Every day we come across many questions, some are funny, some are left unanswered, a few keeps us pondering and a few others are so simple and yet become one of the most difficult ones to crack. Here is an interesting question for you all :)
There is a very logical answer to this question and it is definitely worth your try.
Question : In a town there are two hospitals, one is large and the other is small. On a day 60% of those born in one particular hospital are boys. Which hospital is it likely to be?
Courtesy - The Black swan
Answer: The basis of statistics is that large samples are more stable and should deviate less from average ie 50%. Deviation and sample size are inversely proportional. Hence the answer is small sample :)
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Sunday, January 31, 2010
SIMPLE ECONOMICS IN BUSINESS LINE - My cup of tea!
The first time when I heard the name ‘Simple economics’, I probably thought that economics and my interests don’t much match and my mind had already decided to keep it at bay. The name suggested that these articles will be very long and definitely not be able to hold my attention. My head swayed like a pendulum and I said to myself ‘Simple eco-NO-mix’. A few days later I again heard that these articles are small, rich, and edifying and that made me Google and read about simple economics column in the business line. Trust me, I was lost in it and was sure that these column has got all the ingredients in the right proportions to captivate any individual.
I started the day by glancing through some of the articles in collector’s edition of Frozen Thoughts. Some of them were green with life and a few others seemed to voice for a difference. These articles were pearls of wisdom and reminded me of the Simple economics behind it.
Like all, I too started to wait for Sundays, not just because it’s weekend or time to rejuvenate but because it’s time for simple economics and time to comprehend yet another way of life.
Let me pen on a few of them and leave the rest for you to explore:
- Broken window theory
This theory explains how a small unfixed broken window can lead to a burglary! ie how one one small thing can lay the path for something big.
For instance, there are two children ‘A’ and ‘B’. You ask both of them not to enter into a room. When ‘A’ enters that prohibited room the probability of ‘B’ also entering that particular room is higher. Why? This is substantiated by a fence experiment which describes how one offence can lead to another.
- Blame it on NAcc
After reading this article, whenever I got lure to buy something that was not really a necessity, I dint wince at pain that came after seeing the price tag. The decision to buy was not mine and I blamed it on NAcc lol. In most of my shopping NAcc dumped the insulia.
- Psychology of greatest ever
I remember how many Facebook titles changed when A.R.Rahman won the Oscars. How many tweets come when Sachin hits a century! And how many SRK fans altered their heading in Orkut when his new flick released! I too go by the feel good factor after watching Hrithik on screen :)
- Why thinking too hard is bad
I witnessed this in Grammar section when I gave the CAT exams. Initially, I thought option ‘b’ would be apt, a second look got me closer to option ‘a’. While I was juggling between ‘b’ and ‘a’, option ‘c’ seemed to fit in the best. I chose some option to later discover that I hit the bull’s eye in the first attempt but later changed my option as I kept thinking harder. Sometimes ‘to blink’ yields better than the results that are got from ‘to think’.
- Tipping model
Find out why do you have To Insure Prompt Service when you visit any restaurant despite the fact that you are not likely to visit that restaurant in near future?
- The Pike syndrome
Consider that you have invested ‘X’ in share market. That portfolio rose in just a few months and you dint sell it then because you anticipated it to rise higher. Unfortunately, the markets declined and you are not ready to invest in that share again. Why?
- Delayed Gratification
Here is a reason why life insurance is important. It explains how a little sacrifice today can help you brighten your tomorrow.
- Power of social networks
I was earlier a little apprehensive to use social network sites. Sometimes I felt they were time wasters but hey they aren’t. The tweets show me how I spent my every day, the Linkedin made me stay professionally connected and Orkut titles reflected my mood and developed my acquaintance circle.
- Tune your expectations
There is a simple economics attached to our expectations as well. A lower expectation is a key to success and I vouch for it that one can expect high from self and low from others.
- Obsessive compulsive internet disorder
This is one of the disorders that many of us face. Here there is a correlation that goes behind our likes and our wants. Check out about the dopamine effect too.
As I started reading the articles in simple economics in Business line, I realized that in life, anything and everything has a simple rational behind it. These articles in Simple economics not just give you a horizontal coverage of a plethora of topics but also give you an in depth vertical expertise. To sum it up, I learnt how simple things can contribute in making vital and valid decisions. It is the dot to the ‘i’ and the cross to the‘t’ that makes the difference. Likewise it is the simple economics attached to our deeds that makes our learning from life more meaningful.
Kudos to B. Venkatesh, the author of such a wonderful column! I must admit that simple economics has got an indelible spell on me.
I started the day by glancing through some of the articles in collector’s edition of Frozen Thoughts. Some of them were green with life and a few others seemed to voice for a difference. These articles were pearls of wisdom and reminded me of the Simple economics behind it.
Like all, I too started to wait for Sundays, not just because it’s weekend or time to rejuvenate but because it’s time for simple economics and time to comprehend yet another way of life.
Let me pen on a few of them and leave the rest for you to explore:
- Broken window theory
This theory explains how a small unfixed broken window can lead to a burglary! ie how one one small thing can lay the path for something big.
For instance, there are two children ‘A’ and ‘B’. You ask both of them not to enter into a room. When ‘A’ enters that prohibited room the probability of ‘B’ also entering that particular room is higher. Why? This is substantiated by a fence experiment which describes how one offence can lead to another.
- Blame it on NAcc
After reading this article, whenever I got lure to buy something that was not really a necessity, I dint wince at pain that came after seeing the price tag. The decision to buy was not mine and I blamed it on NAcc lol. In most of my shopping NAcc dumped the insulia.
- Psychology of greatest ever
I remember how many Facebook titles changed when A.R.Rahman won the Oscars. How many tweets come when Sachin hits a century! And how many SRK fans altered their heading in Orkut when his new flick released! I too go by the feel good factor after watching Hrithik on screen :)
- Why thinking too hard is bad
I witnessed this in Grammar section when I gave the CAT exams. Initially, I thought option ‘b’ would be apt, a second look got me closer to option ‘a’. While I was juggling between ‘b’ and ‘a’, option ‘c’ seemed to fit in the best. I chose some option to later discover that I hit the bull’s eye in the first attempt but later changed my option as I kept thinking harder. Sometimes ‘to blink’ yields better than the results that are got from ‘to think’.
- Tipping model
Find out why do you have To Insure Prompt Service when you visit any restaurant despite the fact that you are not likely to visit that restaurant in near future?
- The Pike syndrome
Consider that you have invested ‘X’ in share market. That portfolio rose in just a few months and you dint sell it then because you anticipated it to rise higher. Unfortunately, the markets declined and you are not ready to invest in that share again. Why?
- Delayed Gratification
Here is a reason why life insurance is important. It explains how a little sacrifice today can help you brighten your tomorrow.
- Power of social networks
I was earlier a little apprehensive to use social network sites. Sometimes I felt they were time wasters but hey they aren’t. The tweets show me how I spent my every day, the Linkedin made me stay professionally connected and Orkut titles reflected my mood and developed my acquaintance circle.
- Tune your expectations
There is a simple economics attached to our expectations as well. A lower expectation is a key to success and I vouch for it that one can expect high from self and low from others.
- Obsessive compulsive internet disorder
This is one of the disorders that many of us face. Here there is a correlation that goes behind our likes and our wants. Check out about the dopamine effect too.
As I started reading the articles in simple economics in Business line, I realized that in life, anything and everything has a simple rational behind it. These articles in Simple economics not just give you a horizontal coverage of a plethora of topics but also give you an in depth vertical expertise. To sum it up, I learnt how simple things can contribute in making vital and valid decisions. It is the dot to the ‘i’ and the cross to the‘t’ that makes the difference. Likewise it is the simple economics attached to our deeds that makes our learning from life more meaningful.
Kudos to B. Venkatesh, the author of such a wonderful column! I must admit that simple economics has got an indelible spell on me.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Principles of life!
These are some laws of life that we follow and we dont know that we follow. Here are some interesting principles that you can relate to your every day actvities:
-Murphy’s law
‘Anything that can go wrong will go wrong & at the worst possible time, in the worst possible way’
You lie to your friend ‘X’ that you are not well and avoid going for a movie with her. The actual reason being you wanted to go to a beach with your other friend ‘Y’. You carry on with your plan and go to beach with ‘Y’ just to find that since you were not well and couldn’t make it to movie, your friend ‘X’ also altered her plans and came to beach with her other friends. Oh ho, bad time for you and that’s Murphy law for you!
-Parrondo’s paradox
‘A losing strategy that wins’
Sometimes we have a dilemma of whom to choose between your friends ‘A’ and ‘B’ who dislike one another completely. Fortunately, you like them both and don’t want to leave either. If you take side of ‘A’ then you run the risk of losing ‘B’ and vice versa. You lose if you choose ‘A’ and you lose if you choose ‘B’.These are your two losing strategies which nullify the effect of each other to make you win. What do you do then? You try to strike a balance between ‘A’ and ‘B’.
-Parkinson’s law
‘Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion’
This is my favorite because I have witnessed so many instances of this law in my life.
Wardrobe- My almirah was getting packed with clothes and I shifted to a bigger one just to find that this too got packed!
Assignments- Day 1, I decide the chart of how to split the work and complete the work which has to be submitted after 20days. Obviously, the work gets its finishing touch on day 19 or sometimes even on the day of submission! In other words, Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion. What to do lol. A simpler and common instance could be that of expenditure which rise to meet income’
-Peter principle
‘In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetency’
This law asserts that people are competent only up to a certain stage beyond which they become incompetent. Initially I didn’t quite much agree to this principle but one of the examples here will make you comprehend better.
-Dilbert principle
‘Leadership is a nature’s way of removing morons from the productive flow’
This principle states that it is good to have not so competent people at the middle management because they will not be clever enough to cheat their counterparts or other employees. In other words such people are promoted in order to limit the amount of damage they are capable of doing. Who knows, the management may also promote such people so that they won’t be able to decipher the amount of lootings that the people at top might do lol.
-Pareto principle
‘80% of the results are produced by 20% of our investment’
The famous 80- 20 rule and one of the well suited examples for this is the exam preparation. Most of the students give their exams by utilizing the most during their study holidays. Study holidays constitute approximately 20% of their semester schedule, preparing in which they are able to deliver 80% of their results.
-Murphy’s law
‘Anything that can go wrong will go wrong & at the worst possible time, in the worst possible way’
You lie to your friend ‘X’ that you are not well and avoid going for a movie with her. The actual reason being you wanted to go to a beach with your other friend ‘Y’. You carry on with your plan and go to beach with ‘Y’ just to find that since you were not well and couldn’t make it to movie, your friend ‘X’ also altered her plans and came to beach with her other friends. Oh ho, bad time for you and that’s Murphy law for you!
-Parrondo’s paradox
‘A losing strategy that wins’
Sometimes we have a dilemma of whom to choose between your friends ‘A’ and ‘B’ who dislike one another completely. Fortunately, you like them both and don’t want to leave either. If you take side of ‘A’ then you run the risk of losing ‘B’ and vice versa. You lose if you choose ‘A’ and you lose if you choose ‘B’.These are your two losing strategies which nullify the effect of each other to make you win. What do you do then? You try to strike a balance between ‘A’ and ‘B’.
-Parkinson’s law
‘Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion’
This is my favorite because I have witnessed so many instances of this law in my life.
Wardrobe- My almirah was getting packed with clothes and I shifted to a bigger one just to find that this too got packed!
Assignments- Day 1, I decide the chart of how to split the work and complete the work which has to be submitted after 20days. Obviously, the work gets its finishing touch on day 19 or sometimes even on the day of submission! In other words, Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion. What to do lol. A simpler and common instance could be that of expenditure which rise to meet income’
-Peter principle
‘In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetency’
This law asserts that people are competent only up to a certain stage beyond which they become incompetent. Initially I didn’t quite much agree to this principle but one of the examples here will make you comprehend better.
-Dilbert principle
‘Leadership is a nature’s way of removing morons from the productive flow’
This principle states that it is good to have not so competent people at the middle management because they will not be clever enough to cheat their counterparts or other employees. In other words such people are promoted in order to limit the amount of damage they are capable of doing. Who knows, the management may also promote such people so that they won’t be able to decipher the amount of lootings that the people at top might do lol.
-Pareto principle
‘80% of the results are produced by 20% of our investment’
The famous 80- 20 rule and one of the well suited examples for this is the exam preparation. Most of the students give their exams by utilizing the most during their study holidays. Study holidays constitute approximately 20% of their semester schedule, preparing in which they are able to deliver 80% of their results.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
DAKSHA 2009- Management Fest
Oct 30, 2009 is going to be THE BIG day for SSN and hey you got to be there!
Its time for the future managers of SSN School of Management to employ their skills and give other college students an opportunity to unleash their talent.
Are you ready to launch a new Business Proposal?
Consider yourself updated? let us check- Business Quiz
Ready to compete among Best Managers?
Be prepared for a Stock war!
Listen to the experts' talk- Panel Discussion
Support both the sides of a coin - Debate
For more details visit DAKSHA-09
Its time for the future managers of SSN School of Management to employ their skills and give other college students an opportunity to unleash their talent.
Are you ready to launch a new Business Proposal?
Consider yourself updated? let us check- Business Quiz
Ready to compete among Best Managers?
Be prepared for a Stock war!
Listen to the experts' talk- Panel Discussion
Support both the sides of a coin - Debate
For more details visit DAKSHA-09
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Students reflecting the face of SSN Institutions
November 4, 2009 is going to be a big day for SSN Institutions. The sponsorship event would capture top personalities in the globe and the student volunteers will be taking them across the campus. Volunteers’ will have an opportunity to spend twenty minutes with top personalities and cherish them for a life time. In a nutshell, the top personalities will be seeing SSN institutions through the eyes of the students. More than 100 personalities are expected from the industry.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
A tribute to our “THOUGHT CATALYST”
It all started with a democratic class, we planned the agenda and we set its direction. In the very first class we said this, ‘Wow! It was a pataka!, we now have a very enthusiastic and inspiring faculty who is all set to prepare us to stay comfortable in our own state of discomfort’. How true our words proved to be!
You provoked our interests in compound interest, you gave us CLUES to understand concepts better, you made us conscious of our subconscious learning styles, you threw light on the various dimensions within us and above all you have always left us awed by your executive presence.
“Executable professionals, value proposition, Kolb’s model, communication palette, ice berg”, these words remind us of you and of the joy of learning with you!.
You have taken us through a transformational learning path and the wisdom that we gained will act as one of our signature strengths which will earn us a sure success amidst intense competition. In a nutshell, you taught us the syllabus of life. Kudos to you!
Unknown we met, well known we connect, a few words for you, forget us not!
You provoked our interests in compound interest, you gave us CLUES to understand concepts better, you made us conscious of our subconscious learning styles, you threw light on the various dimensions within us and above all you have always left us awed by your executive presence.
“Executable professionals, value proposition, Kolb’s model, communication palette, ice berg”, these words remind us of you and of the joy of learning with you!.
You have taken us through a transformational learning path and the wisdom that we gained will act as one of our signature strengths which will earn us a sure success amidst intense competition. In a nutshell, you taught us the syllabus of life. Kudos to you!
Unknown we met, well known we connect, a few words for you, forget us not!
Friday, September 4, 2009
Happy Teacher's day!
The sparking passion, the powerful words, , the zeal, the ignited mind, the speed, the accuracy, the motivation, the comprehension, the honesty, the reach amidst students, the tejas in your eyes , the knowledge and wisdom rendered, the admiration, the reverential personality, the success mantra for many, the inspiration, my biggest blessing- to my guru -the guru of life! Wishing you a happy teacher’s day!
You have turned many complex situations simple, you have made me understand differences in the irrational and the rational, the vicious circles, the directing lines, the exponential growth, integrating people, the solution to every problem, with all these you have clearly explained me the value of numbers and the geometry of life! As I write this 50th post, I wish I get back to the square; to be in your classes and yet again learn the art of life.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Leadership camp by Nani Palkhiwala foundation
Mr. Rajiv Kumar Luv, Mr.Vijayanand Joshi and Mr. Vivek Patki, the thrimoorthi’s who facilitated us to learn the art of Leadership by handling interesting sessions on: Self esteem, Goal setting, Team work, Time management, Communication and Managing ourselves. These are the six magic mantras which were dealt with a three sixty degree perspective in the Leadership training camp sponsored by NANI PALKHIWALA foundation in association with Forum of free enterprise at MOP Vaishnav College for Women Chennai.
The session started with a beautiful message:” If you want normal results, your performance should be good; if you want good results your performance should be excellent but if you expect excellent results your performance should be outstanding”. The bottom line is that the race to perfection has no finish line!
The sessions were packed with information, fun, activities, lots of interaction and above all their passion which was evident from every word which they shared! Not just these, they also asked us to keep a track of ourselves and write to them about our progress.
In this information era, we have time for everything else and not much for ourselves and these sessions rightly tapped the point and took us through a palette of activities and started with self introspection, creative thinking, networking skills and articulate communication.
Initially all the members sat with our known group but then we got divided into different groups and by this they explained us that a leader has to come out of his comfort zone. A leader is the one who feels comfortable in his state of discomfort. Each hall was now packed with strangers and we now had an icebreaker wherein each of us were given ten minutes to go around the hall and to befriend as many as possible and that initiated networking and soon the hall was teeming with familiar faces.
Here are some of the interesting activities for you – “In one minute how many dots can you make?” (I learnt a way to make 600 plus!!! And by dots I really mean dots! and now tell me how many dots can you make?”
There was also an exercise to write 25 good things about YOU and that gave us an opportunity to explore ourselves.
Here comes the next exercise wherein we were asked to write about our short, mid and long term goals and not just that, we drew them as well! That reminds me that I felt extremely motivated and charged when I was to sketch three people who inspired me the most! The prime focus of these thought provoking sessions were to make us realize the following:
Remember, a goal is a dream with a deadline; and the clock is ticking…
Ultimately the purpose of life is to LIVE, LEARN, LAUGH and leave a LEGACY!
Be a leader and leave a legacy!
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Which is the best show piece?
One of the best show pieces has taken a piece of my heart and if you are not sure which then take a second look at the photo, for that piece can take away one of your heart beats too :-)
My darling cat Achomi and you can locate it doing the right thing at the right side lol
Don’t know if it has got inspired by me or I have got inspired by it, we both are sure to outwit kumbhakarna’s and pose a threat to the other kumbhakarni’s if any lol.
Whenever dad got things for home, we all encircled him like bees and probably over the days this has got achomi deprived of the attention that it had been enjoying earlier and hence one day achomi explored areas in and around our colony and found that it can also bring in a new thing to home (guess achomi thought getting new things was the cause of attention and it turned true too!). It has caught a rat alive and came running into the home, it seemed as if a child had won the first prize and flaunting it to dad. As it expected we were all shouting ‘achomi’ and guess it got happy as it ultimately got the privilege it demanded lol. We had a tough time with the tom and jerry though!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Time for an AD-ed change!
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, or the most intelligent that survives.
It is the one that is the most adaptable to change”- Charles Darwin
Whenever I see an ad on television I wonder why people are constantly marketing the same product with different commercials. I had a notion that if the product is good then people would automatically purchase and use it and for this a couple of ads should suffice. Still why are they spending so much focusing in the marketing section? This question made me perplexed until recently.
Every product has its own life cycle and it generally consists of creation stage, growth stage, maturity stage and decline stage. The graph goes like a normal bell shaped curve.
Thus every product has to face all the four phases. All the companies obviously want their products to be in growth stage forever. How is it possible to keep a product in its growth stage eternally or rather how to prevent the product not entering into the decline stage?
The graph here (will be updated soon) explains that a product can avert stepping into its decline stage by providing it with a new life! And that’s why you see that there are so many modifications done with the same product (Be it in its packaging, flavors, quantity, free gifts and the like)
For instance, lays chips has come out in multiple flavors to relentlessly have its space in the market, chocolates which has come in all possible sizes to fit the purse and similar is the case with shampoo industry which is packed in different volume to cater to the space need of the people.
In the service sector, let’s consider Airtel and Vodafone, each come out with different offers and packages to attract customers and to gain a competitive advantage of the other. Ultimately customer is the king and every product has to be deigned according to his needs! As the adage goes, change is the only thing constant!
It is the one that is the most adaptable to change”- Charles Darwin
Whenever I see an ad on television I wonder why people are constantly marketing the same product with different commercials. I had a notion that if the product is good then people would automatically purchase and use it and for this a couple of ads should suffice. Still why are they spending so much focusing in the marketing section? This question made me perplexed until recently.
Every product has its own life cycle and it generally consists of creation stage, growth stage, maturity stage and decline stage. The graph goes like a normal bell shaped curve.
Thus every product has to face all the four phases. All the companies obviously want their products to be in growth stage forever. How is it possible to keep a product in its growth stage eternally or rather how to prevent the product not entering into the decline stage?
The graph here (will be updated soon) explains that a product can avert stepping into its decline stage by providing it with a new life! And that’s why you see that there are so many modifications done with the same product (Be it in its packaging, flavors, quantity, free gifts and the like)
For instance, lays chips has come out in multiple flavors to relentlessly have its space in the market, chocolates which has come in all possible sizes to fit the purse and similar is the case with shampoo industry which is packed in different volume to cater to the space need of the people.
In the service sector, let’s consider Airtel and Vodafone, each come out with different offers and packages to attract customers and to gain a competitive advantage of the other. Ultimately customer is the king and every product has to be deigned according to his needs! As the adage goes, change is the only thing constant!
Friday, March 27, 2009
EARTH HOUR
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Rendezvous with RTI
We had a very vibrant session with Dr.Nityanand Jayaram who is a journalist by profession and social activist by passion. Ignited the session by asking what is democracy? And he questions the relevance of Abraham Lincoln’s definition of democracy in today’s India. There was a silence and Mr.Nityanand vividly pointed out that this silence is one of the key signals that we are NOT living in a democracy! “We live in a democratic country but people don’t really know what democracy is! It sounds strange but it is the truth”, he adds.
According to Mr.Nithyanand, democracy is the rule of people! Every individual has a responsibility to change the country for the better and for this, one needs information. Information is a very important ingredient in a democracy. If you don’t have sufficient information then the law permits you to acquire information!
There are many of us who have applied for ration cards/passports/license/voter id and are just clueless about why we haven’t got it even months after the elapse of prescribed time! All Mr.Nityanand says is be informed and seek your right for the information.
Right to information act, 2005 is an act which can turn tables if one uses it wisely!
RTI is an act that you, as a citizen, can use. When you ask for information the authorities can either provide or deny you the same by stating reasons within 30 days. If you know you are right and want to fight and win, the most important thing is to keep fighting. Remember a fight can be won as long as the fight is on! The fight for justice for the victims of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy is a classic example!
This link will provide you with more information. Be informed and be aware!
According to Mr.Nithyanand, democracy is the rule of people! Every individual has a responsibility to change the country for the better and for this, one needs information. Information is a very important ingredient in a democracy. If you don’t have sufficient information then the law permits you to acquire information!
There are many of us who have applied for ration cards/passports/license/voter id and are just clueless about why we haven’t got it even months after the elapse of prescribed time! All Mr.Nityanand says is be informed and seek your right for the information.
Right to information act, 2005 is an act which can turn tables if one uses it wisely!
RTI is an act that you, as a citizen, can use. When you ask for information the authorities can either provide or deny you the same by stating reasons within 30 days. If you know you are right and want to fight and win, the most important thing is to keep fighting. Remember a fight can be won as long as the fight is on! The fight for justice for the victims of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy is a classic example!
This link will provide you with more information. Be informed and be aware!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
HR is an asset! Go ahead with your vision!
Mr.Ganesh Chella, the founder of Totus Consultancy (A HR solutions provider). Mr.Ganesh also writes in the Business Line every fortnight on key HR issues. Having read a few of his articles I somehow wanted to meet him and guess I was blessed! I was one of those who were fortunate enough to have an interactive session with him. Mr.Ganesh started the session very poised and continued in an assertive style. His highly encouraging and pragmatic approach made us glued to the session.
He started by giving the statistics of ILO report which reports that as a worst case the world will lose 51 million jobs by end of 2009 and as the best case it will lose 18 million jobs! He makes us vicariously analyze the situation and zeroed in on the key point that our focus should be on knowledge and NOT on job market!
Secondly, Mr.Ganesh provoked us to write on what kind of professionals we wanted to become by 2030. It made many of us streamline our goals and yes we did think of why we were to think that far (2030?, we have miles to go before that!) A few of us had an opportunity to voice their goals and then he explains-why 2030?
He tells us about Victor Franklin’s book “Man in search of meaning” where the author writes about people who could withstand the brutalities of Hitler’s concentration camp (Auschwitz). Mr.Ganesh asked us about a similarity that these people shared. He said that all of them had something significant to do in their lives! Mr.Ganesh strongly believed that if one has an incomplete yet significant duty to perform then that fire in him if self will make him move towards the goal!
In fact he gave us a simple thumb rule to be an expert in any field of your desire! A thumb rule which Beatles followed before their first grand performance, a thumb rule by which Bill gates worked and a thumb rule which made A.R.Rehman get his Oscars! Wondering what it is? Well, all one has to do is to put in 10,000 hours of unperturbed dedication and the 10,000 plus 1 th second one will gain a mastery over it!
Once one is clear with what he wants to be by 2030, he will work towards it. Are you willing to make great sacrifices to achieve your goals? Then every day ask yourself “what am I going to do today to get there” and break the dawn with this thought lingering in your mind. It’s your turn to pen your 2030 goal if you haven’t but do remember to START with the END in mind!
He started by giving the statistics of ILO report which reports that as a worst case the world will lose 51 million jobs by end of 2009 and as the best case it will lose 18 million jobs! He makes us vicariously analyze the situation and zeroed in on the key point that our focus should be on knowledge and NOT on job market!
Secondly, Mr.Ganesh provoked us to write on what kind of professionals we wanted to become by 2030. It made many of us streamline our goals and yes we did think of why we were to think that far (2030?, we have miles to go before that!) A few of us had an opportunity to voice their goals and then he explains-why 2030?
He tells us about Victor Franklin’s book “Man in search of meaning” where the author writes about people who could withstand the brutalities of Hitler’s concentration camp (Auschwitz). Mr.Ganesh asked us about a similarity that these people shared. He said that all of them had something significant to do in their lives! Mr.Ganesh strongly believed that if one has an incomplete yet significant duty to perform then that fire in him if self will make him move towards the goal!
In fact he gave us a simple thumb rule to be an expert in any field of your desire! A thumb rule which Beatles followed before their first grand performance, a thumb rule by which Bill gates worked and a thumb rule which made A.R.Rehman get his Oscars! Wondering what it is? Well, all one has to do is to put in 10,000 hours of unperturbed dedication and the 10,000 plus 1 th second one will gain a mastery over it!
Once one is clear with what he wants to be by 2030, he will work towards it. Are you willing to make great sacrifices to achieve your goals? Then every day ask yourself “what am I going to do today to get there” and break the dawn with this thought lingering in your mind. It’s your turn to pen your 2030 goal if you haven’t but do remember to START with the END in mind!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
SSN EDC- Interactive session with two successful entrepreneurs!
Mr.Kannan of Perfint Technology and Mr.Sunil Cherian from Burger Man enlightened and shared with us their experiences and challenges that they faced.
Mr.Kannan spoke about his team wherein each of them sacrificed a high paying job to start their entrepreneurship endeavor. Their initial step was supported by an Angel Investor.
He added that their organization is built on strong values of Performance, Integrity, Innovation, Customer focus and the time. Mr.Kannan also shared about his project experience and wanted everyone to take up their project seriously for it can make good careers! Further he said that there is an emerging market for health care and wanted to tap it.
Next Mr.Sunil started his speech with a video 'The Secret 'and added that it highly motivated him. According to Mr.Sunil, 'When you work for something, from nowhere the ideas will come and all you need to do is to grab it!'. He asks us to take every spark seriously for who knows it might be a million dollar idea!
"A small concept of 5 feet by 5 feet is the area of my business. It is 25 sq feet because I started thinking of the feasibility first. I wanted to be visible and dint mind starting small as far as I was making it big. I can sell anything! And even if you give me a dead body I will sell it", he asserts!
He shared that a lot of money was initially lost in the business, added that he learnt from every mistake and the more the number of mistakes, the more he know his business.
When asked about the reason behind the name of 'Burgerman' he said, "A milk man brings us milk; a post man brings us post and likewise is the burger man! It's a kiosk and will remain the same. It’s affordable but not cheap. We don't say we make the best burgers, all we say is that we serve good burgers”.
During his short speech Mr.Sunil revealed why he chose entrepreneurship rather than carry on his family business. By the way, his family owns the Kerela Fashion Jewellery. He felt that he shouldnt be one among the many who got trapped into the world of family business and that he should make a mark for himself.
Both the entrepreneurs spoke with a lot of ardor and zeal. Though they are from different fields altogether their speech reflected their common passion for entrepreneurship and the vision to transform lives!
Mr.Kannan spoke about his team wherein each of them sacrificed a high paying job to start their entrepreneurship endeavor. Their initial step was supported by an Angel Investor.
He added that their organization is built on strong values of Performance, Integrity, Innovation, Customer focus and the time. Mr.Kannan also shared about his project experience and wanted everyone to take up their project seriously for it can make good careers! Further he said that there is an emerging market for health care and wanted to tap it.
Next Mr.Sunil started his speech with a video 'The Secret 'and added that it highly motivated him. According to Mr.Sunil, 'When you work for something, from nowhere the ideas will come and all you need to do is to grab it!'. He asks us to take every spark seriously for who knows it might be a million dollar idea!
"A small concept of 5 feet by 5 feet is the area of my business. It is 25 sq feet because I started thinking of the feasibility first. I wanted to be visible and dint mind starting small as far as I was making it big. I can sell anything! And even if you give me a dead body I will sell it", he asserts!
He shared that a lot of money was initially lost in the business, added that he learnt from every mistake and the more the number of mistakes, the more he know his business.
When asked about the reason behind the name of 'Burgerman' he said, "A milk man brings us milk; a post man brings us post and likewise is the burger man! It's a kiosk and will remain the same. It’s affordable but not cheap. We don't say we make the best burgers, all we say is that we serve good burgers”.
During his short speech Mr.Sunil revealed why he chose entrepreneurship rather than carry on his family business. By the way, his family owns the Kerela Fashion Jewellery. He felt that he shouldnt be one among the many who got trapped into the world of family business and that he should make a mark for himself.
Both the entrepreneurs spoke with a lot of ardor and zeal. Though they are from different fields altogether their speech reflected their common passion for entrepreneurship and the vision to transform lives!
The path to Green Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is easy to conceptualize but hard to explain. I would describe entrepreneurship as the process of incubating ideas, championing their cause, assemble resources to bring the idea to commercial reality and finally to launch it and see it grow. The word “entrepreneur” originates from a thirteenth-century French verb, entreprendre, meaning “to do something” or “to undertake.” An apt etymology!!
To me, entrepreneurship strikes as a ‘creative destruction’ of old ways of doing things and transforming the whole process of running a business. Increasingly this art of entrepreneurship is acquiring a green shade. But this comes as no surprise, as entrepreneurs who often play an important role as engines of change in market based economy are turning ‘green’ just like engines of automobiles which are trying to attain an image of being ‘environment friendly’.
Entrepreneurs play a critical role in eventual adaptation of green business practices by wider business community. The new age entrepreneurs innovate, design and launch new products and services which are eco friendly and also try to address the problems of global warming. This new breed of entrepreneurs also inspires, and in most cases, forces existing firms to improve their efficiency. They follow new methods of marketing and help reconfigure existing business models.
This is an exciting area to be involved in. At its best, entrepreneurship is about harnessing the enthusiasm, initiative and creative energy of individuals. When this dynamism is applied to developing business solutions that help move enterprise along more sustainable ways, then the results will have the potential to be truly fascinating—and rewarding.
India’s has the world’s largest population of youngsters i.e. below the age of 35 estimated at about 500m+. Just imagine the benefits our country stands to gain even if a small percentage of youngsters decide to take the plunge and become ‘green’ entrepreneurs. Hope the dream becomes a reality.
Role of NEN in promoting Entrepreneurship
Do you dream of leaving your thankless job, increasing your financial security, and your freedom? Do you wonder what the future will bring if you stay in the rut you are in now? Are you looking for more independence and a chance to own your own business? Want to improve your standard of living?
Then you are the perfect candidate to taste the spirit of entrepreneurship and most probably it is the way ahead for you.
There are many Indians who are ready to sacrifice anything for their passion! A passion to make a difference! NEN helps all the mushrooming novices to sprout. NEN was started by alumni of pioneer institutions in 2002 to help struggling entrepreneurs get a hold in their markets. NEN, since its inception has been a pillar of strength and providing support to all budding entrepreneurs.
Do you have an innovative idea? But are you worried about the funding of your venture? Well if you have a novel idea and a passion to work for it then NEN is the right place! They have a close network of Venture capitalists and angel investors to whom can put forth your ideas and if you are able to convince them with your ideas they will fund your venture!
For more details visit NEN
Then you are the perfect candidate to taste the spirit of entrepreneurship and most probably it is the way ahead for you.
There are many Indians who are ready to sacrifice anything for their passion! A passion to make a difference! NEN helps all the mushrooming novices to sprout. NEN was started by alumni of pioneer institutions in 2002 to help struggling entrepreneurs get a hold in their markets. NEN, since its inception has been a pillar of strength and providing support to all budding entrepreneurs.
Do you have an innovative idea? But are you worried about the funding of your venture? Well if you have a novel idea and a passion to work for it then NEN is the right place! They have a close network of Venture capitalists and angel investors to whom can put forth your ideas and if you are able to convince them with your ideas they will fund your venture!
For more details visit NEN
Green ideas for a clean SSN campus!
This post of mine is going to be on How to create a Greener SSN. No doubt ours is one of the most beautiful college campuses in terms of scenic beauty and greenery. But there is always room for improvement. If each individual does a little, we will have a huge impact on our stewardship of our college and thus of our earth. Here is a list of things of what students can do. For it is the individual drops that make an ocean!
Keep campus clean! One can find lots of wastes and rejects near the stores and in the grounds. College grounds crew spends a few hours a day picking up litter on campus that not only makes campus unattractive, but could otherwise harm soil quality or the "critters" that share our property! Make sure you use the “USE ME” and not litter our beautiful campus.
Be involved in "green" events on campus such as E-Week, Earth Day etc.
Start an Ecological Club.
Recycle tires, batteries, fluorescent lamps and ballasts, computers, scrap metal, concrete.
The equipment in science departments often uses the most power. Further, these equipments are often not turned off with regularity, and therefore waste a lot of energy.
Using natural light is also very simple. Instead of turning on the light, open the blinds. When arranging class rooms or hostel room, place desks and reading chairs near windows so natural light can be used as much as possible.
Ask yourself "Do I NEED it?" (i.e. the lights on, surplus office supplies, stationary)
Sometimes dried plants and shrubs are burnt in our campus. We could probably come out with a better way to get rid of them.
Establish a policy of shutting off I have myself witnessed many times the hostel TV being switched on for no reason. We should switch TV and radios when not in use. Using a screen-saver is not the same thing as a sleep mode; screen-savers do not reduce the energy use of an appliance.
Some measure can be taken to conserve water within the campus and inside the hostel like, by not allowing water to run continuously when washing dishes, brushing your teeth, washing your hands, or shaving. Take shorter showers. Showers use between 20 and 40 litres of water every minute.
I encourage all SSNites reading my blog to come out with more ‘Green Ideas’ and help create an ideal, clean and picturesque SSN college campus.
Keep campus clean! One can find lots of wastes and rejects near the stores and in the grounds. College grounds crew spends a few hours a day picking up litter on campus that not only makes campus unattractive, but could otherwise harm soil quality or the "critters" that share our property! Make sure you use the “USE ME” and not litter our beautiful campus.
Be involved in "green" events on campus such as E-Week, Earth Day etc.
Start an Ecological Club.
Recycle tires, batteries, fluorescent lamps and ballasts, computers, scrap metal, concrete.
The equipment in science departments often uses the most power. Further, these equipments are often not turned off with regularity, and therefore waste a lot of energy.
Using natural light is also very simple. Instead of turning on the light, open the blinds. When arranging class rooms or hostel room, place desks and reading chairs near windows so natural light can be used as much as possible.
Ask yourself "Do I NEED it?" (i.e. the lights on, surplus office supplies, stationary)
Sometimes dried plants and shrubs are burnt in our campus. We could probably come out with a better way to get rid of them.
Establish a policy of shutting off I have myself witnessed many times the hostel TV being switched on for no reason. We should switch TV and radios when not in use. Using a screen-saver is not the same thing as a sleep mode; screen-savers do not reduce the energy use of an appliance.
Some measure can be taken to conserve water within the campus and inside the hostel like, by not allowing water to run continuously when washing dishes, brushing your teeth, washing your hands, or shaving. Take shorter showers. Showers use between 20 and 40 litres of water every minute.
I encourage all SSNites reading my blog to come out with more ‘Green Ideas’ and help create an ideal, clean and picturesque SSN college campus.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Inauguration of E-Week SSN EDC 2009
The Annual E Week Celebrations of Entrepreneurship Development Cell of SSN kick started with the speech of successful entrepreneurs like Mr.Sarath Babu-the Food King of India (Alumini of IIMA), Mr.Sunil Vishnu-cofounder of the Evam Enterprises theatre group (Alumini of MICA) and Ms.Vishnu Priya-coordinator from NEN.
Many of us say “If only, I had a few more bucks I would have become a.…”
But, Mr.Sarath says “Good that I didn’t have enough money because that made me work harder and strive longer to turn my dreams into a reality” There were thousands of hurdles in his life and those obstacles were perceived as steps of opportunities by him! This is just a tip of an iceberg.This small boy from Madipakkam in Chennai has made it big with his chain of food outlets and restaurants.
Many of us complain of power cuts and here is a man who has topped his studies amidst that. Mr.Sarath says, “For those who had electricity, they had a lot of distractions like watching television, listening to songs, or getting carried away by surroundings. I can see only my book from the light of the kerosene lamp but my friends have other things to see and that is the competitive advantage I enjoyed” he explains and chuckles. That’s the kind of positive attitude that we need to absorb from him!
In fact Mr.Sarath adopted an interesting strategy to save his energy. He reduced his communication to 10words/day which in turn increased his concentration manifold!
Mr.Sarath has conquered many hardships and it was his passion that made it all possible. When Mr.Sarath fell ill with viral fever, just one week before belling the CAT entrances, he didn’t give up and rather was working harder. ‘I have come this far not to quit’, he said to himself. That’s the kind of dedication one needs to have to succeed!
The world hardly remembers about 10 lakh personalities who walked this earth and Mr.Sarath is all set to enter that hall of fame! He dreams of a hunger free nation and soon we are going to witness his dream turn into a reality! Our best wishes for that too!
And next in the list came the enthusiast from the field of drama, full of life and energy! “Everyone here is born and studies in a good English medium school, gets into one of the top colleges, then a well paying job in a top company, later gets married and then his son or daughter carries forward the vicious cycle. So how are you going to be unique” questions Mr.Sunil who captivated his audience with his “fatafat” talks, entertained folks with his humor and exalting abundance energy levels!
Many of us have enjoyed fling kite when we were young and felt on the top of the world when we did that. What happened to us now? Where has our kite gone and why aren’t we flying it anymore? Where did the flame of doing something from the heart vanish, he expressed anguish! Feel passionate about the things you love doing and do that every time you feel doing it. This formed the base of his speech.
He also rightly pointed the flaw in our education system especially the flaw in the counseling system wherein a 12th standard student has to merely utter the name of the department he wishes to join and about which he has no clue at all. Don’t say I am being bounded by the system, change the rules, break the system, he advocates!
Mr.Sunil briefed us about the importance of grabbing opportunities and taking calculated risks with the following example. If you were on a top of a steep valley filled full of fierce sharks and you see a small wooden plank floating in it, what would you do? Who knows what will happen when you jump and hence the most important thing was to jump! Jump! And who knows you may unleash that you know to fly!!!
It was interesting to note that both the entrepreneurs pointed out that their "mothers" were a major source of inspiration in making them tread the path of entrepreneurship!
Kudos to Mr.Sarath and Mr.Sunil!
Many of us say “If only, I had a few more bucks I would have become a.…”
But, Mr.Sarath says “Good that I didn’t have enough money because that made me work harder and strive longer to turn my dreams into a reality” There were thousands of hurdles in his life and those obstacles were perceived as steps of opportunities by him! This is just a tip of an iceberg.This small boy from Madipakkam in Chennai has made it big with his chain of food outlets and restaurants.
Many of us complain of power cuts and here is a man who has topped his studies amidst that. Mr.Sarath says, “For those who had electricity, they had a lot of distractions like watching television, listening to songs, or getting carried away by surroundings. I can see only my book from the light of the kerosene lamp but my friends have other things to see and that is the competitive advantage I enjoyed” he explains and chuckles. That’s the kind of positive attitude that we need to absorb from him!
In fact Mr.Sarath adopted an interesting strategy to save his energy. He reduced his communication to 10words/day which in turn increased his concentration manifold!
Mr.Sarath has conquered many hardships and it was his passion that made it all possible. When Mr.Sarath fell ill with viral fever, just one week before belling the CAT entrances, he didn’t give up and rather was working harder. ‘I have come this far not to quit’, he said to himself. That’s the kind of dedication one needs to have to succeed!
The world hardly remembers about 10 lakh personalities who walked this earth and Mr.Sarath is all set to enter that hall of fame! He dreams of a hunger free nation and soon we are going to witness his dream turn into a reality! Our best wishes for that too!
And next in the list came the enthusiast from the field of drama, full of life and energy! “Everyone here is born and studies in a good English medium school, gets into one of the top colleges, then a well paying job in a top company, later gets married and then his son or daughter carries forward the vicious cycle. So how are you going to be unique” questions Mr.Sunil who captivated his audience with his “fatafat” talks, entertained folks with his humor and exalting abundance energy levels!
Many of us have enjoyed fling kite when we were young and felt on the top of the world when we did that. What happened to us now? Where has our kite gone and why aren’t we flying it anymore? Where did the flame of doing something from the heart vanish, he expressed anguish! Feel passionate about the things you love doing and do that every time you feel doing it. This formed the base of his speech.
He also rightly pointed the flaw in our education system especially the flaw in the counseling system wherein a 12th standard student has to merely utter the name of the department he wishes to join and about which he has no clue at all. Don’t say I am being bounded by the system, change the rules, break the system, he advocates!
Mr.Sunil briefed us about the importance of grabbing opportunities and taking calculated risks with the following example. If you were on a top of a steep valley filled full of fierce sharks and you see a small wooden plank floating in it, what would you do? Who knows what will happen when you jump and hence the most important thing was to jump! Jump! And who knows you may unleash that you know to fly!!!
It was interesting to note that both the entrepreneurs pointed out that their "mothers" were a major source of inspiration in making them tread the path of entrepreneurship!
Kudos to Mr.Sarath and Mr.Sunil!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Green IT
"The earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs,
but not every man's greed"
but not every man's greed"
— Mahatma Gandhi
Every company is becoming environment conscious! When the economies are turning blue the societies are enhancing the green! With the increase in carbon emitters there is a serious concern of the environment changing into red! Carbon Emissions are one of those Eco Economy indicators and Green IT is an initiative to reduce carbon emission by IT/ITeS firms.
Every company is becoming environment conscious! When the economies are turning blue the societies are enhancing the green! With the increase in carbon emitters there is a serious concern of the environment changing into red! Carbon Emissions are one of those Eco Economy indicators and Green IT is an initiative to reduce carbon emission by IT/ITeS firms.
Every employee can contribute to Green IT by:
-Shutdown computer and other peripherals before leaving for the day.
-Set the power settings of one's computer to switch of monitor, hard disks and machine appropriately.
-Follow printing etiquettes, like double sided printing, using one sided papers for rough drafts.
Not only employees, even company’s management can try:
-Leveraging Hardware Virtualization to consolidate hardware
-Calculate Carbon foot prints - Calculator
-Purchasing ClimateSaverComputing, EnergyStar or other equivalent certified equipments.
-Encourage work from home on weekends and if possible on weekdays too.
-Design IT Strategies and Policies
-Two/four wheeler vehicle pooling
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Green Valentine
Today is a day for which millions of hearts around the globe eagerly await! The day of hearts!
For those who have proposed and waiting for a reply, I hope and wish you get a green signal soon.
For those already in love let’s see how green one can get to make this Valentine an ever green one!
Gone are the days where you bought those lavish pendants or trendy watches for your beloved ones (I agree that these were getting heavy on your pockets too). Well it’s time to take a twist, a green twist rather. Why not try giving eco friendly jewels or eco friendly solar watches?
Also anything made out of love is the best thing ever, so let your imaginations run wild and plan out and make some handicraft for your dear ones for it will stay ever green in their memories!
Plans of going in a cruise or long drives have become old fashioned so plan out something very special for just two of you. How about a long walk? You can freshen up the memories and relive them! For it is rightly said that a long journey is just like a few steps when you walk with someone who truly loves and cares for you! Guess it’s the right time for you to make your friends envy with green :-)
To wrap it up, in this valentine, irrespective of whether you are committed or single, show your love for the earth and you will find that it reciprocates with greater love!
For those who have proposed and waiting for a reply, I hope and wish you get a green signal soon.
For those already in love let’s see how green one can get to make this Valentine an ever green one!
Gone are the days where you bought those lavish pendants or trendy watches for your beloved ones (I agree that these were getting heavy on your pockets too). Well it’s time to take a twist, a green twist rather. Why not try giving eco friendly jewels or eco friendly solar watches?
Also anything made out of love is the best thing ever, so let your imaginations run wild and plan out and make some handicraft for your dear ones for it will stay ever green in their memories!
Plans of going in a cruise or long drives have become old fashioned so plan out something very special for just two of you. How about a long walk? You can freshen up the memories and relive them! For it is rightly said that a long journey is just like a few steps when you walk with someone who truly loves and cares for you! Guess it’s the right time for you to make your friends envy with green :-)
To wrap it up, in this valentine, irrespective of whether you are committed or single, show your love for the earth and you will find that it reciprocates with greater love!
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