Category Archives: Columns

A large number of posts in this blog are my columns published in the Singaporean newspaper called “Today,” and in a well-known quantitative finance magazine called The Wilmott Magazine. These published (and upcoming) columns are blogged here for your reading pleasure.

Columns, Life and Death, Quantitative Finance, Unpublished

Food Prices and Terrible Choices

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Economists have too many hands. On the one hand, they may declare something good. On the other hand, they may say, “well, not so much.” Some of them may have even a third or fourth hand. My ex-boss, an economist himself, once remarked that he wished he could chop off some of these hands.

In the last couple of weeks, I plunged right into an ocean of economist hands as I sat down to do a minor research into this troubling phenomenon of skyrocketing food prices.

The first “hand” pointed out that the demand for food (and commodities in general) has surged due to the increase in the population and changing consumption patterns in the emerging giants of Asia. The well-known demand and supply paradigm explains the price surge, it would seem. Is it as simple as that?

On the other hand, more and more food crops are being diverted into bio-fuel production. Is the bio-fuel demand the root cause? Bio-fuels are attractive because of the astronomical crude oil prices, which drive up the prices of everything. Is the recent OPEC windfall driving the price hikes? What about the food subsidies in wealthy nations that skew the market in their favour?

Yet another economics hand puts the blame squarely on the supply side. It points an unwavering finger at the poor weather in food producing countries, and the panic measures imposed on the supply chain, such as export bans and smaller scale hoarding, that drive up the prices.

I’m no economist, and I would like just one hand, one opinion, that I can count on. In my untrained view, I suspect that the speculation in commodities market may be driving the prices up. I felt vindicated in my suspicions when I read a recent US senate testimony where a well-known hedge fund manager, Michael Masters, shed light on the financial labyrinth of futures transactions and legal loopholes through which enormous profits were generated in commodity speculation.

The real reasons behind the food crisis are likely to be a combination of all these factors. But the crisis itself is a silent tsunami sweeping the world, as the UN World Food Program puts it.

Increase in the food prices, though unpleasant, is not such a big deal for a large number of Singaporeans. With our first world income, most of us spend about 20% of our salary on food. If it becomes 30% as a result of a 50% increase in the prices, we certainly won’t like it, but we won’t suffer that much. We may have to cut down on the taxi rides, or fine-dining, but it is not the end of our world.

If we are in the top 10% of the households, we may not even notice the increase. The impact of the high food prices on our lifestyle will be minimal — say, a four-star holiday instead of a five-star one.

It is a different story near the bottom. If we earn less than $1000 a month, and we are forced to spend $750 instead of $500 on food, it may mean a choice between an MRT ride and legging it. At that level, the increase in food prices does hurt us as our grim choices become limited.

But there are people in this world who face a much harsher reality as the prices shoot up with no end in sight. Their choices are often as terrible as Sophie’s choice. Which child goes to sleep hungry tonight? Medicine for the sick one or food for the rest?

We are all powerless against the juggernaut of market forces creating the food crisis. Although we cannot realistically change the course of this silent tsunami, let’s at least try not to exacerbate the situation through waste. Buy only what you will use, and use only what you need to. Even if we cannot help those who will invariably go hungry, let’s not insult them by throwing away what they will die yearning for. Hunger is a terrible thing. If you don’t believe me, try fasting for a day. Well, try it even if you do — for it may help someone somewhere.

Columns, Humor, The Today Paper

An Office Survival Guide

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Let’s face it — people job hop. They do it for a host of reasons, be it better job scope, nicer boss, and most frequently, fatter paycheck. The grass is often greener on the other side. Really. Whether you are seduced by the green allure of the unknown or venturing into your first pasture, you often find yourself in a new corporate setting.

In the unforgiving, dog-eat-dog corporate jungle, you need to be sure of the welcome. More importantly, you need to prove yourself worthy of it. Fear not, I’m here to help you through it. And I will gladly accept all credit for your survival, if you care to make it public. But I regret that we (this newspaper, me, our family members, dogs, lawyers and so on) no se hace responsable de ninguna consecuencia adversa de la aplicación de mis sugerencias,,en,Venga,,en,deberías saber mejor que basar tu carrera en una columna de periódico,,en,Este descargo de responsabilidad me lleva naturalmente al primer principio que quería presentarles,,en,Su mejor apuesta para el éxito empresarial es atribuirse el mérito de todos los éxitos accidentales que le rodean.,,en,si accidentalmente derramaste café en tu computadora y milagrosamente resultó en reparar el CD-ROM que no se había movido en el último trimestre,,en,Preséntelo como su curiosidad innata y sus habilidades inherentes para la resolución de problemas que lo impulsaron a buscar una solución poco ortodoxa.,,en,Pero resiste toda tentación de reconocer tus errores,,en,La integridad es un gran rasgo de personalidad y puede mejorar su karma,,en,toma mi palabra,,en. Come on, you should know better than to base your career on a newspaper column!

This disclaimer brings me naturally to the first principle I wanted to present to you. Your best bet for corporate success is to take credit for all accidental successes around you. For instance, if you accidentally spilled coffee on your computer and it miraculously resulted in fixing the CD-ROM that hadn’t stirred in the last quarter, present it as your innate curiosity and inherent problem solving skills that prompted you to seek an unorthodox solution.

But resist all temptation to own up to your mistakes. Integrity is a great personality trait and it may improve your karma. But, take my word for it, no hace milagros en tu próximo bono,,en,Tampoco mejora tus posibilidades de ser el jefe en la oficina de la esquina.,,en,Si tu debacle cafetero,,en,resultó en una computadora que nunca volvería a ver la luz del día,,en,te concederías,,en,es un resultado más probable,,en,tu tarea es echarle la culpa,,en,¿Tu colega en el cubículo de al lado roncaba?,,en,o estornudar,,en,o eructar,,en,¿Podría haber causado una vibración resonante en su escritorio?,,en,¿La copa estaba mal diseñada con un centro de gravedad más alto de lo normal?,,en,un título en ciencias es útil para culpar,,en,su primera tarea para sobrevivir en un nuevo entorno corporativo es encontrar ganancias rápidas,,en,porque la luna de miel pronto terminará,,en,En el lugar de trabajo de hoy,,en,a quién conoces es más importante que lo que sabes,,en,Así que empieza a trabajar en red,,en,empieza con tu jefe que,,en,presumiblemente,,en. Nor does it improve your chances of being the boss in the corner office.

If your coffee debacle, for instance, resulted in a computer that would never again see the light of day (which, you would concede, is a more likely outcome), your task is to assign blame for it. Did your colleague in the next cubicle snore, or sneeze, or burp? Could that have caused a resonant vibration on your desk? Was the cup poorly designed with a higher than normal centre of gravity? You see, a science degree comes in handy when assigning blame.

But seriously, your first task in surviving in a new corporate setting is to find quick wins, for the honeymoon will soon be over. In today’s workplace, who you know is more important than what you know. So start networking — start with your boss who, presumably, ya esta impresionado,,en,No te habría contratado de otra manera,,en,él,,en,Una vez que alcance la masa crítica en redes,,en,cambia de marcha y da la impresión de que estás marcando la diferencia,,en,Conozco a un par de colegas que mantuvieron sus contactos para siempre,,en,agradable,,en,gente sociable,,en,ahora son ex colegas,,en,Todo hablar y no trabajar no los va a llevar muy lejos,,en,puede,,en,pero puede llegar más lejos identificando avenidas en las que puede marcar la diferencia,,en,Y al hacer un poco de esa maldita diferencia,,en,Concéntrese en sus habilidades básicas,,en,Ser positivo,,en,y desarrollar una actitud positiva,,en,Encuentre su lugar en el panorama corporativo,,en,Qué hace la compañía,,en,¿Qué importancia tiene tu papel en eso?,,en,la gente puede subestimarte,,en,Sin ofender,,en,pero encuentro que algunos,,en,expatriados,,en,son más culpables de subestimarnos que los demás singapurenses,,en. He wouldn’t have hired you otherwise, would he?

Once you reach the critical mass in networking, switch gears and give an impression that you are making a difference. I know a couple of colleagues who kept networking for ever. Nice, gregarious folks, they are ex-colleagues now. All talk and no work is not going to get them far. Well, it may, but you can get farther by identifying avenues where you can make a difference. And by actually making a bit of that darned difference.

Concentrate on your core skills. Be positive, and develop a can-do attitude. Find your place in the corporate big picture. What does the company do, how is your role important in it? At times, people may underestimate you. No offence, but I find that some expats are more guilty of underestimating us than fellow Singaporeans. Nuestra supuesta falta de gracia,,en,puede tener algo que ver con eso,,en,pero ese es un tema para otro día,,en,Puedes demostrar que los que dudan están equivocados con acciones en lugar de palabras.,,en,Si se le asigna una tarea que considera por debajo de su nivel de experiencia,,en,no te preocupes,,en,mira el lado positivo,,en,es algo que puede hacer prácticamente en poco tiempo y con considerable éxito,,en,Tengo un par de amigos increíblemente dotados en mi lugar de trabajo.,,en,Sé que las tareas que se les asignan les parecen ridículamente sencillas,,en,Pero solo significa que pueden impresionar a todos,,en,El éxito empresarial es el resultado final de una guerra total,,en,Tienes que usar todo lo que tienes en tu arsenal para tener éxito,,en,Todas las habilidades,,en,sin embargo no relacionado,,en,se puede atar para ayudar,,en,Jugar al golf,,en,Invite al CEO a un amistoso,,en,Jugar ajedrez,,en may have something to do with it, but that is a topic for another day.

You can prove the doubters wrong through actions rather than words. If you are assigned a task that you consider below your level of expertise, don’t fret, look at the silver lining. After all, it is something you can do in practically no time and with considerable success. I have a couple of amazingly gifted friends at my work place. I know that they find the tasks assigned to them ridiculously simple. But it only means that they can impress the heck out of everybody.

Corporate success is the end result of an all out war. You have to use everything you have in your arsenal to succeed. All skills, however unrelated, can be roped in to help. Play golf? Invite the CEO for a friendly. Play chess? Preséntelo como la razón subyacente de sus habilidades naturales para resolver problemas.,,en,Canta melodías inquietantes en chino,,en,Organiza un karaoke,,en,Ser conocida,,en,Ser reconocido,,en,Ser apreciado,,en,Ser recordado,,en,Ser extrañado cuando te hayas ido,,en,Al final del día,,en,que mas hay en la vida,,en,Cuando se trata de noticias,,en,las cosas rara vez son lo que parecen,,en,Los medios de comunicación pueden colorear los acontecimientos noticiosos sin dejar de ser técnicamente objetivos y estrictamente fácticos.,,en,Frente a informes tan insidiosamente precisos,,en,no tenemos más remedio que leer entre líneas,,en,Es un arte engañoso,,en,desarrollamos una sana actitud de escepticismo,,en,Armado con esta actitud de no confiar en nadie,,en,examinamos la pieza para llegar a las intenciones del escritor,,en,la idea no siempre es desaprobar la agenda oculta,,en,pero ser consciente de que hay uno,,en,siempre,,en. Sing haunting melodies in Chinese? Organize a karaoke. Be known. Be recognized. Be appreciated. Be remembered. Be missed when you are gone. At the end of the day, what else is there in life?

Columns, The Today Paper

Reading between the Lines

When it comes to news, things are seldom what they seem. The media can colour news events while remaining technically objective and strictly factual. Faced with such insidiously accurate reporting, we have little choice but to read between the lines.

It is a tricky art. First, we develop a healthy attitude of scepticism. Armed with this trust-nobody attitude, we examine the piece to get to the writer’s intentions. Mind you, the idea is not always to disapprove of the hidden agenda, but to be aware that there is one — always.

Los escritores utilizan una variedad de técnicas para impulsar su agenda,,en,Lo primero y más importante de su arsenal es la elección de palabras.,,en,Las palabras tienen significados,,en,pero también tienen connotaciones,,en,Como ejemplo,,en,mira mi elección de la palabra,,en,arsenal,,en,en la ultima frase,,en,que en este contexto simplemente significa colección,,en,Pero debido a su connotación negativa,,en,He retratado a los escritores como tus adversarios,,en,Podría haber usado,,en,colección,,en,repertorio,,en,o nada en absoluto,,en,para quitar la negatividad,,en,Utilizando,,en,truco,,en,implicaría que los escritores suelen fracasar en sus esfuerzos,,en,Elegir,,en,bolsa de obsequios,,en,le daría un sentimiento cálido al respecto debido a su asociación con los recuerdos de la infancia,,en,A menos que sepas de mi bolsa de trucos,,en,que tiene una buena connotación,,en,estas a mi merced,,en,Cuando se emplea la connotación para impulsar las agendas geopolíticas,,en. First and foremost in their arsenal is the choice of words. Words have meanings, but they also have connotations. As a case in point, look at my choice of the word “arsenal” in the last sentence, which in this context merely means collection. But because of its negative connotation, I have portrayed writers as your adversaries. I could have used “collection” or “repertoire” (or nothing at all) to take away the negativity. Using “gimmickry” would imply that the writers usually fail in their efforts. Choosing “goody bag” would give you a warm feeling about it because of its association with childhood memories. Unless you know of my bag of tricks (which has a good connotation), you are at my mercy.

When connotation is employed to drive geo-political agendas, tenemos que escudriñar las elecciones de palabras con más cuidado,,en,En un periódico indio,,en,Una vez noté que usaban constantemente las palabras,,en,militante,,en,militancia,,en,para informar de un cierto movimiento,,en,mientras describe otro movimiento similar con palabras como,,en,terrorista,,en,terrorismo,,en,Ambos usos pueden ser precisos,,en,pero a menos que tengamos cuidado,,en,podemos dejarnos llevar fácilmente a pensar que un movimiento es legítimo mientras que el otro no es,,en,Los estadounidenses son maestros en este juego,,en,Cada palabra pronunciada por el portavoz del Departamento de Estado se elige con tanto cuidado que sería ingenuo pasar por alto las connotaciones asociadas.,,en,Mira la elección de la palabra de Hillary Clinton,,en,hablar mal,,en,se pueden escribir libros sobre esa elección,,en,Lo que no se dice es tan importante como lo que no,,en,lo que lo convierte en otra táctica potente para dar forma a la opinión pública,,en. In an Indian newspaper, I once noticed that they consistently used the words “militant” or “militancy” to report a certain movement, while describing another similar movement with words like “terrorist” or “terrorism”. Both usages may be accurate, but unless we are careful, we may get easily swayed into thinking that one movement is legitimate while the other is not.

Americans are masters in this game. Every word spoken by the states department spokesperson is so carefully chosen that it would be naïve to overlook the associated connotations. Look at Hillary Clinton’s choice of the word “misspeak” — books can be written on that choice!

What is left unsaid is as important as what is not, which makes for another potent tactic in shaping the public opinion. Imagina un reportaje de televisión que se ejecuta así,,en,El Pentágono ha informado de un ataque quirúrgico con un misil guiado por láser disparado desde un avión depredador no tripulado que mató a cinco terroristas en la lista de los más buscados de EE. UU.,,en,civiles afirman que la bomba cayó en una fiesta de bodas matando,,en,personas incluidas,,en,niños y diez mujeres,,en,No hemos verificado este reclamo de forma independiente.,,en,Sin dejar de ser exacto en los hechos,,en,este informe ha logrado desacreditar las muertes de civiles jugando con las connotaciones de,,en,reporte,,en,Reclamación,,en,así como al no decir que el informe del Pentágono tampoco estaba verificado,,en,¿Cómo pueden los aviones no tripulados superdiputados y las municiones guiadas por láser fallar sus objetivos?,,en,no tengo forma de saber lo que realmente sucedió allí,,en,Pero tenemos que discernir el proceso de colorear el informe y desarrollar una habilidad,,en,o al menos un deseo,,en: “Pentagon has reported a surgical strike with a laser-guided missile fired from an unmanned predator aircraft killing five terrorists in the US most wanted list. However, civilians claim that the bomb fell on a wedding party killing 35 people including 15 children and ten women. We haven’t independently verified this claim.” While staying factually accurate, this report has managed to discredit the civilian deaths by playing with the connotations of “report” and “claim”, as well as by not saying that the Pentagon report also was unverified. Besides, how can super-duper unmanned aircraft and laser-guided munitions miss their targets?

We, of course, have no means of knowing what actually went on there. But we have to discern the process of colouring the report and develop an ability (or at least a desire) para buscar la verdad y las intenciones detrás de las palabras,,en,Esta capacidad es especialmente crucial ahora debido a una tendencia preocupante en los medios globales.,,en,la génesis de los conglomerados de medios,,en,Cuando la mayor parte del mundo obtiene su información de un número limitado de conglomerados,,en,ellos ejercen una cantidad desmesurada de poder y dominan sobre nosotros y nuestras opiniones,,en,A menos que guardemos celosamente nuestra capacidad de leer entre líneas,,en,podemos estar marchando silenciosamente hacia un inquietante mundo nuevo,,en,Todos queremos ser el jefe,,en,Al menos algunos de nosotros queremos ser el gran jefe en algún,,en,con suerte no muy distante,,en,futuro,,en,Es bueno ser el jefe,,en,se necesita bastante para llegar allí,,en,Se necesitan credenciales,,en,madurez,,en,conocimientos técnicos,,en,habilidades de las personas,,en,comunicación y articulación,,en,sin mencionar el carisma y las conexiones,,en,Incluso con todas las cualidades superiores,,en.

This ability is especially crucial now because of a worrying trend in the global media — the genesis of media conglomerates. When most of the world gets their information from a limited number of conglomerates, they wield an inordinate amount of power and sway over us and our opinions. Unless we jealously guard our ability to read between the lines, we may be marching quietly into a troubling brave new world.

Columns, The Today Paper

Good and Bad Gender Equality

Gender equality has made some great strides. About one hundred years ago, most women in the world didn’t have the right to vote — no suffrage, to use the correct term. Right now, we have a woman inching closer than ever to the office of President of the United States, considered the most powerful “man” on earth. In the corporate scene too, we now see many women in powerful positions.

But, even the most optimistic among us wouldn’t argue that gender equality is a reality and that women have arrived. Why is that? What exactly is the difficulty in achieving this holy grail of equality?

I think that the difficulty lies in our definition, in what we mean by women’s equality. Of course, the whole equality issue is a minefield as far as political correctness is concerned. And I’m barging on to thin ice where no sane person would dream of stepping in. But a columnist is allowed to be opinionated and, let’s face it, a bit obnoxious. So here we go…

I feel that there are good and bad arguments for equality. Let’s take the case of tennis Grand Slams, where they “achieved” equality by equalizing the prize moneys. The argument was simply that women and men were equal and they deserved the same prize money.

To me, it wasn’t much of an argument at all. It was a form of condescension. It is a bit like the condescending (though, no doubt, well-meaning) encouragements offered by native speakers when you learn their tongue. Towards the end of my five year sojourn in France, I could speak pretty good French and people used to tell me, encouragingly of course, that I spoke well. To me, it always meant that I didn’t speak well enough, for if I did, they just wouldn’t notice it at all, would they? After all, they don’t go around congratulating each other on their perfect French!

Similarly, if men and women tennis players were really equal, nobody would speak of equality. There wouldn’t be “men’s” singles and “women’s” singles to begin with — there would be just singles! So this argument for equality in prize money is bad one.

There is a much better argument. Prize money is sponsored by corporate bodies bent on promoting their products. The sponsors are therefore interested in TV viewership. Given that women’s singles draws in as many viewers as men’s, the prize money should be equal. Now, that is a solid argument. We should be looking at dimensions where equality really does exist rather than trying to artificially impose it.

When such dimensions of equality encompass all aspects of our lives, we will be able to safely say that gender equality has arrived. We should not be looking for equality in testosterone-driven playing fields, which, by the way, may include higher echelons of the corporate pyramid. We should be relegating debates on equality to irrelevance by attributing enough respect and value to natural differences.

Articulated by a man, this statement of mine, of course, is a bit suspect. Aren’t I trying to shortchange women by offering them useless respect rather than real equality?

I once heard a similar exchange when someone argued that women in my native land of Kerala enjoyed higher level of gender equality because, coming from a matrilineal system, they ruled the household. The pithy rebuttal to that argument came from a Keralite woman, “Men are perfectly happy to let women rule their households as long as they get to rule the world!”

Then again, we are pretty close to letting Hillary Clinton rule the world with just two men standing in her way. So perhaps gender equality has finally arrived after all.

Columns, Corporate Life, The Today Paper, Work and Life

How Friendly is too Friendly?

We all want to be the boss. At least some of us want to be the big boss at some, hopefully not-too-distant, future. It is good to be the boss. However, it takes quite a bit to get there. It takes credentials, maturity, technical expertise, people skills, communication and articulation, not to mention charisma and connections.

Even with all the superior qualities, ser un jefe es duro,,en,Ser un buen jefe es aún más difícil,,en,es un acto de equilibrio complicado,,en,Una pregunta delicada es,,en,qué tan amigable puedes ser con tu equipo,,en,esta pregunta puede parecer una tontería,,en,Los subordinados también son seres humanos,,en,digno de tanta amabilidad como cualquier,,en,¿Por qué ser engreído y actuar de manera mandona con ellos?,,en,La razón es que la amistad erosiona el respeto formal que es un requisito previo para una gestión eficiente de las personas.,,en,¿Cómo puedes enojarte con tus amigos que llegan treinta minutos tarde a una reunión?,,en,no te molestarías si llegaran un poco tarde a una cena,,en,Si eres amigo de tu personal,,en,y un jefe demasiado bueno para ellos,,en,no eres un buen jefe desde la perspectiva de la alta dirección,,en. Being a good boss is even tougher; it is a tricky balancing act. One tricky question is, how friendly can you get with your team?

At first glance, this question may seem silly. Subordinates are human beings too, worthy of as much friendliness as any. Why be stuck up and act all bossy to them? The reason is that friendship erodes the formal respect that is a pre-requisite for efficient people management. For instance, how can you get upset with your friends who show up thirty minutes late for a meeting? After all, you wouldn’t get all worked up if they showed up a bit late for a dinner party.

If you are friends with your staff, and too good a boss to them, you are not a good boss from the perspective of the upper management. Si aspiras a ser un jefe eficiente y de alto poder visto desde arriba,,en,eres necesariamente antipático con tus subordinados,,en,Este es el dilema del jefe,,en,Desde la perspectiva del empleado,,en,si tu jefe se vuelve demasiado amigable,,en,suele ser una mala noticia,,en,El jefe tendrá su número de teléfono de mano,,en,Y una excusa para llamarte cuando le apetezca,,en,Otra consecuencia desafortunada de la cordialidad accidental son las expectativas poco realistas de su parte.,,en,No necesariamente esperas una gran bonificación a pesar de un desempeño deficiente solo porque el jefe es un amigo,,en,Pero serías un mejor ser humano que la mayoría si pudieras ser completamente inocente de una idea tan ilusoria.,,en,Y este tinte de esperanza tiene que conducir a una amarga decepción porque,,en,si el tu jefe es amigable contigo,,en, you are necessarily unfriendly with your subordinates. This is the boss’s dilemma.

From the employee’s perspective, if your boss gets too friendly, it is usually bad news. The boss will have your hand phone number! And an excuse to call you whenever he/she feels like it.

Another unfortunate consequence of accidental cordiality is unrealistic expectations on your part. You don’t necessarily expect a fat bonus despite a shoddy performance just because the boss is a friend. But you would be a better human being than most if you could be completely innocent of such a wishful notion. And this tinge of hope has to lead to sour disappointment because, if he your boss is friendly with you, es probable que sea amigable con todo el personal,,en,En general,,en,Los jefes por aquí parecen funcionar mejor cuando hay un mínimo de distancia entre ellos y sus subordinados.,,en,Una forma en que mantienen la distancia es explotando cualquier diferencia cultural que pueda existir entre nosotros.,,en,Si eres un jefe de Singapur,,en,y su personal son todos indios expatriados o chinos,,en,puede ser algo bueno desde el ángulo de la distancia,,en,Las diferencias culturales y lingüísticas pueden actuar como una barrera natural hacia una familiaridad injustificada que puede generar desprecio.,,en,Esta inmunidad contra la familiaridad,,en,ya sea natural o cultivado,,en,probablemente esté detrás del éxito de nuestros pasados ​​maestros coloniales,,en,Sus vestigios aún se pueden ver en la gestión aquí.,,en.

By and large, bosses around here seem to work best when there is a modicum of distance between them and their subordinates. One way they maintain the distance is by exploiting any cultural difference that may exist among us.

If you are a Singaporean boss, for instance, and your staff are all expatriate Indians or Chinese, it may be a good thing from the distance angle — cultural and linguistic differences can act as a natural barrier toward unwarranted familiarity that may breed contempt.

This immunity against familiarity, whether natural or cultivated, is probably behind the success of our past colonial masters. Its vestiges can still be seen in management here.

La modulación de la actitud cuando se trata de la cantidad adecuada de amistad no es una prerrogativa de los jefes solo,,en,El personal también tiene algo que decir,,en,Como jefe menor,,en,Me interesa de verdad el bienestar de mis subordinados directos,,en,especialmente porque trabajo de cerca con ellos,,en,He tenido personal al que le gustó esa actitud y a quienes se sintieron incómodos con ella,,en,La capacidad de juzgar la distancia profesional correcta puede ser un gran activo para su productividad y la de su equipo.,,en,no puede regirse por un conjunto de reglas básicas,,en,La mayor parte del tiempo,,en,tiene que ser jugado de oído y modulado en respuesta a las actitudes y situaciones cambiantes,,en,Por eso ser un buen jefe es un arte,,en,no es una ciencia exacta,,en,Cuando las cosas se ponen difíciles,,en,Giro de vuelta,,en,Elton John tiene razón,,en,lo siento es la palabra más difícil,,en. The staff have a say in it too. As a minor boss, I get genuinely interested in the well-being of my direct reports, especially because I work closely with them. I have had staff who liked that attitude and those who became uncomfortable with it.

The ability to judge the right professional distance can be a great asset in your and your team’s productivity. However, it cannot be governed by a set of thumb rules. Most of the time, it has to be played by ear and modulated in response to the changing attitudes and situations. That’s why being a good boss is an art, not an exact science.

Columns, Corporate Life, The Today Paper

When the Going Gets Tough, Turn Around!

Elton John is right, sorry is the hardest word. Es difícil admitir que uno se ha equivocado,,en,Más difícil aún es encontrar un camino a seguir,,en,una forma de corregir los errores del pasado,,en,A menudo implica retroceder,,en,Pero cuando se trata de decisiones empresariales obstinadas,,en,dar marcha atrás a menudo puede ser lo único que se puede hacer,,en,Tiene sentido reducir más pérdidas cuando no tiene mucho sentido tirar buen dinero tras mal,,en,Tales esfuerzos de contención son eventos de rutina en la mayoría de los establecimientos.,,en,El mayor esfuerzo de contención de pérdidas en el que tenía un interés personal ocurrió en los EE. UU. A principios de los noventa.,,en,Comencé a notar su preocupante escalada en una habitación de hotel en Washington DC.,,en,Fui estudiante delegado en la conferencia anual de la American Physical Society,,en,APS,,en,A pesar del ambiente feliz de APS,,en,donde muchos estudiantes graduados encuentran sus futuras ubicaciones,,en. Harder still is to find a way forward, a way to correct one’s past mistakes. It often involves backtracking.

But when it comes to hard-headed business decisions, backtracking may often be the only thing to do. It makes sense to cut further losses when there is little point in throwing good money after bad. Such containment efforts are routine events in most establishments.

The biggest loss containment effort that I had a personal stake in happened in the US in the early nineties. I began noticing its worrying escalation in a hotel room in Washington DC. I was student delegate in the annual conference of the American Physical Society (APS). Despite the happy APS atmosphere (where many graduate students find their future placements) y el hermoso clima anterior a la floración de los cerezos,,en,Estaba preocupado porque acababa de ver un comercial de televisión que decía,,en,Diez mil millones de dólares por un acelerador de partículas,,en,¿Qué diablos es de todas formas?,,en,El proyecto de diez mil millones de dólares bajo ataque fue el llamado Superconductor Super Collider.,,en,SSC,,so,en Texas,,en,que finalmente se cerró en,,en,La cancelación se produjo a pesar de una inversión inicial masiva de unos dos mil millones de dólares.,,en,Esta cancelación significó que más de dos mil físicos brillantes y experimentados estarían buscando trabajo justo en el momento en que ingresé al mercado laboral.,,en,Esta preocupación representó mi interés personal en el proyecto.,,en,pero el impacto humano de este enorme retroceso fue mucho más profundo,,en, I was a worried man because I had just seen a TV commercial that said, “Ten billion dollars for a particle accelerator??!! What the heck is it any way?”

The ten billion dollar project under attack was the so-called Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) in Texas, which was eventually shut down in 1993. The cancellation came in spite of a massive initial investment of about two billion dollars.

To me, this cancellation meant that more than two thousand bright and experienced physicists would be looking for jobs right around the time I entered the job market. This concern represented my personal stake in the project; but the human impact of this mammoth backtracking was much deeper. Precipitó una recesión menor en las partes de Dallas al sur del río Trinity.,,en,Retroceso similar,,en,aunque a una escala mucho menor,,en,también puede suceder en su organización,,en,Supongamos que decidió invertir dos millones de dólares en un sistema de software para resolver un problema comercial en particular.,,en,Medio millón de dólares en el proyecto,,en,te das cuenta de que fue una solución incorrecta,,en,Qué haces,,en,Puede parecer obvio que debería ahorrarle a la empresa un millón y medio deteniendo el proyecto,,en,Esta decisión es exactamente a lo que llegó la sabiduría colectiva del Congreso de los EE. UU.,,en,sobre el SSC,,en,Pero no es tan simple,,en,Nada en la vida real es tan simple,,en,El retroceso corporativo es un proceso complejo,,en,Tiene múltiples,,en,a menudo interconectados,,en,aspectos que hay que gestionar con habilidad,,en.

Similar backtracking, though at a much smaller scale, may happen in your organization as well. Let’s say you decided to invest two million dollars in a software system to solve a particular business problem. Half a million dollars into the project, you realize that it was a wrong solution. What do you do?

It may look obvious that you should save the company a million and a half by stopping the project. This decision is exactly what the collective wisdom of the US Congress arrived at in 1993 regarding the SSC. But it is not that simple. Nothing in real life is that simple.

Corporate backtracking is a complex process. It has multiple, often interconnected, aspects that have to be managed with skill.

Si decides dar marcha atrás,,en,¿Qué dice sobre su visión para los negocios?,,en,¿Desencadenará una reacción violenta de la alta dirección que le acusa de mal juicio?,,en,¿Su nombre estará tan en el barro que le resultará imposible conseguir un trabajo y mantener a su familia?,,en,Digamos que realmente no fue tu culpa y que tenías argumentos válidos para convencer a todos de tu inocencia,,en,¿Eso haría que sea lo suficientemente simple para desconectar el proyecto?,,en,En toda probabilidad,,en,No debería,,en,porque todos los grandes proyectos involucran a otras personas,,en,porque ningún hombre es una isla,,en,Detener un proyecto a mitad de camino probablemente significaría despedir a todo el equipo del proyecto.,,en,Este costo humano es algo de lo que debemos ser conscientes,,en,No siempre se trata de dólares y centavos,,en,Si eres amable alma,,en, what does it say about your business acumen? Will it trigger a backlash from the top management accusing you of poor judgment? In other words, will your name be so much in the mud that you would find it impossible to secure a job and support your family?

Let’s say it really wasn’t your fault and you had valid arguments to convince everybody of your innocence. Would that make it simple enough to pull the plug on the project? In all probability, it would not, because all big projects involve other people, for no man is an island. Stopping a project half-way through would probably mean sacking the whole project team.

This human cost is something we have to be aware of. It is not always about dollars and cents. If you are kind soul, tendrías que mover el equipo a otro,,en,potencialmente improductivo,,en,proyecto,,en,erosionando así los ahorros que se habrían acumulado al detener el proyecto,,en,¿No hubiera sido mejor haber continuado con el proyecto original?,,en,aunque estaba condenado,,en,En la mayoría de los casos corporativos,,en,resultará prudente cerrar proyectos condenados,,en,Pero no subestime los costos involucrados,,en,No siempre se cuentan en términos de seguimiento.,,en,pero también tienen dimensiones humanas,,en,Es mucho más prudente no embarcarse nunca en proyectos dudosos,,en,Cuando debes involucrarte en proyectos inciertos,,en,revise sus opciones de salida cuidadosamente,,en,¿Sería posible remodelar el proyecto en una dirección diferente pero aún rescatable?,,en,Y si tienes que cerrarlos,,en,hazlo con decisión,,en,Hazlo con habilidad,,en,Pero lo mas importante,,en (potentially unproductive) project, thereby eroding the savings that would’ve accrued from stopping the project. Wouldn’t it have been better to have continued with the original project, doomed though it was?

In most corporate cases, it will turn out to be wise to shutdown doomed projects. But don’t underestimate the costs involved. They are not always counted in monitory terms, but have human dimensions as well.

It is far wiser never to embark on dubious projects. When you must get involved in uncertain projects, review your exit options carefully. For instance, would it be possible to reshape the project in a different but still salvageable direction?

And if and when you do have to shut them down, do it with decisiveness. Do it with skill. But most importantly, hazlo con decencia y compasión,,en,La sofisticación es una invención francesa,,en,Los franceses son maestros a la hora de criar,,en,vendiendo sofisticación,,en,Piense en algunos caros,,en,y por lo tanto elegante,,en,marcas,,en,Lo más probable es que más de la mitad de los que me vienen a la mente sean franceses,,en,Y la otra mitad serían aspirantes que suenan claramente franceses,,en,Esta dominación mundial en sofisticación es impresionante para un país pequeño del tamaño y población de Tailandia.,,en,¿Cómo se toma un bolso fabricado en Indonesia?,,en,abofetear un nombre que solo un puñado de sus compradores puede pronunciar,,en,y venderlo por un margen de beneficio de,,en,Lo haces defendiendo la sofisticación,,en,siendo un icono al que otros solo pueden aspirar a ser,,en,pero nunca lograr,,en,algo así como la perfección,,en.

Columns, French, Humor, The Today Paper

Sophistication

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Sophistication is a French invention. The French are masters when it comes to nurturing, and more importantly, selling sophistication. Think of some expensive (and therefore classy) brands. Chances are that more than half of the ones that spring to mind would be French. And the other half would be distinctly French sounding wannabes. This world domination in sophistication is impressive for a small country of the size and population of Thailand.

How do you take a handbag manufactured in Indonesia, slap on a name that only a handful of its buyers can pronounce, and sell it for a profit margin of 1000%? You do it by championing sophistication; by being an icon that others can only aspire to be, but never ever attain. You know, kind of like perfection. No es de extrañar que Descartes dijera algo que sonaba sospechosamente a,,en,Yo pienso en frances,,en,O era,,en,por lo tanto soy francés,,en,Me sorprende la forma en que los franceses logran que el resto del mundo coma cosas que huelen y saben a pies.,,en,Y me quedo asombrado con los franceses cuando el mundo se separa ansiosamente de su masa ganada con tanto esfuerzo para devorar monstruosidades como el hígado de pato cebado.,,en,productos lácteos fermentados,,en,intestinos de cerdo llenos de sangre,,en,Caracoles,,en,entrañas de ternera y todo eso,,en,Los franceses logran esta hazaña,,en,no explicando los beneficios y puntos de venta de estos,,en,Ejem,,en,sino perfeccionando una muestra de incredulidad sumamente sofisticada hacia cualquiera que no conozca su valor,,en,no publicitando los productos,,en,pero avergonzándote,,en,Aunque los franceses no son conocidos por su estatura física,,en, “I think in French, therefore I am!” (Or was it, “I think, therefore I am French”?)

I am amazed by the way the French manage to have the rest of the world eat things that smell and taste like feet. And I stand in awe of the French when the world eagerly parts with their hard earned dough to gobble up such monstrosities as fattened duck liver, fermented dairy produce, pig intestines filled with blood, snails, veal entrails and whatnot.

The French manage this feat, not by explaining the benefits and selling points of these, ahem…, products, but by a perfecting a supremely sophisticated display of incredulity at anyone who doesn’t know their value. In other words, not by advertising the products, but by embarrassing you. Although the French are not known for their physical stature, hacen un trabajo admirable al despreciarte cuando es necesario,,en,Probé esta sofisticación recientemente,,en,Le confesé a un amigo que nunca pude desarrollar el gusto por el caviar,,en,ese icono por excelencia de la sofisticación francesa,,en,Mi amigo me miró con recelo y me dijo que debía haberlo comido mal,,en,Luego me explicó la forma correcta de comerlo.,,en,Debe haber sido mi culpa,,en,¿Cómo podría a alguien no gustarle los huevos de pescado?,,en,Y ella sabría,,en,ella es una chica SIA con clase,,en,Este incidente me recordó otra vez cuando le dije a otro amigo,,en,Claramente no tan elegante como esta chica SIA,,en,que no me importaba mucho Pink Floyd,,en,Jadeó y me dijo que nunca le dijera algo así a nadie,,en,uno siempre amó a Pink Floyd,,en.

I got a taste of this sophistication recently. I confessed to a friend of mine that I never could develop a taste for caviar — that quintessential icon of French sophistication. My friend looked askance at me and told me that I must have eaten it wrong. She then explained to me the right way of eating it. It must have been my fault; how could anybody not like fish eggs? And she would know; she is a classy SIA girl.

This incident reminded me of another time when I said to another friend (clearly not as classy as this SIA girl) that I didn’t quite care fore Pink Floyd. He gasped and told me never to say anything like that to anybody; one always loved Pink Floyd.

Debo admitir que he tenido mis coqueteos con episodios de sofisticación,,en,Mis momentos de sofisticación más satisfactorios llegaron cuando logré incorporar de alguna manera una palabra o expresión en francés en mi conversación o escritura.,,en,En una columna reciente,,en,Me las arreglé para deslizarme,,en,Frente a Frente,,fr,aunque el impresor poco sofisticado desechó los acentos,,en,Los acentos añaden una floritura al nivel de sofisticación porque confunden muchísimo al lector.,,en,La sospecha furtiva de que los franceses podrían habernos estado engañando rápidamente se apoderó de mí cuando leí algo que Scott Adams,,en,de la fama de Dilbert,,en,escribió,,en,Se preguntaba qué era este ISO,,en,la moda se trataba de,,en,Quienes obtienen la certificación ISO la presumen con orgullo,,en,mientras que todos los demás parecen codiciarlo,,en,Pero, ¿alguien sabe qué diablos es?,,en. My most satisfying moments of sophistication came when I managed to somehow work a French word or expression into my conversation or writing. In a recent column, I managed to slip in “tête-à-tête,” although the unsophisticated printer threw away the accents. Accents add a flourish to the level of sophistication because they confuse the heck out of the reader.

The sneaking suspicion that the French may have been pulling a fast one on us crept up on me when I read something that Scott Adams (of Dilbert fame) wrote. He wondered what this ISO 9000 fad was all about. Those who secure the ISO certification proudly flaunt it, while everybody else seems to covet it. But does anyone know what the heck it is? Adams conjeturó que probablemente se trataba de una broma que un grupo de jóvenes ebrios inventaron en un bar.,,en,YO ASI,,en,sonaba muy parecido a,,en,Cerveza iz zat ma,,hr,en algún idioma de Europa del Este,,en,¿Podría esta moda de sofisticación ser también una broma pesada?,,en,Una conspiración francesa,,en,Si esto es,,en,felicitaciones a los franceses,,en,No me malinterpretes,,en,No soy Francophobe,,en,Algunos de mis mejores amigos son franceses,,en,No es culpa suya si otros quieren imitarlos,,en,seguir sus hábitos gastronómicos e intentar,,en,generalmente en vano,,en,hablar su lengua,,en,Yo tambien lo hago,,en,Juro en francés cada vez que pierdo un tiro fácil en bádminton,,en,¿Por qué perder la oportunidad de parecer sofisticado,,en,no es así,,fr,Virus humano,,en,En un día de otoño conmovedoramente hermoso en Siracusa,,en,un grupo de estudiantes graduados de física nos reunimos alrededor de una mesa de cocina frugal,,en. “ISO” sounded very much like “Iz zat ma beer?” in some eastern European language, he says.

Could this sophistication fad also be a practical joke? A French conspiracy? If it is, hats off to the French!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m no Francophobe. Some of my best friends are French. It is not their fault if others want to imitate them, follow their gastronomical habits and attempt (usually in vain) to speak their tongue. I do it too — I swear in French whenever I miss an easy shot in badminton. After all, why waste an opportunity to sound sophisticated, n’est-ce pas?

Columns, Environment, The Today Paper

Human Virus

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On one poignantly beautiful autumn day in Syracuse, a group of us physics graduate students were gathered around a frugal kitchen table. Tuvimos nuestro brillante profesor,,en,Lee Smolin,,en,hablando con nosotros,,en,Teníamos a nuestros prometedores mentores en muy alta estima,,en,Y teníamos grandes esperanzas en Lee,,en,El tema de conversación de ese día fue un poco filosófico.,,en,y estábamos absorbiendo ansiosamente las palabras de sabiduría que emanaban de Lee,,en,Nos estaba describiendo cómo la Tierra podría considerarse un organismo vivo.,,en,Usar argumentos perspicaces y articulaciones simplistas moduladas con precisión,,en,forjado por años de duelos intelectuales en las mejores universidades del mundo,,en,Lee presentó un caso convincente de que la Tierra,,en,satisfecho todas las condiciones de ser un organismo,,en,estuvo a la altura de nuestras grandes expectativas en años posteriores,,en,Publicar libros muy aclamados y, en general, dejar una huella gloriosa en el mundo de la física moderna.,,en, Lee Smolin, talking to us. We held our promising mentors in very high regard. And we had high hopes for Lee.

The topic of conversation on that day was a bit philosophical, and we were eagerly absorbing the words of wisdom emanating from Lee. He was describing to us how the Earth could be considered a living organism. Using insightful arguments and precisely modulated glib articulation (no doubt, forged by years of intellectual duels in world’s best universities), Lee made a compelling case that the Earth, in fact, satisfied all the conditions of being an organism.

Lee Smolin, by the way, lived up to our great expectations in later years, publishing highly acclaimed books and generally leaving a glorious imprint in the world of modern physics. Ahora habla con audiencias globales a través de programas prestigiosos como BBC Hardtalk.,,en,para nuestro orgullo y alegría,,en,El punto de vista de Lee no era tanto si la Tierra estaba literalmente viva,,en,Pero pensar en él como un organismo era un modelo intelectual viable para representar la Tierra.,,en,Tales acrobacias intelectuales no eran infrecuentes entre nosotros, los estudiantes de física.,,en,En los últimos años,,en,Lee ha llevado este modo de pensar mucho más lejos en uno de sus libros.,,en,imaginando el universo a la luz de la evolución,,en,el argumento no debe tomarse literalmente,,en,imaginando un montón de universos paralelos compitiendo por sobrevivir,,en,La idea es dejar que el modo de pensar nos lleve adelante y guíe nuestros pensamientos.,,en,y ver qué conclusiones podemos sacar del ejercicio de pensamiento,,en, much to our pride and joy.

The point in Lee’s view was not so much whether or the Earth was literally alive, but that thinking of it as an organism was a viable intellectual model to represent the Earth. Such intellectual acrobatics was not uncommon among us physics students.

In the last few years, Lee has actually taken this mode of thinking much farther in one of his books, picturing the universe in the light of evolution. Again, the argument is not to be taken literally, imagining a bunch of parallel universes vying for survival. The idea is to let the mode of thinking carry us forward and guide our thoughts, and see what conclusions we can draw from the thought exercise.

Un modo de pensar similar se introdujo en la película Matrix.,,en,Se introdujeron varios modelos profundos en esa película.,,en,lo que probablemente alimentó su enorme éxito de taquilla,,en,Un modelo misantrópico que propone el agente informático Smith es que los seres humanos son un virus en nuestro planeta.,,en,Está bien que el malo de una película lo sugiera,,en,pero un asunto completamente diferente para el columnista de un periódico hacerlo,,en,Pero tengan paciencia conmigo mientras combino la noción de Lee de que la Tierra es un organismo y la sugerencia del Agente Smith de que nosotros somos un virus.,,en,Veamos a dónde nos lleva,,en,Lo primero que hace un virus cuando invade un organismo es prosperar utilizando el material genético del cuerpo huésped.,,en,El virus lo hace con poca consideración por el bienestar del anfitrión.,,en,De nuestra parte,,en. In fact, several profound models were introduced in that movie, which probably fuelled its wild box-office success. One misanthropic model that the computer agent Smith proposes is that human beings are a virus on our planet.

It is okay for the bad guy in a movie to suggest it, but an entirely different matter for newspaper columnist to do so. But bear with me as I combine Lee’s notion of the Earth being an organism and Agent Smith’s suggestion of us being a virus on it. Let’s see where it takes us.

The first thing a virus does when it invades an organism is to flourish using the genetic material of the host body. The virus does it with little regard for the well-being of the host. On our part, los humanos saqueamos la materia prima de nuestro planeta anfitrión con tal abandono que la similitud es difícil de perder,,en,Pero la similitud no termina ahí,,en,¿Cuáles son los síntomas típicos de una infección viral en el huésped?,,en,Un síntoma es un ataque de fiebre.,,en,debido a nuestras actividades en nuestro planeta anfitrión,,en,estamos pasando por un episodio de calentamiento global,,en,Inquietantemente similar,,en,Los síntomas virales también pueden extenderse a llagas y ampollas.,,en,Comparando las ciudades y otras llagas oculares que con orgullo creamos con bosques vírgenes y paisajes naturales,,en,No es difícil imaginar que de hecho estamos infligiendo atrocidades fétidas a nuestra Tierra anfitriona.,,en,¿No podemos ver las alcantarillas de la ciudad y el aire contaminado como el apestoso,,en,supurando úlceras en su cuerpo,,en,Dando un paso más,,en.

But the similarity doesn’t end there. What are the typical symptoms of a viral infection on the host? One symptom is a bout of fever. Similarly, due to our activities on our host planet, we are going through a bout of global warming. Eerily similar, in my view.

The viral symptoms could extend to sores and blisters as well. Comparing the cities and other eye sores that we proudly create to pristine forests and natural landscapes, it is not hard to imagine that we are indeed inflicting fetid atrocities to our host Earth. Can’t we see the city sewers and the polluted air as the stinking, oozing ulcers on its body?

Going one step further, ¿Podríamos también imaginar que las calamidades naturales como Katrina y el tsunami asiático son los sistemas inmunológicos naturales del planeta que se aceleran?,,en,Sé que es sumamente cínico llevar esta comparación a estos límites extremos,,en,Mirando los rostros inocentes de tus seres queridos,,en,puede sentirse legítimamente enojado con esta comparación,,en,¿Cómo me atrevo a llamarlos virus maligno?,,en,si un virus pudiera pensar,,en,¿Pensaría en sus actividades en un cuerpo anfitrión como malas,,en,Si eso no calma su sentido de indignación,,en,recuerde que esta analogía con el virus es un modo de pensar más que una acusación literal,,en,Tal modo de pensar solo es útil si puede arrojar algunas conclusiones.,,en,¿Cuáles son las conclusiones de esta comparación humano-viral?,,en,El resultado final de una infección viral es siempre sombrío,,en?

I know that it is supremely cynical to push this comparison to these extreme limits. Looking at the innocent faces of your loved ones, you may feel rightfully angry at this comparison. How dare I call them an evil virus? Then again, if a virus could think, would it think of its activities on a host body as evil?

If that doesn’t assuage your sense of indignation, remember that this virus analogy is a mode of thinking rather than a literal indictment. Such a mode of thinking is only useful if it can yield some conclusions. What are the conclusions from this human-viral comparison?

The end result of a viral infection is always gloomy. O el huésped sucumbe o el sistema inmunológico del huésped ataca al virus,,en,Si somos el virus,,en,Ambas eventualidades son desagradables,,en,No queremos matar la Tierra,,en,Y ciertamente no queremos ser exterminados por la Tierra.,,en,Pero esos son los únicos resultados posibles de nuestra actividad viral aquí.,,en,Es poco probable que seamos exterminados,,en,somos demasiado sofisticados para eso,,en,haremos nuestro planeta inhabitable,,en,Podemos,,en,para entonces,,en,tenemos nuestros medios tecnológicos para migrar a otros sistemas planetarios,,en,si tenemos suerte,,en,podemos ser contagiosos,,en,Esta es la conclusión ineludible de este ejercicio intelectual,,en,Hay un escenario menos probable,,en,una existencia viral simbiótica en un cuerpo huésped,,en,Es el tipo de estilo de vida benigno que Al Gore y otros nos recomiendan,,en. If we are the virus, both these eventualities are unpalatable. We don’t want to kill the Earth. And we certainly don’t want to be exterminated by the Earth. But those are the only possible outcomes of our viral-like activity here. It is unlikely that we will get exterminated; we are far too sophisticated for that. In all likelihood, we will make our planet uninhabitable. We may, by then, have our technological means of migrating to other planetary systems. In other words, if we are lucky, we may be contagious! This is the inescapable conclusion of this intellectual exercise.

There is a less likely scenario — a symbiotic viral existence in a host body. It is the kind of benign life style that Al Gore and others recommend for us. But, haciendo balance de nuestras actividades en el planeta,,en,mi punto de vista apocalíptico es que es demasiado tarde para una simbiosis pacífica,,en,Qué piensas,,en,Molinos de rumores,,en,Los empleados buscan información sobre el rumbo de su organización,,en,Y deberían,,en,porque lo que hace su organización tiene un impacto directo en su bienestar,,en,Si su organización planea reducir,,en,de su personal,,en,es mejor que empieces a buscar un nuevo trabajo de inmediato,,en,¿A quién recurres cuando anhelas información?,,en,Tu gerencia quiere que los escuches,,en,este puede no ser el movimiento más inteligente,,en,Pero no te preocupes,,en,hay una alternativa,,en,Hay una ciudad subterránea,,en,Paralelo al mundo de las notas corporativas y las reuniones de comunicación,,en,esta ciudad de rumores intercambia información,,en,a menudo generándolo según sea necesario,,en,Los empleados acuden en masa a las fábricas de rumores,,en, my doomsday view is that it is too late for a peaceful symbiosis. What do you think?

Columns, Corporate Life, The Today Paper

Rumour Mills

Employees seek insights into their organization’s heading. And they should, because what their organization does has a direct impact on their well-being. If your organization is planning to retrench 50% of its staff, for instance, you’d better start looking for new job right away.

Who do you turn to when you pine for information? Your management would have you listen to them. From the employee’s perspective, this may not be the smartest move. But fret not, there is an alternative.

There is a city underground. Parallel to the world of corporate memos and communication meetings, this rumour city trades information, often generating it as needed.

Employees flock to the rumour mills, no por su malevolencia inherente hacia sus empleadores,,en,pero por una desconfianza mutua y bien fundada,,en,La gerencia tiende a ser cautelosa,,en,y por lo tanto menos que sincero,,en,con sus anuncios,,en,mientras termina,,en,de los rumores de oficina resultan ser precisos,,en,como muestran algunos estudios,,en,Tomemos una situación hipotética,,en,Supongamos que hace cinco años,,en,su director ejecutivo subió al podio y declaró que no habría ningún despido,,en,Cuantos de ustedes lo hubieran creído,,en,Aquellos que creyeron casi con certeza desearían haber escuchado la vid.,,en,Esta brecha de credibilidad que sufre un equipo de gestión típico solo puede abordarse mediante una comunicación abierta y sincera.,,en,Ahí está el problema,,en,La gerencia no siempre puede ser tan sincera como le gustaría ser,,en, but because of a well-founded and mutual mistrust. Management tends to be cautious (and therefore less than candid) with their announcements, while over 80% of office rumours turn out to be accurate, as some studies show.

Let’s take a hypothetical situation. Suppose five years ago, your CEO took to the podium and declared that there would be absolutely no retrenchments. How many of you would have believed it? Those who believed would almost certainly wish they had listened to the grapevine instead.

This credibility gap that a typical management team suffers from can be addressed only though open and candid communication. Therein lies the rub. The management cannot always be as candid as they would like to be. And, ciertamente no pueden permitirse el lujo de ser tan sinceros como a los empleados les gustaría que fueran,,en,La falta de sinceridad en una atmósfera de incertidumbre genera rumores,,en,Rumores,,en,como se define en psicología,,en,son hipótesis de amplio impacto,,en,Abundan cuando la dirección se niega a confiar información estratégica a los empleados,,en,Esta falta de confianza e información les deja sin más remedio que interpretar los desarrollos ellos mismos.,,en,En tales interpretaciones se encuentran los orígenes de los rumores de oficina.,,en,Los rumores no deben confundirse con chismes,,en,Si bien los rumores se basan en conjeturas y se presentan como futuros,,en,eventualidades corporativas,,en,Los chismes pueden ser inactivos o con intenciones maliciosas dirigidas a personas.,,en,Y el chisme suele presentarse como un hecho,,en,En entornos altamente competitivos,,en,los chismes pueden infligir daños irreparables a las víctimas desprevenidas,,en.

Lack of candour in an atmosphere of uncertainty breeds rumour. Rumours, as defined in psychology, are hypotheses with widespread impact. They abound when the management refuses to trust the employees with strategic information. This lack of trust and information leaves them with no choice but to interpret the developments themselves. In such interpretations lie the origins of office rumours.

Rumours are not to be confused with gossip. While rumours are based on conjecture and are presented as future, corporate-wide eventualities, gossip can be idle or with malicious intent directed at individuals. And gossip is usually presented as fact. In highly competitive settings, gossip can inflict irreparable damage on unsuspecting victims.

Una vez que un rumor alcanza un alto nivel de credibilidad,,en,los altos mandos se verán obligados a hablar,,en,Pero la charla tiene que ser sincera y seria,,en,Y tiene que ser puntual,,en,Si esperan demasiado,,en,sus intentos de tête-Ã -tête se asemejarían a débiles intentos de control de daños,,fy,Y si la charla es un mero torrente de clichés y retórica,,en,se tomará como un esfuerzo para pasar por alto los cambios potencialmente catastróficos,,en,una comunicación tan débil alimenta más rumores de los que sofoca,,en,Dado que la información crítica relacionada con el trabajo generalmente fluye por la vid,,en,los empleados van a hablar,,en,La única estrategia infalible para cualquier dirección es hacer uso del rumor subterráneo,,en,el clásico,,en,si no puedes vencerlos,,en,unirse a,,pt, paradigma,,en, the top brass will be forced to talk. But the talk has to be candid and serious. And it has to be timely. If they wait for too long, their attempts at a tête-à -tête would resemble feeble attempts at damage control. And if the talk is a mere torrent of clichés and rhetoric, it will be taken as an effort to gloss over potentially catastrophic changes. In fact, such weak communication fuels more rumour than it quells.

Given that critical job-related information usually flows down the grapevine, the employees are going to talk. The only sure-fire strategy for any management is to make use of the underground rumour mill — the classic “if you can’t beat’em, join’em” paradigm.

Si eres parte de la parte superior de latón,,en,esto es lo que puedes hacer,,en,Circule tanta información precisa y oportuna como sea posible,,en,Si no puede hacerlo oficialmente a través de canales formales,,en,prueba los informales,,en,como almuerzos y despensas,,en,puede convertir las fábricas de rumores para que sirvan a su propósito en lugar de dejar que se vuelvan locos,,en,No subestimes el poder de la vid,,en,No sea que todos sus esfuerzos de comunicación corporativa fracasen,,en,Estrés y sentido de la proporción,,en,¿Cómo podemos manejar el estrés?,,en,dado que es ineludible en nuestra existencia corporativa,,en,Las tácticas comunes contra el estrés incluyen el ejercicio.,,en,yoga,,en,técnicas de respiración,,en,cambiar las prioridades de la familia, etc.,,en,Para agregar a esta lista,,en,Tengo mis propias armas secretas para combatir el estrés que me gustaría compartir contigo,,en,Estas armas pueden ser demasiado potentes,,en,así que úsalas con cuidado,,en, here is what you can do. Circulate as much accurate and timely information as you possibly can. If you cannot do it officially through formal channels, try informal ones, such as lunches and pantries. This way, you can turn the rumour mills to serve your purpose rather than let them run amok.

Do not underestimate the power of the grapevine, lest all your corporate communication efforts should come to naught.

Columns, Corporate Life, The Today Paper

Knowledge Silos

We know a lot. By “we,” I mean humanity as a whole. We know so much that it is impossible for any one of us to know more than a fraction of our total knowledge. This is why we specialize.

Specialization is good. It lets us cut deep into a specific field of endeavor; but at the expense of a broad overview of everything, naturally. Specialization is expected of professionals. You wouldn’t be happy if you found out that your dentist is, in fact, a well-known philosopher as well. Or that your child’s ENT surgeon secretly teaches astrophysics in the local university.

Isn’t there a danger lurking behind our habit of demanding super specialized silos of knowledge? One obvious danger is the loss of synergy and potential innovation. A case in point — a particle physicist at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) faces the problem of accessing various files on different computers and networks. Being conversant in computing issues, the physicist devices a nice way of describing the file (or, as it is known now, the resource) and suddenly the first URL (Universal Resource Locator) is born. The rest is history — we have the World Wide Web, the Internet. Fifteen years later, you have e-commerce and YouTube!

If CERN had insisted that their physicists do only physics and leave their computing problems to the IT department, the Internet may not have materialized at all. Or, it may have taken a lot longer to materialize.

The need for specialization is not limited to individuals. It permeates into the modern workplace in the form of a typical division of labor such as HR, Finance, IT and Business. This division has worked well for ages. But every once in a while, the expertise in such silos becomes so split and scattered that the organization loses sight of its basic objective. People in the silos begin work against each other, competing for resources and recognition, rather than collaborating for common success.

The most common pariah in a typical organization is the IT department. These poor folks always get shouted at if anything at all goes wrong in the system. But when everything is working fine, nobody even notices them. In today’s age of ubiquitous computer literacy, why not assume a bit of system responsibility so that the turnaround time in PC troubleshooting (and consequently productivity) can be improved?

In fact, we know why. When it comes to computers, there is no limit to how bad things can get. As the IT proverb says, to err is human, but to completely foul up things requires a computer. End users may screw up the system so completely that even a competent IT department (a rare commodity) may find it impossible to restore normalcy. But, in order to fight this self-destructive (though well-intentioned) tendency, IT departments have gone to the other extreme of making it so bureaucratic and practically impossible to get their help in anything at all!

Another group that gets a bad rap in a highly regulated organization is the auditors. Their thankless job is to look over everybody’s shoulder and make sure that they are following the rules of the game (or rather, complying with policies and regulations). Auditors’ noble intentions get eclipsed by one fatal flaw: they seem to measure their success by how many violations they can find. Instead of working hand in hand with those being audited, the auditors come across as though they are conspiring against the rest.

There is productivity to be gained by blurring the edges of rigid silos in organizations. When silos talk to each other, teamwork happens and those in the silos realize that they all work toward a common goal.