MY POSTS

  Learning or Teaching Bridge… Not an Easy Task! — Rajendra Phansalkar 12th July 2012 The other day, I read that the world’s richest person, Mr. Bill Gates, donated one million dollars to the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) to support facilities that help newcomers learn the game. Mr. Gates, a keen bridge player himself, once confessed with a smile, “Bridge is one of the last games in which the computer is not better.” Ever since I learned that Bill Gates plays bridge, I’ve started feeling a little richer myself! The Challenge of Teaching Bridge There’s plenty of literature available for beginners who want to learn bridge, but very few good teachers—because teaching this game is no easy task. Bill Gates, the business tycoon, clearly understood that, and his generous donation was a thoughtful gesture in support of better learning facilities. When someone wants to learn a new sport, they’re usually expected to have watched others play it first. Bridge is no exception. A newcom...

Decision Making A decision can be defined as the best course of action—or inaction—perceived by an individual or a group of people at a given time in a particular situation. Interestingly, sometimes the most appropriate decision is not to act at all. Choosing inaction consciously is, in itself, a form of decision-making. Since time, circumstances, and people’s needs constantly change, no decision is ever permanently right or wrong. A choice that seems correct today may appear inappropriate tomorrow. Today’s comforts may become tomorrow’s needs, and what we see as luxuries now may turn into necessities in the future. A particular course of action that suits one situation may prove unsuitable when the situation changes. Moreover, individuals think differently—what one considers right, another may see as wrong. The real nature of a decision becomes evident only after it is implemented, by which time the situation itself may have changed. Every individual faces many challenges in life, and...

Wife and Japanese Management Fresh out of engineering college, I landed a job in a big company. Like most young engineers, I believed I was now “someone important” and knew everything. The workers quickly corrected that illusion. They ragged me mercilessly, reminded me to stay in my limits, and later—ironically—taught me lessons no textbook ever could. Among the many “opportunities” the company offered, one stood out: trainings. In reality, anyone with less critical work—or those considered troublesome—was “spared” for training. I too was once spared. The topic? “Learn Management from Your Wife.” The speaker? Sharu Rangnekar, the legendary management guru. At that time, I wasn’t married and thought: What is there to  “learn” about management? So, I dismissed it. Only years later did I read his book of the same title, fall in love with his ideas, and regret missing that session. A Lockdown Revelation during Corona The recent lockdown brought Rangnekar’s words back to me. Like everyo...