Don’t con yourself

We have to market ourselves so many times and at so many places, we run the risk of advertising to ourselves. There is a very fine line between being confident in our abilities and conning ourselves.

Success comes from dedicated, focused efforts and the dedication comes from not conning ourselves. Here is an interesting example:

One question from the interview of Nadal after he had won Australian open defeating Federer in the final:
—————————————————————————————————————-
Q. You proved yourself as a true king.
RAFAEL NADAL: Oh, no, no. Well, the true, no. I don’t know. I just win for sure an important title for my careera. But I no better five hours before than now, no? That’s the true, no?
When you win an important match, but you have to know before the match who you are and after the match you have to know who you are, too. You are the same, no?
—————————————————————————————————————-
You can read the entire interview at:
http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/news/interviews/2009-02-01/200902011233415660437.html

Sixth Sense Technology

Ted talk presentation on an emerging technology. Simply brilliant.

Tying Shoelaces the right way

Last week, I had lunch in New Jersey with Anjan Lahiri (President and Co-CEO, MindTree). We were talking about our families, how he has settled in Bangalore, the school his daughter goes to etc. He talked about how kids learn and how we learn many things from being around them. He narrated a funny story. One day Anjan was watching his wife tie his daughters shoe laces. He realized that the knot was a little different. When he tied the knot the same way, his shoe laces would stay tied. All of us (at least I do), face this problem of the shoe laces coming untied.

Although that was a very small part of our lunch conversation, the thought of tying shoe laces the right way stuck with me all day. I found a Wikipedia article on shoelaces:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoelaces

It has a section on ‘Shoelace Tying’. I use the most common knot; ‘the bow’, which is basically two half knots. There are two kinds of half knots. Two consecutive right over left half knots (or two consecutive left over right half knots) is called a ‘Granny Knot’. A right over left half-knot followed by a left over right half knot (or vice versa) is called a ‘Square’ or ‘Reef Knot’. I (and I am sure; or hope most of you J ) have always used the ‘Granny Knot’. My shoe laces come untied every now and then (about once or twice a day). For the last 4 days I have used the ‘Square’ or ‘Reef Knot’. The shoe laces have not come untied even once.

All you have to change is if you put left side lace over right side lace for your first half knot, put right side lace over the left for your second knot (or vice versa). It is that simple.

Sure, thank me if you face this minor nuisance and I have helped you avoid it. But that’s not the point of this article. How many other minor irritants do we tolerate like this in our daily life; not only in our personal grooming but at our home or at work? How keenly do we observe people, events, and surroundings and learn from it?

Giving best possible chance

‘I want to give myself the best possible chance’ is a common theme I have observed in interviews of committed and outstanding performers. Those who perform at the highest possible level prepare to the best of their abilities.

We get to enjoy the performances but it is a pity that we don’t get to learn about the hard work and the dedication behind them. High performers do everything in their capacity to be at the best of their abilities when the show starts. That involves hard work and sacrifices.

I recently read Shane Watson’s interview on cricketnext.in.com. The full interview is at:

http://cricketnext.in.com/news/watson-credits-booze-ban-for-consistency/35056-13.html

He was one of the top performers in the recently concluded India-Australia cricket series. He was also a star performer in the IPL (Indian Professional League). The early part of his career was hampered by injuries and because of that he was not a permanent member of the Australian team despite being extremely talented. He is now relatively injury-free but his focus has improved as well. In the interview he attributed his performance to saying ‘no’ to alcohol, even during celebration parties.

Here are some quotes from his interview:

“I’m off drinking while playing and training so I’m giving myself every chance I possibly can to be right throughout this big workload especially,” Watson said.

“It’s been since I injured my hamstring in South Africa during the Tweny20 (last September). So the only time I had a drink was after the IPL to celebrate, just a couple of glasses of champagne. But, after that, once I get back into training and playing, I’ve got to give myself the best possible chance to get through games,”

“I definitely celebrate. I’ve made sure it doesn’t take away from celebrations. I’m not isolating myself from the group because I’ve not sat down and just said ‘I’m not going to drink’; I want to make sure I’m still involved and be celebrating and have fun which I always do,” he said.

The all-rounder added: “It just saves me. I know when I wake up in the morning, a few blokes are feeling a bit dusty and I’m fresh as a daisy, a bit tired but fresh.”

Here are some quotes from other famous stars on this subject:

Sachin Tendulkar

‘It doesn’t always happen according to the way you have planned things out but I feel if you have covered most of the aspects, it does help out there in the middle. ‘

‘At least with me, the match starts much, much earlier than the actual match. ‘

Tiger Woods

“People thought it was asinine for me to change my swing after I won the Masters by 12 shots. … Why would you want to change that? Well, I thought I could become better. If I play my best, I’m pretty tough to beat. I’d like to play my best more frequently, and that’s the whole idea. That’s why you make changes. I thought I could become more consistent.”

Excerpt from ’How I play Golf’ by Tiger Woods

Winning is about Preparation

Have you seen how Tiger Woods will back away after he putt the ball, and seemingly prepares himself for a victory pump even before the ball reach the hole. How did he know that a shot is going in before it goes in?

In the book, Tiger Woods talked about the importance of preparation.

Tiger learned from his dad the importance of preparation for the game. Before a tournament, he would spend hours analyzing the different holes, visualizing the different scenarios that could happen after each shot. His talent merely brings him in line with the top golfers in the world. Its his preparation that sets him apart from the rest of the field.

How Much Importance Do You Place On Preparation

Preparation is boring. You do not do any actual stuff. You merely spend hours analyzing videos, brainstorming on different possible scenarios that might occur, and visualizing them. Many of the scenarios will never occur, and you might find it a waste of time.

Indeed, many people prefer to jump straight into a game without preparing for it. Yet it has been proven time and again that the best athletes are the ones that spend an enormous amount of time on preparation.

Tiger Woods is one of them.

Michael Jordan

Phil Jackson once said this about his protégé, “You cannot find anyone that competes as hard in training as in competition”

 

I will know it

A man once visited a temple under construction where he saw a sculptor making an idol of God. Suddenly he noticed a similar idol lying nearby. Surprised, he asked the sculptor, “Do you need two statues of the same idol?” “No,” said the sculptor without looking up, “We need   only one, but the first one got damaged at the last stage.” The gentleman examined the idol and found no apparent damage. “Where is the damage?” he asked. “There is a scratch on the nose of the idol.” said the sculptor, still busy with his work.  ”Where are you   going to install the idol?” The sculptor replied that it would be installed on a pillar twenty feet high. “If the idol is that far, who is going to know that there is a scratch on the nose?” the gentleman asked.

The sculptor stopped his work, looked up at the gentleman, smiled and said, “I will know it.”

The desire to excel is exclusive of the fact whether someone else appreciates it or not. “Excellence” is a drive from inside, not outside.

Excellence is not for someone else to notice but for your own satisfaction and excellence.

How to Review

There is immense knowledge hidden in the scriptures; knowledge that is eternal.

Here is a gem of a shloka (couplet) from Purva Mimansa written by Jaimini many centuries ago (exact timeframe not known).  

Purva: Previous Mimansa: Investigation, research or examination 

Here it is: 

Upakramopasamharo abhyaso-purvata phalam
arthavadopapatti cha lingam tatparya nirnaye 

Meaning of the couplet This couplet prescribes a review process. This process should be used to review articles, books, white papers etc.

It says that to analyze, understand, conclude (tatparya nirnaye) and learn from a piece of writing one must look at seven things (lingam).  

First, read the beginning (Upakram) and ending (Upasamhar). The beginning and ending tell us the purpose for writing the piece. Understand the purpose first. 

Then look for repetition (Abhyas). What is reiterated in this article many times? Make a note of it.  

Now look for novelty (Apurvata). Is there anything in the article that is new or unprecedented? Understand that.  

Next, look for result expected (Phalam). Find out what will you gain as a result of this article. The author will use sentences like “If you do it this way, ….”, “If this continues, …”  in the article look for them. 

After this, look for exaggeration or glorification (Arthavad). Leave it aside as that part serves no purpose.

And finally look for logical and appropriate arguments (Upapatti). Look for logically developed arguments, references, relevant examples etc.

Great prescription, isn’t it?

Harsha on Sachin Tendulkar

Here is an excerpt from Harsha Bhogle’s talk at one of the IIM’s. IT gives an insight into Sachin’s mind and an insight into why he is one of the greats.

Mohammed Ali – Quotes

 Mohammed Ali Quotes

Muhammad Ali said and I quote, I think I quote this quite often but it’s a favourite quote. He says “Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them- a desire, a dream, a vision, They have to have last minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.”

 

“The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses – behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights. “

Australian Cricket – Pursuit of Excellence

Indian cricket team just won test series in England. This was done by collective team-effort and without a coach. So after the debacle in the world cup, the team seems to have improved for the better. But Indian cricket team does this often: loose badly, then win a little.

Why does not the Indian team win consistently? I came across an article about the ‘Center of Excellence’ run by Cricket Australia. After reading the article I am actually wondering how does the Indian Cricket team manage to win even a single match?

Here is the article:

http://www.livemint.com/2007/08/17235811/Stay-on-the-edge-by-looking-fo.html

Let’s look at BCCI. Indian team does not have a coach right now. BCI does not believe in technology (not even a laptop). Players are selected based on the regional quotas not on performance. Many members (if not all) of the selection committee have not even played a single international game.

Now look at Cricket Australia, they are running a ‘Center of Excellence’.  They have 5-6 people doing research on “How to reduce injuries’ and ‘How to improve performance’. these guys first found out that if 2 fielders run after a ball there is a possibility that a run can be saved as one fielder can pick up and scoop the ball to the second fielder who in turn will relay it back to the wicket keeper. They are now working on creating a vertual warm-up machine where the batsmen can face the rival team’s bowlers before facing them for real.

 Winning in sport (or in any field for that matter) is about living on the edge and constantly pushing the envelope. Winning as a team requires good processes, practise routines, use of technology to help every member of the team improve.

The Indian team wins because of one or two extra ordinary contributions instead of team efforts. BCCI certainly has nothing to do with it.

Milind

My object in living is to unite.. my avocation and my vocation

I recently came across a beautiful poem, ‘Two Tramps In Mud Time’ by Robert Frost.

Here are a few lines from that poem: 

My object in living is to unite
My avocation and my vocation
As my two eyes make one in sight.
Only where love and need are one,
And the work is play for mortal stakes,
Is the deed ever really done
For Heaven and the future’s sakes
———- 

Sitting in my office, staring at my monitor at well past bed time, fighting to meet a deadline, I have wondered many times, “Am I enjoying this? how did I end up in this line of work? Why me? Why?

Yes, I have wondered. I bet you that I am not the only one. I am sure just like me, you have also fantasized about being a painter (replace your dream profession here), working on a masterpiece, locked in a room for days with no sense of time.

Common admit it..

Ok, now that we are on the same page.. let’s talk about ‘Enjoying work you get paid for’.

There are a few people (ok.. really really small population) who knew early on what they enjoy doing and are working in a career of their liking. Good for them.. Most, if not all of us don’t belong to this category, so let’s move on…

Then there are some people, again a small population, who did not start with a career of their liking but who now immensely enjoy the work they do. Again, most of us don’t belong here as well, so let’s move on…

Ok.. let’s talk about the rest of us now. How did we end up here? Some of us were influenced by our family, friends and the social pressure. Think 10′th and 12′th standard and you will know what I am saying. We were all supposed to go to medical college or engineering college (I won’t talk about the sub-caste system, you know.. IIT, then government, then paid seat.. ok.. ok.. I will stop.. painful memories..). If we were not ‘Good Enough’ for admission to medical or engineering colleges, then we were asked to go to commerce. You get the picture.. if not commerce then arts etc..

How many of us pursued our dream careers? Ohh. I know the standard answers..”I came from a poor family and I had to first make sure that I get into a career that pays me well”. “It was my grandmother’s dream that I become a doctor”. Before you blame everyone else, please answer this question, “Did you feel passionate about a particular profession?” I thought so.. I don’t think we had enough self-awareness and maturity to have a clarity and focus to know what we wanted to do.

Now, our education system and Indian mindset may be responsible for this but that’s not relevant for this article as it doesn’t help our current situation.  :-(

Our work puts bread on the table and we have to do it. But since we don’t really enjoy it, it doesn’t provide us job satisfaction. Can we at this time drop everything and pursue our ‘dream’ profession? The answer for most of us is “No”. We may not have enough financial stability, we may not have enough time because our family needs us, and in most cases we may not have enough grey cells left to train ourselves for a new career. We may have a ‘dream profession’ but it doesn’t mean we have the talent or resources to make a switch.

I am not helping am I? Ok.. so is there no hope for us? Is there a way to enjoy our line of work?

Yes there is.. The key is in our attitude and the way we look at our job. No.. don’t run away yet. I am not toeing the useless management line.. “Just learn to enjoy your work.”. I am presenting a different approach.

Unite your dream job (avocation) and your current job (vocation)

We view the professions as distinct compartments that have nothing in common. Nothing is further from the truth. Let’s take my profession. I am a Senior Manager at MindTree Consulting. I truly enjoy writing, sketching, painting, playing sports, traveling etc.

Now, if I can do things I enjoy at work I will start enjoying my job. Simple? Ok.. not so simple.. but not so difficult either. All I need to do is look at each of my interests and see if I can use them at work.

Take writing. I write numerous emails every day, I write comments in performance reviews, I write design documents, I even write articles for MindTree’s intranet portal. Writing that authors and novelists do when they write books and short stories is not really different. Books have a purpose, a storyline, and characters. So do my design documents and emails.

Ok, now lets take sketching and painting. Is sketching a portrait or a landscape really different than the architectural diagrams, doodling when taking notes, drawing on a whiteboard in a meeting?

Ok you may say that this is too simplistic and will not hold when I will compare 2 professions really different from one another. Lets try..

Lets say you wanted to be a doctor but are stuck in the software industry. Ask yourself why did you really want to be a doctor? what does a doctor do? Ok. So you wanted to help people. You wanted to treat people and make them better. Or you wanted to find new treatments. All right. Doctors need to be good listeners. Doctors must be good at asking the right questions to reach correct diagnosis. Doctors must be good at giving comfort. Doctors must be good problem solvers. We in the software industry face similar issues every day. We solve production problems. When an application/website is down we find the root cause and fix it. We interact with users who need help (I know…some of them are really sick..  ). We have to ask the right questions to figure out what exactly do they need. If they are screaming, crying we have to show compassion and give them comfort.. Right?

You see it is all in the lens we use to look at the world. What we love doing is applicable in one way or another in every profession. We just don’t realize it. When we unite work we enjoy with the work we do for a living, we get true job satisfaction.

Here is the poem in its entirety:

A short guide to the poem: The narrator who is affluent is chopping wood for fun. Two tramps want to do his job for money and that becomes a conflict. There is both pride and enjoyment in how he was doing the job. Watch for the description that conveys how he is enjoying the task. I could not understand the last 2 lines. So if anyone can provide some explanation I would really appreciate it.

Robert Frost – Two Tramps In Mud Time

Out of the mud two strangers came
And caught me splitting wood in the yard,
And one of them put me off my aim
By hailing cheerily “Hit them hard!”
I knew pretty well why he had dropped behind
And let the other go on a way.
I knew pretty well what he had in mind:
He wanted to take my job for pay.

Good blocks of oak it was I split,
As large around as the chopping block;
And every piece I squarely hit
Fell splinterless as a cloven rock.
The blows that a life of self-control
Spares to strike for the common good,
That day, giving a loose to my soul,
I spent on the unimportant wood.

The sun was warm but the wind was chill.
You know how it is with an April day
When the sun is out and the wind is still,
You’re one month on in the middle of May.
But if you so much as dare to speak,
A cloud comes over the sunlit arch,
A wind comes off a frozen peak,
And you’re two months back in the middle of March.

A bluebird comes tenderly up to alight
And turns to the wind to unruffle a plume,
His song so pitched as not to excite
A single flower as yet to bloom.
It is snowing a flake; and he half knew
Winter was only playing possum.
Except in color he isn’t blue,
But he wouldn’t advise a thing to blossom.

The water for which we may have to look
In summertime with a witching wand,
In every wheelrut’s now a brook,
In every print of a hoof a pond.
Be glad of water, but don’t forget
The lurking frost in the earth beneath
That will steal forth after the sun is set
And show on the water its crystal teeth.

The time when most I loved my task
The two must make me love it more
By coming with what they came to ask.
You’d think I never had felt before
The weight of an ax-head poised aloft,
The grip of earth on outspread feet,
The life of muscles rocking soft
And smooth and moist in vernal heat.

Out of the wood two hulking tramps
(From sleeping God knows where last night,
But not long since in the lumber camps).
They thought all chopping was theirs of right.
Men of the woods and lumberjacks,
They judged me by their appropriate tool.
Except as a fellow handled an ax
They had no way of knowing a fool.

Nothing on either side was said.
They knew they had but to stay their stay

And all their logic would fill my head:
As that I had no right to play
With what was another man’s work for gain.
My right might be love but theirs was need.
And where the two exist in twain
Theirs was the better right–agreed.

But yield who will to their separation,
My object in living is to unite
My avocation and my vocation
As my two eyes make one in sight.
Only where love and need are one,
And the work is play for mortal stakes,
Is the deed ever really done
For Heaven and the future’s sakes