Indian Railways – The Joys of travelling without a reservation
India's largest employer and the 9th largest employer in the world with 1.4 million employee, Indian railways employers more than our armed forces (1.3 million) but has…
THE JOURNAL
The Writer
The Trio
Keep Walking Verdant rolling hills, a well-made road ending in a cul-de-sac at a mountain temple, strolling peacocks and lush greenery — this depicts the path of 8–10…
The Parking Incident
How our ego has the tendency to blow things up and why reigning it in is important! Famished and in desperate need of a byte to eat after a long drive, I stopped at…
Against Nepotism and Blocking in the Indian Movie Industry
The death by suicide of a bright young talent had me thinking…… Dedicated to Sushant Singh Rajput, who gave up hope, and to the hundreds of Sushants who are holding in,…
Extrinsic Motivation Can Kill Intrinsic Motivation!
Yes, let me give you a few examples. My wife counsels would-be suicide victims. She does it out of her inner calling to help people. Hearing the good work that she did,…
5 Things to never forget!
My 5 things that one should never forget: What he/she is blessed with: Foundations - A healthy body, a nurturing family and a happy childhood -not everyone is blessed…
5 Leaders, 5 Learnings
Get inspired, Learn the ropes, Make them your default behavior I have had some really good bosses in my career so far. I also have had my share of individuals who still…
The Tale of Two Teachers — Who is the real one?
When Teacher turns cheater! My wife paints beautifully. She experiments with colours, the kind of paintings, the subjects and the sizes. I asked her, where did you learn…
The One Question to ask yourself everyday
If I were to die today, would I die happy or regretful? we take life for granted. The irony - we prepare ourselves for the vicissitudes of life. We save, buy health and…
Big Data - My Thoughts
Excerpt: Big Data is changing the way management makes decisions. No doubt. The senior management across organizations is emphasizing rightly on Evidence Based…
It is easier to be honest!
I am reminded of my mother's advice when i was young: "Every lie that you utter will necessitate atleast 9 more to cover it up!" My mom! Essentially, once the boulder of…
Get things done!
2 simple actions that have started me doing more, accomplishing more! There are a couple of points from my experience that i would like to provide: Push for focus: Even…
The biggest problem we have right now!
The biggest problem surrounding me is how we pay too much heed to others’ opinions. The biggest problem - Listening to others! Let me tell you a story: Once, a man…
The joy of being a millenial!
My generation - Millennials (1981-1996) have seen a sea of change! We jumped in glee at using the shiny CDs, followed by DVDs and then Blue-rays! We saw 'Thumb'/Pen…
Presence of Mind: 2 Examples of Humor
Humor in real life! Keeping your cool in any situation is an awesome trait to have! Add humor to that and you become a deadly conversationalist! A Welsh joke that i read…
12 Things i would change for a better world!
Here are 12 things that i would love to see changed in the world around us. A very optimistic list, i would say, nonetheless possible! Abolishing of the Caste system [We…
Remembering: Two Technology Facepalm moments!
This is from the days of Floppy Disks! We were in our electronics department lab and were copying over our assignment questions from a 3½-inch floppy. A senior professor…
Life’s biggest "trap" people fall into
The ‘99 Club’ Let me type out a story that i read in my childhood (thanks Amar Chitra Katha!): There was a king who was very wealthy. Despite the riches and the…
Keep those Dopamine hits coming!
Start your day with the toughest task! When we achieve, our brain releases dopamine. It is released during pleasurable situations and increases the urge for achieving…
Focus on your North Star!
There is this story of a man that goes like this: A man once falls into a deep pit. He tries to climb up, without much success. People crowding around, instead of…
Why chaos works better than order in storage at Amazon!
Chaotic Storage! How would you visualize a warehouse? Rows and rows of sorted articles with sections for each kind of product. Products are sorted either by name, size,…
The night is the darkest before dawn
Life is about holding on. Not losing your nerves. Simply waiting it out if much cannot be done. Toughen up. Bad times can never outlast us. It was my first month at…
“Just take the small steps. Start.”
Draw a dot on a piece of paper. Draw another dot touching it. Now draw one more similar dot and one more and one more. Repeat for 100 dots. What did you get? A line…
Survival against the Odds
How a little beetle manages to create water out of thin air! Where there is a will, there’s a way — goes the pithy that we have been brought up on. And no one better…
The Best Thing About Life!
The best part about life is that it goes on......no matter what happens! The magic of this wonderful journey called life, is in, The twists & turns that come our way The…
The 4 values for a valuable Life!
There are 4 values that i would like to write about: Caring: When you start caring, you place others above you. The recent floods in Chennai proved that, no matter how…
What can adults learn from children?
Fake Actions, but Real Emotions! I was invited to join a tea-party. Hand-painted cups, the best quality tea, full cream milk and sugar cubes. The location was beautiful,…
Life of an Engineer!
Engineering isn’t just a degree. It actually is a rite of passage that prepares you for life. It is an approach, a thought process, a foundation that actually prepares…
The one secret to a productive day!
Start your day with the toughest task! When we achieve, our brain releases dopamine. It is released during pleasurable situations and increases the urge for achieving…
Ignorance is Bliss!
I was at a temple the other day. As is the custom and a kind of meditation, we go around the diety multiple times - circumambulation! I noticed a group of kids entering…
A very intelligent crime!
When a job interview led to a jewellery heist! The ad in the Times of India (March 18th, 1987): Wanted: Dynamic Graduates for Intelligence Officers Post and Security…
An interesting conversation between a Student & Teacher on God
The dialogue between the student and the teacher would be interesting, If the student is a genuine seeker, and at the moment is ambiguous about the existence of god,…
The breakdown of Justice
How does a law-abiding, peaceful state become a center of anarchy? I have often wondered about the stages in which a society degenerates into lawlessness. This is what i…
Don't make that decision when......
Try to not make a decision, When you are hungry When you are emotional When you do not have all the supporting information When your gut/intuition is against it When you…
True Leadership: What makes a leader, a leader?
Leadership is in the little actions. The small gestures. The ‘minor’ touchpoints that present themselves throughout the day. Small gestures have a big impact! Amazing…
The One advice from my Mom that has helped me always!
"The night is the darkest before dawn” This seemingly innocent sentence from my mother has been my guiding light through dark times in life. It taught me that Life is…
13 Basic Lessons For Life!
What are the 10 basic lessons that people should remember throughout their life? Thanks for your request! My observations from the journey that is Life: Life is lived…
Suits: Highly Motivational!
I am a big fan of the series Suits, and an admirer of Harvey Spector. How you carry yourself, the way you communicate, the quality of work that is possible and the…
How to be a Good Listener?
What makes someone a good listener? Listen - I have something to tell you! We have all been there — Zoning out when someone is talking!Someone is talking about financial…
25 Tips for a great Corporate Career Simple tips for an exciting career!
No rocket science, just performance and consistency! Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay A corporate career can be exciting, filled with learning and a great place to…
Just Let Go!
3 Powerful words that go a long way in helping you live! Just Let Go! We all carry a tremendous amount of guilt, anger, ego, complaints, expectations and perceptions…
Live the role!
How a real life incident taught me an important lesson! A group of nervous-looking girls, in their early teens, stood at the end of the stage. Waiting for their chance…
Against Nepotism and Blocking in the Indian Movie Industry
The recent death by suicide of a bright young talent had me thinking…… Dedicated to Sushant Singh Rajput, who gave up hope, and to the hundreds of Sushants who are…
The Tale of Two Teachers — Who is the real one?
A life experience that proves that one’s actions speak louder than their titles do! My wife paints beautifully. She experiments with colours, the kind of paintings, the…
The lively story of Death!
Stop Compromising, Start Living! Death is such an amazing thing. We all know that it is at the end of the tunnel that we are in. There is no guarantee whether you will…
One little advice that may change the way you see the world
Everyone around you is fighting a set of battles, everyday. For a moment observe what is happening within you. A thousand thoughts running helter-skelter. A hundred…
10 Things to consider before you take a decision!
Speed isn’t everything — a decision well-taken saves a thousand needless ones! We take decisions all the time. As for the decisions that have repercussions, sometimes we…
Ignore advice from those who don’t walk the talk!
Not all advice is beneficial, or even applicable. You choose. Let me start off strong here: Do not take the advice of individuals with whom you would want to trade…
This too, shall pass!
Bharath Kumar Balasubramanian Mar 7 · 3 min read The 4 words that can guide you through both ups & downs! Let me tell you a story: There was a king who posed a question…
Leadership: 6 steps to ensure ‘Work From Home’\u200b works!
We, as leaders, have to enable our teams — get ready for the magic! Bharath Kumar Balasubramanian Mar 12 · 4 min read Working from home has never been needed as it is…
Don’t carry your music to the grave
You wouldn’t waste money or food, then why would you waste your potential? Bharath Kumar Balasubramanian Mar 13 · 2 min read Imagine buying a state of the art computer.…
How communicating right can save lives!
You might have all the data, would have done the research — but, if you can’t get your point across. What’s the use? Bharath Kumar Balasubramanian Mar 14 · 4 min read…
Data Driven Decisions: Google’s ’50 shades of Blue’\u200b experiment
Would you believe it if I told you that switching to a different shade of blue netted Google as additional $200 Mn in Ad revenue? When you do a Google Search, you have…
5 Actions that i employ for longer ‘Deep Work’ states
In this age of social media, where our attention spans have dropped drastically, getting into a state of ‘Flow’ wherein you are able to focus on a task for longer…
Listen, I have something to tell you!
The best feeling in the world is when you are being listened to. Undivided attention, the subtle urges to go on and a razor focus on the subject that is being discussed.…
The Most Important Promise to Keep
The promise that you should definitely keep is the one you make with yourself! We are all born equal. Our decisions in life have led to where we are today. We have…
The 7 Traits That I Learnt From my Best Bosses
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10 Customer Centricity basics that Walt Disney & Disneyland taught me
It is no longer Customer Experience, it is Customer Delight! I remember my Walt Disney experience. Vividly. I had a great time when I visited the park on the outskirts…
A Merry-Go-Round called Life
Excerpt: Life is a merry-go-round. When the music stops, our time is up. We get off the journey of life, the greatest ride ever. When the music stops, make sure you get…
True Leaders Inspire Through Their Actions!
Leaders, your teams mirror you. From the way we dress to the brand of Green Tea that we drink, we subconsciously affect the behaviors of those whom we lead, interact and…
What a 7 Rs. (10 Cents) 'Chai' can teach about Customer Centricity!
The chaiwaala (tea-seller) who cares. A hastily-put together tea shop. Made of advertisement banners, construction tiles and bamboo poles. A smiling old man. An earthen…
Say 'No' to the unimportant things, so that you can say 'Yes!' to the important ones!
Excerpt: Say NO to the unimportant things and say YES to the important things! I had a tough time saying NO. I am sure all of us do. We love to be the knight in shining…
The surprising source for my work ethics!
Excerpt: How our parents influence our attitude towards life and work. ow our ethics and integrity is shaped by our upbringing. This article took me down memory lane to…
Why you should call Bull***t on unnecessary commitments
Excerpt: How we fall into the trap of unnecessary commitments.Why letting go of such commitments is necessary to win. This is explained using a life experience. Say No.…
The Problems with Growing up in a dysfunctional family
Dysfunctional families create long-term issues in children. These effects rarely get corrected and manifest in one form or the other later. The children, even as adults,…
Excuses or Results? You can have just one!
You can have only one — either Results or Excuses! Couldn’t stick to my diet plan because the red velvet cake was simply delicious! Did not write that blog because I…
Thank God For Challenging Days!
There is plenty of learning from challenging days and situations If your day has been easy - I can safely assume that you will not have been challenged. You wouldn't…
The Small Things Matter!
The smallest of gestures have the biggest of impact! The little gestures and the actions are the ones that truly matter. We underestimate the value of the little things,…
Ganesha - The Elephant-Headed God
The favourite god of Hindus has quite a lot to teach everyone! Ganesha is the Elephant-headed god, son of Shiva & Parvati. In Hinduism with 33 million gods — every…
Driving in India - Drives you crazy
Driving in India can be really crazy! This blog is my take on driving and mobility in Mumbai. Mumbai - The Megacity The land of acceptance, a land of dreams, a place…
The Joy of constantly 'upgrading' yourself!
The shifts in technology have been amazing to say the least! Technology Changes - Everyday! I am a Millenial. Technology attracts me like nothing else. I have seen a sea…
Learn More Languages - Connect with more people!
How technology is playing its role in establishing new networks by breaking the language barrier! Knowing an additional language can be awesome. There are so many more…
Spirit of a true entrepreneur – Arunachalam Muruganantham
‘The first man to wear a sanitary napkin’ – I was wrong to assume it was another insipid article (on the lines of adult diapers or a big joke) and put It off for later…
Great Customer Experience - It is all around us!
You can observe and learn, everyday! Customer Experience - All around us! Image source: B2B News Network Superlative customer experience need not be restricted to the…