QUOTE OF THE DAY

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Decision Making

The story given here is quite interesting and really gives us an insight into DECISION MAKING.

A group of children were playing near two railway tracks, one still in use while the other disused. Only one child played on the disused track, the rest on the operational track.
The train is coming, and you are just beside the track interchange. You can make the train change its course to the disused track and save most of the kids. However, that would also mean the lone child playing by the disused track would be sacrificed. Or would you rather let the train go its way?

Let's take a pause to think what kind of decision we could make................











Most people might choose to divert the course of the train, and sacrifice only one child. You might think the same way, I guess. Exactly, I thought the same way initially because to save most of the children at the expense of only one child was rational decision most people would make, morally and emotionally. But, have you ever thought that the child choosing to play on the disused track had in fact made the right decision to play at a safe place?

Nevertheless, he had to be sacrificed because of his ignorant friends who chose to play where the danger was. This kind of dilemma happens around us everyday. In the office, community, in politics and especially in a democratic society, the minority is often sacrificed for the interest of the majority, no matter how foolish or ignorant the majority are, and how farsighted and knowledgeable the minority are. The child who chose not to play with the rest on the operational track was sidelined. And in the case he was sacrificed, no one would shed a tear for him.
The great critic Leo Velski Julian who told the story said he would not try to change the course of the train because he believed that the kids playing on the operational track should have known very well that track was still in use, and that they should have run away if they heard the train's sirens. If the train was diverted, that lone child would definitely die because he never thought the train could come over to that track! Moreover, that track was not in use probably because it was not safe. If the train was diverted to the track, we could put the lives of all passengers on board at stake! And in your attempt to save a few kids by sacrificing one child, you might end up sacrificing hundreds of people to save these few kids.

While we are all aware that life is full of tough decisions that need to be made, we may not realize that hasty decisions may not always be the right one.
"Remember that what's right isn't always popular... and what's popular isn't always right."

Everybody makes mistakes; that's why they put erasers on pencils.




Source:
http://netempire.wordpress.com/2007/07/05/train-track-and-children-2/

The Reality of Sufism

A must read for all Muslims. Sufism is certainly the most destructive force which is sweeping Muslims who are ignorant of the true Islamic Aqeedah. This book explains the origins of the Sufi movement and its various doctrines. Most people associate Sufism with haunting mystical music, breath-taking poetry, and liberal attitudes. This book actually explains the fundamental doctrines and beliefs of the Sufis which the average Muslim is clueless about. Most importantly it helps us understand how some tenets of Sufism might violate the injunction against shirk.

Download the PDF Ebook from the link below:




source:
http://www.jamatdawah.org/

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Ten New Rules for Project Managers


By Hal Macomber

These ten ideas will help improve your projects. Are these ten rules the top ten? You decide. But don't take too long. Share these rules with your team. Your team members are sure to help you carry them out.
  1. Adopt practices for exploring a variety of perspectives.
    We think we see what we see, but we don't. We really see what we think. Remember the blind men and the elephant. Make it your habit to inquire what others see. You'll see more together.
  2. Stay close to your customer.
    Clients' concerns evolve over the life of a project. Take advantage of that to over-deliver. Stay in a conversation with your client to adjust what you are doing.
  3. Take care of your project team.
    We've come to accept that the customer comes first the customer is always right. We can't take care of the customer if we first aren't taking care of our project team. It's a challenge. While there are some things we can do for the whole team, it comes down to taking care of each team member as the individual that he or she is. And to make it more difficult, then we must bring their various interests into coherence.
  4. Keep your eye on the overall project promises.
    Project work can be difficult. It is easy to loose sight of what we are doing and why we are doing it. Remind your team and yourself of the overall promises and how you are doing fulfilling those promises.
  5. Build relationships intentionally.
    Project teams come together as strangers. To do great work, innovation, learning, and collaboration all take people who like and care for each other. Don't leave that to chance. Start your projects by building relationships among team members.
  6. Tightly couple learning with action.
    Projects are wonderful opportunities to learn. Don't put that off for the after project lessons learned. Make it your habit to incorporate learning loops in all your project activities. Your team will appreciate it. Your customer will benefit from it. And best of all, it will make your job easier.
  7. Coordinate meticulously.
    A project is an ever-evolving network of commitment. Keep that network activated by tending to the critical conversations. See that people are making clear requests, promises that have completion dates, and share opinions that advance the purposes of the project. Without attention to those critical conversations the project will drift.
  8. Collaborate. Really collaborate.
    Make it your rule to plan with those people who will be the performers of the plan. Don't wait until the project has gone south to get their help. Start out that way. Continue collaborating as the usual way you work through the project.
  9. Listen generously.
    People are able to say what they can in the moment. For the most part, people are well-intended. Give them the benefit of the doubt. Take the time to listen. Ask questions. Seek others' opinions. And while you're at it, don't be so harsh on yourself.
  10. Embrace uncertainty.
    Expect the unexpected. There is far more that we don't know and can't know than what we can anticipate. Be resilient to what life throws at you. Anticipate that your team will learn something along the way that can and should change what you have promised and how you can deliver on your promises. And when you take a set-back - we all do sometime or another - review the other nine rules for how you can work your way out of it.
Reference: www.projectsmart. co.uk