Quality control

When talking about quality control, the first thing that comes on my mind is the responsibility. If I complete my part of responsibility and you complete yours; and then in aggregate if some expert put their view on it for the thumbs up or thumbs down; the process of quality control would be checked.

We talk the talk about big stuff on quality management system and quality control and when it comes to act on it, everyone vanishes in thin air. Suddenly there is no budget for quality control; everyone becomes so busy with meetings, reporting, field work, deadlines that they do not give a damn about the quality control unless at the end of the project term when you urgently need to make sure that your work estimate is going on as planned. Then you suddenly remember the system out of blue and want it done in no time.

I wonder why people do act and start working when the deadline approaches and give no damn concern until they have enough time.

If you ask me why do we need to bother about quality management system? The simple answer would be: because we need to bother about realistic results and transparent documentation. None of the projects do better than expected and hardly do achieve the realistic scenario. And most of the projects go horrifically wrong, just achieving the numbers and not the actual motive of sustainability.

If there is no system and you conduct a quality check with minimal documentation, what would you expect? Definitely a negative numbering with higher risk of failure. And you can not complain the person who conducts quality control for not searching enough data and documents. It is a complete state of panic sometimes when you start searching for records which is just a year old. Imagine searching past records since the start of the organization. Drop down dead!

However, it is never too late to start afresh. At least having something to record is better than having nothing at all. But the crucial part is the understanding of the urgency of such systems within the organization and how seriously the seniors and board of members prioritize it for implementation. 

Seeking Advice from Experts is better than via Internet

There are huge lot of overloaded information in the world. And you have internet to access over it. However, it is difficult to make confirmation on better and genuine ones.

I extract information via internet most of the times when I get confused while working on certain topic; may it be related to my job or my personal interest. But particularly when it comes to get advice on health and medicines, I would suggest to consult doctors and experts rather than the internet. Saving a few penny and name can cost you your life.

The thought passed over on to me when I heard that a teenager got pregnant and tried to abort her pregnancy via internet information. She was compelled in doing so since she did not want her parents and relatives to know about it. To avoid shame and blame, she took the risk on her own hands.

What is being done can not be undone. Trust your parents more and make at least one of your family members your secret keeper. That way, you will have your strength and back supported all the time. Only trust the ones who are trustworthy. And internet is hardly the one you should trust and rely on. However, it is a good source to get advise now and then to cross check your findings.

I have three secret keepers, my MOM, my sister and my husband. They know everything about me; every trauma I go through; every happiness and joyful moments of my life; my dirtiest jokes; my darkest secrets; the time when I am the best of ME as well as the worst of Me. I keep no secrets with them. I choose them to be my secret keepers because I trust them; I know they are always there for me; we love each others company; we disagree on topics and find solutions to agree on; we respect each others space; and give time and patience to know and understand each other.

Life is never an easy journey. It comes with lots of ups and downs and you meet people who are either supportive towards you or take advantage of you. Always trust your instinct and before taking any serious step, never forget to seek advice from your secret keeper. If you doubt the advice, always consult with an expert.

Writing Tips!

I have always struggled hard while writing; may it be an article, report, poem or story. This has been so since the beginning when I started writing as my hobby at 12 years of age. In my head, I know the theme and concept; but starting the initial sentence has never come easy.

Sometimes strong emotions, pain, sensitivity and a simple gesture of kindness are enough to start few lines of a stanza in a poem; which can be imaginary, fiction, based on fact or life experience. This makes it easy to complete a poem if it flows with your thought process. However, this has never been the same for me in the case of writing article, report and poem. Sometimes it takes a month or two to start and sometimes it crosses the limit of a year; making me drop the entire theme and concept.

I hope I am not the only one having to face such a challenge.

Thanx to Bill Wasik who provided an insight on the importance of having a well thought and precise outline before starting anything. He put it very well by saying, "Hone your outline and then cling to it as a lifeline. You can adjust it in mid-stream, but don’t try to just write your way into a better structure: think about the right structure and then write to it. Your outline will get you through those periods when you can’t possibly imagine ever finishing the damn thing — at those times, your outline will let you see it as a sequence of manageable 1,000 word sections."

Another good set of advice that I found in "Henry Miller on Writing" which soothed me more than anything else was the work schedule of Henry Miller himself. The 11 commandments expressed below were the basic for me to focus more on my work than to get diluted and divergent. 
"1. Work on one thing at a time until finished
2. Start no more new books, add no more new material to Black Spring
3. Don't be nervous. Work calmly, joyously, recklessly on whatever is in hand
4. Work according to Program and not according to mood. Stop at the appointed time!
5. When you can't create you can work
6. Cement a little every day, rather than add new fertilizers
7. Keep human! See people, go places, drink if you feel like it
8. Don't be a draught-horse! Work with pleasure only
9. Discard the Program when you feel like it - but go back to it next day. Concentrate. Narrow down. Exclude
10. Forget the books you want to write. Think only of the book you are writing 
11. Write first and always. Painting, music, friends, cinema, all these come afterwards

If you have experienced any challenges on writing and various tips you use to overcome it, do share :)