Rama Moondra

To uninitiated me, happiness is small package deal. I have walked in hard sunny path of life and have loads of burnt on my feet. So, when I got a call from Vivek this morning, urging to write about ways to be happy I just could not get any thing big to write.

To me, happiness is listening to my six-year-old niece’s non-stop complaints of her teacher, watching Tom and Jerry on a tired day, seeing sunset from my balcony and many little pleasures like these.

 I notice one difference between many people and me. I have reconciled to the fact that all these pleasures may change tomorrow so I celebrate one-day everyday. I look at rainy days and grey clouds and am happy. I watch flock of birds flying back home and feel relaxed. I remain awake on a moonlit night to enjoy tranquility of my surroundings. I would let my sleep go in for a toss just because someone, who I enjoy to be with, may not free tomorrow to spend time as much as it is today. I love the way it is today and I know, life can take it away anytime.

Life is a climb but the view is great and despite I do not see many people around me, I know I am getting on top of the ladder and to be there it has to be ME the way I am.

 To an unseen fan (Vivek, I have put it the way you put yourself .

I could write about strategic relationship management much better. After all, a client vendor kind of relationship never has much complication. But whats the fun writing about  something  you can buy a book and read. So, I would rather write about basics of any relation. I think its mutual respect that determines quality of life.

 I am glad; life does not come with a service manual. Relationships do not have warranty cards. I recently have been part of friend’s life who is reeling under pain of leaving home after his father asked him to. It is difficult for father to give away the business to new generation son who is well informed in client servicing and a tech junkie. Therefore, ideally I should be sad about my friend is suffering. Contrary to that, I am feeling good. He will grow as independent human being now.  The identity crisis he is facing today will settle down in a while. The birth of Phoenix proves that its important to face fire to have a new life.

 Life teaches only hard ways. I have been a student of that way always and have learnt to be what I am today. My comfort with my own self has come from being alone and managing life my ways. I learnt that success is relative term. I learnt that no matter how discomforting it is, I would always have people who can read me as a book despite hardly knowing me. I learnt that all relations have their share of pain and pleasure. That despite I am not a caring person, I have people who care for me immensely. That my brother can get my mindset from a simple “hello” on phone and it surprises as much as it did ten years ago.

 Though not everything what happens may be comforting that time but I believe, ultimately we get what we deserve and not what we desire.The good part is life moves on and that is what makes it worth living. So what if sometime the wine glass has tear drops in it.

“Do you really think you are intuitive”? My boss is amazing with his straight questions, but this one was out of blue and hit the same way. I always thought that I was. Actually, when I read’ Tipping Point ‘by Gladwell and kind of related to it, I felt I was N type. Then followed “Fooled by randomness” by Nicholas Taleb and I certified my self fulfilling prophecy of intuitive me.

So, when I faced this” up in your face” (my beloved Mills and Boon chaap Boss is known for it), I thought for a while which lasted 24 hours.

What is the difference between high intuitive and high logic people?  I logicise everything and so am admired by clients for right decisions most of the times. In recruitment panel, even when I conduct a psychometric profile of interviewee, I by heart know what it would look like. Where does that come from? I asked myself. It comes from repetitive pattern too but people are different despite behaving alike. Therefore, why do I get strong hunch about someone. It is more intuitions, m sure. However, I never speak it. I need data to back it up and there comes logicising. I know, most of my personal decisions are pure from heart and I have hurt myself  sometime.

Matter of fact remains the same. Like me, I am sure thousands of people are more intuitive but do not know or admit it. Sometime being ridiculed and sometime to make others believe, one needs strong support of data.

 Once again,thin slicing of thoughts converting into facts and figures. After all,its sure fire combination.

To me, intuitions are power of thinking without thought process. I read a lot so kind of get into analyzing a lot as well. Over a span of years, I started realizing that it is thinner slicing of views.

Whenever we meet someone for the first time, whenever we interview or react to a new idea, we always quickly use our brain to assess. I read “Blink” by Malcolm Gladwell and found similar voice by author.

I get repetitive hunches. I always mistook them as daydreams but slowly realized getting them in real life. Some of them turned ‘fears come true’ too.

Therefore, what works behind thin slicing is looking with microscopic view. I was scared of loosing a friend once upon a time. Over years, the possession and controlling nature of that individual made sure of me walking out quietly. Now, I do not know if it was intuitive but I knew it would not last long. Thin slicing my behavior pitted against other made it evident that we belonged to two different worlds. I knew the end when it began. So, why would I let that happen if intuitions were so powerful?

Simply because none of us want to leave life without living. At least I live it to all the mistakes despite intuitive nature. I have only one person to blame then. ME

A slapstick black comedy, Ishqiya is a story of three individuals. Woven with threads of crime, passion, greed and deceit, the movie takes the viewers in a world of humor laced with suspense.

Babban, our heartwarming “Circuit” Arshad steals the show and the woman in yellow too. (Read Vidya Balan). Khalujaan is all time favorite Naseeruddin Shah.
The 1969 Hollywood classic Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid has a resemblance with the soul of Ishqiya. The story of two rouges Khalujaan (Naseeruddin Shah) and Babban (Arshad Warsi) who are evading their boss Mushtaq (Salman Shahid). Nowhere to go, they seek refuge in a friend’s house and instead meet his widow Krishna (Vidya Balan).Nothing is pretentious with make-believe romance tracks here, rather it is clearly communicating that Vidya Balan is conning both the males. Moreover, despite that the plot does not get predictable and holds you through an intriguing climax.

Naseeruddin emotes extraordinarily where he feels betrayed by love and cheated by friend. He plays a very young at heart in the song ‘Dill To Bachcha Hai Ji ’. The bigamy plot of the steel king businessman is corny though needed. It could have been better.

Everyone has different agenda and they execute it brilliantly in different ways throughout the movie. Ishqiya is highly performance oriented. To see Naseeruddin Shah is always a delight. Arshad Warsi and Vidya Balan are at their career-best performance.

Once again,the review is for my beloved Boss,who can not spare time for the movie..

My association with Mr. Amit Karandikar dates back to 2004.He invited me to address on Business Etiquette at AC Nielson ORG MARG . It was the base of introduction and we connected instantly. Ever since it is a friendship of knowledge sharing, (I admit being on receiving end mostly).To me, he is  a good HR professional who is now Head – HR, Admin. & IT Services with Elitecore Technologies Ltd.

Last evening when I spent sometime with him, a new window opened up.Amit has done fantastic work in his current organization on Competency Mapping. To HR professionals, nothing new in this term but the way it has been done and systematic implementation of the same has great impact on business strategies of any organization.Therefore, I got curious about his experiences and sharing began.

Right from his terminology of “Corporate Jungle” for students, I walked with him the archives of memories.A settlement process of Reliance or Arvind’s one of the plant at Kolhapur, Amit has enough material to write a best seller.

My request to HR professionals like him and to him specially, it is worth sharing your efforts with others. Most of the time organizations do not realize what contribution Human Resource and Industrial Relations Dept makes, as it does not come under quantifying business.Organizational growth  thrives on people management and without good HR practice, it is not possible. Strategic HR deals hand in hand with Business Development of any organization.

Once, a veteran HR professional had mentioned,” We are poor marketers with great execution”. Time for a change may be…