tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80147752024-03-18T21:24:26.892-07:00naresh's blogIt's about life!NareshChoudharyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845224924104429586noreply@blogger.comBlogger128125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014775.post-54086985649132747942023-12-01T06:34:00.000-08:002023-12-03T04:05:16.600-08:00Unlocking Business Value - The Strategic Role of Artificial Intelligence<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p class="ember-view" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The
ever-changing world of modern enterprises necessarily requires business
transformation to unlock value. Less than a third of business transformations
improve organizational performance and sustain it. Enterprises need
customer-centricity and agility to accelerate business value. AI drives this
evolution and transformation on the foundation of Agile, Digital, Cloud and Sustainability.
In a world full of data, AI helps enterprises make strategic decisions and gain
meaningful insights to accelerate business value.</span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="ember-view" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">“Every
company is a technology or a software company,” traditional businesses are
realizing that to succeed in the digital era, they must adopt the practices,
mindset, and appearance of enterprises that can sense proactively, respond ahead
of time, and adapt rapidly to the changes in the ecosystem. The significance of
AI in business is of utmost importance. By leveraging advanced technologies,
organizations can automate tasks, analyse vast amounts of data, and make
informed business decisions. This not only saves time but also enhances
efficiency, accuracy, and productivity of employees and for clients.</span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="ember-view" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The
evolution of AI has been remarkable, with advancements in algorithms, computing
power, and data handling. From rule-based systems to machine learning, deep
learning and generative AI, AI has evolved into a versatile technology that has
the potential to address diverse business challenges.</span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="ember-view" id="ember627" style="--artdeco-reset-typography_getfontsize: 1.6rem; --artdeco-reset-typography_getlineheight: 1.5; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; border: var(--artdeco-reset-base-border-zero); box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-size: var(--font-size-large); font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 1.6rem 0px; orphans: 2; padding: var(--artdeco-reset-base-padding-zero); pointer-events: all; text-align: justify; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: var(--artdeco-reset-base-vertical-align-baseline); widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">In today's digital economy, AI is finding
its way into a number of enterprise operations, customer service, sales, and
marketing jobs. Few examples of AI-powered applications are intelligent
recommendation systems, chatbots, sentiment analysis, and predictive analytics.
Artificial intelligence is powerful because it can make choices faster than
people, automate tasks, and offer insights. AI can see patterns, forecast
trends, and advise on the best course of action by evaluating enormous volumes
of data. This enables businesses optimize operations, reduce costs, drive
better experience for its stakeholders and enhance decision-making.</span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="ember-view" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">In
software engineering, AI provides numerous benefits. Across the value chain
there are several areas that are now being touched in ways that are going to be
irreversible in the amount of effectiveness that AI can bring in those –
prominent amongst these are user story creation, estimation, design & prototyping,
development, testing, deployment, operations, and decision making across the
board with smart analytics. On this verge of an AI-first age in software
engineering, the future of software engineering will be anything but routine
and it is poised to unleash a new wave of productivity combined with better
quality.</span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="ember-view" style="background: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">However,
the responsible deployment of AI is essential. While businesses around the
world harness AI’s rapid advancements to unlock business value, they are also
exposed to risks like bias, security threats, privacy violations, copyright
infringement, hallucinations, and malicious use. Ethical considerations, data
privacy, security and bias mitigation should be at the forefront of AI
initiatives. Organizations must prioritize transparency, explainability, and
accountability in their AI systems enabling trust in the data, process as well
as the models.</span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="ember-view" id="ember630" style="--artdeco-reset-typography_getfontsize: 1.6rem; --artdeco-reset-typography_getlineheight: 1.5; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; border: var(--artdeco-reset-base-border-zero); box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-size: var(--font-size-large); font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 1.6rem 0px; orphans: 2; padding: var(--artdeco-reset-base-padding-zero); pointer-events: all; text-align: justify; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: var(--artdeco-reset-base-vertical-align-baseline); widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Sustainability, cost considerations are
crucial when evaluating AI adoption. While initial investments may be
significant, the long-term cost savings can be substantial. Adopting a mix of
COTS, open-source and customized solutions, businesses can unlock the full
potential of AI to thrive, as well as keep pace with their sustainability objectives.</span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="ember-view" id="ember631" style="--artdeco-reset-typography_getfontsize: 1.6rem; --artdeco-reset-typography_getlineheight: 1.5; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; border: var(--artdeco-reset-base-border-zero); box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-size: var(--font-size-large); font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 1.6rem 0px; orphans: 2; padding: var(--artdeco-reset-base-padding-zero); pointer-events: all; text-align: justify; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: var(--artdeco-reset-base-vertical-align-baseline); widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">As we think of a time soon where each one
of us would have an AI assistant to make us more effective in everything that
we want to accomplish both professionally as well as on the personal front. AI
has become a game changer for businesses, unlocking significant value and
driving growth. Its criticality, rapid evolution, innovative use cases, exponential
power, and responsible implementation make it a unique tool for organizations
and will shape the future of successful enterprises in more ways than one can
imagine.</span></p><p></p>NareshChoudharyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845224924104429586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014775.post-81031045822810942802022-09-05T01:39:00.001-07:002022-09-05T01:39:18.117-07:00Teachers Day! Dr. H V S Murthy from VJTI / Mumbai!<p> <span style="background: rgb(244, 231, 190); color: #373737; font-family: "Nirmala UI", sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">गुरुर्ब्रह्मा</span><span style="background: rgb(244, 231, 190); color: #373737; font-family: Sanskrit2003, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="background: rgb(244, 231, 190); color: #373737; font-family: "Nirmala UI", sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">गुरुर्विष्णुः</span><span style="background: rgb(244, 231, 190); color: #373737; font-family: Sanskrit2003, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="background: rgb(244, 231, 190); color: #373737; font-family: "Nirmala UI", sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">गुरुर्देवो</span><span style="background: rgb(244, 231, 190); color: #373737; font-family: Sanskrit2003, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="background: rgb(244, 231, 190); color: #373737; font-family: "Nirmala UI", sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">महेश्वरः</span><span style="background: rgb(244, 231, 190); color: #373737; font-family: Sanskrit2003, serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="background: rgb(244, 231, 190); color: #373737; font-family: "Nirmala UI", sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">।</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: #F4E7BE; color: #373737; font-family: "Nirmala UI",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">गुरुः</span><span style="background: #F4E7BE; color: #373737; font-family: "Sanskrit2003",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><span style="background: #F4E7BE; color: #373737; font-family: "Nirmala UI",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">साक्षात्</span><span style="background: #F4E7BE; color: #373737; font-family: "Sanskrit2003",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><span style="background: #F4E7BE; color: #373737; font-family: "Nirmala UI",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">परब्रह्म</span><span style="background: #F4E7BE; color: #373737; font-family: "Sanskrit2003",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><span style="background: #F4E7BE; color: #373737; font-family: "Nirmala UI",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">तस्मै</span><span style="background: #F4E7BE; color: #373737; font-family: "Sanskrit2003",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><span style="background: #F4E7BE; color: #373737; font-family: "Nirmala UI",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">श्री</span><span style="background: #F4E7BE; color: #373737; font-family: "Sanskrit2003",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><span style="background: #F4E7BE; color: #373737; font-family: "Nirmala UI",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">गुरवे</span><span style="background: #F4E7BE; color: #373737; font-family: "Sanskrit2003",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><span style="background: #F4E7BE; color: #373737; font-family: "Nirmala UI",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">नमः</span><span style="background: #F4E7BE; color: #373737; font-family: "Sanskrit2003",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><span style="background: #F4E7BE; color: #373737; font-family: "Nirmala UI",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">॥</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; font-family: -apple-system; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">[</span><i style="font-size: 14pt;">attempted translation in
English</i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">]</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>Guru is the Creator, Guru is
the Preserver, Guru is Destroyer<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>Guru is the absolute god,
Salutations to the Guru<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Close
to 3 decades ago my first brush as a FY Engineering student at VJTI with Dr.
Murthy wasn’t positive. We had an industrial visit in our first or second month
and being the first such visit we were experiencing, it was just like a picnic
at least for me! I wasn’t paying too much attention to what was being shown,
the machine specifications, mechanical aspects that we had been taught in class
were all being practically demonstrated and Dr. Murthy would point out, explain
and see if we had any doubts. The free snacks and the fun of going out with new
friends, being out during the class time could have been too exciting for me to
pay much attention to the real purpose of the industrial visit, I guess. The
following week we were given a short test by Dr. Murthy and all the questions
were from the practical aspects we were supposed to have observed during the
visit. I knew the theory, but had not been paying much attention during the
visit, the result was disastrous, I think I got 5 or 7 marks out of 20! I was angry
and felt the evaluation could have been done better. </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> At 17 I was fearless as well as naïve of course. The
discussion with Dr. Murthy not only brought home the point of how important it
is to focus but also made me realize the core purpose why we were there in an institute
of repute. It changed the manner in which I looked at knowledge, I began to pay
more attention to the practice of what was covered in the classroom and it has
reaped rich dividends for an ordinary student like me.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The
qualities of a teacher and their character can play a significant role in
shaping the lives of countless students that they touch. As I was to find over
the next few years, Dr. Murthy was one of the most positive persons you could
come across anywhere, he was </span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">brimming</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> with ideas, he was extremely resourceful
and always ahead on Academia-Industry collaboration, his ability to drive home
a point, provide equal impetus on the theory as well as practice were just incredible.
Dr. Murthy was one of the most friendly teachers one could find, he was not
only a wonderful communicator but also a great listener. The way he treated the
juniors, rest of the staff etc. and collaborated with everyone in spite of the
usual bureaucracy and back stage politics that might have been going on in the
background was commendable to say the least.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">There
are several students he would help financially thru various scholarships and
assistance schemes. If one door closed, he would find another and so on. Once
he knew some one was in trouble, he would go all out to support those students.
I remember he tried and got scholarships for some students from an external
community based organization and we were amazed as to how he was able to
convince them. Hundreds of needy students would go on to benefit from this resourcefulness
of Dr. Murthy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I
am one of the many beneficiaries of his network, connect and influence in the
corporates, when he got me to do my final year project in Ahmedabad and that
experience truly got me ready for my stint in the professional world. There are
many qualities of Dr. Murthy that I can recollect, but his positive attitude to
life and his ability to help others in need is something I have always tried to
emulate!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Heartfelt Gratitude and Kudos
to you Dr. Murthy! I wish more teachers learn to do even at a smaller scale
what Dr. Murthy did in his 3 decades at VJTI!<o:p></o:p></span></p>NareshChoudharyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845224924104429586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014775.post-29593722300487209282019-07-06T05:51:00.001-07:002019-07-06T05:51:31.890-07:00World Youth Skills Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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NareshChoudharyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845224924104429586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014775.post-40274986919536925772019-07-03T19:39:00.002-07:002019-07-03T19:39:37.938-07:00Quote on my room wall about ordinary people and extraordinary effort!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Those who create the future are often ordinary people putting extraordinary effort! - Naresh Choudhary :)</div>
NareshChoudharyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845224924104429586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014775.post-7235199318969707622018-03-07T19:39:00.000-08:002018-03-07T19:40:43.540-08:00Women's day and the super power that we have in our teams<div class="WordSection1"> <p class="MsoNormal">Today is Women’s day and I personally think for some of us, especially for me, every day is Women’s day!<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">My personal time is with 2 very strong young women in my life - my daughter and better half. Both are extremely opinionated, have their own views on almost every topic (not always right… argh <span style="font-family:Wingdings">J</span>), make their own decisions (not always correct… argh <span style="font-family:Wingdings">J</span>), they are extremely caring, loving, giving more than they expect from others, truthful, empathetic…. I can go on and on. Thank you both for making me an integral part of your lovely lives, it means the world!<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">At work I see a power house of talent in Quality and especially in my own team. A large no of critical things that we are doing in the team – <b>complex, technically challenging</b> - are subtly led by some of our young women professionals. These are folks who come with that <b>extra dose of passion, energy and a take it all in your stride attitude</b>. Much to learn from these wonderful women in the team for men and women alike and imbibe these absolutely wonderful qualities.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">All around I see the <b>spirit of proactive awareness, self-belief, confident but not arrogant, sense of belonging, empathy for the stakeholders, outcome orientation</b> and more. These are fundamental things for one to succeed in today’s time and I don’t think with this foundation in place these folks can do much wrong in the days to come.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Wish you all the very best for this women’s day and look forward to your continued power performance for the team, Quality and Infosys!<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Happy women’s day!<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>PS</b>:- Women’s day blogs from the past:-<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><a href="https://nareshchoudhary.blogspot.in/2012/03/womens-day-women-rule-every-day.html">https://nareshchoudhary.blogspot.in/2012/03/womens-day-women-rule-every-day.html</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><a href="https://nareshchoudhary.blogspot.in/2011/03/08th-march-is-special-womens-day.html">https://nareshchoudhary.blogspot.in/2011/03/08th-march-is-special-womens-day.html</a><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> NareshChoudharyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845224924104429586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014775.post-3086760555027740182017-12-15T09:12:00.000-08:002017-12-15T09:13:35.284-08:00We all live in a "Pyaara Punjab"!<div class="WordSection1"> <p class="MsoNormal">Satshriakal Paaji!<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">No offense meant and I assume none taken, if there was one place that I would have loved to spend more time it would be the beautiful state of Punjab in India. The people are marvelous, hardworking, playful, spiritual, love their tikka and the Patiala pegs and are always there for each other. That’s what I always found from my interactions and more importantly friends and colleagues who have belonged to this awesome place have always proven to be true friends.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Little did the very briefly misled rant from Punjab realize then that what they set out to do through violent means could barely get them close to the objective, whereas what Punjab has achieved without firing even one bullet or injuring one other person is truly remarkable. They have taken over the entire country with their culture, food and music. If you go to parts of UK, Canada, Australia it’s possible the effects are as profound in pockets as in India. Let me stay with India here!<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The cultural aspects – dressing, food and music have to a large extent been “Punjabified” across the country. Today you find almost every girl, lady wearing the Punjabi suit (Salwar, Kameez) across the states. What is remarkable is that these have become the norm even in the southern states now and probably the most sold dress items across the country. Weddings across the country seem to have also followed this trend over the years where a Salwar, Kameez and Sherwani would be the norm.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Look at the food habits across the states how these staples of the Punjabi diet sarso da saag, myriad paneer dishes, parathas etc. have taken over the cuisines. You find dhabas on the road sides even way down south in rural Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, though the versions of Punjabi food they serve could be questionable but they have found these to be hot sellers, better than other items in terms of pricing and profitability. Same is the case with restaurants, recently in the interiors of Maharashtra at several places we were refused the humble Maharashtrian Chapatti’s but were instead, in each place enthusiastically offered Tandoori roti’s - again a gift of Punjab to the rest of India.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This transformation on food is far closer to me than any other. When my Tamil Brahmin, Trichy born better half who had never entered the kitchen for the first 24 years of her life, now rattles one Paneer dish after another, Chole and Parathas and more for us, I almost have tears of joy in my eyes- what a change! All of these are Punjabi dishes that she cooks with fervor and I must say that most come out very well! Punjab has influenced her food habits and converted her from a curd rice eating someone to one who has begun to relish much more than just the plain idly and dosa.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Music is such an integral part of our culture and here too I feel the Punjabi music and rap artists have literally taken over music in Bollywood at least. Whether every song must have the same key words of Zindadi, Dil, Pyaar, Kudi, Pataka, Nachde, Phira, Akhiyan and a few more is beyond my brief. But every movie has a Punjabi song whether the characters are from Punjab or not. Again the influence that Punjabi music has had on the Indian music scene in spite of its rustic yet lovable tunes and simple yet meaningful lyrics is remarkable.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So do you too believe we all now live in a “Pyaara Punjab”? Send me a note and we will do the discussion on “Bhangda” and more together <span style="font-family:Wingdings">J</span><o:p></o:p></p> </div> NareshChoudharyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845224924104429586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014775.post-76130516556094785942017-10-14T23:05:00.003-07:002017-10-14T23:05:17.397-07:00Feel Significant<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AJcIMjqZDIc" width="480"></iframe><br /><br />
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By Naresh Choudhary, Camera Ayyappa BVNareshChoudharyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845224924104429586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014775.post-3970330163270456802017-01-22T05:48:00.000-08:002017-01-22T05:48:00.650-08:00Jallikattu, Our failed politicians/administrators and over bearing judiciary<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
What has been happening these last few days in Tamil Nadu and by Tamilians spread around the country and the world is poignant in many ways, but has also left some of us giving a deeper thought than most of us who have done our bit by sending a tweet here or a forward there.<br />
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First things first, the protests on Marina beach in Chennai among many others, as i was discussing with my learned father in law and a very vocal, usually loud and agitated sister in law were and continue to be peaceful and look like the educated young have done it extremely responsibly. A lot of credit is due to everyone involved. Another important aspect is, fortunately the politicians while they have tried to get actively involved have not taken center stage yet.<br />
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I would leave the details to the experts on legal nuances of the matter in the courts, what i am intrigued by and deeply interested in is why does every thing have to go to the courts for a decision, especially when the matter concerns not 2 people or parties but an entire set of people who believe that Jallikattu is an integral part of their tradition and they all (well most) believe needs to continue. While there are arguments on if even outdated traditions need to continue, i am keeping away from that aspect here. When the time came people in the country have demonstrated that they can make amends and decide against traditions that don't make sense anymore and with education levels improving, exposure to cultures, people traveling around, things are bound to change.<br />
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Could our bureaucrats not have done enough by putting in place guidelines and rules for people to follow if safety, cruelty was the real issue here. Could our politicians not have acted in time with ordinances and whatever other mechanisms they have at their disposal and also if the bureaucrats failed, why did the political masters not take matters in their own hands?<br />
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More importantly when the courts across the country are reeling under unprecedented pressures of acting in time on millions of pending cases where in several cases peoples lives are at stake and justice clearly is delayed, if not denied, should the courts be spending their valuable time on all issues - Why couldn't the courts have dealt with this by forming a small work group to frame rules and leave the responsibility of running the sport/tradition to the people and the local administration.<br />
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There are far more bigger problems gripping us as a country, we all can focus on those to further the larger interests of the country and leave Jallikattu and other local traditions to where they belong...to the people in the local communities!</div>
NareshChoudharyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845224924104429586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014775.post-22358370336558146132016-10-19T01:14:00.000-07:002016-10-28T08:26:37.859-07:00Star Trek, a computer that never got built and AI & ML<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Growing up, Star Trek was my favorite TV show. The characters still come alive every time I think about the voyages of the Star Ship Enterprise and bring a twinkle in my eye! I remember a friend of mine actually managed to lead several of us kids into believing that we could build a similar computer that could “do things as per our wish”. Many months of collecting old boxes, buckets, waste material, iron roads, used circuit boards led to no outcome and we abandoned the effort on a summer afternoon after one of the parents found the kids surrounded by garbage and junk strewn all over the corner of our neighborhood.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Today a lot of what we saw in Star Trek is a reality, though I am still waiting for the day when I could just ask Scotty to beam me up – I know it’s only some years away when we could do interplanetary travel in no time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Artificial Intelligence(AI) and Machine learning(ML) have led to a new phase where we have the ability to automate and let machines do tasks that earlier were done by humans. Cars can drive themselves based on the interactions they can have with objects around them, how to navigate a bump, what to do when another vehicle swirls into the lane etc. all the things that we as drivers have heck of a time managing and multi- tasking with, machines are today able to do it accurately where they can not only bring efficiency but also let humans focus on other important things – some of us still are debating what those other important things are going to be when this becomes mainstream!<o:p></o:p></div>
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AI and ML at its intersection, Infosys is doing this with earnest with our own platforms like IIP, Mana, IDP, IKP and others – things that required human intervention, human effort to do tasks are being taken over if not completely to a great extent by the platforms. Our partners have made significant investments in similar platforms – IBM’s Watson, Microsoft’s work on Azure Machine Learning etc. are in this space which is beginning to get quite crowded. These platforms are changing something fundamental – the way we deal with data, both by drawing insights as well as using those insights for decision making and taking actions based on the decisions, the whole nine yards, if you will. Dealing with data can pose several challenges given the complexity, variety and size of the data (Big Data would ring a bell!). The key is accessing all that data in the right manner, right format, at the right time, analyzing it to draw the right insights and doing this in a very short span of time. For example IBMs Watson can consume the equivalent of a million books per second, talk about the size of the data. The technical problems of ingesting data, working with it etc. are getting solved with innovative ways every single day and I am happy to share some of our teams have been part of some of the solutions here.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Machine learning has the ability to let machines learn without being explicitly programed! While the obvious use cases of Machine Learning are known and plenty, the fact that this can help us create smarter applications is what excites me the most. Google leverages Machine Learning to improve its search results and is used extensively as part of its search algorithms. A lot of these advances are driven by the work in the Open Source world, communities are creating new and innovative frameworks and products to solve some of the complex problems in this space. It is also coming at a fraction of a cost today, for example a slice of some of the best computing capabilities could now be easily affordable to even an amateur developer and therefore further democratizes the whole process of development where anyone with an idea can add on to what is already being done by others.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What is interesting is to see how all this continues to change the way we work in our day to day lives. What would a typical team member’s or manager’s work day look like when some of these advances are available to every one of us as basic productivity tools in our work space. Do we even need to come to office to access these. Do we need to be driven to the office by humans. Do we need to write programs any more. Do we just explain the problem in simple English to our digital assistant (Siri, Cortana …though my own experience with Cortana tells me that it thinks of me as someone deeply interested in negative, crime related news stories and in the early days used to spam me with those and only those…) and by the time we are back from the lunch break, it has already solved the problem for us or done the task that we gave. These and many more possibilities lay in front of us today, the more we dive into the future, the better it looks to me! </div>
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NareshChoudharyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845224924104429586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014775.post-49749760436000694512016-09-07T19:51:00.003-07:002016-09-07T19:51:50.681-07:00This teachers day the 10 lessons from teachers and mentors...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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While gyaan (Knowledge) is not the most revered word amongst
many today since it largely has a connotation of a boring lecture, unwanted
sermon to the reluctant. This teachers day, I spent time thinking about my “Teachers
and Mentors” and what I learned from them. The list is long as there are many
who have helped shape my thinking and approach to things on not only how I work
but to some extent also how I live. All this has happened through the knowledge
(gyaan) that was absorbed directly or indirectly and therefore the importance
of gyaan cannot be underestimated. While a lot of learnings have come from
individuals and institutions there are also learnings from things like sports
that demonstrated the unfailing characteristics of how a team is always above
the individual and the ability to be down but not out.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Here are some of the things that I have learned from my
teachers and mentors over the years:-<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b>1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Right Values as a foundation<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><i>Values form the building blocks and provide
for a sound foundation to build up on and there for are far more important for
sustained success than anything else. In fact longevity in a career and an
organization can be built on top of a foundation of shared values that match
well for both the individual as well as the organization. Organizations like
Infosys have been built on this very foundation.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b>2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Think Big, Experiment and create a vision
for others to follow<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><i>Seldom have incremental things enthralled
people to put their all into it. The important aspect is to see that there is
enough directional validation and move rapidly to create an aspirational view
of the future. People like to see the big picture and then follow through to
achieve it. While course corrections happen along the way as you feverishly and
passionately experiment, it’s important that there is a vision created for everyone
to see right up front and there is tangible movement towards the end goal
consistently.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b>3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Challenge the limits<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><i>Hindsight is 20/20 or so goes the saying. There
are enough tales of regret where people have failed to live up to their potential
and capabilities and many a times it was just the reluctance to try their best,
try harder, challenge themselves and give it their best shot. Success and
failure may be out of our control but putting our best effort and constantly
challenging ourselves to do the best is definitely in the individuals hands and
can never come in the way or be allowed to be put under a question mark.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b>4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Do it and learn it for ever<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><i>This was one of my earliest lessons, whatever
I read and heard, it was always insisted that we try things out on our own. In
the manufacturing world, it meant standing in front of a machine that had cylinders
with temperatures in excess of 120 degrees and in our world it means for some
of us zero distance to code, clients etc. The best way to learn something is to
get in to it and do it, if something does not kill, it may be worth trying
after all!<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b>5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Invest in good people even when constrained<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><i>Our biggest asset is our people and I never
have had doubts about this another early learning. The most important
investment therefore is on people – good people. It also means having fast and
effective processes to identify, nurture and invest on the right talent by
challenging them to push themselves towards the shared aspirations and goals.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b>6.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Be the change<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><i>Quite often what we expect from our teams is
not what we ourselves commit and follow, this could be simple operational
things like being on time, submitting reports, timesheets to more tactical and strategic
things like picking up a new focus area that is business relevant each cycle.
It’s important to not only talk but also walk the talk ourselves before we
expect others to follow.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b>7.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Build strong networks<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><i>In the knowledge economy investments are
made and deals are done based on references and the network that you are in, it
can’t be more compelling in our times. It’s important to have the right connect
and this does not remain restricted to leadership roles anymore, today an architect
or a developer would benefit equally from the network as much as anyone else in
the leadership roles.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b>8.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Have no room for negativity<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><i>Negative thoughts and the impact they create
can be devastating to the individuals personal health, wellbeing and overall
growth. It also saps a lot of energy from everyone around. It’s therefore important
to have a positive frame of mind irrespective of the situation and also ensure
that you have good number of positive people around. Try and stay away from skeptics,
gossip mongers and negative folks as much as possible, it can be one of the
best things you can do to yourselves.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b>9.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Create a culture of improvement<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><i>Each year (every couple of quarters if
possible) try and pick up an area for improvement either on the personal front
or on the professional front. I have personally benefited from this over the
past few years, I have been able to improve my work life (became an early
riser), my communication (especially presentation skills), writing ability and
several others. It’s important to invest in our own selves and continue the
process of learning through simple and effective goals for improvement.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b>10.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Compassion for social causes and helping
others<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><i>Our bond to the roots and the society around
us is what keeps us grounded and it’s important that as we grow in our careers
and as humans we do our bit for the society. It need not always be through
donating money, while that is the easiest for most of us to do and there is no
harm if we want to start that way, but stay focused on causes that matter and
contribute in any small way that you can through your expertise, effort as a
volunteer, donations etc.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Like many of you, my early influencers include my teachers
and professors, cousins and friends who through their talk and actions inspired
me to not only challenge myself but also be at it in spite of failures. Once I joined
the work force, the early influences came from managers who had tremendous
knowledge of their craft and specialization but were always willing to share
voluntarily and that made a lot of difference. Today the learnings come from
all round 360 degrees, our managers and leaders continue to influence, at the
same time there are new people that bring something strong and credible to the
table that influences one and the takeaways are powerful enough to ignore at
your own peril. Last but not the least, not to forget some of our family
members who aren’t behind in what they teach us every single day.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Who do you think are the key influencers in your life and
how have they influenced you? Do drop a note and I will be happy to discuss
with you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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NareshChoudharyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845224924104429586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014775.post-88378935402957369902014-12-09T21:27:00.000-08:002014-12-09T21:30:07.758-08:00Failures, Problem Solving and an honest effort!<div class="WordSection1"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><span style="color:#4C4C4C">While we often talk about successes and failures, I started to think if and when I have experienced a real feeling of failure! It was difficult to get any remembrance of such a feeling!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><span style="color:#4C4C4C"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#4C4C4C">Before you jump with your guns aimed at me, believe me I have gone thru more than my share of problems in both personal and professional life (e.g. trying to improve my communication, picking up a new methodology etc.).</span><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#4C4C4C"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#4C4C4C"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#4C4C4C">The only reason why in spite of having several failures and some mega ones at times, this feeling of failure does not come in is because of some key aspects that are ingrained in several of us. The <b>attribute of problem solving </b>and the ability to<b> put an honest effort on everything </b>that we are involved in!</span><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#4C4C4C"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#4C4C4C"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#4C4C4C">Fixing things, finding solutions rather than focusing on the obstacles is an important element of problem solving. An analytical mind that is so crucial for the role of a software engineer irrespective of the function that we contribute in, plays a part too.</span><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#4C4C4C"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#4C4C4C"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#4C4C4C">For me the approach to problem solving was best summed by none other than Albert Einstein, when he said “<i>If I were given one hour to save the planet, I would spend 59 minutes defining the problem and one minute resolving it</i>”. There cannot be a better way to summarize the importance of understanding the problem and then going on to solve it.</span><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#4C4C4C"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#4C4C4C"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#4C4C4C">There are various strategies for problem solving, one or more are used amongst a list of several like abstraction, analogy, hypothesis testing, root cause, divide and conquer etc. The key here is to have an aptitude for structured thinking and an approach that allows one to attack the problem in different ways.</span><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#4C4C4C"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#4C4C4C"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#4C4C4C">The second is well and truly a personal trait that many of us are able to demonstrate when we are focused on or are passionate about something that we want to achieve. The challenge is to be able to repeat this in a consistent manner on many more things that one is working on and the results become dramatically different. This is also driven by the environment, the culture in which one finds oneself either at work or in their personal sphere.</span><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#4C4C4C"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#4C4C4C"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#4C4C4C">An environment where there is all round excellence, there are a vast majority of colleagues who are putting in an honest effort, the ability to seek support and keep at it is much more. A high performance work ethic revolves around this peer buddy mechanism to bring the right level of application from each individual and therefore better all round results.</span><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#4C4C4C"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#4C4C4C"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#4C4C4C">Where this honest effort becomes crucial is when things don’t go right, when the outcomes take longer than expected, when the results are not in line with the expectations. It helps reinforce the thought process that one needs to keep trying different problem solving strategies and the outcomes will begin to appear favorable. It allows the person the benefit of not getting bogged down easily and therefore letting one to ask oneself if they are continuing to put in their best effort each day. The peer buddy mechanism then plays its part perfectly well here. The feeling that one is putting their best effort each day is extremely empowering, it provides a great deal of confidence and further enhances chances of success.</span><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#4C4C4C"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#4C4C4C"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#4C4C4C">So there goes, focus on the problems at hand, understand the problem, apply one or more of the strategies for problem solving and see to it that you are putting in your best effort, each day, consistently!</span><span style="font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#4C4C4C"><o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> NareshChoudharyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845224924104429586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014775.post-79043240978984993112014-07-09T08:37:00.001-07:002014-07-09T08:37:59.579-07:00Great Customer Service...<div dir="ltr"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Calibri"><font size="3"><font color="#000000">While reading this wonderful story again about how Sainsbury changed the name of their bread from Tiger bread to Giraffe bread based on feedback apparently from a 3.5 year young customer, it occurred to me, we as a team do several things that go on to define how we treat our internal and external customers and partners. <</font><i><font color="#000000">more about the Sainsbury story </font><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16812545"><font color="#0563c1">here</font></a></i><font color="#000000">>.</font></font></font></p> <font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" size="3">There are many such stories about organizations like </font><a href="http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/StoriesThatStay.htm"><font color="#0563c1" face="Calibri" size="3">Ritz Carlton</font></a><font face="Calibri"><font size="3"><font color="#000000"> and other small, medium and large enterprises going that extra mile to make the customers feel special. In majority of the cases, one could almost see a pattern of no real investments or $ spent but just a little amount of situational awareness, quick decision making, acknowledging the problems and doing what it takes to solve the problem on part of the people involved.</font></font></font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Calibri"><font size="3"><font color="#000000">As a unit our vision clearly articulates the importance of being a "<b>respected partner</b>", while a good deal of this respect comes through demonstration of clear thought process, knowledge and content on the relevant topics and the ability to apply these in the context of the business problems, a large part of it is also about how we deal with our customers (internal as well as external).</font></font></font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Calibri"><font size="3"><font color="#000000">Sound customer service largely emanates from the most important enabler at an individual level and that is <b>empowerment</b>. The more empowered we feel the more we can do as individuals for our customers. The decision making is faster, the decisions are made with the customer at the core of it, the alignment of goals/objectives is then well and truly complete and comprehensive.</font></font></font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Calibri"><font size="3"><font color="#000000">In our roles, each one of us has contributions to make from the perspective of how our customers feel about the interactions they have with us. Our contributions can range from being able to direct our teams to taking specific actions on the ground, all intended to make our <b>customers feel delighted and see value</b> in several ways like:-</font></font></font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt 0.5in"><font color="#000000"><i><span><span><font face="Calibri" size="3">1.</font><span style="font:7pt/normal "Times New Roman";font-size-adjust:none;font-stretch:normal"> </span></span></span></i><i><font face="Calibri"><font size="3">Being proactive to make the customer feel we are as eager as them to get them the solution</font></font></i></font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt 0.5in"><font color="#000000"><i><span><span><font face="Calibri" size="3">2.</font><span style="font:7pt/normal "Times New Roman";font-size-adjust:none;font-stretch:normal"> </span></span></span></i><i><font face="Calibri"><font size="3">Making efforts to understand the problem at hand, get the big picture and evolve the value dimension</font></font></i></font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt 0.5in"><font color="#000000"><i><span><span><font face="Calibri" size="3">3.</font><span style="font:7pt/normal "Times New Roman";font-size-adjust:none;font-stretch:normal"> </span></span></span></i><i><font face="Calibri"><font size="3">Being aware of the timelines to get to the solution, since it will impact the customer or their business</font></font></i></font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt 0.5in"><font color="#000000"><i><span><span><font face="Calibri" size="3">4.</font><span style="font:7pt/normal "Times New Roman";font-size-adjust:none;font-stretch:normal"> </span></span></span></i><i><font face="Calibri"><font size="3">Reaching out to our network for solutions, believe me we seldom encounter "new" problems!</font></font></i></font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt 0.5in"><font color="#000000"><i><span><span><font face="Calibri" size="3">5.</font><span style="font:7pt/normal "Times New Roman";font-size-adjust:none;font-stretch:normal"> </span></span></span></i><i><font face="Calibri"><font size="3">Ensuring relevance of the solution, reviews and quick feedback are a good way to see things are on track</font></font></i></font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt 0.5in"><font color="#000000"><i><span><span><font face="Calibri" size="3">6.</font><span style="font:7pt/normal "Times New Roman";font-size-adjust:none;font-stretch:normal"> </span></span></span></i><i><font face="Calibri"><font size="3">Involving ourselves in taking the solution forward…Practice, don't just preach!</font></font></i></font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt 0.5in"><font color="#000000"><i><span><span><font face="Calibri" size="3">7.</font><span style="font:7pt/normal "Times New Roman";font-size-adjust:none;font-stretch:normal"> </span></span></span></i><i><font face="Calibri"><font size="3">…</font></font></i></font></p> <font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Calibri"><font size="3"><font color="#000000">There are more ways that each one of us practice every single working day. I am sure the most important stakeholder – our customer, does not get those vow moments just like that. There is a great deal of hard work, meticulous planning and individual effort that goes into making it happen. While we continue to enhance our processes, tools and techniques, people need an equal amount of attention as a key to creating these vow moments, not as a one off but an ongoing behavior. The culture then is an outcome of repeated successes and definite processes that are part of the work ethic and peoples habits.</font></font></font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0pt"><font size="3"><font color="#000000"><font face="Calibri">I am certain you have your own customer service stories, several of these would rank and rate amongst the best in the world. Do respond with those details and post the stories that can go on to inspire us all!</font></font></font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></div> NareshChoudharyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845224924104429586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014775.post-61108626799752113522012-09-04T20:11:00.001-07:002012-09-04T20:11:46.786-07:00Is there too much technology right now?<div class="WordSection1"> <p class="MsoNormal">While I frequently write and speak about technology and the manner in which it has helped improve things in several aspects of our lives, there are things that I feel also could be tagged as negatives arising out of either a wrong or an unwise adoption of it.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">While communication technology and devices, including smart phones have created near unlimited options for us to stay connected, collaborate and keep ourselves and others up to date on the latest, these could also mean some forms of distractions when one is really required to focus hard on the task at hand. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Do you ever feel the urge to often check for new incoming mails on your email? Do you often get “ping’ed” by colleagues on the messenger or communicator while you are in the middle of something important? Do you often feel it necessary to respond to these chat requests even though you are in another call?<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The distractions can be of several kind and could have a clear impact on work especially those days and times when you are trying to close on something important. It could lead to meetings being ineffective, where while someone is making important points, few attendees are busy checking their Blackberry’s and iPhones for the latest new arrivals on their mail or even tweeting the most recent updates to one and all!<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In this context one small piece of news caught my attention few days back, where a restaurant in LA is giving 5% discount on the bill for those who agree to keep their phones and digital devices away at the door[<a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-restaurant-cell-phone-20120815,0,1669557.story">Los Angeles Times</a>].<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Something for us to give a thought at the workplace too, are there too many of these distractions creeping in to hold people from having meaningful conversations, bringing in the right amount of attention and focus?<o:p></o:p></p> </div> NareshChoudharyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845224924104429586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014775.post-89820269190445698882012-07-06T20:19:00.000-07:002012-07-06T20:19:30.020-07:00The NEXT Quality professional<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">The NEXT Quality professional<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I wrote on “<i><a href="http://asqindia.blogspot.in/2007/07/traits-of-new-age-software-quality.html#!/2007/07/traits-of-new-age-software-quality.html" target="_blank">Traits of the Newage Software Quality Professional</a></i>” for an ASQ blog back in 2007. I had
touched upon several aspects that were crucial elements in the evolution of the
Quality role in Software. I felt it was necessary to revisit this since much
water has flown under the bridge since 2007. Technology has changed for good as
predicted by many, businesses are thinking on different paradigms, the world is
a different place altogether and changing rapidly, business models are being re
aligned, economies are under pressure for a while now and no one knows exactly
when we might be back amidst the good old days.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The role of the Quality
professional and the expectations from the role too have undergone significant
changes and while we lead in some of these aspects there are other areas that
we need to speed up on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The <b>NEXT</b> Quality
professional, as I would like to call one would have to demonstrate an apt
understanding of Business, People, Processes, Technology & Management.
While specialization would always cater to specifics the normal Quality
professional would be required to demonstrate skills and competencies in the 5
categories mentioned above.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Business must necessarily drive
the process and therefore I put this as the first category on the list just to
emphasize the importance of the role business has to play in the entire process
game. Here are the skills and competencies that the <b>NEXT</b> Quality
professional would be required to demonstrate today, to stay in the hunt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Business drives the process…<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 7pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There is a great deal of difficulty CxO’s have with the dwindling
understanding of folks down the line on matters of business. It’s crucial to <b><i>understand
the objectives of the organization</i></b> you are part of – a B2C organization
would have a different model than a B2B organization, but nevertheless its
objectives need to be understood by the Quality professional. The NEXT Quality
professional will not only understand the objectives of the organization well
but also articulate initiatives to strengthen these and impact these objectives
in a positive manner. For example, if growth is a priority for your
organization you need to focus on highlighting value paradigms, differentiators
to your sales teams more actively than remaining hidden in the backroom
focusing on purely on operations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 7pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Even more important is to understand the business of one of your
organization’s most important stakeholders – Your customer! <b><i>Understanding
of the clients business</i></b> would ensure the NEXT Quality professional is
able to guide and provide consultation to the project/account teams with a
clear view of client relevance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 7pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">With a clear understanding of the <b><i>Domain and Operations</i></b>,
the NEXT Quality professional would be in a position to carry out improvements
in existing processes thereby improving organization efficiency and
effectiveness. Suffice to say some of these initiatives could be
transformational and would need sponsorship from the CxO level leadership.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">People First…Always<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 7pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A large part of the NEXT Quality professionals work would involve interacting
with people across levels in the hierarchy and horizontal roles that cut across
functions and groups. The extent of collaboration required would be of the
highest order and a clear focus on people as a Quality strategy is a must. <b><i>Collaboration</i></b>
would largely be a means to achieve greater connect with clients, sales and
delivery teams, enabler functions, vendors etc. to ensure sustained client
value assurance. People connect would ensure the NEXT Quality professional is
able to manage Diverse, multicultural and geographically distributed teams as a
matter of routine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 7pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A related aspect of people connect is the <b><i>ability to listen</i></b>,
gather inputs, analyze feedback and plough it back into the processes. The NEXT
Quality professional would be in a position to slice and dice information
associated with inputs, strengthen listening mechanisms with various
stakeholders and use it as a competitive advantage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Processes, Models &
Frameworks are the building blocks…<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 7pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A sound foundation of standards, frameworks and models is crucial to
have an understanding of the inner <b><i>workings of specific and generic
practices</i></b> that are an essential starting point. This understanding
ensures the NEXT Quality professional is able to use the know how to adequately
tailor and customize processes to deliver the desired value.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 7pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The NEXT Quality professional would not only focus on the theoretical
aspects of process definitions as process groups are often involved in, but
would need to usher in a more practical perspective with the right blend of <b><i>process
steps automated with the right tools</i></b>. The understanding of best of
breed tools would enable the NEXT Quality professional to bring in true
innovations in the process steps.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Technology at the core…<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 7pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Technology today is at the center of several innovations and as an
industry we are both involved in creating some of these innovations as well as
leveraging few others for our competitive advantage. The NEXT Quality
professional would not only have adequate <b><i>understanding of the technology</i></b>
but would also be able to leverage it to enhance the effectiveness of various
initiatives and programs for larger organization success.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 7pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The NEXT Quality professional would use <b><i>Technology as an Enabler </i></b>for
driving key decisions and building new process innovations that are centered on
the technology core. Tools and Technology then would work as glue for the
methodology to unleash its impact across a wider base including employees,
clients, vendors etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Management – Self as well as
for others…<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 7pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Management is a core skill for a Quality professional. The NEXT Quality
professional would not only utilize this skill to the fullest extent but would
specialize in certain dimensions that are going to play a vital role in the
larger organization success. The NEXT Quality professional would be a <b><i>Change
Agent exemplar!</i></b> Someone who has the ability to conceptualize, plan,
organize and orchestrate large scale improvements across
accounts/projects/businesses. These would encompass initiatives that cut across
domain, technology, process and people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 7pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A significant dimension of Leadership is the ability to not only do
things for you but also help others do things for themselves. This sort of <b><i>enabling
people</i></b> in the near environment would mean the NEXT Quality professional
has to involve in large scale trainings and development sessions that would
influence not only the way people work but also the way people think about
concepts, processes and paradigms.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 7pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Knowledge being the foundation for the success of the NEXT Quality
professional, <b><i>Knowledge management</i></b> would play a vital role in
terms of determining new capabilities, faster better and cheaper ways to
enhance these capabilities and also scale up the ability to do this in a
repeatable manner across large number of people distributed across the globe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The question to ask today is -
Are you the NEXT quality professional that every organization is seeking to
induct? <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If yes, you have a wonderful
future ahead of you and it’s filled with opportunities of extreme learning,
experiences in value creation and tasks that enrich yourself as an individual.
If no, you still have time, it’s never too late to prepare for the future.
Remember, if you can’t invent the future, you could at least prepare for what
someone else is going to invent. Think Apple, they did not invent the type face
fonts, mouse, user interface, portable music player, PC etc. they just used
existing innovations better than others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Let us brace ourselves for the
journey ahead to be the NEXT Quality professional!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">©<b>Naresh Choudhary</b></span></div>
</div>NareshChoudharyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845224924104429586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014775.post-29591646810983006532012-03-07T19:59:00.001-08:002012-03-07T19:59:42.598-08:00Women's Day - Women Rule - Every day, Everywhere & Every time<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>The fact that women rule is evident every day, everywhere and every time. In my case for example, I was supposed to write this blog yesterday evening/night. Two women who rule my life did not desire so and there you go I had to scribble this today morning in 10 minutes between 2 update meetings with the team!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I look around and am filled with admiration for the <b><i>talent and application</i></b> that women around me demonstrate day in and day out. They are masters when it comes to <b><i>multitasking</i></b> – several of my women colleagues have to juggle multiple responsibilities and the ease with which they manage to do this without ever losing focus is not only commendable but also something worth emulating.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>They can <b><i>listen</i></b> better than their male counterparts – several examples come to mind where women managers around me have shown tremendous patience and listening skills to put another colleague to ease in tough situations.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>There are many situations @ work that require one to look for alternatives and options, I have always found women colleagues far more <b><i>open to new suggestions and options</i></b> and this I believe is a wonderful trait that can help one thrive in today’s tough times.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Impact and outcome are amongst my more commonly used words, they mean a lot in today’s business environment, I find women a lot more focused on the <b><i>impact and outcome</i></b> of their initiatives and this is something they are able to demonstrate without having to try hard.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I associate a <b><i>proactive approach</i></b> with the basic tenets of professionalism, a large number of my women colleagues are able to demonstrate pro-activeness in a manner that would make it seem like its second nature to them.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Being <b><i>well organized and having a plan</i></b> in place is many a times as good as getting half the work done, even before you begin! Our women colleagues have a tendency to look at every task, assignment and plan ahead and organize things upfront and that helps them get ahead even before the task is begun.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>A <b><i>strong character and will</i></b> are fundamental for success today. Several of my women colleagues, demonstrate both with ease and stand out for their <b><i>mental strength & toughness</i></b>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I could go on and on, but must stop here, there are few women colleagues waiting for me in the room next door for my next meeting, I got to go – Women rule…let there be no doubt! <span style='font-family:Wingdings'>J</span><o:p></o:p></p></div>NareshChoudharyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845224924104429586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014775.post-4054914015559765012011-12-31T22:37:00.000-08:002011-12-31T22:37:48.236-08:00Happy New Year 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Here's wishing you all a very Happy, Healthy, Safe & Prosperous New Year 2012!<br />
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Live and Let Live! Have Fun! Be Yourself! Be a Good Human Being!</div>NareshChoudharyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845224924104429586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014775.post-90160327523441764402011-12-06T19:14:00.001-08:002011-12-31T22:38:24.628-08:00"People who don't feel significant, rarely make significant contributions" - Mark Sanborn<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>“People who don't feel significant, rarely make significant contributions” - <b>Mark Sanborn</b></i></div>
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This quote by Mark Sanborn has made an indelible impression on my mind. I write this with the realization that I see the quote being not only meaningful but also providing visibility into things that we see around us practically every single day.</div>
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I have always found individuals who are proud of what they do, their role, the work they do and the group and unit they belong to. Invariably these are also individuals who think of themselves as significant, as important.</div>
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On the other hand there are individuals who are not so proud, they want to keep under wraps the work they do, they are not very keen talking about their real role, they do not seem readily willing to disclose the team and the unit they are part of. One part of me thinks this is simply a shy individual, another sees an individual who is not confident about himself/herself, someone who is not very sure about the work they do, someone who does not “like” to be associated with the team and the unit.</div>
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My mind then goes back to performance – which is at the heart of it all! Can such an individual who is not confident, not sure, does not like to be associated with the team and the unit be able to accomplish something substantial? With the kinds of expectations and the fact that these are also ever increasing, Can such individuals understand these goals and expectations and exceed them through their passion, hard work, determination and a go-getter attitude? Seems like a task, but in my experience it would be extremely difficult and in majority of the cases the results would be failure to perform at par.</div>
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Would these individuals who are not so proud….etc. never perform well? Not really, these individuals are also those that are amongst the once most scared and this fear makes them perform at par. But this performance would be in areas where one is seeking performance for compliance, someone who has to stick to a routine, follow a standard work pattern etc. When it comes to creating something innovative, questioning the status quo, changing things the way they have happened in the past, taking risks, taking the lead, these individuals would ideally have a very tough time. The cynicism that stitches around oneself when one is not proud of what they do, would stifle away the initiative that is required to do these things.</div>
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If we notice the pattern of things that have worked well around us and those that have fizzled out or haven’t had expected success, we could clearly notice this difference. These are also insights one needs to carry while one begins a new initiative or hires individuals for specific roles.</div>
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One advantage we have in our teams is that we largely have people of the first kind, those who are proud of what they do, sure about themselves and confident about the things that they wish to accomplish! No wonder then that we should see a lot more success in the days to come!</div>
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Be a proud Quality professional, take pride in what you do and do not hesitate to talk about your role and work with the confidence that it deserves the next time you meet someone!</div>
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My name is Naresh Choudhary, I Head the Tools Group and I am part of the Quality and Prodcutivity Unit @ Infosys Ltd.</div>
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</div>NareshChoudharyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845224924104429586noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014775.post-84124460319241075752011-10-24T20:19:00.001-07:002011-12-31T22:38:45.698-08:00What can professionals in Quality learn from Steve Jobs & Apple!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Most of us are aware of the life and Times of Steve Jobs, amongst one of the most influential minds of our times. Last week, like millions who paid their respects, I tweeted and blogged on Steve and the impact he has had.</div>
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A thought that there are several lessons we could learn from the way Steve Jobs made decisions, in particular the Q<span style="color: black;">uality</span> community could gain from the Jobs and Apple insights. Here goes.</div>
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<b>Imagine and Create the Future</b>:-</div>
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There aren’t too many better examples of this than Jobs. The Innovations that Jobs and team created were things that one could never ever accomplish through Client Surveys, Market Research etc. [<i>am not suggesting these are not required, but they have their own purpose of helping understand what clients need and they serve that purpose well</i>]. Jobs imagined and more importantly created these things taking a big leap ahead of the rest of the competition. All this with the client in mind all the time!</div>
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<span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">For us this means along with looking at current conventional models and frameworks, imagining what can be and attempting to create the future state with the client in mind – both internal customers and external clients. This applies to all the services and offerings that we are currently engaged in, are creating and are planning to create in the near term.</span></div>
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<b>Style and Design make a lot of difference</b></div>
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I am sure all Apple products have their own share of issues and these issues have at times surfaced with the larger client base, but one thing that keep these products creating the impact that they are known to create is the fact that design, form and style is absolutely amazing. The client experience of using these products is something that oozes with great usability and design.</div>
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<span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">For us it means again keeping the client central to what we do, at the same time paying enough and more attention to things like usability, design that go on to differentiate a good product from an average and an great product from a good one. Process designs, definitions, system design etc. all can be made better and user friendly if they are created with the client in mind – in our case the project and project teams rather than us.</span></div>
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<li> <b>Speed is important, timing is crucial too</b></li>
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<li>We all like to move fast, but along with the speed and agility that Jobs and team have shown, they were also masters of timing. The skill required here is quite contrary to that of “speed”, it requires waiting for the right moment and Jobs and team used timing very well. It means they understood when was the right time for the product to make an entry, get the mind share and also create a positive impact for the organization. It also meant they were prepared to make the move and therefore had done all the preparation in advance to be able to leverage and seize the moment.</li>
<li><span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">For us who are in the game of change management, this could mean an important lesson. Timing here, especially in our context also refers to the way we plan, organize and then implement the proposed changes. While speed and agility in the manner in which we design, define, create and implement the processes is important, timing is crucial too. For example, if the process/process changes are launched at a time when the particular offering is taking shape and getting into the market, it creates a far more positive outcome for everyone involved including our internal customers than say waiting for a long period of time and then launching a process for the offering – both speed and timing play a big role.</span></li>
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<li><b>We’re all marketers now!!!</b></li>
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<li>When I first read this <a href="https://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Were_all_marketers_now_2834">McKinsey article in July 2011</a>, I was kind of thinking of 2 instances one a person I know who would not stop selling his wares even if confronted with the most challenging of conditions, second the more refined and fine-tuned approach that Jobs and team have taken at Apple. The famed Apple product launches are an amazing example of how the drama unfolds for the product and the setting where the features are unveiled. The other important aspect of marketing is to be truthful to the product and the brand promise, Apple <i>seldom</i> makes promises about the product that the product actually does not do or possess.</li>
<li><span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">A great process should promise and more importantly deliver an improvement in capability for the organization. The gap between this promise and the actual delivery is what marketing cannot and should not try to bridge but if at all there is a gap, Engineering should bridge that gap and not marketing. This is an important lesson because I find many people assuming and asking if we can launch a campaign (marketing!) to ensure better deployment (selling!). Well a product first needs to fulfill the brand and the product promise and then good marketing helps, else we are staring at trouble for the future! More importantly understanding and segmenting customers is important not simply from the point of view of their differentiated needs, but also to ensure you don’t get overawed by the segmentation and continue to offer something for all the segments you cater to – DM, DH, PM, SE etc…</span></li>
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<li><b>Never underestimate the importance of Learning</b></li>
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<li>As all of us are aware, there have been failures at Apple as well, products have not worked as expected, things have gone haywire with features, defective pieces etc. The important part is Apple has always been able to bounce back and this I believe is a must have trait for a successful corporation. Jobs personally has always been known to apply learning’s from the past to get his products to become better – the type face fonts, the mouse etc. are vibrant and noteworthy examples. Apple has demonstrated its ability to learn from the past and integrate the lessons learned into making the products better.</li>
<li><span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">Any Quality process follows the approach of PDCA/ETVX/ADLI or something on these lines, it essentially means that we are continuously looking at aspects in the process that can be improved and integrated back. The importance of this is a direct impact since an improvement in the processes provides a larger, scalable improvement in the organization capability and this no business can grow without!</span></li>
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<b>Open up to new developments</b></div>
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<li>Apple was always able to ride the waves of new trends, developments. Many of the things that Jobs and Apple went on to create, were actually not invented at Apple. They just created “better”, “superior” and “client focused” solutions from existing or emerging technologies that put them steps ahead of others. This, they were able to do by a relentless focus on observing, thinking through and absorbing new trends and changes and riding on the waves relatively early.</li>
<li><span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">In our world, where client requirements continue to change and change rapidly, the challenges of keeping pace with new developments is always staring us in the eye! We need to take the Apple approach of creating a way in which we understand the trends in new processes and models early, leverage it for bettering our offerings and do not ignore the trends assuming that we are better than the others. Complacency and rigid attitude to new and upcoming trends could be big factor that could derail successful enterprises in the future.</span></li>
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<li><b>Hold your own against pressures</b></li>
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<li>Failures create a lot of pressure, but success creates if not more an equal amount of pressure as well. Jobs and Apple have seen both and therefore both the kinds of pressures – Of success and failures. They were able to withstand these pressures, do what was right and come out with the kind of consistent success that they have demonstrated over the years.</li>
<li><span style="background: silver; mso-highlight: silver;">Most of us face these pressures from our internal clients, our teams, partners etc. The pressures create a decision window where one way leads to a path that is easier, treaded by many, more comfortable and convenient, the other path is a tougher one, least treaded, uncomfortable. As change agents we need to be willing to take the path least treaded, once we know that it is the RIGHT thing and for the long term benefit of the organization. Let us not back off, but demonstrate courage!</span></li>
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These are my personal views, s<span style="color: black;">end in your responses </span>if you have any thoughts to share, will be more than happy to discuss.</div>NareshChoudharyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845224924104429586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014775.post-13742012065503755292011-10-05T20:56:00.000-07:002011-10-05T20:56:17.164-07:00Steve Jobs - What a Life! RIP...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Most of us are trained to look at things in a conventional mould!<br />
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When it comes to launching new products, initiatives, businesses the tried and tested approaches are to study the market, study consumer behaviours, understand what the consumers want and then create an offering that can satisfy these!<br />
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In comes <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Jobs">Steve Jobs</a>, who decides what consumers should be getting sitting in Cupertino! All the world laps up whatever is on offer from Jobs in a manner and way unheard of in the history of products. All of it without the conventional market research, surveys etc.<br />
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You are an inspiration to many all over the world and thank you for everything that you have created!<br />
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<a href="http://www.apple.com/stevejobs/">Rest in Peace - Mr. Jobs</a>!</div>
NareshChoudharyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845224924104429586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014775.post-10560785906950010722011-10-05T20:47:00.000-07:002011-10-05T20:47:09.395-07:00Is the Apple iPhone strategy flawed? - Let me know your views...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I am trained to plan, think long term and have a more rounded view of things with the big picture in mind. This training has stood me good for some years now, but there is still a chance that I may be a bit off the track here, nevertheless!<br />
The top 4 platforms that everyone seems to agree upon as the more popular ones are Android, iPhone, Blackberry and Windows. Of these 4 platforms, at least 2 are more or less proprietary and supported by individual organizations – Apple & RIM. Windows has been trying to take a more open view of things and has been trying to extend its footprint, but the marquee names in the mobile devices world haven’t yet embraced Windows with open arms, at least the numbers do seem to suggest so.<br />
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<a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/26/android-powered-56-percent-of-smartphones-sold-in-the-last-3-mon/">http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/26/android-powered-56-percent-of-smartphones-sold-in-the-last-3-mon/</a><br />
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[Last 3 months, 56% of smartphones sold were on Android, Apple – 28%, Blackberry – 9% & Others – 6%]<br />
What RIM’s Blackberry experienced early on is what I believe Apple – iPhone is currently experiencing in terms of consistently increasing sales revenues and a largely uncontested market share. But in the long term as competition heats up, would Apple be in a position to compete with say something like Android which is not one organization, one model but tens of organizations and hundreds of models sold by many providers. As far as conventional wisdom goes, the odds are definitely stacked against Apple, but like has been in the past we just need to wait and watch. Would Apple be in a position to shake up the humungous growth in the spread of Android as a platform? Should Apple really look at proliferation of its technologies to more partners and to the rest of the ecosystem that can help make it a multi organization, multi model sort of platform? What are the lesson’s Microsoft is learning from all of this?<br />
My training tells me Apple could be given a run for its money and eventually brought down by something like Android. Time will tell though. If I am proven wrong, blame it on my training, beware my trainers are watching…err… reading.</div>
NareshChoudharyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845224924104429586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014775.post-80287694561977008942011-10-05T20:45:00.000-07:002011-10-05T20:45:12.886-07:00MBNQA & India Governments response to Anna Hazare's movement<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Being familiar (only familiar, there are Gurus who would review this more tactfully ) with Business Excellence frameworks like MBNQA. It was natural that repeat telecasts on several different TV channels on how the government botched up the opportunity to take the matter to closure when it comes to the arrest, offer to release, negotiation et al with respect to the anti-corruption crusade. Since MBNQA or any other Business excellence framework for that matter looks into how an organization identifies its customers and stakeholders, works closely with these including employees/work force, leveraging processes, measurements, systems & planning using a leadership driven approach to achieve the desired results. A different weightage on each of these highlighted items provides a balanced focus through the approach, deployment, results, learning & improvements across the organization.<br />
When assessors assess a business with the MBNQA criteria they are very clear on the 4 broad patterns of scoring. Reacting to problems gives you anywhere between 0-25% of the score, early systematic approach gives 30-45%, aligned approach gives 50-65% while an integrated approach could give you 70-100% of the score.<br />
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If we analyze the Indian government’s response to the entire Anna Hazare episode, one would be able to clearly cancel out the last 3 patterns of scoring and focus on the 1st pattern i.e. 0-25% - reacting to problems. As an establishment that is supposed to provide for good governance and is supposed to be looking at the long term and short term welfare of its customers and stakeholders (read PEOPLE) scoring so poorly on the MBNQA criteria brings basic issues to the foreground.<br />
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Does this organization understand its target customers, customer groups(read PEOPLE) and market segments? Does it have sane and unbiased listening mechanisms in between 2 elections that are 5 years apart? Does it have mechanisms to anticipate the decisions of the customers(read PEOPLE) and their importance/value? Does it have the ability to use the feedback from the customers(read PEOPLE) and ensure their needs are satisfied? Does it have mechanisms to create/recreate new relationships?<br />
There are many questions like these that come to the fore and this is just one of the 7 categories! If someone from the government reads this and wants help, I know exactly the kind of people who can help.<br />
Believe me they would be more than willing to help</div>
NareshChoudharyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845224924104429586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014775.post-46112791949296573672011-08-06T00:51:00.000-07:002011-08-06T01:04:11.578-07:00The Indian Cricket team - # 1 in the world?While most of the people would want me to not draw the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">conclusion</span> as yet, but being an impatient man that i am , i feel its not too early to say and write this. The Indian cricket team over the past 3 weeks has demonstrated that it can barely stand up to strong opposition on the field of play. The sad part has not been the defeats, but the manner in which these defeats have come and also the fact that there has barely been a fight back.<br /><br />A team that prides itself in being different than the Indian teams of the 90's and the early part of the last decade could hardly live up to it. The big names were hardly able to make an impact, the batsmen who are known to hold the best of the records were struggling and looking a sorry figure in front of the bowlers.<br /><br />The questions then is this Indian cricket team the worlds no 1 team in tests largely because of 2-3 individuals whose failures is costing the team now? Time to think? May be we should not be celebrating after all!NareshChoudharyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845224924104429586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014775.post-73140505490603474222011-04-20T12:53:00.000-07:002011-04-20T12:57:08.429-07:00Why would Apple Sue SamsungRecent report on the net that has caught attention is on the new of <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110418-711262.html"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Samsung</span> being sued by Apple</a>.<br /><br />One time partners (vendor-supplier) it seems like something gone wrong in the short term since <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Samsung</span> was the one manufacturing the chips that went into the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">iphone</span> and the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">ipad</span>.NareshChoudharyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845224924104429586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014775.post-41487040949102437612011-04-07T06:38:00.000-07:002011-04-07T06:39:40.027-07:00My fast...My fast in support of Anna Hazare and his cause against corruption! Watch the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsLv_vsmcDg">video</a> for the message!NareshChoudharyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845224924104429586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8014775.post-19324601004126344352011-04-06T07:34:00.000-07:002011-04-06T07:50:51.366-07:00Anna Hazare's fast against corruptI am often reminded of my innocent days as a young class X student, when i decided to go to the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">tahsildar</span> office to get my domicile certificate. For some reason my mostly encouraging father was against the idea of me going alone and kept insisting that he would go and get the certificate himself when he finds time. I still wanted to go on my own and see that i fill the forms and get the certificate in time, so decided to go alone. To my horror the kind of elaborate arrangement that i found in the place, well entrenched and systemically <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">processized</span> was unbelievable. There was a price for everything, if you wanted something with in a day, you had to pay a certain price. The prices varied with the service, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">al</span>l this under the nose of the District Administration. I felt my growing up well and truly began that day, subsequently many such incidents made me cringe and pity, some times feel frustrated, many a times had arguments, at times got abused in return for asking questions. <br /><p></p>I can relate to the feeling of frustration that <a href="http://www.annahazare.org/gr.html">Anna <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Hazare</span> </a>is reflecting through his fast, just that his patience and demeanor are not the same as me. I am an ordinary guy, who has a day job to do to be able to support his family, who can only log on and post a write up on the net, but cannot stand up to it beyond his own sphere of influence. For many of us now this is institutionalized since my recent experience of buying and registering my house let me in to a well kept secret, i was asked to pay legal charges by my builder, that at least in part i am sure were anything but legal charges and most likely meant to grease the palms of some fat bureaucrat and in turn support a shameless local politician. I respect you a great deal, keep the movement going, may be one of the days, some one like me would be able to join, till then i will do my best, will write about it, tell others about the movement and make my small contribution. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jai</span> Ho!NareshChoudharyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845224924104429586noreply@blogger.com0