At one point of time I had given thought to the idea of work-life balance and how much all the companies and HR talk about it.
It sounded absurd to me. How can the company provide or help provide a work-life balance to a person because it is ONLY THAT EXACT PERSON who knows the EXACT POINT at that particular point in time where things balance!
Just like a scale on a pivot where -
- different weights against an object balance at different points on the scale
and,
- different things at the same place need different weights to balance
so also people.
Where does my balance in life lie depends on my capabilities, my aspirations, my ambitions, my life position, my support system and a million other things.
Thankfully its not hard to achieve even though its sounds hard.
Now coming to the point of why I believe HR has no role to play in it.
Why because I get rewarded accordingly to the amount of effort that I put and the extent of output that I produce for my work. The more I work, the more I get rewarded. The more I give of myself to my work, the less I have of myself for everything else. I need to myself figure out what works for me. How does HR (or anybody else for that matter) decide which is the right amount of myself give where?
Last but not the least, the more give of myself to work, the less I have of myself for everything less but not necessarily less of life. If work is important to me, and work is my life, the more I put myself into my work, the more I have of life and that is perfect balance too!
Thursday, August 31, 2006
A bolt from the blue!
Sometimes simple concepts strike you with a violent force of realization and leave you stunned. It so happened today that I was interacting with a friend of mine and we discussed how men like planning things, being in control and having an action/activity packed holidays where women in general would prefer a lazy, unplanned, go-with-the-flow kind of time. There are exceptions ofcourse but .. well, maybe I should replace 'men' and 'women' with a neutral some people to save getting distracted into men vs women theories.
Well the core of the issue is that it made me think of how I am an extreme 'P' type person rather than a 'J' type person and that is when it sudden bound on me that :
The MBTI types are just as valid for companies as they are for people!
Lets me first expand the MBTI Type dichotomies for a quick refresh (copied from Wikipedia)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myers-Briggs_Type_Indicator
The preferences
Dichotomies
Extroversion - Introversion
Sensing - iNtuition
Thinking - Feeling
Judging - Perceiving
The terms Introvert and Extrovert are referred to as attitudes and show how a person orients and receives their energy. In the extroverted attitude the energy flow is outward, and the preferred focus is on other people and things, whereas in the introverted attitude the energy flow is inward, and the preferred focus is on one's own thoughts and ideas.
Sensing and Intuition are the perceiving functions. They indicate how a person prefers to receive data. These are the nonrational functions, as a person does not necessarily have control over receiving data, but only how to process it once they have it. Sensing prefers to receive data primarily from the five senses, and intuition prefers to receive data from the subconscious, or seeing relationships via insights.
Thinking and Feeling are the judging functions. They both strive to make rational judgments and decisions using the data received from their perceiving functions, above. Thinking uses logical "true or false, if-then" connections. Feeling uses "more or less, better-worse" evaluations. When Thinking or Feeling is extroverted, judgments tend to rely on external sources and the generally accepted rules and procedures. When introverted, Thinking and Feeling judgments tend to be subjective, relying on internally generated ideas for logical organization and evaluation.
Judging and Perceiving reveals the specific attitudes of the functions. In J-types, the preferred judging function (T or F) is extroverted (displayed in the outer world). J-types tend to prefer a step-by-step (left brain: parts to whole) approach to life, relying on external rules and procedures, and preferring quick closure. The preferred perceiving function (S or N) is introverted. On the other hand, in P-types the preferred perceiving function is extroverted, and the preferred judging function is introverted. This can result in a "bouncing around" approach to life (right brain: whole to parts), relying on subjective judgments, and a desire to leave all options open. (The terminology may be misleading for some—the term "Judging" does not imply "judgmental," and "Perceiving" does not imply "perceptive.)
So what's so cool about extending the personality types to companies? Nothing, except that I hadn't thought about it before and the simplicity and the aptness of the concept left me dazed. It might be the most normal of 'theories' but with my limited experience in thinking hadn't taken me to this place just yet and when I did reach here, unplanned, I was amazed at the simplicity and beauty of the whole thing. Just like we apply all these 'psychological' theories in finding out compatibility issues, working styles etc for people, why not companies and people, or companies and companies. They would be so useful in finding constraints of a newly hired employee or sorting out the rough edges during merger of two differently cultured companies. Wow! The potential is mind boggling!
Will continue this theory in my next post..
Well the core of the issue is that it made me think of how I am an extreme 'P' type person rather than a 'J' type person and that is when it sudden bound on me that :
The MBTI types are just as valid for companies as they are for people!
Lets me first expand the MBTI Type dichotomies for a quick refresh (copied from Wikipedia)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myers-Briggs_Type_Indicator
The preferences
Dichotomies
Extroversion - Introversion
Sensing - iNtuition
Thinking - Feeling
Judging - Perceiving
The terms Introvert and Extrovert are referred to as attitudes and show how a person orients and receives their energy. In the extroverted attitude the energy flow is outward, and the preferred focus is on other people and things, whereas in the introverted attitude the energy flow is inward, and the preferred focus is on one's own thoughts and ideas.
Sensing and Intuition are the perceiving functions. They indicate how a person prefers to receive data. These are the nonrational functions, as a person does not necessarily have control over receiving data, but only how to process it once they have it. Sensing prefers to receive data primarily from the five senses, and intuition prefers to receive data from the subconscious, or seeing relationships via insights.
Thinking and Feeling are the judging functions. They both strive to make rational judgments and decisions using the data received from their perceiving functions, above. Thinking uses logical "true or false, if-then" connections. Feeling uses "more or less, better-worse" evaluations. When Thinking or Feeling is extroverted, judgments tend to rely on external sources and the generally accepted rules and procedures. When introverted, Thinking and Feeling judgments tend to be subjective, relying on internally generated ideas for logical organization and evaluation.
Judging and Perceiving reveals the specific attitudes of the functions. In J-types, the preferred judging function (T or F) is extroverted (displayed in the outer world). J-types tend to prefer a step-by-step (left brain: parts to whole) approach to life, relying on external rules and procedures, and preferring quick closure. The preferred perceiving function (S or N) is introverted. On the other hand, in P-types the preferred perceiving function is extroverted, and the preferred judging function is introverted. This can result in a "bouncing around" approach to life (right brain: whole to parts), relying on subjective judgments, and a desire to leave all options open. (The terminology may be misleading for some—the term "Judging" does not imply "judgmental," and "Perceiving" does not imply "perceptive.)
So what's so cool about extending the personality types to companies? Nothing, except that I hadn't thought about it before and the simplicity and the aptness of the concept left me dazed. It might be the most normal of 'theories' but with my limited experience in thinking hadn't taken me to this place just yet and when I did reach here, unplanned, I was amazed at the simplicity and beauty of the whole thing. Just like we apply all these 'psychological' theories in finding out compatibility issues, working styles etc for people, why not companies and people, or companies and companies. They would be so useful in finding constraints of a newly hired employee or sorting out the rough edges during merger of two differently cultured companies. Wow! The potential is mind boggling!
Will continue this theory in my next post..
Monday, August 28, 2006
Kinds of blogs
I have been taking a peek at (quite a) few blogs and like most other things in life, It am trying to compartmentalize and label them with the objective of trying to figure out where I stand.
The labels so far :
- The techy's talk
The blogs which explain some of the finer details of a some particularly obtuse and cool technology making it in the process, cooler but hopefully much less obtuse.
- Autobiographies in the making
Broadcast about the noteworthy (and at times totally forget-worthy) happenings in the life of writer.
- New Channels
Regular updates in all that is happening (or not happening) in the environment. A personal news reporting and commentary channel.
- Writer's Blog (often block)
Rusty and wannabe writer needing and getting practice at the cost of willing audience. Oftimes amidst the thorns springs a lively rose.
- Raving Rants
Space and avenue for all the vent up and pent up frustations in the life of the writer - a web punching bag. The web gladly provides willing ears for chronic cribbers and thankfully saving the real live people.
- Food for thought
Musings that provoke thinking, catalyze ideas, provoke passions and crystallize thoughts. Oftentimes the thoughts are stale, the idea stink and passions inspid.
- Sticky notes for random ideas
Place to capture some passing brain dumps and seemingly cools ideas to be analyzed and often trashed in future
Where do I fall? Mostly the last I should guess though once in a while it spills over to a few others.
The labels so far :
- The techy's talk
The blogs which explain some of the finer details of a some particularly obtuse and cool technology making it in the process, cooler but hopefully much less obtuse.
- Autobiographies in the making
Broadcast about the noteworthy (and at times totally forget-worthy) happenings in the life of writer.
- New Channels
Regular updates in all that is happening (or not happening) in the environment. A personal news reporting and commentary channel.
- Writer's Blog (often block)
Rusty and wannabe writer needing and getting practice at the cost of willing audience. Oftimes amidst the thorns springs a lively rose.
- Raving Rants
Space and avenue for all the vent up and pent up frustations in the life of the writer - a web punching bag. The web gladly provides willing ears for chronic cribbers and thankfully saving the real live people.
- Food for thought
Musings that provoke thinking, catalyze ideas, provoke passions and crystallize thoughts. Oftentimes the thoughts are stale, the idea stink and passions inspid.
- Sticky notes for random ideas
Place to capture some passing brain dumps and seemingly cools ideas to be analyzed and often trashed in future
Where do I fall? Mostly the last I should guess though once in a while it spills over to a few others.
Neutral view point!
Its silly how sometimes a small thought or statement can take control of your mind. Its so happened that a two days back someone talked about someone having a 'neutral view point' - and ever since, I have this deamon (- maybe I should call it a demon)process running at the back of my mind, not taking too much of processing but now and then, it interferes with my other thoughts.
So here it goes,
Is there anything like a 'neutral point of view'. I understand there can be two potentially extreme views on a subject and something mid-way between these can warrant being call the neutral view point. But then, as soon as you hold a view, just any view, on an extreme or midway, there is bound to be an antithesis - an exact opposite of that view - which immediately means the view is not neutral anymore. Neutral, midway, extreme, they are just relative to where you are, what is neutral to you might not be so for someone else, and what is seemingly an extreme, is actually a baseline for another.
So here it goes,
Is there anything like a 'neutral point of view'. I understand there can be two potentially extreme views on a subject and something mid-way between these can warrant being call the neutral view point. But then, as soon as you hold a view, just any view, on an extreme or midway, there is bound to be an antithesis - an exact opposite of that view - which immediately means the view is not neutral anymore. Neutral, midway, extreme, they are just relative to where you are, what is neutral to you might not be so for someone else, and what is seemingly an extreme, is actually a baseline for another.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
All about Authority!
A question of command and authority
Often I have reflected about authority, respect, influence and the way we mould events in and around our lives. There is a very thin faded line to distinguish between them; often one is mistaken for the other. Its hard to say what we influence, what we command and the way others look up (or down) on us.
This how the online free dictionary defines "authority"
1.
a. The power to enforce laws, exact obedience, command, determine, or judge.
b. One that is invested with this power, especially a government or body of government officials.
2. Power assigned to another; authorization:
3. A public agency or corporation with administrative powers in a specified field:
4.
a. An accepted source of expert information or advice:
b. A quotation or citation from such a source:
5. Justification; grounds:
6. A conclusive statement or decision that may be taken as a guide or precedent.
7. Power to influence or persuade resulting from knowledge or experience:
8. Confidence derived from experience or practice; firm self-assurance:
All this eventually boils down to POWER. The power to make decisions, the power to change events, the power to enforce, the power to control, the power to influence, the power...
What exactly is power? It manifest itself in many ways -
Physical Force
It takes form of brute power of a beast to the more subtle control of the beauty to the torture of a bully and everything in between.
The Weight of Titles, Name, Place, Position, Possession
What you are, Who you are, What you do, all the responsibility that we take on our way brings alongside its companion authority and command.
The Power of Knowledge
An expert has a strong influence, and needless to say, also the last word!
Its raw power to know more than others, to know what you are not suppoknowinge knowning.
Spiritual/Mental Control
It could be the control someone has to either imprison or release us from us, our thoughts or what are thoughts make us to be.
Emotional Leverage
The power some people have in the way they treat us and make us feel, from the lowest dumps of being unwanted and trashed to making us the epicenter of their universe.
Moral Authority
This is the hardest to explain and probably the subtlest and strongest of all controls and influences. Some people influence you for what they are, for what they embody. They hold control because you want to emulate them, you want to please them and end us being willing puppets in their hands.
Each is independent in a sense - neither a pre-requisite to another, none a logical consequence of anything else. And yet, it doesnÂ’t take too much of thinking to see that these demarcated factors frequently overlap, influence, in-fight and stay in a constant state of chaotic coexistence.
What kind of power we need to succeed in various rolesthat we play,
- We all need some measure of 'physical' control to survive
- As a team member we are valued for our 'knowhow'
- As family member we need to emotional currency
- Society requires of us a certain name and position and ofcourse contribution to the spiritual well being of all
- To be good leaders we need a mix of all - but most critically the 'Moral Authority"
Not the self acquired variety, but one that is thrust upon us and it is in us to shoulder
-
Often I have reflected about authority, respect, influence and the way we mould events in and around our lives. There is a very thin faded line to distinguish between them; often one is mistaken for the other. Its hard to say what we influence, what we command and the way others look up (or down) on us.
This how the online free dictionary defines "authority"
1.
a. The power to enforce laws, exact obedience, command, determine, or judge.
b. One that is invested with this power, especially a government or body of government officials.
2. Power assigned to another; authorization:
3. A public agency or corporation with administrative powers in a specified field:
4.
a. An accepted source of expert information or advice:
b. A quotation or citation from such a source:
5. Justification; grounds:
6. A conclusive statement or decision that may be taken as a guide or precedent.
7. Power to influence or persuade resulting from knowledge or experience:
8. Confidence derived from experience or practice; firm self-assurance:
All this eventually boils down to POWER. The power to make decisions, the power to change events, the power to enforce, the power to control, the power to influence, the power...
What exactly is power? It manifest itself in many ways -
Physical Force
It takes form of brute power of a beast to the more subtle control of the beauty to the torture of a bully and everything in between.
The Weight of Titles, Name, Place, Position, Possession
What you are, Who you are, What you do, all the responsibility that we take on our way brings alongside its companion authority and command.
The Power of Knowledge
An expert has a strong influence, and needless to say, also the last word!
Its raw power to know more than others, to know what you are not suppoknowinge knowning.
Spiritual/Mental Control
It could be the control someone has to either imprison or release us from us, our thoughts or what are thoughts make us to be.
Emotional Leverage
The power some people have in the way they treat us and make us feel, from the lowest dumps of being unwanted and trashed to making us the epicenter of their universe.
Moral Authority
This is the hardest to explain and probably the subtlest and strongest of all controls and influences. Some people influence you for what they are, for what they embody. They hold control because you want to emulate them, you want to please them and end us being willing puppets in their hands.
Each is independent in a sense - neither a pre-requisite to another, none a logical consequence of anything else. And yet, it doesnÂ’t take too much of thinking to see that these demarcated factors frequently overlap, influence, in-fight and stay in a constant state of chaotic coexistence.
What kind of power we need to succeed in various rolesthat we play,
- We all need some measure of 'physical' control to survive
- As a team member we are valued for our 'knowhow'
- As family member we need to emotional currency
- Society requires of us a certain name and position and ofcourse contribution to the spiritual well being of all
- To be good leaders we need a mix of all - but most critically the 'Moral Authority"
Not the self acquired variety, but one that is thrust upon us and it is in us to shoulder
-
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
What do I blog?
Why do I blog? This is a question that has been lurking on the outskirts of my mind for a while now. Why, why, why it tries to enter and each time I push it back. Well today being a lazy long holiday I decided to finally decide to let the question gather a foothold and come on in. It still wasn't invited but I did not push it out like a poor beggar - come to disturb my peace.
I made a deal - I will put forth all possible reasons and not try too hard to figure out which of these were valid for me.
So here it goes :
- Vanity, to show off that I can think and write - not well all the time but sometimes :-)
- Recommendation, someone strongly recommended that I should take up writing, not professional writing but write seriously, what better place than to start with a blog
- Expression, there are times when I have an idea and I am bursting to share it with others, and yet, doing it overtly sounds weird; this is more subtle, people can read when they want to without any pressure on my end. And yet, there are <5 people who know of the existence of my page!
- Vent, this is possibly a vent for all the strong feelings that overcome me at times
- Musings, thinking makes make write, and to write I need to think and sort out my thoughts, which often helps bring clarity to them
- Sharing, haven't done it enough yet, but it would probably help me connect with others out there
- It's cool, not really sure its still true!
- Everyone is doing it, that was never a motivation for me, not sure if it is now
- Understanding, as with most people, few people understand me, this is probably a way to help people take a peek inside the chaos that is my mind
I made a deal - I will put forth all possible reasons and not try too hard to figure out which of these were valid for me.
So here it goes :
- Vanity, to show off that I can think and write - not well all the time but sometimes :-)
- Recommendation, someone strongly recommended that I should take up writing, not professional writing but write seriously, what better place than to start with a blog
- Expression, there are times when I have an idea and I am bursting to share it with others, and yet, doing it overtly sounds weird; this is more subtle, people can read when they want to without any pressure on my end. And yet, there are <5 people who know of the existence of my page!
- Vent, this is possibly a vent for all the strong feelings that overcome me at times
- Musings, thinking makes make write, and to write I need to think and sort out my thoughts, which often helps bring clarity to them
- Sharing, haven't done it enough yet, but it would probably help me connect with others out there
- It's cool, not really sure its still true!
- Everyone is doing it, that was never a motivation for me, not sure if it is now
- Understanding, as with most people, few people understand me, this is probably a way to help people take a peek inside the chaos that is my mind
Saturday, August 12, 2006
All too mixed up!
There are so many feelings in life, at times it is hard to understand why one feels attracted to someone.
Attraction could be driven by many factors,
- instincts, - mind, - body, - harmones, - conditioning, - physical deprivation or excesses, and even things like plan habit!
The most basic is driven by lust, the physical form of attraction. The next level takes the form of a performance wherein you get attracted to a person for their personality, their presence, their energy, the aura which envelopes them and you can scarcely keep your eyes off the show. Often there is attraction towards a person because you want to study them, they make a fancy subject, an interesting specimen that is both rare and fascinating. Next is the attraction for the voyeur in us, we live our lives vicariously thru them and it attracts us to religiously follow the journey of our reflected self. Attraction could be there for the 'stars' who represent our dreams, the perfect lives, the perfect beings, life as we would like it to be. Then ofcourse, the plain ol' friendship is attractive too, we share, our lives, our selves and that makes our lives and the people attractive. How can I forget the attraction for the direct opposite of all that we are not. Not having something makes us yearn for it and as a result so many more attractive. Attraction could also be as a result of pity and empathy. It could be because someone helps us understand who we are, helps us grow and lead a more complete life. Just as opposites attract, so also identicals, just because this means there are no differences, no jarring issues.
Beyond all these attractions is an instinctive connection. The spiritual connect. Why? Because the life motive, the drive is the same, the soul resonate together and this harmony of the souls brings them together like no other connection ever can.
Attraction could be driven by many factors,
- instincts, - mind, - body, - harmones, - conditioning, - physical deprivation or excesses, and even things like plan habit!
The most basic is driven by lust, the physical form of attraction. The next level takes the form of a performance wherein you get attracted to a person for their personality, their presence, their energy, the aura which envelopes them and you can scarcely keep your eyes off the show. Often there is attraction towards a person because you want to study them, they make a fancy subject, an interesting specimen that is both rare and fascinating. Next is the attraction for the voyeur in us, we live our lives vicariously thru them and it attracts us to religiously follow the journey of our reflected self. Attraction could be there for the 'stars' who represent our dreams, the perfect lives, the perfect beings, life as we would like it to be. Then ofcourse, the plain ol' friendship is attractive too, we share, our lives, our selves and that makes our lives and the people attractive. How can I forget the attraction for the direct opposite of all that we are not. Not having something makes us yearn for it and as a result so many more attractive. Attraction could also be as a result of pity and empathy. It could be because someone helps us understand who we are, helps us grow and lead a more complete life. Just as opposites attract, so also identicals, just because this means there are no differences, no jarring issues.
Beyond all these attractions is an instinctive connection. The spiritual connect. Why? Because the life motive, the drive is the same, the soul resonate together and this harmony of the souls brings them together like no other connection ever can.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Out of comfort zone
What is a comfort zone?
This is how wikipedia defines it :
Comfort Zone is the term used to denote a type of mental conditioning resulting in artificially created mental boundaries, within which an individual derives a sense of security.
A person tries to cling to the comfort zone and its sense of security, for outside lies the fear of the unknown and the undefined.
As we grow older, we lose our agility and adaptability, we become rigid in our thoughts and deeds. Social prejudices and conditioning, increasing responsibilities and decreasing risk taking force us to continually narrow our comfort zones to the extend that we stop evolving and growing altogether. This because evolution is a process of stretching yourself beyond the known, beyond what is safe, trying out something new, experimenting with life itself. Chaos is to be feared and yet, it is the same turmoil that is the mother of evolution.
Why am I writing all this?
Why? Because I am out of my comfort zone, very far from it. A new job, a new domain, new technology, new house, a new setup, a new team, a new boss, new colleague, friendless in an alien place. There is nothing to cling to. I must either evolve or perish and the way it stand it the latter is more likely. Not a very pleasing thought after the reasonable success that had covered my in its comforting shell for the past few years. It is hard to leave all the warmth of the past and present and look to a possibly cold future.
Do I regret?
No, an emphatic NO. Why? Because this is the only way I an ensure that I am in touch with reality. For all I know the security blanket which was covering me might have worn thin, I need to knit a fresh one that will sustain, even at the cost of spending this winter in the cold, know that I might not even last this winter to enjoy the new blanket that I am knitting, and worst of all, not knowing if I know how to knit :-)
Well, let me know back to knitting ... But .. What if it turns out to be summer rather than winter? And the blanket turns out to be a burden rather than a comfort? What if the old blanket is better than the one I am making.
No point dwelling on these issues, too late for that.
Not waiting for the final outcome, I need to enjoy the journey itself. So au revoir.. Catch up with you at the other end.
This is how wikipedia defines it :
Comfort Zone is the term used to denote a type of mental conditioning resulting in artificially created mental boundaries, within which an individual derives a sense of security.
A person tries to cling to the comfort zone and its sense of security, for outside lies the fear of the unknown and the undefined.
As we grow older, we lose our agility and adaptability, we become rigid in our thoughts and deeds. Social prejudices and conditioning, increasing responsibilities and decreasing risk taking force us to continually narrow our comfort zones to the extend that we stop evolving and growing altogether. This because evolution is a process of stretching yourself beyond the known, beyond what is safe, trying out something new, experimenting with life itself. Chaos is to be feared and yet, it is the same turmoil that is the mother of evolution.
Why am I writing all this?
Why? Because I am out of my comfort zone, very far from it. A new job, a new domain, new technology, new house, a new setup, a new team, a new boss, new colleague, friendless in an alien place. There is nothing to cling to. I must either evolve or perish and the way it stand it the latter is more likely. Not a very pleasing thought after the reasonable success that had covered my in its comforting shell for the past few years. It is hard to leave all the warmth of the past and present and look to a possibly cold future.
Do I regret?
No, an emphatic NO. Why? Because this is the only way I an ensure that I am in touch with reality. For all I know the security blanket which was covering me might have worn thin, I need to knit a fresh one that will sustain, even at the cost of spending this winter in the cold, know that I might not even last this winter to enjoy the new blanket that I am knitting, and worst of all, not knowing if I know how to knit :-)
Well, let me know back to knitting ... But .. What if it turns out to be summer rather than winter? And the blanket turns out to be a burden rather than a comfort? What if the old blanket is better than the one I am making.
No point dwelling on these issues, too late for that.
Not waiting for the final outcome, I need to enjoy the journey itself. So au revoir.. Catch up with you at the other end.
Friday, July 14, 2006
So far and no further...
And here I reach the end of my road .. need to travel some explored paths.
I will miss all the familiarly and loved paths and peoples.
A chapter ends and a new one opens up ... Time to change gears, drive right in.
I will miss all the familiarly and loved paths and peoples.
A chapter ends and a new one opens up ... Time to change gears, drive right in.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Belonging vs Standing apart
A friend recently read my blog and commented about how one of my very old favorite books was missing my list of all time favorite books. I gave a simple answer that I have outgrown the book and that was the end of the matter. And yet, it wasn't as simple as that. Back of my mind I was still searching as to why such an important book was missing. Was it really outgrowing in the sense that those concepts that moved me at a certain age/time/place no longer have the same effect or is it that they provided a certain need and I have no longer that need.
Once thought that keeps bothering me is that maybe I never did not enjoy the book as much as I 'thought' I did. Perchance, I psyched myself into believing this since it was the 'IN' thing to do. I had a need to belong to an exclusive club and these books were a visa/passport. Over the past decade or more, my needs have changed from belonging to standing apart, differentiating myself and its like a visa to a club that I have knowingly not renewed because I don't care to go there/belong anymore.
I would hate to think of myself a hypocrite. And maybe I am not, maybe I have forgotten the impact of these books from so long ago, I should read and reevaluate my impressions.
Once thought that keeps bothering me is that maybe I never did not enjoy the book as much as I 'thought' I did. Perchance, I psyched myself into believing this since it was the 'IN' thing to do. I had a need to belong to an exclusive club and these books were a visa/passport. Over the past decade or more, my needs have changed from belonging to standing apart, differentiating myself and its like a visa to a club that I have knowingly not renewed because I don't care to go there/belong anymore.
I would hate to think of myself a hypocrite. And maybe I am not, maybe I have forgotten the impact of these books from so long ago, I should read and reevaluate my impressions.
Monday, July 10, 2006
Phaedrus Speak : Mirrors
Lila : An Inquiry into Morals:
It's like a hall of mirrors at a carnival where some mirrors distort you one way and some distort you another.
(There could be different mirror reflections at the same time from different people : A moral degenerate, a tedious old nerd, heroic)
Each person you come to is a different mirror. And since you are just another person like them maybe you're just another mirror too, and there's no way of ever knowing whether your own view of yourself is just another distortion. Maybe all you ever see is reflections. Maybe mirrors are all you ever get. First the mirrors of your parents, then friends and teachers, then bosses and officials, priests and ministers and maybe writers and painters too. That's their job too, holding up mirrors.
But what controls all these mirrors is culture: the Giant, the gods; and if you afoul of the culture it will start throwing up reflections that try to destroy you, or it will withdraw the mirrors and try to destroy you that way. Celebrity is like some sort of narcosis of mirrors where you have to more and more supportive reflections just to stay satisfied. The mirrors take control of your life and soon you don't know who you are. The culture controls you and when it takes away your mirrors and the public forgets you the withdrawal symptoms start to appear.
It's like a hall of mirrors at a carnival where some mirrors distort you one way and some distort you another.
(There could be different mirror reflections at the same time from different people : A moral degenerate, a tedious old nerd, heroic)
Each person you come to is a different mirror. And since you are just another person like them maybe you're just another mirror too, and there's no way of ever knowing whether your own view of yourself is just another distortion. Maybe all you ever see is reflections. Maybe mirrors are all you ever get. First the mirrors of your parents, then friends and teachers, then bosses and officials, priests and ministers and maybe writers and painters too. That's their job too, holding up mirrors.
But what controls all these mirrors is culture: the Giant, the gods; and if you afoul of the culture it will start throwing up reflections that try to destroy you, or it will withdraw the mirrors and try to destroy you that way. Celebrity is like some sort of narcosis of mirrors where you have to more and more supportive reflections just to stay satisfied. The mirrors take control of your life and soon you don't know who you are. The culture controls you and when it takes away your mirrors and the public forgets you the withdrawal symptoms start to appear.
Lila : Nuture vs Nature
For as long as I can remember, I have had heated interesting discussions about Men vs Women and often by extension Nuture vs Nature aka Instinct vs Conditioning.
Each time the discussion is heated, interesting and yields no result. There was a time I could really get worked up on these issues but lately when I get into these discussion I sit, think and observe without overt participation.
Lila : has give my thoughts fodder to think about this phenomenon is a new light. Nature vs Nature is nothing but Biology vs Society. Given the layered hierarchy of :
Inorganic < Biology < Society < Intellect, it is a moral thing to do, not just considering the codes of societal conduct but in an evolutionary sense. Of course, Lila is no Bible but it sure does strike a chord of understanding. Inspite of being a rather dry book with thin storyline, I am loathe to putting it down/
Each time the discussion is heated, interesting and yields no result. There was a time I could really get worked up on these issues but lately when I get into these discussion I sit, think and observe without overt participation.
Lila : has give my thoughts fodder to think about this phenomenon is a new light. Nature vs Nature is nothing but Biology vs Society. Given the layered hierarchy of :
Inorganic < Biology < Society < Intellect, it is a moral thing to do, not just considering the codes of societal conduct but in an evolutionary sense. Of course, Lila is no Bible but it sure does strike a chord of understanding. Inspite of being a rather dry book with thin storyline, I am loathe to putting it down/
Friday, July 07, 2006
Lila : An inquiry into morals : Robert Pirsig
Just started this book, looks promising. A few experts from the book.
A good analogy from the book :
There's an old analogy to a cup of tea.
If you want to drink new tea, you have to get rid of the old tea that's in your cup, otherwise your cup just overflows and you get a wet mess. Your head is like a cup. IT has limited capacity and if you want to learn something about the world you shuold keep your head empty in order to lear it. It is very easy to spend you whole life swishing old tea around in your cup thinking it's great stuff because you never really tried anything new, because you could never get it in, because the old stuff prevented its enty because, you were so sure the old stuff was so good, because you never really tried anything new ... on and on in a circular pattern.
but the ale was helping. It obliterated the differences. Enough ale and everything got reduced to pure biology where it belonged.
A good analogy from the book :
There's an old analogy to a cup of tea.
If you want to drink new tea, you have to get rid of the old tea that's in your cup, otherwise your cup just overflows and you get a wet mess. Your head is like a cup. IT has limited capacity and if you want to learn something about the world you shuold keep your head empty in order to lear it. It is very easy to spend you whole life swishing old tea around in your cup thinking it's great stuff because you never really tried anything new, because you could never get it in, because the old stuff prevented its enty because, you were so sure the old stuff was so good, because you never really tried anything new ... on and on in a circular pattern.
but the ale was helping. It obliterated the differences. Enough ale and everything got reduced to pure biology where it belonged.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Slotting machines
People are slotting machines of everything and everyone, I as much, if not more than others.
They brand, this is moral - that is evil, such and such is good - flip side bad, so on and so forth, the list is long, I see no end.
And yet when I think of it, is really so easy to give a verdict?
We slot people, places, events and behave as we are conditioned to feel for that slot. There are times when we feel perplexed because our instinctive feelings do not agree with the conditioned feelings.
It is fair to slot? There are people who we think of as friends and yet, we hesitate to share, there are those in the family with whom we do not bond, there are peers and yet we are not equals.
And once in a while comes a stranger who can completely trust, a person who is not a friend but with them you share not just feelings and facts but also instincts, not a family but there is a connection that you cannot trace, there is no reason and yet you stay in touch, you understand completely and yet without trying, someone who is fascinating but not a 'specimen', someone you know, but don't know at all, someone who is your guide except that you don't know where it is leading to, who is your psychologist but no shrink! A normal person, but how normal is that?
How would you slot this?
On a parting note, its hard to trust strangers but easiest to share with strangers who you trust; for with a stranger there is no fear of being judged or slotted or canned and labeled.
They brand, this is moral - that is evil, such and such is good - flip side bad, so on and so forth, the list is long, I see no end.
And yet when I think of it, is really so easy to give a verdict?
We slot people, places, events and behave as we are conditioned to feel for that slot. There are times when we feel perplexed because our instinctive feelings do not agree with the conditioned feelings.
It is fair to slot? There are people who we think of as friends and yet, we hesitate to share, there are those in the family with whom we do not bond, there are peers and yet we are not equals.
And once in a while comes a stranger who can completely trust, a person who is not a friend but with them you share not just feelings and facts but also instincts, not a family but there is a connection that you cannot trace, there is no reason and yet you stay in touch, you understand completely and yet without trying, someone who is fascinating but not a 'specimen', someone you know, but don't know at all, someone who is your guide except that you don't know where it is leading to, who is your psychologist but no shrink! A normal person, but how normal is that?
How would you slot this?
On a parting note, its hard to trust strangers but easiest to share with strangers who you trust; for with a stranger there is no fear of being judged or slotted or canned and labeled.
Monday, July 03, 2006
When past and present blend
There are times when you desire somethings from the core of your existence. Every pore wishes for that one thing. It seems that your innards will sear with the intensity and they do. Time heals the wounds - the gentle balm, but the scars remain. With years, they either fade or you forget that they are scars rather than an integral part of you. There seems no distinction.
And then it happens, one not-so-fine day you get than one thing that you had hoped and prayed for with your whole being all those years ago. You realize, it doesn't bring joy any more. After all these years, the need it gone and it just reminds you of the opportunities lost, the bitter tears and the pain in all its intensity flows back in once more.
And then it happens, one not-so-fine day you get than one thing that you had hoped and prayed for with your whole being all those years ago. You realize, it doesn't bring joy any more. After all these years, the need it gone and it just reminds you of the opportunities lost, the bitter tears and the pain in all its intensity flows back in once more.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Employees and cars
I have often thought about myself with the analogy of a car - calling myself 'high maintenance'. Actually this analogy is not very off-track. Fits rather well with most people and bosses. Just like certain cars go with certain personalities, so also the pairing of bosses and their reports. And just like the family has some say in the car you take in, so also the team. And its not just the boss and the team that help decide what kind of employee should be inducted, it also depends on the nature of the job and the company culture.
Let me try to enumerate the possible car type and their personality counterparts to see if this analogy flies ..
1) The vintage collection : Antique value, unique personality, very high maintenance, feels good but limited utility. OK to inherit - but not to buy
- employees who TALK about values and a lot of 'gyan' and how things should be etc. etc. Feels good to have, probably need a few in the team to train others?? but at the end of the day, the value far outweighs utility. The are prohibitively expensive, slow, crib a lot but well known personalities - looked up on from the outside
2) The family SUV : Adaptable - can fit into many different roles and functions, very high utility, some maintenance, generic personality
- the dependable employee who isn't the star but you go to for all those odd jobs that other are either not capable of or not willing to do, not too demanding,
3) The sleek sports car : your prized possession, very very high maintenance, to be used carefully, but what the speed, drive and acceleration is unmatched, a real treat, expensive and rare. Best to use for special occasion lest you run it down
- the star employee, highly specialized, difficult to manage but what he brings to the table is both rare and valuable
4) The economy small car : you need one to run errands, no maintenance, high few efficiency, no personality
- these are the mediocre employees in the team, you use them to execute tasks, little personality, lots of utility, easy management
5) All terrain vehicle - 4 wheel drive : High fuel consumption, low maintenance, but necessary for bad weather and difficult terrain where none of the other cars can do
- you trouble shooter, you can send to fix any problem
6) The problem car : breaks down all the time, at the wrong time, spend most of the time under servicing in the garage, you'd love to dispose of this but cant. Terribly high maintenance with negative utility.
- the bane of every manager - PIP candidates, either for work or attitude or both
The above five are the most extremely examples, just as there are cars of all shapes, sizes, colors and values, so also people, sometimes a mix of one or more above. The same person behaves differently is different situations just as the car behave differently in different terrains.
I guess it is important for every person to figure out their personality type and see where they fit into the team. If their role and personalities match. For example if I have the personality of a sleek sports car - requiring constant attention and expensive maintenance and yet at the same time I do not bring the cherished value to the team, I am a poor fit. I need to move on to a place where my unique abilities are prized so that the high maintenance can be afforded.
What should a team composition be?
I guess depends on the work, the skills required for the work and company culture and philosophy.
If the work is normal routine job, its best to fill it with small compact car personalities - low maintenance plus easy execution
If the work is rocket science - then ofcourse you need to go for the sports cars, irrespective of the maintenance costs because what you need cannot be filled with anything else.
Service industry would need mostly SUVs where one size fits all - probably augmented by a few 'sport car' specialists.
For most product companies I guess a combination of a one or two sports cars, a couple of SUVs and bulk of small and mid size cars should do the trick.
Where does the manager fit in?
The manager is like the person in charge of the upkeep of the cars. They decide which car goes where - who does what. If they send the sports car to rocky mountains, the car and the journey will both be a disaster. They decide how much investment in terms of servicing to invest, which cars to disinvest. They decide, which fuel to fill in each car, the sports car needs 'premium' the small economy car doesn't. They decide which brand of car to get on board, what are the gaps and what cars to fill them. One wrong decision and ...
Let me try to enumerate the possible car type and their personality counterparts to see if this analogy flies ..
1) The vintage collection : Antique value, unique personality, very high maintenance, feels good but limited utility. OK to inherit - but not to buy
- employees who TALK about values and a lot of 'gyan' and how things should be etc. etc. Feels good to have, probably need a few in the team to train others?? but at the end of the day, the value far outweighs utility. The are prohibitively expensive, slow, crib a lot but well known personalities - looked up on from the outside
2) The family SUV : Adaptable - can fit into many different roles and functions, very high utility, some maintenance, generic personality
- the dependable employee who isn't the star but you go to for all those odd jobs that other are either not capable of or not willing to do, not too demanding,
3) The sleek sports car : your prized possession, very very high maintenance, to be used carefully, but what the speed, drive and acceleration is unmatched, a real treat, expensive and rare. Best to use for special occasion lest you run it down
- the star employee, highly specialized, difficult to manage but what he brings to the table is both rare and valuable
4) The economy small car : you need one to run errands, no maintenance, high few efficiency, no personality
- these are the mediocre employees in the team, you use them to execute tasks, little personality, lots of utility, easy management
5) All terrain vehicle - 4 wheel drive : High fuel consumption, low maintenance, but necessary for bad weather and difficult terrain where none of the other cars can do
- you trouble shooter, you can send to fix any problem
6) The problem car : breaks down all the time, at the wrong time, spend most of the time under servicing in the garage, you'd love to dispose of this but cant. Terribly high maintenance with negative utility.
- the bane of every manager - PIP candidates, either for work or attitude or both
The above five are the most extremely examples, just as there are cars of all shapes, sizes, colors and values, so also people, sometimes a mix of one or more above. The same person behaves differently is different situations just as the car behave differently in different terrains.
I guess it is important for every person to figure out their personality type and see where they fit into the team. If their role and personalities match. For example if I have the personality of a sleek sports car - requiring constant attention and expensive maintenance and yet at the same time I do not bring the cherished value to the team, I am a poor fit. I need to move on to a place where my unique abilities are prized so that the high maintenance can be afforded.
What should a team composition be?
I guess depends on the work, the skills required for the work and company culture and philosophy.
If the work is normal routine job, its best to fill it with small compact car personalities - low maintenance plus easy execution
If the work is rocket science - then ofcourse you need to go for the sports cars, irrespective of the maintenance costs because what you need cannot be filled with anything else.
Service industry would need mostly SUVs where one size fits all - probably augmented by a few 'sport car' specialists.
For most product companies I guess a combination of a one or two sports cars, a couple of SUVs and bulk of small and mid size cars should do the trick.
Where does the manager fit in?
The manager is like the person in charge of the upkeep of the cars. They decide which car goes where - who does what. If they send the sports car to rocky mountains, the car and the journey will both be a disaster. They decide how much investment in terms of servicing to invest, which cars to disinvest. They decide, which fuel to fill in each car, the sports car needs 'premium' the small economy car doesn't. They decide which brand of car to get on board, what are the gaps and what cars to fill them. One wrong decision and ...
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Tangible vs Intangible?
Can an person:
- Have a tangible work and office
- Have a tangible decent amount of salary deposited in his account
And still claim to be doing lots of intangible work? Continuously? For long period of time?
I guess this is a tangible benefit of working in a big company!
Wow!
- Have a tangible work and office
- Have a tangible decent amount of salary deposited in his account
And still claim to be doing lots of intangible work? Continuously? For long period of time?
I guess this is a tangible benefit of working in a big company!
Wow!
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
The Beatles Principles...
Interesting read, important read. Makes me feel good that though I am a generalist, I have my uses :)
Business advice from The Beatles
Interesting article from Andrew Sobel about business + strategy with four lessons about teamwork and creativity. Selected quotes below...
“Eight Days a Week” Beatles Principle Number 1: Invest in and build face time between team members long before they are required to appear together.
“Getting Better” Beatles Principle Number 2: Evolve your “songs” and bring the same level of ideas, new perspectives, excitement, and enthusiasm to your hundredth meeting with a client that you brought to the first.
“With a Little Help from My Friends” Beatles Principle Number 3: Help team members become brands-within-a-brand by giving them a song — an idea or proposal — that will help them to shine.
“I Need You” Beatles Principle Number 4: Put exceedingly diverse professionals on the same team, mix specialists with generalists, and foster friendly competition to produce the best ideas.
On this last principle, Sobel writes:
The Beatles showed that differences and friendly competition fuel team creativity. So does a blend of specialist and generalist abilities. McCartney and Lennon were the deep generalists of the band. Each had broad musical and artistic talents — both could play a range of instruments, compose music, and write varied lyrics — and this breadth fueled many of the Beatles’ innovations. George Harrison and Ringo Starr, in contrast, were the branded experts. Harrison played lead guitar and Starr played drums, and they stuck to their knitting. As a result, the lead guitar solos grew ever more inventive, melodic, and moving. Starr developed a highly idiosyncratic and recognizable drumming style.
The art of creating effective teams lies in how you blend together branded experts and deep generalists. Unfortunately, many corporate teams are overloaded with specialists who fail to put their products and services into the broader business context of their customer’s or client’s needs — they save the leg but let the patient die. The harder person to develop is the deep generalist. That takes a mix of careful hiring, creative career management, and broad-based skill development. Sprinkle your teams of branded experts with a few deep generalists, and the result will be powerful.
Business advice from The Beatles
Interesting article from Andrew Sobel about business + strategy with four lessons about teamwork and creativity. Selected quotes below...
“Eight Days a Week” Beatles Principle Number 1: Invest in and build face time between team members long before they are required to appear together.
“Getting Better” Beatles Principle Number 2: Evolve your “songs” and bring the same level of ideas, new perspectives, excitement, and enthusiasm to your hundredth meeting with a client that you brought to the first.
“With a Little Help from My Friends” Beatles Principle Number 3: Help team members become brands-within-a-brand by giving them a song — an idea or proposal — that will help them to shine.
“I Need You” Beatles Principle Number 4: Put exceedingly diverse professionals on the same team, mix specialists with generalists, and foster friendly competition to produce the best ideas.
On this last principle, Sobel writes:
The Beatles showed that differences and friendly competition fuel team creativity. So does a blend of specialist and generalist abilities. McCartney and Lennon were the deep generalists of the band. Each had broad musical and artistic talents — both could play a range of instruments, compose music, and write varied lyrics — and this breadth fueled many of the Beatles’ innovations. George Harrison and Ringo Starr, in contrast, were the branded experts. Harrison played lead guitar and Starr played drums, and they stuck to their knitting. As a result, the lead guitar solos grew ever more inventive, melodic, and moving. Starr developed a highly idiosyncratic and recognizable drumming style.
The art of creating effective teams lies in how you blend together branded experts and deep generalists. Unfortunately, many corporate teams are overloaded with specialists who fail to put their products and services into the broader business context of their customer’s or client’s needs — they save the leg but let the patient die. The harder person to develop is the deep generalist. That takes a mix of careful hiring, creative career management, and broad-based skill development. Sprinkle your teams of branded experts with a few deep generalists, and the result will be powerful.
Hyper vs High Energy
A long time ago, I had an interesting discussion with an interesting person regarding High Energy person vs a Hyper person, he maintained that they are both the same thing while I insisted that there is a difference however subtle.
High Energy Person : This is when someone's mean/median energy levels (any combination of these) are higher than an average person energy level.
Hyper Person : When a person's thresholds are lower and a small event/trigger can put the person at a higher than normal energy levels for that person. Basically a person can move to the next level with minimal stimuli, something which most other people will not be affected by. The higher energy level is not a normal state for the person, it is due to the trigger and therefore metastable. Once the triggers are gone the person returns to the original energy levels.
A person can be neither of these, either of these or both, I am probably both.
There can be many hyper low energy people as also non-hyper (stable) high energy
High Energy Person : This is when someone's mean/median energy levels (any combination of these) are higher than an average person energy level.
Hyper Person : When a person's thresholds are lower and a small event/trigger can put the person at a higher than normal energy levels for that person. Basically a person can move to the next level with minimal stimuli, something which most other people will not be affected by. The higher energy level is not a normal state for the person, it is due to the trigger and therefore metastable. Once the triggers are gone the person returns to the original energy levels.
A person can be neither of these, either of these or both, I am probably both.
There can be many hyper low energy people as also non-hyper (stable) high energy
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Patterns : Covering up or Closing your mind?
It sounds weird but I see a pattern in the hear gear and the general 'openness' of the corresponding society:
I do understand that all the head dress had a purpose, protecting from cold or wind, protecting from sand and dust, protecting your position or simply hiding you women with the intention of protecting them. Whatever the reason, it seems to me, as if the more you covered your head, the more you close up your minds!
1) Modern society : No head dress : open to experimenting, new ideas, neither orthodox, nor conservative
2) Ancient society : No head dress : Fast evolving society, the Golden periods of history, fast development, equality and all the good things associated with it, new ideas emerging, creative juices at work in all of art, science and literature
3) The Purdah following societies : Strict head and other dress code for women : Limited progress, primarily by men, none for women. Its like once you cover the head, you also close it
4) Middle Eastern cultures : Strict head and dress code for both men and women : Minimal progress for the whole society, limited evolution and contributions in fields of art, science, literature
5) Orthodox societies in the northern part of India : Purdah for women and pagri etc for men. Very othrodox and conservative, closed to new ideas, stuck in the past, limited progress, limited if any contribution on all fronts
6) European cultures of yore with flowing hats and wigs : Not a strict code but highly popular. More conversation than today, less free flow of ideas, strict ideas about prim and proper, expectations, some development but not as fast as now when these things look ridiculous. Who follow it still (the royalty) have still orthodox and less open to new ideas
I do understand that all the head dress had a purpose, protecting from cold or wind, protecting from sand and dust, protecting your position or simply hiding you women with the intention of protecting them. Whatever the reason, it seems to me, as if the more you covered your head, the more you close up your minds!
1) Modern society : No head dress : open to experimenting, new ideas, neither orthodox, nor conservative
2) Ancient society : No head dress : Fast evolving society, the Golden periods of history, fast development, equality and all the good things associated with it, new ideas emerging, creative juices at work in all of art, science and literature
3) The Purdah following societies : Strict head and other dress code for women : Limited progress, primarily by men, none for women. Its like once you cover the head, you also close it
4) Middle Eastern cultures : Strict head and dress code for both men and women : Minimal progress for the whole society, limited evolution and contributions in fields of art, science, literature
5) Orthodox societies in the northern part of India : Purdah for women and pagri etc for men. Very othrodox and conservative, closed to new ideas, stuck in the past, limited progress, limited if any contribution on all fronts
6) European cultures of yore with flowing hats and wigs : Not a strict code but highly popular. More conversation than today, less free flow of ideas, strict ideas about prim and proper, expectations, some development but not as fast as now when these things look ridiculous. Who follow it still (the royalty) have still orthodox and less open to new ideas
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