Nuggets!

Every leader, author or coach advocates how important it is for you to be a person who adds lot of value to any situation.

There are many folks in cubicle empires who take this very seriously. Yes, very very seriously. They have been bitten by the value add bug so much – that it is impossible for them to keep away from adding value, at any cost.  (more…)

A group of technical experts with over couple of decades of experience in their fields eagerly went on explaining their work, expertise, issues & challenges to their new manager. There was anxiety, a kind of fear and tentativeness in their approach. They were unsure – did this guy really understand our work? can he appreciate our concerns and truly make any attempt to address some of them???   (more…)

Ideas come cheap, many a times � free!

To trivialize an idea  � just add �so what?� at the end of every idea.

To take an action � just add �now what?� at the end!

Developing an obsession to action is the key to conversion of great ideas into reality.

Met a guy with over 25 yrs in semiconductor industry � busy filing patents almost every other month. Asked him how come he is able to maintain the pace and renewed interest every time he comes with an idea?

He said – �My job is to let the world know how good an expert I am, in my field. Only authentic means I have found is patenting my idea!�

So True!

It is our job to let others know � how good we are! Mostly our actions and associated results stand in our support in this respect.

- �Now, What?� find and act � relentlessly!

~

We all come across many Freedom Fighters like the ones below – within ourselves and/or around us

�I would like to start my own business, because I want Freedom!� � standard reply from dreaming entrepreneur enthusiasts!

�I do not want to leave my job and start a business because I will not have any Freedom from work!� � standard excuse from cubical emperors!

�I would like to take a break in my career because, I want to experience Freedom!� –

�I do not like to marry, because I want to retain my Freedom!� � standard response from dreaming singles!

�I would like to rent an apartment in place of buying one, because I would like to retain the Freedom!�

What is this Freedom? Is this just an immunity from an obligation or duty?

Is this freedom �from� or freedom �for� or both? Irrespective of the reason, result will be a new �boundary!� � a greatest possible degree of something one can do!

Some of us feel that freedom is being boundary less! But, Freedom & Boundary go together.That�s the paradox of life!

Freedom of a country from slavery v/s Freedom for a country to be self ruled!

Freedom from cube v/s Freedom for experimenting in open!

Freedom from loneliness v/s Freedom for leading a self directed lifestyle!

Freedom for creating a social impact like new job creation v/s Freedom from 9-5 labor!

Everything comes with own boundaries! Passion defines the drive and shifts the pivot between �from� and �for�. One anchored in the past and the other driven towards future!

Though these are just �Perspectives�, they change the impact and the drive within an individual to move/expand the boundary for a greater cause or benefit.

Future shifters and Dreamer Doers always considered Freedom �for� as the right perspective than just �from�.

Freedom comes at a price and if it is �for�, expands the boundary as well!

Year end review and plan for the next year should cover the aspect of improving the Boundary of Freedom for another successful run!

Time to get down and run �for� something than �from� it!

Presentation is an art mastered through a structured and repetitive process. There are quite a few Nuggets from variety of masters. Here is one that covers the most basic and powerful elements � a path towards a great presentation:

1. Know your Purpose : Make sure it is feasible and appropriate!
2. Define the Structure: Identify the fundamental message and main Ideas!
3. Create Passion : Believe what you are doing is important!
4. Know your Audience: Give your listeners something of true value!
5. Summarize at Start: For a busy audience � summarize at the start!
6. Be Flexible in approach: Adapt to the changing needs of the situation and the audience!
7. Prepare for Questions: Prepare well for questions, in advance!
8. Keep It Simple : Keep visual aids readable and simple!
9. Pay attention : pay attention to every detail when arranging the presentation!
10. Rehearse : Always dry run the presentation!
11. Make it a Performance : Keep audience interested by your voice, Body Language and Positive Attitude
12. Enjoy : Keep your perspective and Enjoy the Presentation!

It is typical to see an over committed new product development program under tremendous pressure especially ahead of a critical customer demo! A make or break situation � ahead of once in a life time opportunity. Entire team is finding it hard to fix the problem and get it rolling� Architects are seriously debating what would have happened over night to have such a situation. Development and test teams are huddling to secretly find out that they did not cause the error. No clue, except the time is kicking .. fast!

Project Manager, without an option has called for the meeting � to find and fix the issue within no time! No solution, but only suspicion prevails. Senior members do not seem to agree that there is any way they can fix it! Junior most member of the team, a fresh grad � the configuration manager speaks out hesitantly��Why can�t we switch back to previous stable release � for this demo?� As simple as that � going back to previously known better state is the simplest one can do � any time! if that is possible!

Keeping fresh minds at work is the simplest form of best insurance, a manager should have!

Check this one too�

A large truck was moving through a railway underpass when it got wedged in between the road and the girders overhead. All the efforts of experts to extricate it proved useless and traffic was stalled for miles on both sides of the underpass.

A little boy kept trying to get the attention of the foreman but was always pushed away. Finally, in sheer exasperation, the foreman said, "I suppose you’ve come to tell us how to do this job?"

"Yes," said the kid. "I suggest you let some air out of the tyres."

In the layman’s mind
there are many possibilities.
In the expert’s mind
there are a few!

Many a times, it is the fresh mind that brings the best value � especially in the time of crises when most of minds do not seem to work!

Being fresh at heart and mind will make us proud of whatever we do! 

~

However persevering and persistent you are, sometimes it is difficult to stick to the job until it is fully done! You mostly work steadily along until of a sudden the feeling of weariness sets-in, shouting "enough!� for the time being, and then yield to the impulse to stop!

You can not be immune from the feeling on certain days � leading to not being at your best! It is usual in such days to miss a few appointments! Lagging interest in almost everything � failing to notice or react to issues at work though they are just routine for the capability you have!

Beauty of the fact is that you realize � at heart that if you continue to exert the will and persistently hold yourself to the business on hand, sooner or later you will warm-up, enthusiasm comes back, shadows of clouds disappear and wings start spreading to fly high, as usual! Is this the rest that mattered or power of the mind – inherent drive of persistence?

If you carefully observe, more often, it was not the rest that triggered the action. It is the impulse of some strong desire that carried you over the threshold of inertia!

Mind is the Master power that moulds and makes, 
And Man is Mind, and evermore he takes
The tool of Thought, and, shaping what he wills,
Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills:�
He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass:
Environment is but his looking-glass.

(~ James Allen)

It is truly the power of mind � desire to perform and be counted!

~

I was neurotic for years. Anxious, depressed, selfish. And everyone kept telling me to change.

And I resented them, and agreed with them, and wanted to change, but simply couldn�t, no matter how I tried.

What hurt the most was that, like the others, my closest friend kept urging me to change. So I felt powerless and trapped.

One day he said �Don�t change. I love you as you are.�

Those words were music to my ears: �Don�t change. Don�t change. Don�t change. I love you as you are.�

I relaxed. I came alive. And, suddenly, I changed!

Now I know that I couldn�t really change till I found someone to love me whether I changed or not!

Is this how you love me, god?

(~ Anthony De Mello)

Natural transformation like that of a caterpillar is sustainable. Everything else is just yet another attempt to please someone!

If we can�t change naturally, it might be worth repurposing � finding new meanings, application or value for what we are/have, right?

Repurposing is sustainable!

~