II समागम II

जल के स्त्रोत से मैं उत्पन्न हुई

बनकर एक बूँद,

सूर्य की किरणों के स्पर्श से

कर प्रस्फूटित विभिन्न रंग ।

पवन की लय पर थिरका

मेरा दीपशिखा सा अंग।

मंद गति से डोलती

बन विश्व की नीहारिका,

मैं उतरती गई निरंतर;

भूतल की चुम्बकीये आकर्षण के प्रत्युत्तर ।

हुआ मंद मेरा वर्ण,

जब पहुँची मैं सघन वन,

जहाँ वनस्पति के घनेरे में प्रकाश हुआ मन्द।

झरने के कलरव को सुन

मैने त्यागा चिंतन मनन।

मैं जल की एक बूँद,

जा मिली निर्झर जल धारा से -

प्रकृति के दिव्य रूप मैं हुआ मेरा समागम ॥

अस्थायी ही स्थायी है ॥

अस्थाई  ही स्थाई  है  ॥

जल की धारा जब हुई वाष्प में परिवर्तित
वाष्प ने जब किया अम्बर को मेघाच्छन्न,
मेघ ने जब किया जल वर्षण
तब समय ने कहा:
अस्थाई  ही स्थाई  है ॥

श्वास, प्रश्वास से थिरकी नासिका
हुआ आगमन जीवन का।
धड़कन बनी संगीत सृष्टि का;
पर, जब हुआ मृत्यु का आगमन,
तब समय ने कहा:
 अस्थाई  ही स्थाई  है ॥

In English:

When the water droplets transformed into clouds and veiled the sky,

When the clouds melted into the life giving rain and showered on the earth;

Then, time said, impermanence is permanent.

When breath reverberated in the mortal form as portent of life

When heart beats became the cosmic music of creation,

But, when death approached-

Then, time said, impermanence is permanent.

Creative Problem Solving: Coping With Blocks

1. Creative problem solving is the other name for innovation. We usually use the term “Innovation” for any technical solution to a problem or issues we may face. The fact is, any simple solution we arrive at to cope with any difficult situation is an innovative step we take to do so.
   When we need to decide on a course of action to solve a problem, we may work out a process, which may not give satisfactory result or may prove to be very expensive. The very fear of failing to effectively solve a problem prevents us from trying to solve it creatively. We can overcome this first hurdle to solving a problem by “Properly Processing Given Information”.
   Step One: Try to understand the information available in the form of “Raw Data” and identify the “Problem”. For instance: The Report card of a student or the balance sheet of an organization is the “Raw Data” The unsatisfactory marks/grades scored by the student or the losses incurred by the organization is the “Problem”.
   Step Two: Understand the in terms of the “Goal”. For instance: the student’s goal is to clear the exam and the goal of the organization is to generate revenue (earn more than the functional expenses incurred). Then find out the reasons where and why one has deviated from achieving ones functional objective/goal. For instance: the student, in earnest, can find out by how much he was unable to achieve the score/grade. The organization, through internal audit process can gain the needed information.
   Step Three: More information can be drawn from past experience, available in the form of memory and past data, on the processes applied to achieve similar goals in the past. Use the collected information through present and previous experience to analyse the difference and similarity with the present problem to arrive at a solution. For instance: The student can recall the satisfactory marks scored in previous exams and how he was able to do so, and what were the causes of his present failure. He can then analyze the information to find his strength and weakness, which can help him to solve the problem. The organization: through past reports and auditing conventions can also analyze the past and present data to find a solution for the present problem.
   This step-by-step method of using given data to identify the problem and find a solution is “Programming”. This problem solving model is called “Newell and Simon Model” This is successful only when:
   Accurate Raw Data.
   Problem is identified properly.
   The solution method is defined clearly.
   Barriers in Creative Problem Solving are:
   1. Mind-set: The other term used to describe it is “functional fixedness”. This usually occurs when one, who is tuned in to an existing system is unable to work out of it. This also makes the person to solve any new type of problem. For instance, for a long time, computer was considered to be a calculator and presently, many people are unable to appreciate the diverse functions of mobile phone. This is often attributed to “Negative Thinking”. Destructive (Negative) criticism is the biggest hindrance to creative problem solving and the common example is in the form of parents and teachers, through negative criticism, hinder the imaginative minds of children to cultivate the process and habit of creative problem solving.
   2. For an Individual:
   2.1. Cultural Blocks: Influence and pressure of society in the form of social customs and value systems.
   2.2. Emotional Blocks: fear, anxiety, jealousy, etc.
   2.3. Intellectual and expressive blocks: Vertical thinking or thinking in terms of “One Right Answer”; Personal beliefs and value systems; Improper sense of perception; improper self-image.
   3. For an organization:
   3.1. Lack of Resources and Management Support to try out new ideas. The biggest indicator of this is that floating or underutilized manpower is an anathema for the management of such an organization. Such organization is unable to afford “Slack” in its System, for it believes in “Task Force”.
   3.2. Bureaucracy and Red Tape: it prevents functional flexibility and prevents innovation.
   3.3. Functional Myopic Thinking: Thinking only on the lines of production, marketing, work force and finance. The organization ignores its objective of customer satisfaction, therefore ignores the relevance of understanding what customer needs and then innovate to find a creative solution for it.
   3.4. Fear of Criticism: therefore, do not put forward their ideas.
   3.5. Resistance to Change: due to aversion to change in working habits, new systems.
   3.6. Fear of Taking Risk (Job or Career may be at stake): financial loss and fear of entrapment.
   3.7. Tendency to conform: fear of fall-out with the members of the work-group.
   3.8. Emphasis on Managerial Control: Rigid financial control expects quick and financially measurable results, thus hindering any innovative activities.
   3.9. Ideas are often analysed under microscope: in order to avoid financial and other related risks.
   3.10.Rigid Hierarchical Structure:
   3.11. Tendency for one large successful breakthrough rather than many small success stories.
   
   How to Develop Climate for Creativity and Innovation in an Organization
   1. People
   1.1. People should be encouraged to take risk in their work by defining the limit of risk they can take.
   1.2. Creating and Encouraging Innovative environment is Management’s Responsibility: The management can do this by providing a given level of functional autonomy and risk taking behaviour within the organization.
   1.3. Management Should Respond Positively to New Ideas: Should not resist innovation fearing change in status quo. Should ignore personal benefits for larger benefits of the organization as the latter benefit is bound to be mutual.
   1.4. Generating Creative Ideas Requires Freedom of Thought ~ Some Degree of Autonomy: more functional autonomy develops sense of responsibility and creative thinking to problem solving.
   1.5. Motivating Innovation through Reward and Recognition
   1.6. Provide Adequate Financial Resources for Innovation
   1.7. Create a Spirit of Teamwork: Free and informal interaction, encouraging the members to identify individual functional goals with organizational goals. This can help in free sharing of thoughts and ideas and light-hearted competition to motivate creative thinking.
   1.8. Exposure of Employees to Outside Ideas: Free sharing of ideas within the organization through internal bulletins and newsletters and also through events and activities such as workshops, seminars and lectures and journal subscriptions for exposure external ideas.
   1.9. Conduct Problem-solving Retreats: To go away from place of work to a different environment to ideate together to find solution to a problem.
   2. Process
   2.1. A Continual Flow of Idea is Required
   2.2. Review or Revise Suggestion Schemes
   2.3. Establish an Innovation Council
   2.4. Provide Time for “Pet” Projects
   3. Structure
   3.1. Differentiate the Structure: Structurally, Organization should be flexible enough to respond to the changes in the External Environment. It should have well-defined cross-departmental interfaces with adequate scope to integrate in response to structural changes.
   3.2. Encourage Different Viewpoints: This can help in getting different perspectives of a problem and eventually encourage creative thinking to find an appropriate solution considering the different functional entities within the organization.
   3.3. Establish Creativity Rooms Containing Books and Idea-generating Aids
   3.4. Proper interface between R&D and Marketing: This will help the organization to find accurate solution in the form of a proper product or service to satisfy the customer base.
   3.5. Encourage Cross-Training with well developed Learning and Development Support: More the people will understand different aspects of the functions within the organization; it will improve their ability to comprehend the problem and find its fool-proof solution.

Acknowledgement: The Essence of Management Creativity (by: Tony Procter)

Resilience

When I was feeling quite low and was trying recover from a rather rather long and arduous day at the office, I saw a column in the news paper speak something about how to cope with stress. It said that one needs to be resilient to do so. The word resilience for living beings is the ability to recover from physical and emotional setback; where as, for inanimate objects, it is the physical property to regain original shape, such as the property of plasticity, elasticity. As I belong to the first category, so I tried to find out how one can cope with stress: It reminded me of the words "hardy" and "stoic". I remembered my Father asking me to be hardy enough to rough up in any stormy weather and he still compliments my Mother for stoically withstanding the onslaughts of the partition of India in the 1940s.

Resilience means the ability to cope with stress. "Resilience can be learnt and nurtured." Rapid global changes have increased stress levels affecting the individuals as well as organizations. Some individuals excel in coping with stressful conditions while others buckle under stress. Close study of those who can cope up with stress has shown a particular pattern of attitude such as "Hardiness" and "Stoicism". They are equipped with a skill set called "3Cs": COMMITMENT; CONTROL; CHALLENGE.

1. COMMITMENT: ability and above all, the determination to cope with stress causing events rather than get away from them. This will help in charting the course of events to favourable outcome.
2. CONTROL: When we commit to cope with the unfavourable events so that we can face the changing circumstances so that we can understand the situation and the problem and find ways or solution to control the events/situation.
3. CHALLENGE: we prefer to resign to fate rather than face the adversities, come what may. Through self motivation and courage we can take up challenging situations posed by the changing circumstances.

The "3Cs" help to develop the skills of:
Coping With Transformation: ability to transform oneself to cope with changing circumstances
Social Support: ability to get others too who are trying to cope with similar challenges to jointly develop a solution.

Escaping from difficulties cannot solve them as they will continue to pursue us. In order to cope with them we need good health, morale and conduct. These will help us to find innovative and civilized ways to face the challenges.

HOW TO BE RESILIENT: We tend to be resilient when we cope with hardships and challenges. The following attributes make us resilient:

1. Exposure to stressful situations early in life.
2. Sense of purpose.
3. Well nurtured self-confidence.

These help an individual to:

1. Commit to exist positively influence an individual to positively influence the adverse situation rather than avoid facing it.
2. While doing so, understand the problem to plan and devise beneficial solutions to solve the problems posed by the changing circumstances.

REASONS FOR LACK OF RESILIENCE

1. Lack of Sense of Belonging: Little or no encouragement from family and the group to cope with the challenges posed by changing circumstances, that alienates an individual from the environment he/she exists in, so the individual avoids the challenges posed by it.
2. Lack of Sense of Purpose: The alienation from the society at large causes loss of objective and sense of purpose to effectively and purposefully exist in the group/society therefore demotivating the individual to develop resilient attitude.
3. Lack of Involvement: When an alienated individual faces the challenges by the environment viz group/society, the demotivated individual undermines ones ability to cope with them. So, such individuals tend to be escapists, passive or aggressive in nature with low morale and is easily overpowered by fear psychosis.

(A) TRANSFORMATIONAL COPING This is a proactive mental and behavioural style to cope with challenging circumstances. This helps helps an individual to take essential mental and physical steps to analyze and devise methods to solve the problems. This involves three important steps:

1. Broader perspective of challenges posed by changing circumstances.
2. Deeper understanding of the factors influencing the environment to pose the challenges.
3. Then decide on the plan of action or solution to meet with the challenges.

STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS OF TRANSFORMATIONAL COPING

• Determine the magnitude or criticality of the challenge posed by the changing circumstances.
• Try to understand the problem in terms of:
  

a. How common or rampant the problem is. b. Its manageability. c. Improveability. d. Time factor e. Unpredictability. Then try to understand whether these stressing causing factors are due to:

1. Ones own personal limitations.
2. Misunderstandings.
3. Clash of ego.

These can be understood through introspection or personal reflection; feedback from others and the results of the actions taken.
NOTE: To be resilient, we need to constantly practice it until it becomes our second nature.

(B) SOCIAL SUPPORT

We can develop social support by constantly interacting with those around us. We follow the pattern of social interaction with positive exchange of help and encouragement rather than competition and over-protection.

1. We can develop social interaction map.
2. We can resolve conflicts/problems by mutually discussing it in a constructive manner.
3. Free channel of communication should be a two-way street to help encourage finding a solution to solve a problem.
4. Actual plan of action should be effectively implemented and insights along with feedback collected to assess the efficacy of the solution to solve the problems.
   

The key to this is shared views and beliefs that help in reducing conflicts in a given situation. This means that both individuals as well as organizations have to stoically explore conflict free ways to find similarities and differences in order to understand the environment they exist in and which is posing the challenges. This eventually can transform failures into opportunities to growth and development.

Swayam

स्वयं को समझ पाऊँ येही चेष्टा है मेरी।
इसी कोशिश में गैरों को अपना बना पाऊँ
येही अभिलाषा है मेरी।

स्वयं की कसौटी पर खरा उतर पाऊँ
करती हूँ हर प्रयत्न यही  कर गुजरने की।
इसी से किसी और की भी ज़िन्दगी संवार पाऊँ
यही  अभिलाषा है मेरी।

जीवन के आखिरी पल तक
स्वावलम्बी रह पाऊँ
येही अभिलाषा है मेरी।

Lesson from a Sanyasini

I was traveling from Cuttack (Orissa) to Calcutta by train.It was an over night journey. My Father was with me, to help me settle down in the city where I was to join a new job. The train reached Howrah Station, its final destination, quite early in the winter morning.My Father and I, like the other passengers were all set to alight from the train, when I saw a Sanyasini, in her late fifties, trying to step out of the train with a bag and a small basket. She was small built and frail and her saffron attire suggested that she was from Sharada Math of Ramkrishna Mission. I offered to help her with her bag, but she insisted that I carry the small basket instead for her. When we stepped on the railway platform we realized we were on the far end of it and had to walk its length to exit from the station. In sheer urgency to hire a taxi to reach our place of destination, my Father hurried ahead of us, towards the main building of the railway station, where the taxi stand was situated. Trying to keep pace with my Father, while carrying my bag and the Sanyasini's basket, I found that she was walking rather slowly but steadily behind me. I found it to be quite a task to keep pace with my Father, who was hastily milling through the crowd, while the Sanyasini was walking slowly. I was trying hard to keep both of them within my visibility range, trying not to lose track of any one of them on the crowded railway platform. In sheer exasperation, I realized that I was a stranger to the Sanyasini and she had entrusted her basket to me; while my Father who knew me, would definitely turn around to look out for me and on not finding me, would halt and wait for me to catch up with him. So, I walked within the Sanyasini's visibility range and as I had thought, I saw my Father waiting for us at the exit of the Railway station. The Sanyasini thanked me when I handed over the basket to her and said, "So, it is not easy to carry a small and light basket too. God bless you Maa" and quietly merged with the crowd.

Suggestions to...

...Teachers and Parents

• Positive attitude in life can help you help the learners overcome life's hurdles.
• Simplicity in thought and action can help the learners to accept life easily and without any complications.
• Patience with oneself, will help to patiently help the learner acquire the knowledge and experience to solve problems.
• Understand yourself in terms of your interest, strengths and weakness and your own expectations. Then, it will be easy to understand the learners' expectations too and help them in aligning their aspirations to their capabilities.
• Have a free mind and heart, sans all worries. By thinking and imagining like a child, indulging in childish fantasies like crying out loud, singing and laughing loudly, climbing trees, making paper planes and boats so that you can help the learner unleash his/her imagination and show inclination to innovate and invent.
• Introspection will help you to understand yourself, consequently help you to help the learners understand themselves and others too.
• Humility or ego management is key that requires balance of mind and heart. This helps the aggressive or passive nature transform into assertive and optimistic one.
• Plan all activities in advance so that you can help the learners also to do so and be proactive rather than reactive.
• Learning by doing is an example you can set to the learner by being honest enough accept that you do not know the answer to a question posed by the learners and make it a point to find the answer and inform the learners.
• It is important to make learners know that unlearning is as important as learning in terms of transient nature of life. Do discuss any misconceptions or wrong information and help find out or realize the required information/knowledge.
• Maintain transparency in your relationship with the learners. Openly discuss the subjects like crime, guilt, sex and human nature with the learner and educate the learners to have a positive approach to life. It is a fact that human mind remains preoccupied with thoughts of all that it is overtly restrained from dealing with. This can affect the learners' progress and wellbeing too.
• Through self-discipline and mild manners, we can encourage the learners to practice all this in their lives too.
• Do not maintain a stiff and authoritative relationship with the learners. Allow them to freely discuss their thoughts and point-of-view with you. so that you can help them to organize their thoughts and knowledge assimilated through any formal or informal learning process or any personal experience.
• Do not discriminate between your learners. Treat all of them equally while making them aware of their unique qualities and traits that can help in their growth and development.
• All this will help the learners to easily pave the way of their own life.

...Boss

• The adage, distance creates love is true in informal relationship, but in formal relationship that of superior and subordinate, it only breeds contempt. Cordial and empathetic relationship helps to maintain harmony at workplace.
• Respond to sweet or diplomatic wedges and spikes of the subordinate by reminding the latter of the purpose of his/her being part of the organization is to identify with the organization and the given responsibilities.
• During face-to-face interaction, have the subordinate seated in front of you at same level of eye contact, even when you need to discuss issues where you need to accept your mistake or vice versa.
• Avoid eating or drinking while conversing with your subordinate or, offer it to the latter.
• After harsh altercation, make it a point to discuss it amicably with the subordinate to unanimously resolve the issue.
• Keep tab of your subordinate's interests and family too. Show interest in his/her overall wellbeing and progress.
• Know your subordinate's strengths and weakness too. Do not use them for your own vested interest, but to help the latter to develop and progress on his/her career path.
• Do not impose functional goals on your subordinate, jointly set realistic goals and dissuade your subordinate from setting inflated goals just to please and impress you.
• Discuss a project/ assignment and how the subordinate intends to work on it. Hand over the project only if you find the latter to be confident and comfortable taking care of it. Initially guide your subordinate in starting the project and keep tab on its progress through regular updates. Do not ignore it, only to take ownership of its success and blame your subordinate in case it fails.
• Maintain proper and regular channel of communication, (both verbal and written) with your subordinate., so that the latter knows that you are aware and are interested to know of his/her work progress.
• Maintain complete transparency in your relationship with your subordinate so that the latter is aware of his/her role and responsibilities and appreciates the fact that his/her performance appraisal is inter-related with that of yours in terms of the organization's goals and objectives.
• Help your subordinate in planning and even participate in his/her learning plans to achieve his/her professional and personal goals.
• Avoid communicating with your subordinate in innuendos and maintain clarity in your conversation. Your subordinate should not believe that you believe more in information received through office grape-vine (unofficial channels of communication) than direct communication. This will help in avoiding any work-related stress and unpleasant situations in work place.
• Rules and regulations are to facilitate smooth and harmonious operation of the organization's activities. They are not for misuse such as encouraging the abider to break them by challenging them to do so, by constantly intimidating them of dire consequences, if they break the rules. You may encourage your subordinate to misuse them and challenge him/her to disrespect them, if you constantly intimidate the latter of dire consequences if he/she does not abide by the rules. Both you and your subordinate should be aware of the consequences of any deviation from work objective. Remind your subordinate, whenever you find him/her deviating from work objective.
• Do not make your subordinate run your personal errands for you.
• Do not discriminate between your subordinates. Treat all of them equally while making them aware of their unique qualities and traits that can help in their growth and development.
• Respect your subordinate and do not command respect from the latter.