Sunday, January 25, 2009

Mintzberg, Google , Obama, Dangle

I am back to blogging, I thought I could take a couple of weeks off, honestly even last week I was like a fish out of water, of course last Sunday(18th) was our wedding anniversary so the day was a kind of tight schedule to indulge in blogging.

I guess, I would stick to blogging Sunday evening and may be try to do more than once a week on some quick thoughts during the week. Lets see.

I always read Henry Mintzberg articles with admiration. I came across his article on Musings on Management quite a fascinating one. This 10 pointer are designed to stir everyone up who cares about Management. He always take the practical stance. I remember my early days in my career (late 1980s)when there were huge debate that whether MBA folks alone can bring the turnaround!!. Some answers!!!.
I must confess I am not a die hard fan of Microsoft, this blog is composed using Firefox. Even I felt pity when I read the mint article on how MS missed the innovation on paid search advertising to take one on Google. Well as we say in this part of the world, Destiny I guess!!!.

So on 20th January 09 at 2238 Indian time History was made in USA when Barack Obama (140 Million search in GOOGLE!!!)took oath to uphold the job next to god. As a staunch GOP supporter as well as a person with more of conservative views, I was disappointed that Mccain didnt make it. Any way at this time of the world crisis, you need to put your personal feelings behind and rally for a cause. So here is to wish him all the very best for the next 4 years.

Please give a listen to the latest podcast on career tools by Mike and Mark on DANGLE. It is one in which you are informally promised of a possible promotion etc after you join in a present position for which you are interviewed. Very practical insights, as usual from them!!.

I close this week with sincere prayers to the almighty for the recovery of 2 people who had made a deep impact in the tech world as well to entire India. Our Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh has undergone Heart surgery, Saturday. He is the architect for all the financial reforms post 1991 and is a gem amidst all the Black coal!!. The other is Steve Jobs, Man, what a change he has made to the TECH world!!. Here is to wish them all the speedy recovery and a one as fast as possible. We need you back to complete more of the unfinished tasks. (Disclosure- my political views are different!!).

Till next week, take it easy and take care; live consciously.
Regards
Karthik.





Sunday, January 18, 2009

Weeks off.

I will be away for blogging for a couple of weeks. Just to collect thoughts, ideas, to come out with better aspects.
Stay in touch.
Take it easy and take care; Live Consciously.

Karthik

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Linkedin, Best and worst Jobs, HBR, Google.

I was checking the linkedin sites over the weekend answering some of the open questions when I found some cool add on features worth adding in to your linkedin home page.
a) Reading list by Amazon, you can find out what people in your network are reading or the books you/ others would like to read. So a chance to know the books that are popular or a must read. Of course, there are other platforms like Shelfari which helps you to know the best books in network, but this helps over a sizable size network.
b) Boxnet you can share your work for edit/view/ comment or let your network people read some of the files. Good file sharing site.
c) Bloglink helps you connect all the blog pages of your network in one page to browse thro.
Good stuff on colloboration which is the key these days.!!!.

Came across intersting article in the Wall street journal on the best and worst of the jobs. Mathematicican is number 1 and Lumberjack at 200. The safety, rewards, scope are all covered. I was looking for Health and safety manager (my profession) was ranked at 89, Not bad!!!!

I was delighted to see in my snail mail, the Harvard business training programs offering in India from the Harvard Research centre here. This was a dream once to many Indians. The travel cost to attend programs will be a great saver. I hope I get a chance to participate in some program in future. But the great feeling is as they say Mountain has come to Mohammed.

I have installed new google themes of save the children, Action against hunger, Doctors without frontiers etc to my google home page tabs. They are great to remind you of the issues that exist in the world.

I look forward to celebrating the harverst festival of Pongal this week (Our thanksgiving). The summer officially starts here as the sun starts its journey back to tropic of cancer. This is also the month when the very old elderly wish they reach the heavenly abode.(As happened to my grandparents aged 97 and 90 on Jan 25th and Feb 3rd).

Till next week, take it easy and take care; Live conciously.
Regards
Karthik.

Sunday, January 04, 2009

Board of Directors, Easy, RSS, Downloads.

First of all a very happy new year 2009. I hope this year is filled with peace, joy, happiness and health.

I remember reading an article in fast company some time back on creating your own board of Directors to help and advise you check on personal growth. Jack Welch has also some thoughts on how the board of Directors should steer the company in his Welch way podcast. So I was kind of surprised with the way things have turned out in Satyam Episode in which the famous and educated(!!) turned a blind eye. I also agree that the role of board of Director role in an Indian way is a lot different here in Indian perspective. The ego and power distance ingrained in Indian culture is a long way off from the western culture course correction that can be taken!!.The whole corporate governance it appears is a kind of Hung go, Go the herd way. Wonder, this could be the turning point on so called Indian Corporate governance. Of course, here is the alternate perspective!.

Came across an interesting podcast with Umesh Ramakrishnan on the 800-CEO read blog on the book "There's no elevator to the top". The conversation covers the author's interaction with various leaders and lessons and learning. A worth listening!. I plan to purchase the book if it is available here in Bangalore.

I was listening to Wayne Turmel's work week podcast on Management issues the other blog for the first time. Wow, there were 70 podcasts out there and it is not linked to ITUES to auto download. So as I was wondering how to download the episodes in to my IPOD without clicking and download each episode, the FIREFOX extension download all manager came to my rescue. Bang. All episodes automatically downloaded in 20 Minutes.!!!.

I read the summary of leadership from inside out by Kevin Cashman. One take away for me is Don't take yourself too seriously. That is a big learning and implementation for me in 2009. Some times that is root cause to various issues.

I am sure all are saving time with links to RSS feeds to view your favourite pages collected in one page! I use google home page. It saves lot of time. I just wanted to be sure!!. The watching the net just mentioned this today in an email so wanted to pass it on.
Till next week, take it easy and take care; Live Consciously.
Regards
Karthik.




Sunday, December 28, 2008

Feelings, Steelcage deathmatch, Careertools, Roomtoread.

I had received feedback on the performance review posted in my blog last week. Yes, it can be used as a tool by the middle managers to link the organization goals with individual goals with results and behaviors. Many managers miss this view.

I came across a very touching column in IHT which really expresses the view from the other perspective of secular Muslims. Having been to Pakistan more than dozen times during my Monsanto assignment, thus consider a second home. I cant help fully agree that you cant paint everything with the same brush as expressed by the author.It touched me somewhere, and I thought that I should share that feeling.

Kamla Bhatt does very lively, interesting radio shows on livemint. The talk with Sam Pitroda, Sridhar Vembu, Reid Hoffman. I enjoyed the show she did with Mitchell Baker of Firefox, the browser I adore. (My son chides me, Yes, I too like Google Chrome, but would take a while).

I found google profile which helps to find people on planet. I hope this extends to find the people from past to whom we were connected!!.

I was dumb stuck when I read an economist article recently that there are more than 30 Billion videos posted on Youtube and this would reach 1 trillion by 2013. I was way off the mark, I was thinking around 2 to 3 million!. What a resource, you just type and the video is out there!!. Ofcourse, I am pleasantly surprised that the search, that I didnt find first time comes up magically after a week or so!!. Some one is watching what is searched!!. Thank you.....

Manager tools have refurbished their website. They have also began a new series of podcast called Careertools (The same website). The steelcage death match podcast on Performance review in these downturn times is worth listening. Give it a try.

I was also amazed at the services done by roomtoread, started by John Wood (Ex- Microsoft) which works for children's education in a big way. Makes you wonder on the issues that are all out there to fight.

I leave with the passing away of Jorn Utzon the designer of Sydney Opera House. I remember the visit to this wonderful architecture back in 2004 during my Australian visit (of course also visited SCG, we grumbled at not seeing the visiting team dressing room) and I wondered who was the intellect to come out with such a great design!!. It is a pity he never saw the completed structure.May His soul rest in peace. Ofcourse! he is not world famous!! but such people create master piece and leave a legacy behind.

Till next week, take it easy and take care and live consciously.
ALL THE VERY BEST FOR 2009.
Regards
Karthik.


Sunday, December 21, 2008

Charsur, Strange, Type I, Great for sport.

I am posting this blog with practically the work year being over with unofficial shutdown for the next 2 weeks in view of the situation. 2008 was a reasonable year with lot of hits and a few miss!!. Lets hope the economic sitation do turn around in 2009. I came across this article on damming performance review in WSJ. Hm, interseting.

I came across an interesting website Charsur Digital work station from which you get a chance to access Great Indian musical classics. The work done by Charubala and Suresh(Hence Charsur) is great. I have put in some personal requests in their website for some of the devotional music I enjoyed in the Mid 1990s thro music cassettes, but seems to have vanished. Let me see if I can access to it.!!.

Ever wondered what happens when pilot is unqualified to land the aircraft in a rough weather and flies the flight back to destination jsut minutes to land. Having myself been on the edge of the runway for more than 90 minutes inside the BA flight from Madirid to Heathrow, waiting to take off,only to return to stand, this August, I can feel the heartburn for the passengers!!.

I attended the TYPE I diabetic club meeting in Bangalore today. The meeting was very informative and removes some of the misconcepts, misinformation as well as some diet misguidance we have about Diabetics. Also the approach to Type I and Type II diabetics are quite different. Dr Madhuri and team does a great job. It is a feeling to give back to society. She can be contacted at 99808 38108.

I end this weeks blog delighted to see South Africa pulling off a sensational win over Australia. I think the 60 minutes I spent over the last 2 days, wathcing it live on TV was worth the time spent on the quality of cricket dished out. Having missed the chance many times to pull up one on Aussies, I think this wins erases the bitter memory as well as anger of the miss out of Egbaston 1999. Australia sorely lacks the bowlers who needs to take 20 wickets to win matches!!. Hope they find the remedy soon. Yes,on cricket, one of my new year resolution is not to waste a minute watching cricket in dead tracks in India, whom I am told beat England this week. Let me see how to much I stick to it though I didnt watch much of it for sure!!.(Borning/snoring stuff).
Till next week Take it easy and take care; Live consciously.
Regards
Karthik.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Meeting, Openletter, Kungfu, Calendar

I had an interesting experience yesterday. As indicated in my earlier posts, we have decided to buy a flat and signed an agreement in August 07 with the promise that the house would be completed by May 08. Renaissance builders, who are building park III(The apartment built by Renaissance Holdings) are less than open about the changes in overall plan of the apartments as well as Inordinate delay. So all of us met yesterday (Saturday) in their office and had a meeting. Needless to say, the 50 of us, (Out of 100 potential owners) had a tough time controlling our emotions in check ofcourse we have a great spokesperson in Mr Suparna. This was kind of first time experience for me as meeting I usually attend at work or never about life or survival as it was for some of the people who had been asked to vacate their present dwelling and move out. What saddens us was the kind of hide and seek played by the Renaissance management with no formal communications over the last 15 months to us on reasons for delay, or when they would complete or would there be a kind of compensation. The senior management also sometimes seem to disappear letting junior staff manage the gauntlet. I was kind of fortunate that the time overrun for my flat is less than 5 months where as I did meet people who had booked 3 years back and had been promised possession in 2007. Such are the shape of things. So an experience!! While we appreciate, understand that the present recession conditions have made situation of builders funds, resources to make things happen slow and delay ( I just read delay of 2 years in Boeing, airbus!!), what is expected from them is honesty, transparency, and commitment to deadlines or timely communication when things tend to go off track. So much for professionalism I suppose. We hope that things move for good from hereon, and hope that construction completes in say next 4 months and that we should move to park III by May09.

I was moved by the open letter to our Prime minister by an IAS Officer. He had expressed his disappointment over his performance as well as him tolerating mediocre bureaucrats over the last straw on the camel back- the Mumbai carnage. Would some change happen!! I wonder like other incidents we will forget and move on after a victory in a cricket match.

My Son over the weekend persuaded me to sit with him and watch the movie Kungfu Panda. Comedy / cartoon movie it was, I could correlate many leadership aspects in the movie. The ability to be ready for challenges in unforeseen situation, determination to learn and win, strive for excellence as well as success is all due to positive mental attitude were some of the great take away. Worth the 90 Minutes on a Friday night!!.

As the year is coming to an end I was looking for 2009 calendars in excel format and came across this magic calendar. Lot of useful information on almanac, distances to cities etc to work through.

Ok, till next week, take it easy and take care; live consciously.
Regards
Karthik.