Feedback, Art of listening 👂

“If someone chooses to share feedback, listen to understand the person, not the work. People will tell you more about themselves than about the art when giving feedback. We each see a unique world.”
–  Rick Rubin

The quote by one of the #goodread I had in past, “The Creative Act : a Way of being”, Rick Rubin emphasizes the importance of empathy and understanding in the feedback process. When someone offers feedback, it’s easy to focus solely on the work at hand—be it a piece of art, music, or writing. However, Rubin suggests that the real value lies in understanding the individual behind the feedback. Each person’s perspective is shaped by their personal experiences, emotions, and beliefs, which means they reveal more about themselves than the work itself when sharing their thoughts.

Me and Listening 🦻

Many years ago, as part of internal assessment I have been rated 3/5 on listening skills, its a feedback, which I took with a shock. Till that point I was under impression that I know what “Listening” means, however, nodding my head, paraphrasing what some one just told me, mirroring body language is not what actual ‘Listening’ means. It means “I’m trying to listening, and proving he same”. This is not the intent. Intent is to know the other party better. This is how I started on journey of knowing me better before I learn to know other better. In this process I came across many deep understanding on this subject.

crop faceless female counselor talking to client
Photo by Alex Green on Pexels.com

By listening with the intent to understand the person, rather than just evaluating their critique, we open ourselves up to a deeper connection and insight into different viewpoints. This approach not only enriches our own understanding but can also foster a more supportive and collaborative environment. It encourages constructive dialogue and promotes artistic growth, as individuals feel valued and heard. Ultimately, recognizing that everyone perceives the world uniquely allows for a more inclusive and reflective creative process.

Feedback and Listening … 👂

You can’t step into the same stream twice because it’s always moving. Everything is changing.

After finishing a project or activity, it’s helpful to get feedback from others. This can give us valuable insights and help us improve. For example, a 360-degree feedback after one year in a job is a good way to check how we’re doing and can make our journey more successful. The key is how we handle that feedback. The goal isn’t just to get comments or opinions from others. This is your work, and your feelings about it matter most. The aim is for you to see your work in a new light. Sometimes, a comment will really connect with you and reveal areas for growth. Other times, a negative remark may upset you, leading to a defensive reaction or doubt in your work. In such cases, it’s helpful to take a break, clear your mind, and come back with a fresh perspective. Criticism lets us look at our work from a different angle. We can choose to agree or stick to our original ideas.

How to listen thou self? 💁

Look around you: there are so many remarkable accomplishments to appreciate. Each of these is humanity being true to itself, as a hummingbird is true to itself by building a nest, a mango trees by bearing fruit, and a nimbus cloud by producing rain. We look for something new, and we find the newness. The effort for ‘look for something new’ itself brings the mind to ‘listening’ mode. When we intently look for something new, we hear better, we see better, we not only see the obvious, but we also see the reason behind the obvious. The fruit bearing tree is not there on his own, some one, some how planted it for some reason, and now the fruits are for us to enjoy! It’s a true rabbit hole to go into!

This is how we listen to self, In process improve the listening skill. The gift of awareness allows us to notice what’s going on around and inside ourselves in the present moment. And to do so without attachment or involvement. We may observe bodily sensations, passing thoughts and feelings, sounds or visual cues, smells and tastes. And this is the moment where we are really actively listening to the person.

Fall in love with the person. ❤️

To listen to someone effectively, you need to fall in love with him/her! 💕 Really!

While reading the book “Unsold Mindset,” I discovered an interesting idea about connections. It’s not just about romantic love; it’s about the meaningful friendships that arise from truly caring about someone. We’ve all felt that spark when talking to a stranger—maybe while sitting next to them on a flight or in line at the store. These moments can feel almost magical, especially when the person inspires us. As we share more of these small connections with others, whether they are clients or casual acquaintances, our trust and interest in them grow, leading to deeper understanding and compassion. Such perspective brings the mindset of making the conversation more effective and actionable more impactful

Summary 🔖

Listening is an ongoing process. I never came across someone yet, who has really ‘listens to me’ to my expectations , this could be due to my high expectations and confusion with ‘Thought reading’ expectations.

Nevertheless, I came across many successful leaders, who has shown admiringly well Listening Skills, and which shows very positive and high co-relation of listening skills with a successful leader. Leaders with these skills has not only impacted their own life by climbing the ladder of success , but also impacted the community at large, making difference to their lives and creating the lasting impact.

I’ll keep exploring the topic, and keep learning to be better at skill, and my wife will be the litmus test, nevertheless, its encouraging to be part of this journey!

Ethics 101 : Beginner’s guide in Ethics

“Ethics 101: From Altruism and Utilitarianism to Bioethics and Political Ethics, an Exploration of the Concepts of Right and Wrong” by Brian Boone is a beginner-friendly guide that explores various ethical theories and concepts. The book covers a range of ethical perspectives, from historical theories like utilitarianism and deontology to contemporary issues in bioethics and political ethics. Boone provides a concise overview of each concept, breaking down complex ideas into easily understandable terms. The book is designed to introduce readers to the fundamental principles of ethics, making it accessible to those who may be new to the subject. It serves as a primer for individuals interested in understanding different ethical frameworks and their applications in various aspects of life

Major topics covered

  1. Introduction to Ethics: Basic definitions and the importance of ethical considerations.
  2. Historical Ethical Theories:
    • Utilitarianism: The idea that actions should maximize overall happiness or utility.
    • Deontology: Emphasizing the importance of following moral rules and duties.
  3. Virtue Ethics: Exploring the development of good character traits as the foundation for ethical behaviour.
  4. Applied Ethics:
    • Bioethics: Ethical considerations in the field of biology and medicine.
    • Environmental Ethics: Ethics related to the environment and our impact on it.
    • Business Ethics: Moral considerations in the business world.
  5. Political Ethics: Examining ethical principles in the context of politics and governance.
  6. Social Justice: Addressing issues of fairness and justice in society.
  7. Metaethics: Exploring the nature of ethics, including questions about objectivity and subjectivity.
  8. Religious Ethics: Considering how various religious traditions approach ethical questions.
  9. Current Ethical Issues: Examining contemporary ethical challenges and debates.

What do I like in this book most?

The book is designed to be a primer, providing a concise introduction to key ethical concepts without overwhelming me with unnecessary details. It explores how ethical theories can be applied to real-life situations, making it relevant to everyday decision-making. The book also covers a wide range of topics within ethics, from historical theories to contemporary issues.

Summary:

I made small timelines on various philosophers and ethicists which are mentioned in this book.

This book also recognizes a potential avenue for my further exploration. The primary discussion and renowned theories originate from the Western perspective. Even though the Eastern tradition has a longer history of engaging in ethical discourse, particularly from the perspective of virtues, it is an area that I find intriguing and may delve into as my next in-depth study.

A 200+ page, easy read book is a good leisure read, but be prepared to learn new insights on Ethics.

Have a good read!

Join my reading challenge Sumit’s 2023 reading challenge | Goodreads

The LEGO Story

The LEGO Story

What I learned new about LEGO

⁃ Danish company

⁃ Started in 1930s

⁃ It started with wood furniture business

⁃ Ole Kirk took the decision to make simple toys for kids

⁃ Cars, YoYo become its key product

First Price list!

⁃ Largely driven by family values and under influence of Word war 1 and 2

⁃ Very early on tried to involve girls as one of the end consumers, but till date, its products are mostly used by boys.

Early on always questioning use of arms in toys, nevertheless the fist famous product was a wooden toy gun with moving items, portraits as “peace pistol” with ammunition!

⁃ Founder always took risk, gone for more investments in new technologies.

⁃ Founder also went to exhibitions and tried to get more insights on trends, helped him to “copy” LEGO idea.

⁃ Also worked with education community, to press use of toys for intellectual development rather than using it just as a toy. This helped LEGO long term

⁃ Second generation, founder early on got insight to decide which sibling will be taking lead post him.

⁃ Conflict between generation gaps are nicely put forward by second generation (Godtfred k and Kjed K, both mentioned their struggles with their father, unlike Goftfred 2nd generation, it’s more with Kjed, 3rd generation)

⁃ 3rd Generation decided to bring more new management, younger and western philosophy.

⁃ Nicely told story about the cultural shift in the management style, also inclusivity of women in upper management.

Key insights

  • Focus on technology and keep key theme intact during growth.
  • Diversification not only on portfolio but also on approach (physical toys to movies and theme parks)
  • How to ensure the family inheritance to continue and ensure success of LEGO, creation of “LEGO Idea Paper”, set of guidelines helping future generations to get clear vision.
  • LEGO is not the first in “self locking block”, it was Kiddicraft’s self locking block.
  • LEGO’s change in focus from toys to system. Rather creating individual toys, LEGO brought a “system” of creating anything out of blocks.
  • LEGO’s translation from “make anything from blocks” to product which are now coming with “manual” to create complex toys.
  • In 1958, the modern LEGO brick was patented, featuring tubes and studs.

LEGO, then and now!

Cars was one of the first famous toys from LEGO
The Peace Pistol!
Girls are missing LEGO
LEGO Patent

Long time no see!

Thats for me 😅

long time no see

So that’s that, i started my first post way back in 2001, that time in blogpost. With an idea of sharing my know how and make all aware of current good practices.

My passion was welding and mostly all my early blogs are about them. Back then, 21 year old me learning lots of things, and it was fun.

last 22 years, has given me opportunities to diversIfy my knowledge. And I take pride in myself, of able to learn so many diverse items.

after a really long break, I tried to do some justice to my website, obviously moving to own domain was one, thought that will give some commitment to peruse this further.

Thinking got me here, and start with my 1st post. its mot technically first, but its first from my long lost love of writing and sharing.

Question is

  • What should I share?
  • What should be the frequency?
  • is it ok to share my other passions here?
  • will it be a good place, or is blogging right platform to share diverse information?
  • How to make this more relevant and vibrant.

So let me continue think I’ve it and post here whatever I think is relevant. May be after some time it will boil down to some categories. God knows. But let’s start

What I will be sharing?

Question is what I can share. Okie let me give a thought, what are my interest, as that will keep me driving.

#Welding and pressure vessel: this is long lost love. Past decade in away from this subject. May be I need to rekindle this, and start sharing what little I think it’s amusing to me.

Books I read #GoodReads : I read almost a book per month, and recently started making mind maps out of it, it’s interesting, and I think I should share this with you all

#Machine learning, Timeseries and Forecasting : New skill set. Want to share whatever amuses me or whatever I came across as challenges. Sometime it’s as small as syntax error or sometime it’s choosing the right platform. It’s all about R and Python, but it’s a hell of a world.

#Software : one of the biggest hobby, and a full time Garage project of mine. I got lots of insights and sleepless night while working on smithing as basic as creating my diary or as complex as creating calculations tools (hosted on this website). So lots of opportunities to share my know how here.

#Behavioural Science: This is a subject, I fallen in love with as I groomed as Manager and Leader. I work on #Productivity and # Planning as well as #skills to develop myself and my team members, I think it will be super cool to share my insights here

Let’s start, “The sooner I fall behind, the more time I have to catch up.”

Source unknown

So with those four five categories, let me work on next post.

See you soon

Milk Property fact!

Just, I got this info & sharing with you
Density of Milk
Whole milk : ρ = 1035.0 − 0.358 T + 0.0049 T^2 − 0.00010 T^3
Skim milk : ρ = 1036.6 − 0.146 T + 0.0023 T^2 − 0.00016 T^3
Buffalo milk : ρ = 923.84 − 0.44 T
Cows’s milk : ρ = 923.51 − 0.43 T

Good, know you know what will be wait of 1 Liter Pouch 🙂

ERP

Lately (late in my career), that is for past three years, i’m working on various ERPs. Offcourse i started the work on engineering domain. But thanks to my friends in other domain, who helped me in understanding other modules too. In my recent company i’ve developed my own ERP. it was made to take care of all engineering needs, and it was now running for past two year. Mean while i’ve also implemented full fleaeged ERP system. With which my software do seamless communication.

This implementation has given me insight on various aspects of organization, like finance, production, purchase and offcours engineering.

Point is, can i develop an ERP of my own? I think its not a tough target. But can i implement one? Yes for sure.

See you soon.

What Next?

Now, let us start new topic, on design of pressure vessel!

I think this one of the interesting subject, and we find lots of data over here and their defining how to design pressure vessel.

Some people take advantage of this and confuse you some time.. end result you may get over size vessel (high cost) or under size vessel (Dangerous!)

Solution.. buy High end software!! Sure. thats the last thing I’ll recommend!

Hence onward, for few more post we will discuss this subject, and I’m open for suggestions and lengthy discussions over this 🙂

So next post.. Over view on Pressure Vessel (Simplified 🙂

Visit to Drinktec

Hello All from Munich!
Right now I’m at drinktec,and sharing my experience with you all.
Drinktec (website : www.drinktec.com) Drinktec is an exhibition which happen at Munich germany after each 4 year! Its for people from Brewery & Beverages.

The exhibitors are manufacturers & supplier from/ for same Industry.
Its a good experience for new bee like me, who is very new to this industry. you will find here huge stalls from all equipments around the world. I’ve seen huge bottling plant made alive in Stall at exhibition.

I’ll share few pictures from exhibitions soon.

Chao!