Being a teacher, it is imperative for me to update myself on a regular basis. Hence, i always ensure to get new ideas. And as the great Indian Vedas have very rightly said it, " Let noble ideas come to you from all sources and directions"; i try to learn from all possible sources. But two sources are so powerful learning tools that they overshadow every other tool. And they are : students and books.
I want to mention one particular experience that i had with a student many years ago. I was sitting in my 144 square feet front office cum class room. The year may have been 1993 or 1994. And this young boy, let us call him Rakesh, came asking for me. I asked him to sit down and observed him. He seemed to me to be an average boy passing through very struggling phase of life. He initiated the discussion. "Sir! Mujhe CA karna hai." I began the examination.
"What is your percentage of class 10?
"48"
"Oh! And how much is class 12?"
"47"
"Okay! And what do you do presently?"
"Sir! I have just completed B.Com."
"With 46%!", i mocked.
"Yes sir! Exactly!!", he replied.
"And what is your father?"
"Sir! He is a rickshaw puller."
The analysis was complete. And i had made up my mind. I decided to keep aside my commercial considerations and call a spade a spade. I said to him in very clear terms, " Dekho Rakesh! Mujhe nahi lagta ki tum CA kar paoge. Kahin Typing Computer seekh kar koi chhota mota job kar lo." He looked at me with a rude shock on his face. Then he nervously said, "Theek hai, sir" and left. I was very happy with myself for being honest, straightforward and saving his valuable time and money.
Time and tide wait for none. After about 6 or 7 years, when i was sitting in the same office at around the same time, a smart youthful person entered and asked, "Mujhe pahchana?" I could not and said so. He fired, "Aaj se 7 saal pahle tumne kaha tha ki mai CA nahi kar sakta aur maine CA kar liya hai. Ab Bolna mat kabhi kisi ko Aisi baat. Tumne bahut discourage kiya tha mujhko us din!" After applying some pressure to the memory, i was able to have a partial recall of the earlier case. I was shocked and ashamed. I desperately wanted to make up for my wrong deed. I decided to do some marketing. I smiled, offered my hand to him and requested him to sit down. In a very friendly voice, i commented, " I am sorry, dost, but you will have to agree with me that my bad behaviour in fact encouraged you to perform better to teach me a lesson." He agreed. And i then said, " So, you must agree that i also have some role in your success." He also smiled at this and we became friends.
Today Rakesh is state accounts head of a very prestigious newspaper. We meet once every year on Dussehera, when he comes to Ujjain.
And in this manner, every year i am reminded of a simple fact. Never underestimate any human being. Every individual have a tremendous potential of transforming himself or herself totally. First impression can be faulty, specially in the case of people with will power and commitment. And of course, the package you get at your first job is never reflective of your true potential. I am sure, every reader of this post has met at least one senior person who has told him about his initial salary of Rs. 50 or 60 per month and then compared with present day income of lakhs.
You are creating history! Every moment, every time. And never underestimate yourself! No one can make you feel inferior without your own consent. Not even your average first salary figures in times of recession!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
A very common experience!
Recently, i got a new home. The construction had been going on for the last 15 months. We had earlier expected it to be over by February, 2009. Then i kept on asking the Engineer of the project every month about the probable date of completion. And he would always reply, "withing the next thirty days". This went on for six months unabated. The same questions and the same answers were repeated month after month.
When i lost my patience, i fixed the date of housewarming. I went to meet my astrological consultant ( the Pundit , of course!) on 20 September. He suggested 28 September. I took the risk and played the gamble. I told the engineer and every other work contractor involved that i wanted them out of site on or before 27 but not before completing the work. They looked at me in disbelief. Then i daily went to the site and would repeat the same thing on a regular basis. After 3 days, all of them suddenly came to action. Everybody began to work whole night and with a stronger work force. My home was ready on 27 evening!
I know that it's not a unique experience. Everyone of us comes across similar situations in our normal course of life. But can we derive some learning here? Let me try to present them one by one.
1. Always assign deadlines. Otherwise we never tend to complete any work at all. Deadlines give birth to a sense of urgency and target. But more importantly, they make the job at hand a game which everybody wants to win. And of course, achievement motivation also plays its role.
2. Nobody, absolutely NOBODY is an exception to this rule. I realised that each one of us, of whatever background or profession, falls in the same category. Without having a last date approaching fast, we just can't avoid the omnipresent and omnipotent habit of procrastination taking over us.
3. Reinforcing the target regularly is even more important than setting it. Do you remember the habitual process of preparing time tables for personal studies during school days and then discovering the soothing fact that following them is practically impossible? When anybody gives us something to do and never reinforces it, we tend to believe in medium to long term that he has also forgotten it and nothing more should be done now!
4. When you change your ways, people do not trust you initially. Your regular efforts are required to convince them of your sincerity. Your keenness to obtain the positive results alone is not sufficient. Your tenacity and regular follow up is a better management tool that works.
5. All of us are able to perform faster than how we normally do. Yes! It's a fact! We can and hence we should always try to work more and faster. It's not only more rewarding but satisfying too.
I have an idea to share here. I would love to have the feedback from the readers of this post on this. Try to find out any 5 events of your past life that you could have completed in less time, in case you were given a stricter deadline. And then, try to list out the possible implications of the same.
I understand that the world is becoming more and more challenging and demanding day by day. and I KNOW that we are ready for the same.
When i lost my patience, i fixed the date of housewarming. I went to meet my astrological consultant ( the Pundit , of course!) on 20 September. He suggested 28 September. I took the risk and played the gamble. I told the engineer and every other work contractor involved that i wanted them out of site on or before 27 but not before completing the work. They looked at me in disbelief. Then i daily went to the site and would repeat the same thing on a regular basis. After 3 days, all of them suddenly came to action. Everybody began to work whole night and with a stronger work force. My home was ready on 27 evening!
I know that it's not a unique experience. Everyone of us comes across similar situations in our normal course of life. But can we derive some learning here? Let me try to present them one by one.
1. Always assign deadlines. Otherwise we never tend to complete any work at all. Deadlines give birth to a sense of urgency and target. But more importantly, they make the job at hand a game which everybody wants to win. And of course, achievement motivation also plays its role.
2. Nobody, absolutely NOBODY is an exception to this rule. I realised that each one of us, of whatever background or profession, falls in the same category. Without having a last date approaching fast, we just can't avoid the omnipresent and omnipotent habit of procrastination taking over us.
3. Reinforcing the target regularly is even more important than setting it. Do you remember the habitual process of preparing time tables for personal studies during school days and then discovering the soothing fact that following them is practically impossible? When anybody gives us something to do and never reinforces it, we tend to believe in medium to long term that he has also forgotten it and nothing more should be done now!
4. When you change your ways, people do not trust you initially. Your regular efforts are required to convince them of your sincerity. Your keenness to obtain the positive results alone is not sufficient. Your tenacity and regular follow up is a better management tool that works.
5. All of us are able to perform faster than how we normally do. Yes! It's a fact! We can and hence we should always try to work more and faster. It's not only more rewarding but satisfying too.
I have an idea to share here. I would love to have the feedback from the readers of this post on this. Try to find out any 5 events of your past life that you could have completed in less time, in case you were given a stricter deadline. And then, try to list out the possible implications of the same.
I understand that the world is becoming more and more challenging and demanding day by day. and I KNOW that we are ready for the same.
Monday, September 21, 2009
May the soul of Adam Smith rest in peace!
When i first read Economics as a subject in 1982, i was fascinated by many things. The classical views of Adam Smith, welfare orientation of Alfred Marshall, rational choice based views of Robbins - it's really been an intellectual feast since then. Even today i am able to recollect some chapters and topics of my first text book on Economics. The definitions we read at that time - capitalism, socialism and mixed economy are more or less still fresh in the memory. But these words have suddenly begun to seem meaningless today.
The great recession of 2008-09 (i am sure many Economists will have a very interesting and intellectual satisfying time discussing the relevance and appropriateness of the adjective 'great' here!) has definitely shaken the trust of many advocates of free economy. They have lost all faith in 'the invisible hand'. Protectionism has come back. Even the strongest ones are coming up with direct or indirect protectionist policies. Democrats are behaving like republicans. Private sector enterprises are demanding (and, in many cases, having them too!) bail out packages unashamedly. The broken walls between different states have been re-erected overnight. And, of course, this is all being done to protect Capitalism!
Is it time to coin the term 'neo-capitalism'? One possible definition would be "Neo-capitalism is the economic policy that provides for socialistic measures taken up by recession hit economies in the name of providing required push to the automatic structural adjustment needed to recover".
May the soul of Adam Smith rest in peace.
The great recession of 2008-09 (i am sure many Economists will have a very interesting and intellectual satisfying time discussing the relevance and appropriateness of the adjective 'great' here!) has definitely shaken the trust of many advocates of free economy. They have lost all faith in 'the invisible hand'. Protectionism has come back. Even the strongest ones are coming up with direct or indirect protectionist policies. Democrats are behaving like republicans. Private sector enterprises are demanding (and, in many cases, having them too!) bail out packages unashamedly. The broken walls between different states have been re-erected overnight. And, of course, this is all being done to protect Capitalism!
Is it time to coin the term 'neo-capitalism'? One possible definition would be "Neo-capitalism is the economic policy that provides for socialistic measures taken up by recession hit economies in the name of providing required push to the automatic structural adjustment needed to recover".
May the soul of Adam Smith rest in peace.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Creating the first impression
When two people meet, the initial few minutes are very important. These two or three minutes set the pace of the entire meeting. As both the parties tend to form an opinion about the other one during this period, it's very crucial to have it right. If i am allowed to use cliche, one must try to make a very positive first impression because one never gets a second chance to do the same.
So, what can be done to initiate a successful meeting? Can there be some golden principles for the same? Let me share a simple observation with you all today through this post. My eight year old son, who never gets tired claiming to be my best friend, refreshed this lesson to me yesterday.
I normally get back to my home by nine o'clock. As i am a family man and i know that a successful family life is a precondition for your professional success too, we have some traditions amongst us. One unwritten rule is that everyone of us can express one expectation in a day and others must try to fulfil it, if it's not utterly impossible or undesirable. And as must be the case in many Indian families, i am sure, the man returning from the work place is mostly at the receiving end of these expectations.
So, when i returned home last evening by a quarter past nine, my eight year old son, Astitva, came out running and shouting happily. He greeted me and announced, "Chalo! Sab ready ho jao. Mere partner ke liye paani lao aur ab hum sab khana khayenge!" At the same time, my daughter, thirteen, came out in a very pensive mood and informed me about some electronic breakdown. She also informed me about some problem in our home PC caused by this and requested me to get it repaired as soon as possible. To this, our little master commented, "Arre didi! Abhi kyon bolti ho? Unko andar aane to do, baithne to do. Khana khane ke baad wo mana nahi karenge. Pahle unko smile dekar greet karna chahiye."
Oh! It was a revelation to me. I got a pleasant surprise and many thoughts. The first thought, How quickly do children grow up? The second one, It's really important to start a meeting with positivity. The third one, It's always easy for all of us to listen to demands after a warm welcome. And of course, energy and enthusiasm are the key to create a positive first impression.
Let us try to phrase the management learning out of this. The success of a meeting depends on many things. One of them is the supportive mindset of the two parties. And the initial warmth is instrumental to this. When we meet someone, display of energy, enthusiasm, warmth and sincere pleasure is a must. It not only sets the tone of the meeting, but also increases the possibility of a favourable agreement!
Let it be a positive promise! Every beginning of every interaction - will begin with an enthusiastic smile!
So, what can be done to initiate a successful meeting? Can there be some golden principles for the same? Let me share a simple observation with you all today through this post. My eight year old son, who never gets tired claiming to be my best friend, refreshed this lesson to me yesterday.
I normally get back to my home by nine o'clock. As i am a family man and i know that a successful family life is a precondition for your professional success too, we have some traditions amongst us. One unwritten rule is that everyone of us can express one expectation in a day and others must try to fulfil it, if it's not utterly impossible or undesirable. And as must be the case in many Indian families, i am sure, the man returning from the work place is mostly at the receiving end of these expectations.
So, when i returned home last evening by a quarter past nine, my eight year old son, Astitva, came out running and shouting happily. He greeted me and announced, "Chalo! Sab ready ho jao. Mere partner ke liye paani lao aur ab hum sab khana khayenge!" At the same time, my daughter, thirteen, came out in a very pensive mood and informed me about some electronic breakdown. She also informed me about some problem in our home PC caused by this and requested me to get it repaired as soon as possible. To this, our little master commented, "Arre didi! Abhi kyon bolti ho? Unko andar aane to do, baithne to do. Khana khane ke baad wo mana nahi karenge. Pahle unko smile dekar greet karna chahiye."
Oh! It was a revelation to me. I got a pleasant surprise and many thoughts. The first thought, How quickly do children grow up? The second one, It's really important to start a meeting with positivity. The third one, It's always easy for all of us to listen to demands after a warm welcome. And of course, energy and enthusiasm are the key to create a positive first impression.
Let us try to phrase the management learning out of this. The success of a meeting depends on many things. One of them is the supportive mindset of the two parties. And the initial warmth is instrumental to this. When we meet someone, display of energy, enthusiasm, warmth and sincere pleasure is a must. It not only sets the tone of the meeting, but also increases the possibility of a favourable agreement!
Let it be a positive promise! Every beginning of every interaction - will begin with an enthusiastic smile!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
A case for balancing contradictory hopes!
Young minds are full of hope. Hope, it seems, justifies their existence and energy. Sometimes they have many hopes - contradicting with one another. And this causes tremendous confusion.
Today i met one such mind. He is very active and smart. He always makes his presence felt by his original and intellectually-rich contributions in any ongoing discussion. I have interacted with him in Entrepreneurship class. We normally discuss successful first generation entrepreneurs and their success secrets in the class. Every discussion starts with taking the case of a successful business idea. We also discuss how it was executed and then we proceed to a brain storming session. Everybody presents his or her thoughts about some other possible versions and formats of the same idea. Normally we end up generating tens of exciting business ideas. This young mind whom i mentioned earlier always participates in this amrit manthan and any observer can easily judge his hunger for material growth in such discussions.
But today was a different day. The discussion took a very interesting turn and soon we found ourselves discussing about spirituality and meditation. Everybody had a lot to say. Someone also commented, "This field also offers tremendous entrepreneurial opportunities". Everybody agreed. And i noted that the subject of discussion in this blog post today, the young mind, was becoming restless and asking a lot of questions. The struggle inside was clearly visible on his face. We discussed a lot of things. We discussed science, philosophy and religion. We agreed on the following issues :
1. Total disbelief in all superstitions is also a superstition!
2. Science is systematic knowledge of any branch of study. Philosophy is systematised science and religion is systematised philosophy.
3. Astrology can be a science but a very large number of available practitioners are quacks.
4. Meditation is a way to concentrate our entire attention at one target.
5. We have many beliefs prevalent in our society. There can be three categories of these beliefs : proved ones, disproved ones and those which are neither proved nor disproved. Not following the first category is ignorance. Following the second category is sheer superstition. Well, regarding the third category, we concluded that considering the long customary usage, following them will be a little more logical than not trusting them.
6. If having non-vegetarian food is a sin, why not eating grains too? Of course, they are also seeds and thus they do contain possibility of life!
When the class was over, he came to me and expressed his desire to ask a few questions. Both of us sat at Chaupaal for the same. He asked me a direct question, "Sir! I hope to be a very successful and rich entrepreneur. I also hope to reach spiritual heights. Aren't they contradictory?" He also informed me that this confusion had existed for the last four years or so. These hopes definitely look conflicting. The situation apparently offers a choice. After some discussion we decided to search for some examples. We found some astonishing ones. A politician, a scientist and a scientist cum thought leader. Mahatma Gandhi, Albert Einstein and Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, to be precise. And drawing the conclusion was very simple. It is the game of maintaining balance. But many great people have successfully done so.
The lessons for me: First, two contradictory hopes can be fulfilled simultaneously. And the second, the young minds today are very much aware and full of enquiry.
The future of great Indian quest for truth is safe!