Relax !!

How Can Leaders Reinvent Themselves? 3 Questions with Ken Blanchard from Blanchard LeaderChat

2011-01-15T17:50:00.001-05:00

Originally By David Witt

It’s that time of year when many of us pause, look back, and reflect on the past twelve months. One of the most powerful ways you can improve the performance of your company is by evaluating the quality of your leadership. What can you do for this coming year? Here’s some advice for leaders from bestselling author and management guru Ken Blanchard.

How can a leader reinvent himself or herself?
A. I think a leader reinvents himself or herself by constantly wanting to learn. When you stop learning, you might as well lie down because you’re dead. I think every leader ought to set a personal goal each year about what will they be able to put on their resume next year that they didn’t have last year. It might be learning a new language. It could be learning a new computer program. Constantly put yourself in a learning mode.
What does it take to be a good leader?
A. The biggest thing it takes to be a good leader is humility. People with humility don’t think less of themselves—they just think about themselves less. I think Rick Warren said it well in his book, The Purpose Driven Life. The first sentence of that book is a whole leadership training program. He said, “It’s not about you.” We can accomplish that if we can get leaders to realize that they are there for the mission, for their clients, for their people, and not for themselves.
Can a leader also be a good coach?
A. Yes, coaching is a definite part of leadership. There are two parts of leadership. One is the visionary direction part of leadership which is, “Where are we going?” and “What are we trying to accomplish?” That has to be the responsibility of the traditional hierarchy. It doesn’t mean that you don’t involve other people, but people look to the president, department chairman, and other traditional leaders to make sure that everybody knows where they are going.

The second part of leadership is implementation, which is “How do we live according to the vision, direction, and values that we have established?” With that you have to turn the traditional hierarchy upside down. So now the leaders who played a major role in setting the vision are at the bottom cheerleading, supporting, and coaching.

This is where the coaching process comes in because in developing your people there are three parts: Performance Planning where you are setting the goals and objectives; Day-to-Day Coaching when you are helping people win and accomplish their goals; and then there is Performance Evaluation.

In most companies, the majority of time is spent on performance evaluation with managers focused on judging people’s behavior. Some companies do a pretty good job of goal setting but then they file the goals away until somebody says it is performance review time and then they run around looking for the goals. The thing that is least done is the day-to-day coaching, so coaching is a very important part of leadership.
What can you do from a personal leadership perspective to help your people and your organization perform at a higher level in 2011?
Continue Reading @ Leaderchat
PS: Ken Blanchard will be conducting a free webinar with Colleen Barrett, president emeritus of Southwest Airlines, on January 26. It’s based on their new book, Lead with LUV. To learn more, or to register, visit Lead with LUV: A Different Way to Create Real Success at the Blanchard website.

Being Neutral at Work??

2011-01-15T17:38:00.001-05:00

New research suggests employees who must appear dispassionate at work may have less energy to devote to work tasks and may receive less than positive appraisals from others.

“Our study shows that emotion suppression takes a toll on people,” said Dr. Daniel Beal, assistant professor of psychology at Rice University and co-author of the study.

“It takes energy to suppress emotions, so it’s not surprising that workers who must remain neutral are often more rundown or show greater levels of burnout. The more energy you spend controlling your emotions, the less energy you have to devote to the task at hand.”

The research also found that customers who interacted with a neutrally expressive employee were in less-positive moods and, in turn, gave lower ratings of service quality and held less-positive attitudes toward that employee’s organization.

Continue Reading this Here

10 Things You Should Never Micromanage - Inc.com

2011-01-15T17:27:00.001-05:00

By Darren Dahl | Aug 13, 2010
By their very nature, entrepreneurs are doers. While other people may scheme or dream up ideas, entrepreneurs prefer to take action. That’s how companies are born. The rub, however, is that the drive to do things can often become a hindrance for an entrepreneur over time. "As companies grow, many entrepreneurs have trouble moving from the doing phase to the leading phase," says Stephen Harvill, founder of Creative Ventures, a consulting company in Dallas, Texas. "It's understandable since many times the small business person did just about everything to get the business started. But, as the business grows, they don’t shift their mindset from doing to leading." In other words, many entrepreneurs get stuck micromanaging tasks that should be delegated to others inside or even outside the company.

A case in point is Mike Faith, CEO of Headsets.com, an online retailer based in San Francisco, who says that giving up doing things can be like breaking a bad habit. "Many entrepreneurs have an addiction to making sure things get done 'just right'" and there's no reason to give that up, says Faith. "That's often how they became successful, by having higher standards to get things right than others around them, sometimes even obsessive standards. I'm one of those people."

The truth is, however, the more a CEO micromanages his staff and subordinates, the less productive everyone becomes – which can lead to a death spiral for a nascent enterprise. The answer, then, is to hire the kinds of people you can trust to get the job done all on their own. "Employees need to be given responsibility and continually challenged to grow so that their jobs do not become routine and so that they personally feel invested in their role and the organization as a whole," says Ryan Peterson, founder and CEO of OCZ Technology in San Jose, California. "It is important to start delegating tasks immediately and just as critical to make sure that the right tasks are begin delegated."

In that spirit, Inc. asked dozens of entrepreneurs and small business experts to list what they thought were the top 10 items that, despite every temptation to do so, they should not micromanage. Here’s how they responded, in no particular order:
Responses

கவிதைச் சாலை

2011-01-14T22:23:00.001-05:00

உண்மையைக் காட்டும்

கண்ணாடிகளை

யாருமே விரும்புவதில்லை,

எல்லோருக்கும் தேவைப்படுகிறது

அழகாய்க்

காட்டும் கண்ணாடிகள்

நீ

பொய் பேசும்போதெல்லாம்

கண்டு பிடித்து விடுகிறேன்,

எப்போதேனும்

உண்மை பேசும் போதோ

சந்தேகப்படுகிறேன்

சாரி என்றாள்

செல்லமாய்

நன்றி என்றேன் மெல்லமாய்…

சரேலென மோதிக்கொண்ட

அபாயமற்ற

வளைவு ஒன்றில்

For More Visit Xavi.wordpress.com

20 avoidable job search mistakes By Rachel Farrell, Special to CareerBuilder

2011-01-14T22:15:00.001-05:00

1. Not using a professional e-mail address.
2. Jumping into the fire without your fireproof undies.
3. Not checking your appearance in the mirror before walking into an interview.
4. Falling into the 'black hole.'
5. Being forgetful.
6. Going to networking events -- but not really networking.
7. Omitting a signature block in your e-mail.
8. Casting your net too widely.
9. Not paying attention.
10. Overlooking the interviewing "gimme" questions.
11. Not joining your local Chamber of Commerce.
12. Having grammar or spelling errors on your résumé or cover letter.
13. Not being mindful of your social media presence.
14. Trying to turn an informational interview into a job interview.
15. Not having a LinkedIn profile.
16. Failing to research the company.
17. Not following up after applying for a job.
18. Neglecting to follow up after an interview.
19. Failing to ask questions at the interview.
20. Relying on a single job-hunt strategy.

Read in Detail Here

Answering Six Common Interview Questions - CareerBuilder.co.uk

2011-01-14T21:40:00.000-05:00

1. Tell me about yourself.
This is often the opening question in an interview. It's also one of the most difficult if you're not prepared. Remember, the interviewer does not want to hear about the football team you support or your unusual hobbies. This question calls for your one-minute advert that summarises your years of experience and skills and your personality in the context of the job for which you are being interviewed. Get to the point and sell your professional self. Develop a few brief sentences that demonstrate you have what it takes to do the job – experience, proven results and desire to contribute.

2. Why should we recruit you?
The key to answering any question about you versus your competition is using specifics. "Everybody is going to speak in generalities, so you need something that will make you stand out a bit," says Linda, a teacher in Sheffield. Give real examples that show them you are best-suited for the job. Linda says she would point out her achievements and accomplishments throughout her career that are relevant to the open position, as well as her experience in dealing with different types of students and teaching situations. Pinpoint the qualities you have that are truly valuable to the company.

3. Why do you want to work here? What do you know about our company?
Peter, a G.P. in Edinburgh, says that research is important in answering these questions. "I would use this opportunity to show off what I know about the company and, more importantly, how I would fit in." Susan, a H.R. Manager in Manchester, says that she would address issues and challenges in the company to demonstrate the depth of her knowledge. "I usually talk about revenue, numbers of employees, and also challenges in their type of business and how my experience relates to that," she says. "I would point out things I have done in similar companies that could address their problems."

4. What are your weaknesses?
The secret to answering this question is using your weaknesses to your advantage. "I would turn my weaknesses into strengths," says Tara, a lawyer. "For example, if my weaknesses include my lack of patience I would then state that because of this, I have learned to take special measures to ensure that I remain calm and attentive." Just make sure that you do give a real answer to this question. None of us is without faults, so don't pretend that you do not have weaknesses.

5. What did you dislike about your last job? Why did you leave your last job?
You need to be cautious about these kinds of questions and make sure you do not end up sounding bitter. "I would never criticise my former company, the boss, or my former colleagues," Tara says. You need to have a good understanding about the job for which you're applying to turn this question into a positive one. It may be best to say that you really enjoyed many aspects of your job, then focus on how this new job will give you the opportunity to contribute more in a particular area that is key to the position.

6. Where do you see yourself in five years?
An interviewer does not want to hear that your five-year aspiration is to be sailing in the Caribbean or working in a different industry. You need to talk about goals you have that relate to the job. This will demonstrate that you understand the industry, the company and are motivated to succeed there. Susan, a P.R. Manager at a major car rental company, says she would keep her answer specific to her field, such as stating that she sees herself as being responsible for corporate communications.

Preparation is the key to answering any question with poise and confidence. Always keep in mind – whatever the question is – that the interviewer is trying to find out if you are a good fit and can make a positive contribution in the job.

Article Originally Posted in MSN Jobs

Sleep Deprivation's True Workplace Costs - Patrick J. Skerrett - Your Health at Work - Harvard Business Review

2011-01-13T14:35:00.000-05:00

Performance and productivity, as measured by the Work Limitations Questionnaire, was significantly lower among workers with insomnia and other sleep trouble than they were among those who usually slept well. Writing in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the researchers estimated that lost productivity due to poor sleep cost $3,156 per employee with insomnia and averaged about $2,500 for those with less severe sleep problems. Across the four companies, sleep-related reductions in productivity cost $54 million a year. This doesn't include the cost of absenteeism--those with insomnia missed work an extra five days a year compared to good sleepers.

How well you sleep, or how poorly, is influenced by many factors: stress, health, work, travel, medications, alcohol, smoking, even weight. So many variables can make it a challenge to cope with trouble sleeping. Some people turn to prescription medications, others to over-the-counter sleep aids. An even larger number rely on alcohol. That's a faulty strategy. Alcohol may help you fall asleep, but over the course of the night it actually interferes with sleep.

Read More here "Sleep Deprivation's True Workplace Costs"

Leadership Begins at Home by Tony Schwartz

2011-01-01T22:17:00.001-05:00

There are lessons here for parents, but also for leaders.

First, model the behaviors you hope to see. If you're forever on your iPhone, or watching TV, your kids get that message. If you're always looking over at your computer screen when you're meeting with people, they too get the message.
Second, recognize that these technologies are as addictive as any other drug or diversion that provides an instant hit of pleasure and/or an escape from pain.
"Sometimes I'll say: I need to stop this and do my schoolwork, but I can't," Vijay Singh tells Ritchel, echoing his friends. Parents must set firm boundaries restricting the use of electronics.
It's not about banning them, which is unrealistic and extreme, but rather about helping kids to regularly experience the deeper satisfaction that comes from becoming truly absorbed in and mastering a complex challenge.
Leaders, meanwhile, need to encourage their employees to turn off email entirely at times, in order to focus uninterrupted attention on their most difficult tasks.
Third, parents and teachers alike ought to encourage a new way of working. Whether it's for homework or for office work, the best way to get things done is in periods of uninterrupted work no longer than 90 minutes, followed by true renewal.
We embed, contextualize, and synthesize learning during downtime - which is what we've sacrificed in our addiction to constant connection.
The new technologies aren't going away, nor should they. The real issue is whether we can learn to manage them more skillfully, so they don't end up managing us. Who's going to lead the way?

Read More

Six Keys to Being Excellent at Anything by Tony Schwartz

2011-01-01T22:12:00.001-05:00

2011 Resolution!!

2011-01-01T21:31:00.000-05:00

One of my resolution for this year.... to update the blog as much as I could. : ) Share all the things I read, like or hear or whatever I share on my other social sites..

Happy New Year 2011

2011-01-01T21:29:00.000-05:00

In The New Year In the New Year,
we wish you the best year you’ve ever had,
and that each New Year
will be better than the last.
May you realize your fondest dreams
and take time to recognize and enjoy
each and every blessing. Happy New Year,
And many more! By Joanna Fuchs Source

Corporate Lessons - In a twisted way

2010-08-12T06:48:00.000-04:00

Corporate Lesson 1

A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower when the doorbell rings. After a few seconds of arguing over which one should go and answer the doorbell, the wife gives up, quickly wraps herself up in a towel and runs downstairs. When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the next-door neighbor. Before she says a word, Bob says, "I'll give you $800 to drop that towel that you have on" After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in front of Bob. After a few seconds, Bob hands her 800 dollars and leaves. Confused, but excited about her good fortune, the woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs. When she gets back to the bathroom, her husband asks from the shower, "Who was that?" "It was Bob the next door neighbor," she replies. "Great!" the husband says, "Did he say anything about the $800 he owes me?"

Moral of the story: If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk in time with your stakeholders, you may be in a position to prevent avoidable exposure.

Corporate Lesson 2

A priest was driving along and saw a nun on the side of the road, he stopped and offered her a lift, which she accepted. She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to open and reveal a lovely leg. The priest had a look and nearly had an accident. After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg. The nun looked at him and immediately said, "Father, remember Psalm 129?" The priest was flustered and apologized profusely. He forced himself to remove his hand. Changing gear, he
let his hand slide up her leg again. The nun once again said, "Father, remember Psalm 129?" Once again the priest apologized "Sorry sister but the flesh is weak."
Arriving at the convent, the nun got out gave him a meaningful glance and went on her way. On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to retrieve a bible and looked up Psalm 129. It Said, "Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory."

Moral of the story: Always be well informed in your job, or you might miss a great opportunity.

Corporate Lesson 3

A sales rep, an administration clerk and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp. They rub it and a Genie comes out in a puff of
smoke. The Genie says, "I usually only grant three wishes, so I'll give each of you just one." "Me first! Me first!" says the admin clerk. "I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world." Poof! She's gone. In astonishment, "Me next! Me next!" says the sales rep. "I want to be in Hawaii, relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an Endless supply of pina coladas and the love of my life." Poof! He's gone. "OK, you're up," the Genie says to the manager. The
manager says, "I want those two back in the office after lunch."

Moral of the story: Always let your boss have the first say.

Corporate Lesson 4

A crow was sitting on a tree, doing nothing all day. A small rabbit saw the crow, and asked him, "Can I also sit like you and do nothing all day long?" The
crow answered: "Sure, why not." So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the crow, and rested. All of a sudden a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate
it.

Moral of the story: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.

Corporate Lesson 5

A turkey was chatting with a bull. "I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree," sighed the turkey, but I haven't got the energy." "Well, why don’t you nibble on some of my droppings?" replied the bull. "They're packed with nutrients." The turkey pecked at a lump of dung and found that it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a fourth night, there he was proudly
perched at the top of the tree. Soon he was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot the turkey out of the tree.

Moral of the story: Bullshit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there.

Corporate Lesson 6

A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold the bird froze and fell to the ground in a large field. While it was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on it. As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, it began to realize how warm it was. The dung was actually thawing him out! He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy. A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the
pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him.

Moral of the story:
1) Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy.
2) Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend.
3) And when you're in deep shit, it's best to keep your mouth shut!

கவிதை : யாரும் எழுதாத கவிதைகள்

2010-08-12T06:39:00.000-04:00

விரித்த புத்தகமும்
திறந்த பேனாவுமாய்,
கண்கள் மூடி
சன்னலோரம் அமர்ந்து
நான்
கவிதை தேடும் தருணங்களில்,
கவிதைகள்
சத்தமில்லாத பாதங்களோடு
பார்வையில்லா சன்னலைப்
பார்த்தபடி கடந்து போகும்

by
xavier.dasaian@gmail.com

For Your Valentine

2010-02-13T16:41:00.002-05:00

Love You for now and forever

2010-02-13T16:33:00.002-05:00

Valentine Wishes

2010-02-13T16:31:00.002-05:00

Sale - Offer - Shopping

2010-02-06T07:21:00.000-05:00

Hey guys if in case you are looking for best deals on shopping online.. I would suggest you to take a look at the link I've given below.

This site has updated sale and offers provided by leading brands in all categories be it apprales, food, baby products, name it you got it there..

As the site states, it is one stop site for all category sale and offers... don't forget to check.. You'll be surprised.

Sale and Offers - Best Deals On all Kinds of Products

Hapy 2010

2009-12-31T13:52:00.002-05:00

Missing!!

2008-03-02T11:04:00.002-05:00

Sometimes, Missing is more precious than being together
Because, we miss only those people whom we never want to MISS..

DO YOU LOVE SOMEONE THIS MUCH?

2007-09-06T15:22:00.000-04:00

A girl and guy were speeding over 100 mph on the road on a motorcycle...
Girl: Slow down. Im scared.
Guy: No this is fun.
Girl: No its not. Please, its too scary!
Guy: Then tell me you love me.
Girl: Fine, I love you. Slow down!
Guy: Now give me a BIG hug.
Girl hugs him
Guy: Can you take my helmet off & put it on yourself? Its bugging me.
In the paper the next day :( A motorcycle had crashed into a building because of brake failure. Two people were on it, but only one had survived.
The truth was that halfway down the road, the guy realized that his brakes broke, but he didn't want to let the girl know. Instead, he had her say she loved him & felt her hug him one last time, then had her wear his helmet so that she would live even though it meant that he would die.
If there is anyone in life you love this much, please send this. Forward this to all your good friends on-line to show them that you care.
NOW, make a wish about somthing you would like to happen with you and someone whom you REALLY care about..........

HR -> HIGH RISK

2007-09-06T15:20:00.001-04:00

After 2 years of selfless service, a man realized that he has not been
promoted, no transfer, no salary increase no commendation and that the
Company is not doing any thing about it. So he decided to walk up to
his HR Manager one morning and after exchanging greetings, he told his
HR Manager his observation. The boss looked at him, laughed and asked
him to sit down saying;

My friend, you have not worked here for even one day.
The man was surprised to hear this, but the manager went on to
explain.

Manager:- How many days are there in a year?
Man:- 365 days and some times 366

Manager:- how many hours make up a day?
Man:- 24 hours

Manager:- How long do you work in a day?
Man:- 8am to 4pm. i.e. 8 hours a day.
Manager:- So, what fraction of the day do you work in hours?
Man:- He did some arithmetic and said 8/24 hours i.e. 1/3 (one third)

Manager:- That is nice of you! What is one-third of 366 days?
Man:- 122 (1/3x366 = 122 in days)

Manager:- Do you come to work on weekends?
Man:- No sir

Manager:- How many days are there in a year that are weekends?
Man:- 52 Saturdays + 52 Sundays = 104 days

Manager:- Thanks for that. If you remove 104 days from 122 days, how
many days do you now have?
Man:- 18 days.

Manager:- OK! I do give you 2 weeks sick leave every year. Now remove
that
14 days from the 18 days left. How many days do you have remaining?
Man:- 4 days

Manager:- Do you work on New Year day?
Man:- No sir!

Manager:- Do you come to work on workers day?
Man:- No sir!

Manager:- So how many days are left?
Man:- 2 days sir!

Manager:- Do you come to work on the National holiday?
Man:- No sir!

Manager:- So how many days are left?
Man:- 1 day sir!

Manager:- Do you work on Christmas day?
Man:- No sir!

Manager:- So how many days are left?
Man:- None sir!

Manager:- So, what are you claiming?
Man:- I have understood, Sir. I did not realise that I was stealing
Company money all these days.

Moral - NEVER GO TO HR FOR HELP!!!
HR -> HIGH RISK

New iPd -- Touch Screen

2007-09-06T15:11:00.000-04:00

Available in a few weeks, the Touch comes in 8GB and 16GB configurations, and is basically a phoneless iPhone. Same basic form factor, same motion-sensing screen turning, same multitouch, same Coverflow browsing, same WiFi, and same Safari. Yah, the amazing mobile Web implementation that Apple brought to the iPhone without signing up for AT&T.

“But the WiFi’s not just for Web browsing. You also get the iPhone’s YouTube playback. You also get a wireless iTunes music store. Find a hotspot, find your song, and buy it, just as you would through your desktop iTunes. As Stevie J said, ‘Apple’s going to do with WiFi what others have failed to do.’ That looks likely.”

With its 3.5-inch widescreen display, iPod touch is ideal for watching movies and TV shows, as well as viewing photos and album art.

“The player also features a built-in accelerometer that automatically senses when you rotate it into its landscape position, just like iPhone.

“When you're in music, it automatically switches to Cover Flow so you can browse your music collection by album cover artwork with just a flick of a finger. When in Photos, it automatically displays the photo in its landscape aspect ratio; and when in Safari it displays the web page horizontally.”

No More Flabby Abs.

2007-09-06T15:09:00.001-04:00

They'll strengthen and tone the rectus abdominis, the muscle that stretches from your ribs to your hips, and the obliques, the muscles that run down the sides of your torso. Do two sets of 10 to 12 repetitions, with a 1-minute break in between

Hip Lift
Lie on your back with your arms by your sides, palms facing up. Raise your legs so they are straight up toward the ceiling and perpendicular to your torso.

Pull your navel toward your spine and lift your hips a few inches off the floor, keeping your legs pointed straight up. Then slowly lower your hips back to the floor.

Torso Twist
Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat, about hip-width apart. Extend your arms straight in front of you, and lace your fingers. Tighten your abdominal muscles and lean back about 45 degrees toward the floor.

With your abs taut, rotate your torso toward the right as far as comfortably possible. Be sure to move your upper body (head, shoulders, arms, chest, and abs) in unison; don't lead with your arms. You should be looking in the same direction your hands are pointing throughout the move. Hold, then return to center and twist to the opposite side. That's one rep.

iPhone has been unlocked

2007-08-28T09:36:00.001-04:00

Pardon the teen-like enthusiasm but something geek-world shattering just happened last week: the iPhone had been unlocked.

Why the hullabaloo over this piece of news? The iPhone is probably the most hyped and most anticipated mobile phone in history. From the way people line up just to buy the unit, you’d think it can bring on world peace aside from just making calls. But the iPhone isn’t sold like any other phone.

Apple, the manufacturer, works with telcos in marketing the device. To buy the iPhone, you have sign an agreement that locks you into the service of the telephone company that distributes it. The problem is Apple deals with only some carriers. In the US, you have to be with AT&T.

In the Philippines, Apple will likely work only with either Globe or Smart, not both. This gives Apple leverage in marketing agreements, carriers will be at each other’s throat to get the iPhone deal

Yahoo email now sent directly to cellphones

2007-08-28T09:35:00.000-04:00

Yahoo Inc., the most popular provider of Web-based email in the United States, has added a feature that lets users send free messages directly to mobile phones.