My 2 cents to Management & Managers

Can we think of a large company with just top management and technical geeks? Not exactly. That's why middle-level management is needed. This is the most important link between everyone in the company, and companies can't afford to have this link weak. So, what makes this link strong. Any magical formula; yes/no/can't say? But there are some qualities which managers can have to be strong link.

More than just Professional Relationship: Empathy is the key. It's not always professional problems, but personal problems also due to which employee feel dejected. Listening to the problems, appropriate response, respect to personal values are some of the key behavior to posses. At least in Indian context, manager should have friendly relationship with the employees.

Do Follow Favourism: Sometime, rather all of the time favourism gets bad name among people. But I must say that managers should favour his team. He should support his team no matter what. But there is thin line favouring a team and favouring individuals within it. It should not the case where manager is discriminating among team-members.

Planning is the Key: As I mentioned in my earlier blog, planning is always one of the key to success. Planning helps one to forsee the issues earlier in the cycle, which in turn gives more time to solve them. And who doesn't know that "Time is Money"?

Journey or Destiny

New day, new ideas, new work, new regrets, new friends. This is my journey and journey of most of us too. Everyday I put one step ahead in believe that it will bring me near to my destiny. But where is that???? They say, God created us and everyone in this world has their own destiny. But what is that destiny? When will we reach there? No one knows, even the best mind.

As most of us do, I also believe in destiny. But what is the use of destiny, when you can't enjoy the beauty of journey. In the hurry to reach there, if we don't appreciate the process, the path, the journey, the fellow travelers then what's the point in reaching there.

In our college days, not a single day passed without cribbing about the pathetic situation of the college, remote location, not-so-good faculty and so on so forth. But now I feel that in hurry to complete 4 years from our college, we missed the best part of those days. The serenity of the place. The beauty of the the hills. The view of the snow covered mountains. Now we miss the beauty of the place and die to go back, but is in vain. We have already ignored our journey.

This also can be referred

But that's the way world works. And being the part of the system, you are bound to do it, even unknowingly. Everybody knows Graham Bell invented the telephone, but they don't know how many failures he got during his journey towards telephone. Moreover, how many of us remember Elisha Gray? Everybody is so busy in looking at the results only, and that is how we consider the person successful or not.

But I decided not to follow this blindly. I decided to change. I decided to live my journey, not destiny. Yes, God has created everybody with destiny. But he also created the path which we need to follow and enjoy that. Only then, in true sense we can reach our destiny.

I am in Love

Unable to think anything else,
other than you these days.
I think I am in love with you.

The cleanest of the smile,
gives me new life.
Purest of the touch,
keeps me alive.
I think I am in love with you.

Those big eyes of yours',
two worlds I got.
When you show love with them,
It means a lot.
I think I am in love with you.

Now I know,
I found the love, true love.
Yes, I am in love with you,
my little sweet baby!!!!

Who Says, Stars are Uncountable?

Tomorrow when child will look towards the sky, he will wonder why people from our generation said that stars are uncountable? Children will discuss among themselves that there are 55 or 73 stars. One lucky child might say, "No, I've counted 127 stars in the sky".

I remember my childhood days when we used to go for a walk after dinner, we used to count the number of stars. Even after many tries we couldn't get pass through. Now if I see, hardly I can manage to find around 40-50 stars in the sky. The bright one may be 4-5 only.

This is combined effort of nothing but a metro phenomenon. We are growing in cities and villages are shrinking. Our cities also getting filled with pollution, either it is harmful gases coming out of vehicles, factories or dirt due to some construction going.

Today, we are ignorant to very basic thing i.e. whatever we have right now, it's our duty to pass on to next generation as is if not better. The time is not so far when the poem will be:

Twinkle, twinkle, where are the stars,
How I wonder where you are?
Up above the world so high,
Nothing is there in the sky.

When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
I was waiting for little light,
But couldn't get all the night.

I am awake(zen story)

I am Awake...

“It is said that when Buddha was first Enlightened he was asked,
“Are you a God?”
“No,” he replied.
“Are you a saint?”
“No.”
“Then what are you?”

And he answered, “I am awake.” “


The Great Crossing

The Buddha said:

“A man beginning a long journey sees ahead a vast body of water. There is neither boat nor bridge. To escape the dangers of his present location, he constructs a raft of grass and branches. When he reaches the other side he realizes how useful the raft was and wonders if he should hoist it on his back and carry it with him forever. Now if he did this, would he be wise? Or, having crossed to safety, should he place the raft in a high dry location for someone else to use? This is the way I have taught the Dharma, the doctrine – for crossing, not for keeping. Cast aside every proper state of mind, oh monks – much less wrong ones – and remember well to leave the raft behind.”

I'll be No More Tomorrow

Leelavati an elderly rather old and fragile lady. Lying on her bed as if just waiting for death to embrace her and take all her pain away. Without a blink, her eyes are stuck to the fan on the ceiling; perhaps to say thanks for its support and the comfort it provided throughout her life. Neither her pale face shows any expression nor her ears bothered of the annoying noise from fan. The fan too, old enough to hardly push air where leelavati is lying in the corner of the small room.

As her only son Manoj opened the door to leave for the work, she winced and said,"Take me to the bank". Manoj irritatedly replied,"Mother, these are the days we earn more due to the overtime we are getting", sighed and baffled,"Once the stadium will be constructed completely for commonwealth games, I will take you to wherever you want, but right now don't disturb me". Suddenly, from no where he lost his temper and continued,"You do not do anything other than lying there and eating. You disturb other also by your non-sense demands. But I've to go for work to earn living."

This has broken her heart. She never expected these words from her son and hardly managed to skip her tears. She wanted to say that all her life she worked hard as domestic servant only for him. She thought that he can't even imagine how it is like to grow a son without father. She could have married to someone else but didn't. But still keeping her calm she said,"It's been 7 days I am unable to even get up from the bed. I know I am going to die today". She added,"Tomorrow you have to pay money for my last rituals and unnecessary you have to suffer to get money from the bank account once I am no more".

"I will not be here tomorrow. So, to help you one last time I want to go to the bank". With these final words, she stopped staring at the fan, closed her eyes. Her breath stopped and all her pain went away with her death. She is really no more as she had already said.

Language Is a Barrier

I looked into mirror. At that moment I do not know what was I looking for but I looked straight in my eyes. I bend down and washed my face again. Just then I heard a horn blaring. Ohh I looked into my watch. I was washing my face from past one hour. May be I was washing the hopelessness, the tension, the emotions from my face, but of no use. I was all ready anyway, I went out. Mohan was waving from backseat of the car, which was already packed. So I adjusted myself inside the car, greeted everyone and we set off. I started staring out of the window, until Mohan said, "Everything alright?" "Yes. Why?" I purred under my lips. "Everyone expecting your smile. Today is your best friends' wedding.", complained Mohan. "Oh Sorry. Hi everyone. I was just lost. And everyone is looking VERY nice!" Mohan is one of my good friends and I knew he was not satisfied by my answer. He felt it but was afraid to say what I was afraid to hear.

So I immersed myself into past memories again. Today was my best friend,Monica's, wedding. We were friends since I dont even remember when. Because of her name, everyday in class I use to tease her with a famous Helen number and then we use to fight. Slowly between all those fights the feeling of friendship crept in and those fights became a part of my day and we became a part of each other's life. Both of us, has been in and out of relationships but nothing shook our friendship. It grew with time. But today she was getting married and somehow I was not feeling very good about it. May be I was over-reacting or may be I was afraid that she will not be the same Monica or may be( I felt a lump in my stomach, and believe me it is a bad sign). As I was watching out of the window, the streets looked more lonely. These were the same streets where we use to roam. I mind was trying to associate everything with her and I was hopelessly forcing my mind not to do it. In no time we reached the wedding hall, Aashirwaad wedding hall.

Everyone was happy,smiling and cuddled to people they knew. As soon as we get out of the car, mohan lead us to the bride's, I mean Monica's place. As I was getting closer and closer to the place where Monica was, I was getting more and more nervous. I tied my hands together so that no one sees them trembling. I was doing my best you see. Then I saw her. She was standing on the porch, heavy with the bridal dress. I had never imagined she can look this beautiful but I was not able to take my eyes off her. She saw us, smiled and then she spotted me(I was at the end of the trail) and her smile faded a little bit. Although she maintained a part of it. Then one by one we wished her, I was the last. I wanted to say many typical things like congratulations, best of luck blah blah blah. But at the very last moment I lost my words, I forgot everything and was just staring at her face. Then Mohan dragged me away. We stood for a group photo. Then when no one was looking I left. I went out on the road, and walked towards my home. I realized Language is a barrier when it comes to love. We both waited for each other to speak the words for the feeling that was deep inside us. If only we have read each other emotions. I sat down on a milestone on the side of the road. A tear trickled down my eyes. I should have done this earlier, may be tears will wash off the emotions from my face.



P.S. : If you have not seen a north Indian wedding, you have not seen an Indian marriage at all(this is for foreigners :).). In an Indian marriage,specially North Indian, there will be a huge number of people of every age and they will be divided in groups. Old people will be sitting a corner discussing national issues or sometimes someone's household issues too. Elderly women will only discuss household issues. Young women will either be around bride or in between boys ;). Boys will be either drinking,dancing or flirting :).