Month: April 2005

This is a Hindi poem posted in my Hindi blog separately. You may skip it if you are just reading “The Team Leader” posts. Thanks.

The team leader should be the closest person of each of the team member. In his company, everyone should feel at ease. As the members will be able to convey their problems regarding their project part to the leader, more the coordination can be done among them. Now a problem may come, the particular team member may consult the team leader more frequently, for the problems the particular member can do himself. At that time it’s first need for the team leader to make the person confident enough to tackle the problem himself. Hence this time it should be checked whether the member understood the problem correctly or not. If the actual problem lies in understanding then it’s better to ask the member himself and give a probable solution and encourage him to find out some similar or better solution. There is a good possibility that the member shall be able to suggest the best solution (The leader might have guessed it earlier in the mind but did not tell him at once). Now since the thought process is created by the member himself there is little chance that he shall stuck in the mid way.

For the members, who are self immersed in their work, the team leader, apart from watching the progress in their work, must ask for the necessary resources needed to them which shall augment their work. These members being immersed in their work, shall use only the resources available to them and eager to finish their work. These people’s requirements need to be fulfilled at the earliest possible even if they feel shy or fear to ask for it. The moral of such workaholics boosts after getting the better resources.

There are yet another type of members who are pretty good at the work but moody about their work. It’s a peculiar thing that these moody persons are the owner of some of the very special abilities. Hence it’s necessary to churn up the best juice out of their best mood. Since these persons if given full liberty may affect the other members too, their work load should be increased on their own wish. And their wish can be catalyzed after showing them the real need of their abilities and the success of the project depending on them. The forceful or cleverly increasing the load is not good in the long term.

The periodical spending of the time with the team members is useful and good for the project. Many a times the team leader should also know about the probable personal needs about the members. The leader should also show his concern about the needs personally to the members without let other members know about the details. The personal needs of the members and deadlines of the project, there is already a see-saw in the member’s mind. Just telling about the deadlines when the mind is busy about thinking the personal needs will decrease the productivity. Balancing the see-saw is first need hence the personal concerns should be shared if needed. Later on before when the member is about to leave in the mid way, the concerned friends of the member should be convinced to share the duties. While leaving the project the concerns of the member should be shared by the leader and he should wish him the successful finish of the personal vacation.

To be continued…..

Continued from the previous post….

The fine members, who are the pivots of the team, understand the challenges coming ahead in a better way on behalf of the team leader. Convincing them is not very difficult. Rather when they are told that after believing on the strength laying within them the project is undertaken, their moral goes high. If they provide their support like they had given in the earlier projects, the goal can be achieved. When these members are asked about the actual challenges, which may come during the execution and given the adequate space to talk, they shall come up with pretty good ways to deal with them too. Now dictating is easy but the distribution of duties among them requires tactical handling.

First some of them themselves will choose up some self-interested duties. Suppose Mr. X choose out some task T1. Here the leader has one thing in mind that the T5 is yet another new important task which can be performed by a competent person like Mr. X. Hence the importance of the task T5 can be described and made him feel that he is the best person to do that. Since the new project taken requires more output from the existing team members than earlier, the competent members also need to be kept at ease. It’s important for them too that the work-life balance should be sound and productive. Next there comes an important task of utilizing the less enthusiastic members. Here less means that the person has equal capability as others but what he lacks is the will power. Every person has some hidden unutilized qualities. In teams, the positive comparison of the person with other competent person privately, may make him feel the hidden capacities within him. “Mr. Y, we think, you too can do this important part of the project. Shall we expect from you that you shall take this important responsibility? For the problems which shall come on the way, we are ready to help you”. Most probable if the person have the good understanding with the team leader, he shall be ready to take the new task. Now if the relations had turned sour in the past the best thing is to settle the misunderstandings down earlier than taking the project up. Another way is to bring him in the main stream after starting the afresh friendly talks and ask him before giving some new responsibility such a way that the past vanishes. This shall give satisfaction to him and his self respect. Now it’s possible that he may consider the friendliness as a clever action of the leader. Let him feel that but it should be remembered that providing him adequate ventilation and love shall bring him down to earth. Every human needs that. Some persons who are just routine workers and avoid taking the new responsibility give them some not so important jobs. Now search for the some down stair energetic members, it’s the best time to bring them up. And give them some challenging duties.

To be continued…..

पुछो उससे, जिसका अपना, आज नहीं आया,
देखो उसे, रात भर जिसने आँखे बिछाई हैं ,
बैठो वहाँ, जहाँ पुतलियाँ न हिलती हो ,
सिर्फ गालों पर आँसु नहीं, ठंडी ओस की बूँदें है।

गर्म चेहरे पर, अकेलेपन के साथी वे,
बूँदें खुद ही आती हैं, अपनापन लिए,
भरी आँखों के झरने से अनवरत बहती,
वे टपकती आँसु नहीं, एक शीतल नहान है ।

देखा है, पाषाण ह्रदय भी जब दुःखी होता है,
पाषाण को, जब अपना गर्व भी साथ न देता है,
बंद कमरे में , आँखो से वक्ष पर उतरते,
वही आँसु पाषाण को फिर मोम बनाते हैं ।

माँ कहती हैं – बेटा दुनिया ऐसे ही दुःखी है , तुम्हारी दुख की कविताएँ या लेख उनके दुःखों को कम नहीं कर सकती है। भाग-दौङ के इस युग में जब लोग अपना बहुमूल्य समय में कुछ पढने को आएँ तो फिर दुःख भरे लेख उनको पढवाना उचित नहीं जान पढता है।

मैं थोङा-बहूत दुःखी करता होउँगा आपलोगों को, यह भी मैं जानता हूँ । युँ मैं भरसक कोशिश करता हूँ कि मेरे लेखों से पाठकों को दुःख न पहूँचे। फिर भी मेरे दर्द का व्रण नासुर ना बन जाए, सो दर्द को आप सबों के साथ बाँट लेता हूँ तो आराम महसुस होता है ।

अर्जित ज्ञान, अनुभवों एवं उससे उत्पन्न विचारों में पारदर्शिता ही मुझे पसंद है । मेरे बारे में कहने को आप भी खुले मंच पर स्वतंत्र है । न कहना चाहें तो भी ठीक ।

मतलब आपलोग जिसमें खुश वही सही , वरना मैं इंटरनेट पर लिखता क्यों, कागज की डायरी पर ही लिखा छोङ देता ।

नोट – लिखते-लिखते यह इतना बङा हो गया कि कविता का भुमिका न होकर एक अलग लघु लेख बन गया।

Yesterday I returned back from Kolkata. Although my actual trip is related to my profession and my career and let the trip be sandwiched between two similar posts.

Since my returning ticket was booked in hurry, I got the waiting list 117 and at the last time it got improved to RAC-31. Thanks God, when I was ready to travel in the general class, at least got a seat to sit after sharing with some other co-traveler.

There is a proverb which reads as “Someone fall from the sky and got stuck in the palm tree”.

On seeing the final chart on the platform, I saw another passenger on the same seat was some Dwivedi, a female of 23 years going to New Jalpaiguri.

When one gets a RAC seat after sharing with someone he can stretch the legs if not sleep. Especially if the both the persons are of same gender. I became aware that now I have to seat whole night without stretching the legs.

The lady came after when I took the seat. After formal chat I knew that she is some engineering student from Karnataka returning back to her home in Darjeeling.

Until the lights were on by 12 o’ clock in night, I was reading my new purchased book and making the notes. Earlier I thought that I shall tell the girl to stretch and sleep since she may be more tired and already was journey since last day and I shall be reading the books at the side of the seat. But afterwards when the co-passengers put the lights off to sleep, reading became impossible for me. But low light, tired body and breeze of summer nights was putting me dizzy.

Neither I could stretch completely nor I can sit straight . Till 2 o’ clock my back was aching badly. The girl was sleeping in a sitting posture with her folded legs and her head submerged in it that seemed to show the inherent tendency of woman to seek safety also the girl typical Indian lady. She seemed like my maternal sister, Bunu, who travels alone to Delhi for her engineering studies. If I would have stretched my legs a bit, it may feel her more insecure. So the conscious person like me shall like to take a safe side.

Firm believer in God, I soul was seeking for a solution. The near upper birth was still vacant but the near by Tamil Pilgrims were telling that one of their person was there. But till 2 a.m. no one came there. My back ache was unbearable by that time. Thus I told the girl to stretch and sleep there only and informed that I was going to the stretch on the vacant birth till it’s vacant. Goodness returns back the same if the brain can feel it. She told me that if the actual person comes there, she to be waked up. What she meant was that she would leave my portion of seat to me if I had to leave the new found birth. On the new seat I was expecting that the actual owner shall wake me up thus I kept eyes open and stretched my legs. Once I stretched, my long breaths took me to sleep. I got up in the morning only when the pilgrims’ party of senior citizens accumulated.

The girl was still sleeping. The adequate leg side space and a fine morning was enough to read my book. I had to go my seat. I sat on my seat and was reading. Later when the girl got up for a while and saw me reading and she slept again provided me more space after pulling her legs. I could have told her that you must get up since it’s morning and I have sit properly. My conscience did not allowed that. It’s not to impress her or anything like that. What could have happened if Bunu traveled like that and some elder was her co-traveler? Taking the cases on myself and my own persons gives me many solutions.

Later when she got up and while ordering tea she ordered two cups of tea, and I was ignorant of this. Before that time I had already taken two cups of tea. Seeing the same vendor with two cups, and the vendor being the same person who was from my town and already served me just half an hour earlier, I took the cup. In the mean time while she was sleeping I chatted with the Tamil pilgrims for a while and heard about their tour plan. The Tamil ammas and uncles were telling about their all India tour and later shared their bread and Jam too. They were complaining about not getting idli- vadas in the journey.

Now after I took tea, she started chatting about the journeys and her friends in the same journey. When she asked that when shall I get down, interestingly by the time the train was passing near by my office? I showed her my office and told that I would get down in one minute. Actually my station already came by the time. I became ready with my bag and bowed down everyone and get down at my platform. Down the train, from the platform when I waved my co-travelers, I saw many hands waving towards me and few inquisitive faces. Again who they were, I don’t know. Who am I, they too don’t know. But it was again the short journey in the long journey of life.

May all the Bunus and Dwivedis reach their homes safely!

Is it true that the only thing the God forgot to take from the earth is the live music?
In our Durga Puja occasions, the musical instrument, dhak is played at the puja premises. Two or more dhakis (the drummers) synchronize their drum beats to make the surrounding air vibrate. A small brass disc (Can someone tells the exact name?) is also played along with them by another person.

The common beats of the drum are something like this (The capitals are strong beats and small are comparatively lighter beats)

DHA…. DHAH…. DHADHAM ……♫ dha…. dha…. dhadham ….. ♫

I think the common beats of the dhak are the symbol of battle between goddess Durga and devil Mahisasur. In other words, this is symbol of the battle between the truth and the evil. There are some variants of the beats for other rituals in puja like Aarti, Dhupchi Naach. So other beats are in praise of goddess and some seems symbolizing the triumph of victory.

Since my childhood whenever I hear these synchronized vibrations, my soul seems to vibrate too. The vibrating air makes my soul dance. Hence my body seems to be synchronized with these beats too. The legs and hence body wants to dance with these beats. Since Durga Puja events continues for several days so on the last day, before departure of the goddess, I find my legs out of my control and after taking Dhupchis, I dance in front of the Goddess to my satisfaction.

Be it Puja or Marriage ceremonies, the lively music always seems to vibrate me. In marriage ceremonies, either I am on the bride’s side or the groom’s side, on arrival of baratis, the synchronized band party again pulls me to its center. At these times, such a ecstasy is unique and this feeling is incomparable with louder music systems at my home. Although, I never been a good dancer, I don’t like to hide my gaiety at the occasions of merriment. If I am not given some much important task for arrangements at the time, the beats of drums tie some invisible strings with my legs and the body over the legs vibrates. The human body seems to be like kathputlis( String attached dancing dolls). The invisible strings seem to be attached with some eternal power present on the vibrations of live musical instruments.