What's Your Learning Style? : Quiz; Jan'08

1.When I operate new equipment I generally:

1. read the instructions first
2. listen to an explanation from someone who has used it before
3. go ahead and have a go, I can figure it out as I use it

2. When I need directions for travelling I usually:

1. look at a map
2. ask for spoken directions
3. follow my nose and maybe use a compass

3. When I cook a new dish, I like to:

1. follow a written recipe
2. call a friend for an explanation
3. follow my instincts, testing as I cook

4. If I am teaching someone something new, I tend to:

1. write instructions down for them
2. give them a verbal explanation
3. demonstrate first and then let them have a go

5. I tend to say:

1. watch how I do it
2. listen to me explain
3. you have a go

6. During my free time I most enjoy:

1. going to museums and galleries
2. listening to music and talking to my friends
3. playing sport or doing DIY

7. When I go shopping for clothes, I tend to:

1. imagine what they would look like on
2. discuss them with the shop staff
3. try them on and test them out

8. When I am choosing a holiday I usually:

1. read lots of brochures
2. listen to recommendations from friends
3. imagine what it would be like to be there

9. If I was buying a new car, I would:

1. read reviews in newspapers and magazines
2. discuss what I need with my friends
3. test-drive lots of different types

10. When I am learning a new skill, I am most comfortable:

1. watching what the teacher is doing
2. talking through with the teacher exactly what I’m supposed to do
3. giving it a try myself and work it out as I go

11. If I am choosing food off a menu, I tend to:

1. imagine what the food will look like
2. talk through the options in my head or with my partner
3. imagine what the food will taste like

12. When I listen to a band, I can’t help:

1. watching the band members and other people in the audience
2. listening to the lyrics and the beats
3. moving in time with the music

13. When I concentrate, I most often:

1. focus on the words or the pictures in front of me
2. discuss the problem and the possible solutions in my head
3. move around a lot, fiddle with pens and pencils and touch things

14. I choose household furnishings because I like:

1. their colours and how they look
2. the descriptions the sales-people give me
3. their textures and what it feels like to touch them

15. My first memory is of:

1. looking at something
2. being spoken to
3. doing something

16. When I am anxious, I:

1. visualise the worst-case scenarios
2. talk over in my head what worries me most
3. can’t sit still, fiddle and move around constantly

17. I feel especially connected to other people because of:

1. how they look
2. what they say to me
3. how they make me feel

18. When I have to revise for an exam, I generally:

1. write lots of revision notes and diagrams
2. talk over my notes, alone or with other people
3. imagine making the movement or creating the formula

19. If I am explaining to someone I tend to:

1. show them what I mean
2. explain to them in different ways until they understand
3. encourage them to try and talk them through my idea as they do it

20. I really love:

1. watching films, photography, looking at art or people watching
2. listening to music, the radio or talking to friends
3. taking part in sporting activities, eating fine foods and wines or dancing

21. Most of my free time is spent:

1. watching television
2. talking to friends
3. doing physical activity or making things

22. When I first contact a new person, I usually:

1. arrange a face to face meeting
2. talk to them on the telephone
3. try to get together whilst doing something else, such as an activity or a meal

23. I first notice how people:

1. look and dress
2. sound and speak
3. stand and move

24. If I am angry, I tend to:

1. keep replaying in my mind what it is that has upset me
2. raise my voice and tell people how I feel
3. stamp about, slam doors and physically demonstrate my anger

25. I find it easiest to remember:

1. faces
2. names
3. things I have done

26. I think that you can tell if someone is lying if:

1. they avoid looking at you
2. their voices changes
3. they give me funny vibes

27. When I meet an old friend:

1. I say “it’s great to see you!”
2. I say “it’s great to hear from you!”
3. I give them a hug or a handshake

28. I remember things best by:

1. writing notes or keeping printed details
2. saying them aloud or repeating words and key points in my head
3. doing and practising the activity or imagining it being done

29. If I have to complain about faulty goods, I am most comfortable:

1. writing a letter
2. complaining over the phone
3. taking the item back to the store or posting it to head office

30. I tend to say:

1. I see what you mean
2. I hear what you are saying
3. I know how you feel

Scoring Key

Add up how many 1 ’s, 2 ’s and 3 ’s you selected.    1’s =_____  2’s =_____  3’s =_____

If you chose mostly 1 ’s you have a VISUAL learning style. If you chose mostly 2 ’s you have an AUDITORY learning style. If you chose mostly 3 ’s you have a KINAESTHETIC learning style.

Interpretation
The VAK learning styles model suggests that most people have one of three preferred styles of learning. Some people have a very strong preference; other people have a more even mixture of two or less commonly, three styles. When you know your preferred learning style(s) you understand the type of learning that best suits you. This enables you to choose the types of learning that work best for you. The three styles are as follows, (and there is no right or wrong learning style):

• Visual learning style person has a preference for seen or observed things, including pictures, diagrams, demonstrations, displays, handouts, films, flip-chart, etc. These people will use phrases such as ‘show me’, ‘let’s have a look at that’ and will be best able to perform a new task after reading the instructions or watching someone else do it first. These are the people who will work from lists and written directions and instructions.
• Auditory learning style person has a preference for the transfer of information through listening: to the spoken word, of self or others, of sounds and noises. These people will use phrases such as ‘tell me’, ‘let’s talk it over’ and will be best able to perform a new task after listening to instructions from an expert. These are the people who are happy being given spoken instructions over the telephone, and can remember all the words to songs that they hear!
• Kinaesthetic learning style person has a preference for physical experience - touching, feeling, holding, doing, practical hands-on experiences. These people will use phrases such as ‘let me try’, ‘how do you feel?’ and will be best able to perform a new task by going ahead and trying it out, learning as they go. These are the people who like to experiment, hands-on, and never look at the instructions first.

The Art of Happiness: Book Review; Jan'08

Title:The Art of Happiness, A Handbook For Living

Author:HH Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler

Publication details:  Hodder and Stoughton, Great Britain, 1998

Number of pages:269 pages

I have a loving family, good friends, interesting job and a nice life. Yet I find myself yearning for that elusive happiness. So this New Year I was delighted to find amazing ideas in the book ‘The Art of Happiness’, for including a ‘happiness’ related resolution. In this book H.H. the Dalai Lama, one of the world’s great spiritual leaders and a Nobel Peace Prize winner in collaboration with a renowned psychiatrist from the West brings to us the key to ever lasting happiness in life. As professionals this is relevant to us because given the pressures and challenges of today’s everyday life we must not only focus on developing ‘work skills’ but also ‘life skills’ to be effective.

The book begins with the assertion that “the very purpose of life is to seek happiness… A state of happiness that remains despite life’s ups and downs…” It discusses the true sources of happiness like inner feeling of contentment, a sense of self worth etc., while illustrating the harmful effects of a comparing mind. Surprisingly rather than just recommending a spiritual path to attain happiness, Dalai Lama takes a rational approach by emphasizing learning and extensive practice ie., systematic training of the mind for happiness by cultivating positive mental states such as forgiveness, by discovering new perspectives, developing flexible thinking, finding meaning in pain and suffering etc.

Principles of Tibetan Buddhism are applied to everyday problems like anger, anxiety, insecurity, loneliness, loss and depression to help achieve balance and complete mental and spiritual freedom. For instance, the book offers chronic worriers this solution: “If there is a solution to a problem there is no need to worry. If there is no solution, there is no sense in worrying either.” While talking about dealing with anxiety Dalai Lama says "If I'm anxious before giving a talk, I'll remind myself … the aim of giving the lecture is to be of at least some benefit to the people, not for showing off my knowledge. So those points which I know, I'll explain....With that motivation, I don't have to worry about appearing foolish or care about what others think of me. So I've found that sincere motivation acts as an antidote to reduce fear and anxiety."

We get to understand Dalai Lama’s beliefs like human nature is predominantly gentle and compassionate. Seeing others around us in this light helps us gain trust in our fellow humans and feel safe and assured, making us feel happier. Much suffering could be eliminated by remembering that while we are all somehow different, fundamentally we are all human.

Through conversations, stories, and meditations Dalai Lama shows us how to ride above life’s obstacles and Cutler substantiates these with his interpretations, scientific evidence and case studies from his own practice. For instance Dalai Lama’s assertion that romantic love is negative is substantiated with the case study of one of Cutler’s depression patients, who after falling in love got better, but got worse when his girlfriend broke up with him.

As the apparently simplistic solutions unfold in the book you realize they are not that simple and slowly but surely a coherent and profound philosophy of living takes shape - having ethical discipline, reaching out to others, understanding and cultivating what gives meaning to our life, basically being a good human being. Different aspects like family, work, relationships, pursuit of wealth etc are discussed. Dalai Lama also gives practical tips like realizing the usefulness of compassion, understanding our dependence on others, maintaining closeness with as many people as possible etc in order to develop warmth and compassion.

May you find happiness after reading the book, for as the authors put it “search for happiness offers benefits not only for individual but for individual’s family and for society at large.”

Career Planning for Effective Career Development: Feature Article; Jan '08

We are experiencing one of the most exciting times in the Indian workplace. One need not keep doing the same thing for years together. One need not only aspire to become a doctor or an engineer. If you want to change jobs there are umpteen jobs to choose from. If you want to improve yourself professionally there are lots of career development opportunities. Economy, lifestyles, work needs… everything seems to be changing rapidly. In such a scenario is there a need for career planning? Yes, and we will find out why.

Career planning involves assessing personal strengths, values, aspirations; establishing career goals; and identifying the steps needed to achieve them. During periods of rapid change and exciting possibilities, a career plan can keep you focused on the important things that matter to you. It provides you with clarity to make informed choices when good opportunities emerge and helps you monitor your career development effectively. Planning your career helps you achieve your potential and avoid the boredom, disillusionment, frustration and stress that can occur on account of failing to achieve your potential.

Where should we plan our careers?

Should the career be planned within the context of a single organization or several organizations? Whether it is in a single or several organizations, what is important is that careers should be planned for fairly long tenures rather than short ones in any organization.

Short stints with organizations neither give individuals adequate time to do meaningful career planning or adequate time to understand organization culture etc to make an impact through one’s contributions. Understandably in the initial stages of one’s career we try out a few jobs before finding what is suitable for us. But frequent shifting of jobs in later stages of one’s career can be detrimental to one’s career development and can in fact indicate a lack of effective career planning. Does this mean that we should remain in an organization even when our career is stagnating? Of course not, after a reasonable time period, one should move for the right reasons like significant increase in responsibility.

How do we plan our careers?

The following steps can help us plan our careers effectively:-

Understand yourself and your needs: The foundation of your career plan should be your understanding of who you are (your strengths/limitations, attitudes, personality), what is important to you (your values), your dreams and hopes for the future. Think about your current obligations and commitments and what they will be in future? Where do you see yourself in the short, medium and long term? Reflecting on your experiences and self-assessment tools can aid you in this stage.

Assess where you are currently: Before you undertake any planning, realistically identifying your starting point is important. A good place to begin is to make an inventory of your knowledge, skills and experience. Then take stock of whether your current career path allows you the lifestyle you seek, is the number of times you are able to engage in activities you are passionate about while you are at work adequate, does your current job have more likes or dislikes, how close is your job to your dream job etc

Get information on available opportunities and options: Now that you know what is the gap between what you want (eg., managerial responsibility) and what you have (eg., good technical skills but no managerial skills) research thoroughly on available opportunities (eg., managerial skills workshop, managerial positions within the same company, a good manager who you can learn from) that can help you bridge the gap. Remember to also explore not so obvious opportunities like coaching new juniors and part-time, job share, or flexible employment.

Set goals and prepare an action plan: This stage is where you develop a picture of yourself and your career. Goals can be knowledge based (eg., wanting to master the field of human resources in two years) skill based (eg., developing soft skills required to lead a team) or hierarchical based (eg., wanting to head an HR department in 10 years time). Based on the opportunities available to you and your current situation you can prepare an action plan to achieve those goals. Action plans could include development activities like acquiring additional qualification (eg., a post graduation in HR), relevant experience ( eg., obtaining a transfer to the HR department from administration department) etc or making a career move like changing jobs and fields.

A short-term career plan focuses on the coming year or the next few years and involves developing realistic, time bound and specific goals that you can meet in the near future. Long-term career planning usually involves a planning window of five years or more and involves a broader set of career goals. Since businesses and workplaces are changing rapidly, the skills that you have or plan for today may not be in demand years from now. So, long-term career planning should be more about identifying and developing core skills like problem solving that employers will always value.

Take action: Next step is to execute your plan. Hard work and discipline in sticking to your action plan will help you in this stage. Sharing your plan with your family and close friends can increase your commitment to it and also help you get adequate support from them. For instance studying for an additional degree may mean less of family time. To accomplish this you will need your family’s understanding and support.

Periodically review career progress: Even if you are acting as per your plans do not forget to review your goals and plans regularly. This is essential since your experiences and changing circumstances may make you realize that you have discovered talents you did not realize you had, that some skills have become redundant, that new and exciting opportunities have emerged and so on. If goals have become obsolete, do not think twice before setting new ones. Priorities also change over a period time. While learning might be the primary objective during the initial years of your career, leadership, status, power might be what you desire at later stages.

Tips for effective career planning

You can make use of the following tips that people have found useful over the years:-

• Free yourself from all career barriers: These barriers could be personal barriers (such as lack of motivation, apathy or procrastination), family pressure (such as expectations to work in the family business or follow a certain career path), and peer pressure.

• Be practical: It is possible that you may have unrealistic aspirations. Do a reality check with your colleagues, mentors, family and friends.

• Do not take a limited view: You may view yourself as only occupying one type of job and this can narrow career ambitions dramatically. There are instances where people have had 2 career paths, both totally different from each other.

• Be flexible: Nowadays rapid changes in the nature of work and organizations are common. Over-detailed planning can leave little or no scope for responding to changes in circumstances.

• Do not depend on others recognizing your potential: If you think your bosses will recognize your potential, you are wrong. He/she may, but it is important you yourself recognize and nurture your potential.

• Assume responsibility for your own career development: Blaming your company for not developing your career is like blaming your teacher for your failure in a subject.

• Do not take unnecessary risks: Definitely experiment, but make informed choices about your career. You want to start your own venture. Go ahead! But do your homework thoroughly for the same.

• Be alert: Career development is not a one-time activity. So, you need to continuously keep a track of the emerging trends in your industry, work concepts and its effect on employment.

• Be an opportunist: While you are implementing your career plan, make sure that you do not ignore good career opportunities that present themselves. If an exciting career opportunity comes up in your field, make sure you are equipped to seize it.

Conclusion

We plan when go for a holiday and we also plan for our child’s birthday party. Should we then not plan for the important but not so urgent things in our life like our career development? I am of the opinion that we must. A career is the way in which our work life or professional achievements progress. And leaving this to chance instead of systematic planning is foolhardy.

References

• Oct 1, 2005, ‘Working out a career plan.(Checklist 061)’, http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-5203204/Working-out-a-career-plan.html, Chartered Management Institute: Checklists: Personal Effectiveness and Development.
• ‘Career Planning - Avoiding dead end careers’, http://www.mindtools.com/stress/pj/CareerPlanning.htm.
• Suryanarayanan, M, ‘Effective Career Planning: Taking responsibility for your Career’, http://www.hinduonnet.com/jobs/0204/05030033.htm.

Ask the Expert: Nov'07

1. I have motivated team members who work on client projects. However at times I am unable to allot my team members to any projects due to lack of any immediate project requirements. When they are on bench, how do I still keep them motivated?

There are different ways to keep employees motivated during slack periods. Firstly ask them if they would like to do anything in particular. If not based on your understanding of the team member’s development needs and ability to contribute to other areas in the company you can suggest any of the following activities:-

• Internal projects: Allocate your team members to internal projects related to process improvements or R and D activities like development of a new service or product. They could also work on cross functional projects like six sigma or non technical projects like being part of the team revamping the performance management system of the organization. The key here is to get them to understand that these projects are as important as client projects and you would be giving them equal weightage during performance appraisals. Also, improvement projects require inputs from professionals who have worked on engagements and all contributions to organization capability building are critical.

• Job rotation: If the person has always been on projects then giving him a perspective of other jobs will help him enhance his repertoire of skills. For instance for a software developer you can look at temporary roles in quality, system administration, training or pre-sales functions.

• Self development activities: They can devote some time on self development activities like attending relevant training programs, broadening their skill base,  getting certified in their technical areas, accompanying and observing senior team members when they interact with customers, top management etc. HR can even facilitate exercises that your team members can undertake to know themselves better.

• Leave: This is also a good time to suggest they take that much awaited vacation.

 2. I am an executive and want to move up in my career? I am told that among other things I need to develop a better business perspective to do that. What is this business perspective? How can I improve my business perspective?

Broadly speaking business perspective is when you develop broader knowledge beyond that of one’s function and job. It entails understanding business metrics. But what is important is to use the knowledge gained to ensure that the tasks that you accomplish meet business needs wherever possible and to align operations to maximize business impact.

I agree with you that by developing a better business perspective you will be able to take on higher levels of responsibilities. Simply because it will help you contribute better towards meeting your company goals.

By being aware that you need to develop business perspective you have taken the first step towards building it.  There are several ways to improve your business perspective. Some of them are listed below:-

• Take initiative to know your company’s business plans and understand the implications of the same on your own functional area. Your manager can help you with this if you do not know where to get hold of the business plans.
• Try to understand interconnection between various departments by spending time with people from other departments to understand what they do.
• Scan the environment for market/competitor trends by reading business sections of the newspaper and business magazines, talking to other people in the industry etc.
• For any task ask yourself how it is being affected by the business scenario. If required, seek clarifications with others in the company known to have good business perspective, on the same.

3. When my subordinate gets angry with his colleagues or is frustrated by small office conflicts he simply walks away from the job site. I am to blame for this pattern of behavior since I allowed it once so that he could calm down. But now he is doing it repeatedly. How do I deal with it?

It is good that you tried to find a way to help him calm down. But walking off the job permits him to avoid work and the conflict situation. Maybe that is the reason he leaves the job site.  In other words, if at other times he gets along fine with everybody; maybe he leaves the job site because he wants to avoid conflicts due to his inability to handle interpersonal stress.

Meet with him to understand from him why he walks away. Check whether your hypothesis is right? If yes, establish a different expectation for managing interpersonal stress. Recommend him to a training program on managing interpersonal conflicts.

Whatever the reason be, you must clarify what you expect from him in situations like this and also help him find other productive ways to manage interpersonal problems that he comes across at office. Let him know that walking away from the job site is no longer acceptable. Make him understand how this behavior of his interferes with productivity. Tell him that you expect him to cooperate with fellow workers and manage difficulties in the office while remaining on the job site.  

Encourage and reinforce any positive behavior that he exhibits after your discussion. Consider formal counseling if unacceptable behavior continues.

SWOT Analysis: Management Funda; Nov'07

What does it mean

SWOT Analysis is a powerful but simple strategic planning technique used for evaluating the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of any context - a business venture, a project or any activity. Strengths and weaknesses are often internal, while opportunities and threats often relate to external factors. Hence the SWOT Analysis is sometimes called Internal-External Analysis and the SWOT Matrix (refer below) is called an IE Matrix. This tool can even aid in your career planning by helping you utilize your talents, abilities and opportunities in the best possible way. How? Let’s find out!

How does one use SWOT

• You need to start by defining a desired objective like choosing between two business ventures that you want to work on or determining your firm’s business strategy.

• Then create a SWOT matrix as illustrated below. We have taken as an example here a small internet business that mostly employs contractors.

• Strengths need to be maintained, built upon or leveraged. So maintain low overheads by changing pay structure to include performance bonus.
• Weaknesses need to be remedied or stopped. We can consider implementing project planning system.
• Opportunities need to be prioritized and optimized. Testing new market with one existing service would be a good idea.
• Threats need to be countered or minimised. Maybe we can look at including contractors in performance based bonus schemes.

• Next review your SWOT matrix in order to create an action plan to address each of the four areas. Determine what needs to be done on a priority basis or what is a better option between two options. Let’s consider our example.

• You can then use another decision making tool to help you plan further.

Effectively using SWOT analysis

Some key points to remember while using SWOT Analysis are:-

• It is easy to get lost in compiling lists rather than thinking about what is actually important in achieving objectives. If the desired end state is not defined, the participants doing SWOT analysis may have different end states in mind and the results will be ineffective.

• SWOT also presents lists without prioritization. For example, weak opportunities may appear to balance strong threats. Just remember only SWOT items that produce valuable strategies are important.

• SWOT analysis may limit the strategies considered. You might conclude that you have done adequate planning and ignore aspects like calculating ROI for alternate strategies.

• SWOTs are sometimes confused with possible strategies. SWOTs are descriptions of conditions, while possible strategies define actions.

Where can I use it

You would be surprised to know that apart from using it for business planning there are many ways you can use SWOT analysis for professional and personal effectiveness.

To construct your own SWOT analysis for your career planning, examine your strengths and weaknesses. How can you capitalize on your strengths and overcome your weaknesses? What are the external opportunities and threats in your career field?  

Think of the times you wanted to change an existing practice. Wouldn’t SWOT analysis have helped you determine the best course of action? In fact it is a good way of involving other people in a change process. Or think of the times when you started a project and in the middle of the project encountered problems. If you had done a SWOT analysis identifying threats at the beginning you could possibly have avoided the problems.

People have found SWOT useful for determining strategic directions for their team and department. You are faced with umpteen situations where you have to choose between two options right? Next time you have to choose between 2 job applicants who both seem to fit the bill try using SWOT. I guess by now you have ideas of your own as to where you can use SWOT analysis. Happy analyzing!

References

• SWOT analysis, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWOT_analysis.
• Swinton, L, “How To Do A SWOT Analysis: Strategic Planning Made Easy”, http://www.mftrou.com/how-to-do-a-SWOT-analysis.html.
• SWOT analysis, http://www.managementresources.org/universal.php?c=11&a=46.
• S. Hansen,R and. and Hansen,K “Using a SWOT Analysis in Your Career Planning”, http://www.quintcareers.com/SWOT_Analysis.html.

Employee Speak: Chandru Kini, CEO, LifeKen, Bangalore

 http://www.lifeken.com/

About the company: LifeKen was born as a dream of two promoters – Chandru Kini and A. Suryanarayanan. LifeKen is a Retail Pharmaceutical Chain that operates in total 82 Stores in Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai. It is actively pursuing the opening of its Retail Pharmaceutical Chain in the cities of Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad and Kochi. Plans are on the anvil to expand to other cities in the South and West and thereafter to the North and East.
     
 

1. How was LifeKen conceptualized? What prompted (Surya and) you to start this venture?

Surya and I ventured into this since we were both entrepreneurs at heart, and were passionate about starting something of our own. A great deal of hands on research was required for establishing a retail pharmaceutical chain like LifeKen. A model pharmacy was set up in Jan 2004. With the success of the model pharmacy, we were granted funding by the Modi’s family, based out of Mumbai. They have put in their personal investments into our venture. Mr Pranab Modi is on the board of directors for LifeKen.

It has been an eventful ride since then. We were also inspired by the success stories of various other retail pharmaceutical chains that were born in India in the last few years.

2. What is the unique experience LifeKen offers to its customers or its unique selling proposition as compared to other retail pharmacies?

Apart from the pharmacies that are successfully operating in the various cities, we have planned to initiate health care awareness programs for our consumers, educating and enlightening them about the preventive measures that could be taken to avoid certain ailments. Health check up mechanisms will also be available at the pharmacies for the consumers to get an insight into their current health status especially for ailments like osteoporosis etc.

The fundamental reason for commencing these programs is to promote a long-lasting relationship with LifeKen consumers.

3. What are the key challenges you face in your industry? How do you deal with them?

The key challenges for a retail pharmacy like LifeKen are at the sourcing as well as at the marketing phases of operations.

At the sourcing stage, there could be a great deal of supply chain issues especially when it comes to availability of commonly purchased drugs. There is always an urgent need to replenish the stores with drugs that are in constant demand with customers. That’s when our relationship with drug suppliers comes to our rescue. The suppliers that we work with are reliable and have the professionalism to ensure timely delivery of urgently required drugs to the pharmacies.

Another complexity that we face is on the marketing front- it becomes a challenge to advertise and to do any promotional activities. It would undermine the ethical standards that we maintain as a retail pharma company.

4. What are the values that you would like your employees to imbibe?

I strongly believe that customer engagement as well as customer delight should be at the forefront of the value system in LifeKen. It would be a reflection of how effective the pharmacy set up is. Employees are required to follow ethical standards of employment which will be critical for the overall success of the organization.

Something that I really hold key to my success is the support and guidance that was provided to me during my stint as a professional. And to a great extent, I would like to continue this tradition with the employees of LifeKen as well. In fact, we would like our employees to be with us and grow along with the success of the organization. 

5. What are your suggestions for future entrepreneurs in retail pharmaceutical?

A great deal of hands on approach would be required for establishing a retail pharmaceutical company. Considerable amount of time and energy have to be invested in research activities to set up an establishment like LifeKen.

Now, Discover Your Strengths: Book Review; Nov'07

Title:Now, Discover Your Strengths

Author:Marcus Buckingham, Donald O. Clifton

Publication details:  Pocket books, Great Britain, 2005

Number of pages:262 pages

To motivate your team members to give superior performance you must correct their weaknesses right? Wrong! As per the book “Now, Discover Your Strengths”, focusing on their strengths is far more effective in achieving success than eliminating their weaknesses. Based on interviews conducted by Gallup of over 1.7 million employees the authors introduces a positive approach for discovering, focusing and using strengths and talents to create personal and professional success.

The authors consider the following two assumptions on which they think most organizations are built flawed and provide alternate assumptions they think are right.
“Each person can learn to be competent in almost anything.
Each person’s greatest room for growth is in his or her areas of greatest weakness.”

The statement “Spontaneous reactions, yearnings, rapid learnings and satisfactions will all help you detect the traces of your talents.” is quite useful for zeroing in on our talents. The book maintains that while with sufficient practice we might be able to learn different tasks well, we will never be great in these areas unless we have a natural innate talent for them.

Each copy of the book contains a unique ID code that allows you to take a Web-based interview (StrengthsFinder) that is fairly easy to take. This analyzes your instinctive reactions and presents you with your five most powerful signature themes like Achiever, Activator, Empathy, Futuristic, or Strategic. Once you know which of the 34 themes you lead with, the book shows you how to leverage them for powerful results at three levels: for your own development, for your success as a manager, and for the success of your organization.

The book reinforces a lot of unique ideas first published in Marcus Buckingham’s best selling book “First Break All The Rules”, ideas like manager being the most influential person for an employee’s stickiness to an organization, individualization (treating individual employees differently rather the same way to take care of their individual needs) etc.

It also provides a step by step strength based approach for developing and managing 3 HR processes viz., selection, performance management and career development. Here, I found some of the suggestions to be radical but credible. For instance in performance management system it talks about every manager holding a “strength discussion” rather than a “development discussion” with his team member. While the former is focused on how the employee’s strengths can be utilized at work, the latter typically focuses on areas of improvement. However, industry data of how companies have applied it practically for HR processes and benefited would have been useful for HR practioners.

This resourceful book is easy to read with its short concise chapters, varied examples and interesting case studies.  The report of my signature themes was a little too brief, nevertheless very useful.

If you are wondering is it OK to ignore our weaknesses then do note that the book does acknowledge that any weakness which comes in the way of superior performance needs to be minimized. For instance the book gives the example of Bill Gates. His genius at taking innovation and transforming them into user friendly applications is a “strength” whereas his ability to built an enterprise in the face of legal and commercial assault as compared to his partner Steve Balmer, is not. So he selected Steve Balmer to run the company allowing him to return to software development. Thus, the important message it imparts is…. “Capitalize on your strengths… and mange around your weaknesses.”

Being and Effective Mentor : Feature Article, Nov'07

One of the important ways to develop your career is by having a good mentor. But did you know you can develop your career not only by being mentored, but by mentoring others. Now before you switch off from this subject thinking you are too junior in your company to be a mentor, do read further to find out more about mentoring. Then decide whether you can be a mentor and whether it is worthwhile being one!

Understanding mentoring

A mentor is one who offers knowledge, insight, perspective or wisdom that is especially useful to the other person. He is a career counselor, a coach, a guide, a motivator, a role model and a teacher.  A mentor’s role is to help the mentee reach his/her goals.

A mentee is a person being mentored by another person; especially one who makes an effort to assess, internalize and use effectively the knowledge, skills, insights, perspective or wisdom offered by the mentor.

A mentoring relationship is mentee-centered. The mentor listens, sometimes challenges, offers insights and encourages. The relationship needs reasonably frequent and consistent contact. Both partners contribute, change and grow. In an informal mentoring relationship someone takes an interest in us, or we in them. A formal mentoring relationship has an acknowledged commitment of time and energy for the purpose of guiding and sharing. Both types can be for specific projects or for extended time periods.

You need not be in a senior role in the company to become a mentor. Yes, being a mentor to somebody if you are just out of college is difficult, but if you have worked successfully for a couple of years you have the basic qualification required for being a mentor. However, all successful people do not necessarily make effective mentors; certain individuals are more effective in the role of developing others. Whether or not an individual is suited to the role of mentor may depend on his or her own stage of development and experience. So what else does it take to be a good mentor?

Characteristics of a good mentor

Some of the common characteristics of good mentors are:-

1. Genuine interest in and commitment to others’ growth: Mentoring requires that you be sincerely interested in someone else’s growth and be willing to motivate and support others to learn and grow. A mentor can significantly influence another person’s life. Time and energy over a period of time is necessary for such a relationship. You must be able to devote the same to your mentee.

2. Approachable and welcoming: A mentor should be easy to talk to so that the mentee can talk about anything with the mentor, not just a technical subject. And it is so much easier to talk to a person who is warm and encouraging. Establishing a good rapport with mentee is important for being approachable.

3. Good listener: Your focus should be to LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN!! Listening carefully will help you understand the perspective of the mentee and this will in turn help you cater to the individual needs of each mentee.

4. Gives advice without dictating actions: Help your mentees organize their own thoughts. Help with their focus. Help them think about what they can do to be successful, not what you did to be successful. Understand their problems and offer solutions. But be clear that any decisions made should be made by them. They have to figure things out for themselves.

5. Encourages independence yet offers support: Encourage your mentee to be independent. Also offer support by sharing your knowledge and experience, including successes and failures. A good mentor should stick up for and look out for the best interests of the person being mentored. Being aware of resources and support systems within the company will aid you in the same

6. Good role model through actions and words: Mentors must provide a good example of a successful career. They must demonstrate what they are advising. Having someone tell you what you should do carries much less weight than seeing someone act it out.

7. Encourages and demonstrates confidence in mentee: A key characteristic of a good mentor is the "I-know-you-can-do-it’ attitude. As a mentor you must believe in your mentee’s capabilities and ability to succeed. This will also help build your mentee’s self-confidence. Offer constructive criticism as well as compliments to encourage him/her.

8. Exhibits patience: People can't be expected to learn all at once. Remember that you didn't know everything all the time. So patience will help you push your mentees gently towards their goal achievement.

9. Willing to admit they don't know everything: Individuals who are still willing and able to learn make good mentors. This also includes an ability to accept different points of view.

10. Inspires trust: A mentor should respect the confidentiality of the mentoring relationship. The discussions held during the relationship is solely for the purpose of developing the mentee and not for any other purpose like finding out what the mentee thinks so that he/she can be manipulated to meet one’s ulterior motives.

So does it look like you have the making of good mentor? If yes, read further to find out why you should consider taking up the role of a mentor.

Benefits of being a mentor

According to research sponsored by AOL Time Warner Foundation and conducted by Pathfinder Research and Market Facts, 99% of people who mentor through formal mentoring programs recommend it to others.  A mentor once said, "I didn't know in advance how rewarding it was going to be, so I was worried about the responsibility of giving my time consistently.  The irony is that once I started doing it, I didn't want to miss a session."

While mentoring others does help in your career development they also provide you with many other benefits as listed below:-

How can anybody become a mentor?

OK now you are all charged up and want to be a mentor and it strikes you that you don’t know how to find your mentee. Start by looking around in your workplace. You are likely to find a candidate among your own team members. However, it is best that you do not mentor somebody who reports to you to avoid conflicts between work and mentoring goals. You can even identify somebody from another department since your mentee need not necessarily be from the same profession like Finance or Sales.
 
If you are known for your knowledge and expertise in the company, mentees will come looking for you. In that case examine your time commitments before committing to a mentoring relationship.

Your company may ask for volunteers to be mentors for the formal “mentoring” or in the case of junior people “buddy” programs. Go ahead and volunteer! Unlike formal mentoring programs, in informal mentoring relationships, you will have to take more initiative to maintain it and get the best out it.
 
  

Conclusion

Why do people become mentors? The answers vary. Some of us just want to be a positive influence on others, or give something to their community. And some of us were fortunate to have had a mentor and want to repay that by mentoring others. What ever is your reason for being a mentor, you will find it a rewarding experience. Nothing can beat the satisfaction of seeing somebody reach their goals and achieve their dreams in front of you.

References

• Reh, F. J, “Mentors and Mentoring: What is a mentor?”, http://management.about.com/cs/people/a/mentoring.htm .
• Reh, F. J, “Mentors and Mentoring: Being a Mentor”, http://management.about.com/cs/people/a/mentoring.htm .
• “What characteristics does a good mentor have?”, http://www.michigan.gov/mentormichigan/0,1607,7-193--82397--,00.html .
• Saul, J, “Creating Mentoring Relationships”, http://gbgmumc.org/Response/articles/mentor.html
• Megginson D and Clutterbuck D, 1995, “Mentoring in action”, Kogan Page Limited, London.

The Greatness Guide: Book Review; Jun'07

Title: The Greatness Guide
Author: Robin Sharma
Publication details: Jaico Publishing House, Mumbai, April 2006
Number of pages: 240 pages

Do you want to craft an extraordinary life for yourself? Then ‘The Greatness Guide’ is what you maybe looking for. Robin Sharma, the author of international bestseller ‘The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari’ and one of the world’s top success coaches, in his book ‘The Greatness Guide’ brings together 101 powerful ideas for meeting your highest potential and living a great life.  If you liked Robin Sharma’s other best sellers you will like this book too. I did.

The Greatness Guide has something for everybody - salesmen, CEOs, managers, professionals and even parents. There are several relevant chapters for achieving success at today’s workplaces that will appeal to readers at every level of their careers. There are tactics for achieving peak performance, potent ideas for motivating employees and growing leaders, specific strategies for customer satisfaction and for turning setbacks into opportunities and a whole lot of other stuff. For example in his chapter ‘Sell Your Desk’, he advocates getting out of the office to become a better performer in business.

It is packed with unique suggestions for improving personal effectiveness, being happy and getting more from life. For instance in his chapter ‘Speak like a Superstar’, he says, “Articulate a series of spectacularly positive words…words that you imagine a superstar in your field using…You will discover that speaking these words will make you feel…more passionate. And when you feel great feelings, guess what? You will do great things.”   

Robin Sharma provides several practical suggestions - create personal best practices like repeating success statements throughout the day; commit to surroundings being first class thus feeling like extraordinary before becoming extraordinary; use positive reference points to pull you into new way of seeing things; read books by people you respect to allow some of their brilliance to rub off on you etc.

While a lot of Robin Sharma’s ideas like celebrating one’s blessings or listening twice as much as speaking, are not new, he breathes certain freshness into them. While talking about life’s best pleasures being simple ones he says “Enrich your life with more of them and your heart will be happy. And you can start with sweet breezes.” Or look at the way he highlights the need to schedule things you really want to do in your life. He says, “You can argue that self-development is an essential pursuit to you…Show me your schedule and I’ll discover the truth. Because your schedule doesn't lie.”

From his opening disclaimer “I am no guru” to the very end, challenging us to claim our greatness, Robin speaks from the heart and does not fail to inspire. In the chapter ‘Be wildly enthusiastic’ he says, “I’ll be the first one to agree what you can’t control what happens to you each day. But with abundance of enthusiasm, I have no doubt that whatever the coming hours bring, you will handle them with grace, strength and a smile.” The book makes me want to be first class in my work as well as my personal life and more importantly Robin gives me the confidence that I can.

His use of simple language, catchy titles, short (2 page) chapters and anecdotal style makes it easy and enjoyable reading. Sure, one can finish it in one sitting. But to get the most from the book, read it slowly, taking the time to savor and reflect upon each idea. And like all self help books unless the chapters are reread and the ideas refreshed regularly and applied, the insights may be forgotten. All in all ‘The Greatness Guide’ is an excellent resource for achieving personal and professional mastery!

Ask the Expert: June'07

1. I lead a team of 5 people and I feel giving my team members feedback on their work can help improve the effectiveness of the team. But I am not sure how to do it the right way. So far my experience of giving feedback especially negative one has not been too good.

You are absolutely right; feedback can improve performance of team members which in turn will improve the effectiveness of the team as a whole. By giving negative feedback in a constructive way you can ensure that your feedback is meaningful to your team members. Some guidelines for that are:-

• Be specific than general. “You made a good presentation” is general. “You managed the audience questions well” is specific.
• Describe behavior only, do not interpret/evaluate. “You did not complete implementation as per schedule and delayed it by a week” is descriptive vis-à-vis “You are irresponsible” which is evaluative.
• Provide feedback immediately after the occurrence of behavior.
• Be focused on behavior that team member can change.
• Do not mix negative and positive feedback. Examples of both are:-
  • Mixed:  “You did the project well, but you did not take any initiative to try out things.”
  • Unmixed: “On the positive side your project execution was good. You did it with no customer complaints. In the areas of improvement, you need to work on conducting handover training to the satisfaction of the users.”
• Stimulate suggestions for improvement.
• Stop if emotional issues surface and deal with them.

2. I know it is not right, but I am jealous of my colleague who is my competitor at work. How can I deal with this?

Being envious of others is a natural reaction and helps in pushing ourselves further to do better. But getting jealous about it and as a result creating negative energy in you is not helpful. It is a good thing that you are aware that it is not a helpful emotion.

Write down what makes you jealous of the colleague. Write down your own accomplishments.  Question yourself – “Are you working smart and hard?” “What behavior of your colleague is bringing him success?” “Are you leveraging your skills, and exceeding your targets?” With some self reflection you will be able to chart out a plan on what needs to be done for you to become as successful as your colleague.

If your colleague succeeds does not mean you cannot succeed. There is enough work and opportunities for everybody to do their bit in today’s corporate world as long as you are willing to work for it. Use all the energy spent in being jealous to do more and better at the work place. Also getting to know the person better may make you realize he/she is just like you and that you could actually be friends and learn from each other.

3. Two of my team members do not get along with each other and this is creating a lot of negative energy in the team. Shifting one of them to another team is not an option right now. As the team leader can I do something?

Yes, you can definitely take some steps to improve the situation.

• As a first step analyze their recent conflicts, take inputs from their peers, and understand the dynamics at play.
• Then individually counsel the two people involved them. Let them know how their conflict is affecting the team. Tie issues to business results so you focus on events or behavior not on personality traits. Even if people do not get along they can still work together effectively. Understanding reasons for their not getting along will help. Talk about what you have observed or know has happened, not about something someone else heard or saw.
• Next step would be to set up a joint problem-solving approach to resolve the conflict.
  • Ask the team members involved to present their view points objectively.
  • Get agreement from them on the problem that needs to be solved. Say things to make them feel you want to solve the problem, not lay the blame. Have each of them generate possible solutions.
  • Get commitment on what each team member will do to solve the problem.
  • Summarize and set a follow-up date to make sure they are working together effectively.