2008 : A YEAR OF PROMISE, PROSPERITY AND PEACE

Huge thanks to Almighty: Thanks to all of you for attending the first staff meeting of 2008. Let me on behalf of the management and on my personal behalf welcome all of you to this staff meet. Let this day be a fruitful day with more blessings. Almost all those who had started their journey with us in Jan 2007 are here. Few have left us for greener pastures. One or two staff from here are still keeping in touch with them. That is good. However, please make sure that your relationship does not affect either you or DPG. Most of us are here because He was with us all through the year. The Almighty was with us in the past years, especially with us in the year 2007 and led us through various trials and errors have enabled us to see this year 2008.

So let us praise Him, praise Him and praise Him

Repent: Last year, a couple of times some of us, on few occasions, lost our tempers, shouted at others, in few instances, due to real concern for others or our suspicious or possessive nature created crack / or temporary setbacks in our relationship with others / relatives / friends / colleagues. December was the time to repent for those.  If we have not done it so far, at least now let us do it so that this year we can develop good relationship with our / colleagues and with friends.

In the work place also some breakdown would have happened which may or may not have affected our work efficiency. Nevertheless, there are reasons to believe that relationship breakdown in the work place would not affect the work efficiency of persons concerned but even the other colleagues. Therefore better this year let us not be the cause for any misunderstanding in the work place. All of us will have to be together in DPG so that it can accommodate people of different cultures, backgrounds, religions and be a better place to work.

Mission: We are born to a particular family or religion or community not by our choice but by His choice.  I have a strong belief in this concept. I have also a strong faith that He would put people of His choice together to make His will to work.  We are brought together again by Him by a plan so as to do His purpose in this world… We are here to hold the banner of DPG, to build it further, support it in all its initiatives so that it will reach more number of marginalized communities.

Quitter versus winner: I know at least three staff members who are here who have on occasion told me or others that he / she would resign.  Still at the end of the long day(s) better wisdom prevailed, resulting in the persons continuing in DPG. I thank them for their wise decision. I firmly believe that it was He who finally spoke to them not to leave… Do not run away unless someone more powerful with authority drives you out. Like in the past also this year some of you may have to part with us – due to non availability of responsibility or you may develop any attitude of not wanting to continue in DPG may seek a greener pastures.

Thank you: To all those who will remain with us and even to those who are likely to leave us I would still urge you please do not forget the Institution and the people who helped you to grow in this institution.  Earlier I said it was because His will you are here, absolutely true, but still it was also His will that good things happened in your life through someone here in DPG.  So we need to be thankful to some extent to the institution and then to the person (s) who helped you to shine in the organisation with your better performance.  Example 1984 Nungambakkam railway station My job is better.  Some of us have a false notion:

"What I do is a hard / better job and others are doing Lighter job bust still are well paid"

It is absurd! We chose the job, various career paths were laid in front of us but still we chose a particular job. We perhaps choose the job because we liked it or no other job was available so we had to select this option. But having selected it, it is not good on my / our part to lament over it, and ridicule other's jobs.

In the human body, no one can say which one is most important - All need to perform and all need to cooperate

No matter what the situation / job, you can choose to be happy at what you do. It is entirely in your hands. Happy / sad people can be found in all sorts of professions. Happiness, like unhappiness is a proactive choice that you make. When you are involved in meaningful work, you tend to work harder without even realizing it, and derive greater happiness and satisfaction than you ever thought is possible.  Take the example of motor race, joint running, US president, the big music director concert, chilly grinding person in grinding mill.

“If it is our luck to be a street sweeper, sweep the street, like the Raphael painted the picture, like Michelangelo carved the marble, like Shakespeare wrote the poetry, like Beethoven composed the music.  Sweep the street so well that all the hosts of heaven and the earth would have to pause and say… Here lived a great street sweeper”

Do not poke your head in all matters.  Each one of us, depending on our caliber, is given a job to do.  Crossing our limits boundary and interfering in others work will result in role conflicts or other problems. If you think someone’s conduct or behavior or outbursts would affect you / DPG and then in that case take up the matter directly with that person. Solve it then and there.  If you think it will affect DPG or the CEO directly go to the CEO and inform him rather than you taking up the matter on behalf of DPG or CEO.

Do not be a judge and divide the people in the name of job but try to accommodate everyone.  Abandon the inter-group bickering and try to integrate everyone into the fold.  It is not necessary to get totally chummy with everybody; all you have to do is to establish a professional and respectable work relationship.

Economics of a job…. Many of us forget that we have an obligation to do more than what the management / the CEO expects us to do. All over the world people are not paid fully for the labor which they put in it. The organization always keeps an excess from your labor / share.  This is called theory of labor surplus. How much surplus one / company should keep ? It is a matter of debate and no one till date has come out with the best equations… Now take the example of :

The price of the primary products like paddy, milk, water vegetables, dresses etc.  Again take the service industry.  Call centre software

We should ensure our contribution makes surplus.  So you are expected to do better work instead of chatting and spending the time on unproductive things.

Extra responsibility:  Time to look back  All of us have an, extra duty to do something to the community on whose name we live.  We are called to work for the poor.  It is true of the top functionary to the lowest grade person.

Serving the less fortunate with that extra care, in whichever capacity, makes us aware of one’s good fortunate fills us with grace and gratitude, humility and joy.

Learn to lose .  It is good to win all the time.  Whatever the cost always fight and win. At the same time it is really ok to not to win every single time.  It is also ok to feel terrible when you lose. But feeling terrible and giving in to depression or feelings of low self worth are not the same thing.  Losing with a grace is an art in itself.  Nobody stays ahead in the game all the time.  Win some; lose some – that is how it goes.  Losing to an opponent who deserves to win, is easy.  But conceding defeat to a duffer can be a difficult !! Lose with a smile, even if at that point all you want to do is cry.

Let me now come to the end of this of Lecture with few more life tips - try to follow some of it during this year and then see how you turn out to be a better person - Be selfish, learn to let go, teach yourself trust, express gratitude, slow down, listen with your heart, confide, shut up, have a heart, stop being control break, complement people, listen to music, cry your eyes out extend help, grow a garden.