The ultimate weapon

So much has happened over the past 3 months - in the public space. and yet not a single word from me only highlights my complete lack of motivation to pick up the threads and tie them in as well as the fuzziness in my own head..

Sachin completing 20 yrs in international cricket - would have loved to believe - is akin to me completing 18 in my work life - just that the bugles in my backyard are more muted and celebrations absent! after all unlike him, i havent helped India gain recognition or prominence nor have i got TV ratings to soar or got a nation into collective frenzy.

Amitabh doing an Auro with the gay abandon of a pre-adoloscent 12 yr old reminds you that even when age has taken its toll and all good things seem to be waning- true class does manage to rise like the proverbial phoenix.

Rahul Gandhi emerging as the most unlikely hero - i remember running him down in one of my earlier posts - has surprised me perhaps much more than most things would. Now, as i overcome the cliched idea of heroes, i have come to appreciate his bashfulness, his demeanour and importantly the clear articulation of his simple thoughts and the stances he takes on most issues- i stand converted!

about 3 weeks ago - as i watched Ratan Tata inaugurate a charity in the memory of those who were killed in the 26/11 carnage, couldnt help but notice his tear filled eyes and the shiver in his voice. This wasnt a choreographed act and seemed to stem from genuine concern for the families of those impacted. Here was a corporate citizen promising to take care of the families of his ex employees like they would have, had they been alive. To me, if this isnt benevolence, nothing is! And if true role models still exist- here is one guy, God must aim to replicate.

Ever wondered, whats common to all these guys? Though its too pre-mature to club or force-fit Rahul Gandhi into the same league, the one stand out trait between all of them seems to be extreme humility and respect for others before self apart from single minded pursuit of perfection in their chosen areas.

Now only if Mayawati, Ambani, the "Khans" and more recently Tiger and others of his ilk could absorb this, just as comfortably!

Book, who me?

Over the last few days, a strange thought has overtaken my mind.
Its about penning my own book! the thought is as inspiring as it is scary.
Unfortunately i havent been able to get it out if mind. The topics there. The knowledge, skill, perseverence and single mindedness ?- well i dont know. will figure out soon.

Filtered vision

Wonder why everyone that one interacts with wears blinkers at most times. Every word that is uttered, every move made is critically viewed and evaluated for what it could be conveying or camoflauging rather than what it simply is.

Possible reasons?

Guess it has to do with perception of risk to self or to ones business; simple mistrust of others other than self borne out of past memories especially when one actually got hoodwinked and at a deeper level the desire to prevail always - to prove that one can do no wrong, that one is right while others are trying to be smart.

The world could be so much simpler to deal with if we could just let go and allow unbridled freeflow of thought and feeling to dominate our interactions - even with business colleagues.

It would ensure faster decision making, better bonhomie and a feeling of mutual respect, making even small accomplishments seem nice.

And yes, there could actually be a smart alec lurking somewhere trying to hoodwink. But 9 times out of 10, the universe would take care of it.

Good guys win too!

Fedex showed that neither age nor a surfeit of titles has diminished his hunger for more. His fire still rages as vigorously as ever and is the stuff inspirations are made of. Kudos to him for rightfully and gracefully scaling the peak!

The greatness of this wimbeldon duel was that though Federrer deservingly won his 15th SLAM, Roddick never lost! He played like a true and possessed champion himself.

Just a couple of years ago, when Aggassi-Sampras ruled, i used to be a die hard fan of Sampras. Had never thought that some one, so much like him, would actually overtake him so soon.

The one striking similarity between both Federrer and Sampras is their earnestness and the intensity that they demonstrate on the tennis court. It isnt just their job. It is their attitude, their on-court behaviour, their healthy respect for their opponents and their lack of starry tantrums or boorish behaviour - the kind McEnroe or Aggasi were known for, that stands out time and again. Though a little more flamboyance would have made for good TV viewing, it is the lack of it that makes both these guys stand so tall.

Every time i see them both, my belief that Good guys win too, stands re-enforced!

Who's the dumbest of 'em all?

Statue, statue on the wall,
who is the dumbest of 'em all?
behenji, behenji, behenji it has to be
for building monoliths on and on.

Her white overalls lending grace
diamonds shining through the stone,
trendy shoes on her feet
and voila ! a handbag firmly in place!
but can anything ever match
the innate wickedness on her face!?

Her weird weird attempts to lasso
glory, grandeur & greatness
to create a physical halo
around herself
are just getting so crass!

Only if, this megalomania
had many a mouth fed
or housed the poor
cutting across race,
statues would 've been redundant
for junta to worship the stage;
the messiah that led them
from indignity, filth and despair
to safety, hope and care!

When the living are dumb
With their brains in the bum
statues only unveil
the absence of thought,
and the absence of rationale.

The roar is back

I got up this morning to hear what i had been waiting for! the roar of the monsoon.
after much delay, parched earth and water cuts, it was nice to see the silvery blue getting thickly clouded. Razor sharp showers accompanying the roar cut through frowns, sliced away worries and spliced open oodles of joy and cheer.

Rachu dextrously re-arranged the windows to save the furniture from the wafting water while allowing the breeze to come in. The playful romance of this breeze was as intoxicating as the waterdroplets carried by the wind to our room. In one stroke, the spirit was rejuvenated, my steps had a spring and the lilt in my voice, unmistakeable.

Thank God for his little mercies. And for always showing us what all, only he can do to re-instil hope, perpetuate "feel goodness" and inspire us - when we need it!

Dont Screw tll you can!!

Choices abound when it comes to disciplining erring employees. But they all come with several strings attatched! Just a cursory glance at the list below reveals multiple options that have differing impacts on the concerned individual as well as on rest of the team.

a) just letting 'em have it - in the presence of others. Embarrass the guy, make him squirm.
b) well targeted artillery fire in private so that the world can be spared his agony.
c) question, probe, question,question, probe for days on end till the guy feels pressurised to alter behaviour
d) load him with so much work that he knows that somethings wrong
e) Write nasty mails with the world on cc and say nothing when you cross one another
f) take away his responsibilities and load it onto others
g) polite, docile fact based discussion

wanting to keep your team members in high spirits, motivated and charged for the tasks on hand is often a big challenge as intrinsically it is difficult to motivate people who are not firedup themselves. It's like expecting fuel less rockets to soar up skywards. But tolerating mediocre performance is as tricky for it directly contradicts with what you would like to achieve for the business. And then there is the even more contradictory stance when one doesnt like the thought of loosing team members because of the impact this has on the morale of the rest of the team. So what does one do?
I had tried several routes and not seen them deliver. The route i recently took was (e) except that instead of the world, only the HR deptt was on cc followed by a pretension of (f) and (b).

The pretence was necessary to instil the fear of God in a guy who had the ability but not the attitude. My genuine concern was to improve his performance level and to send out the right signals to the rest of the team watching in anticipation, waiting for my first stumbling block.
I am confident, he will change. If he does, it will be the organisation's victory. and mine too.