October 28, 2009

For 55 Seconds.

A sense of exhilaration engulfed him. He thought this is it .I am done. I am free now, free from all the shackles free from the hell I was in.. I can breathe now. Suddenly he looked around to see the spike had flattened. He would never drink anymore, because he never lived anymore.

October 26, 2009

...and that's why i didn't marry Drew Barrymore...


I could've been an astronaut but for the pilot
I could've been a pilot but for the scientist
I could've been a scientist but for the doctor
I could've been a doctor but for the actor,
I could've been an actor but for the executive,
I could've been an executive but for the legislative,
I could've been in the legislative but for the banker,
I could've been a banker but for the love of my life,
I could only be the wishful thinker.


How I would love to drive a BMW 7 series fully loaded automatic transmission,full metal black,GPS navigation, Bluetooth phone console,cruise control,0-100 in 6.5 seconds.. And that's exactly the the time I take to wake up from my dream and get back to reality.!The distance from wishful thinking to dreams to reality is very very steep....or deep as the case maybe.

If wishful thinking is the origin of ambition and "drive"...then reality check is the origin of heart-break.Wishful thinking and ambition are separated by a thin line.
We all love to wish but very few of us really spend time on how to execute that thought.Dreams are colorful while plans are black and white."Get-real" .
As we have grown over the years we have heard you can do whatever you want,just try harder,work harder and you ll see the results.

People spend so much time being what they're not.I don't think you can become what you are not - in a way you are making it even more difficult for you and your environment.Rather focus on what you are and maximize.Maximize till you reach the top,till you beat the competition around you.Some call this wishful thinking!
Chasing your dreams,your thoughts your point of view or your talent requires self correction.Learn to believe in yourself.Otherwise you run the risk of limiting your potential to be the best.

Loose the fear of failure. Think about this for a moment. Loose the fear of failure. Don't be fearful of the fact that people will ridicule you if you don't succeed.People will always talk,even if you are inside your house for 7 days or out for 7 days ! It is ok to make a mistake,it is ok to take a risk,it is ok to not follow the popular point of view.it's ok as long as it is not a rebel without a cause.It is ok if you have carefully evaluated your risks,it is ok if you find an alternative.

Choosing the right ambition is mission critical for you to succeed in life materialistically.Spending more time on determining what's the right path for you could be the best decision of your life....and that's why I didn't marry Drew Barrymore...

October 22, 2009

the Accident Incident.




3.30PM

The doctor came out of the operation room.Everyone got up with their hearts beating fast.
After a small pause, which seemed like a 100 years, the doctor looked up and said "Tobu is out of danger now.Though I must say it is a pretty bizzare way to have an accident.He has a fractured hip bone, his left wrist is cracked and he has a gash on his back, it will take some time for all this to heal.You have to be patient" the doctor said without batting an eyelid.


Six hours earlier.

It's 9.00 am in the morning and young Tobu is preparing for his first job interview.Going through some technical documents and some research material he'd prepared.In an illustrious family of scholars,young Tobu was going out to make an impression today.As far back as his great grandfather's days everyone had made it big on their own.This was his moment.His day. And he was not going let anything get in the way.

Just as he was about to go out his grand mother walked in.She usually kept to her self but would always be watchful of young Tobu. Grammy,as Tobu would affectionately call her,the only loving soul in the family who would patiently wait while he left and got back.She was the only one in the busy family who would hear young Tobu out all the time,his rants and raves, his frustrations,his fears and his achievements and more importantly protect him from all harm and danger , beatings and scoldings.Tobu got more attached to his grandmother ever since his mother divorced when he was a little boy.His grand mother had brought up him and took good care of him.

Grammy said " Tobu can you not go out today? I am not feeling too well."
Tobu was taken aback.."Grammy this is my big day !.you know that.don't you ?You know how much it means to me?"
Grammy quietly said"I know dear,but you might have other stories to share in life. ! Maybe this is not your story"
Tobu was getting a bit confused now .What was with Grammy today ,he thought. Maybe she's a bit nervous about my job interview.

"Don't worry Grammy you'll be fine." "I will rush back the moment my interview is over,he quipped as a matter -of-fact.
"I am asking you to not take the interview today,can you reschedule for tomorrow?"
The clock was ticking fast and he had to rush now. "Grammy,Tobu said in a slightly irritated tone, "I have to go..NOW.
He looked into Grammy's eyes one last time,for a moment he thought ,maybe I 'll surprise her today and get her favorite flowers on my way back.

As he closed the door behind him he felt a little bad,at shouting at Grammy."it's only natural that old people get senile,and we have to deal with them sensitively",his thought faded as he dashed to the bus stop.

The Bus was crowded and packed like never before,it was peak hour at it's best.He was hanging in a conclave position on the foot-board at the entrance door.the push from inside was immense, and when the bus hit a pot hole , it jerked vigorously .Tobu was flung out of the door and hit the pavement/kerb as the bus was leaving the area.Some noble souls brought him to the hospital,bleeding and unconscious.His wallet gave his identity.


8.00PM

Tobu opened his eyes ever so slightly,still in a semi-conscious state of mind.The ICU nurse called the resident doctor to check on Tobu. He was trying to mumble something.It was incoherent and slow but he was trying to say something.Tobu's family who were waiting outside,quickly came in seeing the doctor trying to hear what Tobu was murmuring.

The Doctor could barely hear Tobu's broken words, but he seemed to be saying "Thank You Grammy for having his said.."quipped the perplexed doctor.Tobu's father clarified that Tobu was probably remembering his Grand mother,who had just passed away a few months back.He was very close to her.



8.00AM -next day.


The main surgeon on his regular rounds was examining the patients.Tobu was recovering well,and he was looking at the emergency room record.
It read " This man was pushed out of the bus and he hit his head on the kerb" and became unconscious immediately while bleeding profusely."It was an eye-witness account of the person who brought him in.


"Wait a minute ! " the doctor thought. this is odd.Where is the head injury? He has a broken hip,wrist and a gash but nothing to the head.And then he saw the resident doctors comments...the patient tried to say "thank you Grammy having his said..." ! he summoned the resident doctor who was about to leave after his night duty and the doctor and asked him "John what does this mean...?"he nodded with a shrug and said "no idea" !

Tobu turned his head and completed the sentence..."thank you Grammy for saving my head " !



October 18, 2009

MJ


No I am not posting about Michael....

It just struck me - to create a series of jots.Something like a random post merely to jot down whats inside the mind..don't think it would make sense to most people..but I do know that many do have these thoughts running amok inside their brains....and No this is not a disclaimer for a non-nonsensical post.

Gyanbyte #1

Sometimes in life when you want something badly but don't get it...how does it feel?
How long does it feel bad ? What is it that you are willing to do to get it ? What are the limits you are willing to stretch the barriers willing to break?

These questions bother me because I see a sense of duality in this.Someone's determination is someones craziness.Someone's focus is someone's one track mind.
what is right and what is wrong? We tend to follow only what we are taught.only what we see in our society ,only around our limited environments.What if someday you realize that all that was taught to you was baseless and you have a whole new perspective to life.

Would you be able to handle it ? would you be able to unlearn and relearn all the basics again.? I am guessing not.What then is the consequence of such an action? What happens when you break the norm? Break the rules? break free? Are you liberated truly? Or are you just trying to rebel and prove a point? Or take a stance which could later turn out to be a wrong one?

What then is the true path?

October 15, 2009

Losing a Larry Bill or Steve...


Losing a Larry,Michael or Steve ?

Questions ?

It might be an interesting statistic to calculate how many jobs are being lost simply because the recruiter or the Hiring manager never really understood the candidates profile correctly?
Or did not “like” the answers given as per his or her understanding.
Ignored the actual business impact of the hiring ?
Put on his “process” cap without trying to find a right fit?
There’s a rising number of people I come across who tell me they got rejected for a job for which they were best suited, and had the necessary experience to back that claim.They were frustrated interacting with the hiring manager or the recruiter and their line of copybook questioning.It’s like asking a seasoned professional “tell me about yourself” ! and expect answers like “I am looking for more challenges blah blah..”. well i’d say are ‘t you having enough challenges to deal with anyways ? why do you want more? You must be sadistic….but that’s me…a regular hiring manager would love to hear standard stuff.The same questions need the same answers and the result a mediocre hire.

Slowly this starts to hit the company in the long run and many have to shut shop citing reasons like economy or competition or funding or anything else but mediocre people.As a result a team culture of mediocrity is created and appended to a mediocre system hierarchy and companies suffer tangible losses on account of wrong hires perpetually.
So then how are so many companies still functioning with so many mediocre people? The 80/20 rule is a big spanner to this.In most organizations 20% of the people will do the work of 80% !Or 20% of the people get the revenue for the rest of the 80% – rest if perform can be treated as a bonus. Most of the rest of that 80% survive on upward management – the ones who does are obviously a burden to mankind and they are fired.It is a well known and accepted fact that In any given team there are only 20% performers on an average – imagine if we could increase this to say 50%? how much more sustainable revenue could accrue due to the fact that there are good team members.?

What are the reasons ?

Personal prejudices -personal experiences and mindsets play a huge role in these matters.Like there was one hiring manager – who was trying to make sure his position is secured and the only way he could do this was by hiring a complete “sucker” who would not get intelligent and overtake him in the long run.So in the bargain he continuously tried to eliminate the candidate by running down everything he said.Needless to say this never got reported..and that manager is still working at the same job with a bunch of mediocre professionals.I would be surprised if most managers claim to have a succession planning procedure in place.It’s me ,me and me, and once I am not there,do I really care?
Targets – Sometimes inexperienced recruiters do not understand the business impact,and are more in a hurry to match key words given to them,and they expect the standard answers to their standard questions. After all they need to fill up their questionnaire template.That is the process and the right way to go isn’t it? Like this friend of mine who works in a Tier 1 MNC, tells me while hiring for an inside sales professional the recruiter kept interviewing credit card call center professionals.Neither could he articulate the value of inside sales to the candidate nor to himself -as he himself believed that it was one of the marginal lesser important roles.All he needed to do was meet his target of interviewees and shortlist.And if no one was selected then he would argue that the managers were being too choosy in this tough market situation. Managers being under eternal pressure select what is dished out to them saying this is the best we can get.Those people get hired,productivity is still mediocre and people are happy as life goes on.There will that joker somewhere who will slog his back off to get to the numbers and then the manager can buy him a drink.
Analytical Ability - or the lack of it. Sometimes people form opinions on certain matters and think that is the absolute truth and are resistant to change.So if some bloke comes along and says I want to be a part of the company because I want to introduce a new business model,assuming he is interviewing for a leadership role – the hiring manager goes -”yea right” ! Worst if it is for a middle management position – then the cross mark on the tip of your resume is inevitable. Isn’t it ironical that people are constantly pounded to function inside the box and then they hire people to think out-of-the-box?Aren’t there enough examples of people contributing irrespective of their grey hairs or no hair as the case may be, in the industry? You see it is not about de-risking always,sometime one needs to take a calculated risk. I am not saying following a process is bad..but I am saying it is ok to give a new idea a chance? Who knows it could be the next big thing?
Self Belief System – There are tons of people who are limiting their potential because of their self-limiting belief system.They do not believe that anyone can make a change.Everyone has to fall in line just the way they did.Else the candidate is a clear reject.For example there was this entry level candidate who said to a recruiter that he wanted to do something strategic.He laughed it off and said the only one that does any strategy around here is God,rest all work. Little did he realise that the role required was for a new market initiative for the SMB space and needed a new business model or approach to kick it off.Opportunity lost.
Ignorance – Tier 1 companies or large companies have their websites well updated with job requirements,no sooner does a job requirement appears they are flooded with a million resumes.Under the circumstances,those resumes which are non-standard either get rejected or pushed back.It is ironical that these Tier 1 companies are so stringent about these details whereas their owners or starters are probably high school dropouts.Imagine those entrepreneurs having to got through the recruitment process. How many Larry’s Steve’s,Bill’s and Dells a re lost due this process? I am not saying that everyone can become like them – but am quite certain a few more could become like them.And even if they get close…industry,markets,opportunities would have a different statistic.
So what next ?

If we continue to carry on these processes we might start impacting the economy more closely than we can imagine.More companies may shut shop, more people rendered jobless,more office politics less productivity,etc etc etc. We need to be very sure of who we hire,evaluate the role fitments more closely, brief the stakeholders and most importantly give more people a chance.Just the way someone gave them a chance.

Disclaimers -

Last but not the least,this post is not meant to disrespect any profession,person or professional community.
I am sure everyone is trying their best to do what they do,however we have to sometimes look into ourselves with some degree of objectivity.
It should not be interpreted that I think everyone else is mediocre.
I am sensitive to the work pressure a hiring manager or recruiter might have.
Not all companies function in the same manner,there are exceptions.
Not all hiring managers operate the same way…I wouldn’t have been hired otherwise !
In spite of these observations, I continue to function in the same system.
In my subsequent posts I will talk about what all we can or should try doing to rectify the system as it is today.

October 10, 2009

The Waiting Train



I see them walk past every day,

they look through me anyway,

sometimes the occasional glance,

should I take a chance?


I am always the friend, never the girl,

Someone to depend on but not twirl.

Why do I have no chemistry?

It’s such a mystery.


I craved the loving touch.

Was I asking too much?

Or maybe a love letter,

To set my heart aflutter.


I grew anxious; no one had anything to say.

Waiting for those thrilling moments and sway.

Moons waxed and waned

I’ve no words to explain.


Now I go to work with a louse on the lurk,

Stalk, stare or glare on the streets at work.

I have to take a long ride

with only solitude by my side.


I hear their cheap jokes and silently weep,

sometimes they leer, and sometimes peep.

There were days when the unexpected touch,

I used to get nervous, but now, not so much.

Sitting at a table for four,

my colleagues took a detour.

And the boss dodges any conversation,

Lest I ask for an intervention.


It’s been on for a while now,

I sit behind the pillar or the last row.

Nestled quietly in my cubicle of security,

not arousing any suspicion or curiosity.


As I stare into the small mirror,

just enough to reveal my body error

yet not big enough to show my soul

sum or parts are not the whole.


But I think the smirking salesman was right.

The stitches are tight,

designers don’t design clothes my type,

Why would they, it doesn’t create any hype.


The family sarcasm party at night,

It keeps hurting till daylight.

I am the subject of many puns;

don’t be silly; it’s just for fun.


The workday is over, and I pack up

Lock my emotions and shut up,

Walk back alone with a simple drape

And each day, braving a mental rape.


But I will go back to work tomorrow,

that lone girl in the same waiting train,

I am not giving up today, yet again.










Gyanban thoughts - Obesity is a complex health condition affecting millions of people worldwide. However, despite being a medical issue, it is often stigmatized and discriminated against in many societies. In India, the situation is no different, with overweight individuals often facing insensitive comments, discrimination, and even harassment. Obese women, in particular, have to bear the brunt of this insensitivity, which takes a toll on their mental and physical health. So if you know someone suffering, please be more sensitive and respectful. Encourage them, and treat them with the respect and dignity they deserve.





October 8, 2009

Some Stories....are different.



Winners have Strategies
Losers have philosophies,
Success has many wannabe's
Failures have some oddities.

Love has vanities,
Hate has atrocities
Passion has depths
Emotion has faiths

Money has extravagances,
Religion has staunches
Politics has paunches
Beliefs have punches.

worry is sorry
hurt cannot blurt
thought is floating,
action is waiting,
result has glories
but I have some other stories....

Sands of time

The scorching sun follows me Hot dunes burn my feet I know you are waiting for me As I leave the last oasis. A grain of sand tears my skin T...