Reverse Mentoring

I feel so elated on seeing an elderly person trying to learn working on a computer, using internet, asking a youngster to set some time to acquaint him with technology. The reason I feel good is that someone in late 70's and 80's is keen to learn from a person who could be of his grand child's age. It brings forth the following benefits:

-openness to learn

-receptiveness to new ideas

-accepting that one is not all perfect and even someone young can know some things more

-giving chance to a youngster to showcase his talent and thus boosting his confidence

-honest communication

-strengthening of mutual relationship

-reducing communication & generation gap

-helping the younger lot give their best shot

In terms of the corporate world, such a relationship is called reverse-mentoring. When a senior learns from his junior on the job, the concept of mentoring gets reversed & hence is known as reverse mentoring. A few companies, both Indian & MNCs have already put the concept in practice and are getting hearty results from the same. There are companies using mentoring as well as reverse mentoring between the same set of people where mentor becomes mentee in case of reverse mentoring, though there is no hard and fast rule to this effect. Looking to the skill set of an employee and the requirement of another employee in alignment with the organizational objectives, they are given the role of mentor and or mentee.

In context of reverse mentoring I remember the phrase - child is the father of man.
Heartening to see the wizards of the corporate world taking lessons from the younger lot and the capability of young talent.

Please keep sharing your ideas.

Happy New Year

As we come to wrap this year up, which made us go through many trials and triumphs, I wish to cease this moment to say thank you.

Thank you for your kind support, thank you for the trust you showed, thank you for your wonderful words of appreciation, thank you for your honest suggestions, thank you for catalysing my growth and thank you for being there.

May your reinforcement always be there.

May the coming year bring all happiness & God's grace to you & your loved ones.

Wishing you & your family a Very Happy & Prosperous New Year!

Reaction v/s Response

While communicating with people in all walks of lives, we come across various situations where communication comes to a standstill because either party gets into the mode of reacting.

Let’s have a look at the difference reaction and response can make on communication and relationships.
Reaction-abrupt actions or expression of thoughts in retort to someone’s words or actions. When one reacts, he closes all the channels of communication and the entire system of communication gets shut. Mind gets cluttered with negative thoughts and presumptions. It fails to be receptive. Reaction does not take one anywhere. The party reacting becomes out of reach and difficult to communicate with. This disrupts not just the communication, but also the situation and has a negative impact on the relationship of both the parties. So let’s learn to respond instead of reacting.
Response- well thought of and meaningful communication through words or actions.
Here are a few tips of learning how to respond:
-Take time before responding, if required 24 hours or more.
-Listen, comprehend and then respond.
-Keep yourself in the other person’s shoes and then respond.
-Exert self control so as not to react.
-Do not go on a unidirectional flight of negative thoughts.
-While you are on the receiving end of someone’s reaction, just stay patient.
-If the other person is over reacting, think that he has gone through a turbulent time and you are the first one to meet him after that turbulence, and treat him well.
-Before going to sleep, hand over all thoughts and problems to the Almighty and ask Him to handle the situation.

Your reactions & response to this post are welcome:)

Happiness- key to emotional health

If we need to run a few miles, what do we need? Energy, stamina, strength? Of course, else the run will be tiresome, painful, can rupture some tissues & muscles too. Hence in order to have a good run, one needs to have physical health; Similarly in order to have a good life one needs to have emotional health. Happiness is an important key to emotional well being.

How does one stay happy or emotionally healthy? Here are a few tips:

-Awareness about one’s thoughts
-Making a concerted choice to be happy
-Positive self talk & Repetition
-Silent sitting
-Owning the responsibility of one’s choices/decisions
-Introspection

The way we feel or behave is not for others, but for ourselves. So let us choose how we want to think, feel and be in all our engagements & relationships.

Some of the ideas shared in the post are from a television programme called Awakening with Brahmakumaris.
Your ideas and comments are a key to the writer’s happiness:) Please do share.

Happy Diwali

WISHING YOU & FAMILY A VERY HAPPY & PROSPEROUS DIWALI!

Inspirational lessons from the life of Steve Jobs

Though the morning newspaper gave the sad news of death of a genius, but after going through the details which gave an insight into the troughs and ups of his life, I was left with nothing less than a high dose of motivation and learning from the life of Steve Jobs.
For someone born to an unwed college girl, adopted by labour parents, could anyone imagine that Steve Jobs would leave a mark not just in the tech world, but on all of us? Guess not!

So here are a few inspirational lessons from the life of Steve Jobs:

1. Don’t let any force or circumstance suppress your creative talent.
2. Put wings to your thoughts (positive ones of course) they’ll make you fly.
3. Find the love of your life and love your work.
4. Learn to fight out all odds, no matter what their size and number be.
5. Failures come in life only to take you higher to a place that you deserve.
6. Don’t ever give up even in the worst of crisis.
7. When on a dead end, carve new ways.
8. Constraints and problems are nowhere, but in your mind.
9. Don’t run away from your responsibilities.
10. Best of ideas come when the mind is calm and quiet.
11. Life becomes very easy when one follows the path of spirituality. When on a spiritual quest, one gets all the answers.
12. Live on a daily basis and give your best to life.
13. Always follow your heart and listen to your inner voice.
14. Nothing stays forever.
15. Never say die; face life victoriously even in the face of death.

16. Leave a good name behind and stay in people's hearts forever.

Your ideas and comments are very valuable. Please do share them :)

7 Keys to Happiness

1. Ignore
Ignore the negative remarks and opinions of others. Do not react. Give yourself 24 hours, analyze in silence and then, if required, respond. But at the same time, remember that genuine criticism brings progress.

2. Maintain
Maintain balance in life; balance of qualities, efforts and priorities as per requirement.

3. Avoid
Avoid expectations. Remember that expectations are inversely proportional to happiness; higher the expectations, lower the happiness, and vice-versa.

4. Forget
Forget the past. 80% of our thoughts are of the past. If we hold a glass in a hand for 5 minutes, there will be no affect, if we hold it 24 hours, our hand will become stiff and painful it might make us paralytic as well. So, do not hold the past to an extent that it starts damaging.

5. Remember
Remember that life is a game and we all are players. A good batsman gives his best to all kinds of balls and does not run away from the tough ones. Similarly, we must play well in all situations that we come across in life.

6. Stop
Stop being jealous and do not compare yourself with anybody. Surpass your own self.

7. Establish
Establish a true relationship with God. HE alone stands by us in all conditions and situations unconditionally.

The above inputs are from a workshop that was conducted by The Brahmakumari Mission.

Have a lovely week ahead!

While we celebrate Independence Day singing songs of joy & glory we need to ask ourselves if we are truly independent.
Before pointing a finger at anyone let’s do some self-introspection. Are we independent of our fears, greed, endless & useless desires, compulsive negative behaviours? Do we extend a helping hand when a chance comes our way? Do we raise our voice for the right cause?

While doing some self-introspection myself, what comes to my mind is that we are privileged to be born in a country which has a truly rich culture that makes it stand apart from any other country in the rest of the world. India is the only country where the land and river are also addressed as mother (though a mother is treated as one or not is another sad question). Now it's time to do one's duty well.

So let’s take a pledge on this Independence Day to become independent in the real sense and spirit of the term.

Wishing you a Very Happy Independence Day!

Stay Positive-Let Go

How many times people or situations behave the way we want them to? Rarely, is’nt it? Yet we get disturbed, react, argue, fight, feel cheated and spoil our own day and happiness. A few examples of such situations:
-Someone criticises us
-Someone finds fault with us or our work
-We say something, but it is perceived differently and someone reacts differently
-Someone close behaves coldly or badly
-Our command is not followed
-Road rage
We get disturbed because we try to control people and situations and in the process lose our own control. Do we realise that as time passes, these things stop playing any role in our life, though they were not very significant in the beginning too. Still we lose our precious time, energy and happiness fretting and fuming about such insignificant things. All we needed to do is to let go. Let go of what? how? Let go of those negative feelings, ego, desire to control, pain (which is self inflicted).
How to let go?
-Confront & resolve, while saying that you care
-Use empathy
-Take a disciplinary action if there is a breach of ethics/ values
-Understand that everyone grows up in different environment and has different set of experiences, hence the difference
-Remember that it is not the end of the world
-Forget & forgive
-Remember that things happen or do not happen as per the divine plan, and He has better plans for us.
Life is too short and beautiful, not to- let go and stay happy:)

Have a lovely weekend!

Your comments and ideas or of immense value. Please keep sharing.

Counselling- a commendable initiative by Corporate India

Further to yesterday’s post http://deepali-enlightenment.blogspot.com/2011/07/stressed-workforce.html, let’s understand the meaning, importance & role of Counselling/ Counsellor; and initiatives taken by Corporate India in this direction to help their employees cope up with stress.

Meaning , Importance & Role
Why do we go an income tax consultant or a Chartered Accountant for tax related and financial matters; to a lawyer for property related or other legal issues? Why can’t we handle these matters, after all we are such intelligent and well read people?
Because, the nitty grities of income tax or legal issues are slightly beyond our purview and there are times when we need an expert’s help and guidance. Simple, is’nt it? Yes it is indeed. Life by itself is quite simple, but there are times when it gets complicated and one is not able to look beyond the complexity of a situation. All one needs is an expert’s help and guidance to overcome that situation or problem and move on.

An expert who helps us overcome our behavioural problems by just talking to us is called a psychologist/ counsellor/therapist, and this process of talking and getting guidance is called Counselling. When we are in a grave problem, we talk to a close one- a friend, philosopher or guide who gives us a patient ear and tries to offer a solution. The role of a psychologist is almost the same, the only difference being that we get absolutely unbiased and appropriate guidance from a professional, and of course we shall have to pay the professional charges:). Life shall become simple and happy again by just talking to someone who is an expert who keeps our good, bad and ugly in strict confidence and stays non-judgemental. Amazing!

Difference between psychiatrist and psychologist:
A psychiatrist is not the same as a psychologist. Though both are in the field of mental wellness, yet their scope of work is different. A psychiatrist is a medical practitioner, a doctor who specialises in psychiatry and prescribes medicines if required in cases of acute depression, anxiety etc.( quite common these days) While, a psychologist is usually someone who has completed Masters degree in Psychology and is a practicing therapist, usually a Clinical Psychologist (since the specialization is wide like in every other field). However, it is not incorrect or stigmatic to see a psychiatrist also. If he feels that no medication is required, he will direct you to a psychologist.
Going to a counsellor does in no manner signify insanity or mental illness. Counselling is quite common in West, especially the US, not because they are ultra modern and open; in this case, because they are open to seeking help. Good schools appoint counsellors so that young students have uninterrupted growth and are able to make right choices in face of competition. Good hospitals have counsellors to help their patients overcome the agony and pressure that comes as an aftermath of physical illness.

Initiative taken by Corporate India:
I was very happy to read that corporate India has taken this initiative of using services of counsellors. Companies like BPCL, IBM India, Tata Power, HCL, Glaxo SmithKline have tied up with Employee Assistance Provider companies that even provide personal counselling to employees of these companies. I checked the website of one such Employee Assistance Provided called 1to1help.net and was quite impressed with their services as mentioned on the site(something that I always aspired and still aspire to do). Talking of counselling, they provide personal, telephonic and online counselling, maintaining 100% confidentiality.
I sincerely urge the rest, to make use of such services for employee well being; it will definitely effect and reflect in your company’s well being.

Life is just too beautiful to be spent in agony or stress. Let’s stay happy and make the best of life!

Stressed Workforce

The Economic Times presented a wonderful report on Stressed Workforce on 7th July 2011. Here is a snapshot of the same, with a few additions.

Causes:

Work related:
1. Excessive workload
2. Inadequate planning
3. High expectations & inhuman demands (happens to be a personal cause too)
4. Quick growth & money
5. Negative work environment
6. Un co-operative boss
7. Non-challenging work

Personal:
8. Loss of spouse/ loved one
9. Chronic health problem
10. Strain in close relationship
11. Lack of understanding
12. Lack of communication (can be work related too)

The report has made an eye opening revelation, that Indian women are the most stressed in the world. The main reason being- overstretching themselves to meet the expectations both at work and home, and still carrying guilt of not being able to keep people around happy (I see this struggle happening at list till my generation). However, keeping the article gender neutral, let’s move on.

Effects:
1. Problems in inter-personal relationships
2. Difficulty in communicating
3. Inadequacy to cope up with problems
4. Irritable behaviour
5. Anxiety, nervousness
6. Depression
7. Weight loss or gain without any reason
8. Problems in digestion
9. Hypertension
10. Sluggish auto immune system

Corporate initiatives:
1. Gymnasium, yoga centre etc at workplace
2. Counselling - An appreciable initiative taken by a few companies- shall be presented at length in the forthcoming post.

Link to the newspaper report: A must read:)
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/et-cetera/india-inc-executives-both-physically-mentally-stressed-out/articleshow/9132595.cms?curpg=1

Have a nice week ahead!

Be a part of the solution

I heard a very simple and sweet story in a spiritual camp the other day and wish to share the message I inferred from the same. The story goes like this:
There’s a small bird sitting on a tree in a jungle. All of a sudden the jungle gets ablaze. The little bird finds a river close to the tree on which she was seated and rushes to the river to get water in her peak and throws the water on fire. The bird repeats this act n number of times, when a crow sitting on the nearby tree laughs and says’- hey little birdie, do you think the water you are carrying in your tiny peak will put the jungle fire on rest? Even if you do this exercise for the rest of your life, you will not be able to put off the fire. So just relax, and have fun the way I am doing (watching the scene).
The little birdie replies-you could be right older brother, that the water in my peak might not suffice to put the enormous jungle fire on rest, but I am not so meek that I will sit back and enjoy other’s trouble; whenever the history of this fire will be written, my name will come in the names of trouble solvers and not onlookers.
Words of wisdom indeed, by a miniature bird, is’nt it? Here are a few inferences that can be drawn as morale of the story:
1. Be a part of the solution and not the problem.
2. Don’t sit back and make merry at other’s problems.
3. Genuine efforts, no matter how meagre, do have synergetic effect.
4. Don’t underestimate your potential even in the face adversities .
5. Don’t demean others’ endeavour.
6. Don’t be passive thinking that others will mock at you.
7. Always extend a helping hand, it surely has a boomerang effect.

Please share your views and comments.

Strengthening relationships

Our thoughts form the very basis of our relationships in every sphere of life. Thoughts are the first level of communication. They create and send vibrations. They form an aura around us, which is the first perfume that we wear. If our thoughts are negative in any manner, somewhere somehow, they will show in our behaviour, because every thought radiates energy.
Merely speaking and doing right is not enough. It is like doing patchwork. The energy produced by thoughts is much more in number and power than sound energy. Hence, strengthening the foundation is required. This can be done by using the following steps:

1. Awareness: Unless and until we are aware of our thoughts and thinking patterns, we will not realise that the key to sound relationships is with us. One has to put in a conscious effort like self introspection to create awareness. There can be the following outcomes when one tries to become aware:
(a) Hopelessness: I don’t want to think like this, yet I am not able to change, forget it.
Eg: What a feeble body I have, but no, I can’t, I just can’t do anything about it.
(b) Compromise: I am ok with it
Eg: I lack physical strength-I am fine, I don’t need to do tough work anytime in life.
(c) Challenging oneself -I know I need to change my thought process and I will do it.
Eg: I want to increase my stamina and will join the gym, work on my diet and increase it.

2. Being in charge: When we decide to change, we can do it
Eg: If the car is in 5th gear and our foot is on the accelerator, we need to slow down by- removing our foot from the accelerator, changing the gear, using brake.
Similarly, our thoughts that travel at a speed that is much higher than the speed of light, needs to be reduced. The following can help in controlling the multiplicity of thoughts-
(a) Meditation
(b) Chanting mantras
(c) Spending time in vicinity of nature
(d) Self introspection on a daily basis
(e) Earlier post on http://deepali-enlightenment.blogspot.com/2010/03/thought-management.html

3. Positive reinforcement
It is not about- not to think, rather it is about- what to think. We need to train our minds to think positive. The following help us develop positive reinforcement:
(a) Positive self talk and reaffirmation on a daily basis.
(b) Building a loving relationship with our own self because, our relationship with others is merely an offshoot of our relationship with ourselves.
(c) Being a good parent to oneself.

Life can be really fulfilling if one has stable and secure relationships; and the the struggle in inter-personal relationships shall become so easy.

Most of the ideas given above have been taken from a talk show called Soul Connection (by the Brahmakumari Mission) on television on Aastha channel. The channel has soulful stuff for the younger and not so older generations too:)

Have a great week ahead!
Your ideas and comments are a source of inspiration. Please do share.

Catalysing Change

“ As it is , I am compromising so much by moving from one locality to the other, now am I supposed to bring a 360 degree change in my life?” said a young girl who was getting married soon, to her friends who were trying to pacify her. I overheard since they were sitting just next to my table in a restaurant in Mumbai. While the conversation was amusing, I could sense the feeling of discomfort the young girl had in anticipation of various changes she would go through on getting married.

CHANGE, be it in personal or professional life, does create anxiety and resistance.
But change is just so inevitable. Every moment , every event in our life is different from the other; uncertainty is the way of life. At the same time change leads to growth, not implying job hopping or changing one’s values to move ahead, but being positively geared to move into unaccustomed environs. A caterpillar would never turn into a beautiful butterfly if it does not go through the not so easy process of metamorphosis.

However difficult and painful the process maybe, yet it can be eased out and the resistance reduced to a great extent. The change catalysers can help the person undergoing change by:
1. Counselling/ talking on a one to one basis without being judgemental
2. Providing adequate support system before setting expectations
3. Administering changes in piecemeal
4. Imparting requisite knowledge and skills
5. Showing trust
6. Being there at the time of need

Your thoughts are immensely valuable. Please keep sharing.

Pleasure & Happiness

A lovely talk show on television a few days back, of which I could just get a few glimpses, inspired me to share these thoughts.
Is happiness same as pleasure?
A few sources of pleasure:
*Shopping
*Partying
*Going on a holiday
*Visit to a spa
*Watching movies
*Physical enjoyment of any nature
Some people derive great joy from such activities and attach happiness to the same. Are these really a source of happiness? Not really. They can surely provide some or a great deal of pleasure, relaxation, change but not happiness per se. Happiness cannot be derived from acts that have a short term effect or a mere gratifying effect. Then where does happiness come from? It comes from:
*Act of giving back
*Making someone’s life worthwhile
*Letting go & forgiving easily
*Helping someone & oneself attain self actualization
*Being with someone in their hour of need

*Enriching relationships
*Performing one’s duty as worship
*Sacrifice of ego & selfishness

Is it possible to use acts of pleasure to create happiness? Yes. How? When we try to bring pleasure into someone’s life, we end up making ourselves & the other person happy. I remember having noticed an American devotee of Sai Baba bringing street children into his air conditioned hotel room where he was staying in Puttaparthy, feeding them with delicacies, putting on cartoon channels on the television for them and playing with them. The gleaming faces of those children radiated everlasting bliss. So, little pleasures can be source of happiness when used for others.

Previous related post:

http://deepali-enlightenment.blogspot.com/2010/10/joy-of-giving.html

Wishing you a happy weekend:)

Please keep sharing your thoughts.

Anger & Stress Management

What happens when a project gets delayed and the customer threatens to cancel the order, a foreign delegate visits and on the same day there is labour unrest, you go back home tired after a long day’s work and see swollen faces waiting for you to listen to their woes and sort out the rows , your family member is fighting with a crucial disease and your boss needs you on job 24*7, a dear one does not live up to your expectations, does things contrary to your liking?
You feel highly stressed, maybe angry too and just don’t know who’s head to break. Is’nt it?
The list of such situations can be endless. There are instances when it is nearly impossible to control one’s temper or a highly negative reaction. And it is so very natural to be angry, sad, worried, stressed out, when something bad happens or is about to happen. No one stops us from expressing elation, then why can’t we express anguish or any negative emotion? We have still not become robots, have we?
NO, we have not become robots and are not even aspiring for becoming the same, yet we need to manage negative emotions because of their following ill effects:
Anger/ stress/ negative emotions-
* Produce toxins in blood
* Damage brain cells that are not regenerated
* Increase blood pressure, pressure on heart
* Increase risk of life threatening diseases
* Devastate a situation, relationship, work forever
* Key of your control goes to all and sundry
* Give your rivals a chance to misuse your emotions
* Take you into a vicious cycle of negativity
Hence, it is highly crucial to manage anger and other negative emotions. Here are a few techniques as per the Western & Eastern approaches.
Anger/ stress management techniques as per Western approach: All of them to be done alone.
* Bang on a pillow
* Hold a newspaper tightly and hit it on the table or wall remembering the person or situation that created negativity
* Scream and shout
* Cry
* Play a tough game
* Jump, party, dance
* Consume a mood elevator or an anti-depressant
Anger/ stress management techniques as per Eastern approach:
* Pray
* Chant a mantra, prayer, positive quotation
* Visualize happy moments
* Visualize people, things that bring you happiness and serenity
* Be in proximity with nature
* Read a good book
* Listen to soft music
* Meditate (gradually)
* Participate in bhajans-clap & sing with all your energy
* Go and help someone
I personally advocate the eastern approach because it provides a long term and perennial solution and helps one emerge, stronger, happier and successful. So, let's try these and manage our anger and stress, and enter the realms of everlasting success and happiness.

Some of the previous related posts:

http://deepali-enlightenment.blogspot.com/2010/09/stress-happiness.html

http://deepali-enlightenment.blogspot.com/2010/05/stress-effect-of-modern-corporate.html

http://deepali-enlightenment.blogspot.com/2010/03/thought-management.html

Please do share your ideas and leave your comments.

Empowerment

Would your wife feel empowered if she has a separate bank account with good balance and complete autonomy of its operation?
It might give a sense of financial empowerment to some extent, but it depends on factors like her perception, footing, independence, aspirations etc. What if she is someone who does’nt know how to even write a cheque? Should you still think of keeping a separate account in her name and letting her have the control over it? Dicey? If you wish to do this you’ll have to spend time and effort on helping her understand about elementary banking, maybe put effort in developing the interest in her to learn all this too. Is the time and effort worth it? YES it is. Though you might have nominated her in all your investments, and ensured her financial security in your absence, yet it is very important that she understands and knows what has to be done. I have seen in one of the banks where I worked earlier, that due to ignorance or lack of understanding of family members, sizeable FDs of a deceased were seized by the bank, though he had made proper nomination during his lifetime.
I sincerely appreciate the companies which have endeavoured to organize trainings for wives of staff members on various subjects including elementary banking, investing etc.
Coming back to empowerment, it is more than financial strength or independence. A few factors that add to empowerment are:
* Participative decision making
* Respect & compassion

* Trust
* Care
* Facilitating growth
* Encouragement
* Sensitivity
* Help overcome hurdles

Be it a close family member or a team member at workplace, the above ideas have similar connotation. Our team members too feel empowered when we trust and encourage them, be sensitive when required, help them overcome hurdles and grow not just in job but in life as well. And when we make someone feel empowered, we get more than expected from that person and the joy derived in the process is more than fulfilling. More on this in the forthcoming posts.

Please share your views and suggestions.

Leadership lessons from Cricket World Cup Semi Final 2011

Yesterday’s semi-finals clearly spelled out the leadership qualities of captain of the Indian cricket team MS Dhoni that helped team India win the match. Some of these qualities are:

1. Making the right fitment -Sachin & Sehwag as opening batsmen and Harbhajan as crucial bowler.

2. Pre-empting the opponent’s move –giving slow balls to Pakistan Captain Afridi so that his shot could be caught.

3. Making strategic moves to tackle the situation with efficacy.

4. Giving every team-player a fair chance to show case his talent.

5. Giving timely feedback.

6. Expecting the unexpected and fighting it out-that's how the match could take a positive turn.

7. Believing that team’s synergistic performance is above the individual’s performance.

8. Playing a fair game- Ashish Nehra asked the umpire to recheck his decision of catch which did’nt actually happen.

9. Staying undeterred and composed even under tremendous pressure.

10.Taking accountability for the team’s performance-good or bad, not just making the team accountable.

Taking these lessons from our captain, we wish team India all the very best for the finals.

Trust means acceptance

While watching a talk show on Trust on television a couple of days back, I got a few key points that play crucial role in our day to day relationships in personal & professional life. Here they are:

1. Trust is nothing but acceptance. When we accept someone the way he is, we show our trust in him.
2. When a person behaves in a manner which is not in sync with our perception of his image, we feel our trust has been breached.
3. When we have lesser expectations from someone, it becomes easier to accept that person.
4. A person becomes dishonest or starts hiding the truth when he feels insecure or fears non-acceptance from us.

Appears a little abstract? Let’s take an example to understand better.
A fresher recently joins a private bank in sales. In a couple of weeks, he starts giving false information about sales calls fearing loss of job or public reprimand. Further he gets false documents to open accounts and the account is opened without a satisfactory KYC check. This can have serious repercussion on the organization and entire banking system.
On the contrary, if there is an atmosphere of mutual trust, the results can be much better. How?
If the sales-person did not feel insecure and could ask for help, maybe by being deputed under an experienced and successful person good at getting numbers, and the senior showed confidence in him and extended the needed support, he would have picked up how to generate numbers without resorting to unfair means.
All that is required is:

• Making a concerted effort to create an environment of mutual trust.
• Sharing values, objectives, information relevant to one’s job.
• Providing the necessary clarity and support.
• Using positive motivators.
• Making others feel that we trust them and are within their reach if they need us.
• Encouraging others to trust us by listening to them without being judgemental.
• This way, they shall also learn to trust us and give their best without any kind of compromise.

Lead by example

Lord Krishna demonstrated exemplary leadership qualities. A few instances from which we get great lessons are:
1. Krishna carried Draupadi’s slippers in His own hands when He took Draupadi to Bhishma Pitamah to seek his blessings before the battle of Mahabharat.
2. He did the job of the charioteer of Arjun during the battle.
3. He washed the soiled and bruised feet of Sudama with His own hands.

While Draupadi, Arjun & Sudama were very very dear to Him, the sole purpose of Krishna’s existence was establishing righteousness. The above examples give the following important messages.

• No task is menial or below one’s dignity.
• Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
• Get involved when with your body, mind and soul when you can make a difference.
• Evolve as a visionary & strategist.
• Always strive for a great cause.
  
  A great leader is one who before expecting results from his team, sets examples of excellence and greatness.
  
  Please share your ideas and suggestions.
  
  
  

Corporate Social Responsibility- long way to go

Every child in this picture is suffering from polio. Some have been afflicted in both- leg & hand. There’s one child who can neither sit nor stand except on his tricycle, & to attend an hour’s class, he leans across the wall in a circular posture. India is one of the four countries where Polio still exists, it has been eradicated from the rest of the world. One of the main reasons of polio is excretion in open. Yes we as a country (and as people too?) are so diverse that on one hand there are Antillas being constructed and on the other, there’s a majority of population living in grave poverty. People in interior villages can’t even afford two square meals, sanitation is a far- fetched dream for them.

Recently a group of young men & women from Stanchart Bank contributed their one day’s salary which came to around Rs.20.00 lacs, and they changed the face of a village they were working on. They got houses constructed along-with proper sanitation facilities, and started a school also for the children living in that village. In the second phase, they are in the process of contributing another day’s salary to generate similar funds to upgrade school facilities. Commendable indeed! Many NGOs are doing great work like this.

But, if a bunch of corporate employees can change a village and improve the quality of life of its inhabitants, can’t our leading corporate houses make a similar effort? How can we be so indifferent that we get to see nothing beyond filling our own pockets?

Though some of companies have been doing a lot for humanitarian causes, yet the number of such companies is abysmally disproportionate looking to the need. In a country known for its rich culture filled with humaneness, compassion and brotherhood, do need Bill Gates & Warren Buffet to come and motivate us to work towards our responsibility, so called CSR? They seem to have adopted and implemented our philosophy of-Puta saput to kyun dhan sanchay, puta kaput to kyun dhan sanchay. Do we really need to hoard for ourselves and our posterity? High time to do some soul searching and come back on track.

Please do give your inputs and feedback.

Success & devotion

There’s a beautiful musical composition in Hindi, from which I’m quoting a few translated lines:
Who says God does not appear, you don’t call Him like Meera;
Who says God does not sleep, you don’t put him to sleep like Mother Yashoda;
Who says God does not eat, you don’t feed Him like Shabri;

I am sure we all are familiar with the three women mentioned above. The simple messages that these lines give us are:

• When one is earnestly devoted, success cannot elude him.
• Patience and perseverance can make the impossible (Him) possible.
• Smart work is surely in, but hard work can never be passé.
  

While these simple women could achieve success with their devotion, patience and perseverance in the eternal world, even if we have an iota of these virtues, we shall achieve perpetual success in all our worthy endeavours.

Have a nice weekend!

Your feedback is immensely valuable.

Time Management & Self-discipline

Recently after being penalised for not putting on the seat belt while driving, I made it a point to put it on irrespective of the area or distance, & now realise that I feel much more comfortable with it. This is because by practice it has become a habit, and a good one. It’s just a matter of self-discipline which should be developed without waiting for someone to come and penalise us. Be it traffic rules, simple things like daily walk, exercise or managing time, once we use self-discipline, the good habit becomes our second nature.
Talking of self-discipline in day to day work and way of working, we shall be able to overcome a lot of time wasters and hence have quality time for so many important things that often get compromised on.
A few time wasters-
1. Lot of Multitasking- Though the modern day work demands a person to be multi-task a lot of times, still a lot of jobs require single minded attention.

2.Having too many windows open on your computer- Being on social networking sites and chats at the time of work.
3. Checking emails every now & then.
4. Checking the stock market every now then.
5. Habit of brooding.
6. Too much of perfection even when not required.
7. Doing other’s jobs at the cost of one’s own.
8. Entertaining all calls and messages at the spur of the moment.
9. Over controlling.
If we learn to differentiate between important, urgent, not so urgent and unimportant activities and decide which activity requires what percent of our time, we’ll see a lot of positive results. Along-with this, if we use a few self-disciplinary measures we can get rid of time wasters and improve our efficiency:
1. List out the work for tomorrow today itself and inform the concerned people about their tasks.
2. List out activities done throughout the day in order of sequence giving time consumed for every work.
3. Check deviations and take corrective measures.
4. Delegate.
5. Respect other’s time, don’t keep people waiting –it’ll not give you extra importance, rather you’ll be tagged as unprofessional.
6. Inform people about cancellation or changes in time schedules for meetings.
7. Stick to the fixed time for every work.
8. Rule out engaging in negative activities- leg pulling, criticising etc.
9. Take lesson from past, plan for future, and live in the present.

If the almighty can manage so many different time zones impeccably, can’t definitely manage just one-our own time, that too for our own benefit?
Please do share your ideas and leave your comments or questions.

Nothing lasts forever

Life looks like a hurdle race at times, you clear one hurdle and there stands another one. Certain hurdles are easy to pass, while the others test you really hard. Here are a few examples of the situations that act as spirit and energy testers:

• Your company is reducing flab and you are an easy target
• You have been detected of a serious disease
• People around you at work take undue advantage of your long unavoidable absence
• Someone else is taking credit for your good work and you are being ignored completely
• The anchor of your life has decieved you

I hope and pray that none of these situations come in your life. Though we should hope for the best yet be prepared for the worst. How?

• Don't s react impulsively and don't lose control over yourself
• Try to find a solution
• Talk to someone wise (official or unofficial mentor)
• Think of all possible resources and seek help
• Look at the macro view/ the bigger picture
• Pray, pray and pray

Remember that nothing lasts forever, good or bad; and if you can stand the bad times, you'll thrive in the good times. Even if you failed at something, it does not make you a failure in life.
Life is a roller coaster ride, so give your best and enjoy the ride. The control of this ride is in the hands of a flawless controller, HE will never ever fail you.

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Compete with yourself

Surpassing others in a horde is not competition. Real competition is when you surpass your own self. How? Let’s have a look-

• Break your own records (like Sachin Tendulkar)
• Make your strengths stronger
• Grow over your weaknesses
• Face and overcome your fears
• Set your fallacies right
• Turn your reaction into response
• Control distractions
• Be contented without being complacent
• Strengthen your relationship with the Almighty

Raise the bar and surpass yourself. If you can do the above and compete with yourself, external competition will become insignificant.
So, should we now say, on your marks, get set & go?

Your feedback is valuable. Please do write in or leave your comments.

Stop assuming Start living

They form a part of every person’s thought process. They can finish something before it starts. They govern our actions and thus our destiny. They are - so very unnecessary assumptions.
During one of the induction training in one of the organizations I worked with, we- the new joinees were asked to unlearn what we had learnt over a period of time. This was to make sure that we don’t start working with a conditioned mind; we were trained to start afresh and look at every different situation with a new perspective, using the earlier experience only as a reference point.
It is not a rule that-
1. Boss is a villain
2. Colleague is the culprit behind your slow growth
3. Favourites will be promoted
4. Doing boss’s personal work is a step towards growth
5. You are just another rat in the race

6. Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law have to be in a tug of war , & so on...

When we start making assumptions we damage ourselves and the environment. So the disadvantages of assumptions are:
1. We miss out on getting positive energy
2. Work without understanding
3. Don’t explore solutions
4. Our efficiency goes down
5. Relations get ruined
6. We stop something good in store to unfold
7. Lose opportunities
Why one or more bad experiences leave us with negative feelings for the rest of our life? It is just not worth anything. What has happened has happened, let’s just close it, and take every situation anew. Let’s not stop believing in somebody’s goodness even if the world has been bad to us. When we start assuming negative about others or situations, we actually stop trusting the Almighty, and when we stop trusting Him, we lose trust in our own selves too. This takes us far away from the road to success.

World appears green if one wears a green glass, it appears red if we wear a red glass. It’s better to wear a colourless glass to enjoy the colours of life.
Please do give your feedback.

Co-ordination

What would happen if we put food in our mouth and our teeth refuse to chew, or we want to rush for an emergency and our feet just don’t move? Unimaginable situation, is’nt it? Be it body organs, people or processes, there needs to be close co-ordination or synchronisation. I wish to present two industry examples in which lack of co-ordination has proved to be disastrous for the employees responsible for the loss.
1. X is the sales head of ABC Company that manufactures machines and is on the verge of finalising a huge order with a very important client. The client wants a little change in the specification given earlier and insists the sales head to call someone from quality department to ensure that there is zero deviation. The sales head calls up the Quality Manager and asks him to join them for the discussion. The Quality Manager is in a regular group meeting with the Quality Head who refuses to release the manager from the meeting (the Sales Head & the Quality Head had a rift recently and the latter is looking for a chance to set scores right). The client postpones the order and later gives it to a competitor of ABC company.

2. Delivery of shares is given by the client on the last day to his bank where he maintains his demat account. His broker calls him up after the settlement period informing him that his shares have been auctioned due to non-delivery. He goes to the demat bank and is informed that the shares were delivered after banking hours. The client shows the bank a copy of the delivery slip in which the time is recorded and insists on knowing the true reason, and then he is informed that the server of the bank was down so there was a delay in processing the delivery. The client closes not all the accounts he and his family members maintained with the bank.
Such instances are fateful not just for the employees but for the organization too. The organization needs to look into the reason for lack of co-ordination and take corrective measures. Some apparent reasons are:
1. Fear to seek help and clarity
2. Lack of initiative
3. Lack of clarity
4. Complicated and unclear systems
5. Misuse of power
6. Lack of sense of responsibility or ownership
7. Insufficient standby arrangement in face of system failure
A few solutions:
1. Create a value based work environment
2. Make the workplace employee friendly
3. Integrate system with employee understanding (and common sense)
4. Keep systems simple and brief
5. Ensure adequate learning and development
6. Appreciate new ideas
Last but not the least, remember that co-ordination between one’s thoughts, words & actions is very important before expecting co-ordination from others. If nature was not in harmony with itself, we would'nt get to see life in full bloom as depicted in the picture given above.

Your feedback is of immense value. Please do write in and leave your comments.

Happy Republic Day

These are the pictures of special children who cannot hear or speak. They are singing the National Anthem in their own beautiful way.

I feel it's time for us to look beyond ourselves and come forward to make a difference.

Wishing You A Very Happy Republic Day!

Recognise even the smallest of contribution

Another example from the epic Ramayan to illustrate the recognition of even the tiniest of contribution, specially at work.
When the army of monkies was laying down the bridge to reach Lanka, a squirrel noticed the same and thought of being a part of the work. She laid in the sand and twisted herself up and down, right and left so that she could accumulate as much of sand and gravel as possible. Then she would go to the spot where the bridge was being made, twist herself and unload the matter collected. This loading and unloading of the construction material by her went on and on till Lord Ram noticed. Then he gently lifted the tiny squirrel in his hands and lovingly moved his fingers over her furs. It is said that the squirrel attained immortality and that the lines this species has over its furs occurred ever since Ram patted that squirrel.

Coming to the moral of the story as applicable at workplace:

1. Recognise and encourage every genuine effort.

2. Understand that every task has it's own importance.

3. Every person in the organization has an important role to play and contributes to the topline as well as the bottomline.

4. Always be a part of the solution.

5. Do not take anyone for granted.

6. Never ever under-estimate yourself.

7. Give your best to everything you do.

8. When you work for a noble cause, mother nature takes care of you in every manner.

Please send in your views and comments.

Trust - another intrinsic motivator

The other day I was reading an incident that happened while Sita was in the custody of Ravan. Ram asked Hanuman if he could get Sita back and Hanuman readily agreed. Then Ram asked him these questions-

Question by Ram , Answer by Hanuman
1. Have you ever seen Sita? No
2. Do you know where she is? No
3. Do you knowhow to get her back? No

Then Ram finally asked, then why did you say yes when I asked you if you could get her back?

To this, Hanuman replied-My dear Lord, when you trusted me so much by asking if I could do your work, I trust that you will make me do the work. And we all know the final result.

Trust is such a big motivator that it makes one achieve the most difficult task too.

Next time, if you are being asked to take up a challenging task, don't feel jittery, just understand that your boss or the organizations trusts your capabilities. I remember one incident that happened while I was working with one of the new generation banks. During an appraisal exercise, one of my colleagues complained to the business head that- things are just too difficult on the workfront and there are so many problems on a daily basis. To this, the business head said- because work is so difficult and there are so many problems, that is why you have been chosen to do it, else any average person could have done it; and we all are here to help you out. These words were more than enough for him to come back into full swing.

So, let's create an environment of mutual trust where everyone can give his best fearlessly.

For subordinates-be so trustworthy that you are the first one of whom your boss can think of in the best and worst of situations;

For superiors-live upto the trust of your subordinates and make them feel that they can look upto you in every situation.

Happy Youth Day

Heartiest wishes to all of you on the occassion of National Youth Day which happens to be Swami Vivekanand's birth anniversary. Here are a few inspirational messages by Swami Vivekanand.

1. We become what our thoughts make us. So be careful about what you think.

2. Take one good thought and make it your life.

3. Let your brain, muscles and nerves be immersed in that thought.

4. Every work is divine and every duty is worship.

5. While doing a work, think of nothing else.

6. So, awake and arise, and get into action.

7. Keep going till you reach your destination.

8. Leave your mark behind.

So always stay youthful.

Please keep sending your comments and suggestions.

Ray of hope

While feeling the the winter chill this morning, I felt so relieved to see the sun rays and then a thought just occurred to me that no matter how dark or tough days are, a ray of hope can do great wonders. Then I remembered a friend saying that down in London the winters are so extreme that there is no sunrise for days together and some people survive on anti-depressants during that season. I was taken aback to know this and then realised that we take a lot of things for granted and forget the abundant blessings we have been bestowed upon with.

Coming back to hope, yes it is a wonder drug; it gives the courage to fight the oddest of odds, it gives a reason to look forward to a better season and stay calm in the rough season. It strengthens one's auto immune system and helps one emerge as a winner.

So, find and cling on to that ray of hope, it'll bring a bundle of opportunities and means of getting there too.

Stay hopeful and keep giving your ideas:)

Corporate Social Responsibility-an instrinsic motivator

We have been reading a lot about corporates undertaking various CSR initiatives like creating education funds, medical facilities, educating villagers, creating a green environment so on and so forth. Companies like Tatas & Birlas have always been doing a lot for humanitarian cause, nowadays a lot of other companies have taken seriously to the act of giving. Wives of biz wizards Narayan Murthy, Nandan Nilekani and many more are doing a lot of good work for social cause.

I was pleasantly surprised to read about a dedicated stock exchange being set up in London by an Indian & his friend for listing companies that work largely for a social cause like social housing, education, health, public transport, greentech etc. Interestingly the newspaper also reports about The Act of Giving as the theme of The Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence. The value of philanthropy being the central idea of a business award- captivating, is'nt it?

On a much serious note, I find these acts to be motivators for the people actually doing all this. I am referring to the employees who are involved in carrying out various philanthropic activities. It acts as a great intrinsic motivator in the following ways:

• Gives a meaningful purpose
• Increases trust between employer & employee
• Increases self-worth
• Motivates to do better
• Gives a sense of fulfilment
• Increases credibility

I urge each one of you to make use of such motivators. Those of you who are at the helm of affairs, please engage your employees in some philanthropic work apart from their routine duties; and others, take up some such activity on your own. You'll feel a new zest for life altogether. Whenever I am engaged in such activities, I get a different high and sense of accomplishment; and am sure you'll experience the same. Please try it out.

Do write in and share your ideas.

Let's welcome the dawn of 2011

Let's welcome the dawn of a wonderful year ahead with a lot of positive energy.

May it drive us towards the path of serenity, humility & noble achievements.

Let's make it a splendid year for ourselves and those around us:)

Wish you a Very Happy New Year!