Beats my expectation !!!

Past 2 weeks have been really hectic on the personal front. Anyone living in India (must be true for most countries too), does not really hope to be scrutinized by Income Tax dept.

And I was the selected one. The first notice from them, as usual, went to a place where I used to live 12 yrs ago. I wonder how the database really works. I ve been filing returns each year and that has the current address. They sent another one and I responded to that asking for extension, as it got to after the date they wanted me to be there.

That was quite surely made the govt. people angry !! Then started the threat calls. If you don't show up in an hour in a certain office, we will fine you Rs. 44Lkh types. That was last Friday.

So, I thought, I should better show up. But all the documents they asked from 2004 and 2005 time frame, were NOT there. I just thought I should show up anyway.

Then asking around, figured out there are couple of my other colleagues in the same boat. And they all running to that office for last few months. They all suggested me, be ready for long ordeal and to explain every transaction in your bank account and credit card, few at a time. For all of that you need to physically show up in front of the IT officer, where there will be no respect for your time. And eventually, pay some bribe and get out of it.

I was not surprised, as this is how most of India govt. depts work ! At the same time, I was thinking, why should it be that way for the employed people whose income is from pretty much a single source and every things that exchange hands goes through tax deduction at source ?

So, Monday the ordeal started. I appointed a guy to show up on my behalf but cut a deal with him that, he would let me talk over phone, when his gets to meet the officer.

To cut a long story short, 3 visits, 22 action items and clarifications - case closed today (Friday). Exactly one week. IT officer kept all the appointment time she gave. No bribe / illegal money was exchanged.

A pleasant surprise indeed ! I now, really want to meet this IRS officer and say Thanks personally !

Loosing trust - made simple !

A lil girl eats Corn Flakes and Milk every morning.
She got tired of it. She wanted some change in the breakfast plan. Then she saw neighbors daughter who eats Aloo Pratha and Achar in the morning.

She went to her mom and asked, - "Can I have Aloo Paratha and Achar for breakfast ?"

Mom said, that may not be an healthy option. But if you like it so much, lets do one thing.
Why don't you do some extra home work for 2-3 months, and then I ll make sure you get that breakfast you want.

The lil girl complained that she asked her for a change in breakfast 6 months ago and why 3 more months ? Her mom could not recollect when she asked for that !!! They never had a discussion on changing the breakfast !!

Anyway, the lil girl really wanted that. So, she started doing a bit more home work for a while. They she started loosing trust if mom really meant she would let her do that after 3 months.

So, she went to neighbors mom, and said, can you talk to my mom to feed me the breakfast of my choice ?

The neighbors mom asked her mom, "why not let her have it from now on ?"

Then her mom asked the lil girl, did you go talk to neighbors mom for a quick change ? Did not you trust me ?

She said - "No I did not talk to our neighbors mom".

Hmmmm... !

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Playing multiple people to get something done quick is an art. If not done right, it can destroy trust and make things much more difficult.

Non-verbal feedback ..

My son came back from the dress-rehearsal of the school annual day dance.

He was clearly excited about the program but something was bothering him. I asked him what's wrong.

He said - " My teacher says, I am doing very nice in the dance, but I am placed in the last row of the group."

His problem was more like, if he really does well why should he stand in a place where normally bad dancers are kept away from clear visibility ?

Then came the annual day ! Clearly he was one of the worst dancers of the entire team. The costumes, settings, smoke, beats - all kind of hid few imperfection in the group very nicely.

Here is a situation where the feedback was not verbal. It was in action. Most of the times, feedback can not be given to children in a verbal manner. And same is true for the adults who have not grown up !!

The problem bucket is the adults, who have not grown up, but they think they have - and expect direct verbal feedback, that for sure they can not handle !

When to "war" and when to "peace" ?

All wars break peace. But a close look at history says, all wars happen for peace.

A long running, nagging problem is anti-peace. A sudden, more damaging war is one of the ways to get over that nagging issue, once for all ... until the next nagging peace shows its ugly face.

However, its tricky to find when to go on that war. Is this the right time and the right solution at this point of time ?

The country is going through that tough decision making now !

Betaal is convinced, the for every universe Bramha makes (the Creator), and Vishnu sustains ( the sustainer) has to be destroyed by Shiva to be re-created better.

Betaal hopes the less Godly people know, when to destroy .. and when to create !

Aise nehi hai ...

... ki har chahat puri hoti hai !

Phir Bhi sapno ki aadat sahi hai

Har haar mein jeet chhuppi hoti hai !!!

Fitting in to the design

A very senior level techie relocates from US to India. And it brings him to a new world. A world of chaos.

All of a sudden he is one among the handful of seniors where a lot rides on him. Something that he never did in USA. Everyone was senior :)

Everyone had a charter, a role, a few deliverable at any point of time. They worked with the manager who is also functionally aligned to his deliverable.

Now, its a tough transition for the guy to adopt to. He feels out of place. No specific job. Primary work in an area and reporting manager not responsible for that .. and scores of young energetic people around who can work 16 hrs a day but not as productive as him. He is also not placed in his own expertise area.

Troubled, he stops by my office and asks, "Am I in right place ? "

So, I spent 20 mins explaining him the overall architecture of the new org. The need of a younger growing org vs. a matured stable org. The volume that comes from the young people. The productivity and momentum that comes from the few experienced ones watching all and guiding all irrespective of boundaries.

I am confident, the person is less confused now and more challenged.

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If you going to be part of the system, better fit in to the design framework. Else it would show up as a bug !

Fitting in to other's shoes

Last few days, my wife has been under the weather. Running high temperature and feeling very weak.

So, taking care of two kids, which involves the following -

1. Feeding

2. Cooking some basic breakfasts

3. Giving bath

4. Getting them ready for school

5. Reading stories in the night

6. Helping with home work

.. .and much more !

Time to really appreciate spouse's job ! Its a complete different set of challenges than going to work and dealing with whining customers and a set of perpetually un-satisfied employees.

free fall....

When you enjoy it.. its adventure sports ( bungee jumping). When you don't, it can kill you !

[details behind this thought are way too sensitive now, organizationaly speaking ]

Prospectives ..

This evening at the health club, few of us were pondering what would cause the end of human being. These kind of thoughts are some natural one's that pop up in a group, after terrorist attacks such as the one happened in Mumbai recently !

1. Pranav - a young dooms-sayer !

"It got to be WAR. Just like Dinos, human being will war to extinction."

2. The Gym Nutritionist / Physio -

"It has to be obesity and diseases, as lifestyle is becoming more and more sedentary. Kids are growing up unhealthy and fat."

3. Another guy over hearing the conversation between weight-lifting grunts !

"It got to be global warming. Look whats happening in Venice today ? "

4. The working wife -

" No couple wants to have kids now a days. They focusing only on career. All advanced countries have negative population growth if you subtract immigration. Its a slow extinction setting in."

Betaal asked everyone to work out hard, so that when we are all dead, we will look good -as dead bodies !

The 'weight-lifting" grunts went ON!