HR Inputs

March 25, 2008
Tips for Writing Effective Business Letters
Consider your Reader
Who is the reader? In a business letter, it is usually employees, customers, suppliers or the
public. When you are writing business letter, imagine that you are in the readers' position. Are
they happy, frustrated or merely inconvenienced? What essential information does that person
need to know through this communication? What are their expectations when they open the
letter? Have you addressed all of these issues? By doing this, you will show the reader that you
can relate to them and the situation. This will build a relationship between the two of you.
Be Responsive
If you are responding to or with a letter, address the inquiry or problem. Most of the time,
companies rely too much on a handful of form letters to answer all situations. This shows that
you do not understand their needs. When you considered you reader as above, you will be able
to respond to them.
Be Personal
Letters are written by people to people. Don't address it "to whom it may concern" if it is
possible. Whatever you do, do not use a photocopied form letter. You cannot build a
relationship with canned impersonal letters. But also don't be too informal. Avoid using
colloquial language or slang such as "you know" or "I mean" or "wanna".
Be concise and to the point
When writing business letter, explain your position in as little words as possible.. Spell out
what you can and what they need to do. Use clear and easy to understand language so that any
misunderstanding can be minimized. Think before you write. Ask yourself why you are writing?
What is it that you want to achieve? Use this 5 step process:
1. List out the topics you want to cover. Do not worry about the order.
2. In each topic, list keywords, examples, arguments and facts.
3. Review each topic in your outline for relevance to your aim and audience.
4. Cut out anything that's not relevant.
5. Sort the information into the best order for your readers.
Be friendly, build the relationship
Don't use cold, formal language. Some people have the perception that when writing business
letter, they must big words. To them this is a sign of literacy. Some 'big words' have no
substitute, but do use the word correctly. You want the reader to feel like they are reading a
letter from someone who cares.
Emphasize the positive
1. Talk about what you can do not what you can't. For example, if a product is out of
stock, don't tell the customer you are unable to fill the order, instead, tell them the product is
very popular and you have sold out. Then tell them when you can get the order to them.
2. Stay away from negative words. For example, your complaint about our product,
instead, sorry our product was not up to your expectations.
Be Prompt
If you cannot respond fully in less than a week, tell them so and say when they can expect a
response from you.
Check Spelling, Grammar & Facts
Always make sure you are 100% correct in spelling, grammar and facts. Use the spell and
grammar checker from your word processor. If you are not very good or need more help, get
someone to edit the letter.
Posted by Lucas D'Cunha at 8:22 PM 0 comments

Monday, March 24, 2008
7 Reasons to wish your co-workers Good Morning

Saying 'Good Morning' should not be difficult. Yet, there is an increasing trend, almost a
rebellion, against saying these two simple words to our co-workers. It is not as we were
required to salute, bow, kneel or curtsey. Even a casual nod and mumble would be a lot better
than the nothing that is now occurring at far too many work sites.
Do not become part of this alarming trend. Experience the power of 'Good Morning.'
1. It maintains the standards of basic civility that we are all entitled to at work. Like 'Please'
and 'Thank You', these two little words also go a long way towards improving communication
and the overall atmosphere.
2. 'Good Morning' humanizes our co-workers. We are real people, not just cogs in a
pointlessly spinning wheel. Show some humanity.
3. Provides for a more democratic environment, where everyone from the CEO to the mail
clerk get to share in a friendly two-second exchange.
4. It is quick (and relatively painless). If it is painful, you should probably be looking for a
new job or scheduling time for some serious self-reflection.
5. It is free.
6. Acknowledging the mere presence of someone is interpersonal communications 101. Do

not YOU want to be noticed? You might tell yourself otherwise, but at the end of the day, we
all want to be recognized.
7. Saying 'Good Morning' makes things less awkward when you inevitably have to address your
co-worker later in the day. Start the day off on the right foot and avoid potential stressors
later in the day.
According to Psychology Today, early risers are more agreeable than those who prefer the P.M.
hours. Morning people also have more stable personalities and lower levels of aggression,
supporting the idea that serotonin is involved in keeping both moods and circadian rhythms
regular. Gives new meaning to "You Snooze, You Lose."
So if someone is avoiding saying hello in the A.M., you just got a sneak peek into their
psychological world.
The start of each new day has a mystique about it. Think about it - most religions have morning
services, a sunrise continues to serve as a generic symbol of hope, and a good cup of morning
coffee is still (and rightly so) worshipped.
Whether we like it or not, we all partake in some semblance of this daily routine, no matter
who we are, what we do or where we work. Making the words 'Good Morning' part of that
routine is part of the process to Make Work Better. If we cannot make even the most measly
effort with our co-workers, it says a lot more about you than you might care to admit
The Human Relations Movement
Fred Luthans defines Organizational Behaviour as "the understanding, prediction and

management of human behaviour in organizations." According to Fred Luthans,
three major events took place which led to the Human Relations Movement – these
were
 The Great Depression

 The Rise of Trade Unionism
 The Hawthorne experiments
The Great Depression
Prior to the industrial revolution, people worked in small groups and had simple work
relationships. They were however subjected to unhealthy working conditions and
scarcity of resources, so they hardly had any job satisfaction. During the early stages
of industrial revolution, the conditions of workers showed no signs of improvement.
However, as increased industrial activity led to greater supply of goods and wages,
the level of job satisfaction gradually improved. The Great Depression however
made people realize that production could no longer be the only major responsibility
of Management. The depression left in its wake severe problems of unemployment,
discontent and insecurity which gradually led to greater importance given to the
management of personnel. The Human factor gradually but quickly gained more and
more importance.
The Rise of Trade Unionism
The passage of the Wagner Act led to emergence of organized labour movement.
The revival of militant unionism triggered workers' interests in business activities of
the organization. In India, the Trade Union Act 1926 enforced the belief that
organized labour movements were here to stay. The only way to deal with organized
labour movements or Trade Unions was to understand the foster the Human
Relations. This gave the added impetus to the Human Relations Movement.
The Hawthorne experiments
The Hawthorne Works of the General Electric Company was a progressive

organization. However, its managers were disturbed by the large number of
complaints and high level of dissatisfaction among workers. The company hired
efficiency experts to find out the cause of the problem, but the investigations failed.
Later the Company requested the National Academy of Sciences to help them.
The Academy conducted various experiments which became known as the

Illumination experiments. These experiments showed that productivity was
influenced by some other variable or variables beyond wages, hours of work and
working conditions.
The Relay assembly room experiments were conducted by a team of Harvard

Business School. These are considered to be the actual beginning of the Hawthorne
Studies since the Illumination Studies failed to come out with any conclusion. A
group of six girls were selected for these experiments. Various changes like change
in the number of hours in a work week, number of hours in a work day, number of
breaks, lunch timings, etc. were planned and informed to the girls. The findings took
the researchers by surprise, since irrespective of the changes made, there was an
overall increase in productivity. They realized that since the girls were given a great
deal of freedom, they had formed an informal group including the observer. The
researchers thus discovered the concept of informal organization. They found that
workplaces were social environments and that there were factors other than just
economic self-interest. An important conclusion drawn was that every aspect of an
industrial work environment had a social value.
In the Interview phase, all the employees in the Hawthorne plant were interviewed.
Many generalizations were observed and noted down, notably the social aspects.
The Bank wiring observation room experiments led to the observation that Group
acceptance appeared to be more important to the worker than money. The
participants lack of trust in the objectives of the project made them restrict the
production of the group members by preventing them from producing beyond a
certain number of units, ignoring the additional monetary benefits promised to them.
Other reasons were noted as fear of unemployment, aim to protect slow workers,
apprehension of management raising the standards and a complacent attitude of the
management.
Many believe that the production increase in the relay room was due to the fact that
the participants received more attention and it was altogether a new experience for
them. This was termed as the 'Hawthorne effect.' The Hawthorne Studies thus laid
the foundation for the Human Relations Movemebr and was responsible for the
development of various concepts like participatory management, team building, etc.
Posted by Reach Mentor at 8:20 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, March 18, 2008
The Bright Side of a Not-so-bright Job
Julie Barrett, an employee at a public relations firm, would like to leave a job she used to
enjoy, but she's making herself stay. Although her once-attentive boss has begun a new
venture and has all but abandoned his current position -- sticking her with his
responsibilities -- she will not leave until it is convenient for her. Over the next 18 months,
Barrett and her husband want to have a baby and move to a new city.
"I wouldn't feel right starting a new job, having them pay for my maternity leave and then
quitting," she says. Plus, many companies require a waiting period before benefits take
effect, so changing jobs now might affect her plans.
She's not alone. Plenty of people are unable to leave their current positions because it is
just not the right time. Maybe they do not yet have the skills to find another job,
unemployment is high in their city, they need the money or other factors are preventing
them from quitting.
If you find yourself in a situation similar to Barrett's, here are some reasons your job
situation might not be as bad as you think.
Paycheck and benefits
Let us be honest: No matter how bad a job situation is, you feel better -- at least a little bit
-- on payday. That's not to say your happiness has a price tag, but it's nice to know you can
pay the bills each month.
Plus, if you receive medical benefits, you don't have to worry about what happens if you get
sick. Until you find a new job, take comfort in the fact that you have some security.
Skills
You learn new skills and can improve existing ones regardless of where you work. They will
continue to help even after you leave your current job because you can add them to your
résumé. If you do not yet have the skills and experience to get the job you want, find a way
to obtain them by initiating new projects and accepting additional responsibilities.
In Barrett's case, she has been able to take on more roles as her boss has disengaged from
the company. In addition to learning more about human resources and accounting, she has
also found herself in a new leadership position.
"Through this experience I've learned that I actually like -- and am good at -- managing
people," she says.
Networking
Every day you go to work is another day you are interacting with people. Depending on where
you work, you might encounter executives, customers or colleagues who can be valuable
contacts. They might serve as good resources if you need a mentor or for putting the word
out about a future job search.
Barrett is taking advantage of the fact that she interacts with notable business figures
across the country on a daily basis. "I am using these contacts to learn about new industries
and explore career options. I hope that they will also be good references for me down the
road," Barrett says.
Wisdom
If you are unhappy, examine why. Do you dislike the people you work with or is it the actual
work? Are you in a dead-end position? Think back to your interview and see if you missed
any warning signs that this job might not be the one for you. Use your experience to avoid
falling into the same predicament in your next job. If the situation did not turn sour until
after you had been with the company for a while, you know to stay attuned to shifts in
attitudes and practices.
Barrett says her situation was fine until the boss disengaged himself from daily coffee
breaks where he would ask employees about their current projects and accomplishments.
"At first I thought it was nice to have this little stress of the day removed, but then I
realized he wasn't asking about our work because he didn't care," she says. "And when your
boss doesn't care about your work, your motivation and morale take a nose dive."
Making the best out of a bad job situation does not mean being complacent. A positive
outlook should not replace your plans to move on.
Barrett's advice to other people in her situation is to have a timeline. "Decide when you will
leave your job if things do not improve, and stick with it. This will help you get through the
weeks," she suggests. "Also, by having a timeline, you can be more prepared for your
transition in to a new position or career."
Ø Put problems in positive light until making an informed decision about leaving
Ø While you may be overburdened, think of it as a chance to learn new skills
Ø Every day you are at work is a chance to network for new opportunities
Whether it is a playground bully or a bad breakup, unpleasant situations are just a part of
life. You have inevitably been told to "just look on the bright side" or that "you will get
through this." As annoying as these clichés can sound, they hold some truth.
When your job situation is anything but rosy, however, it is hard to keep a positive outlook.
After all, once you add up the time you spend picking out your clothes, packing your lunch,
traveling to and from work and then actually working, your job takes up most of your day.
You can only put on a happy face for so long before you are ready to walk out the door and
never come back.
Posted by Srinivasa Raghavan at 9:18 PM 0 comments
Personnel Administration
The scope of personnel administration is quite wide. It includes all activities which
help the management in getting the work done by the labour force in the best
manner possible to accomplish the organizational objectives. The main objective in
any organization is the optimum utilization of available resources. Personnel
administration is primarily concerned with the organization of men, therefore, the
main objective may be summarized as to utilize the available human resources in a
such a way so as to get the work done effectively to the maximum satisfaction of the
individual worker to seek their cooperation in accomplishing the general goals of the
organization.
The objectives of personnel administration can be classified into General objectives

and specific objectives.
General objectives
1. Maximum individual development – the employer should always be careful in

developing the personality of each individual. If an act of the employer can
adversely affect the personality of the individual, he should avaoid it.
Employer should establish and support such human values that may have
social recognition and importance. They should always be regarded as
partners and given due importance. The objective of Personnel
administration as a bridge between the management and the employees is to
keep the management apprised of positive accomplishments and warning
signals in the personnel practices. If the human assets of an organization are
being misused in the process of profit maximization, it is definitely a short
term achievement, because in the long run, the adverse effects felt by the
work force will translate into lesser profits for the organization.
2. Desirable working relationship between employer and employee – it is the

major objective of personnel administration to achieve a desirable working
relationship between the employer and the employees so that they may
cooperate with the management. Both of them must rely on each other. The
personnel administrator should get it realized to the top management that
personnel should be given fair and equitable treatment and on the other
hand, convey to the workers that they should cooperate in achieving the
goals of the management. The basic responsibility for the personnel lies with
the supervisors although the administrator supplies tools such as policy,
record keeping, control and advice. His objective is therefore to ensure that
the line supervisor is aware of his personnel responsibilities and carries them
out responsibly. Simultaneously he should also ensure ethical conduct
amongst all personnel and on the part of each supervisor towards each
employee for whom he is responsible.
3. Specialised services – The administrator provides the tools such as record

keeping, policy making, controlling and advising. Although not directly
responsible for the personnel, which lies with the line supervisor, he may
examine causes for non-efficiency or non-effectiveness, suggest remedial
measure, perform research into proposed personnel procedures, handle
negotiations with a government agency, etc. The basic objective here is to
provide assistance to the line supervisor whilst simultaneously ensuring that
the line supervisor meets his responsibilities to the personnel.
4. Moulding of human resources – Human beings are the most important

resource and the only active factor which engages all other factors of
production. Therefore, the administrator should emphasise the effective
utilization of human resources as compared to physical resources so that
production and productivity is optimized. Other factors of production will be
ineffective without effective moulding of human resources.
Specific objectives
1. Selection of the right type and number of persons

2. Proper orientation and introduction of new employees to their jobs
3. Organisation of suitable training facilities
4. Provision of better working conditions and facilities.
5. Provision of sound, fair and effective wage and salary administration and
incentives.
6. Good industrial relations with representative trade unions
7. Personnel research
Duties of Personnel Staff
In a dynamic working environment, the boundaries of any role cannot be clearly

defined. However, the duties of Personnel staff may be described as under :-
1. As a Service Provider – providing information on market statistics of

personnel availability, pay rates, etc. Interpret the complex laws and
legislations. Employment and placement programs, employee
compensation programs, training and development programs, labour
relations could be stated to be the duty as a service provider. It must be
noted that there will often be an overlap between the different roles that a
Personnel staff may assume
2. As a facilitator – advises the supervisors on employee problems,

facilitates training and development, and when performance appraisals are
done. One of the responsibilities of Personnel staff is also to ensure that
other managers who undertake such activities are well equipped to do so.
3. As a consultant – to help the supervisors resolve problems due to lack of

motivation, lack of training, grievances, etc.
4. As an auditor – to ensure that all members of the management perform
their respective roles, to determine whether personnel policies and
procedures are being administered uniformly by supervisors.

Sunday, March 16, 2008
Manpower Planning
Manpower Planning or Human Resource Planning can be defined as the process of

ensuring the right number of qualified people, into the right job at the right time to
deliver the results in an efficient and effective manner. It is the system of matching
the available resources, either internally or externally, with the demand that the
organization expects to have over a period of time.
It has gained a lot of importance in recent times. A well-designed and

comprehensive Manpower planning process is invaluable to the management in an
organization. It helps in the following ways :-
1. It helps to maintain the required quantity and quality of human resources

required for a smooth & efficient functioning of the organization. It helps to
identify shortages, surpluses or imbalances of manpower.
2. It helps to forecase the turnover/attrition rates.
3. It helps the management in making optimum use of the available skills and
provides a platform for employee development.
4. It leads to improvement in the overall business planning process.
5. It helps the management to foresee the effects of technological changes on

the requirement for human resources.
6. It facilitates the identification of corrective training requirements and thus
makes the training and development programmes more effective.
7. It helps to develop contingent plans to handle sudden requirements and

situations of shortfall.
8. It helps estimate the value of human resources and their contribution to the
organization.
9. It helps to evaluate the effect of alternative manpower actions and policies.
10. It aides in developing Human Resource plans and strategies aligned to the
organisation's strategic direction. and business strategy. Provide tools and
tactics to enhance execution of these strategies.
11. It helps to manage people related issues accompanying mergers, alliances

and acquisitions.
12. It expresses the philosophy and values regarding people management in the
organization.

The Planning & Scheduling Process
A planner is not a calendar

A calendar is something that hangs on the wall or stands on your desk so you can check the day
of the week or see whether your birthday falls on a Saturday. But a planner, although it may
resemble a calendar in many ways, has expanded functions. It reveals both your work and
personal plans, lists your goals, highlights the priorities, records your "to do" list, indicates
when assignments are due, keeps track of appointments and becomes a journal of tasks
accomplished, places visited and information acquired. To perform these functions, a planner
should be larger than the standard pocket version and have time segments of 15-minute
increments or less, extending well into the evenings, for all seven days each week. Ideally, a
planner will contain a whole year or more, and have space for notes, important telephone
numbers and daily reminders. Your planner is your most important time management tool, so
choose it carefully.
Don't rely on to do lists.

To Do lists are fine for grocery shopping; but if you're a results-oriented person, a scheduled
commitment is a must. A list of things to do provides no commitment. So don't rely on to do
lists if you want to get the important things done.
Instead, separate the priority, high-payback activities from the items of lesser importance and
schedule these must do items directly into your planner along with your meetings. For
instance, the development of a policy manual should never remain on a To Do list. Block out
the time needed in your planner, let's say between 2:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. and treat it as
though it were a meeting with the boss. Close your door and have calls intercepted if that's
what you would do if it were a meeting with your boss. If you schedule several of these
meetings with yourself during the week, you will accomplish those priority jobs and increase
your effectiveness.
Using your planner to accomplish your goals.

In order to determine the target date on your goal, estimate how many hours it would take to
complete the task. In some cases, this is impossible to determine accurately. If so, simply
guess, and then add up to 50 percent to be on the safe side. For example, if you feel it could
take 100 hours of solid writing to finish a book, make it 150 hours. Then divide this figure by
the number of weeks you plan to work that year. For example, if you work 50 weeks, then the
number of hours each week that you will have to work on your goal-related activity should be
three. Since it is difficult to work steadily for three hours on any activity, break this into two
sessions of one-and-a-half hours each. To accomplish your goal of writing a book, you would
have to spend one and-a-half hours twice per week in order to complete it by the end of the
year. If this amount of time is unrealistic, set the goal for the end of the following year and
work half as long each week. Don't be impatient; be realistic.
Let's assume that you have set a goal, recorded the target date, and have estimated that you
would have to spend two blocks of time (of one-and-a-half hours) each week throughout the
year. Each week you must now schedule an actual time in your weekly planner to work on that
particular task. Once your priority, goal-related activities have been scheduled, resist any
temptation to use this time for less important spur of the moment things. Pretend they are
appointments with your surgeon. Few people would delay life-saving surgery.
This method of actually determining the amount of time it will take to accomplish a goal forces
you to be realistic. If you had ten goals, for instance, all requiring two hours each week to
accomplish, it is unlikely you would be able to steal 20 hours each week to work on those
special projects. You would have no time for your regular jobs (or for family time if you
planned to work on them in the evening). But there's always next year. Boil those goals down
to the few really meaningful accomplishments that would give you the greatest return on
invested time.
How to use your planner effectively.

Here are some guidelines to follow when using your planner. They are written in the form of an
acronym, spelling out the word PLANNER.
Prioritize your entries. You prioritize your entries by scheduling the most important tasks early
in the day and early in the week. Inevitably plans go astray, and if one of your priorities gets
displaced, at least there will time to do it later. Another reason for scheduling priorities in the
morning is that the time corresponds with most people's peak energy level.
Leave space for emergencies. Once you have scheduled time for your current priorities, other
rush jobs and crises will invariably surface. By leaving spaces between your scheduled tasks,
you will be able to handle them without a lot of rescheduling.
Allow more time than you think the tasks will take. Most people underestimate the time a task
will take. Allow for unforeseen emergencies, delays and interruptions by scheduling more time
than you think will be needed. The amount will vary depending on your job and work
environment, but initially try a 50 percent float.
Never rely on your memory. Your first impulse might be not to bother writing down all the
things you have to do, reminders or deadlines, thinking that you'll remember them. But the
busyness, urgencies and constant pressures in most people's lives frequently push memories
from their consciousness within hours. Don't take chances; write it in your planner.
Never let urgent items displace the important ones. Once you have scheduled time to work on
the priorities, resist the temptation to change them. A schedule should be flexible. But resist
changing your schedule simply to accommodate tasks of no greater importance than your
originally planned activity. Say no more often.
Enter priorities in ink, not pencil. It may seem like a minor point, but writing in pencil makes it
too easy to change. Until you put it in ink, it's still tentative as far as your mind is concerned.
Make a mental commitment by using ink.
Review your planner each week. At the end of each week, compare your results with your
actual plans. Are you allowing enough time for the tasks? Are you letting priorities be
displaced? Are you scheduling far enough into the future to prevent others from controlling
your time?

Functions of Personnel Managers
The functions of a personnel manager can be broadly classified into two categories :-
1. Managerial functions

2. Operative functions
Managerial functions
The managerial functions of a personnel manager have an impact on the operative

functions as well. They are enumerated below :-
Planning – this involves formulating the future course of action. Planning includes
determining in advance the personnel programs and changes required that would
contribute to the achievement of organizational goals.
Organising – it involves establishing an intentional structure of roles for people in an

organization. Structural considerations such as the chain of command, division of
labour, and assignment of responsibility are party of the organizing function. The
organizing function establishes relationships among employees so that they can
contribute collectively towards the attainment of an organisation's goals.
Staffing – This is the process of obtaining and maintaining capable and competent
personnel in various positions at all levels. It broadly encompasses manpower
planning, recruitment, placement, induction and orientation, transfer, career
progression, promotion and separation.
Directing – it involves directing all the available resources towards the common
organizational goals. Thus, direction is a vital management function, which ensures
maximum employee contribution and also helps in establishing sound industrial and
human relations. It also involves coordination between different departments.
Controlling – it invoves the measurement of performance against goals and plans,

identifies deviations and by placing the process back on track, helps in the
accomplishment of plans.
Operative functions
These can be classified into four broad areas, employment, development,

compensation and employee relations.
Employment – it involves procuring and employing individuals with suitable

knowledge, skills, experience and aptitude necessary to perform various jobs. It
includes functions such as job analysis, human resource planning, recruitment,
selection, placement and induction.
1. Job analysis involves preparing job description, job specification, job
requirements and employee specification and providing the guides, plans
and basis for job design and redesign.
2. Human resource planning involves forecasting the human resource
requirements of an organization and the future supply of human
resources. It also involves assessing the possibility of developing the
human resources to match the requirements.
3. Recruitment is the process of seeking and attracting prospective
candidates against a vacancy in an organization.
4. Selection is the process of identifying and establishing the credentials of
a candidate for a job to ensure success.
5. Placement is decided based on the needs of the organization.
6. Introducing a new employee to the organization, its business, the
organization culture, its values and beliefs, practices and procedures is
termed as induction.
Training and development
This process aims to train and develop employees to improve and update their
knowledge and skills, so as to help them perform their jobs better. The process also
includes developing the attitudes, beliefs and values of the employees to match the
organizational needs. This comprises of performance appraisal, training,
management / executive development, career planning and development.
1. Performance appraisal is the process of evaluating the performance of an

employee on the job and developing a plan for improvement.
2. Training is the systematic development of the knowledge, skills and
attitudes required to perform a job.
3. Development is the concept of developing the employees in an
organization to meet future changes and challenges.
4. Career planning and development refers to identifying one's career goals
and formulating plans of reaching them. It attempt to harmonize an
individuals career aspirations with organizational needs.
Compensation
It is governed by the principle of rewarding an employee extrinsically during and

after the course of his job for his contributions to the organization adequately,
equitably and in a fair manner. It encompasses salaries, incentives, bonus and
fringe benefits. This function comprises of Job evaluation, wage and salary
administration, incentives, bonus and fringe benefits.
1. Job evaluation is the systematic determination of the value of each job in
relation to other jobs in the organization.
2. The process of formulating and operating a suitable wage and salary
program is known as wage and salary administration.
3. Incentives are the rewards an employee earns in addition to regular
salary based on his performance or of the collective performance.
4. Bonus is primarily a share in the surpluses and is often directly related to
the organization performance.
5. Fringe benefits are monetary and non-monetary benefits including
disablement benefits, housing facilities, canteen facilities, conveyance
facilities, educational facilities, recreational facilities, medical and welfare
facilities, post retirement benefits, etc.
Employee relations & services
This function deals with employees as a social group that contributes to the
organization, it includes –
1. Maintaining employee records, analyzing them and developing

information needed for managerial decision making.
2. Increasing employee productivity
3. Keeping the employees satisfied and motivated
4. Maintainig a healthy and effective human organization.
5. Counselling services and developing employees into complete individuals
and responsible citizens.
6. Developing policies, rules, guidelines and procedures relating to
employee behaviour and ensuring their implementation and observance.
7. Developing team building, team management and leadership skills in
employees.
8. Developing a fast and suitable grievance management system to redress
grievances.
9. Compliance with labour laws.
10. Personnel research.
11. Enhancing the quality of worklife and personal life of the employees.

Valuation of Human Resources

Until recently, the value of an enterprise as measured within traditional balance
sheets was viewed as a sufficient reflection of the enterprise's assets. However, with
the growing emerge of the knowledge economy, this traditional valuation has been
called into question due to the recognition that human capital is an increasingly
important part of an enterprise's total value. This has led to two important questions
:
1) how to assess the value of human capital in addition to an enterprise's

tangible assets and
2) how to improve the development of human capital in enterprises.
The emergence of methods for accounting human resources aimed at measuring,

developing and managing the human capital in an enterprise, can thus be said to
reflect the need for improving, measuring and accounting practices as well as human
resource management. The accounting of human resources can be seen as just as
much a question of philosophy as that of technique. This is one of the reasons
behind the wide variety of approaches and the broad range of purposes for which
human resources are valued.
The four major methods of valuation of human resources are the Historical cost
method, multiplier method, replacement cost method and the economic value
method.
Historical cost method
This method is similar to the conventional Profit & Loss Account and Balance Sheet,
which are also stated on historical cost basis. Here the amount actually spent on an
employee for recruitment, induction, training and development is added and
capitalized as the opening value of cost of that employee. The capitalized amount is
then amortized akin to depreciation of fixed assets over a period of time.
The expenditure incurred in acquiring and integrating new employees are amortised
over the period that these employees are expected or estimated to stay in the
organization. The expenditure incurred in their training and development would
mostly be amortized over a shorter period of time.
The historical cost method presumes that there is a distinct relation between the cost
incurred on an employee and his value to the organization at a point of time.
Multiplier Method
In this method, employees are categorized into senior management, middle

management, and clerical employees. Multipliers are determined for each of these
categories. The largest multipler would undoubtedly apply to the senior
management whereas the smallest multiplier would apply to the lower levels in the
hierarchy.
The multiplier is then applied to the aggregate of the salaries and wages of each
group to arrive at the asset value. The most important element is the multiplier in
this method and they must be consistent with the total value of the business.
This method does not assume there is a one to one relation between the cost
incurred on an employee and his value to the organization.
Replacement cost Method
Even as the very name suggests, this method values the human resources based on
the cost that it would take to replace the organisation's existing human resources.
This would therefore not take into account the historical cost but the cost that would
be incurred on recruitment, inducting, training and development of a new employee
to replace the earlier employee.
There would also be an additional factor involved, which is the opportunity cost of
lost revenue during the training and induction period of the new employee.
This method is inconsistent with the historical cost method. However, it would
render more meaning and have some substance, if all the assets in the organization
were valued on a replacement cost basis instead of only the human resources. This
does not happen in contemporary accounting.
Economic value Method

This method presumes that a portion of the future revenues of the organization are
directly attributable to the human resources of the organization. Thus the present
value of future earnings calculated by applying a suitable discounting factor is taken
to be the value of the human resources assets.
The practicality of this method is suspect since the discount rate is highly subjective
and the apportionment of future revenues to all the factors resulting in those
revenues is also subjective.

Thursday, March 6, 2008
Personal Policies
Corporate policies such as the customer is always right, we will not be undersold and
satisfaction or money refunded have been around for over a century. They help employees
make tough decisions, provide consistency and express the organization's philosophy. They also
save time.
It is similarly effective for individuals to develop a set of personal policies or value statements
to help guide them through life. Policies help people make decisions regarding their personal
use of time and prevent them from getting involved in activities inconsistent with their beliefs.
Here are five guidelines for setting personal policies.
1. To establish personal policies you must first determine the values you want to protect and
the image you want to project. Once you are clear on your priorities and how you want to use
your time, put your statements in writing and post them where they'll be a constant reminder.
This might be at the front of your planner or in your PDA or other electronic organizer.
2. Be sure to discuss your policies with family members or others who will be affected by them.
You could end up modifying them, but be sure that you end up with a set of guidelines that
reflect your beliefs, not those of others.
3. If you don't have a personal mission statement, develop one first, before you establish your
policies. Policies help to guide you but a mission statement determines your direction.
4. Policies are guidelines, not rules. They are flexible depending on the situation. For instance,
if one of your policies is to not work overtime, you may not refuse to work overtime if your job
actually depended on it. However if you were consistently confronted with overtime at the
threat of losing your job, you would either start looking for another job or change your policy.
You cannot continue to live in opposition to your personal values. To do so would increase
stress, diminish your self-esteem and take much of the fun out of life.
5. Your policies can be modified as time passes. Your priorities may change as your situation
changes. As people grow older, for instance, they may have a greater respect for free time and
less respect for money. Single people may have different priorities if they marry and have
children. The important thing is that we maintain control of our lives by deciding our priorities
and how we spend our time. Policies help us to live by design, not by default.
Functions of a Manager
Several theories exist on the job of a manager today. However, there is a broad
agreement of what are the major functions of a manager. Peter Drucker, the world's
most acknowledged expert says that "A manager motivates and communicates. He
makes a team out of the people that are responsible for various jobs. He does it in
his relation to the men that he manages. He does it through constant
communication, both from the manager to his subordinate, and from the subordinate
to the manager."
According to George R. Terry, "Management is a distinct process consisting of

activities of planning, organizing, actuating and controlling, performed to determine
and accomplish stated objectives with the use of human beings and other resources."
One can go on and on about a manager's job, but the major functions of a manager
are planning, organizing, staffing, leading, controlling and coordination. A brief
discussion on each function is given below.
Planning
Planning involves determining the missions and objectives of an organization,
choosing future courses of action from the available alternatives and the
development of effective steps to achieve those objectives. A commitment of
resources is a pre-requisite for the development of a successful plan.
Organising
This function involves making decisions about creating a stable, understandable
framework within which employees can work together to achieve organizational
goals. The way in which an organisation's activities are divided, organized and
coordinated is called an "Organisational Structure." This helps in creating an
environment where the employees can work together. The available human
resources must be given roles in the context of their abilities and skills. Organising
therefore means establishing an internal structure, assigning the roles to the people
in an organization which best suit them and in doing this to make sure, that all the
tasks that are required in the fulfillment of the objectives are assigned to persons
who are most suited for that task.
Staffing
Staffing involves identifying the required work force to carry out the tasks envisaged,
inventorying & assigning the most suited tasks to the available human resources and
recruiting for additional work force required, in case of a deficit. To ensure that
tasks are carried out both effectively and efficiently, staffing also means keeping
filled the various positions in the organization structure. Therefore staffing would
comprise of recruiting, selecting, placing, appraising, promoting, compensating,
training and development of the existing work force and the new candidates.
Leading
A leader is one who is able to inspire others to perform and to contribute towards the
common organizational goals. A manager's function is therefore to "lead from the
front", i.e. to motivate and inspire his subordinates to give their best. He is required
to influence people so that they contribute to the group goals, in order to ensure that
they give their best efforts in this, he needs to motivate them. Another need is that
of effective communication without which this function cannot be carried out.
Controlling
Controlling, as a function of a manager, is a systematic effort to compare
performance to predetermined standards, plans and objectives, to ascertain whether
such performance is in line with these standards or in case of deviations, take such
steps to correct them. In short, it is the measurement of individual and organization
performance to ensure conformity to plans. Prompt remedial action is required to
see that human and corporate resources are being used in the most effective and
efficient manner possible.
Coordination
The function of coordination is to synchronize and harmonise the activities of all
departmental units of an organization towards the accomplishment of organizational
objectives. It involves all persons, groups, organizational units, departments and all
activities within every organization where people work together for attaining group
goals. Lack or coordination results in a waste of resources, time, money or effort.
Coordination is aptly described as the essence of management since it seeks to

achieve harmony between individuals and units of an organization towards achieve
common objectives. Since one person's or one unit's interests does not
automatically match the interests of another person or unit, it is necessary to
coordinate and enmesh these efforts harmoniously. It is also essential to match
individual goals with corporate goals.
Coordination is necessitated due to division of labour, specialization of the nature of

activities carried out by one individual or department or unit of an organization, due
to the interdependence of such units and individuals and due to the differences in the
individual interests or the unit's interests versus the organizational interests.
Coordination integrates individual objectives and unit objectives to the corporate
objective in a harmonious manner to achieve the organization goals in the most
efficient manner.
It emphasises the adage that the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts.
Thus employees working together in a coordinated manner can achieve more than
each employee working separately in a uncoordinated fashion.
The four important phases of coordination are communication- understanding, timing
– appropriateness, flexibility – sensitivity and discipline – motivation. Each have to
be gone through before coordination becomes effective.
Techniques of coordinating used by a manager include hierarchy, rules & regulations,

policies & procedures, committees and meetings, incentives and planning. A formal
liaison between two departments is often necessitated resulting in another
department with the major task of coordinating between two departments.

Hypothesis
"Estimation" is the aspect which a corporate manager deals most frequently. All
managers must make quick estimates too. The outcome of these estimates often
have financial repercussions. There are two types of estimates, viz. (1) Point
estimate and (2) Interval estimate.
If an estimate of a population parameter is given by a single value, then the

estimate is called point estimate of the parameter. But if an estimate of a population
parameter is given by two distinct numbers between which the parameter may be
considered to lie, then the estimate is called an interval estimate of the parameter.
As the value of a point estimate fluctuates from sample to sample, interval estimates
are often preferred to point estimates. Also the interval estimate indicates the
accuracy of an estimate.
The Building blocks of hypotheses are variables. A variable is anything that varies,
changes, or has differences. Something that never changes is called a constant.
Variables that only have two extremes are called attributes. In research, one deals
with mostly two variables, independent and dependent. Independent variables are
those thought to be the cause or bring about change in other variables. Dependent
variables are those things changed or affected by independent variables, sometimes
through other variables.
Hypotheses are simply if-then statements that can be categorized in certain logical
forms, such as no difference (null hypotheses), associated difference, directionality
of difference and magnitude of difference. A good hypotheses implies all these. A
hypothesis is an assumption or supposition made as a basis for further reasoning in
terms of a quantitative statement about the population under exploration. The more
specific the hypotheses, the better. Not only do statistics in research become more
powerful with specific hypotheses, but one can engage in confirmatory research
instead of exploratory research. An important part of the research process that goes
along with hypotheses formulation in constructing your operational definitions.
For research to be effective and sound, the use of the scientific method is a pre-
requisite. Hypotheses is essential to skeptically demonstrate the relation between
the variables (both dependent and independent) and validate the research. It
enables us to do away with vague approaches and meaningless interpretations. It
establishes the relationship of concept with theory and specifies the test to be
applied especially in the context of a meaningful value judgement. It plays a pivotal
role in the scientific research method. Hypothesis is formed on the basis of
observation and is very much a part of the scientific method to validate a research
project.
PROCEDURE FOR TESTING HYPOTHESES
1. Set up hypothesis
This involves stating the hypothesis about the population parameter after taking
sample statistic and finding the difference between hypothesized parameter and
sample statistic. There are two types resorted to, viz. Null Hypothesis and
Alternative Hypothesis. The statement of Null Hypothesis suggests that there is no
significant difference between the population and the sample. The statement of
Alternate Hypothesis is that there is a material difference between the population
and the sample. The steps in formulating a hypothesis are elaborated below:
a) It begins with stating the hypotheses – by making an assumption about the
population parameter.
b) We determine the significance level and specify a value for it, say "x".
c) Then we gather sample data and determine the sample statistic.
d) Determine the probability that the sample statistic would diverge as widely as
it has from expectations, specify a value "y".
e) If the difference between (x) and (y) is large then we automatically reject the
null hypothesis. If the difference is small, we accept it.
f) If the difference between (x) and (y) is material, we automatically accept the
alternative hypothesis. If it is immaterial, we reject it.
2. Set up the Significance Level
The level of significance is very important since it determines the basis on which a
hypothesis is accepted or rejected. A significance level of 10% means that the level
of confidence is 90%.
3. Set up a Test Criteria
The next step is to select an appropriate Probability Distribution for the particular
test.
4. Perform Computation
Thereafter, computations are made on the data obtained from the random sample
regarding its mean and standard error.
5. Make the Decision
The last step is to take decisions like accepting or rejecting the null hypothesis which
in turn leads to a decision on the problem actually being addressed.
ERRORS IN HYPOTHESES
Whilst selecting a sample population -
v Non-sampling errors are caused by deficiencies in the collection and editing of
data. Three reasons for such errors include procedural bias, biased
observations and non-response bias. Procedural bias is the distortion of the
representativeness of the data due to the procedure adopted in collecting the
data. Absence of response can lead to non-response bias. Biased
observations are observations that do not correctly reflect the characteristics
of the population being studied.
v Sampling errors are the differences between the value of the actual population
parameter and the sample statistic. Samples are used to arrive at
conclusions regarding the population. For example, the sample mean is
computed to arrive at an estimate of the population mean. However, the
sample mean may not be equal to the population mean. The difference
between the two means would be the sampling error.
Whilst testing the hypothesis –
v Type I Error is committed when the null hypothesis is true, but the test rejects
it.
v Type II Error is committed when the null hypothesis is false, but the test
accepts it.

Data
Data are the facts and figures that are collected, analyzed and summarised for
presentation and interpretation. Data are made up of symbols such as alphabets (A
to Z), digits (0 to 9) and special characters (like +,-,etc.). From a business
perspective, data is a group of observations or measurements which is to be used for
analysis and decision making. Data may be classified as either quantitative or
qualitative.
Quantitative data measure either how much or how many of something, i.e. the
observations are a measurement or a count. The mean, median, mode, percentiles,
range, variance and standard deviation are the most commonly used numerical
measures for quantitative data.
Qualitative data provide labels, or names, for categories of like items. It is

generated by observing an attribute of the population and then classifying individuals
of the population into different classes or categories based on that attribute. The
proportion, or percentage of data values in each category is the primary numerical
measure for qualitative data.
Data can also be classified as primary & secondary. Primary data is that collected
by the researcher himself. Secondary data is data collected by others to be 're-
used' by the researcher.
Data may be from different sources at different times, primary data could be from
sources like mail surveys returns, coded interview data, pretest of posttest data,
observational data. The most common source would be a questionnaire, the
research scholar would then have to devise a questionnaire. He needs to take
extreme care and attention in designing a questionnaire and be 100% certain that he
has covered all the relevant questions and contexts before he mails them to the
respondents. Questionnaires could be structured, non-structured, codified and
unmodified. Instead of mailing the questionnaires, he could also resort to the
interview technique which has number of advantages, however this could be
expensive if the respondents are widely scattered.
Secondary data is collected from either qualitative sources like Biographies, Diaries,
Letters, Newspapers, Literature, Handbooks, Policy Statements, Published statistics
from Central or State Government sources, Market & Opinion Researches,
Professional Bodies, Company Law Board, Chambers of Commerce, Academic &
Research Institutes, Data Archives & International Sources on the Internet, etc.
Descriptive statistics are tabular, graphical and numerical summaries of data. The
purpose of descriptive statistics is to facilitate the presentation and interpretation of
data. Most of the statistical presentations appearing in newspapers and magazines
are descriptive in nature. Univariate methods of descriptive statistics use data to
enhance the understand of a single variable, multivariate methods focus on using
statistics to understand the relationships amongst two or more variables.
Classification thus involves sorting and grouping of relevant items together to

constitute classes. Characteristics / Properties of items in one class differ from those
of the items in any other class with respect to the basis of classification under
consideration. The basic purpose is to help comparison, to accommodate a large
number of observations into a few classes, to highlight important features and to do
away with unimportant points and to present data in a form from which further
statistical treatment of data is feasible and easier. In general data is classified into
Geographical, Chronological and Characteristical attributes.
Tabulation succeeds classification in the research and statistical processes. It

refers to the presentation of data in a tabular form where each table has a title and
body and each row and column has a caption. Row and column headings describe
the characteristic together with sub-classifications, if any. Data may also have
groupings, sub-totals, totals and grand totals. All classifications whether they are
quantitative or qualitative, can be treated in this fashion.
The most commonly used tabular summary of data for a single variable is frequency
distribution. A frequency distribution shows the number of data values in each of the
non-overlapping classes. Another tabular summary, called a relative frequency
distribution, shows the fraction, or percentage of data values in each class. The
most common tabular summary of data for two variables is a cross tabulation, a two-
variable analogue of a frequency distribution.
For a qualitative variable, a frequency distribution shows the number of data values
in each qualitative category. Constructing a frequency distribution for a quantitative
variable requires more care in defining the classes and the division points between
adjacent classes. A frequency distribution would show the number of data values in
each of these classes, and a relative frequency distribution would show the fraction
of data values in each.
EXAMPLES
Geographical classification & tabulation:
Chronological Classification & tabulation:
Characteristical Classification & Tabulation:

When in Doubt - ASK - but Ask the Right Person
Once, there was a General who wanted to cross a river. He was unsure of the depth of the
river, and whether his horse could make it across the river. He looked around for help and saw
a little boy nearby. He asked the boy for advice. The boy looked at the size of the General's
horse and paused for a moment. He then confidently told the General that it is safe for the
General and his horse to cross the river. The General proceeded to cross the river on his horse.
As he approached the middle of the river, he suddenly realized that the river was, in fact, very
deep, and he almost drowned. After he recovered from his shock he shouted at the boy and
threatened to punish him. The boy was stunned and innocently replied, "But General, I see my
ducks crossing the river everyday without any problem, and my ducks have shorter legs than
your horse".
Phases of a Project
A project is an organized programme of activity carried out to reach a defined goal, often
of a non-recurring nature with a specified terminal point. It is a package of time-bound,
scheduled and assembled activities dedicated to the attainment of a specific objective of
successful completion of a work, on time and within the allotted budget. Effective
management of projects is therefore vital for the development of any industry or
organization, since development itself is the effect of a series of successfully managed and
completed projects.
Project management envisages meticulous planning, effective implementation and

professional management to achieve the management of time, cost and performance.
Scientific techniques of project management can play a major role in streamlining the
management of projects. Project management consists of the following steps:
1. Combining activities into 'work packages', which have the features of a
project. The work packages are related to one another and they all contribute
to the same goal, bound by time, cost and performance targets.
2. Entrusting the whole project to a single responsibility centre called 'project
manager' for coordinating, directing and controlling the project.
3. choosing a suitable organization structure to support and service the project
internally, and through vendors and contractors externally.
4. Building up commitment through negotiations, coordinating and directing
towards goals through schedules, budgets and contracts.
5. On the basis of schedules, budgets and contracts, ensuring that goals are
achieved through continuous monitoring and control.
Thus, defining what is to be done, maintaining its integrity, and ensuring that is done and
performed as desired, within time and cost budgets fixed for it, through a modular work
approach, using organizational and external resources, is what project management seeks to
achieve.
The activities during various phases of a project in an organization are enumerated

hereunder:
Conceptual or Initiation Phase

 Identifying needs which could be to tackle specific problems / events.
 Ideas on how best to satisfy this need.
 Germination of a project based on this idea.
Project Definition Phase

 Searching for and evaluating alternatives
 Techno-economic viability of the project
 Feasibility studies
 Proposals
 Developing cost estimates and basic budgets
 Determining the technical configuration of the project
 Determining the performance requirements, key & sub-systems
 Determining the basic project team
 The basic schedule of implementation.
Planning and Organization Phase

 Establishing the infrastructure and enabling services for the project
 Project Engineering and Design
 Detailed Studies and Analyses
 Setting up Project Organisation and Staffing
 Appointing a project manager
 Preparing Schedules and Budgets
 Obtaining necessary licences and clearances from the Govt.
 Raising finance, if required
 Developing systems and procedures for monitoring and reviewing the progress of
the project
 Building and testing prototypes
 Procedures for inviting tenders and awarding contracts
 Site Preparation and development
 Procuring Equipment and materials
 Work packaging
Implementation Phase
 Exact specifications for all equipments and machineries
 Placing orders with vendors for the supplies
 Selecting contractors
 Preparing and issuing constructing drawings
 Erection of equipment and machinery
 Electrical fittings
 Piping
 Instrumentation
 Performance measurement and verification
 Modification in systems, where required
 Testing and trial runs
 Commissioning of the plant
Completion Phase
 Catalogue all drawings, documents, specifications
 Draw up operational and maintenance manuals
 Handover to production
 Training operational personnel
 Reconciliation and transfer of materials, labour and responsibility
 Finalisation of project accounts
 Reassignment / redeployment of the project team
Why is a Project Required
A project is defined as a one-shot, time-tested, goal-directed major undertaking, requiring

the commitment of varied skills and resources. A project is also described as a combination
of human and non-human resources pulled together in a temporary organization to achieve a
specified purpose. A project has a single set of objectives and when these objectives are
reached, a project is completed. Therefore, a project has a finite and well-defined life
span.
Occassionally the terms 'programme' and 'project' are used synonymously; this is however
incorrect. A programme is usually larger in scope, is activitiy-oriented, and is not
necessarily time bound. A programme may encompass a number of projects. An industrial
development programme, for instance, may consist of one or more fertilizer projects, power
projects, and so on. The project objectives must aim at meeting the programme objectives.
A project is a 'one-shot' major undertaking. For example, a thermal power project. Even
when another thermal power project is undertaken, it will be different from the previous
one.
A project is for setting up a plant and when the plant becomes operational, the project is
treated as complete. A project is neither a physical objective nor is it the end result.
A project is an organized programme of activity carried out to reach a defined goal, often
of a non-recurring nature with a specified termination point. It is a package of time-bound,
scheduled and assembled activities dedicated to the attainment of a specific objective of
successful completion of a work, on time and within the allotted budget. A project is a
process of working towards achievement of a specific goal; in this it passes through various
phases called the 'project life cycle'.
The characteristic features of a project are briefly described below so as to bring out the
definition more adeptly:-
1. A project has a mission or a set of objectives. Once the mission is achieved
the project is treated as complete.
2. A project has to terminate at some time or the other; it cannot continue
forever. The set of objectives indicate the terminal stage of the project.
3. While the number of participants in a project are several, the project is one
single entity and its responsibility is assigned to one single agency or individual.
4. A project calls for team work – the members of the team may come from
different organizational units, different disciplines and even from different
geographic regions.
5. A project has a life cycle represented by growth, maturity and decay. A
project has a learning component.
6. A project is unique and no two projects are similar, even though the plants set
up are identical. The organizations, the infrastructure, the location and the
people make the project unique.
7. Change is a natural phenomenon with every project throughout its life span.
Some changes may not have any major impact, whereas others may change the
very nature of the project.
8. The happenings during the life cycle of the project are not fully known at any
stage. As time passes, the details are finalized successively.
9. A project is always customer-specific. The requirements and constraints
within which a project must be executed are stipulated by the customer. A
customer may even be an organization or a group of individuals or the
management.
10. A project is a complex set of things. Projects vary in terms of technology,
equipment and materials, machinery and people, work ethics and organizational
culture. The inter-relationship between these various things makes them belong
to a project. Without this inter-relationship or sense of belonging, a project
cannot be completed.
11. A substantial portion of the work in a project is done by sub-contracting. The
greater the complexity of a project, the greater will be the extent of work
performed by the sub-contractors.
12. Any project is exposed to risk and uncertainity, and the extent of these two
depend upon how the project moves through the various stages in its life span.
A well-defined project has lesser risk and uncertainity, whereas an ill-defined
project faces greater degree of risk and uncertainity.
13. Apart from the primary objective, which may be profit-making, a project would
have secondary objectives aimed at better quality, storage facilities, technology
upgradation, pollution control, effluent treatment, waste management,
improvement in machine efficiency, creation of tax shields, control and
reduction or risks, blocking of competition and a host of other objectives.
A project motivated organization comprising of several interlinked activities could itself be

termed as a project. The types of projects that are ventured by such organizations could
broadly be classified as New projects, Expansion projects, Modernization projects,
Diversification projects and Other projects. The types of projects themselves would tell us
why a project is required –
1. New projects – to replace the worn out assets, to produce goods of better
quality, to enhance storage facilities, for pollution control and waste
management, to create tax shields, to block competion, etc.
2. Expansion projects – to enjoy economies of scale, to block competion, to make
up for the short capacity in the industry, to create tax shields, to acquire
balancing equipment and install them to correct imbalances in capacity, to
expand existing activities.
3. Modernization projects – to enhance quality and quantity, to replace the worn
out assets, to upgrade the technology, to counter competitive moves by other
firms in the industry, to create tax shields.
4. Diversification projects – to foster organizational growth, for upward,
horizontal or downward integration, to expand into allied and new lines of
business, to retain competitiveness, to create tax shields, to optimally utilize its
human and non-human resources.
5. Other projects – for control and reduction of risks, for machine efficiency, for
creation of tax shields, for quality improvement, for enhancing storage
facilities, for enhancing productivity, etc.

Sunday, March 2, 2008
Tips on writing an Effective Dissertation
Dissertation writing is a complex procedure that calls for thorough research, enhanced
presentation skills and conviction to the chosen topic. Tips on writing an effective dissertation:
CONSIDERED one of, if not the most exhaustive academic written assignment of a student's
life,a college dissertation takes an average of 10 to 12 months of extensive research, reporting
and analysis before completion.
Devi Singh, director, IIM Lucknow avers, "A dissertation is reflective of a student's seriousness
and analytical bent towards his or her academics. It is one of the best indexes to measure your
understanding of any course." He further adds, "Dissertations are also an integral part of the
acclaimed master's programme and must always be treated seriously and professionally both by
students and teachers." Since it is practically impossible to compile the entire research in a
single burst of creativity, teachers often suggest that students take a step-wise approach.
The first step in writing the dissertation is to establish priorities. Nishi Pandey, director of
UGC, Academic Staff College, Lucknow University suggests, "Remember that your paper will
require a significant investment of time that has been previously devoted to some other
activities. You need to develop a strategic plan, which should include a time frame for
achieving the set goals."
The basic element for completing a dissertation successfully is to adhere directly to the basic
subject knowledge, the format and structure requirements. Nishi emphasizes that it is very
important for the student to establish a direct connection with the topic at hand, so that the
resulting dissertation is clear and crisp, even to another reader.
Carlyle McFarland, Christian College and English Academician, adds, "As a student or
researcher, one must remember to focus on the language usage, in that a command over the
language and an in-depth understanding of what you mean and what you are writing is a must."
Other elements such as the abstract, introduction, body, conclusion, references and others
should be perfectly formatted as well.
The topic chosen should be quite provoking so as to attract plenty of information for
depiction."Filtering the right information, classifying it and breaking it up into contents would
make a reader/ examiner appreciate the decision making abilities of the writer and his or her
professional spirit towards arguments and their illustration," opines Nishi.
A common myth in dissertation writing is that you start writing at chapter one and finish at
chapter five. This is seldom the case. The most productive approach in writing the dissertation
is to begin by writing those parts that you are most comfortable with. Then move about in your
writing by completing various sections as you think of them. At some point you will be able to
spread out in front of you all of the sections that you have written. You will then be able to
sequence them in the best order and see what is missing.
To ensure that your final dissertation is neat and clear, prepare a list of key words that are
important to your research and use this set throughout. There is nothing more frustrating to a
reader than a manuscript that keeps using alternate words to mean the same thing. For
instance, if you've decided that a key phrase for your research is 'educational workshop', then
do not try substituting other phrases such as 'inservice programme','learning
workshop','educational institute', or 'educational programme'.
Finally, refrain from plagiarising. Singh warns, "Students need to be careful as institutes are
now updated with plagiarism detecting softwares, which are being used prevalently." Thus the
days when a copypaste job was acceptable, owing to the lack of resources to check the
originality of a dissertation,are long gone.You can be inspired, but directly copying someone
else's text is simply not acceptable.
AT A GLANCE
STAGE 1 Thinking about the topic

STAGE 2 Preparing the proposal
STAGE 3 Conducting the dissertation
STAGE 4 Writing the dissertation
STAGE 5 Sharing the outcomes of the dissertation
STAGE 6 Revising the dissertation

Sampling Theory
A population is a collection of all the data points being studied. A sample is a part
of a population.
For example, if we are studying the annual incomes of all the people in India, then
the population under study would consist of data points representing the incomes of
each and every person in India. The following would then be possible samples:-
a. The annual incomes of all people in Mumbai.
b. The annual incomes of all people in India over 40 years of age.
c. The annual incomes of the first hundred people in the telephone
directory.
Samples, being smaller in size than their populations, are easier to study. Hence, if
we want to draw some conclusions about a population, we can do so by studying a
suitable sample of the population. Sampling is advantageous since the population
may be too large, a study of the sample may be cheaper than a study of the
population, it provides quicker information, it involves lesser work, chances of errors
whilst processing data would be less, testing the entire population may not be
possible.
Types of sampling
Simple Random Sampling – In this, each possible sample has an equal chance of
being selected. Further, each item in the entire population also has an equal chance
of being selected.
Systematic Sampling – Here, each element has an equal chance of being selected,
but each sample does not have the same chance of being selected. Here, the first
element of the population is randomly selected to begin the sampling. But
thereafter, the elements are selected according to a systematic plan.
Stratified Sampling – This is generally used when the population is heterogenous.

In this case, the population is first subdivided into several parts or groups called
strata according to some relevant characteristics so that each stratum is more or less
homogenous. Each stratum is called a sub-population. Then a small sample is
selected from each stratum at random. All the sub-samples combined together form
the stratified sample. This represents the population properly. The process of
obtaining and examining a stratified sample to estimate the characteristic of the
population is known as stratified sampling.
Cluster Sampling – Here the population is divided into clusters or groups and then
random sampling is done for each cluster. Cluster sampling differs from stratified
sampling. In case of stratified sampling, the elements of each stratum are
homogenous. As opposed to this, in cluster sampling the elements of each cluster
are not homogenous. Each cluster is a representative of the population.
Judgemental Sampling – Here, the sample is selected according to the judgement
of the investigators or experts. Hence, there is a certain degree of subjectivity in the
selection.
Convenience Sampling – Here, the investigator or researcher selects certain

elements as samples based on its convenience to him. An inherent assumption that
all groups would have homogenous patters makes one opt for this type of sampling.
If this assumption of homogeneity cannot be made or is made erroneously, then this
type of sampling would not give a true representation of the population.
To bring out the different types of sampling, we shall take an example :-
Example
A retailer of electronic goods wants to study his customer purchases in the city of
Mumbai. For this purpose therefore, his population is all his customers in Mumbai.
Their names and addresses are on the carbon copies of the invoices in her invoice
register.
To do a random sampling of her customers, he can put all the carbon copies in a box
and draw out a certain number of copies after thoroughly mixing them all up. The
customers so picked would form a random sample.
He would randomly select one invoice (or customer), say invoice no. 6, thereafter he
would select subsequent invoices according to a systematic plan, say every fifth
invoice after invoice no. 6 so that the selected invoices are 6,11,16,21, etc. These
invoices would form a systematic sample.
He can analyze the invoice copies according to items purchased, viz. TVs, stereos,
VCRs, etc. Each product's customers would form a strata. For each stratum,
random sampling could be done. All these sub-samples would form a stratified
sample.
He can divide the city of Mumbai into four zones, Zone I, II, III and IV. From the
addresses of the customers, he would classify the customers ito each of the four
zones. The he would select every item within randomly selected clusters. This
would form his cluster sample.
He can derive a judgemental sample by selecting customers only from Zone III,
which he feels, in his opinion would best represent the population.
He can also undertake convenience sampling, by picking out those customers which
are most convenient for him to select out of the total invoices in his records.
Merits of sampling
v Samples, being smaller in size than the population, are easier to study.
v Sampling is more economical than a comprehensive census in terms of costs,
time, effort and resources.
v Decision making is expedited since the desired observations and results can
be achieved more quickly.
v A complete examination and evaluation can lead to higher number of errors
due to fatigue and biases.

Thursday, February 28, 2008
Mandatory skills for an IT professional
A career in the field of information technology (IT) is one of the most sought these days. Most
engineering college graduates land up in the IT industry. While, a job as a software engineer
looks very lucrative at first glance, once you get into the industry, you realise that it is not just
your technical skills that will keep you in the race.
You need something more to ensure that you are able to do a good job. In other words, you
need some extra skills to ensure that you are able to keep the job after you land it. These
extra skills are called 'soft skills'.
What are the advantages of soft skills?
Your soft skills or people skills decide how fast and well you climb the ladder of success. Here
are some of the advantages that your soft skills can reap for you:
~ They help you grow in your career

~ They give you an eye to identify and create opportunities
~ They help develop relationships with your colleagues and clients
~ They develop good communication and leadership qualities in you
~ They help you think beyond dollars.
After reading the advantages your soft skills can get you, you would want to know what is it
that you need as a technical person to grow as a professional and climb the ladder of success.
Here are some soft skills which will help you grow not just as a professional but also as a
person:
~ A never-say-die attitude
Any task that comes to you or your team, undertake with a can-do attitude. Slowly you will
observe that you and your team have become the favorite of the management. Every
accomplished task boosts your self confidence and pushes you one step closer to success.
~ Communication
This includes verbal, non-verbal and written communication. Be sure that you are able to put
across your point clearly and confidently. As an IT professional you will need to work with
colleagues and clients of various nationalities and backgrounds. Ensure that you are able
communicate clearly with them. This applies to teleconferencing as well.
~ Learn to listen
Listening is an essential part of communication. Ensure that you listen attentively. This will
help make the other party feel comfortable while interacting with you and improve your
communications.
~ Be a team player
Help your team members help themselves. Be friendly and approachable. If your team is stuck
somewhere look out for ideas to overcome the obstacle together.
~ Learn to delegate
Chances are you will have junior members on the team. Recognise their strengths and delegate
them the right work.
~ Give credit to those who deserve it

Do not all the credit for a job well done. Pass on praise or recognition from superiors to team
members who deserve it. Doing it publicly or in front of your boss will further instill a feeling of
confidence among your team.
~ Motivate yourself and others

As you look ahead to grow in your career you will need to deal with various people under you.
You can not expect quality results from a team whose motivational level is too low. So, stay
motivated and keep others motivated.
~ Develop leadership qualities

A leader is a person whom people are ready to follow. Develop qualities that will make people
follow you not because they are required to but because they want to. Even while operating in
a team, take a role to lead and facilitate the work for other members.
~ Control your sense of humour

When you are working with people from various cultures you need to be extra careful with your
sense of humour and gestures. Behaviour that is acceptable among Indian colleagues might be
considered obscene or disrespectful by people from other cultures. Stay away from
controversial topics or ideas in the office.
~ Mentoring
This is a quality one needs to develop in order to grow. If you want to grow in the hierarchy,
you need to help sub-ordinates grow. Be a good mentor. Help them understand things better.
This not only improves the work environment but also improves your work relationships.
~ Handling criticism
When you are working with people, at times you will be criticised while at others you will be
required to criticise your colleagues or sub-ordinates. Ensure that you take the criticism
constructively and look at it as an opportunity to grow. Similarly, while criticising others shoose
your words carefully and keep it professional. Destructive criticism will lead to loss of respect
and trust. Let your criticism help the other person grow.
~ IT-preneur- Like an entrepreneur, have a risk-taking attitude. Learn to take responsibility for
failures and pride in a job well done.
~ Managing spoil sports

While working in a team there will always be one or two people with a negative attitude. This
attitude can be contagious. Employ tactics to deal with such people and improve motivation.
~E-tiquette
Keep an eye on your e-mails for proper language. Open up the e-mail with a suitable address
and end with a thanking note. Your words should convey the correct meaning and invoke the
desired action.
~ Multitasking
As you climb the ladder of success, you will need to handle work from various fields. For
example, you will have to interact with your technical team on project success, with the HR
department for team appraisal and recruitment, with clients on project requirements or
problems etc. Organise and plan to fit in all the required activities into your schedule.
Once you have developed these soft skills along with your technical skills you will find that you
are a lot more confident about your capabilities.
Set Theory
Set theory is the mathematical theory of sets, which represent collections of

abstract objects. It has a central role in modern mathematical theory, providing the
basic language in which most of mathematics is expressed. In mathematics, a set
can be thought of as any collection of distinct things considered as a whole. Although
a simple idea, it is, nevertheless, one of the most important and fundamental
concepts in modern mathematics.
A set is described as a well-defined collection of objects. These objects are called the
elements or members of the set. Objects can be anything: numbers, people, other
sets, etc. For instance, 4 is a member of the set of all even integers. As can be seen
from this example, sets are allowed to have an infinite number of elements.
If x is a member of A, then it is also said that x belongs to A, or that x is in A. In this
case, we write x ∈ A. (The symbol "∈" is a derivation from the Greek letter epsilon,
"ε"). The symbol is sometimes used to write x ∉ A, or "x is not in A".
Two sets A and B are defined to be equal when they have precisely the same
elements, that is, if every element of A is an element of B and every element of B is
an element of A. Thus a set is completely determined by its elements; the
description is immaterial. For example, the set with elements 2, 3, and 5 is equal to
the set of all prime numbers less than 6. If A and B are equal, then this is denoted
symbolically as A = B (as usual).
An empty set, often denoted by "{}" is a set without any members at all. Since a
set is determined completely by its elements, there can only be one empty set. A
Universal Set is a set consisting of all objects or elements of a type or of a given
interest and is normally depicted by the alphabets X, U or S. A Finite Set is one in
which the number of elements can be counted. An Infinite Set is one in which the
number of elements cannot be counted.
Given two sets A and B we say that A is a subset of B if every element of A is also
an element of B. Notice that in particular, B is a subset of itself; a subset of B that
isn't equal to B is called a proper subset. If A is a subset of B, then one can also say
that B is a superset of A, that A is contained in B, or that B contains A. In symbols,
A ⊆ B means that A is a subset of B, and B ⊇ A means that B is a superset of A. A is
called a subset if every element of A is an element of B. B is a superset of A if every
element in A is an element of B.
Unions, intersections, and relative complements

Given two sets A and B, we may construct their union. This is the set consisting of all
objects which are elements of A or of B or of both (see axiom of union). It is denoted
by A ∪ B. The intersection of A and B is the set of all objects which are both in A and
in B. It is denoted by A ∩ B. Finally, the relative complement of B relative to A, also
known as the set theoretic difference of A and B, is the set of all objects that belong
to A but not to B. It is written as A \ B. Symbolically, these are respectively
A ∪ B := {x : (x ∈ A) or (x ∈ B)};
A ∩ B := {x : (x ∈ A) and (x ∈ B)} = {x ∈ A : x ∈ B} = {x ∈ B : x ∈ A};
A \ B := {x : (x ∈ A) and not (x ∈ B) } = {x ∈ A : not (x ∈ B)}.
A set can also have zero members. Such a set is called the empty set (or the null
set) and is denoted by the symbol ø. For example, the set A of all living dragons has
zero members, and thus A = ø. Like the number zero, though seemingly trivial, the
empty set turns out to be quite important in mathematics.
Set Theory does have its place in a Business Organization. Any organization
essentially comprises of various types of resources such as men, machines, money,
materials, etc. The inter-relationship between these resources, often limited if not
scarce, as also the inter-relationship between the subsets of each set of resources is
used to equate assets of one kind with assets of another kind. A subset of skilled
workers within the set of all workers is a critical subset that has an impact on the
overall productivity of the organization. A subset of skilled salesmen within the set
of all staff in the Marketing and Sales department of an organization is another
critical subset, especially in a marketing driven organization which has an impact on
the topline of the organization. Similarly there could be subsets of products,
materials, etc. which when inquired into analytically could pave the way for effective
decision making and sound organizational plans, policies and procedures.

Probability Theory
Probability has gained a lot of importance and the mathematical theory of probability
has become the basis for statistical applications in the areas of management, space
technology and the like. Various business decisions in real life are made under
situations when a decision maker is very uncertain as to what will happen after the
decisions are made. The theory of probability is helpful in all such areas. In
particular it enables a person to make 'educated guesses' on matters where either
full facts are not known or there is uncertainty about the outcome.
The probability formulae and techniques were developed by Jacob Bernoulli, De
Moiure, Thomas Bayes and Joseph Lagrange. Later on, Pierre Simon and Laplace
unified all these early ideas and compiled the first general 'theory of probability'.
Probability Concepts
Þ Experiment - Any operation / process that results in two or more outcomes.
Þ Random experiment – Any well-defined process of observing a given chance
phenomena through a series of trials that are finite or infinite and each of
which leads to a single outcome is known as a random experiment.
Þ Possible outcome – The result of a random experiment.
Þ Event – One or more possible outcomes of an experiment or a result of a trial
or an observation.
Þ Elementary Event – a single possible outcome of an experiment.
Þ Compound Event – When two or more events occur in connect with each
other.
Þ Favourable event – the number of outcomes that result in the happening of
a particular event.
Þ Mutually exclusive events – Two events are said to be mutually exclusive
or incompatible if the happening of any one of them precludes the happening
of all others.
Þ Dependent events or independent events – Two are more events are said
to be independent if the happening of an event is not affected by the
supplementary knowledge concerning the occurrence of any number of the
remaining events. The question of dependence or independence of events is
relevant when experiments are consecutive and not simultaneous.
Þ Exhaustive events – the total number of possible outcomes in any trial.
Þ Equally likely events – Events are said to be equally likely, if taking into
consideration all the relevant evidence, there is no reason to expect one in
preference to the others.
Þ Complementary events - the number of unfavourable cases in an
experiment.
THEORIES (OR TYPES) OF PROBABILITY

There are four basic ways of classifying probability based on the conceptual
approaches to the study of probability theory. They are:
1. Classical approach
2. Relative frequency of occurrence approach
3. Axiomatic approach
4. Subjective approach
Classical approach
The classical approach is based on the assumption that each event is equally likely to
occur. This is an apriori assumption (the term apriori refers to something that is
known by reason alone) and the probability based on this assumption is known as
apriori probability. This approach employs abstract mathematical logic and hence is
also called the 'abstract' or 'mathematical' probability. This is the reason for
considerable use of familiar objects like cards, coins, dice, etc., where the answer
can be stated in advance before picking a card, tossing a coin or throwing a die
respectively.
If a random experiment results in 'N' exhaustive, mutually exclusive, and equally

likely outcomes, out of which 'f' are favourable to the happening of an event 'E', then
the probability of occurrence of 'E', usually denoted by P(E) and is given by
P = P(E) = f/N = Number of favourable outcomes

----------------------------------
Total number of outcomes
The classical approach is highly hypothetical in its assumptions. It assumes

situations that are very unlikely but could conceivably happen. The limitation is that
it is applicable only when the trials are equally likely or equally probable. For
instance, the probability that a candidate, attending an interview, will succeed is not
50% since the two possible outcomes, viz. success and failure are not equally likely.
Another limitation is that it is applicable only when the exhaustive number of cases
in a trial is finite and only when the events are mutually exclusive. Thus it is useful
in card games, dice games, tossing coins, etc., but has serious problems when it is
applied to less orderly decision problems that are encountered in the area of
management.
Relative Frequency of Occurrence Approach
The relative frequency of occurrence approach defines the probabilities as either:
v The proportion of times that an event occurs in the long run when the
conditions are stable, or
v The observed relative frequency of an event in a very large number of trials.
In this approach, the probability of happening of an event is calculated knowing how

often the event has happened in the past. In other words, this method uses the
relative frequencies of past occurrences as probabilities. Hence, it is also called an
'empirical' approach to probability theory.
For example, if an organization knows from past data that around 25 out of 300
employees entering each year leave the organization due to better opportunities
elsewhere, then the organization can predict the probability of employee turnover as
25/300, i.e. 0.083 or 8.3%.
Another characteristic of probabilities established by the relative frequency of

occurrence approach can be illustrated by tossing a fair coin 1000 times. In this
case, it is found that the proportion of getting either a head or tail is more initially
but as the number of tosses increase, both a head or tail become equally likely and
the probability of the event showing a head is 0.5 or the event showing a tail is 0.5.
Thus, accuracy is gained as the experiment is repeated and the number of
observations is more. But the limitation of this approach is the consumption of time
and cost for such large repetitions and additional observations. Moreover, predicting
probability using this approach becomes a blunder if the prediction is not based on
sufficient data.
Axiomatic Approach
There is no precise definition available for this approach, but this concept is
considered as a set of functions based on the following axioms:-
v The probability of an event ranges from 0 to 1. That is, an event surely not to
happen has probability 0 and another event sure to happen has probability 1.
v The probability of an entire sample space is 1. Mathematically P(S)=1.
v If A and B are mutually exclusive events, then the probability of occurrence of
either A or B denoted by P(AUB) is given by P(AUB) = P(A) + P(B).
Subjective Approach
Subjective probabilities are those assigned to events by the researcher based on

past experiences or occurrences or on the basis of evidences available. It may be an
educated guess or intuition. At higher levels of managerial decision making, where it
becomes extremely important, specific and is demanded to be unique, subjective
probability would be used. It is therefore based on the personal beliefs of the person
making the decision based on his past information, experiences, observed trends and
estimation of futuristic situations.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Importance of Patience in Management
It's said that patience is a virtue and this certainly holds true in practice. It is even truer
in this fast-paced society where rushaholics are in the majority and companies seem to
believe that faster is better. Although patience is sometimes mistaken for sloth, it's the
patient ones who are the most effective time managers. They tend to think things through
before they act and focus more on results than activity. Here are five characteristics of
patient people. Do you qualify?
1. Patient people fully intend to accomplish all their goals but they don't expect it to happen
overnight. They recognize that time is their ally, not their enemy, and that all goals can be
accomplished, given a realistic time frame.
2. Patient people are not thrown off balance by momentary delays. They utilize idle time by
working on other tasks. For example, they set the table while the bread is toasting instead
of peaking impatiently into the toaster every few seconds to see how brown the bread is
getting. They compose a memo while a report is printing, sign documents while on hold and
read a book while in a lineup.
3. Although patient people utilize idle time and waiting time rather than get frustrated by
the delay, they seldom perform two activities at the same time if both activities require
their attention. So they don't drive while applying makeup or read the paper while eating
dinner or write a memo while listening to a speaker.
4. Patient people do not exhibit an extreme sense of time urgency. They don't push elevator
buttons three or four times, never run up "up" escalators and seldom rush to fill an empty
space in a revolving door. They don't interrupt others while they're talking, never tailgate
when driving and seldom complain when someone is late for an appointment.
5. What patient people may lose in physical speed, they more than make up for in mental
agility. They plan before they act, think before they speak and research before they
report. Consequently they make good decisions, wise choices and sound judgments, achieving
above average results.
How can one gain patience? Through practice. For example, drive a little slower, pause
before you answer, and occasionally be the last one off the bus. Let the dryer go through
its full cycle, resist the urge to open the microwave door before the buzzer sounds and let a
co-worker finish their explanation before answering your own question. Every so often, stay
in bed until the alarm goes off, sit quietly in the car for a few minutes before entering the
house and relax before turning on the TV set. Take a longer, more scenic route to work,
walk up the stairs instead of taking the elevator and spend a few minutes greeting other
members of the staff before tackling those voice mail messages. In other words, slow down.
Change your routines. Take a break. And above all, realize that a wasted minute does not
lead to a wasted life.
Histograms and Probability Distribution

In mathematics, a probability distribution assigns to every interval of the real
numbers a probability, so that the probability axioms are satisfied. A probability
distribution is a special case of the more general notion of a probability measure.
Every random variable gives rise to a probability distribution, and this distribution
contains most of the important information about the variable. If X is a random
variable, the corresponding probability distribution assigns to the interval [a, b] the
probability P [a ≤ X ≤ b], i.e. the probability that the variable X will take a value in
the interval [a, b].
Probability distributions are basically of two types:
Discrete Probability Distribution is that which can take only a limited number of
values, which can be listed. The probability of taking birth in a given month is
discrete because there are only 12 possible values (12 months of the year).
Binomial and Poisson distributions are examples of discrete distributions.
In a Continuous Probability Distribution, the variable is allowed to take on any

value within a given range. Normal distribution is an example of continuous
distribution.
Histogram and Probability Distribution Curve
Histograms are bar charts in which the area of the bar is proportional to the
number of observations having values in the range defining the bar. Just as we can
construct histograms of samples, we can construct histograms of populations. The
population histogram describes the proportion of the population that lies between
various limits. It also describes the behavior of individual observations drawn at
random from the population, that is, it gives the probability that an individual
selected at random from the population will have a value between specified limits.
When the area of a histogram is standardized to 1, the histogram becomes a
probability density function. The area of any portion of the histogram (the area under
any part of the curve) is the proportion of the population in the designated region.
Strictly speaking, the histogram is properly a density, which states the proportion
that lies between specified values. A (cumulative) distribution function is something
else. It is a probability distribution curve whose value is the proportion with
values less than or equal to the value on the horizontal axis, as the example to the
left illustrates. Densities have the same name as their distribution functions. For
example, a bell-shaped curve is a normal density. Observations that can be
described by a normal density are said to follow a normal distribution.
Here are a few examples of histograms illustrating normal distribution. These

histograms illustrate the probability distribution for success in various coin tosses.
The x-axis here indicates the number of heads in a particular sequence of coin
tosses; the y-axis represents the theoretical frequency of that result in the given
number of fair tosses.
The histograms will have different sizes and shapes, because the frequency
distribution changes with the number of tosses. All the histograms are perfectly
symmetrical around the centre (the tallest and therefore most frequent value).
These diagrams represent probability distributions, or the frequency of results
theoretically calculated. And since the total of all the probabilities for an event
equals 1, the shaded area contained in all the columns equals 1.
This diagram indicates that in a three-coin-toss sequence (or three coins tossed
simultaneously) there are four possible results: 0 heads, 1 head, 2 heads, and 3
heads (the values on the X-Axis). The percentage frequency of these four
possibilities we read off the Y-Axis. We read the following diagrams in the same
way: the number of heads on the X-Axis, and the percent probability on the Y-Axis.
Notice the perfect symmetry in these distributions.
Notice in the above histogram (for 20 coin tosses) how at the extremes (0, 1, 2, 18,
19, 20) the percent probability is so small that the value does not show on the
graph. Virtually all the results in a 20 coin-toss sequence will fall between 3 and 17,
with the most frequent value in the centre (at 10). The frequencies on either side of
10 are perfectly symmetrical (we can see that by the equal heights of 9 and 11, of 8
and 12, of 7 and 13, of 6 and 14, of 5 and 15, or 4 and 16, of 3 and 17.
The Probability Distribution Curve
As the number of columns increases, the entire shape of the histogram begins to
approximate a curve, with the shaded areas all under the top line. And, in fact, we
can readily convert these histograms (using rectangles) to a curve by joining up the
central points on the top of each column.

When we join up the columns in the histogram in this way, we produce a particularly
useful statistical shape, the normal curve, which is a probability distribution
curve.
The normal curve is a theoretical depiction of the distribution of frequencies of the

values. It does not tell us that in any particular series of measurements of a
normally distributed item half must lie above and half below the mean. It indicates
that there is a 0.5 probability that in any series of values, any particular score will lie
above or below the mean and that the average will fall in the centre of the
distribution. Or, put another way, in any measurement of a heritable characteristic
(height, intelligence, weight, and so on) 50 percent of the population will be below
the arithmetical average (the mean), because such characteristics are normally
distributed. It is not the case that in any distribution exactly 50 percent of the
population will fall below the mean—but that must be the case if the frequency
distribution is a normal curve.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Importance of Punctuality in Management
Lateness is a sign of poor time management skills. When you are late for appointments,
meetings or work, you show a lack of respect for other people's time as well as your own. Here
are a few suggestions to ensure that you are on time for appointments.
Make up your mind that you will be punctual from now on. In many cases lateness is caused by
a lack of commitment to arrive on time. Have the right mindset.
Record the commitment in your planner and also record the time you must leave the house or
office in order to arrive on time. Plan to arrive 5 to 10 minutes early.
If you have a fair distance to travel, always allow more time than you think it will take.
Don't be trapped by the one last thing syndrome. If you're ready to leave and it's still early,
leave anyway. Utilize the time at the other end rather than trying to finish one more task
before you leave.
If you are not a morning person, but have early morning commitments, set the alarm a little
earlier. Some of us may need to go to bed a little earlier to make this work.
When it comes right down to it, punctuality is a habit that can be developed. It takes great
effort at first, but eventually simply happens. Habits are formed by repetition. If you want to
acquire the habit of punctuality, you must repeat this behavior again and again.
Statistical Theory
The word 'statistics' appears to be originating from the Latin word 'status' or the Italian
word 'statista' or from the German word 'statistik'. Each of them refer to a political
state. In olden days the government used to conduct surveys to get information regarding
population and property and wealth of the country. Such data were called statistics in
course of time. The methods of collecting and interpreting data are called statistical
methods and are studied under a science called 'statistics'. We can thus say that we
compute 'statistics' (data in secondary form) from 'statistics' (data in primary form) with
the help of 'statistics' (the science).
In India, the collection of important data by government was done nearly 2400 years ago.
These indications are found in Kautilya's Arthashastra. In Germany, systematic collection
of administrative statistics was in force in the 18th century and in Britian in the 17th
Century. The theoretical development of so called modern statistics got a thrust only in the
seventeeth century when the Theory of Probability came into existence.
Significant contributors in the development of statistics include Pascal, Bernoulli and De-
Moivre in the seventeenth century resulting in the Pascal's theorem, the theory of
probability and the Normal Curve. In the eighteenth century, Laplace independently arrived
at the same results. In the nineteenth century, Gauss, Quetlet, Bayes, Khintchine and
Galton developed the constancy of numbers, sampling and the theory of regression. Further
in the same period, there was Pearson who developed the Chi-Square test and Bowley and
Gosset who made additional contributions. In the twentieth century, Sir Ronald Fisher
made a major contribution in the field of experimental design with his 'Design of
experiments'
Merits of statistics
v Statistics help in developing sound methods of collecting data so that the data
collected can be used to draw the valid reference regarding the desired objectives.
v It presents the data in definite form, more often the numerical form.
v It helps in simplifying the complex data by way of classification / tabulation /
graphical representation.
v The tabular/graphical representation of data and other complex statistics help in
comparison.
v Statistics can be used to study the relationship between two or more factors. The
use of such relationship can be made in estimating one factor when the other(s) are known.
v It helps in the testing of hypothesis and in developing new theories.
v The data regarding a characteristic for a series of past periods can be used to
forecast its value for a future period.
v It is invaluable to Research & Development methodologies.
v The powerful function of forecasting leads us to the need of planning and thus
facilitates in formulating policies and helps in planning and to implement these policies.
Limitations of statistics
v Statistics is a very powerful science to study quantitative data. But the limitation is
that it deals only with quantitative data.
v Statistics is used to draw conclusions regarding a group of units rather than a single
unit.
v The inferences are true only on an average and not when applied individually.
v It is only a tool and not an end in itself.
v The inference drawn could be biased possibly due to an element of bias sometimes
involved in the collection of data.
v Misinterpretations could sometimes result if the desired skill is absent or if it is
used unethically or ineffectively.
v Misuses could result from lack of knowledge, faulty or misleading interpretation of
data, incorrect or flawed base data or inadequate or incorrect analytical methodology
adopted.
Successful Goal Setting for Self-Improvement
It is often easy to forget exactly how important goal setting is to self improvement. We can
have lofty ambitions for changing or improving who we are, but if we don't begin the journey
with one step as Confucius once said and then break it down into smaller plans, the journey
might begin to seem impossible.
The reason goal setting works as a means of self improvement is two-fold: the first part is
obvious it allows us to break a really complex task down into small components that are
easier to follow, more detailed, and less overwhelming. The second reason why goal setting is
an effective means of self improvement is that it provides us with constant motivation.
Whenever we accomplish that goal or objective on the way to the greater goal, we feel as if
we have made progress, and it emboldens us to work towards the next goal in line.
Before anyone can begin goal setting for self improvement, he must determine what it is
about himself that he would like to change and for what reason. For some people, the
ultimate act of self improvement would involve quitting smoking cigarettes. For others,
weight is a self improvement issue for which they are most concerned. For others, it might
be something different, like being more assertive, more financially secure, or more
charitable.
Of course, no one knows our faults better than we do. If we're overweight, we usually know
just horrible it makes us feel, even if no one around us even really notices it. If we drink
beyond what could be considered careful moderation, we know how it makes us feel and what
it has done to our relationships.
Now, once you have identified what it is that you would like to improve about yourself, you
can begin the goal setting process. Start with the ultimate goal (i.e., to lose 30 pounds).
Next, depending on how large your ultimate goal is and how long it will reasonably take you
to accomplish begin goal setting for objectives with timelines. For these smaller objectives,
it is a good idea to tie them to actions, rather than results. If, for instance, your goal is to
go to the gym three times each week and decrease your fat and carbohydrate intake, you
might accomplish all of those goals, but it doesn't mean you will accomplish your short-term
intended result, which was to lose ten pounds in 30 days.
If you only lose 10 pounds when your goal was 30 pounds, don't feel like you haven't
succeeded. Instead, see if you followed the goals you set out to accomplish for the time
period: did you go to the gym three times each week? Did you decrease your fat and
carbohydrate intake? If you answered yes to all of these questions and you DID lose at
least some weight, then you know your goal setting activities are on the right track, but you
just need to intensify the components or increasing the overall timeline.
So, to reiterate, successful goal setting for self improvement consists of three things:
creating long term goals, short term objectives, and re-evaluating the plan to make sure it is
more realistic.

Sunday, February 24, 2008
4 GLASS BALLS & 1 RUBBER BALL
4 Glass Balls represent

FAMILY
FRIENDS
HEALTH
LOVE
1 RUBBER BALL represents JOB
In life we keep on juggling these balls ....... and the life continues....... A small mistake and
any of these balls might fall ...... if the rubber ball falls it would bounceback...... No matter in
what time it...... would bounce back ... 1 month ... 3 months... 6 months, perhaps suddenly
but it would definitely bounce back..... But the Glass Ball..... Very delicate.... once it falls.....
It can never be brought to its original shape again....
"WE EARN TO LIVE .......NOT LIVE TO EARN "!!!!

Mean(s)
The most important objective of a statistical analysis is to calculate a single value

that represents the characteristics of the entire available raw data. This single value
representing the entire data is called the 'central value' or an 'average'. This value is
the point around which all the other values of the data cluster.
Types of averages
Arithmetic Mean
The arithmetic mean or just 'mean' is the most simple and frequently used average
Arithmetic Mean is represented by notation (read as x-bar).
The mean of a collection of observations x1, x2, …………. , xn is given by:
= (1/n) (x1+x2+………xn)

= ∑x/n
n
= (1/n) ∑xi

i=1
where –
is the sample mean

i is the set of natural numbers
n
∑xi is the sum of the values of all observations

i=1
n is the number of elements

∑ indicates that all the values of x are summed together.
Example (ungrouped data)

Absentee list of drivers of the transport department over a span of 90 days
The mean of the ungrouped data can be calculated as follows:
= ∑x/n
= 8+6+6+7+4+5+6+2+4+7
----------------------------
10
= 55/10
= 5.5 days leave per driver out of 90 days.
Example (grouped data)
A frequency distribution consists of data that are grouped into classes. Every
observation (value) is placed in one of the classes.
To compute the arithmetic mean of grouped data, we have to calculate the midpoint
of each class and multiply each mid point (class mark) by frequency of observations
in the corresponding class. Then, we have to add all these results and divide the
sum by the total number of observations.
Mid point (class mark) = x = (lower limit + upper limit)/2

The formula for computing Arithmetic mean for grouped data is:
= ∑(f x x)/n
where,
∑ = Notation for 'Sum'
f = number of observations in each class
x = class mark (mid point of each class)
n = number of observations in the sample
= 4456000/600 = Rs. 7426.66.
Geometric Mean
One often comes across quantities that change over a period of time, and may need
to know the average rate of change over a period of time. Arithmetic mean is
inaccurate in tracing such a change. Hence a new measure of central tendency is
required called the 'Geometric Mean'.
Geometric Mean (GM) is defined as nth root of the product of n observations.
G.M. = n √product of all the values

= n √x1 x x2 x ……………xn
= (x1 x x2 x ………….xn)1/n
where 'n' is the number of values
Example
Growth Rate of Textile units
GM = 5√1.07 x 1.08 x 1.10 x 1.12 x 1.18

= 1/1.1093
1.1093 is the average growth factor. The growth rate is calculated as 1.1093-1 =
0.1093 = 10.93% p.a.
Harmonic Mean
Harmonic mean is based on the reciprocals of numbers averaged. It is defined as

the reciprocal of the arithmetic mean of the reciprocal of the given individual
observations. Thus by definition:
Example
Gopi walks from his house to the bank at a speed of 2 kmph, while returning from
the bank to the house, his speed was 3 kmph. Calculate the average speed for the
whole walk.
Average speed = N / {(1/X1) = (1/X2)}

= 2 / (1/2+1/3)
= 12/5
= 2.4 kmph
Merits of Geometric Mean

1. It is rigidly defined.
2. It is based on all observations and is sensitive to changes therein.
3. It gives less weight to large values and more to small values.
4. It is capable of further mathematical treatment.
Limitations of Geometric Mean

1. It is relatively difficult to understand and calculate as compared to the
Arithmetic Mean.
2. It may not be actually present in the data.
3. The loss of a single observation makes it impossible to calculate the mean
correctly.
4. A Geometric Mean with zero value cannot be compounded with similar other
non-zero values or values with negative sign.
5. It is unduly affected by sampling fluctuations or extreme or negative values.

Index Numbers in Industrial Production

An index number is a statistical measure designed to show changes in variables or a
group of related variables with respect to time, geographic location or other
characteristics of the variable under study. It is referred to as a measure of change,
a device to measure change or a series representing the process of change. Index
numbers are used as a barometer to indicate the changes in economic activity. They
also provide a framework for decision making and to forecast future events. There
are three types of index numbers which are generally used, viz. price index, quantity
index and value index. These are either developed by aggregate method or by
average of relatives method. Although there are many problems related to
developing an index, it is a handy device to measure or compare changes in
economic variables over a period of time.
The important index numbers used in the Indian Economy are :-
Index Number of Wholesale Price
This index number is based on seven commodity groups –
1. food items
2. liquor and tobacco
3. fuel, power, light and lubricants
4. industrial raw materials
5. chemical items
6. machinery and transporting equipments
7. manufactured goods divided into two categories, viz. intermediate products
and finished products
Price quotations are collected for all the seven commodity groups from some pre-
decided markets on every Friday. The quotations for the wholesale prices are
obtained from a number of markets and weights are assigned to these groups. The
commodity index number is found by taking simple arithmetic mean of price relatives
based on the price quotations from different markets. The weighted arithmetic mean
of these items is taken to get a group index number and the weighted arithmetic
mean of these group index numbers provide the index number for wholesale prices.
In India, year 1981 is used as a base period, at present.
Cost of Living Index Number or Consumer Price Index Number
An index number is designed for the purpose of finding how much the cost of living
has changed over a period for middle class family is known as the
Cost of Living Index Number or Consumer Price Index Number. It is usually
calculated separately for the workers divided into two categories, viz. agricultural
workers and industrial workers.
For example, the commodity groups taken into account for the industrial workers are
–
1. Food items
2. Fuel and lighting
3. Clothing
4. House rent
5. Miscellaneous
The price quotations are asked for retail prices at various retail shops. Based on the
data obtained, generally one of the two techniques are (i) aggregate expenditure
method and (ii) family budget method.
In aggregate expenditure method, we use the weighted aggregative price index

number with base year quantities as the weights, i.e. the cost of living index number
by the method of aggregative expenditure is –
∑p1q0
------- x 100
∑p0q0
In family budget method, the weighted average of price relatives is used where
the base year expenditures are used as the weights –
∑wI
----
∑w
where -
p1
I = --- x 100 and w = budgeted expenditure.
p0
If w=p0q0 only, then substituting for I and w in the formula, we get the index as -
∑p1q0
------- x 100
∑p0q0
Thus, by both the methods the cost of living index number is Laspeyre's price index
number. The difference between the methods lies in the collection of data. If the
data on base year's consumption are obtained, one uses the aggregative expenditure
method and if the data on base year's expenditure are collected, one uses the family
budget method. The recent base year used in India is 1981.
Index numbers of Industrial Production
To measure the growth of industries, one requires a tool that can measure the
change in quantity of output (in physical units) of various industries. Generally, the
industries are divided into the groups such as textile industries, mining industries,
metallurgical industries and miscellaneous. The data on output of these industries
are collected regularly to keep track of the changes in the output. Presently in India,
the weighted average of quantity relative with the weights as the value added by the
manufacturer over 1970 is used as the index number of industrial production.
Index of Industrial Production (IIP) is an abstract number, the magnitude of which

represents the status of production in the industrial sector for a given period of time
as compared to a reference period of time It is a statistical device which enables us
to arrive at a single representative figure to measure the general level of industrial
activity in the economy. Strictly speaking the IIP is a short term indicator measuring
industrial growth till the actual result of detailed industrial surveys become available.
This indicator is of paramount importance and is being used by various organisations
including Ministries/Departments of Government of India, Industrial Associations,
Research Institutes and Academicians.
The index is a simple weighted arithmetic mean of production relatives calculated by

using Laspeyre's formula :
I=S (Wi Ri)/S Wi
Where I is the Index, Ri is the production relative of the ith item for the month in
question and Wi is the weight allotted to it.
For the 1980-81 series, the Central Statistical Organisation used to receive monthly
production data from as many as 18 source agencies, who collect data from the
production units. For the revised series with base 1993-94 , the same set of 14
source agencies have been retained except for Railways, for which the consolidated
data will now be supplied by the Railway Board instead of data being supplied earlier
by 5 agencies. In terms of the number of items covered, the largest source is the
Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion(DIP&P), which supplies data on as many
as 213 out of 285 group of items in the manufacturing sector. The index relating to
Mining and Quarrying sector is being supplied by the Indian Bureau of Mines, Nagpur
which is dovetailed with manufacturing and electricity indices compiled by CSO to
arrive at the General Index of Industrial Production. The data on Electricity sector is
furnished by the Central Electricity Authority

Sunday, February 17, 2008
Do Nice Employees Really Finish Last?
Nice guys finish last" has been one of the proverbs which have defined our lives in the modern
age. First said by a frustrated American baseball coach Leo Durocher about his team Dodgers, it
has been quite a truth in the big bad worlds of business, politics, sports and everything else.
They make sense inside our offices too. We decided to introspect…
Anyone who has ever watched The Apprentice would know, that business is a tough game to
play. Sometimes it may seem like getting some brownie points in the game requires putting
your interests above those of others and capitalising on the misfortune of fellow workers.
But is it really true that nice guys finish last at work? Not likely.
COLLEAGUE CONNECT
Carrying a positive, friendly temperament can be as valuable a career asset for you as your
loaded resume. In fact, a study published in the Harvard Business Review found that personal
feelings toward an individual are more significant in the formation of productive work
relationships than how competent the person is.
Your ability to connect with others is especially important as the business world becomes
increasingly global and companies seek individuals who can collaborate with diverse teams of
employees and outside contacts. It is no understatement that those who are pleasant and easy
to get along with will have the greatest success in forming effective professional partnerships.
However, 'being nice' boils down to just a few key factors, including respecting the opinions of
co-workers, offering to lend colleagues a hand when needed and being courteous in all of your
interactions.
ARE YOU JUST 'NICE' OR A PUSHOVER?
If you nodded your head at the earlier point, you better know the difference between being
nice and being a pushover. Take this: You may try very hard to be liked that you seem artful
or, in times of uncertainty or transition, out of touch with reality. And some professional
situations simply require you to take a stand, even if you'd prefer not to. Being overly
accommodating also can cause you to shoulder a disproportionate amount of work, lose out on
promotion opportunities and suffer from burnout. We spoke to a cross-section of Mumbai's
office-goers and figured the following five situations where the difference between being nice
and 'too nice' is slight yet significant. Which category do you most closely align with?
Situation No. 1
Being nice
Offering to stay late to help a colleague finish a project before he leaves on vacation. As a
result, you build goodwill and increase the likelihood your co-worker lends you a hand when
needed. Hopefully!
Being extra nice
Offering to stay late very regularly because you have a hard time telling colleagues that your
plate is full. As a result, you are unable to achieve a healthy work/life balance and begin to
burn out.
Situation No. 2
Being nice
Receiving shabash greetings from a satisfied client on a task well done and forwarding the
message to those who worked on the project with you to let them know that everyone's effort
was appreciated. As a result, the entire team gets a morale boost.
Being extra nice
Receiving kudos from a satisfied client on a job well done and giving all the credit to those on
your team because you don't want to seem self-serving. As a result, your accomplishments go
unnoticed and higher-ups do not realise the true value you bring to the firm.
Situation No.. 3
Being nice
Reviewing a new colleague's work and discussing the areas you would modify, explaining your
reasoning behind each change. As a result, the new employee is able to produce better results
next time.
Being extra nice

Reviewing a new colleague's work and making any necessary changes yourself to avoid
potentially hurting his/her feelings. As a result, you take on more work, and the new employee
is likely to turn in an assignment of similar quality the next time.
Situation No. 4
Being nice
Proposing a new idea during a meeting and acknowledging the input you received from another
staff member. As a result, your immediate boss realises your contribution to company strategy
and ability to collaborate with others on business solutions.
Being extra nice
Not opening your mouth during a meeting when someone else takes credit for your idea
because you'd rather not make waves. As a result, your co-worker is rewarded for some khoon-
pasina you have spent.
Situation No. 5
Being nice
After discovering a colleague gave you poor direction on a project, you take him aside to
discuss strategies for avoiding similar confusion in the future. As a result, major mistakes can
be averted in the future and other projects can be completed with more efficiency.
Being extra nice
After discovering a colleague gave you poor direction on a project, you say nothing to avoid
making him feel bad and focus on how you can get better information on your own next time.
As a result, you and your co-worker do not operate as a team, threatening the success of future
'joint venture' efforts.
Do nice employees finish last? Well, that's for you to decide, but gullible, hardworking
employees surely finish last. Going out of your way to be helpful can only enhance your career
prospects; but don't take the concept to the extreme. Nice does not mean letting people walk
all over you. You need to be assertive and willing to stand up for yourself if you want to finish
first.

Source: Unknown

Understand Negative Thinking
For some reason, most people find it easier to think in a negative way than in a positive
manner. It seems that some effort is needed to think positive thoughts, whereas negative
thoughts come easily and uninvited. This has much to do with education and the environment
one has been living in.
In order to understand how positive thinking works, and how to use it efficiently, it is
important to understand the power of negative thinking.
If you have been brought up in a happy and positive atmosphere, where people value success
and self-improvement, then it will be easier for you to think positively and expect success. If
you have been brought up under poor or difficult situations, you will probably go on expecting
difficulties and failure.
From an early age people let outside influences shape their minds. They view everything
through their predominant mental attitude. If their thoughts are positive, that is fine, but if
they are negative, their lives and circumstances will probably mirror these thoughts.
If you believe that you are going to fail, you will unconsciously sabotage every opportunity to
succeed. If you are afraid of meeting new people or having close relationships, you will do
everything to avoid people and relationships, and then complain that you are lonely and
nobody loves you.
Do you often think about difficulties, failure and disasters? Do you keep thinking about the
negative news you have seen on the TV or read in the newspapers?
Do you see yourself stuck and unable to improve your life or your health? Do you frequently
think that you do not deserve happiness or money, or that it is too difficult to get them? If you
do, then you will close your mind, see no opportunities, and behave and react in such ways, as
to repel people and opportunities. You let the power of negative thinking rule your life.
The mind does not usually judge or examine thoughts and opinions before accepting them. If
what it hears, sees and reads is always negative, it accepts this as the standard way of thinking
and behavior.
The media constantly bombards the mind with a lot of information about disasters,
catastrophes, wars and other negative happenings. This information sinks into the subconscious
mind, and let the power of negative thinking grow. By occupying the mind with negative
thoughts and expectations one radiate negative energy into the surrounding world, thus
creating and recreating more negativity, failures and disasters.
The mind can be directed towards positive thinking or negative thinking. The power of thoughts
is a neutral power. The way one thinks determines whether the results are positive and
beneficial or negative and harmful. It is the same of energy acting in different ways.
Persistent inner work can change habits of thoughts. You must be willing to put energy and
time to avoid negative thinking and pursue positive thinking, in order to change your mental
attitude.
Each time you catch yourself thinking a negative thought, change it into a positive one.
 If you catch yourself visualizing failure, switch to visualizing success.
 If you hear yourself repeating negative words, switch to positive ones.
 If you hear yourself saying, "I cannot", say to yourself, "I can".
Do you repeat useless and unnecessary negative words and phrases in your mind? Change them
to positive ones.
Open your mind to positive attitude, happenings and events. Expect them and think about
them, and soon you life will change for the better. Decide that from today, from this very
moment, you are leaving negative thinking behind, and starting on the way towards positive
thinking and behavior. It is never too late. Soon your life will turn into a fascinating, wonderful
journey.
Posted by Lucas D'Cunha at 10:56 AM 0 comments
What Guarantees Success?
If A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Is equal to
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
Then
H + A + R + D + W + O + R + K = 8 + 1 + 18 + 4 + 23 + 15 + 18 + 11 = 98%
K + N + O + W + L + E + D + G + E = 11 + 14 + 15 + 23 + 12 + 5 + 4 + 7 + 5 = 96%
L + O + V + E = 12 + 15 + 22 + 5 = 54%
L + U + C + K = 12 + 21 + 3 + 11 = 47%
(None of them makes 100%)
Is it money? ………… NO!!!!
Leadership? ………… NO!!!!
Every problem has a solution, only if you perhaps

Change your `ATTITUDE'
It is OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS Life and Work that makes OUR Life 100% Successful.
A + T + T + I + T + U + D + E = 1 + 20 + 20 + 9 + 20 + 21 + 4 + 5 = 100%

Friday, February 15, 2008
The Concise Guide for Job Interviews - Part 4
Where to find company information
Information relating to companies, financial data, industries and business trends is available in
business magazines which often publish on the World Wide Web and allow you to order Annual
Reports relating to specific companies.
Companies often have their own web site.
Newspapers – search on-line press reports including archived articles.
Local library.
Interview Tips - Presentation
Obviously you should be clean and smart in appearance but you should also dress appropriately
for the position, for example: a student placement that is more expensively dressed than the
Managing Director may have a negative impact.
Clothes should be on the conservative side, which is more acceptable to people of all ages,
cultures and backgrounds. After all, you are asking to be accepted into the company. Therefore
always avoid extremes in hair, clothes, make-up and jewellery. Taking trouble over your
appearance shows the employer that the job is important to you.
Interview Tips - Travel
 Arrive 15 minutes early.

 Make sure you have the correct address and know how you will get there:
 Parking? Public transport access?
 Do a dummy run if you are not sure.
 Make sure you have a mobile phone and a telephone number so that you can ring
ahead if circumstances beyond your control are making you late.
 Be polite to everyone you speak to, it could be the Managing Director's cousin! Have a
copy of your CV with you.
Summary
 You should show interest in all aspects of the job and the company especially if shown
around the premises.
 Do your homework on the company and the nature of its business.
 Take care in how you dress for the interview. First impressions still count!
Some of the main influences on the interviewer are:
1. Your experience in other employment or life situations

2. Your personal presentation. How your personality comes across in the interview
3. Your background and references
4. Your enthusiasm for both the job and the organisation.
5. Relevant qualifications for the position.
Good interview questions for YOU to ask
Asking questions at interview has a number of positive effects:

 It helps you find out more about the company and the position.
 It can be used to divert the interviewer away from a subject you may wish to avoid.
 It can help build a rapport with the interviewer.
 It demonstrates an interest in the job and the company.
The questions must be about the position and the company. Avoid questions about salary,
benefits and facilities until after you have been offered the job.
You should already have researched the company and it's products and services. Your questions
should demonstrate knowledge of the company's history, successes and problems. If the
interviewer is a representative of the personnel department the questions should relate to the
company and be general. Specific questions relating to the position should be kept for the line
manager who will have a more detailed knowledge.
Example questions relating to the position
1. What are the main responsibilities of the job?

2. What are the most difficult aspects of the job?
3. How did the vacancy arise?
4. What is the career path relating to this position?
5. How will my work be assessed?
Example questions relating to the company
1. What is the company hoping to achieve in the next 12 months?

2. What new products are the company planning to introduce in the future?
3. Are any major changes planned for the department/company?
4. Who are your biggest competitors?
Job interview questions you may be asked
Q - How would you describe yourself?

A - You should describe attributes that will enhance your suitability for the position. Have some
ready in advance.
Q - What are your long-term goals?
A - These should be career orientated. Make sure you have goals to discuss.
Q - Why did you leave your last job?
A - This could be for more responsibility; a better opportunity; increased income. Do not be
detrimental to your previous employer. He could be the interviewer's golfing partner.
Q - Why do you want this job?
A - Your answer should be: more responsibility or better opportunity or similar. Not: because it
is closer to home or the gym.
Q - What are your strengths?
A - You should highlight accomplishments and experiences that relate to the position for which
you are applying. Also, give examples of situations where your strengths have been
demonstrated.
Q - What are your weaknesses?
A - This should not be a list of deficiencies. Don't mention anything that could make the
interviewer question your ability to do the job, for example "I am always late for everything."
Instead, discuss a weakness that could also be a strength such as "I am a workaholic!"
More Examples of Good Interview Questions
1. Tell me a little bit about yourself.

2. Describe your current / most recent position.
3. What made you want to make this change?
4. What do you most enjoy doing in your current /most recent position?
5. Describe your future ambitions.
6. How would you describe yourself?

The interviewer hopes that YOU are the right person for the job. They are under pressure to fill
the position so that they can get back to their own work. Therefore you are in a greater
position of strength than you think. Concentrate on what you have to offer in the way of
qualifications and experience instead of feeling intimidated.
An interviewer has 3 aims:
 To learn if you are the right person for the job.
 To assess your potential for promotion
 To decide whether you will fit into the company environment.
The key to a successful job interview is in preparation
 Be prepared: For the types of interview questions you will be asked
 Be prepared: To ask questions yourself
 Be prepared: To research the company
 Be prepared: To look the part
 Be prepared: To turn up on time

Saturday, February 9, 2008
The funeral of the person hindering your growth
One day all the employees reached the office and they saw a big advice on the door
on which it was written: "Yesterday the person who has been hindering your growth
in this company passed away. We invite you to join the funeral in the room that has
been prepared in the gym".
In the beginning, they all got sad for the death of one of their colleagues, but
after a while they started getting curious to know who was that man who hindered
the growth of his colleagues and the company itself. The excitement in the gym
was such that security agents were ordered to control the crowd within the room.
The more people reached the coffin, the more the excitement heated up. Everyone
thought: "Who is this guy who was hindering my progress?
Well, at least he died!".
One by one the thrilled employees got closer to the coffin, and when they looked
inside it they suddenly became speechless. They stood nearby the coffin, shocked
and in silence, as if someone had touched the deepest part of their soul.
There was a mirror inside the coffin: everyone who looked inside it could see
himself. There was also a sign next to the mirror that said:
"There is only one person who is capable to set limits to your growth: it is YOU.
You are the only person who can revolutionize your life. You are the only person who
can influence your happiness, your realization and your success. You are the only
person who can help yourself.
Your life does not change when your boss changes, when your friends change, when
your parents change, when your partner changes, when your company changes.
Your life changes when YOU change, when you go beyond your limiting beliefs, when
you realize that you are the only one responsible for your life.
"The most important relationship you can have, is the one you have with yourself"
Examine yourself, watch yourself. Don't be afraid of difficulties, impossibilities

and losses: be a winner, build yourself and your reality. The world is like a mirror: it
gives back to anyone the reflection of the thoughts in which one has strongly
believed.
The world and your reality are like mirrors laying in a coffin, which show to any
individual the death of his divine capability to imagine and create his happiness and
his success.
Author: Unknown

Thursday, February 7, 2008
Get Your Fax Right
Yes, there is faxing etiquette as well, which is a very important aspect of business
communication.
 When sending a fax, always include a cover sheet specifying whom the message is
meant for.
 Type your message whenever possible. If you have to write it out, use capital letters.
 Corrections made using correction fluid show up as dark blotches, so make a
photocopy, and use this to send the message.
 Many people receive their faxes on a computer, so make sure the paper is inserted the
right side up. If it isn't, the message can't be read unless it's printed out!
 Remember fax paper is expensive; don't send out unnecessary or needlessly long
messages. Also, call and check if the timing is convenient before sending out very long
fax messages.
 Don't fax personal or confidential messages unless you intend it to be office gossip. If
such information has to be sent, do call ahead and inform the recipient so that he can
personally retrieve it.
Visitor Etiquette
"Your manners are always under examination, and by committees little suspected, awarding or
denying you very high prizes when you least think of it." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Well, the least suspected committee may well turn out to be your next employer and the prize,
your ideal job! You never know. So, if you happen to travel a lot, hobnob with clients and visit
other offices as part of your work schedule, ensure that your manners are impeccable and your
visiting etiquette, intact.
So, how good is your visitor etiquette? Evaluate yourself by going through these simple but
effective rules.
 Be punctual and if you're 5 minutes early, even better. This indicates that you respect
other people's time.
 Don"t stroll into a place as if it's your own.
 Be polite to everyone you meet irrespective of if it's the receptionist or the CEO.
 If the office that you are visiting needs you to sign in, and take a visitor card, comply
with the protocol. You could supply the receptionist with your visiting card.
 While waiting, don"t try to chat up the receptionist, in case you're feeling bored!
 While waiting in someone"s office, don"t touch anything on his/her desk or around
his/her room. Similarly, his/her reading material is his/her own, and is not there for
you to kill time with.
 Carry your own pens and note pads; it looks very unprofessional when you ask to
borrow theirs.
 Get your work done and leave. This is not a social visit so don't grab every opportunity
to chitchat.
 On your way out, remember to thank the receptionist!

Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Procrastination is forgivable
Procrastination is one of those natural tendencies that prompt people to delay rinsing the
dishes until the egg hardens or putting off shoveling the snow until it has turned to ice or
ignore the gas tank until it's empty. The results of procrastination are usually not good. The do
it now habit wins out almost every time. But that doesn't prevent people from procrastinating.
Since time immemorial people have been taking the path of least resistance. Call it lack of
initiative, inertia or just plain laziness; it amounts to the same thing - the failure to act when
they should. It's not so much that they resist change or prefer the status quo. They simply lack
the energy. Their energy is consumed by coping with all the demands on their time.
I have never heard of a study comparing the degree of procrastination exhibited by individuals
twenty years ago versus today, but I would hazard a guess that it has increased. Choices have
multiplied and decisions are more difficult. The pace of life has accelerated, stress weighs
heavier, and multitasking has become the norm. Balancing work and personal life is more
complicated than ever and technology challenges us with constant change,
Is it any wonder that we procrastinate? Who has the energy to initiate action?
Procrastination is more a coping mechanism than a bad habit. It's not desirable, but it is
excusable. Spending even more time and energy feeling guilty could be better spent simplifying
our lives, relieving stress and reducing the demands on our time.
As we become better time managers our need to procrastinate will be reduced. But let's not
condemn one another for procrastinating. It's not sloth. It's simply one of several coping
mechanisms in a frenetic society that reveres speed no matter what the direction.

Confidence - The Internal Power Plant
Confidence is a strong, powerful force, when it is part of your heart; you have the ability to
conquer any obstacles life may throw at you.
Undoubtedly, situations will come up where you may feel uncertain or less confident; don't let
doubtful feelings stop you. It's up to you and nobody else to keep going in times of uncertainty.
There is a saying, "Fake it till you make it." You can pretend to be what you want to be until
you grow into it. Try it. It's what a lot of successful women admit to doing when they are
unsure.
It doesn't take long before the power of your confidence resurfaces and you're back on track to
achieving your goals.

First Establish and Define Your Goal
First decide what it is you want or desire to do with your goal settings. Perhaps your goal is to
obtain something tangible, such as your dream home or a new car. Or your goal may be
something that is less tangible, but will reward you with either tangible benefits or intrinsic
rewards. Maybe you want to finish your college education or obtain a job in a specific field.
When you define your goal settings, be as specific as possible. "I want to purchase a home by
next summer." Or "I want to finish my undergraduate degree in Elementary Education and
graduate by next spring."
After you have established and defined your goal settings, remember that while it is written on
paper it isn't written in stone. You may need to make adjustments as you go through the
process of obtaining your goal, but at least you're now on the road to getting there!
What will be the significance of achieving your goal-what will be the outcome?
What will be the benefits of obtaining your goal? What is the purpose of goal settings for you?
Purchasing a new home might enable you to have more independence or give you and your
family more space or more security. Completing your education will allow you to work in a field
you truly enjoy or give you more earning power.
Envision accomplishing your goal and believe that you can achieve it.
It's easy to say you're going to do something and quite another to actually believe you're going
to do it। Success of any action greatly depends on how much you believe in yourself and your
ability to achieve. If you need to, tape a picture of your goal settings on your refrigerator, your
bathroom mirror and anywhere else you can see it everyday. Okay, maybe you don't even know
what exactly what your dream house looks like, but you probably have a good idea. Browse real
estate brochures and when you find the house that jumps out at you, clip that picture. Having
a visible reminder in front of you everyday will help to keep you motivated.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Eight Ways to Tie a Tie

The Boss vs. The Leader
The Boss drives his men, The Leader inspires them..

The Boss depends on authority, The Leader depends on goodwill..
The Boss evokes fear, The Leader radiates love..
The Boss says "I", The Leader says "We"..
The Boss shows who is wrong, The Leader shows what is wrong..
The Boss knows how it is done, The Leader knows how to do it..
The Boss demands respect, The Leader commands respect..

Monday, February 4, 2008
The Internal Clock: Biorhythyms
The Secrets of Our Body Clocks by Susan Perry and Jim Dawson, discusses biological
rhythms. Everyone's clock is unique, and some may peak at 11 a.m. instead of 12 noon, but
even extreme morning people and extreme night people are no greater than 2 hours apart
with their circadian cycles. Some of the conclusions of the book may help us manage our
time more effectively.
1. Most of us reach our peak of alertness around noon. So perhaps delaying lunch until 12:30
or 1:00 p.m. might capitalize on our most productive period.
2. There's a sudden drop in the early afternoon that lasts until about 3:00 p.m., at which
time our mental alertness once again begins to rise. Schedule the mundane, low-energy tasks
for that part of the day.
3. Short-term memory is best during the morning hours, so studying for a test that morning
or reviewing notes of a meeting would be a good idea. But long-term memory is best in the
afternoon, so that's the time to study material for the following week - or for that training
session for the new employee. How well you remember things depends on when you learn
them, not when you recall them.
4. Mornings are a great time for creative sessions or meetings where tough decisions must
be made. But don't let them run into the early afternoon doldrums.
5. Just because you're a morning person, don't expect everyone else to be the same way.
Biological rhythms are innate, and we should organize our lives so as to work with them, not
against them.
In general, morning people should do all their heavy thinking and creative work in the
morning and reserve the late afternoons for the routine. Night people, although similarly
alert at 11 a.m., do not experience the same late afternoon sag.
Managerial Decision Making
A group of children were playing near two railway tracks, one still in use while the other
disused. Only one child played on the disused track, the rest on the operational track.
The train is coming, and you are just beside the track interchange. You can make the train
change its course to the disused track and save most of the kids. However, that would also
mean the lone child playing by the disused track would be sacrificed. Or would you rather
let the train go its way?
Let's take a pause to think what kind of decision we could make................
Most people might choose to divert the course of the train, and sacrifice only one child. You
might think the same way, I guess. Exactly, I thought the same way initially because to save
most of the children at the expense of only one child was rational decision most people
would make, morally and emotionally. But, have you ever thought that the child choosing to
play on the disused track had in fact made the right decision to play at a safe place?
Nevertheless, he had to be sacrificed because of his ignorant friends who chose to play
where the danger was. This kind of dilemma happens around us everyday. In the office,
community, in politics and especially in a democratic society, the minority is often sacrificed
for the interest of the majority, no matter how foolish or ignorant the majority are, and
how farsighted and knowledgeable the minority are. The child who chose not to play with
the rest on the operational track was sidelined. And in the case he was sacrificed, no one
would shed a tear for him.
The great critic Leo Velski Julian who told the story said he would not try to change the
course of the train because he believed that the kids playing on the operational track should
have known very well that track was still in use, and that they should have run away if they
heard the train's sirens. If the train was diverted, that lone child would definitely die
because he never thought the train could come over to that track! Moreover, that track was
not in use probably because it was not safe. If the train was diverted to the track, we could
put the lives of all passengers on board at stake! And in your attempt to save a few kids by
sacrificing one child, you might end up sacrificing hundreds of people to save these few kids.
While we are all aware that life is full of tough decisions that need to be made, we may not
realize that hasty decisions may not always be the right one.
"Remember that what's right isn't always popular... and what's popular isn't always right."
Everybody makes mistakes; that's why they put erasers on pencils.

Posted by Reach Mentor at 9:51 AM 0 comments
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Management Lesson from Big John
One fine day, a bus driver went to the bus garage, started his bus, and drove off along the
route. No problems for the first few stops - a few people got on, a few got off, and things
went generally well.
At the next stop, however, a big hulk of a guy got on. Six feet eight,built like a wrestler,
arms hanging down to the ground. He glared at the driver and said, "Big John doesn't pay!"
and sat down at the back.
Did I mention that the driver was five feet three, thin, and basically meek? Well, he was.
Naturally, he didn't argue with Big John, but he wasn't happy about it. The next day the
same thing happened - Big John got on again, made a show of refusing to pay, and sat down.
And the next day, and the next.
This grated on the bus driver, who started losing sleep over the way Big John was taking
advantage of him. Finally he could stand it no longer. He signed up for body building courses,
karate, judo, and all that good stuff.
By the end of the summer, he had become quite strong; what's more, he felt really good
about himself. So on the next Monday, when Big John once again got on the bus and said,
"Big John doesn't pay!"
The driver stood up, glared back at the passenger, and screamed, "And why not? "
With a surprised look on his face, Big John replied, "Big John has a bus pass ."
Management Lesson: "Be sure there is a problem in the first place before working hard to
solve one."
Ten Tips for Corporate Success
It's really challenging to present ourselves to the world. Today the world is open for education.
Every year, thousands of students are going abroad for higher education. The question is do we
manage to get and survive in the most suitable / satisfying position even after having a top
level degree?
The answer is No. The eligibility criterion has changed today. So I have tried to find out some
of the areas to put ourselves on a better platform.
Can you speak among others? I have seen many people working in the leading position in high
level companies without having much knowledge in his field of work. But the quality they
possess is 'power of presentation'. They are good speakers, can present things in an organized
way. That's what the world sought after. It is not necessary that we need be wiser or an
expert. So take the charge to lead things, speak out among others. I remember my reactions
after I made a presentation that was demanded of me. I analyzed myself and picked up the
areas of improvement.
Specialization on a subject: People are rushing to get their MBA, MCA etc. to get a top level
job. However that is not enough, the requirement is to be an expert in the field. If you are a
programmer or developer, you need to show superiority and excellence in your field of work,
because knowledge is recognized as power.
Create your online presence today: It's the era of the world wide web. In spite of putting a
residential address in your CV, make available your website address or personal blog
(http://www.myname.com/blog). Let your employer / interviewer take a look at your creation
and online presence.
Keep in touch with the experts in your field, stay with the successful people: Regular update is
required to proceed at a higher pace. So keep in touch with others working on your same
profile and maintain a good relationship with them. It works a lot.
Develop personality, be the owner of a good character: People will respect you: I am not giving
any details to this. This will be the reflection of who you are.
Acquire leadership qualities: Leadership doesn't require any position. If you have the problem
solving capability and the power to lead under any circumstances, people will come to you and
create the platform for your.
Optimize 24 hour! For me, 24 hours is not enough to complete a day's work. I can't do all my
daily work, starting from office work, traveling, family, friends, refreshment, reading books,
watching television, sleeping etc. So it is a better idea to plan in order to achieve the
maximum benefit. Life is one after all !!
Be strict and honest to your work, seek for further improvements: After every month of work,
interact with your boss and other colleagues in order to have an idea on the areas of self
improvement, because the corporate world moves rapidly. It requires hard work to be steady
on the right track.
Are you happy with your job? Ask yourself…: Job satisfaction is what anyone always dreams of,
but unfortunately in rare cases it happens. Still we should be comfortable with our field of
workplace, profile and overall environment. If one can't satisfy himself after a days work,
progress is quite impossible.
Plan for refreshments in the weekend: Refresh yourself after every hectic week of work. It may
be games, movies, spending time with family etc. Start the new week with a fresh mind and
rejuvenated level of energy.
How To Bulletproof Your Career
In the not-too-distant past, ascending the corporate ladder assured management professionals
of a bigger office, a stronger compensation package and a more secure future. But today,
executives are being told: Don't get too comfortable in that corner office, and don't buy that
fancy new car or boat you've always dreamed of – because your job is just as vulnerable as
everyone else's. Evidence suggests that the higher up the ladder you go, the more precarious
your position may become! The attitude toward executives and the roles they play within
companies have drastically changed in recent years. I've seen executives who have been with
the same company for 20 or more years. They've worked their way up the corporate ladder and
felt that they had proven their value – then they were unceremoniously dismissed from their
positions as if they had just been hired as an entry-level worker. As a Career Consultant, it's my
job to re-instill the client's confidence, identify his or her strengths, and "re-package" that
individual for the current job market. But, to navigate effectively through the career transition
process and ultimately make your career bulletproof, you must first be informed about what's
really going on in the work-world. I see several important trends taking place with regard to
executive-level job stability and security, including:
TODAY'S CHALLENGING EMPLOYMENT TRENDS
Job Market Trend 1:
More and more positions, even at senior levels, are now being offered on a contract or
temporary basis. The position, in these cases, lasts only as long as is needed to fulfill the
employer's contract with their client. This requires job seekers to think differently – more like
an independent consultant who works on assignment – rather than as a permanent employee. In
many business sectors and industries, it could be said that the "permanent, full-time job" no
longer exists as we knew it. This trend also puts the responsibility on the part of the executive
to consistently promote and market himself or herself for the next opportunity – and the one
after that!
Job Market Trend 2:
Companies are still very cautious and careful about making any hiring decisions of high-paying,
senior management positions. Executives seeking such jobs must now "sell themselves" more
than in the past. They need to demonstrate just how they will enhance the company's
productivity, efficiency and profitability – or they probably won't get the offer. This means that
the job seeker really needs to learn how to effectively present and market himself or herself.
Just having the right job titles on one's résumé, or having the appropriate technical skills for
the job, are no longer enough.
Job Market Trend 3:
Executives are receiving smaller career transition programs than ever before from the large
outplacement firms – and many displaced professionals are getting no career transition
programs at all. This means that greater numbers of executives are seeking-out help from
smaller, more personal career consulting firms and career support groups.
STRATEGIES TO BULLETPROOF YOUR CAREER
Although the transition programs mentioned above do offer important career management
techniques, let me share with you the most important activities you should always be doing to
overcome the challenges outlined above, and bulletproof your career for the future:
1. Keep all your success documents up to date

2. Put time aside every week for active networking
3. Join and take leadership roles in appropriate associations
4. Write articles or do presentations in your area of expertise
5. Continue your career education, including new credentials
6. Research and be aware of the competition
7. Offer to help people in your network on a regular basis
8. Look at new jobs and investigate other opportunities
9. Always ask yourself, "How can I contribute more?"
10. Practice your networking, interviewing and negotiating skills
If you want your career to be truly bulletproof, you'll need to educate yourself on topics you
probably thought you'd never have to worry about again – like self-marketing, networking,
interviewing and negotiating. To master these skills, many management professionals are also
discovering helpful online resources and free audio seminars.
And here's the GOOD NEWS: If you seek-out the right support and leverage vital resources like
those mentioned above, you may actually be thankful for the experience of going through
transition – ultimately finding a career or landing a job that will be a much better "fit" than
those you've previously had.
The Defining Moment Of Self-Improvement
For any aspect of self-improvement, there has to be a reason for you to start and keep going.
That is your motivation - the reason for doing what you do. In order to attempt any sort of
improvement in your life, you need to be motivated in some way to get started. Strategies for
self-improvement start with defining what it is you want to achieve and then charting a course
through which you can effect the improvements or changes. These do not have to be drastic
changes - they could be something as simple as making time for yourself to write in a journal
each day or something to improve your health, such as quitting smoking.
Motivation comes from within. It is something that you want to do for you. This is what keeps
you going, getting up each day and going off to work. Children are often the motivating force
behind parents saving money, when they would ordinarily blow it on something frivolous. You
know that you will need money for your children's higher education or to give them the extras
that they want, such as toys and brand name clothing. This is the reason that you work each
day, maintain a home and spend time enjoying each other.
If you don't have something to look forward to or see some sense of gratification in what you
do, then there is no motivation to get doing it. Just meeting with colleagues helps you get a
sense of who you are and your place in the world. Socialization, confidence and improvement
are three main aspects of life. When you enjoy life, you can be motivated to achieve great
things. Achievement does not have to be something that everyone recognizes. It can be
something as simple as learning to make a quilt or to use a saw to create beautiful woodwork.
The end result is the feeling of accomplishment that you have in yourself.
December 31, 2007
Some verbs for your resume
Some verbs for your resume
Summary
· Verbs, or "doing" words are an integral part of the resume

· When describing your skills, use verbs
· Check out the suggested list of verbs below
Some what? I don't know whether you are a member of a generation that missed out on being
taught grammar, parts of speech and so on, in primary school. Being of a (slightly!) older
generation myself, I can still remember Miss Pennington intoning to Class 3A "a verb is a being,
having, or doing word". We of course would have to memorise this and endless other definitions
and rules, on penalty of a sharp rap over the knuckles from a ruler that seemed almost as large
as Miss Pennington.
Perhaps you missed out on the joy of that, but verbs are still being and having and doing words
(some things don't change) and thinking about appropriate verbs to use can be a very useful
part of preparing a résumé (and a covering letter, for that matter).
What you are trying to do in an application is to tell prospective employers who you are, what
you have by way of qualifications and experience, and what you believe you can do. I will
concentrate here on the last of these - your "doing" verbs. All I am talking about here is a way
of concentrating your thinking on the actual skills and experiences that might be relevant to
employers, and ways of describing them that draw on what you have actually done. Many
university careers services will have copies of a long list of these. Here are just a few:
Adapted, analysed, applied, built, calculated, coached, compiled, conducted, controlled, co-
ordinated, delivered, developed, distributed, edited, established, formulated, gathered,
generated, helped, identifies, implemented, initiated, investigated, led, made, maintained,
operated, organised, prepared, produced, programmed, promoted, reported, researched,
sold, supervised, taught, tested, trained, tutored, typed, used.
I think you will get the idea - drawing in an active way on all the things in your background that
are worth telling an employer about. And it is important to note that they can be things from
any part of that background, not just your academic studies. In fact, talking about verbs is just
another way of reminding you of the "generic skills" that careers advisers and others are so fond
of talking about these days.
You might have led on the sporting field, planned a concert or a group trip, helped people
during a summer job. All of these are skills that can mean quite a lot to employers, and they
are not things that an employer can necessarily assume you have acquired during your courses.
It is your job to look for the verbs that will really convey what you have done and what you
believe you can do. No one else will do it for you.

Friday, December 28, 2007
Is it worth the trouble to FLY at NIGHT
Is it worth the trouble to FLY at NIGHT
Night fares have been around for some time now, with all airlines, even Air India, offering
them. Night fares are nothing but lower prices for tickets for flights that operate during
the night on routes within the country.
The idea was to utilise seats that would otherwise have gone empty in these flights.
Take, for instance, Air India. Most of its flights, especially those from the US and Europe,
land in Mumbai and Delhi at night. Air India offers a 25% discount on tickets booked on
flights on domestic routes between 8 am and 8 pm and a 32.5% discount on domestic flights
between 8 pm and 8 am.
So, if you want to fly from Mumbai to Delhi, you would pay Rs 3,972 for travel between 10
pm and 8 am and Rs 4,342 for travel between 8 am and 8 pm.
For a more detailed look at the various prices for specific routes, one should check out the
Air India website.
One must look at the conditions that need to be fulfilled. One of them being that these
fares are valid only if tickets are purchased in India. There is no advance booking required
for Air India and cancellation charges are Rs 100 per ticket.
Also, Air India states that the number of seats allotted for these fares is nearly 80% of its
capacity and therefore, is not constrained, like domestic airlines that offer such discounts.
However, travelers must account for the flight arriving at Indian airports at unearthly
hours as well as the hassles of reporting to the international terminals, not the domestic
ones, with the reporting time 90 minutes before the flight, as against the one hour or so for
domestic airlines.
Domestic fliers are also required to fill in customs declaration forms.
Indian Airlines also offers concessions for night flights for which the traveller should
check with the agent or airline. Jet airways recently intensified the fare war, launching
revised fares on Mumbai-Delhi (effective October 1, '04) and Delhi-Bangalore (effective
October 6, '04) routes.
The present night fare for flights leaving from Delhi for Mumbai and Bangalore and vice
versa at 10:30 pm, is around Rs 5,810, but, under the new offer, the highest night fare is
around Rs 1,600 less than this.
There are no preconditions for advance booking like apex fares. However, there's a
cancellation charge of Rs 500 if the ticket is cancelled one hour prior to departure, and
50% if the fare if cancelled or reissued one hour after departure of the flight.
While night fares will end up saving money in terms of actual ticket costs, the traveller
must remember that he/she will land or take off from the city at odd hours of the night,
with all the attendant issues like food, safety, transport costs and loss of sleep.
In Mumbai, for instance, taxis and rickshaws charge 150% of the day fare after midnight.
So, if you're landing in Santacruz domestic airport around 1 am and want to go to Borivali,
25 kms away in North Mumbai, you'll pay at least Rs 350, against the normal Rs 200 or so.
Ditto in Delhi where getting late night transport is a bigger issue than in Mumbai. While the
expenses on this front is not likely to nullify the savings made on the price front, many
people might feel that all the additional trouble is not worth the small savings made.

Monday, December 24, 2007
Kaizen
Kaizen
Kaizen is often translated in the west as ongoing, continuous improvement. Some authors
explain Japan's competitive success in the world market place as the result of the
implementation of the Kaizen concept in Japanese corporations. In contrast to the usual
emphasis on revolutionary, innovative change on an occasional basis, Kaizen looks for
uninterrupted, ongoing incremental change. In other words, there is always room for
improvement and continuously trying to become better.
Originally a Buddhist term, Kaizen comes from the words, "Renew the heart and make it good."
Therefore, adaptation of the Kaizen concept also requires changes in "the heart of the
business", corporate culture and structure, since Kaizen enables companies to translate the
corporate vision in every aspect of a company's operational practice.
According to Imai (1986), an important advocate of Kaizen, "Kaizen means improvement.

Moreover it means continuing improvement in personal life, home life, social life, and working
life. When applied to the workplace Kaizen means continuing improvement involving everyone -
managers and workers alike." Believers of this theory maintain that managers of production
operations cannot stand still; continuous development and improvement is critical to long term
success.
In practice, Kaizen can be implemented in corporations by improving every aspect of a business
process in a step by step approach, while gradually developing employee skills through training
education and increased involvement. The principles in Kaizen implementation are:
Human resources are the most important company asset, processes must evolve by gradual
improvement rather than radical changes, improvement must be based on
statistical/quantitative evaluation of process performance.

Support throughout the entire structure is necessary to become successful at developing a
strong Kaizen approach.

Management as well as workers need to believe in the Kaizen idea and strive toward obtaining
the small goals in order to reach overall success.

Therefore, all members of an organization need to be trained in a manner to support this idea
structure.

Resources, measurements, rewards, and incentives all need to be aligned to and working with
the Kaizen structure of ideas.

Sunday, December 23, 2007
Long Term Benefits

Saturday, December 22, 2007
10 Fatal Career Moves
10 Fatal Career Moves

By Kate Lorenz, CareerBuilder.com Editor
It takes anywhere from three to 15 months to find the right job -- yet just days or weeks to
lose it. Here are 10 traits that are career poison:
1. Possessing Poor People Skills

A little likeability can go a long way. Studies by both the Harvard Business Review and Fast
Company magazine show that people consistently and overwhelmingly prefer to work with
likeable, less-skilled co-workers than with highly competent jerks. Researchers found that if
employees are disliked, it's almost irrelevant whether they're good at what they do, because
other workers will avoid them.
2. Not Being a Team Player

No one feels comfortable around a prima donna. And organizations have ways of dealing with
employees who subvert the team. Just ask Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receiver Terrell Owens,
who was suspended for the 2005 season after repeatedly clashing and taking public shots at his
teammates and management. Show you're a team player by making your boss look like a star
and demonstrating that you've got the greater good of the organization at heart.
3. Missing Deadlines
If the deadline is Wednesday, first thing Thursday won't cut it. Organizations need people they
can depend on. Missing deadlines is not only unprofessional; it can play havoc with others'
schedules and make your boss look bad. When making commitments, it's best to under-promise
and over-deliver. Then, pull an all-nighter if you have to. It's that important.
4. Conducting Personal Business on Company Time

The company e-mail and phone systems are for company business. Keep personal phone calls
brief and few -- and never take a call that will require a box of tissues to get through. Also,
never type anything in an e-mail that you don't want read by your boss; many systems save
deleted messages to a master file. And we can't tell you how many poor souls have gotten fired
for hitting the "Reply All" button and disseminating off-color jokes -- or worse yet -- rants about
their boss for all to see.
5. Isolating Yourself
Don't isolate yourself. Develop and use relationships with others in your company and
profession. Those who network effectively have an inside track on resources and information
and can more quickly cut through organizational politics. Research shows effective networkers
tend to serve on more successful teams, get better performance reviews, receive more
promotions and be more highly compensated.
6. Starting an Office Romance

Unless you're in separate locations, office romances are a bad idea. If you become involved
with your boss, your accomplishments and promotions will be suspect; if you date a
subordinate, you leave yourself open to charges of sexual harassment. And if it ends badly,
you're at risk of everyone knowing about it and witnessing the unpleasantness.
7. Fearing Risk or Failure

If you don't believe in yourself, no one else will. Have a can-do attitude and take risks. Instead
of saying, "I've never done that," say, "I'll learn how." Don't be afraid to fail or make mistakes. If
you do mess up, admit it and move on. Above all, find the learning opportunities in every
situation. Remember, over time, risk-aversion can be more hazardous to your career than
error.
8. Having No Goals
Failure doesn't lie in not reaching your goal, but in not having a goal to reach. Set objectives
and plan your daily activities around achieving them. Eighty percent of your effectiveness
comes from 20 percent of your activities. Manage your priorities and focus on those tasks that
support your goals.
9. Neglecting Your Image

Fair or not, appearance counts. People draw all kinds of conclusions from the way you present
yourself. So don't come to work poorly groomed or in inappropriate attire. Be honest, use
proper grammar and avoid slang and expletives. You want to project an image of competence,
character and commitment.
10. Being Indiscreet

Cubicles, hallways, elevators, bathrooms -- even commuter trains -- are not your private
domain. Be careful where you hold conversations and what you say to whom. Don't tell off-
color jokes, reveal company secrets, gossip about co-workers or espouse your views on race,
religion or the boss' personality. Because while there is such a thing as free speech, it's not so
free if it costs you your job!
Kate Lorenz is the article and advice editor for CareerBuilder.com. She researches and writes
about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.
Physical Fitness Announcement

Friday, December 21, 2007
Project Implementation

Thursday, December 20, 2007
Relieving Stress by Getting The Work Done
Relieving Stress by Getting The Work Done
At a time management presentation for a group of paralegals one of the participants asked
what to do with something on her "To Do" list that she keeps putting off doing. Procrastination!
What a stress producer! Nearly everyone present said this was an issue for them too.
I have to admit that every time I go down to my cellar I think, "Someday I am going to clean
this place out." So it is an issue for me as well. What do you do to get those less attractive
tasks off your "To Do" list?
One participant mentioned she too wanted to clean her cellar. Her method of getting it done
was to break it down into small manageable tasks. Once a week before the day trash was
collected she went down to her cellar with two empty trash bags and filled them with cellar
trash. Breaking a big task into smaller pieces along with a scheduled date and time to do the
work helps you get the work done.
A friend of mine recently mentioned her cellar needed cleaning too. She asked me if I would
partner with her to get both our cellars done. We might work separately for a time and then
call to tell each other what we accomplished. I'd help her with two person tasks and she would
do the same for me. The whole process sounds like more fun and less stress with a partner.
Some use Personal Organizers to do this with them.
We all have some parts of our job that we hate doing. For me it is anything that is mindless and
repetitive like inputting data into QuickBooks. To get this type of work done what works for me
is to do this first thing in the morning. I get it done and out of the way. There is a lot of energy
wasted and stress created about doing a task we don't really want to do so just do it and be
done with it! This leaves the rest of the day for meaningful work.
Another option of course is to get someone else to do that task you dislike doing. A repetitive
mindless task is not something I need to be doing so hiring someone is also a good way to get it
done.
One of the paralegals told me she thought all the ideas were good but getting herself started
was a real problem. There was a sort of inertia she felt about doing the job. Here she was
thinking about a specific project that had been on her "To Do" list for over a year.
If something has been on your "To Do" list that long, you probably want to re-evaluate your
reasons for wanting to get it done. Think about life after it is complete. What will it look like?
How will you be feeling? This vision of your success needs to be so compelling it will draw you
forward so that you will want to get it done.
Nearly everyone in the group had met with success in finally doing something they had put off
over and over again. Everyone mentioned what a happy feeling it was and the sense of
accomplishment and relief that the task was done. Looking forward to that sometimes helps
getting you to get started.
If there isn't a really compelling pull to getting it done perhaps you will work better with the
impact of not getting it done. Ask yourself what will happen if you never get this done. How
will you feel? What are the consequences of not getting it done? Some people work best with
the threat of the negative rather than the draw of the positive.
If the task is important to you, then one of these last two methods will work to get you started.
Then going forward one small bite at a time, working with a partner, and/or working on it first
thing in the morning will help you to keep going until it is done.
Take action
1. What task or tasks have you been putting off? Make a list.
2. Are you ready to take action? What is the positive vision to pull you forward or a negative
push to get you going? Notice the feeling in your body of the push or pull.
3. Try one technique (or several) mentioned above (or your own) to get the job done.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
How to Be More Successful By Using Effective Time

Management Tools
How to Be More Successful By Using Effective Time Management Tools
Do you feel irritated and annoyed during the day because you just feel like you can?t get
anything done? Do you feel overwhelmed or disorganized? People who are very successful in
their given fields have learned to use effective time management tools and therefore are able
to get more done in less time and with less stress. Here are a few ideas to help you manage
your time better.
The first thing you have to do is get rid of the clutter and get organized. This is the toughest
thing for many people; I know it is for me! If you are one of those whose filing system is the top
of their desk and you have papers, notes, and books all over the place then this is where you
need to start. Take everything off of your desktop that you don?t use everyday and put the rest
in drawers. After you have cleared your mess we can move on to the next step.
The next thing that must be done in order to be successful is to learn to prioritize. Everything
is not life or death; you have to learn to distinguish what must be done and what can be
delayed. At the beginning of every day tale a few minutes to make a list of tasks that need to
be accomplished and then prioritize them in order of importance. One trick that works well is
to group the items that must be done that day, then items that should be worked on, and
finally those things that can wait. Keep your list with you all the time so that you can get some
of the things done like phone calls in down time like waiting in lines of traffic or waiting to pick
up the kids at school.
Use time management tools you are comfortable with. If using a regular calendar works for you
then by all means use it and don?t feel like you have to learn to use the latest PDA. On the
other hand, if are the techie type keep yours with you at all times along with a planner so that
you can also write down notes and appointments that may require more than your PDA allows.
Make time to work ahead so that you don?t get behind on projects that are coming up soon. If
you get the jump on them it will keep you from getting stressed. Just try to fit in a few hours
at night during the week instead of lying around watching TV. Once you get used to it you will
be amazed at how much stress it takes away and how much more time it gives you.
Schedule your appointments and other errands in an efficient manner. It just makes sense to
take out a map and be sure that you aren't running back and forth. Plan your destinations in
logical order so that you save time and gas by not running all over the city.
7 Steps For Melting Anger On The Spot
7 Steps For Melting Anger On The Spot
Anger is a lethal force that undermines our lives in all kinds of ways. Sometimes it erupts
openly and other times anger camouflages it and covertly undermines your life. Some
experience anger as strength and power. They feel it is necessary in order to maintain
control. Others assume they have the right to express anger towards those in their lives.
These are some of the lies anger tells us. In fact, when we are angry we are out of control
and our ability to respond wisely is diminished.
Here are 7 steps for handling anger on the spot.
Step 1: Realize that anger is a choice you make
Anger is not a form of power, strength, or control. It is a toxin. Sometimes it provides a

temporary high. After this high subsides, we are left weaker and more uncertain than
before. Not only that, there are often negative consequences that have to be handled.
Basically anger narrows your focus, creates confusion and limits your ability to find
constructive solutions. When anger arises, stop, breathe deeply, and immediately look at the
larger perspective. Put the incident in context. For a moment, allow the other person to be
"right". Tell yourself you have plenty of time to be right later. Your main goal is to have the
anger subside so you can see the whole picture clearly.
Step 2: Become aware of the 24 forms of anger
Anger camouflages itself and finds many covert ways of manifesting. Unrecognized anger
turns into all kinds of unwanted behavior. When these behaviors are not understood it is
very difficult to correct them. Awareness is important in making necessary changes.
Some of the 24 forms of anger are: depression, passive aggressive behavior, compulsions,
perfectionism, gossiping and certain kinds of competition at the workplace. When you
realize that these are being fuelled by anger, you can take appropriate steps to handle
them.
Step 3: Start Relationship Balancing
Relationship Balancing is the natural flow of energy, support and inspiration between
individuals. When this flow is balanced individuals operate at their maximum level. When the
flow is blocked or out of balance, individuals become depressed, apathetic, sick and
resentful. When one feels needed and acknowledged, there is no end to their ability to tap
their full potential. Envision balanced relationships. Write down what this means to you and
notice how it compares to the reality of your particular situation. This initial step provides a
map and new focus. It provides a direction to move in.
Step 4: Discover Your Relationship Balancing Quotient
List each individual you interact with. Score each person on the following questions from 1-
10. See for yourself what is going on.
a) I I feel at ease with this person.

b) I trust this person.
c) I communicate naturally with this person.
d) I understand what they're communicating to me.
e) I am able to ask this person for what I want from them.
f) I am able to give this person what they want from me.
Assess exactly what is going on in your important relationships. Take a look at what you want
from each relationship. Separate your needs and wants. Start communicating your feelings
in a responsible manner and asking for what you really need and want. Start truly listening
to the other, to who they actually are, not your images or agendas for them.
We can often be in a relationship with a person for a long time and not even begin to know
who they truly are. As you begin taking the steps above, you will make natural adjustments
in getting this relationship back on track.
Step 5: Stop Casting Blame
Blaming others is one of the largest factors in causing imbalance in your relationships and
keeping the anger going. Stop casting blame. By blaming others you are disempowering
yourself. By taking responsibility you are taking back control. Stop a moment and see the
situation through your opponent's eyes. When you do this blame dissolves on the spot. Also,
remember, the best defense against being hurt is to feel good about yourself and the way a
person responds to you says more about them, than about you.
As you stop casting blame you will be letting go of all kinds of resentments. Resentment
inevitably affects our well-being and always bounces back on us. Look for and find what is
positive in each individual. Focus on that.
Step 6 - Create Realistic Expectations
There is nothing that makes us more angry and hurt than expectations we've been holding
onto that have not been met. It is important that you become aware of what your
expectations are for your relationships. Are they realistic? Does the other person hold
expectations that are similar? Let go of unrealistic fantasies. Once this is done, much
opportunity for anger diminishes on the spot.
Step 7 – Develop A Grateful Mind
See what different people in your lives are truly giving to you. We often take many things
for granted and are even unaware of all that we are receiving day by day. Take time to write
down each day what you are receiving. Be grateful for that. Make a point of giving thanks.
The more we thank others, the happier we become. Also, take time to write down all that
you have given others that day. It may be a surprise. We often think we are giving so much
and receiving so little. This is a great cause of anger, deprivation and emptiness within.
However, when we take time daily to write it down and look at it carefully, we are often
surprised and how much we have received and how little given in return. As we look at it
carefully, and balance these two activities, we learn to take pleasure both in what we have
given and what has been received.
Find out more about how to dissolve negative feelings and make your relationships all you want them to be in The
Anger Diet (30 Days to Stress Free Living) McMeel, http://www.theangerdiet.com.by Dr. Brenda Shoshanna. Dr.
Shoshanna is a psychologist, seminar leader, relationship expert, who works with those who to experience full well-
being and fulfillment. She is the author of many books, including Zen and The Art of Falling in Love (Simon and
Schuster), Zen Miracles (Finding Peace In An Insane World), Save Your Relationship
(http://www.truthaboutlove.com), What He Can't Tell You And Needs To Say, (Putnam). She can be reached at
http://www.brendashoshanna.com, (212) 288-0028, topspeaker@yahoo.com.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Seven Personal Characteristics Of A Good Leader
Seven Personal Characteristics Of A Good Leader
How often have you heard the comment, "He or she is a born leader?" There are certain
characteristics found in some people that seem to naturally put them in a position where
they're looked up to as a leader.
Whether in fact a person is born a leader or develops skills and abilities to become a leader is
open for debate. There are some clear characteristics that are found in good leaders. These
qualities can be developed or may be naturally part of their personality. Let us explore them
further.
1. A good leader has an exemplary character. It is of utmost importance that a leader is

trustworthy to lead others. A leader needs to be trusted and be known to live their life with
honestly and integrity. A good leader "walks the talk" and in doing so earns the right to have
responsibility for others. True authority is born from respect for the good character and
trustworthiness of the person who leads.
2. A good leader is enthusiastic about their work or cause and also about their role as leader.
People will respond more openly to a person of passion and dedication. Leaders need to be
able to be a source of inspiration, and be a motivator towards the required action or cause.
Although the responsibilities and roles of a leader may be different, the leader needs to be
seen to be part of the team working towards the goal. This kind of leader will not be afraid to
roll up their sleeves and get dirty.
3. A good leader is confident. In order to lead and set direction a leader needs to appear
confident as a person and in the leadership role. Such a person inspires confidence in others
and draws out the trust and best efforts of the team to complete the task well. A leader who
conveys confidence towards the proposed objective inspires the best effort from team
members.
4. A leader also needs to function in an orderly and purposeful manner in situations of

uncertainty. People look to the leader during times of uncertainty and unfamiliarity and find
reassurance and security when the leader portrays confidence and a positive demeanor.
5. Good leaders are tolerant of ambiguity and remain calm, composed and steadfast to the
main purpose. Storms, emotions, and crises come and go and a good leader takes these as part
of the journey and keeps a cool head.
6. A good leader, as well as keeping the main goal in focus, is able to think analytically. Not
only does a good leader view a situation as a whole, but is able to break it down into sub parts
for closer inspection. While keeping the goal in view, a good leader can break it down into
manageable steps and make progress towards it.
7. A good leader is committed to excellence. Second best does not lead to success. The good
leader not only maintains high standards, but also is proactive in raising the bar in order to
achieve excellence in all areas.
These seven personal characteristics are foundational to good leadership. Some characteristics
may be more naturally present in the personality of a leader. However, each of these
characteristics can also be developed and strengthened. A good leader whether they naturally
possess these qualities or not, will be diligent to consistently develop and strengthen them in
their leadership role.
Source: Internet

Achieving goals in 5 disciplined steps
Achieving goals in 5 disciplined steps
You must take action now that will move you towards your goals. Develop a sense of urgency in
your life. - Les Brown
Do you believe in destiny? Do you believe that you were born to either fail or succeed? Do you
always blame your fate for failures? Do you pray for success more than actually working on it?
Do you put your 100% in achieving your goals? Too many questions! Don't worry; this article
will help you with steps on how to set goals.
For many years people have been blaming their fate or destiny for their failures. Many people
believe that success is derived out of your past life karma. I honestly don't know much about
karma and being born with a fate but I surely do know and believe that we humans have the
power to change our fate and destiny. For those, who still disagree with me will soon change
their thinking.
Many of use see an aero plane flying in the sky each day and we all know the science behind
the plane flying and we still feel amazed to imagine a heavy piece of equipment flying. Well,
this invention just did not happen. We all know that the Wright Brothers had to go through
numerous failures and embarrassment before they could create a plane that could fly. Were
they destined to create a plane? Was it their fate that got them to create a plane? I doubt.
Read on...
It was their observation of the birds and the desire to fly which made them create the machine
which we today call Plane. It was their burning desire which was so strong that made them
work for years and hours each day before they met with success. All the failures, taunts,
embarrassment and frustration were small compared to their burning desire to fly. It is only
through a Burning Desire can a man achieve the impossible.
Look at all the scientific advancements. The very advancement of a computer in front of you
on which you read this article and the Internet on which you downloaded this article are all
proofs of Burning Desire of man to create something.
Obstacles come and it is up to us how we deal with them. Failures will come for a long time,
before we can achieve something. It is the manner in which the Universe functions. To reap
fruits from a tree, you must first plant the seeds and nurture the tree well.
Achieving anything is possible as long as you have the Burning Desire to achieve it, i.e. creating
the next scientific experiment, topping your exams, receiving the next promotion, losing your
weight, learning a new art… Anything is possible. The recent slogan of Nike Shoes says it all
"Impossible is nothing".
If you have a Burning Desire and sow the seeds of intention, the universe conspires to help
you. This happens only if your intentions are true and pure.
If you dream of achieving something then sow the seeds of intention in the universe by always
being positive about that dream and always thinking of that dream, the universe will conspire
to help you. You might dream to work at Microsoft and if you sow your intentions right,
somewhere some how you might just bump into a person who could help you.
Therefore, keep dreaming, always have the burning desire to succeed and read the following
steps to achieve your goals. But remember, it requires a disciplined approach while following
it.
5 Disciplined steps to achieve your goals

Please note that the steps mentioned below require a disciplined approach. By discipline I
mean that no matter what difficulty you face in achieving your goals, you must stick to your
desire to achieving your goals.
1. Define a goal for yourself

The first step towards achieving your goal is to be able to define it. While defining your goal
you should keep in mind the SMART principle i.e.
S = Specific
M = Measurable
A = Attainable
R = Realistic
T = Timely
Specific
Be very specific of what you want. If you want to buy a car, just don't say my goal is to buy a
car. You should rather say, I want to buy a Mercedes and the model number.
Measurable
You should be in a position to measure your success towards the goal only then will you be in a
position to alter plans or make new ones if you are not heading anywhere.
Attainable
The goals that you make for yourself should be attainable as per your skills, attitudes, abilities,
etc. Making an unrealistic goal will not only make you frustrated, but will also play on your
mind and make you lose your self-esteem.
Realistic
Like I mentioned earlier, your goals should be realistic. Your goal is probably realistic if you
truly believe that it can be accomplished. Additional ways to know if your goal is realistic is to
determine if you have accomplished anything similar in the past or ask yourself what conditions
would have to exist to accomplish this goal. It is only if a man believes in something does he
accumulate the will to give all that he has towards his goal. Always remember, where there is
a will there is a way.
Timely
While defining your goal you should always attach a time frame to achieve it. If you decide to
lose weight, you should have a goal with a time frame in mind. E.g.: "I wish to lose 10 KGs by
the end of 2007".
Once you have created a SMART goal, the next step is to write it down in big bold letters and
stick it at a place where you won't miss reading it every day. Read your goal statement each
day and night and work towards it.
2. Work towards it
Now that you have created a goal for yourself, the next step is to initiate action and work
towards it by giving all efforts possible. This is the most difficult part in achieving a goal. Many
of my friends have taken this advice by defining their goals and writing it down, but they fail at
the most critical step i.e. to initiate action.
After your goals are clear, the time to take action is NOW. Just start working towards it. Ask
yourself if you'd be happy to achieve your goals? If yes, then why not start working towards it
once you have a clear vision of your goal. If your goal is to lose weight, then the next logical
step is to find out how you could achieve it. Join a gym, consult a doctor, etc. Just do
everything possible towards achieving your goal.
3. Manage your problems well

Yes, problems will come. It's the way in which the Universe works. It will test you endlessly till
that time you don't attain your goal. Nothing comes easy. Even a diamond has to go through
endless pressure and heat to reach its final form. It's how we react to problems that makes all
the difference. Many things will come your way and distract your mind and that's the time to
keep your cool and keep driving on.
4. Monitor your progress.

Now that you have defined your goal, have started working towards it and are battling your
way through problems which come through; its time to monitor your progress. The reason why
you should monitor your progress is to know if the action that you have initiated is helping you
to near your goals or not. If you feel that the action is not helping you much, then you should
try to alter your path of working. May be you were doing it all wrong. Don't panic at this stage.
Appreciate the knowledge that you have gained of how not to achieve your goal. That's
experience.
5. Ask someone to mentor you

Very few people have the privilege of being guided by a mentor. If you wish to become a singer
or a dancer, then seek the help of a mentor. The experience of a mentor will not only lead you
through a correct path, but will also help you become the best in a commendable time frame.
As my closing remarks, Thomas Edison had to go through thousands of failed experiments to
achieve the goal of inventing the perfect light bulb that we use today. At a press conference
when he was asked about his failures, he quickly responded saying "I have successfully
discovered 1000 ways to NOT make a light bulb". This shows that he had a goal and a burning
desire to build an electrical bulb. This proves that despite facing so many problems and failed
attempts at altered paths his vision never shook to achieve creating the first electrical bulb
ever witnessed by mankind.
Some quotable quotes
Obstacles are those frightening things that become visible when we take our eyes off our
goals.
- Henry Ford
Set your goals high and don't stop until you get there.
- Bo Jackson
You must take action now that will move you towards your goals. Develop a sense of urgency
in your life.
- Les Brown
Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but
the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.
- Mark Twain
When you cease to dream you cease to live.

- Malcolm Forbes
So what are you waiting for? If you have the desire, then march ahead and achieve your goals

Sunday, December 9, 2007
Ducks Quack , Eagles Fly
Ducks Quack , Eagles Fly

A paradigm shift in thinking.
Source: Unknown
No one can make you serve customers well. That's because great service is a
choice. Years ago, my friend, Harvey Mackay, told me a wonderful story
about a cab driver that proved this point.
He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the
first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine.
Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks,
the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger
door for Harvey.
He handed my friend a laminated card and said:
"I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like
you to read my mission statement."
Taken aback, Harvey read the card. It said:
Wally's Mission Statement:
To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest

way possible in a friendly environment.
This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the
cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!
As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, "Would you like a cup of coffee? I
have a thermos of regular and one of decaf."
My friend said jokingly, "No, I'd prefer a soft drink."
Wally smiled and said, "No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular
and Diet Coke, water and orange juice."
Almost stuttering, Harvey said, "I'll take a Diet Coke."
Handing him his drink, Wally said, "If you'd like something to read, I have
The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today."
As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card.
"These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to
the radio."
And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air
conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. Then
he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day.
He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of
the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts.
"Tell me, Wally," my amazed friend asked the driver, "have you always
served customers like this?"
Wally smiled into the rearview mirror. "No, not always. In fact, it's only
been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my
time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the
personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day.
He had just written a book called You'll See It When You Believe It. Dyer
said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll
rarely disappoint yourself. He said, 'Stop complaining! Differentiate yourself
from your competition. Don't be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and
complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.'"
"That hit me right between the eyes," said Wally. "Dyer was really talking
about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change
my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their
drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers
were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time.
When my customers responded well, I did more."
"I take it that has paid off for you," Harvey said.
"It sure has," Wally replied. "My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income
from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky
to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for
appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering
machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it
and I take a piece of the action."
Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab.
I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and
only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to their cities, I give
them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the
reasons they couldn't do any of what I was suggesting.
Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking
like ducks and start soaring like eagles.
How about you?

Saturday, December 8, 2007
Leadership: Ten Characteristics of Leadership
Leadership: Ten Characteristics of Leadership
Many people are interested in the characteristics of a great leader. There are many lists of
these traits. These are quotes taken from an article by Bill George former chairman and CEO of
Medtronic. According to him the most important trait is to be yourself!
1. Authenticity "After years of studying leaders and their traits, I believe that leadership begins
and ends with authenticity."
2. Desire to Serve Others "Authentic leaders genuinely desire to serve others through their
leadership."
3. Empowering People "They are more interested in empowering the people they lead to make
a difference than they are in power, money, or prestige for themselves."
4. Guided by Heart, passion and compassion "They are as guided by qualities of the heart, by
passion, and compassion, as they are by qualities of the mind."
5. Recognize their shortcomings "Authentic leaders use their natural abilities, but they also
recognize their shortcomings and work hard to overcome them."
6. Lead with Purpose "They lead with purpose, meaning and values."
7. Build Enduring Relationships "They build enduring relationships with people."
8. Clear Where They Stand "Others follow them because they know where they stand."
9. Refuse to Compromise "When principles are tested, they refuse to compromise."
10. Develop Themselves "Authentic leaders are dedicated to developing themselves because
they know that becoming a leader takes a lifetime of personal growth."

Thursday, December 6, 2007
Don't over-communicate
Don't over-communicate
One of the problems with business communications is that there's too much of it. When it's
possible to send a message to hundreds of people with the click of a mouse, the ease of
communication aggravates the problem. Voice mail invites us to leave a message even though
the response may come too late. People publicizing their cellular telephone numbers invite
intrusions wherever they happen to be at the time. Call forwarding makes sure any problems
follow them. E-mail allows 24-hour per day communications. Insomniacs can pick up their mail
at 3 a.m. And workaholics can take their electronic office home with them.
Since we have been conditioned to respond to messages rather than ignore them, working
hours are extended; stress in increased and time is at a premium. Executives report that they
receive over 100 email messages per day. Even if they don't have to respond to most of them,
they have to scan them in order to determine this.
It's time to ease up on communication. Before you call, email or fax, ask yourself a question. "Is
this communication necessary?" Would not sending it have a negative impact on the success or
well being of yourself or the receiver? Be more selective. Send information only to those who
need it or are in a position to do something about it. Don't send every snippet of information to
everyone on your database. And when on the receiving end, be selective as well.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Just a Few Tips
WORRY REDUCES PRODUCTIVITY
Those who spend a lot of time worrying about their jobs are 17% less productive than workers
who seldom or never worry about their job.
VOICE MAIL
An estimated two-thirds of business callers end up leaving a voice mail message, which isn't so
surprising considering that on any given day 40% of IBM's employees aren't in the office. When
reviewing your voice mail, jot the information in a log book so you'll have a record of action
required, telephone number, etc. and be able to prioritize any necessary callbacks.
BE SPECIFIC WITH YOUR GOALS
People who construct their goals in concrete terms are 50% more likely to feel confident they
will attain their goals and 32% more likely to feel in control of their lives.
IMPROVE YOUR MEETINGS
Always take a few minutes after each meeting to evaluate how it went. Jot down what you will
do differently the next time to improve the process.
DO WHAT YOU DO BEST AND DELEGATE THE REST

People spend 80% of their time doing things at which they are second best. Don't try to do
everything yourself. Success is determined by what you can successfully control, not by what
you can do personally.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Five Minute Test For A Balanced Life
Five Minute Test For A Balanced Life
Do you have balance in your life? If you feel as if you are running in circles and are not
spending enough of your precious time and energy on the things that count. If you are spending
all of your time at your job or taking care of your family and you don't know how to allot time
for each so that you are not stretched, you may feel that certain things are missing from your
life. If you have a very active social life you may find that your work is suffering or your family
is neglected. When you focus too much on one area of your life and neglect other area, you
may have key elements missing from your life and that could affect your ability to find
enjoyment and to feel positive about yourself.
When you life is balanced, all of the different aspects of your life will fall into place. Your
priorities will shift so that the things that count rise to the top. When you struggle through
each day, you can lose your focus on the big picture. However, when you spend the right
amount of time and energy on the right things in your life, you will achieve balance.
Take this five minute test to see what areas of your life need balance. See where you need to
direct your attention, you just may surprise yourself!
HOW THE TEST WORKS
To set up, draw six sections in a triangle or pie shaped, and arrange them in the typical circular
pattern. Make sure that each section is large enough so that you can label it. When you have
completed this exercise you will have created a graph to will show how balanced your life is by
plotting each aspect of your life.
Label each section to reflect each of the main areas of your life. Some possibilities may be
HEALTH, FAMILY, WORK, SPIRITUALITY, RELAXATION, EDUCATION, RECREATION, VOLUNTEER
WORK and HOME. Tailor it work for your life and the things that are important to you.
As you label each section, take time to reflect on how satisfied you are with the time and
effort that you allot each area of your life. The inner point or tip of the pie shape shows where
you are least satisfied. The wider outer edge shows where you are most or completely
satisfied. Place a dot in the area of the wedge that indicates your level of satisfaction.
WHAT DOES THE TEST TELL YOU?
Once you have completed all of your sections, connect the dots so that you form a complete
circle.
Now look at your graph. Did you form a perfect circle or is it lopsided? Can you identify an area
of your life that you have been ignoring? Reflect on that. Do you spend your time taking good
care of your health? Do you eat healthy, exercise regularly or manage an illness? How about
your home, is it clean and comfortable or are you forever wading through clutter? Does your
work satisfy you? Is your income enough so that your expenses are met? How is your family life?
Do you take time to be with your children and have quiet time with your spouse? Do you need
to reconsider your spiritual needs or would furthering your education help you better fulfill
your life? Evaluate the peaks and valleys of your graph and see where you need to take action.
If there are areas of your life that you have been neglecting it may be causing you to feel
frustrated or unfulfilled. While it is impossible to achieve complete satisfaction in every single
area of our life when there are extenuating circumstances that are beyond your control, but
when you identify the areas of your life that require your time an attention, it can help you
move toward a happier, more peaceful and, yes, balanced life.
Doing Two Things At Once
Doing Two Things At Once

Use this time management technique with caution
A classic example of performing two tasks at the same time took place on the train from New
York to Connecticut. A management consultant, observing people wasting time doing nothing
or engaging in low-priority tasks such as reading during the long commute to work, decided to
start a commuter classroom. He offered courses in everything from history to accounting in a
special car, even awarding college credits for successful completion. This college on rails
combined two essential activities, commuting and self-development.
Many people spend more time waiting in supermarket lines than they have spent in schools
getting an education. Which brings up the time management technique of combining two
activities to save time. Are there any jobs that you can perform simultaneously?
Before you run off and start eating breakfast while jogging through the park, be warned that
certain activities should not be paired. And although scientists claim certain tasks can be
performed simultaneously because they use different sides of the brain, seldom can both tasks
be performed as efficiently. People who promote "a book in every bathroom" probably spend
twice as long in the bathroom. And stapling papers while watching TV is great until an
attention-demanding scene results in a stapled left thumb.
Usually things that are so simplistic they can be performed by rote, or things that require the
attention of different senses, such as peeling potatoes while listening to tapes, are okay. But
even then you may find yourself peeling the same potato twice. So keep in mind the impact of
an error. Using the cellular phone while manipulating your way through traffic, for instance,
could have disastrous consequences.
For a great majority of people, waiting time could be put to productive use. For example, the
Roper Organization asked the question, "What would you do with four extra hours a day?" A
whopping 33 percent said they would spend the time reading (Psychology Today, Jan/Feb,
1989). This reveals the importance of reading in the minds of a third of the individuals polled.
And yet it is being neglected due to and evident lack of time. Another survey conducted by Elys
McLeand-Ibrahim and reported in USA Today indicated that 16% of men and 12% of women don't
read any books at all. 21% of men and 17% of women read three books or fewer each year. This
is sad if they indeed want to read but simply don't have the time. It is a matter of combining
activities. They should utilize travel time, commuting time, waiting time etc., for reading. If
they could utilize an hour of waiting time each day reading books, an hour each day over a ten-
year period would provide over 3,650 hours of reading time. A lot of books could be read in
that period of time.
Although some waiting time could not be utilized for anything, many hours of wasted time
could be salvaged with a little planning. Anticipate the likelihood of a long wait and be
prepared to combine the wait with an activity that might otherwise be neglected. If we indeed
spend five years of our lives in line-ups, let's at least make that time count.
Here are some examples of tasks that some people claim can be performed simultaneously. You
may have your own favorites. But make sure they do save you time. Dragging out the jobs, or
correcting errors, or missing vital information, or becoming involved in a safety problem or
injury could quickly wipe out any time saved.
v Dispensing with junk mail while on the telephone or watching TV.
v Stapling papers or collating reports while listening to tapes or the radio.
v Using a car phone while driving on a highway or waiting in a parked car.
v Listening to educational tapes while driving or commuting via train, bus, subway.
v Reading or listening to tapes while exercising (stationary bicycle, jogging.)
v Planning while doing menial tasks such as cleaning the garage, making beds.
v Dictating reports, to-do lists, ideas, etc,. while driving, jogging, or walking.
v Doing mini-exercises and stretches while in meetings or working at a desk.
v Thinking, planning, formulating speeches or articles while in the shower or bath.
v Reading magazine articles or working on paperwork while waiting in doctors' offices.
v Planning the day while walking or driving to work.
v There are many more, such as cleaning the bathtub while taking a shower, or
memorizing scripture or poetry while doing housework; but you get the idea.
If it works for you, do it; but be aware of any consequences.

Friday, November 30, 2007
The 12 Competencies of a Trainer
The 12 Competencies of a Trainer
Ü Assessing Needs and Entering Behavior

Ü Analyzing Participants and Situations
Ü Applying Classroom Facilitation Skills
Ü Maintaining Adult Relationships
Ü Building toward Transfer Training
Ü Managing Classroom Time Effectively
Ü Setting Objectives and Terminal Behavior
Ü Eliciting Relevant Responses and Testing
Ü Forming Questions and Probes Effectively
Ü Giving Feedback and Reinforcement
Ü Getting All Learners to Participate
Ü Displaying Good Flow, Logic, and Organization
Top 6 Secrets to Mastering Communication
Communicating with others is an essential skill in business dealings, family affairs, and
romantic relationships, and is an essential part of any personal development effort. Do you
often find yourself misunderstanding others? Do you have difficulty getting your point across
clearly? When it comes to communication, what you say and what you don't say are equally
important. Being a good listener is quite crucial.
In my quest to become a better communicator, I came across a few things I will have to
overcome before I succeed:
Challenge 1
Listen more carefully and responsively. Listen first and acknowledge what you hear, even if you
don't agree with it, before expressing your experience or point of view. In order to get more of
your conversation partner's attention in tense situations, pay attention first: listen and give a
brief restatement of what you have heard (especially feelings) before you express your own
needs or position. The kind of listening recommended here separates acknowledging from
approving or agreeing.
Challenge 2
Explain your conversational intent and invite consent. In order to help your conversation
partner cooperate with you and to reduce possible misunderstandings, start important
conversations by inviting your conversation partner to join you in the specific kind of
conversation you want to have. The more the conversation is going to mean to you, the more
important it is for your conversation partner to understand the big picture. Many successful
communicators begin special conversations with a preface that goes something like: "I would
like to talk with you for a few minutes about [subject matter]. When would be a good time?"
The exercise for this step will encourage you to expand your list of possible conversations and
to practice starting a wide variety of them.
Challenge 3
Express yourself more clearly and completely. Slow down and give your listeners more
information about what you are experiencing by using a wide range of "I-statements." One way
to help get more of your listener's empathy is to express more of the five basic dimensions of
your experience: Here is an example using one of the five main "I-messages" identified by
various researchers over the past half century: What are you seeing, hearing or otherwise
sensing?/ "When I saw the dishes in the sink..."
Challenge 4
Translate your (and other people's) complaints and criticisms into specific requests, and explain
your requests. In order to get more cooperation from others, whenever possible ask for what
you want by using specific, action-oriented, positive language rather than by using
generalizations, "why's" ,"don'ts" or "somebody should's." Help your listeners comply by
explaining your requests with a "so that...", "it would help me to... if you would..." or "in order
to..." Also, when you are receiving criticism and complaints from others, translate and restate
the complaints as action requests. ....").
Challenge 5
Ask questions more "openendedly" and more creatively. "Openendedly...":

In order to coordinate our life and work with the lives and work of other people, we all need to
know more of what other people are feeling and thinking, wanting and planning. But our usual
"yes/no" questions actually tend to shut people up rather than opening them up. In order to
encourage your conversation partners to share more of their thoughts and feelings, ask "open-
ended" rather than "yes/no" questions. Open-ended questions allow for a wide range of
responses. For example, asking "How did you like that food/movie /speech/doctor/etc.?" will
evoke a more detailed response than "Did you like it?" (which could be answered with a simple
"yes" or "no"). In the first part of Challenge Five we explore asking a wide range of open-ended
questions.
Challenge 6
Express more appreciation.
To build more satisfying relationships with the people around you, express more appreciation,
delight, affirmation, encouragement and gratitude. Because life continually requires us to
attend to problems and breakdowns, it gets very easy to see in life only what is broken and
needs fixing. But satisfying relationships (and a happy life) require us to notice and respond to
what is delightful, excellent, enjoyable, to work well done, to food well cooked, etc. It is
appreciation that makes a relationship strong enough to accommodate differences and
disagreements. Thinkers and researchers in several different fields have reached similar
conclusions about this: healthy relationships need a core of mutual appreciation.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Time to Grip a BOSS Who Steals Credit
Time to Grip a BOSS Who Steals Credit

Source: Internet; Author: Unknown
YOU'VE Worked Weekends, put in the longest hours and gone over every last detail time
and again to ensure that your project presentation is as perfect as it can be. And right on
schedule, you've handed it to your superior to present on your behalf at the board meeting.
But even as you sit back, confident of the compliments pouring in, your boss saunters out
beaming, as the company's top brass congratulate him on a job well-done. You, on the other
hand, don't even merit a mention! Surprised? Fuming with anger? Like many others out
there, it's been your misfortune to be saddled with a boss of the type better known as a
credit stealer. A common enough situation… But nonetheless, still a mighty hard cross to
bear. Specially when your boss is a master at never giving credit to subordinates and
declares every good idea, as his own!
So, what does one do in a situation like this? The first instinct, naturally, would be to blow a
fuse. But that's obviously not the smartest option. Not if you want to continue in the same
workplace, that is. It's far better to try and resolve things in a tactful manner, so you don't
end up pushing the wrong buttons, and yet get credit where credit is due. Here are some
quick fixes on how to handle him!
Protect Your Work…

Get together with other colleagues whose ideas he steals and try and come up with
solutions. For instance, instead of sharing ideas with your boss in private, you could present
them at meetings where the minutes are recorded. Alternatively, you could write memos
about ideas you have discussed and forward copies to the overall boss as well as other
colleagues. Or keep things in writing, be it on paper or e-mail. So you can forward the
original to your superior and another copy to his boss. That way, there's no risk of your
ideas not being credited to you.
Play it Smart…
Your ideas are obviously good, which is why the boss is stealing them. But it also means that
he is probably insecure about his own abilities and may feel that you pose a threat. Try and
turn this situation to your own advantage. Your boss is obviously not getting enough praise
for his own ideas. Make it a point to admire your boss' work and ask him for suggestions on
how you can polish up your own and deliver better results. Showing him some respect may
just throw him pleasantly off balance and turn the situation into a less combative one.
Develop a Rapport…
Try and develop a rapport with the boss by finding out areas where the two of you can
relate to each other. Create a situation wherein you make him understand that good work on
your part makes him look good as well. Especially when you regularly emphasise, how
encouraging your Boss is!
Report to Bosses Boss…

It's surely the last resort. But things may get to that point where no other methods work,
and your boss continues to palm off your ideas as his own. In this case, you may have to
report your boss' behaviour to his supervisor. And then hope for the best. There are a few
organisations which are open to taking proactive action but be prepared for the possibility
of getting branded as a trouble-maker.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Is Marketing and Advertising the Same Thing?
Is Marketing and Advertising the Same Thing?
Advertising is only a part of the bigger game called Marketing. Marketing encompasses
complete conceptualization of a brand, right from research to designing to advertising to sale.
Advertising, on the other hand is a component of the marketing process which is nothing but
conveying the message through a variety of mediums which promote the product.
Advertising is one of the most important components of a marketing strategy and also the most
expensive. Advertising constitutes sending the message to the public about your company,
product or services. It also constitutes 'behind the scenes' work, like the process of involving a
formation of various strategies and coming up with a right one to target the viewers. This
strategizing consists of planning things like placing ads, deciding what media outlet to use,
what time, frequency etc. The advertisements are generally placed via mediums like
television, snail mail, newspapers, internet, emails, radio, magazines, mobile messaging,
flyers, billboards etc. The most popular is of course television, although advertising on internet
is becoming increasingly popular too.
The easiest way to differentiate advertising from marketing is to consider marketing as if it

were a whole cake. If you cut the cake in pieces, advertising would be one of the pieces of that
cake. The other pieces of that cake are market research of the product, product designing,
media planning, PR, product pricing, customer satisfaction, customer support, sales and many
more. All these components or pieces of cake should work independently but collectively in
achieving the bigger goal i.e. sell product and build the company's reputation in the
marketplace.
Marketing is a marathon process involving many tasks that involve hours, sometimes days of
research. The research part of marketing takes the longest time to complete, as it involves
thoroughly understanding the behavior of people towards a product. Designing the product and
developing advertising strategy is also a time consuming process. The only components that
take less time are executing the advertisements and sales. Marketing can also be perceived as
a medium between consumers and the company.
Many companies often make the mistake of confusing advertising with marketing. They try to
appear to be as big as companies like Coke and Pepsi in advertising but they simply ignore the
work that goes behind that. A classical example of this is to take a look at the company logo.
Many business owners are so hysterical about the logo of their company in their advertisements
that they think that it will simply bring in huge sales. But what makes a logo work is none other
than the reputation of the company. The logo must have a feeling attached to it and should
truly reflect the company's values.
We should also remember that some companies spend fortunes on advertising, which a new
start up business just can't normally do. Rather than spending unnecessary money on branding
your product, one should invest money and time in communicating to the consumers to address
the expectations. After building up a reputation and growing a company, you can begin to think
up these lavish ideas. Educating the consumers also helps, as it will give them an understanding
that you know what your doing and you are the best at what you are doing.
Smart marketers are aggressive in approach rather than passive. They provoke reader's minds
by prompting them to do something, rather than just making them knowledgeable of the
product.
Smart marketers also bring home the names, addresses and contact numbers of people who are
really interested in hiring your company by employing aggressive marketing. Thus, having a
good marketing campaign speaks a lot about a company and their products. Advertising gives
that finishing touch to the hard work completed by marketers successfully selling a product.

Thursday, November 22, 2007
Communicating with others is an essential skill in business dealings, family affairs, and
romantic relationships, and is an essential part of any personal development effort. Do you
often find yourself misunderstanding others? Do you have difficulty getting your point across
clearly? When it comes to communication, what you say and what you don't say are equally
important. Being a good listener is quite crucial.
In my quest to become a better communicator, I came across a few things I will have to
overcome before I succeed:
Challenge 1
Listen more carefully and responsively. Listen first and acknowledge what you hear, even if you
don't agree with it, before expressing your experience or point of view. In order to get more of
your conversation partner's attention in tense situations, pay attention first: listen and give a
brief restatement of what you have heard (especially feelings) before you express your own
needs or position. The kind of listening recommended here separates acknowledging from
approving or agreeing.
Challenge 2
Explain your conversational intent and invite consent. In order to help your conversation
partner cooperate with you and to reduce possible misunderstandings, start important
conversations by inviting your conversation partner to join you in the specific kind of
conversation you want to have. The more the conversation is going to mean to you, the more
important it is for your conversation partner to understand the big picture. Many successful
communicators begin special conversations with a preface that goes something like: "I would
like to talk with you for a few minutes about [subject matter]. When would be a good time?"
The exercise for this step will encourage you to expand your list of possible conversations and
to practice starting a wide variety of them.
Challenge 3
Express yourself more clearly and completely. Slow down and give your listeners more
information about what you are experiencing by using a wide range of "I-statements." One way
to help get more of your listener's empathy is to express more of the five basic dimensions of
your experience: Here is an example using one of the five main "I-messages" identified by
various researchers over the past half century: What are you seeing, hearing or otherwise
sensing?/ "When I saw the dishes in the sink..."
Challenge 4
Translate your (and other people's) complaints and criticisms into specific requests, and explain
your requests. In order to get more cooperation from others, whenever possible ask for what
you want by using specific, action-oriented, positive language rather than by using
generalizations, "why's" ,"don'ts" or "somebody should's." Help your listeners comply by
explaining your requests with a "so that...", "it would help me to... if you would..." or "in order
to..." Also, when you are receiving criticism and complaints from others, translate and restate
the complaints as action requests. ....").
Challenge 5
Ask questions more "openendedly" and more creatively. "Openendedly...":

In order to coordinate our life and work with the lives and work of other people, we all need to
know more of what other people are feeling and thinking, wanting and planning. But our usual
"yes/no" questions actually tend to shut people up rather than opening them up. In order to
encourage your conversation partners to share more of their thoughts and feelings, ask "open-
ended" rather than "yes/no" questions. Open-ended questions allow for a wide range of
responses. For example, asking "How did you like that food/movie /speech/doctor/etc.?" will
evoke a more detailed response than "Did you like it?" (which could be answered with a simple
"yes" or "no"). In the first part of Challenge Five we explore asking a wide range of open-ended
questions.
Challenge 6
Express more appreciation.
To build more satisfying relationships with the people around you, express more appreciation,
delight, affirmation, encouragement and gratitude. Because life continually requires us to
attend to problems and breakdowns, it gets very easy to see in life only what is broken and
needs fixing. But satisfying relationships (and a happy life) require us to notice and respond to
what is delightful, excellent, enjoyable, to work well done, to food well cooked, etc. It is
appreciation that makes a relationship strong enough to accommodate differences and
disagreements. Thinkers and researchers in several different fields have reached similar
conclusions about this: healthy relationships need a core of mutual appreciation.

How Different Personalities Deal with Change
How Different Personalities Deal with Change
The book "Who Moved My Cheese" by Spencer Johnson and Kenneth Blanchard is a 98-page look
at the various ways that we react to change. In the book, there are two mice and two mice-
size humans and we see how each reacts when their cheese has been moved -- not just moved,
but no longer in sight.
We all react differently to change:
Ü Some readily adapt

Ü Some ignore it and hope that life will return to the status quo
Ü Others actively seek it out
As a person, your success, or failure, depends in part on how well you adapt to change. Do you
run screaming like a banshee towards it, ready to conquer? Or do you go sit in a closet, close
your eyes and wait for it to go away, hoping that everything will return to "normal"?
The most successful entrepreneurs not only embrace change, they actively seek it out knowing
that greater fulfillment, greater success and greater profits come with constant adaptation to
the market.
My personal experience has led me to reengineer my business three times so far (and I'm in the
process of doing it again) with fabulous results; as I start down one path, things have happened
that open my eyes to another path -- one I may not have been ready or able to see previously.
My business is ever-evolving and I wouldn't have it any other way. Stagnant 9-to-5, do the same
thing every day work, stay in the same company for 20 years work is not for me...I'd rather
have a root canal without Novocain.
How about you? Are you a:
Dynamic Dan
Dan actively searches for things to change in order to engineer his perfect life. He runs about
shaking trees to see what will fall out and how he can use that information to his advantage.
Opportunistic Oliver
Oliver doesn't particularly love change, but knows to look for the opportunities that abound
whenever it occurs. In the corporate world, Oliver is the guy who rises to manager almost
overnight and no one knows how or why this happened (he saw an opportunity and JUMPED on
it). In the entrepreneurial world, Oliver sells dry wood and hot meals from a cart he pulls
through the campground on an unexpected rainy day. He looks at any change and finds the
opportunity that lies within.
Scared Susie
Every time change roars its head, Susie can be found hiding and wishing that everything would
stay as it was and that she doesn't need to learn new skills or improve old ones. Susie is usually
blaming someone, anyone, else for the change in order to justify her hiding. In her world,
change is something to be feared. Susie can often be found working in the same job, in the
same company until she is forced out.
Most of us tend to fall into either the "Oliver" or "Susie" personality mode with the occasional
"Dynamic Dan" appearance. Change is not going away - if anything, the rate at which it happens
is exponentially increasing - especially with the internet. In order to succeed, you must be able
to anticipate, deal with and adapt to change and the sooner, the better.
One of the most important things is to look at the situation objectively and understand that
you have control over your thoughts and how you react to the change. How you think about the
change will determine whether you are an "Opportunistic Oliver" or a "Scared Susie". It's your
life - take control!

Tuesday, November 20, 2007
WHAT - WHEN - WHICH - WHY - WHERE - HOW
WHAT - WHEN - WHICH - WHY - WHERE - HOW

Let others speak
Of course, there is more to a conversation (managed or otherwise) than the flow of

information. You may also have to win that information by winning the attention and
confidence of the other person. There are many forms of flattery - the most effective is to give
people your interest. To get Gretchen to give you all her knowledge, you must give her all your
attention; talk to her about her view on the subject. Ask questions: what do you think about
that idea, have you ever met this problem before, how would you tackle this situation?
Silence is effective - and much under-used . People are nervous of silence and try to fill it. You
can use this if you are seeking information. You ask the question, you lean back, the person
answers, you nod and smile, you keep quiet, and the person continues with more detail simply
to fill your silence.
To finish
At the end of a conversation, you have to give people a clear understanding of the outcome.
For instance, if there has been a decision, restate it clearly (just to be sure) in terms of what
should happen and by when; if you have been asking questions, summarize the significant (for
you) aspects of what you have learnt.
MEETING MANAGEMENT - PREPARATION

In any organization, "meetings" are a vital part of the organization of work and the flow of
information. They act as a mechanism for gathering together resources from many sources and
pooling then towards a common objective. They are disliked and mocked because they are
usually futile, boring, time-wasting, dull, and inconvenient with nothing for most people to do
except doodle while some opinionated has-been extols the virtues of his/her last great
(misunderstood) idea. Your challenge is to break this mould and to make your meetings
effective. As with every other managed activity, meetings should be planned beforehand,
monitored during for effectiveness, and reviewed afterwards for improving their management.
A meeting is the ultimate form of managed conversation; as a manager, you can organize the
information and structure of the meeting to support the effective communication of the
participants. Some of the ideas below may seem a little too precise for an easy going, relaxed,
semi-informal team atmosphere - but if you manage to gain a reputation for holding decisive,
effective meetings, then people will value this efficiency and to prepare professionally so that
their contribution will be heard.
Should you cancel?
As with all conversations, you must first ask: is it worth your time? If the meeting involves the
interchange of views and the communication of the current status of related projects, then you
should be generous with your time. But you should always consider canceling a meeting which
has little tangible value.
Who should attend?
You must be strict. A meeting loses its effectiveness if too many people are involved: so if
someone has no useful function, explain this and suggest that they do not come. Notice, they
may disagree with your assessment, in which case they should attend (since they may know
something you do not); however, most people are only too happy to be released from yet
another meeting.
How long?
It may seem difficult to predict the length of a discussion - but you must. Discussions tend to
fill the available time which means that if the meeting is open-ended, it will drift on forever.
You should stipulate a time for the end of the meeting so that everyone knows, and everyone
can plan the rest of their day with confidence.
It is wise to make this expectation known to everyone involved well in advance and to remind
them at the beginning of the meeting. There is often a tendency to view meetings as a little
relaxation since no one person has to be active throughout. You can redress this view by
stressing the time-scale and thus forcing the pace of the discussion: "this is what we have to
achieve, this is how long we have to get it done".
If some unexpected point arises during the meeting then realize that since it is unexpected: 1)
you might not have the right people present, 2) those there may not have the necessary
information, and 3) a little thought might save a lot of discussion. If the new discussion looks
likely to be more than a few moments, stop it and deal with the agreed agenda. The new topic
should then be dealt with at another "planned" meeting.
Agenda
The purpose of an agenda is to inform participants of the subject of the meeting in advance,
and to structure the discussion at the meeting itself. To inform people beforehand, and to
solicit ideas, you should circulate a draft agenda and ask for notice of any other business. Still
before the meeting, you should then send the revised agenda with enough time for people to
prepare their contributions. If you know in advance that a particular participant either needs
information or will be providing information, then make this explicitly clear so that there is no
confusion.
The agenda states the purpose of each section of the meeting. There will be an outcome from
each section. If that outcome is so complex that it can not be summarized in a few points, then
it was probably too complex to be assimilated by the participants. The understanding of the
meeting should be sufficiently precise that it can be summarized in short form - so display that
summary for all other interested parties to see. This form of display will emphasize to all that
meetings are about achieving defined goals - this will help you to continue running efficient
meetings in the future.
MEETING MANAGEMENT - CONDUCTING

Whether you actually sit as the Chair or simply lead from the side-lines, as the manager you
must provide the necessary support to coordinate the contributions of the participants. The
degree of control which you exercise over the meeting will vary throughout; if you get the
structure right at the beginning, a meeting can effectively run itself especially if the
participants know each other well. In a team, your role may be partially undertaken by others;
but if not, you must manage.
Maintaining Communication
Your most important tools are:
Ü • Clarification - always clarify: the purpose of the meeting, the time allowed, the rules
to be observed (if agreed) by everyone.
Ü • Summary - at each stage of the proceedings, you should summarize the current
position and progress: this is what we have achieved/agreed, this is where we have
reached.
Ü • Focus on stated goals - at each divergence or pause, re-focus the proceedings on the
original goals.
Code of conduct
In any meeting, it is possible to begin the proceedings by establishing a code of conduct, often
by merely stating it and asking for any objections (which will only be accepted if a
demonstrably better system is proposed). Thus if the group contains opinionated wind-bags,
you might all agree at the onset that all contributions should be limited to two minutes (which
focuses the mind admirably). You can then impose this with the full backing of the whole
group.
Matching method to purpose
The (stated) purpose of a meeting may suggest to you a specific way of conducting the event,
and each section might be conducted differently. For instance, if the purpose is:
Ü • to convey information, the meeting might begin with a formal presentation followed
by questions
Ü • to seek information, the meeting would start with a short (clear) statement of the
topic/problem and then an open discussion supported by notes on a display, or a formal
brainstorming session
Ü • to make a decision, the meeting might review the background and options, establish
the criteria to be applied, agree who should make the decision and how, and then do it
Ü • to ratify/explain decisions, etc etc
Ü As always, once you have paused to ask yourself the questions: what is the purpose of
the meeting and how can it be most effectively achieved; your common sense will then
suggest a working method to expedite the proceedings. You just have to deliberately
pause. Manage the process of the meeting and the meeting will work.
Support
The success of a meeting will often depend upon the confidence with which the individuals will
participate. Thus all ideas should be welcome. No one should be laughed at or dismissed
("laughed with" is good, "laughed at" is destructive). This means that even bad ideas should be
treated seriously - and at least merit a specific reason for not being pursued further. Not only
is this supportive to the speaker, it could also be that a good idea has been misunderstood and
would be lost if merely rejected. But basically people should be able to make naive
contributions without being made to feel stupid, otherwise you may never hear the best ideas
of all.
Avoid direct criticism of any person. For instance, if someone has not come prepared then that
fault is obvious to all. If you leave the criticism as being simply that implicit in the peer
pressure, then it is diffuse and general; if you explicitly rebuke that person, then it is personal
and from you (which may raise unnecessary conflict). You should merely seek an undertaking
for the missing preparation to be done: we need to know this before we can proceed, could you
circulate it to us by tomorrow lunch?
Responding to problems
The rest of this section is devoted to ideas of how you might deal with the various problems
associated with the volatile world of meetings. Some are best undertaken by the designated
Chair; but if he/she is ineffective, or if no one has been appointed, you should feel free to help
any meeting to progress. After all, why should you allow your time to be wasted.
Ü If a participant strays from the agenda item, call him/her back: "we should deal with
that separately, but what do you feel about the issue X?"
Ü If there is confusion, you might ask: "do I understand correctly that ...?"
Ü If the speaker begins to ramble, wait until an inhalation of breath and jump in: "yes I
understand that such and such, does any one disagree?"
Ü If a point is too woolly or too vague ask for greater clarity: "what exactly do you have in
mind?"
Ü If someone interrupts (someone other than a rambler), you should suggest that: "we
hear your contribution after Gretchen has finished."
Ü If people chat, you might either simply state your difficulty in hearing/concentrating on
the real speaker. or ask them a direct question: "what do you think about that point."
Ü If someone gestures disagreement with the speaker (e.g. by a grimace), then make sure
they are brought into the discussion next: "what do you think Gretchen?"
Ü If you do not understand, say so: "I do not understand that, would you explain it a little
more; or do you mean X or Y?"
Ü If there is an error, look for a good point first: "I see how that would work if X Y Z, but
what would happen if A B C?"
Ü If you disagree, be very specific: "I disagree because ..."
CONCLUDING REMARKS
The tower of Babel collapsed because people could no longer communicate; their speech
became so different that no one could understand another. You need to communicate to
coordinate your own work and that of others; without explicit effort your conversation will lack
communication and so your work too will collapse though misunderstanding and error. The key
is to treat a conversation as you would any other managed activity: by establishing an aim,
planning what to do, and checking afterwards that you have achieved that aim. Only in this
way can you work effectively with others in building through common effort.
The TOP 40 Time Management Tips
The TOP 40 Time Management Tips
1. PERSIST FOR 21 DAYS: When building a habit, don't allow yourself to slip that first time.
Slip once and it's easier to slip again.
2. MOTIVATION TO ACHIEVE GOALS: Tell others about your goals. The fear of
embarrassment if you back out should strengthen your commitment.
3. PROCESS OF DELEGATION: Delegation is a process whereby a higher authority

exchanges a given weight of authority and responsibility or an equal weight of
obligation and accountability. First, determine the responsibility, then the amount of
authority needed to carry it out.
4. WE CAN'T DO IT ALL: Reserve your yeses for the priorities and say no to the others.
5. MEAL TIME: Arranging all tools and ingredients on the counter before cooking a meal
can save between 10 to 27 minutes
6. on meal preparation time.
7. THE KEY TO EFFECTIVENESS: The quality of your effort will determine the quantity of
your results.
8. YOUR WORKPLACE IS IMPORTANT: Workers using good quality adjustable furniture did
10% better at data entry than members in a control group.
9. PACKING TIP: Zip lock bags are handy items to take along on a trip to house cosmetics,
medications, foreign change, wet bathing suit etc.
10. VALUE OF PLANNING: Spending 10 to 15 minutes every morning mapping out your day
can save up to 6 hours a week.
11. DEFINITION: Procrastination: The art of keeping up with yesterday.

12. HASTE MAKES WASTE: Most women spend half an hour a day duplicating tasks due to
haste.
13. DON'T SKIP BREAKFAST: Skipping breakfast deprives your brain of the energy it needs to
function at its best.
14. SLOWING THE PACE OF TIME: If you're really enjoying yourself, getting lost in the
activity of the moment, time does not progress in equal units.
15. OVERTIME CAN DECREASE PRODUCTIVITY: Overtime was not cost effective since after
ten straight hours of work, fatigue sets in and procrastination plummets.
16. WORD PROCESSING SHORTCUT: To change caps to lower case, hold down the Shift key
and press F3 with the cursor on the word you want changed. Keep pushing to go from
lower case to upper and lower case.
17. LAW OF COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE: You should assign, delegate or outsource any job
that can be done at a wage or cost less than you earn.
18. TALK IT OUT: Discussing problems with others eases stress. Perhaps that's why married
people live longer than single people.
19. LIMIT YOUR GOALS: Too many goals leads to frustration & stress. Five major goals each
year worked well. Limit your goals and maintain focus.
20. EAT LIGHT LUNCHES FOR PEAK PERFORMANCE: People who ate large lunches performed
worse than those who had eaten only a sandwich. Alertness and efficiency are at low
ebb about two hours after one begins eating lunch.
21. PREVENTING UPWARD DELEGATION: You distribute a policy that staff may interrupt you
if a. They have a decision to make that exceeds their authority, b. They require
information that can only be obtained from you.c. They are really truly stumped.
22. ON THE ROAD: The average person spends 73 minutes a day behind the wheel. The
temptation is to use the time productively with such things as cell phone calls and
educational audiotapes. But don't do anything that will decrease your awareness of the
road conditions, traffic and surroundings. Safety is a good investment of time.
23. KEEPING IN TOUCH: So you won't forget to send cards to some of your friends and to
save writing time, prepare a set or two of pre-addressed, self-adhesive labels before
leaving on your trip.
24. A MANAGER'S TIME: If you're too busy to manage, you're too busy to be a manager.
Managers must take the time to plan, organize, staff, direct, control and innovate.
25. IT TAKES 21 DAYS TO FORM A HABIT: When putting time management ideas into
practice, give them time. Nothing kills motivation like impatience.
26. REDUCE TELEPHONE TIME: When someone starts to read figures, information or
instructions over the phone, ask them to fax or e-mail the information to you instead.
27. RELAX THROUGH READING: Reading takes us away from our problems, giving us a mini-
Vacation.
28. THE TIP OF YOUR NO'S: A tip for saying no is to be polite, firm and helpful such as, I'm
sorry but I couldn't possibly take on another activity at this time. Have you considered
contacting the college about their work experience program?
29. FAMILY DAYS: If you are a working parent and hard pressed to get quality time with
your child, consider a family day together periodically, such as on the child's birthday,
when you can take a day off school and work and spend the day at the park, zoo or
some entertainment center.
30. MULTITASKING ON THE ROAD: It is reported that 71.4% of the drivers in a study were
either eating or drinking while driving. 45.7% were grooming, 40% were reading or
writing, and 34% were talking on the cell phone. Driver inattention is the number one
cause of traffic crashes. So it's a costly way of saving time.
31. FORGET WHERE YOU PUT THINGS?: People with a diastolic blood pressure above 90
often have difficulty remembering and learning new tasks.
32. BIG WORDS WASTE TIME: Keep your writing simple. If your message is not understood,
communication has not taken place.
33. MOTIVATION TO GET ORGANIZED: The closer the reward is to the expenditure of effort,
the greater the motivation. When getting organized, start by applying ideas that will
produce immediate results.
34. PROCEDURES SAVE TIME: A procedure is a step-by-step description of how to

accomplish a specific task. If you don't have procedures, make it the responsibility of
all staff members to draw them up for the repetitive tasks they perform. You will avoid
crises and time loss during absences and facilitate new employee training.
35. DON'T DELAY DECISIONS: If a decision needs to be made, we should make it. They claim
that having an acceptable decision in time is better than having a perfect decision too
late.
36. EASE INTO THE WEEK: Going at full speed Monday morning after two days of relaxation
could stress your heart. You have a one-third greater chance of suffering a heart attack
on Monday morning than at any other time of the week.
37. ACTIVITY ANALYSIS: People have a tendency to take on additional tasks during slow
periods. This causes problems when it gets busy. Continually evaluate your activities
and eliminate those that are unimportant and bring little personal satisfaction.
38. OVERCOMING THE SLOW START: Sometimes the most difficult thing in the morning is
getting started. Never go to work without a plan of action for the day.
39. YOU CAN'T DO EVERYTHING YOURSELF: The fact that you can do a job better and faster
is not a legitimate reason to do it yourself. Always seek ways to free up time for more
important tasks through delegation and outsourcing.
40. HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY: When interrupted by someone asking if you are busy or
whether they got you at a bad time, tell the truth. Don't feel obligated to change your
schedule unless it's an emergency.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
A Precis on Leadership
A Precis on Leadership
There is a basic problem with the style of leadership advocated in this article in that nearly
every historic "Leader" one can name has had a completely different approach; Machiavelli did
not advocate being a caring Protector as a means of becoming a great leader but rather that a
Prince ought to be happy with "a reputation for being cruel in order to keep his subjects unified
and loyal". Your situation, however, is a little different. You do not have the power to execute,
nor even to banish. The workforce is rapidly gaining in sophistication as the world grows more
complex. You cannot effectively control through fear, so you must try another route. You could
possibly gain compliance and rule your team through edict; but you would lose their input and
experience, and gain only the burdens of greater decision making. You do not have the right
environment to be a despot; you gain advantage by being a team leader.
A common mistake about the image of a manager is that they must be loud, flamboyant, and a
great drinker or golfer or racket player or a great something social to draw people to them.
This is wrong. In any company, if you look hard enough, you will find quiet modest people who
manager teams with great personal success. If you are quiet and modest, fear not; all you need
is to talk clearly to the people who matter (your team) and they will hear you.
The great managers are the ones who challenge the existing complacency and who are
prepared to lead their teams forward towards a personal vision. They are the ones who
recognise problems, seize opportunities, and create their own future. Ultimately, they are the
ones who stop to think where they want to go and then have the shameless audacity to set out.

Friday, November 16, 2007
The Human Factor
The Human Factor

In the management of a small team, the human factor is crucial to success. This article
considers possible motivators and a simple framework for dealing with people.
When you are struggling with a deadline or dealing with delicate decisions, the last thing you
want to deal with is "people". When the fight is really on and the battle is undecided, you want
your team to act co-operatively, quickly, rationally; you do not want a disgruntled employee
bitching about life, you do not want a worker who avoids work, you do not want your key
engineer being tired all day because the baby cries all night. But this is what happens, and as a
manager you have to deal with it. Few "people problems" can be solved quickly, some are
totally beyond your control and can only be contained; but you do have influence over many
factors which affect your people and so it is your responsibility to ensure that your influence is
a positive one.
You can only underestimate the impact which you personally have upon the habits and
effectiveness of your group. As the leader of a team, you have the authority to sanction,
encourage or restrict most aspects of their working day, and this places you in a position of
power - and responsibility. This article looks briefly at your behaviour and at what motivates
people, because by understanding these you can adapt yourself and the work environment so
that your team and the company are both enriched. Since human psychology is a vast and
complex subject, we do not even pretend to explain it. Instead, the article then outlines a
simple model of behaviour and a systematic approach to analysing how you can exert your
influence to help your team to work.
Behaviour
Consider your behaviour. Consider the effect you would have if every morning after coffee you
walked over to Jimmy's desk and told him what he was doing wrong. Would Jimmy feel pleased
at your attention? Would he look forward to these little chats and prepare simple questions to
clarify aspects of his work? Or would he develop a Pavlovian hatred for coffee and be busy
elsewhere whenever you pass by? Of course you would never be so destructive - provided you
thought about it. And you must; for many seemingly simple habits can have a huge impact upon
your rapport with your team.
Take another example: suppose (as a good supportive manager) you often give public praise for
independence and initiative displayed by your team, and suppose (as a busy manager) you
respond brusquely to questions and interruptions; think about it, what will happen?
Probably your team will leave you alone. They will not raise problems (you will be left in the
dark), they will not question your instructions (ambiguities will remain), they will struggle on
bravely (and feel unsupported). Your simple behaviour may result in a quagmire of errors, mis-
directed activity and utter frustration. So if you do want to hear about problems, tell the team
so and react positively when you hear of problems in-time rather than too-late.
Motivation
When thinking about motivation it is important to take the long-term view. What you need is a
sustainable approach to maintain enthusiasm and commitment from your team. This is not
easy; but it is essential to your effectiveness.
Classic work on motivation was undertaken by F. Herzberg in the 1950's when he formulated
the "Motivation-Hygiene" theory. Herzberg identified several factors, such as salary levels,
working conditions and company policy, which demotivated (by being poor) rather that
motivated (by being good). For example, once a fair level of pay is established, money ceases
to be a significant motivator for long term performance. Herzberg called these the "Hygiene"
factors to apply the analogy that if the washrooms are kept clean, no one cares if they are
scrubbed even harder. The point is that you can not enhance your team's performance through
these Hygiene factors - which is fortunate since few team leaders have creative control over
company organization or remuneration packages. What you can influence is the local
environment and particularly the way in which you interact with your team.
The positive motivators identified by Herzberg are: achievement, recognition, the work itself,
responsibility, and advancement. These are what your team needs; loads-o-money is nice but
not nearly as good as being valued and trusted.
Achievement
As the manager, you set the targets - and in selecting these targets, you have a dramatic effect
upon your team's sense of achievement. If you make them too hard, the team will feel failure;
if too easy, the team feels little. Ideally, you should provide a series of targets which are easily
recognised as stages towards the ultimate completion of the task. Thus progress is punctuated
and celebrated with small but marked achievements. If you stretch your staff, they know you
know they can meet that challenge.
Recognition
Recognition is about feeling appreciated. It is knowing that what you do is seen and noted, and
preferably by the whole team as well as by you, the manager. In opposite terms, if people do
something well and then feel it is ignored - they will not bother to do it so well next time
(because "no one cares").
The feedback you give your team about their work is fundamental to their motivation. They
should know what they do well (be positive), what needs improving (be constructive) and what
is expected of them in the future (something to aim at). And while this is common sense, ask
yourself how many on your team know these things, right now? Perhaps more importantly, for
which of your team could you write these down now (try it)?
Your staff need to know where they stand, and how they are performing against your
(reasonable) expectations. You can achieve this through a structured review system, but such
systems often become banal formalities with little or no communication. The best time to give
feedback is when the event occurs. Since it can impact greatly, the feedback should be honest,
simple, and always constructive. If in doubt, follow the simple formula of:
1. highlight something good
2. point out what needs improving
3. suggest how to improve
You must always look for something positive to say, if only to offer some recognition of the
effort which has been put into the work. When talking about improvements, be specific: this is
what is wrong, this is what I want/need, this is how you should work towards it. Never say
anything as unhelpful or uninformative as "do better" or "shape up" - if you cannot be specific
and say how, then keep quiet. While your team will soon realize that this IS a formula, they
will still enjoy the benefits of the information (and training). You must not stint in praising
good work. If you do not acknowledge it, it may not be repeated simply because no one knew
you approved.
The work itself

The work itself should be interesting and challenging. Interesting because this makes your staff
actually engage their attention; challenging because this maintains the interest and provides a
sense of personal achievement when the job is done. But few managers have only interesting,
challenging work to distribute: there is always the boring and mundane to be done. This is a
management problem for you to solve. You must actually consider how interesting are the tasks
you assign and how to deal with the boring ones. Here are two suggestions.
Firstly, make sure that everyone (including yourself) has a share of the interesting and of the
dull. This is helped by the fact that what is dull to some might be new and fascinating to others
- so match tasks to people, and possibly share the worst tasks around. For instance, taking
minutes in meetings is dull on a weekly basis but quite interesting/educational once every six
weeks (and also heightens a sense of responsibility). Secondly, if the task is dull perhaps the
method can be changed - by the person given the task. This turns dull into challenging, adds
responsibility, and might even improve the efficiency of the team.
Responsibility
Of all of Herzberg's positive motivators, responsibility is the most lasting. One reason is that
gaining responsibility is itself seen as an advancement which gives rise to a sense of
achievement and can also improve the work itself: a multiple motivation! Assigning
responsibility is a difficult judgement since if the person is not confident and capable enough,
you will be held responsible for the resulting failure. Indeed, delegating responsibility deserves
another article in itself (see the article on Delegation).
Advancement
There are two types of advancement: the long-term issues of promotion, salary rises, job
prospects; and the short-term issues (which you control) of increased responsibility, the
acquisition of new skills, broader experience. Your team members will be looking for the
former, you have to provide the latter and convince them that these are necessary (and
possibly sufficient) steps for the eventual advancement they seek. As a manager, you must
design the work assignment so that each member of the team feels: "I'm learning, I'm getting
on".
Problems
We are going to look at a simple system for addressing people-problems. It is a step-by-step
procedure which avoids complex psychological models (which few managers can/should handle)
and which focuses upon tangible (and so controllable) quantities.
One work of warning: this technique is often referred to as Behavioural Modification (BM) and
many balk at the connotations of management-directed mind control. Do not worry. We are
simply recognising that staff behaviour IS modified by the work environment and by your
influence upon it. The technique is merely a method for analysing that influence to ensure that
it is positive and to focus it to best use.
In any group of people there are bound to be problems - as a manager, you have to solve or at
least contain them. You ignore them at your peril. Such problems are usually described in
terms like: "Alex is just lazy" or "Brenda is a bad-tempered old has-been". On the one hand,
such people can poison the working environment; the other hand, these descriptions are totally
unhelpful.
The underlying philosophy of BM is that you should concentrate upon specific, tangible actions
over which you have influence. For instance "Alex is lazy" should be transformed into "Alex is
normally late with his weekly report and achieves less than Alice does in any one week". Thus
we have a starting point and something which can be measured. No generalities; only specific,
observable behaviour.
Before proceeding, it is worth checking that the problem is real - some "problems" are more
appearance than substance, some are not worth you time and effort. So, stage 1 is to monitor
the identified problem to check that it is real and to seek simple explanations. For instance
Alex might still be helping someone with his old job.
Stage 2 is often missed - ask Alex for his solution . This sort of interview can be quite difficult
because you run the danger of making personal criticism. Now you may feel that Alex deserves
criticism, but does it actually help? Your objective is to get Alex to work well, not to indulge in
personal tyranny. If you make it personal, Alex will be defensive. He will either deny the
problem, blame someone else, blame the weather, tell you that he knows best or some
combination of the above. If, on the other hand, you present the situation in terms of the
specific events, you can focus upon Alex's own view of the problem (why is this happening?) and
Alex's own solution (what can Alex do about it - can you help?).
Stage 2 will sometimes be sufficient . If Alex had not realised there was a problem, he might
act quickly to solve it. If he had thought his behaviour would pass unnoticed, he now knows
differently. By giving Alex the responsibility for solving his own problem, you can actually
motivate him beyond the specific problem: he may suggest on improved reporting system, or a
short training course to deal with a technical short-coming. Finally, the demonstration alone
that you are interested in Alex's work may be enough to make him improve. Never assume that
you know better, always ask first - then if no solution is forthcoming, proceed to ...
Stage 3 is the analysis stage and is based upon a simple model of behaviour: every action is
preceded by a trigger, and is followed by a consequence or payoff. Thus baby is hungry
(trigger), baby wails (action), baby gets fed (payoff); or the report is due today (trigger), Alex
goes for coffee break "to think about it" (action), Alex has a relaxing afternoon (payoff).
Sometimes, good behaviour is blocked by negative payoffs. For instance, if every time Clive
informs his boss Diane about a schedule change (action), Diane vents her annoyance on Clive
(payoff), then Clive will be less inclined to approach Diane with information in the future. One
of the problems with communication in Ancient Greece was that the bearer of bad news was
often executed.
Once you have analysed the problem, stage 4 is to find a solution. With most people-problems
at work, you will find that the "bad" behaviour is reinforced by a payoff which that person finds
attractive. There are two solutions: 1) modify the payoff either by blocking it, or by adding
another consequence which is negative, or 2) create a positive payoff for the alternative,
desired "good" behaviour. In the long term, the latter is preferable since it is better for
motivation to offer encouragement rather than reprimand; optimally you should implement
both.
This is where you have to be creative. BM provides a manageable focus and a framework for
analysis; you, as manager, must provide the solution. It is best to work on one problem at a
time because this simplifies the analysis. Further, by addressing one, other related problems
are often affected also. Let us consider "late reporting". Firstly, add a negative consequence to
Alex's current behaviour. State explicitly that you need the report by 3.30 on Friday (so that
you can prepare your weekly schedule update) - and, if this does not happen, summon Alex at
four o'clock to demand the report before he leaves for the weekend. This will probably ruin his
"hour before the weekend" and he will wish to avoid it. Secondly, if Alex does get the report in
by 3.30 make a habit of responding to it on Monday morning: if there is an issue raised, help
Alex to solve it; if there is a schedule change, talk it over - but make it clear (say it) that you
are only able to do this because you had time on Friday to read over his report. Thus Alex
learns that he will receive help and support IF he gets the report in on time.
Stage 5 is necessary because such plans do not always work. You must continue to monitor the
problem and after a trial period, review your progress. If the plan is working, continue; if the
plan has failed, devise a new one; if the plan has worked, look for a new problem to solve.
Where to Seek Solutions

The range of problems is so large, that it is impossible to offer more than generalities as
advise. Each person is different, each situation is different, so each solution must be carefully
crafted. This being said, here are a few ideas.
Look for aspects of motivation - any problem which stems from lack of commitment or interest
can only successfully be addressed by providing motivation, and any of the motivators
described earlier can be applied.
Be flexible with regards to personal problems. No parent is immune to the "joys" of a new born
baby, no one is uneffected by bereavement. When circumstances and the human factor
impinge upon your ordered plans, adapt; since you cannot change it, work with it. Focus upon
the problem (say, schedule slippage) and deal with that in the existing situation. For instance if
you sanction half a day's "sick-leave" to see a solicitor, you might save a week's worry and
distraction.
On a larger scale, look carefully at the "systems" which exist in your team, at those work
practices which you and they follow through habit. Some of these can work against you, and
the team. For instance, the way you hold team meetings may suppress contributions (at 4
o'clock on a Friday, say); the way you reward the exceptional may demotivate those
responsible for the mundane.
Take a long term view . Constant pressure will eventually destroy your team members. If you
acknowledge that a relaxed yet engaged workforce is (say) 10% more efficient than one which
is over-stressed and fretful, then you should realize that this amounts to half-a-day per week.
So why not devote half-a-day to: peer-group teaching, brainstorming on enhanced efficiency,
visits to customers (internal and external), guest lectures on work tools, or all four on a four-
weekly cycle. You lose nothing if you gain a skilled, committed, enthusiastic team.
Finally, look carefully at how you behave and whether the current situation is due to your
previous inattention to the human factor: you might be the problem, and the solution.

Groups that Work
Groups that Work
Groups form a basic unit of work activity throughout engineering and yet the underlying
process is poorly managed. This article looks at the basics of group work and suggests ways to
accelerate development.
In the beginning, God made an individual - and then he made a pair. The pair formed a group,
together they begat others and thus the group grew. Unfortunately, working in a group led to
friction, the group disintegrated in conflict and Caian settled in the land of Nod - there has
been trouble with groups ever since.
When people work in groups, there are two quite separate issues involved. The first is the task
and the problems involved in getting the job done. Frequently this is the only issue which the
group considers. The second is the process of the group work itself: the mechanisms by which
the group acts as a unit and not as a loose rabble. However, without due attention to this
process the value of the group can be diminished or even destroyed; yet with a little explicit
management of the process, it can enhance the worth of the group to be many times the sum
of the worth of its individuals. It is this synergy which makes group work attractive in corporate
organization despite the possible problems (and time spent) in group formation.
This article examines the group process and how it can best be utilized. The key is that the
group should be viewed as an important resource whose maintenance must be managed just
like any other resource and that this management should be undertaken by the group itself so
that it forms a normal part of the group's activities.
What is a Group?
A group of people working in the same room, or even on a common project, does not
necessarily invoke the group process. If the group is managed in a totally autocratic manner,
there may be little opportunity for interaction relating to the work; if there is factioning within
the group, the process may never evolve. On the other hand, the group process may be utilized
by normally distant individuals working on different projects; for instance, at IEE colloquia.
In simple terms, the group process leads to a spirit of cooperation, coordination and commonly
understood procedures and mores. If this is present within a group of people, then their
performance will be enhanced by their mutual support (both practical and moral). If you think
this is a nebulous concept when applied to the world of industry, consider the opposite effect
that a self-opinionated, cantankerous loud-mouth would have on your performance and then
contrast that to working with a friendly, open, helpful associate.
Why a Group?
Groups are particularly good at combining talents and providing innovative solutions to possible
unfamiliar problems; in cases where there is no well established approach/procedure, the
wider skill and knowledge set of the group has a distinct advantage over that of the individual.
In general, however, there is an overriding advantage in a group-based work force which makes
it attractive to Management: that it engenders a fuller utilization of the work force.
A group can be seen as a self managing unit. The range of skills provided by its members and
the self monitoring which each group performs makes it a reasonably safe recipient for
delegated responsibility. Even if a problem could be decided by a single person, there are two
main benefits in involving the people who will carry out the decision. Firstly, the motivational
aspect of participating in the decision will clearly enhance its implementation. Secondly, there
may well be factors which the implementer understands better than the single person who
could supposedly have decided alone.
More indirectly, if the lowest echelons of the workforce each become trained, through
participation in group decision making, in an understanding of the companies objectives and
work practices, then each will be better able to solve work-related problems in general.
Further, they will also individually become a safe recipient for delegated authority which is
exemplified in the celebrated right of Japanese car workers to halt the production line.
From the individual's point of view, there is the added incentive that through belonging to a
group each can participate in achievements well beyond his/her own individual potential. Less
idealistically, the group provides an environment where the individual's self-perceived level of
responsibility and authority is enhanced, in an environment where accountability is shared:
thus providing a perfect motivator through enhanced self-esteem coupled with low stress.
Finally, a word about the much vaunted "recognition of the worth of the individual" which is
often given as the reason for delegating responsibility to groups of subordinates. While I agree
with the sentiment, I am dubious that this is a prime motivator - the bottom line is that the
individual's talents are better utilized in a group, not that they are wonderful human beings.
Group Development
It is common to view the development of a group as having four stages:
• Forming
• Storming
• Norming
• Performing
Forming is the stage when the group first comes together. Everybody is very polite and very
dull. Conflict is seldom voiced directly, mainly personal and definitely destructive. Since the
grouping is new, the individuals will be guarded in their own opinions and generally reserved.
This is particularly so in terms of the more nervous and/or subordinate members who may
never recover. The group tends to defer to a large extent to those who emerge as leaders (poor
fools!).
Storming is the next stage, when all Hell breaks loose and the leaders are lynched. Factions
form, personalities clash, no-one concedes a single point without first fighting tooth and nail.
Most importantly, very little communication occurs since no one is listening and some are still
unwilling to talk openly. True, this battle ground may seem a little extreme for the groups to
which you belong - but if you look beneath the veil of civility at the seething sarcasm, invective
and innuendo, perhaps the picture come more into focus.
Then comes the Norming. At this stage the sub-groups begin to recognize the merits of working
together and the in-fighting subsides. Since a new spirit of co-operation is evident, every
member begins to feel secure in expressing their own view points and these are discussed
openly with the whole group. The most significant improvement is that people start to listen to
each other. Work methods become established and recognized by the group as a whole.
And finally: Performing. This is the culmination, when the group has settled on a system which
allows free and frank exchange of views and a high degree of support by the group for each
other and its own decisions.
In terms of performance, the group starts at a level slightly below the sum of the individuals'
levels and then drops abruptly to its nadir until it climbs during Norming to a new level of
Performing which is (hopefully) well above the start. It is this elevated level of performance
which is the main justification for using the group process rather than a simple group of staff.
Group Skills
The group process is a series of changes which occur as a group of individuals form into a
cohesive and effective operating unit. If the process is understood, it can be accelerated.
There are two main sets of skills which a group must acquire:
• Managerial Skills
• Interpersonal Skills
and the acceleration of the group process is simply the accelerated acquisition of these.
As a self-managing unit, a group has to undertake most of the functions of a Group Leader -
collectively. For instance, meetings must be organized, budgets decided, strategic planning
undertaken, goals set, performance monitored, reviews scheduled, etc. It is increasingly
recognized that it is a fallacy to expect an individual to suddenly assume managerial
responsibility without assistance; in the group it is even more so. Even if there are practiced
managers in the group, they must first agree on a method, and then convince and train the
remainder of the group.
As a collection of people, a group needs to relearn some basic manners and people-
management skills. Again, think of that self-opinionated, cantankerous loud-mouth; he/she
should learn good manners, and the group must learn to enforce these manners without
destructive confrontation.
Accelerating Development
It is common practice in accelerating group development to appoint, and if necessary train, a
"group facilitator". The role of this person is to continually draw the groups' attention to the
group process and to suggest structures and practices to support and enhance the group skills.
This must be only a short-term training strategy, however, since the existence of a single
facilitator may prevent the group from assuming collective responsibility for the group process.
The aim of any group should be that facilitation is performed by every member equally and
constantly. If this responsibility is recognised and undertaken from the beginning by all, then
the Storming phase may be avoided and the group development passed straight into Norming.
The following is a set of suggestions which may help in group formation. They are offered as
suggestions, no more; a group will work towards its own practices and norms.
Focus
The two basic foci should be the group and the task.
If something is to be decided, it is the group that decides it. If there is a problem, the group
solves it. If a member is performing badly, it is the group who asks for change.
If individual conflicts arise, review them in terms of the task. If there is initially a lack of
structure and purpose in the deliberations, impose both in terms of the task. If there are
disputes between alternative courses of action, negotiate in terms of the task.
Clarification
In any project management, the clarity of the specification is of paramount importance - in
group work it is exponentially so. Suppose that there is a 0.8 chance of an individual
understanding the task correctly (which is very high). If there are 8 members in the group then
the chance of the group all working towards that same task is 0.17. And the same reasoning
hold for every decision and action taken throughout the life of the group.
It is the first responsibility of the group to clarify its own task, and to record this understanding
so that it can be constantly seen. This mission statement may be revised or replaced, but it
should always act as a focus for the groups deliberations and actions.
The mouse
In any group, there is always the quiet one in the corner who doesn't say much. That individual
is the most under utilized resource in the whole group, and so represents the best return for
minimal effort by the group as a whole. It is the responsibility of that individual to speak out
and to contribute. It is the responsibility of the group to encourage and develop that person, to
include him/her in the discussion and actions, and to provide positive reinforcement each time
that happens.
The loud-mouth
In any group, there is always a dominant member whose opinions form a disproportionate share
of the discussion. It is the responsibility of each individual to consider whether they are that
person. It is the responsibility of the group to ask whether the loud-mouth might like to
summarize briefly, and then ask for other views.
The written record

Often a decision which is not recorded will become clouded and have to be rediscused. This
can be avoided simply by recording on a large display (where the group can clearly see) each
decision as it is made. This has the further advantage that each decision must be expressed in
a clear and concise form which ensures that it is clarified.
Feedback (negative)
All criticism must be neutral: focused on the task and not the personality. So rather than
calling Johnie an innumerate moron, point out the error and offer him a calculator. It is wise to
adopt the policy of giving feedback frequently, especially for small things - this can be couched
as mutual coaching, and it reduces the destructive impact of criticism when things go badly
wrong.
Every criticism must be accompanied by a positive suggestion for improvement.
Feedback (positive)
If anyone does something well, praise it. Not only does this reenforce commendable actions,
but it also mollifies the negative feedback which may come later. Progress in the task should
be emphasised.
Handling failure
The long term success of a group depends upon how it deals with failure. It is a very British
tendency to brush off failure and to get on with the next stage with no more than a mention -
it is a very foolish tendency. Any failure should be explored by the group. This is not to
attribute blame (for that is shared by the whole group as an individual only acts with delegated
responsibility), but rather to examine the causes and to devise a mechanism which either
monitors against or prevents repetition. A mistake should only happen once if it is treated
correctly.
One practise which is particularly useful is to delegate the agreed solution to the individual or
sub-group who made the original error. This allows the group to demonstrate its continuing
trust and the penitent to make amends.
Handling deadlock
If two opposing points of view are held in the group then some action must be taken. Several
possibly strategies exist. Each sub-group could debate from the other sub-group's view-point in
order to better understand it. Common ground could be emphasised, and the differences
viewed for a possible middle or alternative strategy. Each could be debated in the light of the
original task. But firstly the group should decide how much time the debate actually merits and
then guillotine it after that time - then, if the issue is not critical, toss a coin.
Sign posting
As each small point is discussed, the larger picture can be obscured. Thus it is useful frequently
to remind the group: this is where we came from, this is where we got to, this is where we
should be going.
Avoid single solutions
First ideas are not always best. For any given problem, the group should generate alternatives,
evaluate these in terms of the task, pick one and implement it. But most importantly, they
must also monitor the outcome, schedule a review and be prepared to change the plan.
Active communication
Communication is the responsibility of both the speaker and the listener. The speaker must
actively seek to express the ideas in a clear and concise manner - the listener must actively
seek to understand what has been said and to ask for clarification if unsure. Finally, both
parties must be sure that the ideas have been correctly communicated perhaps by the listener
summarizing what was said in a different way.
Conclusion
Groups are like relationships - you have to work at them. In the work place, they constitute an
important unit of activity but one whose support needs are only recently becoming understood.
By making the group itself responsible for its own support, the responsibility becomes an
accelerator for the group process. What is vital, is that these needs are recognized and
explicitly dealt with by the group. Time and resources must be allocated to this by the group
and by Management, and the group process must be planned, monitored and reviewed just like
any other managed process.
Are you plagued by rush jobs?
Are you plagued by rush jobs?
Rush jobs are one of the major time problems experienced by business people. Here's a
checklist of ideas that could help in this area.
Question the importance of all rush jobs. They may be urgent but not important.
As soon as you get a rush job, question the deadline. The time to negotiate an extended
deadline is the moment you receive the assignment.
For each rush job, ask yourself the question, "What's the impact on my job, my career or this
company if this task is not completed on time?"
Recognize that you can't do two things in the same time frame. Do one thing at a time, starting
with those that seem most important. Stress aggravates the situation.
Get in the habit of scheduling the priority tasks in your planner. These tasks can only be
displaced by more important tasks, regardless of their urgency.
Remember that it's not how many things you do but what you accomplish that counts. Don't
lose sight of your goals. Concentrate on the 20% of the activities that produce 80% of the
results.
Don't hesitate to ask for help. You can't be all things to all people. If you're in a position to
delegate, do so.
Say "no" more often. Be assertive. Recognize that by saying yes to a rush job, you are
automatically saying no to something else of greater importance.
Don't procrastinate. Many jobs become urgent because of delay. Immediately upon receiving a
priority assignment, break it into smaller segments and schedule time in your planner to work
on them.
Always plan ahead. Don't take one day at a time. Determine what you will be working on in the
next two weeks or so.

PLAN - MONITOR - REVIEW
PLAN - MONITOR - REVIEW
Before you start any activity you must STOP and THINK about it: what is the objective, how can
it be achieved, what are the alternatives, who needs to be involved, what will it cost, is it
worth doing? When you have a plan you should STOP and THINK about how to ensure that your
plan is working. You must find ways of monitoring your progress, even if it is just setting
deadlines for intermediate stages, or counting customer replies, or tracking the number of
soggy biscuits which have to be thrown away, whatever: choose something which displays
progress and establish a procedure to ensure that happens. But before you start, set a date on
which you will STOP again and reTHINK your plan in the light of the evidence gathered from the
monitoring.
Whenever you have something to do, consider not only the task but first the method. Thus if
there is a meeting to decide the marketing slogan for the new product you should initially
ignore anything to do with marketing slogans and decide: 1) how should the meeting be held,
2) who can usefully contribute, 3) how will ideas be best generated, 4) what criteria are
involved in the decision, 5) is there a better way of achieving the same end, 6) etc. If you
resolve these points first, all will be achieved far more smoothly. Many of these decisions do
not have a single "right" answer, the point is that they need to have "an" answer so that the
task is accomplished efficiently. It is the posing of the questions in the first place which will
mark you out as a really great manager - the solutions are available to you through common
sense.
Once the questions are posed, you can be creative. For instance, "is there a better way of
producing a new slogan?" could be answered by a quick internal competition within the
company (answers on a postcard by tomorrow at noon) asking everybody in the company to
contribute an idea first. This takes three minutes and a secretary to organise, it provides a
quick buzz of excitement throughout the whole company, it refocuses everyone's mind on the
new product and so celebrates its success, all staff feel some ownership of the project, and
you start the meeting with several ideas either from which to select a winner or to use as
triggers for further brainstorming. Thus with a simple -- pause -- from the helter-skelter of
getting the next job done, and a moment's reflection, you can expedite the task and build
team spirit throughout the entire company.
It is worth stressing the relative importance of the REVIEW. In an ideal world where managers
are wise, information is unambiguous and always available, and the changes in life are never
abrupt or large; it would be possible for you to sit down and to plan the strategy for your
group. Unfortunately, managers are mortals, information is seldom complete and always
inaccurate (or too much to assimilate), and the unexpected always arrives inconveniently. The
situation is never seen in black and white but merely in a fog of various shades of grey. Your
planning thus represents no more than the best guess you can make in the current situation;
the review is when you interpret the results to deduce the emerging, successful strategy
(which might not be the one you had expected). The review is not merely to fine-tune your
plan, it is to evaluate the experiment and to incorporate the new, practical information which
you have gathered into the creation of the next step forward; you should be prepared for
radical changes.
The Business Coach Learning Cycle
The Business Coach Learning Cycle
Business coaching helps to take people through a practical learning process, in a methodical
manner, with the main objective of improving their ability to apply inherent skills to deal with
certain issues. Business coaching is a powerful tool for the enhancement of the most important
reserve of any business, the employees.
Many business coaches have resorted to using and implementing David Kolbs learning cycle. If
you are looking for a coaching technique that can help improve the employee work
performance, this is a learning cycle known to produce great results.
. Life provides us with little gifts, which are presented to us in the form of opportunities.
These opportunities are provided for us to experience the potential of our capabilities that
many a times we are not even aware of.
. Business coaching equips us to accept the criticism and feedback that result from these
experiences. By clarifying and questioning, we can get a better idea about our performance.
Without feedback we would never know where we are going wrong.
. On further questioning and probing, we can receive clearer insight and understanding. This
enables us to reflect on our experiences, the action that we took and the consequences that
resulted from the action.
. From these personal insights and discoveries, conclusions can then be drawn. If they are
sufficiently influential, you can even use these conclusions to relate to either past or present
circumstances or situations.
. The important lessons that are learned by this particular method can then be preserved for
future use, in the case of unexpected events.
. From these valuable experiments, more opportunities come along.
It is important for the employees of an organization to be able to learn from mistakes and
experiment with change in attitude and approach. This experiment with human resources, with
a little patience and effort, could result in profit for the business and the personal growth of
the employees.
Problems should be regarded as opportunities that allow us to learn more, work harder, gain
more experience and become smarter. They equip us to handle issues and situations on the
personal and professional front. In any case, the best way to learn things is not by reading or
studying, but by experiencing life and then reflecting on the lessons learnt. The process
enables you to draw conclusions from these reflections and ultimately experiment with the
unknown.
As a business coach, it is important to regularly practice experimenting, in order to ensure

significant success. If we fail to learn from our experiences, we could be open to committing
the same errors again. If the learning cycle is not effectively implemented, employees will
never be able to relate to their mistakes and in turn, they will not be able to grow within the
organization. This would result in emotional and intellectual stagnation. From the coaching
point of view, the Kolbs learning cycle is a lot more effective and successful. It helps
incorporate the doctrine that empowerment leads to involvement, which in turn leads to
commitment that again results in increased performance.
Help Your Employees "Make" Time
Help Your Employees "Make" Time
Because of thunder storms in Atlanta, the flight from Dallas to Atlanta had been delayed twice.
On the third attempt, we were boarding and I felt hopeful of actually getting off the ground.
My hopes faded fast when the tired-looking flight attendant came down the aisle quietly
announcing that if we were not permitted to take off in the next 15 minutes, the crew would
have exceeded their 16-hour work day and we would have to taxi back to the terminal and
await another flight.
We were not given permission to take off, the crew's time expired and as we taxied back to the
terminal I felt mixed emotions. I kept thinking, "But we were right there…ready to take off.
How could 1-1/2 more hours matter?"
Just as airlines are concerned about overworked pilots and flight attendants, employers should
be concerned about overworked employees. Why? Errors, accidents, and low productivity for a
start.
My mixed emotions as we taxied back to the terminal are similar to the signals our culture
sends today about long work hours. In one breath we agree with employees having a pity party
about how hard they work and with the other breath, we award employees a "red badge of
courage" for having the guts to go the extra mile.
A study by the Families and Work Institute concludes that overworked employees should be
taken seriously. Employees who are overworked are more likely to exhibit anxiety, make
mistakes at work, harbor angry feelings about their employer for expecting them to be on the
job for long hours and resent coworkers who don't pull their share of the load. The study
documents that nearly half of employees who feel overworked report that their health is poor
and 8 percent of employees who are not overworked experience symptoms of clinical
depression compared with 21 percent of those who are highly overworked.
What can the organization do to help employees feel less overworked and leave work on time
to pursue their personal lives? Train employees in time management and goal setting
principles. Make a concerted effort to grease the wheels of productivity, and not be the stick
that gets caught in the tire spokes, catapulting the rider from the trail.
Using time efficiently at work is an individual and an organizational issue. On the

organizational side, managers can reduce the feeling of being overworked by:
- Discouraging the practice of eating at the desk and working through lunch
- Insisting on employees taking appropriate vacation time
- Permitting flexible work hours as needed
- Encouraging non-interrupt zones in the day when workers can focus
To encourage efficiency, managers can:
- Have clearly stated goals with built in and mutually understood deadlines
- Insist on employee making a daily "to do" list
- Make sure equipment works properly
- Ensure proper supplies are available
- Train employees on software packages that assist workflow
A less stressed worker is a better worker. Making sure the above items are taken care of is
essential to help employees leverage their time in the office to be more efficient, effective
and less-stressed. Even though employees can't actually manufacture an extra hour every day,
attending to these issues will help employees will feel as if you helped them "make" an
additional hour a day.
Productivity Culture Change
How to Bridge Your "Goals Gap" and Ready Yourself for

the Year Ahead
How to Bridge Your "Goals Gap" and Ready Yourself for the Year Ahead
As the end of the year draws closer, now is the time to measure the goals you've set for
yourself so you can tweak and refine as necessary.
How have you done in terms of meeting your objectives?
If you're on track, Congratulations!
If not, don't beat yourself up, but don't let it go either.

If things haven't gone your way, there's a reason and if you don't stop and review your position
before pressing onward, you can rest assured you will end up like a boat without an oarsman,
drifting wherever the current carries you.
Take a snapshot of where you are today in terms of revenues, profits, cash flow and expenses.
How many clients do you have, products do you sell, services do you offer?
How much do you have in inventory?
How many hours a week are you working?
On a scale of one to ten, with ten being the highest, what is your level of stress?
Looking back at the goals you set at the beginning of the year, where did you expect to be by
this time in relation to the above criteria?
Whatever the difference is between what you had intentioned and where you are is your "gap"
and your objective from this point forward is to narrow that gap or change your goals to
something more achievable.
If your goals were realistic and to this point you haven't reached them, contemplate the
reasons why. Remember, you are one hundred percent responsible for the outcomes you
create.
More often than not, your habits and behaviors are the culprits. They are the most difficult to
change yet have the greatest impact on your levels of success.
What bad habits have stalled your progress?
What can you do about them?
Changing habits isn't easy. If it was, we'd all be where we want to be.
Bring in the support and resources you need to make changes. Perhaps a coach, mentor,
trusted colleague or mastermind group. Don't try to do it alone. Everyone who has achieved
great success has built a support system around themselves. You can too.
If your goal is to make one million dollars by the end of the year and you have made one
thousand and its October, narrow the gap to a goal that makes sense.
It's not uncommon for new business owners (heck even veterans) to be overly optimistic when
estimating revenues and profits, and having to adjust goals as you go along does not indicate
failure, but pure business sense.
If you should be making ten calls a day and you're not, what will you do about it?
If you should be spending your time selling your products or services, but are busy reading e-
mail and trying to learn how to build your own web site, what will you do about it?
If your day is constantly interrupted by personal phone calls and unexpected visitors, what will
you do about it?
Simple, firm changes can make a world of difference in your productivity and bring you closer
to your goals much quicker.
If you're not doing what you need to be doing to reach your goals, ask yourself, "What's the pay-
off?" Does it keep you in your comfort zone? Does it keep you from experiencing rejection? Does
it serve old programming that tells you you're not smart enough?
Write down where you are now, where you want to be and measure the gap.
Then write down what needs to be done to bridge that gap. Create a new plan to follow from
this point forward and commit to it. This exercise has helped some entrepreneurs achieve more
in the final quarter than the first three combined.
Reflect, re-design and re-focus. Wrap-up your year with the pride and satisfaction of a job well
done.
VISION and VALUES
VISION and VALUES
Vision in that the future must be seen and communicated to the team; Values in that the team
needs a unifying code of practice which supports and enhances co-operation; Verve in that
positive enthusiasm is the best way of making the work exciting and fun. If you do not think
your work is exciting, then we have found a problem. A better word than Verve might be
Chutzpah (except that it does not begin with a "V") which means "shameless audacity". Is that
not refreshing? Inspiring even? A manager should dare to do what he/she has decided to do and
to do it with confidence and pride.
VISION
One of the most cited characteristics of successful managers is that of vision. Of all the
concepts in modern management, this is the one about which the most has been written. Of
course different writters use it in different ways. One usage brings it to mean clairvoyance as
in: "she had great vision in foreseeing the demise of that market". This meaning is of no use to
you since crystal balls are only validated by hindsight and this article is concerned with your
future.
The meaning of vision which concerns you as a manager is: a vivid idea of what the future
should be. This has nothing to do with prediction but everything to do with hope. It is a focus
for the team's activity, which provides sustained long-term motivation and which unites your
team. A vision has to be something sufficiently exciting to bind your team with you in common
purpose. This implies two things:
• you need to decide where your team is headed
• you have to communicate that vision to them
Communicating a vision is not simply a case of painting it in large red letters across your office
wall (although, as a stunt, this actually might be quite effective), but rather bringing the whole
team to perceive your vision and to begin to share it with you. A vision, to be worthy, must
become a guiding principle for the decision and actions of your group.
Now, this vision thing, it is still a rather nebulous concept, hard to pin down, hard to define
usefully; a vision may even be impractical (like "zero defects"). And so there is an extra stage
which assists in its communication: once you have identified your vision, you can illustrate it
with a concrete goal, a mission. Which leads to the creation of the famous "mission statement".
Let us consider first what is a mission, and then return to a vision.
A mission has two important qualities:
• it should be tough, but achievable given sufficient effort
• it must be possible to tell when it has been achieved
To maintain an impetus, it might also have a time limit so that people can pace their activity
rather than getting winded in the initial push. The scope of your vision depends upon how high
you have risen in the management structure, and so also does the time limit on your mission
statement. Heads of multinational corporations must take a longer view of the future than the
project leader in divisional recruitment; the former may be looking at a strategy for the next
twenty-five years, the latter may be concerned with attracting the current crop of senior
school children for employment in two-three years. Thus a new manager will want a mission
which can be achieved within one or two years.
If you are stuck for a mission, think about using Quality as a focus since this is something on
which you can build. Similarly, any aspects of great management which are not habitual in your
team at the moment could be exemplified in a mission statement. For instance, if your team is
in product design, your mission might be to fully automate the test procedures by the next
product release; or more generally, your team mission might be to reduce the time spent in
meetings by half within six months.
Once you have established a few possible mission statements, you can try to communicate (or
decide upon) your vision. This articulates your underlying philosophy in wanting the outcomes
you desire. Not, please note, the ones you think you should desire but an honest statement of
personal motivation; for it is only the latter which you will follow with conviction and so of
which you will convince others. In general, your vision should be unfinishable, with no time
limit, and inspirational; it is the driving force which continues even when the mission
statement has been achieved. Even so, it can be quite simple: Walt Disney's vision was "to
make people happy".
As a manager, yours might be something a little closer to your own team: mine is "to make
working here exciting".
There is no real call to make a public announcement of your vision or to place it on the notice
board. Such affairs are quite common now, and normally attract mirth and disdain. If your
vision is not communicated to your team by what you say and do, then you are not applying it
yourself. It is your driving motivation - once you have identified it, act on it in every decision
you make.
PRESCIENCE
Prescience is something for which you really have to work at. Prescience is having
foreknowledge of the future. Particularly as a Protector, you have to know in advance the
external events which impact upon your team. The key is information and there are three type:
• information you hear (tit-bits about travel, meetings, etc)
• information you gather (minutes of meetings, financial figure, etc)
• information you infer (if this happens then my team will need ...)
Information is absolutely vital. Surveys of decision making in companies reveal that the rapid
and decisive decisions normally stem not from intuitive and extraordinary leadership but rather
from the existence of an established information system covering the relevant data. Managers
who know the full information can quickly reach an informed decision.
The influences upon you and your team stem mostly from within the company and this is where
you must establish an active interest. Let us put that another way: if you do not keep your eyes
open you are failing in your role as Protector to you team. Thus if your manager comes back
from an important meeting, sit down with him/her afterwards and have a chat. There is no
need to employ subterfuge, merely ask questions. If there are answers, you hear them; if there
are none, you know to investigate elsewhere. If you can provide your manager with
suggestions/ideas then you will benefit from his/her gratitude and future confidence(s). You
should also talk to people in other departments; and never forget the secretaries who are
normally the first to know everything.
Now some people love this aspect of the job, it makes them feel like politicians or espionage
agents; others hate it, for exactly the same reasons. The point is that it must be done or you
will be unprepared; but do not let it become a obsession.
Gathering information is not enough on its own: you have to process it and be aware of
implications. The trick is to try to predict the next logical step from any changes you see. This
can get very complicated, so try to restrict yourself to guessing one step only. Thus if the sales
figures show a tailing off for the current product (and there are mutterings about the
competition) then if you are in development, you might expect to be pressured for tighter
schedules; if you are in publicity, then there may soon be a request for launch material; if you
are in sales, you might be asked to establish potential demand and practical pricing levels.
Since you know this, you can have the information ready (or a schedule defence prepared) for
when it is first requested, and you and your team will shine.
Another way of generating information is to play "what if" games. There are dreadfully
scientific ways of performing this sort of analysis, but reasonably you do not have the time.
The sort of work this article is suggesting is that you, with your team or other managers (or
both), play "what if" over coffee now and then. All you have to do is to postulate a novel
question and see how it runs.
A productive variation on the "what if" game is to ask: "what can go wrong?" By deliberately
trying to identify potential problems at the onset, you will prevent many and compensate for
many more. Set aside specific time to do this type of thinking. Call it contingency planning and
put in in your diary as a regular appointment.
FLEXIBILITY
One of the main challenges in management is in avoiding pat answers to everyday questions.
There is nothing so dull, for you and your team, as you pulling out the same answer to every
situation. It is also wrong. Each situation, and each person, is unique and no text-book answer
will be able to embrace that uniqueness - except one: you are the manager, you have to judge
each situation with a fresh eye, and you have to create the response. Your common sense and
experience are your best guide in analysing the problem and in evolving your response.
Even if the established response seems suitable, you might still try something different. This is
simple Darwinism. By trying variations upon standard models, you evolve new and potentially
fitter models. If they do not work, you do not repeat them (although they might be tried in
other circumstances); if they work better, then you have adapted and evolved.
This deliberate flexibility is not just an academic exercise to find the best answer. The point is
that the situation and the environment are continually changing; and the rate of change is
generally increasing with advancing technology. If you do not continually adapt (through
experimentation) to accommodate these changes, then the solution which used to work (and
which you still habitually apply) will no longer be appropriate. You will become the dodo. A
lack of flexibility will cause stagnation and inertia. Not only do you not adapt, but the whole
excitement of your work and your team diminish as fresh ideas are lacking or lost.
Without detracting from the main work, you can stimulate your team with changes of focus.
This includes drives for specific quality improvements, mission statements, team building
activities, delegated authority, and so on. You have to decide how often to "raise excitement"
about new issues. On the one hand, too many focuses may distract or prevent the attainment
of any one; on the other hand, changes in focus keep them fresh and maintain the excitement.
By practising this philosophy yourself, you also stimulate fresh ideas from your team because
they see that it is a normal part of the team practice to adopt and experiment with innovation.
Thus not only are you relieved of the task of generating the new ideas, but also your team
acquire ownership in the whole creative process.
The really good news is that even a lousy choice of focus can have a beneficial effect. The
most famous experiments in management studies were conducted between 1927 and 1932 by E
Mayo and others at the Hawthorne works of the Western Electric Company in Chicago. The
study was originally motivated by a failed experiment to determine the effect of lighting
conditions on the production rates of factory workers. This experiment "failed" because when
the lighting conditions were changed for the experimental group, production also increased in
the control group where no changes had been made. Essentially, Mayo took a small group of
workers and varied different conditions (number and duration of breaks, shorter hours,
refreshments, etc) to see how these actually affected production. The problem was not that
production was uneffected but rather that whatever Mayo did, production increased; even
when conditions were returned to the original ones, production increased.
After many one-to-one interviews, Mayo deduced that the principal effect of his investigations
had been to establish a team spirit amongst the group of workers. The girls (sic) who had
formally worked with large numbers of others were now a small team, they were consulted on
the experiments, and the researchers displayed a keen interest in the way the girls were
working and feeling about their work. Thus their own involvement and the interest shown in
them were the reasons for the girl's increased productivity.
By providing changes of focus you build and motivate your team. For if you show in these
changes that you are actively working to help them work, then they will feel that their efforts
are recognized. If you also include their ideas in the changes, then they will feel themselves to
be a valued part of the team. If you pace these changes correctly, you can stimulate "multiple
Hawthorne effects" and continually increase productivity. And notice, this is not slave driving.
The increased productivity of a Hawthorne effect comes from the enthusiasm of the workforce;
they actually want to work better.
A GENERAL APPROACH
In management there is always a distant tune playing in the background. Once you hear this
tune, you will start humming it to yourself: in the shower, in the boardroom, on the way to
work, when watching the sunrise. It is a simple tune which repeats again and again in every
aspect of your managerial life; if goes:
How to be more assertive in communication
How to be more assertive in communication
In assertive communcation, you say what you want and what you mean without losing
emotional control.
Communication is an area in which we all could use some guidance and improvement. Learning
good communication skills begins in the early childhood years. If children are taught to
suppress all their feelings and never reveal what is going on inside them, they will tend to hold
everything in and possibly end up with an ulcer. Plus, people who are not taught to
communicate their feelings will be inclined toward passive/aggressive behavior. On the flip
side, if children are not taught any self control in regard to showing feelings, they will end up
saying everything they think and become potentially offensive and rude.
Many people mistakenly confuse assertive communication with aggressive communication.

Aggressive communication includes high emotions, a raised voice, strong language, pushy body
language and perhaps even physical violence. Aggressive behavior usually indicates a loss of
control, emotionally. The difference with assertive communication is that there is never a loss
of emotional control.
If you are looking to be more assertive in your communication skills, but you either struggle
with extreme shyness or passive/aggressive behavior, use the following tips to help you
strengthen your skills and gain more self-confidence.
1. Put yourself in others' shoes. Most people are afraid to be assertive for fear of hurting
another person's feelings or coming on too strong; but then they often hold in their feelings
until they explode or are pushed too far. When we imagine what the other person is feeling and
put ourselves in their shoes, we can think about how we would want someone to respond to us.
We know we would never want to be yelled at or have someone be wishy washy with us.
Looking outside ourselves can put our communication skills in perspective.
2. Be practical. If you are in a difficult situation that warrants assertive behavior, first stop and
think about what the other person is saying. If you are being accused of something, instead of
moving into aggressive self-protection mode, address the accusation. If the person is right in
their assessment of you or your behavior, you have only once choice: apologize, make amends,
change the behavior and ask for forgiveness. However, if the person is wrong in their
assessment, dismiss the charges. Even if they believe something untrue about you, you know
the truth.
3. Practice. When you are alone, write in a journal and talk into a mirror, practicing what you
will say in difficult situations that require assertiveness. Imagine a variety of discussions and
arguments that make you feel uncomfortable, fearful, sad, defensive or angry. Plan out calm
yet assertive ways to respond. Write them down and practice saying them.
4. Role play. This is the next step in practicing. With a spouse, sibling, parent, counselor or
trusted friend, practice assertive communication. Have the other person play a variety of roles,
including aggressive, passive, angry, withdrawn, pushy or stoic. Have them get in your face,
make threats, pout, or anything other types of behavior you find yourself having to deal with.
Practice responding calmly, rationally, and assertively.
5. Don't be afraid to say no. Often, this is the area in which people struggle the most regarding
assertive communication. We don't want to disappoint, anger or sadden anyone else, so we
agree to things we shouldn't. The safest thing to do when given a request for action or work is
to say "I'll get back to you on that." Then you'll have time to think about what you want to do,
what you want to say, and then you can kindly and assertively say and do what you want.
The Three Cs of Leadership
The Three Cs of Leadership

by Paul B. Thornton
The Army's motto - "Be All That You Can Be" is both simple and powerful. Leaders help
people achieve that goal. In essence, leaders do three things:
* They challenge people.
* They build people's confidence.
* They coach people.
By providing the right C (challenge, confidence, or coaching), leaders help people

become more and achieve more than they thought possible.
The three Cs are interrelated. As leaders coach and mentor people, they feel more
prepared, more confident. As confidence increases, people are more willing to take on
bigger and bigger challenges. Sue Lewis, executive vice president and chief real estate
officer, The Travelers states, "Many leaders are good at only one or two Cs but not all
three. In today's business world challenge is common. However coaching and building
confidence are frequently missing."
Desire to Lead
What gives people the desire to lead? People's values and beliefs are often shaped by
significant emotional events. These defining moments energize some people to take a
stand against injustice or pursue a new standard of excellence. In other instances, the
desire to lead is sparked by a compelling vision. "My vision gets me excited. My
adrenaline starts pumping." Desire to lead may be generated simply by the desire to help
others grow and blossom. An executive states, "Somewhere along the way I learned it
was very exciting and rewarding to help other people achieve their dreams. That's what
leaders do."
If a person lacks "desire," he or she will not take on a leadership role. Charlie Eitel,
former president and COO, Interface,Inc. states, "To want to be the leader is to risk
failure. I'm convinced that everyone is afraid to fail-it's a matter of degree. Fear is what
causes people to 'play not to lose.'" On the other hand, seeing what is possible and
playing to win is exciting and energizing.
Challenging People
Actress, Cicely Tyson, says that challenges make you discover aspects of yourself that
you never knew existed. Challenges are what make people stretch and go beyond the
norm. Leaders use many of the following approaches to challenge people and change the
status quo:
* Describing their vision -- Every leader has one. Visions describe a future that's better in
some important way. A clear and compelling vision challenges people to think and act
differently as they pursue a new agenda.
* Establishing stretch goals -- When Richard Davis became CEO of Rand McNally, the
company launched an average of ten new products per year. He challenged the
organization to launch 120 new products during his first year. Nothing commands
people's attention like demanding targets and timetables.
* Asking provocative questions -- Leaders often ask "why" and "what if," questions. The
right questions force people to examine underlying assumptions and consider new
possibilities. Stuart Hornery, retired chairman, Lend Lease Corporation states, "Every
project we take starts with a question -- how can we do what's never been done before?"
* Benchmarking -- Ayn LaPlant, president, Beekley Corporation states, "Benchmarking

is another way we challenge people. I want our employees to look at other companies and
find best practices. If you're really committed to continuous improvement, you have a
natural curiosity to learn from the best."
* New assignments -- Ruth Branson, senior vice president, Shaw's Supermarkets states,
"We challenge people through cross-fertilization. We move people into new positions,
from one function to another, from line to staff, from a district to the corporate office.
These job changes stretch people to see the business from new perspectives."
All of these leadership actions -- stating your vision, establishing stretch goals, asking
tough questions, benchmarking and new assignments -- challenge people to see bigger
possibilities and pursue bigger goals. Leaders also set the example by challenging
themselves. If the leader isn't getting out of his comfort zone, it's unlikely others will
follow.
Building Confidence
Confident people face their challenges. They're willing to leave their comfort zone, take
risks, and try new approaches. People who lack confidence want to keep doing things the
same old way. Jan Carlson, the legendary CEO of Scandinavian Airline Systems, (SAS)
believes the most important role for a leader is to instill confidence in people. Even after
people develop self-confidence they can lose it. Leaders use a variety of techniques to
build people's confidence including the following:
* Affirm people's talents -- Don Sweet, vice-president, finance, Siebe Pneumatics states,
"People need self-confidence or belief in themselves so that they can perform with the
best. I sometimes simply affirm my confidence in people. For example, one of our sales
reps was facing a new, very demanding account. I said to him, I know you can do this. I
know you can get through to this client."
* Rewarding and recognizing accomplishments -- Real confidence is based on achieving

results, one success after another. When leaders provide rewards and recognition, it's a
validation of people's talents and determination.
* Training and development -- Bill Cox, vice president, human resources, Ahlstrom
Corporation states, "We build people's confidence by making sure all employees receive
ongoing training. One of our key beliefs is that competence builds confidence."
* Empower people -- Ralph Stayer, former CEO of Johnsonville Foods, built confidence
in his workforce by transferring total responsibility and ownership to the people doing the
work. When leaders give people responsibility and real authority, they're saying - "I have
confidence in you."
* Remind people of their previous successes -- Sometimes people forget or overlook their
previous successes. Jim Ligotti, global product manager, Carrier Corporation states,
"When challenges seem overwhelming or when people are reluctant to change, I go back
to their successes in non-work related areas. I remind people that they did achieve
success in other areas of their life."
All of these leadership actions - affirming people, recognizing accomplishments, skills
training, empowering people, and reminding them of previous successes - have a
significant impact on people's self-confidence. Confident people face reality and have a
"can do" attitude. Leaders also need a healthy amount of their own self-confidence.
Confident leaders aren't afraid to attack "sacred cows," make tough decisions, and
candidly communicate their position.
Coaching
Coaching is all about raising people's performance to a higher level. Before people are
open to coaching, they need to understand why they need to improve. That's the
challenge. Secondly, they need to believe they are capable of changing. That's the
confidence factor. Coaching involves the "how-to-do-it" part of the equation.
Steve Chanin, director, operations, ABB Corp. believes coaching involves helping people
understand the big picture. People need to understand the key business drivers, what they
can control, and what's important to the customer. Leaders use a variety of approaches to
coach people including the following:
* Create coaching opportunities -- Take the time to carefully observe people as they run
meetings, make presentations, and interact with customers. Dan Kelly, vice president,
transportation business, International Fuel Cells, gives his direct reports frequent
opportunities to make presentations. He states, "These can be emotional events and
powerful learning opportunities." Leaders look for "teachable moments" when people are
most open to learning.
* Show them what great performance looks like -- Top leaders are constantly searching
for best practices and great performance in all aspects of business. Encouraging others to
observe and study what top performers do and don't do is an excellent coaching
technique.
* Ask questions -- Socrates basic method of teaching was asking questions. The right
questions help people focus on the areas needing improvement. Leaders spend time
identifying the best questions to ask such as: "What question will help this person face
reality?" "What question will energize this person?" "What question will help this
individual identify specific next steps to be taken?"
* Provide feedback -- Michael Z. Kay, president and CEO, LSG Sky Chefs, Inc. states,
"Give frequent, candid feedback. Let people know where they are strong but also where
they need to improve. Always demonstrate your confidence in people's ability to learn
and grow." He also believes in establishing rigorous consequences, penalties for not
taking risks, and trying new ways of getting things done.
* Set the example -- Great coaches are usually great students. They keep learning and
growing throughout their lives. Janice Deskus, vice president, training and quality
implementation, CIGNA Health Care states, "Every meeting I attend, I try to walk away
with at least one new idea."
Coaches help athletes develop the required skills and mind-set needed to excel in their
sport. In a similar way, leaders coach and help people achieve their best performance.
These coaching actions – pointing out examples of top performance, asking the right
questions, providing helpful feedback and setting a positive example-help people develop
the knowledge and skills needed to succeed. Leaders view every coaching event as an
opportunity to gain new insights about themselves and their associates.
Conclusions
Leaders have the desire to help people "be all that they can be." They use the right
amount of each C (challenge, confidence, and coaching) to help people stretch, believe in
themselves, and develop new skills.
In the book Jesus, CEO: Using Ancient Wisdom for Visionary Leadership, author Laurie
Beth Jones states that Jesus was a great leader and would have made a great CEO. What
specific actions did Jesus take?
1. He challenged people. He challenged his 12 recruits to give up their current jobs and
take on a bigger and more meaningful task. He challenged people to think morally and
act ethically.
2. He built confidence. He believed in his recruits. He saw great potential in each of
them. When they failed he didn't judge them - rather he encouraged them to keep trying.
3. He coached. He believed his role was to help and nurture others. There are countless
stories of Jesus teaching and preaching wherever he went. He trained his staff so
effectively that they continued to do the work after his death.
Leaders provide the challenge, confidence, and coaching people need to achieve their
best performance.
Paul B. Thornton, is managing partner, with Be The Leader Associates. He specializes in

the areas of leadership training and development. This article is based on excerpts from
his book, Be the Leader, Make the Difference.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Effective Delegation
Effective Delegation
Do you find yourself taking work home in the evenings and on weekends? Are you under
constant pressure, jumping from one task to another? Do you find yourself too involved in doing
things to spend enough time on planning, organizing, directing and controlling? It could be that
you are not taking full advantage of one of the greatest time savers of all: delegation.
Delegation extends results from what you can do to what you can control. It frees time for
more important tasks, allows you to plan more effectively, and helps relieve the pressure of
too many jobs, too many deadlines, and too little time. Not only that, but it is one of the most
effective ways of developing your staff.
Improper delegation, however, is worse than no delegation at all. It not only creates a greater
demand on your own time, but messes up your staff members' time as well. Be careful what
you delegate, how you delegate and to whom you delegate. Here are a few ground rules for
effective delegation.
Don't delegate what you can eliminate. If it's not important enough for you to do personally, it's
probably not important enough for your people to do either. Respect their time and their
ability. Don't waste it on non-productive or unprofitable trivia. Your success can be multiplied a
thousand times if you concentrate on the high-return jobs, and encourage others to do likewise
-- don't spoil it by using your staff as a dumping ground for "garbage" jobs.
Delegate the things you don't want to delegate. We tend to hang on to the things we like doing,
even when they interfere with more important tasks, and even though others could probably do
them just as well. Share the interesting work with your staff. One of the most important
advantages of effective delegating is the fact that it enriches your staff members' jobs. Don't
confine your delegation to the boring, repetitive tasks -- look for the interesting ones first.
Delegate, don't abdicate. Dumping jobs onto others and then disappearing is not delegation --
it's organizational suicide. Delegation must be planned. Consult with your staff first; select
people you think are both capable of doing the job and would like to do the job. Train them.
Delegate gradually, insist on feedback, and then leave them alone.
Delegate the objective, not the procedure. One of the bonuses you receive from effective
delegation is the fact that in many cases the job is better in the hands of someone else. Don't
resent it, encourage it. Delegate the whole task or specific results, de-emphasizing the actual
procedure. Your staff, under less pressure, less harried, and with a fresh viewpoint, will likely
improve upon the method you've been using. Review results, not the manner in which he or she
arrived at them!
Don't always delegate to the most capable people. Delegation is one of the most effective
methods of developing others. Don't continually delegate to the most capable ones, or they'll
get stronger, while the weak get weaker. Take the extra effort to spread delegation across the
board, and develop a strong team with no weak links.
Trust your staff. Be sure to delegate the authority as well as the responsibility. Don't
continually look over their shoulder, interfere with the methods, or jump on them when they
make mistakes. Be prepared to trade short-term errors for long-term results. Maintain control
without stifling initiative.
Delegation is not only a skill, it's a way of life. And like everything else, in order to be
effective, you have to work at it. But once perfected, it will multiply your success a
hundredfold.

Don't Read This Article Now. You Can Do It Later
Don't Read This Article Now. You Can Do It Later
Procrastination. The dreaded affliction hits everyone at one time or another. Whether it's the
pile of papers on the corner of the desk that has been looming large for months, or the sales
call that hasn't been made, the outcome is often the same. Decreased sales, missed
opportunities, diminished credibility and feeling of accomplishment, and a gnawing in the pit
of your stomach can all be attributed to procrastination.
There are many causes for delayed action. It's important to realize this, because figuring out
why you are procrastinating is the first, and perhaps most essential, step to overcoming it.
Once you have identified the reason, you can use the solutions below to meet the challenge.
If you are procrastinating because you plain and simple don't like the task, you have several
options. Those who are in management positions can delegate the task. You don't have to tell
the delegatee that you find the task unpleasant. This might only create resentment that
wouldn't otherwise exist.
If you don't have this authority, swap tasks with a colleague or friend. You will be surprised by
the things a colleague wouldn't mind doing in return for handing you a task that you don't find
unpleasant at all.
Another option is to postpone doing a task that you do like until this one is finished or create a
reward system for yourself. It's important to follow through with your self-promised treat. If
you plan to reward yourself, but never do, this technique will become less effective over time.
If a project is absolutely overwhelming, to the point where you don't even start it, break it
down into small, specific steps. Do one or two each day. If you complete a step and are
motivated to continue, fine. But if you're not, that's fine too because you have only committed
to one small piece. Just don't stop before completing that piece.
Remember that a large project is nothing but the sum of several small projects. Equate it to
eating an apple. No one can eat an apple all in one bite. Instead, you pick a spot, take one
bite, and continue to eat around the apple, bite by bite, until you finish. Completing a large,
overwhelming project is much like this.
If there is no immediate payoff because the project is long term, build in mini-completion
points. Design a reward system similar to what you do with a task you don't like. Creating
instant gratification will motivate you until you reach the final destination.
When you don't do something because you don't know how to handle it, figure out the first
place to go to get the information you need. Often, the wrong item is on our To Do list. If the
task is one that you can't handle, it's not appropriate for the list. Delete this item, and replace
it with the appropriate next step, be it a phone call for more information, a trip to the library,
or a request for clarification from the boss.
If you know you can handle the project but just don't know where to start, start anywhere. Just
do something. Write a title on a piece of paper. Then write something else. Eventually you'll be
led to where you need to go. But it takes a little bit of momentum to get the ball rolling. This
doesn't mean that you'll use any of the material you start with. This is fine - you need a good
finished product, not a good first draft.
When you don't know where you're going, it can be difficult to find the motivation to start.
When going on a long trip, how do you know in which direction to drive if you don't know your
final destination? How would you even know which map to take with you? If this is the
challenge that you face, stop and visualize the end result. Once you have figured where and
when you want to be, you can plan backwards, setting appropriate completion points along the
lifeline of the project.
A final, common reason for procrastination is perfectionism. Be aware that there is a

difference between doing something right and doing the right thing. Perfectionists can spend
their time on the wrong thing, i.e. hanging and rehanging a picture on the office wall. Looks
great, but is it getting you anywhere? If the task is meaningless in the long run, it doesn't really
matter if you do it perfectly. You can still do it well, just don't let it consume you.
Fear of not doing a major and meaningful task perfectly often leads a perfectionist to never
begin. They don't want to even start until they are sure they will have time to do it exactly as
they want, yet there never seems to be this kind of extra time floating around.
If perfectionism is keeping you from beginning a task, reevaluate whether the payoff would be
worth the effort of doing it perfectly. There are times when it is worth doing something
perfectly. If this is the case, begin at the beginning, with the first segment, and do it
extraordinarily well. But only strive for perfection where it counts. The rest of the time, just
do it.
Remember, the next time you're procrastinating and can't seem to overcome it, stop and figure
out why. Is the task even worth doing? If so, pick the appropriate solution based upon the root
cause and you'll whittle away those piles in no time.
The Baker's Dozen (Rules For a Successful Salesman)
The Baker's Dozen (Rules For a Successful Salesman)
1. Surround yourself with winners and people who share your goals.
2. Keep your sense of humor. Be able to laugh at yourself.
3. How are you at using your time? What is your winning game plan?
4. Learn to listen. If you do most of the talking, you won't be learning.
5. What's the biggest challenge you have in sales or business? And whatever you do is your
business.
6. Get a mix of clients. Who can I be reaching that I'm not doing now?
7. Be passionate about selling.
8. How are you different?
9. Can you do what you do in front of a camera? You need 10 to 12 questions and about 25
words to ask for the order.
10. Preparation and practice equal professionalism. Instinct and intuition equal
improvisation. Persistence and discipline equal success.
11. Be sure your goals are in writing. You will be 97% more effective. Set your goals with
realistic timetables.
12. Thinking in the future, what will my customers look Like? How will I get to them?
13. Ask for referrals.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007
How organizations were named....
How organizations were named....
Yahoo!
The word was invented by Jonathan Swift and used in his book Gulliver's Travels. It represents
a person who is repulsive in appearance and action and is barely human.
Yahoo! founders Jerry Yang and David Filo selected the name because they considered
themselves yahoos.
Xerox
The Greek root "xer" means dry. The inventor, Chestor Carlson, named his product Xerox as it
was dry copying, markedly different from the then prevailing wet copying.
Sun Microsystems
Founded by four Stanford University buddies, Sun is the acronym for Stanford University
Network.
Sony
From the Latin word 'sonus' meaning sound, and 'sonny' a slang used by Americans to refer to a
bright youngster.
SAP
"Systems, Applications, Products in Data Processing", formed by four ex-IBM employees who
used to work in the 'Systems/Applications/Projects' group of IBM.
Red Hat
Company founder Marc Ewing was given the Cornell lacrosse team cap (with red and white
stripes) while at college by his grandfather. He lost it and had to search for it desperately. The
manual of the beta version of Red Hat Linux had an appeal to readers to return his Red Hat if
found by anyone!
Oracle
Larry Ellison and Bob Oats were working on a consulting project for the Central Intelligence
Agency (CIA). The code name for the project was called Oracle (the CIA saw this as the system
to give answers to all questions or something such).
Motorola
Founder Paul Galvin came up with this name when his company started manufacturing radios
for cars. The popular radio company at the time was called Victrola.
Microsoft
It was coined by Bill Gates to represent the company that was devoted to MICROcomputer
SOFTware. Originally christened Micro-Soft, the '-' was removed later on.
Lotus
Mitch Kapor got the name for his company from the lotus position or 'padmasana.' Kapor used
to be a teacher of Transcendental Meditation of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
Intel
Bob Noyce and Gordon Moore wanted to name their new company 'Moore Noyce' but that was
already trademarked by a hotel chain, so they had to settle for an acronym of INTegrated
ELectronics.
Hewlett-Packard
Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard tossed a coin to decide whether the company they founded
would be called Hewlett-Packard or Packard-Hewlett.
Hotmail
Founder Jack Smith got the idea of accessing email via the web from a computer anywhere in
the world. When Sabeer Bhatia came up with the business plan for the mail service, he tried all
kinds of names ending in 'mail' and finally settled for Hotmail as it included the letters "html" -
the programming language used to write web pages. It was initially referred to as HoTMaiL with
selective upper casings.
Google
The name started as a jockey boast about the amount of information the search-engine would
be able to search. It was originally named 'Googol', a word for the number represented by 1
followed by 100 zeros. After founders - Stanford graduate students Sergey Brin and Larry Page
presented their project to an angel investor, they received a cheque made out to 'Google
Cisco
The name is not an acronym but an abbreviation of San Francisco. The company's logo reflects
its San Francisco name heritage. It represents a stylized Golden Gate Bridge.
Apple Computers
Favourite fruit of founder Steve Jobs. He was three months late in filing a name for the
business, and he threatened to call his company Apple Computers if the other colleagues didn't
suggest a better name by 5 o'clock.
Apache
It got its name because its founders got started by applying patches to code written for NCSA's
httpd daemon. The result was 'A PAtCHy' server thus, the name Apache.
Adobe
The name came from the river Adobe Creek that ran behind the house of founder John
Warnock.
The Real Secret to Time Management
The Real Secret to Time Management
Most people believe that the secret to time management is doing more things in less time. This
is simply not true. The secret to time management is doing fewer things!
This may sound strange, but it is still true. It is so important that I will say it once again.
The secret to time management is not doing more things in less time, it is doing fewer things.
At the beginning of each year, sit down and ask yourself the following question: "If I could do
just one thing this year in my business and nothing else, and looking back at the end of the
year I would say to myself, 'What a terrific year!' what would that one thing have to be?"
Then take it one step further. "If I could do just one more thing, and looking back at the end of
the year I would say to myself, 'This has been the most productive, profitable, and rewarding
year ever!' what would that one more thing be?"
Then do these two things and nothing else.
You will have an amazing career. You will become a business legend.
Then do the same thing in your personal life. Find the two most important things.
Do those two things and nothing else.
You will have an amazing life.

Then do the same thing with your philanthropy. Find the two most important things.
Do those two things and nothing else.
You will make an amazing contribution to humanity!
Imagine what it would be like if you get to the end of the year, and looking back . . .
Ö You launched the most successful product in your company's history.
Ö You recruited five of the most talented people in the industry to join your team.
Ö You built your dream home.
Ö You found and married the partner of your dreams.
Ö You took 150 orphans to Disneyland.
Ö You sponsored an emergency medical team to fly to a region wracked by natural
disaster.
Then imagine to yourself a life made up of 30 more years just like this one!
Perfectionism - Friend or Foe?
Perfectionism - Friend or Foe?
If you're reading this article, chances are, you've identified yourself as being a perfectionist, or
you know someone who is a perfectionist. When I speak to businesses and professional groups
about time management, I identify perfectionism as one of the big "time wasters" and "energy
drainers." I look out at the audience and see heads nodding up and down. In reality, many
professionals and business owners experience an on-going love-hate relationship with
perfectionism. Perfectionism, like most traits, can be a strength, but if not managed properly,
it also can be a liability.
If you are a perfectionist, you probably believe that perfectionism contributes to your success.
There is some truth to that. You've probably been acknowledged professionally for your
excellent work and your willingness to "go the extra mile." Over the years, your performance
evaluations may be sprinkled with adjectives such as "exemplary," "excellent," "consistent high
quality," etc. You've received awards and accolades for your work. When supervisors,
colleagues or clients want something done right, they send the work to you. You've gotten a lot
of business because of your reputation for excellence.
Although you may realize that perfectionism is costing you a lot of time, you may be reluctant
to let go of your high standards. When you look around, you see lots of "evidence" to support
the belief that perfectionism has contributed to your success. And, honestly, how would you
know differently? You probably haven't tried doing work that is "less than stellar" to seeIf you're
reading this article, chances are, you've identified yourself as being a perfectionist, or you
know someone who is a perfectionist. When I speak to businesses and professional groups about
time management, I identify perfectionism as one of the big "time wasters" and "energy
drainers." I look out at the audience and see heads nodding up and down. In reality, many
professionals and business owners experience an on-going love-hate relationship with
perfectionism. Perfectionism, like most traits, can be a strength, but if not managed properly,
it also can be a liability.
If you are a perfectionist, you probably believe that perfectionism contributes to your success.
There is some truth to that. You've probably been acknowledged professionally for your
excellent work and your willingness to "go the extra mile." Over the years, your performance
evaluations may be sprinkled with adjectives such as "exemplary," "excellent," "consistent high
quality," etc. You've received awards and accolades for your work. When supervisors,
colleagues or clients want something done right, they send the work to you. You've gotten a lot
of business because of your reputation for excellence.
Although you may realize that perfectionism is costing you a lot of time, you may be reluctant
to let go of your high standards. When you look around, you see lots of "evidence" to support
the belief that perfectionism has contributed to your success. And, honestly, how would you
know differently? You probably haven't tried doing work that is "less than stellar" to see how it
goes over, at least not on purpose. When you have done less than stellar work, you've probably
been so wrapped up in your own guilt, you did not notice how others actually react to your
work. Time and again, my coaching clients who struggle with perfectionism tell me they realize
their standards are so high, that when they actually lower their standards, others still perceive
their work as being excellent!
Not surprisingly, many successful professionals and small business owners have capitalized on
perfectionism. But then you hit the "brick wall," getting bogged down in all the work to be
done, putting in long hours trying to get it all done and becoming increasingly resentful of
demands placed on you. In reality, perfectionism can get you far in life, but it can only get you
so far.
In a recent time management workshop, a participant asked a great question: "How do you
know when perfectionism has become a problem for you?"
Here are some signs:
Ö Consistently putting in long days at the office or taking work home with you
Ö Reluctance to delegate tasks, believing no one will do it as well as you
Ö Feeling increasingly resentful of demands placed on you by clients, customers,
colleagues, supervisors, friends or family members
Ö Procrastinating to begin projects
Ö Projects that drag on and on
Ö Checking and rechecking your work before submitting it (yes, this includes checking
and rechecking email before hitting the "send" button!)
Ö Colleagues or supervisees grumbling to one another that you are difficult to work with,
or that your expectations are unreasonable
Ö Colleagues telling you that you are working much harder than necessary
If you struggle with perfectionism, consider that you've probably spent hundreds, maybe even
thousands, of hours getting tasks and projects "just right." That's time that you could be
spending doing something else you love to do.
If you recognize the value of perfectionism in your work, but at the same time, realize that you
are spending excessive time trying to complete tasks "perfectly," it's time to work smarter, not
harder!
Top 10 Interview Mistakes
Top 10 Interview Mistakes

The best way to avoid the most common and dangerous interview mistakes is to think ahead
and decide not to make them... Read on for a whistle-stop tour of the top ten interview
clangers!
1. Lying
Although it's tempting, it doesn't work. By all means gloss over the unflattering things. But out-
right fibbing NEVER pays.
Mark Twain said: "If you tell the truth, you never have to remember anything." Think about it.
They will catch you out later.
2. Slating your current company or boss

Fed up with your current job and would give anything to leave because they've treated you
badly? Your job interview is NOT the time to seek revenge. Bear in mind that the interviewer
will be listening to your answers and thinking about what it would be like to work with you. Ask
yourself: do you like working with people who constantly criticise others? Isn't it a bit wearing?
The trouble is that the interviewer draws massive conclusions from your answers. So your
throwaway comment about your boss or employer may be interpreted to be your "standard"
way of thinking. It makes you look bad, not your employer.
3. Being Rude
If you find you were accidentally rude, then apologise calmly and genuinely. Then leave it
behind you and get on with the rest of the interview. If you dwell on it, it will affect your
performance. What's "rude"? Well, that depends on your audience. As a rule of thumb, avoid
cracking jokes about potentially sensitive topics and beware of being too "pally" with the
interviewer: polite and friendly is enough. After all, you're not in the pub with them. So stay
professional. Also bear in mind that everyone you meet could be involved in the selection
process. So blanking the receptionist or talking down to the junior members of staff could cost
you the job.
4. Complaining
Ok, so your train journey might have been a nightmare and maybe you thought the tube would
never arrive, or the tailbacks on the motorway were endless. But your interviewer doesn't want
to know that!
Complaining, even in jest, is not a recommended icebreaker. It may be completely harmless,
or it might simply make the interviewer switch off. Don't let complaining set the tone for the
interview!
5. Talking about people you don't get on with at work

These days, it's common to be asked how you deal with conflict. Companies realise the
importance of interpersonal relationships in the working environment. So if they ask you about
difficult people or situations, make sure you hold back from character assassination and
blaming others for problems because it won't do you any favours! If you accidentally do "break"
this rule, apologise and explain what you "really" meant.
6. Not Being Prepared

Re-read the relevant version of your CV and the job advert, just before the interview. You'd be
surprised how many people can't remember what they wrote on their CV. And if you remember
what type of person the job advert was looking for, it's easier to demonstrate that you have
those qualities.
Make sure you've brought with you anything you were asked for. It's fine to bring a note-pad
and pen, but make sure they're tidy. It's even ok to bring notes with you; particularly if you
have any questions you want to ask. It shows you're taking the job application seriously. Ill-
prepared candidates rarely get job offers.
7. Appearing to be too nervous, or too confident

If you appear too nervous they'll think you're not confident enough to do the job. However,
appearing too confident will make them think you won't fit into the team. If interview nerves
are an issue for you, it's worth getting practical help from a professional, such as an interview
coach.
8. Making a weak first impression

Unfortunately, no matter how hard the interviewer tries, a lot of "don't want to hire them"
decisions are made in the first few minutes of contact. If you make a strong first impression,
the interviewer will be more inclined to overlook "imperfections" in your answers.
9. Not having researched the company

As a general rule, the more famous the brand, the more they will expect you to have done your
homework. Researching the company shows you're serious about the job.
10. Putting your foot in it and not noticing

Yes, we know, you didn't mean to put your foot in it. But it doesn't really matter what you
intended. What counts is how the other person reacts. So what can you do? Be prepared to
simply say "sorry, that's not what I meant!" This requires you to actually be paying attention to
the interviewer, rather than your own thoughts and feelings. Once you've apologised, leave it
there, take a deep breath to help you relax and move on with the job interview.
Posted by Srinivasa Raghavan at 11:48 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
11 Lessons on Change Management: Azim Premji
11 Lessons on Change Management: Azim Premji
"While change and uncertainty have always been a part of life, what has been shocking over
the last year has been both the quantum and suddenness of change. For many people who were
cruising along on placid waters, the wind was knocked out of their sails. The entire logic of
doing business was turned on its head. Not only business, but also every aspect of human life
has been impacted by the change. What lies ahead is even more dynamic and uncertain. I
would like to use this opportunity to share with you some of our own guiding principles of
staying afloat in a changing world. This is based on our experience in Wipro. Hope you find
them useful.
First, be alert for the first signs of change . Change descends on every one equally; it is just
that some realize it faster. Some changes are sudden but many others are gradual. While
sudden changes get attention because they are dramatic, it is the gradual changes that are
ignored till it is too late. You must have all heard of story of the frog in boiling water. If the
Temperature of the water is suddenly increased, the frog realizes it and jumps out of the
water. But if the temperature is very slowly increased, one degree at a time, the frog does not
realize it till it boils to death. You must develop your own early warning system, which warns
you of changes and calls your attention to it. In the case of change, being forewarned is being
forearmed.
Second, anticipate change even when things are going right . Most people wait for something
to go wrong before they think of change. It is like going to the doctor for a check up only when
you are seriously sick or thinking of maintaining your vehicle only when it breaks down. The
biggest enemy of future success is past success. When you succeed, you feel that you must be
doing something right for it to happen. But when the parameters for success changes, doing the
same things may or may not continue to lead to success. Guard against complacency all the
time. Complacency makes you blind to the early signals from the environment that something
is going wrong.
Third, always look at the opportunities that change represents . Managing change has a lot to
go with our own attitude towards it. It is proverbial half-full or half-empty glass approach. For
every problem that change represents, there is an opportunity lurking in disguise somewhere. It
is up to you to spot it before someone else does
Fourth, do not allow routines to become chains . For many of us the routine we have got
accustomed to obstruct change. Routines represent our own zones of comfort. There is a sense
of predictability about them. They have structured our time and even our thought in a certain
way. While routines are useful, do not let them enslave you. Deliberately break out of them
from time to time.
Fifth, realize that fear of the unknown is natural . With change comes a feeling of insecurity.
Many people believe that brave people are not afflicted by this malady. The truth is different.
Every one feels the fear of unknown. Courage is not the absence of fear but the ability to
manage fear without getting paralyzed. Feel the fear, but move on regardless.
Sixth, keep renewing yourself. This prepares you to anticipate change and be ready for it
when it comes. Constantly ask yourself what new skills and competencies will be needed. Begin
working on them before it becomes necessary and you will have a natural advantage. The
greatest benefit of your education lies not only in what you have learnt, but also in working
how to learn. Formal education is the beginning of the journey of learning. Yet I do meet
youngsters who feel that they have already learnt all there is to learn. You have to constantly
learn about people and how to interact effectively with them. In the world of tomorrow, only
those individuals and organizations will succeed who have mastered the art of rapid and on-
going learning.
Seventh, surround yourself with people who are open to change . If you are always in the
company of cynics, you will soon find yourself becoming like them. A cynic knows all the
reasons why something cannot be done. Instead, spend time with people who have a "can-do"
approach. Choose your advisors and mentors correctly. Pessimism is contagious, but then so is
enthusiasm. In fact, reasonable optimism can be an amazing force multiplier.
Eighth, play to win. I have said this many times in the past. Playing to win is not the same as
cutting corners. When you play to win, you stretch yourself to your maximum and use all your
potential. It also helps you to concentrate your energy on what you can influence instead of
getting bogged down with the worry of what you cannot change. Do your best and leave the
rest.
Ninth, respect yourself. The world will reward you on your successes. Success requires no
explanation and failure permits none. But you need to respect yourself enough so that your
self-confidence remains intact whether you succeed or fail. If you succeed 90 percent of the
time, you are doing fine. If you are succeeding all the time, you should ask yourself if you are
taking enough risks. If you do not take enough risks, you may also be losing out on many
opportunities. Think through but take the plunge. If some things do go wrong, learn from them.
I came across this interesting story some time ago: One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a
well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally
he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway, it just wasn't
worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They
all grabbed a shovel and begin to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what
was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down. A few
shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw.
With every shovel of dirt that fell on his back, the donkey was doing some thing amazing. He
would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top
of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as
the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and totted off! Life is going to shovel dirt on
you, all kinds of dirt. The trick is to not to get bogged down by it. We can get out of the
deepest wells by not stopping. And by never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.
Tenth, 1n spite of all the change around you, decide upon what you will never change -
your core values. Take you time to decide what they are but once you do, do not compromise
on them for any reason. Integrity is one such value.
Finally, we must remember that succeeding in a changing world is beyond just surviving. It
is our responsibility to create and contribute something to the world that has given us so much.
We must remember that many have contributed to our success, including our parents and
others from our society. All of us have a responsibility to utilize our potential for making our
nation a better place for others, who may not be as well endowed as us, or as fortunate in
having the opportunities that we have got. Let us do our bit, because doing one good deed can
have multiple benefits not only for us but also for many others.
Let me end my talk with a small story I came across some time back, which illustrates this very
well.
This is a story of a poor Scottish farmer whose name was Fleming. One day, while trying to
make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his
tools and ran to the bog. There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy,
screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the boy from what could have
been a slow and terrifying death. The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the scotsman's
sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the
father of the boy farmer Fleming had saved. "I want to repay you, "said the nobleman. "Yes,"
the farmer replied proudly. "I'll make you a deal. Let me take your son and give him a good
education. If he's anything like his father, he'll grow to be a man you can be proud of." And that
he did. In time, Farmer Fleming's son graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in
London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander
Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin. Years afterward, the nobleman's son was stricken with
pneumonia. What saved him? Penicillin. This is not the end.
The nobleman's son also made a great contribution to society. For the nobleman was none
other than Lord Randolph Churchill and his son's name was Winston Churchill.
Focus (and Time Management)
Focus (and Time Management)
An ambitious and restless shishya was getting impatient with his guru's style of teaching one
lesson at a time. He wanted to learn everything quickly and reap the rewards of this learning
quickly. He finally expressed his desire to complete his course quickly and move to the next
phase of his life. The guru nodded his head and told him to come to him early next morning.
Next morning when the student arrived, he found the guru waiting for him near the chicken
coop. He then let the chickens free and asked the student to catch them all in the next one
hour . The student ran about trying to catch one and then the other and finally at the end of
his hour got exhausted and sat down dejected as he had not been able to catch any. Then the
master told him, now I ask you to catch only the one with the ribbon round its neck. The
student got up and despite all the other chickens running around him just went after the
ribboned one and caught it with time to spare!. The master smiled and said "Focus is not our
ability to stay attraced to the 'one' but also the discipline to avoid the distractions of the
'ninety nine" .
But does this story apply to us in the age of multitasking? There are many things that we want
to achieve in our life, but the trick is to focus on the singlemost important goal at that time
and work towards achieving it instead of running after many things at the same time and
probably getting too exhausted to do justice to each.
Prioritise and Focus on one thing at a time - then there will be time for all the other things as
well.... and if you do it right... you may still have time to spare!
Posted by Reach Mentor at 11:14 AM 0 comments

Friday, October 19, 2007
How To Make Office Meetings a Success
How To Make Office Meetings a Success
What a waste of time!" is generally the first reaction to the announcement of an office
meeting, followed by "What are they going to discuss?"
However, not all meetings have to be this way. The next time you are called in for a review
meeting or to address issues, try these tips to make the meeting a productive one:
Prepare the schedule for a meeting

If you are addressing management issues, HR policies, rules and regulations, or numbers,
prepare the agenda for the meeting in advance. Invite only those people who are the key
decision makers, or else you could be wasting other people's productive time.
Call for a meeting if necessary, or you could be branded as a time-killer.

Collate your points for discussion and take feedback from your peers and colleagues.
Prepare a small slide presentation on the agenda to remain focused.
Send out mails to the key decision makers to invite them for the meeting.
Follow up with a reminder mail just before the meeting.
Most important, prepare an agenda and mail it to everyone.
Prepare the logistics
Once you have prepared for the meeting and the invitations have been sent, plan your day
accordingly and don't be late for the meeting. In case you are stuck and cannot make it on
time, make sure you inform everyone and apologise.
Make sure that the conference room or the board room is available, to be on the safe
side make prior bookings.
If you are using a small presentation, arrange for the projector, flip charts,
whiteboard, markers and some writing pads.
If your meeting is scheduled for more than one hour, arrange for the necessary
requirements of the group.
If you are taking your team out for a meeting, arrange for a place which is not
overcrowded and noisy.
Most important, comfort is something that will make your team stick around for long
hours. Create a safe and positive environment for everyone.
Be creative
If you have rolling eyes, blank looks, people fidgeting with pens and glasses, consider it to be
an opportunity to connect with them. The trick that would work for you will be to go with the
flow and start with some brainteasers, add some humour and take control.
Give a short introduction and thank them for being there. Establish some basic rules in the
beginning and request them to put their cell phones on silent or switch them off. If you don't
assertively put these instructions forward, it can eat into your time.
Before you begin the actual business, make sure you set the agenda and thank the team for
focussing on the same.
Encourage people to speak for themselves and share their success stories. Keep the
introduction short and crisp.
Stand out in the meeting
You are perceived as a leader when you are seen as the credible source of information. So it's
about the complete package.
~ Body language: Be calm and composed, dress up formally and be comfortable with your body
and mind. You look a lot more approachable when you are at ease with yourself.
~ Eye contact: Reach out to your team and stay connected with your audience. Most times,
strong messages are read by the way they reflect in your eyes. Remember, people listen with
their eyes, not with their ears.
~ Gestures: Make use of positive gestures and do not use your index finger to point at a person,
the whiteboard or the presentation.
~ Agree to disagree: If you are stating any information that is new or any idea that perhaps
your team disagrees with, do not put them down. Support your point with facts and figures,
and close the issue by thanking them for updating your information and helping you to
influence a different perspective.
~ Motivate people and make them feel important: Be a motivator and discuss creative ideas
and solutions. There are times when representatives feel situations get worse, help them come
out of a problem by facilitating ideas and encouragement.
~ Be solution-oriented: You must exhibit qualities of a leader who will not only communicate
and address concerns but also help people prepare strategies and solutions to produce
effective results.
~ Conclude with consensus: As per the game plan, before you conclude the meeting and take
commitments from the group, prepare a checklist that is in agreement with everyone. Share
copies of it with everyone, specially key decision makers. Leave your audience on a high note
and a positive state of mind.
Remember meetings are an opportunity to establish your thought leadership and make a lasting
impact on your colleagues and other stakeholders. So prepare in advance and steal the show.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
How Difficult is Decision Making?
How Difficult is Decision Making?
The manager of a large corporation got a heart attack, and the Doctor told him to go for
several weeks to a farm to relax.
The guy went to a farm, and after a couple of days he was very bored, so he asked the
farmer to give him some job to do. The farmer told him to clean the shit of the cows. The
farmer thought that to somebody coming from the city, working the whole life sitting in
an office, it will take over a week to finish the job, but to his surprise the manager
finished the job in less than one day.
The next day the farmer gave to the manager a more difficult job: to cut the heads of 500
chickens. The farmer was sure that the manager will not be able to do the job, but at the
end of the day the job was done. The next morning, as most of the jobs in the farm were
done, the farmer asked the manager to divide a bag of potatoes in two boxes:
one box with small potatoes, and one box with big potatoes. At the end of the day the
farmer saw that the manager was sitting in front of the potatoes bag, but the two boxes
were empty.
The farmer asked the manager: "How is that you did such difficult jobs during the first
days, and now you cannot do this simple job?"
The manager answered: "Listen, all my life I'm cutting heads and dealing with shit, but
now you ask me to make decisions!"
Monday, October 15, 2007
Long Term Benefits

Friday, October 12, 2007
Feelings versus Attitudes
Feelings versus Attitudes
Are feelings and attitudes the same thing or different? Does one cause the other to happen?
Which one has more power over how we respond? Does the person experiencing them have any
choice in the matter? What if they are in conflict?
Feelings are what they are. We can't force them. The phrase "I can't help how I feel" keeps
rattling around in my head as I write this. There is no magical way to change how we feel. They
aren't right or wrong, they just exist. Feelings are very powerful and definitely have a control
over how we make choices and how we move through life. We will do almost anything to avoid
feeling bad. Think about the money, time, and focus we put into trying to feel good and
avoiding feeling bad. That's not a bad thing, it's the nature of feelings. It goes against human
nature to want to feel bad.
Feelings are based in emotions. Emotions come from the heart. Therefore, I don't think we can
change them from within our logical minds. If your favorite pet dies, then you feel sad. You
cannot be expected to simply stop feeling sad. You will feel some level of sadness until you
have finished feeling sad. It is possible to distract yourself for awhile, but the feelings will just
lay dormant until you allow them time to fully run their course. There's nothing wrong with
wanting to distract yourself from the bad feelings of missing your pet, but it will slow down the
process. There are constructive things you can do to aid the processing of your feelings.
Regardless of how you handle your feelings, you're going to feel what you feel until it works it's
way through your heart. You might always miss that pet and feel a slight tug at your heart
when you think back, but the overwhelming sadness will eventually pass. It always does. That's
why they say 'time heals all wounds.' You can't maintain any one feeling indefinitely. Emotions
by nature are shifting and uncontrollable. They simply are what they are.
What about our attitudes? An entire multi-million dollar industry has been built around the
power of a positive attitude. The industry wouldn't have survived and thrived as it has if it
wasn't a valid and real concept. Our attitudes are rooted in our belief systems. Our belief
systems are chosen by our logical minds. Therefore, it is possible to make a conscious decision
to change it. Our minds have complete and total control over what we believe. I don't think I
need to bore you with another longwinded speech about the powers of a positive attitude. If
you've ever tried it, then you have proven for yourself that it is possible to make an internal
adjustment regarding your attitude.
So, which is stronger? Which has more influence over our choices and behaviors? Does one
overpower the other? Let's say that you find yourself falling madly head over heals in love with
someone. That's a feeling, an emotion. It comes from your heart. However, at the same time,
you are entertaining a very pessimistic attitude towards love and relationships in general. The
attitude comes from your mind. Which will win out, the feelings of falling in love or the dark
attitude? It's hard to say. If you change your attitude, then the feelings of being in love can
grow and perhaps become a wonderful source of joy for you. If you hold on tightly to your
attitude, then eventually it will wear on the loving feelings and you will eventually stop loving
that other person. What if the feelings of love were so amazingly powerful, that they caused
the attitude to change and your core belief system about love and relationships changed too?
Your feelings can definitely have an effect on your attitude, but your attitude wins out more
often.
Your attitude is not more powerful because it's more important than your feelings. It's more
powerful because it's more stubborn than your feelings. Let's look again at our example where
the feelings are positive and the attitude is negative. We've seen people fall madly in love with
someone who loved them in return. These same people had bad attitudes about love and
relationships in general. Their feelings were not able to overpower their attitude. They believe
'it's never going to work out anyway' and create a self-fulfilling prophecy. By not believing in
love, they destroy their good relationship and then feel hurt by the failed relationship. Their
minds take that as evidence to further continue with the negative attitude regarding love. The
same dynamic holds true regardless of topic. The reason the attitude wins the battle more
often then our feelings is because feelings are ever-changing and flexible while attitudes are
often locked into place and become an unmovable force.
What if the feelings were bad and the attitude was good? If you felt afraid that you might fail
at your goals, but you had a positive attitude and deep down you believed in yourself, then you
could choose to keep moving forward despite your feelings of fear. Your attitude would win out
over your feelings once again.
If your feelings and attitudes match, then you have an inner balance and harmony within
yourself. Isn't this the age-old battle between heart and head? Attitude comes from your head
and feelings come from your heart. When the two agree you are able to focus and move
forward with confidence. When the two are at war you have to decide which is right… the
heart's feelings or the head's attitude? Perhaps in sitting quietly and looking inward at our
feelings and attitudes from a detached perspective, we can evaluate and chose for ourselves
on a case-by-case basis which one should lead us, our feelings or our attitudes.

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March 25, 2008

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