அப்படி என்னதான் வேலை பார்ப்பீங்க

அப்படி என்னதான் வேலை பார்ப்பீங்க ? - நியாயமான ஒரு கேள்வி! 
-"ஏம்பா இந்த கம்ப்யூட்டர் படிச்சவங்க எல்லாம் நிறைய சம்பளம்
வாங்கிட்டு, பந்தா பண்ணிட்டு ஒரு தினுசாவே அலையுறீங்களே?அப்படி என்னதான் வேலை பார்ப்பீங்க ?

நியாயமான ஒரு கேள்வியை கேட்டார் எனது அப்பா. 
நானும் விவரிக்க ஆரம்பிதேன்.
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"வெள்ளைகாரனுக்கு எல்லா வேலையும் சீக்கிரமா முடியணும்.
அதே மாதிரி எல்லா வேலையும் அவனோட வீட்டுல இருந்தே செய்யணும்.
இதுக்காக எவ்வளவு பணம் வேணுமானாலும் செலவு செய்ய தயாரா இருக்கான்."
"அது சரி பல்லு இருக்குறவன் பக்கோடா சாப்பிடுறான்".

"இந்த மாதிரி அமெரிக்கால்-ல, இங்கிலாந்து-ல இருக்குற Bank,
இல்ல எதாவது கம்பெனி, "நான் செலவு செய்ய தயாரா இருக்கேன். எனக்கு இத செய்து கொடுங்கனு கேப்பாங்க.
இவங்கள நாங்க "Client"னு சொல்லுவோம்.
"சரி" 
-இந்த மாதிரி Client-அ மோப்பம் பிடிக்குறதுக்காகவே எங்க பங்காளிக கொஞ்ச பேர அந்த அந்த ஊருல உக்கார வச்சி இருப்போம். இவங்க பேரு "Sales Consultants, Pre-Sales Consultants. ...".
இவங்க போய் Client கிட்ட பேச்சுவார்த்தை நடத்துவாங்க.
காசு கொடுகுறவன் சும்மாவா கொடுப்பான்?
ஆயிரத்தெட்டு கேள்வி கேப்பான். உங்களால இத பண்ண முடியுமா?
அத பண்ண முடியுமான்னு அவங்க கேக்குற எல்லாம் கேள்விக்கும், "முடியும்"னு பதில் சொல்றது இவங்க வேலை.

அப்பா : "இவங்க எல்லாம் என்னப்பா படிச்சுருபாங்க"? 

"MBA, MS-னு பெரிய பெரிய படிபெல்லாம் படிச்சி இருப்பாங்க."
அப்பா : "முடியும்னு ஒரே வார்த்தைய திரும்ப திரும்ப சொல்றதுக்கு எதுக்கு MBA படிக்கணும்?" –
அப்பாவின் கேள்வியில் நியாயம் இருந்தது. 
அப்பா : "சரி இவங்க போய் பேசின உடனே client projectகொடுத்துடுவானா?" 

"அது எப்படி? இந்த மாதிரி பங்காளிக எல்லா கம்பெனிளையும் இருப்பாங்க. 500 நாள்ல முடிக்க வேண்டிய வேலைய 60 நாள்ள
முடிச்சு தரோம், 50 நாள்ல முடிச்சு தரோம்னு பேரம் பேசுவாங்க. இதுல யாரு குறைஞ்ச நாள சொல்றாங்களோ அவங்களுக்கு ப்ராஜெக்ட் கிடைக்கும்"

அப்பா : "500 நாள்ல முடிக்க வேண்டிய வேலைய 50 நாள்ல எப்படி முடிக்க முடியும்? ராத்திரி பகலா வேலை பார்த்தாலும் முடிக்க முடியாதே?" 

"இங்க தான் நம்ம புத்திசாலித்தனத்த நீங்க
புரிஞ்சிக்கணும். 50 நாள்னு சொன்ன உடனே client சரின்னு சொல்லிடுவான்.
ஆனா அந்த 50 நாள்ல அவனுக்கு என்ன வேணும்னு அவனுக்கும் தெரியாது, என்ன செய்யனும்னு நமக்கும் தெரியாது.
இருந்தாலும் 50 நாள் முடிஞ்ச பிறகு ப்ரோஜெக்ட்னு ஒண்ண நாங்கdeliver பண்ணுவோம். அத பாத்துட்டு "ஐயோ நாங்க கேட்டது இதுல்ல,எங்களுக்கு இது வேணும், அது வேணும்னு" புலம்ப ஆரம்பிப்பான்.
"அப்புறம்?" - அப்பா ஆர்வமானார். 
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"இப்போ தான் நாங்க நம்பியார் மாதிரி கைய பிசஞ்சிகிட்டே "இதுக்கு நாங்க CR raise பண்ணுவோம்"னு சொல்லுவோம்.
-அப்பா : "CR-னா?" 
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"Change Request. இது வரைக்கும் நீ கொடுத்த பணத்துக்கு நாங்க வேலை பார்த்துட்டோம். இனிமேல் எதாவது பண்ணனும்னா எக்ஸ்ட்ரா பணம் கொடுக்கணும்"னு சொல்லுவோம். இப்படியே 50 நாள் வேலைய 500 நாள் ஆக்கிடுவோம்."
-அப்பாவின் முகத்தில் லேசான பயம் தெரிந்தது.

 அப்பா : "இதுக்கு அவன் ஒத்துபானா?"
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"ஒத்துகிட்டு தான் ஆகணும்.
முடி வெட்ட போய்ட்டு, பாதி வெட்டிட்டு வர முடியுமா?"
அப்பா : "சரி ப்ராஜெக்ட் உங்க கைல வந்த உடனே என்ன பண்ணுவீங்க?"

"முதல்ல ஒரு டீம் உருவாக்குவோம்.
இதுல ப்ராஜக்ட் மேனேஜர்னு ஒருத்தர் இருப்பாரு. இவரது தான் பெரிய தலை.
ப்ராஜெக்ட் சக்சஸ் ஆனாலும், ஃபெயிலியர் ஆனாலும் இவரு தான் பொறுப்பு."

அப்பா : "அப்போ இவருக்கு நீங்க எல்லாரும் பண்ற வேலை எல்லாம் தெரியும்னு சொல்லு." 

"அதான் கிடையாது.
இவருக்கு நாங்க பண்ற எதுவுமே தெரியாது."

அப்பா : "அப்போ இவருக்கு என்னதான் வேலை?" – 
-அப்பா குழம்பினார். 

"நாங்க என்ன தப்பு பண்ணினாலும் இவர பார்த்து கைய நீட்டுவோம். எப்போ எவன் குழி பறிப்பான்னு டென்ஷன் ஆகி டயர்ட் ஆகி டென்ஷன் ஆகுறதுதான் இவரு வேலை."
-"பாவம்பா" 

"ஆனா இவரு ரொம்ப நல்லவரு.
எங்களுக்கு எந்த பிரச்னை வந்தாலும் இவரு கிட்ட போய் சொல்லலாம்."
அப்பா : "எல்லா பிரச்னையும் தீர்த்து வச்சிடுவார?" 

"ஒரு பிரச்சனைய கூட தீர்க்க மாட்டாரு.
நாங்க என்ன சொன்னாலும் தலையாட்டிகிட்டே உன்னோட பிரச்னை
எனக்கு புரியுதுனு சொல்றது மட்டும் தான் இவரோட வேலை."
-அப்பா : "நான் உன்னோட அம்மா கிட்ட பண்ற மாதிரி?!"

"இவருக்கு கீழ டெக் லீட், மோடுல் லீட், டெவலப்பர், டெஸ்டர்னு நிறைய அடி பொடிங்க இருப்பாங்க."
-அப்பா : "இத்தனை பேரு இருந்து, எல்லாரும் ஒழுங்கா வேலை செஞ்சா வேலை ஈஸியா முடிஞ்சிடுமே?" 

"வேலை செஞ்சா தானே? நான் கடைசியா சொன்னேன் பாருங்க... டெவலப்பர், டெஸ்டர்னு, அவங்க மட்டும் தான் எல்லா வேலையும் செய்வாங்க. அதுலையும் இந்த டெவலப்பர் வேலைக்கு சேரும் போதே "இந்த குடும்பத்தோட மானம், மரியாதை உன்கிட்ட தான் இருக்குனு" சொல்லி, நெத்தில திருநீறு பூசி அனுப்பி வச்ச என்னைய மாதிரி தமிழ் பசங்க தான் அதிகம் இருப்பாங்க."
அப்பா : "அந்த டெஸ்டர்னு எதோ சொன்னியே?   அவங்களுக்கு என்னப்பா வேலை?"

"இந்த டெவலப்பர் பண்ற வேலைல குறை கண்டு பிடிக்கறது இவனோட வேலை.

அப்பா : புடிக்காத மருமக கை பட்டா குத்தம், கால் பட்டா குத்தம்கறது மாதிரி."
"ஒருத்தன் பண்ற வேலைல குறை கண்டு பிடிகுறதுக்கு சம்பளமா?புதுசா தான் இருக்கு. சரி இவங்களாவது வேலை செய்யுராங்களா. சொன்ன தேதிக்கு வேலைய முடிச்சு கொடுத்துடுவீங்கள்ள?

"அது எப்படி..? சொன்ன தேதிக்கு ப்ராஜக்டை முடிச்சி கொடுத்தா,அந்தக் குற்ற உணர்ச்சி எங்க வாழ்கை முழுவதும் உறுத்திக்கிட்டு
இருக்கும். நிறைய பேரு அந்த அவமானத்துக்கு பதிலா தற்கொலை
செய்துக்கலாம்னு சொல்லுவாங்க"

அப்பா:  "கிளையன்ட் சும்மாவா விடுவான்? ஏன் லேட்னு கேள்வி கேக்க மாட்டான்?" 

"கேக்கத்தான் செய்வான். இது வரைக்கும் டிமுக்குள்ளையே காலை வாரி விட்டுக்கிட்டு இருந்த நாங்க எல்லாரும் சேர்ந்து அவன் காலை வார ஆரம்பிப்போம்."
-அப்பா : "எப்படி?" 

"நீ கொடுத்த கம்ப்யூட்டர்-ல ஒரே தூசியா இருந்துச்சு. அன்னைக்கு டீம் மீட்டிங்ல வச்சி நீ இருமின, உன்னோட ஹேர் ஸ்டைல் எனக்கு புடிகலை." இப்படி எதாவது சொல்லி அவன குழப்புவோம்.
அவனும் சரி சனியன எடுத்து தோள்ல போட்டாச்சு, இன்னும் கொஞ்ச நாள் தூங்கிட்டு போகட்டும்னு விட்டுருவான்".
அப்பா : "சரி முன்ன பின்ன ஆனாலும் முடிச்சி கொடுத்துட்டு கைய கழுவிட்டு வந்துடுவீங்க அப்படித்தான?" 

"அப்படி பண்ணினா, நம்ம நாட்டுல பாதி பேரு வேலை இல்லாம தான் இருக்கணும்."
"அப்புறம்?" 

"ப்ராஜக்டை முடிய போற சமயத்துல நாங்க எதோ பயங்கரமான ஒண்ண பண்ணி இருக்குறமாதிரியும், அவனால அத புரிஞ்சிக்க கூட முடியாதுங்கற மாதிரியும் நடிக்க ஆரம்பிப்போம்."
-"அப்புறம்?" 

"அவனே பயந்து போய்,
"எங்கள தனியா விட்டுடாதீங்க. உங்க டீம்-ல ஒரு ஒண்ணு, ரெண்டு பேர உங்க ப்ரொஜெக்ட பார்த்துக்க சொல்லுங்கன்னு"
புது பொண்ணு மாதிரி புலம்ப ஆரம்பிச்சிடுவாங்க."
இதுக்கு பேரு "Maintenance and Support".
இந்த வேலை வருஷ கணக்கா போகும்.

"ப்ராஜக்ட் அப்படிங்கறது ஒரு பொண்ண கல்யாணம் பண்ணி வீட்டுக்கு கூட்டிட்டு வர்றது மாதிரி.
தாலி கட்டினா மட்டும் போதாது, வருஷ கணக்கா நிறைய செலவு செஞ்சு பராமரிக்க வேண்டிய விசயம்னு" இப்போ தான் கிளைன்டுக்கு புரிய ஆரம்பிக்கும்.
அப்பா  :  "எனக்கும் எல்லாம் புரிஞ்சிடுச்சிப்பா."

The Seven Success Principles of Steve Jobs

Through first-person interviews with Apple employees, experts, and analysts, as well as Steve Jobs’ own words over the past thirty years, Carmine Gallo discovered that there are 7 principles largely responsible for Jobs’ breakthrough success.
These are described in his book, "The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs", and here are the principles that anyone can use to “think differently” about their service, product or brand.

Principle One: Do what you love

Steve Jobs once told a group of employees, “People with passion can change the world for the better.”
Jobs has followed his heart his entire life and that passion, he says, has made all the difference.
It’s very difficult to come up with new, creative, and novel ideas unless you are passionate about moving society forward.

Principle Two: Put a dent in the universe

Passion fuels the rocket, but vision directs the rocket to its ultimate destination.
In 1976, when Jobs and Steve Wozniak co-founded Apple, Jobs’ vision was to put a computer in the hands of everyday people.
In 1979, Jobs saw an early and crude graphical user interface being demonstrated at the Xerox research facility in Palo Alto, California.
He knew immediately that the technology would make computers appealing to “everyday people.”
That technology eventually became The Macintosh, which changed everything about the way we interact with computers.
Xerox scientists didn’t realize its potential because their “vision” was limited to making new copiers.
Two people can see the exactly the same thing, but perceive it differently based on their vision.

Principle Three: Kick start your brain

Steve Jobs once said “Creativity is connecting things.”
Connecting things means seeking inspiration from other industries.
At various times, Jobs has found inspiration in a phone book, Zen meditation, visiting India, a food processor at Macy’s, or The Four Seasons hotel chain.
Jobs doesn’t “steal” ideas as much as he uses ideas from other industries to inspire his own creativity.

Principle Four: Sell dreams, not products

To Steve Jobs, people who buy Apple products are not “consumers.”
They are people with hopes, dreams and ambitions.
He builds products to help people achieve their dreams.
He once said, “some people think you’ve got to be crazy to buy a Mac, but in that craziness we see genius.”
How do you see your customers?
Help them unleash their inner genius and you’ll win over their hearts and minds.

Principle Five: Say no to 1,000 things

Steve Jobs once said, “I’m as proud of what we don’t do as I am of what we do.”
He is committed to building products with simple, uncluttered design.
And that commitment extends beyond products.
From the design of the iPod to the iPad, from the packaging of Apple’s products, to the functionality of the Web site, in Apple’s world, innovation means eliminating the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.

Principle Six: Create insanely great experiences

The Apple store has become the world’s best retailer by introducing simple innovations any business can adopt to create deeper, more emotional connections with their customers.
For example, there are no cashiers in an Apple store.
There are experts, consultants, even geniuses, but no cashiers. Why?
Because Apple is not in the business of moving boxes; they are in the business of enriching lives. Big difference.

Principle Seven: Master the message

Steve Jobs is the world’s greatest corporate storyteller, turning product launches into an art form.
You can have the most innovative idea in the world, but if you can’t get people excited about it, it doesn’t matter.

Simply put, innovation is a new way of doing things that results in positive change. Innovation is attainable by anyone at any organization, regardless of title or position.
Make innovation a part of your brands’ DNA by thinking differently about your business challenges.

Source: Forbes.com

By Carmine Gallo is the communications coach for the world’s most admired brands. He is a popular keynote speaker and author of several books including the bestsellers, The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs and The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs.

Contributed by Deepa Joseph, Bangalore

17 Tips to Double Your Productivity in 14 Days

1. Turn off all technology for 60 minutes a day and focus on doing your most important work.

2. Work in 90 minute cycles (tons of science is now confirming that this is the optimal work to rest ratio).

3. Start your day with at least 30 minutes of exercise.

4. Don't check your email first thing in the morning.

5. Turn all your electronic notifications off.

6. Take one day a week as a complete recovery day, to refuel and regenerate (that means no email, no phone calls and zero work). You need full recovery one day a week otherwise you'll start depleting your capabilities.

7. The data says workers are interrupted every 11 minutes. Distractions destroy productivity. Learn to protect your time and say no to interruptions.

8. Schedule every day of your week every Sunday morning. A plan relieves you of the torment of choice (said novelist Saul Bellow). It restores focus and provides energy.

9. Work in blocks of time. Creative geniuses all had 2 things in common: when they worked they were fully engaged and when they worked, they worked with this deep concentration for long periods of time. Rare in this world of entrepreneurs who can't sit still.

10. Drink a liter of water early every morning. We wake up dehydrated. The most precious asset of an entrepreneur isn't time - it's energy. Water restores it.

11. Don't answer your phone every time it rings.

12. Invest in your professional development so you bring more value to the hours you work.

13. Avoid gossip and time vampires.

14. Touch paper just once.

15. Keep a "Stop Doing List".

16. Get up at 5 am.

17. Have meetings standing up.

Source: www.robinsharma.com

Change is Business

Change is business in this new world. A world of dramatic globalization. A world shaped by a communication revolution with zero end in sight. A world where 9-5 has been overshadowed by 24/7-365. A world where technology has given the 17-year-old next door the leverage to create some serious heat in your industry. 

This new world relentlessly delivers change. The marketspace is now raw excitement. It's also made business and life itself very unpredictable. Change is the new reality. Understanding the reality doesn't necessarily make going through change any easier. 

1. Be in the Business of Developing Leaders

The only way any organization - and any human being, for that matter - can win in the ring with change, is to start developing leadership capacity in everyone. This is the single most important business discipline required to overcome change. An organization is the sum of its parts - all people in all roles. If a leader hasn't invested in developing the people, or has turned a neglectful eye on the importance of all the parts, the sum of that organization will unfortunately be less than zero.

An organization who develops the leader in everyone will not only adapt beautifully to the changing conditions, it will actually lead within its field.

2. Be So Good They Can't Ignore You

Great words of wisdom from Actor Steve Martin.  Be so good they can't ignore you. No matter what your craft is, or your industry, or your position, become so good at it, you'll make it impossible to go unnoticed. Committing yourself to mastery at what you do, is the only standard to hold yourself to in times of change. Anything less, and you'll be left behind. So shift from victim to virtuoso.

3. Change Provides Free Business Consulting

Intelligent enterprises understand that hard business conditions deliver free consulting advice. During intense times, you have the chance to discover your weaknesses and become aware of your constraints. During times of change or chaos you have the opportunity to line things up and square things off that you might under normal circumstances neglect. The upside of change is it provides positive pressure to make you pivot and become even more efficient, effective, and profitable. "Sometimes knowing your weaknesses can be your greatest strength." Howard Schultz

4. Refuse to Major in the Minors

The best leaders stay staggeringly focused on the biggest To Dos. They have the fiery resolve to have an almost military like concentration on their best opportunities and refuse to be sidetracked by anything else. Find the inner discipline to stick to the majors and say "no" to the minors.

5. Take a Step against Stagnation

Take a step ahead - even if you're not quite sure where you are going. There is no perfect choice in business or in life. All we can do is make the best choice when action is necessary. Forward movement has power. It will advance your life in one way or another. Doing nothing in the face of change, on the other hand, is the worst thing you can do. Doing nothing is the beginning of the end.

6. Change has an Outstanding ROI

While others resist change, refusing to grow with it, embrace it and use it to your advantage.  Leverage it to promote your leadership abilities.  Exploit it to build a stronger business.  Capitalize on it and maximize its return.  According to bestselling authors and management consultants Hammer and Champy "70% of business reengineering projects [aka changes] fail."  In times of change, many businesses fall off course or drop out of the race entirely.  Your best business opportunity is to become part of the 30% who actually win at change and advance simply because others can't stomach the course.

7. Regain your Stride by Managing Processes

Rosabeth Moss Kanter a professor at Harvard Business School, suggests the importance of establishing "certainty of process when there can't be certainty about decisions." Harvard Business Review. Even though you don't know details, decision or future outcomes, you can be certain about setting your priorities, goals, and action items such as scheduling meetings with key players.  Reground yourself by managing the processes surrounding change

Source: Robin Sharma

Ways to make 2010 your best year yet

Robin's new book "The Leader Who Had No Title: A Modern Fable On Real Success in Business and Life" will be published by Simon and Schuster in March. Many of the ideas below come from it.

• Remember that leadership isn't about your position. It's about your influence.
• Get fit like a pro athlete.
• Lift people up versus tearing people down.
• Protect your good name. An impeccable reputation takes a lifetime to build. And 60 seconds to lose.
• Surround yourself with positive, ethical people who are committed to excellence.
• Remember that even a 1% daily innovation rate amounts to at least a 100% rate of innovation in 100 days.
• Believe in your dreams (even when others laugh at them).
• Measure your success, not by your net worth but by your self worth (and how happy you feel).
• Take an intelligent risk every 24 hours. No try-No Win.
• Watch "Man on Wire".
• Regardless of your title at work, be a team builder.
• Remember that business is all about relationships and human connections.
• Say "please" more.
• Say "thank you" more.
• Know your Big 5: the five things that need to happen by the end of this year for you to feel its been your best year yet.
• Read your Big 5 every morning while the rest of your part of the world is asleep.
• Be willing to fail. It's the price of greatness.
• Focus less on making money and more on creating value.
• Spend less, save more.
• Leave everything you touch better than you found it.
• Be the most positive person in every room you're in.
• Run your own race.
• Stay true to your deepest values and best ideals.
• Write a handwritten thank you note to a customer/friend/loved one every day.
• When you travel, send love letters to your kids on hotel stationary. In time, they'll have a rich collection to remember your travels by.
• Be a problem solver versus a trouble maker.
• Rather than doing many things at mediocrity do just a few things-but at mastery.
• Honor your parents.
• Commit to doing great work-whether anyone notices it or not. It's one of life's best sources of happiness.
• Give more than you receive (another of the truths of happiness).
• Have your 1/3/5/10/25 years goals recorded on paper and review them weekly.
• Be patient. Slow and steady wins the race. The only reason businesses that went from zero to a billion in a year or two get featured in magazines is because 99% of businesses require a lot more time to win.
• Underpromise and then overdeliver.
• See part of your job as "a developer of people" (whether you work in the boardroom or the mailroom).
• Wear your heart on your sleeve. When people see you're real, they'll fall in love with you.
• Be authentic versus plastic.
• Remember that life wants you to win. So get out of your own way.
• Consider that behind every fear lives your next level of growth (and power).
• Eat less food.
• Drink more water.
• Rest when you need to.
• Write your eulogy and then live your life backwards.
• Demand the best from yourself.
• Remember that the more you go to your limits, the more your limits will expand.
• See everything that happens to you as an opportunity to grow (and therefore, as a precious gift).
• Be obsessed with learning and self-development.
• Become comfortable alone (you are the only person you get to be with your whole life).
• Smile. It's a stunningly effective way to win in business and life.
• Reflect on the shortness of life.
• Be bold when it comes to your dreams but gentle with those you love.
• Remember that success is dangerous because it can kill drive/innovation/passion and going the extra mile. Be successful yet stay hungry.
• Be of deep value to this world.
• Own beautiful things but don't let them own you.
• Use excellent words.
• Laugh more.
• Don't complain, gossip or be negative.
• Plan as if you'll live forever but live as if you'll die tomorrow.
• Feel free to pass these lessons on to those you want to help.

Written by Robin Sharma, January 3, 2010. For more information visit robinsharma.com.

Posted via email from Edward Anil's Blog

The Big 5 Opportunities of This Down Cycle

We're in some challenging times. Economies are shifting.

Businesses are reconfiguring. And deep uncertainty dominates many peoples' mindsets. 

But smart leaders get that crisis breeds opportunity. And so they train their brains to focus on nothing else.

Here are 5 of the NBO's (Nice Big Opportunities)

1. It has never been easier to stand out. 

Everyone is negative. 

Customer service is being pulled back. 

Innovation is shutting down. 

So, great rewards will come to you as you stay positive, client-centered and wildly creative.

2. It has never been so easy to retain and secure superb talent. 

A great team of spirited people can achieve extraordinary results. 

Now is a fine time to build that team.

3. This down cycle is an excellent time to open up new markets. 

Not every region is in a recession.

So now might be the perfect time to expand into an emerging economy.

4. With all the turmoil, this is an opportunity to get back to the fundamentals. 

Create strong value for your stakeholders. 

Build a business based on integrity. 

Renew deep family relationships. 

Savor life's simpler pleasures.

5. This is a fantastic time invest in your learning. 

Learning boosts passion and engagement.

In the up-cycle, you may have been running so fast you made zero time to invest in yourself. 

Yet, to be a better leader, become a bigger person.

Original Source:

www.robinsharma.com 

The Cracked Pot

A water bearer had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole, which he carried across his neck. One of the pot had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For two years this process went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his master's house. The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, but the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection and was miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been

made to do.

After two years, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself and I want to apologize to you." "Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?" "For the past two years, I have been able to deliver only half of my load because this crack in my side caused water to leak out all the way. Because of my flaws you are made to do all the work, and you don't get full value from your efforts", said the cracked pot.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot and said compassionately, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path." As they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers bloomed on the path. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again the pot apologized to the bearer for its failure. The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side and not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path and everyday while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years, I have been able to pluck these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."

Friend, each one of us have our own unique flaws. We are all cracked pots. But if we will allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to grace His Father's table. In God's great economy, nothing goes waste. Don't be afraid of your flaws. Acknowledge them and you too can be the cause of beauty. Know that in our weakness we find His strength.

*But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.".....* *- 2.Cor.12:9*

Contributed by Deepa Joseph, Bangalore

The 4 Skills of Disciplined Leaders

You know so well that you need no title to be a leader. You get so brilliantly that leading without a title is the real way to lead. You deeply understand that leadership isn't just a skill for business - it's a way of life. So equipped with this knowledge of who you can be and all you can do during these difficult times as a force of one, read these 4 practical action steps:

#1. Protect Your Thinking.
Fear-mongerers have come out to play amidst the meltdown of the global economic markets. 

The news is mostly negative. The water-cooler chat is mostly bad. 

The word on the street focuses on the worst that is. But what's the truth? 

Yes, I'll agree that these are challenging times. But I'll also say there's never been a better opportunity for you to be an excellent leader. Stay focused on the opportunities that have presented themselves to add more value to even more customers. Train your brain to block out the negative and work amidst the positive. Turn off the TV. Put away the paper. And get to work on presenting the genius that you are meant to be to the world around you.

#2. Take the long view.
You will never go wrong in doing what's right. With the turmoil out there, it's easy to let go of your closely-held values and cut corners when it comes to ethics. The fast buck might look like an easy way out. A quick deal with the wrong person might look like a solution. Cutting corners on a product or service might look a little attractive. And yet, you will never regret sticking to your business and personal values - being the most ethical person you know. This tough cycle will pass. And your customers will love you for staying true to you.

#3. Outwork your competition.
Hard work and constant forward movement is the formula for leveraging the difficult conditions into opportunities for greatness. I know that sounds a little "motivationalspeakerish" but I do believe it's true. Few things get you to BIW (Best in World) in the work you do as working really hard and standing for brilliance in your chosen career. Leadership is all about doing what's right rather than what's easy. And what's right is an honest day's work for an honest day's pay.

#4. Stay Strong.
No point in letting the stress and challenge of these interesting days ruin your health-or break your spirit. Tough times make great leaders. Maintain the champion's mindset by reading uplifting books, associating with excellent people and making time each day to renew your self. Oh, and take good care of your health. Please. Now isn't the time to neglect daily exercise. And those who don't make time for fitness must eventually make time for illness.

Source: www.robinsharma.com 

Formula for overcoming recession

Now that recession alarms are going off around the world, and everyone outside Fort Mc-Murray is revising budgets downward, it's again time to look to the future. This slump, too, shall pass. But how you respond to it will largely determine how your business will fare in the sunnier days that lie ahead.

"Recession tends to clear out the deadwood," says Norm Nopper of Varanor International, a Toronto management consulting firm. "Companies that haven't been looking after their employee relations, that haven't been paying attention to their bottom lines, were vulnerable going into the recession, and they may not come out of it."

So how do you make sure your business survives? Nopper offers one sweeping solution: Make growth a team effort. If you gain the trust and support of your employees, you have a better chance of coming through the storm with a stronger, more focused business. "Look after your people," Nopper says, "and they'll look after you."

Nopper learned his tactics in the recession of the late 1980s, as a training consultant with Honeywell Canada in Toronto. When the Minneapolis-based multinational decided it had seven plants too many, Nopper worked closely with the plant staff to ensure they had the skills, attitude and will to win that was needed to overcome growing international competition. In the end, Honeywell saved the operation, which made heating and air-conditioning controls, and actually reinvested in it, because of the investment the workforce had made in itself.

Normally, management-employee relationships are the first casualty in a recession. Worried managers looking to cut costs start eyeing the salaried workforce as surplus inventory that can be converted into cash. "Get into the habit of viewing people as if they truly were an asset," advises Nopper. Make them partners in your quest for value, efficiency and survival.

Here's Nopper's five-part formula for overcoming recession:

1. Get employees onside in your battle against costs and waste.
Nobody knows your operations like they do, he says, "and all we have to do is ask them." For example, Nopper does a lot of training in the spa business, and says big bucks are washed down the drain every day when hairdressers use gobs of shampoo instead of the little dab each client needs. Nopper, who consulted for Magna International for 11 years, says similar economies can be found at any manufacturer. Every employee knows ways to reduce use of raw materials or make products more efficiently -- but they have never been asked, and they don't think anyone cares.

2. Tap your employees' customer knowledge.
In tough times, companies talk about getting closer to their customers. But they are more likely to hire market-research companies to find out what their customers want, instead of asking their front-line employees. "This is a tremendous opportunity for market intelligence," Nopper says. But most companies have no idea how to capture employees' customer knowledge. Tell employees how important their knowledge is -- and give them specific questions to ask customers to find out why they buy from you, and what else they expect of you. Will your employees resent doing this work? No way, Nopper says. "Employees tend to say, 'Why have you waited so long to come to me?' "

3. Gain employees' trust by making sure this isn't just a one-time effort.
Institute formal processes and regular meetings (keep them short and to the point) to prove your people are valued members of the team. Be humble and consistent. By admitting management needs all the help it can get, you're not confessing weakness -- you're building trust.

4. Don't cut the housekeeping budget -- expand it.
A clean workplace is a more positive, more efficient one. "When you're organized, it's easier to see what's missing," Nopper says. Similarly, it's easier to spot an oil leak in a piece of production equipment when it's sparkling clean than when it's covered with grime. When you show pride in your workplace, your employees will be more motivated custodians, too.

5. Avoid the temptation to reduce employees' pay during a slowdown.
Nopper shares Magna's fair-trade philosophy: Pay employees market rate for their labour, plus something extra for performance, such as profit-sharing. That will give you the compensation flexibility you need in tough times. Plus, it will reinforce your employees' attention to productivity and the overall health of the business. "You have to be consistent," he says. "If you want people to focus on the bottom line, you have to give them a piece of the action."

Original Source: http://www.financialpost.com/small_business/story.html?id=394954
Rick Spence is a writer, consultant and speaker specializing in entrepreneurship. His column appears Mondays in the Financial Post.

About Leadership

Some tips from Robin Sharma, regarding leadership qualities.

The Eyes of Leadership

The sad fact is that most people see the worst in others - they see them through the eyes of their own anger, fear and limitation. If someone shows up late for a meeting, they impute a negative intent on that person, saying "they are so rude". If someone makes a mistake on an expense report, they grumble "that person is so dishonest". If someone miscommunicates a point, they silently say "she's a liar". Leaders are different. They look for the best in people.

I want to be clear. I'm not suggesting that leaders do not confront reality. Not at all. What I'm saying is that the best leaders see through the eyes of understanding. If someone is late, they try to get to the truth. Maybe there's a time management problem to coach around or a sick child to help. An error on an expense account could be the result of a poor process in place or the employee's disorganization. The miscommunication might be all about the person communicating having weak skills in this area. An opportunity for improvement.

Today, rather than looking for the worst in people, I invite you to look for what's best within them. Sure some people really are inconsiderate or dishonest or uncaring. But in my experience - and I've worked with a lot of people over the years - most people are good. Few human beings wake up in the morning and ask themselves: "What can I do today to mess up someone else's day or undermine my credibility?" Most of the mistakes people make are the result of a lack of awareness. And here's the payoff for you: as you seek out the good in people, not only will they want to show up more fully for you, but you will see more good in your world.

Do Your Part

Big question for you: "what are you doing to help build a new and better world?" Don't blame the politicians. Don't blame those around you. Don't blame your parents or your background. Doing so is playing the victim and this world has far too many people playing the victim when they could be shining and making a profound difference. Mother Teresa said it so much better than I ever could: "if each of us would only sweep their own doorstep, the whole world would be clean." Nice.

Blaming others is excusing yourself. Telling yourself that you – as an army of one – cannot have an impact is giving away your power. A couple of college kids got their hands on empty school buses and drove them into New Orleans when everybody else said the city was unapproachable. A little man in a loincloth named Mohandas Gandhi freed an entire nation. A college student named Richard Branson took some initiative to start a record label on a shoestring that has since morphed into the Virgin empire. You are no different from them. We are all flesh and bones – cut from the same cloth.

In a recent issue of Vanity Fair, Jennifer Aniston said that she gives herself one day to play victim after a challenging event. After that day of feeling sorry for herself and powerless, she wakes up and takes ownership over the way her life looks. And if she doesn't like a piece of it she sets about to change it. That's personal leadership.

What don't you like about your life or the organization you work for or the country you live in? Make a list. Write it down. Shout it out. And then do something to improve things. Anything. Start small or go big. Just do something. Today. Now. The world will be better for it.

Leadership is About Clarity

Just read a line by famed designer Karim Rashid: "I think we should always be looking 15 minutes ahead." I suggest we should always be thinking 15 years ahead. Clarity precedes mastery and it's impossible to create an outcome/goal/result that you can't even see.

The best businesses I've worked with are so beautifully clear on where they're going and what their brand stands for and the type of people they want to populate their place. The most successful people know exactly what success means to them and what their mountains look like. And each day, step by step, they steadily near that once-far destination. You can too.

To Act is to Lead

"The smallest of actions is always better than the noblest of intentions." Leadership is a lot more than just dreaming up big idea. It's about acting on them.

What separates the ordinary ones from The Great Ones is a simple fact: the best of the best execute brilliantly around their most vital priorities. In a leadership presentation I just gave to BP, I called the concept BRBO: Best Resources on Biggest Opportunities.

Leadership is, in so many ways, about getting good stuff done. Not started. Not in process. Done. 

So today, make a decision that will revolutionize your career/life/self: never leave the site of an opportunity without doing something to seize it. And be less about talk - and more about DO.

Take Charge Fast

Leading Without Title is about assuming personal responsibility. It's about creating rich results. It's about taking charge to get things done - no matter if you are on the front line or in the C-Suite.

Was buying groceries yesterday. Standing in line. Nothing moved. I looked ahead and saw a flustered woman - seemed her debit card didn't work. The cashier looked strikingly similar to a deer caught in the headlights. Just froze. Didn't explain what was going on (I later learned the system went down). Didn't apologize to his customers for the delay. Didn't do anything to try and move things along. Just gave us a little fear grin and started to whistle a nervous whistle.

Sounds so obvious but leadership occurs in moments of challenge - not during moments of ease. Leadership shows up when things at work - and in life - test us. We, as Leaders Without Title - must rise to the challenge. We need to shine when things don't go as planned. And we have to take charge.

Eventually, the system got back up, the debit card was put through and I moved through the line. But next time I'm at that grocery store and I have a choice, I'll find a cashier who gets it. Who thinks fast. Who gets things done when others just freeze.

Leaders Wear Shiny Shoes

Okay, your shoes don't need to shine to be a superb leader (and remember - leadership isn't about your position, it's about the way you show up each day...so lead without title). My point is simply this: the way you do the little things displays a lot about how you will do the big things.

If your yard or home is well-organized, I'll bet your life is well-organized.

If you are attentive to details like the birthdays of your friends and sending thank you notes after every meeting, my guess is that you are attentive to the details around your big projects and best opportunities.

And if your place of business is spotless, there's a great chance the work you do for your customers has the same level of excellence attached to it (I can tell a lot about a business by the cleanliness of their bathrooms; an immaculate bathroom screams "we care" - and that caring translates into great service).

So pay attention to the details. Sweat the small stuff (like crazy). Commit to OAD: Obsessive Attention to Detail (the best people and organizations do; think Apple, Ritz Carlton, Amazon and The Mercer Hotel in NYC). Because the little things are the big things.

Original Source: http://www.robinsharmaarticles.com 

More is not Enough - Zen Story

There was once a stone cutter who was dissatisfied with himself and with his position in life.

One day he passed a wealthy merchant's house. Through the open gateway, he saw many fine possessions and important visitors. "How powerful that merchant must be!" thought the stone cutter. He became very envious and wished that he could be like the merchant.

To his great surprise, he suddenly became the merchant, enjoying more luxuries and power than he had ever imagined, but envied and detested by those less wealthy than himself. Soon a high official passed by, carried in a sedan chair, accompanied by attendants and escorted by soldiers beating gongs. Everyone, no matter how wealthy, had to bow low before the procession. "How powerful that official is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a high official!"

Then he became the high official, carried everywhere in his embroidered sedan chair, feared and hated by the people all around. It was a hot summer day, so the official felt very uncomfortable in the sticky sedan chair. He looked up at the sun. It shone proudly in the sky, unaffected by his presence. "How powerful the sun is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be the sun!"

Then he became the sun, shining fiercely down on everyone, scorching the fields, cursed by the farmers and laborers. But a huge black cloud moved between him and the earth, so that his light could no longer shine on everything below. "How powerful that storm cloud is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a cloud!"

Then he became the cloud, flooding the fields and villages, shouted at by everyone. But soon he found that he was being pushed away by some great force, and realized that it was the wind. "How powerful the wind is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be the wind!"

Then he became the wind, blowing tiles off the roofs of houses, uprooting trees, feared and hated by all below him. But after a while, he ran up against something that would not move, no matter how forcefully he blew against it - a huge, towering rock. "How powerful that rock is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a rock!"

Then he became the rock, more powerful than anything else on earth. But as he stood there, he heard the sound of a hammer pounding a chisel into the hard surface, and felt himself being changed. "What could be more powerful than I, the rock?" he thought.

He looked down and saw far below him the figure of a stone cutter.

Original Source: http://www-usr.rider.edu/~suler/zenstory/more.html

There is an Indian story on the same vein

The Transformed Mouse Seeks a Bridegroom

On the shore of the Ganges there was a hermitage filled with holy men dedicated to prayer, self denial, repentance, the study of holy scriptures, fasting, and meditation. They drank only small amounts of very pure water, and mortified their bodies with a diet of bulbs, roots, fruits, and water plants. Their only clothing were loincloths made from tree bark.

The father of the hermitage was named Yajnavalkya. He had just finished bathing in the Ganges and was about to rinse out his mouth when a little mouse fell from a falcon's beak into his hand. After looking at it, he set it onto a fig leaf, bathed himself once more, rinsed out his mouth, and performed his penitential and other rituals. Then through the power of his holiness he transformed the mouse into a girl.

Taking her home with him to his hermitage, he said to his wife, who was childless, "My dear, take her in place of a daughter. Bring her up with care!"

Thereafter she was reared, loved, and nurtured. When she was twelve years old, and the wife saw that she was ready for marriage, she said to her husband, "Listen, husband, do you not see that it is past time for our daughter's marriage?"

He said, "What you say is quite right! So if she is willing, I will summon the exalted sun god and present her to him as a wife.

His wife said, "What could be said against that? Do it!"

Through the power of prayer and incantations the sun appeared without delay, saying, "Holy man, why do you summon me?"

The man answered, "Behold! Here stands my little daughter. If she will have you, take her as a wife!"

Having said this, he said to his daughter, "Daughter, does this exalted one please you, this sun god who illuminates the three worlds?"

The daughter said, "Father, he is too hot. I do not want him. Summon a better one!"

Hearing this, the wise man said to the sun, "Exalted one, is there a being more powerful than you?"

The sun answered, "Yes, there is a stronger one than I. The cloud, through whose cover I become invisible."

Then the wise man summoned the cloud and said to his daughter, "Daughter, shall I give you to this one as a wife?"

She answered, "He is black and cold. Therefore give me to another powerful being!"

Upon this the wise man asked the cloud, "Listen, cloud! Is there anyone more powerful than you?"

The cloud answered, "The wind is more powerful than I! Driven by the wind, I am scattered into a thousand pieces."

After hearing this, the wise man summoned the wind and said, "Daughter, does the wind please you most of all as a husband?"

She answered, "Father! He is entirely too inconstant. Summon a more powerful one instead!"

The wise man said, "Wind, is there anyone more powerful than you?"

The wind said, "The mountain is more powerful than I, for however strong I am, he still stands firmly against me."

Then the wise man summoned the mountain and said to the girl, "Daughter, shall I give you to this one in marriage?"

She answered, "Father, he is hard and rigid. Therefore give me to another one."

The wise man asked the mountain, "Listen, king of the mountains, is there anyone more powerful than you?"

The mountain answered, "The mice are more powerful than I, for they make holes in my body with violence."

With that the wise man summoned a mouse and showed him to her, saying, "Daughter, shall I give you to him as a wife? Does this mouse king please you?"

Seeing him, she thought, "He is of my own kind."

Her hair stood on end with pleasure, making her even more beautiful, and she said, "Father, make me into a mouse and give me to him as a wife so I can fulfill the domestic duties prescribed for my kind!"

Through the power of his holiness he transformed her into a little mouse and gave her to the other mouse as a wife.

Source: The Panchatantra, book 3.

Original Source: http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type2031c.html 

Accountability

Ideation without execution is delusion. The greatest idea in the world is useless without the discipline to make it happen. If you can't create tangible results around your idea then it's pointless. Great organizations and individuals make things happen. They do what they will say they will do. Very simply, they are meticulous about accountability.

Being accountable means that you are committed. That you will achieve the results you promised. Too many people avoid being accountable by blaming circumstances. (Blaming others or circumstances is simply excusing yourself.) So much so, that execution and accountability are a competitive advantage. The Rare Ones are those that get things done and end up defining the marketspace.

Here are some tips on increasing the level of accountability in your life and your organization:

Action Items

Record who will do what and by when in your meetings. Review these action steps at the end of the meeting and include them in the minutes. Then, at the following meeting, review progress on the Action Steps by individuals.

30 Minutes or it's Free

One way to make yourself more accountable is to create consequences. Domino's Pizza used to offer free pizza if the delivery person didn't make it to your house in 30 minutes. What would you hold yourself to in order to be impeccably accountable? Frame it in terms of what your customer wants to make it truly meaningful.

Tell People

Sharing your goals and commitments to action with others is a powerful way to keep yourself accountable. Whether it's your client, a mentor, a friend or a loved one they will help you focus on execution when you tell them what you plan to do.

Ask why

Before committing to something ask yourself why you are doing it. If it isn't something critical then you may want to say no. Saying no to the unimportant helps you focus on the few things that are.

Reward Execution

When you do execute take a moment to congratulate yourself. Acknowledge that you have made the journey from idea to result. You may also want to tell some others as well. If you are a manager, then be diligent about observing and complimenting people on achieving their accountabilities.

Original Source:
http://www.robinsharma.com 

Quotes to Reflect On

"While others cling to the beauty of their great ideas, be one of The  Rare Ones with the courage and passion to make the leap. And act." Robin Sharma   "Execution is the missing link between aspirations and results." Ram Chara/Larry Bossidy   "Execution is the missing link between aspirations and results."Ram Chara/Larry Bossidy

Finish Impeccably

People crave the opportunity to work with (or work for) someone who stays on their A-game till the end of the game. So, as the end of the year approaches I encourage you to finish impeccably.

Finishing impeccably is challenging. When we come to the end of the year it's tempting to neglect the last stage. We get distracted. We lose energy or motivation. Another crisis emerges. Yet when we lose focus at the end we risk losing everything.

Here are a couple of strategies for finishing 2008 impeccably:

Go Back to the Beginning
Review your goals. What did you set out to achieve in each dimension of your life? Is there still work to do? Schedule time (remember, what gets scheduled, gets done) to complete your goals. It could be as simple as making a phone call. Completing a to do. Or recommitting to one of your daily best practices. Not only will this ensure that 2008 was your best year ever, it sets you up to start 2009 with a clean slate.

Review Your Performance
Open your journal and write the story of your year. What happened? What did you do? What surprised you? Remember to list all of the things you accomplished (especially those that weren't on your goal list). You'll be surprised at how much you did. (Tip: look at your calendar/schedule for the year to see how you invested your time.)

Lessons
Write down the five to ten lessons that you learned this year. Ensure that you don't lose these lessons by incorporating them into your goals for next year.

Recognize People
Few things are as powerful as a sincere, hand-written thank-you note. Share your gratitude with those who helped you this year. Tell them how they helped you and what it meant to you.

Original Source:
http://www.robinsharma.com

Quotes to Reflect On

"Champions are made not by how they start but by how they show up under pressure. And at the end." Robin Sharma "All endeavour calls for the ability to tramp the last mile, shape the last plan, endure the last hours toil. The fight to the finish spirit is the one characteristic we must possess if we are to face the future as finishers." Henry David Thoreau "Blaming others is excusing yourself and sometimes you just have to roll up your sleeves and make things happen to get the results you want." Robin Sharma