A couple of weeks back, I had written a post about the decline of India's batting legend, Sachin Tendulkar. I had argued- he has lost his edge, and age and injury has slowed him down physically. He seems mentally fatigued as he lets the opposition get on top of him rather than dictate play- over the last two years, he has not performed under any sort of pressure. That is what makes him merely good, not great in my view. Since I wrote that, I have not been popular amongst my friends, particularly Indian cricket fanatics who worship Tendulkar.
I wish they would all could have seen Tom Brady in action today. For those who dont American Football, Brady is the Quarterback of the New England Patriots, a team that has won the Superbowl on three of the last five occasions. Today's performance was classic Brady- against the No.1 seed and best team in the league, San Diego Chargers, New England was trailing for most of the game. In fact, half way into the fourth quarter, they were still behind by a good eight points. Then, just when the team needed great inspiration, Brady produced a magical run of passes to tie the game at 21 all and then in the very last minute, edge it past the Chargers to win 24-21. Intense pressure, intense scrutiny, intense time crunch and Brady rose to the occasion.
And he does it time and time again- the best record in the fourth quarter in Post season history, the most number of come-from-behind victories in the league.
Performing under that sort of pressure and taking the entire team with you is what separates the great from the merely good. Brady is great, while Tendulkar is quickly joining the ranks of the merely good.
As far as the Football season goes, it will be a fantastic battle next Sunday between the two best Quarterbacks in America- Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Let the battle of the greats continue!
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Saturday, January 13, 2007
A "short" work week
A work week with 4 days is considered a "short" work week. For me, it is the week when you put five days work in four! Consequently, you feel more rushed, just a wee bit more exhausted and look forward to the weekend even more.
Why does it happen?
Two reasons I think.
One- in a knowledge driven, non-widget producing environment, we are measured by intellectual output which is not a direct function of the number of hours you put but the quality of your output irrespective of time involved. The outputs desired do not change whether it is a normal five day workweek or it is a shortened four days or even three.
Second- given the flexible work arrangements, the workload is being divided into chunks not necessarily in terms of how much time they are going to take, but in terms of skill sets and ability to accomplish a given set of goals.
There is also the slight ramp-up factor in the normal week. We all know Monday mornings can be a little slow and Friday afternoons tend to be 'wind-down' time. In a shorter work week, you are expected to hit the ground running on Tuesday and you are likely to stay longer on Friday.
In short, the "short" work week is a mirage. Here are three suggestions to cope with it-
a) In case Monday is a holiday, set aside a couple of hours the previous Friday to lay out deliverables for the week and ideally, if you can take a start at a couple of them on Friday itself, you are setting yourself up for success the following week.
b) If you are driving out somewhere for the long weekend, be back in your city of work by lunch time on Monday. It will give you time to 'mentally' readjust and feel fresher for Tuesday morning. Anytime later than noon, and you will feel rushed and nostalgic about the long weekend.
c) Try and spend your long weekend pursuing a hobby that you havent had time to go to for a long time. It will be the perfect energizer for the week ahead.
Anyone interested in a very different take on the topic can read Ricardo Semler's Seven Day Weekend, where he talks about the fact that if you really love what you do, then, everyday feels like a weekend. Not sure how many people are lucky to be in that spot but its a worthwhile goal of course!
Why does it happen?
Two reasons I think.
One- in a knowledge driven, non-widget producing environment, we are measured by intellectual output which is not a direct function of the number of hours you put but the quality of your output irrespective of time involved. The outputs desired do not change whether it is a normal five day workweek or it is a shortened four days or even three.
Second- given the flexible work arrangements, the workload is being divided into chunks not necessarily in terms of how much time they are going to take, but in terms of skill sets and ability to accomplish a given set of goals.
There is also the slight ramp-up factor in the normal week. We all know Monday mornings can be a little slow and Friday afternoons tend to be 'wind-down' time. In a shorter work week, you are expected to hit the ground running on Tuesday and you are likely to stay longer on Friday.
In short, the "short" work week is a mirage. Here are three suggestions to cope with it-
a) In case Monday is a holiday, set aside a couple of hours the previous Friday to lay out deliverables for the week and ideally, if you can take a start at a couple of them on Friday itself, you are setting yourself up for success the following week.
b) If you are driving out somewhere for the long weekend, be back in your city of work by lunch time on Monday. It will give you time to 'mentally' readjust and feel fresher for Tuesday morning. Anytime later than noon, and you will feel rushed and nostalgic about the long weekend.
c) Try and spend your long weekend pursuing a hobby that you havent had time to go to for a long time. It will be the perfect energizer for the week ahead.
Anyone interested in a very different take on the topic can read Ricardo Semler's Seven Day Weekend, where he talks about the fact that if you really love what you do, then, everyday feels like a weekend. Not sure how many people are lucky to be in that spot but its a worthwhile goal of course!
Monday, January 01, 2007
What am I looking forward to in 2007?
Four things stand out-
a) World Cup Cricket 2007- The tournament held every four years, is being organized in the Carribean this March-April. So far, the news is that it will be a logistical nightmare- stadiums aren't ready, the visa situation hasn't quite been resolved, the islands aren't ready to deal with the heavy flow of tourists during this time. Be that as it may, nobody can take away from the incredible excitement of the tournament itself. Australia beat India in the finals the last time around. The Aussies continue to be the best team by a distance. I am just hoping that they lose their way somehow and the Indians find some inspiration. If the visas and the logistics do get sorted out, I might even use my pre-booked tournament ticket to watch all the fun in person!
b) The new season of American idol- No logistical nightmares here. Only talent and tremendous excitement every Tuesday and Wednesday watching my favorite Reality TV show. If Jennifer Hudson does win an Oscar for her performance in Dreamgirls as she should, it will only reinforce the power of the franchise- the 'loser' on American idol is an Oscar winner- what better ad would you want!
c) The increasing 'flatness' of the world- The triple convergence as Tom Friedman calls it, I am looking forward to newer and cooler inventions in the tech world, be it the latest ipod, the newest Mac, Microsoft Vista, the freshest offering from google, I can't wait for the possible surprises.
d) Our son's first birthday- Ok, this is selfish, but July 28 is an important day. And shall be for the rest of our lives.
Of course, there will be many more and I will keep all you guys posted as the year progresses.
Heres wishing everyone a Happy New Year from Boston.
Keep reading and stay safe!
a) World Cup Cricket 2007- The tournament held every four years, is being organized in the Carribean this March-April. So far, the news is that it will be a logistical nightmare- stadiums aren't ready, the visa situation hasn't quite been resolved, the islands aren't ready to deal with the heavy flow of tourists during this time. Be that as it may, nobody can take away from the incredible excitement of the tournament itself. Australia beat India in the finals the last time around. The Aussies continue to be the best team by a distance. I am just hoping that they lose their way somehow and the Indians find some inspiration. If the visas and the logistics do get sorted out, I might even use my pre-booked tournament ticket to watch all the fun in person!
b) The new season of American idol- No logistical nightmares here. Only talent and tremendous excitement every Tuesday and Wednesday watching my favorite Reality TV show. If Jennifer Hudson does win an Oscar for her performance in Dreamgirls as she should, it will only reinforce the power of the franchise- the 'loser' on American idol is an Oscar winner- what better ad would you want!
c) The increasing 'flatness' of the world- The triple convergence as Tom Friedman calls it, I am looking forward to newer and cooler inventions in the tech world, be it the latest ipod, the newest Mac, Microsoft Vista, the freshest offering from google, I can't wait for the possible surprises.
d) Our son's first birthday- Ok, this is selfish, but July 28 is an important day. And shall be for the rest of our lives.
Of course, there will be many more and I will keep all you guys posted as the year progresses.
Heres wishing everyone a Happy New Year from Boston.
Keep reading and stay safe!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)