22nd Jul 2008

The Olympic Spirit

The Olympic mood has really caught on. My wife and I were at a petrol station recently and we were having difficulty attracting the attention of the attendants to respond to us. They were standing at the corner talking to each other. When we finally got them to fill the petrol and check the engine oil, we discovered that the wall against which the attendants were leaning carried an advertisement.

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11th Jul 2008

'A' is an evolved and good man

Let us examine person A who lives in a green home designed and built on eco-friendly principles, does meditation everyday and is very compassionate with the people he meets and transacts with. However, when we move our frame to accommodate a larger systemic view, his huge estate is protected by an almost impassable barrier and policed by an army of people equipped with the most up-to-date technology. Move the frame even larger and we seek that the surrounding areas are slums run by slum lords.

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3rd Feb 2007

I must be healthy for the customer

Recently, we at TAO had the great fortune to host Dr. Ryuji Fukuda. We have been trying to invite him to India for a few years. When he finally said yes, we were overjoyed. We wanted to make his visit memorable to him.

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3rd Feb 2007

The Bonnet War Game

Life is a journey so I will begin by relating a few stories about what happens on the road.

A few months ago the VP TQM was driving me down to my client’s office in Ahmedabad. We were having an interesting discussion on the importance of discipline in sustaining quality initiatives.

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3rd Feb 2007

Foreman Stories

Story 1
I must share a few stories about how I was taught “management by foreman Durai Achary. Durai was a short lean gentleman with a long grey and white beard. He was very proud of the fact that he came from a goldsmith family. I had just joined the camp as works manager, fresh from IIT, Madras. Durai was very respectful but skeptical of me.

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