The Inevitable to the Unexpected

The inevitable has to happen and if one can take action earlier it is helpful.  What with frequent  overseas travel the pages in Passport were to get exhausted.  Each Embassy has its own norms and rules, for example one Embassy was clear that I have  four consecutive pages to stamp the visa.  I had only three and I did get the visa although late.  On Wednesday on my return from an overseas trip I realised I had only two and a half pages left and it was time to take  action.

That same  afternoon I submitted my application online after paying 50% of the fees as well.  I was given an appoiontment  2:15 pm  on the very next day.  I waited at my queue when I was allowed inside even at 2:10pm.  

A quick scrutiny of my documents revealed a that few certificates were needed. I called my driver and my colleagues to help and they responded galantly by 3pm.  I next proceeded to the counter where my photo and electronic signature were taken.   The next counter saw an officer verify my proof of residence and satisfied herselft. At this  counter my  current passport was also  cancelled.  A few minutes later I met the Assistant Passport Officer who accepted my file and gave me an acknowledgement of the documents received. I was out of the office soon there after.

On enquiry I was told that my new passport would arrive on Wednesday.  I thought to myself it is  fair  enough to get a fresh passport in four working days. 

The unexpected did happen on Saturday I actually got my passport on Saturday itself. The Passport application was processed and the fresh passport despatched all in 24 hours. My experience at the passport  was truly pleasant and I knew I as interacting  with a team of professionals.  They followed process, yet they  could give individual attention. Kudo's to their dedication,  ciitzens are benefitting from their work.  

We have several instances where  we criticise the various facilities and government services we receive.  We do not  use forums such as  these to appreciate and acknowledge the  good work we receive.  

Thank you  unsung heroes of the Passport  Seva Kendra at Worli, Mumbai.  

May I request you as  a reader to share your success story in  a larger forum. Lets us also thank the Government persons who impact us postively.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.* So do share  what were the  beautiful things which happened to you.

* Words from Desiderata

He was merely doing his Job

I  drove in  to the emergency area  of a  renowned corporate hospital and had hardly stopped my car, when  up came the  security person and  rudely gestured  me to move out of that area.  He also blew his whistle at me as he advanced to my vehicle.   When he came close to the window, I smiled at him and asked him,  Is this a hospital or have I made a mistake?  He replied yes it is but this place is reserved  for the doctors so you better move on.  I then told him that a close relative sitting in the vehicle needed emergency care.  He said to my relative to get down and walk to the  emergency.

Again I had to intervene  and said we would need a wheel chair  since my relative could not walk due a fall.   He condescended and then asked another guard to get a wheelchair , who wheeled my relative into the ward.

I thereafter  parked my  car a safe distance away from the “ designated doctors  reserved area” and rushed to the  emergency.  In the flurry of  filling of forms and attending to my relative, the image of the  security  guard and  his authority flashed in my mind.

Here we were wanting to receive  healing and comfort from pain and the systems were just designed to  deliver the contrary.  The very first touch point of an institution whose purpose is to  reduce suffering  actually increases it.  Hospital emergency wards are where every  second is a difference between life and death.  The guard was merely doing his job.

I think there is an opportunity for such institutions to revisit their purpose and  educate all their employees and consultants to live up to their purpose and vision and truly serve their  customer!

Partnering In Miracles !

He said to His Disciples, “ Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost”.Therefore they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.  John 6:12-13

This is how the Bible passage ends the narration of the miraculous feeding of the five thousand by Jesus Christ.

I observe yet another  miracle in this passage and that is the gathering of the twelve baskets. Let me tell you why I consider this a miracle.

The Disciples were asked to perform a fairly crazy task, that is to gather up  the leftovers. Usually one does not  do it as you have designated persons for this task.  They readily agreed and went about with diligently.  They gathered twelve basketfull when just an hour earlier there was absolutely no food, save for the five barley loaves and two fish.

Each and every person who was present there had been satisfied of his/her  hunger and presumably, each one had some food remaining as they couldn't eat anymore. They did not  need the  leftovers. Individually the leftovers are insignificant  but collectively they were twelve basketfull.   Each of us if we join together we can create a miracle. 

Jesus created a tremendous visual impact for all the five thousand and the disciples that evening.  The power of collective action.  That power was  twelve basketfull, several hundred times more that their own contribution.

Very often we think what we have or can do is insignificant however collaborating with disciples helps us realize this potential.  We also need to develop the willingness to let go what we do not need.

Jesus demonstrated yet another principle that  “What is blessed should not be lost”. Lets ponder how we  use our blessings.

The theme for the year  2013 World Environment Day celebrations is Think.Eat.Save. Think.Eat.Save is an anti-food waste and food loss campaign that encourages you to reduce your foodprint. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), every year 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted. This is equivalent to the same amount produced in the whole of sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, 1 in every 7 people in the world go to bed hungry and more than 20,000 children under the age of 5 die daily from hunger.  ( Source http://www.unep.org/wed/theme/)

Given this context with such startling figures  at a macro level, we need to act at an individual level.   Our actions  are simple   

• Give what you are not using.  
• Do not throw it away or waste it.  There are several motivated disciples who will collect today.

If you are motivated like the disciples, gather what is not needed.  Share with those in need so that   “what is blessed is not lost”. We can also create miracles today.  

Giving and Gifts

Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh  Matthew 2:11

Many a  Christmas  tableau and  drama  depicts the  scene of the Wise men giving  Jesus the gifts of gold, frankincense  and  myrrh.  We know  about this through songs, movies, skits and perhaps view it mechanically. 

With Gold at  around Rs. 33000/- for  10 grams ( in India )  and  around US$ 1700 an ounce it is  expensive. I have never been able to purchase pure Frankincense though I have experienced its fragrance and have not seen Myrrh.These items are rare and precious and few have access to them.

Extraction of gold, frankincense and myrrh is arduous. Gold is mined from great depths, extracted from rocks  which are crushed into gravel and made into a sludge to separate gold from rock. This gold is then refined in fire to get pure gold. Frankincense and Myrrh are products of trees, however they are not fruits, seeds or leaves which can just be plucked but resins. In both cases the process of extraction involves cutting the bark of particular trees to allow resin to flow out. The resins forms a residue on the bark which is scraped away for purification. In fact the price of all three was similar during those Biblical times.

All the three substances are  gifts in their purest form. 

When we gift  anything to anyone do we gift with the purest of motives?  Perhaps there is an opportunity to review our   motives when we  give gifts. 

When I  look at each of them  I find some significance which prompts me to reflect and ask  myself some questions.

Gold as a substance is  treasured by many a family and is desirable  as it has lasting value. Are the gifts that I give of  Value?  Can the gifts we give have an element of permanency?

Frankincense  is experienced best when it  is burnt. Its fragrance permeates the surroundings and gives a pleasant smell. It is also used as a fumigant.  The  thought from Frankincense is  what is  the quality  and intensity of my Impact?     

Myrrh is used largely to preserve and embalm. It is also used as medicine as it has healing  properties.  It was used to embalm the mummies in Egypt.  A couple of generations later  people  can see the effect of the properties of myrrh.  Myrrh is  one which gives us the gift of Legacy. The Past is  preserved for the future. What is the Legacy I would like to leave for the generations which come after me?

This  Christmas I would urge us all to look beyond Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh and see how your  gifts can  Create  Value, Make an Impact and leave a Legacy even as  we receive the gift of  Hope and Salvation from  Jesus.

Wish you and your  loved ones a very Happy and Blessed Christmas.

December 2012 

Garba and the art of Leadership

As part of my job induction at Ahmedabad a few years ago, my wife and I were told to await the big event of Gujarat in October every year, and were told a little of what the Dandiya and Garba dance was all about… but almost all the locals agreed that the nine-day wonder was best experienced than explained.

A few weeks before the festival, we were advised to get the appropriate attire, after which lots of discussions ensued when I cautiously acquired a bright kurta and churidar  along with a sash – which I tried by giving up my office formals and pale blues. With some persuasion from the women folk, Nazarene also agreed to try on the traditional dresses.

A Garba Dance at Ahmedabad

We waited for the day when festivities start, when my colleague Nishit and his wife Mona took us to the NID Garba.  We were told that it would be a visual delight. When we finally reached the place, we saw a few people dancing in a circle - we followed Nishit and Mona and mimicked them. The steps were a bit complicated for us, uninitiated as we were, but dance we did, but with a few hiccups. We were drawn into the fun-charged atmosphere and we were having so much fun, that it seemed like we went through a couple of rounds, before we realised it was almost midnight.

The circle kept expanding and took a bit longer to complete each round, but we didn’t really mind. In fact we beckoned others to join in. Those who were experienced joined in effortlessly, but there was space for the novices as well. In all it was fun and enjoyment. I believe just like us, the circle drew in people of different faiths and nationalities. Everyone seemed to enjoy and performed the right steps to keep the circle and the group moving.

I have noticed this dance year after year at various venues and found a similar verve, harmony and rhythm. It set me thinking on the elements behind this activity which invokes such high participation. What I found are quite interesting - first and foremost, people are happy and come voluntarily, next they quickly understand what needs to be done. The  ‘training’ by experienced dancers is passed on by being role models, furthermore feedback is quick given silently through actions and in empathy. No one really counts how many rounds each should do, I notice that people usually stretch and go beyond what they would usually do. At times, the momentum of the group increases depending upon the music beats. Few of them temporarily step aside to catch their breath and then rejoin the group. The circle remains steady and there is no inkling of start and end. Any of the group members can suggest a new dance step and in a few minutes, the entire group follows – perfectly synchronized.

There is harmony in everybody's movement and each person’s action enhances the beauty of the dance. I was watching with interest, the endless joy and laughter   vibrant dresses add to the visual appeal and mood… when I suddenly realized that there was no leader.  You don’t really find a leader in this dance. 

All of us, in the last ten days, have again experienced being part of a Leaderless group and have performed to the best of our abilities as well. The cradle of our civilization and culture has imbued this idea for us. This is indeed a great opportunity to extend this idea beyond Dussehra, and take it to our workspaces and homes.  

Can we take responsibility for aspects which affect each other, for example even a simple action of not throwing garbage, not wasting our resources, encouraging the children and the aged, or even appreciating good work? I believe each of these and many more can be the impact of leaderless groups. In fact only when we assume responsibility to enhance the harmony of our circles/groups, we truly become Leaders.

Thought For Food

On a lovely August morning, about 15 years ago, my father came to me with a question as I was about to rush to work. He looked at me in the eye as I was wearing my socks and asked calmly, “Son, suppose you were travelling by car from Bangalore to Madras, would you fill in  petrol when you reach Madras?”

I was working as the HR Head for a Greenfield automobile project at that time and the reference to a car seemed logical. In fact Greenfield projects do take up a lot of your time and energy, but being polite and not wanting to offend him, I replied hurriedly disguising my irritation, “Dad, of course before starting the journey... at Bangalore.”

I could see a glint of triumph in his eyes, he was almost 70 at that time and then he asked me again sweetly, “Well, when you fill in petrol for a car before your journey, is it not fair that your body needs breakfast before you go to work?”

On wearing my shoes, my feet led me to the breakfast table to have some cereal and fruit, much to Dad’s satisfaction. He had tried several times earlier to get me to have breakfast unsuccessfully until he used a metaphor which I could relate to.

Needless to say, breakfast as a meal, is now institutionalised at our home, along with the ritual of tea in a pot.

As I reflect on this slice of memories I shared with my Dad, it also dawned on me that to influence our readers or listeners, we need to put an effort to use metaphors that they relate to. We usually depend on the trite terminologies. We do not realise that contexts have changed and so have peoples’ understanding. You  can really influence when you have Empathy.

Wisdom Rocks

Standing at the Marine Drive on a Sunday morning looking at  the rough sea as the waves hit the shore with an intensity.  There were many people  and families enjoying this pleasant site as the sky  had clouds with a  slight drizzle. As usual I took to capturing the sights and emotions on my Nikon when my wife Nazarene  drew my attention to the breakers.  We both observed wave after in intensity hit the breakers  and go back, but clinging on to them were this family of crabs impervious to the efforts of the waves.  The crabs did not move in between waves to get that little gasp of air  or 'let me brace my self'' for the next one.  They remained firm and maintained position.

Many of us adults would shy away  from such choppy waves but these little creatures were not moved.
They have  taken simple actions.   They developed their feet over their lifetime to clasp and to  hold.  They clasped to  a rock from where they drew their strength.  The force of the environment does not really impact them.  They had  clarity on the source of their strength and worked on that.  They anchored on the rock and not on sand or wood or paper.

Nazarene and I pondered at our responsibility towards our children, to help them develop their capabilities and competences to weather the uncertainties of life. These competences and our Faith would  be a  source  of strength in having the the right anchor's.  There is surely more to crabs than just an exotic item on a menu card.


 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Matthew 7:23-25