PAWAN LUTHRA

About 30 years ago, British Rail brought in a management consultancy firm Saatchi & Saatchi to analyze why there was so much public hostility towards them. S&S spent many months reviewing the systems, talking to passengers, analyzing the data and then called for a meeting of the top British Rail management in an old train shed at 9am. The Chairman along with senior managers, after battling traffic to get to this old train shed, arrived at exactly 9am. There was no one from the management consultants’ team. It was cold and the wind was sharp. No coffee or tea was available and after ten minutes of waiting for the S&S team in these conditions, the Chairman was in an unhappy state of mind. After 15 minutes the wind draft picked up and so did the Chairman’s temper. After waiting for 20 minutes in the cold, dark, drafty shed with no coffee or tea, the British Rail team was about to leave when the management consultants arrived. As their clients spluttered their rage, the consultants, instead of presenting analysis and charts, just smiled and said that they had completed their assignment of why people were fed up with British Rail. The trains were never on time; people rushed to get to the tube stations in time and stood in cold, dark, drafty platforms where their trains were always running late. The point was made and things improved after that.

Timing is everything and if used properly, can either show your professionalism or make a mockery of your attitude. For Indians, being on time is a very elastic concept and much to the chagrin of their Australian colleagues, people from the sub-continent seem to be challenged when it comes to keeping their appointments at the designated hour. For those non-Indians who adhere to the clock, this is viewed as extremely unprofessional and after a few late arrivals at meetings, there is a fair bit of sarcastic acceptance of this. For Indian Australians as they climb the professional ladder, it should be a priority to ensure that they keep to their time, they can only gain respect from their professional peers.

The seniors in the Indian cricket team have no concept of timing. With the recent debacle in the Test series and the lacklustre performance in the One Day Internationals, it was perfect timing for some of them to pull up stumps and retire. However they are still intent on dragging on, paying no heed to their lessening abilities and refusing to acknowledge that time does take its toll on elite athletes. Timing does not seem to be their strong suit and diminishing respect of their countrymen and well wishers may be what may finally convince them to call it a day.

As we go to print, there is speculation that ex Prime Minister Kevin Rudd may challenge the current Prime Minister Julia Gillard for the top job on February 28. Largely brought about by the leaking of his swearing video on YouTube, only time will tell if Kevin Rudd has got the timing right. With PM Gillard lurching from one public relations disaster to another (the Tent Gate issue on Australia Day, the shiftiness on Four Corners), Rudd just needed to wait for a few months until the poll numbers on Julia Gillard were so bad that Labor had no choice but to invite him back. Only time will tell if he has overplayed his hand by misjudging the timing of his challenge.

SPIRITUAL

Chinmaya Mission’s

Vedanta classes

For adults only

1. Sunday afternoons 2.30pm to 3.30pm: Bhagavad Geeta: a vision of life at Wattlegrove.

2. Monday evenings 5.00pm to 6.30pm: Bhagavad Geeta - a vision of life Ladies classes at Hornsby.

3. Thursday mornings 10.00am to 12.00pm: Where to Now in Life?, at Castle Hill.

4. Every 2nd Friday, 7.30pm to 8.30pm: How to Live Happily and How to Leave Happily, at Mt. Druit Chanting class for all

1. Saturday mornings 7.45pm to 8.30am at Mt. Colah.

2. Sunday mornings 7.30 am (Sydney time) at Castle Hill for 30 minutes. (Students far away can skype in).

Youth classes

1. Sunday afternoons 1.00pm to 2.30pm: Wings on WheelsWhat is dharma in day to day life at Wattlegrove

2. Tuesday evenings 7.30pm to 9.00pm: Wings on Wheels at Castle Hill.

Sanskrit class for all

1. Thursday evenings 6.30pm to 7.30pm: Sanskrit for Beginners (All age groups). By registration only. Course of 10 classes starting March 16th, 2012 at Castle Hill.