McKinsey proposes FART framework to tackle employee unrest

Mumbai. McKinsey and Company, the global leaders in management consultancy services, have proposed a new framework for companies dealing with employee unrest arising out of unfriendly and unpopular business decisions. The framework, published in the visitor edition of The McKinsey Quarterly, advocates a four-pronged strategy called FART to deal with the dissatisfaction among employees if and when they fail to appreciate prudent business decisions like cost-cutting measures.

FART stands for Feed, Affect, Relegate, and Terminate – four different approaches that a company should take based on mix of two parameters – existing ‘Employee Mindset’ and the ‘Cash Status’ of the company. The McKinsey Quarterly report elaborates each of these four approaches of the FART framework with several exhibits to back up the study.

The visual representation of the framework has been called McFart, but this could potentially cause a legal battle over copyright between McKinsey and McDonalds

“If the company has a bit of cash and the employees’ mindset is still to turn hostile, the company should ‘feed’ the employees to stop them from turning hostile. The best way to ‘feed’ is to give some freebies like season gifts, personalized cakes on birthdays, shopping coupons, free pizzas during working hours, etc.” the report explained the ‘feed’ approach of the FART framework.

In case employees’ mood has turned a bit hostile and some of them are demanding explanations about issues such as scrapping of bonuses and other benefits, the FART framework suggests ‘affect’ approach for companies with surplus cash. ‘Affect’ approach requires the company to affect i.e. pretend taking some proactive steps for employee welfare.

“The company could initiate a pretentious performance appraisal process to quell the employee unrest. Other steps could involve sending the employees a feedback form, or inviting employees for a one-to-one interview with HR executives, etc. Such steps mollify the hostile mood of the employees, giving them a hope about future, but these steps should be taken only when the company has some cash to meet the expenses associated with these affected steps.” the report elaborated.

If a company doesn’t enjoy the luxury of surplus cash and is running into losses, the FART framework advocates ‘relegate’ approach, but only if the employees are in a friendly mindset, which is rare in normal course. The approach involves taking steps like lowering the compensation packages and demoting the employees. The report describes the ‘relegate’ approach as being a transient approach as it usually ends up changing the employee mindset from friendly to hostile, leaving the company to adopt the forth and the final approach – terminate.

“If the company is running into losses and employees have turned hostile, the best approach is to ‘terminate’ i.e. fire the employees.” the report concluded the FART framework, which has been well received by various HR professionals across companies.

Governmentium

A major research institution in Mumbai, India, has recently announced the discovery of the heaviest chemical element not yet known to science.

The new element has been named "Governmentium".

Governmentium has 1 neutron, 12 assistant neutrons, 75 deputy neutrons, and 11 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.

These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.

Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert. However, it can be detected as it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact.

A minute amount of Governmentium causes one reaction to take over 4 days to complete when it would normally take less than a second.

Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2 to 4 years; it does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places.

In fact, Governmentium mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization causes some morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes.

This characteristic of moron-promotion leads some scientists to speculate that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a certain quantity in concentration.

This hypothetical quantity is referred to as Critical Morass. You will know it when you see it.

How MilSpecs Live Forever!

The US standard railroad gauge (distance between the rails) is 4 ft 8 1/2 in (1.44 m). That's an exceedingly odd number. Why is that gauge used? Because that's the way they built them in England, and the US railroads were built by English ex-patriots.

Why did the English build 'em like that? Because the first rail lines were built by the same people who built the pre-railroad tramways, and that's the gauge they used. Why did they use that gauge then? Because the people who built the tramways used the same jigs and tools as they used for building wagons, which used that wheel spacing.

OK! Why did the wagons use that wheel spacing? Well, if they tried to use any other spacing the wagons would break on some of the old, long distance roads, because that's the spacing of the ruts.

So who built these old rutted roads? The first long distance roads in Europe were built by Imperial Rome for the benefit of their legions. The roads have been used ever since. And the ruts? The initial ruts, which everyone else had to match for fear of breaking their wagons, were first made by Roman war chariots. Since the chariots were made by or for Imperial Rome they were all alike in the matter of wheel spacing (ruts again).

Thus we have the answer to the original question. The United States standard railroad gauge of 4 ft 8 1/2 in derives from the original military specification (MilSpec) for an Imperial Roman army war chariot. MisSpecs (and bureaucracies) live forever!

So, the next time you are handed a specification and wonder what horse's ass came up with it, you may be exactly right. Because the Imperial Roman chariots were made to be just wide enough to accommodate the back-ends of two war horses.

A follow-up to this story: When Napoleon marched on Russia, his army made much slower time than planned once they reached eastern Europe because the ruts weren't to Roman gauge. Because they made slower time than planned they got caught in the field in the Russian winter rather than on the outskirts of Moscow. And then, of course, they lost the war.

Now the twist to the story...

When you see a Space Shuttle sitting on its launch pad, there are two big booster rockets attached to the sides of the main fuel tank. These are solid rocket boosters, or SRBs. The SRBs are made by Thiokol at their factory at Utah. The engineers who designed the SRBs would have preferred to make them a bit fatter, but the SRBs had to be shipped by train from the factory to the launch site. The railroad line from the factory happens to run through a tunnel in the mountains. The SRBs had to fit through that tunnel. The tunnel is slightly wider than the railroad track, and the railroad track, as you now know, is about as wide as two horses' behinds.

So, a major Space Shuttle design feature of what is arguably the world's most advanced transportation system was determined over two thousand years ago by the width of a horse's ass.

Thanks! :)

 

Expressing Gratitude

Whom should I express my gratitude to?

To myself for having accepted a life here on earth?

Or to my one half - my father?

Or to the other half - my mother?

Or to the womb which bore me for 10 months.... and made me myself...

Or to that blissful moment when I came into this world crying...

Or to the umblical cord....Who first taught me to separate blood relations and be alienated?

The so-called destined fates are fading...

So are the old stupid blind faiths...

I thank umpteem times....

Those dreams that played roulette with my hopes....

(for making me stronger)

(Nandi aarodu njan Chollendu - Aham)

Sons of God, Keep Smiling....

An aspiration that flew like an eagle is no more…
Shattered into so many pieces that it cannot be re-joined…
Who looted it so neat and clean?
So clean that it never had ammunition to take off again….

He fell from the sky, onto Earth
But in dreams the lovely sight of clouds nearby remained
And the clouds sang…
Sons of God, Keep Smiling…
Sons of God, Keep Smiling…
Whatever happens, tomorrow is yet to arrive…

Losing himself, Daring to be weak, he learnt to fly…
Take the sorrows with you, Even pain may become handy…
Sons of God, Keep Smiling…
Sons of God, Keep Smiling…
Whatever happens, tomorrow is yet to arrive…

Split into thousands of pieces was the aspiration when it shattered…
In each of those pieces finding God’s sight…
Sons of God, Keep Smiling…
Sons of God, Keep Smiling…
Whatever happens, tomorrow is yet to arrive…

(Acknowledgement: Allah Ke Bande)

Childhood Ramblings...

At the hand's reach is a child hood.......
Like the first rains of the season, there is a child hood......
fresh as ever... so innocent......
Is the fast flying age becoming like a unmanned cruise?
Like a monsoon wind.. there is a young (inexperienced) age..... swaying in the winds....
Looking for shelter of mother nature...(experience)
Yearning for a strong foot hold to stay to.... to anchor to...like young birds looking for mother's wings to hide into....

But......

Whatever I saw and heard and saw those days... still is afresh in mind...
Whatever promises I heard then, is still afresh in mind...
How can I just ignore and forget it....those sunny days and the spring...

That day, the person who knocked on my heart's door, I still cannot forget...
How can I? Am I supposed to ignore it? I am not sure...
Its like a never fading rainbow in the deepest recesses of my heart...
Like a music that comes back to me as Love....

At the hand's reach is a child hood.......
Like the first rains of the season, there is a child hood......
fresh as ever... so innocent......

In the April Autumn, sitting in my attic, the full moon that I saw blooming as my Love...
It still is afresh in my mind...alive as my first love...

Never fading rainbow that is....Like the blessing of my mother always prevalent in me....

At the hand's reach is a child hood.......
Like the first rains of the season, there is a child hood......
fresh as ever... so innocent......

(Acknowledgment: Ekantham - Kaiyethum doore oru kuttikalam)

Daring to be Weak

Someone close to me, almost like my Mirror, taught me the other day, an interesting line - "Dare to be Weak with someone".... It struck me immediately... So here I am trying to think through it...

Daring to be Weak, happens in few instances... The most important of them is when we feel secure... Security in relationships and instances helps us shed our walls.... To recall JK, the famous philosopher, "The most feared thing by man is Security... we always live in fear... of something or someone, or future... the list is endless.... Even when someone dear and near dies, if you watch closely, the people who mourn by that person's side, always think - "now, who is there for me to replace your void".... funny enough, not for a moment, they think of the person lying dead next to them... even at that point they are thinking about the security that this person provided, which no longer exists... and are worried about it.

So, daring to be weak exists, only when there is a feeling of security....

In other instances, probably the second most important variation of security is - LOVE.... when you really love someone, you forget yourself, so much..... that......... you have only that person in your mind.... be it GOD, or a philosophy, or a person, like your wife, husband, or lover...

In this scenario as well, you dare to be weak... but only with that person :D.... (see,?? security never leaves its place)

My thought goes ever more daring (or weaker) ....hehe

Can one be weak with this whole world...? When will that happen? How can that happen?

hehe, you probably guessed right... "when you don't feel threatened by the world!"

normally, people call this stage as ENLIGHTENMENT.... :)

Simply Jineesh

A photoshoot that I did on Jineesh and later made a video out of it.

Thrissur Pooram - Fireworks

Silence and Self Control

To be silent requires quite a bit of resilience. I’m talking about resisting the desire to express…Why does one keep silent? Two main reasons: (1) Lack of confidence (2) Lack of interest. But when someone is confident, and has a desire to express his views, can he exercise silence? What benefit will that entail? Keeping silent when having a desire to express will help one gain control over oneself. It is in other words exercising self control.

Silence and Courage

Do we realize that we need tremendous courage to manage silence? Silence is a direct variant of ambiguity… Tolerating ambiguity is something not everyone is used to... yet everyone talks Himalayas of text on it... Every time we try to tolerate ambiguity, we tend to look at ourselves and our knowledge... the moment we see or perceive something that is unknown to us, we get scared and defensive... Dont we?

The question is - what are we scared of when we have to bear silence????

Interesting thought indeed.....!!!!!

Sweet Disorder*by Robert Herrick

A sweet disorder in the dress
Kindles in clothes a wantonness:
A lawn about the shoulders thrown
Into a fine distraction --
An erring lace, which here and there
Enthrals the crimson stomacher --
A cuff neglectful, and thereby
Ribbands to flow confusedly --
A winning wave, deserving note,
In the tempestuous petticoat --
A careless shoe-string, in whose tie
I see a wild civility --
Do more bewitch me than when art
Is too precise in every part.

*aka "Ode to Bedhead"

Rait par likh ke mera naam mitaya na karo
aankhen sach bolti hain, pyaar chupaya na karo
log har baat ka afsana bana lete hain
sab ko haalaat ki rudaad sunaya na karo
ye zaroori nahin har shakhs masiha hi ho
pyaar ke zakhm amaanat hain dikhaya na karo
shahar-e-ehsaas mein pattharaav bahut hain
dil ko shiishe ke jharonkhon mein sajaaya na karo

(gulam ali)

Har taraf khamoshi ka saya hai,
Zindagi me pyaar kisne paya hai,
Hum yaadon mein jhoomte hai uski aur zamana kehta hai
“Dekho aaj phir peekar aaya hai.”

Khushboo jaise log mile afsaane mein...
Ek Purana Khat khola anjane mein!
Shaam ke saaye balishton se naape hain...
Chand ne kitni der laga di aane mein!
Dil par dastak dene ye kaun aaya hai...
Kiski aahat sunta hoon veerane mein!
Jaane kiska zikr hai is afsaane mein...
Dard maze leta hai jo dohraane mein!

Getting back into Groove takes helluva time...!!!! I'm posting here after almost a year now!!!... Lotsa things happened in between.... The latest being IBM....Being employed with the largest and most complex IT organisation in the world has its own advantages and disadvantages too....

What ever it be, Looks like I enjoyed it a lot... From many aspects...

Today I heard, Dr. N. Gopalakrishnan, who gave me whole lot of new insights on Hindu beliefs of the mind, body, and soul. Dr. N. Gopalakrishnan's (Hon. Director of Indian Institute of Scientific Heritage), presentation was on “Indian concepts on culture, spirituality and religion”. His lecture began by highlighting the four Indian concepts of God:

Upanishadic level: Omnipotent/omnipresent concept
Vedic level: The Universal person concept
Puranic level: Trinity concept -BRAHMA, VISHNU, SIVA
Itihasa level: Incarnation concept in reality

Most interesting aspect of the lecture dealt with the pure scientific books on UPAVEDAS (subsidiary to vedas). They are the:
Economics (Arthasaastra - Upaveda to Rigveda)
Science of archery (Dhanur veda - Upaveda to Yajurveda)
Science of music (Gaandharva veda - Upaveda to Samaveda)
Science of health (Ayurveda - Upaveda to Atharvaveda)
Science of civil engineering & sculpture (Sthaapathya veda - second Upaveda to Atharva veda)

Amazing, is his knowledge as the work he does through IISH (www.iish.org)

Whew...!!!!!

DEMOTIVATION
Few pages behind, I spoke of True Motivation. Today I'm analysing something similar. I'm trying to justify myself and my state of mind. Its not helping one bit I admit. I'm still in the same old rut. This is again making me all the more frustrated. I turn to GOD for refuge. Then few moments of peace set in. Again after a point of time, back in the stream of daily life, I tend to get lost. It is definitely a transition phase, yet the process becomes laboriously painful at times... Demotivation sets in when i'm shit scared to fail... I know I cant win, and I also realise that there's nothing much I can do about it. Moving away, or Calling Quits is equally challenging, as this failure is casting a shadow on my self confidence to start afresh. I need to make a choice of enjoying the failure and becoming confident of starting afresh. I hope I'll make that happen soon...

On the 2nd of October, the Gandhi Jayanti day, I moved into my own home. Was just reflecting... From the first thought of taking a home, to moving into this flat, it has taken me just 67 days...!!! Boy, That was a quick one....!!! 'Course, I did stretch a bit... Suresh too.... Thanks to him.... and, So "Here I am"...as Bryan says....

Cheers to Consulting...!!! This new face of mine looks highly promising...!!! I am seeing lot of activity happening with in and around me for the last 45-50 days.... Looks like the "Lazy Me" is changing to "Busy Me"...:)) Am I moving up the ladder fast? Gotta wait and watch...
Meanwhile I also sense the urgency syndrome that keeps me busy for the assignments at hand... I sense the importance of prioritising.. Everything neednot happen "NOW"... Can I try to understand the actual scene...? Or am I trying to overwhelm the clients?

This should settle down like all other changes soon... They always have.....

FINDING BALANCE...
"Finding Balance" has got a lot to do with understanding of self... One's likes, dislikes, preferences, dreams and desires... This is more like a compliance audit.. that I do, once in a while for ISO & CMM... It essentially calls for adherence to certain norms... "Finding Balance" is partly that... Adherence to norms that one sets for oneself. At a more elevated level, "Finding Balance" means sensitizing with the system, appreciating the system and working with the system, while trying to meet the norms. Finding Balance will start looking possible once the self starts appreciating oneself, and the system that it belongs to. Thereafter, it is more a self discovering inner journey, while also trying to understand the nuances that went into making the system as it is. Finding Balance reaches midway when one finds his place in the system... It completes when one BECOMES the System....!!!!!

CONTEMPLATING CHANGE...
When does one start to even look at contemplating change.. ? There are both internal and external reasons to it.... Internally one starts contemplating change, when one is trying to find harmony. Externally one starts, when he feels certain void within himself... There is quite a difference between both... In the former, one is more concentrating on the lines of continuous improvements. Externally one approaches change more like a BPR exercise. The change factor is "brought-in" here, unlike in the former method, the change factor is "extracted" or "refined" from the system or the self. I feel it is the former method that is more lasting a change, than the latter one. It is also a paradox, I see, that the harmony that one thus seeks is again one's own definition, which is in turn based on one's own inherited human experience... for which the external factors also aid...!!!

OVER ACHIEVEMENT
What harm can overachievement bring...??? Can it hamper one's sense of achievement ? Or does it promote the achievement drive ? Does "over achievement" really exist ? I believe, we tend to over achieve only limited number of times... Till the time we realise that there's no end to it... The urge for over achievement stems from lack of self confidence... The tendency of self to test one's own limits. One does so because, one is not sure of what he/she is actually capable of... So over achievement becomes a battle with self rather than against the goal or target. In this process one loses the sight of the actual goal... One starts creating another goal which is far different... it may become an utter waste; many a times... Over achievement could also stem out of one's own arrogance...however perceived, it is thus trying to fill a cup which is already full... An utter waste of efforts...!!!

CALLING QUITS...
For Long, this page was blank.... Probably thats whats meant by "Calling Quits"...!!! Looked otherwise, it points at managing change... What Spencer Johnson fondly calls as "Cheese". "Calling Quits" to some scene demands great courage. It is rational when one is doing so, in the process of aligning oneself with his SELF. This would also mean a change in the existing patterns. This is a challenge because, there are lot of fond memories... or even 'not-so-pleasant' ones that keeps the self in the process of contemplation rather than decision...!!! This process continues till one gets literally fed up with the apple (eg. stated in Law of Equimarginal Utility). Then there is a self urge to 'call quits' to some present scene. Once such an understanding comes, One really starts the process of Self-Alignment...

WHAT NEXT?
Mahender tells me that it is the ultimate management sutra for success. Viewed otherwise, from a critical stand, this is a terror that nobody wants!!! While it is the lullaby song of all change agents, it is the last sound that everybody else wants to hear… All are so much comfortable with the present, that nobody looks for “a change for the better” or Kaizen. “What Next” is like pursuing Tao… where as searching for “What Next” is Learning… pursuing what next is a complicated process that involves Futuristics; in its entire form. Otherwise, “What Next” becomes a mere exercise for the sake of it. “What Next” should become an essentially EVOLVING process… Only then it will help you to foresee and perceive the unseen. WHAT NEXT thinking thus will lead us to TAO… So powerful is this concept…

THE QUEST
What am I searching for? … Peace? Love? Sex? Or is it togetherness? A life partner? Or (I don’t believe this!!!) GOD??? I’m seeing myself totally engrossed in the PROCESS… than the GOAL… this indeed is disturbing. For, I see myself going in endless circles around the goal (still unclear) than going towards it. Now, I have a choice – between the secured feeling that I get by just being in the process, and the challenging and ambiguous path that leads to my goal. So here I stand… contemplating a SWOT of the situation, of what I want, and also what HE has in set for me… I have to do a comparative SWOT now between all the three. This will tell me as to what I should be doing… its still pending!!!

LONELINESS
Loneliness is in fact a boon. It gives one lot of time for introspection and time to be with oneself… it gives one a sense of “all by myself… one and all” … and sometimes, also a sense of detachment from everything in spite of being in middle of everything. Loneliness will give one a sense of Ultimate Reality… that one is all alone… no matter whenever it is. It is also paradoxically true when it gives one a tremendous sense of unity… with all living beings. It gives one sense of universality, of quite an inseparability with the self… and also a deep and penetrating quietness, peace and harmony… though sometimes it can be very disturbing and demotivation, Loneliness always ends with the individual feeling all the more UNITED… and HAPPY in GRATITIUDE…

COURAGE vis-à-vis HAPPINESS
Happiness is always a choice away. Only concern is whether we have the courage to choose it. We choose sorrow often, because it gives us some edge… over the situations… An edge (an illusion) that we are superior because we suffer… some where, we’ve learnt that the people who suffer and toil, gets the best of everything… even the concept of renunciation, if understood from the peripheral level only conveys the same message. So, we choose to be in pain… because, it gives us the so-called edge, and because we are not bold enough to accept the truth. Or we are not bold enough o leave, shun, our “should’s”… True happiness and freedom comes when we let go… of our should’s… I’ve realised it today and I’m happy now…

MAN’S POSSESSIVENESS (Contd)
Oneself means the relationship of the other with oneself. This is indeed an unwelcome guest; mainly because, the focus of attention here, is oneself and one’s relationship with another. So this is the literal meaning of what possessiveness is… From a higher level, possessiveness gets transformed into a liberating attitude. It is essentially unfolding and not binding because; there the focus of attention is the other person. In this sense, possessiveness may be translated as love, devotion, genuine concern etc… as one pleases. But the fact remains that one is related to another in a mutually beneficial way, in the higher level. It is essentially in tune with the divine will and directed towards evolution through mutual sharing and understanding through LOVE for each other… CONCERN for each other…

SUCCESS
“Success is most desired by those who never succeed,” says an old poem. But is it fully true? Even Bill Gates (still) desires to be successful!!! So, what is real success? Is it achieving what you want? Or is it getting the best you deserve? What are the parameters that define success? Can we think of success as an independent entity, not encompassed by so many ‘should’ and ‘must’ s? When we begin to think thus, a holistic picture will emerge… There we find the true definition of success. SUCCESS IS THE NATURE’S WILL… Her immutable law; There’s nothing called as ‘Achieving Success’… There’s only an outcome of man’s actions vis-à-vis the Will of Nature. And obviously every time, man loses… So, the real Success lies in identifying and accepting the Nature’s Will… She can never go wrong… Whereas man often does…

MAN’S POSSESSIVENESS
It is a direct variant of his relationships to all. Man’s possessiveness to an object or a person is directly proportional to the closeness of his relationship to that person or object. From this point of view, possessiveness is indeed good – “Goodness” depends on the positive features of the object or person, as well as, the positive features of his relationships to them. There is a thin line between possessiveness, jealousy and real concern. Jealousy is essentially prevalent when the relationships mentioned above are of a negative nature. Concern and Possessiveness are actually twin sisters. One cannot be possessive towards a person or a thing if he is having no real concern towards that person or thing. So it is associated with positive aspects. A jealous person will have little concern towards the object or person. However, in possessiveness, one has to have clarity in concern… i.e. ‘Is the concern really towards the other person or towards the self…

TRUE MOTIVATION
The real key to motivation is to look at how far we have come rather than how far we have to go… true motivation is self-motivation... All others are transient… I call this “ Motivation by Introspection”. The best motivation is achieved from within… why? Because, YOU are the key focal point in the whole process- you are INVOLVED in it… this gives more sense of IMPORTANCE, GROWTH & IDENTITY. That’s why I prefer an egg being broken from “inside” rather than “outside”. The former process gives me a chicken that will produce many more eggs and chicks also. By the latter process, I can at best get a single omelette! MBI concept also gives a sense of RESPONSIBILTY to the individual. And once that sense of responsibility comes, the real motivation sets in and the individual charges ahead…

PAIN AND JOY
Pain and joy… they are always two sides of the same coin. When joy comes one forgets the pain… but it is always there… the only thing is, one is so much engrossed in contemplating joy, and when one is so much engrossed in joy he turns away from pain. But when Joy turns its back towards him, he is helpless… because he desperately wants something to hold on… and so he turns towards pain he cannot be, or even think of, a situation where pain and joy are absent… but if he can… if he REALLY can, then he will see, perhaps see, something different altogether… a world where pain and joy arte absent, a world where something else prevails… I cannot, nor am I capable of naming it, but I do have experienced it, it is really unique, at times disturbing, at times elevating, at times… NOTHING!!!

TRUE KNOWLEDGE
It comes from being passive… it comes through assimilation without judgement. It is a very sudden and momentary phenomenon. It comes and goes in a flash. One has to be very alert to watch for it. One has to be above all trivial and transient aspects; one has to elevate oneself to such a point that helps him to grasp the totality (of which one is also a part!)… Only knowing things from all sides and views can give us a more or less true picture of it. and still our perception of it can distort the picture… hence, the importance of an unprejudiced mind… may be this is why 360 degree appraisals works better in organisations, when doing performance appraisal…

PURSUIT OF DESIRES
A very tricky and yet the most necessary task… how? Fulfilment of desires is necessary to be free and for progressing further in life. But the first cousin of desire is pain!!! The real question is, can one afford the pain to gratify one’s desire? If no, how to be free of pain and still gratify ones’ desire? The answer is different for different people. But the acceptance of Divine Will, that Great Law of Compensation, called Karma, can to some extent, atleast, reduce the pain, if not completely eradicate it. By the very act of acceptance, one’s view on desire changes. It becomes a prayer and not a sort of desperate want… Therein lies the secret of achievement and fulfilment of desires without experiencing much of pain…

CRITICISM
What is your reaction towards criticism? Before that, what is criticism? A sort of mirror showed quite unexpectedly before your eyes? Or is it a projection of someone’s fragmented, egoistic psyche? Whatsoever it is, it doesn’t matter… For, it is the way you take criticism that matters. You may shy away or react fiercely to it… but better still, act ACCORDING to it… Action alone counts, not the reaction… Reaction is a waste of time and energy. And, a Leader never reacts… he only Acts. So thank the criticizer for having shown you the mirror. If you see your face in it change accordingly if you have to; if not, forgive him for his ignorance, by this act you are free. And perhaps, it is he who sees his face in the mirror, now, against his face…

REAL SERVICE
Any work or service becomes effective only when we do it in a diligent way with out even once thinking about the result of it. The very act of wanting to see the effect, that very desire to see the consequence of the work or service done, is the biggest limitation in giving a fuller service. The act of service or work is completed only when the doer has withdrawn from the act… just like the act of giving pen is complete only when the hand that gives it is withdrawn… Here, the act of withdrawal, which makes for completion, symbolises desirelessness to see the result of work and absence of the very same thought, which limits our capacity to serve, by diverting our attention partially towards it and not the work…

SELF-ACCEPTANCE
It is an act that requires a great deal of inner strength and courage. A bold step towards transcending the duality that arises from our fragmented thinking. That’s self-acceptance… but requirement of immense courage makes this task very difficult. Acceptance of self, unless already achieved, requires change in the present condition; and due to lack of courage and presence of fear, this challenge of change is seldom met. And so, the theory of self-acceptance becomes absurd!!! But once, its achieved, the joy is unspeakable. Even momentary glimpses of that realisation are enough to rejoice. The duality transcends, and absence of conflict leads to a fuller and greater unfolding on inner faculties at a fast pace due to the coming into existence of “one pointed ness” – in life… in self.

TRUE SURRENDER
Surrendering oneself completely to God or Guru or Higher Self is most essential to progress… To get you going forward on the path… But there in lies a great illusion – What exactly does surrender mean? Does it mean that you should be full of gratitude and then sit simply waiting for things to take its course? It could be right… but I feel even then true surrender doesn’t come. There is still a little bit of surrender left with in which prevents you from ASKING… once you have full gratitude, this last and final hurdle can be over come by asking for help. Then the last wall of pride gets shattered… and then, Rejoice on the gifts that HE gives you… but be sure you don’t lose the Attitude of Gratitude.

KARMA
The law of karma is simply fascinating. It is more and more interesting and equally threatening when you get to know more about it. You may feel that the past has no effect on your future. But I say, there is no past or future. Both are expressions of Eternal Present... Eternal NOW. So your actions and thoughts have a clear effect on you. At times, you are the teaser, hater even a murderer!!! But for the simple fact of neutralisation as in chemical terms, alkalinity can be neutralised only by acidity, you have to become the teased, hated and even the murdered!!! All the debts must be paid off and the balance sheet has to be tallied at the end. So why create more debts and delay the process towards Eternity? And yet, I cannot understand why I’m unable to act fully even when I’ve understood this simple but great Law…

THE HIDDEN DIVINE LAW OF UNIVERSE
Always never go against the divine plan. It has a fixed routine and time for events to happen. Never go about talking quite miserably about obstacles. Obstacles exist to be overcome. Nothing else can assure you progress, for to know the beauty and wonder of light, one has to experience darkness. It is the same with problems and obstacles. The true joy of success can only be felt if one has experienced failure. So the next time you are faced with a problem or challenge, understand that it is a test to prove your ability. And also try getting some bird’s eye view of the problem. Then you begin to realise the intrinsic beauty of the Divine Plan. Very complex, and yet so simple it seems when understood properly!!! Accelerate your progress surrendering to it and let it take its course. OBEY the Divine Law, and never ever doubt its truthfulness.

MEDITAION AND OTHER SELF-HELP METHODS
After having learnt some particular form of meditation or some other particular idea or belief, which when practiced, is supposed to grant you with some new light or a new sort of WAY, always keep it in mind to see for yourself, whether that can be violated before you get on with it. Violation, here, does not mean that you should violate its put forth principles and techniques. It means, to see if there’s any scope for progress, if you pursue this path… to see if there’s anything higher in this way… and most important, to see if this path, with your given code of instructions as direction pointers, gives obstacles to progress… the progress towards becoming not what you dream, but what is in store for you. If your answer is NO, better do not follow the path. That can grant you progress… perhaps…

LOVE
Falling in love is just like getting hit by a large truck, and yet not being mortally wounded. Just sick to your stomach, high one minute, low the next minute. Starving hungry, but unable to eat. Hot, cold, forever horny, full of hope and enthusiasm, with momentary depressions that wipe you out. It is also not being able to remove the smile from your face, loving life with mad passionate intensity, and feeling years younger. Love doesn’t appear with any warning signs. You fall into it as if pushed from a high diving board. Not time to think about what is happening. It’s inevitable. An event you cannot control. A real crazy heart-stopping roller coaster ride that just has to take its course. It just one of those mysteries of creation-some thing you feel but cant explain.

GURU
Always when learning something, do it sincerely and leave the rest to happen all by itself. Above all, bow down to your Guru and seek his consent and blessings, before any venture in any field, whether studies or something else. This may sound ridiculous, but even then the fact remains that, the very feeling, or much better, the very knowledge of the fact or illusion that there’s someone to take care of your venture, no matter whatsoever happens, is a great burden reliever, and can, at many times, promote a tremendous upsurge of positive thinking. “If GOD be for me, then who can be against me?”

Now, on to better things….I chanced upon this beautiful piece the other day at a really unpretentious little bookstore. It’s a piece of poetry written by Oriah Mountain Dreamer , which I happened to have come upon. However, the memory of this poetry stuck on…..and call it serendipity or whatever, I found it again. Here’s to the Invitation……..

THE INVITATION

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain! I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it, or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul; if you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see beauty even when it's not pretty, every day, and if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, "Yes!"

It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

A RED Dragon Lies Beneath!

I took the Inner Dragon online quiz and found out I am a Red Dragon on the inside. Remember Smaug? Yep, Red Dragon. Oh, my friend I'm in good company. Red dragons are the most vile and crafty of all the dragons. They are also the most dangerous of all dragons. As such they are the Fire Elemental dragons. Reds have a nasty tendency towards luring you in with quiet words and soft emotions, then wrapping their scaly tails around you and biting off your puny little human head. Fun, no?



But of course, Reds aren't all about killing and treasure hoarding. I like to invent creative traps, relax in the mouths of volcanoes, fly over vast forests looking for men ...er... sheep (yeah...), and pick fights. My favorable attributes are Summer, the sword, fire, courage, passion, will power, and leadership. If dragons went to war, they'd rally behind me in a snap. Well, me or a Copper Dragon. But those Coppers are wusses anyway, and I could beat one up to take command. In fact, I probably would considering my breath weapon is good old fashioned Fire, and plenty of it. Oh it's good to be the king.

Who Am I ??? How the hell should I know that... ??? Well I can share with you what I do... more or less..........
I happen to be in charge of Bossing over people's Skills.....!!!! Hey..Hey...Only Kidding...... I hole up in Training Department and am supposed to monitor and see that we do min 5 mandays of training to all.......
Also, in the process I'm at the liberty to pester anybody I wish, with my boring lectures on all soft skills under the Sun....
Some times, when I remember Juran and Deming, I get to the roots of Quality related works for all HR Dept...
Once monthly, I also look into formalising gossips in the company by way of issuing a Newsletter to all...
Other wise I'm seen breathing down the neck of our trainees with PDP sessions for them, or running around putting out fires that few naughty employees light amongst themselves.....
If By God's Grace I have time other than all these, I'm seen browsing the net chatting with my HR teams and occasionally sending good stuff I downloaded to all in HR groups...........
That's more or less me....... Ranjith Menon, less than three decades young, 6th rank holder for MBA, born in Kerala, India, works in Bangalore, aspires to be a workaholic (guess would never become one....) Dates none... rides a Yamaha (fallen thrice from it...once was in bed for a month...!!!)
Describes life as a process of "...Living inside a Sunset and feel the growth in one's Soul..."