Innovation at Work

It’s about time that most of us would have joined work. We would have got used to the processes at work and probably even started getting frustrated seeing some of them. We might have even cursed ourselves that how we are a tiny fry in a big organization.


We have also heard the tales of how some organization are innovative and entrepreneurial in nature while others have none of these qualities. People would go all lengths to be part of these organizations. So is innovation restricted to only the likes of Google or 3M. We can delay it into eternity by thinking that our time for making the changes will come when we reach the place of CXO’s.



Alternately we can do something which is being advocated by Robin Sharma in his latest book” Leader without Title” and try to make small but incremental changes in our work place irrespective of our position. Well appears easy but is it difficult to implement?



I found a live example of some one trying innovation from unexpected corner. Every day while going back from office to home, I would face a traffic jam at the Hope farm circle. It is not due to heavy traffic but a specific reason.

All along the square are four lane roads except for the one going to Chanshankara, which is two-lane road. There are no free left turns at the square. Just on the beginning of the road is the assumed bus stop for passengers who wish to board the bus going towards Chanshankara. Since this road remains narrow throughout and has heavy traffic there is no space for making an alternate bus stop ahead of this one. As a result when the buses going towards Chanshankara stop, to take the passengers, traffic behind them going towards Chanshankara comes to an absolute halt, most of the times on the very square itself. So even when the light turns green for the other sides of the square the vehicles cannot move due to blocked square. Many fellow commuters and I have seen this scene, honked in agony and many a times curse the people who travel by bus, as if they had a bus stop choice. The traffic policeman standing there would turn a blind eye to this episode which plays itself many times over in the day.

It is here that I saw an example of ingenuity and leadership at grass root levels. Some of the policeman tried a novel idea. Since shifting the bus stop was not in their power they devised a solution keeping it a “hard constraint”. They started halting the traffic coming from Chanshankara much before the traffic signals equivalent of two buses length from the signal. Under this arrangement the bus would stop at the bus stop at the beginning of the road. However other vehicles would move from the side of the bus, traveling in the opposite lane for a while before they would cross the bus and reach ahead of the bus and follow the normal lane. Incidentally, keeping the traffic light of their side green for an additional 10 seconds compensated the traffic, which was halted much short of traffic signal. Though the solution defies the traffic laws (of moving in your lane), it offers the best solution under the given set of constraints. I was really amused with this simple solution, which was put forward and implemented by just two things – Common sense and a willingness to make a difference.

Cycling to office

Well after driving in Bangalore and driving crazy about it,I just renteed a place as close to the office as possible..I would have given a arm if my office basement had a 2 bedroom set but that was not to be...So I decided to use my cycle to go to office.


Buying a cycle is  yet another story.I always thought that I will be able to exercise and live healthy if I owned a bicycle.But with new cycles costing around 3000 Rs..I just could not risk buying it and not using it.fortunately while in XLRI my dear friend Dr Kailash dediced to dispose it off-i decided to turn my dreams into reality.And the hassles it took me to transport it from Jamshedpur to Bangalore ensured that I really had to make use of it.


So when I started driving cycle to office..I relaized that initially I always had a reson to avoid taking it to the office-telling myself that I will be late ..even when there is no fixed time to reach the office.



I suddenly realized that once you are on cycle..the other motorized vehicles treat you like dirt..they would actually want you to become part of it..I mean  move down the road or worse will be short of running over you.If you do not have balance on your cycle,you might just fall on the gr

But still cycling is fun,once you drive it in the evening,you can feel cool evening breeze of bangalore.You see new shops,signs..why I managed to see a cyber cafe and a gas agency both of which I wanted to visit but could not found while I used to drive to office.And talking about the office..Once you come to offfice in a car you are just amother person..unless you own a ferrari but noy many people can come to office on a cycle.At first it seems odd ..cycling in formals to office but what the heck..if CEO of Fortune 500 company can do it..I guess there is no reason for me to mind either.One I make it to the A list...people will not say that he started driving cycle only when he became a CEO.

.Well and among all thousands of people who come to office it is you the security staff looks with some recognition.


Well another time when you feel the power is once you grt stuck by a bus which just stops in between..among all vehicles behind her honking..its the cycle which finds space to overtake her.Also on the numerous speed breakers on the roads,I would find a luxury car
luxury car slow down  ..even slower than the cycle (well literally each one needs to watch his back) .But the cycle cruises along..same speed.

Now there are some lows too..once you are on a downslope enjoying the momentum and some vehicle in fron make you stop..thats not a happy feeling.

Another good part of going to office with a cycle is you just cant miss your daily exercise,at least for 5 days a week.So it helps in setting a routine too.

The best part of it is that I actually relate to the woes of the other cycle drivers..whatever i exercise is the bonus.So now that I have spoken so much for the cycle publically..I guess i just need to continue with the cycling for some time.