Sunshine People..

Have you noticed them? They are there everywhere.. They could be those receptionists with winsome smiles who can soothe your tiresome day with a pleasant attitude, those sensitive and sensible doctors who can assuage your qualms with gentle assurance, or even those warm strangers who would give detailed directions and may even walk along out of their way when you are lost in a strange city.

What makes them tick? Is it their infinite tolerance, or love towards humanity? Is it their trust in people or positive attitude?

Most of the times, we come across these lovely people.. Yet, seldom they are acknowledged, as most of us take them for granted.. This post is dedicated to all those sunshine people who made me smile by their generous big heart and cheerful nature..

My Indian Idol..

Here is someone who caught my senses in Indian Idol performance. I haven’t been much of a fan of TV, yet I happen to chance by the Indian Idol show as my Mom is an avid watcher. I love the way Mini Mathur anchors the show. This years judges are an intimidating list as well. Javed Akhtar, Alisha Chinai, Anu Mallik and Udit Narayan. Yes, they squabble a lot due to a lot of difference of opinions. Alisha is just speechless and goody goody for all, Udit is graceful and encouraging, Javed is just apt where as Anu mallik tries to give new definitions for being forthright. This year’s show has some really strong talent in the form of twelve contestants and there is a lot of emotional display going on the show. My personal favorites from the contestants are Emon, Pooja and Ankita.

Guess what, am floored by the amazing performance of this little bundle of talent called Ankita Mishra. Am impressed when I first saw her performing ‘Aayi re aayi re khushi’ from the movie ‘Khushi’ by fluke. Since then, I am glued to Indian Idol to check out her next performance. She is just amazing on stage and is a perfect combination of performance and singing. It feels as if she lives the song on the stage!

She has given some outstanding performances, since then. When people are wondering about her being Ankit ya Ankita, she sang a great bhajan. Well, she has pleasantly surprised everyone through her performances and made all the judges dance to her tunes. Must say, an amazing achievement lady! She got attitude, talent, style and a great doze of confidence.. I wonder if she gets the requisite voting, because of her tomboyish appeal. Yet, for me.. She is my Indian Idol!

Flashes Of Insanity..

How many of you have a problem of short temper? I know you may be cautious before you confess.. What’s wrong with short temper anyways? I have seen those muted silent types and those fiery volcanoes. And I trust fire.. At least you know whats going on in their head and some how I feel that sense follows after those expositions of insanity. Its the other way for those composed silent types. They park all those moments in their internal store room only to account for them ages later.

But watch out if you get drowned in your own rage of fire and become self centred in brooding.. Some feelings are so deep that one needs to look within in numbing solitude.

How many times have you smiled or managed a stony silence when all you wanted to do is scream and yell? In those moments of insanity, all I can do is blow up or walk away into a closed space till sanity dons its mantle again.. Why is it so that when you have said all that you wanted to say in anger, regret usually follows.. Why is that we take liberty only with our loved ones and slip on our zingers when we wanted to treasure them through our lives? Sheer Madness!

Grapewine and Politics

Two years into job and am all ready wondering about the mammoth importance that grape wine and politics has in an organization. Thinking aloud, I have seen a lot of organizational dynamics that goes in getting the job done. Here the term ‘politics’ strictly applies to the social relations involving positions of authority or power. There happens a huge struggle to keep that child alive with in a pseudo environment during which the excitement about the uncertain future turns into a dreading of the predictable rhythm.

There is little importance given to frank, outspoken attitude as a lot of work demands diplomacy and discretion. Well, that doesn’t stop the coffee vending machine talk though! To read about affinity groups during B Schools days is one thing, and to see them in action is a different issue altogether. Managing people and relationships in the organizational context becomes a tough rope walk as one had to strike that right balance between personal self and professional discretion.

A special mention goes to the pseudo power group though! The sad part of life is that you need to get the work done in time on short notice, especially true in case of support groups. And you end up with little recognition and appreciation as your direct mark or importance is felt only if you miss your job. Well, that leads to the unwanted power display from the support section. Job gets done in time only if you do aggressive follow up and have some key people who are comfortable with you as a person.

Well, we talk of software age, yet the feelings and expressions are passed on since stone age. That perfect organization and perfect job are never a reality as uncertainty in terms of the people factor hops in. We can only accommodate mindsets, we can’t really create them. So much as we dream about that idealistic professional environment for work, I really wonder if am going to like that so perfect place! Grapewine and politics are going to stay and it depends finally on us as to how we handle them.

Hard Work Vs Smart Work..

It’s always a big question in the Industry where I am working, or is it a common phenomenon? People, who do work as a duty, or rather as an obligation try to drag it till the end and end up in the swirl of procrastination. That embarks a journey of crib club..

If you work for what you believe, its not hard work! You will consider it hard work when it becomes an obligation. Alas, we don’t find entrepreneurs in every day of life, at least to the nonobservant eye. Probably they are the same people whom we tease as hard workers or the one who don’t find time to take for themselves. What we may not realize is that their enjoyment lies in work. A typical phenomenon I observe is that people believe that they work for their ends and there exists a fine line between personal enjoyment and professional work. Ask what effects personal enjoyment? I have strong objection to people who resign themselves to 12 hours of long work the moment they enter office campus. Neither do I have respect for canteen mongers, or the shirkers who pretend to work only when their boss lands at their cubicle.

One should have a balanced approach to work. Even if I love my job, there are certain finer aspects for which I pay attention to. Probably it’s my fav music, a book by bed side, a morning workout at the local gym or a walk by the wild side. That’s where smart work comes in. Engaging mind and body in what we love to do every moment. As my boss quotes often, “if you got no mood to work, don’t work lady. Coz U will spend 8 hours miserably doing what you can finish off in a couple of hours!” Quite true indeed! In this high tension world, where struggle for life is quite evident in every walk of life, one should realize oneself to the full potential. Being smart, managing priorities in the deliverables, intelligently balancing different aspects of life, being focused on career and emotional balance helps in a big way! Keeping a sense of humour about oneself and wearing heart on sleeve helps too.

A Fresh B-Schooler Attitude…

In my three months of working life, I have had a lot of fights with my own fresh B-Schooler attitude. When I was in IMDR, I used to make strategic analysis, resolve case studies, making reports and giving presentations. It sure gives a kind of hype as to the future roles. Yet, when I look back, joining a B-School straight out of college has its own disadvantages. People tend to generate their own assumptions without a realistic exposure. The live projects do give a glimpse into the real scenario and they can be shaped in a more better manner.

When I joined TCS, I had a straight 40 days training where I was introduced to the software industry background and the TCS business areas. All I could take away are the life skills classes. The training was not focused or tailor made to suit the kind of roles an MBA is expected to perform. Its like asking too much because there were 200 batch mates and each would be put into different roles which have their own responsibilities and requirements.

I landed up in an in-house R&D project of TCS where I have to plan the marketing of the products designed by my team. Life is quite relaxed in TCS as I don’t have to strain myself and the work pace is quite relaxed. Sometimes, I got all the time in world for myself. I have all the freedom to explore library, or the Internet.. The way I respond to the situations depends on myself and my attitude. Things are done quite differently once I have started working.

One doesn’t need to be a Jack of all Trades. I need to focus on the current job and need to say myself that ” I am going to do the current job better than anyone who has done it earlier”. Competing with oneself always pays. It keeps me in better health and in better pace. The moment I start worrying about the future and the fast track growth (a gift from my fresh B-Schooler attitude), my mental peace is gone down the drain. Life is pretty much simple, I try to do what I like the best. I need to keep that constant urge to better myself alive.

Yet, those Philip Kotler days in IMDR come to my mind. IMDR was an oasis which sheltered me for two years. It was a different world, yet it makes makes me comfortable with myself. May be this self-awareness is one takeaway which I name from IMDR. Now, the journey is on and life rolls on..