I write on different topics like management, book reviews, human behaviour etc. The main objective is to provide a different viewpoint on the conventional topics.
On 29th March 2026, the legislatures in the Karnataka assembly demanded free tickets for the IPL matches. R. Ashoka said that the MLAs have a right as the government has leased the land to the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) at a monthly rent of Rs 1600. It was a brazen admission that the legislators should get the freebies in lieu of such largesse provided to private and quasi-private entities. The rent is miniscule. Neither the legislators nor the KSCA are impoverished either to buy the tickets or pay the rent at the market price. It was amusing if not farcical to watch them squabble over free tickets.
MLA Kashappannavar demanded separate VIP enclosure for ‘people’s representatives’ as they do not feel comfortable mixing with common people.
Less than a year back on 4th June 2025, 11 fans of RCB who had come to Chinnaswamy stadium died in the stampede with countless others injured. The celebrations were planned without proper planning and a senior Police Officer had warned the state government that ensuing crowd would be too large to control. The government blamed RCB for unilaterally announcing the celebrations; 3 IPS officers and two police personnel were sacked which was akin to closing the stable door after the horse being bolted. Polce filed the FIR against RCB , KSCA and DNA, the event management company. The chargesheet is still pending with no closure in sight. The new season has started. There are 11 empty seats with a memorial plaque in one corner of the stadium. A key franchisee official in connection with the stampede was in the diamond box just above the memorial during the opening match. CM’s aide who was sacked last year for unmanageable celebrations was also seen in the AC lounge.
A few days after the tragedy, the legislators stood in the assembly and blamed each other. Now the same leaders have buried their differences and are united in demanding for the Free passes. From 26th to 29th March the demand went on rising from 1 ticket per MLA to 4 tickets. On the contrary over the last one year the case has hardly moved from FIR to conviction.
RCB is currently valued at $1.78 Billion. During the match, tickets are sold in black at astronomical rates. Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd, (BMRCL) Namma metro was also quite generous to the spectators of IPL. The match ticket holders are allowed to travel free on Namma Metro on all the IPL match days to and from the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The net loss of Bangalore Metro in FY 25 was Rs 624 Crores which widened from Rs 308 crores the previous year. Last year Namma Metro increased the fare by as much as 71% on select routes to cover in part the operational losses. It has also asked the government to a hike the tariff by at least 5% every year.
This article is not a comment on the legislators or the Metro officials. Human bias is a lack of objectivity, a prejudicial inclination, or a systematic error in thinking.
Judging others without self-reflection is primarily driven by projection, where individuals attribute their own disowned flaws or insecurities to others. This behaviour acts as a defence mechanism to avoid self-examination, often resulting in fundamental attribution error (judging others’ character rather than situation) and superiority bias.
Reminds of Jesus when he says “Judge not, that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1)
The webinar has helped me to get awareness that we should not rely only on limited number of existing customers but also get into the new unexplored accounts to reduce the dependability & to ensure the long term sustainability of business.
Exact difference between Strong & Weak Ties as well as how they have their own significance to crack the new accounts.
Dattatraya Borade, Heidelberg India
2. Thanks for the session, it was engaging and quite relevant to my role. I particularly liked the way you explained the Hunter vs Farmer mindset and focus on trust building and credibility.
Manoj Mishra
3. The segment on well‑wishers, references, and recommendations was especially interesting and highly practical. This is something our competitor friends have already developed well—they have many customers who actively recommend them.
The importance of customer loyalty was also explained in a very simple and effective manner. I will certainly remember and apply these learning in my daily routine, which I am confident will help me grow further.
Prashant Chavan Heidelberg
4. It was indeed an eye opener for obvious mistakes that we do in selling without even realizing them. The workshop has added a fine edge to my confidence in handling corporates.
Charuta Kulkarni – Gates Training
5. Your Sales program that I attended in Mumbai was among the best and most informative program that I have attended to date (I did attend quite a few after yours) and have suggested it to a few friends I made at the other programs.
Neelam Balani – Director Rotomag Controls
6. Things are fine here, closed 3 big orders, thanks to your fabulous training.
Negotiation has been defined in a variety of ways like the ‘art of resolving conflict’ or a ‘conversation to reach an agreement’ or a cliched term called as ‘win-win for both the parties’. Four major negotiation agreements are discussed which are:
Budapest Agreement signed in 1994 between Russia and Ukraine
Oslo Accords between Israel and Palestine 1993-95
Camp David Accord between Egypt and Israel in 1978 &
The Treaty of Versailles between Germany and the Allied Powers after the First World War – 1919
1.Budapest Agreement between Russia & Ukraine: 1994
Ukraine during the erstwhile USSR had nuclear warheads. It was expected by the US, UK and Russia that Ukraine signs up the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and give up the nuclear arsenal. Bill Clinton, Boris Yeltsin and Kravchuk, the president of Ukraine were the signatories of the Trilateral agreement signed on 14th January 1994 in Moscow. Ukraine demanded security guarantee in exchange of denuclearization. What did Ukraine receive apart from the compensation for the Uranium that was returned? Maintaining nuclear equipment was also difficult after the Chernobyl disaster and the economic hardship the country was going through.
The terms of the agreement were: . 1.Respect the independence and the sovereignty of the signatories within the existing boundaries. 2. Refrain from threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of the signatories.
With Russia’s attack on Ukraine in February 2024, Boris Tarayuk the lead negotiator of the Budapest agreement said , “not only did Russia violate its commitment as the guarantor of Ukraine’s national security but other signatories like US and the UK failed to fulfil their commitment under this agreement.” (1) Four years and no end in sight Ukraine is on the verge of collapse as it is used as a pawn by all other nations.
2. Oslo Accords between Israel and Palestine: 1993-95
The Oslo Accord was signed in December 1993 at Washington DC between Israel and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) represented by Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat and brokered by Bill Clinton. It included limited self-governance for the Palestinians in West Bank and Gaza strip by creating the Palestinian Authority(PA). It included the following clauses:
Israel’s right to exist.
PLO as the representative of the Palestinians
Transfer of Authority to PA for education, health, social welfare, taxation and tourism. However the issue of Jerusalem was not resolved
Oslo II accord was signed in Taba, Egypt in 1995
Yitzak Rabin, Shimon Peres and Yasser Arafat were the stakeholders in the Oslo 2 accord. The negotiation focussed on issues like Jerusalem refugees, settlement and border and was to be implemented latest by May 1996. However, in November 1995, Yitzak Rabin was assassinated by a Jewish extremist and Benjamin Netanyahu came to power. Even though discussion went on, there was distrust and tension between the two parties. The issue became complicated by Ariel Sharon who made a provocative visit to Temple mount which led to anger among the Palestinians. (2)
3. Camp David Accord between Egypt and Israel : 1978
Camp David Accord was signed between Anwar Sadat of Egypt and Menachem Begin of Israel in 1978 and the deal was brokered by Jimmy Carter. The award failed because it was perceived as a unilateral peace initiative and did not include the interest of the establishment of Palestine. The Arab interests were also not given due respect. The negotiation lasted for 13 days from 5th to 17th September 1978.
4. The Treaty of Versailles: 1919
The first World War was fought between the Central Powers represented by Germany and the Ottoman Empire and the Allied Powers which included France, Britain and Russia.
The Istanbul Agreement allowed Russia the control of Istanbul, France got the control of Syria and Great Britain with Cyprus, Egypt, Haifa and Acre. Palestine came under the British regime. Palestine is a place considered sacred by Jews, Muslims and Christians.
Treaty of Versailles was a peace document signed at the end of World War I by the Allied and associated powers and by Germany in the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles, France, on June 28, 1919; it took force on January 10, 1920.
The conference was dominated by the national leaders known as the “Big Four”—David Lloyd George, the prime minister of the United Kingdom; Georges Clemenceau, the prime minister of France; Woodrow Wilson, the president of the United States and Vittorio Orlando, the prime minister of Italy. None of the defeated nations had any say in shaping the treaty, and even the associated Allied powers played only a minor role. Some of the conditions were:
Territory of Germany to be reduced by 10%
Compensation by Germany for all damages done to the civilian population of the allies and their property by the aggressors ( Germany) by Land, Sea and Air
War Guilt Clause
Losses estimated to be $33 Billion
German army reduced to 100,000
Manufacturing of armoured cars, Submarines and aeroplanes was forbidden (3)
The German delegates were presented with a fait accompli. They were shocked at the severity of the terms and protested the contradictions between the assurances made when the armistice was negotiated and the actual treaty. Accepting the “war guilt” clause and the reparation terms was especially odious to them.
What was the outcome of such a harsh and unilateral impositions of clauses? Did the execution happen as per the agreement? Harsh Treaty and Lax enforcement paved the way for German Militarism. When Hitler militarized Rhineland, the Allies did nothing. To a greater extent the rise of Hitler and the seeds of the second world war were sowed in the Treaty of Versailles marked by harsh unilateral negotiation and poor execution.
The negotiators included eminent leaders like Clinton, Carter, Wilson, Yeltsin, Anwar Sadat among others. Even then, why did the negotiations fail? Was it the lack of positive intent among the parties, the trust deficit or force majeure conditions? Roger Fisher and William Ury from the Harvard Business School say that in integrative negotiation, ‘people should focus on interest and not position’. Easier said than done.
Neil Rackham has made an interesting observation about the characteristics of a Skillful Negotiator who:
Is rated effective by both the parties
Has a track record of significant success.
Has a low incidence of implementation failures. (4)
Most of the leaders discussed above have passed into oblivion. If they were to think of leaving a legacy behind; of the long-term consequences taking precedence over the short-term glory, would the history be different? Dr. Manmohan Singh made a prophetic statement after the incessant criticism of him during the final years of his prime ministerial tenure, “history will be kinder to me.”
I am reminded of the concluding couplet from Alexander Pope’s satirical masterpiece, the Dunciad.
Thy hand great anarch, lets the curtain fall, universal darkness buries all.
Ref: 1. Through a Diplomat’s Lens – Capturing Momentous Times: Sudhir T. Devare
2. Encyclopaedia Britannica
3. Wikipedia
4. Behaviour of Successful Negotiators – Neil Rackham
‘How do we talk to CEO/CTO/CFOs (C-Suite Executives) while dealing with capital equipment or high-ticket project sales?’ The above query happens to be one of the frequently asked during the value-selling training programs. It has the following dimensions: expectations of the CEO and the skillset needed by the salesperson.
Expectations of the CEO: The perspective of a CEO is much wider and long-term vis-à-vis the Purchase officer or a Project Manager. He/she has a thought process which goes beyond the technical specifications and the cost. The CEO considers the ROI, the changing market dynamics in terms of technology, the economy etc which is beyond the techno-commercial specifications.
Skillset needed by the Salesperson: Underneath the above query one can also guess that the participants wanted ready-made solutions. When I enquired about the books they have read in the recent past, hardly 5% of the people responded in the affirmative. Over the years, the bar has been lowered. Instead of books, the question focusses on the daily newspapers read in general and business papers like ET, Mint, Business line in particular. The scene is no different. Some participants respond they read the newspapers on the mobile. Attributing Google snippets to serious news and thought-provoking articles on economy indicates that serious reading is conspicuous by its absence. Why does eclectic reading which includes knowledge of micro and macro business environment is essential for meaningful conversations?
Earlier the role of a salesperson was that of a dispenser of information in terms of the product specification, the application etc. In the internet age where information is abundant, the role has changed considerably. Today the customer looks at the salesperson in terms of how the latter can add value to the business operations of the former in terms of either increasing the profitability or controlling the costs by reducing the wastage or streamlining the operations, iOT, Automation etc. To answer the above queries, the seller not only has to understand the customer’s business process in depth but also should be aware of the market trends, the emerging role of technology, AI etc.
So, beyond the product specifications the seller needs to know:
The customer’s business and the process
Whether the business is stagnant or going through modest or rapid growth
Growth in terms of Top-Line, Bottom-Line, Market Share or CAGR ( Compound Annual Growth Rate)
Ability to demonstrate the ROI (Return on Investment)
If the cost is higher than competition, the ability to demonstrate the TCO which includes the Capex and the Opex, OEE etc. (Total Cost of Ownership, Capital Expenditure, Operating Expenditure, Overall Equipment Effectiveness)
When the ticket size is Rs 1Crore+, the above factors play a critical role in the decision- making process by the CEO, CFO and the CTO. Looking at the above the seller has to wear additional hats of a Financial Consultant as well that of a counsellor to identify their pain points, prioritize the same and propose a customer-centric value-based solution.
Imbibing the above skills is easier said than done and requires considerable discipline in terms of knowledge acquisition and assimilation with reflection.
The paradigm shift which has been brought by internet has changed the rules of business. As Albert Einsten said, ‘ You cannot solve a problem at the level at which it was created.’ One needs to have a different level of thinking (read higher) than the conventional one ( short-cuts or heuristics). One of the ways is to revert to the conventional reading of books and newspapers in print.
Benefits of conventional reading in print:
There is a fundamental shift in how we process the world when people prefer PowerPoint or AI summary over the printed word. We have become a summary-first society. We want the results without the process. We want the muscle without the workout.
When we ask for readymade solutions, we want to be fed rather than hunt for it. It is like a pre-digested meal; which while efficient bypasses the critical neural pathways that enable you to take disparate difficult ideas and weave them into a coherent understanding of your own.
When we read on-line, our brains are in a scrolling mode looking for keywords and links. In a digital environment your brain moves like a pinball; you read a sentence and then click a hyperlink, check a notification and skim a sidebar which is non-linear reading. Whereas linear thinking is an ability to follow a single thread of thought to its logical end. Deep-reading a printed work or a e-reader forces the brain into linear thinking.
Reading books in print version whether books or newspapers unlike mobiles or tablets provide you a distraction free environment. The tactile experience of holding a book/newspaper further enhances comprehension and supports deeper engagement with content. In a corporate world drowning in surface level communication, the person who can actually read a ten-page technical brief or an editorial or OPED without losing focus is the person who will be different from the crowd.
The physical book is our last fortress against the fragmented distracted mind. By choosing the page over the screen we are not just reading, we are reclaiming our ability to think for ourselves. *
Don’t you think that in-depth reading with focus can add value not only to you but also to your customer?
During one of the client meetings, Vijay, Head of Talent Acquisition (which was earlier termed as Personnel, HR etc) was waxing eloquent about how the right hiring and the talent management has been the crucial factor leading to the company’s phenomenal growth.
I was reading an article by a renowned Hindi film critic on similar lines. This media reporter had written about Hrishikesh Mukherjee (Hrishida as he was affectionately called), the Dadasaheb Phalke award winner having directed some of the notable films like Anupama, Anuradha, Satyakam etc. and how he selected Rajesh Khanna for the title role in Anand. The point he was trying to make was the success of the film was primarily due to selection of the right people be it the actors, music director, lyricists among others.
Anand, made in 1970 is a story of a young man who has been diagnosed with intestinal cancer. The doctor had diagnosed that Anand will not survive for more than six months. In spite of the grim future, Anand has a cheerful disposition towards one and all and tries to keep everyone around him happy. The title role was played by Rajesh Khanna and the supporting role of Dr. Bhaskar Banerjee was played by Amitabh Bachchan.
But was the selection of people so logical and linear as we see in hindsight? When Hrishida first conceived of the project in 1955, the person whom he had him in mind was Raj Kapoor but both of them being busy in their own spheres; the project could not take off. By 1968 when Hrishida revived the project, Raj Kapoor was looking old for the role. Shashi Kapoor was thought of but he too was busy.
Hrishida wanted Kishore Kumar to do the role. When he visited Kishore Kumar’s house to discuss the role, the latter mistook the visitor from a distance to be someone else who had not paid Kishore Kumar’s dues. The security guard was instructed not to allow this visitor inside Kishore Kumar’s bungalow. (1)
By this time, Rajesh Khanna who was the emerging superstar got news of the project and approached Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Anand was a low-budget film and Hrishida could not afford his fees. Those days Rajesh Khanna used to charge a princely sum of Rs 5 lakhs per film. When Hrishida expressed the apprehension, Rajesh proposed a creative solution. He said, “I will not charge a Rupee, instead can you give me the distribution rights for the Bombay territory”? This creative solution not only was accepted but also helped Hrishida sell the film on a pan-India basis.
Amitabh Bachhan also had a wild card entry in the film. He was having a negative role in a film called Parwana. One day Omprakash, the character actor met Hrishida and provided a strong recommendation for Amitabh who was cast in the supporting role of Dr. Bhaskar Banerjee.
The script had a role of Dr. Prakash Kulkarni, a friend of Dr. Bhaskar. Ramesh Deo was a renowned actor in Marathi films and theatre. He was struggling to get a breakthrough in Hindi films. He had approached Hrishida a number of times in the past but could not cut much ice. Hrishida one day approached him for the role of Dr Prakash Kulkarni and had planned Nimmi for the role of his better half. Nimmi was one of the leading ladies of yesteryears who had acted in blockbusters like Aan, Udan Khatola etc.
When offered the role, she said, “The role is small; there is no heroine per se in the film and all the spot light is on Anand. Can you at least tell me with whom am I paired with?” Hrishida: “He is Ramesh Deo, a seasoned and a successful actor in Marathi film industry.” Nimmi : “I have not heard that name. I have worked with stars like Dilip Kumar, it is below my dignity to work with such unknown people. Can I make you suggestion? Why don’t you take Raj Kumar for this role instead?” The next day, Hrishida and N.C.Sippy along with Nimmi went to Raj Kumar’s house in Worli.
After exchanging pleasantries, Raj Kumar asked Nimmi to chat up with his wife in the kitchen and said, “Incidentally I have my reservations taking up this role with Nimmi. She has the looks and the charm but that is the past.”
Apart from casting aspersion on Nimmi, Raj Kumar demanded that he needs to have at least a song on him. Hrishida dropped him like a hot potato.
Back to square one, Hrishida zeroed in on Ramesh Deo. Chess was their common interest. One day when he went to Deo’s flat in Bandra for a game of chess, Hrishida was quite impressed with Seema, Ramesh’s wife. Seema was a leading Marathi actress even otherwise.
When Hrishida said, “Ramesh, why did not you suggest Seema for this role”? Ramesh said, “ First of all I myself was not sure of my role, how could I recommend her?” With quirk of fate, Ramesh and Seema Deo thus got the roles of Dr. and Mrs Kulkarni.
The music composer was decided as Salil Chowdhary and the lyricist as Gulzar. The film had a provision for only three songs. But when the film was completed, it had four songs: Maine Tere liye and Na Jiya Laage Na by Gulzar & Zindagi kaisi Hai Paheli and Kahin Door Jab Din Dhal Jaye by Yogesh. How did Yogesh get a wild card entry?
In the late sixties, Gulzar was an established lyricist in the mainstream Hindi cinema whereas Yogesh was a struggling one who was mainly bracketed as a lyricist for B-Grade action films.
Circa 1967 there was a film producer called Anand Gadnis who was making a film and roped in Basu Bhattacharya as the director and Salil Chowdhury as the music director. Gulzar was to be the lyricist. But whenever meetings for the music were scheduled, Gulzar could not make it. As the producer wanted the project to go on fast-track, he asked Salilda to look out for an alternative. Salilda knew Yogesh. This was a golden opportunity for Yogesh to get into popular mainstream cinema. Within no time, he penned lyrics for three situations. Salilda composed the music and later recorded. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, the project was shelved. Yogesh cursed his bad luck, felt that he is destined to be with B grade films. He felt making an entry into the popular genre was not his cup of his tea. He went back to Lucknow fully dejected.
Three months later, a producer called L. B Lachman approached Salilda for a new film called Annadata starring Jaya Bhaduri and Anil Dhawan. When the contract was signed, Salilda said that he already has three songs ready from a previous project. Lachman picked two from the lot; the deal was that the payment was to be released only after all the songs were composed and recorded.
Lachman happened to be close friends with Hrishida. When he shared the audio recordings of the two songs; Hrishida liked the songs and showed interest to purchase both. A compromise was worked out. Hrishida purchased one and that was Kahin Door Jab Din Dhal Jaye.
Next day Yogesh was called for and Hrishida made a cheque payment of Rs 2500 to Yogesh. It was the debut of Yogesh in A grade films. Incidentally this song is based on a Bengali song, Amay Proshno Kore Neel Dhrubotara sung by Hemant Kumar and written and composed by Salil Choudhary.
Salilda had another Bengali composition called Na Mono Lage Na sung by Lata Mangeshkar. He asked Yogesh to compose a Hindi song on similar meter for Annadata. He composed a song for Lachman’s film accordingly.
In the meanwhile, Hrishida asked Gular to compose a song on the same meter. He assumed there should no issues as it is Salilda’s composition, the music director of the film. Now there were two songs based on Salilda’s original Bengali song one for Annadata and the other for Anand. Lachman got furious and said to Hrishida, “Why did you copy this song? What will people say when they hear two Hindi songs based on the same Bengali tune?”
Salilda had another issue to settle for. He said to Hrishida: “This struggling lyricist Yogesh has already composed a song for Lachman which has to be discarded. He needs to be compensated.” Expressing his sincere apologies, Hrishida accepted the proposition and agreed to compensate Yogesh.
Next day when Yogesh went to Hrishida’s house, he refused to take the cheque. Salilda said, “You fool, you are going through tough times. Why did you not take the payment?”
Yogesh: “Any way I have not written this song for Hrishida. He has taken it from Gulzar even otherwise. Ethically it is not right for me to take payment for the work which I have not done.”
As a via media, Hrishida thought of having an extra song. And that is how the fourth song was added in the film and was to be the title song.
When Rajesh Khanna heard the song, he said, “Hrishida, this song is too good. Why keep it as a title song? I want you to film the song on me.” And that’s how Zindagi Kaisi Hai Paheli’ got included in the film.(2)
If you were to see the events by themselves, they are all random in essence. But in retrospect we connect the dots and create a story around the random events . This is called as Narrative Fallacy. It is the human tendency to create a story or an explanation out of a chain of some random events.
When I reflect on the major personal events like admission in an engineering college, getting a job or getting a training assignment; I ask myself whether the specific event happened because of me or in spite of me? Is it merely the talent, intelligence or the hard work of a person or a combination of some fortuitous circumstances complimenting the traits? Should experience make us more confident or humble?
Two years back one of my senior trainer friends, Narayanan was sharing an incident. A public program he had scheduled had to be cancelled due to insufficient nominations. When enquired about the likely reasons for cancellation, he replied, “ Rajan, frankly speaking, I do not know. But if you were to ask me a similar question 20 years back, I would have ascribed the failure to some plausible causes like bad timing, poor marketing strategy, competition etc.” My son Aalhad then made a succinct distinction between causation and correlation leading to specific events.
Quite often the success of an organization is ascribed to the hard work and the intelligence of the top leader. Can you recollect the debate on 70/90 hours per week some successful leaders are advocating? Is that the gospel truth or a narrative fallacy? By becoming aware of this human bias called narrative fallacy; can it make us more humble and help us come out of hubris?
John Brockman the editor of Edge Magazine says: Success = Talent + luck &
Great Success =Little more talent + a lot of luck.(3) What do you think?
The other day I was conducting a training program on Sales Effectiveness. In one of the group role plays it was observed that sellers were dominating the conversation vis-à-vis the customers which was in the ratio of 80% to 20%. While debriefing, one of the participants said the reason to be people being uncomfortable with silence.
The next day I was travelling from Peenya to Silk Institute station by Bengaluru Metro. Lucky to get a seat immediately after boarding the train, I was listening to the announcements which went as follows:
The next station is Mahalakshmi and the doors will open on the left.
Now you are arriving at Mahalakshmi station. Please be careful while deboarding and maintain a safe distance between the train and the platform.
(After the door closed) Please do not lean against the door.
There are some seats reserved for pregnant ladies, senior citizens, specially-abled people and lady with a child. Please provide a seat for them. If not there will be a fine of Rs 500.
The compartments are monitored with CCTV cameras.
Please take care of your Saree, Dupatta, Panche, Dhoti, Bags etc while travelling. (I was happy to note that trousers, churidars and skirts were not added to the list.)
In a journey lasting 51 minutes spanning 21 stations, there were a staggering 169 announcements in English and Kannada. Silence was conspicuous by its absence.
When I narrated the above details to my friend, he said, “Rajan, you claim the above data from your mindfulness meditation carried out during the journey. Isn’t it distracting to listen to such messages all the time?”
I was reminded of a meditating disciple who was getting irritated due to external disturbance.He said to his master, “ I cannot focus on my meditation, the croaking of a frog is quite disturbing.” The master replied, “ It is otherwise, your behaviour is a hindrance to the frog’s meditation.”
The incessant announcements per se were not affecting me. As if this was not enough, most of the passengers were busy with their mobiles. A few among them had the temerity to watch videos without headphones.
Why are we so uncomfortable with silence? Is it because we consider the passengers to be dumb and lacking any intelligence that they need to be micromanaged all the time? Ditto at the airport, you will see a guy rushing past you breaking the queue with nonchalance murmuring: “I need to rush to catch a flight to Delhi. “
Ellen J Langer, A Harvard Psychologist in her book: Mindfulness- Choice and Control in Everyday Life narrates an interesting experiment she conducted where people in an office are in a queue waiting to taking photocopies. The experiment was about the compliance in communication and the employees were subjected to the following three messages:
Excuse me, may I use the photocopier?
Excuse me, may I use the photocopier because I want to make copies?
Excuse me, may I use the copier, because I am in a rush?
Statements A and B are same in content, whereas B and C are same in structure which includes a reason. B and C could get away breaking the queue because attention is more to structure than reason.
Now the same passenger is at the departure gate at the Bengaluru airport and you hear an airline official screaming, “Mr Kapoor, please board the flight 6E256 to Delhi as the gates are closing now.”
Where does this tendency to control people come from? Are the passengers not aware of the responsibility of boarding the flight? Now you get into the aircraft. Apart from the mandatory safety instructions some will be as below:
‘Please keep the luggage below, make way for other passengers.’
Depending on your destination, it may be ‘Enjoy the Kati Rolls of Kolkata or delicious idlis in Bangalore.’ The interesting one being ‘have you forgotten to take your mobile, spectacles, tablet, books, and what not’
Nan-In, a fish vendor in Japan had put up a sign board which read: FRESH FISH SOLD HERE. A practitioner of Zen philosophy, one day he started questioning the purpose of the sign board:
Why do I need to write FRESH as no one is going to sell stale fish?
Is the word FISH really needed as it is obvious I am not selling vegetables, chicken or mutton?
SOLD looks redundant too as the customers know I am not here for charity.
HERE is also irrelevant as it is not elsewhere.
The above approach may be appropriate in your inward spiritual journey but will it be so for the mundane life? Can there be a distinction between essential and redundant communication? Like which is the next station, the safety instructions or to remain seated till further notice?
The conventional communication conveys the information, the content. Does the lack of silence between the words conveys the attitude of controlling the others, garrulousness and a ploy to drive away the inner anxiety? The awkwardness with the sound of silence is not only with the service providers but also with the passengers. The flight lands and the air hostess says, “please do not get up till the seat-belt sign is turned off and until the aircraft comes to a complete halt.” Some passengers are so eager to exit as if the aircraft is about to catch fire or getting hijacked.
Is there a possibility that the sound of silence be more eloquent than words?
P.S. The way the metro stations are named be it Goraguntepalya, Doddakallasandr or Thalaghattapura is also another way to make communication complex. ( blog article: https://rajanparulekar.in/2019/06/14/whats-in-a-name/)
“Shantaram, it’s high time you retire from the film industry” said Shankar Bhat, the owner of Prakash Pictures casually during a meeting of the Film Producers Guild. V Shantaram, the renowned director and the owner of Rajkamal Studios was taken aback. When asked for the reason he said, “Your last film, Zanak Zanak Payal Baje has been a blockbuster through which not only have you reached a pinnacle of success but the film is also considered as an epitome of creativity. You will never be able to repeat such a feat. Any subsequent film you make will be compared to this blockbuster.”
A few days later. G. D Madgulkar, a noted Marathi poet and writer narrated an experiment of an open prison and the rehabilitation of prisoners carried out by Maurice Frydman to Shantaram.
Maurice Frydman, a Polish Jew who came to India and was influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and guided the King of Aundh (Near Pune) draft the declaration for transfer of power from the king to the people of Aundh. It was during this process of giving self-governance to the citizens of Aundh, that a question came up about the prisoners. Frydman then took on the responsibility of taking care of the convicts in an open prison. An open prison is any jail in which the prisoners are trusted to complete sentences with minimal supervision and perimeter security and are often not locked up in their prison cells. Prisoners may be permitted to take up employment while serving their sentence. This provides an opportunity for criminals to reintegrate into society and withdrawal from their criminal behaviour. Without the constraints and stresses of typical incarcerations, criminals can discover more positive lifestyles through support and light supervision from the criminal justice system.
“It‘s a great plot, why don’t you make a preliminary draft on rehabilitation thro’ an open prison?” Shantaram said to Madgulkar. After a few days while reading the draft, Madgulkar himself got bored and said “The story does not have enough material to convert into a full-fledged film. The subject is too drab and boring.”
Shantaram said,” But I see a great potential to make a classic film out of this narrative. No doubt we need to hone the script more.” Looking at Shantaram’s enthusiasm, Madgulkar had no choice but to accede to his demand.
The film Do Ankhein Barah Haath slowly started taking shape. The title connotes the eyes of the jailor and the hands of convicts. The storyline revolved around six hard-core criminals who have been jailed for heinous crimes like murder, arson, looting and rape. The conventional perception of the legal and the prison setup was to brand a convict as a life-long criminal without any scope for reform. The convicts were thus jailed in inhuman conditions typical of any jail. The protagonist of the film Adinath (played by V. Shantaram himself) feels that people irrespective whether they are criminals or not, are human beings first. There is a possibility of reform by putting them in normal environment like an open prison.
Adinath takes the permission from his senior, the Superintendent of Police (SP) to take these six convicts to a place with minimal monitoring. There are some challenging moments Adinath faces in this novel experiment. Once the inmates make a request to go to the nearest town. Adinath permits them with a caveat that they should return by the sunset. He goes through some anxious moments as the day comes to a close and gets relieved to see them back though a bit late.
The inmates are engaged in a daily routine of clearing the shrubs, digging well and plant vegetable. Within a few months the barren land is converted to a green area with fresh vegetables. Adinath asks them to sell the produce at the village with nominal profit. The local traders charging high rates till then get upset with the new competition.
The inmates do not return home in time. Adinath is perplexed about his decision on granting freedom. The inmates return late fully drunk. Adinath not only gets furious but also anxious about the outcome of his experiment. The next day he gets to know that the local trader has coaxed them in getting drunk and go berserk.Not able to digest the success of the farm, the local trader sends his goons and the bulls to destroy the crop. While making a valiant fight with the bull, Adinath breathes his last.
The SP who was initially a sceptic of this experiment, is now fully convinced of the transformation Adinath had brought about in the convicts. “You have served your sentence and are free to go back home.” Says the SP. The inmates decline the offer and decide to continue the work as inspired by their mentor, Adinath.
What made V. Shantaram take on such a challenging film? The seven types of motivators which define a creative personality are Pioneering Motivation, Self-Actualization, Altruism, Career Success, Hedonism. Security Motivation and Affiliation. (1)
Out of the above, the Pioneering Motivation, Self-actualization and Altruism need to be very high; Hedonism and Career Success need to be moderate and the security and the affiliation motivation need to be low for a creative personality.
Pioneering Motivation: Do Ankhein Barah Hath was an off-beat, black and white movie sans glamour with no tricks of the trade like love triangle, expensive sets, or iconic stars.
Self-Actualization: When Shankar Bhatt asked him to retire after the phenomenal success of Zanak Zanak Payal Baje, Shantaram questioned himself and his own identity and the purpose of life. He decided not to rest on the past laurels.
Altruism: The protagonist Adinath believed in the inherent goodness of people He sacrifices his life to help the prisoners let go of the past.
Security Motivation: His scriptwriter told him that the plot was too mundane and there is not much drama to make into a full-fledged film. Shantaram thought otherwise. He looked at the worst case scenario. His earlier film Zanak Zanak Payal Baje was a runaway hit. Shantaram was willing to write off even if this film were to flop at the box office. .
Career Success: Intuitively Shantaram knew that the film will come out well and will be appreciated by the audiences. He did not get into the success trap of comparison with the success of his preceding films. In a way he did not become a prisoner of his past success!
Affiliation: This motivation is to tread the beaten path and need to be very low for a creative person. Madgulkar who was asked to write the screenplay got bored while narrating the first draft. Shantaram did not give up.
The film was premiered at Opera House in Mumbai on 27th September 1957. It was attended by the staff of Rajkamal Studios, friends, relatives and acquaintances of V Shantaram along with celebrities from the Bombay Film industry (now Bollywood). Even if the film were to be a disaster, audiences would make kind remarks about the film’s success out of courtesy. But the scene was quite different. Forget an applause, there was a total silence. Vijay Bhatt, a film a producer said, “You have said something different in this film.” Save this remark, there were hardly any comments. One could hear people whispering: had it not been for V. Shantaram, the film would hardly run for 5-6 weeks. The film reviews in the media were more towards criticism rather than praise. (2)
Do Ankhein Barah Haath ran for 65 weeks in Opera House and proved the naysayers wrong. The then Mumbai Police Commissioner had issued an unofficial dictum making the film mandatory for every policeman.
‘Ae Malik tere Bande Hum’, the prayer song was played in many schools and jails across the country and also in Pakistan. The film won the Best Film and the Best Direction award from the Govt of India. It was honoured with the best Foreign Film Award in the Berlin Film festival.
V. Shantaram wanted to acknowledge the contribution made by Maurice Frydman by including him in the film credits. Maurice flatly refused.
The black-and-white film had no glamour, a drab subject and an idealistic protagonist. Madgulkar the scriptwriter, the Staff at Rajkamal Studios, the celebrities of the film industry, or the media; none of them predicted a decent run for the film, leave aside the commercial success or the critical acclaim. Shantaram swam against the tide and showed what it means to be a maverick.
As someone has said, “if you can visualize the invisible, you can accomplish the impossible!”
References:
The Fourth Eye – Pradip Khandwala, the seven indicators of creativity are discussed in detail. The different levels of motivation be it high, medium or low can be understood through the questionnaire. Blockages to creativity and the ways to enhance are also discussed.
“This is our drawing room; this is the balcony and these are the wall-to -wall wardrobes.” Shantanu, a software engineer in his early 30s was explaining to his guests as I was ushered into his new 3-Bed room apartment. The Rs. 2 Cr+ plus apartment in an upmarket gated community was fitted with Italian marble, top end interiors and Alexa activated controls. As the show-around during the house-warming ceremony was taking place, I got lost in my thoughts recollecting of a person who lived a simple life in a single toom laden with books in National College, Bengaluru. H Narasimhaiah, affectionately called as HN, was a physicist, educator, writer, freedom fighter and a rationalist from Bengaluru.
Circa 2010, I was attending a training program on Effective Presentation Skills in Indian Institute of Science (IISc), in Bengaluru. There were eminent speakers and motivators which included Toastmasters who demonstrated the various facets of presentations and the techniques in using PowerPoint. There were around eleven speakers. By the time the last speaker’s name was announced; the auditorium was almost empty. It was around 5:15 PM and the last speaker was Ashis Dutta, the CEO of CCE Software Private Limited who was to speak on Developing Business in Europe. CCE Software had a good presence in Germany then. Ashish was talking in a simple conversational manner without any histrionics, voice modulation or an attempt of playing to the gallery. (There were a few listeners even otherwise in the auditorium.) and I still recollect the last slide which said, There is no Europe. The presentation though simple to the core, conveyed a powerful message that Europe should not be taken as an entity without factoring the differences among its member countries. For exploring business opportunities, a one-size-fits-all approach may not be appropriate. Even after a decade, I still remember that presentation which was given at the fag end of the day without any fancy bells-and-whistles of PowerPoint. I do not recollect the previous speakers who were flamboyant and more eloquent vis-à-vis Ashis.
Subsequently Ashis and I became good friends. On 5th September, Ashis sent me a message about the speech which made a lasting impact on him. Thirty years back when he came to Bangalore, he heard H Narasimhaiah (HN) at the Rotary club. It was a speech straight from the heart delivered in a soft tone without any rhetoric or flamboyance. What touched him the most was HN’s simplicity, ethics and the values he lived by.
HN, when he was 15 and being from a poor family, had to walk around 85 kms for two days from Gauribidnur to Bengaluru to take admission to National School in 1935. The next year, Mahatma Gandhi was to deliver a talk in Bangalore. The school principal selected HN to serve as an interpreter for Mahatma Gandhi to translate his talk from Hindi to Kannada. That one speech served as an inspiration for HN to adopt the Gandhian way of life.
After doing his MSc in Physics, he went to the USA and earned his Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics, came back to India and was the principal of National college from 1961 to 1972. Later on, he was the Vice Chancellor of Bangalore University. He was also known for starting the Bangalore Science Forum in 1962. He was a rationalist to the core and with Abraham Kovoor, challenged the godmen like Sathya Sai Baba, Sai Krishna and exposed their ‘miracles’. He was awarded Padma Bhushan in 1984.
What is the difference between good communication and great communication? Normally good communication includes techniques like defining a proper structure with powerful opening, meaningful content and a memorable end to factor for the primacy and the recency effect of the human mind. The speaker also needs to have energetic voice with clear articulation, modulation, speaking rate and the right pause in emphasising a point. The body language also plays a critical role. Power Point presentation with the right font size, key points without cluttering with good contrast, animations etc are also relevant. The purpose of good communication in short is to impress the target audience and achieve the desired results; be it the closing of an order or attract funding for your business venture. A great communication on the other hand does not have any such rules; its purpose is to express your being. Good communication is goal-based. Great communication is beyond goals and may help you find a purpose.
Good communicator knows that people forget 50% of the contents after a day and 80% after a week and thus need to use mnemonics like AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire and Action) PPF (Past, present, Future) etc. On the other hand, Mahatma Gandhi after addressing a rally in Bengal was asked about his message. He said, “my life is my message.”
Circa 1985, after watching Attenborough’s Gandhi four Australians, quit their jobs and decided to work in the Chennai slums.
Post the training program, my participants may not remember what I said a day before. But I remember what Ashis said a decade back; he recollects what HN conveyed three decades and for HN, his one meeting with Mahatma Gandhi made all the difference for his life!
HN said, “a mediocre teacher confuses, an average teacher explains; a good teacher teaches and a great teacher inspires. “
“The Galaxy Z flip 5 is ONLY Rs 99,999/ said the salesman at the mobile counter. Being a latest product from Samsung, we can work out a special price for you with an exchange of the old mobile additional upgrade bonus and extra bank cashback…”
While the salesman was rattling off the technical specifications in his sales pitch; I got stuck at the word ONLY. What happens when people use the word ONLY, is it something to convey or to hide?
Jacob and Isaac were two religious Jews living in an apartment complex with their balconies facing each other. They had not fasted on the Yom Kippur day, the day of atonement. They went to the Rabbi to ask for forgiveness. The Rabbi replied that it is possible only through observing a penance. He asked both about what they liked the most. Jacob said, “sharing the marital bed with my wife.” Rabbi said, “Jacob, for the next three weeks, you shall be sleeping in a separate bedroom.” To the same question, Isaac replied, “smoking a cigar.” Rabbi said , “likewise you are not going to smoke a cigar for the next three weeks.”
One night, Jacob’s wife knocked on his bedroom door. Jacob said, “Darling, it is ONLY the third day. We are not supposed to be together for the next three weeks.” His wife said, “ I ONLY wanted to tell you that Isaac is smoking a cigar.”
There are many undesirable thoughts and images which are in our subconscious mind which try to escape into the conscious mind. The way the word ONLY is used is to push back the undesirable thought coming into the consciousness. You may see that from the bottom of their hearts; both Jacob and his wife wanted to be with each other; but by using the word ONLY; were trying to repress the desire. Rationalization is a process by which a person justifies his action by hiding the real intention. As Voltaire said, ‘men use thought only to justify their wrongdoing and speech only to conceal their thoughts.’
Another example to illustrate the point: While having dinner with my mother-in-law; she said, “Rajan, is the curry over?” I replied, “No, the dal fry is still there. Do you want me to serve you?” She said, “ I ONLY wanted to see whether the fish curry is over or not.” My mother-in-law being a strict vegetarian; finds it difficult to hide her consternation of someone partaking of a non-veg dish while having her meals. You may observe the word only conveys, ‘for heaven’s sake, when will the curry get over?’
When a salesman is telling you that a product costs ONLY Rs 99,999/- what he wants to tell you is that the mobile is economical and value-for-money (as conveyed by the management).What he wants to hide is his personal opinion of the product being expensive. If you are a seller, use ONLY during order closing; but if you are a customer; beware of the trap laid down by the seller.
“Sir, would you like to go for this model?” the salesman interjected. I was taken aback from my reverie of hidden meanings behind the words. “By the way, you shall also get a rebate of around Rs 30,000 on your old mobile; though for specific models.” He added a caveat. When he saw that I was using a Samsung Galaxy A12, an economy model costing only Rs. 12,000, the salesman was in a rude shock. I could see a tapestry of anger, frustration, pity writ largely on his face. “Sir I ONLY need to take this urgent call and shall be back within a minute.” I knew he would not turn back so soon.
So next time when you hear the word ONLY be careful: is your colleague trying to hide more than what he wishes to convey? As someone said, “statistics is like a bikini, it conceals more than it reveals.”
Last week I had a pre-training meeting with a manager from a MNC having its office in a premium co-working space in Bengaluru. The reception was automated wherein visitors had to key in the details through a tab. I was told by the receptionist that the concerned manager has neither put a request for a visitor nor his name is in the approved client list. As a result, the access gate could not be opened. I spoke with the manager over phone who later came down and escorted me to his first-floor office.
Two days later he sent me a calendar invite for the training program which was scheduled at 9.00 AM in the boardroom at the ground floor. I reached the venue at 8.30 AM. This time I could overcome the first hurdle and get past through the access point. However, the boardroom door could not open. I was told by the security officer that manager of the co-working space Geeta was yet to come. At 8.50 AM Geeta turned up and said, “This is a fully automated and a state-of-the-art co-working space and the lights with LCD projector in the board room shall get activated only at 9.30 AM for which OTP from the registered mobile needs to be shared.” “What do I do till then?” Geeta replied, “as a special case, I shall arrange to get the board room open, without lights though; you can be comfortable there or else you can occupy any of the workstations outside.”
My purpose of reaching before time was to check the connectivity issues with TV, LCD projector etc. For 45 minutes, I literally did nothing. A few participants tried to figure out chairs in the dark room. In fact, one of them had the audacity to ask, “by the way, is it a Value-Selling program or one on meditation?” Others loitered around for a while. With the OTP and the fully automated housekeeping program meeting their desired objectives, the boardroom came to life at 9.30 AM.
At 1.15 PM as the training program was in full swing, there was a power outage for a minute. Geeta was kind enough to say, “this is as per our protocol and you may face a similar outage at 4.30 PM just for a minute; but no need to worry.”
In his book Sane Society published in 1995, Erick Fromm has said that with the increasing use of technology, human beings are prone to suffer from alienation. A feeling of helplessness may creep into people without any scope of a free will. Alienation happens due to Commodification and Abstractification. The former is a feeling of being used as a commodity and the latter is about equating life with numbers.
There are numbers which are put around every activity to determine whether you are efficient or not. If you are meeting your KRAs/KPIs you are in the system; else you are not. Even if you come by 8.30AM, the system does not care till it gets its OTP at a designated time of 9.30 AM.
All these years; preparing for a training program at a conference hall was a simple task. The door could be opened without access control; the lights could be switched on manually and the banquet manager deputed the housekeeping people for AC and other amenities.
Erich Fromm examines man’s escape into overconformity and the danger of robotism in a contemporary industrial society. Modern humanity has been alienated from the world of their own creation. Sane Society was published in 1995 and his predictions were prophetic.
All these years my main concern prior to any training program was about an alignment between the trainer’s preparation and the participants’ expectations. Now I am more worried whether I would be able to get into the conference hall before time and what happens if I were to forget my mobile or the battery gets discharged and unable to receive and share the OTP?
Adlai Stevenson (the former US Ambassador to the UN from 1961-65) has succinctly put it, ‘We are not in the danger of becoming slaves any more, but of becoming robots.’ (Sane Society-1955). With iOT, AI, and ChatGPT bundled into a smartphone, I am wondering who is the REAL robot after all!!
Rajan Parulekar 