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Gut feeling vs Lean judgement

The Malcolm Gladwell bestseller "Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking" advocates the use of gut feeling or gut check as a critical factor in human decision making; Do I want that burger? Do I believe what I see as discount on that price tag? Is that car the right one for me? Every decision making is suddenly impulsive and cognitive psychologists are having a field day describing human behavior based on such heuristics..suddenly gut reaction have become the next big thing for decision making. CEOs to soccer mom - everyone is apparently doing gut check.

In this effort to do gut check for everything, we keep on forgetting about inherent traits as cognitive biases (where our judgment is based on stuff we know and want to believe against stuff that we do not know or do not want to know)..sample this ..bias to mimimize personal ego loss in a conflict can direct decision making to be something that is suitable to the personal ego and not for resolution of the conflict (think initial conflicts between board and union members of Walmart where each group was motivated to avoid big loss and didn't concentrate on mutual gain).

It is suggested by experts to follow the lean principles of decision making

(a) don't decide and execute till the last reasonable time for decision making

(b) verify all bits of information (may be rationalization sometimes is better)-- e.g. unicorns do not exist even if you see them after being drunk and

(c) question your decision (ask the other group who disagrees to your decision making)

Last but foremost is definitely trust your gut but don't leave a chance to question and verify it.

Made In India-1 More Time

photo courtesy:AM_iphone

Better Place

Project Better Place. It seems that Israel got it right this time (and this is not about the Gaza strip)! This company will make Israel completely gasoline independant in next 10-12 years. And how will they do it? electric cars...why cannot the US congress have a look into this company?

Start with may be small cities as pilot projects and then move key cities completely of the gasoline map...can you think of NYC with a near zero carbon footprint? Instead of offshore drilling with trillions of borrowed dollars and polluting the environment, why don't spend some money on pilot projects and make this happen?
Why doesn't Obama or McCain speak about this?
Click on the following links for more details

http://www.projectbetterplace.com/

http://shaiagassi.typepad.com/the_long_tailpipe/2008/06/the-better-stor.html

Scary Horoscopes

Some horoscopes are so scaringly true representation of your inner mind...
"You have the intensity of fire in your eyes now and the strength of your conviction can actually be scary to someone close to you. Although you don't necessarily feel angry, it's apparent that you will fight for what you want. If others seem confused by your intentions, assure them that you mean no harm and that you are just very passionate about what you know. Then, take a deep breath and tell your story. " ---my horoscope for today from Tarot.com
...............they forgot to add this 1 liner..the problem of the story is not the story itself but the acceptance of the audience listening...

BB vs Iphone?

http://www.engadgetmobile.com/photos/blackberry-9000-in-the-wild-1/
Those are the alleged snaps of the new Blackberry to hit the market soon. So may be people who don't want to be tied to Apple have a true alternative, and a better one too, given that BB comes with real keyboard and real keys not with virtual keyboard (iPhone) that can only be used by nimble fingers...

MOVERS (& SHAKERS)

In last 2 weeks, coincidentally I had 3 emails asking for advice on relocation and selection of movers. Every 1 seems to be dissatisfied with their current location. Anyways, some key pointers on how to select a mover

1. How big are the movers? Credibility can be checked online usually. Check for insurance, registration, feedback from other customers.
2. Are they flexible with you packing stuff or they will pack stuff? (if they pack then anything breaks their responsibility, you pack its your responsibility)
3. Total expense (no hidden fees like NY charge, Chicago charge, charge for special trucks etc)
4. Committment to dates and times (should not be more than a day delay)
5. Registration with BBB (Better Business Bureau) or other trade bodies.
6. Since you have only few stuff, how will they xfer the stuff? Wil they use a 18 wheeler or a small truck? if they use a 18 wheeler, then they will not travel still they have enough materials from other customers so thats its cost effective for them to move your stuff from Boston to SF....this might mean delay, extra charges etc.
7. How much will your employer pay and how much you have to pay from pocket might also help to determine which movers you can afford and who are beyond reach?
8. Can you and your partner use a UHaul instead of hiring movers? if Yes, then do it. Don't get a mover.

ABCD et all

When will they learn to be "lean"?
Lean means not being "wasteful", to have "in-built quality process", appreciation of "pull/need based work flow" and ability to look at the "bigger picture" than just any sub component.
Why in "Namesake", Gogol's dad had to die before he realize his roots and "listen" to his true call?

Now at ThoughtWorks

The Name, The Brand, The Company. And now, I'm with ThoughtWorks.
Have read about TW in countless blogs and websites, how the processes (agile.scrum.consulting.2.0) work, the thoughtleaders, facts and myths about immersion, case studies, clientele, the set up, the social experimentation with geeks, the growth...etc.(that was all pre interview research :))...and now I'm IN (their NY payroll after 4 rounds of interviews and 2 written screenings).

Going over to "Immersion" in India for 2 weeks.

Will keep this updated (for interested people only)!

Down with Friendster

When you are active on the internet, you create your personal and business profile in god knows how many social networking sites...tab.com, friendster.com, meetin.org, myspace.com, meetup.com, facebook.com, orkut, yelp.com, yaari..the list is bigger than you can think. After sometime, you end up only using a popular and trendy few forgetting about the others (except the occassional emails they send out to let you know how they are changing to compete w/ the best sites).

My serious concern for all you out there, who are dating or newly married specially, is to make sure that all your profiles are up to date in all such sites or get rid of profiles on sites you are not using. You can run into trouble and this time its not your boss at work or Uncle Sam. Its your current heartthrob. She might phish you (she has few scrupulous, not-at-work friends too) on one of these unused sites as "single" and also find that you accessed them say within last few months and didn't update the profile. If she is of the jealous kind (most women are, even if they don't accept) or the typical suspicious, insecure female....then everything will be lost the moment she finds out something like this. Her possible ignorance about the behavior of such sites and the mental remnants of the last argument you had with her will all resurface with a dark vengeance to end it all. She will not care whats your status and profile on the ones you actually use, but this un-used one will become the focus of severance.

This is true. This has been my experience.

NOTE: Also, if you can explain yourself well and give some time, the disbelief can be eliminated. Thats my experience too.