NiCk Da Posts..!!

Entrepreneurial Speech by Mr. Narayan Murthy

Hi All,

An excellent speech of Mr. Narayan Murthy, Chief Mentor of Infosys, on Reflection of an Entrepreneur to the Wharton graduating MBA class of 2001.

It reminds us What is an Entrepreneurship in today’s scenario?, that is also in such a time where we all are hearing about Scams and lack of Corporate Governance and all unethical business practices.

I am strongly recommending you to read his speech. A class of its own.
 

Attachments

  • Reflections_of_a_Entrepreneur__NR_Murthy____Wharton.pdf
    29.4 KB · Views: 81

nick18_in

MP Guru
*:*Focus and Achieve *:*

It takes effort to focus your mind -- not physical effort but mental effort. Though it is may be difficult, you can, through practice and experience, become better and better at keeping your mind focused. It is indeed worth the effort.
Many shortcomings and disappointments result from the inability to keep your mind focused. Consider how very often you are distracted. Think of the many things you decide to do and then never take action toward. Now, imagine how solidly effective you could be if every effort, every moment were focused on a single objective until it was achieved. The power of a focused mind is enormous.
Focus is difficult at first. The world is so full of distractions and we are naturally attracted to them. But that can be overcome with will, desire and intention. Practice staying focused for longer and longer periods. Make it a priority. Soon, focus will come more quickly, more dependably, and naturally. Get yourself in focus. Point your substantial energy in a specific, positive direction. It's one of the best things you can do to improve the quality of your life and the world around you. -- Ralph Marston
 

nick18_in

MP Guru
Biggest Weakness Can Become Your Biggest Strength !!!

Sometimes your biggest weakness can become your biggest strength. Take, for example, the story of one 10-year-old boy who decided to study judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident.

The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn't understand why, after three months of training the master had taught him only one move.
"Sensei," the boy finally said, "Shouldn't I be learning more moves?""This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you'll ever need to know," the Sensei replied.

Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training.Several months later, the sensei took the boy to his first tournament.Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match.

Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals.
This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the Sensei intervened.

"No," the Sensei insisted, "Let him continue."Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion.
On the way home, the boy and Sensei reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind.

"Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?"
"You won for two reasons," the Sensei answered. "First, you've almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. And second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm."

The boy's Biggest Weakness had become his Biggest Strength.

Unknown Author
 

nick18_in

MP Guru
The Top Six Ways To Stay Motivated !!!

I receive many emails from people that basically ask the same question: How can I keep myself motivated long term? This seems to be quite a common dilemma for many people so I want to address it because it can be done! Here are my tips for staying motivated:
GET MOTIVATED EVERY DAY .
Zig Ziglar was once confronted about being a "motivational speaker." The guy said to him, "You guys come and get people hyped up and then you leave and the motivation goes away. It doesn't last, and then you have to get motivated again." Zig reminded the gentleman that baths are the same way but we think it is a good idea to take a bath every day!
It is true that motivation doesn't last. We have to renew it each and every day. That is okay. It doesn't make motivation a bad thing. We simply have to realize that if we want to stay motivated over the long term, it is something we will have to apply to ourselves each and every day.
HAVE A VISION FOR YOUR LIFE.
The root word of motivation is "motive." The definition of motive is, "A reason to act." This is the cognitive or rational side of motivation. It is your vision. You have to have a vision that is big enough to motivate you. If you are making $50,000 a year, it isn't going to motivate you to set your goal at $52,000 a year. You just won't get motivated for that because the reward isn't enough. Maybe $70,000 a year would work for you. Set out a vision and a strategy for getting there. Have a plan and work the plan.
FUEL YOUR PASSION
Much of motivation is emotional. I don't know quite how it works but I do know THAT it works. Emotion is a powerful force in getting us going. Passion is an emotion, so fuel your passion. "Well, I like to work on logic," you may say. Great, now work on your passion. Set yourself on a course to have a consuming desire for your goal, whatever it is. Do whatever you can to feel the emotion and use it to your advantage!
WORK HARD ENOUGH TO GET RESULTS.
You can build on your motivation by getting results. The harder you work, the more results you will get and the more results you get, the more you will be motivated to get more. These things all build on one another. If you want to lose weight, then lose the first few pounds. When the belt moves to the next notch you will get fired up to get it to the notch beyond that!
PUT GOOD MATERIALS INTO YOUR MIND.
I can't say this enough - listen to tapes. I still listen to tapes regularly. I buy tape clubs from other speakers and I learn and grow. Their successes motivate me to get my own successes! Read good books. Read books that teach you new ideas and skills. Read books that tell the stories of successful people. Buy them, read them, and get motivated! Buy great music and listen to it. I just did a spinning class at the club today. Whenever a good song came on I was actually able to get motivated to ride faster! It gets you going and motivates you!
RiDE THE MOMENTUM WHEN iT COMES.
Sometimes you will just be clicking and sometimes you won't. That is okay. It is the cycle of life. When you aren't clicking, plug away. When you are clicking, pour it on because momentum will help you get larger gains in a shorter period of time with less energy. That is the Momentum Equation! When you are feeling good about how your work is going, ride the momentum and get as much out of it as you can!
THESE ARE THE TOP SIX WAYS TO STAY MOTIVATED:

  • Get motivated every day.
  • Have a vision for your life.
  • Fuel your passion.
  • Work hard enough to get results.
  • Put good materials into your mind.
  • Ride the momentum when it comes.

These are simple principles, that when you put them to work regularly, will change your life by keeping you motivated all the time! GET GOING !
By Chris Widener
 

nick18_in

MP Guru
Take Yourself To the Top !!!

Everybody wants to get to the top, whether it is the top of a career, a company, the earnings scale, or the many other ways that we as individuals can define the "top" in our own lives! But with so many people trying to get to the top, how come so many people aren't moving up? I think there are some fundamental reasons why. Reasons that can be addressed and changed! What are some things you can do to get to the top? Here are some thoughts for you this week!
First of all, define what the "top" means for you. This is extremely important because if you don't know where you are going, you will never get there! Some people don't want to be the CEO of the company. In fact, many think they are better off than the CEO even though they don't make as much money. Instead, they think they are at the top because of less stress, weekends with their families, etc, and I see their point. It doesn't matter what others think is the top, only what you do, since you are only gauging whether or not YOU get there! So where is it for you? That is the first question for you to answer.
Be passionate about your goal. Passion is the energy that drives us, or, as Alexander Pope said, passions are the "gales of life." Passion is the wind in the sales of work. Find some thing you love and you will find something you can get to the top of. If you don't love it, you may still make it to the top, though highly unlikely. And even if you do, there will be no joy. Let your passion carry you, because it will carry you far! Thomas Fuller put it this way: A man with passion rides a horse that runs away with him.
The will to continue in the face of hardship. Another reason most will not get to the top is because they simply refuse to scale the mountains of hardship that separate them from the top. If you want to get to the beautiful view from the top, you will have to climb over any obstacles. Instead, many choose to stay at base camp!
One would think that Bjorn Borg, one of the greatest tennis players to ever live, would consider his skill his greatest asset. Instead, this is what he says, "My greatest point is my persistence. I never give up in a match. However down I am, I fight until the last ball. My list of matches shows that I have turned a great many so-called irretrievable defeats into victories." Continue until you get to the top!
Love people and treat them right. What? Love people? That's right! Why? Because if you are going to get to the top, you are going to need other people. Be a jerk and you will find people dragging their feet on you. Treat them right and you will find them helping you and even cheering you on!
Master the appropriate skills. Average skills will get you to the middle. Top skills will get you to the TOP! This is most assuredly true when combined with the points above. Are you achieving excellence in the skills you need? Are you growing day by day, month by month, year by year? You can always get better and getting better will take you closer to the top! Even if you only improve a little, you can keep improving that small amount and it will eventually become a big amount! Demand the best from yourself and you will get to the top. Remember the words of Jose Ortega y Gasset: "We distinguish the excellent man from the common man by saying that the former is the one who makes great demands on himself, and the latter who makes no demands on himself."

  • DEFINE THE TOP

  • BE PASSIONATE

  • PERSEVERE

  • LOVE OTHERS

  • SKILL MASTERY!

THESE WILL TAKE YOU TO THE TOP!

By Chris Widener
 

nick18_in

MP Guru
Do You Know Where You're Going To?

Do You Know Where You're Going To?

Tom Peters said, "Effective visions prepare for the future but honor the past." Do you have a set course in your life, an established direction, outlined with purposeful thought?

Or are you simply a boat floating on the water with a broken rudder, able to be pushed whichever way the wind blows,
governed by the tides and external forces?

Productive people have given a great deal of thought and time to planning their courses of action and life goals. Their daily, weekly, and monthly activities all roll up to a mission statement, life goals, long-term and short-term goals, and project plans.

To be the guide of your own life, you have to get a hold of the rudder. Much like a corporate mission statement, your personal mission statement defines who you are, what you're all about, and why you're here. Why do you need a personal
mission statement?

- It helps you make difficult decisions when faced with the myriad of choices life presents to you.

- It helps you realize how very little time you truly have to accomplish the important things in your life.

- It helps you recognize when you're off course and steers you back in the right direction Life is precious, and time
is short.

The best engineer cannot create more time, and the best scientist cannot invent more time. We all have the exact same amount of time -- 24 hours a day, 168 hours every week, 86,400 seconds every day. Once it's gone, you can't get it
back. You cannot accumulate time or borrow tomorrow's time. Since it feels like we have plenty of time left, we take for
granted our 86,400 seconds every day. Discovering Your True Priorities - The main objective of a personal mission statement is to define what's important to you. Many people say "this is important," and "that is important," but how do you narrow it down to what's truly important in your life? I like to use the following visualization:

Scenario A ...

Picture a thick, banded-steel cable about 2 feet in circumference and 100 feet long, stretched out across the floor. You are standing at one end, and I'm on the other. I call out to you, "I'll give you $100 if you can step onto the cable and walk across it like a balance beam over to me without falling off onto the floor." Would you try it? Sure!

Most people would. Why? Basically, it involves a fairly low risk with a relatively high payoff for the effort required. It could be fun and a little challenging.

Scenario B ...

Now we're going to suspend the cable just a "bit." In fact, have you ever been to the Royal Gorge bridge in Canon City,
Colorado? It's the highest suspension bridge in the world, with a cable like ours spanning a chasm, with a little tram
that travels across the cable. Except you don't get to ride the tram. You are standing on one end of the chasm, and I'm on the other side of the chasm, with the cable suspended between us. I yell out, "HEY!" (Echo: "hey..hey..hey") "If you can
cross the cable like a balance beam without falling off into the river below, I'll give you $100!" There is no way anyone in his or her right mind would attempt that. The risk is too high for the reward involved. So let's up the ante. Would you cross it for $250,000? No? How about a million dollars? How much would I have to offer you? What if I let you crawl across on your belly? For some of you, the reward would never be high enough to risk your life.

Scenario C ...

Let's add a little wind (maybe, oh, a slight 40 MPH breeze) and a tad of rain to make the cable a bit slick. I'm on one side of the chasm, and you're on the other. In my arms, I hold your child hostage. I yell, "If you don't cross the chasm in two minutes, I'm throwing your child in the river." Would you come now? Of course you would! Despite the incredibly high risk to your own life, that child is so priceless to you that you'd risk your own life to save another. Perhaps if you don't have children, it could be your parents, your significant other, or your friend.

Clearly, that person is a core value in your life. What other things exist like that in your life? What principles, values, or character traits are most important to you, such that if I were to rip it out of your life and throw it into the chasm, you would be willing to cross the bridge to save it? What things are so integral to who you are that you cannot imagine existing without them?

Determining Your Core Values

1. Holding that visualization in your mind, read through the following list of values below. They may be important to
you; they may not be.

Go though the list, and this first time, circle any and all of the values that you'd cross the bridge for. Add any to the bottom that aren't listed here that are important to you.

Values list

* Peace
* Integrity
* Power
* Wealth
* Joy
* Influence
* Happiness
* Love
* Justice
* Success
* Recognition
* Spirituality
* Friendship
* Family
* Career
* Fame
* Truth
* Status
* Authenticity
* Wisdom
* Acceptance
* Health
* ____________
* ____________
* ____________

2. Go back through the items you've circled and narrow it down to only six. Which items are more important to you than
the others? Place a star next to your top six values.

3. Picture this: you've got those six items lined up with you on the side of the chasm. I have the ability to make you
choose between them.

You've got to throw three away. What things would go? If all you had left in your life were three values, what would they
be? Cross out three of the six, so that your top three values are remaining.

4. Lastly, rank order your top three values. Which one would go first? Label that #3. Which one would go second? Label
that #2. So if all you had in your life were one single thing, that would be remaining until the end. Label that #1.

Defining Your Core Values - You have just listed the top three most important things in your life. Rewrite your top three values in order on the blanks below.

Then for each principle, write a definition, a statement of what it means to you to be successful in that area. At the
end of your life, how will you know if you've succeeded? If you put "family," what does a good family man or woman look
like to you? If you put, "Spirituality," how will you know you've succeeded at being a spiritual person?

1. Value: ________________________________________

"Success to me means..." ________________________________________

2. Value: _________________________________________
"Success to me means..." ________________________________________

3. Value: ________________________________________
"Success to me means..." ________________________________________

Sit in front of a computer with a blank word processing page and type the three paragraphs together, merging them into
one statement. It could be several sentences or several paragraphs.

You've just created a personal mission statement for your life. Think of it as your constitution. It will become your
benchmark, your standard of excellence. Then you can get your behavior in line with your mission. You will measure
yourself against it. Continuously ask yourself if an activity is moving toward your mission in life. This statement will whack you upside the head if not.

For example, if you say taking care of your health is important to you, then you eat 8 slices of pizza and watch
15 hours of television, it is very apparent you're not supporting yourself with your actions. When you're making
changes in your life and setting goals, refer to this statement of purpose.

I promise this activity will have an impact on your productivity. It's been said that "true character is the ability to carry out a goal long after the mood in which it was created has passed." That's when the real challenge begins. Make it a productive day!

(C) All rights reserved

___________
Laura M. Stack, MBA, CSP. Laura Stack is a professional speaker and the president of The Productivity Pro®, Inc.
She's the bestselling author of Leave the Office Earlier and Find More Time. Laura presents keynotes and seminars on time
management, information overload, and personal productivity. Contact her at 303-471-7401 or http://www.TheProductivityPro.com
 

nick18_in

MP Guru
Leadership and Real Change !!

One of the most frustrating things about change is that no-one can see the benefits as quickly as you can, as leaders. Why is that? Why are people so stupid, defensive and traditional. Why can't they be more like you? You've done all the hard work. You've looked at the strategy, weighed up the pros and cons. You've even carried out a cost-benefit analysis to prove that it's worth it. Yet still they won't change.

Well there are some very good reasons. The first would be because you, as instigators of change are in a pretty good position. It's your change. You own it and have bought into it. It really means something for you.

Also, you really are ahead of the game. In terms of the Coping Cycle you've gone past the denial, defence and discarding stages. Your self-esteem and performance may have been on the floor a few weeks ago, but now - hey - you're all for it. Of course you are but your team aren't there yet.

They'll be at various stages of the cycle. There'll be some with you and there'll be others in the 'why?', 'you are joking?', 'change again?' stages. These people need to be helped through this cycle and supported as their self-esteem dips, their performance hits rock bottom. You know what this is like.

Remember that new computer system we had installed. They said it was the best, state of the art, superb, blah, blah. A week later you couldn't even send an email - it had all changed. God how you hated it. How you wished you could have your new system back. However, as time went by and you learnt to use it properly it was 'so much better than the previous system', and even 'I don't know why we didn't introduce this years ago?'. So, that's another good reason.

There's also a really interesting model that explains this in a different way. It's a very simple formula for change. It says that to overcome resistance to change you need a Vision, an idea of the first steps and enough dissatisfaction with the current situation to make it happen:

Dissatisfaction x Vision x First Steps > Resistance
The Vision is usually the easiest. Well, it's all relative. However, if you haven't got something to aim for then why on earth are you carrying out this change process. Unfortunately people who have the vision are not always the best at communicating that vision to others. If this is something you, as a leader, struggle with then perhaps getting others involved at this stage would help. These could be people at all levels who are committed to the change. Choose the cynics in the Organisation as well as the starts. Cynics frequently have great networks and once they are won over the task gets a lot easier. Invest time and effort into these 'change champions' ( not my favourite word either), and communicate, communicate, communicate. Use every medium you can think of - people are different. They pay attention to different things - you know that.

The first steps can prove tricky. If people are sold the vision properly and the benefits explained it's a great start. People, already under threat from this change process want to know what's going to happen and when. There's nothing wrong with that. The problem however is that life isn't that simple. If it's a large change programme that will take months, years - then there's probably no-one in the Organisation that knows every step of the process. Yet, people expect you to. They expect that you'll know what will happen to their part of the office on April 24th 2007. It's not logical. It's not reasonable but there it is. What is logical and reasonable is that you'll know with some certainty what the first steps will be. You have to let people know what you know, and also what you don't know.
A useful analogy to help with this is to think of the change as a journey across the sea. Your Organisation is the boat and the vision is somewhere out there. The vision is fairly clear. OK it may change slightly but it should have been defined clearly so you at least know where you're heading. The journey is not entirely under your control. There are numerous factors that will affect your route. In nautical terms; wind, tide, expertise of crew, condition of boat, etc. In business terms; finance, resource, expertise of crew, condition of Organisation, etc.

The only reasonable expectation would be to chart out the first few weeks, stages of the project. If you try to do anything more than this inevitably it will fail and you would have failed to meet peoples' expectations. Then you'll have the whole 'told you it wouldn't work' scenario to deal with. Don't set yourself up to fail.

The difficult part (which doesn't seem to occur in other models) is the element of dissatisfaction. For this process to kick off the dissatisfaction needs be real and significant before any change happens. It's generally not until this dissatisfaction reaches epic proportions that you'll do anything. This applies to change in all areas of life, not only the business world.

For instance I'm 47 years old. I used to play rugby and football but that was a while ago now and .. well let's just say I like a drink, good food and I could do with losing a few pounds. Really I should start going to the gym and eating healthier (my first steps). I would quite like to see my daughter grow up and have grandchildren and live a good few more years yet (my vision). So why on earth aren't I doing the right things now? It make total sense, logically for me to eat healthier, take more exercise yet I haven't done it. I guess my dissatisfaction level isn't sufficiently high yet. If I started having some heart murmurs, or had a friend of a similar age in hospital that may well do the trick.

I'm not suggesting for one minute that you go out and make your staff miserable with the current situation. That would certainly raise their dissatisfaction level but they may well decide to leave instead of change. No, what I'd suggest is that you talk to people and raise their level of awareness. One consequence of being stuck in 'denial' is that you won't see what's going on around you. Something obviously needs to change - hence change initiative. People need to address that problem. Once they do and accept there is a problem their resistance should be significantly lowered. This takes time. People need to be communicated with and their fears addressed. Change is scary. But it's a lot easier when you've people with you than agin you.


By Byron Kalies
 

nick18_in

MP Guru
Like Your Garden Your Mind Can Grow Weeds Too !!

Like garden, like our mind ; weeds do grow, which need to be periodically removed.

Here is an article by Seth Francis on such concept.


How many of you have a garden in your backyard where you grow your favorite vegetables. You plant them from seeds or seedlings and give them everything they need in order to grow and thrive. You water, fertilize and provide adequate sun. After several months they grow to be big and strong. You run out to pick them daily as they ripen and think to your self. “ I grew these and they taste so good.”

What happens though if you plant your vegetables and forget about them? WEEDS! That’s right your garden now begins to become overtaken by nasty weeds and other plants you have no idea what they may be. Your precious vegetables start to have problems thriving and eventually die or produce fruit you have no desire to eat.

Your garden is like your mind. When you are a child you are given the proper care and nurturing by you parents to give you good habits, a good education and the tools you need to succeed and grow up strong and confident.

What happens along the way is kind of sad. You are exposed to weeds. Just like your garden. Bad influences in your life sometimes become planted in your mind if you can not fight them off. Things such as smoking, nail biting, procrastination, having a bad temper, being lazy, using drugs or being overweight. Theses are only a few of the many habits or should we say weeds, which your mind is susceptible too.

With all these negative influences one might think that there in no chance of changing habits or negative behavior. Well, This is not the case. The mind is a very strong. In fact what you say and think about yourself does come true. If you believe that you want to change your mind will follow. Once your subconscious is reprogrammed the negative things or weeds will be replaced with positive thoughts and behaviors. The unconscious labels we have created for ourselves are changed releasing us from our old behavior patterns or habits. As we remove the old labels new positive ones are created leaving us feeling better about ourselves and what we have accomplished.

Just like the happy, joyful feeling you have while eating the big juicy red tomato from your garden, which you worked so hard on. You will feel ecstatic and excited that you changed the behaviors you disliked about yourself. That feeling can not be matched by any other, The feeling that you are in control.
 

nick18_in

MP Guru
Does Your Organization Have a Balanced Culture?

Navigating increasingly complex business challenges in today's world requires leaders with fresh approaches and sharper tools. If vision defines where the business is headed, and strategy is the road map for how to get there … culture is the engine which determines the speed, performance, and comfort of the trip.

To get peak performance from the culture engine, today's leaders must deliberately shape and manage culture as an asset and a process. In fact, during periods of change, your company's culture is a critical leverage point. Any change throws a system out of balance. In business, the acceleration of change is creating paradoxical tensions that can't be easily resolved -- long vs short term focus, speed vs stability, consistency vs adaptability. Finding the balance point in these paradoxes lies in addressing your culture.
And while the link between culture and performance is proven by research, culture remains largely untapped - and unrecognized - as a resource in most companies.

What is Culture
Simply put, culture is "how you get things done" in your organization, including how you:
  • Coordinate and collaborate across functions and geography

  • [FONT=times new
    roman]Solve problems and make decisions

    [/FONT]
  • Launch and support teams

  • Hire, fire, pay and promote people.

  • Respond to stress and handle conflict (a particularly visible way to assess culture)

The Importance of a Balanced Culture
Like the health of any system, lack of balance in a company's culture may take years or decades to erode the business, but it will -- and often in ways you can't see.
In creating a balanced culture, all factors are not equal. The latest research shows that balance among specific cultural traits is the winning combination for driving exceptional and sustainable business performance:
Top down mission plus Employee engagement
Customer responsive plus Consistent and stable
Short term performance plus Long term growth
Innovation plus Reliability
Measuring Culture and Linking it to Performance

Using a balanced culture to drive business performance begins by knowing where you are. A powerful approach to measuring culture is the Denison Culture Survey. This tool compares your culture against benchmark data of over 3000 companies and links the strength of your culture directly to seven common measures of business performance:
  • Profitability
  • Market share
  • Quality
  • Sales growth
  • Innovation
  • Employee satisfaction
  • Customer satisfaction

Further, the Denison Survey shows the highest leverage points for bringing a culture into balance and accelerating performance. It avoids the all too common "spray and pray" approaches, where ROI is questionable or non-existent. And the language is intuitive so that everyone from the CEO to line employees can understand and relate to it.

How to Build a Balanced Culture
Once you have a clear picture of "your culture today", what is the process for creating a more balanced culture?
There is no recipe that works for every leader and company. Variables are endless: Market timing. Leadership maturity. Product or business life cycle. Acquisitions.
The following six steps provide a framework and model that is scaleable and effective to restore balance during any change - whether launching a team or undertaking a 10-year culture change to bring a company back from death row:

1.Establish Urgency. This is where motivation is built.

SUCCESS SECRET: Any change requires that people come out of their comfort zones. You can motivate anyone short-term with money or incentives, but if you want sustained energy and aligned action, you have to constantly remind people how "something new" is better than the familiar. The story must evoke emotion and feeling, vs just facts and analysis.


2.Define Direction. This is where the dream is built.

SUCCESS SECRET: An effective process of creating a clear and specific image of where you are headed aligns powerful leaders and influencers toward a common direction - no small feat. Ensuring that this links to a well-defined business strategy is important in this step … but it must begin with an inspiring vision.


3.Charter a Change Team. This is where sponsorship is built.

SUCCESS SECRET: One bold, impassioned believer who has power and credibility needs to launch the change effort, then organize a team to actively drive the change effort. These people must be courageous, creative, and have a high "like-ability" factor. But the sponsor must stay engaged and not delegate the responsibility to HR, a team, or outsiders.


4.Communicate, Communicate, Communicate! This is where engagement, ownership, and empowerment are built.

SUCCESS SECRET: Don't communicate too much before creating visible change in a point of pain - "doing before telling" is a much bigger convincer than the opposite sequence.


5.Align and Empower Leaders & Employees. This is where momentum is built.

SUCCESS SECRET: Leaders must show they are willing to get their hands dirty and make changes themselves. "Be the change you want to see." People will make hard changes more willingly if they see leaders doing it first.


6.Align Infrastructure and Increase Accountability. This is where true balance is built - the capacity to continuously reinvent your company.

SUCCESS SECRET: If you want real change, work to create an endless, relentless, persistent feedback-culture. Do it through daily behavior, through systems, through metrics. Do it with employees, customers, and vendors.


If you utilize the success secrets above you will build a more balanced culture, and therefore drive greater performance.


By Gerry Schmidt and Lisa Jackson

 

nick18_in

MP Guru
The Factors of Leadership Motivation !!

Leaders do nothing more important than get results. But you can't get results by yourself. You need others to help you do it. And the best way to have other people get results is not by ordering them but motivating them. Yet many leaders fail to motivate people to achieve results because those leaders misconstrue the concept and applications of motivation.
To understand motivation and apply it daily, let's understand its three critical pillars. Know these pillars and put them into action to greatly enhance your abilities to lead for results.

1. MOTIVATION IS PHYSICAL ACTION.
"Motivation" has common roots with "motor," "momentum," "motion," "mobile," etc. all words that denote movement, physical action. An essential feature of motivation is physical action. Motivation isn't about what people think or feel but what they physically do. When motivating people to get results, challenge them to take those actions that will realize those results.

I counsel leaders who must motivate individuals and teams to get results not to deliver presentations but "leadership talks." Presentations communicate information.. But when you want to motivate people, you must do more than simply communicate information. You must have them believe in you and take action to follow you. A key outcome of every leadership talk must be physical action, physical action that leads to results.

For instance, I worked with the newly-appointed director of a large marketing department who wanted the department to achieve sizable increases in the results. However, the employees were a demoralized bunch who had been clocking tons of overtime under her predecessor and were feeling angry that their efforts were not being recognized by senior management.

She could have tried to order them to get the increased results. Many leaders do that. But order- leadership founders in today's highly competitive, rapidly changing markets. Organizations are far more competitive when their employees instead of being ordered to go from point A to point B, want to go from point A to point B. So I suggested that she take a first step in getting the employees to increase results by motivating those employees to want to increase results. They would "want to" when they began to believe in her leadership. And the first step in enlisting that belief was for her to give a number of leadership talks to the employees.
One of her first talks that she planned was to the department employees in the company's auditorium.
She told me, "I want them to know that I appreciate the work they are doing and that I believe that they can get the results I'm asking of them. I want them to feel good about themselves."

"Believing is not enough," I said. "Feeling good is not enough. Motivation must take place. Physical action must take place. Don't give the talk until you know what precise action you are going to have happen."

She got the idea of having the CEO come into the room after the talk, shake each employee's hand, and tell each how much he appreciated their hard work physical action. She didn't stop there. After the CEO left, she challenged each employee to write down on a piece of paper three specific things that they needed from her to help them get the increases in results and then hand those pieces of paper to her personally - physical action.

Mind you, that leadership talk wasn't magic dust sprinkled on the employees to instantly motivate them. (To turn the department around so that it began achieving sizable increases in results, she had to give many leadership talks in the weeks and months ahead.) But it was a beginning. Most importantly, it was the right beginning.

2. MOTIVATION IS DRIVEN BY EMOTION.
Emotion and motion come from the same Latin root meaning "to move". When you want to move people to take action, engage their emotions. An act of motivation is an act of emotion. In any strategic management endeavor, you must make sure that the people have a strong emotional commitment to realizing it.
When I explained this to the chief marketing officer of a worldwide services company, he said, "Now I know why we're not growing! We senior leaders developed our marketing strategy in a bunker! He showed me his "strategy" document. It was some 40 pages long, single-spaced. The points it made were logical, consistent, and comprehensive. It made perfect sense. That was the trouble. It made perfect, intellectual sense to the senior leaders. But it did not make experiential sense to middle management who had to carry it out. They had about as much in-put into the strategy as the window washers at corporate headquarters. So they sabotaged it in many innovative ways. Only when the middle managers were motivated - were emotionally committed to carrying out the strategy - did that strategy have a real chance to succeed.

3. MOTIVATION IS NOT WHAT WE DO TO OTHERS. IT'S WHAT OTHERS DO TO THEMSELVES.
The English language does not accurately depict the psychological truth of motivation. The truth is that we cannot motivate anybody to do anything. The people we want to motivate can only motivate themselves. The motivator and the motivatee are always the same person. We as leaders communicate, they motivate. So our "motivating" others to get results really entails our creating an environment in which they motivate themselves to get those results.

For example: a commercial division leader almost faced a mutiny on his staff when in a planning session, he put next year's goals, numbers much higher than the previous year's, on the overhead. The staff all but had to be scrapped off the ceiling after they went ballistic. "We busted our tails to get these numbers last year. Now you want us to get much higher numbers? No way!"
He told me. "We can hit those numbers. I just have to get people motivated!"

I gave him my "motivator-and-motivatee-are-the-same-person!" pitch. I suggested that he create an environment in which they could motivate themselves. So he had them assess what activities got results and what didn't. They discovered that they spent more than 60 percent of their time on work that had nothing to do with getting results. He then had them develop a plan to eliminate the unnecessary work. Put in charge of their own destiny, they got motivated! They developed a great plan and started to get great results.
Over the long run, your career success does not depend on what schools you went to and what degrees you have. That success depends instead on your ability to motivate individuals and teams to get results. Motivation is like a high voltage cable lying at your feet. Use it the wrong way, and you'll get a serious shock. But apply motivation the right way by understanding and using the three pillars, plug the cable in, as it were, and it will serve you well in many powerful ways throughout your career.


by Brent Filson.
 

nick18_in

MP Guru
Removing Obstacles to Great Performance

Unleash the creative talents of individuals and allow your people to deliver great performance to your customers. Identifying the ‘right’ direction is the first step. Removing the obstacles that prevent great performance is the second step.
Obstacles are generally in two areas: mind-sets, and organization structures and systems. We tend to focus on the mind-set issues of motivation, teamwork, attitude, and communication and wonder why efforts stall when you stop ‘pushing’. Perhaps the attitudes are outcomes - of the systems, structures and practices of the environment. So focus on what you can directly influence - especially in how performance is defined, measured, and rewarded.
Set standards between performers and their customers - performers must meet regularly with their customers to agree on the standards of performance;
Reduce expectations to simple, specific, and measurable numbers - measure the ‘right stuff’, which is what makes the difference to customers;
Make performance visible to every employee - let performers get the feedback directly, in real time, not through third parties; ensure that those who have to perform measure their own performance - do your performers know how well they are doing?
Performance must have consequences - performance must matter to individuals; ‘A’ for accomplishment, ‘F’ for effort. (period!) Reward those who achieve, and ensure less desirable outcomes for those who don’t.
Involve the performers in the design of the reward systems - as long as someone else is responsible for the design, fairness, and motivational aspects of rewards, someone else will also be responsible for performance.

Decentralize decision making to the point of customer contact - those closest to the customer have a more complete understanding of what great performance looks like for their customers!
Manage the present and the future - the past can’t be managed - it’s gone! What information do we need to manage and improve what is happening today, and plan for the future?
Make teamwork happen by structuring important work in teams and cross functional groups and rewarding team performance;
Ask yourself - what systems are causing my people problems? Then change the system to change the people.
And better yet - what’s the best way to identify and remove the obstacles that prevent great performance? Ask your people what prevents their great performance and get to work on those obstacles!

By Rick Sidorowicz
 

nick18_in

MP Guru
Communication:The Key to Unlocking Employees’ Motivational Drive !!

Here are some thoughts on communication vis-a-vis motivation of employees ( an article written by Dinah Daniels ) .


":":":":":":":":":":":":":":":":":":":":":":":":":"

The most important thing any CEO or manager can do is to figure out how to motivate the people who impact the bottom line. Workers who have a sense of fulfillment and who derive satisfaction from their work simply work better.

Most managers assume that what motivates them motivates others; that’s one of the biggest mistakes managers make in hiring.

The key to unlocking the motivational needs of employees is recognizing that all businesses must have many different kinds of people in order to work - decision makers, risk-takers, leaders and followers. Communicating effectively with each of these groups requires a keen awareness by managers and executives alike. Effective communication – reaching people on the level where they hear most clearly – is the springboard to motivation.

Communication creates a level playing field, a work environment where every personality type thrives equally because they receive clear communication and because they respect each other’s different communication needs.

If this sounds too touchy-feely, consider this: 20 years ago, human resources was primarily gut instinct. If two job applicants appeared equally qualified, you might hire on the basis of a firm handshake or a person’s sense of humor.

Today things have changed. The stakes are higher for employers. The law is very strict about protecting employees, unemployment rates are extremely low and training costs in almost every company are higher than ever. Managers cannot be cavalier about hiring. They must use all the tools at their disposal to match the right applicants to positions and to figure out how to effectively communicate with and motivate workers once they are on board.
Communication breakdowns between the creative department and the sales staff, or between the technical department and the front office, are legendary. It is because the people who work in those departments have very different personality types and communication needs.
The sales stars often are risk takers – demanding, persuasive, competitive, confident and aware of the details but not detail oriented. The detail-oriented realist with patience and a capacity for daily operations often is the person running the financial side of things. And the service-oriented worker who thrives on carrying out clear, well-defined instructions is the ideal office assistant. None of them could perform the others’ jobs, none would want to. But together they make the most effective team.

The CEO who recognizes the value in every personality type, every communication style and every motivational drive that employees bring to a company is the one who will truly impact the bottom line through the collective “people power” of the organization.



By Dinah Daniels


 

nick18_in

MP Guru
How Effective is Your Employee Retention?

Retention of competent workers has not been too much of a problem over the past few years. During the go-go years of the late 1990s, holding onto good people was a real challenge. There were all sorts of jobs available; people could pick and choose where they wanted to work. Recruiting and retention were serious problems for employers when every other employer in town seemed to want to hire the same people.

When the economy slowed, so did employee turnover. For many employers, the problem all but disappeared. With the improvement in the economy, many companies - who would love to have your fine people on their payroll - will be recruiting again.

How vulnerable are you?
Beware of the tendency to gloss over this question. Pause for a few minutes and give this question some serious consideration. If you have a partner in the management of the business, engage in a focused conversation about the stability of your workforce. Look realistically at each and every employee - full-time, part-time, and even occasional.

Next, talk with your people. Conduct these private interviews as if they were hiring interviews. Ask questions about what they look for in a job, what they like best about their job, and what they'd change if they could. Listen to their words and be alert to their body language and their emotions. From these interviews, you'll gain a good sense of the stability of your workforce and what opportunities you might have to improve employee relations.

Based on what you learn, you will be able to make some plans about what sort of hiring you might have to do. Consider your growth potential. When people in your community have a little more money to spend - from a combination of a stronger economy and their own personal employment situations, would that higher consumer confidence show up in your cash flow? Be sure you're well-staffed so your customers really feel cared for.

Why People Leave
[FONT=times new
roman]You can improve your employee retention if you have a higher sensitivity about why people leave their jobs. Here are five principal reasons that we've learned from our ongoing research.[/FONT]

1)It doesn't feel good around here. This is a company culture issue in most cases. Workers are also concerned with the company's reputation; physical conditions of comfort, convenience, and safety, and the clarity of mission. Do all your employees agree about their shared purpose and values as members of your team?

2)They wouldn't miss me if I were gone. Even though leaders do value employees, they don't tell them often enough. If people don't feel important, they're not motivated to stay. No one wants to be a commodity, easily replaced by someone off the street. If they are regarded as expendable, they'll leave for a position where they're appreciated.

3)I don't get the support I need to get my job done. Contrary to opinions heard all-too-often from management, people really do want to do a good job. When they're frustrated by too many rules, red tape, or incompetent supervisors or co-workers, people look for other opportunities. Check your systems: is everything working smoothly? Ask your people for their suggestions on how you can make it easier for them to work together to serve your customers. This discussion can be done well as a group brainstorming exercise.

4)There's no opportunity for advancement. No, we're not talking about promotions, although many deserving people would like to move up. The issue here is learning. People want to learn, to sharpen their skills and pick-up new ones. They want to improve their capacity to perform a wide variety of jobs. Call it career security. The desire is for training and development. If workers can't find the growth opportunities with one company, they'll seek another employer where they can learn. Think about all you can teach your people about your industry. Help them grow.

5)Compensation is the last reason people most leave. That's a brash statement, but it's true. Workers want fair compensation, but the first four aspects must be strong. If they're not, but money's high, you'll hear people say "you can't pay me enough to stay here." Even with these values in place, there are a lot of employees who feel they can better themselves just by chasing more income.

Your employees are your most valuable-and most volatile-resource. Give them the care they deserve!


By Roger E. Herman
 

nick18_in

MP Guru
Ten Ways to Find Your Inspiration *:*

Ten Ways to Find Your Inspiration
By Jan Gordon
The word inspire comes from the Latin word for inspirare,
which means to breath upon or into. When we're being inspired,
we expand beyond what we previously were, or know our selves
to be. Our lives have new breath. Our soul and our actions
are one.

1. Know what inspires you. Go back to your memories and
recall when you felt most inspired. What was the common
thread amongst the different times when you've been inspired?
Was it a quality about another person or your self? Was there
a theme to the times when you've been inspired, or have been
inspiring? Was it an action that a person took - or that you
took? Think about what's inspired you in the past. Look to
see what's missing now.

2. Learn to live with ambivalence while striving for perfection.
Inspiration lives between the two spaces of ambivalence and
perfection. Inspiration speaks to the best within our selves -
ambivalence is the messiness of our lives, the life process.
Perfection is the ideal, while ambivalence is its application.
Inspiration is what moves us forward in life - through the
ambivalence and towards the ideal.

3. Take a break from your life. Go to a movie or hike a
mountain to its highest vista. Surround yourself with the
sound of the rhythm of water, while the warmth of the sun
energizes your body. Move your body so you feel its life.
Keep your focus on nothing other than your experience. Live
in the present.

4. Inspiration isn't only what's done TO you. Being inspired
requires an openness of heart and spirit. Create an environ-
ment that supports an open heart, so that inspiration blossoms
in your life. Just as a flower needs soil and water, so too
does inspiration need openness of heart and spirit. Inspiration
can't exist without this.

5. Sometimes we fall before we stand. Don't beat yourself up
when you fall from grace. Life is a process and isn't static.
When you fall, don't beat yourself up for falling. Acknowledge
the fall and it's impact on your life. At some point, you'll
take action and stand up. Trust the process.

6. Divert your attention. Forget about the joys that inspiration
brings, and live from another domain. An inspired life isn't
only about inspiration. It's also about exhilaration, about
passion and living life fully. Do something completely different
than you normally would. Strike up a conversation with someone
you typically wouldn't, and approach the conversation with
naivete, openness and depth. There's a good chance that
inspiration will come to you when you're least looking for it.

7. Surround yourself with what inspires you. If a certain
type of person inspires you, follow and nurture the attraction.
Trust what inspires you, and let it guide your actions. If
a Wagner opera inspires you, surround yourself with it's
music so you feel completely at one with the music, and with
what inspires you. Lose yourself in what you love and be
inspired.

8. Get outside of yourself. Though you think you know what
inspires you based on past experiences - this doesn't mean
that you can't be inspired by something new that previously
didn't effect you. Live in the present and pay attention to
what tugs at your heart. This will give you a hint to newer
sources of inspiration.

9. Grace + openness + life + soul = inspiration. Create a
formula consisting of the ingredients that define inspiration
for you. We all have different perceptions and experiences
of inspiration. Define what it is for you.

10. Inspiration is a quality and a state of being. To be
inspiring to others is to be self-generative and inspiring
to our selves. How can you be more self-generative? One
must live in a state of being that allows for inspiration
to take root. How can you cause and create your own source
of inspiration? Where are you self-generative in your life,
and how can you be more self-generative?
 

nick18_in

MP Guru
A Variety of Personalities in the Workplace !!!

A Variety of Personalities in the Workplace
By Jerry Langdon



* Locomotives: They steam-roll over people. They are angry and hostile and take out their frustrations on others. Solution: Don't take it! Tell them how their behavior affects your work, how it makes you feel, and that you need to be communicated to differently. Be assertive.

* Perfectionists: If something isn't perfect, perfectionists become negative. Their standards aren't realistic, and even excellent work that is praised by others is unacceptable to the perfectionist. Solution: Don't take their statements seriously. They are expressing their own inadequacies, not yours. Try to work with them so that they can set realistic expectations for themselves and others.

* Resisters: Any change can cause negativity. Resisters usually don't openly express their opposition to change. They do it more subtly — saying they think change is good, but then don't implement change. Extremists may even sabotage if they find a particular change exceptionally threatening. Solution: Try to gradually involve these people in the change. If they are part of the process or come up with some implementing ideas themselves, their resistance may decrease.

* Not-My-Jobbers: These people express their negativity by refusing to do any task, no matter how simple, if they decide it is not part of their job responsibilities. It is often their way of getting back at colleagues, managers or the organization because of their unhappiness with how they are being treated. Solution: Find training and development opportunities for the Not-My-Jobbers. When they feel they are in a dead-end career road, they lose their enthusiasm for work and try to do as little as possible.

* Rumormongers: They take out their negativity toward work by spreading rumors. Rumormongers sense a loss of control over their environments or other people. Rumors help them regain that control. Solution: Give people in the organization the information and facts they need. Doing so gives them little motivation to listen to the rumormongers.

* Pessimists: They experience the world as an unpleasant place. They are unhappy with the way things are no matter what you try to do for them. Solution: You won't be able to change their attitude easily. Start by trying to have them adopt some new specific positive habits to take the place of their existing negative ones.


* Criticizers: They disagree with anything that is said. They like to be right, no matter what. They find problems, never opportunities. Solution: Ask them for examples, evidence or their reasoning for disagreeing. Be persistent and don't give up.

* Crybabies: When crybabies don't get their way, they behave like children frown, withdraw, go off on a tirade or cry. Solution: Crybabies need a supportive environment and constant encouragement. Also lower their stress and pressure levels.

* Sacrificers: They come in early and stay late, do whatever you ask them to do. But they will complain about their workload and about difficult employees, customers or bosses. Their negativity is brought out by feeling that their hard work is unappreciated. Solution: Give constant positive feedback on how much their hard work and contributions are appreciated. Giving recognition in front of their colleagues, teammates and boss also is helpful.

* Self-Castigators: They get upset with themselves and become negative. They find fault with their work performance, career progress, socioeconomic status, etc. Solution: Use any strategy that will build their self-esteem.

* Scapegoaters: They shift the blame for their mistakes on others, especially when they are in a negative mood. Solution: Give specific examples of how their errors, mistakes or miscalculations were the problem.

* Eggshells: They are very sensitive, and even the slightest comment, if misconstrued, causes them to crack. Solution: When giving critical (and hopefully constructive) feedback, give it slowly, without making it personal, and be sure they understand your point before you move on.

*Micros: They like to focus on the smallest details or mistakes and forget about the big picture. Solution: Have them get into the habit of evaluating the entire project or assignment. Ask them for the main point, the overall goal, the major problems, the main objectives, and so forth.
 
Last edited:

nick18_in

MP Guru
How to Delegate Effectively !

Effective delegation is an important tool that some managers hesitate to use. This may result from inexperience with delegation particularly for a novice manager, a reluctance to release work one personally enjoys doing, or even an adherence to the old adage, “If you want something done right, do it yourself.”
Here are eight basic guidelines to help you delegate more effectively:
1. Determine what you will delegate.
You decide which task(s) you want to delegate. Keep in mind that delegating is different from simply assigning someone a task that is already a part of the normal job requirements. When you delegate, you give someone else one of your job tasks; but you maintain control and responsibility.

2. Clarify the results you want.
Determine the results you consider necessary for successful completion of the task. In general, the employee to whom you delegate uses his or her own methods to accomplish the task. If you expect use of a specific method to accomplish results, relate that to the employee at the beginning.

3. Clearly define the employee’s responsibility.
You, not the employee, determine the level of responsibility. Be sure the employee understands that level. After you have given the employee the information about the delegated task, ask him to tell you his understanding of both the task and goals. If the employee’s answers do not match your expectations, review the matter in detail again.

4. Communicate the employee’s authority over the delegated task.
Define the scope and degree of authority given to the employee for the delegated task. Explain which decisions he or she may make independently and which require your approval. Be specific. If you tell the employee, “Do whatever it takes,” you may end up with an unpleasant surprise if the employee violates company standards. However, a too-limited authority may stop the employee from accomplishing the task. Give the employee the authority necessary to accomplish the task but not so much authority that he or she can create a major disaster before anyone discovers the problem. Also, make clear the budget available and budgetary limitations.

5. Be sure the employee understands his or her authority.
Again, have the employee repeat back to you his or her understanding of authority regarding the task. Resolve any misunderstandings at the beginning.

6. Establish a time limit.
Time means different things to different people. If you want the delegated work completed within a certain period, make that clear to the employee. (If you say, “When you get time, work on this,” the project may remain untouched for weeks.) Also, if you want portions of the work completed by certain dates, make that clear.

7. Establish a follow-up schedule.
Use a series of follow-up meetings to 1) monitor progress and 2) determine need for assistance. Monitoring the progress avoids a discovery two days before the due date that the task is not on schedule. It also can serve as an indication of whether the employee needs assistance. Some employees hesitate to ask questions. They fear the manager will interpret this as a sign of weakness or inadequacy for the job. Follow-up meetings give them the opportunity to ask questions within the context of a meeting designed for that purpose. The frequency of follow-up meetings will vary from project to project and employee to employee. You may schedule more frequent meetings when delegating to a new employee than when delegating to an experienced and proven employee.
8. Stick to the delegation program; avoid “reverse” delegation.
An employee may try to “dump” the delegated task back on the manager. A manager may feel tempted to “take it back” if the employee seems to be struggling with the task. In extreme circumstances, a manager may have no alternative other than to take the task back in order to avoid permanent damage to his or her own performance record. However, this should be only in extreme cases. When you take back a delegated task, the employee loses the opportunity to learn and grow. This can also discourage the employee who desired to do well, but needed more assistance at that point in time. Occasionally an employee may decide to perform poorly in order to avoid additional work; do not encourage this attitude. Stick to your decision and work with employees to see the task to completion.


Summary:
Managers delegate work not to just relieve their workload, but to allow the employees they supervise to grow professionally. Effective delegation is a two-way discussion and understanding. Be clear about the delegated task, give employee(s) an opportunity to ask questions, monitor progress and offer assistance as needed. Use effective delegation to benefit both yourself and the person to whom you delegate.

By Gregory P. Smith
 

nick18_in

MP Guru
Ten Keys for Success !!!

Personal effectiveness is a matter of style and substance. It’s also a matter of personal values, character, humanness and confidence in the creativity, initiative and capabilities of others. Above all it’s a matter of ‘engaging’ other human beings. Here are ten keys for effectiveness and success.
1. Develop a vision! Planning for the longer term pays off, and working backwards from a vision of the desired end result creates clarity and purpose. People want to follow someone who knows where he or she is going.
2. Simplify! You need to see the big picture in order to set a course, communicate it and maintain it. Keep the details at bay. You also need to then simplify reality and identify the essential activities and action steps to get there. Keep the incessant ‘busy-ness’ at bay. Focus on what really matters in terms of customers, value added and performance.
3. Trust your people! You can’t expect them to go all out for you if they think you don’t believe in them. And they definitely will not go all out if they don’t trust you. Be trustworthy and build trust by ‘trusting’.
4. Keep your cool! The best leaders show their mettle under fire. Stay ‘in command’ with full attention to all of what’s going on.
5. Be an expert! Everyone had better understand that you know what you’re talking about. And even when you don’t know you’re an expert in finding out.
6. Encourage risk! Encourage individuals to take chances and to accept error and failure as an inherent facet of learning and growth. Encourage and unleash the creativity of those around you.
7. Invite dissent! You’re not getting the best or learning how to lead if people are afraid to speak up and engage themselves in what you’re up to. Heat and friction are natural ingredients of energized and high performing individuals and groups.
8. Remove obstacles! Remove obstacles and barriers, and provide the tools, training, systems and structures to act and to grow.
9. Develop ownership! Stimulate self directed action and transfer responsibility and ownership to those who do the work.
10. Tell the truth! There is no more effective method of engaging individuals and making a difference than telling the truth - about what is happening, what you want, how you want to get there, and what you want, need and expect from others. A ‘ruthless commitment’ to telling the truth is perhaps the most liberating and refreshing approach to effectiveness in any context. All part of ‘the quiet work of leadership.’
By Rick Sidorowicz
 

nick18_in

MP Guru
The Top Ten Ways to Improve Your Leadership Skills !!

Whether you are consciously aware of it or not, on some level you are continually leading yourself and others. As a result, it would only make sense that you strive to improve your leadership skills and get the most out of life for everyone in your sphere.
If you desire to lead a passion-filled life wherein you are a positive influence to everyone, you will enjoy incorporating the following practices to assist you in consistently living your life as a conscious and strong LEADER.

1)Have a clear vision of yourself, others, and the world.

Who are you? What do you stand for? What is your life purpose? How do you want to influence others? How do you want to contribute to yourself, your family, friends, colleagues, and the world? Answer these questions to formulate a concrete vision of yourself and your world. Then, start living your life as the leader who makes your vision a reality!


2)Know and utilize your strengths and gifts.

You have unique gifts that you were born with and personal strengths you've developed over your lifetime. Realizing and utilizing these gifts and strengths will assist you in being a formidable leader.


3)Live in accordance with your morals and values.

Making choices and taking actions out of accordance with your morals and values leaves you with a nagging "Bad" feeling. This feeling seeping in from your subconscious mind hinders your success in your career and your relationships. On the other hand, making choices and taking actions aligned with your morals and values helps you succeed almost effortlessly. People sense integrity and will naturally respect your opinion and leadership.


4)Lead others with inclusiveness and compassion.

The greatest leaders are those who include everyone in their sphere of influence by recognizing each person's greatest value. To be one of these leaders, look beyond the obvious and see others with insight and compassion. Many of history's greatest leaders have admitted that they rose to the top because another leader recognized and harnessed their potential.


5)Set definitive goals and follow concrete action plans.
You have to know where your destination is before you can map out a plan to get there. To improve your leadership skills, first set specific life goals with appropriate timelines. Design your goals by moving backwards from the end of your life to the present week. Then, formulate action plans you can commit to that will get you to where you want to be.


6)Maintain a positive attitude.
No one respects a grumpy or negative person. With a positive attitude you are looking at the bright side of life. People are naturally attracted to you when you have a positive attitude. By being positive, you will lead a happier life, as well as be surrounded by other positive people. You will also magically attract exciting offers and possibilities.


7)Improve communication skills.
Having great leadership skills includes your being able to clearly and specifically communicate your vision, goals, skills, intentions, and expectations to others. This also includes your ability to listen to what other people are consciously or unconsciously communicating. To become a great communicator, continually strive to improve your verbal, nonverbal, and listening skills.


8)Motivate others to greatness.
A leader is as powerful as his team. As a leader, you will want to surround yourself with a powerful team by assisting others in recognizing and utilizing their strengths, gifts, and potential. Motivating others to their own greatness will improve the group energy, increase the vitality of your projects, and move you forward toward achieving your goals and vision.


9)Be willing to admit and learn from failures and weaknesses.
Face it - No one is perfect, and everyone has made a mistake or two in their lives! The most successful leaders know that the key to success is not in avoiding falling or failing, but to learn from their mistakes. As a strong leader, you will also be able to communicate your weaknesses to your team, so that you and your team can appoint someone who excels at that particular task or activity.


10)Continue to educate and improve yourself.
Great leaders continue to improve themselves in every possible way. The person who thinks he is an expert, has a lot more to learn. Never stop learning. Be receptive to everyone's perceptions and information from around the world and beyond.

By Ronya Banks
 

nick18_in

MP Guru
Five Things We Cannot Change

Five Things We Cannot Change
David Richo

Reinhold Niebuhr, an American Protestant theologian, composed a prayer that has become the cornerstone of the recovery movement: "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." This is a profound aspiration. But what are the things we cannot change?
As a psychotherapist working with clients - and in my own life as a practicing Buddhist - I have seen the same questions and struggles arise again and again. There are five unavoidable givens, five immutable facts of life built into the very nature of things, over which we are powerless:
  1. Everything changes and ends.
  2. Things do not always go according to plan.
  3. Life is not always fair.
  4. Pain is part of life.
  5. People are not loving and loyal all the time.
Too often we behave as if somehow these givens aren't always in effect or are not applicable to all of us. But when we oppose these five basic truths we resist reality, and life becomes an endless series of disappointments, frustrations, and sorrows. Once we learn to accept and embrace these fundamental facts, however, we come to realize that they are exactly what we need to gain courage, compassion, and wisdom - in short, to find real happiness.
The Unconditional "Yes"
The word "yes" sums up spirituality and sanity. An unconditional yes to what is frees us from the self-imposed suffering that results when we fear facing the givens of life. Yes is born of trust and heals fear. This is because we are acknowledging that whatever happens to us is part of our story and useful on our path. Our yes to the conditions of existence means getting on with life rather than being caught up in disputes and attempts to gain control over how things play out.

When things change and end, we become trusting of the cycles of life as steps to evolutionary growth. Yes alleviates our suffering by freeing us from clinging to anything at all. When things do not go according to our plans, we stretch our potential for trusting a power beyond our ego. Our ego's futile and ferocious attempts to make everything come out its own way give way to letting the chips fall where they may. Yes frees us from the suffering caused by the compulsion to be in charge.
When things are not fair, we evoke our potential to act fairly no matter what. This means trusting a power beyond our ego, with all its insistence on retaliation and its petulant demands for equity. A yes to this third given frees us from the suffering that happens when we are caught up in getting back at people and when we hold grudges.
When pain enters our life, we activate our potential for facing it without complaint, and we gain compassion for others who also suffer. A yes to this fourth given frees us from the suffering that comes from useless protest.
When people are not loyal or loving toward us, we enliven our potential for unconditional love. A yes frees us from the suffering caused by our need to hurt or reject those who have disappointed us.
Fear is a "no" to what is.
To fear these givens is to be afraid of life, since they are its components. Fear prevents us from experiencing life fully and living in the moment by creating avoidance and attraction. We avoid what is unpleasant and we grasp at whatever makes us feel good. The Buddhist tradition encourages us to take a middle path.
Each condition of existence equips us with a handy skill. Yes means we are open to the events that befall us, but we are not bowled over by what happens. We are resourceful in dealing with the givens; we do all we can to handle them. Then we let the chips fall where they may. Soon we pick them up one by one and place our bets again.
There is a vitality in us, a sparkle - a bonfire, actually - that cannot be extinguished by any tragedy. Something in us, an urge toward wholeness, a passion for evolving, makes us go on, start over, not give up, not give in.
Excerpted and adapted from The Five Things We Cannot Change and the Happiness We Find by Embracing Them by David Richo, ©2005. Sent by M. Theophil.

 

nick18_in

MP Guru
7 Destructive Habits of Incompetent People

7 Destructive Habits of Incompetent People
by Michael Lee, CPA

WARNING! If you want to have a fantastic life, never engage yourself in these 7 deadly habits that incompetent people do.

NUMBER 1 - They Think, Say, & Do Negative Things.

Yup. They see problems in every opportunity.

They complain that the sun is too hot. They cursed the
rain for ruining their plans for the day. They blame
the wind for ruining their hair.

They think that everyone is against them. They see the
problems but never the solutions.

Every little bit of difficulty is exaggerated to the
point of tragedy. They regard failures as
catastrophes. They become discouraged easily instead
of learning from their mistakes. They never seem to
move forward because they're always afraid to come out
of their comfort zones.

NUMBER 2 - They Act Before They Think.

They move based on instinst or impulse. If they see
something they like, they buy at once without any
second thought.

Then they see something better. They regret & curse
for not able to take advantage of the bargain.

Then they spend & spend again until nothing's left.
They don't think about the future. What they're after
is the pleasure they will experience at present. They
don't think about the consequences.

NUMBER 3 - They Talk Much More Than They Listen

They want to be the star of the show. So they always
engage in talks that would make them heroes, even to
the point of lying.

Oftentimes they are not aware that what they're saying
is not sensible anymore.

When other people advise them, they close their ears
because they're too proud to admit their mistakes.

In their mind they're always correct. They reject
suggestions because that will make them feel inferior.


NUMBER 4 - They Give Up Easily

Successful people treat failures as stepping stones to
success.

Incompetent ones call it quits upon recognizing the
first signs of failure.

At first, they may be excited to start an endeavor.
But then they lose interest fairly quickly, especially
when they encounter errors.

Then they go & search for a new one. Same story & same
results. Incompetent people don't have the persistence
to go on and fulfill their dreams.

NUMBER 5 - They Try to Bring Others Down To Their
Level

Incompetent people envy other successful individuals.
Instead of working hard to be like them, these
incompetent ones spread rumors and try every dirty
trick to bring them down.

They could've asked these successful ones nicely. But
no, they're too proud. They don't want to ask advise.
Moreover, they're too negative to accomplish anything.


NUMBER 6 - They Waste Their Time

They don't know what to do next. They may just be
contented on eating, getting drunk, watching TV, or
worse, staring at the blank wall with no thoughts
whatsoever to improve their lives.

It's perfectly fine to enjoy once in a while. But time
should be managed efficiently in order to succeed.
There should be a proper balance between work &
pleasure.

NUMBER 7 - They Take the Easy Way Out

If there are two roads to choose from, incompetent
people would choose the wider road with less rewards
than the narrower road with much better rewards at the
end.

They don't want any suffering or hardship. They want a
good life.

What these people don't know is that what you reap is
what you sow. Efforts & action will not go unnoticed.

If only they would be willing to sacrifice a little,
they would be much better off.

Successful people made it through trials & error. They
never give up. They are willing to do everything
necessary to achieve what they aspire for in life.

Live life to the fullest!

 

nick18_in

MP Guru
Saying Thank You Works ... What a Concept

Saying Thank You Works ... What a Concept
When was the last time you wrote a note to thank someone you did business with, or hoped to do business with? I'm not talking about the quick one second email here either. Think about that for a moment.
Now let me restate the question from a different point of view... Have you ever received a thank you note from someone you met with, a note written not for any direct purpose or with any hidden agenda, simply one in which they had taken the time to acknowledge their genuine appreciation to you for something? I bet it made a pretty big impression on you didn't it? Of course it did... it always does.
So why is it that so few of us make a habit of writing thank you notes? It's almost as though it is a lost art. Sad, but true. Now consider for a moment how easy it would be to put yourself in an otherwise enviable place in the minds of your business associates, colleagues, and prospects (and family and friends) -- by simply taking the time to send a thank you note. Trust me when I tell you it's a habit worth developing.
There are any number of ways you can start developing the habit of sending sincere thank you notes. Anything from an all out greeting card, to a simple postcard can work well. For years I've used simple post cards that include my web site address on them with the words, "Thank you for your support" -- nothing fancy, but the words I choose to write always come from the heart, which is what matters anyway.
Such a simple way to show your appreciation, but oh so effective.
If you're not quite sold on the positive effects that sending thank you notes can have consider the following quote, "All things being equal, people will always choose to do business with those they know, trust and like first".
Now doesn't it just make sense to start sending out those "thank you's" starting now?
-- Here's to your success, Josh Hinds
 
Top