Multi tasking and work study - my views

When I ask our office assistant Chalapathi to bring coffee after four o clock in the evening for some visitors - I used to wonder why we are getting it late even though some of the times, our visitors are leaving without having coffee. Later I learnt Chalapathi is trying to optimise his two tasks of bringing snacks for other staff which is slotted for six o clock and this coffee together around five o clock. What an excellent idea of optimisation at the expense of time which do not has any meaning in Indian conditions.

My elective subject in my final year of studies was Work and Time Study. I have not understood this optimisation of tasks those days. Immediately after joining my first job I learnt about optimisation very easily and effortlessly. I have learnt following others. Our departmental typist was saying "it is not my duty to fetch files.". Well of course some of the times typing also is not her duty when she is not in a mood to do it. So I also learned very fast what are all not my duties forget about learning what are my responsibilities.

In any case wherever I am, my tasks are always very limited and at my comfort I can trim them further. Working in public sector and other organised sectors always have an added advantage. There are always enough competitors to go for a finished task, piratically a few for a task which is about to begin. But for a failed task there are absolutely none and we have to wonder who has initiated that task and guided it all through till it failed. It is worth while to remember here that TEAM WORK is always YOU but not ME as long as it is yet to be completed and afterwords it is only ME.

In our college days our Professor KVK explained about the work study at length in a lighter vein explaining about the movie "The Modern Times". In that movie to increase the rate of production the conveyor speed was doubled - and to accustom to that speed Charle Chaplin used to move his hands off duty also and wherever he is. So whenever I want the rate of production at my factory to be increased I used to worry that I do not have a conveyorised production line so that I can triple its speed. So folks if you want to go for a production line choose the one which can be done with a variable speed conveyor as the bottom line requirement.

Recently my nephew Teja has brought an Apple Ipod from his US trip. So now am enjoying with ear plugs of Ipod playing "Nagaada - Nagaada... of Jab We Met" while the ipod is charging from the PC and the Plug and Play modem (once again loaned from Suresh. You know these small loans of so many things from so many make me happy always) jacked to another USB port showing me the internet world. Also there is a back ground request of my wife asking me to fetch her some thing which can be comfortably ignored . My kid is baffled with so many wires plugged to the PC and to me running pockets of info to and fro. What an opportunity for me to teach my daughter about multi tasking unlike my Prof who has to quote an old movie. Yes really these are Modern Times.

Multi tasking - in my understanding is doing so many tasks simultaneously with the same resources. But for me - multi tasking is doing a thing what I like and that too for my pleasure and showing the world that am doing so many things and that too for others sake. Confused a bit and want me to explain? Sorry right now am busy in plugging still one more jack to another USB port and answering a cell phone parallely - so just for now "You are in queue - please wait.."

"The Engineer who sold his Alto"

"Excellent (caption / idea) mama go ahead and do it"- Sammi my niece commented when I told her about selling of my car. I do not know what attracted her - selling of my car or the caption. In any case I have not sold my car thanks to the stocks crashing and the economic turbulence. Now I do not know when can I sell it and purchase a new car. It is not about changing a car am perplexed but how fast any country's economy can change within days am wondering.

Few days back I was discussing about the cascading effect and the tumbling of world economy as if I know every thing not only the Indian but the world economy as well. Now am thoroughly confused about a theory a day including the "ripple effect". But I enjoyed by a sms joke saying that "Do not get panic. You have nothing to loose (Whatever you can loose - you have already lost)". Wow - what a beautiful way of summarising the present economic situation.

I was told that Indian economy was strong. We have not spent the future incomes unlike the developed countries. OK agreed but where is the future income? I have seen enough abusive messages on net for fall in the markets and economic conditions each one blaming remaining all people. Based on this somebody coined a new phrase "money can neither be created nor destroyed". Well I contradict that. Money can be created and destroyed as well like the great Indian rope trick this is the Great Indian Money trick.

In January 2008 when a mega IPO came to issue - people who are not having a demat account are jokers. In 2008 October people who are not having a demat account are wise. Mera Bharat Mahan. When they are telling so much on the TV about the stocks and I was thoroughly listening - my daughter asked me "Dad how much you lost?" I gave a diplomatic reply "well beta, it is difficult to say right now. It is all going to depend on what corrective actions am going to take on this immediately." Phew - the corrective action back fired and I lost again. So who said money can't be destroyed. Who is the fool who thinks it is wise to square up the stocks.

Well there are positive aspects of this market crashes also. On the starting of the week fresh in the morning as usually I start worrying about my problems in the workshop. All of sudden Ram Prasad gives me a call and announces that the market has lost around 1000 points. Well all other bigger problems are vanished in front of this. So for how many things one has to worry. So it makes life simpler. Keep telling yourself - " Do not get panic. You are not going to loose". I kept Geetha Saramsam in my work area. ”Why are you worrying? What you think yours now - originally belongs to somebody else yesterday - goes to somebody else tomorrow. …” How come Lord Krishna knew about Indian stocks that time itself?

No doubt our economy is strong because so many people can't afford a demat account because they do not have a PAN card. So where is the question of they loosing money (well of course gaining as well). There are no credit or debit cards for a majority portion so there wont arise a question of spending future money on EMIs. So for them the ripple and cascading effects do not matter much. There is no need to look into 24 hours analysis channels who are discussing at the top of their pitches with phrases like Mayhem in markets, another black Friday and blood bath in Dalal street etc.

So if any body not having a Demat account rush now and get one. You won't get a chance in near future to buy the stocks in numbers. Why so? May be my theory today is that they may offer on Kgs after weighing them. God bless India and me. Teja - how much you gained with your investments in the stocks and with this intelligent guys back up. Of late have you seen your portfolio? It melted and only 25% left. Poor sis. She do not know and is thinking that her brother and son are going to double her money in six months. OK we want it to be doubled and it tripled only the other way around.

Bapatla Engineering College, India - First Batch 1981 - 85

Hi friends,

Spare me a few minutes. This is PIDI SRINU. Do not say pidi who? If I say am Jaladi Srinivasa Rao also I do not think you folks recollect me either. So let me call myself like Pidi Srinu of first batch mechanical engineering student in Bapatla Engineering College 1981 - 85.

I was searching for my professor KVK on net and learnt that my prof and his MTech class mates are planning to meet at IIT Khargapur in December 2008. There is a thread in circulation in his classmates circle under the heading "Jab We Met..- not the movie". So I thought why can't I also contact a few of my pals or circulate a thread. My ultimate goal is to do something constructive for the community or for the society.

As such am taking liberty in sending a mail to those people am able to collect their mail ID's. If by chance - this reaches a wrong person ignore it. Otherwise reaches a right person and not interested to be disturbed spare me but not chide me. Why so? Few years back when I was traveling in a railway compartment with my mom I came across a college junior. I tried to talk to her but got a cold reception. later my mom chided me for talking to a lady - usually as all mothers do. Mom am sorry think I did a mistake that time.

So right now also am scared to say Hi. But down under the line 23 years - I think it is safe for me now to say Hi. (Mom believe me this time am not talking to a lady but only mailing to a few oldies. Accept the fun pals). By the way how are you professor? Still bitter about me for talking to you in that compartment two decades back? Learnt you have published so many papers and teaching so much to all young guys and gals. Wish my kid also become a student of yours and unfortunately she got a rank of 6840 this year and do not get a seat in your university. Think she takes after her father who could not get a seat after attempting the entrance twice and later purchased a seat in BEC. Hey do not reveal this secret to me - am most of the times under the impression that I am a great scholar and you people are unable to recognise it.

Unfortunately I could not meet my college friends when an opportunity came my way two years back as Vallabhaneni Satish asked me to attend a get to gather arranged at Vijayawada Bhavani resorts. Am sorry I could not attend it. I was searching the net rather pouring through it and came across a few people of BEC and learnt interesting things. From our college students and that too from the first two batches- there are people from contractors to engineering college owners, College HODs and Professors to Industrialists, Non resident Indians to only resident Indians. As far for me to quote from the words of our then reader Mr. DVR - I set up and ruining a small scale industry. No spelling mistake you have read it correctly. (In my roommate words "a guy working hard for the sake of a work shop to make it and its people sustain ". B ava how dare ? When both of us meet I decided to quote Sri Sri poem "I" from Maha Prasthanam. So any crazy idea of meeting me - drop it now).

My nephew was a student of a famous Engineering college in Vijayawada and I told him that his present head of the department was a classmate of mine. My nephew Teja wondered "How come - my HOD is from electronics and a doctorate and is highly intellectual, a would-be principal of a very big engineering college and .. you". May be his idea is am not big enough to be a classmate to his HOD. What a pity? Well dear professor what shall I say? I advise you to vouch for me yar.

I want to know "the auspicious stone outside our workshop lab" on which I got a sentiment that whoever sit before the exam they will good marks bol ke. Is it still there pals? Am completely nostalgic and trying to go back into the past ........rewind - twenty five years back......Do not wake me up or try to bring me to the present...

Cheers

J S Rao.

PS : Are you interested in joining a net community of BEC, or interested in putting your details and mail id in that? If yes let me have your concurrence. I wish good luck to all of you folks.

"Yeah Dil Mange More..." VS Satisfaction

When an advertisement came in TV years back with the punch line "Yeah Dil mange more.." am not sure what does that mean? It is not because of that caption being in hindi language but my query is how it relates with human life. In economics there is a chapter about human wants. "Human wants are unlimited in number, if one satisfies another one takes it place.." etc. I thought this advertisement is just reiterating the economic explanation of human wants.

But when I started observing things and experiences in life, am able to feel the complete meaning of that punch line. No doubt always for any person "yeah dil mange more...." and it keep on managing time and again. There are so many jokes on human psychology but I want to just mention the one that suits this subject. A guy wanted to purchase an umbrella from a departmental store which offers items on fixed price. Without knowing that he bargained the umbrella for half of the listed price. The salesman wanted to make fun out of our guy. So he said ok take it. No the deal is not struck. The guy again offered half of what newly agreed upon. So the sales guy now offered the umbrella free of cost. Then our guy insisted for two. I do not know what if he were given two..

In my previous job every year at the time of annual increments, I used to negotiate with my boss for increments for my team and myself. I know the easiest task is to ask the sky for me and a fortune for all my team mates. After a lot of discussions with emotional screenplay scenes finally the magic figures are arrived at. Prima facie majority of my team mates are happy. (Let me pray nobody worked under me read this blog and contradict this). Next day morning after the new scales are implemented, I used to get the feed back that an engineer in another department who is junior in duty by ten minutes (even though the time of reporting was a few years back) than an engineer in my team is getting fifty bucks more. My life is being tumbled for a week to ten days concentrating not on any design related issues but how to compensate on the fifty bucks.

Life is always difficult to work at "High Places" because of this Dil mange more. By the way I advised my kid to join the junior most position in the hierarchy in any organisation and stay there only. But this is not possible one day or other at least a few guys or gals reporting to you and you will subjected to the above difficulties. The next best thing is to try in politics to be elected as an independent MLA in a government which stops just with 1 - 2 seats less than the minimum majority. Then there is no limit for your dil mange more.

Most of the times now a days am representing the price negotiations, it is not because I am the perfectionist in that but due to TINA (there is no alternative) factor. In negotiations for a contract or for material supply it is a one man or two men team being put to negotiate with a committee representing purchase, accounts, costing, indentor, designs etc. So many dils mange more. You do not know where to start and what to offer. Even if you strip open (I used to pray every time that no lady members should present there or else the committee members are not capable of reading the lip moments - so that the file is bounced on the table itself) then also not even a single person is happy. I suggest to wear only half sleeve shirts or sleeveless while going for negotiations so that to demonstrate that we do not have any trick figure hidden up above the sleeve. At times to quote my supplier Mr. Subramanayam am happy I got the order and I were more happy had I not got that order because of the result arrived after satisfying a dozen departments.

In China government made it mandatory to have only one kid for a family. I doubt it is not because of the population explosion but due to this Yeah dil mange more theory only. My cousin is having two kids who always love each other. At times am jealous I do not have a brother to feel that kind of affection. Stay there with them for an hour, alas my feelings are changed. All of a sudden you hear a big war cry followed by few thuds... cut the scene the second kid who is almost seven years junior to the elder one is on top of his brother hitting on his face for a toy of 9 years old which is almost useless and that too originally it belongs to his brother and which not attracted him for the past few days. It has got the demand because he saw his bro playing with that. So this dil mange more has got no bars of age, region or religion.

OK - imagine every body is satisfied without manging more... cut the scene again we were living in the caves with leaves as our dresses. So let us pray that " Yeah Dil mange more...".