All The Best, Sachin!

All The Best, Sachin!

THE TIMES OF INDIA

C.S. Krishnamurthy (Bangalore)

Sourav Ganguly: "It's not the first time he has been bowled.". True, but we have not seen the Master getting bowled with such consistency.
Dear Sachin, a disconnect, it appears, is developing between your mental agility and physical stamina. May be I am wrong, age and reflex apart, is it that you should play more matches with more regularity than pick and choose if you have to be in the thick of action.
It is more nostalgic that when you got out, others would follow you, leaving a sapping morale in the dressing room. Individually it is a nice feeling to reflect on your inevitable magnificence. You are the only batsman who had kept the scorers, nay statisticians very busy for nearly two decades. But are the latter relaxing now, when you walk in the middle?
Today, it is a different scenario. You are consciously aware that Team India are developing to win games without you or your performance. I even brush aside someone's outburst: "We should introspect, what was their main wish, joy of Sachin's 100th 100 or sadness of losing to Bangladesh and losing the Asia Cup". I responded to that comment that it is left to you to ponder about the mixed feelings of that particular match!
I am not interested to know if BCCI has got guts to coax you to retire. I reject the suggestion that BCCI is rendered spineless because of the amount of income generated by you through your top-notch performances. What worries me is that your mentor Sunny Gavaskar has started worrying about your way of getting out. I certainly don’t want to see you being made look silly by bowlers you would have pelted in your deep slumber about 5 years ago. Each time, these days, you get out, the respective rival bowler’s premium obviously keeps rocking up . We have seen you only a hero, but I am afraid if you have started creating heroes in the rival camps.
I don’t want some one to ask, Sachin or ego, who is bigger; I also don’t want some one to kickstart a debate, “Sachin is bigger or the game of cricket is bigger”. Lastly, I don’t want, least of all, Arjun asking “Pappa you are occupying my place?”. You have set such high standards, it doesn't seem possible for any one in the foreseeable future to come anywhere closer. No one can deny that you have the privilege to play as long you would prefer. Perfect. But selection committee has a task to select a team based on the current form and merit. I am not going into the topic of whether they are spineless or as Jimmy Amarnath once termed them as “a bunch of jokers”. 
The best remedy: Take a decision. Don’t take too long. Stop while the audience is eager to hear you more. I don’t know if this also applies to sportsmen. We know Sachin as a top batsman! We are in the wait to see Sachin a top sportsman!! You love challenges. Many like me want you to take a challenge of grooming one more Sachin, if not more! All the Best, Sachin!
(Ref. Article: Sachin Tendulkar will combat slump and respond, says Sourav Ganguly - TOI, Sep. 8, 2012)http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/series-tournaments/sachin-tendulkar--an-indian-icon/top-stories/Sachin-Tendulkar-will-combat-slump-and-respond-says-Sourav-Ganguly/articleshow/16303469.cms

http://kmurthy608.blogspot.in/2012/06/open-letter-to-sachin-tendulkar.html http://kmurthy608.blogspot.in/2012/08/catches-win-matches-yet-fielder-is.html

The Real Gold - Saina Nehwal

The Real Gold - Saina Nehwal

Saina Nehwal 'gifts' Girisha Rs 2 lakh from own earnings (Times of India, Sep. 7, 2012)
London Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal has announced that she would be presenting Rs.2 lakh to H.N. Girisha, who won a silver medal in high jump at the London Paralympics.  Saina informed The Hindu that she felt it was an incredible achievement by Girisha and deserved recognition.  “I am moved by his success and wish to donate personally the amount to him,”  she said.

Recently I read a story, a passage thereof I wish to share: "Mahatma Gandhi went from city to city, village to village collecting funds for the Charkha Sangh. During one of his tours he addressed a meeting in Orissa. After his speech a poor old woman got up. She was bent with age, her hair was grey and her clothes were in tatters. The volunteers tried to stop her, but she fought her way to the place where Gandhiji was sitting. "I must see him," she insisted and going up to Gandhiji touched his feet. Then from the folds of her sari she brought out a copper coin and placed it at his feet. Gandhiji picked up the copper coin and put it away carefully. The Charkha Sangh funds were under the charge of Jamnalal Bajaj. He asked Gandhiji for the coin but Gandhiji refused. "I keep cheques worth thousands of rupees for the Charkha Sangh," Jamnalal Bajaj said laughingly "yet you won't trust me with a copper coin." "This copper coin is worth much more than those thousands," Gandhiji said. "If a man has several lakhs and he gives away a thousand or two, it doesn't mean much. But this coin was perhaps all that the poor woman possessed. She gave me all she had. That was very generous of her. What a great sacrifice she made. That is why I value this copper coin more than a crore of rupees." 

Saina, many congratulations. You have given the copper coin and led the way. Let's see what those with gold coins do! Though you won a bronze, your gesture of helping others is no less than a gold.  Gold is appraised by its purity.  You are evaluated by the purity of purpose. You have, more than all, won the hearts of the entire country. You have demonstrated that it requires a large heart, not a large ego. You have poked the guilt in others, other sportsmen in particular. 

You have set the trend!


http://kmurthy608.blogspot.in/2012/08/catches-win-matches-yet-fielder-is.html
http://kmurthy608.blogspot.in/2012/08/book-mark-rahul-dravid-timeless-steel.html
http://kmurthy608.blogspot.in/2012/06/open-letter-to-sachin-tendulkar.html

Is boss a bad word?

 Leadership is action, not position. - Donald H. McGannon

My first impression about "boss" is to recall the villains of yesteryears  from whose mouth cigaratte will be hanging, wearing a  hat and dark glasses (day or night), turning around a swivel chair with hand rests, sporting a maniacal and loud laugh, holding glass half filled liquor, surrounded by about half-a-dozen sycophants......  We call our superiors "boss," and  it became a part of the everyday English lexicon. No wonder the title sits pretty on guys who derive pleasure by causing troubles to good folks in our film stories and in our work-spots too!

This is not to hammer out that boss is always wrong, but certainly boss is not always right.

We all have started out at some level lower than what we are today in our jobs. I have been lucky to have had mostly good bosses in my working life.  If you are accustomed   to  good boss, then having a bad boss is all the more difficult to cope with.

                            

Dhoni, the Leader

Boss

                                                           

I, nevertheless, interfaced two toxic bosses. To rewind:

1) I began my career in a rurban (yes, you are right, it is semi-urban) branch of a nationalised bank. The practice in that branch is the new-comer will work beyond office hours not to just complete his day's work but also clear up the "pendings" of the other co-workers, of course without any overtime/compensation.  This will go on for six months when the probationer will be, in the normal circumstances, confirmed into the permanent services of the bank.  From then on he will walk out royally at 5 p.m., thanks to the support of the trade union/s.  But to the likes of the management, the next probationer will invariably carry on the relay.  After my confirmation, one evening during an informal chat, I curiously asked my boss(?) why they treat the probationer like a bonded labour?  Pat came the reply: "Yes, I exploit and will continue to do so, because I was exploited and have to give it back!”.

2) Mr. Harjinder Singh (name changed), the Indian boss (Branch Manager of Wealth Management Division of a local bank in Dubai), clearly did not know the meaning of “value date” in banking parlance.  Being a banker, to term his ignorance “absurd and ridiculous” is to say the least.  One fine morning   I entered his cabin with a customer account statement. A credit entry relating to a clearing cheque deposit shows the current date (date of deposit) and underneath it showed the “value date” which is date of the next working day. While he insisted that the available balance includes the cheque in question deposited on the current date, I made  valiant attempt  in vain to make him understand that it was only the ledger balance and would become the available balance only the next working day subject to clearance of the instrument. In the normal course, I would not have had any problem in making an 8th grade student to understand. But our 'hero' would not lend his ears.  There was a keen contest as to who is taller - his ego or  his ignorance.  He shouted at the top of his voice at me; "Don't teach me banking.  I have come to this seat not to learn from you!....." I remained tight-lipped and left his cabin as if I chewed a bitter pill. The beginning of the strained bond!  I survived, of course, at the expense of my next grade.

3) In another case, I have known of a guy in Dubai who complained about his boss to the top boss about some fishy transaction.  The next day, the boss called the guy and flung the e-mail printout of the complaint originally mailed by the guy to the top boss.  "You have come to this country to make money.  If you have other ideas, get ready to join your family back home!"  Of course, the guy sadly had to fly back home!

You say, “boss I think…..”  The boss quickly responds, “when I want you to think then I will tell you!” Hundreds of such true "bad boss" stories would emerge, as you discuss with any  person next to you. I leave it to your thought the kind of boss you encounter(ed) in your career.  Of course, it could be you are a giver, if not a receiver; or even, like the first case quoted above.

Having a bad boss can be a very trying event .  They come in all shapes, sizes and genders.  The worst is when your boss's insecurity gets the better of him.  The insecurity is 'justified'  when he is not hired based on merit, but on his connection (like Mr. Harjinder Singh).

Cases are aplenty where one gets frustrated after a lot of dedicated and hard work, the boss still yells at you when he feels insecure about something, with no appreciation, let alone recognition.  And promotions... again wait for another year.  Subordinates are strong only when they unite ... but then it leads to another scenario of "UNION" which is slowly fading.  It is not easy, but not impossible.

You can't control the "bad" boss behaviour but you can make it clear in a professional manner that you will not accept their bad behaviour towards you (but easily said, rarely executed).  It may be possible to remove a bad boss, but beware - your health could go for a toss, and your career goes nowhere until you get another job or a better boss. After all, the boss remembers all my bad things than the good things

Of course, you may try to help your boss to achieve his goals, understand what he/she values - like is he a paragon who has a penchant for details, showing a sense of urgency...  He is not made a reporting authority for nothing (of course, his proximity to his boss can also be due to personal or biased reasons).  He worked his way up the ladder for this privilege.  Not every human is unreasonable, only situations make him or her that way. As a subordinate, try to be proactive and address the situation. Ensure that your good work does not escape the eyes of your boss as at time one must “blow their own trumpet”.   Conversation, official and otherwise, will be artificial and absolutely against conscience.  Though outwardly I used to say "Sir, this is the best tie I have seen you wearing!", whereas inwardly I used to spit at myself feeling grossly ashamed for cheating my conscience.

Life is always not fair. If your boss is determined to screw you, anticipate it and be prepared to accept it. There is no escape. Working is a necessity and not a luxury for most of us.  With the economic volatality, jobs are not as easy as the picking, particularly wherever the 360 degree appraisal is not the in-thing.  Learning how to and how not to lead or manage is something you learn from every boss.

Is it that boss and ego are made for each other, if not synonymous?  If the boss is good, I think we should title him a leader. Can we equate boss to a politician and leader to a statesman?  And if leader is bad, call him/her "boss".  "Boss" sounds unprofessional?

To end this feedback on "boss" (which can of course always be continued tirelessly) with a joke an old colleague shared with me recently : What do bullies and sperms have in  common? They both have a one-in-a-million chance of becoming a human being.

      

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