Quality time

I am unable to maintain a healthy work-life balance or I am unable to give quality time to my family. Do you also feel like wise?

I guess such sentences are used as effective marketing tool, to indirectly indicate that Organization should take a note that I am working relentlessly,  almost 7*24 OR to demonstrate some kind of crib or frustration.
Could there be any thing more to it...or can something be done about it?

In search of quality time

The first step is to look around and identify people who don't seem to have any complaints about finding quality time.

We see many people around who are career oriented and perform extremely well at work, at the same time they attend various social and family functions.

They manage to go for a vacation and even fulfill their hobbies like trekking, or playing some instrument or they even participate in competitions/sports etc.

There are many ladies who manage their kids & husband, house hold activities, social activities PLUS are on top of their career - Hats off to them.

One would always invariably find that

1. Such people appear ever green or ever fresh.
2. Such people are very enthusiastic about what they do. They hardly appear to be drained unless off course they are not keeping well.
3. Such people are open to adjust - meaning open to bend/curtail their routine.
4. Such people can set and adjust their priorities - meaning can balance their time, relationship very well.
5. Such people use the available tools in hand - always keen to find ways / alternatives.
6. Such people respect other people's time. When at fault, they are open to say "sorry" or "thank you" and they mean it.

There is an old trick used by many "To show I am very busy or very important I make other people wait v/s In trying to juggle other things sometimes other people might need to wait BUT I make up by providing 100% justice to the time given - when I give they get my 130%"

 
Quality has to be something special, precious, very near & dear, something I wont like to miss or something I ensure I wont miss.
But I believe the real challenge is to find time, in first place.

Simple tricks to find FREE time

Like the pond accumulates every drop of rain water one need to start accumulating free time, stich it together to get a BIG time slot.

Here is the simplest example I think many of us miss or ignore.
There are various occasions when we have a holiday on a Thursday or Tuesday.

There are two ways to look at it...
the simpler option is simply swipe Thursday with Friday or Monday with Tuesday. In software industry this is pretty much possible.

Now we get 3 consecutive days off which can be utilized the way one wants.

There is a much better option, by simply putting couple of hours more between Monday to Wednesday, the team can pretty much opt to take Friday as off. In simple words whatever is the target for Friday achieve it on Wednesday. This is a perfect WIN-WIN-WIN situation.

• From organization perspective they like deliverable to happen, and target being met.
• From client perspective they love to see the deliverable coming to them ahead of time. This also gives them more time to evaluate the deliverable and thus get more time for UAT.
• Finally we get 4 consecutive days off

Likewise one could find plenty of opportunities during the entire day to accumulate time.

The easiest one is to plan for the targets a day in advance. One only needs to be realistic while planning the targets and must also consider the unforeseen aspects of his/her job.

Finally, do you often end up doing crisis management, meaning when you start doing things they are already in URGENT state?
Well I guess some thing needs to change, though the change is small, the result would be dramatic.

Work today for tomorrow and Think today for day after!

Hmmm, Now we have ALL the time in this world - MAKE IT COUNT! 

It's your LIFE

Life is nothing but an equation

A summation of relief and pain, sorrows and joy

Making the most of it is a better choice

But offcourse one can decide otherwise

 

Everyone has got their own calculating style

Some make 2+2 as four while others make five

Some are crazy for a big fat sum

So they start depending on others saving their own

A few like to sacrifice themselves to achieve a piece of cake

Some think it is duty of others to sacrifice for his own sake

Everyone has got desire to win

Some ct accordingly while others act committing sin

 

Since we only get one chance to make the choice

Set the parameters of our equation right

If we can keep it simple and neat

In the end you will find – “Life is very sweet”

"Team Work" WORKS

It is amazing to see how some teams flourish, in spite of having their difference of opinions and individual priorities including their own strengths and weaknesses. They somehow manage to keep their organization/project objectives in tact, and invariably manage to pull themselves out from any dire situation, thus keep their customer happy (most of the times). They are NOT top brass candidates, neither do they possess any extra ordinary skills, but are just simple people. YET they manage to pull some of the most difficult situations/projects, on regular basis, with no real fuss or ‘007’ like stunts. All the intellects watching them can get a feeling of "SHIT" management or "FLUKE" management!

To all aspiring guns, this is what "TEAM WORK" can help achieve or how "SHIT" delivery can be guaranteed on regular basis. "TEAM WORK" is one of the most difficult topics to discuss, just like guaranteed "SHIT" delivery, but here is a naive attempt.
BTW before decent readers boycott, "SHIT" == "Some How In Time"

Let us begin with this simple example…

Consider that a group of people take lunch together. In Indian context where food is oily / spicy, this is more relevant. All the members bring their lunch boxes full of spicy food.

Scenario I
They share their lunch with others, talk about different things – bottom line they enjoy their lunch together. After their lunch they leave.
FOR OUTSIDER: There is substantial spill-over on the table. Quite a messy table one would say!

Scenario II
One of them (say Mr. Z) suddenly realizes the spill-over and starts bringing paper napkins. He starts keeping his lunch box on the same. All of them share their lunch with others after their lunch they leave.
FOR OUTSIDER: The table now has one portion of it clean but there is still substantial spill-over. Still, quite a messy table one would say!

Scenario III
Mr. Z realizes that he brings more paper napkins than he needs, so he gives some of it to the members sitting around him. Now few of the members start keeping their lunch boxes on the paper napkins. After their lunch they leave.
FOR OUTSIDER: The table now has few portions of it clean but there are still some patches of spill-over. A bit messy table one would say!

Scenario IV
Mr. Z realizes the benefit of the paper napkins. So he starts bringing sufficient paper napkins that would help all the members on the table. All of them now use the paper napkins, while they enjoy their lunch together. After their lunch they leave.
FOR OUTSIDER: The table now has no or very little spill-over. A clean table one would say!


NOW, take a pause.
Just imagine the "table" as the "project" and
the people enjoying lunch as team members of the project and
"OUTSIDER" as the client.
This is how client actually looks at the project – they see at it, as a whole, not in bits and pieces.
Anyways moving forward…

Subsequent scenarios
There could be various subsequent scenarios

1. For instance Mr. Z can go on vacation, rest of the members assemble for lunch. Does any of the other members realize his absence and try to fill in Mr. Z shoes, meaning bring paper napkins and distribute it to all?
2. Does any of the other members get inspired by Mr. Z and also start bringing paper napkins?
3. Do other members bring paper napkins only for themselves or also carry a few extra, just in case?
4. Eventually does it happen that invariably most of the members bring sufficient paper napkins, so even if someone forgets or remains absent they have sufficient to cover the table?

Does, keeping a "CLEAN TABLE" at the end of the lunch session becomes a habit, a mission?
If YES, this is what we call as "TEAM WORK" else it becomes "FLUKE" or "HEROISM" or "007 STUNT".


Finally, I believe, "TEAM WORK" is 100% ART, there is no formula or logic, but for the entire magic to work one can use different scientific methods, as catalyst. Here are some of the key points about "TEAM WORK"

1. It is more like a partnership where understanding is mutual and actions are mutually beneficial.
2. It is more "GIVE" than "TAKE". This is again mutual, and not the same as always and only "TAKE" or always and only "GIVE". To be precise it is "symbiotic" than "parasitic" relation.
3. It is more about adapting to a situation than circumventing or giving up.
4. Every member thrives NOT to be on critical path or get out of it ASAP - this does not mean they avoid taking tasks on critical path.
5. You would rarely hear the members say "I did what I was told" but would always hear "We did what was expected to be done, at that moment".

That's it and That's That - SIMPLE!
So are you part of your team, or not - as yet?

Here are some more closing thoughts...ENJOY!

Stop trying - Start doing

People who fail to achieve goals almost always signal their intent to delay or fail by using deceptive little words like "I will try..." or "I need to see…" or "We really need to look into it…". In English language there are not many more deceptive words than the above, both to the person who says them and the person who hears them.

In many ways "trying" is same as "pretending to succeed". People who use the above words actually give themselves permission to delay or fail. No matter what happens, they can always claim that they "tried" or they "never got the time". They don't realize or simply ignore that by doing such things they are only fooling themselves.

People who really and truly achieve goals/target never say "I will try." A wise guru once said "Do, or do not. There is no 'try'." AND this is how it is actually DONE!

Recently, in our organization an initiative is taken where every week an individual would come forward and speak about any technical topic of his/her choice. Believe me this is LOT tougher than it sounds, especially for juniors and even seniors do fumble and shy away. I was having a discussion with one of the junior member after his session about how the session was and what all he went through.

Here is how he DID IT - I just correlated it with our business world!


GOAL/TARGET IDENTIFICATION
He suggested that it was very difficult for him to actually identify the topic he would choose to speak. He did spend quite some time and finally zoomed in on one topic – "Design Patterns".

In business world, luckily most of the times the requirements would be present. However understanding the requirements happens to be the key, until and unless you do not understand what needs to be done, what would anyone do! It is also very important to understand ‘why’ it is desired – what are the global level objectives it is going to solve.


PREPARATION
He told me that he had to do lot of preparation to devise the presentation. He searched on the internet, he prepared notes then he filtered the notes to finally derive the content of the presentation.

In business world also one needs lot of preparation we call it the design phase. You basically derive various options and finally choose the right rather the most apt option, the same also helps you derive the DB design (tables) etc.


REHEARSAL
Once he finalized the content of presentation, then he did several rehearsals. He altered the speech several times before he started feeling good about the same. He also told that initially he had to refer to the content but later he could rehearse the whole presentation without the help of the content/notes.

In business world, is this not how you do the development and unit testing phase? Initially you refer to the design and run through several times to ensure that all the scenarios are covered. You also perform unit testing to ensure that what you have is as per the initial goal/target.


GRAND REHEARSAL
If the occasion is large and important then you also invite some of the friends/audience and perform in front of them. They also enact as audience and provide suggestions and also raise few queries. This basically helps you to go back and iron-out the aspects missed, and also fine tune some aspects.

In business world, now you exactly know that this is the QA and UAT phase. You present the release to the QA people so that they can review and provide feedback and suggestions – what we call as bugs/defects or enhancements.


ACTUAL SHOW
Well this is straight forward and in business world called as client release or production release. If the audience is not satisfied or feel bored then the show is called as "FLOP". However you get applause if the presentation goes well, and if you are able to answer audience queries to their satisfaction. Sometimes you can also be critically acclaimed. This is similar to meeting end client expectations, if we do that then it is a JOB WELL DONE! If the job is really liked and appreciated then you get a "Once more" what we call as "Repeat business".
SIMPLE!


As you can see, "Doing" is lot easier than "Trying" or "Pretending".
So let us stop trying and start doing!

Estimation - A piece of cake

Do you feel "Estimations –You have never done before or you are not aware"? Well the feeling is so very not correct. I think we have been doing estimations since childhood or since we were young. Surprised or hard to believe – Continue reading.

Let me get straight in to the subject. Do you remember your college exam days? What do you think you did for preparing for the exams? Right from syllabus gathering, to allocating time for each subject and finally altering the schedule or even sneaking for a movie, to gather-back your nerve. All these activities were only possible based on the estimates you derived at each stage.
Let us investigate a bit more in detail and try to correlate with business world.

Planning estimate (GUESSTIMATES): As the exam dates are announced we used to start gathering the syllabus and notes for each subject. Based on the difficulty of the subject (I felt most of the subjects as difficult) and the syllabus I would guess the time I might need to prepare. 
Well this is guesstimate, a rough approximation of cost or time within a reasonable range of values, prepared for information purposes only. It is also called ball park estimate.


Budget estimate (TSHIRT SIZING): Since I use to bunk most of the lectures it was more prominent exercise for me, and I remember that I would spend atleast a week or two to gather all the notes, relevant material. Once I had the information I would again try to judge based on my awareness for each subject for each chapter/lesson, thus derieve the difficulty level. Now with this enlightenment I would be in a position to calculate slightly more accurate time I might need to spend for each subject.
Well I completed t-shirt sizing; an approximation based on well-defined (but preliminary) data and established ground rules.


Firm estimates (ESTIMATES): Now I would try to browse through the various lessons for each subject. I would speak to the seniors or other members and try to understand from exam perspective what is important, what is likely to come and what is not. Based on the gathered information and my comfort, now I would try to figure out what are the lessons that I am going to omit or skip,  which lessons I would attempt if time permits and which lessons are important,carry more weightage in the exams, and thus cannot be skipped. Now I have exactly decided what all I am going to focus on and thus I have a better understanding of time I might need to knock out each subject.
Well this is firm estimates, a figure based on solid data for committing myself to or entering into a binding contract.

Finally I used to prioritize and decide on the sequence or order of subjects I would prepare, when to start which lesson or even chose the best time (late night or early morning). I would also decide which subject or lessons should be completed in group and which should be tackled alone. Well my estimates are ready and I am all set for the EXECUTION PHASE!


Apart from the above there is one more type of estimation namely the High and Low estimates or Best and Worst case estimates. This is especially used for budgeting purposes or when we have to provide some range of approximation. This is like saying 'I will reach the destination in 15 to 20 minutes', typically giving the best case and worst case scenario. Such methods are often used in product or solution estimation or where external factors/dependencies are involved or for R&D related actvities where the time for achieving the end result cannot be predicted accurately.


In business world: Effort estimates are the basis for project budgeting and planning. Poor budgeting and planning often has dramatic consequences and we have got our lessons, seen turbulent or surprisng end (exam) results, right from college days. When budgets and plans are too pessimistic, business opportunities can be lost, while over-optimism may be followed by significant losses.

So estimates are nothing but a tentative evaluation or rough calculation, of cost, quantity, time or size on the basis of available information. It is a statement of the approximate cost of work to be done, such as a project or car repairs. A judgment based on one's impressions; an opinion.

In software world there are different techniques used to derive estimates namely LOC (Lines of code) or FP (Function point) analysis. Some buffering techniques are also used known as risk mitigation. There may be other variations used to try to bring in more accuracy.
Well these are just techniques, the basics still remains the same which we know since childhood.
So start enjoying your piece of cake!

If you still have doubts/question/queries feel free to revert back.

Brainstorm - Bring ideas to reality

Many of us might have participated in quite a few brainstorming sessions.

How many of us understand why we are part of such sessions? How many of us ‘understand the essence’ of such sessions? How many of us actually enjoy such sessions? Oh you think you have never been called for any of such sessions before, No worries!

Being able to participate, truly, in brainstorming is about promoting oneself from ‘DAY DREAMERS’ or ‘JUST DOERS’ to ‘THINKERS AND DOERS’.
In software world it is,moving up the value chain, promoting oneself from ‘PROFESSIONALS’ to ‘INTELLIGENT PROFESSIONALS’.

Interested...continue to read!

What is brainstorming all about?
Brainstorming is dreaming up, thinking, suggesting, coming up with, and finally devising.
In simplest terms it is ‘giving shape’ to an abstract idea, or ‘giving shape’ to not so well defined problem or requirement.

It is a process of evaluating and confirming if the ‘idea or notion’ could be brought into reality. In many ways it is an exercise to bring focus and to seek commitment from key participants.
The process involves in evaluating the ‘idea or notion’ as viable (makes sense or no), if viable how it could be made possible, identify what all constraints needs to be tackled, what could be the best approach, what are the key aspects that needs to be resolved for each of the approaches etc. 
In short it is about ‘how best the idea could be brought to reality, if at all’.

For instance say there is a holiday on some Friday, which gives 3 days off.

FIRST THE IDEA - Can we go somewhere hiking, trekking, site seeing or simply can we make use of this opportunity in some collective, constructive or fun activity? It is very important that someone is able to see this as an opportunity which can be leveraged.

IDEA PRESENTATION - The idea is then thrown in front of some ‘subject matter experts’ or enthusiastic people. If the idea is appreciated or acknowledged then it will be taken forward by some of the enthusiasts.This is the first but most crucial step where success about the idea is envisioned.

IDEA CONCEPTUALIZATION - Then the enthusiasts do some research and try to come up with suggestions, probable alternatives - these alternatives, options are discussed between enthusiasts as and when they can catch each other. The best part is no one speaks about 'who will do what' but things are just done to the best ability of every individual!

CONCEPT FORMULATION - A few options are shortlisted and a more focused research is initiated, which includes for each option, identification of associated challenges and corresponding mitigation alternatives, probable logistic, commute, stay, food options and expected range of per person cost. This is about time when the concept is also presented to a larger audience, just to get a feel of the overall number who could finally join. There is another set of discussions where a final destination is identified, all the associated challenges are taken care or mitigation plan is discussed, along with the entire logistics plan, plus quite accurate projections on cost. By this time the people from larger audience also revert back and confirm their participation.

CONCEPT FINALIZATION - Now everything is in consensus and the key members believe that the idea could be brought to reality. The target is identified, how to reach the target is also known, all associated challenges are mitigated or have a mitigation plan, rough number of people, along with approximate cost is also known. In simple words now the abstract idea has ‘a definite shape’, the objective has a definite focus and members are committed or committed members have been identified. This entire process from 'The IDEA to CONCEPT FINALIZATION' is what is called as brainstorming.

EXECUTION PLAN - Now the ‘What and How’ has been broadly agreed upon so what remains is ‘who all, who, and when’.This is what we call as execution planning and subsequently the actual execution follows – concept realization!

Since our topic is brainstorming let us quickly conclude some key aspects regarding brainstorming in business world.

Why or when am I called in brainstorming session?

• Frst and foremost your seniors believe that you are a subject matter expert in some desired areas.
• Your senior believes that you would contribute in your area and thus help reassure that idea could be converted to reality. 
• Your seniors believe that within your areas you would help identify the challenges and also come up with possible mitigation for those challenges.
• In short your senior believes that you are or can be a ‘THINK TANK’ who can help provide ‘A definite shape’ to the idea.
• The biggest question however is 'Do you believe?'

Prerequisites of brainstorming
Well the prerequisites are quite simple, the objectives or idea needs to be spelled out clearly – ‘We have 3 days off can we make use of this opportunity in a constructive and meaningful way’. The important aspect is actually to understand the idea. Individual people need to start dreaming, thinking and coming up with suggestions, in many ways acknowledging the idea and commiting oneself to the cause.

The actual process

• It is definitely not a process where seniors or someone would help you understand the exact requirements – BUT it is a process of deriving or coming up with possible requirements itself by suggesting your thoughts on what makes sense and what does not, what would be apt to meet the objective.
• It is about discovering various challenges ‘POC’ and working on the same to help make the belief stronger or to derive alternative approaches – anything or to find ways to make it happen.
• These sessions are not by any means ‘status meetings’ where everyone would come to provide status and then expect the seniors to give next set of tasks.
• Actually it is a cohesive group of enthusiast (no senior or junior) who likes to give shape to the idea. So it is not a story of 4 blind people and the elephant BUT it is about few people who see a possibility and wants to work towards it so that others including themselves can believe what they had envisioned and thus everyone could enjoy the same.

Finally it is an opportunity to try, experiment, think, enrich and enhance yourself. It is not always about agreeing to all the points, but also about identifying things which we agree to disagree (ATD) – ATD just means that some more thinking is desired from the participants to either come up with more solid rational or to look out for better alternatives.
One cannot call a discussion as brainstorming until there are differences of opinion – the fun is how to resolve those and make the entire exercise as productive rather than counter productive – this is in ‘true sense’ what is called as collective wisdom.

Making the most of the opportunity could be a better choice BUT off course you can decide otherwise!!

LEAD TO LAST

There is a lot of quest amongst

    to reach the destination FAR most

There is this killing instinct to succeed

    everyone wants to take control, everyone wants to LEAD

Leading is not a simple task

    it is neither an act of a dumb mock

It is not the thorne which the superiors proclaim

    or any damn fool can claim

It is not the game of promoting his likes

    so that he can enjoy things of his choice

But it is about stating the things that are RIGHT

    inspite of making his position TIGHT

People do follow but for obligation

    it is mere fear of superiors position

Leaders do feel that people show respect

    but they know well how quickly does this fade

It is the game that should be played without EGO

    but most of the times that is where leaders GO

One who becomes crisis for others to cherish his boon

    he will perish from the heart very soon!!

Get the BUT out of the way!

If you believe that ‘Success’ is only the end result, then the focus should be to avoid the ‘Failures’ and one needs to constantly work towards the same –day in & day out.

Easier said than done, isn't it?
So the million dollar questions is how do we prevent failures - HOW?
For that we first need to understand what does 'Failure' actually mean. In simplest terms 'Failure' can be 'Unable to meet the set expectations' - expectations can be set personally or by others, it is mostly mutual. The parties involved in the process owns the responsibility. BUT to start with most of us are unwilling to accept this simple fact that 'Failure == Unable to meet the set expectations', this includes seniors like us as well.

Let me quickly elaborate my point about how unwilling we are, for instance I expect a 30% hike (I do not know what could help me achieve the same, hence I don't know what I have delivered is it sufficient, hence I really don't know), but still I expect - and when I don't get the said increment then I do not call it as a 'Failure', but end up suggesting that 'The boss does not favor me, or my work is not appreciated by my seniors, or the world is unfair to me or it is my bad luck or something like that'.
Hmmm, I hear you BUT still am not willing to accept the fact, though at grass root level it sounds like it is my 'Failure'.


OK, let us move on, How many times we have felt that the 'Project timelines are very stringent', and how many of us have said that during the project closure meetings?
I hear most of us acknowledge and agree, good! This is something which is commonly heard statement right from project managers, leads and even freshers.
So, how many of us have raised the alarm much earlier in the game - anybody, anyone? Oh! I guess it is a organization policy that we can speak only during project closure meetings - is it?
Now I  see lot of unhappy faces so let me make this quick - Do you catch cough/cold and fever all of a sudden, NO, our body gives us constant signals about the same and then finally we catch cough/cold and fever. The simple fact is that most of us are ignorant about these signals until we fall flat.

Good, so far we seem to agree on the end result, BUT not necessarily with the suggested cause. No problem!


Let us give another try...How many times we end up slogging or putting up late hours or even weekends during the end stages of the project or release?
Oh, I see most of us have faced the slog overs. Interestingly the cricket rules have changed and there is concept of power play at the beginning of the match, then there is batting power play which can be taken at will.
NOW how many of us, consciously make an effort to opt for power play at the beginning of the project and then somewhere down the line take the batting power play, depending upon the situation of the game rather than waiting for the slog overs? I hope we all will agree that like cricket in a project we always chase, they chase the score we chase the timeline.
Hmmm, Looks like the game is evolving continuously BUT we seem to be determined to remain unchanged!

Finally here is a simple math, let us say we have a target of 160 runs, in 20 overs, so we would be chasing at a run rate of 8 per over. Now if we chase at 9 runs per over then we would finish the match in 17.7 overs and if we chase at 10 runs per over then we would finish the match in mere 16 overs.
Hmmm, BUT we deal with a DEVIL called project, and then there are change requests, and our managers or client expect us to deliver within the same time frame and then there could be personal leaves as well.
OK got it, but the fact regarding change request, personal leaves with combination of bad managers and clients is there since ages, as good as tradition. I guess we can all agree on this one.

Now let us ASK ourselves how smart it is to say 'I got wet because it rained' v/s 'I got wet because I forgot my umbrella'. Would it be smart to, start chasing at a run rate of 10, so even if couple of wicket falls down, we would still get sufficient time to recover!

BUT, Would this approach guarantee success?
So very thoughtful, Well the approach would atleast give a chance (probability) of not losing - off course we would really need to BAT sensibly to actually reach the target!

Hmmm, I see the point...BUT.
OK, 'Ignorance is BLISS' - just think if you are OK with the cost?
So let us simply get our BUT out of the way!
Next time, make sure to check the sky (forecast) before we set out from our house, or atleast stop blaming the rain!

It is your success anyway

‘Success’ is fundamental to all and most of us trying to aim for success often end up on the other side, meaning not actually achieving what we initially set ourselves for!

Throughout the series I had tried to project most of the so called ‘unhealthy’ aspects of the game, as perceived by me. Many of you might disagree and could debate on the same. Actually most of the time the battle we play is between ‘me’ v/s ‘the activity’ – and the end result is determined by who wins the race ‘me’ or ‘the activity’.

There are quite a few who has asked me what does Success really mean to me. So here I like to put forth, what Success means to me

·         Need to sleep well – It is ironical if I suggest ‘I live my day to sleep’ but that is the fact. I simply cannot sleep if some threads are running in the background. However I sleep like a dead wood when I put all the threads to sleep. I can sleep for any period from 4 hours to 12+ hours – there is no waking me up, and both extremes are equally sufficient for me. So if I can manage to gather peaceful sleep most of the days, then I consider it as my success.

·         Earn self respect – Now this is one aspect that you cannot beg, borrow or steal – it has to come from within. When you do something really good, you sense it, you feel it – everything else is an after effect.  For me to take pride, I really need to feel associated with the cause and thus the end result.  One important note, my contribution must be substantial to the entire cause – everything else is part and parcel of the game. At the end of the day something from within needs to tell me – ‘Now that’s what I call a performance’. The last thing I would want is to sit back trying to figure out ‘Did I actually contribute and was it sufficient?’ –I rather not be part of that journey where I sit on the fence.

·         Leave the signature behind –There is a lot of difference, though only subtle, between delivering end results and quality end results – meeting and beating expectations. To me quality end result is something that is liked by the end user or the receiving party (who ever it might be), effort desired for changes are not more than 25% of the time you took to develop the initial functionality, and I do not have to revisit the same again and again – low maintenance.

In simple words – something that gives high efficiency, low fuel consumption and zero maintenance OR High power, terrific pickup and superb control. No matter what I do, how big or small, I like to leave my signature behind.

·         Measurable items achieved – producing demonstrable end results. The most important part though is trying to figure out what should be achieved, what really would make sense, it should be more than your normal capacity and finally we must stick to it. Oh, one more thing, I am talking about your plan, your lead/seniors would allocate the task list that is desired for the project any which ways – this is over and above.

I have seen people blabber, generate self-hype and finally are seen lost within themselves. My brother calls this phenomenon as ‘flavor of the month’. I am personally not against ideas but like to stick with it only when I am completely convinced or simply scrap it. Holding on to something until you find something new does not make any sense – I can only correlate this with small kids, the moment they see a new toy they throw away the old one, for kids that can be OK!  

·         Continuous learning – means trying to keep me out of my comfort zone. I have seen many people suggest that they are bored with the technology and crib that they are not doing anything new and like to do something different. In 18 years I have worked on almost anything that is thrown at me, and frankly speaking I have not seen constructs beyond IF – THEN – ELSE, FOR, WHILE, SWITCH (big brother of IF), TRY – CATCH – THROW. If anyone has seen anything different, please do let me know and I would be keen to make my hands dirty.

To me, fun is in solving the problem, the means I use to solve the same and how fast I can achieve the end result. I have seen so many frameworks giving birth and so many crazy people running after those, but I have not heard a single soul say: By using ABC has saved my X% of time and thus I am now able to produce Y% more – may be because they are shy. For me it is vital to have my plate full of challenges (technical or business), makes me feel very happy as I see all of these as opportunities to learn, grow, and excel.

·         Last but not the least, to me all that ends well must have gone well – Bums and bruises on the way is all part and parcel – Owner’s must take the pride, Neighbors are free to envy!

The above is how I see and define ‘Success’. The word ‘Success’ can mean many things to every individual. So one needs to devise what success means to him/her – because it is very personal – It is your success!

However if you believe that ‘Success’ is only the end result, then the focus should be to avoid the ‘failures’ and one needs to constantly work towards the same –day in & day out.

Well this may not guarantee success but could atleast save you from failures!

As a closing statement, I was watching this interview of Dr. Dinesh Keskar, President of Boeing India and VP of Boeing International Trading. I was very excited to hear his funda’s of success which he associates with his core values or value system – amazing thought!

WE – The Einsteiner!!!

If LIFE had to be so smooth and cozy

Roses would NOT be roses and never would have felt so rosy

Great teams would never be born

If battles could be won all alone

FEAR of losing can be painful and worse

Ignoring this simple fact can make matters even terse

Slowly but SURELY things will turn ALL RIGHT

If we TRUST our-selves and hang-on TIGHT

There are teams AND teams that make a LASTING impression

The later brings JOY, as all the pieces GEL and STICK together

The ENGINE is well oiled and performs in PERFECT harmony

That is what we like to see and should (aim to) be

AH! There are critics and critics would always be

We need patience AND our ACTION holds the key

That is the reason when critics shout and start MOCKING

Sachin lets his BAT do the TALKING

If you are here THEN there has to be a reason, TO BE

Unleash every opportunity on hand, let it be FUN - pure discovery

Let us SIMPLY caress every moment with all our HEART

Give our best SHOT and SHOW the world what we have GOT

In any sport they say -

Winning is not AS important – But how well you PLAY the GAME

If we show the right spirit – sooner than later will be CROWNED with FAME

GIVING is a virtue - EARNING is an art

But SHARING is symphony and that is what stands APART!!

-    Enriching Lives

Naughty planets at work!

On one side you read quotes like "Pleasure puts you to sleep and pain wakes you up. If you do not want to suffer, don't go to sleep. You cannot know yourself through bliss alone, for bliss is your very nature." or "Whatever happens, happens to you, by you, through you; you are the creator, enjoyer and destroyer of all you perceive"

Not entirely true (There is something which forces us to think otherwise). You will understand what I mean if you have read about celestial bodies, cosmos and how they impact the behaviour of the person. Some books even suggest that "Things happen! We do nothing, whatever happens is because of some planet/celestial body/cosmos either being happy or angry with us."

I have also heard few other interesting stories like some planets gel well with each other, where as some maintain neutral relationship, while some fight with each other or even demonstrate jealousy - just like us. Some are so powerful that they super impose on some of the weaker planets, pretty much like how the first world nations treat the third world countries! 
It does appear to me that planets are very much capable to make us do quite a few things, some we enjoy while others we don't. Here is a quick sneak preview of different behaviours of these notorious planets. Since the subject is vast and I am not blessed by the right set of planets, it is not possible for me to cover all the scenarios.

For the sake of simplicity, let us consider a scenario that there is a new project which is obviously very important, has quite a few challenges and needs to be delivered in a very aggressive time frame. A brief is presented to all and now it is time to decide who is going to be a part of the same! A tentative plan, and task break down is also provided a week ago and now each one is called to hear if they like to volunteer.

Here is how some of the naughty planets demonstrate their 'Art of leaving'. The fun is always in the language they use, what is been said and of course rest everything is indicated without saying (in between the lines).

　

Tactful planets (The wow planets)
This is how they are likely to start the conversation, pretty much on their own and are full of 'wow' moments. This is fantastic, who got this project for us? Some answer...

Oh wow, he is really very sharp and does bring lot of work - mostly in unheard technologies. BTW I went through the plan and the idea is quite brilliant, looks very challenging. Is the client a startup or a settled company? Last time we worked on a even more challenging project and it was pulled off after 4 months, all our efforts/weekends were wasted. Something like this wont happen this time na?...Do we have people with the skillset - I don't think we have people who has worked on similar stuff earlier - do we? Are you planning to provide some training or some thing like that. Some answer...

Hmmm, We should also be having some rewards after completion of the project? Some answer...

Great man, so do we have the team already identified for this? Now-a-days I really don't get a chance to catch up with other folks, I am so badly tied up these days. But do let me know if you need any help. Thanks - Bye.

　

Humble planets (Collaborative decision makers)
This is how they are likely to start the conversation, needs some initial provoking to get them going.
This really seems to be a very big and complex project. Since it is mandated by top management must be very important as well. Actually, if you see, most of the technologies also seems to be new and I have not dealt with something like this before. What do you think, should I be doing this project, do you think I would be able to contribute? I really want to do this as it looks interesting, but I am not able to decide. The delivery dates look quite impossible. So, is there any chance that the delivery dates could be extended? Some answer...

No, the dates cannot be extended, ok, so we would need more resources - isn't it? Some answer...

I think we need to come up with a more detailed plan, just to ensure that we don't mess up. I also hope that the client is going to provide us with a detailed requirement specifications with acceptance criteria. I think one would need atleast 3-4 weeks time to come up to speed on the technologies, would that be OK? Could some additional training/crash course be organized? - would also help.

It is not a straight forward job as it looks, there are many complications as I understand. If you feel and insist then I would not mind being part of this project. Ah and one more thing, I have planned for a 10 days vacation early next month, so I would not be present during those days. I am taking this vacation after such a long time and have also got the tickets etc booked - I really need this break. Let me know if you think I should be IN. Thanks - Bye.

　

Risk free planets (People oriented)
This is how they are likely to start the conversation, I mean they don't enter the conversation, one has to drag them into it.
This looks ok, I have gone through the plan but not in detail, but I have heard that this is very interesting and really huge. Is it really very complex and does it have very stringent time lines? Some answer...

Ok, no problem. So would we be required to stay late - I mean are we expected to put more hours - I mean almost every day. You know some times it can be ok, but always could be very difficult. I assume that dinner/some food would be arranged for us. (Would we be able to order what we like?) Some pause some more thinking...Would we be required to work even during weekends - even on Sundays?

The answer "Depends. We do not expect the team to work over all the weekends but if there is a need, then yes"

Some more pause...Working on all the weekends would be too much. We should get atleast some weekends off! In the last project we were called for two weekends. Would we be getting compensatory off and over time for the same? Ok, If it gets really late, would there be a drop facility. Would it at least be ok if we come late the next day?

Reverse question "Any thing else?"

Actually, I just realized that this project seems to be in A technology. I really want to make my career in Z technology. No that is fine, I don't mind working on any technology, but would the technology switch create any problems?

Also, Mr. XYZ, had asked me if I would like to work on Project-X, which is in Z technology. The Project-X is not confirmed as yet, but would you check with Mr. XYZ? Thanks.

　

Smart planets
Well actually they avoid being part of any responsibility/ownership taking conversations. These planets simply ignore the message/email and pretend that they do not know anything. They avoid indulging in any discussion about the topic and try to keep away. On the day of discussion, they suddenly feel sick or are out of town for some urgent work and don't show up in the office. Net result they avoid the discussion itself.

At a later point of time, they ensure that they provoke others where they can express their sadness and perhaps could also give a 5 minutes pep talk on how they would have loved to be working with the members, how great fun it would have been and how they have missed a big opportunity. They do not forget to congratulate everyone who is now part of the project, and through out the life time of the project they continue to curse their bad luck. These planets are often seen at the project end parties, interestingly they manage to get invited - The reason why they are smart. Further more they enjoy the party even more than the people who went through the process. As a thank you note, these planets ensure to convey that they would have really loved to be part of this challenging project, and next time others should simply consider them as IN.

　

Other planets (The naive ones)
There are some planets like Mercury, Mars, Sun, Uranus and Jupiter who can act differently - who likes challenges, rational. If they believe that it might not be possible for them to contribute, they simply suggest likewise - period, so sometimes can also come across as rude. Otherwise they "Stay hungry - Stay foolish", these naive planets forces us through pain, sleepless nights, and makes us believe that
"The idea of responsibility is in your mind. You think there must be somebody responsible for all that happens. There is no reality in ideas - It is all day-dreaming. The fact is that without you, and your actions nothing would come into being." So very naive, isn't it?

　

Finally, I would like to suggest that all that you have read until now is an act of some naughty, mischievous planets and I have nothing to do with it. 
It just happened - Truly and sincerely!!!

Know your boss - know thyself

I have conducted tons of interviews, many sessions and participated in quite a few seminars. No matter what the subject, one of my favorite question to the audience is "Are you here to succeed?" and invariably I hear "YES". In 18 years I have not found anyone who is genuine enough to say "I am here to fail". Yet statistics suggest that most of the projects fail or get derailed or delayed. There are many authors, great pundits, websites who thrive on this sole topic.

However I firmly believe that the answer lies within us + the team and not outside. Majority of the failures are due to the 'make' (attributes or characteristics) of the people, and hardly has anything to do with technical competence of the team.
No matter how simple or complex the project might be, one can very easily know the outcome of the project, even before the start of the same, by simply understanding the make/attributes/characteristics of the people that forms the team.

HOW - I find lot of similarities between project, project members and makeup of the train. Visualize project as a time bound journey, in-between stations as milestones and members of the project as onboard people. There are distinct key actors that make the wholesome composition interesting or worst. However the biggest difference being there is no physical track and all the compartments/members are not neatly coupled - and that is what makes the projects even more interesting.

Let us now meet these various interesting train characters. By the end of this session, I promise, you would be able to figure out the outcome of any project or how you can contribute to make the project successful. 



The Guard...
These type of people are extremely calm and soothing in nature. From the time they embark for the journey they await for the next station, so that they can free their legs, get something to eat/drink. To pass the time they can engage actively in any social topics and would have various interesting stories to share. They are excellent planners and in between stations you will see them completing some of their personal activities, as planned. These people are extremely good in relaying the information, from anywhere to anywhere - true unadulterated status. You will hardly see them agitated, and they rarely exhibit sense of urgency/eagerness/excitement during the entire journey.

They like the journey to be as easy as possible, so delays are OK with them. In many ways they are not time sensitive but are very good time keepers, so would be prompt in understanding 'In how much time the next station would come, is the train likely to get delayed etc' - the overall status. These folks are likely to be fond of processes and would have ardent belief that if processes are in place then everything would fall in place automatically.

These people exactly know the final destination, they are aware of all the intermediate (stations) milestones, they know the ETA for each of the stations and the final destination. The only problem is that they do not exactly know how to reach there, and thus the ETA keeps on changing.

Naturally these members likes to stay in the last compartment, behind everyone else. As a boss these people are likely to pamper the juniors, and most of the members would feel relaxed and comfortable - A true experience of silent postman.


Ticket Checker...
These type of people rarely carry any expressions on their face but posses a sharp eye. A true ticket checker can sniff who is travelling without ticket, these people can sniff the exact status of every individual - who is on schedule, who is delayed etc. These people are extremely active on stations as well as during the journey. Unlike the guard, these people can make the defaulters pay either by bribe or fine, so they possess a natural talent of getting tasks done, by hook or by crook. They are likely to get delayed in reaching the destination but surely do reach. Like people embark/disembark on stations, these people unloads completed tasks on a station and piles on new tasks for the next station.

These people are governed by the rules and once a rule is made it is there for life, so they make excellent law enforcer. These people have a nack of looking at bare tasks, they hardly try to seek the context, hence may not be creative. These people are likely to get rattled if unknown things surfaces out - they get and stay confused until the point a new rule is made, so naturally these people are not good with changes / repriortization of activities.

Like the guard, these people have a belief that everyone onboard is aware of his milestones and knows how to get there. These people are fond of specifications/documentation, may it be requirements or design or whatever. These people are also excellent record keepers.

Naturally these members like to stay in action throughout the journey, but will never step in the guards compartment or the engine - it is not in the rule. As a boss these people are likely to be strict but at the same time would be friendly as well.


Fellow Passenger...
These type of people carry lost expressions on their face as they live in their dream land. Often they can make you feel as if they are forced into the journey, and want the journey to be over asap. Also most of them would have something to crib about, always, may it be cleanliness, rules, heat, facilities, speed of the train, number of halts made, greenery seen during the journey or lack of it, peers, boss, subordinates or the work itself. Rarely you see a passenger who claims that the journey was good, without adding few other adjectives, but that is the nature.

These people are governed by feelings and rarely by objectives. They are the one who sees greenery outside. So they look at tasks as technical tasks rather than a piece to achieve the bigger picture. They have this unique strength to take tasks as they come, but rarely they would bother to understand the context - the WHY piece might go missing. At every station they give a sigh of relief and recount the remaining stations until the final destination.

As true attributes of passengers these people can surprise you - some times they are extremely well behaved and at times they are chaotic. Sometimes they can achieve difficult tasks with ease and at times they can make a mess of even simple tasks. Ultimately these are the folks which brings spice to the journey and make it a wholesome experience - they form the mass. At times we have seen them indulge in some heated discussion with the ticket checker. However they have this intimate belief that the guards compartment or the engine is a forbidden place for them.

Naturally these members can be seen all over the place, giving moments of surprises throughout the journey. As a boss these people are likely to surprise you every now and then and could be extremely tough or extremely easy to deal with - a true roller-coaster ride.


The Engine Driver...
These type of people can carry any expressions on their face and the expression depends upon the context and the situation of the project. As engine is the source of energy, these people are full of it, and it is very likely that energy can generate heat leading to friction. Generally these are not lovable people because they are constantly at you and can intimidate you, but are adorable if you are not part of their journey!

These are the people with clear vision of the road ahead and when in doubt they seek clarity. They have the nack to see the obstacles far ahead of time and to have a clear track they will blow the horn aloud that can even blow the minds out. Many people around, because they are kept awake and on their toes, doubt and often have claimed to have seen shades of phsyco in the engine driver.

For them the journey is a mission and that is how they approach every station (milestone). They truly believe that a fine is going to be imposed on them if they are late, so are extremely time conscious, and prefer to wait in the outer yard if the platform is not free, rather than whiling time on the way. For reasons if they are late in reaching a station, they can double the speed to recover the lost time - thus can act as extremely good recovery agents.

You find such people extremely comfortable when there is mist/fog or there is low visibility, or the journey needs to pierce through range of mountains full of twist and turns - simply when challenges/risks are thrown at them, it turns them ON.

Naturally these members are in action throughout the journey, and like to be ahead of the band. As a boss these people are likely to show flair, wisdom, abundant energy but when they sense delays speed would automatically double-up causing friction and sparks - a true thrill of crossing the chasm.



Well with this we conclude all the key characters that can form the 'make' of your team along with what each can bring to the table.
So next time you embark on any journey make sure you inspect the 'make' of thyself and other members accompanying you, including your boss - and you can still make the difference, you just need to choose who you would like to be - The Guard, The Ticket Checker, The Engine Driver or just another fellow passenger.
Bon Voyage!!!