Indian Motivators

The snakeboats are huge with over 100 people on each one. There are 5 people steering, 100 paddlers and 5 motivators.

I was impressed with the idea of having these motivators throughout the boat to get the best out of the paddlers. I wonder what would happen to workplaces if they employed motivators to help get the best out of staff?

We got to row with the locals & even though I didn't understand a word they were saying, I was motivated by the noise, whistling and enthusiasm.

Check out the video for a taste...

Insurance in India

On my recent trip to India I thought about insurance & how it works.

This picture of a farmer taking his produce to market led me to think about the early types of insurance, where farmers would share their produce on different boats, so that if one sank, no single person would lose their entire produce.

This is how insurance still works today - where we pay a small amount to protect a much larger amount.

Lesson from India about happiness

I just returned from an amazing holiday in Incredible India.

It was more than a holiday - it was an education.

The country has so many contrasts - rich & poor, beauty & filth, however it has an underlying message of tolerance & happiness.

One day I was staying in a palace watching a worker scare away pigeons. Yes, that was his full time job - banging a sheet with a stick to scare the birds. First I thought what a meaningless job it was, then I reflected on what he was doing. Walking around a 6 star garden, keeping it beautiful for the guests to enjoy. I have a feeling he took pride in what he achieved.

Another day we called on a village that looked like a shot from a Save the Children campaign. It was run down & dirty, however they were thrilled that we called in to meet them.

It reminded me that happiness is not about what I have, it's about how I choose to be.