Are we the nation of culture or diminishing values...

My comfort in Hindi as a language is not very good. The reasons are many. But the one which can be best expressed is - I am worried about my accent and grammar when I speak. Thanks to my multilingual spoken language ability, Hindi still appears to be a skill in my resume among 7 other languages which I know ( all of them are Indian).

I encountered this elderly man.

He is the father in law of my neighbour visiting her from a remote place of Northern states. His Hindi is impeccable. He had this great baritone and I presume excellent oratorical skills too. When he speaks there is a divine quality in his voice. You will be forced to listen to him.

During my evening walks ( not that I am a health freak - its just a habit, trying to maintain my routine) I encountered this gentleman and we made it a habit to spend some time discussing about everything under moon.

He will never complain about anything. But he has a view on everything. In a five minute conversation, you will realise he would have spoken "why"for 4 minutes 59 seconds. I always end up wondering - what he says/said might be true.

He will worry about the street children in Mumbai. He even had a strong view on the Slum dog Crorepati movie.

"Why do you think they choose a Sari Clad Indian woman as a co - director. Only an Indian can wash his dirty linen in public"

" Did you see the movie" I said " No I haven't"

"Good, there is nothing to see at all. You have that filth all around you in the city of Mumbai. Garbage filled all around. Children take to crime. Subjected to crime. Trained to commit crime. Call girls, eunuchs there are tons of them living in this city. Living with shame. Surviving by doing shameful acts. Its there everywhere in the world."

He will go on further:-

" We as a society never recognised the fact - basic amenities to human kind - like, education, clean drinking water, sanitation, health care and three square meal are far more critical than - anything else"

"Our angel politician from the state I hail from - is busy collecting "Chanda" for her birthday. Imagine the fate of this country which will be led by such politicians - who has no formal education to understand economy, health care, Infrastructure...."

I interrupted him " tell me which country has one"

He looked at me in disbelief as if I am an untouchable.

"You cant be serious are you?. In my service, I have travelled extensively across the country. I also happen to travel far countries like Canada, Europe and UK where three of my children live. No were you have a public system which is grossly corrupted and politicians are nothing but thugs and useless criminals"

" You continue to pay taxes every year. If you are part of working community you tax gets deducted at source. How do you measure such contribution to the society is working or not. You have no measure. Few good men - go on PIL route and question everything a government does. But as a society how are we questioning our system. How are we measuring our money spent."

I was actually getting cynical about this old man. He will always stop me in my track and start a conversation:-

" Are you avoiding me?"

I will politely say, not at all and will attempt to walk un interrupted. But he wont let me. He will start a conversation.

" I think Obama will do a good job. He is the hope for the future. I am saying educated people like you should come into politics" I will stare at him in dismay. Unsure whether he is serious or joking.

"One Slum dog Crorepati - music gets an international recognition we all jump with joy. Look at our pathetic demand for recognition from a capitalistic world which has no respect or understanding of our culture. Our poverty ridden attitude, forgetting that we are self sustained economy - needs such small senseless recognition to feel good. We are the nation of Billion people. Our combined eligible workforce is three times bigger than Europe. We are the country which practices more than 800 music instruments still in use. Our bajans are far more meaningful not for their lyrics - but soul richening ragas. Our sasthras preach them".

My head will spin in all direction after these conversations. What is he trying to do to me?. Is he educating me?. Or these conversations are nothing but a source of expression for his frustrated and tired mind.

Or may be no one listens to him except me and he wants to share every junk running in his mind.

I asked him one day, what is that he wants achieve with such loaded thought process of his mind.

He smiled and said " If I can make one person like you to think, I am sure there are many more who will follow. In the world of materialistic interests, we are forced to stay focused on our circle. We have a duty to perform. Family to look after. Credit card dues, Housing loan dues, Children education and many more worries. Somewhere some one need to start thinking for the society and such thinking alone will help us to achieve collective wisdom without which no change will happen in a society which is ridiculed beyond recognition"

I was stunned at this remark.

How many times we have seen street children knocking at the window panel of your car - begging. You are so used to it you learnt to ignore it and accepted it as part of society living standards.

How many times you have seen those families sleeping below a cemented shelter of a over bridge?

Horror stories of the millions travel in Mumbai trains every day and how one terrorist attack on them impacted their ordinary life.

Stories of lives lost due to a inefficient system support and in adequate managerial capability in addressing public woes.

Child marriages, Mumbai Slums, Public distribution system ( our ration card system), transport buses, railway compartments, health care centers, primary and secondary education, road, clean drinking water, electricity - the more I thought I was getting this feeling of helplessness. I am wondering who will initiate the change. A change which will promise and assure a clean society to live and the corrupt will get eradicated. Poverty will be history.

The old man certainly made me think.

Are we the nation of culture of diminishing values?.....

A child is the source of your inspiration..

Most of we Indians are lucky....

Lucky for the simple reason, we have this impeccable network of joint families and innumerable cousins, uncles and aunts, there is an avalanche of people gathering on every occasion within the family.

I am from down South of India. A Tamil by birth. I enjoy those gatherings. I enjoy the re unions we have in our family. My family tree is spread across the country. From South to East to North and West of India and some out side India as well.

In the past two decades or so, there is some one or the other in our family tree is delivering a baby. A sign of the family tree expanding.

We have the eldest second generation of 20 year old and the youngest been 6 weeks old. I train to be a good company for Children. Not because I am a good company, its simply because I enjoy their company. Observant - of their nuances. Little expressions. Their curiosity. Their ability to adapt. Fascinates me quite a lot.

My own Children - so adorable they are. Each day they have a story to share. They have an excitement to express. New learning to try. Never a day for them is tiring. Never it is indeed.

I was - very many years ago once got stuck in a small railway station called Vijayanagaram. Touring to the hilly Southern part of Orissa, Koraput district where government of India put up two big investments - HAL Sunabeda and NALCO Damanjodi - for many its not a fun trip.

For me its always a great experience. You alight in Vijayanagaram to board a share taxi or full paid taxi/buses, depending upon the season you can choose your mode of transport. Several times when I used to travel the hilly terrain in the night, I used to stay awake - with a hope anytime I can get to see the glimpses of wild animals. We often spotted them and famous among them are tigers and early morning returning bears.

That night in Vijayanagaram railway station - there was some un rest in Kolkata due to which - most of the trains running between Howrah to Chennai were disrupted and my train was running late indefinitely.

That's not important. I learnt a valuable lesson that night in that small railway station.

I saw a couple who were a proud parent of a three year old, waiting for their train and were cursing every star on earth for the delay. Every one of us who were waiting were cursing our stars. The bondage which you pick up in railway station with your co passengers is fast and I guess also dis appears fast.

We were tired. Angry. Bored.

But that kid..... was never tired. Never expressed angry. Never cursed the stars. The kid engaged herself with every one around her. Her surrounding didn't bother her. She was all smiling. She was excited. Running around the platform. Singing and dancing. Every now and then there will be a goods career will pass by. She will be excited at the sight of such train and movement. She will close her ears. She will scream with joy. She will keep rattling something or the other only her parents could understand her language. I developed a fondness to that child and become so involved I didn't take my eyes of her.

Not once did I notice her getting tired.

I realised the lesson which I will never forget in my life.

The kid could disengage her self from all woes around her ( even if you don't understand them you can always disengage) and managed to stay brisk for the simple reason - she kept observing every thing happening around her with a sense of curiosity and as a new learning. She kept looking at things as if she is looking at them for the first time.

We grown ups don't do it. We don't let the excitement spread across if something happening around us does not meet our expectations. For us everything is judged. We look at things with prejudice. We think we possess the knowledge to condemn everything - we declare them un worthy because it didn't match with our so called knowledge.

The inspiration from a three year old is something I value even today. I consider a child is the source of your inspiration. Stay excited all the times.... you will find the world is a better place to live.

More in next..

Predictability in business

I encountered this question quite often from managers all across industries - specifically in Indian context those who struggle to define the performance predictability.

This is a serious issue. Its known as " Satisfactory Under Performance" syndrome, the tendency runs too deep into the veins of an Indian manager - and in many parts of the the growing global markets.

I am not a pundit to preach - I clarify this before hand so that you don't bombard me with your loaded questions. I am more of a logical man from the perspective of handling the business alignment towards productivity in performance.

I hail from a back ground which is humble and filled with simplicity. As a child I have seen most mothers ( of my peers at that age) struggled to keep track of their lads - to ensure they don't soil their clothes, eat things which will adversely impact their health and many other things only an Indian mother ( who is not living in a high raise building in metro)who lives in semi urban and rural India.

I read varying reports that in another decade or so Indian population will be represented by under 25 to a sizable chunk ( is it more than 60% - I cant say) and we will represent 1/3rd of the global working population. Imagine these lads are growing somewhere in the country side and are going to define the quality standards of the future economy.

Our upbringing itself - is designed on chances. Those who can afford ( which is abysmally low percentage) chosen to tutor themselves in education to qualify for toughest entrance exams of country both in Engineering and Management studies. The one's who cannot chose - chases what I call - left over options and struggle to design a life around being a generalist.

Go around the countryside and check with the Indian states ( I had the good fortune of getting exposed to every culture possible in India and Europe as well) toddlers even before they learn to talk properly are packed and sent to a upbringing camps across the country ( I refuse to call them prep schools since it has nothing to offer as a preparation - indeed what are they getting prepared is a million dollar question) which makes the parents far more stressed than the child.

In essence what is it all about? Creating stress led competitive comparisons? Ask one of the parent - what she or he is achieving out of this. The answer always (except some exceptions like me who will say I have nothing better to do) will be " as a parent we want to give the best to our child. Its our responsibility to ensure they get the best from us". Sound familiar. Don't worry - we are trained to think that way due to the peer pressure ( neighbours, sisters, brothers and many more who keeps getting added to the list every day - Including SRK's son Aryan and Sunil Shett's children - I heard/somewhere a particular school in Mumbai refused admission to the children of these celebrities because they didn't fare well in some entrance exams - what a pity not for the parents or child - its for the ones who made this as a news and the school who thrives in spreading such rumour and the parents of those children who got their lads admitted in that school proudly repeat these stories in party/temple/bajan/clinic circles) and as a parent we got nothing else to do.

Coming back to the topic of discussion - predictability - our children today are trained in a weak environment. The children those who have come to the mainstream in the past decade or so are not sure of themselves and whenever a challenge is thrown at them ( exceptions don't make a deviation in this column) they want to quit. They simply want to quit. Innumerable shrinks across the country are finding themselves pushed into a growing business because most of these children land up in their counselling centers.

Our adaptability towards realistic predictability in business is marred by conventional pride and ego. We are worthless if we don't make a tall claims. We are not great if we don't commit impossible. We are aliens among people those who believe in such false security.

Unfortunately many times I fell victim of such peer pressure. Nice presentations. Lovely stitched suits. Excellent articulation ability ( I still cant define what is the difference between impossible and not possible - which is altogether a different issue. Once my line manager - who happened to be a Brit asked me " are you saying impossible or not possible" not sure what it is I replied by saying " it means it wont happen")

Later I realised in business we fail - because we don't measure the performance scientifically. We fail because - we convert our wish list as our desire to achieve as result and draw endless activities around it. We fail because - we do not break down each activity supported into actions, time lines, supporting facts, leveraging knowledge, leveraging experience, leveraging environment and above all leveraging the pulse of reality.

Our up bringing, our generalist attitude, our race to be better than the next door guy gives us the sense of false feeling " Satisfactory Under performance". Incremental thought process. Victory achieved over ordinary results - without finding a fact to support it.

In order to be predictable in business I have learnt to deal in my own way which is not read from any business school:-

People are people and expect them to be not brilliant and intelligent as you expect them to be.

Process are after all driven by people and hence requires - more than commitment, consistency and capability - both never gets built over night. It take its own time.

Do not carry a false pride of achievement or sense of faltered ego - they are disastrous and stressful - because you will refuse to come down from a level which you think is appropriate and you will be the laughing stock when you turn your back to others.

In each of us there is an element of self esteem - if beaten once is dead for ever - all you do after that is keep frying them more and more and make it useless. So keep a close check on it.

Be prepared to understand words which are never spoken - but define words which are spoken close to your understanding and refuse to take your eyes of the facts and performance.

I am not saying its the best way to ensure predictability works - but only saying it worked for me and is working.

More in next....................................

Why do we need to define......the future

I have been witnessing news clippings in electronic media. Irrespective of caste, creed, geography and race - one thing which is common and discussed in every forum today is the global recession. We hear the job losses. We also hear about the storm which will impact India. This is the time for a large scale correction. Every one who is worth is suit ( salt ) is becoming an expert in subject we never heard before.

I remember as child my grandpa - meeting the neighbourhood astrologer with my horoscope - with an worried expression requesting him to predict my future. This happened almost every month and in the end of it the astrologer always made a comment which was never definite and always ended with a conclusion which is never conclusive. My grandpa felt satisfied and will return to discuss the predictions elaborately with my granny and mother - don't worry he will go places. Right now he is impacted by few changes in the planet. He will be alright. As a young boy I never understood few things:-

What was the concern my grandpa had about me which had driven him to the neighbourhood astrologer....

What is that he wanted to hear from him which in turn he used as a tool to express to my granny and mother.....

I used to feel confused and lost and landed up asking my mother as usual - " is there something wrong with me" for which she always answered with a sly smile " not really my son - we are preparing ourselves for your better future".

I have no particular reason to remember my child hood now. However I cant help but to draw inferences from a past for some reasons not know to me.

Every regulator, every banker, every one who is part of a panel in some discussions are all saying one thing in common - The worst is yet to come.

AS USUAL WE ARE ALL PREPARED FOR THE FUTURE - WHICH WE KNOW FOR SURE IS GOING TO BE FAR MORE WORSE THAN WHAT WE ARE WITNESSING NOW..... ( the pundits are predicting it ... ofcourse they are well dressed dont worry and you will always see them exiting out of expensive cars and places every now and then)

More in next...

Few drops in an ocean....

Never lie, steal, cheat or drink. If you must lie, then lie, but only in the arms of the one you love. If you must steal, steal away from bad company. If you must cheat, cheat death….And if you must drink, drink only in the moments that take your breath away.

There is always music in you. It responds to your mood. When you are not so happy it emerges as a sole companion to you. You keep tapping or shake leg or even shake your head. When you are happy it spreads into your system as a positive energy and makes you dance all over the place. Your mind is never empty. It is just getting tuned to your own music. A music which only you can hear and you can recognize. There is music in all of us called ‘Life’…

Analysis is condemnation. Ask yourself, ‘why do you want to do that’. The question itself is ill willed. You are seeking a motive that you have prejudged unworthy of you. Second guessing your motives undermine the faith in your own mind and leads to a decision to thwart the desire you had. A healthier approach would be to accept the desire and simply seek to learn its direction, seek to clarify it rather than judge it.

It’s not important to know what runs in the mind of your loved ones. It’s important to know what is running your mind for your loved ones.

Self esteem is always a trouble maker. When you are cornered and you have no clue as to where to look for the first mask you wear is in the name of self esteem. Quite often it is worthless. When it is considered to be of any worth you have no amicable use for it. People often confuse between self esteem and esteem of the self. The difference between both is like a bubble in the water and water in a bubble. When you think you have understood it, it’s gone. When you think you have not – its still gone. Either way, you don’t need it. What you need is your rhythm of self – to yourself and for yourself.

Emotions are misrepresented. The understanding of an emotion is connected with an act associated with an attachment which is an outcome of an incident. When you look deep into the meaning of it you will realize your KARMIC realizations are bundled into an elementary self portrayal. We tend to get swept away from the haves and the have nots and would like to believe what we think we have is what we wish we should have rather than what we wish to have is not what we have and what we have is the one we wish we never had. You don’t lose anything in your karmic senses. We only neglect to associate ourselves and create disconnect within ourselves. It only resurfaces later to remind you of your connect not your wish to connect. In KARMIC attainment there is nothing called good or bad? There is only CONNECT or NO CONNECT. It’s like a signal drop in your cellular. When the signals are stronger you are Connected when they are not you don’t. The Moral is you realize that you are not governed by emotions but by karmic attainments. I am one of your karmic attainments happening all around you.

No race is dear to life. It’s the end result which is dear to life. It’s called the race to succeed. We all want to race past the other, condemning the basic purpose of existence. Uncertainty is the mother of all races. We all race –fearing some one will race past us if we are not fast enough.

Half of our woes are generated through the way we look at happenings around us. We have bifocals. It has two standards. One for us and the other is for the world at large. If you can eliminate the dual standard – you gain a perfect balance

The elementary truth about life is we tend to understand things only to that extent limited to our knowledge and experience. The truth is – our knowledge and experience are so limited. We do not attain the wisdom to live life in its true sense.

The success of a strategy is never in its conception. Its always in its simplicity of execution. Life included. You don’t walk a distance to count the steps – but to cover a leap.

Care is a powerful four letter word. It differentiates and articulates the difference between “lust” and “love”. You either land up saying I care a **** or I don’t care a ****. So care either way.

Continuity is a pardigm

"Continuity is actually a Paradigm - never affected by the past deeds, failures, successes and above all - limited only to your experiences. A journey continued is far fetching and fulfilling than the journey which is aborted after a mission."

Cant let it go... then be prepared to suffer..

I have heard people telling me

" Chief I can't let it go"

"Its so close to my heart"

"I carry a pride for my achievement"

"I don't care what others might say, its mine and I have created it"

"I am the creator of this-and I know how to handle this"

I always listened to such remarks with a remarkable calm and quietness. I wanted to listen to such people. I wanted to listen to them as if I had nothing else to do. Its not easy to listen. One will discourage such people, such claims, such self portrayal as a waste of time. I don't hesitate to listen. I encourage people to talk more. I often direct the conversation to the point where one will elaborate details, connect themselves with an achievement, an incident, a person, a practice, a strategy and many more - using words.

I quite often remarked. An average Indian reflexes are far more stronger and better than his counterpart elsewhere in the world. A Brit has an unique advantage of practicing English - he has no other choice. Many Europeans, our cousins from China and world over, has a limitation of practicing limited skills to enhance their linguistic skills. However, an Indian practices an average of three languages. His mother tongue, his national language and his favourite English.

So when I encourage people to use words to express themselves, I draw a deeper meaning into each word spoken, sentences formed, paragraph explained and above all the intrinsic emotions connected with each of such claims. I try to connect to such expressions without judgement. As a human being you have no right to judge another fellow human being. That's my firm belief.

For all those people who strongly belive " I can't let it go" - remember one thing. Its our own insecurities which leads to such passionate feeling to hold on things - you have decided to stop on the track midway. It applies to life, relationship anything which relates to you and you are part of it. You stopped midway - you decided to stop mid way. The track leads you. You have decided to stop midway and didnt dare to proceed further for the fear of failure. Fear of not experiencing another feel good factor which you have experienced on things which you feel strongly " I cant let it go". And you like reciting them in every occassion. Every time you get an opportunity to speak. Everytime you have audience to listen. Everytime you become a focal point of discussions. Beware - no one suffers other than you. No one suffers other than you becuase its you who decided and said " I can't let it go". Similarity of experiences ends there. Its only similarity of mind which is unsure of future endevours starts there onwards.

When you decided to "not to let it go" - you suffer. The progress is withheld. A day will come you will wake up with a uncertainty of happenings around you - you will wonder whats next. You will wake up to realise - I wish I had given it up long before. You will come back to the track to start another journey. Till then be prepared to suffer if you "can't let it go".

More in my next post.

Creativity runs high in bad times..

I wonder sometimes, loudly - but mostly to my self. When something goes wrong why is it that people talk so much about it, it almost echos through a society without realising how it impacts the thought process of young and old alike. All the times it happens.

The other day Barrack Obama - I prefer to skip the middle name which means nothing to me - but so much fuss around it, made a predictable speach with his great oratory skills. He said the challenges are for real. But never said a word which cultivated negative connatation around anything. He is the hope for the future americans. For the world.

I strongly believe, use your creativity when times are good. Use your wisdom when the times are not so good.

One of my biggest learning was, when I travelled to Srilanka. First time it was the year 2001. I met few business partners and many traders. The general atomosphere - while I was sitting in a sit out made for dinner and local arrack - in the Columbo cricket stadium - listening to a local guy trying to impress me with the song " Tum paas aein" from one of the SRK movies - wasnt a good feeling around local business. I never ever heard anyone saying its "bad". Instead they said its not so good. Amazing. It taught me something. And I learnt a valuable lesson than night which I use quite often in my trainings and while I interact with my team - "its not so good" has a hope of improvement. "Its bad" is giving it up.

Wisdom often comes under pressure. You voice it and no one wants to listen to it when times are good. When times are not so good, every one wants to try out something which is time tested. Proven. And risk taking takes a back seat.

You dont let your creativity run wild. Rather you prefer to play it safe. Everything is curbed. Your spend. Your attitude. Your opinions. Everthign is curbed.

I suggest a re think once again. Times are not good - not good for an econonmy which was filled with factors exaggerated. Not so good due to the fact that every one went overboard - from ibank to our own dalal street retail investors.

Its the time for correction. There is a liquidity crunch. Curb on everything. Time to undo our wild creatvitiy and start using our simple wisdom. Logic supported with actions. Not a list of activities which in my opinion is waste of time. Action speaks louder than words. You dont have to blame your politicians. You can bring in a change. Change - which you can influence. Start from your home first. Cultivate that habit of creating positive impact. In words. In deeds. In culture.


( I will write more later)