To the rather pompous Mr. Chandra:
1. Forum / Audience - For someone giving advice on communication to India's graduating class, it is surprising you chose the NY times as your forum Vs any of the national dailies in India.
2. The "message" - is a broad (and inaccurate) generalization on the calibre, skills and work ethic of a rather large and diverse population. tch tch.
3. As the "Employer" and the "giver of the paycheck" - Are you suggesting that the most recent batch of graduates/post graduates at KPMG: cant speak English fluently, are poor problem solvers, have a poor work ethic, are unprofessional / unethical; and are at KPMG only because they could not find a better deal anywhere else?
Think about that for a moment - and then decide for yourself whose failure that is? The graduates/post graduates OR the "Employer"
What is the "Employer" in India Inc. doing today to build and develop these attributes in their workforce; OR attract the talent they want to their organizations.
4. Language skills - you seem to have overlooked comprehension and only focused on written and verbal skills. I have come across many many people that were gifted problem solvers, technical geniuses but struggled with written and verbal communication. Most of these people were still quite successful because of their innate skill; or strong communication skills in their native language. In total numbers I am willing to bet that India still produces a very large number of graduates/post graduates that are fluent in English (written, verbal, and comprehension) that the global economy as a whole can and is benefiting from.
5. "Graduates / Post-Graduates are spoilt" !!!???? - You will benefit immensely if you had a conversation with anyone that is competing in today's educational environment in India. The challenges / circumstances faced by today's generation of graduates / postgraduates are very different from what you faced.
If you try to look through the recesses of your memory, I am sure you will recall a very similar assessment of your generation not so long ago. You are just replicating that same scenario.
Another thing to remember is that we all want to better our lives and the lives of our children. And in that continuous cycle - future generations will have more and better opportunities which they will possibly take for granted. But does that necessarily make them spoilt?
6. The only statement that I felt was accurate in your article was: "Our role, as your employer, is to ensure you have the tools, resources and opportunities you need to be successful. The rest is up to you." I could not agree more - each of us is responsible for how we build / develop our careers.
The following link is an illuminating presentation on India's innovation: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/nirmalya_kumar_india_s_invisible_entrepreneurs.html
Thursday, July 05, 2012
Thursday, June 19, 2008
What is Success?
In the last six years of my career, this one word has meant so many different things. And today, I find myself still asking the same question.
Let us try to define what success is. The dictionary provides us with three definitions:
1. The favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors.
2. The attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like
3. The achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted
It is my belief that the world has either forgotten or no longer accepts the third definition. Success today seems to be largely measured by your prosperity. The house you live in, the car you drive, the way you dress, and the salary you earn are considered key indicators. But does that really define success? It defines prosperity or wealth, but not success.
I am a staunch supporter of the third definition. It is the achievement of those desires that you planned or attempted. Success for each individual is unique.
In the last six years of my career, this one word has meant so many different things. And today, I find myself still asking the same question.
Let us try to define what success is. The dictionary provides us with three definitions:
1. The favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors.
2. The attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like
3. The achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted
It is my belief that the world has either forgotten or no longer accepts the third definition. Success today seems to be largely measured by your prosperity. The house you live in, the car you drive, the way you dress, and the salary you earn are considered key indicators. But does that really define success? It defines prosperity or wealth, but not success.
I am a staunch supporter of the third definition. It is the achievement of those desires that you planned or attempted. Success for each individual is unique.
When I go down memory lane, I think I have felt most successful with the pace at which I learnt tabla and the passion I developed for it. There was a tremendous sense of achievement and even fulfillment. I felt a certain contentment. I have never felt that strongly about anything else.
The other times when I have felt success full and content, have been when I set out to cook something with the intention of producing a specific taste in my memory, and then was actually able to create it!
I think people often overlook their innate abilities, and try to "succeed" using a path that may not be suited for them. In an age and time, where there are several career opportunities available, the overtly cautious mind set of most parents tends to prod their children to study medicine, law, finance or engineering.
People who get stuck with these "careers" often lack a sense of contentment in their achievements. They start defining success based on other people in that career path, instead of defining their own.
Do you know what success is for you? Spend some time and list:
- all the things you enjoy most, and
- the things you do not enjoy
- the company of people you enjoy most, and why you enjoy it
- the people whose company brings down your morale
The next step is to:
- Try to introduce as many items from the first list into your daily routine as you can.
- Find as many alternatives as you can find for the second list.
- Plan to spend as much time interacting with the people on the third list as is possible
- Minimizing your interaction with the people on the fourth list, and when you do interact with them being full of energy and positivity.
You will find that your life will be a lot more satisfying ... and in the long run it may even be success full!!
The Cost of Progress
Progress is the buzz word of the century. The whole world is making progress by leaps and bounds. People are outperforming themselves.
And yet, the people today are more discontent and unhappy than their parents and grand parents. The things that brought wonder and awe some decades ago, are common place and insignificant today.
Makes you wonder, what this mad rush for progress is all about. As a society we increased the pace of our lives many times over that of our parents and grand parents. But that pace has come at a cost. Family values are deteriorating and the individual is becoming more important that the family. Personalities are becoming more and more complex; as are our social problems.
The analogy I like to refer to is that of a rubber band. You can keep stretching it, and it will stretch, but at some point it just snaps. The pace of our lives has taken a toll on our minds.
Progress is the buzz word of the century. The whole world is making progress by leaps and bounds. People are outperforming themselves.
And yet, the people today are more discontent and unhappy than their parents and grand parents. The things that brought wonder and awe some decades ago, are common place and insignificant today.
Makes you wonder, what this mad rush for progress is all about. As a society we increased the pace of our lives many times over that of our parents and grand parents. But that pace has come at a cost. Family values are deteriorating and the individual is becoming more important that the family. Personalities are becoming more and more complex; as are our social problems.
The analogy I like to refer to is that of a rubber band. You can keep stretching it, and it will stretch, but at some point it just snaps. The pace of our lives has taken a toll on our minds.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Memory of the Present
Hold on … memory of the present …. What does that mean? How can you have a memory of the present? Isn’t a memory something of the past?
The answer to that is, Yes and No.
Yes, because we have been taught for several years that a memory is your recollection of an event, incident, situation or circumstance that has occurred in the past.
No, because as human beings we are each unique in the way we perceive everything around us. Thus, the present for each one of us is different and unique. Our past, or more importantly our memory of the past prejudices our perception of the present. Expanding the same concept a little further; the present now becomes our own unique recollection of the present. The present ceases to be an absolute term. Instead, it becomes a very personal and subjective perception unique to you. Isn’t that interesting?
So, the past and present are both very subjective to our perception and memory.
Now, if your point of reference is a time in the past, then relative to that reference point the present becomes a future state. For example on Monday, June 9, 2008, Friday, June 13, 2008 is the future. After 4 days on Friday, June 13, 2008, Monday becomes the past and Friday becomes the present.
Applying this to our conclusion the past, present and future become our individual perception or memory of the past, present and future.
The past, present and future is our entire lifetime … correct? So now our entire lifetime becomes just a perception … like a dream.
And that is precisely what Indian Philosophy has said for thousands of years: The life of the mortal in the physical world is Maya (made-up, make-believe, and imaginary).
Now, isn’t that interesting?
The answer to that is, Yes and No.
Yes, because we have been taught for several years that a memory is your recollection of an event, incident, situation or circumstance that has occurred in the past.
No, because as human beings we are each unique in the way we perceive everything around us. Thus, the present for each one of us is different and unique. Our past, or more importantly our memory of the past prejudices our perception of the present. Expanding the same concept a little further; the present now becomes our own unique recollection of the present. The present ceases to be an absolute term. Instead, it becomes a very personal and subjective perception unique to you. Isn’t that interesting?
So, the past and present are both very subjective to our perception and memory.
Now, if your point of reference is a time in the past, then relative to that reference point the present becomes a future state. For example on Monday, June 9, 2008, Friday, June 13, 2008 is the future. After 4 days on Friday, June 13, 2008, Monday becomes the past and Friday becomes the present.
Applying this to our conclusion the past, present and future become our individual perception or memory of the past, present and future.
The past, present and future is our entire lifetime … correct? So now our entire lifetime becomes just a perception … like a dream.
And that is precisely what Indian Philosophy has said for thousands of years: The life of the mortal in the physical world is Maya (made-up, make-believe, and imaginary).
Now, isn’t that interesting?
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Your Memory and Identity
Before I actually start writing my piece, I would like to call your attention to two widely read and viewed stories: 'The Bourne Identity' and 'Anastasia'.
'The Bourne Identity', a thriller by Robert Ludlum which explores the loss of an individuals identity because of the loss of his memory. The novel narrates the adventures of this person as he attempts to discover his true identity.
'Anastasia' is the story of a woman who claimed she was Grand Duchess Anastasia: daughter of the last Czar of Russia. She never changed her claim till her death in 1974.Despite DNA testing that indicates otherwise, there are still several people who support her claim.
The underlying theme in both these cases is that of how our memory affects our identity ... or more importantly our perception of it.
It is almost as though our brain is like this data model, which when fed with some memories (data) responds with a projection of our perceived identity. The reason I say perceived identity is because it is a function of your memories. If you lose some part of your memory your perceived identity changes. Each memory you have adds some character or unique flavour to your identity. Your name is also part of your identity, but I would call that a mere pointer that is used to refer to your true identity or nature.
Think about it. How would you distinguish your identity? Would you try and define some attributes or characteristics? If you think a little more, you will see that you can actually identify a memory, from the present or past, that causes you to assign that attribute to your identity.
The Bourne Identity, though fictitious, is an excellent example of how losing your memory can cause you to lose your identity.
Anna Anderson is an excellent example of how you can strongly project and portray your identity on the basis of you memory of incidents, people, buildings, toys, etc.
I often surprise myself with the memories I have of my childhood. My oldest memory is of an aeroplane ... a fighter jet to be precise which was in the park in Roorkee. The plane was dull grey in color with the green and blue insignia of the sides. You could go into the plane, and as a child you can imagine that was quite a treat. I was about 3 years old when I last saw it. But my memory is fairly vivid of the plane standing in the park.
The interesting thing about my memories is that I have several memories between the ages of 4-10 and 15-17 that are very rich in detail. However my memories between ages 11-14 and then after 17 are not as rich in detail. I might remember the basic gist of the incident but not as many details. Memories from childhood are rich in details of the sights, sounds, colors, place, people and my perception of their emotion.
Another point of interest is that a majority of my memories which are rich is detail are generally happy memories. For e.g. my memory of the mischief I was up to one summer afternoon in Karnal, when I was all of 7 years old is quite vivid and clear. But my memory of the subsequent scolding is not. I cannot remember who it was that scolded me ... or where I was when I received that scolding. I remember I was scolded ... but not the rest.
May be someone will figure out how our brain works, how it compartmentalizes and stores information, and how it processes all that data to give us our identity.
Before I actually start writing my piece, I would like to call your attention to two widely read and viewed stories: 'The Bourne Identity' and 'Anastasia'.
'The Bourne Identity', a thriller by Robert Ludlum which explores the loss of an individuals identity because of the loss of his memory. The novel narrates the adventures of this person as he attempts to discover his true identity.
'Anastasia' is the story of a woman who claimed she was Grand Duchess Anastasia: daughter of the last Czar of Russia. She never changed her claim till her death in 1974.Despite DNA testing that indicates otherwise, there are still several people who support her claim.
The underlying theme in both these cases is that of how our memory affects our identity ... or more importantly our perception of it.
It is almost as though our brain is like this data model, which when fed with some memories (data) responds with a projection of our perceived identity. The reason I say perceived identity is because it is a function of your memories. If you lose some part of your memory your perceived identity changes. Each memory you have adds some character or unique flavour to your identity. Your name is also part of your identity, but I would call that a mere pointer that is used to refer to your true identity or nature.
Think about it. How would you distinguish your identity? Would you try and define some attributes or characteristics? If you think a little more, you will see that you can actually identify a memory, from the present or past, that causes you to assign that attribute to your identity.
The Bourne Identity, though fictitious, is an excellent example of how losing your memory can cause you to lose your identity.
Anna Anderson is an excellent example of how you can strongly project and portray your identity on the basis of you memory of incidents, people, buildings, toys, etc.
I often surprise myself with the memories I have of my childhood. My oldest memory is of an aeroplane ... a fighter jet to be precise which was in the park in Roorkee. The plane was dull grey in color with the green and blue insignia of the sides. You could go into the plane, and as a child you can imagine that was quite a treat. I was about 3 years old when I last saw it. But my memory is fairly vivid of the plane standing in the park.
The interesting thing about my memories is that I have several memories between the ages of 4-10 and 15-17 that are very rich in detail. However my memories between ages 11-14 and then after 17 are not as rich in detail. I might remember the basic gist of the incident but not as many details. Memories from childhood are rich in details of the sights, sounds, colors, place, people and my perception of their emotion.
Another point of interest is that a majority of my memories which are rich is detail are generally happy memories. For e.g. my memory of the mischief I was up to one summer afternoon in Karnal, when I was all of 7 years old is quite vivid and clear. But my memory of the subsequent scolding is not. I cannot remember who it was that scolded me ... or where I was when I received that scolding. I remember I was scolded ... but not the rest.
May be someone will figure out how our brain works, how it compartmentalizes and stores information, and how it processes all that data to give us our identity.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
The Secret Ingredient
Yesterday, Ina & I went to see 'Kung Fu Panda' (it is an animated movie). We both thoroughly enjoyed it. Apart from the humor and picturization, I liked the movie for another reason .... the subtle message it conveyed.
No matter who you are and where you are, if you believe yourself to be capable of something you will be able to achieve it. If you doubt yourself, you have already sowed the seeds of disappointment / defeat.
One must always remember that the most important part of the path to success is YOU !! Never doubt yourself .. if you fall ... pick yourself up .. learn and move on. Listen to all the teachings of wise people around you ... but learn to trust yourself and discern for yourself. It is important to make your own decisions, because you are the only person you knows 'you' best!
If you believe that you are luckiest person in the world, then let no one tell you otherwise. Believe in it, and soon you will see everyone else believe it too.
Man's ability to influence others with his thought, and be influenced by the thought of others, is what I believe to be the most incredible characteristic of mankind.
The secret ingredient to happiness/success is YOU.
Yesterday, Ina & I went to see 'Kung Fu Panda' (it is an animated movie). We both thoroughly enjoyed it. Apart from the humor and picturization, I liked the movie for another reason .... the subtle message it conveyed.
No matter who you are and where you are, if you believe yourself to be capable of something you will be able to achieve it. If you doubt yourself, you have already sowed the seeds of disappointment / defeat.
One must always remember that the most important part of the path to success is YOU !! Never doubt yourself .. if you fall ... pick yourself up .. learn and move on. Listen to all the teachings of wise people around you ... but learn to trust yourself and discern for yourself. It is important to make your own decisions, because you are the only person you knows 'you' best!
If you believe that you are luckiest person in the world, then let no one tell you otherwise. Believe in it, and soon you will see everyone else believe it too.
Man's ability to influence others with his thought, and be influenced by the thought of others, is what I believe to be the most incredible characteristic of mankind.
The secret ingredient to happiness/success is YOU.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
A phenomenon called Asha Bhonsle .....
I have grown up listening to songs of Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhonsle, Lata Mangeshkar, Mohd. Rafi, Yesudas, Bhupinder, Geeta Dutt. But I never thought that I would actually listen to any of them live on a stage ... that too in a foreign country!!
Yesterday Ina and I went to attend a concert by Asha Bhonsle and Amit Kumar (S/o Kishore Kumar). Initially I wasn't inclined to go since it was a good 25 miles from where we stay, and I thought the tickets were rather expensive. But we hadn't really gone out anywhere for a while, and this was a good way to unwind.
Asha Bhonsle at 75 is simply amazing. She is so full of life and energy that it just unbelievable. She not only sang numbers like 'Piya tu, ab to aa jaa' but also danced to them. Her energy was infectious ... she had the entire audience dancing and swaying to her numbers.
Apart from the fact that her selection and rendition of the songs was flawless, we discovered that she has an amazing sense of humour. The most entertaining part of the concert was her mimicry of other singers especially Lata Mangeshkar. She had the entire auditorium in splits.
Amit Kumar's voice is like Kishore Kumars in many ways ... and yet not quite the same. We discovered yesterday that the song 'Bade Ache Lagte hain, yeh dharti, yeh sagar' is originally sung by Amit Kumar .. and not Kishore Kumar!! Amit had several anecdotes from his time with Kishore Kumar, SD Burman and RD Burman. He is quite a performer.
To summarize, Asha Bhonsle and Amit Kumar gave an excellent performance for the folks at Phoenix, and everyone present enjoyed this musical evening. For me personally, it is something I will remember for a long long time.
I have grown up listening to songs of Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhonsle, Lata Mangeshkar, Mohd. Rafi, Yesudas, Bhupinder, Geeta Dutt. But I never thought that I would actually listen to any of them live on a stage ... that too in a foreign country!!
Yesterday Ina and I went to attend a concert by Asha Bhonsle and Amit Kumar (S/o Kishore Kumar). Initially I wasn't inclined to go since it was a good 25 miles from where we stay, and I thought the tickets were rather expensive. But we hadn't really gone out anywhere for a while, and this was a good way to unwind.
Asha Bhonsle at 75 is simply amazing. She is so full of life and energy that it just unbelievable. She not only sang numbers like 'Piya tu, ab to aa jaa' but also danced to them. Her energy was infectious ... she had the entire audience dancing and swaying to her numbers.
Apart from the fact that her selection and rendition of the songs was flawless, we discovered that she has an amazing sense of humour. The most entertaining part of the concert was her mimicry of other singers especially Lata Mangeshkar. She had the entire auditorium in splits.
Amit Kumar's voice is like Kishore Kumars in many ways ... and yet not quite the same. We discovered yesterday that the song 'Bade Ache Lagte hain, yeh dharti, yeh sagar' is originally sung by Amit Kumar .. and not Kishore Kumar!! Amit had several anecdotes from his time with Kishore Kumar, SD Burman and RD Burman. He is quite a performer.
To summarize, Asha Bhonsle and Amit Kumar gave an excellent performance for the folks at Phoenix, and everyone present enjoyed this musical evening. For me personally, it is something I will remember for a long long time.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Trying to do some good ....
Today was an interesting experience .... I had signed up to donate blood as part of a United Blood Drive in office. The sign-up form required me to identify all the countries I had been to since 1980. Since I was born in 1981, the list spanned my entire lifetime. It was fun to revisit the memories of all the places I have been to. So with that general frame of mind, I fetched-up at the camp and was directed to a technician who conducted the general physical exam. The exam was painless and quick. Then began an onslaught of questions ... that went on forever. The fact that I was an Indian, who had lived in several places within India and also travelled a fair amount within Europe and South East Asia in the last 6 years did not help matters. She got a quick little tour of northern India, trying to track all the places I had been to on an atlas, and identify what their elevation was, etc.
The sad part was that at the end of all this, it was identified that because I had jaundice after the age of 11, I am barred from donating blood forever. While I have regretted having that gol-guppa at Pragati Maidan on several occassions, which most probably led to my getting jaundice. I think I felt most miserable today.
I guess sometimes even when we try to help ... we are unable to do so.
Today was an interesting experience .... I had signed up to donate blood as part of a United Blood Drive in office. The sign-up form required me to identify all the countries I had been to since 1980. Since I was born in 1981, the list spanned my entire lifetime. It was fun to revisit the memories of all the places I have been to. So with that general frame of mind, I fetched-up at the camp and was directed to a technician who conducted the general physical exam. The exam was painless and quick. Then began an onslaught of questions ... that went on forever. The fact that I was an Indian, who had lived in several places within India and also travelled a fair amount within Europe and South East Asia in the last 6 years did not help matters. She got a quick little tour of northern India, trying to track all the places I had been to on an atlas, and identify what their elevation was, etc.
The sad part was that at the end of all this, it was identified that because I had jaundice after the age of 11, I am barred from donating blood forever. While I have regretted having that gol-guppa at Pragati Maidan on several occassions, which most probably led to my getting jaundice. I think I felt most miserable today.
I guess sometimes even when we try to help ... we are unable to do so.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Music Transcends All Boundaries
A recent opportunity to attend a Sitar recital by Ustad Shahid Pervez and a Mohan Veena recital by Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt made me think about the wondrous nature and impact of music.
The audience for both recitals was a good blend of people of different age groups, and from different parts of the world. It was a testament to the increasing popularity of Indian Classical Music.
For the 2-3 hours that the artistes performed, every member of the audience was transported to a different world ... a world free of our day-to-day worries and concerns ... a world full of harmony and peace.
If the language of the God's is indeed one ... then I am sure it is the language of music. It doesn't matter which part of the world you are in .... the seven (or twelve if you are a stickler) notes of music are the same everywhere. It is the universal language.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Work-life balance .... Where are we today? Where are we heading?
After having consistently put in some crazy hours, and still managing to have more left on my plate, I came to ponder over this oft referred term. Does it really exist, can any firm really offer this truly wonderful incentive (which may just be the outcome of some rather creative marketing from HR!!?)
It has been my experience that no matter which part of the world you work in, and no matter in what capacity, the organization will always demand all of your time. But it is up to you to decide how much you plan to give it. Once you make that decision, everything else adjusts to it. But more than we would like to admit, we are just spending a lot of time and effort in the hope of that elusive promotion/bonus. In the bargain we forget to enjoy the present time and company we have.
The reason I talk about this is, that if we look around (irrespective of which part of the world you are in) the very fabric of society which once centered around family .... is now deteriorating. The problem is probably more aggravated in the west but the east is not really that far off. In fact the West has probably seen the results this has had on society and is making an effort to bring back some of the older tenets of society and family. Whereas in the East job opportunities, education, and exciting career prospects are making people go further and further away from home.
Travelling to distant lands and foreign countries, exploring new places and cuisines is great fun .... but believe me after a while the novelty wears off and you yearn for everything that was once so close to you and is now so far away.
After having consistently put in some crazy hours, and still managing to have more left on my plate, I came to ponder over this oft referred term. Does it really exist, can any firm really offer this truly wonderful incentive (which may just be the outcome of some rather creative marketing from HR!!?)
It has been my experience that no matter which part of the world you work in, and no matter in what capacity, the organization will always demand all of your time. But it is up to you to decide how much you plan to give it. Once you make that decision, everything else adjusts to it. But more than we would like to admit, we are just spending a lot of time and effort in the hope of that elusive promotion/bonus. In the bargain we forget to enjoy the present time and company we have.
The reason I talk about this is, that if we look around (irrespective of which part of the world you are in) the very fabric of society which once centered around family .... is now deteriorating. The problem is probably more aggravated in the west but the east is not really that far off. In fact the West has probably seen the results this has had on society and is making an effort to bring back some of the older tenets of society and family. Whereas in the East job opportunities, education, and exciting career prospects are making people go further and further away from home.
Travelling to distant lands and foreign countries, exploring new places and cuisines is great fun .... but believe me after a while the novelty wears off and you yearn for everything that was once so close to you and is now so far away.
