Nick's Musings

Decision Making Under Duress

2009-05-14T10:37:00.003+01:00

A friend of mine shared this with me. I felt it was extremely thought provoking and wanted it to have a wider audience. Every second of our lives we are making decisions without pondering for a while… read this…

A group of children were playing near two railway tracks, one still in use while the other disused. Only one child played on the disused track, the rest on the operational track.

The train is coming, and you are just beside the track interchange. You can make the train change its course to the disused track and save most of the kids. However, that would also mean the lone child playing by the disused track would be sacrificed. Or would you rather let the train go its way?

Let's take a pause to think what kind of decision we could make................

Most people might choose to divert the course of the train, and sacrifice only one child. You might think the same way, I guess. Exactly, everyone thinks the same way initially because to save most of the children at the expense of only one child was rational decision most people would make, morally and emotionally. But, have you ever thought that the child choosing to play on the disused track had in fact made the right decision to play at a safe place?

Nevertheless, he had to be sacrificed because of his ignorant friends who chose to play where the danger was. This kind of dilemma happens around us everyday. In the office, community, in politics and especially in a democratic society, the minority is often sacrificed for the interest of the majority , no matter how foolish or ignorant the majority are , and how farsighted and knowledgeable the minority are. The child who chose not to play with the rest on the operational track was sidelined. And in the case he was sacrificed, no one would shed a tear for him.

The great critic Leo Velski Julian who told the story said he would not try to change the course of the train because he believed that the kids playing on the operational track should have known very well that track was still in use, and that they should have run away if they heard the train's sirens. If the train was diverted, that lone child would definitely die because he never thought the train could come over to that track! Moreover, that track was not in use probably because it was not safe. If the train was diverted to the track, we could put the lives of all passengers on board at stake! And in your attempt to save a few kids by sacrificing one child, you might end up sacrificing hundreds of people to save these few kids.

While we are all aware that life is full of tough decisions that need to be made, we may not realize that hasty decisions may not always be the right one .

"Remember that what's right isn't always popular ... and what's popular isn't always right ."

Everybody makes mistakes; that's why they put erasers on pencils

Issues to ponder - chasing money or enrichment?

2009-04-27T11:48:00.004+01:00

We all need to de-clutter and focus on the things that matter. We are all chasing wealth and economic growth. But at what cost? The world's economy has to be 15 times its current size before all the poor nations can be as rich as the OECD nations. It will require a change in mindset. What is the point in chasing faster microchips when a vast number of people don't have access to water supply?

Shouldn't business objectives be directed towards more sustainable growth. Sustainable in the sense where people continue to have jobs and growth in other parameters counts as well? Personal development, better relations with family, friends, participation in the community, etc.

If we stop and think about where we are in our lives today, maybe we have achieved quite a few of our goals. Its a case of recognizing it and redirecting our energies to something more meaningful than the simple pursuit of money! India is also going down the route of disaster by trying to ape the West. Of course we need economic growth, but it should also be tempered by our values and traditions - we have ancient history to back it up too - simplicity in life! While the world looks at Hinduism and Buddhist teachings to help them make sense of their ordinary lives, young Indian professionals are turning their backs on these teachings and chasing the glitz and glamour of the West. If this current recession is not a wake up call then what is?

These days I am struggling to come up with answers. Talking philosophy and metaphysics is fine (which I have done above) but what are the small or big steps/actions that we should be taking to actually improve ourselves and actually make a difference in the way we work, interact with friends and family and most importantly, with the community?

All feedback and discussion welcome...

Prosperity without Growth

2009-04-07T22:31:00.005+01:00

This is a very relevant discussion in current times and for the future. Professor Tim Jackson, Economics Commissioner at Sustainable Development Commission provides some deep reflective insights on how to achieve a sustainable economy. I hope you enjoy reading it. You may need to fix a drink, kick off your slippers, put on your thinking caps and settle down with your laptop or computer to read it.

Click here to visit the website and download the report.. http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/publications.php?id=914

What do we make of the G20 talks?

2009-03-30T06:58:00.003+01:00

Reading a blog by Shekhar Kapur "Why the G20 will fail", I couldn't agree more with him.
http://www.shekharkapur.com/blog/archives/2009/03/_the_g_20_talks.htm,

My thoughts on this are that when the economy recovers in 2 years, will people remember this recession or the lesson from it? They will again start chasing money, wealth and riches at the cost of personal development and improvement of community, environment, etc. The cycle of recession will repeat itself in 7-10 years as it has done in the past.

There is a general lack of Collective wisdom out there. That is why the wise are so rare while fools abound. Not that I am claiming to be wise but the fact remains that vast majority of us measure success in terms of wealth. That is what the whole world is all about - isn't it? Whether free trade or G20 or anything. Even when GreenTech or CleanTech is hot these days, the lines are divided between the true believers and the big corporates. The corporates want to make huge money out of the Wind Energy movement - thats all there is to it.

Out with the Old, In with the New - Lessons from a morning in the vegetable patch

2009-03-23T08:00:00.000Z

The last week had brilliant sunshine and I was looking forward to the weekend. My 4 year old had sweet talked me into putting up a vegetable patch in our garden. The grand plan was to plant spinach and tomato. Not endowed with "green fingers" I was especially fearful of the activity. But with my wife and daughter joining in the task made it simple and enjoyable: a real example of "we" working together.

As I was digging up the square patch with all its roots, pebbles and sticky soil, a flash of clarity struck me. In our lives, when we set out to make changes whether in ourselves or the way we live, we face the daunting task of changing old habits, mindsets, thoughts and the ingrained ways that we work. These are like the roots in the vegetable patch that are difficult to rid of. I had to work extra hard to dig them up and throw them out. Preparing the patch with compost and filtered old soil and planting new seeds was analogous to introducing new thoughts, ideas and actions in our daily lives to improve ourselves. The job is not done with simply planting the seeds.

I will need to water the patch, add liquid feed and keep the neighbour's cat at bay to ensure the seeds have a good chance of sprouting into saplings and finally plants that will bear fruit. In the same way, we need to continually reinforce the new ideas and habits that we incorporate to ensure that the changes are long lasting rather than one-off attempts. We will need the help and support of family members and loved ones as well in the process. This is similar to the 21-day repetition that Robin Sharma mentions in "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari" before a habit is formed. I look forward to the next 7-14 days for the saplings to sprout in my garden!

Backlash: How Early Adopters React When the Mass Market Embraces a

2009-03-22T08:00:00.000Z

An article from Knowledge@Wharton. A well-established principle of product development holds that a small group of early adopters can spur mass-market acceptance of a new product. What is less well understood is how those early adopters react when that product or its brand is accepted by the mass market. As Wharton marketing professors David Reibstein and John Zhang explain in this video, the company could experience a backlash as early adopters move on to other new products. A case in point: Porsche saw a decline in sports car sales after it entered the SUV mass market. Research by Reibstein and Zhang discusses reasons for the backlash and suggests a strategy for dealing with it.

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=2189

Iranian wedding customs - very interesting

2009-03-21T15:00:00.001Z

Speaking with a friend living in Iran, I learnt some thing new about Iranian traditions. Apparently, my friend got married in Dec 2008, but his wedding ceremony will be conducted either in May or September 2009.

I was so curious that I had to ask him to explain. It so happens that Iranian weddings are spread across 3 ceremonies. The first one is the engagement ceremony. The second ceremony involves official confirmation of the wedding contract. Both these ceremonies are attended by the main family members and tribes of the 2 families.

Finally, you have the wedding ceremony that is attended by all friends and tribes of the 2 families. An elaborate but nevertheless enjoyable experience.

Goal setting and how to balance it with your life?

2009-03-20T13:20:00.000Z

Every personal goal you set can be evaluated in terms of the following 4 parameters:

1. Money = how much money you think will be sufficient to lead your life comfortably?

2. Ego Food = self esteem achieved through the work you do and the success you achieve

3. Love = family, wife, kids. Don't ignore this important aspect of your life. This is what is meant by attaining a work life balance.

4. Health = whatever you set out to achieve should not take a toll on your health. Take steps to keep yourself in good shape and good health.

In order to achieve your goals, you also need to consider the following:

1. Desire - do you have the desire to achieve the goal?

2. Ability - do you the ability i.e. skills, qualification, strength, etc?

3. Human Relations - do you have the emotional capacity to handle the emotions of family, friends, colleagues as you move along the path to achieve these goals?

TED: Ideas Worth Spreading - Unveiling the "Sixth Sense"

2009-03-19T10:54:00.003Z

Pattie Maes & Pranav Mistry: Unveiling the "Sixth Sense," game-changing wearable tech. This demo from Pattie Maes' lab at MIT, spearheaded by Pranav Mistry -- was the buzz of TED. It's a wearable device with a projector that paves the way for profound interaction with our environment. Imagine "Minority Report" and then some.

Structured Approach to Understanding a Business

2009-03-19T09:28:00.002Z

Using a structured approach to problem solving, always ask yourself:

WHO?
WHAT?
WHEN?
WHERE?

As a case in point, a manufacturer is struggling to grow sales in a particular market. You have been asked to look at the problem and make suggestions. Applying the 4 questions above to analyse the problem, the situation looks as under:

1. WHO is the manufacturer selling to? (helps to define the customer base – high, middle and low – understand the market segmentation)

2. WHAT is the competition doing? (Implicit in this question is what does the manufacturer sell and what does the competition sell?)

3. WHEN are the periods of highest and lowest sales? (gives an idea about cyclic nature of the product/industry or effects of promotions/festivals etc.)

4. WHERE does the manufacturer produce? WHERE does the manufacturer sell his products?
(Try to understand the distribution model and costs of production and transport)
- routes to market
- geographical coverage
- macroeconomic factors affecting production costs

How To Find a Job using Twitter

2009-03-18T22:05:00.006Z

Great resource put together on Mashable. Includes some excellent job hunting links that exist on Twitter. Will save people a lot of time.

http://mashable.com/2009/03/13/twitter-jobs/

Business Startup Marketing Guide

2009-03-18T21:54:00.005Z

This is an excellent article for entrepreneurs who want to publicize their online business. It includes links to startup forums, business and social networking, posting classified ads, etc. A definite recommend...

http://www.linkbuildr.com/business-startup-marketing-guide/

Objection Handling in Sales

2009-03-18T20:41:00.006Z

There are typically 8 objections that come up during a sales scenario. I am going to tell you about a technique which is the mother of all objection handling methods. It is a 4-step process summarized below as:

1. Listen
2. Question
3. Handle
4. Confirm

A useful memory peg to help remember it is to think of hearing door bell ring. You ask "Who's there?". When you hear "Its me, Jim", you reach out for the door handle and open the door. You then confirm visually that it is indeed Jim.

As any good sales person will tell you, being a good listener is the most important trait that you can bring to the sales process. Listening to the customer voice his concerns and objections is crucial for you to pose your questions in a manner that demonstrate real concern for his problems. Asking the right questions to get to the root of the issues will help you get a better understanding.

If now you say "If I made sure that your concerns regarding price, quality, delivery, etc. are addressed, will you be in a position to take this further?", what you have done is actually handled his concerns while also asking for a confirmation that there is something to go on.

Listening, Empathizing, Asking and Proposing (LEAP) - another way to look at the above process. I would love to hear your comments and feedback on this.

Three Fundamental Questions of Life

2009-03-18T20:12:00.003Z

Some teachings of the Buddha which I find very useful and hope you may too.

Q1. What is the MOST IMPORTANT time?
A1. NOW - there is no time better than NOW. If you have to do it, do it now. Don't procrastinate.

Q2. WHO is the MOST IMPORTANT person in your life?
A2. The person you are with right now. Live in the now. There is no point in being physically present with someone but be mentally someplace else.

Q3. WHAT is the MOST IMPORTANT thing that you can do?
A3. CARE. If you can care for someone, show love, respect and concern, then you will truly make a difference.

So if you care for the person you are with right now, that is the most important thing that you can do. We can all live for the future but if that means ignoring the present, then we are really poorer for the experience.

Cheers!

How To Twitter Like a Pro

2009-03-16T17:38:00.001Z

Great article for those new to the world of twittering...

http://www.gissisim.com/2009/03/how-to-twitter-like-a-pro/

Conquer Doubt by Vic Johnson

2009-03-15T21:52:00.000Z

"Thoughts of doubt and fear can never accomplish anything. They always lead to failure." - As A Man Thinketh

There is significant economic evidence that the Great Depression might have been avoided but for the "panic" that swept over the country (and the world) after the 1929 stock market crash. What should have been no more than a deep recession altered our world forever because of the prevailing "thoughts of doubt and fear."

So great were the thought of fear that President Roosevelt felt compelled to deliver a speech about it. By the way, FDR's speech with his now famous, "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself," was suggested to him by Napoleon Hill, author of the classic, Think and Grow Rich.

If the thoughts of many can bring such great tragedy to our world, is it any wonder that our personal thoughts can do so much damage to our "individual world." When we spend inordinate amounts of time fearing some thing or event in the future, many times that which we fear comes upon us. When it does, we wring our hands in despair and wonder why it had to happen to us, when in reality, we are responsible for our troubles.

Bob Proctor says that the process begins first with a thought of doubt, which causes an emotion of fear, which manifests itself physically as anxiety. Anxiety robs us of our power, our energy and our purpose. Severe anxiety can even undermine our health. And it's all brought on by a thought of doubt.

I have found three things that help me conquer doubt. First, change your mind about the doubt, and keep it changed. If you have a doubt about whether you're going to have enough money to make it to the end of the month, change your mind about it. Whenever the doubt creeps in, affirm to yourself that "I always find a way to have enough of what I need." I love what Emmet Fox says about this, "If you will change your mind concerning anything and absolutely keep it changed, that thing must and will change too. It is the keeping up of the change in thought that is difficult. It calls for vigilance and determination."

The second thing that overcomes fear and doubt is action. "Do the thing you fear and fear will disappear" is more than a nice rhyming aphorism. It's some simple wisdom that always works!

And the third and most important thing to overcoming doubt and fear is Faith. Fear and Faith are directly opposite views of the future and they cannot co-exist. My Faith is in a Creator who has given me dominion over all things. Your Faith may be elsewhere, but know this: Faith and fear cannot be present at the same time.

And that's worth thinking about.

-- Vic Johnson

What Constitutes a Good Life? by Jim Rohn

2009-03-15T21:50:00.001Z

Another classic from the master. Read on and hope it helps make the difference in your life...

The ultimate expression of life is not a paycheck. The ultimate expression of life is not a Mercedes. The ultimate expression of life is not a million dollars or a bank account or a home. Here's the ultimate expression of life in my opinion, and that is living the good life. Here's what we must ask constantly, "What for me would be a good life?" And you have to keep going over and over the list. A list including areas such as spirituality, economics, health, relationships and recreation. What would constitute a good life? I've got a short list.

1) Number one, productivity. You won't be happy if you don't produce. The game of life is not rest. We must rest, but only long enough to gather strength to get back to productivity. What's the reason for the seasons and the seeds, the soil and the sunshine, the rain and the miracle of life? It's to see what you can do with it. To try your hand, other people have tried their hand; here's what they did. You try your hand to see what you can do. So part of life is productivity.

2) Next are good friends. Friendship is probably the greatest support system in the world. Don't deny yourself the time to develop this support system. Nothing can match it. It's extraordinary in its benefit. Friends are those wonderful people who know all about you and still like you. A few years ago I lost one of my dearest friends. He died at age 53 - heart attack. David is gone, but he was one of my very special friends. I used to say of David that if I was stuck in a foreign jail somewhere accused unduly and if they would allow me one phone call, I would call David. Why? He would come and get me. That's a friend. Somebody who would come and get you. Now we've all got casual friends. And if you called them they would say, "Hey, if you get back, call me we'll have a party." So you've got to have both, real friends and casual friends.

3) Next on the list of a good life is your culture. Your language, your music, the ceremonies, the traditions, the dress. All of that is so vitally important that you must keep it alive. In fact it is the uniqueness of all of us that when blended together brings vitality, energy, power, influence, uniqueness and rightness to the world.

4) Next is your spirituality. It helps to form the foundation of the family that builds the nation. And make sure you study, practice and teach. Don't be careless about the spiritual part of your nature, it's what makes us who we are, different from animal, dogs, cats, birds and mice. Spirituality.

5) Next - here's what my parents taught me. Don't miss anything. Don't miss the game. Don't miss the performance, don't miss the movie, don't miss the show, don't miss the dance. Go to everything you possibly can. Buy a ticket to everything you possibly can. Go see everything and experience all you possibly can. This has served me so well to this day. Just before my father died at age 93 if you were to call him at 10:30 or 11:00 at night, he wouldn't be home. He was at the rodeo, he was watching the kids play softball, he was listening to the concert, he was at church, he was somewhere every night.

Live a vital life. Here's one of the reasons why. If you live well, you will earn well. If you live well it will show in your face, it will show in the texture of your voice. There will be something unique and magical about you if you live well. It will infuse not only your personal life but also your business life. And it will give you a vitality nothing else can give.

6) Next are your family and the inner circle. Invest in them and they'll invest in you. Inspire them and they'll inspire you. With your inner circle take care of the details. When my father was still alive, I used to call him when I traveled. He'd have breakfast most every morning with the farmers. Little place called The Decoy Inn out in the country where we lived in Southwest Idaho. So Papa would go there and have breakfast and I'd call him just to give him a special day. Now if I was in Israel, I'd have to get up in the middle of the night, but it only took five minutes, ten minutes. So I'd call Papa and they'd bring him the phone. I'd say, "Papa I'm in Israel." He'd say, "Israel! Son, how are things in Israel?" He'd talk real loud so everybody could hear - my son's calling me from Israel. I'd say, "Papa last night they gave me a reception on the rooftop underneath the stars overlooking the Mediterranean." He'd say, "Son, a reception on the rooftop underneath the stars overlooking the Mediterranean." Now everybody knows the story. It only took 5 - 10 minutes, but what a special day for my father, age 93.

If a father walks out of the house and he can still feel his daughter's kiss on his face all day, he's a powerful man. If a husband walks out of the house and he can still feel the imprint of his wife's arms around his body he's invincible all day. It's the special stuff with the inner circle that makes you strong and powerful and influential. So don't miss that opportunity. Here's the greatest value. The prophet said, "There are many virtues and values, but here's the greatest, one person caring for another." There is no greater value than love. Better to live in a tent on the beach with someone you love than to live in a mansion by yourself. One person caring for another, that's one of life's greatest expressions.

So make sure in your busy day to remember the true purpose and the reasons you do what you do. May you truly live the kind of life that will bring the fruit and rewards that you desire.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

How the mighty change tune!

2009-03-13T22:43:00.001Z

Article published in the Financial Times citing Jack Welch, former CEO of GE, saying "shareholder value was probably the dumbest idea". This is rich coming from the horse's mouth since Jack Welch is attributed with originating the idea of creating shareholder value through short-term profits and paying out increasing dividends every quarter. Soon Corporate America followed suit and quickly adopted his mantra as the Holy Grail which has been driving businesses over the last 3 decades...

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/294ff1f2-0f27-11de-ba10-0000779fd2ac.html

First to market, First to Fail!

2009-03-13T09:42:00.001Z

I recently had the opportunity to attend a Marketing class by David Arnold at the London Business School. It was an enlightening experience and certainly threw up new insights for me from the world of marketing management. While the fundamentals of 4Ps (Product, Promotion, Place, Pricing) and 4Cs (Company, Customers, Competitors, Channels) still hold true, some new thought is gaining ground. In a book "Will & Vision: How Latecomers Grow to Dominate Markets" by Tellis and Golder, the First Mover disadvantage is more common than pioneer advantage.

Apparently, the businesses that have moved in first to capture a market have seen themselves being overtaken by the band of followers. The approach suggested is that if you have to move first in the market, it might be wiser to attack the mass market as it will provide a return. Case in point being Apple iPod. For businesses focussed on a profitable niche, the only future lies in becoming a trophy in someone's cupboard. Plenty of examples abound and Ferrari-Fiat relation is a perfect example of this. For any entrepreneur or growing business, you should focus on the ability to offer your product/services to a wider market if you are the first one in the market.

If you are interested in reading the book, it is available from Amazon..
http://www.amazon.com/Will-Vision-Latecomers-Dominate-Markets/dp/007137549X

'Goals Gone Wild': How Goal Setting Can Lead to Disaster - Knowledge @ Wharton

2009-03-09T13:53:00.001Z

This article stokes the debate about goals and incentives. Something which is endemic to Corporate America and has driven the consumer/gold rush over the decades. Short term focus at the cost of long term growth and vision. To read more, click here..

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=2162

Pitch to Win: 5 Fundamentals of Great Sales Presentations

2009-03-09T10:18:00.002Z

This is a good article I found on the web from Asher Communications. Some excellent tips for sales people in general.

http://www.speechworks.net/reprints/selling.pdf

Aurovia - Zero Calorie Natural Sweetener launched in India!

2009-03-04T17:27:00.001Z

"AuroVia(TM)" is a 98% purity Stevioside White Powder extracted from Stevia leaves. It has Zero calories and is 250-300 times sweeter than natural sugar making it the perfect solution to your sweetening needs. With an extremely low glycaemic index, it is a boon to diabetics as well as health conscious individuals seeking a low calorie option.

In light of recent "No Objection" certificate granted by the US FDA to Cargill for its "Truvia" branded Stevia-based sweetener, the field is now open to every Stevia-based sweetener manufacturer. The synthetic sweeteners based on Aspartame and Sucralose will face increased competition from the new entrants making it harder for them to continue peddling their products which do have dangerous side effects.

At the time of writing this post, AuroVia(TM) is available only in India. Developed using indigenous and proprietary technology registered with the National Research and Development Corporation, India, plans are in place to export the product to in the near future.

Check out the latest developments at http://www.aurovia.com/

A very clever e-book reader - "Readius"

2009-03-04T16:05:00.002Z

Fantastic invention with rollable display which folds away into a space as small as your pen. Radically different from Amazon's kindle will be a brilliant gadget for all those long haulers who need to carry plenty of reading material to while away time. Learn more at...

http://www.readius.com/

This is a game changing invention coming out soon!

2009-03-04T15:59:00.001Z

Brilliant technology from the Israelis - hats off to them. After the success of the USB flash drive, the inventor has now turned his attention to bringing something new to all gadget lovers. Centered around a mobile phone which can plug into different jackets to convert it into a Music Player, GPS, digital photo frame with handsfree phone service and much more...

Products to be launched in next few months. Read more at..

http://www.modumobile.com/#/catalog/

Can't wait for Roku Netflix player to hit UK shores

2009-03-04T15:56:00.002Z

fantastic gadget this one - the Roku Netflix player. You can actually plug it in to your TV and watch your favorite films from any Video-on-Demand website such as Netflix, Amazon. Currently available in the USA only and highly commended by CNET. Check it out at http://www.roku.com/technology.aspx

Success as a Sales Manager - By Matt Krumrie | Monster Contributing Writer

2009-03-04T11:22:00.002Z

Why is moving from a job in sales to sales management so difficult? Why do some salespeople excel at selling but fail at managing sales staff? While the principles within the field are the same, the overall skills you need to succeed are very different, says Tony Alessandra, a professional speaker who wrote several books on sales management.

Alessandra explains that the organization’s top salespeople used to move up a company’s ranks by being promoted to sales manager. But that’s a bad move, he says.

“When someone is a top-notch salesperson, they typically are able to work well on their own; they’re a go-getter who can succeed independently, without direction from others,” says Alessandra. “A good sales manager is a good coach, someone who can motivate people to sell, someone who listens and puts their needs secondary to the needs of the sales staff.”

Sales Manager Skills

Good sales managers also need to work well with people, says Darin Andersen, president of Coronado, California-based Biz Dev Direct, a management-consultant firm that works with executives to build sales teams.

“The sales manager has to be able to deal with individual personalities, egos and skill levels,” he says. “They have to do this in a high-pressure environment, because the success of the sales staff is often placed on their shoulders.”

Good salespeople come from all walks of life. Some have bachelor’s or master’s degrees; others come from the school of hard knocks. Regardless of educational background, sales managers require an additional skill set to succeed. Alessandra says good sales managers must:

• Be a better listener than talker.
• Be a coach first, salesperson second. That includes creating performance appraisals/reviews that can lead to future success and generating ideas on how to better sell the product or work with certain clients.
• Have superior people, conflict-resolution and analysis skills.
• Know the individual strengths and weaknesses of every salesperson.

“Don’t be afraid to switch accounts,” advises Alessandra. “Different strategies and tactics work for different customers. Know how to match your people with your customers.”

Alessandra also says a good sales manager will sell his product in the field, for a few days or a week once a quarter, for example, to better understand what the sales staff encounters. The worst mistake a sales manager can make is coming in late on an account to close the deal, he adds.

“If they get the account or deal, then they’ve shattered the confidence of the salesperson and the confidence of the client,” Alessandra says. “If they don’t, then their reputation is hurt, and the salesperson may lose confidence in them as a mentor or leader.”

Success as a Sales Manager

Contrary to popular belief, a good sales manager doesn’t have to be an overbearing, hard-driving stickler demanding each salesperson be on the phone selling, cold calling and prospecting. “Some of the most successful sales managers are those that remember the human side of things,” says Andersen.

Salaries for sales managers vary. Oftentimes, the top members of the sales staff will have higher salaries than the sales manager. This is why many salespeople stay in sales rather than moving into management, where income is sometimes a result of the success of the sales staff they lead, with bonuses and commissions mixed in.

Successful sales managers also need to understand and know their product. If they continually come up with new leads and ideas, they will keep their staff motivated and excited, especially where rejection can be part of the job, says Andersen.

As for running ever-popular company sales contests, those are a no-win situation, says Alessandra. While these events do create competition and force people to push themselves, it’s not fair to make salespeople on different levels of skill and success compete.

Instead, create goals for each individual, and work with them to achieve those goals. “But keep them realistic,” cautions Alessandra. “Stretch them, but don’t break them. By pushing the bar higher and higher, you sometimes make things unrealistic, and frustration sets in.”

It all comes back to people, says Andersen. “Understand your product, understand your people, and continue to coach and teach,” he says. “Then you will have the numbers you are striving for.”

- Matt Krumrie

The 11 Rules to Change the World - by Robin Sharma

2009-03-03T10:51:00.000Z

1. You be the change you dream of seeing (Thanks Mahatma Gandhi). "If everyone of us would sweep their own doorstep, the whole world would be clean," observed Mother Teresa. She was right.

2. Make time every day to reconnect to your highest ideals and boldest dreams. Without hope, people perish.

3. Leave every person you meet better than you found them. Life's too short to withhold encouragement and kindness.

4. As I wrote in 'The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari", see every setback as a stepping stone and every problem as a blessing in disguise. Contrary to what critics might say, these are NOT corny aphorisms. They are timeless truths of humanity. (And critics are just people too scared to grow their dreams anyway - pay no attention to them. The world needs more people lifting people up rather than putting people down).

5. Go the extra mile in everything you do - you don't need a title to be a leader. And on your deathbed, you'll never regret expressing the best within you

6. Do what's right rather than what's easy. Being a great person isn't a popularity contest. Many of the greatest leaders were disliked because they refused to bend to the winds of public opinion. That's called Strength of Character

7. Care for your health. You elevate the world by elevating yourself and your health really matters. Why be the richest person in the graveyard?

8. Tell your kids they are geniuses - and how much you adore them. Each of us are born geniuses but lose that gift within the first 6 years of our lives as we adopt the fears and limiting beliefs of those around us. Your kids are the leaders of the future. Grow their potential. Now.

9. Learn something new every day. As you grow, you begin to see possibilities you didn't have the eyes to see before. Read from an inspiring book, listen to an audio program, visit a good blog, go to a powerful workshop or have a conversation with an elder. One idea is all it takes to transform your life.

10. Keep your life simple. Please. The secret to success and happiness is building your life around a few important things. The person who tries to do everything accomplishes nothing. As I recently mentioned on my blog, "What's the point in being busy doing the wrong things?"

11. Remember that life is a mirror and we receive what we give out. To get more joy, give more joy. To have more respect, give more respect. To realize your dreams, help others realize theirs.

The Great Challenge of Life - By Jim Rohn

2009-03-03T10:47:00.000Z

Here's the great challenge of life - You can have more than you've got because you can become more than you are.

I have found that income seldom will exceed your own personal development. Once in a while income takes a lucky jump, but unless you grow out to where it is, it will go back to where you are. Somebody once said if you took all the money in the world and divided it among everyone equally; it would soon be back in the same pockets. However, you can have more because you can become more. You see, here is how the other side of the coin reads - unless you change how you are, you will always have what you've got. The marketing plan won't do it. It's a good plan but it won't work without you. You've got to work it. It is the human effort that counts. If you could send a sales manual out to recruit - wouldn't that be lovely? The major thing that makes the difference is what YOU do.

In order to have more, you need to become more. The guy says "If I had a good job I would really pour it on, but I have this lousy job so I just goof off." If that is your philosophy, you are destined to stay there. Some people say if I had a lot of money I would be really generous, but I don't have much so I'm not generous. See, you've got to change that philosophy or you will never have "the lots of money." Unless YOU change, IT won't change. Amazingly, however, when we throw out our blame list and start becoming more ourselves - the difference is everything else will begin to change around us.

- Jim Rohn

Take Yourself to the Top! by Chris Widener

2009-03-03T10:38:00.001Z

Everybody wants to get to the top, whether it is the top of a career, a company, the earnings scale, or the many other ways that we as individuals can define the “top’ in our own lives! But with so many people trying to get to the top, how come so many people aren't moving up? I think there are some fundamental reasons why. Reasons that can be addressed and changed!

What are some things you can do to get to the top? Here are some thoughts for you this week!

First of all, define what the “top’ means for you. This is extremely important because if you don't know where you are going, you will never get there! Some people don't want to be the CEO of the company. In fact, many think they are better off than the CEO even though they don't make as much money. Instead, they think they are at the top because of less stress, weekends with their families, etc., and I see their point. It doesn't matter what others think is the top, only what you do, since you are only gauging whether or not YOU get there! So where is it for you? That is the first question for you to answer.

Be passionate about your goal. Passion is the energy that drives us, or, as Alexander Pope said, passions are the “gales of life.’ Passion is the wind in the sales of work. Find something you love and you will find something you can get to the top of. If you don't love it, you may still make it to the top, though highly unlikely. And even if you do, there will be no joy. Let your passion carry you, because it will carry you far! Thomas Fuller put it this way: A man with passion rides a horse that runs away with him.

The will to continue in the face of hardship. Another reason most will not get to the top is because they simply refuse to scale the mountains of hardship that separate them from the top. If you want to get to the beautiful view from the top, you will have to climb over any obstacles. Instead, many choose to stay at base camp! One would think that Bjorn Borg, one of the greatest tennis players to ever live, would consider his skill his greatest asset. Instead, this is what he says, "My greatest point is my persistence. I never give up in a match. However down I am, I fight until the last ball. My list of matches shows that I have turned a great many so-called irretrievable defeats into victories." Continue until you get to the top!

Love people and treat them right. What? Love people? That's right! Why? Because if you are going to get to the top you are going to need other people. Be a jerk and you will find people dragging their feet on you. Treat them right and you will find them helping you and even cheering you on!

Master the appropriate skills. Average skills will get you to the middle. Top skills will get you to the TOP! This is most assuredly true when combined with the points above. Are you achieving excellence in the skills you need? Are you growing day by day, month by month, year by year? You can always get better and getting better will take you closer to the top! Even if you only improve a little, you can keep improving that small amount and it will eventually become a big amount! Demand the best from yourself and you will get to the top. Remember the words of Jose Ortega y Gasset: "We distinguish the excellent man from the common man by saying that the former is the one who makes great demands on himself, and the latter who makes no demands on himself."

Define the Top
Be Passionate
Persevere
Love others
Skill Mastery!

These will take you to the top!

-- Chris Widener

Munich Experience 29th-30th Oct 2008

2008-11-03T21:00:00.001Z

Writing this from inside a metal cylinder flying at 30000ft from Munich to Manchester. Short but memorable trip. Market surveys in stores of Munich from hypermarkets to department stores from the suburbs to the high street.

In the midst of this came across 2 very different individuals who are earn a living working with people: a taxi driver and a tourist guide. I met the taxi driver outside a Real hypermarket on the North East suburb of Munich. Wearing a leather Fedora and sporting an engaging smile he spoke excellent English and made me feel welcome as I waited in his new Mercedes while he finished his coffee and a chat with a fellow taxi driver. I was quite impressed by his customer service as he switched on the radio. Spotting a Mate tea set in his car, I was quite curious to know how did an Argentinian drink end up in his car. He did offer to make me a cup but I politely declined. Engaging in a friendly conversation, the man suddenly started hustling me: offered me fake receipts to claim from my company in return for taking a ride to the airport. I had to turn his tempting offer down but now I wasn’t as enamoured about him as my initial impression was. He tried to be friendly but was very cagey when I was trying to elicit some response from him about his past and his thoughts on the economy. Made me wonder….

The 2nd experience was this high energy young Canadian from western Montreal (English speaking suburb) who provided free walking tours of Munich as part of the New Munich tours. Malcolm Gladwell author of The tipping Point would call Ricky, the tour guide, a Connector. Someone who loves being with people and meeting them. Robin Sharma would call him a leader without title. Enjoying what he does and making a difference to people. People visiting Munich would take back happy memories of their visit because of their encounter with Ricky. Its people like Ricky who inspire us to excel at what we do and be passionate about our work and life – making a difference.
Ricky moved from Canada to Munich 2 years ago to play ice hockey. He speaks excellent German and really loves the city. He loves talking and radiates energy as he spoke passionately about Munich and the Nazi era with its effects on Munich. Munich was the centre of the Nazi movement, a past that residents of Munich try to come to terms with. As Ricky pointed out, the 21st century Germany is finally showing its patriotism after 75 years of trying to deal with its dubious past. Germans are now proud to wave their national flags and proud of their country and heritage.

Ricky is an excellent raconteur mixing up his stories with humor and factual inaccuracies but it really enlivened the experience. I am going to relate some of the things he told us about Munich. Unfortunately I could join only the first half of the tour since I had to catch a flight. But the 90minutes were really good. I will try to cover here what I learnt about Munich in the 90mins. Ricky claimed to have prepared the tour script for the Dachau concentration camp and one could feel his passion about the holocaust events come through. I liked what he said. Summary of what he wanted to convey was that its important to visit Dachau or talk about the Nazi movement rather than sweep it under the carpet. By talking about it, he hopes that people will learn from it, remember it and help avoid history repeating itself. Genocides in Congo and African countries are quite similar to the Nazi era activities.

Another important lesson from history was the hyperinflation that affected Germany immediately after the 1st World War, US $1 was equal to 4.3 Trillion marks. Apparently there is a story of a American who came to Germany back in the late 1910s with $15 in his pocket which amounted to an astronomical sum in German marks. He ended up buying a hotel. As the inflation came down, the guy was a millionaire. In the days after the Great War, Germany was badly affected and demilitarised: a stunning humiliation of the most powerful European nation at that time.

The money was worthless and things like bread and eggs cost some ridiculous sums as $80million marks. A woman went to buy a loaf of bread carrying 2 bucket loads of cash. She put the buckets down to identify the loaf she wanted to buy. When she turned to pick them up, she found the cash on the pavement and the buckets missing! Buckets were worth more than the cash. The government printed 1 side of currency notes because the printing ink was more expensive. Zimbabwe is undergoing a similar hyperinflationary experience. If the world is not careful, countries of the world may find difficulty coming out of the recessionary environment we face. History has plenty of lessons for all of us.

In the wake of his economic struggle and political humiliation, the Nazi party started gaining in popularity in the 1920s with Hitler rising to power in 1933. In 1938 the Final Solution was formulated. Before Hitler came to power, he was almost killed by the police in a shoot out when he and his supporters indulged in violent protests in Munich. His bodyguard took 11 bullets protecting him. Imagine how history would have taken a different course if Hitler had died much before his time. The building where the Final Solution was identified is now a Teddy bear museum. WOW!

Munich is part of Bavaria, a rich country. Bavaria, Prussia and Saxony merged together to form Germany. They were united together in their war against France. The German country was born on the outskirts of Paris in 1870.2 contrasting experiences with people in customer service – WOW! I am a student of life and everyday I learn a lesson. Today’s experiences teach me the importance of being passionate about what I do and helping others enjoy what they do – make a difference starting now!

Let it really sink in - then choose

2008-10-09T17:42:00.001+01:00

This is a story I received in an email. Its very motivating....

John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, 'If I were any better, I would be twins!'

He was a natural motivator.

If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation. Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, 'I don't get it!

You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?'

He replied, 'Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or ... You can choose to be in a bad mood
I choose to be in a good mood.'

Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or... I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.

'Yeah, right, it's not that easy,' I protested.

'Yes, it is,' he said. 'Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life.'

I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about l ife instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back. I saw him about six months after the accident.

When I asked him how he was, he replied, 'If I were any better, I'd be twins...Wanna see my scars?' I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.

'The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter,' he replied. 'Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or...I could choose to die. I chose to live.'
'Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?' I asked

He continued, '..the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action.'

'What did you do?' I asked.

'Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me,' said John. 'She asked if I was allergic to anything 'Yes, I replied.' The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'GRAVITY'!'

Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.' He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude... I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.

Attitude, after all, is everything .

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.

What sense do we make of the financial crash?

2008-10-09T16:34:00.000+01:00

Events of the last month, though not flummoxing me, have definitely left me in a state of wonder. Wonder about how do we make sense of what is happening around us as financial markets crash, banks run for cover and governments panic into bailing out these so called safe and dependable institutions. I, for one, am being quite equanimous about the whole affair but, as any reasonable person would vouch, having a crystal ball in my hands at this moment in time would not go amiss. Alas, crystal balls and soothsayers are devices best left to the weak. Rational judgement demands that we look at the situation with cold reason and plan for the future.

The credit crunch, mortgage crises, bank runs and stock market collapses in the Western world had seemingly left the emerging markets untouched. But the performance of the emerging market indices have put paid to the belief that these markets were “decoupled” from the west and as a result would be safe harbour for investments. Markets in China, India, Indonesia, Brazil and Middle East have joined the West in a bear run. Investors are selling off their holdings to salvage whatever they can rather than wait for the markets to recover. In my opinion, this is a herd mentality that we are falling prey to. Selling off in stages might be better. Personally, I see an opportunity in the downward slide of shares. With stocks at levels seen 5-7 years ago, it has never been a better chance to buy them than NOW.

Also, diversification presents an alternative strategy: real estate, cash, gold and art are alternative investment assets which provide good stable returns and tend to rise when markets pick up. The exception being cash, as cash will not grow in a low interest regime. So essentially your cash is not working for you if not invested in some productive asset: an asset that provides a constant stream of income or appreciates in value thereby making it possible to realize profits from sale. Or if you have the luxury of currency arbitrage, then you can remit in your hard earned dollars and £s in India as the Rupee continues to weaken. However, in a few months, when the Rupee gets stronger you will have more $s and £s as a result.

Bottom line, as long as you are able to maintain exposure to the stock market without feeling the heat, I would recommend staying invested. Perhaps buy more in the Mumbai Stock Exchange and increase your chances of growing your portfolio in the coming years when the inevitable upturn comes.

"Criticism" by Zig Ziglar

2008-08-12T15:11:00.000+01:00

Aristotle said criticism was meant as a standard of judging will. Addison said it was ridiculous for any man to criticize the works of another if he has not distinguished himself by his own performance. It has also been said that no one so thoroughly appreciates the value of constructive criticism as the one who is giving it. The world is hard on critics, but on occasion they have real value. Ask yourself this question: "What interest does this person (critic) have in me?" A parent, teacher, employer or coach has a vested interest in your performance. Unfortunately, many of them do not know how to effectively build a person up while giving suggestions that can make a difference.

The key is to criticize the performance and not the performer. My mother once criticized my performance by saying, "For most boys this would be all right. But you're not most boys--you're my son and my son can do better than that." She had "criticized the performance," because it needed improvement, but she had praised the performer because he needed the praise.

Overcoming your fears

2008-07-31T17:00:00.000+01:00

First I had a bad feeling or unwillingness to go and meet these traders in a country where intellectual property is not respected. I felt concerned for my own safety because my visit entailed threatening these traders with legal action for selling copy product. Also, the fact that a European would accompany me to one of these less than reputable market areas to conduct discussions made me more nervous.

Visualization helped me here. I saw my colleague and I going there and being beaten up with our car stoned before we made a hurried escape. But banishing the negative thought from my mind, I pondered deeply. What if I were to face my fears – after all courage is not the absence of fear. It is the act of walking through your fears and doing what you are supposed to do. Call it trial by fire. Now I felt a bit more relaxed.

It struck me that it would be better to convey a toned down message rather than an aggressive one. At least the experience of talking to them would be an informative process – collect market intelligence, tell them about our patents and actions we take in the market. We were meeting them not to threaten them but to make them aware that our patents do exist and we have initiated action against one of the major brands in the market. I feel more confident about handling the situation and look forward to the visit.

My Truth or Your Truth?

2008-07-24T10:00:00.000+01:00

We all know the importance of good and effective communication. Something happened yesterday evening that brought out this aspect beautifully.

I was playing with my daughter in my garden. After a round of playing tag, Frisbee and football, it was time to cool off. The daughter being extremely fond of flowers started plucking a few. In the process, she had plucked out a few buds in addition to blossomed ones. I asked her to leave the buds alone since they would blossom into flowers. She was alright picking up the flowers instead.

From where I was standing I could see some flowers ready to be plucked. Whereas her location made it difficult for her to see the flowers I was seeing. She was finding it difficult to locate a few flowers to pluck – she could only see buds. She did spot a few flowers eventually but still not the ones that I saw and believed to be more accessible. It is at that moment my wife said “Your truth is different to her truth”. There it dawned upon me. I was working myself up on such a small thing but it had such a wider implication. If only we could develop our capacity to see things from others point of view, we would be so much more understanding. It would help us have stronger and positive relationships with friends, family and co-workers.

Lessons:

You may be seeing the same thing from a different viewpoint. Successful communicators seek to understand differing view points after all your truth is different from their truth.

Greater understanding will help you empathize with the other party and enable you to gain his trust and confidence. First step to have a successful relationship be it work or personal.

My Problem or Yours?

2008-07-24T09:57:00.000+01:00

A man feared his wife wasn't hearing as well as she used to and he thought she might need a hearing aid. Not quite sure how to approach her, he called the family Doctor to discuss the problem. The Doctor told him there is a simple informal test the husband could perform to give the Doctor a better idea about her hearing loss.Here's what you do," said the Doctor, "stand about 40 feet away from her, and in a normal conversational speaking tone see if she hears you.If not, go to 30 feet, then 20 feet, and s o on until you get a response."

That evening, the wife is in the kitchen cooking dinner, and he was in the den. He says to himself, "I'm about 40 feet away, let's see what happens."

Then in a normal tone he asks, 'Honey, what's for dinner?"

No response.

So the husband moves to closer to the kitchen, about 30 feet from his wife and repeats, "Honey, what's for dinner?"

Still no response.

Next he moves into the dining room where he is about 20 feet from his wife and asks, Honey, what's for dinner?"

Again he gets no response.

So he walks up to the kitchen door, about 10 feet away. "Honey, what's for dinner?"

Again there is no response.

So he walks right up behind her. "Honey, what's for dinner?"

;

;

"James, for the FIFTH time I've said, CHICKEN!"

Lesson:
The problem may not be with the other one as we always think, could be very much within us..!

Keeping the Spark Alive - By Chetan Bhagat

2008-07-20T08:15:00.001+01:00

Inaugural Speech for the new batch at the Symbiosis BBA program, Pune - 23rd June, 2008

Good Morning everyone and thank you for giving me this chance to speak to you. This day is about you. You, who have come to this college, leaving the comfort of your homes (or in some cases discomfort), to become something in your life. I am sure you are excited. There are few days in human life when one is truly elated. The first day in college is one of them. When you were getting ready today, you felt a tingling in your stomach. What would the auditorium be like, what would the teachers be like, who are my new classmates - there is so much to be curious about. I call this excitement, the spark within you that makes you feel truly alive today. Today I am going to talk about keeping the spark shining. Or to put it another way, how to be happy most, if not all the time.

Where do these sparks start? I think we are born with them. My 3-year old twin boys have a million sparks. A little Spiderman toy can make them jump on the bed. They get thrills from creaky swings in the park. A story from daddy gets them excited. They do a daily countdown for birthday party – several months in advance – just for the day they will cut their own birthday cake.

I see students like you, and I still see some sparks. But when I see older people, the spark is difficult to find. That means as we age, the spark fades. People whose spark has faded too much are dull, dejected, aimless and bitter. Remember Kareena in the first half of Jab We Met vs the second half? That is what happens when the spark is lost. So how to save the spark?

Imagine the spark to be a lamp's flame. The first aspect is nurturing - to give your spark the fuel, continuously. The second is to guard against storms.

To nurture, always have goals. It is human nature to strive, improve and achieve full potential. In fact, that is success. It is what is possible for you. It isn't any external measure - a certain cost to company pay package, a particular car or house.

Most of us are from middle class families. To us, having material landmarks is success and rightly so. When you have grown up where money constraints force everyday choices, financial freedom is a big achievement. But it isn't the purpose of life. If that was the case, Mr. Ambani would not show up for work. Shah Rukh Khan would stay at home and not dance anymore. Steve Jobs won't be working hard to make a better iPhone, as he sold Pixar for billions of dollars already. Why do they do it? What makes them come to work everyday? They do it because it makes them happy. They do it because it makes them feel alive. Just getting better from current levels feels good. If you study hard, you can improve your rank. If you make an effort to interact with people, you will do better in interviews. If you practice, your cricket will get better. You may also know that you cannot become Tendulkar, yet. But you can get to the next level. Striving for that next level is important.

Nature designed with a random set of genes and circumstances in which we were born. To be happy, we have to accept it and make the most of nature's design. Are you? Goals will help you do that. I must add, don't just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order.

There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions.

You must have read some quotes - Life is a tough race, it is a marathon or whatever. No, from what I have seen so far, life is one of those races in nursery school, where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same with life, where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die.

One last thing about nurturing the spark - don't take life seriously. One of my yoga teachers used to make students laugh during classes. One student asked him if these jokes would take away something from the yoga practice. The teacher said - don't be serious, be sincere. This quote has defined my work ever since. Whether its my writing, my job, my relationships or any of my goals. I get thousands of opinions on my writing everyday. There is heaps of praise, there is intense criticism. If I take it all seriously, how will I write? Or rather, how will I live? Life is not to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? It's ok, bunk a few classes, goof up a few interviews, fall in love. We are people, not programmed devices.

I've told you three things - reasonable goals, balance and not taking it too seriously that will nurture the spark. However, there are four storms in life that will threaten to completely put out the flame. These must be guarded against. These are disappointment, frustration, unfairness and loneliness of purpose.

Disappointment will come when your effort does not give you the expected return. If things don't go as planned or if you face failure. Failure is extremely difficult to handle, but those that do come out stronger. What did this failure teach me? is the question you will need to ask. You will feel miserable. You will want to quit, like I wanted to when nine publishers rejected my first book. Some IITians kill themselves over low grades – how silly is that? But that is how much failure can hurt you. But it's life. If challenges could always be overcome, they would cease to be a challenge. And remember - if you are failing at something, that means you are at your limit or potential. And that's where you want to be.

Disappointment's cousin is frustration, the second storm. Have you ever been frustrated? It happens when things are stuck. This is especially relevant in India. From traffic jams to getting that job you deserve, sometimes things take so long that you don't know if you chose the right goal. After books, I set the goal of writing for Bollywood, as I thought they needed writers. I am called extremely lucky, but it took me five years to get close to a release. Frustration saps excitement, and turns your initial energy into something negative, making you a bitter person. How did I deal with it? A realistic assessment of the time involved – movies take a long time to make even though they are watched quickly, seeking a certain enjoyment in the process rather than the end result – at least I was learning how to write scripts, having a side plan – I had my third book to write and even something as simple as pleasurable distractions in your life - friends, food, travel can help you overcome it. Remember, nothing is to be taken seriously. Frustration is a sign somewhere, you took it too seriously.

Unfairness - this is hardest to deal with, but unfortunately that is how our country works. People with connections, rich dads, beautiful faces, pedigree find it easier to make it – not just in Bollywood, but everywhere. And sometimes it is just plain luck. There are so few opportunities in India, so many stars need to be aligned for you to make it happen. Merit and hard work is not always linked to achievement in the short term, but the long term correlation is high, and ultimately things do work out. But realize, there will be some people luckier than you. In fact, to have an opportunity to go to college and understand this speech in English means you are pretty damm lucky by Indian standards. Let's be grateful for what we have and get the strength to accept what we don't. I have so much love from my readers that other writers cannot even imagine it. However, I don't get literary praise. It's ok. I don't look like Aishwarya Rai, but I have two boys who I think are more beautiful than her. It's ok. Don't let unfairness kill your spark.

Finally, the last point that can kill your spark is isolation. As you grow older you will realize you are unique. When you are little, all kids want Ice cream and Spiderman. As you grow older to college, you still are a lot like your friends. But ten years later and you realize you are unique. What you want, what you believe in, what makes you feel, may be different from even the people closest to you. This can create conflict as your goals may not match with others. . And you may drop some of them. Basketball captains in college invariably stop playing basketball by the time they have their second child. They give up something that meant so much to them. They do it for their family. But in doing that, the spark dies. Never, ever make that compromise. Love yourself first, and then others.

There you go. I've told you the four thunderstorms - disappointment, frustration, unfairness and isolation. You cannot avoid them, as like the monsoon they will come into your life at regular intervals. You just need to keep the raincoat handy to not let the spark die.

I welcome you again to the most wonderful years of your life. If someone gave me the choice to go back in time, I will surely choose college. But I also hope that ten years later as well, your eyes will shine the same way as they do today. That you will Keep the Spark alive, not only through college, but through the next 2,500 weekends. And I hope not just you, but my whole country will keep that spark alive, as we really need it now more than any moment in history. And there is something cool about saying - I come from the land of a billion sparks.

Thank You.

Planning for Change

2008-07-15T07:00:00.002+01:00

1. State your future aims and objectives
2. Understand what is the current situation
3. Evaluate the alternatives available to making the change or reaching the goal
4. Put the actions into place

Time - a precious commodity

2008-07-15T06:57:00.002+01:00

TIME – Do not waste it. It’s a precious commodity. We cannot manage time. Rather we should manage ourselves to utilize time most efficiently.

Focus on the important versus the urgent. Urgent needs to be done NOW while important needs to be done so that it doesn’t become urgent at a later date.

E.g. URGENT - you need to get your child ready now else she will be late for school.

E.g. IMPORTANT – you need to get your child trained to get ready on time so that it doesn’t become a crisis every morning to get her ready.

LEARN TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN WHAT IS IMPORTANT AND WHAT IS URGENT!

Bear Sterns sell off - JP Morgan savior or plunderer?

2008-07-12T10:54:00.002+01:00

There is an excellent article on the web exploring the issue. It appears that there is more than meets the eye. Its a must read for the conspiracy theorists and for fans of financial skullduggery. I am inclined to believe the author of the article in her analysis. To read more...

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=8974

Yahoo! the sell off story to Microsoft

2008-07-12T10:54:00.001+01:00

an interesting look inside boardroom politics - steve ballmer and carl icahn. icahn wants good value for his investment and is encouraging shareholders of yahoo! to vote out the existing board - precedent exists in the recent Bear Sterns sell off where the British billionaire lost £800mn of his investment and wanted his money back.

the issues are nothing to do with long term goals and profitability of Yahoo! and how it can benefit the world or its shareholders - it has all to do with the greed of the single largest shareholder - sometimes it makes me wonder whether being a publicly owned company is such a good idea after all?

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari - courtesy of Robin Sharma

2008-07-12T07:48:00.002+01:00

The 7 commandments:

1. Garden => Mind - keep it fertile

2. Lighthouse => Goals - Purpose of Life is to have a Life of Purpose

3. Sumo => Kaizen - continuous self improvement

4. Thin wire => Willpower & Discipline

5. Clock => Time -> Respect your time & deathbed mentality

6. Yellow roses => Serve others

7. Diamonds => Live in the NOW - don't give up your present for something in the future. Goals are good - they keep you on track. Have sub-goals too but don't forget your family and start chasing a high flying career to regret it later on

China and the 3rd World conundrum - race for resources

2008-07-12T07:46:00.002+01:00

look at how Zimbabwe escapes sanctions - Chinese vested interests in Africa's natural resources and Russia's way of hitting back at the West for meddling in Russia - but there is a more covert reason which is not so apparent as to why the Russians are so interested in Russia - may be natural resources again!

one wonders whether there is any good in this world after all - when a few powerful countries and financial institutions control flow of natural resources, commodities and money - oil price inflation, commodity speculation, sub-prime mortgage disaster, etc. can be squarely blamed upon banks and greedy financiers!

let me know what you think or feel...

Assertiveness - my personal experience

2008-07-12T07:44:00.000+01:00

Over the last couple of years I had developed a poor relationship with one of my colleagues at work. He is razor tongued and quick witted while the same cannot be said of me. I describe myself as sensitive warm and caring. However, I have a short temper which flares at the slightest hint of unfairness – call me an idealist! A few years ago I had taken my anger out on this colleague who was partly to blame for a situation in an international airport. Ever since our working relationship has been appalling. He has missed no opportunity to pick on me with snide remarks and comments bordering dangerously on the racial. I took it all in my stride and laughed it off like water off a duck’s back.

But of late I realized that I was being passive. If I were assertive I would not have allowed this to continue: it was really putting me off and had caused me to rethink about the way I came across and the work that I was doing. Last month I took the bull by its horns and requested that I speak to him in private. Boy was I proven right by my decision. The 10 minute chat turned into a 90minute long conversation wherein I put across my views as to why I didn’t like what he was doing. I sought to understand what was the reason behind his behavior. It’s a golden principle of communication: First seek to understand than to be understood. I am glad that I took this approach. It transpired that he was taking out his frustration of being overloaded at work and I was a soft target for his ire. He offered to cut back on the vitriolic nature of his comments but added that I could not expect him to reduce it to nil. After all, he seems to treat everyone the same – leg pulling, taking the mickey, etc.

Anyway with that off my chest, I feel much better now. I asserted my feelings and my rights to better treatment. I would urge everyone to be more assertive and face your fears. It took me a while to muster courage to call for the meeting but I did it. It has been a positive experience for me and has boosted my confidence quite high. I am confident of handling similar situations involving tough negotiations and situations positively.

2007-07-03T18:14:00.000+01:00

My Journey . . .