The Art of Balance

Or is it a science? I'll leave it to you to decide.

Of the hundreds and thousands of things that you learn in the course of your life, how many do you still remember after a certain point of time? Here’s something that you'll never forget. Even if you've never done it for many years. And it takes less than a week to learn. Maximum. Many eons ago, I learned it myself. And there was not a soul to teach me.

Last week, I helped my daughter learn and in the process, I realized that there are some simple techniques to understand the art of balance. Quickly.

Now, you could learn how to cycle without knowing any of this, just by sheer practice. Brute practice. But keep a few of the pointers discussed below, and I promise you a journey that is shorter and less painful. Besides, knowledge is BHP (power). And if you are into documentation, you’ll know that the ‘How to cycle’ question is often asked in many technical writer test papers. And it’s usually written to an alien audience. So all you hiring managers out there, here’s an answer that you could use not just to evaluate the candidate's writing skills, but also find out if that alien flew back, or did it use the cycle track back :)

What you’ll need first - The right sized bicycle. Duh! Don’t complicate things by trying to learn on the first available bicycle. You need one that is the right size – for you. There are several parameters that you need to evaluate before selecting a bicycle. And Google is your best friend to find more. But to learn, here’s one that is very important. Once you’ve managed to settle your butt on the seat, your toes should just touch the floor. Your feet were intended to be on the pedal, not on the floor, and that’s where they’ll be most of the time. 

Note to Aliens: Just two feet and two hands are needed. You'd also need a butt that can be placed on a seat, but that I'm sure we can work something out! You could also do it with one arm and leg. But you'll have to be a champ like this guy. 

Simple Rules to Understand

• At first ignore the pedals: Don’t try to pedal as soon as you get on the bicycle. You learn cycling in stages, one step at a time. Learn the part that you need to do with your hands first, and then move to the legs. Of course, you can disregard this rule if you are this guy, and simply do both!
  
  
  
  Your first aim is to be able to learn how to stay upright, while moving, on two thin wheels.
  Did you know that they actually have bicycles without pedals designed just to help kids learn this part?
  
  
• Don’t ignore the brakes: Keep your hands on the handle bar with your fingers in contact with both brake levers at all times. You might be prepared to fall. But the people in your surroundings aren’t prepared to get struck!
  Remembering to apply both brakes simultaneously, always, will minimize a few embarrassments.
• Keep your head up: Don’t look at the floor/pedal/feet. Look up, that's where the action usually is.
• Balance is in your hands: Yes! Not in that big thing you place on the seat! And the most important thing - Remember to swivel the handle gently in both directions, as you move, continuously, till  it becomes second nature to you. No one will tell you to do this. And this is how you will learn to master this art quickly. If you've observed a cyclist, you'll notice how often he/she twists the handle to steady themselves. By twisting the handle you are consciously doing something that will not just correct your course, but also keeps you upright. Watch this interesting experiment to understand balance.
  
  

Time to start. Divide your learning into the two parts.

Downhill

1. Find a road that is slightly inclined (and preferably deserted), sit on the bicycle, place your hands on the handle, keep your head up and look in front. 
2. Sit on the seat with both legs on the floor. Once you are ready to move, give yourself a gentle push with your foot to allow the bicycle to begin to roll downhill. Keep twisting the handle to the left and right, in small, gentle movements, continuously, while gravity moves you forward. As the bicycle gathers momentum and starts moving faster, and you begin to feel uncomfortable, remember to clasp the brakes! 
3. As you move forward, all the while, use your legs to prop the bicycle up, on either side. Use your feet like oars. If you are falling to the right, put your right leg down and vice versa on the other side. You’ll notice that the bicycle will ‘sail’ forward in a smooth zig-zag manner and you will also be bobbing from side to side as you place alternate feet on the ground to steady yourself. Don’t worry about who’s watching;) And it’s also alright to fall a few times. Your objective is to get the farthest distance without touching your feet on the ground.
   Remember, we are still not touching the pedals.

Uphill

1. On the return journey (uphill), you’ll need someone’s help. While your friend/dad/whoever, is holding the bicycle upright, rotate one of the pedals up to the 10 O’clock position with your preferred foot. Keep the other foot on the ground. 
2. Now, while the bicycle is held upright, apply pressure on the foot that’s placed on the pedal. As the cycle begins to move forward, quickly bring your other foot up to the other pedal and start pedaling. 
3. All the while, as you pedal, don’t forget to continue to move the handle to the right and left. If you feel you are going to fall in one direction, turn the handle a little more in the same direction and then quickly try to straighten yourself again. You'll get this right after a few falls:)
4. Whoever is supporting you will need to hold the bicycle upright continuously, at least initially. But as you progress, ask him/her to let go for short durations.

Do the down-the-road / up-the-road routine  for 30 to 45 minutes every day. I can assure you that by the 5^rd or 6^th day, the person who was supposed to hold the bicycle upright for you will be huffing and puffing (and losing a lot of weight) behind you!

You can use these tips to teach your wife (ok, let me not be sexist here) or your husband to ride a scooter. My wife didn’t know how to cycle. But I’m mighty impressed with her that despite not knowing how to cycle, she learned how to ride a scooter. You can read about our adventures here - Teaching the Wife to Ride a Scooter.

And 'adventures', is putting it mildly!

The Road Less Travelled

How many of your schoolmates are you still in touch with? Me? About 100! Thanks to an idea and of course - whatsapp. After more than two decades of last seeing each other, meeting several friends, all at once, is quite a delightful experience. But what really takes the cake is how we rallied around to create an opportunity to honor two of our retiring teachers. The teachers were more than just touched!

Mr Shivprakash was our PT teacher. If there was anything that every kid at St Josephs knew, it was what a fiddle looked like. You just had to meet our PT master! Fit as a fiddle. He was very agile, could run circles around you dribbling any thing that was remotely round. He could bowl, catch, bat, and basically play any sport, like he invented the damn game. He approached physical education like it should be - a life science. Many a time, those who were good at sports would lose focus on academics. I remember how he used to coach them and explain the importance of both. We used to watch him wide eyed, from the sidelines, as he explained various on-field strategies, tactics and mind games to brats who made it to the school hockey/cricket/football teams. Ever smiling and approachable, he was the gentleman's gentleman. To most boys, he was more like a friend. He broke every mold that one would typically associate with a PT master. No wonder his tenure at St Josephs Boys High School, saw greats like Rahul Dravid, Robin Uthappa, Anil Aldrin, Sandeep Somaiah and several others who went on to make a name for themselves, and in turn the school. There are several well written articles recently from old students, even one in the newspaper that described how much he was adored - across generations. He was an inspiration, even to those who were not that inclined towards sports. I doubt I can say anything more, even though I want to. I'm wondering if there is such a thing as overkill. Which brings us to the road less traveled.

Mr Uday Kumar, was our Kannada teacher. Kannada was not an easy subject to learn. Nor was it an easy one to teach. When we heard that both Mr Uday and Mr Shivprakash were retiring, we decided to meet up and honor them. The batch of 92 decided to do something, Hayward style - (Large!) It was an end of an era, one that we thoroughly enjoyed. Like many of our teachers, both these gentlemen have inspired many generations of Josephites and continue to inspire more. Both teachers wrote to us after we met, almost chocking for words to express themselves.
Here's one of the letters. And a response to it below.

Thank You!

My Dear Josephite Friends,
Hearty greetings to you all! 
As I pen few of my thoughts, I find it hard to express all the love that I felt and am still feeling the day you all took time to honor me.  Emotions keep flooding my heart and mind; but I am unable to find words to express.  How much of thought, love, gratitude and planning had gone into that memorable celebration.  I never realized that that day would become one of my memorable day in my life.  I still ask a question ‘why me?’.  I was only known for my rugged behavior and that’s it.  I was and am not a great teacher who actually has an impact on the student. I stand nowhere compared to the greats like Dr.Chatterjee, Mr. Andrade, Mrs. Sheshadri, Mr. Noronha, Mr. Shivaprakash, etc. Yet you have honored me.  Thank you sooo much. 
I wanted to say so many things that day, but somehow I could not. I am not a great orator. I am an ordinary kannada teacher.  So I thought of writing something like, what I feel about the school, students, etc.
I joined St. Josephs when those great stalwarts were teaching. I could not even speak proper English. You must have realized that in the class??!!  I give all the credit to my elders who just worked.  They didn’t tell us what to do, how to do, etc. I developed a desire to become like them.  I know I cannot reach their standard. 
I had joined the school with a BSc degree certificate and I knew short hand and typing.  School gave challenges and I took them. Got my MA, PGDELT degrees.. I also got an opportunity to work elsewhere as principal.  But somehow the Josephite spirit was so powerful and strong that I could not even think of working anywhere.  I have cried literally thinking of leaving my school.  I could not think of leaving my school.  If I have to work in any other school, it will be ONLY after my retirement.  The school has blessed me with many things – means of livelihood, quarters to stay, opportunities to do higher education, and ABOVE ALL, students like YOU!!!!!

My association with the student community during your period was bit on the rough scale.  I think I was only interested in the subject proficiency.  So going in that direction, I have growled, howled and hurled bad words.  I have even given corporal punishment.  I have felt very bad for having done those things.  So I ask you humbly to forgive me.  You were always supportive of me.  Your love, affection, care and understanding has gone beyond my imagination.  Love you guys. 
May God shower His choicest blessings on you and your families.  May God keep you in the palm of His hand and protect you. You are in my prayers. 
Thanks again.
Affectionately yours,
UK sir
PS: Please pardon for all the English mistakes…

And the Response

Dear UK sir,

Someone had to respond to your emotional thank you letter. And maybe set a few memories  straight.

Yes we had to make several sacrifices to make things happen. Some of us had to skip a meal, others had to make do with dry square chapatis (square meal) and yet others had to put off buying that second Rolls Royce so that we could save enough to thank you. We did check if EMIs (in love) were possible, but the organizers would hear nothing of it.

I'm hoping here that you still have that excellent sense of humor!

 

You were not just an 'ordinary' Kannada teacher. You may not remember, but you taught us more than Kannada. Of course you were rugged and really strict. A terror actually. A shout that said.. shhhh... UK is coming... would result in exactly that - a shhhhh in the class, and sometimes a shhhh in the pants! And those who had the pleasure of having you teach, UK, in our acronym list stood for your name, much before we could associate it with the United Kingdom or the University of Kentucky.

I still remember you teaching the 'Kadukona' lesson. And every time I see a tree with a branch pointing to the ground, I wonder if there's buried treasure underneath. When I can bear the stink of the toilets and do travel by train, I watch out for those trying to lose a bet on what the next station is going to be. Especially if the prize for winning the bet is hanging around their neck. I'll always remember how you sat on the first desk with your feet on the bench, much closer than most other teachers would get to so much of (freshly releasing) testosterone!

And speaking of testosterone, some of your lucky batches probably also remember that their first sex education classes - were in Kannada. :)

So please don't say that you were an ordinary Kannada teacher. That's not how we remember you. There were important life lessons that we learned, just observing you. You taught us how to treat the opposite sex. Remember how a particular lady teacher was teased to a point of tears? The boys had to deal with you after that. You taught us to stand up for what you knew is right. And to defend (till a ruler broke) those who could not defend themselves. For those who didn't learn anything else, one can still learn a great lesson in humility. Not everyone is great. But greatness is also a point of view. As far as I can remember, you had our best interests in mind and did your job as best as you could possibly do. True, there was only one David Chatterjee, and one Shivprakash, and one Father Dennis. But you can be sure that there was also only one UK. And most of us, I'm sure, wouldn't have it any other way!

Personally, I wasn't that good with languages. But in spite of that, I'm happy that I'm literate in Kannada and can proudly call myself a "Mannina maga" : ) To put this feat in perspective, I can't read or write my mother tongue - Malayalam. Not that I've not tried, but let's just say that some of us are linguistically challenged (Along with all the other subjects! Ha!). When such is the situation, I'm extremely happy that when push comes to shove, I can read and understand Kannada. And when I can't read poorly handwritten script, I did have a Plan B. I made sure that my better half knew exactly which half she had to be good at. It was even specified in her JD:)

And oh, there's more. You'd be delighted to know that I conceptualized and organized Kannada classes to the colleagues in my company. The videos are on Youtube and they've received over 100,000 views so far! I have to thank my Kannadiga colleagues for the actual delivery of the content. It would not been possible without their help. (But your villain does make a brief appearance at 13:13 in the first video). It was hugely appreciated effort, and I'd be lying if I said all the inspiration was intrinsic. Sir, you must have done something right!

Please don't apologize for anything you did - corporal punishment included. We wouldn't be what we are today, if it was not for those pinches, punches and slaps. And compared to Mr David Chatterjee's kick, let me assure you, you were nowhere near our pain threshold! In fact now a days, one can't get a tight slap, even with all those high school fees! We were indeed a privileged lot, to have got some sense slapped into us!

The cubs you raised several years ago, have turned into different kind of wild animals. (You must have experienced this when you met some of us!) Thank you for all the love and prayers. Some of us have even lived again, because of this. But you can be sure of one thing. All of us have our hearts in the right place. And we are grateful. Many of us had to become dads to understand that children learn many things from you, even stuff that you aren't teaching. All we did was to take a moment to step back and say thank you in our little way.

And we forgive you for all the English errors. We had to take special permission from Mrs Seshadari. We'll have to deduct 10 marks from your overall score, but the good news is that you still scored a 100 :)

Batch of 1992.

Nautanki - Management Practicals

It's more than a year since our encounter with Ravan. The encounter left some of us shaken, some of us inspired but all of us had something to take away. All managers in the organization (without any exceptions) were nominated to a 2 day leadership training program. Most of us expected to listen to some gyan and maybe catch some shut-eye in the process! There was an expectation setting session with the faculty a few days before the event. There was no agenda. There was this suspense that only heightened each time we tried to probe the faculty for more information. Anu was a tough nut to crack. Make that impossible. Some people thought she was really nuts. She had .. ahem ... some unconventional methods. And 'unconventional' is putting it mildly. There were some folks whose sensitivities were hurt so badly that they even shot a few emails to the leadership team after what they thought was an insult! Being from a theater background of the Ranga Shankara fame, some of us expected some dramatics. And did she indulge us! Those who were not offended, well, let's just say - have a higher humor quotient ;)

A lesson in punctuality
On day one, Anu and most of us were on time. But she refused to start the program till everyone was accounted for. There was one person who was really late. She didn't start till he came in. We sat there for a good two hours, doing nothing. And you can imagine how embarrassed the latecomer was. It's unlikely that he will ever be late for another event in his life! A little extreme, but damn effective.

The Ice Breaker
We got around in a circle and were given some time to think of an adjective that we'd have to say along with our name while introducing ourselves. The adjective had to start with the same letter as our name and it had to be acted out. So when I said Naughty Nibu, I had to do so with a naughty expression. The next person had to remember and act out the previous person's name and adjective before introducing himself/herself. It was a challenge to remember all the adjectives and actions, leave alone the names, after a while. This was real fun. Especially since some people chose to introduce themselves with adjectives like 'adamant' and even fell to the ground kicking their hands and legs to act the word! Made life really difficult for those who had to do the introductions later.

The Plot
Once the team had assembled, she breaks the news. We were to be split into smaller teams. The teams were split based on the inputs we provided in the trailer session about our skills and interests. One team would be the actors, another would be the HR team, then a marketing and sales team, a script writing team, a stage management team, a finance team and a facilities team. The task was to come out with a skit and manage the whole event like professionals. Each team had to come up with its goals and road-map to achieve those goals. Work was clearly cut out for each team with little to no help from the faculty. We were given a budget to work with, had to actually sell tickets and also come up with a profit. Some of us were shocked! "Are you sure it is real money?" someone asked!
How could we? Most of us who had no experience whatsoever in this area, except for the drama during appraisals. We didn't even have experience as an audience! And they are expecting us to put on a performance worthy enough to sell tickets. But nevertheless, we decided to roll up our sleeves and take things one step at a time.

The Twist
We had a day and a half for the project. Almost half a day almost was spent waiting for the latecomer, remember? The script writers got down to writing the script. There were some strange ideas that were thrown across. It had to be mythology. And of course it had to have a twist. One of the twists was to have the Ram character run off with Ravan. But that was dumped since it would surely hurt sentiments. Besides, there was article 370 to worry about!
Finally, it was decided. Sita would run off with the tech support guy. Yeah there was one.

Full House and More
Imagine marketing and selling something you aren't confident about. You don't know what the end product will turn out to be! No one knows. But you still need to convince the customer (your colleagues who will see you again and again much after the show!) of what an awesome show it would be. We would than have to close our eyes, bow our heads, and pray! But this is probably one of the biggest lessons we learned. To simply do your part as best as you can. Assume everyone else is thinking along the same lines. If everyone ensures that it's nothing but the best, the overall effort would have to be great. The show was sold out in a short span of time. In fact, there was so much of interest that we had to create a new category of tickets for those willing to stand throughout the show. We sold those tickets till the last minute before the show. And as if this was not enough, we had to negotiate with the local politician (our real HR) who was insisting on free seats (planned earlier to check our negotiation skills)! Enough hype was created to get our colleagues curious about what their managers were up to. Pictures like this one worked!

All the rehearsals happened adjacent to the cafeteria. There was lots of music and noise and makeup. Posters were created. And teasers were sent out. Like this one about Good news and Bad news. 

We have some Good news and some Bad news.

The Good News: Since a picture speaks more than a thousand words, here’s a picture of what you could be part of :)

 

The Bad News: Rs 40 tickets and half of Rs 20 tickets are all sold out, even before we could get the poster ready! So hurry and grab the last few tickets!

We even went floor to floor to 'drum' up support. And yeah we really used a drum! 

Revelations
A professional light crew was called in to set up the stage. We were working on a budget. Costumes were hired and everyone worked like there was no tomorrow. In fact there wasn't a tomorrow! Anyone who saw the first rehearsal would have probably asked for their money back! But after each rehearsal, it started to fall in place. The actors also started to improvise on the script. Amir Khan would have been proud of the final show. The final show was a roaring success.

Complete with the right numbers belted out, dances, even things that were not meant to be funny, tickled the crowd! The whistles might have made a few people deaf. And it did end with shouts of "Once more!", "Once more"!

And of course we made a profit. Not just in monetary terms, but also in practical knowledge that some people call wisdom.

Curtains
Such an event is highly recommended for any organization that is trying to get it's managers to work together. That's probably all organizations, huh? The biggest challenge would probably be in freeing them all up at the same time. But you won't get a better opportunity to see how well your wing men (and women) can manage the show in their  absence. Though we are a relatively small company, not everyone knew each other well. This was a great opportunity to get to back-slapping terms. The whole thing was like being shoved into a pool to learn how to swim. Anyone who didn't know how to swim would not only learn to swim, but also learn how to search and rescue!

The Other Cheek

Don't you love cryptic titles? Especially like this one. I know a few heartbeats that might have just skipped a beat. But thankfully for some, we are not going to visit the cardiology department today. However, we might be seeing a certain 'cheeky' doctor.

In this post, let's look at the value of the STC membership and try and understand why it is still perceived to be so low in India. The first part has been beaten to death. Here's a nice place you can read about STC Membership Cost Benefits And Value. It's the second part (low perceived value) that's being discussed here. What are some of the things that we expect (or could try) to see better value (and thus numbers). Here are a few thoughts and ideas to set the ball rolling. 

If you have ideas, and I'm sure you do, please use the comment feature below.

What are you selling? Sell value instead of memberships

• But first you need to create value and show value before you can try to sell it. Because clearly, not everyone see's as much value as is being marketed. So if people don't see it, is it really there? You know... that saying... "If a tree falls in the jungle and no one hears it... "! People aren't buying what you are selling. At least most of them aren't. So find out what they would buy instead. If you ask me, the day you disconnect the membership and the annual conference, you'll see an exodus. Me included.
• A good start point is to conduct a survey with your target audience. Include everyone who has ever been an STC member. Design a survey with the 'right' questions. Find out why they joined and what made them leave? Would they join again? Why? Why not? People aren't going to sign up (especially after the conference) just because of the discount. As I first heard from Mak, It's all about the value. Value is the difference between the price of something and what we get in return. The difference. Not just what we get in return. Make sure that the difference is positive. Kumar Dhanagopalan, had very long ago beautifully equated the price of STC membership to being less than the price you'd pay for having a cup of coffee every day (for a year). It's probably time to find out why more and more people are preferring that coffee instead:)
  
• Conduct another survey for sponsors and organizations. Similar questions. While targeting individuals, simultaneously target the corporates. Needless to say, the stuff that makes organizations tick, is very different. But it's the same marketing/sponsorship dollar that is being fought for.
  I'd also go to the extent to say that it's because corporates sponsor their employees, that many don't become members. The only value they see is the conference. And that is sponsored for them by their companies. Stop selling them the conference. Sell them the value of membership.
  
• There's no use complaining that US STC doesn't do anything for us. Why do we see 500 plus writers attending a conference, yet we struggle to get even a quarter of them as members? Let's also remember that it's a democracy. If we want to be heard and considered as an entity that needs to be reckoned with, we have to get a voice on the board. We should get Mak or someone like him to be that voice. There's your big hairy goal. To do that, we need enough votes. The last time I checked, population and community was the least of our problems.
• Remember: If your goal is the sky, you must aim beyond, for the stars. Pun intended.

Learning Sessions:

• Assist city reps with contacts for good speakers. Rs 250 worth gift vouchers for a speaker doesn't make sense. Nada. That won't even cover fuel costs. There's money in the bank. Isn't the chapter a non profit org? Then that's probably one of the best ways to spend money. Not every paper submitted to the conference makes it. But that doesn't mean there was no merit in the proposal. In some cases, it might simply be the sign of a gamble gone wrong. Encourage those speakers by inviting them to present topics that were not selected for the annual conference. When you spend so much time in selecting papers for the annual conference, learning sessions also deserves the same effort and attention. Otherwise, membership becomes all about the conference. Nothing more.
• Charge a nominal amount as fee from the audience. Keep it free for members. You are creating recurring value right there.
• Conduct free sessions for students. Recruit faculty from the community and outside. Make sure they are well compensated and accountable. Yup, there's money in the bank.
• Can we gamify membership? Give credits to members. We have PDU in PMI. Look it up. Or something more interesting. Can we create such an experience? 

Certification

• There was an excellent point made by someone on the TWIN group. Start conducting exams for Tech Writers. Would help in hiring decisions. When you hire a writer, what is the minimum knowledge/skill that you'd expect? Create a program that you can build consensus around. When I service my car, I interact with various service advisers. I realize that some of them haven't even read the manual! What's the minimum knowledge they should know about the car? Why don't auto companies certify them? Can we think along those lines?
• Tie up with Training Institutes and get them to give STC members a discount. Nothing wrong in back rubbing. Especially when there's a severe itch.

Leadership

OK, probably getting into a touchy subject. Especially after recent 'events'. We all agree that there is no shortage of capable leaders. There would be more interest to be part of an organization with a strong and inspiring leadership. That's a no brainer.
The question to be answered is, How do you answer their WIIFM question? Of course STC is a not-for-profit-organization. But that doesn't mean you don't cover costs. And there will be some who get their kick from just the position itself. But how well that's worked is anyones guess. I'd make the experience more rewarding. We would then have responsible people who are accountable. Not those who hide behind the 'you-don't-pay-me-for-it' argument. 

These are just a few ideas. Do that survey. Let people surprise you with their thoughts. Let's play 'other' games. 

And I hope you still remember the match. Because the cheeky title has its roots there. The participant that didn't do so well is making commendable attempts at the title. And the way things are moving, the sequel round looks very promising. There will be blood. Script writers are already preparing for Rocky X!
But one of the players (you decide which one) is in a small mess and has probably chosen the 'show-them-the-other-cheek' route. But there's obviously some mistake. 

Because clearly, it's not the cheek on the face that is showing.