வாஷிங் குறிப்புகள்

இந்த பேச்சிலர் சமையல் குறிப்புகள் எழுதிய போது, வாஷிங் குறிப்புகள் எழுத வேண்டி வரும் என சத்தியமாய் தெரியாது! ஏன் என்றால் எனக்கு மிகவும் பிடிக்காத வீட்டு வேலை என்றால் அது துணி துவைப்பது.

எதை எதையோ இலவசமாக தரும் அரசாங்கம் ஏன் வாஷிங் மெஷினை இலவசமாகத் தருவதில்லை என்ற ஆதங்கம் இப்பொழுதும் உண்டு. அப்படி கொடுப்பவர்களுக்கு என் உடல், பொருள், ஆவி அனைத்தையும் சமர்ப்பணம் செய்யலாம் என இருந்தது எல்லாம் ஒரு காலம்.

கோவையில் கல்லூரி விடுதி ஒன்றில் வாஷிங் மெஷினைப் பார்த்த பின்பு, ஏதோ  பக்கா பிகரைப் பார்த்தது போல இங்கு சேர்ந்திருக்கலாம் என்று ஒரு இரவு முழுக்க பிதற்றிக் கொண்டிருந்தேன்.  வாழிங் மெஷின் மீது அப்படி ஒரு மோகம்.  மடத்தை விட்டு தனி வீட்டுக்கு வந்தவுடன் வாங்கியது முதலில் வாஷிங் மெஷினைத்தான்.

என்ன தான் வாஷிங் மெஷின் இருந்தாலும் பின்வருவன மிக முக்கியம்

எத்தனை உள்ளாடைகள் இருக்கிறதோ அதன் எண்ணிக்கையில் இருந்து இரண்டைக் கழித்தால் எத்தனை நாட்களுக்கு ஒருமுறை மெஷினில் துணி போட வேண்டும் என்பது தெரிந்து விடும். (உள்ளாடையை உள்புறமாக திருப்பி அணியும் பழக்கம் இருப்பவர்களுக்கு இது பொருந்தாது)

மெஷின் போட்டு முடித்தவுடன் துணியை எடுத்து காயப் போட்டு விட வேண்டும். பல மணி நேரம் விட்டு காயப் போடுவது, பல மணி நேரம் ஊற வைத்து துணி துவைப்பதை விட சோம்பேறித்தனமான, பொறுப்பற்ற செயல். (இதைப் படித்தவுடன் ஆஹான், சரி சரி என்று எல்லாம் மைண்ட் வாய்ஸ் வந்தால் அது எல்லாம் பிரமையே. இருந்தாலும் எதற்கும் மனநல மருத்துவரை அணுகவும்)

வாஷிங் மெஷினுக்கு  எத்தனை வாளி தண்ணீர் தேவைப்படும் என்று எல்லாம் மனக் கணக்கு போடக் கூடாது. அப்படியே போட்டாலும் மனக் கணக்கை சரி பார்க்கும் பரிசோதனையில் இறங்கவே கூடாது.

இறங்கினாலும், வாஷிங் மெஷினின் வால் போல தண்ணீர் வெளியேற்றும் குழாயை அதற்கான குழியில் இருந்து எல்லாம் எடுத்து பார்க்க கூடாது

அதே போல மிக முக்கியமானது, எலிக்கு பயந்து, மெஷினின் வாலை, வெளியேற்றும் குழாயிலிருந்து வெளியே விட்டிருந்தால், மெஷின் போடும் முன்பு வாலை குழாயில் சுருட்டி வைத்து விடவும்.

சுருட்டாமல் வாலாட்டினால் வரவேற்பறை, வாய்க்கால் வரப்பு போல் ஆகிவிடலாம்.

வரவேற்பறை வாய்க்கால் வரப்பாகி வரம்பு மீறி வரக்கூடாத படுக்கறை பக்கம் வந்தாலும், விழுந்தடித்துக் கொண்டு எல்லாம் ஒட வேண்டாம், வழுக்கி விழும் அபாயம் இருக்கிறது.

இதனால் அறியப்படும் நீதி என்னவென்றால். வாஷிங் மெஷின் ஒருவனை உத்தமோத்தவனாக மாற்றி விடாது! உத்தமோத்தவனுக்கு நேரம் நன்றாக இல்லாவிட்டால், வாஷிங் மெஷின் இருந்தாலும் இடுப்பு வலி வரும்...

Who will bell the cat?

In all of our lives, we face problems. Some that have direct impact on us. Some may not be. In such instances, most of time we do a good job of the root cause analysis of the problem, why it is, who is responsible. how it could have been averted and even say how it could be fixed.

The problem with this analysis of problems, it is just armchair analysis. Well if not for the armchair, the analysis would be activism.

Not many really do have the guts or decency to go ahead and fix the problem when they know how to fix it or at least speak about the problem to the root cause of the problem (Yes, sometimes fixing a problem is all about being decent)

Let's say you are worried about your front yard being filled with trash by your neighbor. You get irritated, curse the person or throw back his/her trash in their front yard along with your trash. May be get in to a shouting match with the trash just lying in your front yard.

How many would walk up to the neighbor and polite, calm and assertively say, what you are doing is wrong? Get your act straight.

If your boss is giving you more work, go tell him, you cannot do it. If your colleague is annoying tell them to stop it. If you like a guy/gal, just go tell them. If you want to move on from a relationship, just move on.

As they say, best way to beat the temptation is to yield to it. One way to beat the fear is to face it.

Similarly, if you have a problem, man up and solve it. Don't just keep cribbing about it. Cause it's your problem and you gotta fix it and nobody's gonna clean your shit for you! Quicker you do it, less the stink!*

p.s
*Sometimes, some people eventually do get to solve the problem, either when they are left with no choice or reach their breaking point or get a epiphany about it. Yet a lot of valuable time and peace of mind is lost from the point of occurrence of problem and time it gets solved. Hence the need to act on it at the earliest!

How To?

In our professional lives, we are all fed and swamped with information in presentations and reports. 

• How to tell someone that they are wrong?
• How to tell someone that they are wrong but they do not know it?
• How to tell someone that they are wrong but they do know it pretty well that they are wrong?
• How to tell someone that they are wrong but they do not care, is it right or wrong?
• How to tell someone that they are wrong because they have no clue about what they are talking?

Also, In any or all of the above scenarios,

• How to tell, if it was someone who works for you?
• How to tell if it was your peer?
• How to tell if it was your boss?
• How to tell if it was your boss's boss?
• How to tell if it was your client?

If you ask me, what would you do? 

The old me would say, "To hell with the scenarios and who is telling and this permutation and combination shit, Just tell them they are WRONG, DEAD WRONG and for good measure, roll your eyes with a disapproving look in your face and if you have luxury of  time take their case for pretty good, so that in future they would think twice before telling something that they are not sure of"

p.s

If you ask me, what would the new me do?, You already have the answer! #YOUGETIT?

Hello 2016!

All that starts well, ends well! 2015 was no exception!

If you had read my post on how 2014 went by, you would know 2015 did start , cool and nice. This eve too was very special in a way :)

• Much of 2015 revolved a lot around career. Certain things went well. Certain things are a work in progress. 
• I should have read more, written more and achieved more. Nope, it is not just the greedy optimist in me. For e.g this post is a proof for how rusty my writing is.
• Few things, I wished, hoped and aspired for did not happen. Yeah, that's life for you. Better to deal with it. (More on that later, hopefully)
• In the last year, I also feel I have changed a lot. No more as aggressive in the face,as I used to be but more mellower.Worse I am even afraid that I am being good at being diplomatic! 
• Interesting irony is much of what I wanted to do and wrote as advice at the start of the year for me still holds good. This means either
• I am still the old me, not learning from my mistakes
• Probably my writing is good and can stand the test of time.
• Contradicts my claim of rusty writing :)
• At the end of the day, well actually at the end of the year, 2015 was a very good one!

No matter how good things are, you have to let them go. So the better and best come your way. Something tells me 2016 will be more awesome!

Reflections from a rainy evening...

Thanks to few kind souls who have enormous faith and belief in me, had an opportunity to talk to around 600 people in a software company.

• Felt too good and too proud to know a truly global standard product is being built out of Chennai. It is really world class cause in a way it is beating the leaders in a particular geography. In a way much more than bigger than Zoho, cause their competitors are much more serious companies. Think of big enterprise software companies selling to bigger companies!
• Good, growing companies invest in people and think of ways to engage and nurture their people
• Despite being an entrepreneur for 15+ years and having such a large company, which definitely requires a lot of hard work and perseverance,the founder was very humble and his thoughts were much more humbler. (Not the typical stereotype ones that we come across in today's hyped up media)
• It is all about being in the right place at the right time
• One should not be too emotional and attached to their venture. Should not hesitate to kill it if it doesn't work
• Ventures are like family. One way or another, they sustain themselves and outlive the founder 

N.B

• The world is truly a small place; 
• No, I am not very sure how good my talk was. I think, it wasn't that bad cause, I saw many people going back to their workstations and continue working
• Nevertheless it was a very good personal learning experience

Two Tortoise Stories

Story 1:

Once there was an angry young man. His peers used to call him reckless because he would always speak his mind and shoot off his mouth without worrying about consequences or giving a damn!

He was worried about the inefficiencies in the organization as a result of the reporting structure and the training/skill development program launched across the organization. He would go on to explain how it could be fixed to anyone who would listen!

One of his colleague said, "You have an ambition to play in the big leagues and you are also so convinced about your thoughts and ideas.Why not write to the highest authority of the organization."

His time in the organization too was ticking away. His another principle was to do something and regret about it rather than regret about not doing it. He decided to give it a go and wrote it to the third highest authority.

To his surprise, he even got a reply later from the highest authority copying one of his top commandant to look in to it and assigning a lieutenant to track and make his ticking clock go away!

If you are wondering, I promised a story and tale should have a twist, and where the hell is the surprise? Well, wait for it!

The first reply started off saying, "Could not download the attachments". The note on issue was sent as PDF and  by then iPhone 4 was already in the market for an year and 4S was about to be launched. Even in top major Indian IT companies,shareholder and chairman are the first and second highest authorities of an organization respectively!

Story 2:

After working for a very large organization, the protagonist wanted to work for a startup. Rationale was he could work across different functions, make a mark and be recognized for his efforts. Considering his MBA plan, he reasoned, it would be good to have experiences from both extremes.

The startup CEO assigned him few employees, and tasked him with a primary function of training them and set up a new services offering unit! Those were the days, where people were worrying about the screen resolution and browser types than the Android/iOS and form factor challenges.

Once he asked his team member to find the version of IE in his computer. Having not heard from him he went to the place of teammate to see what he was up to.

In the IE, he was googling, "What is the version of IE in this computer?"

Disclaimer:
Any resemblance to real life characters are purely coincidence!

Inside Amazon! NYT is not so Neutral!

To appreciate this blog post, it would be good to read the New York Times article,  which says Amazon may be a good place to buy but not a good place to works for cause it is draconian(Darwinian) in a way!

Here are my quick thoughts in no particular order!

• Don't you wish the company and workers of company from where you buy your product to care for you very deeply and be committed about it? 
• Have you never spent money for company related work and did not bother to make a claim on it? 
• Have you never felt that you could say, that was a stupid idea when someone says something very stupid in the meeting rather than faking polite smile and laugh about it it later behind their back?
• Have you never been angry with your co-workers who slack and goof up and wish you could tell their boss rather than hoping for karma to strike down on them?

If the answer had been YES, then one has nothing to complain against Amazon or things mentioned in this article!

• As a customer, you want to buy things seamlessly and delivered at the earliest! If that has to happen someone must work crazy and hard to make it happen. If you are fine with sloppy delayed delivery then complain and criticize at what Amazon does!
• As a stockholder, you want the company to put your money to work, grow it multifold. So why complain when the company is frugal!
• Amazon is the modern day WalMart. Remember similar kind of arguments or accusations against them too. No wonder they have surpassed WalMart!
• Haven't you ever felt bad about, people who don't work properly, people who goof around getting promoted, getting raises, the undeserved getting perks and benefits and accolades! So what if there was a system to give anonymous feedback about them to their bosses!
• Haven't people complained about working for Steve Jobs? At least there it was mostly from people who worked directly with him rather than across the organization. Here Jeff seems to have inspired everyone to be like that. If that is true, then I think it's a great achievement! [Sometimes management is all about making everyone work the way you want even when you are not around!]
• I also wonder, will Flipkart ever succeed against Amazon!

Please note, I am not defending Amazon. I am not saying what they doing is absolutely right and am not prescribing every organization out there should follow what Amazon does. I just feel the NYT article does exaggerates and paints everything in bad light!

The point that I am trying to make is, every system, every organization has its own ethos, own style of working. Some people embrace it. Some don't. To quote a Bond movie,  One man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist.

Moreover, it is too difficult and virtually impossible to have an uniformity (either good or bad) across the organization and generalize stuff. I think it all boils down to your immediate boss and the team!

Self Plug: Buy my book on WalMart at Amazon!

பேச்சிலர் சமையல் குறிப்புகள்

இப்படி எல்லாம் குறிப்புகள் எழுத வேண்டும் என்றால் நிச்சயம் சமைக்க வேண்டும். படம் பார்க்காமல் விமர்சனம் எழுதுவது போல் சமைக்காமல் சமையல் குறிப்புகள் எழுதுவது எல்லாம் பேச்சிலர்களுக்கு சாத்தியப் படுவது சற்றே கடினம் தான்!

சமைத்து விட்டு சரியான நேரத்திற்கு அலுவலகம் சென்று முதல் வேலையாக இப்படி எல்லாம் எழுத வேண்டும் என்றால் சீக்கிரம் வெகு சீக்கிரமாக அதிகாலையில் எழுந்திருக்க வேண்டும்.

சாப்பிடுவதற்கு முன் தான் பல் தேய்க்க வேண்டும், சமைப்பதற்கு முன்பாகவும் பல் தேய்க்க வேண்டுமா என்று எல்லாம் குழப்பங்கள் வரலாம்.

பால் காய்ந்து கொண்டிருக்கும் பொழுது மொத்த கவனமும் அதில் தான் இருக்க வேண்டும். நான் இப்பொழுது பால் காய வைத்துக் கொண்டிருக்கிறேன் என்று எல்லாம் லைவ் அப்டேட் செய்து வாட்ஸ்அப்பில் கடலை போட்டுக் கொண்டிருந்தால், பீர் பாட்டில் ஒபன் செய்யும் போது பொங்கி வழிவது போல பால் பொங்கி விட்டது, துடைத்து கொண்டு இருக்கிறேன் என்றும் அசடு வழிய அப்டேட் செய்ய வேண்டி இருக்கும்.

குக்கரில் அரிசிக்கு சரியான அளவு தண்ணீர் வைப்பதை விட மிக முக்கியமானது அந்த பாத்திரத்தை சுற்றியும் குக்கரில் தண்ணீர் இருக்க வேண்டியது.

ஏதோ கருகுவது போல தீய்வது போல எல்லாம் தோன்றினால், சந்தேகம் வேண்டாம் நிச்சயம் ஏதோ தீய்ந்துக் கொண்டும் கருகிக் கொண்டும் தான் இருக்கிறது. இப்படி நிறைய எழுதினால் கீதாசாரம் போல் சீக்கிரம் சமையல் சாரம் என்று புத்தகம் எழுதி விடலாம்.

அடுப்பின் மீது சில பல நிமிடங்களாக பாத்திரம் இருந்தால் நிச்சயம் சூடாகி இருக்கும். சூடாக இருக்கும் பாத்திரத்தை அப்படியே தொட்டால் சுடத் தான் செய்யும். நாம் எல்லாம் நரசிம்மா விஜய்காந்த் இல்லை என்பதை நினைவில் கொள்ள வேண்டும். அதற்கு முந்தின இரவில் வடுக நாட்டு பாலையா படம் எல்லாம் பார்த்தாலும் பாத்திரத்தை அடுப்பில் அப்படியே தொடும் எண்ணம் வரலாம்! வந்தால் கட்டுப்படுத்திக் கொள்ளவும். இல்லை என்றால் கைக்கு கட்டுப் போட்டுக் கொள்ள தயாராக இருக்கவும்!

முக்கியமாக செல்போனில் சார்ஜர் பேலன்ஸ் எல்லாம் இருக்குமாறு பார்த்துக் கொள்ள வேண்டும். ஏன் என்றால் அப்பொழுது தானே ஹாட்லைனில் சமையல் சப்போர்ட் பெற முடியும். ஹாட்லைன் என்றால் அம்மா தான் என்று அறியாதவர்கள் வாயில் எல்லாம் நிச்சயம் மண் தான்! மிக முக்கியமானது அப்பொழுது பார்த்து அப்பா ஹாட்லைனில் கிராஸ்ஸாகாமல் இருக்க வேண்டும். ஸ்கைப் இருந்தால் இன்னும் உசிதம்.

செல்போன், ஸ்கைப் என்று எல்லாம் லைவ் லைப் சப்போர்ட் பெற்றாலும், மேற் சொன்ன தீய்ந்த வாசனை வருகிறதா, சரியாக வெந்து விட்டதா என்பதை எல்லாம் சரி பார்க்கும் அளவிற்கு இன்னும் டெக்னாலஜி வளரவில்லை என்பது தான் அடிப்படையான நிதர்சனமான உண்மை! இனியாவது டெக்னாலஜி எல்லாம் டெவலப் ஆகிவிட்டது என்று சொல்வதை நிறுத்தி விட்டு Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality  போன்ற ரியாலிட்டிகள் எல்லாம் ரியலாக வேண்டும் என்று எம்பெருமானை அவ்வப்போது பிரார்த்திக்க வேண்டும்.

மதியம் சாப்பிடுவதற்கு முன்னதாக, அலுவலகத்தில் பணிபுரியும் அனுபவம்மிக்க பெண்மணியிடம், ”இன்று நானே சமைத்திருக்கிறேன். எப்படி இருக்கிறது என்று டேஸ்ட் செய்யுங்களேன் என்று பரிசோதித்த பின்னர் தான் நாம் சாப்பிட வேண்டும். (இங்கு வயதான பெண்மணி என்ற வார்த்தை பிரயோகிக்கப் படவில்லை என்பதையும் குறித்துக் கொள்ள வேண்டும்)
அப்படி பரிசோதித்த பின்னரும் பிரம்மார்ப்பணம் செய்து விட்டு சாப்பிடுதல் நலம்!

Notes on Deal Making

• Just because someone puts a deal on the table doesn't mean you have to do the deal
• Just because the deal on the table is interesting doesn't mean you have to do the deal
• Just because everyone says, it's a good deal doesn't mean you have to do the deal
• Just because the numbers seems to make sense doesn't mean you have to do the deal
• Just because you have seriously considered it and even did some ground work for it doesn't mean you have to do the deal
• Just because you started negotiating doesn't mean you have to do the deal

Think well, in a rational calm manner (without getting in to deal frenzy that you gotta do this deal) Think, is this what you want  to do it, if yes, what is the terms that you would want to do. Stick to your guns.

Remember you can always walk out. There will be several others!

p.s
For all you know, this post may not be about professional deal making at all! Let's take out the word deal and alter the situation with a gal, you might end up with a Valentine day post!
p.p.s
At the end of the day, even happy, good to have problems are also just problems!

Update:
May be sometimes you have to just do it when you have the opportunity and chance to do it.
cause, sometimes it may be too late. If you are wondering why such change of heart in less than 12 hours, read this insane story
If the above link talks about the good luck here it is the bad luck story

The Year that went by

It is more than a customary reflection post.  In a way, it is my serious and sincere attempt to start writing on a regular and consistent basis! The writing may be rusty in this post!

The year 2013 was not a great one, except for my post graduation. Year 2014 did start with a bang, literally and figuratively. :) :) I started it off with a lot of hope, faith and promises. Little did I knew then, it was going to be testing me a lot than the previous year! Well, 2014 wouldn't have tested me, if I had not been so arrogant and stubborn and over confident ;) In hindsight, all is well. Rather than the "no regrets" Actually am very happy with all my decisions and happenings!

I wonder the auspiciousness of the timings, when i made my 2014 resolutions; to read, write and travel a lot. Surprisingly, I did not even read as much as I usually read.  Yet, learnt a lot of lessons that will stay through out the life. In a way, it was more of a extended post graduation study in real time. Some of the lessons were more like reinforcement of my faith.

What exactly did I do in 2014

• Started a e-commerce site with my very good and best friend ever! 
• (Re) Started  my corporate career after post graduation
• Met a lot of new people, made some good friends, had awesome experiences  :) :)
• Wasted and whiled away a lot of time. Watched a lot of American TV series.

The Take away lessons

• Be clear on what you want. Once you know what you want, stay course, chase it with full focus until you get it. Have faith you will get it for sure!
• Do what you want. Only opinions of people close to you matter. The ones close to you will understand you and stay with you and support you. 
• It is okay to dream, as long as you are practical and have feet on ground with eyes open!
• Everything happens for a reason, a very good reason. If it was meant to happen, it will happen. 
• If you strongly desire for something, then the whole world conspires for you to achieve it. (Yeah that Paulo Coelho thing) If you don't achieve it , it is highly possible, that you did not desire it enough
• There are lot of good people as well as not so good ones. Yet, be nice to all. Life is too short and the world is too small.
• Have faith in humanity; Don't be a cynic. Good karma helps. 

For 2015,  Planning is underway with lot of milestones (more blog posts for sure) to be achieved. :) :) The greedy optimist and reality distortion specialist in me is confident of making all the dreams and desires come true despite the challenges!

p.s

• This post has not turned out to be the way, I wanted. Few weeks back, when I wanted to write this post I wanted it to be to more open, more tell all, but I guess my privacy instincts kicked in and took over, making it less personal :) :)
• 2014 is not over. I am hoping and looking forward for a memorable new year eve :) :)

UPDATE:

Yep, Indeed it was a darn memorable one. One of the coolest nicest (is that even a word?) pleasant and wonderful start to new year :) Thanks for making it happen! You know who you are! :P :D