This is an off the cuff post. I had no plans to post anything today.. but I am doing it to reinforce the importance of "confidence" in my life.
I consider "confidence" as one of the biggest strengths that a person can have in life. Confidence in your abilities to deal with the situation, confidence to solve a problem, confidence to convince another person of your motives and beliefs..basically, confidence in oneself.
I have seen that whenever I have spoken or written with confidence on a subject, the other person invariably understands the situation and the honesty of my approach. It amazes me. I have tried the other way as well.. try to speak with confidence on a subject when I am on rather shaky ground... but its never worked :(. I guess its with my body language... it betrays the fact that I am not too sure of what I am saying!
Anyway, this post is reiterate to myself.. Be confident of what your are doing. If you are still not, there is something missing in your preparation.. Fill the missing blanks at the earliest..
Sorry guys, if this post sounds too abstract. Its just a private message to myself to buck up!
Buck up B!!
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Intellectual Capital
Thats a strange title I think. I actually googled on it and got a rather imposing wikipedia description of it..
So, I think I'd rather explain my definition of it... what I mean by intellectual capital is the employee or developer workforce in a software company who apply their intellect to create the product or service. For an Information Technology firm, they are equivalent to other tangible physical assets. Admittedly, I heard about this term in the newspaper - some software company HR person had described them so and how its important to treat and retain them.
Now, my grouse is how many firms ( not necessarily in IT) recognize this potent point of keeping their intellectual capital happy and satisfied. Why is that big(huge) companies don't delve on this point and let their employees be frustrated and disappointed. Why don't they have consistent and effective policies that will appreciate the work of the best and offer them tangible benefits.. If the company is not recognizing it, why doesn't the concerned manager(or supervisor) consider it as his responsibility to fight for the person..
A manager I know says that we should tell them that promotions/hikes/bonuses are not important.. but its the opportunity they get to work on challenging assignments that is more important. Fair enough, if this is how the entire organization sees it. When a decidedly junior( in terms of experience and intellect) gets a benefit in a peer team/group and you are biased against.., its difficult to convince your team.
This sounds more like a rant post... The point I am trying to make is managing is not only about getting the work done but also to ensure the work of your people is recognized and appreciated by the higher management and the organization. The only reason I survived for so long with one firm.. is because I had an excellent manager who ensured I got challenging work as well as good rewards for it.
Why this part has affected me enough to post a blog is because I can see a couple of my good friends fighting what looks like a hopeless battle against an ineffective supervisor and what I suspect, an ignorant higher management. Lets hope they succeed soon.
Its also a reminder to me that If I need to be a good leader, then I need to be sensible to the needs of the people I lead and guide/motivate them to achieve their best!
Cyanora. Its late in the night.. Though I am a night person and follow the London time in India as my friends put it.. I think I should bid goodbye. :)
So, I think I'd rather explain my definition of it... what I mean by intellectual capital is the employee or developer workforce in a software company who apply their intellect to create the product or service. For an Information Technology firm, they are equivalent to other tangible physical assets. Admittedly, I heard about this term in the newspaper - some software company HR person had described them so and how its important to treat and retain them.
Now, my grouse is how many firms ( not necessarily in IT) recognize this potent point of keeping their intellectual capital happy and satisfied. Why is that big(huge) companies don't delve on this point and let their employees be frustrated and disappointed. Why don't they have consistent and effective policies that will appreciate the work of the best and offer them tangible benefits.. If the company is not recognizing it, why doesn't the concerned manager(or supervisor) consider it as his responsibility to fight for the person..
A manager I know says that we should tell them that promotions/hikes/bonuses are not important.. but its the opportunity they get to work on challenging assignments that is more important. Fair enough, if this is how the entire organization sees it. When a decidedly junior( in terms of experience and intellect) gets a benefit in a peer team/group and you are biased against.., its difficult to convince your team.
This sounds more like a rant post... The point I am trying to make is managing is not only about getting the work done but also to ensure the work of your people is recognized and appreciated by the higher management and the organization. The only reason I survived for so long with one firm.. is because I had an excellent manager who ensured I got challenging work as well as good rewards for it.
Why this part has affected me enough to post a blog is because I can see a couple of my good friends fighting what looks like a hopeless battle against an ineffective supervisor and what I suspect, an ignorant higher management. Lets hope they succeed soon.
Its also a reminder to me that If I need to be a good leader, then I need to be sensible to the needs of the people I lead and guide/motivate them to achieve their best!
Cyanora. Its late in the night.. Though I am a night person and follow the London time in India as my friends put it.. I think I should bid goodbye. :)
Management books
I asked a friend for suggestion on management books. He suggested a couple and then made a rather cryptic comment on the authors.. There are two types of management gurus - one who talk generic stuff and quote anecdotes but have actually never been in a company and "applied" their theories and the other are former CEO's, CFO's who relate their experiences and talk of actual scenarios and how they dealt with it.
The person that I am, I decided to explore both types and bought a book in each of the above genre's - Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey and Straight from the gut by Jack Welch.
Since the first book got delivered earlier, I started off with it. I have been unable to proceed beyond the first 50 pages without stifling a good number of yawns.. but I am still trying to get past it hoping the next page will be more interesting!!
They say never judge a book by the cover.. Similarly, never judge a book by its first few pages too!! Some of the best books that I have ever read - Ayn Rand's Fountain Head and Atlas Shrugged are quite a bore for the first few(600!!) pages.. But once you get past them... its one of the most beautiful books that one can ever find. I have actually went down and re-read all those so called boring pages and understood their actual worth the second time round...
Getting back to management books.. why am I reading them? Thats a question for which I don't have a clear answer.. part of it is to fuel my MBA ambitions, part of it to understand how companies actually work and make decisions and part of it to learn small nuggets that may help me at work. I have realized that by far, the most difficult job is to make others work for you.
So, hopefully the above two books should help me in some manner atleast :)
The person that I am, I decided to explore both types and bought a book in each of the above genre's - Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey and Straight from the gut by Jack Welch.
Since the first book got delivered earlier, I started off with it. I have been unable to proceed beyond the first 50 pages without stifling a good number of yawns.. but I am still trying to get past it hoping the next page will be more interesting!!
They say never judge a book by the cover.. Similarly, never judge a book by its first few pages too!! Some of the best books that I have ever read - Ayn Rand's Fountain Head and Atlas Shrugged are quite a bore for the first few(600!!) pages.. But once you get past them... its one of the most beautiful books that one can ever find. I have actually went down and re-read all those so called boring pages and understood their actual worth the second time round...
Getting back to management books.. why am I reading them? Thats a question for which I don't have a clear answer.. part of it is to fuel my MBA ambitions, part of it to understand how companies actually work and make decisions and part of it to learn small nuggets that may help me at work. I have realized that by far, the most difficult job is to make others work for you.
So, hopefully the above two books should help me in some manner atleast :)
My First Car!
Ok, guys I am back after a long break.. The reason for not posting earlier is simple sheer laziness :(. I shall try and post more often.. I consider this blog as an extension of my personality and it obviously requires to be nurtured and fed well :D.
Anyway, in this time.. I got delivered my first car - Maruti Swift last week. I still haven't figured out if it means lesser spending or more of it! :D But its a good feeling to own a vehicle at last. This is the first one for our family.
In a freak incident in the factory, my father lost his right hand index finger and with it went our hopes of having a two wheeler. Bro and I had cycles which we rode to school for a couple of years.. But by far, we traveled most in PTC Buses, Electric train and Autos in Chennai. So after all this, its nice to have a vehicle to hop onto once you get outta the house.
So officially, I have joined the bandwagon of people(including the FM/PM ;)) hoping the fuel prices come down :D.
More later :)
Anyway, in this time.. I got delivered my first car - Maruti Swift last week. I still haven't figured out if it means lesser spending or more of it! :D But its a good feeling to own a vehicle at last. This is the first one for our family.
In a freak incident in the factory, my father lost his right hand index finger and with it went our hopes of having a two wheeler. Bro and I had cycles which we rode to school for a couple of years.. But by far, we traveled most in PTC Buses, Electric train and Autos in Chennai. So after all this, its nice to have a vehicle to hop onto once you get outta the house.
So officially, I have joined the bandwagon of people(including the FM/PM ;)) hoping the fuel prices come down :D.
More later :)
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