Ajay's Reflections

2013-04-16T08:19:00.003+05:30

Sector Wise Training Institutions

Hospitality and Tourism

Information Technology (IT / ITes)

National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIEILT)

Educational Resources - India

2012-09-30T11:29:00.002+05:30

Regulatory Bodies
University Grants Commission
All India Council for Technical Education
Medical Council of India
Pharmacy Council of India
Indian Nursing Council
The Bar Council of India
Indian Council of Agricultural Research
Dental Council of India
Distance Education Council
Council of Architecture
Central Council of Homoeopathy

Central Ministries
Ministry of Human Resource Development
Planning Commission - Education Division
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Ministry of Rural Development
Ministry of Labour and Employment (Directorate General of Labour and Training)
Ministry of Defence (Training Institutions)

Skills Development Initiatives
National Skills Development Corporation
National Skill Development Coordination Board
PSS Central Institute of Vocational Education (PSSCIVE)
Automotive Skills Development Council
Security Skills Council of India
National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT - DOEACC)

Legislations
The Central Universities Act, 2009
The University Grants Commission Act, 1956
The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009
National Policy on Education 1986 (As Amended in 1992)
National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions 2004
Apprentices Act, 1961

School Education (Important Institutions)
National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)
Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS)
National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE)
Kendriya Vidyalaya Sanghathan (KVS)

Higher Education (Important Institutions)
Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)
Association of Indian Universities
National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA)
Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT)
Indian Institutes of Management (IIM)
National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC)
National Institutes in Indian Medicines & Homoeopathy
National Institutes in Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH)

Schemes Education and Training
National Program on Technology Enabled Learning (NPTEL)
National Mission on Education through ICT (NME-ICT, Sakhsat)
National Vocation Education Qualification Framework (NVEQF)
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) - Universalization of Elementary Education
Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan
Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (Draft Jan 2013)

Adult Education
National Literacy Mission Authority

Documents and Report
XI Five Year Plan Document - Education
Yashpal Committee Report on Higher Education (2009)
Report of Dr. Anil Kakodkar Committee (IITs) (2011)
All India Survey of Higher Education (AISHE)

Anchoring “Doingness” of Coaching Requests with “Beingness”

2012-01-01T12:20:00.000+05:30

One of the dualities of the coaching process is the interplay between the “Doing” focus with the “Being” dimension of the coachee. A typical coaching session ends normally with a few Requests and an occasional Inquiry. This paper explores, if there is a way in which the coach can facilitate the coachee to accomplish the request, such that the process which is followed by the coachee for its completion, can transform the coachee in a powerful manner. Can this doingness of completing the request be synergised with the beingness of the coachee? Would this have a meaningful and significant impact on the coachee? This paper shares two coaching experiences related to this area.

Case-1: My coaching client Anju[1] was getting coached on improving her relationships with her husband and in-laws. Her husband had already started discussing about a possible divorce, which she did not want. After the requests had been made, I asked the coachee some questions designed to facilitate the coachee to choose what she would like to “be” while doing the task. Some key questions were:

a) During the process of completing this request / action, which value(s) would you like to exercise?

b) What would you like to “be” while you do this?

Over a period of 3 coaching sessions, she consistently chose to exercise the value of Peacefulness while doing the action. During this period, as I followed up on her progress on the requests, the insights she was creating were amazing and powerful. Some of these gems from her were; a) I realised my husband is not a liar, b) He cares about me and I sense it when I am peaceful, and c) When I change, my external environment changes.

Case-2: Another coachee of mine, wanted to practice “Listening with positive intent,” without making efforts to agree or disagree with her colleagues at work. When I asked her, that in the process of this listening what she would like to be, she said that she would like to do it “Responsibly.” I further asked her to share, what would be the outcomes she would like to create from such conversations which she has, while exercising her value of being responsible. She explained that her interpretation of being responsible in this context was to not get involved in office politics, not to judge or evaluate what the person is saying, not try to change their views and in case she finds something of value to her, she would try to absorb that part.

The outcomes shared by her next week was that; a) the headaches she was experiencing have vanished, b) Two more of her colleagues came over to speak to her, and c) she felt relaxed and peaceful. I also checked with her if she had accessed and used the value of being Responsible while engaged in such conversations, which she confirmed that she had done consciously.

I was left wondering as to whether the results would have been different, had I not asked the next question, which facilitated the coachee to choose one of their values, which they would exercise in the process of doing the request / action. My hypothesis is that the results would not have been as powerful and deeper. Three specific lessons out of this experience are highlighted below:

1. Doing and Being as two inseparable sides of a coin: One of the questions which came to me was, had I not asked that question, what values or state of being, the coachee would have exercised, wouldn’t the coachee anyway be in some state of being, while doing that task? If yes, then what difference did articulating and choosing what they wanted to be while doing it, make to the quality of the result?

In the former case, the state of being would most likely have been dictated by the state of mind of the coachee at the moment, she was just before the start of the action. And that state would have perhaps be the result of the events she went through earlier during the day. This state the coachee would not have chosen consciously nor be aware of, but still existing at that moment and powerfully affecting the process of doing the task and the outcomes. By enabling the coachee to consciously choose the state of being, and connect herself to it, the whole context of the doingness would have undergone a transformation. This I believe had a profound effect on the outcomes.

So the key insight for me is that doing always occurs with a specific state of being. What the coach can facilitate is to get the coachee to choose and articulate that state during the coaching session and the coachee to access and exercise that beingness in real life, when working on the requests.

2. Higher chances that the outcomes are likely to be aligned with Life Purpose: When the doingness is anchored in a state of beingness, which itself is aligned with one or more values of the coachee, the probability of the outcomes furthering the cause of fulfilling the Life Purpose would be much higher. The coachee derives comfort from the fact that he / she is anchored in their values while doing a specific task or taking a particular action. This is likely to create a higher degree of detachment with specific and wanted outcomes; and enable the coachee to do the task with a higher degree of openness, without too attached to the outcomes. And I presume this comfort comes from the sense that if I am rooted in my values while taking an action, I need not have anxiety about the results. If that be so, the actions and the results are likely to be in alignment with the Life Purpose.

3. More fulfilment in life: The coachee by being connected, conscious and aware about the values and life purpose is likely to exercise his / her values in other situations as well. This really means that coachee would start aligning his / her life more closely to their values. It is about living a life in alignment with my values, leveraging my gifts and talents and moving towards fulfilling the Life Purpose.

[1] Name changed to protect confidentiality

Listening with a Green Lens

2011-08-09T06:14:00.000+05:30

One of the insights which I have had during the last week is on holding a positive focus for everything around me. Perhaps this is an extension of the space I create for my clients when I am in a coaching conversation with them. I have been used to seeing things in “Red” and “Green”. Red stands for all things which are wrong, which are not working well, mistakes. It is like when someone gets a cut, the blood oozes out. Green stands for the trees, leaves and all the natural greenery around us; something which renews us, something which yields flowers of different vibrant colours and fruits of different textures and taste. And most often than not it is the Red lens which normally gets used.

The most vivid example of the Red is the cuttings made by my English Grammar teacher in school. My games teacher in school who instead of motivating me to get physically fit, often ridiculed. The Green stands for the encouragement and inspiration provided by many others at a later stage in my life.

I got habituated to listen to others through a combination of red lens and green lens, with red being a much bigger lens. Some of the answers which I looked for through the red lens were:

· What is wrong here?

· What is not working?

· This is not ok.

· I do not agree to this?

· Why is he wearing a dirty shirt?

· This guy is driving in the wrong lane.

· You made that mistake.

· And so on…..

And in between I used the green lens, but in an atrophied manner.

What if I consciously use only the Green lens in my listening? In some of my conversations I have started practicing this, even if it is only for ten minutes. I just look at what is working, what is going right, the goodness of the other person, the drivers who are driving in the correct lane, …..

It is tough to hold only the green lens, but it is rewarding. And this is something, no amount of my explaining the benefits would help you. I invite you to choose to listen to something, someone or to yourself, from a Green lens once a day. Reflect and see what happened.

My Coaching Journey: My Listening as a Coach

2011-08-08T18:22:00.000+05:30

Most of the time, when we are awake, listening continuously provides us with sensory inputs. Most part of it is unconscious listening. This may be people talking around me but not to me, people talking to me, traffic noise, constant hum of the tube lights / fans / Air conditioners, watching television, listening to FM radio at home or while in a car etc... Isn't it amazing that we consciously register only a very small portion of it. While I have attended many, and conducted a few training programs in and around this area, I perhaps started going deeper in this journey as I started getting trained as a coach and then started coaching.

While there are multiple facets to listening, this paper looks at listening from a four dimensional lens. These are not comprehensive and neither are they mutually exclusive. These are; a) Listening without judging, b) Acknowledging differences, c) Listening with understanding, and d) Listening from innocence.

1. Listening without judging

When I actually listen to a coachee, what happens? How do I listen to him / her? What are the thoughts which come in, as I listen? What am I thinking when the coachee is speaking? How often do I interrupt my listening while the coachee continues to speak to me?

In the past, when I listened to any other person, my mind used to be often busy in, a) judging what the other person is saying. I already know this. This will not work. He / She is at it again. We have tried this before; b) deciding on my response; and c) anxiety to express my views.

Now having become a coach, I realise that judging what the person is saying and listening are mutually exclusive. In the present moment, either I can be judging or listening, but cannot do both simultaneously.

And how do I normally judge? I do it by applying the filters of my beliefs, values, and prior experiences. I am actually listening from my past or my being, without recognising that no two people have the same set of beliefs, values and experiences.

So what do I do now? Just listen with an open mind, without trying to judge or evaluate the coachee. And I am able to better listen and understand the essence of what the other person is saying. When I listen with an open mind, without judging what the person is saying, but just listen and try to understand, what the person is really trying to tell me.

2. Acknowledge differences, across coachees

No two coachees are alike in terms of their values, beliefs, and experiences. How do these differences alter my listening? Two people watch an event simultaneously. Will they describe the event in the same manner? My description will focus on what I chose to notice in that event and my friend is likely to describe what he chose to observe. Which parts of the event, each one of us chooses to observe will depend upon our likes, dis-likes, values, beliefs and past experiences.

I vividly recall an incident at XLRI Jamshedpur, my management school. Prof E H McGrath scheduled a quiz for the batch of freshers, about 100 of us. We all assembled inside the small auditorium for the quiz. He started chatting with us, with no sign of a quiz. Suddenly we heard loud & wild noises, with the beating of drums and people running. A group of scantily clad tribal people entered from the back door, ran towards the front entrance, carrying objects like spears and sword. The whole incident was over in a matter of 2 or 3 seconds. It was, as if an earthquake had struck. Many of my fellow students started screaming, some jumped out of the window. One of them hid himself in the girls’ hostel! When things calmed down, and we found all of us safe, Father McGrath, gave us a sheet of paper and asked us to write a FIR on the incident. Once we finished writing, the so called tribal people came in, they were our seniors! They started reading the FIR's each one of us had written. No two FIR's described the incident completely or accurately. Some of the observations were; tribal people have attacked, tribals have come to kill Father McGrath, some saw a tribal girl leading the group while others did not see her, some saw the swords and spears while others did not see, the number of people reported varied from 7 to 20 etc... And we learnt a lifelong lesson, "What you see may not be the reality."

Now if 100 people can see one incident in different shades, shapes and sizes, imagine what happens when we listen to our coachees speak?

I have learnt two lessons during my coaching journey; a) no two coachees are same, and even if they use the same word, the meaning, context and the experiences associated with that same word would be different; and b) Coachee and I have different beliefs, assumptions, experiences, contexts and meanings.

When I operate using this lens, the coachee will feel listened to, speak out more freely, and communicate openly. This creates immense possibilities for the coach to serve coachees’ agenda.

3. Listening with understanding

In one of my recent coaching sessions, a key intention which a career woman created for herself is that she wants to truly "listen" to her 18 year old daughter. Such a simple act on the surface! But how many of us have listened in the recent past to the people we spend our lives with; at home, in office or in our neighbourhood? In building and nurturing relationships, listening with an intention to understand what the other person is saying, can transform the relationships and create an upward moving spiral of Joy and Fulfillment.

So as a coach, who is fully present for the client, I say to myself; "Here I am! And I want to understand what you are saying." If I listen from this perspective, my process of listening changes. This enables me to paraphrase what the coachee said, empathise with the coachee, stop evaluating, and ask powerful questions,

And what are the outcomes of such a listening? I am able to truly connect with the coachee and get under the skin of what the he or she wants to convey. I get connected at the level of heart.

4. Listening from Innocence

Very often during the meetings in office, I used to listen to first one or two sentences, spoken by a particular person, and I would immediately conclude, what the person is going to say further, why that person will say so, what are the underlying motivations and self-interests of that person. And my listening would have anyway automatically stopped, inferences made by me, perhaps my body language displaying my mental state to that person and others present.

So what really happened? As soon as a person begins to speak, I bring out the own "lens", which I have in my mind, of that person, and start listening (or not listening) or talking (or not talking), to that person speak, through that lens. And the end result of the conversation would be along the similar lines as in the past. There is staleness and no newness, already always listening, past creeps into the present, and what I create is only an extension or reflection of the past.

As a coach, I consciously practice listening to what the coachee is saying from a fresh perspective. It’s a new session, a coachee who is not the same, as who he / she was a week or a fortnight ago.

It’s listening from a state of "Innocence." Now innocence to me is more of a way a child listens, a child whose listening has not yet been conditioned by the external environment. Innocence means being fully present for the coachee, without any kind of lens, like that of the pristine transparent waters of a stream flowing down a hill, after a good rain, with all the dirt settled in the past, already washed away. Listening from innocence to me now means; a) wanting my coachee to tell me more, and b) truly wanting to seek to understand the essence of what the coachee is saying. It also means to listen with no judgement, no self-talk, and just listen to the words, feelings, body language, eyes, tone, and essence of the coachee.

Only if I provide such listening environment to my coachee will I be able to facilitate generation of possibilities, insights, options and actions, by my coachee. So what do I do now? Just listen to the coachee with an open mind, listen with intent, listen with my eyes, listen with my heart, and listen with my one hundred percent mental presence.

Listening from Innocence

2011-03-15T09:11:00.000+05:30

Very often during the meetings in office, I would listen to first one or two sentences, spoken by a particular person, and I would immediately conclude, what the person is going to say further, why that person will say so, what are the underlying motivations and self-interests of that person. And my listening would have anyway automatically stopped, inferences made by me, perhaps my body language displaying my mental state to that person and others present.

So what really happened. As soon as a person begins to speak, I bring out the my own "Lens", which I have in my mindset, of that person, and start listening (or not listening) or talking (or not talking), to that person speak, through that lens. And the end result of the conversation would be along the similar lines as in the past. There is staleness and no newness, already always listening, past creeps into the present, and what I create is only an extension or reflection of the past. Does this create any possibilities for me or that person? Does such a listening energise me or that person? What changes did such a listening cause in the speaking of that person?

Does this situation sound familiar to you? What's the alternative to this "Already Always Listening," which can create powerful possibilities for both the persons? I learnt this about six months ago, while I was being trained to become a Coach. And the solution lies in listening from a state of "Innocence." Now innocence to me is more of a way a Child listens, a child whose listening has not yet been conditioned by the external environment. Innocence means being fully present for that person, without any kind of lens, like that of the pristine transparent waters of a stream flowing down a hill, after a good rain, with all the dirt settled in the past, already washed away. Listening from innocence to me now means, wanting that person to tell me more, and truly wanting to seek to understand the essence of what the person is saying. It also means to listen with no judgement, no self talk, and just listen to the words, feelings, body language, eyes, tone, and essence of that person. And what do you think are the payoffs for me? Let me keep them a secret for the time being and allow you to try listening from Innocence and check out for yourself, what magic happens?

Validation: The Power of Appreciation

2011-03-14T10:18:00.000+05:30

Listening: Magic of Authentic Acknowledgement

2011-02-06T14:45:00.000+05:30

How often do we complement other people while listening to them? Over the last few weeks, I have been going through an amazing journey in the space of listening and acknowledging people. When ever I have any conversation with anyone, face to face or telephonic or on email or face book, I consciously try to acknowledge the other person for at least one thing, which arises in our conversation. It could be as simple as saying thank you to the person for returning my phone call, to replying to my email or complementing the person for some achievement in his life. It could even just be acknowledging something which is working well in the person's life. It always seems that the other person has just listened to his favourite music. I can see and feel, a twinkle in the eyes, a smile on the face, energy in the body and magnetism in his mind. And this occurs irrespective of age, professional & educational background, social status or gender.

The only thing which I do make sure is that the acknowledgement is a) authentic, b) positive, and c) is given without any "buts and ifs."

Authentic acknowledgement also helps in building trust and respect. The other person becomes much more receptive to listen and understand my points of view, even if they are different from his.

Why does this happen? What causes it? What are the after effects of listening with authentic acknowledgement? In what way does it alter your relationship with the other person? I invite you to practice the art of consciously listening with authentic acknowledgement and check out the answers to these questions.

Listening: With Understanding

2011-01-24T16:43:00.001+05:30

In one of my recent coaching sessions, a key intention which a Career Women created for herself, is that she wants to truly "Listen" to her 18 year old daughter. Such a simple act on the surface! But how many of us have listened in the recent past to the people we spend our lives with; at home, in office or in our neighborhood? In building and nurturing relationships, Listening with an intention to understand what the other person is saying, can transform the relationships and create an upward moving spiral of Joy and Fulfillment.

What does it take for me to "Be Responsible" for understanding what the other person is saying? I have caught myself often with an attitude of "Here I am! Tell me what you have to say." It's as if I am doing a favour to the other person by listening. It is as if the responsibility of a productive conversation is on the person speaking.

Can I change this attitude to; "Here I am! and I want to understand what you are saying." If I listen from this perspective, my process of listening is likely to change. I would probably do one or more of the following things:
1. Seek clarifications by asking questions. And not for testing or challenging the speaker.
2. Paraphrase the key points / ideas, as I have understood; and check if my understanding is correct.
3. Note down key points.
4. Understand the concerns, issues and context of the other person; and then Listen with empathy.
5. Stop evaluating what the person is saying and just listen and try to understand by listening deeply.
6. Stop talking.

And what are the outcomes of such a listening. I am able to truly connect with the other person and get under the skin of what the person wants to convey. I get connected at the level of heart. What do you feel would be the likely outcomes of such a conversation? Who would have won or lost in such a Listening? What "Listening" would the other person have about you, when you start speaking or you meet him/her the next time?

Check it out in your next conversation with your spouse or little one or father / mother, team member or your boss. What happened? What did you create for yourself in that conversation?

Listening: With Respect

2011-01-23T13:14:00.004+05:30

I am in a conversation with a senior colleague. He has his laptop open in front of him. His mobile phone close to him. I am also holding my mobile phone. While we are discussing, I can see him steal occasional glances on his laptop screen, which has the Outlook open. A ping on his mobile and he reads the SMS which has just landed. Little later, while continuing to listen, he also responds to an urgent email. These tasks were probably more productive use of time by multitasking, being current with emails and ensuring speed of response, while also trying to listen to me.

But what happened to the listening during this conversation? Did I feel listened to? How did his brain manage this switching over from listening to responding to emails or to reading the SMS? Did he listen to me? Did I feel listened to? Wasn't he saying that his time is more important than my time? or that responding to email was more important than listen to me? Was he demonstrating respect for me and for what I was saying? How do you think this affected my own thoughts and what and how I told him after that?

Do you also find yourself checking your emails or responding to SMS, or taking a phone call, during a conversation, meeting in your office? Do you also listen to your spouse, while also reading a newspaper, with your face hidden?

What is likely to be the end result of such a conversation or a meeting? What could be its long term repercussions on relationships, effectiveness at work, achieving the purpose of the meeting / conversation?

I invite you to listen with intent in your next conversation. Listen to the spoken words, unspoken words, observe the emotions in the person's eyes, notice the facial expressions, notice the changes in posture and be fully present during the conversation. Let the other person(s) present feel respected, by your listening.

Listening: Acknowledge Differences

2011-01-21T10:56:00.001+05:30

Did you try listening to at least one person, without any judgement? What did you discover? I would love to read your insights.

No two people are alike in terms of their values, beliefs, and experiences. How do these differences alter my listening? Two people watch an event simultaneously. Will they describe the event in the same manner? My description will focus on what I chose to notice in that event and my friend is likely to describe what he chose to observe. Which parts of the event, each one of us chooses to observe will depend upon our likes, dis-likes, values, beliefs and past experiences.

I vividly recall an incident at XLRI Jamshedpur, my management school. Prof E H McGrath scheduled a quiz for the batch of freshers, about 100 of us. We all assembled inside the small auditorium for the quiz. He started chatting with us, with no sign of a quiz. Suddenly we heard loud & wild noises, with the beating of drums and people running. A group of scantily clad tribal people entered from the back door, ran towards the front entrance, carrying objects like spears and sword. The whole incident was over in a matter of 2 or 3 seconds. It was, as if an earthquake had struck. Many of my fellow students started screaming, some jumped out of the window. One of them hid himself in the girls hostel! When things calmed down, and we found all of us safe, Father McGrath, gave us a sheet of paper and asked us to write a FIR on the incident. Once we finished writing, the so called tribal people came in, they were our seniors! They started reading the FIR's each one of us had written. No two FIR's described the incident completely or accurately. Some of the observations were; tribal people have attacked, tribals have come to kill Father McGrath, some saw a tribal girl leading the group while others did not see her, some saw the swords and spears while others did not see, the number of people reported varied from 7 to 20 etc... And we learnt a life long lesson, "What you see may not be the reality."

Now if 100 people can see one incident in different shades, shapes and sizes, imagine what happens when we listen to people speaking. They have their past experiences, values, beliefs, aspirations, and observations, behind what they are saying. Similarly when I listen to this person, I am listening from my values, beliefs, aspirations and experiences. What can I do to listen to this person with intent? Probably listen without any judgement. And also acknowledge the differences in his opinions, views, observations, suggestions, and inferences; and my own thoughts. When I do this what is likely to happen? The other person will feel listened to, speak out more freely, free of the fear of rejection, will become less defensive and communicate openly. When each one of us acknowledge our differences, we create immense possibilities for ourselves.

I invite you to have at least one conversation with your spouse, partner, friend, parents, colleagues, boss, neighbour or even a stranger. Listen without judgement and look out for differences. Acknowledge those differences and carry on with your conversation. Reflect how did that conversation go? What new possibilities did it create for you?

Listening: Without Judgement

2011-01-20T14:18:00.002+05:30

Most of the time, when we are awake, Listening is one of the five senses, which continuously provides us with sensory inputs. Most part of it is unconscious listening. This may be people talking around me but not to me, people talking to me, traffic noise, constant hum of the Tubelights / fans / Air conditioners, watching television, listening to FM radio at home or while in a car etc... Isn't it amazing that we consciously register only a very small portion of it.

So when I do actually listen to another person, what happens? How do I listen to when I am talking to another human being? What are the thoughts which are coming in, as I listen to the other person? What am I thinking when the other person is speaking? How often do I interrupt my listening while the other person continues to speak to me?

Let's first focus on what is going on inside my mind as I listen to the other person speak to me:

Judging what the other person is saying: I already know this. This will not work. He / She is at it again. We have tried this before.
What should be my response?
I need to interrupt this person and express my views.

When I start judging what the other person is saying, what happens to my listening from that moment onwards? I start juggling between my judgement and trying to see what the other person is saying now. But hold on, I can either be judging or be listening. I am unable to do both simultaneously. And how do I normally judge? I do it by applying the filters of my beliefs, values, and prior experiences. I am actually listening from my past or my being, without recognising that no two people have the same set of beliefs, values and experiences.

So what do I do now? Just Listen with an open mind, without trying to judge or evaluate the other person at the same time. Hey, I am able to better listen and understand the essence of what the other person is saying.

When I listen with an open mind, without judging what the person is saying, but just listen and try to understand, what the person is really trying to tell me, then my anxiety to give an immediate response reduces dramatically.

So what do I do now: Just listen to the other person, with an open mind, listen with intent, listen with my eyes, with my complete presence, what the other person is saying.

And see what happens .... Check it out yourself in your next conversation with your spouse or colleague or customer or your boss.