About Managers

Today some of the managers in our group had a program review with our COO who is visiting India. Most of the managers were focussing on bringing up the Red issues in the project. Its very important to understand to whom you are presenting and we should show the picture of both green and Red stuff rather than just focussing only on Reds.

If there are Red or risky items in your project its the duty of the managers to come out with options to bring it back to green. "There is no point for predicting rain. There is only points for building an ark". There are astrologers to predict the rain and we as managers to build the ark so that we all are safely shore even if it rain heavily.

Another thought on managers : Managers are indirect cost in a software business where as Individual contributors (coders , designers , testers etc...) are direct cost. We need to ensure that we don't spend too much on the indirect cost and we have the right ratio between individual contributors and managers.

Good additional read on Direct vs Indirect cost 

Poems by Khalil Gibran

Poems by Khalil Gibran

“In one drop of water are found all the secrets of all the oceans; in one aspect of You are found all the aspects of existence.”

"The reality of the other person is not in what he reveals to you, but in what he cannot reveal to you.
Therefore, if you would understand him, listen not to what he says but rather to what he does not say..."

I am alive like you, and now I stand beside you.
Close your eyes and look around, you will see me in front of you.

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. --Reinhold Niebuhr

Serenity Prayer Video

Turning point

Life has progressed a lot. Change is the only constant in life now a days.

Its raining outside.
I can hear the voice
of murmuring rain drops.
I am waiting near
this pathway of my life...
I can see the shady
turning point ahead.
Once the rain is over
I need to start walking down
through this muddy and slushy road...

Its raining in my heart now...
I can see the faces of
my good office friends
through the rain glass...
sharing fun,
consoling when depressed,
helping when in trouble.
Thank you. But I can not wait,
the turning poing is calling me...
Feeling so sad that
I am going to miss you all...
my dear friend , my beloved team

May 15th and 16th I was in Las Vegas , attending the Ariba User Conference. Great experience talking to some of our customers. I was staying in Hotel Palatzzo. Conference was in Hotel Venician. Tried to do play some gampling. This gampling places never sleep.

May 16th evening I went to Sunnyvale, California for a one week stay. Met some of my freinds. Could not go out much as the visit in Sunnyvale was for just a week and lots of work to do.

May 25th: on my way back I got down in Singapore. Nimmu was in Singapore with my sister in law. I spent 2 days in Singapore. Nimmu learnt swimming during her 2 months Singapore stay.

Here in office further changes. Leigh Anne, Marianna two VPs left. Then Mike Shumaker joined as EVP. Carl another VP left this week. Greg Gaydosh my new manager moving to Seattle and going to work with a new team.

Selenium has been accepted as the official UI automation tool in Ariba. Satya, one of my team members coined this idea one year back and he worked on the prototype.

We have purchased a 1 acre land in Ayiroor, 8 km from new Kochi international airport. Registration was on Jun 13th, Friday.

God is a reverse credit card

God is a reverse credit card.
He paid for all our sins
Before we all are born,
By hanging on the cross.

God is a reverse credit card.
He saved us from Adam's sin
By paying for all the sins committed
and yet to get committed by you and me.

God is a reverse credit card.
We need to pay back
With interest to God
By doing something beautiful for God.

By smiling at abandoned
and giving them a gentle hug.
By feeding the poor
with a part of your dinner.

By loving the needy
Without any greed.
By loving your family
To bring heaven down.

Talking to a friend in need...

Wise Advice
from Mother Teresa

( because it was never between you and them )

---

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind,
people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful,
you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank,
people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building,
someone could destroy overnight.
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,
they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today,
people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough;
Give the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis
it is between you and God;
it was never between you and them anyway.

-- Do something beautiful for God...

When time take the wings

Its almost a month now... I have not written anything. Life is very busy. Too many incidents...good and bad.

My youngest sister gave birth to a bay girl in Lakshmi hospital. Brother in law's ship luckily reached Kochi before that and he could be with her at this glad moments.

Biju has gone back to Rome. It was a surprise. We were thinking that he will be in Kerala until December mid. Mother was worried that he has not called back Pallipuram after reaching Rome.

We joined Woodrose club in JP Nagar, Bangalore. Last Saturday Nimmu and I went for playing badminton in the morning. Previous night we all went for dinner and in the club and it was a good experience. Good food and service.

Glady has gone to London for an official trip. Nair aunty was here at home most of the days.

My director in US, Henry resigned this week. It was a shocking news. He is going to Amazone to head their quality team for the new product "Kindle", the ebook reader. All the best Henry. Next Friday (Dec 15) will be his last day. Our EVP, Tayloe resigned 2 weeks back. Tayloe was very powerful executive in Ariba. I have worked with him closely. This is also a surprising exit. I had written a mail to wish him all the best. He has replied...
"Thanks, Baiju. You are an excellent leader and you’ve built a great team, and I’ll certainly miss you as well. I wish you all the best.

Regards,
-Tayloe."

"All the world's a stage, and
all the men and women merely players.
They have their exits and their entrances,
and one man in his time plays many parts,
his acts being seven ages." -
-- William Shakespeare