ZBB (Zero Based Budgeting)

ZBB (Zero Based Budgeting) means, per Investopedia, is a method of budgeting in which all expenses must be justified for each new period. 

The process of zero-based budgeting starts from a "zero base," and every function within an organization is analyzed for its needs and costs. The budgets are then built around what is needed for the upcoming period, regardless of whether each budget is higher or lower than the previous one. 

I will tell you at the end as to why I am writing this subject. 

I was an EA (Executive Assistant) to my Western Region President. We had strong recommendations (from HQ) to cut our expenses, especially travel costs. In our company, anybody and everybody will book a ticket and travel to any destination without prior approval by the managers. That is why our company was known as All Talk and Travel. 

In order to cut the expenses related to travel, I suggested to my boss to issue an order that all travel itinerary should be personally approved by him (President of the Western Region). We did not give any pre-allotted budget to each department for travel. 

You know what happened. All requests for travel were approved by the President of the Western Region. Not a single request was denied. But the travel related expenses came down to 35 percent compared to previous year.  Just for the reason they have to get prior approval from the President of Western Region, most employees decided not to request for travel.

Why I am writing this! I just read the Republican Party Presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy said that if elected he would require the executive branch to adopt zero-base budgeting. “Start from zero for every department and ask what (if any) spending is required instead of just taking last year’s budget as the default,” 

Will wait and see.

Vivek's Boo-Boos

I have received calls from some of my readers that I am not pointing out the blunders committed by Vivek Ramaswamy in his Presidential primary campaign. Please don’t be disappointed. Here are a few. 

Vivek wants US to abandon Ukraine and let Russia keep whatever they have occupied so far in exchange for (Russia) exiting its military alliance with China.

He wants to support Taiwan against China only until 2028. He says by 2028, USA would have achieved “semi-conductor independence”. 

Vivek says climate change is a "hoax".  (Just read a report he insists the temperature should be below 64 degrees F (that is 17.778 C) wherever he stays - be it his home or his office or his hotel room.)

Vivek wants US voting age to be raised from 18 to 25.  According to him if someone who is below 25 years of age wants to vote, he/she should serve in the military for at least 6 months or pass a test similar to a written test given to aspiring naturalized citizens. 

This one is cute.  Vivek recommends Universities should screen the college applicants on their physical fitness, such as their one-mile run time, sit-ups, and pull-ups. (My brother who is handicapped cannot be admitted for higher studies. No college education for my nephew who has asthma.) 

Vivek wants to deport children born in the USA for illegal immigrants. (Cannot do that unless there is a constitutional amendment. Any one born in the USA is an American citizen irrespective of the child’s parents’ legal status.)

Indians and Chinese will love this.  Vivek wants to end the H1B Visa program.

Strange Interview Techniques

We have read or heard about strange questions/tests during job interviews. 

An interviewer giving a pen to a candidate and asking him/her to sell that pen to him (interviewer). 

How many basketballs can fit on a bus? 

What would you do if your boss asks you to lie? 

The CEO of a company invites the job candidate to breakfast — but arrives at the restaurant early, pulls the manager aside, and says, "I want you to mess up the order of the person who's going to be joining me. It'll be OK, and I'll give a good tip, but mess up their order."

He wanted to see how they deal adversity. Are they timid and do not say anything. Or, are they rude to the waiter or politely and respectfully point out the mistake to the waiter. 

And now, I just read about another strange interview technique. A boss uses a coffee cup test to filter candidates. He would ask the candidate to walk along with him to the office kitchen. Offer him coffee or tea or water or soft drink. Then they would walk back to the interview room. At the end of the interview, the boss would watch if the candidate takes the empty cup back to the office kitchen. If the candidate does not take the cup back to the kitchen, he will not be hired. 

In an interview that boss said: "What I was trying to find was what was the lowest level task I could find that regardless of what you do inside the organization was still super important." 

Personally, to me, if an employer plays a mind game like that, it’s an immediate red flag for me. 

My question is what if the candidate refuses any drink! How he would have judged the candidate? 

In my culture, if I am the host, I will not allow the guest to take the empty cup to the kitchen and wash it. I will do that myself. 

In my opinion, that hiring manager is a below average manager and is building a toxic work environment. Looks like he lacks the skill to do a proper interview, he tries to compensate with a power play. 

Psychological games do not get the best employees.

What do you think?

Betting Lines

In USA, you can bet on almost anything. The betting odds will go up or down depending on the situation. Once you bet for a certain odds, that is yours and the up/down change will not affect your bet. Here are some interesting bets on American Presidential election as of right now.  (Low number is favorite)

Republican Party Nomination: 

Trump -330 (if you bet $100, you win $30) 

Ramaswamy +500 (if you bet $100, you win $500) * 

DeSantis +800 (if you bet $100, you win $800) 

Haley +3300 (if you bet $100, you win $3300) 

Democratic Party Nomination:

Biden -275 (if you bet $100, you win $36) 

Newsom +600 (if you bet $100, you win $600) ** 

Mrs. Obama +900 (if you bet $100, you win $900) 

Kamala Harris +1800 (if you bet $100, you win $1800)

 • A month ago, Ramaswamy was +2000. At that time, I bet $10. Now his odds have improved to +500 

** A month ago, Newsom was $500. At that time, I bet $10. Now his odds have slightly downgraded to +600 

My opinion is neither Trump nor Biden will win their party's nomination.

Even though USA is not a cricket playing nation, there is active betting going on for ODI world cup. Here are the odds, India being favorite.

India +225 

England +300 

Australia +400 

Pakistan +700 

New Zealand +750 

South Africa +1000 

Sri Lanka +2500 

Afghanistan +4000 

Bangladesh +5000 

Netherlands +75000 

I bet a very small amount on 2 teams to win.

Adults Only

Corendon Airlines, a Turkish-Dutch carrier, has introduced adults only section in all their flights. This is to save adult passengers from crying babies and uncontrollable children. Now adult passengers can sit in an area where children are not allowed. That airlines says that this is to facilitate travelers without children and business travelers who want to work quietly. 

Good idea. But where will this end! It used to be smoking and non-smoking area. Now adults only section. Since I have nothing else to do, I came with a few suggestions for the airline industry. Here are some examples: 

How about separate drinking and non-drinking area. (Some passengers may not want to sit with people who drink alcohol.) 

How about separate vegetarian and non-vegetarian area. (Some passengers may not want to be near those who eat non-vegetarian.) 

How about separate male and female area. (Orthodox male passengers belonging to some religion may not want to sit with female passengers. Their religion forbade even inadvertent physical contact with a woman.) 

How about separate Heterosexual and LGBTQ area. (There are some people with homophobia)

How about separate area for passengers with different political affiliation. (It can be done in USA and UK where there are only 2 or 3 main political parties. No need for this in countries with military rule or dictatorship. But problem with countries with many political parties.  For example, India has 37 different political parties in India’s parliament). 

If you can come up with an idea for any other separate area in a plane, please let me know. Thanks.