Learning together, Growing together

For ages, whenever we talk about learning, we have talked about a learning hierarchy: Guru - Shishya, Teacher - Student, Trainer Trainee, Mentor- Mentee, Superior - Subordinate or some sort of a higher intelligence- lower intelligence. The teacher or trainer, have always been looked up as a highly resourceful person, who has an answer for any question under the sun. But in this digital era, the equations have changed. Information is available in abundance. So, information is no more a differentiating factor, for a person to consider himself intellectually superior.

Moreover, today we are talking about multiple intelligence, which means that, everyone is intelligent in a different way. So, the concept of one person being a superior and another being inferior, in terms of intelligence, is slowly vanishing. Everyone is intelligent is his own way and there is a great opportunity for us to learn from each other, if we are able to come out of our ego trap. In the world today, if we need to sustain and to grow, we need to be open to the idea of learning from everyone around us. It could be our friends, our colleagues, our children or the people who work for us. I think the new age is all about co-learning or collective learning.

I have personally experienced, the significance of colearning as an emerging trend, especially in the area of life skills training, through some of the programmes, I attended this year.

The beginning of the year, I got introduced to a programme called TCI - Theme Centered Interaction. The highlight of this programme is that there is no trainer, but only a facilitator. Participants, including the facilitator sit in a circle formation, everyone facing everyone. A particular theme is put forth for discussion and every participant is asked to share his experience or thoughts. The duty of the facilitator is just to keep the momentum of discussion alive and on track. When someone speaks, others listen. No one interrupts the flow of thoughts. There is no validations, no judgments, and no arguments for or against. Everyone who speaks is expressing their view, based on their own experience and therefore they cannot be judged right or wrong. Even at the end of the session, the participant does not have a “take home message”. All he has gained is a renewed perception of life. I found it interesting and a new learning dimension.

Just a month later, I enrolled myself, in a basic counseling skills programme at Asha Counseling Centre, Coimbatore. I experienced an almost, similar type of learning atmosphere here. Participants are encouraged to share their experiences. They bring to open their problems. The counselor by way of listening and asking genuine questions, helps the participant to gain clarity and a higher level of awareness. This awareness helps the participant to find his/ her own answers. I realized that there is so much of richness and originality, in this way of learning. Everyone comes with a treasure of their own experiences, of which none can be discounted. When they share the same with others, it is not just for other's to know what is happening in their lives, but also to know what we could learn from the other person's experience. It was yet another learning dimension.

We live in a world, where we talk about synergetic growth. Synergy means that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Similarly, this collective intelligence is far greater than our own limited intelligence. I found this insight very meaningful and hope this sharing, can widen your learning dimensions. We have always talked about learning ladder. It is time we start talking of learning circles

Happy Reading

D. Senthil Kannan

Article Dated Dec 2012

TFTD “Start your day with a positive thought.” Happy day.

 The above caption may seem familiar to many of you, who receive my daily SMS TFTD, acronym for “Thought for the day”. I don't remember the exact date, when I started this daily ritual, but I recall that it was sometime in the later months of 2003, that I started to send out a daily quote of inspiration or a nice thought to a handful number of my close set of friends. It is now 10 years, since then and with time, the number of people to whom I send out this daily TFTD has grown to about 200. It does not stop there. This SMS gets forwarded by a number of my friends to their own circle of contacts and hence reaches out to a far greater number of people. By my conservative estimate, I think it reaches out to atleast 5000 people a day. Adding to this, thanks to FACEBOOK. I also post this message daily, in my face book page, where another 300 friends have the opportunity to see, tag and forward.

Sending out this TFTD SMS every morning, is something I love to do. The thought of being able to reach out to my friends and relatives with a nice thought, early in the morning, truly excites me. It is my way of saying, “Good morning” to my little world. Quite a number of days, I get some quick response such as “You are right! Very true, Nice! Super! Apt for the day! I agree! I don't agree!” or something like this. But, there are also many days, when I receive no response at all. But this has never deterred me

from following this daily routine. It is a commitment, I have made to myself, and I do my best to send it every day.

So what keeps me motivated to do this, is the simple fact, that there has been a few sharing's of my friends, which made me realize that my TFTD has made a far greater impact in their lives than I could ever imagine. Many of them find my TFTD as a coincidence to what they are going through in life, at that point of time. Some even call me and ask, “Did you have me in mind, while sending today's TFTD?.

Here are a few nice sharing's of my friends, about the

TFTD.

One of my very close friends, once called and said, “Sen, the TFTD you sent me today, is a real eye opener. I encountered a close to death accident yesterday and your TFTD said, 'Life is short, make the best use of it.' It really made me think”.

Another good friend called up one day and said, “Senthil, your TFTD today made me cry. Thank you, very much”. I was puzzled and asked why. She said, “I was holding a lot of grief in my heart and was finding it difficult to let out. Your TFTD today, said, 'It is OK to cry, ….' and it triggered me to cry out and I feel a lot better now.”

One person in Mumbai, who receives my TFTD as a forward, specifically back tracked my number, to call and thank me. He said, “Every morning, as soon as I receive your TFTD, I forward it to my customers. This has made my customers feel friendlier with me and so they prefer doing business with me. My business has increased”.

There are many such incidents, and every time I hear such a thing, I feel so glad. Some feel motivated, some feel solace and some just feel connected. In some way or other, it is a joy for me to know that my TFTD is making a positive impact in their life. I feel so grateful to God, for making me an instrument in reaching out with a right message at the right time, to the right people.

Some ask me, from where do I get this unlimited stock of nice thoughts? With all humbleness, I accept that I am not the author of all these quotes. Though, some of them are self created, most of them are from the books I read, the quotes I see somewhere or hear somewhere, some forwarded messages, some taken from internet, so on and so forth. The sources are many. The only

criteria for its selection is I should personally like it and to some extent be agreeable with the thought. For me, sending this daily TFTD has been a pleasure and will always continue to be. It serves as an reassurance to my belief, “Small effort … Big impact….”

Happy Reading,

D. SenthilKannan

Article Dated Nov'12

Small Courtesies Matter

Some common words of courtesy, which finds usage in our day to day life, are, Please, Sorry and Thank You. These 3 simple words, when used appropriately can keep the relationships running smooth.But often, I find, when it comes to our close set of friends or family members, we tend to take them for granted. This comes from the belief system that, there is no need to be formal with close friends or family members, by saying sorry, thank you etc.

I have often heard this among mygroup of friends, “Common Yaar, don’t be so formal. You don’t have to say, Thank you for this. That is what friends are for”. Well, while it is nice to hear, that friends do not expect to be thanked, I still think it makes sense on our part to say, Thank you, when we feel thankful to someone for their help or kind gesture. Ofcourse, it is then left to them to take it or not.But let us not neglect to do our part.

My feeling on this is,  deep inside every one’s heart they are looking for these small positive strokes, but do not want to say, that they want it. That is the nature of us, humans. We contradict ourselves a number of times. We feel something, but say something else.

For instance, let us say the same friend did you a favour and you failed to thank him, deep in his heart he will feel, “I did such a big favour and he did not even call to say a simple, Thanks.” Is it not? So, why give way to assumptions and complicate relationships. Let us always say ‘Thank you’ or ‘Sorry’ when it is due.Similarly, when we are in the receiving end, let us learn to accept, these words of courtesy, with grace.

While it is important to be courteous, what is more important is our words of courtesy, should also be genuine. When we say a Thank you or a Sorry, let us mean it.Being courteous is not just an external act of kindness, but an inward transformation of being respectful to fellow human beings, irrespective of their social or economic background. It is a lifestyle transformation that has to become our second nature. 

To start with, we can practise these simple courtesies, with strangers. When we see people waiting to cross the road, let usslow down our car and allow them to cross. When we see children in the school bus, waving their hands at us, let us wave back in acknowledgement. While travelling in a crowded bus, if we see an elderly person standing, let us rise up and give our seat. When we enter a hotel and the doorman opens the door for us and wishes us good morning, let us reciprocate the greeting with a smile and wish him back good morning.

We need to ask ourselves, when was the last time, we thanked the people who are working for us. Many would say, that is what they get paid for. But, I personally think that more than the money, what keeps people working for us, is how we treat them.

It is a common sight in the Indian roads, to see commuters fighting head on over a minor issue, as to who was wrong. Though the person, who has wronged, knows he is wrong, he does not want to own it, because he does not want to cut a sorry figure in public. Many a times, a simple sorry or just a smile can set things straight. But we are conditioned to prove that we are right, rather than to accept that we as humans, are bound to err.

Let us understand that small courtesies, really matters and make a big difference in the way we relate with people. Like a motor engine, which needs constant lubricating for a smooth drive on the road, Courtesies are the simple lubricants,thatwe need to keep our relationships friction free.

Happy Reading,

D.Senthil Kannan

Article Dated Oct'12.

Palms is 12

On 28th Sep 2000, when Jci.Sen. Balachandran, lit the lamp to mark the inauguration of a soft skills training academy called PALMS, little did I realise that we were sowing the seed for something, so big.

To be honest, when we started, we had a very small agenda for PALMS. We planned a membership scheme, whereby members pay an annual feel and in return get to attend one training programme every month. That is all. Nothing more. But as time ran by, a lot of new activities started falling in place, one after the other, one leading to the other.

With a handful of members, we set out on our mission. Every month, we planned a topic, decided on a trainer, printed invitation cards - send out to members, and organised the monthly training programmes, in a professional way. No matter, whether we had 3 participants or 30 participants, our regular monthly programmes, kept happening. Touch wood, till date none of our regular programmes have been cancelled or

postponed, for any reason.

This commitment, consistency and endurance, has infact made a silent impact. We got noticed for the good work we were doing, and a few companies started inviting us, to don-house programme for their employees. As days went by, we started getting more clients, who trusted our training services. Whatever assignment was given to us, we did it with complete dedication.

We started publishing our in-house monthly newsletter PALMS PLUS, which started to reach out to a number of people and received good reviews. We ventured into Summer Camps for school students in 2004. Every year, our summer camps were tailor made on a specific theme and it aroused the interest of students and parents. In 2007, we reached out to the creamy layer of CEO's with our innovative business retreats. This paved the way for PALMS, to move ahead from training into management consultancy. What has been very gratifying is, PALMS has

been able to cater to the need of the MSMEs as well as the MNC's, owing to its flexibility and practical approach.

It is the committed effort of the PALMS Team to deliver nothing but the best, that has earned it a great fan following. PALMS today, has become a brand that is synonymous with “quality training at affordable costs”. Having completed, 142 regular monthly programmes, 9 summer camps for school students, 3 business retreats for CEO's, 2 Out Bound Corporate Training assignments, a number of inhouse programmes for Corporate houses, School and Colleges students, special programmes for Trainers, Teachers, Parents and Professionals, PALMS has did its best to leave a mark with every segment of the society.

No doubt, like any other organisation, we too have been through many ups and downs, but we have endured the difficult times. True to the 5th tenant of the PALMS Passion, written by my friend and mentor, S.Balasubramanisamy, “Motivating Success and Revealing Failures are the two sides of the coin called learning”, we have looked at every success and every failure, as an opportunity to learn and grow.

On the personal front, I feel enriched in many ways. PALMS has given me a platform to experiment with new ideas, to find expression of my thoughts and feelings, to meet and interact with the finest of life still

trainers, management gurus, business icons, professionals, corporate employees and students. Above all, PALMS has shown me the way, to

contribute to the society in a meaningful way.

We have always kept our benchmark high. We are aware of the growing expectations and we enjoy the challenge of raising the bar. We continuously strive to match the expectations.

The journey so far, has been good. So, what is in store for PALMS, in the days to come? God only Knows! We are just aware that we are in the right path, of our mission - the mission of empowering people to achieve their fullest potential. With your continued support, we are sure to reach greater heights.

On this 12th Anniversary, I express my heartfelt thanks to one and all, who have been instrumental in the growth of PALMS.

Happy Reading,

D. Senthil Kannan

Article Dated Sep'12

The Value of Obedience

One of the forgotten values of today is, “Obedience”. Obedience is an important value which is very muchintegrated with our Indian culture. I personally think, “Obedience is the mother of all values”, because without obedience, no other value can be inculcated in a person. Therefore, it is the base value, on which all other values are built.

Imagine a world without obedience.

·         How would it be if no one follows any rules.?

·         How would it be if there is no right and wrong?

Yes. The world will be filled with confusion, chaos and ultimately distress. It was with this purpose of bringing order in our lives, rules and laws were made, so that every human being in this world is able to lead a fair and safe life. Having made these rules and laws, it is the responsibility of every citizen of this country to respect the law and obey them. If not,  that person will become a threat to the society.

I come to hear a lot of parents lamenting, ,“My child does not obey me. In those days, I used to blindly obey what my parents told me”.  It is so true. I too belong to that generation, where I have been unconditionally obedient to the words of my father, mother, teacher and even my uncles and aunts, irrespective of whether I liked it or not. But those days are no more. So, why this shift?Let us explore. I think there are a few reasons to this and few ways to deal with them.

First and foremost, the word obedience has found a negative connotation. Children tend to link obedience to slavery. They don’t like to be commanded, for it hurts their ego. They feelobeyingthe instructions given by someone, tampers their self-esteem.They need to be educated that, being an obedient student or obedient child, in no way demeans our value. Infact it only enhances our value. The world praises Lord Rama, for being an obedient son. They have to be taught, that if they want to command respect, they should learn to give respect and the same is the case with obedience. In a corporate hierarchy, if you want your subordinates to obey you, you should be willing to obey to your superiors.

Secondly, the generation of today are highly intelligence as they have access to infinite information, at the click of a mouse, which has increased their questioning ability. They need reason to be convinced, why they have to do, what they are asked to do.The problem therefore is not the obeying part, but our responsibility part in educating them, as to why a particular rule or order has to be obeyed. Rather than making it as command, tell them in a way that they are able to find reason. Also tell them the negative consequence of what would happen if you didn't obey by the rules. For example, you can say, “If you do not obey the traffic signal, while crossing the road you may get hit by a truck which could cost your life or permanent disability.”This will make them think.

Another main reason is that,children are not able to look up at their parents as role models. They find duality in them. They find that their parents are not practicing what they are preaching. In other words, parents insist that the child should obey some family rules, but they themselves find them breaking it. For example, if you make a family rule that no one should watch TV, for more than an hour on weekdays, then that rule should apply toyou as well. Children do not do what you say, they do what you do. So, to make your child obedient, you need to be a good role model.

Obedience is the key to live a disciplined life. And a disciplined life is a key to be successful in life. Therefore in order to make our children successful in their life, we need to take the extra effort to inculcate the value of obedience in their young minds, before it is too late for them to mend their ways.Also let us make them aware that if they do not follow the law, they will be punished by law, because by breaking the law the person is doing harm to others. Reasoning and fear, will have to be the driving factor.

We can make it easy for them, by making a list of simple things they need to obey on a daily basis, like they have to wake up early, brush their teeth twice, put back the toys in the shelf once they finish playing, be courteous to guests who come home, keeping the room tidy, or waiting to cross the street. By educating our children, through simple ways, we could help them to move from lawful obedience (external force) to wilful obedience (inner force), which would do good for them in the long run.

 Happy Reading.

 D. Senthil Kannan

Article Dated Aug'12

How important is customer feedback?

During one of my weekend shopping, at a local retail store, I spotted a brand of wafer biscuits that I used to love during my childhood days. I was surprised to see that brand of wafers after such a long gap. I was in the assumption that the company was no more in existence. Out of my interest to give my children the happy experience of crunching delicious wafer biscuits, I bought 5 packs of 5 different flavours and took it home. To our disappointment,wefound that the wafers were not crisp. The product wrapper indicated that it was very much within the expiry date. I cut a sorry face in front of my children, to whom I had raised a high anticipation. I felt bad.

At moments like this, our normal tendency would be to stop buying that particular product again. But, something within me told me that I should not just leave it there, but take it to the notice of the manufacturer. So, I decided to write to them. Now that luckily most companies give a customer care hotline number or email id, it made it easy for me to key in an email to the company stating my experience.

Within just a day, I received a mail from them which read as under: “We are in receipt of your mail and noted the contents. We were sorry to learn that the wafer packs you purchased recently were not crisp. To help us to find the reason, please let us know the variety and packing of these packs and also when and from where (name of shop and place) you purchased them. We shall take remedial actions immediately. We sincerely thank you for writing to us.”

I was glad to see a positive response from them, so I send in the details they had requested. After a week, I received two packs of complimentary wafer biscuits along with a thank you card. This time, the wafer biscuits were truly good and it ended up as a delightful experience.

The idea behind me sharing this incident with you is to emphasize the fact that, “Good quality products and services in our country is not just the sellers responsibility, but also the buyers responsibility”. It is only through a good feedback mechanism can any product be improvised or the standards be maintained. Many a times, we brood over having bought an inferior quality product or getting a bad service. Does the experience feel good or bad? If it felt bad, what can we do to change the experience? Are we OK with inferior quality products and services in this country? If not, how are we going to bring about the change.We could either continue to brood that Indian quality goods are not in par with foreign goods, or we could take a proactive initiative to raise the quality of Indian products to global standards. The choice is ours. The initiative can be through our feedback. It is our social responsibility to give feedback with an intention to raise the standards of Indian products.

In some of the restaurants, we find a sign board stating that, “If you are happy with our service, tell others. If you are not happy about our service, tell us”. I just wish these hotels, truly mean their words. If they do, then it is really a good opportunity for them to raise their service standards. The companies that will survive in the future, are the companies that are sensitive to consumer feedbacks. If they are not sensitive or just ignore it, it just goes to say that they have started to dig their own grave.

A famous quote goes, “If you refuse to accept anything but the best, then most often you end up getting it.” This is the attitude with which we need to approach customer service. Demand for the best. Never settle for anything less. Don't buy inferior quality products because it is cheap. Let the manufacturer realise that people are willing to pay a better price for a better product. Soon, we will see the day, when Indians and Indian products are not considered inferior or cheap. “Made in India”, should be synonymous with high quality.

Happy Reading,

D. Senthil Kannan

Article  Dated July 2012