What are the general ingredients for success for an entrepreneur who is leaving his job to have his own set-up?

An idea. A business that is your hobby, passion or interest. So come up with a business idea. What hobbies or activities you like that can generate money?

Develop a business plan. Write down what your business will offer, how and to whom. Include your long-term goals. Writing brings clarity.

Do market research to check out your competitors. Who else is offering the same service? How do they promote it and at what prices?

Determine how will you market the product?

But when I look at all the people who left their jobs and are now successful small business owners, I find that they have different attitudes and behaviours. Everyone may not operate from the structured steps mentioned above. For instance, one entrepreneur would measure success by sales growth, while another by independent lifestyle.

Small business owners can be divided into five groups, each displaying distinct attitudes, according to a study conducted in the USA – Idealists, Hard Workers, Jugglers, Optimisers and Sustainers. While each type can be successful, they all take different routes to success.

Idealists: Twenty-four per cent of business owners surveyed, fit the Idealists mold, making this the largest of the five groups. Idealists start businesses to work on something special, according to the study. For example, Navin says. “I love creating content, developing software and doing all the designing.” After working for different organisations, he now owns his business that looks at interactivity of web-based applications.

Although they love creative work and are technically adept in their field, Idealists are impatient with administrative tasks. So they may not want to grow their business to an extent where all they would be doing is to manage people and administrative work.

Optimisers: At 21%, they prefer the personal rewards of entrepreneurship – freedom and flexibility for expansion. They do want growth, but the most important thing is the profit made.

Hard Workers: Representing 20% of those studied, they tend to put in more hours to achieve results. They’re detail-oriented, financially aggressive and the most growth-oriented group of entrepreneurs.

Jugglers: Accounting for 20% of the sample, they are the most personally involved in their businesses. They feel the pressure to pay bills, make payroll and keep cash flow positive. They’re technologically savvy and embrace the internet. They think nobody can do it like them and are consequently reluctant to delegate. Anup left his job as a senior designer while he was with a leading newspaper and now runs his own designing shop. While he has couple of junior assistants, he does most of the job and deals with clients himself. He is a one man organisation!

Sustainers: At 15%, these entrepreneurs are likely to have inherited companies rather than started from scratch. They might have left their job to join the family business or a friend’s business. They work hard and would rather put in more hours than apply technology to problems. They’re the most conservative group, often declaring they don’t want growth and are happy with the way things are.

To begin, you must expect your audience to drift on and off from time to time while you speak.  To bring them back to you, you will need to complement a strong visual image together with a variation in your speech delivery and interesting visual aids.  It is therefore important to realise that different styles of clothes or dress will be required for different audiences.

The business presentation

If your audience is small for example, a boardroom presentation, you will have to adopt a softer and less intimidating look.  A bright red suit just won’t do in such a scenario.  The key is to wear something that will relax your audience. So, women should go for neutral coloured suits and introduce more colour with blouses.  The accessories should be kept to minimum; a gold and pearl combination looks most elegant.   For men, don’t dazzle your audience with bright colours or wild patterns.  Keep your suit black or navy blue and instead of wearing a burning red tie, go for calming colours like green, blue or gray.  The trick is that if you concentrate the colour near your face, it will act like a spotlight focusing attention on you and what you are saying.

On the other hand, a large audience becomes ‘a theatre’ and therefore requires a ‘costume’.  Thus, a navy-suited speaker will not create much of an impact at a conference of 500 people.  This will call for the occasion of bringing more colours into your jacket if not the entire suit. Try brighter colours to win your audience’s attention. Remember, it is the colour of your suit and not the bold patterns of your suits.

It will be useful if you can check the lighting of the room before your presentation. If the area where you are speaking is dark, you will need to brighten up by wearing lighter or brighter shades.

When selecting the style of your suits, do take into account how your body reacts under the stress of giving presentations. If you are the type that moves around when speaking, then be sure your clothes allow plenty of movement. Avoid tight skirts or jackets. Always keep your jackets buttoned when speaking so as to avoid any unnecessary distractions (e.g. your bosom, tummy or waist).

Make sure you are well groomed. Women should wear flattering makeup that is not too heavy and have their hair done stylishly. Similarly, men should have a clean-shaven look with their hair neatly trimmed and styled.

Appearing on television

The idea of appearing on television can be very daunting. If we watch news interviews or panel discussions, often times, we take particular note of how badly the interviewee can come across in terms of his or her appearance. It is very difficult to concentrate on what is said by someone who is wearing a gaudy scarf, necklace or even tie. Nonetheless, accept the fact that you will look bigger when you appear on TV. So, do not worry when you see yourself on TV; it is the camera, and not you.  Read on to find out the following tips to look great for your TV debut.

Remember to wear simple outfits without any distraction from your face. This means you should wear solid colours avoiding black and white shirts or tops. Black tops cancel out your top half, and it makes you look formless. White makes you look pale and washed out. You should also avoid red which tends to ‘bleed’ on camera -  the edges run and look fuzzy. Stripes or herringbone patterns can appear to be ‘dancing’ or moving around the screen. A monochromatic blend of colours is the best! Plunging necklines are no-no and again keep your jewellery or accessories to minimum.

Makeup is a must when appearing on TV. Most TV shows would have a makeup artist. If not, you will have to put on foundation before you appear in front of the camera. Pl

So I call myself an evangelist for success, an evangelist out to inspire people to make the most of themselves – to Be More, Do More and Have More in life. I want to help those who dare to go on a crusade – to be their best, better than their best. I want to put an end to mediocrity. We may be born average, but let’s leave our mark of excellence behind, that’s my war cry!

Some of you may be trainers already, or simply evangelists for success like I am. The rest of you are probably in a totally different profession – lawyers, doctors, engineers, fresh graduates, it really doesn’t matter. What’s important is that you have decided to read this article because a germ of an idea has entered your mind: Can I be a trainer? Is it something I may want to do?

It’s about giving and receiving
When we stand on a platform, we are giving of ourselves. By sharing our experiences, our knowledge and skills, we are making an impact on our audience. Whether positive or negative, we are leaving an imprint on others.

There is an awesome responsibility attached to that thought. Some may see it as power and they get a real kick out of it. To me, it is a wonderful opportunity to be able to “contribute”, to live a life that is significant and to influence others positively.

I started off on my journey of becoming a trainer/speaker because I wanted to give. But along the way, I have received so much more than I had started out with.
An experience I would never forget was when my husband and I were first invited to be keynote speakers for a business seminar in Sydney. I was a little nervous at the start, but my passion soon put that nervousness far away. At the end of a long day, where we spoke for two sessions, we were amazed when we saw a long stream of people coming up on stage, waiting to shake our hands, to speak to us, some to hug us and some to ask a question. It was a truly humbling experience, one I would not want to exchange for all the money in the world.

As Danny Thomas said, “Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It’s what you do for others.”

And the most wonderful part is: The more we give, the more we will receive. Even as we give to our audience, likewise they are giving to us too – not only their time, but their attention, their energy, encouragement, and their commitment to following our teaching and advice. The completion of this cycle of reciprocity must be the goal of any trainer or speaker.

It’s about personal growth

As a Japanese proverb says, to teach is to learn. There is no better way to grow than to undertake the task to teach in the area we wish to grow in. We learn, we teach what we learn, we grow and the cycle goes on.

Why is growth important? If we don’t grow, we’re not really living. We’re just existing, what I call, occupying space. If you look at the life of someone who is not growing, it’s very much like watching a soap opera. You may not have watched it for some time, and when you tune in again after a few weeks or even months, much of the same stuff is still going on.

I meet many people who share with me their dream of becoming a trainer. Or perhaps I should say “hope”. They have a hope that they can become a trainer but they do not take that crucial first step of deciding to just be one.

They hesitate because they feel they are not yet good enough to teach. Some gave up on their dreams even before they got started because they judge themselves purely on their current state. They forget that everyone has the capacity to grow. As Zig Ziglar says, “Go as far as you can see and when you get there, you will always be able to see farther.”

It’s about Finding Your Purpose

Many people become trainers and educators because they had made a decision that they wanted to live the rest of their lives with purpose.

My husband Patrick developed a programme called YES Club International (Young Entrepreneurs Success Club International) for young adults aged 18 to 25 because he had a passion of wanting to help them design the lives they want. He sees young people who are so lost as to which direction they should take. He sees people in their 60s who, if they had the chance to live the last 30 years of their life again, would choose a different path and different actions.

For Patrick, it was a new purpose he found that prompted him to become a trainer.  He was already financially free, and established as a business coach and presenter in his existing business. But this was a new passion he discovered, something that would keep his adrenaline pumping – to develop a duplicable system so young people around the world could have mentors to help them design the life they really want.

What is your purpose? What is your dream?

Jessica See, a Certified Professional Trainer and Coach (IPMA UK), conducts programmes on ‘Training as a Profession’ in Singapore, Malaysia, Shanghai and Beijing. She can be contacted at  Jessica@qscasia.com

Who Is A Procrastinator?

To overcome the habit of a procrastinator, you should first identify the common tell-tale signs. Because this is a habit shared by several people, sometimes you won’t even be able to identify that you possess these characteristics.

A procrastinator is someone who puts off task at a later time, thinking they have the ability to complete tasks last-minute. Plus, s/he likes to believe that they have things under control until confronted by the reality that time is fast running out and there are still loads of work to be done. Even though he or she manages to complete the task on time, the quality is questionable.

Reasons For Procrastination

There are several reasons why people procrastinate. Oftentimes, it is innate to an individual or it could be lack of self discipline. However, it is important to point out the reason for this unhealthy habit so as to know how to deal with it.

1.Desire for perfection. Aspiring for perfection is not a negative thing. However, you have to make sure that it is realistic enough for your own skills. If not, then you are merely finding an excuse to postpone tasks.

2.Frustration. When tasks become too difficult, an individual’s response would be to give up easily due to frustration. Aside from complaining about the task, you often decide to put it off until such time when you are at a better mood to attend to it.

3.Lack of belief in own ability. When you start doubting your own skills and abilities, you will find it of no use working on the task assigned to you. Hence, you will lose productive time and end up accomplishing nothing.

Finding A Cure

Only when you have been able to recognize the reasons for your procrastinating habits will you be able to arrive at a resolution to your problem. There could be several reasons for this, so you have to arrive at a specific angle to effectively address this unhealthy habit.

For some people, responsibility is a burden. Therefore, when they are obliged to do something, they initially resent it and look for ways not to deal with the responsibility. However, by embracing your task as something that you actually enjoy doing, then you’d become more productive in it. In order to do that, you must create a balance between work and recreational activities. Do not punish yourself by depraving your schedule with fun. Make room for fun into your schedule. This might seem unproductive but by doing this, you will realize that you become more productive.

As soon as you start work on a task, the amount of work you need to put in could readily discourage you. Therefore, you need to mentally condition yourself to appropriate this one large task into smaller tasks that are more manageable. Once you get started on one, you will find it easy to pick up the pace and before you know it, you are finished.

Benefits of Overcoming Procrastination

1. Peace of mind
2. Having a sense of accomplishment
3. Regaining control of your life
4. Increased personal freedom

Self discipline is essential in helping overcome the habits of procrastination. When you learn to identify the unhealthy habits you possess, you can be on your way to overcoming procrastination and increasing your productivity.

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Larry Rivera is a Internet Network Marketer who teaches people how to use the internet to start a home based business. Success University is the #1 Personal Development website on the internet. It gives you a place to earn while you learn. Having problems with relationship building, Learn the skills they never taught you in school.

http://www.profitonknowledge.com

Do it well, and you’ll shine. Do it badly and you could muddy your reputation and find yourself being passed over for advancement.

To help you make the right impression, here are four simple rules to remember, which will move you in the right direction.

1. Find out what the expectations are – and exceed them. Sounds obvious and simple – yet in my experience it’s neither! Try to answer the following questions:

Do you actually know what your manager’s top priorities are?

How clear are you about the order of priority your manager has for each area of your performance? How clear do you think your manager is about his/her expectations of you?

Sometimes expectations are written – but more often than not, they are unwritten expectations, which your boss may never have really clearly articulated to themselves, let alone you!

Put it this way -¬† if you don’t know for sure what will score you top points with this individual, you may find yourself chasing down the wrong rabbit hole.

And this is NOT about currying favour, or ingratiating yourself. This is about having a clear understanding on both sides about what is important, so you both know and agree where you should focus most of your time and attention. It actually makes your job easier.

So – if you don’t know the answers to the questions above – make a date in your diary to discuss this with your boss! (And before you actually have that meeting, make sure you read technique 4!)

2. Anticipate and address a boss’ concerns The trick here is a technique from what we call Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and is about being able to see the different “perceptual positions” around an issue. Put simply this means seeing something through someone else’s eyes, so you understand their thoughts, feelings, worries and perspectives.

An obvious way is to ask them! And we’d definitely encourage you to fnd the right opportunities to do just that. However, sometimes there’s neither time, nor is it appropriate. So what do you do then? You put yourself in their shoes. And when we say in their shoes – we mean wearing their shoes and looking through their eyes! This is not how you would feel in their shoes. You’re not them!

So, this is easier said than done. But here’s a few killer questions to ask yourself:

What will my  boss be anxious about?

What do his bosses expect of him?

How does what I do to help him/her look good?

If I/we do “x”, what might he/she be concerned about?

By answering these questions you’ll be much clearer about what you need to do to both pre-empt and address their concerns. It also significantly increases their perception you really understand where they are coming from, which in turn significantly¬† strengthens the trust and relationship between you.

3. Consistently look for ways to add value. This is a really simple rule. Bosses are more likely to listen if you speak in “can-do” language, and you are organised, and sound enthusiastic and eager to deliver results.

Look ahead when discussing a project, rather than dwelling on what’s already occurred. Follow through on promises. And adopt a “no-excuses” policy. Failing to produce results almost guarantees a boss will doubt your abilities. So, if you haven’t quite achieved what you set out to do – rather than saying what you’ve not been able to do, start with what you have achieved; be specific about what barriers there were, and summarise your plans to get back on track.

Your boss has pressures of his own. Don’t add to them.

4. Know your style – and know their style; and adapt your behaviour to suit their preferences. A great analogy from relationship expert Shay McConnon is that of the “hot chilli trap”. What is this? It’s when someone assumes that, because they love hot chilli, everyone else does too! Patently, some people do not like hot chilli!

If you’re in a foreign country you at least attempt to learn “please” and “thank you” in their language and show respect for their customs. It’s just courtesy. You adapt your own behaviour to show respect for the differences of perception.

To assume, because we speak the same language, we see things in the same way¬† – is quite clearly erroneous, yet we still persist in believing the mantra “treat others as you’d like to be treated.”

Absolutely not! Treat others as they would like to be treated.

So what does this mean for you in your relationship with your boss? It means the more you get to understand their style and preferences, and tweak your style to match, the more likely they are to warm towards you. If you lean towards an eye for detail and precision, but your boss just wants the big picture – give it that way. What is their biggest strength? Capitalise on it. What is their central goal? How can you assist? If they are extroverts who like to talk through ideas, provide that opportunity. If they are introverts who like to be able to read through something, and ponder it first, present your proposals in a way which will help them assimilate the information and ask questions.

Respect how they like to be treated.

And what if they don’t show the same trespect for you? Well, that’s a subject for another article!

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Shona Garner is an experienced Executive and Business Coach, specialising in helping managers build top performing teams, and increase their own standing in the organisation.
For a straight talking, practical guide to the top four secrets of every outstanding manager, visit http://www.increasingmanagerialsuccess.com/freereport.php

That may seem a little daunting, when we do pause in our journey through life’s many twists and turns, to consider how we actually make choices. Choice of career, choice of spouse, choice of investment, the list goes on. Is it by instinct or “gut feeling” or do we actually analyse the important decisions we make in life? Or do we get so paralysed by fear of making the wrong decision, that we simply abdicate from any responsibility and just leave it to “fate”?

A case in point was a young man I was coaching recently. He has been working in a financial institution for several years now. Armed with a Bachelor of Science degree from NUS, he had several options when he first graduated. So how did he make his choice, I asked him. Was it what he really loved to do? I’m afraid not, as he did not have a clue what he would really like to do with the rest of his life! No, instead he looked at which job paid better, he also asked his parents and a few friends for their opinion, and of course, the answer came from their beliefs as to which job was more “stable”, had better prospect, and so on.

Certainly not a wise way to make decisions. Yet, who can take him to task for how he embarked on choosing what direction to take for his life then? Were any of us taught how to make choices in school?

Or are we taught to go the safe route, to live with compromise, as we would have plenty of that?

For those looking for a job or those at the crossroads as to what direction to take for the rest of your life, here are some thoughts on what not to do when making choices:

1.    Don’t attempt to weigh all options.

This is what I used to do – make a “pros and cons” list for each option and then set about analyzing what’s the best thing to do. All that happens at the end of the process is that we simply end up more confused than when we first started off!

2.    Don’t think of all the things you don’t want.

When thinking about what career to go into for example, don’t waste time thinking what you don’t want to be doing. Instead, focus on what you do want to do and what job is ideal for you. As the saying goes, what you focus on expands. Similarly, don’t focus on solving problems. If you keep focusing on your problems, and what you don’t want in life, that is exactly what would expand!

Instead use a creative approach – think about what you want in life and focus on how to create that for your self.

I remember an incident when I was still young and struggling with my business. One day I was sitting in my office, shuffling all the bills and cracking my head which one should I pay first with my limited resources. Then, a friend – much older and wiser than me came in, asked what I was doing, and when I shared my dilemma with him, he opened my desk drawer, pushed all the bills in and said to me, “Now go out and make the money you need!”

There are three types of choices that can help take you forward – primary, secondary and fundamental choices.

Primary choices are choices you make with regard to major results e.g. “I choose to be financially free in five years’ time.” Meanwhile, secondary choices that can help you take a step toward your primary results. In the above example, a secondary choice to support the choice to be financially free may be to build a second source of income, or perhaps to set aside money for investment.

What about fundamental choices? This is something not many people are aware of, but it is indeed crucial if you want to be really successful in life. Whereas a primary choice concerns itself with specific results and a secondary choice supports those results, a fundamental choice has to do with a state of being, or basic life orientation.

A fundamental choice is the foundation upon which primary and secondary choices rest. It is not subject to changes in internal or external circumstances. An example could be the choice to be true to oneself.

The schools do not teach us how to make choices in life, but it is a skill that can be learnt and once mastered, can help us live a life of our dreams.

Patrick Lim is a Certified Professional Trainer, and Certified Professional Coach (IPMA UK) and COO of Institute of Business Coaches, specializing in coaching for business and life coaches.

There’s an old German saying that goes, “You have to take life as it happens, but you should try to make it happen the way you want to take it.” Are you planning to just let life “happen” to you or do you plan to play an active part in designing the life you want?

Some of you may say, yes, I would like to do that, but trouble is, I don’t know how to get started. So you just go with the crowd, or take the path that’s most hassle-free. Unfortunately, more often than not, the crowd may not know where it is going, and if so, then everyone ends up like everyone else, wondering what has happened to their life many years down the road!

A lot of people tend to take life for granted. They think that by the time they are in their 40s or 50s everything will fall into place by itself.

Are you willing to take that chance? Remember, you only have one life, and you can’t turn back the clock. Life is not a full dress rehearsal; it’s only going to happen once. You can’t say, “Cut, let’s start it all over again.”

The truth is, for most people, after 20 or 30 years of working, they only discover what they do not want, without a clue as to what they really want in life.

We all know we want something. Words like financial freedom, wealth, lifestyle, are catch words everyone is using. But do they know what it actually means? Do they know what it takes to achieve that? Do they know how or where to get it?

So my advice is: take the time right now to work out a design for your life. If life was a movie, and you are the producer and actor, what role would you want to play and how would the plot unfold? Designing your life is like making a movie. You have to be able to see the end at the beginning. It may start off a little hazy, but as you continue working on it, it would become clearer and clearer. You’ve got to write the script, put in the characters. Use your imagination, let your creative juices flow.

Does it mean that what you have designed is going to be set in concrete? Certainly not. You are the producer of your life. You can change, delete, or add in anything you want in your project. But at least by doing this exercise of designing your life, you are in control of your circumstances, rather than become a victim of them.

Here are some simple steps to help you get started!

1.    Find a nice quiet spot where you will be undisturbed for at least 20 minutes.
2.    Equip yourself with a pencil and a new note pad that will become your “Life Book”.
3.    Draw a time line across a page, from now to say five years on.
4.    At the left end of the time line, write “Present State”; at the right end, write “Desired State”.
5.    On the left end, describe as accurately as you can your Present State. Ask questions like:
a. What am I doing now?
b. What is my income, if any?
c. Do I like what I do?
6.    On the right side, under Desired State, describe as clearly as you can what you would like to see five years from now. Ask yourself, if I can’t fail…
a. What do I really want to be?
b. What do I want to have?
c. What will my life be like?
7. Between the Present State and Desired State mark on the time line
a. What must I do to get what I want?
b. Who can help me?
c. What skills do I need?
d. What resources do I need?

The first time you may not get all the answers you want. If you do this exercise daily for some time, I can guarantee you that you will end up with a pretty good design for your life. You will know where to get what you want, what to do, who can help you and so on.

You don’t stop working on your project to design your life. I recommend you keep going back to the “Life Book” you have created; it’s a “project in progress”.

Take charge of your life now. If not now, when?

Patrick Lim is a Certified Professional Trainer, and Certified Professional Coach (IPMA UK) and COO of Institute of Business Coaches, specializing in coaching for business and life coaches.

It starts at the top. Too many times managers blow off the session because they don’t need it (of course). This sends a strong message to all their followers: this training is not worth my time. If leaders haven’t attended the training themselves, how can they reinforce the message? I see this in medical environments all the time – the nursing staff has to attend customer service training, not the doctors – they are way too important. Guess who treats both the nurses and the patients poorly? The doctors. What kind of message does this send to the nurses? No wonder they don’t want to go to training.

Make it better: If you are going to have training for your people, you should go through it yourself. When you are there, support the trainer and your learners.

Exception: The only time you may want to consider not attending is if you want your people to interact freely with the trainer without your possibly intimidating presence. This is a very valid reason for not being there. If that’s the case – tell your people. Tell them you think the training is important and why you are not going.

No one likes boring training. Make sure the training is good and has value for the attendees. I know this seems obvious, but something horrible has happened to people. They have had to sit through boring sessions and they hate it. There are enough good presenters out there that you can find someone with high energy, humor and great information. Take the time to check out your trainers. If you are using internal trainers, make sure they don’t get burned out and bored with their own material. Take good care of them‚Äîthey have a big impact on your employees.

Make it better: If you people are laughing, they are not in pain. Good training can help with morale and retention. Don’t settle for boring.

They don’t want to be embarrassed. Make it fun, but don’t make attendees feel stupid or uncomfortable. I do a lot of customer service training. Very few attendees are excited about coming. Leadership is seldom there and it’s often held after hours. People think they are somehow being punished for not doing their jobs. It’s a tough crowd and I know I have to win them over and get them to drop their defenses fast. That’s why I have my Elvis theme. Right away they know this isn’t going to be like any customer service training they’ve had before. And before they know it, they’re laughing. I do not make them do any Elvis impersonations; they are never embarrassed or made to do anything that would make them uncomfortable. It’s interactive without putting anyone on the spot. If anybody acts silly, it’s me.

Make it better: Most adults are terrified of looking like idiots. Training should be fun and safe or your people will dread it.

Attendees‚Äîyou are not off the hook! You should come with an open mind. Hey, if you have to be there, you might as well have fun! Most of us have never been to a class where we learned nothing. In this life, you’re either growing or you’re dying. Take the chance to grow and learn. It’s the best way to improve.

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Denise Ryan, MBA, is a Certified Speaking Professional, a designation of excellence held by less than 10% of all professional speakers.  She is a blogger http://motivationbychocolate.blogspot.com
Her website is http://www.firestarspeaking.com

In his book, Getting Engaged: The New Workplace Loyalty, author Tim Rutledge explains that truly engaged employees are attracted to, and inspired by, their work (“I want to do this”), committed (“I am dedicated to the success of what I am doing”), and fascinated (“I love what I am doing”).

Employees who have these essential traits within themselves, become the brand ambassadors of the company and make it an Employer of choice.

Different studies have been made inside and outside companies to know about the attachment/engagement of employees with the company and the results are like high current waves in a sea, which can lead to disaster.
Results show that only 29% of employees are actively engaged in their jobs. These employees work with passion and feel a profound connection to their company. People that are actively engaged help move the organization forward. 84% of highly engaged employees believe they can positively impact quality of their organization’s products, compared with only 31% of the disengaged. 72% of highly engaged employees believe they can positively affect customer service, versus 27% of the disengaged. 68% of highly engaged employees believe they can positively impact costs in their job or unit, compared with just 19% of the disengaged. Engaged employees feel a strong emotional bond to the organization that employs them. This is associated with people demonstrating willingness to recommend the organization to others and commit time and effort to help the organization succeed. It suggests that people are motivated by intrinsic factors (e.g. personal growth, working to a common purpose, being part of a larger process) rather than simply focusing on extrinsic factors (e.g., pay/reward). [Ref: Blessing White (April 2008). 2008 Employee Engagement Report].

Advantages of engaged employees
•    Engaged employees are of mindset to stay with the company, and contribute to the bottom line of the business.
•    Usually they execute better and have smiles on their faces.
•    There is a significant link between employee engagement and fostering environment for creativity for sustained profitability.
•    It builds passion, commitment and alignment with the organization’s strategies and goals.
•    Increases employees’ trust in the organization and creates a sense of loyalty in a competitive environment.
•    Provides a high-energy working environment.
•    Makes the employees effective brand ambassadors for the company.
It shows how imperative is employee engagement for sustainable growth of the organization, especially in today’s aggressive scenario, where attrition rate is getting high.

Key drivers for engagement
Employees have different thought processes which drive them towards getting involved with the company. Here are some key drivers.
•    The importance they have in the company in terms of policy making, decision making etc
•    Their career matrix, along with the challenges of work
•    The monetary aspects/benefits
•    Other factors like health, safety, security
•    How open are they to put up their points in front of management
•    How happy they feel when they come to their respective offices
•    Reward and recognition program
•    Effective leadership; leadership by example
•    Motivation towards work, by means of mentors, coworkers
•    An assertive feedback of their work and clarity of responsibilities

Practices for engaging employees
1.    Meetings: Meetings are the best way to know about the gamut of the company we are working into. These days Intranet also helps a lot to break the ice. The more employees know their company, the more they feel involved. It has also been observed that sometimes, employees spend a good amount of time on the intranet and are taking things forward. Employers can set their default home page as their company’s portal, and see the difference it makes. In the same manner, in-house magazine also works. Inviting employees to write their own viewpoint make them feel involved with the company.
2.    Skill update: Technical trainings/soft skills trainings/certification programs/higher studies always make employees feel prouder of the company they are working with. In today’s competitive world, the skill enhancement is the only way to survive happily. That’s why when companies take care of their employees upgradation, employees also feel engaged.
3.    Reward and recognition: Another way for connecting employees and to bring a smile on their faces. On-the spot appreciation, which can be for anything advantageous for the work place or for the entire company, or the recognition award given at some very special day for the stupendous performance or contribution, are some of the ways which also add in to the value of employee-engagement.
4.    Developing organization culture: These days companies are doing a lot of brain storming for developing their culture. Celebrating events is one of the ways to do so.

When I was a little girl – almost too long ago to recall – I remember my teacher asking me what I wanted to be when I grew up. My reply without hesitation was, “Sunday school teacher.” She must have been a little too taken aback to reply as I can’t seem to recall what she had to say to that.

Don’t ask me why I said that, perhaps my naïve mind was thinking, “Cool, I only need to work on Sundays!” Anyway, I never became a Sunday school teacher or even teacher, but instead became an editor for a women’s magazine for nine years and today, I “teach” adults on a variety of topics from image and grooming to how one can design their life – my absolute passion.

I don’t know about you but I’ve never heard a child who’s asked what he or she would like to be when they grow up, answer “Trainer.” They may say: doctor, lawyer or even astronaut but “trainer”? No, never! One is then tempted to engage in a lengthy discussion if a “trainer” is indeed a professional, as well as what exactly qualifies one to be a trainer.

But we shall not go in that direction here. My objective in writing this article is to highlight that training can indeed be a fantastic career alternative that pays well, better than most other professions. In fact some of the more well-known world class speakers and trainers can be ranked in the same pay bracket as world class entertainers!

So what does it take to be a professional trainer? Experience, expertise and, in my opinion, a passion for sharing. You may be an engineer, a doctor, a corporate executive – doesn’t really matter. Question to ask is: Do you have valuable experience/expertise/ideas to share with others? If the answer is yes, then the next question to ask is: Will they benefit from your sharing/teaching?

That would be at the very basic level. What is then needed to elevate one to the next level of being a good teacher/trainer/instructor/coach/motivator Рand indeed a trainer is all of that and more Рis the ability to communicate and present. As well-known speaker and trainer KC See once said, “Brilliance, without the capability to communicate or present it, is worth little in an organization.”

1. Communication skills

This is not so much about how eloquently you speak but rather, how well people understand you and how effectively your message is put across. At the end of the training period, there has to be productive change in the participants otherwise, as far as I’m concerned, the training objectives have not been met.

The highest level of communication which I personally would strive for as a communicator is what is known as persuasive communication. This takes place when the person(s) we are communicating with, 1) understands what we want to say, 2) feels what we are feeling and is then 3) motivated to take action on what we have said.  Effective communication may stop short at (2); the listener may not necessarily want to do something about what he or she has just heard.

There is so much to learn about communication that it’s truly an art, and a most fascinating one as well. There are so many elements to persuasive communication – body language, the art of asking questions…. You can see racks of books on this subject in the library or bookstore! I will certainly not attempt to oversimplify it in this short article. Suffice it to say, if you dedicate yourself to learning how to master this art, you will indeed be able to achieve whatever you set out to do in life.

2. Presentation skills

I’ve known many good communicators who do well one-to-one or in small groups but get tongue-tied when presenting from a stage.  Hence, the term, stage-fright. I also know many who simply bloom when put on a stage. In fact, to some “born” performers, it seems like the world’s their stage and life is but a performance.

So how can one move from the first group to the latter? Is good public speaking really something that’s inborn or can it be developed? Of course the skills can be learned and developed! You can learn how to get the butterflies to fly in formation! You can learn how to captivate and engage your audience. Once you’ve mastered the skills, I promise you, you will enjoy it… tremendously! And along the way, pick up some great income as well.

Jessica See, a Certified Professional Trainer and Coach (IPMA UK), conducts programmes on ‘Training as a Profession’ in Singapore, Malaysia, Shanghai and Beijing. She can be contacted at  Jessica@qscasia.com

Research indicates interesting facts about HR professional’s career span – less than 1.5 years at the junior level, less than three years at the middle level and up to 5 years at the senior level. Few organizations can boast of HR longevity. Is that a boon or a curse?

Someone might point out that when entire governments are run by short-term heads of states – clouds passing by – then why single our HR for short spans at a position?

A US president serves for 4 years. If lucky and elected again, it could be a maximum of 8 years. The story is the same in almost all parts of the world. Prime ministers hardly ever last for more than 5 years.

If such is the volatility in the larger space of governance, HR is a small player in a particular industry and should not be singled out for shorter life spans.

But there is an inherent paradox in case of HR people. On the one hand, they bat for the idea of retention, on the other hand they themselves have such short tenures.

It is therefore important that industries should reconcile to the rotating model and accept HR retention as a non-value add. They need to look at rotatable HR as a positive process for better value adds. Academic institutions training students for HR should focus on the art of making permanent impact in semi-permanent roles.

Another challenge for HR people is their ‘out’-standing contributions. Yes, their contribution is very high in the periphery Рin public presentations and forums.
But when it comes to internal customers – be it line managers or business managers – HR people are seen as just gate-keepers.

They are considered a nuisance and their inclusion in business process is more for being politically correct rather than for any business value add. The general perception is that if they are not in the limelight, they become dangerous distracters.

The reason is that HR DNA is linked to power and powerlessness is unthinkable for the HR fraternity. Unless all that changes, there is no hope.

It is about time HR became ‘in’-standing rather than outstanding. HR professionals need to learn the art of

1. Co-creating.
2. Co-ownership.
3. Magnanimity.

HR needs to imbibe servant leadership, not as a spiritual journey but as a success tool for the right journey. The key ingredients of servant leadership are

? Be behind.
? Have ability to enable and empower.
? Let go.

These are high-end competencies which need strong nurturing. But then this nurturing will eventually change the nature (the very DNA of HR).

HR manager’s KRA should include tangibles in terms of the number of managers with multi-tasking, grass-root teams with multi-skilling and driving lean processes. Uptime on employee engagement should be the critical indicator in the HR score card.

When it comes to equipment, we talk of OEE (overall equipment effectiveness). When it comes to people, do we track their OPE (overall people effectiveness)? Can we bring in measurability to OPE?

In their semi-permanent roles, HR people need to become the custodian of “share and care”. Will they rise to the occasion?

In recent weeks, I have been getting calls from clients who have lost or are about to lose their jobs. It doesn’t matter that they may not have even liked their job. Now that they are out of work without a job they thought they could count on for a livelihood, most are at a lost about what to do next. Some are in the denial stage while others may have moved on to anger and depression. Many are foreigners and for them, losing their jobs also means that they have to move back to their home country with their family. Some feel they have lost their corporate identity and self-worth.

Are you in the same situation of having been retrenched or are facing some crossroad in your career or professional life? Here are some suggestions on how to get yourself out of it:

1. Acknowledge the Crisis

Losing a job can create as much emotional turmoil as losing a loved one; one may go through the different stages of loss, starting with denial, followed by anger and depression, before acceptance comes.

I know one 45-year old man who went through these stages recently, after losing his high paying job of 15 years. Initially, he refused to accept that he was facing a professional crisis. He dismissed the whole situation as “just a bad patch” that he was going through, blaming it all on an “incompetent boss” and was confident that the ex-boss would soon be begging him to rejoin the company. “Right now,” he said, “all I want is to take a long holiday and worry about it later.”

Two months after this discussion, when it finally dawned on him that his ex-boss was not going to call him back, he then became consumed with anger and hurt. He started bad-mouthing his former employer and told everyone he had resigned because of unethical practices.

When he first came to me, he was already in the depression stage. He could not understand why he, of all the staff in the organization, was fired. Was it because he was too frank and not adept at politicking? Was it some inadequacy on his part?

I told him that the first step towards moving forward is to acknowledge that he is indeed facing a crisis in his life. He was now 45, and it is a fact that many potential employers would prefer younger candidates to fill up job vacancies. No doubt experience counts, but many would-be employers are willing to forego that for they perceive as creativity that is unfettered by past experiences.

Once he has acknowledged he is facing a professional crisis he can then choose how to respond to it.

2. Explore the Options

I have always loved the way the Chinese express the word “crisis”. The Chinese character for “crisis” actually comprises two characters – one means “danger” and the other “opportunity.”

Oxford Dictionary defines “crisis” as “a time of intense difficulty or danger; a turning point for better or worse.” The origin comes from the Greek word krisis which means “decision.”

Whichever way we choose to look at it, one unifying theme defines it: A crisis serves as a wake-up call to alert us to both danger (and turmoil) arising out of non-synchronicity in our lives, as well as to opportunities that can lead to greater things in life. The eventuality depends on the choices and decisions we make.

So take this as a wonderful opportunity to step back and detach yourself from the situation, take a new, fresh look at what you really want for your life and then make the move forward to the life you deserve!

3. Redefine Your Purpose and Passion

How many people really take the time to push the pause button on their lives in order to explore what is their true passion and purpose? Very few, I believe. People just tend to flow along in the path of least resistance – from school to college to job after job, with very little thought given to what they really want to achieve in their lives until it’s probably too late for them to do very much.

So count your blessings now that you have received this wake-up call and been given this opportunity to pause from the auto-drive mode you are in to explore and to discover your purpose and passion.

Reflect on the following questions:
a. Do you feel good about yourself, your life, and where you are going?
b. If time and money are not a problem, what would you be doing on a daily basis?
c. What do you really want for your life? What don’t you want? What have you settled for?
d. Do you feel fulfilled and satisfied with your life choices so far? If not, what would you change if you could?

Whether you are experiencing a professional crisis right now or not, let this article be a reminder for you to step back, re-assess where life is leading you and if you discover that you have been sacrificing meaning, fulfillment, balance and happiness in life for the outward trappings of “career success”, it’s time to regain control of your life and choose a more meaningful path to self-fulfillment.

Young Man (YM): Master, how long will it take for me to achieve enlightenment?
Gautama Buddha (GB): It all depends on you.
YM: If I put in ten hours of meditation every day, how long will it take?
GB: Maybe ten years.
YM: What if I put in fifteen hours meditation?
GB: Maybe fifteen years.
YM: (getting irritated) What if I meditate for twenty hours?
GB: Maybe twenty five years.
YM: I cannot understand your logic! The more effort I put in the more time it will take ….this is ridiculous! Please explain.
GB: As long as you are fixated and obsessed about your goal you will not achieve it. Just do spiritual practice without one eye on the goal. Let events take their shape.

I was reminded of this story when I saw a TV interview of Nobel Laureate, V Ramakrishnan, an Indian American. The new laureate was the very epitome of humility and one of his statements was eye opening. He said that he embarked on his research, not out of a desire to win laurels but out of curiosity to solve a scientific problem. He was not working with one eye on the Nobel Prize.

My understanding of life is that the things we desire most: money, power, status etc are best left to shape themselves. What we must keep as our main goal, is best exemplified by what a friend of mine, told his young sons. He told them, “It does not matter what you do in life. I request you to aspire to be the very best in terms of excellence in whatever you do. If you choose to be a janitor, try and become the best janitor in town.”

In other words, excellence ought to be our ideal and everything else ought to be a side effect.

Now that we are talking about outstanding Indians, readers might like to know about another illustrious Indian American who figures among the people of excellence in his chosen field. He is Dr.V Ramachandran, an outstanding neuroscientist. He is respected all over the world on account of his pioneering work in understanding the human mind. What is striking about him, apart from his commitment to excellence, is his humility. He travels frequently to India to meet his aged parents at his humble home in Chennai. My friends tell me that he can be spotted sitting in his verandah sporting a lungi and banian, sipping kaapi (coffee) and reading The Hindu paper. He is known to be accessible to anyone who chooses to meet him.

That raises another point. It is time that our media gives extensive coverage to those among us who have excelled (not necessarily in financial terms) so that they might inspire youngsters to not only aspire for world class efforts but to imbibe the personal qualities that go into the making of a Nobel Laureate namely: curiosity, vision, sustained endeavour, without an eye on the perquisites and of course….humility.

Success Tip #1. Hold a Contest: Everyone loves a contest. They’re fun, generate client interest and they can get attention from the media. You can send a press release announcing the contest, keep the media posted throughout and then let them know about the winner(s).

You can create a contest around your business birthday, when you release a new product or service, or to celebrate holidays. You can use local celebrities to serve as judges to boost visibility. Don’t forget to get contact information and email addresses for everyone who enters the contest. It’s a great way to add to your marketing list.

Success Tip #2. Use Social Media: I use Linked In, Facebook and Twitter. The key to success with these tools is to establish relationships with people online — don’t just sell to them — especially when you first meet. I have to admit, I resisted Twitter for a long time after I saw that many people would post the trivia of their life — I really didn’t care what time they got up or what they ate for breakfast.

I’m now a convert. Using social media is a great way to build your list and get noticed (you could also announce your contests here!). I have had people refer my work to their “friends” (that’s what you’re called when you join someone’s Facebook page). I am reaching people I never would have thought possible through these amazing networks.

No, I don’t fritter away my time. I spend an average of 15-20 minutes a day nurturing these networks. AND I don’t have to get dressed and drive anywhere to meet all these nice folks!

Success Tip #3. Write Press Releases: You can use press releases to announce the launch of your website or blog, to draw attention to a new service offering, your contests, industry groups you’re joining, and pro bono work. Make press releases a part of your marketing calendar. Type “how to write a press release” into Google and you’ll see plenty of samples and formatting tips.

In December of 2006, I was dating my now-husband, Luke, for almost a year and we were living together. Truthfully life was good! But while I was in this amazing relationship, and holding a “grown-up, non-sales, getting-my-full-paycheck-all-the-time job” which, at the time, I liked despite my condescending micro-manager of a boss.

The confusion I felt was in regards to acting – my passion, my dream since I was an Annie wannabee. Here’s what I had written in my journal:

I feel my acting stuff just sorta slipping away. I still have the desire and the need to do it – if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be upset about it – but I lost the optimism and the spark. I don’t feel jaded, per se – just worn out and tired of all this. I’m tired of chugging along, weary of the highs that don’t materialize and the lows that are just crushing. I feel like I’m not making headway, that I’ve never made headway. OK, maybe I am just a bit jaded.

But then it comes back around to the other part of what I need and what I want, which is a relationship that’s not strained by me being away. I also want to be financially stable and have a social life in NYC. And while I’m itching to be on stage again, I don’t want to give up the other pieces of what I need.

So I’m desperately trying to figure out a balance between my heart and my head. Do I do this job and have my social life and take a break from the business of show? Or do I keep this job and take all my personal days for auditions, to keep plugging away at this? Or do I just throw in the towel, keep on plugging away at my day job for a paycheck and the lifestyle I want to lead? Or do I go back to school to try to find something else that I can be passionate about?

I’ve been trying to unjumble my head for over a year with all this, and while I want to make both things work – be able to go on auditions and do extra work while I also have my day job – the more I try, the more tired I feel. So what’s the compromise? I feel like I’m a Practical Dreamer.”

That spring, I enrolled in the Career Change Workshop at NYU. That summer, I enrolled at ICA to be a life coach. I found my way, but I can’t help wondering how I really got here. These may have been the 5 push factors:

Being tired. Let’s face it, I was worn out and  jaded. I lost my spirit and wanted it back.

Feeling stuck. I knew that I wasn’t going out on auditions, and eventually I realized that the job I was in was not going to be the job that I was going to have forever (or even another year!). I knew I needed to make a change or risk making a career out of doing something that I rocked at, but hated (namely sales and customer service, since my experience and personality kept me steadily employed in those fields).

Growing up. At the age of age of almost-29, I knew that the one goal I had my whole life was no longer the right goal for me. My priorities had changed and I wanted to pave a new path based on them.

Refusing to compromise. I could have easily stayed with that job or, I could have left and gone to the next customer service/sales position. But that was unacceptable to me. I spent my whole life chasing a dream, trying to make a living doing something I loved – making a living not doing something I loved was not an option.

Being a self-starter. I know it’s an extreme comparison, but changing careers is like being an addict. You have to acknowledge you have a problem and then you have to be the one to do something about it – nobody can fix your problem for you but you.

Where are you on your journey?

Success Tip #1. Know What You Want to Say and Who You Want to Say It To: What is the main point you want to get across? My example is “Self employment is the best road to happiness — you absolutely can be paid to do the things you enjoy doing.” Who are you talking to? Is your ideal customer/client within your local geographic area or are they national? Get clear on who you love to serve. Individuals or businesses. Consider demographics: gender, age, income level, educational level, etc.

Success Tip #2. Define which media you want to approach – what are your customers/clients reading and listening to? Which magazines, blogs, ezines are they reading? What radio stations or podcasts do they listen to? Which social networking (Facebook, Linked In) groups are they participating in? What has their interest right now? What problems do they have?

Success Tip #3. Create your own media list. Here are great resources to get you started:

The Internet Public Library (http://www.ipl.org/div/news) lists newspapers for each state and all over the world. You can also choose subject areas and find blogs and groups you may want to get active in.

Technorati’s Top 100 Blogs (http://technorati.com/pop/blogs).

TVA Productions provides a media directory on their site with listings of major networks and cable programs. Once you identify those you’re interested in, you’ll need to Google to get current contact information.

MediaOnTwitter bwiki (http://www.mediaontwitter.com). This tool can help you find specific media contacts. And don’t be afraid to pick up the phone to call and ask for the appropriate contact person’s email address.

Bacon’s Media Directories: You can find these directories in the library: one for newspapers, one for magazines, one for TV/Cable, one for Internet — they’re pricey at about $495 each so you probably don’t want to get your own unless you’re doing a lot of research and “pitching”.

One such input is the Three Bucket Theory and I think this is relevant to a lot of others out there in the world and so would like to share this with everyone. Here goes!

A typical career spans three decades plus starting from the 20’s and going on till the 50’s. These thirty odd years should be split up into three buckets or segments of ten years each.

In the First Bucket, one needs to focus on learning. This learning should be all encompassing and not self limiting in any manner. One should have an open mind and learn about the working styles, organization styles, people, communication, teams, practical tips, etc. In short anything new and unknown needs to be explored and learnt in depth. Herein lies an inherent trap. Most youngsters who start their career are educated and have spent a past decade and a half learning or rather studying. Often, they mistake this studying to be a substitute for learning and more dangerously act as if there is very little if at all anything left to learn.

I quote an old Tamil adage: “What one learns is usually a fistful, whereas what is left to be learnt is an entire universe”. Anyone operating with this thought during the first bucket would stand to benefit immensely in the other buckets. A word of caution though — remember learning never stops throughout life. However, during the First Bucket the focus should be consciously on learning and not on designations, compensations, matching up to peers, besting colleagues, etc.

During the Second Bucket one has the opportunity to become an expert. If there has been extensive learning in the First Bucket one would be clear about all strengths and weaknesses and also is in a position to judge which of the learning can be leveraged best for personal success.

Becoming an expert requires one to have extensive and intensive experience in the field of choice, spanning first hand front line experience to overall strategic exposure. This gives one a true perspective and makes one an expert and also nurtures a deep rooted maturity with regards to all expertise.

Again during the Second Bucket the focus should be on exploring opportunities which allow in-depth exposure to fine tune expertise and one should not necessarily be driven by monetary or other considerations.

If these two phases are managed well and one develops true deep rooted expertise, the Third Bucket is the easiest part of a successful career. In this Bucket, one needs to work towards personal branding by sharing acquired expertise in public forums and through professional networks. When this is done properly all kinds of success including material prosperity follows even if one does not wish for the same.

Given the increasing life expectancy nowadays, I have added a Fourth Bucket to this theory. During the fourth phase one should consciously work towards giving back to the society. It could be by sharing one’s expertise and experience for public good through NGOs or with promising youngsters to create a better future.

My personal view is that there is no success formula and as such this should not be taken as gospel truth. This is a direction. Take it, craft it, mould it to suit your personality and hopefully you would create your own version of the Three Bucket Theory as pass it on to others.

To many work is worship and that’s really fine, but one has enjoy what you do; and the only way to enjoy what you do is if you add value to work, and work adds value to you.

Here ‘value’ does not mean just the monetary pie; it means 360* value – to you as a person, as someone who aspires to grow in the chosen field, and in turn extended to your colleagues, your family, the society you live in. In a nutshell, your entire ecosystem.

We often here ourselves lamenting “I am just not happy with what am I doing” and yet we continue the same motions for years and years. The other common refrain is “I don’t know what I should do to enjoy work!

Do those statements sound familiar. If they do then listen up, this articlesis something you must read.

If you aren’t enjoying work, the first thing to note is that there is just no point in blaming all those around you – your present employer, colleagues, HR, your… I am sure you get the idea. You and only you are responsible! So what you need to do is to create your ‘world of work’… just exactly as you would want it to pan out.

Before you go on that it’s too late to make a change, remember  the oft repeated Chinese proverb says “The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago; the second best time is now.”

One shouldn’t be scared of change. A lot of times we act like a well built ship that just waits in the harbor, refusing to explore the vast expanses, challenges, and eventual fruits of the sea, just because of fear. We use excuses such as lack of risk appetite, family commitments, a comfortable and cozy present and what not… the reasons can so go on as much as the human mind can imagine… rather than imagining good, most of the times, the ‘safe and comfortable’ psyche in us plays truant and forces us to image the worst!

Another thing we need to do is to give this “work” thing much more planning and thought. We need to do an honest appraisal of our personaity, formal qualifications, strengths and weaknesses, and above all, our innate qualities and habits. If we are honest to ourself  then it is certain that our ‘ship’ will sail to victory, even though the waters may be unchartered! By refusing to plan and think enough, we are just plain squandering the wonders life can show us, sans the slug and grin in just working for the sake of work.

Chose tremendous joy and happiness, and exposing your best to the world, just by a little mind-time… let that little time be a week, a month, 6 months or even a year…  It is such a great investment, and if it can lead you to greater heights in life and career, then why not spend that time? It is a worthy investment, one that will throw up a whole new perspective.

In the process, ‘work life’ is now at your terms, something you will enjoy and bring you sheer joy…  You go with the flow, and so there is no energy expended. With each step you will propel further with greater force and move ahead, sans any resistance!

So, are you ready for the long haul? A cheerful, successful and contended haul…. Yes, you are. So get going now…  Vroom!

To begin with the answer is darn simple. It’s only made complex by know-alls or know-nothings or know-half or know-half-but-don’t-know-which-halves. That means virtually all of us. Only a select few (one-in-a-million, according to some researchers) know what it is and benefit from it. Despair not, for now the secret will be revealed. Get ready to enjoy the alluring and elusive fruits of power, which till now, we only fantasized about. From the story of 5 brothers who lost everything in a bitter power struggle with their conniving cousins and had to spend 12 years in exile and 1 year in anonymity to learn the tricks of the trade to have a go at the throne. (You, oh lucky reader, need only the next 60 seconds to know what it takes).

For a good 11 years 11 months (to the 11th hour that is) the brothers kept shaking their heads in disbelief wondering what went wrong for such fate to befell them. Instead of enjoying the fruits of power they are on foot wandering in forests teeming with wild beasts, poisonous ivy, long days, dark nights and meandering thorny paths.

“What have we done wrong? We had everything going for us. We are the good ones. Lived by book almost and asked for what rightfully belonged to us. We are blessed by elders. Seen as a beacon of hope by our subjects. We were loved almost universally. Yet….”

Words failed them and they continued their journey part lamenting their fate and part taking in the beauty of nature, which the trappings of a life happily lived in palaces amongst seemingly well-wishers would have deprived them of. While musing thus and traveling further, one day they came across a tree with one fruit on it. It looked like a fruit for gods, and indeed it was, which they didn’t know at that time. Draupadi, their illustrious wife, feeling hungry by the long walk, said “I want it.”

Zip.

Her wish was their command and in a second the fruit made its way into her hand. She was on the verge of biting it.

Zwang.

Krishna, their mentor materialized there. “Stop” he said. “This fruit belongs to Durvasa, the angry saint. He alone decides whom he wants to give it to, and any ignoramus trying to savor it without his consent will get to know what living hell means. Put it back. Else you will have to face his wrath, for he is known to be short tempered.”

“How?” cried all in unison. “How on earth can we put the plucked thing back?”

Smiled Krishna. “Don’t worry. It needs to be offered the accumulated karma of your good deeds. Powered by that, this fruit here will go back and attach itself to the tree. All will be well.”

So first comes Draupadi, and offers her good karma, a result of her Chastity.

Zoom.

The fruit raises few feet in the air, well short of the branch it was plucked from. Shocked she looks at her husbands! “Oh, I thought the power of my karma alone would do the trick! Alas, such is not the case.”

The eldest brother Dharmaraja, epitome of Integrity, steps forward. Offers his bit and lo, the fruit still is far from being happily hanging in its original un-plucked state. One by one the remaining 4 brothers, each bringing to the table Strength, Valor, Humility and Trust do their bit, but the sum total of their contribution was still a few feet short. Steps forward Krishna, the wise mentor and offers part of his good karma and the fruit attaches itself to the tree, nothing amiss, everything as before.

“Wow! This is a miracle. How in heavens’ name did that happen?” The 6 voices rose in unison above the din of the forest sound FX.

Smiled Krishna. “Don’t worry; that there is Durvasa making his way to the tree now. We will talk after paying our respects to him.” Durvasa came. Durvasa saw. Durvasa conferred, the fruit unto the 5 brothers and their wife. “I know what happened. But you have collectively made the impossible, possible, so you have earned it. Eat it. The effects of it will last on you forever and you will enjoy the benefits of the throne shortly. Everything will work out smoothly henceforth.” Thus speaking the good and soothing words, the short-tempered but benevolent sage vanishes.

Content, with the vision of a good life ahead and the sweet taste of the fruit, the 5 brothers and their wife turn to Krishna their mentor, for enlightenment. Smiled Krishna. “Power”, he said, seating himself comfortably under the blessed tree, “is mistaken to be an easy prey to only one thing or the other from the following: Trust. Humility. Integrity. Strength. Chastity. Valor. (THIS CV).”

“You need a bit of guile to navigate through to the final course. In its absence everything else falls short of the ultimate goal. All the efforts come to naught. You are on the throes of Kaliyuga. The going will be tougher if you continue in the same naïve belief of THIS CV helping you. The dice will be loaded against you every time and you need to adopt new strategies. Add a dash of stealth and pepper it with practicality and the purpose will be served.

“I hope the path ahead is clear for you and that you have got your priorities right. Use this time to work on your weaknesses, add to your network, marshal troops and you will see what lies ahead. I as your mentor can see it. Glory be to thee!”

Oh wise reader, the era of Mahabharata has long ended. Kaliyuga has indeed entered. THIS CV is now some 3000+ years past its expiry date. It was once a necessary condition but not sufficient to get you what you desired. Now it’s an invalid anachronism.

Not so long ago, when there were still prying but sympathetic peers abound (of which the later variety is a rare and endangered species these days) there lived an average Joe monk in a monastery. One day after his usual ablutions, meditations, chores done and frugal meals partaken, he set out to gather firewood in the nearby woods for the rituals at twilight. Then it happened. With both hands occupied, holding the bundle of firewood perched on his head, there was little he could do to defend himself when a wild dog dug its sharpest teeth into the fleshiest part of his rear end anatomy.

Smarting under the sharp pangs of his submitting so meekly before the lowliest of creatures and limping under the practicality of having to now shift weight to one leg that which didn’t have the honor of submitting itself to the cursed cur’s uncompromising and deep oral dalliance, the monk thought thus hurrying towards the tall and fortified walls of the comforting monastery beyond the reach of such wily whelps.

“Mm..let me see now….there are around 377 brother monks behind the blessed boundaries. This pronounced limping coupled with the not so nuanced painful contortions of my face are bound to draw both attention and sympathetic yet piercing questions about what transpired. There is no other way for me but to open up and give them a detailed account of the state of affairs. The more matronly of the fraternity will want to dwell on the shape, size, speed and stealth of that scourge on four legs. Not once, but many a tens of times will I have to go through this motion of explaining to each and every one. Reliving through those painful moment again and again with no prospect of the pain ever dulling. Or me finding time to tend to that tender part of self in the privacy of my chamber. I trust the better way out of this predicament would be to…”

Into the sight came the hallowed monastery, rising magnificently from the woods. Amid the chirping of the birds snuggling into their well feathered nests and the call of the wild, the monk could make out faint peals of the clear bell ringing in the dusk as it struck thunderbolt awareness into his hollowed head.

Like a hurricane in a hurry, shot the monk towards the monastery doors, throwing caution to the winds. Scurrying up the tower that housed the bell, lifting the otherwise half-a-ton weighing gong, he struck it against the bronze bell with all his might… all this was a moment’s work.

Surveying the surging shaven heads and their scrutinizing gazes, the monk turned around, bent over, lifted the ochre robe well above the mark that pumps blood into the sternest of cheeks and proceeded to recount the ordeal he hath passed through that unfortunate evening….

Now my dear friends; when did we not feel the strong urge to announce to the world what we have passed through in the wilderness of our respective corporates? Almost everyday I hear you all cry in unison. I know. I have been there. But thankfully I haven’t done that. For however much the temptation is to unburden myself of the travails I face day in and day out, I know there aren’t many kindly and brotherly souls around. So I shift weight, drag the feet and keep a smiling face. And I work hard at throwing a sympathetic glance in for good measure in hope that some numbskull will fall for it and entertain me with his tale of misery. And over and above that, I make sure to carry a sturdy staff and bide my time. For though there is a dearth of kindly hearts it’s more than made up by an overabundance of the blasted bowwows.

The following powwow I heard not so long ago and I am sharing it with you in 7 parts; for I know you can only invest so much time at a stretch during working hours while not getting distracted from playing solitaire or forwarding the latest jokes.

“I don’t know. I am elated and at the same time feel empty. Have been doing everything right. Performed well. Went beyond the call of the duty. I am part of all key implementation projects. Boss smiles at me once in a while. Don’t extend my lunch breaks or take multiple caffeine/nicotine breaks. Yet right from being served coffee at the table to being invited for Boss’s regular outings; from figuring in the grapevine often to being called in for board meetings — everything seems to be eluding me,” groaned the newly promoted executive (NPE), stirring the contents of the glass placed in front of the accountant who asked how it felt to be kicked upstairs, after languishing for 2 years at the same position.

The accountant did his bit indulgently, to cheer up the kid for he liked the lad. This here was a young man with a sense of humor who after seeing him surreptitiously browsing an adult site chose to include him in his spicy e-mail forwarding list. Where others would have not batted an eyelid in appraising the top management of the same or worse giggle knowingly during lunch-time; this man here did what a kid with a golden heart and a funny bone does. The accountant filled the pauses occasioned by the limitation of NPE’s lungs with encouraging words. “I know you have it in you to move into the corner office some day. Carve out your niche. Don’t give a quarter. Guard your turf with zeal. The future is yours.”

“Thanks old man. I was working hard for it and have performed beyond anybody’s expectations. Still don’t know how long it will take to get fast-tracked onto the road ahead that is promising and paved with gold. Can see my own cabin, corporate credit card, car with chauffeur and conferences overseas. But are they mirages?” The NPE was slowly slipping.

“Listen. I know you are one of the best performers and the brightest chaps around in this organization, and god knows if all goes well, in little over a couple of years, instead of me passing your vouchers, you will be signing my salary cheques. But…” The accountant paused for the bearer to replenish his glass.

“But what? Do you think I will not make it?” ejaculated the NPE.

“NO!” Like numbers and revenues, the accountant, with equal dexterity, can mask the ugly underbelly and paint a beautiful picture. But there are occasions when he too can call a spade a spade. And this was one such occasion.

“And I will tell you why. Tell me, what do you think will get you promoted continuously and takes you to the high seat of power”?

“Multi-tasking. Ability to raise flag at the appropriate time. And provide solutions before others even identify the problems…” the NPE was like a man in possessed, banging his half-full glass (for he was an optimist albeit a naïve one) on the table. He could have gone on and on, for he was a man who never bunked a lecture at the business school or never failed to memorize key quotations from any self-help or career building guides.

The accountant knew that and moved in quickly.“That’s precisely what the donkey thought before he got a good hiding and was kicked out by his master whom he served loyally all his life,” said the accountant.

“What donkey? What rot is that all about, old man?” NPE was confused and slightly worked up.

“Okay, I know you dig management consultancies, self-help gurus, chicken soups with moving cheese, matrixes and clever acronyms more than anything else. So at the cost of the readers not following the 6 other stories beyond this one; for they will now know the formula for attaining power; I will proceed to lay it out.” He took a paper napkin and scribbled legibly (for accountants like doctors are not known for their calligraphic skills) to put down the following equation:
Power = Position + Positioning + Proximity + Personality + Perceptions + PR + Performance

“I don’t understand. I thought…” mumbled the NPE.

But he never got to complete the thought as the accountant interjected, “I know you won’t. So here munch on these peanuts and listen to the story.” Downing the contents of the half-empty (for the accountant sees things for what they are) glass and acknowledging the bearer who moved in quickly bringing in reinforcements, proceeded the accountant:

The Donkey who cared not for Position and put purchase on Performance
“In a small listless village, a fair representative of both listless and listed villages that dot our vast landscape lived a Dog and a Donkey working for a washerman running a profitable venture. The Donkey used to wake up early in the morning, nibble fast on little bits of grass leftover from the previous night to get ready to carry the dirty load. The Dog on the other hand, though wide awake used to rest its head on the crossed fore-legs, close its eyes and lie down till the washerman came in and patted on its back, played with its ears, left a freshly made roti and a bowl of milk in front of it, commending it for the long hours it has put in during the night and the successful outcome of its vigil (for his money and valuables were safe in the morning when checked).

At mid-day, the Donkey used to pass its time eating the grass that grew on the banks of the river, alone with no company, while the Dog relished its rice and soup with the washerman household. And then it would retire under the shady neem tree in the backyard, nibbling on a bone left to it by the doting daughter of the washerman. A completely sedentary and envious lifestyle. The most it used to do under the heading of ‘work’ was wag its tail to shoo the free-riding flies away.

During evening, when the washerman came home it used to lunge onto him, sniff and lick at his feet (for the Dog though shameless was never short on the shrewdness department). The Donkey used to amble in carrying in the washed load and its own fodder, never a murmur or a word of complaint. Subjugation personified.

Dinner was no different, the Dog was fed to the gills, for it had a long and arduous and most critical part to play while the Donkey ploughed through the forage before thinking of the day ahead. It thought the perseverance it showed and its performance would reward it in the long run. It was happy doing its bit for god, countrymen and its master. It reveled in the knowledge that its diligence is what kept the people close to each other and the world peace prevailing.

But for him, the whole world would have been one big bad chaotic place. Thus thought the good Donkey. The Dog along with its fellow dogs had formed a network, wherein only a few of them had to keep vigil across the village every night and raise a robust woof when anything unusual was spotted. This would alert the other dogs who would chip in joining the chorus; driving the unusual thing away and thereby meet their K-9 Performance Indicator. This usually helped the Dog catch more than its 40 winks during which it hated to be disturbed at all. On the day of its vigil, though, it condescended to spend time faffing around with Donkey. The faffing was mostly centered around how the master can do more to it for all the feet-licking it does day in and day out.

The Donkey though surprised, for it thought the Dog had it all, lent a patient ear mostly. On occasions, it used to berate the Dog for not doing its duty diligently, for instead of engaging in long conversations, it should be doing couple of rounds around the house. It (the Donkey) said it was thankful to the boss for letting it do its job without interfering and giving it timely fodder.

One day, on its vigil, while engaging in such a conversation, the Dog failed to notice an unusual movement near the boss’s house. The Donkey though caught it from the corner of its eye and alerted the dog to do the needful. The Dog said it was none of the Donkey’s business to tell him what he should be doing, and anyway it’s much better catching the thief with the loot, red-handed than scaring the thief off before he did any noticeable damage when the boss won’t be any wiser to the incursion. The logic didn’t go down well with the Donkey, as it believed that prevention is better than detention.

It rose to the occasion and let go in full throat that which its ilk is best known and derided for. It brayed aloud. The thief of course jumped a few inches higher in the air, for it was a new alert system that he came across, but nonetheless made good on foot, in the process upsetting the well lined flowerpots of the house. The whole household got up, the washerman was out with the stoutest of staffs in hand, bracing for for an intrusion if any, for the Dog hadn’t barked.

The Donkey, seeing the boss come from inside, ran towards him for a pat or hug or a piece of roti; for one doesn’t know what goodies a good and honest performance brings in. Drinking in one sweeping glance, the upset flowerpots, the nothing-wrong-with-the-world lackadaisical demeanor of the Dog, the boss deduced that the Donkey went out of its line. THADOOM… came down the staff on the hapless and unsuspecting lowly creature. “BRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYY” a gut-wrenching cry reverberated through the air, making even the stoutest-at-heart Dog to wince a wee bit.

A wise owl perched on top of the neem tree, witness to the whole, clucked his tongue and thought aloud, “Multi-tasking blah. Raising flag blah blah. If only we all render what our respective positions demand from us rather than being slaves to conscience.”

“I get it, so you will suffer if you try doing good for the boss,” said the now sober NPE.

“You got it from the Donkey’s perspective, which is good but not great. Look at it from the Dog’s point of view if you want to be on the winning and powerful end of the bargain.”

“Mmm…there’s something in that,” admitted the NPE.

“Hang on, here comes our patron saint of spirits to serve another round of salvation. By the end of it all my boy, you will be a true man(ager),” promised the accountant while adjusting himself comfortably in the chair. He then proceeded to enlighten him with another story.

But there are exceptions. Ones which are better left untouched. At least till the time one finds one’s way around the system and its accompanying loopholes to enjoy happy, frequent and extended coffee-break moments 9 to 5. Of this hierarchy of horrors – the recasting of an old project that’s gathering dust is the most potent of plagues that has ever stunted the careers of many a bright and starry eyed broom-wielder. Don’t agree? Read on.

Long ago. One ashram. Four friends. Fast learners. Sharp brains. Guru’s pets. Complete education. Flying colors. Honor rolls. Campus placements – none then. Take blessings. Step out.

(A vast world! Make way. Roll carpet. Shower perks.)

Jungle ahead. Hack through. Path made. Deep inside. Bone seen. Intelligent all. Exchange glances. Opportunity beckons. Grab now. Showcase skills.

Bright Fellow (BF) – Number One: “Me topper. Redraw vision. This here. Is Lion.”
BF Two: “My specialty. Is Re-engineering. Skeleton built. Jungle King.”
BF Three: “Image builder. That’s me. Flesh, blood. Body, ready.
BF Four: “Turnaround specialist. Breathing life. Rise, Roar.”
Happy Lion!
Hungry Lion!
Learned men. Wise men. Bright men.
Know all – but one. How to climb trees to save ass.
They couldn’t.
End story.

Begin Moral.
Temptation is good; it spurs us to stoop to levels which we never knew existed; to soar to heights that any self-respecting executives can only dream of! But it should be gulped down with a pinch of caution. Especially when it comes to long dead projects that the previous management has dropped like a hot brick or potential fan-hitter in their occasional lapse into reasoning moments. For you know not why they were stowed aside or shoved under.

A viability report is the most you are allowed as a shining knight who is set for higher things. Not volunteering to execute the project, akin to breathing life into the beast.
Adamant still?
Reach now. Higher position.
Happy beginning.

(Thanks to Subroto Bagchi, for bringing “The Professional” to the world, and to my loving son Janardhan for getting me lay hands on “The Professional” last evening)

Mahadeva came to cosmopolitan Bangalore, as his dear mother walked out of her native village and her own family in a huff. Mother and the child Mahadeva took to the streets of Bangalore for a living, and the mother does chores to grow child Mahadeva. Until a day she became unwell, and had to get herself with son to the Government Victoria Hospital in Bangalore. As she is treated for a terminal illness, Mahadeva makes the outside of the hospital his playground, gets a new world, full of acquaintances, and a sense of kinship in this world.

Then one day, someone came and told the little Mahadeva that his mother was dead (Dead, What? – little Mahadeva) and the mother was buried as the hospital could not wait for the little son to come back after his play.

The boy has nowhere to go, and also refuses to go back to his native village even as a few people in the hospital ward raise money for that purpose. He made the hospital his home, and as he grew, started running errands there, like the person who did the same when his mother was brought in to be treated at the Government Victoria hospital.

The hospital was Mahadeva’s Universe; and he had grown up; one day, the cops asked Mahadeva to bury an unclaimed body and gave him Rs.200/- for the job. That accident turned to be Mahadeva’s profession, and he eventually became ‘the’ guy to go to for Bangalore’s unclaimed bodies. He carried out the task religiously, and every time there was an unclaimed body, the man summoned was Mahadeva.  His rigor was like : Pull the stiff body from the morgue, hire a horse drawn carriage, take the body to the burial ground, dig the soil and bury the corpse – all by himself for just Rs.200/-. After every such burial Mahadeva would be back, hanging around the hospital waiting for the next assignment! As years passed, Mahadeva bettered his job – even paying due respect with flowers at the time of burial – a practice he got when he once buried someone close to his heart.

With the kind of passion, dedication and commitment to work, Mahadeva was much in demand – he had his own horse drawn carriage and later, thanks to some nice human beings, he got an auto-rickshaw.

His business has grown now, and the horse which was his carriage and died later is now his logo in his business card. Now his son has joined him too.

Till date, Mahadeva has buried more than 42000 corpses, and has won accolades and phenomenal recognition for his selfless service to the community! The Chief Minister of Karnataka has felicitated Mahadeva for his selfless service to the city of Bangalore. Even the petrol pumps he goes to fill in fuel for his hearse-auto do not charge him!

Mahadeva is proud and happy of his work, and contended.

Mahadeva, the high-performer; and a true professional.

Lessons for us : A professional is not someone who is just professionally qualified, or carries the designation on his business card. A professional has the ability to work unsupervised, and has the ability to certify the completion of his work.

Like Mahadeva, who needed no supervision; who attended to his call of duty, come day or night, hell or highwater! He certified the completion of his work! He has no employer – for the Victoria Hospital, he is just an outsourcing agency for disposal of unclaimed bodies. He does not have a boss who writes his appraisal, gives him feedback….!

In most work environments, people who produce anything of economic value need no supervision. A person who needs supervision is NO professional. He is an amateur, even an apprentice!

So, are all of us true professionals?!

(Inspired by “The Professional” by Subroto Bagchi, Penguin Books India 2009)

You cannot not create. I know…many of you just don’t feel creative. Maybe your definition of “creative” has been too narrow. Creativity isn’t a gift given only to artists, sculptors, musicians, or dancers. It’s something you do naturally. Question is…what are YOU creating? You are always creating with your thoughts. Every product, every service in the world started first in someone’s mind. So “mind your mind” and direct your thoughts to things you really want to create…like abundance and good service and joy.

You are absolutely unique. There is no one quite like you. So the way you look at the world, through your eyes, your mind is different than any one else’s. Successful entrepreneurs embrace this uniqueness.

Even though there are many people who cut and style hair, each does it in their own way – haven’t you had a favorite hairdresser or barber who just always got it “right”?

So don’t waste time worrying that you have nothing new to offer. You do. Yourself. Discover what it is that you enjoy about yourself and incorporate those qualities into your business. When you do, you’ll love your work and your customers and clients will love you.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a psychologist has written extensively on the topic of creative flow. He says when we are engaged in an almost effortless yet highly focused activity we experience “flow.” Here are the characteristics of being in “flow”:

1. Completely involved in what we are doing – focused, concentrated.
2. A sense of ecstasy – of being outside everyday reality.
3. Great inner clarity – knowing what needs to be done, and how well we are doing.
4. Knowing that the activity is ‘doable ‘– that skills are adequate to the task.
5. A sense of serenity – no worries about oneself, and a feeling of growing beyond the boundaries of the ego.
6. Timelessness – thoroughly focused on the present, time seems to pass by in minutes.
7. Intrinsic motivation – whatever produces flow becomes its own reward.

When have you felt that? Whatever you were doing at the time, do more of that! I celebrate and honor your creativity. Don’t hide it from the world…let it shine.

1. What do people thank you for most often? What do they come to you for, or say about you most frequently {“positive” or “negative”}?

Gratitude leads you back to your strengths. The greatest leverage you have for a return on investment is by investing in your natural talents and using them generously.

2. When do you feel powerful, on fire, free, incredibly useful? What do you get excited by?

True and sustainable success is fueled by pure inspiration. Always.

3. When someone at a party asks you what you do, what do you say? {And how do you feel when you say it?}

With truth comes grace and healthy pride … and every entrepreneur needs a slam dunk cocktail line.

4. What do you think your form of genius is, what are you amazing at {work or life related?}

Everybody is amazing at something — whether it’s being a loyal friend, crunching numbers, motivating people or throwing great parties. {And your genius is a cousin to your joy.}

It was at that time that the industrial revolution took us from farms and craft work to “jobs” in the factory. It completely changed our daily lives. It made traditional crafts obsolete and undermined the time-honored ways of interweaving home and work life.

We are now facing another shift — just as transforming. With so much change in our economy and technology, old job descriptions are blurred and organizations must be able to adapt and change on a dime. Old style jobs get in the way of this new world of work in which temporary and contract jobs often make the most economic sense.

What’s happening as a result is that many people feel betrayed. No longer can you count on a job for life or a paternalistic relationship with your employers. Your sense of security has been shaken. So how can you best deal with this? Let’s just take a look at some of the possibilities of how your work may look in the future:

- you can start a business of your own
- you can become a consultant
- you can become an artist
- you can work part-time
- you can create a “portfolio” career performing two or more types of work
- you can work with organizations on a full-time basis under very fluid arrangements with your tasks and working hours and location changing with each project

There are plenty of opportunities that come with this societal change. There are many more career choices open to you. Many of you have shifted your priorities so that you now want more family time or flexibility in your time, the ability to make a difference in your community, the chance to be your authentic self in your work. These options are more available now.

To effectively manage your career you must:

(1) Embrace the concept that everyone is a contingent worker – your employment is contingent on the results the organization can achieve from your work.

(2) Develop a mindset, and way of managing your career, that is more like an external vendor than that of a traditional employee.

(3) Expect to move from organization to organization more frequently than in the past.

Have you experienced this in your own work life? Do you feel prepared for this change in our society and work? Is there any goal you’d like to set to be more prepared?

Know that you are truly in charge of your destiny – why not create a work life you can love?

What do I mean by reinvent? To remake or to bring back. You can change your entire life, one tiny bit at a time, you know. Is there one area of your life that you’d like to reinvent? Career or work, physical fitness or maybe friendships and relationships perhaps?

Something might have popped in your head when I asked that question — and there’s a good chance it was immediately followed by a “yeah but….” Well I’m here to tell you that most of us have pretty ‘big buts’ (and I don’t mean the one you’re sitting on!)

Let’s talk about some of the obstacles that keep you from doing things you love and how to work around them.

Obstacle #1: Age.

I don’t care how old you are. If you are 60 and say you are too old to change, how do you think you’ll feel when you look back at 80 years of age, and remember how old you thought you were at 60. There are many stories of folks who reinvented themselves at all ages.

Artist, Grandma Moses began painting in her seventies after abandoning a career in embroidery because of arthritis. An art collector discovered her paintings in a Hoosick Falls, New York drugstore window in 1938. In 1939, an art dealer exhibited some of her work in New York. This brought her to the attention of collectors all over the world, and her paintings became highly sought after. She went on to exhibit her art throughout Europe and in Japan, where her work was particularly well received. In 1956 she was paid $1000 for a painting for President Eisenhower.

Yes, your body is going to age, but your mindset towards aging has a tremendous influence on how well you will age. Studies on longevity show that genetics have only a 30% influence on the length of our lives; the remaining 70% depends on one’s lifestyle.

In the 1800’s, 65 was established as the marker of “old” when the life expectancy was only 47. Life expectancy is pushing 80 today; 65 is just beginning a new chapter.

More people are living to be 100 and older. When these centenarians are asked about how they’ve achieved such longevity, they generally mention four key ingredients: being optimistic and having a positive attitude; engagement….doing the things in life one loves and feels strongly about; being active and mobile; and, adaptability to loss and resilience.

Obstacle #2: Physical Ability.

My father was a great admirer of Helen Keller, the famous deaf-blind author and renowned speaker. He had an opportunity to “hear” her speak as her speech was translated into sign language for the mostly deaf audience. My father who is deaf himself, spoke to Ms. Keller through finger spelling letters into each other’s hands.

She was the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. A prolific author, Keller was well travelled and very outspoken in her support for women’s suffrage, workers’ rights, and socialism. She met every US President from Grover Cleveland to Lyndon B. Johnson and was friends with many famous figures, including Alexander Graham Bell, Charlie Chaplin, and Mark Twain.

Her words: “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.” I remember these words when I start to feel like what I’m doing is insignificant. Do what you love to do. Start now!

Obstacle #3: Time.

Think for a minute. What would you do with five completely free hours a day – every day? Or how about three completely open days a week — every week. How about having a few weeks or months here and there, throughout every year that are yours to do as you like? You probably can’t even imagine it!

You must free up time to go after your dreams or to even do nothing at all. The most authentic and creative side of you can re-emerge only when you have open time.

You probably spent much of the first 40 years of your life meeting other people’s needs. Now is YOUR time. Move your desires to the top and let other people’s needs drop down your priority list.

I know….I know….I hear your protests. This does take courage and I can speak from experience, But, it gets easier. You learn to teach people what to expect from you by your words and actions. You don’t have to do lots of explaining. If I have an afternoon blocked out for “me” time, I can honestly tell people, “No, I can’t schedule you in that slot because I am booked.” Ralph Waldo Emerson said “The greater part of courage is having done it before.” So give it a try. Block out a space of time just for you. And let me know what ideas pop up for YOUR latest reinvention.

Mentors also get the privilege of watching their staff or mentee grow, learn, flourish and become mentors themselves.  As I grown my current position, I strive to be a great example and mentor to my staff as Betty and Renee have done for me.  As the Director of Career Services I would tell all students and graduates to find a mentor and to establish a mutually beneficial relationship that will help your career grow.   Additionally I would say that there is one other person I recommend that you find as you climb the career ladder of your choice.  Your second brain. The old adage goes that two brains are better than one.  It’s true.

You need to find yourself a second brain and here is why.  You are not perfect and you will never be.  You make mistakes, we all do and we all will continue to do so.  Sometimes you need someone to look over a document you created; ask your second brain.  Sometimes you need an extra set of ears to listen to an idea; ask your second brain.  Sometimes you need a voice of reason to stop you from doing something detrimental; ask your second brain.  Sometimes you need a vote of confidence when you aren’t 100% confident in yourself; ask your second brain.

Finding a person that you can trust, that can think objectively and give you a differing opinion is a gift.  They can add perspective that we often can’t see ourselves.  The synergy that two people brainstorming can create can be very productive and effective.  Your second brain can reinforce ideas and can stop train wrecks from happening.  They are a safety checkpoint for your actions; let’s face it sometimes in life we need a safety net. This person might be a loved one, a co-worker, a friend or too it could be your mentor or manager.   

So in addition to finding a great mentor; find a person to be your second brain.  This person can be a beneficial member of your Career Team and help you find success for the long term.  In the spirit of this blog, I’d like to dedicate it to my mentors Renee and Betty and to my second brain, Kay.

I had other reasons for feeling like I was on the top of the world…

I’d been promoted three times in the past three years. Regional Training Manager David Keith was now my colleague instead of my boss. We both reported directly to the Human Resources Director, an elderly Englishman named Anthony Kennedy. Great buddies, Dave and I usually traveled together to Singapore and other Timex assembly locations in the Far East. I enjoyed my job with the Regional Human Resources Department so much that I sometimes felt guilty getting paid. (In fact, Mr. Kennedy had been nagging me for months to complete my self-appraisal form so my annual merit increase could be processed, but I kept on putting it off. “What’s the hurry?” I told him. “I’ll get a retroactive increase anyway.”)

Although it wasn’t part of my job, I was often tapped by the Regional Marketing and Sales Group to conduct customer service seminars for Timex watch dealers. I didn’t get any extra pay, and had to stay at my desk after hours to make up for the time I spent doing these seminars, but I tremendously enjoyed helping the Timex dealers and staff understand the unique V-movement in Timex watches and why we didn’t need jewels like other mechanical or analog watches.

I also taught part-time at the National College of Business and Arts (NCBA). To cater to the thousands of young assembly workers pursuing a college degree, NCBA had opened a campus right next door to Timex. Some ingenuous folks had even constructed wooden stairs over the concrete wall that separated Timex and NCBA, shaving off a few minutes from the walk out the Timex front gate, down the block, and into the NCBA campus.

My growing family lived in relative comfort. In fact, we had recently moved into a beautiful bungalow in San Mateo (Rizal), a town outside Metro Manila. The peace and quiet, not to mention breath-taking views of the sunset and the mountains, more than made up for the hour-long commute to/from the Timex watch assembly plant in Cubao, Quezon City.

Life was great, I thought to myself that fateful Friday in January 1983 as I bounded up the steps to the Regional Office, still humming “I’m on the top of the world” under my breath.
Even as the massive frosted glass doors slammed shut behind me, I knew that something was terribly wrong. The office was eerily quiet. There was none of the usual morning chatter as the regional staff got ready for another busy day. What was even more chilling was that the staff desks were all unoccupied, and the directors’ office doors were all closed (a rare sight in the “come-right-in-and-tell-me-what’s-on-your-mind” atmosphere of the regional office).

“Where’s everyone?” I quizzed Dave, glancing at all the empty desks. “In there,” he replied, gesturing towards the closed doors. He paused and then said with an inscrutable expression on his face, “The old man wants to see you.”

My heart pounding in my throat, I tremulously stepped into Mr. Kennedy’s office. There I learned the painful truth. Timex was closing down the Manila facility and consolidating its Philippine assembly operation in Cebu. I’d be losing my job by end of March. “But I’m three months pregnant!” I blurted out. Mr. Kennedy said there was nothing he could do. “Don’t worry, you’ll easily find another job,” he assured me.

I left Mr. Kennedy’s office in a daze and headed for the cafeteria. The hallway was filled with distraught assembly workers. Unlike me, these girls had been handed their final paychecks and asked to leave immediately. Some of them were wailing unabashedly, while others sobbed quietly as they gathered their personal belongings from their lockers. It was surreal. The words “I cried because I had no shoes, until I saw a man who had no feet,” came to my mind, as I forgot my own misery and tried to console the girls as best I could.

That weekend, I started sending out job applications and writing to headhunters. Nancy, a consultant with a leading search firm, echoed Mr. Kennedy’s assurance that I’d easily land another job – until I told her that I was pregnant. She promised to check with her clients and get back to me. I knew the answer even before she called. “I’m really sorry,” she apologized, “but my clients prefer someone who can work uninterrupted during their first year.” It was the same elsewhere. I’d get as far as the interview but the minute I mentioned I was pregnant the door would close. Some well-meaning friends advised me not to disclose that I was pregnant but I didn’t want to start a new job based on deception. I decided to stop wasting time, money, and effort on a futile – and extremely frustrating – job search, and wait until after I gave birth.

When March came and I got my final pay, I realized to my chagrin that through my own fault (neglecting my self-appraisal), my separation pay had been computed on my current (lower) base salary.  To make matters worst, the kids got sick and I needed to spend for lab tests and medicine. My bank account quickly dwindled down to zero. Fortunately, a nearby grocery store allowed me to buy food and other necessities on credit – but for how long?

I sold Avon products and Readers Digest subscriptions to help pay the bills. The only mails I received were window envelopes, some with “FINAL NOTICE” stamped in red. I didn’t have any money for a cake or ice-cream for my son’s fifth birthday, and it broke my heart.

Then, on May 26 (my birthday!), I received unexpected mail. I stared at the Abenson letterhead for some time, racking my brains for anyone I knew in the country’s largest appliance chain, before opening the envelope. The salutation read “To the Baby Maker, from the Profit Taker” and went on to say that Abenson was offering me the position of Human Resources Development Manager. It was a total surprise since I didn’t know anyone in Abenson but I soon learned that the Timex Marketing Director was also Abenson’s consultant, and the Timex watch dealership was owned by the same family.

So, while I waited to give birth to an adorable baby girl, I had a job waiting for me. I realized that I needed to LOSE my job to GAIN this managerial position. God does work in mysterious ways.

Worse than having an unhappy employee is the fact of not knowing having one; this is a dangerous bug. If survival of your team is your responsibility, then you need to learn to locate the fuse and fix it before the grenade blows up.

The clues would be there. It is a matter of recognizing them. The first clue is uncharacteristic behaviour. This is something very difficult to hide. Very few people are good enough actors to hide their dissatisfaction if they are feeling it. If they are not happy, they want the world to know and share their grouse. There is self-pity here somewhere. Circumstances and their position may not be right and the employee would hopefully be intelligent enough to know this. So he will bide his time but small subconscious patterns will leak out from under the cloak. For instance, avoiding conversation and taking too long to finish a given job. Knowingly allowing mistakes to creep into the final work and having excuses ready for it, which can be construed as passive un-cooperation.

The company of this person somehow becomes uncomfortable. You have to sense it but it is difficult to describe. Things like forced laughter, missing out in conversation, daydreaming and increased arguing can be pointers. Unfortunately there are many who are made that way in their best self and it is my opinion that they rarely make good employees or partners anyway.

Another clue is dropping-out behaviour. Coming late and leaving early on some pretext or the other; reporting sick more often than would be normal. These are clues that one cannot argue about but should certainly raise some eyebrows.

Once the situation has been recognized the second step is to do something about it. So focus on the problem person. Does the job really interest him? Or is he passing time till he finds another? Losing interest in one’s job is normal. A new employment is a new challenge and comes with rosy pictures of advancement and who knows what. Once on the treadmill, it does not seem this way. Many others are already in the Q. People with overestimated self-worth are the first hit with negative surmises and easily persuade themselves that they are good but the system is bad. Soon they even isolate the ones they think are the source behind their delayed advancement. In this atmosphere they soon become a discordant note to every tune. They need ego boosts. Make them feel important. If this is difficult, I really don’t know what you can do except to ask them to leave.

Regardless of all the above, it would still be a good idea to wonder if you as the employer did not give your disgruntled employee wrong ideas about the job when employing him. Perhaps you dangled a too big a carrot. The employee therefore is quite right in feeling resentful. Your art would be in curing him of this feeling. Try to put in some effort to help him up the ladder otherwise he will only become progressively more resentful and unknowingly or knowingly he will surely hurt the organization sometime sooner or later; most probably sooner rather than later. Positive feedback can do wonders to morale.

An important factor is that the employee may really be right in feeling the way he feels. The job condition can very well dictate negative behaviour. For example take the complaint-box in a service provider company like the MTNL. The employee does not make the rules nor is he responsible for the service but he has to listen to the abuse day in and out. Obviously if his contribution is not appreciated and he is continuously treated as a mere employee of no importance, he is going to be a very unhappy person indeed. And, if you think he cannot hurt the organization in anyway, you have got a thing coming.

Besides all this, there may be other factors at play in his personal life. Like a mismatch in marriage, financial difficulties, illness, pressures in the family and so many other possibilities. Here wisdom dictates, some attention from the manager and wherever possible assistance to overcome difficult moments in life. Just listen to your employee as a friend without being the boss and you will be surprised at what he can tell you. Don’t ask leading questions, just sympathize and do not react. Very few human beings can really cope with everything that life throws at us. So, develop empathy and help your team and they will help the organization to grow in turn.

There are some people who will continue on to live like this and hate it every step of the way, then there’s some of you who will heed the call, get the message and finally see how easy it is to get off this roller coaster we call the daily grind! It’ll take a little effort, a lot of determination and the trust of something bigger than yourself yet accessible enough that it flows within you… The Universe.

Sounds like a bunch of hooey right? Hear me out because I’m going to let you in on a little “Secret”.

If you have ever dreamed about branching off on your own and making your own way financially instead of depending on some corporate guy in a white collared shirt who doesn’t even know your name to sign your check, you could very easily make it happen. This whole world was built on the foundation of those who had dreams and truly believed in themselves to make it happen! What they may not have realized, and yourself as well, they’ve always had the power of the Universe behind them that helped them to cultivate their wishes and they were able to draw from that power by a simple act…THOUGHT. They THOUGHT their lives into existence, they THOUGHT their dreams into fruition and I’m here to tell you, they were not the only ones who held such power, we ALL have it!

You may not have known it as it has been tucked deep down inside to the very core of us but it has always been there and has been working behind the scenes since you took your first breath. How is that possible? It’s the law, the Law of Attraction. It is so ancient that no one can really depict it’s origins but it does exist and for a long time has been selfishly kept from the eyes of everyday man, until now. This law has secretly been in use by the worlds most powerful people but recently has been been brought to light so that EVERYONE can benefit from it. Simply stated, the Law of Attraction is based upon the principal of like attracts like, you get what you give, you reap what you sow. The mind is such a powerful thing and combined with the soul, it is virtually unstoppable when it’s owner truly believes in the things they are thinking, and with those thoughts manifests the life for which we believe we are meant to live, good or bad. In other words, we really do create our own reality. You think about great things and great things you shall have, same with the bad. That’s not to say you don’t have to work for it, every truly successful venture has always required some type of effort but once it’s applied to a dream, the sky is the limit!

You can free yourself from the shackles of the daily grind, you just have to believe in yourself enough to do it. And I know that belief in yourself isn’t quite enough, you also need a plan. With the right system, a network of people who truly believe in the power of positive thinking and believe in your success just as much as you do, well, then you’ve got more than most. The Universe heard you, it brought your wishes to this page, it’s up to you to recognise and follow it…

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Russ Sutton,RN Empowers individuals and assists them to succeed as Entrepreneurs by outlining a step by step method to Achieve their goals. Contact Russ for a FREE Personal consultation at http://www.Achieveit.Biz and begin your new life of Abundance Today.

The way the present captain MS Dhoni paid his gratitude towards two former captains was remarkable. It is a learning experience for me.

Neither was he forced nor did anyone pay him any extra bucks for the act he did on the field. He invited dada to lead the team in the last over of the match. At the award ceremony, he invited Anil Kumble to collect the trophy.

Where does this attitude come from? This is just how we see life. This is how we show what kind of a personality we are. This is how we express our team spirit.

In the corporate world, how many of us have the attitude displayed by Dhoni? Do we pay our gratitude to the person whom we replace or to our former boss?

Maybe yes for someone…maybe a matter to think over for others. Anyone who does that surely captures a place in our hearts.

We should learn from the leadership skills Dhoni showed on the cricket ground yesterday.

What are some of the important points to remember when you go about setting goals and planning for them?

1. Your goals should be “SMART”.
It is very important that your goals be:
•    Specific
•    Measurable
•    Attainable
•    Realistic
•    Timebound
2. What ever you do, put your whole mind to it.
In America, Swami Vivekananda saw some kids standing on a bridge, shooting eggshells floating in the lake. The children were always off the target. Swamiji took a gun, stood still for few minutes and then fired twelve shots. Each time it hit an eggshell, Swamiji turned around and told the awe-struck boys, “What ever you do put your whole mind into it.  If you’re shooting, your mind should be on the target. If you’re learning, think only of the lesson.”

3. Be and act enthusiastic.
The worst bankrupt is the person who has lost enthusiasm. Let one lose everything but enthusiasm and that person will come through to success. Of course, there will be difficulties and obstacles. There are two possible attitudes to take at such a time. One is to let it discourage you, making you feel helpless and hopeless. That attitude is disastrous. The other way is to cultivate a positive attitude towards what you can do to solve the problem in the best manner possible.

4. Take effective decisions.
Most people have no idea how much stress they can create through indecision. If you are the kind of person who cannot decide between two courses of action, afraid that the course you choose might turn out to be a mistake, it is important to bear in mind that indecision is expensive and nearly always the worst mistake you can make.

Of course, some decisions require a great deal of thought and maybe some more information. But once all the facts are available, the successful individual will reach a decision and stop thinking about the various pros and cons, so that he can devote all his energy and effort to making the decision work.

5. Avoid Procrastination
Procrastination is the greatest disease that afflicts mankind.  Although the disease is wide spread, it is important that we do not ignore it. Successful people do not procrastinate especially in matters they know are important to them. Someone has rightly said, “People don’t fail because they intend to fail. They fail because they fail to do what they intend to do.”

To sum up, setting “SMART” goals, putting your whole mind to the task at hand, being enthusiastic, taking effective decisions and avoiding procrastination are five keys to help you climb higher in life.

Nikhil Desai is an international trainer, motivator and speaker.

When most people are creating their undergraduate or graduate school applications, they look at the list of admissions requirements and focus on figuring out how they can provide the best information, grades, test scores, etc. that are being asked for in each part of the application.  They approach the application process as if they are equally competing with all other applicants and attempt to position themselves as well as possible within each area of evaluation as compared to every single other applicant.  They give in to the format of the application and application process and let it define and constrain how they present themselves.

Competing with everyone else in an equal way is fine and fair and following the rules and guidelines of a university’s admissions process is appropriate.¬† But is this truly the best you can do?¬† Is this truly the best way to show the best of who you are as a unique, talented, and special individual?

Given that the number of applications to top selective universities is dramatically rising every year as the internet makes it easier to apply to multiple universities and more people from all over the world can now access and afford (and demand!) the best higher education, it is crucial, now more than ever before, to find ways to make your applications stand out if you want to be accepted to your dream university.

This means you need to think in a completely different way about applying to university.¬† Don’t let the application process and format define you – you need to define the application process and format in whatever way enables you to present the best of who you are.¬† What are the unique and special things about yourself you’d like to convey, and if you can’t easily do so through the standard application form and process how else can you creatively do so?

Start by thinking about all of your accomplishments, talents, experiences, and interests.¬† The easy ones (part of the standard application process) are your classes and grades, standardized test scores, activities, work experiences, and descriptions of your talents and interests as told through your essays and short-answers.¬† But the things that will help you stand out are the things that aren’t directly asked for in the application process, the things that you choose to tell through ways that are not part of the standard application format, and the things you’ve chosen to spend time on that are outside the norm.

I know of a high school student from a wealthy family who spent the summer before his final year of high school working as a janitor in a factory, not because he couldn’t find a “better” job but because he dreamed of becoming a CEO someday and wanted first-hand experience of what it takes to keep a company running at the ground level (literally).¬† He wrote a fantastic essay about the experience and not surprisingly was accepted to his dream university because his application stood out.

So go ahead and ask yourself, what are things that you could do in your classes, activities, work, etc. that aren’t what everyone else does and therefore would catch the eye of someone reading your application and never let them forget you?