Standing at the graveyard of friendship...

Some times friends just can't be friends for the sake of friendship!

Have you experienced a situation like that? I've had buried many a friend cos they didn't wanna be friends because of friendship. Yet, I am unable to understand why, when we've started as friends; why can't we stand by it till the end? Why should it transform into something else? Why should we expect it to? It's simply too much to ask for...

Now, standing at the graveyard of friendship, I mourn the loss of a great friend; a lovely time which will perhaps never return. Well, there's no regret, even after all the love found is lost. I've taken all care not to bite off more than I could chew... I guess I've done all I could, and would have been much more I could do, but I couldn't have done it my way...

I only wish they knew how much I had loved...

There's no more role for me to play! Goodbye, dear friend!

Renaming my Blog!!!

My blog was initially titled 'A thousand dreams you can still believe...' keeping in mind the content I would flow in here. The initial title inspired from the song 'Where is the love' sung by Celine Dion.

Within 3 months after creating this blog, I had actually almost joined the league of other bloggers who were excited to start up, but lousy to sustain... However, as time went by, I did see me (slowly and) consistently (thus far), doing some posting, and I was glad.

After about 18 months of blogging, I started looking at the content that I was writing - subjects varies from Workplace issues, HR matters, Spiritual, Catharsis among others.. But, a major portion of them was about Workplace issues & HR Matters, so I renamed it to 'HR Matters & Life'.

'HR Matters & Life' wouldn't work for me.. It wouldn't do justice to the other spiritual thoughts I may wanna flow-in. I keep musing over subjects, and then finally, it dawned on me to name it 'Musing Mano', but... that was only for a day!

Now, as I read my e-mails to my friends and other HR Groups I used to send some 10-11 years ago, one theme was prominent - 'Lessons from Daily Life', and that's what I'm sticking to... That's what it will be - the new and lasting (perhaps) name of my existing blog - 'LESSONS FROM DAILY LIFE'.

Comments, someone?

Miracles do happen!

I changed my job again last (to last) week. The selection had taken approximately three months, during which I had not much clear indicators of whether I got through the interviews or not. It was only in the first week of July that I had come to know that an offer was ready for me. In that week, I was traveling down south, visiting my sister.

There, I came across a month-old evangelistic newsletter by Dr. Shantavardhan (based out of Guntur), in the matrimonial section, where my new job, company's name were published, with exact salary details which I had not even discussed with my family by then, nor did I know completely. (Now, in January earlier this year my family has initiated match-fixing process for me, and they had asked Dr. Shantavardhan to give out a post in their newsletter.)

Now, I have joined Infosys BPO, which was never in my radar of job search. Got a call one fine evening, and I went ahead without nothing to lose... and here I am.

But, when I saw that month-old newsletter, and now that I've joined, I can't say nothing to it, but 'Miracles do happen!' Isn't it?

Sorting ideas...

With reference to my earlier post about sorting out your fresh ideas, one senior collegiate at IIPM
(I don't remember the name) said, when you're ideating, list down your ideas, and strike out the first 7-10 ideas, cos they may have also occurred to someone else as well. The ideas following then, may be some 'original' ones...

What say?

Plaigarism and the Information explosion...

Two years back, when I came across this company, which was utterly chaotic in terms of functions and processes, I wanted to write about how this organization was 'Thriving on Chaos', but as I generally dwell over the idea for few days, I discovered, the great Tom Peters has already authored a tome titled 'Thriving on Chaos'. Bah! my idea was taken already...

My friend Andy had just joined an IT org, which promotes their own social networking site - My Roob. Well, I am registered on most of the famous social networking sites like Orkut, Facebook, hi5 among others, I've always taken extreme care that I should not click on ads, as they result in irritating pop-ups, and that caught me thinking, a significant lot in this world perhaps may carry the same mentality. The question here was, if everyone was so cautious about all this, how exactly do these sites make their money, and there are so many new ones that start-up, and even get the capitalist funding... This idea too, I had found existed on the net, here's the link -Social Networking Remains Hot

Just a few days ago, I had a thought of writing about the 'People over Process' philosophy that companies claim to practice; and I personally perpetuate that idea too. But, Urggggh! I found a blog with almost the same words... perhaps it was better too... In case you wanna read it, here's the link - People over Process.

I'm wondering now, how many of the stuff I had written about are already existing on the internet? Would I be caught for plagiarism? I know the images may be copyrighted, but... what of an idea?

Last of all thoughts, what extra-bit of difference am I making, if most of the ideas already exist? Perhaps that's why research scholars religiously practice 'Survey of existing Literature' before commencing a research project.

Can 'Jugaad' Kill India?

I just hope someone doesn't sue me for Blasphemy and Treason against my nation. But, maybe you'll agree with me at some level with this argument of mine.

First, let's understand what is Jugaad? A colloquial Hindi word, which means 'a quick fix' to anything. For example, if I got caught for over-speeding, and am liable for a heavy penalty; Jugaad in this situation means 'to find a simpler and less costlier means of fixing the situation." So, Jugaad takes a new meaning in different situations, but the bottom line remains - 'a quick fix', or 'finding a shortcut'. It certainly means a solution, but a temporary and short-lived one... for the time being.

Now, I've heard this term Jugaad, from few corporate leaders in their presentations, and even news channels who claim it as India's strength. But I fail to understand how easily they happen to promote this Jugaad culture by raising a favorable voice - Here's my case against Jugaad! How do so many small IT companies get to thrive on softwares? IT's Jugaad! Most of the Software installed is Jugaad! How do so many second-class businessmen get government licenses and all? It's Jugaad! How do so many law-breakers find means to work out a way? It's Jugaad? How do miserly Lala (miser) companies show-off swanky offices and executives? It's Jugaad! How does an incompetent guy get into a good job? Jugaad!

Huh! Many ways of Jugaad, and many ways Jugaad can help you thrive.

Most of Indian businesses, from the small home offices, to the large corporates, a majority of them survive on Jugaad. Not only them, but large organizations have made paths to Jugaad in mainstream management. The way Indian corporates are into Jugaad, it's perhaps counted among skills and competencies employees need to have. They want seasoned 'Jugaad' professionals.

I certainly do not think, that this Jugaad culture is applicable to India alone, but, if this remains the way we do business, and manage our work, it certainly can be disastrous. Cos, Jugaad is a short-term, even a momentary strategy, and will uncover its disgrace sooner or later. If one moves out of India and explores the more developed nations, we can see how Jugaad is simply not done; there's not future in doing 'Jugaad'... and Jugaad actually becomes our way of life and business... INDIA will die! Jugaad will kill it!

This is open for debate...

How unfair are we?

The world, they say is unfair...

But, we're so consciously so unfair to one another.. and that I wonder if God would forgive us for our unfair acts that we so willingly and knowingly commit...

What is the world if it were not for us?

Beware of the Strategy man...

He's fully aware of his own personality, and also the the impact he has on those around him. He's a man driven with ambition to achieve his dreams. It matters not to him, whether you win or he wins. All that matters is whether he's winning it or not. All that he speaks, the harshest word, the humility in his deepest voice; every gesture, every act, whether humble, kind, inspiring or even threatening is not an accident or by chance. They've been fashioned to make and leave impressions, to meet an end..., a detail of a very calculative step.

It's a fragment of a larger well-thought of plan. The strategy man...

Condoms and Corporate!

Crazy idea, eh? Well, it came to me through corporate folklore about a person whom I've never known. Here's the exact statement made by the victim in the narrative: "These bastards have used me like a condom."

A little thought o'er the statement makes me recollect the famous Madhur Bhandarkar's Bollywood movie 'Corporate', where the so very beautiful Bipasha Basu transformed into a similar use-and-throw thing... For that... well, condom makes an excellent metaphor.

I've seen decades of 'valuable' experience being debased with one letter (obviously, here I am not talking of non-performing employees). Oh yes, e-mail these days do a better job and also can help avoid a personal confrontation. And if it's to be done sooner, an SMS comes in handy; Even the chat messages on MS Communicator, or other clients do a good job by leaving an offline message if one doesn't want to take the pain of writing an e-mail.

What to say? I can only recall these wise words of another businessman turned Chief Mentor of "Love your job not your company, because you never know when it stops loving you." What I admire most about it is, the essence verbalized out of, God knows how many years of corporate experience.

If you want to follow the Leader speak, here's it in Narayan Murthy's words "Love your job not your company", at least if you don't want to be treated like a Corporate Condom!

The Castration theory....

Ahem, before you start thinking what not... let me get it right. It's only about performance and rewards. That's all!

It was not two years back that one of my student-friend K.Ramanathan had shared this theory with me, and it was just a few weeks back that we met and refreshed our memories and got discussing about this theory again. I've personally shared this with many friends of mine, but here it goes online... to everyone who reads this blog...

Well, it's no rocket science. It's all basics, and perhaps, this simplicity is what is so interesting about it...

We came across an organization which paid its employees more than they actually deserved (personal opinions), according to our analysis of a few of the employees' skill-sets. These employees had got used to higher pay packages over a period of time and such lifestyles, that when they wished to quit for better opportunities, they actually found themselves in a fix. On one hand, they weren't actually skillful enough for progressive responsibilities, and on the other, if they found a job, the pay packages offered were either similar to what they were receiving, or lesser.

In a way the peoples' lives got accustomed to such a way of living that they could not survive on lesser salaries, and even if they wanted to leave their current organizations, they had no choice but to continue... That is The Castration Theory. A person is slowly castrated that they become unproductive for others...

Hmmm... a good strategy for companies to retain people, though. People beware!

Secret of a Real Hero?

What differentiates a Reel Hero and a Real Hero?

It was just out of the screen the answer popped out. Literally, when I was at a theater, and the gorgeous Vidya Balan (Bollywood actress) flashed on-screen for a Toshiba advertisement.

Perhaps, she only verbalized the thoughts of many
about Reel Heroes and Real Heroes. This is what she utters:

Q: Secret of a great performer?
A: 'Consistency' throughout the film.

Hmmmm... So, their consistency lasts till the film does for Reel Heroes. And for Real Heroes, the consistency lasts a lifetime, or a cause that's beyond themselves... Real heroes' stories last generations. Reel heroes' last a movie review...

Nonetheless, what amuses me is "What made Toshiba chose such a bad Copy for their Advertisement?" Well, just hope Vidya Balan's charm lasts for Toshiba as long...

What's the ROI of your Non-Billable time...

How are you spending your Non-Billable Hours?

I'm inspired by my boss as to how keenly he monitors his employees' activities so he's sure that every minute of his employees' billable hours are accounted for. That, for sure justifies his existence. But, the sad part, however, is that the employees aren't that evolved or mature to account for their non-billable time.

I'm sure many of us have read stories of how employees at a breaking-point write testimonials of this sort... "I've been working so hard, day and night all the time for my family, but, I now realized that I've earned so much, but I've lost all the precious time with my family"

It's a very subjective matter, though. "What's the trade-off?" questions Nadeem, a Gung-ho sales professional. Sounds like a session with Dr. Phil McGraw on Oprah, but yes, that's true. For the ones which think the least about planning career and life, they have some set priorities. Rest just spend (or waste) their lives blown with the wind.

Get some ROI on your non-billable time! My friend Vikram , Manager with a leading event management company utilizes his non-billable time to be energized, revived and de-stressed which are also very important. Ashish Pandey, another Sales Manager with India's leading bank says, “the moment you feel you're being asked to stay in office for the sake of it, just shake it off ’cos you’re being taken for granted! Get a life, live it out!”

But for those 'business', 'cost-focussed' people, invest your non-billable time into something else that can get you achieve something. Anything! Just don't let go it waste.

It all boils down to having an objective for your life. Having a Dream to drive your purpose of existence. Find that first, then the usage of Billable and Non-Billable hours is semi-Sorted!

Compensation makes you feel unconfident?

A picture is worth thousand words... so, I won't write anything!