Alignment of Time to "top of mind"

Sorry for being a bit preachy here .. but an amazingly simple tool to keep us stress free and keep moving the top priorities !

What causes majority of the stress at work or at home are, the things one is concerned about does not happen the way he / she wants it.

At work - it can be lack of nimble work plans or sub-optimal orgs ! Which bothers one ... but no real fundamental change happens.

At home it may be kids sincerity towards education, your family's eating habit, your own fitness level ? it can be many things in various order, which are top of mind, but always remain so.

I have been lately experimenting with an ultra simple tool. A simple table that I produce and note down end of the week, what were my priorities vs. how many hours I dedicated towards that.

Now that our lives are so driven by calendars, it is easy to put them together on a Sunday evening.

And surprisingly, initial few weeks the Topic vs. Time spent was not very coherent. The top most priority did not demand and get maximum number of hours. Alignment was sub-optimal at best.

So the top priority never went away, mind kept procrastinating around it, while hoping for it to miraculously vanish. Fact that nothing really is being done, it stays, becomes chronic and causes stress and lack of productivity.

Simple really - Topic in order of Priority vs. Time dedicated to it. A simple table, once a week can create that awareness to address the root of many issue :)

Toll vs. QoS

Its very common in rural / sub-urban Odisha to see groups of kids, blocking the road and extorting money from motorists. Extortion may be too harsh a word as, this happens primarily around Dushera / Diwali and ideally the money raised should go towards the festivities of that area.

However, like in any other org one can think off, the money does not always go to the "puja" ! A bunch of adolescent finds a few days of alcohol ! So, government have made certain regulations around not blocking the road and collecting money.

However, as we headed to a small temple 50kms away from the City, a small town on the way had an interesting set up in the main crowded part. Few vehicles blocking the ONLY way to go across the town. While stuck in that mess, a good Samaritan walks to the car window, and offers an advice.

"This road has bad traffic today. It will take you 1 hr to cross this town. Why do not you take a right and take the road in front of the village school that by-passes the jam ?"

Then he, helps in that right jam, to reverse our direction and divert in to the bypass. We thanked him, took some land marks and went on,,, it was a scenic green road, which was clear.

Until we got road blocked for extortion that to ; ) Toll for better quality transport !! What a neat arrangement to move this activity to a side road, little bit more hidden from the glaring eyes .. indeed !!! 

Corporate Lay Offs

Not something I would have put down on my blog .. however, this farewell mail, following a lay off, from a long time colleague was unique. While it has the undertone of Shock (why us ?), helplessness, bitterness towards the company policies - it also has a "specific ask" to the recipients of the mails. Asking to help in social media to find a further job ! And it also shows, while our current work place has become very very unpredictable, we remain very less prepared for these shocking events !

Its an increasing reality, that lay off can happen to any one of us, not based on performance, or tenure in a particular work place.

Of course I ll be changing names in the content below..

Friends and Colleagues;

After a combined 32+ years here, my wife, Kate, & I are both impacted by company “Limited Restructuring” and our positions are eliminated.  Given this unexpected and shocking turn of events, we are writing to ask you to help our family.  Please make some time to connect with us via “LinkedIn” and then please carve out time to write a recommendation and/or endorse us for skills and expertise.  It has been a long time since we looked for work externally and the outplacement team has explained that it’s important to have a current profile, including detailed reviews/endorsements.  Until this time, we have really just accepted requests but, now actively using this as a job search tool, we would appreciate detailed recommendations and specific endorsements for:

Pete – "a list"

Kate – "Another List"

Clearly, with two young children to support, it’s especially important to restore income to our family and secure comprehensive and reasonably-priced health insurance – especially before our daughter’s next MRI is required …or something unthinkable happens.

We appreciate you keeping us in mind for external positions that you think would be a good fit.  We both believe that our next roles will come as a direct result of you connecting us with your extended networks.

Friday is our last official day at current place and we will lose email access early on in the day, Eastern Time.  The best way to reach us is via LinkedIn or on our cell phones.  As with Oscar speeches, we likely have inadvertently omitted someone from this email.  It is stunning how many people we have had the opportunity to work with over a combined 32+ years of service here.

Thank you for your help and support for our family.

Goodbye, farewell & Amen

Pete & Kate

We are racists ..

Here is the proof point for Indians being real racists.. ! An MNC product company selling its high tech gear in India, had an Indian as the Sales Chief for the region. The sales were no where close to eye-catching. Revenue from the region, which is supposed to be growing economy was abysmal.

Then the company, makes a quick move. Fires the sales lead, puts an expat white guy in the same position. The white guy now goes and talks to the customers, and the sales have doubled !!

We are racists in a self diminishing way !! Even after 67 yrs of independence from White people.

Transition .....

I think I ve been kind of waiting for this moment secretly !!

Today in a father-son tennis match, the 12 yr old raced ahead to convincing win in less that 45 mins of game.

I certainly did not have answer to some of his strokes.

This is one loss that makes me happy :) A milestone in a way of giving in to younger ones. 

religious integration !

For great tasting mutton kebabs ;)

Of "money" and "things" ..

Here is a true Betaal story, for the Vikramaditya's of the world.

One of my dear friends, who is settled in  USA for more than 15 yr now, was chatting with me.
And thus goes the story - around kids and their B'Day parties.

One of her daughter's friends (sub-10 yr olds) invited them for B'day party.  Out of courtesy she asked, is there a particular thing the boy would like as gift ?

The mom of the b'day boy answers, "No. My boy has set his eye on a specific very expensive toy. And we are asking all our guests to pay cash instead. How much would you like to contribute towards it ?"

It was a bit of shock for my friend. How can some one ask for cash openly ? She was new to the concept of "Fundraising Kids B'day party".

If that expensive toy needs to be given to the boy, is this through this means ? On the other hand whats wrong ? We give gift cards some time, which is "cash" in a way.  What if the toy becomes 10 percent costlier ? Will they invite 10% more people to the party ?

My friends comes home and asked her kid, "If you want that expensive toy for your B'Day, would you prefer NOT having a B'Day party and save the money and buy that thing instead?". The lil girl said honestly - "I would prefer the toy, even if it means we have no party and guest coming over for my b'day".

This brings much deeper questions to Betaal's mind. In both cases, little kids are more desiring the "Objects" than the fun of having their friends around ! In one case, it is being blatantly planted in to their head by parents innovations (Fundraisers B'Days) ! In other case, the kid is much more honest that she has to give up something to get something, but chooses to get the THING.

In my mind, an old fashioned one,  having guests over for any reason other than enjoying their company, is a social crime. In the first case, there is an financial agenda in inviting the guests to the party. In the second case, which is much more noble deal between mom and daughter, there is a painful confession that even kids starting to love the objects than their own B'day parties !