Setting Right Expectations Upfront!

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.

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.

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.

Morale of the story: If we set expectations right (and upfront) there are a few tangible advantages. :-)

Capital Markets - Managing Risks

I came across this lecture / webminar – How to manage risk using Price Behaviour analysis - 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.

http://transcripts.fxstreet.com/2009/11/monthly-webinar-how-to-manage-risk-using-price-behaviour-analysis.html

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!

On a positive side - technology has enabled us to see whats going outside India and hope we learn soon! :-)

Johny Johny Reloaded

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.

Enjoy maad! :)

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Johny Johny Yes Papa

Pvt Company
Yes Papa

Any Motivation
No Papa

Many Tension
Yes Papa

Do u Sleep well
No Papa

Onsite Opportunity
No papa

Boss Ki Galiyan
Yes Papa

Increment?
Ha ha ha :)

Relationship Analysis :-)

Let’s list three facts:

# 1 – It has been observed & proven that action and reactions act in opposite direction in equal force (''To every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction)

# 2 – A definitions is a means of limiting a subject – subject being any tangible / non tangible thing

# 3 – Relationships is humans’ way of describing how one associates self with others

Based on points above, isn’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!

Why is it so that we need to characterize the bonding and judge it and ultimately invent fallacies?

Why can’t we accept the very liquid form of relationships as it comes?

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…

Why do we have to be obliged to certain things or not do certain things cause relationship poses 'em on you?

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 – why invent a disaster?

Dilbert explains Delays!!

Dilbert rocks! A typical project management irony well explained that too with humor! :)

Curious case of Indian Colleagues

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.

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!)

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.

F**k you all my dear colleagues – go back to school and learn a little bit of etiquette and respect someone else’s privacy!!

What is confidence?? - A Joke

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 pilot-less 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.

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:

"If it is the same software that is developed by my company's IT systems department, this plane won't even take off." !!!!!!

That is called Confidence!! :-)