First (and Last) few Days At Work

As a kid, I would fake tummy aches and dysenteries and lock myself in the toilet when the school pickup car would pull in our driveway to pick my brother and I. My antics for avoding going to school. This would be followed by my mom's persuasion turning into bribing (chocolate at the end of the day). When nothing worked, she would storm in drag me out, pick me up and just thrust me into the car. I can't recall going to school without tears flowing down my eyes even for a day. Its strange because I was exceptionally good at studies ...

Fast forward. 20 years later. I do the same thing even today. Umm, not exactly. My mom doesn't drag me out and shove me in. But the morning drama continues to this day. "Don't-want-to-goto-work" blues. There is one common string though between my childhood and now. I changed schools every year as we moved a lot and I studied in a dozen of them. Before I could make fast friends, we were already at a new place.

As I switch jobs (voluntarily) again, I'm going thr the same trauma now. The first few days at work are never easy. It is an info overload. Everything changes. From formals to casual clothing to formals again. Friends, your fav corner at work, coffee corner, that comfy chair, library, your housekeeping guys, work culture, the buildings you pass thr during the commute every morning.

First day usually means getting to know a bunch of jargons, being introduced to 30 odd people over a span of 30 minutes. Just when I thought I got all the names and the respective faces right, its time to leave again. Its kinda funny because I tend to relate people to the clothes they are wearing on the first day. So if the guy is not wearing a green shirt the next day, I would totally be confused.

First few days at work is all about connecting with people. Making/breaking relationships. You tend to form a social network of sorts. Introducing yourself a bunch of times that at the end of it you almost forget your own identity. There have been times when I have fumbled for my name.

On the contrary, last few days I believe is tougher because you are in the middle of nowhere. It is an awkward situation because people know you are leaving and you have to answer this question smartly , "Where are you going to?". I hope this is the last time I do it....

The Art of Project Management

Book Excerpt: The Art of Project Management, is featured on Slashdot. This book is authored by Scott Berkun and the sample chapter was an interesting read. You must be thinking, "Not again. Not on Project Management". So much has already been written and will continue in the years to come on the Art of Project Management. Despite that, projects fail everyday. Projects are executed in the same manner as they were probably 5 years ago. Sure reading how to execute projects will not make you a successful one overnight but reading about other's experiences, I believe, will enable you to react to situations better. Probably.

I have come to believe that the journey is more important than the destination itself. The successful delivery of the project does not essentially mean the project's success. The stages of a current project (this journey), will determine your future successes and if your dream team will hang in there.

Some takeaways from this article :

1. Master the many ways to say no


2. Prioritization - The challenge of prioritization is always more emotional/psychological than intellectual, despite what people say.
- This is so true. When projects turn emotional, they lose a sense of purpose.


3. The challenge with questioning others is that it can run against the culture of an individual or organization. Some cultures see questioning as an insult or a lack of trust.


4. Sheer quantity of effort can be noble and good, but always look for ways to work smart rather than just hard. Be relentless in spirit, but clever and savvy in action.

Another great read on a similar topic - When clients (and bosses) go bad...

Custard Apple aka Seethaphal

Custard Apple also known as Seethaphal in India, is my favorite fruit. It doesn't taste even a bit like Apple (which btw I dislike) does. So I don't know why the name Custard Apple.
Many people I know are put off by the not-so-inviting exteriors of the fruit. The rugged bumpy green lumps of the fruit is much in contrary to its delicious and soft interiors. The Custard Apples that we get in Pune in abundance are so yummy that I indulge myself and my sweet tooth every evening. Turns out it fares well nutritiously too. If you have a big backyard, then spit the black seeds there and you will have a beautiful custard apple tree.


"Friends"... 'til the End: The One with All Ten Years
David Wild I saw this book at the Crossword Sale on the front rack. It was so inviting that I finished the Joey section of the book. Priced at Rs.699 it is a great buy (though I didn't get the book but ended up buying a CD). It has amazing pictures of the 6 F.R.I.E.N.D.S with a story of how every episode was made, some secrets and interviews as well.

Group Dynamics - What works and what doesn't!

Not so long ago, a group of highly sought-after 27-old somethings left their lucrative jobs with an established firm to pursue a dream. They gave up a run-of-the-mill job to create something of their own, a career they believed in and to work for themselves. True to the saying, their actions showed "People don't leave companies -- they leave leaders." But there was a slight difference. What do you do when leaders leave? The leader left and the followers tagged behind. A tiny ripple effect was in order!

The leader had a dream, a vision. A dream of making a quick buck. There was a high demand for their skills in the market. The entrepreneurship bug bit them..the greed to capitalize on it marred the strategizing process. This was soon to be a dream come true story of one tiny cohesive group lead by an able leader that overcame all the odds to pursue their vision together. The perfect script for a successful startup firm with all the essential ingredients - passion, freedom, millionaires overnight was ready. Or so it seemed. Until the story turned sour...The startup plans were shelved for lack of a VC and they joined another organization as a "group" ofcourse! Needless to emphasize, you become a mini organization when you go as a group and the voice is expected to be "one" - that of your leader.
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Transitions are never easy. Neither was this one. Too many odds, too little time, too many convincing sessions, too many sacrifices and in the heart of hearts you know you are rejecting good advice but you still do it. This was one such thing. There is no growth without taking risks after all. It was all hunky dory. The group seemed stronger than ever atleast superficially....when trouble began. Personal interests took precedence over groups' vision. When there is no personal money involved, there can never be true commitment if there is no passion. Passion for money is not passion for work. (So long my shirt is not out there to dry.. I will never work too hard ... thats THE fact.) The killer earthquake (easy 9-5 job from competitors) struck once, twice luring everyone...some quit! For some the journey is on..

But there are others who truly believed in that dream that are holding on to it..someday may be they will succeed. They realize one thing ..with great power comes great responsibility. There is only one way to go now - UP and the determination to make it work!

Some lessons to learn ..

1. Too many voices leads to noise.
2. A written commitment is always better than high flinging statements in a cozy restaurant over a sumptuous dinner.
3. If you've chosen a leader, you've got to believe in his mistakes as much as in his successes. It takes a lot to stand by in failures than clap hands and flash smiles during success stories.
4. It is not just your leader's vision, it is yours as well.
5. Attitude - getting the right kind of people with the right attitude is detrimental.
6. Delegation and Initiative - It is team work.
7. Transparency - This is very very important. Any DECISION taken has to be one after a collective consensus of all involved.
8. Cohesiveness - depends on a number of factors ranging from the size of the groups to peer pressures to personal expectations. But this is one important thing that holds a group together. If you lack the personal chemistry amongst yourselves, there is a lil likelihood of success.
9. Self Motivation - A leader can only motivate so much in realizing that dream. You got to believe in it yourself to be self motivated.

On a closing note,
Girte hain sheh-sawar hi maidain-e-jung main,.
Woh tifl kya giraingay jo ghutno ke bal chalain !!!

"Ideas are capital. The rest is just money."

Generation Z outsmarts Gen X / Y

This Sunday evening, we hung out with our house owners and their kids at a neighboring "farm". Miniscule fun parks are called "farms" here. Don't ask me why. They are not big and cool enough to qualify for a theme park like Essel World (or Six Flags) but are bigger than the clubs to which you get an annual membership at a ridiculous price just to wait in queues for hours to play an hour of tennis every time. So these farms are kinda nice in a way because they are not crowded and you don't have the guilty feeling lingering in your head every Sunday morning "Oh my gosh. I paid 15K for the club membership that I haven't used in months." Too lazy to get up I make a mental note to do it positively next Sunday and pull the sheets over to get another 30 minutes of precious sleep. And that Sunday morning never comes until the next year when you pay the annual memebership charges again. And lasts just a week. Anyways that's beside the point. So you see how these farms can offer great entertainment for lazy people like me for a meagre 100 bucks one evening when you feel like going on outing.

This one was quite different as they had some fun things to do apart from the regular features of a club like tennis court, swimming pool, a dine-in restaurant and such. L Farm had a person who could engrave your name on a rice grain, a lady that would braid your hair using threads of different colors, yet another that would apply beautiful mehendi in 10 mins and in house astrologer - well actually palm reading. However the ones that I enjoyed the most were pottery, shooting, the magician's tricks and ofcourse watching the lil kid R twist and turn on the dance floor to the tunes of Kajra Re. That was fun.

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The kids C and K obviously belong to the Generation Z and they are smart. The magician was closing for the night when we entered his den. But on our request he was kind enough to unpack his bag and he started with a few familiar tricks. All his tricks worked and he had our attention. We were just observers until now. For the next trick, he called the lil kid C and gave a silver ball in her hand. Asker her to keep her palms open and promised her he would make the ball disappear in 10 seconds. He did the predictable joo boom baa and asked "Beta, do you have the ball?". C happily nodded. He did joo boom baa again and asked triumphantly, "Beta, the ball is gone now right?". She shook her head in refusal. Confused if his magical powers have waned, he removed the black cloth from the top of her palm and stated in disappointment, "you should not hold the ball tight. Leave your palm open". C was quick to respond "That is not magic. You make it disappear this way". Anyways she obliged and the lo the ball went. C says, "I saw you taking the ball with the cloth. That's not magic". The magician disappointed said, "you are smart".

Now it was the turn of the elder one to join the younger one on the stage. The trick was simple. The younger one had to put a pink cloth in black jar. The magician would pass it on to the elder one and she had to pick the cloth. The trick was successful but the elder kid says, Uncle I saw you pull a lever that made the cloth go down".
Sensing trouble, he sends them both to their seats. But the kids don't give up. After a few tricks, he resigns and says, "kids you are smart. Lets stop now". It is not that when Gen X and Gen Y were the same age would not have understood what was going on, but this generation is quick to respond and doesn't really care where the stage is right to point out. It was funny!

Quote for the Day : A man travels the world in search of what he needs
.... and returns home to find it.
George Moore (1852 - 1933)

Diwali - 2005

Diwali was great this year. The best one in recent years. We had so much fun. Pune is great at celebrating festivals. The festive spirit is so high in this city like none I've seen before. Since the time, we have moved in, it has been one festival after the other. Ganpati first, followed by Navratri and then now Diwali. There is so much of enthusiasm that for every festival there's a pandal in every neighborhood and celebration (garba - dance during Navratri) through the night.

News of the serial blasts in Delhi on Saturday was upsetting.

We were in Delhi that day last year enroute Amritsar. We did cracker shopping, gifts for family and friends, cleaning the house over the weekend. We were all set for Tuesday - the day of Diwali. People in Pune apparently celebrate Diwali for 4 days. (We do it just for a day). But the mood was so upbeat that we ended up bursting crackers since Sunday (and discovered all the rotten ones that the shopkeeper had tricked us into buying). They would just go pppppppsssss.......

Monday evening I made a colorful rangoli. This is the first time I did that for Diwali (again influenced by Pune tradition). I will post a few pictures of my rangoli and best picks of my neighborhood soon. Can you believe we were awakened by the crackers at 3:30 a.m. Tuesday morning? It felt like they were lighting the crackers over our heads. Boom bam it went on and on for hours....So we started our day early with our share around 6:30 a.m. Made sweets like coconut burfi and then it was indulgence in food the rest of the day. Sweets and dry fruits. Meeting friends kept us busy thr the day.

Diwali as such is celebrated in different ways across the country and it also signifies different incidents to people in different states. People in the North perform Laxmi Pooja on the day of Diwali. However, one common tradition that binds them all together is that of bursting crackers.

I must say buying crackers is an art that comes with experience. As a kid, I would plan it carefully a week in advance, dry them in the sun, remove the paper to expose the wick and such, with cousins. It used to be a lot of fun. A lot has changed since then with crackers named after Aishwarya Rai and Nokia. More colorful ones have replaced the noisy ones like the notorious green hydrogen or atom bomb. It is about light than sound now. My favorites this year were the butterfly one (that hops in 3 stages in different colors), the ColorPlus (rocket combined with 3 colors) and the snake tablet (duh..it caused so much of pollution that I stopped after 1). So that was burning a lot of money in an hour. There was a lot left that we gave to the kids.

Categories: india, festivals, diwali, rangoli