You've Got Mail

One thing that you definitely learn

When you become part of a corporate group

Whatever be the case, whatever be the news

You should keep everyone “in the loop”

How do you think people get so many mails each day?

It is the direct result of this unwritten custom

Sometimes I wonder how much time people spend managing

Don’t they get frustrated? or do they get accustom?

You rarely see a mail without a few names hanging in the CC field

And there is some kind of pressure to fill all available space

Else there is fear of being called new and immature

Or the poor one who will need some time to adjust to this place

You see the difference when you receive mails from your friends

Except those Forwards, they have been addressed only to you

Is this possible or am I dreaming, you wonder

Before you realize, that this on is one of those few

Nevertheless, this practice helps sometimes

Remember that archived mail or the file you found

Or that quick glance read which helped you sound intelligent

Even without finding the time, to see all the mails which go around

Finding the average annualized rate of return

To find the annualized rate of return for an aggregate of transactions:

Let x1 = a1/b1 * 100 * 1/t1 ........ (1)

and x2 = a2/b2 * 100 * 1/t2 ....... (2)

where x = annualized rate of return; a = actual value of return; b = actual amount invested; t = time for which invested.

Equation (2) can be written as

x2 = (a2*b1/b2)/b1 * 100 * 1/t2

So, we can assume that b1 amount of money has been invested for (t1 + t2) amount of time and the actual return was (a1 + a2*b1/b2)

Therefore, the average annualized rate of return

= (a1 + a2*b1/b2)/b1 * 100 * 1/(t1 + t2)

= (a1/b1 + a2/b2) * 100 * 1/(t1 + t2)

= (x1*t1 + x2* t2) / (t1 + t2)

Listening

“Most people like to talk, especially if you let them know you’re interested in what they’re saying.”

I was planning to write a post on listening when I came across this statement in a book. It seems a good way to start the post.

Listening, I have realized over a period, is one of the most important things in life. I now understand the importance of being a good listener as well as that of finding someone who would listen to you. I am not sure how good a listener I am, and would let others comment on that. But one thing I would say, I try my best.

When I talk to someone, I would obviously like people to listen to me. In general, they would seem to. However, the general person would really be interested, if there is something in my words that he could gain from. I am not complaining, it’s rather fair.

Some would say that the listener should really be interested and not just pretend to be. To me, even pretension would do, until the time it is good enough to hide any major apparent disinterest. Even if the other person is less concerned but cares enough and makes an effort to hide that feeling, I think some credit needs to be given.

The importance of fillers such as “hmmm”, “uh-huh” etc. and body gestures like nodding of head etc. goes without saying. But an excess would do more harm than good.

One tendency that I have, and I think many have, is to take a point from the speaker and either give my experience with a related topic or share my view. Though this might indicate that I was listening, it might seem interruptive at times. The speaker might not mind that most of the times, but sometimes it might get quite irritating. I believe, that the listener should talk as little as possible just to keep the conversation on track and productive.

When listeners show full interest when the speaker is speaking, and start with their own stuff as soon as that person gets done, it might not feel that there was interest in the first place. Though there might have been, but it feels that it was pretense. The speaker might cut short things that were to be shared. This might happen when both the speaker and the listener have something to share (and both consider their stuff important). Well, this is also the time of examination for how good a listener you are.

Finally, the significance of silence cannot be forgotten. Though one might feel that if everything gets spoken clearly, it will lead be the best. Nevertheless, the power of silence goes beyond, at least some times, any spoken word. Actually, one might not realize how much silence communicates.

Mail adieu

With writing of formal mails

Came the confusion regarding how to end them

What if the ending, to convey the message fails?

How much does it matter for it is more of just a hem?

In school we were thought to end a letter with “Thanking you”

Or may be a “Sincerely yours” or “Truly yours” would do

Shouldn’t those be reserved for people few?

And shouldn’t each mail have customized endings to bid adieu?

With all those questions in mind, I started my experiments with the word

To be safe, only attempted those tried and tested by some other

Though somewhere at the back of my mind I wanted to stand out of the herd

Without creating for myself any unnecessary bother

I never quite got the funda of “regards” as the end line

For me it was meant for someone I wanted to honour

But I found others using it for all their mails well and fine

Somehow that word I could never garner

I finally ended with the word “Thanks”

Don’t know when but have stuck to it upto now

Many say when in doubt this is the word everybody banks

I use it almost always, sometimes without realizing when and how

Add to it a “much” or a “many”

And may be in the next line, your name in the appropriate form

You could suit it to situation any

And could get rid of the repetitive brainstorm

Concern for someone

People are different. Some take too much tension about everything. Some are not perturbed by the biggest of things. Both have their own reasons for behaving the way they do. Some people remain concerned about humanity at large. They get bothered for people they do not know that well once they get to hear about their predicament.

Here, I want to talk about an individual (say, A) getting concerned for some particular person (say, B) and willing to do anything for B. This may or may not come naturally, but the result is the same. I want to talk about the concern of A which is selfless; where A does not want anything from B, or wants almost nothing as compared to what A has done for B; where one starts wondering how such a concern from A can exist etc.

The triggers for writing this post came from multiple sources, but let’s not get into that.

I just came to know that someone is giving his kidney to his wife having issues with her kidney. I just started wondering how many people exist who would be willing to do so; may be many; but that does not make less the act this person is doing. It is very courageous on his part. I am sure his wife would have done the same for him, had she been in his place. It is only because of the mutual concern that they share that they would do this. Of course, this may seem to come automatically as they are married etc. If that’s the case, it is the institution of marriage that deserves a salute.

This concern may exist at so many places, in so many relationships. I have seen the kind of concern I want to talk about so many times in my institute. I want to share two examples here:

We have this mess and in the evenings we go there to have some light snacks and some tea or something. One evening when my friends and I were having this supper, unfortunately, a glass of tea slipped from a girl’s hand. His boy friend who was sitting closeby just didn’t knew what to do. He pulled out his handkerchief and tried to give it to her so that she could use it to wipe the hot tea that fell on her. His inability to help her more than this was quite apparent on his face. His concern for her situation looked so natural. He seemed to curse himself for allowing this to happen (though there was no fault of his). Their other friends were also obviously worried but there was a marked difference (which is completely fair).

The second incident is about my friend who is concerned about his own academic performance but more worried about the performance of one of his good friends. He studies hard so that he can help his friend with studies and I believe that he would not be studying so hard if it was not for that person. He tries to discuss subject contents with many people so that he can understand things better and explain it to his friend. He gets concerned if his friend is unintentionally missing an opportunity to study and understand things in a better fashion. He starts trying to reach his friend so that he can inform. I only have seen his concerns related to his friends’ studies and so have mentioned only about them. I am sure the concern spans more fields apart from this.

My only concern is whether this friend of his sees and recognizes and acknowledges this concern. I don’t know if my friend wants his concern to be acknowledged or not, but I definitely do.

Observations and deductions

Some things which I really found as if coming from day to day observations

1. ‘Familiar Stranger’ is a concept given by Migram. He says to be a familiar stranger, a person has to be

a. observed

b. repeatedly for a certain time period

c. without any interaction

Milgram notes that it’s a real relationship, in which both parties have agreed to mutually ignore each other, without any implication of hostility.

2. Somebody said “I don’t remember anybody’s name. How do you think the ‘dahling’ thing started?

While there are some other things which may not be so easily observable or apparent but which have been deduced over a period of time

1. An interviewer generally tries to choose/select someone like himself/herself.

2. What to do when you hold a stock and daily it is hitting upper circuits? Keep holding it till the volumes are low. If the volumes get high, exit.

Where I belong

As I sat on my seat in the well

I thought how in place it all fell

Each one was more equal than the other

Yet there was absence of any bother

The class begins, everyone is ready

To go in their state of steady

Chuddi is all energy, Papa is in slumber

BloJo’s sleep, even Bijli could not cumber

She and Nippo are in deep talk

About the next target he wants to stalk

With his arbit CP round the corner

Udee is relieved of doing the honour

Hugga is damn happy not to have such pain

While Laudu again decides to abstain

Shabbo reserves her right to enter

As Samosa is dragged left, right and centre

There is no need for Sodo to hide

And Gigi has the privilege to subside

D’Ice saves his wisdom for the world outside

Where he meets Orgy, all starry-eyed

Cumcum is about to be disturbed

NursBandi’s insightful CPs are trying hard to remain curbed

Bendy is concerned of the economies of sleep

Burger comes up with his marketing beep

As we reach the Upper Cut,

Gullak sits with a creative glut

Dhinchak has something to contribute

Gilli has some answers to attribute

Maggi is at a different level

On a path people less travel

Nirodh hides his brain with his hair

And Linga listens to the Prof with care

Not concerned about Sheiky on his left

Who in his Niche is heft

Today’s session will go in the book

As Anand is saved of being alone in the hook

4play is wondering why is he here

Even as Mala finds the Prof’s words as music to his ear

Now we come to that section of the class

Which has been somewhat different from the mass

Harish has never volunteered for a word

Paise also belongs to that herd

Bodhi has remained mum for long

Though Sandeep has broken sometimes from the throng

That way Phullan has been misplaced

His sleep and speak, the class has been graced

O-Maal has a dictionary on his lap

Looking at the next opportunity to tap

+2 finds the happenings around dull

Aadha still remembers the court martial

Gulabo is thinking about his long list of crib

Geyser wants to know the time of his lib

Amarendra is looking at the technicalities

Feebo finds everything as externalities

Haddi keeps coming with MHU, which to his despair

Nobody ever wants him to share

Guppi has to be attentive for there might be a cold call

Dixcy is spreading his smile to one and all

Miski is confident, any questions she would block

As Suwer looks at the instructor with shock

Masal is by far every Prof’s favourite

So, Smoothie does not have to do anything great

But to relax and enjoy

For things would be taken care of by Sukhoi

Zuli is positioned well to avoid

Sumata considers the discussion devoid

And ‘How does it matter’ or ‘That’s alright’ is what he wants to utter

As Sambhog’s point makes things less of a clutter

He brings in unseen dimensions as a perfect consultant

HaiHai gets ready as an articulate respondent

The last one-third of the class

Is consisting of that mass

Who have a lot to say indeed

And towards whom the class looks in times of need

Bubli is giving her best to understand

Always is raised Khujli’s hand

Ready to pounce on any mistake in his ken

Sitting between him and another great soul is me, Laalten

Osho (Daddu) knows what all this is about

Doesn’t take much time to figure out

Chapper though good with numbers

Have lost count of his hours of slumbers

Raddi (Sarkar) has already analysed the case

Fukta is ready for any brace

Why hasn’t Lavdy ever spoken?

And who has the guts to keep Fiat woken

Supada is being missed a lot

All the reading at the tip of his tongue, has Softy got

Lalu is the section’s romantic boy

Chewii will not be caught in any Prof’s ploy

Fadka talks from his experience

Lundon needs to be listened to with patience

Silence for Combo is voluntary

Suji is all gallantry

Sylar takes his entire point through

Forcing anyone in the way to flew

Quaddro is speaking abstract

Blomie does a playful act

Duski does not know whether to speak or not

Mag’O is listening but sometimes the words do not get caught

Scuba will make up something on the spot

The class is not the place for Bubbly to say a lot

Lectures come and lectures go

People in here have an unusual glow

May be they do not share the greatest of bond

But there is definitely a special fond

That runs through like a thread profound

Keeping all jewels closely bound

Reel world

In some lecture I attended a while back, the speaker mentioned a point about Bollywood movies which I hadn’t come across earlier. He said that in the 70s, the audience like the image of an angry young man in movies since the citizens at large were themselves angry. The reason for the anger may be due to the prevalent political system or something else.

As you moved towards late 80s, early 90s and henceforth, the attraction towards a chocolate hero gained momentum and happiness was the name of the game. Again, according to the speaker it reflected the general mood of the public.

So, you had the release of Hum Aapke Hain Koun in 1994 which was based on a family and had shown marriage celebrations in all its entirety and elaborateness. Different movies that followed had their major theme being dominated by joy and happiness in its various forms.

However, I am still doubtful what the contents of the movies at large portray with respect to the reality as per the audience. It is true that the movie directors and producers many a times take stories and incidents from real life or the topics are very much relevant. But does the general theme across movies actually represent the existing reality or does it just portray how people would like reality to be or may be neither, I am not too sure.

A trend setting movie of its times was Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge released in 1995. It was a major success and a theatre in Mumbai is still running a show of this movie from the time of its release. One major deviation from the trend that this movie envisaged and which I believe the people liked is that the hero of the movie does not ask the heroine to run away with him (which was generally how it worked in movies before). He was of the opinion that one should win the consent of families on both sides before moving forward. He wanted to have their blessings with their choice and not because they have no option. The father of the heroine finally realized that it was best for her daughter to be with the hero.

I am not saying that was right or wrong. But as India is getting more and more westernized and the trend of love marriages is increasing, was it that the depiction in the movie was against or for the current mannerism in which things progress? Or was it actually trying to show a way in which both generations need to move so as to attain some kind of equilibrium in society?

The more important question is regarding the people liking the movie – were they appreciating this novelty of the idea or did they actually think that society should be going this way? I again don’t know. Has the society moved in the direction, assuming it wanted to?

To return to our previous hypotheses of movies depicting the mood of the audience, it does not seem to be so black and white.

Memorable group

At my institute, one of the first things that is part of the system is dividing the students into groups of 5 or 6. The students are divided into 4 sections and the group members are all from one section. Though I have worked earlier in academic groups, the previous groups were more formed on an informal basis. Generally, my policy is (or at least I would like to believe that my policy is) that whoever asks me first to form a group, I don’t say no. So, previously my group formation was either with someone who asked me first or with some of my close friends.

Forming a group on a random basis is very helpful for you get to learn to work with people you don’t know; people who you are almost meeting for the first time. Such kind of working with a new bunch of people can be very helpful in one’s career especially for jobs which involve constant rotation of people form one team to another.

The institute tries to have a balanced group in terms of work experience of the members, their backgrounds etc. I would say I was lucky enough to get a well balanced group (partly you would see from below descriptions). We were a 5 member group and I would say that the class looked up to us many a times when in need (of at least some group having prepared well for the class). I would describe my group members here (as I see them) and would be very frank:

V (D): I will start with the lady first. She is a very enthu, energetic, ready to do things kind of person. She has excellent networking skills and I guess almost everybody on campus knows her and vice versa. She has one of the coolest of attitudes and is there for you in times of need. A very approachable person, she is always willing to help. She puts in a lot of effort for almost everything and I wonder where she gets all the energy from. She does things as situation demands and is ready to sacrifice personal comforts (sleep etc.) in times of need. But when herself in need, she does tell others about it but wants to tackle things on her own.

K: Eldest of the lot, he is a very experienced person. He seems to have seen a lot in his life and always gives quite good insights from the practical angle. His presence tremendously helped the rest of the group to understand things more clearly. As if this was not enough, he is very modest, down to earth kind of person. He always said that he himself is a free rider when actually he did as much work, if not more, as the rest of us. He always maintained a humble attitude and is someone who naturally generates respect for himself.

ML (S): He is pseudness (in a positive sense) personified. This is the first impression you would have if you work with him. I share a special bond with him (am not sure if he feels the same, but I will like to believe he does). In some ways, we are just opposites but still I can say that among my list of friends he would be right up there. I have learnt a lot from him and am just amazed at his attitude towards life. He remains cool with everything which happens. With initial interactions, one might not be able to appreciate him, but it won’t take long to do so. He has exemplary communication and presentation skills.

PK (OM): He has been a good friend from the time I came to know him. He is someone you can ask for things and not hesitate about it. Attentive to details, he does a good analysis of the situation at hand. He is very good at presenting stuff. He very well knows what he is doing and likes to have a good grip on the subject at hand. Again a chill person and does not mind things. At times, when I behave a little rudely, he is very understanding and does not carry grudges along. Sometimes behaves as a child and sometimes has the maturity of a 60 year old.

Something which goes for everyone is that all of them were ready to share their knowledge etc. and were not afraid of that. So, if one of them got a solution to a problem (say), he/she ensured that the rest of the group gets to know about it as soon as possible. We studied together even for things which were not mandatory to be done together (for e.g. exams etc.).

This group is assigned for the first term and from the second term, one is free to form a group of one’s choice. As you would have guessed that my group remained intact. I haven’t said this to anyone, but I sincerely believe that a major credit for me doing a decent job in the first two terms (and also after that), goes to my group. It is hard to imagine what would have happened if these people had not been my group members.

In the third term, each of us had to be a part of a different group, for reasons which were very external and nothing related to the usual reasons why groups fall apart. Yet we still make it a point to get together periodically for studies or general chit-chat or for going out for dinner etc.

Not every member of the class was happy with the new groups formed in the third term. There were people who were so taken aback by change that they were too reluctant to put in any effort for making the group work. I am happy to say that my group members are ones who are trying their best to make things work in their respective groups and I commend them for that.

Here and there

I was away from home for 4 years during my under graduation. During the holidays, whenever I visited my home, the lifestyle I lived was completely different from what I was leading at my institute on a routine basis. The amount of time I slept or the various casual activities I did at home were not part of my daily routine at that point in time. I always wondered how I would be able to get back to my routine once the holidays got over and I had to return. But somehow it was never a problem and there was no transition period required. Even during my current stint with academics, in holidays, I still wonder similar thing knowing well that it won’t be a problem.

One of my friends told me this: There are four stages in the life of a professional when the person is recognized by different things:
1. During under graduation, recognized by a 2-page CV.
2. During post graduation, recognized by a 1-page CV.
3. After joining a company, recognized by your visiting card.
4. The final aim is to get yourself recognized by just your name.


Jim Rogers, cofounder of Quantum Hedge Funds (along with George Soros) has three pearls of wisdom to share:
1. Get out of the dollar.
2. Teach your children Chinese.
3. Buy commodities.

Why do companies opt for Rights issue over Follow up public offer?
As per our Finance professor
1. Logistics, time and costs are saved.
2. Shareholder value is not diluted (atleast for those who can avail shares)
3. prevent new stream of shareholders investing for short term.

Finally, came across a good post
http://melodycalledlife.blogspot.com/2008/01/top-of-world-feeling.html

A few links

There is this talk from Warren Buffet to a bunch of MBA students on Youtube. The best part I liked was the beginning where he emphasized the importance of integrity in a person. He took an unusual analogy and asked the students to think of just one person in their class who they would go long on. And similarly just one person on which they would go short. He says (and I am convinced) that the selection of these people would not be dependent on talent or beauty etc. (which are God given). But the qualities one would want to attribute are such that one can acquire them (in case of long) and can get rid of them (in case of short). Below is the link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfuXKpMFUjc

"If you risk something that is important to you for something that is not important to you, it doesn’t make sense."

"You have to get rich only once."

Below are some links for the posts of a few blogs I liked.

"I know your imperfections as well as your perfections,

know your faults as well as your assets.

And I find I like you not in spite of those,

but as much because of them as anything else"

- http://www.melodycalledlife.blogspot.com/

Because you want to do it

I have experienced sometimes the feeling you get when you do something without expecting anything. You might do this for someone or just for your own self. But the criterion is that you should not expect anything afterwards. I am not sure if I have given an apt introduction to the things I am going to mention, but I found these to belong to this category.

Like in the last term, I participated in a competition and made a presentation for it. I spent a lot of time on it and was quite happy with my analysis. After the submission, somebody told me how easy the analysis was and the answer was pretty obvious. My answer was different from theirs and the reason was probably that I overanalyzed the situation. I was obviously not shortlisted for the next round. But what I realized was that it did not matter. Whatever I did had provided me enough enjoyment that what happens next did not matter.

Similarly, I was getting bored one weekend. There was some talk about a presentation that we had to make. Though it had to be made in a group, I thought of starting making the presentation without telling my group. I spent a good amount of time on it and by the time our group was supposed to meet for the presentation, it was already done. As I was making the presentation, people from other groups decided that they should take the benefit of doubt and not make it. Next day they were planning to portray themselves innocent of not knowing that something like that had to be done. I got to know but did not want to stop. The making was worth the effort and it was of little consequence whether it had to be done or not. It took some creativity from my side, something which I feel I lack. We made the presentation the next day, but it was more of an icing on the cake.

Similarly, I did a few small things for one or two people and it felt like I was doing it for myself. So there was no question of wanting anything back.

Finally, there is a poem which I read recently 'Of Friends I've Had' and liked. You might like it as well. Its from a blog; just scroll down towards the end of the post.