DEA-d

I am in Mumbai attending a three day workshop on Data Envelopment Analysis [DEA] at Department of Economics, University of Mumbai. The workshop is conducted by Subhash C. Ray., Professor, Department of Economics, University of Connecticut. I enjoyed the mathematical decomposition of DEA, the discussions on technical and scale efficiency measurements, and mathematical programming. To know more about DEA technique, google it or visit here

Dravid-ian Leader

Is Public Relations and rabble rousing becoming a leadership skill that rises above a leader's performance? Intriguing as it may be, the 'non-performing', 'non-playing' leader is today the most effective. All that matters today is leadership effectiveness and not efficiency. The first arena where a non-performing leadership got credence is the Davis Cup. Mr. Naresh Kumar will always be remembered as a 'Non-Playing captain' of India (officially).

So what makes a 'non-performing captain' click as a leader? Simple, A non-performing Captain can redeem his place if he is a proven Mentor. Ganguly has build his team around him. He will not be able to raise his game, but will inspire the likes of Kaif, Yuvraj, and Harbhajan who will consistently fail but click in a one odd game with the backing of a great mentor. It does not matter as long as the team is being lead with aggression. So does the 'Lead by Example' Theory fall flat in Leadership style? Yes, It does in India.

Visionary Evangelists like Dravid have no place in Indian Leadership scheme of things. India is a land of emotions that will allow only the likes of a Ganguly who is a Relationship Builder. The missing quality in both Dravid and Ganguly is 'Execution Management skills'. The Aussies are great managers of skill, discipline, and fitness. They go about their task with precision and with attention to great details. Indian leaders cannot become execution managers.

The other aspect of Leadership is culture and background of a Leader in a team.
Dravid-ian Leader: A Leader from South India. Even in this era, South Indian Parents warn their children not to 'ask anything'. It is bad manners. 'Donot ask for that toy, icecream, or new clothes, when you go shopping with your Uncle'. 'Donot accept any gift'. 'Ask your parents before you accept anything from your relatives'. It is this 'do-not-ask' Syndrome that affects the psyche of a South Indian Leader. Dravid never demanded his batting position, he never asked for a place in the team like Ganguly, who cribbed when he was left out of the Asian XI team. He was thrust the role of the wicket keeper, and threatened for not having a good ODI strike rate. It is that South-Indian attitude of being selfless, idealistic, silent performer that has been Dravid's nemesis. Dravid fell for Chappel experimentation. He could have asked for his playing eleven, and then lead India to victory. But, South-Indians are always taught ' Teacher is right, Donot question him, Do what he says'. A Leader from North of Vindhyas knows to make the right nosies at the right time and force his way through to get his point through. Ganguly's aggression comes from the West-Bengal Communist attitude. He has created the 'Men-in-Blue cadre', he gives the 'Men-in-Blue' the revolutionary attitude despite knowing that it is a failure. The 'Men-in-Blue' become Life long members of his coitere. Dravid will always be the prodigal second son of India. How we lost a great leader.

Feni Tourism---Arrack-anomics

Goa VAT reduces tax on Feni from 20 percent to 4 percent. The reason cited by the Chief minister is to boost tourism. Is Kerala Listening?

'Kallu' Tourism, 'Arrackanomics'

Tourism under alchoholic conditions ...hic..hic..hic..

Teaesting.. 1..2..3

User Acceptance Testing:
from Engagement Day
Load Testing:
from Marriage day
Stress Testing:
from the day after marriage
Destructive testing:
What your kids will do between the age of 2-5 years

Structural Testing:
What the voyeurs and college hang-outs do. Inspect in parts and comment on flaws.
Static testing:
What the shy introvert does by looking at a photo
Black-Box Testing:
Send a sublime love-letter and wait for the flaws in it to emerge
Dynamic Testing:
Send a provocative love-letter and you get an immediate response to the flaw (one tight slap)

ELSS

Every One Looses Sleep Scheme [ELSS]

ULIPS look like tulips

Every investor has it on his lips

The stocks ride the 7k waves

the NAV's ride Sine waves

Say a Prayer before you slip

If ULIPS give me life insurance cover, who will give me the cover for ULIPS?

Failurerror

Error=>Fault=>Failure
is the same as
Voters=>Politicians=>Governance

Will have to wait and see how many in Mumbai will pay tax on Aug 31st?

Reliability=Glenn McGrath

In one of the sessions on Quality and Reliability, a student asked what does reliability mean? I didnot want to scare him by giving a conventional definition of Mean Time To Fail and empirical failure rates. I said
Glenn McGrath Bowl in a Cricket Test Match...
An exhibition of two extremes of reliability...One at the Bowlers end and the other extreme[failure] at the Batting end. A study of variation, accuracy, and precision is best done analysing McGrath's good length deliveries. I call him 'Six Sigma Pigeon'. The first Ashes Test match tells you why it is true.

Weasle Jargon

"The core-competence of my family helped me implement the chain of activities that added value to the established mission statement of my life......"
[argh] Jeees...Bust this Jargon, "When will they learn to say what they mean, and mean what they say?".

You know Weasle words have attacked when;

a) The Church advices its clients to add value to all their prayers.
b) Divorce Lawyers become consultants doing a SWOT on different conflict scenarios
c) Your dad advices you about the Key Process Areas [KPA's] of leading a married life
d) Shifting your office table is akin to Knowledge Work Re-engineering
e) Getting your job done by somebody else becomes Knowledge Process Outsourcing [Wasn't that 'free riding?]
f) Carry a Power-Point presenTation about yourself on the next speed date

Read more on Language Abuse with Business Jargon here

Women of Kerala, You are NOT Safe

Manorama editor take a bow, because Rediff has just broken news contrary to your fantasy. Read the full story here
Women are not Safe in Kerala Homes: Study [Source: PTI, 18 July 2005]

Manorama got it right, Women are safe outside than inside their homes.

Women of Kochi-You are Safest

If The Week magazine cover story is to be believed, Kochi is the most safest city in India for women. Are they talking about Kochi, Ernakulam? Did they do the survey on women, or ask men of Kochi as to whether the women are safe? Interesting logic by the Assistant Commisioner of Kochi "Kerala women donot venture out after 8.00 PM, so Kerala women are safe". God save his own country!

The other reference is to Panjim [Goa] city as best for party..that is not news any more. For the uninitiated, parties are worth the purse bulge in your pockets. Many party hotspots are away from Panjim. If you have the money to flaunt, every city is best for party. Public Transportation System in Goa comes to a standstill at 8:00PM, so the common man in Goa is still away from the party and night life. When will perceptions change? Good that the Goa Assistant. Commisioner did not say "Goan people stop working at 8:00PM, so they party all night".

Any way I dismiss this as another of Manorama Pulp fiction stories

Pulp Economics

The two best sellers in any book review (non-fiction) variety these days are more fictional theories of world economics. Thomas L. Friedman borrows the concept of Flat Organisations to announce that 'World is Flat' {Review by Dr. Zarkaria}. I am sure you would have got the forwarded mails about Friedman warning US kids about the superiority of Indian kids in Mathematics and how they will starve them out [Read here]. The book comes across as a cross between a Drucker and Prahlad. Low on grit, High on hopes. While extolling the great Indian Outsourcing happening, Dell Theory of Same-Supply-Chain-Nation-No-Wars, and business-entertainment cross over trenches, he forgets to delve into the gulf between developed and underdeveloped.

I feel Freakanomics will make a better read than Friedman. However, I can catch him on NYT specials and editorials. An interesting hypothesis by the authors is that crime rates in US have come down owing to legalising abortion (Single Mothers--> Family Orphans-->More Crime). Other good questions are about school teachers cheating by awarding high marks to undeserving students to gain promotions. Hope to catch up with this interesting reading. Pulp-Economics.

We could think of some interesting socio-economic phenomenon in India too..
1. Why are People from Kutch, Gujarat more enterprising?
2. Why One in every three person in Namakkal has something to do with Trucks, and Logistics?
3. Kerala is becoming a land of geriatrics, Why?
4. Which state contributes more to the crime rate in India?
5. Will reverse migration (cities to villages) happen? Why?

Can you think of some more interesting phenomenon...Kerala ones? I got a forwarded Link to a site that has more on neo-liberal-economics here

I got Surveyed

marupadi ayakkumallo

NiceLetter...a fwd from luv

Human Evolution By Design

Charles Darwin's Theory of evolution is questioned by the Catholic Church. Cardinal Schönborn claims that Human evolution follows a pattern, a process, and is designed. Darwinism claims that evolution is unpredictable and the degree of randomness is very high. Interesting debate. If only we can do a Deep Impact like experiment to prove the theory of human evolution [Source: NYT]

Fast Man on a Slow Horse?

Fast Men and Slow Horses never win a Race,
Slow Men and Fast Horses never won it too...
Drive, Dissent, and Dominance have parallels to Passion, Pride, and Power of Individuals.
This inside story is interesting read for entities in organisations.

XQ's and +JUST's

XQ's : (1) To break a serpentine Q by squeezing in between two sandwiched bodies, and then uttering 'XQ's me. (2) Breaking ice with that lovely fresher face you meet at college on the first day.

+ Just: (1) A word that implies that a single seater in a crowded train compartment or a bus should be converted into a three seater (2) Enacting the camel-in-the-tent story from Arabian Nights (3) A privilege for those who make themselves look underprivileged (4) Your private space is not yours and should be shared (5) Move out of that space, or I will make sure you are +justed

Twisted Logic in Mangled Truth

"I have grown used to that. I know that for many in this building and in power in this country the blood of some people is worth more than the blood of others."-Mr. George Galloway, Former Labor MP, UK [Source: Daily Mail]

30 Lives in London...cannot be equated with.... 30 Lives in Baramulla [Jammu & Kashmir]. When will the G-8's realize that third world nations are not third class citizens of this world? Is it the hurt 'ego' of UK or the 'lives' of people that is speaking in the media? I found the former voicing more concern than the latter.

Des!gn

Source: Business week IDEA Best Product Design 2005

These are my picks:
Industrial Products: Samsung Digital Presenter : Showerhead
Computers: Inotus: Lenovo Smartphone
Consumer Products: BV2SHelmet : Watch
Unique: fabric Freshner : ixiBike : Paint Buddy
Design Explore: Nike eyeD: Jeep : Car
Concept Designs: Shoes : Chrysler

I found this piece not very original. My grandfather used the same design- nut and tobacco grinder

Remember Who You Are: Book

Daisy Wademan. (2004). Remember Who You Are: Life Stories That Inspire the Heart and Mind, Harvard Business School Press, Boston.

A book of reminiscence from a Harvard alumna, about the most influential anecdotes from fifteen distinguished Professors of Harvard Business School. The book made sense to me coming from an academician. This will be the only book that will be as inspiring as one that comes from top industrialists (Sloan, Morita, Welch et al.). It disproves the theory that 'Those who can do, do..While others teach". I add "Those who teach, make others do". Academicians also make sense... and this book proves the point. The most influential people in a person's life is his/her teacher.

The collection of anecdotes are divided into four subthemes; namely a) gaining Perspective b) Managing Yourself c) Leading Others, and d) Building values. The book appeals to me for its lucid language, crisp presentation, unassuming and unconventional advice. The credits go to the academic community at Harvard who perish the myth that academicians are Phi Beta Kappa Individuals with low ambition and drive.

Prof. Jai Jaikumar advices all his students to 'Relax' and 'Celebrate Life' to improve the "Luck" of people surrounding you. His escape from a near death experience on a mountaineering expedition delivers a great message- "passion delivers opportunities from Moments of Hardship by Luck". Prof. Henry B. Reiling's definition of Good Luck is "the absence of Bad Luck". Prof. Jai furthers this belief, "Success is born in your Good Fortune; and Obligation is born in Your Success". Great acts of philanthropy are thus born out of your success and greater responsibilities are created as you scale great heights.

Donot Attend Your Fifth MBA Alumni Reunion
This one is interesting, the anecdote advices you not to attend the fifth reunion because 'short term gains' stiffle growth; you will compare your achievements with your batchmates that are superficial in existence. I agree!
You becomes risk averse and go low on confidence imagining what your classmates will have been able to achieve in five years. This makes you follow the secure route out of the fear of coming up emptyhanded early in life. The big thing is "don't hesitate to make career changes". I find many MBA students scampering for "Job Placements". I tell them "Donot Chase Jobs, Let Jobs Chase You, because it is building a Career that is your goal". Forget Changing careers, Indian MBA's hesitate when it comes to changing jobs. They mistake jobs for careers.

Face Uncertainities, and Take calculated Risks
The most humorous anecdote is from Prof. Jeffrey F. Rayport about the "Stuffed Bird". I was visualising "Doctor Proctor's" quixotic methods of challenging students. I believe hard nosed professors intimidate students to challenge them. "Creative acts demand Courage and Confidence". When "Doctor Proctor" asks the students to write a four hour examination about a stuffed bird, he simulates the real life scenario of great uncertainity.

Be 'Like' Yourself
The best section of the book is "Be Like Yourself" by Prof. Richard S. Tedlow. It answered the question that has been lingering in my mind for the last 4 years as an academician. I am one of those 'Kindergarten professors', and look at awe at those Professors who mesmerize a class through their lectures. I sometimes felt that one has to put a mask and create a different atmosphere. The questions is : How much can a Professor be himself to be a good instructor? Does being Yourself and presenting your complete personality (jokes, sharing your beliefs, informal approach to students) and self-revealing in front of a class make you a great Teacher?". The message is "You don't need to be Yourself in class- but You've got to be like Yourself". It helps in proper balancing of one's work life and personal life. We need to critically seperate our personal life (who we are) and work life (what we do). It is helpful to have a personality very much 'similar' to your real self, than 'put' up a pseudo persona. Personal Time matters, and a strong personal ethic rubs on your work ethic. One should not mix behaviour at home with work place behavior. It confuses you, and creates an Identity Management crisis.

Stay Grounded-Connect With people
On Managing your career as you move up in Life, one anecdote says 'the only change is circumstances in life'. As one moves up in the organisation (positions), the two things that she/he is deprived of are 'ground realities' and 'truth'. People report to your position with sugar-coated "bitter" pills. One needs to stay immune to "Self-praise Syndrome". Spending time with your loved ones will help you realize your self. The message is "However hard you try to love your job, your Job cannot Love you, but Your loved ones will". So as you move up in life "Stay down to earth", "instill Intellectual Honesty", "Courage in Subordinates to Question your Answers". All this can be achieved by "Increasing accessibility to your employees".

Set High Standards
This inspiring anecdote talks about realising the persihability of your cherished experiences and memories. how many of us have really cherished success in life. Sat down after a success and rewinded the moment immediately? It is all about Living the moment. It helps us to face later challenges in life and boosts our self esteem. It helps us give "Gifts of High Expectation" to others. It helps us to challenge our students.

The Best Lines are these...
"You Go out Today and Be a Leader. Stick to your Guns about what You Know to be Right and Wrong, and don't let anyone else drag You around by the Nose- Remember Who You Are"...

Did anyone say only Jack Welch can talk about Guts?

Angels & Demons-Tamil-Climax

Angels and Demons Episode-I
http://phdstudent-india.blogspot.com/2005/06/angels-demons-indian-version-tamil.html

Continued ....
Angels and Demons Episode-II
Rajni alarmingly puts the strings together. Thittam-The plot to IMILATI realizing their ultimate power of earth..bestowed on her son..the titanium laden beaches along the east coast of Tamil Nadu..... using the secret weapon.

Rajnikant (RAbert Laangdon) air dashes to Tanjore (The worlds largest archive of Palm Leaf Literature on IMILATI). Rajni discovers the links of IMILATI to the Kama Kodi Peedam, where the election of the heir to the throne of multi million followers of Hindu faith will take place. The IMILATI will use the 'thittam' in the Peedam-To strike at the hour when the new seer is elected.

He arrives at the Peedam, but he hears that 4 candidates are missing from the Peedam. The IMILATI had claimed its first victim at Valluvarkottam, in Chennai. Valluvarkottam, named after Thiruvalluvar strikes Rajni as the IMILATI's chosen place of revenge. The next three murders will happen at IMILATI chosen locations. At Valluvar kottam he looks for IMILATI related signs and symbols. He sees the Statue of E.V.R [Thanthai Periyar], and infers that IMILATI will strike at E.V.R's birth place, but by the time he acts, IMILATI have committed the second murder at the origin of Periyar River [Sivagiri Hills, along the TamilNadu-Kerala Border].

Rajni swears revenge. He knows that IMILATI is to strike next at another IMILATI follower abode, Vivekananda Memorial Rock in Kanya Kumari.[It was once touted as the Alexandria of the East, and this would have been the Headquarters of IMILATI]. Vivekananda is also cited to be a IMILATI follower who settled in kanya Kumari. He dashes to the rock only to find the third murder executed on the rocks. He looks at his Omega Constellation watch..The time 10:00 AM.... day was October 2nd.. Gandhi Jayanti (birthday of the father of the Nation)..Was Gandhiji part of IMILATI?

Rajni surveys from Vivekananda rock and then sees the grand design of IMILATI. Forming a golden Triangle is The Vivekananda rock Memorial in Bay of Bengal Side of the Sea, A Tall Monolith 100feet Statue of Tiruvalluvar on The Arabian Sea Side of the Sea, and then the striking Gandhi Memorial at the tip of the Mainland.

The three generations of IMILATI's coming together at the confluence of three great oceans. How symbolic of IMILATI to recognise the three great IMILATI of Tamil. Rajni was surprised to know that Gandhiji also was a born again Tamilian.

Gandhi Jayanti..Rajni puts the clue together.. at noon on October 2 (Gandhi’s birthday) the sun’s rays falls on the spot where his ashes were kept for public view (marked by a bxe "Gandhi, Mahatma" lack marble box), before being put into the sea at this place.. He rushes to Gandhi Memorial, and encounters the Hashashim [Kalabhavan Mani]. The Hashashim has cornered the victim and is waiting to strike at 12.00 ..Rajni looks at his Rado watch..11:59AM...Hashashim grunts...

Phew..(To be continued..)