Whom Do We Reward?

Whom Do We Reward?

Before we begin, let’s answer this question in your mind and revisit it at the end of the topic.

So most expected answer for this question (more so from corporate world), “We reward top Performer”. But if I say, in reality, most of us, many times, Reward Inefficient or to be more precise, to use word from banking parlance, Willful Defaulter and corollary to it, we punish efficient or sincere, many times. I can see strong “NO” from most of the readers, but let’s see few situations.

Very familiar situation. Group of friends, going for picnic. Meeting point and time is communicated to everyone. Person A gets up early makes all adjustments in a hurry and reach there bang on time or even before that (as they say “Problem in being punctual is that, there is no one to admire it”). AND guess what, Person B, without caring much for time, takes extra hour of sleep and reach at meeting point leisurely an hour late. Now both enjoy same picnic spots and also miss same spots due to delay. Difference is, Person B even though Inefficient or Willful Defaulter is rewarded with extra hour of sleep while Person A who is sincere is deprived of equal amount of sleep. Does Person B get any punishment? SELDOM

Another situation, Siblings in family. A is very sincere and obedient. B is clever in avoiding household work, sometimes by vanishing at the time of work. Next time, when parents have some work, who will be directly assigned with that work? No prize for guessing. A is being assigned with more work (punishment?) and B enjoys leisure time (Reward?). Rarely any other punishment or reward takes place to reverse it. Most of the time, it will continue as it is.

Let’s move to corporate world, where we have highly refined, Rewards and Recognition policies in place. But here also, many times, we can see same thing. I am not talking about Super performer and Non Performer. I am talking about Good Performer and (Willful) slow performer. If A can complete 10 things and then B (knowingly) will do only 7 or 8. A will keep getting new work because he has finished earlier whereas B will not, because, he is still finishing it. Many times, the difference is so subtle; that A will not get any recognition or B any stick, for such difference. To make matter worse, if B is smooth talker or good at selling himself, then he will get reward for completing such HARD (because B has convinced so) work. But in reality, at the end of the 5th day, A will be assigned with his 51st assignment whereas B will be assigned with only 36th. (That reminds me a quote in one cartoon strip, where one employee is advising other “Those who work, Get more work, and those who doesn’t, Get reward, recognition and pay hike”).

This applies to Individuals, Society and Country equally. Some one buying home legally has to pay steep per sq. ft. rate and on top of that all types of duties and taxes, charges and surcharges. On the other hand, just encroach a land, build slum and you get free house and some money too. Punishment for being legal and Reward for being illegal? If you jump the traffic queue then you move early But you obey queue discipline then you get delayed due to other “intruders”.

This list can go on and on and on. But the question is, “Can we stop this?” and answer is “Yes, certainly”. But to achieve that, we, each one of us, have to make sure that at every level and every time, such defaulters are punished and Performers are rewarded.  Hence it is so important that, at each stage and each situation we ask ourselves “Whom Do We Reward? “

Three Cheers for Our Luck

We are luckiest people in the whole world. We should feel proud about our luck. So Much so that we should celebrate that. Don’t believe me? Soon you will.

Now a days, we have got used to, to bad news so much that we hold news paper and straight away start looking for latest scam, accident, corruption, bad roads, bad public transport, bad infrastructure, bad system, bad this and bad that……… But don’t feel so bad about it because we are very very very lucky people.

Today Just came across news about some malpractices by Navi Mumbai builders regarding FSI rule violation. But most of the builders in Navi Mumbai are anyway known for such practices. If not FSI violation then selling flats with invisible area under name of super, duper, built up, scrap down areas and other imaginative title and so…..and why only Navi Mumbai, even in Mumbai things are not much different.

Just take an example. As per Fire department’s guidelines every building must have separate external staircase for Fire Escape. Without that, Fire Dept. does not give its clearance and building does not deemed fit for stay. Hence they do not get O.C. (Occupation Certificate). But 99 % of residential building does not have separate staircase for Fire Escape. (That explains why most of the building does not have OCs) but still BMC allows builders to let people occupy building. (Only many new commercial buildings have external fire escape, that too because commercial client normally demand this)

But most of the people do not understand its ramification. Suppose person stays on 3rd or 4th floor and fire catches up at 1st floor. That person will come to know, only when smoke will start entering into his house. That means by this time, whole staircase, lobby everything is already filled up with smoke. Obviously lift cannot be used. While trying to go down to escape smoke, through only staircase which is, almost all the time, internal and filled with thick smoke, within seconds (and much earlier than you expect) person will fall unconscious even before reaching to 1st floor. And if he doesn't get immediate help, within next few minutes, he will be dead, even without actually getting burn from fire.

If this is a case with some one staying on just 3rd or 4th floor, just imagine, what is chance of survival for people staying on higher floors? And we have building with 15,20, 25, 30 floors with same danger present all the time (and add to that, most of the time, people are not trained about how to respond in emergency situations or whenever  such training takes place, it is not taken seriously by people) .

But we are very very lucky people. Just like we survive because terrorist don't feel like striking too often (yeah, if empty ship can reach to our shore without any problem after sailing for more than a month, why not terrorist), similarly we are lucky that fire mishap doesn't happen too often. Otherwise, in both cases, we are sitting duck.

Three Cheers for Our Luck !!!

Do you believe?

Do you believe? ….No, no, don’t look for rest of the sentence….there is no “remaining part” of the question. Question is just that much…… Or should I say, do you believe in believing… Ok, before you dismiss it as some weird sequence of statements, let me talk about some part of this statement. Do you believe in dreams, Big dreams….or coming to basics, having one? Do you believe that we can do great things, as an Individual, as a team, as an organization, as a Nation?.......

There could be many such ”Do you believe” questions but I have just mentioned few here. This basic question came to my mind because of one interesting conversation I had with one of my colleague. I was discussing about one of my favourite book “You can Win”, authored by Shiv Khera. I was talking about how we can implement those things in day to day life and pat came reply, “Usaka kya jata hai likhane me, yeh sab ho nahi sakta” (Author can very well write anything but it is not possible to do it practically). I was surprised because I can understand if there is disagreement on few points or way to implement it but this person was not at all believing that even as an individual, life can be happy and successful, can achieve great heights and all that while having high values……Hence that question came to my mind….

And there is totally opposite side to it. Believing right from bottom of the heart. When you fully believe in yourself, your dream, then all things start happening in right direction. Do you remember what Paulo Coelho said in “The Alchemist”, “When you really want something, the entire universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”……. It’s 100% correct. All of a sudden, you start getting right clues, directions from no where. Has this happened to you?

Couple of months back, I had written about a famous New Zealander  “Mark Inglis”, in  this blog (Thode Vede Vha). He is very famous personality (This person is double amputee, who lost his both legs 20 years back in the expedition of Mt. Cook, New Zealand at the age of 23, but 20 years later, in 2006, he was on summit of Mt. Everest.)…… Then around month back I read about Apa Sherpa, Very famous sherpa (People from Nepal, who help climbers in Himalayan expeditions), who has world record of reaching to summit of Mt. Everest 21 times……….and suddenly on last Saturday, I came to know that both of them are coming to Mumbai, for one gathering. I called up there to check the time and it was at 5.30 pm. I was already out for some work and wasn’t sure that I could reach that place before 5.30. After, all the train delays, rain and other problem, I was surprisingly able to complete all my work and reach there by 5.27 pm. I talked to both Apa Sherpa, Mark Inglis, attended their presentation/interview. I have even taken autograph of Mark on his book “Legs on Everest” (I generally never like to take anybody’s autograph, no matter how big star/ celebrity, he or she may be but this was different (or should I say, rarest of rare) case) )…….This incident has again reinforced my belief in those lines “When you really want something, the entire universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

So ……..Do you believe?..........

ALL is Well ?

Read the subject line of email, from one of our trekking group member, who wanted to ensure that all group members and their families are safe after (yet another)13th July attack on Mumbai. Thankfully, everyone from group is safe........


But but but.....does that mean All is really well? ..........Really?........how can it be? when some one slaps you repeatedly and you do noting, then you are giving invitation to slap you next time. Why it is so?......that too when we have power...........To stop it, you don't have to hit it every time, don't have to wage a war....just show them, WE HIT BACK....hit it hard and hit it where it hurts most....Just once and they won't dare to do it next time........but why don't we do it?.....does delusion of this artificial glory of so called restrain is so strong that in comparison to that, there is no value to life of my fellow citizen?.......

Now all chorus of praise of "Resilience of Mumbaikars" will grow strong, will go on for few days and fade away gradually......till next attacks occurs.........Mumbaikar certainly have resilience but what is use of such resilience
which knows only getting up after getting hit every time , just like spring joker.....We certainly have power to come back to our feet after getting hit.........but its enough now.....now it is a time to be more than just spring joker and hit back, first to those people who allow such things to happen and fail to avoid it........
 
Now talks of "intelligence failure" will do rounds. Every channel, newspaper will put its theory of how it happened.......some analysis, some committee and some months later....everything will be back to normal......till next time same failure leads us to same fate.......Is it that no one, not a single person, among those "Rulers" (yes, all those in power, bureaucrats and safety apparatus, all are rulers only) had read 2000 years old "Kautilya's Arthashashtra" where Chanakya has devoted whole chapter about spies and their structures and arrangement. No one, wants to learn? no one wants to learn from Civil and Military strategy of Shivaji Maharaj? No one?....why....then why they are there? what they do? ... don't they have any inner voice?........

and Again I will be disturb, may be a day or two more.....boiling blood will eventually cool down........ Conveniently make my mind assume that I cant do anything more.....and will happily go about my life, thinking All is well......till it strikes again.....and somewhere deep down in my mind, because I know, it can happen again and more so, why it would happen, that small corner of my mind will be on continuous agitation with so many questions.......... All is not well............

थोडे वेडे व्हा... Thode Vede Vha

तुम्हाला  कधी  वेड  लागला  आहे ? कदाचित  तुम्हाला  वाटत  असेल  कि  हा  प्रश्न  विचारताना  मलाच  वेड  लागला  आहे ….. नाही  पण , सांगा  ना, तुम्हाला  कधी  वेड  लागला  आहे ? जरा  तुमची  मदत  करतो , उत्तर  द्यायला . हे  वेड  अमावस्या  किंवा  पोर्णिमे  ला  लागणारं वेड  नाही . हे   वेड आहे  सचिन  (अर्थातच  तेंडूलकर ) सारखं. आता  तुम्ही  मला  नक्कीच  माराल, सचिन  ला  वेडं म्हटल्या  बद्दल . पण  खरच  तो  वेडा आहे  आणि  मला  त्याच्या  क्रिकेट  कौशाल्या पेक्षा  त्याचं वेडंच आवडतं. त्याच्या  वेडाची अनेक  उदाहरणं देता  येतील  पण  आठवा  तो  1999 चा  world cup . दौऱ्या  वर  असताना  त्याचे  वडील  वारले . तो  भारतात  आला  आणि  ४च  दिवसात  तो परतला  देशासाठी  खेळण्या  साठी …..२४ -२६  तासाचा  जेट  lag  आणि  पहाटे पोहोचून  सुद्धा  लगेच  ८ -९  वाजता  मैदानात  उतरून  १४०  धावा  फटकावल्या  पट्ठ्याने .  वडिलांचा  मृत्यू , २४ -२६  तासांचा  जेट  lag आणि  वन डे मध्ये  १४० रन बनवणे , या  तिन्ही  गोष्टी  स्वतंत्र पणे  दमवणाऱ्या  आहेत …..आणि  एकत्रित  करणं  फक्त  वेडा  माणूसच  करू  शकतो ….(ऐकायला , वाचायला  सहज  वाटता  पण  स्वतःला  त्या  ठिकाणी  ठेवून  पाहिलं   कि  कळत)  म्हणून  मी  म्हटला  तो  वेडा  आहे .

आणि  असे  वेडे  हि  काही  कमी  नाहीत , समोर  १०  जण  भांडायला  आले  कि  कोणीही  पळून  जाईल.  पण  ५००००  च्या  फौजेवर  फक्त  ७  जणांनी  तुटून  पडायला  वेडेच  लागतात , फक्त  ३००  सैनिक  घेऊन  कितीतरी  पटीने  जास्त  असलेल्या  सैन्या ला , ते  पण  धो धो  पावसात  दर्या  खोर्यात  पळत  असताना , तासन  तास  झुन्जावायला , वेडेच  लागतात .

आम्हला  तर  तेवढा  नुसता   ट्रेकिंग   करताना  घाम  फुटतो , आणि  लढणं तर  सोडा  साधी  तहान  आणि  भूक  पण  सहन  होत  नाही.

.

हा  सगळा  वेडेपणा  आठवण्याचं  कारण  म्हणजे   अजून  एका  वेड्या  बद्दल  वाचनात  आलं. मार्क  इंग्लिस . त्याने  माउंट. एवेरेस्ट सर  केला ............ बरेच  करतात , त्यात  काय ……त्यात  एवढाच  कि  तो  double amputee (कमरेपासून  दोन्ही  पाय  नसलेला ) आहे …. २२  वर्षापूर्वी  माउंट . कुक वर  गिर्यारोहण  करताना  हिम दंशा  मुळे  त्या  चे  दोन्ही   पाय  कापावे  लागले  होते . दोन्ही  कृत्रिम  पाय  लाऊन  तो  माउंट   एवेरेस्ट चढला.

वेड  लागल्या  शिवाय  कोणी  असा  वेडे पणा  करू  शकत  नाही.

पण असं वेड विचार करून घेता येत नाही, ते वेड लागावाच लागतं. चढाव  लागतं  , अंगात भिनाव लागतं. असं पूर्ण वेड लागल्या वरच  मग अश्या अशक्य प्राय गोष्टी घडतात.

.………मग तुम्हाला वेड लागलं आहे का ?