Top 3 Insights:

1. Data Presentation is Key

I was struck by the passion Avinash shows towards—not analytics or the data itself—but towards how data is presented to its consumers. He claims that if you spend ½ of that weekly “here’s the web data” meeting explaining what Bounce Rate, Unique Visitor, or Abandonment actually mean, you’re wasting your time. You’re not progressing forward, you’re actually regressing each week since in a major way you’re failing to communicate the real meaning of your numbers to others.

When you hand people crap, they’ll ask stupid questions in an attempt to seek clarity. When you give them well formatted data, they won’t ask you as many stupid questions. It’s a waste of your time, and moreover, the precious time you have on this earth, to be answering the same questions every week. You can’t progress forward if that keeps happening.

This is one of the reasons Avinash see’s Contextual Data is “King” and why the GA folks are putting a huge effort into this idea. Data without context is useless. A good example of that is the Visitors Overview report. It doesn’t just give you the total amount visitors from a certain time period, and spit out the related graph above. No, it shows you--get ready for this good metaphor credited to Avinash—the “boyfriend or girlfriend” metrics that go together with the Visitor number, like Absolute Unique Visitors, Pageviews, Average Pageviews, Time on Site, etc. Sometimes numbers can be useless if they’re not presented next to other relevant information.

For a startling example on how data presentation can change meaning, check out this amazing Hans Rosling TED talk.

2. Web Optimizer is Where it’s at

I was surprised to see Avinash show almost more enthusiasm and interest in the Google Website Optimizer than in GA itself. He thinks everyone should be using it. He even said something like (paraphrasing) “Spend a couple weeks getting familiar with GA, then start using optimizer!”

I asked him what sort of traffic numbers a site needs to be able to see a “signal” (stat. sig results) in a reasonable amount of time. It seems like with the amount of traffic my startup sees, we may be looking at tests that last as long as month before we get results. I’ll have to dig deeper on that but I definitely want to use this free tool soon.

3. His Number One Tip

Little old me forced him to answer the following question:

What’s your number one tip for people just starting out using Google Analytics?

His answer, after mulling that over for a couple of seconds, was: pay attention to Bounce Rate! He writes a great post about Bounce Rate here, that if you haven’t already, I demand you to leave this humble blog in your dust and read now.  At its essence, Bounce Rate is a startlingly revealing metric bound to shock the novice user like a sudden bucket of cold water over the head.

Overall, I was also struck by how modest and humble Avinash is, as well as his overwhelming agnostic devoutness to the field of analytics. I also want to thank him for coming out to talk for free, and for answering everyone’s questions so honestly.

I’m hoping one of my brilliant, insightful, and whimsical entries below win me entrance gratis into the upcoming May 5-7 (check) eMetrics conference here in San Francisco!

This was a ton of fun to write. Here they are:

When clean metrics are
left all alone, the God of
analytics cries.

Browse, Shop, Preview, Buy;
the happy path to the cart.
How I wish for thee!

Avinash should be
happy, since I use GA,
an hour a day.

Este mural fue el que hizo Eric Deschamps tiempo atrás:

Este estudiante trabajó arduamente durante 2 semanas para lograr acoplar los colores y muchas de las fotos las tuvo que acomodar manualmente, pero el resultado en si es bastante bueno.

He aquí una muestra del trabajo que tuvo que realizar:

Nota: haz clic en las imagenes para verlas con detalle.

Encontrarán más sobre esto en la página del chico: Star Wars Last Supper Mosaic

'मोहल्ले' पर किसी ने महादेव देसाई के नाम से टीपा।'अंग्रेजों भारत छोड़ो-करो या मरो' के नारे के बाद इस नारे को सर्वप्रथम लगाने वाले के साथ गिरफ़्तार हुए महादेव देसाई १५ अगस्त , १९४२ को जेल बना दिए गए आगा खाँ महल में मरे ।

    उन जैसे महानुभावों से चाहूँगा ऊपर दिए चित्र को चीन्हने की कोशिश करें , दिक्कत हो तब भाकपा(मा.-ले.) के किसी पुरानी साथी से पता करें। मैं करीब २०-२५ दिनों बाद लौटा तब इस चित्र पर लिखूँगा।

his name was Ravi.

he is two years younger to me.

and I like him really very much.

and i like him really very much.

i don remember when we first met or where we first started our conversation. but the moment we did a spark flew, and before long we became best friends. i ve rarely felt such magic exist bet two frenz, the only time i've felt this b4 was when i became frenz with amrith and ganesh. before long we were two ppl who had known each other for yrs. what i liked abt him was his frankness and the innocence so uncommon to a guy doing 2nd yr in coll. i cant explain it but he had a very positive attitude abt the world and india in special.

he is indian by birth and paki by upbringing. he was the first person who dashed the misconceptions of what life is really like acrross the border. and who on his right mind would imagine that he'll get a friend from a country traditionally viewed as the arch enemy of india??  when he was with his country mates, this topic was started as to who is responsible all this bad blood bet two sister countries. neither side was interested in letting down their nation nor wanted to risk blaming the other. i spontaneously said its the british who spilt us and made us enemies, fuck them. that was when the tension eased and the pakis weren't uncomfortable a bit after that(except for the period outside our coll, but thats anothr story).

there is a lot to this guy. he is an avid blogger, and loves politics. he isnt biased unlike many political enthusiasts but very rational. a very intelligent guy ( a trait shared by every single best friend of mine) he shuold make it big someday, wish him well..

and the best thing he did in india was on Gandhiji's death anniversary. he addressed a group of 50 students and set right our tainted views on pakistan and whats really happening there. Gandhiji must've blessed him mightily from above for that act. lets hope this is the start to many a Indo-Pak friendship that has to com in the future and lets hope that my new best friend doesnt fade away from my life..

his blog  avinashbhojwani.wordpress.com

Today we made a Thankful List that was as tall as the doorway! I was so blessed to hear each of the kids name one thing after the next. I thought you might get a thankful heart and some laughs as you read their list.

I am thankful for...
God #1, The Bible, Mom and Dad, Noah, food, Jesus dying on the cross, books, Christmas, beds, holidays, summer (seasons), birthdays, Grandmas and Grandpas, the house, movies, clothes, toys, money, Walmart, pictures, friends and family, cousins -Josie, Gabriella, Gideon, Avinash, Raveesh, the New Baby, Aunts and Uncles, Dad's new job, sunshine, snow, weather, balloons, furniture, "my room", computer, Macs, shoes, school, crafts, basketball, swimming (sports), vacuum, washing machine, socks, Taylor goiong to Germany, music & dancing, blankets and pillows, lights, clocks, minds and bodies, instruments, car, car seats, Big Bird, Pooh Bear, brothers and sisters, neighborhood, gum, games, the world, scientists, workers, Shaklee, medicine, library, websites, Google, Splash Lagoon, Niagara Falls, American flag, 13 original colonies, fish, favorite foods, U.S. Army to protect us, presidents, trees & plants, Pilgrims, Squanto, Samoset, Indians, indoor plumbing, Ben Franklin, freedom, miracles, imaginations, stories, Denver and the Mile High Orchestra, church, Mr. Snapp, beavers & deer, all animals, cows to eat, dolls & babies, legos, Playmobil, Wiggles, the alphabet, coloring pages, drawing and mashed potatoes with gravy!

Happy THANKSgiving to you all!

I’ve been looking at the support emails a lot more lately as I get my head around what changes really need to happen to the site and what is simply in the “Wouldn’t it be nice if…” basket. Unfortunately, the things I would donate a kidney to fund are the things that take a backseat to other items. I know, for example, that our sign-up process is awful; the fact that you guys still persevere with it astounds me, and I can’t thank you enough! It will get better, and soon, promises promises. But that is the life of a start-up; every penny gets turned over because you have to make it count 100%.

This blog is something that, if we’re honest, falls in the “Wouldn’t it be nice if…” basket, in my opinion anyway. But it s something others consider absolutely essential, and then there are others again who describe not blogging as “a crime against humanity”. Personally I think there is perhaps a little bit of overkill in that statement, but, if nothing else, blogging has given people everywhere a chance to show just how dull we always suspected they were (myself included).

Multiple bloggers are an interesting breed, though I might say that because I’m one of them. I have a music one which sits on my MySpace (which I’m not going to link to because that would just be absolutely shameless) and another where I talk about marketing and technology. That one I would happily link to, but I think you’ll find it pretty dry unless you’re obsessed with marketing and technology, in which case you probably already read the writing of a dozen other much better informed people anyway.

This blog exists though to talk about Hippo; and about the industry it exists within, but also about the things I’m interested in, because, well, that's what blogs are for. I have a good friend who works at another job site, and he said they don’t really see Hippo as their competition because we do something fundamentally different, and I tend to agree. At our core is finding you a job which can absorb the bare minimum of time so you can take the money and blow it on having fun. Hey if you want to save it and do something more worthwhile then great! But when I first started working, all I could think about was guitars and girls and how maybe having extra money might help me more of them (not much has changed).

Anyway, the point of all this is, as the great Sam Cooke sang, a change is gonna come. If you’ve been looking through the site, leave a comment below and let me know what you think should be changed, or, email our support people if you don’t want to do that. We’ve got some pretty solid ideas about were we want to take things, but we’re not the ones using Hippo to get jobs, so technically we should be the last people to say what goes.

In the meantime, I hope those who are in the midst of exams are going well, and those who are eyeing off the end of the school year, almost done. There’s something special coming in this summer, I can feel it in my bones. My drummer is obsessed with Mute Math who are playing at the Big Day Out, so if you’re heading along he has asked that I do you a favour and tell you to seek them out early; you won’t be disappointed.

There is something new about these lights, he thought, somehow they seemed different. There was something unknown about them. The street, which he knew very well, was foreign. As much as he knew he knew the street, he didn't quite recognise it.

Such is life, he thought. Javed must be feeling the same. Once, long time ago, Javed and he had walked the Orchard. Asking the questions that made most sense. Most questions didn't make sense today. Default was the order of the day. Avi had some trouble slipping into it, but he felt he would get there, eventually.

He tried hard to think how the others must be feeling, but he couldn't. It had been a long time since Salim, Sanjay or anyone for that matter, had talked with him. In a way, it is nice, he felt, they are all busy doing something worthwhile. In fact, he hadn't talked with Javed for over a month.

The same old feeling of newness, he thought and instantly laughed at the contradiction.

Only, he walked alone with his questions.

Avinash from Google on Analytics.  Just listen to video then go find more on You Tube. Then go buy his book. Then subscribe to his blog. Nuf said.

Lee had asked him to meet by the Tex Mex at seven this evening. Avinash looked at his watch, it was just five. Yet he didn't feel like working any more. From the office to Boat Quay would only be about thirty minutes. He had ninety minutes more to give the finishing touches to the project he was working on. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to take his laptop out and start working.

Something had died.

He wondered what it was, what the rotting smell was about.

It was about stories, the same stories continued with fashionable consistency. He detested it. He even considered his bag to be that and contemplated letting it go in the only worthwhile river in Singapore. Avinash was settling down well in his job. The past was happily left behind. Yet the silence from Salim and Sanjay hurt him somewhere. AV was lost in getting the plot right.There were no new stories of glory. Javed still spoke with him - but those conversations were of daily nothings. He shut the clasp on his bag with some determination. Shut out the lights.I didn't help create new story-tellers, he thought to himself. No more bards. Avi couldn't help hanging his head as he headed to the elevator.

He was sick of listening to the same old story repeatedly. The walk to Boat Quay would be a long winded one. Just meandering. Senseless, purposeless - like the stories he heard nowadays. Not one story-teller was born out of his death.

The same old myths haunted him.

He had to leave the building.

There were too many foggy layers of emotions that obstructed his vision. Avinash never knew that you could get fog in so many types. Yet he tried hard to look through the layers.

Some were of fear - unfounded ones. Man-made, he thought and then smiled - aren’t they all man-made? These were not only man-made but also nourished and distributed. Some were of mistrust, some were of pure confusion. The dense ones, were of a mistaken purpose.

Before he could imagine taking a walk along the park, he had to wait. Wait till the fog cleared.

Tring-tring

Avinash attempted visualising a handset being pressed to an ear as he heard the familiar, unconventional beginning of a phone conversation. Salim loathed mobile phones; Avinash had wanted to suggest that Salim become a model for land-line phone companies.

“How’s the skyscraper?”

“Fine, how’s earth”

“Oh, as human as ever; amidst all the hurt, pain, anger, and sadness – happiness and joy seems to stand a good chance of winning.”

“That’s nice – there seems to be hope.”

“Yes, I am taking decisions, you know, so are Sanjay and Rahul. The ultimate salvation, however, is still a distant dream.”

“But we are getting there, aren’t we?” Avinash relaxed. He closed the files on his laptop and relaxed and looked out at the blue sky. The weather bureau had promised an overcast sky with heavy showers. Avinash wondered why they talked about how his day would be, rather than really telling how the weather in the city would be.

“Right,” Salim chuckled, “what matters, however, is that everyone else also understands, isn’t it? I don’t think everyone is thinking the way we are or even the way you would! It’s just a few of us holding it all together.”

It was Pareto who coined the 80-20 rule. Avinash didn’t recall what the origins of that rule were, but knew that the rule was used to describe how most work happened in most organisations. 80% of the work gets done by 20% of the people or 20% of the products get 80% of the revenue, and the examples even become recursive. It seemed so applicable – everywhere. Salim didn’t want to talk about Pareto; Avinash didn’t bring up Pareto. Salim seemed to be relaxed and have time on his otherwise busy hands. A good conversation might just stimulate him to finalise the change management programme, Avinash thought. “Maybe I should just come back,” he said.

“Too politically correct! Are you on a speaker phone; are there others in the room?”

Avinash realised that his new phone had a speaker phone; he didn’t need to carry his shrunk computer-in-a-phone all over the room. Avinash switched on the speaker phone and said, “I am now on speaker phone and no one else is in the room and it is as sound proof as it gets.”

“OK, I heard about your new toy from Javed. Anyways, I thought you’d have a better answer than that.” Salim’s aversion to gadgets was making its way through the radio waves.

As Avinash sifted through the radio waves – he wondered whether it was the aversion to gadgets or disappointment at his answer. He concluded it was probably his response. “What were you expecting as a better answer?”

“It’s all right, I understand,” Salim acknowledged, the rhetoric taken as rhetoric. He crisply told Avinash what was going on back there without any of it sounding like a complaint. Very analytical, just like the consultant he had trained to be.

“It’s a problem of expression you know,” Avinash said, thinking hard at the way the problem was presented and talked about. “You and a couple of others think so well, yet are so lacking in expression. I wonder how you do your consultant reports.”

“No point in expressing if no one is going to listen or change behaviour.” Avinash loosened his tie. This promised to be a long one. And for once Salim’s head had bobbed up from the ocean of assignments that he was working on; Avinash didn’t want to miss out the opportunity. It was even selfish in a way. He missed these people. He missed these times. His new challenge was challenging enough and had its own romance – but like Javed often quoted some management guru – we are always attached to the job that we grew out of.

“That’s not the purpose of expressing an analytical thought. That’s what differentiates a philosopher and a radical. Better to have thoughts that allow others to reflect on what they do,” Avinash suggested.

“I agree because you are saying it – but I didn’t understand what you just said.” That was Salim for you, as honest as a white sheet of paper. This is what Avinash liked about thinkers. They didn’t agree to things because they sounded good. Thinkers like Salim and Maddy. Maddy was another omnipresent team member often attributed to magical powers. It was even suspected that he was the Reluctant Messiah who wrote the other handbooks about solving problems, which Richard Bach didn’t publish.

“Let’s see. The purpose of getting your thoughts out is not to transform how people work. When you express your thought, you offer them a perspective. Offer a perspective that they can’t have or may not ever have.

“This is beginning to make sense; I agree.”

“When an expression is “imposed” on people - without offering them the chance to think for themselves – it is the purpose of a thinker who uses expression for personal or narrow motives. In my opinion, the radical thinks like this. It may be right – in a context – however it is still imposed. It doesn’t offer any chance to a person to use that perspective and see if it makes sense. Think of most fundamentalist groups and most philosophers you know. They do “nearly” the same thing. They offer a “manner of thinking”. The philosophers however, offer a “manner of thinking” in a more subtle way. They allow you to be free to disagree and form your own opinion and even allow you to build on their thoughts. They enable you to think for yourself. The purpose of getting your thoughts out is not to ‘change’ people. It is to help them think right and think for themselves.”

Avinash sensed a complete silence on the side from where the radio waves were emanating. “Getting simpler or even more complicated?”

“Much better, go on.”

“The objective of the expression is not a deterministic goal – like bringing about change in people. The expression is the objective itself! That – is the purpose”

“You are drinking in the office?” Avinash guessed that Salim had understood all that Avinash wanted to say. He just wished that others understood too.

“Nope. I am saving that time for when I am with you guys.”

“Hope you are coming back soon, fun is long pending and behind schedule.”

The sky was still bright and clear. Slits of sunshine escaped through the blinds in his cabin.

There was a party on back home. He had just called them. It seemed like the ever lively party that he had been a part of. Nandini, the perfect hostess, and her husband the perfect host.

He spoke with them for a while. At least he thought so.

As he walked down the banks of Clark Quay, he realised how much he “didn’t” miss being there in the party. There was a tomorrow and his absence was a little sacrifice for that tomorrow. There would be more opportunities to celebrate - bigger reasons.

He didn’t mind walking alone - he wasn’t. He warmed up to the feeling of being with his team. This unusual cold weather in Singapore couldn’t make him shiver.

Javed’s presence, and Salim’s retorts. Raghu’s irrefutable logic and Sanjay’s silence. Nandini’s laugh and Abhinamyu’s nostalgic sense. There was enough warmth on a rather cold day.

Avinash contemplated the statement. Was it a question? Was it a threat? Was it impact analysis? The tone was inscrutable. An entire conversation seemed to dwell in that statement. Nandini flicked her eyebrows rapidly half a dozen times. Where is my answer, they seemed to ask.

They had worked together for a long time. A lead consultant with the firm, she had recently begun taking over key accounts in the firm.

“Three voice messages to all of them – go check their answering machines if you don’t believe me,” Avinash replied in his sarcasm laced language.

“Oh, I believe you, you wouldn’t lie to me – you have no reason to,” she was still double parked, holding the translucent glass door to Avinash’s cabin.

“Either you come in or you go out – don’t pass on all your stress to the spring that makes the door close by itself. Leave the poor done alone; it hasn’t done you any harm,” Avinash said without looking up from the papers that he was only half-reading.

Nandini Agarwal was well used to Avinash’s abstract oration, like everyone else in the firm. She opened the door, ambled inside and plonked herself onto one of the leather chairs. The door resigned from its suspended state and closed with reluctance.

“I am so ready to go home,” she said without expecting any answer.

Avinash turned the blinds to allow light to come through. There wasn’t much light, it was getting dark. He gave a huge sigh, thinking about his day and said, “It’s too early, you worked only nine hours, are you taking the rest of the day off?” Nearly the entire team was working long hours to finish various assignments; this had been going for a month now. After the initial bickering and complaints, everyone was now making jokes about it. Not very healthy, Avinash thought to himself.

“Well, say that on Friday, AV is taking all consultants out for dinner.”

“That’s nice, at least AV seems to be doing things right, and why only consultants, why not us?”

“That’s because you have become a boring old man,” she giggled, “But it’s not entirely your fault I guess, age catches up with everyone,” she said, laughing out loud. Nandini was easily the sound of the firm. She was heard everywhere and whether her team worked or not, her vocal chords were workaholics to the core.

“Not entirely true or fair,” Avinash wanted to explain why it wasn’t fair, but he held back. It would go back to the same things that Salim and Raghu had argued with him a couple of months ago. He decided that he would just let the conversation flow. Nandini was up to her usual mischief. She continued teasing Avinash about him being a bore, keeping quiet, and indirectly – not being available. Avinash nodded and murmured acknowledgements, but he was thinking about something very different. It seemed to him that he kept going back in time more often, these days. Not so much for nostalgia, nor as regret; it seemed to him that he was searching for something in the past. Something had changed along the way that he was unable to put a finger on.

“And yes, please do take AV out of the office, any more time here and he will grow roots at his seat. Let’s all go out for a weekend – maybe that will stop fruit sprouting out of AV’s ears,” Avinash said, smiling and hoping that the present will allow him a chance to change that ‘something’ that had changed in the past.

“Sure, we are always available, fun is our middle name, Avinash – what about you?” she giggled again – somewhere referencing his getting old, “we always have fun!”

The events of the day were fading from Avinash’s conscious thoughts; he wondered how many of the “we” she talked about would honestly confess to having fun.

“No, you guys are boredom incarnate! You see me as boring because your entire view towards life is boring. I haven’t changed a bit! You set the weekend – I bet no one will show up,” the only way Avinash was going to get back in this conversation if he kept up with Nandini’s mischief.

She stormed out of the room to ask if people were willing. Avinash went back to his mail, switched on his laptop and started finishing up on the day’s work. He seemed to be working mechanically, his thoughts on what Nandini had just said. He knew her well, it was just a fun way to end the day for her – teasing people, laughing – being able to go back home happy. Avinash smiled. His 43rd floor seemed less fun than this place. There was work to be done – the 43rd floor also has to become a fun place.

“Raghu has agreed,” she said; as she threw open the reluctant glass door again.

“Only one?”

“You can’t plan these things, you know. This has to be impromptu – one day before just announce it and go!”

“So that no one really goes?”

“Bah! You don't know things, do you?”

“Not anymore, you see Javed and I gave up this a long time ago!”

“You can't plan fun,” she nearly screamed, “don't expect everyone – some get it – some miss it,” she threw her arms up and walked out of the room, “I’m going home!”

She is right, you can't plan fun. But then somewhere you have to have the willingness and the energy to have fun. Whether it is in the daily mundane things that you do or the exotic things – which you do on a whim, it didn’t matter. Avinash searched for answers in his reports and in the various open documents, they didn’t offer any.

Even his computer seemed to come to life very lazily – as if searching for a good location on the hard drive to start from. The RAM warmed up and the computer finally arrived at the logon screen. AV logged on, started downloading his email. He looked around while the server was being asked permission to connect. 106 mails.

He got up from his desk, leaving the computer alone to download the mails, to check if anyone else was still suffering from the long weekend hangover. Avinash and Javed joined him and they went out for a smoke.

“It’s an amazing drive. I could have just kept driving for hours and hours together.”

“You’d have to stop somewhere to at least fill up your tank.” Except for their initials, Javed Feroz Khan and John F Kennedy had nothing in common. Not even their brand of humour. Javed’s humour was always this – tangential, boyish and free of any hang-ups.

AV ignored Javed, and continued, “Green all over – it’s just amazing driving through the country.”

The countryside around Mumbai was nothing like the well-manicured English countryside, but it had its own charm. It was the unkempt, yet liberated of sorts. Just left to be as it should be - no one tried making it look any better. Avinash liked that – he was a sucker for driving down the countryside. The conversation went to two cigarettes as they talked about other great drives and drives that they should be doing together. Javed was distracted – one of the drives to the country side a few years ago had led to a very big change in his life. The conversation naturally moved on to something else – easily linking from one to another - that would have been otherwise difficult to imagine. AV talked something about changes.

“Well, we hope for the best, don’t we?” Avinash asked. “And we even work towards making our hopes come true.” Avinash made that statement hoping that it would seem like a heavy thought that would end the conversation and they would get back to their hardworking computers.

“Hope keeps us alive and ticking”, AV said. He had a few drags left on the cigarette filter. Javed got a call and he walked out of earshot from us with his outdated and abused mobile plastered to his ear.

“Right now, it’s fear which is keeping us alive and ticking. Fear – the strongest emotion of all. It is stronger than any other human emotion.”

“I agree about the fear part, but I think both hope and fear play an equal role. They allow us to balance the positive and negative of life.”

“In any human emotion there is fear embedded, think about it. In love there is fear of losing love, in hope there is fear of a dream not coming true. In every emotion there is fear – in some form or the other. Just hope is nothing – if it doesn’t have its feet on ground. It’s a wish – nothing else. Most will succumb to fear – the others will however use fear as a survival tactic and stay alive in bad times.”

The conversation was getting interesting, however, by this time the 106 mails would have been downloaded twice over. AV’s feet had begun pointing towards the exit. Javed finished his call, “What’s going on, what are you two guys so excited about?”

“Well I am boring AV to death by philosophy,” Avinash laughed, “or maybe it’s the other way round!” He added as an afterthought.

They all moved back to their weary workstations. In the unfinished duel between fear and hope there was an audience waiting to participate – to lay bare their emotions and look at every emotion spread there on the ground. To feel the emotion that was laid out by the other. Except for the self-styled thinkers walking back after a heavy dose of nicotine, and a few others, no one was willing to lay their emotions down.

Just fear, Avinash thought to himself.

Salim Azmi wasn’t a person who was given to being formal when speaking with his boss. In fact no one in the consulting firm ever gave their bosses the impression that they were. “I’m coming,” Avinash said, “I wonder why you would say that. I will there in an hour.”

Avinash Sarkar imagined the chuckle coming through the radio waves of the mobile conversation, “There has been a barrage of instructions from you to everybody here; I guessed you were taking the day off.” Avinash was sure Salim was smiling, “Normally, all these would have hit us after you came in.” Salim completed his thought.

Avinash sensed that this conversation was not entirely about his attendance, “I am getting used to the fact of working from my skyscraper.” he said, praying that the light remark would not weigh heavy on Salim.

“Yeah; no need to remind us always that you are now not going to be around.” he said. Avinash wished for a video phone; he was sure that Salim’s smile-curve was slowly flattening. Avinash went back in time, four months back. His consulting firm had recently acquired a backend processing operation. Getting the acquisition to work the way his firm did would prove to be a nightmare. Avinash was to go and manage that company and see how they could make the acquisition an asset rather than a liability. In short, he was to make it work. Bring in scale and all that jazz. Avinash’s new office in Singapore was on the 43rd floor.

“’Around’ is a factor of the mind - not the body”, Avinash offered.

“Yes, but it is not the only factor. When a person is close by "body" he is closer by mind too.”

“Not true.”

“May be for you”

This was something Avinash was not expecting. “The only confidence I have, to take up this assignment, is because of you guys. If it was some other team here, I would have just asked for a salary hike and continued doing what I do now. If we really want to be successful with this kind of growth, we’ll have to manage it. Would you rather put your destiny in someone else’s hands?” Avinash said hoping that this would calm the rough emotions.

“No! I know that very well and in fact I am very happy that you are taking up this assignment.” Salim said, the tone becoming more solemn. “Even when you became Consulting Partner, I always believed this firm would benefit more, if you did different things. In fact this has been a key discussion point when I talk with Sanjay and Raghu.”

“Then why do you all seem so sad, depressed, and confused?” Avinash cried out. It was not easy being God, and definitely not easy being the emigrant God. 
“The only confusion is that we need an authority figure who will take firm and final decisions which seems to be missing, now. You know it, we are all very stubborn and we might not bend, if you know what I mean. There were many instances when you took decisions that were against us, but they were fine because you were the authority.”

It’s convenient that way, Avinash thought, and it’s even more comfortable. But it was becoming difficult for Avinash. He was learning things that he believed to be his imagination. Following the current, Avinash said, “Good then, time for you to learn then, maybe an authority will evolve? Maybe you all will learn to take decisions by consensus. Consensus - can be a good possibility, though I personally don’t prefer it. Maybe you all will just call me when you can’t take a decision”

“But we wasted a lot of time in that; we hardly ever reached a conclusion, when we went the consensus way,” he said. Avinash winced; he remembered the meetings that went on forever. Everybody came with their own agenda; in the absence of a common shared objective.

“Now it is real - you will have to learn to take decisions - that is the only reason why some of you are not growing. In a company where everybody has the possibility of growing every quarter, we’ve had a year of stagnation. Now - whether you like it or not - you will take decisions, right or wrong - you will. None of you made any mistakes in the last year, which proves that you guys did not take any decisions at all.”

“Bullshit”

“Why?”

“You can’t say that we did not take decisions!”

“Of course you guys took decisions; I am talking about the decisions that you look up to an authority for. If you guys are so sure that you did take decisions then why does my absence bother you so much.” Avinash said, hoping he did not get the answer to that.

“No. again we come back to the point where your absence bothers. I already told you my views on that. There is a probably a vacuum created by your shift. And we are trying to fill it. And I am very sure it will get filled. I will just miss the Avinash Sarkar effect - that always used to be there.”

This world is made of clay gods and plastered smiles, Avinash thought, clay gods are immersed every year in the water with much fanfare. Plastered smiles are de-plastered when you look the other way. Next year the same God is brought back – with equal fanfare, again made of clay. It’s easier to immerse a clay idol – it dissolves in water.

“You will get used to it, that’s how life is. We all get used to change. Only we don’t know it when the change occurs. God has given us an amazing power of forgetting.”

“This change will not be to forget. We all know that you have a big hand in running the show. And it’s going to be a new challenge for us to keep the show running.”

There was a pause; Salim was speaking with someone else. Work came up, a market analysis report was to be sent, and Salim was the Lead Consultant for that account.
“This is an unfinished discussion, boss,” he said, “We need to finish this over three strong espressos.” Avinash agreed, and shut the phone. Avinash wondered whether the blisters near his ear were because of his CDMA phone or because of what Salim just said.

Taking an office in a skyscraper wasn’t going to be so easy. Avinash was shifting to take up a change management assignment; he never realized that he was going away from one.