When you get the pink slip…

Last week one of my friends Sumit received this awful and not so unexpected news, “Effective today your services are not required. Kindly collect your belongings/ dues by the weekend”.

He immediately called me up with very stressed and frustrated voice and complained about the employer that he has worked with them for more than 4 years now and how they could do that with him!. “Please arrange some interview for me today itself”, he said. I asked him to calm down and suggested him to go home and relax.

These kinds of situations are not very uncommon these days. Getting tensed and frustrated is very obvious. But this is the time where we need to control our thoughts and respond in a cool and mature way.

Some tips what to do after you being laid off:

Be Positive:
Kind of responses like of Sumit is very obvious in these types of situations. Even if this was anticipated, you will go through many thoughts. Some negativity, anger, jealousy, frustration may come but you need to be watchful enough. Don’t let these thoughts hinder in your life. Be positive and think positive. Like there is a saying “Only a calm mind can sail you through the storm.”

Don’t take it personally:
“I have been loyal to the company and still they have asked me to go”. Don’t badmouth or think badly for your employer. That decision might be driven by bad health of the company. So don’t take it personally. The company will move on and you also should move on.

Don’t feel ashamed:
I have one friend who lost his job twice during last six months. So he started his own business and he is doing quite ok in that. If you are laid off that does not mean that you are not competent in you work, it is the end of just one chapter and you need to start new one. After a year you will think that better you lay off, that’s why you are in such a good position today.

Good time for vacation:
When I asked one of my acquaintances after he was unceremoniously dropped, what are his plans. He replied, “Since I don’t have much responsibility so I’ll utilize this break as a vacation and have some fun”. This could be the right time to spend some quality time with your family and plan for the future with a calm mind. So you can think to go for small vacation.

Go through self assessment:
Before going for a job search go through a self assessment. That will help you to put your best foot forward towards finding a matching job. Ask these questions to yourself :

What kind of job I want?
In which domain I want to work?
Should I change my specialization?

Increase your educational qualifications:

This is the right time to identify your shortcomings and overcome theose by adding on to your educational qualifications. Take a break and join some executive mamangement course like the ones offered by the IIMs, XLRI, etc.

Check your connections:
This is the start of the job search. Making a comprehensive list of whom you know and where they are. Get this organized on paper or in Microsoft Excel and start contacting them! Make the best use of networking sites like http://www.linkedin.com/, www.plaxo.com, http://www.siliconindia.com/, http://www.google.com/ to do your homework.

Remember brooding has not helped anyone. Take it in your stride and seek an opportunity in every diversity !

Are you the proverbial ‘difficult employee’?

Last month I had a meeting with one of my old friends, who is now VP–HR in a fairly large IT setup. He informed me that he is planning to lay off a couple of hundred people in his company, in a phased manner. What surprised me was that he mentioned that out of them around 80% are ‘difficult employees’. I wondered aloud what was his definition of a ‘difficult employee’. What he told me was interesting and forms the basis of this post.

“In every department/organization there are few people who are arrogant, demeaning (to others), insubordinate, not trustworthy, (always) cribbing and unproductive. And these employees are a huge drain for an organization in terms of wasted time, reduced productivity, inefficiency, and ultimately resulting in customer loss.” I again asked him as to why did the team, then not take precautions while hiring? He said these are traits and sometimes it is difficult to observe them during an interview. You get to know about them only from observing them in terms of their approach, attitude, performance, productivity and feedback from co-workers and managers etc.

It sure means that ‘difficult employees’ are at the first place in the queue when it comes to being shown the door.

Based on his observation and my research, I am listing a few traits/signs that can label you as a ‘difficult employee’. They are:

Work is your foe/ additional responsibility:
I, like many people, don’t like to work long hours or during weekends. But in a down economy & competitive environment your approach towards this additional work plays a huge role in whether you are a valuable employee of the organization or not. Organizations generally perceive an employee’s worth by evaluating his/her work ethics.

Your personal problems are public knowledge:
If most of your colleagues are aware of all your personal problems, from hole in the shoe, missed breakfast, argument with friend, mismatched nailpolish, then this point is for you. No one is really interested in these kind of regular updates. This can create a sort of distraction among the other employees who already are overworked and busy in meeting deadline. You will suddenly see co-workers distancing from you. So keep your personal problem very personal.

You & your company are not on the same page:
You don’t have to be alcoholic if you work for Kingfisher beverages. But you need to understand the vision and approach of your company and work towards it. If you are heard making fun of the company or its products/services it can hamper the office environment, spirit of teamwork, your relation with co-workers and the management. The company is better off without you for the the fact that, you don’t understand and respect your work.

You don’t appreciate feedback from others:
“True feedback can put you on the elevator of learning”, says Vinayak Joshi, CEO, Learning Concepts, an e- learning solutions provider. If you don’t take feedback positively it means you are limiting your learning and your knowledge and you have very little chance to improve your weaknesses. This will affect your work efficiency for sure. So lest you end up getting the pink slip, learn to take in what people are saying.

You are always complaining:
“My computer is slow, co-workers are not supportive, my boss is very strict, there is no AC in cabs, the food in cafeteria sucks”. Does this sound familiar?

Problems are with everyone, we need to work towards the solutions instead of revolving around the problem. No one likes complaining and that too about co-worker/boss/company/HR. If you face any problem, try to appreciate it from the other person’s perspective. Even then, if you feel problems are grave, then escalate it to the right person instead of being a cry baby. Your attitude of always cribbing/making noise can push you under the ‘firing’ range.

You hate accountability:
I have seen many people who are active enough when it comes to taking credit for some work but who retreat twenty steps backwards, in case of owning up responsibility. At any given point of time, you should be able to hold yourself accountable for the work done by you - good or bad - instead of playing the blame game. This will express your quality of initiation and leadership.

Even if you have any one of the traits mentioned above, I would suggest that you pull up your socks. By addressing the above points you can show to the organization your value of employment. So always welcome responsibility/ challenges with full enthusiasm. Who knows it could be a chance to establish yourself.

No one likes ‘difficult employees’ in their team, organization. Every organization wants an employee who can add value.

So watch your approach in office, who knows someone is preparing list to lay off!

5 simplest answers to sail through an interview...

The most stressful part of job interview is to get stuck in those questions which are generic in nature but nevertheless difficult to answer. Here is a few answers to those questions, that should help you.

01 Tell us about yourself?

For a long time, I would go around talking about my place of birth, education and work experience etc etc. Then I realised how silly it sounds.Interviewers want to know the candidates skillsets, strengths and achievements in the past and how these are related to the requirement of job.

For example: “I am really passionate about my work. Whatever I do I do it with full of my dedication, determination and devotion. I am working in insurance sales for last two years and that has given me a lot confidence and taught me the importance of time management and goal setting. I have been consistently achieving my targets for the last 3 quarters. I also have organized and been part of various road shows and counseling activity for lead generation”.

02 Why are you leaving current job?

It is very easy to criticise your employers and there the interviewer deducts the marks. As a thumb rule remember to stay away from saying negative things about your former/current employer. Instead focus on the positive.

For example: “I have learned many things from my last job like team play, client management, being an efficent worker. However now I am looking for new challenges. So that I can further utilize my potential and also widen up my skill sets.”

03 What are your weaknesses?

Sitting with friends, I would say things casually. However at an interview this is a great chance for the candidate to show positive attitude. Here you can use a real examples of weaknesses you have overcome.

For example: “Initially i was quite scared of working on Excel sheets, the formula making used to frighten me, but over time I took it as a challenge and have overcome my fear of Excel and numbers. In fact I am also now responsible to manage the MIS for the sales team.”

04 What motivates you?

I have heard of movies, good food, friends as answers. But then the answer to this question should reflect the positive attitude of candidate. So rather than giving frivolous answers, focus on attitude.

For example: “ The challenge of finishing projects on time and also ensuring client satisfaction motivates me”.

05 What is your expectation in terms of salary?

Now Salary negotiation is an art. There is a good saying “You don’t get what you deserve, you only get what you negotiate.” So you should negotiate your salary very carefully. We would suggest don’t give the numbers directly. It is good to say “based on my experience and the demand of the job I expect the appropriate range to be paid for this role.”

It is important to have and show an interest in the job profile offered. You can definitely do a small research on internet to know what the salary range is for the profile offered and what is the industry trends like.

Simple isn’t it?

Top 10 resume mistakes...

There is a good saying “Making mistake is not a crime but not learning from the mistake is a crime”, and that my friends is very true, when it comes to resumes. A resume is your identity, that the reader sees, and creates an impression about you. So we cannot afford to make mistakes with that one, can we?

I have come across some resumes which have such silly mistakes and some grave ones, that I found it appropriate to share in this forum. These mistakes on resume are exceptionally difficult to repair the damage once an employer gets it. So we need to take extreme care that we do no make any mistake in resume. Here are the most common errors and how you can avoid them, to make an impressive resume:

1. Silly errors

Your resume needs to be correct in all aspects. If it isn’t, employers will conclude that this person is not serious about how/what someone thinks about him. It is a good idea to check your resume twice to ensure there is not any silly spelling mistake or grammar mistake in it. Or better still, ask someone else to proof read your resume.

2. Lack of achievements

Employers need to understand what you’ve done and achieved. So please mention both of them together and don’t stop at one. For example a statement like “Team leader in XYZ BPO”, will capture less attention than “Supervised more than 15 employees for XYZ BPO and was also part of client interaction to understand their requirements and expectations from us”.

It is a good idea to spend some time thinking and mentioning about your achievements at workplace than simply rattling of your responsibilities.

3. No correlation between resume and requirement of job

Employers want you to write a resume specifically for them. You need to create a correlation between requirement of the job with your skill and experience. Only then you will stand out as a deserving candidate for that particular job.

4. No keywords

When applying for a position in a particular industry or company, it is important to speak the same language. It is desirable for the company to know that the prospect candidate knows about the company, industry. Please use keywords relevant to the job you are applying for.

5. Irrelevant information

Sometimes candidates get carried away and stuff our resume with information which the employers have no interest to know. Some examples like:• Won painting competition in class 8th• Was class monitor in 9th standardStatements like these are considered irrelevant information and is not in sync with the job requirement. Please be specific, to the point and be concise.

6. Vague statements

Exaggerated statements like, “Seeking a challenging position that offers professional growth” puts of most employers I know. Give employers something specific and, more importantly, something that focuses on their requirement as well as your own. Tell them truly what your short term and long term goals are.

7. Cover letter

An intelligently drafted cover letter can increase your chance for selection. A cover letter gives you an opportunity to mention what you may have not added in the resume. You can mention the reasons as to why you are suitable for the the job opening. You can talk about the skill sets you posses or the relevant experience and interest that you have, which makes you a good candidate for the job.

8. Clumsy formatting

Your resume should be well formatted. The font should be professional and not a fancy looking one. Use fonts like TimesNewRoman or Calibiri or Verdana or Trebuchet for creating an impression. Try using a standard font size across the resume. Too much of variations causes distraction.

9. Silly email ids

Email ids like resumes help create an impression about the person that you are. Email ids like love4uxxx@abc.com are not favorable. We suggest you have a more professional email ids for resumes like firstname.lastname@mailprovider.com

10. Incorrect information

The purpose of creating and sending cover letter and resume to prospective employer is to get contacted by them. So if you give incorrect information w.r.t any part of job that you have not done or exaggerated about or as simple as your contact details, employers will shy away from contacting you and your whole purpose of having a good resume will be defeated.

This is true that we get the job if we fulfill the requirements of the job but if we take care of these hygiene factors mentioned above then we can put forward our resume in an effective and efficient way.

All the best for your job search

Universities world wide.........

Here is an excellent website which lists universities world wide, country wise with details of the websites etc.

This could be very useful in identifying educational course of your choice, affordability, etc. The site also gives information on online courses available for a wide range of degrees/post graduation/PhD/etc.

Click here to visit this useful site.

CV Writing - the do nots...

Do not get your CV made through paid services (like what is offered today by many job portals). While it may serve the purpose of the job portals to make extra money, you may lose your otherwise chance to make it at the interview. The worst thing that the interviewer would like to see in the CV is dishonesty, so be honest and prepare your own CV. You may adopt a format or template but atleast, have your own words filled into the same.

While using the right words can strengthen your CV, the wrong words can cost you the opportunity to bag your dream job. You should ensure that you use the most suitable words to present your candidature but also make sure you do not use wrong or negative words and phrases.

There are certain words which are seen frequently on CVs but actually only serve to irritate recruiters/ interviewers and at times may even cost you the interview call, as they paint a misleading picture of you. In our last article, we saw 10 power words for your CV. This article explains the type of words you should not use on your CV. While you may choose to use them if necessary, for most situations they would be better left out.

Responsible for
This is a very common set of words seen on CVs. While the candidates do not realize, these are a set of most irritating words selectors see on the CVs. Until you provide additional information to show them how did you help the organization with this responsibility, these words are meaningless.

For eg, it doesn't make any sense if you just say "Responsible for promoting the product in north region".

The selector would wonder: When? For how long? What was the outcome? and may finally dump your CV thinking that the candidate is not mature enough. However, if you write "Promoted the product XYZ in "alpha" districts of north India from 2004-2006 achieving a visibility of 75 per cent", it will definitely add value to your CV.

Family ties
Unless you are applying for a job where the employer has to bear the expenses of your family or the information is going to have an impact on your working conditions, this information is useless to the interviewer.

Political affiliations and inclinations
You may have a political affiliation or inclination but your CV or interview is not the place to talk about it.

Preparing for interviews...(50 Common Interview Questions & their Answers)

If you are preparing for one of those dreaded interviews, which in a few minutes can decide the fate of your career - here is some secret potion which can give you the edge over others.

Click here to download and read 50 common questions and their answers in pdf format.

With best wishes,

TEAM Warriersonline

Winning with Leadership!

Click here to download this effective power point presentation.

CV WRITING GUIDE CV WRITING GUIDE

The word Curriculum Vitae(LATIN WORD) literally translated means the story of your life. The words Curriculum Vitae are usually abbreviated to CV or C.V. and you will sometimes see it incorrectly written in lower case as c.v. or cv. The possessive form of Curriculum Vitae / CV should be written as Curriculum Vitae's or C.V.'s or CVs, but not as c.v.'s or cv's.

These days employers often receive a lot of CVs for each advertised position - jobs advertised in national papers can often attract hundreds of applicants. So your CV has to be just that little bit special to stand out if you want to obtain interviews. The good news (for you) is that most people do not know how to write a CV and only spend a short time preparing a CV. Writing professional CVs is a skill, which these people have not learnt.

Of course your CV can continue to work in your favour even after it has obtained an interview for you. It can help you at an interview by carefully focusing the interviewer's mind on your good points and on your achievements. Once you have left the interview it will continue to work in your favour as the interviewer will probably reread it before making a decision, either on who should be invited to the second interview stage or who the job should be offered to.

General CV tips

1. These days you can write your CV in the first person (i.e. I have) or the third person (i.e. he/she has). However, you do not need to use 'I', 'he' or 'she' in a CV because its use is implied.

2. Do mention things you are good at, but do not go over the top. You can oversell yourself.

3. Don't mention things that you are bad at or say negative things about yourself in your CV.

4. Make sure that the CV you write conjures up the right image of you and your skills, capabilities and achievements. If you do not match the picture you have painted with your CV at the interview, then your application will not be taken further.

5. Be careful when you use abbreviations - they can be misunderstood.

6. If you are not happy with your CV or you only seem to get rejection letters then please get a professional CV writing service to write it for you. Yes, you will have to pay for it. But, it could save you a lot of time.

7. Re-read your CV to ensure that there are no grammatical errors and the sentence structure is correct.

8. Make sure the style of the CV remains consistent throughout. Font, Font style and size should remain the same.

9. The spacing should be paid heed to, to make sure the CV makes up for a plain and simple reading.

10. Avoid using stylistic fonts that looks jarring to the eyes.

Tips for producing a better CV

Think of your CV as your shop window - it must effectively display your experience, skills and qualities in a very short period of time. The following tips will help you produce a CV that does just that.

1. Keep it short and clear
Before you start, choose the right structure for your CV. The most important information, such as your key skills and recent experience, needs to be near the top, where it can be seen straightaway. Sections you usually need to include are your Profile, Achievements, Experience, Special Skills (languages / computers), Education, Training, and (if you wish) Interests. Your CV should normally be two pages in length (unless you have a very long career or you are a contractor or the recruiter asks for a longer CV). If you haven't caught the recruiter's interest by page two then they probably won't read any further pages anyway.

2. Make it look good
Clear, attractive presentation is also important if your CV is to stand out. Ensure that it's uncluttered, with key points easy to spot. Use bullet points and keep the sentences relatively short. Plenty of 'white space' around the borders and between each section keeps the document easier on the eye.

3. Most recent first
Put your employment history in date order, starting with the most recent first. Avoid leaving any gaps, so if you've had time out for some reason, do mention this. Don't go into detail about positions you held over 10 years ago. Include details of holiday or temporary work only if it's relevant to the job you're applying for.

4. Include many facts
List your job duties beneath each position. List your achievements, responsibilities and results. Talk about results - what difference did your presence make? Use numbers for achievements wherever possible, e.g. "Boosted sales by 20% in first year". And always write in a slightly formal manner and never use the word "I" - e.g. "Supervised the team" rather than "I supervised the team". Use the past tense for previous jobs and the present tense for your current job.

5. Not too many lists
Include specific skills, such as languages, administrative or computing skills, in a separate section in your CV. Don't relist them for every job you've used them in. This is particularly so for IT work - lists of tools and packages make dull reading and won't make you stand out from other people with the same abilities.

6. Breathe some life into it
Remember the employer wants a sense of the kind of person you are, as well as what you can do. Are you punctual, conscientious, or motivated? Do you rise to a challenge? With each point you write, ask yourself "What does this say about me?"

7. Be accurate
Always check for errors. Run a spelling and grammar check and ask someone else to read it for you. Read it aloud to the dog. The employer isn't going to believe you're a good communicator if your CV is full of mistakes.

8. Adapt it
You don't have to use the same CV every time. You can have two or three versions, each for a different kind of job. Or you can tailor your CV to suit the job you're applying for. It isn't a case of one size fits all.

9. Send a covering letter
Unless the advert tells you not to, always send a covering letter. This should highlight the two or three areas of experience from your CV that are most relevant to the advertised job. Never send your CV out on its own.

10. Be truthful
Although you obviously want to present yourself well, don't go too far and embellish the truth. It can easily backfire on you.

11. Enclose a Covering letter
When sending in a CV or job application form, you must include a covering letter. The purpose of the letter is to make sure that the CV arrives on the desk of the correct person. Also to say why you want that particular job with that particular employer and to draw attention to one or two key points in the CV which you feel make you suited to that particular job with that particular employer.

It should clearly say what job you are interested in. If in case you are sending a 'speculative' CV hoping that they may have work for you, explain what sort of work you are interested in like saying, 'I believe my skills equip me to work in the product development department/accounts office/whatever'. When sending a speculative CV, you may try telephoning later to push your enquiry further.

While drafting your covering letter keep these following points in mind:

• Start your letter with an underline heading giving the job title you are interested in. (If you saw the job advertised, say where you saw it.)

• The letter should only be on one side of A4 paper. It must be polite and easy to read.

• Mention when you are available for an interview. Ending your letter with a request for specific extra information may give a positive response.

By Nilesh Shah (Laurent & Benon Management Consultants Ltd.)

Training yourself for better concentration

Concentration means directing one's attention on whatever one intends. We all have a natural ability to concentrate. Have you noticed how difficult it is to get young children's attention when they are playing? Do you remember the time when you were completely engrossed in an interesting novel, a super film, an exciting match or an exhilarating piece of music? You were concentrating then. At this very moment you are reading these words, you are concentrating.

It helps to know what it is like to concentrate, so that you can get back to that state of being.

What is poor concentration?

When people say that they can't concentrate, it usually means that they cannot stay focused on one thing for as long as they would like. Most of us experience lapses in concentration every day. We are not usually concerned about it; we may not even notice these lapses in concentration. They only become a problem when we find that we cannot get things done as quickly as we would like, or when they cause us to make mistakes.You do not concentrate when you allow your environment to distract you, and/or your thoughts and feelings to interrupt you. Your thoughts are scattered; your mind jumps from one thing to another like a monkey. It helps to learn and to practice concentration strategies, to harness your monkey mind, so that it works at your will. If you know the causes of your poor concentration, you can learn to control these factors.

Factors that may cause poor concentration

Lack of concentration is one of the frequent complaints among students mainly due to distraction. There are two types of distractions: external and internal.

External Distractions

External distractions are related to the physical environment of your study area. Once you have identified these distractions, it is often easy to deal with them. Some of the common external distractions are:

a. Noise; conversations

b. Inappropriate furniture; inadequate lighting

c. Interruption from other people; telephone

d. Television.

e.Work: paid or unpaid; housework

f. The Internet; email

Internal Distractions

Internal distractions are related to you: your body, your thoughts and your emotions. Some of them can be easily dealt with once they are identified. Others can be managed with practice and/or with a little help. Some of the common internal distractions are:

a. Hunger; tiredness; illness

b. Lack of motivation; boredom; lack of interest

c. Personal worries; stress; anxiety

d. Negative thinkinge. Daydreaming

f. Lack of organization; dyslexia

Corporate Lessons - Old story, new version....

There was once a washer man who had a donkey and a dog.

One night when the whole world was sleeping, a thief broke into the house, the washer man was fast asleep but the donkey and the dog were awake.

The dog decided not to bark since the master did not take good care of him and wanted to teach him a lesson.

The donkey got worried and said to the dog that if he doesn't bark, the donkey will have to do something himself. The dog did not change his mind and the donkey started braying loudly.

Hearing the donkey bray, the thief ran away, the master woke up and started beating the donkey for braying in the middle of the night for no reason.

Moral of the story " One must not engage in duties other than his own"
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Now take a new look at the same story…

The washer man was a well educated man from a premier management institute.

He had the fundas of looking at the bigger picture and thinking out of the box. He was convinced that there must be some reason for the donkey to bray in the night.

He walked outside a little and did some fact finding, applied a bottom up approach, figured out from the ground realities that there was a thief who broke in and the donkey only wanted to alert him about it.

Looking at the donkey's extra initiative and going beyond the call of the duty, he rewarded him with lot of hay and other perks and became his favorite pet.

The dog's life didn't change much, except that now the donkey was more motivated in doing the dogs duties as well. In the annual appraisal the dog managed a " meets requirement" Soon the dog realized that the donkey is taking care of his duties and he can enjoy his life sleeping and lazing around.

The donkey was rated as "star performer". The donkey had to live up to his already high performance standards. Soon he was over burdened with work and always under pressure and now is looking for a job rotation…


If you have worked in a corporate environment, I am sure you have guessed the characters of the new story.

Job Interview Tips, Techniques, and Skills

The Concise Guide for Job Interviews

The interviewer hopes that YOU are the right person for the job. They are under pressure to fill the position so that they can get back to their own work. Therefore you are in a greater position of strength than you think. Concentrate on what you have to offer in the way of qualifications and experience instead of feeling intimidated.

An interviewer has 3 aims:

1. To learn if you are the right person for the job.

2. To assess your potential for promotion

3. To decide whether you will fit into the company environment.

The key to a successful job interview is in preparation

1. Be prepared: For the types of interview questions you will be asked
2. Be prepared: To ask questions yourself
3. Be prepared: To research the company
4. Be prepared: To look the part
5. Be prepared: To turn up on time

Job interview questions you may be asked

Q - How would you describe yourself?
A - You should describe attributes that will enhance your suitability for the position. Have some ready in advance.
Q - What are your long-term goals?
A - These should be career orientated. Make sure you have goals to discuss.
Q - Why did you leave your last job?
A - This could be for more responsibility; a better opportunity; increased income. Do not be detrimental to your previous employer. He could be the interviewer's golfing partner.
Q - Why do you want this job?
A - Your answer should be: more responsibility or better opportunity or similar. Not: because it is closer to home or the gym.
Q - What are your strengths?
A - You should highlight accomplishments and experiences that relate to the position for which you are applying. Also, give examples of situations where your strengths have been demonstrated.
Q - What are your weaknesses?
A - This should not be a list of deficiencies. Don't mention anything that could make the interviewer question your ability to do the job, for example "I am always late for everything." Instead, discuss a weakness that could also be a strength such as "I am a workaholic!"

More Examples of Good Interview Questions

Tell me a little bit about yourself.
Describe your current / most recent position.
What made you want to make this change?
What do you most enjoy doing in your current /most recent position?
Describe your future ambitions.
How would you describe yourself?

Good interview questions for YOU to ask

Asking questions at interview has a number of positive effects:
1. It helps you find out more about the company and the position.
2. It can be used to divert the interviewer away from a subject you may wish to avoid.
3. It can help build a rapport with the interviewer.
4. It demonstrates an interest in the job and the company.

The questions must be about the position and the company. Avoid questions about salary, benefits and facilities until after you have been offered the job.

You should already have researched the company and it's products and services. Your questions should demonstrate knowledge of the company's history, successes and problems. If the interviewer is a representative of the personnel department the questions should relate to the company and be general. Specific questions relating to the position should be kept for the line manager who will have a more detailed knowledge.

Example questions relating to the position

What are the main responsibilities of the job?
What are the most difficult aspects of the job?
How did the vacancy arise?
What is the career path relating to this position?
How will my work be assessed?

Example questions relating to the company

What is the company hoping to achieve in the next 12 months?
What new products are the company planning to introduce in the future?
Are any major changes planned for the department/company?
Who are your biggest competitors?

Where to find company information

Information relating to companies, financial data, industries and business trends is available in business magazines which often publish on the World Wide Web and allow you to order Annual Reports relating to specific companies.
Companies often have their own web site.
Newspapers – search on-line press reports including archived articles.
Local library.

Interview Tips - Presentation

Obviously you should be clean and smart in appearance but you should also dress appropriately for the position, for example: a student placement that is more expensively dressed than the Managing Director may have a negative impact.

Clothes should be on the conservative side, which is more acceptable to people of all ages, cultures and backgrounds. After all, you are asking to be accepted into the company. Therefore always avoid extremes in hair, clothes, make-up and jewellery. Taking trouble over your appearance shows the employer that the job is important to you.

Interview Tips - Travel

1. Arrive 15 minutes early.
2. Make sure you have the correct address and know how you will get there:

3. Parking? Public transport access?
4. Do a dummy run if you are not sure.
5 Make sure you have a mobile phone and a telephone number so that you can ring ahead if circumstances beyond your control are making you late.
6. Be polite to everyone you speak to, it could be the Managing Director's cousin! Have a copy of your CV with you.

Summary

1. You should show interest in all aspects of the job and the company especially if shown around the premises.
2. Do your homework on the company and the nature of its business.
3. Take care in how you dress for the interview. First impressions still count!

Some of the main influences on the interviewer are:

1. Your experience in other employment or life situations
2. Your personal presentation. How your personality comes across in the interview
3. Your background and references
4. Your enthusiasm for both the job and the organisation.
5. Relevant qualifications for the position.

Quotes on positive attitude...

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. ~Herm Albright, quoted in Reader's Digest, June 1995.

Attitudes are contagious. Are yours worth catching? ~Dennis and Wendy Mannering

Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine. ~Anthony J. D'Angelo, The College Blue Book

If you don't get everything you want, think of the things you don't get that you don't want. ~Oscar Wilde

Life is a shipwreck but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats. ~Voltaire

I had the blues because I had no shoes until upon the street, I met a man who had no feet. ~Ancient Persian Saying

If you don't think every day is a good day, just try missing one. ~Cavett Robert

It's so hard when I have to, and so easy when I want to. ~Annie Gottlier

Oh, my friend, it's not what they take away from you that counts. It's what you do with what you have left. ~Hubert Humphrey

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. ~Winston Churchill

Every day may not be good, but there's something good in every day. ~Author Unknown

The sun shines and warms and lights us and we have no curiosity to know why this is so; but we ask the reason of all evil, of pain, and hunger, and mosquitoes and silly people. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring. ~George Santayana

Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same. ~Francesca Reigler

If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it. ~Mary Engelbreit

So often time it happens, we all live our life in chains, and we never even know we have the key. ~The Eagles, "Already Gone"

The only people who find what they are looking for in life are the fault finders. ~Foster's Law

He who has so little knowledge of human nature as to seek happiness by changing anything but his own disposition will waste his life in fruitless efforts. ~Samuel Johnson

Think big thoughts but relish small pleasures. ~H. Jackson Brown, Jr., Life's Little Instruction Book

Every thought is a seed. If you plant crab apples, don't count on harvesting Golden Delicious. ~Bill Meyer

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. ~Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere's Fan, 1893

Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed. ~Attributed to both Jonathan Swift and Benjamin Franklin

To be upset over what you don't have is to waste what you do have. ~Ken S. Keyes, Jr., Handbook to Higher ConsciousnessDefeat is not bitter unless you swallow it. ~Joe Clark

The only disability in life is a bad attitude. ~Scott Hamilton

If you aren't fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm. ~Vince Lombardi

My riches consist not in the extent of my possessions, but in the fewness of my wants. ~J. Brotherton

There is nothing so easy but that it becomes difficult when you do it reluctantly. ~Publius Terentius Afer

A thought provoking story

Once a king called upon all of his wise men and asked them, " Is there a mantra or suggestion which works in every situation, in everycircumstances, in every place and in every time. In every joy, everysorrow, every defeat and every victory? One answer for all questions?Something which can help me when none of you is available to advise me? Tell me is there any mantra?"

All the wise men were puzzled by the King's question. They thoughtand thought. After a lengthy discussion, an old man suggested something which appealled to all of them. They went to the king and gave him something written on paper, with a condition that the king was not to see it out of curiosity. Only in extreme danger, when the King finds himself alone and there seems to be no way, only then he can see it.The King put the papers under his Diamond ring.

Some time later, the neighbors attacked the Kingdom. King and his armyfought bravely but lost the battle. The King had to flee on his horse.The enemies were following him, getting closer and closer. Suddenly the King found himself standing at the end of the road - that road was not going anywhere. Underneath there was a rocky valley thousand feetdeep. If he jumped into it, he would be finished...and he could no treturn because it was a small road...the sound of enemy's horses was approaching fast. The King became restless. There seemed to be no way.

Then suddenly he saw the Diamond in his ring shining in the sun, and he remembered the message hidden in the ring. He opened the diamondand read the message. The message was - " THIS TOO SHALL PASS"The King read it . Again read it. Suddenly something struck him-Yes ! This too will pass. Only a few days ago, I was enjoying my kingdom. I was the mightiest of all the Kings. Yet today, the Kingdom and all his pleasure have gone. I am here trying to escape from enemies. Like those days of luxuries have gone, this day of danger toowill pass. A calm came on his face. He kept standing there. The placewhere he was standing was full of natural beauty. He had never knownthat such a beautiful place was also a part of his Kingdom. The revelation of the message had a great effect on him. He relaxed and forgot about those following him. After a few minutes he realized that the noise of the horses and the enemy coming was receding. They moved into some other part of the mountains and were near him.

The King was very brave. He reorganized his army and fought again. He defeated the enemy and regained his empire. When he returned to hisempire after victory, he was received with much fanfare. The wholec apital was rejoicing in the victory. Everyone was in afestive mood. Flowers were being showered on King from every house, from everycorner. People were dancing and singing. For a moment King said to himself," I am one of the bravest and greatest King. It is not easy to defeat me. With all the reception and celebration he saw an ego emerging in him.

Suddenly the Diamond of his ring flashed in the sunlight and reminded him of the message. He open it and read it again: "THIS TOO SHALPASS". He became silent. His face went through a total change -from the egoist he moved to a state of utter humbleness.

If this too is going to pass, it is not yours. The defeat was not yours, the victory is not yours. You are just a watcher. Everything passes by. We are witnesses of all this. We are the perceivers. Life comes and goes. Happiness comes and goes. Sorrow comes and goes.

Now as you have read this story, just sit silently and evaluate yourown life. This too will pass. Think of the moments of joy and victoryin your life. Think of the moment of Sorrow and defeat. Are they permanent ? They all come and pass away. Life just passes away. There is nothing permanent in this world. Every thing changes except the lawof change. Think over it from your own perspective. You have seen allthe changes. You have survived all setbacks , all defeats and all sorrows. All have passed away.The problems in the present, they toowill pass away. Because nothing remains forever. Joy and sorrow are the two faces of the same coin. They both will pass away.You are just a witness of change.

Experience it, understand it, and enjoy the present moment -this too shall pass!

Excellent presentations on Communication Skills...

For those who would like to understand and improve their communication skills, we have a few excellent presentations provided as links(please click to download) below:

1. Link 1

2. Link 2

3. Link 3

4. Link 4

"Influence" and "change"

"Influence" and "change"

By Khuzema Jamalee.

When you change your thinking, you change your beliefs.

It begins with the mind. Beliefs are nothing more than a by-product of what you have thought long enough about that you have bought into--always remember that. What you believe is a collection of continual thoughts that have formed themselves into a conviction.

"Although not all change is the same, there is one common element to change, and that is thinking." That is a great truth. When you break down the process of thinking into manageable number of steps, you reduce the perceived risk associated with change. Being creative is when you think about your thinking, being innovative is when you act on your ideas.

When you change your beliefs, you change your expectations.

Belief is the knowledge that we can do something. It is the inner feeling that what we undertake, we can accomplish.. For the most part, all of us have the ability to look at something and know whether we can do it. So, in belief there is power: our eyes are opened; our opportunities become plain; our visions become realities. Our beliefs control everything we do. If we believe we can or we believe we cannot, we are correct. Accomplishment is more than a matter of working harder; it is a matter of believing positively. It's called the "sure enough" factor. If you expect to succeed, "sure enough," you will; if you expect to fail, "sure enough," you will. We become outside what we believe inside.

When you change your expectations, you change your attitude.

I love Ben Franklin's quote: "Blessed is the one who expects nothing, for he shall receive it." I heard a story the other day about a man who went to the fortuneteller who looked in the crystal ball and said, "Oh, my. This is not good. I look in this ball and see that you will be poor and unhappy until you're 45 years old." The guy said, "Oh, that's terrible. Well, then what's going to happen?" The fortuneteller said, "You'll get used to it."

Your expectations are going to determine your attitude. Most people get used to average; they get used to second best. Nelson Boswell said, "The first and most important step toward success is the expectation that we can succeed."

When you change your attitude, you change your behavior.

William James was right when he said, "That which holds our attention determines our action." When our attitude begins to change, when we become involved with something, our behavior begins to change. The reason that we have to make personal changes is that we cannot take our people on a trip that we have not made. Too many leaders try to be travel agents instead of tour guides--they try to send people where they have never been. We give them a brochure and a "Bon Voyage!" And off they go and we wave to them, and we ask them to tell us how it was when they come back.. A tour guide says, "Let me take you where I've been. Let me tell you what I have gone through. Let me tell you what I know. Let me show you what I've experienced in my life."

When you change your behavior, you change your performance.

Leroy Eims said, "How can you know what is in your heart? Look at your behavior. There is no better sign of the heart than the life." The truest test of where a person is going is their behavior. Unfortunately, most people would rather live with old problems than new solutions. We would rather be comfortable than correct; we would rather stay in a routine than make changes. Even when we know that the changes are going to be better for us, we often don't make them because we feel uncomfortable or awkward about making that kind of a change.

Until we can get used to living with something that is not comfortable, we cannot get any better.

When you change your performance, you change your life.

Change makes a person feel alone, even if others are going through it. You say, "Oh, man! Goodness! I know the others are changing, but I don't think they're having the difficulty I'm having.." There is something about the awkwardness and the time that it takes to make proper changes that just seems to isolate you from everyone else, even when a group is going through it together. You just kind of feel, "But my situation's a little bit different, and I think I'm just not quite as fast as the other ones," and there's a tendency to feel isolated, lonely, and withdrawn when you're going through this change.

It is easier to turn failure into success than an excuse into a possibility. A person can fail and turn around and understand their failure, make it a success; but I want to tell you--a person who makes excuses for everything will never truly succeed. I promise you, when you excuse what you are doing and excuse where you are, and you allow the exceptions, you fail to reach your potential. Don't you know some people who just have an excuse for everything? Why they could not, should not, did not, would not, have not, will not. If "ifs" and "buts" were candies and nuts, we would all have a Merry Christmas. It is impossible to turn excuses into possibilities.

Hope is the foundational principle for all change. People change because they have hope. If people do not have hope, they will not change. You are responsible for the changes that you make in your life, but the good news is, you can make the changes you need to make in your life.

Article: Turning the Tables: Smart Questions to Ask the Interviewer

Turning the Tables: Smart Questions to Ask the Interviewer
by Michelle Vessel

Many job seekers have been taught that interview success depends solely on their ability to answer the questions put to them in an impressively professional and knowledgeable manner. However, while the answers you offer up will play a big part in determining how you come across in an interview, they're really only one piece of the puzzle. In fact, some job search experts say that the questions that you pose in an interview can be equally important in helping you make a positive first impression.

A Two-Way Street

Although the hiring manager clearly has the upper hand in most interview situations, that doesn't mean that he or she should be the only one asking questions. According to Tony Beshara, author of Acing the Interview: How to Ask and Answer the Questions that Will Get You the Job, the best interviews are more like lively back-and-forth discussions than one-way interrogations.

By preparing and posing a few pointed questions of your own over the course of the interview, you'll be able to accomplish two important tasks. First, you'll highlight your ability to think on your feet, respond to emerging situations, and analyze information quickly. Second, and perhaps most importantly, the right questions will allow you to get a better sense of what it's like to work for the company - and help you figure out if the position is right for you.

What Should You Ask?

The questions you pose to the hiring manager should include queries you have prepared in advance of the interview, as well as follow-ups relating to topics that come up over the course of the discussion itself. Use these tips and techniques to craft questions that will help you succeed in your next interview.

1. Avoid the obvious.

Although you can definitely boost your profile by posing the right kind of questions, not every query will score points. Don't ask questions to which you already know the answer, or that you should have been able to find out on your own with a little pre-interview research.

2. Involve the interviewer.

Rather than focusing solely on the company as a whole, personalize your questions by targeting the interviewer's experience with the team. Ask the hiring manager to recount favorite experiences or to discuss the company's main strengths and challenges.

3. Delve deeper.

Try to formulate in-depth questions that showcase your analytical ability. Take the information the interviewer provides and use it as a jumping-off point to move towards a deeper understanding of the issues at hand. Rather than responding with surface-level questions, kick things up a notch, focusing on more complex queries that begin with words such as "how" or "why".

4. Put a positive spin on things.

Even when you're asking pointed questions, there's no need to submit your interviewer to the third degree. It's important to come across as enthusiastic and optimistic about the position and the company's prospects, even when you're digging deep for more information. If the company is facing tough market conditions or stiff competition, ask about these challenges in a way that conveys your confidence in the organization's ability to thrive in even the grimmest of circumstances.

5. End with a call to action.

After you've put a number of in-depth, intelligent questions to your interviewer, your last question should always focus on the next steps in the hiring process. Ask about the schedule for making a decision, or whether you can provide any additional information. It's always to your advantage to leave the interview with a clear understanding of what comes next, so take this opportunity to ask a few questions about the way that the process will unfold.

By posing a few questions of your own in your next interview, you can showcase your analytical skills and uncover new insights about the company and the position. If you want to land your dream job, all you have to do is ask!

(Courtesy: Harvinder)

Keys to an Effective Executive Resume...

Keys to an Effective Executive Resume

by Katharine Hansen

Flummoxed by all the "rules" and advice out there about resume writing? As an HR executive, your picture of resume perfection may be even more clouded by your own peeves and preferences in the resumes you've reviewed.

If you can remember the acronym FABUKA, you can remember the key aspects of an effective executive resume.

FABUKA stands for:

Focus;

Accomplishments;

Branding;

Uniqueness;

Keywords;

andAppearance.

Let's look at each element individually:

Focus

Your resume must target your desired career goal with precision. An employer taking a quick glance should be able to immediately grasp the job you're targeting, the need you will fill, and the value you can contribute.The executive resume must focus on key strengths that position the candidate to meet a specific need and target specific jobs/employers. One-size-fits-all resumes are especially ineffective at the executive level. Hiring decision-makers expect your resume to be precisely tailored to the position that is being sought.The reader should never have to guess or wade through copious text to determine what job you want and what you'd be good at.

Accomplishments

The executive resume must -- with a future-oriented flavor -- emphasize results, outcomes and career-defining performance indicators. Using numbers, context and meaningful metrics, the resume must paint a picture of the executive in action -- meeting needs/challenges, solving problems, impacting the company's big picture, growing the business, enhancing revenue and driving profits. Concrete, measurable accomplishments are the points that sell you.

Branding

Today's executive resume establishes an executive brand relevant to targeted employers. The branding expressed in your resume captures your career identity, authenticity, passion, essence and image. "Branding is ... best defined as a promise," says my partner, Randall Hansen,"... a promise of the value of the product ... a promise that the product is better than all the competing products ... a promise that must deliver to succeed."

In an executive resume, you can execute branding through at least three components:

1. The distinctive appearance of your resume, which should be carried through with all your career-marketing communications -- cover letter, business cards, thank-you letters, portfolio and more -- to package you with a consistent, branded look. Every time an employer sees this look, he or she will instantly associate it with you.

2. A branded message woven throughout your resume that remains consistent and does not contradict the image you want to project.

3. A branding statement that defines who you are, your promise of value and why you should be sought out. Your branding statement should encapsulate your reputation, showcase what sets you apart from others, and describe the added value you bring to a situation.

Uniqueness

The executive resume must present a sales pitch that conveys the candidate's distinctiveness, passion and unique understanding of the business environment. It must answer the employer's question: Why choose you over any other candidate?Uniqueness is closely related to both branding and focus. A focused resume enables the reader to instantly visualize you in the targeted position. A branded resume immediately communicates your promise of value. The uniqueness factor takes your resume to the next level by portraying you as not only in the position but as the best person for the position; even as the only logical choice for the position.When you imbue your resume with your uniqueness, you show that you completely comprehend the challenges the organization faces and that you are overwhelmingly qualified to meet those challenges. If you have adequately sold your uniqueness, the reader reviewing your resume should say, "This candidate gets it."

Keywords

As you know, the vast majority of resumes submitted to employers today are handled by applicant tracking systems. Because applicant-tracking software and keyword-searchable databases dominate today's hiring process, successful executive resumes must feature cutting-edge industry jargon.

Appearance

The print version of an effective executive resume (still used for networking, career expos and interviews) must be sleek, distinctive and clean, yet eye-catching, reader-friendly and upscale in appearance.

Here's a quick summary of elements that contribute to a print resume with an executive-caliber appearance:

a) Conservative, easy-to-read fonts.

b) Plenty of white space.

c) A layout/design that goes beyond ordinary, yet is not so far out as to turn employers off.

d) Small blocks of text, most of which are bulleted in a reader-friendly format.

Strive for no more than four lines in a paragraph or two lines in a bullet. Try to keep bullet points for any given job to no more than seven. Large blocks of gray test are daunting for any reader and likely won't get read.e) Attractive graphic treatment of the elements that lend focus to your resume. If you use a headline, for example, be sure it's big and bold enough to get noticed.f) Graphic elements that add interest, such as rule lines, boxes, shaded areas and tables.g) Elimination of clutter. Avoid having too many graphic elements or too much typographic variety in your resume.

[This article is adapted from a chapter of Top Notch Executive Resumes (Career Press), one of seven books authored or co-authored by Katharine Hansen, the creative director and associate publisher of Quintessential Careers as well as an educator and blogger who provides content for Quintessential Careers, edits QuintZine, an electronic newsletter for jobseekers and blogs about storytelling in the job search at A Storied Career.]

(Courtesy:Harvinder)

Vision and Values (nice story with a strong message)

A successful businessman sent his son on a long journey to learn about the secret of success and happiness from the wisest man in the world. The lad wandered through different places for many days in search of the wisest man. At last he was guided to a beautiful castle, atop a hill by some people saying that there lived a wise man. On entering the main room, the lad saw a hive of activity, diamond merchants and other traders came and went, people were conversing in the corners, there was a group of musicians playing instrumental music., etc. The wise man was conversing with people and the lad had to wait for two hours before it was his turn to be given attention. The lad finally met the wise man and explained to him why he had come. The wise man listened patiently and advised the lad to look around the castle and return in two hours.

"Meanwhile I want to ask you to do something", said the wise man, handing to the lad a spoon containing three drops of oil. "You can wander about the castle, however, you should see that you are not allowing the drops of oil to spill in the ground". The lad went here and there climbing and descending many stairways, keeping his eyes glued to the spoon. After three hours he returned to the wise man. The wise man asked, "How many wall hangings studded with gold you had seen ? How many pictures you had seen in the drawing room ? How many statutes you had seen in the main hall ? Had you visited the nine jeweled royal temple ?" The lad was quite embarrassed and confessed that he had observed nothing as his only concern had been not to spill the oil in the spoon.

"Then go back and observe the marvels of this castle", said the wise man. "You cannot trust a man if you don't know his house". The lad again picked up the spoon and started exploring the castle. This time he observed everything with full concentration, returned to the wise man and explained in detail about the things he had seen in the castle. "But where are the drops of oil I entrusted to you ?" asked the wise man. The lad then noticed that there were no drops of oil in the spoon .

"The secret of success and happiness is to see all the marvels of the world and never forget the drops of oil in the spoon ." The lad understood the meaning of the two drops of oil the vision and values. Vision is the mental picture of our desired future and values are our emotions based on which we choose and decide things and how we accomplish them."

3 Essential "E"s For Leaders... Engage, Empower, Encourage!!

"Enflamed with the study of learning and the admiration of virtue; stirred up with high hopes of living to be brave... and worthy..., dear to God, and famous to all ages." - John Milton

Leaders are by definition "stewards" of the trust, hope and beliefs of others. To perform their acts of stewardship, leaders must practice and master three essential tasks:

=> Engage people
=> Empower people
=> Encourage people

Many leaders have a problem applying those 3 "E"s to their leadership goals, actions and conversations. Here are a few strategic ideas you can use to inject the three "E"s into your leadership styles and behaviors.

Engage the Hearts, Minds & Wills of People!
"No seed shall perish which the soul hath sown." - John Addington Symonds.
When you plant a positive vision into the fertile fields of their hearts, minds, wills and emotions, your venture is sure to succeed.
Your task is to help your partners, associates, peers and constituents or clients to

=> Connect with,
=> Believe in,
=> Commit to,
=> Organize for

performing that mission-critical activity, reaching for a desired objective or completing some specific task.
The intent, consistency and integrity of your leadership style, behaviors and attitudes must demonstrate the worthiness of your visionary ideal or principles.
In a word, you use your dreams or ideals to motivate and inspire the confidence and commitment of others.

Empower the Skills, Performance & Competencies of People!

Empowering people means
-> linking them with the knowledge, resources, assets and processes they need,
- preparing them for the tasks, activities, objectives, challenges and problems they will work through,
- directing them to the sources of tools or materials, supplies and resources, specialists or networks to enable their efforts,
- guiding them in identifying, classifying, mapping or modeling, learning, analyzing, evaluating, innovating and creating, managing, venturing and leading for any situation.
By empowering, we mean facilitating the supply of energy, mass and capability to perform the work at hand. To provide people with the energy of a belief, competence or meaning.

"True hope is swift, and flies with swallow's wings; Kings it makes gods, and meaner creatures kings." - William Shakespeare

Leaders encourage us to have hope, we use that hope to add speed and give flight to our dreams, our hope transforms our lives into the lofty desires of kingly beings, and transmutes our efforts into a reality of kingly treasures.

Encourage the Endeavors, Strengths & Confidence of People!

When you lead by encouraging people, you give them a:

=> purpose for being, for their inclusion, for making a difference and contribution, for reaching upwards or towards a higher plateau
=> obligation to the mission, to help others, to fulfill an ideal, to belong, to a higher power or greater good
=> trust in the common purpose, in goodness of others, love and mercy of God, in a promising potential for the venture,
=> affinity with a noble or worthy enterprise, with other positive or success-oriented people, with a great and righteous goal
You encourage people because you realize they will become transformed by the hope of a positive image or possibility.
"None without hope e'er lov'd the brightest fair, But love can hope where reason would despair." - Lord Lyttleton.

LOVE is an act of the will, to love is a willful decision to show a loving concern, care and compassion for another - love gives hope the solid support of a strong foundation.

"Growth is the only evidence of life." - John Henry Newman

If it is possible to encourage an energizing yet positive growth of people, then you are engaged in a worthwhile endeavor.

When we analyze the styles and behaviors of our greatest leaders like , Gandhi, King, Churchill, Tolstoy and Mother Theresa, they share a common trait - they applied all three "E"s to their practice of leadership.

Leaders in government, business and public services can easily find ways to use one or more of these key actions -

1) They can engage the hearts or minds of people through compelling ideas or inspiring principles;
2) They can empower the ability and desires of people by connecting or educating them through applied energy;
3) They can encourage the commitment and heroism of people by showing them the hope or belief in a better reality.
Try out these concepts - when you do, you'll see a real improvement in your leadership effectiveness!

"We have two lives about us, Two worlds in which we dwell, Within us and without us, Alternate Heaven and Hell: Without, the somber Real, Within, our hearts of hearts, the beautiful Ideal." - Richard Henry Stoddard.

It's up to you to decide, do you believe there are 3 "E"s in "leadership"? Stretch forth your hope and see the possibility - engage, empower, encourage your people to win!


By Bill Thomas

Awaken the Leader in You -10 easy steps to developing your leadership skills !!

"The miracle power that elevates the few is to be found in their industry, application, and perseverance, under the promptings of a brave determined spirit." - Mark Twain

Many motivational experts like to say that leaders are made, not born. I would argue the exact opposite. I believe we are all natural born leaders, but have been deprogrammed along the way.

As children, we were natural leaders - curious and humble, always hungry and thirsty for knowledge, with an incredibly vivid imagination; we knew exactly what we wanted, were persistent and determined in getting what we wanted, and had the ability to motivate, inspire, and influence everyone around us to help us in accomplishing our mission.

So why is this so difficult to do as adults? What happened?
As children, over time, we got used to hearing, No, Don't, and Can't. No! Don't do this. Don't do that. You can't do this. You can't do that. No! Many of our parents told us to keep quiet and not disturb the adults by asking silly questions. This pattern continued into high school with our teachers telling us what we could do and couldn't do and what was possible.
Then many of us got hit with the big one institutionalized formal education known as college or university. Unfortunately, the traditional educational system doesn't teach students how to become leaders; it teaches students how to become polite order takers for the corporate world.
Instead of learning to become creative, independent, self-reliant, and think for themselves, most people learn how to obey and intelligently follow rules to keep the corporate machine humming.

Developing the Leader in you to live your highest life, then, requires a process of unlearning by self-remembering and self-honoring. Being an effective leader again will require you to be brave and unlock the door to your inner attic, where your childhood dreams lie, going inside to the heart.
Based on my over ten years research in the area of human development and leadership, here are ten easy steps you can take to awaken the Leader in you and rekindle your passion for greatness.

1. Humility. Leadership starts with humility.
To be a highly successful leader, you must first humble yourself like a little child and be willing to serve others. Nobody wants to follow someone who is arrogant.
Be humble as a child, always curious, always hungry and thirsty for knowledge. For what is excellence but knowledge plus knowledge plus knowledge - always wanting to better yourself, always improving, always growing.

When you are humble, you become genuinely interested in people because you want to learn from them. And because you want to learn and grow, you will be a far more effective listener, which is the #1 leadership communication tool.
When people sense you are genuinely interested in them, and listening to them, they will naturally be interested in you and listen to what you have to say.

2. SWOT Yourself. SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.
Although it's a strategic management tool taught at Stanford and Harvard Business Schools and used by large multinationals, it can just as effectively be used in your own professional development as a leader.
This is a useful key to gain access to self-knowledge, self-remembering, and self-honoring. Start by listing all your Strengths including your accomplishments. Then write down all your Weaknesses and what needs to be improved. Make sure to include any doubts, anxieties, fears, and worries that you may have. These are the demons and dragons guarding the door to your inner attic.

By bringing them to conscious awareness you can begin to slay them. Then proceed by listing all the Opportunities you see available to you for using your strengths. Finally, write down all the Threats or obstacles that are currently blocking you or that you think you will encounter along the way to achieving your dreams.

3. Follow Your Bliss.
Regardless of how busy you are, always take time to do what you love doing. Being an alive and vital person vitalizes others. When you are pursuing your passions, people around you cannot help but feel impassioned by your presence. This will make you a charismatic leader.

Whatever it is that you enjoy doing, be it writing, acting, painting, drawing, photography, sports, reading, dancing, networking, or working on entrepreneurial ventures, set aside time every week, ideally two or three hours a day, to pursue these activities.

Believe me, you'll find the time. If you were to video tape yourself for a day, you would be shocked to see how much time goes to waste!

4. Dream Big. If you want to be larger than life, you need a dream that's larger than life. Small dreams won't serve you or anyone else. It takes the same amount of time to dream small than it does to dream big.
So be Big and be Bold! Write down your One Biggest Dream. The one that excites you the most. Remember, don't be small and realistic; be bold and unrealistic! Go for the Gold, the Pulitzer, the Nobel, the Oscar, the highest you can possibly achieve in your field.

After you ve written down your dream, list every single reason why you CAN achieve your dream instead of worrying about why you can't.

5. Vision.
Without a vision, we perish. If you can't see yourself winning that award and feel the tears of triumph streaming down your face, it's unlikely you will be able to lead yourself or others to victory.

Visualize what it would be like accomplishing your dream. See it, smell it, taste it, hear it, feel it in your gut.

6. Perseverance.
Victory belongs to those who want it the most and stay in it the longest. Now that you have a dream, make sure you take consistent action every day. I recommend doing at least 5 things every day that will move you closer to your dream.

7. Honor Your Word.
Every time you break your word, you lose power. Successful leaders keep their word and their promises.
You can accumulate all the toys and riches in the world, but you only have one reputation in life. Your word is gold. Honor it.

8. Get a Mentor.
Find yourself a mentor. Preferably someone who has already achieved a high degree of success in your field. Don't be afraid to ask. You've got nothing to lose.

Mentors.ca is an excellent mentoring website and a great resource for finding local mentoring programs. They even have a free personal profile you can fill out in order to potentially find you a suitable mentor.

In addition to mentors, take time to study autobiographies of great leaders that you admire. Learn everything you can from their lives and model some of their successful behaviors.

9. Be Yourself.
Use your relationships with mentors and your research on great leaders as models or reference points to work from, but never copy or imitate them like a parrot. Everyone has vastly different leadership styles.

History books are filled with leaders who are soft-spoken, introverted, and quiet, all the way to the other extreme of being out- spoken, extroverted, and loud, and everything in between.

A quiet and simple Gandhi or a soft-spoken peanut farmer named Jimmy Carter, who became president of the United States and won a Nobel Peace Prize, have been just as effective world leaders as a loud and flamboyant Churchill, or the tough leadership style employed by The Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher.

I admire Hemingway as a writer. But if I copy Hemingway, I'd be a second or third rate Hemingway, at best, instead of a first rate Sharif. Be yourself, your best self, always competing against yourself and bettering yourself, and you will become a first rate YOU instead of a second rate somebody else.

10. Give. Finally, be a giver.
Leaders are givers. By giving, you activate a universal law as sound as gravity life gives to the giver, and takes from the taker. The more you give, the more you get. If you want more love, respect, support, and compassion, give love, give respect, give support, and give compassion.

Be a mentor to others. Give back to your community. As a leader, the only way to get what you want, is by helping enough people get what they want first. As Sir Winston Churchill once said, "We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give."


By Sharif Khan


Contribution of Lucy Doss

Workplace Communication Essentials

Whether you own your own business, lead a corporate division, or simply need to collaborate with others in order to do your work, one thing is certain: you need to communicate, and communicate well, to truly shine. The value of skillful communication can be seen in the most extraordinary groups and individuals, who go beyond basic number-chasing to excel in ways that lend a deeper mystique and meaning to their work.

Yes, workplaces are rife with stories of abominable communications from managers, leaders, or employees who get shuffled around from one post to another because no one wants the unpleasant -- and skill-requiring -- job of pointing out and holding them accountable for their unskillfulness. Indeed, surveys show that poor communication is one of the root causes for workplace stress, higher absenteeism, and people leaving the organization.

But just because there are many mediocre and sub-par performers, do you really want to be one? In some cases, following the pack is really just the lazier and less desirable option. While greater mastery has its demands, and requires you to move past your comfortable status quo to higher levels of development and skillfulness, the fruits of those labors include better relationships, less stress, deeper meaning, greater satisfaction, higher confidence, fewer miscommunications and misunderstandings, and more. Aren't these worth putting in a little bit more effort?

Some of the essentials for higher-performing groups and individuals:

Get centered. Your best instinct, communication, and decision-making come when you're centered, rather than when you're preoccupied, flustered, angry, or otherwise "off-center." Thus, practices that help you stay centered are worth the time and effort.

Listen well. Skillful listening makes other people feel heard, and it also ensures that you're getting authentic, good quality information and are making deeper and more positive connections with others. Poor listening happens often, and results in miscommunications, misunderstandings, and other mishaps.

Speak clearly. Ums, ahhs, errs, uh-hmmms, and other poor habits make it difficult for people to understand what it is you're trying to communicate. This includes speaking too quickly (or speaking so slowly or softly that you put people to sleep before your sentence is finished), or speaking into your shirt or hand. Endeavor to relax your voice, take a deep breath, hold a positive intention, and say what you're trying to say.

Think creatively. Do you think? It's a weird question, to be sure, but it's amazing how often people don't think — they just DO or follow without putting any updated thought into their doing or following. Asking questions, among other things, is one great way to stimulate creative thinking. For example, you can ask, Does my approach to to this need to be updated? Have I fallen into a rut? What other solutions are possible for this problem? How else could I be seeing this?

Be receptive. Be open to what others are saying or offering, or to potential solutions that might be just on the other side of your perception. Often, you might restrict the flow of ideas or communication, or just make yourself feel unnecessarily tense or anxious, because you're making too many assumptions or are being too quick to judge and criticize. Allow yourself the pleasure of increased receptivity.

Inquire skillfully. Asking good questions is a facet of skillful listening and creative thinking. Skillful inquiry is different from interrogation, where you're basically grilling someone in order to dismantle a belief or idea that you don't agree with. Skillful inquiry is also different from making statements that have question marks on the end, such as "You don't really believe that?" You inquire because you want to learn more, and by learning more you — and your results — are enriched.

Stay relaxed. Have you ever spoken with someone who was very preoccupied or agitated? Who seemed like they were ready to leap away (and may have already done so, mentally)? This isn't to say that excitement and passion are to be squelched, but rather than stress and tension, be relaxed in order to be more skillful and effective. Choose whatever strategies appeal to you to help you stay relaxed, no matter what is happening around you.

Be mindful. This is a lovely way of saying, "Pay attention!" It can be downright frightening when someone isn't paying attention to where they're walking or while they're driving. But it's also annoying if you don't pay attention when you're speaking with someone, or if you leave things unfinished or other than where you found them (particularly when you're in someone else's space, or have someone else relying on your contribution). Cultivating mindfulness is simply learning to pay attention to what you're doing.

Have intention. What's your intention? You can ask yourself this question when you're starting a project or task, getting ready to go to a meeting, or starting a conversation or responding to something someone has said or done. You can also ask this question of someone else, as in, "What is your intention for involving me in this project?" or "What was your intention for saying that?" Knowing your intention, and understanding someone else's intention, will help you be more conscious of what you're doing or saying something — which means you'll be able to be more effective and skillful.

Be genuine. Being genuine can include speaking honestly, being friendly, saying "no" when you feel like saying "no," or expressing excitement or sadness or sympathy when you feel it. It might mean admitting, "No, I don't really agree with that," or "You know, I think you've changed my mind!" Being authentic or genuine doesn't give you license to be rude or lacking in compassion, however. "I was just being honest" isn't a good excuse for being unskillful. By increasing your mindset-management skillfulness, and your interpersonal communication capabilities, you'll feel more confident about being who you are.

By Jamie S. Walters

Courtesy: Lucy Doss

Top Secrets of Success

Click here to download in pdf format.

Keys to Managing Change Successfully and Avoiding the 9 Most Common Pitfalls !!

Dealing with change, great and small, is a fact of life in today’s companies. When change is handled well, the credibility of the company with everyone affected, as well as everyone who hears about it, is enhanced. But, when change is handled badly, the credibility and employee morale are significantly damaged resulting in negative consequences for the company and the people involved. The following are some keys to managing change and some pitfalls of which to be aware.

Four Keys to managing change successfully

1.Make sure you have identified every person or group with a vested interest in, or who will be impacted by the change, both inside and outside the company, then ensure that your strategy and action plans address these well.

2 Whenever possible, involve representatives of each affected group in planning or implementing the details of the change plan, before and after the change announcement as appropriate.

3.Tell the truth.

4.Do the right thing even if it’s inconvenient or difficult.

Nine Pitfalls to avoid in change situations

1.Underestimating the speed, strength and impact of the grapevine.

2.Underestimating the time and effort it will take to handle the change well.

3.Poor communication including: too little, too late, too soon before you have your act together, badly presented, leaving those with a vested interest out, not truthful, inaccurate, or insensitive.

4.Inadequate change plans that fail to account for all the proper elements.

5.Good plans that are badly or only partially implemented.

6.Disengaging the change process prematurely before every issue, person or group has been properly addressed.

7.Not involving the right people to get an accurate picture of what needs to be addressed and the best way to do it in the planning process before the change is announced or begun.

8.Failure to maintain confidentiality to prevent premature leaks about the issue.

9.Failing to debrief when all is concluded to be certain there are no loose ends and to determine what you have learned of use for next time

One way to get a good overview of any change situation is to use simple mapping techniques that can help you identify the elements to address in any given situation. One of the easiest and most versatile is “Mind Mapping" (also known as the tinker toy or molecular model). You begin with the change situation in a circle in the middle, lines out from that to new circles each of which contain someone or something significantly impacted by the change and then expand that second layer to a third layer.

Consider the last major change you had all or part of the responsibility for planning, managing or implementing (or several if you can). With that change in mind, now ask yourself the following questions and write down your answers. Then file them where you will think of them and can find them the next time you are responsible for planning, managing or implementing a change.

1.What went right? Why? Based on this, what have I learned that I can apply in a future change situation? Be as specific as you need to for this to make sense and be useful when you look at it next time, whether 6 days or 6 months from now.

2.What went wrong? Why? Based on this, what have I learned about what not to do that I can apply in a future change situation? Be as specific as you need to for this to make sense and be useful when you look at it next time, whether 6 days or 6 months from now.


By Marie Kane

Contributed by Lucy Doss