Guruspeak's Life Skills For Achievers & High Performers

Dealing with People's Inquiries in the face of a JOB LOSS

noreply@blogger.com (George Eby Mathew) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:21:00 +0000

A few weeks ago Pink Slipped asked if there were some graceful ways to handle people's inquiries and compliments about a job he/she no longer has.
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Pink Slipped, thanks for sharing a real issue. Sorry to hear of the job loss. Job losses are painful and most people can relate to as you put it "it feels as if someone died". Hurts more when you liked the job and everything assoicated with it - the environment, people etc. Life surprises. Life's issues are real. There are no meta phyicial solutions that fits into realism. However there are rationalizations that helps the situation a little better and attitudes that makes recovery faster all the while dealing with people who are curious and sometimes concerned to see how you navigate through.

From what Pink Slipped describes - there has been a case of downsizing known best to the people orchestrating it. Happens all the time with a higher risk in smaller companies/organisations where the option of retro-fitment is nearly impossible. No individual can counter downsizing on the basis of performance and so that is one solid rationalization - you can change only things you have control over.

Secondly, our self worth does not lie in what we do (jobs/professions/careers). Jobs only give us tiny little meanings for our existence. And if we attach our raison d'etre on jobs/employment/money we lose meaning to life so quickly because these are volatile these days. Far from it, our meaning should be determined on lasting things. For me personaly, hope lies on the other side of eternity. The ups and downs do have an impact short term but cannot rock the boat long term. The second rationale therefore is not to focus on the crests and troughs of your life's current graph but on the average line that sums up life's outcomes which in most cases are a healthy, and promising linear graph with a positive gradient. Focus on this.

The sense of inner purpose and focus on the long term should help most people deal with other issues around a job loss- people, reputation and so on which are real issues. One of the hallmarks of achievers is their ability to recover, hold their head high even in the face of failure and rekindling the human spirit in themselve to learn from the experience and try again. Failures are good. Dont want to use the space to narrate stories of great men and women who failed miserably before they succeeded.

How to deal with people? Tell the truth even when you feel awkward about it. Need short versions and long versions of the truth to use in differing situations. People have the freedom to interpret it the way they want - you cant stop that. You cant change the things you cant control. Key is to engage yourself in recovering evenwhile navigating through the impact of the downturn. Look at yourself as the CEO of your own life having a portfolio of issues to manage. Ask GM's CEO Rick Wagoner what it feels to be at the helm of bad press, and recovery. Rationalisations do help but there is a job to do on Monday morning to fix the situation.

In my experience, more than the anticipation of what people will say, its how you react to what they have said that will either bog you down or raise you up. We can't dont have control over how people will react, but we have control over how we react to what people have said or our perspection of what they would be thinking.

Let me cite a small illustration to tie and wrap this up: I have an uncle who is now a top government official. He sat his high school exams twice. One of his uncles was vociferous and critical about his nephew's ability to make it big in life. My uncle, took that as serious feedback. He not only cleared the exams on the second attempt, he was nominated for the gold medal in his Masters. He also got into the most coveted civil services position in the country through a very competitive selection process in which less than 1 in a 100,000 get selected. Let me add, his mother died the day prior to the qualifying exam. Many high achievers I know, thank their own situations in hindsight for having helped them to make definitive decisions, setting directions and being discrete about their pursuits there on. Its what we make of life's situations that make us who we are. This too shall pass and you will do well.

The Power of Networks

noreply@blogger.com (George Eby Mathew) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 02:59:00 +0000

I am a firm beliver in the power of networks. I do not believe for a second that Achievers achieve great things all by themselves. They need other people to carry them through. All the jobs I have got in my career except the first one was through networks. Networks get you where you want to go in your careers and personal life. If you dont have a network of your own start building one today.

Let me give you my most recent example:
And it amazed me when I recently moved to Sydney how your networks can help you settle in a new country. Most people ask if you knew someone when you move cities or countries - that is a network question. I knew no one in Sydney except one university mate whom I will call A. And soon enough as word got around, people started to connect me to people they knew in Sydney. Before I left Bangalore where I was transitioning through Toronto, I suddently knew 5 people some of them I have never seen before. And to my disbelief four people referred me to the same person whom I will call B. B was so well known in Sydney that everyone knew him - I instantly knew his network was good and big. And it turned out that B was the most resourceful person I could find in Sydney - he knew everything from finding lawn movers to finding a trailor truck.

Let me tell you how people helped us in Sydney. Finding accomodation in Sydney is a nightmare - believe me you. Demand for housing is more that supply. Its an old city with new developments moving at snail's pace. And the real estate agencies are terrible when it comes to helping you to rent. They love buyers. They are cruel. Unfriendly and completely non supportive. My worst experiences were with Century First 21 - they are terrible - never keep their appointments, some ditched appointments. Others like Sanders didnt explain what their 100 point credit check was... the 100 points system is dip stick weighted score for your your payslip, bank statements, driving license, electricity, phone, and water bill... The trouble is for payslips - you dont get it till the end of the month and you dont get an electricity, phone or water bill till you rent. The worse was the last 4 weeks of rent receipts - which is the icing on your cake of woes of renting in sydney. The credit check system is not designed for new comers to Australia but aimed at Australian residents

Real estate agencies are not interested in your cause becuase they are over subscribed for every property they are renting. One property I went to inspect had 110 applications - it is a sellers market ...And believe me you inspections times in prime locations can be just for a 15 minute window at an odd time of a working day. I wasn't successful in finding a rented accomodation using the regular channel.

I found my new found networks very handy in this situation. Here's what happened:

+ A was returning to India wrapping up his operations in Australia within couple of weeks of my arrival. A gave me his car - a one year old car in excellent condition along with a GPS. That too no immediate compulsion to pay up the full price. I had one of my biggest problems solved.

+ B helped us find C who wanted to rent out his house to someone trustworthy, known and obviously would pay up and wanted to keep the agents at bay. C's house was ideal for the family.

+ B also linked us to D who had a trailor truck and was willing to move our stuff from different locations.

+ C got us in touch with E who lodged us for the time C was moving out which was for couple of weeks.

+ C also helped us identify schools for my son and provided local information.
+ Spouses of B and C cooked a few meals for us while we were settling

+ B's nephew worked for a white good's warehouse that was clearing old inventory. We bought our basic white goods from there at one third the price.

How do we form networks?

If you are a normal human being and someone who are interested in people, networks are formed naturally. People are social by nature. People appreciate others who show interest in their lives. I know a friend who actually invests time and money in building networks with people that he thinks is important. He is a consultant, speaker and author. And bulk of his assignments come through his network. He not only keeps in touch with his networks but makes it a point to catch up with them when they are in his town or vice versa. He picks them up from airport or drops them. He takes them out when they are free. These gestures mean a lot especially for
expatriats and those new to your country. My friend also makes sure that he is in the mind recall of people in his network. He sends them seasons greetings and ensures that he replies to their emails promptly. If the families are close send the kids pictures, birthdays and so on.

One of the most formidable networks is your school, university networks. One of the advantages of attending ivy leauge schools is the networks you build. Essentially all of your peers by virtue of the brand of your school take up good positions in corporations, govenments and in other roles and you have access to them.

Nowadays there are also tools that are available such as Linkedin, Facebook, Myspace. Networks make the world. If you havent tried it start today.

Here are a few tips for you to start.

1) Decide what kind of networks you want to build - you can build a friends circle for the purpose of leissure or for social reasons. Your could build a professional network for the purpose of advancing in your career

2) Use all available forums to meet with people - go to birthday parties, anniversaries, conferences, conclaves - thats where people come and are willing to meet with other people.

3) Make at least 5 new contacts per gathering. Nurture it for a while to see where it goes because both parties need to be interested in staying connected. Send a follow up email, follow up on commintments if you made any (for example, if you said you will send some information send it promptly).

4) Send greetings on special occasions - more personal like Birthday's the better. Some people meticoulously keep a address book, dairies for this purpose. Ssome even have a budget allocated for networking.

5) Invest your time for helping people in your network - airport pickups, dine out when you can. share interests.

6) Promptly return a favour.

Let me also add that creating networks is not a way of creating an exclusive association of the rich and the famous. If we arent careful, we could end up being very picky about the people we move around with. I love people. Loving people is the secret of forming good networks.

The Best decisions of 2007

noreply@blogger.com (George Eby Mathew) — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:51:00 +0000

I don't believe in resolutions because it is a meaningless ritual unless it is backed with the resolve of scruplous discipline to accomplish them. But I do take stock of decisions I have taken, evaluate them only for the purpose of my learning, evaluation and for future choices. I believe life is all about choices - choices about life, work, family, yourself etc. The quality of life and life's purpose and accomplishments often directly co-relates to the choices one make. The quality of those choices are dependant again on resolving key questions as to who am I, where am I going and why am I here for.

Here are my best decisions of 2007 and some of the worst.

Best Decisions of 2007

Getting back to my core area of expertise after dabbling with may different things.
The second decision was to consolidate on last year's decisions to focus on developing myself as a subject matter expert as opposed to being a manager
The third decision was to consolidate on my experience in emerging markets for my industry - Canada and Australia - both in new areas but similar environments that were being opened up
At a personal level - the best decision was to raise my standard of integrity in areas that are not seen by others - things like the quality of my thoughts - thoughts about others, myself, and weeding out things that slows me down phyisically, emotionally and spiritually through meditation on scriptures and prayer.

Worst Decisions of 2007

Decision to stay away from the family for 6 weeks in a row on assignment
Decision to move countries around Christmas time - the world sleeps through christmas and new year.

Ten Secrets To Complete To-Do Lists

noreply@blogger.com (George Eby Mathew) — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 15:50:00 +0000

I don't know how many of you have had trouble completing your to do list for the day. I have. So many times I have gone to bed kicking myself for not being able to complete the things for the day till I found ways of overcoming it.

For many of us it takes a while to get organised. Getting organised is very important to excel in an area of one's calling. There needs to be a compelling drive towards achieving what one is set out to do. And once one breaks the larger life goals into smaller tasks and activities, smaller to do lists become part of the larger picture. Writing things down is an inseparable part of achieving those smaller pieces of the larger goal. People use diaries, notebooks, memosheets, use a computer or a pda as tools. The medium doesn't matter, but documenting things helps to keep track of what we do for both improvements as well as to measure the journey. I will not talk about this in detail here but will post an elaboration later.

It is not uncommon to have several to do lists or one master list into which several classifications can be made. I prefer one master list because it giveS me an overview all things I am doing in one go. In my to do lists, there are very operational and sustainance kinds of things that I do for myself or my work - for example doing the groceries, reading email, laundary etc.. many of which is involuntary as a force of habbit. I have seen spikes in this kinds of activity when I am shifting place or taking up a short term project that has an imminent deadline. Then there are strategic and transformational things I do in work and my life also on the to do list - for example things like investments I do to manage my money or things that that gives me transformational potential like learning a new skill or gathering knowledge about a particular are of my work. There are also the tactical, every day sort of things I have on my list - for example setting up work appointments, keeping them and doing follow ups on them. Essentially things that I need to do in the time I have got. Sometimes there are things on my to do list that extremely mundane and gives me no joy doing them at all - like shopping but I still got to do it as part of the supporting goals for my larger objectives. Remember having a to do list is no good if there is no commitment to complete them.

Here are ten secrets I have uncovered over the course of time.

1 Write the list early in the day
I have always found that a list written early in the day gives enough time to plan and energy to execute the plan. It is also easier to structure the day better when you have the day before you.

2 Write realistically
We can be unrealistic in jam packing the list with 25 different things. I would think that the to do list should not contain more than 10 items for a given day. It is also very prudent to make a judgement to gauge how much of time each item would take to execute. Also keep in mind that there is time left for rest, leissure, building relationships because many of these things cannot be planned.

3 Keep buffers for the unexpected and be smart while execution.
The to do list should always be balanced to account for unexpected delays. For example, it is quite possible to be stuck in traffic on returning from a meeting. I have sometimes found that waiting for somethings to fall in place reduces half the load on executing a task. A little bit of sycnchronisation between tasks on the to do list helps a great deal.

4 Tell yourself your are not doing anything else till you complete the to do list
The key to completing the to do list is to keep motivating yourself to complete it. Discipline is key. I have found that when I set targets for me such as to say for example that I will complete 3 tasks by lunch or to say I am not going home until I finish the tasks for the day has helped me.

5 Budget time and resources per task
I have said this before - some tasks need more time and resources or even have dependancies. A general idea of these elements gives a lot of control in the execution of the to do list.

6 Identify dependancies and manage them
The best example I can offer is to plan a route map if it involves travelling. For example I may need to go to the ATM, but also have fill gas. I generally tend to see how I can one task is dependant on the other - in this example if the gas station accepts credit cards I may not need to worry about the ATM dependancy. In some cases as discussed before, it becomes very useful to wait for outcomes of dependant tasks before initiating new tasks.

7 Link tasks together
The biggest example I can quote for this is when I go shopping - some of the things I buy for the week are generally not available in one place. So I try and cluster like items together (for example all the bakery stuff together) based on the assumption that I may sometimes have to go to a speciality store to get them.

8 Make judgement calls on results
the key to execution and decision on the time you spent on any tasks should be based on the likley impact of results you can bring from executing it. Many a times people tend to focus a lot more on the easier tasks and those they like to execute and discover that the bigger impact tasks are left untouched. It is always important to remember that the tasks that has larger impact needs to be executed first.

9 Review to do list frequently.
Nothing is sancrosanct about your to do lists. Try and make course corrections as the day progresses and visit the list as often as you can. But don't cheat yourself.

10. Keep track of each day's completion and monitor why
I have always felt a sense of accomplishment once I have completed the tasks for the day. I also take stock of what I did and what the results were or expected results are. I believe this is key because one can spent all the time in the world executing trivial tasks but miss out on all the biggies.I hope this has been of some use to your personal journey in excellence.

Which is the Best Country for Global Business

noreply@blogger.com (George Eby Mathew) — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 10:13:00 +0000

Which is the Best Country for Global Business? India, ranked No. 48, is eighth in the world for quality of management schools yet 106th for quality of electricity supply. The bigger story is that India trails that other unfurling economic giant: China finishes 34th overall, showing strength in areas like university-industry research collaboration (25th) and national savings rate (7th) while remaining among the world's worst countries for things like the soundness of banks (128th). As for India, there is always discussion about the extent to which that country's bureaucratic, multistate, multiparty democracy handicaps it--a communist government like China's doesn't have to worry about building consensus for economic policies. This year TIME partners with the WEF to brings in-depth data on 37 key countries at time.com/globalbusiness

Excellence is about creating WOW!

noreply@blogger.com (George Eby Mathew) — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 11:52:00 +0000

Do you ever feel the urge to excel in some area? You hear this inner voice encouraging you to really do something outstanding today. You know you got it in you to do it so wonderfully that the wow factor is ingrained in every breath you take doing what you are doing. You’re unstoppable. But then reality sets in. You are faced with deadlines, meet couple of hurdles, you get discouraged and soon those moments are history. Where did that powerful urge go? Was that a dream?

It isn’t hard to temporarily put yourself into an emotional state where excellence is achievable and so close to
call. You may have seen the work of someone great, heard a thing or two about some great feat and then you are
charged to replicate similar levels of excellence but then you go home, and the mechanical clocks ticks in and then you say to hell with excellence. Let’s just get the job done. Yesterday you wanted to wow the customer, wow your kids, wow you family, wow you community, wow you boss but today they don’t expect it from me. What’s the big deal in making anything different - they aren’t expecting it anyway. So how do you understand these emotions and keep up the desire to excel come what may?

I have found that those who excel they do stand apart from those who don’t in their mission, goals, skills, and
what they are made up internally. The inside stuff - the values, behaviors, motivations, meaning of life. For years,
I have tried to understand what excellence would mean in lay terms, in a manner anyone can understand and relate to.
We all at different points of time have been exposed to the reality of excellence in the air and may even
have witnessed excellent work in close quarters. Nevertheless let me share with you three examples to anchor and build a framework within which to analyze excellence and the behavioral traits and skills required to replicate them.

My first example comes from the year 2002. My Television just blew up and wouldn’t work. I had a technician over from
the manufacturer. The man opened the TV from behind and we had embarrassing amounts of junk spilling out of the TV's
behind- dirt, spiders’ web, things that have fallen through the vents and so on. The technician fixed the problem and
they he asked for a broom. Now that was not part of the job. But he not only cleaned the floor beneath the TV but
also neatly arranged the tiny things my wife had placed on top of the TV - photographs, mementos we have received
over the years etc. It looked as if there was no outside intervention from anyone to get the TV working. I said wow.

My second example is the time we were doing up our new place many years ago. We wanted a new piece of furniture
made. We narrowed down to a few furniture makers. One of the furniture makers had a spent a lot of time with me and
my wife asking us a lot of questions - questions we thought were too intrusive likes our likes dislikes, color
preferences obviously, questions on the textures we like, who occupied the house (children, elderly), and many more
questions that I don’t remember. He returned after 15 days with the piece we had ordered custom made wrapped in
cardboard. We eagerly waited for the unwrapping as if they were Christmas presents. And behold there was the most
magnificent piece of furniture I had ever seen...it looked, smelt, and felt the way we wanted it. I said wow.

My third example was a dinner we were invited to at a friend's place for Christmas last year. The house was
awesome in every description. Everything matched including the lemonade we were having! Also my son had his favorite
jelly made in the shape of a Christmas tree facing him in the seat reserved for him. I said wow.

In all three examples there was a mission - a mission that differed in outcomes but focused on creating wow in three
different unique ways. There were skills being used behind the scenes that were perfected over the years to deliver
the value at the point of delivery some for a commercial gain but others for the sheer joy of creating wow. There
was a personality that was fueled by the passion to excel consistently not by fluke or by accident but by design.
Sustaining such spirit requires tremendous discipline, passion and purpose. The individuals are deeply grounded in
themselves and at peace with themselves not in conflict with what may would see as hurdles, the impossible and
settle for the mediocre. Excellence is about creating wow in others around us by the way we do things. And others
recognize the excellence in you far from you going around telling everyone that you are excellent. Excellence is simply creating wow, not just one time but repeatedly.

I think it was Vince Lombardi, Legendary Football Coach, and ESPN’s Coach of the Century
who said “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to his/her commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor”. I agree. The people who I have seen loving life the most are these kinds of people.

I have begun a journey to study the lives of people who have been considered to be excellent in one way or another. I have documented a few traits which I will share. I am sure there are many more I am missing but I will get there soon. Let me know if you have any suggestions for me.

Grand Wedding. Groom Beaten. Can education save us from GREED?

noreply@blogger.com (George Eby Mathew) — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 19:09:00 +0000

I don't know how you'd react to a story like this. I reacted very differently at different times thinking about it. For those who don't know: Dowry is a custom practiced in most parts of India wherein a bride's family pays (literally pays) the grooms family. Read more about Dowry. By the way, Indian weddings are one of the most extravagant and mindlessly pompous weddings in the world.

NRI doctor beaten up for demanding dowry
Patiala (Punjab): A New York-based non-resident Indian (NRI) doctor was arrested here on Friday for demanding a dowry of Rs 50 lakh ($120,000), but not before he and his family were given a sound thrashing by the bride's side for putting forth such a demand just before the wedding was to commence here.
The doctor, Gurpreet Singh, and his parents were arrested by the Patiala police after the girl's family filed a police complaint. Singh and his relatives originally hail from Ludhiana district. They have been settled in the US for many years. They were assaulted and beaten up by the bride's family and friends at the Chahal Marriage Palace - an upscale wedding venue - here.

So the guy has a professional education and probably doing well in practice, been settled in another country for years - that should have given him a different perspective and ofcourse exposure to other cultures. Well greed has not boundaries does it? Or for that matter think about living the rest of your life not "happily ever after" but thinking "I was bought for $120K".

What would you do if you were FIRED?

noreply@blogger.com (George Eby Mathew) — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 17:02:00 +0000

What you would do if you got fired... sulk, cry, laugh, shut yourself in, feel defeated, quit living, be angry forever, write stinky emails to your CEO, look for a new job, tell everyone about it, beat yourself up? Writing a book about it as Carly Fiorina did after being fired as CEO of HP isn't a bad idea. I haven’t read Fiorina’s"Tough Choices" yet but I largely tend to agree with Carly's world view. Especially what she shared in a commencement address at the North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University on May 7th, 2005 shortly after being fired.

The reasons why people get fired doesn’t matter as much as what they do after they are fired. In my observations, an individual who doesn't attach his/her self worth to the work/job/role/money does very well in these situations. After all, corporations should not determine one’s self worth. Again it depends on one's culture, circumstances, beliefs etc. For instance, in Japan self-worth is derived from what one does so it is in India and China. I believe that the sooner an individual gets to de-link work and his/her "self worth", sooner he/she gets the upper hand in the situations like getting laid off and ofcourse life in general.

lifehack.org gives some elaboration of my line of thinking although I differ significantly in the spiritual prescriptions given there.

It is ok to get fired because even the best people get fired and you get fired when it's not your fault and when it is your fault. If the reasons were criminal such as fraud then you deserved it big time. Many a times, corporations' version of the reasons can be far from truth. Reasons don't help much in the recovery process because these can range from a simple I-don’t-like-you to losing a crucial contract that paid your salaries or anything in between such as personality conflicts, differing vision, downsizing, slump in business or simply you just messed it up so badly for yourself. Many people get fired for the wrong reasons. There are people who justifiably terminated as well. The real reason could very well be paltry too. This is no kidding that there are many a business operation shifted because someone significant wanted to live in some city and not the other.

In my quick research not so much on being fired but on the recovery process I have found that the way people pick themselves up is the most crucial. It is sort of the thing companies do when they lose a major client for some reason that they hadn't de-risked against. Translated for the individual, it means you need to find another 'client', another employer who will pay for your services. When a firm loses a client, sure there is heart burn, there is bad press, but the firm moves on by handling the fiasco carefully. This is also part of one's ability to turn around and recover. I am reminded of the Martha Stewart comeback.Of course one needs to handle the stigma of being fired and bad press etc and if you recover well - that should be a feather in your cap. Corporations fail and they recover. So will you in the micro planes of your world

Finally let me leave this with you - most layoffs dont happen overnight they brew for some time not necessarily months - if you are smart you will know the times and will have plan B in your back pocket much before you've been told you are fired. Paul Michael's blog gives 20 different ways to know if you'll be fired.

In the meanwhile, let me know how you'd deal with it.

Mom is 60. Happy Birthday Mommy

noreply@blogger.com (George Eby Mathew) — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 17:49:00 +0000

My Mom turned 60 yesterday. What's my Mom like? Hmmm...She is smally built, university educated and extremely principled woman. And she is my mother and I share my mother with my brother and sister. My memories of her date back to the time I was two I think.

Mom taught english and economics. (She taught in different countries for 20 + years). She cooks well and is extremely hardworking. Mom taught us to read and write. She home schooled us when she and Dad had a transferable teaching job in Africa where we didn’t have primary schools. She made our learning interesting by bring us rare books and do it yourself kits. She loved books and she ensured that we benefitted from her reading. She would narrate to us World war II stories, stories of Alexander the great and Socrates.

Mom made the greatest meals in town. She has her own ways of doing things. For example, her kitchen is out of bounds for most people including members of the family. Cleanliness is the next to godliness for Mom – every vegetable is washed in liquid soap. To ease us of our home sickness when my brother and I studied away from home for two years she would bake 3-5 kilos of cake every weekend to be carried to our hostels. Other than Kerala cuisine she baked and made spaghetti and pastas with ease. She taught us some of the most valuable lessons in life. She nurtured the bond in the family, she wished that none of us would be rich at the expense of our values, she showed us what it meant to live lives with plenty and nothing. She and Dad trained us so well that they were confident that we would survive once we are out in the world.

Mom took the burdens of the home gladly. At one point in the latter part of our teen years, she would commute 70 kilometers one-way by bus daily just to be around the family. Through our growing years Mom was there for us even though she went to work. She ensured that her work never interfered with our progress. She never compared us with other children nor did she push us into any particular profession. She knew we would make it whereever we went. Thank God for Mothers!

Today, as Mom is aging her rheumatoid arthritis is catching up with her. She is losing her grip on cooking vessels she once comfortably handled. Even today she insists on home cooked food when we visit her as often as we can. She still ensures that there is a decent spread for the family. In our place, she enjoys watching her five grandchildren eat her meals deliciously - she says thats her delight. She continues to keep us informed about our health needs, sometimes suggesting home remedies that she gleans for the welfare of the family. Now that the children are gone. Mom takes care of Dad and tends to her small garden in the country. Happy Birthday Mommy.

Thank YOU!

noreply@blogger.com (George Eby Mathew) — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 16:52:00 +0000

Thought I would pause to say thanks for visiting my blog often. Eversince I have re-started my blog, readership has been increasing and you have been staying longer - thank you.

I am still experimenting with identifying a niche that could bring maximum value to you, my readers. I realise that I could take the broad brush approach or identify two or three specific areas and go deeper.

Right now I have a sense of what the topics could be of interest to you and accordingly I have been trying to refine the definition of my blog. So please bear with me as I try to re-adjust and discover your interests. As far as the topics are concerned, I will be talking about experiences from work situations, career and opinions around them, and I would be answering some of the questions especially those who would like to enter the industry I work for which is IT and consulting. I would also write about life in general - things one has learned along the way, interesting people one met, experiences during travel that may be unique or serve as a valuable insight to other people and so on.

The end goal offcourse is sharing work and life insights. I want to make this a discussion/interactive forum where there is mutual learning, idea generation and problem solving. So even if it is a one liner please leave me a comment that I could use as valuable feedback.

As far as blog title goes I am debating between what I have now "content and confident living" and "work-life imbalance" - something that reflects the core of what this blog is about. Please leave me a line of what you'd like me to write about and how you would like to see this blog developing. Thanks again for your participation and interest in this exciting journey.

After a software engineer what NEXT?

noreply@blogger.com (George Eby Mathew) — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 20:19:00 +0000

I believe work is an integral part of content and confident living and as often as I get questions from you, I shall make an attempt to answer questions on work and career in the software, media and consulting industry. This week I take a question from Arati who asked:

I'm an engineering student in the final year. I will be entering the IT industry very soon. Can you help me with the basics I need to know about this Industry. I would be starting as a software engineer.So what are the levels that I should aspire to reach there after?

This an important question to ask. But first things first. Complete your studies. Join the company that gave you placement. Go in with an attitude to learn. The job in front of you is in many ways new to you - one can see it as a turning point in life - its your entry into work life (which is different from the student world), you begin to earn for the first time (if you haven't during your summers) and you will be held accountable for the work for the first time (which is very different from passing exams) and for the first time you will have a boss who is keen to see you succeed and deliver. In other dimensions, you will be working with people who are as good as you are. Some with several years of experience and have seen it and done it.

Therefore go with the attitude of learning - to learn the job, learn about peer/team relationships, life skills (building relationships, gaining trust, learning to communicate a conviction, negotiation skills, balancing motivation and capability, result orientedness, goal setting, time management, discipline, integrity, and accountability) understanding the company you work for, learning to work with managers. Most freshmen in companies start to deliver only in about 6 - 12 months upon induction and so the company is making an investment into you hoping for a return for that investment. And so here are some tips that might help you and others like you:

1) Avoid worrying too much about what you will become after software engineer - you havent become one yet. You will begin to become one only after beginning to deliver something that your clients are willing to pay for. Till such time, its training and learning time.

2) You may have been told/taught to ask yourselves the question "what do you want to be in 5 years". This is an industry where no one plans for more than 18 months. You are lucky if you can handle 6 months without change in the things you do. So be realistic about planning. Take baby steps. Keep an open mind and look for opportunities and take it whenever they appear.

3) Use your first job to pick up skills you will need in high pressure environments, working on results as opposed to tasks - most of your training in university might have been towards fulfilling tasks. The industry measures and usually rewards results only.

4) In the industry no opportunity is usually given, it is usually taken. Dont worry about this now, you will need this ability in about 3-4 years.

5) Avoid focusing on the pay check in the first 2-3 years or going overseas. I have seen many young people jump jobs for the sake of money or overseas opportunities alone. Too frequent jumps in the job is a negative on your resume in the early years. Your life goal cannot be money or living/working overseas. Peer pressure is high in this industry - be yourself.

6) Its hard work - rewards dont come easy. You begin to earn respect of people around you only after you bring in results. You pedigree, qualifications dont matter beyond a point - they might fetch you an entry into corporations but thereafter its what you deliver at the end of the day. No free lunch on the job. You got to earn it. The software industry in India is a pamperred industry - pamperred for too long. Dont expect a lot of pamperring and things might change anytime.

7) This one is probably closest to the question you asked. At the end of one year if you can identify what you are good at and what you are not it would suffice for you to take the next steps. As you grow in the company/career, you will realise that there is something called "transferable skills" - skills that you can take from one job to another. As generic these are one can take up any job but it will have the risk of being commodity skills. At the same time one can have a niche set of skills that may be needed for a set of highly rewarding and unique roles. These are areas that you may want to focus on as you get into the 2nd and 3rd year of your career. Not a worry at this point for you.

8) Finally, you may have noticed that I havent touched on the technology (j2ee, .net etc.) discussion at all. I have consciously avoided that because thats where most people unfortunately focus on, most universities focus on these. These are not just enough to succeed in a career as a software engineer. Just as an example, a software engineer who writes good code is less useful when he/she cannot articulate the problem or communicate the solution to his peers and customers. Hence the need for all round development. Knowledge of a technology is only a fraction of what is needed. Mere knowledge too doesnt suffice the ability to apply it does. Besides, with average intelligence one can pick up any new technology if one has the apptitude.

If Family is most important then what's wrong?

noreply@blogger.com (George Eby Mathew) — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 12:25:00 +0000

It's about a year since I attended this annual conclave of senior managers in Texas. The room had some 30 something men and 1 woman of the ages of 30 + from many nationalities. As is customary for every meeting these days, an introduction section was the icebreaker with 3 questions that needed to be answered by everyone. Question 1 was about the job they do,Question 2 was about themselves, personal lives etc and Question 3 was what was unique about them. It was an interesting half hour and most entertaining too because many people had very wide interests and talents including one who was a voice over for animation movies - so you can imagine the roaring laughter in the room when your favorite characters were immitated flawlessly. But the responses to question 2 stopped me in my thoughts.

Most people said that their families were the most important. Most said besides work they loved to spend time with the family, especially with the kids. Some even said that their interests have been overthrown by their childrens' interests so much so that animated movies such as Nemo has become their favorite and stuff. But surprisingly only two (actually three) people had been happily married for over 20 years and two had grandchildren. In fact, they sort of rightly highlighted that fact with a sense of pride. Many were into their second marriages. One was going through a divorce. Others were raising kids from their second marriages often having to take care of children from the previous marriages.

The question that eluded me was if people find family most important, prefers to spend time with family as the most important thing in life, cares about their children so much why is it that they unfortunately for various reasons cannot pull a marriage through. It is quiet understandable if people couldnt live under a roof for reasons of abuse or insanity or some such reason. I have read that children suffer the most in a divorce... if they care for their children, and family is all that mattered then why is that divorce has become so rampant, easy to justify, rationalise and easily legitimitized?. Its been a year since this event but I havent found many convincing reasons. So should companies trust people - who cannot keep a partnership, oath, commitment, make things work at home - with their business. Drop me a line if you have some clues.

What Professions give people the maximum SATISFACTION?

noreply@blogger.com (George Eby Mathew) — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 16:02:00 +0000

Do you remember any of the following people? Winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1999? Who won the 100 m track and field race in the 2004 Athens Olympics? Who was George Bush senior’s key political opponent in the elections he came to power in? Any Guesses? I don’t know either… But if I were to ask you… who helped you through your most difficult subject in high school you would remember. So will you remember who helped you through difficult times in life… The point is that while we may forget great achievers, we will remember people who have made an impact in our life?

Let me tell you my little story. I wasn’t a great student but made average grades to navigate through to university. When I graduated from high school to the eleventh and twelfth grade coping with Mathematics was very difficult. In the first year I barely passed. Though I was determined to make it in mathematics so as to pursue my ambition to pursue a higher education in electrical engineering, somehow mathematics didn’t make sense to me. In the holidays post my eleventh exam, I was determined to figure mathematics out.

I tried to work the calculus and trigonometry at home. I got a hang of it but wasn’t confident. Once school re-opened, we had a new mathematics teacher who was brilliant. She began taking active interest in the progress I was making. She would pause at my desk just to see how my logic worked and would guide me. By the first term with her encouragement I cracked the puzzle. My scores began to show it…I eventually ended up second in my class to everyone’s surprise including mine. I also solved a problem that no one in the school could solve in 10 years!

As I looked back… there was the drive to succeed no doubt…but it was people along the way who actually got me the victory. It was my parents who never compared or complained about my low first year scores but rather created an environment where I would try better and also provided me a coach to help me through my vacation. It was my maths teacher who spotted the tiny symptoms of success in me and nurtured it…and lot of people I took help from.

And so… someone did a survey of professions that give people the maximum satisfaction and the professions that toped the list were teaching, medical professions including nursing, counseling, anything that had very high human interaction and those that involved transforming, changing and improving people’s lives… I have no idea where the scientists, engineers, accountants and the traders figured.

Also read "Looking for satisfaction and happiness in a career? Start by choosing a job that helps others"

Have you had a 'normal' life?

noreply@blogger.com (George Eby Mathew) — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:56:00 +0000

Who said computers are for the young

noreply@blogger.com (George Eby Mathew) — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 14:14:00 +0000

I have no idea where this clipping is from and so I cannot quote the source. Someone in my family took a paper cutting and scanned it for posteriety.

Indian Railways online reservation site is down for maintanance in the middle of the peak working hours

noreply@blogger.com (George Eby Mathew) — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 06:35:00 +0000

First of all the system is slow, secondly it is not userfriendly, thirdly its not available when people want it... pathetic reflection of government run institutions in India.

I spent close to an hour searching for a list of trains that pass through Bangalore to verify a train number couldnt find a decent list. Http://www.southernrailway.org - Southern Railway website doesnt work. By the way take a look at http://www.southernrailway.com to see the difference. Pathetic!

Hotest job destination on earth: India

noreply@blogger.com (George Eby Mathew) — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 08:35:00 +0000

This week, a friend of mine, a real estate consultant, living in Canada is shifting base to Guragaon, India with his family including two teen aged children to build Delhi's new international airport. Another colleague of Indian origin, is returning to India after spending 15 years in the US at director level positions to be part of India's growth story.

With India's GDP growth rising to 9.4% and outlook remaining strong, India is hiring.

This growth is apparent wherever in the world one travels. Wall street journal's Europe edition dedicates couple of pages to Indian business. Two weeks ago it covered Vijay Mallya as the Branson of India, How disney is looking at wooing the Indian market and how retailers are hiring western talent to run India's burgeoning retail industry - the insight that prompted me to write this blog.

While global jobs have slowed down, India is creating most jobs among large emerging economies

The hotest sectors that are attracting western talent are IT, Retail and Financial Services. Indian IT Companies are now hiring Americans both to plug short falls in H1B visas as well as prevent a political fallout surrounding H1B. In the retail sector shortage of experienced talent in managing India's burgeoning retail sector is the primary reason for demand for expatriate talent. The hiring in financial services is not far behind. Most large hedge funds, investment banks and banks have mopped up local talent creating a local crunch for smaller firms

The June 19th issue of BusinessWeek in an article titled "India's got a job for you" summarises the trends and the reasons for these shifts:

Three years ago, it was uncommon for senior level expatriate executives to move to India except for the time required to set up operations and such. But now there are moved with a clear mandate to grow the business. It is common to find several of senior executive talent shifting lock, stock and barell to India.

Fast growing Indian companies are clearly eyeing Westerners for senior positions. Everybody wants to be part of the India growth story now

Hiring practices among fast-expanding India companies are becoming more global. There is a shift from hiring non-resident Indians, whom big companies saw as an easier option often willing to accept pay cuts to be part of the India growth story, and who were more attuned to cultural differences.

Indian companies, many of which are making huge investments at home and abroad, are increasingly competing on a global scale and want the best. There are shortages of qualified managers in key areas such as infrastructure, aviation, retail, and life sciences.

New recruits don't come cheap. Most expect Western-sized salaries and perks, often including stock options. Headhunters estimate that foreign salaries range from $300,000 to $600,000 including perks for senior positions. Contracts are typically for three to five years.

Facebook CEO apologizes for Beacon

noreply@blogger.com (George Eby Mathew) — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 02:44:00 +0000

Facebook's new ad program is the reason for the apology. It allows Facebook to track its users' activities, such as purchases, on third-party Web sites that partner with the social-networking site and broadcast them to the users' friends. For instance, Facebook users could receive messages telling them that a friend had bought a sweater on Overstock.com or a movie ticket on Fandango.com.

Type rest of the post here

Terms of USE

noreply@blogger.com (George Eby Mathew) — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 17:43:00 +0000

Authors and publishers are welcome to use my content for FREE subject to the criterion that the content used is sourced back to this website in order to maintain authenticity. Back links to this site is appreciated if use is in a website or blog. If in print please use the following: "Taken from http://www.guruspeak.org used with persmission"

Please note that this blog contains content syndicated/sourced from other sites through widgets, RSS etc. I do not own these content nor have copyrights on them. Please verify the source of content and don't forget to take permission from the respective content owners for reproduction

Truimph for Humanity

noreply@blogger.com (George Eby Mathew) — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 12:50:00 +0000

Amongst many things spoken and written about this amazing truimph for humanity is the dedication and leadership of 30 something doctors/nurses and their moments of professional fulfillment. If you were following my blog, I had said that these professions are the kinds that offer maximum satisfaction

About Me

noreply@blogger.com (George Eby Mathew) — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 03:39:00 +0000

Hi there. Personal word of welcome to guruspeak.org.

My name is George Mathew and I began writing Guruspeak in 2004 to experiment with blogging. I didn't do a good job of finding a niche topic to write regularly and so I became extremely general and adhoc (and boring). Over the months, I realized that stuff about people - who they really are, what gives them a kick in life and how they get to what they want to do – is of lasting value than shop talk. And so I began narrowing down my posts in the general direction of the pursuit of excellence.

I love people, life and hate everything that prevents people from being people. For the heck of it, I also write a professional blog under the same title "Guruspeak" for ITToolbox. I am passionate about writing and I am good at it. See a full resume at Linkedin

Before almost inventing the Internet and blogging, I witnessed and wrote extensively about the re-birth of the Indian IT industry in the early 90s as a staff reporter of the Indian Express. I also worked for the firm that predicted the Y2K 'disaster' and everyone else made a lot of money from it. And I did not make a million bucks from the dotcom era either but ate a lot of pizzas, wore jazzy t-shirts and had enjoyed exotic outings on the house in the name of 'e' business. I also witnessed the dotcom bust post 2001 up-close and personal while trying to build a community that wasn’t ready for the Internet. I am currently employed with one of the largest IT consulting firms in the world and a good one. Sorry - my blogs will not give you information shared in confidence by my employers or clients.

I graduated with a combined degree in electrical engineering and electronics engineering; occassionally I take the role of a handyman at home. I have spent over 14 years in the IT industry in managerial roles where I have managed businesses, people and new initiatives. I have mismanaged people also and learnt from it. I have lived in different parts of the world and became a TCK without my realising it.

I have written academic papers, parts of books, spoken in conferences, consulted and traveled extensively on my job. I have taught kids and older people. I have been interviewed by the media including the BBC. I gave up TV addiction 4 years ago and given up junk food too. I am on a health improvement program to reduce my weight by 15 kilos in the next 8 months (so far I have lost 6 kgs).

I am married to Di, who is a personnel development professional turned full time mom, and we have two children S and R one of whom thinks I get paid for the number of emails I sent. None of what I have done so far have given me so much joy as being dad to my two boys.

I have grown tremendously in my career and personal life, have a very positive outlook to life, and have been anchored solidly on the purpose and meaning of life. I am passionate about sharing my growth lessons with anyone who desires to improve themselves all of which are available for free on this site.

To contact me, please drop me an email to eby2006 at gmail dot com

Perspective

noreply@blogger.com (George Eby Mathew) — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 03:20:00 +0000

My idea of contentment and confident living is not one where everything is provided for. The life of a proverbial sparrow resting on the branches of a tree that is lashed by the fury of the raging waters, yet oblivious of the terror of the water above and beneath comes close.

The Reservation Debate & The Tyranny of Indian Polity

noreply@blogger.com (George Eby Mathew) — Sun, 04 Jun 2006 03:21:00 +0000

Our country's leadership has forever played politics along two dimensions – religious/caste divide and the economic divide - not to bridge them but further divide them to factions that can never find consensus for development and progress. While politicians world over play their ‘politics’ too, rarely have they stood in the way of nation building or promoted division along belief systems or financial situations people did not choose but are born into.

Consider this:

1. Mrs. Gandhi declares emergency to counter the growing opposition to her and the Congress party in 1975. Congress loses power at the Center for the first time, after 1977 elections
2. Mrs. Gandhi builds up Bhidranwale to weaken the Akalis in Punjab in 1983. Bhidranwale becomes the face of the Punjab rebellion, leading to Operation Bluestar and the killing of Mrs. Gandhi
3. Rajiv Gandhi amends the constitution to invalidate the Shah Bano verdict and woo the Muslim vote in 1986. The Shah Bano issue becomes one of the rallying cries for Hindu mobilisation that would eclipse the Congress later
4. Rajiv Gandhi opens the lock of Babri Masjid in 1986 for worship by Hindu devotees to woo the Hindu vote and balance out the Shah Bano effect in 1986. Babri Masjid becomes the main rallying cry for Hindu mobilisation and the remarkable rise of BJP to power
5. V.P. Singh uses the caste quotas to blunt opposition from Devi Lal and Hindu mobilisation by BJP in 1990. Reservation policy leads to the consolidation of other backward classes in UP and Bihar, but VP Singh and his part pass into oblivion
6. BJP leaders watch joyously as their chief minister in UP facilitates the destruction of Babri Masjid in 1992. The Ram Mandir movement loses steam, BJP stumbles out of power in UP
7. BJP's Gujarat CM Narendra Modi condones the mass killing of Muslims in retaliation for the Godhra massacre of 2002, and to consolidate Hindu votes in the next state elections. Modi wins the elections, but the Gujarat violence contributes to the BJP losing the next general elections
8. The Manmohan Singh government plays the caste card again in 2006 to win votes in the coming Uttar Pradesh election and power Rahul Gandhi's entry to Congress. Denouement awaited
[Source: Political masterstrokes and their deouement, Business World, 5 June 2006]

Politicians in developed nations have played politics in the realms of idealogy and policies around idealogy: they have voted against racial, religious, and economic prejudices in favour of national interest. Most political battles have been waged on the lines of farm subsidies, foreign policy and so on that protected national interests both in the short term and long term. The current crisis around reservations for 'backward' classes in India is a classic example of the depravity of moral fiber and sectarianism in our polity. We have become, as one leading industrialist noted "the only country in the world that would fight for backwardness". We have enough evidence for the curse that reservations brings:

1) Reservation has brought in substandard work ethos to the country’s workforce – be it government run schools, institutions or industry. For example, compare productivity in the public sector (where reservation is honored) and the private sector (where meritocracy is encouraged). Shashi Tharoor in his book "From Midnight to the Millenium" documents that between 92 and 93, of 237 of India's public sector companies in existence, 104 had losses amounting to some 40 billion rupees of the Indian taxpayers money. Most of the remaining 133 companies made only a marginal profit. In the same book Tharoor quotes a March 1996 issue of Time Magazine as saying that the country’s public sector electric utilities alone lost $ 2.2 billion in the preceding twelve months. I am sure today's numbers arent going to be to startlingly different. One of the reasons Tharoor cites why the public sector is kept running at losses is to prevent political fallout. On the other hand, India's top three software firms that believes in meritocracy contributes to more that $ 6 billion in revenue and employment for at least 150,000 people including people from the so-called backward classes. The industry contributes over $ 20 bn to the national exchequer and provides direct employment to over 3.5 million indians, indirect employment for 10 million and wealth for nearly as many indian citizens.

2) Meritorious students and qualified youngsters on the other hand from non reserved categories despite being brilliant and meritorious lose their right to work. Moreover the reservationist thinking will erode the quality of professionals that the country's premier institutions are known to produce - this is a perfect ingredient for disaster and backtracking our nation to stone age. Imagine for a moment Harvard, Stanford and Wharton universities announcing that they no longer looked for merit as a criterion for entry into their campuses.

While the country's educated and productive workforce are not against reservations for the econonmically underprivileged, what they try to seek support is for the removal of caste, religion and tribe as a criterion for reservations. Reservation should be given to people on economic grounds - such as funding primary education, and supporting two generations of a family below poverty lines – never on religious or class based preferences. Advanced countries have used reservations to protect the interest of the economically priveleged and have only reduced the percentage of protectionism over the years and not increased it. We seem to be going backward all the more.

Also, no self respecting individual would like to be known as belonging to a "backward caste" neither would they want any one (including the govt) to brand them as "backward". Come to think of it labelling anyone as backword is a form of 'racism'. That would be a personal disgrace to a hardworking individual. Moreover under the current reservation policies, I have personally witnessed people in 'backward' communities enjoying the sops of the government for generations even when they are economically well off and have amassed enough wealth for generations under the banner of reservations.

The government has no moral right to impose a policy that has seen so much of opposition especially when India is on the threshold of making a huge impact in the world of tomorrow. Remember 50 per cent of India's population is below the age of 25, if the government were to go ahead with the current plans on reservations, they are impacting the future and the opportunity of our youth to take on the world on the basis of their own merit. The politicians of this generation will have died and gone much like their predecessors from whose legacy and policies India as a nation took 50 years to break free to begin to be seen of some worth in the global arena. We don’t need protectionism. What we need is empowerment, fairness and freedom to build arsenals to win in a fiercely competitive global marketplace – be it for employment or for commerce. Instead of dividing our young people, let’s look at empowering them to out do competition from China and other third world nations all vying for the top slot.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, rule the country from your heart and apply the principles that made you one of the India’s finest economists and the architect of landmark policies of 1991 that made India look upwards for the first time since independance after years of protectionism . Only a culture of meritocracy can bring India a bright future even if a party or leader loses his or her political position in the short term. Do what is right for the country. Ignore petty politicians who in any case have eked out a living plundering the nation's wealth and have no qualms driving the rest of us to backwardness with pride for their own selfish ends. Remember, our people are our assets and let us do the right thing for the country rather than side those who are for or against reservations.

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India outsources loo-cleaning to UK

noreply@blogger.com (George Eby Mathew) — Thu, 25 May 2006 06:54:00 +0000

Someone forwarded this article apparently from the Times of India:

From: Thursday, April 27, 2006 9:47 AMSubject: FW: India outsources loo-cleaning to UK

MUMBAI: This is one outsourcing deal that won’t raise a stink. Except, perhaps, in Britain. For, our erstwhile rulers have been awarded a contract to clean toilets at Churchgate station. The Raj is well and truly over.

Technical Concepts, a UK-based hygiene solutions provider, recently finished the job of cleaning up the Churchgate station toilet in co-ordination with its local partner, Dinesh Kumar and Company. Technical Concepts has installed 37 auto janitors in the gents toilet after the revamp. The company claims that it has used special biosense refills in these janitors to provide an "odour-free" environment to the seven lakh commuters travelling on the WR suburban line. "These heavily used urinals now have a refreshing whiff of fresh air," it said. As a unique selling proposition, Technical Concepts even waxes eloquent about how its user-friendly technology generates perfumed air in what hitherto was a stinking loo. Sanjeev Baid, a broking professional who uses the Churchgate station toilet regularly, felt the stink has definitely reduced after the revamp. "Earlier, even entering this toilet was a nightmare. But now it appears clean, spacious and the stink is almost gone," he said. Technical Concepts managing director Bill Yemc exudes confidence that the company would be able to continue providing right hygiene solutions for varied requirements (read toilets) of customers. Chief public relations officer Pranai Prabhakar said the company was appointed to clean up the toilet after all indigenous solutions failed. "We installed several exhaust fans but to no avail. Our office was inundated with complaints from commuters about the bad smell emanating from the toilet reaching even the main corridor of Churchgate station," he said.

US denies Visa to Indian Scientists: Scientists say No to the US.

noreply@blogger.com (George Eby Mathew) — Sat, 25 Feb 2006 18:18:00 +0000

The Times of India today carried an interesting article. Apparently a US denial of visa to a senior Indian scientist is snowballing into a major controversy with the scientist community fuming over impolite treatment they receive at various counsulates. Phew!

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