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Commitment at Work

My employee does not show commitment in his work. I assigned him in a key project. This is a very important project to be finished at the earliest. In the mean time he took leave without waiting for my permission. He just passed an intimation that he is taking leave.

He already got 15 days of leave, which begins from next week. He promised me that he will not take any more leave, once he got the approval for 15 days leave for his marriage. I argued with my management to get his 15 days leave.

Now he took leave again, he failed is words. He seemed to be not caring about the project he is doing. He seemed to be care free as let the project finish automatically instead he has to finish it. By and large, he is not committed.

There is no commitment from him towards the work he is doing. I felt disappointed. I got angry.

Here is my analysis for the situation:

The role your employee is not Bill Collector or District Magistrate or Police officer or Military General or President of United States or Prime Minister of India to have such a very high commitments.

Your employee is an amateur programmer. He is getting a survival salary per month as salary. You can not give guarantee for his job. Of course, you do not have job guarantee.

You can not expect commitment from your employee unless he is interested in his work.

Your employee can show commitment in two cases:
1) He is interested in his work.
2) He is very badly depending upon the salary and job for his social positioning.

You can not force your employee to be a dependent on his salary. It is related to his financial and social conditions. This is out of your control.

You can only make him interested in his work, by creating interest in his works.

If he does not show commitment, do not get angry. Do not take it personal or have negative feelings.

If your employee is not showing commitment, that is not your fault. It is his fault as he has chosen a career, where he can not show interest.

The simple logic about commitment is, Commitment can be shown, it can not be demanded.

Expecting commitment is stupid. Let it be shown.

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Hypothesis About Stress

Stress is highly ignored issue in the society. Too much of important is given to Blood Pressure, Heart Attack, and Ashthma. If half of their importance is given to stress, we could avoid them all together.

Here are some hypothesis about stress.

Software professionals are highly prone to stress.
Well, this is wrong. Stress is everywhere. I have seen a Bus conductor in chennai, India, who was stressed out by facing 3000+ passengers per day.

People who work 12 to 18 hours per day have stress. The level of hard work done by poor Indian farmers is beyond compare.

Eating too much gives stress. Watching TV gives stress.
If I eat less, I will have stress. I watch comedy channels and movies in TV to get rid of stress.

Doing Yoga, Exercise, Meditation avoids stress.
If you are obsessed and compel yourself to practice, those things when you are not able to do them, they will give stress to you. You do not have time to do yoga, but you squeeze your schedule to do yoga, soon the stress buster becomes stress creator.

Wrong life style cause stress. If you are reading this article, your life is not worse than people who live in streets and platforms. You lead a life style, which is better than 70% of the Indian population.

My hypothesis about stress

Stress leads to change. No Stress, No Change. Stress is mutation. Proper solution to stress leads to comfort. If we don’t find a solution to stress or we withstand stress, we may have health related issues due to prolonged stress.

Every stress has a solution. We have to find out.

For me the worst stress is relationship stress. Others are stress due to lack of clarity about what we want, stress due to unknown fears, and cognitive errors.

Stress is subjective. What is stress is differ from individual to individual.

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Office Politics and Groupism is natural instinct

Office politics is Good to the growth of the company. It is true. It is also good to the growth of individuals involved in. Office politics is good to both employer and employee as long as ‘Win Win’ approach is maintained by management.

Why do people create politics and groupism in work place? What is the need? Are bad people only create politics?
Is good people not involved in politics? Why do politics exist in office?

The core behind office politics is Biological instincts to Survive and succeed. It is not the human mind which makes politics in office. It is not either good or bad character.

Like hungry, sleep it is a biological instinct. It is not a character or behavior or mind set. It is a biological need of every living beings.

When you join in a company, there may be different groups already existing. You find it difficult to mingle initially. They too hesitate to accept you. You do not think as they are bad or you are good if you are not accepted.

There are few dogs living in a street. You may know how the dogs will react, When new dog comes to the street. Existing dogs fight with new dog. The fight will be equal or unequal or one sided depending upon the strength level. This is just an animal instinct, part and parcel of genetic in all living organism, which can move.

If you watch any animal TV channel, see lion’s life. Lion live in community. From 10 to 30 lions living together. One or two male will be sharing the leadership.

Young male lions in the groups are growing. Leader lions will ‘push’ young lions out of the group, because these young male will be a threat to their fathers. These leader lions want to be an top and un-challenged. It will be thrown out if somebody has the ability to challenge.

‘Pushed out young lions’, follow the survival the fittest rule. They want to have their own group to lead, when they become adult. There are some lion herd with older/weaker leader lions. These young male will kill the old lion and captured the group. All cubs of the old lion will be killed by new leader. Then new leader will start producing its own clan. Later these new leaders will be killed by next generation lion cups. It is a cycle. Ruthless cycle for leadership and dominance.

This is lion politics. This is animal politics which can move. Neither bad nor good. It is biological instinct. Human politics is happening in offices and social life in the same way.

Every human being has the right to live, succeed and reproduce. This is not character. This is registered in gene. Competition begins at sperm level. One sperm out of millions reach its destination. Every sperm like to win the race. None is ready to sacrifice its chance. Politics begin at sperm level.

Office politics can be two types: Positive politics and Negative politics.

Your contestant is better and stronger than you. You will improve yourself due to biological instinct to supercede. You will make yourself further stronger than your contestant. This is positive politics. Here, you are improved and company also benefited by your new skills. All due to politics.

Negative politics is straight opposite. You do not improve yourself, rather you improve jealous. You try to stop your contestant’s growth. Trying to make him weaker than you. Here nobody benefited. Soon you will be doing politics in another company if your contestant aware of your tricks and manages your disturbance.

Positive politics leads to ‘Win Win’ situation. Everybody wins here. You improve your skills and productivity and your contestant too. The company get benefited by both you and your contestant’s improved productivity. As long as company encourage positive politics, it grows.

The chances of loosing the battle is more if you follow the negative politics. Negative politics is heavy damage to both company and the individual.

It will be stagnated or loose its productivity and business after loosing human resource in ‘Win Lost’ situation. ‘Win Lost’ is a negative politics. Here nobody improves anything.

Less alcohol intake is good for your health. Too much of Alcohol intake is bad for your health. Little bit attention to office politics is good to your improvement. Don’t allow office politics to occupy your head completely. It will lead to ‘Win Lost’ situation.

Best way to deal office politics is they are Salt to Food.

Have an attitude as ‘Everything is God Willing’. Do not compare yourself with anybody. Everything is God willing. This will make you ignore office politics. At the same time listen and response to your biological instincts to keep you survive and succeed.

Biological instinct is also God willing.

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Working is Charity

If you are working, you are doing Charity. Working is an indirect way of Charity.

Out of my salary, I donate from few hundreds to thousand to orphan homes or some trust taking care of deserted people. I was thinking, this is my only charity activity.

Later I realized, working in a company is also a ‘Charity’. By making the company profitable, you help the company to expand and recruit more people. By employing new people company gives the employees a ‘living’.

Employment to an individual is a rise of new family. Basic needs with or without additional comfort are provided to three or more people in the society.

By helping your company to grow and recruit more people, you are indirectly providing provisions for people to have a living. It is a good charity through it is indirect.

Dedicate your work for the good company or good proprietor.

There are companies/proprietors who suck your blood and keep the profit with them self. They do not expand the company or give you more salary. You are treated as working machine, not human being. If you are not emotionally or physically well, do not work in such company.

How do you find a good company to do your ‘charity of working’? It is very simple.

In this ‘Silicon Civilization’ or age of semi-conductor, if any company expects you to work for 8 hours per day with weekly two off, It is your company. The proprietor who is running such company is not running a company, he is actually doing a charity. It is the company which takes care of your work life balance.

Join with the person who is already doing charity by recruiting you. Help him to do more charity by recruiting more people. Providing a ‘living’ to a family is better than donating money.

Helping to build a better society is the best charity.

You can contribute to such charity by working in a company which is already doing charity. Be part of it, ‘help’ it to ‘help’ more people to have a decent living.

Feel your work as a charity.

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New Age Exploration

For more than few thousands of years needed to explore the earth. Men lived with different belief about his territory from time to time. If we take Alexander the Great, he did not know land mass of Australia or America in his life time. As per his awareness India is the south end of the world from Greek. His world was 40% to 50% less than the world we have today.

Ancient man might have thought few 1000 miles were his world. That much alone he could move(walking). As per the year grows boundary is expanding.

Now earth is almost discovered completely. Nothing is left in the earth surface un-noticed. All sort of human civilization in the contemporary world discovered and many were erased from the earth by the discoverers.

Now it is time to explore space. Exploration to the space and neighborhood planets. We have not found any similar planets so far like earth. The distance in space is beyond imagination. Only unit is Light Years. So far man has not invented anything to move at the speed of light or faster than light. But may be in the future, man will invent such thing and travel in the space to find fellow living beings. Or some other living being from space may also try to reach earth.

At least this time, let us not behave like our past explorers. Earlier we killed the citizens of the new land being discovered. Red Indians in America, Aborgins in Australia, and many tribal were wiped out ruthlessly. Now in the Space exploration, Man should not repeat the same violence. Let the other living being live with its culture and belief. Since we are able to reach them, we may be technically advanced in our weapons. So let us stop eliminating living beings in outer space if we come across any. If aliens reached us, God knows whether they let us exists or eliminate, God only knows.

Before reaching outer space, are we allowing fellow human beings to co-exists in our current contemporary. Many civilizations are being crushed slowly. Nation eats another nation, Religion kills another religion. Society eats another society. Language eats another language. First, we have to stop the brutality here, in the earth. Developed countries are a threat to developing and under-developed countries. Military powers are trying to dominate non-military power countries. No end for Big Fish eating Small fish. We have to realize where we are leading this earth and change it positively.

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How to Claim Medical Insurance

Here is my experience in claiming medical insurance when I was sick. My experience may be helpful to you to claim your medical insurance. I have been in Medical Insurance coverage for the last 5 year. Two times I was hopitalised. My kid hospitalised once.

Overall, my family hospitalised for three times in 5 years. I claimed medical insurance twice. My claim was rejected once.

First. My kid hospitalised due to diarrhea and fever for several days. Later doctor diagnosed it as viral fever. She was admitted for 5 days in Surya Hospital – Vadapalani, Chennai.

During admission we paid Rs.1000 and presented our medical insurance ID card. After 5 days, the hospital bill was Rs.15500. Insurance company sent Rs.15000 to Hospital. While discharging we paid just Rs.500. We also got back our Rs.1000, which we paid during admission.

In this case the process was so simple. We produced the medical insurance ID cards. They scanned the card front and back, faxed the scanned copy to our Insurance company.

Second. I was hospitalised for diarrhea in the same Surya Hospital. I was receiving continues trips. Now the medical insurance claiming process seems to be so complex. We produced the medical insurance ID cards to the hospital authorities. Our ID cards did not possess our Photo. They asked the Insurance certificate, and receipt of the latest/last premium paid. They also demanded the photo copies of all documents related medical insurance in advance. My wife shuttled here and there.

I was about to discharge, but there was no reply from the Medical Insurance company. I do not know how to claim the medical expenses after getting discharged from the Hospital. So I extended my stay in hospital for a day. Because, I feel it is easy to claim medical insurance when admitted in hospital.

Hospital authorities take care of the process, documents, procedures to claim. After post hospitalisation, we have to shuttle to Insurance company with the discharge summary and billing to claim money. I do not feel it would be so easy as claiming through hospital.

But this time, my claim for medical insurance was rejected. I was informed from the Insurance company that, my disease (diarrhea) does not require hospitalisation. It could be treated from home. Big bang to me. I cleared my hospital bill by credit card.

I felt I could have succumbed to diarrhea rather receiving firing from my wife. Because, I was about to be admitted in general ward, but I chosen single room with TV. Rent for single room is higher than general ward. I was confident that I could pay everything from medical insurance.

Oops, Things did not turn up.

Third. After couple of months, I was hospitalised again for a unknown fever. I had fever for more than 10 days. I was so weak. I took lots of expensive medical tests.

Soon doctor advised me to admit in the hospital. I was afraid of hospital bill. I did not go to job for the last 4 months. Anyway, I was admitted in hospital. Again Surya Hospital.

This time, I booked a single big room with AC and TV. I was staying in the hospital for four days. Almost three doctors diagnosed me. After fourth day, I decided to return to my home. No idea about what was the cause for fever. Viral fewer is the cause when nothing is diagnosed.

Like last time, we had hip-cups and shuttling for claiming medical insurance by hospital authorities. My wife wanted me to stay in the hospital for couple of days more to receive Medical insurance to pay the bills. I was stressed too much, I requested to discharge without waiting for insurance amount.

Meanwhile, hospital authorities said they have faxed things to Insurance Company, so we may get the claim anytime. Anyway, I paid the bill by credit card, back to home. My bill was around Rs.16000 and something.

For the next couple of days, my wife follow up the hospital. Later they informed me that, Insurance company sent the money. We could collect it from the hospital. We received Rs.12000 as Medical Insurance. Insurance company said, the maximum room charge allowed per day is Rs.1000 for me. They could not pay Rs.1500 per day.

Moreover, I did not claim pre-hospitalization expense like expensive medical test. I do not know how to claim those things from Insurance Company.

I am little hesitated to claim medical expense once I am discharged from hospital.

Medical Insurance Companies should make the process so easy to claim after discharged from hospital.

If you read between the lines, you can understand which is my instant medical coverage and emergency management.

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Relationship changes

Relationship is born, grow, changed, maintained, died, and killed.

Relationship is born between two different entities. The tone or flavor in relationship with a same person/entity is keep changing.

There are many good friends become enemy after becoming partners in business. There are intimate lovers become ‘divorced’ after getting married. There are good colleagues who become enemies after working in same project.

When you newly join to a company, in that first day your relationship with your company is different from after 3 or 6 months. Your relationship after 6 months will be not the same after 1 year.

Every second the relationship is changing. .

You may keep distance from your colleague A at the beginning, but later on you get close to colleague A, then you get close to colleague B and forget colleague A, meanwhile colleague A is promoted instead of you, then you stop speaking to colleague A. Now your relationship with Colleague A is dead. When you realize you are acting by your ego, you voluntarily speak to colleague A. Now the relationship is re-born.

The reason for change in relationship may be anything or no reason at all.

You get close to your neighbor, you share your feelings to them. Later they moved to another city. You lost contact with them. After few years if you meet them by chance, you do not feel the intimacy or comfort you had when they were your neighbors. Now the relationship is different.

We may hate a person, to whom we had good intimacy in the past. We may stop speaking to a person, to whom we had unlimited talking in the past.

The relationship between husband and wife at the time of marriage is not the same after few years. If a house wife is going to job, her relationship with her husband will change. Husband has to adapt to the change, otherwise there will be friction between the husband and wife.

If you do not accept the change in relationship, your relationship will be broken.

Relationship between same individuals changes due to following factors. Economy, Educational, Social status, Geography(re-location or moving to another city), Age, Body changes, Hobby, Self-Esteem, Ego, Career, Weather and fight among other relatives.

If your wife and sister have friction in their relation, it will definitely change your relation with both.

As long as you are comfortable with a person or your expectations are satisfied by the person you like to maintain the relationship alive. You know a person for so many years. If you record the moods you have when you are with him, you can see there are lot of changes in the mood.

Keep watching your relationship changes. You can maintain it.

Relationship is growing like tree grows. The reason for change may be anything. If the change gives comfort and good mood, it is positive change. If the change gives discomfort and the rapport collapsed, it is negative change.

You will come to know the value of a relationship only after killing it. If the tree is giving disturbance, do not cut the tree, instead cut the branches. It is very hard or time consuming to have another tree like that. It is applicable to relationship too.

Less expectation and a readiness to accept change and giving the freedom to say ‘No’ will maintain the relationship.

We should learn to maintain relationship at least to say ‘Hi’ when we meet in person by chance.

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Overcome False Fear and Subjective Failure

False fear can spoil your life. Many fears are false or subjective. A man ride his vehicle. He meets an accident. Luckily he survived with small wounds. Next day while driving he gets fear as he may meet accident again. Because of the fear he stops driving. Whenever he try to drive, he gets the driving phobia. This is false fear, it prevents the joy of driving. He has to overcome the false fear, drive normally.

Some time if you see some other getting accident, you may develop a phobia as you too may get accident. This is also a false fear, must be overcome.

Do not get stuck by your failure or fear. Many people quit or give up their study, research, entrepreneurship, and career advancement because of some subjective failure. If you fail in your current project, which is not a verdict as you will fail in rest of the projects.

When I was promoted to Manager, I did well. I received whole hearted support from my management. When I moved to next company, I was not able to perform well as Manager. Due to various office politics, I struggled to be a Manager. Then I started to convince myself as I am not capable of Leading people, I should work as subordinate only, Manager job is a tough, etc. It was a conclusion because of the recent ‘subjective failure’. I forget my past success.

This is actually a false fear. Even there are failures here and there, I have to keep maintaining my position and keep trying to advance it, rather than confining myself within a boundary, due to fear of struggles. Those who are leading, are never stuck by their failure in leading people.

Many executives when promoted to lead people, they may fail to command their sub-ordinates and not having proper chemistry with their superiors. So they may be considered as they are not capable leaders. Even, they may start to convince themselves as they are not. This is a wrong conclusion.

Under a positive situation or different scenario they will perform well. They should not convince themselves as suitable for junior position. They have to keep strive for better position even they are made to fail.

When people fail, they think they can not win for ever. Nothing is permanent. Many failures are subjective. People with lack of awareness believe that failure is permanent. They lead a failure life, even though they are capable of winning.

Identify such false fears. Kill it at the root. Live happily and bravely. This life, human mind, and body are beyond scientific measurements. They can perform any miracle. Just believe you are worthy of how do you like to be.

You may succeed in the past, which is also not a affirmation that you will succeed for ever. So never identify your position by your success and failure. Identify yourself as How do you like to be identified. You deserve what you desire.

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True Financial Freedom

Can man free from money? Is financial freedom possible?

Everybody has their own views for money. Is spending less than the earning can be a way to financial freedom? Is buying lot of assets financial freedom? The bank deposit, assets and everything will vanish once you stop earning. They are not sources for freedom from money.

Is secured Job and Salary give Financial Freedom?
Don’t think your salary is consistent, because you cannot work forever. Paycheck is the rental for the time you have been utilized in a particular domain, where you are specialized.

If you spend your time to earn, you will not have time to spend. If you are not spending, you are not living. You will become machine. Machines don’t live, don’t spend but earn for others.

Reducing the expense within our earning limit isn’t a way for financial freedom. It is a self-torture.

Financial freedom is not living without money. It is living without worrying for money.

Saving and Investment
Money saved will be spent in the future. Money converted to asset and asset will be re-converted to money. Investment is just a transformation. There is no permanent state for money. Money neither can be destroyed nor created. It can be transformed from one state to another. Saving is a myth. It does not happen practically.

How can we attain financial freedom? How much we earn, will be spent today or tomorrow. More we spend more comfort and more standard of living. Everybody has own saturation and satisfaction level for standard of living. So ‘how much to earn’ differs from person to person.

It is the ability to earn consistently is the real way for financial freedom. Our standard of living will fix ‘how much’ we have to earn. We must be able to earn that amount consistently forever. Not today, tomorrow, day after tomorrow, consistently forever we have to earn. Volume of the amount is not an issue, but how long we are able to generate the income, which is important.

We are financially free if we know how much to earn and make it consistently. People who are financially free have such ability.

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Carbon Capture and Storage(CCS) may harmful to Trees and Photosynthesis

Trees and Plants need Carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. If CCS removes ‘carbon’ dioxide, plants may not do photosynthesis. We will not get fresh oxygen and food if no photosynthesis happening.

Carbon Capture and Storage will filter the carbon in the air. We are not sure is it going to remove all the carbons or excess carbon causing global warming.

Carbon dioxide is important for photosynthesis. Plants absorb carbon dioxide from air and release oxygen during day time.

If CCS filters the carbon in the air, How will the photosynthesis happen without carbon. Oxygen will not be released and Agricultural food products will not be produced if photosynthesis is not happening.

If there is no carbon in the air or less carbon in the air, may affect Plants.

The consequences of artificial removal of carbon may show some manageable negative sign, but is should not be a nemesis. CCS is like a pain killer, which I already mentioned in my previous article, but the side effect of the pain killer should not kill the patient.