Perfect picture moment

I was just checking my children photos. Out of 10 clicks, one photo had me glued taking me to the moment of the picture. The only realization of present was the wetness in my eyes not letting me gaze longer that I long for that very perfect picture moment

Why so!. Why not the remaining 9 ?

The answer was available when we met one of our customers steering committee. True, this project and customer has made me "unlearn" me many heuristics that is for better.

The project was to convert their SOP to e-Learning training manuals. Now, there was just one topic, which is conceptual in nature. The customer wanted it to be treated differently. We tuned to the ways of standardization and reusability, got the delivery which had the meaning explained well. There was a silent acceptance with indications that more was expected for this topic, yet the direction remained unclear.

Knowing that we need to stop, rewind, revert back to creativity for this module, back in drawing board, we talked, iterated, scrapped ideas, and came up with what is an acceptable profitable proposition for both in form of a complete story. The end result was demonstrated in the steering committee, with personal accolades coming our way.

There, 3 of us were standing, staring at the gamble thinking what went right, while receiving compliments, with an all time high in customer satisfaction.

The perfect picture moment, was when the COO congratulated us with a firm hand shake and trade mark briskness with a smile.

Personal or Professional, strive for that perfect picture moment which freezes you in time. It should make you realize the loneliness of the present, and wanting the moment etched in memories back.

A Best Marketing Program

When I joined one of my ex-employers in year 2002, after a few months of getting hang of things, we realised the need for strong marketing and sales pitch.

Apart from usual brochures, collaterals, capability documents, case studies, the realization was that these are usual stuff, that everyone have stopped the distinction to master them.

In a small team of just 8-9 people, 4 of us took the task of creating a showcase project and a extranet website. The results were amazing. Within 2 months, we had both the deliverables, which to this day, remain our pride.

In the current organization, the same rally could not happen for quite some time. We realized the need, but went about in different directions. The channelization was frittered with so many twists and turns that we dropped the ball many times. As a leader, I might take the accountability, but each one responsible in the team, also played their part.

Fast Forward to this month - May 2009. A small, focused team joined a internal initiative group. One of the "actioners" is from my group. She spread the "viral" to 2 more enthusiastic participants. They came up with an idea and it was executed by a team (majority of team members from my team) in less than one month. Further more, the sustenance model, envisaged is amazing.

So what did this team do ?
Well, they turned to the age old, effervescent communication model: Story Telling.

The Medium: Screen Savers.

Sustenance Model: Create sequel to the stories.

Imagine this: Every time your computer snoozes, this screen saver comes up. I might not see it in my machine, but I could get to see it in other machines. In people, who are not disciplined to shut off their monitors, this is a good excuse.

In just a month, every idle screen in the global company showcases the story, execution created by my team.

Isn't this the best marketing stunt ?

Perfection paralysis

“Perfection paralysis” is expensive. More than cost, it is time and opportunity, that once missed never present themselves again.

Sometimes it is not worth the effort to make things “perfect.” Take a look at time costs involved and weigh these against the benefit of perfection. Always, second best in operation is better than first best on the drawing board.

How much ever I have said, this is one point, that I have not been able to convince my team. May be, I never had a story to drive my point on this one.

We have been eternally working on the perfect communication logo, perfect out-of-world site, perfect phrases in communication, that is still iterated, scrapped and reinvented.

Today, after much coaxing, we have launched our work in progress site to a focus group. It is now nowhere near the perfection aimed at start. However, I sense the pride that at-last, the team has broke its shell and courageous enough to test with what is considered v1.0.

Lofty ideals, need hardships, practice and courage to achieve their eternal perfect state. Sensing hardships and trying to workaround practice and courage, never gets you out of paralysis stage.

You have something to share and sooner you get to the market is the best survival tactic.

What is a good communication ?

What is a good communication ?

There are lots of way to get a point across. The best and most preferred one: TALK.
In professional environment, is it sufficient though ?

When every person in their roles are awarded multiple responsibilities, wouldn't it help, if I remember the context, why,
1. A discussion went a certain way, OR
2. The information and advice provided in taking a decision OR
3. The current problem is linked to my earlier/prior action OR
4. The assumptions, were left unaddressed/unstated during prior meetings ?
5. Did I confuse between my 2 distinct responsibilities when we talked last time ?

TALK is a transient medium. To give credence, it is always required to create a record that leaves a trail to trace, track and find out where the deviations occurred. When things go right, the records give a case study for future team to follow.

Have you noticed that many times, bad news is always learnt through long winding emails ? Is it fear of guilt or fear of retribution ?

Avoiding any of these problems always requires diligence, discipline and detailed record keeping of you, your customer and your customer bosses.

A unknown side effect is that, you will learn to do your duties in more organized manner, as you cannot keep a bad communication in your records.

"Leave a Trail" was my main message in this appraisal cycle.

Polite, Pleasant, Persistent

Today, I got to talk to one of my colleagues who has joined me recently. He was very upset at the fact that I keep giving him work, before he gets to complete the first one.

Our discussion continued as follows:

me: I like people who close the loop. Having too many things in plate and just showing the first work is not acceptable. I have given feedback after my review on past 2 occasions and you have not shown progress on those assignment.

Colleague: How am I to take up past work, when a new work comes my way ? This is out of context as I have come to you for review of the third assignment.

me: I am wondering what you will do to my feedback on this one. I cant help imagining that you will be onto something else and forget this one.

Colleague: How do you think I can cope with the multiple work you give me. I am sincere, coming to office, staying late to finish what you tell me to.

me: My dear, adaptability is the key. I do not give 3 work at once. There is time gap between first and second. What you do in the time gap is the solution.

Colleague: Are you telling me, I am not doing my job.

me: hmm. all I want to say, getting one step ahead is important. When I give you second assignment, you should be able to give me the first assignment for my review. When you submit the second one for review, you should get working on first assignment review. When I give you third one, you should be able to submit the first for review.

Doing this, who has more work on their plate ?

Colleague: .......

me: What is on your mind?

Colleague: I come asking for help and you seem to be too busy. Hence I have got to do lot of work, before I get to understand what you want.

me: That is typical of any manager. If things are priority for you, I am sureyou will seek to find me free and ask me for help, at any cost. When I turn you off, it is first impression for me to judge, how good you are as a professional. A good professional will resist urge to do hard work and seek help at any cost.

Colleague: Wouldn't you then perceive me as a hard nosed selfish guy who overrides or cares less of others to get his job done. Would you talk to me, which is already a trickle for me.

me: You are right. I am wary to entertain such people. It is all in the personality. You need to be polite, patient and yet persistent. It is a skill that you need to develop for getting to next level you have asked me in earlier occasions.

Colleague: Hmm. let me try. But how all 3 are possible still looks crazy like you :) to me. Do you have an example up your sleeve ?

me: hehehe. Let me try cooking up something for you.

Polite: "Can I have a time from you. I need your advice on the assignment I am working on."

Pleasant: Catching me near water cooler - "Atlast I got to get a glimpse of you. What keeps you busy these days?" After answer empathize. "A gentle request: I hope you remember my request earlier ? Let me know whenever you can spend a few minutes."

Persistent: Repeat above at intervals that are not obstrusive enough and till you get the audience. Like, after a couple of days, "I know you are leaving and looking tired ? Can I meet you first thing in morning, to clear myself from your way. This intermediate time has give me more clarity, but I still feel I need help."

How many times, have you accomplished more than expectation by being polite, pleasant and persistent. Haven't they become your fans and grant you first right of disturbance when you need them later?

Operation Theatre

One of life's most rewarding lessons come when you see a new life getting to your hands minutes from the operation theater.

The palpable suspense, the sense of helplessness, the ever positive comfort from every one not controlling the show giving the verdict that it will be a success, the people responsible for deliverance wearing their serious masks and covering it to not unravel their deep suspicions and tiredness, every one waiting with bated breath have only one thing in common: Talk to God and make up for lost time in this most period with full knowledge that you should be doing it daily. Even you make resolutions to do so but they get over ridden later is another blog topic.

What happens when you get the news. You go numb, dumb, smile but do not know what your immediate role was ( although the source was long time back), wait to broadcast, and remember: Stories do get built progressively and you get better and better with every call.

The perfection of the occasion is so immense that you cherish the final story that you did not plan, design or script but just coined and conjured in the moments that you spend with people. for the rest of your life and pass it on to your generation that came from you.

When, ever do you get such an impact, where, the story is gripping and, the game starts immediately after the final result is a success?

When you become 2...

March 29, 2009. 08:41 P.M.

A Maternity Home in Hyderabad...

A new life arrives on earth.


What happens Next? The story starts...