Was talking to someone and he happen to talk about "how come xyz person is like this but still so successful", but what is success? If you are in IT field is it that someone got good salary and designation? If you are in business, does it mean that success is how much revenue he made? If you are in sports, does it means that how much score you hit or how famous you became?
When I thought about it, I realized that Success is a very relative term, for someone, a saint might be very successful and for someone else a business man might be successful.
What is your definition of success? I won't be surprised if your picture of successful people reflects the one in your field or industry, but is it the real success?
Well it might be, but do you think somewhere deep in our hearts, success is something which we want for us and we see that the other person has achieved it?
Is Success something which is relative to what we want and how do we look at the world?
Regards,
Rahul
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Am I Really Helpless?
Being pro-active, one of the common soft skill many companies wants their employees to learn. Many a times it is very common feedback to the team members that "you need to be a bit more proactive", but I am not really sure about the difference between being proactive and being responsible for yourself.
I know you can look up the dictionary and say that they both are different, I will agree with you if we both sit with that dictionary, but what I am talking about is not just any responsibility but just the "responsibility of your own career". If you think you are "responsible for your own career" and you are the one who can make the maximum influence on the growth of your career, then the chances are that you are already proactive.
I have worked for both services industry as well as product industry and I happen to believe that no matter where you are working, you will always get windows of time where you don't know what you need to work on.
The window keeps on getting smaller and smaller as you grow in your profession. If you happen to just join the company the window which is "I don't know what I need to work on OR where is my career heading" will be the biggest and by the time you become a CEO of any company there is no such window. You are struggling to find time for yourself.
When you don't have anything specific assigned to you or you feel that I am not growing I have generally seen three responses.
1) Please give me some work I don't have anything to do.
2) I want to have a meeting, I don't think I am growing. I am doing the same thing for so many number of years, the company needs to utilize me more effectively, I don't want to continue doing the same thing.
3) I am planning to work on the following as I that is the area which I think I can grow to reach the next level. I have the plans which I want to share with you to make sure I am on the same track.
There might be few more responses, but over the period of time I have happened to see the above three response in majority of the employees.
Response one seems to be short and sweet, it is not that I would prefer that as I believe it lacks certain depth of clarity, after all we are talking about your career on which you might spend more then 35 years of your life.
Response two might indicate that you are frustrated and not really sure who is responsible for your growth, is it the company, is it the lead, is it the manager? but you are sure that you don't want to do the things you are doing else you are stuck.
So are we really happen to be so helpless that our growth only and only depends on the company? I am sure most of your might answer NO, and I would agree with you that you are not fully relying on the company for your career growth, but yes they are a percentage of it, but then how many percentage does the company plays role in your growth? Is it 20? 30? 50 or 80%?
I really don't know the answer and it might not be a single answer, but whatever the answer be, I am sure that it has to be less then 50%. Are you really helpless to have control and define the growth of your career? Think again? If not, be a bit more proactive, give it some thought, make some plan and share it with respective person you are working with and get aligned.
You are not as helpless as you think when it comes to your own career, please take charge of it and make plans for it and get it aligned to what you want to achieve in your life.
Rahul
I know you can look up the dictionary and say that they both are different, I will agree with you if we both sit with that dictionary, but what I am talking about is not just any responsibility but just the "responsibility of your own career". If you think you are "responsible for your own career" and you are the one who can make the maximum influence on the growth of your career, then the chances are that you are already proactive.
I have worked for both services industry as well as product industry and I happen to believe that no matter where you are working, you will always get windows of time where you don't know what you need to work on.
The window keeps on getting smaller and smaller as you grow in your profession. If you happen to just join the company the window which is "I don't know what I need to work on OR where is my career heading" will be the biggest and by the time you become a CEO of any company there is no such window. You are struggling to find time for yourself.
When you don't have anything specific assigned to you or you feel that I am not growing I have generally seen three responses.
1) Please give me some work I don't have anything to do.
2) I want to have a meeting, I don't think I am growing. I am doing the same thing for so many number of years, the company needs to utilize me more effectively, I don't want to continue doing the same thing.
3) I am planning to work on the following as I that is the area which I think I can grow to reach the next level. I have the plans which I want to share with you to make sure I am on the same track.
There might be few more responses, but over the period of time I have happened to see the above three response in majority of the employees.
Response one seems to be short and sweet, it is not that I would prefer that as I believe it lacks certain depth of clarity, after all we are talking about your career on which you might spend more then 35 years of your life.
Response two might indicate that you are frustrated and not really sure who is responsible for your growth, is it the company, is it the lead, is it the manager? but you are sure that you don't want to do the things you are doing else you are stuck.
So are we really happen to be so helpless that our growth only and only depends on the company? I am sure most of your might answer NO, and I would agree with you that you are not fully relying on the company for your career growth, but yes they are a percentage of it, but then how many percentage does the company plays role in your growth? Is it 20? 30? 50 or 80%?
I really don't know the answer and it might not be a single answer, but whatever the answer be, I am sure that it has to be less then 50%. Are you really helpless to have control and define the growth of your career? Think again? If not, be a bit more proactive, give it some thought, make some plan and share it with respective person you are working with and get aligned.
You are not as helpless as you think when it comes to your own career, please take charge of it and make plans for it and get it aligned to what you want to achieve in your life.
Rahul
Friday, April 24, 2009
My Articles
Xilinx Xcell Journel Power Beast in Consumer Handheld
1) www.xilinx.com/publications/archives/xcell/Xcell69.pdf
Webcast on "Taming The Power Beast"
2) http://www.globalspec.com/events/videos/?videoId=958447463001&evtsrc=search
EDN US Power Management
1. http://www.edn.com/contents/images/6651591.pdf
( http://www.edn.com/article/CA6651591.html?text=FPGA)
EETimes India Verification Management
1. http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/emedia/eetindia_20081016/#/0
Verification Management
1. http://www.portabledesign.com/article?article_id=167
OVM Verification Horizon (Mentor Graphics)
1.http://www.mentor.com/products/fv/upload/verification_horizons_vol4_issue1.pdf?PC=L&c=2008_02_horizon_quarterly_news (Page 20)
ASIC Verification with FPGA Verification Components
1. www.fpgajournal.com/articles/20040921_einfo.htm
Image Processing
1. www.fpgajournal.com/articles_2006/pdf/20060307_einfo.pdf
2. www.soccentral.com/results.asp?CatID=575&EntryID=18253
3. www.edn.com/article/CA621657.html
Getting Most Out Of Your BTS
1. www.sibridgetech.com/bts_article_1.html
Migrating From Verilog To System Verilog
1. www.sibridgetech.com/article.html
Few Of My Picture Collection
1. http://picasaweb.google.com/shahrahulv/
1) www.xilinx.com/publications/archives/xcell/Xcell69.pdf
Webcast on "Taming The Power Beast"
2) http://www.globalspec.com/events/videos/?videoId=958447463001&evtsrc=search
EDN US Power Management
1. http://www.edn.com/contents/images/6651591.pdf
( http://www.edn.com/article/CA6651591.html?text=FPGA)
EETimes India Verification Management
1. http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/emedia/eetindia_20081016/#/0
Verification Management
1. http://www.portabledesign.com/article?article_id=167
OVM Verification Horizon (Mentor Graphics)
1.http://www.mentor.com/products/fv/upload/verification_horizons_vol4_issue1.pdf?PC=L&c=2008_02_horizon_quarterly_news (Page 20)
ASIC Verification with FPGA Verification Components
1. www.fpgajournal.com/articles/20040921_einfo.htm
Image Processing
1. www.fpgajournal.com/articles_2006/pdf/20060307_einfo.pdf
2. www.soccentral.com/results.asp?CatID=575&EntryID=18253
3. www.edn.com/article/CA621657.html
Getting Most Out Of Your BTS
1. www.sibridgetech.com/bts_article_1.html
Migrating From Verilog To System Verilog
1. www.sibridgetech.com/article.html
Few Of My Picture Collection
1. http://picasaweb.google.com/shahrahulv/
Saturday, April 18, 2009
I might resign.......
Don't worry as of 19th April 2009 11:50AM I don't have any plans to resign, but I had one interesting experience to share. Was talking to someone who happens to be very honest and that someone mentioned that he has a different road map after few years down the road.
Have you ever joined a job and in the interview after the offer was made, you mentioned that I am going to quit this company after so many number of years?
Well I had done that once, I was interviewed at one of my previous company in US and when they offered me, I told them that I am happy to take the offer (in 2002) but I am going to quit on Aug 2003, what was running in my mind that if someone has confidence on me, let me share what all I know so that he won't get disappointed. Well I still got that job and left it on Aug 2003 to move back to India.
I don't think in today's age or world someone will be surprised if you tell him that I am not planning to work in one company forever, it is a global truth and employee and employer have accepted it gracefully.
There are certain things in life which we all know are going to happen, it is just the matter of time, we just don't know when it will happen.
1) What if you knew that you are going to die on a certain day? Will you enjoy rest of your life till that day comes? Most probably, yes
2) What if you knew that one of your close friend is going to move out of the city for better opportunity and after that you might be able to meet him once in a year? Will you try to enjoy every moment? I guess, yes
3) What if you knew that you might have health issues in next week, will you start taking a bit more care? I think you should.
But all the above scenarios are "what if", I mean you know that it might happen someday but you just don't know when and the life keeps on going.
Take the second set of scenarios
1) You are on a three day vacation to a beautiful place, since we know it is a limited time do we tend to make the best out of it? I think, yes.
2) You have got Rs1000 to spend on a Sunday evening, it is told to you that you have to spend Rs1000, even if you don't you will lose it? Will you make the best out of it? I guess, yes.
3) You joined a collage and you are in the last semester, you know that it might be 3 or 4 months and your collage days are over. Do you tend to make the best in the last semester? Most probably, yes.
Does it means that if we have clarity or visibility we tend to enjoy it more? Why most of us are very curious to know our future?
Does the fear of unknown (in terms of you don't know when it will happen but you know it is going to happen) makes us not to make the best out of what we can?
Somehow I think if we know that this will happen at this date, we tend to make the best out of what we have in hand.
Then is it a bad thing to share with your employer as soon as you get visibility of your future road map?
I am sure people will have different opinions on this,one of the most common one might be "Well it depends on the employer...."
Don't you think that if you have visibility in terms of what you want to do in your life, you will be able to make the best out of it?
Don't you think that if you have your goal, your vision and your milestones which are bounded with specific quantifiable items (like date, amount etc etc) you will be able to enjoy it more?
Don't you think that if you take your life, your day, your present moment as the moment as you don't know what will happen next, you will be able to make the best out of it?
If you answer yes to any of the above questions, are you really doing it?
What is stopping you to make the best out of your life?
Rahul V Shah
Have you ever joined a job and in the interview after the offer was made, you mentioned that I am going to quit this company after so many number of years?
Well I had done that once, I was interviewed at one of my previous company in US and when they offered me, I told them that I am happy to take the offer (in 2002) but I am going to quit on Aug 2003, what was running in my mind that if someone has confidence on me, let me share what all I know so that he won't get disappointed. Well I still got that job and left it on Aug 2003 to move back to India.
I don't think in today's age or world someone will be surprised if you tell him that I am not planning to work in one company forever, it is a global truth and employee and employer have accepted it gracefully.
There are certain things in life which we all know are going to happen, it is just the matter of time, we just don't know when it will happen.
1) What if you knew that you are going to die on a certain day? Will you enjoy rest of your life till that day comes? Most probably, yes
2) What if you knew that one of your close friend is going to move out of the city for better opportunity and after that you might be able to meet him once in a year? Will you try to enjoy every moment? I guess, yes
3) What if you knew that you might have health issues in next week, will you start taking a bit more care? I think you should.
But all the above scenarios are "what if", I mean you know that it might happen someday but you just don't know when and the life keeps on going.
Take the second set of scenarios
1) You are on a three day vacation to a beautiful place, since we know it is a limited time do we tend to make the best out of it? I think, yes.
2) You have got Rs1000 to spend on a Sunday evening, it is told to you that you have to spend Rs1000, even if you don't you will lose it? Will you make the best out of it? I guess, yes.
3) You joined a collage and you are in the last semester, you know that it might be 3 or 4 months and your collage days are over. Do you tend to make the best in the last semester? Most probably, yes.
Does it means that if we have clarity or visibility we tend to enjoy it more? Why most of us are very curious to know our future?
Does the fear of unknown (in terms of you don't know when it will happen but you know it is going to happen) makes us not to make the best out of what we can?
Somehow I think if we know that this will happen at this date, we tend to make the best out of what we have in hand.
Then is it a bad thing to share with your employer as soon as you get visibility of your future road map?
I am sure people will have different opinions on this,one of the most common one might be "Well it depends on the employer...."
Don't you think that if you have visibility in terms of what you want to do in your life, you will be able to make the best out of it?
Don't you think that if you have your goal, your vision and your milestones which are bounded with specific quantifiable items (like date, amount etc etc) you will be able to enjoy it more?
Don't you think that if you take your life, your day, your present moment as the moment as you don't know what will happen next, you will be able to make the best out of it?
If you answer yes to any of the above questions, are you really doing it?
What is stopping you to make the best out of your life?
Rahul V Shah
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Leadership: Lead by example, is it good enough?
It is a very common saying that leaders lead by example. But is it really true in today's world? You are leading a team, doing the right things (of course which you think are right), you are trying to set the example, walk the talk. But will that be good enough? Will people learn or follow any leader because he is leading by example?
If people starts following a leader, does it really helps to have more leaders or have good team? Are we following too much?
Take the example of our education system ( I know this is something that does not seems to be related to leadership, but hang in there for few more lines). All around our education system, someone decides our syllabus, decides the text books, exam schedule, number of lectures, labs etc etc etc. We are students and we follow the defined system and if we do it right, with few other ingredients you come out to be a successful student at the end of your eduction.
You join a company, you will find few good leaders in every organization (they might have different leadership style, then what you presume but yes there are leaders in every organization). They are setting good examples, and you start following them? But when and how do leaders makes good leaders? Will a good follower will be a good leader?
Please don't misunderstand this, I am not saying don't follow a leader, please do. But I think for today's generation you not only need to lead by example, but you also need to enable them to think. You need to make them understand and train them for the process of "Thinking"
You not only set the example, but provide them a platform where they can try to set some of the new examples, keep them in your shoes, teach them your job, give them the situation you face and let them think, how to solve it.
Unless you enable and empower your team to "Think" of course in a creative way, and not just make the follow and you keeping on leading them by example, I personally believe that them teams might not grow.
Leadership is not only to set examples and walk the talk, but also to enable the team and empower the team to "Think" give them the platform, make them think, make them realize the growth they need to attain and become future leaders.
Rahul V Shah
If people starts following a leader, does it really helps to have more leaders or have good team? Are we following too much?
Take the example of our education system ( I know this is something that does not seems to be related to leadership, but hang in there for few more lines). All around our education system, someone decides our syllabus, decides the text books, exam schedule, number of lectures, labs etc etc etc. We are students and we follow the defined system and if we do it right, with few other ingredients you come out to be a successful student at the end of your eduction.
You join a company, you will find few good leaders in every organization (they might have different leadership style, then what you presume but yes there are leaders in every organization). They are setting good examples, and you start following them? But when and how do leaders makes good leaders? Will a good follower will be a good leader?
Please don't misunderstand this, I am not saying don't follow a leader, please do. But I think for today's generation you not only need to lead by example, but you also need to enable them to think. You need to make them understand and train them for the process of "Thinking"
You not only set the example, but provide them a platform where they can try to set some of the new examples, keep them in your shoes, teach them your job, give them the situation you face and let them think, how to solve it.
Unless you enable and empower your team to "Think" of course in a creative way, and not just make the follow and you keeping on leading them by example, I personally believe that them teams might not grow.
Leadership is not only to set examples and walk the talk, but also to enable the team and empower the team to "Think" give them the platform, make them think, make them realize the growth they need to attain and become future leaders.
Rahul V Shah
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Strees: Good or Bad?
I know, most of you might think what is good about stress? It is always bad. People made millions of dollars by publishing books, training, videos and of course medicines to teach you how to avoid stress or manage stress, so what is good about it?
Well, hang in there. Did you ever faced any scenario where you got hurt but you really didn't felt the pain? Have you ever been in an accident (of course minor one, that's why you are still reading this blog) where you got injured, when you got hurt, you really didn't felt the pain and the pain came much later?
There is a theory which I personally believe, that all the living creatures (including us and animals) have an emergency system. People do heroic task when it comes to survival, I had a fare share of small incident on the same line. During one of the festive season, one of the neighbouring house was on fire. The house on fire was closed, somehow I picked up a LPG cylinder, went upstairs and broke the door of the house, we pored water all around the fire and got it under control. Then someone asked my, why did you thought of taking the LPG cylinder and break the door, I had no idea :-o
One of my father close friend was working in a bank (Mr. Kaba), there was bank robbery. My dad's friend ran behind the robbers and got hold of them and got a award at National level for his bravery. Unfortunately during his chase, he got hit by a bullet on his chest but he had no idea about it, during the chase. He realized it much later that he got hit by a bullet.
The theory is, when you are under stress the body's emergency system kicks in. It re-distributes the energy to the vital parts which will help for survial and hence there is a transfer of energy. Parts like digestion system and few othere automatically shuts down (that's why your mouth gets dry at times when you are in stress). This transfer of energy kicks in automatically under stress which is inbuilt system for your survival.
Fortunately this is still same in animals, but humans with a good imaginative mind are now able to simulate the stress :-)
How many times you have got stressed just by thinking about something. It might be your work, or any fight or finance or anything at all. What really happens is that we start paintaining a picture in our mind which takes us towards the scenario that "we are in trouble" which is another way of telling us that "our survival is under threat". that it.... it does the trick and the transfer of energy starts in your system. Vital elements starts operating and the energy transfer start's few people might have impace on the digestive system or the reproductive system as the energies are taken out of those units and transfered to vital parts, like your heart and mind. Suddenly heart beat increases, mind becomes more active, sleep disappers etc etc.
Guess what, we succesfully converted something which WAS GOOD for us (Stress for survival) to something which we think is BAD (in form of imaginative surivial threat).
Enjoy.......
Rahul V Shah
Well, hang in there. Did you ever faced any scenario where you got hurt but you really didn't felt the pain? Have you ever been in an accident (of course minor one, that's why you are still reading this blog) where you got injured, when you got hurt, you really didn't felt the pain and the pain came much later?
There is a theory which I personally believe, that all the living creatures (including us and animals) have an emergency system. People do heroic task when it comes to survival, I had a fare share of small incident on the same line. During one of the festive season, one of the neighbouring house was on fire. The house on fire was closed, somehow I picked up a LPG cylinder, went upstairs and broke the door of the house, we pored water all around the fire and got it under control. Then someone asked my, why did you thought of taking the LPG cylinder and break the door, I had no idea :-o
One of my father close friend was working in a bank (Mr. Kaba), there was bank robbery. My dad's friend ran behind the robbers and got hold of them and got a award at National level for his bravery. Unfortunately during his chase, he got hit by a bullet on his chest but he had no idea about it, during the chase. He realized it much later that he got hit by a bullet.
The theory is, when you are under stress the body's emergency system kicks in. It re-distributes the energy to the vital parts which will help for survial and hence there is a transfer of energy. Parts like digestion system and few othere automatically shuts down (that's why your mouth gets dry at times when you are in stress). This transfer of energy kicks in automatically under stress which is inbuilt system for your survival.
Fortunately this is still same in animals, but humans with a good imaginative mind are now able to simulate the stress :-)
How many times you have got stressed just by thinking about something. It might be your work, or any fight or finance or anything at all. What really happens is that we start paintaining a picture in our mind which takes us towards the scenario that "we are in trouble" which is another way of telling us that "our survival is under threat". that it.... it does the trick and the transfer of energy starts in your system. Vital elements starts operating and the energy transfer start's few people might have impace on the digestive system or the reproductive system as the energies are taken out of those units and transfered to vital parts, like your heart and mind. Suddenly heart beat increases, mind becomes more active, sleep disappers etc etc.
Guess what, we succesfully converted something which WAS GOOD for us (Stress for survival) to something which we think is BAD (in form of imaginative surivial threat).
Enjoy.......
Rahul V Shah
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Appericiation
Remember the day when you started working or doing some activity with your heart in it, you got so involved in that and you gave it your best. At the end of it you create something which makes you satisfied. You are happy with a smile on your face, felt like you accomplished something.
Then suddenly something strange happened for the first time, someone you know looks at what you did and say "Great job man!!!", "Wow !!! too good.", "awesome", "wow this looks so good, how did you do it?", "Great idea", "Great initiative", "Good work"........
Suddenly out of the blue you feel very happy, your sense of accomplishment suddenly increased and you feel more satisfied or rather "felt appreciated"
The aura remains for couple of days, you make some new friends and life keeps on moving. One fine day you thought of doing something else again, kept your heart in it, gave it your best and came out with amazing results. Guess what, you will again get appreciated and you will feel great about it. BUT this time it was a little bit different then the earlier experience, the second time you might think, "let me know what others think about it".
Soon the event continues and you start giving your best in everything you do. Then one fine day you again make something, really really good (as per you) then the earlier two events and you feel happy and satisfied, BUT this time what if, just whaaat if "no one appreciates you?" everyone is so busy in something or the other that some of them might not even notice or comment on it. You try to show them your work, but no response...........
What do you feel? Do you feel demotivated? Do you feel unappreciated? Do you feel low? Please be true to yourself, what do you feel inside you?
Do you feel that their is no appreciation for you? Many of us do, but why? How does this transformation happens from doing something for your own satisfaction, giving 100% to something and being happy about it TO expecting someone to appreciate it?
What is appreciation? Is it a part of social belonging? Is it a fuel to our internal engine which makes us work without which we cannot perform? Does it makes you satisfied if someone says it? What is it? Is it so important that even if you have great talent (like a fancy car) all of it is useless in driving you (like the fancy car without petrol)?
I am not saying don't appreciate. Please, with all means do it, do genuinely appreciate people. But is that we cannot work without it? Is it that our performance, our happiness, satisfaction etc etc are driven by it? Of course many of us might say NO it does not, then do you feel low if you did something really good and presented and no one appreciated?
WHY?
Rahul V Shah
Then suddenly something strange happened for the first time, someone you know looks at what you did and say "Great job man!!!", "Wow !!! too good.", "awesome", "wow this looks so good, how did you do it?", "Great idea", "Great initiative", "Good work"........
Suddenly out of the blue you feel very happy, your sense of accomplishment suddenly increased and you feel more satisfied or rather "felt appreciated"
The aura remains for couple of days, you make some new friends and life keeps on moving. One fine day you thought of doing something else again, kept your heart in it, gave it your best and came out with amazing results. Guess what, you will again get appreciated and you will feel great about it. BUT this time it was a little bit different then the earlier experience, the second time you might think, "let me know what others think about it".
Soon the event continues and you start giving your best in everything you do. Then one fine day you again make something, really really good (as per you) then the earlier two events and you feel happy and satisfied, BUT this time what if, just whaaat if "no one appreciates you?" everyone is so busy in something or the other that some of them might not even notice or comment on it. You try to show them your work, but no response...........
What do you feel? Do you feel demotivated? Do you feel unappreciated? Do you feel low? Please be true to yourself, what do you feel inside you?
Do you feel that their is no appreciation for you? Many of us do, but why? How does this transformation happens from doing something for your own satisfaction, giving 100% to something and being happy about it TO expecting someone to appreciate it?
What is appreciation? Is it a part of social belonging? Is it a fuel to our internal engine which makes us work without which we cannot perform? Does it makes you satisfied if someone says it? What is it? Is it so important that even if you have great talent (like a fancy car) all of it is useless in driving you (like the fancy car without petrol)?
I am not saying don't appreciate. Please, with all means do it, do genuinely appreciate people. But is that we cannot work without it? Is it that our performance, our happiness, satisfaction etc etc are driven by it? Of course many of us might say NO it does not, then do you feel low if you did something really good and presented and no one appreciated?
WHY?
Rahul V Shah
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