Birds

I went surfing into the Google blogosphere and discovered that there is a website called www.indiabirds.com that has some cool pictures of Indian birds! They look fabulous. I have always had a fascination for birds and have wanted to be an ornithologist, but never got anywhere close to being one except for the little bit of bird-watching in my garden. :(
The pictures on the website makes for a painful realization of what I am missing. Inspires me to chuck my job and go bird-watching. Shall I?

Bloggers Galore

I decided to view my Blog profile and see if I could get creative and change it just to get the kicks...and I discovered that all Bloggers with the same books as their favourites, with the same music as their favourites, residing in the same city et al are linked and connected by Google!
I clicked on one of the links and then another and then another and then another.........whew! I got lost as one might expect, but boy o boy...did I mind it? I discovered some amazing Blogs. There are so many interesting people out there! People with amazing talents...photography, writing, techie wizkids....! There was one particular Blog that caught my attention like an insect in a spider's web. The pictures were awesome. The ramblings and musings were mystic. That one smacked of solitude, an eye for nature and the like. I stood still and read the blog without taking my eyes away or without breathing hard....as if the Blog would be blown away were I to do so....

Amazing. It would be excellent to know such mystic and 'thinking' people. But would they really express those amazing thoughts in person? Or are they meant just for their Blogs? I certainly have some reserved just for my Blog!

But that's not what I am getting at. The more you see of the world, the more you realize how much more there is to learn and how much more is still a mystery to you!

Blogging - Business

What are the possible business objectives/HR objectives wherein Blogging could help?

- Ramp up/Learning (Hand-holding freshers)
- Innovation and Community-Building
- Leadership
- Succession Planning (?) and Job-match (?)

Some questions that can be asked prior to trying out Blogging in a team:

- Does everyone in the group get equal opportunities to voice their thoughts and ideas?
- Are all individual’s ideas and thought-processes captured for later use?
- Is everyone equally aware of the latest happenings in the DSP-Multimedia domain?
- Are there some unique areas like debugging and error-handling that are well-handled by some but not by all?
- Is there a perfect knowledge sharing environment in the project teams?
- How good are employees at managing their personal knowledge? What kind of tools do they use?
- How many of the group members know their leader and know/understand the latter’s thoughts and ideas?
- How familiar are employees with customer-relationships, project management etc?

Blogging can be part of the solution for such challenges.

Thoughts

Call it 'paradoxiphilia', 'paradox madness', 'paradox passion' , or just 'paradox thinking'....or whatever! I am getting overwhelmed by paradoxes day by day. Blame it on Derm Barrett's influential skills. ;) I heard something this morning that sounded like an interesting paradox.

"God gave Man the ability to think to evolve himself and his surroundings, but he uses the very same ability to think to make life miserable". (Positive Vs Negative Thinking)

PLUM

I owe a lot to Plum (PG Wodehouse)! His books have changed my life. His sense of humor, his mastery of the English language, and his outlook towards life as reflected in his books are amazing! The first time I laughed while reading a book was when I was reading his book! Probably, the only other books/comics that have made me laugh are Calvin & Hobbes, Asterix & Obelix and Dilbert (sometimes).

Wonder what gave him his attitude and talent! I am not one for Hero Worship even though I admire a lot of intelligent and great people. But Plum is different. I might almost worship the ground he walked on...!

Three Questions (Another Poem)

Another of my (silly) poems...

What's the secret of success?
Is a question that I have asked myself...
Can one ever have all that one needs and nothing less?
Is another question that troubles self...
Why do you have to have sorrow with joy? Why the mess?
Has been a question that has been bothering me no less.

I went looking for the answers in every nook and corner.
But no...nothing was I able to garner.
I wrote it down in that lovely pocket book of mine.
Maybe I would find the answers when things were fine!

It was a beautiful morning in the month of may.
The sun was shining down and looked like it had something to say.
I looked up and asked it to wait.
Then, i hopped up to the terrace hoping that it wasn't a bait.

I pulled out the pocket book and asked the first question.
The smile that the Sun gave me in return was a revelation.
"Enthusiasm!" I snapped my fingers and almost screamed aloud.
"That's my secret" the Sun said shining through a dark cloud.

I had the answer to my first question! But what about the next?
I read it out to the Sun continuing my quest!
To this, the Sun replied "Wrong one, my friend. Think again!"
There was something about the Sun that day...and so with my brain!
It all came to me. "We have all that we need! We just have to use it!"
Said the Sun "There you go! You have uderstood every bit!"

Out came the third question to which this is what the Sun had to say.
"Sleep on this. Why do you have to have both night and day?".
I came down wiser and wrote down the answers (in my pocket book).

.....and in my blog! :)

Thinking Aloud...(A Poem)

Something I wrote long before I started blogging. Wanted to blog it....

Life is but an illusion
That promotes many a delusion
If there is a lot of confusion
Then this is precisely the reason
Between head and heart there is no fusion!

What is it that people run after?
Is it only money or fame or something softer?
How many can really understand life?
And pull through any illusory strife?
How many do they teach?
And their knowledge preach?

When will there be true freedom?
Is there such a thing as martyrdom?
One moment seems like the best ever!
And the very next seems like gloom forever.
What is eternal, if there is anything so?
Aren't all things here only to go?
People only seem to add to the chaos.
The state of affairs definitely shows.

Okay, putting all that aside.
Is there something by which the world abides?
What will happen 500 years from now?
Will civilization die out or better evolve?
Will GOD come to the forefront?
Or will people claim to be the GOD after the hunt?
Will the soul still stick around?
Or will it disappear, by the body bound?
Will it be the same problems that hound?
Will peace and job be forever found?
Will the blue sky become the new ground?
Will knowledge be more sound?
Will the earth continue to be round?
And no...I am not trying to be jocund.

Measuring KM

As far as I know, though KMers have been trying to measure the benefits of KM, there is still a large amount of ambiguity and vagueness involved in the exercise. Is anybody questioning the necessity? Maybe. Maybe not.

The benefits of the existence of the HR function isn't measured...is it? The ROI as in the work that managers do (they don't work but get things done) isn't measured...is it? They why is it that KM needs an ROI. It should be fine to measure the # documents, # hits on the intranet, # queries posted to experts, # ideas from communities etc. But is it possible to get an ROI? Even if we can, can it really be attributed to KM? We might be cheating ourselves by saying that the ROI or cost/effort saving due to KM is $ 12345... Do we want this despite the fact that we are aware of the ambiguity and difficulty in attribution? Is it worthwhile to pursue this effort?

The process is as important if not more important than the end. If one were to listen to music for the joy it gives one, it is ridiculous to measure the benefit or say that it gave us 4 1/2 minutes of joy. It is ridiculous to bring up one's kid with the ROI in mind. The kid might take care of its parents in their old-age but that's not the reason why parents bring up their kids. They enjoy the process, see the need and responsibility that lies on their shoulders, understand the implications, and love it per se.

Einstein said it well: "All the counts cannot be counted and all that is counted does not count!"

KM Challenges

David Skyrme again. He says the challenges that KM will face in the next few years are (not in the same order):

1. Integration with Business Strategy
2. Embedding in the org. processes
3. Measuring the benefits
4. Information overload
5. Collaborative technologies that work with humans
6. Harnessing networks/communities
7. Openness and Trust - ? (not sure about the exact message here)

Except the ambiguity in the last point, I couldn't agree more with him. But I have a few points to add....

8. 'Threat' from other functions or disharmony between KM and other functions/departments like training, information systems and e-learning because of the overlap in objectives.
9. Customer confidentiality clauses getting in the way of seamless KM and collaboration
10. Threat of hackers into KM systems

Why KM is Important!

Today is Blogging Day! I read something on David Skyrme's Blog and I wanted to reiterate that to myself and combine it with my own thoughts and blog it! So, here goes...

He says:

• Learning is the result of electrical signals crossing neurons to create pathways.
  As actions are repeated the pathways become stronger and the actions are more automatic.
  Imagination can create and strengthen pathways.
  It's one thing to fill the brain with facts; quite another to recall them. (Don't we know it!). Recall is about triggering the pathways.
  If some pathways are broken, then other routes are usually available.
  We can remember without realizing it. Our subconscious memory (intuition) plays a larger role than many of us recognize.
  Innovation is often the result of new combinations of thoughts; an example cited was combining the notion of a hand-held axe with that of a wooden shaft to create a more powerful axe with a handle.

We might have a lot of knowledge on various topics and subjects....but when is its full potential realized? It is stored somewhere in our brains, but it can be recalled and put to use only when the pathways that David refers to are active and alive. And, it's only activities like knowledge sharing, answering questions, and documentation that will help us enable and activate these pathways! So, if you want to keep those neurons and pathways alive, share, learn, read, answer and write!

LG's foray into Non-Durable Consumer Goods

LG now has a set of non-durable consumer products like soaps, toothpaste, powder et al. I caught their advt. for these products a couple of times on TV. Did not get to observe it very closely though. But one thing was clear. They weren't advertising for their products separately and independantly a la' HLL/P&G. The LG brand was louder than the product's brand. The name of the soap/toothpaste/powder wasn't obvious, even if heard. And in fact, it was one advt. that spoke about all their non-durable consumer products! Interesting! Maybe this is just a temporary tactic - and a part of their long-term advertisement strategy. Maybe now, this advt. is only out to show that LG is into non-durable consumer goods apart from their regular durable consumer wares. Down the line, it could be a separate advt. a la' HLL/P&G! What LG?

Advertisements and Truth

Fond that I am of branding and advertising, I can't help but comment on the 'nexus' between advertisements and truth! The layman would tend to believe that advertisements are rarely truthful and that their only objective is to SELL! There are some advertisements that of course have created history for being utterly truthful. Who can forget the Avis "We are #2. We try harder"? against Hertz? Coming down to some advertisements that I've observed (but they might not have made news like the Avis advt.) are Aditya Birla Cement: "Perhaps the best cement in the country!". Interesting, eh? The perhaps smacks of honesty and effort to admit the truth. But does it sell? I am not aware...anyone knows?

The other is probably an advt. that only rural India will have seen. An ad for a soap bar. The anchor says "It doesn't matter which soap you use as long as you have your bath!" :) And then the soap bar for which the advt. was made is shown. :0 Different! Does it work?

The Best Things in Life!

Yes!

Failure, suffering, challenges, and problems are the best things in life! They improve/contribute to...

• character,
• perseverance,
• emotional quotient,
• learning, knowledge, wisdom
• tolerance,
• understanding, and
• a feeling of kindness

Perfection Vs Excellence

I was watching Kamalhassan's interview yesterday and came to appreciate somethings he said. "There is no perfection, only excellence!" His logic was convincing...
Nobody looks for perfection. Perfection is unachievable. What is seemingly perfect today might seem mediocre tomorrow. Excellence is what people look for. It is sufficient if one does one's best. Perfection is not essential.

Another thing that he said was that one can believe in oneself and GOD. Not Luck. Someone who believes in luck is half atheist. You either believe in GOD or in luck. And you believe in yourself. True. Some people would say that luck is another name for GOD. True. But why not refer to it as GOD... all the time?

At the Manager's Mercy

It is a known fact, especially among the HR circles, that the single-most reason why a person leaves his organization is because of his immediate manager. It is also said that a person joins an org. Because of what he perceives the org. To be like. So...What happens after he joins and before he leaves?

When a person joins an org. He has some expectations from the org. This is based on the org's brand image, it's leaders, press releases, advertisement claims, etc. The expectations could be w.r.t its values, culture, job opportunities, career growth, learning opportunities, freedom to be creative, job rotation, etc. Once a person joins the org, he is left to the mercy of his immediate manager more than anyone else. The HR folks typically move away after the person gets in and more often than not, cannot keep a tab on how each person fares, his problems, challenges et al. Mentoring practices, if any, more often than not, point to the immediate manager once again. If the immediate manager is one who isn't responsible enough (which seems to be the case all the time! ;) ), there goes the chance of retaining an employee....!

The new employee begins to see EVERYTHING through the manager's eyes. He forms his opinion about the org. based on the manager's behaviour. Of course, peers and other associates do contribute to a large extent, but it is the manager's behaviour that creates a lasting impression and impacts the new employee the most! For example - If the manager refuses (unfairly) to approve the employee's request to attend important training programmes, there goes the employee's perception of the learning opportunities in the Org. If the manager doesn't appreciate the employee's efforts, there goes the employee's perception of the org. culture, the same happens if the manager does not trust the employee, admonishes him for failure or blames him for no fault of his etc.

In short, the behaviour and characteristics of the manager has a clear and direct impact on the perception of the org. culture, values and opportunities in the eyes of the employee. If the org. does not have a system that can keep such managers in check, then it obviously leads to the employee getting frustrated. In many cases, even 'brave' employees don't have the guts and the time to bring such things to the higher officials'/HR's notice as it may either not result in any action or in fact may backfire and make things tougher for the employee. Appraisals and pay hikes may become the convenient 'tool' for the manager to 'get back' at the employee. Anyways, what does it cost? Even if the employee spends time to build a case against the manager, it will have an impact on his work as he will not be in a position to spend all his time and energy in accomplishing his work. It will more often than not, be a long fight to the finish. And well, to add insult to the injury, the finish might not be as expected! Meanwhile, all through the process, the employee is still under the same manager and will be subjected to the latter's reactions. Whew!
Leaving the org. definitely sounds like the easiest way out! Doesn't it? No, wonder so many people leave because of their managers.

What's the way out for the org.? It certainly is a huge cost for the org. if people leave. To name a few, cost of replacement, cost of training the new employee, opportunity cost in terms of what the previous employee could have accomplished in the meantime, and not to forget, the cost of the beating that the reputation of the org. takes because of the old employee spreading the 'bad' word. Way out?

1. Recruitment Processes - Recruitment standards have to be extremely stringent. Only people with the attitude should be recruited. Intellectual assessment should not be the only criteria. Projects and cash flow/revenue should not be put above the quality of the people that it needs.
2. Selection of Managers - Managers should be selected based on their ability to handle people, their EQ, their organizational perspectives, their understanding of the big picture, their ability to follow even as they lead, their ability to nurture the younger generation etc. Succession planning practices should be extremely strong.
3. Mentoring - Mentoring must be a norm. Mentors should not be the immediate manager. They should be people from other streams/teams etc. They should be highly responsible people.
4. HR Processes - HR processes should accomodate for individual follow-up and support.
5. System - The system should be designed in such a way that Managers who get through despite the above-mentioned precautions, are caught sooner than later and 'put in their place'. At the same time, the person who brings it to the notice of the 'system' should be 'protected'.

What do you think?
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What does it take to be a KMer? (Dave Snowden)

I found this in my inbox. Stashed away in a long-lost folder. How convenient that I ca put everything in my Blog now! :)

This is a piece by Dave Snowden on what it takes to be a KMer:

1. Conceptual thinking - developing the big picture; understanding the wider knowledge context and the organization's strategy within it

2. Advocacy - they must articulate the knowledge agenda and actively promote it, and justify it, sometimes against cynicism or even open hostility.

3. Project and people management - they have to oversee a variety of activities, and therefore need to pay attention to detail and motivate the people carry out these tasks

4. Communications - they must be excellent nonworkers, communicating clearly the knowledge agenda, have good listening skills and be sensitive to organizational opportunities and obstacles

5. Other generic general management characteristics required are leadership, teamworking, influencing, and interpersonal skills. A combination of all these skills equips them as excellent agents of change.

*********

Are Software Upgrades The Only Way?

Organizations don't seem to think twice about upgrading from one version of a software to the next. Partly because the vendor/supplier leaves no choice what with the claim that 'old' bugs that were paining us to death are now themselves dead and that there are plenty of new and fascinating features that must be leveraged upon. Anyways, now that the org. is bound to the product, what's with spending a few extra bucks and going up the product ladder? Is it all so simple?

We recently decided to upgrade from ABC 1.0 to ABC 2.0. And wow, the difficulties that we face is better not elaborated upon! To be honest, part of the problem lies in the process and the people, but well, the product itself cannot have thrown more suprises at us! Notwithstanding the fact that the product is from one of the most popular companies ever. The problems take us back to one block behind Square 1 - Square 0.

It goes a long way to prove that we can't really take software upgrades for granted. We need to evaluate every feature, check out if all the old features are still intact (forget betterment), do some regression thinking and checking, see if the new product fits into our existing processes - that were built around the old product, see if the new features are really what we need and whether we can live without them, get an exclusive expert responsible for the detailed evaluation Vis a Vis the old system, prototype it, pilot it in a few projects and them go for the final implementation! One thing that strikes me really hard is why did we not think of piloting? We went for the big bang implementation right away. It's not that we are dead now (along with some of the old bugs) but we could have avoided so many of those relationship-killing and demotivating incidents that arose because of the inefficiency in the processes and the product....! Lesson Learned!

The World...as I see it...

Caveat Emptor: This blog might sound like crap because of its tone. I myself did not feel like writing this one, but my heart gave in to my mind.

Sometimes, I feel that I live in my own world. I don't probably understand the world as much as I think I do. :( I seem to assume that...

- it is easy to inspire people
- everyone wants and loves peace
- everyone will live and let others live
- everyone will strive for togetherness and harmony and will help prevent fights
- everyone is passionate or at least loves what he/she does (work)
- everyone thinks from the organizational perspective and not just about himself/his team alone
- It is possible to help people understand why they should admit mistakes and not blame others for the wrong that they committed
- It is possible to help everyone (or at least many people) understand other perspectives

No! Not that I am perfect. I am definitely not. But I try to be. I think that will make all the difference. Maybe what life has given me so far is what has made me what I am.

I can never stop wondering why some people can't stand genuine people! They can only think that they are acting smart or putting on a mask! It even seems like arrogance and dominance for some! But going back to the core question - Is it better to live in your own world and not bother about the way the rest of the world works? (you might say that it is my perception and not the truth...but I've failed in understanding the logic behind certain people's behaviour time and again). Is it wrong to think that the world should be ideal? Should one move along with the rest of the world and behave the same way?

This whole thing comes to the forefront only because I am trying to change the culture in the organization. Can I? Some people believe that you must be showing off if you try and tell them why they should change. Esp. if they are more experienced and believe that they know more than you. Esp. if they believe that you are trying to lead and thereby are encroaching into their arena.

Okay...this blog might sound like crap. I generally don't like to complain, but this was something I wanted to write down given what I encountered in the past few days. People who weren't ready to take a challenge, people who were running away, people who don't care about innovation and improvement but only about doing the day's regular chores, people who think that you should not be enthusiastic about everything.

Methinks - Enthusiasm is appreciated only by people who perceive a benefit in it for them.

Dreamzzz...!

One of my friends was talking about pursuing dreams................and achieving them; however far-fetched they might sound.

Isn't it a pity that few of us dream and even if we do, they are all materialistic in nature? Sometimes, we dare to dream a 'big' n 'noble' dream but then we give up even before we start coz we think it is foolish and impractical? Would India have achieved independance if Gandhi and the other freedom-fighters hadn't dreamt of it? Would we have gone to the Moon if Kennedy hadn't dreamt of it? Would we have been able to fly across seas if the Wright Brothers hadn't dreamt of it? Would we have survived diseases if doctors hadn't dreamt of curing them?

One can go on on these lines for ever...every significant thing that has been achieved in this world is because some one decided to dare to dream. And pursue it in the face of severe challenges. Sometimes at the cost of oneself! Sometimes at the cost of having to face brickbats from the rest of the world. Sometimes at the cost of a whole lifetime. The satisfaction that one gets when a cherished dream is realized is mind-boggling. That one moment of joy can erase a life-time of suffering...!

Or you could look at it from another angle to which I subscribe - The process is more fulfilling than the end. True happiness is in enjoying the process rather than focusing on the end-result. That's the ultimate path to true happiness.

The Car Game!

We recently had a workshop that aimed to help our team work together for the best results. It was a team-building exercise as it were. There was one game that we played that I thought was interesting and cool! The CAR Game! What's it all about?

The team gets together, draws a dream car, thinks of all possible parts, accessories & fittings for the car that it would want the car to have. But there's a small catch here. The parts, accessories & fittings would necessarily have to be those that can be related to a team. For eg: Wipers - The team ought to have a wiper that can provide the team with clarity of view on a 'rainy' day. This wiper can be a team member, or rather a practice/activity that the team takes up to ensure clarity of view. Another example - Stereo/Radio - Communication. The team has to ensure that it gets together, makes use of tools and processes to communicate clearly and regulary with each other.

Boy, did we had fun! We identified 20+ such parts, accessories et al and related each of them to a team-characteristic. And then decided, for example, if we already had Wipers or had to do something to get them.... :)

Try this out with your team. Good one to do, easy one to relate to, interesting to implement and follow as well! :)

Music...My Oxygen

I can't simply imagine what I'd do in this world if it weren't for music. I wouldn't be breathing! I can't live a single day wothout music. I love the morning trip to office and the evening trip back home primarily because of the music that I get to listen to during the journey. (The other reason being the time I get to simply relax and think creatively). It helps me chill out. It helps me forget the big bad world.

I don't listen to all kinds of music simply because I've not tried out everything. But my favourites are Ilayaraja (Divine), R.D Burman, Old Hindi Film Music, Instrumental, Spiritual, Fusion and melodious classical English music. What would I have done without these Music Composers! I dread to think... :0

Music is a wonderful thing. What you can do with a good voice and some nice instruments! Magic! Spiritual healing!

I'd have loved to be a singer. But do I have the voice? Although I hate to say this, I feel it's a little too late now. But in my next birth I shall be a fantastic singer. I shall realize the meaning of life as a musician. I say this with confidence. Coz you are what you think. (Then why is it that I can't think I am a musician in this life? well...errrr....hmmm... excuse me... :))

(As an aside remark, in fact, one of my colleagues said that when he discovered that he had high BP all he did was listen to his kind of music for 3 days and voila - the BP was no more high. :) Wow!)

KM - The Job - Pointers

Some things that I need to apply @ work... I found these documented in one of my folders. (It was no less than a discovery...sheesh...Am I so badly organized or is there so much happening?) I don't know when I did this...but if I can recall at least some thing, this is probably what came out of my discussions with a senior Quality Manager... (mentoring!)

- Learn to identify the people who matter most. Get things done through them.
- Delegate, Not having someone to delegate things to can hamper your thinking abilities
- For PPAs (project postmortem analysis), apply a thumb rule and identify projects that matter most. Longer duration projects will generate more documents and experts. Focus on them. Don’t try to put your hands into every project closure/initiation. Check with the Software Quality Analyst for more information on the projects.
- Don’t compare groups (within a unit) when the situation is that the momentum is yet to be built completely. Wait for at least a few groups to settle down.
- Build in the measurement criteria and tracking mechanisms slowly. Don’t rush them.
- Communicating to a large audience requires different tactics and strategies. Written, informal, through champions, meetings, discussions, task forces, committees et al
- You can’t have one KM strategy for the entire vertical. You need to tailor the plan.

Some of these - I already have taken care of. Some others...I should be...

Learnings

Somethings that run around in my mind...

• You tend to go by what is familiar to you

Is that why there is so much of bias and resistance to change?

• You tend to stick to status quo and change very little
• You tend to go by the historic database and try to justify past actions

I don't relate to this - Innovation is what I live for!

• At work, people normally suppress their fear through anger. Anger becomes a mask.

Hmmmmm. Human behaviour...tcchhh tchhhh

• Processes sometime stifle innovation.

Absolutely! But I love both processes as well as innovation. Come to think of it, the paradox (there I go again!) is that processes are results of incremental improvement/innovation! Processes are what happens when incremental innovation gets ingrained and hard-coded!

Tagore's POEM!

In one of the training programmes that I attended a few months ago, the instructor spoke like a true Bengali and read out this poem and said it inspired him no end! I love it too! :)

Where the Mind is Without Fear

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection:
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is lead forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action--Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

Wow! I wanna write something like this too...some day in life! And...no, I am not targeting the Nobel Prize for Literature! Don't these things make you feel that you've to have inborn talent for many a thing - Not everything can be learned. Life gives you a set of things/situations/people et al and the way you react/respond to it defines what you become!

Definition of KM - Standards Australia

Another definition of KM: From Standards Australia

'Knowledge management is a multi-disciplined approach to achieving organisational objectives by making the best use of knowledge. It involves the design, review and implementation of both social and technological processess to improve the application of knowledge, in the collective interest of stakeholders' (Standards Australia 2003, p.3)

Search Engines

I don't know if I'll get beaten into pulp for hosting this on a Google Blog...but well, I don't really mind taking the risk! ;)

Some search engines that one of my colleagues pointed out to me...

www.webbrain.com
www.groxis.com
www.kartoo.com
www.vivismo.com

Try it out!

2 More Quotes (Lou Gerstner and APJAK)

2 more quotes that are cool. Don't know if I've posted these in the earlier list...why take a change anyway? Reiteration helps...

The age-old levers of competition - labour, capital and land - are being supplemented by knowledge, and the most successful companies in the future will be those that learn how to exploit knowledge (about customer behaviour, markets, economics and technology) to...renew the way they define themselves, think and operate. - Former IBM chairman Lou Gerstner


APJ Abdul Kalam - The ability to create and maintain the knowledge infrastructure, develop knowledge workers and enhance their productivity through creation, and nurturing and exploitation of new knowledge will be the key factors in a nation becoming a knowledge superpower. - Igniting India's Mind - Vision 2020 - The Week (December 2003)

Googlers/Googlys/Googlians ?

Top 10 reasons to work for Google

Yours sincerely was catching up with Gautam's Blog when the former came across something on Google! Those eyes (the former's) widened (was it the tea or was the very mention of Google sufficient?) and the finger clicked the hyperlink. (Had it been the latter whose eyes widened; you can be sure it must be year 3000 [or would 2010 be good enough?] where the Blogger can continuously 'webcast' himself on his Blog by attaching a camera around his head to come up in front of the face like a dentist's headlight ;) )

Okay, enough of that crap? Imagination ain't bad sonny! Imagination is more important than knowledge said good old Albert (Einstein) :)

Top 10 reasons to work for Google!

1. Lend a helping hand.
2. Life is beautiful.
3. Appreciation is the best motivation
4. Work and play are not mutually exclusive.
5. We love our employees, and we want them to know it.
6. Innovation is our bloodline.
7. Good company everywhere you look.
8. Uniting the world, one user at a time.
9. Boldly go where no one has gone before.
10. There is such a thing as a free lunch after all.

Wow, would I love to belong here? Hush! What if my colleagues in office see this one? ;)
I can't help wanting to be a part of this Googler crowd...what with Appreciation, Love, Innovation and last but not the least - Free Lunch! ;) Hee Hee....

Solitude

I am reading this book called "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari" by Robin Sharma. Robin talks about Rituals of Living and therein talks about the Ritual of Solitude, Ritual of Personal Reflection. Both of these, I find, have a strong connection with Blogging. The Ritual of Solitude is about spending at least 15 minutes of one's time in solitude everyday. He says this will connect one to a limitless source of creativity and imagination. The Ritual of Personal Reflection is also to spend some time everyday to do some internal contemplation. This should be used to look at what went right and wrong everyday and expand on the positives and eliminate the negatives. He says its even better to write them down. What more can I say? Blogging is of course a great tool to reflect and also spend some time with oneself! Ain't it? :)

I gotta do some personal contemplation and awaken some sleeping thoughts, ideas and talents everyday. I gotta see the positives and negatives and think hard and long about them. This ought to make a difference in as less as a month's time! Let's see! Chow...