PLANNING RUNS PARALLEL WITH SUCCESS

                                                                - MILAN K SINHA

"Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing". - Thomas Alva Edison.

We all know where there is inadequacy of resources - may it be time, money, energy, goods, minerals, machines or whatever, vis-a-vis its requirement, management of resources comes into play and with management planning runs parallel as an integral component. Planning has been at the core of any big or small projects, particularly in our professional world, where everyone is beset with plethora of assignments to be completed within a time limit and as per the quality specifications. Even in our domestic matters, planning plays an important and comforting role.

Paul "Bear" Bryant, famous football coach asserts this in these words, "Have a plan. Follow the plan, and you'll be surprised how successful you can be. Most people don't have a plan. That's why it's easy to beat most folks".

Interestingly, planning in itself is a unique and thoughtful task which requires lots of inputs as it is regarded as one of the important time and event/task management technique. In fact, it prepares the road map with requisite details for reaching the desired goal. The planning process incorporates various strategies such as organizing, deputizing, supervising, recognizing, rewarding etc. with necessary check and balances to be reviewed periodically in totality.

Moreover, every planning process does have cushion for effecting last minute changes, if at all warranted. It also keeps alternatives ready in case some course correction becomes imperative, because we know absolutely well that every time everything does not go strictly as per the planning due to its dependence on both controllable as well as non-controllable variables.

It is undoubtedly correct to say that perfect planning takes care of unforeseen and unplanned as well, in such a fashion that for onlookers it looks like a very smooth and planned activity. Undoubtedly, planning is basically a proactive and dynamic process full of suspense and certainties, which we all experience and enjoy in our life in varying degrees.

When I thought of writing on this subject, I did plan to share with you two excellent quotes before signing off. Here are those:

"Good plans shape good decisions. That's why good planning helps to make elusive dreams come true". - Lester Robert Bittel, Author and Management expert.

“Someone's sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” - Warren Buffett, American business magnate and investment wizard.

As always, I am keen to know what you think on this subject. Hence, request you to post Comments to share your views and experiences.

          Will meet again with Open Mind. All the Best.

# Published in Patna daily.com

# Do visit my site, milanksinha.com

THE ART OF MANAGING STRESS TO ENJOY LIFE

                                                 - MILAN K SINHA

The world is changing fast - socially, economically, technologically, politically and culturally, and so is our country. The pace of this change has been faster in corporate world with the advent of the famous concept of LPG -Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization.

It is simply interesting to find many Indians, even those who don't understand fully the meaning of GDP talk in terms of this term. Ironically, however, very few of us talk loudly in public about improvement in quality of human life with GDP growth.

Young professionals seeking remedy for stress malady talk straight against creating a compelling work environment purposefully for achieving, at times even seemingly unachievable, business targets more by crook than by hook. Unfortunately, this is becoming the order of the day in many companies, more noticeably in Indian IT as well as Financial Sectors.

As a corollary, the natural character of our daily routine undergoes changes for the worse, more particularly for our urban working population. The reasons may be many and may also seem to be genuine and compelling, but in the bargain we are confronted with stress, stress and more stress.

Obviously, changing the natural course of life at will or worse under compulsion, doctors opine, creates a highly stressful situation which affects not only our health but also the health of our family at large since it has multidimensional impact on our life. Believe it or not, it is a very big and serious issue for all progressive HR managers and wellness consultant across the world.

Yes, the stress level has been going up, everyone agrees, if not talk openly. But, except visiting a doctor and taking sleeping pills, is there any easy and doable solution to begin with? Can effecting a change in our lifestyle, behavior pattern and thought process help in this regard? Definitely, there are a few we can discuss here.

The first thing we should do is to avoid imitating others blindly. Making our life a copy-paste version will not lead us to a happy and contented life. On the contrary, we should sincerely try to know ourselves. And, in turn, find ourselves and be ourselves always endeavoring for further improvement in one’s personality by positive thoughts, actions and engagements.

Instead of being submissive or aggressive in one’s behavior, it is desirable to be assertive since assertive behavior encompasses the qualities of being confident, mature, frank, balanced, objective, dynamic, decisive, competent, humorous, relaxed and logical. The assertive attitude must be backed by an honest, transparent, and committed approach.

The human tendency, you will agree, has been to think and worry about what we haven’t rather than think what we have, even though; generally most of the things in our lives are right. In fact, we have been in the habit of counting our curses and not the blessings. Undoubtedly, this is the greatest tragedy and it has probably caused more misery than all the wars and diseases in the history. Adopting and practicing ‘Think and Thank’ philosophy in our day to day life helps mitigate avoidable stress significantly.

As always, I am keen to know what you think on this subject. Hence, request you to post Comments to share your views and experiences.

                Will meet again with Open Mind. All the Best.
# Published in Patna Daily.com 

# Do visit my site, milanksinha.com

JP AND LOHIA : TWO GREAT SONS OF MOTHER INDIA

                                                                                 - MILAN K SINHA

Today every Indian is feeling thoroughly agitated on unprecedented price rise and incidence of large scale corruption mainly due to fast deterioration in standard of Indian polity.

Politics of power has overtaken politics of service, high standards of morality and high principles in public life have very little place in Indian politics now. Corruption, favoritism, nepotism, regionalism together with money power, muscle power and manipulative power are recognized as basic requirements for a person wishing to go up the political ladder. No means are too debased, no methods too degrading and no tricks too mean. Actually, the end justifies the means today.

Obviously, the toiling masses of the country are pained and disgusted to see all these changes. Their hardships have been mounting and mushrooming over the years. To say the least, the impact of this worsening political situation is noticeable in every sphere of our public life.

Naturally, at this critical stage the name of two great sons of mother India, Ram Manohar Lohia and Jai Prakash Narayan comes to our mind. We pay tribute to JP on his Birth Anniversary on 11th October and to Lohia on his Death Anniversary on 12th October.

Before moving further to discuss the life and works of both JP and Lohia in some detail, it is pertinent to share particularly with our 550 million youths that a number of famous present day political leaders like Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Nitish Kumar, Sharad Yadav are known well for claiming to be the true disciple and follower of JP and/or Lohia who are, naturally, making headline news for taking his legacy and political philosophy forward. Political analysts and research scholars may be requested to examine the claims of these present day socialist leaders in right perspective to enable the masses to know the reality.

Both of JP and Lohia always laid emphasis on moral values in all our affairs, private as well as public, on means and on ends, also on democratic institutions and individual freedom. They left memorable impression on the Indian political scene because of their fighting spirit, moral stature, rugged personal integrity, tremendous sacrifices and their remarkable honesty. They were great revolutionary both in thought and action, who worked tirelessly for the country without any lust for power or fame, although both of them were far more eligible and deserving than many leaders who occupied the highest offices in the country.

During the course of Total Revolution Movement JP said, “Since Independence there has been a steady decline in political, public and business morality. If we take social and economic development, the picture is frightful. Population growth goes racing forward. Poverty is also growing: more than 40 per cent of the people are below the poverty line. The barest necessities such as drinking water, man-worthy and not cattle-worthy housing, medical care, apart from food and clothing, are not available. Schools are few and the teaching is bad. The papers say today that Bihar is the richest State in the country in minerals. Bihar also has good land and perennial rivers. Why then is Bihar the poorest State in India? Well, one could go on adding to that list..."

Indeed both JP and Lohia were persons who during their life time continuously and indefatigably fought for the well-being of the poorest of the poor. They gave a clarion call to the people to rise in protest against all sorts of tyranny and dictatorship. Time and again they voiced the demands of the poor to make the rulers realize their duties towards the nation.

In this context, speaking on a resolution in Lok Sabha on 4th August, 1967 Lohia said, "Today if we do not share the hardships of the people arising out of scarcity of essential commodities in the country whether it is due to drought or flood or famine or to any other cause, then how can we ask the people to build and make the country strong. Those who are rulers and in whom people reposed confidence of building the country, live in comfort and luxury, then it is beyond their moral capacity to ask the people to sacrifice their life for the nation."

Continuing his speech he furnished the details of the expenditure incurred on privileges and facilities MPs, Ministers and the President were enjoying , he said, "My pay is only Rs. 500/= per month but if the cost involved in providing me all the privileges and facilities be taken into consideration then it will come to Rs.2500/- per month. Using the same yardstick in the case of ministers, it comes to about Rs. 8 lakh annually. And to say the least, this figure for the Prime Minister and President goes up to Rs.100 lakh per year. Therefore, I say that first search out the sources of expenditure and then devise the methods to stop all the unnecessary expenditure."

When the country is passing through extremely difficult time, shouldn't we ask our present day top leaders to stop pretending to be the followers of these great souls? Garlanding the statue, releasing a book or souvenir and speaking well about JP and Lohia on this occasion have little meaning for millions of have-nots in the country. Rather it would be another wasteful expenditure of public money. Doing consistently well, instead will actually make the difference and prove the real worth to qualify to be called the true disciple and follower of leaders like JP and Lohia.

As always, I am keen to know what you think on this subject. Hence, request you to post Comments to share your views and experiences.

           Will meet again with Open Mind. All the Best.
# Published in Patna Daily.com 

# Do visit my site: milanksinha.com