“Bullshit Bingo” - How to stay awake in meetings Do you keep falling asleep in meetings and seminars? What about those long and boring conference calls? Here's a way to change all of that. 1. Before (or during) your next meeting, seminar, or conference call, prepare yourself by drawing a square. I find that 5" x 5" is a good size. Divide the card into columns - five across and five down. That will give you 25 one-inch blocks. 2. Write one of the following words/phrases in each block: * synergy * strategic fit * core competencies * best practice * bottom line * revisit * expeditious * to tell you the truth (or "the truth is") * 24/7 * out of the loop * benchmark * value-added * proactive * win-win * think outside the box * fast track * result-driven * empower (or empowerment) * knowledge base * at the end of the day * touch base * mindset * client focus(ed) * paradigm * game plan * leverage 3...
Posts
Great managers can create great employees MOST OF us have seen the movie, ‘Taare Zameen Par’ and love talking about it. The punch line of the movie is that “every child is special”. It inspires parents, teachers, individuals, children and the public to take a relook at what the concept of perfection is all about. The movie forces us to realise that forcing children to adapt to a situation where we would want to see them is not a smart way of raising them up. This is primarily because no child is the same and hence should be accepted for who he/she is. They need to be groomed sensibly and sensitively. The special qualities in each child must be honed without highlighting much of their weaknesses. But what has this to do with the corporate world? The answer is very simple — everything. In a company where there are thousands of employees working, imagine how they would feel if they were labelled as being “low performers” o...
'A Leader Should Know How to Manage Failure' (Former President of India APJ Abdul Kalam at Wharton India Economic forum , Philadelphia , March 22,2008) Question: Could you give an example, from your own experience, of how leaders should manage failure? Kalam: Let me tell you about my experience. In 1973 I became the project director of India 's satellite launch vehicle program, commonly called the SLV-3. Our goal was to put India 's "Rohini" satellite into orbit by 1980. I was given funds and human resources -- but was told clearly that by 1980 we had to launch the satellite into space. Thousands of people worked together in scientific and technical teams towards that goal. By 1979 -- I think the month was August -- we thought we were ready. As the project director, I went to the control center for the launch. At four minutes before the satellite launch, the computer began to go through the checklist of items tha...
A Professor at one of the IIMs was explaining marketing concepts to the Students: 1. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: "I am very rich. "Marry me!" - That's Direct Marketing" 2. You're at a party with a bunch of friends and see a gorgeous girl. One of your friends goes up to her and pointing at you says: "He's very rich. "Marry him." -That's Advertising" 3. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and get her telephone number. The next day, you call and say: "Hi, I'm very rich. "Marry me - That's Telemarketing" 4. You're at a party and see gorgeous girl. You get up and straighten your tie, you walk up to her and pour her a drink, you open the door (of the car)for her, pick up her bag after she drops it, offer her ride and then say:"By the way, I'm rich. Will you "Marry Me?" - That's Public Relations" 5. ...
Power of Positive Talk I remember my dad teaching me the power of language at a very young age. Not only did my dad understand that specific words affect our mental pictures, but he understood words are a powerful programming factor in lifelong success. One particularly interesting event occurred when I was eight. As a kid, I was always climbing trees, poles, and literally hanging around upside down from the rafters of our lake house. So, it came to no surprise for my dad to find me at the top of a 30-foot tree swinging back and forth. My little eight-year-old brain didn't realize the tree could break or I could get hurt. I just thought it was fun to be up so high. My older cousin, Tammy, was also in the same tree. She was hanging on the first big limb, about ten feet below me. Tammy's mother also noticed us at the exact time my dad did. About that time a huge gust of wind came over the tree. I could hear the leaves start to rattle and the tree begin to sway. I ...