Tough Times

Pessimism Vs. Optimism: The two different glasses we put on to view life. In an unfavorable environment, a never-say die attitude is all it takes to reach there, to be on top.

In the road of life,
When the going gets tough
We feel down, and
The world seems rough.
Nothing on track,
The lights go dim.
Positives get over,
We hate to dream.
It's time for us
To stay on the race.
March ahead,
And look to ace.
Grab the chances
That come our way.
Never give up,
Put negatives at bay.
The road will be tough,
The pace will be slow.
Just a matter of time,
Before we glow.

The Managerial Omnipresence

It's time for me to fit into Peter Drucker's shoes and put on Henri Fayol's thinking caps. Don't worry, I'm not going to tell you to read the voluminous books, classic definitions and principles proposed by these great management gurus. Rather, I am going to put forward my simple understanding of 'management', of course, on the same lines as devised by these great thinkers. Management is an ocean. We can find umpteen definitions and concepts related to this field. However, I will try and attempt to present my view which might, in some way or the other, seem pretty generic and obvious.

'Management is the art of getting things done by others' is the most common definition you can get to hear. For me, management is the scientific art of controlling the universe. You name an object or an issue, and you can easily connect the word 'management' to it. Management is a perfect blend of logic, thoughts, emotions and actions. It is everywhere, widespread, encompassing and evolving. Be it politics, markets or for that matter, our very own lives, management is involved in such a way that, everyone of us either knowingly or unknowingly are carrying out management functions, each and every day. The rural shopkeeper, who is earning customers just by being friendly, may not be aware of Customer Relationship Management (CRM), but he is effectively putting in place the CRM practices. Similarly, a mother promising to buy her son a bicycle in case he fares well in the exams, is instilling motivation.

For a moment, let us assume that, there is no crisis in this world- A problem-free, routinized, set life is on. Things are very much under control, the happennings are too predictable. Is there any need for management under such a situation? Well, the answer seems to be a mix of 'Yes' and 'No'. 'No', because the basic purpose can be easily accomplished (assuming everything remains perfect), and 'Yes', because we would continuously like to see the proceedings as they are. As such, there is a need for monitoring and vigil. Also, therein lies an anticipation of risk or problem arising in the future. The fine line that differentiates the certain from the uncertain is management.

Real life situations may be associated with simulations, wherein we can have definite solutions to problems. But there are some situations in which pragmatism finds importance over knowledge and theory. The approach, in such cases, calls for dynamism. In a nutshell, management is not only about PODSCoRB (Planning, Organising, Directing, Staffing, Co-ordinating, Reporting and Budgeting), but it has also got an aspect that is practical in nature and very hard to define.

The quest for management is never ending, and it will only continue to be so.....

Homebound

For those who stay away from their homes and families, the excitement involved in getting back home cannot be penned down in words. It is a spark that brings immense enthusiasm. I am also a member of that lot, and feel the same while departing for my home. I would not term this as "Homesickness". Rather, this is something quite obvious- a call from within. Valuing the importance of family and home can never be overemphasized. This should come naturally to one who lives away from his home, and feels 'hungry' for meeting his family.

I left my home at the age of sixteen, just after I finished my schooling. As a teenager, it was tough for me to agree on that. But then, it had to happen, going by the need of the hour. Though not too far from home and within the same state, I did feel homesick at times and attempted a visit back home at least once a month. Five years down the line, I had to settle down in Hyderabad, far more away from my home, in a different state, as far as almost 1,6oo kms. But, by that time, I had matured a lot, managed to cut down my frequent visits. I had to boost up my career, and part away from family. Whatever, it was a big deal for me. It was not that easy to settle down as it seemed to be. I could not even imagine staying away from home for so many months. And on top of that, the distance made things a little tougher. I still remember the much awaited break- my first journey from Hyderabad to Santiniketan. I had to be patient for six long months in order to get back home after finishing my first semester in MBA. My three-and-half year stay in Hyderabad taught me to compromise on my frequent homeward tours for sure. However, there was always that intention to get back home and spend time with family. Further, I moved to Mumbai, which is over 2,000 kms. away from Santiniketan. Still, I make it a point to pay a visit back home at an interval of three-four months. It might sound a bit childish. But I must say, it puts me on and charges me up.

The very idea of 'going home' thrills me. 'Going Home' means a lot of things to me- it can be a motivation factor, a sigh of relief, an unexpressed happiness or a change. A homeward trip is no less than a project for me; it requires proper planning and execution. Key factors to be considered are the journey start and end dates, duration of stay, leaves available, and above all, the mode of transport. At times, I have to compromise on the cost part and prefer airways over rail transport simply to maximize my duration of stay, even it is a matter of few hours. After all, one can feel the worth of something only when he is deprived of that. And probably, that is the reason why getting back home is so special.

I Love....

• Each and every member of my family
• Using less words, and more action
• Spending a quiet and chilling night in the silence of mountains
• Aloo Poshto (potatoes with poppy seeds), Mishti Doi (sweet curd) and Chicken Biryani
• Waking up early in the morning, switching on the TV and watching Sachin Tendulkar taking stance in a live cricket match telecasted from Australia
• Being responsible
• To see a child smiling vigorously
• Katrina Kaif's beauty and Anushka Sharma's innocent looks
• Learning from my mistakes
• Listening to Kishore Kumar, Shreya Ghosal, Enrique Iglesias & Linkin Park

YOU

The poet in me that speaks about self-discovery....

Is this what YOU wanted to be?
Or is it just for the others to see?
What are YOU living for?
What are YOU aiming for?
Is it just the wealth and fame?
Even without a pinch of shame?
Look at the crying lot,
Isn’t it a bothering spot?
Doesn’t it move YOU?
To serve a dejected few?
Ask yourself and think anew,
Doesn’t it still give YOU a cue?
It tells YOU, “YOU are the one for them,
Go ahead, and be at the helm”.
That’s when YOU arise,
Wake up, and realize.
YOU say, “I am the person, with the key,
Here I come, hey! look at me”.

My Take On Life

For me, defining life should depend upon how we design our lives. It is more of one's attitude towards life that makes him either elated or gloomy. Life is a boon that needs to be nurtured, analyzed and cherished.

On any given day, life is pretty much colorful and contained. I view it as a rainbow that displays its various shades through innumerable happenings. At the same time, it is all-inclusive, an account of our proceedings.

Life is never partial- it neither overjoys us, nor it is rude always; rather, it is a silent master- it teaches us in the most practical ways. We gain in experiences, both good and bad. The sad part is, while going through the bad experiences, we tend to complain about life. What we overlook is our ability to convert the bad into good, or getting it right the next time. In future, when we fail again, we kind of keep on nagging, and tend to lose the essence of life. But herein lies the true magic of life- in rediscovering, learning from mistakes and being enlightened. Sometimes, we should feel good to be on the losing side (after we have put in our best to win), because we know, up next, we will be on top, simply due to the fact that, by then, we will mature, think and act only for winning. Optimism is the key to enjoying life, and it can do wonders once we have been able to deploy it properly.

After all, life is no cakewalk. It tests, awards, re-tests and rewards. And we need to fine tune ourselves as per the need of the hour.

The Five Icons Of My Life

At various stages of my life, I have been influenced by different personalities, who were either able to prove their mettle to the world or are constantly in the process of setting high standards. I have always taken a leaf out of their books to make my life a little better and organized. If not all of them, I would certainly like to mention the following names whose principles and actions have left deep impressions on my life:

My Father: A man of strict discipline and values, whatever he does is planned well in advance. He prefers jotting down even the slightest of details involved in a small activity that he undergoes. Weighs and analyzes the options available to him before he finally decides to go for something. I have learnt a lot of management skills through his simple yet effective ways.

Swami Vivekananda: The man who shaped up the 'spiritual self' in me. His sayings move me a lot, the favorite being, "Each work has to pass through these stages - ridicule, opposition, and then acceptance. Each man who thinks ahead of his time is sure to be misunderstood". And believe it or not, I have been able to see these quotes come alive in front of me. They are pretty much true to life, and we can easily relate to these.

Aamir Khan: Can't think of any other person, who stresses so much on the importance of being perfect as him. He delves deep into the subject at hand, and ensures that the ultimate product matches his desired quality standards. A true perfectionist by nature, he has been able to re-define the art of commercial Indian cinema in modern times.

Adam Gilchrist: When it comes to multi-tasking skills, this name certainly comes to the fore. Probably one of the best cricketers of all times, he will be known for his ability to rip apart the opposition with his aggressive batting and expert wicketkeeping. Led the Australian team at tough times with a decent record (although he captained in very few matches). The most satisfying part of his career must have been his ability to dominate- the bowlers up against him needed to ensure that the margin of error was zero or else they might have sleepless nights.

Richard Branson: Known for his flamboyant and competitive skills, this man knows how to live life to the fullest. The man behind the 'Virgin' brand, he loves to be 'dangerously adventurous' and try out things that are beyond our imaginations. At the ripe age of fifteen, he started dispalying his business acumen and went on to become one of the biggest names in the business arena.

Welcome Note

"Arindam", in Sanskrit, means the man who has won all his enemies. To break it up, the word "Arindam" has got two parts- "Ari" which means enemy, and "Daman" which means putting an end to something. Simply put, it means conquering enemies. Well, as far as I can recall, I hardly have any enemies, and I would never ever prefer to have even one. So far, so good- I have been able to justify the deep inner meaning of my name. Going forward, I would certainly like to maintain the same status- sans enemy. I am here to make as many friends as possible.

Hereby extending you a very warm welcome to my world. I am going to tell you something, and in return, would love to hear from you. Let's explore each other!!