Of Car Pools, Long Rides and Life Lessons

I have been lucky to be part of 2 Car Pools with one of them lasting for around 9+ years.?The obvious benefits of Car Pooling are well documented – Better for the Environment, Save money and effort, Better Commute and FRIENDSHIP.?I add to it Experiences and Learnings.

With the many years of Car Pooling, let me offer a quick look at some numbers:

~1700 days of riding together, ~110,000 Kms, ~4200 hours of riding, ~10-12 different routes, Seeing a ~INR 25 hike in Diesel price per litre across years, 3 Car changes by each person and finally Countless Memories.??

Given the ever-challenging Bangalore Traffic and the hours we spent together navigating it, meant 2 constants – FM Radio and Conversations (Current Affairs, Office happenings, Career, Salary hikes, Frustrations, Happiness, Finances, Politics, Cricket and much more). All of these were great showcases of each personality in the Car Pool and have left many memories that can be turned in to compelling learnings.

I describe my friends with some of their dominant traits (from my vantage point) and document some of the learnings I got from them below:

1.???Mr. Planner: Workaholic – Detail Oriented – Fast paced – Politically Savvy

Ever tried using your laptop sitting in the back seat of a car which is navigating peak time Bangalore traffic? Mr. Planner excelled at it and even took calls in the moving car to close out important communication. NOTE: He was not driving.

a.????Learnt this term “Pre-Wiring”.?To “get things done” one not only needs to send mails, proposals and meet people but also go that much extra to do background and backroom discussions to get alignment and signoff.?I practiced this at times and It works.

b.????Once you sign up for a role/job/work – Work towards making it successful and do not hesitate to go the extra mile.?

c.????Try your best, Forget the Rest – There will always be times that despite your best efforts you may not achieve success.?Take it in your stride and move on.?He says in Kannada – “??????” roughly to say “Chalta hai - Move on”.

d.????Having Plan-A is good but a Plan-B and Plan-C could bring its own advantage. ?So Planning is Essential.

e.????If you believe in something, see to it that you make your best efforts to make it work and to this effect Mr. Planner would pick and choose his battles with his Seniors.?The key here is “picking and choosing one’s battles”.

2. Mr. Allrounder: Tech Savvy – Thought Leader – Ambitious – No Nonsense – Politically Savvy

A well-rounded Technocrat is one who excels not just at Technology but also Process and People to say the least. ?He is someone who has played many a role with great finesse and excelled at each of them even throwing in some patents and popularity awards along the way.?

a.????Technology is a means to an end and one can learn any technology if you have your basics right.?We’ve heard this many times but having seen this from close quarters I can vouch for this statement.

b.????If there was ever a thinking that Good Software Developers/Architects do not make Good Managers – then it was proven to be wrong and I’ve seen him not just be a great architect but a very compelling people leader with great process acumen.?Learning: Be open minded about opportunities that come your way and excel in them by trusting your abilities. As he used to say “Just do it sir”.

c.????Innovation takes place in many ways and forms, but to have a keen eye and Patent many of such innovations is also as critical as innovating – Close to 10 patents in a short period of time.?For all of us techies out here – keep an eye on aspects that are patentable.

d.????Being Financially aware and make the right kind of investments is something that he always talked about passionately while being aware of the risks. Not many have had the kind of clarity in financial planning as my friend here demonstrated.

e.????Have a strong belief and defend your ideas/beliefs but when presented with tangible proof points against your beliefs having the courage to accept it.?This shows strength of Character.

3. Mr. Calm: Relaxed – Street Smart – Subject Matter Expert – Strong Will – Politically Savvy

Ever break a sweat navigating Bangalore Traffic or Tough bosses and team members.?Being Calm always gets you a way out of it.?

a.????There is GPS and then there is CPS (Calm Positioning System) while driving through BBT (Bad Bangalore Traffic).?He would help us find different optimum routes to and from office which would be something that we had never imagined.?Extrapolate this with his ability to wriggle himself out of any situation (traffic or work or life in general) by just being Calm and Intuitive.?

b.????In a world filled that seems dominated by Generalists being a Subject Matter Expert in a few topics really stands out.?Being hands-on with his work or other non-work projects is a standout hallmark.?Lesson: Be a subject matter expert that one can refer to.

c.???Having a simple approach to the fast-paced life makes things easy.?Be it a phone call while driving or a phone that dropped off his hand in the car, I’ve never seen him hurry himself up or panic.?Smile and do things at a pace that suits you.??

d.???If you have the trust in yourself and your abilities you can weather through any tough situation. Seen this through some of his work-related actions and in my mind, it takes a good amount of clarity and courage.?Something to learn.

e. Power naps do wonders.?After a tough day at work, I’ve noticed that instead of ranting he would just take a quick 20 mins power nap in the car (he was not driving) and then be as fresh as ever.?Yes, it really works

4. Mr. Soft Spoken: Practical – Jovial – Empathetic – Focused

You do not have to be loud and outspoken to be successful and this is something I see and learn from him.

a.????Dreams are good, but getting things done Practically without hyping them is better.

b.????The world (or driving in BLR) can sometimes seem tough and challenging but there is always a time to make and enjoy a quick witty one-liner joke.?I’ve seen many a tense situation become that much lighter with his witty one-liners.

c.????It is told that we must think from the Customer perspective, never seen a better person exhibit that as a way of life.?Understand the Customer, Bump up that Revenue. :)

d.????If we need to excel in something that we want, we need to focus and work on it.?Seen him showcase this at work and his hobbies.?

e.????To make a point one need not be loud and in your face but can still achieve it by a simple, calm, soft-spoken but firm way.?

A few common aspects that I’ve noticed across all of them:

a.????When situations demand, be available to help and assist friends.

b.????Networking is always going to be beneficial.?

c.????You can teach and learn something to someone without even trying overtly to do it.

d.????You need not have many things in common to be friends

e.????Fun Fact: Bangalore Traffic can be conquered together and it can be fun as well.

It has just been about 2 years since our Car Pool stopped being operational owing to friends moving companies, cities and the outbreak of Covid-19.?But the memories, experiences and learnings stay firm.?

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”

-Benjamin Franklin.

I dedicate this to 4 of my longtime friends – Christopher, Harish, Sangamesh and Vinay who have been an integral part of my life for the major part of the last 15+ years.

?Till the next time we ride that Car Pool…