Recession

What is recession?
This Story is about a man who once upon a time was selling Hotdogs by the roadside. He was illiterate, so he never read newspapers. He was hard of hearing, so he never listened to the radio. His eyes were weak, so he never watched television.
But enthusiastically, he sold lots of hotdogs.
He was smart enough to offer some attractive schemes to increase his sales. His sales and profit went up. He ordered more a more raw material and buns and used to sell more.
He recruited few more supporting staff to serve more customers. He started offering home deliveries. Eventually he got himself a bigger and better stove.
As his business was growing, the son, who had recently graduated from College, joined his father. Then something strange happened. The son asked, "Dad, aren't you aware of the great recession that is coming our way?"The father replied, "No, but tell me about it." The son said, "The international situation is terrible. The domestic situation is even worse. We should be prepared for the coming bad times."
The man thought that since his son had been to college, read the papers, listened to the radio and watched TV. He ought to know and his advice should not be taken lightly. So the next day onwards, the father cut down his raw material order and buns took down the colourful signboard, removed all the special schemes he was offering to the customers and was no longer as enthusiastic.
He reduced his staff strength by giving layoffs. Very soon, fewer and fewer people bothered to stop at his hotdog stand. And his sales started coming down rapidly, same is the profit. The father said to his son, "Son, you were right"."We are in the middle of a recession and crisis. I am glad you warned me ahead of time."
Moral of The Story: It's all in your MIND! And we actually FUEL this recession much more than we think we do!!!!!!!!!! !!
What can we take away from this story??
1. How many times we confuse intelligence with good judgment?
2. Choose your advisers carefully but use your own judgment
3. A person or an organization will survive forever, if they have the 5 Cs
* Character
* Commitment
* Conviction
* Courtesy
* Courage
The tragedy today is that there are many walking encyclopaedias that are living failures. (Source: This story is from an email I received from a friend)

TRIVIA

The building in the picture.
Hint 1: It is one of the tallest sky scrapers in its city of origin.

The Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park is a 1,200 ft (366 m) skyscraper under construction in the Midtown Manhattan district of New York City, in the United States. The US$ 1 billion project is located on Sixth Avenue, between 42nd and 43rd Street, opposite Bryant Park. It has been designed by Cook+Fox Architects and Gensler to be one of the most efficient and ecologically friendly buildings in the world. Construction is expected to be complete in 2009.

Hint 2: Its city of origin was a 17th century Dutch colonial settlement.

New York was a 17th Century Dutch colonial settlement, and its earlier name was New Netherlands.

Hint 3: The city is often referred to with the monicker - "the huge forbidden fruit".

The Big Apple (the apple was the forbidden fruit that Adam and Eve ate to be thrown out of the Garden of Eden) as New York is referred to.

Govt. of India Notification

Government of India has developed an 'Online Grievance Forum' @ http://pgportal.gov.in/. Can you imagine this is happening in INDIA ?
The govt. wants people to use this tool to highlight the problems they faced while dealing with Government officials or departments like Passport Office, Electricity board, BSNL/MTNL, Railways etc. Many of us say that these things don't work in India . Couple of months back, the Faridabad Municipal Corporation laid new roads in an area and the residents were very happy about it. But 2 weeks later, BSNL dug up the newly laid roads to install new cables which annoyed all the residents. A resident used the above listed grievance forum to highlight his concern. To his surprise, BSNL and Municipal Corporation of Faridabad were served a show cause notice and the guy received a copy of the notice in one week. Government has asked the MC and BSNL about the goof up as it's clear that both the government departments were not in sync at all. So use this grievance forum and educate others who don't know about this facility. This way we can at least raise our concerns instead of just talking about the 'System' in India.Invite your friends to contribute for many such happenings. PLEASE SPREAD THIS MESSAGE IF U WANT OUR INDIA TO HAVE A BETTER TOMORROW & FORWARD THIS TO AS MANY AS POSSIBLE.

Entreprenuership

Having a dream and living a dream are two very different things. I personally feel it is easier to dream but tough to live it and work towards fulfilling it. When you come from a background into a new space you can be nervous as you are unsure of the path and the outcome. However what really makes one get headlong into the thick of things and pursue these dreams is the will to try and the hope to make it happen, make a difference and see success through the changes.

Being an entrepreneur and doing a regular job are also two very interestingly different scenarios and when I took the plunge myself (into entrepreneurship) I was pretty nervous over my decision. However my faith in my own abilities and potential were reinforced by my colleagues at Obelisk and my wife Ritu. She has really been the strength behind this decision along with a few other mentors who I really look up to.

My experience so far has been enriching and valuable and irrespective of the outcome of this decision, I know I have learnt a lot and will continue to “really” learn more of “Management”. Had always thought doing an MBA was difficult and then getting a good job even more difficult, but what really is challenging is actually putting what you learn from organisations and at business schools, in real use for your own self and in trying to contribute back into the society as a whole.

Your attitude towards relationship management, negotiations, conflict management, sales, employee motivation, finance, costs, admin and every aspect of business and an organisation is very different when you do a “Job” and when you run your “own shop”. Some really useful lessons can be learnt along the way and its interesting (if you are a conscientious and introspective type) to see and assess your reaction to these.

Like a famous teacher once said- you will not know till you do it and walk through that door.

I quote Irv Grousbeck, of Stanford Business School where he gave a talk on entrepreneurship for his Final Class- Fall Quarter, to all passing out MBA students. He said – “A leader is best when people barely know he exists... not so good when people obey and proclaim him; worse when they despise him…. but of a good leader who talks little, when the work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves. Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness; concerning all acts of initiative and creation there is one elementary truth -- the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans. That the moment one commits oneself, then providence moves too, all sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred, a whole stream of events issues from the decision; raising in ones favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and even a material assistance which no man would have dreamt come his way." I have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe's couplets: "whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it; boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."

This is an excerpt from a six pager my mentor sent to me to go through and reflect on…it was a difficult three month time where I kept going back and forth on “To do or not to do”. But then finally I did decide and I shall see it through till I feel it’s time to change gears. With that I mean go to the next level or take a different road. These are difficult decisions and can never be taken by an individual easily. But as long as one can read, talk to other experienced people and does things oneself, one can always make an informed decision.

So let us do, learn and keep changing to become better in whatever it is we may do. This is what Evolution is. Cheers.

Golden words are not Repeated

Love your job but don't love your Company because you may not know when your company stops loving you.
Dr. ABDUL KALAM

What is the Secret of SUCCESS... ? "RIGHT DECISIONS"
How do you make Right Decisions... ? "EXPERIENCE"
How do you get Experience.. . ? "WRONG DECISIONS
Dr. ABDUL KALAM

Without your involvement you can't succeed. With your involvement you can't fail
Dr. ABDUL KALAM

You are not responsible for what people think about you.
But you are responsible for what you give them to think about you.
STANLEY FERRARD

A man is lucky if he is the first love of a Woman.
A woman is lucky if she is the last love of a man
CHARLES DICKENS


Write your Sad times in Sand, Write your Good times in Stone
GEORGE BERNARD SHAW

Behind every successful man, there is an untold pain in his heart
BILL JACOBS

It's better to lose your Ego to the one you Love,
than to lose the one you LOVE because of EGO
JOHN KEATS

Don't make promise when you are in JOY . Don't reply when you are SAD.
Don't take decisions when you are ANGRY. Think twice, Act wise.

Luck by chance

After quite a while Ritu and I watched a good quality and meaningful movie yesterday- Luck by chance. From the word go, the movie, I felt, was spellbounding and interesting as it appeals to some very interesting messages close to my heart. The start was great, the acting was superb, the theme and messages, the relationships and the complexities with stardom was wonderfully depicted and characterised. The twists and turns of time, luck and fate really moves people like puppets and it is a treat to see them from the outside. Konkana was wonderful and I simply loved the end. After Taare Zameen Par this was a good watch and I would recommend it to everyone who wants to catch a glimpse of this serious, thought provoking action!!! Cheers.

Etiquette Tips

Hi Everyone,
This is the Ist time I am writing on Obelisk Blog and will try to be a regular. I think it’s a good medium to share our views about any subject which we think matters us and our organization.
Continuing to what Danny has on Etiquette. I noticed that we as Indian don’t have a habit or Etiquette of wishing or greeting each other even though greeting people when you meet is the base level of politeness irrespective of you know them or not. All around the globe I have seen people wishing each other even though they have never met them or known them, may it be in the staircase, lift lobby and even on the streets. let start doing it in Obelisk. I have obsereved that our co-workers just enter the office go to our respected desks, logging and start working.
I think we should inculcate the habit of wishing people in Obelisk. I think same one can apply at his/her place aswell.
I would like all of the people to respond and act on the same.

Small is the new big

Big used to matter. Big meant economies of scale. (You never hear about “economies of tiny” do you?) People, usually guys, wanted to be CEO of a big company. The Fortune 500 is where people went to make… a fortune.

There was a good reason for this. Value was added in ways that big organizations were good at. Value was added with efficient manufacturing, widespread distribution and very large R&D staffs. Value came from hundreds of operators standing by and from nine-figure TV ad budgets. Value came from a huge sales force.

Of course, it’s not just big organizations that added value. Big planes were better than small ones, because they were faster and more efficient. Big buildings were better than small ones because they facilitated communications and used downtown land quite efficiently. Bigger computers could handle more simultaneous users, as well.

Get Big Fast was the motto for startups, because big companies can go public and get more access to capital and use that capital to get even bigger. Big accounting firms were the place to go to get audited if you were a big company, because a big accounting firm could be trusted. Big law firms were the place to find the right lawyer, because big law firms were a one-stop shop.

And then small happened.

Big computers are silly. They use lots of power and are not nearly as efficient as properly networked Dell boxes (at least that’s the way it works at Yahoo and Google). Big boom boxes are replaced by tiny ipod shuffles. (Yeah, I know big-screen tvs are the big thing. Can’t be right all the time).

Today, little companies often make more money than big companies. Little churches grow faster than worldwide ones. Little jets are way faster (door to door) than big ones.

Today, Craigslist (18 employees) is the fourth most visited site according to some measures. They are partly owned by eBay (more than 4,000 employees) which hopes to stay in the same league, traffic-wise. They’re certainly not growing nearly as fast.

Small means the founder makes a far greater percentage of the customer interactions. Small means the founder is close to the decisions that matter and can make them, quickly.

Small is the new big because small gives you the flexibility to change the business model when your competition changes theirs.

Small means you can tell the truth on your blog.

Small means that you can answer email from your customers.

Small means that you will outsource the boring, low-impact stuff like manufacturing and shipping and billing and packing to others, while you keep the power because you invent the remarkable and tell stories to people who want to hear them.

A small law firm or accounting firm or ad agency is succeeding because they’re good, not because they’re big. So smart small companies are happy to hire them.

A small restaurant has an owner who greets you by name.

A small venture fund doesn’t have to fund big bad ideas in order to get capital doing work. They can make small investments in tiny companies with good (big) ideas.

A small church has a minister with the time to visit you in the hospital when you’re sick.

Small is the new big only when the person running the small thinks big.

Don’t wait. Get small. Think big.

The Republic of India

Ever since I can remember, I have been watching the Republic Day parade every year on the Doordarshan Channel of our TV. It has become like a ritual now to get up in the morning and watch the show of strength by the India Armed forces and the colourful tableaux of various states.

Never in my lifetime I have got bored of watching the same parade year after year. In fact quite contrary to the that I feel a greater sense of pride for my country when I see the soldiers marching by the Rajpath and the final culmination with Fighters from the Indian Air Force fly by.

The Republic day for me always starts with the waving of the our National Flag and the National Anthem being performed by a group of children (I used to be a part of these groups too before I got "MATURED") in our neighbourhood. Though I have moved to a new neighbourhood with different neighbours who are busy in their corporate lifestyles, it is always a pleasure to see everyone gather on this day and pause to take pride in their country's strength and culture.

The only thing that changed for me this year was that I was accompanied by me 1 year old son during the waving of the tricolour. Even though he does not understand much of what I say yet, I kept whispering in his ear about our national flag and the national anthem, hoping that he would grow up to with the same sense of pride for the country. He was a little confused looking at everyone stand in silence when the Tiranga was waved and the national anthem played, but after a while he lay still in my arms looking at the our flag reinforcing my belief that the coming generations would definitely take our country to new heights imagined by our freedom fighters.

LONG LIVE INDIA!!!!!!!!!!

The Obelisk Stands Tall

I am sure a lot of you witnessed the oath taking ceremony of the 44th President of United States of America - Barrack Hussein Obama.

Along with 2 million people at the Capitol Hill, billions around the world saw the beginning of this new era, one striking feature that caught my fancy was the Obelisk standing tall complementing the Capitol Hill.

The Obelisk next to the Capitol Hill was built to commemorate the first US President, George Washington in the 19th century. Although the only thing common between that Obelisk and our company is the form, I still felt a sense of pride looking at the structure which symbolizes our company too. A structure, admist a sea of people, that stood taller than the most powerful man of the world, has witnessed many powerful men come and go. Our vision should be similar to create and Obelisk which stands tall in it's industry and grows stronger and taller with passage of time, irrespective of our adversaries.