I have a daughter Sanjana. She is three and a half years old. She is a joy . Anyway she goes to a montessori. We started noticing that she was not focusing when she was doing her ABC's or her 123's. So my wife started spending time with her after school and she is now doing really well.
It is funny and weird because Nimmi (my wife) and I strongly believe that education of children is parent's responsibility first and the teacher/school's second. We had kind of not focused on her as we thought that since she was going to a Montessori, we did not have to worry. This was a wake-up call for us.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Mohana Chandrasekharan National English School
I went to National English School in Gopalapuram, Chennai/Madras from my kindergarten until my 6th grade. It was one of the best things that ever happened in my life. I remembered something in my 5th standard recently and I thought I would blog about it.
NES as it was known then was very rigorous with monthly exams to test learning and knowledge etc. I was an OK student in my class until my 4th grade. And 5th grade came. In my first monthly exam, I had failed in all my classes. That was not a good thing. My mom totally freaked out.
Mohana Chandrasekharan was the principal of the school and was a strong willed woman who ran the school very well. My mom came to school and check on me with the principal and the teachers. I got called in to the principal room which was not a good thing.
I go in and see my mom with all my teachers and the principal. The principal then asks me to open my notebooks and sure enough I don't have anything written down. She then asks one teacher each day to monitor me while I catch up with my notes and make sure that I was reading and studying what I was writing down after classes.
This went on for a month and every day a teacher would stay with me while I caught up after classes.
I was monitored for a couple of more months. The habit of taking down notes, reading and studying them helped and by end of the year in my annual/final exams, I was fifth in my class. From the bottom of the barrel to the top 5 in a class of 40 was nice indeed. I surprised a whole bunch of people with that.
That practice helped me throught my academic life from NES to CIT and to Texas A&M.
Thanks Mrs. Chandrasekharan.
Mahesh
NES as it was known then was very rigorous with monthly exams to test learning and knowledge etc. I was an OK student in my class until my 4th grade. And 5th grade came. In my first monthly exam, I had failed in all my classes. That was not a good thing. My mom totally freaked out.
Mohana Chandrasekharan was the principal of the school and was a strong willed woman who ran the school very well. My mom came to school and check on me with the principal and the teachers. I got called in to the principal room which was not a good thing.
I go in and see my mom with all my teachers and the principal. The principal then asks me to open my notebooks and sure enough I don't have anything written down. She then asks one teacher each day to monitor me while I catch up with my notes and make sure that I was reading and studying what I was writing down after classes.
This went on for a month and every day a teacher would stay with me while I caught up after classes.
I was monitored for a couple of more months. The habit of taking down notes, reading and studying them helped and by end of the year in my annual/final exams, I was fifth in my class. From the bottom of the barrel to the top 5 in a class of 40 was nice indeed. I surprised a whole bunch of people with that.
That practice helped me throught my academic life from NES to CIT and to Texas A&M.
Thanks Mrs. Chandrasekharan.
Mahesh
Friday, August 14, 2009
Effective or Efficient
A lot of times, we hear people talk about efficiency. Let us say it takes 2 hours to produce a widget. Let us say by cutting corners, you get it down to an hour and 48 minutes. You have achieved an efficiency of 10% not which is not bad. What if "you think out of the box" and figure out an innovative way of making the same widget in 30 minutes. That is a 75% improvement which is much better.
When you hear people talk about efficiency, it always helps to take a step back and look at the task in question and ask whether there is a more effective way of doing it. The quest for efficiency does not necessarily have to preclude an option for effectiveness. In fact, it should be a first check.
Making an ineffective process efficient is like masking the symptom of a problem.
Go forth and be effective and efficiency will follow.
When you hear people talk about efficiency, it always helps to take a step back and look at the task in question and ask whether there is a more effective way of doing it. The quest for efficiency does not necessarily have to preclude an option for effectiveness. In fact, it should be a first check.
Making an ineffective process efficient is like masking the symptom of a problem.
Go forth and be effective and efficiency will follow.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Doing what you love
A couple of years ago, I met a friend in Houston who was working for a firm. The money was good, the work was OK and there was travel. We were talking and it turns out he was miserable. We followed the discussion thread to its logical conclusion and I asked him the following. "What would you rather do than leave the comfort of your home and your family? In other words, what motivates you to get out of the comfort of your bed, your home, your loved ones and do something else?". He said he did not know.
Figuring the answer to the question would go a long way in doing what you really care about or your heart or your passion as the case the maybe.
Of course, we all have to make a living which is one big motivator but it is an economic motivator not a personal fulfilling motivator.
People who are very happy tend to find a happy medium between these two motivators.
So go forth and find your passion and find a balance between these two powerful motivators.
Mahesh
Figuring the answer to the question would go a long way in doing what you really care about or your heart or your passion as the case the maybe.
Of course, we all have to make a living which is one big motivator but it is an economic motivator not a personal fulfilling motivator.
People who are very happy tend to find a happy medium between these two motivators.
So go forth and find your passion and find a balance between these two powerful motivators.
Mahesh
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Short Term/Long Term/Tactical/Strategic
One of the ways I like to think and act is to use the following quadrant. On some kind of interval basis, usally a week or a month, I look and categorize the things that I did and put them in the quadrant.
If I find myself most of the time in the lower left quadrant (i.e. short term tactical), then I know I need to step back and focus on other quadrants as well. Since I am in middle management, I don't get to focus in the upper right quadrant all the time(i.e. long term strategic).
The key is to operate in all qudrants over a period of time so things are not lost.
Depending on your role and charter, you will have to see where you need to spend your time.
People who are stressed out most of the time tend to stayin the short term tactical quadrant. People who do the big picture and nothing else tend to float in the long term strategic quadrant.
But the key point is for you to spend time in all quadrants consummate to your role for long term career growth.
If I find myself most of the time in the lower left quadrant (i.e. short term tactical), then I know I need to step back and focus on other quadrants as well. Since I am in middle management, I don't get to focus in the upper right quadrant all the time(i.e. long term strategic).
The key is to operate in all qudrants over a period of time so things are not lost.
Depending on your role and charter, you will have to see where you need to spend your time.
People who are stressed out most of the time tend to stayin the short term tactical quadrant. People who do the big picture and nothing else tend to float in the long term strategic quadrant.
But the key point is for you to spend time in all quadrants consummate to your role for long term career growth.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Procrastination
Procrastination is a sin,
the reason for grief and sorrow,
I know I will stop,
I think I will start tomorrow.
Mahesh
the reason for grief and sorrow,
I know I will stop,
I think I will start tomorrow.
Mahesh
Great Expectations or Expectation Ping Pong
I worked in consulting for 8 years at Oracle and consulting is more of an expectation management game than anything else. If you are a consultant, odds are you play this game every day. Here are some basic pointers.
1.) Understand the expectation
2.) Define the expectation (state your understanding)
3.) Confirm the expectation (confirm with the person your understanding and definition of the expectation) including time and cost.
4.) Deliver to that expectation
Remember, the easiest way to get setup for failure is
1.) Don’t define an expectation.
2.) Have it change on you all the time
If you work for somebody who is changing the expectation on you all the time, it is time to look for a new job.
Mahesh
1.) Understand the expectation
2.) Define the expectation (state your understanding)
3.) Confirm the expectation (confirm with the person your understanding and definition of the expectation) including time and cost.
4.) Deliver to that expectation
Remember, the easiest way to get setup for failure is
1.) Don’t define an expectation.
2.) Have it change on you all the time
If you work for somebody who is changing the expectation on you all the time, it is time to look for a new job.
Mahesh
Garland of Eternal Victory www.maalaflowergarlands.com
In Hindu mythology, when the gods and the demons churned the ocean of milk, Lakshmi came out of it holding a garland aptly named Vyjayanthi(meaning a garland of eternal victory). It was her intent to give it to the most eligible being present and Vishnu was right there. Lakshmi garlands him. Hindu mythology and garlands have a lot of synergy. Devotion is usually expressed by presenting the deity with a garland of flowers.
My friend Jaya has started a web site and a service where she can deliver garlands of high quality for expressing your devotion or if you are getting married just as Lakshmi married Vishnu by presenting him with a garland.
Check out http://www.maalaflowergarlands.com/ for garlands and express your devotion or love.
Mahesh
My friend Jaya has started a web site and a service where she can deliver garlands of high quality for expressing your devotion or if you are getting married just as Lakshmi married Vishnu by presenting him with a garland.
Check out http://www.maalaflowergarlands.com/ for garlands and express your devotion or love.
Mahesh
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