Six Sigma Pricing

Authors: ManMohan S. Sodhi and Navdeep S. Sodhi
Published: 2008
Publisher: Pearson Education
This book is very relevant for the product companies. Product companies set a list price for their products. However they also allow their sales team to offer discounts on the list price to their customers within a certain limits. But often it so happens that the sales force offer heavier discounts than what is allowed for due to various reasons for e.g. to meet their sales target, to keep their customers happy etc. However this adversely affects the revenue and profits of the company.
In this book the authors describe a very practical and pragmatic approach of using Six Sigma methodology to improve the pricing operations and increase the bottom line. They have very well supplemented it by discussing a real-life case study. This case study is a lesson on how to strike a right balance between generating revenue and profits and keeping all the stakeholders (especially the sales team and the customer ) happy.
Good introduction to pricing operations and Six Sigma methodology has also been provided for novices in this area. This would help them to understand the contents of the book better. However this book does not claim to provide a very comprehensive treatment of Six Sigma. Only what is needed in the context of pricing operation has been described.
I found this book quite useful and got very good tips on running a Six Sigma project on pricing operations.
On the negative side the contents of the back cover jacket of the book has glaring spelling mistakes (at least around 10). And to add to that there is an errata sections correcting around another half a dozen mistakes. These mistakes in a book about using Six Sigma methods is difficult for me to digest !
But overall a very good book and I recommend it for every organizations whose profits dip due to ineffective pricing operations process.

Why Mars and Venus Collide

Author: John Gray
Published: 2008
Publisher: HarperElement 

Due to biological differences between men and women, they react to stress differently. If both the sexes appreciate and understand this fact, they can reduce conflicts between them and strengthen their relationship. This is the theme of this book. The author then goes on to describe why men and women fight with each other and gives some tips on how to resolve such fights.
An informative and interesting read. Now I understand why I sometimes get a feeling that my spouse nags me ! It is not her fault. Blame it on hormones !
The tips given are high on formality and rather mechanical. Not sure whether it can be effectively applied in Indian context.
Those who have read , John Gray's previous book - Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus - may find this book repetitive.
A couple of trivia on the author John Gray (courtesy Wikipedia !) .
One - he lived as a Hindu monk for nine years in Switzerland under the influence of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
Two - Ironically, he divorced his first wife Barbara De Angelis who is also a self-help author writing on similar themes. Now are these two people writing the best sellers based on their personal experiences or whether it is a case of "Easy to Preach, Hard to Practice".

Conflict Management in the Workplace

Authors: Shay McConnen;  Margaret McConnen
Published: 2008
Publisher: How To Books Ltd.

This is a very handy book on managing disagreements and conflicts that happen in the workplace. A very well structured book with lots of practical tips on how to develop trust and understanding among the parties involved in conflict. One of the better books on self-improvement books I have read in the recent times and I highly recommend it for all the people managers to read.
It has a very descriptive table of contents which I have reproduced below along with the key takeaways from each chapter. It will give you a good idea about the conflict management approach described in this book.

Introduction
Language for conflict or for cooperation ?
Conflict wastes time and money


1. How the View Explains our Differences
This chapter recognizes that each of us has our unique window on the world, which is subjective, partial and likely to be distorted. This can explain why we are different from and often difficult for each other.
Key Takeaways:

• Beware of expecting others to see what you see.
• Don't argue with perception.
• Rather than judge behavior, connect with needs.
• Explore different perspectives for richer solutions.

2. Differences in Personality Types
The reader is introduced to the four basic personality types - Go-Getter, Carer, Analytical, Socializer - and typical sources of tension across the styles. The reader also discovers that strengths can be experienced as weaknesses.
Key Takeaways:

• Difficult people are usually inflexible people.
• It is OK to be different, it is not OK to dysfunction.
• It is as if we are from different planets.

3. Fight the Difference or Celebrate it ?
Is conflict inevitable ? Can conflict be constructive? This chapter suggests that conflict comes more from the management of these differences than from the differences themselves. Understand why rows can spiral out of control.
Key Takeaways:

• The differences don't have to get in the way.
• Deal with causes not symptoms.
• Why do you insist on me seeing what you see, when I don't ?
• Reduce conflict by recognising the positive intention.
• While differences explain conflict, it is arrogance that drives it.

4. Are you Building a Bridge or a Barrier ?
Explore the win-win and win-lose mindsets and the consequences of these approaches. Discover the language that fuels conflict and find out how 'you' and 'I' can become 'we'.
Key Takeaways:

• There is nothing to be gained from attacking the other person and everything to lose.
• You are OK but others may not see you as OK.
• If you shoot from the hip, you could end up with a bullet in your foot.
• Don't expect others to collaborate if you go on the attack.
• Be partners, rather than opponents.
• Fight the problem not the person.

5. Understand and Manage your Feelings
This chapter gives some practical ways to defuse your own anger and to manage the feelings of others. Know when to take time out.
Key Takeaways:

• Unexpressed conflict is still conflict.
• Anger can severely limit your choices.
• Anger is fuelled by your thinking, your body and your language.
• If both of you are yelling, no one is in charge.
• Validate the feeling to keep rapport.
• People who say sorry don't always forgive.
• Listening is key to making the transformation from you against me to us against the problem.

6. Develop your Skills and Increase Your Choices
Discover the three key skills for managing conflict. Learn how to listen acceptingly, talk constructively and negotiate successfully. Also ways to disagree and keep rapport.
Key Takeaways:

• Develop flexibility if you want to increase effectiveness.
• Understand first, respond second.
• Listening is judgment free.
• 'Yes buts' indicate argument rather than listening.
• Giving the solution is not always the answer.
• Take turns in having equal 'air time'.
• It's a pity we speak the same language, because we don't !
• Listening gets you into the other person's view.
• Listening makes a lot of sense.
• Rather than create a one way street, drive on a communication highway, where ideas and feelings can pass freely in both directions.
• 'Drawing on my fine command of language, I said nothing.' Robert Benchley
• Avoid character assassination.
• Talk to the relevant person, not everyone else.
• Talk future not past.
• Your body is doing a lot of the talking!
• Solution pointing rather than finger pointing.
• Beware of the quick fix.
• Agree before you disagree.
• View objections as unfulfilled needs.
• Not getting what you want can be a wonderful stroke of luck.
• The most significant journey of your life may be to meet someone halfway.

7. Four Steps to Resolution
Do you want to manage differences in open and honest ways without conflict or argument ? This four-step model gives you the language and the processing for win-win. The 'steps' will reduce defensiveness, deepen understanding and create collaboration. Learn to deal with power plays.
Key Takeaways:

• Four- Step Model
• Step One: Attend to the other person first.
• Step Two: Explore the need behind the want for both of you.
• Step Three: Invite the other's solution
• Step Four: Build for maximum win-win.
• Beware the 'yes but....'
• Justify if you want to start an argument, validate if you want to keep rapport.
• Work on the relationship as well as the problems.
• You will create conflict if you do not consider the needs of the other person.
• Never give up on anybody. Miracles happen every day!
• Ending a relationship can be an assertive option.
• Different styles for different personalities.
• Aim to be having a conversation rather than using a formula.
• Check understanding when necessary. 'So what you are saying is...'
• A good relationship requires mutual understanding and acceptance, not always agreement.

8. Preventing Conflict
This chapter shows you how to nip conflict in the bud. Discover ways to deal with the irritations and minor tensions rather than let them fester.
Key Takeaways:

• People usually do the best they can with the resources they have.
• I see you as wrong. You see me as wrong. We are both right. That's not logical but it is psychological.
• You are responsible for what you think.
• You are responsible for what you say.
• You are responsible for what you do.
• Silence is not always golden.
• 'You may not be perfect, neither am I, so we could suit each other admirably.' Alexander Pope
  

Appendices

The appendices include a questionnaire to help you discover your prefered conflict management style and a collection of other tools to enable you to turn difficult situations around.
There is also a case study showing symptoms of organizational conflict - low morale and a high turnover of staff. The study demonstrates how using the processes and language of the 'steps' enables staffa nd management to listen, understand and work towards a mutual solution.

Talking Films

Author: Nasreen Munni Kabir
Published: 1999
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Amazon Link: Click Here

The byline of the book - Conversations on Hindi Cinema with Javed Akhtar - aptly sums up what this book is all about. Javed Akhtar the well known lyricist, screenplay , dialogue writer narrates incidents from his personal and professional life to the author. We get to know about his childhood, his entry into Bollywood scene, his collaborative works with Salim (actor Salman Khan's father) and many behind the scene stories about the dialogs and lyrics he wrote. This book also provides insights about his working style. Quite an interesting book for Bollywood movie buffs, but does not have anything much for other readers. Rather overpriced at Rs 175 (USD 3.5) for the content it offers.

The Naked Leader Experience

Author: David Taylor
Published: 2004
Publisher: Transworld Publishers

This is a sequel to the author's book "The Naked Leader" which I have not read. As per the author , Naked Leadership means "an approach to leadership that strips away the hype, applies the most powerful, proven tools and techniques to real life without any inherent mystery" and apply everything that works into day-to-day realities for most of the people.
The underlying theme in this book is - the fear of failure prevents us from being the best we already are. So in 37 inspirations (i.e. chapters) the author provides tips on how to overcome this fear and fulfill one's dream and ambitions. The tips are well supported by anecdotes, quotes and jokes.

The book has three parts (called books by the author !).

Book One - Reclaim Your Birthright. It is about realizing that you are the best. Titles of some chapters in this part - Long Live Dreams, Are You a Hero or a Trailer ?, The A-Z of Being a Naked Leader ...

Book Two - Reignite Your Relationships. It is about how to truly connect with others. Titles of some chapters in this part - Business Brilliance, Loyalty - Release the Leaders Within, Impress Your Boss !, One Team - One Vision.

Book Three - Reinvent Your Organization. It is about unleashing the potential within you and your team. Titles of some chapters in this part - The Business of Passion, Change Leadership, Your Customers Hate..., Murders and Acquisitions, IT's Time to Deliver

In my opinion Book Three is the best part of the book.

A couple of interesting facts about this book.
The chapters in this book were not written by the in the order they appear in the print. An appendix called "The Author's Journey" lists the order in which the author wrote the chapters. This may help in following author's thought process, however I preferred to read it in a conventional way.
Chapter 15 - How to lose weight , comprises of just three lines. Read the book to find out what it is ! I would rather not give the secret away, since author requests the reader not to do so.

On the whole a very interesting and enjoyable book to read.

The Complete Adventures of Feluda - Volume 2

Author: Satyajit Ray
Published: 2000
Publisher: Penguin Books India
Amazon Link: Click Here

Satyajit Ray is world renowned as a film director. But few people know that he was also a very popular detective fiction writer in Bengali. He created the character Feluda a Kolkatta based private investigator. Feluda's character was inspired by Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes.
This volume comprises of 19 cases which were successfully investigated by Feluda. The cases - mostly murder mysteries - are narrated by his nephew Topshe ( an equivalent of Watson in Sherlock Holmes mysteries) who assisted him in these cases . They are also accompanied by their friend a quaint, comical character called Jatayu who is a thriller fiction writer.
Almost all the stories follow a predictable pattern, yet they are very enjoyable and hold your interest. I am not able to pick my favorite ones since all are equally good.
Ray wrote these stories in Bengali for a teenage magazine Sandesh. Gopa Majumdar and Chitrita Banerji have done an excellent job in translating them into English.
The stories are set in modern times yet not modern enough. It spans the period mid 1960s to early 1990s. So the present generation having grown up in the era of internet and mobile phones may wonder why Feluda did not make use of such technologies.
I highly recommend anybody interested in detective stories in classic mould of Sherlock Holmes's cases to read this book. I could get hold of only Volume 2 in the library. So look forward to read Volume 1 also.

Values - The Key to a Meaningful Life

Author: Various
Published: 1996
Publisher: Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai

Values are strong beliefs which guide us in leading a meaningful and ethical life in equilibrium with the society we live in. Each profession has its own set of values which one must abide by. What are these values ?
This is what this book is all about. It is an anthology of short articles by twenty-six select men and women from all walks of life. They share their views, perceptions, insights concerning values in the fields they are actively associated with.
Diverse fields are covered - Society, Family, Education, Administration, Law, Law Enforcement, Music, Cinema, Journalism, Literature, Medicine, Science and Technology, Industry, Business and Sports.
The anthology includes articles by H.H. Dalai Lama (needs no introduction), Nani Palkhivala (an eminent constitutional lawyer) , Julio Riberio ( who as a D.G. of Punjab Police brought the menace of terrorism in Punjab under control), Rajkumar Bharathi ( a well-known Carnatic Classical singer and descendant of famous poet-revolutionary Subramnya Bharathi) among others.
Since I work in the Technology area the article "Values in Science and Technology" by Prof. N.V.C. Swamy a former Director - IIT, Madras was of most relevance to me. When I was pursuing my Ph.D in IIT Madras, I had a privilege of attending Prof. Swamy's lectures both in academic (Fluid Dynamics !) and non-academic (Vedanta !) areas and found them very educative and interesting. I can say the same for his article in this book. Prof. Swamy explains in a very elegant manner with interesting examples how four principal values - Universalism, Communalism, Disinterestedness and Organized Scepticism applies to scientists and technologists.
Most of the articles in this book are easy to understand and will help anyone who would like to create a personal value system capable of facing challenges in day to day life and making him or her a better person.
The articles in this book appeared in 1995 issue of the journal The Vedanta Kesari published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai. So some of the articles sound outdated when they discuss values in context with the events impacting the society. This is the only limitation of this book. It would be nice if the publishers bring out a sequel to this book in which the contributors discuss the values in the light of events post-1995.
The book is economically priced (Rs 45 (less than 1 USD) ) and can be ordered online from the publisher.