On Jay Parkhe's RADAR जय् पारखे के राडार् पर्

New Initiative during Down turn - Save $10 Each.

In yet another example by an Indian corporate to become cost-sensitive, IT bellweather Infosys Technologies is asking all its employees to go in for a one-time cost savings of $10 each.

This initiative is expected to help the company, which has over 100,000 people on its rolls, to incur a cost saving of $1 million (around Rs 5 crore), which is a 'substantial amount' according to the company.

The employees have been communicated about this through an internal mail from the company's CEO and MD S (Kris) Gopalakrishnan. ""If each one of us is able to identify a savings of even $10-not just per day or per month-but $10 as a one-time effort from each one of us, that would translate to a saving of close to $1,000,000. I urge each one of you as a key stakeholder of the company's success, to examine your work environment and look at opportunities that will optimise utilisation and control expenditure," says the mail.

On being asked, the company agreed that such a letter has been issued to the employees. The company said it was issued basically to stress the message among the employees to focus on cost cutting. "The overall message is - don't think any expense is a small expense and don't unnecessarily spend money. Because it's a tough time. We had never seen a time like this earlier," V Balakrishnan, CFO, Infosys Technologies told Business Standard.

Infosys [Get Quote] has already taken a lot of cot cutting measures. The company has recently announced an initiative as per which if an employee reaches office before 8 am throughout a month, he will get a cash award of about Rs 500 per month.

The move is aimed at increased utilisation of its transport services and beat the traffic which will result in higher productivity for the company. The company operates several buses to transport its employees. "This is to make sure that the buses are full. The capacity usage of the buses is very low at the moment," added Bala.

The Bangalore-based company has also cut down various discretionary expenses which includes brand building expenses and sales & marketing. " We are looking at cutting down some of the discretionary expenses. The travel cost has already come down significantly. However, we are not cutting any necessary expenses on things like training and R&D," said Gopalakrishnan.

Coutrsey: Rediff.com

Jobs in 2010. Written in 2004

Jobs in Year 2010

To the Internet baloon

Hundreds of claimants crowd United States
and a thousand more are coming
you're awed, your mind is filled with pity
and gone is the time for humming
the jobs won't go any more bitty
Nor will drummers give up drumming.
You could have a doctor for each flu
and a nurse for each new headache
but no engineer for each new and screw
that builds a web and unnecessary cache.
When people trip, dot by dot com
How will they know which of them is fake?
We see a future quite far from US
and wonder whither shall we go
we toss up our concern thus and thus
in terms of a greatest sorrow
and of jobs a decade hence make a fuss
where will they come from tomorrow?

Dhananjay K.alyanrao Parkhe

Copyright ©2009  Dhananjay K.alyanrao Parkhe

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Rise Up Against the Tyranny of the Urgent

by Allison Wolf on November 26th, 2008

Cough, hack, snort. If you are anywhere near my office these days the sounds can be pretty gruesome. When my body collapsed into illness and exhaustion last week I had several days in bed to contemplate what had gone wrong.

How did I get so run down? The usual suspects were behind it: Over work and long hours in service of the tyranny of the urgent. And I ask you, as a business coach shouldn’t I know better?

The tyranny of the urgent – you likely have experienced it yourself: An email in-box that fills up as soon as it is emptied. Crushing deadlines. Projects that get delayed due to the late contributions from similarly overwhelmed colleagues.

What’s the result? Late nights at work. Lunches at the desk. Falling behind on personal commitments. Rising stress levels and subsequent illness.

Stephen Covey is a veteran crusader for breaking free of urgency and putting important things first. He developed a simple diagram that explains the four quadrants our activities fall into:

Many of us in the legal profession spend most of our time working in Quadrant 1, the urgent and important quadrant. Urgency works in a vicious cycle. When you spend time only on Quadrant 1 activities then everything else backs up until your entire life is on fire.

The casualties in this battle against deadlines are most often the parts of your life that are most significant to you: Connecting with the important people in your life, and your own personal and professional goals and aspirations. All are pushed aside for that long awaited dream day when you are no longer so busy.

Business coach Marshall Goldsmith describes the dream this way:

I am incredibly busy right now. In fact, I feel as busy as I have ever felt in my life. Sometimes my life feels a little out of control. But I am dealing with some very unique and special challenges right now. I think the worst of this will be over in a few months. Then I am going to take a couple of weeks to get organized, spend some time with my family, start my ‘healthy life’ program, and work on personal development.

The reality is that this period of rest is probably not going to come. Even in the heart of this recession you will likely continue to move at a breakneck pace and tomorrow is probably going to be even busier than today!

The good news is you have a choice. The first step to exercising choice is in truly knowing what is most essential to you. If you have trouble with this Covey suggests reviewing your goals according to the roles you take on in your life. Roles represent your responsibilities, relationships and areas of contribution.

Covey recommends identifying no more than seven roles. That’s because it is hard to remember more than seven. One role we all share is personal and professional development. Covey calls this sharpening the saw. You can only cut down so many trees before you have to take a break and sharpen the saw. The other roles are up to you.

Here’s my personal list of seven roles:

One: Sharpen the saw

Two: Wife

Three: Mother and grandmother

Four: Friend and family member

Five: Coach and mentor

Six: Business person

Seven: Board member

Once you have identified your top seven roles the next step is to consider these questions:

• What are the most important goals associated with these areas of my life?
• Do one or two roles in my life consume the majority of my time and energy to the detriment of the time and attention I’d like to give others?
• How many of my “most important things” are in roles that receive most of my time and attention?
• What is the most important thing I could do in each role this week to have the greatest positive impact?
• What difference would it make to the quality of my life to consider these roles on a weekly basis, and ensure that I give focus and attention to what is most important?

Make yourself a list of the really important things that you want to do. In my case it is connecting with an old friend in Boston who I haven’t spoken with in months. It is developing a workbook for my coaching clients. I want to take a course. I have this article to write for Slaw. And most importantly it is to spend time with my family this weekend and leave the work behind.

What is most important for you?

Once you have your goals set it is time to make some decisions. What are the few things from your list that you can take action on in the week ahead? Put them first. Schedule them in your calendar. Make them happen. For big projects like writing an article, break it down the very next actionable step, such as choosing the topic.

The result of putting first things first is a sense of inner harmony. Stress levels drop. You will have the sense that important things are being taken care of each week. When you start putting your own needs first you will find you have more energy and enthusiasm too.

Conceptually it is very simple, it practice it can be incredibly difficult to pull off!

Martha Beck, coach and Oprah Magazine columnist, writes about the challenge of setting your own priorities:

If you, like me, tend to include other people’s priorities in your decision making, the Covey Quadrant exercise requires you to break that pattern. You can’t differentiate between “this is due today” and “this is important” when you are (to quote the 15th century mystic Kabir) tangled up in others. You must untangle yourself, still all the other voices, and go to the deepest place within to know what’s important and urgent in your unique and singular life.

What you just might discover is some of those things you once thought were important like answering all your emails, having a spotless house and weeding the garden are just not as important as playing with your children, working on your short story, and calling an old friend.

This is great news for those of us who have always suspected that having fun with family and friends was way more important then cleaning house or weeding the garden!

The skill of uncovering your own priorities and weaving them into the fabric of your life is one that can take many years to master. I am most interested in learning how you cope with the challenge of balancing personal priorities with important and urgent commitments. What suggestions or stories do you have to share? Please take a moment to comment on this article and let me know about your own experiences.

A Team Needs All kind of them...

Finder, Binder, Minder, Grinder or
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy       or
Thinker, Planner, Executor, Evaluator.
€˜Open, €˜Hidden, €˜Blind’, and â€Unknown

The Hero

Always pushes himself—and, by extension, subordinates—too hard to do too much for too long.

The Meritocrat

Believes that the best ideas can and will be determined objectively and thus will always prevail because of their clear merit; ignores the politics inherent in most situations.

The Bulldozer

There are many individual traits which help us find our Real Self.  Johari Window method can help get an insight into our Real Self and understand others better.

Look at some of the attributes we all possess in varying degrees...

Able, accepting, adaptable, bold, brave, calm, caring, cheerful, clever, complex, confident, dependable, dignified, energetic, extroverted, friendly, giving, happy, helpful, idealistic, independent, ingenious, intelligent, introverted, kind, knowledgeable, logical, loving, mature, modest, nervous, observant, organised, patient, powerful, proud, quiet, reflective, relaxed, religious, responsive, searching, self assertive, self-conscious, sensible, sentimental, shy, silly, spontaneous, sympathetic, tense, trustworthy, warm, wise, witty.

	Known to self	Not known to self
Known to  others	Open	Blind
Not known to  others	Hidden	Unknown

Aren't these some of the adjectives we use to describe others?  Or like or dislike being labelled with one of them?

A Team has ALL kinds of members and in my view does need them ALL.
Coaching can take place around a discussion of the differences between the adjective selected by the individual (or the subject group) and the individual’s peers (or by other groups). The window can be redrawn to reflect the relative sizes of each pane. increasing the size of the open area by reducing the size of the blind area would normally be seen as a benefit. This can be done by the quality of feedback, and the process of disclosure.

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November 01, 2008

Worst Habits of a Boss

Worst Habits of A Boss:

1. Change your mind. Change it several times a day. When reviewing a report, be sure to make comments that run counter to previous ones. Leave the employees guessing. It keeps them alert.

2. Be sure your employees don't know what's important to you. You want the best work possible, period. You don't want them cutting corners just because something isn't very important. Everything is important. Always.

3. If you don't like it, you don't like it. You don't have to explain. They just need to make it "better." If you give them too much direction, how will they learn? For example: "I don't know what you want from me, just make the PowerPoint 'sexier.'"

4. Bring your employees along to all your meetings. But don't let them speak. By not talking, they have to listen. Just like a Dictaphone. Then they can remind you of anything you napped through.

5. Thank your employees -- but only for efforts below their skill level. "Thank you for showing up today." "Nice handwriting on that expense report." Begin the staff meeting by thanking the intern for comb-binding your files.

6. Schedule weekly "all hands" meetings that require half the employees to travel (to you, of course). Agenda: they bring you up to date on what they've been emailing you, but you've been too busy to read. Don't introduce anything new.

7. Ask your tech savvy employees to take time from their projects to set up your home computer, preferably when the maid is there. Ideally, the request includes troubleshooting your kids' iPods.

8. Agree to deadlines and then accelerate them. Ask loudly from the hallway if the document is ready at 4:59pm. Announce: "I'm here late tonight if you want to finish it up."

9. Schedule "critical" meetings a few days before Christmas. Require random employees from around the world to attend. Show up late and decide everyone can reconvene to "close the open issues" on January 2nd.

10. Send emails at 2am. On Sunday. Mark them urgent.

11. Be careful not to get too wrapped up in your employee's own goals. If you're too supportive in helping them develop, they'll leave you for another job. And that's not good management.

Few More Bad Habits:

1. Having judgements clouded by personal animosities and friendships.
2. Raising status of incompetent individuals to that of key management members on the basis of personal likes and dislikes.
3. Communicating with just "one" management member instead of all key people regarding company's progress and updates.
4. Constantly wrapped up in scheming and manipulation thus creating distrust among team members.
5. Instead of praising employees several yeard of hardwork, retaliate with demoralizing comments such as are you a good manager?
6. Accusing competent people of 'constantly compalining' when they approach the boss with their grievances.
7. Believing in the philosophy of promise them everythign but give them nothing.
8. Complete centralization of power.

And Few More...

1) Make office hours 8:30-5:30 then don't give anyone time to eat lunch. Or hassle them if they leave for lunch. Hungry employees don't have the strength to disagree.

2) Ask your creative leaders to come up with creative ideas, then tell them they're wrong and insert your own ideas.

3) Never trust your designers to make judgment calls on color, layout, typography, imagery.

4) Send lots of emails over the weekend and make sure to ask what input they have first thing Monday morning.

5) Push back annual reviews as long as possible, even the next quarter, then don't give back pay for raises. This will improve company financial stability.

6) Demand that employees develop and stick to process but don't follow it yourself. This will keep them second guessing the process.

7) Refuse to use the global calendar, and schedule plenty of meetings for others. Don't tell them until a few minutes before that they are needed in a meeting.

8) Set up a pitch meeting, brief your creative team in the car on the way to the meeting, put them on the spot to come up with strategies in front of the client.

9) DO NOT make in investment in hardware and software. Use intern's student ID to purchase or expect employees to bring in their own.

10) Complain that "no one is killing themselves" on projects when, in fact, they don't even have time to think about what they're doing.

11) Do no research, competitive analysis,or internal reviews. Just "bang stuff out" and bill the client as little as possible. This lets you do two things:
a) always underbid the competition
b) load up on projects

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Start a Business in Ten Steps ?

Starting a Business In Ten Easy Steps (Is a Big, Fat Lie) – But Totally Worth It

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: entrepreneur 2.0)

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October 18, 2008

The Work of Leadership

The Work of Leadership

Followers want comfort, stability, and solutions from their leaders. But that’s babysitting. Real leaders ask hard questions and knock people out of their comfort zones. Then they manage the resulting distress.

by Ronald A. Heifetz and Donald L. Laurie

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What Leaders Really Do

What Leaders Really Do

They don’t make plans; they don’t solve problems; they don’t even organize people. What leaders really do is prepare organizations for change and help them cope as they struggle through it.

by John P. Kotter

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Managers and Leaders

Leadership inevitably requires using power to influence the thoughts and actions of other people. Power in the hands of an individual entails human risks: first, the risk of equating power with the ability to get immediate results; second, the risk of ignoring the many different ways people can legitimately accumulate power; and third, the risk of losing self-control in the desire for power. The need to hedge these risks accounts in part for the development of collective leadership and the managerial ethic. Consequently, an inherent conservatism dominates the culture of large organizations. In The Second American Revolution, John D. Rockefeller III describes the conservatism of organizations:

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Johari Window

I liked the following articles on this famous model.

Johari Window

Johari Window

Johari Window

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October 17, 2008

Talent and Genius

Stephanie Chick, Professional Coach, as quoted in an interview with Marshall Goldsmith in Business Week (October 14, 2008)

“Talent is a given. Everybody needs it to get in the door. Unleashing genius takes more time and effort and is a messy process. It’s a process of trial and error, and success doesn’t happen overnight. It really requires companies to be committed to figuring out what really drives and motivates their employees and to be patient with the process of self-discovery. Because unleashing employee potential doesn’t follow a linear path.

“You must also provide an open and trusting environment that embraces creativity, flexibility, and self-expression. And finally, you’ve got to be willing to strike a balance between performance and permitting employees to learn from mistakes. Genius is the byproduct of continuous learning and growth and failure is part of learning.”

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October 16, 2008

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October 12, 2008

Lessons from CHAK DE

Lessons From Chakde India

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October 05, 2008

What Got you here won't get you there.

What got you here won't get you there

The motives behind people's self interest usually can be narrowed down to four items:

1. Money

2. Power

3. Status

4. Popularity

Marshall Goldsmith says that people will not resist change if we invoke the natural law i.e touch their hot button - their self interest.

----------------------

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September 24, 2008

Beliefs that hold us back

This article interested me.

The key points were:

When it comes to our careers, here are the most common limiting beliefs.

1. I am not skilled enough.
2. Hard work is noble.
3. Fulfilling work is for others, not me.
4. Fulfillment comes from my personal life, not my work life.
5. I'm too old to make a major life change.
6. My family and friends will think I'm crazy.   
7. I'm a fraud – my success is a result of the corporate structure, or my tenure.
8. The unknown isn't safe.
9. I'm not sure that I can trust my decisions or choices.
10. I'm afraid of failing in a new role.

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September 21, 2008

"You're either green and growing, or ripe and rotten."

While reading an article about underperformers I came across the phrase " You're either green and growing, or ripe and rotten in the reader comments.

The article The Three Cs of Dealing with Under Performers talks about: Converse, Coach or CAN as a possible approach for the manager. The reader comment also mentions another phrase, " Its not the ones you fire that give you grief, it's the ones you keep!"

Both comments made me think.

I had gone to get my annual check up for my Medical insurance and Home Loan and the doctor I met was a senior MD who runs a polyclinic. While filling up the form he said to me you are a Young Man ! And, I looked up to him with a question.  He explained, I was a MD when you were 3 year old.  He looked very fit and slim eventhough all the hair had turned grey. While doing the TMT ( Tread Mill Test) he advised me to ask them to stop if I get out of breath within the prescribed 9 minutes and start seeing some inverted 'T's' in the ECG. That got me worried. I have had a Achiever's career so far and I chose the new responsibility of a Director as I felt I could create a second line and help them coach, Mentor.  To me Ripe is not Rotten and Rotten is just over ripe. I could not agree with the first comment.

In my General Management Career I have used an approach I call as : C O N S I S T E N T while dealing with the underachievers. It works.

It is not that I have always had an upward rising career path or a very consistent performance track record.  I have seen up and down trends in my profit centres, till I sort of started 'turning around' and started getting assignments which required turning down under regions to go into profitable growth path. Along the way, I saw many Front line and middle managers showing a downtrend in performance. While I like the Converse, Coach, Can approach I tried a few more things as Direct supervisor/ Manager.

A. Consult - Consult the underperformers' peers and get insight into their personal issues which he/ she may not share with the Boss.

B. Organise - Review with the individual their Time Management and their work-life balance related issues and provide assistance in their planning of the day. Breaking down their Quarterly Quotas/ Budgets into Daily Targets helped.

C. Non-performance Areas - Focusing on the individual's strengths was another step. Knowing the strengths and making them speak about them would usually get the person to bring a microscopic focus on their areas of Non-performance.  This would lead to a discussion from which would emerge action points and commitments for improvement.

D. Stress - Closely looking at the travel, mode, traffic, weather, Briefing/ De-briefing sessions with the supervisor/ immediate manager one could understand the physical stress on the individual and it would again bring about some effective actions for de-stressing.

E. Insight - Insight gained from the peer group is a great help and a good 'Ice Breaker'.  It made the juniors feel that the senior is 'empathetic' and has himself gone personal issues.  Revealing oneself with transparency makes people reveal themselves with confidence and the alignment becomes easier.

F. Strategy - Discussing with the individual about their personal life goals, career path, ambitions would provide an opportunity to agree a strategic personal growth strategy with them.

G. Training - Identifying their training needs and inclination for learning was a next step and I would personally engage with the underachievers to hone their skills by discussing every customer transaction/ visit/ meeting/ call or accompany them to watch their actions and review them in the car.  That one on one time was valuable two-way learning for both.

H. Encouragement - Knowing the individual inside out and having an insight into their life goals would create an opportunity to lead them by encouraging them to earn what they wanted to achieve best - Recognition, Awards, Rewards, Incentives, Bonuses, Commissions.

I. Trust - Trust is Zero or 100%. Once both of us felt that we can trust each other - thereafter became easier and the sharing improved. 

The approach C O N S I S T E N T thus underlines the need to know that one should not condemn or write- off / CAN anyone unless we have seriously tried.  It works.

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September 19, 2008

Contrarian Leadership

One of the most respected and sought after executive coaches is Marshall Goldsmith. His primary insight is that good manners is good management. Now you may ask yourself, why would impressive and successful executives need help with manners and behavioral issues? After all they most likely acted out consciously or unconsciously Stephen Coveys Seven Habits of Highly Successful People to get to the position they hold. But dont be misled by the aura of success or turn your back on the human condition and its foibles. Perhaps you have experienced a boss with bad manners?

The advice that Marshall offers is contrarian to the good habits advice offered by other experts, and is built around the bad habits that can derail talented executives and most of us from a successful path. A recent and prominent example of improper behavior at work involves the CEO of Whole Food Market, John Mackey, who got caught posting disparaging comments anonymously on financial bulletin boards that may cost him his job. This incident is tied to one of the bad habits that Marshall advises we must avoid. Winning too much: Marshall points out that our hypercompetitive culture to beat others causes every other behavioral problem, and leads rational men to do irrational things.

Most advice coming from the self-help experts typically deal with the good things that we need to do as opposed to trying to fix the flaws. For example the best seller Now, Discover your Strengths from the Gallup organization is about identifying and applying your strengths because you are only good at some things, and you should not waste your time tying to improve your weaknesses. This approach underestimates the human potential in my opinion, oversimplifies the capacity of most people, and is misapplied in some corporate circles (I speak from experience.)

If you were to participate in a Gallup 2 day seminar to discover your strengths. At the end of the session, you would walk away with a certificate and five identified strengths to focus on. Intuitively you may think of Tiger Woods and golf. Just because Tiger is good at some aspects of the game such as approach or chip shots does not mean that he forgets about driving, putting, or pitch shots. You need to be balanced and well-rounded to win in sports and business, and improving or neutralizing your weaknesses is a win-win proposition for all. There is much good in knowing and playing to your strengths. At the same time there is much to be missed if we do not know our major weaknesses and ignore them.

The logic of Marshalls coaching is centered on the behaviors that hold us back. The key to success lies in the ability to work well with everyone and inspire others. The higher up you go the more of a role model you need to be because living company values is aspirational. Equally important, a leader that engenders collaboration spirit and energizes employees creates great value for the enterprise. Managing knowledge workers who know more than you requires solid people skills, and there is no room for bad manners if you want to succeed in the long-run.

All bad habits boil down to two things: information and emotion. For example, broadcasting strong opinions about colleagues is not smart. Too much information and disclosure driven by emotion is a bad mixture. The information may be honest, but it is not necessary in a professional environment.

The essence of Marshalls work in his new best seller What Got You Here Wont Get you There is his detailed and candid discussion about the twenty habits that interfere with your success. Habits such as telling the world how smart you are all the time, winning too much, making destructive comments, not listening, punishing the messenger, disclosing too much when angry, failing to express gratitude, and passing the buck are some of the behavioral ills that will not help any of us be successful. In summary, the work of Marshall Goldsmith has no therapeutic gimmicks, but it provides a leadership guide that will help immensely and can be used at home, the workplace, and our personal lives.

Professional experience traverses key business disciplines including entrepreneurship, leadership, and strategic management. From a 15 year stint with a start-up developer of software and equipment for the automation and controls industry, which led to several promotions including VP of Sales; to the acquisition of this firm by a Blue Chip company; to managing businesses with P&L accountability for Fortune 100 firms, I have enjoyed a productive career accented by integrity, sales/marketing management, team work, general management, and customer service talents. Recent educational achievements include an MBA from the University of Miami, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification, and ISO 9001 QMS Certification. Please visit my blog at http://biz-think.blogspot.com

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10 Morning Coffee Thoughts on Leadership
People who get results are high impact leaders. They are consistent, explicit and concise and they command a presence when they walk into a room. They have enough charisma to turn the dullest moment into a high-energy event. When they move on, others...

How to Create a Personal Leadership Development Plan
Many people think that management and leadership go hand in hand automatically. But just because you are a manager does not mean that you are a leader. Many management techniques are being thrown out the window in favor of leadership skills. But maki...

G.A.S. Up Your Organizational Leadership
Leadership is recognized as the number one driver in organizational success. Without effective leadership organizations fail to capitalize on the enormous opportunities available to them each and every day. As you look to leadership development, con...

Pounding Nails Or Building A Home?
One of my favorite shows is the Extreme Home Makeover. I think the show is so popular because it tells a story of how a very in need family gets a wonderful new home with the help of hundreds of strangers. And each week these strangers eat and sle...

Leadership Training Concepts
Leadership training is imparted to individuals who wish to excel in their particular fields of business. There are many important ingredients of any leadership training. It aims to teach skills like time management, management assessment, management ...

Combining Leadership Theory and Practice For Success
There are many different leadership theories that can be put into practice to achieve success. But what eludes most is that they did not achieve a synergy between the leadership theory and practice to actually achieve the level of success they want.I...

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Posted by Jay on September 19, 2008 at 08:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) ShareThis

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September 14, 2008

Is the end of Employee Loyalty Near?

• Time was when my father served the Government from the age of 18 till his death. Time was when my mother retired after two extensions in the government job. Time was when most people considered a job for a life time.
• When I left a Bank job, people taunted me as 'different'. When I left a Public sector job after 8 years I was even 'more different'. 
• Time was when I rejoined a business school evening course after 14 years at different jobs ( 'Lateral students' was not a term in vogue then) I was among a select few.
• Time was when the management institutes were vouching that our ' Students stay longer in the companies.' as a USP.
• Years later when I asked the new Director of the business institute for candidates similar to me - I was shocked to hear ' We don't create any more Jay Parkhe's here'.

I was reading Dr. Marshall Goldsmith's article " We are all entrepreneurs" and some follow up blogs such as the one below:

No response on your job hunt

The excuse "the economy" is just that: An excuse.  Even in the Great Depression, 75 percent to Americans had jobs, including my grandparents, parents and uncles. So, if you're not getting a response to what you're putting together to hunt for a job, you are probably doing one or more things wrong.  Silence means course correction.  And course correction means experimentation.

Unlike the 20th century, the 21st century is a pile-on of change. Consequently anyone who's alert realizes there are no formulas to follow to find a job, keep a job, get another job after losing one. Instead, becoming employed and remaining employed require continual trial and error.  As executive coach Marshall Goldsmith tells his clients: We are all entrepreneurs now.

Trial and error entails reviewing every aspect of a job search.  That includes:

• The kinds of jobs you're applying for.  Maybe they're not the right ones.  Maybe you should consider trying out applying for other kinds and see what happens.
• How you're applying.  Try out a number of kinds of cover letters and resumes.  Track which ones you used where.
• How you're responding if contacted.  Again, try out diverse approaches.  Through this I recognized that what I perceived as enthusiastic, prospective employers saw as frantic or desperate.
• How you follow up after the first pass. A common pitfall, especially for those under-30, is not to follow up or to do that too casually.

Does it help for someone who's happily employed and seems to stay that way to check out what you're doing and not doing?  You bet.  Often you can be so consumed in a job search that you lose perspective.

And I felt whether the time of Employee Loyalty is over?
Many years ago, I heard a politician from Gujarat who had broken loyalty from Congress and Mrs. Gandhi. As a young student when I asked him ( this was in late 70's) he said:

• I am loyal to my ideals and values First,
• Loyalty to organisation, institution comes Next,
• Loyalty to individuals is Last priority for me.

This article, therefore shook me out of my wits and gave me a jolt.  I used to pride in saying to my reportees :

1. When you join an organisation, the first year will go in learning and mastering the trade.
2. Second year is when you begin to Peak - in performance and therefore Rank.
3. At the end of the third year - if you are not going on the set path or if you are Bored - Quit.

Times have indeed changed.

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September 13, 2008

Value of a Business Mentor

The Value Of A Business Mentor

By Larry Kesslin President & Chief Community Officer of the Let's Talk Business Network You begin your life with no experiences, just an innocent child with the world as your teacher. You are immediately introduced to your parents, your first teachers in this world. As we grow others enter our lives and make an impact, guide us on our journey to ultimately find out what our true meaning and purpose is in life. If you are persistent and aware of your surroundings, you will find these treasured guides along your journey. Over my career I have met many "guides," or mentors. These individuals have had a major impact on my life and my career. I must say that I did not always want to listen, but I am glad that I have traveled this road, and met the mentors that have impacted my life. For me, there have been a few key mentors; first, of course, was my father. A semi-pro athlete and entrepreneur himself, my father taught me that if I didn't enjoy what I was doing to change and find something that thrills me. As I started my business career after college I met numerous individuals that I learned from, but it wasn't until I went to work for the General Electric Company, and met Vince Tullo, did I discover the possibilities of what a mentor/mentee relationship can look like. Vince was more of a guide than a boss. He taught me how to work within the corporation, and what really mattered. I excelled in the corporate world, but deep down I wasn't very happy, and when the time came for me to follow my entrepreneurial journey, Vince was behind me 100 percent. This relationship had a profound effect on my career and me. So, as I started my entrepreneurial journey I knew that finding a mentor for this trip would be crucial. I didn't have to wait very long, as I met one of my current mentors, and one of my business partners, Mitch Schlimer, on a train shortly after resigning from GE. I had still not had my last day with the world's 2nd largest company, and my newest mentor had already appeared. Mitch is the founder and host of the syndicated radio talk show, Let's Talk Business. Mitch has gone through his own journey since we have met, and I believe that in some ways, other than building a business, I have been his mentor as well. But the entrepreneurial journey would not have been as successful as it has been if it weren't for this individual in my life. I tell everyone that I meet that I would have a job by now if it weren't for Mitch. Our relationship is special. We are able to talk on a level that I can with very few people. When you find someone who has the knowledge and experience to help you get to where you want to go, make it happen. Our business, Let's Talk Business Network, is focused on helping entrepreneurs along their journey. I meet entrepreneurs on a regular basis, and the one's that seem to be the most successful are the one's that have learned from those before them. So how do you find your mentor? I don't believe that finding a mentor can be considered a science, but you want to look for a number of key characteristics. Find someone who has accomplished goals that might be similar to yours. Find someone who is open to providing time and energy to help you achieve these goals. Find someone who you are willing to listen to, even when you might not want to. And, find someone who has similar values to you. One of the strongest bonds between my mentors and me has been a shared value system. So, if you are on the entrepreneurial journey and you don't currently have a mentor, find one and see your entrepreneurial dreams come true! Larry Kesslin is the President of the Let's Talk Business Network, an entrepreneurial support community focused on increasing the success rate of small businesses. Having built a corporate career and started a business from scratch, Larry can give the prospective from both sides of the track. You can visit LTBN's Web site www.ltbn.com and listen to their excerpts from the Let's Talk Business Radio Broadcasts.

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Volunteer Mentor - Peer Mentoring

Peer Mentoring is a form of mentoring that takes place in learning environments such as schools, usually between an older more experienced student and a new student(s). Peer Mentors should not be confused with prefects. Peer mentoring is a good way of practicing social skills for the mentor and help on adapting and settling in for the mentee. Most peer mentors are picked for their sensibility, confidence, social skills and reliability.

Peer mentors appear mainly in secondary schools where students moving up from Junior/Primary schools may need assistance in settling in at the whole new schedule and lifestyle of secondary school life.

Peer mentors benefit from, usually, excellent recommendations from the school they mentored in and it aids admission into university.

The amount of time that peer mentors and mentees meet varies according to the particular mentoring program. Some pairs may make contact once a month, while others may meet 3-4 times per month or more. It is usually advised that mentors and mentees meet more often in the beginning of the relationship, in order to establish a good foundation. Mentors and mentees may maintain contact through email, telephone or in person meetings. Peer mentoring organizations may also set up social events for those participating in the program. These events provide good opportunities for increased social interaction between mentors and mentees.

The compatibility of mentor and mentee is a factor that should be taken into consideration when choosing pairs. Mentors and mentees may benefit from having similar backgrounds, interests and life experiences.

The objectives of a peer mentoring program should be well defined and measurable. The effectiveness of the program should be monitored to ensure that the objectives are being met. One way to monitor the effectivenss of a program is to administer evaluations to the mentors and mentees.

Mentoring is usually done on a volunteer basis, although some institutions pay mentors and offer other benefits. Mentors often undergo training that will help guide them in the mentoring proces

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Mentoring - some Definitions.

What is Mentoring (some definitions)?       

There are probably as many definitions of mentoring as there are people who work in the field. Basically a mentor is a person who knows a great deal about a particular subject and is willing to share his or her knowledge with another person who knows less about the same subject. Some other definitions are as follows:

"a one-to-one, non-judgmental relationship in which an individual voluntarily gives time to support and encourage another. This is typically developed at a time of transition in the protégé's life, and lasts for a significant and sustained period of time." (Active Community Unit, Home Office);

"support, assistance, advocacy or guidance given by one person to another in order to achieve an objective or several objectives over a period of time" (SOVA);

"an adult who can provide a pupil with the benefit of their life, school or work experience with a view to encouraging them to move confidently through a range of new experiences" (Salford Business Education Partnership);

"off-line help by one person to another in making significant transitions in knowledge, work or thinking." (Megginson and Clutterbuck);

"the support of one individual by another within a personal relationship developed through regular contact over a period of time" (Pan London Standard);

"a process by which an older and more experienced person takes a younger person under his/her wing, freely offering advice, support and encouragement. The older person (the mentor) becomes among other things, a role model who inspires the younger person (the mentee)" (North London College).

      "Mentors are people who through their actions and work, help others to achieve their potential" (Shea, GF);       

"A mentor is someone who helps another person on a one to one basis, usually younger, through an important transition" (The DIVERT Trust);

"A mentor is many things - a positive role model, an adviser, an experienced friend. Somebody from outside a person's immediate circle taking a special interest can make an enormous difference."(Excellence in Schools, 1997).

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What Mentors Do?

What Mentors Do

• Set high expectations of performance
• Offer challenging ideas
• Help build self-confidence
• Encourage professional behavior
• Offer friendship
• Listen to personal problems
• Confront negative behaviors and attitudes
• Teach by example
• Provide growth experiences
• Offer quotable quotes
• Explain how the Department/Agency works
• Coach their mentees
• Offer wise counsel
• Stand by their mentees in critical situations
• Encourage winning behavior
• Trigger self-awareness
• Inspire their mentees
• Share critical knowledge
• Offer encouragement
• Assist with their Mentee's careers

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Posted by Jay on September 13, 2008 at 11:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) ShareThis

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Types of Coaching

Coaching types

Life coaching

Life coaching is a practice with the aim of helping clients determine and achieve personal goals. Life coaches use multiple methods that will help clients with the process of setting and reaching goals. Coaching is not targeted at psychological illness, and coaches are not therapists nor consultants.

Life coaching has roots in executive coaching, which itself drew on techniques developed in management consulting and leadership training.^{[citation needed]} Life coaching also draws inspiration from disciplines including sociology, psychology, positive adult development, career counseling, mentoring, and other types of counseling. The coach may apply mentoring, values assessment, behavior modification, behavior modeling, goal-setting, and other techniques in helping their clients.^{[citation needed]}

Government bodies have not found it necessary to provide a regulatory standard for life coaching, nor does any state body govern the education or training standard for the life coaching industry; the title of "coach" can be used by any service provider. Multiple coaching schools and training programs are available, allowing for many options (and sometimes causing confusion) when an individual decides to gain "certification" or a "credential" as they apply to the coaching industry. Multiple certificates and credential designations are available within the industry. ^[1]

There are six self-appointed accreditation bodies for life coaching: the International Coaching Council (ICC), the International Coach Federation (ICF), the International Association of Coaching (IAC), the Certified Coaches Federation (CCF) and the European Coaching Institute (ECI)International Guild of Coaches (IGC). No independent supervisory board evaluates these programs, and they are all privately owned. These bodies all accredit various coaching schools as well as individual coaches, except the IAC which only accredits individuals.

Some assert that life coaching is akin to psychotherapy without restrictions, oversight, or regulation. The State legislatures of Colorado after holding a hearing on such concerns, disagreed ,^[2] asserting that coaching is unlike therapy because it does not focus on examining nor diagnosing the past. Instead coaching focuses on effecting change in a client's current and future behavior. Additionally, life coaching does not delve into diagnosing mental illness or dysfunctions.

According to a survey of coaching clients, "sounding board" and "motivator" were the top roles selected for a coach. Clients are looking for a coach "to really listen to them and give honest feedback." The top three issues in which clients seek help are time management, career, and business. ^[3]

Personal coaching

Personal Coaching is a relationship which is designed and defined in a relationship agreement between a client and a coach. It is based on the client's expressed interests, goals, and objectives.

Personal Coaching is a learning process. A Personal Coach may use inquiry, reflection, requests and discussion to help clients identify personal and/or business and/or relationship goals, develop strategies, relationships and action plans intended to achieve those goals. A coach provides a place for clients to be held accountable to themselves by monitoring the clients' progress towards implementation of their action plans. Together they evolve and modify the plan to best suit the client's needs and environmental relationships. A Personal Coach acts as a human mirror for clients by sharing an outside and unbiased perspective on what they are observing about their clients. A Personal Coach may teach specific insights and skills to empower the client toward their goals. Finally, a Personal Coach encourages the client to celebrate the achievement of milestones and goals.

Clients are responsible for their own achievements and success. The client takes action; and the coach may assist, but never leads or does more than the client. Therefore, a coach cannot and does not promise that a client will take any specific action or attain specific goals.

Personal Coaching is not counseling, therapy or consulting. These different skill sets and approaches to change may be adjunct skills and professions. The Personal Coach recognizes his/her limitations, and refers the client for other services as ethically required.

Business coaching

Business coaching is the practice of providing support and occasional advice to an individual or group in order to help them recognize ways in which they can improve the effectiveness of their business. Business coaches work to improve leadership, employee accountability, teamwork, sales, communication, goal setting, strategic planning and more. It can be provided in a number of ways, including one-on-one tuition, group coaching sessions and large scale seminars. Business coaches are often called in when a business is perceived to be performing badly, however many businesses recognize the benefits of business coaching even when the organization is successful. Business coaches often specialize in different practice areas such as Executive Coaching, Corporate Coaching, and Leadership Coaching.

At least two organizations, the International Coaching Council (ICC) and the Worldwide Association of Business Coaches (WABC) provide a membership-based association for professionals involved in business coaching. The ICC and WABC also provide an accrediting system for business coach training programs. The ICC has currently over 1,500 members from over 50 countries. Business Coaches can also gain creditability by joining a franchise or firm.

Business coaching is not the same as mentoring. Mentoring involves a developmental relationship between a more experienced "mentor" and a less experienced partner, and typically involves sharing of advice. A business coach can act as a mentor given that he or she has adequate expertise and experience. However, mentoring is not a form of business coaching. A good business coach need not have specific business expertise and experience in the same field as the person receiving the coaching in order to provide quality business coaching services.

Health coaching

Main article: Health coaching

In the world of health and wellness, a health coach is an emerging new role. Health coaching is becoming recognized as a new way to help individuals "manage" their illnesses and conditions, especially those of a chronic nature. In both sports and health, a "coach" is a person who observes, gives objective feedback, teaches, helps to develop a plan of action, and holds another responsible for their actions and commitments. The coach will use special techniques, personal experience, expertise, and encouragement to assist the coachee in bringing his/her behavioral changes about. .^[4]

Dating coaching

Main article: dating coach

Dating coaches are coaches whose job is to direct and train people to improve their success in dating and relationships.

A dating coach directs and trains his/her clients on various aspects of meeting and attracting long-term partners and meeting more compatible prospects. The focus of most programs is on confident and congruent communication.

Dating coaches may focus on topics important to the art of dating: interpersonal skills, flirting, psychology, sociology, compatibility, fashion, and recreational activities.

Neil Strauss in The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists also focuses on neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), theories of persuasion, history, and evolutionary biology, body language, humor and street smarts.

Dating coaches typically charge rates similar to that of other professional counselors (e.g. $75-125/hour).^[5] Seminars involving multiple audience members typically charge less than one-on-one meetings, however.

There has been a stigma attached to those who seek help from dating coaches. Some counterarguments to this stigma are that most people have dating coaches in the form of older siblings, charismatic friends, or honest lovers; and that it is socially acceptable to seek coaches in other, potentially less important aspects of life such as guitar playing.^[6] A response to this is that dating is easier than activities like guitar playing, and coaches should be unnecessary. A counterargument to that response is that there are many people who have been out of the dating world for so long that the techniques that used to work for them (such as going out to bars) no longer work; and some people have barriers that they need to deal with before they can be successful.^[7]

Conflict coaching

Conflict coaching is a specialized niche in both the fields of coaching and conflict management. Conflict coaching may be used in an organizational context, for matrimonial and other relationship matters and is one of many conflict management tools for helping people improve their conflict management skills and abilities. Like many other techniques of this nature, it is premised on the view that conflict provides an opportunity to improve relationships, to create mutually satisfactory solutions and attain other positive outcomes when differences arise between and among people.

Sports coaching

Main article: coach (sports)

In sports, a coach or manager is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.

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Posted by Jay on September 13, 2008 at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0) ShareThis

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September 12, 2008

Flashback and revisit Past successes rebuilds self confidence

I was reading this blog on the internet

Click Remembering Success

Sometimes, we have a run of days or weeks where we aren't at our best at work. Perhaps layoff rumors are getting us down. Maybe the new boss is a jerk. Maybe the new position you worked for years to get is far more difficult than you expected. In any case, how do you rise up and return to success?

Marshall Goldsmith wrote a piece in Business Week titled, "Self-Confidence and Success."  In the piece, he highlights how remembering past successes helps to build self-confidence.

Goldsmith discusses how we build "highlight reels" in our memory. When we are really dragging, we pull that reel out and it gives us a boost.

He cites the following examples: "It might be those five minutes in the executive meeting when you had the floor and nailed the argument you wanted to make. (Who wouldn't run that highlight reel in their head as if it were the Sports Center Play of the Day?) It might be your skillfully crafted memo that the CEO praised and routed to everyone in the company."

However, as we tend to remember only the good things, we also need to keep an honest view of ourselves. In group settings, Wilson points out that most overestimate their contribution. Additionally, we also tend to view ourselves better than our peers. This can be very difficult during review periods when we think we deserve top marks, but in reality, we may only be in the middle of the pack.

Wilson provides an excellent piece of parting advice, "Complete this sentence, "I am success because of…," Then complete this sentence, "I am a success in spite of…." By acknowledging our weaknesses, it makes received negative feedback just a little easier.

I went thru Dr. Marshall's session last month and was reflecting on this. In fact, upon return I removed every trophy, every achievement certificate displayed on my walls and I had a good collection of them for over 12 years.  The thought in my mind was - Oh! this is all past success. What have I achieved in the recent past?  What is worth seeing every day?  A quote came to my mind while doing this.. " Don't sit on past laurels, as laurels are soft petals which break once you sit on them". 
I agree when you are low, when we are depressed it is great to go back and visit this Trophy/ success stored  and revisit the lovely memories of success to get back the confidence.  Living the past forever had made me complacent and I felt I must remove these and win some new ones.  The thought was great. It brought a lot of cheer and a great feeling while playing back in the mind how closely contested those wins were.

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Posted by Jay on September 12, 2008 at 04:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) ShareThis

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September 11, 2008

Interesting article - different point of view on Mentoring

Finder, Binder, Minder, Grinder or
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy       or
Thinker, Planner, Executor, Evaluator.
€˜Open, €˜Hidden, €˜Blind’, and â€Unknown

The Hero

Always pushes himself—and, by extension, subordinates—too hard to do too much for too long.

The Meritocrat

Believes that the best ideas can and will be determined objectively and thus will always prevail because of their clear merit; ignores the politics inherent in most situations.

The Bulldozer

There are many individual traits which help us find our Real Self.  Johari Window method can help get an insight into our Real Self and understand others better.

Look at some of the attributes we all possess in varying degrees...

Able, accepting, adaptable, bold, brave, calm, caring, cheerful, clever, complex, confident, dependable, dignified, energetic, extroverted, friendly, giving, happy, helpful, idealistic, independent, ingenious, intelligent, introverted, kind, knowledgeable, logical, loving, mature, modest, nervous, observant, organised, patient, powerful, proud, quiet, reflective, relaxed, religious, responsive, searching, self assertive, self-conscious, sensible, sentimental, shy, silly, spontaneous, sympathetic, tense, trustworthy, warm, wise, witty.

	Known to self	Not known to self
Known to  others	Open	Blind
Not known to  others	Hidden	Unknown

Aren't these some of the adjectives we use to describe others?  Or like or dislike being labelled with one of them?

A Team has ALL kinds of members and in my view does need them ALL.
Coaching can take place around a discussion of the differences between the adjective selected by the individual (or the subject group) and the individual’s peers (or by other groups). The window can be redrawn to reflect the relative sizes of each pane. increasing the size of the open area by reducing the size of the blind area would normally be seen as a benefit. This can be done by the quality of feedback, and the process of disclosure.

Worst Habits of A Boss:

1. Change your mind. Change it several times a day. When reviewing a report, be sure to make comments that run counter to previous ones. Leave the employees guessing. It keeps them alert.

2. Be sure your employees don't know what's important to you. You want the best work possible, period. You don't want them cutting corners just because something isn't very important. Everything is important. Always.

3. If you don't like it, you don't like it. You don't have to explain. They just need to make it "better." If you give them too much direction, how will they learn? For example: "I don't know what you want from me, just make the PowerPoint 'sexier.'"

4. Bring your employees along to all your meetings. But don't let them speak. By not talking, they have to listen. Just like a Dictaphone. Then they can remind you of anything you napped through.

5. Thank your employees -- but only for efforts below their skill level. "Thank you for showing up today." "Nice handwriting on that expense report." Begin the staff meeting by thanking the intern for comb-binding your files.

6. Schedule weekly "all hands" meetings that require half the employees to travel (to you, of course). Agenda: they bring you up to date on what they've been emailing you, but you've been too busy to read. Don't introduce anything new.

7. Ask your tech savvy employees to take time from their projects to set up your home computer, preferably when the maid is there. Ideally, the request includes troubleshooting your kids' iPods.

8. Agree to deadlines and then accelerate them. Ask loudly from the hallway if the document is ready at 4:59pm. Announce: "I'm here late tonight if you want to finish it up."

9. Schedule "critical" meetings a few days before Christmas. Require random employees from around the world to attend. Show up late and decide everyone can reconvene to "close the open issues" on January 2nd.

10. Send emails at 2am. On Sunday. Mark them urgent.

11. Be careful not to get too wrapped up in your employee's own goals. If you're too supportive in helping them develop, they'll leave you for another job. And that's not good management.

Few More Bad Habits:

1. Having judgements clouded by personal animosities and friendships.
2. Raising status of incompetent individuals to that of key management members on the basis of personal likes and dislikes.
3. Communicating with just "one" management member instead of all key people regarding company's progress and updates.
4. Constantly wrapped up in scheming and manipulation thus creating distrust among team members.
5. Instead of praising employees several yeard of hardwork, retaliate with demoralizing comments such as are you a good manager?
6. Accusing competent people of 'constantly compalining' when they approach the boss with their grievances.
7. Believing in the philosophy of promise them everythign but give them nothing.
8. Complete centralization of power.

And Few More...

1) Make office hours 8:30-5:30 then don't give anyone time to eat lunch. Or hassle them if they leave for lunch. Hungry employees don't have the strength to disagree.

2) Ask your creative leaders to come up with creative ideas, then tell them they're wrong and insert your own ideas.

3) Never trust your designers to make judgment calls on color, layout, typography, imagery.

4) Send lots of emails over the weekend and make sure to ask what input they have first thing Monday morning.

5) Push back annual reviews as long as possible, even the next quarter, then don't give back pay for raises. This will improve company financial stability.

6) Demand that employees develop and stick to process but don't follow it yourself. This will keep them second guessing the process.

7) Refuse to use the global calendar, and schedule plenty of meetings for others. Don't tell them until a few minutes before that they are needed in a meeting.

8) Set up a pitch meeting, brief your creative team in the car on the way to the meeting, put them on the spot to come up with strategies in front of the client.

9) DO NOT make in investment in hardware and software. Use intern's student ID to purchase or expect employees to bring in their own.

10) Complain that "no one is killing themselves" on projects when, in fact, they don't even have time to think about what they're doing.

11) Do no research, competitive analysis,or internal reviews. Just "bang stuff out" and bill the client as little as possible. This lets you do two things:
a) always underbid the competition
b) load up on projects

Starting a Business In Ten Easy Steps (Is a Big, Fat Lie) – But Totally Worth It

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: entrepreneur 2.0)

The Work of Leadership

Followers want comfort, stability, and solutions from their leaders. But that’s babysitting. Real leaders ask hard questions and knock people out of their comfort zones. Then they manage the resulting distress.

by Ronald A. Heifetz and Donald L. Laurie

What Leaders Really Do

They don’t make plans; they don’t solve problems; they don’t even organize people. What leaders really do is prepare organizations for change and help them cope as they struggle through it.

by John P. Kotter

Leadership inevitably requires using power to influence the thoughts and actions of other people. Power in the hands of an individual entails human risks: first, the risk of equating power with the ability to get immediate results; second, the risk of ignoring the many different ways people can legitimately accumulate power; and third, the risk of losing self-control in the desire for power. The need to hedge these risks accounts in part for the development of collective leadership and the managerial ethic. Consequently, an inherent conservatism dominates the culture of large organizations. In The Second American Revolution, John D. Rockefeller III describes the conservatism of organizations:

I liked the following articles on this famous model.

Johari Window

Johari Window

Johari Window

Stephanie Chick, Professional Coach, as quoted in an interview with Marshall Goldsmith in Business Week (October 14, 2008)

“Talent is a given. Everybody needs it to get in the door. Unleashing genius takes more time and effort and is a messy process. It’s a process of trial and error, and success doesn’t happen overnight. It really requires companies to be committed to figuring out what really drives and motivates their employees and to be patient with the process of self-discovery. Because unleashing employee potential doesn’t follow a linear path.

“You must also provide an open and trusting environment that embraces creativity, flexibility, and self-expression. And finally, you’ve got to be willing to strike a balance between performance and permitting employees to learn from mistakes. Genius is the byproduct of continuous learning and growth and failure is part of learning.”

Lessons From Chakde India

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What got you here won't get you there

The motives behind people's self interest usually can be narrowed down to four items:

1. Money

2. Power

3. Status

4. Popularity

Marshall Goldsmith says that people will not resist change if we invoke the natural law i.e touch their hot button - their self interest.

----------------------

This article interested me.

The key points were:

When it comes to our careers, here are the most common limiting beliefs.

1. I am not skilled enough.
2. Hard work is noble.
3. Fulfilling work is for others, not me.
4. Fulfillment comes from my personal life, not my work life.
5. I'm too old to make a major life change.
6. My family and friends will think I'm crazy.   
7. I'm a fraud – my success is a result of the corporate structure, or my tenure.
8. The unknown isn't safe.
9. I'm not sure that I can trust my decisions or choices.
10. I'm afraid of failing in a new role.

While reading an article about underperformers I came across the phrase " You're either green and growing, or ripe and rotten in the reader comments.

The article The Three Cs of Dealing with Under Performers talks about: Converse, Coach or CAN as a possible approach for the manager. The reader comment also mentions another phrase, " Its not the ones you fire that give you grief, it's the ones you keep!"

Both comments made me think.

I had gone to get my annual check up for my Medical insurance and Home Loan and the doctor I met was a senior MD who runs a polyclinic. While filling up the form he said to me you are a Young Man ! And, I looked up to him with a question.  He explained, I was a MD when you were 3 year old.  He looked very fit and slim eventhough all the hair had turned grey. While doing the TMT ( Tread Mill Test) he advised me to ask them to stop if I get out of breath within the prescribed 9 minutes and start seeing some inverted 'T's' in the ECG. That got me worried. I have had a Achiever's career so far and I chose the new responsibility of a Director as I felt I could create a second line and help them coach, Mentor.  To me Ripe is not Rotten and Rotten is just over ripe. I could not agree with the first comment.

In my General Management Career I have used an approach I call as : C O N S I S T E N T while dealing with the underachievers. It works.

It is not that I have always had an upward rising career path or a very consistent performance track record.  I have seen up and down trends in my profit centres, till I sort of started 'turning around' and started getting assignments which required turning down under regions to go into profitable growth path. Along the way, I saw many Front line and middle managers showing a downtrend in performance. While I like the Converse, Coach, Can approach I tried a few more things as Direct supervisor/ Manager.

A. Consult - Consult the underperformers' peers and get insight into their personal issues which he/ she may not share with the Boss.

B. Organise - Review with the individual their Time Management and their work-life balance related issues and provide assistance in their planning of the day. Breaking down their Quarterly Quotas/ Budgets into Daily Targets helped.

C. Non-performance Areas - Focusing on the individual's strengths was another step. Knowing the strengths and making them speak about them would usually get the person to bring a microscopic focus on their areas of Non-performance.  This would lead to a discussion from which would emerge action points and commitments for improvement.

D. Stress - Closely looking at the travel, mode, traffic, weather, Briefing/ De-briefing sessions with the supervisor/ immediate manager one could understand the physical stress on the individual and it would again bring about some effective actions for de-stressing.

E. Insight - Insight gained from the peer group is a great help and a good 'Ice Breaker'.  It made the juniors feel that the senior is 'empathetic' and has himself gone personal issues.  Revealing oneself with transparency makes people reveal themselves with confidence and the alignment becomes easier.

F. Strategy - Discussing with the individual about their personal life goals, career path, ambitions would provide an opportunity to agree a strategic personal growth strategy with them.

G. Training - Identifying their training needs and inclination for learning was a next step and I would personally engage with the underachievers to hone their skills by discussing every customer transaction/ visit/ meeting/ call or accompany them to watch their actions and review them in the car.  That one on one time was valuable two-way learning for both.

H. Encouragement - Knowing the individual inside out and having an insight into their life goals would create an opportunity to lead them by encouraging them to earn what they wanted to achieve best - Recognition, Awards, Rewards, Incentives, Bonuses, Commissions.

I. Trust - Trust is Zero or 100%. Once both of us felt that we can trust each other - thereafter became easier and the sharing improved. 

The approach C O N S I S T E N T thus underlines the need to know that one should not condemn or write- off / CAN anyone unless we have seriously tried.  It works.

One of the most respected and sought after executive coaches is Marshall Goldsmith. His primary insight is that good manners is good management. Now you may ask yourself, why would impressive and successful executives need help with manners and behavioral issues? After all they most likely acted out consciously or unconsciously Stephen Coveys Seven Habits of Highly Successful People to get to the position they hold. But dont be misled by the aura of success or turn your back on the human condition and its foibles. Perhaps you have experienced a boss with bad manners?

The advice that Marshall offers is contrarian to the good habits advice offered by other experts, and is built around the bad habits that can derail talented executives and most of us from a successful path. A recent and prominent example of improper behavior at work involves the CEO of Whole Food Market, John Mackey, who got caught posting disparaging comments anonymously on financial bulletin boards that may cost him his job. This incident is tied to one of the bad habits that Marshall advises we must avoid. Winning too much: Marshall points out that our hypercompetitive culture to beat others causes every other behavioral problem, and leads rational men to do irrational things.

Most advice coming from the self-help experts typically deal with the good things that we need to do as opposed to trying to fix the flaws. For example the best seller Now, Discover your Strengths from the Gallup organization is about identifying and applying your strengths because you are only good at some things, and you should not waste your time tying to improve your weaknesses. This approach underestimates the human potential in my opinion, oversimplifies the capacity of most people, and is misapplied in some corporate circles (I speak from experience.)

If you were to participate in a Gallup 2 day seminar to discover your strengths. At the end of the session, you would walk away with a certificate and five identified strengths to focus on. Intuitively you may think of Tiger Woods and golf. Just because Tiger is good at some aspects of the game such as approach or chip shots does not mean that he forgets about driving, putting, or pitch shots. You need to be balanced and well-rounded to win in sports and business, and improving or neutralizing your weaknesses is a win-win proposition for all. There is much good in knowing and playing to your strengths. At the same time there is much to be missed if we do not know our major weaknesses and ignore them.

The logic of Marshalls coaching is centered on the behaviors that hold us back. The key to success lies in the ability to work well with everyone and inspire others. The higher up you go the more of a role model you need to be because living company values is aspirational. Equally important, a leader that engenders collaboration spirit and energizes employees creates great value for the enterprise. Managing knowledge workers who know more than you requires solid people skills, and there is no room for bad manners if you want to succeed in the long-run.

All bad habits boil down to two things: information and emotion. For example, broadcasting strong opinions about colleagues is not smart. Too much information and disclosure driven by emotion is a bad mixture. The information may be honest, but it is not necessary in a professional environment.

The essence of Marshalls work in his new best seller What Got You Here Wont Get you There is his detailed and candid discussion about the twenty habits that interfere with your success. Habits such as telling the world how smart you are all the time, winning too much, making destructive comments, not listening, punishing the messenger, disclosing too much when angry, failing to express gratitude, and passing the buck are some of the behavioral ills that will not help any of us be successful. In summary, the work of Marshall Goldsmith has no therapeutic gimmicks, but it provides a leadership guide that will help immensely and can be used at home, the workplace, and our personal lives.

Professional experience traverses key business disciplines including entrepreneurship, leadership, and strategic management. From a 15 year stint with a start-up developer of software and equipment for the automation and controls industry, which led to several promotions including VP of Sales; to the acquisition of this firm by a Blue Chip company; to managing businesses with P&L accountability for Fortune 100 firms, I have enjoyed a productive career accented by integrity, sales/marketing management, team work, general management, and customer service talents. Recent educational achievements include an MBA from the University of Miami, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification, and ISO 9001 QMS Certification. Please visit my blog at http://biz-think.blogspot.com

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• Time was when my father served the Government from the age of 18 till his death. Time was when my mother retired after two extensions in the government job. Time was when most people considered a job for a life time.
• When I left a Bank job, people taunted me as 'different'. When I left a Public sector job after 8 years I was even 'more different'. 
• Time was when I rejoined a business school evening course after 14 years at different jobs ( 'Lateral students' was not a term in vogue then) I was among a select few.
• Time was when the management institutes were vouching that our ' Students stay longer in the companies.' as a USP.
• Years later when I asked the new Director of the business institute for candidates similar to me - I was shocked to hear ' We don't create any more Jay Parkhe's here'.

I was reading Dr. Marshall Goldsmith's article " We are all entrepreneurs" and some follow up blogs such as the one below:

No response on your job hunt

The excuse "the economy" is just that: An excuse.  Even in the Great Depression, 75 percent to Americans had jobs, including my grandparents, parents and uncles. So, if you're not getting a response to what you're putting together to hunt for a job, you are probably doing one or more things wrong.  Silence means course correction.  And course correction means experimentation.

Unlike the 20th century, the 21st century is a pile-on of change. Consequently anyone who's alert realizes there are no formulas to follow to find a job, keep a job, get another job after losing one. Instead, becoming employed and remaining employed require continual trial and error.  As executive coach Marshall Goldsmith tells his clients: We are all entrepreneurs now.

Trial and error entails reviewing every aspect of a job search.  That includes:

• The kinds of jobs you're applying for.  Maybe they're not the right ones.  Maybe you should consider trying out applying for other kinds and see what happens.
• How you're applying.  Try out a number of kinds of cover letters and resumes.  Track which ones you used where.
• How you're responding if contacted.  Again, try out diverse approaches.  Through this I recognized that what I perceived as enthusiastic, prospective employers saw as frantic or desperate.
• How you follow up after the first pass. A common pitfall, especially for those under-30, is not to follow up or to do that too casually.

Does it help for someone who's happily employed and seems to stay that way to check out what you're doing and not doing?  You bet.  Often you can be so consumed in a job search that you lose perspective.

And I felt whether the time of Employee Loyalty is over?
Many years ago, I heard a politician from Gujarat who had broken loyalty from Congress and Mrs. Gandhi. As a young student when I asked him ( this was in late 70's) he said:

• I am loyal to my ideals and values First,
• Loyalty to organisation, institution comes Next,
• Loyalty to individuals is Last priority for me.

This article, therefore shook me out of my wits and gave me a jolt.  I used to pride in saying to my reportees :

1. When you join an organisation, the first year will go in learning and mastering the trade.
2. Second year is when you begin to Peak - in performance and therefore Rank.
3. At the end of the third year - if you are not going on the set path or if you are Bored - Quit.

Times have indeed changed.

The excuse "the economy" is just that: An excuse.  Even in the Great Depression, 75 percent to Americans had jobs, including my grandparents, parents and uncles. So, if you're not getting a response to what you're putting together to hunt for a job, you are probably doing one or more things wrong.  Silence means course correction.  And course correction means experimentation.

Unlike the 20th century, the 21st century is a pile-on of change. Consequently anyone who's alert realizes there are no formulas to follow to find a job, keep a job, get another job after losing one. Instead, becoming employed and remaining employed require continual trial and error.  As executive coach Marshall Goldsmith tells his clients: We are all entrepreneurs now.

Trial and error entails reviewing every aspect of a job search.  That includes:

• The kinds of jobs you're applying for.  Maybe they're not the right ones.  Maybe you should consider trying out applying for other kinds and see what happens.
• How you're applying.  Try out a number of kinds of cover letters and resumes.  Track which ones you used where.
• How you're responding if contacted.  Again, try out diverse approaches.  Through this I recognized that what I perceived as enthusiastic, prospective employers saw as frantic or desperate.
• How you follow up after the first pass. A common pitfall, especially for those under-30, is not to follow up or to do that too casually.

Does it help for someone who's happily employed and seems to stay that way to check out what you're doing and not doing?  You bet.  Often you can be so consumed in a job search that you lose perspective.

The Value Of A Business Mentor

By Larry Kesslin President & Chief Community Officer of the Let's Talk Business Network You begin your life with no experiences, just an innocent child with the world as your teacher. You are immediately introduced to your parents, your first teachers in this world. As we grow others enter our lives and make an impact, guide us on our journey to ultimately find out what our true meaning and purpose is in life. If you are persistent and aware of your surroundings, you will find these treasured guides along your journey. Over my career I have met many "guides," or mentors. These individuals have had a major impact on my life and my career. I must say that I did not always want to listen, but I am glad that I have traveled this road, and met the mentors that have impacted my life. For me, there have been a few key mentors; first, of course, was my father. A semi-pro athlete and entrepreneur himself, my father taught me that if I didn't enjoy what I was doing to change and find something that thrills me. As I started my business career after college I met numerous individuals that I learned from, but it wasn't until I went to work for the General Electric Company, and met Vince Tullo, did I discover the possibilities of what a mentor/mentee relationship can look like. Vince was more of a guide than a boss. He taught me how to work within the corporation, and what really mattered. I excelled in the corporate world, but deep down I wasn't very happy, and when the time came for me to follow my entrepreneurial journey, Vince was behind me 100 percent. This relationship had a profound effect on my career and me. So, as I started my entrepreneurial journey I knew that finding a mentor for this trip would be crucial. I didn't have to wait very long, as I met one of my current mentors, and one of my business partners, Mitch Schlimer, on a train shortly after resigning from GE. I had still not had my last day with the world's 2nd largest company, and my newest mentor had already appeared. Mitch is the founder and host of the syndicated radio talk show, Let's Talk Business. Mitch has gone through his own journey since we have met, and I believe that in some ways, other than building a business, I have been his mentor as well. But the entrepreneurial journey would not have been as successful as it has been if it weren't for this individual in my life. I tell everyone that I meet that I would have a job by now if it weren't for Mitch. Our relationship is special. We are able to talk on a level that I can with very few people. When you find someone who has the knowledge and experience to help you get to where you want to go, make it happen. Our business, Let's Talk Business Network, is focused on helping entrepreneurs along their journey. I meet entrepreneurs on a regular basis, and the one's that seem to be the most successful are the one's that have learned from those before them. So how do you find your mentor? I don't believe that finding a mentor can be considered a science, but you want to look for a number of key characteristics. Find someone who has accomplished goals that might be similar to yours. Find someone who is open to providing time and energy to help you achieve these goals. Find someone who you are willing to listen to, even when you might not want to. And, find someone who has similar values to you. One of the strongest bonds between my mentors and me has been a shared value system. So, if you are on the entrepreneurial journey and you don't currently have a mentor, find one and see your entrepreneurial dreams come true! Larry Kesslin is the President of the Let's Talk Business Network, an entrepreneurial support community focused on increasing the success rate of small businesses. Having built a corporate career and started a business from scratch, Larry can give the prospective from both sides of the track. You can visit LTBN's Web site www.ltbn.com and listen to their excerpts from the Let's Talk Business Radio Broadcasts.

Peer Mentoring is a form of mentoring that takes place in learning environments such as schools, usually between an older more experienced student and a new student(s). Peer Mentors should not be confused with prefects. Peer mentoring is a good way of practicing social skills for the mentor and help on adapting and settling in for the mentee. Most peer mentors are picked for their sensibility, confidence, social skills and reliability.

Peer mentors appear mainly in secondary schools where students moving up from Junior/Primary schools may need assistance in settling in at the whole new schedule and lifestyle of secondary school life.

Peer mentors benefit from, usually, excellent recommendations from the school they mentored in and it aids admission into university.

The amount of time that peer mentors and mentees meet varies according to the particular mentoring program. Some pairs may make contact once a month, while others may meet 3-4 times per month or more. It is usually advised that mentors and mentees meet more often in the beginning of the relationship, in order to establish a good foundation. Mentors and mentees may maintain contact through email, telephone or in person meetings. Peer mentoring organizations may also set up social events for those participating in the program. These events provide good opportunities for increased social interaction between mentors and mentees.

The compatibility of mentor and mentee is a factor that should be taken into consideration when choosing pairs. Mentors and mentees may benefit from having similar backgrounds, interests and life experiences.

The objectives of a peer mentoring program should be well defined and measurable. The effectiveness of the program should be monitored to ensure that the objectives are being met. One way to monitor the effectivenss of a program is to administer evaluations to the mentors and mentees.

Mentoring is usually done on a volunteer basis, although some institutions pay mentors and offer other benefits. Mentors often undergo training that will help guide them in the mentoring proces

What is Mentoring (some definitions)?       

There are probably as many definitions of mentoring as there are people who work in the field. Basically a mentor is a person who knows a great deal about a particular subject and is willing to share his or her knowledge with another person who knows less about the same subject. Some other definitions are as follows:

"a one-to-one, non-judgmental relationship in which an individual voluntarily gives time to support and encourage another. This is typically developed at a time of transition in the protégé's life, and lasts for a significant and sustained period of time." (Active Community Unit, Home Office);

"support, assistance, advocacy or guidance given by one person to another in order to achieve an objective or several objectives over a period of time" (SOVA);

"an adult who can provide a pupil with the benefit of their life, school or work experience with a view to encouraging them to move confidently through a range of new experiences" (Salford Business Education Partnership);

"off-line help by one person to another in making significant transitions in knowledge, work or thinking." (Megginson and Clutterbuck);

"the support of one individual by another within a personal relationship developed through regular contact over a period of time" (Pan London Standard);

"a process by which an older and more experienced person takes a younger person under his/her wing, freely offering advice, support and encouragement. The older person (the mentor) becomes among other things, a role model who inspires the younger person (the mentee)" (North London College).

      "Mentors are people who through their actions and work, help others to achieve their potential" (Shea, GF);       

"A mentor is someone who helps another person on a one to one basis, usually younger, through an important transition" (The DIVERT Trust);

"A mentor is many things - a positive role model, an adviser, an experienced friend. Somebody from outside a person's immediate circle taking a special interest can make an enormous difference."(Excellence in Schools, 1997).

What Mentors Do

• Set high expectations of performance
• Offer challenging ideas
• Help build self-confidence
• Encourage professional behavior
• Offer friendship
• Listen to personal problems
• Confront negative behaviors and attitudes
• Teach by example
• Provide growth experiences
• Offer quotable quotes
• Explain how the Department/Agency works
• Coach their mentees
• Offer wise counsel
• Stand by their mentees in critical situations
• Encourage winning behavior
• Trigger self-awareness
• Inspire their mentees
• Share critical knowledge
• Offer encouragement
• Assist with their Mentee's careers

Coaching types

Life coaching

Life coaching is a practice with the aim of helping clients determine and achieve personal goals. Life coaches use multiple methods that will help clients with the process of setting and reaching goals. Coaching is not targeted at psychological illness, and coaches are not therapists nor consultants.

Life coaching has roots in executive coaching, which itself drew on techniques developed in management consulting and leadership training.^{[citation needed]} Life coaching also draws inspiration from disciplines including sociology, psychology, positive adult development, career counseling, mentoring, and other types of counseling. The coach may apply mentoring, values assessment, behavior modification, behavior modeling, goal-setting, and other techniques in helping their clients.^{[citation needed]}

Government bodies have not found it necessary to provide a regulatory standard for life coaching, nor does any state body govern the education or training standard for the life coaching industry; the title of "coach" can be used by any service provider. Multiple coaching schools and training programs are available, allowing for many options (and sometimes causing confusion) when an individual decides to gain "certification" or a "credential" as they apply to the coaching industry. Multiple certificates and credential designations are available within the industry. ^[1]

There are six self-appointed accreditation bodies for life coaching: the International Coaching Council (ICC), the International Coach Federation (ICF), the International Association of Coaching (IAC), the Certified Coaches Federation (CCF) and the European Coaching Institute (ECI)International Guild of Coaches (IGC). No independent supervisory board evaluates these programs, and they are all privately owned. These bodies all accredit various coaching schools as well as individual coaches, except the IAC which only accredits individuals.

Some assert that life coaching is akin to psychotherapy without restrictions, oversight, or regulation. The State legislatures of Colorado after holding a hearing on such concerns, disagreed ,^[2] asserting that coaching is unlike therapy because it does not focus on examining nor diagnosing the past. Instead coaching focuses on effecting change in a client's current and future behavior. Additionally, life coaching does not delve into diagnosing mental illness or dysfunctions.

According to a survey of coaching clients, "sounding board" and "motivator" were the top roles selected for a coach. Clients are looking for a coach "to really listen to them and give honest feedback." The top three issues in which clients seek help are time management, career, and business. ^[3]

Personal coaching

Personal Coaching is a relationship which is designed and defined in a relationship agreement between a client and a coach. It is based on the client's expressed interests, goals, and objectives.

Personal Coaching is a learning process. A Personal Coach may use inquiry, reflection, requests and discussion to help clients identify personal and/or business and/or relationship goals, develop strategies, relationships and action plans intended to achieve those goals. A coach provides a place for clients to be held accountable to themselves by monitoring the clients' progress towards implementation of their action plans. Together they evolve and modify the plan to best suit the client's needs and environmental relationships. A Personal Coach acts as a human mirror for clients by sharing an outside and unbiased perspective on what they are observing about their clients. A Personal Coach may teach specific insights and skills to empower the client toward their goals. Finally, a Personal Coach encourages the client to celebrate the achievement of milestones and goals.

Clients are responsible for their own achievements and success. The client takes action; and the coach may assist, but never leads or does more than the client. Therefore, a coach cannot and does not promise that a client will take any specific action or attain specific goals.

Personal Coaching is not counseling, therapy or consulting. These different skill sets and approaches to change may be adjunct skills and professions. The Personal Coach recognizes his/her limitations, and refers the client for other services as ethically required.

Business coaching

Business coaching is the practice of providing support and occasional advice to an individual or group in order to help them recognize ways in which they can improve the effectiveness of their business. Business coaches work to improve leadership, employee accountability, teamwork, sales, communication, goal setting, strategic planning and more. It can be provided in a number of ways, including one-on-one tuition, group coaching sessions and large scale seminars. Business coaches are often called in when a business is perceived to be performing badly, however many businesses recognize the benefits of business coaching even when the organization is successful. Business coaches often specialize in different practice areas such as Executive Coaching, Corporate Coaching, and Leadership Coaching.

At least two organizations, the International Coaching Council (ICC) and the Worldwide Association of Business Coaches (WABC) provide a membership-based association for professionals involved in business coaching. The ICC and WABC also provide an accrediting system for business coach training programs. The ICC has currently over 1,500 members from over 50 countries. Business Coaches can also gain creditability by joining a franchise or firm.

Business coaching is not the same as mentoring. Mentoring involves a developmental relationship between a more experienced "mentor" and a less experienced partner, and typically involves sharing of advice. A business coach can act as a mentor given that he or she has adequate expertise and experience. However, mentoring is not a form of business coaching. A good business coach need not have specific business expertise and experience in the same field as the person receiving the coaching in order to provide quality business coaching services.

Health coaching

Main article: Health coaching

In the world of health and wellness, a health coach is an emerging new role. Health coaching is becoming recognized as a new way to help individuals "manage" their illnesses and conditions, especially those of a chronic nature. In both sports and health, a "coach" is a person who observes, gives objective feedback, teaches, helps to develop a plan of action, and holds another responsible for their actions and commitments. The coach will use special techniques, personal experience, expertise, and encouragement to assist the coachee in bringing his/her behavioral changes about. .^[4]

Dating coaching

Main article: dating coach

Dating coaches are coaches whose job is to direct and train people to improve their success in dating and relationships.

A dating coach directs and trains his/her clients on various aspects of meeting and attracting long-term partners and meeting more compatible prospects. The focus of most programs is on confident and congruent communication.

Dating coaches may focus on topics important to the art of dating: interpersonal skills, flirting, psychology, sociology, compatibility, fashion, and recreational activities.

Neil Strauss in The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists also focuses on neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), theories of persuasion, history, and evolutionary biology, body language, humor and street smarts.

Dating coaches typically charge rates similar to that of other professional counselors (e.g. $75-125/hour).^[5] Seminars involving multiple audience members typically charge less than one-on-one meetings, however.

There has been a stigma attached to those who seek help from dating coaches. Some counterarguments to this stigma are that most people have dating coaches in the form of older siblings, charismatic friends, or honest lovers; and that it is socially acceptable to seek coaches in other, potentially less important aspects of life such as guitar playing.^[6] A response to this is that dating is easier than activities like guitar playing, and coaches should be unnecessary. A counterargument to that response is that there are many people who have been out of the dating world for so long that the techniques that used to work for them (such as going out to bars) no longer work; and some people have barriers that they need to deal with before they can be successful.^[7]

Conflict coaching

Conflict coaching is a specialized niche in both the fields of coaching and conflict management. Conflict coaching may be used in an organizational context, for matrimonial and other relationship matters and is one of many conflict management tools for helping people improve their conflict management skills and abilities. Like many other techniques of this nature, it is premised on the view that conflict provides an opportunity to improve relationships, to create mutually satisfactory solutions and attain other positive outcomes when differences arise between and among people.

Sports coaching

Main article: coach (sports)

In sports, a coach or manager is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.

I was reading this blog on the internet

Click Remembering Success

Sometimes, we have a run of days or weeks where we aren't at our best at work. Perhaps layoff rumors are getting us down. Maybe the new boss is a jerk. Maybe the new position you worked for years to get is far more difficult than you expected. In any case, how do you rise up and return to success?

Marshall Goldsmith wrote a piece in Business Week titled, "Self-Confidence and Success."  In the piece, he highlights how remembering past successes helps to build self-confidence.

Goldsmith discusses how we build "highlight reels" in our memory. When we are really dragging, we pull that reel out and it gives us a boost.

He cites the following examples: "It might be those five minutes in the executive meeting when you had the floor and nailed the argument you wanted to make. (Who wouldn't run that highlight reel in their head as if it were the Sports Center Play of the Day?) It might be your skillfully crafted memo that the CEO praised and routed to everyone in the company."

However, as we tend to remember only the good things, we also need to keep an honest view of ourselves. In group settings, Wilson points out that most overestimate their contribution. Additionally, we also tend to view ourselves better than our peers. This can be very difficult during review periods when we think we deserve top marks, but in reality, we may only be in the middle of the pack.

Wilson provides an excellent piece of parting advice, "Complete this sentence, "I am success because of…," Then complete this sentence, "I am a success in spite of…." By acknowledging our weaknesses, it makes received negative feedback just a little easier.

I went thru Dr. Marshall's session last month and was reflecting on this. In fact, upon return I removed every trophy, every achievement certificate displayed on my walls and I had a good collection of them for over 12 years.  The thought in my mind was - Oh! this is all past success. What have I achieved in the recent past?  What is worth seeing every day?  A quote came to my mind while doing this.. " Don't sit on past laurels, as laurels are soft petals which break once you sit on them". 
I agree when you are low, when we are depressed it is great to go back and visit this Trophy/ success stored  and revisit the lovely memories of success to get back the confidence.  Living the past forever had made me complacent and I felt I must remove these and win some new ones.  The thought was great. It brought a lot of cheer and a great feeling while playing back in the mind how closely contested those wins were.

A Team Needs All kind of them...

Finder, Binder, Minder, Grinder or
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy       or
Thinker, Planner, Executor, Evaluator.
€˜Open, €˜Hidden, €˜Blind’, and â€Unknown

The Hero

Always pushes himself—and, by extension, subordinates—too hard to do too much for too long.

The Meritocrat

Believes that the best ideas can and will be determined objectively and thus will always prevail because of their clear merit; ignores the politics inherent in most situations.

The Bulldozer

There are many individual traits which help us find our Real Self.  Johari Window method can help get an insight into our Real Self and understand others better.

Look at some of the attributes we all possess in varying degrees...

Able, accepting, adaptable, bold, brave, calm, caring, cheerful, clever, complex, confident, dependable, dignified, energetic, extroverted, friendly, giving, happy, helpful, idealistic, independent, ingenious, intelligent, introverted, kind, knowledgeable, logical, loving, mature, modest, nervous, observant, organised, patient, powerful, proud, quiet, reflective, relaxed, religious, responsive, searching, self assertive, self-conscious, sensible, sentimental, shy, silly, spontaneous, sympathetic, tense, trustworthy, warm, wise, witty.

	Known to self	Not known to self
Known to  others	Open	Blind
Not known to  others	Hidden	Unknown

Aren't these some of the adjectives we use to describe others?  Or like or dislike being labelled with one of them?

A Team has ALL kinds of members and in my view does need them ALL.
Coaching can take place around a discussion of the differences between the adjective selected by the individual (or the subject group) and the individual’s peers (or by other groups). The window can be redrawn to reflect the relative sizes of each pane. increasing the size of the open area by reducing the size of the blind area would normally be seen as a benefit. This can be done by the quality of feedback, and the process of disclosure.

Worst Habits of a Boss

Worst Habits of A Boss:

1. Change your mind. Change it several times a day. When reviewing a report, be sure to make comments that run counter to previous ones. Leave the employees guessing. It keeps them alert.

2. Be sure your employees don't know what's important to you. You want the best work possible, period. You don't want them cutting corners just because something isn't very important. Everything is important. Always.

3. If you don't like it, you don't like it. You don't have to explain. They just need to make it "better." If you give them too much direction, how will they learn? For example: "I don't know what you want from me, just make the PowerPoint 'sexier.'"

4. Bring your employees along to all your meetings. But don't let them speak. By not talking, they have to listen. Just like a Dictaphone. Then they can remind you of anything you napped through.

5. Thank your employees -- but only for efforts below their skill level. "Thank you for showing up today." "Nice handwriting on that expense report." Begin the staff meeting by thanking the intern for comb-binding your files.

6. Schedule weekly "all hands" meetings that require half the employees to travel (to you, of course). Agenda: they bring you up to date on what they've been emailing you, but you've been too busy to read. Don't introduce anything new.

7. Ask your tech savvy employees to take time from their projects to set up your home computer, preferably when the maid is there. Ideally, the request includes troubleshooting your kids' iPods.

8. Agree to deadlines and then accelerate them. Ask loudly from the hallway if the document is ready at 4:59pm. Announce: "I'm here late tonight if you want to finish it up."

9. Schedule "critical" meetings a few days before Christmas. Require random employees from around the world to attend. Show up late and decide everyone can reconvene to "close the open issues" on January 2nd.

10. Send emails at 2am. On Sunday. Mark them urgent.

11. Be careful not to get too wrapped up in your employee's own goals. If you're too supportive in helping them develop, they'll leave you for another job. And that's not good management.

Few More Bad Habits:

1. Having judgements clouded by personal animosities and friendships.
2. Raising status of incompetent individuals to that of key management members on the basis of personal likes and dislikes.
3. Communicating with just "one" management member instead of all key people regarding company's progress and updates.
4. Constantly wrapped up in scheming and manipulation thus creating distrust among team members.
5. Instead of praising employees several yeard of hardwork, retaliate with demoralizing comments such as are you a good manager?
6. Accusing competent people of 'constantly compalining' when they approach the boss with their grievances.
7. Believing in the philosophy of promise them everythign but give them nothing.
8. Complete centralization of power.

And Few More...

1) Make office hours 8:30-5:30 then don't give anyone time to eat lunch. Or hassle them if they leave for lunch. Hungry employees don't have the strength to disagree.

2) Ask your creative leaders to come up with creative ideas, then tell them they're wrong and insert your own ideas.

3) Never trust your designers to make judgment calls on color, layout, typography, imagery.

4) Send lots of emails over the weekend and make sure to ask what input they have first thing Monday morning.

5) Push back annual reviews as long as possible, even the next quarter, then don't give back pay for raises. This will improve company financial stability.

6) Demand that employees develop and stick to process but don't follow it yourself. This will keep them second guessing the process.

7) Refuse to use the global calendar, and schedule plenty of meetings for others. Don't tell them until a few minutes before that they are needed in a meeting.

8) Set up a pitch meeting, brief your creative team in the car on the way to the meeting, put them on the spot to come up with strategies in front of the client.

9) DO NOT make in investment in hardware and software. Use intern's student ID to purchase or expect employees to bring in their own.

10) Complain that "no one is killing themselves" on projects when, in fact, they don't even have time to think about what they're doing.

11) Do no research, competitive analysis,or internal reviews. Just "bang stuff out" and bill the client as little as possible. This lets you do two things:
a) always underbid the competition
b) load up on projects

Start a Business in Ten Steps ?

Starting a Business In Ten Easy Steps (Is a Big, Fat Lie) – But Totally Worth It

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The Work of Leadership

The Work of Leadership

Followers want comfort, stability, and solutions from their leaders. But that’s babysitting. Real leaders ask hard questions and knock people out of their comfort zones. Then they manage the resulting distress.

by Ronald A. Heifetz and Donald L. Laurie

What Leaders Really Do

What Leaders Really Do

They don’t make plans; they don’t solve problems; they don’t even organize people. What leaders really do is prepare organizations for change and help them cope as they struggle through it.

by John P. Kotter

Managers and Leaders

Leadership inevitably requires using power to influence the thoughts and actions of other people. Power in the hands of an individual entails human risks: first, the risk of equating power with the ability to get immediate results; second, the risk of ignoring the many different ways people can legitimately accumulate power; and third, the risk of losing self-control in the desire for power. The need to hedge these risks accounts in part for the development of collective leadership and the managerial ethic. Consequently, an inherent conservatism dominates the culture of large organizations. In The Second American Revolution, John D. Rockefeller III describes the conservatism of organizations:

Johari Window

I liked the following articles on this famous model.

Johari Window

Johari Window

Johari Window

Talent and Genius

Stephanie Chick, Professional Coach, as quoted in an interview with Marshall Goldsmith in Business Week (October 14, 2008)

“Talent is a given. Everybody needs it to get in the door. Unleashing genius takes more time and effort and is a messy process. It’s a process of trial and error, and success doesn’t happen overnight. It really requires companies to be committed to figuring out what really drives and motivates their employees and to be patient with the process of self-discovery. Because unleashing employee potential doesn’t follow a linear path.

“You must also provide an open and trusting environment that embraces creativity, flexibility, and self-expression. And finally, you’ve got to be willing to strike a balance between performance and permitting employees to learn from mistakes. Genius is the byproduct of continuous learning and growth and failure is part of learning.”

Lessons from CHAK DE

Lessons From Chakde India

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What Got you here won't get you there.

What got you here won't get you there

The motives behind people's self interest usually can be narrowed down to four items:

1. Money

2. Power

3. Status

4. Popularity

Marshall Goldsmith says that people will not resist change if we invoke the natural law i.e touch their hot button - their self interest.

----------------------

Beliefs that hold us back

This article interested me.

The key points were:

When it comes to our careers, here are the most common limiting beliefs.

1. I am not skilled enough.
2. Hard work is noble.
3. Fulfilling work is for others, not me.
4. Fulfillment comes from my personal life, not my work life.
5. I'm too old to make a major life change.
6. My family and friends will think I'm crazy.   
7. I'm a fraud – my success is a result of the corporate structure, or my tenure.
8. The unknown isn't safe.
9. I'm not sure that I can trust my decisions or choices.
10. I'm afraid of failing in a new role.

"You're either green and growing, or ripe and rotten."

While reading an article about underperformers I came across the phrase " You're either green and growing, or ripe and rotten in the reader comments.

The article The Three Cs of Dealing with Under Performers talks about: Converse, Coach or CAN as a possible approach for the manager. The reader comment also mentions another phrase, " Its not the ones you fire that give you grief, it's the ones you keep!"

Both comments made me think.

I had gone to get my annual check up for my Medical insurance and Home Loan and the doctor I met was a senior MD who runs a polyclinic. While filling up the form he said to me you are a Young Man ! And, I looked up to him with a question.  He explained, I was a MD when you were 3 year old.  He looked very fit and slim eventhough all the hair had turned grey. While doing the TMT ( Tread Mill Test) he advised me to ask them to stop if I get out of breath within the prescribed 9 minutes and start seeing some inverted 'T's' in the ECG. That got me worried. I have had a Achiever's career so far and I chose the new responsibility of a Director as I felt I could create a second line and help them coach, Mentor.  To me Ripe is not Rotten and Rotten is just over ripe. I could not agree with the first comment.

In my General Management Career I have used an approach I call as : C O N S I S T E N T while dealing with the underachievers. It works.

It is not that I have always had an upward rising career path or a very consistent performance track record.  I have seen up and down trends in my profit centres, till I sort of started 'turning around' and started getting assignments which required turning down under regions to go into profitable growth path. Along the way, I saw many Front line and middle managers showing a downtrend in performance. While I like the Converse, Coach, Can approach I tried a few more things as Direct supervisor/ Manager.

A. Consult - Consult the underperformers' peers and get insight into their personal issues which he/ she may not share with the Boss.

B. Organise - Review with the individual their Time Management and their work-life balance related issues and provide assistance in their planning of the day. Breaking down their Quarterly Quotas/ Budgets into Daily Targets helped.

C. Non-performance Areas - Focusing on the individual's strengths was another step. Knowing the strengths and making them speak about them would usually get the person to bring a microscopic focus on their areas of Non-performance.  This would lead to a discussion from which would emerge action points and commitments for improvement.

D. Stress - Closely looking at the travel, mode, traffic, weather, Briefing/ De-briefing sessions with the supervisor/ immediate manager one could understand the physical stress on the individual and it would again bring about some effective actions for de-stressing.

E. Insight - Insight gained from the peer group is a great help and a good 'Ice Breaker'.  It made the juniors feel that the senior is 'empathetic' and has himself gone personal issues.  Revealing oneself with transparency makes people reveal themselves with confidence and the alignment becomes easier.

F. Strategy - Discussing with the individual about their personal life goals, career path, ambitions would provide an opportunity to agree a strategic personal growth strategy with them.

G. Training - Identifying their training needs and inclination for learning was a next step and I would personally engage with the underachievers to hone their skills by discussing every customer transaction/ visit/ meeting/ call or accompany them to watch their actions and review them in the car.  That one on one time was valuable two-way learning for both.

H. Encouragement - Knowing the individual inside out and having an insight into their life goals would create an opportunity to lead them by encouraging them to earn what they wanted to achieve best - Recognition, Awards, Rewards, Incentives, Bonuses, Commissions.

I. Trust - Trust is Zero or 100%. Once both of us felt that we can trust each other - thereafter became easier and the sharing improved. 

The approach C O N S I S T E N T thus underlines the need to know that one should not condemn or write- off / CAN anyone unless we have seriously tried.  It works.

Contrarian Leadership

One of the most respected and sought after executive coaches is Marshall Goldsmith. His primary insight is that good manners is good management. Now you may ask yourself, why would impressive and successful executives need help with manners and behavioral issues? After all they most likely acted out consciously or unconsciously Stephen Coveys Seven Habits of Highly Successful People to get to the position they hold. But dont be misled by the aura of success or turn your back on the human condition and its foibles. Perhaps you have experienced a boss with bad manners?

The advice that Marshall offers is contrarian to the good habits advice offered by other experts, and is built around the bad habits that can derail talented executives and most of us from a successful path. A recent and prominent example of improper behavior at work involves the CEO of Whole Food Market, John Mackey, who got caught posting disparaging comments anonymously on financial bulletin boards that may cost him his job. This incident is tied to one of the bad habits that Marshall advises we must avoid. Winning too much: Marshall points out that our hypercompetitive culture to beat others causes every other behavioral problem, and leads rational men to do irrational things.

Most advice coming from the self-help experts typically deal with the good things that we need to do as opposed to trying to fix the flaws. For example the best seller Now, Discover your Strengths from the Gallup organization is about identifying and applying your strengths because you are only good at some things, and you should not waste your time tying to improve your weaknesses. This approach underestimates the human potential in my opinion, oversimplifies the capacity of most people, and is misapplied in some corporate circles (I speak from experience.)

If you were to participate in a Gallup 2 day seminar to discover your strengths. At the end of the session, you would walk away with a certificate and five identified strengths to focus on. Intuitively you may think of Tiger Woods and golf. Just because Tiger is good at some aspects of the game such as approach or chip shots does not mean that he forgets about driving, putting, or pitch shots. You need to be balanced and well-rounded to win in sports and business, and improving or neutralizing your weaknesses is a win-win proposition for all. There is much good in knowing and playing to your strengths. At the same time there is much to be missed if we do not know our major weaknesses and ignore them.

The logic of Marshalls coaching is centered on the behaviors that hold us back. The key to success lies in the ability to work well with everyone and inspire others. The higher up you go the more of a role model you need to be because living company values is aspirational. Equally important, a leader that engenders collaboration spirit and energizes employees creates great value for the enterprise. Managing knowledge workers who know more than you requires solid people skills, and there is no room for bad manners if you want to succeed in the long-run.

All bad habits boil down to two things: information and emotion. For example, broadcasting strong opinions about colleagues is not smart. Too much information and disclosure driven by emotion is a bad mixture. The information may be honest, but it is not necessary in a professional environment.

The essence of Marshalls work in his new best seller What Got You Here Wont Get you There is his detailed and candid discussion about the twenty habits that interfere with your success. Habits such as telling the world how smart you are all the time, winning too much, making destructive comments, not listening, punishing the messenger, disclosing too much when angry, failing to express gratitude, and passing the buck are some of the behavioral ills that will not help any of us be successful. In summary, the work of Marshall Goldsmith has no therapeutic gimmicks, but it provides a leadership guide that will help immensely and can be used at home, the workplace, and our personal lives.

Professional experience traverses key business disciplines including entrepreneurship, leadership, and strategic management. From a 15 year stint with a start-up developer of software and equipment for the automation and controls industry, which led to several promotions including VP of Sales; to the acquisition of this firm by a Blue Chip company; to managing businesses with P&L accountability for Fortune 100 firms, I have enjoyed a productive career accented by integrity, sales/marketing management, team work, general management, and customer service talents. Recent educational achievements include an MBA from the University of Miami, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification, and ISO 9001 QMS Certification. Please visit my blog at http://biz-think.blogspot.com

Horses Teach The Meaning Of Follow-Ship - Do You Know How To Lead So They Will Follow?
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Is the end of Employee Loyalty Near?

• Time was when my father served the Government from the age of 18 till his death. Time was when my mother retired after two extensions in the government job. Time was when most people considered a job for a life time.
• When I left a Bank job, people taunted me as 'different'. When I left a Public sector job after 8 years I was even 'more different'. 
• Time was when I rejoined a business school evening course after 14 years at different jobs ( 'Lateral students' was not a term in vogue then) I was among a select few.
• Time was when the management institutes were vouching that our ' Students stay longer in the companies.' as a USP.
• Years later when I asked the new Director of the business institute for candidates similar to me - I was shocked to hear ' We don't create any more Jay Parkhe's here'.

I was reading Dr. Marshall Goldsmith's article " We are all entrepreneurs" and some follow up blogs such as the one below:

No response on your job hunt

The excuse "the economy" is just that: An excuse.  Even in the Great Depression, 75 percent to Americans had jobs, including my grandparents, parents and uncles. So, if you're not getting a response to what you're putting together to hunt for a job, you are probably doing one or more things wrong.  Silence means course correction.  And course correction means experimentation.

Unlike the 20th century, the 21st century is a pile-on of change. Consequently anyone who's alert realizes there are no formulas to follow to find a job, keep a job, get another job after losing one. Instead, becoming employed and remaining employed require continual trial and error.  As executive coach Marshall Goldsmith tells his clients: We are all entrepreneurs now.

Trial and error entails reviewing every aspect of a job search.  That includes:

• The kinds of jobs you're applying for.  Maybe they're not the right ones.  Maybe you should consider trying out applying for other kinds and see what happens.
• How you're applying.  Try out a number of kinds of cover letters and resumes.  Track which ones you used where.
• How you're responding if contacted.  Again, try out diverse approaches.  Through this I recognized that what I perceived as enthusiastic, prospective employers saw as frantic or desperate.
• How you follow up after the first pass. A common pitfall, especially for those under-30, is not to follow up or to do that too casually.

Does it help for someone who's happily employed and seems to stay that way to check out what you're doing and not doing?  You bet.  Often you can be so consumed in a job search that you lose perspective.

And I felt whether the time of Employee Loyalty is over?
Many years ago, I heard a politician from Gujarat who had broken loyalty from Congress and Mrs. Gandhi. As a young student when I asked him ( this was in late 70's) he said:

• I am loyal to my ideals and values First,
• Loyalty to organisation, institution comes Next,
• Loyalty to individuals is Last priority for me.

This article, therefore shook me out of my wits and gave me a jolt.  I used to pride in saying to my reportees :

1. When you join an organisation, the first year will go in learning and mastering the trade.
2. Second year is when you begin to Peak - in performance and therefore Rank.
3. At the end of the third year - if you are not going on the set path or if you are Bored - Quit.

Times have indeed changed.

The excuse "the economy" is just that: An excuse.  Even in the Great Depression, 75 percent to Americans had jobs, including my grandparents, parents and uncles. So, if you're not getting a response to what you're putting together to hunt for a job, you are probably doing one or more things wrong.  Silence means course correction.  And course correction means experimentation.

Unlike the 20th century, the 21st century is a pile-on of change. Consequently anyone who's alert realizes there are no formulas to follow to find a job, keep a job, get another job after losing one. Instead, becoming employed and remaining employed require continual trial and error.  As executive coach Marshall Goldsmith tells his clients: We are all entrepreneurs now.

Trial and error entails reviewing every aspect of a job search.  That includes:

• The kinds of jobs you're applying for.  Maybe they're not the right ones.  Maybe you should consider trying out applying for other kinds and see what happens.
• How you're applying.  Try out a number of kinds of cover letters and resumes.  Track which ones you used where.
• How you're responding if contacted.  Again, try out diverse approaches.  Through this I recognized that what I perceived as enthusiastic, prospective employers saw as frantic or desperate.
• How you follow up after the first pass. A common pitfall, especially for those under-30, is not to follow up or to do that too casually.

Does it help for someone who's happily employed and seems to stay that way to check out what you're doing and not doing?  You bet.  Often you can be so consumed in a job search that you lose perspective.

Value of a Business Mentor

The Value Of A Business Mentor

By Larry Kesslin President & Chief Community Officer of the Let's Talk Business Network You begin your life with no experiences, just an innocent child with the world as your teacher. You are immediately introduced to your parents, your first teachers in this world. As we grow others enter our lives and make an impact, guide us on our journey to ultimately find out what our true meaning and purpose is in life. If you are persistent and aware of your surroundings, you will find these treasured guides along your journey. Over my career I have met many "guides," or mentors. These individuals have had a major impact on my life and my career. I must say that I did not always want to listen, but I am glad that I have traveled this road, and met the mentors that have impacted my life. For me, there have been a few key mentors; first, of course, was my father. A semi-pro athlete and entrepreneur himself, my father taught me that if I didn't enjoy what I was doing to change and find something that thrills me. As I started my business career after college I met numerous individuals that I learned from, but it wasn't until I went to work for the General Electric Company, and met Vince Tullo, did I discover the possibilities of what a mentor/mentee relationship can look like. Vince was more of a guide than a boss. He taught me how to work within the corporation, and what really mattered. I excelled in the corporate world, but deep down I wasn't very happy, and when the time came for me to follow my entrepreneurial journey, Vince was behind me 100 percent. This relationship had a profound effect on my career and me. So, as I started my entrepreneurial journey I knew that finding a mentor for this trip would be crucial. I didn't have to wait very long, as I met one of my current mentors, and one of my business partners, Mitch Schlimer, on a train shortly after resigning from GE. I had still not had my last day with the world's 2nd largest company, and my newest mentor had already appeared. Mitch is the founder and host of the syndicated radio talk show, Let's Talk Business. Mitch has gone through his own journey since we have met, and I believe that in some ways, other than building a business, I have been his mentor as well. But the entrepreneurial journey would not have been as successful as it has been if it weren't for this individual in my life. I tell everyone that I meet that I would have a job by now if it weren't for Mitch. Our relationship is special. We are able to talk on a level that I can with very few people. When you find someone who has the knowledge and experience to help you get to where you want to go, make it happen. Our business, Let's Talk Business Network, is focused on helping entrepreneurs along their journey. I meet entrepreneurs on a regular basis, and the one's that seem to be the most successful are the one's that have learned from those before them. So how do you find your mentor? I don't believe that finding a mentor can be considered a science, but you want to look for a number of key characteristics. Find someone who has accomplished goals that might be similar to yours. Find someone who is open to providing time and energy to help you achieve these goals. Find someone who you are willing to listen to, even when you might not want to. And, find someone who has similar values to you. One of the strongest bonds between my mentors and me has been a shared value system. So, if you are on the entrepreneurial journey and you don't currently have a mentor, find one and see your entrepreneurial dreams come true! Larry Kesslin is the President of the Let's Talk Business Network, an entrepreneurial support community focused on increasing the success rate of small businesses. Having built a corporate career and started a business from scratch, Larry can give the prospective from both sides of the track. You can visit LTBN's Web site www.ltbn.com and listen to their excerpts from the Let's Talk Business Radio Broadcasts.

Volunteer Mentor - Peer Mentoring

Peer Mentoring is a form of mentoring that takes place in learning environments such as schools, usually between an older more experienced student and a new student(s). Peer Mentors should not be confused with prefects. Peer mentoring is a good way of practicing social skills for the mentor and help on adapting and settling in for the mentee. Most peer mentors are picked for their sensibility, confidence, social skills and reliability.

Peer mentors appear mainly in secondary schools where students moving up from Junior/Primary schools may need assistance in settling in at the whole new schedule and lifestyle of secondary school life.

Peer mentors benefit from, usually, excellent recommendations from the school they mentored in and it aids admission into university.

The amount of time that peer mentors and mentees meet varies according to the particular mentoring program. Some pairs may make contact once a month, while others may meet 3-4 times per month or more. It is usually advised that mentors and mentees meet more often in the beginning of the relationship, in order to establish a good foundation. Mentors and mentees may maintain contact through email, telephone or in person meetings. Peer mentoring organizations may also set up social events for those participating in the program. These events provide good opportunities for increased social interaction between mentors and mentees.

The compatibility of mentor and mentee is a factor that should be taken into consideration when choosing pairs. Mentors and mentees may benefit from having similar backgrounds, interests and life experiences.

The objectives of a peer mentoring program should be well defined and measurable. The effectiveness of the program should be monitored to ensure that the objectives are being met. One way to monitor the effectivenss of a program is to administer evaluations to the mentors and mentees.

Mentoring is usually done on a volunteer basis, although some institutions pay mentors and offer other benefits. Mentors often undergo training that will help guide them in the mentoring proces

Mentoring - some Definitions.

What is Mentoring (some definitions)?       

There are probably as many definitions of mentoring as there are people who work in the field. Basically a mentor is a person who knows a great deal about a particular subject and is willing to share his or her knowledge with another person who knows less about the same subject. Some other definitions are as follows:

"a one-to-one, non-judgmental relationship in which an individual voluntarily gives time to support and encourage another. This is typically developed at a time of transition in the protégé's life, and lasts for a significant and sustained period of time." (Active Community Unit, Home Office);

"support, assistance, advocacy or guidance given by one person to another in order to achieve an objective or several objectives over a period of time" (SOVA);

"an adult who can provide a pupil with the benefit of their life, school or work experience with a view to encouraging them to move confidently through a range of new experiences" (Salford Business Education Partnership);

"off-line help by one person to another in making significant transitions in knowledge, work or thinking." (Megginson and Clutterbuck);

"the support of one individual by another within a personal relationship developed through regular contact over a period of time" (Pan London Standard);

"a process by which an older and more experienced person takes a younger person under his/her wing, freely offering advice, support and encouragement. The older person (the mentor) becomes among other things, a role model who inspires the younger person (the mentee)" (North London College).

      "Mentors are people who through their actions and work, help others to achieve their potential" (Shea, GF);       

"A mentor is someone who helps another person on a one to one basis, usually younger, through an important transition" (The DIVERT Trust);

"A mentor is many things - a positive role model, an adviser, an experienced friend. Somebody from outside a person's immediate circle taking a special interest can make an enormous difference."(Excellence in Schools, 1997).

What Mentors Do?

What Mentors Do

• Set high expectations of performance
• Offer challenging ideas
• Help build self-confidence
• Encourage professional behavior
• Offer friendship
• Listen to personal problems
• Confront negative behaviors and attitudes
• Teach by example
• Provide growth experiences
• Offer quotable quotes
• Explain how the Department/Agency works
• Coach their mentees
• Offer wise counsel
• Stand by their mentees in critical situations
• Encourage winning behavior
• Trigger self-awareness
• Inspire their mentees
• Share critical knowledge
• Offer encouragement
• Assist with their Mentee's careers

Types of Coaching

Coaching types

Life coaching

Life coaching is a practice with the aim of helping clients determine and achieve personal goals. Life coaches use multiple methods that will help clients with the process of setting and reaching goals. Coaching is not targeted at psychological illness, and coaches are not therapists nor consultants.

Life coaching has roots in executive coaching, which itself drew on techniques developed in management consulting and leadership training.^{[citation needed]} Life coaching also draws inspiration from disciplines including sociology, psychology, positive adult development, career counseling, mentoring, and other types of counseling. The coach may apply mentoring, values assessment, behavior modification, behavior modeling, goal-setting, and other techniques in helping their clients.^{[citation needed]}

Government bodies have not found it necessary to provide a regulatory standard for life coaching, nor does any state body govern the education or training standard for the life coaching industry; the title of "coach" can be used by any service provider. Multiple coaching schools and training programs are available, allowing for many options (and sometimes causing confusion) when an individual decides to gain "certification" or a "credential" as they apply to the coaching industry. Multiple certificates and credential designations are available within the industry. ^[1]

There are six self-appointed accreditation bodies for life coaching: the International Coaching Council (ICC), the International Coach Federation (ICF), the International Association of Coaching (IAC), the Certified Coaches Federation (CCF) and the European Coaching Institute (ECI)International Guild of Coaches (IGC). No independent supervisory board evaluates these programs, and they are all privately owned. These bodies all accredit various coaching schools as well as individual coaches, except the IAC which only accredits individuals.

Some assert that life coaching is akin to psychotherapy without restrictions, oversight, or regulation. The State legislatures of Colorado after holding a hearing on such concerns, disagreed ,^[2] asserting that coaching is unlike therapy because it does not focus on examining nor diagnosing the past. Instead coaching focuses on effecting change in a client's current and future behavior. Additionally, life coaching does not delve into diagnosing mental illness or dysfunctions.

According to a survey of coaching clients, "sounding board" and "motivator" were the top roles selected for a coach. Clients are looking for a coach "to really listen to them and give honest feedback." The top three issues in which clients seek help are time management, career, and business. ^[3]

Personal coaching

Personal Coaching is a relationship which is designed and defined in a relationship agreement between a client and a coach. It is based on the client's expressed interests, goals, and objectives.

Personal Coaching is a learning process. A Personal Coach may use inquiry, reflection, requests and discussion to help clients identify personal and/or business and/or relationship goals, develop strategies, relationships and action plans intended to achieve those goals. A coach provides a place for clients to be held accountable to themselves by monitoring the clients' progress towards implementation of their action plans. Together they evolve and modify the plan to best suit the client's needs and environmental relationships. A Personal Coach acts as a human mirror for clients by sharing an outside and unbiased perspective on what they are observing about their clients. A Personal Coach may teach specific insights and skills to empower the client toward their goals. Finally, a Personal Coach encourages the client to celebrate the achievement of milestones and goals.

Clients are responsible for their own achievements and success. The client takes action; and the coach may assist, but never leads or does more than the client. Therefore, a coach cannot and does not promise that a client will take any specific action or attain specific goals.

Personal Coaching is not counseling, therapy or consulting. These different skill sets and approaches to change may be adjunct skills and professions. The Personal Coach recognizes his/her limitations, and refers the client for other services as ethically required.

Business coaching

Business coaching is the practice of providing support and occasional advice to an individual or group in order to help them recognize ways in which they can improve the effectiveness of their business. Business coaches work to improve leadership, employee accountability, teamwork, sales, communication, goal setting, strategic planning and more. It can be provided in a number of ways, including one-on-one tuition, group coaching sessions and large scale seminars. Business coaches are often called in when a business is perceived to be performing badly, however many businesses recognize the benefits of business coaching even when the organization is successful. Business coaches often specialize in different practice areas such as Executive Coaching, Corporate Coaching, and Leadership Coaching.

At least two organizations, the International Coaching Council (ICC) and the Worldwide Association of Business Coaches (WABC) provide a membership-based association for professionals involved in business coaching. The ICC and WABC also provide an accrediting system for business coach training programs. The ICC has currently over 1,500 members from over 50 countries. Business Coaches can also gain creditability by joining a franchise or firm.

Business coaching is not the same as mentoring. Mentoring involves a developmental relationship between a more experienced "mentor" and a less experienced partner, and typically involves sharing of advice. A business coach can act as a mentor given that he or she has adequate expertise and experience. However, mentoring is not a form of business coaching. A good business coach need not have specific business expertise and experience in the same field as the person receiving the coaching in order to provide quality business coaching services.

Health coaching

Main article: Health coaching

In the world of health and wellness, a health coach is an emerging new role. Health coaching is becoming recognized as a new way to help individuals "manage" their illnesses and conditions, especially those of a chronic nature. In both sports and health, a "coach" is a person who observes, gives objective feedback, teaches, helps to develop a plan of action, and holds another responsible for their actions and commitments. The coach will use special techniques, personal experience, expertise, and encouragement to assist the coachee in bringing his/her behavioral changes about. .^[4]

Dating coaching

Main article: dating coach

Dating coaches are coaches whose job is to direct and train people to improve their success in dating and relationships.

A dating coach directs and trains his/her clients on various aspects of meeting and attracting long-term partners and meeting more compatible prospects. The focus of most programs is on confident and congruent communication.

Dating coaches may focus on topics important to the art of dating: interpersonal skills, flirting, psychology, sociology, compatibility, fashion, and recreational activities.

Neil Strauss in The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists also focuses on neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), theories of persuasion, history, and evolutionary biology, body language, humor and street smarts.

Dating coaches typically charge rates similar to that of other professional counselors (e.g. $75-125/hour).^[5] Seminars involving multiple audience members typically charge less than one-on-one meetings, however.

There has been a stigma attached to those who seek help from dating coaches. Some counterarguments to this stigma are that most people have dating coaches in the form of older siblings, charismatic friends, or honest lovers; and that it is socially acceptable to seek coaches in other, potentially less important aspects of life such as guitar playing.^[6] A response to this is that dating is easier than activities like guitar playing, and coaches should be unnecessary. A counterargument to that response is that there are many people who have been out of the dating world for so long that the techniques that used to work for them (such as going out to bars) no longer work; and some people have barriers that they need to deal with before they can be successful.^[7]

Conflict coaching

Conflict coaching is a specialized niche in both the fields of coaching and conflict management. Conflict coaching may be used in an organizational context, for matrimonial and other relationship matters and is one of many conflict management tools for helping people improve their conflict management skills and abilities. Like many other techniques of this nature, it is premised on the view that conflict provides an opportunity to improve relationships, to create mutually satisfactory solutions and attain other positive outcomes when differences arise between and among people.

Sports coaching

Main article: coach (sports)

In sports, a coach or manager is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.

Flashback and revisit Past successes rebuilds self confidence

I was reading this blog on the internet

Click Remembering Success

Sometimes, we have a run of days or weeks where we aren't at our best at work. Perhaps layoff rumors are getting us down. Maybe the new boss is a jerk. Maybe the new position you worked for years to get is far more difficult than you expected. In any case, how do you rise up and return to success?

Marshall Goldsmith wrote a piece in Business Week titled, "Self-Confidence and Success."  In the piece, he highlights how remembering past successes helps to build self-confidence.

Goldsmith discusses how we build "highlight reels" in our memory. When we are really dragging, we pull that reel out and it gives us a boost.

He cites the following examples: "It might be those five minutes in the executive meeting when you had the floor and nailed the argument you wanted to make. (Who wouldn't run that highlight reel in their head as if it were the Sports Center Play of the Day?) It might be your skillfully crafted memo that the CEO praised and routed to everyone in the company."

However, as we tend to remember only the good things, we also need to keep an honest view of ourselves. In group settings, Wilson points out that most overestimate their contribution. Additionally, we also tend to view ourselves better than our peers. This can be very difficult during review periods when we think we deserve top marks, but in reality, we may only be in the middle of the pack.

Wilson provides an excellent piece of parting advice, "Complete this sentence, "I am success because of…," Then complete this sentence, "I am a success in spite of…." By acknowledging our weaknesses, it makes received negative feedback just a little easier.

I went thru Dr. Marshall's session last month and was reflecting on this. In fact, upon return I removed every trophy, every achievement certificate displayed on my walls and I had a good collection of them for over 12 years.  The thought in my mind was - Oh! this is all past success. What have I achieved in the recent past?  What is worth seeing every day?  A quote came to my mind while doing this.. " Don't sit on past laurels, as laurels are soft petals which break once you sit on them". 
I agree when you are low, when we are depressed it is great to go back and visit this Trophy/ success stored  and revisit the lovely memories of success to get back the confidence.  Living the past forever had made me complacent and I felt I must remove these and win some new ones.  The thought was great. It brought a lot of cheer and a great feeling while playing back in the mind how closely contested those wins were.

Interesting article - different point of view on Mentoring