Trusting a Process

How would you react if someone you barely know asks you to trust them to get an important work done? Do you trust them Or tell them ‘nah.. let me do it myself’? This happened multiple times with me. When someone asks you that, it is a statement of confidence – either on a process or him/herself – or the guy has no clue on what he is committing. Several years ago, in Infy, one guy asked a group of 20 ppl to trust the process of a streamlining an activity. We did. But the results were poor.

Every time I go to a new gym, the instructor is all enthu to teach you. Some force you to follow what they teach. I had this experience when a friend of mine and I asked the instructor to get out of our way because we saw little value in what he told us. And typically, this enthu will evaporate in a couple of days and we are an auto-pilot after that. Instructions come on pull-basis. Sometimes, you have to pull real hard. But not when I visited this new gym a couple of days back. It has far more instructors than usual. ISB gym had one instructor or at times two. But here, the member-instructor ratio seemed close to 1:1. When a trainer approached me, I told him that I am familiar with a gym and that I can manage. He was polite and understanding. He told me my ‘schedule’ will be ready in a day. What? Will the gym lay down a schedule for me? Before I left that day, I saw a member taking a signature from the instructor on a printed card which looked like a calendar. Man, far from being do-it-yourself gym, it is a ‘we-will-treat-you-like-a-kid-but-will-get-you-what-you-want’ one. I blinked it. There is the signature of a trust worty process. The instructor then asked me to exercise in a variety of ways including a sit-in-the-air (of course on my legs) (or Baithak) exercise and forty minutes on a thread mill (as opposed to the 25-minute-4-km run I prefer). No wonder all my body is aching. I think that is the flipside of trusting a process. ;) I feel like Monalisa. It’s aching but I am still smiling.

The gym episode has good lessons for me. I am involved in an activity that requires me to design processes in a research organization. The processes should be scalable, person-independent and ensure quality and timeliness of research. The process should enable the organization to reuse knowledge generated within the company to ensure consistent quality that users need. Such processes are a sine-qua-non to build good companies. I hope to learn a bit about designing good processes.

Life is a process for mitchdolittle

DetriotGirl, an English teacher, wants her students to trust the learning process

What trust a process means to a creative professional

A question of leadership

Lack of leadership in our society is recognized. Has our society done anything to groom future leaders? Let’s say it wants do something. What can it do? Will setting up an institute to teach leadership help(1)? Will class room training make a leader? Can you teach leadership?

As an individual, if you feel the urge to become a good leader and contribute at work or to the society, how should you improve leadership skills(4)? Should you read about leaders? Get a leader-mentor? Get a business degree (2)?

What is leadership? Is it vision? Is it ability to persuade? Is it being a larger than life personality? Sacrifice? Empathy? Overwhelming urge to do something(5)? Humility and will (3)?

It seems like there are many necessary conditions and no one knows which conditions are sufficient.

(1) N R Narayana Murthy “A true leader is one who leads by example and sacrifices more than anyone else, in his or her pursuit of excellence. It is our vision at Infosys, to create world class leaders who will be at the forefront of business and technology in today's competitive marketplace. The Infosys' Leadership Institute has been conceptualized to instill in our employees creativity to bring new ideas to fruition, make transition to new paradigms and embrace change. We believe the Leadership Institute will play an instrumental role in equipping Infoscions to be leaders, contributing to the advancement of the IT industry.”

(2) ISB’s Vision

(3) Level 5 Leadership: The Triumph of Humility and Fierce Resolve Jim Collins (HBR Jan 2001)

(4) Why should anyone be led by you? Rob Goffee, Gareth Jones (HBR Jan 2001)

(5) www.lokparitran.org (A new political party set up by young IITians)

A great long working weekend

What will you do if you had a long weekend, but had to work most of it? On Sunday last, I was particular to salvage it. I picked my camera and got on my bike. I wanted to get to the Marve road and find some good spots to shoot. I found ‘Kamala Talab’-- a pond near by the Malad link road--a couple of weeks back. I was hunting for another fish. The problem was that I found many. The Marve road led to a beach by the same name which is home to a fishing community. Empty boats tell you the story. Evening is not a time for great fishing action but for a couple of fishermen sorting their produce.

Unlike a usual Mumbai get away, I could not find many people around. There were some. But not up to the Mumbai standards. It seemed like a perfect setting—not having to wait in a queue.

Marve beach, to me, was truly beautiful. The ball of orange slowly and silently dipping into the blue expanse and vanishing for the day swept us off our feet. Good for them yaar! Atleast people can, after a gruelling day's work, amble on the shore and the let the breeze recharge their frayed nerves. I miss it. (Gargi Chowdhury)

The beach is famous. Actually there are two beaches. The other one is usually crowded as it can house more and commercial interests ensure they use their capacity. When you go there the first time, you are likely to miss the Marve beach and go to‘theresort’ as the sign boards all point to the second one. May be that is good. Let the madding crowd to to the Resort. And the value hunters to the Marve beach.

The people there are friendly. They asked me to take their pictures. I was happy to oblige.

I spent an hour or so taking pictures, talking to people, and bathing in the evening sun light. And it was time to get back to work. I turned around and beauty of the sun set in my rear window struck me. I just then packed my camera. And I was lazy to reassemble it. But I knew, I wouldn’t let such an opportunity go.

The gradient [This rope connected a boat to the anchor in the sea]

[CS: A fisherman sleeping on road on his fishing net unaware of the world around him.]

16 April, 2006. Marve Beach. Mumbai.

A post on Versova beach: http://trivialmatters.blogspot.com/2006/04/versova-morning.html
Information on beaches in Mumbai: http://www.mumbaisuburbs.com/mumbai-tourist/mumbai-sights-beaches-other.html

Blink Positive

Analysis paralysis. If you have this disease, Blink is a good book to read. In short it says, you can decide, and make the right decision, in the blink of an eye, without analyzing loads of data. It says great decision makers "perfect art of 'thin slicing' - knowing the very few things that matter."

"It's a book about rapid cognition, about the kind of thinking that happens in a blink of an eye. When you meet someone for the first time, or walk into a house you are thinking of buying, or read the first few sentences of a book, your mind takes about two seconds to jump to a series of conclusions. Well, "Blink" is a book about those two seconds."

Blink tells me, "dude, conclude the analysis... what comes to your mind first? Go with it!" I found this book useful in dealing with people... especially interviews. Just thin slice... get hold of a small and relevant piece of info and 'blink' the whole. The warmth in conversation, enthusiasm, a messy desk, an inappropriate comment, lack of response to your mail... all have their unique and unmistakable signatures. Consider much simpler example. If you ask an easy question like 'name the financial statments of a company.' Two guys may give the same answer . But you can develop 'signatures' of a guy who has reasonable knowledge of the topic and the guy who does not. I tried this multiple times. There is no need to ask further questions.

Turn this the other way around. What will others think of you when they see the 'signatures' you leave? It's scary because people draw conclusions about you left and right. That's why, Blink raises the bar. If you want to make a favorable impression, you have to be always at your best. Short-term averages are irrelavant. What matters is your long-term average. Did you eat well today? Don't be satisfied because your body reflects your long-term average. Not today's. Not this week's.

Can you change how people blink you? Each time you do better than what others expect, they blink.. sort of update the 'database' with an actual eye blink. Observe. You do better or you do different stuff than you used to, people blink. It could be positive or negative. The more positive blinks you get, the better it is for you because they are thinking higher and higher about you. This is connected with 'under promise and over deliver' thingie. If you would like to do something, don't tell every one that you will. If you do, it becomes a promise. And people are checking out whether you can live up to it. Don't promise, or promise low. But give your best shot. And exceed expectations. They blink positive. Many positive blinks put together will give you a relationship based on trust and confidence. "Exceed expectations" was one of the three things Rajat Gupta spoke about during our graduation ceremony.

Overall, it's a good book to read.

Amazon
How Blink relates to Poker
A review

Kanakambaram (Fire cracker)

Feb 28, 2006. Kothagudem.

The name Kanakambaram is kanaka (gold) and ambaram (precious) stitched together. Is it surprising that women like this flower?

Our house in Kothagudem is home to many Kanakambaram plants. Just opposite the 'front door,' as we call it, and the slider for my dad's Vespa, there are a few of them. I have been seeing these flowers since my childhood. Frankly, I didn't see the beauty in this flower until I shot this picture. It turned out better than what I thought it will. I like the pop-out effect--it reminds me of the palm in Kalanjali's logo. And the contrasting colors.

The scientifically or religiously inclined can get more info in these two reads:
An article on Kanambaram (The Hindu)
South is famous for flowers

New camera; new possibilities

I graduated to a Digital SLR recently. I used to find my Olympus zoom camera so limiting that I had to shoot many pictures before I get what I want. In the mean while, the 'subject' (like a bird) will usually hurry away or get impatient (like my nephew would).


Suddenly a lot more seems possible. But I am still coping with the complexity of shooting with a D-SLR.

This picture is a ceiling fan [when it is on ;-) ] as seen from right underneath it. Observe part of the circle on the bottom left.

Managing Oneself

How should I shape my career? Will this job be a stepping stone to my goals? Did these questions bother you? Managing Oneself (Peter F Drucker, HBR Apr '99) turns the pointer inwards. “Successful careers are not planned. They develop when people are prepared for opportunities because they know their strengths, their method of work, and their values.”

“Knowing where one belongs can transform an ordinary person – hardworking and competent but otherwise mediocre – into an outstanding performer” says Drucker. “Success in the knowledge economy comes to those who know themselves- their strengths, their values and how best they perform”

I have been working on developing specific skill sets and the article comes in handy as a framework. It asks you questions and for which there are no immediate answers. You have to evaluate yourself for a period of 2-3 years before you can answer them. It lets you ask the right questions so you can answer the more important ones. Reading this article is enlightening. At the least, it is time well spent.

Mumbai's worries

Basab wrote a good post on Mumbai's problems and Navi Mumbai's attempt to solve them. I had no idea about the Navi Mumbai story. I now have an excuse to go to Navi Mumbai.

Back to Mumbai's worries--as much as Mumbai has problems, those very problems make it a land of opportunity. Traffic (or commuting) is a big problem. People with disposable incomes commute by hanging to rusty trains. People can pay. They want a solution. Those who can find it will create value and make money. Ditto with affordable housing. And so with other problems.

Renew Mumbai? Is it practical? Satellite city option is like setting up a special court to deal with a problem. It shows lack of confidence in the system. Time can tell us if it helps solve the problem. Navi Mumbai could, at best, postpone Mumbai's problems. It faces the 'old-truck' problem that a friend told me about. Current owners do not recycle their trucks. They sell it. Old-trucks continue to ply. Problems move - either physically or in time.

What's he doing? What's he thinking?

Samrakshan, Chennai. October 2, 2005.

Renewal

Kothagudem. Feb 28, 2006

The Bird

Lokhandwala, Mumbai. Jan 21, 2006.

Who is monkeying around?

Vijay does his best to mimic origins of mankind. Tonakel Camp, Chennai. Oct 8 2005.

Agni

Tonakel Camp, Chennai Oct 8, 2005.

No Objection for a No Objection

Rs.10 K net. That's decent money, even if you calculate in $. I decided to drag my feet to the RTO's office and discovered some startling facts.

I was planning to move to Mumbai. Trouble began. The most trying of the questions I faced was: Should I sell my bike and buy another one in Mumbai?

“Yeah, that is better. I can sell away troubles with the notorious RTO. And I will get an all new bike. Sounds like a good idea.”

I calculated the costs. It costs Rs.10 K net (cash for a new bike – cash received on sale). That is big. And what I learnt was a bonus.

The Ayanavaram RTO is nearby. It took just ten minutes. When I got there, an impersonal-old-white-washed edifice sang “you don't belong here.” I looked around to figure out what I to do to get an “NOC” (No Objection Certificate). No instructions that could ease the pain of an amatuer govermnet-office-goer. And fewer in English or Hindi. Frustrating.

“Dude! If you can't be friendly, you have to face it too” and I went straight ahead to wake-up the first RTO-employee-like homosapien I could find and ask “How do I get an NOC?” After a few “this way”s and “that way”s later, I find a gentleman who told me that the forms I should use are sold outside “near the koil.” There comes the first one. The first thing that you need in a government office is sold outside the office. And what I found seemed like an idea for a good B-plan.

I come outside and saw a thriving “RTO forms” industry. That chap has RTO forms, a public telephone and a kirana shop all in one. Revenue productivity (RP – whether you count in $/head or $/sq foot) will rival with that in Outsourcing industry. Not only is the margin comparable (a rough calculation shows he earns more than 35% gross margin), but he seems to understand his customers better. I get adhesive and a stapler free (on a use-and-return basis only) if I buy forms from him. He also gives you free advice. “What is the form for that?” or “Is this the right way to fill this?” No problem. He has all the answers. I later found the adhesive and stapler were loss leaders. The shopkeeper was an agent too. He first gives the adhesive and the stapler. He then offers to work for you. A good back loaded revenue model! RP estimates hit the roof.

After a marathon form filling exercise, I go and stand in a line. After 20 minutes, I reach the counter and the guy inside a jail like structure asked me to meet an inspector to get his 'initial'.

I ask him politely “Why the hell am I not told earlier?”
He knows the trick “I don't know. Go talk to him. Next..”

I 'go talk to him' and now comes the shock. If you want to get an NOC from RTO, you have to go the police station in Arumbakkam (that is 20 minutes away) and get an NOC from them. Gawd! Give me patience. It seemed like the circular reference error in Excel.

I did go the next day to the police station and got an NOC two days later. Now that I saw some progress, this is what I think of getting stuff done in a government office.

1. Along with all the documents, you need to carry patience to a government office.

2. All activity takes time. Not the night marish – months or years – but days. And they usually deliver in the promised time.

3. You don't have to grease any one. At least if all your documents are in place and your case is genuine. But the normal grease of a friendly smile will go a long way to ease the process. If you can't get stuff done, talk to higher authorities and ask for help. They are willing to help and explain.

4. Government works!

Heavenly Canvas

From atop a boat - Backwaters near Alleppey, Kerala. April 2005.

Who Am I?

At the entrance to the library, Vivekananda Puram, Kanya Kumari. April 2005.

Gandhiji's Statue, Sabarmati Ashram

Sabarmati Ashram. Ahmedabad. October 2004.

Festive Sun Set

Injambakkam. Chennai. Sept 18 2005. Behind me was Bay of Bengal.

Cool Greeting Card

I made this simple card for my friend and (obviously) I loved it! September 04, Hyderabad.

Of writing skills, personality and actors

“Style is tied to the psyche, and writing has deep psychological roots. The reasons we express ourselves as we do, or fail to express ourselves because of “writer's block,” are partly buried in the subconscious mind.” - William Zinsser in On Writing Well

Scary words. The author tells us that you can't express beyond yourself. What you are imposes serious limitations on what you can write. (Unlike filmi heroines who can express themselves so well without a clue of the language a movie is made. Telugu movie industry (rather audience?) are hardest hit.)

Is this true? I don't want to believe this. I am more inclined to believe that those who have good writing skills are merely better trained. (Like Kamal Hassan may not know telugu well. But he knows acting!)

And it seems more like a cap and not writing skills are a sort of “linear function” of your personality. Is the converse (who are able to express themselves have good personalities) true? (This should mean Divya Bharati has great personality!)