Passion at Work

Martin Luther King Jr.,, once said "If a man is called to be a street-sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street-sweeper who did his job well.'"

Do we love our job? Do we even like it? Or do we find our work about as interesting as spending eight hours a day watching paint dry?

How many of us feel happy that its Monday? Do you look forward to Monday morning? Are you raring to go back to work? Or are you a TGIF (Thank God it's Friday) kind of person who can't wait to get away from the job for a couple of days? You spend at least 8-9 hours a day at the job. That is almost 25-30% of your week. If you are a TGIF person you are missing something really important in your work life - passion.

Unfortunately, many people don't enjoy their work. What's worse is that they have no expectation that they should. Work is often seen as the means to an end. Work your job, so you can pay your bills.

Being passionate about your job is more than the old adage "do what you love". It's looking forward to going to work. It's time flying by when you're there. It's working past quitting time, not because you're swamped with work, but because you were so intent you didn't notice the time.

How does one get passionate about their job:
1. Putting passion in work: The trick is not just to feel passionately about your job, but to act passionately too. If you act passionately, you won't sit passively through another boring meeting. You can't. You will share that passion with the others in the meeting. Your energy can lift all of them. Even if it doesn't, you will feel better knowing you are doing something to advance the cause in which you believe passionately.

2. Be innovative: To be so involved with your work that once you have determined your goal, be prepared to try different approaches. The method of choice is the method, which will work best, not necessarily the usual method. If the common sense approach does not work, invent a new one. Be adapting and modifying whatever is at hand to solve the problem and to achieve the objective.

3. Self driven and motivated: Its not necessary that we need the organizational environment or the boss’ attitude to drive us or put us down. A person passionate at job can be consistent in his job by his own drive and when situations are bad he continues to work with the same vigor or maybe more. There is no need to search for means of motivation, the work itself is a cause to enjoy it.

4. Sharpen the axe: Once upon a time a very strong woodcutter asks for a job from a timber merchant, and he got it. The pay was really good and so were the work conditions. For that reason, the woodcutter was determined to do his best.
His boss gave him an axe and showed him the area where he was supposed to work.
The first day, the woodcutter brought 18 trees down.
"Congratulations," the boss said. "Go on that way!"
Very motivated by the boss’ words, the woodcutter tried harder the next day, but he only could bring down 5 trees. The third day he tried even harder, but he only could bring down 10 trees. Day after day he was bringing down less and less trees.

"I must be losing my strength", the woodcutter thought. He went to the boss and apologized, saying that he could not understand what was going on.
"When was the last time you sharpened your axe?" the boss asked.
"Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my axe. I have been very busy trying to cut trees..."

To get optimal results we need to sharpen our skills consistently. Being adept at our job can help us achieve our targets.

Let me summarize the points as to how we can be passionate at our job:
First: Putting passion at work, don’t just feel passionate about your job– act passionately too
Second: Be innovative, Try new and different approaches
Third: Be self driven and motivated: You don’t need to depend on external sources for motivation
Fourth: Sharpen the axe - Keep sharpening your skills more often.

Life is short. Don't waste your life waiting for the weekends. Find something that ignites your passion and go for it. In the words of author H. Jackson Browne, "Find a job you like and you add five days to every week."

[I had written this article in 2004 on www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Sharma4.html. Started blogging in 2005 else this article would have been part of my blog then, taking this opportunity now to add it to my blog :) ]

No friends on the top?

As one grows in an organization the one constant complain people have "its lonely on the top". I have heard managers telling me that they dont have friends. I believe its a choice they make, a conscious decision to keep distance from the crowd around.

I cant keep away, My very basis of existence is to relate to people, accept them and make them part of my expanding world. Yeah there are problems and issues, I know its there..coming by...I tackle them and then let go any bitterness

So out of 100 people I meet if there are 2 people who bother me and make my life miserable. I am still happy that I have the 98 people who are aligned. The others werent bad just that probably their thoughts, value systems, dreams werent aligned to mine. I let them go on their paths.

A bad incident occurs and then a strong decision is made.."I got hurt so many times so I am cold and keep away."
I am ok to take the risk of getting hurt but want to be warm and allow people to enter my realm

Work - Kahlil Gibran

I try hard to explain to my friends and colleagues that work is joy :) I have written an article also on it and I spend hours troubling people and trying to get them understand that work can be fun. When friends tell me "I have to work late/weekends, I am bugged" or "So much work" etc etc...I wonder why is our job such a burden...? Is it the job or the attitude towards it...

This writing from Kahlil Gibran may make sense:

Work

Then a ploughman said, 'Speak to us of Work.'

And he answered, saying:

You work that you may keep pace with the earth and the soul of the earth.

For to be idle is to become a stranger unto the seasons, and to step out of life's procession, that marches in majesty and proud submission towards the infinite.

When you work you are a flute through whose heart the whispering of the hours turns to music.

Which of you would be a reed, dumb and silent, when all else sings together in unison?

Always you have been told that work is a curse and labour a misfortune.

But I say to you that when you work you fulfil a part of earth's furthest dream, assigned to you when that dream was born,

And in keeping yourself with labour you are in truth loving life,

And to love life through labour is to be intimate with life's inmost secret.

But if you in your pain call birth an affliction and the support of the flesh a curse written upon your brow, then I answer that naught but the sweat of your brow shall wash away that which is written.

You have been told also life is darkness, and in your weariness you echo what was said by the weary.

And I say that life is indeed darkness save when there is urge,

And all urge is blind save when there is knowledge,

And all knowledge is vain save when there is work,

And all work is empty save when there is love;

And when you work with love you bind yourself to yourself, and to one another, and to God.

And what is it to work with love?

It is to weave the cloth with threads drawn from your heart, even as if your beloved were to wear that cloth.

It is to build a house with affection, even as if your beloved were to dwell in that house.

It is to sow seeds with tenderness and reap the harvest with joy, even as if your beloved were to eat the fruit.

It is to charge all things you fashion with a breath of your own spirit,

And to know that all the blessed dead are standing about you and watching.

Often have I heard you say, as if speaking in sleep, 'he who works in marble, and finds the shape of his own soul in the stone, is a nobler than he who ploughs the soil.

And he who seizes the rainbow to lay it on a cloth in the likeness of man, is more than he who makes the sandals for our feet.'

But I say, not in sleep but in the over-wakefulness of noontide, that the wind speaks not more sweetly to the giant oaks than to the least of all the blades of grass;

And he alone is great who turns the voice of the wind into a song made sweeter by his own loving.

Work is love made visible.

And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.

For if you bake bread with indifference, you bake a bitter bread that feeds but half man's hunger.

And if you grudge the crushing of the grapes, your grudge distils a poison in the wine.

And if you sing though as angels, and love not the singing, you muffle man's ears to the voices of the day and the voices of the night.

Kahlil Gibran

ALL ABOUT YOU ....good article

*One day all the employees reached the office and they saw a big advice on
the door on which it was written:
'Yesterday the person who has been hindering your growth in this company
passed away. We invite you to join the funeral in the room that has been
prepared in the gym'. *
In the beginning, they all got sad for the death of one of their
colleagues, but after a while they started getting curious to know who was that man who hindered the growth of his colleagues and the company itself.
The more people reached the coffin, the more the excitement heated up.
Everyone thought: 'Who is this guy who was hindering my progress? Well, at
least he died!'. One by one the thrilled employees got closer to the
coffin, and when they looked inside it they suddenly became speechless. They stood
nearby the coffin, shocked and in silence, as if someone had touched the
deepest part of their soul.
There was a mirror inside the coffin: everyone who looked inside it could
see himself. There was also a sign next to the mirror that said: *
'There is only one person who is capable to set limits to your growth:
it is YOU. You are the only person who can revolutionize your life. You are the only
person who can influence your happiness, your realization and your success.
You are the only person who can help yourself. *
Your life does not change when your boss changes, when your friends change,
when your parents change, when your partner changes, when your company
changes. Your life changes when YOU change, when you go beyond your
limiting beliefs, when you realize that you are the only one responsible for your
life. *
'The most important relationship you can have is the one you have with
yourself'* *

Examine yourself, watch yourself. Don't be afraid of difficulties,
impossibilities and losses: be a winner, build yourself and your
reality.*
* **It's the way you face Life that makes the difference.** *

Friend indeed

I havent been writing on the blog but my friend has been, he was not around on the blog scene for more than a year and now back in action.

These posts on me...life has no great achievements to show ....so I thot will pick up these 2 to show off ;-)

http://joysandlaughter.blogspot.com/2008/02/passion-at-work-by-satyadarshini-sharma.html

http://joysandlaughter.blogspot.com/2008/01/5-w-and-1-h.html

Its all about relationships!

A chat with friend on gtalk about relationships, this one at her workplace...we both realized at the end what we gained by this conversation...check this out:

friend: i spoke to my manager.. and i think things are good between us
me: wow
what does that mean?
all good now
friend: i just told him that i should n't have been rude to him and stuff
me: and ...
?
friend: and he was like its ok .. things like that happen and stuff
me: oh
:)
friend: i am quite relieved that i have it off my chest
me: yeah
I know what it means to u
congrats...these are the achievements of life..more than money and fame..
friend: now i can concentrate on my work...
me: yeah
:)
friend: yeah very true
me: and it opens doors
to money and fame
after clearing these blocks
;-)
friend: hehe.. good one
me: :)
friend: u should put that one on ur blog

What I need for my work?

Keep learning
Make a daily self training schedule
Research
Analyze
Focus
Refer Manuals everytime
Keep the confidence level high
Pat myself when I get something right
Tests with different functions and data (testbed, testv2)
Tests on DCE, ISS, Workbench
Learn all feature of Lotus Notes
Learn Unix, AWK
Learn MSSQL
Textpad - learn all features
Keep checking updates on Lotus Notes

Gosh! Good I made this list...looks a little clearer now ;-)

Route to work

Really like my drive to work, check some pics

New job

I am enjoying joining a new job, a different role and totally new environment. Tho' things may not be as comfortable moving out of one's comfort zone, I am actually enjoying the daily learning.

There is a freshness in the air and huge scope to learn and perform in a new way. I have great love and fondness for my last company. I like what all it has given to me. I never wanted to leave out of frustration but rather just looking at a new opportunity as is and not because of hatred towards the old job. Frankly there was no reason to do so as I had the best of times in terms of professional and personal life in my earlier job.

Here I am looking forward to work and to contribute to the organization

Subtle Gender Bias at the workplace

The Gender Bias in the workplace was more prominent some years back and most of us are mistaken that its very less now. Yes things are not happening as you can see it clearly but its there. There is a subtle gender bias. Some of the things male colleagues practise maybe unconciously.

If a woman plans to get married or start a family, its assumed that she is not willing to continue as she was doing before. That she would not be able to perform better. Also the male bosses base decisions and opinions based on past experiences where they have seen women slowing down in their career as their responsiblities at home increase. They however fail to understand that all women may not be in the same frame of mind. Some have support systems in place and they can actually work as good as a male can. Also if a man has family issues to attend to he is allowed to relax a bit but if a woman has issues her career is downhill.

Its also observed that men who are married to a houswife dont have any understanding and are very biased towards the women in the workplace. They dont believe the women are in par with them and can perform as well.

There is this guy in our group who was all excited to comment, he is by the way mentored by the Babu(refer my earlier post on Babu) so I know where the thought process is coming from. He says "Oh you women get kids and now cannot contribute anything to work so come to this kind of role." He was referring to another lady in the group who was doing a role which men feel isnt worthwhile and told things which were quite demeaning.

Another colleague of mine tells me, how long can you work: once your kid starts going to school you need to leave. He says your work career cant be too long. Well you will not be surprised that his wife is a homemaker and why his thinking pattern is so. He is also supposedly a good friend and this all we get as encouragement to go on.

To end this post let me mention another incident in my workplace. There was this male colleague who used to rush home around 4:30pm. One day another male colleague mentions: "You know he is doing his responsibilities as a father and has to go home early to take care of his child". What immediately crossed my mind was if it was a woman, she would be told that now she cant take so many responsiblties in the workplace and cannot continue with the same vigor if she needs to contribute at home too.....these are the ways of the male world :-)

Babu in an IT company

Working in a big IT company for 7.5 years and a total work experience of 10 years made me believe that the way people see bosses & subordinates have changed a lot compared to what we have seen years back. Well that’s what I thought; one man here proves it quite wrong.

He is totally inspired by the Babu style. He would be on the phone or mail and if someone approached him at the desk, he can shamelessly spend 10-15 minutes ignoring the person all together. He doesn’t do this to the boss but certainly for all non-boss people. At the least he can acknowledge the person if it takes too long but that never happens. Phone is understandable to an extent as it may be difficult sometimes to abruptly end a conversation but what about mailing? Yes there is a thought process one may not want to break but there is a guy who has come personally to meet you, show some respect dude.

There is this colleague who has come back from a short trip from the US. This is not his first trip and has traveled many times earlier. Anyway in this trip he had great insight which he shared with me (something one should know anyway). He approached an employee at the client site and the person immediately stopped all work to attend to him. So my friend was surprised and asked him to continue what he was doing (he was used to our Babu here :-)). That man explained my friend that the reason he has left all current work to put 100% attention for him is because he believes one should appreciate the fact that someone has come to his seat to meet him.

Once I approached this Babu and he indicated he was busy as he was on the phone and his indication was more like shooing me off. I then remembered a joke I read somewhere (there were no mobile phones then :-)). It goes like this: A patient visits a doctor at his clinic. The doc gets a call before the patient could explain his problem. Once the doc is done with the call and tells the patient to tell him what his complain is, the doc gets another call on his phone. Once done with the call the patient tries the 3rd time but the Doc has another call to attend to. The patient gets up and walks out of the clinic. The doc shouts out “Where are you going?” and the patient replies “To call you on the phone to explain my problem, which would be a faster & easier way to reach you”

This joke inspired me and thought that would be a good way to deal with the Babu. So if I had anything I sent mails which was fine, once I had something I wanted to discuss but seeing the way our Babu reacts to face to face interaction I decided to call him. When I began talking to him, he laughed at the fact that we are so nearby and we are on phone. I told him “This is an easier way to get you!” I don’t know if the Babu understood this but we got off our phones and discussed the issue in hand.

It’s a regular sight at the Babu’s cubicle where you would see a person waiting for him to get off his phone or mailing. I am always amused when I watch the place. I wonder if this Babu is inspired by something he saw in his childhood, like a big man having many people wait on.

Yesterday Babu did something really amazing that I decided to write this post today. There was a guy waiting at his seat, as Babu was away from his desktop. After sometime he arrives, picks up his lunch, starts eating it and discussing whatever they were supposed to discuss. The guy who came to meet Babu kept looking at his hand movements as he picked up food and put it in his mouth. There was one interesting thing I observed that the guy was talking something (maybe important who knows ;-) ) and Babu was busy digging food in his lunch box totally oblivious to the world.

I don’t know when Babu will change his ways but what is frightening is that this Babu is holding key position in the organization and later more senior roles. He can probably create more Babus, who knows….like mentor them :-)

A Working Woman

I enjoy being a "working woman" as named by the society. There are so many aspects of life I get exposed to & my education and hardwork get its due. There is a kind of confidence when I face the world but there were some "not so pleasant" experiences I have gone through. When I look back I am quite amused, as now I know how to cope to a certain extent.

• I had just got married and the only thing men would ask is if I knew how to cook. Their only way to believe it was to be invited home which I was never comfortable as they were just colleagues and not friends. According to me, to like cooking is more of a personal interest rather than being a working/non-working woman. I actually enjoy cooking but I did not want to relent to these males just to prove my cooking skills.
• There were some colleagues who would have a standard joke if they ever saw me eating of my lunch box. The joke would be 'Did your husband cook it for you?' and my standard response would be 'I am looking out for a cook, would you like to apply for the post'.
• There was one guy who out of the blue asks me 'How does your husband manage?'
• Recently one incident was a bit too much. I was leading a team which required the team members to put in stretched hours. My daughter was around 6 months old when I joined the project. Since my Mother is baby sitting her I had no worries at all and I worked as late as the job required. Once while having breakfast with 2 other team mates, I was stressing the point of staying late as we needed to cover lot of work. One of the guys tells me "I don't know why you stay so late. You should think about your daughter. Looks like you are really cruel and don't have a heart of a mother". I was taken aback. Without getting flustered or letting my emotions out I gave him the explanations and reasons.

I sometimes wondered what could be the basis of these questions. Then I came up with this theory. These questions usually come from men(my context here is the workplace) who haven't seen their mother working or is married to a house wife or is a bachelor who is just a 'baccha' in the world!!!