Happy New Ear To You

It is that time of the year when I avoid meeting people. Everyone wants to listen to me. Everyone wants to know about my New Year resolutions. This question just forces me to lie through my teeth just so that I remain politically correct and acceptable to my loved ones. It makes me worry, that, by myself I am not good enough. Like a soap bar I have to be relaunched periodically as “new and improved” every year until someone discovers that the jingle refers only to the wrapping and not the soap. The “new and improved” bit refers to the resolution and not me. The pressure to lie is incredible. My physician (who himself weighs more than a walrus) tells me that he wishes I resolve to lose weight this year. I nod, smile and say, “Thanks, wish you the same.” He is not pleased. I swear I did not mean it that way. I thought he was going to say the usual stuff about wishing me a very happy and prosperous new year and I just wanted to return the favor.

The recession largely wrung the mickey out of the last year. Anything that salvages the next year is welcome. In the office, my boss is throwing the mandatory Holiday Season lunch. I am trying to make the most of the opportunity. Soon some twerp announces that we should all share what resolutions we have made for the new year. Before I can stop the train wreck, the thing gathers momentum. There is the usual nonsense about quitting smoking and drinking (only after the new years party, they add). Someone talks about spending more time with their kids – instantly drawing a few ‘awwwwNN thats so sweet’ from those present. This is like seeing someone’s kid’s pictures. The ONLY socially acceptable response is to say, “They are really cute”. Everyone has gone through the drill. The biggest shirker in the office is sitting next to me. He climbed two notches higher by saying the politically correct response at work, “I would like to improve my work-life balance” – thus implying that being overworked was not an option next year. I was about to make a nasty crack about the fellow’s work ethics when I realized that it was my turn to share my resolution for the coming year. The world goes blank around me. I am still working on mine, I state. There is much disappointment. I am relieved. I snap up the last dregs of coffee and thank the boss for the bonding moment. Why must I want to improve myself? Why must I quit doing something? Why must I develop a puke inducing habit like waking up early to go for a run? That’s what I call a double whammy. Wriggling out voluntarily from under the quilt on a cold winter morning – is that being smart? After that one bad move, why would I want to further add to the stupid act by choosing to go running aimlessly? In an office situation, make sure you never share your resolutions. You will never win. I have learnt this bitter truth the hard way. I had once said that my NYR (that’s New Year Resolution for those who still haven’t got that one figured) was to learn cooking. My feminist colleague almost clawed out my eyes for stating that my R’s reeked of chauvinism. I have not even started cooking yet, I protested. That’s exactly what makes you a chauvinist she said. You can’t ever win with that chick. She could traumatize a serial-killer. I want to be a better human being next year, I had once stated, in a weak moment among friends. There was much derisive laughter. Going by where you are, anything will be an improvement and an easy one at that my friends said. Who needs enemies, I woefully thought as I looked at those sitting at the table and laughing at my expense, literally. Take away this ritual of NYRs and you have a greater chance of improving the level of honesty of the masses. The world needs flawed people like me – in urgent need of making resolutions. Heck most of us know just exactly what improvements we have to make in our life. Why wait for the stroke of midnight of the New Year to start doing what we should have been doing anyway? Who needs more broken promises? Here I am – resolution free and loving it. I like the freedom from guilt and broken promises. Any takers?

The McKinsey Way

Some books never lose their relevance. This is one such book. This book written in Feb ‘99 continues to be relevant even today. Ethan Rasiel, an ex-employee of McKinsey, gave us a peek behind the curtains of McKinsey, arguably the world’s most high profile consultant. Like all things high profile, there are myths and legends that are borne out of such larger than life reputations. More than 18,000 of their alumni work across every sector in 80 countries – they have no central office! They boast of alumni (see list here) like Kenichi Ohmae, Tom Peters, Helmut Kohl to name a few. At Business School campuses across the world they remain a coveted (and controversial) employer. They So what makes The Firm (as they like to call themselves) special?

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Reliving and Leaving

What a global business conference could not do, the alumni meet did. These were two memorable days spent meeting my classmates from the batch of ‘84 at XLRI, Jamshedpur, the B-School (see photo) where I was a student. We were all having a grand reunion back at the Alma Mater. The last few months have been spent by the enthusiastic organizers of our class trying to trace out every friend now liberally peppered across the world. Some have turned entrepreneurs, some are stay at home parents, some of them are celebrities of the corporate world. It was, if anything, a time to renew old friendships and a time to celebrate.

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Raga Khamaj

In Hindustani Classical music, there is an elite group of Ragas which get picked routinely for the more austere and certainly more complex forms of singing like Dhrupad, Dhamaar or Khayaal. Clearly dhrupad or khayaal is not for everyone. It is for the discerning listeners and accomplished artistes. Then there are several ragas relegated to the Kshudra Prakriti (trans: Lighter Nature) which is usually far more intertwined in the folk traditions of singing. These ragas are used more frequently while singing  Thumri or its lighter form Daadra - both of which are romantic compositions. The seasonal song forms of Chaiti, Hori, Sawani are from UP, Kajri (songs of longing sung during monsoon). The form called Tappa is usually from Punjab, while Tarana is usually sung at the end of a concert, Geet and Bhajans are purely devotional.

Mahatma Gandhi made the devotional song Vaishnava Janato based on Raga Khamaj, almost synonymous with his own name. This bhajan gets a modern interpretation from Pandit Jasraj, Shankar Mahadevan and Jaspinder Narula in this video.

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The Art of Woo

If you think people need to listen to your ideas just because they are bright, then go away and read this book that I just finished reading. The real world needs to be persuaded. In fact, you need to woo people to succeed in selling your ideas. Having smart ideas is necessary but not sufficient. Wharton Profs Shell and Moussa have tried to turn wooing into a science by giving those step by step instructions that people just LOVE! The picture of the two parakeets should become the mnemonic for you everytime you want to woo someone. Notice there is no club being used by the parakeet while wooing. In fact the one trying to woo is facing the object of attention. Yeah, it is always about understanding the others needs and point of view before you start your spiel.

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