Who are You?

I saw these lines on the board of a DRDO lab…

Some people see a closed door and turn away.

 

Others see a closed door and try the knob. 

If it doesn't open... they turn away.

 

Still others see a closed door and try the knob.

 If it doesn't open, they try to find a key.

 If the key doesn't fit... they turn away.

A rare few see a closed door and try the knob.  

If it doesn't open, they find a key.

If the key doesn't fit... they make one.  We are the key makers.

The illusion of Completeness

The powers that were to be once made a decision that was to define humanity in times to come.

They decided that a society was essential for a dignified way of life.

Hence the powers decided that we need some rules to abide by that separate us from our less evolved counterparts.

So once we had rules, it was a given fact that we needed rulers. Rulers in turn needed rule enforcers and rule enforcers needed rule interpreters.

In this entire scheme of rulers, enforcers and interpreters there came in an unofficial, however highly ubiquitous species of rule fixers.

The emergence of fixers was to a certain extent an evolutionary certainty. I was reading an interesting piece on the incompleteness theorem by Godel. Now the mathematics behind this theorem is not very comprehensible the basic premise of it is very interesting. He says that within any system there exist statements which can’t be proved or disproved by using data from within the system.

For a moment, consider the theorem to be valid and binding.

Then it implies that within the boundaries of a system, there will be situations or problems that cannot be solved using resources from within the system. Now replace system with society and resources with the broad categories of rule makers, rulers, enforcers and interpreters.

Hence naturally there will be situations that cannot be solved or closed using these internal resources only.

As a proof, to the above theorem think for a moment of your workplace.

There would be plenty of work which you think could be done easily and would certainly benefit the people, but there is somewhat of a reluctance or inability of people within the system to do that work. This reluctance or inability is often captured in a singular statement of “This is how things are done around here”. (I am not implying that inefficiency in an organization is a certainty, given the evolutionary mandate, I am merely giving an interesting interpretation to world in general)

Now rule fixers facilitate the scheme of work in the ruling world. You see every rules interpretation could be facilitated or delayed, every enforcer could be persuaded either way, and every ruler could be pleased or be displeased.

Consider the role of a fixer in real world. 

Again I take the example of a workplace.

There would be situations or problems you would have encountered at your workplace when you felt it to be prudent to be confide in the one person whom you believe could help. Now this person could be very well a friend, any gender, but if you pause for a moment and consider the personality trait(s) I am certain you could spot these. Firstly, there would be a complete lack of ego or pride, and secondly an average capability and performance.

Miraculously once you confide to a fixer, things seem to be less burdensome. A part of the relief maybe due to the emotional aspect of getting it out of your system, but there is now a faint belief that now it could be resolved.

It may seem that Godel’s theorem is contradictory considering the above example as the fixer in this case comes from within the system. Actually it is not, I leave it to you to figure out why. (Clue I missed on personality trait of a fixer, - a very elastic nature and a highly checkered past)

Fixers are essential to any society, organization or institution’s survival.

This is because work cannot be completely linear-ised & output cannot be completely quantified. And that in turn is because when you deal with people there are always emotions to handle and they are not always rational.

How do you "Take care" ... ?

I recommend a short stint in sales, marketing, business development and of late “demand generation” function as a life skill development.

An event today at work place reminded me of my taken care bit experience some time back. (Read the prelude to it if here interested)

It was very clear after a month of running around that a measly accountant held the power to delay payments. Delays in my line of business and my scale of an organization meant no salary. I had umpteen discussions/talks with our finance head as to the dependence on a single project for salary clearance and the response was the same watered down talk. We are growing, capital requirements are huge, new people are coming in. I guess he forgot to mention the new cell phone my MD was sporting and the audit observations on discrepancy in books.

Anyways, I have long since given up on futility of logic with senior management, at least at my workplace.

Mind you, my “boss” thinks it is very easy, throw money to get money. In fact in one meeting when their some observations on collections review he remarked that my accounts are always delayed, and then I gave it back to him” Sir, I would really request your recommendations on the best way. If possible please come with me the next visit”.

Silence after this sweet “request”. I never adopt a confrontational attitude. 

We all knew the implication of his visit to the customer. With the gentleness of a bull in china shop and the intellect level of a food deprived mad dog, he was categorically refused attendance in one meeting to which my MD was also a party. After that, it was an unwritten rule that he stay away from front end, and yeah he is the sales director.

My MD called me after the meeting and clearly told me that I was not allowed in my seat till payment is processed.

I managed to secure a word with their accountant and told him, to clear and we will manage on subsequent projects. The accountant a wily old man knew all the games, he refused.

So back at office I told I need cash.

The payment value is 1 Cr, 1 % makes it 1 Lakh. This approximately the loss of interest income for I think 2-3 months on a current account with OD facility. Translated, it meant if the payment was delayed by 3 months, we lost a Lakh. Conversely if it was cleared in a day or two we gained a Lakh less the taken care part.

Hence, I asked 50k for taking care. I was of half mind to shave a couple from this, but the darn pundit in me did not allow it.

Anyways it was not approved. 

Defense business was tricky, and once you resort to faster dealings route, it was impossible to go back. 

Domestic businesses did not allow that kind of margins, to take care of the % required in bribes.

Finally after a lot of haggling I got 5k.

The irony of the haggling was not lost on me. Here I was fighting to secure a bribe for a person, who in turn will pay to my company, and all I got was my monthly pay ….huh…

Cash in hand, I called the babu for dinner. He is as old as my father, has a kid my age working in an IT firm in Bangalore, yet he comes and yes he talk to me about his kid’s career plans as well.

 If it is free the mentality is to gorge.

2 beers, one glass of imported wine, a plate of lobsters and panner tikka later the babu showed no signs of tempering down. I on the other hand needed to pee a lot because of the 500 INR a glass of nimbus pani (no fresh lime soda!) which I was having continuously.

I think it was the worst dinner experience and I was tired of putting a cordial face front.

Finally it was time to leave. I was waiting for this moment only. I took the unmarked envelope with cash, and put it near his lap with a knowing smile. It sobered him down faster than black coffee, but thankfully in his alcohol stupor he did not open it.

Done.

I called for the attendant, arranged a taxi and put him on it. I waved him bye and refrained from any mention to the file. Since the cash was with him, the ball was now in my court, I could kick it any time.

Next day before 11 Am I got a call from babu that the file was cleared.

Wow :)… now that is called alcohol efficiency.

The P-Word

P is for passion.

Nowadays it seems to be the word to be used in conversations, discussions and articles. 

You can prefix the P-word prior to any action and then somehow the implied perception of the action becomes more refined, acceptable, but sometimes vaguely disconcerting.

But how exactly do you define passion??? What are the parameters that could be used as causal indicators towards judging the passion in any action???

Methinks, that for any action to be classified as passionate it has to be a bit exhibitionist and socially non conformal. 

The extent of adherence to the above two variables would vary. For instance say you are passionate about your work, it means to say that you really love to do your work and look forward to the output to the extent of neglecting some routine and value-added actions in life. You work late, if you go out of your way to get something done at your workplace and in general seem unnervingly and irritatingly talking about work all the time. Add to the above if you are getting paid slightly less than your counterparts, it further adds credence to the “passion” you have.

If you look at the above situation the P thing is actually somewhat of an excuse,  to compensate for some shortcomings in your action & not in any manner strengthening the veracity or the intent of your action. 

For instance if

• You’re passionate about your work, then maybe because it pays you less,
• You’re passionate about your friend that is because maybe you don’t have many and are afraid to be alone.
• You’re passionate about your idea or new business it means you are blind to the shortcomings or the risks of it.

See passion is a non rational belief; it is a heart action not a head action.

Guaranteed, that heart is required in life but there could be a divine purpose as to why it is not placed at the top, rather someone in the middle of your frame.