Friday, December 9, 2011

शट योर माउथ-नो मैडम

सूर्यकुमार पांडेय

आज के टाइम के नन्हे-मुन्ने बच्चों का एक पब्लिक स्कूल। मैडम क्लास लेते हुए बोलीं, बच्चो, तुम सब आज मुझे नर्सरी राइम्स सुनाओगे। देन उन्होंने अपनी क्लास के सबसे शरारती बच्चे को खड़ा किया, चलो, कपिल! तुम ट्विंकल-ट्विंकल लिटिल स्टार वाली पोएम सुनाओ। इस पर उस शरारती बच्चे ने झूमते हुए सुनाया : ट्विंकल-ट्विंकल जनलोकपाल/बेदी, भूषण, केजरीवाल/ह्वाट इज करप्श्न, ह्वाट यू आर? अप एबब यूपीए सरकार/बी साइलेंट ऐंड डोंट यू क्राई/ ओवरऑल द पार्लियामेंट इज हाई।

मैडम बोली, वेरी गुड। इसके बाद मैडम ने एक छोटी-सी बच्ची मनीखोजी को डिंगडांग बेल सुनाने को कहा। उस बच्ची ने अत्यंत करुणापूर्ण स्टाइल में सुनाई, डिंगडांग बेल/पूसी इन द जेल/टूजी सेल/गेटिंग बेल/ डिंगडांग बेल/ नाउ ऑल इज वेल।

तभी क्लास के पीछे की बेंच से एक बच्चा खड़े होकर बोला, मैम, मुझे वह बाबा ब्लैक शिप वाली पोएम लर्न है। सुनाऊं! मैडम बोली, सुनाओ। तब उस बच्चे ने बोलना शुरू किया : बाबा श्रीश्री अन्ना कूल/ यस मिस, यस मिस ऑल थ्री गुल/ वन गॉन रालेगान/वन हरिद्वार/ अनोदर बेंगलुरु/ह्वाट इज भ्रष्टाचार?

इस पर क्लास के सारे बच्चे हंसने लग गए। तब मैडम ने एक गर्ल स्टूडेंट को खड़ा किया और डांटते हुए कहा, तुम कल फिर एबसेंट थी। तब उस छोटी-सी बच्ची ने पोएम के फॉर्म में अपने एबसेंट होने का रीजन इस तरह सुनाया : पूसी कैट-पूसी कैट ह्वेयर हैव यू बीन? आइ हैव बीन टू दिल्ली टू लुक ऐट द क्वीन/ पूसी कैट-पूसी कैट ह्वाट सॉ यू देअर/ आई सॉ अ लिटिल माउस सिटिंग ऑन द चेयर।

इसके तुरंत बाद क्लास की एक और चुलबुली बच्ची ने हंप्टी-डंप्टी वाली राइम सुनाई : अग्निवेश-अरविंद सेट ऑन ए वॉल/ अग्निवेश अरविंद हैड ए ग्रेट फॅल/ऑल द कोर कमेटी/ ऑल द अन्ना मैन/ कुड नॉट पुट अग्निवेश अरविंद टुगेदर अगेन। तब टीचर मैडम ने एक और बच्चे को जैक ऐंड जिल वाली नर्सरी राइम सुनाने को बोला। बच्चे ने साभिनय इसका नया वर्जन सुनाया : कलमाडी राजा वेंट इन तिहाड़/ आइज फुल आफ वॉटर/ राजा फेल डाउन ऐंड ब्रोक हिज क्राउन/ ऐंड कलमाडी केम ट्रंबलिंग आफ्टर।

लास्ट में क्लास के महा शरारती बच्चे ने अपनी टीचर मैडम को जॉनी-जॉनी यस पापा का लेटेस्ट वर्जन सुनाया। सुनकर पूरी क्लास तालियां बजाने लग गया ः दिग्गी-दिग्गी/यस मैडम/ स्पीकिंग समथिंग/ यस मैडम/ इज इट आरएसएस/ यस मैडम/ टेलिंग अ लाई/ यस मैडम/शट योर माउथ/ नो मैडम।

http://www.amarujala.com/Vichaar/Aakhiri-Kona/Shut-Your-Mouth-No-madam-6-17-2092.html 

Must you be aggressive to be successful?

Vinita Dawra Nangia,

Sunday TOI, 04 December  2011

At a time when self-marketing has assumed annoying proportions, modesty blazes an attractive trail!

Youth, business acumen and very importantly, humility and a feet-on-the-ground attitude helped Cyrus Mistry make it to the coveted appointment as successor to Ratan Tata! Amongst the many things said about the man right after the announcement, what sent eyebrows rocketing were paeans to his low-key, modest profile! "Soft-spoken, candid and down-to-earth" is what he was described as.

In an era of dog-eats-dog, where we see the loudest voices compete for attention and the soft ones drown unsung, unseen, Cyrus's appointment comes as something of a pleasant shock! How could a man who shunned arclights and the party circuit, preferring to work nose-to-ground, win over several more visible contenders? Does this portend a changing trend then? Can the quieter, but still capable man/woman be more hopeful of getting noticed now?

 When everyone is busy selling themselves aggressively, the voice that reaches out loudest from amongst the crowd is the softest one! As the self-aggrandizing cacophony creates chaos, you strain to hear the soft and steady voice of reason and capability. 

Not everyone can scream or shout. There are those who cannot and others who see no reason to do so when they can be equally effective otherwise. Not long back, with the advent of the dotcom era, there seemed no hope for the quieter, even though capable ones.  Until you made yourself heard, you didn't stand a chance of succeeding. However lately one hears success stories of even those who maintain a low profile, so long as they are exceptional at work.

The country's highest profile job is held by a man whose instinct is to maintain a low profile -- Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Rahul Gandhi, despite the limelight his family status catapults him to, likes to keep as much as he can to himself. So does Priyanka Gandhi. Infosys legends Narayana Murthy, Chairman Emeritus and S.D.Shibulal, the present CEO, are known for their love of sticking to the shadows.

Some time ago when a selection committee for Jamaican Rhodes Scholar made their final choice of candidate, to the surprise of others, they declared that it was the winner's "modesty" that won over the judges!

When Amitabh Bachchan asked a school teacher on KBC why he spoke so softly in class that students complained they couldn't hear him, pat came the reply, "That's a strategy, sir! They focus sharper when they strain to hear me!"

When all are pushing to get to something, your eye is perforce drawn to the one person who stands aloof, unconcerned. So, whether natural manner or strategy, maybe at a time when self-marketing has assumed annoying proportions, modesty blazes an attractive trail! 

However HR experts warn that one should not look at this as a shifting trend really. They talk of many companies that are still on the lookout for candidates with some amount of aggression, especially the smaller operations which conclude that aggressive personalities may also be the ones who help them move ahead faster. Says Pritul Sanghavi, senior VP, Anakin Management Consultants, "Some companies require people who are street smart and aggressive. Just like in the movie, Social Network, they actually check how much pressure candidates can take! It really depends on the job requirement and the interviewer."

And so Tata's choice was right for them, but may not be so for another. Says consultant and entrepreneur Pritha Dutt, "A mature and steady company like Tata that never sees the reason to shout (remember their line 'We also make steel'?) made the right choice with a low profile, capable man like Cyrus Mistry. But it really depends on the culture of the organisation. The big difference today is that companies are more careful in matching candidate profiles with their own culture."

Jyotirmoy Bose ,CEO White Spaces Consulting, says that flash-in-the-pan companies today may still be looking for rashness  but for sustainable and enduring players, certainly business tycoons, humility is a desired quality. He quotes Level 5 leadership -- fierce result combined with humility, leaders who are humble but driven to do their best for the company. He adds, "You can't win the game alone; you need friends and that's what succeeds!"

And so today companies look for assertive rather than aggressive personalities, more collaborative people who resolve conflicts, not create them! To be politically correct, they also look for individuals who show a softer side to their personalities, as in caring for and protecting the weak and of course for integrity of character.

 Pritha Dutt adds that even during campus recruitments, companies now are looking more for depth and for facilitating individuals who certainly make their own points, but also listen to others. She advises that one should help carry forth the discussion by building on points others make as well, rather than coming across as the sole owner of all ideas! All companies, says Pritha, will be looking for originality and creativity, but very importantly, they will also be looking for people who get along with each other and fit in with the spirit of the organization!

And so the lesson is to cultivate skills and focus on work, all the time ensuring one remains grounded. And to develop a personality that is confident, yet not overpowering; assertive, but not aggressive; pleasing and yet not ingratiating!

http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/O-zone/entry/must-you-be-aggressive-to-be-successful