moved..

I have moved this blog to my domain Nirvana . Please bookmark the link and drop by whenever you find time. thanks!

Mooning for attention!

Here’s one way to bring the world’s attention to global warming by Greenpeace activists. Gee, if only this could save the world!

This one takes the cake. Uhuh, like going topless would divert all the attention away from you. Seriously, what is the world coming to ?

Effective Executive by Peter Drucker

Effectiveness must be learned as an executive is paid for being effective asserts Drucker, the management guru.  Effectiveness is the ability to get the right things done and is a habit, a complex of practices that have to be acquired. Outlined below are the steps that could make you more effective according to his book “The Effective Executive” ( A soft copy of this book is also available at Asiaing)

• Record where the time goes (Know thy time) and analyze the executive’s time (pruning of unnecessary activities) – this action alone will make a man more effective. He needs to be able to dispose of time in fairly large chunks for maximum effectiveness.  Identify the time wasters which follow from lack of system or foresight. A crisis that recurs a second time is a crisis that must not occur again. The recurrent crisis is simply a symptom of slovenliness and laziness.

• Focus outwards on your contribution to the organization with concern for results rather than efforts and stress on responsibility.  Think through who uses your output and what the user needs to know. Focus on contribution supplies four basic requirements of effective human relations : communications, teamwork, self-development and development of others.
  • What is the most important contribution I can make to the performance of this organization?
  • What self-development do I need? What knowledge and skills do I need to make the contribution and what standards do I have to set myself?

• Making strengths productive – integrate individual purpose and organization needs appropriately.  One has a pretty good idea whether one works better in the morning or at night. One knows whether one works best by making a great many drafts or one meticulous session.
  • What are the things that I seem to be able to do with relative ease ? To be effective he builds on what he can do and does it the way hr has found out works best. One feeds the opportunities and starves the problems.

• First things first and one thing at a time.  Identify priorities by
  • Picking future as against the past
  • Focus on opportunity rather than on problem
  • Choose your own direction
  • Aim High, aim for something that will make a difference.

• Effective decision concerns with rational action. Effective decisions do not flow from consensus of facts but from clash and conflict of divergent opinions.

Truer words have never been spoken.

Essentially, there are only four different things you can do to improve the quality of your life and work:

•     You can do more of certain things. You can do more of the things that are of greater value to you and bring you greater rewards and satisfaction.

•     You can do less of certain things. You can deliberately decide to reduce or discontinue activities or behaviors that are not as helpful as other activities or behaviors or can actually be hurtful to you in accomplishing the things you want.

•     You can start to do things you are not doing at all today. You can make new choices, learn new skills, begin new projects or activities, or change the entire focus of your work or personal life.

•     you can stop doing certain things altogether. You can stand back and evaluate your life with new eyes. You can then decide to discontinue activities and behaviors that are no longer consistent with what you want and where you want to go.

from Brian Tracy’s Focal Point.

something to chew on..

An interesting post by Anji Reddy on Abdul Kalam in The Hindu. One particular anecdote in this post stands out.

“We can never forget his remarks on this occasion on leadership and how his mentor, Satish Dhawan, treated the first rocket launch, which was a failure. He asked them to go back to their workstations and he took the press head on. When the next launch was successful, he asked them to address the press and retired to his office.”

Immoral v/s Immortal.

The first citizen of India, Ms. Pratibha Patil, in her speech on the eve of the  Independence day address to the nation as published by The Hindu

Ms. Patil ended her address by invoking Swami Vivekanada’s “immoral clarion call” to fellow-citizens to “Arise, Awake and Stop not till the goal is reached.”

I wonder if she really said that !

change this

Seth Godin’s latest manifesto on changethis - Pushing past the Dip. Something to ponder.

Also, check out Tom Peters 60 TIBS and 100 ways to help you succeed/make money. Infectious !

Yes, Mr. Primeminister

Is Gordon Brown for real ? – read this piece and judge for yourself. Better wake up and realize that time to take stern measures to combat this menace is NOW !

A reality check to India based on yesterday’s findings as breeding ground for terrorists – Honestly, did we really expect to be shielded – radicalism, lack of security and poverty being the root causes?

LGF blogs on the war on terror, a great source on what’s happening around the world.

paintball, startups and the rest

The last week has been mixed to say the least.

We had  a team outing at work for our new project kickoff, Paintball @ Bannerghatta road run by Yuyutsa.  It was a great success, everyone had a good time.

Three teams devising strategy to outscheme the opponents yet running around with loaded guns like a bunch of ten year olds.  I would highly recommend it to any team looking for new and adventurous things to do.

I have  been down with viral fever this weekend,  just bedridden and hoping this nasty cold will go away. So far, it’s been persistent

It’s been more than three months since I won the lucky draw at the “Art of the Start” contest organized by Startups.in.  I am yet to receive the signed copy of Kawasaki’s book. Worse, mails querying  the status has been met with a stoic silence. what gives ?

Just finished reading “The Effective Executive” by Peter Drucker, a masterpiece filled with anecdotes and comprehensive ideas of how to get the right things done. I am planning to follow up on his advice and see how effective I can be.

Thoughts of pursuing a MBA in people management @ the back of my mind, should I or shouldn’t I?

Liar’s Poker

Close on the heels of “The New New Thing” by Michael Lewis, I picked up a copy of Liar’s Poker by the same writer this month. The book delves into the history of Salomon Brothers during the heady 1980s and the writer’s personal account of his transition from a geek to a salesman to a “Big Swinging Dick” while at the firm.

Starting with his serendipitous recruitment into the firm, the author takes you through the training programme he had to undergo, the colorful management characters, the trading floor, his interaction with customers, ethics, bond/mortage trading during the early 1980s and the subsequent decline of the firm.

The book is hilarious in parts with the author’s acute observations as he struggles to be one of the Wall Street family – a great read, highly recommended !