Whale Done!

My brother-in-law gifted me the book "Whale Done" when he visited us for a day this June. I had been planning to read it ever since but other higher priority tasks prevented me from doing so. Finally, I got this opportunity last weekend and finished the book in just 4 hours..a record for me..:)
This book talks about the strategy applied by the trainers at "Sea World" to get the huge killer whales, among the most feared predators in the ocean, to perform amazing acrobatic leaps and dives. Their techniques of building trust, accentuating the positive, and redirecting the negative behavior make these extraordinary performances possible. The same techniques can be applied in the field of "Human Management" for the same results.

Here are the 3 important learnings from this book:

a) Accentuate The Positive - This is something that we have been learning since our school days... but how many of us really implement it in our daily lives? We have a tendency to step back, when the need arises to appreciate the good deeds done by people around us. Sometimes we even ignore them unknowingly, especially when the person is closely related to us.
However small those good acts be, they should not be taken for granted. Even a couple of words of praise can make someone's day and motivate him/her to keep doing better!

b) Ignore and Redirect the Negative-This is the tricky one! How can one ignore the negative? How can one ignore his son when he gets a bad grade in school? How can the manager ignore his team member who is always late in submitting his reports?
Going back to the "Sea World" - The killer whales were not applauded when they didn't do the act right during their training session i.e. no rubs on the stomach or food treats! They were just asked to repeat the task. If they still could not perform as per the trainer's expectation, they were assigned another task which they loved doing (Redirection). They were never punished!
So, we should try to ignore the negatives and give people another chance to improve instead of pouncing on them whenever they are wrong. If the situation still doesn't improve, redirect them to another task which they love doing or which matches their skill set.

c) Forget "GOTcha" and Implement "Whale Done"- This summarizes the above 2 points. We need to change our habit of "GOTcha" i.e. continuously finding faults in others. Instead of waiting to catch people doing things wrong we should try to catch them doing the things right! Note: "Right" does not mean that we need to wait for the task to get over and appreciate only when the deliverable is out. "Whale Done" should be applied at each right step and positive effort during the activitiy's lifetime.
(I know it's easier said than done!)

As per the author, these principles can increase one's productivity and supercharge one's effectiveness at both work and home. They could also enhance trust between entities and strengthen personal and professional relationships.
So, let's change our accusatory management style to "Whale Done" for a better managed and happier life!

...

I reached Chicago on the 3rd and not a single day passed without remembering my last few days in Bangalore. I never missed it this much in my previous trips, probably because I am here for a longer duration this time.

I decided to list some of the things that I am missing the most..:(

1) Listening to my mother's voice 5-7 times a day on the phone
2) The jumps and hugs by my dog friends on seeing me return from office
3) My maid's daily question "didi aaj kya khayega?"
4) The pleasant weather and cool breeze in the evening
5) My long and heavy phone bills!
6) My golgappa treat in Indiranagar after a tough day at shopping...:)
7) Daily fights with the autorickshaw driver for charging me double!
8) The credit card, insurance and job offer calls on my cell...noone disturbs me here..:(
9) Rushing to the office every morning so that I don't miss the hot idli and vadas
10) My daily soaps on "Color"
11) The Kaju Katli and Gulabjamun birthday treats in office
12) My "hindi movie on dvd" and "Pizza on order" treat after my last exam on sunday evening
and lastly,
13) The unified barking and crying of the stray dogs when the domestic Retrievers and Labradors entered their area while on their daily evening walks!

The Rat Race!

Gone are those days when the whole family came together for the evening tea and daily gossip. Now, one feels lucky to get home for dinner! Weekdays are spent fulfilling our coporation's dreams and weekends just pass by in a jiffy, completing the leftover activities of the preceding week. Each one of us seems to be running after something...a higher degree, a promotion, a better job, a larger house or even a better lifestyle. Some people want to be better than their friends or colleagues while others want to upgrade their current standards. Even at the personal front, the race is on for who is happier or richer or leading a better life. No one wants to stop for a break!
I have no complaints on this new approach that we have unknowingly adopted in these new times. I am just concerned about the pressure and stress that comes with it. The time that is disappearing like sand from our palms worries me everyday. Unfortunately, this realization generally dawns on most people when they drop out from the race. While some stop after reaching a targeted milestone, others just give up out of fatigue. Sadly, the world no longer looks inviting then and the energy and enthusiasm is all used up. The small dreams are lost somewhere on the way and a whole new world remains to be explored.
I used to fight with my mother whenever she cribbed about this new lifestyle. I always ignored her confident claims that the current situation will reverse to the old times very soon as that was the ideal way to lead a well balanced life. Though I continue to disagree with her on this point during our telephonic conversations (just to maintain my ego..;)), a small part of me keeps hoping for that day to arrive soon!

"Two States"

I am a big fan of Chetan Bhagat's writing. I always end up connecting with the characters of the novel...whether he's the IIT student from his first book "The Five Point Someone" or the guy in love from his new addition "Two States". His simple writing style, touch of humour at the appropriate places and "closer to life" stories make his books stand out from the rest.

I just finished his latest book -"Two States". It's been said that this story is based on the author's life...Well, that makes it all the more interesting..:)
"Two States" is a story of how two people who hail from different states in India, fall in love and struggle to get their parents/soceity ready for their marriage. The states portrayed here are "Punjab" and "Tamil Nadu" and his book has covered the intricate details of each culture perfectly well. I could associate myself so easily with the Punjabi guy's family. Although, the initial chapters did not grasp my attention, the latter made up for everything! Getting both sets of parents together for the marriage was the best part and I just couldn't stop myself after that.
It reminded me so much of my marriage..btw, that's another reason for my biased review..:)

A very simple and commom plot...delivered beautifully! A must read!

Miss You Poku!

[Note - This post is only for those who respect and love animals. Please ignore if you don't fall in that category]

It was the 18th of April last year when I lost a dear friend right in front of my eyes. Since he had become a very important part of my life, I promised to write something for him to keep him alive forever in my heart. It was not an easy task as the very thought of him brought tears to my eyes.I could never gather the courage to write about our special bond...the good times we spent together...the games we played...and the love that we shared. So, I decided to keep these memories safe in my heart and disclose them only when I am ready for it.

For now, I dedicate these beautiful lines to my friend...(though I picked them up from the web, they convey most of my feelings)...God bless his soul!

The dogs who've shared our lives.
In subtle ways they let us know
their spirit still survives.
Old habits still make us think
we hear a barking at the door.
Or step back when we drop
a tasty morsel on the floor.
Our feet still go around the place
the food dish used to be,
And, sometime, coming home at night,
we miss them terribly.
And although time may bring new friends
and a new food dish to fill,
That one place in our hearts
belongs to them...
and always will.

Finally...

Satyam was rechristened "Mahindra Satyam" few days back. I have been waiting for this decision for quite some time now and this announcement did not come as a big surprise. The rebranding reflects a blend of Mahindra group's core values with the IT expertise and client base of Satyam. It couldn't have been better!

Hoping this merger brings out the best in both the brands!

Here goes another one!

UB40 - Don't break my heart. Awesome song with brilliant lyrics. Just can't stop listening!



It takes me 7 years back into my life - getting adjusted to a new city, lots to learn at my first job, having fun with a new set of friends, setting up my first apartment, excitement after receiving my first salary...Oh! How I wish I could go back there in time!

Isn't it strange how a song gets associated with a particular phase of your life? Every time I hear a track after a significant pause, I am reminded of the time when I heard it for the first time. Everything just flashes by before my eyes! I guess this is the best route by which I can travel into the past and relive those beautiful moments..:)

Eagles: Love will keep us alive

I am a bulk shopper i.e. I do not shop every week or month, instead I go out once in 4-5 months and buy almost everything under the sun..:) Yesterday was one of my "shop till you drop" days and inspite of a "warning" tele call from my husband in the morning, I shopped for almost 7 hours..;)
Anyway, coming to the point, my shopping experience was immensely enhanced by the music playing in the background. The mall that I visited was "Bangalore Central" and I must say that their music collection was fabulous. One of the songs that specifically made my day was "Love will keep us alive" by Eagles. This is one of those songs that I can hear again and again without getting bored. I was introduced to it by my husband way back in 2002 and my bond with it still holds strong. Words fail me to describe how this song makes me feel. Those beautiful four minutes bring back all the good nostalgic moments of my life. I experience a unique blend of emotions, a divine feeling that makes me go numb and a mysterious melody that renders me speechless!

India's Enron!

What happened?

Satyam Systems, a global IT company based in India, was found to be involved in fraudulent financial activities. The rough time for Satyam began in December last year when the world bank barred it for 8 years on account of "improper benefit to bank staff" and "lack of documentation on invoices". This was reported as the harshest sanction ever made by the bank since 2004! During the same time the "Satyam - Maytas" deal was facing the heat from its investors and the Indian government. Satyam's controversial decision to buy two unrelated business groups - Maytas infra and Maytas properties, both owned by the chairman's(Ramalingam Raju) son, led to adverse reactions from the investor community. This deal was called off within 24 hours of it's approval!

As predicted by many, Satyam's CEO Ramalingam Raju resigned on the 7th of January 2009 after notifying the board members and the SEBI that Satyam's accounts had been falsified. Following this announcement some US firms like Merrill Lynch terminated their contracts with the company, New York Stock Exchange halted trading Satyam stock and Satyam was also stripped off a prestigious corporate award that it had won in 2008. Needless to say, the employees of Satyam, it's customers and investors were both shocked and angry!

Resolution?

The Indian government dived in and appointed a new set of respectable members to Satyam's board so that this issue could be analyzed with seriousness and speed. The bidding process was kicked off soon after to select a suitable investor for Satyam. The new board shortlisted 6 bidders including Spice, L&T, Tech Machindra in one of it's last bidding rounds. Finally, on April 13 2009, Satyam saw some ray of hope when Pune based Tech Mahindra, a mid-tier IT services provider outbid its competitors for a 51% stake in the company.

What lies ahead?

Tech Mahindra is focused on the Telecom industry and most of its business comes from "British Telecom". The acquistion of Satyam will definitely help it diversify in other veticals like manufacturing, healthcare, financial services and auto along with Telecom and also enable it to expand itself in other markets like North America.

Will the name "Satyam" be retained? While many feel that the brand "Satyam" has lost its credibility, there are a few who still believe in it. I agree with the latter group. The employees of Satyam were not even aware of this fraud and the company's core values still stand strong. Why punish the brand for the misdeeds of a few? Besides, this acquistion in reality is more of an integration into Satyam as it has a bigger client and resource base. Well, here's the dilemma - The brand "Satyam" needs to be reduced in some way due to the bad reputation that it gained recently. On the other hand, it is more well known and better established than "Tech Mahindra". Some trade off would definitely be needed while blending these two brands. I sincerely hope it's in the best interests of both the companies.