People at Work & Play

Chetan Desai, Manager of the Indian cricket team in the last tour of South Africa had said that things were not quite as fine as they were made out to be in the team. In an uncharacteristic fit of pique, the normally calm Rahul Dravid tore into Chetan Desai.

“When I last looked at the history of Indian cricket, I didn’t necessarily see his name featuring very prominently. Maybe, I’ll go back and look again… When I’m asked questions regarding comments and opinions of people, I expect you to ask questions about people who have at least played the game or have some standing or have been involved with the game in some capacity…
“Anybody is entitled to give his opinion, anyone is entitled to give a report… I will comment when it’s worthy of my comment…” Most of us were surprised at this reaction.

After the pathetic performance in the World Cup, we feel perhaps Chetan Desai was right after all. Do I hear Chetan Desai now say“When I last looked at the history of Indian cricket, I didn’t necessarily see his name featuring very prominently as the captain of the World Cup team beyond the qualifying round. Maybe, I’ll go back and look again… ” !!

As they say, pride goes before a fall !

I must confess that this has been written in disgust. At the lack of guts and fighting spirit shown by the much hyped “Men In Blue”.

“It’s time for introspection” says Rahul Dravid. The Sansui TV sits in silence in the corner of the room. It wonders what it has in common with India’s captain. The Indian team is gathered in a somber mood in Rahul Dravid’s penthouse apartment in Bangalore’s Silverline Realty . As advertised widely over Radio City, (unfortunately rather prophetically), they are busy putting up nets in the spacious areas for him and his team to practice - for the 2015 World Cup. He will only be 42 then. Being an ace strategist, Rahul is closely studying the map of the world identifying potential threats in the qualifying round( which now has as much terror as the finals) like Chad, Outer Mongolia and Timor Islands.

Greg Chappel is contemplating upon the process- of making money. Dilip Vengsarkar wonders what went wrong. Appointing Sachin as Vice Captain was a masterstroke to put pressure on Dravid. Sachin would be in the happy position of deciding whether he wanted to be captain or not depending on how the team fared. He has been given 4 years to think about it. Till then he munches Sunfeast biscuits from ITC which even school kids are refusing to touch. Every diner in Tendulkars will be given a truck load of Sunfeast biscuits+ 1 ticket for the 2019 World Cup-absolutely free, hoping that he would still be playing till then.

Sehwag is relatively relaxed. Letters addressed to Mayur have been returned undelivered as he is no longer Virendra Mayur Sehwag. Mayur was bright enough to opt for a film toughie a la Mayur Salman Khan versus a cricket softie.

Yuvraj Singh is following up with the State Bank of India for the promised Mercedes. As of now, only 1 tyre has arrived. The possibility of the Merc coming is as high as the possibility of his team beating Bangladesh in the next series ( some guys just don’t realize when they have had enough).

Dhoni applies Brylcreem to cool a thobbing head. It’s become impossible to find the right size of helmet for him. Intial success and ramp walking have made him too swollen headed.

Some one notices that Irfan Pathan is missing. No, he has not been left behind in the Windies. He is being misled by young boys and driving all over the countryside and mountainside using
Indian Oil’s Extra Premium. He and (hopefully IOC too)will realize that he is only a player and not the asli khiladi. He is lucky. By not playing in a single match, thanks to Gillette Vector Plus he has had a close shave.

Agarkar who has played his third World Cup without doing anything, does not want to eat an egg, although prompted to do so by the National Egg Co-ordination Committee. Actually, he doesn’t need to do so. He, Sachin and all the others have it all over their face.

Trucks with Pepsi Cola, Hero Honda bikes, LG & Samsung TVs are parked in neat lots next to Dravid’s Silverline property. No one wants to buy them.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Early_exit_India_Inc_loses_money_fans_heart/articleshow/1804294.cms

This could go on and on but you get the idea. Recent telecasts indicate that the earnings from endorsements per year were about Rs. 150 crores for Sachin Tendulkar, nearly Rs. 100 crores for Rahul Dravid, Rs. 40-80 crores for Sehwag, Yuvraj and Dhoni.

When will love and pride for the country become stronger than the love for money?
For the sake of cricket in the country, let’s hope sooner rather than later.

In a recent workshop, participants shared their need to be more assertive- at work as well as at home- to have a better work-life balance. Let me share some ideas on how we can become more assertive.

Assertiveness is a way of thinking and behaving that allows you to stand up for your rights while respecting that of others. Many of us are not as assertive as we wish to be. As the famous book says” I feel guilty when I say “No”. At work, and indeed in all walks of life, not saying “No” tantamounts to saying “Yes” or agreement . Frequently, even silence is taken to mean agreement.

Nonassertive people are either passive or aggressive. Passive folk allow others to infringe on their rights rather than to stand up and speak out. Aggressive folk defend their own rights and work to achieve their own goals but in the process disregard the rights of others. Aggressive individuals make their feelings and needs take precedence over other people’s.

A person with an assertive attitude recognizes that each individual has rights. These rights include the rights to individuality, to have and express personal preferences, feelings and opinions.

Here’s how we can improve our assertiveness:

1. By assertive listening. Let others know that you want to understand their point of view; Understand accurately what others are saying; and let others know that they have been understood. Understanding does not mean agreement. Looking directly at the other shows you are giving them your attention. Leaning forward slightly communicates interest, while a relaxed, open posture communicates receptiveness to what the other party is saying. You can test whether or not you have understood the other party by summarizing your understanding of what was said and asking for verification
2. Nonverbal Assertiveness: Even when we are silent we communicate a lot — through our eyes, facial expression, posture, gestures and personal appearance. Through these nonverbal behaviors we communicate who we are and how we feel. Others draw conclusions about our sincerity, credibility and emotional state based on our nonverbal behavior. Poor eye contact, slouching, nervous gestures and other nonassertive behaviors can convince others that what we have to say can be safely ignored. Nonverbal behaviors are harder to control than verbal behaviors, but with awareness and practice you can become effective in communicating non verbally as well as verbally.

• Eye contact. Eye contact means looking directly at another, focusing on his or her eyes. Direct eye contact is assertive. Looking down while speaking to another suggests timidity and weakens you in the eyes of others. Looking to the side as you speak suggests avoidance and insincerity and jeopardizes your credibility. Maintaining eye contact while the other is speaking shows your interest in listening. There are times when you may wish to minimize eye contact while others are speaking, to avoid revealing your reactions or to gain time to think. Making brief notes helps you to do this while giving the impression that you are listening.
• Posture. The moment you walk into a room, your posture communicates messages about your confidence, how you expect to relate to others, your energy level and emotional state. A tense and rigid posture communicates you are in a heightened emotional state. It may be interpreted as anxiety or anger depending on your other nonverbal behaviors. This kind of posture makes you look out of control. An erect and relaxed posture while standing and sitting communicates confidence, self-control, energy and an expectation that you be taken seriously. When sitting, leaning forward slightly communicates interest and a sense of purpose. Leaning back communicates disinterest or disagreement. Crossing your arms and legs suggests a tense and closed attitude while uncrossed arms and legs suggests a relaxed and open attitude.
• Facial expression. We say a lot through our facial expressions. Our face tells others the degree to which we are alert, interested, in agreement, or relaxed. It reveals the types of emotions we feel. It is best to keep your facial expression as neutral as possible.
• Gestures. Gestures can be used to accentuate and support your message or to distract and discredit. Nervous fidgeting and tense jerky movements are distracting. These types of gestures and movements make you look out of control and seriously diminish your persuasive power. Hand and arm movements can be used to emphasize what you say. Do not emphasize everything, however. Be judicious in your use of gestures. Keep your gestures relaxed, fluid and moderate in size.
• Personal Appearance. Whether we like it or not how we dress affects credibility. It also affects how we feel. Being extremely overdressed or underdressed in relation to others makes most people uncomfortable. Dress appropriate to the situation. When dressing for business it is best to dress neatly, conservatively and as professionally as possible.
• Tone of Voice. There are many aspects of voice that affect the impact your words have on others. The most important of these and the easiest to control are loudness and speed. Nervousness can make us speak too softly to be heard or so loudly that we distract from our message. Speak loudly and slowly enough to be heard and understood.

Skills are developed through practice. Like any other skill, practice these behaviours to become more assertive.

The Indian team, as I had hoped, have made me and many others eat our words. Smarting from the miserable defeat at the hands of Bangladesh, they performed splendidly against Bermuda. Records tumbled as they amassed the highest score in the history of the World Cup. They won by the highest margin of runs ever.

While this is great stuff, the question still remains. Why are we such poor starters? Why do we perform only when under intense pressure? How wonderful would it have been if Team India had done so well without the curses of the entire nation!

India groans in anguish and grunts in anger following the infamous thrashing we got from Bangladesh in the very first match of the Cricket World Cup.

You don’t have to be a major sports psychologist to see what was wrong with the Indian cricket team in their match against “minnows” Bangladesh. They were complacent, over-confident and self-indulgent. They believed that their opponents would quake with fear on seeing their records on paper. Tendulkar alone perhaps has played more matches and scored more runs than the full Bangladesh team put together – if not in addition to Scotland, Bermuda and Netherlands as well.

The Bangladeshis had one thing our guys didn’t have. The hunger to win. Our guys have enjoyed adulation for so long and have everything there is to have – for theirs and future 5 generations- that perhaps nothing motivates them any more. Where is the thrill of scoring a 100 if you have done it so many times before? Where is the thrill of rewards, if you have enough and more? We talk of playing for the country but aren’t we playing for money and endorsement opportunities that come with being a player for India?

The fact that a team with several aged 17-19 could bowl us out easily, losing 5 wickets for 2 runs, hammer our bowling and field like tigers is a story in itself.

A TV ad shows Dravid, Sehwag, Yuvraj, Sachin & Dhoni as tigers. Tigers they are but the picture, perhaps unintententionally,depicts them as being overly fat, contented and lethargic. They are no longer lean and mean.

To win the games ahead, we cannot wallow in the past. We have the experience, we have the talent, we must only bring back….the hunger to win.

A good method to end a workshop is to have participants work in small groups to list key learnings. Here is a sample output following a Workshop on People Management:-

Don’ts
1. Fall into the trap of Depersonalization
2. Have double standards - One for yourself and One for others
3. Give feedback unrelated to behavior
4. Reprimand in public
5. Set un-realistic performance expectations
6. Commit to what you can’t fulfill (work, personal)

Do’s
1. Analyse performance issues. What is the Cause? Knowledge/Skill/Attitude
2. Criticize performance. Not the person
3. Criticize behavior. Not the individual
4. Be a role-model. ‘Walk the Talk’
5. Be conscious of expectations of you. Just as you have expectations of your
boss.
6. Give feedback which is specific and timely
7. Prioritize and balance Requirements/Interests of employee/team/Organization
8. Praise in public
9. Balance tasks/team + people orientation
10. Recognize differences in people
11. Sensitive to feelings and aspirations of the people
12. Be aware of your own behavior
13. Involve others in setting learning goals and methodologies
14. Treat others as adults capable of understanding
15. Spend at least one hour per quarter with each team member discussing perf.
16. Understand ‘Drivers’ and ‘Motivation Pie’ for all your team members
17. Understand ‘Crucial for Success factors in each job
18. Balance Improvements in building strengths with overcoming weaknesses
19. Be aware of the “Pygmalion Effect”

Circulating such lists to all participants enhances retentivity as also serves as a quick reminder.

Starting today, 16 teams begin their quest for cricket’s greatest extravaganza, the 9th ICC Cricket World Cup, being hosted by the West Indies. The teams are in 4 Groups:

• Group A - Australia, South Africa, Scotland & Netherlands
• Group B - India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh & Bermudas
• Group C - New Zealand, England, Kenya & Canada
• Group D - West Indies, Pakistan, Zimbabwe & Ireland

An estimated 1.5 billion people will watch the tournament being played for prize money of $2.2 million for the winners. The tournament has 51 matches spread over 47 days from March 13 to April 28. Keep April 28 blocked for the final, irrespective of who features. Let’s hope, of course, that India will feature once again in the finals as they did in the last edition of the World Cup in 2003.

For the record, the West Indies won in 1975 & 1979 but India pulled off a major upset by beating the West Indies in 1983. While Australia won in 1987 in the India sub-continent, Pakistan returned the compliment by winning in 1992 in Australia/New Zealand. Back in the sub-continent, Sri Lanka won in 1996 and Australia won in England in 1999 and again in South Africa in 2003.

A lot of excitement ahead. Best wishes to the Indian team.

A forced rest of a few days brought about long times of relative quiet. I was fascinated as I recalled events of long ago. Amazingly, I could remember events which happened more than 45 years ago as if they had happened yesterday. Equally amazingly, there were occasions when I forgot what some one told me just a few minutes ago.

Memories take random twists and turns. You might recall one event that took place a few months ago and the next recollection is of an event that took place more than 30 years ago.

I used to remember chunks of material from old Wodehouse favourites. There was a time when I could boast of knowing full conversations yet today I struggle to remember even a few telephone numbers. We remember faces from the past too. In getting a problem resolved recently, the moment the name of the dealing executive was mentioned, I remembered her and asked if she had attended one of my programs. She immediately remembered me.

As I tell participants in my training workshops, I may not remember names but I do remember faces. I hope to be excused if I don’t remember every one’s name, I say, because on average I meet between 15-50 new people each week.

To figure how all this stuff about memory works, here is some material which explains this in a simple manner. I hope this post will stay in your memory for a long time!

Am reading ” Empires of the Mind” by Dennis Waitley. Interesting book which speaks of the skills for success today. What worked yesterday won’t work today is the theme. Amongst others, yesterday natural resources defined power. Today knowledge is power. Yesterday hierarchy was the model. Today synergy is the mandate.

One of the most important qualities of successful leaders is an ability to express thoughts and knowledge. Research indicates that across all fields, those with large vocabularies - those able to speak clearly and concisely using simple as well as descriptive words- were found to be best at accomplishing their goals. Well chosen carefully considered words, writes Waitley, can close the sale, negotiate the raise, enhance relationships and change destinies

Work from the Johnson O’Connor Foundation found a strong co-relation between vocabulary and career success. Limited vocabulary and feeble abilities to communicate kept many people with excellent abilities of other kinds from developing them.

The difference between an excellent and a mediocre vocabulary is only 3500 words. Don’t you think it is worth your investing time and energy in developing your vocabulary?