Be Tidy and Get Back Your Lost One Third of Life

Most people must be wondering as to how can one get back so many lost years of one's life for better use. We have done some work out for you. Read:

Suppose you live for 90 years (We pray that you should live for ever. We took 90 years life span merely for ease of calculations).

Of 90 years, one uses about 8 hours per day in sleeping (and that you must do for good health). So, you spend approximately one third of your entire life in sleeping i.e. 30 years.

Left with you are: 60 years when you are awake.

Now recall your every day routine from the time you wake up till you go to sleep. It is full of one activity i.e. searching. Searching everything- searching towel, clothes, shoes, spectacles, vehicle keys, office keys, identity card, papers, data, information, files, telephone numbers and hundreds of other things.

Researches have shown that on an average, an OK (or so-so) tidy and lukewarmly (dis)organized person (not the real tidy and organized person) wastes some 30% of his available waking time in searching for all kinds of things because he cannot find things in place and takes lots of time locating and retrieving them. You will agree that a large number of people come in this category.

So 30% of available 60 years of life go phat in air without really being put to any good use (searching things is definitely not a good use of time). That's precious some 20 years of life.

Imagine losing big 20 years of life in a non-value adding activity called searching because of not being tidy and organized.

Lesson: Get tidy. Get organized- place for everything and everything in place and recover your otherwise lost 20 long years of life for doing more purposeful activities.

Good luck!!

Read the “inside” stories of the corporate sector at: (Management Anecdotes) http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/

Fundamentals That Should Be Strictly Followed ALL the Times to Avert Global Recession

On November 19, 2008, we published a post titled:

When The Fundamentals Are Massacred, Global Recession Is Born

Sine then, we received a large number of requests to suggest as to what those fundamentals could be. We give below some of them. If all kinds of organizations and people in general follow them all the times (even in good times), recession can be eliminated, averted and tackled.

• No one should try to exploit the general public in any way.
• No one should try to exploit the customers in any way.
• Prices of lands, buildings, goods and services (particularly education and health care) as well as share (stock) prices should not be artificially inflated. If need be, there should be a non-corrupt state control over the prices of land, houses, essential food stuff, health care and education.
• Buyers should not take loans to buy the things needed by them. They should try to buy what they can afford without taking loans. If at all they wish to take some loans, the loan amount should be absolute minimum which they can return very easily within their income levels.
• Propelling the economy by way of promoting easy and unsubstantiated loans to individuals and corporations by any financial institution or government is never the sound and lasting way of bringing up economy.
• Jacking up the motivation among people and corporations for purchases/demands of goods and services artificially and in un-natural ways will never build up strong permanent economy.
• Profit margins should not be draconically out of proportions.
• Prices of goods should be an outcome of free economy based on sound principles of supply and demand and healthy competition and should not be an outcome of lobbying and cartels (there should be a strict curb on it by the law).
• Corruption of various kinds in corporate- public and private sectors and governments should be eliminated. Corrupt people at all the levels should be severely punished.
• Real competent (competence includes ethics obviously) people should be put at the helm of affairs of various important and vital organizations like government, banks, financial institutions, life and general insurance companies and even in the corporate- industrial and business sectors etc.
• The organizations should be run at the highest effectiveness and efficiency levels all the time.
• All kinds of non-value adding expenses should be controlled; cost management should be at its peak all the time.
• The salaries, perquisites and profit sharing percentages of people particularly, the promoters of companies, CEOs, directors and other top/senior managers of various organizations, politicians, ministers and top/senior bureaucrats should be decided in proportion, based on their likely long term as well as short term contributions and not out of their greed.
• The bonuses/profit sharing, particularly to the top brass of all the organizations of any type and even to the other employees, should not be distributed as cash but can be given in the form of the shares of that organization and there must be some controls over the period (number of years) during which they can not be sold/traded. It will put responsibility on the top brass to look after the health of the companies they run on a longer term basis.
• Rather than removing the people from their jobs in the times of down-trends of the organizations under the notorious garb of downsizing and right sizing, the salaries of the people particularly at the levels where they are paid astronomically high salaries in a lop- sided manner should be curtailed. Thus, people will not be out of employment and this will retain the purchasing power in the system at reasonably stable and good levels so as not to upset the economy and create recession.

There may be some more fundamentals which are not listed here. Readers are requested to add them in the comments column of this write-up.

Read the “inside” stories of the corporate sector at: (Management Anecdotes) http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/

Do the Countries Really Need Politicians and Politics?

Do the Countries Really Need Politicians and Politics?

This is an important question to answer in today's times.

Most democracies are still following the King/Queen model even after adopting democracy. The elected politicians start behaving like kings/queens. They literally start acting like lords. Do we really need such people with "politics" as their main or only competency?

Or do we need people with other competencies that are needed by any nation and it's people who know how to manage various aspects of science, technology, economy, development, people, education, employment, progress, health, environment, discipline and peace.

The candidates who wish to offer their services and expertise as a part of the institution called "government" should possess these kinds of competencies, education and experience. The election authorities should have a body of known and proven experts in these fields and they should screen out and reject the candidates who do not possess the right competencies, education and experience.

The candidates who stand good as per these criteria should only be allowed to present themselves for getting elected in the government. The highest posts in each department should not be that of a "political minister" but should be like that of CEOs, departmental heads etc.

With this type of model, the nations will function better.

Read the “inside” stories of the corporate sector at: (Management Anecdotes) http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/

When The Fundamentals Are Massacred, Global Recession Is Born

Fundamentals Slaughtered: Global Recession (2008) Is The Outcome

Wrong exploiting practices bordering on cheating the general public led by the ever increasing greed adopted by the corporations, the industrialists, directors of the board of companies, CEOs, promoters of businesses, banks and bankers, financial institutions, builders and property dealers, the governments, politicians and bureaucrats, life and other insurance companies, credit card joints and value-flouting professionals have all finally culminated in the dangerous world wide recession (2008).

And the funniest part is, they are all asking for help from the governments who in fact collect the money, in the form of taxes from the very public (the gullible public) who are ultimately the suckers, the same very people who have been duped by the recession. So, the culprits are begging for their existence from the same very people whom they have looted in the first place. Where from this public who is losing their earnings and jobs in millions will pay taxes to the governments and where from the governments will pay these losing corporations?

Utter paradox and contradictions!! It's a full foul circle or more correctly put, negatively increasing spiral- damn difficult to break in. Only way to break in it and cut into it to convert it into a positively increasing spiral is: Start following the FUNDAMENTALS and Don't Fool With.

Read the “inside” stories of the corporate sector at: (Management Anecdotes) http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/

What They Don't Teach You In Best of Schools and Families

Life is no bed of roses automatically. Yet many schools, colleges, institutions, governments and families show only the easier side of life and how the emerging global, political, economical environment are going to help large population of people on earth. Many people take it as gospel truth literally and think that their lot will be taken care of by the system.

In real life, this is not true. despite all the optimism and feel good factors, every individual will have to know the tougher side of life and prepare himself or herself right from the word go.

You have to understand a few hard facts about life which they don't teach you in the best of the schools and the families:

1. For your success or failure, you are responsible. No teacher, school, organization, boss, environment or system is interested in you as much as you should be. They all have their own problems and they are busy solving them. Don't be fooled if some organization claims to have a career planning system for its employees.

2. Just because a few elite colleges scream about their job placement achievements in terms of the astronomical salaries their students were offered (most times it may not be statistically correct and it may be more of their ad campaign), please remember that you are not going to get that kind of publicised salary just like that. You may get one if the employer thinks that you are the right one. Become the right one. You can't fake it. It requires real work on your part.

3. Don't dream that there will be some "ideal" organization. Every organization has strong points and weaknesses. So, choose the one with care and yet don't get disillusioned if you find faults in it.

4. Most companies have politics. Keep your eyes and ears open to know it. However, do not get involved in it and don't play it yourself. Yet, don't be naive.

5. Every job, howsoever glamorous it may look to the outside world, finally boils down to mundane, detailed and repetitive minor sets of activities. Don't get bored easily. The more you repeat, the more you practice, the better craftsman you will become. And you will earn lots too. A good surgeon makes tons of money doing repetitive operations on large numbers of patients day in and day out. The world thinks high of him.

6. There is no need to emphasize as to how many hours you stayed at the work place. Important thing to ask is: did you do a fair share of the job with good results and could you make yourself more effective? Work is un-ending. But do go back home to your family members to spend good time with them or you will lose them though you may have your job. Your spouse, kids and parents are as important as your job, employers and customers.

7. Gradually meritocracy is taking over the street smarts, show-offs and sycophants. Future is for people with merits. So, concentrate on improving your values, knowledge, competencies, skills, expertise, paradigms and internal motivation.

8. The real world is not as glamorous as they show in movies or in serials on television. There is lot of escapism built into them. Don't remain in that world for very long, get out of it soon after you have finished with a movie or a television serial and get on with the real life tasks ahead of you in case you want to accomplish something in your personal, family and professional life.

Read the “inside” stories of the corporate sector at: (Management Anecdotes) http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/

Women's Liberation (Women's Lib)

Women’s lib (Women’s liberation) was sensationalized by burning the bras. It did attract people’s attention and few good things might have happened superficially here and there for women due to it. It was a symbolic event to ask for equal rights for women, same as what the men have, in many areas of life.

The fact is, women still wear the bras, by their own choice. And they can or they should, if they think that they should.

The point we are making is, women should have right of a choice or choices and right of having equal rights. The things should not be imposed on them by men or by society or by religious or political (so called, self appointed) leaders or their rights should not be limited or curtailed.
The most important aspect is that women should be able to uphold their identity all the time, which is their fundamental choice.

However, in reality, it is not so. As soon as they get married, they have to change their identity. They have to change their name. In every country, all over the world, women are made to adopt their husband’s family name (and in many communities in the world, the husbands can even change the first name of women they marry). It is ridiculous. It is horrible.

After marriage, this is one of the biggest traumas women undergo. They suddenly lose their identity (not by their choice but by the social and religious traditions and customs endorsed also by the legalities). For first 20, 25, 30-35 years before marriage, she is Miss Reena Thomas and immediately after marriage she has to become Mrs Reena Fernandez. Or Miss Kavita Chopra becomes Mrs Kavita Bhatia and so on. And then she has to get this new name registered on her various legal documents: pass-port, driving license, in the documents of the organization where she works etc. While, this involves tons of avoidable non-value adding work for everyone, the worst sufferer is the lady herself, who has lost her identity of first 20, 25, 30-35 years of her life by having to change her name.

There is in fact no need for all this change of family name of women after their marriage. They can simply remain Ms Reena or Ms Kavita or Ms Najma. What’s the big purpose, what’s the big need? There is no need to suffix the family names or surnames.

In fact, it will also be a good idea for all the men folk also to forget about their family names or surnames. What’s the big harm if Mr John Fernandez just remains Mr John? Or Mr Ramesh Jain just remains Mr Ramesh. Or Mr Salam Basha just remains Mr Salam. The uniqueness of a name, whether of man or woman, can be maintained for all legal or financial requirements, by processing his or her first name along with his or her mother’s name and his or her birth date and birth year.

All of this also will help to create one harmonious world of people who do not display their caste, creed, color, religion and nationality in an obvious manner by attaching their family names or surnames. It will prove to be one great step towards world peace.

Women, are you listening? Take this up as your next step in Women’s Liberation movement, perhaps the most important part of upholding your choices and rights.

Read the “inside” stories of the corporate sector at: (Management Anecdotes) http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/

The Three Letter Word "Sir"

Peep into the offices of most of the organizations in most of the countries of the world and you will notice a similar scene- the boss sitting in his well cushioned wheel chair like a super-human in an expansive manner and the subordinate sitting in front of him across the table belittling himself as much as possible and bending low, squeezing his limbs, trying to occupy as little area on the chair as possible and addressing the boss, after every other word of his dialogue, "Sir, yes sir, very good sir, you are right sir, yes sir and yes sir and .........."

Most people are so much accustomed to this master-slave relationship that a person at the lower rungs of official hierarchy is always treated as a dumb donkey. And this feeling is further aggravated by this three letter word "sir". This word when spoken, creates, immediately, a sense of false inferiority in the subject who speaks this word and a false superiority in the addressee. As soon as this phenomenon takes place, the actual work, the intended results from the work and the real objective of the discussions between the two persons get surrounded by the ego satisfaction of the boss and the selfish motives of the subordinates. Many bosses feel offended if they are called "Mr so and so", they always expect to be called "sir". The subordinates on the other hand develop an unnecessary guilt feeling if they do not address their bosses with a "sir". In majority of cases, it is not out of respect that a man wants to call other person with a dignified address. It is out of selfishness, fear, doubt and the bad custom. This word "sir" arouses the base feelings of the human beings.

There are three types of situations where you will find the "sir" culture:
1. The boss wants to be addressed "sir" (he wants sycophants around him).
2. The subordinates are in habit of calling their boss as "sir" for some reasons or other (though the boss is quite open-minded on this issue)
3. The boss and subordinate both are used to it.

It is surprising that not many human behavior experts have seriously identified this calling each other "sir" a major stumbling block in the development and progress of the human society in most parts of the world. In few organizations, in some parts of the world, they encourage address by the first names or surnames and in a way, it reflects that there is no master and there is no slave. But it is doubtful if a subordinate at a junior rung or for that matter even at a higher rung of the hierarchy will be accepted addressing any CEO or Chairman of an organization or a president or prime minister of a country by his first name or as "Mr so and so".

If "sir" is used as a mark of reverence, it has different connotation- no motives are attached.

It is time that every organization every where in the world tries to scrap this kind of address and promotes a healthy man to man relationship. This should start from homes, schools and colleges. The teachers and professors should take pride in being called by their names by their students. Mere usage of the word "sir" does not bring in the sense of discipline. It's time we change our values on "what is discipline".

Read the “inside” stories of the corporate sector at: (Management Anecdotes) http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/

One Common Place for Prayer for All The Faiths

During my travel abroad, I see a great concept already implemented at terminal 4 of Heathrow airport, London.

If you go towards the gate numbers 1 to 5 or so (I don't remember the exact gate numbers) on terminal 4 of Heathrow, you will read a display board: "Place (Room) for Prayer for All The Faiths" (these may not be the exact words but closer to this meaning). The place is unpretentious, it's very simple looking.

I do see many people of all the faiths going to this moderate sized corner and praying in silence and keeping the room clean. No one disturbs the other.

This concept can be and needs to be implemented everywhere- in every town and every city of every country on planet earth.

Read the “inside” stories of the corporate sector at: (Management Anecdotes) http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/

Rich of the World Live in Squalor

The rich people of the world, proudly announced in, you cant count how many lists by the interested parties and corporates live in the same squalor as the poor people of the world.

They live in the same singular environment.

This environment is full of all kinds of filth and they happily ever live in it: the pollutants and the black soot in air they breathe, the dirty and poisonous water that fills the water front near their mansions and that they drink after whatever possible treatment, noise pollution, ugly sights, bad and dangerous roads and the countless others.

What is the big fuss about their money if they cant correct it. Let them at least start buying the cleanliness of environment for themselves and their families. It will surely benefit the poor ones of the world too.

Read the “inside” stories of the corporate sector at: (Management Anecdotes) http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/

Unconventional, Avant-garde and Contemporary

I am going to give you something new to think about here: unorthodox, startling, upbeat, wow, interesting and so on.

Keep reading my posts here from time to time, frequently and enjoy.

Have fun.

Read the “inside” stories of the corporate sector at: (Management Anecdotes) http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/