Friday Reflections

Every Life Tells a Story

POINT TO PONDER

I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone? 

 

                                    - Quote from the movie "Stand By Me" by Stephen King

 

 

 

STORY LINE by Anand Shah

 

This reflection is a collection of my own personal stories about people, places and experiences that have been instrumental in shaping the career I was fortunate to have over the years.

1. Ask one more question, Try one more time: I was admitted for four years Bachelor in EE degree program at USC. A year and half later, I had graduated with Masters in EE.  http://fridayreflections.typepad.com/weblog/2009/02/ask-one-more-question-.html
2. In Asia most of the business is done over a cup of tea (Memories of late Mr. Fran Dowd President and GM of Raytheon Semiconductor.)
   http://fridayreflections.typepad.com/weblog/2013/02/in-asia-most-of.html
3. "I Sent You to Manila to Solve My Problems, Not Report More..." (Mr. Dowd)
   http://fridayreflections.typepad.com/weblog/2012/03/solve-my-problems-not-report-more.html
4. Constancy of Purpose: Lessons in Leadership from Craig Barrett http://fridayreflections.typepad.com/weblog/2009/06/constancy-of-purpose.html
5. “In this fast moving industry, be ready to change a document before the ink is dry.” Robert Noyce when I asked for advice in April 1984. (Friday, October 15, 2004 Subject: Friday Reflections: Reach out and touch some one. From the Life of Robert Noyce. Published before FR went on WWW. Copy available to readers upon request)
6. “The best kind of people (Bosses, Mentors, Friends) are those who come into your life, and make you see the sun where you once saw clouds. People who believe in you so much, that you start to believe in you too. They are once in a lifetime type of people."
   http://fridayreflections.typepad.com/weblog/2013/10/have-a-nice-bosses-day.html    (Joe Z)
   Don’t burn your bridges: http://fridayreflections.typepad.com/weblog/2008/04/dont-burn-your.html
   To All The Bosses I have loved before
   http://fridayreflections.typepad.com/weblog/2012/10/to-all-the-bosses.html
7. Learn from the mistakes/experiences of others. You will have plenty of time to make your own. (Louis Liang)
   http://fridayreflections.typepad.com/weblog/2009/04/learn-from-the-mistakesexperiences-of-others-you-will-have-plenty-of-time-to-make-your-own-.html
8. Who is the most important sales person of it all? (Pravin R.Shah)
   http://fridayreflections.typepad.com/weblog/2009/09/coming-to-think-of-it-who-is-the-most-important-salesperson-of-it-all.html
9. Never look down on anybody….(Vajubhai Our school principal)
   http://fridayreflections.typepad.com/weblog/2009/02/lessons-about-life-from-vajubhai-our-school-principal.html
10. What is your worth? (Gary Remmen)
    http://fridayreflections.typepad.com/weblog/2015/04/whats-your-worth.html
11. The bitterness of poor quality remains long after sweetness of low price is forgotten.
    http://fridayreflections.typepad.com/weblog/2013/09/the-bitterness-of-poor-quality-remains-long-after-the-sweetness-of-a-low-price-is-forgotten.html
12. “The Effective Internal Solutions” do not create a problem for the customer. Gordon Moore (FR published on 12/3/2004 before FR went on WWW. Copy available to readers upon request)
13. When opportunity comes knocking, Don’t go to wash your face
    http://fridayreflections.typepad.com/weblog/2012/03/when-opportunity-comes.html
14. The Price of “Un” (Craig Barrett, Vajubhai, Sheldon Taylor…)
    http://fridayreflections.typepad.com/weblog/2012/06/the-price-of-un.html

 

REFLECTION

 

On a few occasions I have been asked how I have so many stories to share. Most recently, two colleagues asked that very thing. Interestingly in a half an hour conversation with them, they had shared a few stories of their own that could be Friday Reflection entries of their own. I pointed this idea out to them. I enjoy reflecting after a satisfactory encounter with any person, place or new learning experience. My greatest joy is in being able to recall these experience and share them with others. Every life has a story. Don’t be afraid to share! Because as I have quoted many times before, “things that are given away are never lost.”

What's Your Worth?

 

 

POINT TO PONDER 

 

The world is too big. There are an abundance of opportunities. If you believe in yourself, and know your self-worth, there is always room at the top for your talents somewhere in this world. 

 

                                - Pravin R. Shah 1965.

 

 

 

STORY LINE

 

 

This is the story about a fellow who, several years ago, left his job and went into the consulting business. After he had finished a presentation about his services to a potential customer, the Vice President of Operations of the customer company asked him to come to his office  to work out the terms of the agreement.

 

When the fellow arrived, Mr. VP handed him a piece of paper and asked him to review and fill up the required information. This fellow was surprised because he was expecting a lengthy, legal terms and conditions type documents. Instead, there were only four words on that entire piece of paper. Rate…….Hours…….Others Conditions.

 

Never having expected this in his wildest imagination and still in a state of disbelief, the fellow told Mr. VP, “I will take whatever is the going rate with your other consultants with similar experience.”  After further insistence from Mr. VP that he must fill up that information himself, this fellow put down certain $$$ and Hours.

 

After a few months, as their work relationship became closer and the fellow had delivered good results, Mr. VP told him, “I know that you have not been in business for yourself before, but whether it is your own business or a job, you must know your worth all the time. We were willing to pay you twice as much because that is what we had assessed in terms of what you could do to save our biggest customer from moving away.” 

 

He continued, “So now that we have been able to regain our customer’s confidence in us with your help, how much are you worth?” And he again gave him a piece of paper to fill up. It had the same four words as the first one.

 

REFLECTION

 

It is hard to believe that such things could happen in business world where someone  would be so gracious to  increase the compensation rate without negotiations. But I have seen it happen more than one time.

 

But the key point of this real story is the lesson that Gary Remmen (Mr. VP, now retired in Florida) taught this young fellow. Whether you are in a business or an employee, you must regularly do an analysis of the portfolio of your capabilities and services (talents) and determine what it is worth. This allows you to:

 

1.Constantly look at the return you create for your customers as well as  analysis of your personal assets

2. Explore new opportunities to expand the scope of your existing talents.

3. Develop the new skills and thus grow your portfolio of capabilities and services hence your value.

 

SO WHAT ARE YOU WORTH?

The Final Curtain

 

POINT TO PONDER

“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.”     

                        - William Shakespeare

 

STORY LINE by Anand Shah

My father was a businessman and an artist. My mother was an English literature major and an artist. My mother was an avid reader and my father loved the theater. Art, and their mutual love for it, is what ultimately brought them together for life and what they passed on to me, their eldest son.

For outside of school hours, the majority of my time was spent performing as an actor onstage or spending time interacting with my parent’s social circle which was comprised of writers, artists, and actors. My parent’s friends would gather in our home and regale me with stories about their life and experiences. I especially loved the actors. I had dreamed of always being a performer, of going onstage, and thrilling an audience.

When I left home at the age of 16, I chose to study physics and later, semiconductor processing. At the time, it was a far cry from what I had always wanted to do, and life hadn’t yet given me the perspective to realize that I could connect the dots between acting and business.

You see, my early exposure to the arts would help me tremendously with my work and in my personal life even though I couldn't realize it then.  And it was only later in life, in a career that has now spanned over 40 years in the semiconductor industry, that I finally have the perspective to realize that I had in fact lived my dream of being an actor.

For everyday I took the stage. I looked at my work and considered every day as an opportunity to perform on a different stage in a different role. Every morning when I walked in the building of an employer, customer or business partner,  I played many different roles: a coach, mentor, promoter, idea man, and friend. Like actors we all play our roles and no matter how difficult, or joyous, we switch hats as the situation dictates. Even when I did not feel like performing, I committed and executed because I learned from very early on - from my parents' actor friends - that no matter what, the show must go on.

When I was given the stage (and those of you that know me understand how much I love it), I always performed as if it were my last. I gave everything to do the very best at my job. For those same actors from my childhood would tell me that you always gave in your best when you performed, because that performance could very well be your last. And since that audience may never get to see you perform again, you wanted to leave them with your all. I tried my best over my career to do the same, with all my business associates for they were ultimately, my greatest audience.

And that audience would sometimes applaud my best efforts and sometimes they would boo me off the stage. But what was important, as those actor friends had told me long ago, was that I learned from each experience. For it is all experience. After all the accolades and the unavoidable slumps, I only have fond memories of always having given everything I of which I was capable. For it is what you learn and what you do with it that lasts far longer than any career achievement.

Many of you were, unknowingly, my fellow players on this glorious stage. I thank you. Because after 40 fantastic years in this industry, it is time for me to move on to the next performance. It is now time that I take my final curtain call and bow to you all one last time.