Barriers to Visionary Leadership!

Frank Martinelli - Lists the barriers with a view to helping companies identify them in their organizations and to remove them to facilitate visionary board leadership:

Lack of Time Management - Lack of time to attend meetings, read materials and maintain contact with each other in between meetings. The board members need to organize themselves for maximum effectiveness and avoid wasting time on trivial matters.

Resistance to risk taking - In order to be innovative and creative in its decision-making, boards must be willing to take chances, to try new things, to take risks. Success in new venture is never granted. Boards need to acknowledge the tension point and discuss it with funders and other key supporters. Board leadership must strike a balance between taking chances and maintaining the traditional stewardship role.

Lack of Strategic Planning - Strategic planning offers boards an opportunity to think about changes and trends that will have significant impact and develop strategies to respond to challenges. Some boards are not involved in strategic planning at all; others are involved in a superficial way. Therefore, the boards lose an important opportunity to hone/exercise visionary leadership skills.

Complexity - Board members frequently lack a deep understanding of critical changes, trends and developments that challenge fundamental assumptions about how it defines its work and what success looks like. This lack of knowledge results in a lack of confidence on the part of the board to act decisively and authoritatively.

Micro Management - It is necessary that the board focuses its attention on items of critical importance to the organization. If the board is tempted to micro manage or to meddle in lesser matters, an opportunity to provide visionary leadership is lost.

Clinging to Tradition – Boards often resist change in order to preserve tradition. However, changing environment requires the Boards to be open to change. Maira and Scott - Morgan in “The Accelerating Organisation” point out that continuous shedding of operating rules is necessary because of changing environmental conditions. But shedding becomes more complicated in systems involving human beings, because their sense of selfworth is attached to many old rules. This human tendency to hold on to the known prevents boards from considering and pursuing new opportunities which conflict with the old rules.

Confused Roles - Some boards assume that it is the job of the executive director to do the visionary thinking and that the board will sit and wait for direction and inspiration. This lack of clarity can result in boards that do not exercise visionary leadership because they do not think it is their job.

Past Habit - Time was when clients, members and consumers would just walk in the door on their own. Viewing things in this way, boards did not consider market place pressures, or for that matter a competitive marketplace. All that has changed. Yet for many boards their leadership style has not kept pace with this new awareness.

Hope will be helpful to all.

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How A Company's Culture is formed?

This image will show you how a Company's Culture is formed

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Vinothbabu with Nice Team at Nice Event

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4 powerful ways to avoid tea biscuit meetings

Meetings play very crucial roles for the organization. Meetings sometime can be for general discussion, sometimes for SWOT analysis, sometimes for big decision. Practically many meetings go useless. After being on the receiving end of the complaints of many experienced managers I have decided to coin these useless meeting as “Tea Biscuit meetings”.

For better understanding let’s divide meetings into two parts.

1. Purpose :

Be sure about the purpose of calling or attending meeting. Sometimes deviating from main topic is good to fill out the boredom and breaking ices but getting too much indulged in out of context topics is just a waste of time and resources.

I was once told that in one of so-called managerial meetings all eight participants talked about their foreign trips and at the end of session theydecided to hold the further discussions and postponed the discussion of real agendas.

Does that ring any bell? Do you remember any useless meeting you have attended?Please share the worst “tea biscuit meeting” you have attended in comment box below.

Impact:

Impact is the result you have devoted your whole preparations for, from the initial phase to the end of meeting. Results can be in various forms; it can be in the form of approvals, finalization of contracts, appointments and appraisals etcetera.

‘Best Meeting practices yields best Meeting Impact.‘

Management is not predefined sets of rules and formulas. It is not total science to have same rigid formulae or process. It depends on person to person and organization to organization. Sometimes when we show dissatisfaction with management regarding useless meeting they give a hint, “This is our organization culture.”

I have collected few ideas or process that can help you, not to call/avoid “Tea Biscuits Meetings”

Agenda

The agendas of meeting must be crystal clear and as straightforward and uncomplicated as possible. Agendas will help every participant to prepare for meetings, raise and solve queries. With agendas one can forecast what possible questions will rise?

Make the thumb rule, “No agenda no meetings.”

2. Circulate the details

Your agenda must be clearly circulated. If it is of secret nature mail the participants with disclosures and if of general nature than you can paste on Office notice boards. Use all possible ways of communication verbal, written, formal or informal.

As a rule make sure, “Agendas shall reach all the eyes.”

3. Ask participants to prepare

Ask the concerned person to be prepared. You can send messages like, “We are holding final meeting regarding ….. project as on …… so please be prepared.”

This will help to reduce 50% of time which could have been used for subject matter discussion.

As a rule keep in mind “Preparation is recipe for Finesse.”

4. Give the sharp time

I don’t know how rigid you are with time in your nation but at least in South Asia I could guarantee there are very few who respect other’s time. If you have been called for meeting from 10:00 am onwards then participant will start coming from 10:15 am onwards and your meeting will formally begin at 11:00 am.

Make the strong culture of respecting time, “Time Is Money. Respect Money.”

These were 4 powerful tips that you can adopt with no cost at all. There might be other ways too, that you or your organization has been adopting not to let the meetings turn into “Tea Biscuit meetings”. Do share your sound practices regarding holding of meetings.

There are some more ways to hold a fruitful meetings. But practically these are little tough to be implemented. These includes “notifying participant not to attend phones unless it’s emergency”, “securing Wi-Fi at meeting rooms.

Thanks for reading so enthusiactically. I hope you found it useful.

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Leaders: Saying nothing can be a COST

Last week, a girl friend visiting from out of town, posed this question "Jas when is it appropriate to say things as they are versus not saying anything for the sake of maintaining the relationship?" As you can imagine, this led to an engaging conversation on what the context of the question was including the nature of the issue, how long the issue had existed, what she was feeling and what she really needed from her partner.

My friend was obviously grappling with some relationship issues as we do from time to time. However, it got me reflecting on how similar dynamics show up in organizational life with our clients, colleagues, managers, leaders and or suppliers? Let us take our colleagues and bosses. How free do we feel to openly communicate our thoughts and feelings with them? How often do we not share with a team member that their annoying and seemingly disrespectful behaviors perhaps borne of poor EQ skills are getting in the way of a potentially good working relationship?

My experience is that we cannot avoid and gloss over issues and our rumbling feelings for too long. Sooner or later things do catch up and bubble over at inopportune moments and in inappropriate ways. When this happens, it is generally not a good look and typically does more harm than good. The other down side of not being able to discuss and share our concerns is that it does not call for a good, healthy and robust team and or relationship where differences can be voiced, feelings can be heard and decisions still made for the greater good. In fact, what is "present" but not spoken becomes the "pink elephant" which is very much present but everyone ignores and carries on regardless.

On the face of it, it appears that people are working towards the organizational goals and objectives but seriously, what will be stampeding your progress will be the unspoken shadow side. Not dissimilar to the subtle powers of the unconscious mind. Taking the risk and sharing or giving feedback to another is a challenge most people do not relish. Managers would rather focus on operational aspects of the business than have to deal with the difficult domain of having to contend with "all the other stuff to do with feelings and emotions – "yikes!" But for managers and leaders this is part of the job. What is negative and not dealt with grows and becomes more toxic and pervasive with time. However, if we can set up the right context and culture for team members to be able to do this easily and routinely then everyone wins.

As a manager and leader, a good first step is to do some self-reflection and identify what your own fears/self-talk might be with regards to giving feedback. Is it time? Trying to please everybody? Don't know how? Waiting for the performance review Organizational politics?

A relationship or team is as good as the degree of openness, trust and flexibility present. Yes – these things take time to build but if we leave the issues unaddressed and get into "conflict avoidant" mode then everyone loses.

Moving beyond the initial discomfort and taking the appropriate action ultimately benefits the entire team. Feedback given sensitively and appropriately can be the ultimate gift – you care enough to tell it like it is.

Source : http://bni-india.com/leaders-saying-nothing-can-cost/

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9 tips to succeed in business

To succeed in business today, you need to be flexible and have good planning and organizational skills. Many people start a business thinking that they'll turn on their computers or open their doors and start making money – only to find that making money in a business is much more difficult than they thought. You can avoid this in your business ventures by taking your time and planning out all the necessary steps you need to reach to achieve success. Read on to find out how.

1. Get Organized
To be successful in business you need to be organized. Organization will help you complete tasks and stay on top of things to be done. A good way to do this is to create a to-do list each day – as you complete each item, check it off your list. This will ensure that you're not forgetting anything and you're completing all the tasks that are essential to the survival of your business.

2. Keep Detailed Records
All successful businesses keep detailed records. By keeping detailed records, you'll know where the business stands financially and what potential challenges you could be facing. Just knowing this gives you time to create strategies to overcome the obstacles that can prevent you from being successful and growing your business.

3. Analyze Your Competition
Competition breeds the best results. To be successful, you can't be afraid to study and learn from your competitors. After all, they may be doing something right that you can implement in your business to make more money.

4. Understand the Risks and Rewards
The key to being successful is taking calculated risks to help your business grow. A good question to ask is "What's the downside?" If you can answer this question, then you know what the worst-case scenario is. This knowledge will allow you to take the kinds of calculated risks that can generate tremendous rewards for your business.

5. Be Creative
Always be looking for ways to improve your business and to make it stand out from the competition. Recognize that you don't know everything and be open to new ideas and new approaches to your business.

6. Stay Focused
The old saying that "Rome was not built in a day" applies here. Just because you open a business doesn't mean that you're going to immediately start making money. It takes time to let people know who you are, so stay focused on achieving your short-term goals and give the rest time to come together on its own.

7. Prepare to Make Sacrifices
The lead-up to starting a business is hard work, but after you open your doors, your work has just begun. In many cases, you have to put in more time than you would if you were working for someone else. In turn, you have to make sacrifices, such as spending less time with family and friends in order to be successful.

8. Provide Great Service
There are many successful businesses that forget that providing great customer service is important. If you provide better service for your customers, they'll be more inclined to come to you the next time they need something instead of going to your competition.

9. Be Consistent
Consistency is key component to making money in business. You have to consistently keep doing the things necessary to be successful day in and day out. This will create long-term positive habits that wi
ll help you make money over the long term.

Conclusion
Starting and running and running a successful business can be rewarding and challenging. Success requires focus, discipline and perseverance. However, success will not come overnight – it requires a long-term focus and that you remain consistent in challenging environments.

Source: http://bni-india.com/9-tips-succeed-business/

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Applicability of CST/ K-VAT on E-Commerce Transactions

Introduction

The business model of e-com firms is they provide a platform for enabling sellers of goods to be able to sell without boundaries of location across the Country and at times the world at large. E- Com companies may not engage in directly selling goods to end customers.

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the operations of online retailers in India such as Amazon and Flipkart. Normally, e-commerce company (e-com co) charges commission / delivery charges and undertakes to facilitate the transaction. They may in some cases perform packing and marketing / delivery of the goods to the final consumer directly or indirectly. The invoices are made by the  independent sellers directly to the customers. The sellers could be keeping the goods stored in racks /shelves of the common warehouse of e-com companies in each State.

The Commercial Taxes department in states such as Karnataka is not able to keep track of the on-line sales made and values at which goods are sold. They are questioning the registration being taken by more than 1 seller in the address of warehouses operated by the e-com companies.

Also States are examining whether by reason of the fact that the sale completes in their State, they can collect the local taxes.

The main objection of the States in an e commerce transaction comes when goods from outside the State are sold within the state is that they get nothing.

As far as CST law is concerned, goods purchased online would be liable to CST ONLY where they move from one state to another as a consequence of sale. Therefore ONLY the originating State would get revenue. This is so even in case of Cash on delivery where the consumer may refuse the consignment. The Supreme Court has held that VPP is a CST sale.

Some States such as Maharastra and Assam are examining how to collect “Local Body Tax” or “Entry Tax” on goods under e commerce. Legally this may not be possible as on date as long as there is no undervaluation of goods.

In some States like Kerala they have as far back as 2004/5 identified that couriers who carry goods need to register and file online information before entry into the State. From 2011 this procedure has been pushed and now it is being insisted on.

As CST/ VAT are leviable on sale of goods, the sustainability of VAT levy on E-com transaction are examined below:

When is VAT levy attracted?

The charging section 3 of K-VAT Act states “the tax shall be levied on every sale of goods in the State by a registered dealer or a dealer liable to be registered, in accordance with the provisions of this Act.” Therefore to be covered under the levy of K-VAT, there should be a sale of goods.

KVAT is leviable on the sales within Karnataka. There has to be a transfer of property in goods for cash, deferred payment or other valuable consideration, by way of sale within the State by the registered dealer or dealer liable to be registered to attract VAT liability.

Who is liable to pay VAT?

The tax is levied on sale of goods within State by registered dealer or dealer liable to be registered.. As per Section 8 the 'agents' are also liable to pay tax.

The tax is payable only by a person who is a dealer. Dealer is any person who carries on the business of buying, selling, supplying or distributing goods, directly or indirectly, for cash or for commission, remuneration or other valuable consideration. It also includes a casual dealer, commission agent, broker, who carries on the business of buying, selling, supplying or distributing goods on behalf of any principal. It also covers every person who acts as agent of a non-resident dealer.

The agents effecting purchase or sale of taxable goods on behalf of any principal who is resident in Karnataka are liable to VAT on such transactions, even if the principal is not dealer or his turnover is less than the specified turnover for registration under KVAT Act. In respect of such transactions, the principal is not liable to pay VAT. This provision is not applicable to the commission agents acting as selling or buying commission agents on behalf of non-resident principals.

Though the transfer of property in goods does not take place from the e-com co.  At same time, if ecommerce co is engaged in distributing or supplying, handling goods of merchant to the end consumer, then it could be considered to be dealer under VAT laws of State. In which case ecommerce co could be treated as a dealer to that extent. In such cases there maybe no liability to pay and therefore unless the Commercial taxes dept. wishes to monitor these transactions they may not insist on e com companies to register.

Whether service tax is leviable on e-com companies?

The Service tax is certainly applicable as they are marketing intermediaries provding/ facilitating sales. The transport facilitators and couriers could BOTH be liable as couriers and the 75% abatement may not be available as the transaction would be time sensitive and has door to door delivery built in.  The amount charged by the logistic companies for warehousing would also be available to service tax.

Service providers may examine the possibility of credit of excise duty/ CVD paid on the capital equipment such as rack, vehicles and other specialized inputs in addition to input services which they are presently availing. 

Way forward

Instead of driving out investment, a possible measure to ensure better transparency and compliance could be to issue branch registration to dealers warehousing with e-com cos, and collection of applicable CST/ VAT on their transactions. The e-com firms could be required to disclose the information about all transactions done on their platform. State to be able to satisfy itself that all the transactions are covered as well as no undervaluation is taking place. 

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Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Conduct A SWOT Analysis

SWOT analysis is one of the most meaningful exercises that any business can perform. This process allows businesses to evaluate their strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities.

Through analysing these factors, businesses can position themselves optimally in the market and live in-line with their vision and mission. 

Here are the top 5 reasons why businesses should perform a SWOT analysis.

1. Do Determine Capacity

The capacity in your business determines your ability to deliver. This is determined when businesses focus on the strengths and weaknesses parts of the SWOT. Your business should have enough capacity to deliver what it promises.

2. To Get a Broader Understanding of the Market

The analysis of the opportunities and threats during a SWOT analysis focuses on external factors that may affect your business. This means that, your business should analyse its market to see if any of those factors exist. This exercise allows businesses to zoom into their market and get a better understanding. This is very important in order for your business to position itself properly.

3. To Determine Strategies

Once your business is familiar with the threats in the market after a proper SWOT analysis, it can determine strategies to counter those threats either through a preventative strategy or a reactive strategy. This will ensure the survival and profitability of your business.

4. To Determine Training Needs

Training is a vital part of any business but is only effective if it is relevant to the business. By determining the weaknesses after a SWOT analysis, your business can focus on countering those weaknesses by implementing effective training programmes.

5. To Maintain the Strengths

We are often told to focus on our strengths. However, we also need to mantain our strengths in order to have strengths to focus on. Strengths are pillars of any business and ensure sustainability. With the SWOT analysis, strengths are highlighted and once they are determined they can be maintained.

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SWOT analysis of HDFC

Strengths

• HDFC bank is the second largest private banking sector in India having 2,201 branches and 7,110 ATM’s
• HDFC bank is located in 1,174 cities in India and has more than 800 locations to serve customers through Telephone banking
• The bank’s ATM card is compatible with all domestic and international Visa/Master card, Visa Electron/ Maestro, Plus/cirus and American Express. This is one reason for HDFC cards to be the most preferred card for shopping and online transactions
• HDFC bank has the high degree of customer satisfaction when compared to other private banks
• The attrition rate in HDFC is low and it is one of the best places to work in private banking sector
• HDFC has lots of awards and recognition, it has received ‘Best Bank’ award from various financial rating institutions like Dun and Bradstreet, Financial express, Euromoney awards for excellence, Finance Asia country awards etc
• HDFC has good financial advisors in terms of guiding customers towards right investments 

Weakness

• HDFC bank doesn’t have strong presence in Rural areas, where as ICICI bank its direct competitor is expanding in rural market
• HDFC cannot enjoy first mover advantage in rural areas. Rural people are hard core loyals in terms of banking services.
• HDFC lacks in aggressive marketing strategies like ICICI
• The bank focuses mostly on high end clients
• Some of the bank’s product categories lack in performance and doesn’t have reach in the market
• The share prices of HDFC are often fluctuating causing uncertainty for the investors

Opportunities

• HDFC bank has better asset quality parameters over government banks, hence the profit growth is likely to increase
• The companies in large and SME are growing at very fast pace. HDFC has good reputation in terms of maintaining corporate salary accounts
• HDFC bank has improved it’s bad debts portfolio and the recovery of bad debts are high when compared to government banks
• HDFC has very good opportunities in abroad
• Greater scope for acquisitions and strategic alliances due to strong financial position

Threats

• HDFC’s nonperforming assets (NPA) increased from 0.18 % to 0.20%. Though it is a slight variation it’s not a good sign for the financial health of the bank
• The non banking financial companies and new age banks are increasing in India
• The HDFC is not able to expand its market share as ICICI imposes major threat
• The government banks are trying to modernize to compete with private banks
• RBI has opened up to 74% for  foreign banks to invest in Indian market

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SWOT analysis of Axis Bank

Here is a SWOT of Axis Bank – One of the fastest growing banks in India.

Strengths

• Axis bank has been given the rating as one of top three positions in terms of fastest growth in private sector banks
• Financial express has given number two position and BT-KPMG has rated AXIS bank as the best bank with some 26 parameters
• The bank has a network of 1,493 domestic branches and 8,324 ATMs
• The bank has its presence in 971 cities and towns
• The banks financial positions grows at a rate of 20% every year which is a major positive sign for any bank
• The company’s net profit is Q3FY12 is 1,102.27 which has a increase of 25.19% growth compared to 2011

Weaknesses

• Gaps – Majorly they concentrated in corporate, wholesale banking, treasury services, retail banking
• Foreign branches constitute only 8% of total assets
• Very recently the bank started focusing its attention towards personal banking and rural areas
• The share rates of AXIS bank is constantly fluctuating in higher margins which makes investors in an uncomfortable position most of the time
• There are lot of financial product gaps in terms of performance as well as reaching out to the customer
• There are many fraudulent activities involved in credit cards as the banks process credit card approval even without verification of original documents
• Their financial consultants are not wise enough to guide the customers towards right investments
• Customer service has to improve a lot in order to be in race with other major players

Opportunities

• Acquisitions to fill gap

• In 2009, Alliance with Motilal Oswal for online trading for 10 million customers
• In 2010, acquired Enam Securities Pvt Ltd – broking and investment banking
• In Sep 2009, SEBI approved Axis Asset Management Co. for mutual fund business
• No. of e-transactions increased from 0.7 million to around 2 million
• Geographical expansion to rural market – 80% of them have no access to formal lending

• 46% use informal lending channels
• 24% unregulated money lenders
• Now number of branches increased to 1493 from 339.
• Last quarter there were 48 new branches opened across the Nation
• Since it’s a new age banking there are lot of opportunities to have the advance technicalities in banking solutions compared to existing major players
• The assets in their international operations are growing at a very faster pace with a growth rate of 9%.
• The concept of ETM (Everywhere teller machine) by AXIS Bank had a good response in terms of attracting new customers in personal banking segment

Threats

• Since 2009, RBI has increased CRR by 100 basis points
• Increased repo rate reverse repo rate by 50 points – 11 times of late
• Increasing popularity of QIPs due to ease in fund raising
• RBI allowed foreign banks to invest up to 74% in Indian banking
• Government schemes are most often serviced only by govern banks like SBI ,Indian Banks, Punjab National Bank etc
• ICICI and HDFC are imposing strong threats in terms of their expansion in customer base by their aggressive marketing strategies

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Leadership lessons from football game

Frankly speaking, we can get to learn leadership lessons and business growth ideas everywhere if we have the eyes looking for it and our heart longing for knowledge and wisdom. Football is world’s most popular game (by view count, fan count and also by player count worldwide). Let’s find out some interesting business leadership lessons that we can learn from football game.

Today, I was reading a PDF file giving summary of a famous book called ‘The 8th Habit’ by Steven Covey. From the book, I came to know about an interesting survey conducted by Harris Interactive (Now merged in Nielsen Group). The survey of 23,000 US Residents in top industries with key functional areas revealed most stunning findings and it mentioned that if these findings stand true for a football team then it’s impossible for them to win.

The above survey also finds place in Steven Covey’s book ‘The 8th Habit’. The findings of the survey are analyzed in lucid manner so as to correlate it with football and understand its implications on business.

Finding of the survey	Football	Business Implication
Only 37%, of the subjects who were surveyed, said they have a clear understanding of what their organization is trying to achieve and why.	Assume that only four out of 11 players know which side they have to goal; How they will play at their best in such situation? It’s unimaginable, isn’t it?	If your organization does not know what you are trying to achieve, there is a great chance of employee disengagement.
Only one in five was enthusiastic about their team's and organization's goals.	According to the given ratio, Assume that only two players of the team are interested in winning the match for their country. Again, unimaginable, isn’t it?	If you want to succeed in business, you need to engage your employees towards team’s and organization’s goals, so that they act and work for achieving the goals of the organization.
Only one in five said they have a clear "line of sight" between their tasks and their team's and organization's goals.	In a team of 11, if only two players know how their contribution is going to impact the overall game. Insane, isn’t it?	Each and every employee should know how their role is impacting the overall working of the company’s operations and achieving company’s goals.
Only 15% felt that their organization fully enables them to execute key goals.	Players are not enabled to play as per their capacity. They were not given training; they were not given opportunities and facilities to practice for their game.	Employees should be given appropriate skill development opportunities. The abilities to work towards company’s goals should be developed in them. And should be made a priority. People development is the key to organization’s success in 21st Century.
Only 20% fully trusted the organization they work for.	Assume that 8 out of 11 players do not trust the organizers/sponsors/coach/team players. What will happen in such environment of distrust?	The organization should have an environment where employees trust the leaders and the management. Environment in the organization should enable employees to discuss issues and ideas with top management.

To conclude: If, say, a soccer team had these same scores, only four of the 11 players on the field would know which goal is theirs. Only two of the 11 would care. Only two of the 11 would know what position they play and know exactly what they are supposed to do. And all but two players would, in some way, be competing against their own team members rather than the opponent. - Extract from the Summary of the book.

Despite all the progress in technology, product innovation and much more, most people are not flourishing in the organizations they work for. They are neither fulfilled nor excited at workplaces. They are frustrated (most of the time as I see it). They are not clear about where the organization is headed or what its highest priorities are. They are bogged down. Most of all, they don't feel they can change much. - Extract from the Summary of the book.

At this juncture when we are celebrating 68th Independence Day today, it’s our responsibility to think in this direction. Can we change this scenario? Can we do something which will reverse the trend shown in the above survey findings? Can we create culture in our organization which will allow our workforce to thrive in their career and will unleash their potential? If we start thinking about it and take steps towards making better work environment, it will be a great patriotic act for this nation. It’s not necessary for all of us to go to the border and fight for the nation. What’s equally important is what we do inside that borders for the fellow members of our society, for the people who are working for our company, and for the customers who are buying your products or services. If we focus our attention from getting to serving, I think India can go a long way.

We always take proud to see our army people giving their life for saving the nation from terrors and enemies around. Are we also making them proud by showing them what we are doing within these borders? Are our lives worth giving attention to? Do we deserve their sacrifices for saving our lives? Think about these powerful questions, it can stir you soul, I hope they do.

Jai Hind. Carrying wish in my heart to see a great nation in next ten years. But without your efforts, it won’t be possible. Join hands and we can do miracles. Believe me, we can do miracles.

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Managing Your Studies with a Full Time Job

I am writing this article to try and remove some doubts associated with “Continuing your studies along with a job”. I am writing this article purely based on my experience and my observations in case of some other peoples.

Some of the disadvantages which we always find are:

1)      Very little time to study.

2)      Physically demanding.

3)      Effect of Mental Stress Associated with Job. 

Look, managing your studies with a full time job is difficult, but it is difficult because we think so. In fact I will say doing a full time job helps you in your studies. Now the question is how? Let’s check out.

Advantages of Studying with a full time job:-

1)      Security: - Yes it will be most beneficial in your studies. When you are already on a full time job, you will have a sense of security. You don’t have to worry about passing to get a job. Most students put a lot of stress on them by thinking they have to pass to get a job, to start earning their livelihood. When you are employed you don’t have to worry about that part. And this works in your favour, it makes you relax and enjoy your studies. I have seen this happen not only with me, but many others too. So being employed works as boon for you.

2)      Value of time: - Since time for studies is very less you will start to give more value (Importance) to time. It is a well known fact that when things are scarce we tends to give it more value, we emphasize more on its proper utilization.  Student who is only studying tends to think I have got lots of time and most often do not utilize the time properly. To the contrary when someone studies along with a full time job knows the worth of time and ends up utilizing it lot better.

3)      Experience helps: - Practical experience of being in job also helps in your study. When your area of work and area of study are same, your job will be very helpful in your study. Say if you are working in Accounts & Finance department and you are pursuing CA/CWA, you will get lots of benefit from your on job experience. Say if you are looking after direct or indirect taxation you will be better prepared to face taxation exams. When you start studying you will come to know that you already know a lot about the topics of your syllabus because of your job requirement. When you do something practically it stays embedded in your mind for long. So from this perspective also job is helpful in your studies.

4)      Enjoyment in study: - Sometimes when you study of hours you can loose enjoyment factor. For doing anything effectively you have to enjoy what you are doing. Because of Job you will get less time to study. So ultimately you will be able to enjoy your studies. Because you study little and study tension free you will able to enjoy and ultimately make your studies more and more effective.

So we can see that Studying along with a job is not that bad and if anything the job helps in our studies instead of hampering it. But ultimately it all boils down to your point of view. Be positive and take it in your stride, it will make a lot of difference.

Some tips for managing your studies along with job:--

1)      First and foremost, study to understand the topic and to learn, not only to pass the examination, as if you perceive your study to help you in your future jobs and assignments.

2)      Make a habit of studying at least 1-2 hours daily depending on time at your disposal. Even if you study for half an hour make full use of it.

3)      Utilize your holidays and leaves properly.

4)      Plan how you are going to approach your syllabus. Because of time constraint it might not be possible for you to complete your syllabus. So plan accordingly, which chapters are important and to be completed first. Plan in advance and study accordingly. For planning use scanner and also check current question paper patterns. Proper planning is most essential in cracking professional examination.

5)      Make your own notes of what you study. It will help you in revising in short span of time.  Self made notes are also easy to understand.

6)       When exams are nearing try to increase your study time compared to earlier.

7)      Be relaxed and confident as you have managed lots of things in practical field.

8)      During examinations be relaxed. Ultimately those 3 hour will matter rather then the time you have spent on your study. Being relaxed will make you do better in examinations.

So just enjoy your studies and your job. Be positive and be successful in life.

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How to maintain work life balance?

It is a very well known fact that our outer world is exactly the reflection of our inner world. But if the funda is as simple as “we receive back only what we give out” then why there is so much hassle and hotchpotch in our lives. No doubt ,at some point of time everybody faces some hard time and struggle but if this has become a daily life routine or if excessive frustration and negativity have filled up your mind with cimmerian gloom then following tips may be of great help though not everything can be achieved in one go only.

1. Finding your feet: Every working person spends around 9-12hours/day in office. If the work is too mechanical or completely out of your interests, then high chances are there that you will feel extremely drained and suffocated at the end of the day and keep repenting the choice you have made for your life. How long you can continue like this 5years /10years or what? A whole life review is needed which will help you either to accept it as your reality and let go all negative thoughts or if you find it hard to accept your reality as the inner voice rebels a lot then have a look at how can you bring back your life on track.”Not easy? But not impossible also. Consider a long term scenario and what kind of life you want at the end? A chaotic and exhausted one OR one where you are not that much monetary blessed but you are satisfied and happy at large. Rightly said, ”Money can’t buy everything”

2. Accepting and understanding: one of the major reason of unhappiness is  trying to find “your shadow in others “.Remember ,every human being is a unique creature grown up in different circumstances and upbringing, so if you want them to behave or treat you exactly the way you want then it is not possible. Everybody has “FREE WILL". Furthermore, nobody has come on this earth with a trained mind and practiced life path, so have some tolerance level and allow new persons to enter in your surroundings and spread your social and professional network.

3. Declutter your surroundings and create space for new experiences: At times we ourselves invite restlessness and congestion in our lives. At home front, you may have accumulated so many materialistic things that you even don’t remember now ,not even the last time when you used them. So, have a look at your surroundings and find a reason of “Why you have been storing any “xyz thing” when you will never need them or  you are storing them just because 5years ago you had used it once and may be after 3-5years you may need that again..Collect and make a list of unnecessary things which may well be clothes, old utensils, tools, stationary, furniture, gift items or anything and donate them to needy. Do make sure to depart from those things which relates to some negative experiences. The more you keep them, the more you will remember those experiences and will curse the related person which may of use in present. Also, sometimes even free flow of air and energy can give much more comfort and peace than anything else.

4. Floating between present, past and future: Everyday human mind floats amongst 70,000 or more thoughts which may well be positive or negative, of present, past, future. Repenting or thinking of past won’t give any result just like excessive concerns about future. But past can be used as a learning and guiding tool whereas future for planning and adopting an optimistic approach. What is exactly in our hands is our ‘present’ only but in order to live it fully, we have to maintain our focus level. There are innumerous distracters including fear and laziness. But every moment passed with distraction is never to come back no matter what.

5. Choose your social group wisely: Remember, it is scientifically proven that every thought has a “frequency and vibrations. And we tend to attract towards people with equal vibrational levels  which may be positive or negative OR towards the people who are completely opposite because while “LIKE attracts each other, opposites do attract, this all depends on us. Many times you yourself get the idea that whether you will have positive or negative relationship with any person, in the first meeting itself. If you are a sensitive person than use your intuition and intelligence to connect with people. As sometimes a wrong selection of your circle may leave you completely drained and frustrated. But before working in outer world, you have to work in your inner world and think why you attract towards low energy people or negative minded people.

6. Connect with nature: We human beings are made up of 5 elements(earth, water, air, space and fire) and many other minerals. And the body in itself comprises of around 70% water. All these are natural resources!So, isn’t nature is our best healer? Spend some quality time in exercises, yoga, sun salutation,7 chakra meditation, cord cuttings, brisk walking in parks ,short trips in naturally beautiful places and include NATURAL things in your daily regime and connect with nature’s healing energy with gratitude. Limit the use of electronic gadgets to the extent possible. As they imbalances the human aura and since it becomes a daily routine ,its hard to heal the disturbed “HUMAN AURA”

7. Connect with your spiritual side: Most discarded area in today’s world! One need not be a saint to connect with spiritual world. Everybody’s life has a unique and real purpose ,everyone has a higher self, inner voice ,a master spirit /God /any power whom you believe. But in our busy lives ,we forget the “best guiding force". In order to be at peace ,connect with it through medititation, prayers, mantra, music or whatever way you may choose but include it in your daily regime.”Believe in the higher power” rather than believing in fears and man made techniques.

8. Experience the joy of giving: Not everyone can be necessarily be equally blessed but bringing joy and hopes in someone’s life through your efforts is amongst the most precious gift than you can get and give. Monetary help is not the only help that you can give but you can help others through your intellectual knowledge, references, guiding someone and donating the unrequired material. Every year thousands of people die because of unavailability of blood or organs at the right time. What harm does blood donation do? What harm the organ donation (eyes, heart, kidneys etc) would do you when your soul is out of your body? On the contrary ,you will receive lakhs of blessings for saving and nurturing someone’s life and true blessings really brings inner happiness.

9. Learn to give thanks and say sorry(silly things do matter): What if you say “thanks “ everyday to your spouse ,close friends and your parents who contribute a lot in your success, who finds their happiness in yours. A single sms/mail on daily basis may work magically in improving your relationships that the costly gifts can't. Every one wants to be cared, loved and respected. So ,a wise choice between rigidity / ego and fulfillment will be yours. No matter, even if you have not done any mistake but sometimes considering the other person's situation and saying “sorry” really helps a lot in keeping a relationship intact.

10. Appreciate your blessings(compare yourself with a less resourceful person): No matter how many hardships you may be facing but there should be atleast some blessings to give you some peace. Don't make lackness, insecurity ,hopelessness, guilt, anger and resentment as a part of your daily routine. Remember,”The LAW OF ATTRACTION” works very powerfully in our lives. Be optimistic whatever the situation is.

11. Allow bright colours in your lives: why does kids attracts towards happy and bright colours? Its because every colour has a great frequency which radiates your outer personality. While bright colour like green, blue, yellow, purple, pink etc will give you happy and enthusiastic outlook, pale colours will give you a depressed feelings. Not only in your dressing patterns but include it at your home and workplace also by using bright wall colours, furniture, artificial flowers, scenery, aquarium and indoor plants.

12. Don’t bent up your emotions: Search atleast one person who can hear you ,guide you and appreciate you. Life becomes quite easy when we have someone close and trustworthy. Don’t be completely introvert and disconnected. In long run, holding emotions may result In excessive stress, anxiety, depression, heart problems. Choice is yours! Sharing heals some pain and gives you relieve. Next time, when you are holding yourself for long, then don’t forget to check if you have a stiff neck, congested chest, stomach issues and back pain.

13. Allow your inner child to be alive: Rightly said that creativity flows best in childhood. When we are young, we are extremely creative, fearless and open to new ideas. What if we continue  it life long? Keep your hobbies, likes, interests, passions alive and be open to new experiences and ideas. Don't be lost in your daily issues, do something that gives you relief and inner happiness.

14. Stay away from blame games: Not everything is in our hands but what is the benefit of living as victim of circumstances and blaming each other? Swami Vivekananda, Mr Sandeep Maheswari, Mr Bill Gates, Mr Steve jobs, Mr Sunil Bharti Mittal, Mr Dhirubhai Ambani etc are all inspiring names who struggled a lot, seen a lot of ups and downs but finally achieved what they wanted to achieve. Had they continued living like a victim then probably the world wouldn’t have known them. We need not to copy someone, we all have unique journey and circumstances. But what matters at the end is how we cope up with everything and come out like a winner.

15. Restricting knowledge is of no use: Knowledge of every kind is helpful, if properly valued. Who knows where you can apply it and provide a great solution in the need of hour? Not every knowledge will give you monetary advantage but will improve your intellectual level and will give you some advantage over others. This doesn’t mean that you should aim to beat someone by gaining extra knowledge. Forinstance,what if you are a marketing or sales professional and still holds working knowledge of various regional and foreign languages?

16. Harshness and anger won’t do any good: Don’t allow your anger and harsh attitude to burn you and your loved ones. Every single harsh word creates holes in your relationships and professional circle. Consider other person’s emotions and motto from their point also and then speak something. Don't be proactive always. Once you treat a person badly then next your chemistry won’t be same with them. And they will think twice to speak to you no matter how genuine the matter is.

17. Relationships play an important role in our lives: Appreciate your relationships despite of differences. It matters a lot to your loved ones. Again don’t search yourself in your loved ones and accept them as separate personality.

18. Bitterness is a big source of increasing negativity: Try to heal bitter relationships both at personal and professional front, not necessarily to invite them back into your lives but to heal your inner bitterness.Try forgiving and forgetting them. Cut all your cords with them and leave them on their karmas/deeds and free yourself from recalling negative experiences again and again.

19. Keep inspiring and refreshing yourself: set clear vision for your life and work on that with focus. Your vision should include all the areas of your life in a balanced manner. Don't overlook the little moments of happiness from your vision. Decide what kind of life you want for yourself and for your loved ones.

20. Be honest to yourself: you can live and express yourself much better when you are completely honest to yourself and do not follow any double standards. Remember,”as you sow, so shall you reap “.If you adopt malpractices and cheat others ,then the same can happen with you and your loved ones also.

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MANAGING SUBORDINATES EFFECTIVELY

MANAGING SUBORDINATES EFFECTIVELY

So you’ve just received a promotion and are in charge of your very own team. What does it take to be a good leader you wonder? Effective leadership comes from the understanding that a lot of your success as a leader depends on the productivity of your team. The manner in which you deal with your subordinates is critical to their progress and ultimately your own.

Here are 5 important tips that’ll help you manage your subordinates effectively.
 

1.  Public praise and private criticism Everybody loves the occasional pat on the back and when you openly praise your subordinates it goes a long way in building their confidence. Similarly presenting your critique of their work in a public forum might humiliate them and shatter their self-esteem. A one-on-one coaching session behind closed doors displays respect and will help you gain the trust of your subordinates.

2.  Do you really know it all?
Many leaders inherently believe that they know more than their subordinates. While this might hold true for several instances it would be unwise of you to assume that it’s true across the board. Everybody no matter what his/her position in the organisation has something of value to offer and you will win more people over by encouraging their contributions than you will by making all decisions on your own.

3.  Be empatheticYou have a junior team member whose performance of late has been below par. Your first instinct would be to hold a private ‘coaching session’. But it would help to take a step back and put yourself in his/her shoes. It’s best to give them the benefit of the doubt and have a heartfelt talk to find out what’s really going on. The empathy will be greatly appreciated and will only strengthen your relationship with your subordinates.

4.  Be fair and objectiveA leader that noticeably has favourites and doles out preferential treatment is greatly resented. Your job as a leader is to remain objective throughout and treat everyone with equality. Of course, you’re going to like some people more than others but don’t ever let that sway your assessment of their work performance.

5.  Pushovers are liked not respected
While it is important for you to be liked by your subordinates it is more important for them to acknowledge your leadership. You needn’t adopt an autocratic approach to ascertain your position; remember to be firm but fair. When you have to take decisions that your subordinates might not agree with explain your position and get them to see your point of view.

       

 

FORGING FRIENDSHIPS AT THE WORKPLACE  

Everyone agrees that embarking upon an office romance is ill advised, but what about forging friendships. Many of us are aware that work is an excellent environment for meeting new people and making new friends. It helps make, work more fun, and most days go by faster as a result.

For many the office is their home away from home and perhaps the only social environment they look forward to all week. At work you really get to see all sides of individuals, you get to know them and end up bonding with them due to the long hours you spend together. Having someone to confide in, share lunch with, give us encouragement and confidence and who may even help us perform our job and duties better are all among the many positives of forming friendships at work or working with a close friend.

On the other hand, just like any relationship, there are certain rules and a protocol you must adhere to and office politics that you will inevitably have to deal with. You wouldn’t want your friendship to interfere negatively with your progress and performance or spark professional jealousy, which can make put stress on both your personal and professional relationship.

The key to any successful office relationship is to keep it separate from your personal relationship and as much out of the office as possible. You must proceed with extreme caution when forging friendships and how far you allow them to go, especially within a short span of time. And remember to recognize the different levels of friendship and to never disclose grievances with other colleagues, supervisors and bosses to anyone (not even to a fairly trusted friend).

As far as possible do not make the office your only social scene and never place all your emotional energy in your job and in making friends at work. And, with regards to the friends you do make, try testing the relationship and going out after hours, taking note on what you have in common other than work, and if you are successful at bonding on other levels besides talking about work and the latest office gossip. If you do however find that you genuinely get along, you may consider reaching an agreement, that once work is over, you can talk about anything but work.
 

GET COOPERATION, SAY GOODBYE TO NAGGING        

You can do away with the hint dropping techniques. If you want your colleague to do some work be direct and ask him/her to do so.
Don’t fall into the whirlpool of blaming one another for an unfinished job or an error. This only widens the chasm of resentment between employees and colleagues and prevents them from looking at other ways to solve the problem. If you happen to be on the receiving end of the blame let it slide. You need not accept the blame if you are not the person responsible for the goof up instead you could say “It would be better if we looked at the facts.”
Another way of getting the work done is to stay focused avoid being overly critical.
Don’t demand, instead negotiate. Suggest ways to help.
Say less. People resent following orders, so be subtle. Post an itemized checklist and deadlines for goals to be met. Recognize the time and effort colleagues put into the process.
 

HANDLING FINICKY COLLEAGUES

It’s tough dealing with fanatic, moody and unfriendly colleagues. But when you gotta do it, you gotta do it.
Try following these guidelines to make your interactions with colleagues smoother:
• Try to stay in control. You needn’t be rude but you can be firm. In other words speak your mind.
• Ignore immature, self-centered behaviour to the point where it does not affect you and your work. Stay focused on getting the work done rather than indulging in a  power play.
• Try to stress on how behavior can affect productivity. Communicate with your colleagueabout their place in the scheme of things.
• As a last resort if problems are heightened, your work is suffering etc. speak to your boss. Inform him/her of the problem, but remember not to get emotional about  the problem. State your case by outlining the facts with clarity and how and see that the necessary action is taken.
 

TURN AROUND WORK SITUATIONS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE!  

When it comes to dealing with tricky situations in the workplace, be it handling difficult colleagues, bossy seniors and extreme work pressure, there are many incidents that leave us agitated or dissatisfied. When the circumstances of these incidences are beyond your control, it’s a good idea to be clear about what you want. Keep these pointers in mind.

• When faced with a dilemma involving other people, always try to assess what they want from the situation, so that you can come to a mutual agreement.
• When you anticipate a difficult situation, prepare yourself to face the task as well as condition your mind to expect the unexpected. State your case with conviction and  have confidence in your abilities. This will make the difference.
• Always remember that it pays to respect another person’s goals as you approach your own goal. This way you can understand another’s perspectives and work as a  team.
• You need to feel positive and keep in mind that the work you’re putting in will help you in the long run.
• Take some time out to develop a sincere rapport with your team members. Find some common ground to bond with them even if you do not naturally relate to them. You  never know who will bail you out of a tricky situation.

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