Paradigms and Choices

• Paradigms – ways of viewing the world
– All models of reality are “flawed” – some are more useful than others
– Paraphrasing Einstein and Kuhn
• Problems we perceive around us can not be solved by the level of thinking which created them – Einstein

•“Beautiful Distinctions” is an apt description of what follows.
–The “From” is the commonly held world-view
–The “To” frame is for me, a gift, of a “shift to a more enabling and ennobling perspective”

Business
• From
– Ways to generate even more wealth for the affluent

• To
– A contribution to the world-at-large as a token of gratitude to the Universe

Organization
• From
– A machine, designed and maintained for wealth creation

• To
– A purposive community for contribution (where one of the outcomes could be personal wealth)

Success
• From
– Achieved by “my personal” intelligence and efforts which inevitably fuels arrogance

• To
– Gift from the Universe to encourage me to do the right thing right thus nurturing humility and responsibility

People
• From
– Resources to be used to generate wealth

• To
– Partners to be supported in their quests for meaning and contribution

Identity (Who am I)?
• From
– Intelligent, knowledgeable (software) professional

• To
– A person committed to contribution -- blessed with intelligence and feelings!

What's really important?
• From
– Working relentlessly towards pre-set / desirable financial targets

• To
– Working with commitment towards genuine contribution and the resultant excellence

Time
• From
– Something which we always have “little or none of” because there is so much to do

• To
– A precious commodity we create by doing the right things for the right reasons in the right spirit

How to handle a difficult situation
• From
– Appease, Manipulate, Find an easy way-out

• To
– Authentic engagement, do the right thing, trust the universe (BE LOVE)

Secret of Performance
• From
– Fear of failure
– Comes from existing capability

• To
– Inspiration and commitment to excel
– Comes from capability which is “created” out of the desire to perform

What nurtures intelligence at work
• From
– Clear targets and continuous challenges

• To
– Loving acceptance and a will to learn -- individually and collectively

Leadership
• From
– Drive (subtly or explicitly) others to do what is "required“
– Be a hero

• To
– Creating conditions for excellence to flourish
– Be a faithful servant of the “vision”

Managing
• From
– Planning and tracking work of others to completion

• To
– Inspiring and nurturing others to meet their commitments

Innovation
• From
– Triggered by the fear of survival
– Need of the hour

• To
– An outcome of the desire to serve a need out there -- that requires me to solve a real problem
– A natural consequence of the “desire to serve”

Split-model (US-India)
• From
– Necessary evil to be managed for cost purposes

• To
– Opportunity to create a new level of collaborative excellence via a real marriage of the best of both cultures

Start-up
• From
– Frenetic fight for market win “anyhow”

• To
– Inspired innovation to deliver a novel value preposition

Inexperience and youth
• From
– A curse of the split-model that has to be some-how handled

• To
– An opportunity to shed “old rules” and co-create a community of commitment

Architecture (of systems)
• From
– Something to be talked about and done only when we have the luxury of time

• To
– A core requirement to deliver excellence consistently in our chosen field

(Software engineering ) principles / practices
• From
– Platitudes to be mouthed and/or “crutches” not required by the really intelligent folks

• To
– Part of a "my" tool-set to be a responsible practitioner

Employee retention
• From
– A difficult act to be managed with any and all means available

• To
– A happy outcome of an authentic community

Appraisals
• From
– Necessary evil to distribute goodies in some believable manner

• To
– Framework for nurturing genuine contribution

Recruitment
• From
– A way of ensuring availability of appropriate resources at all times

• To
– A way of inviting new members to the community of commitment