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Benazir Bhutto announced in her death letter that her 19 year son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will succeed her as party chief. Naïve and younger than umpteen other leaders in Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal got the post because her dead mother said so. She herself is a child of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. I heard that there is no other leader in PPP that could fill Benazir’s shoes.

I wonder why Bilawal got to be the party chief and why there is no other leader in PPP that could fill the departed leader’s shoes. Was it because there’s no other leader that Bilawal occupied the post? Or was it because she wanted Bilawal to occupy the post that there is no other capable leader in the party?

A leader should build an organization with capable leadership team that recruits other able leaders. If the leader brings in sons and daughters and relatives, will others in the organization stay behind? This situation leads to what Guy Kawasaki calls a bozo explosion. Without capable leaders, a company, a country, a political party or any other organization, at some point, will be without a head. That’s a nightmare for the existence of the organization the leader wanted to build.

But if the leader secretly wants to bring her kith and kin to fill her own shoes, the leader will avoid building a great leadership team. I think that’s what had happened with BJP after Pramod Mahajan’s demise and Vajpayee’s old age, to Congress after Rajiv Gandhi’s death and now with PPP.

The leader has not done the job well if there is no ‘second rung’ to lead. In fact he or she should build a culture that mentors and produces leaders. Yet, in India, can we name one credible organization that is devoted to produce great leaders for the country?

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This is a sequel to my earlier post on interview with Irevna.

Two insights helped me in the above interview I mentioned in my previous post.

First, most interviews begin with the question, “tell me about yourself” – a lazy and smart interviewer’s question. I say lazy, because it is easy to ask. You can show up without looking at the interviewee’s resume and still ask this question confidently. And smart because it brings to bear several skills and preparation of the candidate.

“Tell me about yourself” is not “tell me your history.” It is disguised “Tell me, based on what you have done, why, I should I hire you?”

This question is a great opportunity because the canvass is yet to be painted. The structure of the painting is fully in YOUR control. It is not a dull “what is IRR” which needs a straight definition type answer.

But it’s a tough question too. You have to understand what the interviewer’s expectations are.

Most interviewers have expectations from an interviewee in the following categories, not necessarily in any order.

• Technical
• Interpersonal skills
• Communication skills
• Leadership skills
• Experience
• Qualifications etc.

Some of the above categories are more important than others. Which one is more important and which is not depends on the industry and the role for which interview is being conducted. A sales role may need more interpersonal and communication skills; a team leader may need greater leadership skills; and analytics role may need greater technical skills. For the role you have applied for, check out what the interviewer may be looking for.

Your answer to “tell me about yourself” should give a glimpse (not an essay but glimpse) of answers to priority items in the list above. After hearing your answer, interviewers should think… “hmm… this person may have what I am looking for. Let me explore further what this person said so I can confirm my hypothesis.” If you are able to do this, you have cracked it. You have shaped the interview.

What I said above assumes:

• You know about the role and made correct (or reasonable) assumptions about priorities
• You know about yourself (strengths, weaknesses etc. (not a laundry listing but a well thought out version) and have researched the company enough
• You have spent enough time creating instances of excellence of what the interviewers will be looking for (e.g. for a research role, credible research you have done)

The second, though not a big deal, helped me crack the group discussion. Unlike a typical GD topic, we were told that the group has to come up with a list of five things. Together—a unanimous list—not my own or not someone else’s. Don’t remember what the list should comprise. But the time was just 5 min or so. For a normal GD topic, which could be discussed endlessly, your ability to put across a few strong points count. However, for this topic, it’s your ability to channel the group’s opinion that counts. The sooner you can come to the list, the better. What helped me crack this GD was that I suggested that we go around in a circle and tell what my own list was. If it had duplicates across everyone, then that item automatically qualifies to be in the final list. I am usually against a democratic ‘merry go around’ approach for a GD. But for this one, it seemed right.

It worked. Only that at the end, we had to sort of compromise on one or two in the list so we could complete the list ‘unanimously’. Thankfully, others in the group and I were willing to do that for the interest of the GD and our interviews!

So, this GD brought into picture, analytical, structuring, and timekeeping skills.

I hope this post was useful for those giving interviews.

Useful links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ezFNrWMTlc

http://www.careerjournal.com/jobhunting/interviewing/20041104-hirsch.html

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I visited historic Warangal (ancient Orugallu) recently. And had a great time. The Orugallu Fort and Veyyi Stambhala Gudi (Thousand Pillar Temple) have history, architecture and sculpture and are probably among the best of Indian temples. Kakatiya dynasty, that ruled Andhra region from 750 AD – 1325 AD – for 575 years, still lives in the ruins of the fort and almost intact temple.

1000 Pillar Temple, Warangal from the front. Nandi is to the extreme left (not in picture). To the right is Surya’s shrine. The left side of the temple has Shiva’s shrine.

You can get a first hand of the dynasty’s taste for sculpture in Veyyi Stambhala Gudi or 1000 Pillar Temple. It has a catchy and apt name. Are there thousand pillars? Yes there are – of many varieties and sizes; some of them are even part of others! The pillars that support the central ‘Natya Mandapam’ (dance floor) are large and made of multiple blocks of stone.

The other catch is psychological. When you hear “Veyyi Stambalu” (thousand pillars) you imagine a farm of pillars. For my expectation, the temple was much smaller. More so because a mandapam (see left of the picture below), that contributes 400 of 1000 pillars, was dismantled by the Archeological Survey of India for reconstruction. Unlike pillars in other temples of India, pillars of the main temple, are tightly knit and form its walls and so don’t seem like there are 600 of them.

There’s the mandapa now dismantled. This picture was taken from behind the 1000 pillar temple, Warangal.

The temple is star shaped with three shrines devoted to Rudradeva (Shiva), Vishnu, and Surya (Sun). Interestingly, the third deity is not Brahma who is part of the Trinity of God [as in the Trinity (which consists of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva) in Suchindrum] because the Kakatiyas worshipped Lord Shiva and Lord Surya and not so much Brahma. On the fourth side is Shiva’s vehicle, Nandi or Bull.

Nandi looking east (above). Carving on Nandi (below)

Unlike most temples in India that face east, 1000 pillar temple faces south. Because, the Kakatiyas, worshipers of Lord Shiva, wanted early morning sun rays to fall directly on Shiva Lingam. So, of the three shrines, Shiva’s shrine faces east and other shrines face south and west. On the fourth side is Nandi. Adding to the uniqueness, the Nandi in 1000 pillar temple looks east, unlike most Nandis in Indian temples that look west.

Between these four is the Natya Mandapam (dance floor) where dancers performed.

The guide who shared with me his knowledge about 1000 pillar temple, Warangal

More interesting is the architectural prowess of the Kakatiyas. Hearsay is that ASI, when it dismantled the Mandapam for reconstruction, found about 30 feet of sand and three wells below it! Unbelievable. This temple was built in 1163 AD and took 72 years to construct!

In addition to architecture, I loved the rich carvings and sculpture. You have to see it to believe it. The Nandi had on its back, a chain made of bells which seemed real. And the bull was life like.

Impressive Bull was a beginning. The 1000 pillar temple takes it to a whole new level. Enter the temple, you will see four magnificent pillars supporting the Natya Mandapam (dance floor). Each richly carved with exquisite designs. A pillar has multiple designs, 2 centimeters to about 30 centimeters, on the perimeter of circular pillar. They used designs of jewelry of the age. Chains, bangles, rings, crowns and the Kakatiya Dynasty’s symbol, Kalisam, can be seen one after another on each pillar. The design also had flowers finely carved. So fine, the sculptures carved gap between petals. A guide showed us such gaps by inserting a tiny stick into those holes. “This is how fine Kakatiya’s sculptures were.”

One of the main pillars in the 1000 pillar temple. You can see designs of chain, ring (ungaram), bangle and Kalisam at the bottom.

Kalisam, the symbol of Kakatiyas. You can see multiple tiny holes amplified by inserting a tiny stick into them.

Exquisite design on one of the pillars in 1000 pillar temple. The guide demonstrates how fine the sculpture is by inserting a tiny stick into a gap between two flowers.

The roof of the Natya Mandiram in 1000 pillar temple is a master piece in itself. It has Gayatri, the goddess of learning, and Chaturmukam (four faces) that guards against ill. In fact, the roof has 3 Chatur mukhas or 12 such faces in all.

Roof of the Natya Mandapam (Dance floor)

I have posted a few more pictures of the 1000 pillar temple. I hope you enjoy them. But seeing the real thing is an experience in itself. It taught me more about myself, from where I am and the about the legacy of my ancestors. Thanks so much for building such structures which could withstand the test of time and be there to show us who you were!

A parting thought. I discovered a great video on Kakatiyas called Mana Kakatiyulu (Our Kakatiyas) made by Dr. Ambati Srinivas Raju. A well researched documentary with video footage of all the temples and Sila Sasanas (stone inscriptions) detailing the history of Kakatiya Dynasty. If you are someone from Andhra or anyone from India, you will enjoy this video. Thankfully, they published their numbers if you want to contact them. +919849333795 or +91 9949568285. Get drenched in history!

More pictures of 1000 pillar temple

Some more! (Updated! Feb 23, ‘08)

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It’s the best thing to happen to me. I am not a voracious reader. But I like to learn by listening to others. Podcasts have become a new and predominant source of learning for me. But it is still new for many in India. A podcast is audio posted on the web- of conferences, interviews, academic classes, or tutorials. Most podcasts are informal, not so professionally produced. An occasional barking of a dog or ringing of a cell phone are acceptable. Just like in our day-to-day conversations. Such informality means lower costs because you don’t need professional equipment to produce it and more people can podcast. If you have a computer with a microphone or just a handheld device that can record, you are ready to podcast.

The cost of podcasting classes to a university, which conducts classes anyway, is near zero. But what is the benefit to a student who does not have access to such school? She can sit at home and listen to classes she so desperately wants to attend. It makes a difference between having a life you want and none. This has great implications for countries like India where quality education is scarce. Podcasts help you replicate high quality classes in every corner of the country - often with no cost at all because someone has already produced them elsewhere.

Podcasts can time shift events for you. You can listen to classes or conferences you missed when you want to. If you commute for a couple of hours, you can shift them to your commute time, making it productive. Not just that, you can also ‘geo-shift’ events. If you can’t be in Delhi at a TiE event, you can listen to them when it’s podcasted. But a podcast can’t let you press flesh. You can’t meet new people or meet other friends who attended the event. So can you not join the alumni associations of the university you heard lessons from. But that’s ok. If you can acquire competency, network will follow.

There is every kind of podcast if you have patience to search for it. You can learn Investing, English, Biology, Music, Cooking, Entrepreneurship or whatever you are interested in. Learning is on the net is democratized, again. We are living through great times.

A few good podcasts:

1. Marketing Voices

2. Churchillclub.org

3.  Stanford Tech Ventures Program podcasts

4. Business English Pod

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Internet disrupted advertising industry the most among all industries. Online advertising has both strong proponents-the marketers, the entrepreneurs and the evangelists—and opponents, those who resent being marketed to and hate ads. While advertisers want to move closer to their goals, end-users resist the drop in the quality of their experience. Entrepreneurs/website owners should focus on good end-user experience and aspire to be invited into people’s lives. Such experience depends, in part, on user psychology, ad placement and type (banner, floating, sidebar etc.).

People don’t like advertisements. TiVo, and ad-shielding browser plugins are examples of products that allow you reduce ads in your content. To add to that, our brain has a built-in ad-blocker. It programs us to ignore ads. If you visited Yahoo! Finance recently, you will probably not remember most of the banner and right-hand column display ads.

But, people are willing to read ads if they are looking for something and the ad helps them reach their goal and reduce their search cost or time. More than 40% of all online ad spend is on search advertising. And it’s growing faster than display and other forms of online advertising. A general purpose observation is that people are willing to look at ads if it helps them in some way–choose the right product (Search Engine Marketing), stay in touch with something (opt-in email), or laugh (Amul’s ads, Apple’s The PC guy and the Mac).

We can create good user experience if we interlace the above with some insights about how users read web pages. Take a look at the 2:1:1 Grid I uploaded. On the horizontal axis, I divided the screen into three parts. The first 50%, next 25% and the last 25% (2:1:1). Of this, the first 50% is important. It catches a user’s attention the moment a page loads. Of this, Block A is the most prominent. Google is smart in putting its logo here. Block B is next as the visitors eyes drop to that area after Block A. To provide a good user experience, I recommend not to give away Blocks A or B for advertising. Similarly, I also recommend not to use left side bar unless your site is very structured from user navigation perspective. E.g. check out wsj.com. It uses a side navigation bar because the newspaper is structured and various sections like Markets/International etc. You could move from homepage to say, Markets page directly without having to navigate sequentially. Also, notice that WSJ advertised only below the navigation bar. In most computer/laptop screens, this ad appears below what is visible on the screen area. The page looks better without the ad, enhancing user experience. If you do not use left navigation bar, then I suggest you start your content right from the left most part of the page. E.g. Google has put content right from the start. If you have a blog, not many themes display your posts from the left-most part of the page. (e.g. this blog’s theme leaves some gap.)

The second and the third sections (25% each) are good candidates for ads, specially the last one. The middle section can be used both to advertise and to increase white space. The bottom of the page can be used for ads.

That brings me to the type of ads. I gave my observations below:

- Left hand side bar ads will generally be in blocks A and B and so I do not recommend you allow ads in those areas. Ditto with banner ads.
- Floating ads (moves across the user’s screen or floats above the content) distract people.
- Expanding ads (changes size and which may alter the contents of the webpage) may block content that viewer is looking for. It has high distraction value. Expanding ads are better suited at the bottom of the page as the user would have read the contents of the page and may not bother even if it blocks the content.
- Pop-up, Pup-under (window is loaded or sent behind the current window so that the user does not see it until she closes one or more active windows), Trick-banner (looks like a dialog box with buttons. It simulates an error message or an alert) – all these have an element of tricking a user and reduce user’s experience. I don’t recommend these.
- Playing video and audio ads on click is better experience than auto playing them.
- People tend to skip interstitial ads (display of ads before requested content).
- For text ads, letting the background of the text ads merge with the background of the page gives a better experience than the ad having a different background or putting a box around an ad.
- Embedding (ads as) hyperlinks (to words not directly related), advertorials etc. also have a trick element.
- Some animation is ok. Too much animation or video (without audio) does not enhance user-experience. Somehow, slow moving animation gives a better experience than fast moving.
- Scrolling ads are better suited at the bottom of the page.

LinkedIn does advertising well. Even rich media ads blend so well into it’s website that many of its users don’t realize that it advertises. Such eye for quality user experience will help grow the core business of the website along with earning revenue from ads and higher traffic generated because of good user experience.

References:

1. Is Advertising Dead? Guy Kawasaki

2. The Rule of Thirds
3. Online Advertising
4. The decade in online advertising

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I used to blog at seshmics.blogspot.com. The blog you are reading is my new blog. But why a new blog? Specially when Google linked my name with my old blog?

It is because of the name. Not many could remember the ‘cool’ name I spent so much time choosing. I realized, keeping a name simple is more important than the cool quotient because people remember simple names.

But that only explains one part - that I wanted to change the name. Why should the name be my name? It can be a theme-based name based on what I want to write. Or, I could use my name. If you look at blogs which have theme based names, though have a stated purpose, they often write on topics other than the theme.  The second option gives you flexibility to write on topics that interest you without the theme restricting you. Guy Kawasaki’s blog is a case in point. His blog name is simple and easy to remember.  And you have the flexibility to write what you want. The reason is simple. We blog because we want to write about topics we are passionate about. And it is hard to articulate all the stuff you want to talk about in a small tag line where bloggers generally state what their blog is about. Why tell (or promise?) something and not stick to it? Keep it flexible.

So here it is.. a new blog and a new post. I have a better understanding of the challenges in writing a blog. There’s always a nagging feeling that you have got to write a new post because you want to write a new post every week. And sometimes, you run out of topics.  But I am hopeful. Let’s see if I can do it. Because I now think that writing blog does take time but it is in sync with my goals.

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The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.
-Samuel Johnson

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I am researching on issues with current search engines. Something that you wanted to get from Google or other search engines and could not get. Please drop me a mail or leave a comment.

Cheers,
Chaitanya

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Guess what, originally uploaded by Chaitanya_Sagar.

Guess what this is.

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