Vysya Institute of Management Studies

5 career needs of every professional

2008-06-26T06:33:00.000-07:00

In today's economy, you need to evolve constantly if you want your career to go places. If you don't, there is every possibility that one of your colleagues/ classmates will walk away with the coveted position that you aspired to.
So how does one add value to oneself? Here are five steps that will meet all your career

advancement needs:
Self learning
Learning is an ongoing lifelong process, we learn a little from everything we do. Career advancement requires a structured form of learning. If you are aspiring to a higher role within or outside your organisation, you need to identify the competency that role demands and go about acquiring the same. Some of the best-managed companies provide such learning tools to their employees.
Self assessment
Know yourself and where you stand -- it's important if you're planning your own growth chart. We are assessed by others whenever we are interviewed for job openings and promotions, so stay one step ahead and assess yourself first. You need to work on areas where there is room for improvement. If you come from a technology background, for example and you think you have mastered a particular technological tool, go ahead and get certified. This will add a lot of value to your professional standing and will pay off richly in future.

Peer discussions
Life's lessons are learned through community interaction and that holds true for our professional lives too. Whenever you get time off from your busy schedule, utilise it positively by interacting with your peers and discussing common areas of interest. If you can't meet up in person, use the Internet -- there are lots of professional networking portals and some of them have large numbers of qualified professionals as members. This informal knowledge-gathering complements the disciplined self-learning approach discussed above.

Career counselling
Everyone needs expert advice and counselling from time to time. We hear about godfathers and political gurus all the time, but unfortunately we do not recognise the relevance of professional mentors, thanks to the job opportunities economic growth has brought to India. There are, however, several intelligent folk who model their careers along similar lines as their seniors and heed the latter's advice in matters involving career growth. Sometimes it's also a good idea to opt for career counselling -- it helps one identify which professional path has the maximum scope for growth and job satisfaction.

Look before you leap
Several youngsters take up new jobs/designations because they offer better monetary compensation. If you are clear about your career growth pattern, monetary return should be a secondary criterion -- first comes future growth potential. You also need to verify offers made to you by potential employers or your boss -- discuss your new responsibilities thoroughly and only if you are completely convinced should you take up the new challenge.

Don't hand out your business cards like freebies!

2008-06-26T06:27:00.000-07:00

Picture this: Rahul Khanna, a dashing young B-school graduate, comes from a simple family and is looking to make it big in the corporate world.

He is currently in the lobby of a five star hotel where large corporate houses are holding a seminar, an excellent place to network for future career prospects.

He meets Mohit Suri, a head of HR who is in a position to offer Rahul a lucrative job opportunity. They exchange civilities and then comes the big moment -- Mohit casually asks for Rahul's business card.

Scene I

Like most people, Rahul keeps his newly-printed business cards in his wallet and he promptly reaches for his back trouser pocket. He struggles to wrest the wallet from his snug-fitting pants and clumsily drops it on the floor. It flips open and Rahul's loose change, petrol bills, other business cards, girlfriend's photograph and credit cards spill out for all to see.

Kaput -- so much for a great first impression!

Scene II

When asked for his business card, Rahul reaches into his front trouser pocket, effortlessly pulls out a business card holder, removes a card and presents it to Mohit. Poetry in motion! Mohit's eyes linger on the card holder and he is impressed with Rahul's style.

Would you like to be Rahul in Scene I or Scene II?

Here's another example: Ajay Verma, an executive with a multinational company is sitting at his desk. An old colleague drops in for a visit and asks for his business card. Ajay is quite comfortable since it is post-lunch. He pulls out his card from his drawer, holding it between his index and third fingers (like a cigarette) and casually tosses it to his friend across the table. Is that appropriate?

Your business card is an important part of your professional identity. It holds your name, designation, the organisation you represent, your office/ residential telephone numbers, mobile number, fax number, email ID, website address etc. It also carries your credentials, educational qualifications and designation. When you are presenting it to somebody, do so with respect. Your body language should also convey the same.

Always hold the card face-up, so that the print faces the individual you are presenting it to. This is a courtesy, so that he/ she doesn't have to turn it around to read it. Hold it firmly in one corner, using your your thumb and index finger to grip it as you extend it to the receiver.

How should I present my business card?

Always present your business card with your right hand, as in some cultures it is considered impolite to do so with your left.

If you are dealing with clients from Asian countries like Japan or China, hold the business card with both hands and offer it accompanied by a small bowing gesture. Europeans and Americans do not pay as much attention to business cards as the Asians do.

In India we follow a middle path. East meets West!

Where should I store my cards, if not in my wallet?

Always keep you business cards in an elegant-looking business card holder. The stores that sell wallets and other accessories also stock card holders. Take your pick. Metal ones look extremely classy, but you also get very stylish ones in leather. Pick one that is slim, capable of holding about 10-15 cards at a time. I need not tell you to replenish them frequently!

Unlike a wallet, where business cards tend to get misshapen, a card holder keeps your cards in pristine condition. It prevents smudging and creasing, keeping the cards crisp and at their most attractive. (I'd like to mention at this point that most men don't think it is necessary to go shopping for new wallets either -- they get married to their wallets and fall into a comfort zone with what ends up looking like a relic!)

Is it okay for me to jot down extra details on my card or on someone else's card with a pen?

Always make sure that the information on your card is current. Avoid scratching out old numbers, email addresses etc and overwriting with a pen -- it looks shoddy. It's worth investing in a new set rather than doing that.

Moreover, it is rude to write something and deface someone else's card in their presence. When you are out of sight, by all means pen any reference required.

I have seen some people put business cards that they have just received down onto the table/ desk in front of them. Is that acceptable?

If you are in a conference/ meeting where there are more than a few people, it is acceptable to put business cards neatly and in an orderly manner on the table/ desk in front of you. You may do so through the course of the meeting -- this helps you to refer to the names of the attendees/ participants as and when required.

If you are in a meeting, you may pick up the cards that you have kept on the table and put them in your planner, diary or folder. Again, the body language should be such that you are collecting your valuable papers and documents. Just make sure you don't leave any behind. It is very insulting.

At times like this, it is wise to carry a whole bunch of your own business cards in your planner, as the supply in the card holder may soon be exhausted.

How does one show respect to an individual who has handed you his/ her card?

Simple -- just smile while accepting it. Say thank you. Spend a few seconds reading it -- 5 to 10 seconds should be enough to acknowledge all that is printed there! Nod your head approvingly and if you can think of an intelligent or complimentary thing to say, do so -- "Oh, so your office is in Noida?" or "That's an impressive/ interesting logo your company has".

What does one do with the card then?

Put it back deliberately in your own business card holder.

This denotes that you are keeping it safe along with your own valuable cards and will file it when you get back to your office.

When should a business card be presented?

Ideally, at the commencement of a formal meeting. But there is no hard and fast rule. You can even present one in the midst or at the end of a meeting, as and when the need for an exchange of information emerges.

Please also keep in mind that in Asian countries no business commences till a formal exchange of business cards has taken place.

Who should present his/ her card first?

Ideally, you should not offer your card to an individual who out-ranks you, since it then becomes obligatory for him/ her to present you with his/ her card also.

If, however, some time has elapsed conversing and you have managed to strike up a measure of familiarity, it may be okay to offer yours and ask for his/ hers.

As for those at the same professional level or below you, it is perfectly alright to ask them for their business cards and present yours anytime -- no protocol is required.

Open office? More reason to watch your manners!

2008-06-26T06:21:00.000-07:00

From closeted cabins to open offices, we sure have come a long way. Everywhere you look, closed confines are giving way to open spaces in workplaces in different industries. As Suniti Joshi, an interior designer and planner in Mumbai says, "It is cost-effective, and you can accommodate more people in the given area. Open plan offices are economical because heating or cooling the workspace is done easily. Also, if the layout needs to be rearranged, or a few extra work stations accommodated, it can be done quickly and without too much additional cost."

Apart from the obvious practical value, open offices may very well be a way of 'breaking down' walls and repositioning one workplace as one with a more 'open' culture. Some like Solomon Abraham, Practice Lead at Ikya Human Capital Solutions, are all for it. "Open spaces are one of the best things to happen in India. They energise employees, knowledge flow is quick and accurate, and performances are at an all time high."

Some like Pragya Thakur, Circulation Business Director at a consumer-publishing group, are not so keen on it for strong reasons that delve beyond the obvious. "I suppose people thought open offices would promote more sociability and dissolution of hierarchical perceptions. Of course, that didn't happen because those who are higher up in the corporate food chain still have their window offices with the spectacular views."

Well, whatever be the intent behind the concept of open offices and whether we want them or not, offices and their cultures are opening up in more ways than one. If you happen to work in one of these open offices, there are some 'unwritten' rules you might want to follow to keep your work environment conducive and productive.

Here's how to work effectively and make the most of your open office:
Keep the noise level down: Don't yell or talk loudly across cubicles or across the working hall. Keep the volume of your phone on low and answer calls preferably in the first two rings. Don't talk on your phone loudly. Use speaker phones only in closed rooms/ areas designated for making conference calls. It is extremely rude and distracting to those working around you. Use the receiver unless you must have your team members in the conference call. Make sure others around are not getting disturbed, or use it only late in the evening when the office has emptied out. Also avoid chatting in groups around others' desks. If you wish to convey something, especially unpleasant, use a closed room to avoid any embarrassment.

Respect others' privacy: Don't peep into others' monitors or open drawers that don't belong to you. It can be infuriating to find that your neighbour has been going through your desk drawer or peeking at your monitor on the pretext of looking for a stapler.
As Jagdeep Kaur, Senior Curriculum Developer, Oracle, says, "Working in open spaces becomes very uncomfortable when one is dealing with confidential content on one's computer. You never know when who might see what, especially if you have a nosy neighbour. This puts a strain on you to be alert and on your guard at all times, which becomes very inconvenient and tiring after a while."

Pragya concurs, particularly with regard to lunchtime. "There's the thing about watching people eat their lunches at their desks, or being watched eating one's own lunch. We live a large chunk of our lives in our offices, at our desks, and it really affects our quality of life when nothing we do or say in those hours is private."

Don't just land up at someone's work station: If you need to speak to someone but are not sure if they are available for a little 'chit-chat', check their status message on the office communicator. If not, you can always send them a short mail indicating the purpose of your meeting. They'll revert whenever they are relatively free.

Some elements, especially social butterflies, are in constant need to touch base with people and can end up at anybody's work station without considering the fact that others might be busy and not in the mood to spend time gossiping. It can be is very annoying when people land up at your desk without any intimation while you are trying to either meet a deadline or focus on your work.

Keep your desk and cubicle uncluttered: Nothing leads to a shabby, unprofessional impression more than a cluttered, dirty desk in open view, especially if you are sharing a cubicle. Keep loose sheets, scraps of paper etc out of open view. Organise your desk by keeping it dust free, with all papers filed or clipped and stationery and other random items in a drawer.
Don't become an island: Don't use individual work stations as a pretext to become an island all your working hours. Get involved in topics of common interests and try to help your team members when someone is stuck.

Avers Jagdeep, "I have always enjoyed working in open spaces and have never found myself yearning for a cabin or closed private space of my own. In offices, I like being able to just turn around and speak to my neighbours. Or, just stand up and look around and just gesture to attract their attention whenever I need help. Proximity also helps team members bond with each other."

Suniti too feels that open offices make communication and supervision easier. "Issues and problems reach the management very fast as they too are part of the central office space, and therefore solutions are arrived at faster."

A few other dos and don'ts:
Avoid strong perfumes/deodorants: Some colleagues might be allergic to strong smells and odours. It's better to keep it light and soft. Also be mindful of food and feet odours that are far from pleasant and hang in the confines of air-conditioned environment for a while.
Health and hygiene: When you sneeze or cough, cover you mouth or use a tissue. Do not leave used tissues lying around to spread germs and diseases.
Sit up straight: Slouching indicates laziness and disinterest in work. And, that's the last thing you would want your colleagues and bosses to perceive.
Keep your soft board non-offensive: Watch what you put up on the soft board so that your colleagues are not offended. Avoid jokes or cartoons of a sexual, racist or political nature, these could stir up tensions or make colleagues uncomfortable.
Don't wriggle your way through work stations: Use the designated passages/ aisles instead of wriggling and maneuvering your way through people's work stations and chairs. A little discipline never hurt anyone.

Switch Job?

2008-02-10T05:26:00.000-08:00

- Are You Planning to Switch Job -

You spend a large percentage of your waking hours at your job. How happy are you there? Will you be happier in a new job? To switch or not to switch is the perennial question many of us face today.

If your job isn't working for you, don't panic or take it personally. A large percentage of employees switch jobs in such conditions. "If you're not thrilled about your current situation, you should be actively interviewing with other companies. It's much easier -- both emotionally, and from a negotiation standpoint," says Mohit Kesarwani, 26, a unit manager with ICICI Bank.

But, before you reach that decision, it is important to evaluate certain aspects -

Are you a chronic job-switcher?

"Whether it's for a good reason or bad, switching jobs is extremely common nowadays, especially in some professions -- software for example. The days when people kept only one job throughout their lives are gone. Today, the average CV usually contains several moves, especially early on in a career. In fact, it's even considered unambitious to spend too many years in one job," says Manisha Dutt, 29, a manager with a software firm in Gurgaon.

However, an extreme case of 'job hopping,' such as one every year or even several times a year, definitely won't reflect well on your resume, especially if you are under 30. "This is because a company also spends a considerable amount on training new employees and is always looking at reducing employee turnover. In such a case, one look at your resume, and they may run in the other direction," says Kesarwani.

Circumstances that demand a job change and those that don't -

Some circumstances may warrant a job change, but others can be remedied. "The reason to get you to switch needs to be big -- reasons like lack of opportunities for growth, a move necessitated for family/ health reasons, need for a better salary, etc. Alternatively, you may know for sure that the new company is a great place to work in," says Pankaj Sharma, 27, an independent recruitment consultant in Delhi.

Questions to ask yourself -
Ask yourself the following questions regarding where you are at present (and be honest with your answers) -

Do I really like my current job?
Do I enjoy working with my colleagues?
If I stay here, where will I be in two years time?
Could I be earning more elsewhere?
What are the intangible benefits of working here?
Is the technology one that I would like to align myself with in the future?

Answer the questions using these broad parameters -

Job quality (Is this what I want to do?)
Growth prospects (Can I stay in this job? Can I move up?)
More money (How much is enough?)
Mental stimulation
The importance of money.

Money is good stuff - it pays for nice vacations, cool cars, education for your children, etc. Don't discount the money factor, especially if others are depending on you.

"No matter what any one says, money does buy happiness. When you accumulate a significant amount as a buffer between yourself and poverty, and stop living one pay cheque at a time, your life completely changes. You gain the freedom to pursue other avenues, like your own business, a career change, a personal project, or a mentally enriching educational experience. Such freedom is an incomparable source of happiness and tranquility, and only money can grant it," says Kesarwani.

However, if the new place totally rocks, you might consider working there and even taking a salary cut to jump ship if your current job is indeed a living nightmare.

Do a cost-benefit analysis -

Let's say you take home Rs 30,000 per month. You are offered a 20 per cent salary hike in the new job and see yourself now taking home Rs 36,000 a month. What will that extra Rs 6,000 a month (= Rs 72,000 a year) do for you?

Will you blow it all on a plasma TV, stash it all in savings for an early retirement, eat out two or three more times a week, or go partying with your friends?

What is the bottomline impact on your lifestyle that this raise will give you? How will this raise impact your work environment? Keeping in mind that you work eight hours or more a day, are these extras worth the anxiety and the risk involved in switching jobs? What risks do you have if you stay in your current job? In short, what is the opportunity cost?

To cut to the chase, don't move only for financial reasons unless you're going to earn significantly more. Happiness, in terms of liking what you are doing and feeling that you are accomplishing something, is much more important. Eventually, the money won't be motivation enough to continue with the new job.

Weigh the risks -

Consider this - you already know what your current job is like and you like it. You know the people and get along with your colleagues, who are interesting people. Your boss treats you well.

The new place might be even better and the offer may be 20 per cent more than what you're getting now. The people might all be nice, or there may be a few nut cases and backstabbers there. Your boss may steal the credit for the work you do.

"Switching is a big risk; you are going out into the unknown. Chances are, the new place can be worse," says Sharma, who has experienced this himself.

"Verify everything the potential boss tells you. Bosses try to make the job sound attractive in the same way that job applicants try to make themselves sound good," says Dutt.

If you don't really want to quit -

"The first step is to analyse why, and whether or not you really want to leave. Is it just because of one thing, such as a low salary or an interpersonal conflict? If so, you must communicate that to your manager and HR department. It could be better to first consider options such as moving to another department, or negotiating a salary hike rather than leaving the organisation," feels Dutt.

Most problems at the workplace can be solved if both parties are willing to solve them. "A three-month trial can be experimented with to see if the situation can be resolved. Just like problems take time to develop, their solutions also take time to work," says Kesarwani.

Keep your relationship with your colleagues and your company intact -

The way in which you carry yourself during your transition can have a great impact on your career. It says as much about you professionally as the impression you had made on your first day. The people who you work with will make it a point to note your behaviour. If it is anywhere inappropriate or negative, the word can spread quickly. Keep in mind that this group you leave includes potential references.

"Your last impression is just about as important as your first. It's vital to break away without any ill feeling, and leave behind an impeccable record. It's a small world and it could just happen that you work with, or for, the very same people again," says Sharma.

So, it's important to leave on positive terms. Display professionalism. The right attitude is critical to building bridges, and not burning them, when you are at the threshold of assuming a new position.

The guilt factor -

"Only three months into my first job, I landed a new opportunity offering me 30 to 40 per cent more than my current job. I felt really bad leaving my current job and disappointing the people that gave me a chance to work there," says Dutt.

"As for feeling bad about leaving, don't get all flustered about it. Everyone needs to grow, and employers themselves are aware of that," says Sharma. "The key for you is to determine whether it's the wrong job, the wrong employer, or the wrong career. Once you have made that decision, the ideal scenario is to locate a new job while you are still employed. Then, if you think what you get is better than your current job, don't feel guilty -- take it. They'll understand.

Plan your Time. Manage your Time. Invest Your Time

2008-02-08T09:47:00.000-08:00

Plan your Time. Manage your Time. Invest Your Time.

Introduction

At one stage or another we all have heard or read all or any of the below mentioned, Time Related Phrases:

1) Time is money. Time is wealth.
2) Time is a river. Time is a wind.
3) Respect your time.
4) Doesn’t matter what you do…time will just pass away.
5) You never know, when your time will change. (Samey bada balvaan hota hai)
6) Each year, each day, each moment is unique in its own way. Once it passes, it will never come again.
7) Respect my time and I will respect yours.
8) With time, all wounds will heal.
9) If I had more hours
10) I don’t have time
There are many more.

But, like money or wealth or your assets can you save your time for difficult days? No, you cannot. Your time is now, invest it or waste it.
We are living in an era where researchers, philosophers and historians are talking, discussing and debating about “Life Management”…”Plan your life”. Every individual should know what he want in his life? Where he see himself after 5 or 10 years? One should know what he or she is expecting in his or her life. Hence, Time Management is an important aspect of our life.

How busy are you? - Your daily Routine

Let’s see, what we (Most of us) do in our daily life. How we are managing our day? As an example, I will take my daily schedule and I am sure that yours too will be closer to that. We spend time in following activities:

1) Rest / Sleep – 8 hours
2) Health: Yoga, Exercise – 1 hour
3) Prayers – 1 Hour
4) Food (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner & Snacks) – 2 hours
5) Entertainment – 2 hours
6) Knowledge / Learning / News – 1 hour
7) Socializing – 1 Hour
8) Work/Profession/Career – 10 hours
9) Traveling – 3hours
10) Time for Family – 3 hours

One should do all these activities to have a successful, purposeful, stress free and happy life. If I calculate above mentioned time, it comes out to be 32 hours, whereas there are only 24 hours in a day. So, how to manage? I don’t want to cut any of the activity.

Manage your Time

One can manage his time by using following skills and tools
1) Planning
2) Multi-tasking
3) Optimum use of Technology
4) Delegation
5) Self Discipline

Plan your day. Be disciplined. Respect your time and that of others too. Have proper schedule. Do multitasking. Use technology in a best possible manner.

Let’s plan your day

1) You wake-up in the morning and then go for walk or jogging. At the same time on your walk-man you can also listen to prayers, religious songs etc. Right or Wrong?
2) Once you come back from your walk, at the time of your morning tea or milk, you can scan through Newspaper or News Channels to keep you updated with the latest events and news. Can you?
3) While having your breakfast, you can also spend that time with your kids and family or listen to songs of your choice.
4) While driving or traveling to your office you can either listen to songs or use your mobile – phone to stay in touch with your friends and relatives through messages and calls. If you are at a senior level and really busy and your office is quite far away…you can also have one meeting in your car. You can also go through few reports, analysis; check those reports and also sign those documents that need your signatures and approvals. Can you do this?
5) In office, you do all of the following things:
A) Internal Meetings (There are three types of meetings – Briefing, Discussion / Debate, Review)
B) Routine work (It will be very useful for you to have well defined processes to take care of routine works)
C) Value Addition to your Function and Department
D) Client Meetings (Purpose can be any of the following: update them; get more business; grievance / query handling)
E) Interviews (To add a new person to your team; Employee Retention; Employee Grievance Handling)
Do you think that there is anything more that you do at your workplace; over and above the activities that I have listed???
6) During your first tea-break in office, have a brief meeting with your team-members and delegate your routine work.
7) You can have an important client or business meeting during your lunch.
8) For discussion / debates with seniors or your peers located at different areas, you can either use the technology of Conference Call or Video Conferencing. It will help you in managing your time and save your money. Same technology can be used for interviewing candidates from different locations. You can also use this technology for Induction, Training and Development and also for Media briefing. If you can solve a problem through a simple message on mobile phone or a simple e-mail; you don’ have to call for a meeting. So, use your mobile phone and internet to help you in managing your time.
9) Along with your second tea-break, you can also have another meeting (Review Meeting) with your team.
10) While moving from one office to another or one department to another, you can also send messages to your family members, relatives and friends and stay in touch with them.
11) When you are in a meeting, it is important that you prepare yourself for the meeting and keep it within the limits of discussion. Be there for the meeting, on time and you should also know when to end the meeting. It is a matter of discipline.
12) In the evening, while going home you can do any of the following: Listen to your favorite songs; go through the reports and papers or have meeting with client or customer.
13) Once you are at home, give your time to family. Listen to them. Solve their Concerns. Enjoy with them. Do not bore them by discussing about your day in the office.
14) At the time of Dinner, you can again update yourself with news and current updates.
15) Before, you retire for the day, read something.

Do you think, that you have things to do or to take care that I have not mentioned in the list?

What Busy People do?

1) They respect their time as well as that of the other person.
2) They manage their time in such a manner that they get time to do everything in their life.
3) They use technology in a best possible manner.
4) They are self-disciplined.
5) They plan their day and their time.
6) They know their limitations. They trust people, efficiencies & talent of people around them and delegate their work.
7) They take responsibility and accountability.

What Busy People don’t do?

1) They don’t scream or complain for lack of time.
2) They do not procrastinate or postpone their work.
3) They don’t gossip.
4) They don’t blame TIME for their failures and frustrations.
5) They don’t mix their work with family. They don’t carry their work to home and don’t bring their family emotions and fights to workplace.
6) They don’t blame others.

Number of hours in a day will not change. There will only be 86,400 seconds in a day. It is up to you, how you manage and use each of those seconds. One needs to invest each second. As, it has been rightly said, time once passed will never come again. Busy people are very satisfied, happy and do everything that they want to do in their life. Those, who show that they are busy, end up with frustration, burn-outs, stress and most of the time failure in life and profession.

Before I sign-out, I like to share few examples to let you know the value of Time, I studied these examples when I was in school,
To realize the value of one year; ask a student who has failed a final exam.
To realize the value of one month; ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.
To realize the value of one week; ask an editor of a weekly newspaper or magazine
To realize the value of one hour; ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
To realize the value of one minute; ask the person who has missed the train, bus or plane.
To realize the value of one second; ask a person who has survived an accident.
To realize the value of one millisecond; ask the person who has won a silver medal in the Olympics.

Time waits for no one. Treasure every moment you have. You will treasure it even more when you share it with someone special.

Soft Skills for HR Professionals…

2008-02-08T09:44:00.000-08:00

Soft Skills for HR Professionals…

Introduction

To work in any profession, one should not only have “Subject Matter Expertise” but also personality, behavior, decorum, mannerism, attitude, professional approach, and thinking to work efficiently and to sustain in that given profession. Failing which, irrespective of your knowledge, education and background you will never be able to grow in that profession. This is also true for HR Profession. There are some minimum expectations from HR Professionals, in the way they carry themselves, behave and present themselves that can hamper or lift their image and professional graph. Some of those traits and attributes I have mentioned in this article. Though, to a large extent I have covered all the attributes but still I consider this list as INCLUSIVE and not EXCLUSIVE. The need is to benchmark your Personality and Behavior. Respect can only be earned and not “asked for”.

Nine Qualities all HR Professionals Should Have

1) Clarity of Thoughts – In most of the situations and circumstances, we come across two options; either we want to do or we don’t want to do; either we agree to it or we don’t agree to it; either it is acceptable or it is not acceptable; either you want or you don’t want. It has been seen that many HR Professionals are confused. They are not clear, where they want to take their company. They don’t know what role they like to play in the organization. They don’t have clarity of role. They don’t have clear expectations, neither from themselves, or from their team or from their internal customers (employees). With this confusion, they fail to take decisions. They fail to take stand.

2) Efficiency in Time Management - HR professionals is expected to be efficient in time management. They are expected to set time-frame and meet those expectations. Most of the time, I have seen that they don’t give any time limit. You approach them for any work and they respond by saying, “Ok, it will be done”. But when? I agree that “Good HR Professionals” have many things to do. Recruitments, Employee Relations, Talent Management, Career Development, Benchmarking, etc are the things, which takes lots of time. But, all goals, all dreams, all activities, all commitments looks good and are achievable, if there is a closing date for that. For Example, I want my company to be in top-10 companies in the world. It’s a Vision. It’s a good dream. But, if I don’t specify, by which year or in how many years, I want to achieve that goal, it will only remain as a dream and will never become a reality. Uncertainty, Ambiguity, Open-Ended commitment, Confusion, these are things, that are not expected from any HR Professional.

3) Compare Performances / Compare Situations & Circumstances but do not compare individuals / People – Knowingly or unknowingly but quite often, instead of Circumstances and Situations, we tend to compare two different people. Instead of analyzing the behavior of a person we tend to analyze them as an individual and take this as our right. The very basic principle of science and management says that no two individuals are same.

4) Knowledge about the Business and Industry – Everybody should be aware of their strengths and weaknesses. They should be aware as what they want in their life and career. It is a well known fact and has been proved in various surveys that HR professionals don’t care to understand the business of the company and the industry that they are working in. According to the survey done by Virgin Management Consultancy 67% HR Professionals in USA and 83% HR professionals in India do not know the nitty-gritty of their company’s business. They don’t know from where the revenue is coming. They don’t know the business model of their company. I think, as it is important to know about the city and country that you are traveling to; it is equally important to know and understand the business of the company that you are working with.

5) Vision and Goal for the Department, Team and Organization – What you want to do for the organization? Are you planning to implement a competitive compensation plan? Do you want to take your company in the bracket of 25 “Best Employers in the Country”? Are you planning to acquire best of the talent from market? Do you think that you need to control the growing Attrition Rate of your company? Have you thought about “Organization Development” and “Talent Management”? Usually, that is the confusion. HR professionals and HR heads don’t have that vision. They want to do something in HR but don’t know what they can do or should do. They should have vision for the organization for HR perspective and goals for their department and team. It’s a must have. Until and unless you are sure about your destination, you cannot take the path.

6) Love for Number / Data / Figures / Calculations / Analysis / Projections – You talk to any person in any other profession and tell them that you are in HR; two things will automatically flash in their mind – Theory and Politics. One reason why HR professionals in India have not been able to enter into the Board Room and make their presence felt in the organization is because though they have ideas, they have strategies and policies but they are not able to support those strategies with data. (It is because there is no mathematics and calculations involved in this subject that many people [mostly females] love to join this profession).

For example, if I have a “Retention Strategy” and I want to implement in the organization. I need to show, how much the implementation of that strategy will cost; by what percentage the company will be able to increase the employee retention and decrease the attrition; which are the companies that are using this particular strategy and how effective it has been in their cases. If, I am going with this data, calculation and analysis, I am sure that my strategy will be implemented.

Hence, HR professionals need to be more analytical, data oriented and good in calculations. They should not be subjective and theory oriented.

7) Enthusiasm to Share / Develop / Coach and Mentor – We have heard and read in our schools and colleges that “Knowledge is a wealth; the more you distribute/share the more you gain”. In this profession of HRM & D; we are privileged and are in a very unique position where we can develop people. We can develop their career. We can develop their life. We can help them in changing their perception and behavior. We can groom them, so that they can be successful in their life. Don’t you think that we have very important and crucial role to play?? How many of us have actually thought of those lines? Do, think about it, you have one life, give what you can. If 10 people will remember me once I bid adieu to this world for helping them in developing their life, I will consider my life as successful.

8) Self Discipline – This again is a common quality that everyone should have, irrespective of their respective professions, but it is more appreciable in HR Professionals and is like a must have. They need to set standards for others to follow; they need to benchmark their own behavior and if they start flowing with water, everything else will go for a toss and things will go out of control. I have heard, people saying that I am doing this or that because others are also doing it but that is not expected from HR Professionals. Discipline in life is a must to grow, prosper and being successful. So, set standards and don’t just flow.

9) Trust Worthy – This is very important quality and must have for all HR Professionals. Candidates, at the time of interview share important information with HR; Employees share lots information, personal, professional, ideas, suggestions, future related, dreams etc. Imagine, if the HR professional keep sharing that information with everyone in the team of HR; will that employee ever comeback to HR to share anything with him. NEVER. HR professionals need to win that trust and then maintain and keep that trust. This is very true for HR Professionals, who are working in “Employee Relations”. Relation of any kind, be it with employees, is based on trust and honesty. If ever, you break that trust, you will never be able to win it again.

Management Guru Look what the Guru(Chanakya) has to say about management:-

2008-02-08T09:40:00.000-08:00

"A person should not be too honest.
Straight trees are cut first and Honest people are screwed first."

"Even if a snake is not poisonous, it should pretend to be venomous."

"The biggest guru-mantra is:

Never share your secrets with anybody. ! It will destroy you."

"There is some self-interest behind every friendship. There is no Friendship without self-interests. This is a bitter truth."

"Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions - Why am I doing it, What the results might be and Will I be successful.Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead."

"As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it."

"Once you start a working on something, don't be afraid of failure and don't abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest."

"The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind.But the goodness of a person spreads in all direction."

"Citizens never support a weak company and birds don't build nests on a tree that doesn't bear fruits."

"God is not present in idols. Your feelings are your god.
The soul is your temple."

"A man is great by deeds, not by birth."

"Never make friends with people who are above or below you in status. Such friendships will never give you any happiness."

"Treat your kid like a darling for the first five years. For the next five years, scold them. By the time they turn sixteen, treat them like a friend. Your grown up children are your best friends."

"Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere. Education beats the beauty and the youth."

A Unique Guide to Inbox Management.

2008-02-08T09:37:00.001-08:00

A guide to keep your inbox clutter-free

Key learnings:

For most people, an inbox is a means to store data.

There is an interesting link between a clutter-free inbox and its owner.

Being aware of the need for efficient inbox management could lead to reduced stress.

"I have to report how much time I spent on projects I'm working on every week, and I can remember what I worked on by looking at what was in my Inbox that week."

"The server that my Inbox is on is backed up every night, so if there's a crash I won't lose my e-mail."

"I need a computer with lots of space. I keep almost everything in my Inbox forever. If I need to find the e-mail address of somebody who sent me mail last June, I sort my Inbox by date and find their e-mail from last June, and there it is."

"I know it's time to clean my Inbox when I have to scroll down to see everything in it. I use my Inbox as a reminder of things I have to do, and if I can't see everything, I might forget to do something important."

"I like to keep as much as possible in my Inbox because it is easier to sort and find things there ... it's all in one place."

We often hear such common reactions from people struggling to manage their inbox. To them, an inbox is a means to store data that would come in handy during 'emergencies'. Their e-mail management techniques reach far beyond the purpose for which the inbox exists! Most often, such clutter in the inbox can only complicate matters rather than simplify. Imagine you had a box full of unread messages accumulated over a week claiming your attention. How do you react? Too much to handle, isn't it?

All we are trying to say here is a simple fundamental - Keep your inbox clean! There is a link between a clutter-free inbox and its owner that you would like to know about! The way an individual maintains his inbox determines his brought- up, personal habits and also his mental health! . Psychologist Dave Greenfield, founder, the Center for Internet Behavior in West Hartford, says that if you are among those who keep the inbox full rather than "meaningful", you could be leading a cluttered life. You 'live' in the past or you may have a lot of unfinished business to take care of. Similarly, if you are prone to the "obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)" of cleaning your inbox every time a new e-mail pops up in your inbox, then beware - you might be missing out on great opportunities!

So, what is the best way to inbox management?

Often, the first question that strikes is, where to start! Which e-mail to keep or delete? Which e-mail takes priority over the others?. A marketing consultant had about 400 unread messages , all needing immediate response. He failed to understand where to start. He therefore made an 'evil' decision to delete all his messages and sent a template e-mail to all his contacts making up a lie. He claimed to have received information from his Internet Service Provider about some problem with his mails. It explained the absence of immediate response. This lie allowed him to start afresh while maintaining good inter-personal relations with all his contacts! Lies may help you once but cannot save you from the guilt of being unresponsive all the time. So, take a quick look at a few handy tips for efficient management of your inbox.

Do's

Read the e-mail, and respond accordingly. Response could include filing, flagging, replying or deleting as per need!

Track your messages into folders by subject or by priority.

If you are not the right person to address the mail request, make sure to forward it to the appropriate person.

Ensure that you mark junk mail as junk. That helps save the time needed to identify SPAM.

Make time for inbox house-keeping once a week. You could use the alphabetising feature that allows organising email by sender or may be colour-code the e-mail by category of senders.

Use templates to answer your e-mail and insert a person's name and comments as and when required. That would save you the time you spend in sending similar e-mail content to different people in different situations.

Unsubscribe from newsletters or magazines that you once thought could be useful but no longer are! That would cut down on major clutter.

Recruit an assistant to handle your e-mail (if you are a corporate head honcho who cannot even think of sneaking in a quick break!)

Don'ts

Use inbox as a 'to-do' list.

Allow people to use e-mail to turn their crisis into your emergency.

Switch rapidly between tasks in the zeal to clear your inbox whenever the "you've got mail" alarm rings. It would only turn you inefficient during the course of the day because every time you switch work, you find the need to start all over again!

There's no one-stop solution for managing your inbox. Each individual has unique needs. Nevertheless, awareness of the need for efficient inbox management could take stress off you in other aspects of life too

Moving beyond the 4 Ps of an MBA

2008-02-08T09:15:00.000-08:00

Ask an MBA aspirant about the four Ps and you will be surprised by the response. In case you were expecting a typical straight-out-of the Kotler reply you will be astounded to hear words like Placements, Package, Profile and Prospects!

As news of summer internships comes in from top campuses and students heading to all corners of the globe, the aspirants can't be blamed.

This makes me ponder -- Is an MBA about just these four Ps?

With names like Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, Macquarie, Merrill Lynch, McKinsey doing the rounds in portals of the top campuses, and the sweat and night outs for that day zero slot one cannot deny the all important 'P' factors.

Having said that, one cannot just 'quantify' the output of an MBA course by these factors. In two years of one's campus life, one has the choice of a number of 'take-aways' that are more durable than the first job!

Knowledge: First and foremost, the MBA adds an immense amount of knowledge. Subjects ranging from Quantitative Techniques to Transactional Analysis help widen the domain knowledge. This learning may not be in too much depth, but surely in terms of breath of knowledge you are a know-it-all.

Presentation skills: With myriad class presentations, one is bound to become an expert in not only making PowerPoint presentations but also presenting them in a crisp, confident and professional manner.

Analytic skills: With the help of computer application tools like Excel and SPSS and the knowledge of various statistical and quantitative methods one is surely in command of analysing and number crunching any problem and coming up with an instant solution.

Networking: You end up studying, living, eating with over 200 of your batchmates, each from an different background -- diverse geographies, religions, educational backgrounds, work experience. Thus, an MBA college becomes a melting pot of learning from one another. What is more important is we also leave the campus with so many friends who would be working in various corporates across the globe.

Perspective: This is what B-schools have been known for. By way of case studies and contests -- students develop their own way of thought on a particular situation at hand. This helps future managers to have their own take on various situations/ problems they face in life.

Confidence: Presentations, quizzes, exams, inter-school competitions, simulated games all make one a more confident individual. In today's highly competitive world -- where dog eat dog is the order -- confidence is the most sought after weapon in the corporate jungle.

Team spirit: Well, this is not something that should be brushed aside. Team working skills are essential for success in any endeavour. B-schools ensure this by giving a platform in terms of group assignments and tasks. While working on it one encounters problems like social loafers, managing conflict, ego issues, coming to an agreement etc. This practice thus helps one achieve mastery at managing people.

Self understanding: By far the most important take-away for anyone -- to understand thyself. To understand what your strengths and weaknesses are. And thus work on things that are more 'fitting' them. To understand what motivates, the long term goals and break them into short-term goals is what one can hope to gain.

Thus, a budding MBA aspirant should look forward to an all-round growth and create relationships to last a lifetime from an MBA course to make the time spent here valuable forever. What about placements? As they say, it's just a freebie thrown in at the fag end to have something to look forward to after an MBA!

12 things your CV should NOT have

2008-02-08T09:13:00.000-08:00

Your CV is your marketing brochure through which you try to sell a commodity, ie your skills to the potential buyer ie the prospective employer. The sole purpose of your CV is to fetch you an interview call. Nothing more, nothing less.

However, creating a CV isn't as simple as just using flowery language and pretty fonts. There are certain things that put recruiters off and if you want to make a good impression, make sure you do not commit these mistakes in what is arguably the most valuable document of your job hunt.

While the rules listed are well-founded, they are not carved in stone. At times you will need to break the rules. If you want to add these things knowingly and purposefully to your CV we advise you to do that.

The points mentioned here are not listed in the order of priority; instead they are listed in the sequence in which they usually appear on a CV.

~ Colorful or glossy paper and flashy fonts
Your CV is a formal, official document. Keep it simple.

~ Resume or CV at the top
Many people tend to add headings to their CV. The usual are CV, Curriculum Vitae and Resume. Do not do this.

~ Photographs until asked
Do not add your photo to the CV until you have been asked for it. Photographs are required only for certain types of positions like models, actors etc.

~ Usage of 'I', 'My', 'He', 'She'
Do not use these in your CV. Many candidates write, 'I worked as Team Leader for XYZ Company' or 'He was awarded Best Employee for the year 2007'. Instead use bullet points to list out your qualifications/ experience like: Team leader for XYZ Company from 2006-2007.

~ Spelling mistakes and grammatical errors
Proofread your CV until you are confident that it doesn't have any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. These are big put-offs for the recruiters. Moreover, sometimes these mistakes might land you in an embarrassing situation.

A candidate who submitted his CV without proofreading it committed the mistake of wrongly spelling 'ask' as 'ass'. Now you can imagine the type of embarrassment he must have faced during the interview, when the interviewer pointed it out. These mistakes tend to convey a lazy and careless attitude to the interviewer.

~ Lies about your candidature
Do not lie about your past jobs or qualifications or anything which might have an impact on the job. You may be able to secure a job with these lies today but tomorrow you may lose it as well.

~ Abbreviations or jargon that is difficult to understand
People screening your resume usually belong to the HR department. If they do not understand what the abbreviations and jargon mean, they will simply dump your CV in the trash can. Avoid over-using such terms as far as possible.

~ Reasons for leaving last job
Leave these reasons to be discussed during the personal interview. For example, some candidates write: Reason for leaving the last job: Made redundant. Avoid making such statements in your CV, they add no value. Besides, if you do get an interview call, chances are the interviewer will address the issue.

~ Past failures or health problems
Mentioning these immediately slash your chances of getting an interview call.

For instance, you have a gap in your employment because you started your own business which did not do well. Some candidates might write -- Reason for gap in employment: Started own business which failed. Do not do this type of injustice with your job hunt at this stage of writing the CV.

~ Current or expected salary
Leave it to be discussed while negotiating the salary.

~ Irrelevant details
Leave out the details like marital status, sex, passport number, number of kids, age of kids. These are usually irrelevant for most interviewers but at times could be used as a basis for discrimination.

~ References
Do not include them until asked. In fact, it is not even required to mention the line 'Reference available on request'. If the recruiter requires a reference, he/she will ask you to bring it along for the interview.

Now that you have run through the list, take a fresh look at your CV and prune away unnecessary details and unaffordable blunders that could have cost you your dream job.

From college to corporate: What you need to know ?

2008-02-04T09:42:00.000-08:00

Graduating from college is a significant rite of passage. For most graduates, it signifies an important transition into the real world of being totally independent and earning a livelihood full-time.

The thought of making it on your own can make you anxious and uncertain about the future. Or, it can make you positive and rosy about your expectations. The difference depends on how well you prepare for the mental and physical things every move requires, especially from college to the workplace.

Consider the following three key career skills that will be vital as you transition to the workplace:

Career skill # 1 -- Develop effective communication skills (interpersonal & written)

What do you think researchers say is the most important ingredient for success and achievement in today's workplace? What's the foundation for supportive, cooperative work and personal relationships?

Interestingly, the answer to both of these questions is the same -- the ability to communicate skillfully and confidently with people. Therefore, excellent interpersonal communication skills are the most powerful career and personal skills you can possess.

This means, how you communicate with others and through others to get business results. As a young professional, you need to focus on both verbal as well as written communication skills (e-mail and regular correspondence).

Human resources professionals estimate that more than 80 per cent of people who fail at their jobs do so for one reason -- they don't relate well to other people. Even in highly technical jobs, success or failure is determined more by human relations skills than by technical proficiency.

A study published by the Carnegie Institute of Technology reports that 15 per cent of financial and career success is due to technical competence and 85 per cent is due to interpersonal skills.

Let's face it, dealing with others isn't always easy. In fact, if you're like most people, it will probably turn out to be one of the biggest day-to-day challenges you will face in the workplace. Therefore, it's important for you to meet the challenge and be successful with all the people with whom you interact.

Strive to build strong and better relationships with your work associates (this includes your manager, clients and customers, peers, co-workers and others). If you work on mastering Career Skill # 1, you're certain to be on your way to success.

Career Skill # 2 -- Administrative: Manage your job

It's a fact of business life. Every day employees are judged by their ability to manage projects, priorities and deadlines. An organisation's success (and your own career success) depends, to a great degree, upon your skill in getting things done -- on time and with the desired result.

Find out as soon as possible what your company and manager expect from you. This will include using your people (interpersonal communication) and technical skills (the knowledge, skills and abilities that make you a sought-after professional).

Once you determine what's expected of you, decide how you will accomplish it. Design a professional development plan so that your action items lead to achieving your goals. Stay on top of even the most demanding schedule of competing priorities and multiple projects. To help with this, build a deadline ie a "safety net" to make sure no critical deadlines slip by.

Also, make sure that your deadlines are realistic. Finally, get a mentor who can help you design an effective career plan.

Career Skill # 3 -- Build and leverage your relationships

The old adage "Who you know can be just as important as what you know" applies here. And, nowhere is this truer than in today's workplace where managers, colleagues and mentors (if you're lucky enough to attract one or two) often determine who gets noticed and promoted, who finds a new job, and who thrives in the new organisation.

Take charge of your career by becoming a partner with your manager. That means that you will be working to gain your manager's respect and trust in your competence. Enlist your manager's full support for your projects.

As we covered earlier, know what's important to your manager. Be open to constructive criticism because it has a constructive impact. Your manager is the person with the power to open doors for you, help accelerate your learning and development and support you in achieving your goals.

Strive for harmonious working relationships. Workplace conflict can have constructive or destructive consequences on an individual's performance, the team's performance, and the organisation as a whole.

This conflict is often the result of clashes in vision, priorities, values and personal loyalties. Anticipate and sidestep the pitfalls that could impede your progress. Once you are on solid ground with your team and manager, look around and see which bridges you need to build so that you are connected with the right people in the organisation (those who can make things happen for you).

Some of these relationships may last over the span of your career. Nurture them and value them for what you can get as well as give to them.

A final word

A smooth transition from college to the work world is possible if you have the proper mental attitude, make smart moves early in your career and establish ties to your community.

To put things in proper perspective, by all means recognise the seriousness of starting your first full-time job, but don't be mentally overburdened by trying to match the success of co-workers or other professional colleagues.

However, as long you stay at your first job, do your best and accomplish as much as you can. Bear in mind, though, that your career is more than a single job. During your career you will most likely work with many companies in various positions. Some will be more fulfilling and challenging than others.

The success you achieve will result from the discipline, dedication and determination that you develop as a young professional. These attributes will uniquely shape your character and promote your success throughout your lifetime. For now, study hard and work diligently but enjoy life to the fullest.

Are you listening well ?

2008-01-20T07:11:00.000-08:00

Etiquette and polish, both in personal and business settings, are linked to how well we communicate.

Most people think communication is all about speaking and devalue the importance of listening.

And many others don't realize what a vast difference there is between simply hearing what is being said and really listening.

People who know how to listen learn more, care more, and end up being the ones we want to be around socially as well as professionally.

Want to improve your listening skills?

Understand why you need to listen and remember to practice these tips the next time you conduct a conversation.

Are your eyes listening?

Your eyes are a dead giveaway if you are not listening.

When your mind wanders and you begin thinking of something or someone else, your eyes show your disinterest. And the person speaking to you is well aware that you are not paying attention.

And this is true even if you don't look away. Blank stares don't conceal boredom!

How can you know if you are a bad listener ?

A good listener uses his/ her eyes and mind while listening.

If you find yourself already formulating your next sentence in your mind while someone is speaking to you, you are doing injustice to the conversation.

You will get more out of the conversation if you understand, comprehend and assimilate what is being said BEFORE responding.

Good etiquette = listening!

Do you make these common listening mistakes?

The difference between being a good listener versus a great listener is using your heart in addition to your eyes and mind while listening.

Do you do this?

~ If a friend tells you something is wrong, you immediately tend to give advice or criticism.

~ If a friend tells you about something wonderful that has happened, you usually chip in with something similar that you have experienced.

Rarely do we share joy or sympathise with pain. Rarely do we just let others speak.

To improve your listening skills, practise with those closest to you.

When family members or friends share their thoughts and feelings, curtail the urge to relate what you hear to one of your own experiences.

What if a conversation bores you?

I believe 'interested people are interesting'.

Similarly, 'boring people get bored'.

You don't need to know a lot about a subject to have a conversation.

You just need to have a desire to learn, understand and make things interesting.

For example, if someone tells you they are a teacher, instead of saying, "That's nice," and moving on to the next topic, try to find out why they are teaching, how they decided on this profession and what their current thoughts on teaching are.

Dig deep and create meaningful conversations.

How do I get others to listen to me?

i. Listen more intently, question more, and speak with emotion.

Build interesting conversations instead of one-way lectures.

ii. Engage people while you speak. Ask questions like, "What do you think?" or "Do you agree?"

Try not to speak continuously for long periods. People tend to have short attention spans.

When you do not listen to what others are saying and only care to listen to your own voice, this is an indication that you really do not care for other people's opinions.

Think about who you really enjoy being around, at work or in your personal life. Usually it is those who really listen and care about you. Are you listening?

9 easy tips to deal with difficult customers

2008-01-20T06:38:00.001-08:00

You are waiting in the queue in the mail. It's the weekend jamboree. Everyone is having fun --except the man ahead of you in the queue at the cash counter.

He is going through each item in the bill with the cash counter executive at least twice. Confirming the price and checking the number of items. The man's wife has already wandered off to another section. A task that normally would take the most experienced counter staff a maximum of five minutes now spills over to 10.

People behind you in the queue start getting restless. Finally, the man walks off with his shopping load. You heave a sigh of relief and start piling your purchases on the counter. Suddenly, the man is back. He shows the clerk some item in the list that is supposed to have some offer. Some misunderstanding ensues and the customer starts howling at the cash counter staff. The young girl is close to tears.

Identify the problem

What would you call a customer like that? Diffficult? Rita Dharap agrees vehemently. Rita works with a popular retail chain in Pune. "Almost all customers are difficult. They go through every item on the list with minute care. I can understand because it is after all their hard earned money," she says. "I would probably react the same way."

Smriti Jain, though, feels there is no excuse for such behaviour. "It just takes a little more to be nice to the person at the counter. I don't think that is too difficult. Most customers feel that just because they are spending money they own everything, including the staff," she opines, "Customers should remember that the person behind the counter is also human."

If you've been at the recieving end of customer complaints, here's help. Firstly, you can classify difficult customers as being:

~ Angry ~
~ Picky ~
~ Impatient ~
~ Demanding ~
~ Chatty ~
~ Intimidating ~

Never argue -- it'll only hurt you

All difficult customers can be dealt with. All you need is a little tact and some practice. Here are some tips to help you deal with the worst of the lot:

~ It is not personal
The most important thing is to realise that there is nothing personal about a difficult customer's behaviour. You and he/she are interacting professionally, not socially. Hence, there is no point in losing sweat over their behaviour.

~ Smile
It might be difficult to do this all the time, but smiling is a very good way to bridge barriers with customers. Do not change your demeanor even if the customer has a formidable look on his or her face.

~ Don't argue
Whatever the customer's contention, the client is always right. So, do not argue with the customer. This will only make him or her more irate.

~ Be patient
Patiently listen to what the customer has to say. Nod your head to indicate you understand what he or she is saying.

~ Provide solutions, if possible
If you can provide immediate solutions, do it. If you cannot, please direct the customer to the person who can. See that there is very little time lag within these activities.

The right attitude is a must
.When dealing with a difficult customer, do your best to be polite.

~ Choose your replies
It is necessary to be very careful when you reply. Anything you say can be misconstrued by a difficult customer. For example, do not blame the customer or your company. If there is a conflict, merely say: "Let me check with my team members and confirm the same with you."

~ Be empathic
Customers sense empathy. If you are warm and empathic it will reflect on your face and in your service.

~ Practice positive thinking
If you tend to get sulky and moody, try to practice positive thinking. If need be, participate in some activity that will stimulate positive thinking in you.

~ Keep your promises
A definite way of building customer satisfaction is to deliver on your promises. If you have assured a customer that you will get back to them, remember to do so, even if it is to say that you are working on the problem.

You cannot change the way a customer thinks, so don't try. Whatever the situation, your reaction and attitude is the only thing you can control -- so focus on them and all other concerns will eventually settle down.

Tips to become a successful entrepreneur

2008-01-20T06:26:00.000-08:00

Indian entrepreneur? These two words no more ring a surprise. While entrepreneurs are blooming across small and big towns in India the people who support them convert their dreams into reality are inceasing as well.

The Indian Angel Network is one such organisation that invests in early stage businesses of entrepreneurs who can create immense value. The members of this network have prior entrepreneurial and/or operational experience that they bring to help nurture and grow early stage businesses.

Ranjit Shastri is one such influential member of the Indian Angel Network. He co-founded PSi, Inc, an investment advisory firm incorporated in New York with an associated company in India. PSi has assisted a wide range of international investors in India, including both strategic investors and private equity firms, in identifying opportunities in India.

In the first of a series where members of the Indian Angel Network offer their tips to entrepreneurs in India, Ranjit Shastri discusses his experience and what he has learnt from it. A Get Ahead Special.

Over the past couple of decades I've observed many entrepreneurs in India and abroad, and have seen some of them achieve great success and others stagnate or sink into oblivion. I've been asked to share some of these experiences, and can also share some more recent experiences that I've had through the Indian Angel Network, India's largest and only-pan India network of individual early stage investors, which has been instrumental in kick-starting a number of ventures in India.

The tips that I've listed below are not based on anything that I've read -- in fact, numerous books have been written on the subject -- but on real experiences with people that I've met and done business with over the years. This is not a scientific or exhaustive list, but the thoughts that have come immediately to mind. I'm sure my entrepreneurial friends will add many more ideas in articles that will follow in the future.

There are three sets of issues that one must consider when thinking about how to become an entrepreneur, particularly if you are born into a middle-class family of professionals (one or more of your parents work for a large company).

The first involves getting started, leaving a safe job or career prospects and jumping into the entrepreneurial fray.

The second issue has to do with maintaining and building a viable business, successfully scaling up so that one has not just managed to 'survive' but also to grow the business and create great value for investors.

Finally, there's the issue of knowing when to move on, either by selling the business or handing over to someone who can bring new energy, skills and ideas to bear. Let's take each of these issues in turn, and examine some of the things you can do to address them.

Getting started

Tip #1: Don't worry about not being courageous enough for the uncertainty of the business world, as being an entrepreneur has nothing to do with courage. People who observe entrepreneurs leaving a secure job and taking the plunge into the unknown sometimes marvel at their courage (or foolhardiness).

Most successful entrepreneurs that I've met, however, don't see themselves as particularly brave. In fact, they do a lot of homework and make contingency plans that take into account the possibility of failure.

I've met a number of entrepreneurs who have left McKinsey & Co., my first employer after business school, because they recognised that becoming a director at McKinsey is not guaranteed for even some of the hardest working, smartest people that you come across in the business world.

Becoming a director at any large organisation has much to do with factors that are not in your control, including personal relationships and the economic cycle that the company happens to be in when promotion decisions are made. While organisations try to be fair, they operate in a world that isn't, and if you recognise that staying put is not necessarily safe you are more likely to get over the fear of venturing out.

Tip #2: Look for a big idea, and be rational.

There's no point taking a big risk if you have a small idea, and from an economic perspective, it's logical to concentrate on expected value, which means the potential value creation times the probability of actually achieving it. So if your job is 100% secure, and the chances of entrepreneurial success are only 10%, then compare your future salary against the expected future value of your venture (the 'payoff') times 10%.

If the expected value (payoff times 10%) is more than your salary, then logically you should give it a try. However, most people are irrationally risk averse, so if the expected value is not vastly higher than their salary, they would opt for the more certain outcome.

On the other hand, people who are destined to become entrepreneurs are more likely to be sceptical about the security of their job, so they wouldn't assign a 100% probability to the so-called safe option.

Tip #3: Start small.

In Tip #2, I said it's important to think big, but for most entrepreneurs it's also important to start small. A good example is SchoolTrainer, which was started by a Delhi-based Hindi and Math tutor. He has a big idea, but has started out small (just himself).

He currently has less than 100 teachers on his panel, but expects to scale up to a thousand over the next few years. Starting small enables you to experiment, work out the bugs in your systems, and prove your idea. The discipline of a tight budget also forces small companies to do what customers ask them to do. Companies that start operations with a lot of resources often scale up too quickly, waste money and enjoy the luxury of not having to listen to customers.

Tip #4: When faced with the fear of giving up a secure job, concentrate on the equally frightening possibility of someday looking back with regret.

In other words, if you think the risk of entrepreneurship is high, consider the risk of losing a fortune by letting an opportunity slip out of your hands. Of course, explaining this to conservative family members (usually a parent or spouse) may be difficult. For some people, even a 10% chance of failure is too high to contemplate, no matter how big the potential payoff is.

A 90% chance of failure is out of the question. Conservative family members will only be convinced if you have an airtight back up plan, which leads to Tip #5.

Tip #5: Have a backup plan.

One entrepreneur I know asked his employer, a very prestigious professional services firm, for a leave of absence. This gave him time to verify that his idea had merit. He knew that if he failed (which he assumed was likely), he could always return to the relative safety of a conventional career. His friends and acquaintances thought he was gutsy, but he knew he had a safety net.

In the end, he was able to prove his idea during his leave of absence and was able confidently to convert his leave of absence into a separation. He was shrewd, not brave.

2008-01-07T10:19:00.000-08:00

Easy and Difficult

An interesting email I received from one of my friend Thank you So much for sharing.

Easy is to get a place in someone’s address book.
Difficult is to get a place in someone’s heart.

Easy is to judge the mistakes of others
Difficult is to recognize our own mistakes

Easy is to talk without thinking
Difficult is to refrain the tongue

Easy is to hurt someone who loves us.
Difficult is to heal the wound…

Easy is to forgive others
Difficult is to ask for forgiveness

Easy is to set rules.
Difficult is to follow them…

Easy is to dream every night.
Difficult is to fight for a dream…

Easy is to show victory.
Difficult is to assume defeat with dignity…

Easy is to admire a full moon.
Difficult to see the other side…

Easy is to stumble with a stone.
Difficult is to get up…

Easy is to enjoy life every day.
Difficult to give its real value…

2008-01-07T10:13:00.000-08:00

How To Manage Situational Stress?

Well, it could have been anything from an earthquake to the disconnection of your telephone line. This is situational stress. It occurs when you are not able to chalk a way out of a particular situation.

It could occur anywhere – at home, workplace, school, while driving or in relationships. One needs to maintain the right frame of mind and stay calm to cope with such circumstances. Major catastrophes result into severe stress and one has to handle it smartly.

You can experience situational stress at home, with your kids or spouse. Apart from home, all social conditions carry the possibilities of situational stress. It could be at school/college, at market place, at gym, at your club, or any other social gathering.

The following steps can help you pave a path for yourself:

A) Evaluate the magnitude of the problem: Is the problem too big to handle? What exactly is the severity of it? Is it actually under your control? These are some questions you need to ask yourself

B) Exercise the maximum possible control: Do whatever you can to control the situation. Make full efforts to handle the crisis.

C) Gather as much information as possible: Suppose it is an earthquake and your mom is out for shopping. You would obviously feel stressed and would like to know whether she is safe. All you need to do is gather information pertaining to her whereabouts.

D) Do not isolate yourself: Do not build a glass cabin around you. DO not be under the impression that you alone can only solve the problem.

E) Set goals: Frame your goals. What exactly are you looking forward to? What do you want to do in the prevailing situation? How would you have liked to handle the situation?

F) Accept the fact that your reaction is the only thing you can control: You need to realize that it's just your reaction that you can control. What is happening is just not within your reach.

G) Take care of yourself: Eat properly and take proper rest. Generally people do not pay attention to their health and nutrition, when faced with a stressful situation, which is definitely wrong. It is very important because it gives you the strength to fight against the problem.

H) Ask others for help: There is no harm in asking others for help. Sometimes when your mind has already reached a stagnation point, others' ideas can really work wonders.

I) Let not the crisis multiply: Try your level best to stop the crisis from multiplying. Let the problem not get bigger.

J) A short term therapy is not a bad idea: You can also go in for a short term therapy and thus gain some relief and piece of mind.

If none of the above stated is able to provide relief, you need not fret. Certain stress management medications and techniques can pull you out of the stressful situation.

2008-01-07T10:05:00.000-08:00

6 Steps To Stress Avoidance

certainly agree with the author that a little stress can help us to function better while too much of it will do harm to us; both physically and mentally. Prevention is always better than cure. Wishing everyone great health.

Anything taken too much is bad for the health, and the long term effects of stress are well documented, which is why it is such an important area. As with everything in life prevention is always better than cure so I have provided 6 steps to help you avoid becoming stressful.

A little stress is actually good, as it could serve to help you function at your best. However, stress that seems a little too much could take a physical, as well as mental, toll to your body. Stress should be managed in order for depression or anxiety to be prevented.

I recommend you see a stress counselor if you think you may be suffering from stress but there are a few preventative things you can do for yourself:

Write it out, schedule it out.

Overwhelm is a result of having too much in your head to deal with so write it down, get it out of your head and down on paper.

You will find a things-to-do-list much easier to manage than having errands all crumpled up in your head. Writing down the tasks, and putting a specific schedule and time to do them, helps anyone manage activities one chunk at a time. Crossing out an activity that has already been accomplished is very rewarding and could actually help you feel more relaxed when doing the other tasks at hand.

One at a time works.

Focus and put all your attention specifically on one task at one time. It does not help to feel panicky about the other undone or to-do tasks. Thinking about them only adds unnecessary stress and could even hamper in doing the task you are attempting to accomplish at present. Just focus in on your one task, whether that task is spending time with the kids, or writing the next chapter of your book. Block time in your schedule for your most important tasks to ensure you experience balance.

Relax and take it slow.

At least, try not to expend too much energy on activities that are currently not priorities. This is in order for your energy to be not easily expended on the tasks that are not that important, at least for now.

Also spend time relaxing in between your work, just 2 minutes with your eyes closed standing out in the fresh air is enough to bring back mental alertness and to help you feel calmer. I recommend 10 minutes away from your desk every few hours. Taking this time for yourself will mean that you come back stronger and more focused. The longer you spend working without a break the more your effectiveness diminishes.

Delegate, delegate, delegate.

You really don’t have to do everything all at once and you definitely don’t have to do everything on your own. Get into the habit of asking for help, or paying for help. When there is a feeling of being overwhelmed that is cropping up, hire someone to mow the lawn or get a sitter for your children. The feeling of being pressed to finish something on time will somehow be eliminated if tasks are delegated. It takes a load off unnecessary worry and anxiety. Moreover, it is easier checking up on how things are, than worrying yourself sick doing everything on your own, all at once. Remember that delegating does not mean leaving someone to get on with it and forgetting about it, because if that person makes an error you end up feeling even more stressful. Make sure you check up on progress and let them know that they should ask you if they are unsure about anything.

Give yourself a reward.

You deserve it. Acknowledging your accomplishments, no matter how big or small, is an effort that is necessary before getting on to the next tasks and activities. It reduces stress and could even make you happier in doing the next task. Also, it is really easy to spend your time in the future, thinking about how wonderful life will be when you finally complete your task or goal. However, usually when we get there, there are no celebrations because we are on to the next “thing to do.” By giving yourself a reward (something that doesn’t cost anything is the best reward!) you acknowledge where you are at, that you have completed another step. And when you get to your final destination success tastes sweet!

Give yourself a break.

You need it to be more productive. A ten to fifteen minute break during your work is necessary. Go visit a café nearby, take a quick brisk walk, or do anything to put your mind off work, at least for a while. This is necessary to refresh and recharge. Believe it or not, you can also stay in your work and sit with your eyes closed as you visualize a peaceful landscape or a relaxing scene. This frees the stress from your muscles and your mind.

I recommend everyone take a full hour away from their desk, many people find this difficult to do but it is really essential if you want to avoid stress. Invite a work colleague to go with you or spend the time in quiet contemplation. If you need to set outlook to signal when you need to take an hour, or set your cell phone alarm to go off, then no matter what you are doing stop, get up, and walk away. I promise you that you will return with more energy and creativity than you left with!

I hope you enjoyed reading these six steps and that you will choose to take one and use today, taking action is the prime step towards stress avoidance, or if you are already feeling the effects of stress.

While a little of everything is good for us, too much of anything isn’t and it is always better to learn how to relax and avoid stress than it is to have to learn how to deal with overcoming it. Doing so makes you healthier, happier, and a lot more productive.

2008-01-07T09:30:00.000-08:00

The Path Of learning!

If you find a path with no obstacles--it is probably a path that doesn't lead anywhere!

"I have an immense treasure: My ignorance.

For me it is a great joy to overcome it. If I can get others to profit from what I acquire, I have twice as much joy. As long as I go on discovering new things, life will be beautiful, but it will be too short for everything I want to learn."

Progress has little to do with speed, but much to do with direction.

Enthusiasm is the all-essential human jet propellant. It is the driving force which elevates men to miracle workers. It begets boldness, courage; kindles confidence; overcomes doubts. It creates endless energy, the source of all accomplishment.

"Every great movement in the annals of history," said Emerson, "is the triumph of enthusiasm."It is derived, that magic name, from two Greek words: "en" meaning "in" & "theos" meaning "God." Enthusiasm is literally "God in us." The enthusiastic man is one who speaks as if he were possessed...

Don't envy anybody. Every person has something no other person has. Develop that one thing & make it outstanding.
The normal reaction to a new idea is to think of reasons why it can't be done.

Perhaps it is a good thing that you haven't seen all your dreams come true. For if you got all you wished for immediately, you would be miserable.

Alexander the Great conquered the world, but died of sheer boredom.

To be forever reaching out, to remain unsatisfied, is the key to spiritual progress.

In the central place of every heart there is a recording chamber; so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer, and courage, so long are you young. When the wires are all down and your heart is covered with the snows of pessimism and the ice of cynicism, then, and then only, are you grown old.

One of his neighbors, the mother of a ten-year-old girl, noticed that the child often visited Einstein's house.
The woman wondered at this, and the child explained: "I had trouble with my homework in arithmetic. People said that at No. 112 there lives a very big mathematician, who is also a very good man. I asked him to help me. He was very willing, and explained everything very well. He said I should come whenever I find a problem too difficult."

Alarmed at the child's boldness, the girl's mother went to Einstein to apologize. Einstein said, "You don't have to excuse yourself. I have learned more from the conversations with the child than she has from me."

"It's too hard"

2008-01-07T09:24:00.001-08:00

"I quit" "I give up" "I just can't do it anymore"
I always cringe and become a little sad when I hear someone say/write those words। Yes, it might be hard... building a lasting relationship is hard, so maybe it SHOULD be hard to find a good partner.

The loss of hope always upsets me...for without hope...what have you left? If you do quit, give up .... can you find a measure of peace or happiness? You have invested time and energy to determine what you seek, what your limits are, etc। To give that all up...for what? An existence... not LIFE... just an existence. When you give up on your goals and dreams, you give up on yourself. How can you ever find peace or happiness that way?

I always think...if they held on just a little longer॥how do they know that what they seek isn't just down the road a little further? Each of us has to find the right one। Every failed relationship teaches us something about ourselves and what we seek. That in turn helps us to refine our goals and we grow and evolve.

Now to be sure, sometimes we find in that process that we were really seeking something entirely different। That isn't giving up...it is merely altering our path.
There is nothing sadder to my thinking than the words "I give up।"

When hurt is quelching the light of hope, it's so easy to let those words come out। But, if we look really close, there are still embers of that hope left burning. The key is to letting friends and loved ones help to stoke those embers so they become flames again.

Never give up .......

If you want your Dreams come true and not remain only as Dreams...
No matter the time, no matter the path, no matter the obstacles....
At the end it is worth to wait and try hard.....
for what will come and be with You.....

There have been times in my life I have felt that I had not given up, but that all of the hope I could try to hold, like so much sand, slipped through my fingers। There is always, however, a few grains left, and that is all one needs to get that feeling kick-started again.

You only know what winning feels like, a victory, if you have failed before.
Without 'losing' or getting 'hurt' in life no one can relish and savor the REALLY great things in life!

The art of saying, "No."

2008-01-07T09:13:00.001-08:00

So you're one of these people who through no fault of your own have a weakness for something, and when that weakness presents itself; you can't say no to it.

It's not because you crave it. It's not even because you WANT it or NEED it. It's because you don't want to cause upset or hurt with your desire to say no. So rather than say no and actually make yourself clear, you would sooner say yes and go along with things, get yourself into a situation you don't want to be in; purely for the purposes of not causing upset.

Naturally this is very bad for yourself and your equilibrium, but not only that; it's very unfair on the other because you're not being honest, you're lying by default.

This doesn't make you a BAD person. It makes you HUMAN.

Unfortunately many people will tell you you're a player for this, and some will even turn into complete morons and stalk about your life telling you how bad you are, never leaving you alone and behaving like a fucking cheerleader on crack that was just laid by the cricket captain in highschool, and then wondering why he won't marry her, give her the kids and a lil white picket fence.

Frankly, out of the two I think the latter is the nutcase and needs a damned good slap. But that's just me.

In order to preserve your sense of worth and peace of mind, you need to learn how say no. The first few times it'll be hard, and yes there is likely to be some comeback from the upset party, but you cannot be blamed for your own sense of preference, and people not getting it when you try and say you're not keen on idea. It is purely willful ignorance on their part.

I'll explain why.

When someone wants something from you, or you in yourself, unless you out and out say NO, they will take any other statement as the permission to go ahead because you haven't made something abundantly clear by saying, "no."

And because they want it or you so badly, they will push, push, PUSH until you feel so utterly vulnerable that you just give in and give them what they want. Quite often they believe that you do indeed want it, you just won't admit it. In some cases that may be true, but not in all. And it is the willful ignorance on their part that makes THAT bad. It's called crossing the line.

Of course some people refuse to accept that you won't bend to their will, but that's their problem and stupidity and not yours. Ask them how that's working for them a few years later.

Quite simply, it doesn't matter how much someone or something is coming toward you or how hard, stop them short and say, "NO." If they come at you using a medium that makes it difficult for you to express that, then switch to media that allows you to. Do it brutally. Without emotion - but be firm.

Ways of saying "no", are varied of course. But sometimes the simple word in itself is enough especially if you want the very brutal approach. Even more so if it seems out of character for you - but here's the thing, because it is out of character for you it is all the more effective.

And when you keep it up and show people that when you say no, it MEANS no; they will listen to you on first go.

The key is getting yourself used to it first. Everyone else comes later.

The word "no", holds a lot of power. The more you say it when you need to, the more you will be used to saying it; and the less guilty you will feel for saying it.

ETA: If this post resonates with you, you are either someone who needs to learn the value of the word, "no" as in to SAY it, or to LISTEN to it when it is applied, or variations there of.

People don't just use that little word, to say it with. Be mindful where you tread. Don't ignore the signs because they lead to a whole world of regret if you do.

Power Dress To Impress at Work

2007-12-31T06:34:00.000-08:00

It's a hot topic of discussion around the water cooler, during your coffee break,

in the elevator and every other realm beyond the purview of the boss's keen eye.

Who is getting that raise and promotion?

No prizes for guessing that performing well in your appraisal is topmost on your mind!

When your every move and word is closely monitored, the terms 'assessment', 'evaluation' and 'review' assume a heightened meaning.

And when it is a photo finish between teammates, any amount of sloppiness

could have your coworker nosing ahead of you!

Thus, it is vital to properly strategise for your own 'visual presentation',

ie your appearance.

Here's how you can prepare.

1. Brush up on your grooming technique.

~ For men

i. Get a new haircut.

ii. Get a manicure, pedicure and face cleaning.

iii. It is not essential to have a crew cut on the job. But men with longer hair

should opt for a slick, gelled-back look. This gives the impression of being freshly

showered.

iv. For a quick change in the way you look, consider re-styling your facial hair.

~ For women

i. For the ladies, even a good hair trim and regular face cleaning/ buffing should do.

ii. According to hairstylist Jawed Habib, "Curls are very much in for women,

but these work best for the office if worn tied back or short."

iii. If you want a quick change in look, try parting or tying your hair differently.

2. Get yourself a signature colour.

Haven't got one already? Determine your signature palette now!

Colour can go a long way in giving you an identity at work.

~ For men

For instance, 24-year old Altaf, an executive with an international travel corporation, swears by white because it has a definite professional air about it.

He combines a crisp, white shirt with beige or dove grey pants and a yellow or light blue tie.

i. It is a good idea to go beyond blues, greys, blacks and whites and experiment with colour.

Make sure, though, that you can carry it off without getting self-concious.

For the stylish man, baby pink is the new white.

~ For women

i. All pastel shades and medium tones -- like mustard, turquoise blue, deep pink

and olive -- are acceptable. Only try striking colours like reds and black if you are

comfortable.

ii. Figure out whether you prefer 'cool' or 'warm' colours and build your wardrobe accordingly.

Blues, greens and purple fall under cool colours.

Reds, yellows and browns are warm colours.

3. Dos and don'ts for men!

i. Ties and scarves should only be in silk, never polyester.

ii. Keep belt buckles plain, even staid.

iii. Belts, bags and shoes, socks and trousers need to match across the board!

iv. Besides the shoe body, make sure the edges are polished, too, as these turn

white over time.

v. Slim fitting trousers are appropriate coordinates.

Siddharth, 26, a software consultant with a leading technology corporation,

swears by single pleated, flat front trousers, as these have a slim cut and less bulk.

They fall well with turned up hems.

Back pockets without flaps are ideal.

vi. Avoid stretch fabrics if possible and capris.

4. Dos and don'ts for women.

i. Avoid translucent fabrics for tops, and low-neck or tight-fitting blouses.

ii. Cotton or cotten blend shirts work best.

iii. Go for stripes, checks and subtle prints.

iv. Opt for slim-fitting trousers or long, slim pencil skirts as coordinates.

v. Skirts can have either a modest side or back slit.

vi Avoid wearing capris, stretch fabrics and short skirts.

5. The finishing touches for women.

i. When it comes to jewellery, make sure you do not mix metals.

When wearing gold, wear all gold. When wearing silver or platinum,

wear all silver/ platinum.

Keep jewellery simple and coordinated in design.

A chain with a pendant, matching earrings and a bracelet will make you sparkle.

ii. Wear a subtle perfume or cologne that suits your personality.

iii. Try not to carry your entire world with you in an oversized bag.

Invest in medium-sized leather handbags in black, brown and beige to get to the boardroom.

iii. High heels are super so long as you can carry yourself well in them.

I recommend heels up to an inch or an inch-and-a-half, no more.

Now that you are good to go, good luck on your way up!

6. The finishing touches for men.

i. Neckties are best worn either solid or patterned with dots or stripes.

Keep the stripes simple, narrow and wide-spaced.

Learn how to tie the knot properly.

Avoid skinny or overtly wide knots.

ii. Avoid chunky wallets in your hip pocket -- they look tacky. Not the ideal way to impress the boss with your contacts.

iii. Wear a subtle perfume or cologne that suits your persona and doesn't announce

your arrival from across the room.

iv. If need be, carry a sleek, leather messenger bag in black or dark brown,

as opposed to the backpack, boys.

v. As mentioned before, formal lace-up shoes will take you up the ladder quicker.

Good luck!

7. Dress for the part.

i. The old saying that one should dress as per the rank one aspires to, is not unfounded.

However this doesn't entail aping the boss or senior's style!

ii. Create a distinctive look for yourself, keeping in mind that the effect should be simple but classy.

For instance, make a fine statement with a shirt with a cutaway collar or a blue-striped shirt with a white collar and cuff.

iii. If you like tailored shirts, add a pair of elegant silver square or rectangular cufflinks on turned-up cuffs.

iv. Being meticulous in your attire speaks of self-respect and one who pays attention to details.

Key GD tips, revealed!

2007-12-31T06:29:00.000-08:00

Let's go on to how GD is initiated and summarised.

A group discussion can be categorically divided into three different phases:

i. Initiation/ Introduction

ii. Body of the group discussion

iii. Summarisation/ Conclusion

Let's stress on the initiation and summarisation:

Initiation Techniques

Initiating a GD is a high profit-high loss strategy.

When you initiate a GD, you not only grab the opportunity to speak, you also grab the attention of the examiner and your fellow candidates.

If you can make a favourable first impression with your content and communication skills after you initiate a GD, it will help you sail through the discussion.

But if you initiate a GD and stammer/ stutter/ quote wrong facts and figures, the damage might be irreparable.

If you initiate a GD impeccably but don't speak much after that, it gives the impression that you started the GD for the sake of starting it or getting those initial kitty of points earmarked for an initiator!

When you start a GD, you are responsible for putting it into the right perspective or framework. So initiate one only if you have indepth knowledge about the topic at hand.

There are different techniques to initiate a GD and make a good first impression:

i. Quotes
ii. Definition
iii. Question
iv. Shock statement
v. Facts, figures and statistics
vi. Short story
vii. General statement

~ Quotes

Quotes are an effective way of initiating a GD.

If the topic of a GD is: Should the Censor Board be abolished?, you could start with a quote like, 'Hidden apples are always sweet'.

For a GD topic like, Customer is King, you could quote Sam (Wal-mart) Walton's famous saying, 'There is only one boss: the customer. And he can fire everybody in the company -- from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.'

~ Definition

Start a GD by defining the topic or an important term in the topic.

For example, if the topic of the GD is Advertising is a Diplomatic Way of Telling a Lie, why not start the GD by defining advertising as, 'Any paid form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods or services through mass media like newspapers, magazines, television or radio by an identified sponsor'?

For a topic like The Malthusian Economic Prophecy is no longer relevant, you could start by explaining the definition of the Malthusian Economic Prophecy.

~ Question

Asking a question is an impactful way of starting a GD.

It does not signify asking a question to any of the candidates in a GD so as to hamper the flow. It implies asking a question, and answering it yourself.

Any question that might hamper the flow of a GD or insult a participant or play devil's advocate must be discouraged.

Questions that promote a flow of ideas are always appreciated.

For a topic like, Should India go to war with Pakistan, you could start by asking, 'What does war bring to the people of a nation? We have had four clashes with Pakistan. The pertinent question is: what have we achieved?'

~ Shock statement

Initiating a GD with a shocking statement is the best way to grab immediate attention and put forth your point.

If a GD topic is, The Impact of Population on the Indian Economy, you could start with, 'At the centre of the Indian capital stands a population clock that ticks away relentlessly. It tracks 33 births a minute, 2,000 an hour, 48,000 a day. Which calculates to about 12 million every year. That is roughly the size of Australia. As a current political slogan puts it, 'Nothing's impossible when 1 billion Indians work together'.'

~ Facts, figures and statistics

If you decide to initiate your GD with facts, figure and statistics, make sure to quote them accurately.

Approximation is allowed in macro level figures, but micro level figures need to be correct and accurate.

For example, you can say, approximately 70 per cent of the Indian population stays in rural areas (macro figures, approximation allowed).

But you cannot say 30 states of India instead of 28 (micro figures, no approximations).

Stating wrong facts works to your disadvantage.

For a GD topic like, China, a Rising Tiger, you could start with, 'In 1983, when China was still in its initial stages of reform and opening up, China's real use of Foreign Direct Investment only stood at $636 million. China actually utilised $60 billion of FDI in 2004, which is almost 100 times that of its 1983 statistics."

~ Short story

Use a short story in a GD topic like, Attitude is Everything.

This can be initiated with, 'A child once asked a balloon vendor, who was selling helium gas-filled balloons, whether a blue-coloured balloon will go as high in the sky as a green-coloured balloon. The balloon vendor told the child, it is not the colour of the balloon but what is inside it that makes it go high.'

~ General statement

Use a general statement to put the GD in proper perspective.

For example, if the topic is, Should Sonia Gandhi be the prime minister of India?, you could start by saying, 'Before jumping to conclusions like, 'Yes, Sonia Gandhi should be', or 'No, Sonia Gandhi should not be', let's first find out the qualities one needs to be a a good prime minister of India. Then we can compare these qualities with those that Mrs Gandhi possesses. This will help us reach the conclusion in a more objective and effective manner.'

Summarisation Techniques

Most GDs do not really have conclusions. A conclusion is where the whole group decides in favour or against the topic.

But every GD is summarised. You can summarise what the group has discussed in the GD in a nutshell.

Keep the following points in mind while summarising a discussion:

Avoid raising new points.
Avoid stating only your viewpoint.
Avoid dwelling only on one aspect of the GD.
Keep it brief and concise.
It must incorporate all the important points that came out during the GD.
If the examiner asks you to summarise a GD, it means the GD has come to an end. Do not add anything once the GD has been summarised.

10 tips to improve the way you speak English

2007-12-31T06:22:00.000-08:00

Many deserving candidates lose out on job opportunities because of their vernacular accent.

Yes, you can. All you need to do is train yourself to speak English as comfortably and perfectly as you speak your mother tongue.

How do you train yourself? By inculcating certain practices in your daily lifestyle. These will get you closer to sounding like a native English speaker and equip you with a global accent -- and you will speak not American or British English, but correct English.

This is the first step to learn any other accent, be it American or British or Australian.

Lisa Mojsin, head trainer, director and founder of the Accurate English Training Company in Los Angeles, offers these tips to help 'neutralise' your accent or rather do away with the local twang, as you speak.

i. Observe the mouth movements of those who speak English well and try to imitate them.

When you are watching television, observe the mouth movements of the speakers. Repeat what they are saying, while imitating the intonation and rhythm of their speech.

ii. Until you learn the correct intonation and rhythm of English, slow your speech down.

If you speak too quickly, and with the wrong intonation and rhythm, native speakers will have a hard time understanding you.

Don't worry about your listener getting impatient with your slow speech -- it is more important that everything you say be understood.

iii. Listen to the 'music' of English.

Do not use the 'music' of your native language when you speak English. Each language has its own way of 'singing'.

iv. Use the dictionary.

Try and familiarise yourself with the phonetic symbols of your dictionary. Look up the correct pronunciation of words that are hard for you to say.

v. Make a list of frequently used words that you find difficult to pronounce and ask someone who speaks the language well to pronounce them for you.

Record these words, listen to them and practice saying them. Listen and read at the same time.

vi. Buy books on tape.

Record yourself reading some sections of the book. Compare the sound of your English with that of the person reading the book on the tape.

vii. Pronounce the ending of each word.

Pay special attention to 'S' and 'ED' endings. This will help you strengthen the mouth muscles that you use when you speak English.

viii. Read aloud in English for 15-20 minutes every day.

Research has shown it takes about three months of daily practice to develop strong mouth muscles for speaking a new language.

ix. Record your own voice and listen for pronunciation mistakes.

Many people hate to hear the sound of their voice and avoid listening to themselves speak. However, this is a very important exercise because doing it will help you become conscious of the mistakes you are making.

x. Be patient.

You can change the way you speak but it won't happen overnight. People often expect instant results and give up too soon. You can change the way you sound if you are willing to put some effort into it.

Quick tips

Various versions of the English language exist. Begin by identifying the category you fall into and start by improving the clarity of your speech.

~ Focus on removing the mother tongue influence and the 'Indianisms' that creep into your English conversations.

~ Watch the English news on television channels like Star World, CNN, BBC and English movies on Star Movies and HBO.

~ Listen to and sing English songs. We'd recommend Westlife, Robbie Williams, Abba, Skeeter Davis and Connie Francis among others.

Books to help you improve your English

Essential English Grammar by Murphy (Cambridge)
Spoken English by R K Bansal and J B Harrison
Pronounce It Perfectly In English (book and three audio cassettes) by Jean Yates, Barrons Educational Series
English Pronunciation For International Students by Paulette Wainless Dale, Lillian Poms

6 'soft' skills you need for success

2007-12-31T06:12:00.000-08:00

reputed software company in India is all geared up for a client visit.

The clients have indicated that, after inspecting the progress of the project they have outsourced, they would like to meet the team members working on it.

Why? To select one team member for a stint onsite -- something almost every software engineer aspires for.

Ravi has been one of the most active members in the project and has done a wonderful job. He is technically brilliant, but has some concerns:

Will he able to communicate his performance to the client in an impressive manner so that he is chosen?
Why do his team mates not prefer to come to him for solutions and go to less capable people instead?
His project manager doesn't seem to be very warm towards him either, although he does drop in those occasional mails appreciating his work.

Here is a typical scenario in an IT company; or for that matter, any organisation where interpersonal communication is involved. Or, like in Ravi's case, where an employee suffers from a lack of interpersonal skills.

Are technical/ job-related skills enough?

Technical and job-related skills are a must, but they are NOT sufficient when it comes to progressing up the ladder.

With the traditional paternalistic style of leadership becoming pass�, professional managers expect their teams to be proactive and communicate openly.

"Soft skills are very important in business. It is essential to be technically sound, but one should also have the ability to convey the idea to the masses in the simplest possible manner," says Mayurkumar Gadewar, an ERP consultant with Pricewaterhouse Coopers.

With the boom in outsourcing taking root across industries, many professionals and subject matter experts directly deal with their clients on a regular basis.

Their approachability and people skills are what ultimately sustain the contract their employers have bagged.

"Planning is necessary but execution is also equally important. And it takes soft skills to execute any idea because it involves dealing with people directly," says Gadewar.

6 soft skills for every hard-nosed professional

Behavioural training experts say there are several soft skills are required in these circumstances. Some of them include:

i. Interpersonal skills

ii. Team spirit

iii. Social grace

iv. Business etiquette

v. Negotiation skills

vi. Behavioural traits such as attitude, motivation and time management

Do you have these? If your answer is yes, good for you.

But if your answer is no, then you know it is time to approach either a training organisation or a training consultant.

Will formal training enhance your soft skills?

There is a lot of argument in the industry as to whether it is possible to enhance soft skills in a few hours of training, especially when one considers the fact that a person has lived with those traits all his life. To this, the answer is harsh but real -- a professional who wants to do well in his/ her career does not really have a choice.

In the initial years of your career, your technical abilities are important to get good assignments. However, when it comes to growing in an organisation, it is your personality that matters, more so in large organisations where several people with similar technical expertise will compete for a promotion.

Training on soft skills becomes all the more relevant in a country like India where the education system does not delve into personality development.

"Soft skills training is essential because we do not have it in our academic curricula. Therefore, corporate houses have to take up the task of grooming employees who are the link between the company and the external world, so that they are able to present themselves better, " says Sumeet Mehta, an equity research analyst with Fortis Securities Ltd.

Be your own trainer!

While organisations are definitely investing in augmenting their staff's people skills, here are some inputs for professionals and students who would like to initiate the process themselves:

i. Be a part of team activities

It could be either as a part of your church choir, or an NGO, or your local youth circle.

Observe your own behaviour in the group and how you relate to others.

ii. Ask family members or close friends to write down your best and worst traits.

Ideally, have at least four to five people do this for you.

Evaluate the common traits all of them have mentioned. Thus, you can be aware of your strengths and work improving your weaknesses.

iii. How well do you manage your time?

Think.

Can you do more in life? Or is your day too crammed with activities? Effective time management is very essential in the corporate world.

iv. Introspect on how you react to feedback.

In organisations, people skills mostly come into the picture when there is feedback given -- be it for an idea, an executed project or a presentation.

You are judged by the way you respond to feedback.

Do you get defensive?

Do you insist you were right?

Do you meekly accept criticism?

Remember, people tend to be judged and stereotyped according to their responses. You will, too.

v. How good are you at critiquing?

While responding to feedback is one side of the coin, giving feedback is the other side.

Are you aggressive? Pessimistic? Do you believe in constructive criticism? Or prefer to be the yes-man?

vi. Live consciously

Any organisation is manned by people, therefore soft skills are all about how you deal with people and present yourself.

Though it may be easier said than done, soft skills can be enhanced simply by being aware of oneself and living consciously.

Eight leadership mantras!

2007-12-31T06:05:00.000-08:00

These strong words drove him for 23 years and seven days during his tenure with Mudra.

The result: Mudra Communications went from a one-client agency to one of the best agencies in the business.

AG chronicles the story of his success in his recently released book, The Invisible CEO.

The book features AG's journey -- the beginnings, the ups, downs, learning curves and the successes -- and showcases a selection of his personal favourites from the Mudra portfolio, and why he liked them.

As for budding young professionals and future CEOs, here are AG's mantras to succeed in your career.

1. Guts and courage

To be successful and rise in the professional echelons, you must have the guts and courage to stand up for what you believe in. That is the mettle any aspiring CEO must be made of.

Take responsibility for issues and settle them amicably, and fast.

2. Infuse energy into your work

We tend to use only 10 per cent of the energy God gave us. Invest this energy in your work.

Go about every day with passion.

I worked tirelessly from nine in the morning to 12 at night, for six-and-a-half days in the week, and it paid off.

3. Being seen and heard

While many of his counterparts were blazing the party circuit in Mumbai, AG's style was radically different.

He chose to stay in Ahmedabad, focusing his energies in working hard, inspiring his team and building the Mudra legacy from scratch. Hence the title of his book, The Invisible CEO.

The word 'invisible' stems from his preference to maintain a low profile.

4. An advertising mantra

In an age where production values have improved by leaps and bounds, there is a tendency for the product to get lost. The challenge lies in making an ad that will inspire the viewer to buy the product, and not just say, "Wow, what a fabulous ad!" and proceed to purchase another brand.

5. What do you want to achieve?

Understand what you desire to achieve and stay focused on your goal, always.

6. Are you proud of being Indian?

Even as the advertising world looks towards the West for inspiration, the Mudra mantra was to be indigenous all the way.

Let your Indianness shine through your work.

7. Look after your people

Give the people under you the chance and the opportunity to grow.

Take care of their needs because your people are your strength.

8. Dare to dream BIG

Dhirubai Ambani, my mentor, taught me to dream big.

That is my advice to all young professionals. Dream big. The bigger the dream, the better.

3 golden rules for effective communication

2007-12-31T06:00:00.000-08:00

ave you been wondering how to put together an impressively-phrased Powerpoint presentation?

Have you been wondering how to compose an e-mail that captures your strategies and goals effectively?

It is time you did something about it.

As a young professional in today's global business world, it is imperative that you are competent in both oral as well as written communication.

Important forms of oral communication at the workplace include:

Building interpersonal relationships.
Giving presentations and debating viewpoints effectively.

You need to master oral skills for both in-person and over-the-phone interactions.

Similarly, important written communication includes:

Writing professional e-mails (sans SMS slang).
Putting together concise reports.
Creating visually powerful Powerpoint presentations.

And the key to acing oral and written communication is to spruce up your communication skills. And it is a lot easier than you think.

Here are some easy tips to do it on your own:

1. Improve pronunciation and diction

There are a few tricks to making a vernacular accent more globally understandable.

~ Try making sure that 'air' comes out of your mouth when saying the letters, 'T, P, K' and the sound 'Ch'.

~ Focus on elongating your vowel sounds. This will also automatically slow down your rate of speech.

~ Sing English songs out loud!

~ Watch news shows on channels like CNN and BBC.

~ The web site www.m-w.com is great for pronunciation help.

~ I would also suggest buying books on pronunciation and language that come with audio cassettes.

A good book that I found really useful was Better English Pronunciation by J D O'Connor. It is part of the Cambridge series, and some of those books come with cassettes.

2. Spruce up your writing skills

~ Believe it or not, you have to Read More!

~ Well-written magazines, like The Economist and India Today, are great to read not only to improve language skills but also to learn more about the world.

~ In terms of books, read what interests you. The basic goal is to read as much as you can.

There are a plethora of good authors who are popular today. Some good writers whose language is easy to follow include Vikram Seth, Jhumpa Lahiri, Paulo Coelho, J D Salinger, Albert Camus and Roald Dahl.

~ People tend to forget basic grammar when writing e-mails. An e-mail is nothing more than a letter which is sent electronically.

Make sure salutations and content are professional. Use special phrases when attaching documents. For example, "Please find attached with this e-mail a report on..." This helps you sound professional.

3. Five exercises to practise every day!

i. Pretend you are a newscaster and read out the newspaper to your mirror.

ii. Do not read local newspapers. Focus on national newspapers.

iii. While reading a book, underline all the words you do not know. Look them up in the dictionary.

iv. Make a list of these words, and make sure you use at least five of them in a conversation during the day.

v. Most important, make an effort to speak in English to your friends and family

Are you good at group discussion?

2007-12-31T05:38:00.000-08:00

ave you ever seen a football game?

Or been a part of a football team?

These questions might seem awkward and absurd when talking about How to crack a Group Discussion to get into a top B-School.

But they are relevant to understand the nuances of a Group Discussion.

Just reiterating the clich� that a Group discussion, or GD, as it is commonly called, is a group process or a team building exercise does not help students.

As in a football game, where you play like a team, passing the ball to each team member and aim for a common goal, GD is also based on team work, incorporating views of different team members to reach a common goal.

A Group Discussion at a B-School can be defined as a formal discussion involving ten to 12 participants in a group.

They are given a topic. After some time, during which they collect their thoughts, the group is asked to discuss the topic for 20 to 25 minutes.

B-Schools use the GD process to assess a candidate's personality traits.

Here are some of the most important personality traits that a candidate should possess to do well at a GD:

1. Team Player

B-Schools lay great emphasis on this parameter because it is essential for managers to be team players.

The reason: Managers always work in teams.

At the beginning of his career, a manager works as a team member. And, later, as a team leader.

Management aspirants who lack team skills cannot be good managers.

2. Reasoning Ability

Reasoning ability plays an important role while expressing your opinions or ideas at a GD.

For example, an opinion like 'Reduction in IIMs' fees will affect quality' can be better stated by demonstrating your reasoning ability and completing the missing links between fees and quality as:

'Reduction in IIMs' fees will result in less funds being invested on study material, student exchange programmes, research, student development activities, etc.

'Moreover, it costs money to attract good faculty, create good infrastructure and upgrade technology.

'With reduction in fees, less money will be available to perform these ,activities which will lead to deterioration in the quality of IIMs.'

3. Leadership

There are three types of situations that can arise in a GD:

~ A GD where participants are unable to establish a proper rapport and do not speak much.
~ A GD where participants get emotionally charged and the GD gets chaotic.
~ A GD where participants discuss the topic assertively by touching on all its nuances and try to reach the objective.

Here, a leader would be someone who facilitates the third situation at a GD.

A leader would have the following qualities:

~S/he shows direction to the group whenever group moves away from the topic.
~S/he coordinates the effort of the different team members in the GD.
~S/he contributes to the GD at regular intervals with valuable insights.
~S/he also inspires and motivates team members to express their views.

Caution: Being a mere coordinator in a GD does not help, because it is a secondary role.

Contribute to the GD with your ideas and opinions, but also try and steer the conversation towards a goal.

4. Flexibility

You must be open to other ideas as well as to the evaluation of your ideas: That is what flexibility is all about.

But first, remember: Never ever start your GD with a stand or a conclusion.

Say the topic of a GD is, 'Should India go to war with Pakistan?'

Some participants tend to get emotionally attached to the topic and take a stand either in favour or against the topic, ie 'Yes, India should', or, 'No, India should not'.

By taking a stand, you have already given your decision without discussing the topic at hand or listening to the views of your team members.

Also, if you encounter an opposition with a very strong point at the 11th hour, you end up in a typical catch-22 situation:

~If you change your stand, you are seen as a fickle-minded or a whimsical person.
~If you do not change your stand, you are seen as an inflexible, stubborn and obstinate person.

5. Assertiveness

You must put forth your point to the group in a very emphatic, positive and confident manner.

Participants often confuse assertiveness with aggressiveness.

Aggressiveness is all about forcing your point on the other person, and can be a threat to the group. An aggressive person can also demonstrate negative body language, whereas an assertive person displays positive body language.

6. Initiative

A general trend amongst students is to start a GD and get the initial kitty of points earmarked for the initiator.

But that is a high risk-high return strategy.

Initiate a GD only if you are well versed with the topic. If you start and fail to contribute at regular intervals, it gives the impression that you started the GD just for the sake of the initial points.

Also, if you fumble, stammer or misquote facts, it may work against you.

Remember: You never ever get a second chance to create a first impression.

7. Creativity/ Out of the box thinking

An idea or a perspective which opens new horizons for discussion on the GD topic is always highly appreciated.

When you put across a new idea convincingly, such that it is discussed at length by the group, it can only be positive.

You will find yourself in the good books of the examiner.

8. Inspiring ability

A good group discussion should incorporate views of all the team members.

If some team members want to express their ideas but are not getting the opportunity to do so, giving them an opportunity to express their ideas or opinions will be seen as a positive trait.

Caution: If a participant is not willing to speak, you need not necessarily go out of the way to ask him to express his views. This may insult him and hamper the flow of the GD.

9. Listening

Always try and strike a proper balance between expressing your ideas and imbibing ideas.

10. Awareness

You must be well versed with both the micro and macro environment.

Your awareness about your environment helps a lot in your GD content, which carries maximum weightage.

Caution: The content or awareness generally constitutes 40 to 50 percent marks of your GD.

Apart from these qualities, communication skills, confidence and the ability to think on one's feet are also very important.

2007-12-25T01:12:00.000-08:00

WINNER VS LOSER

#Winners have dreams;
Losers have schemes.
----------
#Winners see the grains;
Losers see the pain.
----------
#Winners see the potential;
Losers see the past.
----------
#Winners make it happen;
Losers let it happen.
----------
#Winners see possibilities;
Losers see problems.
----------
#Winners makes commitments;
Losers makes promises.
----------
#Winners are a part of the team;
Losers are apart from the team.
----------
#Winner always has a programme;
Loser always has an excuse.
----------
#Winner says "Let me do it for you";
Loser says "That is not my job".
----------
#Winners say "I must do something";
Losers say "Something must be done".
----------
#Winner is always a part of the answer;
Loser is always a part of the problem.
----------
#Winner sees an answer for every problem;
Loser sees a problem for every answer.
----------
#Winners believe in win/win;
Loser believe for them to win, someone has to lose.
----------
#Winner says "It may be difficult but it is possible";
Loser says "It may be possible but it is too difficult".
----------
#Winner makes a mistake. he says "I was wrong";
Loser makes a mistake, he says "It wasn't my fault".

Value of Time

2007-12-25T00:44:00.000-08:00

Value of Time

To realize the value of thirty years,
Ask a old female who recently lost her husband.

To realize the value of five years,
Ask a newly divorced couple.

To realize the value of one year,
Ask a student who has failed a final exam.

To realize the value of nine months,
Ask a mother who gave birth to a still born.

To realize the value of one month,
Ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.

To realize the value of one week,
Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize the value of one hour,
Ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.

To realize the value of one minute,
Ask a person who has missed the train.

To realize the value of one-second,
Ask a person who has survived an accident.

To realize the value of one millisecond,
Ask the Runner who had to settle for a silver medal in the Olympics.

Time waits for no one.
Treasure every moment you have.
You will treasure it even more when you can share it with someone special.
Forget the past n future, Live for today....

Online CV

2007-12-19T09:16:00.000-08:00

Ways of Putting your CV online...

In a technology-enabled world, even your resume has to be tailored to find a good job. Most companies prefer receiving job applications via e-mail, as it is convenient, simple and also environment-friendly.

While traditional techniques like sending a properly formatted, professionally written and eye-catching resume printed out from a computer remains relevant, a Web-based format will enhance your possibilities of finding a good job. This format refers to your approach to resume-preparation based on how you want it to be delivered to the recipient. We highlight a few formats you must consider:

Text-based CV (also known as ASCII)

A simple version that can be pasted directly into the body of an e-mail. ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) is a code for representing English characters as numbers, with each letter assigned a number from 0 to 127. The format is simplistic and the focus has to be on content. Most computers use ASCII codes to represent text, which makes it possible to transfer data from one computer to another.

As this is a text-based resume, try not to make it flashy. The resume should be readable and any computer system can read a file in this format. The downside is its universal acceptance limits your ability to use graphics and special fonts like italics, etc.

Tip: This format is best suited for non-creative jobs like manufacturing, operations, engineering, technical support, etc.

Scan-able CV

This kind of a resume can be run through a scanner that has character recognition capabilities. The employer can store your resume in their database and search it using key words for any future openings.

Put your name at the top of each page if your resume exceeds one page. Use industry or job-specific keywords so your resume is easily searchable within the database. Some keywords, for instance, could be 'market research', 'sales consultant', 'project manager', 'result oriented', etc. Avoid any graphics or images in this kind of a resume, as it may make scanning difficult.

Tip: This format works best when applying for jobs directly on the company's portal. Your resume gets stored in the company's database, so ease of search must be given the highest priority.

Personal Resume Web site

A very convenient way of sharing (and showing off) your skills, accomplishments and abilities is by creating a personal resume Web site. This doesn't need to be a very complicated site, but it should display your work favourably. It can include articles you have written, artwork and photography you have created, or software you have developed. You can even provide links to reports, papers, studies, brochures, projects, presentations, testimonials, letters of recommendations, any kudos you have received -- from customers, clients, colleagues, past employers, professors, etc. The biggest advantage is having your resume available 24/7 to all potential employers.

A number of sites host Web pages. To find some, try Free Web Space.

Tip: This format is best suited for creative professionals like Web site designers, animation and design professionals, etc.

CD Portfolio

A digital copy of your portfolio can easily be burnt on to a CD that can be used in the CD-ROM drive of a potential employer. A CD can easily fit into your briefcase or bag and you will have a resume that will be on the move with you. Moreover, you will not have to struggle with carrying around a tremendous, oversized binder, or a huge case filled with your samples.

Tip: This format works best if you are an artist, photographer, fashion designer, model, etc and you need to demonstrate a portfolio or body of work to a prospective employer or client.

Word or PDF attachment

If you want to e-mail a fancier version of your resume to an employer by attaching a Word document or Acrobat PDF file, go right ahead. Just make sure the file is of a reasonable size (100K or less) and you still include the plain-text version in the body of your e-mail, just in case your recipient can't open or print the attachment. In case of a PDF file, make sure the font size is a minimum of 14 or readability will take a backseat.

Tip: The benefit of this resume is it is highly compatible and consistent in appearance across platforms, though difficult to place directly into databases. Check out Web-based resumes of Alex Bischoff, a freelance designer.

An online friendly resume will project you as a candidate who takes initiative, is tech savvy and has relevant skills. It will also open multiple doors for you in an extremely competitive job market.

Founder - Sabeer Bhatia

2007-12-19T09:03:00.001-08:00

Sabeer Bhatia

Sabeer Bhatia is a co-founder of Hotmail and an entrepreneur.

Biography -

Sabeer Bhatia was born in Chandigarh, India in 1968. His father, Baldev Bhatia, started as an officer in the Indian Army and later joined the Indian Ministry of Defence, while his mother, Daman Bhatia, was a senior official at the Central Bank of India. Bhatia was schooled at the St. Joseph's Boys' High School in Bangalore. He started his undergraduate education at the Birla Institute of Technology & Science, BITS, Pilani and transferred to Caltech after two years at BITS. After graduating from Caltech, Sabeer went to Stanford to pursue his MS in Electrical Engineering. At Stanford, he worked on Ultra Low Power VLSI Design.

At Stanford, he was inspired by entrepreneurs such as Steve Jobs and Scott McNealy eventually deciding to become one himself. Instead of pursuing a PhD after his Masters, he decided to join Apple.

Founder of Hotmail -

After a brief stint at Apple, Sabeer joined a startup company called Firepower Systems Inc, where he spent two years. At this point, Sabeer started working on new ideas for the Internet and he teamed up with Jack Smith, a colleague from Apple Computer, Inc.

The two came up with the concept of a web-based database entitled Javasoft. While pursuing this idea, they subsequently realised the potential of a web-based e-mail system and thus decided to create one called HoTMaiL (the uppercase letters spelling out HTML - the language used to write the base of a webpage).In order to attract attention, the e-mail service was provided for free and revenue was obtained through the advertising on the website. Draper Fisher Ventures invested $300,000 on the project and the service was launched on July 4, 1996.

In less than six months, the website attracted over 1 million subscribers. As the interest in the web-based email provider increased, Microsoft eventually took notice and on December 30, 1997, Hotmail was sold to Microsoft for a reported sum of $400 million.

Other Ventures -

After selling Hotmail, Bhatia worked at Microsoft for about a year and in April 1999, he left the company to start another website, Arzoo Inc, which was shut down when the dot-com bubble burst. In 2006, he relaunched Arzoo as a travel portal.

He started (alongside co-founders Shiraz Kanga and Viraf Zack) BlogEverywhere, a website attempting to capitalise on the emerging blogosphere.

In November of 2007, he released an online office alternative to Microsoft Office, called Live Documents.[2] This application allows users to use their documents both offline and online, edit, collaborate and share documents in real-time with others, and sync documents between various computers and users. Users can also download their Microsoft Office plug-in, which allows them to get the best of offline and online offices suites, along with full compatibility for all office document formats.

He also pushed for a project enabling access to the internet through cable television in Indian homes. However, due to bureaucratic problems it is very unlikely that this will reach completion. Future plans of his include the development of a new city in India by the name of Nanocity. The aim of Nanocity is to replicate the vibrance and eco-system of innovation found in the Silicon Valley.

Awards -

"Entrepreneur of the Year," Awarded by the venture capital firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson (1997) Named to the "Elite 100," Upside magazine's list of top trendsetters in the New EconomyRecipient of the "TR100" award, presented by MIT to 100 young innovators who are expected to have the greatest impact on technology in the next few years Selected by the San Jose Mercury News and POV magazine as one of the ten most successful entrepreneurs of (1998) Named by TIME as one of the "People to Watch" in International Business (2002).

Dress For Interview

2007-12-19T08:49:00.000-08:00

While the college campus may be the perfect forum in which to exhibit your flair for the latest in fashion style, the interview is not the place to do so. With very few unusual exceptions, sandals and sweatshirts are out. Oxfords and business suits are still in. A necktie is still a fact of life in interviewing. Even though many companies have relaxed the internal company dress code, interviews still follow the conservative standard. Don't buck the trend.

Unfortunately, most college grads are woefully underprepared with proper interview dress. They feel they can "get by" with what is already in their wardrobe. Usually not. Dress for the world outside college is quite different from the campus scene. Remember that stylish is not conservative. You should be doing the talking, not your clothes.

This is not to say that you need to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe. Go for quality over quantity. One or two well-chosen business suits will serve you all the way to the first day on the job and beyond. Then, when you are making some money (and have a chance to see what the standard "uniform" is for the company), you can begin to round out your wardrobe. For now, no one will fault you for wearing the same sharp outfit each time you interview. If you desire some variety within a limited budget, you might consider varying your shirt/blouse/tie/accessories as a simple way to change your look without breaking your wallet.

For those of you who need a quick review of the basics, follow these guidelines for successful interview dress:

Men and Women

Conservative two-piece business suit (solid dark blue or grey is best)

Conservative long-sleeved shirt/blouse (white is best, pastel is next best)

Clean, polished conservative shoes

Well-groomed hairstyle

Clean, trimmed fingernails

Minimal cologne or perfume

Empty pockets--no bulges or tinkling coins

No gum, candy or cigarettes

Light briefcase or portfolio case

No visible body piercing (nose rings, eyebrow rings, etc.)

Men

Necktie should be silk with a conservative pattern

Dark shoes (black lace-ups are best)

Dark socks (black is best)

Get a haircut; short hair always fares best in interviews

No beards (unless you are interviewing for a job as a lumberjack!)

Mustaches are a possible negative, but if you must, make sure it is neat and trimmed

No rings other than wedding ring or college ring

No earrings (if you normally wear one, take it out)

Women

Always wear a suit with a jacket; no dresses

Shoes with conservative heels

Conservative hosiery at or near skin color (and no runs!)

No purses, small or large; carry a briefcase instead

If you wear nail polish (not required), use clear or a conservative color

Minimal use of makeup (it should not be too noticeable)

No more than one ring on each hand

One set of earrings only

If you are still not sure how to dress for the interview, call them and ask! That's right--call the employer. But this is one time when you do not want to call the Hiring Manager--instead, ask to be put through to Human Resources and say:

"I have an interview with _____ in the _____ department for a position as an _____. Could you please tell me what would be appropriate dress for this interview?"

Sure, you run the risk of someone in HR thinking you are a social imbecile, but that's a lot better than having the Hiring Manager distracted by inappropriate interview dress.

While many work environments have shifted to business casual as the work standard, business suits are still the interview standard. When in doubt, it is almost always better to err on the side of conservatism.

One final note on interview dress: while it goes without saying that your interview clothes should be neat and clean, very few interviewees give the same time and attention to their shoes. Shoes? Yes, shoes. I am aware of at least one Corporate Recruiter who forms first impressions based solely (pardon the pun) on shoes. This person does not have a shoe fetish--he subjectively judges that those who pay attention to details like their shoes are also likely to be diligent in their work life. And it is not just that person's opinion. Many have said that you can judge a person by their shoes. You will find that many ex-military officers (many of whom have found their way into management positions in corporate America) are especially aware of a person's shoes. It is not enough to be clean, pressed, and ironed. Make sure your shoes are conservative, clean, and polished.

Learning from Chess The black and white of success and failure

2007-12-03T08:07:00.000-08:00

Viswanathan Anand

Viswanathan Anand the World No 1 and NIIT Mind Champion, delivered this speech in Chennai recently. Though Anand spoke extempore, his wife Aruna kindly put together his thoughts for the benefit of mbaarticals readers. Thank you Aruna and Vishy!

I started playing chess at the age of six. I used to observe my elder siblings play chess and asked my mom if I could learn the game too. I never really thought I would make it big. I just enjoyed playing chess.

My sister decided I should join a chess club. Three days after joining the club I realised I could play my first tournament. I don't know if it was such a bright idea but when you are six optimism is never a problem.

I promptly lost my first three games in the tournament; the fourth I won by default. My opponent failed to turn up. I counted the seconds, anxiously praying that my rival wouldn't turn up at the last minute and spoil the fun. This was my first victory in chess. From then on, I played in many weekend events and state-level tournaments.

There was no specific goal or big picture. It was just a natural progression from one level to the other.

The Holy Grail of Indian chess till 1987 was when and who would become India's first Grandmaster. I chased the GM title for two full years. Every time I would come close enough, but would miss it by the narrowest margin.

At the end of 1986 I took a small break from chess and decided to do something unusual. I prepared for my exams. I was so happy to study for my Class 12 exams. My fellow students found it difficult to grasp that preparing for exams could be pleasurable. Right after my 12th standard exam I won the world junior and subsequently the Grandmaster title.

Sometimes when you have a goal in front of you it is easy to focus. Cyclists have peletons who give them that focus as to what they should achieve in short bursts. After becoming a Grandmaster I realised I no longer had a goal. It didn't matter whether I scored 5 or 6 points in a tournament. Soon, my results started to decline.

As long as you know what your destination is, you know how fast you want to get there. But once you have reached your destination you start looking back rather looking at new peaks.

When I played the Linares tournament in 1991, I beat Anatoly Karpov. I was offered a bonus if I defeated Karpov. I thought if I do beat him I would pay the organiser my bonus. When I first defeated Karpov I realised I could play the Soviet Grandmasters and even defeat them.

Slowly guys started trash-talking me. People used to describe me as a talent, so this was a new experience. Later I realised that when they flatter you it means they show pity. And when they actually say something negative, it means they respect you.

I slowly started understanding that the occasional win over Karpov or Garry Kasparov [Images] wasn't enough. One had to play the whole event well and be consistent.

In the beginning beating anyone among the top five Grandmasters in an event would more or less make me content. After going through four or five events with just an upset over a top seed, I thought of actually trying to be a top player. I had to make a podium finish and even aim for first place.

This happened in Regio Emilia when I beat both Karpov and Kasparov and won the event. I think I used all these lessons came together in 2000 when I became the World Champion.

Soon after winning the most exalted title a sportsperson can aspire to, came the vacuum.

What was the next big thing?

I did have some good results, but crisis struck in the Dortmund tournament in 2001. I started with two losses and tried hard not to lose. Then I lost a further game. Thinking I had hit rock bottom I decided to play very passively. I was duly punished with a fourth defeat. This was my worst performance ever.

So what went wrong in Dortmund?

I had done some good preparation. I was very disciplined and kept up my routine. But the spark was missing. I was so scared of avoiding failure and taking risks that I was staring the abyss in the face.

It is extremely difficult to change a wining formula, but one has to experiment even when you succeed.

Defeat gives you the courage to experiment. Success can never motivate you the same way.

After Dortmund I decided I had to do something different. I decided to work on new areas. I went through several months of indifferent results.

After a few months I played a rapid Grand Prix in Dubai. I was eliminated in the second round. This was quite a rude shock as rapid chess was always my forte.

The tournament had a strange rule that meant that even if you were eliminated you played on for the final standings. So I thought I could have seven days of suffering and silent torture or have one week of fun and play chess. I decided to take the second route. I played different openings, stopped worrying about results.

All of a sudden, I was Anand the six-year-old boy. The same boy who played chess at lightning speed. Who could calculate fast and who thoroughly enjoyed the game.

After Dubai I played in Prague. This was the strongest rapid chess event in the world and all the players participated. For the first time I was not even counted among the favourites. That too in a rapid chess event.

This was something of a wake up call. I reached the event waiting to play chess. I was not worried about being eliminated or losing. I wanted to try new things, enjoy myself and learn from the event. I won the event without the slightest problem.

Everything came together in Prague.

So what went right?

There were various points that I had started to work on.

Enjoy the challenge

I decided to enjoy the challenge. Not being the favourite meant I had to make my critics notice me again.

I had to play like Viswanathan Anand, and not try to play like someone else.

You don't have to search for big challenges or goals. Doing what you do a little better is a challenge in itself.

Spark off creativity

I stopped working permanently with my coach. I started travelling to events alone to spark off creativity. I needed to get that spark and it had to come from within me. I decided to stop doing things by routine, but do things that added value to my chess.

Change something!

I gave up a couple of big events in 2002 (Wijk and Monaco). I wanted to just change something.

Work with new people

I began to work with young players with new styles and knowledge of cutting edge developments. These guys grow up with the latest techniques.

In the 1980s chess information used to arrive three months late. In the 1990s the information used to be posted in the form of diskettes. Nowadays, we download games and data in real time. So these were all inflection points.

Your chess and thought process has to change accordingly. Working with new people gives you a fresh perspective.

The most important lesson I learnt was that one had to experiment even when the going is good.

When you are in good form you have to keep constantly analysing yourself. When you are very resistant to change or are content with the way things are it is a sure sign that something is going wrong.

The temptation is always there to get into cruise control mode. You have to be willing to take the occasional hits so that you succeed over a longer period.

I also realised that passion is something that you need to keep, however small the event. Process and perfection are all good qualities, but passion has to be the guiding force.

Each challenge and game should be a challenge and a learning experience.

Self criticism is also essential.

It is difficult to be objective about success or failure, but they are the two pillars on which you hinge your performance.

It is a lesson I try to learn every day. No amount of tutoring can teach you how to deal with success or failure.

It is your passion within that will make the difference.

Life lessons from Dr Kalam

2007-12-03T07:50:00.000-08:00

Life lessons from Dr Kalam

It was an unexpected choice, but one that filled the nation with pride and joy.

In the five years since Dr Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam took residence at Rashtrapati Bhavan he has been nothing short of inspirational. The man who is synonymous with India's space programme soon became synonymous with India's sense of pride, particularly for its youth.

I love the fact that he is one man you cannot conveniently categorise. After all, how do you slot someone whose favourite pastime includes reading the Bhagvad Gita even though he is a devout Muslim? A remarkable self-made scientist who pens poetry in Tamil and plays the veena in his leisure time? A president who retained his fashionably long locks?

This is what I have learnt from the person I think has been one of India's most interesting leaders in recent times:

1. Humility and modesty

These attributes come naturally to those concerned with causes far greater than personal gain.

India's first attempt at launching the Satellite Launch Vehicle met with failure. At that point, Dr Kalam took responsibility for his colleagues and juniors and became answerable for what went wrong. When the second attempt succeeded and took India into the space age, he stepped aside and let his colleagues take credit for this grand achievement.

Attempting something this selfless requires dedication to the achievement of a larger goal; it is the final goal that matters, not who takes the credit for the achievement.

Over time, I have tried putting a lot more emphasis on the task at hand, and on its flawless execution. Also, in my small way, I look out for people at work or in my personal space, while taking part responsibility for their actions.

Dr Kalam was embarrassed by public acclaim to the extent that that he did not like being called Bharat Ratna Dr Kalam. He even gently reminded the directors at the Defence Research and Development Organisation to not refer to him as Bharat Ratna; he did this by having a circular sent across through the DRDO headquarters that civilian awards cannot be used as titles! This, in today's world, where we mostly see people chasing titles and designations simply to flaunt them to their peers.

In my personal space too, the people I respect the most are the ones who are low-profile in these matters. It is almost immediately endearing when you come across people like these.

2. Respect

Dr Kalam has the utmost respect for everyone he interacts with. He even treats and talks to kids as his equals, and respects their opinions. I know of instances where he refers to professors as 'Professor X' and means it with respect. He attaches great importance to their knowledge and experience; even though he might have achieved a lot than they have, he believes there is a lot to learn from each of them.

Not being judgemental, respecting elders, teachers, professors and looking beyond caste, race, age and colour have taken on a whole new meaning in today's society. Over time, I have realised that the people who respect others the most are the ones who are the most respected.

3. Spirituality

It might surprise a few people that a space scientist can be so spiritual. Dr Kalam recites the Gita and the Quran better than some of the more renowned spiritual 'gurus' of today. He believes in the strength of virtues and values, and the role they play in shaping the youth and society in these times.

A complete vegetarian, a teetotaller and a bachelor, Dr Kalam's spirituality seems to be driven by practicality in a world where these attributes might be frowned upon.

It's clear that he respects other religions, and has done his best to understand them -- something that a lot of us need to imbibe ourselves.

4. Being yourself

The pressures and expectations of the presidential post never got to Dr Kalam. The usual full-sleeved blue shirt, the long grey hair, and various 'Kalam-isms' like 'Fantastic!', 'Funny guys, why did they do that?' and 'What's happening?' have made it to many parts of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. In this case, the person changed the place, rather than the place changing the person.

Situations never changed the person Dr Kalam was. He is disarmingly approachable to students, civilians and politicians.

It is this genuineness that makes us all individuals in the first place. I try keeping that in mind when I get flustered by grand or formal situations. I no longer constantly bother about how I speak or dress, thanks to a lesson from Dr Kalam.

5. Respect for children

Dr Kalam believes that children and the youth of today are magical with their ideas and thoughts. This is the reason he spent so much time meeting school kids and addressing the country's youth. He understands the language of youth and their ambitions, without having the air of superiority that age and experience brings with it so often.

Dr Kalam even extended his scientific expertise to help disabled children by replacing their metal supporters, which weigh three kilos, with carbon-based braces weighing 300 grams.

I think it is this, more than anything else, that makes him seem larger than life to me. The fact that he touched so many lives, and did not stop at just addressing them... He gave so many disabled kids a reason to smile.

Thank you, sir, it is an honour to be a fellow Indian. Those presidential shoes are going to be very hard to fill, to say the least.