simply the acronym for Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act. Its premise is basically allowing your enemy (or, in business, your competitor or other third party market forces) to go first, and then quickly react to the situation.
It’s about not necessarily being first (with a product, a process, a technology, or what have you), but being the fastest at responding to changing market conditions (and “market” can be external or internal to the organization).
As Partnoy indicates, the ultimate goal of OODA is not being first, but instead having a fast response, which requires slowing things down up front so that you can move quickly when ready.
Here is another true story of a legend: George Brett, ace baseball “pure hitter” - had a natural swing and was incredibly comfortable in the batter’s box, especially during critical moments of the game.
But he revealed years after his retirement that the secret of his hitting success was in his ability to see the ball out of the pitcher’s hand, and in a split second – by observing the velocity and rotation of the baseball stiches – determine what type of pitch was being thrown. Are you kidding me?! Brett – and I imagine many of the other hitting greats – could actually see the quarter-inch red stitching on a three inch baseball some 60 feet away, oh, and travelling some 95 miles an hour at his head? I guess that is what separates the good from the great in major league baseball. But it also illustrates a key point here: in doing so, Brett was able to delay his swing by milliseconds but adjust with the “right” swing given the pitch that was being thrown. In essence, he slowed down to speed up. And he is still considered one of the top dozen or so best hitters to ever play the game
There is a saying in martial arts: you have to go slow to go fast. It means something different than what it sounds like. The idea is that you have to be relaxed - untense - to move as quickly as you are capable of.
Go slow today, to go faster in life! Think of the things to "untense/Slow down" to respond better to the different challenges of life :)
Let us start with a true World war II story
During World War II, Navy fighter planes had a watch embedded in the steering column – not to help the pilot keep time, but to help save his life. The first step in a pilot’s emergency response process was to wind the watch. It may sound crazy, but Navy psychologists had proven that the split second required for a pilot to wind the watch was enough time for him to clear his head of distractions and to focus instead on the emergency at hand. The one second spent winding that watch bought him considerable time, enabling him to react in a more logical, coherent way.
You might have guessed more about the topic by now!
In today’s business world, we are all so busy, so stretched, so overcommitted, and so inundated with information, that we sometimes forget to wind the watch – to focus on what’s important and create space to accomplish our ultimate objectives…
Time to slow down and think. Which got me thinking…in today’s fast-paced work world, maybe there’s wisdom in slowing down. I know that it’s counterintuitive, as shorter and faster is usually preferred over longer and slower. After all, today is all about quick communication: email, social media including 140-character Tweets, webinars instead of conferences. We’re all just so busy. Therefore, quicker decisions, quicker action, quicker resolution allows us to move on to other things.
Today, speed reigns. But speed also kills.
Frank Partnoy, a professor of law/finance at the University of San Diego and author of “Wait: The Art and Science of Delay,” summed it up in an HBR article (“Act Fast, but Not Necessarily First”): “The crush of technology forces us to snap react. We blink, when we should think. E-mail, social media, and 24-hour news are relentless. Our time cycle gets faster every day.”
He continues by declaring that, as decision-making accelerates, long-term strategy becomes even more crucial, and that those who find time to step back and think about the big picture – even for a few minutes – will have a major advantage over those who knee-jerk react. “If everyone else moves too quickly,” he says, “we can win by going slow.” He believes that humans – leaders – are often better off resisting biology and technology by managing delay.
Partnoy references a military strategy, similar to winding the watch I mention above.
A decision-making framework developed by military strategist John Boyd decades ago is still being used by many military (and business) leaders today. It’s called the OODA model, simply the acronym for Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act. Its premise is basically allowing your enemy (or, in business, your competitor or other third party market forces) to go first, and then quickly react to the situation.
It’s about not necessarily being first (with a product, a process, a technology, or what have you), but being the fastest at responding to changing market conditions (and “market” can be external or internal to the organization).
As Partnoy indicates, the ultimate goal of OODA is not being first, but instead having a fast response, which requires slowing things down up front so that you can move quickly when ready.
Here is another true story of a legend: George Brett, ace baseball “pure hitter” - had a natural swing and was incredibly comfortable in the batter’s box, especially during critical moments of the game.
But he revealed years after his retirement that the secret of his hitting success was in his ability to see the ball out of the pitcher’s hand, and in a split second – by observing the velocity and rotation of the baseball stiches – determine what type of pitch was being thrown. Are you kidding me?! Brett – and I imagine many of the other hitting greats – could actually see the quarter-inch red stitching on a three inch baseball some 60 feet away, oh, and travelling some 95 miles an hour at his head? I guess that is what separates the good from the great in major league baseball. But it also illustrates a key point here: in doing so, Brett was able to delay his swing by milliseconds but adjust with the “right” swing given the pitch that was being thrown. In essence, he slowed down to speed up. And he is still considered one of the top dozen or so best hitters to ever play the game
There is a saying in martial arts: you have to go slow to go fast. It means something different than what it sounds like. The idea is that you have to be relaxed - untense - to move as quickly as you are capable of.
Go slow today, to go faster in life! Think of the things to "untense/Slow down" to respond better to the different challenges of life :)
Friday, August 17, 2012
This is from my China training- building on a concept learnt there with inputs from the internet
“Shadow of the Leader”
When you think of the title, it could bring up different thoughts in your mind. In an office it could be something like “ The train is as fast as the engine”; “A fish rots from the head first”; “A chip off the old block”. On a more personal family front, it could be “You’re just like your father”; ..
Hmm…this blog is about OUR conscious and sub-conscious behaviors / habits that others watch and pick up; Could be in office or at home ; could be your peer or your team member or your own child.
Let me start with a couple of real stories –
On a smaller e.g., looks like the New Vice President - Finance of a company had a habit of tapping his pen on to his other hand while sitting in presentations. Guess what – in a couple of weeks, the habit had caught on with many other Management staff and they were also sub-consciously tapping a pen, while in meetings – no harm, except that it could be very distracting indeed!!
On the web, I noticed a very good e.g.
“One of my favorite personal examples of this is being on time to meetings. I’m known for always running late between meetings. In my earlier days, my managers would often sit me down and calmly tell me that they didn’t appreciate my tardiness and I needed to shape up. I tried and it would get a little better, but I would slowly fall back to my natural tendencies. Once I became the “Manager” I was so relieved because there were less people giving me a hard time about being late.
My direct reports didn’t complain, they understood and assumed I was busy with very important matters and that’s just how things work. What I didn’t realize, though, was that my “shadow” told them it was OK for them to be late to meetings too. On one rare occasion, I arrived to my staff meeting a couple minutes early and it wasn’t until about 10 minutes after the start time that everyone else showed up. My initial reaction was to make a comment about being on time for our meetings – fortunately, before I said anything out loud I started laughing to (or rather “at”) myself. My pattern of being late told them that it was OK and that our staff meetings always started ten minutes late.”
What a colonial waste of time – especially for people who have arrived on time. Also looks so unprofessional!!
On meetings, I was told that a person named Alan Mulally (some of you might have heard of him) actually comes for meetings one minute before the start time and similarly prompts his team periodically to ensure timely completion of meetings. If the item needs a longer discussion, it is subject of a separate meeting or discussion. Wow – Now that sound very professional.
Notes: Alan Mulally is President and CEO of Ford Motor Company who turned the company back to Profits; seems to have also won some awards along the way – “CEO of the year-2011”; “Person of the year -2011” etc.
Going into a much broader definition:
"Shadow of the leader" is a phrase used to describe a common phenomenon in business organizations where those in positions of leadership and power, through their behavior and actions, tend to influence the behavior and actions of those below them, thus “casting a shadow” across the organization. “Shadow of the leader” refers to Leaders, through their likes, dislikes, treatment of subordinates, language and idioms, personal preferences, beliefs and values tends to shape the characteristics, culture and ways of doing business in the organization.
The Shadow a leader casts with his/her team can drive the success or failure of the team. Think about it. As a leader, every move you make is being watched by the people who work for you. They take their cues on what is important by the things you pay attention to. They will reference a comment I made or email I sent about a particular topic and apply more meaning to it then what was intended.
It is not so much that leaders force their style and values on others, but that employees tend to look upwards for clues as to what is important, how to get ahead in the organization, and how to fit in. It is a natural tendency for people with limited power within organizations to have an “affiliation need” and want to fit in. Those that don't match the culture or don’t get along with the boss's standards and expectations tend to get rejected or leave the firm, often saying; “I just didn’t fit in with their way of doing business!”
Another true story from the web to emphasize the Leadership Shadow impact:
At a busy / crowded store/ workplace -- The place was jammed with customers, and everyone was hoppin’. That included the store manager, who was a complete stress case. He was tight-faced, tight-lipped, and curt with customers and his team. He wasn’t rude . . . he was just going through the motions.
And, as I noticed, so was everyone on his team. No one smiled. No one said “please” or “thank-you.” Everyone was just moving people through the line with as little personality as possible. You’ve heard it before: “I can help the next person.” Sub-text: “I can help the next person, but I don’t really want to.”
The idea is that leaders shape their cultures through a powerful combination of message aligned with action. Through actions, attitudes and messages, they cast a shadow that influences everyone around them. The shadow a leader casts may be strong and inspiring, or it may be weak and dispiriting, but it always exists. It is a reflection of everything a leader says and does.
So, as I watched the team, I noticed they were following their leader, doing as he did, matching his actions and attitude. Without knowing it, he was setting a powerful example and casting a dispiriting shadow. It’s that easy to do! Leaders lead without knowing it. All they have to do is be themselves, and walk their own talk. That’s the beauty of leadership, and it’s the burden of leadership. Your actions speak loudly, and someone is always watching.
Here is a positive impact true story from the web
A new VP of Sales held a regional sales review meeting where each manager was expected to present their sales forecast, where they stood against plan, and the supporting rationale. After hearing one presentation and the beginning of a second where the managers complained about their products and lamented their lack of technology and the robust product capabilities of their competitors, he stopped the meeting. He got up and moved deliberately to the front of the room in what seemed like a scene from the movie Patton.
He then said, "I didn't come here to listen to excuses about why you can't sell because you believe the competition has better products, technology or whatever. What I do expect to hear is how your commitment and strategy to sell our company's products is producing results. After that, I'm open to discussing what we can all do to improve. For those of you who may not have heard or understood what I just said, let me reiterate. We all get paid to sell the products and services of this company and it requires everyone's commitment to be successful. You have a choice to make, which I expect to see at the reschedule date of this meeting."
That situation helped change the dynamic of the sales team and it became part of the folklore that helped shape the future culture of that company.
Managing your shadow as a leader is a simple matter of awareness and intent. Here’s a three-step process for better understanding your shadow:
1. Identify your shadow. How do your actions, attitudes and messages influence the culture?
2. Develop a shadow improvement plan. Once you’ve identified your current shadow, focus on your strengths and figure out how you can use them to improve your shadow.
3. Share your shadow. Talk about this concept with your team, and ask them to help keep you on track and casting the shadow that positively influences the work culture.
A critical element of the leadership shadow is the "Say-Do" factor. It has to do with having the courage of your convictions. Essentially, if you say you are going to do something but act differently when it's not politically correct or represents a risk to you or your position, you put your credibility at risk as a leader and create doubts about what the company stands for.
A regular question to ask ourselves: "What kind of shadow am I casting as a leader?"
In closing, as Warren Bennis said, “A leader doesn’t just get the message across, a leader is the message.”
Cheers and Happy Shadowing!! :)
“Shadow of the Leader”
When you think of the title, it could bring up different thoughts in your mind. In an office it could be something like “ The train is as fast as the engine”; “A fish rots from the head first”; “A chip off the old block”. On a more personal family front, it could be “You’re just like your father”; ..
Hmm…this blog is about OUR conscious and sub-conscious behaviors / habits that others watch and pick up; Could be in office or at home ; could be your peer or your team member or your own child.
Let me start with a couple of real stories –
On a smaller e.g., looks like the New Vice President - Finance of a company had a habit of tapping his pen on to his other hand while sitting in presentations. Guess what – in a couple of weeks, the habit had caught on with many other Management staff and they were also sub-consciously tapping a pen, while in meetings – no harm, except that it could be very distracting indeed!!
On the web, I noticed a very good e.g.
“One of my favorite personal examples of this is being on time to meetings. I’m known for always running late between meetings. In my earlier days, my managers would often sit me down and calmly tell me that they didn’t appreciate my tardiness and I needed to shape up. I tried and it would get a little better, but I would slowly fall back to my natural tendencies. Once I became the “Manager” I was so relieved because there were less people giving me a hard time about being late.
My direct reports didn’t complain, they understood and assumed I was busy with very important matters and that’s just how things work. What I didn’t realize, though, was that my “shadow” told them it was OK for them to be late to meetings too. On one rare occasion, I arrived to my staff meeting a couple minutes early and it wasn’t until about 10 minutes after the start time that everyone else showed up. My initial reaction was to make a comment about being on time for our meetings – fortunately, before I said anything out loud I started laughing to (or rather “at”) myself. My pattern of being late told them that it was OK and that our staff meetings always started ten minutes late.”
What a colonial waste of time – especially for people who have arrived on time. Also looks so unprofessional!!
On meetings, I was told that a person named Alan Mulally (some of you might have heard of him) actually comes for meetings one minute before the start time and similarly prompts his team periodically to ensure timely completion of meetings. If the item needs a longer discussion, it is subject of a separate meeting or discussion. Wow – Now that sound very professional.
Notes: Alan Mulally is President and CEO of Ford Motor Company who turned the company back to Profits; seems to have also won some awards along the way – “CEO of the year-2011”; “Person of the year -2011” etc.
Going into a much broader definition:
"Shadow of the leader" is a phrase used to describe a common phenomenon in business organizations where those in positions of leadership and power, through their behavior and actions, tend to influence the behavior and actions of those below them, thus “casting a shadow” across the organization. “Shadow of the leader” refers to Leaders, through their likes, dislikes, treatment of subordinates, language and idioms, personal preferences, beliefs and values tends to shape the characteristics, culture and ways of doing business in the organization.
The Shadow a leader casts with his/her team can drive the success or failure of the team. Think about it. As a leader, every move you make is being watched by the people who work for you. They take their cues on what is important by the things you pay attention to. They will reference a comment I made or email I sent about a particular topic and apply more meaning to it then what was intended.
It is not so much that leaders force their style and values on others, but that employees tend to look upwards for clues as to what is important, how to get ahead in the organization, and how to fit in. It is a natural tendency for people with limited power within organizations to have an “affiliation need” and want to fit in. Those that don't match the culture or don’t get along with the boss's standards and expectations tend to get rejected or leave the firm, often saying; “I just didn’t fit in with their way of doing business!”
Another true story from the web to emphasize the Leadership Shadow impact:
At a busy / crowded store/ workplace -- The place was jammed with customers, and everyone was hoppin’. That included the store manager, who was a complete stress case. He was tight-faced, tight-lipped, and curt with customers and his team. He wasn’t rude . . . he was just going through the motions.
And, as I noticed, so was everyone on his team. No one smiled. No one said “please” or “thank-you.” Everyone was just moving people through the line with as little personality as possible. You’ve heard it before: “I can help the next person.” Sub-text: “I can help the next person, but I don’t really want to.”
The idea is that leaders shape their cultures through a powerful combination of message aligned with action. Through actions, attitudes and messages, they cast a shadow that influences everyone around them. The shadow a leader casts may be strong and inspiring, or it may be weak and dispiriting, but it always exists. It is a reflection of everything a leader says and does.
So, as I watched the team, I noticed they were following their leader, doing as he did, matching his actions and attitude. Without knowing it, he was setting a powerful example and casting a dispiriting shadow. It’s that easy to do! Leaders lead without knowing it. All they have to do is be themselves, and walk their own talk. That’s the beauty of leadership, and it’s the burden of leadership. Your actions speak loudly, and someone is always watching.
Here is a positive impact true story from the web
A new VP of Sales held a regional sales review meeting where each manager was expected to present their sales forecast, where they stood against plan, and the supporting rationale. After hearing one presentation and the beginning of a second where the managers complained about their products and lamented their lack of technology and the robust product capabilities of their competitors, he stopped the meeting. He got up and moved deliberately to the front of the room in what seemed like a scene from the movie Patton.
He then said, "I didn't come here to listen to excuses about why you can't sell because you believe the competition has better products, technology or whatever. What I do expect to hear is how your commitment and strategy to sell our company's products is producing results. After that, I'm open to discussing what we can all do to improve. For those of you who may not have heard or understood what I just said, let me reiterate. We all get paid to sell the products and services of this company and it requires everyone's commitment to be successful. You have a choice to make, which I expect to see at the reschedule date of this meeting."
That situation helped change the dynamic of the sales team and it became part of the folklore that helped shape the future culture of that company.
Managing your shadow as a leader is a simple matter of awareness and intent. Here’s a three-step process for better understanding your shadow:
1. Identify your shadow. How do your actions, attitudes and messages influence the culture?
2. Develop a shadow improvement plan. Once you’ve identified your current shadow, focus on your strengths and figure out how you can use them to improve your shadow.
3. Share your shadow. Talk about this concept with your team, and ask them to help keep you on track and casting the shadow that positively influences the work culture.
A critical element of the leadership shadow is the "Say-Do" factor. It has to do with having the courage of your convictions. Essentially, if you say you are going to do something but act differently when it's not politically correct or represents a risk to you or your position, you put your credibility at risk as a leader and create doubts about what the company stands for.
A regular question to ask ourselves: "What kind of shadow am I casting as a leader?"
In closing, as Warren Bennis said, “A leader doesn’t just get the message across, a leader is the message.”
Cheers and Happy Shadowing!! :)
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Listening
In her book, Listening with the Whole Body, Sheila Frick asserts that listening is active, voluntary, dynamic and continually adapting.
Listening and vision are active
They require the brain to act upon, perceive, interpret and store information. They are cognitive functions that distinguish human beings.
Let me share another Classic stuff. During my training in Shanghai, in one of the modules we learnt that the (traditional) Chinese character for listening is written as:
When translated into English, the Chinese symbol is made up of five elements:
• You
• Your ears
• Your eyes
• Your heart
• Your undivided attention
Did you get that!!! When we listen to each other carefully we become observers of nonverbal behaviors that reveal what words may not. Facial expressions, eye contact, gestures, use of touch and other aspects of body language construe perhaps 75–80% of the "communication iceberg."
So listen. listen carefully. moreover, if you have something delicate to discuss, try to do it in person.
Essentially, the Chinese symbol for the verb “to listen” reads –
“I give you my ears, my eyes, my undivided attention and my heart” -
a Great definition of listening, isn’t it?
Some people ask questions for the sake of asking questions they rarely hear the answers. Others never stop talking long enough to warrant a response.
Listening is all about being there at that moment in time
It isn’t checking your watch because you have three more meeting to attend, nor is it staring around at the other people in the room while the other person is talking. It is about showing respect and taking an interest. The speaker has given up their time to see you, this is the first step to a successful meeting, don’t blow it because your attention span doesn’t stretch far enough!
Here are some essential rules to Good listening;
1. Listen without judgment. The purpose of dialogue is to understand, not judge right or wrong, good or bad. When you judge, you are conversing with yourself, not another.
2. Listen to fully understand and then respond – and only in that order. If you didn’t understand say so and ask again
3. Listen for understanding. You don’t have to agree or believe... just understand.
4. Ask clarifying questions. These assist understanding. Qualify what you have heard e.g. “So if I heard you right, you are saying that…”
5. Suspend assumptions. You know you are making an assumption if you are annoyed or upset.
6. There will be a point when you become conscious that you stopped listening, turn it back on again. If you think you missed something important, politely cover it off again
7. Make "I" statements. Speak for yourself, not "everyone."
8. Take ownership of what you say.
9. Suspend status. All are equal in the dialogue process: no seniority or hierarchy.
10. Honor confidentiality.
11. Create a safe space for self-expression.
12. Speak one at a time. When two people are talking at once, neither is listening.
13. Respect silence. Take time to reflect on what you heard and how you want to respond.
Happy listening! :-)
Monday, June 18, 2012
Why men are from Earth and Women are also from Earth! -- The unspoken words!!
Years back, I remember reading an interesting incident in the “ Humour in uniform section” – yes, you have guessed it right! This is in Readers Digest!
Here is my narrative on this..(means, am not able to trace the original article :) )
Apparently during the world war, the Nazis and Allies were locked in a fierce battle near a hillock and it was reaching a stalemate situation. Each side could not progress an inch as both the armies were well entrenched and probably equally matched.
In war these situations could be common, but on the ground level a small problem was being faced. Soldiers of both sides were fatigued by the continuous battle and had not had a break or a bath for days…yes days. The solution was apparently simple – right in between the two warring factions ran a small stream. The victor could go and have a bath, but the situation was a stalemate!
Finally one smart soldier realizing that both sides have these issue, did something different.He dropped his gun and his dress, ran (almost) nude to the stream with his hands up and took a quick bath and ran back.
Seeing this, soldiers from both the sides started to do this one by one…and the problem was solved!! Did anybody shoot – no way – even though it was the enemy soldier who was bathing, they realized the situation and there was an unspoken agreement.
In real life, people know that Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus; quite poles apart.
But there are situations where sometimes sometimes both of us pretend that the situation does not exist & carry on with things. In a way people might think this is conflict avoidance, but there are situations where I think this is alright – my view is – this is a way of giving space to each other.
Let me give an e.g. to make my point
* One of my friends smokes – used to do it before marriage and post marriage, was wondering what would happen. Well…the girl does not like him smoking (like all girls do! ;) – The unwritten, sorry unspoken agreement here is: the boy has reduced smoking and does not smoke in front of her or in the house. So the boy get his space (literally, to smoke) and the girl acknowledges the fact that he has reduced smoking.
Truly Win-Win!!!
Just imagine the other way around…Girl insists that the boy should not smoke..it is good for both their health!! But if the boy does not accept this - could lead to conflicts or the boy might still continue the habit secretly - not acceptable!
* Other e.g. of the unspoken agreements:
* People of different religious beliefs getting married ; each of them could still follow their beliefs without converting to the other religion – each not enforcing their religion or beliefs on other!
* What about eating habits --- one person eats non-veg and other does not!! Should the spouse convert to being a Vegan or the other way round…Not essential if you are both agree to disagree on this.
Realize the power of the unspoken words with your spouse and try and give each other space.
Truly life is much more Happier if each of us realize our space / the unspoken words and know that all of us are from the same good ol Mother earth!Sometimes there could be “views” or Opinions or judgment – on a particular situation; Not necessary that there is only one “Final” view between the couple or that the spouse should accept the others view & change their viewpoint.
Years back, I remember reading an interesting incident in the “ Humour in uniform section” – yes, you have guessed it right! This is in Readers Digest!
Here is my narrative on this..(means, am not able to trace the original article :) )
Apparently during the world war, the Nazis and Allies were locked in a fierce battle near a hillock and it was reaching a stalemate situation. Each side could not progress an inch as both the armies were well entrenched and probably equally matched.
In war these situations could be common, but on the ground level a small problem was being faced. Soldiers of both sides were fatigued by the continuous battle and had not had a break or a bath for days…yes days. The solution was apparently simple – right in between the two warring factions ran a small stream. The victor could go and have a bath, but the situation was a stalemate!
Finally one smart soldier realizing that both sides have these issue, did something different.He dropped his gun and his dress, ran (almost) nude to the stream with his hands up and took a quick bath and ran back.
Seeing this, soldiers from both the sides started to do this one by one…and the problem was solved!! Did anybody shoot – no way – even though it was the enemy soldier who was bathing, they realized the situation and there was an unspoken agreement.
In real life, people know that Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus; quite poles apart.
But there are situations where sometimes sometimes both of us pretend that the situation does not exist & carry on with things. In a way people might think this is conflict avoidance, but there are situations where I think this is alright – my view is – this is a way of giving space to each other.
Let me give an e.g. to make my point
* One of my friends smokes – used to do it before marriage and post marriage, was wondering what would happen. Well…the girl does not like him smoking (like all girls do! ;) – The unwritten, sorry unspoken agreement here is: the boy has reduced smoking and does not smoke in front of her or in the house. So the boy get his space (literally, to smoke) and the girl acknowledges the fact that he has reduced smoking.
Truly Win-Win!!!
Just imagine the other way around…Girl insists that the boy should not smoke..it is good for both their health!! But if the boy does not accept this - could lead to conflicts or the boy might still continue the habit secretly - not acceptable!
* Other e.g. of the unspoken agreements:
* People of different religious beliefs getting married ; each of them could still follow their beliefs without converting to the other religion – each not enforcing their religion or beliefs on other!
* What about eating habits --- one person eats non-veg and other does not!! Should the spouse convert to being a Vegan or the other way round…Not essential if you are both agree to disagree on this.
Realize the power of the unspoken words with your spouse and try and give each other space.
Truly life is much more Happier if each of us realize our space / the unspoken words and know that all of us are from the same good ol Mother earth!Sometimes there could be “views” or Opinions or judgment – on a particular situation; Not necessary that there is only one “Final” view between the couple or that the spouse should accept the others view & change their viewpoint.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
The Crisis that blew over
Let us start with a very good old joke..
When the Lord made Man, all the different parts of the body got into a discussion as to who is the Chief. The brain said it should be the Chief because it did all the thinking and guided the body.The eyes said it should be the Chief because it did all the seeing and helped to go to the right places.The ears said it should be the Chief because it did all the hearing.
The mouth said it should be the Chief because it allowed the body to eat and helped it to gain the energy to do other things. The Stomach countered with the explanation that since he digested all the food, he should be the Chief.The Legs argued that since they took the Man herever he wanted to go, he should be the Chief.
The debate went on without any consensus until the a**ehole butted in (pun intended) and argued that it should be the Chief.
There was a moment of total silence before all the parts of the body rolled on the ground laughing uncontrollably. “You can’t be the Chief,” they replied. “You are just an a**ehole.”
This made the a**ehole very angry and it clammed up and refused to open. Nothing could enter the body through the a**ehole, not even a plastic device. More importantly, nothing could leave the body and after a few days the brain became mushy and could no longer think. The eyes became watery and could no longer see. The ears became zingy and could no longer hear. The mouth, tongue, hands, feet, fingers, toes and whatnot all became weak and could no longer function properly.
By the fourth day the body was at the point of death and all the parts of the body relented and agreed that the a**ehole should be the Chief. The a**ehole had clearly proven that it was the most superior part of the body. From that day on the a**ehole became the Chief and ruled over the entire body.
What!!! Can you believe this (true!!) story..
So this takes us to the current crisis of the last week…Petrol and Diesel shortages in Tamil Nadu as well as India; In Tamil Nadu not only do vehicles run on Petrol/ Diesel, but due to the power crises / shortage, so many offices (Esp. IT/ ITES) use Diesel extensively!!
Let us move for a minute to a different scene; I am sure many of us would remember the famous James Bond dialogue “The world is not enough”…in the movie with the same title.
James Bond, the world's greatest secret agent, is sent once more into the breach in the name of Queen, Country, and a dry martini. 007 must resolve a potentially deadly power struggle between two unstable nations, with control of the world's oil supply as the ultimate prize. Bond is assigned as bodyguard to Elektra King, the daughter of a petroleum magnate who was brutally murdered, and is trying to foil the fiendish plot of Renard.
During his assignment, Bond unravels a scheme to increase petroleum prices by triggering a nuclear meltdown in the waters of Istanbul. Finally Bond in true Vijayakanth style oops Bond style unravels the puzzles and saves the world. And in the climax, it turns out that Elektra is the villain who had been brain washed while in captivity in order take control the world Oil reserves and ultimately rule the world.
Bond is about to arrest her and she (still deeply in love with Bond) offers him the World (All of the World’s oil reserves) and then comes the famous Bond dialogue “ The World is not enough”..and the rest as they say is history!!!
Now coming back to crisis of the last week, still the reasons for this sudden crisis and 4-5 days dry-out still remains a mystery and the sudden way it was resolved remains a bigger mystery.
Indeed, The crisis has blown over and we have moved on!
Going back to joke with which we started --
Think for a minute and you might wonder who are next chief is…fuel Or power or Water or ? you might never know which a**ehole could jack us up and hold everyone to ransom! ;)
Finishing off with the theme song of the “the world is not enough” – The world is just not enough!
"The World is not Enough"
I know how to hurt
I know how to heal
I know what to show
And what to conceal
I know when to talk
And I know when to touch
No one ever died from wanting too much
The world is not enough
But it is such a perfect place to start, my love
And if you're strong enough
Together we can take the world apart, my love
People like us
Know how to survive
There's no point in living
If you can't feel the life
We know when to kiss
And we know when to kill
If we can't have it all
Then nobody will
The world is not enough
But it is such a perfect place to start, my love
And if you're strong enough
Together we can take the world apart, my love
I feel safe
I feel scared
I feel ready
And yet unprepared
The world is not enough
But it is such a perfect place to start, my love
And if you're strong enough
Together we can take the world apart, my love
The world is not enough
The world is not enough
No Nowhere near enough,
The world is not enoughThe debate continued with the hands, feet, fingers, toes, neck and all the other parts of the body arguing their case as to why they should be the Chief.
Let us start with a very good old joke..
When the Lord made Man, all the different parts of the body got into a discussion as to who is the Chief. The brain said it should be the Chief because it did all the thinking and guided the body.The eyes said it should be the Chief because it did all the seeing and helped to go to the right places.The ears said it should be the Chief because it did all the hearing.
The mouth said it should be the Chief because it allowed the body to eat and helped it to gain the energy to do other things. The Stomach countered with the explanation that since he digested all the food, he should be the Chief.The Legs argued that since they took the Man herever he wanted to go, he should be the Chief.
The debate went on without any consensus until the a**ehole butted in (pun intended) and argued that it should be the Chief.
There was a moment of total silence before all the parts of the body rolled on the ground laughing uncontrollably. “You can’t be the Chief,” they replied. “You are just an a**ehole.”
This made the a**ehole very angry and it clammed up and refused to open. Nothing could enter the body through the a**ehole, not even a plastic device. More importantly, nothing could leave the body and after a few days the brain became mushy and could no longer think. The eyes became watery and could no longer see. The ears became zingy and could no longer hear. The mouth, tongue, hands, feet, fingers, toes and whatnot all became weak and could no longer function properly.
By the fourth day the body was at the point of death and all the parts of the body relented and agreed that the a**ehole should be the Chief. The a**ehole had clearly proven that it was the most superior part of the body. From that day on the a**ehole became the Chief and ruled over the entire body.
What!!! Can you believe this (true!!) story..
So this takes us to the current crisis of the last week…Petrol and Diesel shortages in Tamil Nadu as well as India; In Tamil Nadu not only do vehicles run on Petrol/ Diesel, but due to the power crises / shortage, so many offices (Esp. IT/ ITES) use Diesel extensively!!
Let us move for a minute to a different scene; I am sure many of us would remember the famous James Bond dialogue “The world is not enough”…in the movie with the same title.
James Bond, the world's greatest secret agent, is sent once more into the breach in the name of Queen, Country, and a dry martini. 007 must resolve a potentially deadly power struggle between two unstable nations, with control of the world's oil supply as the ultimate prize. Bond is assigned as bodyguard to Elektra King, the daughter of a petroleum magnate who was brutally murdered, and is trying to foil the fiendish plot of Renard.
During his assignment, Bond unravels a scheme to increase petroleum prices by triggering a nuclear meltdown in the waters of Istanbul. Finally Bond in true Vijayakanth style oops Bond style unravels the puzzles and saves the world. And in the climax, it turns out that Elektra is the villain who had been brain washed while in captivity in order take control the world Oil reserves and ultimately rule the world.
Bond is about to arrest her and she (still deeply in love with Bond) offers him the World (All of the World’s oil reserves) and then comes the famous Bond dialogue “ The World is not enough”..and the rest as they say is history!!!
Now coming back to crisis of the last week, still the reasons for this sudden crisis and 4-5 days dry-out still remains a mystery and the sudden way it was resolved remains a bigger mystery.
Indeed, The crisis has blown over and we have moved on!
Going back to joke with which we started --
Think for a minute and you might wonder who are next chief is…fuel Or power or Water or ? you might never know which a**ehole could jack us up and hold everyone to ransom! ;)
Finishing off with the theme song of the “the world is not enough” – The world is just not enough!
"The World is not Enough"
I know how to hurt
I know how to heal
I know what to show
And what to conceal
I know when to talk
And I know when to touch
No one ever died from wanting too much
The world is not enough
But it is such a perfect place to start, my love
And if you're strong enough
Together we can take the world apart, my love
People like us
Know how to survive
There's no point in living
If you can't feel the life
We know when to kiss
And we know when to kill
If we can't have it all
Then nobody will
The world is not enough
But it is such a perfect place to start, my love
And if you're strong enough
Together we can take the world apart, my love
I feel safe
I feel scared
I feel ready
And yet unprepared
The world is not enough
But it is such a perfect place to start, my love
And if you're strong enough
Together we can take the world apart, my love
The world is not enough
The world is not enough
No Nowhere near enough,
The world is not enoughThe debate continued with the hands, feet, fingers, toes, neck and all the other parts of the body arguing their case as to why they should be the Chief.
Monday, May 7, 2012
I am your constant companion.
I am your greatest asset or heaviest burden.
I will push you up to success or down to disappointment.
I am at your command.
Half the things you do might just as well be turned over to me.
For I can do them quickly, correctly, and profitably.
I am easily managed; just be firm with me.
Those who are great, I have made great.
Those who are failures, I have made failures.
I am not a machine, though I work with the precision of a
machine and the intelligence of a person.
You can run me for profit, or you can run me for ruin.
Show me how you want it done. Educate me. Train me.
Lead me. Reward me.
And I will then...do it automatically.
I am your servant.
Who am I?
I am a habit.
From Habits Die Hard - by Mac Anderson & John J. Murphy
I am your greatest asset or heaviest burden.
I will push you up to success or down to disappointment.
I am at your command.
Half the things you do might just as well be turned over to me.
For I can do them quickly, correctly, and profitably.
I am easily managed; just be firm with me.
Those who are great, I have made great.
Those who are failures, I have made failures.
I am not a machine, though I work with the precision of a
machine and the intelligence of a person.
You can run me for profit, or you can run me for ruin.
Show me how you want it done. Educate me. Train me.
Lead me. Reward me.
And I will then...do it automatically.
I am your servant.
Who am I?
I am a habit.
From Habits Die Hard - by Mac Anderson & John J. Murphy
Monday, March 5, 2012
Taking Decisions in tough times...
Well…We (My wife and me) were in a big dilemma on a Major life decision that we had to take.
In reality, it is a very a simple situation complicated by too many variables.
We had agreed on a particular path and we had sat and discussed on the wonderful benefits which all of us would have.We were excited to take this path and glad that it was finally coming to light.
All this suddenly changed on one fine day/ a small event and also because of changed decisions of people close to us, which had a Big impact on us. Now, we were in a real quandary on whether to go on that particular path. Newer challenges seemed to crop out of nowhere and our mind seemed totally cluttered with all the challenges that we would have to face, if we go down our chosen path.
Hmm…a week of sleepless nights, a little tension on the future – Hmmm..too many things and too many variables and Too much tension!!
We closed the chosen idea and started to work on alternatives!!
Interesting ideas and even more good options now became available.Some options had more advantages than the chosen path..hmm!!
So here we are now ready for a change – acceptance, and we start to do the ground work on planning to execute the new alternative…but something something inside was still all not Ok!!
Hmm…time to take a final decision and go to Execute the alternative chosen!!
I get a call from my school friend living abroad asking if we could meet – he says it would be a short meeting only, since he has to leave the same night. Momentarily I forget about the BIG decision/ challenges and with loads of fond childhood recollections & memories, I go to meet my friend.
We casually chat and catch up on our lives within those 50 minutes and end up discussing a number of things – family, friends, School, etc..(No bitching though!! ;-() ) During the course of the conversation, something which he speaks strikes a chord in me…
It is now time to go and we profoundly say those last few words which good friends tell if they are going to see each other only after a long while.
But I also tell him “thanks” for giving me clarity on the path that I want to choose!! We had discussed in between on this topic, but when he connected with his example…things started to look so different, and the variables and challenges that came up no longer looked big!! There are work-arounds, there will be challenges, but time to rethink!!!
I go home and announce to my wife that “Hey – let us go down the original path and Let us make it happen!!!”
A sound of joy erupts – turning around, I see my daughter jump with joy at this decision – Seeing this,Joy erupts all around the house - we realized THEN that this is what the heart has been saying always!!
Yes, there will be challenges, but we agreed to work with them and make this a Great decision!!!And So, the decision was made!!! :-)
A chance meeting and a Happy decision at the end!!
In reality, it is a very a simple situation complicated by too many variables.
We had agreed on a particular path and we had sat and discussed on the wonderful benefits which all of us would have.We were excited to take this path and glad that it was finally coming to light.
All this suddenly changed on one fine day/ a small event and also because of changed decisions of people close to us, which had a Big impact on us. Now, we were in a real quandary on whether to go on that particular path. Newer challenges seemed to crop out of nowhere and our mind seemed totally cluttered with all the challenges that we would have to face, if we go down our chosen path.
Hmm…a week of sleepless nights, a little tension on the future – Hmmm..too many things and too many variables and Too much tension!!
We closed the chosen idea and started to work on alternatives!!
Interesting ideas and even more good options now became available.Some options had more advantages than the chosen path..hmm!!
So here we are now ready for a change – acceptance, and we start to do the ground work on planning to execute the new alternative…but something something inside was still all not Ok!!
Hmm…time to take a final decision and go to Execute the alternative chosen!!
I get a call from my school friend living abroad asking if we could meet – he says it would be a short meeting only, since he has to leave the same night. Momentarily I forget about the BIG decision/ challenges and with loads of fond childhood recollections & memories, I go to meet my friend.
We casually chat and catch up on our lives within those 50 minutes and end up discussing a number of things – family, friends, School, etc..(No bitching though!! ;-() ) During the course of the conversation, something which he speaks strikes a chord in me…
It is now time to go and we profoundly say those last few words which good friends tell if they are going to see each other only after a long while.
But I also tell him “thanks” for giving me clarity on the path that I want to choose!! We had discussed in between on this topic, but when he connected with his example…things started to look so different, and the variables and challenges that came up no longer looked big!! There are work-arounds, there will be challenges, but time to rethink!!!
I go home and announce to my wife that “Hey – let us go down the original path and Let us make it happen!!!”
A sound of joy erupts – turning around, I see my daughter jump with joy at this decision – Seeing this,Joy erupts all around the house - we realized THEN that this is what the heart has been saying always!!
Yes, there will be challenges, but we agreed to work with them and make this a Great decision!!!And So, the decision was made!!! :-)
A chance meeting and a Happy decision at the end!!
Sunday, December 18, 2011
What a shock!!!
I finally managed to visit the place that I had been long planning to…well, this place is jus about 3 kms from my house and it takes about 3-5 minutes to drive down here. I had been planning and planning for a long while, but somehow never managed to reach here.
There are controversies surrounding this place recently and we were not sure whether this place is going to stay. Not that we expected anything big inside, but after the controversy, just like numerous other Chennaites, I was even more curious to see what the hell was in there. My daughter was also keen to go and has been trying to motivate me to take her there.
Finally, on a lazy afternoon a lil bored, both of us managed to go there yesterday (my wife has school..so). And we were in for a rude shock. The place though in the heart of the city that is cramped for space, was very spacious with loads of open spaces and sufficient car and two wheeler parking, a welcome miniature pond and fountain...we are really starting to like this giant structure already and we have not even entered it!!
On passing the now familiar city security procedures for tall buildings, we enter a state of the art building – almost looks like a super shopping mall – the crowds are missing though.
We see through the building index (of which floor contains what) and head out to the first floor – B section. There are a few people waiting for the lift, so reluctantly take the stairs; Can’t help commenting on the wide and well-built staircase leading up…as I reach the top, notice that there is an escalator..oops that would have been easier.
Once inside the section that my daughter n me have come for, we are just shell shocked…this place is jus cool and wonderful ;and the collection breath-taking. There are more people here – finally some people, at least here!! There are nice well laid out tables and chairs, where you can loathe around. There is even a nice big artificial tree with a nice carpet around it. Tiny-tots are sitting here with their parents gazing through.
We had planned to be here for 30 mins and then move on to the British council library where we had to go originally (this was a detour). I realized that the time has really flown and it now about 45 minutes, since we entered the place. Time check…Divya and me agree that we will leave at the end of 1 hour.
It is 30 minutes past 1 hour since we came and still no signs of us wanting to leave. British council program cancelled…hmm..Divya has exams, so we finally managed to drag ourselves out of the place (only 2 hours passed by)
We go down the escalator and there is “French Loaf” restaurant…some snacks and it is time to leave..back home, we cant help brag to my wife and parents about the wonderful place that we had been to..!!
Any guesses?
You would have guessed it right – it is the new Anna centenary Library in Kotturpuram…if you have been there already, you would have also experienced the wonders of it.
If not, please take time to go there. The collection of books is amazing – better than so many libraries that I have been to – and it jus right for Indian / NRI kids as well – the spread of authors, publications is outstanding. Be it Amar Chitra kathas or Tinkles or Geography books or great inventors to great discoverers..….you name it and it was there.
Ok, this was jus the kiddos section..there is more for grown ups as well…after all it house 7 floors of books..
Well – if you have tiny-tots in your house, this is a great place to take them to show them real tall/ touch & feel books.
If you have kids in age 5-12 years, great place to spend a lazy Saturday/ Sunday afternoon with the family (place is open till 8 pm on all days)
If your kids > 12 years and you want them to stop watching TV for sometime…a good distraction to have.
The entrance fee is free!!
Take time to go there…it is definitely worth it!! you can have some good family time..with parents and grand parents -- Only thing you might get sucked into some good reading habits apart from spending quality time with THE family..
I finally managed to visit the place that I had been long planning to…well, this place is jus about 3 kms from my house and it takes about 3-5 minutes to drive down here. I had been planning and planning for a long while, but somehow never managed to reach here.
There are controversies surrounding this place recently and we were not sure whether this place is going to stay. Not that we expected anything big inside, but after the controversy, just like numerous other Chennaites, I was even more curious to see what the hell was in there. My daughter was also keen to go and has been trying to motivate me to take her there.
Finally, on a lazy afternoon a lil bored, both of us managed to go there yesterday (my wife has school..so). And we were in for a rude shock. The place though in the heart of the city that is cramped for space, was very spacious with loads of open spaces and sufficient car and two wheeler parking, a welcome miniature pond and fountain...we are really starting to like this giant structure already and we have not even entered it!!
On passing the now familiar city security procedures for tall buildings, we enter a state of the art building – almost looks like a super shopping mall – the crowds are missing though.
We see through the building index (of which floor contains what) and head out to the first floor – B section. There are a few people waiting for the lift, so reluctantly take the stairs; Can’t help commenting on the wide and well-built staircase leading up…as I reach the top, notice that there is an escalator..oops that would have been easier.
Once inside the section that my daughter n me have come for, we are just shell shocked…this place is jus cool and wonderful ;and the collection breath-taking. There are more people here – finally some people, at least here!! There are nice well laid out tables and chairs, where you can loathe around. There is even a nice big artificial tree with a nice carpet around it. Tiny-tots are sitting here with their parents gazing through.
We had planned to be here for 30 mins and then move on to the British council library where we had to go originally (this was a detour). I realized that the time has really flown and it now about 45 minutes, since we entered the place. Time check…Divya and me agree that we will leave at the end of 1 hour.
It is 30 minutes past 1 hour since we came and still no signs of us wanting to leave. British council program cancelled…hmm..Divya has exams, so we finally managed to drag ourselves out of the place (only 2 hours passed by)
We go down the escalator and there is “French Loaf” restaurant…some snacks and it is time to leave..back home, we cant help brag to my wife and parents about the wonderful place that we had been to..!!
Any guesses?
You would have guessed it right – it is the new Anna centenary Library in Kotturpuram…if you have been there already, you would have also experienced the wonders of it.
If not, please take time to go there. The collection of books is amazing – better than so many libraries that I have been to – and it jus right for Indian / NRI kids as well – the spread of authors, publications is outstanding. Be it Amar Chitra kathas or Tinkles or Geography books or great inventors to great discoverers..….you name it and it was there.
Ok, this was jus the kiddos section..there is more for grown ups as well…after all it house 7 floors of books..
Well – if you have tiny-tots in your house, this is a great place to take them to show them real tall/ touch & feel books.
If you have kids in age 5-12 years, great place to spend a lazy Saturday/ Sunday afternoon with the family (place is open till 8 pm on all days)
If your kids > 12 years and you want them to stop watching TV for sometime…a good distraction to have.
The entrance fee is free!!
Take time to go there…it is definitely worth it!! you can have some good family time..with parents and grand parents -- Only thing you might get sucked into some good reading habits apart from spending quality time with THE family..
Friday, December 2, 2011
My cellphone goes for a …!!!
My cellphone goes for a …!!!
After a long day out with my family on a Saturday, I just tiredly put my clothes for washing. The clothes got washed the next day morning in the washing machine (note "washing machine", not by ME! :-) ) this is an automatic machine – includes a good soak (of 45 minutes) and finishing off with a tumble dry spin for about 9 minutes – the clothes are almost dry by the time they come out.
My father usually takes the washed clothes for drying in the sun to the Mottai madi.
Hmm…nothing unusual so far…it is a lazy Sunday afternoon – sipping a nice masala tea which I made, I decide to call one of my friends to discuss something unimportant..that is when I notice that my phone is missing. Not in the hall, or the rooms – my wife tries to make a call and phone is switched off!!
Oh Oh..fearing the worst, we try to trace back – is it still in the car or did I leave it in my cousins place the previous day – they would have called to tell my phone is still there! After searching for a while, still no luck – we decide to take a break in the search.
At about 4 PM, my father as usual brings the dried clothes from Mottai madi and is starting to sort out the clothes..lazily watching TV, I see that my father is folding my trousers which I was wearing the previous day…oh oh…could the phone still be in my pant?
Not wanting to send any panic signals, I casually walk across to see if the trousers have fully dried up in the wet weather..and my worst fears come true..the phone is still safely in the pocket!! Hmm…
I take it out sneakily – open the battery and take the SIM out and allow it to try – have ready far too many articles to “know” that a cell phone is not to be switched on, if it has fallen into the water!! I allow it to dry overnight…
Next day – it is a bright beautiful Monday – with lot of hope, I connect the phone battery, SIM, memory card…time to switch on.. Miraculously the phone gets switched on and it is working!!!
After the celebrations for sometime – the phone conks off – hmmm :-(
Having restrictions on cell phones in my office – no image capturing devices, no this, no that…so have to find a model that can be used for communication – start to discuss with a few colleagues and get some nice tips – nokia C-01, X-02…too much work at office for the next couple of days, and by now about to finalise on the model. With a half heart, not wanting to part from my red-cherry, try to give one final try to switch the phone on..before that I charge the phone for 3-4 hours!!
The D-day / D-time has come to switch on the phone…the phone is still too attached to me and so does not want to leave me and gets switched on!! Encouraged, I charge the phone overnight - It is now working perfectly fine as good as it was previously…
So that was the story of "My Cellphone which went for a great swim" and had still managed to stay afloat!! :-) (in case you are curious, it is MicroMax Q1 model)
After a long day out with my family on a Saturday, I just tiredly put my clothes for washing. The clothes got washed the next day morning in the washing machine (note "washing machine", not by ME! :-) ) this is an automatic machine – includes a good soak (of 45 minutes) and finishing off with a tumble dry spin for about 9 minutes – the clothes are almost dry by the time they come out.
My father usually takes the washed clothes for drying in the sun to the Mottai madi.
Hmm…nothing unusual so far…it is a lazy Sunday afternoon – sipping a nice masala tea which I made, I decide to call one of my friends to discuss something unimportant..that is when I notice that my phone is missing. Not in the hall, or the rooms – my wife tries to make a call and phone is switched off!!
Oh Oh..fearing the worst, we try to trace back – is it still in the car or did I leave it in my cousins place the previous day – they would have called to tell my phone is still there! After searching for a while, still no luck – we decide to take a break in the search.
At about 4 PM, my father as usual brings the dried clothes from Mottai madi and is starting to sort out the clothes..lazily watching TV, I see that my father is folding my trousers which I was wearing the previous day…oh oh…could the phone still be in my pant?
Not wanting to send any panic signals, I casually walk across to see if the trousers have fully dried up in the wet weather..and my worst fears come true..the phone is still safely in the pocket!! Hmm…
I take it out sneakily – open the battery and take the SIM out and allow it to try – have ready far too many articles to “know” that a cell phone is not to be switched on, if it has fallen into the water!! I allow it to dry overnight…
Next day – it is a bright beautiful Monday – with lot of hope, I connect the phone battery, SIM, memory card…time to switch on.. Miraculously the phone gets switched on and it is working!!!
After the celebrations for sometime – the phone conks off – hmmm :-(
Having restrictions on cell phones in my office – no image capturing devices, no this, no that…so have to find a model that can be used for communication – start to discuss with a few colleagues and get some nice tips – nokia C-01, X-02…too much work at office for the next couple of days, and by now about to finalise on the model. With a half heart, not wanting to part from my red-cherry, try to give one final try to switch the phone on..before that I charge the phone for 3-4 hours!!
The D-day / D-time has come to switch on the phone…the phone is still too attached to me and so does not want to leave me and gets switched on!! Encouraged, I charge the phone overnight - It is now working perfectly fine as good as it was previously…
So that was the story of "My Cellphone which went for a great swim" and had still managed to stay afloat!! :-) (in case you are curious, it is MicroMax Q1 model)
Friday, July 8, 2011
I have a Dream…
These are famous lines of…
@ Martin Luther King’s speech in 1963
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Have_a_Dream
@ ABBA song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSWR4os7I7E (to hear the song / lyrics)
@ Les Miserables song – I dreamed a dream by Elaine Page
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Jo4FvpN3_g
@ Susan Boyle in "Britain's got talent" show for the same song & made her a hero at Age 47
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxPZh4AnWyk&feature=related
(Can you believe 70,000,000 hits on YouTube)
One similarity between these Dreamz -- All of these were great dreams and became a reality
"Dreams are the touchstones of our characters." - Henry David Thoreau
All of us have dreams…if you are not dreaming in the night, it could mean only one thing very clearly – you are having a sound sleep, -- so good for you!! ;-)
Well having become the Emperor of the World (It is my dream!! - you can become the king in your own dreams ), started out with the New World Order (NWO)
- Food for all,
- More and better hospitals and facilities
- Great schools with laptops and NO books
- Good shelter for all
- Better communication
- Better Technology and availability
- Safety and security
- Better roads…Superways!
- So much better infrastructure
- Fuel prices slashed into half
- Inflation curbed to decimals!!
Wow, prosperity all around!! With prosperity comes development and we might not even have “Terrorists” anywhere in the world
Bottom line – more happiness for everyone in this world!!! The world would be such a better place to live.:-)) No crime, happiness, prosperity, knowledge and much more!!!
How did I achieve this – A three pronged approach!
(1) Special empowered courts set up and Cases speeded up – from all the scams and the black money. Some significant recoveries include..
# 2G scam Rs. 1,760,000,000,000 ( $ 39,000,000,000)
# Swiss Bank Accounts Rs.71,000,000,000,000
# Tax defaults Rs. 500,000,000,000
# Other scams…see pic
(2) Endowments / trusts formed by each of the religious institutions to fund development activities. Some trusts included
- Padmanabhasamy temple treasures – Rs.1,000,000,000,000 ($ 22,000,000,000) & counting fund would be enhanced once the “Antique value” of the treasures are assessed
- Gold, Silver articles, money found in Puttaparthi -
- Tirumala…. (estimated) Rs. 550,000,000,000 ($ 12,000,000,000)
- Roman catholic church ($ 262,000,000,000)
(3) “Gifts” from the Billionaires / Top corporates
$ The 2011 Forbes list indicates that there are 1214 billionaires in the world with combined wealth of $ 4.5 trillion (higher than Germany’s GDP!)
http://www.walletpop.com/2011/03/09/forbes-the-richest-people-in-the-world-2011/
Most of these billionaires came forward voluntarily(some them after a visit to the “OFFICE” room – remember Sivaji, the Boss!!) to support the noble cause and donated significant sums for the development of the world.
$ Similarly the top 25 companies in the world (based on sales, profits, market value, etc.,) also gave substantial sums. See here for some of the companies http://www.forbes.com/2011/04/20/biggest-sales-global-2000-11-top-25_slide_3.html
Oops wake up time…have to drop my daughter for Dance class…
If there was a magic wand and all this money is made available for EVERYONE in the world – imagine the good that we can do..
Hmm…I have a dream…!!
Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world - Harriet Tubman
Hopefully, one day, this will be a reality!!
WE can make this happen, in our own little way!!!!
These are famous lines of…
@ Martin Luther King’s speech in 1963
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Have_a_Dream
@ ABBA song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSWR4os7I7E (to hear the song / lyrics)
@ Les Miserables song – I dreamed a dream by Elaine Page
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Jo4FvpN3_g
@ Susan Boyle in "Britain's got talent" show for the same song & made her a hero at Age 47
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxPZh4AnWyk&feature=related
(Can you believe 70,000,000 hits on YouTube)
One similarity between these Dreamz -- All of these were great dreams and became a reality
"Dreams are the touchstones of our characters." - Henry David Thoreau
All of us have dreams…if you are not dreaming in the night, it could mean only one thing very clearly – you are having a sound sleep, -- so good for you!! ;-)
Well having become the Emperor of the World (It is my dream!! - you can become the king in your own dreams ), started out with the New World Order (NWO)
- Food for all,
- More and better hospitals and facilities
- Great schools with laptops and NO books
- Good shelter for all
- Better communication
- Better Technology and availability
- Safety and security
- Better roads…Superways!
- So much better infrastructure
- Fuel prices slashed into half
- Inflation curbed to decimals!!
Wow, prosperity all around!! With prosperity comes development and we might not even have “Terrorists” anywhere in the world
Bottom line – more happiness for everyone in this world!!! The world would be such a better place to live.:-)) No crime, happiness, prosperity, knowledge and much more!!!
How did I achieve this – A three pronged approach!
(1) Special empowered courts set up and Cases speeded up – from all the scams and the black money. Some significant recoveries include..
# 2G scam Rs. 1,760,000,000,000 ( $ 39,000,000,000)
# Swiss Bank Accounts Rs.71,000,000,000,000
# Tax defaults Rs. 500,000,000,000
# Other scams…see pic
(2) Endowments / trusts formed by each of the religious institutions to fund development activities. Some trusts included
- Padmanabhasamy temple treasures – Rs.1,000,000,000,000 ($ 22,000,000,000) & counting fund would be enhanced once the “Antique value” of the treasures are assessed
- Gold, Silver articles, money found in Puttaparthi -
- Tirumala…. (estimated) Rs. 550,000,000,000 ($ 12,000,000,000)
- Roman catholic church ($ 262,000,000,000)
(3) “Gifts” from the Billionaires / Top corporates
$ The 2011 Forbes list indicates that there are 1214 billionaires in the world with combined wealth of $ 4.5 trillion (higher than Germany’s GDP!)
http://www.walletpop.com/2011/03/09/forbes-the-richest-people-in-the-world-2011/
Most of these billionaires came forward voluntarily(some them after a visit to the “OFFICE” room – remember Sivaji, the Boss!!) to support the noble cause and donated significant sums for the development of the world.
$ Similarly the top 25 companies in the world (based on sales, profits, market value, etc.,) also gave substantial sums. See here for some of the companies http://www.forbes.com/2011/04/20/biggest-sales-global-2000-11-top-25_slide_3.html
Oops wake up time…have to drop my daughter for Dance class…
If there was a magic wand and all this money is made available for EVERYONE in the world – imagine the good that we can do..
Hmm…I have a dream…!!
Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world - Harriet Tubman
Hopefully, one day, this will be a reality!!
WE can make this happen, in our own little way!!!!
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