10th Dec was my last working day at an organization that I have given my all. Until I met my fiancé who moved right to the top of my priority list, work had me at hello and kept me there for 30 months or so. During this period, I evolved, I deteriorated, I lost my head, I lost my cool, I learnt a little more about the world, about how people operate, about how I operate, about superiors, what they are made of , about give & take, racism and mostly about life and balance.
I was given a book by an authoritative figure in the organization who I respect and look up to which remained untouched till last week for numerous reason, firstly due to the lack of time and then due to the sheer disinterest of the initial content of the book.
I started reading the book last Saturday when my fiancé decided to mess around with his DJ gear and I had to stay put for a good 4-5 hours. Those 5 hours and the few hours he is doing the same today, while I finish the last few pages of the same book makes me feel one with him, the world, the system and a lot of things. A notch lower than Nirvana wouldn’t be a wrong statement at all. I just wish I could light a cigarette or even a stick of trip [Grin]
Go Kiss The World by Subroto Bagchi is definitely a book not to be missed. Though the first 100 pages were beyond a bore every single page there onwards was content to be grasped, which I’m inspired to share with who ever who stumbles upon this blog.
[Page 101]
Selling & negotiation skills are intertwined. A sale without a negotiation is like courtship without romance. The negotiation skills we learn in selling become essential as one grows in any profession. You negotiate with your boss, peers, children and sometimes with complete strangers. While life is about constant negotiation, only selling teaches you the nuance of negotiation.
[Page 102]
A salesperson learn to take rejection as a way of life. Sometimes, a customer ca be downright abusive. Yet, a good salesperson learn that the real meaning of a ‘No’ is ‘Now Now’.
[Page 104]
We all have some talent in us, be it signing, writing, painting or sculpting. If we nuture and cherish it, it makes our life fuller. Yet so many of us choose the uni-dimensionality of a work life, always citing lack of time to pursue a hobby.
[Page 117]
‘How loaded are you? ‘
‘Only when you are 120% loaded will you be 100% effective.’
[Page 121]
It is interesting how quickly seasons change in the corporate world. What was priority yesterday may not be priority today and your past glory is only as relevant as the current war.
[Page 147]
‘I leant that the first rule for managing is to listen. This is something most bosses fins difficult to do because they do not know that in order to listen, you must suspend all judgment.’
‘He also taught me the meaning if humility, that knowledge and arrogance are antiethical. To be a good leader, one must first be a good human being.’
‘I learnt that the key was not to react to what had happened. Whatever the incident, you had to learn to absorb all the details and then figure out the subsequent damage control.’
[Page 153]
A leader must not take decisions under fraught circumstances. Always insist on some more time so that you can take a considered view, stepping away from the moment of high emotion. No decision is without risk, but when you take the time to think things through, you take very few regrettable decisions.
[Page 159]
A great leader has the power to attract and retain talent that is better than him in many aspects. He does not get insecure when surrounding himself with a top performing team. Yet, the better team, the higher the incidence of idiosyncrasy among team members.
A leader’s job is to focus on what is delivered, not on what a person’s quirks are. Competence to do a job has far greater weightage than personal reverence.
[Page 163]
One of the most common signs is discontent with life or the very same lifestyle that gave you happiness for many years. There is a sense of boredom with people who hitherto held your interest or dominated your life. These could be close friends, professional associates, a role model or relatives at home. Some people feel highly adventurous and want to do something completely different……..
[Page 172]
There is nothing more painful in life than to see your gods fail. The teacher you once loved and respected and considered the last post of integrity turns out to be an ordinary, vulnerable, favour-seeking man. The honest-to-the-core role model in the family turns out to be nothing more than a self serving individual putting on a façade, whose sense of morality is specific to a given time and space. It is the inevitability of growing up without which we cannot become complete human beings.
More on the book on the next post…….
