Don't break the silence.

Meetings are part of daily life in a software engineer's life. Thinks to be noted before and during the meeting are

1) Due respect has to be given to meetings as they consume productive hours of the participants. Meetings should be scheduled iff it is required.
2) The purpose and the participants has to identified well in advance.
3) Agenda for the meeting has to be published at least a day before to give enough time for the participants/host to prepare.
4) Should start on time.
5) Should not deviate from the Agenda.
6) Summarize the action item and decision taken at the end.
7) Share the minutes of the meeting later.

The meeting will become a kiosk when the host and participants are not well prepared. Inexperienced individuals will talk just to break the silence that would lead to deviate from the topic or others would ignore the individual.

To me personally, running a meeting is an art that can be learnt by practice.

Cricket World Cup - The Extreme

Within just two weeks into the world cup, lot of thinks happened. No-one expected this kind of start.

1) Starting with Bob Woolmer being murdered.
2) 2 power houses of international cricket (India & Pakistan) were eliminated from the cup competition.
3) The debutant (Ireland) enters super 8.

The organiser are facing a huge threat on revenue loss due to the fact that India and Pakistan are not playing anymore on this edition of world cup. Lot of revenue being generated from this part of the world. Not just organiser, the TV channels that brought the broadcasting rights, tourism, travel agencies etc. are also running into losses...

This world cup is a disasters not just to the team & game.

No so easy!!!

During shopping

1) It can be easy to choose the first dress. How about selecting the second one?

2) Your wife asks your opinion on the dress material that she selected for her sisters. How do you want to comment without getting into problems? :)

3) You accompany your wife to a silk house and are at a ladies counter. How do you want to maintain your dignity when so many good looking girls around? :) Anyway you have nothing to do there.

....

Out for a while ...

I was on vacation last week and didn't get a chance to post a blog for more than 10 days. A good break from work. Most of the time I was doing baby sitting.

Lot of things happened during my day off. Let me try to recollect and dedicate a blog for each.

IT Returns refund

Our office deducted more money from my salary towards Income Tax during the Financial year '03 - '04. So, the only option left to me was to claim the amount by filing the returns. IT department was suppose to pay me back over Rs. 7900.

After three long years of frustration, the amount finally got dispatched to me with some added interest (Rs. 8420).

If you don't want your money to be with IT department for such a longtime, I advise

1) Plan your investments
2) Make your declaration more wisely in the begin of the year.