EAT THAT FROG----A SHORT STORY
May 6 2008 | Views 4644 | Comments (28) | Report AbuseA few days back while I was going to my village in my car, I met a few management students of Rayat Institute of Management and Engineering Technology, at Ropar, Punjab. They wanted to take lift . As I was alone, I asked them to hop in. They were five of them going to Jalandhar and beyond. One of the students,Sunit, sat in the Co-drivers's seat. Other settled down in the rear seat--I couldn't find out their names--they used nick names like Tiny, Flunky, Garry and so on. They were all very talkative--of course in their mother tongue--but could speak in English in a typical DOABA accent in a halting manner. The fact is they had to first translate in their mind, then speak out in English---So, you can make out how irritating could be those ---" My PLAYYURES and MAYYURES". Add to it ," Uncle, 'BHY ARE JU DRIVE SO SLOW SLOW ; Bhere ij juar billage? " etc, etc?
Soon they began to crib about the slow progress India was making as compared to China. They asked me the reason for this incompetence on our part. I could only say that it was because of the lack of UNIFIED NATIONAL CHARACTER and FAILURE OF OUR LEADERS TO PRIORTISE the compulsions of nation -building. I told them if two persons were pushing India towards growth and development then four were pulling it backwards, which was just the reverse of China. Then, I too started off with typical stale discourse stating that good people were not joining politics. Therefore, we get the leadership we seed in our political fields. All of them were of the same opinion. But none of them bothered to answer as to why did they not join politics? I expected a retort from them as to why didn't I send my own children into politics? I had an answer but they did not ask--in fact my authoratative and assertive voice in a heavy accent had so enamoured the rear seat occupants that they used to strain their ears to grasp my monologues--which at times went on for 4-5 minutes. Perhaps, I was enjoying their discomfort or perhaps, I was making fun of their spoken English. May be, I was a bit snobbish but they were very keen listeners.
Soon the discussion veered round to the topic as to what was suceess. They had their school boyish definitions--picked up from their thick management books. Then, they turned to me. I began telling them that it was a comparitive term--it drew parallel between two individuals, two ideas and two systems---it could be defined in terms of how much has been achieved as was envisaged---it was also related to your ambition ---to your task-----it meant that you have completed the task you had set for yourself---you were fully satisfied with it----the degree of happiness and joy you get at the completion of the task is the measure of how much you have garnered the success. I cautioned them also that SUCCESS IS NOT TO BE EQUATED WITH GOODNESS. These are two different things. And suddenly , SASHA AZEVEDO came to my rescue whom I had read somewhere and remembered the quote. I quoted him verbatim:
"To believe in yourself and to follow your dreams, to have goals in life and a drive to succeed, and to surround yourself with the things and the people that make you happy----this is success."
As soon as I finished quoting Azevedo, suddenly, Sunit, who was in co driver's seat and who had been silent but attentive listener till then, spoke in his immaculate accent and asked,"Uncle, have you read the book--"EAT THAT FROG?". I said, "No, what a funny name of the book? " He opened his bag and took out this book and gave it to me. He requested me to read it but within 12 days and return. I wanted to pay him for the book. But he told me not to worry and gave me his mobile number to ring him up when I had finished reading. "OK". I said and thought what a nice kid he was.
Yesterday i.e. May,04 2008, in the morning I rang him up and Sunit was with me by 12.30 Pm. He asked me as to how did I like the book? "Oh, it is a wonderful book" I said. I gave him a synopsis of the book thus:
"' 'Eat that frog alive' is actually a phrase which states that if you eat a frog live in the morning you could not do a worse thing thereafter the whole day. In other words, you will thus know as to what are the challenging things you have to do in a day. Simply, all it implies is to pick up the most difficult but important thing which you have been avoiding all along and get on with it. It might be difficult but it does have an important bearing on your life. It helps you to avoid dilly-dallying or procrastnation of the work. Most often, we tend to avoid awkward jobs and decisions because of temptations for easy way out.
This philosophy nudges you to identify the most critical jobs for the day and how to organise them and with what priority. This will enable you to be methodical and systematic to do right things in life. This book by Brian Tracy is also a treatise on effective Time Management. It tells us the three factors which effect time management of your day or life. He says it is very important to decide, then remain focussed or show discipline and finally be determined to complete the task. Brian tracy has laid down 21 rules, what he calls FROG-EATING-PRINCIPLES, to get on with the challenging work first. He has talked of ways to prevent technology rough riding your lives. He has elaborated upon the tools to decision making.
In nut shell, the book is all about how to priortise and remain focussed. It discourages managers and leaders from doing too many things simultaneously. It does not want top managers to get involved with nitty-gritty or nuts and bolts of the job. They must concentrate on the results or the success of operations. Those who remain tied to minor details are bound to fail because they have not properly distributed work to subordinates. You are paid to ensure that others do the job as you want them to do to accompolish a given objective of your organisation. The book reminds all top managers that one was paid and promoted for ensuring that laid down targets are achieved. The book exhorts the managers to be not only 'achievers' but also be oriented towards 'real action'. It talks of MBO i.e.Management by Objectives. In this, one goes managing things by SWOT analysis. You know what is SWOT Analysis, being a management student . Don't you? Well! it lists 80/20 principle which lays down that in an any organisation 80 percent of the work was done by 20 percent people and 20 percent work done by 80 percent people. "
" Well! this is is all in this book, Sunit". I said triumphantly.
"Thank you , uncle. You have given a good resume to me. I have your husky voice on my DICTAPHONE. I will go back and write it down. " ,Sumit had replied.
"what?" I was confused.
" Oh, yea uncle, I forgot to tell you. I had to submit this 'book review' after the fortnight. I had no time as I was going home. So, when you quoted so many authors that day, I knew you will read this, too. You have given me back the book in 10 days only. I still have five days more." Sunit said matter of factly.
I was stunned. I didn't know what to say. I was so flaabergasted I could only say, "Hey, You, sure, a Smart guy."
"Thank you, uncle.".And Sumit was out of the door of my house. He was gone .
I was wondering " DID I HAVE TO EAT THAT FROG?"
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