Well, keeping my part of promise to come back to you with my reflections of ‘Agar - Magar‘. The moment I saw the play it reminded me of a question asked to me by Vikas almost a month ago. How many times have you landed in a situation like Peehu, where you are forced to choose something which you never wanted? How many times your leader (Boss, Chief, Sir - whatever adj. you may be using) has requested (ordered) to do something which you always (’never’) wanted?

So, what is the issue? Was the teacher right? or was Peehu right? I think they both were right in their own perspective. At one hand, the teacher was following established traditions and rules and on the other hand Peehu (in his second avataar) was challenging the teacher to be with him breaking all rules & traditions. Imagine, you are in a similar situation in a corporate life. What would you choose? Conventional wisdom of choosing what is there in the organisation’s rule-book or unconventional courage to stand by with your team? I am not here to show you a path or give you any solution to this eternal debate. I am here to help you devise your new ’set’ of resolutions based on ‘Agar - Magar’ to create a future ready organization. My views may differ from many of our readers - so why don’t you counter it and we will discuss and debate.

My suggested resolutions for 2008:

Love your work: Enjoyment is the key to success. One of the best known secrets of any successful person is that he or she loves what he/she does and enjoy every moment of it. Even if you do not like your organization, your boss or your teammates but if you love your work, your life would be much easier and less complicated.

Break the Rules: Breaking rules isn’t easy but it can be very rewarding, especially when you are willing to break the rules to achieve larger interest of your organization or your team. Find opportunities to break the rules. Write new rules and shift goalposts every now and then, so you get more opportunities to break the rules and you can create ‘rule free’ organisation.

Learn something new everyday: Read a poem, watch a movie or simply learn how to sign in ten different ways. Learn a new word (I learnt Pollyannaism today, which many of our PR veterans believes in). You will become a complete person. You will be able to use your right brain and become more creative.

Maintain work-life Balance: Here comes the most difficult part. At least, one can try. After all, life also need a reason to live.

Change is good: Accept the change. Create the change. Love the change and yes, begin with yourself.

Help someone to grow: The satisfaction would be immense. Help your colleague to learn how to make powerful presentations, help her to learn the art of media relations, let your office boy learn to do more than cutting-pasting job. Help your boss to achieve his next promotion. Help your organization to become number one. Help your client to get more business. This world will automatically become a beautiful place.

Learn to be closer to ground: The most important decision taken in a boardroom will be known to you before it becomes memo, if you know the name of your canteen boy or sweeper. Progress is good and you need to aim for the corner office but it is better to be known as Munnabhai and not as Dr. Asthana.

And Finally…

Go out and vote: or else, you will have leaders you don’t want to be led by.

Have a great 2008.