When X is greater than 10X

Ajit

, New Delhi

Delhi: I will give you X only if I am confident that I can fool you out of your 10X. More than the 10X, it’s the pleasure of fooling you that matters! Mumbai: If I give you X, I will ensure that I get 10X. Period. But hang on, let me see if I can get 100X from you. Kolkata: Even if I get 10X, I will not let go of my X. Could go on about most cities in the world. But that’s not the point. The right thing to do is to deliver 10X.....[Continue reading at Bellyonfire] More >>

7 ways to conquer your fear of public speaking

Arshad Ayub

Acharya Institute of Management, Bangalore

If you hate public speaking, you’re not alone. In surveys of the top phobias, the fear of public speaking (glossophobia) ranks number one worldwide – ahead of the fear of spiders, heights, flying and even death. In fact, three out of every four individuals suffer from speech anxiety. The good news is, public speaking is a skill that can be learned and mastered. We’ve compiled some best practices and proven strategies that will help you fight presentation anxiety the next time you have to speak before an audience. Accept and tame your fear Start by accepting that you get nervous every time you have to speak in public; it is nothing to be embarrassed about. Now confront your fear by making an effort to do something about it. The worst thing you can do is avoid public speaking altogether. This could have an adverse effect on your career and intensify the fear. Get rid of perfection Stop pressuring yourself to deliver a perfect speech. After all, it is just a talk, not a matter of life and death. And if you stumble a bit, you’re not going to lose your job. Accept that mistakes will happen. When they do, try to regain your composure quickly and move past it. Chances are, no one will even notice. Know your material You will only feel really confident if you truly know your subject matter. Most likely, you are already an expert on the topic you are speaking about. So capitalise on the fact that you have valuable knowledge to share. If you are not familiar with the topic, do your research and prepare until you feel confident that you can handle any questions that might come up. Get excited about the subject. If the subject matter is boring, inject an anecdote or quotation or a human interest element. Practice. Practice. Practice. Nobody is a born pianist. One must learn how to play the piano and practise countless hours in order to do it gracefully and effortlessly at a recital. Likewise, good speakers aren’t born, they’re made. So the next time you give a talk, give yourself plenty of time to prepare, organise the material, practise delivering it and polish it before you face the audience. Remember, the more often you give a speech, the better you’ll get. Focus on your audience Instead of putting the focus on yourself and worrying about what other people think of you, turn the focus onto your audience. Smile, make eye contact. Encourage interaction by drawing them into your presentation and asking leading questions. Not only does this make you a more dynamic and engaging speaker, it also helps take the pressure and eyes off you. Picture success Stop visualising a disastrous performance. You’ll only make yourself more nervous, and your brain will automatically associate public speaking with negative emotions. Instead, replace these negative images with images of success. Picture yourself standing confidently in front of a crowd and delivering a great speech. Doing this will turn negative associations into positive ones and help to programme your brain and your body for success. Look and feel your best If you go into your talk feeling and looking good, it will help you feel more relaxed and confident when you face your audience. Try to get enough sleep the night before so you are as well rested as possible. Don’t eat too much right before your talk. Wear a favourite outfit, something flattering that you feel comfortable and confident in. If you want to practise speaking in public but without the pressure of speaking in professional situations, consider joining a local Toastmasters International chapter. This non-profit public speaking and leadership organisation helps you practise speaking in a supportive environment with constructive feedback from your peers. More >>

4 ways to work fast when your connection is slow

Arshad Ayub

Acharya Institute of Management, Bangalore

When it comes to the “information superhighway”, we've been in the fast lane for years. But while we take our fast Internet speed for granted, there are many situations in which a slow connection is a problem. You might be using a computer in another part of the world, or trying to connect wirelessly while travelling. Your computer’s health can contribute to a slow connection too: spyware and viruses, add-on programs, and the amount of memory and hard disk space the computer has can all affect your connection speed. With all of these potential scenarios, it’s good to know a few tricks to keep you productive when your connection is slow: 1. Compress your e-mail Reducing your e-mail file sizes can help you send them more quickly. When sending large or multiple files, use a compression tool like WinZip. And if you’re sending an e-mail to multiple people, try creating a distribution list instead of listing each recipient separately – this is faster and more efficient. Finally, you can reduce your e-mail file size by ensuring your e-mail signature doesn’t contain any graphics, videos, stylised fonts or other content. 2. Work offline if you can Working offline can help spare you the pain and frustration of a slow connection. And there are lots of tasks you can do without being online; for example, you can use an RSS reader to download articles for offline reading. For offline webmail, install an e-mail client such as Mozilla Thunderbird to download your messages for offline reading and responding (it actually has a built-in RSS reader as well). Outlook users can work offline using Cached Exchange Mode, which stores a copy of your mailbox on your computer. If there is a web page you frequently reference for information, you can save it to your computer rather than load it over and over again. Here’s how to save a web page in Internet Explorer: 1. Go to the Web page you want to save. 2. On the File menu, click Save As. 3. In the Save As type drop-down menu, select Web page, complete. 4. Click Save. 3. Block or disable unnecessary content Web pages that contain heavy graphics or videos take longer to load, so turning them offcan speed your Internet browsing. Here’s how to disable these elements in Internet Explorer: 1. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options. 2. In the Internet Options dialogue box, click the Advanced tab. 3. In the Settings box, scroll down to the Multimedia section. Clear the following boxes: a. Play animations in Web pages b. Play sounds in Web pages c. Play videos in Web pages You might also want to install an application that blocks annoying, bandwidth-consuming ads that make pages load more slowly. 4. Use tabbed browsing Tabbed browsing doesn’t just reduce clutter on your desktop, it also helps you work more efficiently with a slow connection. When browsing through multiple pages, click your mouse scroll wheel or Control/Command click to open up each page in a new tab. This allows you to read one page while waiting for others to load, saving you time. You can also open a number of pages in multiple tabs, then disconnect and read offline. While a slow connection can be annoying, you can help reduce frustration – and boost productivity – by knowing how to make your online activities more efficient. These tips should help you get more done, even when the Internet doesn’t move as fast as you do! More >>

Top tips for talking with your boss

Arshad Ayub

Acharya Institute of Management, Bangalore

One of the most challenging areas of the workplace is communication. It can often literally make or break your career. What you say to your superiors shapes their impressions of you, and in turn can mean the difference between being promoted – or being overlooked. While not all bosses are the same when it comes to communication, there are some general dos and don’ts to keep in mind. Here are five of them. 1. Do share your ideas If you have a suggestion for a process change or potential improvement, don’t be afraid to share it. Bosses appreciate employees with initiative and imagination, and they are almost always open to ways to help the business run better. You’ll stand out from the crowd as someone who’s innovative and committed to the company’s success, two qualities that can significantly boost your career and your professional reputation. 2. Don’t wait until the last minute In business, surprises are generally not appreciated. So when you have important news to share, whether it’s good or bad, don’t delay – let your boss know as soon as possible. Although it can be difficult to share unpleasant news, you can bet your boss would rather hear it sooner rather than later. Alerting your boss to potential problems gives them a chance to react and hopefully defuse a situation before it escalates. 3. Do ask for what you want It’s easy to grumble and complain about things you’re unhappy about without taking any action. But rather than suffer in silence, speak up! Bosses are people too, and they generally want to have happy and satisfied employees – because happy, satisfied employees are more productive. If you’re interested in taking on a different assignment, or changing your work schedule to better meet deadlines, you have everything to gain by simply asking. Of course, to increase your chances of getting what you want, try to frame your request in terms that relate to the business – “I think changing my schedule would allow me better to coordinate my work with our Chicago office – would that be possible?” 4. Don’t say yes to every request Employees often feel pressured to go along with everything their superiors suggest. It takes courage to tell your boss you don’t agree – but sometimes, it’s the best course of action. If you truly don’t feel that a proposed project or timeline is realistic or beneficial, it’s better to voice your dissenting opinion rationally and openly. And if you’re already overburdened with work, saying “yes” to taking on a new project is only going to further strain you and potentially even negatively impact the quality of your work. So don’t be afraid to say “no” – but try to provide alternatives and compromises. 5. Don’t talk badly about your co-workers Rivalry and bad feelings occasionally happen within an office, but pointing fingers and laying blame on colleagues just makes a bad situation worse. Office politics can be difficult to navigate, but bringing your boss into it can often make a bad situation worse. If you’re having problems with a co-worker, try to address the situation yourself before escalating it to your superior. And if you simply must speak to your boss about it, describe the situation as objectively and dispassionately as possible, and avoid an emotionally charged discussion. Knowing just the right thing to say in every situation is almost impossible. But following these general guidelines will hopefully help you feel more confident when communicating with your boss. Just remember: bosses are people too, and almost everyone appreciates being dealt with in an honest, direct, thoughtful way. More >>

5 tips to help you lead your team to success

Arshad Ayub

Acharya Institute of Management, Bangalore

Managing a team is rarely an easy task. Coordinating workflows, setting expectations, dealing with personality conflicts ... a manager’s work is never done. A company’s well-being relies on its manager’s ability to handle a multitude of challenges; your success as a manager will rest almost entirely on your ability to keep your team motivated while producing quality results. While every team and department (and manager) is different, there are some management best practices that can help ensure that work teams run smoothly and employees stay happy and productive. Here are five you may want to consider: 1. Put the right people in the right places Make sure you know your employees’ specific strengths and skills, and match them to tasks appropriately. For example, there is no sense in asking Employee A to manage the monthly reporting charts if Employee B has more experience with Microsoft(R) Excel(R). And if you ask Employee C to deliver the customer presentation when they have a fear of public speaking, you could just be setting them up for failure. When people’s skills are properly aligned with their responsibilities, both productivity and job satisfaction will be much higher. Be sure to actually ask your employees what they feel their strengths and weaknesses are, rather than just relying on your own judgement. 2. Results and productivity are what matters Unless you work in an environment where mandatory coverage during certain times is required, for example in customer service or IT help desk environments, enforcing or encouraging specific “clock in” and “clock out” times can demotivate and demean your employees. If you have hired employees that you trust, and the expectations of them are clear, there should be no reason to closely monitor when they come and go from the office as long as productivity is high and goals are being met. 3. Don’t blame or shame Projects don’t always go as planned. And when things go wrong, it’s tempting to look around for someone to pin the blame on. However, there’s a better way to find out what happened – and how to address problems in the future. Don’t jump to conclusions, accuse anyone or publicly criticise – instead, conduct an evaluation to determine what went awry. If specific individuals are at fault, talk to them privately to get their side of the story, and to set clear expectations for the future. 4. Be consistent in your actions and your communication You might be surprised how observant your employees are. They notice lots of things – and they will most likely talk amongst themselves, too. For example, if you allow one employee to leave the office early, but deny another employee the same request, it will be noticed and discussed. Likewise, the team will notice if you repeatedly praise one employee more than the others, which can cause tension and mistrust within the team. You need to ensure that you deal with each of your staff members equally and fairly. 5. Encourage teamwork and collaborative outcomes Environments where everyone pitches in and individuals are encouraged to help each other out are usually very successful – and fun, too! So encourage your team to share ideas, talk openly, and exchange feedback. You can do that by establishing regular team meetings, holding “team building” exercises and activities, and rewarding the whole group for shared successes. More >>

Politics without ethics

Swaruparani Sahu

, Berhampur, Orissa

On 15th August 1947 when India after centuries of foreign domination started breathing fresh air of wisdom, none would have thought that this very fresh air would turn foul and with the passage of time, get so much contaminated that it would poison the whole of the country’s democratic set up and the persons to whom the responsibility of governing the country is given would be the fountain head of such contaminated air. The present day politicians, the leaders governing the country, are obsessed with the monomania to loot the country and fill their own coffers, could be seen fighting for the bone like the snarling stray dogs on the street. Power by any means is their aim and this leads to the birth of conspiracy, murder, forging a network of like-minded politicians and bureaucrats and mafia. Now-a-days politics has become a lucrative profession, wherein prior investment of money and muscle power to grab the chair once is sufficient to feed the several generations and gives one the status and respectful position in society. Politicians are very much willing to liaise with any political party so long as it serves their interest. Trading and defection among the political parties have become a common practice. A number of scam cases are pending before the courts, relating to misappropriation, frauds, corruptions in which the present day politicians are shamelessly involved. The definition of politicians has since modified by these politicians tearing every fabric of morality and ethics. Talking of ethics in terms of politicians is the most traumatic joke of the day. In every big scandal, whether, Telgi Stamp Case, Jain Dairy Case, bank security scam, Tehelka Case, Hawala case, Fodder scam, we find wires connected to some powerful politicians. Is it the same India, where Lal bahadur Shastri resigned over a solitary rail accident, where A.K. Antony resigned over the issue for which he was not even responsible and O.V. Alagesan resigned from the Central Cabinet over the alleged imposition of Hindi in the erstwhile Madras State? Many politicians have reached the nadir of immortality when as a last ditch effort to grab power, they resort to both capturing and rigging with the help of criminals and dreaded gangsters. A leader in the office has the authority to direct the course of nation’s socio-economical development. He enjoys the powers to make policies for developmental activities to be initiated at a macro level. But if he himself becomes corrupt, spells unethical and immoral acts it can wreck havoc on the country. The ills of communalism, casteism, nepotism have gradually become the necessity of political arena. Rightly observed by our late Prime Minister Sh. Rajiv Gandhi, that out of 100 only 17% is actually spent on the developmental work and rest goes into the pockets of officials and politicians. today our country has acquired many ills such as corruption, casteism, communalism, etc all because the leaders have forgotten their moral and ethical duties towards their Motherland and have the motto to grab the power and earn money by any means. People have lost faith in their leaders. The youth are disillusioned, are moving to the west for higher education, and then settle there permanently. Voters have become increasingly indifferent towards the process of election. The situation is undoubtedly grave. It is not appropriate to blame the politicians alone. It is even the public that is responsible in making the politicians corrupt, unethical, and goons. Even the most rational approach to ethics is defenceless if there isn’t the will to do what is right It is not to conclude that all the politicians are corrupt and unethical. The hope lies with such honest, dedicated and devoted politicians who have sacrificed a lot for the welfare of this nation. It is high time that we enforce a code of conduct to stem the root and begin this exercise. A transparency in the working is very urgently needed. Responsible opposition and the media can play a vital role in exposing the immoral and unethical corrupt politicians. Let us generate a ray of hope that the people of country use their rights and duties in favour of dedicated, sincere and honest leaders for the good of themselves and for the welfare of this great nation. We need timeless principles to steer by in running our organizations and building our personal careers. We need high standards… the ethics of excellence. More >>

My belly is on fire because I choose to try

Ajit

RHYTHMOSAIC
is proud to present the young choreographers, with their innnovative
vision in the filed of movement arts on 27th august 2010 at Weavers
Studio,6:30pm in association with WEAVERS and ROTARY CENTRAL GARDENS. We are
proud to present "PRASENNA SAIKIA", "SUBASH BERA" and "SANJUKTA RAY"
The other performers working in ...their production are "RAKTIM GOSWAMI" and "SOURAV MONDAL". ALL ARE WELCOME

TIME:18:30 - 21:30

More >>

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