Nov 2012: Game / Expert System based learning

How about a simple Excel based game or expert system?

We could have people input their requirements as inputs.

We could match their inputs with a predetermined logic to throw up possible programs that would help.

The programs can be a combination of E-Learning, ILT, Experiential learning etc.

We are thereby building some amount of diagnostics before the learning experience.

Oct 2012: Psycho Analytics

These are Zen Mind views - Beginner's mind - no fancy thinking or explanations.

Analytics is looking at behavior using technology and modifying our inputs to take advantage of knowledge of consumer behavior.

Psychology deals with understanding the mind. Psychometric tools are used to measure the mind. DISC is one such tool.

By combining the tool, we probably have a new area called Psycho Analytics. It can become a poweful new paradigm of the future?

Psycho Analytics is different from Psycho Analysis of Freud.

Oct 2012: VUCA

VUCA according to American Marines means Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambigous.
According to many theories around visualization and expectation management, one should hopefully not expect these.

One should balance it with another VUCA which means -

Visionary
Understanding
Clarity
Agility

That would hopefully lead to a better world.

That would hopfully reduce the other VUCA.

Arishad vargas are Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada, Matsarya

There have to be kept under control. Then focus on positive.
As the old Chinese saying goes - It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.

Sep 2012: Is devotional music moving to history?

There is a Planet M store in Brigade Road Bangalore where I went scouting for Devotional Music. They had a section on devotional music and I used to visit it often.

Last month I was in for a surprise. The entire devotional section had almost closed down. There were hardly any collections.

I found that to be a disturbing trend.

Is the world going towards pop and jazz and rock?
What about traditional music?
The traditional music (also known as Shastreeya Sangeet) is rare and costly.
Are we are being deprived of our right to listen to good music?
Or is such music considered mundane by the tech savvy generation?
Do we take devotional music for granted?

Is personality becoming more important than character?
Could reducing the costs of music to reasonable amount bring more takers?
Would that prevent piracy as well?

Sep 2012: Where is brotherly love?

I was traveling from Bangalore to Mysore and had a pretty shocking experience...

I was observing 2 children - aged 10 and 6 probably and their behavior. The 10 year old sat next to me while the 6 year old was sitting with his mother and grand mother.

We peacefully took off from Bangalore and then the food came out. The dispute started over a bag of chips. The younger one wanted the whole bag while the elder one had first access to it.

Within a short time the younger one was hurling abuses at his own brother for taking the first dip at the bag.
The helpless mother and grandmother could not control this child's behavior.

Probably they would grow old and things would be different.

What also stuck me was the younger boy's declaration that the older one was his enemy.

How can we parent them better?

Are the days of Ram and Lakshman gone? Or for that matter Ravan and Kumbhakarn?

How can sibling love be improved? No easy answers but such behavior needs to be addressed for sure.

Aug 2012: Practical Habit 6 (of 7 Habits)

My neighbor has his sewage pipeline running next to my house. It was broken and the stuff inside was oozing out causing discomfort to all around.

I was not sure how to handle the situation. He was aware of it but chose not to speak about it.

The passers by thought that our house was to blame.

I decided to practice Habit 6 of the great Stepehen Covey. How do I synergize with my neighbor?
I decided to look for win-win (H4). Then to understand his point of view (H5).
So off I went to his house and brought up the issue. I was mentally prepared to listen to him.

He made a statement that he believed that some lorries that brought material to build my (new) house was the cause.
I tried to stick to facts and let him say what he wanted.
Then I politely offered to look for a solution that would work for both of us.
My listening helped him to ease up and he also offered to help solve the problem (which I believed to be his).

Being hard pressed for time, I asked him to help with the supervision, while I could fund the exercise. The good point was that he also agreed to foot half of the cost.

The interesting point is that if I had argued, we would have been at loggerheads and the relationship would have suffered. By being humble one can try to look for synertistic solutions.

Thanks to Dr. Covey. May his soul rest in peace.

Aug 2012 : Social Mirror

Social Mirror can be due to 5 primary areas - Family, Organization, Society, Neighborhood, Community, not necesarily in that order.

I am finding increasing influence of various mirrors. What gives satisfaction? Devoid of mirrors, can I see my true naked self?

5 questions to consider -
1. What influence does family have on your decisions?
2. How is your work-life balance? Does your organization eat away much of your life or time?
3. How is your interaction with a stranger? Do they exist at all?
4. What about neighbours?
5. Does your community have certain expectations? Financially?

July 2012 - Interpret the answer properly

A teacher teaching Maths to seven-year-old Arnav asked him, "If I give you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples will you have?" Within seconds Arnav replied confidently, "Four!"

The dismayed teacher was expecting an effortless correct answer (three).  She was disappointed.  "Maybe the child did not listen properly," she thought.  She repeated, "Arnav, listen carefully.  If I give you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples will you have?"
   
Arnav had seen the disappointment on his teacher's face.  He calculated again on his fingers. His search for the answer was not for the correct one, but the one that will make his teacher happy.  This time hesitatingly he replied, "Four…"
    
The disappointment stayed on the teacher's face.  She remembered that Arnav liked strawberries.  She thought maybe he doesn't like apples and that is making him lose focus.  This time with an exaggerated excitement and twinkling in her eyes she asked, "If I give you one strawberry and one strawberry and one strawberry, then how many you will have?"
     
Seeing the teacher happy, young Arnav calculated on his fingers again.  There was no pressure on him, but a little on the teacher.  She wanted her new approach to succeed.  With a hesitating smile young Arnav enquired, "Three?"
    
The teacher now had a victorious smile.  Her approach had succeeded. Once again she asked him, "Now if I give you one apple and one apple and one more apple how many will you have?" Promptly Arnav answered, "Four!"
 
The teacher was aghast.  "How Arnav, how?" she demanded in a little stern and irritated voice.
 
In a voice that was low and hesitating, young Arnav replied, "Because I already have one apple in my bag."
 
"When someone gives you an answer that is different from what you expect. Don't think they are wrong. There maybe an angle that you have not understood at all. You will have to listen and understand, but never listen with a predetermined notion."

July 2012 - Communicate Clearly - 2

A police officer sees a man driving around with a pickup truck full of penguins. He pulls the guy over and says: "You can't drive around with penguins in this town! Take them to the zoo immediately."

The guy says OK, and drives away.

The next day, the officer sees the guy still driving around with the truck full of penguins, and they're all wearing sun glasses. He pulls the guy over and demands: "I thought I told you to take these penguins to the zoo yesterday?"

The guy replies: "I did . . . today I'm taking them to the beach!"

July 2012 - Communicate clearly

A man walks into a pub and sits down next to a man with a dog at his feet. "Does your dog bite?"
"No."
A few minutes later the dog takes a huge chunk out of his leg.
"I thought you said your dog didn't bite!" the man says indignantly.
"That's not my dog

Showing off

A young businessman had just started his own firm. He rented a beautiful office and had it furnished with antiques. Sitting there, he saw a man come into the outer office. Wishing to appear the hot shot, the businessman picked up the phone and started to pretend he had a big deal working.
He threw huge figures around and made giant commitments. Finally he hung up and asked the visitor, "Can I help you?"
The man said, "Yeah, I've come to activate your phone lines."

Position versus performance

A Priest dies and is awaiting his turn in line at the Heaven's Gates. Ahead of him is a guy, fashionably dressed, in dark sun glasses, a loud shirt, leather jacket & jeans.

God asks him: Please tell me who you are, so that I may know whether to admit you into the kingdom of Heaven or not.

The guy replies: I am an Autorikshaw Driver from Mumbai!!!

God consults his ledger… smiles and says: Please take this silken robe & gold scarf and enter the Kingdom of Heaven ...

Now it is the priest's turn. He stands erect and speaks out in a booming voice: I am Pope's Assistant so & so, Head Priest of the so & so Church for the last 40 years.

God consults his ledger & says to the Priest: Please take this cotton robe & enter the Kingdom of Heaven ...

'Just a minute' says the agonized Priest. 'How is it that a foul mouthed, rash Driver is given a Silken robe & a Golden scarf and me, a Priest, who's spent his whole life preaching your Name & goodness has to make do with a Cotton robe?'

'Results my friend, results,' shrugs God.

'While you preached, people SLEPT; but when he drove, people PRAYED'

It's PERFORMANCE & not POSITION that ultimately counts....

Humour 1

Smile Please:

Student : Would you punish me for something I didn’t do?

Teacher : ofcourse not.

Student  : I didn’t do my homework.

Advaita Vedanta was popularized and established by Sri. Sankaracharya.

There are 3 jewels in Hinduism -
1. Sri Sankaracharya
2. Sri Ramanujacharya
3. Sri Madhwacharya

I consider myself a small boy when compared to the fantastic thinking prowess of these Jagat Gurus.