Saturday, April 23, 2011

Winning Insights - A Blog By Farid Premani: Do What’s Most Difficult

"Do What’s Most Difficult Sam Keen had a great line, “You are caught by what yo Genius. u are running from.” We attempt to structure our ..."

Do What’s Most Difficult

Sam Keen had a great line, “You are caught by what yo Genius.

u are running from.”
We attempt to structure our lives to avoid our fears but that’s about as intelligent as straightening the deck chairs on the Titanic. The best way to overcome a fear is to face your fear. As a matter of fact, every time we do something we’ve been avoiding, we take back the power that seemingly scary or difficult thing had over us.
Every Leader Without a Title and world-class Productive runs toward what they are most resisting versus toward the exit door. They feel the fear of tackling a game changing project and do the project anyway. They acknowledge the sweaty palms before the high-stakes presentation, and give the presentation anyway. They experience the runaway heartbeats accompanying asking for the biggest order in the history of their company, and they ask anyway. And that’s what makes them great.
Keep Leading Without A Title.

73 Best Business and Success Lessons by Robin Sharma

You can really Lead Without a Title.
Knowing what to do and not doing it is the same as not knowing what to do.
Give away what you most wish to receive.
The antidote to stagnation is innovation.
The conversations you are most resisting are the conversations you most need to be having.
Leadership is no longer about position – but passion. It’s no longer about image but impact. This is Leadership 2.0.
The bigger the dream, the more important to the team.
Visionaries see the “impossible” as the inevitable.
All great thinkers are initially ridiculed – and eventually revered.
The more you worry about being applauded by others and making money, the less you’ll focus on doing the great work that will generate applause. And make you money.
To double your net worth, double your self-worth. Because you will never exceed the height of your self-image.
The more messes you allow into your life, the more messes will become a normal (and acceptable) part of your life.
The secret to genius is not genetics but daily practice married with relentless perseverance.
The best leaders lift people up versus tear people down.
The most precious resource for businesspeople is not their time. It’s their energy. Manage it well.
The fears you run from run to you.
The most dangerous place is in your safety zone.
The more you go to your limits, the more your limits will expand.
Every moment in front of a customer is a gorgeous opportunity to live your values.
Be so good at what you do that no one else in the world can do what you do.
You’ll never go wrong in doing what is right.
It generally takes about 10 years to become an overnight sensation.
Never leave the site of a strong idea without doing something to execute around it.
A strong foundation at home sets you up for a strong foundation at work.
Never miss a moment to encourage someone you work with.
Saying “I’ll try” really means “I’m not really committed.”
The secret of passion is purpose.
Do a few things at mastery versus many things at mediocrity.
To have the rewards that very few have, do the things that very few people are willing to do.
Go where no one’s gone and leave a trail of excellence behind you.
Who you are becoming is more important than what you are accumulating.
Accept your teammates for what they are and inspire them to become all they can be.
To triple the growth of your organization, triple the growth of your people.
The best leaders are the most dedicated learners. Read great books daily. Investing in your self-development is the best investment you will ever make.
Other people’s opinions of you are none of your business.
Change is hardest at the beginning, messiest in the middle and best at the end.
Measure your success by your inner scorecard versus an outer one.
Understand the acute difference between the cost of something and the value of something.
Nothing fails like success. Because when you are at the top, it’s so easy to stop doing the very things that brought you to the top.
The best leaders blend courage with compassion.
The less you are like others, the less others will like you.
You’ll never go wrong in doing what’s right.
Excellence in one area is the beginning of excellence in every area.
The real reward for doing your best work is not the money you make but the leader you become.
Passion + production = performance.
The value of getting to your goals lives not in reaching the goal but what the talents/strengths/capabilities the journey reveals to you.
Stand for something. Or else you’ll fall for anything.
Say “thank you” when you’re grateful and “sorry” when you’re wrong.
Make the work you are doing today better than the work you did yesterday.
Small daily – seemingly insignificant – improvements and innovations lead to staggering achievements over time.
Peak performers replace depletion with inspiration on a daily basis.
Take care of your relationships and the sales/money will take care of itself.
You can’t be great if you don’t feel great. Make exceptional health your #1 priority.
Doing the difficult things that you’ve never done awakens the talents you never knew you had.
As we each express our natural genius, we all elevate our world.
Your daily schedule reflects your deepest values.
People do business with people who make them feel special.
All things being equal, the primary competitive advantage of your business will be your ability to grow Leaders Without Titles faster than your industry peers.
Treat people well on your way up and they’ll treat you well on your way down.
Success lies in a masterful consistency around a few fundamentals. It really is simple. Not easy. But simple.
The business (and person) who tries to be everything to everyone ends up being nothing to anyone.
One of the primary tactics for enduring winning is daily learning.
To have everything you want, help as many people as you can possibly find get everything they want.
Understand that a problem is only a problem if you choose to view it as a problem (vs. an opportunity).
Clarity precedes mastery. Craft clear and precise plans/goals/deliverables. And then block out all else.
The best in business spend far more time on learning than in leisure.
Lucky is where skill meets persistence.
The best Leaders Without a Title use their heads and listen to their hearts.
The things that are hardest to do are often the things that are the best to do.
Every single person in the world could be a genius at something, if they practiced it daily for at least ten years (as confirmed by the research of Anders Ericsson and others).
Daily exercise is an insurance policy against future illness. The best Leaders Without Titles are the fittest.
Education is the beginning of transformation. Dedicate yourself to daily learning via books/audios/seminars and coaching.
The quickest way to grow the sales of your business is to grow your people.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Blue Ocean Strategy - Work Win-Win to Get Mutually

Blue Ocean Strategy The concept of Blue Ocean Strategy was introduced to help companies to move away from fiercely contended "red oceans", by creating "blue oceans" of uncontested market place.

I think the important question to ask is: why do "blue oceans" have to turn "red"? Why can't "blue oceans" stay "blue"? I believe we can find the answer if we just switch off our competitive mind-set for a while, and think about collaboration. That was my suggestion in series of articles I have written about "collaborative advantage".
In collaborative mode, we work with our "enemies", we help each other to grow instead of killing one another, and we do not sacrifice losers, but will help them to help us. Only when everyone has a chance to share the "blue oceans" regardless of whoever discover them, we will be able to keep the "blue oceans" "blue", and we can have long term peace.
Blue Ocean Strategy has provided us with a tool to expand our innovative horizons. It is up to us to decide whether the "blue oceans" created to stay "blue" or turn "red". I suggest that we share new innovations through collaborative spirits to keep the oceans "blue". In this new century, we need to fight for our mutual survival, but not against each other!

What I Didn't Learn in Business School: How Strategy Works in the Real World - A Review

In What I Didn't Learn in Business School, Justin Campbell, with a brand new MBA degree, is hired on by a business consulting firm and sent off to Chicago to help an old and established company decide what to do with a new technology they have accidentally discovered. It isn't a smooth ride as Justin finds there are nuances in the corporate world that aren't always taught in school.
Although this is one of the many business books available today, it is also one of the few written in this genre; the business text thinly disguised as a novel. There are probably so few business novels that clearly teach specific points because writing such a creation is difficult. Jay Barney and Trish Gorman Clifford have pulled it off well.
Justin, the protagonist, is a well educated and very naïve business school graduate. In fact, his naiveté is a bit obvious. Justin's gullibility is necessary though to provide the canvas on which the authors can illustrate the pitfalls of relying only on academic learning without considering the human element that is always involved in business situations. Justin, the intrepid hero of the story again and again approaches each situation as a school case study, missing the influence of the other character's motives. He does eventually come around, after some mentoring from the boss, and by the end of the story he...well I won't spoil the ending for you.
Barney and Clifford have added an element that is somewhat novel for a novel. Each chapter ends with a series of questions. These aren't easy Management 101 questions, but thought provoking questions with no simple answers. In fact, they look a lot like the essay questions on a test! In fact, I suggest reading this book all the way through; then, for the serious student, returning to the questions. That's probably not what the authors had in mind, as some of the questions are at least partially answered in later chapters, but I don't think such an approach would diminish the learning opportunity.
Another great resource provided by the authors is a reading list for the main subject of each chapter. Again, for the serious student, this list transforms the novel into a very comprehensive source for learning about making strategic decisions.
There is a sub plot that plays out in this novel; group dynamics and team management. Both the management of the company and the team of consultants that includes Justin have some problems and could be run better. For instance, the consulting team seems to rely very heavily on virtual communication, which, as it turns out, has varying effectiveness with different team members. Likewise, the subject company's leadership team seems to lack a company-wide single focus.
What I Didn't Learn in Business School is a good read. If you're looking for an easy to read text on strategy development and execution, this is it. I really appreciate the author's emphasis that academic education is useful, but the real world also requires concentration on people and how they act and interact.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Dr. Randy Pausch Philosphy for Happy Life - Best Seller 2007

This is amazing, he (Dr. Randy Pausch) who wrote a book ‘The last lecture” before then, one of the bestsellers in 2007. …

In a letter to ..he wrote this beautiful "guide to a better life" …to follow. May you be blessed by his insight.

POINTS ON HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE

Personality:
1. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
2. Don't have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment
3. Don't over do; keep your limits
4. Don't take yourself so seriously; no one else does
5. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip
6. Dream more while you are awake
7. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
8. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner of his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
9. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
10. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present
11. No one is in charge of your happiness except you
12. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.
Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
13. Smile and laugh more
14. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Community:
15. Call your family often
16. Each day give something good to others
17. Forgive everyone for everything
18. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6
19. Try to make at least three people smile each day
20. What other people think of you is none of your business
21. Your job will not take care of you when you are sick. Your family and friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
22. Put GOD first in anything and everything that you think, say and do.
23. GOD heals everything
24. Do the right things
25. However good or bad a situation is, it will change
26. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up
27. The best is yet to come
28. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful
29. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it
30. If you know GOD you will always be happy. So, be happy.

While you practice all of the above, share this knowledge with the people you love, people you school with,
people you play with, people you work with and people you live with.

Not only will it enrich YOUR life, but also that of those around you

Friday, January 7, 2011

Want to Think - But What To Think?

Want To THINK?
So, coming back to thinking. Its imperative for us to spend at least 15 minutes every day to think. Yes, just plain old THINK.
Take these simple steps:
1. Sit down in a quiet place in your house or outside. Or even a place of worship.
2. Take a paper and a pencil. (A notebook will be much better with a pen, thats what I prefer.)
3. Close your eyes and just let your thoughts think what they want to think.
4. Try to think about your job, business, relationships, finances, career, life, goals, achievements, dreams, where you want to go, what you love doing etc. In fact, anything that you want answers to, or do better at. Even the things that you THINK you are good at.
5. After a couple of sittings like these, you will feel things/ideas coming in your mind. Good things. Better way of doing things. Or simply creative thoughts. Keep them coming. Dont stop them, please!
6. Write them down before you forget them.
7. Act on them, they could be the ones to change your life.
8. Have fun! And pray for me!Want To THINK? By Norodin Abjani
So, coming back to thinking. Its imperative for us to spend at least 15 minutes every day to think. Yes, just plain old THINK.
Take these simple steps:
1. Sit down in a quiet place in your house or outside. Or even a place of worship.
2. Take a paper and a pencil. (A notebook will be much better with a pen, thats what I prefer.)
3. Close your eyes and just let your thoughts think what they want to think.
4. Try to think about your job, business, relationships, finances, career, life, goals, achievements, dreams, where you want to go, what you love doing etc. In fact, anything that you want answers to, or do better at. Even the things that you THINK you are good at.
5. After a couple of sittings like these, you will feel things/ideas coming in your mind. Good things. Better way of doing things. Or simply creative thoughts. Keep them coming. Dont stop them, please!
6. Write them down before you forget them.
7. Act on them, they could be the ones to change your life.
8. Have fun! And pray for me!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

From anonymous friend - Two biggest lessons of life

Nature is the best trainer of life. Experiences (either good or bad) we have are the precious knowledge which can be passed on to others. Mistakes are meant to happen to get the learning, hidden at the practical aftereffects. I have learned 2 biggest lessons in life through the experiences of my own and others. half full life lessons BonFriends 245x300 2 Biggest Lessons of Life

1) Don’t use your Eyes to See
You are most probable to be ditched by your own eyes than your boyfriend/girlfriend. Eyes just make the image of reflected lights from the object in our brain but that's not enough to judge the situation or trouble. Our imagination & intense thinking power gives a new (read: true) look to everything, We can take the example of the case of Blind Painter, who doesn't need eyes to imagine the world full of colors.

One of my friends did not get the admission in GIKI (top engineering institute of Pakistan) because of hard luck after that he searched about foreign universities and after a year waste he is in USA on full scholarship. That opportunity was there but he wasted his one year to get through the hidden doors.

When one door of opportunity closes, 10 others open up. Those 10 opportunities were already there, but we do not look at them. We choose the easiest path and follow it without considering the alternatives. When we lose that path, most of us became hopeless and some of us will use their imaginations to unlock those 10 hidden doors. But those 10 doors were already there. If we would have not used our eyes, we will never be displaced from our path and either one of the door gets closed, you totally have other options.

2) Every action has “same” reaction
Newton 3rd principle can be applied in case of human relations. Adore others, love will return to you. Bark on the dog, he will bark at you again. Relationships which are developed on the seeds of love give the fruit of affection. I remember my college days when I met people, had friends, hangouts, teased some, but I didn't realize that what I was doing then will be with me for the rest of my life. Tiny tiny favors, which I had done in the past are working for me automatically, and trust me i have seen the results. biggest lessons of life BonFriends 300x300 2 Biggest Lessons of Life

To experiment this Newton’s 3rd law, simply take a walk; a walk of smile, greetings, joy and optimism. All you have to do is take a walk of 10 minutes, where you will be able encounter strangers. Smile and greet them with friendliness and observe the reactions. It is quite possible that you can inject the life of smile into those people whom you don't know and probably never going to meet again. After these incredible 10 minutes, analyze your feelings as compared to 10 minutes before. You will know what I am talking about.

Enjoy your life. Learn from the blunders and occurrences of other and get constant improvement.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Is it the time to leave / change?

Is It Time to Leave Your Job?

I received a message from a friend of mine and wanted to share it with my subscribers. He has personally asked that I don't share his name for obvious reasons, and so will of course respect that. I have also slightly edited it to fit my readership. (I hope he approves.)

Hope you like it.

As we move past Eid Celebrations, Thanksgiving and now Christmas and into the New Year, it is often a time when we start making lists of the pros and cons of the jobs we have. The end of one year and the start of a New Year is the time when just about everyone takes stock of where they are with their work, and whether they are where they expected to be.
So if you would like to make a wish list for your career, ask yourself these five questions about your company, your colleagues, and your personal game plan for what comes next.
1. Does my company stand for something -- anything -- special?
It's hard to be thrilled with your job if the company you work for is struggling to succeed, or feels stuck and irrelevant. I'm not talking about obvious problems -- red ink and layoffs. I mean the nagging sense that the company will never be anything more than OK, just another ho-hum player in its field. In this hyper-competitive age, you can't do great things as a company if you're just a little better than everybody else. Does the company you work for really stand out from the crowd? If not, why on earth are you working there?
2. Am I excited to see my colleagues when I show up for work at the start of the week?
Lots of people sign on with a company because it's got a cool reputation, or it's prestigious, or it's got a great stock price. But quickly you realize that "working for" a company is an abstraction. The reality is that you work with the people closest to you -- those in your department, in your unit, in your region. Most experts say that over the long term, employees aren't loyal to a company as a company. They are loyal to the people they work beside day after day. Can you imagine not spending 40 or 50 hours a week with the people you work beside every day? If so, maybe it's time to make a move and fine a group of colleagues who stimulate you and motivate you.
3. Do I have a voice at work -- does anyone who matters listen to what I say?
There's nothing more depressing and demotivating than feeling that you don't matter as a person -- even if you're part of a group that's working well in a company that's doing fine. In this age of participation and communication, people are hungry for a say, a voice, a sense that their opinion counts. If you feel like your opinion doesn't count, maybe it's time to find a company where it does.
4. Am I learning as fast as the world is changing?
I first heard this question from strategy guru Gary Hamel, and I ask it of myself all the time. In a world that moves so fast, the most dangerous thing in anyone's career is the sense that you're standing still -- that you're not learning, that you're not being challenged, that you're stuck. If that's how you feel, that's a strong sign that it's time to make a change.
5. Am I making enough money?
Strange as it sounds, this is the worst reason to leave a job. Virtually every study I've seen shows that there's almost no connection between how much money you make and how satisfied you are with your job. There really are things that money can't buy -- and happiness at work is one of them.

I hope that you enjoyed reading this note and that it may have given you pause for thought. Another way to read it of course is to say that if you answered "yes" to a lot of these questions, then maybe it is better to stay in the role that you are currently in then move.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

5 Ways to stop hating your job - Must try

Does your day look like this: you dread driving to work, sequester yourself from co-workers, eat lunch alone, and hate the actual work and countdown the minutes until you can leave the office? We work forty plus hours every week, which means you're spending a substantial amount of time in a negative atmosphere and mindset. You may be making money, but you're living a skeleton of a life. You're probably not giving the job your best effort, which means you're sacrificing your expertise and knowledge to work in a position you despise.

The good news is that you can change your life and work at a job you love. Many successful people quote that you should follow your heart when deciding on your career path. You've probably heard about or read stories about business leaders who say they would work for free. It doesn't seem like "work" when you love what you do. How can you find your passion? There are a few common steps that will help you discover what's in your heart and guide you to a career you love.
1. Focus on activities you love. Make a list of what types of activities make you happy. Do this every day. What makes you feel good? Think about past jobs or hobbies. If you could earn money doing something you love, what would it be?
2. Be clear on your action steps. This can be harder step to take, as many people doubt that a career can bring happiness. Look at the activities from the first step. What kind of careers do you see? Without over-analyzing your answers, write what steps you need to take to work at your dream job. Don't let self-doubt stop you from making the list. Don't think about the steps in chronological order; it's more important to let the ideas flow.
3. Rid yourself of obstacles. The next step is to name obstacles. What's preventing you from finding your passion? What's stopping you from working at a job you love? It could be limiting beliefs, such as not believing you can truly be happy at work or thinking about the paycheck rather than your heart. Sometimes, we think the obstacles are larger than they are.
4. Change the old mindset. Not only do you need to see the possibilities, you need to feel the emotions attached to a new career. What do you feel about your present job? Imagine how you would feel living your dream. Recognize that fear of change is powerful and keeps most of us paralyzed, but it takes action and even baby steps to overcome it.
5. Find a coach. Did you know that successful people often credit a coach for boosting their business and personal success? A trained consultant will work with you to find out your personality, your goals, and your dreams. He or she will guide you to take necessary, action steps to finding your career or building your business.

Year 2011 - Astrological Predications by Zodiacs

Moon sign predictions for all the signs of zodiac have been framed as per Vedic astrology. The main parameters that have been considered while making the predictions are the planetary positions vis-à-vis the natal position of Moon in the horoscope during the year 2011.
Aries:
Good news for those who are planning to get married or who are in search of companion or life partner. The period after May, 2011 is good for soul-mate to enter as life partner.
Professionally, things may remain tough till May, 2011 but improvement may be noticeable after that. Major challenge causing obstacle in professional life may be relationship with seniors at workplace. Here again situations may ease out after May, 2011. Some career-related changes may be expected after November, 2011.
Natives of Aries may be interested in investing in property during the year. Speculative or risky investment should, however, be avoided especially before May, 2011. Gain from stocks is indicated towards the year-end. The time is good for those who are planning foreign travel or immigration. Health will be an area of concern and may need extra-attention and constant vigil.
Lucky days are Tuesdays and Thursdays, Lucky numbers are 2, 3, 6 and 9. Lucky colors are brown and maroon. They have compatible relationship with Gemini, Aquarius, Leo and Sagittarius.
Taurus:
Time is right for resolving all differences within the family because domestic tension is indicated in the horoscope. It is important for the natives to avoid harsh words and bitter arguments for problem resolution.
The year brings good news for those couples who are planning to have a child. The period is especially good for this till May, 2011. However, some health-related issues may create problems. It will be prudent to avoid tensions during the year and work for peaceful environment at home and office.
Investors should remain cautious while investing in property. Proper survey of projects should be done before investing. Some natives may have windfall gains during the year. Legal resolution of pending issues is also indicated. Chance of foreign travel is indicated after November, 2011.
Lucky colors are white and sky blue. Lucky days are Fridays and Saturdays and lucky numbers are 3, 6 and 9. They are compatible with Pisces, Cancer, Virgo and Capricorn.
Gemini:
For Gemini natives, the year may be very important. They may witness changes in career, residence etc. during the year. Professional betterment is the promise of the horoscope. Career-related changes may take effect after November, 2011. Marital discord is indicated and for precaution it is better to exercise restraint and avoid arguments. It may be necessary till May, 2011. Situations may improve after that.
Gains from speculation and investment are possible for some during the year. Caution should be exercised while investing in property. Lavish investment in expensive cars is possible by some natives.
It will be important for Gemini natives to remain cautious about health during the year. They should spend some time in gyms or doing yoga. Needless tension should be avoided at all cost.
Lucky color is green. The lucky day is Wednesday. Lucky numbers are 3, 5 and 9. They are compatible with Leo, Virgo and Sagittarius.
Cancer:
Traveling is likely for natives of Cancer especially during the first-half of the year. Gain from elders and people placed in high authorities looks possible. Unnecessary arguments are to be avoided. There should be a clear focus on career and professional growth. The year will reward their efforts.
Better options for career-growth and likelihood of professional gains exist in the second half of the year. 2011 may be good for those who are planning job-change. The period after May, 2011 may bring in good opportunities and good time for action.
The year is good for investment in property. They may have good options for property buying after November, 2011. Some of the natives may also invest in conveyance. It is better to stay away from stock market and risky investment.
Lucky colors are white and cream. Lucky day is Monday. Lucky numbers are 2, 7 and 9 and compatible signs are Aries, Taurus, Libra and Capricorn.
Leo:
Family discords are indicated for Leo natives. All possible caution should be taken to keep the anger under control because anger may further complicate matters. Avoid arguments, remain calm and keep patience during the year.
Many Leos may find time for traveling abroad. If the natives have any foreign assignment in mind or are planning for settling abroad, the period after May, 2011 will open new doors and opportunities. Professionally, things seem to be good for most natives. Period after November, 2011 is suitable for businessmen and entrepreneurs.
Investments may take diverse pattern. There may be investments in property, stocks and the like. Initially, investments may not seem to yield desired profit, but after May, 2011 investments will start paying. Some natives may also gain from stock market.
Lucky colors are pink, red and orange. Lucky days are Sundays and Tuesdays. The lucky numbers are 1, 4 and 8 and compatible signs are Gemini and Scorpio.
Virgo:
Virgos may witness many changes during 2011 including changes in job and residence. Health of mother or maternal relatives may be a cause of concern for some. This may be a cause of worry.
The year is good for sorting out all outstanding issues in personal and family life. The changes in overall situations are going to affect significantly for a longer period. This may have positive impact in the long run. Financially, things seem to be favorable after November, 2011.
The time is good for Virgos planning for marriage or those seeking permanency in relationship. However, they should see that marriage gets solemnized by May, 2011. The newly-married may face adjustment problems after May, 2011. This can be resolved by seeking guidance from friends and family members.
Lucky color is Green. The lucky day is Wednesday. Lucky numbers are 5, 3 and 9. The compatible signs are Gemini and Sagittarius.
Libra:
The year is good for those with high aspirations. They may be able to achieve their desired goals. Librans shall have their say in almost every sphere of life which may include business, finance or career. It is like Midas-touch. Whatever they touch will become gold. The period after November, 2011 may prove to be highly eventful.
The year is good for entrepreneurs also. The period after May, 2011 is good for marriage, alliance, relationships or new partnerships. Situations may not remain bright before May, 2011. Luck shall enter into life after May, 2011.
Time is good for planning foreign travel. The year is also good for seeking foreign assignments and for settlement in foreign country. Health may be a cause of concern during the first half of 2011.
Lucky colors are white and sky-blue. Lucky numbers are 3, 6 and 9. Lucky day is Friday. Compatible signs are Aries and Sagittarius.
Scorpio:
The year is good for cultivating new relationships. Possibility of long-lasting friendship exists in the horoscope. The year is good for planning children. Natives of Scorpio may be blessed with a child during the year.
Possibility of gains from foreign lands exists. If planning for foreign settlement or travel, the time after November, 2011 is good. The year is also good for those who are in the process of improving career prospects. They can take up a new course and appear for competitive examinations. They may have a chance for job-change in the first half of 2011.
Financially, the year is very good. Investments may yield handsome returns. Promotions and financial increments may also materialize during the year. There may be windfall gains from various sources.
Lucky color is red. Lucky numbers are 3, 6 and 9. Lucky day is Tuesday. Compatible signs are Taurus, Leo and Aquarius.
Sagittarius:
The year is going to be eventful for natives of Sagittarius. The focus will remain on career building and family matters. They will be able to make an impact on both.
The year is good for buying new property. Investment in luxuries is also possible. The year is good for fulfillment of all material desires. Financially, things may be better from November, 2011.
Job conditions may improve for some natives. The period after May, 2011 may be important for financial gains. They may get it in the form of promotion or a pay hike. Health concerns can be there for some which may need attention. There can be gains from travel.
Lucky colors are cream and orange. Lucky day is Thursday. The lucky numbers are 3, 6 and 9. The compatible signs are Gemini and Pisces.
Capricorn:
Natives of Capricorn may remain on toes throughout the year. Things may be hectic both in professional arena as well as personal life. There may be lack of focus on family and pertinent problems. They should take care of their health and family concerns particularly during the first half of 2011.
The year may prove to be lucky with respect to career and finance for natives of this sign. They will be able to do well in both after May, 2011. Expenses are also likely to soar during the year. They may expect promotion or financial increment after November, 2011.
The period after May, 2011 is good for investment in property. However, possibility of loss exists. Care should be exercised in choosing property and finalizing deals.
Lucky color is sky blue. Lucky day is Saturday. Lucky numbers are 1, 4 and 8 and compatible signs are Libra and Pisces.
Aquarius:
The year 2011 is eventful for the natives of this sign also. Possibility of change in career and residence exists for the natives during the year. The changes may become more pronounced after May, 2011.
There may be gains from elders and from people placed in authority. The natives may have to suffer from enmity arising from professional arena this year. However, the year is good for finances. There may be gains from various quarters including windfall gains from inheritance. Period after November, 2011 is good for traveling and for gains from boss.
Health may be a cause of concern for some which may need attention. Some natives may suffer from depression or anxiety which may be removed by yoga or meditation.
Lucky color is sky blue. Lucky days are Friday and Saturday. Lucky numbers are 1, 4, 8 and compatible signs are Taurus and Sagittarius.
Pisces:
For the natives of Pisces, 2011 is going to be an eventful year. The key areas of focus for them will be career and family life. They may have to work hard during the year to make an impact. They may see improvement in career prospects and family welfare with effort.
Many changes during the year may perturb them. Things may look uncertain initially and they will not be sure of their steps. But, things may look more certain after May, 2011 and they will march with confident steps.
Natives of Pisces may have health-concerns caused by anxiety and depression during the year. There may also be relationship problems. Health of spouse or partner may also be a cause of concern. Piscean should remain extra-cautious about these matters particularly after November, 2011.
Lucky colors are yellow and cream. Lucky days are Thursday and Monday. Lucky numbers are 3, 6 and 9 and compatible signs are Sagittarius, Capricorn and Taurus.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

4-Steps to Financial Success (Improve Your Brain) IYB toolkit

Great question; here are 4 steps that will bring you financial success, enjoy:
1. Become an Expert – In order to become financially successful, you must become an expert doing something. If you look at any financially successful person, they have an area of expertise. Donald Trump is an expert on real estate, Michael Jordan is an expert on basketball, Bill Gates is an expert in computers, Tony Robbins is an expert motivator, Tiger Woods is an expert golfer, Brad Pitt is an expert actor, Tyra Banks is an expert model, and Warren Buffet is an expert investor; you get the point. The greater your expertise, the greater your potential for financial success.
If you’re not currently an expert at something, you need to change that; you should develop at least one area of expertise in your lifetime.
It would make sense to become an expert doing something you enjoy. Why? Because you’ll become an expert much faster, and you’ll enjoy the process.
Your expertise should incorporate your uniqueness. You have unique experiences and perspectives that can never be duplicated, use this to your advantage.
If you really want to increase your earning potential, strive to become the best in your area of expertise.
How do you become an expert? You’re going to have to “put-in-the-time,” there are no short-cuts or elevators to becoming an expert; you have to take the stairs. They say it takes approximately 10,000 hours of training to become an expert, so get started today!
2. Create Socially Perceived Value From Your Expertise – When I said you have to become an expert doing something, I didn’t mean doing anything. Your expertise must have socially perceived value. In other words, “people must value your expertise.” If you are an expert at saying the alphabets backwards, it probably won’t make you rich.
Your expertise should aim to fill a social need, such as entertainment, fashion, business, informational, etc. You could start a clothing line, become a CFO, become a public speaker, write a book, or open a jewelry store.
The point is, “people must value your expertise,” so much so that if you didn’t exist their lives would be inconvenienced. How do you know if people value your expertise? They talk about it, they tell their friends about it, they are excited about it; …they feel it can not be duplicated.
3. Promote Your Value – At this point, you’ve become an expert and created value. Now it’s time to tell the world about the value you’ve created, and inform them as to how they can benefit from it. You need to “get-out-there” and become your own best marketer. If you’ve written a book, schedule an interview with almost anyone who will take you. Don’t overly limit your market. There are people who ONLY want your service or product. As an example, the only time in my life that I ever watched basketball is when Michael Jordan was playing, I was drawn to his expertise. When he stopped playing, I stopped watching. There are people who only want to learn from you, they will only listen to you. So let as many people as you can learn about your unique product or service.
The truth is, you can have an awesome product, but if know one knows about it, it doesn’t do anyone any good. I can think of some great books that I’ve read, books that others would have gladly paid for, they just didn’t know about them. The singer David Cook, from the American Idol television show, said that he only sold 1,000 records the year prior to going on American Idol. Three months following the release of his next album, after leaving the American Idol tour, he sold over one million records. Was he a “thousand times” the singer after leaving American Idol, probably not, but a “thousand times” the people knew about him.
You need to passionately share what you believe in, but don’t fake it. If you’re not passionate about marketing your product, you need to find out why. Maybe you don’t truly believe in the value it gives to other people. If you don’t truly believe in its value, don’t sell it to anyone else!
4. Deliver Your Created Value to the Marketplace for a Reasonable Fee - So now you’re an expert, you’ve created a valuable product or service, and people are excited about the benefits your service can bring into their life.
The next step is to consistently deliver that value for a reasonable market price (this step may be done in conjunction with step #3). You can do this step via your publisher, if you’ve written a book, via the World Wide Web if you have a product, or via a physical store, to name a few options.
If you’re truly an expert, and you’ve created genuine value that people are aware of, delivering the goods for a reasonable fee will be the easiest task, so have fun!

7 Must-Read Lessons on the Power of Faith:

Book Review:

1. Faith Requires Action
“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
The scripture says “Faith without corresponding action is dead.” In other words, faith without action is not really faith at all. If you believe, you will act differently. A person who knows they’re going to win plays differently from someone who thinks they’re going to lose. A person who is expecting a child acts differently from a person who is not expecting a child, expectation determines faith. Expectation is a sign of your faith.
Do you have faith in your dreams? Are you expecting them to be manifest?
2. Faith Makes the Impossible Possible
Without faith a man can do nothing; with it all things are possible. – Sir William Osler
The faith that I’m referring to will actually cause your desires to be manifest. It’s the strangest thing, having faith that you will succeed, will actually cause you to succeed. Your faith will attract to you the components necessary for your success.
3. You Can Grow Your Faith
“You block your dream when you allow your fear to grow bigger than your faith.” - Mary Manin Morrissey
The Apostle Paul said, “Faith cometh by hearing.” I say, “Fear also cometh by hearing.” So guard what you hear, guard what enters your thoughts, because what you continually hear will grow on the inside of you, be it faith or fear.
4. Have Faith in Faith
I would rather err on the side of faith than on the side of doubt. – Robert Schuller
Without being fully convinced that what you want to happen is about to happen you won’t take the steps necessary to make it happen. When you believe something is going to happen, you get prepared, you start making changes, you get ready for the pending modification that you’re about to experience, you’re certain it’s about to come. You’re telling people about it and you’re getting excited it, not because you’re “faking,” but it’s a natural reaction from your belief system.
5. Fear is Faith
Fear is faith that it won’t work out. – Author Unknown
If you’re using your faith, use it for your benefit. Since you’re going to believe something, you might as well believe something positive. Use your faith to do the impossible, dare to do what’s never been done before.
6. Faith Feels
Faith is a bird that feels dawn breaking and sings while it is still dark. – Rabindranath Tagore
Faith does not “hope” that you succeed; neither does it wish that one day you succeed. When you have faith, you know that success is yours, and you act like it.
You act differently when you “have faith!”
You may not be able to see anything in the physical world, but you know what’s about to happen, you can see it in your mind; you can sense it in the atmosphere.
7. Achievement Requires Faith
“Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.” – Gail Devers
Faith is a power that can shape your destiny and that will alter your life!
Without faith that your dreams will come true, without knowing that they will come true, they won’t come true. All achievement requires faith. They weren’t surprised when they landed on the moon, they believed it was possible. What do you believe is possible?

Friday, December 17, 2010

Entrepreneur in an Emerging Market - Harvard Think Tanks

Strategy and Execution for Emerging Markets

Q&A with:	Tarun Khanna and Krishna G. Palepu
Published:	June 21, 2010
Author:	Martha Lagace

Executive Summary:

How can multinationals, entrepreneurs, and investors identify and respond to new challenges and opportunities around the world? In this Q&A, HBS professors and strategy experts Tarun Khanna and Krishna G. Palepu offer a practical framework for succeeding in emerging markets. Plus: Book excerpt with action items. Key concepts include:

The ambition level of large, fast-growing emerging markets around the world rivals that of companies in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Khanna and Palepu outline how to identify and respond to institutional voids in product, labor, and capital markets.
Investors and entrepreneurs can respond to niches in institutional infrastructure in the private sector, such as the need for information analyzers and advisors, aggregators and distributors, transaction facilitators, and more.
A useful starting point for managers is to construct an institutional map to identify institutional voids—which may themselves present business opportunities.
Western multinational companies as well as local entrepreneurs are innovating products to attract the emerging middle class. Such innovations could potentially benefit consumers living in mature markets.

HBS professors Tarun Khanna and Krishna G. Palepu, authors of the new book Winning in Emerging Markets: A Road Map for Strategy and Execution (Harvard Business Press), offer an actionable framework to help potential entrants answer the following key questions:

In this particular market, which market institutions are working, and which institutions are missing?
Which parts of our business model can be adversely affected by these institutional voids?
How can we build competitive advantage based on our ability to navigate institutional voids?
How can we profit from the structural reality of emerging markets by identifying opportunities to fill voids, serving as market intermediaries?

For Khanna and Palepu, an emerging market is anyplace where buyers and sellers cannot easily and efficiently do business with each other. The scholars therefore focus their research worldwide, not just on the BRICs.

"Often the main prize today is the emerging middle class, which aspires to consume world class products at lower price points." -Krishna G. Palepu

"We have been studying emerging markets for about 15 years," explains Palepu in our interview. "We've wanted to learn about the challenges of the process and the challenges of companies in those markets trying to compete on a global platform. We are also curious how international companies have been able to intimate themselves into the conditions of those markets."
Palepu, whose current research and teaching activities focus on strategy and governance, is the Ross Graham Walker Professor of Business Administration and Senior Associate Dean for International Development. Khanna, the Jorge Paulo Lemann Professor at Harvard Business School, has studied and worked with multinational and indigenous companies and investors in emerging markets worldwide.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Energy drink for life - Passion

Passion is Energy

Inertia is the state of existence in the same state.
To move out of it takes energy.
Passion is energy.
It jolts you out of a rut. It gets you moving. It keeps you going.
Any endeavour, project or mission you set out to accomplish, when

backed by passion, is pre-destined to succeed. In time.

Passion will keep you going until that time.

Without a driving force, it is easy to jump ship before port is in sight. Far too often, 'failure' is a result of premature

abandonment rather than futile effort.
When you lack passion, it is easy to give up.
And when you have it, it is almost impossible to do so.
Because passion is energy and energy empowers!

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Techniques for Trainers (Train the Trainers)

Ten Tips for New Trainers/Teachers

There are two different lists here--Eleven Things to Know, and Ten Tips for New Trainers. This is for newbies, so I'm sure I have nothing new to say for those of you who are already experienced teachers/trainers.

1) Know the difference between "listening" and "learning".

Listening is passive. It is the lowest, least-efficient, least-effective form of learning. That means lectures are the lowest, least-efficient, least-effective form of learning. Listening alone requires very little brain effort on the learner's part (and that goes for reading lecture-like texts as well), so listening to learn is often like watching someone lift weights in order to get in shape.

2) Know how the brain makes decisions about what to pay attention to, and what to remember.

And here we are back to emotions again. Emotions provide the metadata for a memory. They're the tags that determine how important this memory is, whether it's worth saving, and the bit depth (metaphorically) of the memory. People remember what they feel far more than what they hear or see that's emotionally empty.

3) Know how to apply what you learned in #2. In other words, know how to get your learners to feel.

I'll look at this in the Ten Tips list.

4) Know the wide variety of learning styles, and how to incorporate as many as possible into your learning experience.

And no, we're not talking about sorting learners into separate categories like "He's a Visual Learner while Jim is an Auditory learner.", or "He learns best through examples." Every sighted person is a "visual learner", and everyone learns through examples. And through step-by-step instructions. And through high-level "forest" views. And through low-level "tree" views. Everyone learns top-down and bottom-up. Everyone learns from pictures, explanations, and examples. This doesn't mean that certain people don't have certain brain-style preferences, but the more styles you load into any learning experience, the better the learning is for everyone--regardless of their individual preferences.

(And while you're at it, know that most adults today do not truly know their own learning styles, or even how to learn. The word "metacognition" doesn't appear in most US educational institutions.)

5) Know the fundamentals of current learning theory!

(Check out the book links at the end of this post.)

6) Know why--and how--good advertising works.

It'll help you figure out #3. Be sure you recognize why this matters.

7) Know why--and how--good stories work.

Consider the learner to be on a kind of hero's journey. If Frodo is your student, and you're Gandalf... learn as much as you can about storytelling and entertainment. Learn what screenwriters and novelists learn. Know what "show don't tell" really means, and understand how to apply it to learning.

Humans spent thousands upon thousands of years developing/evolving the ability to learn through stories. Our brains are tuned for it. Our brains are not tuned for sitting in a classroom listening passively to a lecture of facts, or reading pages of text facts. Somehow we manage to learn in spite of the poor learning delivery most of us get in traditional schools and training programs (and books).

8) Know a little something about "the Socratic method". Know why it's far more important that you ask the good questions rather than supply all the answers.

9) Know why people often learn more from seeing the wrong thing than they do from seeing the right thing. Know why the brain spends far less time processing things that meet expectations, than it does on things that don't.

10) Know why it's just as important to study and keep up your teaching skills as it is to keep up your other professional skills. Yes there ARE professional organizations for trainers, with conferences, journals, and online discussions.

11) Know why using overhead slides to deliver a classroom learning experience can--sometimes (often)--be the worst thing you can do.

(Although yes, in many cases using slides for some select pieces of a course are important, beneficial, and crucial. What we're dissing is the practice where the entire class, start to finish, is driven around some kind of slides or presentation.)

12) Know how -- and why -- good games can keep people involved and engaged for hours. Learn how to develop activities that lead to a Flow State.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ten Tips for New Trainers

1) Keep lecture to the absolute minimum.

There is nearly (but not always) something better than lecture, if learning is the goal. If your class involves a combination of lecture and labs, then if you're short on time--always cut the lecture, not the exercises! (Unfortunately, this is the opposite of what most trainers do.)

2) It is almost always far more important that your learners nail fewer subjects than be "exposed" to a wider range of subjects.

In most cases, it's far more important that your students leave able to DO something with their new knowledge and skills, than that they leave simply KNOWING more. Most classroom-based instruction can be dramatically improved by reducing the amount of content!. Give them the skills to be able to continue learning on their own, rather than trying to shove more content down their throats.

If your students leave feeling like they truly learned -- like they seriously kick ass because they can actually do something useful and interesting, they'll forgive you (and usually thank you) for not "covering all the material". The trainers that get cricism for not covering enough topics or "finishing the course topics" are the ones who didn't deliver a good experience with what they did cover.

3) For classroom trainers, the greatest challenge you have is managing multiple skill and knowledge levels in the same classroom! Be prepared to deal with it.

The worst thing you can do is simply pick a specific (and usually narrow) skill/knowledge level and teach to that, ignoring the unique needs of those who are slower or more advanced. And don't use the excuse that "if they don't have the prereqs, they shouldn't be here." Even among those who meet the formal prereq requirements, you can have drastically different levels. Especially if the teacher who delivered those prereq courses was in the "covering the material" mode. Sure, your students may have been "exposed" to the prereq material, but just because they heard it or read it does not mean they remember it now, or that they ever really "got it."

Techniques for dealing with multiple levels:

* Be sure you KNOW what you've got. Find out before the class, if you can, by speaking with the students or at least exchanging emails. If you don't have access to students prior to the class, then learn as much as you can during introductions!

* Acknowledge the different levels right up front. The more advanced students are far more likely to get pissed off when they think you don't even realize or appreciate their level. By acknowledging it, you recognize their abilities and set the stage for having them act as mentors to the others.

* Have multiple versions of exercises! Have a "base" level of lab activities that everyone must complete, but have additional interesting, challenging options so that your advanced people aren't growing bored or frustrated waiting for the slower people to finish their exercises.

* For slower people, include graduated hint sheets for exercises. (More on that in the next point.)

4) Work hard to get everyone to complete the lab exercises, but NEVER give out the solutions in advance!

This is closely related to #3, because the most likely reason trainers don't have all students finishing labs is because there are some slower learners (and I don't mean "dumber", but simply less knowledgeable or experienced in the topic than the other students, or they just have a learning style that requires more time).

Be sure every students has been successful at the exercises! And if you give them the solution in advance, you've robbed them of the chance to seriously kick ass by working through it even when things get difficult. On the other hand, you don't want students to become completely stuck and frustrated, so use something like the technique below:

Using graduated hints can work wonders. Prepare three or more levels of hint sheets for the exercises, with each level more explicit than the last. The first level can offer vague suggestions, the second can be a little more focused, and the third can be fairly explicit. Students should be allowed to use these at their discretion, so it's best if you don't force the students to go to you for each new level. Make them available, but make it clear that it's important they turn to them only after [insert number of minutes relevant to your exercise].

After teaching literally thousands of programming and other courses, I can say with certainty that the vast majority of your students will NOT simply go to the most explicit hints right off. But this is conditional... I'm assuming that the exercise is relevant and interesting and challenging without being ridiculously advanced or clearly takes more time to complete than you're able or willing to allow for the exercise. If your exercises suck, for whatever reason, then hint sheets won't fix it.

5) Do group exercises whenever possible, no matter what you've heard.

I've heard every excuse, "Adults don't like to do group exercises." or "Professional developers don't like to do group exercises." or "People don't like to do group exercises when they're paying big bucks to be here." or "People from outside the US don't like to do group exercises... ". They're all bulls***. There is a huge social component to learning, regardless of how much we try to eliminate it in the classroom. There's a way to do interactive group exercises that works surprisingly well, and is usually quite easy.

A simple formula for group exercises

* Use groups of no more than 3 to 5. Try to go above 2, but after 5 you'll end up with some people hanging back. With 3-4 people, everyone feels more obligated to participate and be involved.

* When you assign an exercise (like, say, a two-page diagram of an enterprise architecture that they must label and explain), have each person START by working individually for a couple of minutes, THEN get them into their groups (be sure that they know who their group is BEFORE they start any work on the exercise).

* Eavesdrop on the groups and comment or just make sure they're on the right track. Drop hints or give pointers if they're veering into an unproductive approach.

* After a certain number of minutes, give a heads-up warning "60 seconds left..." so they can finish up.

* Be certain that someone in each group has the responsibility to record what the group comes up with. One person should be the designated spokesperson.

* After the exercise is done, keep the people in their groups and query each group about their answers, or any issues/thoughts they had while doing it.

6) Designing exercises

The best execises include an element of surprise and failure. The worst exercises are those where you spend 45 minutes explaining exactly how something works, and then have them duplicate everything you just said. Yes, that does provide practice, but it's weak. If you design an exercise that produces unexpected results... something that intuitively feels like it should work, but then does something different or wrong -- they'll remember that FAR more than they'll remember the, "yes, it did just what she said it would do" experience.

Note that paper and pencil exercises are GREAT. Even if your teaching programming or any other topic that involves doing. In our books, for example, we have simple "magnetic poetry" code exercises that don't involve everyone having to go to the computer. You can design even simple multiple-choice quizzes, although the more sophisticated the better. Be creative with creating workbook style exercises when you're teaching challenging subjects. In a programming class, for example, I'll have paper exercises (that they do both individually and in a group) that involve everything from, "fill in the rest of this class diagram with what you think should be there" to "fill in each empty method on this sheet with bullet points or pseudo code for what you think should happen there."

Depending on the classroom, you could even have an exercise that involves one group "teaching" something to another group. Assign group A to figure out the File API, for example, while group B has to research how and why the Serialization mechanism works the way it does in the lab you just did...

As hokey as they are, sometimes game-show style quizzes can still be fun. Especially when there's a set of topics that DO require boring, rote memorization. When they have to burn in certain key facts... you can liven it up and make it a little less painful.

The exercises in our Head First books (especially HF Java) are examples of paper execises we do in classrooms, that are separate from hands-on programming "lab" exercises.

The best form of longer lab exercises get learners in the flow state! This is where your game design studies can really come in handy. Remember, the flow state comes from activities that are both challenging but perceived as do-able. Get the challenge level right! Having multiple levels of hints means that a single exercise can work for a wider range of skill and knowledge levels without being too easy or too hard -- both of which will prevent the flow state.

Exercises should feel relevant! They should not feel like busy work or strictly practice (although for some kinds of learning, extra practice is exactly what you need, but in most cases -- you're looking to increase understanding and memory rather than simply practice a physical skill).

If students don't get the point of the exercise, you're screwed. It's up to you to either have an exercise where the point is dead-obvious, or that you can make a case for. The exercise does NOT need to be "real world" in the sense of the actual, complex world you live in. It should, however, reflect a simplified virtual world with its own set of rules. In a learning experience, you're usually trying to help them learn/get/remember only a single concept at a time. Way too many lab exercises that attempt to be "real world" have so much cognitive overhead that the real point you're trying to reinforce is lost.

7) Leave your ego at the door. This is not about you.

Your learners do NOT care about how much you know, how smart you are, or what you've done. Aside from a baseline level of credibility, it's far more important that you care about how smart THEY are, what THEY know (and will know, thanks to this learning experience) and what THEY have done. I'm amazed (and horrified) by how many instructors don't ever seem to get to know anything about their students. You should know far more about them than they know about you.

At the beginning of class, you do NOT need to establish credibility. You nearly always have a certain amount of credibility in the bank, even if they've never heard of you. You can LOSE that credibility by doing things like lying (answering a question that you really aren't certain about, without admitting that you're not sure), or telling them you really DON'T know what you're doing. But you'll usually hurt the class if you spend time talking about how great YOU are.

The best way to let them know what you've done is in the context of a question someone asks, where you simply say, "Well here's how I solved that on an accounts database I was working on at...." But even better if you say something like, "Well here's how one of my clients/students/wo-workers solved it..."

8) Have a Quick Start and a Big Finish.

Get them doing something interesting -- even if it's just a group discussion -- very early. Don't bog them down with YOUR long introduction, the history of the topic, etc. The faster they're engaged, the better.

Don't let the class fizzle out at the end. Try to end on a high. It's like the movies... where they usually put the best song at the very end, during the closing credits... because this often determines the feeling you leave with. Ask yourself, "what were my students feeling when they left?" Too often, the answer to that is, "overwhelmed, and stupid for not keeping up". And usually, the fault is in a course that tried to do too much. That tried to cover (whatever the hell that means) too much.

9) Try never to talk more than 10-15 minutes without doing something interactive. And saying, "Any questions?" does not count as interaction!

Whether it's a group exercise, a lab, or at least an individual paper and pencil exercise of some sort... get them doing rather than listening. But be sure that the interaction isn't perceived as a waste of time, either.

10) Don't assume that just because you said it, they got it. And don't assume that just because you said it five minutes ago, they remember it now.

In other words, don't be afraid to be redundant. That doesn't mean repeating the same material over and over... but it often takes between 3 to 5 repeated exposures to something before the brain will remember it, so take the extra time to reinforce earlier topics in the context of the new things you're talking about. Great teachers know how to slip in the redundancy in an almost stealth way... where the thing is looked at again but from a different angle. It's up to you to keep it interesting and lively.

11) If you're not passionate, don't expect any energy from your learners.

That doesn't mean being an annoying cheerleader. Be honest, be authentic, but be passionate. It's your job as a trainer to find ways to keep yourself motivated. A lot of teachers/trainers feel it isn't their job to motivate the students. But that's ridiculous. Even the most motivated person in the world still finds it hard to stay motivated on each and every topic... especially when it gets tough. Think about how many technical books you've sat down to read on topics you were extremely interested in, but then couldn't find a way to keep yourself reading. Motivation for the overall topic and motivation for the individual thing being learned are completely different. You're there to supply the motivation for the individual things you're trying to help them learn.

Your passion will keep them awake. Your passion will be infectious. It's up to you to figure out how to stay passionate, or quit teaching until you get it back.

And finally, don't think of yourself as a teacher or trainer... since that puts the focus on what YOU do. Remember:

It's not about what YOU do... it's about how your learners feel about what THEY can do as a result of the learning experience you created and helped to deliver.

Rather than think of yourself as a teacher or trainer, try getting used to thinking of yourself as "a person who creates learning experiences... a person who helps others learn." In other words, put a lot more emphasis on the learning and a lot less emphasis on the teaching.

Regards, Cheers!
Farid Premani

Hi Friends,

This is my first test message to all readers.

Stay updated there is lot to be shared.

Good wishes, Farid Premani

Winning Insights - A Blog By Farid Premani

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