Getting to Delight

Invictus

2011-08-24T12:34:00.002+05:30

August 22^nd 2011 marked the beginning of 6^th year of fantastic and transformed life for me. Earlier I had crashed from riches to rags in terms of heath and ended up being in and out of a hospital for 18 long months. Thinking back now, I cannot say life was hell but it was teaching me a hard lesson. I say transformed because I have stopped complaining. How has this helped? - Enhanced quality of life and happiness.

Last week I was participating in a training session and as the members of the audience were asked to say the one thing they love most, I said “Life itself”. I didn’t have to think much to say it as I have and will continue to enjoy everything about life.

Many a times it’s the seeming disasters in people’s lives that makes them stronger, pushes them hard and helps harness the “real power” inside them which would have never surfaced otherwise.

Here are some words from great people who believed and proved to the world “For everything you have missed, you have gained something else”:

"I thank God for my handicaps, for, through them, I have found myself, my work, and my God". –Helen Keller was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. A prolific author, Keller was well-traveled, and was outspoken in her opposition to war. A member of the Socialist party of America and the Wobblies, she campaigned for women's suffrage, worker's rights and socialism, as well as many other leftist causes.

Harold Russel said, "There is no easy for formula for a Happy Living. Anyone who says he has one is either joking or lying. Even if I could, I have no desire or intention of putting forth any patented, neatly packaged recipe of my own. But there is one simple thought; I should like to pass on, if I may. It is no sure-fire prescription for happiness; it is not guaranteed to bring in any blue birds singing in your backyard. I offer it mainly because I found it can help prevent much vain regret and self defeat. It is not what you have lost but what you have left that counts. Too many of us squander precious energy, time, and courage dreaming of things that were and never can be again, instead of dedicating ourselves to realities and the heavy tasks of today".

He was an Army instructor, and while training with the US 13th Airborne dvision stateside in 1944, a defective fuse detonated an explosive he was handling while making a training film. As a result, he lost both hands and was given two hooks to serve as hands. Russell slowly fought his way back to radiant triumph and victory in life. He played a lead role the film “Best years of our lives” for which he won two of Hollywood’s Prized Academy Awards. He created a world of difference to a lot of physically challenged people by going around on lecture tours, speaking on radio etc.

The Poem below is very popular. I could have Googled, cut and pasted it here. However it touched me so much that I typed it word by word from a book

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as a pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever Gods maybe

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have never winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeoning of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate:

I am the Captain of my soul.

Willaim Earnest Henley wrote this poem "Invictus" when he was in a hospital bed in the year 1875 with an amputated leg and was being treated for tuberculosis for 20 months undergoing 20 surgeries on the other leg during that period.

This poem has inspired all leaders and great minds of the likes of Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi & her father, and writers like Jeffrey Archer. The line "bloody, but unbowed" was the Daily Mirror's headline the day after the 7 July 2005 London bombings.

"Invictus" is a Latin word meaning Invincible, Unconquered.

Are we really free “to be, to do and to live?”

2011-08-17T02:12:00.000+05:30

As I entered my client location today which happens to be a wonderful hotel after the Independence Day long weekend here, being welcomed with a warm genuine smile by the front desk team felt terrific. “Oh we distributed flags to all guests who arrived yesterday” was the response I received when asked “How did it go yesterday guys?” Guess I could not have got a more innocent reply.

One of the more timid girls at the reception asked me “Sir, and how did you spend your Independence Day?” With the intent of making them think and think hard I replied, “I was trying to figure out the list of factors that control and influence my life and those I need to be really free from”.

In fact, I had been pondering about this over the last 24 hours from the time the nation began celebrating its 64^th year of Independence. Here’s my question to you - Are you really free?

Being yourself and your ability to make choices, live a life that you really dream or want is how I would like to define freedom. While there are many External factors that influence our freedom, I classify them asEnvironment, Conditions, People and Things.

If you have to behave in a manner in which you are not comfortable or rather not used to, this is an example of the “Environment” which compels behavior modifications. While this may be to some degree positive in shaping your etiquette, If it is distressing and not understood by you, chances are it will only get worse.

If you are still working for an industry / company where you no longer enjoy what you do (or) you are attempting to learn/educate yourself by force than by choice (or) your family background and socio economic status does not allow you to be what you want to be, then these are classic examples of “Conditions”.

There is no end to the list of “People” who we need to think of or consult before making choices or decisions which may or may not affect them – Our parents, spouse, children, siblings, lover, friends, boss etc.

Have you read so far without answering your mobile, reading an SMS, or being pinged by a contact on Google, twitter, facebook or not compelled to look at some sensational news on TV, you know what “Things” I am talking about J

Awareness of Internal Factors like deep seated Inner thoughts, Jealousy, Worries, Fear, and Negativity is an important step in declaring independence of the inner self – True liberation and a Sense of Consciousness.

Perhaps the most dangerous of all and the one to be chased away...Paying attention? I just said Chase away not just to be free from is being “I, ME, MYSELF”. I dread mentioning this word like how none of the witches and wizards in Harry Potter Series dare speak Lord Voldemorts name, instead referring to him as "You-Know-Who", "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named" or "the Dark Lord”. Yes for once and one last time, let me say it in a hush hush tone and don’t read it aloud – ego.

Let me share a true story from Naval Proceedings Manual that Stephen Covey narrates on a different context;

On a dark and stormy night, the Captain of a ship at sea received a frantic wake up call.

“Captain, Captain, Wake Up”.

“What is it?”

“Sorry to wake you, Sir, bit we have a real problem”

“What is it?”

“There is a ship in our sea lane, several miles away and they refuse to move”.

“Tell them to move”.

“We have, Sir. They just won’t move”.

“I’ll tell them. Move starboard 20 degrees”

The signal returned, “Move starboard yourself, 20 degrees”

“I can’t believe this”, roared the Captain. “Who is this joker? Does he know I am the Captain, tell him who I am”.

The signal goes out, “This is Captain Horatio Hornblower, the 26^th, commanding you to move starboard 20 degrees, at once”

The signal returns, “This is Seaman Carl Jones, the 3^rd, commanding you to move starboard 20 degrees, at once”

“I can’t believe this. What arrogance. We are a battleship. We could blow them out of the water. Let him know who we are!”

“This is mighty Missouri, flagship of the seventh fleet”.

The signal returned, “This is the lighthouse” J

I must say that I am still learning not to be a prisoner or victim of you-know-what J and of course don’t forget, how free you are depends on your state of mind too – Keep it positive and Stay conscious and live in the present.

Happy Independence Day!!!

You attract what you think!

2010-11-06T00:23:00.002+05:30

"You attract what you think - Positive or Negative". I have to say my belief about this philosophy got stronger after watching "Secret" which is a treasure of inspiration

Just think, how many times you get asked the question "How are you?". People often tell me it's about 5-15 times in a day. Imagine you start with the usual/average "Fine" subconscious answer. How would your response be around lunch/tea time? Neither you nor the person asking you is excited or even paying real attention to whatever you mumble.

So I say "Fantastic!!!" at all times with lots of energy that at least 3 other people stop and turn back to see who was that...

I watched "Italian Job" today and one of the characters John Bridger - the retired safecracker talks to his associate in the heist;

John Bridger: I feel so optimistic. How do you feel?

Charlie Croker: [shrugging] I'm fine.

John Bridger: Fine? You know what "fine" stands for, don't you?

Charlie Croker: Yeah, unfortunately.

John Bridger: Freaked out...

Charlie Croker: Insecure...

John Bridger: Neurotic...

Charlie Croker: And Emotional.

John Bridger: You see those columns behind you?

Charlie Croker: [looks behind him and sees the pillars] What about them?

John Bridger: That's where they used to string up thieves who felt fine.

Charlie Croker: After you.

FINE - Freaked out, Insecure, Neurotic and Emotional, Oh Oh! - sure you dont want people describing you like that. See that's what I mean when I say you attract what you think. My thinking that "FINE" is an average response to "how are you / how do you do?" scores there!

One more of my basic rule to life is "Think, Live and Act in the NOW". As Thomas Carlyle said "Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand". Again, I was drawn today to read Sir William Osler's speech to a group of Yale students in the spring of 1913. He called his address "A way of Life";

I have a message that may be helpful. It is not philosophical, nor is it striclty moral or religious...and yet in a way it ia all three. It is so simple that some of you may turn away disappointed. My message is but a word, a Way.

The way of life that I preach is a habit to be acquired gradually by long and steady repetition. It is the practice of living for the day only, and for the day's work, living in "day-tight compartments"...The chief worries of life arise from the foolish habit of looking before and after.

A few months ago I stood on the bridge of a great liner, plowing the ocean at 25 knots. "She is alive is every plate", said the Captain, "a huge monster with brain and nerves, an immense stomach, a wonderful heart and lungs, and a splendid system of locomotion". Just at that moment a signal sounded, and all over the ship the water-tight compartments were closed. "Our chief factor of safety", said the Captain.

Now each one of you is a much more marvelous organization than the great liner, and bound on a longer voyage. What I urge is that you so learn to control the machinery as to live with "day-tight compartments" as the most certain way to insure safety on the voyage. Get on the brodge ans see that at least the great bulk heads are in working order. Touch a button and hear, at every level of your life, the iron doors shutting ou the past - the dead yesterdays. Touch another and shut off, with a metal curtain, the future - the unborn tomorrows. Then you are safe, safe for today.

The load of tomorrow, added to that of yesterday, carried today makes the strongest falter...Waste of energy, mental distress, nervous worries dog the step of a man whi is anxious about the future. Shut close, then, the great fore and aft bulkheads, and prepare to cultivate the habit of a life in "day-tight compartments"!

I am simply giving you a philosophy of life that I have found helpful in my work, In this philosophy or way of life each of you may learn to drive the straight furrow, and so come to the true measure of a man.

I urge you never ever to forget Sir William's advice: Live neither in the past nor in the future, but let each day's work absorb all your interest, energy, and enthusiasm. The best preparation for tomorrow is to do today's work superbly well.

HAPPY DIWALI!

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make you choice NOW!

Learn to say, "That's enough"

2010-08-05T10:17:00.001+05:30

When I graduated from college, I started working for a sum of Rs. 4250/- as gross salary. It was my first job and I waited eagerly for this day - the day I could have my own money to buy everything I wanted. However, being brought up in a family favoring traditional views and values, I handed over my first income to my parents despite having a long list of wants. My mom looked at me and said, "Son, it's your hard earned money. Keep it - save some and spend the rest for yourself". That's all - those words are all I needed & I can' t even recollect if she actually said the words "save some".

I began to indulge in all that I wanted to do or buy. Years went by - my list of material wants and hence the need for money seemed eternal. It was not too soon that I realized - the more I earned, the more I wanted and the more I was spending. After numerous experiences in life, I can now say that I have come to terms partially with the hard truth which is;

Be thankful of what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough - Oprah Winfrey

I said partially because I am an average human being and it takes a strong mind to say, "That's enough". I need constant reminders too. To myself and those of you out there who still struggle and work harder with a view to get more in life, here's a lovely story from Jack Canfield's "Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work".

A rich businessman from the North was horrified to find the Southern fisherman lying lazily behind his boat, smoking a pipe.

"Why aren't you out fishing?" said the businessman.

"Because I have caught enough fish for the day," said the fisherman

"Why don't you catch some more?"

"What would I do with them?"

"You could earn more money," was the businessman's reply. "With that you could have a motor fixed to your boat and go into deeper waters and catch more fish. Then you would make enough to buy nylon nets. These would bring you more fish and more money. Soon you would have enough money to own two boats...may be even a fleet of boats. Then you would be a rich man like me."

"What would I do then?" asked the fisherman

"Then you could really enjoy life"

"What do you think I am doing right now?".

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make you choice NOW!

Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

Begin with a parable to improve your reading habit

2010-07-25T15:49:00.001+05:30

At the end of a recent training session where I spoke about the benefits of reading as a habit, one of the participants handed in a little note that read, "This day I will never forget. I fully understand the importance of reading and you are my inspiration. If you don't mind, give me a book for reading. Thank you."

When I got back home, I looked at my collection to check if I had any additional copies of few of my favorite parables that include; (1) Fish (2) Who moved my Cheese?(3) Eat that Frog (4) Juggling Elephants. Since I had no spare copies, I decided to buy a new one as a gift for the compliment I received from this young employee who showed profound interest in developing his reading habit.

As I looked around in the book shop, my eyes fell upon a catchy title - "the Napkin, the Melon and the Monkey" by Babara Burke.

I could not hold my curiosity for long enough even to pay that I was already reading this 130 page book while standing in queue at the cash desk. I love parables as they convey universal truths and realities of work life with a humor element (One normally smiles relating his/her own experience of the situation). This is the main reason, I choose parables as gift to people who struggle completing a book but want to improve on their reading habit.

This one is no exception and a MUST READ. What I liked most about this book is that it is a quick read and Barbara's style of making the readers realize the AHA! moments through her main character Olivia.

Olivia's list of AHA's summarized in the last page of the book is given below. Most of these sound so simple, easy, logical and true to life that I decided to include them in my blog page.

Aha! #1: I will always have problems

Aha! #2: It's not about me.

Aha! #3: Problems can be gifts in disguise

Aha! #4: Just sit there. Do nothing

Aha! #5: There is no such thing as a difficult situation

Aha! #6: When all else fails, have a SODA (Stop, Observe, Decide and Act)

Aha! #7: Withholding judgement allows me to observe what is

Aha! #8: The nicer I am to myself, the nicer I am to others

Aha! #9: A simple apology works wonders

Aha! #10: The less I talk, the more I learn.

Aha! #11: People harmonize when they are tuned into the same frequency

Aha! #12: Great Supervisors follow the GOLDEN RULE "Treat others as you would like to be treated" and DO THE RIGHT THING

Aha! #13: Spreading my wings is the only way to fly.

Aha! #14: Give a little, get a lot

Aha! #15: Remember, we all share the same vine

Aha! #16: United we stand. Divided we fall

Aha! #17: Our stories connect us with each other

Aha! #18: Success comes from bringing out the best in others

Aha! #19: Winners don't just point out problems. They fix them

Aha! #20: It's not what happens to you in life, it's what you do with what happens that counts

Aha! #21: Real freedom comes from letting go of the outcome

Aha! #22: Generous hearts make a difference

I encourage you to read this book to relate and enjoy each one of those Aha! moments listed up there. Kudos & thanks to authors like Barbara who constantly remind and teach you to unplug every now and then in life.

Aha! It would not be fair if I do not mention & thank Gopal - the employee at my client's who wrote that note after my session. He was the reason I could read this lovely parable and now I am glad he will benefit too reading this book.

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make you choice NOW!

Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

Powerful words to use in abundance

2010-06-10T22:18:00.001+05:30

Mom's Crispy dosas for breakfast, dad's caring reminder about my medicines as I left home, my 60+ year old driver's patience and skill to navigate across the morning traffic to get me on time for the session, 2 hours of teaching a group of interactive & lively students, getting invited for the Founder's/Staff day of a great organization with glorious history, a relaxed work day, decreasing pain of the DES (Dry eye syndrome) that I am struggling from over the last few days and the list goes on..... By now, you are starting to wonder what the hell I am talking about?

These thoughts were after effects of a call from the Executive Director of this organization that celebrated its Founders' day (42 years) today. I was unable to answer immediately and returned her call after about 20-30 minutes. Before I could utter a word, I heard her say; "Two things Vasanth". Yes, you guessed my next move - I was pulling out a pen to make a note with "Yes please".

She said, "ONE, I wanted to ensure that you are going to be there for the Founder's day this evening". I had already been invited by the HR head & told her that I would most certainly be there.

Then she said: "TWO, THANK YOU" and then silence.

I wasn't quite expecting that and echoed, "thank you for?"

She replied; "FOR BEING THERE"

I felt good, more wanted, more appreciated and more important. Then humility descended on me and I felt more belonged to the organization.

When the call was over, I was already thinking deep about my one year as a training Consultant with this institution, how things have changed, a self assessment of how much I have contributed and the journey ahead.

It did not stop there. When I finally got back home at 6pm, I was recollecting the missed opportunities for the day to say "Thank you..followed by silence". Those are the first few lines of this blog.

We do so much of a routine every day that "thank you" is never said in many instances, particularly to the near & dear and to the people with whom we interact often. If the words have so much power, why not use it more often as possible?.

We give what we choose and receive back that which we give. Say thank you and watch the results in your life. Then try saying thank you even before the desired results occur. You will be amazed by how quickly your life becomes filled with wonderful outcomes that some choose to call MIRACLES - Rev. Michael C Rann in his write-up called "Short Cut to a Miracle"

THANK YOU GOD for reminding me and making me realize the power of "THANK YOU".

To YOU, my readers - THANK YOU!

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make you choice, NOW!

Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

Alex, the salesman who knocked me out

2010-05-28T18:52:00.007+05:30

How many times out of ten have you been on a shopping visit having come to terms with what you want to buy before stepping out of the house and ended up buying something totally different from the research that you had done?. It happened to me very recently.

Give it a thought and answer my question; Why did you change from whatever you wanted to buy to what you now own? Who made the difference? Of course you can say that the dictator...I mean the director of your home influenced your decision but who influenced them? - I guess it has to be the smart Salesman or woman.

In my case, Alex made it a fantastic shopping experience. The only item I wanted to shop for myself when I was in Dubai recently was a pocket camera. I decided that I wasn't going to burn a hole in my pocket. Besides my brother in law who is passionate about photography advised me that anything more than a 1000 Dhs for a pocket camera was not worth the investment. So, there you go with the budget fixed, my next step was to research and find the best camera with as many features that I wanted within the price. After speaking to a couple of friends, browsing the internet for 3-4 hours reading reviews, I shortlisted three: Canon Powershot SX120 IS (999 Dhs), Canon IXUS 300HS (impressive features but didn't know the price) and Sony TX 5 Waterproof and Shockproof (1499 Dhs) which was well over my budget but the features were tempting knowing I could drop my camera and nothing would happen for a 1.5 metre fall.

When I got there, a bright young chap introduced himself as Alex and the usual question "How may I help you Sir?". I asked for the Sony model knowing very well that this would leave a gaping hole in my pocket. As Alex ran through the first few features of the model letting me hold it, he was quick to catch my expression (I don't know what he thought), paused and asked me why I wanted "that Camera - Sony TX5". I replied that I had read the reviews and thought it a good idea to check it out, thats' all. He then asked me if I was specifically looking at any features and what kind of photos would I normally shoot (That was the best question). My basic requirement I voiced out was a 10 Mega pixel and 10X optical zoom with HD Videos possibility.

His next comment was "Sony is great as a brand but they don't really specialize in cameras. In this model they were using lenses by Carl Zeiss which are cool, however he thought I should really check out other brands like Nikon, Canon and Olympus".The next model he pulled out was a Canon make for 1499 Dhs (same price as Sony and had features better than what I asked for). He let me feel it, shoot with it and yet there was some hesitation - u guys know what...

As my eyes searched through the display, I spotted Canon PS SX120 IS. That's it, I told myself, ask this guy to take it out, experiment a bit, pay and leave. I really only wanted this as it was a 10 MP Camera with 10X optical zoom. Only that it had SD Video (not HD as I preferred) and would not fit my shirt pocket (Slightly larger). I had to make that compromise as the price was perfect. I think Alex was just too good to spot every single emotion on my face. Who on earth is totally happy with any buy where you have had to make the smallest of compromise?

Alex said: Sir, I know you like that camera and perhaps you want to buy one in that price range. If I were you, I would really go for this one as he introduced me to my new Olympus u-5010. He said for the kind of pictures that I had described I would shoot, this was the perfect camera with 14.1 MP and 5X optical zoom and HD videos. I liked his candid approach in admitting that as regards to the picture quality once it exceeds 10 MP it wont really make a difference unless I was printing large sized photos. He let me play with it (I felt like a kid with a new toy in hand and I bet thinking back now, he knew my feelings and enthusiasm) as he patiently explained every single feature with its benefit. For example: Panoramic shots with which I could capture images of landscapes, sceneries and stitch them. There you go Panorama is the feature and the fact that I could get one big image which usually would not fit in a singe shot is the benefit".

At a point in time when I was nearly convinced he quoted, you only pay an additional 100 Dhs as compared to the Canon you looked earlier and you don't make any compromise as it is slim to fit your pocket and supports HD videos (other than all the other benefits I described). I was so overwhelmed by this device having held it for 30-40 minutes that I wasn't going to think more. This guy then walks out of his counter to the billing section, after I pay asks me if I need help fixing the Li battery and the 4 GB card, fits it in, shakes hands and says you've just made a wonderful investment and I wish you all the best for a colorful life. I walked out with a big smile as the proud owner of my new Olympus u-5010. I paid a total of 1141 Dhs (Additional 42 Dhs for a 4 GB card) and felt that was a real Win-Win Sale.

Above all the other rules of selling one thing is obvious here as Joe Girard (the world's greatest salesman certified by Guinness book of world records for selling 13001 cars in his career spanning 15 years) writes in his book "How to sell anything to Anybody" - When you sell cars it is essential to get a prospect to take a demo ride, if are in the business of selling houses, the equivalent is get people into the model or putting the suit on to the customer, or even cooking them a meal if you are selling a new kitchen. A mattress salesman has got to get his customer to lie down. May be a life insurance salesman can't get you to go to your own funeral but he will get you to talk about your wife and children and may be get you take out their pictures and leave them on the table while he is talking. This can be a helluva good reminder that you are not going to be around forever. Joe rightly says there is an equivalent for selling anything else.

In closing not to forget the guy who knocked me out, if you are in Dubai and want to buy a camera just get to the DG Sharaf at the Ibn Batuta Mall and ask for ALEX. This guy is sales personified, has a passion for cameras and knows his products well, very well.

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make you choice, NOW!

Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

How do you inspire others?

2010-05-25T11:42:00.002+05:30

I was on Facebook last night and perhaps it was the 10th time that one of my readers mentioned that I had stopped updating my website and my blogs.

I have been away on travel for about 3 weeks and have had a few interesting experiences worth blogging. However, I cannot write any one of them unless I dedicate this one to my beloved aunt who was snatched away from us about a month ago. As I write this I remember her smiling face 24 hours before she breathed her last. I swear to God that if there was anyone so brave in facing death, it is only her that I have seen - "Athai, even in your last moments and despite knowing the end was near, you could smile. You taught me to inspire people and appreciate life".

My aunt was one among my readers who would respond with enthusiasm to my blogs and keep me going. I will miss her and in her memory, I wanted her words of inspiration on my blog page. This is kind of personal and unedited, however as a reader you might realize the value of simple words in inspiring people around you to do what they do best everyday.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

HAI, GREAT DA!!!!!!!!!!!

HI VASANTH, CONGRATS ON UR PERFORMANCE,BACK IN DUBAI.ATHIMBER DETAILED ON ALL NEWS,SPLLY.ABT THE WONDERFUL WELCOME BACK SIGN!!!!!FOR YOU.ALL BECOZ OF UR GREAT CONFIDENCE AND MOTIVATION.KEEP ITUP AND MAYGOD DRIVE YOU THRU'THIS WONDERFUL PATH FOREVER,TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS.BEST OF LUCK DA.ATHAI,(bn).
CONVEY MY BEST REGARDS TO AMMA AND APPA.BYE,BN.

Mon, Jan 26, 2009 at 11:43 PM On my first return to Dubai recovering from my illness.

hai vasanth,nice to go thru'your blog!!FIRST THING 1ST,HATS OFF TO AMMA FOR HER PERSEVERANCE AND GOAL.GIVE MY BEST WISHES TO HER ON THIS MOVE.WE PRAY SHE SHD COMEOUT IN FLYING COLORS.
NOW, I APPRICIATE YOUR BLOG.REALLY IT WAS VERY INTERESTING,ALTOUGH I KNOW EVERYTHING ABT VIJAYA,IT'S INTERESTING WHEN CHILDREN DOTE ABT THEIR PARENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!.AM I RIGHT? KEEP SENDING MORE STUFF.IAM TRYING TO SOLVE THE HARWARD QUIZ,TOOO.BYE4NOW,ATHAI.

Sun, Mar 8, 2009 at 1:55 AM To my blog - 57, Music Street, College Road, Chennai

HAI VASANTH,THE STORY IS NICE AND I THINK THE SAME STORY WAS NARRATD IN A DIFF'WAY BY NONEOTHER THAN OUR BRAHASPATHI MAMA VENU LAST YEAR ON THE LLASTDAY OF THATHA'S RITUALS.MY OPINION HAPPINESS COMES FROM WITHIN.ATHAI.

Mon, Oct 12, 2009 at 3:42 PM To my blog – Secret of Happiness

hai vasanth,SIMPLY SUPERB!!!!!EACH ONE IS JUST TOO MUCH TO PUT IT IN WORDS.TO TELL FRANKLY (DID U NOTICE?)THERE IS HAPPINESS IN EVERY SINGLE PERSON'S FACE.ALL LOOKING BRIGHT AND CHEERFUL,SPLY'THE FAMILY SNAPS,TOBE PRESERVED FOR POSTERITY.KUDOS TO U GUYS.HEARTY CONGRATS TO ALL 3OF YOU.BN.

Wed, Oct 14, 2009 at 10:46 AM After seeing the Sashtiabdapoorthi photos of my parents

THANK YOU VASANTH.WE WISH YOU ALSO A VERY HAPPY, HEALTHY, GREAT AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEARS AHEAD!!!!!,.BN.

Sat, Jan 2, 2010 at 12:59 PM

> very nice,this one amongst all. ur simplicity and be at par with people has helped you a lot today.wish u to achive more nd more!bn.

Fri, Feb 26, 2010 at 10:30 PM To my blog - Back to the future as a Consultant – Your last written feedback and appreciation to me.

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Athai, thank you and you will always remain close to my heart.

That's the power of words and sincere FEEDBACK! Every one of those comments is less than 3 to 4 lines and yet it made the impact on me. Isn't it awesome that simple words of praise to people around you can make keep them going and do their best (even after you are long gone). You continue to be remembered for the impact that you created. She was definitely instrumental in shaping my life. Are you making a difference to at least one person each day? - Think about it and do something about it. Less than 5 minutes of your day, an e-mail of 3 to 4 lines is all it takes.

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make you choice, NOW!

Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

SOS - Not the 3-dits/3-dahs/3-dits

2010-03-02T14:32:00.001+05:30

This blog is the result of an insulin shot that I got on Sunday, the 28th February 2010. This is not the regular insulin that is administered to balance sugar levels in the body but a special one. With the blog titled SOS and insulin you might think I am going to write a story of distress and timely help. Well...not really.

I heard about this Car Rally for the Visually Impaired last week and felt that I must take part in it to give something to the society - Few hours of my time, that's all - Note these words underlined carefully.

I asked my sister & brother in law and they instantly agreed to be there as well. When we reached the venue on Saturday evening for registration and driver's briefing, we saw a gathering of over 150 people out which 60-70% were visually impaired. They were the Navigators who were eagerly waiting to be assigned to the car owners. What amazed me was the fact that navigators had more questions than the drivers (us) during the "Driver's briefing". That just described their ENTHUSIASM.

We finally got our Navigator - Peer Mohammed and introduced ourselves. He lives about 60 Km away from the venue and had come there with his two little children Yasmeen (7) and Shahul (5) to participate in this event for the first time. He teaches History for 9th grade students in a regular school and loves to hear music and play chess with his daughter (Yes, he can play chess). We were mighty impressed with his talents when we went on a trial run in our car the same evening with a sample route map on braille. When we returned to the venue, it was 7.30pm and I was worried about them reaching home so late. He said "Don't you worry Sir, we will find our way to the DMS bus station and then from there take a bus ride back home". My eye brows remained raised looking at the CONFIDENCE as they walked away bidding farewell and all excited to meet the next day at 9AM.

At Savera hotel Chennai, it was like a carnival on 28th February 2010. Cheer girls flagging of 81 cars one after another at 1 minute intervals, we waited patiently for our turn - Number 48. The mission was to complete the rally covering distance of 65.1 Km without getting lost within specified time. This time Peer Mohammed did not have sample sheet like the previous evening. It was a BRAILLE BOOK.

We lost our way very early in the rally but soon learnt that we had to TRUST in our Navigator and re-assigned roles more clearly. Mohammed reads the book, I jot down in a note pad and guide Badri (my BIL) who was driving. I had the additional responsibility of being the mathematical member of the team. With a calculator in the other hand, I had to update Badri if we were ahead or behind time according to the distance covered in order for him to work his speed limit. Preetha (my sister), Yasmeen and Shahul would keep their eyes open to spot the Marshals. We had to obtain the Marshall's signatures attesting the route and time taken to reach every spot. Its difficult to describe theEXCITEMENT, FUN AND TEAMWORK. It took us 3 hours and 15 min (Approx) to return and we were quite positive about winning having done reasonably well except the beginning.

Being the second runner up in the Novice Category, we were the first to be called on stage to receive the Prize from Ms. Shivashankari (the famous Tamil author of many best selling books). A proud moment for all of us.

As I had mentioned in my tweets and Facebook it was not about winning. There were so many lessons to take away. . Let me share with you some insights:

1. Immediately after Mohammed was assigned as our navigator, I went and spoke to Ms. Dipti Bhatia who is visually impaired & involved in organizing the event. I asked her if she could share a few tips with us because we genuinely wanted to give our navigator a real good experience. Her reply: "Don't worry, Mohammed will give you a good experience". I could see CONFIDENCE PERSONIFIED when she said that. We truly got it as well.

2. Every time I saw these people crossing me, there was no element of doubt in taking the next step while walking - Again, I could see "Self Confidence".

3. When we catch a cold or fever, we create so much of self pity. In fact there have been times, when I have refrained from walking up to the kitchen for a glass of water waiting for someone to bring it to my bedside while I was sick. Ridiculous - Isn't it?. These individuals are completely independent and have very high self esteem.

4. I saw humility in each one of them despite extra ordinary talents. One of Mohammed's friends who we got to know is well versed with computers. Ha gave us his e-mail ID so that we could stay in touch. Yes, there is a software that guides them. When we saw them keying in our telephone numbers into their mobiles, we were in complete admiration at the speed and dexterity. No mistakes, not one.

5. One of the visually challenged friends during the speech said, "Normal people try not to make mistakes, we cant and we don't" and deservingly there was a thunderous applause to that statement.

6. There was another strong lesson - Let's admit that we are too quick to form opinions about people based on looks, skin color, hair style, dress etc. All the visually challenged friends whom we interacted with were always smiling, pleasant and spoke to us in a way that commanded respect and they certainly deserve it.

Can you imagine my thinking before even taking part that I was giving my time? In reality, it was these wonderful people who gave me their time and taught me so much. It is this special insulin dosage that I mentioned at the startwhich has added more balance to my thinking and life. I called this blog sos because what I witnessed at the event was indeed SOS - "Summit Of Self-confidence".

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make you choice, NOW!

Back to the future as a Consultant

2010-02-25T16:25:00.001+05:30

95 more to go for 2010. As I write this one I am smiling coz the goal is to write 100 blogs this year and this is one way to be reminded. Time is not an excuse, neither is it that I cant find good things to write. What's keeping me away? - May be I need a bit of motivation with more comments from You - the Reader.

Yesterday was very special. I grabbed an opportunity to go back in time, perhaps back to when I started my career as receptionist at a 4 star hotel. Now, I am consultant and my client who is a 4 star hotel want their front office customer ratings going up. When I started interacting very close with the team last week, they seemed very worried. I had to tell them the TRUTH.

The TRUTH - I am training them for one reason: The team is doing WELL and they are capable of doing VERY WELL. Not the other way round as most people think and say - "Send the team for a training session because their performance is poor". How can the performance of an entire team be Poor?.

Anyway besides telling them the truth, I also needed to be involved with them and the best way I felt was to work along. I chose to be at the hotel reception & in the lobby for a few hours.

It was fun, real fun. My day was just about complimenting customers who were checking in, talking to those in house, following up to resolve few complaints. I was also glad to be a part of the little laughs and giggles owing to mistakes that happen at work (that don't necessarily affect customer satisfaction). In fact make it better.

One example is when the receptionist said; "Welcome to the Hotel _______" when the guest was actually checking out. She apologized and after the guest left we rolled out laughing.

As human as it can get, to the next guest who was checking in she said; "welcome" in a very soft tone. I was quick to intervene and mentioned in a bold voice - "JECY, THEY ARE CHECKING IN. I am sure about that and your WELCOME can be louder". The guest looked at me surprised and I shared the joke with them. The arriving Guest, Jecy and I - all of us started laughing again. Good arrival experience - ain't it?. Involve the customers, they love it.

I met another guest who had stayed in this hotel 40 years ago when it opened. I thanked him for patronizing and his comment instantly was "Good Hotels and Great Service deserve to be patronized" - Wow!. There was another couple from Romania who reminded of a wonderful friend from this beautiful country and I told them so. It was fascinating to get introduced to some of them most loyal and regular guests at this hotel.

I went about the rest of the time complimenting different guests for their smiles, their ties, their watches, salwars and suits. One Gentleman from the USA who was checking in said "Nice Big and Beautiful Hotel". I thanked him for the compliment and welcomed him with a big cheerful smile. He made my day by saying "You are the first guy I have met after landing in country, who is genuinely welcoming and cheerful. I now feel I am in India". He mentioned his experience with the immigration and the local taxi driver who did not sport a smile or speak a word. I told him the rest of the staff are as good or even better and that he can look forward to a lovely stay in this hotel.

With all that time spent interacting with customers, I also made some wonderful observations about the processes that need improvements and the team's current performance on the shop floor to get the ratings up. So I got to work with the team on those while you can wait to hear from me again.

Delight yourself first in order to delight people around you. Most importantly, make your choice NOW!

Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

Just say it Folks

2010-01-30T12:09:00.001+05:30

Glad that my internet problem is fixed now and I can be in touch with the world again. 10 days ago, I was on a pilgrimage trip by road. On the way back, our driver stopped by a tiny puncture shop on the highway to check if there was enough air in the tyres. As we kept chatting away in the car, my mother spotted something different there - a chair spun out of tubes (Cycle tubes).

I immediately commented "That's intelligent" while the rest in the car nodded and continued on with the conversation. My mom goes one step further - she gets down from the car, calls the old man in charge of that shop and tells him "That's a good Job" pointing at the chair. You should have seen the cheer on his face as he thanked her saying -Nandri amma. He continued proudly how comfortable and cushion like it feels when you sit in that chair. That was enough - another lesson to learn.

When you feel someone has done something worth appreciating, JUST SAY IT FOLKS - not to yourself, but to the person directly. Do it even with people you don't know - see the joy that you get looking at the happiness and pride in them.

Being able to recognize is an important quality one should develop as a leader or manager. This does not happen naturally at work unless you are able to appreciate the good things you see happening around you outside work.

Recognition in my opinion is the best way to engage people, retain talent and improve performance at work. Here are some of my favorites from the book "Carrot Principle' authored by Adrain Gostick and Chester Elton:

1. You have to remember, remember, remember to recognize. At the beginning of each day, put three coins in your right pocket. Transfer one to the left each time you reward an employee for a behaviour that is critical to your goals, your customers, your employees and your company. By the end of the day, the 3 coins should be in your left pocket.

2. Send out one hand written thank you note a day to someone who has helped you. You will be surprised to find you never run out of people to thank.

3. The next time one of your folks make a mistake in an effort to move forward in an unfamiliar territory, reward it. By rewarding courage to try something new, you create a trusting environment where innovation can, and will, occur.

4. Post letters of praise from clients (this happens) and colleagues (think about this) on a bulletin board in a high profile location.

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly make your choice NOW!

Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

HP v/s MP

2010-01-10T15:05:00.006+05:30

Couple of days ago, I was invited to join a team that was celebrating its NY sales success. Location was serene on the backwaters with coconut trees all around, a distance of about 2 hours drive from the city. We crossed the backwaters in a little ferry to reach a private coconut garden and the scene was just perfect for a great party.

As I took a deep breath to enjoy mother nature, people were already on the dance floor - Hip shakes and zig zag leg twists to the tunes of the DJ. The quiet ones were content sitting down with their rocks glass or Hi-ball glass as the rest devoured on the delicious barbecued prawns and more food cooked at site. Awesome - there was choice for everyone.

As it got a bit dark, I decided to bid farewell to the group and leave early. We had to drive up a little sand hill and rather unfortunately the MD's 4-wheel drive which was in front got stuck in the sand and refused to climb. We knew now that there was work to do.

The following half an hour of action that I witnessed was a beautiful lesson about "TEAM WORK". Here's what I observed;

1. In the beginning, there were some individuals trying to be "Stars" - getting into the vehicle and using the horse power to its best. Higher the HP, more faster the wheels turned as the tyres plunged deeper into the sand. Soon, the individuals knew they were embarrassing themselves.

2. Now, it was everyone's turn to give ideas. With people shouting over each other's voices, someone who was senior in the hierarchy insisted that the vehicle be pushed back and drive it up a new route. Once gain, the idea did not work. Not enough HP :(

3. A handful of people were already drawing conclusions " An Impossible task - We neeed a Tow truck" and were giving up.

4. Those who believed and continued with their efforts knew 2 things:

(a) They needed one good idea to work this out.

(b) Together Everyone Achieves More and they needed to keep everyone motivated.

5. Eventually, they got it by lining up cocunut tree branches and leaves under the wheels, the vehicle's Horsepower (HP), combined Manpower (MP) and a slight deviation in route where the surface looked slightly harder.

When the vehicle was back up on road, I could hear screams of Joy, Pride and a Sense of achievement in the faces. For a moment, I felt there was more excitement and Happiness in the team than when they were on the dance floor. It's amazing what happens to us when we accomplish something, even better feel when in a TEAM.

Don't forget to celebrate when your team achieves something. No matter how simple you thought the task was - Just like the boys jumped up in joy when they pushed the car up the sand hill without a tow a truck.

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make your choice NOW!

Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

In Search of Excellence

2010-01-02T23:57:00.004+05:30

I chose this blog title for 2 reasons:

1. A brilliant forward that I received a few months ago (The Sculptor story that you will get to read below).

2. The title is also the name of a fascinating business book written many years ago by the Management Guru, Tom Peters.

Organizations, teams or individuals - The ultimate word for all of them is "Success" and people are madly in pursuit of this word. No doubts, we are on the right track when have a clearly defined goal, have a written plan of action and do interim evaluations during the journey. After doing all that some of us still don't get there and keep wondering where the hell did I / We go wrong?.

We all know that Usain Bolt holds the world record in 100m athletics clocking 9.58 Sec at the Berlin World Championships in August 2009. If I were to ask you who came second in that race, not many of us can remember. Who cares anyway? Thats how Success gets defined in this world - "Position 1". Most people who don't make it are really in pursuit of this No.1 spot and thats's precisely why they don't get there.

Usain Bolt, Roger Federer, Sachin Tendulkar, A.R. Rahman, Bill gates or Steve Jobs - Listen to them speak. None of them had an obsession to Numero Uno. Every one of them followed their Passion, searched for Excellence in their chosen field and Success came towards them. I thought there is no better way to explain excellence than share this little story:

A German once visited a temple under construction where he saw a sculptor making an idol of God. Suddenly he noticed a similar idol lying nearby. Surprised, he asked the sculptor, "Do u need two statues of the same idol?". "No", said the sculptor without looking up, "We need only one, but the first got damaged in the final stage". The visitor examined the idol and found no apparent damage. "Where is the damage?", he asked. "There is a scratch on the nose of the idol" said the sculptor, still busy with his work. "Where are you going to install the idol?".

The sculptor replied that it would be installed on a pillar 20 feet high. "If the idol is that far, who is going to know that there is a scratch on the nose?", the gentleman asked. The sculptor stopped his work, looked up at the visitor, smiled and said, "I will know it".

Remember, Excellence is a drive from inside, not outside. Excellence is not for someone else to notice but for your own satisfaction and efficiency.

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make your choice NOW!

Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

AAL IZZ WELL

2010-01-02T00:09:00.000+05:30

How many of you believe in doing specific things on 1st January that will make things happen the way you want it to be - the rest of the year? I ask this question coz as I was leaving home from one of my client's (a popular star hotel) last evening, a junior member of the HR team asked me if I wasn't going to stay for the New years Party. I was quick with my response to say that I need to wake up early on the first day of the Year. He smiled and asked, "Do you actually believe in such sentiments?". I had to think before I answered that question.

I took a little test recently (a mail forward - so I dont know how authentic it is) according to which I use my right brain more often than the left. Apparently that means I go more by "beliefs, imagination and feelings" than "Knowing, facts and logic". Most people that are known to me either end up partying until 6AM or go for a Midnight Mass / get up early for a temple visit on 1st of January.But my reason for waking early was totally different. I was getting up to watch a movie in a theatre at 7AM - Can you believe it? Am I sentimental? Perhaps yes, coz I have done that with my sister and BIL for 3 consecutive years now. In my opinion people don't prefer a sentimental tag to their name for the simple reason of getting branded as Non-rationalistic. I aint any different folks and I thought I'd rather explain to him how it helps when people do specific things on such occasions. Its all about the mind - What experts call as Law of attraction. Let me explain:

My simple philosophy to life is happiness & delight. So, here's what I decide to do on the very 1st day of the year - Wake up early, after a quick breakfast head straight out for a movie that is a 3 hour laugh riot (Guaranteed by raving online reviews). To make it better it also carried a message - When everything goes crazy or out of control just tell your heart "AAL IZZ WELL". No spelling mistakes, thats how the guys say it and its damn funny. My mind is ready and trained to think positive from the very beginning - 2010, a Happy and fun filled year. Well, its the first step and its so easy right?. If a little sentiment can add value to your life's philosophy or achieving a goal, whats'wrong - Just do it and say "AAL IZZ WELL".

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make your choice NOW!

Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

1000 Resaons why I could not blog for 75 days

2009-12-31T15:01:00.000+05:30

And you really thought I was going to list that?

My apologies to all the readers and especially to the ones who asked if any more posts were coming. A few tweets and thats how active (rather passive) I was with my postings. I recall the words of my mentor, Ray Kennedy who told me long time ago "You can give a thousand reasons to say why you did not act but focus on finding the one reason why should and things will be different".

Thankfully I hit upon the one good reason why I must blog regularly. Yesterday, I got to watch a fantastic movie - Julie and Julia.

True stories of two people - Julia Child who pursued her passion to be a professional chef way back in 1950's and revolutionized the way America cooks by authoring a Masterpiece cook book called "Mastering the art of French Cooking" and Julie Powell in 2002 connects with Julia through this book and enriches her dreary life. I am not doing a review but this movie is guaranteed to inspire you for one or all of the following reasons;

a) If you have a tough going at work and want to turn to something away from the depressing day when you get back home

b) If you like to cook or if you are a foodie

c) If you wanna start blogging or If you are a blogger who has stopped for some reason/ without a reason.

No points for guessing which one of the above inspired my fingers to move. I felt so close to Julie when she blogs her experience everyday about the challenge/goal she sets to herself - To make 524 recipes from Julia's cookbook in 365 days.

I share the same feelings as as Julie did whenever I post articles. I am upset when I feel a blog post would not engage my readers. Ask me how...well I just know. I always have my readers (you) in mind before I hit the submit button and like Julie I am so eagerly waiting to look at the smiley that you rate and hear feedbacks.

In fact I fell out of my chair the way Julie reacts at office when she sees her first comment. She shrieks in utter joy to her friend in the next cubicle then frowns, sits and says, "It's from my mother, it doesn't count". I received my first comment from Ram, a great friend to a blog post titled "When will the markets recover?". Unlike Julie, the comment counted a lot for me. He did not post his comment on my website but sent me a copy of the mail that he forwarded to his colleagues and he wrote "A simple story but guess its reality for all of us. Positive thinking and proactive effort is the need of the hour".

It's Amazing how much People, Movies, Books and Feedbacks can inspire you. David Mcnally said it best: Even eagles need a push and it sure holds good for me.

Having said that I furnish for you the list of people who make a positive impact and inspire me everyday. A little bonus for the long wait and certainly a New Year treat in case any of them are not on your "Follow list". I am certain that you will get to delight yourself connecting with these"Awesome People".

Like Julie, my personal countdown for 2010 is a 100 Blogs in 365 days. Feedback as they say is the breakfast for Champions. So, keep rating and writing your thoughts.

Wishing you a Very Happy New Year,

Arranging your mind creates Happiness

2009-10-17T17:11:00.000+05:30

Its celebration everywhere and festive mood with crackers going off every now and then on this Diwali day. I dont know how but I just managed to catch a bad cold. Relaxed on my bed, I immerse myself in thoughts - little lessons taught by my mom that supplements the Secret of happiness.

As a child, I remember always wanting more than what I had. That meant looking at other kids who wore Nike shoes, brought Cheese Sandwishes for lunch to school while I carried the traditional "Thayir Saadam with oorkai" (Curd rice with pickle), owned cricket bats that had Sunny Gavaskar's autograph and countless other things which I was envious about. When I went back to Mom to ask her to buy these for me, she would simply say - "Be grateful for what you have son coz there are many who dont even have what you have". She also encouraged me to share what I had with those who were less fortunate. Initially, I did not fully understand & follow what she said. However her principle never changed and as I kept hearing those words over and over again, I started believing it. Once I understood the power of gratitude and started to arrange my mind, YES - "ARRANGE MY MIND" - my life is surrounded with HAPPINESS.

Let me now share with you a lovely story that I read about "Arranging your mind".

A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably combed and shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today.

His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when I told his room was ready.

As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window.

'I love it,' he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.

'Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait.'

'That doesn't have anything to do with it,' he replied.

'Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged .. it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it.

'It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do.

'Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away. Just for this time in my life.

'Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in. So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories!

'Thank you for your part in filling my Memory bank. I am still depositing.'

Be thankful for and share what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never have enough - UNKNOWN

“Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly make your choice NOW”
Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

10 Minutes extra

2009-10-15T11:28:00.000+05:30

I did a session yesterday for a group of new recruits undergoing induction program at one of my client's. It was quite interactive and lot of fun, filled with role plays and simulations. Whenever I have interacted with employees at inductions, I have found most of them with bubbling energy and enthusiasm. Hardly anyone is nervous about his/her career and future. There is immense self belief, a desire to perform and grow.

When I finished the session, I left the new recruits with the words, "You are what you think you are. If not for the organization, make a difference to yourself and you can do that by asking yourself three questions at the end of everyday at work;

a) Have I brought a smile to anyone's face and made them happy?

- Even if that means, paying a simple but sincere compliment.

b) Have I learnt something new today?

- Perhaps, even lessons from Succesful failures. Our daily objectives should include a honest effort to improve on yesterday.

c) Have I shown the same commitment and enthusiasm that I showed on the first day I joined?

- Yes or No, just prepare yourself to make sure that the answer is a BIG "YES" for the next day. Remember, You cannot consistently perform in a manner which is inconsistent with the way you see yourself.

If the answer is Yes to all, then you have had a fulfilling day and are making consistent progress. If not, don't worry - you will just need to spend another 10 minutes extra. That's all it takes to answer these 3 questions positively. As they say, the difference between Ordinary and Extra ordinary is that little extra."

If organizations and managers in particular could follow through and provide the right environment, there is every chance that employees will outperform their own beliefs. The Result - "Growth of the Employee = Growth of the Organization".

“Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly make your choice NOW”.
Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

Secret of Happiness

2009-10-11T18:07:00.000+05:30

This story is from a very popular book which has had an impact on millions of people all over the world. As I am reading through the book perhaps for the 5th time in English (I have read it once in German as well - the book has been translated into 63 languages), I decided to pause and pen this story down which has a deep meaning.

The story goes like this..

A certain shopkeeper sent his son to learn about the secret of happiness from a wise man. The lad wandered through the desert for 40 days, and finally came upon a castle, high atop a mountain. It was there that the wise man lived. The boy had to wait for a couple of hours to meet him and narrated his story of what he had come to seek. After listening attentively, the wise man said that he did not have time just then to explain the secret of happiness. He suggested that the boy look around the palace and retun in 2 hours. "Meanwhile, I want to ask you to do something", said the wise man, handing the boy a teaspoon that held two drops of oil. As you wander around, carry this spoon with you without allowing the oil to spill.

The boy began climbing and descending the many stairways of the palace, keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon. After 2 hours, he returned to the room where the wise man was. Well, asked the wise man "Did you see the Persian tapestries hanging in my dining hall? Did you see the garden that took the the master gardener 10 years to create? Did you notice the beautiful parchments in my library?.

The boy was embarrased and confessed he had seen nothing. His only concern had been not to spill the oil that the wise man had entrusted him. "Then go back and observe the marvels of my world", said the wise man. 'You cannot trust a man if you dont know his house'.

Relieved, the boy took the spoon and returned to explore the palace, this time observing all of the works of art on the ceiling and the walls. He saw the gardens, the mountains around him, the beauty of the flowers and the taste with which everything had been selected. Upon returning to the wise man, he related everything in detail that he had seen.

"But where are the drops of oil that I entrusted to you?' asked the wise man. Looking down at the spoon he held, the boy saw that the oil was gone.

"Well, there is only one piece of advice I can give you, said the wisest of wise men. The Secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to to forget the drops of oil on the spoon".

Taken from the book "ALCHEMIST" by Paulo Coelho.

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make your choice NOW!
Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

?=$, from Enquiry to Sales

2009-09-05T19:39:00.000+05:30

When a customer calls (Phone or F2F) an organization seeking information about a product or service that they offer, it is an enquiry - rather a sales opportunity. Most organizations at the senior management level do understand the importance of converting every one of these calls or interactions into sales i.e money. Are the frontline teams trained and ready to translate ? = $

We are still not through with the recession and I decided to check how the front line staff (reservations) in hotels of different categories deal with telephone enquiries. I found the results of this exercise a bit disappointing even with some popular five star hotel chains and hence a gap between the senior management's thinking and the reality with the front line teams.

Everyone of the calls had a similar opening and infact the same scenario. My friend made a call as a foreign national staying in a hotel where she was not at all happy with the service. She said that she was going to stay for 2 more days in chennai and that she was returning on the 19th September for a week. She was calling to make sure that her stay during that period was more comfortable in a better hotel. A couple of hotels asked her to send an e-mail requesting the hotel to make the booking and that they would reply to her mail. This I thought was utter nonsense. The agent could have very well said - "we dont need your business miss". With a million choices out there, remember no customer is going to send you an e-mail request just because you want it that way.

In most cases, the agents did not seem motivated by the new business and just took the reservation down for the stay starting 19th September insisting on credit card details. This is good but just not good enough. I am not even talking about recommendations and upsells at this stage. Not a single hotel had a reservation agent who empathized and said "I am so sorry to hear that Madam. I understand you've had a bitter experience but you have just called the right place." - despite the fact that she mentioned in the beginning of every call that the hotel in which she was right now staying was lousy. In fact there was no attempt to invite her to stay the last two days of this visit and make it better for her. She had two more days and that is pretty decent business.

Most of the agents were not trained to listen. This is exactly the gap and the reason for many enquiry calls not getting converted. Great reservations agents listen to their customers first. If you ask them they say, "We look at why they called and what they need, not what we have and what we offer".

If you are a reservations / sales manager reading this blog, then I recommend that you close this gap by:

•Making agents realize how much of a difference they can make by handling these enquiries efficiently,
•Boost their confidence and train them to listen,
•Make random audits of not just your team but also of the competition
•Compare and review performance during these audits regularly with your team.

In my opinion, if you listen carefully - you can also sell why they need what you have.

There is an old saying - "Customers dont care how much you know until they know how much you care".

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make your choice NOW!

Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

Take the first step and everything else will follow

2009-09-05T13:43:00.000+05:30

A very good friend from Germany was visiting Chennai last week and I must admit that it was a fantastic, fun filled, happy experience introducing her to my family and getting her to feel the culture and traditions of South India. I was amazed by the compromises she would make to adjust with the situations that were extremely unfamiliar to her and under normal circumstances would have made a European rather uncomfortable. When we tried to help her be a European, her statement to get going was "I am in an Indian family now and I do exactly what you do" - and that humility I admired a lot.

Back to the title of this blog, she actually was on a world tour covering different countries, India being the last one. One of the days while we were having dinner, I raised this question about how she planned the world tour at such a young age. In fact I was intrigued to ask this as I found her facebook page filled with envious comments. It all triggered off at a birthday party few months back where she met a common friend who mentioned about something called as "Round the word tickets". Getting back home she googled to find some great deals and thought she must make it and put that down in her "Dream list". She tried her luck filling up the vacation form (6 weeks vacation) and got a pleasant surprise from her boss - "Approved". In the meanwhile, the bank loan that she had applied for the World tour got processed as well. It was all falling in place and suddenly she was feeling like Phileas Fogg of Around the world in eighty days. Unlike Mr. Fogg, she did not have to prove a point to anyone that she could cover the world within a specified time and of course she did not have a man servant like Passepartout travelling with her. Well, she is such a nice person that her friends around the world decided to be Passepartout's. I am happy I was one of them who helped in her a small way fulfill her dream.

To me, her first step was to google and write down this desire as a part of her "Dream list" and the dream came true in no time. I am not amazed by this because I find this happening all around me and I firmly believe that if you take the first step...everything else will fall in place - Whatever you dream to do.
Dream BIG and Take the FIRST STEP!

Deilight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly make your choice NOW!

Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

It is this moment that counts

2009-08-23T20:37:00.000+05:30

Think of leadership and leaders, then the word inspiration cannot skip your thought. A team may not always be able to achieve its goal by setting clear objectives, training, execution, consistently monitoring and measuring the path to success. There are times when the entire team may doubt their own potential to acheive the target/goal. Despite all the efforts of working to the plan and working hard, the dream that everyone believed suddenly starts to fade due to one big obstacle. Moreover, the track record and history at overcoming this challenge also many a times reflects nothing but disappointing failures.

People often need to be reminded that its a lot to do with the mind than the obstacle itself. Such situations demand the leaders to step in and inspire the team. How do you do that as a leader?

Show courage & belief in the team
Remind the team of the dream
Talk about how hard the team has worked to get thus far
Tell them that it is this moment that counts
Make them believe - "we are the best"
Get into action straightaway
Most importantly, keep your speech short but powerful

I was inspired to write this blog after I watched the movie "Miracle" that Disney made in 2004. The movie is dedicated to Herb Brooks -the American ice hockey coach, best known for coaching the U.S. hockey team to a gold medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics in an event known as the "Miracle on Ice". Brooks died in the year 2003 in a car accident. The film states in the end "He never saw it. He lived it."

Click http://www.gettingtodelight.com/blog.php to watch Kurt Russel's (who plays Herb Brooks) speech to his team.

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make your choice NOW!

Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

Drawing inspiration from the sprint King

2009-08-17T18:05:00.000+05:30

Yes, Usain Bolt it is - who set the 100m world record in a stunning 9.58 seconds at Berlin on 16th August. Whenever I see any human being achieve what was considered impossible or that which has never been done before, I am in total awe and feel my adrenaline high. These are the people who keep reminding me - "Yes I can". Following the win, Bolt mentioned in his interview: "I think it will stop at 9.4 but you never know. I dont run for world records. I will just keep going".

Watch Bolt break the 9.6 barrier in this video below - click the link if you are unable to access - http://www.g2delight.blogspot.com/

He reminds you of......well nothing - No comparisons :)

If you are following my blogs, a few weeks ago when Roger Federer won the Wimbledon sixth time and set a record for maximum Grand Slam titles by any male (15), I made a point where Roger also quoted that he does not play for records.

It certainly is not a rhetoric statement of the "Greats", rather the truth. Echoing the words of Usain bolt, we should also keep telling ourselves "Just keep going". With the commitment and passion, things will automatically fall in place. Whenever I need a push, I watch efforts/achievements like these and it really inspires me to progress through a tough/testing moment.

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts" - Sir Winston Churchill

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make your choice NOW!

Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

Building Yourself as a Brand

2009-07-31T17:14:00.000+05:30

Branding yourself by discovering your strengths, developing on them, managing your weakness and positioning yourself the way you want others to perceive you is important for success in todays business world. I certainly was one of the happier and benefitted participants yesterday in the Personal Branding workshop organized by Ficci Ladies Organization (FLO). We had some exciting speakers from the corporate training field in India that included Mohan Raman, Ganesh Anantharaman, Kesan and Nina John share their views about this topic

I was reminded of Satya Sai's explanation of "You" by Mohan Raman - "The Way you see yourself (Personal), the Actual You (More enlightening and spiritual) and the way others see you (What's required in today's business and social world). Personal branding is the third "You" - our ability to get people to associate our name with something we want to be linked or connected with. Perhaps an image, style, words, profession etc. It was rather interesting to note that in many cases (Celebrity world), people have created their brand unconsciously and used that as a strategy in the latter part of their lives to achieve what they wanted.

Ganesh and Kesan introduced "The temparament instrument" which happens to be the brain child of Professor Pradip Khandwala (IIM - A) and that is a great tool to know about yourself. I realized that I had a greater allery to ambiguity that I thought I had from this highly validated and proven instrument. I have worked on a couple of other instruments in the past and have noticed striking similarities - This means that I have good news and bad news.

Well, the good news is that I have been honest and spontaneous about answering these "Strengths questionnaires" which has made me more "Self Aware" and that certainly is a strength. However the fact that scores havent changed much over the last 6 months also reflects that my plan is not working to its best. Time to make changes to the plans and I am making that NOW! Hey, that is also a sign that I am getting my tolerance levels better (Reducing the allergy to ambiguity factor). HURRAY!!

For those of you who are interested to know your strengths, I recommend you to start with Dr. Martin Seligman's VIA Character Strengths test @ http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/Default.aspx

I had some great insights and benefits from this online survery too which ranked 24 of my Character strengths in the order of significance. Dr. Seligman recommends that we pay more attention to the top 5 called "Signature strengths" and find ways to use them more often.

Overall, it doesn't matter what instrument you use but your top priority is to build yourself as a Brand. These surveys, tests and instruments are the first steps to "Know thyself", Once you know what you are - make a plan to use the strengths, manage your weakness and promote the brand "You" to move from the ORDINARY to EXTRA-ORDINARY,

“Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly make your choice NOW”

Meet me at : www.gettingtodelight.com

What is that?

2009-07-13T19:31:00.000+05:30

I got a video forward recently from one of our family friends, Mr. Sriram with the title "What is that?". When I watched it, I could not resist writing back to ask his permission to include the video in my blog. He replied that his friend from Rallis India was the one who had sent it to him and deserved a mention. Since I had problems loading the video file, I decided to check out if youtube had the same video and yes it is one of the most popular ones with over 1,206,340 views and shares a "5" start rating by 3077 people.

Patience seems to be a diminishing quality in most of us as we grow up and become an adult. We want peace and quiet when we return home from work forgetting that we were kids too. We cannot repeat an instruction more than once to a colleague and start complaining. When a new hire wants you to teach him/her the task again, we term them "incompetent" and send them back to the HR department. We have zero tolerance to customers requests and call them "Strange", "Difficult" or "Not possible".

We get restless when we have to wait - for a bus, at the dentist, in the middle of a traffic snarl or even for the rain to stop. Nothing's gonna change by getting upset or emotional.

Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret - Ambrose Bierce

Here are some things that you can choose to do from now:

Take it easy, hold your nerves, smile and enjoy the moment wherever you are.
Give your love, respect and attention to the elders at home and the family. They truly deserve it.
Your customers are the very reason why your company is in business and the fact that you still have your job. Engage with them, build rapport and take efforts to fulfill their requests.
Listen to your colleagues, offer to help them when you see they are busy.
Be Happy and delight someone everyday.

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make your choice NOW!

Life is like a game of tennis

2009-07-07T22:40:00.001+05:30

Sunday last was just amazing as I sat up watching the match between Andy Roddick and Roger Federer. Almost every game, the final set in particular - I was either tweeting or chatting with friends on the possibility of a Roddick win. I wasn't totally shocked or surprised about Roger setting a record and winning his 15th Slam - He definitely is a true champion. Whenever we hear the Champions speak after they set records, they all often say that they never started playing the game with that intent. Neither do they sit back and relax after achieving the unprecedented feats. Roger in fact mentioned that he will go on to play the game with passion as he just loves it and if he can win more, its all the better.

I like MacAnderson's blogs, quotes and books. Even though I have not read his book "Charging the Human battery" completely, I thought it will be great to pick up one page of this book and pen it down for you. It talks about "Tennis and Service"

"Serve and Grow rich". Someone once said, "Life is like a game of tennis. The player who serves well seldom loses". Financial wealth is fleeting but what we do for others is lasting.

Serving others makes us feel good about ourselves because in our heart's we know it's the right thing to do. As Martin wright said "Service is the rent we pay for being. It is the very purpose of life and not something you do in your spare time". Even the simplest gestures demonstrates this - think about opening the door for someone. They say "thank you" - You say "You are welcome". Your heart smiles because you feel good about yourself. You did the right thing.

Create a Service culture, where your employees focus on serving the customer and serving each other. Good things will happen and you create a company about which everyone who works is proud of. People definitely understand that Customers pay the bills and their salaries. However it is serving each other with a smile in the heart, that makes it a great place to work.

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make your choice NOW!

Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

Negative thoughts - Worse than Swine Flu

2009-07-02T23:01:00.000+05:30

I had a wonderful 2 hour session today with some boys and girls who are aspiring to be flight stewards and air hostesses in the near future. I was speaking about customer service and I wrote the word "Emotion" on the whiteboard, circled it and asked the guys to come up with all emotions they could think of and demonstrate the same with a bit of body language or facial expressions as they mentioned the word.

First word was "Joy", then "Happy" which was followed by "Smile" .There was bit of fun and humor in the class as the kids who were in this brainstorming session attempted to facially express these words. Then someone set the ball rolling for the "CONTRA" words. I heard "Sad" after which I did not have time to turn back even to look who was voicing out the words from the group of students. I realized the mood in the classroom getting a bit more serious and within 60 seconds there were 14 negative emotions fired at me without a pause. (I did not think there were so many negative emotions - it included words like Dull, Collapsed, Shock, Frown and so on).

What amazes me is that the human brain faces a big challenge when it has to open the the positive pages of it's dictionary. It has to first look for the keys, open the book, search for the pages, find the words - My my, that is a humongous task. The brain finds it a lot easier to shift gear the moment it has an opportunity.

When it gets to negative words / thoughts or influences, - beware they can be more contagious than Swine flu. As regards to the disease, everyone realizes that prevention is better and wears a mask. I recommend that you also wear an imaginary helmet to block these negative thoughts as they are silent killers.

Perhaps negative feelings are also like the automatic sensor taps in wash counters of unclean public toilets. Show your hands and the water flows out - dirty water. Withdraw your hands to stop getting more dirty. In other words, pull yourself out when surrounded by the negative - It's the only way out.

If only we could reverse this and make positivity more contagious, we will not only make a difference to our lives but also to the people around us.

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make your choice NOW!

Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

Reinventing your business

2009-06-16T18:06:00.000+05:30

Few weeks ago, I heard "Allegria" by Cirque du Soleil (CDS) - the entertainment company based out of Canada. I had never heard the music before and somehow it was powerful. I also tried to recollect something I had read/heard about CDS. The thing which instantly flashed in my mind is that this company had reinvented its business and I had read about it somewhere - Nothing more. I left it at that thinking I should perhaps read more about CDS.

Yesterday I had a nice lunch with a couple of good friends from the hospitality industry. The topic of our discussion was about how hotels compare what the competition do and then try to apply similar practices into their own. It includes customer attracting techniques, sales promotions, cost cutting measures etc. Interestingly business owners also are keen to find out if a competitor in the industry has paid a bonus or increment during these times of recession and act based on that information. None of us who were dining were business owners ourselves but it did not appear logical for any of us to do something like that - in particular w.r.t human potential related issues.

When I returned home I was curious to see if I had any articles or books in my library that spoke about companies which reinvent the business on their own without taking a look into the competition. I browsed though Tom Peters "In Search of Excellence", then went on to read a few pages from "Built to last" by Jim Collins. These books certainly talk about Successful companies and the authors make some extra ordinary comparisons. Somehow, I wasn't happy as I could not relate our discussion for the day. Luckily, I just hit upon CDS while browsing the net and I was absolutely convinced reading about this Canadian company.

CDS was started in 1984 by a group of street performers (perhaps 20 people) who were entertaining people in Quebec city lead by Guy Laliberte. Today, they are a 1 billion $ company with many awards for innovation and have a workforce of over 4000 employees. How did they do it?

During the early 90's the circus industry was declining & every other circus company in town was benchmarking one another and maximizing their share by tweaking traditional acts. These included hiring more famous clowns and more skilled lion tamers, multiple show arenas with 3 rings. It really meant increased costs for the company without altering the audience experience in any major way. Moreover the circus industry was catering to a limited segment of the audience (the Children and adolescent) who were more attracted to the Nintendo's and Playstations. Besides, there were also sentiments rising from animal welfare activists. Circus worldwide began to dwindle and slowly wipe out.

CDS, all this while was least concerned with what the competition was doing. They created a new market with the adult theater customers by offering them an unprecedented experience - the fun and thrill of circus coupled with intellectual sophistication & artistic richness of the theater. They were ready to pay more for such quality entertainment and newer experience. Unlike traditional circus shows having a series of unrelated acts, for example, each Cirque du Soleil creation has a theme and story line, somewhat resembling a theater performance. Although the theme is vague (and intentionally so), it brings harmony and an intellectual element to the show—without limiting the potential for acts.

"The only way to beat the competition is to stop trying to beat the competition" - W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne in their book Blue Ocean Strategy.

I am not suggesting that every business owner, leader must be oblivious of the competition but I just think one does not need to "Be" the competition and mimic every aspect.

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make your choice NOW!

"Cross training after Crossing 40" - Learning never stops

2009-06-14T23:43:00.000+05:30

I must say that I have returned from a high spirited, energizing visit to the Emirates. Although it has been 2 weeks, Le Meridien Al Aqah beach resort in Fujairah is just so close to my heart that I continue to enjoy this moment now thinking about all the people who made a difference and a great impact on me. I am happy to write this blog about one such person (there are many more). There are two reasons why I begin this blog with him;

1. It's a promise I made to him that the next blog I write in my website - it will be about him.

2. I was more than impressed by his action and genuine effort to help another department in the hotel.

Velayudan (in the pic) is the Chief security officer (CSO) at Le Merdien Al Aqah beach resort. Dedication to his role, respect for the job and honesty are always qualities that I have admired in this man. With due respect to all the CSO's that I have worked with in my life, I have never come across anyone who is so specialized in fire fighting and one who trains the entire team with utmost sincerity on emergency procedures.

You might then be wondering what he is doing at the reception of this hotel. Yes, he is checking out a guest. This man is over 40 plus and has spent many years of his life in hotels with a different perspective (Safety and Security of customers and employees). In my view and also from what I have seen overs the years, "Security and Service mindset" are usually a kind of mismatch. So, I asked him what made him do a cross training at front office and learn Opera - the Front office system to check in and check out customers. He said that at first he just wanted to help the department on weekends when the reception gets crowded owing to 150 arrivals or more and an equal number of departures. Once he started to interact with the customers, he started to enjoy what he was doing. He said that through this exposure he understood his own job better, his perception about people and the way he looked at others changed. Above all, he realized that it takes very little effort to learn something new even when you are 40 plus. Most important thing is to take the first step. I probably have mentioned this before but it applies to this situation again and hence I write it as Zig Ziglar saiys - People who dont take the first step will never take the second.

I interviewed the Front office Manager (FOM) of the hotel later to find out if he felt the CSO's presence as an intrusion to his operation. The FOM was candid to admit that at first he thought it minght be, but now he thinks Velayudan is a great help and god send on weekends in particular.

The General Manager in fact thinks it would be wonderful for all HOD's to go through some cross trainings. A chance to discover oneself as well as a learning experience. But he would never push for it as such efforts are individual and cannot be a forced affair. I think he is absolutely right!

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make your choice NOW!

Engage your Customers

2009-05-17T17:20:00.000+05:30

In his 10 Commandments of Exceptional Customer Service, Mark Sanborn writes;

Marketing creates demand.
Selling creates transactions.
Service creates customers

This is absolutely true and your company must create customers by providing great products and service, however there is fierce competition out there who are able to very quickly imitate your product and match the service with cheaper rates. The big question now is how do we keep the buyers coming back or retain them?

Customer retention and loyalty increases only by ENGAGING and INVOLVING them. It's the relationship between your company or its associates that keeps the customers stick to your brand. As I keep working on my current assignment at Le Meridien Al Aqah beach resort in Fujairah UAE, I interact casually with some of their regular clients and I learn the reasons that make them frequent this hotel.

One guest from Holland commented that the butchery chef knows well that he loves Mayonaise and he makes sure that there is Mayonaise Sauce on his table whenever he dines at any of the restaurants in the hotel. In fact the guest actually calls this Chef and informs him about his next visit before he even contacts the reservations team. WOW!

Another Customer from Germany who are visiting for the 10th time said "Almost all the staff know our name and even my favorite beer and as he was mentioning that to me, a smiling associate handed out a Heineken from a tray of assorted drinks to him at the General Manager's Guest Cocktail party.

Take a look at the picture below - It's the Associate Grafitti wall located back of the house where the staff involve their guests as well in writing about the hotel. A perfect example of engaging customers.

This wall is filled with positive things about the hotel and it really inspires the associates as they walk the corridor to start work each day.

Southwest airlines is another great company that is well known for engaging their customers. Watch this flight attendant making the in flight announcement in his Rap style as the passengers clap with him.

Teaming up to thank the boss

2009-05-09T21:17:00.000+05:30

I am a raving fan of Le Meridien Al Aqah beach resort not just because I have worked in this place but because this hotel, it's leadersip and the employees continue to amaze me consistently. Today, I am glad to back in this hotel which has bagged numerous awards in the past. On the 7th May 2009, the hotel once again won 4 more at the MENA (Middle East and North Africa Travel Awards) in Dubai. I am here in the hotel now, not as an employee but as a consultant and I can feel the pride and happiness around the associates (as they call themselves now with the Starwood) about winning the awards. The smiles, greeting each other over the achievement and sharing the celebrations with the customers is a treat to watch.

As an example of how they celebrate and thank each other, I recall the year 2005 when the General Manager of the hotel, Mr. Patrick Antaki returned from the World travel Awards held in United Kingdom with a trophy for the "Best Leisure hotel". As a gesture and a surprise to the GM, we arranged a a little party on the 15th Floor lounge of the hotel which had a fantastic view of the Ocean and what he saw was the picture below;

Yes, it's the associates forming a human chain on the shores to thank the boss. Winning is indeed about being together at all times and expressing gratitude to your collegues and customers.

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make your choice NOW!

Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

Are you just there or really present?

2009-05-07T18:01:00.000+05:30

I am completely in love with the location from where I write this blog. It's the 15th floor club lounge of Le Meridien Al Aqah beach resort in Fujairah with a panoramic view of the vast Indian Ocean and blue skies right in front. As my laptop was booting up, I stood by the enormous windows taking deep breaths enjoying the precious moments. Life is indeed a gift. I worked in this very same hotel for 3 years until December 2005 and ironically not once can I remember taking time alone at this lounge to appreciate the beauty of nature and life. Life is about the present moment and I am happy I did that NOW!

I originally intended to write about my flight to Dubai and the little things I noticed on-board, customer service of course. I flew Emirates and the check in agent at the airport was helpful to give me an aisle seat next to the emergency doors as requested. Throughout the flight I paid attention to how the staff performed and it actually does not take an expert to understand the motivation levels of employees. It was evident that some of them were REALLY PRESENT to serve customers while the rest were JUST THERE for a paltry sum they were paid (at least they thought so and one of them even mentioned that to me while I was deplaning).

The "Just there" (JT) employees had rigid faces and;

1. Used expressions like "towels?" when they were serving cold /hot towels with very little politeness.

2. Were whining to their colleagues on why he/she did not clear a tray in a particular row after the meal was served. Obviously the passenger had not finished eating.

3. Refused a timid passenger (who did not speak fluent English) use the toilet after the flight landed saying it was filled with soiled linen. I had to intervene, talk the flight attendant out of his laziness to help the poor passenger out of his agony.

4. Acted without thinking on basics. One "JT" employee connected a laptop of a passenger to the socket near the emergency doors in order to charge the battery until the safety hazard of the wire getting in between was pointed out by.......who else but one of them that belonged to a different category below.

The same flight also had the "YAY" employees who were Really Present with a bright smile and a warm greeting.

1. I remember Lyn who escorted me all the way to seat 37C and commented with enthusiasm ,,Perfect seat for a comfortable journey".

2. She tried to help a man who did not speak English with the details of his transit time at Dubai on his way to Jeddah. I saw no signs of frustrations and in fact volunteered to help her with the translation for which she was thankful.

3. One flight attendant who was energetic all through took position in the middle of the aircraft after we landed and was thanking every passenger as they crossed him to get down from the plane. The really present ones can make an impact even with a Single phrase. He only said "Thank you for flying Emirates" with a true Smile.

4. These guys kept the passengers engaged and also were having fun on the job.

If you are just there, your customers can spot you easily just as much as they appreciate the "Really present" ones which is what I have done.

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make your choice NOW!

Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

2009-04-28T08:38:00.000+05:30

47 year old Susan Boyle, a name that nobody knew until 15 days ago has taken the world by storm when she decided to dream of becoming a professional singer, get on stage and perform despite knowing she was facing a hostile audience at the Britain's got Talent show.

Over 100 million views in two weeks, more clicks as the clock ticks. Yes, that is the status of Susan's video on you tube since 11th of April 2009 when her talent was first broadcast to the world.

Her plump figure, curly hair and presumably clumsy appearance was received with laughter and cynical reactions from the judges and the audience as she walked on stage. One could see contempt in that voice of Simon Cowell - one of the judges when he asked ,"What is your name darling?". Susan's response of becoming a professional singer to the likes of Elaine Paige only got more eyes rolling and frowns when she was asked "What's the dream?".

However as she started to sing "I dreamed a dream" from Les Miserables in an angelic voice as sweet as nectar from heaven, everyone at the Clyde auditorium in Glasgow Scotland was stunned, filled with remorse and felt ashamed for mocking based on her looks. Then they stood and applauded the biggest suprise that even the judges have seen in the 3 years since this show began.

Watch Susan at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY before you read further.

I choose to highlight four statements as lessons for all of us:

1. One local newspaper which I was reading yesterday had an article about Susan Boyle with the headline "Some dreams begin at forty seven".

2. I know what they were thinking, but why should it matter as long as I can sing? It’s not a beauty contest. - Susan Boyle, The Sunday Times.

3. After the performance, Amanda Holden, another Judge said, "I am so thrilled because I know that everybody was against you. I honestly think that we were all being very cynical, and I think that's the biggest wake-up call ever. And I just want to say that it was a complete privilege listening to that."

4. Walt Disney coined "Dream, dare, do" as his business philosophy and since the time his team started believing in these three words, disney has achieved unparalleled success. Susan is an example of how this is so true in any individual's life as well.

Delight yourself first, to delight people around you. Most importantly make your choice NOW!

Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

Unleash your employees creativity

2009-04-23T15:30:00.000+05:30

I recently had a meeting with the Executive director of a potential client about helping them set up a training center and a training process for their teams. They have been in business for many years now and there has been a hollow in their employee learning and development programs. I found them candid and there was an earnest interest to get the facility up and running ASAP and offer employees the right environment to learn, perform & grow.

While we formalized on what, when and how to's of the assignment, I was also shown the space that had been identified as the training center. The room was clean and basic but the walls appeared naked. So, we spoke about decorating them with some ready made motivational stuff that include wall posters, customer service graffiti, great quotes of leaders etc. Then a flash just crossed my mind - Hang on...just as much as the owners are keen, the employees need to be involved in their own learning and development and it starts with them. So, I suggested that we talk to the employees from each department and let them unleash their creativity to decorate different sections of the wall that will provide a motivating environment for them and their co-workers. That way we could also discover some hidden talents in the form of artists, poets, interior designers and may be even to help the company in it's re branding efforts. The Management found the idea cool and hopefully it should pay off.

Pixar which is well known for making blockbuster movies like Finding Nemo and Toy Story is a great example of a company that provides a great learning and development environment. They set up what they call as Pixar University (PU). One would certainly expect them to conduct classes on movie making. They do that YES and also classes in Sculpture, drawing,singing, pottery, theatre and more.

When Randy Nelson, the Dean of PU was asked how teaching employees pottery or singing will help Pixar, he said:

We have made the leap from an idea-centered business to people-centered business.
Instead of developing ideas, we develop people
Instead of investing in ideas, we invest in people.
We are trying to create a culture of learning, filled with lifelong learners. It's no trick for talented people to be interesting, but it is a gift to be interested. We want an organization filled with interested people.

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make your choice NOW!
Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

Formula to Success

2009-04-21T12:44:00.000+05:30

I have been asked many a times during training sessions and in particular by the people who regard me as a Mentor about feeling demotivated on failing to achieve something. The follow up statements I am used to hearing are:

I have given it my best shot and I can't think of any better way

(or) I am lost. I don't know what to do next.

For those of you still caught up in this low morale feel, I am glad I found this video of Allan Pease who is highly regarded worldwide as a body language expert . His book titled "The definitive book on Body Language" has sold over 1 million copies and is great fun to read.

He talks about GOALS and how a 3 step formula saved his life after being diagonised of advance Prostrate cancer. With doctors confirming 98% chances he would die in 3 years, he chose to study the remaining 2% who survived and battled it out.

What I loved most is Allan deciding to write out an audacious goal without a deadline to speak at Kremlin and Vladimir Putin becoming his fan later.

To summarize Allan's Formula for success:

1) Make the decision to have a clearly defined goal / goals - Decide what you want to do first and the how's will follow.

2) Have a written plan of action with deadlines - It's the difference between Millionaires and Billionaires. Have a continual list to prevent running out of what to do next when you face an obstacle with one.

3) No matter what anyone says just follow through with your goal - Everyone around you, those who love you in particular will try to stop you. They dont want to see you fail. Just go through with it.

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make your choice NOW!

Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

Creating Magical moments

2009-04-19T11:53:00.000+05:30

You visit a restaurant in town with your family or friends, have a nice meal and then ask for the check. The waiter brings you a black or brown leather folder containing the bill and a little comment card for you to fill about the food, ambiance and service. As you take the plastic money out of your wallet, you pass the comment card to one of the ladies around the table and ask them to fill it. You then settle the bill and leave - "Ordinary"

Most restaurants / hotels forget that settling bill is also a part of the dining experience.

Let's take the same scenario where you have just had a nice meal with family or friends and have asked for the check. How about getting a huge colourful cotton candy on your table, the smiling waiter in a nice tone says "With every check comes a cotton candy with compliments" before presenting the leather folder to you?

You can see the child in everyone popping out suddenly eager to reach out to the candy with giggles and laughter. There is so much fun around the table as you are settling the bill. Yeah, that's the magical moment which gets etched in your memory and will be talked about. - "Extraordinary"

Did it cost the restaurant a lot of money to do that? Was it asking for too much from the waiter - Not at all!

Great service organizations consistently work on these little touch points to create memorable experiences and that's what makes the best stand out from the rest.

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make your choice NOW!

Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

The "YOU" factor - Lead change & Be Happy

2009-04-17T18:50:00.000+05:30

Couple of days ago, I was flipping the pages of various books at the Landmark book stores in chennai when I chanced upon a "Serenity prayer". Most often when I browse the pages in this manner, words check in and check out from my mind but this one got registered and said I will never leave. Here's how it goes:

God, I pray to you to grant me

the serenity to accept

the things I cannot change

courage to change the

the things I can

wisdom to know the difference

between the two.

Easier said than done I agree. Let me borrow an example from Stephen Covey's 90-10 principle of life to talk more about this;

You are having breakfast with your family. Your daughter knocks over a cup of coffe on to your business shirt. You can't change what just happened coz it's beyond your control. What happens next is determined by;

Emotional Reaction: you curse. You harshly scold your daughter for knocking the cup over. She breaks down in tears. After scolding her, you turn to your wife and you criticize her for placing the cup too close to the edge of the table. A short verbal battle follows. You storm upstairs and change your shirt. Back downstairs, you find your daughter has been too busy crying to finish her breakfast and getting ready to go to school. She misses the bus. Your spouse must leave immediately for work. You rush to the car and drive your daughter to school. Because you are late, you drive 40 miles per hour in a 30 mph speed limit zone. After a 15-minute delay and throwing $60.00 traffic fine away, you arrive at school. Your daughter runs into the building without saying goodbye. After arriving at the office 20 minute late, you realize that you forgot your briefcase. Your day has started terrible. As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse. You look forward to coming home.rWhen you arrive home, you find a small wedge in your relationship with your wife and daughter. Why all this and why such a bad day? Is it because of the Coffee, your daughter, wife, traffic or YOU? - "You" know the answer.

(or)

Responsive action - ideally what could have and what should have happened;

coffee splashes over you. Your daughter is about to cry. You gently say: “It’s okay, honey, you just need to be More careful next time.” Grabbing a towel you go upstairs and change your shirt. You grab your briefcase, and you come back down in time to look through the window and see your child getting on the bus. She turns and waves. You arrive 5 minutes early a cheerfully greet the staff. Scene starts the same in both cases, ends totally different - See the difference?

You really have no control over 10% of what happens in your life. The other 90% was determined by your emotional reaction (or) Responsive action.

Now, go back to the prayer, read it again. I recommend that you in fact chant it everyday until you discover the secret formula for happiness.

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make you choice NOW!

Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

Techie as a cabbie

2009-04-15T15:40:00.000+05:30

How often do you come across a well groomed cab driver who will;

Smile, greet and open the door for you - Help you with your luggage when you get in and get out - Remind you to put on your seat belt for safety - Play music after checking with you (limited choice though) - Pick up a nice conversation in fluent English explaining en route attractions during a 4 hour drive - Stop for a snack at a great place recognizing need (Growling stomach) - Thank you for choosing him and hand over a business card at drop off

Perhaps you can expect the first four basic courtesies from a well trained cab driver of a 5 star hotel but certainly not in the remote parts of Maharashtra. I should say we were lucky to find SILVERA (our driver's name) on our return trip from Shirdi to Pune.

Though initially I was overawed by Silvera's customer service skills and professionalism, it did not take me too long to find out that he owned not just this Chevrolet Tavera but 17 more similar ones. He was replacing one of his drivers that day who had applied for a day's leave. I have read about a General Manager of a hotel wearing the bell boys' uniform for a day but I had never heard of a travel company owner (18 vehicles) acting as a driver. So, naturally I took advantage of our driving time to get an interview done and have published the summary;

me: It's just a day's leave requested by your driver and yet you to choose make this 8 hour trip (to & fro) - Is it about money?
Silvera (SIL): It's not just about money, yes I certainly lose about 4000 Rs/- in case I happen to park the vehicle in the garage but driving is my passion. When there is an opportunity like this I seize it to:
(a) Lead by example - It shows my drivers how much I value their job and the business itself.
(b) Interact with my customers and get direct feedback
(c) Experience what my drivers go through and I could relate with challenges they face while driving.
(d) Meet my business partners across the state (Tie-up's with travel agencies - talks about his lunch with the one at Shirdi that afternoon).

me: do you have any business rules or philosophy?
SIL: Customers are really everything to the business" and hence I believe in providing them "Safety, Comfort and Service". His business cards reads that!

me: how do you recruit your drivers?
SIL: Mostly references from my team or known contacts, but the basic must haves are a Valid license, min 5 years experience on road (for knowledge of routes within the state) - I verify this. Basic english is an advantage but it's hard to find.

me: How do you ensure your drivers provide the same experience to Customers as you have given us?
SIL: I train, talk to them and convince them that customers will be happy to pay for Safety, comfort and Service. They are getting better everyday and I can see that. Though I may not be able to guarantee the same level of service at this stage, I am striving to achieve that.

me: How do you handle customer complaints?
SIL: I take them very seriously. Infact my drivers know that if I get any speeding complaints from the customers, that will be their last day at work. Safety stands at "Position 1" amongst our beliefs and I cannot compromise on that (he jokes about Anthony, one of his drivers who has got a couple of driving too slow complaints on the highway).

me: How long have you been in this business and what is your long term plan?
SIL: 6 months since I started off and I wish to own a few VOLVO buses and may be even challenge NEETA Volvo (which has the biggest market in Maharashtra) in the future.

me: Only 6 months, so what have you been doing all this while?
SIL: I am a SAP Consultant and continue to work for a SEI-CMM Level 4 IT Company. I have been an IT professional for 13 years and decided to start my own business. I have always been fond of vehicles and even as early as school/college days I would drive heavy trucks. Right now, I am on notice period and ready to take on rental car full time. I have managed it over the last 6 months simply from home with mobile phones and with the hep of a director-partner who is a retired military professional.

For that surprise news - "Techie as a Cabbie", we had to stop for refreshments and take a breath of fresh air. The journey after that was equally impressive and touching in a way when I got to learn about situations and challenges he has had to deal with in his personal life and keep his dream going.

I recently read about how visionary companies have become successful from the book "built to last" by Jim collins where he writes about leaders of these companies having BHAG"s - Big Hairy Audacious Goals. Let me cite an example from the same book to quickly tell you about BHAG's. In 1890's, City Bank (as Citicorp was then named) was an unspectacular regionanl bank with only a president, a cashier and a handful of employees. Yet president James Stillman set the almost ludicrous (but certainly stimulating) aim "to become a great national bank" and IT DID BECOME ONE.

I could see Stillman's confidence and commitment in Silvera when he spoke about owning Volvo's and perhaps challenge NEETA travels.

To know more about Silvera's business or to utilize his services if you are in Pune, log on to: www.virgotransline.com.

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make your choice NOW!

meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

We are not parcels!

2009-04-12T18:58:00.000+05:30

It's a little more than 2 hours since I reached home tired after 3 days of hectic travel to Pune and Shirdi. My body calls for the hibernation mode, while the mind insits on blogging at least one of our travel experiences that ranged from disasters, disappointments to delight. If you belong to the service industry, I am sure you would know that customers often share bitter experiences more to the world than good ones. For the moment, I will go with these statistics;

We had booked our flight tickets (Chennai-Pune-Chennai) through a popular travel website and expected everything to be smooth. The turbulence that started on the flight to Pune decided to be our travel partner. Wow - When it rains...it does POUR".

I have to respect my body's request and stick to writing only about the airline service today, but I promise to blog the other experiences, the delights in particular over the next week.

During the onward journey from Pune to Shirdi, my brother-in-law (BIL) got a call from the airline saying our return flight at 18:45 hrs for Sunday was cancelled due to a technical snag and that they had rebooked us on a flight leaving Pune at 13:30 hours. It did not fit our original plan according to which we were scheduled to drive down from Shirdi on Sunday morning. A five hour travel to Pune means, we were running the risk of missing the plane.

When my BIL explained the scenario and that we prefer an evening flight, he was advised that there was a flight at 17:45 hrs from Pune that will reach Chennai at 20:30 hours via Mumbai. We did not hesitate, think any further and accepted it. A little later an SMS beeps on my BIL's phone with the message that our flight will reach Chennai at 23:35 hours. We called them back to realize that the verbal communication about the arrival time in Chennai was indeed wrong. My BIL once again patiently spoke about our situation plus my health condition to another Customer Service representative (CSR2) which does not allow such tedious travel and asked for alternative.

Here is how they handled it;

1. They said there was no other flights for that day in the evening and nothing much could be done. Our flight had unfortunately been xxld for security reasons (Now it's not a technical snag).
2. When my BIL complained, a third CSR suggested a low cost alternative airline well known for delayed take offs & cancellations though we had paid full. We were absolutely irritated.
3. Our plea to escalate the issue brought the CSR1 back online arguing that he had conveyed 23:35 verbally with the "I am right, you're WRONG" attitude. His atrocious tone of voice triggered my BIL's emotions, the result of which spontaneously came the words - "We are not parcels" for you to decide our itinerary plan and send an SMS anyway you please.
4. The last straw came when this CSR asked my BIL in a seemingly frustrated tone "What do you want me to do now?". We frankly told him that we could not tolerate him anymore and to put us on to a Manager/Supervisor.
5. We had another acting Supervisor who could not make any decision either and kept apologizing for her colleagues behavior which was not helping us. She was requested to find a solution and revert. We did not hear from them again.
6. Imagine, all this was happening at full time outgoing roaming charges applicable to my BIL.

We had to finally compromise on our travel, arrive a day earlier to Pune and then take the flight back on Sunday afternoon. Luckily, the CSR4 whom we spoke to after adjusting our itinerary was proactive, understood what we had been through, handled our call professionally, offered a tele-check in and took our preferences. This was the only person in the Customer Service of such a well known airline who reflected "Responsibility" and delivered what was promised.

Talk of Clear communication, Empowerment, Responsibility from the other CSR's / Supervisors - It was a sheer disappointment!

The very fact that I have not mentioned the name of the airline means that my perception unlike most customers does not change by one bad experience, especially after having used their service in the past. The CSR4 and Cabin crew service still made up for the mess created by the other team members.

Let me conclude with one of my favorite quote's by Maya Angelou';
People will forget what you said,
People will forget what you did but,
People will never forget how you made them feel!

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make your choice NOW!

Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

Little things to create "Impact" forever

2009-04-05T11:23:00.000+05:30

Staff Cafeteria, locker rooms, employee notice boards often carry posters that say "Customer is the King/Queen" and "Customers pay your salaries" & many more. Many organizations put up these colorful words with the hope of reminding their employees that business does not exist without customers. Unfortunately, the employees treat these statements rhetoric and pay little attention to them.

One way to emphasize and engage employees to provide excellent customer service is for business leaders and managers to keep their eyes and ears open, recognize employees for every little act that created an impact. Let me highlight a couple of such subtle but caring service actions;

A letter received by the Ritz Carlton President Simon Cooper said "One of your employees and I got into an elevator in your hotel. I pushed the sixth floor button and he pressed none. Instead of getting off with me on the 6th floor, your Gentleman simply said, "Have a nice day". Upon exiting the elevator, I asked "Where are you going? Aren't you getting off here? The employee replied, "No, I am going back down to the 5th floor." The guest goes on to say that he couldn't believe that the "Ladies and Gentleman" at the Ritz hotels put their guests needs above their own even in such little things.

I read Brad Montgomery's (Motivational humorist) experience at Starbucks in the book written by Jo Michelli. It's a quick little act but Brad remembers to narrate it and that's what matters. Here's what Jo writes, "According to Brad, "I was chatting with the woman behind the counter at Starbucks. She was a fun person with a big smile. When she returned my credit card after settling the bill, she held it out for me to take it back. But here was the great part: when I grabbed it, she did not let go. I pulled but she hung on. I looked up and met her eyes and bingo! A huge smile was on her face. She was doing it. She was using that tiny bit of humor on the job to inject a playful moment into that day". She just created a magical moment to last forever.

If you are a manager, encourage your team members by telling them such stories to start and they will soon begin to display similar acts on the job automatically. Get them to feel proud to share how they created the "IMPACT" for the day.

You may create customers - it will will be difficult to keep them, unless your employees engage in building relationships. What's important to understand is that one does not necessarily have to always go the extra mile or do something out of this world to produce these "Magical Moments".

Finally, I will not feel convinced having made my point if I fail to include Barbara Glanz's "Johnny the bagger" story. It's a true customer service story to prove that employees at any level, any job can create lasting impressions by providing "Simple & Straight from the heart" service.

Johnny chose to make an "impact". Be a Johnny from today!

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make your choice NOW!

Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

Getting to delight - The philosophy

2009-03-31T12:40:00.000+05:30

I decide from this moment now to rise
And welcome each day with a smile :)
For I know it will keep me agile
To delight myself and the people
I meet in this world all day!

Sunny, rainy, stormy or the skies be clear
I will greet'em all alike with happiness;
Ego, hatred, jealousy and fear
My heart will never let'em near
For only if I master my emotions
Can I greet people all day with cheer

Puzzle, game, lesson, technique or a trick;
A book, a friend, a boss or the world wide web
No matter what & from where, brick by brick
I will learn and SHARE at least one a day
To delight myself and
the lovely people in this world

Time is eternity, life is a journey
Folks who said these live no more
neither do I have the master key
to walk through the eternal door
Procrastinate I must not, for if I do
I will neither delight myself nor
the wonderful people in this world.

To win, I don't need a high Intel. quotient
I may fail but I will try and try again
Persist, persevere and I will be patient
until I succeed, reach my goal and gain
To delight myself and
the beautiful people in this world

I will neither let my past shame
nor my dreams of future fame
affect the now, this moment of Joy
I will cherish each minute of today
I will delight myself and
the fabulous people in this world.
I will live this day as it were my last
For I know, one day it will be!

I have not attempted to write poetry here or let the words sound rhyming. This truly is the philosophy of Getting to delight - Join the movement - to delight NOW!

A friend of mine from school, Kartik Iyer who founded Happy Creative Services (India) Pvt. Ltd., www.thinkhappy.biz/ sent me this video which was one of Happy's first creations for Thermal and a Quarter, a popular Indian rock band. I was so overwhelmed when I saw the video , that I called him to find out if I could add it to my blog or website and he generously agreed. Not just beacuse I liked it but it depicts getting to delight philosophy in many ways.

I believe it's a masterpiece, simple with a deep meaning of life. Sit back, enjoy and play whenever you want a boost . Keep Smiling :)

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make your choice NOW!

Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

Yes or No - Is it really as simple as that?

2009-03-29T16:30:00.000+05:30

If BRAWN Mercedes had a dream debut today (1st and 2nd position) at the Australian F1 Grand Prix, then it was thanks to Kubica's mad rush of blood trying to overtake Vettel at a near impossible bend. With only three laps to go and racing for the 2nd and 3rd spot, this collision not only forced the drivers out of the race but also proved a blessing in disguise to BRAWN's Barrichello who could not believe he finished 2nd!

As the Brawn's were celebrating with a Magnum MUMM champagne, I had this urge to log on to you tube and check out some careless errors by drivers which cost them the race. As I kept clicking from one car crash to another, I hit my Inspiration button. It was not Jenson BUTTON who won the race today, rather Alex Zanardi.

Before I talk about Alex Zanardi, I want you to STOP for a moment and think about today's' race. Even if you didn't watch it, I ask you to picturize the words in the first para. It might be easy for us to say that one has to evaluate risks before making a decision and be totally unfair to Kubica here. Just imagine driving a car fitted with V8 engine at 200 to 300 km/hr, 3 more laps to go and having to decide - Overtake or Don't? ; Yes or No?

Like Malcolm Gladwell, I feel it is in these situations that a very crucial factor called "Gut feel" comes into play. Malcolm discusses about such snap judgments in his book BLINK and how they usually go right compared to cautious decision making. Well, in this case it did fail, but just look at the carefully chosen words here even from Malcolm - "Usually go right". He also explains that such decisions are extremely quick, originate from very little of previous experiences and most importantly taken unconsciously - meaning you just know but don't know why. A Strange and scientifically difficult to accept concept.

If you trust your insticts without being deceived by your mind, the probability of the decision working in your favor is better and brighter. I say this because the mind is always telling you to act based on what you "WANT" and not the "REAL".

As human beings we make qualitative judgments about people whom we meet for the first time either in a party, wedding or a simple business handshake. Such judgments within the first 30 seconds of an interaction include things like whether you want to meet the person again or would you be comfortable engaging in a business relationship, even things like honesty, integrity etc. of that person. What I have said here is not my statement or about me, but scientifically proven. There is no real need for us to make judgments here unlike an F1 race, yet we do and I am forced to question this more than the Kubica one.

Two sides to a coin, right?. There are highly successful people in business, the likes of Jack Welch who wrote "Straight from the Gut" but many of his decisions were not just from the gut. He used carefully worked out theories of management, systems and principles to get GE to where it is today. To cut the long story short, where the gut feel doesn't play a role, then the suggestion is to apply the traditional basics in decision making:

- Recognize the problem/situation on hand
- Availability & access of information necessary
- Evaluate risks involved
- Have alternatives
- Cost/benefit ratios
- Get rid of bias
- Freeze decision, act and review

Gut feel decision or carefully planned, it is imperative to make a decision - Be it business, personal life or Sports! Though not recommended, choosing not to decide which is also a decision may work in your favor but very rare.

Getting back to Zanardi, I was stunned to watch his car crash at the at the Euro Speedway track in Lausitz, Germany in 2001. Until then Zanardi had been a great entertainer on the US CART (Championship Auto Racing Teams) racing track and had won two of them but the moment Tagliani's car hit him at 200 Km/hr , people thought it was his end. His story is a great example of beating all odds to survive and the dramatic events that followed can be read at http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,766954,00.html

The accident:

Though he lost his legs his determination and courage to live a normal life got him walking on prosthetic legs with support within 6 weeks after such a nightmare.

In 2003, Zanardi was not only back behind the wheel, he was also racing again, with the aid of hand-operated brake and accelerator controls. He completed the final thirteen laps at the race track which had nearly killed him in 2001, and did so at highly competitive speeds approaching 310 km/h (193 mph). In fact, had he been qualifying for the race that weekend, he would have been fifth. It was a fitting testament to his recovery and persuaded him that a race return was something to pursue.

Zanardi competed in his first race since the accident at Monza, Italy, in a touring car modified to allow the use of his prosthetic feet, finishing the race quite impressively in seventh, In 2004, he returned to racing full time, driving for Roberto Ravaglia's BMW team Italy-Spainin the FIA European Touring car Championship. The season did not see him score many points, but for 2005 matters were much improved, in a series which became the World touring car championship by adding two non-European races. On August 24, 2005, Zanardi won his first world series race since his accident at Lausitzring.

Watch Zanardi in David letterman's show - Positive and so thankful to what he is today!

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly make your choice NOW!

Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

Everything is amazing, but nobody's happy!

2009-03-24T22:39:00.000+05:30

I returned home this evening from a good physical exercise - brisk walk along the boat club road in Chennai along with two friends from schooldays, one of whom I was meeting for the first time after 16 years. Thanks to social networking sites and facebook in particular that has worked well not just for me but to many more re-establish lost connections. Our trip down the memory lane was nostalgic reminiscences of funny incidents, our teachers and about the rest of the classmates. We then spoke about what we are and how we are today. Not surprisingly the "What" question was easier to answer compared to the "How" one!. That lead us to debate about the generation today - "OURS".

The Primary concern in this highly competitive world is that an obsessed lot are constantly trying hard to achieve a goal in the future which they believe will make them happy. The joy of the PRESENT moment is lost and there is no "I am happy" feeling. If you belong to this lot, it's certainly not too late to make a conscious choice now!

John Lennon said it best - "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans".

Secondly, flat world and fast response are the effects of globalization and technology. The "Tortoise and Hare " fable with the moral "Slow and steady winning the race" is almost extinct and cannot be applied in today's situation. Now it's all about Speed: You can check in to your plane from home, you've got the blackberry to surf the net and respond to mails on the move and what not?.

Whether you are checking in at the airport, standing in queue to pay for your groceries at a supermarket or visiting a hospital to see a doctor - the words you don't want to hear are "Please wait" for reasons whatsoever. Today's generation have (or) have been tuned to live at such a pace that anything less is unacceptable, frustrating and the result - Self induced unwarranted stress!

I am an advocate of Speed and accuracy in customer service, they are not just business commitments but also key differentiators with the competition. Things go wrong in every business and if you happen to be the customer - first understand that technology is there to make life easy, not miserable for you.

Watch Louis CK talk about this on Conan O'Brien late night show about this: Click Play

Of course another common issue is the "me, myself" factor in everyone today and my reasoning is that people are living in an egoistic delusion and the fear of failure or being left behind in the race is driving all of them nuts.

I read an article written by a Volvo employee and this para below caught my attention:

The first time I was in Sweden , one of my colleagues picked me up at the hotel every morning. It was September, cold and snowy. We would arrive early at the company and he would park far away from the entrance (2000 employees drive their cars to work). The first day, I didn't say anything, neither the second nor the third. One morning I asked, "Do you have a fixed parking space? I've noticed we park far from the entrance even when there are no other cars in the lot." To which he replied, "Since we're here early we'll have time to walk, and whoever gets in late will be in a hurry and need a place closer to the door. Don't you think?"

Great attitude and great approach to life, I thought. No wonder, Sweden boasts of some of the world's renowned companies like Volvo, Escania, Ericsson, Electrolux, Nokia and Volvo supplies the NASA.

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make your choice NOW!

Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

Amidst the doom, there are some who bloom!

2009-03-22T11:02:00.000+05:30

It's getting hot everywhere - Global warming on the environment front, recession is blazing and almost all business houses talk of budgets being cut down, sales looking bad, overhead costs high, performance under scanner, unpaid leaves and in worst cases staff SHOWN THE DOOR!

Ask the economic experts and they all remain hopeful that the latter part of 2009 should be fairly better than what we are going through now. Billionaire Warren Buffet described that the economy has fallen off the cliff and warned of unemployment climbing further before the recession is over. There are many out there feeling doomed already after having got the Pink slip and many more caught up in the fear of "What next" or "When is my turn?".

For those of you who wake up with a war of worries, I thought I will share the success story of Marcus Frind who is referred to as the online dating King today. In the year 2003, Marcus founded www.plentyoffish.com - a hugely popular on-line dating site that gets 1.2 billion page views per month and half a million unique logins per day. The most amazing part is that until recently (few months) when he hired a customer service representative , Marcus handled all of it as the CEO and the only employee of this company with a handful of servers. It is reported that he makes up to $10 million a year on Google ads working only two hours a day.

Marcus started this company at a real bad time in 2003 when he was shifting every 2 months from one sinking company to another and was about to get fired. To learn about birth and growth of this empire, I encourage you to read his blog at the link below:

https://plentyoffish.wordpress.com/2006/06/14/how-i-started-an-empire/

Some of Markus's statements that left strong impressions in me...

When he added the Goole Adsense affiliate program to monetize his site for the first time, he says;

"I made a whole $5.63 cents my first month, but that was more then enough for me to realize that I wouldn't go broke running the site and I could make a business out of this with enough traffic" - You might make very little money to start but the positivity is what matters!

"I refused to accept defeat of any kind, and I constantly forced myself to test new things" - Keep Innovating!

"When 2004 rolled around and word of mouth REALLY kicked in and as they say the rest is history".- You need to get people talking about you or your company!

"I look back now at how ill prepared I was, I didn't know anything about SEO, Advertising, community and I didn't even know what Venture Capital was. Just goes to show you ANYONE CAN DO ANYTHING! "

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make your choice NOW!

Meet me at: www.gettingtodelight.com

Dont just read and forward, feel and enjoy!

2009-03-20T20:41:00.000+05:30

For 9 months now, I have successfully managed to escape from the rush hour traffic and tensions of reaching office on time. For the people who continue to do so, I am guessing that the first thing you do is switch on your computers (I did that even before I sat down). And the Inbox awaits you with a bunch of e-mails - between 10 to 200 mails delivered overnight depending on your responsibility level at the office. In my experience, by default there was at least 1 inspirational quote or message amongst the top 3 in the list of e-mails. If I had survived the traffic, I would SPEED READ and go on to the other official mails and in case I happened to be a victim of the traffic jam - OVERLOOK IT and tell myself to read later which never happened.

With all due respect and the goodness about Speed Reading, the truth about the message is not felt by the inner self. I am not getting spiritual but I always had the choice to read the message, smile, enjoy the moment, talk about it to colleagues, even share it in the meetings and feel good the whole day. As I learn to live in the present and not be remorseful of the past, I will allow you to innovate & start your day in a delightful manner and stay that way with the inspiring message that you receive from now on.

With my network getting smaller after I started out on my own, the delight bank has only about 4 or 5 e-mail deposits when I open the account in the morning. To ensure that I get a consistent supply of Inspirational funds, I register with sites like http://www.simpletruths.com/

Alternatively I also talk to my connections and always find one for a day. The success story of the skating prodigy in the image below is what inspired me yesterday.

7 year old Tejaswini is already a state champion at the Roller skating tournament. She has won many individual championships at the quad, district and state level competing with 12 year olds and now age is the only deterrent to participate at nationals (Minimum 8 yrs to qualify). Natural talent transformed recreation into serious sport and she is getting ready to delight India at the 2014 olympics. At such a tender age, she mentions in her interview with a popular daily about famous skaters Chad Hedrick and Barry Publow as role models. I have neither met Tejaswini nor seen her interview but I am glad I know her father Ravi, who was delighted to share the success of his daughter. As we finished our Masala chai & cut fruits - my favorites at the Seasons cafe, Ravi said that the family will do all it takes to make their daughter live her dream. I could see a proud father in him :)

"Any time a thought, a sentence, or paragraph inspires you or opens up your thinking, you need to capture it, like a butterfly in a net, and later release it into your own field of consciousness."
~Steve Chandler

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make your choice NOW!

Meet me at www.gettingtodelight.com

90 minutes V/s 9 hours

2009-03-17T09:56:00.000+05:30

India's national game is hockey, the entire nation loves cricket, Abhinav returns home from Beijing with an Olympic gold for shooting and I decide to write about football. Gives me a funny feel but last Sunday's English Premier league when Aston Villa slumped to a 1-2 defeat against Totenham Hotspur was the first time I compared this game to a day at work.

Irrespective of the referee's decisions in this game, I found a lot of passion, enthusiasm and energy throughout the 90 minutes from all players. Throughout..that's what made it good to watch for the fans and I am pretty sure the players from both teams felt good for having given it their best. Compare it with a day at work, we make a great start but soon give in to the pressure and end up having perhaps an average or a BAD day.

The players were determined and remained focused on the Simple & Straight forward task - Stop, AIM and SCORE in 90 minutes. You have 9 hours in the day to DELIGHT your cutomers - Simple & Straight forward.

Every player has a definite role to play as a forward, defense or mid-field but they are trained to swap places and adapt to situations. They all understand that it will be next to impossible to score by themselves. I could see it that even when there were half chances, their egos did not take over and the players simply passed the ball to the next one who had a better chance to score. Let your ego not dominate while scoring at WORK!

Both teams had to break through a tough line of defense to score. And they did because they were prepared and had a strategy. Competition, internal policies, resistance to change are the some of the defense walls at work which prevent you from scoring with your customers . Be ready to break them - with Strategy and alternate plans.

Free kicks are like Freebies. Mistakes in the form of fouls cost the teams free kicks and this is common in a game of football. As long as lessons are learned out of mistakes at work, you may get away with a service recovery in the form of an apology and a freebie. Repeated errors caused out frustration may lead to losing a customer for good. "Frustration Error = Penalty kick"

Cheers and thunderous roars from the crowd for getting closer to scoring a goal energized the players in this game. The momentum and the spirit of the game got better every time players created opportunities. Create opportunities at work.. to delight customers. Cheer and appreciate when you see your team members making efforts as that will motivate them to do better.

To me the last 2 lines of the last paragraph was the "Winning Edge". Totenham Hotspur created more opporunities, more cheers and hence more goals!

Empathetic endodontist

2009-03-14T07:56:00.000+05:30

Vertical tooth fracture - ever heard of it? At least I hadn't until my dentist called in to confirm my X-ray results last week. I had an appointment to meet her the following day and discuss the next steps. Googling my way through only got me more confused if not too worried. I knew my anxiety would have to wait another 20 odd hours for a better understanding.

"I am sorry Vasanth, it doesn't look like I can save the tooth. We have to extract it", my dentist said with a genuine & caring expression. She had to bring in an endodontist to get the extraction done as it appeared a bit complicated. It was one of the molars way inside and I thought it wouldn't matter much. However, it can get a bit nervous sitting outside waiting for your turn to get the tooth removed. You have very little choice and a local anesthesia on the gum is imperative. A little chat with the enterprising endodontist calmed my nerves and then before the procedure began he said, "It might pain a little but I will try to make it as less painful as it can be". And, yes it was not that bad at all.

If we look at the words used by my dentist and endodontist, it was comforting as there was a clear understanding of my pain. Just imagine if I was told "It's nothing..don't worry".

"EE", I mean enterprising and empathy are great qualities for anyone particularly in customer service. Though people tend to relate "putting yourself in anther's shoes" as empathy, I am not surprised when it gets similar to the story below in real life:

A man walked into a police station and said, "I have three big brothers and all of us live in one big room. My eldest brother has 10 cats, the second one has 5 dogs and third has 2 sheep's. I want you to do something about the smell.". The Inspector asked him, "Are there windows in your room?" The man replied, "Yes, there are 4 big windows." The Inspector asked, "Why don't you open the windows?". The man said, "If I do that all my 500 pigeons will fly away".

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make you choice NOW!

God made me blind, unable to walk..BIG DEAL!

2009-03-12T16:46:00.000+05:30

I was just about to blog my recent experience at a dentist and as I was structuring my thoughts, happened to read an e-mail forward from my mentor and great friend Sam. The article titled Learning to dance in the rain also happens to be the name of the book written by Mac Anderson, Founder of Simple truths.

It was about Patrick Henry Hughes. As soon as I read the name, there was a bell that sounded and my mind said "Hey, wait a minute you know this kid". As I continued reading, I was inspired, thrilled and overjoyed because I knew that it's going to "make my day" once again watching this wonderful gift sent to mother earth - Patrick. I share the video and my delight here.

I am equally touched as much as Mac has been with Patrick's words ""God made me blind and unable to walk. BIG DEAL! He gave me the ability...the musical gifts I have...the great opportunity to meet new people."

Patrick no doubt is a True inspiration. I firmly believe that when something is taken away from you, there is always more left in you that needs to be unearthed. It was his Parents who helped discover this inner talent and nurture it. I salute them both!

So, stop complaining NOW about "The Have nots" in you. Get your Self-image up by developing the attitude of gratitude. Work on your strengths rather than struggling to beat your weakness. You will end up delighting yourself and the people around you.

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make your choice NOW!

When will the markets recover?

2009-03-11T15:56:00.000+05:30

Banking industry collapse, depression, job cuts is what we read or hear - more often than we would like to these days. And the big question that everyone is asking is when will the markets recover?

Okay, now I am not going tell u when the Bulls will return, rather about how quick one can recover if one wants to.

It's an incident that happened a week ago right below the first floor balcony of the apartment where I live. His name is Pandian and he irons clothes for the neighborhood in our locality. If you may call it as his business assets - they are a 4 wheel cart parked on the platform below my window, charcoal iron box, stock of charcoal kept in a plastic bag for 3 days perhaps. On this day, I was woken up at 6AM with commotion on the streets and a bit of smoke. When I looked out, I got to hear that Pandian's ironing cart and rest of his assets had been burnt by some miscreants. An act of vandalism which I have not seen in the 4 years we have lived in this locality. People gathered to find out more information asking the 5 Wives and 1 Husband. I mean - the Who, what, when, where, why and How questions. So, gossips I thought and went back to preparing myself for the day ahead.

At 10:30AM as I was preparing to leave home for a training program I was stunned to see Pandian already at work. I stopped, went up and brought my camera down to take a picture of what I saw.

Take a look, incredible I thought. Back to pressing clothes using a slab supported by stones and the best part is that he was smiling for the photograph. He went on to explain that if he kept thinking about the loss, he would lose more, his Customers!

His business recovery program took only 3 hours. Pandian's Power of Positive thinking and Proactive effort to meet customer needs despite the horrific loss was fantastic. If Pandian can, I am sure you too can - remember only if you want to.

Change - NO..Should I?..Do I?..Can I? - Yes and I dare

2009-03-08T11:52:00.000+05:30

I am motivated to write this blog after I watched a short clip of Priyanka Chopra, former Miss world speaking at the India Today conclave at New Delhi yesterday. Infact the debate and discussions revolved around "Challenges of Change" and day 2 had some powerful, impressive speakers from all over the world. The reason I mention Priyanka is because she reminded me of a sensational Apple computers ad and I was delighted to watch & read it again;

"Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits, the rebels, the trouble makers, the round pegs in square holes, the ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules and they have no respect for Status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or villify them. But the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward.And while some may see them as the crazy ones, We see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do."

From the time it dawned on me on that "Change" is the only thing that is "Constant", I have dared to beat the common mindset. Parents, friends, managers, motivational speakers, books have all played a crucial role in dealing with change. Here are two examples:

Senator Michael O. Leavitt, the former US Secretary of state for Health was visiting India in Jan 2008 and I had the opportunity to attend a conference hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) about the "Changes in Healthcare". He concluded his 10 minute speech saying.."Change is inevitable. You can resist and suffer (or) You can accept and live with it, or You can adapt quickly and LEAD". I coninue to share these words in many of my training programs today.

I am a fan of Marcus Buckingham and his book - First break all the Rules. When it gets to changing others, I cant think of better story than what Marcus quotes in his book. Long time ago, there lived a scorpion on the banks of a river. He wanted to get across to the other side, however he could not swim and sought the help of a frog who was nearby. The idea was to ferry him to the other side on the Frog's back. The frog rejected the idea saying "you will sting me". The Scorpion managed to convince the frog that if he did sting, he would drown too. Understanding it was a safe bet, the frog took the scorpion on his back. Mid-way, an agonizing & painful sting is what the frog got from the scorpion. He turned back and shouted.. "Why did you do it? Both of us will die now". The reply from the scorpion was simple: "That's my nature". Remember, people dont change so easily even by themselves, so don't attempt it. If they need to, they will have to dare to.

Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make your choice NOW!

It's a different movie...

2009-03-06T17:10:00.000+05:30

That's how the skype call started this morning with a friend of mine. Then we paused and laughed a bit as we realized that the word "different" is fast becoming quite a cliche. Ask an actor or a film director in India about a new release and their first words are "It's a different movie". Nowadays, they consciously add a few prefix words saying.."Everyone says this but this movie is truly different".

Anyway once we were done with the movie stuff, I asked my friend who is in the technology business about this word "different" and it's relevance to him. I listened carefully to the first word which was "Innovation", followed by "out of the Box". I am always thrilled talking to these tech grads & geeks on any subject because they always support their statements with interesting links. And just as I had expected, my friend sent me a youtube link. It was Johnny Lee making a research project presentation about low cost interactive electronic white board he has created using Nintendo's wii remote. I have shared the video here and if you want to know more, you could visit Johnny Chung Lee''s website

http://johnnylee.net/projects/wii/

I am sure you will smile just as I did after watching the video, coz nowhere in the presentation Johnny uses the word though you can describe it as "Truly different". What impressed me more was that when he published the software free on his website, there were half a million dowloads in 3 months. Wow, that is real impact!

I personally think everyone should give a thought on how you can relate this cliche word to your own business. From the best of consultants that I have talked to or listened and from my own experience, in the hospitality sector you can only make a difference by creating customer "Experiences".

I am reminded of another story. George Eastman, teh founder of Kodak called his sales force to a meeting. He asked, "What are we selling?". There were many responses that included "Cameras, good ones", "Film rolls" and so on. He said, "You're all wrong. We sell MEMORIES".

Is the response going to be "different' when you get to explain a question about your business? I hope not.

"Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Most importantly, make your choice NOW"

57, Music Street, College Road, Chennai

2009-03-05T11:20:00.000+05:30

No, the blog's title is not an address in Chennai.

Actually it's my mother's age and her love for learning music more formally by going to college now.

My mom hails from a small but well known town called Kumbakonam. She completed her graduation in Geography (in tamil) before she got married and moved to Chennai. I have always seen her active and busy managing the three children, our education, marriages and so on. Back then, I am sure she hardly had time for herself. Now, she does have a choice to lead a relaxed life.

Yesterday was her first day back to college life pursuing Masters in music. What a start - waking up early, preparing food, packing some lunch for herself and rushing to beat the traffic in chennai. Passion and love for music - How else can I describe it?.

She was narrating her first day experience to my dad more like a bubbly school kid when she returned at 6pm. Only difference, she was simultaneously preparing our dinner. I admire my dad for his support and over the years his patience and tolerance levels have seriously got better :)

No, but honestly, we are so thrilled and we want her to complete the course with flying colors. Good luck mom, you are my first and greatest inspiration.

"Delight yourself first to delight people around you. Make your choice NOW!"