We lived in Hyderabad between 1994 and 2005. Hyderabad of today was vastly different from that of 1994. In 1994, it was a dark city with frequent power cuts, water scarcity, damaged roads and no good park to mention. The city got a real break through during Chandra Babu’s tenor. Even his detractor would admit that he made the first real change.
First thing he did was expanding the then old Begumpet Airport into an International Airport, repairing the roads, creating parks, improving the water and power supply. When he overthrew NTR in 1995, many thought he has usurped the power by wrong means. But he has compensated the ill feelings through good performance and governance. He brought the IT industry to Hyderabad and for all the hypes, Hyderabad poses today, the real credit goes to Babu garu only.
This has happened sometime in 2003, when we were living in Hyderabad. During the last 7-8 years, my wife has picked up very good telugu. Very good means very good. She can even talk in telugu for hours. She infact started doing training programs on soft skills to corporates and government departments. AP Police and transport departments are few regular customers for her training programs.
One day, she was to give a talk to AP Transport employees at their training centre. The centre is about 30 kilometers from our residence. They were supposed to arrange to pick her and drop her back. At the anointed time, she received a call from transport office informing that they have sent a vehicle to pick her and the vehicle has already reached our place.
We were living in the second floor of an apartment. As with any other lady, she went through the routine make-up process and then went down to catch the vehicle. She went around the building, but could not find any vehicle of imaginable category. Those days, she didn’t have a mobile and hence she came back to our flat to call the transport office. Again, they reconfirmed that the vehicle is already at our place and even gave the vehicle number to identify.
She went down to search for the vehicle. To her surprise, a full big bus was standing there with the same registration number given by the department. When checked with the driver, he confirmed that that was the vehicle to take her to the training centre.
The question is why they sent a 60 seater bus to bring just one person. We thought that some one might have mis-communicated. Instead of sending a cab, they might have sent the bus. But when checked, it was found that they had sent the bus knowing fully well only. It was understood that to hire a cab, they need to take many people’s approval and a note has to move through various hierarchy. Instead, using an existing resource is simple and a lower level person can decide on this. That is a junior officer can decide on sending a bus to pick-up just one person, but to hire a cab, the approval of senior authorities is required.
This is the way, departments works across the states. Hope things might have changed now.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Government Department
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Team Work
Teamwork can be defined as an activity or a set of inter-related activities done by more than one person in order to achieve a common objective. Teamwork is not new; it is one of the oldest things known to man. Mankind has been working in teams and groups since the primitive days of civilization. Hunting and wandering together in groups is an apt example of teamwork.
The extended form of the word TEAM - Together Everyone Achieves More, itself conveys the importance of teamwork.
Importance of Teamwork
Fast Learning
We tend to learn things at a faster rate, if we are working with a team. The experiences and the knowledge of the older team members help you to grasp new concepts quickly. At the same time it proves to be an additional bonus for you as you avoid mistakes at work.
Workload Distribution
Working in a team has an advantage of the workload getting distributed amongst all the team members. With work properly distributed, you can concentrate on a single activity till the time you gain expertise in it and you do not feel stressed out due to work.
Building Bonds
Continuous interaction with the team members, working with them for the whole day, having your meals with them, sharing joys and sorrows helps in building a bond of friendship and unity between each other. Some of them turn to be friends for a life time.
Healthy Competition
Just think of a situation where people are competing with each other and trying to excel better than the other. At the same time they are helping and assisting each other in work related as well as personal difficulties and problems. Wouldn't that be a great sight! Well this is possible when you work as a team, as everyone is emotionally bonded to each other.
Exploring Creativity
While working in a team you will never be alone, you will always have some or the other person to suggest you good things. Suggestions and advice can help you in generating new ideas and bring out the creativity in you.
Job Satisfaction
Teamwork is one of the important reasons for job satisfaction. This is because working in a team improves individual performance. This is also conducive to employee motivation.
Speed of Work
With many people handling a single project and doing the assigned work properly, the overall work speed increases and your team can complete the project well within the given time frame.
Effective teamwork in the workplace benefits the organization by increasing the individual productivity which is important in order to achieve the targets and fulfill commitments.
“Coming together is a beginning; Keeping together is progress; and Working together is success”.
Let us Team up to deliver more
Laughter
Humor is infectious. The sound of roaring laughter is far more contagious than any cough, sniffle, or sneeze. When laughter is shared, it binds people together, increases happiness and intimacy. Laughter also triggers healthy physical changes in the body. Humor and laughter strengthen your immune system, boost your energy, reduce pain and protect you from the damaging effects of stress.
Laughter is a powerful antidote to stress and pain. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hopes, connects you to others and keeps you grounded, focused and alert.
With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for surmounting problems, enhancing your relationships and supporting both physical and emotional health.
Laughter makes you feel good. And the good feeling that you get when you laugh remains with you even after the laughter subsides. Humor helps you keep a positive, optimistic outlook through difficult situations, disappointments and loss.
More than just a respite from sadness and pain, laughter gives you the courage and strength to find new sources of meaning and hope. Even in the most difficult of times, a laugh or even simply a smile can go a long way toward making you feel better.
Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.
Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.
Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.
Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.
Laughter dissolves distressing emotions. You can’t feel anxious, angry or sad when you’re laughing.
Laughter helps you relax and recharge. It reduces stress and increases energy, enabling you to stay focused and accomplish more.
Humor shifts perspective, allowing you to see situations in a more realistic, less threatening light.
Be more spontaneous. Humor gets you out of your head and away from your troubles.
Let go of defensiveness. Laughter helps you forget criticisms and doubts.
Release inhibitions. Your fear of holding back and holding on are set aside.
Express your true feelings. Deeply felt emotions are allowed to rise to the surface.
Sense of humor is one of the most powerful tools we have to support good health. Best of all, this priceless medicine is free and easy to use.