Friday, March 17, 2006
Inner look
I have been thinking for quite some time on what exactly I am. I wanted to have a clear understanding of me myself and me again.When I ask my friends to describe I guess they would definitely have one word for me..."Voopu". Well this behavior might not be translated to English to a perfect sense.... may be the word "mercurial" might suit that. Well I asked my friends to give me their perception on me. Will add their views as and when they come.
Well let me dig into myself, I found myself a moody fellow. I have observed that my mood of mind can change drastically. The moment I feel bad and immediately I donno if I would be enjoying a chat with my friends. I sit down alone in my room thinking of something that changes quickly. I keep on evaluating many things when do this. I donno if I am very optimistic or very pessimistic. At different situations I am different and also at the same situations I might be different.
I have one strong belief that I can do anything anytime. If someone says that it is difficult or one cannot do I get kind of emotional as if my ego is being hurt and I might land into argument with him for no sake. This could be a kind of overconfidence in myself. This is the reason I guess I will not be able to let others pour in their views into me. I also believe in what all I do. There is never a thing I do without me having a satisfactory answer that it would be useful in someway. This might be self-centered attitude. This does not mean that I am selfish. I believe in helping others. I feel that it is the good done to others will be that matter in the end. I let others do whatever they wanted to do but thing is I don’t tolerate their interference with my way. If I want to do something, I will try to do the thing in some way.
I think I don’t have ethics (as people perceive) as such but I am a man of my own beliefs. It may not be the commonly acceptable way. They might be unconventional. I have my own priorities. Based on the situation I do things based on what I believe and my priority.
Actually I have a mental map of the way things should be done. Till I have that clear idea I will not proceed further. Well I want to be a man having accomplished something and the world should be able to recognize me as a great guy. That’s the aim have. I will by any means or at any cost will achieve that. The road to this is not completely clear to me yet. I will have my own paths ready for me. I know that as I reach to a milestone in my journey my next milestone becomes clear or I will select best option (my interest) and make it my milestone. (Kind of greedy algorithm) It is always the goal that drives me forward. Otherwise I become lethargic to activity. I can clearly say that my present milestone is MBA from global top colleges.
I like completeness a lot. I approach with holistic fundamentals. Suppose if I prefer to read some book. I would a kind of satisfaction only when I read it completely. I don’t feel like having the confidence of reading that if I don’t do it completely. I have a feeling that others watch my mistakes. So I want to be perfectionist. This has its own disadvantages. Well because of this I will not be able to proceed further many times.
When I decide to do something. I always try to do it. I can say that my mind will be filled with only that idea. Many feel that I might be carried by others perceptions but thing is I myself carry myself with my own perceptions. I can say it is like a beautiful dream haunting (possible) me. I take a decision and if I feel I should stick to that, and then it is done - I will stick to that. This is mostly related to what I want to be. I don’t like to change my ideas with influences of others. Even if some one gives me some advice or idea or any info, I will accept it only if I like that. Though in the face of them I would be nodding my head. But I get very angry when my idea is opposed. I would be then ready to pounce on him and attack any single statement made by him with the sole intention of crossing him to talk further. I then get a feel of satisfaction. At that moment I do this. If I feel later that I should not be doing that, I would somehow convey the message of my feeling sorry for my earlier behavior to him. One thing is sure that I dont I like anyone riding me. If someone tries he will have to face the wrath. Well even this depends on the kind of person I am dealing with. If I like the guy at that moment, I will not say anything. If not then is the blowup.
I have the habit of doing things When things are not going in the way I wanted them to be, I really get hysterical and becomes tough towards everything and work till the last moment to keep my track right or some other path that is as good as the one I choose to be going on.
I have observed one thing in my life. Whatever I get or got or gonna get, I think is with my full hard work. I believe in god. Infact I feel that I can share my thoughts with him. I have a placid attitude in the beginning toward things. I usually fail the first time and this really disturbs me. When I am disturbed (almost to the extent of cryin), then I really make tough resolutions and those are done. I donno why but I get real focused (may be I don’t show that out but I keep thinking about that only). Then I work real hard and do that. This has been my regular attitude. I donno why I am not developing the focus is not be default. That’s why, when I wanted to do something, I require lot of motivation at regular intervals. I use my bad situations and think of them when I start deterring, as my motivation to achieve my targets. Like necessity is the mother of invention.
Also I have the habit of feeling things to realest sense. I donno clearly but when I see movies I get lot of confidence. If see some motivational movies, the increment in the level of confidence is tremendous. Also I dont like heart breaking or moving movies as I take things to my heart. I also dont like to hurt others. That’s why I agree to their ideas even if I dont agree. But when I feel I want to disagree, its uncontrollable emergent feeling. I donno but I really think with my heart.
When I do something, I have an answer or some support to the integrity of having performed such an action. Even if from some corner of my heart, I get an indication saying that this might be wrong, but I will support my stance as it is the need that is driving.
I find that I can easily embed myself with any kind of personality, group or situation. This I see that I was able to make people home while talking to me. That’s because I don’t show the superiority feeling to others. Even when I talk to workers, drivers other people even beggars I think they feel that I can be shared their problems. At times I am really conservative. That all depends on my mood and kind of people talking to.
Now that I have the perceptions of my pals about me I will try to analyze them and see if I can improve myself.
Girish Said, “All the comments below should not in anyway affect anything between us, these have been begged by u and only hence given to u. k, now that u r through with the disclaimer, read below. voopu, suddenly attracted to something, with or without reason, keep doing or thinking about that something till ur choopu lands on a different voopu thing or theres some serious trouble that u got urself into and u have to clear it immediately otherwise, mostly a cool guy, in most situations with our group with other ppl too, u r semi cool, semi reserved , with making public speeches or announcements, u r too tensed, sweat flows from ur face like a river and u openly tell and u r highly selfcentred in some situations, ur telugu is okay, ur english has some grammar mistakes like most indians of today, ur sense of humour is in sync with that of most ppl, u need to listen to what ur near and dear say to become better sometimes u go out of the way and tend to do illegal / wrong things when u r faced with a tough situation but u can convince / force humorously ppl into getting ur things work done. hehehe ur physique is good and u can with some personality development course become a model i think, u ought to be in showbiz...............not necessarily movies, but like a show host often ppl with big bodies have bad temper, u dont, this is ur big plus point and often the first thing that ppl notice about u finally, u need some control on your temptationgs”
Pammy said
“ So you wanna know something about you which you donno... So read carefully whatever I write, as this is what I think about you.
1. You are a nice person as far as all the normal issues go...
a. You help everyone.
B. Do things on time (by hook or crook).
C. Are goal oriented and looks like you have definite goals to achieve in life and you are determined to achieve them.
d. The ability to work hard, when it is necessary.
e. Move around with others in a jovial and cordial manner.
f. Exercise daily for better health.
h. Positive outlook towards life and other aspects.
The most disgusting facts about you are as follows...
1. Your logic sucks.
a. What do I mean by that?
For every damn thing you say I did this with my logic. When I was in the first year I always felt like trashing you whenever you
said that. But later on it so happened that you yourselves were kind of making yourself a laughing stock whenever you said that.
2. You talk too much even when you don't know anything about that matter.
a. Even when you lack stats or when you hear a gossip about something/someone you endorse that fact true. Now now, I spread news... [gossip or whatever] but that is far different from what you do... Because I just spread the news but never endorse the fact that it is true/false (I do not wish to say whether what I do is correct or not)... You stamp it as truth always.
3. You are not open to others opinions.
a. You do not agree to any other view or do not even wish to listen what that is. For example (as a case study of your character on this issue), I told you sometime ago... say 2 years back that sentimental and tragedy movies do have market. But, you said only comedy movies have market and no one would like to see a tragedy. But, the sickest part was not this... You lacked points to argue about that and to side line me you were just shaking your head not even listening to what I was talking about. Now, what happened, the truth is here for everyone to see... Lakshmi and Premiste are big hits... they were not comedies... but did run.
4. You allow yourself to be exploited because of your VooPu.
correct or wrong or whether you have any profit from that. So reduce that VooPu and start thinking before acting. This is similar to a. If someone comes and tells you, rey Nalli if you do not go out with Bandus today night to *** then you will not get an A grade you rush out with him without even giving a second thought... This is the kind of VooPu that you have and we have been seeing. Another example, you called me last month and said Pammy I am going to Visu, I was surprised... because therewas no urgency as such for us to hurry... But again you were in the VooPu State... Nothing can be done. You do not sit back and think back for at least 2 minutes about whether the kind of work that you are upto because someone instigated you to do isthat Sumati Setakam poem "Vinatagu nevvaru cheppina vininantane vegapadaka vivarimpatagun... ".
Well as I said earlier all my friends comments have on common buzz word “VOOPU”. This brings to my memory of Jenny having told me once that I have lot of “VOOPU” and I have to streamline in a proper direction to achieve results. I will try to analyze their comments.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
personal view of Mr. R. Gopalakrishnan
2. Deserve before you desire At one stage, I was appointed as the Brand Manager for Lifebuoy and Pears soap, the company's most popular-priced and most premium soaps. And what was a Brand Manager? "A mini-businessman, responsible for the production, sales and profits of the brand, accountable for its long-term growth, etc., etc. I had read those statements, I believed them and here I was, at 27, "in charge of everything". But very soon, I found I could not move a pin without checking with my seniors. One evening, after turning the Facit machine handle through various calculations, I sat in front of the Marketing Director. I expressed my frustration and gently asked whether I could not be given total charge. He smiled benignly and said, "The perception and reality are both right. You will get total charge when you know more about the brand than anyone else in this company about its formulation, the raw materials, the production costs, the consumer's perception, the distribution and so on. How long do you think that it will take?" "Maybe, ten years", I replied, "and I don't expect to be the Lifebuoy and Pears Brand Manager for so long"! And then suddenly, the lesson was clear. I was desiring total control, long before I deserved it. This happens to us all the time - in terms of responsibilities, in terms of postings and promotions, it happens all the time that there is a gap between our perception of what we deserve and the reality of what we get. It helps to deserve before we desire.
3 Play to win but win with fairness Life is competitive and of course, you play to win. But think about the balance. Will you do anything, to win? Perhaps not. Think deeply about how and where you draw the line. Each person draws it differently, and in doing so, it helps to think about values. Winning without values provides dubious fulfillment. The leaders who have contributed the most are the ones with a set of universal values ¡V Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King for example. Napoleon inspired a ragged, mutinous and half-starved army to fight and seize power. This brought him name and fame for twenty years. But all the while, he was driven forward by a selfish and evil ambition, and not in pursuit of a great ideal. He finally fell because of his selfish ambition. I am fond of referring to the Pierre de Coubertin Fair Play Trophy. It was instituted in 1964 by the founder of the modern Olympic Games and here are two examples of winners. - A Hungarian tennis player who pleaded with the umpire to give his opponent some more time to recover from a cramp. - A British kayak team who were trailing the Danish kayak team. They then stopped to help the Danish team whose boat was stuck. The Danes went on to beat the British by one second in a three hour event! What wonderful examples of sportsmanship! Play to Win, but with Fairness.
4 Enjoy whatever you do Sir Thomas Lipton is credited with the statement, "There is no greater fun than hard work". You usually excel in fields, which you truly enjoy. Ask any person what it is that interferes with his enjoyment of existence. He will say, "The struggle for life". What he probably means is the struggle for success. Unless a person has learnt what to do with success after getting it, the very achievement of it must lead him to unhappiness. Aristotle wrote, "Humans seek happiness as an end in itself, not as a means to something else". But if you think about it, we should not work for happiness. We should work as happy people. In organisational life, people get busy doing something to be happy. The more you try to be happy, the more unhappy you can get. Your work and career is all about your reaching your full potential. Working at one's full potential, whether it is the office boy or the Chairman, leads to enjoyment and fulfillment. A last point about enjoyment. Keep a sense of humour about yourself. Too many people are in danger of taking themselves far too seriously. As General Joe Stilwell is reported to have said, "Keep smiling. The higher the monkey climbs, the more you can see of his backside".
5 Be Passionate about your health Of course, as you get older, you would have a slight paunch, greying of hair or loss of it and so on. But it is in the first 5 - 7 years after the working career begins that the greatest neglect of youthful health occurs. Sportsmen stop playing sports, non drinkers drink alcohol, light smokers smoke more, active people sit on chairs, starving inmates of hostels eat rich food in good hotels and so on. These are the years to watch. Do not, I repeat do not, convince yourself that you are too busy, or that you do not have access to facilities, or worst of all, that you do this to relieve the stresses of a professional career. A professional career is indeed very stressful. There is only one person who can help you to cope with the tension, avoid the doctor's scalpel, and to feel good each morning - and that is yourself. God has given us as good a health as He has, a bit like a credit balance in the bank. Grow it, maintain it, but do not allow its value destruction. The penalty is very high in later years.
6 Direction is more important than distance Every golfer tries to drive the ball to a very long distance. In the process, all sorts of mistakes occur because the game involves the masterly co-ordination of several movements simultaneously. The golf coach always advises that direction is more important than distance. So it is with life. Despite one¡¦s best attempts, there will be ups and downs. It is relationships and friendships that enable a person to navigate the choppy waters that the ship of life will encounter. When I was young, there was a memorable film by Frank Capra, starring James Stewart and Dona Reed, and named IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. It is about a man who is about to commit suicide because he thinks he is a failure. An angel is sent to rescue him. The bottomline of the film is that "No Man is a Failure Who Has Friends". Conclusion My generation will never be twenty again, but when you are older, you can and should be different from my generation. Ours is a great and wonderful country, and realising her true potential in the global arena depends ever so much on the quality and persistence of our young people. Good luck in your journey, my young friends, and God be with you and our beloved Nation.
This is the personal view of Mr. R. Gopalakrishnan, Director( now chairman!) - Tata Sons
