vIpUl`Z wIzDoM

10 Deadly Sins of Negative Thinking

2010-02-20T20:03:00.000-08:00

Every thought is a seed. If you plant crab apples, don't count on harvesting Golden Delicious. ~Bill Meyer

The way to overcome negative thoughts and destructive emotions is to develop opposing, positive emotions that are stronger and more powerful.” – Dalai Lama

Life could be so much better for many people, if they would just spot their negative thinking habits and replace them with positive ones.

Negative thinking, in all its many-splendored forms, has a way of creeping into conversations and our thinking without our noticing them. The key to success, in my humble opinion, is learning to spot these thoughts and squash them like little bugs. Then replace them with positive ones. You’ll notice a huge difference in everything you do.

Let’s take a look at 10 common ways that negative thinking emerges — get good at spotting these patterns, and practice replacing them with positive thinking patterns. It has made all the difference in the world for me.
10 Deadly Sins of Negative Thinking

1. I will be happy once I have _____ (or once I earn X).

Problem: If you think you can’t be happy until you reach a certain point, or until you reach a certain income, or have a certain type of house or car or computer setup, you’ll never be happy. That elusive goal is always just out of reach. Once we reach those goals, we are not satisfied — we want more.

Solution: Learn to be happy with what you have, where you are, and who you are, right at this moment. Happiness doesn’t have to be some state that we want to get to eventually — it can be found right now. Learn to count your blessings, and see the positive in your situation. This might sound simplistic, but it works.

2. I wish I were as ____ as (a celebrity, friend, co-worker).

Problem: We’ll never be as pretty, as talented, as rich, as sculpted, as cool, as everyone else. There will always be someone better, if you look hard enough. Therefore, if we compare ourselves to others like this, we will always pale, and will always fail, and will always feel bad about ourselves. This is no way to be happy.

Solution: Stop comparing yourself to others, and look instead at yourself — what are your strengths, your accomplishments, your successes, however small? What do you love about yourself? Learn to love who you are, right now, not who you want to become. There is good in each of us, love in each of us, and a wonderful human spirit in every one of us.

3. Seeing others becoming successful makes me jealous and resentful.

Problem: First, this assumes that only a small number of people can be successful. In truth, many, many people can be successful in different ways.

Solution: Learn to admire the success of others, and learn from it, and be happy for them, by empathizing with them and understanding what it must be like to be them. And then turn away from them, and look at yourself you can be successful too, in whatever you choose to do. And even more, you already are successful. Look not at those above you in the social ladder, but those below you — there are always millions of people worse off than you, people who couldn’t even read this article or afford a computer. In that light, you are a huge success.

4. I am a miserable failure — I can’t seem to do anything right.

Problem: Everyone is a failure, if you look at it in certain ways. Everyone has failed, many times, at different things. I have certainly failed so many times I cannot count them — and I continue to fail, daily. However, looking at your failures as failures only makes you feel bad about yourself. By thinking in this way, we will have a negative self-image and never move on from here.

Solution: See your successes and ignore your failures. Look back on your life, in the last month, or year, or 5 years. And try to remember your successes. If you have trouble with this, start documenting them keep a success journal, either in a notebook or online. Document your success each day, or each week. When you look back at what you’ve accomplished, over a year, you will be amazed. It’s an incredibly positive feeling.

5. I’m going to beat so-and-so no matter what I’m better than him. And there’s no way I’ll help him succeed — he might beat me.

Problem: Competitiveness assumes that there is a small amount of gold to be had, and I need to get it before he does. It makes us into greedy, back-stabbing, hurtful people. We try to claw our way over people to get to success, because of our competitive feelings. For example, if a blogger wants to have more subscribers than another blogger, he may never link to or mention that other blogger. However, who is to say that my subscribers can’t also be yours? People can read and subscribe to more than one blog.

Solution: Learn to see success as something that can be shared, and learn that if we help each other out, we can each have a better chance to be successful. Two people working towards a common goal are better than two people trying to beat each other up to get to that goal. There is more than enough success to go around. Learn to think in terms of abundance rather than scarcity.

6. Dammit! Why do these bad things always happen to me?

Problem: Bad things happen to everybody. If we dwell on them, they will frustrate us and bring us down..

Solution: See bad things as a part of the ebb and flow of life. Suffering is a part of the human condition — but it passes. All pain goes away, eventually. Meanwhile, don’t let it hold you back. Don’t dwell on bad things, but look forward towards something good in your future. And learn to take the bad things in stride, and learn from them. Bad things are actually opportunities to grow and learn and get stronger, in disguise.

7. You can’t do anything right! Why can’t you be like ____ ?

Problem: This can be said to your child or your subordinate or your sibling. The problem? Comparing two people, first of all, is always a fallacy. People are different, with different ways of doing things, different strengths and weaknesses, different human characteristics. If we were all the same, we’d be robots. Second, saying negative things like this to another person never helps the situation. It might make you feel better, and more powerful, but in truth, it hurts your relationship, it will actually make you feel negative, and it will certainly make the other person feel negative and more likely to continue negative behavior. Everyone loses.

Solution: Take the mistakes or bad behavior of others as an opportunity to teach. Show them how to do something. Second, praise them for their positive behavior, and encourage their success. Last, and most important, love them for who they are, and celebrate their differences.

8. Your work sucks. It’s super lame. You are a moron and I hope you never reproduce.

Problem: I’ve actually gotten this comment before. It feels wonderful. However, let’s look at it not from the perspective of the person receiving this kind of comment but from the perspective of the person giving it. How does saying something negative like this help you? I guess it might feel good to vent if you feel like your time has been wasted. But really, how much of your time has been wasted? A few minutes? And whose fault is that? The bloggers or yours? In truth, making negative comments just keeps you in a negative mindset.. It’s also not a good way to make friends.

Solution: Learn to offer constructive solutions, first of all. Instead of telling someone their blog sucks, or that a post is lame, offer some specific suggestions for improvement. Help them get better. If you are going to take the time to make a comment, make it worth your time. Second, learn to interact with people in a more positive way — it makes others feel good and it makes you feel better about yourself. And you can make some great friends this way. That’s a good thing.

9. Insulting People Back

Problem: If someone insults you or angers you in some way, insulting them back and continuing your anger only transfers their problem to you. This person was probably having a bad day (or a bad year) and took it out on you for some reason. If you reciprocate, you are now having a bad day too. His problem has become yours. Not only that, but the cycle of insults can get worse and worse until it results in violence or other negative consequences for both of you.

Solution: Let the insults or negative comments of others slide off you like Teflon. Don’t let their problem become yours. In fact, try to understand their problem more why would someone say something like that? What problems are they going through? Having a little empathy for someone not only makes you understand that their comment is not about you, but it can make you feel and act in a positive manner towards them — and make you feel better about yourself in the process.

10. I don’t think I can do this — I don’t have enough discipline. Maybe some other time..

Problem: If you don’t think you can do something, you probably won’t. Especially for the big stuff. Discipline has nothing to do with it — motivation and focus has everything to do with it. And if you put stuff off for “some other time”, you’ll never get it done. Negative thinking like this inhibits us from accomplishing anything.

Solution: Turn your thinking around: you can do this! You don’t need discipline. Find ways to make yourself a success at your goal. If you fail, learn from your mistakes, and try again. Instead of putting a goal off for later, start now. And focus on one goal at a time, putting all of your energy into it, and getting as much help from others as you can. You can really move mountains if you start with positive thinking.

1 0 principles for Peace of Mind..

2010-02-20T20:01:00.000-08:00

1. Do Not Interfere In Others' Business Unless Asked.

Most of us create our own problems by interfering too often in others' affairs. We do so because somehow we have convinced ourselves that our way is the best way, our logic is the perfect logic and those who do not conform to our thinking must be criticized and steered to the right direction, our direction. This thinking denies the existence of individuality and consequently the existence of God.. God has created each one of us in a unique way. No two human beings can think or act in exactly the same way. All men or women act the way they do because God within them prompts them that way. Mind your own business and you will keep your peace.

2. Forgive And Forget:

This is the most powerful aid to peace of mind. We often develop ill feelings inside our heart for the person who insults us or harms us. We nurture grievances. This in turn results in loss of sleep, development of stomach ulcers, and high blood pressure. This insult or injury was done once, but nourishing of grievance goes on forever by constantly remembering it. Get over this bad habit. Life is too short to waste in such trifles. Forgive,20Forget, and march on. Love flourishes in giving and forgiving.

3. Do Not Crave For Recognition:

This world is full of selfish people. They seldom praise anybody without selfish motives. They may praise you today because you are in power, but no sooner than you are powerless, they will forget your achievement and will start finding faults in you. Why do you wish to kill yourse lf in striving for their recognition? Their recognition is not worth the aggravation. Do your duties ethically and sincerely.

4. Do Not Be Jealous:

We all have experienced how jealousy can disturb our peace of mind. You know that you work harder than your colleagues in the office, but sometimes they get promotions; you do not. You started a business several years ago, but you are not as successful as your neighbor whose business is only one year old. There are several examples like these in everyday life. Should you be jealous? No. Remember everybody's life is shaped by his/her destiny, which has now become his/her reality. If you are destined to be rich, nothing in the world can stop you. If you are not so destined, no one can help you either. Nothing will be gained by blaming others for your misfortune. Jealousy will not get you anywhere; it will only take away your peace of mind.

5. Change Yourself According To The Environment:

If you try to change the environment single-handedly, the chances are you will fail. Instead, change yourself to suit your environment. As you do this, even the environment, which has been unfriendly to you, will mysteriously change and seem congenial and harmonious.

6. Endure What Cannot Be Cured:

This is the best way to turn a disadvantage into an advantage. Every day we face numerous inconveniences, ailments, irritations, and accidents that are beyond our control... If we cannot control them or change them, we must learn to put up with these things. We must learn to endure them cheerfully. Believe in yourself and you will gain in terms of patience, inner strength and will power.

7. Do Not Bite Off More Than You Can Chew:

This maxim needs to be remembered constantly. We often tend to take more responsibilities than we are capable of carrying out. This is done to satisfy our ego. Know your limitations. . Why take on additional loads that may create more worries? You cannot gain peace of mind by expanding your external activities. Reduce your material engagements and spend time in prayer, introspection and meditation. This will reduce those thoughts in your mind that make you restless. Uncluttered mind will produce greater peace of mind.

8. Meditate Regularly:

Meditation calms the mind and gets rid of disturbing thoughts. This is the highest state of peace of mind. Try and experience it yourself. If you meditate earnestly for half an hour everyday, your mind will tend to become peaceful during the remaining twenty-three and half-hours. Your mind will not be easily disturbed as it was before. You would benefit by gradually increasing the period of daily meditation. You may think that this will interfere with your daily work. On the contrary, this will increase your efficiency and you will be able to produce better results in less time.

9. Never Leave The Mind Vacant:

An empty mind is the devil's workshop. All evil actions start in the vacant mind. Keep your mind occupied in something positive, something worthwhile. Actively follow a hobby. Do something that holds your interest. You must decide what you value more: money or peace of mind. Your hobby, like social work or religious work, may not always earn you more money, but you will have a sense of fulfillment and achievement. Even when you are resting physically, occupy yourself in healthy reading or mental chanting of God's name.

10. Do Not Procrastinate And Never Regret:

Do not waste time in protracted wondering " Should I or shouldn't I?" Days, weeks, months, and years may be wasted in that futile mental debating. You can never plan enough because you can never anticipate all future happenings. Value your time and do the things that need to be done. It does not matter if you fail the first time. You can learn from your mistakes and succeed the next time. Sitting back and worrying will lead to nothing. Learn from your mistakes, but do not brood over the past. DO NOT REGRET. Whatever happened was desti ned to happen only that way. Why cry over spilt milk?

50 COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

2009-10-17T04:09:00.000-07:00

Review these typical interview questions and think about how you would answer them. Read the questions listed; you will also find some strategy suggestions with it.

1. Tell me about yourself?
Ans : The most often asked question in interviews. You need to have a short statement prepared in your mind. Be careful that it does not sound rehearsed. Limit it to work-related items unless instructed otherwise. Talk about things you have done and jobs you have held that relate to the position you are interviewing for. Start with the item farthest back and work up to the present.

2. Why did you leave your last job?
Ans: Stay positive regardless of the circumstances. Never refer to a majorproblem with management and never speak ill of supervisors, co-workers or the organization. If you do, you will be the one looking bad. Keep smiling and talk about leaving for a positive reason such as an opportunity, a chance to do something special or other forward-looking reasons.

3. What experience do you have in this field?
Ans: Speak about specifics that relate to the position you are applying for. If you do not have specific experience, get as close as you can.

4. Do you consider yourself successful?
Ans:You should always answer yes and briefly explain why. A good explanation is that you have set goals, and you have met some and are on track to achieve the others.

5. What do co-workers say about you?
Ans: Be prepared with a quote or two from co-workers. Either a specific statement or a paraphrase will work. Jill Clark, a co-worker at Smith Company, always said I was the hardest workers she had ever known. It is as powerful as Jill having said it at the interview herself.

6. What do you know about this organization?
This question is one reason to do some research on the organization before the interview. Find out where they have been and where they are going. What are the current issues and who are the major players?

7.. What have you done to improve your knowledge in the last year?
Try to include improvement activities that relate to the job. A wide variety of activities can be mentioned as positive self-improvement. Have some good ones handy to mention.

8. Are you applying for other jobs?
Be honest but do not spend a lot of time in this area. Keep the focuson this job and what you can do for this organization. Anything else is a distraction.

9. Why do you want to work for this organization?
This may take some thought and certainly, should be based on the research you have done on the organization. Sincerity is extremely important here and will easily be sensed... Relate it to your long-term career goals.

10. Do you know anyone who works for us?
Be aware of the policy on relatives working for the organization. This can affect your answer even though they asked about friends not relatives. Be careful to mention a friend only if they are well thought of.

11. What is your Expected Salary?
A loaded question. A nasty little game that you will probably lose if you answer first. So, do not answer it. Instead, say something like, That's a tough question. Can you tell me the range for this position? In most cases, the interviewer, taken off guard, will tell you. If not, say that it can depend on the details of the job. Then give a wide range.

12. Are you a team player?
You are, of course, a team player. Be sure to have examples ready. Specifics that show you often perform for the good of the team rather than for yourself are good evidence of your team attitude. Do not brag, just say it in a matter-of-fact tone. This is a key point..

13. How long would you expect to work for us if hired?
Specifics here are not good. Something like this should work: I'd like it to be a long time. Or As long as we both feel I'm doing a good job.

14. Have you ever had to fire anyone?
How did you feel about that? This is serious. Do not make light of it or in any way seem like you like to fire people. At the same time, you will do it when it is the right thing to do. When it comes to the organization versus the individual who has created a harmful situation, you will protect the organization. Remember firing is not the same as layoff or reduction in force.

15. What is your philosophy towards work?
The interviewer is not looking for a long or flowery dissertation here. Do you have strong feelings that the job gets done? Yes. That's the type of answer that works best here. Short and positive, showing a benefit to the organization.

16. If you had enough money to retire right now, would you?
Answer yes if you would. But since you need to work, this is the type of work you prefer. Do not say yes if you do not mean it.

17. Have you ever been asked to leave a position?
If you have not, say no. If you have, be honest, brief and avoid saying negative things about the people or organization involved.

18. Explain how you would be an asset to this organization ?
You should be anxious for this question. It gives you a chance to highlight your best points as they relate to the position being discussed. Give a little advance thought to this relationship. .

19. Why should we hire you?
Point out how your assets meet what the organization needs. Do not mention any other candidates to make a comparison..

20. Tell me about a suggestion you have made ?
Have a good one ready. Be sure and use a suggestion that was accepted and was then considered successful. One related to the type of work applied for is a real plus.

21. What irritates you about co-workers?
This is a trap question. Think real hard but fail to come up with anything that irritates you. A short statement that you seem to get along with folks is great.

22. What is your greatest strength?
Numerous answers are good, just stay positive. A few good examples: Your ability to prioritize, Your problem-solving skills, Your ability to work under pressure, Your ability to focus on projects, Your professional expertise, Your leadership skills, Your positive attitude

23. Tell me about your dream job ?
Stay away from a specific job. You cannot win. If you say the job you are contending for is it, you strain credibility. If you say another job is it, you plant the suspicion that you will be dissatisfied with this position if hired. The best is to stay genetic and say something like: A job where I love the work, like the people, can contribute andcan't wait to get to work.

24. Why do you think you would do well at this job?
Give several reasons and include skills, experience and interest.

25. What are you looking for in a job?
See answer # 23

26. What kind of person would you refuse to work with?
Do not be trivial. It would take disloyalty to the organization, violence or lawbreaking to get you to object. Minor objections will label you as a whiner.

27. What is more important to you: the money or the work?
Money is always important, but the work is the most important. There is no better answer.

28. What would your previous supervisor say your strongest point is?
There are numerous good possibilities: Loyalty, Energy, Positive attitude, Leadership, Team player, Expertise,Initiativ e, Patience, Hard work, Creativity, Problem solver

29. Tell me about a problem you had with a supervisor?
Biggest trap of all. This is a test to see if you will speak ill of your boss. If you fall for it and tell about a problem with a former boss, you may well below the interview right there. Stay positive and develop a poor memory about any trouble with a supervisor.

30. What has disappointed you about a job?
Don't get trivial or negative. Safe areas are few but can include: Not enough of a challenge. You were laid off in a reduction Company did not win a contract, which would have given you more responsibility.

31. Tell me about your ability to work under pressure.
You may say that you thrive under certain types of pressure. Give an example that relates to the type of position applied for.

32. Do your skills match this job or another job more closely?
Probably this one. Do not give fuel to the suspicion that you may want another job more than this one.

33. What motivates you to do your best on the job?
This is a personal trait that only you can say, but good examples are: Challenge, Achievement, Recognition

34. Are you willing to work overtime? Nights? Weekends?
This is up to you. Be totally honest.

35. How would you know you were successful on this job?
Several ways are good measures: You set high standards for yourself and meet them. Your outcomes are a success. Your boss tell you that you are successful

36. Would you be willing to relocate if required?
You should be clear on this with your family prior to the interview if you think there is a chance it may come up. Do not say yes just to get the job if the real answer is no. This can create a lot of problems later on in your career. Be honest at this point and save yourself future grief.

37. Are you willing to put the interests of the organization ahead of your own?
This is a straight loyalty and dedication question. Do not worry about the deep ethical and philosophical implications. Just say yes.

38. Describe your management style ?
Try to avoid labels. Some of the more common labels, like progressive, salesman or consensus, can have several meanings or descriptions depending on which management expert you listen to. The situational style is safe, because it says you will manage according to the situation, instead of one size fits all.

39. What have you learned from mistakes on the job?
Here you have to come up with something or you strain credibility. Make it small, well intentioned mistake with a positive lesson learned. An example would be working too far ahead of colleagues on a project and thus throwing coordination off.

40. Do you have any blind spots?
Trick question. If you know about blind spots, they are no longer blind spots. Do not reveal any personal areas of concern here. Let them do their own discovery on your bad points. Do not hand it to them.

41. If you were hiring a person for this job, what would you look for?
Be careful to mention traits that are needed and that you have.

42. Do you think you are overqualified for this position?
Regardless of your qualifications, state that you are very well qualified for the position.

43. How do you propose to compensate for your lack of experience?
First, if you have experience that the interviewer does not know about, bring that up: Then, point out (if true) that you are a hard working quick learner.

44. What qualities do you look for in a boss?
Be generic and positive. Safe qualities are knowledgeable, a sense of humor, fair, loyal to subordinates and holder of high standards. All bosses think they have these traits.

45. Tell me about a time when you helped resolve a dispute ?
between others. Pick a specific incident. Concentrate on your problem solving technique and not the dispute you settled.

46. What position do you prefer on a team working on a project?
Be honest. If you are comfortable in different roles, point that out.

47. Describe your work ethic ?
Emphasize benefits to the organization. Things like, determination to get the job done and work hard but enjoy your work are good.

48. What has been your biggest professional disappointment?
Be sure that you refer to something that was beyond your control. Show acceptance and no negative feelings.

49. Tell me about the most fun you have had on the job.
Talk about having fun by accomplishing something for the organization.

50. Do you have any questions for me?
Always have some questions prepared. Questions prepared where you will be an asset to the organization are good. How soon will I be able to be productive? and What type of projects will I be able to assist on? are examples.

And Finally Best of Luck Hope you will be succussful in the interview you are going to face in coming days.

"Never take some one for granted,Hold every person Close to your Heart because you might wake up one day and realise that you have lost a diamond while you were too busy collecting stones." Remember this always in life.

General Cancer Information

2009-10-17T04:08:00.002-07:00

Alcohol Consumption
Chronic heavy drinking has been linked to an increased risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, pancreas and rectum. Consuming as little as three ounces of hard liquor every day for several years can cause damage.

Aspirin Linked to Reduced Lung Cancer Risk
Aspirin has already risen from the ranks of a mere pain reliever to become a highly valued heart attack and stroke prevention tool, and now researchers say preventing lung cancer may be added to its list of benefits.

Cancer and Nutrition
To prevent cancer, avoid dietary fats. Eat a diet rich in soy, fruits, vegetables and fiber.

Cancer Risk Factors
The following are various types of cancer and their risk factors:

* Breast- Family history of breast cancer, obesity, late childbearing and childlessness
* Bladder- Smoking (nearly half of cases), hair dye - bladder cancer is more common in men than women
* Cervical- First intercourse at an early age, multiple sexual partners, smoking, history of genital herpes
* Colorectal- Being over 50 with colon polyps or ulcerative colitis, family history of these disorders or colon cancer, high-fat, low-fiber diet
* Leukemia- Exposure to radiation, benzene and other chemicals
* Lung- Smoking (83 percent of cases), exposure to asbestos, radiation and secondhand tobacco smoke
* Lymphoma- Being over 50, no other known risk factors
* Oral- Smoking, chewing tobacco and heavy alcohol use
* Pancreatic- Smoking, high-fat diet
* Prostate- Risk increases with age; more than 80 percent of cases occur after 65
* Skin- Fair skin, severe sunburn in childhood, frequent sun exposure, family history of skin cancer
* Uterine- Being post-menopausal with a history of infertility, ovulation failure or abnormal bleeding, also obesity, hypertension and diabetes

Early Detection
The earlier cancer is detected, the greater the chance it can be treated before it spreads to other areas of the body. That's why self-examinations (such as checks of the breasts, testicles and skin) are important to build into your routine. And it's why regular medical screenings (such as mammograms, fecal occult blood tests, Pap smears and prostate exams) are crucial even if you feel perfectly healthy.

More Precise Cancer Treatments
Once, a cancer was a cancer was a cancer. Now, scientists have succeeded in using DNA to determine whether a particular type of cancer will be resistant to certain therapies, paving the way to choosing more effective, tailor-made treatments for patients.

Nutrition and Cancer Patients
A great tasting, nutritious milkshake for cancer patients requiring extra calories in small amounts is made by adding 2 large scoops of ice cream and 1 package of vanilla-flavored Carnation Instant Breakfast to 8 ounces of milk and blending until smooth.

Orange Zest and Cancer
Don't toss away that orange peel -- it may help protect you against cancer. Grated citrus zest -- the outmost layer of the peel, not the white pith -- includes compounds may provide health benefits, such as inhibiting development of some cancers and lowering cholesterol. Scrub the rind with warm water and a drop of soap before starting to grate. Press a piece of wax paper onto the grater to make clean-up easier; the zest accumulates on the paper instead of getting stuck in the holes of the grater. Best of all, you can use the zest for a flavor boost in low-fat baked goods, pilafs, salad dressings, marinades and fruit salads.

Seven Cancer Warning Signs
1. A change in bowel or bladder habits
2. A sore that does not heal
3. Unusual bleeding or discharge
4. Thickening or a lump in the breast or other area
5. Chronic indigestion or swallowing problems
6. An obvious change in a wart or a mole
7. A nagging cough or hoarseness

Startling Facts About Smoking and Cancer
Eighteen little-known facts about smoking might motivate even a veteran smoker to give up the habit:
1. Cigarette smoke contains tar, made up of over 4,000 chemicals, including 43 known to cause cancer.
2. Chemicals in smoke include cyanide (a deadly poison), methanol (wood alcohol), formaldehyde (a preservative), acetylene (fuel used in torches) and ammonia (found in fingernail polish remover). It also contains nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide, both poisonous gases.
3. Smokeless tobacco (snuff) exposes a person to at least 10 times more cancer-causing substances than smoking does.
4. Smoking filtered cigarettes lowers the risk of lung cancer by only about 20 percent.
5. Smokers are more likely to get pneumonia than are nonsmokers.
6. Smokers are more likely to have and die from stomach ulcers than are nonsmokers.
7. Smoking causes and worsens heart disease, emphysema, bronchitis, sinusitis, and cancers of the lung, mouth, larynx (voice box), and esophagus (swallowing tube), and increases the risk of bladder, kidney, pancreas, stomach and cervical cancers.
8. Women smokers experience earlier menopause and have less dense bones, making them more susceptible to osteoporosis and hip fractures.
9. Children whose parents smoke are at a higher risk for pneumonia and bronchitis.
10. Diseases caused by cigarette smoking kill about one in four smokers.
11. By the time lung cancer is diagnosed, it has usually spread to other parts of the body. The survival rate is low: only 13 percent are still alive five years after diagnosis, fewer than 10 percent after 10 years.
12. Lung cancer now kills more women than any other type of cancer.
13. Smoking takes an average of seven years off a person’s life.
14. Smoking causes one out of every six deaths in the United States.
15. Nine out of ten smokers say they want to quit.
16. More men have quit smoking than women.
17. More than 43 million Americans have quit smoking, and–over the past decade–the percentage of smoking adult Texans has decreased from 31 to 22 percent.
18. Between 1964 and 1985, approximately 750,000 deaths were avoided or postponed as a result of decisions to quit smoking or not to start.
And That’s Not All!
Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer in America, but it could be prevented 80 to 90 percent of the time if only people would not smoke.

Tea for Tumors
Research shows one kind of tea can be up to 100 times more potent at blocking growth of cancer cells than another. While all tea (green, oolong or black) contains antioxidant compounds called catechins that protect against cancer (especially of the lung, breast, colon, stomach and skin) by neutralizing free radicals, green tea contains about 7 times more catechins than black tea. Green tea also has unique catechins that block an enzyme involved in breast, prostate and colon cancers. Green tea is 10 to 100 times stronger than black tea in blocking the growth of cancer cells. Catechins also prevent heart disease and stroke, primarily by defending against the harmful effects of artery-clogging LDL cholesterol.

Understanding Blood Counts
Counting and examining blood cells are very important in the diagnosis of blood cell diseases. Blood has several different types of cells in it:
* Red blood cells pick up oxygen as blood passes through the lungs and release it to the cells in the body.
* White blood cells help fight bacteria and viruses.
* Platelets are the cells that form a plug in response to a cut or wound. The platelets aggregate and plug up the site of bleeding.

Normal blood counts fall within the range that has been established by testing healthy men and women of all ages.
The approximate normal ranges of blood cell counts for healthy adults are as follows:
* Red blood cell (RBC) count: 4.5 to 6.0 million red cells per microliter of blood in men, 4.0 to 5.0 million red cells per microliter of blood in women
* White blood cell (WBC) count: 4.5 to 11 thousand white cells per microliter of blood
* Platelet count: 150 to 450 thousand platelets per microliter of blood

Hematocrit is the percent of the blood that is composed of red cells:
* 42% to 50% is normal in men
* 36% to 45% is normal in women

Hemoglobin is the compound in the red blood cell that carries oxygen.
* 14 to 17 grams per 100 milliliters of blood is normal for men
* 12 to 15 grams per 100 milliliters of blood is normal for women

White cell differential count, sometimes referred to as a "diff," measures the proportion of the total white cell count that is composed of one of the five principal white cell types. The observer can also tell if the white cells in the blood are normal in appearance. The five types of normal white cells that are counted are neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils. Blood contains about 60% neutrophils, 30% lymphocytes, 5% monocytes, 4% eosinophils and 1% basophils.

Vitamin E and Cancer
Vitamin E has been found to reduce cancer risk when consumed at recommended levels.

Want to Quit Smoking?
Most people who quit smoking have tried before, so don’t give up! Try these tips:
* List the reasons you want to quit. Refer to the list every time you want to smoke.
* Typical triggers to smoking include working under pressure, feeling depressed, having a drink, drinking coffee, driving a car, finishing a meal and watching someone else light up a cigarette. Learn to look for these triggers and then avoid them, for example, by cutting down on alcohol and caffeine.
* Reward yourself for not smoking. Spend the money saved from not buying cigarettes on a treat for yourself.
* Keep lots of low calorie snacks handy, including sugarless gum.
* Try taking a few deep breaths when you start to feel stressed.
* Quit smoking with a friend, bet someone you will quit, or get involved with a group having the same goal of quitting.
* Take your mind off smoking by keeping your hands busy with handwork or hobbies.

Watermelon and Cancer Prevention
Juicy, red watermelon is not only delicious, it may help prevent cancer. As long as you spit out the seeds, watermelon is the biggest supplier among fresh fruits and vegetables in the antioxidant lycopene, which is believed to play a big role in the prevention of the killer disease. Antioxidants such as lycopene work in your body by disarming free oxygen radicals, which are thought to contribute to the development of many cancers. A 2-cup serving of watermelon contains 15 - 20 milligrams of this vital plant pigment. Other sources include tomatoes, red grapefruits and guavas.

TOP 20 TIPS TO KEEP YOUR SYSTEM FASTER

2009-10-17T04:08:00.001-07:00

Follow these tips and you will definitely have a much faster and more reliable PC! Most of the below tips works for windows XP.

1. Wallpapers: They slow your whole system down, so if you're willing to compromise, have a basic plain one instead!

2. Drivers: Update your hardware drivers as frequently as possible. New drivers tend to increase system speed especially in the case of graphics cards, their drivers are updated by the manufacturer very frequently!

3. Minimizing: If you want to use several programs at the same time then minimize those you are not using. This helps reduce the overload on RAM.

4. Boot Faster: The 'starting Windows 95/98? message on startup can delay your booting for a couple of seconds. To get rid of this message go to c: and find the file Msdos.sys. Remove the Read-Only option. Next, open it in Notepad or any other text editor. Finally, go to the text 'Options' within the file and make the following changes: Add BootDelay=0. To make your booting even faster, set add Logo=0 to remove the Windows logo at startup.

5. Restart only Windows: When restarting your PC, hold down Shift to only restart Windows rather than the whole system which will only take a fraction of the time.

6. Turn Off Animations: Go to Display Settings from the Control Panel and switch to the Effects Tab. Now turn off Show Windows Content While Dragging and Smooth Edges on Screen Fonts. This tip is also helpful with Windows XP because of the various fade/scroll effects.

7. Faster Start-Menu Access: Go to the Start menu and select Run. Now type Regedit and hit Enter. The Registry Editor will appear on the screen. Now, open the folder HKEY_CURRENT_ USERControl PanelDesktop. You should see a MenuShowDelay value. If you don't then do the following: right click on a blank space in the right pane and select NewString. Change the name in the new value to MenuShowDelay. Now that we have the MenuShowDelay value, double click on it and enter 0 in the value data field. This sets the start menu delay to 0 milliseconds.

8. Resolutions: If you are willing to do anything for faster performance from your PC, then try lowering your display resolution. The lower it is, the faster your PC.

9. Turn off Active Desktop: Go to your Display Properties and switch to the Web tab. Uncheck View My Active Desktop As a Web Page. Since the Active Desktop option under Windows 98 uses a lot of system resources, this option can have a dramatic effect on the speed of the whole system.

10. Defragment Often: Windows 98's Defrag tool uses Application Acceleration from Intel which means that when you defragment your drive,data is physically arranged on the drive so that applications will load faster.

11. Take your PC to Bed: Using the Advanced Power Management feature under Windows 98 gives you the option to use the sleep command. That way, you can send your PC to sleep instead of shutting it down and then restarting it. It's as simple as pressing a button and then pressing the same button to wake it up. You can tell Windows after how many minutes/hours of inactivity to automatically sleep the machine in the Advanced Power Management section of the Control Panel.

12. Faster Internet Access: If you use the Internet for reference and the sites you visit are rarely updated then try the following. In IE (the same can be done in Netscape) go to Tools, Internet Options. Next, click on Settings… In the Temporary Internet Files section. Finally, select Never for the first option and double the amount of storage space to use, click OK!

13. Benchmarking: Benchmarking can be very useful when run frequently. It can tell you how your PC's components are performing and then compare them to other machines like yours. For example, when you overclock your PC, you want to know how much more speed you have and whether it is stable. All this and more can be discovered using benchmarking. An excellent piece of software for doing this job is SiSoft Sandra which can be found in the Downloads File Archive!

14. Refresh the Taskbar without restarting: If you in some way change the taskbar, either in Regedit or elsewhere, you can refresh the task bar without restarting. Hold down Ctrl Alt Del, and double click on Explorer. Say Yes to close Explorer, but no to closing Windows. This will refresh the Taskbar and system tray.

15. Quick CD Eject: Instead of pushing the button on your drive, right-click your CD drive letter in My Computer and click on Eject. This will also remove any icons that have become associated with the CD drive.

16. Start Up Programs: Windows can be slowed down when programs run on start up. To eliminate this, check your Start up folder. You can access it from the start menu: Start, Programs, Start Up. Another way to eliminate programs from loading even before Windows actually starts is by doing the following: Click on Start, then Run. Type msconfig. It will take quite a long time for this program to load, but when you finally see it on your screen, explore the different tabs. They all have to do with how quickly your PC boots, so select what you want, and uncheck what you don't want!

17. Fonts: When Windows starts, it loads every single font in the Fonts folder. Therefore, the more fonts you have, the slower the booting process. To get rid of unwanted fonts, simply go to the Fonts folder under c:windows and remove whatever you don't want. Fonts that have a red letter 'A' as their icon are system fonts, so don't delete them.

18. Stretching Wallpapers: Don't "stretch" your wallpaper in Windows 98 since it actually slows Windows down when you drag icons around on the desktop.

19. RAM Matters: If you have less than 32MB then you should seriously think of upgrading it to at least 64MB. Windows runs much more smoothly with 64MB or higher and tends to use less hard disk space for virtual memory.

20. Partitioning: A very nice little thing you can do to boost system performance. By partitioning your hard drive, splitting one physical drive into several logical ones, you can gain several advantages. 1. If you get a virus or you accidentally format a drive, not all will be lost. 2. By placing the swap file (Win386.swp) on a separate drive, The swap file will be less fragmented and thus, faster. 3. Place Windows on a separate drive and whenever you need to reinstall it, you rest assured that your data is safe on a separate drive. Partitioning can be done using a few programs such as FDisk which comes with DOS. However, FDisk formats everything on the hard disk before partitioning.

Try program like CLEANER AND ADVANCE CARE SYSTEM AND RUN IT ONCE A WEEK.

RIGHT WAY TO DRINK WATER:

2009-10-17T04:06:00.002-07:00

By Dr. Willie T. Ong
Our bodies are made up of mostly water. Just look at the facts: The brain contains 74% water, blood contains 83% water, lean muscle has 75% and bone has 22% water. Experts agree that water is one of the most powerful forms of treatment. So how come most people don't drink enough water?

10 Health Benefits of Water:

1. Water prevents kidney stones. The most common cause of kidney stones is not drinking enough water. Since water dissolves the substances that form stones in the urine, drinking 12 glasses daily helps treat kidney stones.

2. Water treats urinary tract infection. The more water you drink, the more you will urinate. "Drinking lots of water will help flush out harmful bacteria from your bladder," says Medical City kidney specialist Dr. Roberto Tanchanco.

3. Water helps patients with diarrhea by preventing dehydration. As a first-aid for diarrhea, you can make your own oral rehydration solution at home. Mix a glass of water with 2 teaspoons sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt, and drink as much as you can tolerate. This is similar to the dextrose solution in the hospital.

4. Water helps reduce fever. For symptoms of flu, water can help lower your body temperature when you urinate the "heat" out of your body. If you're sick, drink more water for you to recover faster.

5. Water helps treat cough and colds, sore throat, and respiratory infections. Water helps loosen sticky phlegm. A respected lung specialist told me that some mucolytics out there are just as beneficial as drinking lots of water.

6. Water reduces heartburn. Taking 2-3 gulps of water every 20 minutes or so can help flush the stomach acid away. Bananas and water are effective alternatives to taking antacids. Try it.

7. Water prevents constipation and its complications. Too little water can harden the stools and lead to hemorrhoids and diverticulosis, a disease of the large bowel. Drink water and eat lots of vegetables to soften your stools.

8. Water keeps you alert and energetic. If you're dehydrated, your blood is literally thicker. This makes it harder for the blood to circulate. As a result, the brain can become less active and you can feel confused and fatigued. Some studies also show that water may help cure migraine headaches.

9. Water helps reduce weight. By drinking a glass or two of water before a meal, you will lessen the amount of food you can take in order to feel full. Water has zero calories and will not make you fat.

10. Water keeps your skin soft and radiant. Just as a dehydrated person will have deep-set eyes and wrinkled skin, so will a fully hydrated person exhibit a normal and beautiful skin tone.

The Proper Way To Drink Water:

1. Drink water when you wake up. Your body loses water while you sleep, so drink a glass before you go to sleep, and another glass when you wake up. You are naturally thirsty or dehydrated in the morning. Drinking water in the morning helps flush out the toxins that have accumulated all night.

2. Drink 8 to 12 glasses a day. According to the Mayo Clinic, a 120-pound individual needs 8 cups of water a day, while a 190-pound person would require 12 cups daily. Dr. Robert Tanchanco says that we should monitor our urine color and keep it on the light side. However, drink only a maximum of 16 glasses a day, and not more.

3. Drink little by little throughout the day. It is preferable to sip water throughout the day rather than to drink two glasses all at once. This will lessen the stress on the heart (especially if you have heart disease) and give your body more time to absorb it.

4. Don't wait until you're thirsty to drink water. By the time you feel thirsty, you're probably already 2 glasses below your normal water needs. Elderly people are also less sensitive to the body's need for water.

5. Drink water, not soft drinks, alcohol or coffee. Some experts believe that tea, sodas and coffee can be potentially dehydrating. Moreover, the high phosphorus and sugar content in cola drinks can lead to conditions like osteoporosis and diabetes. One study shows that adults who drank six cups of coffee daily experienced mild dehydration. Drinking alcohol is much worse because it actually dehydrates you by making you urinate a lot.

6. Train children to drink water. Set a good example to your kids and drink water together. Make sure that children drink enough water when they're active. Pack a large bottled water in their lunch box.

7. Drink more when it's hot. People living in hot climates like the Philippines need to drink more water. They are more prone to develop kidney stones compared to those living in cooler regions.

8. Drink more as you exercise. When you exercise, you need to drink more water to compensate for fluid loss. Go for an extra 500 ml of water for a 30-minute to 1-hour exercise. Eating a banana also helps keep your potassium up.

9. Drink more when you're sick. Even though you don't feel like it, you really need to drink more water to help your body recover from various infections. If you're dehydrated, you'll feel much worse.

10. Drink more if you're pregnant. Women who are expecting or breast-feeding need additional fluids to stay hydrated. The Institute of Medicine recommends that pregnant women drink 10 cups of fluids daily and women who breast-feed take in about 13 cups of fluids a day.

Top 10 Tough Laws in the World

2009-10-17T04:06:00.001-07:00

Ignorance is no defense – especially when it comes to ignorance of the laws in countries you plan to visit. While it may seem natural to study some of the general customs and laws in major foreign countries you might not expect, for example, to have to look for strange law changes in somewhere like Florida. Most places in the world are relatively easy to get along in. Some strange laws are nothing more than folklore. Every once in a while, though, you’re going to run into something a bit off the wall and it’s important for you to be prepared in advance.

10. DON’T FEED THE PIGEONS (ITALY)

...Join Keralites, Have fun & be Informed.

In Italy it is illegal to feed the pigeons. Ok, that’s a bit of a blanket statement. The rule actually has the potential to change from city to city. Make sure you leave the pigeons alone while you’re in Venice, though – the locals are tired of cleaning up pigeon poop. You’ll also want to avoid jumping into fountains, walking around without your shirt on (would you DO that as a tourist), and sitting on the sidewalk to eat your lunch. Fines range from a warning to monetary infractions anywhere from $50 to $600.

9. EATING IN PUBLIC (UNITED ARAB EMIRATES)

...Join Keralites, Have fun & be Informed.

Before you leave for the United Arab Emirates you’ll want to make sure you aren’t visiting during Ramadan. During that time you are not allowed to eat or drink in public during fasting hours (ie. daylight hours) at all. Think we’re kidding? Tourists have been fined up to $275 for drinking juice in public. Avoid public displays of affection as well unless you want to spend a few months in jail.

8. DON’T PAY IN CHANGE (CANADA)

...Join Keralites, Have fun & be Informed.

Ever have the urge to empty your piggy bank of quarters and run down to the corner store? Don’t do it in Canada. The Currency Act of 1985 prohibits consumers from using unreasonable amounts of coins to pay for purchases. This means you can’t pay for an item in all coins (especially if it’s over $10). Even the use of dollar-coins is limited. The shop owner has the right to choose whether or not he wants to take your coins but doesn’t have to.

7. WASH YOUR CAR (MOSCOW)

...Join Keralites, Have fun & be Informed.

In the beautiful city of Moscow it is illegal to drive a dirty car. The definition of dirty, however, is up in the air. Is a dirty car one on which you can draw pictures in the dust? Does it hide the license plate? Does it make the driver invisible? We suppose you’ll find out if the police poll you over but the fines tend to be whatever the police decide to charge you – unless, of course, you offer him a bit of cash.

6. LEAVE YOUR HEADLIGHTS ON (DENMARK)

...Join Keralites, Have fun & be Informed.

Studies in Denmark have shown that vehicles with their headlights on are more noticeable by other drivers than those who have their headlights off. You’d think this law would apply to night driving but it doesn’t. Drivers here are required to leave their headlights on during the day as well or may face a fine of up to $100.

5. DON’T STOP ON THE AUTOBAHN (GERMANY)

...Join Keralites, Have fun & be Informed.

You’ve heard of the Autobahn, right? The notorious German road where there are no speed limits? Make sure you fill your gas tank BEFORE you get on this daunting road. It’s illegal to pull over on the side of this road for any reason and, if you do, it’s illegal to get out and walk. You are, after all, endangering the lives of the people who are still driving at warp speeds.

4. PUT YOUR SHIRT ON (THAILAND)

...Join Keralites, Have fun & be Informed.

In Thailand it is illegal to drive a car or motorcycle without a shirt on – regardless of how hot it is that day. Punishments range from verbal warnings to tickets costing about $10. This is no joke – the local police will pull you over.

3. DON’T KISS YOUR LOVER GOODBYE (FRANCE AND ENGLAND)

...Join Keralites, Have fun & be Informed.

Love died a little bit on April 5th of 1910. Lovers spend so much time kissing each other goodbye at train stations that trains were actually running late. The law is relatively old, though, and really isn’t enforced today – in France, that is. In Warrington Bank Quay in England, however, you’ll be asked to move your goodbyes to the “kissing zone.”

2. WEAR A COVER UP (GRENADA)

...Join Keralites, Have fun & be Informed.

The folks at Grenada really do have a point. Cruisers visiting the beaches for day excursions have taken to strolling city streets in nothing but their bathing suits. In order to reign in a sense of decency, the city has instituted a fine for those who aren’t wearing decent clothing off of the beaches. Fines can reach up to $270 but the local tourist boards would like you to believe that the law is not enforced. Perhaps its best to simply cover up rather than trying to find out for yourself.

1. NO GUM CHEWING (SINGAPORE)

...Join Keralites, Have fun & be Informed.

Those with gum chewing habits may want to call it quits before heading to Singapore. The government really wants to keep the city clean and will fine you for chewing gum, feeding the birds (it causes poop) and forgetting to flush a public toilet. The only legal gum you can chew is Nicorette but you have to get it from a doctor and they will give your name to government officials to confirm you’re allowed to have a wad in your mouth. These aren’t the only strange laws around the world but they’re certainly worth noting. Make sure you do your research before leaving on your next trip. Better safe than sorry!

I got this stuff via mail from our Blog vistor, I dont know this true or ...? Its all depend on you friends, These aren’t the only strange laws around the world but they’re certainly worth nothing. Make sure you do your research before leaving on your next trip. Better safe than sorry!

Getting Back to Wellness

2009-10-17T04:05:00.001-07:00

Seven Quick Fixes To Feel Better

The signals our bodies use to tell us we need to cleanse ourselves physically, mentally, and emotionally are multifaceted and often mirror symptoms we associate with illness. If we heed these signs, we not only feel better quickly but also stave off poor health before it can start. These quick fixes for common ailments can get you started.

1. Applying pressure to the acupressure point between the thumb and forefinger can release blockages causing pain, tension, and fatigue. You can relieve a headache naturally by squeezing for 20 seconds and releasing for 10 seconds, without letting go, four times.

2. To breathe freely, irrigate your nasal passages with a neti pot and warm salt water. As you clear and soothe the sinuses, congestion associated with allergies or infection will gradually disappear.

3. Apple cider vinegar is a powerful purifying and detoxifying agent. Soaking for 20 minutes in a warm bath infused with two cups of apple cider vinegar pulls toxins from the body and can clear blocked energy.

4. The foods you eat can have a profound impact on your outlook and mood. Eating a small yet satisfying meal rich in complex carbohydrates can lift your spirit and help you let go of feelings of anger, irritability, and depression.

5. Anxiety and fear dissipate quickly when countered with conscious breathing because concentrating on the breath enables you to refocus your attention inward. You can ground yourself and regain your usual calm by taking a series of deep belly breaths as you visualize your feet growing roots that stretch miles down into the earth.

6. Though tuning out can seem counterproductive, a few minutes spent lost in daydreams or listening to soothing music can help you see your circumstances from a new angle when you feel frustrated.

7. If you feel ill health coming on, brew a wellness elixir. Simmer three sliced lemons, one teaspoon freshly grated ginger, one clove freshly minced garlic, and one quarter teaspoon cayenne pepper in five cups water until the lemons are soft and pale. Strain a portion into a mug and add honey by tablespoons until you can tolerate the taste. Drinking this potent mixture of antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal ingredients three times each day can ensure your symptoms never progress into a full-blown illness.

फौर Poisons Of The Heart

2009-10-17T04:02:00.000-07:00

4 Poisons Of The Heart

1. Unnecessary Talking
"A person who talks too much is a person who often makes mistakes, and someone who often makes mistakes, often has wrong actions. The Fire has a priority over such a frequent sinner."

2. Unrestrained Glances
"The glance is a poisoned arrow of evil. Whoever lowers his gaze for God, He will bestow upon him a refreshing sweetness which he will find in his heart on the day that he meets Him."

3. Too Much Food
"I heard the Messenger of God say: "The son of Adam fills no vessel more displeasing to God than his stomach. A few morsels should be enough for him to preserve his strength. If he must fill it, then he should allow a third for his food, a third for his drink and leave a third empty for easy breathing."

4. Keeping Bad Company
"The example of a good companion (who sits with you) in comparison with a bad one, is I like that of the musk seller and the blacksmith's bellows (or furnace); from the first you would either buy musk or enjoy its good smell while the bellows would either burn your clothes or your house, or you get a bad nasty smell thereof."

"The six keys to success".

2009-10-17T04:00:00.000-07:00

"The six keys to success".
Right off the bat:
Don't confuse how much money one has as to his or her success!
These keys will not unlock any opportunities of success without first having a strong and unfailing faith in God or that Being which is greater than you.

I encourage you to memorize these six keys
by using the word ADVICE to do so.

1.Attitude
Bloom where you are planted. You have a choice to get back up after temporary set backs. Attitude is a small thing that makes a big difference!

2.Direction
If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there. Write your short term goals down on paper. I have discovered and continue to discover that putting your dreams and goals down on paper lock in or focus your belief that they can be achieved--even if you have to take a course correction in achieving your goals. Success comes in cans, failure comes in can'ts.

3.Values
Explore what is important to you. Maybe it is family, friends, your spirituality or working hard at any given task. I can assure you that your priorities will change as you grow older. Very important that you value yourself and treat yourself like the valuable gift from God that you are.

4.Interests
Birds of a feather flock together. This is to say that if you are hanging around winners or others with a "can do" mind-set, you'll likely adapt to this same kind of thinking. Remember--"SUCCESS LEAVES CLUES!

5.Commitment
Feelings may change, commitments do not. "Success is getting up one more time than you fall." I have often wanted to give up, and then I must think to myself about what the consequences of giving up will be. Generally, this is more than enough of a motivation to make us stick to the task at hand even if we don't feel like it. When the task is achieved, Whow!--IT FEELS GREAT!

6.Encouragement

Be an encourager and comforter to friends that are feeling discouraged. I promise that you will not regret this as you will be encouraged by one, if not many, when you are feeling down. Encouragement and love are contagious qualities that can change the minds of the most stubborn and "hard-to-get-along-with" people you know. I have seen it happen over and over again.

Top 10 Reasons to Smile

2009-10-17T03:59:00.000-07:00

Top 10 Reasons to Smile

1. Smiling Makes Us Attractive

We are drawn to people who smile. There is an attraction factor. We want to know a smiling person and figure out what is so good. Frowns, scowls and grimaces all push people away -- but a smile draws them in.

2. Smiling Changes Our Mood

Next time you are feeling down, try putting on a smile.. There's a good chance you mood will change for the better. Smiling can trick the body into helping you change your mood.

3. Smiling Is Contagious

When someone is smiling they lighten up the room, change the moods of others, and make things happier. A smiling person brings happiness with them. Smile lots and you will draw people to you.

4. Smiling Relieves Stress

Stress can really show up in our faces. Smiling helps to prevent us from looking tired, worn down, and overwhelmed. When you are stressed, take time to put on a smile. The stress should be reduced and you'll be better able to take action.

5. Smiling Boosts Your Immune System

Smiling helps the immune system to work better. When you smile, immune function improves possibly because you are more relaxed. Prevent the flu and colds by smiling.

6. Smiling Lowers Your Blood Pressure

When you smile, there is a measurable reduction in your blood pressure. Give it a try if you have a blood pressure monitor at home. Sit for a few minutes, take a reading. Then smile for a minute and take another reading while still smiling. Do you notice a difference?

7. Smiling Releases Endorphins, Natural Pain Killers and Serotonin

Studies have shown that smiling releases endorphins, natural pain killers, and serotonin. Together these three make us feel good. Smiling is a natural drug.

8. Smiling Lifts the Face and Makes You Look Younger

The muscles we use to smile lift the face, making a person appear younger. Don't go for a face lift, just try smiling your way through the day -- you'll look younger and feel better.

9. Smiling Makes You Seem Successful

Smiling people appear more confident, are more likely to be promoted, and more likely to be approached. Put on a smile at meetings and appointments and people will react to you differently.

10. Smiling Helps You Stay Positive

Try this test: Smile. Now try to think of something negative without losing the smile. It's hard. When we smile our body is sending the rest of us a message that "Life is Good!" Stay away from depression, stress and worry by smiling.

Career TIPs | How to Negotiate a Higher Salary

2009-10-17T03:58:00.000-07:00

Negotiating a higher salary is the last but trickiest part of securing a new job or keeping yourself happy in your current one. By negotiating a higher salary, you and your employer are letting each other know what the expectations are in terms of workload and compensation. With information and preparation, you will be able to negotiate for the higher salary you want and achieve positive results.

Step 1
Research what the market rate is for your position. Then you will know how much you should expect to negotiate.

Step 2
Look over your job description. Whether you are a new employee or a current one, it is important to consider what’s expected of you and whether the salary your company is offering adequately covers those expectations.

Step 3
Round up your accomplishments. How much money have you saved the company or past companies? How much money have you made for them? Your hiring manager, recruiter or boss may ask you these questions when salary negotiations commence. Have the answers.

Step 4
Plan what you want to say before you meet with human resources or the boss. Do not try to negotiate a higher salary over email or telephone; salary negotiations should take place in a scheduled meeting.

Step 5
Listen carefully to the counteroffer. Carefully consider the comments or feedback he or she is providing. Ask questions if you need clarification or elaboration.

Step 6
Get the final offer in writing after salary negotiations end. If the company doesn’t record the terms of your agreement, it is almost certainly subject to change.

Interviewing Tips: What Hiring

2009-10-17T03:54:00.000-07:00

Ever wondered what goes through the hiring manager’s head when you’re being interviewed? We asked Michael Neece, author and CEO of Interview Mastery, to shed some light on that question. The web’s most widely used job interview program for job seekers, Interview Mastery resulted from Michael’s 20 years spent conducting and analyzing some 3,000 job interviews at a wide range of companies. Read on to benefit from Michael’s insider knowledge:

Q: What do hiring managers really want to hear when they use the standard line, “Tell me about yourself”?

A: Speaking for myself, I want a brief summary of your experience, highlighting the abilities that relate directly to the job. I want to hear that you know something about my company – that you’ve done your homework. I want to know what makes you a qualified candidate for this job.

What I don’t want is a long, rambling answer that goes nowhere. I don’t want to know personal information. I don’t want your entire history starting with high school. And don’t start from the beginning. Just like in the resume, tell me about your relevant experiences, starting with the most recent.

Q: What would you say is the single most impressive thing a job candidate can do in an interview?

A: Be prepared – be very prepared. By that, I mean, prepare questions that show you’ve taken the time to learn about my company and that you are interested in it. Don’t just tell me your strengths; prepare stories that illustrate where you’ve used those strengths successfully in past work experiences. So many job candidates think they can just wing it in an interview. Be prepared!

Q: What are the “hidden hiring criteria” that can’t be written in a job description?

A: Want to know a secret? The most qualified candidate never gets the job. You may match the job description perfectly, but that doesn’t mean you’re the best candidate or are entitled to the job. The job description is only a small part of the hiring decision. “Fit” is probably the most important hidden criterion.

An employer wants to know that you can do the job and do it well, but they’ve asked you in for an interview, so they probably already think you can do the job. What they don’t know until they meet you is whether you’ll be an effective addition to the organization.

Q: How do you determine “fit”?

A: Fit is a subjective measure that takes into account the candidate’s abilities, as well as innate qualities such as sense of humor, capacity to learn quickly, maturity, and confidence. It’s a combination of how the interviewer feels about you, and whether you seem like someone who will fit in well and complement the rest of the team.

Q: What’s the most memorable thing a candidate has ever done in an interview you conducted?

A: Silence. I purposely asked the guy a really tough question and he sat in silence for 15 or 20 seconds, thinking about it. I decided during those 15 seconds to hire him, because his silence indicated to me that he had the maturity, confidence, and comfort with conflict to handle the job.

Another candidate once brought a PowerPoint flipchart presentation to her interview. Each page highlighted how her experience related to the job. That told me she was extremely prepared, she really wanted the job, and she had the experience to do it. I hired her, too.

Q: What’s the most incredible blunder a candidate ever committed in an interview you were conducting?

A: One individual was continually checking his watch and looking at the door. Since he obviously needed to be somewhere else, I obliged and ended the interview.

Q: What’s the best way for a candidate to address employment gaps in their resume during an interview?

A: As we’ve discussed, what a hiring manager cares about is your ability to do the job, do it well, and fit into the organization. Everyone has gaps in their resume. Yes, I will question you about the gaps, but all I want is an honest answer.

Experienced interviewers have well-developed BS detectors. So don’t try to hide your employment gaps or pad the dates of other jobs. Just tell me the truth. You took time off to care for a child. You got laid off. You didn’t get along with your boss. I understand these things.

Here’s a secret that hiring managers will rarely tell you: If you get fired or laid off, especially after a short time on the job, it’s really not your fault. A “bad hire” is the hiring manager’s fault. After all, we pick you; you don’t pick us.

So when we ask about the gaps in your resume, it’s not because they’re unusual, rather it’s to cover our own backsides by minimizing the possibility of a bad hire.

Interviewing Tips: What Hiring Managers Really Want From You

2009-09-28T09:15:00.000-07:00

Career TIPs | How to Negotiate a Higher Salary

2009-09-28T09:14:00.000-07:00

ONE BEDROOM FLAT... Really nice one

2009-08-26T00:55:00.000-07:00

Every person those who r far away from their parents for jobs should have to read this heart touching mail!!!

ONE BEDROOM FLAT...

WRITTEN BY AN INDIAN SOFTWARE ENGINEER..

A Bitter Reality

As the dream of most parents I had acquired a degree in Software Engineering and joined a company based in USA, the land of braves and opportunity. When I arrived in the USA , it
was as if a dream had come true.

Here at last I was in the place where I want to be. I decided I would be staying in this country for about Five years in which time I would have earned enough money to settle down in India .

My father was a government employee and after his retirement, the only asset he could acquire was a decent one bedroom flat.

I wanted to do some thing more than him. I started feeling homesick and lonely as the time passed. I used to call home and speak to my parents every week using cheap international phone
cards. Two years passed, two years of Burgers at McDonald's and pizzas and discos and 2 years watching the foreign exchange rate getting happy whenever the Rupee value went down.

Finally I decided to get married. Told my parents that I have only 10 days of holidays and everything must be done within these 10 days. I got my ticket booked in the cheapest flight. Was jubilant and was actually enjoying hopping for gifts for all my friends back home. If I miss anyone then there will be
talks. After reaching home I spent home one week going through all the photographs of girls and as the time was getting shorter I was forced to select one candidate.

In-laws told me, to my surprise, that I would have to get married in 2-3 days, as I will not get anymore holidays. After the marriage, it was time to return to USA , after giving some money to my parents and telling the neighbors to look after them, we returned to USA .

My wife enjoyed this country for about two months and then she started feeling lonely. The frequency of calling Indiaincreased to twice in a week sometimes 3 times a week. Our savings started diminishing.

After two more years we started to have kids. Two lovely kids, a boy and a girl, were gifted to us by the almighty. Every time I spoke to my parents, they asked me to come to Indiaso that they can see their grand-children.

Every year I decide to go to India … But part work part monetary conditions prevented it. Years went by and visiting Indiawas a distant dream. Then suddenly one day I got a message that my parents were seriously sick.. I tried but I couldn't get any holidays and thus could not go to India .... The
next message I got was my parents had passed away and as there was no one to do the last rights the society members had done whatever they could. I was depressed. My parents had passed away without seeing their grand children.

After couple more years passed away, much to my children's dislike and my wife's joy we returned to Indiato settle down. I started to look for a suitable property, but to my dismay my savings were short and the property prices had gone up during all these years. I had to return to the USA ...

My wife refused to come back with me and my children refused to stay in India .... My 2 children and I returned to USAafter promising my wife I would be back for good after two years.

Time passed by, my daughter decided to get married to an American and my son was happy living in USA ... I decided that had enough and wound-up every thing and returned to India .... I
had just enough money to buy a decent 02 bedroom flat in a well-developed locality.

Now I am 60 years old and the only time I go out of the flat is for the routine visit to the nearby temple. My faithful wife has also left me and gone to the holy abode.

Sometimes

I wondered was it worth all this?

My father, even after staying in India ,

Had a house to his name and I too have
the same nothing more.

I lost my parents and children for just ONE EXTRA BEDROOM.

Looking out from the window I see a lot of children dancing. This damned cable TV has spoiled our new generation and these children are losing their values and culture because of it. I get occasional cards from my children asking I am alright. Well at least they remember me.

Now perhaps after I die it will be the neighbors again who will be performing my last rights, God Bless them.

But the question still
remains 'was all this worth it?'

I am still searching for an answer...... ......... ..!!!

START THINKING

IS IT JUST FOR ONE EXTRA BEDROOM???

LIFE IS BEYOND THIS …..

DON'T JUST LEAVE YOUR LIFE ……..
START LIVING IT …….
LIVE IT AS YOU WANT IT TO BE…….

Eleven Hints for Life!

2009-08-26T00:53:00.000-07:00

1. It hurts to love someone and not be loved in return.But what is more painful is to love someone and neverfind the courage to let that person know how you feel.

2. A sad thing in life is when you meet someone whomeans a lot to you, only to find out in the end that it wasnever meant to be and you just have to let go.

3. The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on aporch swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.

4. It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but it's also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives.

5. It takes only a minute to get a crush on someone, anhour to like someone, and a day to love someone-but ittakes a lifetime to forget someone.

6. Don't go for looks, they can deceive. Don't go for wealth, even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright.

7. Dream what you want to dream, go where you want to go, be what you want to be. Because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do.

8. Always put yourself in the other's shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably hurts the person too.

9. A careless word may kindle strife. A cruel word may wreck a life. A timely word may level stress. But a loving word may heal and bless.

10. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the bestof everything they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

11. Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss, ends with a tear. When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so that when you die,you're the one smiling and everyone around you is crying...

The woman in your life...very well expressed...

2009-08-26T00:52:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow you may get a working woman, but you should marry her with these facts as well :-

Here is a girl, who is as much educated as you are;
Who is earning almost as much as you do;
One, who has dreams and aspirations just as
you have because she is as human as you are;

One, who has never entered the kitchen in her life just like you or your
Sister haven't, as she was busy in studies and competing in a system
that gives no special concession to girls for their culinary achievements !!

One, who has lived and loved her parents & brothers & sisters, almost as
much as you do for 20-25 years of her life;
One, who has bravely agreed to leave behind all that, her home, people who love her, to adopt your home, your family, your ways and even your family name !!

One, who is somehow expected to be a master-chef from day #1, while you sleep oblivious to her predicament in her new circumstances, environment and that kitchen;

One, who is expected to make the tea, first thing in the morning and cook
food at the end of the day, even if she is as tired as you are, maybe more,
and yet never ever expected to complain; to be a servant, a cook, a mother,
a wife, even if she doesn't want to; and is learning just like you are as
to what you want from her; and is clumsy and sloppy at times and knows that you won't like it if she is too demanding,or if she learns faster than you;

One, who has her own set of friends, and that includes boys and even men at her workplace too, those, who she knows from school days and yet is willing to put all that on the back-burners to avoid your irrational jealousy, unnecessary competition and your inherent insecurities;

One, who can be late from work once in a while when deadlines, just like yours, are to be met;
One, who is doing her level best and wants to make this most important,
relationship in her entire life a grand success, if you just help her some
and trust her;

One, who just wants one thing from you, as you are the only one she knows in your entire house - your unstinted support, your sensitivities and most importantly - your understanding, or love, if you may call it !!

But not many guys understand this......

Please Appreciate "HER"

How zodiacs say sorry

2009-08-26T00:43:00.000-07:00

The way people apologise and their style of saying sorry depends a lot on their personality and zodiac traits. No wonder Leos embarrass you when they say sorry while Arians will actually annoy you with their apology?..

Aries: For starters, Arians think they are so sweet,they could not have
possibly said or done things that need an apology. So in the unlikely
possibility of them actually going down their knees to apologise, it will be a simple sorry.Nothing less, nothing more.

Taurus: They are so scared to face others when they make a mistake that by the time they resurface to tender an apology, the damage is done. So Taurans end up making foes out of friends because of their laxity in apologizing.

Gemini: Geminis think they are infallible and therefore will never really apologise for anything. But once they realize, they prefer to act as if nothing happened, and behave normally with people who have a problem rather than remind others of the incident by tendering an apology.

Cancer: Cancerians will make you feel sorry for demanding one when they make a mistake. They are the legendary characters that burn hands and slash their fingers! in order to display the quantum of their repentance. Their repentance is dangerous.

Leo: Leos are a delightful bunch even when they are trying to make up for their follies. They will go down their knees, buy flowers, put up sorry posters.. do everything colorful to flatter you and make up for their mistakes. In fact it's fun to induce them to make a mistake and let them apologize for it.

Virgo: Virgos will first formally set aside a time and date and inform
them what they want to tell you. Then they will mentally prepare
themselves to talk out the same things. They will finally draft the script and read out whatever they want to. In short, even their heartfelt apologies sound like well-drafted scripts.

Libra: They are very vocal once they realize their folly. They never ever hesitate to come clean and admit their mistakes. In fact, they will go out of their way to convince you about how genuinely sorry they are.

Scorpio: Scorpios are formal and think that tendering an apology is more of a formality. So instead of just saying sorry, they will send a formal mail or send a card, whatever it takes to avoid direct confrontation.

Sagittarius: Sagittarians don't believe in being sorry or apologizing. For them, it is human to err and therefore saying sorry is just redundant. Interestingly, even if others make mistakes,they are pretty cool and don't expect much from them.

Capricorn: They can't take a simple sorry. They need reasons,explanations, written letters and the works to get elicit an 'ok, you may go now' phrase. They are hard to please and even harder to appease.

Aquarius: They are sweet, genuine and innovative when they think they are wrong and need to undo the damage.Aquarians are easy on their mistakes and don't take too much time to do their sorrying.

Pisces: Pisceans don't easily give in because they believe that everything is about perspective. So if somebody thinks they made a mistake! , it's because they have a wonky perspective. Pisceans and apologies? No chance....

Preference in Succession Planning

2009-08-26T00:42:00.000-07:00

by James Bowley

Offering employees a choice in the succession planning process isn't a common practice, but it has merit. Understanding preferences can give employees a window into career progression and development, and aid internal sourcing efforts.

Succession management is frequently designed and delivered as a top-down risk management exercise. Leadership roles are chosen for their importance to the organization, and the people holding those roles - along with a select group of replacement candidates - are closely cataloged and analyzed to determine organizational readiness should critical positions vacate.

The extent to which choice should play a role in the succession management process depends on the organization. In many cases, a hallmark of the succession management process is a stretch assignment that allows the person to gain executive experience in unfamiliar surroundings. This additional perspective may not match up exactly with personal preferences, but is designed to attain the experiences needed to succeed in a leadership role. For these types of assignments, there's likely little discretion, and the person who is the focus of the move may expect this step to be the first of many in a committed career growth process.

But it doesn't hurt to understand employee preference. In many cases, a truly engaged top performer may be interested in a tough assignment as a way to accelerate growth and prove his or herself. Knowing someone is willing to take on a tough task or relocate to an unpopular location can be useful and ensure the individual is ultimately engaged in the assignment.

Risk enters the equation because employees may overreach their current capabilities. Having experience and performance history on hand can help the talent manager confirm assignment readiness.

Consider High Performers' Preferences

Knowing succession preferences also allows an employee's coach or manager to explain why a preference is not possible for an individual's next career step. In many cases, simply addressing the issue and explaining why a short-term role may be important to achieve long-term objectives helps employees with strong preferences better understand the organization's commitment to their career ambitions.

Talent managers that understand preference and address it proactively can effectively engage in dialogue with top performers to show they are paying attention. Further, using data to have this conversation, contained in the talent inventory of an employee profile, ensures the dialogue will be relevant for the employee.

When someone is identified as high potential, it's never too early to start offering opportunities for one to demonstrate his or her value. The organization may not be able to immediately give the exact role desired, but knowing opportunities exist and that talent leaders are paying attention can dissuade employees from seeking alternatives for growth elsewhere. The simple act of asking for preferences demonstrates commitment to the individuals.

New methods to provide employee-profile capabilities give organizations a unique depth and breadth of insight into talent inventories by capturing an employee's history and succession planning preferences. Using this information, companies can understand what positions employees aspire to be in and can easily determine if their work experience is relevant for the job. This enhances top-down planning with a strategic "organization up" approach to succession management that prioritizes comprehensive and consistent data gathering from all employees.

Self-Motivated Employees Grow Their Careers

Talent managers also can use employee profiles to avoid overlooking those perfect succession candidates that may be hidden in plain sight within the organization. The networking aspect of engaging employees by encouraging them to complete a profile facilitates career progression dialogue and helps to remove the risk latent talent will be lost somewhere in the process.

In the past, the labor- or paper-intensive aspects of succession planning made it difficult to expand talent identification beyond certain key positions. Having an employee's history on hand opens the internal talent search to the entire organization and engages employees who seek greater career opportunities. Giving employees the option to volunteer personal and professional information creates a more comprehensive information source from which talent managers can draw when making succession choices.

Created by organizations to match specific talent needs, employee profiles capture information beyond standard demographic data to include skills, performance, compensation, development education, work history, interests and career aspirations.

"Talent management is holistic and interactive, not simply transactional. Knowing more about our employees helps Citrix make informed and reliable business decisions," said Rich Berger, HRIS director of Citrix Systems Inc. "To that end, we are setting up an environment where employees are encouraged to play a role in defining their strengths, interests and aspirations, in identifying their own growth and opportunity path.

"This helps each employee take an active part in directing their own careers, and accommodates our business need for the richest information about our people as we work to make the very best placement and succession determinations across the organization." If the unspoken question employees ask when responding to HR and manager requests for information is, "What's in it for me?" or, "How critical is this in the mix of things I need to get done today?" the interactions must demonstrate easy-to-recognize value.

To learn more about employees and gauge their suitability for succession, it's important to make this process easy for them to participate in. To ensure they're getting the right information, talent managers should:

a) Market and promote the launch of the process, explaining why employees should care.

b) Explain how the information is used and how that use benefits employees.

c) Link employee profile efforts to internal sourcing for open positions providing an overt benefit for employee participation.

d) Collect information consistently in one employee profile system.

e) Make the user experience intuitive and easy to use, reducing the number of clicks and steps employees take to provide information.

These interactions are critical because when done correctly, the underlying performance and succession management processes will encourage voluntary submission of valuable information.

"While we are interested in someone's overall performance score, we are also in search of the types of latent talents that aren't always exposed in a traditional review process," said Berger. "Seeing a linkage between the employee's career path and the processes to provide input to their future allows the employee to be a key participant in performance and succession management."

Create Source Data

An organization-up approach using employee inventories or profiles creates a live window into an organization's talent and actively facilitates succession management. Using source data from an employee profile can accelerate the planning process, eliminate the need to collect or update baseline data and can focus talent managers on slating, readiness, flight risk, ranking and accelerating potential outcomes.

While some of this information was available in the past, supplementing process-based "scores" with additional perspectives helps organizations learn things about people that do not show up in annual performance reviews. A performance review can show who the "5" employees are, but it will not inform which have completed a technical certification required or have a set of experiences that would be valuable for a specific role. Employees often have a broader story to tell, and employee profiles give them the medium to have this succession-driven dialogue with talent leaders.

How to Establish Employee Profiles

Considering the following:

1. Design the employee profile.
Determine what information employee contributions can provide that is not currently available. What does the team know about past work history, education and skills? What type of user experience will make employees most likely to contribute?

2. Develop a strategy to promote the program.
Launching the employee profile effort with a specific internal marketing effort helps employees understand the context and importance of their contributions. Have people been resistant to participating in efforts like this in the past? Are talent leaders encouraging participation by associating profiles with popular social networking sites? Do people understand the link between employee profiles and career opportunities?

3. Consolidate accomplishments.
Employees contribute information about their past and present accomplishments, creating a richer window into their respective talents. Is information about employees in a single place? How transferable is past performance data when an employee changes managers? What types of information from outside work, employee work and educational history would be beneficial?

4. Identify career aspirations.
Employees benefit from participation by being able to personally take a role in identifying the positions in which they are most interested. Do people have an easy way to indicate preference? Would additional insight into their preferences help establish an internal source talent pool for the organization? Would this invitation for career pathing make employees feel more engaged?

5. Search for talent.
When employee profiles are in place, the power of a simple search can lead to broader discoveries than formerly was possible. Can talent leaders search for the employees they need in one source? Is it possible to conduct talent searches across a variety of departments or other dimensions?

6. Market success stories.
Communicate to employees the benefit of their contributions to encourage enthusiastic and ongoing adoption. Can employees model their paths to success? Is the link between information sharing and career opportunity clear? What could widespread awareness of skills mean to the organization?

[About the Author: James Bowley is vice president of corporate sales and operations for Authoria, an integrated talent management software provider.]

A man is known by the company he keeps.

2009-08-26T00:41:00.000-07:00

THE ASS AND HIS PURCHASER

A man who wanted to buy an ass went to market, and, coming across a likely-looking beast, arranged with the owner that he should be allowed to take him home on trial to see what he was like.

When he reached home, he put him into his stable along with the other asses.

The newcomer took a look round, and immediately went and chose a place next to the laziest and greediest beast in the stable.

When the master saw this he put a halter on him at once, and led him off and handed him over to his owner again.

The latter was a good deal surprised to seem him back so soon, and said, "Why, do you mean to say you have tested him already?" "I don't want to put him through any more tests," replied the other.

"I could see what sort of beast he is from the companion he chose for himself."

REFLECTION

A man is known by the company he keeps and also by the company from which he is kept out.

Man cannot live alone in this world and he is a social animal. He interacts with others like his own kith and kin, relatives and friends on various matters everyday.

When he is in the company of good and noble people, he invariably would develop similar traits and his reputation also would be built up accordingly. But in the company of tricksters, thieves, criminals and dubious persons, his reputation in the society is affected and people would not respect him. Many fear and avoid him too. The evil influences from the friends are known to affect him and even if he was noble once, invariably he might deviate from truthful ways and tread the path of sin.

So it is important to choose the right company we keep. Noble places with noble people like regular satsangh gatherings where a lot of spiritual activities and spiritual discourses are carried out have a great value on the minds of people. These holy associations help in directing people on the path of truth, which is essential to attain liberation. When one is associated with holy people, like a Guru or swamijis, people around him bound to get influenced and develop positive traits too.

The company we keep has a powerful effect on our ability to blossom fully. It is amazing how the company of good people can bring us out of an agitated state of mind, and how quickly bad company can put us in one.

Of course one goal on the journey of spiritual happiness is to become independent of outer circumstances. However, until we reach that great state of complete independent spiritual happiness, it makes sense to take care of the company we keep!!

Always tread in the path of right company and beware of bad company.

Hari Om!

Next time you think you're having a bad day read this:

2009-08-26T00:40:00.001-07:00

A psychology student in New York rented out her spare room to a carpenter in order to nag him constantly and study his reactions. After weeks of needling, he snapped and beat her repeatedly with an ax leaving her mentally retarded.

In 1992, Frank Perkins of Los Angeles made an attempt on the world flagpole-sitting record. Suffering from the flu he came down eight hours short of the 400 day record, his sponsor had gone bust, his girlfriend had left him and his phone and electricity had been cut off.

Two animal rights protesters were protesting at the cruelty of sending pigs to a slaughterhouse in Bonn. Suddenly the pigs, all two thousand of them, escaped through a broken fence and stampeded, trampling the two hapless protesters to death.

A woman came home to find her husband in the kitchen, shaking frantically with what looked like a wire running from his waist towards the electric kettle. Intending to jolt him away from the deadly current she whacked him with a handy plank of wood by the back door, breaking his arm in two places. Till that moment he had been happily listening to his Walkman.

The average cost of rehabilitating a seal after the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska was $80,000. At a special ceremony, two of the most expensively saved animals were released back into the wild amid cheers and applause from onlookers. A minute later they were both eaten by a killer whale.

Swedish business consultant Ulf af Trolle labored 13 years on a book about Swedish economic solutions. He took the 250-page manuscript to be copied, only to have it reduced to 50,000 strips of paper in seconds when a worker confused the copier with the shredder.

Iraqi terrorist, Khay Rahnajet, didn't pay enough postage on a letter bomb. It came back with "return to sender" stamped on it. Forgetting it was the bomb, he opened it and was blown to bits.

The following is from the British Sunday Express giving Gongs (medals) for dubious distinctions:

Tortoise Trophy
To British Rail, which ingeniously solved the problem of lateness in the InterCity express train service by redefining "on time" to include trains arriving within one hour of schedule.

Rubber Cushion
To John Bloor, who mistook a tube of superglue for his hemorrhoid cream and glued his buttocks together.

Crimewatch Cup Gold star:
To Henry Smith, arrested moments after returning home with a stolen stereo. His error was having tattooed on his forehead in large capital letters the words "Henry Smith." His lawyer told the court: "My client is not a very bright young man."

Silver star:
To Michael Robinson, who rang police to deliver a bomb threat, but became so agitated about the mounting cost of the call that he began screaming "Call me back!" and left his phone number.

Bronze star:
To Paul Monkton, who used as his getaway vehicle a van with his name and phone number painted in foot-high letters on the side.

British Cup
To the passengers on a jam-packed train from Margate to Victoria, who averted their eyes while John Henderson and Zoe D'Arcy engaged in oral sex and then moved on to intercourse ... but complained when the pair lit up post-coital cigarettes in a nonsmoking compartment.

Flying Cross
To Percy the Pigeon, who flopped down exhausted in a Sheffield loft, having beaten 1,000 rivals in a 500 mile race, and was immediately eaten by a cat. Alas, the 90-minute delay resulting from finding his remains and handing his ID tag to the judges relegated Percy from first to third place.

Lazarus Laurel
To Julia Carson, who as her tearful family gathered 'round her coffin in a New York funeral parlour, sat bolt upright and asked what the hell was going on. Celebrations were short-lived, due to the fact that Mrs. Carson's daughter, Julie, immediately dropped dead from shock.

Silver Bullet
To poacher Marino Malerba, who shot a stag standing above him on an overhanging rock -- and was killed instantly when it fell on him.

Your Relationships Begin With You

2009-08-26T00:39:00.000-07:00

As a single male in my mid-twenties, I find myself consciously and
unconsciously thinking about and searching for that special someone. My
goal has always been to be friends with my future wife for at least a
year, date for a year, engaged for a year, which includes being married
by the time I'm thirty.

This goal may seem far-fetched and I admit it is, so I'm open to
altering it. I know what I want in a future spouse (I think) and I
definitely know what I don't want. But the older I get, the more I
realize that the challenge to find someone who fits what I want and
what I don't want seems like "mission: impossible." My impatience steps
in which seems to prolong my wait to meet this future wife of mine.

Occasionally, I reflect on the thought that she is out there somewhere
so I wonder what she is doing at that very moment and if she is
thinking of me. As much as I am actively trying to find someone, I'm
reminded by my friends how they found their special someone when they
were least expecting to. I have to remind myself and know that God will
introduce me to her and reveal who she is when we are both ready.

So does that mean I'm not ready? I think I am, but at times I have my
doubts. Maybe she isn't ready, which could mean that she is doing
something to better herself for our relationship. I'll always go back
to the question of if I'm ready or not. How will I know? I believe the
answer lies in how I respond to the following questions:

I ask myself if I'm financially ready. Who is? I graduated college a
couple of years ago and have already went through two career changes
and I have been laid off. Needless to say, my checkbook is nowhere near
where I want it to be, I won't even mention credit cards. So I need to
think more about saving for my future, buying a house, and paying off
some bills. After all, I don't want to drag her into my debt and
spending habits. I know that I need to better myself in regards to
finances.

I ask myself, am I physically fit and attractive? The honest answer is
that I'm not in as good of shape as I'd like to be and beauty is in the
eye of the beholder. I know I need to join a gym, look online for
articles about cooking healthier for bachelors, and watch how many
times I go out to eat. What is a better motivator to working out
besides looking good for yourself and gaining that confidence, than
wanting to look good for your significant other? After all, I hope my
wife is attracted to me as I am to her.

I ask myself, am I smart? With a college degree I think so, until I
watch shows like Jeopardy or play board games with friends and I
realize that I still have a lot to learn. I am thinking of going back
to school. After all, I want my wife to think I'm intelligent.

I ask myself if I'm in the spiritual place with God that I want to be.
Do I attend church every week? Do I read the Bible each day? Am I
asking more from God than I am thanking Him during prayer? Am I a good
example for others and am I teaching them about God? After all, I hope
my future wife and I can pray together and maybe take a leadership role
in a youth group.

I ask myself, am I happy as an individual? A relationship can bring
happiness and fill the void of being alone, but should I put that
burden on my future wife? If you are comfortable being yourself, being
happy alone and don't need someone, that is a step in the right
direction. I believe that needing someone to fill a void and wanting
someone to fill a void are two entirely different things. This is why
your relationships begin with you. After all, if you don't love
yourself, then how do you expect someone else to?

"Happiness depends upon ourselves"~ Aristotle

When you fulfill the above aspects of your life to an acceptable extent
- then watch out, your future spouse may just be at the local
bookstore, in the gym, at church, at work, at school, or at the bank. I
don't expect to be able to accomplish each of these things in the next
four years, but I will always strive to do so. After all, I hope she
will always strive to do the same. And most of all, I hope we will
continue to strive to do these things together!

Nine Ways to Make Top Performers Effective Managers

2009-08-26T00:37:00.002-07:00

by Derek Finkelman and Jonathan Corke

It's a common scenario: A managerial position becomes available and is filled by a top performer with minimal or no previous management experience. Yet it makes sense. Shouldn't a top performer be able to easily make the transition to manager? Shouldn't that person be able to guide others to his or her same level of productivity? The answer is a 100 percent, absolute maybe.

While top performers likely have solid domain skills, coupled with a strong motivation to succeed, there's a good chance they have not been afforded sufficient opportunity to develop effective management techniques. For some, these skills can be learned on the job. For others, the consequences of a poor managerial fit can be significant in terms of lost productivity and morale for the new manager and his or her direct reports.

Therefore, prior to promoting a top performer with minimal or no managerial experience, assess the candidate's strengths and forward-looking potential in nine core areas of effective management.

This analysis can ensure consistently smooth management transitions and keep a company operating at peak performance as it identifies whether a top performer is ready to lead now, is better-suited for some limited managerial experiences and additional training, or perhaps has a skill set and disposition that will only thrive in an individual contributor role. Consider: Can the new manager execute these nine core skills?

1. Move from tactical to strategic.
Is the employee ready to let go of his or her day-to-day responsibilities and play a more conceptual or strategic role? Some managers believe they need to understand every last detail of what their employees are working on.

Commonly referred to as "micro-managing," this type of behavior can make otherwise content employees burn out and leave a company. For a top performer who excels at the tactical level, managing others to achieve the same level of success may not seem as fulfilling.

Is the employee prepared for this potential shock? Many top performers are capable of the transition from tactical to strategic thinking, provided they have access to the right resources, such as a mentor or applicable management training courses.

2. Defend the team.
Is the employee ready to defend his or her new direct reports and support them in public? Is the employee ready to be a leader? Leaders absorb rather than deflect criticism. Leaders push praise downward to their employees and proactively look for ways to portray their direct reports in a positive light.

In short, leaders have a deep understanding of the phrase, "praise in public, condemn in private." Lots of top performers have healthy, competitive egos. Don't assume that deflecting praise and supporting direct reports is a natural instinct for new managers.

3. Build trusting relationships.
Can the employee develop a strong, trusting relationship that engenders compassion and prudent responses to change? As a cautionary tale, "Jerry" really enjoyed working for a manager until the reasons behind some recent absences came into question.

Jerry's son was in and out of the hospital, and thus, he needed to unexpectedly miss some work during a two-week period. Rather than show compassion and understanding, Jerry's manager accused him of interviewing. The manager's paranoia quickly became a self-fulfilling prophecy, as Jerry decided it wasn't worth working for someone who so quickly questioned his integrity. Jerry's example illustrates the risk associated with promoting a top performer before understanding his or her ability to trust and respect others.

4. Delegate.
Does the employee know how to assign work and shepherd that work through to completion? Consider the following scenario:

Manager: "[Employee], I need you to do X. I need this done because of Y. I'd really like to have this work completed by Z. Do you have any questions? Was this clear?"

Employee: "Got it."

Manager: "Great. Please let me know if you need any additional help."

This seems simple. Employees like to understand what work is expected of them, why the work is important, and when the work should be completed. Once the assignment is given, managers can use a variety of actions to stay on top of progress, including daily check-ins, one-on-one meetings and regular staff meetings. This example is deceptively easy; yet, in the frantic pace of business, this type of clear, concise, two-way communication often is lost.

5. Teach and mentor.
In the event that assignments require additional help or instruction, does the top performer embrace the idea of teaching and mentoring? Does he or she have the patience to answer employees' questions respectfully, in detail, more than once? Managers who return employee questions with an impatient or arrogant tone will eventually find they have fewer questions to answer, as employees will be more reluctant to expose their weaknesses or challenge ideas.

Managers who answer employee questions in an unassuming, non-condescending manner will be able to foster and sustain open communication channels that are vital for employee development and team productivity.

6. Admit mistakes.
Does the employee know how to apologize or acknowledge a mistake? For example, a new manager arrogantly corrects an employee in a cross-functional meeting and subsequently learns the employee's assertion was accurate. Does the manager have the self-awareness and willingness to admit the mistake not only to the employee but also to the other meeting participants? This is necessary to help restore cross-functional trust in the employee who the manager publicly and erroneously contradicted. These corrective steps will be appreciated by most employees. On the other hand, if the manager doesn't take these steps, he or she will quickly lose the team's respect.

7. Leverage others' strengths.
Is the employee threatened by colleagues who have greater subject matter expertise? For a newly promoted manager, there is an increased likelihood that certain employees will know more about a specific domain. For example, a new vice president of brand marketing may be asked to manage the product marketing group, as well. Is this vice president willing to roll up his or her sleeves and learn about that group on a tactical level?

Rather than hide from knowledge they don't have, the best managers ask the right questions to understand their employees' day-to-day responsibilities. By doing so, effective managers can engage subject matter experts to provide a well-articulated recommendation and then implement, adjust or reject that proposal based upon their sense of how it fits into the broader company strategy.

8. Manage each employee.
Can the new manager alter his or her managerial approach by direct report? Does the prospective manager have a one-size-fits-all management style, or does he or she recognize that individuals may need to be managed differently? Employees with young children are likely to request time to attend school events or unexpectedly miss work due to a child's illness.

Younger, single employees may be hungry to prove themselves by offering to own too much work. Can the potential manager recognize the employees' motivational differences and alter his or her managerial style accordingly? The best managers hold everyone on the team accountable for expected behaviors and results, while also understanding and capitalizing on the individual motivations of each team member.

9. Take time to manage.
Has the company given the new manager the time needed to actually manage? If a top performer has moved from individual contributor to managing a group of five or seven people, for example, there is undoubtedly a need to scale back on tactical, role-based activities to find the pulse of his or her new team.

A managerial role requires building a rapport, delegating responsibilities and architecting a team's broader long-term strategy. When promoted, many top performers will initially carve out more work time per day to ambitiously try to handle their legacy tasks and their newly acquired role. This early push is not sustainable. The new manager, and the company, will need to understand and be receptive to the fact that his or her individual responsibilities should now account for no more than 50 percent of work time, and likely much less.

Each of these nine components of effective management requires organization commitment and an adjustment period in order to achieve a smooth transition, best fit and continued productivity for new managers and their employees. However, there often is more accountability for the organization regarding this ninth and final point.

Are top performers expected to manage effectively and maintain their previous workloads? Or are they given the time they need to manage their new direct reports? Providing employees with a manager's title without supplying enough time for them to actually manage is a fruitless exercise.

The Case for Careful Selection

There are potential consequences of not incorporating these nine dimensions into the managerial selection process. Ineffective managers can alienate other departments, or worse, their employees, which can lead to significantly reduced group productivity and increased attrition. As merit budgets tighten and companies try to do more with less, the cascading effects of a toxic manager pose an even greater threat to organizational success.

Top-performing individuals don't necessarily become top-performing managers. To succeed, new managers require time, training and guidance. Management consultants may never reach full agreement on the components of effective management, but these nine core skills comprise a practical evaluation of a top performer's readiness to manage and a company's readiness to prepare employees for this next step.

[About the Authors: Derek Finkelman is a product manager and Jonathan Corke is a product marketing specialist with Workscape, an outsourced benefits and talent management solutions provider.]

The Wisdom of Experience

2009-08-26T00:37:00.001-07:00

Judy Owen has done just about everything one can do after 25 years with companies that provide integrated hospitality services for trade shows, conferences and special events, the last 13 of those with Freeman, a provider of services for face-to-face marketing and brand-building events, including expositions, conventions, corporate events, meetings and exhibit programs.

Owen spent most of her early career in sales, services and operations roles, until five years ago, when she transitioned into the learning arena with Freeman's audio/visual services division. Then, just 18 months later, she was tapped as vice president of training and development for the company's North America operation and its 4,000 employees. Freeman received a Bersin & Associates learning leader award in 2008 and was also recognized with the 2008 Best Place to Learn award from the Dallas chapter of ASTD. In both cases, Freeman was cited for its ability to align training strategy with its overall business strategy.

Owen is convinced that she, and Freeman, are better off because she came to the job with the tools and perspectives to more effectively move "from the business and in the business" rather than working "on" the business.

"When you transition from the operations and sales side of the business, you have worked shoulder to shoulder with the business partners and have developed a credible position as being empathic, knowledgeable, having subject matter expertise, feeling their pain and understanding, what they actually go through," Owen said.

When a business leader makes the move to learning, those intellectual and personal assets come along, too. "The dialogue with business partners continues with someone who can truly relate to the business," Owen said.. "So it's just the application of what you do that is different in a learning executive role."

Owen believes her initial transition from business operations to learning was less difficult because her accountability for driving performance remains the same.

"Whether it's delivering on Freeman's brand and differentiating from the competition or developing our people to the best of our ability and driving a profit, from my perspective, these are all the reasons you have a learning function in your company to begin with," she said.

"At the end of the day, you have to relate to the people, your business partners, in such a way that you are their consultant to help them solve their problems because you come from that partnership perspective with knowledge of the business."

To help make an effective transition from business to learning, Owen offered the following advice:

1. Don't try to force learning best practices on your partners.
"Sometimes, these business partners just want you to listen and think about the challenge and potential solutions that are going to improve the business."

2. Understand their pain.
"That's what being a performance consultant is all about," and it's no different for learning leaders.

3. Speak their language.
"Don't superimpose the language of the learning discipline onto the business. Operations and sales leaders are not interested in training jargon, which only serves to disconnect the learning leader from other business leaders. Listen, understand and verify their issues and respond with proposed training solutions that address their concern."

4. Start with the end in mind.
"You have to understand the desired outcome. What are we trying to make happen based on the desired outcome?" If you engage them in the right dialogue, the objective should be clear.

5. Set your training hat aside.
"Peel back the layers of the business challenge and invest the time and thinking to understand how the business gets better if you apply training to it. If your business partner doesn't know how the business gets better, there may be something else at the root of their business problem. Sometimes, training can't fix what's broken, and it's your job to know that."

Owen said the quality and frequency of meaningful dialogue with business partners across the enterprise ultimately will determine the success or failure of the learning leader. Helping business partners sort through how learning can and should play a role in meeting their objectives should come long before the creation of any learning interventions.

[About the Authors: Frank Stanesic is vice president of learning with ACS Inc., overseeing training and talent management. Joseph Daniel McCool consults with companies on executive management recruiting and succession next practices and is the author of Deciding Who Leads: How Executive Recruiters Drive, Direct and Disrupt the Global Search for Leadership Talent.]

What is 3G?

2009-08-26T00:35:00.000-07:00

3G (third generation) is a collection of international standards and technologies.
3G increases efficiency by improving the performance of mobile wireless networks.

1G – 2G – 3G
1G – Analog networks
2G – Digital wireless phone on circuit switched networks
3G – Digital wireless phone on packet switched networks

The Speed
Up to 144Kbps in a high-speed moving environment (Present)
Up to 384Kbps in a low-speed moving environment (Present)
Up to 2Mbps in a stationary environment (Future)
Note: The speed for 2G is 9.6 kbps – 14.4 kbps.

World’s First 3G Netowrk
On May 30, 2001, NTT DoCoMO launched the world first application of W-CDMA, one of the IMT – 2000 global mobile communications standards.
With a maximum downlink transmission speed of 384 kbps.

Personal Scene
Take on-line shopping for example. You will be able to view and select still images of merchandise, then make payments from your electronic wallet (Digital Catalog Shopping).

Video Mail
Mobile Banking
Digital Information Delivery (Audio and Video)

Home Scene
Directly connect to a home automation system and be able to turn on/off home appliances such as lighting and air conditioners.
You will have a greater control of your home security system by displaying security monitor images on your cellular phone terminal display.

Entertainment Scene
You will be able to view plays, concerts, and sports events in real-time.
You will be able to download your favorite music, movies, and games at your leisure.
You will be able to use the electronic encyclopedia, even with photographs.

Business Scene
Retrieve vital business information from anywhere around the world.
Conduct video conferencing with branch offices and business partners.
Send/receive customer and sales data.

Reasons
Greater efficiency
Lower development costs
Backward compatibility with 2G standards

Key benefits:
Up to double voice capacity of the network.
A 10-fold increase in data speeds, from 14.4 kbps to 144 kbps.
An approximately 50 percent increase battery performance life in standby mode.

Hurdles
Not all handsets are 3G ready
Higher revenue consumption
Network roll-out investment

Revenues From 3G
Charging for network access and airtime.
Charging for content and value-added services or transactions (NTT i-mode).

The Impact
No one can really predict how much impact 3G will have on our lives, but the impact will certainly be great.

There will be a lot of e-commerce opportunity once the 3G is wildly used; however, finding the one golden opportunity is going to be challenging.

*Please read this article by giving 10 minutes from your busy life.

2009-08-26T00:32:00.000-07:00

Why is the media here so negative?

Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our
achievements? We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success
stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why?

We are the first in milk production.
We are number one in Remote sensing satellites.
We are the second largest producer of wheat.
We are the second largest producer of rice.

Look at Dr. Sudarshan , he has transferred the tribal village into a
self-sustaining, self-driving unit. There are millions of such achievements
but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters. I
was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the
day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The
Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a
Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid
and a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The
gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the
newspaper, buried among other news.

In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime. Why are we so
NEGATIVE? Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign
things? We want foreign T. Vs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign
technology.

Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that
self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this
lecture, when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal
in life is. She replied: I want to live in a developed India . For her,
you and I will have to build this developed India . You must proclaim. India
is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation. Do you
have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back with a vengeance.

Got 10 minutes for your country? If yes, then read; otherwise, choice is
yours:
YOU say that our government is inefficient.
YOU say that our laws are too old.
YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.
YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke,
The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.
YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits.

YOU say, say and say. What do YOU do about it?
Take a person on his way to Singapore . Give him a name - YOURS. Give him a
face - YOURS. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International
best. In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in
the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are. You pay
$5 (approx. Rs. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim
Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking
lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or
a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity... In Singapore you
don't say anything, DO YOU? YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during
Ramadan, in Dubai . YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered
in Jeddah . YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange
in London at 10 pounds ( Rs.650) a month to, 'see to it that my STD and ISD
calls are billed to someone else.'YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph
(88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop,
'Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son.
Take your two bucks and get lost.' YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell
anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New
Zealand .

Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo ? Why don't YOU use
examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston ??? We are still
talking of the same YOU. YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system
in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and
cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an
involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you be the
same here in India ?

Once in an interview, the famous Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay , Mr.
Tinaikar , had a point to make. 'Rich people's dogs are walked on the
streets to leave their affluent droppings all over the place,' he said. 'And
then the same people turn around to criticize and blame the
authorities for inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the
officers to do? Go down with a broom every time their dog feels the pressure
in his bowels?

In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job.
Same in Japan . Will the Indian citizen do that here?' He's right. We go to
the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility.
We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do
everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the
government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all
over the place nor are we going to stop to pick a up a stray piece of paper
and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms
but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.
We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and
toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity.
This applies even to the staff who is known not to pass on the service to
the public. When it comes to burning social issues like those related to
women, dowry, girl child! and others, we make loud drawing room
protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse? 'It's the
whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my
sons' rights to a dowry.' So who's going to change the system?
What does a system consist of ? Very conveniently for us it consists of our
neighbours, other households, other cities, other communities and the
government. But definitely not me and YOU. When it comes to us actually
making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with
our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far
away and wait for a Mr.Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a
majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away.
Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their
glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run to
England . When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out
to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and
brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape
the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is
mortgaged to money.

Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a great
deal of introspection and pricks one's conscience too.... I am echoing J. F.
Kennedy 's words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians.....

'ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA
AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA
WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY'

Lets do what India needs from us.

Enhancing Relationships

2009-08-26T00:28:00.000-07:00

TRUST is a very important factor for all relationships. When trust is broken, it is the end of the relationship. Lack of trust leads to suspicion, suspicion generates anger, anger causes enmity and enmity may result in separation.

A telephone operator told me that one day she received a phone call. She answered, "Public Utilities Board." There was silence. She repeated, "PUB." There was still no answer. When she was going to cut off the line, she heard a lady's voice, "Oh, so this is PUB. Sorry, I got the number from my Husband's pocket but I do not know whose number it is."

Without mutual trust, just imagine what will happen to the couple if the telephone operator answered with just "hello" instead of "PUB".

NO POINTING FINGERS

A man asked his father-in-law, "Many people praised you for a successful marriage. Could you please share with me your secret?"

The father-in-law answered in a smile, "Never criticize your wife for her shortcomings or when she does something wrong. Always bear in mind that because of her shortcomings and weaknesses, she could not find a better husband than you."

We all look forward to being loved and respected. Many people are afraid of losing face. Generally, when a person makes a mistake, he would look around to find a scapegoat to point the finger at. This is the start of a war. We should always remember that when we point one finger at a person, the other four fingers are pointing at ourselves.

If we forgive the others, others will ignore our mistake too.

CREATING PERFECT RELATIONSHIPS?

A person visited the government matchmaker for marriage, SDU, and requested "I am looking for a spouse. Please help me to find a suitable one." The SDU officer said, "Your requirements, please." "Oh, good looking, polite, humorous, sporty, knowledgeable, good in singing and dancing. Willing to accompany me the whole day at home during my leisure hour, if I don't go out. Telling me interesting stories when I need companion for conversation and be silent when I want to rest." The officer listened carefully and replied, "I understand you need television."

There is a saying that a perfect match can only be found between a blind wife and a deaf husband, because the blind wife cannot see the faults of the husband and the deaf husband cannot hear the nagging of the wife. Many couples are blind and deaf at the courting stage and dream of perpetual perfect relationship. Unfortunately, when the excitement of love wears off, they wake up and discover that marriage is not a bed of roses. The nightmare begins.

NO OVERPOWERING
Many relationships fail because one party tries to overpower another, or demands too much. People in love tend to think that love will conquer all and their spouses will change the bad habits after marriage. Actually, this is not the case. There is a Chinese saying which carries the meaning that "It is easier to reshape a mountain or a river than a person's character."

It is not easy to change. Thus, having high expectation on changing the spouse character will cause disappointment and unpleasantness.

It would be less painful to change ourselves and lower our expectations. .

RIGHT SPEECH!!!

There is a Chinese saying which carries the meaning that "A speech will either prosper or ruin a nation." Many relationships break off because of wrong speech. When a couple is too close with each other, we always forget mutual respect and courtesy. We may say anything without considering if it would hurt the other party.

A friend and her millionaire husband visited their construction site. A worker who wore a helmet saw her and shouted, "Hi, Emily! Remember me? We used to date in the secondary school." On the way home, her millionaire husband teased her, "Luckily you married me. Otherwise you will be the wife of a construction worker." She answered ,"You should appreciate that you married me. Otherwise, he will be the millionaire and not you."

Frequently exchanging these remarks plants the seed for a bad relationship. It's like a broken egg - cannot be reversed.

PERSONAL PERCEPTION

Different people have different perception. One man's meat could be another man's poison. A couple bought a donkey from the market. On the way home, a boy commented, "Very stupid. Why neither of them ride on the donkey? "Upon hearing that, the husband let the wife ride on the donkey. He walked besides them. Later, an old man saw it and commented, "The husband is the head of family. How can the wife ride on the donkey while the husband is on foot?" Hearing this, the wife quickly got down and let the husband ride on the donkey.

Further on the way home, they met an old Lady. She commented, "How can the man ride on the donkey but let the wife walk. He is no gentleman." The husband thus quickly asked the wife to join him on the donkey. Then, they met a young man. He commented, "Poor donkey, how can you hold up the weight of two persons. They are cruel to you." Hearing that, the husband and wife immediately climbed down from the donkey and carried it on their shoulders.

It seems to be the only choice left. Later, on a narrow bridge, the donkey was frightened and struggled. They lost their balance and fell into the river. You can never have everyone praise you, nor will everyone condemn you. Never in the past, not at present, and never will be in the future.

Thus, do not be too bothered by others words if our conscience is clear.

BE PATIENT.....

This is a true story which happened in the States. A man came out of his home to admire his new truck. To his puzzlement, his three-year-old son was happily hammering dents into the shiny paint of the truck. The man ran to his son, knocked him away, and hammered the little boy's hands into pulp as punishment. When the father calmed down, he rushed his son to the hospital.

Although the doctor tried desperately to save the crushed bones, he finally had to amputate the fingers from both the boy's hands. When the boy woke up from the surgery & saw his bandaged stubs, he innocently said, “Daddy, I’m sorry about your truck." Then he asked, "But when are my fingers going to grow back?" The father went home & committed suicide.

Think about this story the next time someone steps on your feet or u wish to take revenge. Think first before u lose your patience with someone u love. Trucks can be repaired. Broken bones & hurt feelings often can't. Too often we fail to recognize the difference between the person and the performance. We forget that forgiveness is greater than revenge.

People make mistakes. We are allowed to make mistakes. But the actions we take while in a rage will haunt us forever.

How to get a nice wife

2009-08-26T00:27:00.001-07:00

There are times in a person's life when he needs to take crucial decisions on his own. Marriage is one of them. Believe me, the decision on whom to marry is the most important decision a person will make in his life. After marriage, your wife is the most important person in your life. She can make or break your life. The mere thought of this is very frightening.

Some of the questions that crop up are -

a.. What sort of a girl do I marry?
b.. Will she adjust in my family?
c.. How can I decide on a girl by just meeting her for a few times?
d.. When should I get married?
e.. This is my life. So, I should choose the girl I marry, but then what if I make a mistake? .. so on and so forth.

I will try to address these & many more questions in the following sections.

The Nine Rules of Arranged marriage

Rule 1 - Magic no. 28

In an ideal scenario, a girl goes to college at the age of 18. By the time she graduates, goes for her post graduation and/ or works for 1-2 years, she will be about 23- 24. This means that she has spent about 5 years away from her home. In the 5 years period, she would meet many smart guys at college or during her first few years on job. So, in all probability it would be difficult to find a good girl older than 24 yrs. Secondly, in Indian families there is lot of pressure on the girl's to get married by the time they become 24-25.

Statistics says that there is a generation gap after every 5 years. So, in such scenario, one would prefer to marry a girl who is about 3-4 years younger to you. Thus, working backwards, an ideal age for a guy to get married is by 28. Earlier the marriage, the better it is.

Well, as we all know, in the current market scenario, there will never be stability in our career. So, I believe there is no such thing as, "I will marry when I settle down".

Rule 2 -- Subset of marriage-able girls

At times you hear statements like, "I am not getting the right match, I will look after 3 months, I will find a better match then". Well the truth is otherwise. The subset of unmarried girl looking for a match is fixed. From this subset, there would be girls who would get married & there would be new girls added who would be looking for a match. The net result is that at any given time, the variety & number of marriage-able girls are fixed.

Rule 3 - Competition for girls

Like all other facets of life, there is lot of competition for good girls. So, if you are looking for a girl who is post graduate, done her Engg, is working, very beautiful, smart, from a good family etc. etc, just think again. There are other guys who are also looking for similar girls & probably they are better off than you in terms of career, looks personality etc. Given a choice every guy would like to marry Aishwarya Rai. So, set your expectations accordingly.

Rule 4 -- Understanding girls

You would have met a lot of people during your life. As we all know, its difficult to judge a person based on a few meetings. I am sure you would agree with me that in case of girls it is even more difficult to understand them in a few meetings. I know people who are still trying to understand their wife. ;-)..

Understanding your spouse is a life long assignment. So, then how do you select a girl based on a few meeting? This is where you need to take the help of your parents/ friends & latest technologies like email/chat to choose your girl.

Rule 5 - Society expectation

The selection process is tough on every one who is involved in the process. In arranged marriage, involvement of family & society is pretty high. You can't meet a girl 3-4 times & then say no to her. It is bad for her future. So, you should have a good short-listing criterion. Meet only a few girls & be sure what you are looking for. It is for the benefit of everyone involved.

Rule 6 -- Marriage between equals

Unlike love marriage, in arranged marriage you also marry into the girl's family. In arranged marriages, family support plays a major role in ensuring a successful marriage. This is where the compatibility of social status, family values & caste/religion plays a major role. Its important to note that in case there is a perfect match between the two families, the marriage is destined to succeed.

Rule 7 - Know yourself

Unlike love marriage, in arranged marriage you first marry a person & then fall in love. So, it's very important that you do a self-assessment on the kind of person you would love. They say, "Opposite attract", while they also say, "Bird of same feather flock together". So, you take a call on what sort of person you like. Take a pen & paper; write down the kind of attributes you are looking for in a girl. Say, she should ideally have the looks of Sonia, the style of Monica, the voice of Sheena, the patience of Rashmi. You will certainly not find the perfect girl, but then you would have a good idea of what you are looking for. The secret here is to set some minimum criteria for selection. Don't forget rule no.3 here.

Rule 8 -- Girl's Beauty

A girl's looks attract, but then no one wants to end up marrying a dumb It is like buying your bike. When you initially buy it, you are crazy about the looks, but later on you love it for its reliability, fuel economy & comfort level. Similarly, a girl's looks are important, but then it should not be the most important criteria. Later on in life, you will get bored of her looks. It is then that her personality & behavior will make all the difference to your marriage. I am sure your parents will be able to advice you a lot better on this topic.

Rule 9 -- Taking advice

As I have mentioned in the next rule, it's very important that the final decision on whom to marry must necessarily be yours. However, don't do the mistake of isolating yourself from the world while planning your marriage. Discuss with your parents & very close friends on this issue. They are your well wishers. Secondly, in such important matters its necessary that you analyze all possibilities. Remember, I am not suggesting that you follow others' advice, but don't forget to take their advice.

Rule 10 -- Own decision

All said & done, it's your marriage & your life that is at stake. Once you are married, you & your wife are the only persons who will be facing the music. Don't marry a girl just because your parents or friends asked you to do so.
After marriage, if things don't work out & you end up saying, "It's because of my friends or my parents that I married you", then your marriage is destined for disaster. If the girl is of your choice, it is you who will be responsible for whatever happens. That's when the marriage works out perfectly. So, ensure that you marry the girl of your choice.

How to approach the selection process?

From the day, a person decides to get married; the selection process takes a minimum of 3 months. The whole process needs a lot of patience & commitment. The ideal steps to be followed are:

a.. Definition phase –

Define the minimum criteria for the kind of life partner you are looking for in terms of education, physical appearance, social status, family values, future career plans. Remember the Rule 3 here.

b.. Lead Generation phase –

Place ads in various newspapers, magazines, websites, through friends, family friends, family societies & association etc. You need to exhaust all possible means of getting bio-datas at one go. Remember the Rule 2 here.

c.. Short listing phase –

Based on your selection criteria, short-list the interesting bio-datas. The general process followed for correspondence is as follows:

1. The initiator sends a one page profile of himself/herself.

2. Based on the profile, the receiver sends his/her one page profile along with request for detailed profile, photo, horoscope.

3. The initiator then sends the requested information along with a request for similar information.

4. The receiver send similar information.

5. If the bio-data is selected, it is passed over to the next phase.

A.. Casual interaction phase –

Based on short listing, about 7 to 10 bio-datas are taken forwarded to this phase. The next step to follow here is to exchange email/ chat ids. The guy & the girl then interact for 10 - 15 days to try & judge mutual compatibility through email/chat.

B.. Family interaction phase –

Based on the earlier phase, about 5 leads are taken for consideration in this phase. During this phase, the parents get involved & check the background information about the families to find mutual compatibility.

C.. The dating phase –

Based on the earlier phase about 3 leads are taken forward to this phase. During this phase, the guy & the girl interact by going out alone for 2-3 times. The guy needs to prepare a set of simple questions like who is your favorite star, what are your hobbies? He needs to use his judgment to analyze the girl based on her responses.

D.. The D-day phase –

Finally, the D-day comes when the guy has to select the girl he wants to spend his life with. If the process if followed systematically, there will be no ambiguity in deciding who should be your life partner.

Finally, my dear friends, marriage is all about compromises. In spite of all the planning that you do, there are a lot of uncertainties in a marriage. In fact this is the best part about marriage. Just remember that the person you marry must be of your choice. In such case, there would be no going back for both of you.

A few words of advice: To make your marriage a success; just believe in the age-old virtue, "Never do anything to others that you don't like for yourself".

Natural Remedies during Pregnancy FAQ

2009-08-26T00:12:00.000-07:00

This FAQ is about some easy ways to remedy common pregnancy complaints. If you have a remedy that you would like to see included, please send me mail with the remedy and complaint.

This is not meant to replace your careprovider. Please check with your careprovider before using any remedy. Prenatal care is an important part of every pregnancy.

Robin Elise Weiss, ICCE, CD(DONA), NACA
Pregnancy/Childbirth
pregnancy.guide@about.com

This FAQ contains the following topics:
# Prevention of Pregnancy Complaints
# Nausea
# Heartburn
# Fainting and Dizziness
# Constipation and Hemorrhoids
# Leg Cramps
# Backaches
# Coughs and Colds
# Varicosities
# Skin Changes
# Stretch Marks
# High Blood Pressure
# Pelvic Pain
# Insomnia
# Bladder Problems
# Headaches
# Anemia
# Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
# Resources

Prevention of Pregnancy Complaints
As the adage goes, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." That is the same for pregnancy, if not more important. Prevention comes in many shapes and sizes. The best thing you can do is to eat a well balanced diet, drink plenty of fluids, salt your food to taste, and get regular exercise. These will help your body fend off viruses and maintain order.

Nausea
This is also known as morning sickness, but can strike at anytime of the day. These symptoms of nausea and vomiting generally go away by the end of the first three months. Things that irritate the condition: low blood sugar, low blood pressure, hormonal changes, emotional ambivalence, deficiency of vitamin B6 and iron, or excessive amounts of grease or certain spices. Vomiting that is excessive needs medical attention.

Suggestions:

# Deep breathing may help, as well as relaxation exercises
# A protein snack before bed will help low blood sugar in the morning
# Get up slowly out of bed
# Take a walk everyday
# Sea bands on both wrists for acupressure points
# Anise, dried peach tree leaves, fennel seed, red raspberry or ginger teas
# A teaspoon of cider vinegar in a cup of warm water
# Infusion of ginger root
# Smelling ground ginger
# Increase iron rich foods in your diet
# Ipecacuana 6X three times daily for 5 days
# Nux Vomica 6X
# Slippery Elm tablets, two before each meal
# Aromatherapy: lavender, rose, or chamomile for a massage oil

Heartburn
Hormones released during pregnancy allow the softening of the sphincter between the esophagus and stomach. This lets stomach acids back up into the esophagus, causing a burning sensation. This may also occur in the latter months of pregnancy as your baby pushes all of your organs upward.

Suggestions:
# Eat smaller, more frequent meals
# Remain upright for an hour after eating, lying down can irritate the problem
# Eating yogurt or drinking milk can help
# Avoid spicy or greasy foods
# Try a tablespoon of honey in a glass of warm milk
# Mercurius Solubilis 6C three times daily

Fainting and Dizziness
Fainting is common during pregnancy. the blood may pool in the lower body and the brain may become temporarily deprived of oxygen, causing fainting or dizziness.

Suggestions:
# Avoid standing for long periods of time
# While standing practice contracting and relaxing your leg and buttocks muscles to help blood return to your head
# When resting lay on your side as opposed to your back
# When sitting return to standing slowly
# Don't get out of a hot bath too quickly
# Keep cool in hot weather
# If you feel faint, sit to avoid injury and place your head lower than your body, kneeling on all fours works too
# Take a few drops of Bach Rescue Remedy as soon as your start to feel faint
# Make sure you blood sugar isn't low, eat small protein rich snacks throughout the day
# Shiatsu points Lung 9 (LU9) and Heart 7 (HT7) together, if done by someone else, or separately if alone, for 5-7 seconds, repeat three times, then do the same to the opposite arm

Constipation and Hemorrhoids
Constipation can become a problem in pregnancy due to hormonal changes affecting the digestive system. However, iron tablets can also lead to constipation as well as a lack of fiber in your diet. Hemorrhoids are varicose veins of the rectum which are associated with pregnancy. Preventing constipation is a good start to preventing hemorrhoids.

Suggestions for constipation:
# Regular exercise, especially squatting
# Plenty of fruits and vegetables in your diet
# Drink plenty of fluids
# Drink prune juice
# Nux Vomica 6X three times daily
# When you have to go..GO! Do not delay the urge to defecate.
# Avoid straining your bowels (This will also help prevent hemorrhoids.)

Suggestions for Hemorrhoids:
# Avoid straining
# Apply baking soda wet or dry to take away the itch, even add some to your bath water
# Hamamelis 30X
# Witch hazel or lemon juice to reduce swelling or bleeding
# Comfrey or Yellowdock Root ointment
# Herbal sitz baths

Leg Cramps
Cramps in your muscles are common during pregnancy. They may be caused by the weight you are carrying, circulation changes, or calcium deficiency.

Suggestions:
# Regular exercise
# Adequate calcium intake
# When the cramp begins, bring your toes towards you, and massage the muscle
# Dissolve four tablets of Magnesia Phosphorica 6X in a small glass of warm water

Backaches
Backaches can be particularly annoying. They can be caused by poor posture, inappropriate lifting techniques, lack of exercise, or the weight of the baby and the stretching ligaments.

Suggestions:

# Utilize good posture
# Use proper lifting techniques
# Pelvic rocking
# Massage
# Sleep with pillows supporting your legs and back
# Wear flat heeled shoes that offer good support
# Heat (bath, shower, pad, sock)
# Swimming
# Don't move in a jerky fashion
# Stretch daily
# Herbal Liniments may help
# St. John's Wort tincture, 15-25 drops in a glass of water every few hours as needed
# For severe pain add 3-5 drops of Skullcap tincture to the above
# Chiropractic help may be of use as well

Coughs and Colds
Pregnancy can cause your mucous membranes to swell. This can make it more difficult to get rid of coughs, colds, etc. Prevention is key here. Eat well, and get plenty of rest and exercise. Also avoid people who are contagious if possible.

Suggestions:
# Well balanced diet
# Increase Vitamin C foods
# Eating garlic or onions can help with infections
# Zinc and Vitamin C supplements will help increase your resistance
# B vitamins help if you are under stress
# Use a humidifier
# Use Aconite 6X every two hours for 24 hours at the first sign of a cold
# Allium Cepa 6C three times daily for a streaming head cold
# Eucalyptus, lavender, lemon and tea tree: 2 drops pf each oil into a bowl of water, inhale steam for 10 minutes Do not use in conjunction with homeopathic remedies.

Recipes:
# Herbal Decoction for colds:

4 Cloves
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
a few slices of fresh ger
1 pints of water
a slice of lemon

honey

Add the spices to the water, bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the lemon and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Strain and sweeten with honey. Drink a hot cup of this every 2 hours.

Cold Tea:

Peppermint
Chickweed
Echinacea
Blackberry leaves

Mix equal parts of the herbs in a container and take a heaping teaspoon into a tea bag. Steep in boiling water for 10 minutes. Sweeten with honey. You can drink this as often as needed for cold symptoms.

Varicosities
Pregnancy causes changes to the blood volume and hormone levels. The increased flow of blood and the relaxation of the muscular walls of the blood vessels leads to a more difficult return of blood from the lower body. They can appear in the legs, vulva, or rectum (see hemorrhoids) The varicose veins that area a result of these changes can be painful, itching, and unsightly. However, heredity does play a part in this process. Here are some ideas to help.

Suggestions:
# Massage may help prevent, but avoid if varicosities develop
# Avoid standing for long periods of time
# Exercise regularly (Swimming, yoga and walking are great)
# Eat well, including plenty of fiber, Vitamins A, C, E and B complex
# Eat raw garlic, onions and parsley to increase the elasticity of your veins
# Never cross your legs
# Avoid tight clothing
# Support stockings may help if you raise your legs up before putting them on
# Raise the foot of your bed 3-4 inches
# Put your legs up whenever you can
# Exercise the pelvic floor and inner thigh muscles
# Horse chestnut, nettle, yarrow, St. John's Wort and Shepard's Purse help improve blood flow
# Ointments of comfrey, yellow dock root, plantain or yarrow may help stop bleeding, reduce pain and ease swelling
# Hammamelis 6X three time daily for up to a week for painful varicose veins (stop When you get symptom relief)
# Calcarea fluorica 6X is good for building up elasticity

Skin Changes
Skin changes abound during pregnancy. Some are pleasant, others are not. Most of these changes will go away shortly after the birth of your baby. Here are some ideas for the not so pleasant changes that pregnancy can bring.

Suggestions:

Pigmentation:
# Use a sunblock when in the sun
# Never bleach your skin
# Use St. John's Wort oil to help prevent discoloration
# Eat foods rich in PABA and folic acid

Itching:
# Changing laundry detergents to a dye free, perfume free brand
# Wear cotton clothes
# Oatmeal baths help with itching
# Chickweed ointment
# Bach Rescue Remedy Cream
# Lime Flower teas before bed can be soothing

Acne:
Acne may either get better or worsen during pregnancy, try to keep your face dry, and avoid oils
Stretch Marks
Contrary to popular belief, stretch marks cannot be prevented. Your best defense is healthy skin, and good genetics behind you. These marks will fade and turn silvery after the birth.

Suggestions:
# Eat the proper diet to help your skin be healthy
# Drink plenty of fluids (Skin that is well nourished stretches better)
# If you have itching, use a cream to moisturize the area, some people prefer a Vitamin E oil
# Take Calc Fluor 6X 3 times daily for a week starting in early pregnancy, continue alternate weeks for the rest

Recipes:

Stretchmark Oil

dark glass 50 ml bottle
50 ml of wheatgerm oil, or mixture of wheatgerm and almond oil
essential oils of lavender and neroli

Fill the bottle with wheatgerm oil, or the mixture of wheatgerm and almond oils for a thinner solution. Add 15 drops of the essential oil of lavender and 10 drops of the essential oil of neroli. Massage daily after bathing.
High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure may be physiological or a reaction to stress or anxiety. Your blood pressure will be checked regularly throughout your pregnancy. There are many things you can do to help maintain a health blood pressure.

Suggestions:
# Exercise regularly
# Maintain a healthy, balanced diet, containing plenty of raw fruits and vegetables
# Protein is very important in preventing high blood pressure and ecclampsia, you need at least 80 grams of protein daily
# Limiting red meat can help you maintain a lower blood pressure, make sure you are getting protein from other sources
# Salt your food to taste, do not eliminate salt from your diet
# Cucumbers help reduce blood pressure
# Avoid stress where possible
# Instead of coffee, tea, or colas, drink: raspberry leaf, nettles, limeflower or dandelion teas
# Juice of half a lemon or lime plus two teaspoons of cream of tartar in a half a cup of water once a day for three days, lowers your blood pressure, if needed, repeat after a break of two days
# 2-4 capsules of Passionflower daily, or 15 drops of the tincture three times a day, continue for several weeks for the most benefit

If you develop pre-ecclampsia:
# Include potassium rich foods into your diet (bananas, and lightly cooked potato peel)
# A minium of 2400 calories a day are required
# Drink Raw beet juice to balance the sodium/potassium ratio in your blood, about 4ounces daily
# Take a B complex taken daily with 100mg B6 or brewer's yeast
# Young dandelion leaves are excellent sources of calcium and potassium, this will vitalize your kidneys and reduce edema
Pelvic Pain

As your pregnancy continues, the weight of the baby and your changing form may cause pain when your pubic joint expands in preparation for birth.

Suggestions:
# Regular exercise
# Rest when you need it
# Warm compresses at the site of pain
# May worsen after walking or standing a lot
# May be worse when you are tired

Insomnia
Insomnia can be caused by a lot of factors: restlessness, the need to urinate, worry, overstimulation, discomfort, etc.

Suggestions:
# Avoid stimulants
# Eat a few hours before bedtime, making sure your meal is easily digestible
# Try drinking chamomile tea before bed, or limeflower
# Try warm milk or a calcium and magnesium supplement
# Make sure that your room is well ventilated and your bed comfortable
# Use extra pillows as needed
# Do some pelvic rocking before bed, followed by a warm bath
# Massage of the head and neck may relieve tension
# One tablet of Passiflor 6X, Coffea Cruda 6X or Nux Vomica 6X before bed or if you awake in the middle of the night
# A few drops of Bach Rescue remedy in water will help you if your are restless
# Add two or three drops of essential oil of lavender to a base oil and use it with a massage before bed

Bladder Problems

Cystitis, an infection of the bladder, is not uncommon during pregnancy. This is due to the added stress placed on your bladder because of the increased volume of fluids in your body.

Suggestions:
# Avoid junk food, refined starches, sugar, coffee, tea and foods high in acidic content
# Eat live yogurt daily
# Drink plenty on fluids, especially water
# Wear cotton underwear
# Avoid using soap to wash your genitals or using bubble bath or bath salts
# After intercourse emptying your bladder and washing with water may help reduce the risk of infection
# Wipe from front to back after using the bathroom
# Include garlic, leeks and cabbage in your diet
# Blend unsweetened cranberry juice with parsley three times daily
# Barley water, chamomile, marshmallow and raspberry teas are effective
# Try taking 500g daily of Vitamin C until symptoms improve

Headaches
Resulting from hormonal changes or stress, headaches can be familiar during pregnancy.

Suggestions:
# Get plenty of rest
# Exercise regularly
# Excessive caffeine can cause headaches, as can caffeine withdrawal. If you have been totally avoiding caffeine, a cola or cup of caffeinated tea may help
# Try relaxation exercises
# Soak a washcloth in cold water containing a few drops of essential oil of lavender. Apply to forehead and rest in darkened room
# Massaging the neck and spine may help

Anemia
Anemia is very common during pregnancy. We try and ward it off by prescribing iron tablets, this can be ineffective and actually cause other problems. However, there are times when we check for anemia that aren't appropriate. We tend to want to check for anemia right after an expanse in blood volume. When this occurs it will take a bit for the red blood cells to "catch up" to the rise in volume. This can look like anemia, when it's really not. Here are some other methods of getting the iron you need.

Suggestions:

# Eat lots of iron rich foods (liver, leafy greens, beets, oysters, heart and tongue)
# Avoid caffeine, it prevents absorption of iron
# Avoid excessive bran, alkalinizers and phosphates, they inhibit absorption
# Drink something with vitamins C with your iron supplements (tablets or herbal), Vitamin C aids in the assimilation
# Cook with cast iron
# Good herbal sources of iron: Parsley, Nettles, Amaranth greens, Dandelion root, and Kelp
# Yellow Dock root
# Prevention: 1T of decoction or 25-40 drops of tincture daily
# Presenting with anemia: Same dosage as above but three times a day

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
This syndrome affects a lot of us. I am assuming since you are probably reading this on a computer that you type quite a bit. This puts you at a higher risk.

Suggestions:
# Use a wrist rest by your computer
# Sleep with your arm on a pillow at night
# Massage: Have a partner massge, using thumbs, from the inside of your wrist outwards and down
# Kneel on hands and knees, lean your body forward stretching your wrists, hold for a few seconds
# Hold your hand above your head and wiggle your fingers
# A splint on your wrist at night may also help
# Acupressure: Locate the point Lung 10 (LU10) in the center of the fleshy mound at the base of your thumb, press firmly, hold 5-7 seconds, repeat 3 times
# Acupuncture

Ten tips on "How Not to Take Things to Heart",

2009-08-26T00:11:00.000-07:00

Any interaction with another person, whether it is with your boss, a customer, your father or your friend has the opportunity to lead to hurt or irritation. Some people get hurt more easily than others.
They can be particularly sensitive and take things to heart.
Here are some tips to help you stop taking things personally so you can leave your interactions in a happier way.

1. Know why you are hurting.
Know why you are hurting and respond accordingly. Are you hurting because of something that has happened in your history? Are you adding your history to the present moment and therefore adding fuel to something small and making it appear bigger? For example, if your mother has looked at you in a certain way since childhood and she's looked at you in the same way today - do you react because of the way she looked today or the way she looked at you as a child? If it's the latter, try reacting as if this was the first time you'd ever seen the look!

2. Laugh and make light of it.
Laughter can be a wonderful cure and reliever. If you can keep light about a potential put-down then the put-down has no power. This doesn't mean that you leave yourself open to abuse. What it does mean is that you can more easily brush off potentially hurtful comments.

3. Tell someone else about what was said and turn it into a funny story.
Tell someone else what has happened and tell it in a way that makes it funny. Do a caricature - exaggerate what was said - think of a funny line back ... build it up until it's funny - this will help the hurt to dissipate.

4. Delay your response.
Many people retaliate very quickly before they've even had time to think through what has been said. It's a bit like someone throwing something at you. Would you just stand there and let it hurt you or would you duck? Delaying is like ducking. Pause before you respond. Then you give yourself time to think of a good response and to check that you're not adding hurt to what was said.

5. Think of the other person as being "unskilled".
Think of the other person as being "unskilled" rather than being "intimidating", "bossy" or "aggressive". I'll often say to myself, "Well that was an unskilled way of saying things, I wonder what she meant?" This helps me keep calm and non-reactive, yet still available to help the person.

6. Separate out what is specific to you.
Sometimes people respond to a general complaint as if it is personally directed at them. Don't do this. Work out what is specifically about you and what is a general complaint that you happen to get because you were in the same place as the other person? When it's not specific to you, remind yourself of this, e.g. you might say to yourself, "This is about the company," or "He has obviously got a bad headache."

7. Monitor for sites of tension build up and let go before they develop.
Monitor for sites of tension build up and let go before they develop. Each of us will have physiological changes which occur early on in the process of becoming hurt. If you can catch your stomach tightening, your neck tightening or your hands grasping, early on, you have more chance of letting go and not hooking into the other person's comments or emotions. Someone in one of our workshops recently discovered she started clicking her nails as a sign that she was hooking in. What are your signs?

8. Keep breathing.
Keep breathing in and out. No, I'm not joking! Some people hear something unpleasant and catch their breath and then don't let go of it. You're more likely to take something personally if you aren't breathing!

9. Breathe deeply.
Breathe deeply so your breathing remains calm, regular and deep. Even in a meeting it's possible to put your hand on your midriff to give yourself a physical reminder to keep your breathing deep and regular. If your breathing speeds up and becomes shallow it could be a sign that you are getting hooked in.

10. Don't read criticism into something that's not intended as criticism.
Don't read in something that wasn't there. It's easy to try and "read between the lines" and imagine what someone meant or what they were implying and then to react as though your interpretation is true. It may not be. Someone, for example, may have crossed his arms to stop his shoulders aching not because he didn't like what you said! Someone may be whispering to someone else as you walk in the room and you may assume they are talking about you. In fact they may be talking about their latest exploits with their new boyfriends.

By not getting hurt and looking after yourself, you increase your chances of staying healthy and having even more caring to give to others.

Significance of Number 108

2009-08-26T00:10:00.000-07:00

What is the significance of Number 108 in Hindu Ph

As per Indian mythology, Indian culture has a very special significance of
number 108. What is this number represent, and why is it so important?

1) In one minute, we breathe in approximately 15 times, in 1 hour 900 times,
and in 12 hours 10800 times, and in a day 10800 * 2 times. A day consists
of 24 hours, and if we set aside half the day for our day to day routines,
then one can spend 12 hours for recitation of one's idol. Therefore, the
maximmum number of times that one can recite "mantra", or perform "Jap" are
10800. If one wants to obtain 100% benefit of its jap, then performing
jap 108 times will give you the benefit of 100%. That's why in a "Mala",
there are 108 beads. It is written in Vedas, that 1 Jap corresponds to
1 mala (which has 108 beads), therefore performing jap of 108 malas will
result in 100% benefit.

2) Astronomically, there are 27 constillations in our galaxy, and each one them
has 4 directions, and 27 * 4 = 108, In other words the number 108 covers
the whole galaxy.

3) According to Indian scriptures, letter 9 corresponds to Lord Brahma (the
creator of universe). Mathematically, the interesting property of 9 is
9x1 = 9
9 x 2 = 18 (8+1 = 9)
9 * 3 = 27 (7+2 = 9)

9 * 12 = 108 (1+0+8 = 9)

Harshad number: 108 is a Harshad number, which is an integer divisible by the sum of its digits (Harshad is from Sanskrit, and means "great joy")

Desires: There are said to be 108 earthly desires in mortals.

Lies: There are said to be 108 lies that humans tell.

Delusions: There are said to be 108 human delusions or forms of ignorance.

Heart Chakra: The chakras are the intersections of energy lines, and there are said to be a total of 108 energy lines converging to form the heart chakra. One of them, sushumna leads to the crown chakra, and is said to be the path to Self-realization.

Sanskrit alphabet: There are 54 letters in the Sanskrit alphabet. Each has masculine and feminine, shiva and shakti. 54 times 2 is 108.

Pranayama: If one is able to be so calm in meditation as to have only 108 breaths in a day, enlightenment will come.

Upanishads: Some say there are 108 Upanishads, texts of the wisdom of the ancient sages.

Sri Yantra: On the Sri Yantra there are marmas where three lines intersect, and there are 54 such intersections. Each intersections has masculine and feminine, shiva and shakti qualities. 54 times 2 equals 108. Thus, there are 108 points that define the Sri Yantra as well as the human bo
Å¥ JÅ¥ RÜÐRÅ
What is the significance of Number 108 in Hindu Ph
Pentagon: The angle formed by two adjacent lines in a pentagon equals 108 degrees.

Marmas: Marmas or marmasthanas are like energy intersections called chakras, except have fewer energy lines converging to form them. There are said to be 108 marmas in the subtle body.

Time: Some say there are 108 feelings, with 36 related to the past, 36 related to the present, and 36 related to the future.

8 extra beads: In doing a practice of counting the number of repetitions of the mala, 100 are counted as completed. The remaining are said to cover errors or omissions. The 8 are also said to be an offering to God and Guru.

Chemistry: Interestingly, there are about 115 elements known on the periodic table of the elements. Most of those, around or higher than the number 100 only exist in the laboratory, and some for only thousandths of a second. The number that naturally exist on Earth is around 100.

Astrology: There are 12 constellations, and 9 arc segments called namshas or chandrakalas. 9 times 12 equals 108. Chandra is moon, and kalas are the divisions within a whole.

River Ganga: The sacred River Ganga spans a longitude of 12 degrees (79 to 91), and a latitude of 9 degrees (22 to 31). 12 times 9 equals 108.

Planets and Houses: In astrology, there are 12 houses and 9 planets. 12 times 9 equals 108.

Goddess names: There are said to be 108 Indian goddess names.

Gopis of Krishna: In the Krishna tradition, there were said to be 108 gopis or maid servants of Krishna.

1, 0, and 8: Some say that 1 stands for God or higher Truth, 0 stands for emptiness or completeness in spiritual practice, and 8 stands for infinity or eternity.

Sun and Earth: The diameter of the Sun is 108 times the diameter of the Earth. The distance from the Sun to the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Sun.

Moon and Earth: The average distance of the Moon from the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Moon.

¥ JÅ¥ RÜÐRÅ
Silver and the moon: In astrology, the metal silver is said to represent the moon. The atomic weight of silver is ?108.

Numerical scale: The 1 of 108, and the 8 of 108, when added together equals 9, which is the number of the numerical scale, i.e. 1, 2, 3 ... 10, etc., where 0 is not a number.

Meditations: Some say there are 108 styles of meditation.

Breath: Tantra estimates the average number of breaths per day at 21,600, of which 10,800 are solar energy, and 10,800 are lunar energy. Multiplying 108 by 100 is 10,800. Multiplying 2 x 10,800 equals 21,600.

Paths to God: Some suggest that there are 108 paths to God.

Smaller divisions: The number 108 is divided, such as in half, third, quarter, or twelfth, so that some malas have 54, 36, 27, or 9 beads.

Hinduism: 108 is said to refer to the number of Hindu deities. Some say that each of the deities has 108 names.

Islam: The number 108 is used in Islam to refer to God.

Jain: In the Jain religion, 108 are the combined virtues of five categories of holy ones, including 12, 8, 36, 25, and 27 virtues respectively.

Sikh: The Sikh tradition has a mala of 108 knots tied in a string of wool, rather than beads.

Buddhism: Some Buddhists carve 108 small Buddhas on a walnut for good luck. Some ring a bell 108 times to celebrate a new year. There are said to be 108 virtues to cultivate and 108 defilements to avoid.

Chinese: The Chinese Buddhists and Taoists use a 108 bead mala, which is called su-chu, and has three dividing beads, so the mala is divided into three parts of 36 each. Chinese astrology says that there are 108 sacred stars.

Stages of the soul: Said that Atman, the human soul or center goes through 108 stages on the journey.

Meru: This is a larger bead, not part of the 108. It is not tied in the sequence of the other beads. It is the quiding bead, the one that marks the beginning and end of the mala.

Dance: There are 108 forms of dance in the Indian traditions.

Praiseworthy souls: There are 108 qualities of praiseworthy soul
JÅ¥ JÅ¥ RÜÐRÅ
Praiseworthy souls: There are 108 qualities of praiseworthy souls.

First man in space: The first manned space flight lasted 108 minutes, and was on April 12, 1961 by Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet cosmonaut

4) In Hindu religion, number 9 is very important. Keeping the importance of
number 9, Rishi Vyas has created 9 Purans, 108 MahaPuran (Upnishads).
Mahabharat has 18 chapters, Geeta has 18 chapters, Bhagavat has 108000
Shloks (verses).

The addition of digits of number 108 is 9, and number 9 is related with
Brahma, that's why 108 is very important, and came into lot of Indian
scriptures.

5) Indian Vedas, treats the Sun as God, and Sun has 12 signs (Zodiac signs).
In Yajurved, Sun is related with Lord Brahma (the number 9), remember -
12 * 9 = 108; therefore for Gods Prayer, the number 108 is very sacred.

6) According to Indian mythology, there are 4 Yugs
Satyug - consists of 172,800 years (1+7+2+8 = 18 == (1+8 = 9)
TretaYug consists of 1296000 years (1+2+9+6 = 18 = (1+8 = 9)
DwaparYug consists of 864000 years (8+4+6) = 18 = (1+8 = 9)
Kaliyug consists of 432000 years (4+3+2) = 9 Sri Yantra: On the Sri Yantra there are marmas where three lines intersect, and there are 54 Pentagon: The angle formed by two adjacent lines in a pentagon equals 108 degrees.

Astrology: There are 12 constellations, and 9 arc segments called namshas or chandrakalas. 9 times 12 equals 108. Chandra is moon, and kalas are the divisions within a whole.

River Ganga: The sacred River Ganga spans a Section of longitudnal ( Easterly) arc spanning 12 degrees (79 to 91), and a latitude ( Northerly) arc of 9 degrees (22 to 31). 12 times 9 equals 108.

Planets and Houses: In astrology, there are 12 houses and 9 planets. 12 times 9 equals 108..

Goddess names: There are said to be 108 Indian goddess names.

Gopis of Krishna: In the Krishna tradition, there were said to be 108 gopis or maid servants of Krishna.

1, 0, and 8: Some say that 1 stands for God or higher Truth, 0 stands for emptiness or completeness in spiritual practice, and 8 stands for infinity or eternity.

Sun and Earth: The diameter of the Sun is 108 times the diameter of the Earth. The distance from the Sun to the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Sun.

Moon and Earth: The average distance of the Moon from the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Moon.

This is something we should all read at least once a week.

2009-08-26T00:09:00.000-07:00

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio.

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good. 2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first pay check.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

HR Topic: Coming Aboard? Don't Forget Onboarding

2009-06-18T11:43:00.002-07:00

If you walk into the office on your first day and the receptionist doesn't know you're coming, they don't show you to your desk or how to use the phone, chances are you made a critical mistake during the final interview – you didn't ask about new employee training.

Whether you call it orientation, assimilation or use the term favored by human resource professionals, onboarding, it's wise to at least briefly discuss it before you accept a new job.

While every company does onboarding differently, a solid program would include information about culture, processes, policies, specialty practices and IT systems, as well as day-to-day details like how to open the door, make coffee and use the phone.

How long should a good onboarding program last? "The assimilation process is a year-long process," says Mark Koziel, senior manager at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. "It takes that long to really get assimilated."

Sandi Guy, human capital partner at BDO Seidman, Chicago, agrees. "If you think about it, until you've gone through a full business cycle with your employer, everything is new to you," Guy says.

What An Employer Should Do to Orient New Team Members

So, showing you to your desk and slapping an employee handbook and a big mound of employment paperwork in front of you and saying, "Read this and fill out those," doesn't cut it. What does?

"Providing the right training at the right time," Guy answers. That may mean first-day topics such as where the mailbox is and where everyone goes to lunch, and holding off on expense report system training until six weeks later. "What you need to know the first week, I teach you in the first week," she adds. "If I teach you everything in the first week that you need to know in the first year, you're going to forget some of it before you have a chance to use it."

Who provides the training can also be an issue. The best trainers are those who do the work. It's better to learn audit standards and procedures from an auditor rather than an HR professional, Koziel says.

In addition to training, a good onboarding program will also cover performance standards whether you're a feedback provider or receiver. "You want to learn about the expectations of the firm and its performance management system as you go through the [early] orientation process so there are no surprises down the road," he adds.

How Candidates Should Question Employers About Onboarding

Since not all firms put an emphasis on onboarding, be careful when asking about it during interviews. "If they don't have it or support it," warns Koziel, "there's a good chance at that point they're going to worry themselves about getting you. You can take yourself down a dangerous path if they don't have it."

Start with general questions about training and then drill down into orientation and assimilation. "Keep digging into what you think you're going to need to know, and how and when they teach you about that," Guy says.

"If a firm can't answer those questions thoroughly for you, you're going to be set up to fail," she warns. "They're investing a lot in you. They've paid a headhunter, or a job site to post the job. These are key questions and if they don't have good answers, you need to consider that you're being set up to fail."

And, in the final analysis, the answer to a question about onboarding will tell you a lot about a company's culture. "This will show you how important personal success is to an organization," Koziel says. "If they want to ensure success by giving you the proper training up front, chances are they're going to continue on that decision and provide training, tools and resources you need to succeed throughout your career."

Mastering Management in a Digital World

2009-06-18T11:43:00.001-07:00

Mastering Management in a Digital World
by Deanna Hartley

A little more than 10 years ago, many talent managers - recruiters, in particular - vehemently resisted the new frontier of talent management: leveraging technology solutions, such as Monster, to optimize the recruiting process, explained Dan McGinley, managing partner at Quovis Inc., a consulting firm specializing in recruiting and talent acquisition.

Such individuals, however, were forced to either jump on the technology bandwagon or run the risk of becoming obsolete. Today, it has become necessary for talent managers to adapt talent management processes and embrace a variety of tools - including social networking sites, such as Facebook and MySpace - to remain competitive.

"All the other business units we support are in continuous improvement mode: Everybody's trying to improve their process, save money, streamline things," McGinley said. "HR departments need to [follow suit] if we're going to be a partner at the strategic table."

Even though talent management has entered the digital age, it has taken about 10 years too long, said Al Campa, chief marketing officer at Taleo, a provider of on-demand talent management solutions.

"So much of what companies do in terms of their business processes are automated, but talent management is the last frontier. A lot of companies are still using manual processes for performance management, succession or development; spreadsheets for compensation; and paper resumes for recruiting," Campa said. "Companies have now started to embrace the efficiency gains, cost savings and productivity boosts they can get with the talent management system."

From an HR perspective, there's a unique opportunity to leverage technology to enable talent leaders to successfully manage an organization's workforce, explained Frank Ricciardi, vice president of global account services at Cornerstone OnDemand, a provider of on-demand, integrated learning and talent management solutions.

"The need to adapt to the digital world comes down to the age-old adage of: 'If you can't measure it and monitor it, then you can't manage it.' This is true of projects, technologies or processes and, in this case, people," Ricciardi said.

"[While] automating [processes] was the primary objective for the last decade, what's relevant now is the data: how and when the data gets used on a real-time daily basis. That's the key to leveraging technology in talent management," he said.

Technology and the Talent Manager

Organizations often turn to vendors to implement technology solutions to improve or enhance talent management processes such as recruiting, performance management, learning management, compensation and succession planning. But vendor involvement beyond the implementation phase typically is minimal.

"Once the system is deployed, customers run the process themselves," Campa said. "Customers can track their own metrics once it gets deployed; [although], we sometimes help set up the [metrics, such as] quality of hire, time to hire, cost to hire, workforce engagement [and] productivity measures."

In addition to providing the basic technology framework, vendors often will work to maintain continual alignment between their evolving applications and their clients' evolving business needs.

"We step in and provide guidance during the implementation and ongoing maintenance of the application - to keep it fresh and make sure it supports [the clients'] business requirements as things change," Ricciardi said. "But from the talent manager's perspective, we're not, for example, running a report and sending it out to [them]."

Tom Mazzocco, vice president of human resources/labor relations at the San Diego Convention Center Corp., said he is in control of the process and the information at all times.

"Our system provides us the capability to track the information we need," Mazzocco said. "We have access to [the data], and we have control of it.."

The key is to ensure HR technology is not dictated by IT, as it could result in a total talent disconnect, according to Kelly Fitzsimmons, CEO and co-founder at HarQen, a Web telephony company that recently released a recruiting application called VoiceScreener.

"You've got to evaluate what your needs are - you have to ask, 'What problem are we trying to solve? What's the problem in our process?'" Fitzsimmons said. "It's also about owning the process because if you can identify and say, 'Our phone screening process is broken, then you can leverage technology appropriately because you can look out there and say, 'Does anybody solve this problem?'"

In fact, some vendors insist on client involvement at every stage to guarantee bottom-line impact.

"It's so important that clients are involved because they own their process. They know what business problem they're trying to solve, and they know the industry they're competing in," said Kate Sensmeier, product manager at Ultimate Software. "It's important that they understand what they want to measure and how that translates into actionable activity that improves the business because a system is only as good as the information you put into it."

In a similar vein, Rebecca Callahan, senior vice president of the Recruitment Process Outsourcing division at Spherion, a recruiting and staffing services company, strongly advised talent managers to get involved in the technology selection and implementation process.

"Talent managers today have to partner with their HRIS or HR technology [partners] and be heavily involved in what the implementation looks like and what data is going to come out of it," Callahan said. "If they're not involved in the front end of those discussions and let IT alone drive it, they're not going to have useful data coming out of it."

Challenges of HR Automation

Arguably the most basic stumbling block talent managers might encounter when new technology solutions are introduced is the simple fact that some of them are "technology challenged," Mazzocco said. This can be offset, however, with adequate training on how to use the system and optimize efficiency.

Yet another challenge talent managers face is not allowing for flexibility within their processes, Callahan said.

"[A lot of them] get stuck in, 'I don't want to change my process to allow me to best utilize this technology,'" she explained. "Sometimes, changing your process in exchange for the data and other process improvement that ultimately lowers turnover, increases time to fill, etc., can be very valuable."

Further, talent leaders and their direct reports must use talent management tools on a daily basis to ensure the right change management occurs, Ricciardi explained.

"Without change management, talent managers won't get the most of the system," Ricciardi said. "They need to focus on the change management to help keep people accountable for using [the system] in a way that drives value."

Still, the biggest challenge in performance management across the industry has been getting talent managers to use the systems, period, Campa explained. He said Taleo has worked to counter this problem by designing a system that resembles a Facebook page in terms of navigability rather than one designed for HR and compliance because ease of use can directly promote engagement.

"If I manage people, I would save e-mails about how my [direct reports] have done - accolades they've gotten, things they haven't done well - and add comments to someone's performance profile on a daily basis, like, 'Jill did really well today in executing this project and got accolades from this business unit,'" Ricciardi said. "Then at the end of the year, when it's time to do a performance review, the [information] is already in the [system]. Things like that make engagement really powerful."

Further, it's not uncommon for logistical challenges to arise when implementing integrated talent management solutions. "Integrated talent management is in concept further ahead of organizations' organizational structures," Ricciardi said.

The organizational structure of many organizations tends to be siloed: There's usually a vice president of HR, in addition to other executives who own performance, compensation, succession planning, learning and development, and other functions.

"Each of these [individuals] have their own objectives and have made their own independent purchases to support their business area - [for example], someone has bought a performance management tool, someone has bought a learning management tool, etc.," he said.

As a result, the introduction of an integrated talent management system could breed in-fighting over who owns the system unless the senior talent executive has a concrete vision of what integrated talent management is and who will govern the process.

"The question becomes: 'Do I integrate all these tools that I have, or do I create a vision where I have a single platform for talent management?'" Ricciardi said. "That's a challenge [because] it takes a very strong visionary senior leader to rally everyone around the common vision."

Another integral facet of HR technology solutions is the need to strategically align talent management strategies to support overall business objectives. That way, the organization can reap maximum efficiencies from the application, Ricciardi said. It also may help to justify the initial investment because, when talent managers run reports and look at the resulting metrics, they can see a real business impact and report these findings in the way that makes sense to C-level executives.

In fact, the implementation of an integrated talent management suite gives the senior talent executive a different kind of seat at the table, he explained. "She's no longer the person who's hiring, firing and managing benefits. She's making sure the organization has the capability to ensure the right people are in the right jobs and have the right goals, they're performing against those goals, they're being developed such that they can achieve those goals, and she's providing the mechanism to intervene before the goals are missed and not after.

"At the end of the day, no one at the executive table will be successful unless the VP of HR provides that mechanism and capability," he said.

[About the Author: Deanna Hartley is an associate editor for Talent Management magazine.]

Lazy Lies in Testimonials

2009-06-18T11:42:00.000-07:00

Lazy Lies in Testimonials

Written by Lynn

I was talking the other day to one of our vendors who is going out of business but starting a new line of work. He had referred me proudly to his new website, and I told him how impressed I was with the testimonials on the site. They were especially impressive because the business is new.

(Note: Testimonials are quotes from customers or clients praising the product or service. They are a form of evidence that the product or service is worth buying.)

He responded, "I'm glad you like them. I wrote all of them."

In response to my questions, I learned, shocked, that our vendor had made up all the testimonials and simply added attributions like "John T." and "Rita M." and "Ellie A."--apparently based on real people who had been his actual first customers.

His defense was "But that's what they would have said!"

Yes, they might very well have said those words, but they did not. Neither did they approve them or put their names to them.

That's lying. And it's a bad way to start a new business.

Here is what you can do to get testimonials for a new business:

If you can get your first customers the normal ways, fine. Ask them for comments and permission to quote their words.

If you don't have customers yet, ask people to try your product at no cost or low cost--with the understanding that they will give you feedback on your offering. If the feedback is not positive, improve the offering. If it is positive, get their permission to use the comments.

If their comments are positive but not stated well, ask for permission to edit them. Then get their approval on the final wording.

If a customer says, "Just write something for me, and I'll approve it," interview the customer so you can use his or her words and ideas. Then get approval on what you write.

Use your customers' first and last names, and include identifying information such as their company names or geographical locations. Those details show your potential customers that the testimonials are real.

As for "But that's what they would have said!" recognize it for what it is: lazy lying.

Don't let stress, frustration, or credit card bills compromise what you know is right. Start a new business telling the truth.

Thinking Critically

2009-06-18T11:29:00.000-07:00

Thinking Critically
by Pearson's TalentLens Group

With workplaces so complex and rapidly changing, combined with the recession, it's important that newly hired employees have critical-thinking skills.

Success in today's tight economy is defined by making the right decisions, solving the problems that truly impede success and anticipating the trends that are redefining the competitive landscape.

The failures of AIG, Lehman Bros. and General Motors are very public and painful reminders of what happens when people make poor decisions and management fails to consider all of the facets and implications of a decision.. Organizations that attract, retain and develop the best critical thinkers have a huge competitive advantage.

Identify Critical Thinkers

The Department of Labor identified critical thinking as the raw material that underlies fundamental workplace competencies, such as problem solving, decision making, planning and risk management. It's also in short supply.

In Are They Really Ready to Work? Employers Perspectives on the Basic Knowledge and Applied Skills of New Entrants to the 21st Century US Workforce (2006) -- a study conducted by The Conference Board, Partnership for 21st Century Skills, Corporate Voices for Working Families, and Society for Human Resource Management -- critical thinking was identified as one of the most important skills needed for job success, and one that is lacking in the new workforce.

It was also rated as the No. 1 skill of increasing importance over the next five years -- and it's easy to see why critical-thinking skills are on the rise.

Never before have employees operated in such a complex and rapidly changing workplace where they are bombarded with a constant stream of good and bad information. They are being asked to manage this information flow, take on new responsibilities, learn diverse new tasks and make good judgments -- often with limited direction.

The successful employees -- the good critical thinkers -- are able to focus on the most relevant information, ask the right questions, separate facts from opinions and assumptions, make sound decisions and set priorities.. They learn quickly and they apply what they learn to new situations. Their actions are both effective and economical.

Organizations can increase their critical-thinking capabilities by targeting this skill when selecting and developing employees. Hard to spot in a resume or an interview, some companies are turning to assessments to help them measure it.

For selection, a candidate's performance is generally evaluated using a peer group, such as other managers, or more specifically, managers within a specific industry. For development, the focus shifts to skill building.

A development report can provide customized skill-building feedback that targets the individual's current level of critical-thinking proficiency. Examples of skilled and unskilled behaviors illustrate desired and undesired behaviors.

Many organizations currently provide training to improve decision making, problem solving and strategic thinking among managers and individual contributors. To maximize training effectiveness, a critical-thinking component can be inserted prior to the other sessions.

Using an assessment and feedback report in this component will help the employee (and trainer) accurately determine skill level and chart a personal development plan. Overall, this strategy will create a more efficient training experience.

Selecting good critical thinkers will set a new bar for an organization's performance. Developing good critical thinkers will accelerate that performance and companies will, more often than not, make the right decision when it matters most.

[About the Author: Pearson's TalentLens group publishes scientific assessments that are used globally to hire and develop the 21st century workforce. The assessments include the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal, which offers an effective hard-skills appraisal and is ideally suited for people in professional and managerial positions. Our instruments measure critical thinking, problem solving, and a range of job skills to deliver data-driven insights that inform and clarify an organization's human capital decisions.]

LETS SEE - HOW BRILLIANT ARE YOU ???

2009-06-18T11:27:00.000-07:00

LETS SEE - HOW BRILLIANT ARE YOU ???

Test yourself with these thinking exercises. The solutions are at the bottom of the page. Don't be lazy. Try hard to figure these out before you look! It'll be a lot more satisfying.

1. There is a man who lives on the top floor of a very tall building. Everyday he gets the elevator down to the ground floor to leave the building to go to work. Upon returning from work though, he can only travel half way up in the lift and has to walk the rest of the way unless it's raining! Why?

This is probably the best known and most celebrated of all lateral thinking puzzles. It is a true classic. Although there are many possible solutions which fit the initial conditions, only the canonical answer is truly satisfying.

2. A man and his son are in a car accident. The father dies on the scene, but the child is rushed to the hospital. When he arrives the surgeon says, "I can't operate on this boy, he is my son! " How can this be?

3. A man is wearing black. Black shoes, socks, trousers, coat, gloves and ski mask. He is walking down a back street with all the street lamps off. A black car is coming towards him with its light off but somehow manages to stop in time. How did the driver see the man?

4. One day Kerry celebrated her birthday. Two days later her older twin brother, Terry, celebrated his birthday. How?

5. Why is it better to have round manhole covers than square ones? This is logical rather than lateral, but it is a good puzzle that can be solved by lateral thinking techniques. It is supposedly used by a very well-known software company as an interview question for prospective employees.

6.. A man went to a party and drank some of the punch. He then left early. Everyone else at the party who drank the punch subsequently died of poisoning.. Why did the man not die?

7. A man died and went to Heaven. There were thousands of other people there. They were all naked and all looked as they did at the age of 21. He looked around to see if there was anyone he recognized. He saw a couple and he knew immediately that they were Adam and Eve. How did he know?

8. A woman had two sons who were born on the same hour of the same day of the same year. But they were not twins. How could this be so?

9. A man walks into a bar and asks the barman for a glass of water. The barman pulls out a gun and points it at the man. The man says 'Thank you' and walks out. This puzzle claims to be the best of the genre. It is simple in its statement, absolutely baffling and yet with a completely satisfying solution. Most people struggle very hard to solve this one yet they like the answer when they hear it or have the satisfaction of figuring it out.

10. A murderer is condemned to death. He has to choose between three rooms. The first is full of raging fires, the second is full of assassins with loaded guns, and the third is full of lions that haven't eaten in 3 years. Which room is safest for him?

11. A woman shoots her husband. Then she holds him under water for over 5 minutes. Finally, she hangs him. But 5 minutes later they both go out together and enjoy a wonderful dinner together. How can this be?

12. There are two plastic jugs filled with water. How could you put all of this water into a barrel, without using the jugs or any dividers, and still tell which water came from which jug?

13. What is black when you buy it, red when you use it, and gray when you throw it away?

14. Can you name three consecutive days without using the words Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday? (or day names in any other language)

15. This is an unusual paragraph. I'm curious how quickly you can find out what is so unusual about it. It looks so plain you would think nothing was wrong with it. In fact, nothing is wrong with it! It is unusual though. Study it, and think about it, but you still may not find anything odd. But if you work at it a bit, you might find out.

The solutions are below.... Don't be lazy. Try hard to figure these out before you look!

Solutions :

1. The man is very, very short and can only reach halfway up the elevator buttons. However, if it is raining then he will have his umbrella with him and can press the higher buttons with it.

2. The surgeon was his mother.

3. It was day time.

4. At the time she went into labor, the mother of the twins was traveling by boat. The older twin, Terry, was born first early on March 1st. The boat then crossed a time zone and Kerry, the younger twin, was born on February the 28th. Therefore, the younger twin celebrates her birthday two days before her older brother.

5. A square manhole cover can be turned and dropped down the diagonal of the manhole. A round manhole cannot be dropped down the manhole. So for safety and practicality, all manhole covers should be round.

6. The poison in the punch came from the ice cubes. When the man drank the punch, the ice was fully frozen. Gradually it melted, poisoning the punch.

7.. He recognized Adam and Eve as the only people without navels. Because they were not born of women, they had never had umbilical cords and therefore they never had navels. This one seems perfectly logical but it can sometimes spark fierce theological arguments. (Just what a HUMOR list needs!!) ;^)

8. They were two of a set of triplets (or quadruplets, etc.). This puzzle stumps many people. They try outlandish solutions involving test-tube babies or surrogate mothers.. Why does the brain search for complex solutions when there is a much simpler one available?

9. The man had hiccups. The barman recognized this from his speech and drew the gun in order to give him a shock. It worked and cured the hiccups--so the man no longer needed the water. The is a simple puzzle to state but a difficult one to solve. It is a perfect example of a seemingly irrational and incongruous situation having a simple and complete explanation. Amazingly this classic puzzle seems to work in different cultures and languages.

10. The third. Lions that haven't eaten in three years are dead.

11. The woman was a photographer. She shot a picture of her husband, developed it, and hung it up to dry.

12. Freeze them first. Take them out of the jugs and put the ice in the barrel. You will be able to tell which water came from which jug.

13. The answer is Charcoal.

14. Sure you can: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow!

15.. The letter "e," which is the most common letter in the English language, does not appear once in the long paragraph..
--

What Makes a Great Boy/Girl Friend . . . ?

2009-06-18T11:26:00.000-07:00

*What Makes a Great Boy/Girl Friend . . . ?*

Someone who knows what you need before you say it.
Someone who knows when to laugh and when to cry.
Someone who truly listens when you have something to say.
Someone that's there for you during the good and bad times.
Someone who is caring .
Someone who loves you with all their heart and soul.
Someone who is interested in reality and not as a fashion display.
Someone who is honest.
Someone you can trust them like a sibling, confide in like a friend but most of
all, love as the great lover they are.
Someone who is open and responsive.
Someone who is never critical and ill-tempered in respect to your needs.
Someone who knows when things have to be compromised in the relationship.
Someone who understands listening is a key, but using what is heard is even more important.
Someone who's there for you no matter what.
Someone who is trustful.
Someone who is a friend.
Someone who gives a shoulder to cry on.
Someone with a great sense of humor.
Someone who has things in common with you.
Someone who takes time to listen and enjoy you for who you are and tries not
to make you something else.
Someone with a constant open ear, open heart, and open mind to accept and love people for who the really are.
Someone who will always be there to support your ideas without argument and love you for everything that you are.
Someone that can get a point across without yelling.
Someone that remembers all the cute stupid stuff you love.
Someone that has a personality with qualities you don't have yourself, but
admire greatly in them.
Someone who realizes you're two separate people, and appreciates the differences.
Someone who can sense a mood problem, and not take it personally.
Someone who understands the difference between PMS, and a real problem.
Someone who can make you happy when your sad.
Someone who tells you the truth even if you don't want to hear it.
Someone who will not hurt you intentionally.
Someone who is a sweet, romantic person who cherishes you no matter what.
Someone that you can laugh with.
Someone who you can feel comfortable with and that you don't care what kind
of weird stuff they see you do because you know they will still love you no
matter what.
Someone who will love you in spite of your little idiosyncrasies.
Someone that would do anything to show how much they care.
Someone who is a great pal, a great kisser, and a great lover!
Someone who allows you to be yourself around them.
Someone who will respect you.
Someone who cherishes your hopes and is kind to your dreams.
Someone who knows you're not perfect, but treats you as though you are.
Someone who listens with their heart and is your source of inspiration.

"A successful relationship requires falling in love many times with the
same person . . . "*

Move with the flow - learn to let go............

2009-06-15T11:51:00.001-07:00

We tend to cling to every object in our lives. We hold on to our profession, relationship or possession as if our entire world depends on them. We are so busy clinging to our own lives, that we have forgotten to live with the flow. We are afraid to move ahead, afraid to let go.

Life in essence is like an unobstructed, unrestrained, uncontrolled flow of a river. Life flows at its own pace and the ultimate source of all our pain and sufferings is our tendency to cling to and obstruct the flow. Professional life stagnates, relationships are broken, possessions are lost; all because we refused to let go when we were actually required to let things take their own course.

Why do we cling? We cling because change scares us; we cling because we are afraid to face the unknown, to face challenges; we cling because we feel secure if the status quo is maintained; we cling because we refuse to believe that life can never be static; because we refuse to accept the transience of everything; we believe that everything is in our hands. We do not have enough faith in life and that higher force which is omnipotent and omnipresent. In the chaos of existence, we have lost touch with our higher self. Most of us lead a life which is similar to that of a child who is lost in a crowd, separated from his guardians. He has nobody to place his faith on. He is afraid, insecure, suspicious about everyone and everything.

We live under the false illusion of having everything under our control. The spirit of getting things done becomes a problem when we continue to cling on even after we have exhorted all our efforts. We are overwhelmed by a sense of despair and disillusion when things move beyond our control. It is at this stage we need to learn to let go. Several times relationships are broken just because we tried too hard to make them work. We didn't give the breathing space they required to grow. We didn't let go and let them take their own course.

Professionally or personally, once all the efforts are made towards achieving a goal, we must learn to let go and let life take the best course. It might or might not be of one's choice, but if we have faith, we will realise that it inevitably is the best course. We need to believe that forces above us are far better equipped to make judgments for us. We must learn to have faith in their judgment. Letting go, however, does not mean turning into a fatalist. One cannot sit idle in life and expect life to take care of itself. Karma, the fulfilment of one's duties is the ultimate objective of all human existence and if we fail to fulfill our duties towards life, life inevitably fails us.

When God gives us dreams, He shares them with us. Whatever we consider our dreams, are actually His dreams and He gives us the capability to realise them. The part we are required to play is to ensure the optimum usage of the capabilities bestowed upon us. And once we have played our part with utmost honesty and effort, we need to let go, step aside and let God step in to fulfill our dreams. After all, they are His dreams, too.

Frontline Leadership Crucial to Employee Trust and Productivity

2009-06-15T11:49:00.000-07:00

Frontline Leadership Crucial to Employee Trust and Productivity
by Ken Lahti, Ph.D.

As the nation and the world faces a crisis of faith in organizational leadership and jobs are being slashed daily, assessing those who manage and lead becomes critically important. After all, frontline leaders work directly with customer-facing employees, and they're responsible for keeping the workforce engaged - and rebuilding eroded trust.

With this kind of pressure, it can be difficult for talent managers to have confidence they are choosing the most effective leaders. What kinds of processes and tools consistently give the best information? Can we really predict who can, and will, step up and become a good leader?

Surprisingly, yes. It is possible for talent managers to get a complete and immediate picture of employees being hired for or moving into frontline leadership roles, and this can be done efficiently and cost effectively through smart science and advanced technology.

Utilize Innovative New Solutions

There are many tools available for talent measurement, and they keep getting better. A March study by Aberdeen Group, "Assessments in Talent Management," reported the following use of assessment tools by best in class organizations:

a) 78 percent for skills and knowledge
b) 69 percent for behaviors and attributes
c) 56 percent for cognitive/critical thinking
d) 51 percent used a whole-person approach - bundled tests for specific jobs that combine behavioral, cognitive, skills and experience

The most recent and advanced leadership assessments are administered online and are built to evaluate multiple leadership competencies including coaching skills, prioritizing and decision making, thoroughness and sense of duty. The best assessments include multiple testing technologies, combining cognitive ability and personality tests, predictive "biodata" or experience measures, and even simulations. These factors combine to provide a holistic and highly predictive view of candidates' leadership potential.

Innovative technology, such as the latest in computer adaptive testing (CAT), makes the tests even more accurate and secure by tailoring questions to a candidate's personality trait and ability levels. The incorporation of online simulations provides a cost effective measurement of key interpersonal traits.

Science at its Best

Technology alone is not the answer. The content, or what the technology delivers, is the real key. Effective assessment of people's leadership potential needs to be based on sound science and professional best practices, primarily drawn from the field of industrial-organizational psychology. Careful study of the frontline manager role, the challenges faced and the skills required drives assessment design to produce a useful and predictive measure of leadership talent.

The science of talent measurement has moved a long way from paper-and-pencil tests to employ a more realistic process. This realism is good for the candidate experience and for predicting leadership effectiveness. Some of the latest and most creative combinations of science with technology involve online simulations. While there is little recent data showing specific breakdowns of assessment delivery methods, Dr. Charles Handler has been reporting trends in online simulations for several years. His 2008 fifth annual "Online Screening Survey" showed a steady rise in the use of simulations. PreVisor's "2009 Global Assessment Trends Report" also indicated more companies want to use simulations because they have such a high level of predicting performance.

Simulations have been used for decades in leadership assessment, often termed role-plays, business games or performance exercises. However, delivering quality simulations in person historically has been a time-consuming and expensive process. A technology solution can allow a close approximation of an assessment center experience at a fraction of the cost and time investment. For example, the most recent generation of online leadership assessment tools can include:

a) Video-based simulations used to measure coaching abilities, and managerial interactions are specifically designed to show realistic scenarios that predict a candidate's ability to listen, respond, probe, encourage and be directive.

b) Multi-tasking "inbox" simulations present videos of staff interactions while e-mails, phone calls and voice mails must be handled and business issues prioritized and resolved.

Together, these components present an automated process to evaluate leadership competencies that are typically difficult to measure. Organizations seeking to increase assessment impact can direct leadership development activities at specific competencies or skill sets identified during the assessment.

Leaders Uncovered

As the Wall Street Journal reported in February, despite the economic recession, many corporations continue to invest in leadership development programs. But if you haven't identified the right candidate in the first place, you could end up without necessary leadership. It's not enough to have great training and development programs. Talent managers need to know who they're developing and what they're likely to be good at.

By using professionally developed scientific assessment tools, talent managers can find leaders likely to perform well on the job and who will position their companies to take full advantage of the coming recovery.

[About the Author: Ken Lahti, Ph.D., is director of product strategy and innovation for PreVisor.]

Learning's Role in a Talent Management Strategy

2009-06-15T11:48:00.002-07:00

Learning's Role in a Talent Management Strategy
by Don Duquette

In every market segment, in every country, in every economy, companies are searching for talent. In 2008, the Adecco Institute surveyed more than 5,000 HR executives on topics including skill shortages, career management, knowledge management and lifelong learning. The research concluded that talent management will be the single most important focus of HR and learning and development moving forward.

Wikipedia defines talent management as "the process of developing and fostering new workers through on-boarding, developing and keeping current workers and attracting highly skilled workers at other companies to come to work for your company. Companies that are engaged in talent management (human capital management) are strategic and deliberate in how they source, attract, select, train, develop, promote and move employees through the organization."

By this definition, talent management can encompass a wide range of responsibilities, and learning plays a key role. An effective talent management strategy will consider exactly what that role will be, but first talent leaders must determine what value learning will play in the organization, and how in conjunction with talent management, it will be defined and handled.

Typically, ownership falls to the vice president of HR or the CLO. However, some companies are combining the roles and creating a vice president of talent management.

A Strong Foundation

An effective learning strategy will depend on a strong foundation of technology in support of enterprise- or department-wide talent management programs. To begin, make an inventory of existing software solutions.

In most cases, organizations approach this technology phase in one of two ways. They may have ERP applications that handle all talent management components, but may not be best-in-class in all areas. Or they may have an ERP outfitted with separate best-in-class applications to handle specialized components such as learning management and competency management.

In either case, the goal is the same. Make sure all the applications "talk to each other" and that the user interface is clean and simple. The best way to streamline the user interface is to use a portal that enables access to and interaction with all files, applications, content and people relevant to learning and talent management efforts.

Portals deliver highly personalized experiences that deliver talent management information to the end user based on applications, roles, workflows and other security permissions upon logging in. This single sign-on design prevents the user from having to log in to each application separately and delivers all functionalities in one standard interface.

Of the eight components that typically compose talent management - workforce planning, workforce acquisition, performance management, career development, succession planning, competency management, learning management and compensation management - learning plays a part in five - performance management, career development, succession planning, competency management and learning management.

Health benefits organization Cigna has been effectively leveraging integrated, end-to-end talent management practices for several years, including wrapping them into strategic business planning. Linking end-to-end talent management activities with strategic business planning is critical to ensure the talent required to lead the business proactively and in concert with forecasted changes in market context is in place and performing successfully.

Because learning is so essential to the success of its talent management strategies, Cigna has embraced it throughout the employee life cycle. As trite as it may sound, learning needs to be available anytime, anywhere - and in a variety of methods appropriate to organizational culture and individual employee learning styles.

Further, it is imperative an organization's leaders not only value learning, but they must promote traditional learning efforts and new delivery methods that marry learning to day-to-day task execution and business operations. Only when these objectives are met can learning agility be achieved and individuals be able to perform and produce in ways that benefit the organization, and the individual, most.

Refocus Learning and Development for Talent Management

Historically, learning and development organizations have consisted of functionally aligned teams that reactively focused on business unit requests. In a talent management strategy, the learning and development organization's responsibility must shift to align with the most critical strategic priorities of the company and workforce. The focus should now be on:

a) Integrating learning with work.

b) Determining current and future workforce learning needs.

c) Targeting all stakeholders.

d) Promoting on-demand learning that helps drive continuous learning and a high-performing culture.

This requires talent leaders to integrate learning with daily work tasks and often requires active coaching and frequent feedback from managers.

This leader-led learning is vital to the success of an organization because average workers will spend less than 10 percent of the time in a formal learning environment. Therefore, the majority of their learning will be informal and come from their managers and other leaders and employees, or through their own experiences on the job.

Learning's role is to coach while the managers teach, and managers can use their experiences to teach workers in ways that learning professionals only dream about. Employees today are eager to hear from successful executives about what works and doesn't work in their organizations and to hear answers to questions such as, "What are the best practices?" and, "What are the innovative things being done across the organization?"

When considering current and future workforce needs, learning and development professionals should help define competencies and pivotal roles. Competencies are the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to perform a specific job. Knowing these will help talent managers with everything from workforce planning and acquisition to succession and compensation planning.

Those who have been in the learning and development field for a long time may remember a similar effort was undertaken in the 1980s and early '90s called "job and task analysis." Leaders created large databases of skills and knowledge for numerous job positions and soon realized that, as quickly as job responsibilities changed, they did not have the budgets or the workforces to maintain comprehensive job and task analyses.

Today, competencies have replaced job and task analysis, and talent leaders are smarter in how they select and implement them. Best practices in competency management involve developing competencies for only a few select roles, typically leadership roles and specialized positions. Job-specific competencies should be confined to pivotal roles, jobs such as sales and customer service, for example, that directly touch the customer.

The number and types of competencies in a model will depend on the nature and complexity of work, along with the culture and values of the organization in which the work takes place. Typically, competencies are limited from five to 15; more than 15 becomes unmanageable.

Target All Stakeholders

Texas Instruments (TI) is preparing to roll out development blueprints: competency-based development recommendations applicable to every employee in the company. The organization identified core, critical capabilities for team member, team leader/manager, mid-level leader and senior-leader roles. Now development recommendations can be applied to any business unit, and they focus on learning through experiences with suggested relationships, coursework, assessment and feedback.

Within each of the four jobs, TI recognizes employees may be new to a role, in the role, preparing for a new role and/or high potential. The blueprints provide employees, managers and talent leaders with a variety of ideas for development with the intention to "meet each employee where they are.." Separately, specific development recommendations are given for each critical capability on each blueprint.

Promote Communication and On-Demand Learning

In organizations looking to leverage learning to improve talent management, a key strategy is to improve communications and culture. Improving communication is best achieved using Web 2.0 technologies such as blogs, wikis and forums. These strategies allow continual opportunities for learning and supplement formal learning events.

The learning and development piece of the talent organization can take the lead by incorporating Web 2.0 technologies into learning portals to foster collaboration. Employees can be encouraged to collaborate online before or after scheduled learning events. If successful, the learning portal can become the focal point to improve communication throughout the organization.

Improving communication is difficult enough inside the organization. When the boundaries expand outside the organization, learning and development can become a large part of the solution by extending the learning portal to external stakeholders. This allows a selected portion of the company's knowledge to become available outside the firewall, and employees and external stakeholders can communicate.

Some of the highest-ranking executives at companies such as Cisco, Oracle, General Motors, Hewlett-Packard and Boeing write periodic entries in their online blogs. Curious readers can learn about Oracle's Group Vice President Judson Althoff and his meetings with partners in Japan, India and New York City. Or they can get a video sneak peek from GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz at the vehicles GM will be launching during the North American International Auto Show. Through these blogs and videos, everyone can learn from industry masters by seeing how they view and react to current trends in their industries.

In these tough economic times, learning and talent organizations will be continuously tested to prove their value to the organization. As the talent management space potentially merges HR roles with those of learning and development, learning leaders have an unprecedented opportunity to cement the value of their skills for company leaders.

Because talent management will play such a critical role in organizational performance and competitiveness moving forward - and because so much of talent management is defined by learning and development - learning leaders are well-positioned to lead the charge to higher workforce performance.

[About the Author: Don Duquette is executive vice president, learning solutions for General Physics Corp., a global performance improvement company.]

Tapping Top Talent in a Downturn

2009-06-15T11:48:00.001-07:00

Tapping Top Talent in a Downturn
by Sue Marks

HR leaders often are faced with the task of downsizing in one business unit and recruiting highly skilled professionals in another. They have to cope with an exponential increase in applicants for a much smaller number of open jobs, maintain morale in constantly shifting external and internal environments and help their organizations retain key employees. This must be done with reduced recruiting and HR staffs and slashed budgets, at a time when brand image is a critical success factor.

Today, more than ever, organizations must recruit and select the best talent where they have openings and upgrade talent in areas where it will advantage the business. Change in the business environment has happened so fast, many organizations have been slow to adjust and take action. In the current economic climate, it is necessary to take a step back and evaluate workforce plans, as well as talent acquisition processes and enabling technology and determine a strategy that works for the organization in the new recruiting reality.

A Fresh Approach

The biggest mistake an organization can make in this challenging environment is to let down markets drive its vision and shut down recruiting completely. Don't ignore reality. Take a well-planned, creative approach to workforce planning and talent acquisition.

When recruiting departments are faced with more work and fewer resources, build in efficiencies, maximize existing tools, eliminate waste from existing processes, innovate, manage vendor relationships and establish strategic partnerships.

Consider the following steps:

1. Re-evaluate recruitment marketing strategies.
Don't stop running ads and posting jobs, but do be strategic and take a planned approach. The market has shifted from a scarcity to an abundance of candidates in a very short time - adjust accordingly. Don't overspend or spend in the wrong areas. Now is a great time to be out in the market as the competition for talent is much lower. Take advantage of it.

Also, renegotiate existing vendor relationships; don't pay last year's rates this year. There will still be skill shortages and geographic recruiting gaps, so rewrite copy and spruce up the company's look. Speak in a genuine voice for the organization by working with the marketing department.

2. Leverage the hidden gold mine.
Arguably the most commonly overlooked tool in any organization is its existing database. A real gold mine of information, the resumes collected by recruiters and HR staff during the past few years should provide great leads on passive and active candidates. For instance, run a Boolean search on the company's internal ATS database.

3. Improve competitive insight.
Leverage candidate interviews to collect market data on competitors. Actively call leads and network to gain insight into their knowledge about competitors. As talent managers interview candidates from competitors, gather critical information to help position the company to win in the market.

4. Tap the current employee pool.
Take a fresh look at the existing employee pool. Which individuals shine in the downturn? Identify individuals who have been interested in gaining experience in other functional areas and who would be willing to wear two hats during difficult times.

For the right employees, the current climate might provide real opportunities to gain much needed and desired experience in another area. Strong employees will appreciate the opportunity for long-term career growth, and it will show them how much they are valued.

5. Maximize social networking in recruiting.
When used properly, social media networks are an effective tool. The time demand is surprisingly low. If an organization has limited time, choose one or two networks to try. One recommendation is LinkedIn, which is targeted to professionals and requires little maintenance.

6. Automate candidate contact, and employ well-designed self-service.
Tracking down candidates can be time-consuming and frustrating, not to mention costly. Be efficient. One of the easiest solutions is to work with a provider to automate the process. There are myriad tools and software options on the market. The most attractive are those that include auto-scheduling, online minimum qualification screening and telephony/video interviewing platforms. Talent leaders also will want to improve and perhaps automate selection tools to ensure they find those few best needles in the now huge haystack.

Many talent managers can relate to the challenge of responding to the growth in candidate calls to "check status" and a single candidate applying for multiple positions. Turn on auto e-mails. A recent Pinstripe survey showed that less than 20 percent of organizations use that functionality in their ATSs.

Books Are Fun Ltd., a Chicago-based subsidiary of Reader's Digest, and the world's leading display marketer of books and gifts, experienced the benefits of automation firsthand. To meet expansion goals and cover attrition rates, Books Are Fun recruits 250-300 independent sales representatives every year. Before automation, the company's six internal recruiters spent 70 percent of their time screening applicants.

"We knew that the most important part of the recruiting process is the late-stage conversation that we have with a candidate about the job as a lifestyle change rather than just another position," said David Hammond, vice president of sales recruitment. "We needed our internal folks to focus on these late-stage conversations. It was a waste of time for my staff to handle the screening process."

Books Are Fun outsourced the sourcing and screening process to an organization that was able to reduce costs and time to fill by streamlining candidate tracking; managing all recruitment marketing efforts including postings and active and passive candidate sourcing; and accessing additional resources, including community-based recruiting from libraries and organizations, franchise and sales-niche recruiting, various national and regional job boards and TRM contact searches.

7. Find the right candidates from the onset.
Many organizations put too many people through too far in their processes. Design talent acquisition, screening and selection processes carefully and stick with them. Screen people in - and out - early.

"In the past, Books Are Fun offered a contract to the first qualified candidate that appeared. Now we want to offer a contract to the most qualified candidates only," Hammond said. "Our new system generates enough volume of qualified candidates to provide us with real choices."

8. Review the funnel and revise processes.
An organization may have fewer openings, but now there will be more people applying, which will significantly increase the amount of time spent screening and responding to applicants. This can exhaust an HR team, particularly one that recently reduced staff, and could increase effective cost per hire.

Adopt a high-volume recruiting model to process a high volume of candidates in a time of low job requisitions. Technology enables the process in a candidate friendly way. Move online prequalifiers to the top of the funnel, and save the paid online screens and assessments for the spot where the funnel is slimmer.

Books Are Fun revised its process and brought about significant improvements, including a 45 percent decrease in costs, a decrease in time to fill from 52 to 42 days and clear recruiting metrics including weekly summaries, pipeline reports, hiring funnels and detailed process maps.

9. Protect the brand.
When an organization is one of a few that is hiring, and getting 500 resumes for every job posted, process change is necessary. Work with experts to ensure the company doesn't miss good people or alienate future prospects and customers. This is particularly important if an organization is a major consumer brand, and every applicant also is a consumer.

Be polite and respectful every time. Companies are not usually good at this, and HR will find it especially important to partner with marketing and hiring managers when everyone is being asked to do more with less.

Times are tough and the human resources function is on the frontlines of the battle. But remember, every downturn yields winners and losers. Some organizations will not merely weather this storm; they will seize the opportunity to emerge as a more efficient and successful.

[About the Author: Sue Marks is founder and CEO of Pinstripe Inc., an HR and recruitment process outsourcing firm serving large- and middle-market domestic clients, as well as the Global 5000.]

Releasing Status, Power and Relationships

2009-06-15T11:46:00.000-07:00

Releasing Status, Power and Relationships
by Marshall Goldsmith, Ph.D.

Senior-level executives such as the chief talent officer or equivalent learn to live with amazing amounts of status.

After awhile, it just seems to be a part of who you are. None of the great officers I have known have any desire to act like big shots or come off as arrogant or superior to others. They adapt well to their status and don't abuse it.

On the other hand, one of the great fears of any mega-successful, well-known person is becoming a "used to be." Instead of being introduced as the chief talent officer, you will be introduced as the person who "used to be the chief talent officer." It isn't the same. To be honest, it isn't even close.

After you have retired, instead of looking at you with admiration, the ambitious young people you meet may be looking around the room for someone more significant to talk to. In the words of the Eagles' "New Kid in Town," "They will never forget you till somebody new comes along."

Make peace with your loss of status in advance of retirement. Learn to enjoy the process of others' striving to get ahead. If you cannot make peace with losing status, don't retire. When I asked one executive what he had learned about leadership since becoming a CEO, he laughed and replied, "My suggestions become orders. If I want them to become orders, they are orders. If I don't want them to become orders, they are still orders. No matter how open I try to be, as the CEO of a multibillion-dollar corporation, I don't make suggestions. I give orders."

Many senior-level executives won't admit it, but studies indicate they have a higher need for power than most other human beings. Incredible power can be hard to give away.

Power can simply be defined as the potential to influence. For examples, senior-level talent executives love to get big results. It is hard to get huge projects completed without power. Throughout their careers, leaders experience an increase in power gradually. Over the years, as you move from position to position into higher levels of authority, you get more and more power. In sharp contrast, when you leave the role, you may lose power suddenly.

One executive reported, "It was like falling off a cliff, my loss of power. They're not bothering to return my phone calls. When I was the CEO, my phone calls always got returned, immediately!"

Let's stop and review what you may be giving up when you retire: money, perks, status and power. You begin to get the picture. While the theory of stepping down from the chief talent officer role is easy, the practice of letting go can be a little painful.

It can be amusing to listen to gossip about chief executives, with apparent shock, and gasp, "I am amazed that anyone who made it to the level of CTO could have made that mistake!"

Have you ever ready a history book? Is there any evidence in the history of the world that shows that when human beings are given incredible amounts of money, perks, status and power they begin to act completely sane and rational? I have never read that book.

Face it: You may be the "chief retiring so-and-so," but you are still a human being. Millions of leaders throughout history have had trouble letting go of money, status, perks and power. If you cannot make peace with giving up some of this stuff, you will never be able to make a smooth handoff to your successor.

That includes severing ties with your peers and co-workers, the family and friends you've gathered on the job.

If you make a chart of how you have spent your time during the past few years, you'll find you've spent far more time with people at work than you have with your actual friends and family members. You've been through a lot with your co-workers. Most of your success has been caused by them. Their success has been heavily influenced by you.

The more you've been through together, the harder it can be to leave. But leave you must, because that, my friend, is what retirement means.

[About the Author: Dr. Marshall Goldsmith is a world authority in helping successful leaders achieve positive, lasting change in behavior. He is the author or co-editor of 24 books, including Succession: Are You Ready?]

Mobile phone directory to launch

2009-06-11T04:39:00.000-07:00

A company will begin offering a directory service from next week that allows people to find the mobile phone numbers of people they don't know.

Run by 118800, it will cost £1 and use databases of numbers it said are freely available for purchase and in the public domain.

Anyone searching for a number can type the name and location of the person into the 118800 website.

It claims to have some 15m numbers in its database.

Privacy campaigners have been angered by the system despite it getting the all-clear from the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

The ICO ruled that the system did comply with current law and was little different from companies who use such contact lists for cold calling.

It said that opting out of the service should be made easy for those not wanting their details to be used in the directory.

Privacy concerns
Shona Foster, Connectivity
Shona Foster says her company is acting ethically.

118800 gets numbers from three sources. First, market research companies who contact individuals and ask if they would be prepared to allow their numbers to be used for commercial purposes.

Second, from online businesses who often ask customers to tick boxes during the normal course of online transactions.

Thirdly, 118800 gets them from brokers who buy and sell lists of phone numbers.

118800 said that has about 15m phone numbers on its databases which is just a fraction of the 40m adults who have one or more handsets in the UK.

Some legal observers are concerned by the precedent the system sets.

"You are supposed to have people's consent if you are going to pass their number around and they need to know where it is going to go," says Chris Watson, a lawyer at CMS Cameron McKenna.

"When people tick a box, saying they have no objection to their number going to the company they are dealing with, they don't anticipate that it could then be sold.

"Not just possibly to trading partners, but to anybody under the sun".

Connectivity - the company operating the 118800 service - said that privacy is paramount to them, and that it's easy to withdraw your mobile phone number from their databases should you choose to do so.

"We are accessing data in the same way that lots of other companies do for marketing purposes", Shona Forster, 118800's Marketing Director, told Working Lunch.

"The difference is that we don't use that data for marketing purposes and we don't sell it on to anybody else".

How it works

If the company has it, contact details will be sent in a text message to them.

On the phone version, you call the number, and again they will check whether they have the person's details on their database.

You are supposed to have people's consent if you are going to pass their number around and they need to know where it is going to go.
Chris Watson, Lawyer

If they do, they will call them up while you are still on the line and ask them whether they are prepared to have your call put through to them.

In neither case is the mobile phone number given over to the person making the request.

Both services cost £1.

For most of the 20th century, the landline was the only phone around. With the mobile you're always available, so it's the number most of us dial first.

So it is perhaps not surprising that a directory service is starting up that allows people to find out someone else's mobile phone number in the same way we've always been able to do for landlines.

Skinny jeans hazardous for health?

2009-06-11T04:33:00.001-07:00

Skinny jeans hazardous for health?

They are haute give your legs a 'fashionable' edge. But if you're planning to slip into that super-tight pair of jeans for the night out, then here's a news flash: the skin-fit garment can cause a nerve problem called meralgia paresthetica or 'tingling thigh syndrome.'

Skinny jeans hazardous for health?
What's more, coupled with stiletto heels, the pressure these jeans put on the femoral cutaneous nerve that runs through the thigh can cause tingling and burning through the leg, reports MSNBC.com.

The condition's developer Parmeeta Ghoman recalls the initial feeling of 'tingling thigh syndrome,' reports The New York Daily News.

She said: "It felt really strange - it felt like my leg had gone to sleep."

"The nerve, in some people, is susceptible to compression," Dr. John England, of the American Academy of Neurology said.

"It is a pure sensory nerve - it doesn't go to muscles or provide strength. Anything that is tight around there could potentially compress the nerve that goes there," the expert added.

According to chiropractic physician Dr. William Madosky, "The key is, you remove the pressure, and the nerve regenerates."

Source: ANI

It's official: Men are the weaker sex

2009-06-11T04:32:00.000-07:00

It's official: Men are the weaker sex

Scientists have finally put an end to the age-old battle of the sexes, by claiming that men are the weaker sex.

It's official: Men are the weaker sex

Professor Marek Glezerman, a gender-based medicine expert, examined 66,000 births at Israel's Rabin Medical Centre between 1995 and 2006, and concluded that baby boys are more at risk of complications in the womb and more likely to have difficult deliveries, reports The Daily Express.

And the gender gap remains when they grow up, as men are more vulnerable to infections and less able to withstand disease than women, research suggests.

In the study, which has been presented to the Israel Society for Gender Based Medicine, Glezerman found that pregnancies with a male foetus were more often complicated and carried greater risk of difficult or premature delivery.

He said: "Men are known to have a shorter life span, are more susceptible to infections and have less chance of withstanding disease than women."

"In short, men are the weaker sex."

Glezerman said: "Males are also associated with higher risk in the neonatal period after birth and are more likely to expose themselves to risky behaviour later in life."

Boys may take more chances as the result of peer pressure, and testosterone in their bloodstream could also lead to more dangerous behaviour, he claimed.

"Men become soldiers, construction workers, and work as firefighters. They take on these risks quite naturally to protect their society, and they're trained to do this without question," he said.

Source: ANI

Scientists could soon predict onset of Diabetes

2009-06-11T04:31:00.001-07:00

Scientists could soon predict onset of Diabetes

A new study suggests that chemistry changes inside the body start occurring several years before a person begins to show the symptoms of type 2 diabetes.
Scientists could soon predict onset of Diabetes
University College London researchers, who led the study published in the journal The Lancet, say that specific changes in blood glucose levels and sensitivity to the hormone insulin occur inside a person years before he/she develops type 2 diabetes.

While presenting their findings at a meeting of the American Association of Diabetes, the researchers expressed hope that such changes could one day be used to help identify people at high risk of the disease earlier, meaning action can be taken to delay its progression.

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body stops producing enough insulin for it to function properly, or when the body's cells do not react to insulin. This is called insulin resistance.

While the disease’s symptoms can be controlled by healthy eating and monitoring blood glucose level, injections may eventually be required.

For their research, the University College London team followed 6,538 UK civil servants over almost 10 years, during which 505 cases of type 2 diabetes were diagnosed.

They examined how the volunteers' blood glucose levels and the capacity of their tissues to respond to insulin changed over time, besides looking at how the insulin-producing beta-cells of the pancreas functioned over time.

The team found changes in body chemistry to occur at a steady, even pace over time in in volunteers who did not develop diabetes.

However, patients who developed diabetes showed a rapid acceleration in both fasting and post-meal blood glucose levels starting three years before they were diagnosed with the condition.

Insulin sensitivity decreased steeply during the five years prior to diagnosis among the diabetic group. Their beta-cell function increased between years four and three prior to diagnosis, as their body tried to compensate for the raised glucose levels, but then decreased in the three years up to diagnosis.

The researchers hope that their findings will prove helpful in developing more accurate models to predict an individual's risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

“Our model may help detect people at high risk to develop diabetes, so we can better target these people to prevent the development of the disease,” the BBC quoted lead researcher Dr Adam Tabak said.

“We believe that an earlier intervention - before the conventional prediabetes stage - could delay diabetes development substantially,” Dr. Tabak added.

Source: ANI

Filling the Leadership Vacuum

2009-06-11T04:30:00.002-07:00

Filling the Leadership Vacuum
by Bruce Lewin

While the credit crunch and ongoing recession have generated much in the way of government, economic and legal commentary, there is a vacuum when it comes to corresponding conversations around leadership, human capital and talent management. This vacuum, or gap, offers both a point of reflection for practitioners and stakeholders and also sews the seeds for potential opportunity.

Reflecting on the highest-profile casualties and some of the walking wounded of the current downturn, attention is drawn to organizations as diverse as Lehman Brothers in banking, GM in automobile manufacturing, Woolworths in retail and AIG in insurance. This recession has struck far and wide, and further victims may be added to the list.

What is striking about the above group is not only their relative diversity, but their apparently excellent reputations. At one time, all had an aura of blue-chip authority. This notion is complex when one considers each organization's qualities from a leadership and people management perspective.

To expand on this lack of input and guidance, consider the following. During recent months we have seen the emergence of a number of economic and legal commentators whose foresight and response to circumstance have help shape the debate and agenda going forward.

This relative consensus and discussion about the response is the very definition of thought leadership. But the relative silence from those interested in leadership, human capital and people management is stark, if not deafening. In other words, we are experiencing a leadership vacuum.

This leadership vacuum offers the potential for new thinking and an opportunity for practitioners. But one must ask, to what extent are academics, consultants and practitioners in a position to genuinely influence the ongoing debate and actions taken by the stakeholders that leadership work impacts? With regard to the recession, the financial debate can be seen in terms of a bailout and stimulus or not, but to date, a simple choice has yet to be presented from a leadership standpoint. And as someone once said, never let a good crisis go to waste.

While there may be no magic bullet, there is little doubt about the need for new thinking, and there has never a better time for new approaches. One example of this is the ongoing fascination with the Web and the rise of social software in its many guises.

Perhaps the area of greatest promise comes from recognizing approaches that advocate systematic, dynamic interconnectivity. Contrast this with much of the linear-based thinking that has seen many financial risks mispriced and identified a glaring inability to spot systemic risk.

While economic arguments may evolve around costs, efficiencies, profitability or more favorable business environments, perhaps the most salient call for a new system around people comes from Dave Snowden, who, back in 2003 called for "[a model] of human behavior able to encompass multiple dynamic individual and collective identities acting simultaneously and representing all aspects of perception, decision making and action."

Developing a holistic approach that takes into account many complex and interlinked variables is easier said than done. However, there are a number of interesting perspectives and ideas emerging. These include Snowden himself who offers his Cynefin framework for sense making and organizations such as John Caswell's Group Partners and Denis Bourne's Informal Networks have introduced a systemic approach for dealing with "wicked problems." Kim Warren's work in applying system dynamics to strategy and HR also is worth exploring.

Rather than suggesting a single approach or idea can fill the leadership vacuum, a variety of concepts can be moulded to fit specific organizations and contexts. For this, organizations will have to develop a far greater level of self-awareness and understanding of the intangible aspects that govern performance.

[About the Author: Bruce Lewin is a director with Four Groups Ltd., a consulting firm.]

Employee Engagement

2009-06-11T04:30:00.001-07:00

Employee Engagement
by Luanne Ramsey

How is it critical to your business? What do employees need to feel engaged?

Employee engagement in today's climate of economic instability is critical to the overall success of an organization. Without employee engagement, productivity suffers, morale plummets, absenteeism increases, and high potential employees depart. Organizations are left with mediocrity which directly correlates to poorer outcomes in business results. Collectively, creating increased labor cost at a time when no one needs or can bear the added costs.

What do engaged employees look like?

Engaged employees:

a) Are committed to high productivity.

b) Have good job satisfaction.

c) Are less likely to leave.

d) Contribute to success of the company at a higher level which translates into valuable business outcomes.

e) Are more likely to give an effort that goes beyond what is expected..

f) Believe that positive attitudes prevail.

g) Are team players.

h) Understand the big picture.

i) Take pride in the work they do and services or products the organization produces.

Evaluating Employee Satisfaction

If we examine the levers or drivers that affect our workforce, we can plan and take action to increase overall employee satisfaction and thus engagement.

Surveys are an important tool to gauge employee satisfaction. One step in the process that equates to success is establishing a senior leader and support person that have ultimate accountability to produce and communicate the progress and potential bottlenecks of the surveys. All of your company's leaders need to commit to this exercise and add the tasks necessary for process into their schedule. There should also be clear timelines for follow up meetings communicated across the organization.

Prior to the survey, it is paramount to have much fan fare around the upcoming survey for maximum participation. As part of the preparation, empower teams across different business units to create an environment of honest feedback. A high participation rate and comfort level with giving open answers provides a true broad-based result of the common themes emerging in your workforce.

Once the root cause analysis is complete, the next step should be to begin the process of addressing the dissatisfaction and providing mechanisms to implement suggestions. Following the results of the survey, a team of highly motivated staff, mid-level managers and senior leaders should meet to extrapolate the data points and categorize the priority issues. This is the critical point in setting and meeting employee expectations.

Your survey procedures should also include a pulse survey six months after the original survey. The purpose of the pulse survey is to have employees answer questions that correlate to how well the action items from the original survey are being met. Basically, it's the barometer as to how well the leaders responsible for both meeting and valuing the employees concerns are performing. With all the shifting priorities this is a necessary step in the process.

Certainly, there are many survey companies that are capable of performing this exercise. Suffice to say that this article is not geared to which survey company to use, but it is important to note the best results utilize both web based and paper driven survey tools. This ensures that all staff have access to give their feedback, and your results provide a realistic representation across the workforce. It is critical as well not to forget those employees that are on leave.

Culture of Communication

Creating a Culture of Communication establishes a sense of hope and trust with the employees. Share your company's major business factors and your planned action item steps in as many streams possible. Utilizing your company intranet, newsletter, town hall meetings and paycheck stuffers are a few examples of methods of communication that are proven to be effective.

There are some very common themes that emerge across industries and company size, in regards to having a good Culture of Communication.

The top seven workplace factors
Employees:

1. Trust senior management.
2. Are asked for their ideas and opinions on important matters.
3. Clearly understand the organization's vision and strategic direction.
4. Trust their supervisors.
5. Receive recognition and praise for good work.
6. Have a clear say in decisions that affect their work.
7. Perceive their supervisors as caring and considerate of their well-being.

Due to the current state of the recession and need to drive down costs to stay profitable, companies have had to implement cost saving measures such as reducing workforce, hours and base pay. They have also had to freeze bonuses and 401K matches. These indicators need attention, but there are ways to help meet employees needs while maintaining the bottom line focus.

Ways to reaffirm commitment to employees during recession

a) Utilize incentives that produce reciprocity equaling rewards.

b) Provide job enrichment that allows employees to feel empowered and supports autonomous work.

c) Offer purposeful work to ensure the employee and leadership are aligned with project deliverables directly impacting the overall strategic goals.

d) Schedule team building opportunities that increase collaboration across business units.

e) Implement succession planning below the executive level to show employees that they are valued for their contribution. Clearly outline where they are now and what is needed to achieve the next level in their career.

f) Facilitate those employees ready for next career move now.

By applying these methods there is a clear message that employees will be compensated fairly for their efforts; recognized for both contributions as well as results; prepared for their next role; and have direct impact in the overall success of the company. Without this sense of commitment from the company, their loyalty erodes.

Achieving the high level of engagement is also dependent upon the visibility and accessibility of senior leaders. Transparency of the state of the union will also make employees feel connected and less anxious, as necessary changes are rolled out.

In conclusion, creating a culture that feeds engagement is necessary work that directly affects the bottom line. Engaged employees are your most valuable assets to sustaining the results needed to not only survive the times but to thrive while doing so.

[About the Author: Luanne Ramsey is the Business Development Manager for The Rosen Group. She has nine years of experience in the global staffing industry. A seasoned HR Professional, Luanne has held leadership roles from Generalist, Employee Relations and HR Manager to Business Partner for Global Medical, Pharmaceutical Organizations.]

You are the results of yourself

2009-06-11T04:29:00.001-07:00

You are the results of yourself

Don't blame anyone, never complain of anyone or anything

Because basically you have made of your life what you wanted.

Accept the difficulties of edifying yourself

And the worth of starting to correct your character.

The triumph of the true man arises from the ashes of his mistakes.

Never complain of your loneliness or your luck.

Face it with courage and accept it.

Somehow, they are the result of your acts and

It shows that you'll always win.

Don't feel frustrated of your own failures, neither unload them to someone else.

Accept yourself now or you'll go on justifying yourself like a child.

Remember that any time is good to start

And that no time is so good to give up.

Don't forget that the cause of your present is your past,

As the cause of your future will be your present.

Learn from the brave, from the strong,

From who doesn't accept situations

From who will live in spite of everything.

Think less of your problems and more of your work.

Learn to arise from your pain,

And to be greater than the greatest of your obstacles.

Look at the mirror of yourself and you'll be free and strong

And you'll stop being a puppet of circumstances.

For you yourself are your destiny.

Wake up and stare at the Sun in the mornings and breathe the Sun of dawn.

You're part of the strength of your life now,

Rise up, fight, walk, be sure and you'll win in life.

Don't ever think of 'fate'

For fate is the excuse of failures.

Best of Luck

Understanding HR's Value

2009-06-11T04:26:00.000-07:00

Understanding HR's Value
by Richard Beatty

An HR professor writes about putting the R back in HR: How HR can better sell its ideas by impacting the firm's value-creating capabilities.

There is an evolution coming occurring within HR often referred to as "HR Transformation". Many firms are looking at where they are and have been as they attempt to transform HR's back office to become more administratively efficient. At the same time, some HR functions are more focused upon the future and how they can impact the strategic success of the business. To their credit, some are doing both. The later is more critical to a firm's survival in a world where firms compete with "brainware warfare" to create economic value. Neither firms, nor HR can save their way to prosperity. The firms that have the right strategy, have identified the right work, have the right workforce and the right workforce practices have a substantial chance to out-compete others in the emerging market spaces no matter how much more efficient HR may become.

To be successful in this new environment, HR needs to focus on redefining the "to" part of the from/to transformation paradigm. HR must increase focus on how HR and line managers best utilize the workforce to impact the creation of customer and economic value. For HR to fulfill its promise of becoming strategic, it must significantly influence how the workforce impacts the scorecard of the business and enable "HR to score on the business scorecard."

In many respects the "to" is the "above the line" segments of Dave Ulrich's famous HR Champions (Harvard Business School Press, 1996) mandate, where HR is to to impact strategy execution and change management. This is not to say that administrative efficiency and employee advocacy are not required-they-are-yet changing in ways that often reduce investments in these activities as HR realizes its strategic leverage (and respect as a profession) lies more in enabling the firm to better utilize the workforce as a resource to execute the firm's strategy.

To set the stage for putting the R back in HR managing the workforce as a strategic organizational resource, we need to briefly review how firms will need to manage their resources even more differentially in the future. Effective firms determine a strategy and then decide how to execute that strategy. Strategy execution involves the differential allocation, management, measurement, and decision making with the firm's resources. Each resource is to be leveraged to the firms' best advantage and systems built to assure accountability of each resource.

Examples of such systems include budgets for the use of financial resources, supply chain management for material resources, and schedules for time. Managers and the respective functions which house these activities are held accountable for leveraging these resources to create and extend the firm's competitive advantages, as well as provide consequences to managers for the effective (or ineffective) use of these resources. But what is the accountability system for the resource we call human resources - our function and profession? We must be held accountable for workforce utilization and develop systems to do so if we are to become the profession with the impact we desire. In doing so, selling our ideas will become much easier, but we must first upscale our capabilities in business strategy (i.e., value creation) and data analytics to put the R back in Human Resources. This is what we have attempted to do in our book The Differentiated Workforce (Becker, Huselid and Beatty, HBS Press, 2009).

HR has long wanted to be a strategic partner, or better yet, a strategic player. This requires knowing what strategic means and understanding how to impact the only scorecard that matters. The word strategic is often carelessly used in organizations but really concerns how firms create value. Customer value first by providing offerings to society wants and is willing to pay for. Second, firms must be sustained by creating wealth to pay their employees, invest in growth initiatives and satisfy investors. Thus the organization must perform in an economically efficient way and use every resource as effectively as possible.

Strategy means focusing on the outside. Internal is tactics, external is strategic and firms must ask (and answer) these basic strategic questions:

a) How will we grow the business?

b) In what markets will we play?

c) How will we win in those markets?

Strategic alignment is when firms identify how they intend to differentiate themselves by differentially investing in capabilities that will enable them to win a disproportionate share of the marketplace in which they have chosen to compete.

Organizations are systems perfectly designed to deliver what they are delivering now. If you want different outcomes, you have to do different. Data analytics helps firms to do that. The only real data worth collecting in organizations is data that is interventional. That is, data that can be used to identify issues, when addressed, will have a profound impact upon the strategic success of the firm. Most data in HR seems to be reporting data which is after the fact and not used to intervene and achieve more desirable outcomes. But asking and providing answers to questions such as...

a) "What is the strategic mindset of our firm?"

b) "To what extent do we have strategic talent in those roles that make a difference?"

c) "To what extent are we holding line leaders accountable for the management of strategic talent?"

... provide critical information that can be used to intervene and achieve more desirable Firm outcomes. The concept is simple, the delivery is difficult. But, those that collect and act on strategic workforce data will win, those who don't may not.

Firms are beginning to understand that talent significantly impacts a firm's value creating processes with customers. That is, identifying the roles that really make a difference and how well talented our firm in those roles is essential. In the future, the emerging role of Chief Talent Officer will focus more and more upon determining the extent the firm has top talent, emerging talent, career-level talent or talent that does not fit those roles. The actions taken based on a rigorous analysis of such data will have a profound impact on the creation of customer value and subsequently economic value.

This moves HR into a new area of data analytics. Google and IBM have teams focusing on HR data analytics (see Steven Baker's Numerati), knowing and understanding what workforce is necessary to create customer value and doing so in an economically efficient way. Data analytics will be absolutely essential for HR's future. HR must be able to win arguments with numbers. After all, the language of organization is numbers and we have not necessarily used numbers effectively in the past.

Finally, HR must sell ideas. The best way to sell ideas, especially with an executive team, is to sell ideas that impact value creation and impact the scorecard that the executive team cares about. Knowing and understanding the strategy of the business, the work required, the workforce necessary and the HR practices which leverage the firm's competitive advantage is the path to HR's impact on the firm's success and the respect we seek. Regrettably, many HR professionals believe they are effective in the strategic understanding and data analytics described above, but I believe we must move to a much higher level of sophistication in strategic thinking and data analytics if we are to have the impact and gain respect.

For many HR leaders, this may be a difficult challenge because it means differentiating as never before. Differentiating around talent has a profound impact upon the value created by the firm. Without which the organization will underperform at a minimum and/or run the risk of extinction. This does not mean that you take away the support from other roles in the organizations that do not impact the firm's strategic success. It merely raises a question, "what are we going to do different for the workforce that makes the difference in firm's strategic success?" Otherwise, we may never be able to attract and retain the strategic talent (in increasingly competitive labor markets) that has the primary impact on our firm's ability to create value.

This is a perpetual challenge. Markets have changed, strategy has changed, and organizations must change. It will require a far more focused and flexible workforce for organizations to succeed in the future. Without such, it is very difficult to sustain an enterprise. Thus HR must be at the top of its game - not only understanding strategy but contributing to the creating of strategic value. If HR leaders can manage the workforce as a value-creating resource, not only will they be successful, but also (and more importantly), their firms will be successful and sustainable. What a beautiful challenge, what a great opportunity. HR can become the profession that can do this, but it will require us to challenge ourselves to think differently, but most importantly to do differently.

[About the Author: Richard Beatty is director of the global executive master's in HR leadership program at Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations.]

Date of birth Bird Characteristics

2009-06-07T08:58:00.000-07:00

Date of birth Bird Characteristics

21 Jan - 17 Feb

Robin
A cool exterior disguises a fiery temper and is very opinionated - although those opinions are not always shared by everyone. They are proud and particularly home-loving, although have a tendency to be quarrelsome.

18 Feb - 17 March

Goldfinch
Goldfinch people are colorful characters who are sensitive and always alert. They are gregarious by nature and love being in groups of people, which offers them security. They need to find an outlet for their imaginative abilities or they are sometimes be in danger of becoming nervous and irritable.

18 March - 14 April

Hawk
A powerful individual which displays courage and a sometimes ruthless determination. Avoids problematical obstacles with skill, although must be fully targeted so as not to waste energy in fruitless chases for the impossible.

15 April - 12 May

Albatross
Has a tendency to have a mind that wanders, but when in search of a particular goal, will travel great lengths to achieve it. Occasionally, the albatross may become caught up in things it shouldn't when not seeing clearly enough.

13 May - 9 June

Dove
Peace-loving by nature, doves will bill and coo about things close to their heart. They enjoy a fulfilling love-life and rarely fail to satisfy. They are also patient, adaptable and personable. Their lack of aggression sometimes makes them the victim of more predatory characters.

10 June- 7 July

Eagle
A well-respected figure which has excellent visionary qualities. Eagles will truck no nonsense and will fix opponents with a powerful stare. They have the power to rise above the trivial aspects of humanity, and are highly tal ented.

8 July- 4 August

Nightingale
More often heard before being seen, nightingales always have something to say for themselves. They are however very much in tune with their partners. Their unimpressive exterior hides a personality that is just waiting to burst out.

5 August - 1 Sept

Kingfisher
Another flamboyant and colorful character that is always exciting to encounter. They rush around at great speed and have a close spiritual affinity with water. They have a sharp and perceptive head on them, but can make them impetuous enough to dive in where others would fear to go.

2 Sept - 29 Sept

Swan
The swan is a complex character. While appearing on the surface as a calm and relaxed individual, underneath they are working hard to keep up with the pace of modern life. If provoked their natural graceful demeanor can give way to a violent temper which puts them in a flap. They are definitely someone to have on your side.

30 Sept - 27 Oct

Woodpecker
A tough, hard-working character with plenty of stamina. Has no problem drumming up support for their ideas, no matter how wacky they seem. With a lateral-thinking mind they are skilled at dissecting problems and seeing the wood for the trees. However, with their noisy and exuberant lifestyle, you might not want to have one as a neighbor.

28 Oct - 24 Nov

Kestrel
A sharp brain helps kestrel people hover from one subject to another without losing concentration. They focus on their life's goal with a single-minded focus, not flustered by what is going on around them. A confidence in their own ability helps them to soar to heights others may only dream of.

25 Nov - 23 Dec

Raven
Always impressive, raven people are a tower of strength. They are more intelligent than their peers and are adept problem-solvers. They enjoy challenges are stimulated by wild and exposed places.

24 Dec - 20 Jan

Heron
Heron people are deceptive. Although they may be solitary individuals for much of the time, they nevertheless have a need to settle in busy communities where they know everyone else. They may get bogged down as they wade the course of life, but have broad enough shoulders to cope with weighty issues. But their insecure nature often leads them to fish for compliments.

Why Does My Body Do That?

2009-06-07T08:54:00.000-07:00

Why Does My Body Do That?
Learn the common causes behind your body’s little quirks

Whether uncomfortable, embarrassing or just plain weird, there are some pretty funky things that our bodies do. Curious about the causes of such reactions as hiccups, goose bumps and eye twitches, we spoke with Eric Plasker, DC, author of The 100 Year Lifestyle, to get the real scoop. Read on to discover the common reasons for 14 peculiar bodily functions.

Yawns

If your body is low on oxygen, your mouth opens wide and tries to suck more in. Yawning is a way to regulate the amount of carbon dioxide and oxygen in your blood. Unfortunately, yawns are nearly impossible to stifle.

Eye Twitches

Serious eye twitches can be a symptom of neurological disorders, but often there is a more mundane explanation. Common causes for eye twitches include stress, lack of sleep, extended staring or eye strain. Before you get frantic, try reducing your stress level, cutting back on caffeine and catching up on sleep.

Itches

According to Dr. Plasker, our skin most often gets itchy because of dryness associated with the environment or over-washing—water and soap can strip skin of its natural oils, thus sapping moisture. Face or body lotion should be able to keep these types of itches under control; also look for body washes and soaps labeled “moisturizing.” If you still have itchy patches, you may be experiencing an allergic reaction to a chemical, plant, food, animal or drug. See an allergist if the itching is persistent.

Hiccups

If you’ve frequently got a case of the hiccups, try slowing down when you eat and drink, suggests Dr. Plasker. Doing either too quickly causes your stomach to swell; this irritates your diaphragm, which contracts and causes hiccups. You may also get hiccups in emotional situations or if your body experiences a sudden temperature change. In both of these cases, the hiccups are a result of a glitch in your nerve pathways, which is why a sudden scare—which might shake up and reset your nerves—can sometimes end an episode.

Goose Bumps

Those tiny bumps that cover your skin when you’re cold or scared are actually a defense mechanism. Goose bumps occur when the arrector pili, a tiny muscle that connects the hair follicle with skin, contracts and makes the hair stand on end. If you had more hair—like cavemen did—the upright hair would trap air to keep you warm or make you look bushier and therefore more threatening to predators.

Sneezes

Sneezes happen when your body is trying to expel an irritant from the nasal cavity. If you have allergies, pollen or pet dander is usually to blame. If you have a cold, your body makes mucus to trap the virus, and sneezing helps force it (and the sickness) out of your body. An over-the-counter allergy or cold medicine helps suppress your reaction to allergens or reduce mucus production, which should prevent sneezing fits.

Coughs

A cough is another mechanism your body uses to get rid of irritants. There are special cells along your air passage, says Dr. Plasker, that recognize irritants and force them out. Common colds, sinus infections and pneumonia all increase your body’s mucus production, which triggers coughing. Smoking and asthma also tend to irritate the cells. To help cut down on chronic coughing, exercise regularly and practice good posture to keep your air passage open.

Charley Horses

These sudden, super-painful muscle spasms can be blamed on several things, including dehydration or electrolyte imbalances—often from strenuous exercise. After a demanding workout or an extra-long run, sip a sports drink to keep your system running smoothly. If you experience this type of cramping, walk around to help relieve the pain.

Shivers

Shivering, says Dr. Plasker, is full-body muscle twitching. When your temperature drops too low, your body shakes all over in an attempt to generate heat. The only way to cure these kind of shivers is to get your temperature back to 98.6°F.

Ear Ringing

Ear ringing, or tinnitus, can happen for two reasons. If you have fluid or an infection in your middle ear, you may hear a constant buzz. However, the more common cause is damage to the microscopic ends of your hearing nerves, which often happens when you’re exposed to loud noises. To prevent permanent damage (and preserve your hearing), wear earplugs at concerts and sporting events—or even when you mow the lawn.

Stomach Rumbles

As food, liquid and gas move through your digestive tract, your stomach muscles and intestines contract and cause rumbling noises—borborygmi is the scientific name. Everyone’s stomach makes noise during digestion, but if you have extra-loud rumbles, a teaspoon of olive oil or a cup of herbal tea with lemon may help ease them, says Dr. Plasker.

Limbs Falling Asleep

When there’s consistent pressure on part of a limb—like when you sit on your feet or rest your head on an arm—the pressure squeezes your nerve pathways and scrambles messages sent to your brain. The mixed messages make you lose feeling in the squished body part because your brain has trouble telling it what to do. To prevent a case of pins and needles, avoid sitting or lying in positions that compress your nerves.

Seeing Stars

If you stand too quickly, suffer a blow to the head or are stricken by a migraine, there’s a good chance you’ll see stars as blood surges to different parts of your body. Generally these tiny flashes of light will fade in a few seconds. If you see stars for more than a few moments, you could have a tear or tiny clot in your retina, and you should consult a physician immediately.

Ear Popping

The Eustachian tube in your inner ear is responsible for maintaining equal pressure on both sides of your eardrum. When you experience a rapid change in altitude—during takeoff in an airplane or when riding an elevator in an extra-tall building—the Eustachian tube opens to release pressure, and you hear a pop. To force the tube open (and “pop” your ears), squeeze your nostrils closed while exhaling forcefully through your nose.

AGGRESSIVENESS

2009-06-04T23:13:00.000-07:00

AGGRESSIVENESS

Taking the Menace Out of Dennis

Many children go through a period--between the ages of two and four--when hitting, kicking and biting are forms of communication, often their only way of saying, ''I'm angry'' or ''I want that.'' Without the language or social skills to get what they want, they're likely to express their frustration with flying fists or sharp baby teeth. Although it's a normal developmental stage, aggression can become a way of life. Kids who don't learn to replace their violent eruptions with more civilized behavior, such as sharing, turn-taking and verbal negotiating, often go on to become full-time bullies, says James Bozigar, a licensed social worker and coordinator of community relations for the Family Intervention Center at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Fighting gets them the things they want but makes them feared and unpopular. If your child is going through this phase, he'll probably get over it before long. But just to nudge his progress a bit (and help protect others!), here are a few techniques to help your child curb his aggressive tendencies.

Love that victim. If you witness your preschool child striking another, make your first move toward his victim, advises pediatrician Robert Mendelson, M.D., clinical professor of pediatrics at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland. ''Pick up the victim. Say, 'Jimmy didn't mean to hurt you.' Give the victim a big hug and kiss and take him out of the room.'' What you are doing is depriving your child of attention, a playmate and you, all at the same time. Suddenly, his fun is gone and he's alone. ''It usually doesn't take more than two or three responses like that until the aggressor realizes that being the aggressor isn't in his best interest,'' says Dr. Mendelson.

Lay down the law. Early on, get your toddler used to the idea of rules. ''Just say, ' We don't hit, we don't hurt,' '' says Lottie Mendelson, R.N., a pediatric nurse practitioner in Portland, Oregon, and coauthor of The Complete Book of Parenting, with her husband, Robert. With children aged four and over, the law can be a little more detailed. '' You can say, 'In our house, the rule is: If you want a toy, you ask for it, and if the person doesn't give it to you, you wait,' '' suggests Bozigar.

Be their guardian angel. Children who strike out physically often cannot control their tempers. For example, when another child has a toy he wants, a hot-tempered child is likely to act impulsively and wrestle it away. He may need to be reminded frequently about the rules you've set. ''Be his adjunct ego or guardian angel,'' says William Sobesky, Ph.D., assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and research psychologist at Children's Hospital, both in Denver. '' When a child's aggression starts to escalate, point out to him what he is doing and give him alternatives. Say, 'In this situation you may feel like hitting, but that's not okay. You can tell me you're angry. You can tell me you feel like hitting, but it's not okay to do it.

Beware the mouth that roars. Don't overlook verbal aggression--it's often the start of something bigger. ''A child can have a mouth that 'pushes a button,' causing a playmate to strike back,'' says Lottie Mendelson. When that happens, be careful not to blame the hitter and allow the instigator to go free. The child who speaks aggressively and starts throwing ''verbal punches'' should also be reprimanded, she notes.

Call a time-out. A cooling-off period is often the most effective way to change bad behavior. Bozigar says younger children should be placed on a chair away from all distractions for two to three minutes, and older children should be sent to their rooms. ''Just don't do it in a punitive way,'' he says. ''Make it clear you're taking this action because you want things to work out and you want everyone to be happy. Say, ' You can't stop hitting, and I want you to have control of that. So I'm going to help you. I'm going to give you time-out for two or three minutes until you're in control on the inside.' ''

Praise good efforts. When children respond in an appropriate way, make sure to reinforce it. ''Tell them, 'I like the way you did that,' '' says Bozigar. Kids respond better to praise that reflects how their behavior makes their parents feel. ''Saying 'good boy' or 'good girl' is often lost on children,'' he says. ''It's better to say, 'It made me feel so great on the inside when I saw you sharing with your little brother instead of hitting him. It made me feel I could trust you with him.' That kind of praise is very meaningful to children. It makes them feel that they've had an impact on you.''

Create scenarios for success. A child who bullies others learns very quickly that physical aggression has only limited success. It may get him the toy he wants or a turn on the swing, but he's likely to find himself friendless and lonely. He may be very motivated to work on other alternatives. '' You want kids to develop critical thinking skills,'' says Bozigar. First, talk about what happens when the child uses aggression. ''If your child is always beating up other kids at the playground, you can say, ' What happens to you when you do that?' He may say, 'I get into trouble with the playground monitor, the principal calls me into his office and I have detention.' Then you can say, 'That's not a success for you. What can we do to give you a success?' Kids really respond to that.'' Once the child realizes he's getting in trouble, you can start him thinking about possible solutions, Bozigar points out. For example, if he's being aggressive on the playground, you might want to practice different ways of getting involved in activities. Urge him to ask nicely whether he can join in--or to toss a ball back from out-of-bounds until the other kids ask him to play.

Use a scrapbook to scrap bad behavior. With a younger child who's beginning to show signs of aggressiveness, Bozigar recommends that you make up a little storybook with the child as the hero. Using pictures cut from magazines or photographs of the child himself, show situations where the child uses verbal or other problem-solving skills to deal with his frustration. Talk with him about these options. ''Do it at a time when the child is not in the midst of emotional turmoil,'' he says. '' When those emotions are up, it's hard to bring them down.''
Share the fantasy. One technique that is often effective in helping children gain a new perspective on their behavior is to grant in fantasy what you can't in real life, says Bozigar. ''A child who thinks he should have the playground all to himself can have it--in fantasy. Say, 'Okay, for the rest of the week, Tommy is the only one who is allowed on the playground. No one is allowed on the swings but Tommy, and everyone is going to have to stand around and applaud.' '' Once Tommy sees that his wildest dreams are just that--and funny, to boot--bring him back to earth. ''Say, ' Yeah, that sounds cool, but in real life you have to share the playground. So let's talk about another way we can make this a success for you,' '' says Bozigar.

Use force as the last resort. Forceful restraint should be used only when a child is putting himself or someone else in danger, says Dr. Sobesky. ''If you must use physical restraint, approach the child from behind, pulling his arms down. Wrap your legs around his legs and keep your chin away from his head.''
Be aware that restraint may increase rage in some children. ''But others may find it reassuring that you can control them,'' he says. ''Just make sure you hold your child in a comforting, nonaggressive way so he doesn't feel he's being attacked.''

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

Brain is the master of your body.....

2009-06-01T10:59:00.000-07:00

Brain is the master of your body.....

How do you remember the way to your friend's house?
Why do your eyes blink without you ever thinking about it? Where do dreams come from?
Your brain is in charge of these things and a lot more.
In fact, your brain is the boss of your body.
It runs the show and controls just about everything you do, even when you're asleep.
Not bad for something that looks like a big, wrinkly, gray sponge.
Your brain has many different parts that work together. We're going to talk about these five parts, which are key players on the brain team:

* cerebrum (say: suh-ree-brum)
* cerebellum (say: sair-uh- beh-lum)
* brain stem
* pituitary gland (say: puh-too-uh-ter-ee gland)
* hypothalamus (say: hi-po-tha-luh-muss)

The Biggest Part: the Cerebrum
The biggest part of the brain is the cerebrum. The cerebrum makes up 85% of the brain's weight, and it's easy to see why. The cerebrum is the thinking part of the brain and it controls your voluntary muscles - the ones that move when you want them to. So you can't dance - or kick a soccer ball - without your cerebrum.
When you're thinking hard, you're using your cerebrum. You need it to solve math problems, figure out a video game, and draw a picture. Your memory lives in the cerebrum - both short-term memory (what you ate for dinner last night) and long-term memory (the name of that roller-coaster you rode on two summers ago). The cerebrum also helps you reason, like when you figure out that you'd better do your homework now because your mom is taking you to a movie later.
The cerebrum has two halves, with one on either side of the head. Some scientists think that the right half helps you think about abstract things like music, colors, and shapes. The left half is said to be more analytical, helping you with math, logic, and speech. Scientists do know for sure that the right half of the cerebrum controls the left side of your body, and the left half controls the right side.

The Cerebellum's Balancing Act
Next up is the cerebellum. The cerebellum is at the back of the brain, below the cerebrum. It's a lot smaller than the cerebrum at only 1/8 of its size. But it's a very important part of the brain. It controls balance, movement, and coordination (how your muscles work together). Because of your cerebellum, you can stand upright, keep your balance, and move around. Think about a surfer riding the waves on his board. What does he need most to stay balanced? The best surfboard? The coolest wetsuit? Nope - he needs his cerebellum!

Brain Stem Keeps You Breathing - and More
Another brain part that's small but mighty is the brain stem. The brain stem sits beneath the cerebrum and in front of the cerebellum. It connects the rest of the brain to the spinal cord, which runs down your neck and back. The brain stem is in charge of all the functions your body needs to stay alive, like breathing air, digesting food, and circulating blood.
Part of the brain stem's job is to control your involuntary muscles - the ones that work automatically, without you even thinking about it. There are involuntary muscles in the heart and stomach, and it's the brain stem that tells your heart to pump more blood when you're biking or your stomach to start digesting your lunch. The brain stem also sorts through the millions of messages that the brain and the rest of the body send back and forth. Whew! It's a big job being the brain's secretary!

Pituitary Gland Controls Growth
The pituitary gland is very small - only about the size of a pea! Its job is to produce and release hormones into your body. If your clothes from last year are too small, it's because your pituitary gland released special hormones that made you grow. This gland is a big player in puberty too. This is the time when boys' and girls' bodies go through major changes as they slowly become men and women, all thanks to hormones released by the pituitary gland.
This little gland also plays a role with lots of other hormones, like ones that control the amount of sugars and water in your body. And it helps keep your metabolism (say: muh-ta-buh-lih-zum) going. Your metabolism is everything that goes on in your body to keep it alive and growing and supplied with energy, like breathing, digesting food, and moving your blood around.

Hypothalamus Controls Temperature
The hypothalamus is like your brain's inner thermostat (that little box on the wall that controls the heat in your house). The hypothalamus knows what temperature your body should be (about 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit or 37 degrees Celsius). If your body is too hot, the hypothalamus tells it to sweat. If you're too cold, the hypothalamus gets you shivering. Both shivering and sweating are attempts to get your body's temperature back where it needs to be.

You Have Some Nerve!
So the brain is boss, but it can't do it alone. It needs some nerves - actually a lot of them. And it needs the spinal cord, which is a long bundle of nerves inside your spinal column, the vertebrae that protect it. It's the spinal cord and nerves - known as the nervous system - that let messages flow back and forth between the brain and body.
If a spiky cactus falls off a shelf headed right for your best friend, your nerves and brain communicate so that you jump up and yell for your friend to get out of the way. If you're really good, maybe you're able to catch the plant before it hits your friend!
But you might wonder about these nerves, which you can't see without a microscope. What are they anyway? The nervous system is made up of millions and millions of neurons (say: nur-onz), which are microscopic cells. Each neuron has tiny branches coming off it that let it connect to many other neurons.
When you were born, your brain came with all the neurons it will ever have, but many of them were not connected to each other. When you learn things, the messages travel from one neuron to another, over and over. Eventually, the brain starts to create connections (or pathways) between the neurons, so things become easier and you can do them better and better.
Think back to the first time you rode a bike. Your brain had to think about pedaling, staying balanced, steering with the handlebars, watching the road, and maybe even hitting the brakes - all at once. Hard work, right? But eventually, as you got more practice, the neurons sent messages back and forth until a pathway was created in your brain. Now you can ride your bike without thinking about it because the neurons have successfully created a "bike riding" pathway.

Emotion Location
With all the other things it does, is it any surprise that the brain runs your emotions? Maybe you got the exact toy you wanted for your birthday and you were really happy. Or your friend is sick and you feel sad. Or your little brother messed up your room, so you're really angry! Where do those feelings come from? Your brain, of course.
Your brain has a little bunch of cells on each side called the amygdala (say: uh- mig-duh-luh). The word amygdala is Latin for almond, and that's what this area looks like. Scientists believe that the amygdala is responsible for emotion. It's normal to feel all different kinds of emotions, good and bad. Sometimes you might feel a little sad, and other times you might feel scared, or silly, or glad.

Be Good to Your Brain
So what can you do for your brain? Plenty.
* Eat healthy foods. They contain potassium and calcium, two minerals that are important for the nervous system.
* Get a lot of playtime (exercise).
* Wear a helmet when you ride your bike or play other sports that require head protection.
* Don't drink alcohol, take drugs , or use tobacco.
* Use your brain by doing challenging activities, such as puzzles, reading, playing music, making art, or anything else that gives your brain a workout!

First Impression is not the Last Impression - Changing your First Impression

2009-06-01T10:57:00.000-07:00

First Impression is not the Last Impression - Changing your First Impression

Introduction

Earlier, they use to say that "Your First Impression is the last impression" and now, they say that "your first impression is not the last impression but long-lasting impression. Hence, there is a scope to rectify your "first impression" and at times there is also a need to do so. There are times when we think that we have made a mistake…we should not have carried ourselves the way we did and then we look forward to one chance to correct our "first impression".

In this article, we will be discussing about this and other related issues such as things you should do or should not do to make a "Perfect" first impression; what will you do to change your first impression and will you give one more chance to someone to rectify his / her first impression.

Understanding the term – "First Impression" (FI)

Before talking about "First Impression" (FI), lets discuss, what is "impression" to start with. Though, your looks and appearance is a part of your impression but that is not the only thing, which matters. Your impression means your overall personality and it consists of:

1) The Way you carry yourself
2) Your Dress-up
3) The way you express yourself
4) Your Mannerism
5) Your Behavior
6) Your Communication
7) The way you treat the other person

These all are the traits which consist of impression and thereby are related to your FI.

For an impression to be called as FI, this must be your first meeting with that person. FI can be of two types – Planned and Unplanned. It is planned, when you are aware of it. For example,

1) Your job - interview,
2) Business meeting with client,
3) Dating,
4) You are invited as a guest

FI can be planned, when you are not prepared for it. For example, people looking at you when you are walking down the street; when you are traveling; when you are just passing through a place, you are at a place where people around you hardly matters to you etc.
This first impression process occurs in every new situation. Within the first few seconds, people pass judgment on you – looking for common surface clues. Once the first impression is made, it is virtually irreversible.
The process works like this:

1. If you appear to be of comparable business or social level, you are considered suitable for further interaction.
2. If you appear to be of higher business or social status, you are admired and cultivated as a valuable contact.
3. If you appear to be of lower business or social standing, you are tolerated but kept at arm's length.

If you are in an interview situation, you can either appear to match the corporate culture or not, ultimately affecting the outcome.

For the purpose of this article, we will be concentrating on Planned FI because people making an impression about you, when you are walking down the street, hardly matters to anyone.

Changing your FI

Now, let's discuss about this. Suppose you are at the receiving end, you met a person and he made certain opinion about you, it can be about your behavior or the way you carry yourself. Or he has read about you or has heard about you and based on that there was already some notion in his mind. You know that you are not what the other person is thinking or assuming about you. Will you make an attempt to correct that impression or assumption?

I asked this question in some of my training programs. I have asked this question to 748 people. I also discussed this with some of my friends. Around 67% of them said, "NO". They will not make any attempt to change FI. They said that it hardly matter to us. Let anyone carry any impression that they want to carry. 26% said that once they know, what type of impression the other person is carrying, they might make an attempt to change that impression. 7% respondents remain neutral.

Read the complete article at: http://ezinearticles.com/?First-Impression-is-Not-the-Last-Impression---Changing-Your-First-Impression&id=676315
And
http://sanjeevhimachali.multiply.com/journal/item/16/First_Impression_is_not_the_Last_Impression_-_Changing_your_First_Impression

In my views, I think we are taking things a bit too lightly. It is true that, with so many people around us, it hardly matters what people think about you but if we take it in a positive manner, people will not remember who you are; they will not remember how you look like, but they will always remember how you made them feel like; how you treated them; how you behaved with them. I think it is very important to have a good impression. That is how people will remember you. Hence, though there is a very little possibility that you get "another chance" to rectify your impression but if you get, make a best use of it.

Giving a Chance to Someone to Improve the First Impression

Let's be fair on this. We all know that your first impression might not be the impression that you want to create. Just, only in this article we also proved that. I asked one more question in my training programs. I have asked this question to 748 people. I also discussed this with some of my friends. We discussed the scenarios that suppose you are the person who is judging another person. You met a person and made certain opinion about him or her. Your assumptions about the person might not be correct. So, will you give that person another chance to rectify that "first-impression"? How easy or difficult will it be for you to change your first impression about that person? Around 34% respondents said that for them the first impression is the final impression and they will go by their gut feeling. 59% respondents said that they will give as many chances as possible to that person to rectify his / her FI. 7% respondents were neutral.

Read the complete article at: http://ezinearticles.com/?First-Impression-is-Not-the-Last-Impression---Changing-Your-First-Impression&id=676315
And http://sanjeevhimachali.multiply.com/journal/item/16/First_Impression_is_not_the_Last_Impression_-_Changing_your_First_Impression

As some people expressed above that though they will be giving chances and opportunities to other people to rectify their first-impression but at the same time they also agreed that with this the other person will only be able to change the opinion and the first-impression will remain unchanged and locked in the memory. Hence, it is very important to go that extra mile and make a knock-out first impression.

Factors one should consider while making first impression

Basic principles to make the BEST "First Impression"

A.A Winning Smile: "Smile and the world smiles too." So there's nothing like a smile to create a good first impression. A warm and confident smile will put both you and the other person at ease. So smiling is a winner when it comes to great first impressions. But don't go overboard with this - people who take this too far can seem insincere and smarmy, or can be seen to be "lightweights".

B.A Word about Individuality: The good news is you can usually create a good impression without total conformity or losing your individuality. Yes, to make a good first impression you do need to "fit in" to some degree. But it all goes back to being appropriate for the situation. If in a business setting, wear appropriate business attire. If at a formal evening social event, wear appropriate evening attire. And express your individuality appropriately within that context.

C.Be on Time: The person you are meeting for the first time is not interested in your "good excuse" for running late. Plan to arrive a few minutes early. And allow flexibility for possible delays in traffic or taking a wrong turn. Arriving early is much better that arriving late, hands down, and is the first step in creating a great first impression.

D.Be Yourself, Be at Ease: If you are feeling uncomfortable and on edge, this can make the other person ill at ease and that's a sure way to create the wrong impression. If you are calm and confident, so the other person will feel more at ease, and so have a solid foundation for making that first impression a good one.

E.Be Open and Confident: When it comes to making the first impression, body language as well as appearance speaks much louder than words. Use your body language to project appropriate confidence and self-assurance. Stand tall, smile (of course), make eye contact, greet with a firm handshake. All of this will help you project confidence and encourage both you and the other person feel better at ease.

Almost everyone gets a little nervous when meeting someone for the first time, which can lead to nervous habits or sweaty palms. By being aware of your nervous habits, you can try to keep them in check. And controlling a nervous jitter or a nervous laugh will give you confidence and help the other person feel at ease.

F.Be Positive: Your attitude shows through in everything you do. Project a positive attitude, even in the face of criticism or in the case of nervousness. Strive to learn from your meeting and to contribute appropriately, maintaining an upbeat manner and a smile.

G.Be Courteous and Attentive: It goes without saying that good manners and polite, attentive and courteous behavior help make a good first impression. In fact, anything less can ruin the one chance you have at making that first impression. So be on your best behavior. One modern manner worth mentioning is "turn off your mobile phone". What first impression will you create if you are already speaking to someone other than the person you are meeting for the first time? Your new acquaintance deserves 100% of your attention. Anything less and you'll create a less than good first impression.

Read the complete article at: http://ezinearticles.com/?First-Impression-is-Not-the-Last-Impression---Changing-Your-First-Impression&id=676315
And http://sanjeevhimachali.multiply.com/journal/item/16/First_Impression_is_not_the_Last_Impression_-_Changing_your_First_Impression

H.Present Yourself Appropriately: Of course physical appearance matters. The person you are meeting for the first time does not know you and your appearance is usually the first clue he or she has to go on. But it certainly does not mean you need to look like a model to create a strong and positive first impression. The key to a good impression is to present yourself appropriately.

Start with the way you dress. What is the appropriate dress for the meeting or occasion? For business and social meetings, appropriate dress also varies between countries and cultures, so it's something that you should pay particular attention to when in an unfamiliar setting or country. Make sure you know the traditions and norms.
Appropriate dressing and grooming help make a good first impression and also help you feel "the part", and so feel more calm and confident. Add all of this up and you are well on your way to creating a good first impression.

I.Small Talk Goes a Long Way…: Conversations are based on verbal give and take. It may help you to prepare questions you have for the person you are meeting for the first time beforehand. Or, take a few minutes to learn something about the person you meet for the first time before you get together. For instance, does he play golf? Does she work with a local charitable foundation? Is there anything that you know of that you have in common with the person you are meeting? If so, this can be a great way to open the conversation and to keep it flowing.

Conclusion
There is no doubt that your first impression is very important and most of the times you get only one chance to make that knocking impact. It is also true that usually you do not get another chance to rectify your first impression. However, if you are lucky enough to get another chance, hold that with both hands and make an everlasting impact. Here, there are two types of people…people at your workplace, people in your family and those with whom you meet occasionally, once in a year or so…one should take care of that.

At the end, I only like to say, that it is very important to know the type of person you are going to meet and what type of future you are looking forward, involving that person in your life; so based on that…one should be prepared. This is life and in life, there is no retakes…only one shot.

Talent Is Worthless; Performance Is Priceless

2009-06-01T10:56:00.001-07:00

Talent Is Worthless; Performance Is Priceless
by Stephen Blakesley

During the past 20 years, executives, consultants and educators have had a lot to say about how to discover, develop and keep talent. Discovering, developing or retaining talented people is of little value, however, unless the talent manager can engage them to perform at high levels.

People with talent fail at an alarming rate within organizations. According to Robert Kelley and Janet Caplan, researchers who studied workers at the once prestigious Bell Labs in the late 1980s and early 1990s, most talented hires wind up as average or below-average performers.

Kelley and Caplan found that at Bell Labs and its competitors, 85 to 90 percent of the extremely talented people hired never rose beyond average when it came to productivity. They also found that 10 to 15 percent of hires who rose to "star performance" status were eight times more productive than the average or mediocre performers.

Let's say you are responsible for the results of an organization employing 100 people. If your organization is average, seven of those people are star performers, 83 are average and 10 are slackers. Now let's say, you encounter an economic climate that prohibits hiring and compels you to do better with what you have. What would be your strategy?

There are very talented people masquerading as average or mediocre performers. If you could convert just one mediocre performer to star status, the value of that conversion, according to the Bell Labs study, would be equivalent to adding seven average performers to the workforce at no additional cost to the organization.

To uncover why talented people underperform, begin with a simple premise: It is human nature to want to do well, to want to be the best you can be. Thus, if the talent manager "dangled the bait" of being a star performer in front of talented employees, some would take it.

Many talented employees don't become stars because they don't know how, or they have no real idea of what a star performer looks like in terms of achievements and accomplishments. If talent managers can address those two issues, they have a greater chance of catching a star.

When crafting a plan to address those issues, there are two possible applications. One would be as part of an on-boarding program or process for new employees, and the other is as remedial training and education of the existing workforce. Time spent educating talented people on how they can leverage their special abilities to become even more than they imagined promises an ROI beyond expectations. Lethargic and apathetic employees come alive, and people once without direction, move with more certainty toward a goal of superior performance. Essentially, the talent manager can teach a star how to become one.

Define Star Performance

Companies can improve their success in developing star performers by taking two actions. One, define star performance, and two, identify work strategies consistent among star performers and absent among mediocre workers.

Many organizations have not defined superior performance. Those that have not tend to be average performers in the marketplace. Companies that want to outpace the competition should commit to defining star performance, not just for one job but for all the key positions in the organization.

Many companies use something similar to a performance-based job description to define essential job tasks, minimum expectations and breakthrough outcomes in the job. A star performer will consistently achieve the break through outcomes.

How Do Star Performers Work?

The key to converting average or mediocre people to star status lies, first, in determining their competencies and, second, in coaching them in the application of those competencies. The Bell Lab study identified nine strategies star performers use to get their work done. They are as follows:

1. Taking initiative: Star performers don't just inform someone of an error, they correct the error. The mediocre don't.

2. Networking: Star performers anticipate their needs and solicit outside input prior to beginning a project. The mediocre wait until there's a need and then look for help.

3. Self-management: Stars know that self-management goes beyond time management and includes management of effort and knowledge. The mediocre feel time management is all that's needed.

4. Teamwork effectiveness: Star performers are comfortable being followers or leaders. The mediocre tend to push too hard for leadership roles.

5. Leadership: Star performers know small leadership roles are as important as bigger, more visible ones. The mediocre often are disappointed with smaller, less viable leadership assignments and, as a result, perform at a level expressing their displeasure.

6. Followership: Star performers are aware of the value of following, as well as leading, and understand the need to contribute to the leader and the team's performance. The mediocre often are difficult in a team setting and more focused on getting individual credit.

7. Perspective: Superior performers understand how their immediate work fits into the "big picture." The star performer is invested in taking on other viewpoints, such as those of the customer, manager or other team members. The mediocre often see a world defined by the length of their reach. They tend to have difficulty accepting others' thoughts and ideas.

8. Show-and-tell: Star performers are master presenters. The mediocre are PowerPoint specialists.

9. Organizational savvy: Star performers understand how they contribute to the overall performance of the organization and are capable of navigating through an organization's competing interests. The mediocre often are perplexed with organization politics and hide behind the mantra of not being a "political person."

Understanding these strategies and defining them for the workforce is a powerful tool and is necessary to convert mediocre workers into star performers. It is not easy, but it is worth it. In these difficult times, adding the equivalent of seven average performers to the workforce by converting just one to star status is a strategy that addresses the pressing need to do more with less.

[About the Author: Stephen Blakesley is managing partner of GMS Talent LP and author of Strategic Hiring - Tomorrow's Benefits Today.]

Mobile Phone - " The New External Human Organ ! "

2009-06-01T10:54:00.000-07:00

Mobile Phone - " The New External Human Organ ! "

A friend of mine recently quoted to me, he lost his Mobile phone for a while and till he got it back he felt as if he lost a vital body part ! Well, it's true with many of us, Mobile phones whether we like it or not has become a part of our body. If it's missing we feel isolated, If it's not ringing for a long time, we will check our phone, " something wrong? " No doubt, Mobile phone revolution is probably the most important tech development of the past two decades.

Incidentally, I started my Sales career in Mobile phone Industry during late 90's and it was really tough selling a Mobile phone connection those days since it was a concept selling. I still remember the then C.E.O of Escotel Mobile Communications Ltd., Mr.Manoj Kohli's words, " A day will come where our people will not be able to live their lives without Mobile phones " . Time proved it - we are addicted to Mobile phones and today with the advent of mobile phones and international connectivity, the world is indeed shrinking rather making " geography a history "!

It's true that mobile communication provides many benefits, including convenience, flexibility and personal security, but sometimes it can be intrusive to others. One of the biggest social issues with Mobile phones is privacy. The fact is, we have become so accustomed to using our phones for everyday tasks - talking to friends, running our business, keeping up to date with news, events etc. But we don't realize that, Mobile phones are at times a distraction for us and others. I fear, an epidemic of inconsiderate Mobile phone use has given the device a bad reputation.

At times, Mobile phones turn people into rude non-connective human beings. Text messaging, E-mail, Internet - Mobile phone capabilities are amazing, however, many people have forgotten their manners when they use Mobile phones. Look around - A Rude Mobile phone user is everywhere - driving in cars, walking on the street, in Cafes and Restaurants and even at the adjacent cubicle at work place.

We live in a time where, many of us need to answer calls when they come in, no matter where or when because people expect us to answer their calls. We even need to make calls no matter where or when because people are expecting us to be able to carry on our business no matter where we are. The fact is some people use their Mobile phones politely and effectively. But some need a helping hand. Often without realizing it, some phone owners alienate and irritate those around them by the way they use their Mobile phones.

Mobile phone rings in Cinema Theatres, Restaurants and other public places are really annoying the people around. On the other hand unsolicited calls from Telemarketing Executives have become a nuisance for every single Mobile phone user.

I guess it's time for us to use Mobile phones with certain degree of etiquette especially in places where we might appear impolite if we use or even when our Mobile phone rings. The underlying principle of any good manners is the thoughtful consideration of the interests and feelings of others. Given with the fact that, Mobile phone has become the most important business communication tool, we need to understand, if we don't set proper etiquette, it can lead to misunderstandings, bad impressions, anger and some times embarrassment.

In this article let me try to explore the Mobile phone etiquette, discovering that it is as often our unconscious actions that are bad manners, as our more obvious errors.

1. Know the basics : Be prepared when we answer the call or make a call - before we even touch the phone. Speak clearly that the other person can hear our voice properly. Always stick to the subject than wasting time beating around the bush. Most importantly, know how to use the equipment properly. Saying, " sorry, I haven't a clue how to use this phone " or cutting someone off mid-sentence are signs of incompetence.

2. Have presence of mind : Be always alert. Let's don't stay on the phone and ignore someone waiting to talk to us. Take a call only if it won't interrupt. Generally, don't accept calls during lunch, dinner, a movie or when we are in an important meeting. Excuse ourselves if we must take a call. Remember to carry on one conversation at a time. Let's don't attempt to talk on the phone and with another person simultaneously.

3. Have control when we talk in public places : Let's keep our volume under control. If we are a loud talker, then we will need to learn how to speak quietly on the phone. Remember, the whole world isn't interested in our phone conversation, so the less of it they can hear, the better ! Never speak on our phone in a public place while on speaker phone .Turn off our Mobile phone before entering Movie Theaters, Worship places, Restaurants, Public Transportation or any other place where it may be irritating and disruptive to others. If we don't wish to turn it off it's better to set our phone's ringer to vibration or silent mode.

4. Respect others time & privacy : Let's not make or take calls while we are out to dinner with others. It is so rude to be on the phone when we are at dinner with others. Think about how we would feel if someone invited us over to their house for dinner and then they proceed to talk on the phone throughout the whole dinner. It is also important that, we don't continuously check our phone while out with others. Checking our Mobile phone repeatedly while we are out with others will leave them feeling like we have something better to do. Another important thing, some people don't like to be photographed. When using a camera phone it’s important to respect the rights of others and not to intrude on their privacy.

5. Ring tone - Make it pleasant : We know unattended Mobile phones and left to ring out with annoying jingles, both cause major distractions especially in public places and offices. I read recently that, irritating Mobile phone rings have been voted the top ten workplace annoyances ! It is better to set the ring tone at a low level with a tune that is soft, gentle or put it in to vibration / silent mode in any situation like a Worship place, a Hospital or a School or a Meeting where a ringing sound would prove disturbing to other people.

6. One thing at a time - No Multi-Tasking : Among us, some people are better at juggling many tasks at the same time than others, but there are some things in life that deserve our full attention. The busy person multi-tasking at a desk can be a wonderful model of efficiency, handling - phone, keyboard, coffee cup and remote control all at the same time, but at other times, multi-tasking can be hazardous, rude and inefficient. Talking over phone and doing several things together will invite error in all the things we do and it's better to avoid it.

7. Switch off Mobile phone where it is prohibited to use : It goes without saying inside Aircraft it is mandatory to switch off our Mobile phones. We will almost certainly be reminded by the cabin crew, we must switch off our mobile phone since Aircraft contain electronic devices, some of which may be sensitive to interference. People are asked to switch off mobiles in some areas of Hospitals, as a precaution to avoid interference with sensitive equipment's. There could be several other places where the Mobile phones are prohibited to use, watch the board, follow the law !

8. Avoid Mobile phone while driving : It's said that Mobile phones can kill. No, I am not talking about frying our brain by constantly using it. I am talking about using our phones while driving. It can be a killer. People using Mobile phones while driving are much less attentive to the road and road conditions rather we can say they have one ear and eye on their conversation and one on the road ! Remember, it can kill them & us !

9. Time - No Mobile phone before it's time : The question is, do we really want to be accessible for anyone and everyone on a twenty-four/seven basis? The fact is, the more available we make ourselves; the more available everybody will anticipate us to be. By making ourselves available day in and day out, we create our own nightmare! It's better to fix the time when to turn the phone on or off. The Mobile phone will continue chasing us on all the time in all places regardless of the situation. Remember, we need some private time with our family with out the disturbance of calls.

Hope you feel that the above thoughtful use of our Mobile phone – or in other words the correct Mobile phone etiquette – is important both in considering others and helping to keep us and those around us happy and safe. I also feel it's time for the Mobile Service Operators to provide a leaflet on Mobile phone etiquette along with the regular Mobile phone user / service manual.

No doubt, worldwide the Mobile phone users are growing fast and today the Mobile phone is not just a communication gadget, but a Music System, a Digital Camera, a Mini Computer with Internet connectivity, and it's even a Television. All these features eliminates the need for carrying different gadgets and no wonder it has become an external human body part for many of us !

When the whole world is getting connected and more and more people are getting hooked to Mobile phones, don't you think it is important for us to realize that being unmannered isn't part of modernness? Let's abide by certain degree of etiquette, which will be really useful to us and our society. We can't let the Mobile phone etiquette to be a forgotten concept any more and we need to help every Mobile phone users to use it politely and effectively.

Verizon: A Network of Devoted Talent

2009-06-01T10:53:00.002-07:00

Verizon: A Network of Devoted Talent
by Elizabeth Lisican

Getting the message across is not only a description of Verizon Telecom's services; it's part of the company's approach to talent management. Verizon's Accountability Model ensures all employees commit and deliver on the business imperative. As a result, a high performance culture thrives.

In return, Verizon delivers its employees opportunities for personal development. The total Verizon employee development and training investment reached $371 million in 2007, and employees logged 11.5 million training hours in 2007, an increase from 8 million in 2006. Training covers everything from compliance issues to management techniques, but the increase in hours largely was driven by employees improving broadband-, mobile- and IP-related skills.

Connia Nelson, senior vice president of HR for Verizon Telecom, supports approximately 124,000 employees. She took time out to discuss the company's talent management and workforce performance strategies.

TM: Describe Verizon's approach to talent management.

Nelson: With us, talent management begins at acquisition, and we really focus on building leaders at every level. As we bring people in, we look to really develop them and manage them. We have a complete talent management system. We do traditional called succession planning, but we don't just do that on an annual basis. We do that consistently throughout the year. In addition to that, we focus on replacement planning. Particularly this year, we are stepping that up even more in our Accountability Model.

TM: What processes or programs have you established to improve workforce performance?

Nelson: We hold leaders accountable for driving performance management. It is embedded in our culture. We definitely have a performance-based culture. We focus on what we call performance agreement. At the beginning of every year, every employee throughout the entire organization receives a performance agreement, and we believe that helps build a high-performance culture.

In our business, that helps us deliver growth, customer excellence and profitability, and it is linked to our overall strategic imperative. Every employee knows the business imperative for our company, and it's no mistake that we call it a performance agreement. We want them to commit and to agree to deliver on that. It's all a part of our Accountability Model. That's embedded in our values, as well. One of our core values is personal accountability. Performance excellence is another one, along with respect and integrity. So it is in our very fabric to deliver what we promise.

We have leaders meet with their employees on a monthly basis to discuss how they're doing on performance. And then, quarterly, you see written assessments or feedback and coaching based on where they are on their objectives and the measures within their agreement. We actually have a system that's online to manage that and ensure that it is not just done, but that it is done in a quality way. It's very rigorous.

TM: How is performance management linked to Verizon's strategic objectives?

Nelson: We have six strategic objectives that include increasing revenue, taking share from the competition, increasing productivity, improving profitability, providing the best customer service and creating a performance culture. Every employee understands those and can tell you what they are, and they are committed to having their own personal objectives linked to the strategic imperative. We use that in our performance management process to really help drive a high-performance culture.

TM: What challenges impact talent management at Verizon?

Nelson: In our world, we are in the technology age. We are a high-tech company. Technology is changing all the time, so [challenges include] making sure we have the talent today that cannot only meet the technical demands, but the creative, the innovation demands that we have, provide the best customer experience and be able to create what customers want for the future - even before they know they want it.

Finding that high-tech talent in an environment where the competition is looking for the same type of talent can be a challenge. And it is one that we focus on at all times.

TM: How does Verizon work to change or create leadership and management behaviors that lead to optimal workforce performance?

Nelson: How people behave really says how we can achieve within the organization and how we create not only great leaders, but optimal work performers. We do that through what we call our "edGe" behaviors, which stands for energy, drive, engagement and execution.

You have to make the "G" big in engage. We want employees with high energy who are passionate about our business. They come to work every day saying, "I am focused on the business. I am here for one reason and one reason only, and that is for the customer. I am here because I know I have the talent that can give the competitive edge and beat the competition."

Drive really speaks to how you get the job done. Are you engaged to the point that you know what the imperatives are, having your own personal commitment and you're driving that accountability to make sure you're doing all the right things to make it happen? Engagement is about passion. Do you have a passion for the business? Do you own this business, and do you treat it as if it were your very own? When you execute, are you doing that to create the best customer experience possible?

TM: How does Verizon use learning and development to manage talent?

Nelson: We focus on innovative technical training, diversity/culture training, leadership training. We have a technical and managerial-type training, both in the classroom, as well as a very extensive Web-based, self-service focus. We have gained a lot of recognition around that as the best company to work for.

As far as our technical training is concerned, for our frontline employees, one of the things we focus on is really optimizing training and making sure that training is delivered in an efficient way. From the time the person comes on-board, we on-board them through a stellar orientation process so they immediately get the keys to success.

They understand what our values are. They understand what the right behaviors are. Then they learn the technical competency level that they really need.

TM: What processes or programs have you established to attract, recruit and retain top talent?

Nelson: We use a variety of programs for that. We are on college campuses, and so we recruit in that space. We also do a career fair. A significant amount of our recruitment is done in the Web space. We have a clear branded strategy where you can go to [the] "Careers for Everything You Are" link on the Verizon site and find out about all of the opportunities that we have available, and what the benefits there are to you becoming a Verizon employee.

Recruitment is something that, not only do we do in the traditional ways, but we expect all of our current employees to really be ambassadors and to tell people why it's so important to work here. We think that's why we get recognized in so many spaces about being the best company to work for. Our best recruiters are employees who work here already.

TM: How do you measure workforce performance:

Nelson: It's measured directly, personally, in response to your performance agreement and the measures that are established there, but it's about clear results. In our world, you're either making them or you're not. We hold people accountable for that.

From an operational perspective, we do operational reviews based on our core measures, and, at the end of the day, it is really about the quality of what we deliver, whether or not we meet the targets that we set out in the beginning.

TM: What compensation and incentive practices do you employ to help manage talent in your organization, and what results have you observed?

Nelson: We pay for performance as well as pay for market; that's our philosophy overall. And we really focus on total rewards, looking at the complete package from the standpoint of base salary, as well as our competitiveness to the marketplace.

We have an incentive awards or a short-term incentive process. In addition to that, we provide a long-term incentive plan for certain career positions. So all in all, it's a pay-for-performance system that has total rewards, but also clearly includes our benefit packages, our savings plan, our flexible spending accounts, and we offer tuition reimbursement, as well. We believe our pay-for-performance approach directly goes along with our performance culture.

TM: How have your workforce performance management activities contributed to Verizon's bottom line?

Nelson: Directly. For example, in our call centers, we conduct individual performance coaching for employees. They have a specific objective called average canceling time, which basically means how long they stay on the telephone. The work that my team does and the focus they provide, in clear partnership with the leadership team, can help to drive down those results and improve them significantly.

TM: What's next for Verizon in terms of talent management and workforce performance development?

Nelson: First and foremost, as far as workforce development is concerned, it is a process that we keep ever green. We are constantly looking at what's happening in the marketplace, what's happening from a technology perspective. What is the next best thing there, and what do we need to do to step up our game.

[About the Author: Elizabeth Lisican is an editorial intern for Talent Management magazine.]

Stopping May Not Be an Option

2009-06-01T10:53:00.001-07:00

Stopping May Not Be an Option
by Marshall Goldsmith, Ph.D.

People live a lot longer than they used to. If you leave a CEO or other senior management role in your 60s, as most do - if your finances permit it in our current economy - you may have 20 or more good years ahead of you. Today, when people have the ambition, drive and energy to achieve great success in any field, it is unlikely that it will just stop when they change or leave a job.

I have never in my life met a successful CEO who was lazy. CEOs, like you, are incredibly hard-working and ambitious. And in spite some grumbling about how tough the job is, the great chief executives I know love their work. Thus, it stands to reason that unless you are about to die or you are infirm, when you make a career transition, your drive is not going to just go away.

You may even think you want to rest and relax, but according to the "retired" CEOs I have met, that desire won't last long. You will need an outlet to express yourself. The prospects of sleeping late, living on the beach, improving golf scores, going on cruises and playing all day hold almost no allure for the great leaders I have known.

Along with rest and relaxation, another favorite myth for the retiree is the ability to spend lots of quality time with the family. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on your perspective, senior leaders likely have been working continuously for years, usually for decades. For better or worse, their families have been able to survive without them at home. It's a mistake to delude oneself into believing family members now want you around all of the time. For those who are married, retirement may be the spouse's greatest nightmare!

One top military officer shared his experience. "My wife said that she was looking forward to spending lots of time with me. One day, after a few months of retirement, I was in the kitchen alphabetizing the cans. To my amazement, she didn't really seem to care if baked beans should be filed under BA for baked or BE for beans. On the contrary, she reminded me that this was not the military, that I was not her officer and that it was time for me to find something else to do since I was driving her crazy."

Another former CEO laughed as he remembered his retirement. "My kids were grown up and living their own lives. They quickly grew tired of my visits. My wife got so tired of me she got a job in a dress store, just to get out of the house. One day I was watching TV by myself, and a delivery guy came to drop off a package. It was his last stop, so I invited him in for a cup of coffee, and we had a very interesting conversation about life.

"After he left I thought, 'What a great conversation. That was the highlight of my week.' Then I looked into the mirror. I hadn't shaved for three days. I had been watching junk on TV. Then I realized what I had just said: 'The highlight of my week was having a cup of coffee with the delivery guy.' As a CEO, I may have had some bad weeks, but I never had a week so boring that coffee with delivery people was a highlight. I got a job the next day."

As you slow down to hand off the baton of leadership to your successor, whether you are the CEO or the executive vice president of human resources, you should have less to do at work. Let your successor start running the place. And I have an important suggestion: Use this time to start planning something exciting to do with the rest of your life. You will probably have too much drive and ambition to be a successful retiree.

You may be thinking: "If I announce my successor in advance, isn't there a danger that I will just become a lame duck?"

Almost every executive goes through this dialogue as part of the challenge of slowing down. This fear often results from postponement of the announcement until the last minute, and inhibits what could otherwise be a much smoother transition process.

When it is approaching time to leave, face reality. You will become a lame duck! Attention will shift to your successor. His or her vision for the future of the company will mean more than yours. If you disapprove of executive team members' ideas, they will just wait it our and resell the same ideas to your successor. People will start sucking up to him or her in the same way they used to suck up to you.

Make peace with being a lame duck before it actually happens. Be a happy and productive lame duck. Coach your successor behind the scenes. Build that person's confidence, and begin the transfer of power before you have to. Your life, your successors' life and the lives of the executive team members will be a lot better.

[About the Author: Dr. Marshall Goldsmith is a world authority in helping successful leaders achieve positive, lasting change in behavior. He is the author or co-editor of 22 books, including The Wall Street Journal No. 1 business best-seller What Got You Here Won't Get You There.]

Help-less Desk to Help-ful Performance Support Resource

2009-06-01T10:52:00.001-07:00

Help-less Desk to Help-ful Performance Support Resource
by Harold D. Stolovitch, Ph.D.

I don't watch TV much, but recently I purchased a new one.

After installation, I powered it up and closed captioning (CC) appeared on every channel. I contacted the cable company for help. Several calls and two hours later, they decided this was not a cable issue.

The manufacturer's helpers were even less helpful. After two more hours the conclusion was: "Faulty product. Exchange it."

The exchange - plus $100 for an upgraded model - also was a trial. Finally, back at home, I reconnected the new TV and pressed power. Alas, CC again!

More calls to cable and manufacturer help desks produced no help. On a last desperate attempt, a cable company angel from Northern Ontario responded. "Oh, no problem. Just hit the cable box menu button, drop the cursor to..." In 30 seconds the problem was solved.

This experience resonates with a study I conducted globally for a company that had implemented a suite of software applications but was not obtaining anticipated results. Interviewing users from Chile and Australia to Russia and India, I learned a new term: "Helpless Desk." Universally, users complained their training had provided little practice. The help desk was help-less when they encountered difficulties.

Their woes resembled Chip Gliedman's 2005 study findings from 2,138 users in U.S. companies. Approximately half were dissatisfied/very dissatisfied with help services received. Both studies found that help desks often were bureaucratic, took too long to resolve issues, failed to provide status updates and lacked needed expertise.

Avoid the help-less desk. Call colleagues or friendly instructors for assistance. If that fails, use trial and error, work around the system or, if possible, return to the old way of doing things - none of which is acceptable in today's demanding, high-performance world.

While help desks are expensive to establish and maintain, they are far less costly than angry, dissatisfied customers and nonperforming workers. Here are 10 actions both Gliedman and I recommend:

1. Hire the right people.
Look for strong technical/conceptual capability, empathetic communication skills and the ability to handle other people's stress and frustrations. Employ behavior-based interviewing.

2, Train help-desk agents rigorously.
Do scenario-based training with lots of practice and feedback. Include varied, increasingly more complex problems. Monitor calls/e-mails to provide feedback.

3. Don't be stingy on staff.
Nothing exhaust help-desk supplicants more than long waits. Just-in-time availability is immensely appreciated.

4. Create a customer-focused mission statement.
It's all about the customer. Enforce the words. Make the help desk a customer haven.

5. Don't skimp on support hours.
Today's customers work 24x7. Track request times to adjust support.

6. Update training internally and information externally.
Products, systems and services change. Keep help-desk personnel up-to-date. Inform users/customers of changes.

7. Study your customers.
Conduct customer analyses. Create profiles to help agents speak at the right level, factoring in cultural/linguistic/technical backgrounds. The motto should be: Speak with, not to, customers.

8. Track incidents and trends.
Maintain a database of FAQs, odd happenings and escalating issues. Produce proactive solutions before problems emerge. Make the database accessible and user friendly.

9. Establish customer expectations with every contact.
Meet and exceed expectations.

10. Provide customer and user training.
How-to job aids, easy-to-understand and reference materials, step-by-step procedures and troubleshooting guides significantly reduce help-desk support demand. Run internal, user-centered, performance-based training sessions with practice.

Help desks should not compensate for poor products and systems but act as resources to optimize performance. When effective, employees get to do their jobs correctly, producing organizationally valued results, and customers like me get to watch TV as they wish.

[About the Author: Harold D. Stolovitch, Ph.D., CPT is a principal of HSA Learning & Performance Solutions LLC and is emeritus professor of instructional and performance technology at the Universite de Montreal.]

What Not to Do About Stress

2009-06-01T10:51:00.000-07:00

What Not to Do About Stress
by Julie Sturgeon

"Everything she saw she tended to catastrophize," said Treasurer, who today dubs himself chief encouragement officer at his own management consultancy firm. "And because she jumped to the worst-case scenario, that heightened my anxiety. It puts an unbelievable amount of performance pressure on the worker."

Another supervisor, on the other hand, would bite his lip and say, "Well, we have a real challenge there." That response, Treasurer contends, meant he approached solving the situation through confidence rather than fear. "In the first instance, I wanted to do a good job because I was afraid of the consequences if I screwed up. In the second, I wanted to do a good job to impress my boss," he explained.

With this in mind, talent managers should examine their daily habits for any unintentionally given bad vibes. Here are a few Treasurer sees often:

1. Join the pity party.
When employees start moaning about how bad business looks, the fate of the company and the country's downward spiral, do you agree? Saying, 'I know it's really bad out there, and I'm scared, too,' does nothing to bring composure to the system. "Times like this call for the best of leadership, not the worst of it," he said.

2. Stoke the fire.
Managers aren't immune to fear. They too watched their 401(k)s plummet and can't guarantee a paycheck today will materialize tomorrow. But they often use their authority to assuage this queasiness by tacking a subtle "or else" threat onto every direction. If you find yourself outlining the negative consequences, you're guilty.

3. Share impressions.
There's one phrase Treasurer said he would love to annihilate in boardroom speeches across the country: What keeps me awake at night is...

"I hear it all the time from leaders, and they share it with a group of 300 or more people," he said. "A leader who can't sleep is not a good or reassuring person. It's far more effective to turn the sentence around to, 'The reasons I sleep well at night are because I have every confidence in this workforce. I know we are up for a challenge, and these times we are in right now actually excite me a bit.'"

4. Go overboard on the empathy.
Ironically, adopting a "there, there" attitude while patting people on the back makes the situation worse. Treasurer said he discovered this nugget during the 1980s while conducting his thesis study on effective leadership styles after a downsizing. His results concluded that directional managers are more effective than the social emotional support types. Bottom line: Workers need and want to know what to do. Give clear directions and support.

5. Give in to distractions.
In times like these, it's easy to take your eyes off the ball, letting people and projects fall by the wayside. Keep workers focused on what needs to be done and, at least for now, have daily status calls or check-ins to monitor progress and ensure potential course corrections occur in a timely fashion.

[About the Author: Julie Sturgeon is an Indianapolis-based journalist with 20 years of professional business writing experience.]

Five Strategies for the 21st-Century Leader

2009-06-01T10:50:00.002-07:00

Five Strategies for the 21st-Century Leader
by Diane Brown

It's undeniable: An employee's supervisor has the greatest impact on his or her performance, and this can determine the individual's motivation level and contribution to the company.

Today's leaders have to adapt to a rapidly changing work environment. Those who can effectively demonstrate strong people skills will succeed. But the challenges and expectations of modern business require that leaders enhance their toolboxes.

Effective leaders can no longer rely on their own expertise. They must be able to meet goals by collaborating with others to develop solutions with flexibility and energy. Successful 21st-century companies will establish, develop and foster company-wide leadership. Top leaders will learn to capitalize on the talents and expertise of each team member to benefit the organization as a whole.

Driving stronger contribution within teams is possible. Here are five strategies critical in effective leadership:

1. Share a unified vision and purpose.
Sharing a clear and compelling vision helps the team understand the purpose of your business. It helps the team see what differentiates your business in the eyes of your customers. A simple, articulate and vivid picture can generate enthusiasm and unity. People like to be part of a winning team, so helping them see your business as important, serving a cause and making a difference gets them on-board. It is important to overcommunicate, but not complicate your visionary message.

2. Strategic goal alignment and prioritization.
Organizations underperform due to internal competition as much as or more than external competition. Giving your team knowledge about the goals and rewards that come from meeting goals fosters alignment and collaboration.

When setting specific goals, purposefully establish the link between outcomes and organizational strategy. Once goals are established, allow employees to have as many decision-making opportunities as possible. Empower staff with appropriate levels of trust, support, information and other tools to achieve their goals. People work harder and smarter when they understand their roles in the overall mission of the company and take ownership of the result. Leaders can expect excellence when there is alignment.

3. Learn motivators, and use them to help your team.
First, acknowledging that people do things for their reasons and not ours is critical to identifying what matters most to those you lead. Asking good questions is one of the best ways to identify motivators. Some examples are:

a) What challenges do you most enjoy?
b) Describe a couple of accomplishments you were most proud of and why.
c) Describe some times in the past in which you felt most fulfilled at work.
d) What kind of support do you most appreciate? Give me an example of when that has happened for you.

The answers to questions such as these will provide a road map to motivate people according to their unique needs.

4. Provide tools for success.
The first step in equipping people for success is ensuring you "get the right person in the right seat of the bus." Jim Collins' Good to Great offers a terrific explanation of this. Match required job attributes to a job candidate's natural strengths. When alignment of personality, motivation and competency occurs between a job requirement and the employee, the organization is poised for success.

Further, the leader will have an easier job because the focus shifts to growing and developing employees instead of performance improvement. Properly equipping employees by providing feedback and recognition the way the employee prefers can motivate for future goals and projects. Again, there are different style preferences, and great leaders engage the appropriate style for each employee.

5. Determine realistic and measurable outcomes for a collaborative climate.
Effective and memorable leaders demonstrate a keen ability to create challenging and exciting goals that are also realistic and achievable. They also know how to celebrate progress in meaningful ways. As milestones are met, everyone celebrates. Create measures that reward collaborative teamwork and team contribution to build momentum for success. It also makes working together a lot more fun.

Great leadership is a progressive journey. Start by picking one tip from the above list and concentrate on developing that strategy during the next 30 days.

[About the Author: Diane Brown is founder of Talent Journey, a talent management solutions provider, and an ACC accredited coach.]

Learning Beyond Borders

2009-06-01T10:50:00.001-07:00

Learning Beyond Borders
by Deanna Hartley

Going global requires learning leaders to grapple with thorny issues, such as the role of local context in content development, solutions to language barriers and finding the right balance between centralized and decentralized learning.

We live in an age in which international boundaries are blurred and multinational corporations abound. The global nature of business dealings and an increasingly multicultural workforce have raised the need to globalize learning. As a result, learning leaders are contending with the sizeable task of standardizing programs across the world, while preserving cultural nuances that advance learning.

"We're in an era of globalization, and we do have to take into account that corporations and organizations are global [and] that learning and cultural styles differ," said Charlene Solomon, executive vice president of RW3 LLC, an online cultural information resource.

"While you're broadening the reach of the learning solutions, you also have to pay very careful attention to the way that people learn," she said.

Building Cultural Competence

Given the fact that learning styles vary from one culture to another, the ability to leverage learning programs in culturally relevant contexts is key.

"The challenge is: How do you take a curriculum and ensure that it's developed in a way that's sensitive culturally to your audience? It's another layer of issues that the instructor has to be aware of," Solomon said. "Learning professionals [must] take into account cultural issues at the same time as they think about what type of learner they're approaching: visual, oral or kinesthetic learners."

Americans approach learning in a vastly different way than, say, people from Asia, Europe or Africa would. From kindergarten, Americans are taught to stand up in front of a group, make a presentation (a la show-and-tell) and field questions from their classmates. This learning approach is subsequently carried over into college forums and beyond, where lively discussions and questioning is the norm.

"One of the ways [Americans] stand out as good students in school is to raise [their] hand and question the teacher [to demonstrate their] understanding of the content," Solomon said. "They're very interactive learners."

In contrast, learners from some Asian and African countries are comfortable with listening, but rarely challenge the instructor out of fear of appearing disrespectful.

"[It's important to] adapt the teaching methodologies to the local culture, so if an American is going to [teach] a group of Asian learners, at the very least he will know what to expect," Solomon explained.

These incongruent learning styles point to a fundamental need for cultural competence to be embedded in the learning function. "Building global cultural competence is becoming a critical business skill," Solomon said. "[In the same way] you need to understand salary scales [and] compliance [issues] in human resources, understanding culture is as critical [when] interacting with others in the organization."

Context vs. Content

The primary factor to consider when building global learning solutions is balancing content with the local context.

"You can't sacrifice the content to deal with local cultural differences [because], if you do, you essentially negate the value of the global program," said Tom Laubenthal, managing director at ACS Learning Services, a provider of learning outsourcing services.

"What [learning professionals] need to do is make sure there's enough flexibility in how the program is structured and how it's delivered through a qualified instructor core to at least be influenced by particular learning needs in a particular location. And instead of ignoring them, try to find a way to accommodate and adapt them without changing the content," he said.

Accounting firm Ernst & Young provides assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services to clients across the globe. The firm, which employs 135,000 people worldwide, is moving toward a learning model with a single global curriculum.

"An organization like Ernst & Young is quite homogenous. We deliver the same services around the world, we're organized in exactly the same way, and therefore there was a need for a global learning curriculum that is consistent," said Riaz Shah, global learning and development leader at Ernst & Young.

However, the curriculum must allow some room for culturally influenced learning-style preferences, Shah said. Learners in some countries may favor a lecture-based program, while others may prefer lively discussions. Those differences can themselves be a source of learning.

"We have to consider the variance in learning styles [and] how to leverage those differences," said Ed Cohen, chief learning officer at Satyam Computer Services Ltd., an India-based global IT services provider that employs 53,000 workers in 66 countries. Cohen's job was further complicated in January when the company's CEO resigned after admitting to falsifying the company's earnings and assets by more than $1 billion, setting off a crisis of confidence in the Indian outsourcing market.

"Anytime you have programs that center on relationship, human dynamics or management, leadership [or] team building, you have an opportunity to integrate all the cultural aspects and the differences in a very informal way because, instead of trying to pretend it doesn't exist, you actually magnify it and say: 'Is this type of thing appropriate in India?' Or 'Let's take a look at South America; would this be appropriate?'" Cohen explained.

Solomon said learning leaders should consider a few factors when building and facilitating learning programs in global settings, including:

1. Will participants work better in large or small groups in learning situations?

2. Should programs include people from different positions within the organization's hierarchy, or is it better to have a more homogenous group?

3. Should it be an interactive session or a lecture-based program followed by a forum in which people can write their questions?

Being flexible in these delivery factors makes sense in some cultural contexts and enhances learning. While content remains king and a global curriculum should remain largely consistent across borders, there are some instances in which tailoring content to the local context makes sense.

"Having some flexibility in terms of the content might be appropriate in certain circumstances," Shah said. "[For example], negotiations in Japan are done in a very different way than they are in New York, and a Japanese client might prefer a negotiation to be done in a very different way."

While delivery can be flexible enough to accommodate the needs of people in certain locations, there also is a need to address local skills and knowledge gaps.

"A number of global companies stay true to the global curriculums but recognize there may be other knowledge or skills that individuals must acquire that are assumed in some geographies - such as Western Europe or North America - but are not present in other locations," Laubenthal said.

Laubenthal said there are ways to accommodate these discrepancies without significantly altering or compromising the core content.

"[If] you recognize a [skill] deficiency in one geography due to cultural differences - for example, how they deal with negotiation - [it would be advisable] not to ignore those, but to accommodate those perhaps by adding a module to the learning program that does not take away [from] or sidetrack the global curriculum, but does address the local requirements," he added.

Global organizations, such as GE, recognize there are cultural nuances when implementing learning solutions around the world. But they also realize those nuances cannot become barriers to organizational objectives. Jayne Johnson, director of leadership education at GE, said the company takes a flexible approach to teaching new managers how to handle employee performance without sacrificing the legitimacy of the content.

"In the United States, it's very easy for a manager to sit down with an employee and tell him or her that they're having performance problems," she said. "In some parts of Asia, that's going to be a little more of a challenge.

"So if we have an exercise where they are role-playing that discussion, sometimes [rather than] have them face-to-face with people, we'll have them back-to-back," she said. "That way they're not making eye contact, [but] the Japanese participants will be learning how to have the conversation because it is necessary."

This flexible, but consistent approach must be emphasized because the local culture must never overly influence the content.

"We have a very strong company culture that will take precedence over the local culture," Johnson said. "So even in Japan, we expect our managers to have those direct conversations, but we realize that it's a cultural issue, so we need to hold their hand and teach them how to have those direct conversations."

Parlez-Vous Anglais?

In addition to cultural differences, learning professionals must contend with language barriers when standardizing learning programs around the world.

"One of the biggest challenges is language because cultural barriers you can learn about and you can try to design your learning in a way that meets some of those cultural issues, [but the programs] need to be delivered in the language that people are competent in," Solomon said.

Some organizations expect English proficiency skills, especially as employees climb up the corporate ladder. GE makes translation an option for some lower-level early-leader training courses, but expects its managers to have at least a working knowledge of English. In Satyam's case, the company provides translators to assist employees in many parts of the world.

"The last thing you want to do is let language become your barrier for learning," Cohen said. "[Therefore], when we break into discussion groups, we have the employees speak in whatever language they feel most comfortable and we have interpreters [on hand] to assist. We also use interpreters so people can either speak or listen in whichever language they prefer."

Centralized vs. Decentralized

There long has been debate and analysis on the efficacy of centralized global delivery of learning programs vs. localized delivery. At GE, the learning programs tend to be more centralized, thanks in part to former CEO Jack Welch.

"[Welch] had our audit staff do a study of all the training that's around our company and found that we had [approximately] 93 versions of presentation skills," Johnson said.

Upon his request, the company subsequently developed a common curriculum to standardize leadership courses, including presentation skills. Centralized programs can be more cost-efficient because they eliminate the need to pay multiple vendors. A centralized model also ensures a consistent message is delivered around the world.

"The biggest benefit of centralization is quality control," Johnson said. "We can make sure not only that we've got a consistent message, but [also ensure] the content is accurate and updated in a timely manner."

Still, GE acknowledges the need for flexibility and provides local trainers with some leeway to modify content.

"Our rule of thumb with a lot of the programs we design is that 85 percent of the content will be absolutely consistent across the world. But we give the business 15 percent to play with so they can adapt it to meet their cultural or business initiatives," Johnson added.

The learning programs at GE are reflective of the work of a global team to ensure that best practices across the world are shared and leveraged.

"You need to ensure you've got a global design team because if you miss one pocket of the world, you risk not meeting the needs of that culture in your program," Johnson said.

Whether centralized or decentralized, learning brings the company's employees together around shared goals and objectives. And it's important to remember the role that a personal touch can play in strengthening a corporation's image. Virtual tools, such as Web radio, video and webcasting, can help build community and engage global employees in learning.

"If you use a medium like webcasting, it actually brings people into community with each other," Cohen said. "Most e-learning simply ports the classroom into the virtual world. Instead, we decided to find more innovative ways to do it and to get the learning out there."

Satyam uses a concept known as "edutainment," in which learning programs are run in a talk-show format.

"People can phone in, text message [or] e-mail their questions, so it becomes interactive between the panelists and the participants," Cohen explained.

[About the Author: Deanna Hartley is an associate editor for Chief Learning Officer magazine.]