Google Apps

Vakil Housing is looking for ways to improve it’s efficiency using Technology. In the past we’ve taken several initiatives, and now we’re pleased to announce that our IT infrastructure is based on Cloud Computing using Google Apps.

We’ve been test driving Google apps for more than 2 years, and have found it very useful in several situations:

* Tracking progress of construction on Site (Google Spreadsheets)
* Providing Customers with information (Google Docs)
* Creating Department Portals to mange documentation & targets (Google Sites)
* Managing events related to Property Management (Google Calendar)

The key feature of real time collaboration has reduced the time it takes for information to flow between individuals & teams, and has also reduced communication errors.

We’ve noticed over the years, Google consistently releases regular updates to it’s suite of applications, and has also opened up it’s architecture to integrate with other applications via the Market Place.

With the constant innovation taking place, our team is excited to use Google Apps in the work place!

Laughter Yoga at Vakil Housing from Vakil on Vimeo.

Honey, lets shrink the house

This is a great initiative taken by a group of responsible citizens of Bangalore. See the core team: http://www.cbengaluru.com/phase3/core-team

We all need to take responsiblity in cleaning up Bangalore:

An Inspiring post by Michael Hyatt. How do you get to Wow. I quote:

1. Take a stand for greatness. Like many important things in life, creating a wow experience begins with making a commitment. You must resolve in your own heart that you will not sell-out or settle. This isn’t necessary for every project, of course. But when you decide that the dream warrants it, you have to take a stand and play full-out.
2. Connect with the original vision. King Solomon once said, “Without vision the people perish” (see Proverbs 29:18 KJV). This is also true for wow. Before it exists, it is only an idea. The only place it exists is inside your head. Sometimes, you just have to close your eyes and once again become present to what it is that you are trying to create.
3. Remind yourself what is at stake. I have found that the best way to do this is to ask, “Why is this so important?” When I was writing my first book, I had a list of seven reasons why I needed to write the book. I reviewed it every morning before I began writing. It gave the project an almost epic significance, but it kept me going when I wanted to quit.
4. Listen to your heart. Most of us have spent a lifetime ignoring—or even suppressing—our intuition. I don’t know if this is a product of modern rationalism or American pragmatism. Regardless, I believe intuition is “the map to buried treasure.” It is not infallible but neither is our reason. And, it can point us in the right direction. We need to pay attention to this inner voice.
5. Speak up. This is he crucial step. You must give voice to your heart and go on the record. If you don’t, who will? You may be the original dream’s last best chance of staying alive. Most people will happily give in, give up, and move on. Most people have more to do than they can get done, so they are reluctant to go through one more iteration to get it right? But if they don’t, they will never get to wow! This is why you can’t afford to remain silent.
6. Be stubborn. This is perhaps the toughest part of all. We all want to be liked. We don’t want to be “high-maintenance” or unreasonable. But think back on your own history. Aren’t the people you respect the most also the ones who demanded the most from you? You may not have fully appreciated it at the time, but, looking back, their stubborn refusal to settle is what made the difference.

Look, mediocrity is natural. You don’t have to do anything to drift there. It just happens. But if you want to create truly wow experiences, then it is going to require courage. Are you willing to be brave?

“More often than not, we remain silent when we should speak up. However, there are times when you should remain silent. Here are a few:

• If the problem is small, won’t happen again, and you know the other person already feels bad, you probably don’t need to say anything.

• If the problem doesn’t have a significant impact, don’t say anything.

• If you’re part of a leadership team and you’re the only one who cares about a certain issue—or is at least willing to confront it—take preparatory steps. Talk to your peers. If you’re still the “Lone Ranger,” tell your team that you are about to set a new standard (give them a warning), then do it.”

- Taken from Crucial Confrontations

Ofcourse, the bigger problem faced by corporate world today is keeping silent when one should be speaking up. Other than the above quoted paragraph, that’s what the rest of the books Crucial Confrontations and Crucial Conversations, deal with; ie how to speak up effectively when faced with situations that involve broken agreements, poor performance, or any scenario which involves high stakes, while emotions are running strong and there are a differences of opinions. Both Crucial Crucial Confrontations and Crucial Conversations are brilliant books, I recommend them highly.

A brilliant quote. Pretty much sums up how a business should be run according to Michael Gerber’s E-Myth. What’s really spectacular about this quote is that it was written somewhere in between the 17th and 18th century! Did people really have the same stress levels even then?

Let us salute the true Martyrs of India with great honor. Let us honor the brave hearts, who never turned back to sacrifice their lives in order to save the nation from the brutal terror attack took place in Mumbai on Nov 26^th 2008. They are the real Heroes of our country and the entire nation is proud of them.

“Do not come up, I will handle them“, these were probably the last words which Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan told his men as he was hit by bullets while engaging terrorists inside the Taj Hotel Mumbai.

These are significant losses as one cannot replace them overnight or muster the art of fighting modern day terror in one day.

A salute to mighty hearts – Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan (NSG) commando from Bangalore, (IPS) officers – police commissioners Ashok Kamte and Sadanand Date from Mumbai, National Security Guard Havildar Gajender Singh, Hemant Karkare, the chief of Mumbai (Anti-Terrorism Squad) and others.

Our deepest sympathies and condolences to the victims and their families of the terrorist attacks.