Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow.
Don't walk behind me, I may not lead.
Just walk beside me and be my friend.
-- Albert Camus
You would have heard of business partners, life partners, working partners, financial partners etc. ‘Thought’ partners?
You need people who can share your thoughts and thought processes. You need people who are emotionally connected with your thinking process. You need people who will look at things from your perspective. You need people who will look at the world from your point of world. You need people who will share your concerns in life. You need people whom you can use as ‘sounding boards’ who will sincerely and honestly ‘connect’ with your thoughts.
They are your thought partners!
In life there will be times when you will yearn for such people. When you are in a dilemma and confusion not knowing what to do and how to decide on some important issues, you need your thought partners.
With your thought partners, you can be frank and open. Like business partners and life partners, they will also be equally affected favourably or adversely with your decisions. They will take personal interest in your life.
You may have lot of friends and relatives, but few of them alone can fill up this position!
Check if you have a ‘thought partner’ and if you are a ‘thought partner’ to someone!
N C Sridharan
www.thetimefoundation.com
00000
‘If you have no critics you’ll likely have no success’
Malcolm X.
Feedback is very important for our growth. By nature, we are receptive to praise and not to criticism. In fact praise and criticism are both feedback on how we are doing. When someone praises us, we will not dispute it. But if someone criticizes us, our first reaction will be to think how the same could be wrong! Or we will find fault with the person criticizing us!
Just think what will happen if there is no criticism at all! In fact, we may not suffer if there is no praise at all. But complete absence of any criticism will adversely affect us. That is why successful companies periodically conduct customer satisfaction survey and exit interviews, analyse and take corrective action.
Consider doing the following:
1. List five areas where you want to improve.
2. List five persons who normally criticize you for what you do and what you don’t do.
3. Request them to comment on one of your projects and thank them for their criticism.
4. Seriously list at least five reasons for each of the criticism why the same could be correct.
Do this exercise for six months and notice what happens to your performance over a period of time!
N C Sridharan
www.thetimfoundation.com
00000
‘Many receive advice, only the wise profit from it’
Publilius Syrus
We rent a car, a house, equipment etc. Have you ever thought of renting a mind? In fact, we do it every day!
If we want to achieve anything, it is not sufficient if we alone think and work. We need the ideas, goodwill and cooperation of others. Does it not amount to hiring their mind?
There are many things common between renting a thing like a house and renting someone’s mind. For example:
• If you rent a house, but not use it, you are the loser and not the house owner; similarly, if you hire people but do not allow them to think and contribute, you only lose!
• Depending on your life style, you rent a small or a big house; similarly depending on your project, you hire a person’s mind and his talent!
• If you misuse a rented house, the owner will evict you; similarly, if you do not treat the person you hired respectfully, he will remove you from his mind!
• Bigger the house, more will be rent; similarly, more the contribution from the person you hire, more he will cost you! Like we pay rent, we pay his salary.
Now tell me are we not renting a mind!
N C Sridharan
www.thetimefoundation.com
00000
Good coaching may be defined as the development of character, personality and habits of players, plus the teaching of fundamentals and team play.
Claire Bee
Today we live in a highly competitive world of specialization. Given the wide choices available to the people, only the best will survive, be it people or product or services. We should not only the best, but we should be better than the best even to survive, leave alone achieving!
In this context, we have to be ‘technically correct’ in we do in whatever profession we are in. Hence we need a coach.
Keep reading how the best athletes maintain their form and you will know the role played by coaches. There is a documentary on Usain Bolt on internet where you will see how he bounced back not only to his form, but also to become the world’s fastest runner. You will hear him talk about how he changed his coach and how his present coach coached him to do this. You will see him talk about his present coach and how be made a big difference in his sports career.
A coach knows how to make our work technically superior. He not only knows where we go wrong, but also, how to correct it. Here the coach will make a big difference.
Over this weekend, think about this important factor in your life.
N C Sridharan
www.thetimefoundation.com
00000
It is hard to understand addiction unless you have experienced it.
Ken Hensley
The other day I was in a rehabilitation center for drug addicts. I met the expert who explained about the treatment process. I also met some of the victims of the addiction. They explained to me how they got into the addiction in the first place.
As I came out of the rehabilitation center I had a nagging head ache. When I looked at my watch, it was ten minutes past three in the afternoon which means I was ten minutes behind my regular coffee time and my biological system started reminding me about my ‘coffee addiction’!
I suddenly realised that I am also a victim of addiction.
Knowingly or unknowingly we start liking something and when the liking becomes severe, it takes the form of addiction.
Look at the following addictions:
• Addiction to television serials
• Addiction to internet browsing
• Addiction to afternoon naps
• Addiction to watching football and cricket matches
• Addiction to junk foods!
• Addiction to speeding and rash driving
• Addiction to mobile phones
I am sure you can add more to this list.
Here is an exercise: List one thing to which you are addicted and evolve an action plan to come out of it!
N C Sridharan
www.thetimedfoundation.com
00000
‘Excellence can be obtained if you:
…care more than others think is wise;
…risk more than others think is safe;
…dream more than others think is practical;
…expect more than others think is possible’
Anonymous
When I was young I read the quotation ‘something is better than nothing’ and I believed in this. I understood this to mean that even if I cannot do everything which I have to do or wish to do, I can at least do something. For example if have have to jog for half an hour and if I have been postponing it for want of time, I should jog at least five minutes, so that I have done something instead of nothing!
A few days ago it occurred to me that something is not better than nothing! I think that doing at least something just because we cannot do justice suggests a compromise state of mind.
We live in a highly competitive world and today we have to deliver the best in order to remain competitive. It is not what best we can offer, but it is the best the world wants from us! There are some core areas in our career which need our total concentration and focus. These areas will not accept something at least. They have to be the best!
When it comes to world class competition, there can be no compromise formula!
Something cannot replace the best, only the best can replace the best!
N C Sridharan
www.thetimefoundation.com
00000
