Mumbai Incident - Afterthought

Last week was a change from the normal corporate, product management and technology handling routine jobs. Tried to keep the normal work routine and meetings but the air was more than serious with the events unfolding in the city.

I was shocked to see how the Mumbai blasts and hostage event was executed and how it was handled by the authorities. There was an evident lack of concerted effort to tackle the various aspects of incidents.

Being the Mumbai resident i saw the whole event unfold and bought to an closure but it leaves a unhappy taste to see the lack of a planned response to such events.

I hope the organizations and institution holding power seats and enjoying at public expense, make sure such incidents do not happen again rather than paying the mere lip service and pushing the file like they did all the previous events (train bomb blasts, floods, serial bomb blasts etc.). Not only such steps should be taken and media fill their pages and airtime with such stories, but public need to be made aware of emergency management aspects of the city life.

(NOTE: I work in the multi floor building in Mumbai, and there was never a fire drill in the last two years. also most of the people i sure do not know how to use the first aid and kit, how to operate the fire extinguisher and where are the fire hoses)

You may also like to related article on my website http://www.sanjaychaudhary.com

Diet and Excercise Regimen

Please refer to my earlier post on the diet and the recommended energy foods.

Here is my morning exercise regimen that recommend for the corporate executives:
1. Day 1: Jog on treadmill for 30 minutes, followed by 10 minutes of cross-trainer OR cycling (on fat-burning setting). Take additional 10 minutes of Abs.
2. Day 2: Jog. for 30 minutes. Go for 20 minutes of upper body exercise preferably free weight dumbell for upper and lower chest and arms.
3. Day 3: Jog for 30 minutes, followed by 10 minutes of half sit ups and leg raise. Go for additional 10 minutes of lower abs leg raise.
4. Day 4: Easy Jog for 20 minutes. Go for ten minutes of steam. Take it as a rest and recuperation day.
5. Day 5: Same as for day 1.
6. Day 6: Same as for day 2.
7. Day 7: Total Rest (enjoy with friends and family, catch that book or movie)

Trying to follow the above regimen and reaching almost 50% of it. 'll post my before and after results after two months. Let Me know your comments if you have the better exercise regimen that have yielded results.

Positive Living

Please refer to my earlier blog post where i mentioned self discovered secrets of happiness through the time when my wife (now being a single father for some time already) and to an an extent parents (due to distance and pre-occupation at the native place) left me to win the battle of cosmopolitan, family and corporate life.

Now, let me share with you few steps (i read in a book by a Japanese author some time back) that are helping me live a positive life:

1. Possess a Frontier Spirit: Areas that one want to move into, the anticipated risks and obstacles and ways to overcome them.
2. Inculcate Invincible thinking - winning in every situation: Every individual is born in this world with the purpose of refining his or her soul through various experiences, so there is no such thing as failure. All the events are just lessons and provide spiritual nourishment, so don't discourage yourself. With this attitude, one always wins. Whatever the circumstances, one is a winner in all situation and one can learn from every facets of life - such shall be the thinking.
3. Have a positive attitude: People sense aura around an individual. If one wants to be a life's winner, he must have the air of success. Positive attitude gives great power.
4. Get Snowball effect - If one learns a lesson and find saplings of success in all situation, one will grow compounded like a snowball . Life provides many opportunities and with an attitude of interest and discovery - victory is inevitable.
5. Get into positive pattern of thinking: Living a positive life, attracts many people who will help you. With their help, one can achieve much more than on his own.

I hope the above steps can provide direction to interested readers.

Will right more about my current fitness regimen in my next blog....till then....Cheers.

Few secrets to Happiness

Living in Mumbai, I go through the same turmoils like million of other inhabitants of the city and have to keep a high demanding corporate job plus being a single father takes on a extra toll.
So how do I keep going, sincerely I just keep balls in the air OR I just do it (Ala Nike). Amid all this how do i keep happy. Here are list of few things that work for me:
1. Keep good and positive human company.
2. With job, stick to priority tasks seconded by tasks that you love.
3. Do a good job and avoid office politics.
4. Keep an eye on the finance and budget.
5. Engage in physical activity e.g. jogging, swimming, tennis for at least four times in a week, 1 hour each plus take stairs in the workplace.
6. Take time out for yourself at least 10 minutes everyday, do meditation or pranayam.
7. Flexible approach but keep taking decisions (you don't want things to snowball)
8. Keep TV to minimum, only watch at max. 0.5 hr. of comedy, music/reality or Gk related shows.
9. Eat small servings of healthy food preferably vegetarian.
10. Engage in small acts of charity one in a while. Associate yourself with at least one bigger cause.

The above listed acts seems to keep things going for me. Beside, happiness there are few secrets to true happiness which i will list on my next post. I sincerely they really work for you.

Cheers and Smile.

Eight lessons in balance, love and leadership

Eight lessons in balance, love and leadership - Take it from Barack Obama (source: Men's Health, Nov. 2008)

To succeed in career and in relationships, here are the eight tips shared by Mr. Barack Obama:

1. Learn from your father, even if he wasn't a good one
2. Be there for your family, even if you're not around
3. Make the future your focus
4. Turn early lessons into big success
5. Quit smoking
6. Show others the way to common ground
7. If you want to avoid disappointing others, don't disappoint yourself
8. Don't let them see you sweat

the above tips seemed to have worked for him. You make what you want to make out of it.

Human Nature

Human Nature never stops to amaze me.

How can millions of people follow one leader, fall in line in an organization. The few people get dissatisfied and join new groups, parties and org. Does the ideology change or they just look for their convenience and material gains?

I think it is just a process of growth and development but there are black sheeps who use them for their personal agenda and gains while back stabbing the same people who bought to high level.

Anyway, the human nature especially keep amazing me and i remain a keep observer till a learn enough of it.

Energy foods

The floowing food items are suggested as energy foods that can increase the energy level, the demand of today's professional world:

1. Almonds
2. Apricots
3. Brocolli
4. Spinach
5. Oats

To beat fatigue, try drinking a pint of water. Eat proper breakfast, also keep eating small potion of food three times the day plus do not eat before excercise routine.

Have a energatic day!

A diet to supplement gym training

It would be interesting to list the diet that can supplement above average gym exercises e.g jogging......

Most diet look at calorie counting....that is eating less calorie than burning...Some suggest avoiding dairy products.. while other suggests low carb.....while other suggest only liquid and fruits.....

My suggestion is no sugar, oil free and low dairy product diet....with four/five small servings....and never making the stomach full (always leave while you still have that hungary feeling...water shall make for it) plus back it up with alternate cardio plus weight and cardio plus abs excersice atleast four -six times a week.

Handling High IQ people

Why it is difficult to handle high IQ people vis a vis handling people with average IQ.

Is it they are too inquisitive, demanding, impatient? or they are so many positions in a company that require person with such calibre.

Anyway, i think such people are an asset to the organization and successfully integrated while adding significant value to the organization given the propoer role, challange and responsibility...ala insourcing concept....i would like to look at how such HR is handled in companies like Nokia, Ericsson, Motorola and our very own Infy, wipro etc.

Tips to Increase Stamina

Tips to Increase Stamina - Vibrant Life, Nov, 1999 by Sherry Ballou Hanson

1. Frequency, intensity, and time/duration are the components of a safe, effective exercise program. Mess up any of these, and you risk injury. Experts agree on a few basics: three or more workouts a week, at a heart rate not exceeding 60 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate, for 20 minutes or longer. Even moderate exercise works to increase stamina.

2. Know your limitations. If you are overweight and out of shape, you will need to lose weight as you shape up. Over age 40? Don't try to run the marathon in two hours. Asthmatic? Don't try to run through an attack. Whatever your health problem, work with it, not against it. Stay in touch with your doctor and/or trainer.

3. If you select activities you enjoy, you will increase your chances of sticking with them long enough to get in shape and feel good. Don't take up running if you hate it; there are other ways to get in shape.

4. Remember the cardinal rules for every sport: warm up, stretch, and cool down. This is especially important if you are forced to be a weekend athlete. Don't wait until the morning of your mountain climb to begin calf-stretching exercises, or you may find all your enthusiasm for the sport going up in smoke while you cool your heels for the next month.

5. If you are into heavy training for your sport, alternate hard and easy days. Weight training, for example, should not work the same muscles on consecutive days or you will be breaking down tissue instead of building. Long runs should alternate with short. Don't perform an arduous rock climb two days in a row. On the night before that big white-water trip, don't max out on the rowing machine. Moderation is the word!

6. Cross-training is one of the most effective and safe ways to improve stamina and performance level, as well as a great way to avoid injury. Choose two or more activities that complement each other, such as weight training and trail running, or biking and swimming.

7. One of the best ways to add vigor to your life is to add strength training with weights to your lifestyle. Recent research at Tufts University found that women who worked with weights or weight machines for 45 minutes twice a week for a year emerged physiologically younger by 15 to 20 years than when they began.

8. If you follow a vegetarian diet and lead an active lifestyle, be sure you know what you are doing. Vegetarians who don't eat dairy foods or other animal products need to use extra care to monitor their consumption of some nutrients that occur mainly or almost exclusively in animal foods. Vitamin [B.sub.12] deficiency is especially common.

9. Choose a breakfast cereal that lists whole wheat, whole grain, whole oat flour, or rolled oats among the first ingredients. This ensures that the product has not been refined and is more likely to contain essential ingredients such as magnesium, manganese, chromium, and copper. If you are taking in enough fluids, your urine will run clear most of the day. For every pound you lose to sweat during a workout, you need to drink 16 ounces of fluids or you will become dehydrated.

10. When you travel on business, try to exercise first thing in the morning. This will help you acclimate to time changes. Later in the day, business meetings may prevent you from following your usual routine. Energy flagging? Try the full body stretch. Stand with arms relaxed at sides. Rotate head slowly forward, to left, back, to right. Then raise arms overhead and drop forward slowly, bending knees slightly to touch floor. Stretch back up slowly, arms overhead. Again, then relax.

Perswon to Person Contact

I attended a alum get-together in a Mumbai suburb recently.

Surprisingly, the people who hardly responded to emails or sms opened up instantly post few drinks and to be of more surprise kept their promises even after few days when they were sober.

Thus the stereotype of images, positions etc. that we build around us comes down during such interactions and one can see the true capability or sincerity/genuineness of other person if one is observant enough (OR it the show that few people are really good at to put up). anyway, it is good medium/opportunity to use such interactions to mutual benefits and actions do emerge from such parties even when they were planned post several drinks.

Importance of part time job or business

As a person advances in his career, he grow up his skills, human network , resources and management skills.

But due to politics and sycophancy rampant in the corporate world, he may not be given the right job, as it happen with millions of Indians, in such scenario shall one just spend his time on his hobby / leisure or go for politics / social service or enter into part time commerce related activity.

I think the area chosen comes out from person's background, environment, spare time amount and economic necessity.

If this energy/man hours are effectively utilized then this workforce of millions due to their own motivation factors can generate significant economic output.

But what about millions of those who are not even engaged partly in economic activity least to say of part time? Anyway, i am not a public policy maker and i leave this query for them.

India - population vs. individual respect

In India, I have noticed that too much population resulting in competition and aggressiveness which in turn results in lack of respect for individual.

The individuals in turn form their groups and resort to underhand dealings, dirty politics, power play and use of force to achieve their motives or aim for pseudo respect.

These groups are more seen in underprivileged class for the purpose of getting their voice in the society and by powerful few to control things in their organization and money flow in the system.

Democracy is the best form of Government but in India it is a melange of local level autocracy, socialism, communism, militancy etc.

I think the Indian who are conditioned/made by system not to run/develop the efficient system will have to wait many more years to get true democracy in India.

Till then....I am with you....

Corporate Ladder

why do the few people get all the prized assignment and promotions while few others crave for them even thogh they may be equally bright and devoted.

The potent mixture of timing, luck, opportunity, talent, skills and negotiation make the thing click.

But, Is looking at long term prespective is a weakness in today's corporate world. Loyalty is restricted to lower level babus and owner class or it is still prized and rewarded? We shall look at the case study of corporate leader's career (i am not talking about owner class) to arrive at a conclusion.

Survival or Leading

How come few people struggle to servive in big metropolis whereas few others make their family service while few others lead and generate money not only for themselves but also for whole lot of others!

My thinking is to make the system work for oneself rather than one working against it or taking a detached view of it.

Why only select few are making the system work for them and most of people are just the part of system and working for it?

will write more about it later.

Verbal Persuasion

We all communicate for different purpose infact it is fundamental to our existence.
Key is how effective it is and how persuasive.
If we can persuade others to our purpose while keeping them in good humor i think that is the most effective.
Now the matter of debate is man of less words or more words is preferred? i leave it to your judgement.

Courtesy

We always hear that if we want respect we give respect to others. Courtesy is explicit sign of educated society etc.

But do all sections of the society as courteous to you as you are to them. How about other party just acting out of mere selfishness or their vested interest.

I think the key is open communication and self respect that need to be explicit and other party is communicated the consequence of their non-courteous behavior or how one is seeing through their vested interest which may not be mutual.

Self respect and self defense while working out win-win and basis courtesy may win the day.

But do the modern, competitive and under pressure metro society make it workable? we won't know unless we try.

Dressing Up

How important is clothing in the professional and social interaction environment?

I feel that clothing - neat, clean and maintained gives a professional look and convey the message that person shall be as crisp/well managed in handling other aspects e.g. work as he or she is in looks/clothes, but overemphasis, overdressing or running after brands etc. ruins the subtle effect carried by the clothing.

Anyway is good body as important as good clothes, shouldn't we take care of clothes given to us by GOD.

Humour

Does humour always work as it lightens up the environment or people like to associate themselves with serious looking colleagues in the office where humourous person in their personal lives.

As per my idea the humour that suits a situation and remains in good taste is appreciated by colleagues and people in office but practical jokes, off-situation jokes or politically motivated with does not stand the ovation or win admiration from colleagues.

Thus good and clean humour with situational punch line wins the day by making work environment and discussion lighter and puts people in ease to get better talking terms.

Work and Vacation

Few people take pride in not taking leave for long periods. Than there is another group that take price in attending office 12 into 6 hours per week.

Now the question is, if it a question of discipline or productivity than how about efficiency. How about having fun or enjoying it while on work? Does it hinder or enhance efficiency? Different people have different definition of fun and get relaxation from different form of activities. Does one form or formula fits on all?

In my view with broad discipline, efficiency is more important and clean fun make work more enjoyable.

Another important aspect is - does vacationing or long leaves really necessary or long weekends (3-4 days) several time in a year are more relevant. Long vacations which gives us enough breather to look at other important aspects of life or finish long pending tasks but makes it difficult to adjust back into grind and may not tie in with times when we require the relaxation most. Short vacations gives us necessary breather several times in a year and easy to accommodate with other's schedule.

Anyway, whichever way we look at it, due vacationing is important and should be encouraged like necessary job training for healthy, productive and productive workforce as well to give a work home balance we all strive to achieve.

Monetary Requirements

We often come across arguments from people on how much money does an individual need?
Is money driving people or people drive things with money as by-product /generate money?

often people try to justify underpaid position/under utilization etc. by logic that how much money does an individual really need. How much money is enough 10 million rupees or 10 billion rupees? What will one do if he has 10 billion rupees in his hand today and how it will change his life (i am not talking about splurging it on luxury which is anyway unsustainable). So logic goes as "one is better off to take back seat, take things easy, become less aggressive/competitive, accept second hands in life etc. and go for slow and steady and settle for average life which is routine for millions already living in the city".

If one tries to be materialistic, which anyway has no end (circle of 99) and non permanency of money attached to it, one get warnings and advise to the contrary. But in real life, if you review the actions of people in bit more detail, doesn't one find everyone getting driven by money and trying to make as much money as possible in what ever manner available to him due to position or situation.

Thus i find society getting more and more capitalist rather than socialist or other form normally associated with Indian society.

What i find of merit is being a empathetic capitalist, one who puts capital to work for the benefit of society and deploy it in means of production which can make people honest and dignified living. They are encouraged to earn more and more in legal manner by providing them multiple tools and avenues to better their life and earning power. even luxury shall be attached to utility and keep economy/money flow fluid. Let controlling power get less paranoid and encourage / empower people to earn as much as possible through providing channels or legitimate and numerous means.

'll write about changing society values soon as i try to socialize more as an Indian in India rather than as an NRI.

Way of Life

Does seven year itch in professional and personal life can be avoided by living in large/supportive family or it is increased in a nuclear family situation.

In today's time, the morality and right way of living the life has changed its meaning or at least the connotation in the contemporary India. In few instances, i found Indian living abroad (first generation) more orthodox than their Indian counterparts (it seems that life/values has frozen with them since they left India).

In my experience, India is not only seeing higher rate of economic growth, inflation etc. but an alarming change in cultural / ethics perspective. The divide between elder generation and the younger lot is much more evident now then in the past. Entertainment is served in its various format and consumed without putting context or perspective in the picture.

Does anybody also looking at making sure that cultural / personal ethics / family issues are not ignored in present times. The gurus / religious leaders who are getting embroiled in politics shall rather focus on keeping their thought prosperous and make it timely / contemporary. also make sure that their views are not only limited to poor or rich but made relevant to all sections of the society.

How about social service? is NGO only a channel to make / siphon off money? Is the culture of social service only restricted to senior citizens who have nothing else but to use it to pass time. Is the younger generation gets orientated toward it or they are too busy in making money / studies / entertainment or the rat race. 'll write about it soon.

Anger and Emotions

Does our response to events is alleviated or increased with the absence or presence of emotions.

How we respond to events also depend on the mood or the emotional state.

Thus anger which is the biggest enemy of gentleman need to be curbed via keeping a check on emotions and promoting positive thoughts, emotions and actions.

Now the key is keeping check on emotions and positive thought/actions come with experience / age Or knowledge or they are are natural gifts.............my experience is that this art can be learnt with experience and right learning not mere knowledge.

Responsibility

Are we responsible adults?
As response able adults, we shall be able to choose our important actions or response based on principles / logic rather than based on emotions, random situational stimulus or passions.
Aren't we conditioned or encouraged to act based on emotions and crass feelings to feed the vested interests of politicians, business interest groups or other power centers?
The fine balance between responsibility, balance of power and professionalism is the potion that shall enable us to achieve our goals and reach heights more than our expectations.

Self Help Tips

Listen and understood, prioritizing by moving the activities and actions from the urgent, low importance quadrant TO urgent and important quadrant.

Action plan includes keeping the weekly schedule of role (work, home, family, community and spiritual) wise priorities in terms of tasks and activities beside the daily grind.

What is important - these are the things that are top ten most important things in my life that shall help me live, learn, earn, popularity, power, status, benefit human kind and leave a legacy.
So gonna go with time management with direction.

Will write about principles and response ability soon.