Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Converting 'expert practice' into 'labour'

That term 'labour' sounds demeaning, condescending. It seems to me though that's the route to one of the biggest challenges faced by entrepreneurs: scalability.

Working at the hospital in Bhilwara has made me realize that firstly getting good (by 'good', I mean 'thinking') talent to get things done is tough. Even if the guys are willing, somehow they fall short when it comes to skills.

Making people skillful is definitely a long term task. So is helping them think well at an individual level. Perhaps they might think well as a group. But to work in a group requires appreciation and respect of other people to some degree. Out here all are kings!

So?

Perhaps making the same burger over and over again is tough. So the right man at McDonald's turned it into a series of such simple steps that employees don't have to put their mind to making a right burger. They simply undertake a few mechanical steps (even when they are numb) and churn out right burgers. Now since they churn out the burgers which are relished by people all over the world, do we call them 'burger making experts'? It's labour.

On an car manufacturing assembly line, engineers put the parts together and churn out cars? Are they 'car making experts'?

Indeed, the other word made popular for such arrangements is 'process'. Process repeated mechanically without much mental effort is nothing but 'labour'.

Does your business need it?

Monday, December 27, 2010

Sabarmati Marathon 2010, personal glimpses

Sabarmati Riverfront - Starting Point for Marathon

Sabarmati river-bank right opposite the Starting Point

Evidential blister ;) after the run

Posing after the run :)

Medal given to those who completed the race

It took me about 2 hrs and 2 mins to do 21 kms. Not thrilled but satisfied nonetheless :).

You come to trust your body a lot more after events like these. And that trust helps. Cyclothon is the next frontier :).
  
--- 8 -- 8 ---

Want this blogger to be your running partner? Write to sidsoni at gmail dot com.
 

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Sabarmati Marathon 2010 - Half Marathon Route

Half Marathon Route - Sabarmati Marathon 2010

Click on the image to see it bigger and clearer.

Am accustomed to running fair distances but didn't know 21 kms covers so much! It's one thing to go round and round and run 21 kms on a 500 meters track and another to keep running in one direction. ;)

Anyway, have a blocked nose and a confusion about which pair of shoes I should wear. :) How typical of me!

Btw, I was informed by a member of the organizing team that there are more than a 1000 runners in the half marathon category. Wow!

Friday, December 24, 2010

And an atrociously irrelevant Google Ad


And this is the screen shot right after I published the Dental Jewelry post a few minutes back. Check the google ad box on the right side in the image. Yet another atrocious juxtaposition.

It will take a lot of time before systems and algos can be developed to match and respond to man's sense of humor :). Yes of course, this juxtaposition matches the juxtaposition in the previous post. In that sense, the quality of atrociousness does get matched ;).

Pardon the width of the image intruding the right-hand side bar.

Dental Jewelry


Encountered this while coming back from my morning run. Atrociously juxtaposed messages. But...

Dental surgeon,
Oorja di collection!

It rhymes! :)

Thursday, December 23, 2010

What if each head had a unique color?

Hat Shop @ Pushkar market

Decision is a burden

I asked the little team out here to coordinate among themselves and arrange a meeting and find solutions to each other's problems in a group.

It was 6th of Dec when I asked them to do so. In between I was on leave. For the last 3 days again I've asked them to do the same. So far they have failed to coordinate among themselves and meet, forget about finding solutions to problems.

It tells me one thing for sure. And I can say from the way I've been in my own life as well. Somehow, taking decisions puts responsibilities on the decision-maker. And if you don't enjoy the decisions you make, then they are a burden.

This place is devoid of people who like what they are doing and the consequence is that this place is devoid of responsibility-takers. And only those who are willing to take responsibilities can become decision-makers; good ones or bad is always a matter of debate.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Discounted mindsets

Last page Rajasthan Patrika, 22nd Dec 2010

More than 80% discount!!! And what it says is 'Duniya ka sabse slim smartphone'!!! Audacious! Beat that!

If you see the size of the ad, you can be mighty sure that a lot of people are buying these handsets in this part of the country. iPhone of the hinterland!

Monday, December 20, 2010

Mother and kid

Mother and kid @ Shanku's Water Resort lake

The stay at Shanku's was as memorable as my brother's wedding celebrations.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Terrible words, terrible wastage

In a few minutes that I've spent watching TV in the last two days, I've come across these three words:
  1. Wealthsurance (IDBI Life Insurance I guess)
  2. Ecomagination
  3. Healthymagination
If I am not mistaken the word 'wealthsurance' has been around for more than a year now, splashed across all media. I wonder yet how many people have been able to pronounce it clearly and comfortably, forget about remembering and using it as part of daily life. I then wonder if the word was needed in the first place actually. I also wonder whether it gives  any distinctive advantage or differentiating point to the brand. And therefore my question is, how does the brand get any benefit at all?

Friday, December 10, 2010

The Jam Room

The other day I went inquiring for a drum-set when I found this at V.S. Musicals, Vastrapur. It is a little place with all the basic facilities needed to jam. Charge Rs.200 per hour. The shop also sells musical instruments. There were mostly guitars and drum-sets on sale.

One of the owners whom I met is a young chap, much younger than I expected. And it seems to be his brainchild. The thing is for years and years together music shops have existed in Ahmedabad but none of them thought of offering such a simple facility to the music lovers.

There was a drum-set in the Jam Room. My guess is whoever makes use of the room, uses the same drum-set. Future sales in the making?

Monday, December 6, 2010

Little faces of change



Impression of Pushkar

Was at Pushkar this evening. It's chilly at this time of the year. And this moved me...

Monkeys huddled atop a shop-roof in the Pushkar market




Warmth, in any form, moves.

Friday, December 3, 2010

driving force

The repeated phrases gave the poem the hum of a good engine.

Read the above on the blog ursprache by JforJames. Let me put this in another manner...

the hum of a good engine on an idle road
like the repeating rhythm of my favorite song :)

Thursday, December 2, 2010

ATM Jain

Yeah, I just met this guy. He works with a bank; I guess in the business/corporate loans division. His name is Atmaprakash Jain. And imagine his email id...

atm.jain@whateverbank.com

Terrific! :)

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

TVS Velocity 160

Source: xBHP.com

Source: xBHP.com
Even if TVS does decide to launch this one, I wonder what response they would garner. They are late. That apart, they are unimaginative.

The flanks look ridiculous. The silencer is a misfit. Can't comment on the specs though.

Sabarmati Marathon 2010

I clocked 10.5 kms in 66 minutes today!


15th Dec is the last date for registration. Click here to check registration details.

How is this name?


Quite a name this for a financial planning outfit run by CAs.

Two things about the name. 'Financial' refers to the category. 'Hospital' also refers to a category used here more as a metaphor; I have a problem with that.

Hospital is 'curative'. But financial planning is sort of 'preventive'. 'Gym' is a better metaphor for 'preventive' / planning solutions. 'Gym' helps you stay fit. Planning helps you stay financially sound. 'Hospital' in the financial context could mean restructuring, etc.