tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17576398049355545812024-02-18T19:33:27.391-08:00Ramki BlabbersRamki is a Demand Chain Professional with passion for people, philosophy and processes. You can view his thoughts, confusions and occasional wisdom bits in this blabber. Take it easy as he is trying to find himself in this blabber.Ramkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00700608932576579757noreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1757639804935554581.post-68720068733920293342011-08-05T05:06:00.000-07:002011-08-05T05:06:14.248-07:00Are we on another melt down?This week the Bears were in full form...they were looking for bad news and they had plenty of them to say let us sell pessimism. Over optimism and empty rhetoric of those in power, usually afraid to make hard decisions results in start of business cycles. This time has been no different. <br />
Having said that I do think US needs a more holistic internal analysis of what its economies strengths are and what are the key drivers. As per me having failed to sell the idea that US is recovering and so invest in us (a clear marketing approach however subtle it has been) is start of a downward cycle for its economy. For sure acting as a policeman of the world does help in certain situations but not anymore as Industrial growth and innovation growth are not having US as its epicenter.<br />
Europe is under a different cycle. A few easy going economies started the spiral and expected to be subsidies by EU. EU had to oblige in the interest of the bloc but unfortunately the number of countries wanting help keeps on increasing. So the hardworking Germans will think twice if it makes sense to subsidize the other countries for longer. But clearly consumption indicators and confidence is going down with a stretched financial situation. If a country is in debt then normal rules don't apply unlike an individual is an argument we hear often. But in a globalized environment it does affect as the currency, new investment flows and long term growth gets out the country of in crises as there are options for investors.<br />
Coming to the BRIC economies-they still show strong medium and long term growth driven by middle class. But in connected world there is no escape from short term hiccups. Inflation reduction by interest rates increase is not working out well for them and people in power seem to have no other options but hope that growth slows down taking the heat out. So implicitly they are happy that the growth slows. China has officially said they want slower growth so that rebalancing can happen and more equitable growth is achieved. India has not said it but the government inaction on several critical matters has made this anyway. Once the financial spiral starts then concern for Non performing assets will start, credit will be squeezed and pessimism will spread. How long can be very subjective but for the new economies it will be surely short and recovery can start as early as end of Q4 this year. So driving with brakes and accelerator on is going to be the skill set that defines leaders in this quick business cycle patterns. If Bears wish a long melt down they are in old world..new world business cycles are going to be shorter and swifter with differentiated recoveries in different geographies. This does not mean world is less connected, it only means different parts have different resilience and needs to be managed differently.Ramkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00700608932576579757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1757639804935554581.post-24949434093840134272011-08-02T05:26:00.000-07:002011-08-02T05:26:26.419-07:00Relationships...is there a business context?MBA's and consultants drive buzz words...Relationship Management is one the most quoted word I have come across. Be it Customer or supplier end there is always something to improve in relationships. Extended enterprise is surely going to be the future as it is not how a company or brand works individually that can define competitiveness but more how collectively we are able to win in the market.<br />
While all this is a fact I have to mention that in new economies be it China, India, Brazil or Mexico companies have to manage the relationships within their organization to drive up the performance. Especially when we have so many opportunities in the market and there is always a constant attrition of people who have adapted to the culture and politics of a company there is a need to keep a watch on how relationships evolve. Politics by the way is not a bad word. Manipulative politics is surely is. Ultimately with every function trying to jockey for power when there is limited resources politics is inevitable. Relationships at middle management is crucial to ensure this politics does not take a destructive conflict mode. Senior leaders should ensure that this does not go out of control. Sometimes we see that HR tries to make simple 360 degrees to find improvement opportunities of individuals. However this does not clearly capture the dynamic situation of relationships which spills either positive energies to people down the line or negative energies making people seriously start to look for other jobs.<br />
I also see people try to resolve conflicts by creating a more clear roles and responsibilities, have workshops to explain it etc. It is true that clarity helps but if relationships are good there is much lesser discussions on roles. A positive conflict is always good but if it becomes a pattern with a shell formed between dependent functions then we see performance going down. My take is pay attention to relationships..there is a business context to it. A strong people person also maintains a strong network of relationships which can be leaned on. Less critical the person is more stronger the network is and more happy people reporting to the person are. They are able to use the halo effect positively and success fetches more success.Ramkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00700608932576579757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1757639804935554581.post-69033782751596979172010-02-07T04:38:00.000-08:002010-02-07T04:38:27.972-08:00Middle Class-a driver to Global economyThe booming middle class of China, India, Brazil, Mexico, Russia contribute in their own way for driving the future economies. There are some very strong similarities in the middle class across the world in general and more so in developing economies.<br />
There will be differences if we microscopically look at the daily lives as the culture and outlook are different depending on history. For example a youth taking to drinking alcohol or smoking in Russia at an early age can be normal as irrespective of class this is normal. But same will not be the case in India for example.<br />
To look at differences and elaborating it is probably a way to defend why we should think complex but to look at similarities is a way to look at world as one.<br />
Being the middle is always a challenge. Those born with Silver spoons don't bother too much as there is everything even without asking for it. Those born in poverty struggle with getting basic necessities of life as they cannot think beyond next time meals. Those born in the middle class have to prove to their parents that they can achieve and be disciplined to get something they wish to have. This sets a performance/reward culture in them. Since the surplus is not too much they realize the difficulties of the poor much better. This makes them more sensitive to the society they live in. There is an opportunity for the kids to spend time with their grand parents who usually have moved up the society with their hard work and know the value of education. They get to know the basic values of life from them. This is different from the rich parents who neither have time/is not a priority or the poor parents who cannot afford to spend quality time with their kids. <br />
This setting is quite ideal for the children of middle class as they aspire to grow with their hard work and learning. The fact that Obama mentions several times that the skill set of Indians/Chinese students is much higher is that a developing economies are in the middle-not like US a developed economy and accompanying ego state or not like some African countries an under developed country where survival is an achievement.<br />
Therefore to say that Middle Class will sit in a driver seat to shape the future Global economies is an understatement. They will be the brain, energy and fuel (as they will also be consumers to the products/services) and aspiration to the future. There is no doubt that the moderate middle class will also slowly force more aggressive and repressive regimes to change. This makes me feel more comfortable that the future is in safe hands. Let us hope that the middle class in their aspiration to grow don't get the success in their heads and spoil the next generation. To sustain a few more generation of middle class power with middle class mind set is key to a bright future of the world. I also hope there is some more cross collaboration among the middle class of different economies to ensure we move to a quicker learning and adoption across the world including Green Initiatives.Ramkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00700608932576579757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1757639804935554581.post-17486878715871423612010-01-29T05:32:00.000-08:002010-01-29T05:32:42.833-08:00The Philosophy of Silver BulletIf you believe in Werewolves, Vampires and all those demonish creatures you know what a Silver Bullet is. The surprising thing is that this belief is of 20th Century origin-now the term Silver Bullet is used to indicate a quick solution to a difficult problem.<br />
As human's we always want a panacea for all problems. I remember when I was young watching a fake herbal marketer shouting to a crowd with his mesmeric voice that the Fox Horn(do foxes have horns?) powder he has can cure almost every malady. I was amused when some very educated looking (!)men buying the stuff. Maybe for some it can appear to work as it is Pshycological.<br />
Silver bullet works on the premise that there is one fixed way to attack the problem which is monstrous to imagine. There is no other known solution and no harm to give it a try. This is different from Alchemy which is driven by greed to make gold from some other metal. A person trying to do Alchemy is probably searching a short cut to become rich and famous. The positive aspect of this is that they probably end up learning something in ssearch of this skill. On the way they find something else and settle for it which is better than what they had been. It is like aiming for Moon and landing in on a hilltop. But still they landed somewhere higher than where they originally are. This is positive about trying to become an Alchemist.<br />
However Seeking a Silver Bullet is slightly different. For example if US stuck in Afganisthan is hoping that the Taliban will melt with time or make a peace deal with them by legalizing them to be part of Government-then they are looking a silver bullet solution. The problem is demonic with different dimensions and solution cannot be simple. <br />
Several times I hear this when the negotiations are getting tough-look for a face saving formula. I smile at presentations which try to show the best of a worst situations (how service has dramatically improved when reality is market is down and inventories are sky high) as this is also a face saving formula. Face savers are not silver bullets..they are self deceptions. Politicians will want it but not others. Power is not lost with such efforts of people and soon it starts to eat the core of character.<br />
Silver bullet is by scale much larger-promise and belief of an impossible thing to fix a problem. Devil is in details and Silver bullet is the exact opposite of details as it is a hypothesis. Six sigma thinking and Emotional Intelligence are two antidotes for Silver bullets. For example it is common to hear people saying a state of art ERP system will solve all their problems. So be it says the management and then the demons change shape. Now it is a different Silver bullet we want as today's solutions are tomorrow's problems. <br />
Therefore wanting a Silver Bullet is not quite unreasonable but to find one is usually an unreasonable expectation. Managers keep their jobs as Silver Bullets evolve as werewolves arrive in different forms. Hope remains to find solutions for all problems including Global warming which is driven by human greed..this is the philosophy of Silver Bullet.Ramkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00700608932576579757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1757639804935554581.post-83912281564800696472010-01-23T21:18:00.000-08:002010-01-23T21:18:23.524-08:00Where defensiveness dares...Inspiring stories, life experiences and poems of people always gives a ray of hope in all humans. For example when one reads" Lead Kindly Light" of Tagore surely there is something inside our minds which gets a ray of hope. Similar is the case with the perseverance of people who not only survived but also took it as a responsibility to motivate others survive in the concentration camps in World War II. Hope is clearly a remedy for pessimism which is probably a natural defensive action mind resorts to during adversities. Being defensive is not a bad behavior but once it becomes a habit it starts to suck away the real reasons of failures. On the other end of spectrum being over confident has a similar effect when it becomes a habit. When defensiveness becomes a habit we fight for status quo or start to be perceived as a bottle neck in a change situation. Leaders of change may start to avoid getting opinions from the person with such behaviors though there can be some fence sitters motivating to continue to dare. Such people end up in being forced to look for new jobs and they probably never recognize that the reason for their malady is within them. <br />
Over confidence that there can be nothing which can go wrong has other effects. Such people are cultivated by Leaders to be a catalyst of change in some situations only to realize that after sometime their effectiveness wanes. The reason is people around who look for logical reasons of why this will succeed find that it is more words and feelings than logic that drives the individual. As a corollary there can also be an instant belief in an hope giving enthusiastic leader if the earlier leader was a pessimistic, image drainer for a group/country. Classic example is Obama. As it can be seen very soon the belief drains when people start to realize that life is more than just giving hope and speaking the right vocabulary.<br />
There are some general rules to test if we have the sickness of defensiveness:<br />
1) If we shoot down new ideas even without taking it for discussions<br />
2) If we are trying to project all the showcase items (good news) and cover up dissent <br />
3) If we are wanting to manage/alter the KPI's for short term reasons of bonus or justifying headcounts etc<br />
4) If we generally exhibit all the passive aggression characteristics<br />
5) If our humor is hurting a change manager who is sincerely trying to make a change<br />
6) If our informal communication is exactly opposite of formal communication<br />
7) If we explain the problem is not here but elsewhere and we can't do much<br />
8) If we say dotted line reporting can achieve only so much <br />
9) If we say we have tried it earlier and it will fail as we are not ready<br />
10)If we smile when something which we say will fail actually failed.<br />
The list can be longer but when defensiveness dares there cannot be much progress is a fact individuals and organizations should recognize. The more healthy a person is (both physical and emotional) the less insecure he/she is. The less insecure a person is the less defensive he/she is. For example last year I tried to introduce diversity in an alumni e-group which was a male only. Most of them were uncomfortable but some were so defensive that they felt that even if a women is classmate she should not be added for it takes away the joy of men talk/humor.<br />
There were some who said by virtue of being a classmate they have a right but were pushed through with humor and peer pressure. I had the responsibility to go back and inform the bad news but I chose a new way. I asked the most resistant person to draft a nice communication which can be shared. After one week I got a reply that he did not find a good reason and realized that maybe we should make it an inclusive group. I appreciated him for the introspection made the defensiveness vanish. We went ahead but I informed the concerns some had to the women. To our surprise she said" Nothing new" and went on to add energy to our group. The group is more active than ever. In a recent communication I got a person saying that adding her was one of the best decisions made. Progress is made only when we get our masks and start accepting realities. We cannot live in our silos and believe that if we get out we step on fire. Dare to recognize this and be a leader...Ramkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00700608932576579757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1757639804935554581.post-68123064315334732812010-01-16T21:31:00.000-08:002010-01-16T21:31:13.904-08:00Fire for regeneration...The concept of destruction as a seed for new creation is not new. However the pains of destruction and the emotional attachment to the old creates a constant dilemma for leaders, slowing down the emergence of new creations. Timing is crucial for the seed to germinate and any delays to create the right environment will only stunt the next generation growing naturally resulting in a sense of disbelief instead of confidence.<br />
A clear example we can look at is Forest fires..forest fires are now more and more man made (Unintentional,so they say. But forest fires have always existed. The trigger has been Lightening strike on the tall trees. If it does happen in a dry season then it sets off a forest fire killing every possible life it can gobble. Some fires burn for several weeks. The heat on the floor of forest takes several months to subside or need to wait for a monsoon rain. <br />
A pessimist will say that is the end of fertility and power of life. But nature has found ways to find life in this adverse condition. Certain variety of pine cones have been waiting for several years to open up. As they are hard and wax coated the only way to open it up is fire. The seeds jump out in joy and start to germinate. What a wonder...very soon the fertile soil provides place for younger and newer species of life. Was the forest fire bad? Yes for the older generation. But it provided a base for a new generation which otherwise would not have come to live with us. The concept of Shiva performing the dance of death and firing up lives opening the Third Eye when things need to be destroyed is to be viewed as an act out of pity rather than anger. The anger part is just to ensure there are no emotional reasons to slow down the destruction which slows down next creations. The reason to have bias less entity to destroy (as it will be difficult for a creator himself to destroy..I cannot imagine Brahma sitting on Lotus Flower can perform this task as the attachment/admiration will be preventing doing this. Remember Brahma was so fascinated by the creation of Thilothama that He forgot the reason fo the creation and started to lure her). <br />
And why do I write all this? Life in corporations are similar. A product line which has outlived its utility is a constant dilemma for a company whose founder is attached to the product than the realities of market. Bajaj Scooters is a classical example. Owning a Bajaj scooter (Chetak) was a pride of several fathers and sure it was considered an ideal middle class family vehicle. Recently I read that the company decided to stop production of this. There were some emotional discussions of the founder, creator of the product. Maybe the decision should have been made 5 years ago to avoid drain of resources. I don't say that with this decision everything will change but the courage of destroying what has been created earlier is a Fire that should come at the right time. It takes will power to execute this decision as old people see it as Rash, safe players think that this fire will create total destruction etc. But a leader should take the decision without passion or attachment to ensure that the next generation thrives. Maybe there are some pine cones waiting for this fire. <br />
Having said that it is important not to destroy for the pleasure of destroying. When I hear people telling me in Interviews that " Reducing Headcount is my key focus area. I have always championed this cause" I get really worried. Improving efficiency and output can be a focus area for everyone. One of the several consequences can be reducing resources that are no longer relevant. If the focus is other way then probably they are passionate about destroying rather than creating which makes them unfit for leading fires for regeneration. <br />
Next time you find such a person tell them what we are looking for a person with third eye which opens only when really needed and not a sharp shooter who shoots only to check if his guns are working or his skill of sharp shooting is intact.Ramkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00700608932576579757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1757639804935554581.post-75669884730720216622010-01-14T21:36:00.000-08:002010-01-14T21:36:27.823-08:00Believer or an Atheist!!The question of belief transmits from generation to generation as children are shaped with belief and cultural manners by parents when they are quite young. The shaping up is more rigorous in middle class family children than in upper class or under privileged class as there is lesser time parents have for children or some other extreme reasons of survival/freedom definitions.<br />
Whatever be the bring up, the beliefs get questioned in Teenage. Several of them consider to be an Atheist at an extreme case or consider being neutral to beliefs of God/super natural elements. This is part of evolution of human mind but it is important to recognize that being an Atheist is also a form of religious belief and should be respected.<br />
Social consciousness is a necessary sensitivity one should build during the Teenage evolution. If this is built very firmly and a person becomes an asset to the society he lives in by actively contributing to it then it does not matter if he remains a believer or an atheist. If a person becomes a believer (or a strict follower by social design/adaptation to his relatives/friends)with not developing a sensitivity towards the social causes then the person adds to the population and will probably remain an also existed category. The fact that the social consciousness and the realization that we are part of a whole and are connected with a responsibility is an essential condition to realize soul. The objective of any religion is to realize the divinity of soul and get the best out of human. <br />
Attending Sermons, wearing religious symbols and reciting words with meanings not understood or internalized is probably a way to create a self image which can reflect what others want to see in us. But this neither helps self or others as it is not connected to the society we live in a positive/active way.<br />
There is one more opportunity to review our actions and belief..this happens in the early forties. Questions from children and a trigger of dissatisfaction of constantly telling what is not fully accepted by our mind to them makes this review. Usually people ignore this or show out frustrations avoiding this disconnect. But a few take it seriously and try to find the truth of life. They make significant changes in life including trying to do something tangible to the society. They become calmer and more satisfied. Usually they are very approachable and emit positive energies. Don't wait for retirement to do the self introspection as options will be limited and maybe health will not co-operate as living a self deceptive life is surely more tiring. <br />
Define success as what we do for society and then you seek the divinity within. You will find it sooner than later. God is within us and it takes some effort of giving back to the life HE has created to find HIS reflection and feel it.Ramkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00700608932576579757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1757639804935554581.post-70456942144384036972010-01-09T23:23:00.000-08:002010-01-09T23:23:52.430-08:00Achievement orientation!!To look at people as flesh and blood powered by a motivation to survive is probably a very basic way of looking at life. While there are different motivational levels at different point of time in life for people there are still a lot who believe that they require external reasons to be motivated. Such people get motivated and demotivated as easily as loosing charge in our mobile batteries. I am not saying that there should be people who should never seek to recharge but I only mention that the recharge should be for the soul powered by self. For sure when we are young we need to have the right inputs and attitude built up by exposure to good books and great thoughts. Once we are of an age where we can vote to choose a government this should change. However I really worry at people who mention in social networking sites "I am depressed and need alcohol to boost up" etc sort of confessions. Maybe they are not enjoying what they are doing or in a rat race they never want to run. <br />
Coming to topic of Achievement orientation, I think people should read the feelings of people who have done something considered impossible like climbing Everest without oxygen. Why they set on such a task, what motivated them to stay on course and why they are still motivated after loosing most of their toes to the frost bites. When you are alone and deprived of oxygen facing a question of survival versus achieving a goal most of us fail the test taking the survival option. But achievement orientation is about even when you are alone and feel threatened how can you remain motivated. Don't look for a mother (somebody comforting you or assuring you that you are good) but look within yourself for the flame of achievement. For sure this flame will need some refueling but much lesser than charging of our mobile phones. We need to feel the soul and re-energize it with right thoughts and goals. We cannot follow survival paths and still say we will be achievers. There is nothing written in stone is the famous quote I hear frequently but there is something more rigid when it is written in the soul-achievement orientation is one such winning quality. There is no one way to get this imbibed but it evolves over time but with constant internal focus and belief.Ramkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00700608932576579757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1757639804935554581.post-8969600618673234182010-01-08T05:53:00.000-08:002010-01-08T05:54:32.230-08:00On a Lighter Vein!!A lot of my friends confirm that though I am not a very serious person in real life I make it appear so in this Blog site..I had to make a posting in Lighter Vein. So those who appreciate my conceptual, confusing and often tangential philosophies please excuse me for this deviation. This is also an effort that will make me feel a little lighter by not taking myself seriously.<br />
When I was young I travelled to my Aunt's place in Kumbakonam. Vacation was something every kid look forward to and it was fun in the train with other kids in similar holiday moods. When we reached my Aunt's place I was so thirsty I directly went to the kitchen in search of water pot (this was the poor man's fridge those days). Usually the pot is kept in a dark corner of the room. I picked the glass kept in the cover and started to fill in water from pot when I heard a huge roaring sound behind. I was astonished with an old lady standing with a huge stick..I dropped the glass in the pot and tried to shout. But my voice was stuck inside. She positioned her stick towards my head with a victorious voice "Finally I got you the Black stealing monkey". I gave a shriek. Fortunately my aunt walked in and held the stick back saying " Paati (Granny), that is our boy who has just come to visit us". Granny did not believe I am human..she actually said " I want to check if he does not have a tail as he exactly resembles the stealing monkey which yesterday ran away with my spectacles". I had to turnaround and show that indeed I have evolved to be human by dropping my tails some generations ago though the resemblance is unavoidable. From this time onwards Granny always called me "Black Monkey" though I used to protest saying that I am reasonably fair ( I accepted the fact that probably I was a Monkey). This sticks to my memory as maybe this was the first genuine nickname I earned by just drinking water in a dark corner. <br />
I was an introvert through my childhood and used to hide when relatives visited our home in an obvious display of shyness. Fortunately not many took that as an insult and used say " People who are shy when they are young become loudmouthed as they grow up". I am sure most will agree that this prediction has come true. Talking something about everything is probably my weakness but I am sure it is better than being a depressive individual. In those days if you need to be a captain of a cricket team you need to own the cricket bat and ball. Though I was not a great player I had convinced my father to get me a bat and ball as a quid pro quo of not disturbing him when he was correcting exam papers. Then I became the captain of the street cricket team..I chose when I will be out. Very unfair but most of the other team players acknowledged it was fair enough without a grumble. I remember once hitting ball over to a construction site nearby where the painter took the ball and dropped it in a well. I was happy that I got a six and the player who went to pick the ball came empty handed saying the ball is gone in the well. When you are 10 years old and are the captain you feel that you can lead the world..so I went to the site and asked him " How dare he dropped the ball in the well?"..the painter (possibly a weigh lifter) lifted me with my collars and hung me in the well in split second. I had a sense of flying and I looked down it was water below..he was probably shouting some not so words threating me for my arrogance. Childishness is sometimes loosely used to represent foolishness--I bit his hand in anger and he just dropped me in the well. <br />
I am not sure how swimmers enjoy the vertical landings and win prizes...but I felt just fear as I landed in water. The well was deep and I landed exactly in the middle..so I was safe (this was what people who recovered me told me later..what a definition of safety). The moment I landed in water and starting to drink water (which was salty) through my mouth and nose, I don't remember anything more as I fainted out of fear of death. But when I woke up the painter was really scared and there were people who had taken him to task for what he did to me. Inspite of all the pathetic performance and life/death encounter I smiled as a hero. I had a nick name for this but I will not tell what it is..it stayed on till I went to college. Several of my street friends remember me with this name. There is much more but maybe this is boring enough..but makes me smile on hindsight.Ramkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00700608932576579757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1757639804935554581.post-32227816562840873482010-01-05T22:27:00.000-08:002010-01-05T22:27:27.507-08:003 Idiots-learningsThe success of the new film 3 Idiots is not surprising as it touches some key aspects of life in a very entertaining way. The aspect of not taking self seriously and live life in its true spirit is very clearly the message.<br />
It is very true that a lot of middle class, disciplined parents think the children need a lot of help (X type of Management)including predeciding the line of specialization they will do. This may puzzle a lot of Westners who give complete freedom for their children to decide what they want to be (Y type of Management). The best model is probably a mixture of both (XY type of Management) styles.Coming back to the learnings fromt the movie-I personally think it is the simple facts of stupidity we take for granted being challenged in a most innocous way. There can be no denial of the rat race-a lot don't want to run it but know for survival they have to. So everyone is stressed but don't know how to stop others but fact is they can stop running. Success is defined in a particular way by society-how much one earns, how much assets, how many gadgets etc...but we forget the soul which is happy only when it does what it thinks makes it happy...not about others. It is true that inspite of the fact we talk a lot of family, friends finally we live life for ourself. Faking this will not achieve true success. Belief in self (as one idiot recognizes that praying for success is not a solution but accepting self is), follow the dream(as one idiot recognizes that it is photography not engineering his forte) and learn for creating something new than earn a degree(as one idiot shows what innovators stand for)...it is a complete package of learning. Not taking self seriously is the best way to avoid one's ego being hurt. And what better state than considering self as an Idiot. Sure it takes a lot of courage to proclaim self as an Idiot but once we do this we are much less under pressure from outside and listen to our inner voice. A first step to self realization and universal peace. No power quest, just knowledge quest and happy to fail mindset with a never give up attitude. Wow..I wish I learn to be an Idiot.Ramkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00700608932576579757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1757639804935554581.post-1952132137293348342009-12-12T05:02:00.000-08:002009-12-12T05:02:53.487-08:00Be positive..how easy it is?This is probably the punch dialogue of most motivational speakers "Stay Positive" "Attitude is everything" etc. The question is how easy it is to stay positive given the fact Human evolution is closely linked to monkeys (I mean the animal instinct remains with us..no offense..stay positive as this is just the beginning).<br />
There can different reasons why we can become negative-circumstances, previous experience, our image of a person/country/culture etc. Assuming that we are neutral how easy is it to swing to positive or negative direction is the moot question. If we answer this, we have answered the subject (no I will not be subjective this time..stay positive). There are some basic premises we should acknowledge that makes staying negative easier than staying positive..the most important of those is it avoids more efforts and probably is consistent with our other paradoxical thinking of seeking disproportionate reward for efforts. Philosophy apart it is very natural to seek rewards in monetary or recognition (cash or kind)for everyone of us. <br />
How tuned we become to this starts from how we are brought up. If our parents pander us a lot more than we deserve then we become more attuned to seeking rewards more than efforts. Probably we do the same to our kids..it can be time for entertainment (watching TV/Computer games etc) or it can be amount of icecreams or chocolates. Coming back to the topic-responsibility comes with age but how much responsibility one willing takes and delivers defines how much positive one can be. Usually the responsibility is implicit but demanding right is explicit. The more the gap is the more staying positive is difficult. Not many think of the Responsibility/right gap as a reason why staying positive is difficult. People usually look at outside for solutions-comparing self with others who have been treated worse in life, pride in being part of some great effort, seeking to stay positive by tutoring the mind of jargon's of motivation. Nothing will stay unless we take responsibility for our actions, take responsibility for our thoughts and take responsibility for efforts. Positive is a state of mind and I hear a lot of medical journals talk about the electrical circuits in our nerve wires..yes body is charged by thoughts and there are both positive and negative ions. So despite of wiring carrying positive and negative ions the only way to charge ourselves to stay positive is to make it a Direct Current and not alternate current. We can make it a direct current only when we decide that staying positive under all circumstances makes me different and I like being in that state. So it is not easy but it is possible.Ramkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00700608932576579757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1757639804935554581.post-88593177291107161682009-12-05T23:52:00.000-08:002009-12-05T23:52:29.093-08:00Self Realization-how long it can take?It is long time since sharing thoughts on Philosophy...this was triggered by a chance meeting of a school teacher of my son who has given up teaching to take up Aikido (a Japanese self realization program which begins as self defense training).<br />
The more I reflect about the meeting the more I start to believe nothing is by chance but by choice. Being an inquisitive personality I started to probe into what made him make this sudden decision (in fact I made a comparison to the book "The monk who sold his Ferrari"-he had not read that book but nothing bothered him). He said it is the normal feeling of emptiness and unknown dissatisfaction of the mind. I always thought he enjoyed teaching as the feedback from my kid was one of joy to be in his class. He did mention that he enjoyed teaching and was quite content but had this small vacuum which snow balled last 3 years into driving him to look inwards. <br />
As I was talking I noticed him more closely -he was glowing, become younger by at-least 5 years and his eyes were smiling. Unbelievable changes in such a short time. Something stuck me that probably I am near a Guru. I bowed in respect before him and said "Please guide me to self realization". He laughed and said " I don't think I am there but I think I have taken the first right step in that direction". <br />
What changes has he had in life-He does not get up in a hurry in the morning, does not compete with his wife to go to office not even looking at her face, does not feel that a statement of his wife is not to prove her ego and has all the time in the world to reflect on goodness of everyone. Simple-focus on good things within you and others, stand in your comfort position and don't attack which are the basics of Aikido. Giving up ego is not easy but accepting limitations is part of this giving up. If we accept our limitations and take life as it is then 80% of tensions on our mind are less. He says to realize that we are part of the whole is a life time process but the first step to acknowledge the strengths of others. To be like a child and accepting that I make mistakes, I can loose but still smile and to be living in this moment are keys to this. He talked from his heart and smiling eyes-without trying to preach. His positive experience was touching my soul/<br />
All of it is reflected maybe in a lot of books. But I see this person who has changed for better by taking the right first step. I am not sure when I will take this first step but to realize that we need to look inwards in a more conscious way is the path to self realization has stuck to me. How long can the whole process take is for the motivation in me to decide like all of us...but this is the path all should take for peace of self and society is clearly the fact written in stone.Ramkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00700608932576579757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1757639804935554581.post-34015757574662662052009-12-03T04:36:00.000-08:002009-12-03T04:36:03.140-08:00Restructuring and moving with market-pains and gainsWith some serious signs of recovery of economy visible already a lot of companies are planning for scaling up productions/activities. A lot of line and staff managers are happy that there is not much follow up on the long term viability and restructuring questions. The situation is one of cautious optimism so the relief symptoms are natural. But underlying fact remains that the World will not be the same the next few years as the changes are permanent. Economic balance is tilting in favor of new economies much faster than earlier years (as the recession did not hit them-India, China, Brazil continued to grow while Europe and US shrank). The overcapacities in Developed economies will surely hit their long term survival though most companies think the pressures will be lesser. The pains of restructuring need not be elaborated as indeed to remove people from employment and moving to a new location is never easy. Knowledge and loyalty is lost, so is the public image. But the fact remains that without economic justification it is not possible to sustain a business. This means that while timing a restructuring is important, so is the willingness of management to take the acid test proactively rather than waiting for acid to come to nose levels.<br />
Every restructuring has unique aspects. I don't believe that there are a few blessed people who can foresee all issues and claim to be called as Restructuring experts. The sensitivities of communication (the extent/content/timing) and ability to get stakeholder confidence is different in different countries. In US it is quite normal to be out of job in short notice but in certain other countries it takes months to move one small step. Most important aspect for success is having the person on ground with most credibility-who does the right things and won't project himself as know it all person-balances emotional and rational decisions.<br />
Gains of restructuring is for the organization but does not start the next month of completion. Usually there are pangs for atleast one to two years especially if it involves moving manufacturing capacity to a new economy. Quality, productivity, consistency, learning curve-all of it takes time as knowledge is still not a commodity that can be transferred as easily as manufacturing capacity. The earlier one harmonizes the capacities to align to demands of market the more quick they are to become leaders. If we delay restructuring and thereby also delay new capacities in right markets we loose at both ends. Sure, companies are learning that and so are shareholders!!Ramkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00700608932576579757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1757639804935554581.post-85221581498388852312009-11-22T09:52:00.000-08:002009-11-22T10:10:07.449-08:00Learning's of connecting back to old friends!!Internet with its social networking sites provides ample opportunity to connect back to people whom otherwise we would have never imagined to get in touch. In a world without internet (example that of my parents)there might have been situations where school or college friends may physically meet in a shop or movie hall but not recognize each other as age metamorphism will be difficult to imagine. <br />However it is important to recognize that less than 1/100th of people moved so much across the globe or even within countries and the need to network through virtual world did not exist. For sure the boon of Internet is the ability to get back in touch with friends who otherwise would be just in faint memories.<br />Coming back to the learning's of connecting back...I do think the most important of all learning is to take it slow. The usual informality which existed in School or college days is not to be taken for granted at middle age or beyond. Sure it comes back but the time to accept this transition is different for different people. There are some people who take this to an extreme when they address people who are a little more successful or lucky as "Sir or Madam"...this is lack of self confidence. You should not go to the limit of calling the pet names or some specific habit the person had while young making the other person uncomfortable but building a distance by calling him/her Sir or Madam is also not a good starting point.<br />There are several ways one gets connected back-maybe through the social networking sites when someone guesses it should be you and calls to connect. This usually is quite sober interactive mode as it is one to one to begin with. There is a cascading effect to this that with enough quorum there is a need to build an Alumni Group.<br />This starts with a lot of zeal with friends getting friends and slowly building the network. There are some uncomfortable moments when the group tries to reinvent its current position with likes, what will tick, when things can be viewed seriously (in college days these were not even noticed), when to appreciate, when to wish etc.<br />This journey needs to be managed well. Usually the initial enthusiasm soon dies down with people taking to normal day to day affairs and not bothering to move further on the networking while some of them are very eager to pump emails/seek responses.<br />There is an important learning here-motivation of people who were together in their teens and led a carefree life competing with spirit (maybe partying with spirits too) evolve to be responsible parents with a cautious approach to everything in life including networking friends.This motivation difference is difficult to gauge and manage as most are spread out across the world and want to disclose as little as possible of what happened in the 20 years they were not in touch. A lot of them are apologetic but a lot more are wanting to stay aloof assuming friendship can be burden. (to be continued)Ramkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00700608932576579757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1757639804935554581.post-57789637434617982462009-10-25T02:55:00.000-07:002009-10-30T11:00:22.766-07:00Periodic Table of basic human traitsAs I am a great fan of convergence of knowledge, I had this weird idea this morning. Like we have periodic table for Chemical elements is it worthwhile to have Periodic table of basic human traits. This is just a conceptual thinking and is very much aligned to my confusions (some of my friends say they try to understand just 25% of what I try to say to avoid neuronal instability).<br />For example out of the 114 periodic table elements 92 naturally occur and only 22 don't occur naturally. Maybe in the periodic table of traits it will be 92 born traits and 22 will be those that can be learned traits or is it the other way. This can probably answer the questions which has long been pestering a lot "Are leaders born or made"...probably a bit of both. Situations make them but there is something in the DNA of a few that clicks faster than others.<br />Coming back to basics of periodic table-some of the basic metals become stronger if blended with some others for example Steel/stainless steel etc..nickel, cadmium, molybdenum make Iron stronger (bearing steel for example is a very high grade steel able to take dynamic loads without getting stressed). This also means that the basic DNA is just a starter..we need to blend a little more into this to get it perfect for situation. Some situation requires leaderships of strength (steel), some require high malleability, some high ductility, etc. The broad classification of metals and non metals may also be valid in traits. Most metals are solids except for example Mercury. Most leaders will have certain characteristic except certain exceptions but will still be leaders. <br />Whatever be it Chemistry with the people and create a following is an important leadership trait..this chemistry is very different from Periodic table. But Periodically there are some great leaders who remind us the power of perseverance and showing possibilities are limitless. Periodic table may just be a frame to structure a trait classification for a start.Ramkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00700608932576579757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1757639804935554581.post-936075202118628842009-10-23T23:00:00.000-07:002009-10-23T23:20:02.089-07:00Cold and Dark-Energy lost?Living in Sweden there is one topic that cannot be escaped...weather. Whatever you start with finally an informal discussion always ends with weather discussions. There is a natural smile on everyone's face when it is a bright, sunny day with temperatures beyond 12 degrees. If it is raining or dark or cold or all of this together you can see serious people all around you. This is a big contrast for me-I am used to seeing people in India irrespective of wealth status or pains they have to push one day at time wearing a smile or are happy all the time. Maybe it is because they have sun all the time or there is something else that makes them happy.<br />This made me dwell deeper into the subject-"Cold and Dark-does this equal to Energy lost". External conditions which we don't control directly impacts our energy which we own and control. The answer to this lies not in the equation but in the way we are brought up. When I moved to Philippines, I heard a discussion of an interview in which there were 4 candidates for a position and was considered to be very tough competition. I remembered when I joined my first job there were 45 engineers interviewed for 2 positions and everyone thought they had a fair chance. Everyone was cheerful. When the results were announced apart from a momentary disappointment everyone moved on. Is this a philosophy of life Indians due to religion, culture or sheer competition imbibe? I am not sure. But the external factors (in this case competition) was not able to blunt the internal energy enough to take away the smiles and inherent happy state. On a similar note when I was talking to an old lady who has lived here for last 50 years (Who fought her cancer away)-she had a simple advice to live. Rain or cold-dress up your physical body for protection and do what your soul enjoys to do with no inhibition. Then you control your happiness. Don't sit at home and stare through the windows cursing the rains or darkness as this does not change anything but makes you feel more miserable. Just tuning the mind and telling to self that nothing can stop me from being happy is the therapy which we require to spread to the world. There is energy lost if we think hard about it and do nothing about it. If we have to do something then let us first tell ourselves that we are the Sun when light is not there (which is the principle of Advaita-every soul is the reflection of the bigger soul (God) similar to reflection of light from the Sun making smaller suns), we are the heat when heat is not there (we are afterall warm blooded and it only requires happiness to tune the body settings right apart from clothes)..Energy is in the soul and soul is connected to the body with the brains. Let us train ourselves to get the energy booster which is fully in our control and keeps the world moving forward despite pessimists and fatalists saying for example as per Mayan calendar the world will come to an end in 2012 Dec 21st.<br />As long as we live we will enliven others by not feeling depressed by anything outside us with the simple remedy within us-happiness reflected by smiling faces.Ramkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00700608932576579757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1757639804935554581.post-26908622006482157562009-10-21T22:54:00.000-07:002009-10-21T23:14:22.660-07:00Project Management- skill or art?There is a lot of books on Project Management including newly developed tools on ensuring transparency and tracking progress. Every year there are atleast 2 to 3 major Global projects in every Global company newly launched, while there are already 9 to 10 projects which are running from previous years. While some projects can be limited to a function most projects span across different geographies and functions. There is a strong belief that Project Management can be trained with a program targeted at specific individuals who are currently leading or will lead projects in future. I even heard recently that " Only certified" Project Managers should be assigned Global Projects. Like most management skills for sure Project Management concepts can be taught in a structured program. However if we see the number of projects which don't take off even with full top management support and several other projects which remain successful on paper and window dressed reports, I really wonder if this certified Project Managers can make a consistent success story. After a lot of personal observations I am starting to believe that Project Management is an Art which some individuals master by sheer personality and street smart aptitudes than training. <br />I will list out why I think it is an art:<br />1) Usually Project Managers don't have all the cross functional knowledge or span of control on a straight line basis...they have to master the art of identifying the right team members, motivate them and also understand the political dimensions of decisions-when to compromise and whom to take along etc. This cannot be taught in a "Certification program" as this is more feel and situational.<br />2) The project manager cannot allow himself to be seen as a stooge of top management as it only takes a little distance to use (misuse) the name of big leaders. The more it is used the less powerful the Project Manager becomes. Taking in middle management and understanding what can work in which geographies is key to success. This ofcourse is known but there is on one standard way prescribed in certification programs.<br />3) The temptation of Project Manager to protect his job, create artificial success feelings and develop pilots to showcase is understandable but if it stretches beyond a limit, the journey downwards starts for the project and the manager. Most projects fail due to this overstretching success stories. This is not taught in classes as a lot of it is self defensive behaviour of every individual<br />4) The art of managing a project is like managing a fire place with different grades of inflammable material. Some catch fire fast, some slower. But the key is how to keep the heat for a long time to ensure there is action all the time but within control. If this is not managed the fire dies down or burns out too fast. (I am not using the orchestra example as it is overused). The most important element is patience and understanding when the trigger happens to be self sustaining.<br />I really feel that every high potential employee should be given an opportunity to prove the worth by being assigned a Project of Global stature..if there is mastery of skill or art will be known then. I am also against people close to their retirement assigned some key projects to just keep busy as this kills both the spirit and the value of project management process.Ramkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00700608932576579757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1757639804935554581.post-29266712553896169512009-10-19T00:37:00.000-07:002009-10-19T00:54:57.386-07:00Importance of removing badness earlyThere is a nice Thirukural which means the following " If there is a thorny bush starting to grow and you/others don't want to get hurt, cut it the moment you notice it as the more you delay the more difficult it is doing to be". This signifies an important element of ethics as "Tolerance to badness" will only result in more badness.<br />Classical example is the "Pakistani Taliban". No doubt they were a nice handle for ISI and even US when Russians were in Afghanistan. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that this is a thorny bush but allowing it to grow was a mistake every party who ignored their threat made as a strategic blunder. Now when they have grown as a Thorny tree to threaten the world the wake up call comes. Sure it is going to be more painful to remove this than it would have been 10 years ago.<br />Coming back to more mundane badness we cultivate in our daily life-for example bypassing the queue. This is something a lot attempt-the assumption is that "Most will turn blind eye to this..if someone does object then we can become a rule follower". This usually results in verbal fights and in some cases even gets physical. I am not sure after this if the person who attempted to jump the queue starts following rules. But the temptation to move ahead of others where there is a simple first come first serve rule indicates a total lack of ethics. I am sure the people who attempt this will try to create political situations in office/personal life to get short term gains. This badness is something that grows with age and needs to be removed from a very young age by coaching. <br />Goodness requires a lot of positive coaching and internalization like a flowering plant. We need to take extra care to ensure they don't wilt under too much adverse conditions etc. Badness is like a Thorny Cactus..survives with minimal care and once rooted difficult to take out. When I read a lot of fights of Gods and demons where Demons get killed in the end-there is a subtle feeling I have that they all depict the demons within our character which needs to be won by the goodness at some point of time. The realization has to be happen within. Without being negative an introspection usually gives a few stunning badness in each person starting with how much self centered we are, how over critical we are etc. These need to be healed quickly taking a few at a time with a conscious self realization. I have started this journey and sure will try to be better than current as Souls need a more healthy mind to prosper with wisdom.Ramkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00700608932576579757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1757639804935554581.post-11420174767178427622009-10-15T00:20:00.000-07:002009-10-15T00:43:43.575-07:00Art of shooting Sandbaggers!Now is the business planning time in most global companies. First cut plan should have been delivered by now. The yearly business planning process is an iterative approach to arrive at an agreed future scenario of the business climate and results the organization can expect from different functions. However it is easier said than done to arrive at this agreement as depending on how safe or how risky you want to play the reference point can be different. There are also the seasoned Sandbaggers who exist in all functions to justify why it is not as good as others think it maybe.<br />I have found that shooting at Sandbaggers is an interesting psychological game in the process and it is not necessary sharp shooters win.<br />There are some general signs of Sandbagging which will exist and I quote a few for those who are interested to master this art better. I cover all functions to be democratic.<br />1) Though the last three months results are better than plan and next quarter of this year is also better in terms of order book next year is not going to be a steep uptrend. The competition is already showing signs of starting a price war as there is excess capacity in market and customers are moving quickly to grab the opportunity. The special government policy support will go. Interest rates will go up and confidence will taper. As per XXX report this is confirmed..the graphs are indicating slowing down next year. Inspite of all this we have taken an aggressive 3.7% growth assuming we will gain new business, gain share etc. This is the general Sales pitch.<br />2) The commodity markets are strengthening. Suppliers are getting desperate. They cannot sustain this low volumes and there is no economies of scale. Overall we will see increases in costs next year at increased pace. Clearly we are moving away from buyers to sellers market with demand upturns. This is the general purchasing pitch.<br />3) The mix is adverse next year. We will increase flexibility but reduce scale effects of manufacturing. We have already got the benefits of lean initiatives and other low hanging fruits. The results at best can be as of this year. This will be the general manufacturing pitch.<br />What are the ways to shoot Sandbaggers...the styles are different with different outcomes depending on the culture of the company but here are some general recommended styles.<br />1) Listen patiently and empathize. In the end say " Inspite of all what you say there seems to be an opportunity to improve here and optimize there". Give an objective of improvement and be sure they will come close to this.<br />2) Prepare a counter with specifics and show it without elaborating. Make a polite but cynical comment that during Business plan time such reports do miss our eyes.<br />Then state that we need to deliver so much and find a way to do this.<br />3) Shoot sharp when presenting. Say that you started to believe that the person is a pessimist. Don't allow to complete the presentation (by finding too many holes) and in the end say " You know what to do..try to change my opinion so that I believe that you are an optimist".<br />But expert Sandbaggers are able to deflect any style and be sure that they exist in every organization in good proportions. Not to worry that if there is no safety you will end up overstating and underachieving...we can never get all safety out.Ramkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00700608932576579757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1757639804935554581.post-79760666967769441892009-09-26T04:55:00.000-07:002009-09-26T05:14:07.432-07:00No to Yes or Yes to No...The subject may look very strange. Sure it is, as this depicts personalities and the way we approach issues. There are basically two major types of personalities when confronted with issues-those who start from a " No it will not work" and elaborating why it will not work and the other end "Yes it will work". You can say this is the same as optimistic and pessimistic characteristics. But this is a little more than this. Those who start with a No are not necessarily pessimistic and those who say Yes are not necessarily optimistic. You may ask how can that be. The people who say No and argue for status quo are also those who are optimistic/realistic otherwise but think that saying yes will add too much work to them...work avoidance can make them say No. This can be tuned to their past experiences of having said Yes and get assigned with a lot of unrelated work which neither is enjoyable nor is making any sense on hindsight.<br />Therefore there is a conscious change on the part of the individual who slowly builds a Tortoise like Shell to challenge every change proposal, every new idea as it is not may result in something which is not normally part of the role of the person. Are they people bad..not really. They might have been yesterday's super performers with high energy but the invisible shell they carry makes them behave they actually do. Very soon the Shell kills them as it ensures they are seen as resistant camp leaders (as they still retain leadership qualities to convince No sayers). It is important that the bosses of those Shelled individuals identify this early and give feedback to remove it from their behavior. It is a responsibility of the bosses and not HR to do this. <br />Coming to Yes sayers..are they genuine optimists. Not really. In a lot of cases they are survivors. They know saying Yes is what Management wants to hear and say Yes but studious ones push the consequences of the yes to someone else. This group is more dangerous than No sayers as they look like fully devoted but are not really. This differentiates them from Optimists who are also doers to ensure success of a decision. These Yes saying Chameleons can be distinguished by characteristics like not owning failures, blaming everyone else, everything outside after a failure and sometimes finger pointing own team members. <br />It is important to note that some genuine optimists can fail due to lack of experience or circumstances that were not foreseen before. They usually own up failures and try to become better. It is important for leaders not to punish them for their entrepreneurship as risks needs to be taken for better tomorrow but success is not 100%. <br />Next time if you are in a meeting look out for the Tortoises or Chameleons. Just ensure you are not one of them. Forget the inactive, cat on the walls. As they are there today and will be there tomorrow. Looks to me like a zoo in corporations but that is the way it is.Ramkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00700608932576579757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1757639804935554581.post-40411250101416010802009-09-06T16:45:00.001-07:002009-09-06T17:43:17.732-07:00Humility!If there is one character that should always be consciously or as part of DNA be built it is Humility. The speed of today's life has dramatically changed compared to last 50 years...but this has been the case the previous 50 years too. Younger generation is smarter than older ones in a lot of ways and continuously gives a challenge to middle aged ones who feel the sense of obsolescence much sooner than previous generations. Success is short lived as there is someone somewhere in the world creating something that can challenge what is new at this moment. However when I study the stress of people who live in insecurity of future and giving up present happiness due to this insecurity I am more and more convinced that this speed is too much for humans to handle unless there is a concerted global effort to build Emotional competences. Out of all Emotional competences the sense of "I" should be well defined with a sense of humility. With little success there has been significant changes in behavior observed in the last two generations. Sudden increase of income, accelerated improvement of social/official status for sure builds an extra sense of security but also has downsides. The most important of it is the building of overconfidence. There is less sensitivity towards family, friends as is reflected by a self centered reply " If I have time.." rather than " I have to find time...". There is also a possibility of bloated Ego's which tries to Tell rather than ask people in family who have seen us grow and support during times when we have been less confident or struggling with something. I also know some young managers who try to emulate the more feared executives of previous generations-they walk without recognizing people who want to smile at them for fear of someone coming to them with a request for help. There are situations when people receive distress calls in the form of emails from friends asking to support them or their near ones (maybe a job request or financial support)...most don't respond. Once a friend of mine asked me why I bother to forward such emails to him as he deletes them as he receives it. He grew up the ranks from a lower middle class family like mine and was supported by his uncle through his education (including financing his US trip for higher studies). He is quite active in the social networking sites and is able to place appropriate comments on friends pages,etc and is perceived positively by all. If perception is what social networking is about then he has mastered the art. But when it comes to how many near and dear ones would have benefited by his growth (except himself as he measures his success with the wealth he has..for example his ambition is to own a Ferrari in the next 5 years) then there will be far too few. I met his parents recently who continue to live in their modest home refusing to have even a car. His father welcomed me home and remembered the fond memories of his son. There was no mention of his current wealth during this recall. I brought this up and with a smile on his face (showing his gums as he has lost all his tooth) he replied " What is there is there, not there is not there...we are happy for him as our son than for his wealth or position". He learnt computers to send emails to his son as his son preferred this to talking on phone. He gets chocolates and flowers on his birthdays, anniversaries etc as his son which pleased him the first time he got it-only later to realize that they were through automated reminders and auto-payment set up at an online shopping site. He said he now takes the flowers and chocolates to a nearby orphan center and distributes it. Seeing the smiles of the children gives back the good feelings of life-he celebrates this day as his son wanted(he never complained about his son setting automated gifts). He walked with me till the end of his street and he shared a smile/warm greeting with most of the people he met. Some did not even reciprocate but this did not bother him. <br />I am quite convinced that he is happy and will be happy as he has the humility to cling to. If humility is a DNA trait then his son should have it but maybe this character is tested at some point of time in everyone's life. If one passes the test they find a way to be happy irrespective of what happens to them as they stay connected to life rather than comforts/positions/possessions. But if one fails the test they start to develop overconfidence and stress themselves with artificial happiness which takes the joy of living very soon.Ramkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00700608932576579757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1757639804935554581.post-12424809259845036352009-08-30T00:54:00.001-07:002009-08-30T01:23:41.132-07:00Learnings from Non-heroes!!The focus of learning of leadership or something to emulate is from heroes of great stories/life. However I find that there is a lot to learn from non heroes too. As a case in point I take two example from Mahabharata (the great Indian Epic..I quote this too often as this epic is the mother of all epics as per me).<br />The first one is Vidhura-he is a brother of Dhirurastra and Pandu. He has profound knowledge matched with strong ethics to speak out the truth irrespective of whom it may affect. He is not bound by any Oath (unlike Bhisma) but remains loyal to the King. He expresses his views with a dispassionate and a strong fervor. There are places in which he epitomizes Gita rendered by Krishna much later. He is sharp to read political dimensions and unravels plots at early stages. For example he senses the plot of Dhuryodhana to kill Pandavas by burning them alive and warns Pandavas in a very smart way. He shows maturity in dealing with greed and anger throughout the Epic. He never wants to be a hero but becomes a hero if you want to think him as one. If there is a more detailed version dwelling into the life of Vidhura I would definitely like to read it.<br />The second one is Ekalayva. A smart, aspiring young hunter from the forest who wanted to excel in the art of Archery. He would not settle for commoners as Guru and wants the best of best. He watches Dhrona teaching the Pandavas and Kauravas from a distance and is happy that his search has ended. He approaches Dhrona with folded hands and requests him to teach him. To his agony, Dhrona refuses. He says he will not teach him as he is not from the right social standing. A normal student of this age and background would have promptly become angry and shouted abuses at Dhrona. But Ekalayva was one of a kind. He says to himself "It is my Guru's body which refused but his soul accepted me as his student and I can feel it". So saying he takes mud from the feet of Dhrona and walks to his forest. He makes a statue of Dhrona and everyday practices in front of the statue. He gets insights in his dream on the improvements of his technique and new skills in archery. He thinks that it is Dhrona who is providing these. Slowly and steadily he becomes an archer equal to Arjuna without he knowing it. As we know that fire cannot be hidden in cloth for long his superiority is exposed when Dhrona with his royal students visit the forest. There is fox which runs and Arjuna aims for it using Dhrona's newly taught multiple arrows in one pull technique. But before he releases the bow the fox is down stuck with multiple arrows. There comes Ekalayva with an innocent smile on his face. Arjuna is amazed as he was at a much farther distance and a more difficult angle to have executed the perfect shot. He looks at Dhrona with disbelief. Dhrona recognizes Ekalayva and asks him who is his new teacher. Ekalayva says" There is just one Guru and that is you". Drona is surprised and so are the other princes. Drona is taken to the place where Ekalayva trains. At this Drona shamelessly asks for "Guru Dhakshina"(salary to Teacher). Ekalayva is surprised at this but recognizes that this is a must and should be given to the teacher. He agrees to Drona that he can ask for anything(including his life) and he will give it happily. Drona asks for the right hand thumb of Ekalayva. Drona's evil intention is to make Ekalayva loose the edge as an archer as Thumb is key to Archery. Without any hesitation Ekalayva gives it. Drona looks at Arjuna with a smile. Arjuna smiles back as his place is assured as the Best Archer in the world. At this point Arjuna ceases to be a hero and Drona ceases to be a Guru. Ekalayva overshadows them with his glow and he becomes an unsung hero. What if he is not the best archer...he is epitomizes everything from passion to learn, excel and give even when asked with evil intentions. Maybe we learn from such non-heroes as they stand silent with their experiences which teaches more than heroes we sing praise of.Ramkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00700608932576579757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1757639804935554581.post-90183021270278178922009-08-28T23:19:00.001-07:002009-08-28T23:36:44.850-07:00Three worlds-conceptuallySeveral beliefs and philosophies endorse the existence of three worlds-namely the one above Earth (say Layer 1), Earth (Layer 2) and Below the Earth (Layer 3).For example in Hinduism there is elaborate description of life below the Earth(Nagalok-where snakes kingdoms exist)and above the earth (Devalok). Forgetting that they have to exist at a level of planets and universe I think there does exist three layers with distinct living styles everywhere. For example the society has three distinct layers-the rich, the middle class and the poor.(I recently read an article and was amazed to find there are three layers even in what we call "Underworlds"-so this concept can be considered universal) Their lifestyles and accepted social practices are governed by their position in society. Similarly when we look at the sea as a world by itself we have three layers-birds that live on the fishes/sea food being the world above, Ocean itself and the one below the ocean floors. I am sure within the ocean itself there are three layers. No wonder functional gods of Hinduism had three responsibilities-create, protect and destroy. This cycle is considered an ongoing process(which is true for organizations too). I was always thinking that Gender is only two but now we start recognize the third gender. What is the significance of this?<br />I think this is a very important concept to understand as holistically to put everything as ONE is not an ideal approach. To look at it from three different perspectives gives a three dimensional view of issues. For me to look at issues from People, Strategic and operational point of view in that order is key to success of any major decisions. In minor decisions the people part remains but it is the execution and alignment which remains to be focused. Three world theory is a good way to sound our ideas as there are people whose expertise is limited in certain worlds but have friends/well wishers who operate in those worlds. Knowledge connect of worlds is key to success but most of the time there is either no time to do this or impulse governs our decisions. To believe we can rule three worlds is a myth and we need to acknowledge it as true leaders as it the realization of this that makes us look for options beyond what we are usually comfortable with.Ramkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00700608932576579757noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1757639804935554581.post-42227903366934507502009-08-18T23:37:00.000-07:002009-08-18T23:45:53.001-07:00Forecasting as a ritual!!Most companies struggle with forecasting process as it is indeed difficult to predict the future in a realistic way. Recently I was reviewing the forecasts and found that there are four major categories under which units can fall. I have listed them but it maybe that most companies have the same patterns.<br />1) Average demands prolonged over this year remaining and next year-no change month on month just same nos. Amazing as it may sound but this is what I call "pulling the excel cell to fill all the blanks". There is no value to such information (for example suppliers will just ignore such information as they know this is wrong from day 1).But still people fill the files and ritually send this back.<br />2) Erratic demands with a 200 k in one month and next month 9k followed by 350 k in the month after. Maybe we got supplies like this in previous years but to use this to forecast is disaster. We cannot have such abnormal variations based on historical supply records as it will also turn out wrong. Puristic forecasting only on historical patterns which are skewed is a disaster from day 1.<br />3) Conservative forecasting with a low 2010 and a high coming months. Maybe the focus is on this year but we cannot have this patterned like this. For example growth economies have a forecast fitting into this pattern with some cases supplier getting much lower demands progressively (in some cases moving to zero with no alternative suppliers)..why do people do this..just to ensure they don't pre-empt business plans. Sand bagging in every step. Recipe for unadulterated diaster.<br />4) Real forecasts-some units do a fantastic job of forecasting supplies with a clear move of suppliers (share/volumes etc) with clear timings.<br />I remember a story:<br />Once a king provided a 1 liter dark coloured jar to each of the houses in the kingdom and said he wanted each house to pour in a concrete well one liter of milk on a new moon night. The milk will be used for feeding orphan children next day. There was a big queue by 10 pm on the appointed night and each one poured their share in the well. Most thought that since it is dark and since most others will pour milk he pouring one liter of water will not be noticed. So the smart ones choose water instead of milk. Next day morning the King showed the well which had 99% water and 1% milk. He said" The milk poured by the honest people are also wasted due to the water pourers". The country learnt the lesson. I am sure we are in the same situation as people who have done a good job in forecasting will not get what they want due to others who choose to do a linear progression or just give the file approach.<br />While it is important to analyse the patterns it is not right to expose the units which are not doing justice. We should come back to specific units with more specific comments as the intention is not to find faults and demonize.If the forecasting process has to take off it needs a lot of focus and detail working. We cannot be accurate to the last digit but we cannot be wrong from the beginning for want of efforts.<br />So if companies are doing forecasting as rituals it is time to take a review as we might be swinging from an overforecasting mode in early last year, to underforecasting mode this year. More importantly average forecasting mode is a sort of middle path which will be inaccurate in most cases. Rituals can become strong processes with strong commitment and focus. It is for leaders to make it happen.Ramkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00700608932576579757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1757639804935554581.post-15877285000968921402009-08-11T00:28:00.000-07:002009-08-20T00:38:30.413-07:00Angry Young man!Everyone passes through different phases of showing disappointment. A baby cries, walks off, throws things or randomly gestures etc. As a child there is some evolution of anger-there is rationalization, comparison or quoting earlier situations. The show of anger can be withdrawal also in such situations. As an adolescent there are several ways of showing anger-to consider everyone else stupid and not understanding is the most common denominator. However most of us go through a phase of Angry Young Man where the social responsibility and callousness of society becomes the target of anger. I thought it was an interesting phase to discuss as the evolution of an independent individual happens in this phase. The age at which this evolution happens and the amount of time one spends in this phase can be different but surely this phase does exist in most.<br />The realities of life or the acceptance to the envitable dawns in this phase. I would think evolution of great leaders (including Gandhi) had happened in this age. Anger when followed up with firm belief that we can lead a change evolves leaders in everyone. Not accepting discrimination (in any form), compassion for others, angry at the older generation for having accepted life as it is and surplus energy to make an impact in life (live the life) makes this phase a wonderful formative one. If we are able convert the energies in the right direction we can create wonders with the youth. I would love to read sociologists researches on this phase and directed actions towards this group. Not from a marketing stand point but from a social stand point as today we are overdoing marketing at the cost of social interests. I hope I will find time in future to devote some time around this.Ramkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00700608932576579757noreply@blogger.com2