Friday, March 9, 2007

Lateral Thinking

I was into a training program this afternoon where I was introduced to new software development model called 'agile-scrum'. What interested me more than the scrum is the ability of the Americans to look beyond the obvious. The concept of scrum was actually borrowed from rugby where players from both teams huddle together to take control of the ball placed among them. (This would help each team to set goals and work towards them collectively)
The scrum methodology is helping the software development in a big way by introducing flexibility, accountability into it.

On the onset rugby and software development are poles apart. But people who introduced scrum to software development could map the best practices of one field into a diametrically opposite field. This requires lateral thinking breaded by creativity.
United States did not become a super power over night. It was innovation of the above kind that has enabled them to be one. What others see as a potential disaster is perceived as an opportunity by them. If that was not the case nobody would have ever dared to invade Iraq. This could only be possible through innovation. Then again you should have the courage to face the brunt, when your idea is perceived as puerile.
So next time, when you see a cricket match, do think beyond the obvious. Who knows one might invent a new methodology called ‘Power Play’. Lateral thinking helps

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Lift Karado ?

My trip to the UK was quite a humbling experience in more ways than one. Below is one such incident.


It was 9 in the morning and London was bustling with activity. I took the jubilee line and reached office on time. I was waiting at the entrance for the lift. I operate from the ninth floor so you are left with no other option but to watch people in the lift.

I was shocked to acknowledge that I was the only male in the lift. It was a weird experience in some sense as one cannot expect the same to happen back home. For no reason I was excited.

Jokes apart I had a strange feeling about the experience. On repeated thinking I felt there are more connotations to it. It in some ways signifies the rapid progress women folk have been making in the UK.

I thought some study in this regard would throw more light . The ratio of women work force to male work force in the UK is about 1:2. The same ratio in India ia bout 1:6.This could explain my lift experience.

It doesn’t mean Indian women are far behind their global compatriots. We have women who are Chairpersons of global giants ( Indra Nooyi -Pepsi InC) ,who are consoles of Governments (Sonia Gandhi need I say more) and many more are holding the spirit of Indian women high in the global market .

The progress of the country depends on empowering the Indian women. Women empowerment could be one of the reasons behind the progress made by UK'.

Thus there is an eminent need for the government and the 'AAM AADMI' to empower the 'AAM aurat'.

Monday, February 19, 2007

The love vich ki code

The other day I had a very interesting discussion with my friends. The discussion ( ended up being a debate) was about whether love is related to physics or chemistry .

Everybody had their opinion and thus winners in their own right .

If you are wondering what I am talking about then let me explain:


When you walk around you see couples who are diametrically opposite in physic .

A short grirl with a tall boy , fair one with a darker and vice versa.

Then, one would wonder is love about physics ( i.e physical) where mass, gravity, viscosity, brightness are part of defining things.

When boys walk in groups you tend to hear from your mates about a girl, who for him seems to be stunning. Yes even you would be stunned, not for the beauty but for the choice.

Then I wonder is love not about physics??

Then comes … The enigma, chemistry..............

Well I like girls who speak to the point. My friend likes chatter boxes who don’t see any point in stopping (nagging as well) .

Upon me asking him about his opinion he shots back saying girls who talk are fair in terms of what they speak unlike the reserved types.

Then I wonder is Love about chemistry???


Finally instead of cracking my head i asked my mentor as to what love is ?

Having listened to my quandary he said "Boss the one thing common between your statements is I like this and my friend likes this. Now that's love."


I would take that for the time being.

But then again, is love not about arithmetic as well ?

No matter what you talk about love but majority believe that love should end in marriage ( Yup it ends, you will surely get a lot of empherical evidences for that ).

Everyone expects the partner to be in a comfort zone when it comes to financial position.

There comes arithmetic.


So is love about physics ,chemistry or arithmetic?

Well it is about liking .

Some like physics .Some prefer chemistry and some arithmetic.

Well which subject do you like ?

Share your thoughts.................................

@Sai Sriharsha

Monday, February 12, 2007

Let's tame the vulture in our lives.

Long long ago but not so long ago, amidst the modern concrete woods, a little boy finds a dragon hatchling. Out of sheer compassion he takes it home to make it his pet. But

…………………”



For a few days, the little child was very happy for processing a vulture. He felt he was omnipotent with the vulture on his side.

The vulture then started eating his chicken.

More than the sadness, the little one was bothered by the loss of the chicken and the smacking he could receive from his father, as a result of the loss.

Then he decides to kill it once for all. (Wo kalti nahi to mai kalti . Tension tho katam)

But……..


By chance the little boy gets to watch lageharaho munnabhai.

He realizes violence is not the way out.

He then decides to use ‘gandhiasm’ to reform the vulture.

BOLE TO GANDHIGIRI.

First day:
The vulture wakes up at 9 o clock and starts wondering ‘What’s next?’ (Aaj kya ukadhenge?)

The little boy is in pensive mood, thinking about what could be done?

He repeats the following lines again and again.

“ I has 35 more chicken left with him.

Vulture on an average consumes one every day.

Dad could return home in a month’s time.

Not much time left out. “

Then he prepares a strategy to tame the vulture.

He thinks “If an asset of mine can become a liability and create problems. Why not use the problem as an opportunity “.

( Tension nahi leneka bas deneka)

Then de decides he has two goals 1) to tame the vulture 2) To make something out by using the vulture, to compensate for the loss of the chicken.

The little child then goes out in search of options. He approaches a farmer, having heard from someone, that he needs guards to protect his crop from the cattle. He convinces the farmer for a contract.

With the help of the vulture, the boy guards the crop from the wild cattle. In the process the vultures does manage to have a sumptuous meal. The chickens are saved.

Does the story end here?

No


Once the contract was done the vulture started going back to its old ways .The number dropped to 30.

The little boy then realized that his plan could protect the chicken only for a brief period.

He then understood that he should get his priorities right.

He decides to first tame the vulture.

He comes with a plan B.

He goes to the vulture and starts conversing with it .

Child: Hey I am happy with your help. So, I want to gift all my kitchens to you.

Vulture: Really!! That’s great.

Child: Actually we have one last job to that is incomplete.

Vulture: Just one more!! That’s fine with me.

Child: We have to guard the field for another six days both day and night.

Vulture: Well that’s not really an issue as I love eating the cattle.

Child: Ok then let’s pack things.


The child and the vulture start guarding the field. As the harvest was already done then field was empty. Thus the cattle did not see a reason to come there.

The vulture in the start was patient to starve and wait for the cattle. But slowly and steadily it began to loose its patience and with it its energy.

It did not want to kill its master (child) .It would mean doomsday for its survival and more importantly it might loose the chance of having the chicken.

Days went into weeks and the vulture became pale and black. The child then realized that the vulture might die and started feeding it with vegetable food.

The vulture slowly regained its strength and from then on became a slave by all means to its master (child).

Lessons from the story:

Child - The human being perspective

1) Asset into liability:

The vulture started by being an asset to the child and slowly started becoming his liability. Our strengths, like confidence could transform into over confidence and thereby create a lot of problems. They eat our opportunities for growth, just like the way, vulture ate the chicken.

2) Think& Act vs. Wait:

The boy chooses to think and act instead of waiting for his father to return home. Look invards, it is a gold mine of resources .Thus; there is no point in looking for support outwards at all times.

Penetrate deep into your mind to find the solutions.

3) Think before acting:

Acting before thinking is sheer waste.

When faced with an issue one has to dig deep, prepare an action plan and then start acting.

4) Problem is opportunity:

A lot of us face problems in our day to day lives. A problem is a problem until we perceive it as a problem. One has to see it as an opportunity to add value in one form or the other. If there is no scope for value addition, who knows the experience of facing a problem could turn out to be an asset one day.

5) First plan need not be your best plan and timing of execution has to precise:

The child first plan was a failure as it ended up being a failure. But, that child never gave up.

The first plan that once uses to solve an issue may not turn as the best plan for that case.

But one has to learn from the failure of the first plan to develop the second plan.

The child took the vulture at the wrong time (when the field was lush green) when executing the plan A. This gave the vulture ample scope to have a feast. The timing for executing the second plan was perfect.

6) Reason for the failure of Plan A:

The child got his priorities wrong with plan A. The emphasis was to earn money than to save the chicken.

So get your priorities right when preparing your plan.

Always concentrate on long term goals than short term goals.

8) Take risks and back yourself to the finish line:

The impoverished vulture could have killed the child (during Plan B) .The child amassed courage, to put his own life in the line to save his chicken. He never backed out during the days when the vulture was hungry.

7) GANDHIGIRI VS DADAGIRI:

The child could have killed the vulture to solve the problem.

But in the process could have lost his own life, money and chicken

The only way one can tackle people (problematic) is by following the tenets of gandhism like

1) Non-violence.
2) Patience.


The best way to deal recalcitrant employees and hostile employers is through gandhism.




Vulture – The Problem perspective.

1) Have a futuristic vision:

Just like how the child chose to get the vulture home most of us invite troubles. Thus one should use insight to eliminate steps that could be potential problems.

2) There is no free lunch in the street:

Nothing comes for free in life. One has to think before accepting such offers and then falling into the trap.



The story offers a lot of perspectives just use this to realize and understand them.



Scripted By,
Sai Maddali