Sunday, November 30, 2008

Does it not bother you?

Prof. SH used to tell us in class how Mr. JRD Tata, once while travelling in Air India was being served food using a food trolley (He had the airline company as ‘Tata Airlines’ before). He observed that the trolley was not working properly and that the wheels were not tightened fully. Everybody might have observed that and neglected it. The person carrying the trolley would also be aware about that.

Mr. JRD saw the food trolley being carried towards him. When it came close to him, he pulled out his pen, bent down and tightened the wheels.

Prof. SH used to ask us, why does it not bother you if something is not working properly, especially if you are using it or are in some way affected by / attached to it? So, if there is a tube-light which is blinking in your office, does it not occur to you that it needs to be changed. You might not do it yourself, but at least the facilities people can be informed about it. Or do you wait for them to do their periodic check and find out or wait till some other person brings it to their attention.

I have been guilty of similar things myself and so somehow could relate to it. Many a times, I take the “it’s ok” attitude a little too far.

In my dorm, in the common area, I see things lying around in a not so orderly fashion. I understand that in a dorm, you cannot expect everything to be properly arranged and all, and may be that is the way it should be. But, it sometimes feels a little more out of order than necessary. I try to put in the old newspapers in a stack so that they do not keep lying around. The helper can be asked to keep things clean & proper and a little hard tone would do no harm. I always ask him to sell away the old newspapers scrap merchant once a certain quantity of paper gathers. He also benefits from the little money that he gets by selling these. Infact, when I was last in the dorm, he himself had started asking if he can take away the papers.

I am not boasting or anything. It just feels that the dorm is my home and I would have done this at my home as well. So, I am not obliging anyone.

Even when I was working, we had this small room in which we had business magazines, newspapers etc – kind of a small library room. And again the old magazines used to lie around the room; the stack for one particular magazine had other magazines in between etc. I don’t blame others, for they themselves did not have problems (or did not seem to have problems) with such arrangements.

Prof. SH used to wonder why does this behaviour not come out automatically? Why does one’s heart not get pained on seeing such things? Why does one not start setting things "right" and just ignores such things?

Mumbai and beyond ...

I had been feeling somewhat guilty of not writing anything about the Mumbai attacks, especially since it is my home city. I thought about writing a number of times but didn’t exactly knew what to write. Should I be angry with everyone from the government to the militants? Or should I sympathize with those civilians who were killed and remove my hat remembering the men who did not care for their lives and wanted to stop the terror?

Being geographically so far from the actual happenings, I was amazed how quick the information / news spread. Within an hour or 2 of the start of the events, I got to know of it and immediately contacted my family back home. They were fine and then I started getting in touch with my friends who were somewhat associated with Mumbai to see how they and their families were doing. I am always remembered about the Delhi blasts where someone I knew was so very affected.

In the last few days, I have heard so much about everything even remotely connected with the happenings – views, comments, opinions etc. Obviously, there is a lot of rage and disappointment and many other emotions surfacing among people.

I would be going back to Mumbai in some time. Somebody asked me if I was scared of going there. I thought how ridiculous the question was. It is my home, and does somebody get scared while going to home?

Some years back, when I used to see regions that were very affected with violence, terrorism etc, I used to think why don’t people just leave these places and get settled elsewhere – not all but there should be a large exodus. I thought that it would be due to the constraints regarding inability to replicate the kind of life somewhere else – difficult to sell home and buy another, finding a new job etc.

Now, I see that though this might be true, the reason is much more than the enlisted constraints. It is your home. How can you leave it? Yes, there are issues – no one is denying that. But you have to deal with them and not leave the place and move away.

My grandparents always tell me this thing – when your house is dirty, you clean your house and not start living in someone else’s (because yours is dirty). I found it so much applicable in different contexts – one of which is this. When there is crisis in Mumbai, should I leave this place and think that it is better if I can find opportunities elsewhere? (Another context when I remember this thought from my grandparents is when somebody says – you should settle outside the country; don’t you think you would be wasting your life in your country?; look at all the opportunities if you go someplace else) I would like to clarify, that I do not consider that the place I live in is dirty. It is just that, we have to do some usual dusting and things would be fine.

I do not know how much, but finally the people are the ones who are responsible – and I am one of those responsible. Paresh Rawal aptly puts it in the film Nayak (the spirit behind the words have larger applicability)

"
Aaj jisse bhi poocho who kahega, main doctor banunga, IAS banunga, vakil banunga
Lekin ek bhi aadmi neta banne ko tayaar nahin hain, pooch lo
Politics ek gutter hain bolke sab log bhaag jaate hain
Lekin koi bhi iss gutter main utar kar isse saaf karne ko tayyar nahin hain
Aur desh ko inn buddhe bhediyon ke haath main chodh kar chale jaate hain
Jinke paas jine ke liye zindagi bhi nahin bachi hain


Tumhare jaise desh ke sabhi nau jawan yehi sochte hain
Ki 15-20 hazaar ki naukri mil jaaye, ek sundar si ladki shaadi karne ko mil jaaye
Aur phir budhape tak rupya rupya jama karke sheher ke bahar adha acre zameen kharid lenge
Wahan 700-800 sq ft. ka ek ghar banayenge aur ghar pe peela paint hoga
Samne garden hoga aur garden main easy chair pe baithke akhbaar padte huye apni biwi se kahenge ki
‘Darling, politics ne iss desh ko khatam kar diya hain’


Arre jaon koi hakk nahin hain kissiko politician ko gaali dene ka”
"

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Friday, November 28, 2008

Orkut testimonials

The sole testimonial I received on Orkut from one of my friends, Mr. SS

" Ashutosh .... I feel he is a very different guy ... he reads obscure things and has very very different ideas ... but he is never afraid to share them and that is something which makes him unique .....

A true mumbaite .... A true blogger .... A true mast dude ...."


The sole testimonial that I have written on Orkut (and this was for the same Mr. SS)

"After so many testimonials written, there is no guarantee that everything would be original. But something I have learnt from Funti (Shubham, in slang) is to keep trying (or some might call it, keep fighting). And so, I would write one.

He is a person who thinks a lot and always has some suggestion(s) which could improve someone’s life. To some extent, the points he asked me to concentrate on were responsible for my sole job offer; and so I would like to thank him (which I think I have not done before).

Things he works for always comes his way, due to the sheer effort he puts in. Finally, I expect to hear from him a lot - after IIT - given his networking skills."

If Google Were ...

Thursday, November 27, 2008

I cannot forget ...

It is amazing how sometimes, things, that some might overlook or consider not that important, makes one feel so good. These stick to your mind for long. I will tell you about 3 such things that happened (there are many more than these 3).

*
In my institute, we have this 4 day event where companies come and interview candidates to select them for a summer internship. The event was to start the next day and the seniors from my dorm prepared us well before that and wished us luck.

Some of the seniors had gone on Exchange to universities around the world and had not been able to spend time with us. On the night before the 1st day, me (and each of my dorm-mates from my batch) received a phone call from one of these seniors on Exchange. He just wanted to know how was our preparation and wish us luck. The gesture of that phone call is unforgettable. Recently, one of my other dorm-mates also recalled receiving that call and I realized how many minds (and hearts) one can find space in (in a good way) by just a phone call.

**
Again, in my institute, each batch selects a few people among ourselves to arrange and co-ordinate all placement related issues, communication and events (including the above mentioned 4 day event). The head of this group is elected by the batch through formal voting and then this person selects the rest of the team. For election of the head of the group, people have to file in nominations, prepare a manifesto and pitch to the batch. I was thinking of whether I should try to become part of the team or not. There are some things you have to miss if you are part of the team (such as going on Exchange). I was not exactly looking to stand for the post of the group head.

And then somebody asked me if I was thinking of become the group head. This person was from my batch but someone with whom I had not spoken much. I was amazed at the fact that someone saw me as the head (or atleast as a potential candidate) when I myself did not. Also, this person seemed sure that I would at least be thinking of standing for that post. Though finally, I did not stand for the post or tried to become part of the team, I somehow am reminded of the fact that at least there was one person who saw me as a worthy candidate.

***
Untoward things happen. One gets concerned about them. But sometimes the most one can do is to ensure that damage has not happened to people we know.

There were some such incidents which happened in my home city yesterday. I tried to get in touch with my family and learnt that they were alright. Then I though about getting in contact with friends who are either themselves in that city or have family there. So, I logged in to one of my Instant Messaging subscriptions, and before I could ask anyone, I got a message from a friend enquiring about how my family was. I told this person that everything is alright and asked about this person's family who lives in the same city. Thankfully, everything was well.

Though this event happened only yesterday, it feels I would remember the fact that somebody was concerned about me, for a while. Again, one message can go a long way.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Go away



I hate you

Let’s be clear, this is true

Oh! Please go away, boo

View each other as when we didn’t knew


Each day I would try harder to chew

You never gave me a clue

Only stop when I am through

Until I am sure, from my mind you flew


Estrange me from you

Various times, I would coo

Effable but don’t want to get in a stew

Not even, want to start things anew


Thing that I had with you

Have not had with even a few

Ending this below my shoe

Now I have smoked all my due

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Can you please stop doing that?

The one thing I want to have in a close friendship is the ability to ask your friend to stop doing something because you don't like it. Your friend agrees or not; whether the thing is still done or not is a different issue. Just the fact that you can say is something valuable. I am not sure how willing I come across regarding this issue.

Abiding by what one is asking is a different issue since, one is not always 'right' or sometimes there may not be a 'right' or 'wrong'. So, it may not be clear which way should the outcome be.

If I don't like something about a close friend, I have this habit of conveying that. But I try to do it only once and only to those I think are close to me. If they don't agree or don't follow, its upto them. But it still hurts when they do it again and again.

I recently had 2 instances with 2 of my close friends (and I definitely think, they also consider me as a close friend) in the last few months. I would not go into the details but they used particular language which I did not like. They did not use it against me, but infact that was part of the issue. I don't mind they saying anything to me or anything in private. But this was on a public forum. And even then, nobody would have given a damn about it, for it is perfectly common to use that language these days.

I could not talk to both of them face to face about the issue, for somewhere within, I felt guilty of trying to impose my own will. So, I talked to them online over this. I am amazed how things come out so easily when it is not face to face. The great thing was that my friends understood me and atleast listened to what I had to say instead of becoming defensive. They have not repeated that stuff and I am proud of them.

I have not taken any promises for I have experienced the agony of a friend promising and then backing out without even remembering that we had such a pact. So, I have just requested them and I hope that it would work.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

I found this interesting

I read this in a book that Mr. Dave Neeleman who was the CEO of JetBlue airlines used to service as a flight attendant, baggage handler, and maintenance worker while still being the CEO. There are different reasons for why he did this and a lot of advatages as well. How many CEOs would be willing to do such a thing today?


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http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/24/business/24street.html?_r=1&th=&emc=th&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin

An investment banker said:

"The thing about investment banking is it's so grueling that you are always daydreaming about going off and doing something interesting," Mr. Pugliese said. "Your heart is crying out, but your wallet is telling you there's nothing else out there that is going to have this kind of payoff."

Mr. Neff, a former technology industry analyst, said he often thought about taking a year off to study the Talmud and other Jewish texts. But at the end of good years, he would not want to miss the next good year. And at the end of bad years, he felt too nervous about his finances.

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Mr. Narendra Modi's interview excerpt ... On being questioned about he being next in line to Mr. L.K.Advani, "There are two ways to harm a person. One, you can give that person less work than what he is capable of doing. Second, you can show him big dreams which he is not capable of achieving. You fire his ambition so that he ventures out and gets finished."

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"Wal-Mart accounts for 12% of total US imports from China — if Wal-Mart was a country it would be China’s eighth largest trading partner"



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India has the fourth largest number of vehicles running on natural gas among all countries of the World.



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Reverse psychology: Empirical evidence demonstrates that the presence of signs reading "Do Not Write on These Walls Under Any Circumstances" actually increases the incidence of people's violations of the vandalism norm (as compared to signs that say "Please Do Not Write on These Walls" or the complete absence of signs).

Similarly, people take longer to vacate a parking space when they know someone else is waiting for it. People often have a negative reaction whenever they perceive that someone is controlling their behavior or limiting their freedom.

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65% of second-generation family businesses fail and some 90% of third-generation businesses fail.

Sunday, November 09, 2008

IMs, Social Networking Friends' list

I am not sure if I am too choosy in terms of friends or what, but my friend list in any Instant Messaging service or in any Social Networking site is smaller than most of my other colleagues. If somebody asks me about this, I just kid around saying that the bar is very high for reaching my list.

Firstly, I do not like to have someone in these lists who I don't know. I know you would think how that is possible. But I have heard people saying that though a particular person is in his/her list, he/she really don't have much acquaintance with this person. My idea is that I should be able to talk to anyone in the list without having that person or myself to put pressure on the mind about thinking who each of us was. That's like the first filter.

My institute has a separate IM service to connect with people associated with the institute. Batch strength every year is around 250 and in my list I have only 31 people (yeas, I did count) across three batches (mine, my senior batch and my junior batch). I have seen lists that would have atleast thrice that number, and that would not at all be uncommon. Of the 31, 16 are from my dorm and the remaining 15 otherwise - 14 from my batch, the lone guy from my junior batch is someone I knew from before.

Sometimes, people get added for convenience. so, if you are temporarily working with a few people and there is a need to communicate with them frequently, it does make sense to add them (even if it is on a temporary basis).

Another issue is that there are now so many of these services and adding everyone everywhere is just so much redundancy and waste. Why not add people at only those channels where you think you would use these channels to contact them on a priority basis i.e. if you have a choice, you would go for a particular service to contact this person over others.

Sometimes people get added because you don't want to annoy anyone, especially when the particular service has mandated it to be a two-way street and you would not be there in the other person's list if he/she is not in yours. And it does make sense to add for one should give chance to every relationship. I think how would I feel if I sent a friend request to someone and it gets rejected.

I try to get in touch with each of people in all my lists at least once a year. It's not about networking for they can be of use or any such motives behind the thought. But that I like to atleast be in touch. Even if that means sending wishes for Diwali and not speaking for the rest of the year.

I know one might be of the view that this is thinking all too much. And its easier and better to just add people and not spend too much of our mind-time in these issues. I am not sure if I have any thing to oppose that.

Saturday, November 01, 2008

What's different?

I am spending a term outside my institute at another B-School in another country. In many ways, the experience is very different here - both in terms of the academic and the associated non-academic stuff.

One of the methods that is used widely here (which is not the case at my institute) is having guest lectures which go with the course. These guest lecturers are many a times the B-School alums. All are called with a specific purpose in mind - to talk about a particular topic or a specific aspect of the topic. These people have been through a lot with respect to these topics and have their story to share. There are also lectures from eminent personalities not as part of a course but through various other programs which are run at the School.

I have attended lectures from
Vikram Pandit, Citigroup
John Thain, Merrill Lynch
Paul Otellini, Intel
Anne Mulcahy, Xerox
Alan Hassenfeld, Hasbro
Robert Gordon, 21st Securities
Woo Eui Jei, Hynix
Joel Morse, C3i
Bo Burlingham, INC Magazine
Dr. Brown, Hearx
Goryebs, Champion Mortgage
Dr. Hal Teitelbaum, Crystal Run Healthcare
Tarek Sherif, Medidata Solutions
Steve Peltzman, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
Jack Mitchell, Mitchell/Richards
Noushir Hasan, Ashford Enterprises
Carley Roney & David Liu, The Knot

I found this method of teaching quite interesting. Listening to all these people and getting to know their stories is quite fascinating. Their learnings can be so useful and these things are so difficult to get, I don't think many would have access to these.

One thing I have realized is that I really like listening to people, hearing their stories etc. I am in a different country and unlike others I am not so much interested in travelling or see places. I know its odd of me and may be unusual (in a negative sense). I have seen a couple of places but it is not the case that every week or two there is an urge to go to a new place. I am more interested in meeting all my acquaintances in the city once, while I am here. I want to utilize this opportunity to listen to as many people who visit the school to give talks as possible. I am not saying I can't do both but the question is of urge.

There are courses in areas that I want to take here because I might not get that level of teaching back home. It does not matter to me much if these courses are not in the area that the School is most known for. I know that my home B-school does a more than decent job of training me in that area, so why not try other areas?

One thing is that when people give importance to other things (to which I don't give as much importance), it feels if I am missing something. But I guess its a personal thing and I try to convince myself that preferences can be different. Am not always successful, though.