In 1997, I changed the location of my NIIT Training Institute to a more spacious building nearby with a large courtyard. This one had a compound with lot of mango, neem trees, enough space to have a garden, an open air canteen, and parking space for nearly 10-15 cars. 1/n

Being a great believer of keeping the premises spotless,I had to grapple with the problem as to how to keep the courtyard clean of falling leaves.This called for someone to sweep the huge courtyard everyday.The maid in my house, Mary,used to do the cleaning at the Institute 2/n

She was a wisp of a girl, illeterate and it was cruel to ask her to do this backbreaking job of cleaning the courtyard. For a month I was fretting and fuming, tried 3 other labourers, who came, had one look at the size of the courtyard and vanished. 3/n

I was prepared to pay even Rs 500 (a princely sum those days). I had also requested my energetic, educated team to find me a solution but to no avail.

Mary normally goes to the Institute in the morning, finishes her cleaning job and comes to my house by 8 am. 4/n

One day, I was having coffee reading the morning paper when I overheard her telling in the Kitchen

' there is solution to Anna's problem. Why dont we ask Lakshmi amma to do this job?'. 5/n

Now who is Lakshmi amma? She was a cantankerous old woman who comes everyday to clean our toilets at the Institute. Half the time she was drunk but I had a soft corner for her as I had always felt that she was doing a job which no human being should be doing. 6/n

Normally none talks to her as she used filthy language & didn't give a damn , but I always made it a point to speak a few kind words every time I met her and she in turn had lot of respect for me.She dotted on her grandchild & I always ensured chocolate for the child. 7/n

I questioned Mary as to why she thought that Lakshmi amma was suitable for job.

She said "Anna, her main job is to clean the streets and her beat starts from one kilometer before our Institute. She cleans the street using a peculiar kind of broom which has a fan like broom 8/n

attached to a long stick that facilitates her to clean the streets without bending her back. I have been watching her come to our place, place this broom on the wall, get inside and clean the toilets and then continue with her work. 9/n

For her, who cleans 4 kms of road everyday, this job of cleaning the courtyard with her special broom is childs play. And more important, you dont have to pay her Rs 500. All you have to do is pay her Rs 100 10/n

(Mary in fact didn't know the difference between Rs 500 and Rs 100. All she knew was that 500 was a much bigger sum than 100)"

I was stunned at her application of mind and the simplicity of the solution to a problem that has been begging for a solution for a month. 11/n

I called up the Institute, asked Lakshmi amma to wait, put on a shirt, went there immediately and asked her whether she can undertake the task.

She gladly agreed and told me that I can give her whatever I like as compensation. In fact she was about to ask me for the job 12/n

The problem was solved because Mary got involved without me ever asking her, took ownership of the problem and strived hard to find a solution for the betterment of the Organization of which she was a part of. 13/n

This is what is meant by Application of the Mind and a very very essential quality for any aspiring managers.

(In the next staff meeting, I narrated this incident and requested my young, talented IT staff to learn from this episode 14/n

A day later, I heard some murmurs that staff didnt quite like me asking them to learn from an illiterate 19 year old girl

I called another staff meeting and gave them a piece of my mind for being snobbish) 15/n

Whenever you are confronted with a problem or even otherwise, give it all you can, get involved and try to come up with innovative solutions. In short, Apply your Mind. n/n