How to outperform in stressful situations - Autopilot !

Last week I conducted a test on Principles of Management for Calcutta University. After the exam, before calling it a day, I went to the wash room to freshen myself. There I found one of the brightest students of the class , sobbing and after seeing me , tried to camouflage her grief by splashing water on her face. I pretended ignorance and did not ask her anything. After a few minutes, suddenly she blurted out "Mam, why does this always happen to me ? I study so hard , so so well in class participation but when I am appearing for a test, my mind goes blank. I try so hard to concentrate , do well , but usually I buckle under the pressure. Why mam, why ? " And she cried inconsolably.  I just held her tight . 

This blog is dedicated to all of us who at some time or the other have choked under pressure - just like the bright young student of mine. 

So why does it happen? Why do we sometimes fail to perform up to what we're capable of when the pressure is on? It may not be so surprising to hear that in stressful situations, we worry. We worry about the situation, the consequences, what others will think of us. But what is surprising is that we often get in our own way precisely because our worries prompt us to concentrate too much ! 

 

That's right -- we pay too much attention to what we're doing. When we're concerned about performing our best, we often try and control aspects of what we're doing that are best left  outside our conscious awareness, and the consequence is that we mess up.

I remember my meeting with Anand Kumar - the celebrated educationist who is best known for his Super 30 program. The program claims to select 30 meritorious and talented candidates each year from economically backward sections of society and trains them for the IIT Joint entrance exams - one of the toughest exam in the country.  Super 30 has a hit rate of 99.99 % success. As an answer to my question that what was the secret of the stupendous success of Super 30 , the gentleman had smiled and softly said "Leave yourself  on autopilot at the time of the final performance !"

"What ? Autopilot ?" , I was confused. 

He smiled again . 

"Yes ! The key is to practice and build yourself up so that you are at your peak performance at the moment when it is needed the most. At that time, your mind should work automatically, unconsciously, without having to concentrate or worry about the result. That is autopilot mode !".

The stress of wanting to do really well makes you self-conscious, Your mind is  driven by worry, fear, and anxiety. Your over focus becomes a force of destruction that interferes with your natural and practiced flow as you start paying too much attention to what you're doing. And then starts the downhill journey of your performance.

Our working memory, just like a computer's Random Access Memory (RAM), is a limited resource. When we start letting anxious, worried thoughts intrude in our brain, we deplete major mental resources that could be better used anywhere else than over-thinking  every move.

So,  what should we do ? Here are some tips which I have gathered from my own personal experiences.  I share them below : 

1. Practice Under Stress : Good and sincere people work hard for tests, practice before performances . But it is important to keep in mind whether they are performing under stress or not. For example, if we are appearing for an exam,  we have to practice writing mock tests and try to emulate the same environment of the actual tests - like time limitations, writing conditions and evaluate ourselves on that. Before any performance on stage or presentation to customers or senior management  , we should practice in front of somebody who can critique us. If no one is available, record your performance and scrutinize yourself.  And of course it goes without saying that you have to Practice, Practice and Practice , till you feel that you are ready for the autopilot mode !

2. Do not dwell on the past and neither in the future :  Take failures as hurdles which have helped you to learn how to go about problems . Do not let them stop you from trying again. Dream big but do not  dwell on what might happen in future. I know it is easier said than done but living in the present moment is what we all should strive for.  Once you have the answer paper infront of you or the moment you are standing in front of an audience, live the moment. You have already practiced a lot . So come in the autopilot mode - live the moment. Remember Shah Rukh Khan's talk to his tennis team just before the final match? Forget the past and the future. Live the minute. Enjoy the moment !

3. Distract Yourself :  I know a person who always wears the same tie when he is going for an important client presentation.  There are people who have superstitions like humming a tune before the exam starts or keeping a flower or  a leaf with themselves before any important event. All these may be superstitions, hang on, I am not a proponent of superstitions , but as an example of busying our mind somewhere else, I say that they also serve the purpose of distracting our minds and prevents us from focusing too much on the consequences and the upcoming stressful situation.  This is one of the reasons that you might have heard your elders say that do not study on the day before the examination. Read a book, listen to a song etc. so that your mind is distracted. This slight distraction helps us cope up with the stressful situation and come to our super efficient autopilot mode !

What happens in our heads really matters, and knowing this, we can learn how to prepare ourselves and others for success, not just in the classroom and stage  but in the  boardroom as well.

Sophia and Me - Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Deep Learning

It was 7.30 pm and raining heavily.  I stood in front of the Seminar hall  waiting for my Uber. 

I checked my smartphone .  

My cab was just about 1 minute away.  It arrived and I swiftly ran from the shade of the outer atrium of the hall towards the gate, got into the taxi and heaved a sigh of relief.  

But my relief was very short lived. 

“Let’s go !”  I said.

The Uber driver was fiddling with his phone - shaking  wiping , putting it near his cheeks and ears .

“Sorry Mam, I cannot go. Please cancel this ride and get another one “,  the driver said .

“What ! But Why ?  It is raining so heavily , can’t you see ?  And I have a doctor’s appointment at 8 pm ! “

“Mam, I can go but you will have to tell me the directions.  GPS is not working because phone is damaged. It fell into a puddle when I was helping the earlier passenger with her bags.”

“Oh God !” I groaned. 

I tried to open the net but by that time it has started raining cats and dogs. My current location was below a flyover and there was almost no network. And the torrential rain made the connectivity almost nil.

I was really flabbergasted. 

I was going to this doctor for the first time. In the morning , my husband had asked me to look up the direction on google maps but I had refused.

“I will anyways get an Uber . With technology , I don’t even have to communicate with the chauffeur. I will reach on time. Don’t you worry !” I had laughed.

I never imagined that my laugh will cost me so heavily !  

And at that moment, I truly realized the extent of our  dependency on technology.  

Or you can call it on Artificial Intelligence.

Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and now the most recent , Deep Learning. 

Let me first try to explain these in layman terms.

Artificial Intelligence is the broad umbrella term for attempting to make computers think the way humans think, be able to simulate the kinds of things that humans do and finally the machines  solve problems in a better and faster way than we do. 

John McCarthy, widely recognized as one of the godfathers of Artificial Intelligence (AI), defined AI as “the science and engineering of making intelligent machines that have the ability to achieve goals like humans do”. In short, Artificial Intelligence is human intelligence exhibited by Machines.

In fact AI has been around for quite a while. Though the term  Artificial Intelligence was coined at the Dartmouth Conference in 1955, simple things like computers, calculators, computer games , washing machine, dishwasher – anything which the machine does faster and better than human beings comes under the umbrella of Artificial Intelligence.  

It was only since 2015, the domain of AI  started becoming more focused and narrow. 

This gave birth to Machine  Learning . The idea behind Machine Learning is fairly simple.

Rather than programming computers to be smart by hand-coding software routines with a specific set of instructions to accomplish a particular task, you give machines access to a large number of sample data and code them to find patterns and learn on their own how to perform the task. 

Machine Learning is built based on algorithmic approaches that over the years included decision tree learning, inductive logic programming, clustering, reinforcement learning, Bayesian networks etc.

Let me try to make it  simpler. 

When I taught the English Alphabets to my daughter - ,A for Apple, B for Ball, C for Cat,   I did not tell her the algorithm to identify the features and then decide what is it. I simply showed her the picture of an apple , a ball  and a cat.  When I bought fruits , I showed her apples - some green , some red. When I went to the park as saw a cat sitting there, I held her hands and  said “ See , a Cat !” . 

So when she saw multiple examples of the  object and then her human brain automatically identified the features so that her brain could identify that object. 

This is  exactly what a Machine Learning Model does. Human brain is a machine par excellence. The Same thing is simulated in Machine Learning.  Huge amount of data is fed into the computer and after analysis of the data, prediction can be made and some action is taken.  

Google uses Machine Learning to filter out spam messages.  Amazon and other top technology driven e-commerce sites use machine learning wand data analytics to advertise their goods based on what the algorithm predicts about your needs and tastes.

Now about  Deep Learning. This is even more focused and intense , the next level of AI.

Deep learning was inspired by the structure and function of the brain, namely the interconnecting of many neurons. Neural Networks are algorithms that mimic the biological structure of the brain. In the brain, the neural points are physically spaced out, but in Deep learning, there are layers of neural network. 

Deep Learning can be explained as a system of probability. Based on a large dataset you feed to it, it is able to make statements, decisions or predictions with a degree of certainty. So the system might be 63% confident that there is a cat on the image, 81% confident that it’s an animal and 4% confident it’s a toy. Then you can add on the top of it a feedback loop, telling the machine whether it decisions were correct. That enables learning and possibility to modify decisions it takes in the future.

Again I will try to make it simpler.  

Suppose there is a traffic signal detector installed in a driver less car . After processing billions and trillions of data, the first layer will decide that there is a probability of 81 % that there is a rectangle . This  decision will passed on to the next layer of the neural network which will again process a humongous amount of data and give a signal to the next layer that there is a 72% probability that the rectangle is a traffic signal with red , yellow and green light on it. This then goes to the next layer and to the next and so on.  

Finally the signal detector will take a decision whether to drive ahead or not. And  it will take back data cues whether the decion was correct or not and improve itself for doing better next time. 

As in my previous example of teaching alphabets to my daughter, Deep Learning can be compared to the  way she became capable of learning from mistakes and constantly improving. Like when she called  the dog a cat  and she got a poor grade in her test,  she was given the feedback, she corrected herself and improved . She then became capable of learning new objects on her own.   

Deep learning is being implemented for driver less cars, face recognition,  pattern recognition, forecasting, the list is huge.  

The future is wide.  But somehow I tremble at the thought of the future.  

When I start thinking , I am scared. 

Will machines replace human beings ? Already we are at a stage where for several tasks, we trust the machine more.  Earlier, for giving loans, the data was analysed by human beings for deciding whether to give the loan or not. But nowadays, the banks rely on the computer algorithm , which scans and processes huge amount of data and tells us whether to process the loan or not.  

If you ask the bank why your loan was not sanctioned, they might just shrug their shoulders and say – I don’t know but the computer said so ! 

 And like by Uber driver refused to complete my ride because of a technological glitch,  will a time come when machines will literally rule us ?

In the Industrial Revolution when F.W Taylor came up with the scientific model of management,  it gave rise to processes and greater productivity. But assembly line production in factories, created jobs too. 

But with Artificial Intelligence,  the human jobs might be completely eliminated. 

And it's not just in factories, but truckers, drivers and even jobs like telesales, customer service and hematologists as well as radiologists over the next 15 years are going to be gradually replaced by artificial intelligence.

 Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google has said that “in the next 10 years it will be AI first !” .

AI is cheaper and more productive . It doesn’t sleep, need breaks, get sick or take vacations, and it doesn’t need health insurance or retirement benefits. It can work 24X7, faster, better and accurately. With Deep Learning, AI can  quickly acquire and learn new skills too  without making mistakes ! 

Isn’t this too scary ?

I know that repetitive and boring jobs will be replaced by AI. But many learned people have predicted that by 2050, there will a big chunk of people who will not only be unemployed but also unemployable !  

So what will happen to my economically poor housemaid,  my not so intelligent, personal driver  and the good natured neighborhood carpenter ? How will they sustain themselves ? 

AlphaGo is a computer program that plays board game.  It has been developed by Google’s DeepMind, using Deep Learning.  

Reently AlphaGo defeated the world champion Ke Jie.   

And how Ke Jie cried ! 

With all these technological advances, have we become happier than our forefathers ?  I really don't think so ! 

We have already lost simple joys of life like receiving letters  from our dear ones and preserving them for later. Many a times I have taken out the  bundle of letters written by my husband during our courtship days , read and re read them , feeling the written word, smelling the musty smell of  the paper. 

The  joy of waiting for my Uncle coming to visit us, running towards the gate whenever I heard the sweet tinkle of the bell of the rickshaw , cursing the train service for being late and then jumping with joy when he scooped me in his arms when he finally came home ! 

Simple thing like peeking out of the taxi window to ask a shopkeeper or a passerby about an address location and smiling back at him.

In these interesting times, will a time come when humanoids will exist together with human beings ? 

It is already a reality.

Sofia, the first humanoid robot , made her first public appearance in 2016. 

She is a doe eyed woman with delicate features, designed to look like Audrey Hepburn. 

AI allows her to hold eye contact, recognize faces and understand human speech. Cameras within Sophia's eyes combined with computer algorithms allow her to see. She can follow faces, sustain eye contact, and recognize individuals. She is able to process speech and have conversations using a natural language subsystem. She has become a citizen of Saudi Arabia  !

Ke Jie cried when he lost the game to AlphaGo. He loved his game so much that it broke his heart.  

Did AlphaGo feel  pleasure or happiness when it won ?  Definitely not .  

And Sophia, she might become super intelligent but her deadpan voice tone, mechanical facial expression will never be able to replicate the rush of Adrenalin and the heavenly emotions of love, pain and joy.

We are  living in very interesting times.  Let us see what holds in the future. Maybe it will be like what Charles Dickens had  expressed  in the immortal opening lines of  his novel - The Tale of Two cities  

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope….. “

Let us hope for the best !

5 things to avoid while speaking in Impromptu Situations

If you want to speak as a leader in impromptu situations, avoid the following blunders:

1. Talking Too Much

A common pitfall is blabbering  on. Those who have this tendency, interrupt others, monopolize meetings, ignore valuable contributions of others, and in general turn people off.

Stick to the matter at hand. Don’t waste anyone’s time.

2. Not Preparing

Winston Churchill had fun with speakers who talk without thinking. He observed: “Before they get up, they do not know what they are going to say; when they are speaking, they do not know what they are saying; and when they have sat down, they do not know what they have said.”

Well, we can prepare to be spontaneous. There are times when you know you’ll be part of an impromptu event – a client chat, a conversation with a subordinate, an important visitor. Take whatever time you have to prepare notes, or a mental outline of what you will say. Even if you only have a few seconds, pause and decide what your message is.

3. Misreading your Audience

Still another impromptu faux pas  is misreading your audience.

Be sensitive to the feelings, concerns, and knowledge of your listeners. Some of the engineers I’ve coached are spot on when speaking , but overestimate the ability of colleagues and clients to understand particular issues.

Similarly, a boss might misread a situation in which a new hire needs a compliment, or friendly guidance, rather than a critique. A participant in a meeting may speak up with a proposed plan, not realizing (because he has tuned out) that the group has just moved beyond that proposal. Staying attuned to your audience’s thinking is critical in all situations.

4. Letting off Steam

Another impromptu gaffe is letting off steam. We all carry baggage with us\ in our minds. Fears, disappointments, concerns, and uncertainties. Occasionally impromptu exchanges bring these to the surface. As a result, sometimes we say things we regret.

5. Cracking Jokes

Humor is dangerous for leaders if not properly thought of !

An executive I know was honoring a staff member, who was about to retire. He stood up and began his speech: “Sunny is a memorable figure. One colleague will remember him for being late…. another for his crazy sense of humor…. and still another for the fact that he has always been a bit wierd.” He concluded by saying, “So we’ll always remember you, Sunny, for the things you may wish to forget!”

Everyone laughed – Sunny the loudest – but no one was laughing inside. They were embarrassed for Sunny and for the speaker. This was not a moment of leadership.

All these pitfalls can be avoided if you prepare for your impromptu remarks.

The underlying message of Impromptu is that extemporaneous speaking requires forethought, discipline, and preparation.  Keep key leadership messages uppermost in your mind. And use whatever time you have to read your audience, collect your thoughts, choose your words, and structure your script. These techniques will equip you for success as a leader in the Age of Impromptu.

What I learnt from my Teenaged Daughter

My daughter was a 15 year old teenager when we went to Tanzania on a family vacation.  Me, my husband and my daughter. 

It is always very difficult to match the holidays of all three of us but after quite a lot of trials and tribulations , we had managed to take 2 weeks off from our busy schedules.  Initially, we had planned to go to Europe , but Pulin, a very dear college friend of my husband, who was posted in Tanzania at that time,  insisted that we visit  Africa instead. 

"I will make all the arrangements !" he said "You must visit Serengeti Wildlife reserve. It is my  guarantee that you will not be disappointed !"

So ,  off we went to Tanzania. And by Jove, we were not disappointed !  Pulin had meticulously planned everything for us . The logistical arrangements of the stay included spending a night in a tent right in the middle of a dense forest ! It was near the huge Ngorongoro crater . The tents had 2 beds each. I insisted that my daughter and I sleep in one tent and my husband spends the night in another one.  

My daughter did  not like the arrangement. 

"Ma, I am big enough and I am not afraid. I will sleep in the other tent , not Baba " . The rebellious teenager said. 

"No ! " . The protective mother insisted. 

She was silent for a few moments and then said . "OK. But you have to promise me that the next thing which I will ask for , you will not say No". 

She looked straight at my eyes.  I waited .  Seconds ticked away. She kept on looking straight at my eyes. 

I had to say "OK" . 

You know, it is always so difficult to communicate with a teenager. At that moment, I wanted to have my way, come what may.  

I did not know what price I would have to pay for this promise later !

I don't know whether Minnie, my daughter was frightened or not when  the foxes came trotting up to our tent and made strange noises, but I definitely was ! I clutched her tightly throughout the night. 

The visit to the Seringiti Reserve was also magical.  Lions, Giraffes, thousands of Zebras walked past our Safari Jeep! You just have to experience it to believe it! 

Pulin was right . It was an amazing experience. Unforgettable !

The last lap of our vacation was in the beautiful island of Zanzibar.  The soft white sands of the beach, the transparent water of the sea, the blue ocean mingling into the blue sky in the horizon, it was heavenly. We were absolutely enchanted. It was almost 12 noon when we reached the beach side hotel. We kept our bags in the room and ran towards the beach. 

I love the sea. It never fails to mesmerize me. The waves, the beach, the happy faces, the sunlight, the breeze, I soak them in whenever I am near the sea. 

But , I have a  fear of water.  Knee deep water is my limit for venturing inside the sea.  

As we looked around the beach,  I knew what was coming next ....

Both father and daughter looked at me and said, "Lets go snorkeling !".

I did not protest because I knew that snorkeling is always done in shallow water , not too far from the beach and the beautiful Atlantic Ocean in front of me was not like the angry Bay of Bengal at Puri (Orissa in India). 

The blue water in Zanzibar beach swayed softly like the long tresses of a youthful girl. 

But my ordeal was yet to begin. 

A snorkeling guide came towards us. My husband discussed with him and signaled towards us to come to the boat. 

"Boat ? Why Boat ? Snorkeling is done right from the beach !" I exclaimed

"Yeah, I know , but the guide is saying that due to the tide, he will take us a bit inside the sea and then we will do snorkeling". 

"No. Then you can do it tomorrow ". 

Both of them looked disappointed and then came the lethal weapon .....

"Ma ! I want to do snorkeling now !"

"No !"

"No ? Ma ... " Minnie paused , " Remember your promise ? " 

I did not know what to say.  How could I go back on my words ?  A promise is a promise is a promise !

I did not say anything for a few seconds. Those few seconds were like eternity for both me and Minnie. 

Then I made up my mind . 

"OK. I too will come with you two on the boat " . 

"Ma , You will also come into the water ? " Minnie's eyes shone with excitement. 

"Not exactly ! I will sit on the boat while you enjoy the sport", and all three of us sat on the boat, put on life jackets on us and ventured ahead on the gorgeous water which twinkled as the bright sun rays fell on it.

I tried to put on a very calm and unperturbed face, mustered up enough courage to look stoic and happy. But deep down my heart, I was very very afraid. 

What we did not know was that high tide had set in and snorkeling could not be done . The best time for it was in the early hours of the morning.  The tout did not want to lose an opportunity to make some quick buck and hence he had suggested that we take the boat, go inside the sea for snorkeling.

As the boat pounded further into the sea, my heart started thudding harder and harder. There was water all around me. Due to the high tide, there were no other boat around us. I was frightened , Really , really frightened. 

At that moment, I took a decision. I know it might sound foolish, but I was dead serious.  I took a decision that if I see anything untoward happening to my husband and daughter, I will instantly throw open my life jacket and dive inside the deep water.  Yes. That was what I decided.  As soon as my decision firmed up in my mind, I became calm. I looked around me and soaked in the beauty of the moment.  

I could feel the thin line between life and death. 

My husband and my daughter put on the snorkeling gear and went into the water. I kissed them. My husband had done snorkeling earlier in Philippines, but that experience was different. It was near the beach. Here, when he went inside, the water came inside his nose and throat and suddenly he lost his cool when he could not sense the ground under his feet. He came up the boat and said he will prefer not to snorkel. I held his hands tightly and asked my daughter too to come up. She could try again tomorrow. 

This time, it was she who said "No " !

"Ma, I have decided to do it now. I too am feeling a bit afraid, but if I do not overcome my fear now, I know I will never ever be able to snorkel ", Minnie panted. 

"But .... ".

"If I do not let go of my fear now, I will lose my self confidence. Would you like that ? I HAVE to succeed .... "

Hearing those words from a 15 year old immature teenager had a profound effect on me.  I could not say anything . I looked at her as  she talked to the snorkeling guide and asked him to hold her hands and be near her when she would snorkel. I saw her putting on the gear, take the air pipe in her mouth and dive inside the water.  I sat like a statue . I saw her disappear from my line of sight . 

And I looked inside my heart. 

If my small daughter was trying so hard to overcome her fears, could I too not try ?  Can I not take my fear by the horns and at least try to drive it away ?

After about 20 minutes, Minnie came back.  She was ecstatic. 

"My God ! " she embraced us . " The sea is so beautiful. I saw the most wonderful corals . I have never seen such colours before . It was just fantastic. Thank you Ma for letting me do it !"

I looked at her flushed , happy, animated face. Her words blurred inside my ears. She chatted and talked and shrieked and  described her adventure.  

She had succeeded. 

As we returned towards the shore, the cool breeze brushed my hair on my face.

I made another decision. 

I will learn from my daughter.  I will also succeed.  Tomorrow, I too will go snorkeling with them.