Imagine you are part of a panel meant to choose astronauts who can fly space missions and land on Mars. An astronaut you have chosen is on a space mission. Things don’t go by the plan and the spacecraft threatens to spiral out of control. Somehow, this astronaut along with his buddy manages to scramble things around and regain control! When back on earth, the astronaut is disappointed with himself. In his own eyes, he has failed in letting things go out of control. A thorough probe rules out human error, but his initial response was to think he goofed up! He wasn’t sure. Would you put him on the first flight to Mars? Let us say, you still do. After all, he did manage to regain control. Fast forward to the Mars landing moment, and on a private line, this astronaut says to Mission control even as he is manoeuvring the craft, that in his estimation, there is a 50-50 chance of the landing being successful. Just 50-50. With so much at stake! How would you as the decision-maker…
Learning from the news-makers
Cyrus Mistry & Ratan Tata Cyrus Mistry’s death a few days back and Ratan Tata’s silence at the time of this writing is something to reflect on. The falling out between the two is universally known after Mistry’s sacking as the Chairman of the Tata group. In the event of Cyrus’s tragic and untimely death, what would Ratan Tata be going through? It is his own personal matter, at one level. At another level, it surely prompts soulful reflection on what they meant to each other. Whether Mistry’s passing moves Tata to reassess the arc of their relationship and reveal inner truths of his own; only time will tell. These inner truths – if shared – can serve the world. When an icon like Ratan Tata decides opens up for the sake of posterity, his revelations can offer guidance on how to reconcile hearts and minds and heal ruptured relationships. Especially, relationships between people who seem so similar and connected to each other, and still find themselves being pulled apart by the larger world that no individual controls. Mikhail Gorbachev…
Doing what we love. Not quite.
There is a widespread belief that once we know what we love doing, everything will fall in place for us. I believe it is worthwhile to know who we are first. Rather than figuring out what we love to do. In figuring out what we love,we tie ourselves in knots.We look for a pedestal.We stand our ground to know what we are. That does not mean it is easy. I have taken a long time to know who I am. And my answer takes on subtle shades of meaning when I continue asking. The answer can change, but that is fine. As long as what I do is an outcome of who I really am at one specific point in time, I believe I can cherish the work as a form of self-expression, as a means of contribution. Even if I change later on. I accept everything, including my responsibility for the actions, and their consequences. Of course, what we love matters & matters a lot. And if we truly love something, it is an expression of what we are.…
Individual Brilliance – Sign of something else?
US goalkeeper,Tim Howard made record saves in a WC football match that his team lost.We can see all the action in one frame.We can see the rest of the team didn’t do as well defending & so the last line of defense had to turn in an exceptional performance.In corporate life,outstanding individual performance could be masking collective failure,not so apparent because all the action does not take place in one frame.An outstanding individual performance that saves the day is a sign of systemic concern.
Three Work-Realities Impacting Your Career That You Need To Prepare For
Ask any corporate professional if the world of work is changing, and the answer is a resounding yes! Ask how they are responding & the answers are general. Never take your job for granted. Always be learning. Network for career growth. These generalities are useful only if you persevere to understand what in the world of work is changing, how organizations are adapting to such changes. When you relate these changes to your specific circumstances, you will know what to do. Here are the three work-realities to connect your specific circumstances to. 1) Organizations are proactive in changing before they are forced to In the recent past, organizations reacted to growth demand by swelling its ranks. The recession made them shrink. In absorbing this painful body-blow, thinking organizations are determined to do it differently next time. They are not mindlessly expanding at the first signs of revived demand. By taking recourse to outsourcing & technology, they are catering to new business without bloating in size. They are open to internal restructuring as a proactive business strategy. Inspite of the absence…