Ymag - Window for Action Loving Professionals by Rajiv Khurana

Window for action loving professionals

Greetings!

#3. June 1, 2012

Lessons from Godfather - Justin Moore

2-4

Menace of Management Quota in B-Schools - Sharu Rangnekar

5-7

10 IDEAS on Coaching the LEADERSHIP - Rajiv Khurana

8-15

What Effect Does Management Humour Have On ProblemSolving?

- Laura Krikhaar

This World…

Albilene Paradox

In this issue…

“Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it.” 1

― Mahatma Gandhi

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” These words of H. Jackson Brown Jr., [P.S. I Love You] are not just momentary and fleeting feel good words. They create caution lest we repent. India rushing backwards to the comfortable discomforts of the Hindu rate of growth... Youth far away from the needed employability index... Employee engagement still miles behind the global acceptability... Too many students hunting for miniscule college seats... India shining becoming India whining... Where are we heading towards? Walt Disney said, "The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." High time, we come out of the national past-time of just talking. Time to ACT is now. How do we do it? A - Articulate simple and positive initiatives C - Co-create positive impact in our own domain T - Talk after we walk Cheers, Rajiv Khurana Editor PS – Please don’t forget to send your feedback at rajivkhurana@vsnl.com. You may even call me at 9810211256.

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#3. June 1, 2012

Lessons from GOD FATHER What does a real-life CEO have in common with the central figures of a fictitious Mafia crime family in The Godfather? According to Justin Moore, CEO and founder of Axcient, plenty. “I certainly don’t endorse crime or violence, and I’m not suggesting business should operate like the Mafia,” explains Moore, “but there are some universal themes in the movie I can relate to as a CEO.” Moore says The Godfather offers valuable lessons in community and team building, making tough decisions, and playing to win while not neglecting friends and family. Here are five essential leadership lessons Moore distilled for Fast Company.

1. Build a powerful community. Someday, and that day may never come, I'll call upon you to do a service for me. ~Vito Corleone Uttered in the iconic rasp of Marlon Brando, the words of Vito Corleone illustrate how he creates a loyal community among those he has helped. Moore says, “By granting these favors and helping people with their problems, Vito Corleone is building a network of influence--relationships that may or may not deliver a specific or quantifiable return, but all which serve to strengthen his power base and which have the potential to be reciprocal in the long run.” Moore says building strategic partnerships enables companies to work through challenging markets and fast-track overall success. “As a CEO, I see it as part of my job to be a super connector, networking with the technology and investment community without an expectation of reciprocation. Partnerships forged through time, trust, and mutual benefit--such as those Axcient has built with HP, Ingram-Micro, and a vast network of service providers and resellers--are the types of community relationships that bring about the greatest returns.”

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#3. June 1, 2012 2. Hold people accountable. What's the matter with you? I think your brain is going soft. ~Vito Corleone The Godfather reminds us of the importance of being tough when necessary. “As soon as Vito Corleone allowed a few moments of weakness to be seen by his enemy, they attempted to assassinate him. And it was largely because of failures of his team,” Moore observes. “In business, accountability isn’t achieved by a murderous rampage. But the lesson is this--to be successful in business you have to be tough, and you have to be extremely focused on hitting goals and getting results," says Moore. That doesn’t mean patience and understanding don’t have a place, he says, but ongoing tolerance of low-performing people or products just eats away at the success of the entire company. “You are ultimately responsible for all of your employees and shareholders, and that requires tough and swift decisions.

3. Don’t get emotional. It’s not personal, Sonny. It’s strictly business. ~Michael Corleone “Many people don’t like to talk about the fact that in business, there are winners and losers. When Sonny Corleone reacts impulsively and emotionally, he gets taken out. In business, if you don’t take the opportunity to out-sell, out-bid, or out-market your competitor, they’ll take you out. I’m not suggesting doing anything outside the boundaries of morality or rightness--simply pointing out that when people make emotional decisions, they start making bad decisions. To lead successfully, you have to take your emotion and ego out of the equation.” Likewise, Moore says it’s important to play to win. In business, that translates to knowing the competition and always staying at least one step ahead. “Operate your business with integrity and have respect for competition, but you also need to seize opportunities to eliminate your competition and win.”

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#3. June 1, 2012 4. Be decisive. Moore says that he, like most people who appreciate The Godfather, watch the movie with a combination of shock and respect. “Shock because he is so ruthless that he kills his own family member, but respect for the fact that Don Corleone knows exactly what he wants, executes decisively, and commands respect through unwavering leadership.” While you don’t have to kill anyone to prove a point, as soon as you know what choice to make, move forward. “Know who on your team is making the right choices, and trust them to take decisive action as well. Hesitation too often leads to missed opportunities.”

5. Spend time with your family. Do you spend time with your family? Because a man who doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man. ~Vito Corleone Moore isn’t endorsing 1940s machismo, but he is decrying 100-hour workweeks that many entrepreneurs fall prey to in hot pursuit of the next big thing. Though he’s been dedicated like that in the past, Moore finds it’s not sustainable in the long run. “A leader can’t be successful in creative problem-solving and making excellent decisions unless that person is connected to people and passions outside of work. I find that it’s often time with family and friends that gives me the perspective I need to build the relationships and make the decisive actions required for continued success in business,” says Moore.

Download webinar presentation [17.05.2012] - Anatomy

a Corporate Champion 4

from: http://lnkd.in/nHZMFX

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#3. June 1, 2012

Menace of Management Quota in B-Schools

Sharu S. Rangnekar

CMC, FIMC AManagement Educator with considerable experience in conducting Management Development programmes. www.sharurangnekar.com

Management education in India has expanded considerably. There are over 4000 B-schools giving MBA and equivalent qualifications and the total output of students is expected to be more than that of the rest of the world put together. This expansion has reduced the quality of intake of students. Even with institutes admitting students on the basis of test like “CAT” etc are getting low caliber students. In one institute I found one batch of students fairly good but the other batch in the same institute of very much lower caliber. When I asked the organizers, they said, “we started taking students based on “CAT”; but ultimately reached the bottom of the barrel and got rats!” The other complaint about quality is because of the Schedule Castes (SC), Schedule Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota of 27% for admissions. Thus for 73% have cut of point of over 90% in the “CAT” test but the 27% quota students bring the level down to 60%. However, it is observed that the SC/ST/OBC candidates with lower marks try very hard. Many of them realize that this is a great opportunity they have and many of them work to increase their capability. In recruitment for jobs, the recruiters have found that many of these candidates have come up to the general standard. However, there is another quota operating in many management institutes. This is the “management quota” which ranges from 15% to 50%. After the students are admitted to the “general” seats, the management quota seats are given on auction basis. Where the normal fees are 1 to 2 lakhs per year (i.e. 2 to 4 lakhs for two-year MBA course); the management quota seats are auctioned at more than double the price. The admission criteria gets lowered and these students come to B-schools with a lower caliber.

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#3. June 1, 2012 Unlike the SC/ST/OBS quota, these students do not consider this as a great opportunity for them. They consider that they have bought the seat at a higher price and are entitled to some special privileges. These students create a nuisance in the total education process.

Many of them have no particular interest in management education but are pressured by their parents. Particularly in Andhra Pradesh just the admission to a MBA course increases their dowry value and most of them consider that the course in financed by the prospective father-in-law. Their academic discipline is very low. Attendance to classes is often less than 50%. When they attend the classes, they do not attend to the lectures and create interruptions for their general entertainment. I have a personal experience. I gave a guest lecture in the IIT Roorkee, Department of Management. About 100 students were attending in addition to the about dozen faculty members who were sitting in the front row. The lecture was well received. The same lecture was arranged next day in a Delhi B-School. This lecture also had 100 students with about a dozen faculty members. But the faculty members were standing in the class at various points. I asked organizers to get the faculty members to sit down, but the organizers said that to keep discipline in the class the faculty members have to stand and personally supervise. When the lecture started there was an applause after introduction of the speaker. However, about 10 to 15 students kept on clapping even after others stopped the applause. The faculty members then went from row to row to stop the claps and get the meeting to order. Thereafter whenever there was applause, this group would prolong the applause disturbing the class. The organizers told me that these are mostly management quota students and they have to be individually disciplined. When the video-film was shown as a part of my programme, the lights had to be kept on. I asked the organizers to shut off the lights. When the lights were off, suddenly a lot of talking started amongst students. The lights were put on again and faculty members went from row to row to stop this cross talking. The organizers explained that the management quota students have limited interest in the management films shown and take advantage of darkness to have their own activities. So lights are required to supervise them. 6

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#3. June 1, 2012

Thereafter in the discussion with the faculty, the following point were brought up: They cannot give any break during the lecture because students who go out do not come back promptly and keep on entering over a period casually disturbing the class. These students do not observe the institute’s rules regarding parking. Most of the management quota students come in their own transport (motorcycles or cars) and park them in the campus. The institute has to take special precautions to avoid such parking which disturbs the movement of students and parking of institute vehicles. The most difficult problem is getting them to study the curriculum. MBA is one examination in India where nobody is failed. As soon as a person takes admission to the programme and pays the fees, after two years he gets his MBA certificate - almost like a platform ticket machine. Particularly the management quota students (and their parents) do not accept any failure because they have paid double the fees paid by the normal students. Their parents consider M.B.A degree as the return on this investment. One Accounts Faculty told me that this has created a serious difficulty in the examination process. Many of these management quota students give blank paper and so no marks can be allotted – apart from 5% for cleanliness. Subjects like Marketing and HR have advantage because they can give a case study and whatever the students write can be given 50% marks to get them to pass. In accounts, the problem is not even attempted by these management quota students and faculty faces dilemma in giving marks. If the students are failed, they (and their parents) complain to the director and the director puts the faculty on the carpet for not having taught the students. So the faculty have to find “some” questions that these students can answer and get “some” marks and pass the examination. Many of the management quota students are well connected and find jobs in their family business. But some of those who are seeking employment with industrial and business organizations cannot get selected. Since percentage of job placement is a very important aspect advertised by the institutes, some institutes absorb these students as “Course Co-coordinators” at nominal salaries in the same institute till they get jobs elsewhere. While the lowering of the caliber of students due to SC/ST/OBS quota is publicized, the B-schools do not talk about the problems created by management quota which lower the brand image of B-school.

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Rajiv Khurana

#2. June 1, 2012

CMC, FIMC www.thepersonnellab.com

IDEAS on Coaching the LEADERSHIP Role of an HR consultant to facilitate managers meet and beat the challenges “Follow me who can!” when Philip Broke, a British Naval Captain, spoke these words, his men followed him in the war of 1812. That was then. It was a war. War situations only command, “There is not to make reply, there is not to reason why, there is but to do and die…” Lord Tennyson said it all in the Charge of the light brigade.

Circa 2012. Nothing much has changed in the war situations even now. The Commander is just much more responsible for the lives of his people. People are still committing their lives. Change the scene to corporate war rooms. The corporate general speaks big. Sees big. Demands big. And even commands big. Does the big get delivered? Apparently yes with doubtful delight. People have come alive for their lives. Leading the brigade in corporate world is no longer light!

Leveraging rapid change Evolving with learning all around Accelerating continuous innovation

Delighting internal and external customers Encouraging ‘stayers’ and not just ‘high flyers’ Re-bridging culture and geographies consistently Searching for and applauding ‘good2great’ work Handling contradictions

Investing in replace-ability

Pulling not pushing people

The acronym LEADERSHIP is the intellectual property of the author.

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#3. June 1, 2012

“A true leader is one who designs the cathedral and then shares the vision that inspires others to build it.” Jan Carlzon, former CEO Scandinavian Airlines System, said it, truly. Big words apt for bigger conferences. Words good enough to be displayed on the walls for people to overlook affordably. But, yes, words which lay the right ingredient for the top leadership success. This is one extent. Now see the other. Chin-Ning Chu, the Chinese born American trainer and author saying, “Each one of us in a large or small way is a leader. Some have an official title for their roles as leaders, while others may lead their brothers, sisters or friends on the playground. Leadership is a state of mind – what you do to yourself, not what you do to others.” How do you evolve a leadership approach at the level that matters for the organisation? How do you ensure that people understand and work at the local situations, adaptations and challenges instead of continuously harping about the painfully hyped leadership in global perspective? How can an HR consultant answer the SOS from the client to go beyond the self or terms of reference imposed lakshman rekha of being just an advisor giving gyan through ppt from the periphery?

Questions could be many more. Standard solutions can’t work. A consultant cannot also rush in with all glamorous jargons vending ready or pre-fabricated solutions for situations that are far and wide. A consultant faced with the situation has to be patient, perseverant, empathic, tolerant and extremely skillful in holding hands of people he is consulting with. Things won’t work as per his presentation. Solutions will have to evolve along with people. A collaboration between him and managers at the client’s place has to emerge to come to grip with the situation, understand sensitivity and develop action plans which managers find it easy to work with and own up to carry out with conviction and pride. How should he strengthen the LEADERSHIP of the middle level managers he is consulting with? Besides training, guiding and counseling, he has to take on the role of an external coach. While sports can teach him many dimensions of coaching, the relationship of coaching must also get evolved along with the people he is teaming up with. Dennis Waitley, an American author, commented, “Yesterday leaders commanded and controlled. Today leaders empower and coach.” To be an effective coach on LEADERSHIP to the people he is working with, an HR consultant has to imbibe and demonstrate the leadership qualities consistently.

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#3. June 1, 2012 Jan Carlzon said, “Helping talented people blossom and develop is one of management’s toughest challenges.” The HR consultant will need to take a clear mandate from the top management for their commitment, resources and support. It’s not going to be easy. The results are not going to be immediately tangible. The ROI will be tough to prove. Yet the efforts can create the right impetus for the organisation to strive and thrive. LEADERSHIP matters. The challenges matter too. Coping with challenges and using them as an opportunity can create a difference for a consultant to project the right breed he has – not a pure academician but a hard-core facilitator.

What are these LEADERSHIP challenges at the micro level for the consultant to facilitate? I have attempted an acronym of the word ‘leadership’ to highlight these challenges.

The list is only illustrative by nature. With everything changing so rapidly, it is difficult to comprehend an enduring list. These are the challenges of the modern times with incomprehensible expiry dates. Results are based on the resolve of the organisation to take affirmative actions either alone or with the help of the consultant. Metamorphosis of these challenges into different shapes and sizes will keep happening. Yet the yield is also dependent upon the perceptions of the people participating and watching. Tough stuff. Who says consultants are made of easier mettle?

Leveraging rapid change People hardly enjoy change. The only person who feels relieved after the change is a wet baby. Comfort zones are important to people. Many like to remain in their discomfort but may not have the courage to challenge their self-mould. Someone has to point it out. Someone has to provoke them. The consultant can play this role well. He sees from a dispassionate outsiders perspective, who sees things in totality without any preloaded baggage. The pre-requisite for the consultant is that he should demonstrate what he is talking about. He must keep himself on a high pedestal of perennial change. He has to adopt Moore’s law to his advantage.

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#3. June 1, 2012 Moore’s law states that the price of the processor comes down by half but the capability doubles every 18 months. The consultant has to ensure that his own profile and capability changes every 18 months. There will be anxieties and uncertainties amongst the managers in the ‘go up or go out’ times. Helping them just to cope with change or managing change will not be sufficient. A high scoring batsman practices various shots to hit or deflect. More often he uses the pace of the ball to score. Each change brings variables. Many can be favourable too. The consultant has to help managers identify their own peculiar strengths vis-à-vis the situations that keep emerging. He has to provoke them to think beyond their function, designation, qualification and experience to shape up newer opportunities. Srishti[the world] won’t change for managers. They will have to change their Drishti [the way they perceive].

Evolving with learning all around Learning comes in all packages and shapes. To even remain in shape one has to keep learning. This is called maintenance learning. Getting ready for the future events is termed as anticipatory learning. The HR consultant can coach and train for both. Yet each manager drives the discipline of consistent learning. If they don’t do it, the third form of learning comes to them absolutely free. This is called shock learning. Helping managers on an ever-evolving track of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh is a major challenge. Start-sustain-stop vis-à-vis learning is easier said than done. People get fascinated by their knowledge and self-certified wisdom. They hate to throw out their outdated learning. Sharing the learning with others is another big challenge. Before the consultant gets down to develop a blueprint of ‘knowledge management’ in the company he must facilitate the right spirit to run the systems.

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#3. June 1, 2012

Accelerating continuous innovation The days of continuous improvements are probably out numbered. With features in the cell phone changing faster than you can say ‘hello’, its difficult to visualize a work environment where the processor’s speed is faster but the person keying-in is slowing down the output. The customer wants things FASTERBETTER-HIS WAY! He will shift quicker than we surf the TV channels. Change people skills for him. Change processes for him. Change the way you take support from external partners. Because if this does not happen, the managers will not be able to accelerate the pace of improved profitability. No organisation is doing charity. Not with employees on the payroll. The survival could be at stake. The HR consultant will have to shake up – wake up and make up the managers.

Delighting internal/external customers with what they can’t imagine Majority never wanted a cell phone in the first place. Last ten years have changed the situation in India. Now they don’t just want a cell phone. They want possibly anything, which the makers can insert. The more un-imaginable the better. Customers did not ask for electricity in the first place. They were happy without knowing that flying is possible. Its risky working on the unarticulated needs of the customers. Risk is fine, gamble isn’t. More risk means better business. Companies have learnt it extremely well. Managers can thrive on serving their internal customers also by reading the unarticulated demands. If you do what others do, you are not doing much. Doing a bit more creates the surprise. Increasing the expectancy lays the foundation for continuous success. Coaching the managers to go out and create opportunities is quite a task. As a consultant, you do it every day. Share the taste of your experiences.

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#3. June 1, 2012

Encouraging ‘stayers’ & not just ‘high flyers’ Mavericks, high flyers, persons on the fast track or call them by any name, are important. Managers are asked to look after them. They also focus on them a lot. An HR consultant must also provide a framework to look after them. But how many such people exist in the organisation? We also need people to do the routine. We also need people to follow creative ideas. Our body contains 70% water. Avoid looking after it and soon we may get dehydrated. ‘Stayers’ may not be big aimers but they still are dreamers. They dream as per their capacity, capability, circumstances or compulsions. Help managers understand them and look after them. A powerful engine without the other car parts cannot take the organization even an inch ahead.

Re-bridging

cultures and geographies, consistently It’s no longer people from various states of India working together. It’s no longer learning acceptable norms of etiquettes to wish each other or show cultural sensitivities with colleagues spread across the globe. It’s about a new mindset. It’s not about an Indian working internationally but a global manager who happens to be an Indian. It’s about demonstrating emotional intelligence of international standard. The consultant needs a first hand experience to share with people. He must invest in it. Tutoring people on this still won’t work. It’s about experiencing and sharing.

Searching for and applauding ‘good2great’ work Employees hardly leave organisations. They leave their leaders. They stick on with their leaders like a postage stamp wherever they find that they are blessed with the right leaders. Motivating people is an art. It takes time to master. Many managers learn even the art of giving a good smile with great difficulty. Consultant must address this mental handicap. The ‘shift’ and ‘alt’ key of the mind should be facilitated to look for good work and great work. And then all ‘heaven’ must break to celebrate and complement. Raising the bar for further high performance is something the employee will learn all by himself. Who does not like the action reply of appreciation?

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#3. June 1, 2012

Handling contradictions All is not ‘good’ and ‘great’ on the business front. Contradictions are a way of life. How should manager handle a balance between everyday turmoil with hope? How should the managers keep a longer perspective while working on ‘Quarter se Quarter tak’? How can managers justify late sittings while talking about ensuring work-life balancing? How should manager keeping nodding to their bosses that people are the great assets and yet carry out the tasks of rightsizing, cost cutting, pink slips etc.? It’s not going to be easy. The consultant will be questioned more as he is also seen as the man engaged by the top management. The consultant may not have all the answers. Honesty works. He has to demonstrate the patience to search for the right answer as per the situation. Cover-ups can put a question mark to his credibility. .

Investing in replace-ability Affluent organisations buy and display antique pieces. That’s the end of it. People don’t enjoy such privileges. Someone has to replace them if they wish to replace their boss. Clinging on to the position and yet wanting more is a typical mindset. Letting things go is considered unfavorably. Managers have to be convinced that their role has an expiry date. The consultant has to caution them in a more nonthreatening manner. The consultant also has to help them out during the changeover phase.

Pulling not pushing people “If you want me you can always find me in the lead tank.” George Patton, American General said to his people during World War II. Such words and actions prove magical. Ken Perry, in his book Transformational Leadership, said, “It is not lofty visions and grand language when you are a leader. I can safely say that no organizational transformation has occurred without changes in key personnel. No organisation that I know has changed its direction and gone down a new path behind a leader without different people being involved.” The manager has to lead by example otherwise no one will believe in the lofty vision, mission or values. Skilling and reskilling managers to pull their people into the dream world of the organisation forms a typical KRA for each HR consultant.

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#3. June 1, 2012 Hillary Clinton once commented, “Too many companies, especially large ones, are driven more and more narrowly by the need to ensure that investors get good quarterly returns and to justify executives’ high salaries. Too often, this means that they view most employees as costs, not investments, and that they expend less and less concern on job training, employee profit sharing, family-friendly policies, shared decision making, or even fair pay rises that share with employees – not to mention their families and communities – gains from profit and productivity.” Situation is no different in India. A consultant bound by tough to market competence can’t change things for people, managers and the organisations. But when he does get an opportunity, he has an important role in the LEADERSHIP of his client. He has to hold his client and people like a bird – just right.

...I am sure that those who take you to heart, and I certainly will, we have gained so very much. A hearty thanks. ...What if people really realized with Yoko Ono is saying – that age is not a determination of our youthfulness! Youthfulness at any age is what Ymag is all about, right? Keep it up, it’s most inspiring! Charles Savage Munich, Germany Congrats for launching the second issue dot on schedule. Each article was more valuable than the previous which encouraged me to go through the entire magazine. Col. N. S. Rana Many Thanx for Sharing the New Issue of Ymag Superb Efforts... Keep It Up... Vivek Nanda Magnificant piece of text/work in YMag.One can not stop reading till you reach the end.Best wishes for all the future Y- Mags. M.L.Khirbat Really nice Magzine,Good and touching collection of Superb Sentences .Please keep sharing. SHAKTI DUA

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What Effect Does Management Humour Have On Problem-Solving? By LAURA KRIKHAAR As someone who likes to think of themselves as possessing a good sense of humour and the ability to use it well in management situations, my eye was caught by an article from Professor Robert Wood in Organizational Psychology Review. Robert and his team presented a framework for analysing the role of humour in managerial communications, and I was particularly struck by the ideas contained within problem-solving and face to face meetings. Managers are warned to be wary of using humour while introducing complex information. Research from mood studies suggests that humour influences the depth-processing of information; and positive humour may lead to effort-minimising, simpler strategies to solve problems. It seems you need to temper your natural sense of humour if you need your team to solve a problem that requires deeper and more complex processing. Although using humour asides will help maintain attention and, therefore, work better when communicating simpler information. Research that shows how humour influences the framing of the problem during the early stages, indicates that there are advantages in using humour. Just as great comedians make us laugh and reconsider things we take for granted, managers using similar strategies such as ambiguities, inconsistences and paradoxes can help us to reconsider and situations differently. The team proposes that the use of both positive and negative managerial humour about a situation at the early stages can improve problem solving by encouraging different framings or alternative definitions of the problem. If you want your team to consider other, less obvious options, lighten the mood.

Wood, R., Beckmann, N., & Rossiter, J. (2011). Management humor: Asset or liability? Organizational Psychology Review, 1 (4), 316-338 DOI: 10.1177/2041386611418393 Article source: http://www.occupational-psychology.com/2012/02/what-effectdoes-management-humour-have-on-problem-solving/

My PRIDE…

#3. June 1, 2012

Japanese precision – Laying cups of tea

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#3. June 1, 2012

Mind is indeed the source of bondage and also the source of liberation. To be bound to things of this world: this is bondage. To be free from them: this is liberation. Upanishads

Albilene Paradox

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On a hot afternoon visiting in Coleman, Texas, the family is comfortably playing dominoes on a porch, until the father-in-law suggests that they take a trip to Abilene (â&#x20AC;Ś53 miles north) for dinner. The wife says, "Sounds like a great idea." The husband, despite having reservations because the drive is long and hot, thinks that his preferences must be out-of-step with the group and says, "Sounds good to me. I just hope your mother wants to go." The mother-in-law then says, "Of course I want to go. I haven't been to Abilene in a long time." The drive is hot, dusty, and long. When they arrive at the cafeteria, the food is as bad as the drive. They arrive back home four hours later, exhausted. One of them dishonestly says, "It was a great trip, wasn't it?" The mother-in-law says, "Actually, she would rather have stayed home, but went along since the other three were so enthusiastic." The husband says, "I wasn't delighted to be doing what we were doing. I only went to satisfy the rest of you." The wife says, "I just went along to keep you happy. I would have had to be crazy to want to go out in the heat like that." The father-in-law then says that he only suggested it because he thought the others might be bored. The group sits back, perplexed that they together decided to take a trip which none of them wanted. They each would have preferred to sit comfortably, but did not admit to it when they still had time to enjoy the afternoon.

readers say Yes and whY-not to positive action

Ymag is an initiative of YPROSINDIA, a social enterprise founded by Rajiv Khurana