Saturday, April 21, 2012

Following Passion - Plan B!

Enough of this crap about leave your job to "chase your dream", "do what you love" or "follow your passion". Lucky you! if your job is also your passion. Don't read further.


I am talking about being in a full-time day job,not necessarily your dream, yet pursue your passion. Leaving day job is not easy, if not home loan EMI, In-laws won't let you resign. If your Missus is convinced, desire to upgrade to iphone 5 shall bind you to your job.


Well, every one can't be Chetan Bhagat-who claims that he left his plum job to folow his passion. By the way, the kind of books he write, forget passion, I think he's again in the rat race to make money and fame. Any ways, let's not digress.

I believe that jobs are not meant for having fun, if that was the case, they wouldn't pay you. So, if you are not doing a job that's your passion, that doesn't make you a loser. 

All I suggest is: 
  • Do your job well, bloody well.
  • And, have fun with all the money you make from your job.

Trust me, this is as simple as I say. Let's say you're a management consultant, in-charge of selling some software to customers. That may not be your passion, yet, do it so well that they pay you well.


Now the fun begins, use that money to follow your passion. If painting is what you love, buy the best of painting accessories, hire best of the teachers and enjoy. You love photography, pick up the best SLR and go clicking. If travelling is what you enjoy, just do it.

Those, who say money can't buy happiness, perhaps don't know how to spend it.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

I must be getting old !


I am sure you must have seen this Cadbury Silk TV Commercial. First time I saw this, I kind of liked it, must say I do like most of the Cadbury TVC. Next time when I saw, with my 7 and 9 year old kids around and the song in the back ground - "Kiss me, Close your eyes, Miss Me….. Close Your Eyes, Kiss Me, I can wet your lips and your fingertips and Happiness in your Eyes" I felt little awkward. My kids enjoyed it, even tried humming the jingle and were looking amused-I am sure it was due to the way characters were having chocolate than anything else.

I think, these actors must be in early-teens and these days it may be ok for kids in early teens to develop a liking for chocolate eating opposite sex. Since then, when ever I see this ad, I started focusing on the way they are eating a chocolate instead of the lyrics and the age of the characters. 


Btw, I must acknowledge that when I see those "meethe mein kya hai" ads, I still think that when hubby asks his wife "meethe mein kya hai" , his eyes suggests he is hinting beyond cadbury. Anyways, let's not digress. 



Then came, this Vodafone TVC. Again, I liked the concept and even kids are very cute. But,  early-teens was still ok, but what the hell is this going on here. I'm sure now the characters are not more than 9-10 years old.  Now, a 9 year old having a crush ! What are we portraying here?


I may have liked "Maine Pyaar Kiya" but  I'm certainly not from the generation which thinks "Ek Ladka aur Ladki kabhi dost nahin ho satke", yet, showing 9-10 year olds developing such liking for opposite sex. 


 Isn't it too much, Or, it's just that I am getting old?

Monday, February 20, 2012

Maid Management Made Easy!

Missus: Hey listen, why are you not going to office today?
Me: Darling, Today is Maha Shivratri.

Missus: So what, Is it a National Holiday today?
Me:  How can you forget Maha Shivratri.  According to a legend, Parvati performed tapasya on this day to ward off any evil that might befall her husband. Since then, Maha Shivratri is believed to be an auspicious occasion for women to pray for the well-being of their husbands and sons.. Didn’t you read Immortals of Meluha? Even Karan Johar is making..*cuts abruptly*
Missus:  *annoyingly* Was this holiday planned or declared recently? You guys got a holiday for BMC elections also.
Me: Isn’t that good. Around 45% of us voted also. Let’s have one more cup of tea and pass the Bombay Times please!
Missus: Listen, forget tea and let me figure out if Sakku Bai is coming or no.

Well, I must say that Maids (or Domestic Help as Chetan calls them ) are the real VVIPs in any Indian household. Their recruitment may not be that big a issue, but retention certainly is. No management consultant, not even big-four are daring enter this area because it never works. This sector is grappling with high attrition which no one claims to have managed, with the only possible exception of Chetan Bhagat.

For those who are not Chetans, here are my 2 cents on how to manage them better. Always remember, your home is her workplace and as an employer you ought to make her workplace better.

·    Free Tea / Coffee : Don’t forget that you too get free coffee at office, and She has all the right for this at her workplace.
·   Unplanned Leaves : Other than the normal holidays, even She has the right to plan long weekends. If she calls to say “Didi, Bacchha beemar hai, aaj main nahin ayegi” , Don’t get upset, just remember the text you sent to your Boss for a leave.
·    Remuneration: If it’s on your mind, it’s on Her mind as well. You need to be extra cautious on this because the neighborhood Mrs. Iyer is ever ready to pay her more and poach her. Please note that problems in Greece and the weak Euro shouldn’t impact her increments and bonus. Also, don't try to link Her performance with Remuneration, it's all about the perceived market value. 
·    Career: WTF is that? I know what your Boss told you when you said that you got an offer from a competing organization, you may have been tricked by "think about your long term career Viveik, you're one of our star performers". But, don’t give this gyan to Her. There’s nothing called career, it’s all about money, honey. And, unlike you, She can't be fooled with just a change in title from Assistant Manager to Associate Manager.
·    Entertainment: Now when you’ve got all those Gyms/ Pools/ Common Areas at your office, How can you stop her from watching Balika Vadhu and Utaran. Shiney’s movies are strict No No though. If Chetan is to be believed, he even sponsored Ra.One tickets for his maids.
·    Be Nice: Irrespective of how your Boss treats you, never ever try to be “Hari Sadu” with her . She may not have access to naukri.com but in Her market there’s no dearth of job. Also, she’s witness to many of your household secrets. She knows that you slept on the sofa last night.  So, just be nice.

As Karan Johar may have said, those who keep their maids happy, live happier.  This is how Chetan manages his Domestic Helps, respect! Chetan's Way

PS: Image downloaded from internet, couldn't find the copyright, if copyrighted, pls tell and i'll remove.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Just because Mumbai didn't vote!

Friday, January 13, 2012

LookOut for a better (Microsoft) Outlook !