MANAGEMENT LESSONS...

Story # 1
It's a fine sunny day in the forest and a lion is sitting outside his cave, lying lazily in the sun. Along comes a fox, out on a walk.

Fox: "Do you know the time, because my watch is broken"
Lion: "Oh, I can easily fix the watch for you"
Fox: "Hmm... But it's a very complicated mechanism, and your big claws will only destroy it even more."
Lion: "Oh no, give it to me, and it will be fixed"
Fox: "That's ridiculous! Any fool knows that lazy lions with great claws cannot fix complicated watches"
Lion: "Sure they do, give it to me and it will be fixed"

The lion disappears into his cave, and after a while he comes back with the watch which is running perfectly. The fox is impressed, and the lion continues to lie lazily in the sun, looking very pleased with himself.

Soon a wolf comes along and stops to watch the lazy lion in the sun.

Wolf: "Can I come and watch TV tonight with you, because mine is broken"
Lion: "Oh, I can easily fix your TV for you"
Wolf: "You don't expect me to believe such rubbish, do you? There is no way that a lazy lion with big claws can fix a complicated TV.
Lion: "No problem. Do you want to try it?"

The lion goes into his cave, and after a while comes back with a perfectly fixed TV. The wolf goes away happily and amazed.

Scene : Inside the lion's cave. In one corner are half a dozen small and intelligent looking rabbits who are busily doing very complicated work with very detailed instruments. In the other corner lies a huge lion looking very pleased with himself.

Moral : IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY A MANAGER IS FAMOUS; LOOK AT THE WORK OF HIS SUBORDINATES.

Management Lesson in the context of the working world : IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY SOMEONE UNDESERVED IS PROMOTED; LOOK AT THE WORK OF HIS SUBORDINATES

Story # 2
It's a fine sunny day in the forest and a rabbit is sitting outside his burrow, tippy-tapping on his typewriter. Along comes a fox, out for a walk.

Fox: "What are you working on?"
Rabbit: "My thesis."
Fox: "Hmm... What is it about?"
Rabbit: "Oh, I'm writing about how rabbits eat foxes."
Fox: "That's ridiculous ! Any fool knows that rabbits don't eat foxes!
Rabbit: "Come with me and I'll show you!"

They both disappear into the rabbit's burrow. After few minutes, gnawing on a fox bone, the rabbit returns to his typewriter and resumes typing.

Soon a wolf comes along and stops to watch the hardworking rabbit.
Wolf: "What's that you are writing?"
Rabbit: "I'm doing a thesis on how rabbits eat wolves."
Wolf: "you don't expect to get such rubbish published, do you?"
Rabbit: "No problem. Do you want to see why?"

The rabbit and the wolf go into the burrow and again the rabbit returns by himself, after a few minutes, and goes back to typing.
Finally a bear comes along and asks, "What are you doing?
Rabbit: "I'm doing a thesis on how rabbits eat bears."
Bear: "Well that's absurd !"
Rabbit: "Come into my home and I'll show you"

Scene : As they enter the burrow, the rabbit introduces the bear to the lion.

Moral: IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW SILLY YOUR THESIS TOPIC IS; WHAT MATTERS IS WHOM YOU HAVE AS A SUPERVISOR.

Management Lesson in the context of the working world: IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW BAD YOUR PERFORMANCE IS; WHAT MATTERS IS WHETHER YOUR BOSS LIKES YOU OR NOT.

Winners Never Complain...

Mr. Vivek Pradhan was not a happy man. He was the project manager and still not entitled to air travel. It was not the prestige he sought, he had tried to reason with the admin person, it was the savings in time. He opened his case and took out the laptop, determined to put the time to some good use.

'Are you from the software industry sir,' the man beside him was staring appreciatively at the laptop.

Vivek glanced briefly and mumbled in affirmation, handling the laptop now with exaggerated care and importance as if it were an expensive car.

'You people have brought so much advancement to the country, Sir. Today everything is getting computerized.'

'Thanks,' smiled Vivek, turning around to give the man a look. He always found it difficult to resist appreciation.

'You people always amaze me,' the man continued, 'You sit in an office and write something on a computer and it does so many big things outside.'

Vivek smiled deprecatingly. Naiveness demanded reasoning not anger. 'It is not as simple as that, my friend. It is not just a question of writing a few lines. There is a lot of process that goes behind it.' 'It is complex, very complex.'

'It has to be. No wonder you people are so highly paid,' came the reply.

This was not turning out as Vivek had thought. A hint of belligerence crept into his so far affable, persuasive tone. ' Everyone just sees the money. No one sees the amount of hard work we have to put in.

'Let me give you an example. Take this train. The entire railway reservation system is computerized. You can book a train ticket between any two stations from any of the hundreds of computerized booking centers across the country. Thousands of transactions accessing a single database, at a time concurrently; data integrity, locking, data security. Do you understand the complexity in designing and coding such a  system?'

The man was awestruck; quite like a child at a planetarium. 'You  design and code such things'.

'I used to,' Vivek paused for effect, 'but now I am the project manager.'

'Oh!' sighed the man, as if the storm had passed over, 'so your life is easy now.'

This was like the last straw for Vivek. He retorted, 'Oh come on, does life ever get easy as you go up the ladder. Responsibility only brings more work..

Design and coding! That is the easier part. Now I do not do it, but I am responsible for it and believe me, that is far more stressful. My job is to get the work done in time and with the highest quality. To tell you about the pressures, there is the customer at one end, always changing his requirements, the user at the other, wanting something else, and your boss, always  expecting you to have finished it yesterday.' 'My friend,' he concluded triumphantly, 'you don't know what it is to be in the Line of Fire'.

The man sat back in his chair, his eyes closed as if in realization. When he spoke after sometime, it was with a calm certainty that surprised Vivek.

'I know sir. I know what it is to be in the Line of Fire'. He was staring blankly, as if no passenger, no train existed, just a vast expanse of time.

'There were 30 of us when we were ordered to capture Point 4875 in the cover of the night. The enemy was firing from the top. There was no knowing where the next bullet was going to come from and for whom.In the morning when we finally hoisted the Tricolor at the top only 4 of us were alive.'

'You are a...?'                            

'I am Subhedar Sushant from the 13 J&K Rifles on duty at Peak 4875 in kargil. They tell me I have completed my term and can opt for a soft assignment. But, tell me sir, can one give up duty just because it makes life easier. On the dawn of that capture, one of my colleagues lay injured in the snow, open to enemy fire while we were hiding behind a bunker. It was my job to go and fetch that soldier to safety. But my captain sahib refused me permission and went ahead himself. He said that the first pledge he had taken as a Gentleman Cadet was to put the "Safety and Welfare of the Nation foremost followed by the Safety and Welfare of the Men" he commanded and his own personal safety came last, always and every time.' 'He was killed as he shielded and brought that injured soldier into the bunker. Every morning thereafter, as we stood guard, I could see him taking all those bullets, which were actually meant for me. I know sir. I know, what it is to be in the Line of Fire.'

Vivek looked at him in disbelief not sure of how to respond. Abruptly, he switched off the laptop. It seemed trivial, even insulting to edit a Word document in the presence of a man for whom valor and duty was a daily part of life; valor and sense of duty which he had so far attributed only to epical heroes. The train slowed down as it pulled into the station, and Subhedar Sushant picked up his bags to alight.

'It was nice meeting you sir.'

Vivek fumbled with the handshake. This hand had climbed mountains, pressed the trigger, and hoisted the tricolor. Suddenly, as if by impulse, he stood up at attention and his right hand went up in an impromptu salute. It was the least he felt he could do for the country.

PS: The incident he narrated during the capture of Peak 4875 is a true-life incident during the Kargil war. Capt. Batra sacrificed his life while trying to save one of the men he commanded, as victory was within sight. For this and various other acts of bravery, he was awarded Param Vir Chakra, the nation's highest military award, and after that as is known about this nation, all such sacrifices of our soldiers are conveniently forgotten and that's the saddest part.

Please live humbly, there are great people around us, let us learn, winners are .....

• too busy to be sad,

• too positive to be doubtful,

• too optimistic to be fearful

• and too determined to be defeated

• Self-trust is the first secret of success.

WHEN A LIZARD CAN, WHY CAN'T WE?

This is a true story that happened in Japan.
In order to renovate the house,
someone in Japan breaks open the wall.
Japanese houses normally have a hollow space between the wooden walls.
When tearing down the walls, he found that there was a lizard stuck there
because a nail from outside hammered into one of its feet.
He sees this, feels pity, and at the same time curious, as when he checked the nail,
it was nailed 5 years ago when the house was first built !!!

What happened?

The lizard has survived in such position for 5 years!

In a dark wall partition for 5 years without moving, 

it is impossible and mind-boggling.

Then he wondered how this lizard survived for 5 years!

without moving a single step--since its foot was nailed!

So he stopped his work and observed the lizard, 

what it has been doing, and what and how it has been eating.

Later, not knowing from where it came, appears another lizard,

with food in its mouth.

Ah! He was stunned and touched deeply.

For the lizard that was stuck by nail, 

another lizard has been feeding it for the past 5 years...

Imagine? it has been doing that untiringly for 5 long years,

without giving up hope on its partner.

Imagine what a small creature can do that a creature blessed with a brilliant mind can't.
Please never abandon your loved ones
Lesson from the Story:
Never Say you are Busy When They Really Need You ...
You May Have The Entire World At Your Feet.
But You Might Be The Only World To Them..
A Moment of negligence might break the very heart
which loves you thru all odds..
Before you say something just remember..
it takes a moment to Break
but an entire lifetime to make...

A Gift Of Love

The passengers on the bus watched sympathetically as the attractive young woman with the white cane made her way carefully up the steps. She paid the driver and, using her hands to feel the location of the seats, walked down the aisle and found the seat he'd told her was empty. Then she settled in, placed her briefcase on her lap and rested her cane against her leg.
It had been a year since Susan, 34, became blind. Due to a medical misdiagnosis she had been rendered sightless, and she was suddenly thrown into a world of darkness, anger, frustration and self-pity. And all she had to cling to was her husband, Mark.
Mark was an Air Force officer and he loved Susan with all his heart. When she first lost her sight, he watched her sink into despair and was determined to help his wife gain the strength and confidence she needed to become independent again.
Finally, Susan felt ready to return to her job, but how would she get there? She used to take the bus, but was now too frightened to get around the city by herself. Mark volunteered to drive her to work each day, even though they worked at opposite ends of the city. At first, this comforted Susan, and fulfilled Mark's need to protect his sightless wife who was so insecure about performing the slightest task.
Soon, however, Mark realized the arrangement wasn't working. Susan is going to have to start taking the bus again, he admitted to himself. But she was still so fragile, so angry - how would she react? Just as he predicted, Susan was horrified at the idea of taking the bus again.
"I'm blind!", she responded bitterly. "How am I supposed to know where I am going? I feel like you're abandoning me."
Mark's heart broke to hear these words, but he knew what had to be done. He promised Susan that each morning and evening he would ride the bus with her, for as long as it took, until she got the hang of it. And that is exactly what happened. For two solid weeks, Mark, military uniform and all, accompanied Susan to and from work each day.
He taught her how to rely on her other senses, specifically her hearing, to determine where she was and how to adapt to her new environment. He helped her befriend the bus drivers who could watch out for her, and save her a seat.
Finally, Susan decided that she was ready to try the trip on her own. Monday morning arrived, and before she left, she threw her arms around Mark, her temporary bus-riding companion, her husband, and her best friend. Her eyes filled with tears of gratitude for his loyalty, his patience, And his love. She said good-bye, and for the first time, they went their separate ways. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday... Each day on her own went perfectly, and Susan had never felt better. She was doing it! She was going to work all by herself.
On Friday morning, Susan took the bus to work as usual. As she was paying the fare to exit the bus, the driver said, "Boy, I sure do envy you." Susan wasn't sure if the driver was speaking to her or not. After all, who on earth would ever envy a blind woman who had struggled just to find the courage to live for the past year? Curious, she asked the driver, "Why do you say that you envy me?"
The driver responded, "It must feel good to be taken care of and protected like you are." Susan had no idea what the driver was talking about, and again asked, "What do you mean?"
The driver answered, "You know, every morning for the past week, a fine-looking gentleman in a military uniform has been standing across the corner watching you as you get off the bus. He makes sure you cross the street safely and he watches until you enter your office building.
Then he blows you a kiss, gives you a little salute and walks away. You are one lucky lady." Tears of happiness poured down Susan's cheeks. For although she couldn't physically see him, she had always felt Mark's presence. She was lucky, so lucky, for he had given her a gift more powerful than sight, a gift she didn't need to see to believe - the gift of love that can bring light where there is darkness                                                                                      

India - Pakistan Nuclear War

During the Cold War, if USA launched a nuke-loaded missile,

 Soviet satellites  would inform the Soviet army in 3 seconds and in less than 5 seconds

 Soviet  counter-missiles would be on their way.

 This was their scenario.... ......... ....  

 

 But if there is a nuclear war between India and Pakistan .

                                                                                                     

 The Pakistan army decides to launch a nuke-missile towards India .  

They don't need any permission from their government,

 and  promptly order the countdowns.

 

 Indian technology is highly advanced.

 In less than 8 seconds, Indian army detects the Pak Countdown and 

decides  to  launch a missile in retribution. 

 But they need permission from the Government of India. 

 They submit their request to the Indian President. The President

 forwards it to the Cabinet.

 

 The Prime Minister calls an emergency Lok Sabha session. The LS meets, 

but   due   to several walkouts and severe protests by the opposition, it gets  adjourned

 and adjourned indefinitely.

 The President asks for a quick decision.  In the mean time,

  the Pak missile failed to take off due to technical failure. Their

attempts  for  a relaunch are still on.

 Just then the Indian ruling party is reduced to a minority because a 

party  that  was giving outside support withdraws it. 

 The President asks the PM to prove his majority within a week. 

 As the ruling party fails to win the confidence vote, 

 a  caretaker government is installed. 

 

 The caretaker PM decides to permit the armed forces to launch a nuclear  missile.

 But the Election Commission says that a caretaker government can not 

take such a decision because elections are at hand.

 A Public Interest Litigation  is filed  in the Supreme Court alleging misuse of power by the Election 

Commission.   

 The Supreme Court comes to the rescue of the PM,   and says  the acting PM is authorized to take this decision in view of the emergency  facing the  nation. 

 Just then one of the Pak missiles successfully took off, but it fell 367 

 miles away from the target, on its own government building at 11.00AM.

 Fortunately  there were no casualties as no employee had reached the office that

early. 

 

 In  any case, the nuclear core of the missile had detached somewhere in 

flight.  

 

 The Pakistan army is now trying to get better technologies from China 

and  USA.

 The Indian Government, taking no chances, decides to launch a nuclear  missile 

 of its own, after convening an all-party meeting. 

 This time all the parties agree. 

 Its three months since the army had sought permission. But as

preparations begin, 'pro-humanity' , 'anti-nuclear' activists come out against the  

Government's decision.

 Human chains are formed and Rasta rokos organised.

 In California and Washington endless e-mails are sent to Indians condemning 

 the  government and mentioning 'Please forward it to as many Indians as   possible'.

 On the Pakistan side, the missiles kept malfunctioning. Some missiles  deviate

 from target due to technical failures or high-speed wind blowing over Rajasthan.

 Many of them land in the Indian Ocean killing some fishes. 

 A missile (smuggled from USA ) is pressed into service.

 Since the Pakistan army  is unable to understand its software, it hits its original destination:  Russia. 

  Russia successfully intercepts the missile  and in retaliation launches a nuclear missile towards Islamabad .   

 The missile hits the target and creates havoc. 

  Pakistan cries for help. India expresses deep regrets for what has happened

 and   sends in a million dollars worth of Parle-G biscuits. 

 Thus India never gets to launch the missile.  Pakistan never gets it right.  

 And we live happily ever after

Picture Courtesy: www.desihotmasala.com