The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity the optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
 


Articles
 
Positive Attitude           Click to Know More
Positive attitude helps to cope more easily with the daily affairs of life. It brings optimism into your life, and makes it easier to avoid worry and negative thinking. If you adopt it as a way of life, it will bring constructive changes into your life, and makes them happier, brighter and more successful. With a positive attitude you see the bright side of life, become optimistic and expect the best to happen. It is certainly a state of mind that is well worth developing and strengthening.

Steps in Building a Positive Attitude

Look for Positives
Look for the bright side. Start looking for what is positive in a person or situation rather than looking for a wrong thing about it. Stay away from the negative people. Even in paradise, fault finders will find faults. Most people find what they are looking for. If they are looking for friendship, happiness and the positive, that is what they get. If they are looking for fights or indifference, then that is what they get. Be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. Talk health, happiness and prosperity to each and every person you meet. Forget about the mistakes that you have made in the past and focus on the achievements of the future.

Build a Positive Self Esteem
Self Esteem is the way we feel about ourselves. When we feel good within, our performance goes up and our relationship improves both at home and at work. This happens because there is a direct correlation between our feelings and behavior.

Stay Away from Negative Influences
Today's teenagers learn from adult behavior and the media. They face peer pressure. Peer pressure is not just limited to teenagers, it is also prevalent in adults. It shows a lack of self-esteem when people do not have the courage to say "No, thank you," and stay away from negative influences; such as Negative people, Smoking, Drug Abuse, Drinking excessive Alcohol, Negative Movies and Television Programs etc negative news items on TV..

Start Your Day with a Positive Read or listen to something positive first thing in the morning. After a good night's sleep we are relaxed and our subconscious is receptive. It sets the tone for the day, and puts us in the right frame of mind to make every day a positive day. In order to bring about change, we need to make a conscious effort .Practice having positive thoughts and behavior daily until they become a habit. William James of Harvard University said, "If you are going to change your life, you need to start immediately and do it flamboyantly." Allow yourself to laugh and find humor in the simplest of things.

Laughter is a powerful mood elevator. If you are feeling down, read some jokes, watch a funny movie or just act "silly" once in awhile. At times, it is a good thing to let yourself see the world through a child's eyes. Have a Happy Life

Think about your strengths
The more you occupy yourself about your weaknesses and “failures” the more pessimistic and negative you’re going to feel. Alternatively, consistently affirm your strengths, gifts and capabilities. You’ll wind up feeling empowered and in control of your circumstances, which cannot help but better your attitude!

Believe in yourself
Believe in yourself and your capabilities to become more confident. Make a positive commitment to yourself and to the people around you. Praise yourself and be enthusiastic.

Develop Empathy
Empathy is the ability to imagine being in another person's situation, and therefore understand his/her feelings.
Empathy and sympathy are two terms which are often used as synonyms.
Empathy is the ability to "put oneself in another's shoes i.e feeling what the other person feels” whereas sympathy is understanding the feelings of the other person.

Acres Of Diamonds
There was a farmer in Africa who was happy and content. He was happy because he was content. He was content because he was happy. One day a wise man came to him and told him about the glory of diamonds and the power that goes along with them. The wise man said, "If you had a diamond the size of your thumb, you could have your own city. If you had a diamond the size of your fist, you could probably own your own country." And then he went away. That night the farmer couldn't sleep. He was unhappy and he was discontent. He was unhappy because he was discontent and discontent because he was unhappy. The next morning he made arrangements to sell off his farm, took care of his family and went in search of diamonds. He looked all over Africa and couldn't find any. He looked all through Europe and couldn't find any. When he got to Spain, he was emotionally, physically and financially broke. He got so disheartened that he threw himself into the Barcelona River and committed suicide. Back home, the person who had bought his farm was watering the camels at a stream that ran through the farm. Across the stream, the rays of the morning sun hit a stone and made it sparkle like a rainbow. He thought it would look good on the mantle piece. He picked up the stone and put it in the living room. That afternoon the wise man came and saw the stone sparkling. He asked, "Is Hafiz back?" The new owner said, "No, why do you ask?" The wise man said, "Because that is a diamond. I recognize one when I see one." The man said, no, that's just a stone I picked up from the stream. Come, I'll show you. There are many more." They went and picked some samples and sent them for analysis. Sure enough, the stones were diamonds. They found that the farm was indeed covered with acres and acres of diamonds.*

What is the moral of this story? There are five morals:
1. When our attitude is right, we realize that we are all walking on acres and acres of diamonds.
2. The grass on the other side always looks greener.
3. While we are dyeing the grass on the other side, there are others who are dyeing the grass on our side. They would be happy to trade places with us.
4. When people don't know how to recognize opportunity, they complain of noise when it knocks.
5. The same opportunity never knocks twice. The next one may be better or worse, but it is never the same one.
What is Inflation           Click to Know More
Why the inflation is so high for the past so many months, what are the causes What is CRR rate the central bank is not likely to raise interest rates as it would hurt economic growth, a majority of them said. "The Reserve Bank might hike the Cash Reserve Ratio (statutory cash balances banks maintain with the apex bank) in its credit policy if inflation remains high,"

Why does RBI increase the CRR for banks, what effect it has on inflation and prices. By withdrawing cash availability RBI is controlling money which may be lent as loans, this will affect the industry the growth will get affected, but also by reducing availability of home loans the real estate prices will have to come down over a period of time.

Money supply in the market has gone up, therefore RBI increases the rapport rate to take out money from the market to cut money supply and reduce prices, interest rates will go up, GDP growth will go down all of this has to be balanced. Hoarding of food stock "The bank may consider a hike in its lending rates if the RBI increases the reserve ratio. There is no other option before the (banking) industry other than hiking rates in that case," he said.

Oil prices is another worrying factor and causes inflation. The world crude prices which was at 39$ a barrel 4 years back rose to 146$ a barrel it has recently settled at 74$. The requirement for oil and gas is going up and import is increasing. With the increase in petrol and diesel prices the transporting of all goods becomes expensive, this is one of the major factors of inflation.

It is the same story when it comes to overall crop yield, consider this, soyabean and groundnut. The production of soyabean per hectare in India is 804 kgs compared to 3,453 kgs in Zimbabwe, a poor country by any standards. As for groundnut, the country harvests only 929 kgs per hectare compared to 4,600 kgs per hectare harvested by Israel. In other words, Israel is getting five times the groundnut per hectare as against India. Similarly, India produces 15,817 kgs of potatoes per hectare compared to 45,349 kgs produced by Belgium. As for sugarcane we produce 65,382 kgs per hectare as against 135,448 kgs per hectare produced by Peru. India today has the world’s largest area under pulse cultivation, 22 million hectares, but ranks 138th on the yield index. So while the government released figures last week congratulating itself on record pulse production of 15.19 million tonnes, what it didn’t mention was that this falls short — as it does each year — of the demand of 17 million tonnes, a demand outpacing supply by almost two million tonnes each year. This short supply has pushed up the prices in the market.

With such low levels of productivity, foodgrain production is slowing at a pretty alarming pace. According to the latest economic survey, the rate of growth of foodgrain production has decelerated to 1.2 per cent during 1990-2007, which was lower than the annual growth of population at 1.9 per cent. This has resulted in a decline of per capita availability of foodgrain. The per capita consumption of cereals has fallen to 412 grams per day, indicating a decline of 13 per cent, while pulses consumption declined to 42 grams per day, a 33 per cent fall.

If that is not enough, more than 10 per cent of our foodgrain production gets wasted every year. As per the report of the 11th Planning Commission preventable post-harvest losses of foodgrains are estimated at about 20 million tonnes a year, which is nearly 10.5 percent of the total production. To put things in perspective, India wastes more than 50 per cent of Australia's annual foodgrain production (considering the latest available foodgrain production data provided by Food and Agricultural Organisation) every year due to improper storage and transportation facility. Can anything be more eye popping? Infact, about 30 per cent of farm produce is stored under open condition, leading to wastage and distress sales. As per the Planning Commission estimate, if the domestic consumption level shoots up from current 100 gms of fruits and 200 gms of vegetables per capita per day to the recommended dietary level of 140 gms and 270 gms respectively by 2010, the domestic market for fresh fruits and vegetables could be as large as Rs 50,000 billion at present price structure.

This clearly requires substantial investment to build up commensurate supply chain infrastructure in terms of handling, storage, and transportation. Instead, we fritter away our precious resource in the name of populism. The latest Budget provision is a case in point, where we are allowing for Rs. 600 billion worth of farm loan waver, despite concerning level of deficit. Who really cares for the rural infrastructural deficit? And many experts are now talking about food crisis being round the corner. Corruption at the highest level ever is another contributory factor. Corruption takes away money from the society and goes into few pockets, such people indulge in ostentatious expenditure on marriages and party’s which is avoidable.

Food habits have changed, as per a study in US the world is eating more especially in China and India, therefore there is a shortage of food all over the world, therefore internationally food prices have gone up. Use of crops for converting it into bio fuel, land being used for this and away from food grains A study was carried out to find out liquor habits in various states they found that Kerala has the highest intake of liquor per person, they consume 33% of their income on liquor, unfortunately Maharashtra is next at 29% and Punjab comes 3rd with 26% income going in consuming liquor. Liquor here I believe includes Smoking and Tambaku as well.

We all need to understand the reasons behind the current inflation and increase in prices. Govt whether at the centre or in states have a share of blame for mismanagement, but what are we doing as citizens. Do we have responsibility to help ourselves and help the Govt. We elect our MP’s and MLA’s are we doing justice while electing our representatives. Just think.
Five Mistake Writing A CV           Click to Know More
There's one magical thing that can get you the job of your dreams. Contrary to popular belief, it isn't nepotism, sycophancy or even a bribe; it's a small document called the Curriculum Vitae, or Resume. Even though most of us recognise the importantance of a resume, we don't carve out enough time to give our resume the attention it deserves. Often, CVs are shoddy, incomplete, irrelevant and, sometimes, downright hilarious. Here are five mistakes you need to avoid to make sure your CV is a winner.
Mistake 1: Writing too much
"Length is the biggest problem, with most CVs often being a minimum of three pages. I once received a CV that was 11 pages long," says Purvi Seth, vice president of Shilputsi Consultants, a human resources development firm.

More often than not, literary aspirations come tend to the fore when one is writing a CV; people end up filling pages and pages of details. Those who can't find enough details to fill the pages write the same thing over and over again, in different styles, words and jargon.

A prospective employer faces two choices when he or she takes the first look at such a CV -- hit the delete button or hire a professional copyeditor to cut the chaff and find relevant matter.

BTW, even though copyeditors come cheap these days, employers prefer the former. So:

  Keep it short; ideally, a CV should not go beyond two pages at most. However, if your achievements are really great, one extra page is negotiable.
  Keep it sweet, i e relevant. Anything more than that and your CV will make a beeline for the paper shredder.
 
Mistake 2: Writing too little
If it isn't one, it's the other. Consider this CV:

'Worked as product manager for HLL between July 2000 and September 2003.' Does it indicate anything besides the fact that the person worked for HLL? Fancy designations do little to explain the kind of work you might have done. So, in your enthusiasm to adhere to the guidelines in Mistake 1, don't forego your job responsibilities and details about the company or the department you worked for.

The above should read:
'Worked as product manager, between July 2000 and September 2003, for the colour cosmetics division of HLL, a premier FMCG company in India, with a turnover of Rs 2614.07 crore. 'Job responsibilities included overseeing the operations of the department comprising 10 sales managers, setting targets for the team, keeping track of market trends and coordinating between the production, logistics and sales functions.

'Under my supervision, the department posted an annual growth of 40 percent.' This gives an indication about the kind of work the applicant has done and his/ her achievement. However, beware of going overboard with the details of your job responsibilities. "One of the applicants was looking for an administrative job, and housekeeping was one of the functions. The CV mentioned 'making sure the toilet bowls remain clean', as one of the job responsibilities," laughs Seth.
 
Mistake 3: Irrelevant Details
Does it matter to your prospective employer if your eyes are blue and if you belong to the vaishnav gotra of the Brahmin caste?

Chances are it doesn't, unless you are applying for a job that depends on your physical attributes or you are penning down a CV for matrimonial purposes. Similarly, your star sign, details of family members, list of affiliations to hobby clubs (unless they complement your profession in some way), height, weight, colour of your hair and eyes, complexion and other details are of no consequence to the prospective employer. Ditch these and use the space to highlight your achievements, your strengths and your qualifications. The latter needs to be to the point. For example, your latest education and degrees are the ones that matter, not your kindergarten marks. So, be stingy here -- include what matters, trash what doesn't. "I have seen CVs that included details of grandfathers and their professions too. One person had also included his blood group in the CV. These facts make no difference to the employer at all," says Seth. "Some of them also add their body statistics. This can be entirely done away with unless you are in the showbiz or airline industry.

"Another mistake I have noticed in many CVs is that people mention their religion. This is unnecessary unless the job is for candidates of a specific religion only," says Tushar Guha, managing director of Nrityanjali, an institute for personality development and management services.
 
Mistake 4: The Information Flow
Most people start with their birth date and list everything in chronological order. So, if they started with ABC company at the age of 18 and are now, say, 38 years old and work for XYZ, chances are they will start their career history with ABC and list XYZ last. This is a strict no-no because, to the prospective employer, your last job profile matters more than your first one. Few employers like to spend an hour on a CV searching for the last position held by the applicant.

This applies to educational qualifications too. A CV favours reverse chronological order. Stick to it. "Most of the time, professionals writing their CV list their qualifications and their work experience in chronological order. The order should be reversed in order to bring the crux of the CV upfront," says Guha.

Seth gives the example of a CV which started by listing work history that dated back to 1983 first and then went on to 2004. She had a tough time looking for the current job. Hobbies should come towards the end, but shouldn't be done away with. "They provide an insight into the applicant's personality. These days, the emphasis is not only on your skills but also on your personality," says Guha.
 
Mistake 5: A CV-Ful of Jargon
Is your writing style lucidly expressionistic, highlighting the hidden angst of an existential life?

Wow! But what the heck does that mean? Even if your to-be-employer is Salman Rushdie, he wouldn't want to spend time trying to understand what all those big words and jargon add up to. If you think your use of jargon indicates your knowledge of the industry, think again. Most of the times, the CV goes first to the HR department. They are the ones who choose if you are fit to be called for an interview.

Out of comprehension, out of mind. It's that basic.
 
Leadership           Click to Know More
People don’t work in vacuums, and so leadership issues must be viewed within a context. For a crude but effective illustration, watch the movies Patton and Gandhi. Granted, especially as depicted in the movies, these men are complex, larger-than-life people, but one leadership lesson is relevant at any level. General Patton had a leadership style quite different from Mahatma Gandhi’s—yet both men were (arguably) highly effective in their times. Could you see them switching places and still being effective? Clearly, Gandhi would not have been a very successful general of the Third Army during World War II, nor would Patton have been able to lead a nonviolent social revolution in British-controlled India

As you begin analyzing your leadership effectiveness, start by looking at your environment before you examine your internal leadership style. The term situational leadership has taken on a specific reference to a model proposed by Ken Blanchard. However, in a more generic sense, the concept of situational leadership suggests that one size does not fit all. Only by reviewing the situation you are in—incorporating the work environment, followers, and industry challenges—can you best determine the leadership behaviors that would make you the most effective. more comprehensive view of leadership that took into account the interactions between the task, the leader, and relationships with followers. Add to this the impact of the socio cultural dynamics at work within the organization and within the business environment before determining which leadership style(s) fits best. It is commonly thought today that enlightened leaders are participative, encouraging, and focused on the development of their people. However, there may well be circumstances where that set of leadership practices would not be the most appropriate. Think, for example, of a company in crisis where there is an urgent need for change and a strong organizational culture in place that resists change. Add to the mix a work force that is experienced, cynical, and lacking accountability. Certainly, to be effective in this situation, at least in the short term, you would need to employ a more command and- control leadership style than a developmental one. It seems simple enough, but it’s not. One of the lessons I have learned over the years is that changing your leadership practices to adapt to differing situations is extraordinarily difficult. George Patton couldn’t do it. As the inner workings of the army became more visible with increased media coverage, his bullying tactics and crude behaviors were no longer appropriate. He could not adapt to this different environment. A similar analysis has been applied to the problems that Bobby Knight experienced as the men’s basketball coach at Indiana University. Changes in society’s view of college athletics, and changes in the athletes themselves, had a profound influence on his ability to succeed. Closer home we had Greg Chappel the renowned coach our cricket fraternity hired, technically he was very sound, but he lacked a leadership style which could bring the cricketers around to adopt or learn from his technique.

Another critical part of your external analysis is to consider the dynamics of the people you will be leading. After all, there is no leadership without followers. Their capabilities, aspirations, personalities, and interactions with each other have direct bearing on how they need to be led.

Today’s best current thinkers on leadership include James Kouzes and Barry Posner (The Leadership Challenge) and Daniel Goleman (Emotional Intelligence). A brief look at their models will help illustrate some of the important elements that define how organizations view leadership effectiveness at the onset of the twenty-first century. The Kouzes and Posner model, first described in The Leadership Challenge, was based upon their research into the leadership practices of “effective managers.” They collected data from several thousand people, at various levels in organizations, who had been identified as being successful in the way they led others. In determining what practices and behaviors were common among those effective managerial leaders, Kouzes and Posner zeroed in on five competencies:

  Challenging the process
  Inspiring a shared vision
  Enabling others to act
  Modeling the way
  Encouraging the heart

One of the major themes in their work is the importance of being positive and optimistic as a managerial leader. Leadership is self developed and is born out of experience and circumstances of leading men of various functional abilities and under various differing circumstances, knitting them together as a force and a hard hitting team are your challenges. Possessing a positive disposition, a positive attitude, a welfare oriented outlook to the people you lead may well make a you a successful leader.
Corporate Grooming           Click to Know More
Appropriate grooming is crucial for scaling the success ladder.
It is advisable to dress in a “Conservative” Fashion; The Sexy look is meant for Beaches and not the board Room.

The sunny days are back, and it is indeed tricky to subsist against the rising temperature. However, no matter how unfavorable the weather conditions maybe, there is no excuse for making a shabby appearance at work. So here we bring you some simple grooming tips to keep you ‘cool’ even as the days get hotter.
For Female Executives
Corporate grooming should be as simple as possible. It is advisable to dress in a “conservative” fashion as the ‘sexy’ look is meant for beaches and not the board room.

To begin with, ensure that you wear the right colors. Summer usually means whites off-whites, beiges and pastels. This summer combine a neutral color with a splash of bright color. For example, pair a pearl grey suit with a vibrant coral shirt or an off-white jacket and shirt. Bright accents are very ‘in’ this season. The black and white combination is a classic combination is a classic pairing that will never go out of style.

When it comes to Indian wear like kurtis or sarees, stick to light fabrics like cottons that are neatly starched and ironed. Light shades of blue and green, yellow and whites would be an ideal summer wear. This season silhouettes are about structure or fluidity which translates into interesting office wear. Simple salwar kameez in light shades will go in every season.

Hair is best kept short during the sunny days. Split ends are a common problem during summer. So according to experts, it would be appropriate to visit your hair stylist every six to eight weeks. Rich deep conditioning makes hair manageable, especially during the summer months when hair tends to get frizzy. Whether it is hair color, shampoo or conditioners, refrain from using chemical based products. Use products with SPF protection. When it comes to highlights opt for shades that can gleam in the sunlight.

Make up should be kept to the bare minimum especially if you have the tendency to sweat a lot. Use waterproof products and stick to nude colors as much as possible.
 
For Men Executives
It is good for a man to have pride in his appearance, and it takes extra time and attention for a man to dress well.

My grandfather used to say that he judged a man by his shoes. Perhaps he was saying that our external appearance is often the one most people see and judge us by.

Do you consider yourself well-groomed?

Maybe it's time to evaluate yourself before the job interview by considering the following standards of a well-groomed man...
When it comes to personal grooming, some things need to be given more time and attention than others.
Here are some basic grooming tips that will help you to make a good first impression at your job interview:
 
Shoes shined and heels in good order.
 
Tie is neatly tied so that it covers the collar joining and the short end lies well under the longer one.
 
Suit and shirt are professionally cleaned and pressed.
 
Clean handkerchief tucked neatly into suit pocket.
 
Fingernails clean and short with the cuticle pushed back. If your nails are professionally manicured, they may be buffed but should never have any colored (or even colorless) polish applied.
 
Hair neatly cut or trimmed. You should also ask your barber to clip any hairs poking out of your ears and nostrils. And, if your eyebrows are bushy, ask the barber to thin them a bit as well. Facial hair (mustache, sideburns or beard) should be neatly trimmed.
 
Cologne applied sparingly. First apply it to your handkerchief, then lightly onto to your face.
 
Hair products, if used, should not give your hair a forced appearance but a natural look instead.
 
Facial features that need extra attention: chapped lips, blackheads, pimples and scaly scalp.
 
Make sure your teeth are clean and your breath is fresh.
 
Writing a CV           Click to Know More
Your CV is your marketing brochure through which you try to sell a commodity, ie your skills to the potential buyer ie the prospective employer. The sole purpose of your CV is to fetch you an interview call. Nothing more, nothing less the rest is your skills.

However, creating a CV isn't as simple as just using flowery language and pretty fonts. There are certain things that put recruiters off and if you want to make a good impression, make sure you do not commit these mistakes in what is arguably the most valuable document of your job hunt.

While the rules listed are well-founded, they are not carved in stone. At times you will need to break the rules. If you want to add to what has been suggested here please go ahead and do so. The points mentioned here are not listed in the order of priority; instead they are listed in the sequence in which they usually appear on a CV.

Use Of Colorful or glossy paper and flashy fonts
Your CV is a formal, official document. Keep it simple.

The Header
Many people tend to add headings to their CV. The usual are CV, Curriculum Vitae and Resume. Do not do this.

Photographs until asked
Do not add your photo to the CV until you have been asked for it. Photographs are required only for certain types of positions like models, actors etc.

Usage of 'I', 'My', 'He', 'She'
Do not use these in your CV. Many candidates write, 'I worked as Team Leader for XYZ Company' or 'He was awarded Best Employee for the year 2007'. Instead use bullet points to list out your qualifications/ experience like: Team leader for XYZ Company from 2006-2007.

Spelling mistakes and grammatical errors
Proofread your CV until you are confident that it doesn't have any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. These are big put-offs for the recruiters. Moreover, sometimes these mistakes might land you in an embarrassing situation.

A candidate who submitted his CV without proofreading it committed the mistake of wrongly spelling 'ask' as 'ass'. Now you can imagine the type of embarrassment he must have faced during the interview, when the interviewer pointed it out. These mistakes tend to convey a lazy and careless attitude to the interviewer.

Lies about your candidature
Do not lie about your past jobs or qualifications or anything which might have an impact on the job. You may be able to secure a job with these lies today but tomorrow you may lose it as well.

Abbreviations or jargon that is difficult to understand
People screening your resume usually belong to the HR department. If they do not understand what the abbreviations and jargon mean, they will simply dump your CV in the trash can. Avoid over-using such terms as far as possible.

Reasons for leaving last job
Leave these reasons to be discussed during the personal interview. For example, some candidates write: Reason for leaving the last job: Made redundant. Avoid making such statements in your CV, they add no value. Besides, if you do get an interview call, chances are the interviewer will address the issue.

Past failures or health problems
Mentioning these immediately slash your chances of getting an interview call.

For instance, you have a gap in your employment because you started your own business which did not do well. Some candidates might write -- Reason for gap in employment: Started own business which failed. Do not do this type of injustice with your job hunt at this stage of writing the CV.

Current or expected salary
Leave it to be discussed while negotiating the salary.

Irrelevant details
Leave out the details like marital status, sex, passport number, number of kids, age of kids. These are usually irrelevant for most interviewers but at times could be used as a basis for discrimination.

References
Do not include them until asked. In fact, it is not even required to mention the line 'Reference available on request'. If the recruiter requires a reference, he/she will ask you to bring it along for the interview.

Now that you have run through the list, take a fresh look at your CV and prune away unnecessary details and unaffordable blunders that could have cost you your dream job.