Redefining Horizons

The Canvas The world is on COVID fire. Debatable claims and contestable data apart, death lurks around the corner. Expansionists and exclusionists alike, nations have sealed borders. Within borders, states, regions and provinces are erecting boundaries in desperate acts of self-preservation. Planes grounded, ships harboured, rails blocked, roads deserted, factories shut and shops emptied, world economy is covid-struck . While governance is stretched, hoarders, black marketers and speculators play havoc.   Richest to the poorest, mightiest to the meekest, technologically advanced to the technology untouched, humanity is under siege. Spread of infection, likely causalities and how it will end are mathematical models only time can validate. But for now, the deluge of patients overwhelms even advanced medical care systems forcing doctors and nurses to choose who should live. The pandemic has put every possible element of societal existence to test. People are locked-in amids...

Setting Stage A dozen articles in well subscribed newspapers, few in a magazine, an adequately followed blog, the two-star veteran tag, couple of television appearances, about four decades in olive green and benevolent acquaintances get me occasional invites to deliver ‘motivational-talks’ and key note addresses. My seemingly extempore speeches are deliberately audience -specific and well researched. At home on stage, I connect with the audience early into my talk. The post-talk interactive session normally runs longer than my talk. Long Q&A session indicates better audience participation. I feel rewarded. With Malice Towards None Ability to fan passions and stir emotions, an art, is essential for effective public speaking. Recreating battle scenes and crisis situations helps audience experience the otherwise un-experienceable. Stories of real-life heroes, commoners overcoming insurmountable personal adversities with sheer grit, narrated well, rain goose bumps....

The Incident It was just another day at the Institute where I was attending a training programme. Tea-break of the day provided welcome relief from intricacies associated with designing weapons. A group of young army officers visiting our institution were the guests for tea . As is the custom, few amongst us moved in to talk to the guests. I stayed put with my thoughts. I had this strange feeling that someone from that group was looking at me. As I panned the group, I found him and our eyes locked.  The way he looked at me, it seemed he knew me well. I too felt, I had met him somewhere, but could not recollect. As the elder, I took the first few steps. He reciprocated, almost running towards me, stopped, gave me a smart salute right from his heart. “Sir, you didn't recognise me. I am Captain Vijay [1] . I was a vehicle mechanic in your unit.” In a flash, everything fell in place. The warmth of the hug that followed and the sheen of those stars on his...

The Paradox R eal life paradoxes could be interesting and debilitating at the same time. C alling someone cheap is derogatory but companies, products and services notwithstanding, leave no stone unturned to, boost sales, increase turnover and book profits going cheap. Governments by statute, do everything to make sure they take the least cost. Substantiated claims are commensurately rewarded. These rewards are so addictive and intoxicating that people become blind to costs of going cheap while managements choose to remain oblivious to long-term damages, short-term advantages bring home. It fuels institutionalised proliferation of short-lived products ignoring long term costs of maintenance, down time and replacements. While burgeoning short-lived inventory demand lesser ‘immediate’ fiscal outgo for consumers and set cash counters ringing for sellers, such short-sighted profiteering steadily inflicts long-term pecuniary penalties on us individuals and irrevocable environ...

The Scheme E x-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) provides healthcare to veterans through a chain of polyclinics across the country. The scheme relieves military hospitals of the ‘veteran load’ helping them focus on serving soldiers. More importantly, the scheme provides healthcare to a large number of veterans in regions where military hospitals do not exist. Contributory in nature, every soldier based on his rank pays a sizable contribution as he leaves service. Those retiring later and likely to avail the least, interestingly, pay the most. The scheme guarantees cashless treatment to a veteran and his dependents. Children are excluded as soon as they become independent.   Veterans receive medical care at the polyclinics and if required are referred to locally empanelled hospitals for inpatient and outpatient care. Crisis ECHS is experiencing an unprecedented fund crunch. Essential medicines are now reported to be in short supply. In addition, piling unpa...

“Why do you feel that your team needs to be trained?” “What are the takeaways you expect from me?” These are the two questions I ask, when I am being hired as a trainer. Unlike physical regimens of soldiers and athletes, most managerial training sessions, irrespective of the settings, are often initiated and conducted without a defined purpose or end-state in mind. The question, what triggered the need to call a trainer, seldom elicits credible response. Training sessions, under such conditions are trainer-dependent and gravitate towards being ‘tales’ “full of sound and fury signifying nothing”. Such sessions are often recycled wide-spectrum templates. Training, if not specifically customized is no training. The state can be best compared to the difference between the well-fitted and the ill-fitted. Adequately customized training enables the trainee, to no end. My experience with performers, consistent and erratic,  brilliance that flamed out and  winners who s...

Fidelity : The Elementum ultimum? Man or woman, whosoever first associated, infidelity with vice and fidelity with virtue, either was ignorant of basic human nature or a management expert. In reality, fidelity totters precariously between truth and lies while infidelity rages rampant. While professional counsellors wield fidelity as elementum ultimum for ‘marital success’, head hunters make a living, enticing the ambitious to look beyond existing relations. Ironically, both for marriages and career, parameters of success remain vague. Choice? Humans, polygamous by nature, are compelled to deploy monogamy to improve chances of all males finding mates. This benevolent practice, conceptualised by smart social engineers prevents violence inherent to sexual rivalry. Fidelity, the primary characteristic of monogamy is socially acceptable and infidelity, a taboo. Despite its adverse consequences, men and women of all cultures engage in emotional or physical infidelity. A...