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Communication Skills

The first aspect is one's power of expression. In a group discussion, a candidate has to talk effectively so that he is able to convince others. For convincing, one has to speak forcefully and at the same time create an impact by his knowledge of the subject. A candidate who is successful in holding the attention of the audience creates a positive impact.

It is necessary that you should be precise and clear. As a rule evaluators do not look for the wordage produced. Your knowledge on a given subject, your precision and clarity of thought are the things that are evaluated. Irrelevant talks lead you nowhere. You should speak as much as necessary, neither more nor less. Group discussions are not debating stages.

Ability to listen is also what evaluators judge. They look for your ability to react on what other participants say. Hence, it is necessary that you listen carefully to others and then react or proceed to add some more points. Your behavior in the group is also put to test to judge whether you are a loner or can work in a group.

You should be able to convey your thoughts satisfactorily and convincingly before a group of people. Confidence and level headedness in doing so is necessary. These add value to your presentation.

Knowledge and Ideas Regarding a Given Subject

Knowledge of the subject under discussion and clarity of ideas are important. Knowledge comes from consistent reading on various topics ranging from science and technology to politics. In-depth knowledge makes one confident and enthusiastic and this in turn, makes one sound convincing and confident.

Leadership and Coordinating Capabilities

The basic aim of a group discussion is to judge a candidate's leadership qualities. The examiner withdraws and becomes a silent spectator once the discussion starts. A candidate should display tactfulness, skill, understanding and knowledge on varied topics, enterprise, forcefulness and other leadership qualities to motivate and influence other candidates who may be almost equally competent.

Exchange of Thoughts

A group discussion is an exchange of thoughts and ideas among members of a group. These discussions are held for selecting personnel in organisations where there is a high level of competition. The number of participants in a group can vary between 8 and 15. Mostly a topic or a situation is given to group members who have to discuss it within 10 to 20 minutes.


The purpose is to get an idea about candidates in a short time and make assessments about their skills, which normally cannot be evaluated in an interview. These skills may be team membership, leadership skills, listening and articulation skills.


A note is made of your contributions to the discussion, comprehension of the main idea, the rapport you strike, patience, assertion, accommodation, amenability, etc. Body language and eye contact too are important points which are to be considered. .

Addressing the Group as a Whole

In a group discussion it is not necessary to address anyone by name. Even otherwise you may not know everyone's names. It better to address the group as a whole.Address the person farthest from you. If he can hear you everyone else too can. Needless to add, as for the interview, attend the group discussion in formal dress.

The language used should also be formal, not the language used in normal conversations. For instance, words and phrases like "yar", "chalta hai", "CP", "I dunno", etc. are out. This is not to say you should use a high sounding, pedantic language. Avoiding both, just use formal, plain and simple language. Hinglish, (mixture of Hindi and English) should be discarded.

Confidence and coolness while presenting your viewpoint are of help. See that you do not keep repeating a point. Do not use more words than necessary. Do not be superfluous. Try to be specific. Do not exaggerate.

Thorough Preparation

Start making preparations for interview and group discussions right away, without waiting till the eleventh hour, this is, if and when called for them. Then the time left may not be adequate. It is important to concentrate on subject knowledge and general awareness. Hence, the prime need for thorough preparation. Remember, the competition is very tough. Only 460 candidates make it to the final list from 2.75 lakh civil service aspirants each year.

It may so happen that you are called for interviews and group discussions from three or four organizations but are not selected by any. The reason obviously lies in your not being well-prepared.

Good First Impression

When you start a Group Discussion, you are responsible for putting it into the right perspective or framework. So initiate one only if you have indepth knowledge about the topic at hand.
There are different techniques to initiate a Group Discussion and make a good first impression by

1). Quotes
2). Definition
3). Question
4). Shock statement
5). Facts, figures and statistics
6). Short story
7). General statement

Summarisation Techniques

Most Group Discussions do not really have conclusions. A conclusion is where the whole group decides in favour or against the topic. But every Group Discussion is summarised. You can summarise what the group has discussed in the Group Discussion in a nutshell.

Keep the following points in mind while summarizing a discussion:

  • Avoid raising new points.

  • Avoid stating only your viewpoint
  • .
    Avoid dwelling only on one aspectof the Group Discussion.

  • Keep it brief and concise.

  • It must incorporate all the important points that came out during the Group Discussion.

  • If the examiner asks you to summarise a Group Discussion, it means the Group Discussion has come to an end. Do not add anything once the Group Discussion has been summarised.

Arrangements on Interview Day

  • Dress appropriately. Be businesslike, approachable, confident in your appearance.
  • No gum, cigarette smell, heavy scents.
  • Carry an attractive portfolio. It provides a tidy, efficient place to store questions you may want to ask, information about yourself you want to be sure to transmit, a place to carry additional resumes for distribution to department heads, search committees, and others you may meet who have not seen your resume.
  • Being on time to the interview is very essential. Make sure of interview time and be before fifteen minutes for the interview.
  • Turn off your cellphone,i-pod,pager etc.,
  • Do not smoke while waiting for an interview.
  • Do not forget to take copies of resumes,pen and writing pad.

A saint asked his disciples, 'Why do we shout in anger? Why do people shout at each other when they are upset?'

Disciples thought for a while, one of them said, 'Because we lose our calm, we shout for that.'

'But, why shout when the other person is just next to you?' asked the saint. 'Isn't it possible to speak to him or her with a soft voice? Why do you shout at a person when you're angry?'

Disciples gave some other answers but none satisfied the saint.

Finally he explained, 'When two people are angry at each other, their hearts distance a lot. To cover that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other.

The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to shout to hear each other through that great distance.'

Then the saint asked, 'What happens when two people fall in love? They don't shout at each other but talk softly, why?

Because their hearts are very close. The distance between them is very small...'

The saint continued, 'When they love each other even more, what happens? They do not speak, only whisper and they get even closer to each other in their love.

Finally they even need not whisper, they only look at each other and that's all. That is how close two people are when they love each other.'


MORAL: When you argue do not let your hearts get distant, do not say words in anger that distance each other.

Business Administration, known in short as M.B.A is basically a ‘Masters’ (post-graduation) course in Business related disciplines. It first became popular as an academic course in the United States of America where the premium universities like Harvard, Stanford and Yale etc. started this program apparently to prepare students for the Business World. It slowly gained worldwide popularity and has now become a very coveted degree.

Let us understand some broad facts about this program: -

  • It is a program in which the academic subjects are chosen from various disciplines, keeping in mind their relevance for the Business World.
  • It is in many ways an inter disciplinary education program.
  • As against learning some tips about business from their parents (as happens in business families, through the dinner time talks or informal coaching sessions by parents) or from actual on-the-job-experience (swimming pool technique-swim or sink) this program aims at providing structured education, which has relevance in the real world of business.
  • It is a ‘practical’ program, say in relation to a degree in arts, literature or science, but it draws upon the body of knowledge from these and various other disciplines.
  • Since it is a post graduation program, i.e. students with any graduate degree scoring consistently good marks are eligible to apply and sit for the mba entrance examination, in which an overall assessment about their analytical and logical abilities is made in addition to command over English language and knowledge about current / world affairs.
  • Most of the good Universities and Colleges today insist on or prefer a work experience of ‘three’ years before admitting students for this program
  • Unlike the world of academics, arts, research, law, politics, economic policy etc., any ‘Business’ deals with ‘ products’ and ‘services’, which are ‘produced’ or ‘structured’ for the ‘Customers’ who pay a consideration (normally monetary) for acquiring the same.

What is a Business

Any Business activity comprises of one or more of the following: -

  • Manufacturing or Production of Goods.
  • Trading or exchange of Goods.
  • Services like financial, medical, legal and design services etc.
  • Information exchange.

What Does any Business Deal With

  • Human Beings or Manpower.
  • Machines for production of goods.
  • Capital or Finance.
  • Market Mechanism comprising of ‘Buying-Selling’ and all the connected activities.
  • Systems and Processes for managing the above activities.
  • Materials, in the form of raw materials, intermediates and packing materials etc.

It is commonly said that any business deals with Men, Materials, Money and Machines.

Since this all comprises of a complex set of diverse activities which take place in ‘real time’ these need to be ‘Administered’ or ‘Managed’, for which a formal academic program is of great relevance.

The assumption is that the basic graduate degree in any discipline ought to have provided to the students the ‘ basic mental building blocks’, besides of course specialized training in their chosen field. On this foundation the M.B.A program aims at providing fast track knowledge and information to shape /prepare the individuals for the ‘Business World’

The Basic courses are in the areas of Production, Marketing, Finance and Accounting, Personnel Management, Math, Statistics etc.

Few Relevant and Interesting Facts

  • Any M.B.A program will have students form different disciplines, who have obviously done very well in their graduate degrees and have also scored a high percentage in the selection tests etc.

  • It means a set of good performers, but from different disciplines having different strength areas. For example an engineer will not have any exposure to accounting and an arts student any exposure to math and statistics.

  • Being a ‘practical’ program the teaching methods are interactive and bulk of the teaching is done through ‘ actual business case-studies’. For these one has to prepare in advance and discuss in ‘real-time’ in the classrooms.

  • This means that one has to regularly study, analyze, communicate effectively and gets one’s point of view across, without offending the other fellow student.

  • Besides other skills, it provides great learning in inter-personal behavior, as even the close friends have to defend their own turf. (May be fifty percent marks are based on the case studies and you cannot just be friends only, you have to be ‘fierce, friendly business competitors’). These provide great learning in the human dynamics and also instill a competitive spirit.
  • Since all the students join after a rigorous selection, one is competing against ‘good minds’ to say the least and the peer pressure to perform is intense, as is in the real life also.

  • The MBA program instills ‘Leadership’ qualities and prizes ‘Decision Making’. Since one cannot get away with procrastination, the program prepares individuals to go-ahead based on a set of assumptions and not perfect facts or information.

  • Most of the Business activities deal with ‘Profit’. One has to learn about cost effective production, ability to market the products or services in the competitive environments by creating differentiators for the customer and deal with human beings at different levels.

  • Just like good results in an examination, good results in terms of meeting the assigned targets of production, sales and profitability are the ultimate barometer of performance in business and one cannot only get away with ‘putting-in-the effort’. All the efforts have to get converted into ‘Measurable Results’

  • Figures or Numbers are therefore important and knowledge of finance and accounts is therefore critical.

  • Most of the business dealings require ‘transactions’ which are contractual and hence knowledge of ‘Mercantile Law’ is required.

  • Business is a team sport or a team activity. One cannot excel as in chess but has to do so as in soccer. This means that your success is co-dependent on the success of people within and outside the organization. One learns to deal with human beings through courses on Personnel Management, Human Relations and Leadership etc.

  • The program aims at building ‘Leaders’ and not ‘Followers’.

  • It also aims at continuously challenging the mind to find solutions to various anticipated and unanticipated challenges (use of the word ‘problems’ itself is discouraged).

  • The M.B.A program has specialized courses in each of the major functional areas after the basic courses so that the students can opt for their area(s) of specialization based on their interest/ capability, gender and above all passion for certain functions or spheres of business.

  • It is a fairly flexible program, which allows you to be individualistic while also helps in developing skills to be team players.

  • It aims at ‘Multiskilling’ more than super specialization.

  • Emphasis of the M.B.A program is on preparing well-rounded individuals with tools and techniques to go into the real business world well prepared and well armed with relevant knowledge.

  • The emphasis on prior work experience is correct as the individuals would have faced job realities after their earlier academics and hence can appreciate the academic knowledge better by relating the same to their own earlier experiences.

M.B.A degree is so relevant and interesting that today it is even being sought by doctors, architects and lawyers who could earlier not relate to its practical significance and utility.

So Go-ahead and join in to take on the Business World. Happy innings!

Group Discussion is a very important round in any selection process, be it for an MBA course, campus recruitment or for any graduate/post graduate degree. The selection committee conducts GD to gauge whether the candidate has certain personality traits and/or skills that it desires in its members, say for example

§ Ability to work in a team
§ Communication skills
§ Leadership skills
§ Reasoning ability
§ Initiativeness
§ Assertiveness
§ Creatibility
§ Flexibility
§ Ability to think and act independently

Normally groups of 8-10 candidates are formed into a leaderless group, and are given a specific situation to analyse and discuss within a given time limit. The group may be given a Case Study and asked to come out with a solution for a problem. The group may be given a topic and asked to discuss on the same. A panel will observe the proceedings and evaluate the members of the group.

Let’s discuss some few relevant points which one should remember while appearing for a GD. One needs to know what one's objective in the group is---- to be noticed by the panel and to contribute meaningfully in an attempt to help the group reach the right consensus.

1) The first thing is that the panel should notice you. Merely making a meaningful contribution and helping the group arrive at a consensus is not enough.

· You must ensure that the group hears you. If the group hears you, so will the evaluator.

· You need to be assertive. It depends on you how you steer the group in the right direction, once it gets stuck to something. This gives you the chance to showcase your leadership skills.

· Most importantly, you have to make your chances. Many group discussion participants often complain that they did not get a chance to speak. The fact is that in no group discussion will you get a chance to speak. There is nothing more unacceptable in a GD than keeping one's mouth shut or just murmuring things which are inaudible.

2) The second most essential thing is that your contribution to the group should be meaningful. For that you need to have a good knowledge base. You should be able to think logically and hence put forth you ideas cohesively. The quality of what you said is more valuable than the quantity. It doesn’t help if you shout at the top of your voice and speak at great length, what matters most is what you speak and how it creates an impact on the group as well as the evaluators.

3) The last most important thing is that you must be clearly seen to be attempting to build a consensus. This shows your ability to work in a team, your ability to adjust yourself in new surroundings and help others in your team to reach a definite conclusion amidst difference of opinions. After all this is what all Group Discussions aim at: To be able to discuss and arrive at a consensus.

To be able to meet the above requirements during a Group Discussion, one should keep in mind the following basic mantras:

a)
Be Yourself. Be as natural as possible and don’t try to be someone you are not.

b) Take time to organize your thoughts. Don’t suddenly jump to any conclusion. Think before you speak so that you don’t speak anything irrelevant to the topic being discussed.

c) Don’t make the mistake of looking at the panel while you are speaking. You are in a Group Discussion and you are expected to discuss among group members, so always look at your group members while you are speaking.

d) Seek clarifications if you have any doubts regarding the subject, before the discussion commences.

e) Your body language says a lot about you - your gestures and mannerisms are more likely to reflect your attitude than what you say.
f) Never try to show your dominance. Be assertive, speak yourself and let others speak as well.

g) Don’t lose your cool if anyone says anything you object to. The key is to stay objective: Don't take the discussion personally.

h) Show your leadership skills. Motivate the other members of the team to speak. Be receptive to others' opinions and do not be abrasive or aggressive.

i) Remember, opening the discussion is not the only way of gaining attention and recognition. If you do not give valuable insights during the discussion, all your efforts of initiating the discussion will be in vain.

Don’t be disheartened if you did not do well in your First Group Discussion. Instead try to learn from your past mistakes. Remember,
Practice makes man perfect!!!!!

The following facts show that there is no apparent limit to the capabilities of memory. For all practical purposes the human memory seems to be infinite.

Dreams

Many people have dreamt about friends and relatives whom they have not met for 20 or 30 years. In the dreams, the images are perfect with all colors and details. This shows that there is a huge memory storage somewhere in the brain.

Hypnosis and memory

We seem to remember everything that we see, hear, or feel. For example, a person in an accident did not remember the car's license-plate number. But under hypnosis, he could tell the correct number. This shows that he indeed had the number stored somewhere in his brain.

Surprise recalls

Everyone has the experience of suddenly remembering some long forgotten memory. For example, some very old incident or some friend.

Scientific experiment of connecting wires to patient's brain for memory recall

When scientists connect electrodes (wires) to certain parts of the brain, the patients re-experience certain events from their past. They experience those events as if the events were happening now. This is not just memory recall. This is like re-living the experience. In one experiment, these experiences were as old as 40 years. This shows that the information is stored somewhere in the brain.

Near-death experiences

Many people who were very close to death have this experience. They say that their whole life flashed before them. They mean entire, total life, everything in their life. Even things they had forgotten.

Photographic memory

Photographic memory means people can, usually for a short time, remember exactly and perfectly, everything they see. This memory fades with time. It can be so accurate that a person can even remember 1,000 separate random dots on a paper. This shows that our short term memory can be perfect.

Scientists now believe that most children have this ability when they are young. But we force them to concentrate too much on logic and language and mathematics and too little on imagination and other mental skills. And as a result, children lose this photographic memory.

Rajan Mahadevan: modern Indian famous for memory

Rajan Mahadevan set a new world record by memorizing 32,811 digits for the value of PI (a mathematical function) on 5th July 1981. Rajan is one of the world's few people alive with such a memory. He again set a new world record in 1982 by memorizing 35,000 digits for the value of PI.

According to Rajan, he is able to remember numbers by associating them with real-life situations.

Though Rajan has a wonderful memory for numbers, he is less than average when it comes to remembering faces. He sometimes forgets where he put his keys.

Most famous memorizer: Russian S

The most famous memorizer was a Russian called "S". His memory was so good that if you asked him what happened on a specific day 14 years ago, he would think for a moment and then ask "At what time?" This Russian "S" was studied for 30 years by the most famous Russian psychologist of that time. The psychologist found that "S" was just like any normal person but his memory was really perfect. It was found that "S" had by chance discovered the basic "mnemonic technique" as a child and it became natural part of his memorizing.

The Conclusion for Us

The human memory is huge and practically limitless. This understanding and belief will help you memorize better because you can expect to remember / memorize better.

A saint asked his disciples, 'Why do we shout in anger? Why do people shout at each other when they are upset?'

Disciples thought for a while, one of them said, 'Because we lose our calm, we shout for that.'

'But, why shout when the other person is just next to you?' asked the saint. 'Isn't it possible to speak to him or her with a soft voice? Why do you shout at a person when you're angry?'

Disciples gave some other answers but none satisfied the saint.

Finally he explained, 'When two people are angry at each other, their hearts distance a lot. To cover that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other.

The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to shout to hear each other through that great distance.'

Then the saint asked, 'What happens when two people fall in love? They don't shout at each other but talk softly, why?

Because their hearts are very close. The distance between them is very small...'

The saint continued, 'When they love each other even more, what happens? They do not speak, only whisper and they get even closer to each other in their love.

Finally they even need not whisper, they only look at each other and that's all. That is how close two people are when they love each other.'

MORAL:
When you argue do not let your hearts get distant, do not say words in anger that distance each other.

Overcoming Laziness
(there is at least a little laziness in most of us)

to
Become Energetic High Achiever
That Everybody Looks Up To

First, it is most important for you to understand that people are not unmotivated or lazy.

People just don't have big enough goals that can motivate them.

The goals are not being enough to give energy in the morning so people jump out of bed to enjoy the tasks and challenges ahead in the day.

People have small goals that suck the energy out of them, leaving them lazy and unmotivated to do anything much.

Once you understand this, you can overcome laziness quickly and easily: stop right now doing whatever you were planning to do, and focus for the next 10 minutes on setting (at least) one most important goal for yourself for the next 1-2 years. Then write down what steps you need to take to achieve the goal.


Avoid Sleep Problems

Please make sure you get sufficient sleep because reducing sleep can lead to problems such as lack of energy, lack of concentration, lazyness and more.



Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate. He was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant.

The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"

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

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

"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested. "Yes it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations.

You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life."

I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gunpoint by three armed robbers.

While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center.

After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body. I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?"

I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices:

I could choose to live, or I could choose to die. I chose to live."

"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Jerry continued, "The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the emergency room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared.

I read, 'He's a dead man.' I knew I needed to take action." "What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big, burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry. "She asked if I was allergic to anything." "Yes," I replied.

The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled,"Bullets!"

Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."

Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.

Attitude, after all, is everything.

1. Your presence is a present to the world.

2. You're unique and one of a kind.

3. Your life can be what you want it to be.

4. Take the days just one at a time.

5. Count your blessings, not your troubles.

6. You'll make it through whatever comes along.

7. Within you are so many answers.

8. Understand, have courage, be strong.

9. Don't put limits on yourself.

10. So many dreams are waiting to be realized.

11. Decisions are too important to leave to chance.

12. Reach for your peak, your goal, and your prize.

13. Nothing wastes more energy than worrying.

14. The longer one carries a problem, the heavier it gets.

15. Don't take things too seriously.

16. Live a life of serenity, not a life of regrets.

17. Remember that a little love goes a long way.

18. Remember that a lot goes forever.

19. Remember that friendship is a wise investment.

20. Life's treasures are people -- together.

21. Realize that nothing is ever too late.

22. Do ordinary things in an extraordinary way.

23. Have health and hope and happiness.

24. Take the time to wish upon a star. ... And don't ever forget -- for even a day -- how very
special you are.

Lateral Thinking!!!

Many years ago in a small Indian village, a farmer had the misfortune Of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender. The Moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer's beautiful Daughter. So he proposed a bargain.

He said he would forgo the farmer's debt if he could marry his Daughter. Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the Proposal.

So the cunning money-lender suggested that they let Providence decide the matter.

He told them that he would put a black Pebble and a white pebble into an empty money bag. Then the girl would Have to pick one pebble from the bag.


1) If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife and her father's debt would be forgiven.

2) If she picked the white pebble, she need not marry him and her father's debt would still be forgiven.

3) But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into Jail.


They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the farmer's field. As They talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he Picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two Black pebbles and put them into the bag.

He then asked the girl to pick A pebble from the bag.

Now, imagine that you were standing in the field. What would you have Done if you were the girl? If you had to advise her, what would you Have told her?

Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:

1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble.


2. The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag And expose the money-lender as a cheat.


3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order To save her father from his debt and imprisonment.
Take a moment to ponder over the story. The above story is used with the hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral And logical thinking.

The girl's dilemma cannot be solved with Traditional logical thinking. Think of the consequences if she chooses the above logical answers.

What would you recommend to the Girl to do?


Well, here is what she did....


The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without Looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path Where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles.

"Oh, how clumsy of me," she said. "But never mind, if you look into the Bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I Picked."

Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had Picked the white one. And since the money-lender dared not admit his Dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into An extremely advantageous one.


MORAL OF THE STORY:

Most complex problems do have a solution. It is only that we don't Attempt to think. Think...

What is management? What do managers do? How do I manage?

These are standard questions that most of us in the management profession have been asked more than once. And questions we asked once in our careers too. Here, then, is a basic look at management, a primer, Management 101 from my perspective.

Art and Science
Management is both art and science. It is the art of making people more effective than they would have been without you. The science is in how you do that. There are four basic pillars: plan, organize, direct, and monitor.

Make Them More Effective
Four workers can make 6 units in an eight-hour shift without a manager. If I hire you to manage them and they still make 6 units a day, what is the benefit to my business of having hired you? On the other hand, if they now make 8 units per day, you, the manager, have value.

The same analogy applies to service, or retail, or teaching, or any other kind of work. Can your group handle more customer calls with you than without? Sell higher value merchandise? Impart knowledge more effectively? etc. That is the value of management - making a group of individual more effective.

Plan
Management starts with planning. Good management starts with good planning. And proper prior planning prevents… well, you know the rest of that one.

Without a plan you will never succeed. If you happen to make it to the goal, it will have been by luck or chance and is not repeatable. You may make it as a flash-in-the-pan, an overnight sensation, but you will never have the track record of accomplishments of which success is made.

Figure out what your goal is (or listen when your boss tells you). Then figure out the best way to get there. What resources do you have? What can you get? Compare strengths and weaknesses of individuals and other resources. Will putting four workers on a task that takes 14 hours cost less than renting a machine that can do the same task with one worker in 6 hours? If you change the first shift from an 8 AM start to a 10 AM start, can they handle the early evening rush so you don't have to hire an extra person for the second shift?

Look at all the probable scenarios. Plan for them. Figure out the worst possible scenario and plan for that too. Evaluate your different plans and develop what, in your best judgement, will work the best and what you will do if it doesn't.

    TIP: One of the most often overlooked management planning tools is the most effective. Ask the people doing the work for their input.

Organize
Now that you have a plan, you have to make it happen. Is everything ready ahead of your group so the right stuff will get to your group at the right time? Is your group prepared to do its part of the plan? Is the downstream organization ready for what your group will deliver and when it will arrive?

Are the workers trained? Are they motivated? Do they have the equipment they need? Are there spare parts available for the equipment? Has purchasing ordered the material? Is it the right stuff? Will it get here on the appropriate schedule?

Do the legwork to make sure everything needed to execute the plan is ready to go, or will be when it is needed. Check back to make sure that everyone understands their role and the importance of their role to the overall success.

Direct
Now flip the "ON" switch. Tell people what they need to do. I like to think of this part like conducting an orchestra. Everyone in the orchestra has the music in front of them. They know which section is playing which piece and when. They know when to come in, what to play, and when to stop again. The conductor cues each section to make the music happen. That's your job here. You've given all your musicians (workers) the sheet music (the plan). You have the right number of musicians (workers) in each section (department), and you've arranged the sections on stage so the music will sound best (you have organized the work). Now you need only to tap the podium lightly with your baton to get their attention and give the downbeat.

Monitor
Now that you have everything moving, you have to keep an eye on things. Make sure everything is going according to the plan. When it isn't going according to plan, you need to step in and adjust the plan, just as the orchestra conductor will adjust the tempo.

Problems will come up. Someone will get sick. A part won't be delivered on time. A key customer will go bankrupt. That is why you developed a contingency plan in the first place. You, as the manager, have to be always aware of what's going on so you can make the adjustments required.

This is an iterative process. When something is out of sync, you need to Plan a fix, Organize the resources to make it work, Direct the people who will make it happen, and continue to Monitor the effect of the change.

Is It Worth It

Managing people is not easy. However, it can be done successfully. And it can be a very rewarding experience. Remember that management, like any other skill, is something that you can improve at with study and practice.

To understand mind programming, let us consider how the conscious mind and the sub-conscious mind work. The conscious mind is like a watchman and the sub-conscious mind is like a store-room. The watchman has no intelligence on his own. He behaves on the information in the store.

Conscious mind is like a watchman, and the sub-conscious mind is like a store-room. Mind programming means putting information into the store without the knowledge of the watchman.

Mind programming involves putting information in the store without the knowledge of the watchman.

Suppose you tell yourself that "you are good at study". And the store has stored other people's comments such as "you are stupid, you can not succeed". The watchman sees your sentences and compares it with the knowledge in its store and says "this information is wrong". The watchman throws this new information away. He does not put the new positive information in the store. This is the fundamental difficulty in changing behavior of a person.

For the first time in the history of humanity, there are now easily available powerful techniques that allow you to program your mind. All these techniques reach the sub-conscious mind and put information into it without the knowledge of the conscious mind.

Relaxation and mind programming

You can relax using any relaxation technique you like.

In the relaxed state, you can tell yourself positive messages such as "I am good at studies". Use imagination to see yourself achieving success.

Music, songs, and mind programming

How to find out if some music is good? It is simple. The body and mind are very intelligent. This intelligence can not be measured by IQ tests because IQ tests measure only knowledge processing, for example, multiplying two numbers. If the music is good, you will feel good and you will like the music.

So, listen to any music that makes you feel good. Here is an important observation: as you learn to become more relaxed, your choice of music will change.

Because music can change the brain waves and relax you, we can combine music with voice or songs for the purpose of mind programming.

Consider what happens when you listen to a film song or any other popular song. The music and the soothing voice of the singer put you into a relaxed state. There is an increase in alpha brain waves. In the state of relaxation, the conscious mind becomes less critical of the incoming information. So the incoming information (words of the song) reaches your subconscious mind and is stored there. Now this new information also contributes to determine the subconscious mind's behavior.

As a result, the words of music get embedded into your subconscious easily. If those words are encouraging, motivating, positive, good then that music will make you feel good. If those words are negative, sad, discouraging, then you begin to feel that way.

Some researchers found that the happiness varies greatly for people of different countries. The happiness various across the boundaries. It does not vary so much for the people within a country, and it does not matter whether the people are rich or poor, powerful or powerless. It is my belief that the songs and music contribute to this.

Even the music that your neighbors play affects you. Particularly, film songs or other popular songs.


Arthur Ashe, the legendary Wimbledonplayer was dying of AIDS which he got due to infected blood he received during a heart surgery in 1983.

From world over, he received letters from his fans, one of which conveyed:

"Why does GOD have to select you for such a bad disease"?

To this Arthur Ashe replied:

"The world over -- 50 million children start playing tennis, 5 million learn to play tennis, 500,000 learn professional tennis, 50,000 come to the circuit, 5000 reach the grand slam, 50 reach Wimbledon, 4 to semi final, 2 to the finals, when I was holding a cup I never asked GOD 'Why me?'.

And today in pain I should not be asking GOD 'Why me?' "

"Happiness keeps you Sweet,

Trials keep you Strong,

Sorrow keeps you Human,

Failure keeps you humble and Success keeps you glowing, but only Faith & Attitude keeps you going...

Hanuman ji when faced with the huge ocean which needed to be crossed to search for Sita ji Lanka became disheartened. Hanumanji was then reminded of his immense power by Jamvant . He them became so big that and crossed the sea in one jump. Similarly we also have to remind ourselves of our limitless potential. We can do anything, which we set out to do.

According to ancient wisdom everything is created twice once in our mind and then in reality. Such is the power of imagination and mind..

Every success in whatever field starts from a few hundred grams of mass sitting on our shoulders called mind. It is like a muscle use it or it will wither.Our thoughts act as the messenger and the whole universe sets out to help us in what ever we dream or determine to do.

A mind troubled by doubts cannot focus on the path to success.

~Life's Tug Of War~

Life can seem ungrateful ~ and not always kind.
Life can pull at your heartstrings ~ and play with your mind.
Life can be blissful ~ and happy and free.
Life can put beauty ~ in the things that you see.
Life can place challenges ~ right at your feet.
Life can make good ~ of the hardships that we meet.
Life can overwhelm you ~ and make your head spin.
Life can reward those ~ determined to win.
Life can be hurtful ~ and not always fair.
Life can surround you ~ with people who care.
Life clearly does offer ~ its ups and its downs.
Life's days can bring you ~ both smiles and frowns.
Life teaches us to take ~ the good with the bad.
Life is a mixture ~ of happy and sad.

So.....

Take the life that you have ~ and give it your best.
Think positive, be happy ~ let God do the rest.
Take the challenges ~ that life has laid at your feet.
Take pride and be thankful ~ for each one you meet.
To yourself give forgiveness ~ if you stumble and fall.
Take each day that is dealt you ~ and give it your all.
Take the love that you're given ~ and return it with care.
Have faith that when needed ~ it will always be there.
Take time to find the beauty ~ in the things that you see.
Take life's simple pleasures ~ let them set your heart free.
The idea here is simply ~ to even the score.
As you are met and faced with ~ Life's Tug Of War.

~Author Unknown~

I will try to pass in first class, I will try to accomplish the targets, I will try to come on time, etc are in reality reflects that the person is ‘not confident’ and is ‘uncertain’. The word “TRY” used in this context actually means nothing or demonstrates a defensive behaviour on the part of the user.

Try not to USE the Word TRY! to Gain the Power of Communication.

Try is amongst the most misunderstood word. “Try, try, try again” is a quote that we all grew up with and we have heard it time and again. Yes, it means to persist, and not to give up too early or not to get disheartened due to setbacks and failures. This usage of the word “TRY” is motivational and hence good.

Here the word ‘TRY’ is like a ‘cat on the wall’ statement as you really do not know which side of the wall the cat will jump the right, the left, forward or backwards. Try is a neutral statement and as such does not carry the conviction of a positive YES or a negative NO. So the statement indeed enables the user to hide under a mask by not letting you know the true intention.

In our daily life we do come across a lot of individuals who use this word TRY often. The frequent use is probably due to ignorance of the consequences of such unintended usage. The word TRY does not communicate the definitive step to the mind and hence the mind does not know what to do really. The word TRY is dangerous in that it has no commitment or ownership to the action even within the individual. Hence he or she may end up as an average or a poor performer as the communication within the person’s mind is unsure and lacks a definite direction.

Today, take a sure step. Avoid the word TRY in your communication like you would a negative NO. Do replace it with a positive YES and see the difference for your self. A positive yes, denotes confidence and control as well as trust and concern. Your communication will have that much more dignity of purpose and supports positive thinking and action.

This is just one of the many behavioural tips that are shared with the ever growing number of people participating in awareness to action training with respect to improving behaviours in terms of leadership, team work, customer service, interpersonal relationships, sales improvement, presentation skills, negotiation skills and the like.


The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them: a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.
"Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?" Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face. “300/- rupees. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra responsibilities for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get more money from Grandma."

As soon as girl got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 70 rupees. After dinner, she did more than her share of responsibilities.
On her birthday, Grandma did give her 100 rupees. And at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.

Girl loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere – functions, nursery school, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.

Girl had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night when he finished the story, he asked her, "Do you love me?" "Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you." "Then give me your pearls." "Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess - the white horse from my collection. The one with the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you gave me. She's my favorite." "That's okay, Honey. Daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

About a week later, after the story time, her daddy asked again, "Do you love me?" "Daddy, you know I love you." "Then give me your pearls." "Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is so beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper." "That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you" And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.

A few nights later when her daddy came in, girl was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek. "What is it, dear? What's the matter?" she didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little shiver, she finally said, "Here, Daddy. It's for you."

With tears gathering in his own eyes, Girl’s kind daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime-store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to her. He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her genuine treasure.

So it is with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that he can give us beautiful treasure. Isn't God good?

Are you holding onto things which God wants you to let go of?


Are you holding on to harmful relationships, habits and activities which you have become so attached to that it seems impossible to let go?

Always remember…
When God takes away something he’s sure to replace it with something better!

Melbourne, Oct 3 (ANI): Want to crack a job interview without any blunders? Well, then here are some things, which the interviewers don't expect you to do during the one on one session.

The survey carried out by a career website over more than 3000 managers and human resources professionals brought forth the worst interview faux pas by job seekers that failed them to land the job.

Fifty one per cent of managers said 'dressing inappropriately' for an interview was the biggest mistake a jobseeker could make.

According to Kirsty Ferguson, from Pinstripe Solutions Interview Coach, inappropriate dressing leaves a message that the candidate hasn't bothered to research the company, industry or the culture.

"A lot of people these days say this is who I am, and too bad," News.com.au quoted her, as saying.

"But to get what you want, you have to have those professional standards," she added.

Christine Connors, owner of Interview for Success, echoes that same.

She said that candidates wear the wrong thing because they go with what they're used to, and don't understand the company's culture or requirements of the new role.

"I advise clients to go observe employees coming and going from the building and then step it up one notch from that," said Connors.

Complaining about a former employer can also land you in trouble for 49 per cent of managers said that it was the biggest mistake you could make.

While seeming disinterested was third, with 48 per cent.

Jobseekers appear disinterested when they haven't researched the company and don't have any questions - another thing interviewers hate - said Connors.

Do not ask about your salary in the first interview. Focus on selling the product, which is you.

"The one that sticks in the mind a candidate where body odour was a big problem," Connors said.

The candidate was well dressed, qualified and personable, but it was a hot summer's day.

"As soon as he came in, an odour permeated the room," she said.

He wasn't hired because the customer and sales focused job required excellent grooming.

Remember to turn off your phone before entering the room. Ferguson said that answering a mobile phone during an interview also irks the interviewers.

"When you have the mobile phone on, it says waiting for a call is more important - it takes away your credibility," she said.

Don't be too friendly since interviewers may try to draw candidates into a 'false sense of security' to see if they stay professional.

Avoid using slangs. Younger generation make the mistake of 'like this, like that', which is unprofessional and annoys older managers.

Connor said that telling too many personal details when asked 'tell us about yourself' is another big mistake. Have a personal statement of two to three minutes prepared which highlights your key strengths and how they are relevant.

The managers also managers listed arrogance as another big mistake.

"Some candidates have been successful all their lives, they think they are going to breeze in but they haven't taken the initiative to learn about or show interest in the company," said Connors.

"It has to be a two way street. Showing you are confident but asking about the company and how you can contribute will avoid coming across as arrogant," she added. (ANI)