Friday Reflections

Akshar(E): Thinking outside the box for Education, Environment and Empowerment.

   

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.

Point to Ponder: Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. – Margaret Mead

Story Line: For past month I was thinking of an appropriate story for this special week of Good Friday and Easter. As an old saying goes “Things come to you at a time when you need them the most to get to the next stage, but you must learn from those things first.”

Two weeks ago childhood friends shared information about Akshar, a foundation and the school in Assam, India that accepts plastics (bottles, bags..) as fees in exchange for practical education and also uses innovative approach to utilize child labor to eliminate child labor Child Labor. Many of these children would have otherwise been working as laborers to earn living for their families and they would have never gotten an opportunity to go to school. It was fascinating to see out of the box approach for three Rs’ (Reduce,Reuse,Recycle) in all aspects of their operations.

Last week I had a good fortune to attend a short talk by the founder of Akshar, Dr. Alaka Sharma who has dedicated her life in the service of poor people and indigenous tribes in North East India. At the age of 22, she left her home in Mumbai to help people in the faraway land. In 2014, together with her daughter and son in law they started this school that has created a paradigm shift in education. Vision: Teach them how to save the world.

Instead of writing details of their approach and results here, I would like to share comprehensive and inspiring information about this organization that is already presented well in the website.

I believe their story of service to people in need is timely and appropriate to review and reflect for this special week. 

Mission, Objectives and Key Results

https://www.aksharfoundation.org/

Accountability: Also please look at their annual reports in the following section:

https://www.aksharfoundation.org/media

Reflection: In the past 16 years of over 700 posts, there are just a few stories that have classified under all seven values of Friday Reflections. This is one of those rare stories that is true to FR motto: Things that are given away are never lost and all seven values; Passion, Assume Responsibility, Keep on Learning New Skills, People and Relationships, Flexibility and Performance and Results.

In the words of Mother Teresa “At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by “I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in.”  

Happy Easter to Friends around the World

Back to Basics-Lessons from Andy Grove

Point to Ponder:  "The new business environment dictates two rules: 1) Everything happens faster; and, 2) Anything that can be done will be done. If it's not done by you it will be by someone else."  Andrew Grove

 Story Line: Back to Basics: Lessons from Andy Grove

A day before Andy Grove retired, I had a rare fortune to meet the person who was Andy’s Technical Assistant in his early career and then a senior executive of our company. Our Boss Gidu Shroff had invited Sean Maloney for a dialogue about state of the business and implication on our group’s strategy. Knowing that Sean had been TA of Andy in his early career, my curiosity compelled me to drift from business related discussions to some questions about Andy.

“You were once the technical assistant to the man who is on his last day at work at Intel. a. How did that experience help you in your career and b. what are some great things about Andy that you learnt.?” Sean’s Answers: 

1. Question the obvious. When everybody says something is this way or great, better question hard.
2. Very analytical, could understand incredible amount of details and linkages
3. Always pushed you to do better. Always made you believe that there is still a way to go in realizing your potential.
4. Very committed to the development of the people who worked for him and He devoted a lot of time on this subject.

Reflection: After the meeting, my mind ventured into memories lane about a few past encounters with/about Andy that were so consistent with what I had learnt about him that day.

1. When I joined Intel first time in 1980s, Andy was one of the speakers at New Hire Orientation. Three things that influenced my career from that talk were: the importance of a sound culture for an organization, focus on employee training and development (Intel University) and If you see a problem you own it. Don’t bury the problems or they will become large. Bring them out and address them. (and if it is not in your area, find the right owner who can fix them.)
2. About 35 people from different sites from the company were in the phone bridge meeting to discuss a lingering problem “exposed glass lid” that had impacted product shipments. Andy showed up to one meeting and after a few minutes of listening, excused most of the people (note takers, facilitators, reporters, speculators,..) and gave actions and ownership to engineers in Asian factories. He had quickly understood the technical issue and realized that a lot of side actors were dominating the stage instead of the Doers.
3. In mid 1980s, one of our plants in Asia had done pilot implantation of Just in Time System. The plant manager was very excited with results and wanted to take the lead to proliferate the system across the company. One morning he got a call from none other than Andy Grove who asked him about JIT. After listening to very excited plant manager describing glorious benefits of JIT, Andy asked only one question: What could go wrong with the system? In the words of that manager” I was frozen. I had not thought about that part.” Andy told him to do the homework and then come back with new proposal.
4. Sometime after Andy had already retired, our boss also retired after a long service. Andy sent a video message expressing his appreciation and recounting memories of their association and some incidences that had taken place over 20 years ago. That was a class act.

Success does not discriminate: The Jewel in the Palace

Point to Ponder: "Champions (Winners) aren't made in gyms (conference rooms and class rooms). Champions are made from something they have deep inside them: A desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill." Muhammad Ali

Story Line (from 2006): The beauty of success is that it does not discriminate...and nor is it exclusively held for certain classes of people based on gender, race, social status, national origins or religions.

So during my last overseas visit, when I repeatedly heard about a Korean Mini Series "Jewel in the Palace", which has captivated 100s of millions of viewers of all kinds over South east Asia (From Manila to Malaysia, Seoul to Singapore and Taipei to Tokyo), my curiosity took over.

About 500 years ago, during the time of Chosun dynasty, Jang Geum, a poor eight year orphan girl from a lower class of society is brought to the King's palace to work as a court lady. "Jewel in the Palace" is a true story of Jan Geum's journey from the lowly court servant to the head of Royal Kitchen and ultimately she became the first woman to be the Royal Physician in charge of the king and awarded the title Dae (Great) Jang Geum.

What is even more fascinating are the characteristics of winners that she displays right from childhood as well as a demonstration of Out of the Box Thinking techniques (Focus, Challenge, Associate and Paradigm Shift) throughout her life in a highly beauracratic and hierarchical structure. She is not allowed in the school becuase of her low status but she peeks in the classrooms through windows and learns.

Winners in life have a definite purpose. There was never a winner who did not plan to win in advance and Jang Geum is no exception. In her first encounter with Palace Heads, the eight year old declares, “I want to be the head of the Royal Kitchen.” (Imagine a fresh graduate in his first meeting with VPs saying "I am here to become a COO or CFO". How would it go?). Winners are aware of the price they will have to pay and Jang Geum endures all kinds of (some very severe) punishments, hardships and discriminations throughout her life but stays on course.

She practices OBT ideas by closely observing things, recombining normal ingredients to create new dishes and medicines; which delights the royal family. But the ultimate is the example in Paradigm Shift where she uses acupuncture and surgery to heal a rabbit. It had never been done before and in the process she demonstrated the surgery was a viable option where traditional medicines were not effective.

And just like many Risk Takers, she goes in and falls out of grace with superiors and eventually becomes a prey of Palace politics and fired. She is sent to exile to a remote island. She makes the best out of the situation and learns about medicines and becomes a Physician. With fierce drive and determination, she finds a way back into the palace. Her resourcefulness, integrity and valued solutions are eventually noticed by the king himself and she becomes the first woman to be the Royal Physician of the king.

Reflection: I am sure it is clear to you by now why the story is titled “(The) Jewel in the Palace.” It is a powerful story from Korean history about the rise of a little girl from a meager background to the head Physician of the Palace. During my business trip in Asia I found out that Corporate Executives and  managers/engineers were hooked on this miniseries so upon return I spent 3 full weekends watching it. I realized that in the history of every culture there are stories like this that one can learn a lot from. Things that one can learn from such stories are normally taught in corporate leadership classes; one can just watch such movies and get real life lessons.

Theme song from the mini-series

 

 

One Person’s Trash Is Another’s Treasure. Resources vs Resourcefulness.

There Is No Such Thing As Rubbish

by the children playing in the street corner. Siem Reap, Cambodia. Photo by Luisa Go Shah

Point to Ponder: ‘If children grew up according to early indications, we should have nothing but geniuses.' Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Story Line: During our trip to Siem Reap in 2016, we saw these five little kids playing in a street corner. They had just released the model UC; convertible, all-wheel drive, thread controlled human pull car with the capability of carrying heavy load. Each one of them was taking turns in test driving this new model.

Reflection: The model UC (Unlimited Creativity) was the product of these kids’ imagination and the excellent team work. They had engaged in the creative use of resources (milk bottles, caps, wood sticks, pebbles themselves etc). All materials used in building this product were domestically produced and obtained at no cost from garbage can, trees and river bank.

And they seemed to be very happy enjoying their Made in Cambodia product.

Remembering the words of Great Teacher Tony Robbins: It's not resources but resourcefulness that ultimately makes the difference.

 

Republished with the comments of readers from the first publication dated July 14, 2016.

Comments

Recycle, Reuse, Reduce.

Posted by: Save our Planet | July 14, 2016 at 08:28 PM

Don't let this Benchmarks get to our management.
Soon they will replace us all, last of the survivors, with Cambodian kids.

Posted by: Wortied | July 14, 2016 at 10:05 PM

We experience it in Pulp industry in Indonesia (or anywhere else). Pulp production produces good and poor quality pulp (off grade). Our Norwagian Pulp mill manager announce there's no off grade in my Mill. Off grade has its uses like using for brown papers, Cartons, paper bags, etc. It has a price.

Posted by: Suresh Shah | July 15, 2016 at 02:41 AM

Make Cambodia Great Again initiative? 😂

Posted by: Rajan | July 15, 2016 at 07:14 AM

Imagination, Visualization and Creativity are skills that are all different and some children are allowed to learn them, some learn them on their own and some it is just part of their DNA.
Imagination is the faculty or action of forming new ideas, or images or concepts of external objects not present to the senses. Imagination and dreaming can coincide to help people feel something they want to do. Visualization is the formation of mental visual images or actually sting pictures in your mind of what you are want to do, say or build. Some people have a hard time visualizing, some have a difficult time visualizing in color or more than two dimensionally but kids allowed, taught and encourage learn to take what they imagine and put it in mental pictures in three dimensions and /or put it on paper or express it through art. Many adults have lost that skill. Creativity is the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality, progressiveness, or imagination. Many children and some adults are creative but many are taught to "stay within the lines" or "don't imagine things you can't, shouldn't or don't have the ability to do. Children in the right environments learn all three more easily than adults mostly because they have learned that they "can't."

Posted by: Lonnie Hurst | July 15, 2016 at 07:19 AM

For you every encounter is a learning experience.

Thanks for continuing to share your experiences.

Posted by: Jason | July 15, 2016 at 07:51 AM

Anand - I applaud your creativity along with that of these kids. I may have seen a similar scene several times on a trip to India- but I could never have "seen" it in the way you have, much less described it in this way.
Fun can be had without high tech fancy gadgets. Its great to see that these kids actually are outdoors- and looking around at the surroundings-( vs. a screen) and creating - without parental interference :)
I second the sentiments from @ Jason

Posted by: Madhuri | July 15, 2016 at 09:21 AM

This is such a great reminder/lesson… we spoil our kids when we don’t need to and we ruin their natural imaginative powers.

Take care

Posted by: BHSC | July 15, 2016 at 10:15 AM

I noticed this photo among a set that you shared among a group of friends. I was very impressed but didn't mention it to you. So how nice to see the photo given a spotlight in FridayReflections!

I am reminded of an adage I once heard about parenting, which is attributed to Dear Abby (Abigail van Buren, real name Pauline Phillips):
“If you want your children to turn out well, spend twice as much time with them, and half as much money.”

Posted by: Levi's | July 15, 2016 at 04:01 PM

Pardon me but the model in above picture seems two wheel drive.
Still a great idea and superb reflection. Thanks

Posted by: Auto Fan since childhoodh | July 15, 2016 at 05:04 PM

Today, or so it appears to me, time for children is too structured (art, gymnastics, sports, dance, scouts, music, etc. ) and although some of this is needed, there needs to be time for kids to just learn how to entertain themselves doing things like: playing in the creek, climbing trees, breaking glass bottles in an illegal dump, knocking down bees' nests, building tunnels with hay bales in the barn, riding your bike to the fishing hole. As Levi posted above, all these things can be accomplished with little or no money. When I was a kid, when we went fishing, we each bought a can of soda and a big of chips for $.25 to take along with us for the 4+ mile ride.

Posted by: Mark Dennen | July 16, 2016 at 04:30 AM

 

The Lego Story: Creating the System of Endless Possibilities

The LEGO Story- How it all started 

Point to Ponder:  I remember when I first started working I’ve always said that I didn’t like sales. No sales job I would say. Simply because I felt I can’t do sales. That I’m not good at it. But as I ventured further into my job, I realised we are all saleperson, trying to sell something, to make an impression, to get something out of the work we are doing. -  A note from a former work associate from Malaysia-  And now an entrepreneur( in response to last week’s Friday Reflection)

Story Line: I came across this video ‘The Lego Story- How it all began’ eight months ago. Since then our grandsons and I have watched it many times; in fact we watch every-time we meet. It’s a fascinating, captivating and educational story that narrates how to build an entire system of endless possibilities for an idea. 

Ofcourse, like many stories of successful entrepreneurs, it is the story of personal tragedies, hardships, passion and persistence. But it also shows how Ole Kirk Kristiansen, the founder, used the systems approach In design (creation), product (making) and customer delight (sales).

Only the best is good enough as motto plus innovative solutions and promotion practices, Ole and his successors have created a world without limits for children around the world. 

Reflection: The Lego Story was in the backlog list for ‘Future Friday Reflections‘ for a while. The note from the young entrepreneur from Penang is the catalyst for bringing it on the top of the list. There  are many valuable tips in this story for every age group, every job function and for the people venturing into their own business. It can also help us in creating a system to build and enhance our own personal brand. Something to ponder...

 

 

 

Coming to think of it, Who is the most important sales person of it all?

Points to Ponder: “If you change the way you look at things, things you look at change.” Dr. Wayne Dryer

 

Story Line: 

Coming to think of it, who is the most important salesperson of it all? (This FR was originally published on June 23rd 2005. Good to refresh the basics once in a while)

One of the best salespersons I have known once told me, “In sales, getting inside the customer’s door is half the job.” Businesses spend sizable amount of money (hundreds of millions for large corporations) on marketing, advertising, promotion, events and travel to get inside the customer’s door. Only after that can they talk about the merits of their products or services, make a sale, and deliver performance that can eventually establish their brand image. (Good Will)

Now think about the situation where many (hundreds on some days) potential customers are knocking on and walking through your door every day, without you having to spend the money.  For a business, this sounds like a field of dreams. (“Wait, He is on to something.”)

That is exactly what happens when suppliers, job applicants and many other visitors come to your company’s door. Even though they come knocking on your door for an opportunity to get your business or get a job, you in turn have a golden opportunity to make the lasting impression about your brand. Negotiate hard, interview tough but how you treat them as people, how you carry yourself as the representative of your brand (company’s and personal) makes all the difference in winning the hearts and minds of hundreds of potential customers every day, and establishes long term relationships. 

Now a sales person would say, “This is what the dreams are made of. Is this heaven?”

In a nut shell:

Cup of Coffee and Doughnuts             $2.00
Common Courtesy                               A Smile and a warm hand shake
Good Will                                          Priceless
For Everything else??                         (Nope, I am not talking about the master card)  
                                                            See the next Line

You and Your Company’s Brand Image.

Those who never learn from history are.....

You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.- Abraham Lincoln

Point to Ponder: When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always. -Mahatma Gandhi

Story Line: Downfall- Hitler's Outrage (Original Subtitles)

Reflection: Those who never learn from history are forever condemned to repeat it.

 

 

WE RISE BY LIFTING OTHERS

Khalil Gibran memorial across Boston Public library. Photo By Luisa Shah

Point to Ponder: You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. - Khalil Gibran

Story Line: I accepted an offer from Intel Corporation in March of 1984. Soon after joining the Arizona Campus, I had my first meeting with the new hire integration program manager. She informed me that as part of their new hire integration program, I would be assigned a buddy, veteran employee, to help my smooth integration into the unique culture of the company. To that, I requested Jon Slusser as my buddy, the very person who had convinced me to join the company.

She politely explained that it was not possible because Jon Slusser, a senior manager, was a very busy man and the normal process involved the company assigning a buddy depending on the level of the new hire. New hires typically did not get to select their buddy. I asked if she might consider my request. She called later and happily informed me that Jon had said, “I would be glad to.” 

From what I heard later, she brought up my request, more in jest, during the executive staff meeting. As mentioned, Jon ended up accepting and thus began my relationship with Jon Slusser. Jon not only helped me integrate into the company but also continued to be a mentor and a friend even long after I had left the company.

Initially, during our 1:1 meetings we discussed many subjects. A few of the many things I learned from him were; establishing proper systems and structure to prevent problems down the road, essence of constructive confrontation, in certain situations how to ‘agree to disagree’ but not make it personal and go and have a beer with the other person, how to extract positive learnings from seemingly negative situations, even people who are higher up or seem very successful have also fallen flat on their …. And how they got up and rose again, accepting feedback and extracting improvement opportunities from performance reviews and how to energize and enlist people for your vision.

But what I found most amazing was the way he answered my questions. He would share personal experiences of success and failures from his career and in some cases from life outside work. He was very candid and at times would say things that one wouldn’t expect to hear from people; especially ones in the upper echelons of the corporate hierarchy. He was very open in sharing his failures, mistakes, and their consequences. In the competitive world, people are advised not to expose their weaknesses, air out their dirty laundry to outsiders, and open up about their vulnerabilities. I came out of those meetings feeling energized and reaffirmed- realizing that I was not the only one having similar problems- as Jon, such senior level person, had also been through such challenges and shared how he had overcome them. 

Reflection: The most profound lesson I learned from Jon is that sharing our failures is not a weakness. It is a strength when we learn from failures and when they motivate others to persevere. For stories of success we often look to famous people's stories but often the stories that truly stick originate from someone who is directly in our sphere of work and life.

Having adopted this philosophy in my life, and candidly sharing my triumphs and tragedies with friends, coworkers and family through the years has been enlightening. One cannot change his/her past but if it can help change someone's future, then the, “Things that are given away are never lost.”

 

 

 

One Person Who Was There For Every Single Person

Point to Ponder: What you are is God's gift to you, what you become is your gift to God.-Hans Urs von Balthasar, Prayer

About two and half years ago, I wrote a story about a person who inspired us to visit American Samoa and Samoa; two splendidly beautiful, serene places in Polynesia. This reflection is an update about the inspirational life of this genuinely kind person.

Story Line:  A vintage burgundy corvette pulled up in the front of our home. A tall man with large shoulders slowly climbed out of the compact car and ambled up to our front door. When I answered I was met with a man who was larger than life who, in a very soft and polite voice, introduced himself as Setu Eliapo and informed us that he was told by our friend that we needed someone to keep our garden green. Little did I know that day, that meeting Setu would not only change the vibrance of my garden, but the vibrance of how I saw life itself.

Over 10 years, Setu maintained our garden but on those Wednesdays when he would come I found myself finding reasons to work from home, as I wanted to be there when Setu would arrive for the day’s work. Often, the work took up long time as Setu did not work fast or hurry. He moved in his own time and it was in that time that he saw things as they are and quite possibly as they could be, as evidenced by our flourishing garden. He would work calmly, at his own pace, and with great precision. If my tech driven instincts took over me and I asked for a schedule or results oriented questions, he would smile warmly and say, “Nature doesn’t hurry- don’t stress them out before they have a chance to grow.”

Setu’s life experiences ran deeper than the many seeds he had come to plant in our garden in the ten years he spent with us. We loved our time with Setu, more for the conversations we would have about our lives, our families, and the sense of calm his perspective could bring on any given day. My wife and I would spend hours speaking with him in the garden, and after some time it felt as if the professional relationship that initially connected us had become secondary. Setu was a good, humble, and compassionate man.

Setu would often tell us about his younger days in Samoa; a childhood spent by the ocean filled with daily interactions with friends and family members surrounded by fresh foods and clear spring drinking water in the abundance of nature. There were extended family reunions that took place every three years with 500+ people in attendance, his beautiful village by the ocean and enjoying life day by day.

Setu had always loved sports cars*. In his younger days he enjoyed drag racing and pushing the limits of speed that his cars afforded him. He was proud of the Mustang and Chevy Chevelle he had raced in his youth and the last sports car that he ever owned, the Corvette. Yet in 2012 when the grandmother passed away, and his cousins needed money for funeral expenses in Samoa, Setu sold his beloved Corvette in order to help them. That was Setu, a man who helped those around him without question and he returned to Samoa to be there for others when he was needed. Twice during those years with us he went back home to help; in 2009 when Tsunami had destroyed his hometown and on the second occasion for a family event.

Setu was a brilliant and intuitive man who could relate with any generation and different people. Our two year old grandson loved his cuddling and our teenage nephews could relate with his stories about nature and learn from practical tips about fixing things. Twice during casual chats he found out about problems with our gate and also our plumbing systems, and fixed them. He refused to take any money only until after a lot of insisting on our part. To say Setu was a giving man would be an understatement. On two occasions we saw him helping people on the streets: once an elderly person’s car had stalled and Setu fixed it. On the other occasion, Setu fixed the bicycle of a distraught teenager. Setu gave of himself to others. When he re-landscaped our front yard as his very last project, he planted one Fig and one Maple tree as his gift to us. It still grows tall and even more vibrant today. 

In July of 2015 he said his final goodbye to us because he was returning to Samoa to attend to family matters. We were very sad to lose someone who had become a friend, but also glad for him as he would be closer to the family he so often spoke about from his youth. It was fitting of Setu, the kind and gentle man who could speak volumes in his silence, and always gave of himself to others.

Reflection: A Kind Man and A Gentle Giant

Our chats with Setu were the catalyst for my decision to retire early and the main reason for our 23 days trip to Polynesia in 2018. We had hoped to reconnect with Setu in the home of his youth and to see him in one of the places he had held so dear.

While in Samoa/s we had an all-out search bulletin for him; inquiring with our hotel staff, tour guides, and locals to find him. After a few days, one of the tour guides joked, “a Quarter of Samoa has the surname “Eliapos,” so it will take much longer.”☺ We realized that it was quite a feat to try and locate one of the most quiet and humble men in American Samoa. Setu had always held onto his privacy and liked to be more behind the scenes than in front. It’s why we didn’t have any contact info for him when he left- he was like the natural, living world he loved- always changing, ending until they are gone, only to somehow begin again anew. We left Samoa as we had come, with only memories of Setu.

Recently, we found his eldest daughter through Facebook and learnt a lot more about his incredible life story. In late 2015, he had already returned to California when he became a grandfather. He dearly loved his grandson and took care of him. We told her of our stories with Setu and how we tried to find him in Samoa. She revealed to us that he was from the far end of the east side of American Samoa, the only part we had missed during our trip. Such is an irony of fate.

Last month, we were saddened to hear of his passing on October 18th, 2020 but wanted to honor him through the facts of his life and the stories* he leaves behind.

Setu was born in Masefau, American Samoa. He had 11 brothers and sisters. He came to the USA in his early teens. A few years later, he left school and began career in interstate truck driving business which continued for almost three decades until he went into the landscaping business.

His father had started a church in San Jose California and he used to go there every weekend. That’s where he met Ane, a 21-year-old Samoan, who had come to the USA after graduating from Fulton College in Suva, Fiji. They got married when she was 24 and he was 25. In 1987 the family had planned to move to Port Orchard in Washington. On the way they got news that his mom passed away and his extended family needed him. So he returned and stayed in San Jose. His giving and dedication to family knew no bounds.

On big festivals holidays like Thanksgiving, he would cook for the large extended family. After dinner when everybody’s out in the garden sitting and chatting, noticing his daughters inside the kitchen washing dishes, he would immediately run and start helping with dishes, mopping the floor and packing the garbage. On Fridays, he would do laundry, clean floors and do a lot of housework to help out as it was a day before they got ready for Sabbath on Saturday. Setu was a very religious man and deeply involved in rebuilding the church. He was well respected, had a position of reverence in the church and often asked to speak in church services.

Setu and Ane had a very good marriage. He always wanted her to be happy. He had planned a vacation with his wife; a train trip to Washington since she had never been on a train before. Then in February he was going to take the entire family to Australia since they had never been overseas together as a family. A few months before the trip, they received the news that his wife was diagnosed with cancer. That was the first time his daughters saw him crying. He took extremely good care of her; he would brush her hair and feed her. Even two days before he passed away, Setu was still cooking food, mopping floors and taking care of his wife. Sadly, he passed away on October 18^th, 10 days before their 36th anniversary.

Even during these times, friends and relatives from all over the USA showed up to say final goodbye to Setu and loved ones from overseas attended services through internet. The memories they shared of Setu tells that his life was truly an example of the service to others with unconditional love. We are blessed that we met such a kind and humble man, and we will forever remember the way he impacted our lives.

Lives of great men all remind us we can make our lives sublime,
And departing, leave behind us footprints on the sands of time.

- Longfellow, A Psalm of Life

 

Video: Incredible Journey from Samoa to San Jose.

*Special thanks to Setu’s daughters Marlene Lesui and Maylynn Fuamatala Eliapo for providing information about his family life and Setu’s photos in above video. Photos of Samoa are from our trip in 2018 inspired by Setu.

And love to my family: Luisa, Rajiv and Analisa for their help in recounting memories and preparation of this reflection.

Keep Your Garden Green

POINT TO PONDER

The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it. -Theodore Roosevelt

Part 1 of two parts series: Next week: One Person Who Was There For Every Person....from Samoa to Silicon Valley.

Keep Your Garden Green was originally published on October 28,2011. 

STORYLINE

My neighbor came by my house the other day and asked if I could recommend my gardener to her. Apparently she had a hard time retaining them, explaining that her gardeners never arrived consistently or at the same time. She would follow them in the garden as they worked, barking instructions as they went and many would quit on her. She needed a gardener she could rely on and asked if I would recommend mine. She liked the job he did with our landscaping, as do I, and asked if I could pass along his number.

I said I surely would - that I had been very happy with his work - but that my gardener might not fit the criteria she wanted. She asked me if he was punctual. I said I wasn't sure. She asked me when he comes to garden and I said I didn't know. Most of the time he came to work on the garden when it needed it. I admitted there were weeks when he didn't come because he felt there was no work to be done. She asked if he stayed the full hour and I said I didn't keep track of that.

She asked me how I could stick with a gardener like him for so long. I responded that I allow him to complete the job in whatever way he chooses. Then she asked me how I could tolerate that and didn't manage him more closely. I said I didn't need to - I trust his skills as a gardener - and that he knows what he is doing, “because at the end of the day, he keeps my garden green.”

REFLECTION: Wisdom of the Ages from Senior Rockefeller.

Three mistakes a leader/manager should avoid:

        1.Having good people and not know them.

        2. Knowing good people and not use them.

        3. Using good people and not trust them.