IT IS NOT A CURSE - just a warning

IT IS NOT A CURSE - just a warning

Change ourselves or face problems in future

Whenever someone is angry at our actions and says something unpleasant about our future, like 'you will suffer in future' (implied -> you do not understand the difficulties until you face severe problems in future), it is not their curse that brings about problems for us. It is our own wrong ways, if continued, that brings about difficulties. Those words from others are like the rear-lights / brake-lights of the vehicle in front. They are just a warning for us to slow down or change course, if we want to avoid accident. It would be stupid to blame the brake-light for cursing us into an accident.

Conditions not favourable - drive slowly, carefully, with full attention

Sometimes even parents yell at the children seemingly cursing their future ("big difficulties will come your way when you get older [nalla kashtapadu]"). They may be angry at disobedience, or lack of discipline. Sometimes it is adamant behaviour that ticks others off, or just plain lies / falsehood uttered often. Out of frustration, anger or disappointment our own friends / relatives curse us "wait till it happens to you"!

Fast forward to the future - if the "predicted" outcome follows, it does not mean that it was due to the "curse" of such a friend / relative - that is my opinion. They were only acting like brake-lights of the vehicle in front - they have experience of taking the road in front of us and are warning that we are not driving properly in that particular situation. The brake-lights cannot curse us and cause accidents. It is our lack of control, or bad observation or just plain wrong driving habits (speeding, weaving, texting while driving - whatever) that leads to accidents.

Be Thankful, they were signalling that we are going downhill - better to take proper steps

Similarly, we have to evaluate ourselves on whether the root cause of a (supposed) 'curse' is true in ourself. If it is true, and we realize+accept the truth, it is time to change to avoid future problems, difficulties or even accidents. Occasionally, the utterance is out of mis-understanding and we may be on the right side - then we can ignore their bad-wishes for us.

Don't blame brake-lights for accidents - don't blame negative wishes or predictions (curses) for our own problems.

Change with Time

Conversation between father & son

Father: Don’t do this on Fridays.

Boy: Why should I not do it on Fridays.

Father: Don’t ask questions. This is how it should be done & always has been done.

We all would have heard this or a similar conversation time and again in our homes.  Read ahead and find out how the following experiment is similar to above conversation.

Primate Committee Thinking Experiment

NOTE: Don't try this with your own apes.

Start with a cage containing five apes.  In the cage, hang a banana on a string and put stairs under it.  Before long, an ape will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the Banana.  As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all of the apes with cold water.  After a while, another ape makes an attempt with the same result - all the apes are sprayed with cold water.  Turn off the cold water.

If, later, another ape tries to climb the stairs, the other apes will try to prevent it even though no water sprays them.

Now, remove one ape from the cage and replace it with a new one.  The New ape sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs.  To his horror, all of the other apes attack him.  After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will be assaulted.

Next, remove another of the original five apes and replace it with a New one.

The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked.  The previous Newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm.

Again, replace a third original ape with a new one.  The new one makes it to the stairs and is attacked as well.  Two of the four apes that beat him have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs, or why they are participating in the beating of the newest ape.

After replacing the fourth and fifth original apes, all the apes which have been sprayed with cold water have been replaced.

Nevertheless, no ape ever again approaches the stairs.  Why not?

"Because that's the way it's always been around here."

Sound familiar?

Most of us would have come across this attitude in our life.  It would have happened in our home, work or in social environment.

Reasons

The reasons for such a negative attitude may vary. Here are a few of them:

1.    Some love to stay in the comfort of using known methods, even if it takes longer (like the above Primate excuse “That’s the way it’s always been around here.”)

2.    Some people focus on finishing the current task, rather than becoming efficient in the long run.  There is no exploration for quicker or easier methods.

3.    Someone Else’s Idea syndrome (SEI syndrome – pun unintentional).  Many people tend to not use a better method, simply because it was passed on to them from a peer / junior.  Their ego prevents them from using the better process.  (As an aside, did Americans come up with SEI because ISO was someone else’s – European – idea?).

4.    Some people love to exercise their muscles more than their brain & are adamant about it.

It is important to discourage such attitude among friends & colleagues.  We should encourage people to look out for chances of improvement.  Efficiency and effectiveness on the job must be constantly improved.

Action Plan

1.    Discourage people from using the “history” excuse.

2.    Don’t allow people to follow processes blindly.  Ask why a method was chosen & its merits.

3.    Encourage people to work smart, rather than work hard.

4.    Inculcate a good atmosphere to share ideas & encourage healthy competition.

5.    Give credit / reward for learning new methods.

6.    Give time for creativity & don’t add too much of pressure to deliver (pressure forces people to finish the job at hand rather than look for improvement).

7.    Push people to automate manual tasks.

After all, in this fast world, the quick learners and efficient people will shoot ahead fast.  Such people will also take the whole team / company along, given the right environment & impetus.

Make a difference

Do you feel that time has flown by and you do not recall how?  Are you saying to yourself “It seems just like yesterday I got my first job?” or “I feel that I finished college only a week ago?”  Where has all the time gone?  What have you done with it? When asked “How’s life?” many say “Chaltha hai.” or “Getting along.” or “OK.”  Life seems to have become mundane, from day to day and from week to week.

Experts, who have analysed the patterns in life, have explained that if we feel that time has flown, it is we who are to blame.  If we fall into a very simple routine, on a daily, weekly and monthly basis, then our brain compresses the information into a single occurrence.  There is no difference between 1 day to next, and it compacts days into 1 day and weeks into 1 week.  Voila, suddenly you feel time has flown by you, and your memory just holds a week’s information – everything else is just a repetition.

Change: Make a difference

What should we do?  It is in our hands to voluntarily change the patterns we follow on a daily basis.  Do something different everyday.  Put some effort to learn new things every so often.  Bring in interesting changes to plans everyday.  Stimulate the weekends with variety from one to next. Change the routines on a regular basis, without affecting your priorities and values.

You will find that when you start doing this, you keep good memories.  Do not stick to very strict routines from morning to night, on a day to day basis.  Have minor variations to the general routine – and be conscious of your actions and routines.  Then, every day will be different and will be recorded as such.  Every week’s learning, fun & joy will be remembered for weeks, and maybe years, to come. Spend time with children & younger people, as they teach us a lot of simple things that we forget as we grow older.

Another aspect is reflected, now-a-days, in many companies’ policies.  The reason that more and more companies are forcing people to avail their vacation days within each year is that it makes a difference in morale for us.  We break out of the standard course we set for ourselves.  Avail your vacations at an appropriate time and enjoy with some exhilarating or relaxing activities.

But . . .

The first question that many may ask is “In my organisation & planning classes they asked me to create a clear plan and stick to it, so that I can become more efficient.”

Yes, we should plan and then stick to the plan.  The modification should be in the plan itself, on a regular basis, so that the days and weeks do not become monotonous.  We can come early to work on some days.  We can leave a little early on those days and add some activities to the evenings.  Come to work or go home using varying routes on some days, consciously.  Those are the differences that will make the weeks colourful and your life memorable.

“But if we have to change routines and check-lists, then what happens to ISO and CMM.”  This is a very valid question indeed.

It is important to follow a method / routine in small sets of activities within a short period.  This will help us accomplish the task in an efficient & correct manner.  It is the bigger scheme of things that we should change.  We should juggle the tasks that we do everyday.  On some days, let us finish our tasks quicker and spend the spare time in helping others, or reading / learning things.

Here is another point of view.  If we fall into too strict a routine, we start believing our memory and methods.  Soon we do not consciously follow the routine / checklist.  That is precisely when mistakes creep in.  Hence, even in following routines and / or checklists, it is important to change things consciously, slightly, ever-so-often, so that it does not become dull and involuntary.

Past Experience with these thoughts

Many of my friends, after discussing the above ideas, have come back with positive comments on how small differences on a day-to-day basis make things more long-drawn and enjoyable.  They believe that time has been utilised well.

It seems like it has been years since I went to Ooty (went in April 2011), because every day is unique, either at work, home or external activities. Every activity is done consciously with a difference and it makes a difference.

Make a difference, in your days, weeks and career.