Signs of progress !

Well "half sign" if not "full" !

Today I received a PAN card that was applied on-line.

Also, paid property tax on-line. Almost ! Just that right after the credit card approval was secured by the payment gateway, the service misbehaved and as a result I do not have any proof that I ve paid the tax while the money is gone !

Nevertheless, I am sure a lot others did not have to go some office during the day time to pay the tax. Just few clicks from office or home did their job. Good for productivity I guess !

More an more govt. things moving on-line. But surprisingly, there is a pattern that I see. Most of the govt. functions where govt. needs something from citizens are coming on-line and becoming more convenient to get.

The same is not reciprocated for the functions where citizens need something from govt. We still pay the bribe to local police for a mundane passport renewal ! The "bakshish" to the postman who delivers it home.

The municipality officers still take money and make one run 10 times before the handover the "Title" of a property owned by one !

(Half) sign of progress visible. Betaal sees it as half job done !

Where to draw the line on high touch technical support ?

A mail from customer facing customer support engineer to development dept .....


"Hi,

My request may seem a bit unusual here. But my customer, XXXX data center was on fire yesterday. The fireman were engaged to put off the fire. Now the YYY networking devices located at lower floor are seem to be drenched with water. Customer is asking for any best practices of drying the YYYs before running through a power on test.



Do we have such document ? Kindly share.

"

Vendor Management in India

In this age of global business and MNCs, one would expect vendor management to be more professional, process driven and just !

Not in India. Not even with one of the most global companies with a track record of being fair and just. Not even with a CEO who believes "Treat others the way you want to be treated yourself".

Second year in the row, I ve been observing the process of handing out a corporate health club management contract to a vendor.

Its pretty "Desi" in process. Ring up the vendor. Tell that their quality suck .. accuse them of watching porn in health club computer, line up one or two un-suspecting people to complain. Set up everything that would make a situation that the incumbent vendor is no-good !

No evidence needed. No real user feedback needed. No consideration to consequences of changing the vendor. No intention of saving bucks too ! And more over, the people who would make the decision about the vendor, would be the ones not using the facility at all !

And when you make your dis-satisfaction heard about the way of handling a simple and mundane issue of renewing contract of context services, they would tell you - "Let us do our job. This is how it works in India."

Mafia type ! Chicken the vendor out. Squeeze some personal goodies.

Last year, betaal, even tracked the real reasons to the core. And figured out the pool table that costs 8 lakh in market, was bought for 12 lakh while the vendor actually got 8 lakh.

Mafia type it is !

This year, its going to be much more difficult for them to have their way ! Betaal's intuition !

When nothing else works !!!!

There is a vast, well paid, industry out there. Who work to make your money work in stock market.

The brokers. The Bankers and the so called wealth managers.

And that area has been a fantasy area of innovation for many scientists, mathematicians, astrologers, numerologists, tarot card readers and plain gamblers.

All of them have their own formula of predicting the bears growl and bulls rush !

All motivated to make a quick buck from predicting the net vector of mass phycology !

And today, the so called reliable wealth managers from multinational banks call its clients, asking to take money off the market !

Cause ? Solar Eclipse ! It will eclipse the market and its not a good idea to stay invested through 4th of Aug. Huh !

The gloomy October .. the Santa rally ! Many forms of this theory prevail in the modern world, and many top advisers vouch on them purely with statistics. So why not eclipse ?

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Betaal has long accepted Stock Market to be the "leading" most indicator ! Which will predict the eclipse in ones life, not the other way around :)

Good luck investors !

Perception : Its all about me !

Coming back to the "perception" series after a short break.

Well ! Betaal has talked about how knowing when to ask for help as well as the display of sense of urgency, impact the perception.

And time for a new chapter to be written.

This time the theme is - "Its all about me" !

Simple enough !

This happens to the managers who present all the initiatives and ideas they present as their own ! And these people most of the times, are justified thinking this way. They are the brighter ones on the bock. No doubt.

Not the teams - not adopted ones ! No one else to share the credit with.

Its all about one life and one soul !

If the world is fortunate enough to hear a lecture from him / her, it is about his / her ambitions and projected life and killer ideas !
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One of Betaal's key phrase is " Thats a great idea sirjee - really cool". And the timing is even more critical. Its when some one repeats Betaal's thought !

When is it OK to get angry ?

Read an interesting study on recent HBR. It is a detailed study on the characteristics that help someone become successful in today world.

Be it public life, corporate life or family life.

And, as opposed to what we all would believe, the so called "cool" heads don't actually make it to the Top. Given everything else same.

Statistically seen, people who once in a while blow their top, are the one's who grow up.

Now, be careful here - the ones who go crazy all the time, don't even make it to the mix.

Its the creme of the creme population - and mostly consist of people who are cool and unfazed on the face of challenge and tough time. Among, these set the one who expressed emotions from "Anger / frustrations bucket once in a while" are the one who get bump-ups more than the "always unfazed" ones.

And one of the key analysis is, "always unfazed, cool exterior, portrays a less ambitious or more complacent person.

Now, definitely it brings up the point - when can one afford to show that "frustration", get "angry" ?

Betaal's take is - when one is in control and the aggression is a mere display, well calculated one. Used mainly as a controlled weapon to stir up the scene, but enacted naturally. A deterrence to blocking and detrimental behavior by others for an ultimate goal one is convinced about.

One can show the anger and frustration - but can never lose control on own mind !

So, the inner cool is not disturbed. The display of aggression is merely and act and a tool of expressing urgency.

Lord Krishna once during the war of Kurukhsetra did get angry and picked up the wheel of a chariot ! And, indeed it was an ACT and essential part to get to the ultimate goal he had in his mind.

One of the executives I know, used to have these "Whining sessions" with Betaal every once in a while. It is a 30 mins session, where the person whining would go all the way out letting out his frustration, pulling hair, using language otherwise prohibited, being personal and exhibiting all NO-NOs of the bible of greatness ! And right at 30mins, time is up ! Put back the cool shades and back to work !

Smile is contagious !

Vicky was puzzled.

There are few housekeeping staff on the floor, who are always heads down, doing some cleaning work in an office floor where 300 of white collar, well paid, IT professionals work.

A society, like that of India, does not encourage a lot of "chit-chat" / "pleasantries" across such class differences.

Vicky was puzzled because from last few days he notices one thing, which is very uncommon. Few of these housekeeping staff, when they make eye contact with him in the break out area or corridor, "smile" at him.

Normally, stressed looking, these young women smile at Vicky and all of a sudden look comfortable cross path with him. And the difference is visible.

Vicky, started analyzing the root cause of the "smile". Is he someone who breaks the age old class barrier just by his presence ? What else could be going on ? Why don't they smile at anyone else ? Vicky does not remember any interaction with them. No verbal or non-verbal interaction with them, he can recollect.

So, what makes them comfortable and make them smile at him ?

He grabbed his cup of tea and walked right in to Betaal's office and narrated the puzzle in his mind.

Betaal dug deep in to his experience and smiled at Vicky - and explained !

"Vicky ! When you get out of your office to catch a cup of tea, there is always a nice, cordial smile on your face ! You might be thinking something, looking at something else. I ve noticed that smile on your face - most of the time. And you carry it even if you are unaware of it. What these people are doing is they are "reciprocating" your smile.

The difference is seen by you ! Not by them. Most of the people you bump in to, on the hallway or in the break out area, smile at you. You think its customary to acknowledge the presence and have the non-verbal pleasantry exchanged. Its OK and USUAL for you when they are your colleagues. It does not register in your head that they are smiling at you.

But, you carry the smile any way. And these people are reciprocating it, and you notice it and register it because, you did not expect it."

Vicky was relieved in a way ! Yes ... the smile he gets is a mere reflection. And reflection is beyond class division !

One year of Betaal-Speak !

Just completed ONE year of blogging Betaal Gyan ! 150 observations, tid-bits and things that I think people can use, or mis-use or just plain know :)