Developing Dynamic Habits

Everyone has habits.  Getting up in the morning, doing the things that create order in your environment, eating nutritious meals, exercising your body, practicing good hygiene, getting enough sleep.  These habits enable you to function at full strength both at work and play.  Good study habits enable you to organize your thinking and use your time for effective learning.  Habits of courtesy create natural good manners that make others comfortable.  Consistent practice habits enable you to develop a skill or talent like music or sports, painting, crafts or writing. 

A habit is a pattern of behavior we have acquired that has become so automatic it’s difficult to modify or eliminate.  Most habits become unconscious and we no longer have to think about where, when, how or whether to do things – it’s almost as though they’re done outside of our conscious will.

Habitual behaviors can certainly be helpful.  We rarely need to think about the way we use our bodies to walk, run and climb stairs.  We are robotic about the way we hold a pencil, fork or a cup.  Drivers get into the habit of operating the accelerator, brake and turn signal efficiently, never giving the process a thought.  Habits of politeness such as saying “hello,” “please,” “thank you,” “you’re welcome” and “excuse me,” promote harmony as we communicate with each other in our daily routines.

The habits of doing routine things in a certain order can sometimes assure completion.  For instance, putting everything you need for work in the same place near the door before you go to bed each night can help you get a smooth start the next morning.  If before you leave the house each day you form the habit of taking a few seconds to visually scan the room and think about what you need to take with you, you will save yourself time and embarrassment.  Thinking about what needs to be turned off or unplugged will help keep your home safe.

The habits of thinking negatively about ourselves and our opportunities is self-destructive.  Procrastination is an insidious and self-defeating habit that has ruined many lives.  Blaming other people or circumstances for our failures can become a habit that prevents us from moving forward toward the completion of our goals.   By the time  a behavior pattern becomes a habit, it feels so familiar that it seems to be a natural part of us, but, infact, habits are learned and practiced.  Just as we have learned them over time, so too it’s possible to unlearn them. Determine how to be the master of your habits, so that your habits can be useful servants to you.

Communication for Results

When you send messages, speak on the telephone, or make presentations, you represent your organization.  By assessing your present level of confidence in these areas, you can identify where additional study and practice would be helpful.  Good communication skills make every other part of your job easier.

Keep these general principles in mind whenever you are writing or speaking:

There is no substitute for knowing the facts about your subject.  Learn everything you can about your organization, how it works, who does what job, normal schedules and procedures, general policies, and which customers or clients warrant special consideration.

Never be afraid to say or write that you do not know something.  Do say, however, that you will find out and let the other person know as  soon as possible.   Then be sure to follow through on your promise.

Always try to understand the other person’s point of view; what is he or she really asking?  Listen to the other person or read his or her message carefully, and consider the context from which it was written.

When unpleasant information must be communicated, soften it with something positive.

Observe how effective people around you use the telephone.  Ask to read samples of their memos (including letters and emails).  What works well for them?   How could you adapt their methods to work for you?

Why People Don't Plan?

Planning takes lots of concentrated thought.  You have to know where you are in life, what options are open to you, where you want to go, and what you have to do to get there.  That requires self-examination and a thorough analysis of  your strengths, weaknesses, philosophy, and attitudes.

Majority of the people think that planning is useless, they think that everything happens through ‘chance’ and ‘luck’.   Chance is the impersonal, purposeless determiner of unaccountable happenings.  It’s pure chance when a coconut falls out of a palm tree and lands unnoticed in the sand.  But if the coconut were to land on your head, you’d consider that bad luck, and you’d be right.

Good luck is simply chance that benefits human beings.  You can’t influence chance, but you can control the way you respond to it.  If no one was around to see or hear the coconut fall, it would merely be a chance occurrence.  But if you saw the coconut fall and jumped out of the way to avoid it, you could say you were lucky, and you’d be right again.

The planning process shapes your luck by showing you how to respond to falling coconuts and other external chances of life.  You can, through careful planning improve your potential for good luck and enhance your chance of  success by recognizing good fortune whenever it occurs and by applying yourself to the opportunities it presents.  If you don’t respond to chance in a predetermined fashion, you run the risk of having bad luck or no luck at all.

People who rely entirely on chance events for their success always seem to come up short.  And it isn’t only their response to the whims of Mother Nature that clouds their future.  Much of their misfortune lies in their dogged determination not to plan.  People think it’s a waste of time to try to figure out what’s going to happen in a distant, hazy future.  They would rather rely on the mysteries of chance to bring them happiness and prosperity.  But what they don’t know is that no one who has relied on chance alone has ever been consistently successful. 

 Some of the other reasons why people don’t plan is because of their negative attitudes, stubbornness, excessive optimism, inflexibility, lack of perception, problems with urgency,  social taboos and environmental blocks, limited view points, fear of the unknown and lack of perservarance.

Body Talk & Dress In Interviews

Your mind will probably racing as you anticipate what you’ll say and how you’ll behave, but the first impression you create will be visual and the importance of body language, grooming and dress can’t  be overestimated.

Men should wear a suit and tie.  The suit doesn’t have to be dark, three-piece, or pinstriped, but it should be somewhat conservative in colour and style.  Naturally, there are situations where only a very conservative suit is appropriate, sus as in interviews at financial institutions or law firms.  On the other hand, if you’re interviewing with a design or record company, it may be more suitable to interview in a sport jacket and trendy tie.

Women have more choices in dress and therefore can make more mistakes.  Suits and conservative positions,  dresses are the best bet for women as well; avoid extremes in length, colour, and frills.  The more staid the company, the more conservative the outfit should be.  You can personalize your clothes with tasteful understated jewelry and accessories. Stay away from pants, miniskirts, sweaters and anything that’s overly trendy or casual.

A  firm handshake makes a tremendous impression on an interviewer, but it always takes him or her a few moments to concentrate after shaking a clammy, limp hand.  Make sure your hand is dry, even if it means wiping it inconspicuously on your clothes or hiding a napkin in your pocket.

You should appear calm and comfortable with a genuine smile, whatever your internal thoughts.  Sit in natural positions, bearing in mind that you’re not on your own couch at home.  Avoid crossing your arms tightly across your chest, because this is often perceived as an indication that you close people out.

Make eye contact throughout your meeting.  If you’re nervous and have an inclination to look down, try to catch yourself and look at your interviewer.  Many people have little nervous habits that they’re unaware of.  For that reason you may want to try a few practice interviews with a friend.  What do you unconsciously do when you’re speaking?  Do you pick at your nails?  Play with your hair?  Have your friend point out any such unwanted habits, and then find ways to avoid them.

Increase Your Memory Power

How often have you wished that you were better able to remember details or experiences and then apply these memories to the task at hand?  When you are able to recall pertinent knowledge to solve a problem, come up with a new idea or answer a complex question, you are skillfully applying your memory.

Memory systems date back to antiquity.  In ancient times memory was vitally important since there was no written language.  It was memory techniques and systems that enabled storytellers to remember stories, poems and songs and orators to remember their speeches.

The importance of a memory system has not lost its importance over the centuries.  Today, anyone wanting to be effective in his or her job must develop and exercise an efficient memory.  Most jobs require us to store millions of pieces of information.  We must have immediate mental access to company procedures, systems, products and services.  We must also be aware of similar items from our competitors.

We need to remember countless names and faces and relevant facts about people with whom we meet and interact.  Added to this, we are asked to accurately remember information discussed in meetings, during dozens of transactions and a variety of other details.  We are, infact, a walking computer.

Most of use only a fraction of our memory capability.  The way we improve our memory is not by improving intelligence or mental capacity, but by actively applying the fundamental principles of memory improvement and using the variety of memory techniques which is scientifically proven and beneficial.

Our mind is a vast reservoir of integrated holographic systems composed of over 10 billion nerve cells.  Scientists have scarcely tapped the surface of understanding how the human mind works.  Although much has been learned, the nature of how memory functions still has many mysteries.  Despite how little is really known, understanding how memory works and developing proven memory techniques will provide numerous personal and professional benefits. 

There is no such thing as "poor" memory exists for most of us.  The real issue is whether we have a trained memory or an untrained memory.  Almost anyone who wants to improve his or her memory can use proven methods which will train the mind for better recall.

Using Emotional Intelligence

It is not enough to know how to do your job or to be a very intelligent person.  People who are not emotionally smart waste time on personality conflicts and complaining.  They lose self control when faced with tense and stressful situations. 

Intellectual knowledge and technical skills are no longer sufficient for success at work or in life.  While factual knowledge and how-to-skills continue to be important, emotional intelligence skills have become even more crucial and valuable.  Relationships with associates and customers depend on your ability to communicate effectively one-on-one and in groups. 

Emotional intelligence is one of several types of intelligence required for success in all kinds of situations.  People have different abilities in dealing with emotions just like they have different abilities in language, logic, mathematics and music. Therefore Emotional Intelligence means “the ability to use your emotions in a positive and constructive way in relationships with others”.

Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, claims, “Emotional Intelligence based capabilities are twice as important for star performance as IQ and technical skills combined.  Research indicates that the biggest reason that managers fail is poor interpersonal skills.  According to The Centre for Creative Leadership, roughly half of all managers have problems relating to their associates and employees.

It is very important in the present stressful competitive world to be more emotionally confident to improve the quality of our lives.  Using emotional intelligence will help you to…..

• ·         Solve problems by using logic and feelings.
• ·         Be flexible in changing situations.
• ·         Help other people express their needs.
• ·         Calmly and thoughtfully respond to difficult people.
• ·         Keep an optimistic and positive outlook.
• ·         Continuously learn how to improve yourself and your organization.

Manage Your Stage Fear

People suffering from public speaking phobia suffer from stage fright or intense anxiety before making a speech. While a few people may appear natural at this, most of us dread the platform where we have to address an audience or group of people.  Have you ever felt your palms getting sweaty and body shaking in front of a crowd or audience? Don't worry, you are not alone. It's well known that public speaking is a major fear for most people. Instead of letting yourself and your fear of public speaking become a focal point for the audience, you should shift the concentration towards your speech.

Get rid of stage fright by imagining you are someone else, such as a favorite celebrity you admire. One of the best ways to get rid of this condition is to be mentally and physically well prepared. Help yourself get rid of stage fright by practicing your song, dance, monologue, scene or whatever you are performing. The next tip to overcome stage fright is to get comfortable with the place where you will be making the presentation.

Prior to getting up in front of a crowd, envision putting on a great performance. Also envision experiencing all the joy and pleasure you will feel from knowing you put on an excellent performance. Practice in front of people beforehand, and you'll be fine. Although presenting or speaking seems like a test in front of a jury, almost every audience wants you to succeed for the simple reason that you might have the knowledge/information they want.

Improve your Interview Skills

While the first step to landing the job you covet is the application and covering note, the most important hurdle is the interview. To succeed you need to be a step ahead of the interviewer. To do this you must prepare and that to well.

First and foremost you must prepare well. Write a resume that you can back up with facts during the interview. Well before the meeting; prepare yourself by combing through your resume and jotting down successes and failures. Be sure to pen stories that you can relate, just stating facts weakens your position if you can highlight how you succeeded in x, y, or z against most odds that will highlight your skills.

Always dress appropriately for an interview. Most HR persons will check whether a person is well groomed and has clean finger nails and footwear. Wear a clean well pressed suit that is comfortable. Interviews use grooming as one criterion to judge whether a person will fit the company culture.

Be prepared for complex interviews:

• The latest trend is to follow a half hour behavioral interview format. In this method your past experiences and behaviors are tested and used as an indicator of future success.

• Prepare thoroughly. Research as much as possible on the company. Get not just performance information but personal feed back as well. Know about profit, future plans, company structure and culture, as well as HR policies.

• Practice: Answer difficult as well as easy questions. If you practice answering difficult questions then you will not falter at the interview. Focus on strengths, skills, achievements, and what you can bring to the company.

• Surf the World Wide Web and find out what are the most likely questions they ask in an interview. See how well you can answer the commonly asked questions.

It is ideal if you do mock interviews with a career counselor or friend. Try standing in front of a mirror and practice posture as well as speaking. 

Tips:

Arrive at the venue before time. Switch of your mobile or pager.
Keep on hand extra copies of your resume.

• Wish the interviewer or panel with courtesy and sit down only after you are asked. Sit with poise and confidence.

• Speak slowly and clearly and keep calm. If a question is not clear ask for clarifications.

• Collect your thoughts before speaking.

• Be honest about achievements as well as mistakes. Never cover up or lie.

• Ask questions that are relevant to the job you are interviewing for. 

• Be assertive and confident and do not be intimidated by the interviewer or panel.


• On the day of the interview try and prepare for the ordeal ahead by listening to music, doing stretching exercises or yoga, or meditation and breathing. Keep all you need including your clothes ready the day before. Plan how you will travel and if you are driving where you will park the car. Reach the venue early and sit down at a café to eat something light and drink some tea or coffee. Never go to an interview on an empty stomach the queasiness will just be worse.  It is important to be yourself and never ever compromise in your values or what you believe in.

Improve your Communication Skills

When you stop to think about why we need to improve our communication skills today when we are all living in the age of communications, must make you wonder why we need to improve our own social communication skills.

The truth is, that we are all so busy 'communicating' that we aren't really communicating at all. We are all simply reminding others that we are still around. This isn't communicating anything except "Remember me"? There are a heck of a lot of "me's" in this world! And that in itself forms part of the problem. But there are some pretty simple solutions. There's not just one thing but a mixture of things we can all do to improve our communication ability and surprisingly, they are pleasurable to most human beings.

The first 'biggie' we all need to relearn is body language. Many people today below the age of 40 years, seem to have lost the ability to read body language accurately. Body language forms about 80% of our communicating when speaking. We use words but it is the position of our bodies that play an enormous part in assisting the meaning of those words to give the full impact to the verbalisation of the experience, concept or idea.

Urgent or non-urgent information that needs to be relayed will be relayed according to the spoken word but more so due to the urgency with which the words are spoken and the body language displayed. This is a pretty good reason for having people in authoritative positions deciding a course of action in certain events to stop people from panicking. In times of great danger, human beings too often revert to animal instincts and a herd mentality takes over. Having a good communicator relaying life-saving information has been proven many times over to save lives.

We can all improve our communication skills today by simply taking more time to actually communicate.  This means actually talking with people over a period of time. Talking to people about something that you are both interested in, and not just by monopolising one side of the conversation.

Communicating is a two-way street and the 'road rules' need to be observed otherwise you will get a person pulling away from the conversation simply because they are bored to tears or simply not interested. How can you tell if someone is disinterested?  By becoming an observer of body language. Body language is the unspoken but physical meaning behind words. A word placement in a sentence gives a word its nuance; body language gives it the impact.

If you are in business, being able to read body language can save you a heap of money. You are able to discern more accurately whether a client is trying to claim a false refund or whether a salesperson is having your best interests at heart.  If you are looking for better ways to get along with people around you, try improving your communication skills. If you are a family who spends the majority of family time sitting in front of a TV, barely speaking, then turn the TV off and go and sit outside and talk to each other. You will be amazed at what you learn about each other.

Give a Dynamic Presentation

Want to become a master at delivering vibrant, memorable presentations?   Here are 10 strategies for making yourself really come alive when you have the exciting opportunity to stand up in front of a group of people you don’t know.

1: Know Your Audience

In advance, try to find out your listeners’ concerns, interests and possible beliefs regarding the fitness topic you are presenting. What will people expect from you, and how can you best address their needs? For instance, talking to a group of inactive smokers and addressing a group of recreational enthusiasts require two very different speaking strategies and presentations.

2: Define the Essence of Your Presentation

Every year, I work with undergraduate and graduate students who give lectures and presentations to their peers. As the students strive to show how much they know about a subject, they often start to ramble. The solution to this common speaking problem is to focus on the essence of your presentation. What is the essential information you are discussing or delivering? What are your main points? What actions or directions do you want your audience to take? Clearly define the concise objectives and the essence of your presentation, and you will avoid disappointing your audience and embarrassing yourself.

3: Check Out Your Presentation Space

To ensure a successful presentation, it’s crucial to investigate your speaking area before you talk.  Always arrive early, and assess your lecture space for movement if you are going to move. Identify where to place your props (such as bags, dumbbells, tubing or other exercise devices). Determine where demonstrations will best be seen, and familiarize yourself with the audiovisual equipment and room lighting. All of us have had the (sad) opportunity to observe a presenter fumbling with equipment, demonstrating an exercise that no one beyond the first few rows could see or speaking with a microphone that was turned down too low. Remember, not preparing all aspects of your presentation space (and equipment) may undermine much of your professional credibility in the eyes of your audience.

4: Know That It Is Okay to Be Nervous

Being nervous is a good sign. In many respects it shows that you really care about the speech you are about to deliver. One of the best ways to manage nervous tension is to begin your presentation with something that draws your audience toward you, establishing a positive speaker-to- audience connection. Here are some examples. Starting with a relevant quote can be very powerful. Sometimes a brief but entertaining story that is appropriate and related to the topic makes an effective beginning that will help you relax. Another option is to start with a fascinating or even shocking statistics. Some interesting audiovisual display can also provide a compelling way to attract the audience and calm your presentation nerves.

5: Be the Enthusiastic Greeter

As attendees have observed at my speaking sessions, I enjoy being the gregarious greeter of delegates at my presentations. Nowhere is it written that as a speaker you should avoid talking to audience members before your presentation! If you have the time and opportunity, meet and greet members of your audience before you speak. These actions, while building a communication bridge with your audience, will also settle your nerves.

6: Speak With Passion

No one wants to come to a presentation to see a lecturer read his slides. So be sure to select a topic you have great enthusiasm and passion about. Allow that zest to come through as you speak to the audience. If you are not passionate about your topic, how and why will the audience be passionate about listening to you? Allow your energy and motivation to extend to those you are addressing.

7: Wear the Right Attire

Without a doubt, dress appropriately for your listeners. Wear clothes in which you can effortlessly move, speak and interact with the audience and that people will feel comfortable looking at you.  So I always wear sharp slacks and dress shirts, which look “professional” to my audience and allow me to be natural in my movements. Your presentation and the way you look express much about you to your audience. Choose your attire accordingly.

8: Practice, Practice and Practice

Great presentations are not like diffusion in biology—they don’t just happen. When you are underprepared, you will typically be so preoccupied with the wording of the speech that you may fail to develop an energetic, engaging style of communicating with your audience. However, how you practice will really make a difference in how you relate to your audience. Practicing your presentation in front of a mirror can be most enlightening. You can see little facial and bodily mannerisms that you were totally unaware of. Another worthwhile idea is to practice in front of respected colleagues and request their constructive feedback. And since most of us have access to camcorders, filming and reviewing your presentation is another valuable aid.

9: Make Your Presentation Memorable

One of the most helpful activities you can do before a presentation is to ask and answer this question: “Is my presentation memorable?” Have you done the exhaustive research and preparation necessary to present the most applicable, meaningful and attention-grabbing presentation? Most audiences enjoy a varied, stimulating and thought-provoking talk. Only through your conscientious attention to details, facts and information will you be able to provide this.

10: Dare to Be Different

Observe and learn from your fellow colleagues, but allow your presentation style to be different. Really focus on ways that you can distinguish yourself and establish a style unique to you. Try combining your experience, knowledge, passion, beliefs and creativity to develop the exceptional professional image you want to project. You don’t have to be outlandish, as we all have seen presenters who have attempted this strategy and failed. However, dig deep and embody those aspects of yourself that are different from others.

Ready to prepare for a dynamic presentation? Go for it—you can do it!

The Power of Reiki

 Reiki, which is pronounced as 'Ray Key' is a well-known natural energy healing process, which employs the use of ‘laying on’ of hands in order to enhance and improve the overall health of a person and help him balance the life force energy.

Reiki healing is a simple, non-intrusive healing procedure. It is an excellent way to reduce stress, bring in more relaxation and get the mind, body in sync with the spirit.

What exactly is Reiki Healing?

According to oriental medicine, what's causing us to be alive is the life force energy or 'chi' that runs through us. In Japanese, 'Rei' refers to 'Higher Power' and 'Ki' means force of life. When brought together, the word Reiki basically means life force energy guided by spirituality. If this life force energy is down and low, we go through phases of illness, depression and stress. If this same energy is up and high, we feel happy, relaxed and healthy.

Reiki healing is a natural spiritual healing method that is simple, safe and can be used to literally treat almost any kind of health condition.

How does Reiki Healing Actually Work?

Reiki healing is very easy to learn and simple to apply. Even though this healing method is spiritual, you don't really need to have a belief for Reiki to work successfully, although you might end up feeling a lot more connected and in tune to your own religion.

The term healing refers to working on the physical symptoms. When this works in conjunction to the practice of Reiki, there is a greater response and better results as the body returns to wholeness.

The whole healing process works by getting rid of the disease and the pain associated with it, bringing one's whole self closer to the its ideal form. This is done with the practitioner placing his or her hands on the affected person, for the healing to start. The energy is managed on its own and flows through and within the person who is receiving the healing.

The healer does not intervene consciously in any way. The energy is smoothly being directed by a higher power and knows exactly where it needs to go and what needs to be done.

It's the healer's job to actually keep a watch and listen in order to keep the healing space open.

What Kind of Benefits Does Reiki Healing Offer?

When the life's flow of energy is disrupted in someway or is blocked, it usually leads emotional and health problems.

Stress and anxiety, negative and harmful thoughts, disturbing feelings, emotional turmoil or physical trauma, all bring in imbalances, which can lead to more serious health issues if left untreated.

When you're relaxed and free of any stress or worry, it really helps your body to restore its natural, inner ability to heal. Reiki healing not only helps you get rid of unwanted stress, but it also gives you a way to achieve deep relaxation resulting in better sleep. Apart from this, it can also help in:

1. Speeding up the body's natural self.

2. Alleviating and lowering pain.

3. Getting rid of toxins.

4. Assisting the body in recovering from the illness.

5. Supporting and making the immune system stronger.

6. Breaking harmful habits and addictions.

7. Reducing blood pressure.

8. Removing any kind of energy blockages.

9. Balancing and harmonizing the energy flow of the endocrine system.

10. Emotional clearance and spiritual growth.

On the whole, if you practice Reiki the way it needs to be done, it will help you get your body more balanced and enhance its ability to handle stress and anxiety easily and makes your thinking positive and dynamic thereby bringing a total change in your actions

Reflections One

In his book You’ll See It When You Believe It, Dr. Wayne Dyer offers some interesting and helpful suggestions for personal transformation.  A synopsis of these suggestions is shared here for your reflection.

• Practice thinking about yourself and others in formless ways.  Take a few moments each to evaluate yourself in terms of pure thought and feeling.  Watch yourself acting and interacting.  Do not criticize or judge, simply note how your form is behaving and how it is feeling.

• Use the observer exercise (mentioned above) with other people.  Notice how they may destroy their potential for happiness and success because they identify exclusively with their forms.

• Make an effort to go beyond your comfort zone on a regular basis.  Listen to the real you inside who is encouraging you to transcend yourself.

• Make an effort to cease labeling yourself as a means of identifying who you are as a human being.

• Begin to view your mind, your non form side, as new and miraculous.  Know that your mind is capable of transcending your form and that your body is in a larger part controlled by your mind.

• Work each day to clear yourself of the two factors that do the most to inhibit your personal transformation: negativity and judgement.

• Examine how you treat the physical or visible you.

• Allow yourself time to medicate quietly by yourself.  Meditation is a powerful tool, and it is as simple as breathing.  You should choose your own style of meditation.

• Above all else, be kind and understanding of yourself.  Be especially kind to yourself if you behave in a way you dislike.  Talk kindly to yourself.  Be patient with yourself when you find it difficult to be a “holy” person.

The Magic of Learning

Learning is for life and you are made out of learning.  There are a few things in life that are undoubted facts and one of them is that throughout life, you will always be learning. No matter what age, we all go through learning processes whether it is for our businesses or careers, parenting, communication skills, relationships and even for our hobbies. Yes more people will have the urge and ability to learn more than others, but at the end of the day - everybody is learning continuously.

Therefore it makes perfect sense to obtain good learning skills sooner than later. Having good study habits and some tools to increase your ability to learn would make all the difference. The following are some tips and techniques you can apply to any learning situation.

Ask Questions - Whenever possible, never hesitate to ask questions whether you think they are important or not. I have been taught that the only silly question is the question not asked. It has been proven time and time again that the students who participate in class, and the members who participate within groups in general, like online forums, are the ones who gain the most knowledge.

Teach What You Have Learned To Others - This is something that I personally do all the time by writing articles of what I have learned, I am sure you have been through the same process. Just think of a time when you were explaining something to a friend and then all of a sudden the "aha" bell rang inside your head. You get the sense of feeling that what you have just said (presented) makes more sense now, than it did before. This is because when you "teach", you are forced to think holistically. This means that you are "relating" and interconnecting knowledge you already know; it is basically the opposite of memorizing.

Learn To Speed Read - This is a process which I have learned in the last few months and which is very easy to do with some practice, but at the same time very effective. Most of us learn by reading, so what if you could read twice as fast, or even three times as fast, as you can now? To speed read, you need to take a pen/pencil or use your finger while reading. As you read you move your finger or pen across the lines at a much faster speed than you would normally read. Your eyes must focus and follow the tip of your finger/pen, not on the actual words. By using this technique you are actually removing that "inner voice" you hear, which is basically reading to yourself. The faster you move your pen across the sentence; your mind learns to read "chunks" of words at a time, instead of reading word for word.

The way you learn plays a significant role on your retention rate. Your retention rate is what you remember after you have learned something. To explain things in more depth, we need to look at the "cone of experience" model by Edgar Dale. This model implies the following:

- When you learn by only reading, you will remember approximately 10% of what you have read.
- When you learn by only listening (i.e. lectures, podcasts) you will remember approximately 20% of what you hear.
- When you learn by only watching videos or images, you remember approximately 30% of what you see and hear.
- When you learn by watching a demonstration, you will remember approximately 50% of what you see and hear.
- When you learn by participating in a discussion or workshop, you will remember up to 70% of what you write and say.
- And when you learn by performing a presentation, where basically you become the teacher, you will remember up to 90% of what you teach.

As you can see, learning by active means such as discussion and engagement, you will learn a lot more than just by reading or listening, which is passive learning.

Shine with purpose

When you have a purpose in life you start shining like a star.

The purpose in life brings you new zeal and zest in you to achieve more, to climb more in the ladder of your success dreams.  It will make you soar high as an eagle making your dreams come true.

Money is not the key to happiness.  Winning the lottery and spending the rest of your life on a tropical island - while intoxicating to the ear - is not the key to happiness.

What is, on the other hand, is exciting news.

Over the past few years, science and psychology have been experiencing quite a shift in focus, thanks to men such as Dr. Martin Seligman. It couldn't have come too soon.

The New Psychology

 
Through his work at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Seligman has created an entirely new branch of psychology. Instead of focusing solely on neuroses in life, he decided to study what makes us feel good.

Since the first days of his groundbreaking work, positive psychology has definitely caught on.

One of the focuses of this branch is - you guessed it - happiness. Through the work of countless positive psychologists, the path to such feelings has become more and more clear.

The Key to Happiness

They've discovered through their clinical investigations that happiness is tied tightly to your strengths - the things you're good at. People have been proven to be happiest when applying their unique skills toward a challenging project or goal.

You don't need millions of dollars or a personal island to be happy. All that you need is already within you. Discover your strengths, apply them to a challenging goal, and you'll see for yourself.  The key to shine yourself always is understanding and learning yourself continuously.

So the Mind, So the Body

Just take a look at any of today’s news-stand magazines or any newspaper daily, chances are that one of the leading articles will be on the management of stress and fitness. Stress is one of the leading causes of illness in the present competitive world, and more and more we have been reading the vital links between body, mind and spirit discovered by doctors and scientists. Emotional stress can weaken the immune system, making the body more susceptible to diseases.

Disease-prone people often exhibit emotional dependence, and dissatisfaction with their key relationships. Lousie Hay, author of “Heal your body” says, “I find that resentment, criticism, guilt, and fear cause the most problems in ourselves and ourlives. Whatever is happening, ‘out there’ is only a mirror of our inner thinking.”

It is a religious duty to maintain health. Eating, drinking, sleeping and waking and exercise are very much part of it as prayer and worship and daily work. They vitally affect one’s thinking, temper and temperaments and the way one looks at the world. A healthy body makes a healthy soul.

Dynamics of Group Discussion

The person who learn’s from mistakes is the one who has the wisdom, and who repeats the mistake is the one who does not.

Here’s a list of the most common mistakes made at group discussions:

Emotional outburst

Ragini was offended when one of the male participants in a group discussion made a statement on women generally being submissive while explaining his point of view. When Ragini finally got an opportunity to speak, instead of focusing on the topic, she vented her anger by accusing the other candidate for being a male chauvinist and went on to defend women in general.

What Ragini essentially did was 

* Deviated from the subject.

* Treated the discussion as a forum to air her own views.

* Lose objectivity and make personal attacks.

Her behaviour would have been perceived as immature and demotivating to the rest of the team.

Quality Vs Quantity

Rajan believed that the more he talked, the more likely he was to get through the GD. So, he interrupted other people at every opportunity. He did this so often that the other candidates got together to prevent him from participating in the rest of the discussion.

* Assessment is not only on your communication skills but also on your ability to be a team player.

* Evaluation is based on quality, and not on quantity. Your contribution must be relevant.

* The mantra is “Contributing meaningfully to the team’s success.” Domination is frowned upon.

Egotism Showing off

Raman was happy to have got a group discussion topic he had prepared for. So, he took pains to project his vast knowledge of the topic. Every other sentence of his contained statistical data – “20% of companies; 24.27% of parliamentarians felt that; I recently read in a Jupiter Report that…” and so on so forth. Soon, the rest of the team either laughed at him or ignored his attempts to enlighten them as they perceived that he was cooking up the data.

* Exercise restraint in anything. You will end up being frowned upon if you attempt showing-off your knowledge.

* Facts and figures need not validate all your statements.

* Its your analysis and interpretation that are equally important – not just facts and figures.

* You might be appreciated for your in-depth knowledge. But you will fail miserably in your people skills.

Such a behavior indicates how self-centered you are and highlights your inability to work in an atmosphere where different opinions are expressed.

Get noticed – But for the right reasons

Jayram knew that everyone would compete to initiate the discussion. So as soon as the topic – “Discuss the negative effects of India joining the WTO” – was read out, he began talking. In his anxiety to be the first to start speaking, he did not hear the word “negative” in the topic. He began discussing the ways in which the country had benefited by joining WTO, only to be stopped by the evaluator, who then corrected his mistake.

* False starts are extremely expensive. They cost you your admission. It is very important to listen and understand the topic before you air your opinions.

* Spending a little time analyzing the topic may provide you with insights which others may not have thought about. Use a pen and paper to jot down your ideas.

* Listen! It gives you the time to conceptualize and present the information in a better manner.

Some mistakes are irreparable. Starting off the group discussion with a mistake is one such mistake, unless you have a great sense of humor.

Managing one’s insecurities

Sumana was very nervous. She thought that some of the other candidates were exceptionally good. Thanks to her insecurity, she contributed little to the discussion. Even when she was asked to comment on a particular point, she preferred to remain silent.

* Your personality is also being evaluated. Your verbal and non verbal cues are being read.

* Remember, you are the participant in the GD; not the evaluator. So, rather than evaluating others and your performance, participate in the discussion.

* Your confidence level is being evaluated. Decent communication skills with good confidence is a must to crack the GDs.

Focus on your strengths and do not spend too much time thinking about how others are superior or inferior to you. It is easy to pick up these cues from your body language.

GD Preparation

While selection tools and techniques like tests, interviews etc. provide good data about an individual, they fall short in providing real life data of how an individual would be performing in a real life situation especially a group situation. Team work being an integral part of the BPO work profile, it is important to ascertain group and inter-personal qualities of an individual. Group discussion is a useful tool to ascertain these qualities and many organizations use GDs as a selection tool along with Personal Interviews, aptitude tests etc. A GD is an activity where

*Groups of 8-10 candidates are formed into a leaderless group, and are given a specific situation to analyse and discuss within a given time limit, which may vary between twenty minutes and forty-five minutes, or

*They may be given a case study and asked to come out with a solution for a problem

*They may be given a topic and are asked to discuss the same

1. Preparing for a Group Discussion: While GD reflects the inherent qualities of an individual, appearing for it unprepared may not augur well for you. These tips would help you prepare for GDs:

Reading: This is the first and the most crucial step in preparation. This is a never ending process and the more you read, the better you are in your thoughts. While you may read anything to everything, you must ensure that you are in good touch with current affairs, the debates and hot topics of discussion and also with the latest in the IT and ITES industry. Chances are the topics would be around these. Read both for the thoughts as well as for data. Also read multiple view points on the same topic and then create your point of view with rationale. Also create answers for counter arguments for your point of view. The electronic media also will be of good use here.

Mocks: Create an informal GD group and meet regularly to discuss and exchange feedback. This is the best way to prepare. This would give you a good idea about your thoughts and how well can you convince. Remember, it is important that you are able to express your thoughts well. The better you perform in these mocks the better would be you chances to perform on the final day. Also try to interact and participate in other GD groups. This will develop in you a skill to discuss with unknown people as well.

2. During the Group Discussion:

What do the panelists assess:Some of the qualities assessed in a GD are:

Leadership Skills – Ability to take leadership roles and be able to lead, inspire and carry the team along to help them achieve the group’s objectives.

Communication Skills – Candidates will be assessed in terms of clarity of thought, expression and aptness of language. One key aspect is listening. It indicates a willingness to accommodate others views.

Interpersonal Skills – People skills are an important aspect of any job. They are reflected in the ability to interact with other members of the group in a brief situation. Emotional maturity and balance promotes good interpersonal relationships. The person has to be more people centric and less self-centered.

Persuasive Skills – The ability to analyze and persuade others to see the problem from multiple perspectives.

GD is a test of your ability to think, your analytical capabilities and your ability to make your point in a team-based environment.

These are some of the sub-skills that also get assessed with the skills mentioned above:

• Clarity of thought
• Group working skills (especially during a group task of case study discussion)
• Conflict handling
• Listening and probing skill
• Knowledge about the subject and individual point of view
• Ability to create a consensus
• Openess and flexibility towards new ideas
• Data based approach to decision making

While, it is not possible to reflect all these qualities in a short time, you would do well if you are able to show a couple or more qualities and avoid giving negative evidence on others.

How do I take my chance to speak: Trying to interrupt others while speaking would only harm your chances. Instead, you may try to maintain an eye-contact with the speaker. This would show your listening skills also and would help you gauge from his eye-movement and pitch of voice that he is about to close his inputs. You can quickly take it from there. Also, try and link your inputs with what he has spoken whether you are adding to or opposing his arguments. This would reflect that you are actually being participative rather than just doing a collective monologue.

• How to I communicate in a GD: Be crisp and to the point. Be fact based and avoid making individual opinions that do not have a factual base. Make eye contact with all the members in the group and avoid looking at the panelists while speaking. The average duration of the group discussion provides an average of about 2-3 minutes per participant to speak and you should try to speak about 3-4 times. Hence, you need to be really crisp to reflect the most in those 30-40 sec. slots.
• How do I convince others and make them agree to my view point: A lot of candidates make it their mission to make the group reach to a conclusion on the topic. Do not forget that some of the topics have been eternal debates and there is no way you can get an agreement in 15 mins. on them. The objective is not to make others toe your line but to provide fact based, convincing arguments which create an impact. Stick to this approach.

• Do leadership skills include moderating the group discussion: This is a myth and many people do try to impose their order on the GD, ordering people when to speak and when not to. This only reflects poor leadership. Leadership in a GD would be reflected by your clarity of thought, ability to expand the topic in its different dimensions, providing an opportunity to a silent participant to speak, listening to others and probing them to provide more information. Hence, work on these areas rather than be a self-appointed moderator of the group.

• Listening: This is a key quality assessed during the GD about which many participants forget. Active listening can fetch you credit points and would also provide you with data to discuss. Also, if you have an average of 2-3 minutes to speak, the rest of the 20-25 minutes is required to spent in active listening. For this, maintain eye contact with the speakers, attend to them (like nodding, using acknowledging words like -I see ok, fine, great etc.). This would also make you be the centre of attraction as you would appear non-threatening to the speakers.

• Behaviour during the GD: Be patient; don’t get upset if anyone says anything you object to. Stay objective and don’t take the discussion personally. Also, remember the six C’s of communication – Clarity, Completeness, Conciseness, Confidence, Correctness and Courtesy. Be appreciative & receptive to ideas from other people and open-minded but do not let others to change your own viewpoint. Be active and interested throughout. It is better to participate less if you have no clue of the topic. You may listen to others and take clues from there and speak. You would be assessed on a range of different skills and you may think that leadership is key, you need to be careful that you don’t dominate the discussion.

• Quality Vs Quantity: Often, participants think that success in group discussions depends on how much and how loudly they speak. Interestingly, it’s the opposite. Also, making your point on the topic, your views are important and the group needs to know. This will tell you are knowledgeable and that you participate in groups.

• Summarizing: If you have not been able to initiate the discussion, try to summaries and close it. Good summarizing would get you good reward points. A conclusion is where the whole group decides in favour or against the topic and most GDs do not have a closure. But every GD can be summarized by putting forth what the group has discussed in a nutshell. Keep the following points in mind while summarizing a discussion:
  • Avoid raising new points.
  • Avoid stating only your viewpoint.
  • Avoid dwelling only on one aspect of the GD
  • Keep it brief and concise.
  • It must include all the important points that came out during the GD
  • If you are asked to summarise a GD, it means the GD has come to an end.
  • Do not add anything once the GD has been summarised.

Some Positive Task Roles in a Group Discussion:You may want to play one or more of them:

• Initiator
• Information seeker
• Information giver
• Procedure facilitator
• Opinion seeker
• Opinion giver
• Clarifier
• Social Supporter
• Harmonizer
• Tension Reliever
• Energizer
• Compromiser
• Gatekeeper
• Summarizer

Negative Roles to be Avoided

• Disgruntled non-participant
• Attacker
• Dominator
• Patronizer
• Clown

Engineering GD Topics

·         Is China a threat to the Indian software industry.

·         Role of UN in peacekeeping.

·         Position of Women in India compared to other nations.

·         Environment Management.

·         is china a threat to Indian industry

·          India or west , which is the land of opportunities

·         "BALANCE BETWEEN PROFESSIONALISM AND FAMILY"

·         Effect of cinema on Youth

·         Education in India compared to Foreign nations

·         What is the effect of movies on youth. is it good or bad)

·         Are studies more beneficial in India or in Abroad.

·         "Environment-Whose Responsibility".

·         Present state of Indian Cricket team

·         How to deal with international terrorism.

·         Should we pursue our policy of dialogue with Pakistan?

·         Is peace and non-violence outdated concepts?

·         Is Globalization Really Necessary?

·         What shall we do about our ever-increasing Population?

·         Corruption is the price we pay for Democracy.

·         Foreign Television Channels are destroying our culture.

·         What India needs is a Dictatorship.

·         Kaun Banega Krorepati is less about knowledge but more about money and personality.

·         Beauty contests degrade womanhood

·         Is India a Soft Nation?

·         Value based politics is the need of the hour

·         Religion should not be mixed with politics

·         How to deal with high oil prices

·         Our cricketers are not to blame for match fixing

·         Multinational corporations: Are they devils in disguise?

·         Should there be limits on artistic freedom (the controversy on Fire).

·         Does banning fashion shows and New Year parties save our culture?

·         Some simple but effective electoral reforms will enable us to retain the present parliamentary system and ensure the preservation of democracy in India.

·         Nuclear war cannot be won and should not be fought.

·         Cricket as a national obsession is a detriment to other sports.

·         To develop India has to empower women.

·         Formulate the government's health policy to control the spread of AIDS.

·         Advertising is a waste of resources.

·         Privatization will lead to less corruption.

·         State is the biggest violator of human rights.

·         Beauty pageants are a marketing gimmick.

·         Voting rights to illiterates in India is illogical because it is widely misused.

·         Joint family is a blessing in disguise

·         Higher education should be made possible only for those who can pay for it.

·         Women cannot successfully combine both career and home

·         Women are good managers.

·         Indians perform better as individuals rather than in groups.

·         Business and ethics go hand in hand, or do they?

·         Developing countries should spend more on development than on defense.

·         Technology: The Ism' Of The New Millennium?

·         Religion And Politics Should Not Mix

·         Science Is A Boon Or Bane

·         All Work And No Play Makes Jack A Dull Boy

·         Capitation Fees Should Be Abolished

·         Brain-Drain Has To Be Stopped

·         Business And Ethics Can't / Don't Go Together

·         Are women As good as Men Or Inferior?

·         Nothing Succeeds Like Success

·         Should India Break Diplomatic Ties With Pakistan?

·         Age and Youth: Experience And Young Talent