I am delighted to see that My Linkedin connection has reached 300. I can assure you that of that 280 are those are with whom I have conversation by phone or email. About 20 or so are the requests that came in which was accepted. Yes, some of the common members of community have accepted my request seeing my Blog and Profile. Thank you. I know 300 is a not even a drop in an ocean of 6Billion out there. As Mark says, Build volume indiscriminately, thats a good beginning. Thank you all.
I am also surprised !!!,(Pleasantly) that site hits to my Blog has reached 412 till today from October 22nd. That is almost 8 hits a day from various part of the world. Amazing, I was thinking that I would hit 100 by end of the year. This is also delightful. The average time spent was 2 min, which is OK. Let me see what I can do to improve.
Ok, I was delighted to Host Nagesh Belludi, whose websites (Rightattitudes.com and Inspirational quotes) I had mentioned in my previosus posts, Saturday. He visited my home. We spent almost 90 Minutes on exchanging thoughts on how best we can do value adds to the community of readers.I guess I spoke a lot,!!. I am glad Nagesh took time from his busy schedule during his short 3 weeks visit to India (Nagesh is with Cummins in Indianopolis). If you wish to host Nagesh for any motivational lectures in Bangalore, Pl contact Nagesh on his website. He will be in India till the 29th of Dec. I have worked some plans for taking my personal blogging to some interactive level. More will follow in 2 to 3 months. I have posted the photo above.
I am sure many of you may know about the DiSC profile on the personality of people. Mike and Mark have worked out exclusive podcast on each of the profile. This is for registered members of Manager tools. Registration is free. The DiSC is D Dominant, I Influence, S Steadiness, C Conscientious. They have also worked podcasts on How to give feedback to this guys so that it makes sense to them. Just to let you know my profile is High S. Pattern: Achiever.
It is worth taking a test to know your profile. Ofcourse, there are other equivalent profile to try out for free.
I watched last evening with Awe, Jim Collins video in Utube on Leadership in this interview with Charlie Rose. What an interviewer he is!!!. I got to get hold of his book Good to great soon.( I remember my wife calling me up a year back,then when I was traveling that she would buy the book in the book shop and I told we will see later!!!). Crystal clear clarity of thoughts and expressing it. Worth watching. I am also amazed at the levels of leadership at Level 5 which extends to putting purpose beyond individual like Gandhi, Sardar did for India. Jim talks about Abe as an example.
I will end this week with news, that the family is excited to catch up with Dr VBV Rajan,my boss at BASF Mangalore, who in now in India. It was Dr Rajan, who molded me as a mature person by sharpening the people and task side of managerial skills in me to enrich the technical skills I picked up at Sandoz. Dr Rajan retired during 1999 and moved to USA later. I moved out soon. Some people say I have some misgivings about bosses. It is not so, I was very lucky to work with great bosses. You may read this article by Liz Ryan to see my other side view of bosses.
As we come practically the last working week of the year, I guess it is time to look back. The year just flew by I guess, so all the performance reviews etc etc should happen.
Until next week, take it easy and take care. Live consciously.
Karthik
Karaikudy@gmail.com.
I was away to Pune on Business travel and back last night. So 2007 travel is over and I look forward to spending the next 3 to 4 weeks at home and enjoy a bit of holidays. I guess 2007 just flew past in a flash.
I was saddened to read the fatality at work in the Hyundai factory in Madras. 4 People lost their life due to Methane gas leak in the confined space. I really wonder when the personnel overcome their ignorance to this Quiet Assassin. This clearly goes to show the Pre-job inspection and assessing risk is critical. I don't want to touch a safety subject in my blog, the main reason for this posting being that I was appalled by the compensation announced by the company of US 5000 $ for each of the person died. I just wonder that is that the value of life in India. I guess people / press will forget and move on. I also wonder being contract employees, I am not sure what kind of welfare and death benefits would be covered. Is the value of a worker is only that much. I am also seeing from the employee perspective, Couldn't they have done the checks or Hazard recognition. What a loss to the family. How much the family would suffer and undergo pain and suffering in times to come. I know there are no easy answers. Cant we be sure that what ever we do, we take a moment to step back and see if this is the right way to do?, even if not for our own sake, at least for the sake of dear and near ones.
While returning back from Pune to Bangalore, I transited from Bombay airport. I made the mistake of going in to the Jet Airways new premier lounge after security check at the departure bay. Oh, God it was a nightmare, the lounge was right above five or six departure gates of all airlines (Including the low cost airlines) made a hell looks better. There were no glass partitions or noise reduction measures. So I can hear all the screaming and fights of passengers of these low cost airlines whose flights were delayed. It was like seeing a war movie. I had to endure the agony for 90 minutes before boarding. I can not go back to the other lounge as I had completed security formalities. That will be the first and last time I would have gone there. The irony was this lounge was for the benefit of Business class and Platinum card members,(So much for customer satisfaction). Whoever had planned this in Jet is a genius whose job is protected by Life long employment guarantee, I guess (Like some of the Japanese companies).
I am also amazed at the changing security rules and inconsistencies across security checks at Airports. Bombay has strange rules saying that 2 pieces of hand baggage is not allowed. Pune asks for Photo Identification as you enter. Bangalore, lease said the better. Wonder when the consistency will come. My British friends ridicule at the number of Machine gun trotting security personnel at US Airports, I will invite them to visit Indian airports.
I am reading Bill George's (Ex- Honeywell Executive) True North. I found the concept of Passion, Compassion, Empathy and Courage as key behaviors to manifest in leadership. Also, the personal situation drives the key characteristics to manifest. How true!!. I would suggest every one to go through.
Ok, As the year is coming to an end, I got to focus to prepare for performance reviews for myself and my team. I don't have to worry as I have listened to Mike and Mark's Podcasts on performance review podcasts and is fully prepared.
Till next week, Take it easy and take care; Live consciously.
Regards
Karthik.
All,
I had a quiet birthday celebrations on the 30th, kids are having exams, wife busy with her e -coaching so let the day just drift. Of course did a bit of shopping Thursday.
Ok, I came across2 books this week, Fifth discipline by Peter Senge.
Love the work you are with
by Richard Whiteley
The overlap between the 2 books were amazing, both talk about personal mastery. Both books talk about you forming your "Board of Directors" through friends, well wishers, colleagues, professionals who would facilitate planning,Coordination, direction as in case of management for your personal development. They would work with you as a Politician, strategist, Problem solver, Coach, Butt kicker and Cheerleader to take you forward as you go ahead in life. I loved the concept, Of course in an Indian sense if fits well as you always consult people close to you for all the important decisions in your life.
Here is the Global list of 50 Great thinkers, there are some interesting names, Came across this in CMM web site. I begin to like more and more the show and I feel it should go in to every one's must listen podcasts list.
Insightory.com is a practical information on the Management aspects with lot of information to download.
I also spend some time on Spirituality and religion once a week and came across this website on Swami Sukhabhodananda. He connects religion, spirituality, management. There are some interesting audio interviews to listen too.
As a globe trotter I always refer to the etiquette and business practices that exist in the countries I visit. I was curious to see what is being said about doing business in India. This link provides all the info for doing things in India. I guess many of it is true and practical.
I close my blog with the the 10 Most underrated books of all times and 10 most overrated books of all times and what to read instead. Agree with many of the ratings, ofcourse many of the overrated books I had found useful.
Till next week, Take it easy and take care, Live Consciously.
Regards
Karthik.
Karaikudy@gmail.com
I am taking time to finish this blog quickly as I need to move to the railway station to see my parents off to home town. They spent about 4 weeks and I am glad that I could spend time with them, thankfully there was no travel.(Thanks to the falling greenback which is hitting budgets as never before).
I come back to couple of lessons this week.
1) Success does not always brings Happiness.
2) Horstman's saying: Tell the boss the truth, it shall set you free.
1)My Son participated in the Annual festival conducted by the Hindu Newspaper. His school "National Public School, Rajaji Nagar came second in the western music competition in which he was the lead singer. As luck would have it, there were 8 participants in the band which constituted the team. There were only 6 medals to be handed over to the winners and so my son and other guy missed out.( I guess they were slow to reach the stage I think). So my son was disappointed a lot and all the happiness that should be there after finishing 2nd out of 40 Schools participants, was missing. Of course, that gave me a chance to order a special pizza for him when he reached home. (I am against junk food) This also gave me a chance to explain to him some of the realities of life. We had about 25 Minute talk that night as we went for a walk. (I guess may be second or third time We had gone for a walk together). So I am glad this incident lead to him to learn that all success is not always happiness. I am planning to send a letter to the school as to what they can do about the medal. Lets see.
The second lesson, was Mark Horstman of Manager tool, jokingly mentions always, "Tell the boss the Truth, it shall set you free". I thought, that its just a statement in a proverbial context. When this happened to three friends of mine in different companies within 2 weeks, I was flabbergasted.(Was it coincidence, like 2 formula I crash in 2 days in 50 years) They took up on themselves to take up some issues that needs correction and pointed to their boss. The boss, duly saw to it that they are all set free, for whatever reasons.Two of them have some serious job search to do. One wont care as he was doing job as a hobby, being a millionaire. I feel that the power distance and openness in Indian context has a loooooong way to go. As the saying goes, "You can take Indian out of India, but you cant take India out of an Indian" is very true. I feel, Indian bosses are very intolerant to things being pointed out and ego massaging has to be done for you to go a long way. Thats why, I am personally glad that I am out of this of Indian boss connections. It all boils down to what background and culture and upbringing with which you have come. A Donkey can never be a Horse Right???. Ok, Enough of my venting my frustrations. (I have self censored many sentences, the Emotional intelligence, prevailed)
I came across interesting website Authors@google. This is video on talk of various authors who gave talk at GOOGLE. I watched Daniel Goleman on Social intelligence. Interesting topic.
Also saw interesting video on Stanley Bing on Type of bosses. (Crazy Bosses) Personally, I had been very lucky to work with great bosses in my 22 years so far who had influenced, supported, guided me all through my career. Out of 12 Bosses, I had in my career, only one (for a period 10 Months in late 90s) was a nightmare. Lets forget it.
I look forward to a great week with my Birthday this week.My Birth star as per Indian calendar was Yesterday.
Till Next week, take it easy and take care, live consciously.
Regards
Karthik.
I was just exploring the web yesterday to learn more about WIDGETS. I had no idea about what it was although heard the term used my many in conversations as well as in websites. So Yesterday I finally took the plunge to know about it and I was immediately addicted to it that I spend about 5 hours exploring and understanding better. This also gave a better sense of managing blog posts with the HTML edits etc.
The result was some of the Tools that are posted in the Left side of this blog like the clock, Linked in Blog. Although, I did post a site meter for tracking the visitors, It never occurred to me that this is a Widget. I am glad I did use them and I hope this of help to guys who come to explore the blog.
I am also delighted to see 200 visitors to my BLOG post in less than a month. Many hits may be accidental, but still it is a good hit. Thanks to all who bumped in. Let me see what I can do increase traffic here.
Pl read my comments on Mike and Marks post on Marketing Manager tools. I was amazed (or Appalled, I should say!!) that not a single website or Blog I visit,(95% significant of test of hypothesis) had any reference to the Manager tools podcast as site that they follow or track. They are number one in Business category in podcast alley. With more than 17,000 members, naturally they are retaining membership by sheer quality of information on Management that they dish out. They also avoid all kinds of advertisement in their website.(One of the Few site with more white space in the web page) And all this, they do it for free. The premium subscription is 15$ a month is pittance even in this part of the world. There is also a members only podcast for registered members. I am sure guys have heard of Horstman Law.
Its all down to FOCUS, BEHAVIOR, IMPACT(FBI). I hope this posts helps people to go the Manager tools website and take advantage to go forward in their career. I have posted the category of podcasts as a link.
I also was listening to the podcast on CMM on spirituality at workplace with Tricia Molloy. There some interesting information which I endorse after reading Jack Canfield and Listening to Earl Nightingale. Interestingly this week, I had a conversation with my American colleague (Indian by birth) that he feels the symbols of secularism is much more in America than in India, in the workplace, as as far he sees. I think personally I may agree with the lot of displays that go in the individual belief. Yes, I too post them in my work place and use it as a driving force. I know this is touch topic for some. But I just thought of posting this. On the same note here is a link to Vedic Hymns.
Also came across interesting post on work life balance or is it choice.??
I am fully convinced the money I had spent for 3 year Economist subscription, is full value for money. The international news coverage is amazing so are the special reports that are out once a month. The other interesting aspect is the Obituary section, not a single person covered so far in the 5 months (22 issues) was a person, I knew lived. (Except for obituary on Mrs. Lyndon Johnson) such is the depth of coverage. I think the Sunday morning I spent completing the Economist is the time well spent.
Gary Slinger posts GTD info which are great.
Ok, Until next week, Take it easy and take care; Live consciously.
Regards
Karthik
Karaikudy@gmail.com.
