One ball at a time

I recently read Andrew Flintoff's biography - Second Innings: My Sporting Life - and was quite taken with his descriptions of the ups and downs in his playing performance over the years. Yes, there was alcohol, intrinsically linked to it all, but there was also his own psychological state, choppy and uneven. Reading about his mind made me contrast his mental make-up with those of players in the Australian team, who seem more naturally aggressive in the most nonchalant way, almost childlike in the way they approach life. 

I don't know much about sports psychology, but It seems to me that you're at your best when you're simply playing and not thinking too much about playing. Flintoff was at his best when he was on a mood high, happy with his place in the world, playing without care, visualising himself as a giant, fearless, untouchable and taking it one ball at a time. I think it's an attitude thing. It might be better for your performance to stop thinking about your performance, and just live in the moment, one ball at a time. 

Perhaps that's why the Australians are so good at cricket. That and trust. you've got to have good camaraderie with your team mates, coach and management to put you in a good mood and clear your mind. But other that that, there's an element of not caring about the outcome of a match that I think helps. Because really, you have no control over much, less so the outcome of a sports match, and the sooner you accept that, the better off you will be. Because then no matter how good or bad the match outcome, you see no reason to blame yourself, to doubt yourself. You did your best, everything else was out of your control, better luck next time.

And I suppose the ability to see things in the larger perspective helps - it's just a match, there are people on this planet with real problems and bigger issues, you're just swinging a bat or throwing a ball. Just do the best you can do at that moment and let everything else sort itself out. If you really suck, they'll replace you with someone else. That's their problem, not yours.

I wonder if extending this attitude to business helps. Maybe the most successful business professionals are those who don't act one way or another but simply live out their natural mental states at work. Focus on the job at hand, let everything else sort itself. Whether the organisation lives or dies is not your immediate concern. Leave that to someone else. Do a good job. Be the best you can be. How your work fits into the larger scheme of things is a useful way to think if it's part of your job, if it will help you get better at what you do,  but if it's only going to fill you with self doubt and stress, then what's the point? I guess that works if you're a specialist and not the owner of a company, because then you're going to need a slightly different attitude to your work. Or maybe not. Perhaps even owners just need to tackle one challenge at a time.

One ball at a time

IT guys, Snobbishness & Competencies

A lot of IT guys, particularly the ones that just hit the job scene, seem to have a sort of snobbish complex about their jobs, looking down on people with fewer technical skills and more business administration skills. They laugh at terms like Prioritization, Time Management, Change Management, Lean Fundamentals & Project Management, thinking these 'made up terms' that don't really have any value and don't really do anything. 

Perhaps, when your work involves technical expertise, you tend to work within a bubble, respecting only those people around you with similar skills & objectives, and mentally demeaning or devaluing those within administration, management, etc.

However, techies would do well to remember that the companies they work for wouldn't be around for long without these kinds of folk. We’re not talking about start-ups. We're talking about a large IT company, with 5,000 to 50,000 employees. Companies like these run on processes.

Your brilliant scientific mind and those of your colleagues might develop a software product that changes the way we live, but it takes a whole team of costing specialists to number crunch, deciding how much value they should attach to the end product and its various stages of development, including the value of your time spent developing it. Without the cost managers, how would your company know what to charge for anything, or the ideal time a project should take till completion, or how much to bill a client, or how much to pay you? It probably wouldn't even have financially mapped deadlines.

Then there’s the business development guys, the ones who reach out to create clients to begin with. You wouldn't have any work without them, since they’re the ones who’re out there in the field pimping you. And they need the latest analytical tools (that you deem useless) to help sell your services.

Once a contract’s been signed, you need to have client relationship people to keep the client informed and happy. You can’t expect the clients to talk to you techies and get a straight answer to a query about a project update, in English, in less that 20 seconds. And the client relationship guys need a whole host of soft business skills to be good at what they do.

And of course you need real business experts, operations and process experts to ensure the human conveyor belt keep functioning smoothly and efficiently. And they can't be using outdated project management tools now, can they?

There's simply no room for snobbishness in a large organisation, and with such specific job roles as yours, it's understandable to come across competencies you don't understand. But remember, every competency is valuable.

IT guys, Snobbishness & Competencies

Funny Calls I got while at a Call Center

You get weird calls when you work at a call center.


There was this one lady caller who's name was 'By-the-way'. As in Mrs. By-the-way. Sounded ancient. And funny. And made me conscious of the ways I began my sentences.


The Greek last names were the worst. Too unpronounceable. The owners they belonged to were used to people struggling with their names, and so usually preempted our awkwardness by asking us to refer to them by their first names. We were grateful.

There was the customer named Daniel, not unusual in itself, but I had to transfer him to a clearings house agent, and that guy introduced himself as Daniel too. After a short pause, I stuck to transfer protocol. "Hi Daniel, this is Daniel from XYZ dept., and you won't believe this but I've got a customer named Daniel on the other line."


The weirdest call I got wasn't even from a customer, but a couple who lived on the floor above one of our bank branches. Apparently, it was past bedtime, and the bank's automatic doors weren't working properly, and would keep opening and closing. Apart from being a serious security risk, it kept the people upstairs awake. I asked them to call the police.


We'd get our share of drunk callers too. Imagine accepting a call, only to hear a man gargling on the other end of the line, and then asking if he sounded like Sonu Nigam. After he repeated this 3 times, I hung up. Not as bad as the situation one of my colleagues, and an aspiring trainer, found herself in, when she got a caller who identified himself as being drunk, and told her he was making love to the floor. The only silver lining with weird calls like these, is we were able to end them quickly, which made our average call times look good.


Of course, sometimes even good calls stretched longer than they should have. A friend and colleague, after tending to a caller, ending up at the receiving end of a member of the Watchtower Society, who probably sensed fresh meat. Experiences with other callers who lingered, were much more pleasant, and usually involved tourist recommendations and chats about the weather when they discovered we were Indians. 


And you got to really help people occasionally. I remember trying to help out this one guy who really seemed depressed, and towards the end of the call  he told me he'd have probably killed himself if I hadn't helped him. That one felt good. 


There was also this really sad lady caller who just wanted to talk to someone. I heard her out for over 10 minutes, way longer than the average call handling time we were supposed to stick to. But I didn't worry about my stats, they were already good, and 1 or 2 outliers a week wouldn't make a difference. Plus, it wouldn't have been proper to disconnect on the lady. We were only allowed to do so with abusive callers. I could of course have coaxed her into disconnecting, but I heard her out. She talked about life being both beautiful and futile. Call volumes dropped that afternoon. I learned later that a series of bombs went of in a few of that country's busiest train stations.


When you work a rush hour shift, one coinciding with your host country's busiest call volume timings, you're usually left with a hoarse voice by the end of the day. So it wasn't surprising then, when at the fag end of one such day, an elderly gentleman asked me if the person he was speaking to was a boy or girl.


Most callers were polite, and even more so when they were speaking to a manager. During night shifts, when we were the only team on the floor, and our Team Leader was taking a nap downstairs, I was glad to take escalated calls, posing as the TL. Irritated customers change their demeanor drastically when they think they're speaking to someone with authority.


Speaking about night shifts, the good thing about working for a UK process is that they're minimal, most of your work being scheduled from afternoon to dinnertime. Those of us who did spend the odd month working the graveyard shift, found that we had the floor to ourselves for the night. We were often the only team present, had only our fellow team mates for company, and could only take our scheduled team breaks in pairs.


The first 2 nights of the graveyard shift were the worst. Adjusting to the new shift and changing our body clocks usually meant falling asleep on the job and missing a few calls. But it was smooth sailing after that. You got hardly any calls during the early hours of the morning, and spent most of your time fooling around with your team mates, chatting, reading, or playing computer games.

Funny Calls I got while at a Call Center

How to Pick a Job

You need money to get by. And barring a scenario where you win the lottery, etc., you need to work to make money. What type of work should you do?

It makes sense to do something that will pay at least reasonably well, and something you don't suck at, and that you don't hate doing. These are the minimum criteria. In a best case scenario, you'd be paid handsomely, would be fantastic at doing it, and would also love your work.

Working between the parameters of the minimum and best case scenarios above, you need to look at how well you like performing the tasks that your job requires of you. You see, every job simply consists of responsibilities, which can be further broken down into tasks that you need to complete on a daily basis. 

Do not be swayed or influenced by a job title. It is just a term, a name, it means nothing. It induces a feeling in you, of what that job might be like, that isn't necessarily accurate. A job is really the tasks that it comprises.

So get a feel of what tasks the job would require of you, what you would do on a daily basis. If you enjoy these, and are paid well to do these, and have a natural aptitude for these tasks, you're set.

How to Pick a Job

Two Kinds of Employees

There are two kinds of employees in any organisation:

Those who play it safe

Their job role is defined around a list of fixed responsibilities and tasks, which they will follow to the letter and not change. They will do everything that is within their agreed purview, and will do it efficiently. They carry out fixed and routine tasks. They follow set rules. They do what they are told. They will not take initiative. They will wait for orders. They play safe. They follow the straight path with no diversions. Diverging from a process means more work, independent thought and accountability. 

This is a comfortable, no risk, CYA work ethic. They cannot be held responsible for something they are told to do. They will enjoy stable jobs but will always be seen as followers. There is a limit to how much responsibility they will be given in an organisation. They will be used well, but not relied upon for bigger things.

Those who show initiative

They define themselves by their goals, not by a fixed list of tasks or responsibilities, which can constantly change. They are ready for change. They will go out of their purview to get something done. They not only follow the rules but change them and break them if necessary, and set new rules. They do what they are told, and more. They think for themselves, and do what they should have been told to do. 

They constantly take initiative, and not wait for orders, but do what they think is right. More importantly, they take responsibility for everything they do, because their actions are theirs alone, and not necessarily group mandated, but actions that they believe will help the group at large. This contains an element of risk, as bad decisions are occasionally made, and consequences follow. But in the long run, they are trusted with larger projects that require independent thought.

What do you think? Which group are you in?

Two Kinds of Employees

Thoughts and Observations

Some thoughts and observations since I returned to Mumbai.

1. I'm still in the process of putting up my travel diary entries on the blog. This will take a while. My pics are in the process of being put up on Facebook.

2. We've given up half our office floor space a week after I return, making some of us move. Who knew we just needed half the space to fit in the same number of people? On the down side, we were so used to occupying a large office that the place we're left with now seems a little small.

3. Three of my friends - MD, RV & PV - who were in the process of looking for new jobs when I left, are now happily back to work after successful job hunts.

Here's an interesting TIME article on using Twitter and Facebook to find a new job, and it's corollary (thanks to Gautam Ghosh).

4. I've been going through my mail, not all of which I was able to read while travelling, and have come across some interesting stuff:

• My friend FP sent me a lesson in innovation - How David beats Goliath
• Arvind Iyer observes that we don't live a moment for the moment anymore. A very valid point, especially for travellers who love photography.
  
• And for travellers who travel by air and book tickets online, the Kiruba incident makes for informative reading.

Thoughts and Observations

It could have been worse

This Saturday began well. For starters, I woke late after a late Friday night. Then I spent the morning and afternoon relaxing. The tiresome part began when I left home in the early evening to go to PV's place to catch the second IPL match, but made a detour to the office first to mail some docs to myself that I had forgotten to do on Friday.

This took longer than expected, what with traffic in Bandra being real mean. I had to walk halfway to the office just to save time. And walked back all the way to the station when I was done. Went to Dadar and found PV's place at Five Gardens quite easily, and was treated to Dhansak for dinner, along with a long walk around Five Gardens.

Returned to see the Royals get crushed badly by the Challengers. Didn't stay for the end but left, walking to Dadar station. I was surprised at how tried I was on the train ride home. I was nodding off on the train and couldn't concentrate on my book. All I wanted to do was to get home as quickly as possible and get some sleep.

My rickshaw was quick enough, but on reaching LIC colony, we saw an overturned rickshaw in the middle of the street blocking all traffic. We were the second ones on the spot. A car had stopped by on the other side and a guy had already got out and was turning the rickshaw over. I felt a bit queasy as I could see a foot jutting out from under the overturned vehicle as we got closer, and I realised it probably belonged to the rickshaw driver. I didn't know if he was crushed or dead.

By the time I got out of my rick and had walked up to the overturned rick, the guy from the car was already righting it. I walked round to the other side, where the victim lay, and noticed two things simultaneously - that there had been no passengers in the rick, and that the driver was alive and not too badly hurt. There was a bid of blood on the ground, and he did have a few ugly bruises and scrapes on the knee and arm, but he seemed O.K otherwise. He was badly shaken up though. He looked like he was in shock or something. While the guy from the other car helped him to his feet, my rickshaw driver and I moved his rick to the side of the road and helped the driver into our rickshaw. I told my driver to take the injured driver to a hospital, paid him, and walked the rest of the way home.

Had a quick shower and went to bed. Feel asleep almost a soon as my head hit the pillow. Haven't fallen asleep so quickly in ages. Haven't been this tired in ages.

It could have been worse

Closing Day

Last day at the office yesterday - I won't be back there for almost two months. I felt a bit uncomfortable and scared yesterday before leaving - I always get nervous about stuff like this. I feel like I'm going to miss something important, or some crisis is going to crop up that I should be present to handle.

Anyway, I managed to finish a lot of last minute handover tasks, not that there were that many in the first place, which is on of the reasons I'm going on sabbatical. I then left with four other guys from the office for Janta, where we ate and drank ourselves silly.

Ah Janta, where cheap alcohol rules. Pity that I was straddled with three guys who just had to try the fancy schmancy expensive Copenhagen beer, which jacked up our bill price. Still, I used this opportunity to indulge in a little whisky tasting. Had 30 ml each of Signature, McDowell's, RC, and DSP. Nice. Real nice. And incredibly affordable.

We kept snacking simultaneously of course. Had the Chicken Crunchy (very good), Surmai Fry (just O.K for me - we make better fish at home), Prawn Chilly Fry (very good, but could do with more prawns and less chilly), and Reshmi Tikka (simply amazing). And finally ended with a Dal Khichdi and Chicken Biryani (both average). On member of our team left midway, and we watched another get quite drunk on some Smirnoff. We managed to get to the station in one piece at 12.30, me sharing a seat with the rickshaw driver on the way there.

Closing Day

Heavy Workload

The past two weeks have been harsh, workwise. After negligible amounts of work during Jan, Feb and half of March, the floodgates opened and left me with enough work to keep me happy and satisfied for the past two weeks, the work being end of the fiscal year stuff - like appraisals and last minute training booking. And so I've been working. Why can't it always be like this, with me feeling productive as opposed to feeling useless?

Also, today is April 1st, a date that immediately takes my mind back to a trip to Salalah that I went on during this time nine years ago. Hope to go back there someday.

Heavy Workload

Celebrity March

With IPL Season 2 nearing, activity at the office seems to be heating up.

RR team manager and director of coaching Darren Berry came in for a meeting and photo op yesterday. And today was RR Vice Chairman Ravi Krishnan's and co-owner Raj Kundra's turn in the boardroom.

New co-owner of approximately 12% of the RR along with Shilpa Shetty, Mr. Kundra came in with bodyguards, shades and the attitude and dress sense of a big time celebrity rather than a businessman, but perhaps that's what you'd expect from a flamboyant entrepreneur and self made millionaire.

Team physio John Gloster has paid us a visit in the past, and the friendly, humble Dinesh Salunkhe regularly makes guest appearances, at one time even trying out a cricket bat from our storeroom. Hopefully, he only did that for fun and that's not how we stock our players. Or maybe the recession HAS hit us.

But the one guy we're really waiting for is Warnie. Hopefully he'll turn up late on a Friday night with a case of rum, a few RR cheerleaders and designs on Bandra's nightlife.

Celebrity March

Christmas 2008 - Tis the season to be moderately content

Went to work on the 24th, and caught the 7.15 local home. Changed (too warm for a suit or coat; I just put on a tie) and walked to the grounds for the 8.00 P.M Mass. Lot's of people. They usually set chairs for 15,000 and there are still hundreds left standing every year. Mass finished at 9.30, with a usual joke from Fr. Franklin and a request to stack the chairs. If there's one thing we're good at, it's stacking chairs after a Mass. I waited for the crowd to ease out of the two exits and made my way back home. Met a couple of friends on the way and chatted. Ate a late dinner and slept the sleep of the tired.

Woke up on Christmas morning to read the papers and spend some time on the net, before going back to bed and waking up at around 12.30 for the big family lunch at my cousin's place. Was nice to see everyone again. Played Halo 3 on the Xbox 360 for a while before heading home. Watched Shrek the Third in the evening. To say that it wasn't as good as the first two would be an understatement.

Took some Christmas sweets to the office this morning. They were well appreciated. Overall, Christmas this year was a lot quieter, what with 26/11 and the Kandhamal violence earlier. Less celebratory and more reflectional.

To get into the Christmas mood this year, I deleted almost all the songs on my Mp3 player two weeks ago and filled it with approx. 700 Christmas ones instead, that I've been listening to since, and I still haven't finished listening to them all.

Christmas 2008 - Tis the season to be moderately content

Spice Tree Again

Another visit to Spice Tree. The second time this month. While my previous visit constituted a treat by PV who, after having acted on a piece if advice from me and finding himself happier, fell into a magnanimous mood, this one was more corporate in nature.

The party last night at 7.00 was held for the entire team I belong to at work, the menu being the one below,


And of course the alcohol kept flowing all through the party. My intake amounted to 5 whiskeys, I think. Finished off at 1.00 A.M and left for home.

Spice Tree Again

Shamiana

They screened ‘The Incredibles’ in the office in the afternoon. I saw a bit of the movie – it was good – before returning to work and my computer screen, which, due to the lights in the office being turned out, left me both giddy and nauseous an hour later. I managed to reach home in one piece, skipped dinner and went to bed.

Woke up Sat morning with no appetite. Skipped lunch, and went to 'Not Just Jazz By the Bay' at Marine Lines along with some friends for a short film festival organised by a group called Shamiana. Here’s a quick review of what I saw:

1. Mission Good Morning (mostly silent) (India)

An interesting take on how millions of Indians start their day.

Dir: Tariq Mohd
Dur: 3 mins

2. Guided Storm (Korean)

A South Korean movie made by an Indian. Outlines the disillusionments and disappointments encountered in the search for someone. The scenes swing between the past and present.

Dir: Tascha Eipe
Dur: 15 mins

3. Freiheit (silent) (U.S) (1966)

A short about a man trying to cross the Berlin border and being shot to death.

Dir: George Lucas
Dur: 3 mins

4. Hridaytteieykku Oru Madakayathra (Malayalam) (2008) (loosely means ‘Journey back to the Heart’)

A tale of father-son conflict.

Dir: Abhinand Kumar
Dur: 15 mins

5. Muslim…but NOT a Terrorist (Hindi)

A story of a young Muslim boy and his ordeal and dreams. I found this film too preachy. Linked it here - http://www.buzz18.com/videos/videos/muslim-but-not-a-terrorist/16291

Dir: Douglas D’Gama
Dur: 12 mins

6. IMAGO (animation) (France)

A beautifully made movie about a young boy who dreams of becoming a pilot. Years later, he hasn’t fulfilled his dream but sees the same passion in his Grandson. 30 second clip linked here - http://www.revver.com/video/54781/imago/

Dir: De Cedric Babouche
Dur: 12 mins

We headed off to 'Janata' in Bandra after the screening, got tired of waiting for a table, and went to Toto's, where we encountered the same problem. Finally got a place to sit at around 11.30 though.

Shamiana