tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30365699424294888062024-03-13T15:52:48.112-04:00Finally it began...Bharat Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13822558010238857748noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036569942429488806.post-28976310014473438972010-07-20T12:44:00.002-04:002010-07-20T12:46:22.445-04:00Getting ahead of Boss!!<div>Is it really true that one cannot grow ahead of his boss? In the current Indian Industry scenario - this statement seems to hold true. There seems to be a subconscious psychological barrier that these managers still struggle to cross while evaluating the subordinate. There is a constant fear in back of the bosses' minds what if my subordinate will become my peer and what if he crosses over?</div><div><br /></div><div>To certain extent the performance review and contenders are also responsible for this trend. One's boss is normally the one who will give the final feedback to him. There is a high chance that the feedback is tweaked to align it with the manager's attitude towards the growth of an individual. This could continue as long as the manager will grow up in the ladder making some space for other's grow.</div><div><br /></div><div>It is human nature to turn averse to such adverse / tough situations. In some cases some people have self esteem so high to take pride in seeing people worked under him grow to become their boss and attribute to subordinate's ability and hard work. In most of the cases - as long as the reportees grow up the ladder away from the manager's sight, it is fine. It doesn't matter. Else, it will possibly become a matter of ego. The higher the rank the bigger the ego. That's why this would be a good and active contributing reason to ever increasing attrition rate in IT Software industry.</div><div><br /></div><div>As it appears, organic growth model seldom works in the age of competition. Let's hope that the model in the industry and psychology of those who form part of it changes sooner than later instead of falling in perils to the quotient of ego.</div>Bharat Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13822558010238857748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036569942429488806.post-15631328338496968202010-01-15T03:00:00.002-05:002010-01-19T11:47:43.728-05:00How to plan HRA exemptionsI know many fellas who go crazy when it comes to collecting IT proofs in India esp. about HRA. Normally they will go with an approximate amount which is close to HRA s/he actually has been paid. This may not be a right approach always.<br /><br />HRA is calculated as follows:<br /><ul><li>Actual amount of HRA received during the relevant period.</li><li>Rent paid less 10% of Basic Salary</li><li>An amount equal to 50 percent of basic salary , where the residential house is situated at Mumbai, Calcutta, Chennai, Delhi and an amount equal to 40% of salary where the residential house is situated at any other place</li></ul><br /><br />E.g. Let's take an example and see what will happen in a scenario where<br />Monthly Basic is 35000, HRA is 19000 and Rent paid is 19000.<br /><br /><ul><li> Actual amount of HRA = 19000.</li><li> Rent paid less 10% of Basic Salary = 19000 - 3500 = 15500</li><li>An amount equal to 50% or 40% of basic salary 35000 * 0.50 = 17500.00</li></ul> <br />In this case the amount that will be taken in account for exemption will be <span style="font-weight: bold;">15500 </span>per month.<br /><br />Had the rent been calculated more closely, income tax payee would have been at advantage. I follow a simple method, rent should be calculated as follows.<br /><br />Actual Rent - 10% of Basic should be > HRA Paid<br /><br />In above example - the rent can be calculated as follows.<br /><br />Actual Rent - 3500 should be > 19000<br /><br />One of the closest number could be be 23000.00 in which case, the revised calculation of HRA will be as follows.<br /><br /><ul><li> Actual amount of HRA = 19000.</li><li> Rent paid less 10% of Basic Salary = 23000 - 3500 = 19500</li><li> An amount equal to 50% or 40% of basic salary 35000 * 0.50 = 17500.00</li></ul>Least of the above calculated amounts is 17500.00 which means a yearly Tax Exempted amount would be 24000 (12 * (17500 - 15500)) and a net tax benefit of 7200 if you are falling in 30% tax bracket. :-)<br /><br />Hope this helps.Bharat Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13822558010238857748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036569942429488806.post-86997675466646666472010-01-13T00:42:00.005-05:002010-01-19T11:44:28.799-05:00How to resolve issues @ Birla Sunlife InsuranceIf you ever happen to run into issues with the payments made for BSLI policy which is not reflecting on your account and don't know who to catch hold of, you may want to get in touch with Market Support Executive.<br /><br />Their so called toll free numbers don't work normally, but the beauty is that if I call their mumbai number (The number to connect to their call center directly) I am able to talk to the customer support executives (charges rs. 1.5/Minute!)<br /><br />Even if you call their call center, Customer Support executives will redirect you to one of the local office and ask you to get in touch with the Market Support Executive (MSE)<br /><br />Please make sure to get a complaint registered and ask for Complain Number. This will save you from telling the same story multiple times to multiple people.<br /><br />I was based out of Chennai when I ran into this issue and below is the number to Birla Sunlife Insurance office in Chennai who helped me out.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">+91-44-28477392</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">+91-44-28477397</span><br /><br />Hope this helpsBharat Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13822558010238857748noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036569942429488806.post-61694084434277210392010-01-08T03:30:00.004-05:002010-01-13T21:40:50.732-05:00How to find EPF Details OnlineI have shifted the job and was in the process to get my Provident Fund transferred to at new employers'. In the process I found this website to track your claims. I am glad to see the disclaimer on the site that confirms when last the site data was updated and these dates are not older than 2 weeks.<br /><br />At least using this site, I could validate the correctness of the PF number.<br /><br /><a href="http://epfindia.nic.in/indiaepf/loginnew.aspx">http://epfindia.nic.in/indiaepf/loginnew.aspx</a><br /><br />Hope this helps.Bharat Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13822558010238857748noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036569942429488806.post-55574094351971193642009-12-14T21:41:00.001-05:002009-12-14T21:43:22.407-05:007 ways to push past procrastination<span> <div><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><strong></strong><span style="font-family: georgia;">When you find yourself procrastinating on a particular project, or just delaying in general, it is always a good idea to ask why. If a task is difficult, it's difficult for a reason; you need to know what that reason is, even if it’s just a nagging habit you’ve developed. </span></span></div> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Yes, procrastination can be just a habit, and sometimes society even rewards you for delaying action, such as late season Christmas bargains. It’s not always a bad thing to look before you leap - no one wants to make a poorly thought out decision. But if delaying is causing problems in your life, the reason could be due to anger, fear, or denial. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The next time you find yourself procrastinating on a particular project, ask yourself these questions.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong>Do I find it hard to just get started?</strong></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The hardest thing about everyday tasks is getting started on them. It's kind of like pushing a stalled car...once you get going, everything rolls right along. Push Past procrastination by setting up systems that help you. For example, I had a jigsaw puzzle that I just couldn’t seem to finish even though I wanted to use it as part of my wall decoration. I finally set it up on it’s own little table, then moved the table out into the traffic pattern where I would see it constantly. That got my attention, and got the puzzle finished. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong>Do I feel qualified to perform the task? Am I in over my head?</strong></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Being afraid that you will fail at something is a sure-fire way to get you to stop before you've started. Push Past Procrastination by being honest with yourself about your level of training in that particular task. Don't complain or procrastinate. Simply request help from someone qualified who can help you learn. </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong>Is this something I really want?</strong></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I was having trouble finishing painting my kitchen and I couldn’t figure out why. As I started to really think about it, I realized that I didn’t really like the color. Martha Stewart said I ought to like it, but I just didn’t. As soon as I mentally fired Martha and got the color I wanted, I finished in no time. Push Past Procrastination by telling the truth about what you really want out of life. Live as the star of your own life, not as an extra in someone else's.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong>Does the task seem huge, even overwhelming?</strong></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Push Past Procrastination by breaking the job down into smaller steps to get it under control and manageable. Instead of considering painting the whole inside of the house, focus on only one room or even one wall. Schedule a specific amount of time that you will spend on it each day, or week. Set realistic goals for yourself, instead of expecting to accomplish everything immediately.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong>Are there too many things demanding my attention so that nothing of real value gets done?</strong></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Push Past Procrastination by setting priorities. Do things that are important to you and your life. Develop a filter system so that only what's contributing to your goals gets in. Making a task easier often comes with making a choice to adjust your schedule, re-allocate your money, or choosing how to spend your energy.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong>Is this really my goal, or is it someone else's?</strong> </span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Are you doing it to please someone? Obviously there's nothing wrong with pleasing the people you love. But if you find yourself in a role or job that no longer fits, it's a signal that you will need to find another route to take. Push Past Procrastination by examining how you spend your time, what roles you are playing, and how they relate to who you are at this time in your life.</span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong>Am I afraid of the outcome?</strong></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Procrastination may show up in employment when the fear of finishing one project without having another on the horizon may mean that you would get laid off. Procrastination may show up if you fear being blamed for bad results. Procrastination may show up in personal situations as a fear of losing what you now have, even if it's not what you want. Push Past Procrastination by having reserves. Without reserves, you live in fear. Fear causes you to make decisions you don't like, which in turn makes you procrastinate. Build reserves and fear will no longer slow you down.</span></p></span>Bharat Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13822558010238857748noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036569942429488806.post-3898205187486590952009-12-13T21:54:00.006-05:002009-12-13T22:00:41.685-05:00Don't Copy if You Can't Paste<span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >A popular motivational speaker was entertaining his audience. He said: "The best years of my life were spent in the arms of a woman who wasn’t my wife!"</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />The audience was in silence and shock.</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />The speaker added: "And that woman was my mother!"</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />Laughter and applause.<br /><br />A week later, a top manager trained by the motivational speaker tried to crack this very effective joke at home.</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >He was a bit foggy after a couple of drinks.</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" > He said loudly to his wife who was preparing dinner, "The greatest years of my life were spent in the arms of a woman who was not my wife!"</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />The wife went, "ah!" with shock and rage.</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />Standing there for 20 seconds trying to recall the second half of the joke, the manager finally blurted out"....and I can't remember who she was!" </span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />By the time the manager regained his consciousness, he wason a hospital bed nursing burns from boiling water </span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Moral of the story:</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Don't copy if you can't paste!</span>Bharat Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13822558010238857748noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036569942429488806.post-76117874966628086492009-12-09T23:13:00.004-05:002010-06-30T11:25:44.749-04:00Luck matters ;-)<span style="font-family:georgia;">With a pile of 300 resumes on his desk and a need to pick someone quickly, my boss told me to make calls on the bottom 50 and toss the rest. <em>"Throw away 250 resumes?"</em> I asked, shocked.<br /><em>"What if the best candidates are in there?" </em><br /><br /><em>"You have a point,"</em> he said. <em>"But then again, I don't need people with bad luck here." </em><br /><br />- Becky Horowitz(Reader's digest)</span>Bharat Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13822558010238857748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036569942429488806.post-91603252775259243972009-12-09T02:29:00.002-05:002010-01-19T11:51:12.565-05:00Aspirations - Back then and now...When I was a college going kid, my dad gave me a Desktop Computer. Portable drives were matter of luxury so, I started carrying my CPU along to college every day. That was the time I decided I will make myself so qualified that I will deserve a laptop.<br /><br />5 years down the line - I reached to a level where I was given laptop. I have had so much of computers that my family would be completely pissed, my eyes were getting weaker and doctors will get pissed and the last thing I would want is to get a laptop to play with at home.<br /><br />With great powers comes great responsibilities - that?s how it works, right? With a laptop there comes a wish from one's project manager that you will be able to work not only from office but also from home and hence be *more productive*. The fun will start when you manage to loose it; as they call it, there will be "consequences"!! It gets really "interesting" when I have to work while at home and my wife is supervising me for the time I attend to office. She would think I am giving more time to lapto than her.<br /><br />Damn - my dream of laptop now turned out to be an umbrella up my ass!Bharat Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13822558010238857748noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036569942429488806.post-58465002556904388752009-12-08T22:10:00.003-05:002010-06-30T11:25:18.871-04:00Performance & Position ;-)<span style="font-family:georgia;">A Priest dies & is awaiting his turn in line at the Heaven's Gates.<br />Ahead of him is a guy, fashionably dressed, in dark sun glasses, a loud shirt, leather jacket & jeans.<br />God asks him: Please tell me who are you, so that I may know whether to admit you into the kingdom of Heaven or not?<br />The guy replies: I am Pandi, Auto driver from Chennai!<br />God consults his ledger, smiles & says to Pandi: Please take this silken robe & gold scarf & enter the Kingdom of Heaven...<br />Now it is the priest's turn. He stands erect and speaks out in a booming voice: I am Pope's Assistant so & so, Head Priest of the so & so Church for the last 40 years.<br />God consults his ledger & says to the Priest: Please take this cotton robe & enter the Kingdom of Heaven...<br />'Just a minute,' says the agonized Priest. 'How is it that a foul mouth, rash driving Auto Driver is given a Silken robe & a Golden scarf and me, a Priest, who's spent his whole life preaching your Name & goodness has to make do with a Cotton robe?'<br />'Results my friend, results,' shrugs God.<br />'While you preach, people sleep; but when he drove his Auto, people <em>PRAYED’</em> It’s <em>PERFORMANCE</em> & not <em>POSITION </em>that ultimately counts.</span>Bharat Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13822558010238857748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036569942429488806.post-12434094834483720392009-12-04T07:31:00.008-05:002009-12-04T13:43:28.856-05:00Social Networking Sites - Reflecting Truth??I am inspired to writing about Social networking again since I came across this article: <a href="http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Social-networking-sites-reveal-users---true-personality/549935">Social networking sites reveal users' true personality</a><br /><br />My first expression was... "really?", "Is it possible??", "Can people be this honest?" but now that I give a second thought to it, I think this is possible because of a few reasons<br /><ol><li>Netizens are growing more mature ? stalking ones's gf/bf and watching porn is not the <span style="font-weight: bold;">*only*</span> activities</li><li>Net has turned out to be an integral part of our lives (<a href="http://bharat1980.blogspot.com/2009/12/relying-on-social-professional-websites.html">see this article</a>)<br /></li><li>People may find it easy to share the things when they are not surrounded by others</li><li>People feel more free to appreciate the shared things when none's watching '</li></ol>I hardly get a chance to go online and catch up over Facebook and sometimes I think people don't have to publish details as granular as how much disgusting it was for my fellow mates when I farted in the tee! Knock it off guys... we don't want to know what are you doing every minute ! S wasting your time to update your status on all these sites?<br /><br />But for sure when used such sites legitimately ? it will provide me wealth of information about persona of an individual.Bharat Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13822558010238857748noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036569942429488806.post-85661066923505544662009-12-03T22:17:00.004-05:002009-12-11T23:58:51.076-05:00Approach Matters - A Management Lesson<span style="font-family: georgia;">My two minutes were well spent on this repeat-forward and can't eschew from sharing with others! :)<br /><br />------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />When NASA began the launch of astronauts into space, they found out</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> that the pens wouldn't work at zero gravity (Ink won't flow down to the </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">writing surface). In order to solve this problem, it took them one </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">decade and $12 million. They developed a pen that worked at zero</span> <span style="font-family: georgia;">gravity, upside down, underwater, in practically any surface including </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">crystal and in a temperature range from below freezing to over 300 </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">degrees C. And what did Russians do?? The Russians used </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">a <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pencil</span>!!!</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><br />One of the most memorable case studies I came across on Japanese</span> <span style="font-family: georgia;">management was the case of the empty soap box, which happened in one </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">of Japan's biggest cosmetics companies. The company received a </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">complaint that a consumer had bought a soap box that was empty. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Immediately the authorities isolated the problem to the assembly </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">line, which transported all the packaged boxes of soap to the </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">delivery department. For some reason, one soap box went through the </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">assembly line empty. Management asked its engineers to solve the</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> problem. Post-haste, the engineers worked hard to devise an X-ray </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">machine with high-resolution monitors manned by two people to watch </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">all the soap boxes that passed through the line to make sure they were </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">not empty. No doubt, they worked hard and they worked fast but they</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> spent whoopee amount to do so. But when a rank-and-file employee in a </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">small company was posed with the same problem, did not get into</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> complications of X-rays, etc but instead came out with another </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">solution. He bought a strong industrial</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> electric fan and pointed it at the assembly line. He switched the fan </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">on,and as each soap box passed the fan, it simply blew the empty boxes</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"> out of the line. </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Moral of the story:</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Always look for simple solutions. Devise the</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"> simplest possible solution that solves the problem So, learn to focus</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-style: italic;"> on solutions not on problems<br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-style: italic;"></span>Bharat Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13822558010238857748noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036569942429488806.post-22978593619194820582009-12-02T23:25:00.003-05:002009-12-07T21:05:23.974-05:00This is how Media works…..!!!<p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Here is how the Indian TV news channel <span style="font-weight: bold;">NDTV 24x7 </span>would report the Jack and Jill nursery rhyme.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">All names (except those of Jack and Jill), are fictitious.</span></span></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Prashant</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN"> - TV Anchor</span></span></p><p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Two persons have been injured in a freak climbing accident. Jack and his companion Jill had gone up a hill to fetch a pail of water when Jack fell down and broke his crown. Jill came tumbling after. Live from the hill, our reporter, Amrita Shah, takes up the story.</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Amrita Shah</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN"><br /></span></span></p><p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Thank you Prashant. Well, as you say, two persons - Jack and Jill - had gone up a hill to fetch a pail of water. Suddenly, Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after. Prashant.</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Prashant</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN"><br /></span></span></p><p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Thank you Amrita. What do we know about the hill?</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Amrita</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN"><br /></span></span></p><p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Not too much. Jack was going up the hill to fetch a pail of water when he fell down and broke his crown. Jill came tumbling after</span></span></p> <p style="font-style: italic; font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">[Headline appears at the foot of the TV screen: "hill breaks crown of pail-boy Jack"]</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Prashant</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN"><br /></span></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">What news of Jack and Jill?</span><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN"><br /></span></b></span></p><p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Amrita</span></b></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Prashant, it seems that Jack had gone up the hill to fetch a pail of water. We know nothing about the pail, or how heavy it was but it seems that Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after. I have here with me, an eyewitness to the accident, Mr Shahid Trivedi. Mr Shahid, tell us what you saw.</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Shahid Trivedi</span></b></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after.</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">[Headline appears at the foot of the TV screen: "Boy and girl tumble down hill. Water spilled"]</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Amrita</span></b></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Jack and Jill. What do we know about them? Are they brother and sister? Are they married? Just what were they doing on the hill together?</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Shahid Trivedi</span></b></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail a water.</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Amrita</span></b></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">And what happened next?</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Shahid Trivedi</span></b></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Jack fell down and broke his crown</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Amrita</span></b></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Go on.</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Shahid Trivedi</span></b></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">And Jill came tumbling after.</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Amrita</span></b></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Prashant, there you have it. Two people innocently going about their business to fetch a pail of water when one of them falls down, breaks his crown, and the other comes tumbling after. Back to you in the studio Prashant.</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">[Headline appears at the foot of the TV screen: "Water errand ends in tragedy"]</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Prashant</span></b></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">I have with me in the studio now, Professor Chandrashekar Belagare from the Indian Institute of Applied Hill Sciences. Professor: a hill; Jack; Jill; a pail of water. A tragedy waiting to happen?</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Professor</span></b></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Well that depends on the hill, the two persons, the object they were carrying and the conditions underfoot. Let us look at the evidence so far.</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Jack and Jill</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Went up the hill</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">To fetch a pail of water.</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Jack fell down</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">And broke his crown</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">And Jill came tumbling after.</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Clearly, one would suspect that if Jack’s fall was severe enough to break his crown then the surface of the hill must have been slippery or unstable. But I think we’re overlooking something quite fundamental here. Who was carrying the pail? Jack fell down and broke his crown and – this is the key – Jill came tumbling after. If Jack and Jill had been carrying the pail together, would they not have fallen at the same time? The fact that Jill came tumbling after suggests that Jack lost his footing first and perhaps knocked Jill over as he slipped.</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Prashant</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN"><br /></span></span></p><p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;" lang="EN">Professor thank you very much. So there we have it, two persons – Jack and Jill – went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after. Later in the programme, Osama bin Laden captured in Afghanistan, President Bush says rent-boy menage-a-trois was "just a brief lapse of judgement", and Pakistan launches nuclear warheads against key Indian cities. But next up, join us after the break for a studio discussion about hills, boys and girls and whether water-fetching trips should be supervised. We’ll be right back...</span></span></p>Bharat Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13822558010238857748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036569942429488806.post-69363403410555622502009-12-02T08:00:00.006-05:002009-12-04T13:45:58.631-05:00Relying on Social / Professional Networking websites while recruiting a candidate<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">I was browsing thru discussion on one of my groups at </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://in.linkedin.com/in/bharat1980">LinkedIn</a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> about leveraging websites like </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://facebook.com/">Facebook</a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> and </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.linkedin.com/">LinkedIn</a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> to check a candidate's postings before recruiting him.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">It tells me a few things ...</span><br /><br /></span><ol style="font-family:georgia;"><li><span style="font-size:100%;">We do way more things than just googling out for summer internship projects... <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">we socialize over internet!!</span><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">Social / professional networking sites are becoming defacto place to peep into anyone's activities</span></li></ol><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">When it comes to taking an in-person interview; I make sure I "google out" the candidate's name to gather a few data points from </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" >not only</span><span style="font-family:georgia;"> Linked in but also from any other possible sources online!</span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />The key here is to do this exercise <span style="font-weight: bold;">before </span>you get into an interview. This will help you gather some data points about what candidate is doing / has done in his / her professional life and more. Also, if you have developed any prejudices / doubts; during in-person interview, you can clarify by means of asking direct / indirect questions.</span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />I do the same when I am appearing for an interview. If I knew the interviewer?s name in advance, I would like check his/her profile online so that I know whom I am meeting. It helps me better prepare for interview</span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />Something to be aware of is that people have different personality when at work and when participating in discussions at Social Networking sites.</span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Net net:</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> social and professional websites will definitely help you take a better (and informed) decision if you do note get carried away! </span></span></span>Bharat Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13822558010238857748noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036569942429488806.post-34480679930521134202009-11-30T11:22:00.005-05:002009-12-01T20:38:52.919-05:00Now apply for a PAN Card Online<div style="font-family: georgia;"> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://www.utitsl.co.in/utitsl/site/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.utitsl.co.in/<wbr>utitsl/site/index.html</a><br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">I used to part of a Distribution List people at work are free to post “NBR” (non business related) emails. And have this questions coming often – Does anyone know a PAN card agent?<br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">UTI seems to have started PAN card services thru their Technology Services (erstwhile Unit Trust of India Investor Services Ltd) </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">One can either download and fill the form or can go online and fill up the details. (I have not applied using these services so, please spare me from your critique)</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The best thing is – they seem to have put guidelines also to fill up the form. Of course there is a scope for improvement but I am sure whatever little available there helps. <br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">I also liked the fact that their service charges are affordable - 94.00 rupees :-)<br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Not many people know hence this blog entry.<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Hope this helps!!</span></span></p> </div>Bharat Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13822558010238857748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036569942429488806.post-33862265906042813062009-11-26T21:44:00.003-05:002009-12-01T21:33:27.310-05:00Setting Right Expectations Upfront!<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Setting expectations will help one do better business. Successful company will develop a relationship with the clients by telling them will give you a good quality services – but nothing comes for free.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I have worked with software consultancy firms where in I have observed two schools of thoughts. Giving something for free to get the business and then charging high rates to get more business that’s first. The second school of thoughts is – set an expectation up front that there is nothing like a free lunch. We will charge you reasonable rates but we will not do anything for free.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">IMHO doing something for free sets wrong expectations. Bring us to a rather philosophical point – grid. Let’s all agree it’s a only human to have unlimited wants! You give something for free and they will want more. This act of giving a free ride - generates grid in minds of the clients and they will ask for more. Again, if someone has to pay very high rates, I am sure they will have a lot more expectations too which will ultimately break the hell loose for the poor developers who will end up burning mid night oil not only for the work they are doing for free but also for the implementation phase where in they have to churn out more. Exceeding expectations is the most dreadful (worst) nightmare come true for them.</span></p><p style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Morale of the story: If we set expectations right (and upfront) there are a few tangible advantages. :-) </span></p>Bharat Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13822558010238857748noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036569942429488806.post-44429008587606064762009-11-23T22:46:00.004-05:002009-12-01T21:31:32.939-05:00Capital Markets - Managing Risks<p style="font-family: georgia;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-size:100%;color:navy;" ><span style=";color:navy;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I came across this lecture / webminar – </span></span></span><span style=";font-size:100%;color:navy;" >How to manage risk using Price Behaviour analysis -<span style=";color:navy;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> not having base in trading and risk management, it was difficult for me to understand but after hearing it a few times, it makes sense. If you have 45 minutes to watch/listen – time spent will be well worth it.</span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-size:100%;color:navy;" ><span style=";color:navy;" ><a href="http://transcripts.fxstreet.com/2009/11/monthly-webinar-how-to-manage-risk-using-price-behaviour-analysis.html" target="_blank">http://transcripts.fxstreet.<wbr>com/2009/11/monthly-webinar-<wbr>how-to-manage-risk-using-<wbr>price-behaviour-analysis.html</a><br /></span></span></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: georgia;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">I don't want to crib about India as a country but is what they teach in universities outside India and we normally go by books… what an irony!<br /></span></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:10pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >On a positive side - technology has enabled us to see whats going outside India and hope we learn soon! :-)</span><br /></span></span></p>Bharat Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13822558010238857748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036569942429488806.post-27395169671657301802009-11-22T23:02:00.011-05:002009-12-01T21:15:15.079-05:00Johny Johny Reloaded<span style="font-family: georgia;">I got this re-loaded version of Johny Johny in a forwarded email. Humorous irony explains plethora of issues today's average Indian employee is facing after meltdown of financial services industry globally.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Enjoy maad! :)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">--------------------------</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-family: georgia;">Johny Johny Yes Papa</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-family: georgia;"><br />Pvt Company</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-family: georgia;"><br />Yes Papa</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-family: georgia;"><br /><br />Any Motivation</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-family: georgia;"><br />No Papa</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-family: georgia;"><br /><br />Many Tension</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-family: georgia;"><br />Yes Papa</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-family: georgia;"><br /><br />Do u Sleep well</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-family: georgia;"><br />No Papa</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-family: georgia;"><br /><br />Onsite Opportunity</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-family: georgia;"><br />No papa<br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-family: georgia;">Boss Ki Galiyan</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-family: georgia;"><br />Yes Papa</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-family: georgia;"><br /><br />Increment</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">?</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-family: georgia;"><br />Ha ha ha :)</span>Bharat Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13822558010238857748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036569942429488806.post-24878713408483113992009-11-15T22:10:00.004-05:002009-12-01T20:57:30.574-05:00Relationship Analysis :-)<div style="font-family: georgia;"> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Let’s list three facts:</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"># 1 – It has been observed & proven that action and reactions act in opposite direction in equal force (</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;color:black;"><span style="color: black;">''To every <em><b>action</b></em> there is always an <em><b>equal and opposite reaction)</b></em></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"># 2 – A definitions is a means of limiting a subject – subject being any tangible / non tangible thing</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"># 3 – Relationships is humans’ way of describing how one associates self with others</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Based on points above, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">isn</span>’t it true that defining a relationship will actually create a pressure / tension in the opposite direction that will be waiting for a trigger point to bounce back. Trigger point is relative to variables like circumstances and individual. To me it more seems like a disaster waiting to occur!</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Why is it so that we need to characterize the bonding and judge it and ultimately invent fallacies?<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Why can’t we accept the very liquid form of relationships as it comes?<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">It is like water - it will easily adjust to the shape of the jar you try to capture it in. You will try to freeze it with characteristics; it will become fragile and tend to break…<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Why do we have to be obliged to certain things or not do certain things cause relationship poses 'em on you?<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Why can’t a relationship be just a relationship? Does water differentiate with other water? Water is just water – emotions are where relationships hail from and we should take them just as they come – <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">why invent a <span style="font-weight: bold;">disaster</span>?</span></span></span></p> </div>Bharat Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13822558010238857748noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036569942429488806.post-68409362533881868002009-11-15T06:04:00.003-05:002009-12-01T21:27:38.299-05:00Dilbert explains Delays!!<table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td>Dilbert rocks! A typical project management irony well explained that too with humor! :)<br /><br /><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_ym22WvZ_vuI/Sv_hL4ZvcjI/AAAAAAAABII/tlZ7fJDVEGQ/s800/Dilbert_Next_Week.jpg" /></td></tr></tbody></table>Bharat Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13822558010238857748noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036569942429488806.post-87122656031348221492009-11-14T00:27:00.003-05:002009-12-01T21:26:39.265-05:00Curious case of Indian Colleagues<div style="font-family: georgia;"> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">I hate it when someone intrude in my privacy. It has been an often case that I have to attend meetings and carry a scratch pad. And my Indian colleagues will NEVER miss an opportunity to flip a few pages.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">It is interesting to observe them do it. They will start with staring at clearly written name and then play their fingers on the note as if they are and my name is written in braille! (Stop touching my note book - its so Gay!)<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">They will take their shot the moment you have to attend something else! And even before you know they have it open... The next thing you will know is they are carefully reading every freakin thing you have noted down.<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">F**k you all my dear colleagues – go back to school and learn a little bit of etiquette and respect someone else’s privacy!!</span></span></p></div>Bharat Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13822558010238857748noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036569942429488806.post-9988468161411551582009-11-12T23:18:00.007-05:002009-11-15T12:51:20.107-05:00What is confidence?? - A Joke<span style="font-size:130%;">A hypothetical situation where 20 CEOs board an airplane and are told that the flight that they are about to take is the first-ever to feature <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">pilot-less</span> technology: It is an uncrewed aircraft. Each one of the CEOs is then told, privately, that their company's software is running the aircraft's automatic pilot system. Nineteen of the CEOs promptly leave the aircraft, each offering a different type of excuse.<br /><br />One CEO alone remains on board the jet, seeming very calm indeed. Asked why he is so confident in this first uncrewed flight, he replies:<br /><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic; COLOR: rgb(0,0,153)">"If it is the same software that is developed by my company's IT systems department, this plane won't even take off." !!!!!!</span><br /><br />That is called <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Confidence</span>!! <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">:-)</span> </span>Bharat Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13822558010238857748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036569942429488806.post-64188622521189184732009-11-11T21:59:00.006-05:002009-11-14T09:53:45.365-05:00Rule #1...It's Golden.<table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_ym22WvZ_vuI/Svw-bbNBGfI/AAAAAAAABHg/JnzUZRcUbkA/s800/Power_Attitude.gif" /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="" lang="EN">I grew up in <st1:city st="on">Trenton</st1:city>, a west <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Tennessee</st1:place></st1:state> town of five thousand people. I have wonderful memories of those first eighteen years, and many people in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Trenton</st1:place></st1:city> influenced my life in very positive ways. My football coach, Walter Kilzer, taught me the importance of hard work, discipline, and believing in myself. My history teacher, Fred Culp, is still the funniest person I've ever met. He taught me that a sense of humor, and especially laughing at yourself, can be one of life's greatest blessings.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="" lang="EN">But my father was my hero. He taught me many things, but at the top of the list, he taught me to treat people with love and respect...to live the Golden Rule. I remember one particular instance of him teaching this "life lesson" as if it were yesterday. Dad owned a furniture store, and I used to dust the furniture every Wednesday after school to earn my allowance. One afternoon I observed my Dad talking to all the customers as they came in...the hardware store owner, the banker, a farmer, a doctor. At the end of the day, just as Dad was closing, the garbage collector came in.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="" lang="EN">I was ready to go home, and I thought that surely Dad wouldn't spend too much time with him. But I was wrong. Dad greeted him at the door with a big hug and talked with him about his wife and son who had been in a car accident the month before. He empathized, he asked questions, he listened, and he listened some more. I kept looking at the clock, and when the man finally left, I asked, "Dad, why did you spend so much time with him? He's just the garbage collector." Dad then looked at me, locked the front door to the store, and said, "Son, let's talk."<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="" lang="EN">He said, "I'm your father and I tell you lots of stuff as all fathers should, but if you remember nothing else I ever tell you, remember this...treat every human being just the way that you would want to be treated." He said, "I know this is not the first time you've heard it, but I want to make sure it's the first time you truly understand it, because if you had understood, you would never have said what you said." We sat there and talked for another hour about the meaning and the power of the Golden Rule. Dad said, "If you live the Golden Rule everything else in life will usually work itself out, but if you don't, your life probably will be very unhappy and without meaning."<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="" lang="EN">I recently heard someone say, "If you teach your child the Golden Rule, you will have left them an estate of incalculable value." Truer words were never spoken.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;"><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;" ><span style=";font-family:'Trebuchet MS';font-size:10.5pt;" lang="EN"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >What you just read is one of 28 short chapters in </span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><strong style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><b>The Power of Attitude</b></strong></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >. It was titled: "Rule #1...It's Golden."</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Bharat Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13822558010238857748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036569942429488806.post-62079578081768581502009-11-10T22:12:00.006-05:002009-11-11T12:57:59.111-05:00Neck Exercise (-:I am sure many of us get paid to warm our seats. Jokes aside but I am sure software engineers have to not only sit for hours but also stare at computer for hours. I came across this pic recently and found it very useful.<br /><br />The original email had a reference to a doctor who used this picture to advise his patients to exercise by just reading this message. No wonder it was effective - no patient came back to him after reading it!! ;-)<br /><br />Take a look at it yourself and find it out. If you cannot see the full pic - click on it and may be you will be able to view it in Picassa (-:<br /><br /><br /><table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/hYVzA78EUG3-8jeHCi-0HA?authkey=Gv1sRgCIjUiM-N8MCemAE&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_ym22WvZ_vuI/Svos0KR9v5I/AAAAAAAABGs/rGet-fvamFg/s800/Neck%20Exercise.jpg" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table>Bharat Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13822558010238857748noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036569942429488806.post-60013513650573204942009-10-27T11:56:00.005-04:002009-12-01T21:03:36.986-05:00When to move on from your current job?<div style="font-family:georgia;"> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">So, I have been a loyal employee of X organization for 5. years and 8 months now. This is my second job. At my first job – I joined as a trainee and stayed with them for a reasonable enough time 2 years 1 months</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Staying with one organization for long time kind of slows down one’s learning and hence growth as a person. Mind you, I am not talking about climbing up the ladder and getting higher ranks, that comes easy if you stick to one organization for long time. My point is learning – what you get to carry along which will help you become the person you are supposed to be. I wouldn’t totally disagree with the school of thought that states – one should own one’s growth.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Now, this brings us to important question – when is the time to move on? When one outgrows the organization’s growth that is the exit time. One should plan his exit well and have to be very calculative of all available options. Ensure you have more than 1 (at least 3 choices) which gives you *<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">what you want</span></b>*. Relocation, Salary Hike, Subject of interests to work on, Travel Requirements, Learning Opportunities are some of the things to keep in mind while closing on that final option.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">I think change is the way of life – one needs to take some pains to learn new things and that’s the way to grow and such steps should be taken based on calculated risk.</span></p> </div>Bharat Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13822558010238857748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036569942429488806.post-91864429456247953842009-10-25T10:24:00.009-04:002009-10-25T10:43:24.604-04:00A Solution to Unhappy EmployeesAs an early emperor in Xia dynasty said "A picture speaks a thousand words" - I came across this picture which says it all. :-)<br /><br /><table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/w9c-nf5LfQaRkDD4ZaouNA?authkey=Gv1sRgCIjUiM-N8MCemAE&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_ym22WvZ_vuI/SuRjlCfDynI/AAAAAAAABF4/ITqPdNh4vLo/s800/Solution%20to%20Unhappy%20Employees.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=bharat1980&target=ALBUM&id=5285445283478320945&feat=embedwebsite"></a></td></tr></tbody></table>Bharat Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13822558010238857748noreply@blogger.com0