Ashish Khushu
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Friday Mar 02, 2007
A few Interesting Quotes
Whatever you do,do it to the purpose; do it thoroughly, not superficially.
Go to the bottom of things. Any thing half done, or half known, is in my
mind, neither done nor known at all. Nay, worse, for it often misleads.
-Lord Chesterfield
If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere.
-Frank A Clark
Your job gives you authority, Your behaviour earns you respect.
-Irwin Federman
There are risks and costs to a program of action. But they are far less
than the long range risk and costs of comfortable inaction
-John F Kennedy
The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is
before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to
meet it.
-Thucydides
I never lost sight of the fact that just being is fine
-Katherine Hepburn
What is sucess in this world? I would say it consists of four simple
things- to live a lot, to love a lot, to laugh a lot, and from it all
to learn a lot.
-Richard K Needham
It may not be your fault for being down, but it's got to be your fault for not getting up.
-Steve Davis
You see, real ongoing, lifelong education doesn't answer questions; it provokes them.
-Luci Swindoll
Go far as you can see and when you get there, you will always be able to see farther.
-Zig Zagler
A man is known by the company his mind keeps.
-Thomas Aldrich
Pain nourishes courage. You can't be brave if you've only had wonderful things happen to you.
-Mary Tyler Moore
We must change to master change.
-Lyndon Johnson
Celebrate your existence.
-William Blake
Everyday holds the possibility of a miracle
-Elizabeth David
Posted at 03:45AM Mar 02, 2007 by ashishkhushu in General |
Thursday Feb 15, 2007
Hearing good things about oneself!
I admire you for your ability to speak your mind. I give you 8/10 on this while I am 2/10.You involve everyone but do not necessarily listen to other opinion's.
You have an amazing memory and you can recollect events in a sequential manner as they happened years ago.Very few people I know exhibit this trait.
You are very approachable and easy to talk to.
You are very well read and in fact in one of our general group discussions,you quoted from a book which I later bought and read.
You are a true friend for life.
You have been able to balance your work and family well. But your infectious enthusiasm and passion for work looks like on a decline in the past 12 months.
Boundless energy,very hardworking,no hidden agenda when you talk,speak your mind,great ability to take on difficult challenges.
You glide into new and different roles so easily that it appears you have been doing them for years.
Your presentation and sequencing is impressive- problem statement, issues, logic, solution, impediments etc are put forward in a very articulate manner.
Very intelligent,very hardworking,passionate, will be very very successful.
You are a good statesman - can articulate the overall interests of the organization from a long term as well as a short term perspective.
You have a very disarming smile and approach in difficult situations.
So the above is a list of comments I got to hear from my colleagues in a group activity wherein each of us were supposed to share one good trait/quality about our colleague which we admired/ would like to have. This was to be done 1-1.
When I got to hear different comments,I realized the wide range of perspectives and interpretations people can have about the same thing.
And YES it DOES feel very nice to hear good things about oneself, once in a while though.
Posted at 02:34AM Feb 15, 2007 by ashishkhushu in General |
Tuesday Feb 06, 2007
Five things you didn't know about me
I was tagged by Santhosh D'Souza. I am a very private person but I want to give this a try. It took me some time to pen these down but it allowed for reflecting on days gone by and it gave me a glance into the original me.
1. It was my dream to be in the Indian Army. A dream which was never meant to be. I lived and romanticized it for so many years.What is it about the Army which captures the imagination of a child. The impressionable mind has permanent images of Bravery, Patriotism, Courage, Valour, Sacrifice, Leadership, Command, Challenges, Duty, Honour..... But whatever it is, I will not let the flame of romanticism in me die.
2.And then it was on to the second burning desire of doing Master's in Arts/Literature/History/ International Affairs. It was a choice influenced by the ideals of Marxism, the desire to loiter around in the canteens of the colleges not attending classes and needless to say the girls in the science classes were......
I continue to read a lot in History, International Affairs and Literature. I refuse to give up. And with Bush around International affairs anyway is a joke.
3. I love music and reading - anytime, anywhere,anykind. Yes I have even read Mills and Boons and all those other mushy books. The heroes were always tall and dark ( I am), Curly hair (I had), handsome ( that's asking for too much), rich ( I will be if the sun stock touches $64).
Music and Reading energise, provoke, motivate, fascinate and intimidate me. They give you an amazing experience.
4. I love animals. The third baby in the family is GIGGLES, now 4, an English Springer Cocker Spaniel. Our eldest one ECLAIRS, was with us for 10 years before she became a star and her soul came into GIGGLES. The children are happy with this discovery they made.
They teach you lots,words cannot substitute the experience.
5.The best years of my life were 9-19. They were action packed and when I reflect on those years I wonder how I managed to pack so much. My collection of experiences is impressive - theatre, declamations, debates, just-a-minute, orations (Hannibal's speech to his tired soldiers encouraging them to cross Alps won me two prizes in different competitions), Quizes ( In an intercollegiate final, the tie question landed on me and when I answered that the Inventor of TV was J L Baird, the quiz master called the answer wrong and passed it on. But this was not to be, my colleague who was a Sikh, they being a warrior class is incidental to this story, got up, ran to the place where he had his bag, took out the GK book, ran to the stage, took the mike and informed the general public of the felony the quiz master had committed, we still got the first prize of Rs.500.00).
I also had lots of credits to my name in athletics,cricket,football and hockey. Sports were a passion and so was athletics. But now the viewing preference is only Soccer.
Posted at 11:14AM Feb 06, 2007 by ashishkhushu in General |
Tuesday May 24, 2005
An Invaluable Sales Experience
It all started when the sales folks selling into Govt. segment advocated business development activity to be an essential activity that we had to undertake. And that in 2003 was my assignment for the following 24 months-Strategic Business Development for Govt.- a non revenue job.
No prior experience in Govt. for me was expected to be a big challenge and there commenced the journey.
The challenges of this job are aplenty and far more difficult to fathom. They start from the very basic of what exactly is this role supposed to accomplish and how. What specific activties are to be undertaken, monitored, prioritised and monetized. Where does one draw the line of engagement and disengagement. Ideas and suggestions thrown around otherwise in meetings as activities to be undertaken do not appear as specific achievable tasks and good inputs are far and very few.
The other aspect concerns the person executing this responsibility. Without any product or solution to sell how does he make himself relevant to the customer, how does he differentiate his approach and make space for himself. How does he find and build value in front of the customer for him to get to a stage where he can get early leads and can commence proactive engagement and so on...
A very high degree of determination,committment and motivation are prequisites for sustaining efforts over a rather long period. It is a very long journey toward earning the confidence of the target constituency for them to start getting influenced by your ideas. It needs relentless efforts.Value in front of the target audience needs to be created and established repeatedly over a period of time.
The internal aspect of the job is equally challenging. In sales organisations where sales numbers determines heroes (worthy or non) on a weekly basis a steely resolve is required to execute a job,surely not in the limelight, where the qualitatives are the measurables and the expected returns are debatable. Performance Assessment will always have a lot of scope for improvement.
Motivation levels determine the quality and consistency while patience and perseverance determine the degree of effort. The job positions the person as an ambassador of the organisation so therefore the stakes are high and at the same time there is more than enough scope for a person to get away without doing much given the qualitative measurement of this job.
The importance of such a job is a given and the experience invaluable and good invaluable experience is hard to come by.
Posted at 01:00PM May 24, 2005 by ashishkhushu in General | Comments[1]
Monday May 02, 2005
Taking titles seriously
In our daily professional life events and situations, often take control of our actions and deeds. And it is definitely a sad situation when the title and position one has also takes control. It is strange how, otherwise very smart guys, succumb to the illusion of the power their title and position are supposed to have, in their interactions with colleagues and peers.
Titles are as good as they last and in todays age when organisations are getting operationally flatter, especially IT, they anyway do not carry the charisma an equivalent title would carry in the traditional automotive or manufacturing organization.
Power of authority is no good at all in isolation. Power of influence transcends titles, roles, levels etc and is far more effective than Power of authority itself.
But attaining power of influence is no easy job nor easily accomplished. It is building credibility with responsibility and respect for people over a period of time which needless to say cannot be a planned sustained activity until it is a part of your character/personality.
Things can be far more effective if transactions and communications are based on respect for others and an appreciation for the environment in which the other party has ground its findings, logic or reasoning.
But this can only happen if the artificial pedestal is removed!
Posted at 06:34AM May 02, 2005 by ashishkhushu in General | Comments[2]
Sunday Mar 13, 2005
Keeping things Simple
Keeping things simple sounds very simple and beautiful. But it is almost an art
Breaking a problem into small simple manageable parts requires maturity, intelligence, confidence, subject matter understanding and most important the conviction and the courage to own the consequences
Ability to think objectively and logically are imperatives but the most difficult part is to detach emotions and cynicism from the process of decision making.
However keeping things simple does not in any way take away the challenges or the complexity in a problem. Neither does it provide any easy answers.
It's a smart, clever approach to first diffuse the stress built due to the magnitude of the issue,it then allows people to move stones rather than shift the huge mountain and thirdly and most important it gives a lot of time to understand the issue in depth and get the perspective right for some critical calls.
It's not an acquired but a cultivated habit.
Posted at 09:26PM Mar 13, 2005 by ashishkhushu in General | Comments[0]
Thursday Mar 03, 2005
Perspective is a must.
Details are very critical and so is the importance of putting the information being thrown at you in the right perspective. And “perspective” is the determining factor in the quality of decisions taken.
Knowledge of the past explains the events of the present and an understanding of the present helps explain the probable course of events into the future.
Getting
the right perspective is dependent on one's ability to comprehend the
above which in turn determines the quality of decisions taken.
Posted at 09:29PM Mar 03, 2005 by ashishkhushu in General | Comments[0]
The Awe Inspiring Mountains
I was born and brought up in a small town of not more than 10,000 people in the lower reaches of Himalayas.
Mountains are fascinating, challenging and intimidating, all at the same time. They are beautiful and frightening at the same time. Unlike living on the coast, nature towers over you physically and reminds you of it's awe inspiring scale every time you raise your eyes and look around.
Seasonal changes expose you to the beauty, might as well as the cruelty of these beautiful, gigantic creations. Unlike any other season winter numbs your body and limits the operational efficiencies of your body. It incapcitates you.
Growing up in mountains without any of the basic modern day comforts is an unparalleled enriching and a humbling experience.
Posted at 02:02AM Mar 03, 2005 by ashishkhushu in General | Comments[0]
Monday Feb 21, 2005
Talking or Communicating?
A Good talker does not imply an assured captive,attentive,open audience or that a good talker can connect, relate to the audience and convey messages effectively.
A Good communicator is someone who can connect, relate, keep the audience spellbound,forces them to think,provokes them and plays around with the way he wants to convey his messages etc. without losing track or audience interest and finally delivering the vocal punch that delivers the message that he so wants to.
A good leader is also a very good communicator.
Posted at 03:38AM Feb 21, 2005 by ashishkhushu in General | Comments[0]
Wednesday Feb 16, 2005
Eccentric
Everyone who has influenced our world over years has been very passionate in their beliefs,eccentric in their behavior and very brave in standing up to their convictions even in the face of adversity. Added to it their brilliance and history has had to often change course.
Societies progress is due to the efforts of such people, who dare to dream, think,believe, demand and challenge various aspects of our lives,their patience and perseverance.In their own small way they challenge and push the boundaries of conventional thinking and help societies take incremental steps forwards.
Majority of people are status quoist and would not prefer to disturb the comfort of the equilibirum in their predictable society.No wonder that when a person is labelled as an eccentric it is not with great respect.
And the dictionary meaning of Eccentric : Departing from a recognized,conventional,or established norm or pattern.
Posted at 03:39AM Feb 16, 2005 by ashishkhushu in General | Comments[0]
Sunday Jan 30, 2005
Freedom of Mind ?
A very strong proponent of Freedom of Mind was an illustrious Hindu philosopher - Jiddu Krishnamurthy. His point of view was that we are conditioned intensely throughout our upbringing and it is this conditioning of our mind which determines our behavior,responses, preferences, actions and reactions.
The most recent example of this is the US Govt.propaganda on the WMD in IRAQ.And the latest reports of a 60% turnout in the elections.
Clearly a case of contempt for the ability of the general populace to think and reminds one of the classic George Orwell's 1984 in action.
Posted at 09:13PM Jan 30, 2005 by ashishkhushu in General | Comments[2]
Thursday Jan 27, 2005
Courage of conviction
We,often, criticize what we perpetuate. It is important to have a point of view and the courage of conviction. The ability to defend,assimilate,reject,acquire and improve our beliefs and views.
It is amazing how society tries it's best to dent your confidence, convictions and the courage to have an independent point of view.
Evolution is a constant process.Awareness and acknowledgement of this fact in itself is a big step forward.
Posted at 07:29AM Jan 27, 2005 by ashishkhushu in General | Comments[0]
Thursday Jan 13, 2005
The Hype and Hypocrisy of the IT industry.
First the IT industry,unbelievably,botched up on the issue of Standardization and Interoperability - practices prevelant in almost every other industry since a very very long time.
Time for Michael Moore to make another documentary:)
Posted at 02:10AM Jan 13, 2005 by ashishkhushu in General | Comments[0]
Monday Jan 10, 2005
Maslow's Self-Actualizing Characteristics
So how does he describe the Self-Actualizing characteristics - all very relevant to us in our personal as well as professional lives. The classification of these is my contribution to the model:)
Degree of Difficulty to achieve - High
-Keen sense of reality -aware of real situations - objective
judgement,rather than subjective.
-Need for privacy and comfortable being alone.
-Comfortable with oneself-despite any unconventional tendencies.
-A few close intimate friends rather than many surface
relationships.
-Excited and interested in everything, even ordinary things.
-Accepting others as they are and not trying to change people
not susceptible to social pressures - non-conformist.
-Creative, inventive and original.
Degree of Difficulty to achieve - Medium
-Sense of humour directed at oneself or the human condition,
rather than at the expense of others.
-Spontaneous and natural - true to oneself, rather than being how
others want.
-Seek peak experiences that leave a lasting impression.
-Socially compassionate - possessing humanity.
-See problems in terms of challenges and situations requiring
solutions,rather than see problems as personal complaints or
excuses.
-Reliant on own experiences and judgement - independent - not
reliant on culture and environment to form opinions and views.
-Democratic, fair and non-discriminating - embracing and enjoying
all cultures,races and individual styles.
Posted at 08:35PM Jan 10, 2005 by ashishkhushu in General | Comments[3]
Sunday Jan 09, 2005
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs model's
Developed between 1943-1954 by Abraham Maslow it still remains very
relevant today to understand motivation and behavior.
Evolution and social conditions over a long time have resulted in
definition and priortisation of our basic needs.
This model explains how we must satisfy each need in turn, starting with the first and only when the lower order needs of physical and emotional well-being are satisfied do we look at the higher order needs of influence and personal development.
We will never move up the model
till we do not address the lower order needs.
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs model describes the states as
1. Biological and Physiological needs - air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep, etc.
2. Safety needs - protection from elements, security, order, law, limits, stability, etc.
3. Belongingness and Love needs - work group, family, affection, relationships, etc.
4. Esteem needs - self-esteem, achievement, mastery, independence, status, dominance, prestige, managerial responsibility, etc.
5. Self-Actualization needs - realising personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences.
I liked two examples which i picked up from a web site
You can't motivate someone to achieve their sales target (level 4) when they're having problems with their marriage (level 3).
You can't expect someone to work as a team member (level 3) when they're having their house re-possessed (level 2).
Posted at 11:42PM Jan 09, 2005 by ashishkhushu in General | Comments[3]
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