Notes on Management 311221

 A job fit needs to meet three criteria. Skill fit, Value fit and Interest fit.

Avoid zero-sum thinking during negotiations.

Negotiate interests, not position.

Average managers play checkers(all pieces same), great managers play chess (more pieces different).

Social loafing is when in a group task, an individual chooses to work less thinking that others will anyway accomplish the task. Decrease in motivation and productivity in group setting.

The Köhler effect occurs when an inferior team member performs a difficult task better in a team or coaction situation than one would expect from knowledge of his or her individual performance.

Peter Drucker uses terms entrepreneurial judo and not invented here, nih, to explain how japanese used transistors to capture the radio market, replacing the vacuum tube radios.

Economics is akin to intelectual prostitution as powers decide what they want and then favour economists who share those views.

Grit is combination of passion and perseverance over a long period of time. (Angela Duckworth)

There is no right decision. There is only the decision itself and the willingness to accept its consequences.
At times, we always assume the worst in people. Someone puts you on a case because they think you are the best. And we think, it was done to put us in our place, which makes us the worst.
Sometimes an emphatic no is the last step you have to take before jumping in with two feet.
(Bluebloods)

BATNA can protect from 4 decision errors
1-Framing Error
2-Escalation of Commitment
3-Overconfidence
4-Negotiation without a standard

Notes on Management 291221

 You don't manage people, you manage actions and outcomes.

Choices lead to more than outcomes and payoffs, it is who you become. Risk taking gives you more tha reward you wanted, it gives you gaining confidence, agility and grit while making many more micro choices in pursuit of the reward.

Swamimalai Effect. Mentor becoming mentee. Swamimalai is a small town in Tanjore district in South India. The residing deity is Karthikeya who is the son of Shiva. According to mythology, Karthikeya expounds the meaning of Pranavam Aum to his father, Shiva and hence, at this temple one can see the Lord Karthikeya depicted as Guru (teacher) and Lord Shiva listening and learning as the Shishya (disciple).

people should be referred to as Human Capital and not as Human Resources as Capital was appreciable and Resources depreciable

Marcus Aurelius' stoic beliefs are still relevant to business today. At their core is the idea that work is a duty, not an entitlement.

The Japanese believe that everyone has ikigai, a purpose, whether you realize it or not. Your ikigai is for you to discover through your own life experiences.

You're most likely to achieve flow when engaged in a challenging task that you love. The tasks which make you forget the passage of time and you achieve your flow is where you are most likely to find your ikigai.

A few ikigai factors contribute to longevity among Okinawans. These include a tight-knit community with shared responsibilities; a light, diverse diet; and, regular physical activity.

Helping others achieve their career goals and accepting help yourself are key to building a successful network. Take time to understand people's goals and how you can apply your skills and resources toward their needs.

Review your actions daily to assess whether you're living the right way. Strive to achieve the stoic ideals of justice, courage, wisdom and temperance.

Notes on Life 281221

 Destiny is prarabdh karma and freewill is kriyaman karma. In poker or bridge, the cards you get is destiny and the way you play is freewill.

For success in life, you need Clarity of dreams, goals, Conviction in your vision and Courage to take action in that direction.

Intrusive thoughts are different from urges, cravings or behaviour.

Paradox of thought suprression was revealed by white bear experiment where people were asked to not think of white bear.

Treat your guru as banana. Eat the pulp throw the peel away. That is take the knowledge and ignore the physical being.

Imperfection is the new perfection.

At times, our brain mistakenly presumes that worrying is a productive habit or activity.

Neuroscientists say waking up at 5 AM enables heightened focus on a high-value activity, and achieves flow using the improved processing power of the brain. The process is aided by the prefrontal cortex, which temporarily ignores distractions.

Robin Sharma Book insights :

Tips to wake up early include discipline, working out for super fitness, a controlled diet, passion for work, and a full-body massage.

Four qualities that set apart great minds: they are not defined by their talent but by how they realize their potential, they avoid distraction, personal mastery practice, use day stacking to improve by 1% daily.

To improve personal mastery, work on your mindset (psychology), heartset (emotionality), healthset (physicality), and soulset (spirituality). These are the four Interior Empires to work on in the victory hour of 5 AM to 6 AM.

Willpower, personal discipline, recovery, four-part habit-forming routine, and heightened self-control constitute the science behind excellence.

Divide the victory hour into 20-minute time slots for exercise, reflection, and growth. The 2X3 Mindset requires you to triple your performance to double your effectiveness.

Notes on Parenting 221221

We make our children unlearn sharing by teaching them possessiveness. If child gives his toy to someone, we tell it was yours.

Children doubt negativity in others, not positivity. So if we tell he is bad, they will ask why and how.

Having relationship power over child is better than having an authority power over child.

A child is going to remember who was there, not what you spent on them. Kids outgrow a toy & outfits, but they never outgrow time and love.

Let your child know every time you shout or punish him that it is being done out of care and concern. You don't like doing it but every good action has a reward and every bad action has a consequence.

Many people think that having a child instantly makes them a parent. Nothing could be further from the truth. "Nothing to it parenting" style is wrong.

Role Modelling works. Do as I am, and not Do as I say.

Notes on Spirituality 131221

 Ya ma sa ma ya. That which is not but appears to be so is Maya.

Four Vedas explain who am I.
Pragnayam Brahma. Consciousness is the almighty, all pervading self. (Rigveda Maithreye Up.)
Tata tvam asi. That which you are seeking, you are. (Samveda Chandukya Up.)
Ayam atma brahman. My self is brahman. (Atharva veda, Mandukya Up.)
Aham brahmasmi. I am Brahma. (Yajurveda, Bhridaranyak up.)

Rama is acharniy (worth emulation) and Krishna is shravniy (worth listening)

Spirituality is anything that lifts your spirit like music also, poetry, art, songs and practices like meditation, knowledge.

Quality of your life is dependent on quality of your mind and meditation is like a daily shower for your mind. It is five times more effective than sleep to refresh your mind.

Mindfulness requires efforts. Meditation is effortless. Meditation is transcending mind. In Patanjali Yoga Sutra there are three stages mentioned. Dhyana or focus, dharana like oil continuous and samadhi is meditation

Mantra is the sound vibration that allows you to transcend the mind. It energises mind and uplifts your consciousness.

There are 12 constellations and 9 planets so 108 possible impacts. That is why we chant 108 times. Vedic astrology.

Mental chanting is more effective than vocal chanting as it avoids distractions and helps you meditate

Notes on Body Language 081221

 Body language is like a Stethoscope. It can tell you the symptoms of the problems from the outside. But things cannot be cured unless you take care of the problem inside. Body language tells us about our internal emotions.

Combinations within context change habits denote five basic principles of body language.

Body Language depends on context and culture.

Thumb symbolizes Ego.

Spontaneous body language never lies.

Scratching your head with right hand, connected to left rational brain, means you don't know the answer to a problem. With left hand, connected to right emotional brain, means you will find the answer on your own, sooner or later. Left-handed scratching means temporary uncertainty.

Putting part of eyeglasses in the mouth , or waving them means the person is getting ready to make a decision.

Notes on Communication 251121

 For conscious communication, don't mask your feelings. Instead of saying, Where were you?, say, I felt hurt that you did not tell me where you had gone?

Saying 'You are an idiot' is quite different from 'You are acting like an idiot.'

'You can not follow something blindly', is a statement that hurts a blind person. Because it suggests blindness means diminished intelligence. We should be conscious about how we communicate about disabilities.

Keep the information flowing. Unlike other resources, information when shared gets increased value.

"Listening is an act of love. It is an all-body activity."

Over-communication is better than under-communication.

Reverting does not mean replying back. It means going back to an earlier status.

Effectiveness in communication is determined by the result of communication.

Listening is like pouring tea in a cup. If the cup is clean and empty, listening is best. But if cup is kept upside down, tea will go waste, that is when we are not paying attention at all. If the cup is cracked, tea leaks out. That is when we are trying to listen but our attention is out of control. Or when the cup has something in it already. That is when we are full of toxic certainty,

Notes on Management 231121

Social loafing is when in a group task, an individual chooses to work less thinking that others will anyway accomplish the task. Decrease in motivation and productivity in group setting.

The Köhler effect occurs when an inferior team member performs a difficult task better in a team or coaction situation than one would expect from knowledge of his or her individual performance.

Peter Drucker uses terms entrepreneurial judo and not invented here, nih, to explain how japanese used transistors to capture the radio market, replacing the vacuum tube radios.

Economics is akin to intelectual prostitution as powers decide what they want and then favour economists who share those views.

Grit is combination of passion and perseverance over a long period of time. (Angela Duckworth)

There is no right decision. There is only the decision itself and the willingness to accept its consequences.
At times, we always assume the worst in people. Someone puts you on a case because they think you are the best. And we think, it was done to put us in our place, which makes us the worst.
Sometimes an emphatic no is the last step you have to take before jumping in with two feet.
(Bluebloods)

Notes on Spirituality 151121

 There is difference between prayaankaal and antkaal. Former means time of departure that is one will come back, latter means end time that is going for good.

Brahmchari means one who is engaged in Brahma all the time. Karamchari means who is engaged in karma or action all the time, like an employee.

Sanyasi is the one who has given up the sense of agency, I am the doer. One who has given up the expectations of the results of actions is yogi. One practices yoga to become sanyasi.

Vibhuti yoga is yoga of divine glories.

Just as electricity is there in a dark room in the form of wiring and it manifests itself when the bulb is switched on, God is everywhere and manifests itself.

Ganesha has two wives, Ridhi and Sidhi. Ganesha is God which removes obstacles. He does so by Ridhi, power and Sidhi, faculties.

Our mind is Kaamdhenu. It grants all our wishes.

Vasuki snake signifies oneness, smallest and longest. It is very small snake used as ring on finger of Siva. But Vasuki is also used as long rope to churn ocean for nectar.

People from the land of Sindhu river are called Hindus

Gayatri Mantra is in the praise of sun god Savitter.

Notes on Parenting 091121

 Distinguish between praise and encouragement. Praise is addictive like candy. Encouragement prepares child for setbacks.

Give choices, limited choices, to child. This makes him feel empowered.

The way you talk to your children becomes their inner voice.

Giving too much attention to kids like in helicopter parenting makes them dependent and needy, as also attention-seekers

Acting without words or silent signals is a good tool for positive discipline.

Stop making statements and start asking better questions to make them critical thinkers.

A child behaving like narcissist is okay because to him the world revolves around him.

Try to make everyday moments to lifetime memories.

What you do as a parent matters more than what you say.

Avoid giving sugar or sugary foods to kids after 7 pm to ensure that they sleep in time.

Notes on Nutrition 081121

 Himalayan pink salt, also known as sendha namak or rock salt is superior to table salt, in moderation.

Have tandoori roti instead of naan

Have plain curd instead of boondi raita

When we eat too much fruit, we increase the level of K in our body and end up losing more water in the form of urine.

Low Na causes muscle weakness

The rule is to have snacks in small quantities, even if it seems low in calories.

Momos have high gi due to maida

Murmure is white rice. Has high gi

food you eat accounts for 80 per cent of how you look and how much weight you have; 10-15 per cent is exercise and the remaining 5 per cent we can blame on genetics.

Notes on Management 261021

 PUMA Pulled out of mid air (Mckinsey Edge book)

DEEPAK CHOPRA Teachings:

L.E.A.D.E.R.S: #1 Look & Listen. #2 Emotional Bonding.#3 Awareness. #4 Dare to Dream a new Reality and Do It. #5 Empowerment. #6 Responsibility. #7 Synchronicity

Happiness Formula: H = S+C+V (Happiness = Set Point In The Brain (Attitude) + Financial Conditions of Living + Voluntary Choices)

Soul Profile: Peak experience? Purpose? Contribution to family? Qualities in a best friend? Heroes in mythology, history? My strengths? Meaningful relationship mean?

PhD for money making is passion hunger drive

Knowledge is not data and facts. Data are facts, observations about occurences and numbers. Information is collection and synthesis of data. Knowledge is a mix of information, experience and context in a value adding process. That process first occurs in the heads of individuals where it is called uncodified knowledge. And when it is shared with others, it becomes codified. (Mckinsey Mind)

"When you make a commitment, you build hope. When you keep a commitment, you build trust."

Notes on Life 22102021

 Reverse Intentionality. A woman was being stalked and saved herself by rushing to her office. She gained composure after a while but her hands were still trembling. A colleague suggested to use reverse Intentionality by shaking her hands even more fast. This decreased her trembling.

Desirability bias is when you see what you want to happen and confirmation bias is when you see what you expect to happen

Use temptation bundling to do boring jobs. Link something tempting, instantly gratifying with a chore you want to do but avoid. For example, watch tv only when you exercise.

Humility is a reflective less, confident humility is a corrective lens. (Adam Grant in Think again)

Detach your present from the past and detatch your opinions from your identities.

Grit is a combination of passion and perseverance.

Life is a marathon, not a horse race.

Self affirmations work better when said out aloud to yourself. First you have think before speaking, then you speak, your ears hear and your brain registers what it heard. So four stages of impact.

We normally worry about memories of the past and imagination about the bad future.

"I have lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which have actually happened."

Notes on Marketing 011021

 My notes from a webinar on branding.

Friday dressing is rumoured to have been introduced by FMCG companies to push sales of their detergent powders as casual dresses may be washed and not dry-cleaned.

Hawaii is said to have introduced wearing of Hawaiian Shirts on Fridays by all locals to popularize these shirts which was successful. 

Tea-breaks were introduced to push for making tea a habit and thus increases sales of tea. Though it had added benefits of better motivation.

Fax machine use in offices was started during US postal strikes to send and receive messages. Later when strike ended, people had gotten used to fax machines so they stayed.

Video conferencing pre-covid was an add-on. But post-covid, it may become the norm.

Regardless of which group consumers belong to, they prioritize consumption by sorting products and services into four categories:

• Essentials are necessary for survival or perceived as central to well-being.

• Treats are indulgences whose immediate purchase is considered justifiable.

• Postponables are needed or desired items whose purchase can be reasonably put off.

• Expendables are perceived as unnecessary or unjustifiable. (reproduced from an article)

Dilemma for a decision-making system that only has incomplete knowledge of the world is whether to repeat decisions that have worked well so far (exploit) or to make novel decisions, hoping to gain even greater rewards (explore).

All Big Data comes from the past.

Deliberate slack in system.

Fail fast, experiment fast and cheap

Notes on Life 270921

Mother Nature and Father Time are two greatest healers

Buildup, anticipation or journey are sometimes better than destination.

Think of attitude as a skillset and not as a mindset. 

Your life starts with B (birth) and ends with D (death). In between there is a C (choice)

Practice being the last to speak, that is what Nelson Mandela did. Hold your opinions to yourself till the end.

Finite players play to beat others around them. Infinite players play to better themselves.

Zig ziglar gave a term automobile University, meaning learning through audiobooks, podcasts etc. during commute.

Your passion is for you. Your purpose is for others.

Routines root us.

Character above cover drives.

The studies have shown that people aren't good at forecasting their responses to emotional incidents. In particular, the researchers have found that people typically overestimate how long they will be unhappy following negative events. In short, the studies suggest, people forget that they possess what Gilbert, Wilson and their colleagues call a "psychological immune system," which shelters them from the worst effects of their misfortune

Identity foreclosure is a psychological term that describes one of the key steps young people experience in the process of finding a sense of self. At this stage, adolescents may adopt different traits and qualities from friends and relatives, but have not yet settled on their own.

Notes on Creativity 130921

 When you set a time limit or pressure, creativity suffers. It needs openness of space, mind and time to bring idea forth.

We can only be creative in an area we have knowledge in.

Curiosity and risk-taking ability are required.

Six thinking hats, negative brainstorming are tools to stimulate creativity.

Get an outsider to encourage creative thinking.

Asking questions can help creative thinking.

Asking solutions from employees who bring problems.

Creativity cannot be taught but caught.

SCAMPER Technique is a team brainstorming technique used to develop or improve products or services. SCAMPER is an acronym for Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify/Magnify, Purpose, Eliminate/Minimize and Rearrange/Reverse.

When you over-generalise or focus on just negative things, creativity suffers.

If we can overcome cognitive distortions, we can live life freely and be more creative.

We hold ourselves back with our inhibitions.

Notes on Spirituality 120921

Existence of God can be understood through cause and effect. It is not like milk and curd because milk causes curd to be made, but curd cannot become milk. It is not like ice and water because both can convert to the other but don't exist at the same time. It is more like snake and rope. Rope is the cause snake is the effect. Those who know it is a rope, they know. Those who think it is a snake will not believe easily that it is a rope. Both exist at the same time. It is a superimposition of cause over effect.

In Gita, Krishna says I am the source of all beings. If you can identify with your source, you will start liking everything because it comes from the same source. Just like you don't dislike anything your child does because you identify with and love your child.

World is a projection of yourself. If you are good, all are good. If you are bad, all are bad.

Mind is flow of thoughts. A thought is inert in itself, when we identify with it, the thought becomes flow.. Just like a bucket of water cannot be a river, a mere thought cannot be powerful. River is flow of water, the more water flows, more deep and strong the river. If flow of thoughts is more, they become stronger.

Stories from Work-7

 Let me share two examples to show how experience counts.

First one is from my LIC days. It was in early 90s. LIC was still doing payrolls manually. No spreadsheet softwares, no payroll management systems. I was working in OS (Office Servicing) Department and there used to be A2 size green ruled sheets on which I had to make salary calculations on a monthly basis. For first few months, it was very hard. There always used to be a difference between debit and credit side. Being proud of myself, I hesitated in going to my boss for help. On days, I wasted hours on finding where the difference originated. And after wasting lot of time, when I used to surrender and go to my boss for help, he asked about the difference amount. On hearing the figure, he used to tell me to look in this head. And most of the time, difference used to be in that head of account. This was his experience speaking. After a year or so, I could also guess the culprit area and then I realized the importance of experience.

Another example is from bidding domain. We usually tender out high value jobs. In jobs requiring creativity and expertise, relying on just cost is tricky. So we used mixed bidding in one such tender. Weightage was divided between creative and financial bid. Based on the marking in both the bids submitted by each party, final ranking and work order was to be placed. Initial proposal was to give 70 % weightage to creative bid and 30 % weightage to price bid. One senior official had a different view, hunch or insight whatever you may call it. He changed the criteria to 60 % weightage to creative bid and 40 % weightage to price bid. When marking was done, his hunch proved right and we noticed that the job would have gone to a different party if we had stuck to 70-30 ratio. Here price importance was increased by changing price weightage to 40, and another bidder won the contract. Experience does count.