The test of a first rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposite ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function. – F.Scott Fitzgerald

All behaviour consists of opposites…learn to see things backward, inside out, and upside down. – Lao Tzu

The Green Tortoise bus line operating with about a dozen old vehicles, made scheduled runs up and down the US West Coast and into the interior at about half the price of the Greyhound. Its owner Gardner Kent gave up trying to compete with Greyhound on price in the low fare business. Instead of hopelessly trying to reduce the journey time he did the contrary—he increased the journey duration – six rather than four days! He used the extra two days to build more ‘ fun’ into the trip Рgames, walks in the woods, fishing, etc. His business multiplied and he was able to take over
another bus service. His idea, a product of paradoxical contrarian thinking, produced extraordinary results. His fun trip strategy led him to a new segment, a niche opportunity made possible by the socioeconomic changes that turned travel into a pleasure industry.

Paradoxical thinking involves, among other things, switching to the opposite of what is conventional.

One of the most brilliant displays of paradoxical thinking is by scientist Faraday in the 1830’s. He had observed that a current of electricity passingthrough a wire could have the effect of causing the magnetized needle of a compass to deflect, that is, move in a rotational direction when a compass was located close to the wire. This was the basis of his invention of the electric motor. Faraday did not stop with this. He took a mental leap Рa gigantic one as it turned out. He reasoned that if an electric current could make magnets to move, maybe the reverse could also happen. Could a moving magnet cause electricity to flow? He found that it did. Thus was born the generator.

Typically our NRI relatives buy fancy things including gadgets at duty free shops elsewhere in the world on their way to India. The Government of Philippines had a similar situation at hand. Millions of their countrymen and women work all over the world. Noticing the huge gifts visiting Philippines were seen carrying across the arrival hall at Manila airport, the Government opened duty free shops at that airport so that NRP’s could buy gifts after their arrival home!! At the Manila shop one could buy even tractors. This shop has catapulted that country into the fourth largest seller
of such goods in the world.

The Philippines government reasoned that no matter what the world is doing one may gain enormously by doing the opposite – paradoxical thinking. Opposites are everywhere. Yet we hardly stop to think about these omnipresent opposites. Because opposites are in the background we do not see them. To be creative, we have to pull opposites out of the background and put them in the foreground where they will be clearly visible. It is said that a fish does not know that water exists – because the fish takes water for granted. We are like fish – we see so many opposites that we
take them for granted and do not notice them anymore. If we notice and handle opposites imaginatively we could all become creative.

Let us look at some commonplace ‘opposites’. Is a straight line the opposite of a curve? Of course, one may say. Yet a scientist will tell you that a curve is but an infinite number of straight lines. Is a square the opposite of a circle? ‘Obviously,’ is the answer. Yet it can be proved that both are polygons. If you keep adding sides to a square it turns it into a hexagon, an octagon and so on. The more sides you add the more it comes to resemble a circle!

The two opposite things are deep down the same thing. Can we learn paradoxical thinking? Of course, we can. Here is how.

Be open in your thinking. Openness, courage and curiosity are essential. Be particularly aware of the so-called absurd ideas floating in your mind. Note them down, dwell on them, play with them refine them. Openness also means you are open to learning new subjects unconnected with your profession. Listen, explore, be curious. Pay more attention to things you
have been ignoring or taking for granted. When you look at something, say a gadget, visualize how they would look and function if it were different in shape, size, etc. Ask yourself, can I change this into the exact opposite? Look at the rug on the floor. How would it be if we had rugs designed for the roof? Look at the lights on the roof and ask, how would it be if we had
lights on the floor? Recall that such products exist.

It pays to be sceptical. The more sceptical you are the better a paradox thinker you will be. You do not take for granted what others accept as a matter of routine. Examine customs, practices, rituals, conventions, fashions, etc.

Paradoxical thinking is one of eight skills related to intelligence. The others are memory, logic, judgement, perception, intuition, reason, and imagination. Paradox is perhaps the least used of these skills. It involves the ability to reverse, manipulate, combine, synthesize opposites.

In their path-breaking book Built to last РThe successful habits of visionary companies, authors James Collins and Jerry Poras write that companies that survive are those, among other things, that do not oppress themselves with the ‘tyranny of the or’ Рthe rational view that cannot easily accept paradox, that cannot live with two seemingly contradictory forces at the same time. The ‘tyranny of the or’ pushes people to believe that things must be either A or B, but not both. The authors have demonstrated that organizations that have liberated themselves from this tyranny go on to
grow exponentially and are seen as extremely innovative.

One last example: Is it possible to make a car that is as exquisite as a BMW or Mercedes Benz but does not cost a bomb? Quality and affordability – a paradox is what many thought but not in a Japanese company that came out with the Lexus which was a great example of paradoxical thinking.

KR Ravi is also South Asia’s first Dr. Edward De Bono certified public trainer in Lateral Thinking.

Well Business Burps are a little like this. They have the following characteristics:
• Something unexpected happens following a period of high energy.
• There is excitement.
• There is resentment on the part of competition i.e. that’s not fair.
• There is some embarrassment on our part to exploit the situation.
• The event is likely to be totally ‘left field’.

A recent example of this is Sacha Baron Cohen’s character Borat, the sixth most famous man in Kazakhstan. This is viral marketing at its very best. It is embarrassing, offensive to the Kazakhstan government (at first), completely unexpected and well thought out (Borat has his own website, mySpace, etc) and many, if not most, people are talking about him.

So what has this got to do with business. First of all Borat is business for his creator. Secondly his appearance is at odds with what has gone before. So if, like many businesses, Sacha Baron Cohen had adopted ‘Best Practice’ we would have just got yet another mediocre comedy film. Instead we got the product of ‘Next Practice’. Like Borat, our new business ideas must be the product of ‘Next Practice’, a ‘Business Burp’. Not only should your idea be different, its method of delivery or production should be future looking too. So when you are next considering a strategy of innovation or business growth or ‘burping in the boardroom’ then consider
the following:
• Is your idea unexpected (for the marketplace)?
• Does the energy exist to see it through?
• Does it have the impact for competitors to scream ‘its not fair’?
• Can you avoid the fear and other barriers that could stop you exploiting the situation?
• Can this be delivered through new processes or working practices that make it even harder for competitors to copy?
• Are you forward and outward looking?

Looking at my perplexed expression, my friend paused a while to clarify the situation. “You see I am convinced that the more I hide my bottles of alcohol from my son, the more curious he will become and will surely imbibe the drink surreptitiously in my absence. I decided that the best way to avoid this is to offer him a drink whenever I drank. He tasted whisky once and found it disgusting. I am now sure he will not drink even when offered.”

The CEO of a large company asked me to meet with his HR manager to discuss the possibility of conducting workshops on Lateral Thinking for his colleagues. I sought an appointment with the HR manager only to find the man was not interested in meeting me. I suspected that he did not like the idea of being told whom to meet.

A short time later, I sat opposite the man who leaned against his large desk looking cynically at me.
“So you think you are a latter day Einstein?”
“Sir I am far…..” I began saying but was interrupted rudely.
“I have seen many trainers who think they can transform this company. But they are only after money,” he argued.
“But I never even….”
“I believe we are creative enough and do not need….” His voice trailed off as the intercom rang. He barked some instructions to his secretary and then turned to me.
“See we are a very innovative company and do not need anyone to tell us how to think innovatively,” he said in an authoritative tone.
“Sir please listen to me….” Again I was interrupted mid- sentence.
“I think you are wasting my time,” he stated with an air of finality.
I got up. Before shaking hands I told him, “I hope at least now, when I am about to leave you, I will be permitted to say at least one sentence.”
“Of course go ahead. Why do you stand? Please sit down.”
I obliged and continued the exchange, “I have no doubt that your company is innovative and has won some awards for innovation. I am convinced that you do not need my services AT ALL! On the contrary I would learn from your lateral thinking colleagues. I hope that will happen some day.”
So saying I again stood up and stretched my hands towards him.
“Oh come on. Nobody can claim to have learnt all there is to any subject. We can learn from you. You have a formidable reputation,” said the man looking amiable for the first time. His defences were finally down.

I would go on to conduct a dozen workshops for that company and the HR manager is now one of my close friends!

These are two examples of counterintuitive thinking in which we ask ourselves what is the last thing that one can think of or do in a tight situation? One goes against the grain as it were.

The State of Tamilnadu was rocked by a series of shocking incidents of people imbibing ‘hooch’ and either dying or being blinded. The concoction served by bootleggers, was contaminated by acids and ethyl alcohol that were almost always lethal. The obvious ‘solution’ to this crisis that might come to most of us is to ban hooch, clamp down on bootleggers, swoop down on known sales outlets, and arrest the bootleggers. This not only did not solve the problem but made the trade even more secretive. The drink was now made under even more unhygienic conditions with even more cheap and lethal ingredients (including lizards and rats) which led to even more tragedies.

Surely this called for counterintuitive thinking. The government decided to open dozens of stores where good quality liquor would be available at a fair price. The underground market almost totally ceased to operate.

We all talk of corruption in India but few have offered concrete suggestions to reduce or eliminate it. The Right to Information Act is one step in the right direction. Here is a counterintuitive suggestion:

How about legalising corruption?

Let me give you an example based on a system that is in operation in a country even more corrupt than India. Let’s say that you need a fresh passport urgently since you have an opportunity to travel abroad. The Passport office has a reputation for corruption. Now a new scheme is introduced. Those who need a passport urgently—in a week for example—will have to pay 15% extra service charge; those who can wait till four weeks will pay only half that amount. No service charges will apply for delivery after four weeks.The collections will be distributed among the staff— as happens in a restaurant where the ‘tips’ are shared among all the staff.

In effect this scheme legitimizes what you would have been paying under the table, much like the tipping the waiter at a hotel. I believe most people may not mind paying additional amounts officially as against being extorted.

Witness that way in which people in Chennai do not mind paying a given amount of money to a ‘call taxi’ service where you pay as per the meter. The same people hate paying the same amount for the same journey to an auto rickshaw guy who actually is seen as an ‘extortionist’ since he ‘demands’ more than is considered legitimate. The call taxi amount is deemed legitimate .

The drug menace is one of the many evils of life in many countries including the US. Not many may be aware that terrorists obtain colossal sums of money by selling drugs based on crops that grow in Afghanistan. In effect any American who consumes drugs is financing the acquisition of armaments that are used in acts of terrorism. Drugs are banned but the ban is ineffective and has the unintended effect of making the trade even more secretive and lucrative. Some countries have attempted to implement a counterintuitive solution—Canada for example has made marijuana available legally!

My first encounter with this form of thinking was when I was a fourth standard student in a Mumbai school. I was an enfant terrible and my mischief was the despair of all my teachers, not to speak my classmates some of whom changed to another school just to avoid me. One day, a new teacher joined my class and looking back I could see how she used counterintuitive thinking. With much fanfare, she actually appointed me the class monitor!

In tackling the issue of how to compete with the Coke bottle, Sculley made
what is called a metadecision. He asked himself a few crucial questions. What is the crux of the issue? How should problems like this be
approached? He realized that the heart of the problem was not to compete
directly with Coke’s bottle (Pepsi’s focus in the past) but to nullify its
strengths. He decided to approach the problem by shifting the ground rules
to alter the whole playing field, pulling back and asking what the customer
really wanted.

Realizing that his people did not know enough about consumers to identify
what they really wanted in order to take marketing decisions correctly, he
launched a careful test to study how families actually consumed Pepsi and
other soft drinks in their homes. It became obvious that what the customers
wanted was packaging that made it easier for people to get more soft drinks
into their homes. Then Sculley moved into the first of the four stages in
decision making – framing the issue, which in this case was launching of
new larger and more varied packages. Pepsi began a new intelligence
gathering stage, and then, based on the findings, launched a new group of
larger packages and thereafter continued to refine the packaging. The results
were dramatic and Pepsi’s market share expanded substantially and almost
drove the Coke bottle out to extinction. Coke could not convert its famed
hour-glass silhouette bottle into larger containers.

What Sculley did is of immense significance to decision makers – take time
for an initial assessment, in which you ask yourself how this kind of decision
should be made. This activity of deciding how to decide is called
metadecision.

In the metadecision phase, ask yourself these questions:

1. What is the crux or primary difficulty in this stage? Which of the four
stages in the decision making process will be the most important?
2. In general how should decisions like this be made? Where do my own
strengths and weaknesses lie? Where do I need help?
3. Can I draw on feedback from related decisions and experiences that I
have faced in the past?

The four stages of decision making are:

•    Framing – it determines the viewpoint from which you look at the issue
and set the parameters as to which aspect of the subject  you will
consider important.
•    Gathering intelligence Рgathering knowable facts and options, and
evaluation of unknowables.
•    Coming to conclusions Рa systematic approach to taking a decision.
•    Learning from experience.

Metadecision Vs. ‘Plunging’

Meta decision should take place before you frame the issue. ‘Plunging’ into
the various stages of decision making can lead to disastrous consequences.
Not devoting sufficient time and effort to this phase may lead to you solving
the wrong problem thereby exacerbating the actual problem.

Take the case of a bank branch that was losing market share to its rivals. The
branch management decided that the only wayout was to aggressively
‘plunge’ into a marketing exercise. The officers were asked to jump headlong
into a ‘deposit mobilization’ exercise and virtually three quarters of the
branch staff were in the field all day. At the end of the two-month exercise,
the deposits actually fell further. When I was asked for advice I sat with the
branch officials and initiated a study involving customers who had closed
their accounts during the last year. The study revealed that they were
dissatisfied with the quality of customer service at the branch .The branch
thereafter decided to stop their outdoor marketing exercise and devote their
efforts to improving the level of customer service to existing customers. This
led to a significant growth in deposits.

In another instance a consumer durables maker approached me with his
problem – falling market share. His company was benchmarking against its
nearest competitor on all the major parameters and despite his quality and
other initiatives he could not improve his market share. I asked him to do a
metadecision exercise involving a survey of existing and potential buyers of
his product. This metadecision exercise turned out a new and profound
understanding of the market. The company implemented a plan of action to
solve the many hassles the buyers faced before and after buying the
product. The results were astounding. The company had as a consequence of
the insights from the metadecision, bypassed the competition.

A few insurance marketers approached me with a request to guide them on
how to market their insurance products in the face of growing competition
from the LIC and several other private sector players. They educated me on
the marketing strategy they had been taught and which they had been
following with limited success. It was apparent that they had followed a
strategy of ‘have product will sell’. They had been taught to ‘plunge’ into
action after gathering enough product knowledge, and follow the usual
marketing and selling tactics. I told them to take the metadecision approach.
They interviewed several existing and potential policy holders. This
metadecision stage revealed several insights as to what people expect from
an insurance policy—something that these advisors had not been told about.
The entire strategy had to be revamped and the majority of them have met
with commendable success.

As the tap was not being closed the water gushed continuously. I began to wonder ….was my roomie using water from the wash basin to take his bath? As soon as he came out with his towel to dry his face I realized that all this time he had not been bathing but shaving. He had kept the water flowing the whole time. Why do we need to keep a tap on while we shave?

With this thought of water wasting in my mind I finished my daily chores, got ready for office and went to the kitchen to check out the menu for breakfast. There my eyes caught the faulty tap of the kitchen wash basin from which a very small stream of water flowed down the drain. I wondered to myself — can’t we call a plumber and get it repaired? Won’t this save us a lot of water? On the way to the office, my mind was kept busy by the thoughts of precious water being wasted at the guest house. I started calculating the amount of water that was flowing down the drain.

A rough assumption of the water that might be wasted while shaving was about ¼ of a bucket, and with that faulty kitchen tap it may be around 3 to 4 buckets in the whole day. Here we are talking of wasting three to four buckets from one room of one house in one street of one city of one state of one country. I multiplied that by an arbitrary figure of a modest 100 million every day for the world, and the shocking realization hit me like a ton of bricks. We are wasting hundreds of millions of buckets of water every day on a planet that has a shortage of clean water.

Where are we going wrong? Why don’t we understand that we are wasting this precious resource through carelessness, laziness and indifference. Is it basic education? No I don’t think so. One out of the two people involved in today’s wastage of water incident was educated and working at a middle level management position and the other was hardly educated.

Maybe it is just general awareness that is lacking among all of us? Maybe we are unaware of the consequences of this dreadful wastage of water? Maybe we are so selfish we have decided that the future generations – our children and grandchildren – will look out for themselves.

How can we stop wasting water? First we will have to change our attitude. We will have to feel responsible for the world that we will create for future generations. And what is the solution? How can we make everybody aware of this problem? Through public education programmes, water metres and higher water rates perhaps?  As far as I am concerned I have always felt that the children can make a world of difference. Let’s  also begin by adding water conservation and environmental studies as key subjects on schools’ curricula.

Just imagine that you are shaving one day and you have kept the tap gushing water …. then your kid comes up to you and tells you, “Dad please close this tap. You are wasting a lot of water. The planet is drying up.  You need to save this water so that I can have enough clean water to drink when I get older.”

Won’t that make you change your attitude?

Are you are bored of doing what you don’t want to do?

If you no longer believe in ‘Never Give Up’….

If you believe your old pattern of life can’t work anymore….

If you are too stressed and unhappy…

Then why don’t you give up? Free yourself!

Just give up and release your worries, fears,resentments, failures and guilt. At work or in your personal life, if you think you are failing again and again and it is not working for you, even after putting in all your energies and best efforts….just give up.

If people are not happy with you or if you believe that you are not made for something, then there is no point in hanging on. Maybe you have reached the end of the cycle and need to move on to another chapter in your life. Life is nudging you to move ahead through your discontent and unhappiness.

Do what You (your larger, universal self) are inspiring you (your smaller, everyday self) to do.

Do what makes you laugh and what you want to do repeatedly. Go where you can excel and show your best. Be with people who love and appreciate you. When you are fulfilled, there is no place for stress, unhappiness and repeated failures in life.

It is never easy to change professions or leave old, lifeless relationships behind. You might have commitments or social and personal responsibilities. But remember, you have one chance at this life and half of it may already be gone. The big question is: if not now, then when? When will you find the courage to live an authentic life where you are true to yourself?

Wake up now and get going. Make some plans and shake off your lethargy. Find yourself before you lose your will. Start from scratch or with your plan — but just start! Give up your excuses and get ready to embrace a new beginning with new hope. You deserve to be fulfilled and at peace. Don’t you?

To begin with the answer is darn simple. It’s only made complex by know-alls or know-nothings or know-half or know-half-but-don’t-know-which-halves. That means virtually all of us. Only a select few (one-in-a-million, according to some researchers) know what it is and benefit from it. Despair not, for now the secret will be revealed. Get ready to enjoy the alluring and elusive fruits of power, which till now, we only fantasized about. From the story of 5 brothers who lost everything in a bitter power struggle with their conniving cousins and had to spend 12 years in exile and 1 year in anonymity to learn the tricks of the trade to have a go at the throne. (You, oh lucky reader, need only the next 60 seconds to know what it takes).

For a good 11 years 11 months (to the 11th hour that is) the brothers kept shaking their heads in disbelief wondering what went wrong for such fate to befell them. Instead of enjoying the fruits of power they are on foot wandering in forests teeming with wild beasts, poisonous ivy, long days, dark nights and meandering thorny paths.

“What have we done wrong? We had everything going for us. We are the good ones. Lived by book almost and asked for what rightfully belonged to us. We are blessed by elders. Seen as a beacon of hope by our subjects. We were loved almost universally. Yet….”

Words failed them and they continued their journey part lamenting their fate and part taking in the beauty of nature, which the trappings of a life happily lived in palaces amongst seemingly well-wishers would have deprived them of. While musing thus and traveling further, one day they came across a tree with one fruit on it. It looked like a fruit for gods, and indeed it was, which they didn’t know at that time. Draupadi, their illustrious wife, feeling hungry by the long walk, said “I want it.”

Zip.

Her wish was their command and in a second the fruit made its way into her hand. She was on the verge of biting it.

Zwang.

Krishna, their mentor materialized there. “Stop” he said. “This fruit belongs to Durvasa, the angry saint. He alone decides whom he wants to give it to, and any ignoramus trying to savor it without his consent will get to know what living hell means. Put it back. Else you will have to face his wrath, for he is known to be short tempered.”

“How?” cried all in unison. “How on earth can we put the plucked thing back?”

Smiled Krishna. “Don’t worry. It needs to be offered the accumulated karma of your good deeds. Powered by that, this fruit here will go back and attach itself to the tree. All will be well.”

So first comes Draupadi, and offers her good karma, a result of her Chastity.

Zoom.

The fruit raises few feet in the air, well short of the branch it was plucked from. Shocked she looks at her husbands! “Oh, I thought the power of my karma alone would do the trick! Alas, such is not the case.”

The eldest brother Dharmaraja, epitome of Integrity, steps forward. Offers his bit and lo, the fruit still is far from being happily hanging in its original un-plucked state. One by one the remaining 4 brothers, each bringing to the table Strength, Valor, Humility and Trust do their bit, but the sum total of their contribution was still a few feet short. Steps forward Krishna, the wise mentor and offers part of his good karma and the fruit attaches itself to the tree, nothing amiss, everything as before.

“Wow! This is a miracle. How in heavens’ name did that happen?” The 6 voices rose in unison above the din of the forest sound FX.

Smiled Krishna. “Don’t worry; that there is Durvasa making his way to the tree now. We will talk after paying our respects to him.” Durvasa came. Durvasa saw. Durvasa conferred, the fruit unto the 5 brothers and their wife. “I know what happened. But you have collectively made the impossible, possible, so you have earned it. Eat it. The effects of it will last on you forever and you will enjoy the benefits of the throne shortly. Everything will work out smoothly henceforth.” Thus speaking the good and soothing words, the short-tempered but benevolent sage vanishes.

Content, with the vision of a good life ahead and the sweet taste of the fruit, the 5 brothers and their wife turn to Krishna their mentor, for enlightenment. Smiled Krishna. “Power”, he said, seating himself comfortably under the blessed tree, “is mistaken to be an easy prey to only one thing or the other from the following: Trust. Humility. Integrity. Strength. Chastity. Valor. (THIS CV).”

“You need a bit of guile to navigate through to the final course. In its absence everything else falls short of the ultimate goal. All the efforts come to naught. You are on the throes of Kaliyuga. The going will be tougher if you continue in the same naïve belief of THIS CV helping you. The dice will be loaded against you every time and you need to adopt new strategies. Add a dash of stealth and pepper it with practicality and the purpose will be served.

“I hope the path ahead is clear for you and that you have got your priorities right. Use this time to work on your weaknesses, add to your network, marshal troops and you will see what lies ahead. I as your mentor can see it. Glory be to thee!”

Oh wise reader, the era of Mahabharata has long ended. Kaliyuga has indeed entered. THIS CV is now some 3000+ years past its expiry date. It was once a necessary condition but not sufficient to get you what you desired. Now it’s an invalid anachronism.

Anything that we do or embark upon is predicated on three elements: Time, Competency and Energy or Capability. For anyone to manage any task successfully these three elements should be aligned and balanced in such a way that there is no conflict and they seamlessly integrate to produce the desired results. In most cases one or more of these elements are either ignored or assumed to be adequate. Let me illustrate with a simple example. Supposing someone decided to travel between two cities in a car and agreed to complete the journey in an hour then he/she would require two other variables namely driving skills and a competency to navigate the journey as also the energy in terms of the driver’s energy and capability to drive as also the car’s capability to complete the journey within the said time.

Supposing the driver was not competent or did not know the road or perhaps the car was not in a good condition and would stop every so often, the objective of completing the journey in an hour becomes a burden. In this context, racing against the time limit of one hour becomes increasingly stressful till some of the existing capabilities or competency is also compromised. Under stress the driver takes a wrong turn or pushes the car too hard and it breaks down.

Regardless, one is always racing against a time limit and never against time. Time marches along in solitary splendor, gathering everyone’s efforts on the way and leaving behind the success or failures in its wake.

Is there a better way to manage this race?

Of course there is. The alternative is to be realistic in balancing the three variables mentioned above and ensuring that each of them is optimally poised to form perfect balance. But, first it starts with accepting realistic time limits. For that to happen, one needs to be aware of one’s capabilities, competencies, strengths and more importantly weaknesses. In other words, one needs to know his/her true self and not be carried away by the image one projects to the outside world.

When one balances these elements successfully and works towards maximizing each of these elements, then the whole thing works in perfect harmony. Time is utilized well. Competencies and capabilities are directed towards productive use. Energy is directed towards achieving success. One should not assume that I am advocating complacency. I am not. All I am saying is when one works with a well balanced mix towards an optimum time limit, success has a higher probability. Repeated success creates a success formula and then one tends to learn how to stretch themselves and grow.

Time management has more to do with managing one’s capabilities, competencies and expectations than managing time by itself. The best time management exercise is to be aware of time and respect its absoluteness and align other variables to better leverage this powerful factor.

On some occasions an NRI will come up with something specific and it is one of these that I shall discuss here with the purpose of highlighting an aspect of thinking skills that may go unlearnt.

My NRI friend emailed me a photograph of Mumbai that showed parts of the city in floods, reminiscent of the kind one usually associates with rural Bihar. I checked with my Mumbai friends and ascertained that the photo was an old one and every year it was recycled by NRI’s on the internet to paint a dismal picture of the city. However what is more important here is that the NRI argued that year after year the problem of flooding occurs and the administration acts as if it has been taken by total surprise — this I believe is largely true. He asked me why we could not solve this annual, predictable problem. On being asked what the solution could be, he said, “Why can’t they increase the size of the drainage system or even build a wall along the coast?” (The wall is supposed to keep high tide at bay).

Now it is here that I feel rigorous thinking may be lacking. Let’s look at the ‘increase the size of the drainpipes’ solution. Anyone who has been to Mumbai will tell you that considering the size of the roads, there is little scope to increase the radius of the drain pipes. Moreover the cost will be extraordinarily high — more than Rs 50000 crores for a marginal increase according to one estimate. In any case the critical issue is — can Mumbai or for that matter any city in the world keep on increasing the size of its drainage system to accommodate the needs of an ever increasing population?

The ‘wall along the coast’ solution is on the face of it too costly considering that Mumbai is an island. By far the bigger issue that often goes unrecognized is this — Mumbai has many problems of which the overflowing drains in the monsoons is just one. It is possible to argue that the flooding problem is annual but there are critical problems that affect people daily that need immediate attention.

Going further, Mumbai is just one part of the country and other parts are crying for more urgent attention for far more serious crises — children dying of starvation, farmers committing suicide, lack of basic medical facilities in rural areas, etc. When you look at the larger picture you will realise that our problems are myriad, immense, varied and have varying degrees of urgency and importance but our resources are limited .

I like to cite the parallel experience of a lower middle class father whose three kids make demands on his small salary. One kid wants a new skirt, another wants a drawing book and the third wants to go on a school picnic. Around this time his wife falls ill and needs medical attention that may cost Rs.1000. He himself is a diabetic and needs to buy insulin for himself that costs a small fortune. What can the man do?

That is exactly the situation that India finds itself in.

This may be difficult for an NRI to grasp because he lives in the US where resources are seemingly limitless. Look at the way the Obama administration coughed up close to a trillion dollars for bailing out banks and for a stimulus package and is now readying a healthcare reform package that can cause a dent of another trillion dollars when implemented. Meanwhile the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan swallow millions of dollars every hour, and the country may have no problem finding many more trillions to finance wars in Iran and North Korea etc should the need arise. Contrast this with our lower class man. What is the lesson to be learnt from here? That one has to put oneself into the shoes of the man who faces a problem and look at issues from his perspective. That solutions available to one person or country are not necessarily available to others.

In addition, it is incorrect to assume that India does not know how to solve its many problems.

I do agree that corruption, apathy, inefficiency, inverted priorities — some of these are by-products of poor resources — plague us but it cannot be denied that there is a serious need to appreciate the gravity of the situation and not resort to simplistic thinking. I hasten to add that I am optimistic that India will find solutions to the many problems she faces but this will take time and will call for innovative thinking on our part. Simplistic thinking or cynical criticism will not help.

Like many lower middle class fathers who have managed to get their kids educated enough to find a good job in an IT company that sent them to Silicon Valley, India too will grow. My cynical NRI friend is a son of one such family….

You have to cut out the best part.
You have to detach from your brilliance.
You have to trust that the whole piece is better the individual shiny parts that make you seem clever or wise.

So that sexy slogan … That rapier wit one-liner … That fancy feature or added customer service … if those gems are throwing the whole package or project or intention off kilter, then they probably need to be slashed.

Final works of art find harmony. In even vulgar, dramatic, and absurd works of art there can be a high degree of cohesion and that’s what accounts for its impact. That’s where skill comes in. You can be as wildly inspired and as daring as you want, but if you don’t know the rule of thirds, or a bit of colour theory, or how to help the members of your jazz trio be heard in fusion, then you run the risk of tampering with the objective, which is to create art that conveys.

It’s easy to get attached to our inspired moments and what they produce. Those aha’s are a rush. And the rush is good, it’s essential in fact. Let it move you forward instead of rooting you to one place, or one ray of light. Let your clever bits and genius fuel your courage rather than your ego. Diamonds shine only after they’ve been cut.

Frustration! It is a word which is commonly associated with feelings of helplessness and sometimes rage. So is there a way out? The answer is a big Yes!

Any human emotion generates a certain amount of energy. For instance, if we feel happy we are naturally energized and can accomplish all those chores which we don’t even like doing. If we feel gloomy, we are sapped and our energy level goes down. So energy is the key which drives us to do something or not do it. The most valuable aspect about frustration is that it generates enormous amounts of energy. The sheer feeling of helplessness coupled with a great degree of determination is the source of that energy. This energy, if properly channelled into action can achieve incredible results to free us from the constraints of frustration.

Here are the four basic steps:

Step-I Acknowledge! (A)

The first and foremost thing is to accept the fact there is a problem or obstacle. You can’t do much about it. And the issue is taking a heavy toll on your life. Even then you are not able to do much about it. You have a problem which is affecting your life and you cannot yet see or understand all the factors contributing to the situation.

Step-II Reassess! (R)

There are some circumstances in our life for which we can’t hold anybody else responsible but ourselves. Some people realise this while some don’t. At the same time there are many things which are beyond our control. I mean there are many uncontrollable issues in life which you have to take in your stride. We have to prudently assess which issues are under our control and which are not. A word of caution here! If we falter at this stage it will mean that we have let things go from our hands.

Step-III Disregard! (D)

If you have decided that there are few things you cannot be in charge of, there is no need to waste and energy time mulling over them. So forget them! Concentrate on those areas over which you have some control and influence.

Step –IV Finish it! (F)

Since you have now identified the things that are under your control and influence, go for it now. Complete the tasks and employ all your pent up emotions in working through those situations. Solutions have a way of coming in unexpectedly from unexpected directions when we embrace our situation fully and begin tackling the source of our distress.

After honestly assessing the situation and breaking down the factors into the categories discussed above, more often than not, you will see that you are out of the frustration zone. Now you see how frustration can be helpful in life? Whenever you are frustrated, don’t be feel helpless. It is simply an indication that you need to put on your thinking cap and sort through the equation with your best analytical skills. The seeds of solution lie within the very problem itself.

This is the first in a series of simple articles on basic personal problem solving. Look out for follow up articles in the weeks to come.

Ask yourself these two questions every day.

1. Do I Ask?

2. Did I Ask?

Ask for what?

It could be anything, that you may be contemplating/struggling/yearning to find/learn about: Help
Answers, Advice, Counselling, Mentoring, Coaching or Teaching

Ask How? Ask What? Ask Whom?
Life is all about learning, unlearning and relearning. Learning happens through and within our minds.
The mind is always at work. It’s seldom “As still as a mill pond.” It throws up several ideas, thoughts,options and opinions all the time.

Knowingly and unknowingly we constantly mull over them, within our very own personal mind spaces and more often than not, we shelve them, as we do not have the right answers at that point of time.

We do communicate silently, within our minds in search of the best answers to the best of our capability.
If we succeed, we act and enact that thought into action. If we do not succeed we move on and drop that thought. As a result we fail to act on that impulse. In the bargain, we lose several ideas that may otherwise have turned into lucrative results as possible opportunities.

Why?
Because we failed to Ask, Ask, Ask.

The question is why don’t we ask others? Why do we hesitate to ask? Why don’t we ideate?
Like we used to do as children.

We don’t ask because we have an ego within us now, that stops us from doing so. We shy away from asking, despite the fact that God has gifted us with a very powerful tool – the ability to communicate with one another through one means or another.

We seldom if not ever, use that power effectively to find answers and solutions by communicating with others.

Why?

Well, we are Grown Ups now and we believe that we have all the answers. We hesitate, procrastinate or develop inhibitions. A few decades ago as children we would always Ask, Ask, Ask….even the smallest of the doubts. We would relentlessly seek an answer until we got it. We grew up that way until we were classified as Grown Ups.

Just sit back and peek into your childhood days. Remember how curious, vocal, and persevering you were back then? You would inquire like a live wire. And you would get the solutions too.

As you would relentlessly Ask, Ask, Ask as a child, you would at times, irritate the person being asked.
You did that until you grew up! And now, you don’t ask at all! As a result, you have either stunted your growth or have decided to not to grow. How ironic as such a silence is never golden!

No wonder then, those who don’t ask, stop growing. Growing in the real sense, as a complete human.
What a tragedy.

We all know that life’s learning curve moves linearly upwards, till our last breath. We also know that there are several humans on this earth who know more than we do.

Then why stunt our growth? Instead, why not continue to grow, by shedding our inhibitions and getting back to the basics of inquisitiveness. Why not Ask, Ask, Ask! No sane person on this earth will ever deny you an answer if he has it in him. Why not humbly reach out to him/her politely, with an open mind and noble intentions for a non commercial purpose.

Don”t believe me? Ask somebody now and see for yourself. Once you are convinced that it works, don’t stop.
Ask, Ask, Ask…until your last breath. Ask in person, through a mediator, or use the tremendous power of the internet. If you fail, don’t be dismayed! Ask, Ask, Ask.

Ask the Almighty. Yes ask God if humans have failed to give you the answer you sought.
Ask through prayer. Seek a solution that way and you will get it. Ask to Bask ….in a new found glory.

The effects of the failure can be observed, for example, on organization, processes, product or service, finances, marketing and sales.

The causes can be related to strategic planning, implementation, management, control, human resources, absence of competitive intelligence and external factors like market dynamics or government regulations.

If we are talking about new ventures or small enterprises with less than two years, the most common reason for failure is related with financial problems. The most common cause of the financial problems is related with managerial faults and a weak strategic planning.

Managerial faults can be rooted in poor organizational control, follow-up, course corrections, the wrong people in the wrong place, underestimation of the target market, unrealistic cost estimation and so on.

A weak strategic planning, or inside the drawer, is one of the key factors contributing to business failure. A strategic plan is a dynamic document. As the enterprise evolves, so does the market. The defined strategy must be updated and in the course of time, corrections must be made to keep the boat on the right course with the right velocity.

Talking in a global context, each cause has its origins in the business environment, the global region and the profile of the entrepreneur.

But all problems usually start with managerial faults and bad planning.

Also, small entrepreneurs usually have a small cash flow, which makes o a “second chance” almost impossible. If a large enterprise makes a wrong investment and fails, it is only a bad investment and shareholders (or the government) will pay the bill. Small entrepreneurs do not have that chance.

Now, if we are talking about well established enterprises and large companies, usually the problem starts with managerial incompetence and expands to financial problems.

Well established enterprises need to have a continuous process of reinventing themselves. They should follow the procedures of learning organizations – always learning and upgrading. They must be in line with market trends, new products, new demands and they must control costs, prices and margins. They must also have an effective process called competitive intelligence.

We are in the ‘Knowledge Era’ and in a globalized world, so the horizon of business changed radically in the last two decades. Companies that do not follow this trend, complacent in the old market share already achieved, will be vanquished by new entrants, new products and new ways of doing business.

Similar thought should be used by new entrepreneurs. They should explore the new technologies, the internet, social networks, blogs, chats, and so on. New entrepreneurs need to create competitive advantages with these new technologies to enter and enlarge their market and exposition. There are plenty of tools at a low cost or even free of charge, already available on the web.

In summing up, be sure to develop a consistent strategic plan, take care of day-to-day operations with continuous follow-up and control. Take time to carefully chose the right people for the right positions. Work closely with your collaborators; hear and understand their feelings, needs and aims. Watch the competitors. Keep close to your clients and be sensitive to their feedbacks and needs. Remember – fortune favours the bold.

Ten or more years later and he is still waiting.

Trying to help others in India is almost impossible he sighed.

I recall that about four years ago I contacted several organizations including charities, orphanages and lepers’ homes and suggested that they send someone over to collect used clothes, vessels, books etc which I wanted to donate. These Mumbai based institutions had one standard answer – it is up to the donor to send the articles because they cannot collect them!

Even a Christian missionary organization from which I expected a better response, rebuffed me in the same manner.

I recently read in a book by a French author who he happened to meet economist, Amiya Bagchi at his modest flat for an interview. At the end, the author, impressed by Bagchi’s excellent collection of books, asked him what he intended to do with the books. He was thinking about the economist’s advancing age and the lack of space in the modest flat.

Bagchi’s response stunned me.
‘University libraries are being devoured by mice. I keep them at home so that I can preserve the culture of India.”

Let me tell you a secret. I spend three days a week at one of the large bookshops in the Washington DC area reading the latest, finest books in my areas of interest. I am writing two books on the basis of what I have learned in these stores. I spend about 7 hours sitting in the coffee house inside the book store paying $6 for two cups of coffee. I have read over a thousand books each costing over 40 dollars apiece.. The staff are courteous and help me locate books, even ringing up other branches to acquire the book I want to read – knowing that I have no intention of purchasing any book.

Readers may recall that Sachin Tendulkar once received the rare gift of a Ferrari car from an F1 champion. The cricket whiz was asked to pay Rs 80 lacs as customs duty. What did presumably India’s richest sporting star do? He did some influence peddling, the good old Indian way. Tendulkar used the good offices of late Pramod Mahajan to influence the NDA government to waive the customs duty. This was granted.

A day later I read a letter in the media from a man who ran an orphanage. He was disappointed to report that he had received an offer of toys from donors in the US for the benefit of the orphans. He was slapped with a hefty customs duty which he obviously could not afford. His appeal was turned down by the government with a curt letter citing the reason for declining his request -a shortage of revenue.

Come on Bharat, you are a great country, ranked as one of the most promising emerging nations in the world. With a little more effort and concern, many of these age-old red tape hurdles can be overcome to facilitate a quicker and more equitable distribution of available resources in the interest of every Indian citizen.

Mentors also get the privilege of watching their staff or mentee grow, learn, flourish and become mentors themselves.  As I grown my current position, I strive to be a great example and mentor to my staff as Betty and Renee have done for me.  As the Director of Career Services I would tell all students and graduates to find a mentor and to establish a mutually beneficial relationship that will help your career grow.   Additionally I would say that there is one other person I recommend that you find as you climb the career ladder of your choice.  Your second brain. The old adage goes that two brains are better than one.  It’s true.

You need to find yourself a second brain and here is why.  You are not perfect and you will never be.  You make mistakes, we all do and we all will continue to do so.  Sometimes you need someone to look over a document you created; ask your second brain.  Sometimes you need an extra set of ears to listen to an idea; ask your second brain.  Sometimes you need a voice of reason to stop you from doing something detrimental; ask your second brain.  Sometimes you need a vote of confidence when you aren’t 100% confident in yourself; ask your second brain.

Finding a person that you can trust, that can think objectively and give you a differing opinion is a gift.  They can add perspective that we often can’t see ourselves.  The synergy that two people brainstorming can create can be very productive and effective.  Your second brain can reinforce ideas and can stop train wrecks from happening.  They are a safety checkpoint for your actions; let’s face it sometimes in life we need a safety net. This person might be a loved one, a co-worker, a friend or too it could be your mentor or manager.   

So in addition to finding a great mentor; find a person to be your second brain.  This person can be a beneficial member of your Career Team and help you find success for the long term.  In the spirit of this blog, I’d like to dedicate it to my mentors Renee and Betty and to my second brain, Kay.

I have come across two kinds of people. First kind are the ones who want to get something done and they get it done no matter what (read as beg, borrow or steal). The second kind are those who eventually get things done by playing the game of “war of attrition”!

Then I came across the third kind. Smart, energetic, enthusiastic, brimming with ideas but who do not have either the ability to get it done or play the attrition game. In their lifetime, they come up with some brilliant idea, suggestion, or cause but never succeed in getting them off the ground. They get themselves entangled in a mesh of political quagmire and run out of steam before they can see their idea see the light of the day.

I think many of us fall in this category. I am sure many of you will be able to re-collect instances from your days at school, college, work place, home and social life. If you had a chance to trace back, you will find that someone else picked up the baton from where you dropped and achieved glory. You tend to say to yourself that “If only, I had not dropped the ball…I would have been” or even worse reminisce, “You know what, it was my idea!”

This recent photograph which I took, of kids near my house celebrating the festival of colour “Holi” has an interesting story behind it and got me thinking on the concept of political will. They were the only group celebrating Holi! Un-fazed by the lack of interest amongst the elders around, they went about having fun which they wanted to. When I approached them for a photograph they were more than willing to pose for me. I interviewed a few of them and heard their story of enduring spirit and uncovered the following story…

It seems that when the kids approached their parents for resources needed to celebrate Holi, the response was lukewarm. They were challenged with hurdle after hurdle like, home work, health issues, society/apartment association regulations on using colours within the premises, practical difficulties of cleaning up, special project (being a long holiday most of them had special projects which they needed to complete and bring back after their small vacation), impending examinations which are just round the corner, they were even told the lame stories on how their favourite film stars did not celebrate Holi as a mark of paying homage to the Mumbai 26/11 incident and so on. The parents piled up hurdles as if it their life depended on it.

However, the children had made up their mind! All they wanted was to have a blast and celebrate Holi and that they would do it.

They got together, planned out their study schedule and homework for the coming week. For the special projects, the kids had an idea! They volunteered for the topic “Holi Celebrations” for the special project in their respective classes. This way they could use special projects as an excuse when they lobbied with their parents. Confused? So was I…

Well, they offered their parents that If they celebrated Holi, they could click pictures and write about the event at their society and would get the project completed by themselves instead of passing it on to them (which is usually the case). This way the parents would be glad to know that they got all the 4 days for themselves. Otherwise they would have to do a lot of research for the projects.

Once they were done with their internal housekeeping, they identified the area where they would play Holi, and what kind of ammunition they would use like water guns, powder sprays, foams. It was during this conversation that they decided that they would not use eggs, tomatoes or any such item which was costly and also compromised on some of the colours which were known to be made of harmful chemical dyes. They came up with some regulations like wearing a slipper, not so costly T-shirts or trousers, and also committed to use swimming glasses to protect their eyes. Thus they made their list of resources that looked pretty good, and approvable.

I also understand from some of the seniors in the group that they made a cute little speech at the monthly society/apartment owners’ association meeting on how they intended to go about their preparation. So, the proposal was completed and presented to individual parents and then the association as a whole!

Do you think these kids were making up this story? I don’t think so! The coherence in narration of incidents and the enthusiasm with which each kid pitched in to explain their hard earned fun moved me.

Is this an isolated incident where kids have shown an astounding example of political will? Here are a few more examples of kids having their way:

• A wailing kid in the wide aisle of a grocery store.
• A kid completing his homework early and doing some helping around at home only to ask for time out to play.
• Kids complaining to a visiting relative about how their parents would not buy them a toy which they very badly want and eventually making the relative feel that he/she should buy it for the kid!
• Kids telling a story of how beautiful their friend’s wrist watch is and why they too need one. They don’t stop there usually. They ask their parents the way to get it. I mean they try to understand from the “giver”, what it would take to get one for themselves.
• Kids seeking and getting the permission of their parents to attend a school picnic.

In the cases discussed above, one thing stands out. In the psychology of children it is ingrained that they have to pursue their ideas or wants to achieve the desired result. They know they have to lobby hard; they tend to understand what tactic works well and when to use what tactic without hurting their future chances. This uncanny ability to persuade without hampering your future chances is called political will! We too have been there, done it or at least have seen it!

Why is it that we lose this political will as we grow up?

At work place, I have seen some brilliant programmers come up with some intelligent tool that automates a very tedious process. They wish that it be used enterprise wide. However, when they encounter the very first challenge or a set of challenges they give up. The tool never sees the light of the day.

Do you know the story of now famous Arvind Adiga, the author of “White Tiger”? Before his work was published and won the Man Booker Prize, he was rejected by every major publishing house in India. That did not deter him. But unfortunately, for every Arvind Adiga there are many others who have put their work in their attics and have given up!

Many innovations, books, arts, ideas have died a silent death because of the lack of political will on the part of the innovator to push it into the system.

When I set out to understand the reason behind giving up instead of having the political will to push the ideas forward, I chanced upon an article by Diane Kennedy Pike. She theorizes a reason why we lose the political will as we grow up. According to her, people develop a sense of distaste for arguments and conflicts as they grow up. They perceive that it is important for them to be “liked by others” than to hold on to their principles and convictions.

This obsessive compulsive disorder for being “liked by other” is what strips you of one of the most important character, namely, the political will, which as a child you carried in abundance and were getting things done the way you thought was right!

During conflicts whilst you are pursuing an idea, you might be faced with hurtful comments. There could be people lobbying against you and your principles. But if it is correct and if you believe it could change people’s lives, stay put! The key is to stay the course on your principles, ideas and convictions, not to take criticisms personally, be passionate about the cause and at the same time be dispassionate in engagement.

Further Diane Kennedy Pike notes,  “I recognize now that to bring about any change at the group level takes tremendous commitment. First, there must be a vision of what is possible. Then, there must be a willingness to sustain that vision through all the stages: presentation of it, support for it, organizing practical programs to implement it, recruiting others to participate in the programs, spending hours talking with people, carrying on when you feel you are the only one who cares, not allowing criticism, rumours, and name-calling to discourage you, allowing others to get the credit when what you envisioned finally begins to manifest, and supporting those who are willing to carry on the vision now that it has become a reality. This is how I would define political will.”

I would like to end with a personal story which made me learn the importance of political will and hence re-build it as a part of my character and also helped develop my tolerance towards “dirty politics”.

I started the student placement office at my college in 2001. It was tough time for technology companies in India. People started remarking about the lack of traction in placements and also were speculating about mismanagement of funds. They demanded a disclosure of accounts. I quit at that very instant. I could not take the fact that people did not trust me. There was no problem with the accounts, and I would have been cleared of all the charges. But I was afraid that such conflicts were going to make me only more unpopular and also that it was a thankless job. Later, I learnt that someone else picked up from where I had left, disclosed the accounts, was cleared of all charges and as luck would have it, a few weeks into his leadership, the placements started happening at my college. The homework which I had done was paying off. He took all the credit for turning around a system that I had abandoned!

I learnt my lesson on political will and vowed to myself that I will never reminisce “You know what, I was the one who started all this placements…”

I refuse to be a loser, just because I do not have political will!

Most readers will be familiar with, or have heard of Malcolm Gladwell’s best selling business book ‘The Tipping Point’. The author suggests that there is a point at which you need apply only a small effort to create an effect. This is rather like giving the final push to topple a large boulder or tipping a finely balanced set of scales. If only we could find this point, we could all save ourselves time and effort.

Once the tipping point is found then we, and our businesses will be beating the competition and lining our pockets with untold riches, right? Is there anything to stop us? Well, quite a lot actually. Take the simple case of sitting down on a chair. You see the chair, walk round to the front and then sit down. Did you check that the chair was still there or that it did not have a wobbly leg. Most of the time nothing will happen but what happens in the 1 in 100 or 1 in 1000 cases when a practical joker has removed the chair?

This is a somewhat simplified example but neatly illustrates the point that we must keep our wits about us at all times. Having created a strategy for the future we want it to succeed but how many of us do not keep watch? What is it exactly that we are watching for? This is where we come to The Slipping Point. If you were driving up a slippery slope or along an icy road it would be the place where you lost grip, where your forward momentum slowed, and where things just did not go as planned. What can be done about this?

• Ensure Management are ‘Hands Ready’ i.e. they are aware of what is going on but are not micro-managing or too eager to take control. This provides space to see the bigger picture.
• Do your employees work in teams? The more they do this, the more support they provide, the more knowledge is shared and the more flexible they are when confronted with challenges.¬†
• Is there a desire to win or are you all there to pick up your pay cheques?¬†
• Even if you have a desire to win, do you know how to win?¬†
• Keep an eye on the external environment, competitors, customers and any other factors that could affect the economic landscape.
• Foster as many external relationships as you can. These provide information and can also be leveraged in times of need.¬†
• Promote the right culture. Transparency and morale are often used but infrequently heeded. Lead by example and gain trust and you will be in good shape.¬†
• Promote the concept of stretch, an environment in which your employees and management alike are challenged and allowed to learn.¬†
• Get the best from your staff. This extends from what management actually ‘do’ to staff to encourage and motivate them as well as reward systems.¬†

Pay attention to the above and you have a very good chance of executing that carefully crafted strategy and avoiding The Slipping Point.

My Singapore friend remarked that with capitalism having capitulated his executive friends are reading Karl Marx with great respect!

My Chennai friend who dreaded the looming possibility of her bank being denationalised said “Thanks to the US, nobody in India will talk of privatisation for at least 20 years.”

Sure enough I read an article by Sitaram Yechury having a good laugh at America’s (and the capitalist world’s) moment of crisis.

I am afraid these sentiments are premature. It is true that a combination of greed, poor regulations, excessive risk taking, unbridled financial innovation, and throwing elementary banking norms to the wind were responsible for this crisis. But to say that socialism is the way out is incorrect.

Let us look around the world to see that capitalism has led to the prosperity of many nations whereas socialism has kept down many nations. India itself is an example of a nation that in our lifetime has seen poverty under the socialist ideology and then relative prosperity after liberalization. I do not deny that vast masses of our people live in depravity but I believe that this is due to inadequate or faulty liberalization.

One has to see how West Bengal has done under a socialist dispensation of which Yechury has been a torchbearer.

Capitalism is like democracy. It is not perfect but is the best we know at this point in history.

No matter what system we have. Human greed, perverse ingenuity and mismanagement will combine to bring down the best of systems.

Karl Marx himself will scarcely recognize the kind of communism that prevails in say Russia which is now run by a corrupt mafia in league with an oligarchy.

Yechury himself is a chastened man after the Nano car fiasco, He now blames Mamta for obstructing industrialization. To my knowledge Mamta has done nothing more than give the CPM a taste of their own medicine. It is the public of West Bengal who are at the receiving end of such shenanigans.

I recall an anecdote about Den Xiao Ping the father of reforms in China being driven along a highway in China. When the car reached an intersection the driver asked Ping which turning he ought to take, “Sir, the left turn takes us to socialism and the right turn takes us to capitalism. Which should I take?” asked the driver.

Replied Ping, “Signal to the left but turn right!”

I rest my case.

Everything begins with the way we think, leading to the way we act and behave. By changing the way we think, we can find new ways to do things better and be better in every aspect of our lives. Mind Maps are a profound tool for effective thinking. Their contribution and impact on our thinking is impeccable.

Allow me to share with you my experiences on my journey with Mind Maps.

1. Better focus

Being pulled in different directions in the daily grind of life, trying to meet life’s competing demands and priorities and keeping my focus to accomplish all that needs to be done without distractions remain constant challenges. At times I find my thoughts straying and my thinking becomes foggy, lacking clarity. Mind Maps help to focus my mind as I would need to search and consider the most important elements of my theme to be planted on the main branches. This task requires me to drill deep into my thoughts to think about all the important factors and then prioritise them. Finding a keyword that would summarise and best represent my thoughts is the beginning of my main idea. Once I can get that going, it becomes easier to link up a continuous stream of associations, and before I know it, my thought process begins to flow almost effortlessly. At that point, my mind no longer thinks about the things that are irrelevant.

For example, when I have to prepare for a session plan for my class at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, I first focus on the objectives, followed by the learning outcome that I want my students to achieve, then the key learning points, pace and timing. If I allow these ideas to float in my head without physically pinning them down on the branches, it will not help to solidify my focus and I will tend to procrastinate my projects & tasks at hand. After prioritising the various tasks, I then decide what to work on next and allocate the amount of time accordingly.  This serves as my teaching agenda and it also allows me to be flexible with the sequence when I lecture and conduct tutorials. Hence Mind Maps help me to focus and make me more productive.

2. More organized

As soon as I discover the versatility of Mind Maps and their usefulness, I realise that they can be applied in virtually any area of my life. That is their true beauty. In fact, they are an instant power source anyone can easily tap into.

After familiarizing myself with the theory and practice of Mind Maps, I can use them as a system & structure to plan for my lessons when I teach or present. They are especially useful when presenting to and reviewing information with the students and participants as it is easy for anyone to follow since everything falls on one page.

Leonardo da Vinci once said, “In this world, everything is connected to everything else.” This is so true. I can conveniently shift from one aspect of my topic to another with ease and the students can visualize how all things connect and work together to arrive at the big picture (gestalt).  My students’ eyes would be fixated on the whiteboard as I reveal the course information through a network of colourful text, graphics and images connected by branches. I could edit the information quickly as the students contribute their ideas and add new information during our interactive discussions. It is easy to prevent drift and waffle from the agenda at hand. Likewise I could use the tool powerfully in my meetings where irrelevant ideas just won’t fit into the Mind Map of what’s being discussed.

3. Improved efficiency

Preparing for presentations using Mind Maps takes less time than writing it out in a linear form, thus making my preparation work much more efficient. It allows me to be in tune with the overview of my session plan and subject matter at all times.

Whenever an idea crops up, I can readily add it onto the relevant sub-level branch and continue to expand my thoughts without messing up my notes. I could reuse my Mind Maps for future presentations even when there are new materials to supplement, simply by adding on and expanding the original Mind Map without having to redraft everything. This form of reference saves me a lot of precious time and simplifies the process.

At the Polytechnic, my students find it extraordinary and unusual as they rarely have been exposed to this form of teaching style. It is fun and interesting as I have not had a student who falls asleep on me!

Using Mind Maps as a framework for lecture creates a greater balance between oral and written presentations with the ability to inject variation and add dimension. It is easy to move from one segment of the presentation to the other with ease of flow at the same time, allowing the students to see how every aspect of the topic is inter-related and connected to the others. Soon I see students starting to draw their own Mind Maps with their own unique expression of images and graphics.

4. No fear of failure

Understanding Tony Buzan’s mechanism for learning has helped me to plan for my success and to remove the inherent debilitating fear of failure which has been a major obstacle in my personal risk-taking efforts. In the past, the fear of failure had kept me bound to my launching pad, limiting me and preventing me from achieving my dreams to the extent that sometimes I reconciled myself to mediocrity in some areas of my life.

Recognizing that failure is just an ‘event’ with no emotional bearing or negativity, I am now more courageous to try out new things and gain new experiences and be willing to open myself up. After all ‘failure’ doesn’t really matter to others more than it does to me. I don’t put myself down because I fail. Rather I make it a point to draw lessons and learn from failures in order to do better at my next attempt. I now say, “Now that I know better, I’ll do better.” Hence I am able to put ‘failure’ in its proper perspective.  As a result, I now boldly take up the challenge to work toward my goal of becoming the best Buzan Licensed Trainer!

Tony Buzan’s ‘learning to learn’ formula has taught me how to focus on everything I should do but fear to do, combating emotional paralysis which had made me a prisoner of fear in the past.

Feedback is yet another vital ingredient to true success for me. Learning to take feedback from others in the form of constructive criticism has contributed to my success, no matter how much it hurts. Tony Buzan’s teaching encourages me to seek feedback then use it to check against my bench mark and finally make the necessary adjustments. Now I do reflect on the criticism I receive from the people I care about instead of attacking, defending or avoiding criticism altogether.

5. Increased awareness

Mind Mapping trains my mind to exercise both my right and left brain skills. This is especially good for me when I consider myself a poor artist who cannot draw well. In order to create images, I will have to enter into a higher order of thinking to search for the best image or symbol to express my ideas or concepts.

Whenever I am stuck at creating the perfect image representative of the idea I have in mind, I tend to pay more attention to the details of the objects and subjects around me at the next opportunity. I then become more conscious of my environment.

For example, looking at an object, I begin to notice its contour, dimension, proportion, shadow, shading, position, angle, depth, colours, texture, smell, taste and feel around me. Soon everything appears to be more aesthetic and interesting which I have never taken notice of before. I begin to take interest in my surroundings, learn to smell the roses, enjoy life and appreciate all the wonderful creation, rather than move through life missing out on all the details of our magnificent nature. Tony Buzan mentioned, “When you are interested in everything, everything becomes more interesting.” So life is interesting. It makes it easier for me to connect and relate to others because I am better able to make connections and associations to people and the things that happen around me.

I am grateful to Tony Buzan for his incredible invention of Mind Maps. His quest to improve mental literacy on this earth makes this world a better and more colourful place to live. I believe I am now a better person and learner because of Mind Maps. I have started to believe in myself more and am able to achieve more. To Tony Buzan, “Cheers and thank you!”

Betty Kan is a Singapore-based  trainer and personal branding consultant.

A few years ago I received a video clip showing a Japanese lady folding a T-shirt much faster, taking about 5 seconds. This is a very popular video circulated on the internet.  You can get it from this site or you can click below for the English version of the step-by-step video explaining how to fold a T-shirt. 

I found it fascinating because I could never imagine that there existed such a different and creative way of folding a T-shirt. I immediately asked myself, “How can I connect this interesting activity with mathematics lessons?” When I tried to force connection, I felt that I could use this activity to talk about fractions or simple algebra!
Folding a T-shirt in 5 seconds!
1. First, lay a T-shirt flat in front of you with the front part facing up and the collar on your left as shown in the diagram below.
 
2. Imagine two lines on the T-shirt, Line 1 is drawn along one-third of the width and Line 2 is drawn along half of the length. Imagine points L1, R1 and L2 on the lines as shown in the diagram above.
3. Pinch the fabric at point L1 with your left hand and point R1 with your right hand. 
4. Lift the fabric at point L1 and bring it to meet point L2 with your left hand, and then pinch point L1 and L2 together. 
5. With your right hand still pinching R1 and left hand pinching L1 and L2, lift the fabric and shake it and you will get the following shape:

 
6. Fold one more time along Line 3 and you shall get a T-shirt neatly folded.

 
Folding a T-shirt in 1.5 seconds!
A year later I received another video on T-shirt folding which is even faster, taking about 1.5 seconds! Click below to take a look at this video !

This second approach shows how we can build a T-shirt folding machine using cardboards. I was even more fascinated by this approach because even a three years old kid will be able to fold a T-shirt using this machine. Teachers can make this activity a mathematics project for students.
We can ask students to work out the area of cardboards needed, cut cardboards according to the size of their T-shirts and make a machine that can fit their sizes. Recreational activities like this one can arouse curiosity, develop ability in space perception, promote discovery and stimulate mathematical creativity.
Solving difficult mathematical problems in a jiffy!

After showing students the faster ways of folding T-shirt, I tell them the story of German mathematician Gauss, Karl Friedrich (1777-1855) who calculated 1+2+3+…+100 very fast when he was a young boy. By reversing the order from “1+2+3+…+100” to “100+99+98+…+1” and added the two sets together he had every term equaled to 101. There were 100 sets of 101, so he had 10100. But the teacher just wanted one set of “1+2+3+…+100”, therefore the answer was 5050.
    1 +     2 + … +   99 + 100
100 +   99 + … +     2 +    1
_______________________

101 + 101 + … + 101 + 101
_______________________

100 x 101 =10100

10100 √∑ 2 =5050

This example helps students to see that if we make use of our mathematical knowledge in a creative way we can do wonders.

Then there is the formula for the sum of arithmetical progression.

Students generally find it difficult to memorize. But when I compare the formula with the story of Gauss, it helps them appreciate and understand it much better. They are then able to recall it very easily.
Baroody said very aptly: “The interest of the students will be triggered if they see the relevance of the subject and have fun while learning.” 

There are many ways we can help children to be more creative mathematically.  Having been involved in helping children to love mathematics and develop creativity for the past 18 years, I realize that one of the very effective and simple ways to develop creativity is to choose our own favorite meanings (or definitions) for creativity and constantly work on them. Here are my favorite meanings for creativity:

Creativity is about
• making new connections.
• Variations.
• seeing meaningful patterns.
• making tasks/things faster/better.
• thinking out of the box.

I believe teachers play a very important role in fostering mathematical creativity in their students. As George Polya said, “Nobody can give away what he has not got.  No teacher can impart to his students the experience of discovery if he has not got it himself.”
I also totally agree with Holden (2004) when he said, “Teachers need to have a deep knowledge of how mathematical ideas can be presented for the students in a variety of ways, and a strong belief that all children can learn mathematics. Teachers also need to keep in mind that students have different learning strategies and thus need variation in the presentation of new mathematical concepts and themes. To be able to fulfill all these requirements, teachers need rich access to teaching and learning materials.”
By presenting mathematical concepts in a variety of styles using a variety of materials and media, we can actually demonstrate “creativity at work” to our students. There are a lot of interesting happenings around us. It is our choice to force new connections and relate them to certain mathematical concepts that we wish to impart to our students. Mathematics need not be a dry and boring subject. If teachers create interesting opportunities for the development of mathematical creativity, children will revel in the magic of this subject.
I hope this sharing will inspire teachers to make their own connections and discover new ideas and techniques to encourage natural curiosity and stimulate mathematical creativity of their students.
Teoh Poh Yew has authored three books on mathematics magic and developed m-Wizy magic cards to facilitate understanding of mathematical concepts and develop creativity in a fun and magical way.