Business Tricks & Success Mantra ...
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Dear Friends …
Here I am Posting A Brief Description Regarding Conducting A Proper Business With 0% Chances Of Failure …
Some More Success Tips For Both Employers & Employees As Well :-
Never try to Teach a Pig to Sing. It Wastes your Time & it Annoys the Pig …
There’s no Secret about Success. Did you ever know a Successful Man who didn’t tell You about it …???
By working Faithfully Eight Hours a Day, you may eventually get to be Boss and then, U work Twelve Hours a Day …
If at First you don’t Succeed, try, try again. Then Quit. There’s no point in being a Damn Fool about it …
Aim Low, reach your Goals, & avoid Disappointment …
Do not Underestimate your Abilities. That is your Boss’s job …
When you Assume, you make an “Ass” out of “U” and “ME” …
There is a famous saying that we are the product of our thoughts. That means we become what we think about continuously! Hence thoughts are very important ingredient of our success. This article covers the importance of thoughts, their contributing factors, thought analysis and purification techniques.
During all day we keep thinking about things, events, families, issues, future, money, office and several other stuff. Our thoughts drive us to take some actions and hence we are moving towards our destiny by each and every action. That means our thought is the strongest part of our destiny as it is the root cause of every action. In my opinion, our Thoughts Process primarily consists of following five contributing factors. I will include some of the details of each factor and summarize the Thought Purification tips under each category below:
1. Education: Education broadens the horizon of our minds. More education means that the mind is exposed to more knowledge and possibilities. Education when combined with experience result in more mental growth as compared to a less educated person. Hence the quality of thoughts are directly linked with the education. So to keep our ‘thoughts seeds’ healthy we must seek for Good knowledge, the knowledge which freshen up our brain cells, which gives us positive energy and boosts up our mental power. So we must keep learning new things throughout our life in order to synergize.
2. Desires: This is sometimes a killing factor. For example, If we let our brain running behind our desires blindly, we will end up with considering short-cuts in our life for achievements. These short cuts basically kill the purity of thoughts and consequently bound us doing social evils such as back-biting, lying, deceiving, stealing, fraud, bribery and other forms of corruption. Hence, we have to have sold control on our desires to control this phenomenon. But this does not mean, we should drop our genuine desires. Remember, Positive desires combined with Positive Thoughts and Actions will result in success. However Positive Desires combined with Negative Thoughts and Action will result in crimes which I just mentioned above.
3. Brought up: Each one of us has been brought up in a unique way by our parents. Some of us have been grown in very healthy physical and mental family environment. Some have mixed kind of situations both positive and negative in terms of finance, family bonding and social lives. Our mental growth has been based on all the events which have been taking place in our childhood, teenage and even our current day to day life. We can’t go back to past to change our brought-up but what we can do is to drop the negative part of our past and tightly hold on to the positive one. It’s pretty much straight forward. If we wish to keep the Negative things in mind, that means we are polluting your brain and your ‘Thinking System’. So the choice is ours!
4. Company (family & friends): This is something we can really work on to make our life happy. A mature ‘human environment’ is an indication of healthy mental growth. We must always try to surround yourself with positive, fun-loving, friendly, optimistic, constructive, cheerful and bright people so the brain is free from stress consequently brain will automatically start working on positive thoughts. When with family, we should always endeavour for creating a happy environment by meeting the logical desires of family members, cracking jokes, listening empathically. This helps divert the brain towards positive feelings and hence our upcoming thoughts would be mature, positive and stress-free.
5. Circumstances: Good and bad things happen to everyone but we must not throw ourselves totally on our circumstances. It is said that life is 20% what happens to us and 80% how we react to it. So consider every challenge as a new adventure and try to adopt a positive approach for a safe exit. Control your circumstance by surrounding yourself with positive people, behaving good with others, taking corrective and preventive measures for any mishaps. There are situations when we don’t have control on the events happened to us. In this case, we don’t have much choice but to live with the situation. However we shouldn’t let such things steal our peace of mind. So we need to seek help from others and try to find solution. It is advised not to get involved too much for any situation. It is wisely said by someone that if you can’t laugh on the same joke again and again so why worrying on the same trouble again and again!
Conclusion: You are the product of your thoughts. Quality of your thoughts determines the level of peace of mind. Good thoughts result in good fruit, bad thoughts bad fruit. So every seed of thought matters. Always remember: Small minds think and discuss about people, average minds think and discuss about events, higher minds think and discuss about ideas and great mind actually execute & innovate in silence.
I think Happiness is your birth right, it is available to each and every one of us.
But if this is true why does it elude so many?
It eludes so many of us because our habits don’t support a life of harmony and happiness. I have heard it said that our collective habits determine the quality of our lives, in that case we need to ensure that our habits are positive and help us work towards creating an overall habit of happiness
There are many constructive habits that will help bring us more joy
_The Act of Gratitude
Any time you spend giving thanks and appreciating all that you have in life is time that will be misery free. It is very difficult to feel low or depressed when feeling grateful.
Doing what you love
Spending each day doing what you love will ensure a more meaningful life. According to Scott Dinsmore, of Live Your Ledgend, in his TEDX talk How to Find and Do Work You Love 80% of people work in jobs they don’t enjoy.
Exercise
Exercise has a multitude of benefits, health, well being, mood, increases energy and helps you to sleep better. Fit people are more productive and generally happier.
Living in the Moment
Practicing the art of mindfulness is another sure-fire way to be happier. Living in the moment eradicates any future worries or past regrets.
Helping others
Another tried and tested manner to create more happiness, giving is just as powerful as receiving. Those who live helping others have a greater sense of purpose and live more meaningful lives.
Nurturing Positive Thoughts
So many people forget that their thoughts are within their own control and allow negative thoughts to overtake their minds. If you want to live a happy and successful life you cannot afford a negative thought.
Smiling
Apparently smiling releases serotonin, a chemical that makes us happy. Smiling even when we don’t really feel it will have the same effect.
While we know that all of these things contribute to our overall happiness why are so many of us still going around miserable?
The Man In Trouble
A man was caught and thrown into a pit (A big hole on earth) of about “40 feet” deep, just because he was a stranger. He struggled trying to get out of the pit,but the more he tried, the weaker his muscles became. He said to himself, “I don’t know how to get myself out of this. Maybe I should just die instead of enduring these miserable struggles and pains.”
Just then, he heard a voice screaming, “Help! Help!! Help!!!” The shouts were coming from another pit, which was 10 feet more deeper than the one he was in.
He thought to himself, “Wow, so there is somebody else like me trapped here too”. Listening carefully, he heard some cracking and sand dropping from the wall of the pit of the other victim. Immediately he summed up his courage and with his last bit of strength, started crawling little by little until he made it out of his pit.
MORAL:
That pain you think you are passing through, there are people worst off than you. Always say something sweet to yourself. Always smile at your
pains. Let them be; they are just there for a while and also to challenge you. Today may be your darkest hour, but your joy will come in the morning. Try to encourage yourself. Look at yourself in the mirror, beat your chest and say, “I can make it and I can stand the test of time.”
*Always try to face your worst fear because nothing GOOD comes easy. You must be UNCOMFORTABLE to get to your COMFORT ZONE.
In life, we have essentially two psychological modes that we are in most of the time: reactive and responsive. The reactive mode is the one that feels stressful. In it, we feel pressured and are quick to judge. We lose perspective and take things personally. We’re annoyed, bothered, and frustrated.
Needless to say, our judgment and decision making capacity is severely impaired when we are in a reactive state of mind. We make quick decisions that we often regret. We annoy other people and tend to bring out the worst in them. When an opportunity knocks, we are usually too overwhelmed or frustrated to see it. If we do see it, we’re usually overly critical and negative.
The responsive mode, on the other hand, is our most relaxed state of mind. Being responsive suggests that we have our bearings. We see the bigger picture and take things less personally. Rather than being rigid and stubborn, we are flexible and calm. In the responsive mode, we are at our best. We bring out the best in others and solve problems gracefully. When an opportunity comes our way, our mind is open. We are receptive to new ideas.
Once you are aware of these two drastically different modes of being. You will begin to notice which one you are in. You’ll also notice the predictability of your behavior and feelings when you are in each mode. You’ll observe yourself being irrational and negative in your reactive mode and calm and wise in your responsive state of mind.
Stay Safe from Gossips and Rumors
Rumor, by definition, is a currently circulating story about a doubtful situation, future event or a past incident. If the rumor is based on true fact then usually it gets clarified very soon since the stake holders clear the doubts of public as soon as possible to get their necks cleaned; though sometimes they tend to hide as their respect is on stake due to the negative post effects of the story whether true or false.
Generally speaking, rumors are either completely based on false grounds or become fragile because a lot of impurities get mixed when such stories are propagated in the society. In fact the story becomes more impure when more and more people discuss because it is human nature to add some ‘spice’ in the original story to make it more interesting and worth listening. Article written by Junaid.Tahir
As long as a specific rumor is not directly impacting a person’s private life, he/she tends to enjoy it but sometimes some rumors have considerable mental or social consequences. For example, in our company we recently had a rumor that the senior management is going to undergo a major hierarchy changes due to which a high percentage of employees will lose their job due to cost cutting strategy of the new management. A lot of employees started gossiping in office, with their spouse and other family members due to which a ripple effect of stress was generated company-wise and at personnel and familial level. This ripple phenomenon kept on going for a couple of weeks till this morning one of the senior managers commented that most of the rumors are not true except one resignation.
So what should I do if I hear a doubtful news; below are some recommendations:
1- Check if the source of the information is authentic. Usually people who talk about other people are in habit of commenting without being fair. Remember the quote: “Small minds discuss people, Average minds discuss events, higher minds discuss ideas and great minds act in silence”
2- Judge the situation fairly. Find the original source of information and ask directly if possible and applicable.
3- Discuss the matter with two to three person. If all of them have a different story then most likely the original story is lost or it is completely false. Consider the parts which are common in all stories. This will help extract the original components of the news.
4- Don’t get too much engaged in rumors however a serious advice is not to ignore the rumors completely. The news might be genuine, hence you must consider the corrective and preventive necessary measures else you may face serious consequences. You must be logical and analytical in your evaluation of the rumor.
When We Don’t Take ActionThe Effect of Not Doing
Life is sculpted on a moment-to-moment basis. Every one of the thoughts we think, the words we speak, and the actions we take contributes to the complex quality and character of the universe’s unfolding. It simply is not possible to be alive without making an impact on the world that surrounds us. Every action taken affects the whole as greatly as every action not taken. And when it comes to making the world a better place, what we choose not to do can be just as important as what we choose to do.
For example, when we neglect to recycle, speak up, vote, or help somebody in immediate need, we are denying ourselves the opportunity to be an agent for positive change. Instead, we are enabling a particular course to continue unchallenged, picking up speed even at it goes along. By holding the belief that our actions don’t make much of a difference, we may find that we often tend to forego opportunities for involvement. Alternatively, if we see ourselves as important participants in an ever-evolving world, we may feel more inspired to contribute our unique perspective and gifts to a situation.
It is wise to be somewhat selective about how and where we are using our energy in order to keep ourselves from becoming scattered. Not every cause or action is appropriate for every person. When a situation catches our attention, however, and speaks to our heart, it is important that we honor our impulse to help and take the action that feels right for us. It may be offering a kind word to a friend, giving resources to people in need, or just taking responsibility for our own behavior. By doing what we can, when we can, we add positive energy to our world. And sometimes, it may be our one contribution that makes all the difference.
7 Things We Should Stop Controlling in Life
People feel an irresistible desire to control everything because of their innate fear that something may go wrong if they stop doing it. Control is always associated with security and stability. People always want to know what will happen tomorrow and what the future will look like. But overall control literally holds you back from living your life to the fullest.
In fact, the only thing you can control in your life is your own behavior and attitude. Obviously you can influence people and events, but you can’t take complete control over the situation. Once you understand it and let some things go, your life will become much easier. I was often called a control freak and I could do nothing with that wasting habit. But I’ve realized that certain things in our life should take its normal course. Here are seven things we should stop controlling starting today.
1. Future
Future is never certain, no matter how much you want to define it. When I was trying to control my future, I felt exceedingly unhappy since I expected too much from my life and people around me. When you live in constant expectance it prevents you from appreciating what you have now. But now is actually all we have. Once you realize it, you will free yourself from the burden of heavy thoughts. I continue making plans but I take it easy when things go different.
2. What other people say and do
The truth is that people owe you nothing and nobody has to correspond to your expectations. The easiest way to start appreciating people is to stop trying to control what others say, think, do or feel. The way we want people to behave is not always the right way. Once you understand that, you will notice how diverse and unique people are. It’s our right to be who we are and no one can deprive us of this liberty. Just imagine that someone intends to pull your strings, won’t you get irritated?
3. Men
Only few people enjoy being controlled. When it comes to men, you should stop controlling them. Any attempt of controlling men looks like you want to get upper hand over them. Use your female charms and beauty to get what you need from your colleague, neighbor or any other male interlocutor. You will be truly surprised at how active and initiative men become when nobody controls them.
4. Inevitable events
What’s the use of being anxious and concerned about something that will happen no matter what? If you can’t change the situation, try to change your attitude. Instead of trying to control the forthcoming event, get prepped for it. When I was about to graduate from the university, I was highly stressed and troubled about my future job, adult life and complete independence. However, the most important thing is to do your best and see what will happen. This attitude helped me to combat stress and get my new life off the ground.
5. Relationships
The habit of controlling relationships is actually a bad habit. While you have to make efforts and invest in your relationship, it has nothing in common with control and supervision. My recent failed relationship ended because of my desire to plan everything from what we would eat for breakfast to where we would spend our vacation. But soon it turned out that my boyfriend had no privacy, personal opinion and initiative. No wonder my relationship failed. Once in a while let yourself be thoughtless and light-hearted.
6. Job and business
Being an entrepreneur is always risky and unstable. Even if your business is well-run to stand all the twists and turns of the economy and competition, you never know what will happen tomorrow. Your sales growth rate or income is very changeable and uncertain. The only thing you can really control is your personal efforts and productivity.
7. Everything that can happen to our kinsfolk
Without question, our nearest and dearest are the most important people in our life and the fact that we try to control and protect them is understandable. But what can you achieve by controlling? Our life is inherently dangerous and unpredictable and it’s almost impossible to guard your children or friends against an accident or a trouble. The categorical fact is that death is the only guaranteed thing, everything else is optional. That’s why you’d better live your life and enjoy every moment spent with your people you love.
When you stop controlling everything it doesn’t mean you surrender. You just accept the natural flow of things and enjoy the reality you have. I’m not going to say that our efforts are unimportant, but the ability to take the situation easy is also essential. The list of things you should stop controlling is considerably bigger, but the aforementioned points can help you feel happier and more content.
Simple Story to Refresh Basic Lesson of life.
A man was working in a bicycle shop.
A cycle had come for repair and after repairing the man cleaned up the bicycle and it looked like a new one.
All Other workers were making fun of him for doing redundant work.
Next day when owner came for the bicycle, he was very happy and offered the mechanic a job.
Moral of the story :
Good and extra work never goes useless
How to Develop Good Habits And Get Rid of Bad Ones
I often emphasize on the concept that our thoughts give birth to our actions; our repeated actions develop our habits; our habits transform our character and our character leads us to our destiny. I am writing this article to focus on the Habits part in general and Habit Development Process in particular.
In my opinion, there are four major influential factors which are the baseline of your Habits Development Process. These are:
a) The way of Brought up
b) Education & Vision
c) Interests
d) Social Circle
All these factors influence us with different weight at different phases of your life. However, all of your habits are more or less linked back with one (or more) of these four factors. So if you want to strengthen our existing habits or get rid of bad ones, you need to address the relevant contributing factor(s) as mentioned above.
Let us learn how to develop new habits, how to improve existing good habits and how to get rid of bad habits.
Strengthening Existing Habits:
When it comes to strengthening of any habit we need encouragement and feedback from others. So ask for the feedback from your closed ones. Sometimes you need self encouragement to keep the spirit high. So, if you are good at something, you need to tell it to yourself quite often so that this can give you inner confidence to strengthen that habit. For example, if you give charity sometimes but you want to make the habit of giving 5% of your salary each month then you need to encourage yourself several times in a month until you develop this habit in a concrete manner.
Shunning Bad Habits:
If you have a bad habit such as being extravagant, being reactive or short tempered or a smoker then you need to start the mind purification process. When your mind is free from impurities, it starts working on fruitful things. You need to stay away from such companies where you mind is being polluted. For example, if you have the habit of leg pulling, back biting then you really need to work on your surroundings (closed friends, negative acquaintances, polluted souls etc) which are triggering your habit. So Once you have a clean company then you can concentrate on how to improve your personality. You need to list down the side effects of your bad habits and memorize them and repeat them on daily basis. Commitment, Focus and Self-motivation are the keys in getting rid of your bad habits.
Developing New Habits:
As mentioned above, concentrate on the four aspects for the development of new habits. You can study books in your domain, study the characteristics of highly effective people, observe your mentors closely. Self encouragement is equally important.
Resolving conflicts whether in office, in friends community or at home is a challenge. The situation sometimes get worst when nobody shows the flexibility on his/her stance. The below tips might help when you have been assigned (Or you assign it to yourself) to resolve the conflict.
1- Be fair regardless of your relation with different parties. Sometimes your closed one can be wrong. Hence make up your mind to be transparent and fair throughout. Judge people fairly.
2- Empathetic Listening is very important. Listen to all parties carefully. Put yourself in their shoes to understand their stance.
3- Carefully analyze the statements from each party. List down the pros
and cons of the stance from each party. Sometimes both parties are right and sometimes both are wrong. In your analysis you need to find the option which gives maximum benefit to everyone.
4- If the conflict is between two persons, consider a solution which neither party-A has proposed, neither B. Propose third solution which suits both persons. Consider Win-Win scenario where everyone gains something at the cost of compromise.
5- If you want to give advice to a party (which you think is wrong), give it privately. Don’t do counseling when both are present. This will offend one party and may strain the relations further. Remember not to criticise.
6- Sometimes youngsters are right and old ones are wrong. If the issue is not too serious, request youngsters to be flexible. It always pay off. Remember that we have learnt so much from our seniors (bosses, team leads, parents and other senior family members). So this is the time to pay back to make them feel proud about their teachings and to develop trust in relations.
Developing emotional intelligence is another approach to study people and understand them in depth. As per Wikipedia “Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to identify, assess, and control the emotions of oneself, of others, and of groups” Learn this technique to improve your mental powers.
I aced my interview and got a job offer thanks to these posts from @Pincer and @PhilDunphy
By Chris Widener
“Vision is the spectacular that inspires us to carry out the mundane.” Chris Widener
Can achievement be broken down into steps? Well, it isn’t always that clean and easy, but I do know that those who achieve great things usually go through much of the same process, with many of the items listed below as part of that process. So if you have been struggling with achievement, look through the following and internalize the thoughts presented. Then begin to apply them. You will be on the road to achieving your dream!
1. Dream it
Everything begins in the heart and mind. Every great achievement began in the mind of one person. They dared to dream, to believe that it was possible. Take some time to allow yourself to ask “What if?” Think big. Don’t let negative thinking discourage you. You want to be a “dreamer.” Dream of the possibilities for yourself, your family, and for others. If you had a dream that you let grow cold, re-ignite the dream! Fan the flames. Life is to short to let it go. (Also, check out my article “Dare to Dream Again,” Which has been read by close to a million people in the last 4 months alone. You can see it at the website.)
2. Believe it
Yes, your dream needs to be big. It needs to be something that is seemingly beyond your capabilities. But it also must be believable. You must be able to say that if certain things take place, if others help, if you work hard enough, though it is a big dream, it can still be done. Good example: A person with no college education can dream that he will build a 50 million-dollar a year company. That is big, but believable. Bad example: That a 90 year-old woman with arthritis will someday run a marathon in under 3 hours. It is big alright, but also impossible. She should instead focus on building a 50 million-dollar a year business! And she better get a move on!
3. See it
The great achievers have a habit. They “see” things. They picture themselves walking around their CEO office in their new 25 million-dollar corporate headquarters, even while they are sitting on a folding chair in their garage “headquarters.” Great free-throw shooters in the NBA picture the ball going through the basket. PGA golfers picture the ball going straight down the fairway. World-class speakers picture themselves speaking with energy and emotion. All of this grooms the mind to control the body to carry out the dream.
4. Tell it
One reason many dreams never go anywhere is because the dreamer keeps it all to himself. It is a quiet dream that only lives inside of his mind. The one who wants to achieve their dream must tell that dream to many people. One reason: As we continually say it, we begin to believe it more and more. If we are talking about it then it must be possible. Another reason: It holds us accountable. When we have told others, it spurs us on to actually do it so we don’t look foolish.
5. Plan it
Every dream must take the form of a plan. The old saying that you “get what you plan for” is so true. Your dream won’t just happen. You need to sit down, on a regular basis, and plan out your strategy for achieving the dream. Think through all of the details. Break the whole plan down into small, workable parts. Then set a time frame for accomplishing each task on your “dream plan.”
h1. 6. Work it
Boy, wouldn’t life be grand if we could quit before this one! Unfortunately the successful are usually the hardest workers. While the rest of the world is sitting on their couch watching re-runs of Gilligan’s Island, achievers are working on their goal – achieving their dream. I have an equation that I work with: Your short-term tasks, multiplied by time, equal your long-term accomplishments. If you work on it each day, eventually you will achieve your dream. War and Peace was written, in longhand, page by page.
7. Enjoy it
When you have reached your goal and you are living your dream, be sure to enjoy it. In fact, enjoy the trip too. Give yourself some rewards along the way. Give yourself a huge reward when you get there. Help others enjoy it. Be gracious and generous. Use your dream to better others. Then go back to number 1. And dream a little bigger this time!
21 Business Skills Needed To Succeed
The greatest people in business have certain attributes in common. Several personal qualities are important, like a thirst for continuous education, personal drive and motivation, strong goals and ambition, clear vision, and always a great deal of passion.
Beyond those personal qualities though, what makes a successful business person stand out from the crowd? Here are 21 business skills you need if you want to get ahead:
Communication
1. Written – Most people in business spend a lot of time communicating in writing. While the inter-office memo and the fax are old hat, you will spend a good few hours a day fighting your inbox. Add to this reports, white papers, proposals and resumes, it’s certain you will need to sharpen your word power to succeed.
2. Social Networking – We are not all social gadflys, some of us struggle to make small talk. It is a key skill to learn though, it is true what they say, sometimes it is more who you know than what!
3. Speaking – Public speaking ranks high amongst the worlds most popular fears. You must overcome it and the best way is to practice. It might feel more comfortable working from the safety of your desk but at some point you are going to have to present. Better to have some experience under your belt before being forced to perform unprepared when it really counts.
4. Sales – You might think you do not need to sell but we all sell every day. From even before your first day you will be selling, starting at your interview all the way to asking the boss for a raise. In normal life we sell, persuading your partner that you really need that new purchase, getting out of that parking ticket … persuasion skills can come in very handy indeed.
5. Negotiation – If you can’t sell perhaps you can negotiate. A lot of the skills are the same but you will find people who have been in business for a while can drive a hard bargain. If you do not have the skills you will lose out each and every time.
Planning
1. Strategic – A business that lurches from one crisis to another is not going to stay around very long. Obviously if you are in charge then you have to set the marching orders. Can you clearly see the road ahead?
2. Project – I know many people in business who see their role as the hot headed maverick that shoots from the hip and flies from the seat of their pants. Unfortunately most of them eventually crash and burn. Project management makes your life and that of your team less stressful and gets things done on time and on budget. It might not be the white knuckle ride that some enjoy but at least you will be able to clock off at a reasonable hour!
3. Financial – The top reason why businesses go out of business is bad financial planning. All the cash flows in the wrong direction. Having worked through the dotcom boom and bust I have seen first hand what too big a budget in the wrong hands can do. Someone needs a firm grip on the numbers and it had better be you otherwise someone might just take a trip to a tropical island at your expense.
4. Risk – I’m a natural worrier which though it annoys my wife, does have the advantage in business that I tend to see the potential potholes and bear traps in any plan. If you can imagine a risk you can set about to mitigate it.
5. Logistics – Money is just one resource you need. Any business has inputs and outputs. You need to have the right people in the right jobs with what they need when they need it to get their work done. Logistics might not put you on the cover of Time magazine but it could make you a hero in your office.
Productivity
1. Time management – I once had a boss who could never get to a single meeting on time. He would always turn up ten minutes late, red-faced, unprepared, looking like he had slept in a bush. He had a growing collection of speeding tickets and a bigger collection of excuses and apologies. Time management reduces stress and increases your respect.
2. Meeting management – Most of us hate meeting but they are a fact of business life. There are always the few who love them as a way to avoid real work. There are many tricks from firmly sticking to the agenda through to holding meetings standing up just before lunch. Whatever works for you if you can get meetings to be productive and under control you will get ahead.
3. Leadership – In the Dilbert universe leadership might be something you step in, but in business it really helps to be able to take the lead. Can you get people to follow you? Are you able to get people to do things they don’t want to do for the good of the team?
4. Systems – If you are repeatedly re-inventing the wheel there is something seriously wrong. Effective systems bring consistency, efficiency and reduced costs. Learning how to create and implement both human and automated systems can go a long way to being more competitive.
5. Personal Productivity – What are your rhythms, when are you more sociable, detail-oriented, creative or lacking energy? Where do you excel and which areas are a struggle? Before you can lead anyone else you need to work out how to get the best out of yourself.
Creativity
1. Imagination – Many people neglect their creative side feeling that it is better to be all about the logic, but in fact some of the most successful business people are also the most imaginative.
2. Inventiveness – If you can imagine it you can create it, and if you create it then you can sell it! Look around you, think of the things you buy and use, someone had to have the idea before it was built and sold to you. You might be surprised how few mad inventors there are, more products are invented in a marketing office than a garage.
3. Problem Solving – A big part of surviving in business is about solving problems fast and effectively. An employee who is good at keeping their head in a crisis while fighting fires is a worthwhile asset to any business.
4. Brainstorming – Some people think brainstorming is all about having stupid ideas while ridiculing the contributions of everyone else while drinking coffee, eating cookies and flirting with the secretary from floor 2. Perhaps this is why brainstorms get a bad name? If you can brainstorm great ideas, fast then you will be one step ahead.
5. Making connections – Some of the best ideas have simply been about connecting two otherwise unconnected ideas together. Could you invent the next iPhone?
I am sure the sharp-eyed amongst you have noticed there are only 20 points in this list. What is number 21? Perhaps the most important skill of all; the ability to switch off! It is so easy for the stresses and strains of business life to burn people out so you must develop the ability to relax and unwind.
Manage Politics at Work Place
Following is a fantastic list of recommendations to avoid or manage politics at work place:
Understand the role of each manager clearly
Master your political tools (compromise, arbitration, escalation)
Know your limitations and boundaries about giving comments on others
Be a positive minded professional
Learn to read the winds of change
Have a best friend at work
Learn the art of public speaking
Keep any eye on the sharks
Be prepared for the tough and hard talks
Don’t overspend your time on small events/things
Speak last
Absolutely no favoritism. Treat everyone logically, respectfully and fairly.
Always think before you act.
Make friendship with like minded group of professional
Seek out a mentor
What do those opting for an etiquette class with a royal legacy have in store?
You never get a second chance to make a first impression, says Nisha Mehta, a senior trainer with The English Manner, a British finishing school that recently opened doors at an Andheri five-star.
I am there for a crash course in corporate etiquette, one of the several modules they run, catering to a wide cross-section, from ladies to children above eight. So far, my trainers have been stoic nuns at my convent school to well-meaning grandaunts, generous with knuckle raps when I’d wipe grubby hands on easily-accessible clothing.
“In the old days, children from affluent homes attended finishing schools in Switzerland, while on summer break. Now, ninety six per cent of young adults who approach us can’t recognize flatware,” she says, referring to the confusion with figuring cutlery and its varied purposes.
The 20 trainers here, have all worked with their English counterparts and boast of a legacy that goes back to founder Alexandra Messervy, a former member of The Royal Household of Her Majesty the Queen, helm part-time courses that use practical situations as tools. I, like the other 19 in a batch, would have to spare anything between Rs 5,000 and Rs 80,000 depending on the nature and length of module. I can choose from wardrobe planning, social etiquette, flower arrangements, dining, afternoon tea and `special courses’ for ladies.
- How to stand
Deportment, which has little to do with being expelled from a country on account of illegal status, concerns how I stand, walk and carry myself. I am told I walk like a “little boy”. Mehta shows me how to do it right. Feet together, shoulders erect, tummy in and hands by my side. Practising with a book on my head, stepping heel to toe, will help. The unnecessary bounce or noise that your shoes make can easily be undone by adjusting your gait; heels are no exception. Do not stand with your arms locked behind your back -it is a sign of submissiveness best restricted to those called in to the principal’s office.
- The way to sit
Myth buster: it’s okay to cross your legs in front of elders. It is not disrespectful, says Mehta, rubbishing what I was told when young. “They tell that to children who may not be able to handle their skirts,” she says. The more casual yet elegant option, though, is to tuck one leg behind the other at an angle. Place your right leg near the right leg of your chair at an angle so that it can serve as marker. The angle, she explains, lends your body a pleasant silhouette without making it stiff.
Never, says Mehta, reveal the sole of your shoe to the person before you. “It is disrespectful,” she says, adding, “This applies for men too.”
- Shaking hands
When it comes to physical interactions at the workplace, handshakes are the only acceptable form of contact. So, you might as well do it right. Ensure you have clean, manicured nails. Unkempt nails are a deal breaker. Fellows, it’s the same for you.
Ideally, maintain a three feet distance between yourself and the person before you. Don’t lean in; it signals submissiveness. When you make contact, the webbed skin between your thumb and index finger must touch the other person’s. Grip firmly and shake twice, no more.
Similarly, when handing over your business card, use both hands, holding either edge of the card with the writing facing the person receiving it. Don’t forget to smile. When receiving a business card, use the same stance. Also, it’s rude to put it down before the person leaves your side.
- Never do
“Don’t fidget with your fingers. It gives away more than you intend to,” says Anita Newton Engineer, another senior trainer. If your face is calm, kudos for hiding your nerves but make sure your fingers have received the memo too.“A person’s attention must be stayed on the triangle of your face (eyes drawing down to a point). When you twiddle your fingers, you take their attention away from your face,” she explains.
- Email etiquette
Besides basic grammar, be careful with salutations. `Dear’ is appropriate; `dearest’ is too intimate. `Hi’ and `Hello’ are best avoided. If used, it should be restricted to inter-department emails. The email format follows the same rules of a letter. `Yours truly’ is not to be used in official mails unless you work for your wife.