Sorry, about that rather vague title to this one.. but I really can't think of something nice and descriptive! Just goes to show that I am not in the blogging zone..
Anyway, I happened to catch a good show on TV today in NDTV Profit - Warren Buffet and Bill Gates answering questions posed by students in a graduate school (I presume some business school.. not sure, I started watching in between). I found the interaction brilliant - it was candid, funny and put across the human side of these individuals. I must admit this is the first time I have heard/seen them speak..
I liked the way they took on simple(silly??) questions posed by the students and answered them in a normal and funny way. The things that I particularly liked
- Their definition of success in a non-business scenario.
- How they think that their children will not get all the money they have, but only a part of it. Warren says its against American society to give wealth in dynasty.. their country is about how capable an individual is and how he builds his position of wealth on his own and not given to them.
- How they think the American tax system is not progressive. It taxes all of them in around the same percentages, they feel the rich should be taxed more than others!
- One of the questions asked is how to succeed in your professional life and get into a managerial position. Response was its not only about IQ, its about your attitude.. you must strive to get the best out of others.
- Their commitment to using their money to help people all over the world who do not have adequate facilities
Thats about all I remember now. Do catch the show if you can. If not, next time you get an opportunity to listen to these gentleman.. I'd suggest you give them a hearing. You might just like it!
Ok folks. Bye!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
The tangible benefit
In my earlier post on "Intellectual Capital", I had talked about a couple of friends fighting for something they truly deserve. Finally, after a delay of maybe about six excruciating months - they finally got the "tangible benefit" they were looking for! Cheers guys!!
As they say, better late than never.. alls well ends well!
As they say, better late than never.. alls well ends well!
Saturday, July 5, 2008
An apology
Close on the heels of my post about avoiding hurtful words, I relate an incident that deserves an heartfelt apology and served as a good, though painful lesson for me.
In my third year of college, I went through some emotionally tough times. It was the sense of loneliness and a feeling of being unwanted in the group.
During this time, I believe I spoke some hurtful words to one of my closest friend. In hindsight, I am not sure I wanted to hurt her.. it was just that I was feeling too miserable and dumped all my frustration on her :(.
I have since apologized to her for those times.. but the incident has never ceased to affect me. This is the thing with hurtful words.. it affects you as much as the person at the receiving end!
Off late, I see these inane stories and TV soaps reeling out dialogue.. people hurt only those they love.. something like endorsing all that nonsense being dished out! I find that hard to accept and doubt its acceptable to anybody in real life.. I think I shall settle for avoiding the words... I don't think I can survive the guilt of having said it to someone!
In my third year of college, I went through some emotionally tough times. It was the sense of loneliness and a feeling of being unwanted in the group.
During this time, I believe I spoke some hurtful words to one of my closest friend. In hindsight, I am not sure I wanted to hurt her.. it was just that I was feeling too miserable and dumped all my frustration on her :(.
I have since apologized to her for those times.. but the incident has never ceased to affect me. This is the thing with hurtful words.. it affects you as much as the person at the receiving end!
Off late, I see these inane stories and TV soaps reeling out dialogue.. people hurt only those they love.. something like endorsing all that nonsense being dished out! I find that hard to accept and doubt its acceptable to anybody in real life.. I think I shall settle for avoiding the words... I don't think I can survive the guilt of having said it to someone!
That moment...
There have been instances in life where I have refused to take that extra effort.. that little step and have lost out on some good, maybe exhilarating experiences.. The ones that come to my mind now are,
- I went to Badrinath, Hrishikesh and Haridwar at the age of 8 accoompanied by my parents and a lot of oldies from the extended family of ours. One day, we were walking this long and rather arduos journey to "Bheeman Pala" - a rock bridge set across the river by apparently Bheema(One of the Pandavas). The myth is that he laid it across to allow his brothers or Draupadi.. I don't exactly remember who had problems crossing the river otherwise. Now after walking about 60%, we decided it was too much to walk and decided to stay back. One of the uncle and his wife went and saw it. Now, to think of it.. I wonder when I will be able to go and see it again..
- Another recent incident was at Golconda fort in Hyderabad. After walking the long path to a dilapidated structure of the fort.. I refused to go in and see the structure! Reason.. I was tired or something like that.. :(. Now, I have quit Hyderabad and am not sure when I will go next and going to Golconda then would be expecting too much...
- During a trip to Haridwar with college mates, the plan was to get up early in the morning and take a "Ganga Snaan". I get up in the morning, feel cold and sleepy and avoid the sojourn. My friends tell me it was a wonderful feeling to be up that early and bathe in the Ganges. Again, when am I going to do that ever....
Now, I won't call the above completely lost opportunities.. there are other things which I would call absolutely irrevocable and cannot ever get back. The above, I may still go down and do them again.. but the question is why did I not?
Now thinking about it, I recollect the above instances. I wonder how many I have missed thus due to that momentary lack of motivation.I shudder to think that I might have lost out on something substantial, something I need because of this...
Is it possible for me to will my mind to do the right thing for me at all times? Does it come via practise? Perhaps it does, and I need to make the effort, a conscious one at that...
- I went to Badrinath, Hrishikesh and Haridwar at the age of 8 accoompanied by my parents and a lot of oldies from the extended family of ours. One day, we were walking this long and rather arduos journey to "Bheeman Pala" - a rock bridge set across the river by apparently Bheema(One of the Pandavas). The myth is that he laid it across to allow his brothers or Draupadi.. I don't exactly remember who had problems crossing the river otherwise. Now after walking about 60%, we decided it was too much to walk and decided to stay back. One of the uncle and his wife went and saw it. Now, to think of it.. I wonder when I will be able to go and see it again..
- Another recent incident was at Golconda fort in Hyderabad. After walking the long path to a dilapidated structure of the fort.. I refused to go in and see the structure! Reason.. I was tired or something like that.. :(. Now, I have quit Hyderabad and am not sure when I will go next and going to Golconda then would be expecting too much...
- During a trip to Haridwar with college mates, the plan was to get up early in the morning and take a "Ganga Snaan". I get up in the morning, feel cold and sleepy and avoid the sojourn. My friends tell me it was a wonderful feeling to be up that early and bathe in the Ganges. Again, when am I going to do that ever....
Now, I won't call the above completely lost opportunities.. there are other things which I would call absolutely irrevocable and cannot ever get back. The above, I may still go down and do them again.. but the question is why did I not?
Now thinking about it, I recollect the above instances. I wonder how many I have missed thus due to that momentary lack of motivation.I shudder to think that I might have lost out on something substantial, something I need because of this...
Is it possible for me to will my mind to do the right thing for me at all times? Does it come via practise? Perhaps it does, and I need to make the effort, a conscious one at that...
Thursday, July 3, 2008
5 Years!!
Its an auspicious(??) day today. I completed 5 long years in the same company and become eligible for all those long service awards etc etc. Staying in the same company in IT is a very odd phenomenon these days and my Dad made no bones about it when he wished me last night ;).
Anyway, its still a wonderful feeling to have been for so long and to have achieved this in my first job... Too psenti eh?.. :). Well, part of this excitement is also because I am not sure if any of my future jobs will last this long :), so if i flit jobs like a butterfly then.. I can still tell them(who?) that I lasted for 5 years at one place!
Its been an enriching journey. I have had my share of criticism, scoldings, appreciation, achievements and respect from my peers and manager(s).
But the important learnings are,
- Honesty. Be honest to your work and do the best of your ability.
- Hard work. There is absolutely no substitute for hard work. You need to spend the time and energy to go through all that documentation/code and understand its working if you want to do well.
- Consistency - Work can/is routine at most times. You need to be consistent in your work and derive motivation to not commit avoidable mistakes at any time.
- Communication - Communication in all forms - Verbal/Written is of utmost importance in a global world. You must invest the time to learn and improve it on a day to day basis.
- Criticism - Be open to criticism and take them in the right manner. I have been criticized for my writing structure, not so palatable presentations ( If I were attending it, I would have called it boring! :(), time management etc. These are definite problems and I do try and account for these.
- Trust. It is important that you trust your team and they trust you with the work. Always give credit where its due.
I think I should stop here. Its difficult to condense learnings of years into a few points but these are I would say important for any professional to do well.
So thats about it :) for now. Bye!
Anyway, its still a wonderful feeling to have been for so long and to have achieved this in my first job... Too psenti eh?.. :). Well, part of this excitement is also because I am not sure if any of my future jobs will last this long :), so if i flit jobs like a butterfly then.. I can still tell them(who?) that I lasted for 5 years at one place!
Its been an enriching journey. I have had my share of criticism, scoldings, appreciation, achievements and respect from my peers and manager(s).
But the important learnings are,
- Honesty. Be honest to your work and do the best of your ability.
- Hard work. There is absolutely no substitute for hard work. You need to spend the time and energy to go through all that documentation/code and understand its working if you want to do well.
- Consistency - Work can/is routine at most times. You need to be consistent in your work and derive motivation to not commit avoidable mistakes at any time.
- Communication - Communication in all forms - Verbal/Written is of utmost importance in a global world. You must invest the time to learn and improve it on a day to day basis.
- Criticism - Be open to criticism and take them in the right manner. I have been criticized for my writing structure, not so palatable presentations ( If I were attending it, I would have called it boring! :(), time management etc. These are definite problems and I do try and account for these.
- Trust. It is important that you trust your team and they trust you with the work. Always give credit where its due.
I think I should stop here. Its difficult to condense learnings of years into a few points but these are I would say important for any professional to do well.
So thats about it :) for now. Bye!
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Confidence
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!!
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!!
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. :)
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