There are 3 winning strategies; Power of Observation, Desire of Execution and Art of Persuasion. Since my childhood I have been listening from my elders or I have been reading in books that “Experience is the best teacher”. In a way, this statement has an in-depth meaning, and has got a valuable truth as well but I never found it aligned with my idea of a Best Teacher. I tried to analyze and then I realized there is even a better teacher within us, and that is not the Experience, but I called it Observation, which comes (for me) before Experience. Experience as a general concept comprises knowledge of or skill in some thing or some event gained through involvement in or exposure to that thing or event (The history of the word experience aligns it closely with the concept of experiment). I found that there is one ingredient that plays a major role in placing the phenomenon of ‘Experience is the best Teacher’, and that ingredient is ‘Time’. It has been assumed that if one experience something as the time passes, that persons can gain expertise. This never sounded good to me (I mean you all can have a different way to explain it but still it did not sound good to me). I think Observation is more appropriate and precise word, to replace the word ‘Experience’ and to make it look like ‘Observation is the best teacher’. If we do not observe then the experience means nothing, on the contrary, in this case if there is person who is so called Experienced Person, is as good as a blind person, sitting near window seat, passing through a beautiful road, without noticing a single thing out of it. Thus, we can see that Observation is either an activity of a living being (such as a human), consisting of receiving knowledge of the outside world through the senses, or the recording of data using scientific instruments. Observation is the process of filtering sensory information through the thought process. Input is received via hearing, sight, smell, taste, or touch and then analyzed through either rational or irrational thought. The more observing we are, we will be productive in a better way. To prove that we have been traditionally giving more importance to Observation than the Experience, I would like to take you to one of our Mythological story of the King Parikshit, who was cursed to be killed by a snake-bite. In his last days, he wished to listen Srimad Bhagvatam before he dies, and for that reason he started looking for some great scholar across the universe that can chant the verses and make him understand the essence of it. That time lot many Rishis, Mahirishis and Brahmarshis were there but the King chose just 16 year old Shukdev ji to help him. We can see (or we can observe…) that for him, the Experienced Scholar did not matter but what mattered is that Intelligence that came to Shukdev by Observation in a very short age. When I tell you this, I do not mean that Experience has nothing to do with Quality output, but rather I want to say that Experience without Observation is nothing at all. Observation is more important than anything, first Observe it as deeply and as closely you can and then you go to next level. It goes without saying that Observation is completed only when our brain get into touch with any stimulus and effects our minds, otherwise it’s not observation but just another piece of experience. The importance of Observation has been accepted by many western scholars and thinkers, e.g. Observe always that everything is the result of a change, and get used to thinking that there is nothing Nature loves so well as to change existing forms and to make new ones like them. Meditations. iv. 36. - Marcus Aurelius To activate our ‘Power of Observation’, two things are required. First, we must shut-up. Thats right, stop talking - both to yourself (in your mind) and to others. When our mouth is closed, our ears and eyes magically open wider. The second step is to gather verbal and non-verbal information without thinking about it. This is easier said than done, but can be mastered with practice. There are lots of benefits of an enhanced Observation skill, for example we can have a better understanding of friends and rivals, good and bad, can improve our decision making skills, we can learn a better way to help people, we can learn how to influence others, finding new ways to solve persistent problems and last but not the least, seeing Opportunities and Problems before they happen. With benefits like these its no surprise that confidence and self belief improve too. One of the strangest things about being a human is the way we have to unconsciously ignore most of the information available to our senses. And because of this nature, the ‘Power of Observation’ becomes very relevant and important for us. After practicing ‘Power of Observation’, we need to move towards the next level, which can help us win the battle. Yes, I am talking about the ‘Desire of Execution’. ‘Desire of Execution’ is second most important factor. To accomplish anything, there has to be a strong desire, driven and motivated from within because this desire only will decide how far we can travel, how much of hardship we can take, to fetch our wagon beyond stars. A strong ‘Desire of Execution’ is when you don’t just sit back and worry that how will you reach your goal, whether you will reach your goal or not but rather you keep working on it. This ‘Desire of Execution’, for me, works as fuel to sail through any problem and reach my destination. I would like to quote here the example of our own former CTO and present CEO Mr. N. Chandrasekaran. Nobody would ever think that certain people could run a marathon. If the person desired to run it, but never did anything about it, then it would never happen. If the person focused on execution, then that person would start to run every day. First that person would run 1 mile a day. Then the person would increase that to 2 miles a day. Gradually the person would increase the difficulty until they reached 26.2 miles. This is because that person focused on execution, with a very strong desire of doing it. And that is what our CEO did, by finishing the Marathon. There are millions of people on our planet, who wish to be rich or have some similar very high ambitions. Sometimes, they even think also that how they can be what they wish to be. But they lack in this strong ‘Desire of Execution’, they don’t have this fuel to help them. They consistently do not think of new ideas, and constantly pitching those new ideas and trying to create some value out of it. Are they…? Of course not, and that is why I like one of most successful innovators Mr Disney’s statement that ‘‘Get a good idea and stay with it. Do it, and work at it until its done right’. So, the next time you think of a new goal, consider whether or not you are acting with ‘Desire of Execution’. Don’t just sit around but wake up, don’t stop till you reach your goal. (Taken from some where)
Posted on: Wed, 09 Apr 2014 07:27:11 +0000