Thorough professionalism?

What does a person do when he feels down and out?

There are probably a hundred things or even more:

• Hum a song
• Listen to music
• Confide in others
• Write a diary
• Start self introspection
• Pretend to be happy and forget everything
• Dance
• Watch television
• Resort to vodka or rum
• Play video games
• Poke nose in others' affairs
• Sleep
• Pretend to sleep
• Immerse in work
• Immerse in a pool
• Go golfing
• Or may be a picnic
• Start a new hobby
• Play cricket
• Think philosophically
• Curse whoever is at sight
• Pat dogs or cats
• Feed birds
• Get involved in photography
• Catch a movie
• etc etc etc....................

What do I do? I simply blog! :D

Yes, today is another day when I am feeling down and out. Trying to cope with it and find out what is the reason behind it. Oh.. forget it! I know, don't I? Pretension is not exactly necessary here. Let life be as it is!

But yes, being morally correct and impartial takes its toll, as it is taking on me at the moment. Being a thorough professional in one's work life is not very easy. There are always a few people who would not like the progress you make and there would be others who had forever been endowed with praise. And they find it difficult to take in when there's a flak waiting for them. Now now, how can one praise someone always! Flaws have to be pointed out. Come on! Everyone has flaws, even I have. So what the heck!

Once I decide I am gonna be impartial and true to my conscience, it hardly matters who is a friend and who is a foe. For a true professional, friendship and professionalism are two separate levels and never should both of these intermingle! Alas! Few people in the industry understand this.

I shall end this post with the following example:

Raju and Mahesh are friends since the school days. As destiny would have it, they find themselves in the same industry as well. By luck or my chance (or Luck by chance), Raju get placed up higher up in the hierarchy and has Mahesh working in his team. Now there is a certain incident that gets escalated and Raju has the tough task of making this clear to Mahesh. He does it, but that results in their friendship getting affected. Now, sample two scenarios here:

Case 1: Mahesh takes it deep in his heart and that affects their friendship. Even Raju feels, it's time to play the tough task master. Here personal and professional standpoints get intermingled and results in a strife.

Case 2: Mahesh understands it from a professional standpoint, but does not let this impact their personal terms. Still, they hang out together in pubs and catch a movie together on weekends. But while at work, Mahesh is now extra cautious, so as not to make the same mistake repeatedly. Even Raju can breathe a sigh of relief, now that everything is in place as before.

Tell me friends, which case do you like more and why?

I would go with Case 2. As they say, "Never mingle professional and personal relations".

Hello! Is someone listening? (or reading this?)

Image courtesy: www.fotosearch.com

One way

One way only
Whichever way I see it
There's one way only
I tell myself
"Do not try to cross over to the other alley
Do not stray
It would only cause more and more delay
Because there's only one way"
Oh you think I am a pessimist?
Ok... Go ahead and live my life
And you would see...
Guess what!
There's only one way...
And you thought I did not try?
I tried...
And there was life teaching me at every step...
"No use. There's only one way..."
[Sigh]

Controlling emotions

Friends, recently came across a wonderful book on Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman and found it extremely well written and very practical given the order of the day. This afternoon I was thinking about how this could be relevant in the Indian scenario. It was only last evening while I was returning from office that I found two rickshaw pullers fighting on the slightest pretext of who was overtaking whom. Ultimately one of them lay bleeding on the road. Horrible !
Think about it...
What was the reason for such primitive behavior? Yeah readers might argue that they are illiterate and do not possess the knowledge and education needed to handle such problems relating to ego clashes and controlling primitive male aggressiveness.
But my question is: Are we, the so called educated genre, adept at it?
The obvious answer is: No we are not.
So what can be done? Let me dissect the case discussed above. The notable negative factors working in the background are:
1) Ego clash
2) Jealousy
3) Superiority complex
4) Frustration
There might be others. But these are the main ones. [Readers might as well suggest more]

The fourth point relates to the job pursued by the guys. So we won't discuss that.

But the first three could have been handled if they could have kept their cool.
Here comes the question of emotional intelligence. A guy could be super smart and talented and might even possess a very high IQ. But to be able to succeed in life, he has to have a very good emotional intelligence or emotional quotient as some call it .

What is emotional intelligence? In short, it is how you handle your emotions, be it of any kind, without showing erratic behavior. Is it easy ? I would say, "NO"
But not impossible. Think about a few scenarios in addition to the one I spoke before.

1) You propose someone and get rejected. I am sure many of us have had that experience. Tell me how did you feel? This question also goes out to those few unfortunate souls who could not stay with us and decided "Enough is enough... Got to leave this world..." ha ha ha... poor souls...

2) Again, you have a great friend for whom you could give your life. And he betrays you. You are left shattered. You feel, "Hey lets teach the guy an unforgettable lesson". And many of you did just that... Didn't you? Ask yourself... "Am I happy after doing that?" For those of you who answer, "Yes", ask yourself again and again and again... Do you feel something wrong? I bet,by now you understand what I mean.

3) Another one, you lost a very near and dear one. You felt as if you are alone, none to care for you, none to love you. You are unhappy, you are lost. But the same YOU have changed after one year. You have almost forgotten about it. You have been able to come to terms with the loss.

There are hundreds of other situations which test your ability to control emotions. But if you are able to do it, nothing like it !!!
I have heard people counting from 100 backwards when they sense they are losing control. But if you ask me, I would say, in any situation we need to think about the worst case scenario. Ask yourself a few questions What is the worst thing that could happen to me if I do this? Who are the people who would feel the pinch if this is done? And most importantly, before jumping to the conclusion and taking the important decision, give yourself at least one day to think and ponder upon it. At least give yourself as much time as you can.

This is all the more relevant in today's corporate scenario, when a single decision based on whims could ruin your career whereas a well thought out plan could see you reaching for the stars.