Sunday, August 24, 2008
Plan or not to plan
Journey of thousands miles begins with a single step.
There are times, I have thought that a journey should be planned else how do you reach your destination? However on few occasions I believe that journey should not be planned and should happen as you move forward else how do you encounter new things, the unknown; how do you encourage creativity ?
So do I plan or not plan is the question ?
There are times, I have thought that a journey should be planned else how do you reach your destination? However on few occasions I believe that journey should not be planned and should happen as you move forward else how do you encounter new things, the unknown; how do you encourage creativity ?
So do I plan or not plan is the question ?
Friday, July 4, 2008
the week
i wanted to call this last week but is it last week or just a week. However decided to call it the week. The week was filled with activities and motivated self to attend the "the best practices meet" ; encourged to attend "Emirates Toastmasters meet" ; attended office dineer party meet; decided to attend Tie - Dubai meet and missed.
Every event was a new experience of learning and am glad i attended and also feel should attend more. becasue if the experience is about free classes and free learning, why not do so more often.
i felt that new events, new expereinces and new learning helps me to put (+) experiences in focus and discard (-) experiences. The focus and discard happens in an auto mode, no efforts is required to put expereinces in right perspective.
next week.........the week will be spent in new expereinces, new learning ?
Saturday, June 21, 2008
formula for success
Schools have closed down for Summer vacation and the morning traffic jams have started thinning. Less and less time is consumed traversing from Sharjah to Dubai. However my topic today is not traffic jam but what is my formula for success. I have five point suggestions
- Put yourself first: If the activity does not relate to your advance drop it or put it on lesser priority
- Create: Every day create something new, be it new thinking, a short story or a new learning.
- Unclutter: Remove the clutter in your life activities; in your office at your home. Unclutter and
- Put yourself first: If the activity does not relate to your advance drop it or put it on lesser priority
- Create: Every day create something new, be it new thinking, a short story or a new learning.
- Unclutter: Remove the clutter in your life activities; in your office at your home. Unclutter and
bring focus on big value activities.
- Connect: Connect with at least “10” new people every week.
- Hobby: Develop a hobby.
This formula is not about $$ but it is about getting up and looking forward to the day and getting to bed with a sound sleep.
- Connect: Connect with at least “10” new people every week.
- Hobby: Develop a hobby.
This formula is not about $$ but it is about getting up and looking forward to the day and getting to bed with a sound sleep.
Friday, June 13, 2008
difference
“You have built the club; you have been the guiding force towards helping us build the club.” These were the words of Abdul Rahman President of Friends of Yoga Toastmasters club.
I stepped back, stepped back in the rewind mode……... I recall attending the early morning meetings of the club but what happened that made the difference ? I neither attempted project speeches; nor took up any role plays and never passed on the judgment. However the presence was there, presence to connect and listen to the participants. Did that make a difference ? May be and others might say may be not.
But I am beginning to believe that the presence makes a big difference; listening makes a bigger difference when person on the other side is struggling; when person on the other side is gasping for breath.
Let us continue the journey; build the club and be the guiding force by just being present when others need the most.
I stepped back, stepped back in the rewind mode……... I recall attending the early morning meetings of the club but what happened that made the difference ? I neither attempted project speeches; nor took up any role plays and never passed on the judgment. However the presence was there, presence to connect and listen to the participants. Did that make a difference ? May be and others might say may be not.
But I am beginning to believe that the presence makes a big difference; listening makes a bigger difference when person on the other side is struggling; when person on the other side is gasping for breath.
Let us continue the journey; build the club and be the guiding force by just being present when others need the most.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
step on the race
I stepped on race…… 50, 60, 80 km per hour but the view outside did not change. I opened the door and realized my car was stuck in the sand pit. Stuck deep in the sand at 6:30 in the morning…… I was being smart, trying a short cut to beat the traffic but the luck had beaten me.
I got out of the car and looked around for help, help me but the cars passed by with an urgency to reach their destination. And then appeared a heavy equipment from a construction site and the driver waved at me, may be trying to say he will help me. He stepped out and said buy the rope from the petrol station nearby and he will help me to get out, for a fee.
We bought the pull rope and walked towards my car and I can see another car stuck and a four wheel driver helping him to get out of the sand pit. And then the four wheel driver turned towards me, do you need help. I said NO, I have committed to this gentleman. Somehow the four wheel driver was not convinced and engaged in helping me out and at the same time engaged the heavy equipment driver in conversation in native Arabic.
Thank you – the four wheel driver, in next 20 minutes I was out of the pit. I tried paying the heavy equipment driver but he refused and I realized the four wheel driver had cautioned him not to demand fee for helping people in trouble.
Thanking all profusely I exchanged cards and contemplated… will I do the same for others; stop by and pull someone out? May be not because it takes courage and empathy to come forward and help others. I stepped on the race – 50 km/hr .
I got out of the car and looked around for help, help me but the cars passed by with an urgency to reach their destination. And then appeared a heavy equipment from a construction site and the driver waved at me, may be trying to say he will help me. He stepped out and said buy the rope from the petrol station nearby and he will help me to get out, for a fee.
We bought the pull rope and walked towards my car and I can see another car stuck and a four wheel driver helping him to get out of the sand pit. And then the four wheel driver turned towards me, do you need help. I said NO, I have committed to this gentleman. Somehow the four wheel driver was not convinced and engaged in helping me out and at the same time engaged the heavy equipment driver in conversation in native Arabic.
Thank you – the four wheel driver, in next 20 minutes I was out of the pit. I tried paying the heavy equipment driver but he refused and I realized the four wheel driver had cautioned him not to demand fee for helping people in trouble.
Thanking all profusely I exchanged cards and contemplated… will I do the same for others; stop by and pull someone out? May be not because it takes courage and empathy to come forward and help others. I stepped on the race – 50 km/hr .
magic pill
Motivation, words of appreciation, words of encouragement …….are these simply words or magic pills to heal. Who heals from the magic pills ? the recipient or the provider?
These are magic pills to cheer up others and also a brilliant tool to uplift the spirits of provider. Someone said you get what you give. And I agree with that 100%. You want to uplift yourself cheer someone else; give them the magic pill.
I observed the power of magic pill during a training workshop one weekend. The trainer was replete with words of wisdom however the delivery was looking down on the participants. Towards the end of the workshop, energy level dropped. Participants were looking forward to a restful break and in no mood to accept the words of wisdom. And then sprang up one participant and snatched the opportunity to distribute certificates of participation. With every call for participants he handed the magic pill; he shared few words of encouragement, motivation and appreciation with the participants.
The faces lit up and energy level started rising. Before the training could end the energy level touched the ceiling and participants were willing to stay back for a still shoot and mingle.
The magic pills who did it heal ? The provider or the recipients ? Certainly the recipient since it reflected on their radiant faces and certainly the provider because it reflected on his face too.
These are magic pills to cheer up others and also a brilliant tool to uplift the spirits of provider. Someone said you get what you give. And I agree with that 100%. You want to uplift yourself cheer someone else; give them the magic pill.
I observed the power of magic pill during a training workshop one weekend. The trainer was replete with words of wisdom however the delivery was looking down on the participants. Towards the end of the workshop, energy level dropped. Participants were looking forward to a restful break and in no mood to accept the words of wisdom. And then sprang up one participant and snatched the opportunity to distribute certificates of participation. With every call for participants he handed the magic pill; he shared few words of encouragement, motivation and appreciation with the participants.
The faces lit up and energy level started rising. Before the training could end the energy level touched the ceiling and participants were willing to stay back for a still shoot and mingle.
The magic pills who did it heal ? The provider or the recipients ? Certainly the recipient since it reflected on their radiant faces and certainly the provider because it reflected on his face too.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
sales or leadership
what is the difference between sales and leadership or how are they connected ? are they two faces of a coin to be used interchangeabaly or simply synonyms.
i am begining to believe they are identical but spelt differently. sales persuades so do the leader. sales sells so do the leader his beliefs. leader leads so do the sale if not in kind but certainly in his mind.
sales or leadership ?
Friday, May 2, 2008
outsource
in the business world, outsourcing has become the buzzword. if organisation must grow, they must outsource and become more competetive and bring focus on core activites.
this concept applies to your life as well however in your profession & personnal life this may be termed as delegation.
delegation is a process of trust relations between two individuals to bring focus and quality time to your core activities. I have personally found success when delgating. delgate functions that does not bring value to your life, so why do it yourself.
go ahead delegate; outosurce and bring quality time to your core activities.
this concept applies to your life as well however in your profession & personnal life this may be termed as delegation.
delegation is a process of trust relations between two individuals to bring focus and quality time to your core activities. I have personally found success when delgating. delgate functions that does not bring value to your life, so why do it yourself.
go ahead delegate; outosurce and bring quality time to your core activities.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
how do you ?
how do you retain people; or rather why do people leave the organisation. many reasons have been sited, bad manager; career growth; emoluments; lack of challenging work... the list is endless. in the past long service was the norm now frequent jaunts has become the norm.
what is so significantly different has happended that has made the difference. some say the globalisation; some say internet. however I have observed the professional internet groups have accelerated the migratory trend. And why not, each one of us, including you have the prerogative to the best and life is about striving to get the best.
what is so significantly different has happended that has made the difference. some say the globalisation; some say internet. however I have observed the professional internet groups have accelerated the migratory trend. And why not, each one of us, including you have the prerogative to the best and life is about striving to get the best.
Friday, April 18, 2008
number game
waiting for an elevator and in the que was something I was not prepared for. However we had no other option but to que and wait for the elevator to reach the 26th floor. on calling up our contact he said come over to 35th floor. once again began the wait for the right elevator; climb down to 9th floor and then jump to another elevator for 35th floor climb. it reminded me of hopping from one bus to another to reach university. however on 35th floor the contact was no where neither the name of his company reflected on any of the offices. on further calling; contact said he is waiting in lobby but we did not find a soul in the lobby. and suddenly the entire conversation started from the begining. which floor you are on ? 35th floor. is it 3 and 5 = 35th. no it is 3 and 1, 31st...................... a quick mis-communication made the difference. however there is a lesson in it.
waiting for an elevator to climb upto 31st floor or correcting 35th cell in excel sheet, with the mult-culture demograhic and 150 + nationalities in UAE; it is imperative to breakdown the conversation into shorter; explicit and understandable sentences; specially the number game over the phone.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
grow leaders faster than the competetion
Here’s an abstract of Ramalinga Raju’s interview published in The McKinsey Quarterly, September 2007:
In an interview with Prashant Gandhi and Joydeep Sengupta, published in The McKinsey Quarterly, Raju explains that he comes at business from a slightly different perspective than some of his competitors—his background is not in technology but in business. He believes that business value can be created through the proper balance of three critical tasks: Thinking (strategy and innovation), Doing (operational excellence) and Communicating (connecting intimately with stakeholders), which Satyam calls the TDC model.
In many companies, he says, most of the thinking and communicating is done at the top, with most of the doing being done by those at the bottom. But in knowledge industries, this hierarchical structure does not work. At Satyam, a different leadership model is followed, with leaders created throughout their organization. The advantage of a distributed leadership model is the ownership of results resides with the leaders closest to the stakeholders (who may be colleagues, investors or clients). And with everyone in the company educated in the same philosophy, the hope for result is a "One-Satyam" experience for all the stakeholders.
What is intriguing about this type of organizational model is it empowers people at all levels of the company to act in the best interests of clients, investors and their colleagues. It is not enough to just act in the interest of the client or the investors, if that focus has a negative impact on employee morale and motivation. Moreover, with roughly 2,000 groups at Satyam (dubbed "Full Life Cycle Businesses") operating from the same set of principles and taking full responsibility for creating value for their particular business, they have a workforce that can be disassembled and put together again—like LEGO blocks—to achieve consistent results on the next project they find themselves assigned to.
"We consider ourselves in the business of building leaders," says Raju. "The most effective way of realizing our goals and objectives is to grow leaders faster than the competition." With a shortage of experienced personnel expected to be a growing global problem, this fine-tuned focus on leadership will be key to long-term business success.
In an interview with Prashant Gandhi and Joydeep Sengupta, published in The McKinsey Quarterly, Raju explains that he comes at business from a slightly different perspective than some of his competitors—his background is not in technology but in business. He believes that business value can be created through the proper balance of three critical tasks: Thinking (strategy and innovation), Doing (operational excellence) and Communicating (connecting intimately with stakeholders), which Satyam calls the TDC model.
In many companies, he says, most of the thinking and communicating is done at the top, with most of the doing being done by those at the bottom. But in knowledge industries, this hierarchical structure does not work. At Satyam, a different leadership model is followed, with leaders created throughout their organization. The advantage of a distributed leadership model is the ownership of results resides with the leaders closest to the stakeholders (who may be colleagues, investors or clients). And with everyone in the company educated in the same philosophy, the hope for result is a "One-Satyam" experience for all the stakeholders.
What is intriguing about this type of organizational model is it empowers people at all levels of the company to act in the best interests of clients, investors and their colleagues. It is not enough to just act in the interest of the client or the investors, if that focus has a negative impact on employee morale and motivation. Moreover, with roughly 2,000 groups at Satyam (dubbed "Full Life Cycle Businesses") operating from the same set of principles and taking full responsibility for creating value for their particular business, they have a workforce that can be disassembled and put together again—like LEGO blocks—to achieve consistent results on the next project they find themselves assigned to.
"We consider ourselves in the business of building leaders," says Raju. "The most effective way of realizing our goals and objectives is to grow leaders faster than the competition." With a shortage of experienced personnel expected to be a growing global problem, this fine-tuned focus on leadership will be key to long-term business success.
Monday, April 7, 2008
wise words
This evening I met a dear friend working for an IT company and our discussions focused on gross profit earnings by sales. And I said, your team earns a good gross profit, how do they achieve that? And he said focus on managed services.
Then the discussions centered around the key ingredients for success of managed services. The answer was a good team. And how do you build a good team? Other than the right professional skills and experience; what else do you look for in the team members and the answer came, the most important ingredient is respect for team members, empathy for the team member. The team members should understand not to be rude to the fellow member. And it is imperative that if you find a team aspirant to be rude take him out of the team even at the risk of loosing a good skill, because you don’t risk a team for an individual skill.
Another discussion point was how to retain a good skill other than through benefits and compensation. The answer came as; engage the skill with the right skilled team members so he feels part of a family, a knowledgeable family.
Thank you friend, for the wise words.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
appreciation
Mc Clelands achievement theory; Herzberg's two factor theory; Maslow's Heirarchy of needs. However there is no better & practical theory than "theory of appreciation". a simple thank you; job well done; excellent performance. little words of appreciation go miles over the motivational theories.
My subbordinate said i am feeling suffocated. such big order and no celeberation; no appreciation; in my last company it would have been a celeberation. He further said even my vendor was ecstatic but i got no response from my seniors and then he went on to say how challenging was it to get the order ?
everyone needs motivation right from grade 1 to grade 10. how do you do that ? by investing little words of appreciation every day. may be choosing the words for the day and investing them on people around. a simple thank you; job well done; brilliant performance
My subbordinate said i am feeling suffocated. such big order and no celeberation; no appreciation; in my last company it would have been a celeberation. He further said even my vendor was ecstatic but i got no response from my seniors and then he went on to say how challenging was it to get the order ?
everyone needs motivation right from grade 1 to grade 10. how do you do that ? by investing little words of appreciation every day. may be choosing the words for the day and investing them on people around. a simple thank you; job well done; brilliant performance
Saturday, April 5, 2008
identity change who's next ?
I normally do not take king Faisal road – sharjah for obvious reason of traffic jams. However being the Friday morning; it was fine. I noticed three banks with new logos side by side and it made me ponder how does the bank translate its new identity and what values do they attach to the new corporate identity. So I goggled and found something.
Dubai Islamic Bank: The launch of the new identity coincided with DIB's 30th anniversary
. the new identity the Alislami 'circular shape' and reflects the design of the first ever Islamic coins known to history, thus reiterating DIB's position as the first Islamic bank in the world. The newly-added brighter green and yellow background aims to represent DIB's spirit of modernity, evolution and customer friendly services. The Arabic typeface has been changed to Al Thuluth, a very distinct and original Arabic font, which is easy to interpret and read.
Commer
cial Bank International: The new corporate identity reflects the core values of CBI's retail, commercial and corporate units, which revolve around progress, customer-centric service and flexibility for making changes. . By the year 2010, the bank is committed to reaching an outstanding position within the banking industry in the UAE, and become one of the leading banks in the UAE that provides customers with differentiated services of the highest quality.
Al Masraf: The new corporate identity is represented through the Trade mark “Al MASRAF” in Arabic and English presented in a specially blended blue color arranged vertically and separated by a golden yellow line and the circular shape with Arabesque links circling the Cinquefoil in golden yellow color with a
blue background logo. The golden yellow links circling the Cinquefoil conveys unity, collaboration for knowledge and prosperity. Also, it represents a coordinated system of people, activities, information and resources working together towards the goal of delivering a product or service to the client while the series of links symbolize the unified leadership of the bank.
Sharjah Islamic Bank: The new identity symbolizes the 'Islamic bank for everyone'. The new logo combines traditional Islamic calligraphy and contemporary graphics. The design not only reflects the bank's growth but also the fusion of traditional Islamic culture and modernity. The typography in the new
logo communicates rich heritage and forward-moving vision, and reflects NBS's goal of being a progressive company. The falcon has been a symbolism of NBS's tradition for the past 30 years. The graphic element, conveys the upward-sweeping profile of a falcon, and symbolizes strength and stability. The blue color represents strength, stability and trust; the orange symbolizes renewal and creativity, and together blue and orange represents leadership and clear vision. a lot has been reflected in the change the new corporate identity.
Dubai Islamic Bank: The launch of the new identity coincided with DIB's 30th anniversary
. the new identity the Alislami 'circular shape' and reflects the design of the first ever Islamic coins known to history, thus reiterating DIB's position as the first Islamic bank in the world. The newly-added brighter green and yellow background aims to represent DIB's spirit of modernity, evolution and customer friendly services. The Arabic typeface has been changed to Al Thuluth, a very distinct and original Arabic font, which is easy to interpret and read.Commer
cial Bank International: The new corporate identity reflects the core values of CBI's retail, commercial and corporate units, which revolve around progress, customer-centric service and flexibility for making changes. . By the year 2010, the bank is committed to reaching an outstanding position within the banking industry in the UAE, and become one of the leading banks in the UAE that provides customers with differentiated services of the highest quality.Al Masraf: The new corporate identity is represented through the Trade mark “Al MASRAF” in Arabic and English presented in a specially blended blue color arranged vertically and separated by a golden yellow line and the circular shape with Arabesque links circling the Cinquefoil in golden yellow color with a
blue background logo. The golden yellow links circling the Cinquefoil conveys unity, collaboration for knowledge and prosperity. Also, it represents a coordinated system of people, activities, information and resources working together towards the goal of delivering a product or service to the client while the series of links symbolize the unified leadership of the bank.Sharjah Islamic Bank: The new identity symbolizes the 'Islamic bank for everyone'. The new logo combines traditional Islamic calligraphy and contemporary graphics. The design not only reflects the bank's growth but also the fusion of traditional Islamic culture and modernity. The typography in the new
logo communicates rich heritage and forward-moving vision, and reflects NBS's goal of being a progressive company. The falcon has been a symbolism of NBS's tradition for the past 30 years. The graphic element, conveys the upward-sweeping profile of a falcon, and symbolizes strength and stability. The blue color represents strength, stability and trust; the orange symbolizes renewal and creativity, and together blue and orange represents leadership and clear vision. a lot has been reflected in the change the new corporate identity.UAE is home to over 20 local banks. Many banks have changed corporate identity in the recent past like RAK bank; DIB; SIB; Al Masraf; CBI; NBUAQ. and every identity change statement makes an interesting read and reflects mindshare of the bank for the next 5 years if not 10.
identity change who is next?
Friday, April 4, 2008
flip the coin
loosers. family time; passion time and quality time. somehow in our paced environment we are loosing quality time with our loved ones and time for our passion.
every morning commuting between dubai and sharjah; you can listen to the " TRAFFIC JAMS" trvails of the commuters on the FM. this weekend when RJ asked who would you like to be stuck in the elevator. one of the listener said that with his wife. why ? because he spends upto 6/7 hours commuting between his residence and the workplace. and few moments left late late & late in the day is either spent preparing for next day or with his 2 years young kid. however elevator time may the only quality time he may get to spend with his spouse.
however no one intends to be a looser. i dont intend to be either. the 2 days weekend has been a blessing to flip the coin and be the winner.
every morning commuting between dubai and sharjah; you can listen to the " TRAFFIC JAMS" trvails of the commuters on the FM. this weekend when RJ asked who would you like to be stuck in the elevator. one of the listener said that with his wife. why ? because he spends upto 6/7 hours commuting between his residence and the workplace. and few moments left late late & late in the day is either spent preparing for next day or with his 2 years young kid. however elevator time may the only quality time he may get to spend with his spouse.
however no one intends to be a looser. i dont intend to be either. the 2 days weekend has been a blessing to flip the coin and be the winner.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
"the greatness guide" by Robin Sharma
I enjoy reading Robin Sharma blog. his website http://www.robinsharma.com/ has been my default web page for sometime.
last weekend i went back to Robin's book from the shelf "the greatness guide" and skimmed through the highlighted portion and it makes an interesting read.
1. each day life will send you windows of opportunity. your destiny will ultimately be defined by how you respoind to these windows.
2. good things happen when you do good things.
3. what you do today defines tommorow.
4. fail faster, succeed sooner - by David Kelly
5. make time to think at least 30 minutes a day.
6. make a list of 10 greatest passion/activities that fill your heart with joy and remind you how good life can be. then schedule them once a week. anything that is scheduled gets done.
7. one conversation with an interesting person a week.
8. power of .......thank you = i appreciate you; .....please = i respect you.
9. if you eat 3 times a day you will be fed. but if you read three times a day you will be wise.
10. build cultures where people and relationaship comes first.
11. persian proverb "i cursed the fact I had no shoes untill i met a man who had no feet"
12. boomerang effect " give what you must want to see come back.
13. make better choices.
14. focus + improvement + time = genius in 5 years
15. "20 years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you did not do than by the ones you did" by Mark Twain
"the greatness guide" is filled with brilliant learning spread in numerous short passages of 2/3 pages long. skimming through the highlights uplifts the spirits for the day and so does the blogs of Robin Sharma.
last weekend i went back to Robin's book from the shelf "the greatness guide" and skimmed through the highlighted portion and it makes an interesting read.
1. each day life will send you windows of opportunity. your destiny will ultimately be defined by how you respoind to these windows.
2. good things happen when you do good things.
3. what you do today defines tommorow.
4. fail faster, succeed sooner - by David Kelly
5. make time to think at least 30 minutes a day.
6. make a list of 10 greatest passion/activities that fill your heart with joy and remind you how good life can be. then schedule them once a week. anything that is scheduled gets done.
7. one conversation with an interesting person a week.
8. power of .......thank you = i appreciate you; .....please = i respect you.
9. if you eat 3 times a day you will be fed. but if you read three times a day you will be wise.
10. build cultures where people and relationaship comes first.
11. persian proverb "i cursed the fact I had no shoes untill i met a man who had no feet"
12. boomerang effect " give what you must want to see come back.
13. make better choices.
14. focus + improvement + time = genius in 5 years
15. "20 years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you did not do than by the ones you did" by Mark Twain
"the greatness guide" is filled with brilliant learning spread in numerous short passages of 2/3 pages long. skimming through the highlights uplifts the spirits for the day and so does the blogs of Robin Sharma.
Friday, March 21, 2008
unity through rhythm
Where is your family ? they are at home. you should have brought them along, it is a diiifferent meeting.
the drummers started the beats and the audience joined the rhythm. there were 25+ drums among the audience and they quickly picked up on the beats. and for the next 20 minutes the hall reverbated with drum beats and so did the mood of the audience with rhythm & beats. this was not a musical event but the begining of Toastmasters Area-25 speech contest held in Knowledge village auditorium - Dubai on March 21, 2008.
every toastmasters meet is different and dubai drums made the diiiference to the meet. their tag line "unity through rhythm" made the diiifference.
the drummers started the beats and the audience joined the rhythm. there were 25+ drums among the audience and they quickly picked up on the beats. and for the next 20 minutes the hall reverbated with drum beats and so did the mood of the audience with rhythm & beats. this was not a musical event but the begining of Toastmasters Area-25 speech contest held in Knowledge village auditorium - Dubai on March 21, 2008.
every toastmasters meet is different and dubai drums made the diiiference to the meet. their tag line "unity through rhythm" made the diiifference.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
amazing kids - the free resource
kids are amazing and many a time they surprise you with their thoughts; ideas and imagination. they bring in new thinking; innovative ideas and fresh thinking in our day to day living. they can be a good mentor when you are stuck in life, they could be a breath of fresh air when you are fighting for ideas, they are a free resource when you need a new direction in your life.
they are a resource, a free resource that needs encourgaement to come forward and contribute to the new world.
they are a resource, a free resource that needs encourgaement to come forward and contribute to the new world.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
friendly advise
conversation with a friend: "did i tell you the good news. perhaps i have shared with you earlier. i am taking a sabbatical. i am 45 and want to learn swimming; learn golf and may be write a book in next 2 years time. i want to take a break when i can do something not do something when i retire."
and then he proceeded to say that i am in a delimna, am i doing the right thing. but on the flip side if i am in delimna that means i am not exercising somethig run of the mill. i am doing something new.
how true, you are in delimna when you are attempting something new, something different and not run of the mills. you are progressing and exercising your creative skills.
and then he proceeded to say that i am in a delimna, am i doing the right thing. but on the flip side if i am in delimna that means i am not exercising somethig run of the mill. i am doing something new.
how true, you are in delimna when you are attempting something new, something different and not run of the mills. you are progressing and exercising your creative skills.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
"treasure" explore and plunder
these books have given me a quick and a meaningful insight into the subject. they are written in simple language and worth reading again and again
- the tipping point by Gladwell
- the 22 immutable laws of marketing
- the blue ocean strategy
- the wealth dynamics
- good to great
- Why men dont listen and women cant read maps by Allan and Barbara Pease
- How to influence people and win friends by Dale Carnige
- Rich Dad Poor Dad Robert T. Kiyosaki with Sharon L. Lechter
- Unlimited Power by Anthony Robbins
- Over the Top by Zig Zaglar
- Who moved my Cheese? by Spencer Johnson
- Awaken the Giants Within by Anthony Robbins
- Chicken Soup for the Soul by
- Up Your Service by Ron Kaufman
- Seven Days Weekend by Ricardo Semler
- Maverick by Ricardo Semler
- Timeless Leadership by Omar Khan
- Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Robert Bach
- The De Vanci Code by Dan Brown
- The Enthusiastic Employee David Sirota, Louis A. Mischkind and Michael Irwin Meltzer,
- Seven Habbits of an Highly Effective People by Dr. Steven Covey
- The Monk who sold his Fereari by Robin Sharma
- Why Men and Women Cry by Allan and Barbara Pease
- Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
- Storm in the Sea wind by Alam Sirinivas
- You can win by Shiv Khera
- How to get rich by Donald J. trump
- I would like the world to buy coke by Roberto Goizueta
- The seven strategies of Master Presenters by Dr. Brad McRae and David Brooks
- Dada Answers by J.P. Vaswani
the tipping point
i read this book while on vacation in india. being on the bestseller list it became an obvious choice. And once i bounght the book, it was returned after completing the last chapter. the book has pearls of wisdom and something that makes you think; rethink and explore the phenomena of change.
the author Gladwell describes "The Law of the Few" and says "The success of any kind of social epidemic is heavily dependent on the involvement of people with a particular and rare set of social skills." and Gladwell categorises these people into three:
Connectors are the people who "link us up with the world ... people with a special gift for bringing the world together
Mavens are "information specialists", or "people we rely upon to connect us with new information." They accumulate knowledge, especially about the marketplace, and know how to share it with others.
Salesmen are "persuaders", charismatic people with powerful negotiation skills. They tend to have an indefinable trait that goes beyond what they say, that makes others want to agree with them.
the book is sprinkeld with real life examples and theories. a must read for anyone eager to explore how an item becomes a phenomena.
the author Gladwell describes "The Law of the Few" and says "The success of any kind of social epidemic is heavily dependent on the involvement of people with a particular and rare set of social skills." and Gladwell categorises these people into three:
Connectors are the people who "link us up with the world ... people with a special gift for bringing the world together
Mavens are "information specialists", or "people we rely upon to connect us with new information." They accumulate knowledge, especially about the marketplace, and know how to share it with others.
Salesmen are "persuaders", charismatic people with powerful negotiation skills. They tend to have an indefinable trait that goes beyond what they say, that makes others want to agree with them.
the book is sprinkeld with real life examples and theories. a must read for anyone eager to explore how an item becomes a phenomena.
Monday, March 10, 2008
the 22 immutable laws of marketing (must read for sales)
"the 22 immutable laws of marketing" piqued my interest after attending a short presentation in Abu Dhabi. the next week i bought my copy. since then i have read, re-read and grazed over many times.
It is a short book of may be less than 60 pages written by the renowned marketing team Al Ries and Jack Trout. "The 22 immutable laws of marketing" is simple to grasp & understand comprising 22 immutable laws. The first 6 laws caught my attention since they help me see business through a different glass and also sew a web between sales and marketing.
1. the law of leadership - it is better to be first than it is to be better. It is much easier to get into the mind first than it is to try to convince someone you have a better product than the one that did get there first.
2. the law of the category - if you can't be first in a category, set up a new category you can be first in.
3. the law of the mind - it's better to be first in the mind than to be first in the marketplace.
4. the law of perception - marketing is not a battle of products, it's a battle of perceptions.
5. the law of focus - the most powerful concept in marketing is owning a word in the prospect's mind (i.e. the way that Coke 'owns' the word 'cola', or Xerox owns 'copier').
6. the law of exclusivity - two companies cannot own the same word in the prospect's mind.
twenty-two 'laws' - with every law there is some situtation to reflect but there are counter-examples too in abundance for every rule presented in the book. the laws makes me ponder and the premises have become my measure to evaluate sales & marketing plans.
happy reading and am certain sales professionals will enjoy reading
It is a short book of may be less than 60 pages written by the renowned marketing team Al Ries and Jack Trout. "The 22 immutable laws of marketing" is simple to grasp & understand comprising 22 immutable laws. The first 6 laws caught my attention since they help me see business through a different glass and also sew a web between sales and marketing.
1. the law of leadership - it is better to be first than it is to be better. It is much easier to get into the mind first than it is to try to convince someone you have a better product than the one that did get there first.
2. the law of the category - if you can't be first in a category, set up a new category you can be first in.
3. the law of the mind - it's better to be first in the mind than to be first in the marketplace.
4. the law of perception - marketing is not a battle of products, it's a battle of perceptions.
5. the law of focus - the most powerful concept in marketing is owning a word in the prospect's mind (i.e. the way that Coke 'owns' the word 'cola', or Xerox owns 'copier').
6. the law of exclusivity - two companies cannot own the same word in the prospect's mind.
twenty-two 'laws' - with every law there is some situtation to reflect but there are counter-examples too in abundance for every rule presented in the book. the laws makes me ponder and the premises have become my measure to evaluate sales & marketing plans.
happy reading and am certain sales professionals will enjoy reading
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