Sunday, November 30, 2014

Present or Future?

Yet again a phase of life filled with anxiety, confusion, fear and hope. Of these, as long as hope tops the emotions, it will be good. Should I be prepared to face anything? I guess my preparation is not to face anything, but to strive to keep hopes at the top of the list. Meandering thoughts? No. For a change, it is state of structured, organized and neatly piled up thoughts following a tree model. Binary choice at every node. Binary options at every branch. So it is not exactly a problem of plenty and in a way I should be thankful for that.

Questions rule life

The shades of grey that seem to creep in through these structured thoughts create anxiety and fear. What if? What if not? How should I? Why should I? Questions seem to unfold at every node of the tree structure. The wait is killing. The pain is greater due to the uncertainty rather than any misfortunes. The urge for clarity, the urge to see the bigger picture, the urge to cut through the present to have a look at the future - these are enough to lose sleep. Not exactly sleeplessness, but you get my point, don't you?

If Vairamutthu can give me any solace at the moment, it must be through these lines. 

ஒரு விதைக்குள்ளே அடைபட்ட ஆலமரம் கண் விழிக்கும் 
அது வரை பொறு மனமே !

(Oh heart, wait till the banyan tree that is hidden inside a seed begins to germinate)

Krishna summarizes the feeling beautifully and also gives a solution in Mahabharatham. Here is the link (Tamil).


How tough it is to follow! It is time to focus on the present. Hope the present presents a contented future.




Monday, September 8, 2014

The Dream of a Balance

If someone were to ask me which gadget I wanted the most in life, I would answer "A Real life Physical Balance". No, I am not talking about the work-life balance, which is a misnomer for all you know.Perhaps, work-life effectiveness should do the trick. More about this later, or even never. What was I saying? Yes, a real life physical balance.

Imagine a physical balance instrument. On one side, you could keep all the pros/advantages/benefits of a real life situation. On other, the cons/disadvantages/drawbacks of the same situation. Lo! behold! You are saved of all the headaches to make a decision. How cool would that be!




This wonder gadget can reduce some of the many sleepless nights spent evaluating options.  Mental agony will dissolve into thin air. In fact, the entire thinking process will vanish. Yes, I am not sure how good that is for life in general. Anyway, this magically solves the problem of plenty and weighing things to make critical decisions. Life will become simpler, wouldn’t it? You can happily relax with a Wodehouse or Ilaiyaraja and spend your nights in bliss. Decision-making will not be so overrated. For impulsive seekers of assurance, this can be the best gift.

The brilliance behind this thought was much appreciated and admired by a couple of friends. Audience matter, you see.This was even suggested to be submitted for a contest. However, that did not matter in the greater scheme of things. So,well.

The beauty of life lies in the suspense that it carries with it every second. Maybe, this thought was conceived since my instrument is not existent. Let me weave this dream of a balance a little longer until I am bombarded by planned happiness or pleasant surprises through my smart decisions.


Wednesday, March 12, 2014

To CP or not to CP



I have never ever *shudders* thought I will write on this topic. Nevertheless, time has come to opine about things that have long been just inside the mostly inactive brain I have got. To the uninitiated, Class Participation, famously known as CP in the business school (B-school) lingo, refers to voluntary meaningful contribution one makes in class with the fellow students and the professor. This participation includes answering questions raised by the professor, sharing ideas and thoughts on the topic of discussion, and rarely also includes asking a relevant and interesting doubt.
The idea behind having CP as a part of the evaluation in the curriculum stems from the fact that the future managers must be vocal in their thoughts. Management, as opposed to technical courses, is seen worldwide as an art that comes only from experience, rather than from books. B-schools across the world encourage CP for this reason – to enhance the learning experience with the peers. That is why case studies are the mode of learning.
Now what is wrong in the system? Or in B-school lingo again, what is the problem statement?



There are people who feel that CP has become marks-oriented and it is artificial to put a CP. Those people also feel it should not be an evaluation criterion, for, the souls who don’t voice out are those who are either inhibited or do not feel the necessity of contribution. Why do I disagree? Some myths to resolve
1.  “CP forces people to talk. It should not be evaluative.”

         In a perfect market condition, (yes, I will never fall short of this lingo!) where the objective of the curriculum is to encourage participation, there is no need of marks for CP. However, when students hesitate to contribute or are disinterested, the marks criterion comes in handy. It is an incentive to make people talk in class and thereby create a speaking culture which should have actually developed on its own like in schools abroad. Also, schools have CP marks ranging from 5% to 10% in most courses, which is the minimum anyone can ask for. Infact, B-schools abroad have up to 30% CP marks. When you find vehement opposition to CP even when marks are awarded, how can we expect people to participate when it is not mandatory?

2.   CP is gas”
             Gas refers to illogical unwanted talks. Desperate CP (also called DCP) leads to gas. One speaks just for the sake of attention and does not add value to the class. However, a proper CP was not conceptualized to be a DCP. The idea behind was genuine, but the system was cynically manipulated (Calvin!) by desperate students who crave for attention. All CP is not Gas. No DCP is CP.  You can solve the syllogism yourself!

3.  “I know to think. I know to speak. I can do it in a board room, but not in the class”

           The school aims at overall development of the manager who not only takes wise decisions, but also involves in discussions and healthy arguments in an organization. A board room need not be similar to the ashrams in the Himalayas and you deal with no saints. A chaotic situation can arise any time in a discussion among the board members. One has to realize that CP gives the opportunity to structure your thoughts and speak out loud with confidence, which is very important for a manager. Students who put CP are seen as nerds who only study. It is absolutely wrong. Requiring preparation, lateral thinking, correlated thinking and a sense of value-add, CP is tough to put. Quoting myself as a fitting and a sitting example, it is a skill one should definitely learn using b-school as a platform.

4.  ‘’CPs are useless”
         CP keeps one attentive in class.You have to listen to comprehend and engage yourself in participation. It is not related to being an extrovert or an introvert. In fact, I have seen very good points coming from some of the most introverted people in class.
        Let us accept the fact that those who regularly participate in classes constitute a significant number of the ones who do well in GDs( Group Discussions) during placement processes. That GDs should be done away with is a related argument. Yet again, the perception is that one who shouts the most gets the attention. HR managers invariably know to judge one’s gestures, articulation style and the clarity of your thoughts much more than one can hope for. Those who fail to participate in class calling it unnecessary make up to at least 50% of the population who stumble during GDs and are unable voice out their opinions. With intense fight for the best jobs,GDs in B-schools have never been both peaceful and successful simultaneously.Period
 

          CP is not to seek attention, not for grades, not for display of knowledge. CP is a component of evaluation that merely aims at vocally bringing out one’s thoughts in an organized manner. Don’t gas, don’t globe. Keep calm and put (meaningful)CP!

P.S: I am not a CP/DCP queen. However, I support it and try to benefit from such a process.Comments are welcome!

Saturday, January 11, 2014

காதல் கேள்வி


தூர தேசத்தில்
தூக்கம் துறந்து - உன்
துன்பத்தில் துடித்து
தோள் கொடுத்து 
தன் வாழ்வை உன்னிடம் 
தந்தவளை 
துச்சம் என நினைத்தாயோ ?
தூக்கி எறியத் துணிந்தாயோ?

பல காலம் 
பகல் இரவு பாராமல் 
பேசித் தீர்த்த காதல் அன்றோ ? -இன்று 
பேசித் 'தீர்ந்த' காதல் ஆனதோ ?

                           
Source: cartelthemes.com

கண்ணின் கடைசி துளி நீர் கறைய
காதல் பெருக்கெடுத்து
கை பிடிப்பேன் என்று
கட்டி முத்தமிட்டவளை
கத்திக் கூச்சலிடாமல்
கை விட நினையாமல்
காப்பவன் அன்றோ  காதலன் ?

கண்ணீர்  மல்க
கால் கடுக்கக்  காத்திருந்து
கையேந்த  வைப்பதற்கோ
கெடு கொடுத்தாய் ?

கண்டு  வருவதல்ல காதல்
காணாமல் கண் துடிப்பதுவே காதல் !


Thursday, January 2, 2014

Happy New Year!

This blog is almost reborn every new year's day, this year being no exception. Wish you all a very happy new year. Reminiscing 2013, it was a dream-come-true year. My dream got fulfilled and I inched steps closer to my ambition, the process of which I am currently in. I made my parents happy, and that's what counts more than anything else.

2013 also saw a new bunch of friends, a new place, a new lifestyle, and a very new everything. I easily settled down to the changes, thanks to the people around me. I understood what I am good at, and more specifically, what I am terrible at! It was a year of revelation of sorts. I got a very good exposure, a great learning platform ( how much I made use of it is a different story altogether), and a sense of satisfaction. 

I made quite a lot of mistakes - personally and professionally. Some of them cost me dearly and still give me nightmares. Life is all about crossing these and getting over them, isn't it? How else can one grow? These were the times that taught me life's lessons - I learnt it pretty hard. The most hard-hitting lesson was to prioritize. That would have made all the difference. With a fabulous first half and a not-so-good second, 2013 was way better than the previous years. A year of changes that was!

                               


2014 is going to be a year of prayers. This is a very important year in terms of both personal and professional life and I am eager to see what life has in store for me. I most certainly believe in the power of prayers. As I always say, I will try my best to not repeat the mistakes of 2013. I am sorry, I have no strength to commit them all once again, more so, to relearn the bitter lessons. Hence, I would rather call it a year of prayers, to give me the vision to avoid mistakes.

I have a hunch that 2014 is going to be the reverse. A not-so-bad first half and a fabulous second. I am here set to make the not-so-bad into a not-so-great (Mind you, there is a difference!). It all starts well - plans, schedules and wishes. It is when they end in regrets, repercussions and repentance, one understands life's melancholy. Life laughs at me and I sigh. See, this is what 2013 has done to me - digress and get disillusioned. 

If only the past does not haunt and has absolutely no effect on our futures, can we hope for something better. Hoping against hope is what the new year has started with, and I wish, if my hunch proves right, the first half is at least manageable - and oh! definitely better than the last few months please. Pretty please?

Bharathi comes to my rescue  usual. 
" விசையுறு பந்தினைப் போல் - உள்ளம் 
  வேண்டிய படி செல்லும் உடல் கேட்டேன் "
(Just like how a ball gets attracted by gravity, I ask for a body that goes in the direction of my heart)

What else can we expect from the human mind?

My longest ever new year post ends with a wonderful song, which I wish I can heartily sing at the end of 2014 - the year of prayers.

                  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4eN1nrohkE

Happy New Year everyone! Here is to more blogging hopefully. After all, it is much more than a CV point!