Category Archive for ‘Life’ at Life as a Knowledge Manager

Archive for the 'Life' Category

Books with pictures help me learn faster

Published by Nainil Chheda on January 3, 2012 in Life. 0 Comments

I am highly motivated to read topics of interests to me. I guess I am no different than the rest of the world.

However if you give me a book or an article on a topic for which I don’t have much of an interest, I will still read it if it has pictures/graphics.

I guess I am a lot inclined towards infographics.

Definition from Wikipedia:

Information graphics or infographics are graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge. These graphics present complex information quickly and clearly,[1] such as in signs, maps, journalism, technical writing, and education. With an information graphic, computer scientists, mathematicians, and statisticians develop and communicate concepts using a single symbol to process information.

Like we know information on videos is the future of knowledge, I am predicting, info graphics to be the second best thing as compared to knowledge sharing after videos/podcasts.

My motivation or liking towards books with images came from my childhood days when I was introduced to Tinkle and Amar Chitra Katha. Not only was I motivated to read, these books have taught me a number of things which act as my principle guidelines for my daily life. These stories always had a moral.

Even today when I try to read the Wall Street Journal or the New York Post, I am more inclined to read any article which has a graphic/image associated to it. I guess as mentioned earlier in my previous posts, I learn from observation, I tend to use my right brain more when I read and try to understand things.

I guess all my post is trying to say is: I have reading habits of a child and I may have an attention span of a moth but I am clear about myself and the way I behave. I guess this is the most important realization that one needs. Understand yourself (your strengths and weaknesses) and you will be happy like me.

Share this:

My last few days of 2011

Published by Nainil Chheda on January 2, 2012 in Life. 0 Comments

Each year I take the last week off from work. This is mainly to get myself re-organized and re-charge myself. This year (2012) too, I have already applied for a vacation days for the last week of the year.

A few things that I did during the last 7 days:

Re-organize our basement. Keeping things in order is not quite as easy as one thinks.
Donate all old clothes/shoes and other items to Goodwill (http://www.goodwillmass.org/) . Did you know you can get tax deduction benefit by donating to GoodWill?
Me and my brother (Monil), we are moving towards eBooks and online reading. This year, We donate almost 50+ books to Worcester Public Library . I am a frequent visitor the the library. I like their services and activities that they promote. Their self-service book checkout system is one of the coolest I have seen. Just scan your library card, and bring your books near the kiosk. That’s it. You’ll receive a print out of the books that you just scanned. It takes hardly a few seconds to check out books at the library.
I finished reading: Letters to Steve: Inside the E-mail Inbox of Apple’s Steve Jobs . I like iPad’s Kindle app. It helps me highlight and add notes to the important text. Plus, I can sync it with my Kindle 4 PC app too.
Our kids (Sara & Samaira) are more of an explorer these days. They like to crawl places without us knowing. So we installed Baby Gates and Electrical Socket Blockers. Safety is very important when it comes to kids in the house.

Spending time with the family was my number 1 goal during this time. However, I did keep myself partially busy in planning goals for 2012. These days I live for my family and work for my job . I like this change.

Share this:

2012: A year of goals setting and execution

Published by Nainil Chheda on January 1, 2012 in Life. 0 Comments

2011 has been a great year for me (both personally and in my professional life). Like all my previous efforts, I have had my share of successes and failures in meeting my goals/expectations.

Personal Life:

I was blessed with two beautiful daughters on 21st March 2011 (Sara and Samaira). They have brought great joy in our lives. Even today, I am amazed by the way they surprise me. I realized, sleep is a very rare commodity once you have kids (at least in the beginning)…
For almost 5 months my wife (Avni) and my daughters were in India. This period was an eye opener for me. I missed them but it allowed me to be productive in a different way. It gave me time to rethink my goals in life. I was paying more attention to detail. I started to re-evaluate my current state and began to set achievable goals.
In these 5 months, I attended a lot of conferences and seminars. Made new friends and started networking seriously. I was introduced to Brian Tracy and I can tell you, his writing and videos have had a serious impact on me.
I visited India to bring back my wife and kids. My brother (Monil) and my sister-in-law (Esha) accompanied us too. This was the time when the whole family was together. I know my parents had one of the best moments with all of us.

Professional Life:

My professional life has always been exciting. I have always tried to get things done (sometimes by following the protocol, sometimes by finding a work-around). Every day I learn something new when at work. At work, I have already defined the goals for the year and our team will together strive to achieve them.

This year, me and my wife received our Green Card. This ended the 4.5 years of wait during the processing period. It gives you a great sense of freedom and excitement once you have your Green Card. You are free to take more risks.

2012: The year ahead – resolution

I have set a goal in mind (to grow professionally and personally). To accomplish it, I’ll be setting many small goals daily. Each day, I’ll be moving forward towards the big goal.
I’ll be spending more time with my family and stay healthy.
Like last year, I’ll be interacting a lot more with everyone I know. Quote: Personal contacts is the key to success.
I’ll be blogging/micro-blogging about my daily experiences in life and will try to engage my friends and near ones
I’ll be updating my website – http://www.nainil.com (layout & content)
The words: personal financing, wealth creation and real-estate will have a new meaning to me this year.
I will be working smart! Delegate what I can and focus on the core issue.
I have observed that success loves speed. Starting immediately, what I do will be done with perfection but at a fast pace.

I guess one thing that I along with everyone suffers is the lack of insight on “What are you trying to make happen?”. But this year, I will be focusing on this question to move forward with my goals for the year. Welcome 2012!

Share this:

5 reasons why taking the last week of the year off was a good thing.

Published by Nainil Chheda on January 5, 2011 in Life. 0 Comments

Every year, I try to take the last week off from. Here are my 5 reasons to do so:

Refresh: Taking the last week of the year simply helps me refresh my thoughts. It’s a very clean way of taking a break and starting out fresh for the new year.
Re-Organize: By the end of the year I sometimes feel I have a lot of small items which I need to finish and mark completed. This time gives me an opportunity to take care of all these nitty gritty items.
Completion: Every year, I like to look back and list all that I have accomplished. I like it when things are done so that I can cherish it for sometime and them move forward. It’s like a gift to myself. I was once told, “You should treat yourself once in a while”. This keeps me motivated.
Communication: One of my goals as always has been to be more socially active. This time of the year, I believe my communication increases by means of social networking channels and the usual humane way.
Plan: The new year is ahead of me and I can now plan things for the future. These are the things that are under my control. I choose to plan what I want to accomplish and my new years resolutions take into effect here. (Read More: Looking back at 2010 and Thinking Forward for 2011)

This year, I have already planned my vacation for the year by Day 4 of 2011. I plan to take the last week off again.

Share this:

An event that made me even closer to my family

Published by Nainil Chheda on January 3, 2011 in Life. 0 Comments

I am not an early person. I like to work late at night. However, I was up at around two o’clock this morning. There was an incident in our house that made us all panic. Not giving much details about the incident it involved: FootSteps, Security Alarm System and Cops.

It was a false alarm.

However, during this period, everyone of us inside the house (including myself, my brother, my wife and sister-in-law) were shocked. We were trying to gather our thoughts and give each other the strength and support. We worked together to make sure everyone of us were safe. We cared.

What this incident made us realize is:

Security Alarm Systems : They play an important role in protecting a house and giving you a safe sleep.
Cops: They really work hard and they are very prompt in responding to an emergency call
Family: If you have a good bond, one becomes even closer to it’s family members when there is the slightest trouble in the family. Everyone likes to be close to you when you are happy. But only family members and true friends stick up to you and give you the support you need to pass through the moment.

I am very lucky to have such a great family. So, I guess for me: It’s not the best of the times that make me feel closer, but it’s the most difficult of times that helps me realize how much all of us care about each other. This is day 3 in 2011.

Share this:

Looking back at 2010 and Thinking Forward for 2011

Published by Nainil Chheda on December 31, 2010 in Life. 0 Comments

We all know that it is hard to grow up but as per my understanding it is even harder to grow up after you realize you have grown up. It hit me when I realized I was 28 in 2010; married for 3 years, had a steady job for 5 years; and I could never keep up with the passing time. Even today as I dictate this blog (using my Dragon NaturallySpeaking), I many a times wonder what have I done this year.

My goal in what I do is not that of a short-term but a long-term future plan that will help me, my family, and the community. When I ask myself “What have I done this year?”, I’m referring to things that have impacted me in ways that have improved my learning skills, my thought channel and those things that have impacted my family and my surroundings as a whole.

Superman once told “with more power comes more responsibilities”. I believe with time passing by and the continuous changes that come through it is not necessary that one would have more power but definitely your responsibilities would have increased.

Here, I am going to recap the events that have been impactful and memorable during the year (2010):

Family

I went to India after three years for my brothers wedding. This was by far the most meaningful visit to India I’ve had in my seven years of state in the United States of America. ( Read More: My visit to India – May 2010 ).
I made a mistake. I’ve made a couple of mistakes, however this one strikes out the most. Just before my brothers wedding I had left my wife’s Visa expire. This was a pure case of carelessness by me. I should have been on top of such important matters like making sure the Visa is current and not expired. Due to this mistake of of mine we had to postpone my brother’s wedding by almost 2 and half to three months. Sorry.
My parents visited us this summer and it was an enjoyable visit. It had been a long time since everyone from our family was together under one roof. It was the perfect time. My brother was married and his wife had arrived and was trying to settle down and learn our family culture. I have always said that parents and family guidelines are the most important things in the upbringing of a good family. ( Read More: Family Guidelines ).

Business:

This year in 2010 during our premier national users conference which was held in Florida, I was voted MVE ( Most Valued Employee) in our company eClinicalWorks. I’m very proud of this. However, there is something more than being proud of, it is the sense of satisfaction that I received when others voted for me. They cared for me. Even my stay in Florida was made special (I have special dietary needs – Jainism).
We redesigned our website – www.eliteral.com
I’ve now learned to work smart ( not just work hard ).
My product and industry knowledge has improved significantly for the healthcare domain.
I presented on health care and patient privacy during one of the conferences.This was a good experience for me when I realized that my presentation skills are not as bad as I had had rated them. I even got a few laughs. (Read: Walking the dog by John L. Wright, MD.)

Personal

Every evening after I am back from work, I take some time to read about things that are not related to my field of study or business. A simple reason for this is I believe personal development is very important in an individual’s life and I don’t believe that a persons life should be confined to work alone. I also gain a lot of satisfaction when I read poems. (Read: A Senior Anthology of Poetry – Macmillan Publication).
Website Development: This year I launched 3 websites:
1. www.dns.co.in – DNS Management & Tools Website
2. www.pqr.in – URL Shortener
3. www.newyearideas.com – New Year Ideas
Community Development:
1. Kojain.com – I’m redesigning and improving the website layout, navigation and user interface. I’m also providing our Kutchi community in North America an interface to search other members and help them collaborate using website. (Read More: http://www.kojain.com/NewsLetters/201012.pdf)

Here are my goals / resolutions for 2011 (KISS: Keeping it Short and Simple):

Personal Life: Spend more time with the family and stay healthy.
Website Development: I will be launching a couple of the websites during this year. (Announcements and Launches will be disclosed later)
Speech Recognition: I will be using Dragon Naturally Speaking for most of my blog dictation and article writing.
Jainism: I’ll be collaborating with others in the Jain Religion to develop a website on Jainism.
Management & Life: I’ll be posting lessons learned in my day-to-day life on my blog for everyone to share.
Backups: Try to encourage my friends and others to backup their data.
Social Life: I will be more active on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

I make a ton of promises and/or resolutions like everyone else. I try to stick to them most of the times. But some times, I fall through the cracks and have known to loose focus on areas which I feel are too easy for me and I tend to be lazy to complete them.

Today, I know I am living a good life. But I’ll strive to make it more meaningful and try to enjoy every moment of life. Welcome 2011.

Share this:

My Journey to India – May 2010

Published by Nainil Chheda on June 7, 2010 in Life. 0 Comments

All that I write today is because of the need to share my love for my parents, family and India. After 3 years 3 months I visited India in May 2010 for my brother’s wedding (Reception Ceremony & Wedding Ceremony). It is a long time for anyone to visit one’s own country and it sure brought in some real great memories and experiences for me.

The first few days of me being in India were all about adjustment (including recovering from Jet Lag).

Adjustment to:
1. The weather (hot & humid)
2. The people (extremely socially active)
3. The inflation (high prices met with higher demand for goods and services)
4. The food (spicy, hot and greasy)

My parents tried to make me comfortable as much as possible and I tried to make adjustments to suite both ends.

Weather:
1. The weather in Mumbai was about 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Very hot and humid.
2. To keep myself cool, I drank plenty of water and fluids. Every day I used to drink Coconut Water Juice and other juices including Orange and Black Jamun.
3. At our place using an Air Conditioner every day at home is not considered a necessity. However, considering the weather change from Boston (60F when I left) to Mumbai (85-90F), using Air Conditioner at home was just a matter of choice.

People:
1. People in India are bound by a number of social interactions. What I mean by that is they have too many occasions/functions/parties/birthdays/reminders etc. to attend to. If you don’t attend or are not a part of an occasion, the other person feels hurt and might possibly give you an earful.
2. People care about you. They would make a point that you are well fed, and that your comfort is taken care of.
3. People are turning western and slowly but steadily their cultural habits are changing.
4. People are taking good care of their Maids & those that serve them. (May be because they fear the extra work they will have to do when not having a Maid)

Inflation:
1. The spending capacity of people in India has increased tremendously. What one family of 4 used to spend at a dinner (in a good restaurant) is now what a couple spends.
2. People in India want quick money. (90% of all that I know invest in Stocks)
3. Each shop that you go for shopping (be it clothes or jewelry) the store associate will ask you “How much are you willing to spend? Or what is your price range?”

Food:
1. Possibly one of the best things in India is the variety of food you get. Food tastes different in India. You like the sweetness of the food here.
2. People feed you as if you are not going to get to eat again. You are always offered a dessert at the beginning and at the end of the meal.
3. You will always like what your mother cooks in India and you will always eat the food that you won’t get in Boston (or anywhere else)

What I call adjustments (Weather, People, Inflation, and Food) is probably what I would also call as Life in India.

The Wedding:
1. Hosting a Wedding for 2000 people in India takes a lot of Planning and Patience.
2. Being on a short trip all of our shopping (clothes, jewelry etc) for the wedding is done within 7-10 days.
3. Wedding means you need to celebrate an occasion making sure everyone is happy and that you adjust to the needs of your guests and fellow family members.
4. Wedding celebration includes:
a) Mehendi Celebration – Coloring of hands/legs and body parts with Henna;
b) Sangeet Celebration – A time where both the bride and the groom family meet and sing songs for celebrating the occasion;
c) Main Wedding Ceremony – The priest weds the bride and the groom;
d) Reception Ceremony – To congratulate the newlywed members

The wedding was splendid. It brought back memories from my marriage. One thing that I now advise all those that are getting married is “Enjoy your wedding day”. During my wedding I was possibly lost in all that was happening that I couldn’t take enough time to look around and enjoy the day.

India:
1. (Mainly in Mumbai) every block that I visited had some sort of new building, new bridge or a new mall construction going on.
2. Prices of Land have increased extremely. I believe it’s a bubble and like all markets it will burst. After an upward trend there is definitely going to be a downward trend and prices of land will decrease.
3. Gold prices are at all time high
4. People have been brought up with “Savings” as their base. However lately they are spending more than they are earning
5. People have become choosy. Previously they had only a few selection choices, but now in any market segment they have hundreds of choices to make intelligent decisions.
6. Poor are becoming poorer and the rich are becoming richer.
7. Every retail item will be customized to fit your size/need.
8. Lots of people have ideas but not many have the courage to implement them.

Something’s that make you feel you are in India:
1. Sign on the back of a truck “Horn OK Please”
2. Sign on the back of a truck “Mera Bharat Mahan”
3. Driving without giving signals and Driving in the middle of the lane.
4. Sign in a store “Fixed Rate. No Guarantee. No Exchange. Eatables Not Allowed”
5. Sign on the Auto Rikshaw (Meter Box) “Don’t Touch Me”
6. Road Speed 30 Km/Hr – People Drive @ 65 Km/Kr

Some tips and memorable lessons that I was taught by my elders during this trip:
1. Learn to Adjust and Compromise and you will lead a fruitful life
2. Enjoy your life as you get chances because these will be your memorable times that you will remember for years to come
3. Exercise or at least take a walk to keep your body fit and fine. You will never know when the rust of time will make you incapable of being how you are today
4. In India, even a person that is not as educated as one is makes millions. What good is anyone one if he/she who has studied abroad with higher education but cannot beat the street smart.
5. Take risks. When you have get an opportunity take it as Opportunity strikes very softly.

What I have seen can be easily described as “Organized Chaos“. It is crowded, chaotic and full of interesting people, but you still love it. May be this trip was one of my most mature trip as I understood how I lived and what I miss the most.

Share this:

What an exciting time to be alive!

Published by Nainil Chheda on February 12, 2009 in Life, Organization and Technology. 0 Comments

A few years ago my grandfather was showing me a four-in-one pen. He said, “Look at that – blue, red, green, black! It’s like having four pens in one! What an exciting time to be alive!”. I looked at him and smiled.

A few days ago, I was speaking with a colleague about “Digital Whiteboards” and how they have evolved from being a simple electronic whiteboard to a smart whiteboard with an inbuilt printer. (The digital whiteboard is an electronic version of a dry-erase board.) I remember the good old school days where we had a Black Board, and our teachers used a white chalk to write the notes for the class room. Things have certainly changed. To know more about the digital white boards; check this Video: M.I.T. Digital Drawing Board

Things sure have changed!

The most successful (technological) inventions till date have been telephone, computer, television, automobile, camera and of course the light bulb.

In recent times I have seen the following areas show progress :

1. GPS Navigation Systems (e.g. GPS)

2. Eco-friendly cars (e.g. Hydrogen Vehicle)

3. Wireless Broadband Internet (e.g. Verizon Broadband)

4. Electronic Toll Collection System (e.g. MTA – FAST LANE Program)

5. Intelligent Robots (e.g. Sony Robots)

I have always embraced technology and innovation. I might not know every aspect of the technology or the product but my thirst to learn new things will never stop. If I ever stop embracing technology and innovation, I will retire. (This is a very bold statement to make. But it’s true.)

Time Magazine recently announced it’s list of best inventions for the year 2007.

The areas where the inventions are being concentrated are:

Applying solar energy to conservative use
Building eco-friendly cars
Using nano-technology
Video Gaming, Mobile Technology and Space Technology (Rocket Science)
Architecture Mobilization

We don’t always realize how technology has changed our lives. It has made our lives simpler and it sure is an interesting age to live in! It is our experience which makes us “believe” that things are possible and it is the realization from our experience which makes us lead a complete life.

Share this:

Open your Portal of Life and find the Creative Genius

Published by Nainil Chheda on February 11, 2009 in Life. 0 Comments

Here is a synopsys of Elizabeth Gilbert’s narration of “Creative Genius” in her 20 minutes speech @ ted.com

A different way to think about Creative Genius – By Elizabeth Gilbert

Elizabeth a very prominent book writer discusses the hidden secret behind her success which has connections with the ancient Greek & Roman civilizations.

Best Seller. Now What? If you have succeeded at first, everyone expects you to be afraid of the work that you have previously accomplished. Will you be able to surpass the previous success?
Creative people are sometimes mentally unstable with magnificient young minds
Fear of Genius: Your best performance is behind you.
Genius and Daemons: Greece believed creativity came from a divine spirit called “Daemon”. Romans believed a magical entity who would invisibly assist an artist and shape the work (called Genius).
Being & Having Genius: Being a Genius is a mistake because it is too much responsibility for a single entity. Having Genius makes you have an imaginary spirit which helps you rub a fairy juice on your projects.
Letting Genius Catch you: Don’t try to find Genius, let the Genius find you. Some ideas come to you from other uncontrolled impulses. Genius is some moment which could be called as “This is it”, “Time would stop”, “Everything would be aligned”, “You are light from within”, “Magic”, “Glimpse of God”. Open the portal of your life and let yourself into a totally different level where you have the most brilliant moments which would be wonderous.
What are you to do for the rest of your life?: It is not always that the most extraordinary aspects of your life came from you. You have been loaned the extraordinary aspects of your being from an unimaginable source to be passed on. Share the knowledge.
Do your job: Don’t be afraid. Don’t let anything change what you do and have the stubberness to keep showing up.

Link: http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/453

Share this:

Matilda – Poem of the Week

Published by Nainil Chheda on February 10, 2009 in Life and Literature. 0 Comments

MATILDA

by: Hilaire Belloc (1870-1953)

WHO TOLD LIES, AND WAS BURNED TO DEATH

MATILDA told such Dreadful Lies,

It made one Gasp and Stretch one’s Eyes;

Her Aunt, who, from her Earliest Youth,

Had kept a Strict Regard for Truth,

Attempted to Believe Matilda:

The effort very nearly killed her,

And would have done so, had not She

Discovered this Infirmity.

For once, towards the Close of Day,

Matilda, growing tired of play,

And finding she was left alone,

Went tiptoe to the Telephone

And summoned the Immediate Aid

Of London’s Noble Fire-Brigade.

Within an hour the Gallant Band

Were pouring in on every hand,

From Putney, Hackney Downs, and Bow.

With Courage high and Hearts a-glow,

They galloped, roaring through the Town,

‘Matilda’s House is Burning Down!’

Inspired by British Cheers and Loud

Proceeding from the Frenzied Crowd,

They ran their ladders through a score

Of windows on the Ball Room Floor;

And took Peculiar Pains to Souse

The Pictures up and down the House,

Until Matilda’s Aunt succeeded

In showing them they were not needed;

And even then she had to pay

To get the Men to go away!

It happened that a few Weeks later

Her Aunt was off to the Theatre

To see that Interesting Play

The Second Mrs. Tanqueray.

She had refused to take her Niece

To hear this Entertaining Piece:

A Deprivation Just and Wise

To Punish her for Telling Lies.

That Night a Fire did break out–

You should have heard Matilda Shout!

You should have heard her Scream and Bawl,

And throw the window up and call

To People passing in the Street–

(The rapidly increasing Heat

Encouraging her to obtain

Their confidence) — but all in vain!

For every time she shouted ‘Fire!’

They only answered ‘Little Liar!’

And therefore when her Aunt returned,

Matilda, and the House, were Burned.

“Matilda” is reprinted from Cautionary Tales. Hilaire Belloc. 1907.

Share this:

Overshare – the 2008 Word of the Year

Published by Nainil Chheda on February 7, 2009 in Life, Management and Technology. 0 Comments

Information is always overwhelming. However when information is turned into knowledge it is a gift. With my role as a Knowledge Manager, I feel it is important for people to understand when information is “Overshared”. Is this a good thing?

The 2008 word of the year is both a noun and a verb: overshare. It basically means it is when a person gives you more information than you want or need to know.

I believe in information transpancy, sharing of knowledge and accepting the fact that being accessible to others makes life simpler.

Sharing of information can be classified into:

Personal
Work Related
Social
Other

One must group his friends and collegues into various catagories. I have choosen to share my information to various groups (social networking) in the following fashion:

Personal:
1. Website: www.nainil.com
2. Blog: www.nainil.com/blog
Friends:
1. Facebook (id: nainil)
  http://www.facebook.com/people/Nainil-Chheda/630638930
2. Orkut (id: nainil@gmail.com)
Work Related:
1. LinkedIn (id: nainil)
  www.linkedin.com/in/nainil
2. Blog
  www.nainil.com/blog
Social Networking:
1. Twitter (id: nainil)

The level of discrete information that I share about myself is limited to the nature of the service and to the level of information I am willing to disclose about myself.

On my Website: I have information related to my areas of interest, my research activities, my vision, my resume and some images that I cherish.

On my Blog: I record my experiences with technology, quality control, policies, management as well as topics such as game theory and geological sediments.

On my Twitter profile: I update the various articles I read, videos I watch and document anything which helps me understand a concept/theme .

Never have I felt that I overshare my information. I tend to give data which is precise and to the point.

Information if left idle is not of any value. When we put our thoughts to process information we gather knowledge. Being a Knowledge Manager, I have learned to value the boundaries of information. Only some can be shared while other must be cherished by a limited group of members.

With an increase in the level of understanding, individuality and personification of data, “Overshare” is the term which needs to be catered to the market.

Share this:

Giving Credit to the Right People

Published by Nainil Chheda on February 5, 2009 in Life, Management and Organization. 0 Comments

I work in a company with a varied set of team members. We depend on each other to make the right choices and deliver the right services. We all try to deliver products, services and processes to our team members and the clients. Yet, I often ask myself “Is there any tangible product which comes out of my work?”.

Here’s the way I think about my work:

* I am a “Facilitator”. I help in getting people the right correct answers. It does not mean I am always the one who is giving these answers.
* I am a “Shovel Supplier”. I supply the tools and services that others need to make their lives easier.

Every day I receive emails, phone calls and have people come to my desk asking for all sort of answers. I might know a few of these answers as I might be involved in the project. However most of the times I am asked for the right direction. I am asked if I can point them to the right person who can do the job. I am asked if I can get an answer for the questions they have.

While looking for an answer to a question, I tend to involve various other team members. Many a times they give me an answer which is complete. I inturn transfer the answer to the team member who requested it. So, I diligently perform my duties, find the answers and convey the same to the team member who has requested the same.

Does this mean:

* I did all the hard work to get the answer?
* I have the answer to every question?
* I am the one to be praised and thanked?

The answer is No. I believe, in an ethical business environment where all the members involved while providing a solution should be respectfully thanked. The effort is a group effort and the right person deserves the credit. I always try to remember what our old folks used to teach us “It’s always good to give than to receive”.

While on a project, I make sure that I broadcast the efforts of the other team members who helped me find the answer to the main requesting party .This leads into a “Win-Win” situation. It keeps the requestor informed and the efforts put in by the other team member are also brought to light which acts as a motivational factor.

This sure does not mean that I (the facilitator) do not deserve a part of the credit. However, considering the nature of my job I choose to do the right thing and take credit only for the things that I deserve.

Share this:

A Follower of the KISS Principle

Published by Nainil Chheda on February 2, 2009 in Life, Management, Organization and Technology. 0 Comments

“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler” – Albert Einstein

During my Masters in Information Systems at the Fox School of Business @ Temple University, I was introduced to “Strategic Process Management” and “User Interactive Site Design”. The first concept taught was to Keep it Sweet and Simple (K.I.S.S).

With 12 years of Web Application Development experience, I have had the opportunity to look at both:

Processes which are complicated
User Interfaces which do not make sense

Many a times, we try to bring an “Open Forum” approach into our organization. This could lead to:

Multiple Members Contributing to a Project (too many cooks spoil the broth)
Complicating the project in the early stages of formation/development
Everyone has a request to meet their needs. This could over burden the project.

The chain of thought is to make life easier and simpler for both the developers and clients. Design simplicity should be a key goal and any unnecessary complexities should be avoided.

Product Design

Here is a great link on “What is Simple Design“. It shares information about: Agile Development, YAGNI – You Aren’t Gonna Need It; Design Patterns, Code Smells, Simple Design and Test Driven Development (TDD), Once-And-Only-Once, Don’t Repeat Yourself (DRY), Communication, Single Responsibility Principle (SRP), Open Closed Principle (OCP), Liskov Substitution Principle (LSP), Interface Segregation Principle (ISP), Dependency Inversion Principle (DIP), Tell Don’t Ask, The Law of Demeter, Triangulate, Influence from Functional Programming, Tests don’t lie and Prototyping.

With everything that I try to manage, I tend to Keep it Simple. This allows me to focus on other core aspects of business which can lead to increase in productivity and sales. Being a follower of the KISS Principle makes my activities at Work and Life much enjoyable and productive.

Share this:

It’s not Personal. Its Business!

Published by Nainil Chheda on January 31, 2009 in Life, Management and Organization. 0 Comments

Michael Corleone: [to Sonny] It’s not personal, Sonny. It’s strictly business. — The Godfather (1972)

In an office environment, there are often times when :

1. It is difficult to negotiate with a client/colleague
2. Someone gets fired
3. Emotions (sometimes excitement, anger etc.) are spilled out

There is nothing personal when it comes to business. In an environment where accountability and ownership fail, people sometimes run into a brick wall. The only recourse is to find another way around it and gain insight on how impersonal business can be.

In many instances, when a mistake is pointed out :

The person gets all worked up;
The person gets defensive;
There is a cold-war situation in the environment;
Things are not taken in a positive fashion;
Negative work environment only creates a destructive pattern to erode the success. “Do I loose a friend when he/she points out my mistakes? How can I trust the person? Do I give up a friend because of a conflict of interest at work?” — We are all victims of such thinking.

An escalated matter (to the management) is sometimes required to get things done. Yet if this option is chosen all the time you will not be ale to earn the respect and get things done in the future.

To avoid such thoughts here are some tips:

Personal life situations should not affect your business decisions.
Remember that business is an impersonal entity.
Accept your mistakes and be honest.
Look at the big picture and think about the company first.
Find a recourse of action to avoid business matters affecting your personal life.

Remember: It’s not personal. It’s Business!

Share this:

Obama Inauguration – The Change We Need – Who Moved My Cheese?

Published by Nainil Chheda on January 20, 2009 in Life, Management, Organization and Politics. 0 Comments

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek – President Barack Obama (Change.gov)

Today, Hundreds of thousands of people have gathered on Washington’s national mall for the inauguration of Barack Obama as America’s 44th president. Today is a day in History, where change will be the focus of the new presidency era.

At my previous experience as a “Customer Service Representative” at DirectI, my lead (Bhavin Turakhia) had a unique way of motivating his team. Even with his busy schedule, he used to always boast about his ability to complete any given book in 2 weeks.

Every year he used to:

Organize education seminars for employees
Share his knowledge
Encourage employees to read books
Give us a Gift (during mid-year review)

This was no ordinary gift. Even though in monetary terms the gift was only worth Rs. 145 (US $4.5) it was more valuable than any other incentives I have ever received. It was a book called “Who Moved My Cheese?” by Dr. Spencer Johnson (Indian Edition).

Who Moved My Cheese? tells the story of two mice (Sniff and Scurry) and two “little people” (Hem and Haw) trapped in a maze. Cheese is a metaphor for whatever you want in your life. For the mice, it’s cheese. For the “people” it could be success, happiness, or financial security.

About this book :

It is a very short book about Change (about 100 pages).
Can be completed in less than an hour. (Large Font, Lots of White Spaces)
It is written in a very simple English (for all ages)
“Who Moved My Cheese?” has been used in hundreds of companies to demonstrate to employees what the “right” attitude should be. Go along with change. Adapt. Be flexible.
Everyone should read this!

It Teaches:

Change Happens
Anticipate Change
Monitor Change
Adapt To Change Quickly
Change
Enjoy Change !
Be Ready To Change Quickly & Enjoy It Again.

Quick Preview – PowerPoint:

Change doesn’t come from Washington. Change comes to Washington. – President Barack Obama

Are you ready to change the world? I am committed to do my part and looking forward to it!

Share this:

Life as a Knowledge Manager

Archive for the 'Life' Category

Books with pictures help me learn faster

My last few days of 2011

2012: A year of goals setting and execution

5 reasons why taking the last week of the year off was a good thing.

An event that made me even closer to my family

Looking back at 2010 and Thinking Forward for 2011

My Journey to India – May 2010

What an exciting time to be alive!

Open your Portal of Life and find the Creative Genius

Matilda – Poem of the Week

Giving Credit to the Right People

A Follower of the KISS Principle

It’s not Personal. Its Business!

Obama Inauguration – The Change We Need – Who Moved My Cheese?

About Me

Subscribe to updates

What I am Reading

Meta

Disclaimer