How to Know for Sure the Company You Work at is a Highly Unprofessional Lala Company?

It is Friday evening.

You are at work in what you think is the last meeting of the day.

All of a sudden someone walks inside your room with a sick swag.

This person is carrying a foul-smelling smugness, conceit and stupidity on her face.

You are told someone has said something needs to be done on Monday.

You are not given a choice.

You are not given a chance.

For you this is supposed to be just FYI - for your information.

At that time many of the words and phrases depicted in the picture below run across your mind.

So what is the key takeaway for you?

Just one - you are not at all important.

You do not matter.

The person who walked inside your room matters.

Also those two who told him what needs to be done also matter.

Others folks are inconsequential.

You are the other folks.

You get a sick feeling in your stomach.

This is not the first time you have experienced this kind of non-sense.

You get up.

You say "yes".

You know you can't say "no".

And you also very well know saying "no" is meaningless.

The person and those two who told this person are all one and the same.

They are idiots and asses likewise in cahoots with each other.

The two gentlemen who pretend to be professional and polished are just the opposite.

They are highly unprofessional and dirty at the core.

At that point you sort of give up.

You know you are in a strange situation.

As you pack your bag and walk down to the car parking area a funny thought crosses your mind.

What kind of a company are you in?

And as you drive out of the office building you suddenly get the picture clear in your mind!

What the hell.

You knew all the way, since the day one, what kind of a company you were in.

Highly unprofessional.

Totally lala company.

There is no way you could have ever missed that.

The signs of trouble in the fake paradise, your company is, were always there for you to see.

The henchman of the two idiots is not an employee but a servant.

This person does all their dirty work.

There is no distinction between professional and private matters.

Everything is fair in a lala company.

There are no rules in the real sense.

The biggest lala of them all expects loyalty, blind loyalty.

You feel relaxed immediately.

You know what all you have been through all this while.

And you also know what is the real truth behind the false facade.

Accept it.

You are in a highly unprofessional lala company.

That's it.

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

And what happened this time will happen again.

And again.

And yet again.

How You Solve A Problem Tells What Kind Of A Person You Are

Problem solving is an essential life skill.

This skill is really one of key differentiators between what makes one person very successful and the other not that successful or even not at all successful.

So what kind of situations typically come up in the life for any person.

Broadly speaking, there are five types of situations.

And based on what level of problem solving ability a person demonstrates in these situations, people can be broadly classified into five categories.

• Genius - can see things quite clearly and for any given situation can think in several dimensions as if she has multiple brains
• Intelligent -  needs to be told what the problem exactly is but can think of different ways to solve a problem
• Average - needs to be fed the approach right into the mind but can figure out the solution there after
• Idiot - needs to be told what the solution exactly is but can understand what the solution exactly is and why the solution is the solution
• Hopeless - not able to understand the solution even after being told what the solution is and also, at times, not able to understand what the problem exactly was

Genius - a person can be considered genius provided she, in a given situation, is able to:

• First of all, figure out and define what the exact problem is
• Then, think of the approach to solve that problem
• And then, solve the problem using that approach
• And finally, arrive at the correct and the exact solution

Intelligent - a person can be considered intelligent provided she, in a given situation, is able to:

• First of all, receive the problem statement in a clearly articulated manner but be in a position to correctly understand what the problem exactly is
• Then, be able to think of the approach to solve that clearly articulated problem
• And then, solve the problem using that approach
• And finally, arrive at the correct and the exact solution

Average - a person can be considered average provided she, in a given situation, is able to:

• First of all, receive the problem statement in a clearly articulated manner but be in a position to correctly understand what the problem exactly is
• Then, also receive the approach that needs to be used to solve that problem but be in a position to understand what the approach to be used exactly is
• And then, solve the problem using that approach
• And finally, arrive at the correct and the exact solution

Idiot - a person can be considered idiot provided she, in a given situation, is able to:

• First of all, receive the problem statement in a clearly articulated manner but be in a position to correctly understand what the problem exactly is
• Then, also receive the approach that needs to be used to solve that problem but be in a position to understand what the approach to be used exactly is
• And then, also receive the solution to the problem derived using that approach but be in a position to understand what the solution exactly is
• And finally, understand why that solution is the correct and the exact solution for the given problem

Hopeless - a person can be considered hopeless provided she, in a given situation, is able to:

• First of all, receive the problem statement in a clearly articulated manner
• Then, also receive the approach that needs to be used to solve that problem
• And then, also receive the solution to the problem derived using that approach
• But finally, still not understand why that solution is the correct and the exact solution for the given problem and at times, at the end of it, not even be sure of what the exact problem was!

The above five categories are, as stated earlier, very broad-based.

Most of the people would generally fall between the above categories.

The above categorization, however, provides a neat framework to understand how people solve problem in response to a given situation.

Knowing which one you are may provide you deep insight into your own capabilities.

That way this would be quite useful.

So which one are you?

Haridwar Patri Market - Some Photographs

Here are some photographs from a recent family trip to Haridwar.

These capture the miscellaneous wares that one can find being sold in the Patri market in Haridwar close to the Har Ki Puri.

 

Yamunotri and Gangotri - Some Photographs

Here are some photographs from a recent family trip to Yamunotri and Gangotri.

These capture the snow-capped and other mountains and landscape that is so very unique to this part of India.

What Should You Expect From Your Spouse?

In a nutshell, what you should expect are just three simple things:

Love and affection 

Your spouse should really love you and have deep affection for you.

This would show you are important for your spouse.

Lack of this would mean:

• She would neither get physically intimate with you not reciprocate appropriately to your efforts to get physically intimate with her.
• She would resist and trivialize any display of love and affection.

Care and concern

Your spouse should care for you and should have lot of concern for your well-being.

This would show you really matter for your spouse.

Lack of this would mean:

• She would not bother to call you and check whether you are getting food properly and regarding your well being when you are away to another city, for short or long period.
• She is not at all concerned with your physical and mental needs but only about the needs of others.

Bonding and Understanding

Your spouse should have close bonding and good understanding with you,

This would show you and your spouse live like life partners and not room mates.

Lack of this mean:

• She has her own agenda and your priorities and expectations are immaterial to her.
• She is only interested in things that are important for her needs, and for her it is only she and there is no we

A Promotion Should Be A Promotion But Sometimes It Is Not

A promotion is a feel-good factor if nothing more or nothing else.

Sometimes, however, a promotion is only a feel-good factor.

In that case a promotion is not a promotion, in a true sense.

A promotion should be a promotion but may not be in certain cases.

So when is a promotion not a promotion?

First and foremost, what is a promotion?

A promotion is an event whereby someone is moved up to a higher level in rank or in position.

And there's a big catch here.

The higher level rank or position is assumed to have the following:

• Higher authority and power in matters of importance
• Higher level of responsibilities and accountability for the desired outcome
• Larger span of control and oversight

In many cases, however, the higher level or position would not translate into the above three and even if it does, it would not be effectively the case in reality.

A promotion in such cases yields into a higher position for the concerned individual but nothing really changes on the ground.

In the above case a promotion is not a promotion.

So there are situations when a promotion which should be a promotion is actually not.

The Funny Act of Salary Increments

Some organizations operate like a play unfolding on the stage where different acts get enacted, one scene after another.

The funniest act in the play is the one that concerns salary increments.

In some organizations, especially the small-sized ones, the salary increment process runs in parallel to and often in complete oblivion to the performance management process.

In such regressive organizations increments have to do more, and at times, only with loyalty to the top pig and number of years with the company.

Performance and contribution not only take a backseat in these organizations but many a times are actually thrown off the car itself!

The junior pigs discuss among themselves as to how the bounties of business would be distributed and shared.

The junior pig looking after human resources in the most inhumane manner is the cunningest and wickedest of them all.

He is a master manipulator who puts up the facade of fairness and transparency.

He is highly protective of his turf and guards it like a bloody dog.

He looks a like a straight-forward and nice guy but is a complete crook at the heart.

His process of determining base increment is fraught with mysteries and complete lack of transparency.

In the name of progressive approach he puts in a performance and compensation system that is opaque at the best and scandalous at the worst.

Increments are given on a basis that has no rhyme or reason.

The other junior pigs saunter in and our of his room.

Why saunter?

Its a family owned, regressive enterprise after all and everything is fixed.

The delivery junior pig doesn't say anything on any issue pertaining to the human resources junior pig.

After they are in the same party.

When the lights turn off, they are one and the same.

Both are stooges of the top pig.

In such organizations, certain junior pigs are asked to oversee areas they know nothing of and about.

The junior pigs are trusted pigs of the top pig.

The whole problem is with the top pig.

He has put in place a sick culture where loyalty rules.

And where pigs not only survive but thrive.

Pigs are abominable.

Junior pigs makes things worse.

If you are surrounded by junior pigs then you are in for interesting times.

You can never tell, but maybe you have a junior pig next door.

 A junior pig will always be that - a junior pig!

You got to be careful if you need to handle any.

Two Milli Minnows, Two Micro Minnows, Four Nano Minnows and the Pico Minnow

The micro minnows are the real manipulators in the system.

Both, the one who is the local man and the other man who is remotely located.

The remotely located micro minnow is another character.

More on that some other day.

You see the local micro minnow talking in the corridor very often with the four nano minnows.

The micro and the nano minnows talk in loud whispers, making non-intelligible sounds but statements that are simply stupid.

They are a small, secret group of unprofessional folks.

They are the ones who are responsible for the unprofessional set-up.

And not only that they are unethical too.

This kind of shit happens only in a small company.

A small company that thinks it is too big for its own small boots.

The micro minnow is particular about people attending events where those personally known to him would be attending.

Company's business affairs can go to hell.

Any why not?

Such a company is not a business enterprise but a family affair.

The spouse of the micro minnow is there in training paid for by the company.

The nano minnows are like dogs who wag their tails and slurp their tongue when they see the micro minnow.

Micro or nano, a minnow is a minnow.

Any time.

There are more minnows.

There is a pico minnow too.

This guy is a complete joker and a jest.

He is expert is licking the boots of the micro minnows and also the masters of the micro minnow, the milli minnows.

The pico minnow does all the personal work of the micro minnows and milli minnows.

At times of the nano minnows too.

But he can refuse to obey nano minnows.

This funny man does everything except the work done by a toilet hand  jet spray faucet.

He would usually and generally discuss silly and stupid stuff only with the micro minnow.

Then there are the milli minnows.

They are the ones having a good time.

They use the company as personal asset.

The pico minnow is their servant.

Why A Poor Perfomer Has No Choice But To Become A Complainer?

A poor performer is a an immaculate work retard.

A poor performer is also an incorrigible work shirker.

A poor performer is expert at providing lame excuses like the following when confronted about his performance:

• I did not get the training
• I was not clear I had to do that job
• The meeting should not have been organized
• I could not do a good job because someone senior was at fault
• Basically, it is not my fault, not at all

His cab comes in late, every single day, late at least by half an hour to an hour.

After he settles down in the office and if he has no meeting, he saunters his way to the cafeteria.

And not only does he kill his own time he also kills the time of others in the team by getting them to accompany him.

Such people have a bad effect on others.

They are like the bad apple in the basket.

He spends an hour there at the cafeteria.

By this time it is already 10:30am to 11am.

He then checks his e-mails, replies to couple of them.

He also does some work stuff here and there.

He may also attend couple of meetings.

At times when he is in a meeting, his mind is already away at the cafeteria thinking of the tea-break his other team members are having.

The moment he is out of the meeting, he is there at the cafeteria.

And just like that the clock strikes 12:30pm.

He is now ready for lunch time.

He grabs things at the cafeteria, and merrily eats his lunch.

He is then away to the terrace or the road outside in the complex of the office building for a walk.

He along with his lunch buddies from the team that includes some more work shirkers like him spend good amount of time relaxing at the terrace garden.

Not only that, he may be a regular at the morning yoga sessions or the evening exercise sessions.

And for almost two hours this work shirker is at work but away from work.

The clock moves on.

It is now 2:30pm.

The work shirker is back at his desk.

He checks his e-mails.

He also sends couple of e-mails.

He may have some meetings also to attend.

It is now 4pm.

He again saunters to the cafeteria.

And with him the entire team goes to have another round of tea.

This goes till very close to 5pm.

And then the work shirker with others hurriedly come back to their seats.

Some of them have to necessarily leave at 5pm.

They stay far away.

Some of them do not stay far away but don't work even during the work hours so why would they work after that?

And by just coming they are doing an obligation on the company.

Who said they need to work.

They are coming, isn't that itself a bid enough deal.

He doesn't take any late evening or night calls.

Now it almost 5pm.

And he is happy to pack his bag, slings across his shoulders and walks away out of the office.

He had another action-packed day at the office.

Actions that involved long tea-breaks, an even longer lunch break, lots of chit-chat and most of it just silly chat.

On work front, he had a very productive day.

From 9am to 5pm he worked a lot.

How many hours?

A full 3 hours!

And that's fantastic.

What he did in the 3 hours also may not be at all useful.

Such people really have zero productivity.

They also are like bad apples.

And if such work shirkers are those who have the highest experience in the team they get exposed.

Their real face comes out in the open,

And then they start running here and there.

They are left with no choice but to become a complainer.

And if the person they discuss this about is another such work shirker, one with a polished way of talking then you had it.

Such complainers and those they complain to do all kind of non-sense in the name of company culture.

Some companies have no good or bad culture. they simply have no culture.

Companies that breed complainers due to performance cannot have any culture.

Such complainers need to be dealt with sternly.

One has to be cautious and careful though.

The work shirker may be the ring leader but will gets others like him to join the bandwagon to make the whole thing messy.

One must never forgive such complainers and never forget to take them to task when the right opportunity comes.

Waiting for the right opportunity to strike back is the best way to handle such a situation.

Wait on.

Hang along.

Right time is on the way.

Wait for it.

The Meeting of the Musketeers and their Master

There was this meeting today.

The meeting where the musketeers met their master.

The musketeers came like monkeys looking for crumbs to be thrown at them by their master.

This was supposed to be the management meeting.

Musketeers seldom make management though.

The musketeers owe their wretched existence to their loyalty to the master.

The musketeers know the above very well.

However, they mask their lack of professionalism and ethics.

They met secretively with other musketeers and the master in the meeting that happened today.

This meeting happens time and again.

Only the musketeers get invited to this meeting.

Other relevant and competent folks are strictly not invited.

This meeting is out of bound for those with professionalism and ethics.

The musketeers meet and what they do is any one's guess.

They do nothing.

They need to sing paeans to the master.

They have no choice.

They are spineless creatures who are living at the mercy of their master.

The master is a specimen of his own.

He is an expert at faking genuine leadership.

He is an expert in hypocrisy.

But then what else can you expect?

The simple fact that he has a gang of funny musketeers around him clearly shows what kind of a person the master is.

The meeting that happened today will happen again.

And again.

And again.

Nothing concrete and meaningful has come out till date.

And nothing concrete and meaningful will come out ever.

The Sick and Silly Club of Stupid and Secretive Stooges

How do you know for sure that you are in the middle of a ridiculous situation?

A situation where you are surrounded by the sick and silly club of stupid and secretive stooges.

Who are these stooges?

These are those funny folks who think highly of themselves.

They write mail to each other.

They write silly emails copying each other.

They write emails where they are shown as the "premium club" whereas others are clearly shown as the lesser mortals belonging to the "cattle class".

And they are the "club" for all the reasons other than merit, competency, professionalism and ethics.

The stooges are stupid.

The stooges are secretive.

They have to be secretive because they are stupid but have to protect their self-glorified position.

The stupid and secretive stooges make the club.

The club is silly.

The club is sick.

The club is silly since it is sick.

The stupid and secretive stooges make the sick and the silly club.

Its basically a lala company.

And you are trapped badly.

Stooges call each other sir.

Some of the silly people say something but mean something else.

The top people are a specimen of the most ridiculous kind.

They are basically having an extended vacation at the cost of the company.

Some of the stooges are particularly idiotic.

One of them writes emails without copying the relevant folks and copies only those in the silly club.

Why?

Because this man is a man you cannot trust.

He will project himself being someone but is actually a true chameleon.

He doesn't mingle with you informally as he thinks he is superior to you.

And superior on account of what?

That's the funny part.

This treacherous man thinks he is superior for every reason other than those that are related to merit, competency, professionalism and ethics.

Since he doesn't have any of the above -  merit, competency, professionalism and ethics.

He is there since he is a stooge.

And so are the others in the club.

Another of them is particularly disgusting.

He thinks he is a shining star who has fallen from the sky.

He is definitely a fallen guy.

Not from sky though.

He has fallen from every possible good attribute.

He has fallen way below from even the regular expectations you would have from a just decent guy in terms of merit, competency, professionalism and ethics.

In such a company ethics is eaten everyday at lunch by the stooges and the top dog.

They talk big.

They think they have made a great company.

Nothing can be further and father from the truth.

They have created stooges.

They have created stupid and secretive stooges.

They have created a sick and silly club.

They have created a sick and silly club of stupid and secretive stooges.

That is what they have actually done.

You are in the middle of the sick and silly club of stupid and secretive stooges.

Nothing less.

Nothing more.

And that is all there is to it.

In simple word, you are basically doomed.

You are as good as dead.

When the Top Brass is a Bunch of Nincompoops on Retirement Holiday

In many organizations those at the top are there due to their loyalty to each other. They are like a pack of wolves who hunt together.

If these people are nincompoops on retirement holiday then you have had it. Those working in such companies are sitting in an aircraft heading for crash.

The company may survive for many many years but will not grow at a reasonable pace. Growth requires the top brass to be competent and have the right kind of zeal.

Those on retirement holiday can't be expected to possess the right kind of attitude and aptitude. The reason has everything to do with how they came in.

They came in due to their loyalty to "the powers that be". Loyalty was the only thing that mattered. Such loyalists have no thinking ability and brain of their own.

If the top dog says sit, the puppies will sit. If the top dog says stand up, the puppies will do likewise. Puppies are not supposed to show their spine.

And if the puppies don't show their spine, very soon their spines become dysfunctional. Puppies call the top dog as sir. You would often hear them say, "we have to do this as sir has said it".

Such a company is a strange place where professionalism and ethics are conveniently put on the backseat. These are good words to say and hear, but mean nothing beyond that.

Some of those who are close to the top management carry a stupid swagger. They act as if they are the superior beings in the organization. Such irritating folks make childish statements in meetings thinking that they come across as smart chaps but scratch the surface and you see a clown.

The clownish character is there only to entertain his master, the top dog. The top dog also feels good when he is made to feel important.

In such companies, the organization structure itself will be totally flawed. Promotions mean nothing in such companies. The reporting structure is ludicrous and makes no logical sense.

The whole idea behind the organizational set-up in such companies is to protect the coterie culture and not let the coterie face tough questions.

There are strange roles in such companies. These roles are artificially propped up with full connivance of the top brass to protect the loyalists.

There will be many loyalists for whom artificial roles will be created to keep them there. Value addition from such people is neither expected nor desired.

Nincompoops bring tragedy to the place where they work. So such companies provide the ideal playground for tragedies to happen.

Such organizations slowly turn into a retirement home with the nincompoops enjoying every bit of their time during their extended retirement holiday.

The situation gradually reaches a point where it becomes beyond salvage.  Those working in such companies need to get prepared to meet the dooms day, sooner than latter.

The best option for the smart folks who believe in professionalism and ethics is to move on. And move on at the earliest with great haste. Otherwise they should be ready for disaster.

When Those At The Top Are Nonsensical And Unethical Too

In some organizations the folks at the top are not only nonsensical but unethical also.

They don’t want their work to be scrutinized by anyone.

In case you pose a logical and sensible question to them which has clear and direct business impact, but is uncomfortable for them and challenges their position, they will duck it in a manner which is utterly ridiculous.

In the name of “is it good for business” they don’t mind crossing the line of ethics, not once but as many times as required.

Ethics in such organizations is a direct factor of convenience.

As long as it suits their agenda (which might have many dirty secrets behind it) and doesn’t cause them personal discomfort and doesn’t make their position untenable they are all fine.

And if not, they will find silly reasons to justify their decisions and actions.

When challenged instead of discussing directly with you in a transparent manner they will have someone from their team come and meet you.

The message you get is “stay clear, better know who the top boss is and also that you are basically nothing”.

The pesky, boorish team member who comes to meet you walks in like a joker, sits next to you in an annoying manner while displaying fake friendliness.

He is the top man’s henchman, he is there on a contract-to-kill assignment. He is there to pass on the message from the god… oops… dog…. oops… top!

So silly!

So humiliating!

However, you need to carry on.

And you must carry on.

Pests and vultures will always be there in any organization.

And more so when those at the top are nonsensical and unethical too, you shouldn’t expect anything else!

If you do, then you are a fool or fooling yourself.

Don’t fool yourself.

Stop being a fool.

Why It Is Utter Nonsense To Think That You May Be Killing Yourself For A Job That Would Replace You Within A Week If You Were To Drop Dead

Some people might seem to suggest that it is a good idea to relax and take care of yourself in case you are working too hard.

This is fine.

You must take care of your physical and mental well-being at all times.

No only when at work but also when not at work.

Some people might also seem to suggest that you will get replaced within a week if your were to drop dead and hence you should not work hard.

This is just completely nonsense.

You will drop dead one day even if you don’t work at all.

If you enjoy your work and push yourself a bit occasionally and maybe push yourself hard once in a while, that should be alright.

Work accomplishments give you a sense of worth as an individual.

When you achieve something at work it makes you feel good about yourself.

And it is not that you are so busy every day that you can’t even find time to have your lunch.

So if you work hard once in a while, that shouldn’t be a problem at all.

Being relaxed is one thing. And it is okay.

Being complacent is another thing though. And it is not okay.

You have to have work in the first place to work.

And you have work because someone has given you one because you can contribute and add value.

If you need to work hard to contribute and add value you must do that.

You should not think of work as a mere time pass.

The above thought can be dangerous to your career and eventually life.

You can apply the standard tips and tricks to take care of work and life balance.

However, you should never forget that you need money to live your life.

And more money to live a better life.

And that you got to work to have money.

So if you want to live a better than usual life you need to work harder than usual.

Dropping dead is not a criteria that should bother you.

Working hard doesn’t have to necessarily mean dropping dead.

Although not taking care of yourself may mean dropping dead.

You should take care.

You should also work as hard as you can.

You should make as much money as you can.

And finally live a life as good as you can.

The thought that you will get replaced within a week if your were to drop dead and hence you should not work hard is just completely nonsense.

Just forget about that.

So enjoy your work.

Enjoy working hard.

Enjoy life.

The Home Affair Company

At times when you work somewhere you might wonder whether you are actually working in a company or not.

And whether the workplace is a family and not a company?

You get this feeling very often that your workplace is also a company but first it is a family.

The top guys ask the chosen select few to take care of their home affairs.

After all it is a family.

The chosen select few think they are special.

Why special?

Since the chosen select few take care of the top guys home affairs.

They take care of the top guys property deals.

They take care of things when the top guys or anyone in their families travel.

They take care of any problem the top guys face at their home.

Company may or may not be a family.

But the chosen select few are a family for sure.

The top guys carry an air of superiority.

They act as if they are highly professional but scratch the surface and the dirty underneath is visible.

They are really “Lalas” running a personal fiefdom in the name of a company.

And since the chosen select few take care of the top guys home affairs and are very well aware of their dirty secrets too what you have got is a cozy club of unprincipled folks.

The top guys decide what to be done not based on merit.

For the top guys who said what is more important than what was said.

They would show as if they are genuine and take the right and ethical decisions.

But that is never the case.

Their decisions are a matter of convenience and also dictated by their need to keep their dirty secrets covered up well.

And as far as ethics go, they believe in just spelling and pronouncing the word “ethics” right and with the right amount of earnestness but otherwise ethics mean nothing.

When they get their home affairs taken care of by the select few, what else can one expect regarding their decision making and their ethical conduct.

The Duplicitous HR Guy

He tells you lies.

And then he acts smart as if no one understands what nonsense he keeps on doing, again and again.

Such a duplicitous character.

He is in the good books of the top man.

The top man is equally cunning guy who puts up a fake front of being a genuine bloke.

Which the top man is not, in no way.

The duplicitous man is in the good books of the top man not because he is meritorious but because he is highly manipulative.

Both share similar bad attributes.

He plays silly games but thinks too highly of himself.

He tells you he doesn't know something with a bizarre look on his face.

You realize later on that he was lying.

He has always been lying earlier too.

Then you come to know he knew that thing earlier.

Such a mental retard.

Such a cunning, manipulative guy.

He fudges data.

He shows a picture as if everything in rosy.

As if "all is well".

When in fact most if not all is "in the well" and in a sense lost.

He is comrades with other folks like him.

He is a part of the cozy club, the cozy club of comical clowns.

He carries a funny and deceitful look on his face.

A face which carries a fake facade with a dirty layer under it.

Very dirty.

And stinky too.

He smells of conceit and arrogance.

As if he only matters.

And others don't at all.

Such a duplicitous guy.

If you have any such guy around you got to be careful.

You got to make sure you stay sound and safe.

When You are Trapped in a Failed Marriage

The Hindi movie "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna" has these lines in the scene where the marriage between the two protagonists comes to an end, a very sad end.

Female protagonist:
Taaki usko wo saari khushiyaan de sakun, jo usko ek football coach nahin de sakta
Kaisa laga ye sunkar, Dev
Bahut dard hua naa, now you know how it feels
Kyunki tumne mujhe dard ke siwa, kuch nahin diya hai
Main hamesha sochti thi, dard pyar mein diya jaata hai, par yeh sach nahin
Tum to mujhse pyaar hi nahin karte, tum kisi se pyaar nahin karte
Nafrat hai tumhe, nafrat hai tumhe apne aap se, apni zindagi se, apni nakaamyaabi se
Aur main aaj tak nahin jaan paayi, tumhe kis baat pe zyada gussa aata hai, apni nakaamyabi se, ya meri kamyaabi par

Male protagonist:
Yes riya, mein nakaamyab hoon, ye sach hai
Par jaanti ho, is ghar mein, mujhse bhi nakaamyab kya hai?
Hamara rishta, aur ye shaadi
Thank you Riya
Thank  you for letting me stay in your house Riya

The above lines so very clearly show what it means to be trapped in a failed marriage.

You don't get to choose your parents.

They give you birth and you have absolutely no control over the kind of parents you are born to.

You don't get to choose your kids too.

You have some control over when to give them birth but once you give them birth you don't have any control over the kind of kids you gave birth to.

However, you get to choose whom you marry.

Your spouse is chosen by you.

Very often you choose to marry the wrong person

And your marriage slowly but eventually turns into a failed marriage.

You then end up getting trapped in a failed marriage.

You get this strong feeling that the color and juice from your life has simply disappeared.

The person who should have given you love and care is not there for you.

You come back to home from a business trip after a few days thinking your wife would have missed you.

What you see however is your wife's sullen and swollen face instead.

That makes you feel sad and irritated.

You may vent your anger on your kids.

You feel bad but that's what you do.

You have a female colleague join you on the business trip so that you get some company that takes care of fulfilling some of your emotional needs.

Emotional needs of being able to talk to a person of another sex without the fear of being turned away and made to feel unwanted.

You may develop a feeling of some sort of attraction towards and infatuation for her.

You may want to have physical intimacy and even sex with her.

The talk may be business talk but there is talk.

In your life there is no talk otherwise.

You and your wife don't talk.

You only fight.

You want to be physically intimate with your wife and have sex with her.

However, she not only refuses to have physical intimacy and sex with you but reacts in a way that makes you irritated, unwanted and disgusted.

You wife makes all kind of excuses to deny physical intimacy and sex to you.

And she does it purposefully and deliberately.

A wife who harms and hurts her husband looses the right to be called as wife.

Life is not sex.

But when you marry someone that someone is not your room-mate

There is difference between someone being your wife and someone being a room-mate.

You wife doesn't understand that simple thing.

You have failed in making her understand this thing.

Slowly sex goes away.

Then physical intimacy goes away.

Then emotional intimacy goes away.

Then you stop caring.

Then you stop talking.

And then you find yourself in a failed marriage.

You are now trapped in a failed marriage.

Did the marriage fail or did you fail?

That's a question you should ask yourself.

In the end, it is actually you who fail.

Fail  not just in marriage but in life too.

You may feel that your life has become purposeless.

You may feel that even if you were to die you would be okay with that.

You urge to live longer and live more may just disappear.

You may be perfectly fine if you were to die this very instant.

Failed marriage may end up making your life shorter.

However, in the end this doesn't make a difference to anyone and even to you.

And its okay if you have had a failed marriage.

The only thing is did you try to salvage it and did you try to reverse it.

If yes, no need to feel bad.

After all, in life you can only do so much.

What happens after you have done your bit is something that is beyond your control.

You should not feel bad.

Not at all.

Maybe its your bad luck.

Or your are a wretched, lowly creature who was supposed to go through such an experience in life.

If that be so, so be it.

Better to move on.

Better to wait it out.

The end of the journey is never very far.

And all of us will end this journey in the same way.

All of us.

Handling a Subordinate Who Doesn’t Understand the Sense of Priority

At times a manager may have to deal with certain team member who doesn’t understand the sense of priority.

As a manager you ask that team member to do something and she doesn’t do that.

She does her own stuff as per her own understanding of work priority or rather the complete lack of it!

As a manager you ask her to discuss something and she doesn’t come for a discussion, and when she comes she is not fully prepared.

Managers hire members in the team for only one reason - the hired person needs to take care of something that is otherwise a headache for the manager.

The KRA for any manager is very simple - get things done.

Managers don’t work and are not supposed to work.

They need to get things done.

Simple.

So if a team member doesn’t understand the sense of priority that is nothing but a big source of headache for the manager.

When a manager assigns a task to a team member he expects her to complete it as per the stated or understood priority and update him on the progress and discuss with him the challenges, if any, in finishing the assigned task on time.

In any case, the manager would expect the team member to complete the work.

However, when the team member not only fails to finish the task, but also provides no updates and not even bothers to let the manager know that the work is not done, that would be a clear source of concern for any manager.

And when confronted and given the feedback, she reacts in a aggressive and immature manner.

She defends her actions and the fact that she was right and the manager was not.

She also tells the manager that “since you know how to do it, you should do the work she has been assigned and has not been able to complete”

She also reacts violently when assigned any additional work and is reluctant to do that.

She may out rightly refuse to do a work by saying “I will not do that work”.

When asked firmly to do it and discuss if needed, she says “we can discuss but I would still not do it”.

It appears she thinks she is the manager of her manager.

This might appear quite funny if one were to take it lightly but is a serious affair, a very serious one.

She forgets to realize that if you are not willing to work, why would the manager want you in his team?

This is a sign of lack of maturity and lack of understanding of the sense of priority.

For any manager such a conversation is highly concerning.

This is a clear sign of trouble for the manager.

And if the manager needs to follow-up and remind for a task to be done nothing could be worse.

The team member loses her credibility.

The manager also doesn’t get a sense of comfort and confidence on such a team member.

The impression the manager gets is, “she is not reliable and if I assign her something critical she might give headache”.

And headache after a task is not done or the work not finished or something fails to happen is the last thing any manager wants.

So what happens with such team member?

She can’t be assigned time-critical and important and urgent tasks.

Any manager in such a situation will simply pull her out of critical tasks expected from his team.

The worst consequence of such an action would mean that in the long run:

• Such a team member will not grow too much in her career.
• She can’t be promoted beyond a certain level.

Such a team member may be technically competent but is running with a natural impediment.

This impediment has to do with her attitude and approach.

The priority of the organization should and would decide the priority of the head of the organization.

The priority of the head of the organization should and would decide the priority of the head of different teams and departments.

The priority of the head of the team or department should and would decide the priority of the members of the concerned team or department.

If a team member doesn’t understand that, she doesn’t really understand how to work.

Such a team member must work with a clear understanding of priority.

She needs to pull up her socks and get her act together.

This is a clear sign of not only trouble but big time danger.

And any smart manager will not let such a situation continue unaddressed for long!

Our Existence in this Universe is Purely Incidental, We Just Don't Really Matter!

All living beings - human beings, animals and plants - all of them, are purely incidental as far as the universe is concerned.

Even if no human being, animal or plant were there it won't really matter.

Not really. Not at all.

The Sun will be back every morning.

The Moon will be back every evening.

The Stars will carry on as if nothing was different.

The water in the rivers will flow as it does otherwise.

The winds and storms will happen as they happen.

Our existence in this universe is purely incidental.

We just don't really matter!

The universe is infinite, we are not, we are finite.

Not only our existence, our non-existence as well, after we die, also doesn't really matter.

So being born and eventually dying is actually a non-event.

In fact, the universe itself is incidental.

The primary thing is time.

Time is all powerful and the only thing that essentially matters.

Even if the mass in the universe and the universe itself were not there, that also won't matter.

Time will still march on.

Time will march on ahead with the blankness around it.

We are a function of time.

Today we are here (you are very well alive and in existence if you are reading this blog post at this very moment but I, the author of this blog post, might very well be dead).

100 years later we - both of us - will surely not be here (neither you, the reader nor me, the author of this blog post).

This blog post may remain there though.

It is possible that this blog post may not be there then, after 100 years.

And if ALL the living beings and non-living things in this universe cease to exist then this blog post will certainly not be there.

However, time would have marched much ahead by then.

Time will be there. Very much there.

Time itself is God.

It will always be in existence.

I will not be there after a certain point in time.

You will not be there after a certain point in time.

Universe may be there or may not be there after a certain point in time.

Only time would know what will happen to the universe.

Time, however, will be there for all time to come.

When Your Best is Not Good Enough

At times your best is not good enough.

You simply fail.

And that's just it.

You might think that it's the end of the world.

It certainly is not.

You can't do everything in life.

You can't get everything in life.

You can't be everything in life.

You are all too human, too fragile, too weak.

Failure is not the end of the road.

However, failing to learn from failure is the biggest failure.

Maybe you are not good enough.

Maybe you are not made for certain things.

And that's alright.

You are not perfect.

That's perfectly alright.

If no one ever failed, the word failure itself would not have existed!

So no worries.

Celebrate your failures.

Celebrate your not being perfect.

Celebrate your weaknesses.

Celebrate your fragility.

Celebrate your mortality.

Celebrate the finite nature of your life.

Celebrate the uncertainty of life ending at any moment.

Celebrate certainty of death at the end of life.

Do your best, always.

Your best many not be good enough, however.

And its fine if your best is not good enough.

The Clowns and the Con Masters are Back from the Silly Expedition

For some time the organization was blessed that the clowns and the con masters were away. For good.

With the clowns and the con masters around, such organizations are nothing but a zoo full of dangerous and slithery snake like characters.

Alas, the clowns and the con masters are back from the silly expedition.

They can again be seen doing the same old, stupid stuff!

You again get to see their holier than thou attitude.

You again get to see their sense of superiority.

You again get to see their utter lack of competence, maturity and professionalism through the facade of falsehoods and sham.

You again get to see the same silly smirk on their faces.

You again get to see them get the same special concessions and privileges.

You again get to see the non-stop repetition of the same stuff.

The clowns and con masters behave and project a smart-ass image of themselves whereas they are nothing but asses with holes.

Their conduct is very childish, comical and nonsensical but that is what it is.

The guy handling overall operations is a dyed-in-the-wool hypocrite. He talks big but has small thinking. He operates through his coterie. He acts like a head boy who is more childish than a small kid. He operates a gang of trusted henchmen who have only one answer to any question asked to them, "yes sir". For this funny guy only loyalty matters. In some sense he is like a slithery Anaconda.

The guy handing human resources and people practises is a third grade man who is highly manipulative and harms others in a slow but steady manner. He carries a sick smirk and funny expression of "I am the smartest of them all" on his bloody face. In some sense he is like a slithery Python.

The guy handing computing infrastructure is a complete nincompoop who carries a chameleon like demeanor and stings others when he is challenged. He has a cat like smirk and grin on the face. He portrays being a genuine guy but is full of falsehoods and deceits. In some sense he is like a slithery Viper.

The guy handling delivery operations is a highly incompetent cartoon character who is a silent killer. He has this sick attitude of "I am part of the coterie and you are not". He has his set of loyalists who lick his feet and what not. And he likes that very much. He has got certain vestigial organs around who are there but who have no value addition just like himself. In some sense he is like a slithery Black Mamba.

The guy handling money is a funny man with tonnes of attitude problem. He walks with his neck turned on one side. In some sense he is like a slithery King Cobra (he is no king but an ass-licker of the king, the Anaconda.)

The guy handling sales to customers is like a stealth missile. You won't know and the damage is done. In some sense he is like a slithery Krait.

The bull dog and his puppies are going on a spree

The plan is ready, hotel rooms have been reserved, the tickets have been booked, and stupid things have already been said and done.

Who is going? And why?

The bull dog and his puppies are going on a spree.

There is a sick camaraderie that oozes out of every stinky orifice of the bull dog and his puppies.

 The stink surrounds the stupid bull dog and his puppies in an envelope of back-room dealings, deep-rooted manipulations and smart-ass pronouncements.

The bull dog and each one of the puppy is an obnoxious specimen in its own!

For the spree it seems like no one is paying from their pockets.

When the bull dog is going with you and office is home and home is office where is the need to pay from one's own pocket?

Its an all-expenses-paid spree on the house.

The place of work and house for such retards has no difference.

Whether you are the Bada Lala or one of the Chhota Lalas or the Chamchas in such an organization the feeling and thought process you carry is the same.

For such characters, professionalism, is a word that means zilch, a big zero.

For such characters, manipulation is all that matters. In fact, the only thing that matters.

They have created a cartoon of an organization with them playing various cartoon characters.

What will happen to such an organization?

Only time will tell.

The risk is very high though.

You are headed for disaster.

May day! May day May day!

Brace! Brace! Brace!