Letting The Jones' Go

It is said that Ali would not be Ali if it weren't for Frasier, and Foreman. The intensity of competition in the tennis at the moment is without doubt the highest it's ever been. You have the world's greatest in Federer, and two elite challengers in Nadal and Djokovic all almost rotating at the top during one half decade. There is no doubt that competition may bring out the best in people in some dimensions. When you are forced to dig deep to pull out your best performance as opposed to no pressure, there
is something about this environment which takes us to another level. How should we understand this dynamic in our work lives, and indeed our personal lives. Too often people view things in silo's expecting that competitiveness in one field stays in that field and doesn't boil over into others. The reality often is, that competitiveness is an attitude, that does boil over, and does affect other parts of our lives in ways that may be constructive, and if not handled in the right way, counter-constructive.

 

The 1.30am

I took part in a race the weekend just gone, and there were many many learnings, which am most grateful for. When we finished the race, the interviewer asked our team what the greatest challenges. One of our team said it was the three staircases per floor, which meant our body was constantly turning, and it made it difficult to gather a rhythm of some sort. Whilst I certainly agreed, my difficulties were different. I had worked until 1.30am on an occasion that week, and was not even recovered from a flu which I'd sustained for a week as a result of overwork and change of weather. This meant that a training process which was recommended to be 4-5 weeks was shortened drastically to 5 days, in which I needed to squeeze in a break also, meaning effectively two sessions as I'd need to taper off before the event. I had skipped my Muay Thai for two weeks due to being too tired from work, something that hadn't happened before, and had 5 days to train with a cold for what was known to be a intense tace. I finished work, and got into my gear, and starting from the base floor, went up all the flights in my apartment, 38. I was tired, it was hard, and the intensity concentrated on a very particular part of the thigh. After a two day break, I repeated the same thing twice, and felt ok. I guess I was kind of ready but conscious that the floors in the ICC were almost twice as high as those in a residential building. But once the technique is known, then with perseverance and grit, it would be ok. I ended the training with 400 skips on the jump rope, and felt satisfied that it should be enough, and at least the best I could do in the time I had. So then I tapered off till the event. I had two races; the relay race, and then the individual race. After a good team effort for the relay, albeit with some confusion, and a good finish time, I went back home to recover, shower up, and return for the individual race, which I knew would be the real challenge. I was far more relaxed, and even ended up doing some boxing before the race to loosen up as some guys from the MMA centre were there promoting.

Neck & Neck

When the race fired off, I got off to a quick start, but knew the theoretical importance of keeping a steady pace, and not going too quick at the beginning as it was after all, 100 floors, not 38. My attitude was quite fixed; pretent no-one else is there, and it's just you running up. Ignore the noise. I got to the stairs first as I like a sprint. People then began to over-take. Many rugby players took part and they charged up, three steps at a time. I continued at two, and probably saw half the pack go ahead of me. It was fine, I wasn't bothered. It stayed this way until roughly the 20th floor. I then heard a group of people huffing and puffing. I then tip toed my way past about 10 people who obviously had gone too fast for themselves, run out of steam and slowed to two steps, or one step. Some of the rugby guys included. I had got into a good rhythm by 30-35 floors, and then came a point when we had to stop climbing, and run around the entire building to the opposite side's staircase. The running really helped break up the pressure which had been felt on the thigh. I noticed, if I walked, it used the same part, but if I ran it used another part. So I ran. I didn't stop for any drinks as I didn't want to break the flow. After a good stretch until 60th floor, I caught up with an Australian guy and a German guy who were very athletic and setting a very good pace. We went up 18 floors neck and neck, keeping the pressure on each other. Then came the next break of stairs where we had to get off and run to the next set. The other guys stopped for a quick drink and that was the last I saw of them. There was one more guy in my batch within reachable distance. He was taller than me and had done well so far. On 85th floor I saw  him 2 sets of stairs ahead. I didn't mind his being there, he was clearly in great shape, looked well trained, and I just respected his being there. Suddenly, I got quite close to him, and he realised we were neck and neck. So he sped up, and then so did I, then he sped up again! In this way, we kept pushing each other. Then I thought, I will just set the pace I am capable of setting, and running at. I will simply go up to my best. In this way, I ignored his existence in a competitive sense. He began to tire, and by 97th floor, I didn't see him. With the final three floors, I continued at three steps a time, and completed. At the end of the race, I waited for the guys I'd seen on the way up, and thanked them for keeping the pressure on as they did. It was a nice experience.

Rise & Shine

That was a race, it's meant to be competitive. Life is not a race, nor is it a competition. The very next day, as I got into the lift of the Cheung Kong Centre, the Bloomberg weather was playing. "The Sun is trying to break through the clouds, and it just about coming through," they said. No, I thought. The Sun doens't try to break through anything, the Sun just shines. The clouds cover the bit of the Sun that we can see, and sometimes we see it and sometimes we don't, but the Sun doesn't 'try' to do anything, that's just what we see. It was so interesting that just because we 'try' to do things, we think other things have the same dynamic; they don't. We are all individual, we all have our unique
abilities. The Sun is the Sun, it just shines, it doesn't compete. In this way, it made me reflect that this is a nice attitude to have. it doesn't matter what pace the others go at, you just have to be satisfied that you are putting in a concerted effort in doing what you want to do. Ignore the noise. In this way, we will be able to respect others, we will be clear that life is not a competition, and we will be happy.

"There are many competitors in ordinary business affairs. A karmi (materialistic person) must be envious because he wishes to enjoy material pleasures to their fullest extent. Consequently there is always competition between these people." Srila Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagawatam

Only this one!

Asia is the kind of place where there is sometimes opportunity after opportunity. I sat down at a new client this week, and reviewed with my boss all the things on my radar. He said, “This week, only this one Prash, only this one!” He was very clear in his mind. You could see how much he had also been prioritising it. He said, the rest will take care of itself. I went away and internalised what he said, and with all other commitments being cancelled, began to absorb myself on the one priority. After a few days, vehemently positive feedback emerged on how much the situation was beginning to improve, and quickly. I almost put myself under undue pressure to do as much as I could to focus on what he asked me to focus on. I could have got away with less. Slowly, time emerged, and due to such a positive beginning, it was expected of me that I would check in on the other opportunities. 

When I came back home this evening, as a result of the intense first week, the flat was, shall we say, not as organised as it usually is, and should be. I had come back from the Temple, and was in a somewhat peaceful frame of mind. As I had set out on the way home, I was mentally preparing myself for the various bits of housework that needed to be done. For me housework keeps you conscious, it keeps you aware. I don’t regard it a burden, I regard it as something that keeps me in check in many ways. Opening the door to the apartment, I knew what I would find, and had a vague idea how I would go about approaching each bit. However, for some reason, even though expecting it, it overwhelmed me. Sometimes even though prepared for a situation, we are still overwhelmed when it happens. What mentality serves us well at that point?

 

As my mind went into overdrive, I thought, what do I do first? Putting the clothes into the washing machine? Sweeping? Putting clothes into the cupboard? The washing up? The bathroom? All were in an equally bad state. I thought, No, I will first see to the alter where I keep various devotional paraphernalia, I will try to serve the Lord. This is the main goal of life. Then I will do everything else. With this focus, I lit an incense stick, and dimmed the lights to create a devotional atmosphere. Immediately after doing this, there was no confusion, dilemma, etc over what to do next. It all fell into place like clockwork, and most interestingly, it was enjoyable, it was satisfying.

 

It is said in the great ancient Indian text, the spotless Purana, the Srimad Bhagawatam, that “One who knows Krishna (God), knows everything else.” It was so revealing comparing these two situations. Did the author mean that if you understand Krishna then you will be able to sit a micro-physics paper and get everything right? Or did the author mean that once you know the real priority in life, then everything else becomes understood relative to this? I would say likely the latter. The power of focus and prioritisation is relevant at every stage of our life. If we understand the universal principle of prioritisation, we will be very effective from the kitchen sink, to the boardroom.  

 

 

Goals: All & Nothing

Singapore tops the tables in so many categories; it has the lowest crime; there were 80 days in which not a single robbery was recorded. It is home to the healthiest people in the world. It is the easiest place to do business. It is one of the least corrupt countries in the world, and has the best education system in the world. It has the lowest drug abuse in the world. Everything has consequences. Short and medium term progress is symptomatic of structure and process. The coverage of Africa in the media, and interest in its political and economic situation from China is significant as a result. The Chinese put in place structure and process in Africa and continue to make significant returns from it. What structure and process don’t bring is happiness. Happiness is the sustaining factor. For something to last, there must be happiness. If you sense people aren’t happy working for you, they’ll likely leave soon, unless the external circumstances don’t permit them to do so. Singapore, according to a Gallup survey, also has the least happy people in the world, even beating Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria. Despite of all the process and structure, there’s not happiness. Why?

Goals, goals & goals

If you are taught that to become number one is the all in all, then your happiness may likely become tied to this. Some people make it to number one, and indeed they may be happy. But there is only one person who is number one; what happens to the rest? Maybe they’re the ones who answered the Gallup survey. I came across a very fitting quote from a friend who was reading Hermann Hesse, “The trouble with goals is that one becomes obsessed with the goals. When you are seeking, it means there is something to find. But the real freedom is the realisation that there are no goals. There is only the now.” The way I would understand this, or want it to apply is that whilst we should absolutely have goals, these should always stay in perspective. Perspective doesn’t mean that once every now and again we donate a few goods to people who need them, or make some food for poor people. Yes, that may help us keep perspective. But perspective means to constantly be conscious of the now and be content with the now. It is an important distinction to draw, if we are continually meditating on our goals as the all in all, then we inevitably will become attached. The Bhagawad Gita says “While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises.” This should answer the question asked in the last section regarding happiness, as if one is focused on these goals of being number one to an extent that it becomes an obsession, according to the Bhagawad Gita, this doesn’t sit well with being happy.

So what?

I’ve been taught by many people to ask “So what?” If people are proposing a problem, or pitching a big solution, the key question is “So what?” Many seniors around me have always taught me this. They’re thinking of the bottom line. If you do x and y, then so what? Ok, so you propose x, so what? Is there something wrong with this kind of mentality? I make it a point when teaching martial arts to the under 18’s that one should be on time. It is critical that you are mentally prepared before getting up to spar or to perform a drill. Without the mental preparation, failure may be a result of something you could have avoided. Which is not ideal, and may cause regret. So as a standard, I like to be well on time. This means am sometimes in a real rush to get to the centre. This week is the end of the first week of a month called Kartik, a sacred month in the Hindu calendar. Instead of drawing up many steep targets and extra austerities I would perform, I said I will just take things slower, try to build more perspective in what I do. In the spirit of slowing down, as I left the flat to go to the centre, I left well ahead of time, so that I could ease myself of mental pressure of being there on time, rushing for buses etc. It was ok in the bus, but as soon as I came off the bus, I felt an uncontrolled urge to hurry up, to run. Why? Because we’re conditioned to doing this. We are so outcome oriented, we fail to acknowledge and appreciate the process enough. Not always being in “So what?” mode, is a liberating place to be. People around you will feel that also. People who work for you will feel that. This kind of mentality, combined with a serious drive to focus and get things done to a very high standard, for the sake of doing it, not for the desire of what you get as a result; is a clear winner in avoiding having all the process and structure in the world, but no happiness.

Being Real: Avoiding the High Horse

They both do the same thing!
 
I recall my first business trip to Geneva. The Swiss have of course always been known for their excellence in class, quality and elegance. I felt like I could smell that in the air, it’s been their culture for years and it was an experience being around that so closely. After spending a week working in some of the nicest offices even to date that I’ve been in, that realisation around the Swiss and quality was re-affirmed. The Asset Manager had a Michelin 2 star menu in their executive suites which they kindly treated us to before we left. It was a pleasant trip and a nice goodbye and we headed back to Geneva airport at the end of the week. I was with the Managing Partner of division and I’d been into my career for a few years. Our flight was delayed by 3 hours so we had a while to wait. The Partner told me he was fine just sitting and finishing some work. I said fine, I will walk around. As I walked around seeing the various watch shops, converting and comparing the duty free prices, my mind became full of such thoughts. After an hour I kind of had enough, and went back to Richard. I asked quite innocently, Richard there’s so many watches to choose from here, which one do you have? I was expecting that he would show me a nice Tag or Rolex given his role etc. He looked up and smiled. He pulled his sleeve and said, I’ve had this for the last 15 years. It was a rubber Casio. Such a simple model, almost like something I had when I was 8 years old! As he smiled, I am smiled in slight shock. I said, Really? Wow. He said, they both tell the time! I’ve met Partners with incredibly nice, very expensive watches, and now one of the Partners for whom I have a lot of respect given his character and way of doing things in the right way, had a cheaper, simpler watch. Both Partners behave in a respectful way, and their mannerisms are similar. Do I think having a cheap watch as opposed to a expensive watch is a huge indicator of personality? Not really. But it’s an indicator of a principle and statement “It’s ok to have certain part or parts of you or your life that are normal, or average. There’s no need to be on a high horse all the time.” He was successful, he was real, and wasn’t afraid of being judged.

 

We like to think we’re sophisticated

I was recently invited to the personal residence of the British Consul to Hong Kong for an evening reception. The reception was after the Offshore Remnimbi Exchange Forum hosted in Hong Kong to discuss large currency swap agreements in place between the UK and China. Amongst the guests were Lawyers, Bankers, and Policy Makers involved and affected by these flows. As we discussed, the topic of the effect of the weather came up, and how more sunshine seemed to make people feel happier and have a more positive outlook on everything. We jovially shared that the conclusion was that we like to think we’re so sophisticated and balanced in our outlooks, but actually throw in some sunshine and everything is ok! Whilst a jovial example, it also shows the acknowledgement that people may do so many things to legitimise their thinking, their conclusions, their outlook, etc, but actually it often boils down to a very simple thing; how you ‘feel.’ We often see it in the office. When people are happy about going on holiday etc, they may overlook things. And on the contrary, if they’re in a soppy mood about personal things in life, it may affect their level of engagement. Don’t underestimate the potential for this dynamic to affect senior people, and in fact anyone; it can, and often does.

 

Objective used to support Subjective

When on the high horse, we like to think we’re sophisticated, objective, etc. That’s part of the definition of the high horse position. If someone in a great position of authority makes big decisions driven by sentiment and subjectivity, their position would be questioned. Often driven by fear of losing position, people may want to make a decision driven by a subjective or improper desire. And to do that, they use a set of objective actions so it seems to be robust. In this way, we may use the objective to justify the subjective or achieve the subjective. For example, I want to do something, I have one type of motive, and I will substantiate this using many undefeatable arguments which I have immense experience in forming over the years. This dynamic is very common, not only in the workplace. People want to make money on selling blueberries. So they advertise the health benefits on mass, perhaps even exaggerate them. It is a dynamic we must be aware of as it affects us first hand. We may be affected by others subjective plans through their objective decisions. If we’re analytical, we can zoom up and see the subjective which is actually really driving the objective. This is why it’s useful to know reporting lines of people you work with. This enables us to understand priorities, and what others are charged for doing, and therefore how they will likely engage with us also. Being conscious of this dynamic will help us prioritise our efforts intelligently. Whilst it’s obviously a very important tool, and one of the first things we think about before engaging deeply with people, it’s also important that this doesn’t receive our undivided attention as these things are never more important than the higher goals we should really be focussed on achieving.

In conclusion, if we stay simple, not be afraid to express ourselves as we are, then we will be less prone to this confusion of the objective and subjective motives and actions since these will all align with a real view. This is something I really appreciate in Muay Thai and the martial arts. When we train, it’s real. You put on the gloves, guards, get in the ring and get on with it. There’s no hidden agenda, there’s no faking it, everything is out in the open. As the things we deal with become more complex, the intentions, motives, and also actions become more complex, and therefore whilst it’s not impossible, we need to do more to maintain a balanced and real outlook through being intelligent about what and who we’re dealing with, without losing our being ‘real’.

Perspectives: No Right or Wrong?

Everybody has their own perspective. People express themselves through what they wear. They post their opinions and feelings on Facebook and Twitter, etc. They debate views in conversations with each other. The newspapers even have sections called ‘Opinion’. So much of life is about interactions based on opinions and perspectives. How often do people really get their head around how to deal with opinions and perspectives especially as the social networking age really sets in? We’ve all heard that listening is important, but ultimately we need to decide, and act, not just debate opinions. This is the fundamental basis of political systems also. In the workplace, this plays an interesting role, and it can empower us if we are aware of the role of opinions, and perspectives of different people.

 

As I opened my eyes from a dozy, half-baked sleep as the plane took off, I found the air hostess had given a packet of peanuts and a drink, which happened to be a bottle of water if you weren’t awake to choose what you preferred. With my eyes barely opening, I took the packet of peanuts, and with the little energy I had in that dozy state, went to tear it open. It was a little stubborn and wouldn’t tear easily. So I look at the packet closer, saw the dotted line, and the small tear that had been made by the manufacturers, and with ease I tore it open. I had tried from various positions, from the other side to tear, to grab both sides and open from the middle, but with little effect. I recalled as a child opening boxes which had been bound with a kind of plastic tape that was industrial and extremely hard wearing. This tape is taken around the box, and then glued to create the link/seal. I would sometimes spend long trying to open it, and the meshed tape would simply not be torn. Once discovering the method, which was to find the part it was glued, and pull it apart in opposite directions so as to separate from the main bond, it was really very simple. In either case, so many experiments, speculation on what might work what won’t work, were ultimately useless until a proper method, of which there may be more than one i.e. using scissors or finding the correct opening. Often in Asia I’ve found myself lost in a range of circumstances from not being able to find a building to not knowing how to get a piece of thought leadership put into the right marketing format at work, to finding out how to use the scanner. Not surprisingly, the most effective method was to ask someone who had done it before.

 At all levels, such identification of the proper and effective method, works. It is not that every perspective is valid. The modern day concept that there’s no right or wrong answer, is wrong.  Tearing the industrial tape with your bare hands by brute force, is simply ineffective because it is designed to bare many kilos of force without ripping, and therefore there is a proper method for breaking it. Therefore it’s important to be able to identify what is effective and what isn’t. Listening to perspectives and opinions from all spheres, is however  important on many levels; one builds an understanding of peoples thought processes, their experiences, and their lives, one may be able to learn something from them whatever it may be, it could be something indirect, and listening also conveys a sense of respect and appreciation for others. But we should know that there is a hierarchy of how effective particular perspectives and opinions are; this is called judgement and we use it in all our decisions including which queue to go for in the supermarket; some things are known, some things are unknown, but we endeavour to make an effective choice or judgment call.  The less unknowns there are, the better. If you want to be successful in a business where you’re working for someone, you stand far more chance if you inquire, find out the strategy, and build on it, or help work towards it. If you’re an entrepreneur, you need to inquire and understand the demand first hand, not through speculation, but through objective observance and inquiry of habits, trends, tendencies, etc. When one is simple minded, then they can humbly and openly ask how something works, with a clean slate and really absorb what’s being taught. If the mind is clouded with many competing demands, then we may hear what has been said, but we may not have listened, or absorbed it. In conclusion, the miracles really start to happen when we sincerely try to find the right way of doing something, with an open approach that is respectful to others, and at the same time willing to go out of our way to go down the right route. This attitude will naturally give us more confidence in what we do, and the reason for that is that we are all wired up with consciences, and whether we know it or not, those consciences thrive on doing the right things rather than the wrong things.

Importance of the Next Generation

Importance of the Next Generation

When Lord Rama was sent to gurukul, his teacher was Vasishta Muni, a renowned and very wise sage, said to his students, please do not take on my bad qualities, and please accept any good qualities I may have. This was his humility, and that too, fitting for a great sage, and in the context of great students. Srila Prabhupada, a great teacher of the essence of the ancient Vedic principles particularly in the West, had a disciple who was a particularly talented artist. One day he was speaking to this disciple, and he said, “I can write, but you cannot write. You can paint, but I cannot paint. Let’s work together in Krishna’s service.” Whilst these examples are fundamentally spiritual in their objectives, when principles are extracted from such perfect scenarios, when even a small effort is made to apply them in the situations and contexts we are in today, the results can be astounding. As part of arranging a nicer situation, one should take stock of where they lack; even if it may not be ability, but simply time, and engage others according to their inclinations. This requires introspection, awareness, and an interest in others. Only then can one successful expand something.  The Vedic system has always placed emphasis on the training of the future generations. We see in both the Ramayana and Mahabharata, the great King’s, Queen’s, families, would take keen interest in the next generations upbringing. This is very important. A few weeks back, we held an event, and rather than inviting another senior speaker to say some words, we decided to have the youth speak. With some training, they were able to engage their energy positively to great effect. The result was simple; inspiration for the current generation, and promise for the next.
 

Unless we aim high, values may not be necessary

If someone sets low targets, then they don’t need discipline; they don’t need to abstain from certain things, they can be lax, and still come through. If we are striving for high goals, in whatever field; then we will need discipline; we will need regulation; we will need continual inspiration and encouragement from those better than us. When people strive high, and do things in the right way, they will need certain values. As one of the students pointed out to me today, the only place you can find success before work, is in the dictionary. In order to work, we need to be regulated. In order to repeat success many times, if we want to deeply understand the principle, we will need humility. UFC legend, and welterweight champion, Georges St-Pierre is a great example of humility and success. He openly posted a video of him trying to do a one-armed pull up. He said, I cannot do this, I do not have the power, but if someone can, then please show me and with your help, maybe I can learn. Earlier this weekend, I was fortunate enough to spend some time with the Chief Executive of Hong Kong Rugby Union to discuss a few things. In addition to that role, he is one of the head coaches for the Hong Kong Youth Team, and often has the likes of Martin Johnson alongside to train with them to impart his knowledge and experience. He shared that, we try to make them better people through rugby, and that he firmly believes they do become better people. He said when they lose, they should learn to lose with humility, and congratulate the winning team humbly. When they win, they should be humble and tone down any celebrations, and console the other team. His words were those of deep experience, not only of the greatness of such values, but also of the dangers of not having such values. In extreme scenarios and situations, with positive advice, comes implicit warning in not heeding the advise. So goals should be set high; even if we may not achieve them, the transformation that will happen to us in the process, will yield values that we would never imagine could be cultivated if we had set the bar lower.

Digestability: Keys to the Future

The Smoothie

The temperature begun to go up this weekend in Hong Kong, and the shorts and t-shirts were back out again. I walked back with two bags full of fruits; mangoes, papayas, grapes, red plums, blueberries, and a pineapple. I took a twenty minute walk back in the Sun, and carrying the bags I was sweating before even a third of the way home. I got back and used a big portion of the fruits to make a smoothie. I was quite thirsty and consumed about six plums, two large bunches of grapes, and two small portions of blueberries in one drink; perhaps around two glasses worth. It went down so well, I felt like another. So I had two mangoes and a small papaya in the next round. Before I knew it, there wasn’t much fruit left; I’d consumed everything except the pineapple within thirty minutes at most! I recalled how much it all seemed in the bags, however within a few moments, I had consumed them. This time last year, when I wasn’t so accustomed to making smoothies, I recalled how I’d chop up large plates of fruits, and perhaps eat half of what I’d made, and be quite full up. It made perfect sense though; drinking smoothies makes the digestion process extremely efficient. You do all the peeling and chopping at one, all the chewing is done at one go by the machine, and all you do is drink it. That do, whilst the machine “smoothes” the fruit; it becomes perfectly compressed into less space than before and also removes the wastage; two big bags simply become a few glasses of fluid. What I’d certainly struggle to digest in a conventional way by eating the fruits; was made into a very invigourating and thirst quenching experience through changing the way the same substance was taken; the grapes are the same grapes, but just crushed.

 

When I was a boy…

When I was a boy, we used to work with floppy discs, which would each store 1.4MB of data. Such a concept would seem incomprehensible today, what to imagine in future. It previously took travellers thirty years to go from one side of America to the other; now it takes just a few hours. As time goes on, much of what a generation has to pass to the next may become incomprehensible; not only in terms of technological developments, but also in terms of ways of living. How countries are ruled, how families are structured, how wars are conducted; all of these have changed drastically. The way business is done different to the way it was done before. We must always be conscious of how things are changing, continually, and how the next generation has it’s ways. There are many ways we can give to the next generation and empower them; and there are also many ways we can keep from them and try to hold on to so called authority and legitimacy and not equipping them with what we may have. We can give them the raw fruits, which will take time to digest; using our own terms our own ways of working, etc; or we can be fluid, like the smoothie. We can genuinely try our best to give them as much substance as possible. To do this can be extremely dangerous; we must do it in a way that we never compromise our values. We must assess the moral and ethical maturity of the individuals we seek to empower otherwise, there will be a very quick spiral downwards for where there is power and a lack of responsibility; there will certainly be quick destruction.

 

Hey PJ, check this out!

Learning requires an open mind that is not limited by self-imposed limits. As part of the Muay Thai training, skipping is one of the traditional warm up exercises. I had tried to skip when I was in junior school, but once I realised I wasn’t so good, I decided to leave it to the girls who were expert at it. But now, it was different, I really wanted to learn to skip, so slowly I began, and gradually got faster, and the technique got better, and then set time limits, or count limits. It took time. One day, I was in the pool and a few kids were playing around in the water splashing each other etc. They stopped by and said Hi etc. I made friends with one of the kids, whose name happened to be PJ; my initials. We spoke for some time, and then went on our ways. A few days ago, I saw him as I was walking into the gym down the stairs, and from the bottom of the stairs in an excited tone, he said “Hey PJ! Check this out!” He had what’s called a ‘diabolo,’ a toy consisting of two bars, with strings attached to each other, and a spindle, which he would throw into the air, and then catch again with the strings. It would have to land specifically on the strings in order to get into groove and start spinning side to side again. He managed to throw it a good eight meters high and catch it. I was quite impressed, congratulated him and asked, where did you learn to do that? He said, oh at school. I asked when, and he replied on Monday. It was Wednesday. In three days he had learnt it so well. I then thought; a child like him, they don’t place barriers on what is possible. There is a gulf of difference between someone who is striving in the corporate field, having the responsibility of their family on their shoulders; job security to worry about, and so many other constraints; compared to the mindset of PJ when he was tossing the spindle into the air 8 meters high and catching it again. A truly open minded person does not see barriers; they are not phased by differences in culture, norms, technologies; they only have one thing in mind; the need to progress, and facilitate others to progress.

Simplicity

Keep It Simple, Stupid

Keep it Simple, Stupid. My A Level Computer Science teacher would say this repeatedly when we were learning how to write program code. Writing code in small chunks, writing up explanation of what the code did as each chunk was written, and ensuring that each independent component was functional before combining multiple functions was the bread and butter of this coding. From writing small routines, to a couple of connected ones, to more, which would interface to modules written by others, would lead to functionality we wouldn’t have imagined was possible on our own. But what happened when things went wrong? It was almost as though there was an exponential relationship between not ‘keeping it simple,’ and bug resolution time. You realize that not keeping it simple, really was stupid when you’re up all night trying to fix something that could have easily been avoided. The more senior people I meet, the more I hear things along the lines of “I’m a simple kinda guy.” They avoid getting too complicated in discussions, and usually try to follow logic in their thinking. Sometimes I feel that the more senior you look, the simpler the people’s mindsets need to be. Henry Ford was once taken to court for an issue with his company. The judges asked him about various aspects of his business. Each time they'd ask a question regarding a particular field, he would simply refer them to the head of that area. They asked him about their marketing, he would say, speak to my marketing director, etc. Henry Ford believed in not necessarily knowing everything himself, it is simply not possible. But he believed in being methodical, simple, and recruiting people he trusted. He was a simple kinda guy. What does simplicity mean in our corporate context? How do we be simple people?
 

100k…kilometers, not $’s

A senior Partner recently ran 100 kilometers in a challenge in Hong Kong. As you can imagine, he is extremely athletic, and regularly keeping fit. Another Partner did the Iron Man challenge in Australia, China and various other APAC locations, which is an extremely demanding task in terms of endurance and personal resilience he was explaining. We once went on a social outing with these Partners and others on a boat. There was something distinct about them that made them in a sense very simple. They were just peacefully watching the scenery, and just looking at them one perhaps wouldn’t associate their corporate lifestyle with them. They seemed to be aligned; their minds and bodies were harmoniously aligned. They had clarity of thought. They had confidence and they were comfortable being where they were; the outdoors was something they loved. There were also other senior people on the boat, who perhaps weren’t as much into fitness routines etc, and they looked like they were escaping. Their psychology seemed different. If we break it down, there are two lives we live; one at work, and one outside work. When we are overwhelmed in a variety of ways by work, naturally we want to escape. There is a phenomenon of ‘over-ordering’ food. I’ve often done this. You feel so hungry that you begin to order many things. Once about half way through, you begin to wonder whether you can complete it all. As you approach the three-quarter mark, you think you don’t want to have this again for a long time, and barely able to finish it. So when we don’t have enough of the outdoors, we are so hungry for it. When we get it, we are almost bewildered, we can’t get enough of it. And naturally, when it comes to returning to our work lives, we don’t want to return. If you a small does, then return to the work place, then take another small dose, and then return again, in good balance, there will not be this great degree of sentiment involved in returning back. Indeed, the mindset will become more balanced, unified, centered. These Partners whose minds and bodies are in tune, typically benefit from a greater degree of objectivity, unaffectedness from the turbulences of the work place and life, and are ultimately also less stressed individuals also.

Working to Live, or Living to Work?

The ancient Indian scriptures explain some very relevant topics in this regard. According to these scriptures, people have different natural, or inherent tendencies. Indeed tendencies can be changes, refined, or forsaken through lack of cultivation, but there is a natural sense of preference towards certain mindsets and activities that is inherent. This is also the driver of ‘personalities’ to a large extent. Certain people are outspoken, others quieter. Certain people prefer interacting with many others, some people prefer less. Certain people are very attached to ‘things’ and certain people are perhaps less so.  In a recent mixed martial arts documentary, one trainer was explaining that certain commercial fighters have a lot of luxuries now, and he mentioned, sometimes they do not feel like leaving these luxuries in order to get up to train very hard, who would want to do that? he asked. In the scriptures it explains how there was one class of people called the Ksatriyas, or the warrior class, who would be administrators and enforcers of law and order in the kingdom. It explains how such individuals would be under the guidance of the wise and knowledgeable people who did not have any vested interests, or involvement with politics. Under their guidance, the Ksatriyas would live a noble life enforcing order. In order to do this, the Kings and Ksatriyas had quite extensive facilities such as very vast ‘thinking chambers.’ They would be served with the finest foods, and have lavish facilities. We may be beginning to picture what this was like for such a Warrior. However, their mentality, was one centered around duty, and doing what was right. The facilities they had, were all their to facilitate them to feel satisfied, and to perform their duty; and wasn’t supposed to be for more than that. At the end of the Mahabharata, the ancient Indian epic, Vidura requests Dhristrastra to leave the Palace as his reign is finished and the heirs were ready. However he was reluctant to. He wanted to continue to use the facilities, even though they weren’t needed to serve him to do his duty. Today, the mentality is the other way around, people tend to do what they believe is their duty in working, so that they can enjoy lavish facilities. When one has a focus on working in order to enjoy, of course the mind will be filled with anxiety if this self-gain is not achieved. Physical exercise, the outdoors, such a regular routine involving these things, can help one remove themselves from a mentality of work for self-enjoyment, and instill a deeper sense of duty, discipline, and ultimately sacrifice for others. Once these mindsets kick in, our ‘awareness’ will increase of the dynamics at play all around us because we will become far-less subjected or victimized by these dynamics through this increased awareness of them. Many of the universal ingredients to success including confidence in doing the right thing, clarity of thought, and a positive outlook will then become possible for us.

Time Management?

Why Bother?

I was once in Geneva, sitting by the lake, watching the famous fountain in what any passerby would assume was a very relaxed situation. However, in my mind were a thousand and one tasks I had to get through, for which there was a clear and hard consequence for not completing. These tasks had one by one accumulated, and the number had become what I felt was insurmountable to the extent that my mind made a simple mathematical calculation and said, it will not be possible to complete all of these in the time I have, therefore you cannot succeed. At that point, when success was not possible, why should I bother continuing? So I just sat by the lake quite peacefully looking at the ducks and the water, and feeling quite honestly, helpless. When the Sun began to set, reality hit home even more; I would now need to face the consequences when I speak to all those people I am accountable to. I thought about what had gone wrong. I was not managing my time properly. I was not focussed enough, not getting through tasks diligently or aggressively enough, and was facing the resultant situation. Gathering my belongings to get to the airport, I was still not focussed on the specific tasks, I was focussed on the root problem; my time management. It needed to improve, and fast. I would explain to my bosses and apologise, but the deeper issue needed to b e addressed nevertheless, otherwise it would keep cropping up. I went to the airport book shop, and purchased a book on time management, the Harvard Business School best-seller; a compilation of numerous leadership gurus tips on managing time. It was quite practical, explaining how to prioritise e-mails, and a number of other tips, and to be honest, it resulted in some more focus, and I was able to address the issue with some degree of success. However, over the years, my understanding of time management, became a little more rounded and continues to do so. There are some fundamentals that we should know regarding the inherent nature of time, which will help us not to manage time, but to respect it, and manage ourselves more consciously.

 

A Misunderstood Concept

The phrase “Time Management” was coined long ago, and is a completely accepted term by most people. It is also consistently understood. However, if we pick at the topic a little more, the branding doesn’t hold so strongly. Time is defined as “the indefinite continued progress of existence.” Management is defined as the “process of dealing with controlling things or people.” If not understood properly, the term can easily be interpreted to mean “controlling the continued progress of existence.” About a year ago I had a stint of work that led me to be in Japan, the US, and the UK all in one week. It was somewhat overwhelming, and I asked a very elevated spiritual practitioner how one should go about managing time. He smiled and replied, “Well, there are 24 hours in the day.” Whilst he spoke only those few words, they had immense implications.  Krishna says in the Bhagavat Gita, which comprise the Supreme Lord’s direct instructions to His friend and disciple Arjuna, who stands before a huge battle, that He is Time. The Supreme Lord says that He is Time! He also says that He is beyond the control of any material factors. So by this definition, it is impossible to control time. From a spiritual perspective, the term Time Management in a material sense, is in itself an oxymoron, or a contradiction. If we understand this well, we will become more pragmatic in the field of managing our activities, and will always remind ourselves of what we really can control, and what we cannot. This will lead to a far more mature dealing with time, a respect for time, and above everything, a more conscious and grounded experience with time.

 

Behind the Scenes

Once we understand that the “time” part of the time “time management” equation is fixed, beyond our control, we should understand that the “management” aspect should be regarded as management of the self, or our actions. In one sense, we could argue that we do not have so much direct control over these as sometimes factors beyond our control dictate what we do i.e. some urgent client prompted meetings, time out for certain appointments, personal factors, and so on. So even our actions, whilst majority of the time they should be under our control if we are disciplined and circumstances permit, they aren’t necessarily under our direct control. Whilst external factors can dictate our actions, external factors will seldom dictate or mandate our thoughts. For example, we daydream. We may be daydreaming in a meeting. Your boss cannot get into your mind and force you to stop daydreaming. He or she may be able to mandate you to be in the office, but they certainly cannot check and mandate your thoughts. They cannot mandate our desires. Thoughts or contemplation lead to desires, and desires lead to action. The timeframe for this isn’t necessarily immediate, and may vary drastically, but on the whole we will find it is true. We may remember a person very deeply. This may make us want to talk to them. We will then find a way to talk to them, and then we will be in touch with them. So thoughts and desires, we can control if we are disciplined. If we are disciplined in our thoughts, the corresponding desires will be encouraged, and eventually the right actions will emerge. Time continues to go by, but because our thinking is conscious, considerate of wider factors, considerate and with a willingness to serve others, our actions will follow this in a way that becomes more independent of circumstance because it becomes to do with the consciousness, the mentality, and then there is satisfaction. Determination, attentiveness, diligence can also be desired. To desire to be efficient and diligent in meeting deadlines can also be cultivated and meditated upon at the right times, and if we imbibe this into our minds, we will be far more likely to have this attitude manifest in our work-life realities in the all-powerful and pervasive domain of time.

Selfless Leadership

Bird or Plane?

In the busy Hong Kong rush hour, walking in the crowds of business people in Central, you often see tourists who have chosen the wrong time and are struggling to take photos. I saw lots of tourists trying to cram themselves into a certain spot from where they could get a good view and angle. They were eagerly hustling with each other to get into the spot. If one didn't know better, one would have assumed the Starship Enterprise was going to be visible from that spot! I was facing toward these tourists, so I could not see what they were trying to take a photo of, and so I turned around to see. It was the ICBC Tower, one of the most well known buildings in the Hong Kong skyline, and an icon of the City’s financial prowess and link with China. Because I see it every day on the way to work, on weekends when commuting to most places, and also from my living room window, it doesn’t have the same appeal to me as it did to these tourists, who were desperately trying to get a good shot of it. The same kind of effect we experience when we travel Business class on an airline. When we have never been on First or Business class before, it appears to be a huge novelty and we have a degree of reverence. But over time, this novelty factor wears off and we take it for granted. When we take things for granted, it changes our mentality and it is the same dynamic that makes us less effective when applied in the corporate context. Being in Hong Kong, there are incredible opportunities to work with some of the most intelligent, sharp, and dynamic business people. As the rest of the worlds economies, and to a lesser extent the Asian economy continues to slide, more of the worlds finest are working more closely with Asia. I have the privilege of co-developing thoughts, industry leadership with such people, who are so open and accessible. However, if I treat them like I treat the ICBC, I will simply not appreciate and want to get as much as possible from the experiences. Therefore, over-familiarity, a lack of appreciation for what we have access to in the corporate place, can lead to a decline in our desire to maximise the value it brings to us and others also.

Grateful or complacent?

After spending so long away from Hong Kong, and during a time of year when physical training doesn’t make the top of the list, it was return to the gym on a more frequent basis here. There were certainly some notable realisations coming from this regarding whether I am focussed and grateful, or whether I become complacent as time goes on. In the UK, I had the privilege of training at one of the UK’s better Muay Thai schools, and experiencing how they do things after having trained in equivalents in Thailand and Hong Kong. Although they didn’t have Thai trainers, who in my opinion are the most natural in their abilities, physiques, and techniques, they made use of some excellent routines. There was a longer, albeit less diversified warm up, and there was less equipment, so we had to figure different ways of doing more with less. I observed a boxing session in my gym, and learned some of their techniques also. When I got back to Hong Kong, the fitness level had been sustained to some extent, and I had developed more gratitude towards the Kru’s (teachers), and the elaborate facilities. This cultivated a desire to do more, and combined with some of the techniques picked up in the UK, it made for a fantastic first session. There was mutual respect with the teachers, and we progressed the complexity and speed of moves, blocks, and taking hits to condition the body. Walking out of the gym and seeing the newcomers, I could see that I had progressed somewhat. I had a choice of continuing to think about my progress and me, or to think about them and how they feel. I did the latter and it again made for some very nice exchanges. In the corporate environment, we see extremely senior people put others first, be so inquisitive and interested in others. If they do it, it is likely to be a winning attitude, and it is clear we should try to follow in their footsteps to success.

The Choice is Ours

On returning to Hong Kong, the temperature was in the mid-twenties, and the sun was blazing. I was trying to read a message on my Blackberry. For some moments I could only see my reflection due to the Sun, a similar affect when someone is wearing very shiny sunglasses and it is hard to see their eyes, but not impossible. When I focussed, I could read the message, and saw beyond the shine. The position of the phone was exactly the same. But the focus of my eyes had changed. I was quite fascinated. When my brain wanted to read the message, the eyes would respond by changing focus to the message. When I wanted to pay more attention to the reflection, my eyes automatically adjusted. It was a penetrating lesson in so many ways. If we want to see ourselves first in any situation, we can easily do this. In fact, that was the default viewing I began with after being overwhealmed by the influence of the sun all around.  By default, the world will encourage this approach of putting ourselves in the centre. How does this dynamic affect our progress in the corporate world? I recalled a time when I was a Graduate. A senior person who didn’t have a very good way with people, and I had just come off of a below par interaction with him. Immediately after that, I had another meeting. I had very little time in between; literally only the time needed to walk from one meeting to the other. He had impacted my mood, outlook, everything. Having not had so much experience dealing with tough people, I needed more time to gather myself. I thought, I can either carry the energy from the previous meeting into the next one, or start afresh. Did the people in the next meeting deserve me being in a more sour mood? Probably not. So why carry the baggage? I decided to completely let it go, and it was hard because we often have the tendency to think about ourselves. When we are aware of the dynamic of whether we are putting ourselves at the centre, or whether objective and have the wider goals and longer terms goals in the centre, we will find it easier to at least theoretically move forwards mentally, and over time this theory will become practise. Of course, we will address what needs to be addressed because we should be concerned with ensuring the principle of integrity and fairness is enforced, however if we think in this way, we will not let our personal ambition get in the way of acheiving truly big things.  

Attitude: Importance of Groundedness

Whilst resolutions and aims that are tangible, measured, and time-bound are absolutely necessary, often it is our ‘attitude’ that leads to the achievement of these, and possibly much more than what we specify. So this article is about attitude, and hopefully it is relevant for all, but more relevant for those who are succeeding at present. Even though the need to avoid personal complacence is so evidently essential in attaining lasting success, whilst it is spoken about by people sometimes, it is seldom taught in training, reading, and other forms of management learning. An easy way of avoiding complacence is by comparing ourselves not with our peers, or those who aren’t advanced as us, but to those who are superior. I was fortunate to hear from spiritual teacher, Bhakti Rasamrita Swami recently who provided three useful tools we can use in this regard by giving examples of three addresses of God, which when compared with ourselves, should help us keep our feet on the ground at all times.
 

Cause of all Causes

I led the execution of a project that went well a few months back, and when people heard of the project, they immediately look to who was responsible for organizing it. Eventually you become associated with it, and it's success. A few months later, a similar project was to be executed again, and this time I was not in town to oversee it all. It was as successful, and in fact achieved some additional things that the first project didn’t. I wasn’t even there for the execution. In business, no matter how much one thinks that they are successful and the factor that holds things up, the environment is such that there will almost always be people likely to step up and make up. So we should never come under the illusion that we are irreplaceable, and are responsible for the success that comes. There are a number of benefits of this kind of awareness; an attitude where the leaders know they are not the all in all cause, will cultivate more respect for those contributing in every way they do. If we are aware we are not the all-in-all, we will likely be more giving with our knowledge to others, to ensure things can indeed continue at least as successfully, if not even more successfully when we are not there. One senior business leader in Hong Kong said to me recently that senior executives living in places where there is enormous avenue for personal recreational enjoyment, are reluctant to relocate back to their home countries as they don’t want to give up these luxuries. This leads to them ‘guarding’ their roles, and not developing an environment where succession is planned very well. An attitude of being aware that we are not the cause of all causes, that it is about others helping in success, will lead to a very mature way of leadership that will lead to far greater scale results in the long term. In this connection, Bhakti Rasamrita Swami explains how one of the names of God is ‘Akhil Karanaya’ or the ‘Cause of all Causes’. Any action or event has a number of causes that lead up to it. Perhaps the end action or event we may take the credit for, but we certainly cannot take credit for all actions and events leading to it. Such an approach that needs to be managed carefully, and not necessarily externally demonstrated, but should always be known inside to keep ourselves grounded at all times.
 

Without any Cause

Robin van Persie, recent recruit at Manchester United, after scoring a record number of goals by any high profile signing who has moved from one big club to another said, he feels like he is in a team of champions. Clearly his own effort and ability are big, but he credits so much to the others around him to help him achieve the success he has so far. Books on achieving greatness always talk about learning from those who have been successful. People have idols, or others who provide inspiration to continue. This principle of learning from others and gaining inspiration from others is universal and clearly applies in world of arts, sport, and business. Therefore, is it just humility alone that leads to crediting these others when success is achieved? Not really. It is just honesty on the situation. The fact is that more often than not, our path and success has more causes external than us than just us on our own. We can certainly achieve more if we learn from others. If it seems our success is purely based on our hard work, we should question whether we are really accessing others as much as we could be to achieve more. Bhakti Rasamrita Swami in this connection says that God is the only Person with no cause, or ‘Nish Karanaya’, and that everything and everyone else has so many causes both immediately, and ‘behind the scenes.’ The result of this is awareness in the corporate and also personal context is that we acknowledge that our success has many causes, and that when this is attributed to these other sources, we become grounded, and also cultivate a mood of further learning.

Most Wonderful Cause

We also often see that very successful people do not boast about their qualities and achievements. Rather, they sometimes look to their shortcomings. What better way to cultivate a mood of improvement, which is so important for success. There is a spiritual story where a personality called Dhruva Maharaj entailed in thousands of years of meditation in the previous ages on the Supreme Person, in order to attain rulership of opulent kingdoms upon pleasing the Supreme Person. After this many years of meditation, his attitude and his goals changed. He became self-realised, and did not have such a strong desire for these things, but ended up meditating on the Supreme Person with a pure motive, not for kingdoms etc. When the Supreme Person appeared before him, Dhruva Maharaj recalled his motive so many thousands of years ago, and said how unfortunate he was to have cultivated such a desire although having given up such an attitude thousands of years ago. In our own lives, Bhakti Rasamrita Swami cites that we may even be the cause of so many things, but not all of those things are wonderful, however God is the most wonderful cause – Adbhuta Karanaya. We will have done certain things that did not have wonderful outcomes, where there is learning to be taken away, and we should be aware of this as we succeed also. This has a number of benefits; if we note our shortcomings, we will tend to be more consultative in our style, and therefore attract more collaboration, joint wins rather than individual efforts. The above points are all concerned with attitude, and should be considered and implemented with great caution and awareness of the particular dynamics and individuals we work with.