you 'll see it when you believe it

"'Observe a tree and contemplate the intelligence within or behind that tree that allows it to function perfectly in form .The leaves come and go, the sap drips out, it flowers when it is supposed to .It is much more than simple form . It contains a life force that makes it alive . We cannot see that life force , but it is very real."

These words of Wayne Dyer is what comes to my mind as I sit in my balcony and watch this Gulmohar tree I planted 8 years back. It's in full bloom this year . It did not bloom for 6 years, last year I actually stood in the balcony and talked to it , anyone watching would have thought I am mad ( Probably I am :) ). I kept pleading with it to bloom , goading it saying so many other gulmohars in town were blooming profusely and here was one big tree, which I planted,watered, put manure, talked to and not a flower! The very next couple of days, a few buds appeared and the week after the first sign of at least a dozen flowers. This year as you can see it's in  full bloom.

some signs and symptoms of Inner Peace

A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than on fears based on past experiences
An unmistable ability to enjoy each moment
A loss of interest in judging other people
A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others
A loss of interest in conflict
A loss of ability to worry
Frequent overwhelming episodes of appreciation
Contended feelings of connectedness with others and nature
Frequent attacks of smiling
An increasedsusceptibility to the love extended by othersas well as uncontollable urge to extend it.

7th Sense

When environment is hostile , many animals go into hibernation. Their heartbeat , respiration rate and temperature drop drastically. They seem to ‘sleep’ through hard times. When caught in a strong ocean current , a seahorse drifts gracefully with it until it passes by an underwater plant. It then uses its tail; to cling on the plant until the current passes by.

Let ends be worthy of your toil or you toil in vain. When the going gets tough , don’t just get going. Pause , think and asses s the situation sensibly. Evaluate the options available .
Withdraw into a cocoon when an unannounced storm in your life appears , and thus remain until it passes by. Flow with the situation while not losing touch with your roots. Gigantic trees are uprooted in a typhoon but smaller plants bend with the wind and live on.
Use the periods of lull in life to retrospect and plan.Retrospect on the path you have thus far trodden and put into perspective the path ahead.

7th Sense

The bald eagle has a life span of 50 years .When it reaches 40,its beak and claws begin to bend .The curvatures prevent it from catching prey. Its weight increases because it can no longer pluck excess feathers off its body. Flying itself becomes agonizingly difficult. The majestic eagle is thus rendered distressingly helpless and feeble at prime of its life. Then something incredible happens . The eagle dashes itself against rocks until the beak breaks off . it then retires into solitude. For three months the eagle survives without food or flight.Three months later , a new and sharp beak grows back.The eagle then pulls out excess feathers on its body and trims its claws.It soars the skies again and begins a new phase of life in all its majesty.
When weighed down and alone in life, never look up and lament ‘O destiny you have given me the vast sky but taken away my wings with which to fly”.Look into the sky instead and think of the eagle that scripted its own destiny. The process of renewal may take time and may be painful , but when it is done , you will begin life anew in all its splendor . Thus you shall be reborn to triumph.

7th Sense

Camouflage and disguise are amazing displays in a world of predator and prey.
Be in receptive harmony with people and events occurring around you .Blend in with your environment and try not to look like a person apart from it even if in fact you really are.Trying to be different may not always make you a trendsetter . On contrary , you may be branded as a deviant and a misfit , especially by those who see in you a threat.
Interest others with your uniqueness if you must , but not to the point of intimidating them.Apear ordinary and conserve your distinctive skills and assets to be deployed at the right time and place.That’s the mark of extraordinary survivors and winners

The Field of the Future

The key to deeper levels of learning is that the larger living wholes of which we are an active part are not inherently static.Like all living systems , they both conserve features essential to their existence and seek to evolve. When we become more aware of of the dynamic whole, we also become more aware of what is emerging.
....
Entrepreneurial ability is an expression of the capacity to sense an emerging reality and to act in harmony with it.
...Every profound innovation is based on an inward bound journey , on going to a deeper place where knowing comes to the surface.
...
This inward bound journey lies at the heart of all creativity, whether in the arts , in business, or in science.Many scientistsand inventors, like artists and entrepreneurs, live in a paradoxical state of great confidence and profound humility - knowing their choices and actions matter and feeling guided by forces beyond their making.
Can living instituitions learn to tap into a larger field to guide them toward what is healthy for the whole?What understanding and capacity will this require of people individually and collectively?
Peter senge in Presence

Presennce

All Learning integrates thinking and doing.In reactive learning , thinking is governed by established mental models and doing is governed by established habits of action.
deeper levels of learning create increasing awareness of the larger whole - both as it is and as it is evolving - and actions that increasingly become part of creating alternative futures
....
All learning integrates thinking and doing .All learning is about how we interact in the world and the types of capacities that develop from our interactions . What differs is the depth of the awareness and the consequent source of action.If awareness never reaches beyond superficial events and current circumstances, actions will be reactions.If on the other hand , we peneterate more deeply to see the larger wholes that generate "what is" and our own connection to this wholeness, the source and effectiveness of our actions can change dramatically.

Peter Senge

Prevailing System of Management

Prevailing system of Management as DEMMING understood it late in his life why so few Mangers seem to be able to implement real QUALITY Management as he concieved it.
Management by measurement
focusing on short term metrics
devaluing intangibles
(you can only measure 3% of what matters - WE Demming)
Compliance based Cultures
getting ahead by pleasing the boss
Management by fear
Managing outcomes
Management set targets
people are held accountable for meeting Management targets ( regardless of whether they are possible within the existing system and processes)
Right answers Vs Wrong answers
Technical problem solving is emphasised
Diverging ( systemic) problems are discounted
Uniformity
Diversity is a problem to be solved
Conflict is supressed in favor of superficial agreement
Predictability and controlability
To manage is to control
The 'holy trnity of management' is planning , organising,controlling.
Excessive Competitiveness and distrust
competition between people is essential to achieve desired performance
without competion between people there is no innovation
(we have been sold down the river by competition - W E Demming)
Loss of the whole
Fragmentation
local innovations do not spread

The fifth discipline Peter Senge

I believe that the prevailing system of management is at its core dedicated to mediocrity. It forces people to work harder and harder to compensate for failing to tap the spirit and collective intelligence that charachterises working together at their best

Disillusion

Our prevailing system of management has destroyed our people.People are born with intrinsic motivation,self respect, dignity, curiosity to learn, joy in learning.The forces of destruction begin toddlers - aprize for the best Halloween costume, grades in school , gold stars - and on up through University. On the job, people, teams and divisions are ranked, reward for the top , punishment for the bottom. management by objectives, quotas, incentive pay, business plan put together seperately division by division, causes further loss , unknown and unknowable .

W E Demming

Let Go of Resentments

How do we rebuild trust and let go of resentment? Resentment happens when there has been an accumulation and pattern of broken trust and betrayal. Resentment can take on the form of withdrawal, pulling back, and shutting down within the relationship. The great news is -- there is a path for healing and renewal. It includes 7-steps: 1) Observe and acknowledge what has happened 2) Allow feelings to surface 3) Get support 4) Reframe the experience 5) Take responsibility 6) Forgive yourself and others 7) Let go and move on *Daily Quote: Inspiration you can transform your thoughts, create new etchings, and movethrough each day and every situation with positive expectancy. - Julie Bartkus

LITTLE CANDLE

Once upon a time a little candle stood in a room filled with other candles,most of them much larger and much more beautiful than she was. Some were ornate and some were rather simple, like herself. Some were white, some were blue, some were pink, some were green. She had no idea why she was there, and the other candles made her feel rather small and insignificant. When the sun went down and the room began to get dark, she noticed a largeman walking toward her with a ball of fire on a stick. She suddenly realized that the man was going to set her on fire. “No, no!” she cried,“Don't burn me, please!” But she knew that she could not be heard and prepared for the pain that would surely follow. To her surprise, the room filled with light. She wondered where it came from since the man had extinguished his fire stick. To her delight, she realized that the light came from herself. Then the man struck another fire stick and, one by one, lit the other candles in the room. Each one gave out the same light that she did. During the next few hours, she noticed that, slowly, her wax began to flow.She became aware that she would soon die. With this realization came a sense of why she had been created. “Perhaps my purpose on earth is to giveout light until I die,” she mused. And that's exactly what she did. God created you and I to produce light in a dark world. Like that little candle, we all can produce the same amount of light, no matter how small weare or what color we might be. But we can't produce light until we receiveit from an outside source

GRATITUDE

Hans Selye, the great stress specialist, says that gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions and revenge is the most destructive. He's right. It is a fact that when you express gratitude for what you have, you will have more for which to be grateful. It is equally true that the more you complain about your problems, the more problems you will have to complain about. Here's why. People who express appreciation for what they have attract people who recognize that attitude. They are far more inclined to encourage and/or lend a helping hand because they know their help will be appreciated. People who are always complaining about their problems repel the very people who are in position to give them help and encouragement.Try this. Make a list of ten things you like about your job, mate, child(ren), city, school, etc. The next time someone asks you what you do or where you are from, respond enthusiastically, "I'm from XYZ City," or "I work at ABC Company, and I really like it!" They are likely to comment on your enthusiasm and ask you why you like your city or your job so much. You can respond, "The people there are really nice and we render a great service. My manager is a neat lady," and go right down the list. You'll be amazed at the response you will get and the impact it will have on your attitude and performance. Recently I met a lady who had been working for the JC Penney Company for many years and had grown disgruntled and unhappy. She decided to give this approach a try. Two weeks later she told me that her supervisor had commented on her dramatic change in attitude and performance. The lady added, "And you know, it's funny, I really do like my job much better!" Give it a try and I'll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

By Zig Ziglar

9 great management lessons from Dhirubhai Ambani

Dhirubhaism No 1: Roll up your sleeves and help.
You and your team share the same DNA.
Reliance, during Vimal's heady days had organized a fashion show at the Convention Hall, at Ashoka Hotel in New Delhi.
As usual, every seat in the hall was taken, and there were an equal number of impatient guests outside, waiting to be seated. I was of course completely besieged, trying to handle the ensuing confusion, chaos and protests, when to my amazement and relief, I saw Dhirubhai at the door trying to pacify the guests.
Dhirubhai at that time was already a name to reckon with and a VIP himself, but that did not stop him from rolling up his sleeves and diving in to rescue a situation that had gone out of control. Most bosses in his place would have driven up in their swank cars at the last moment and given the manager a piece of their minds. Not Dhirubhai.
When things went wrong, he was the first person to sense that the circumstances would have been beyond his team's control, rather than it being a slip on their part, as he trusted their capabilities implicitly. His first instinct was always to join his men in putting out the fire and not crucifying them for it. Sounds too good a boss to be true, doesn't he? But then, that was Dhirubhai.
Dhirubhaism No 2: Be a safety net for your team.
There used to be a time when our agency Mudra was the target of some extremely vicious propaganda by our peers, when on an almost daily basis my business ethics were put on trial. I, on my part, putting on a brave front, never raised this subject during any of my meetings with Dhirubhai.
But one day, during a particularly nasty spell, he gently asked me if I needed any help in combating it. That did it. That was all the help that I needed. Overwhelmed by his concern and compassion, I told him I could cope, but the knowledge that he knew and cared for what I was going through, and that he was there for me if I ever needed him, worked wonders for my confidence.
I went back a much taller man fully armed to face whatever came my way. By letting us know that he was always aware of the trials we underwent and that he was by our side through it all, he gave us the courage we never knew we had.
Dhirubhaism No 3: The silent benefactor.
This was another of his remarkable traits. When he helped someone, he never ever breathed a word about it to anyone else. There have been none among us who haven't known his kindness, yet he never went around broadcasting it.
He never used charity as a platform to gain publicity. Sometimes, he would even go to the extent of not letting the recipient know who the donor was. Such was the extent of his generosity. "Expect the unexpected" just might have been coined for him.
Dhirubhaism No 4: Dream big, but dream with your eyes open.
His phenomenal achievement showed India that limitations were only in the mind. And that nothing was truly unattainable for those who dreamed big.
Whenever I tried to point out to him that a task seemed too big to be accomplished, he would reply: " No is no answer!" Not only did he dream big, he taught all of us to do so too. His one-line brief to me when we began Mudra was: "Make Vimal's advertising the benchmark for fashion advertising in the country."
At that time, we were just a tiny, fledgling agency, tucked away in Ahmedabad, struggling to put a team in place. When we presented the seemingly insurmountable to him, his favourite response was always: "It's difficult but not impossible!" And he was right. We did go on to achieve the impossible.
Both in its size and scope Vimal's fashion shows were unprecedented in the country. Grand showroom openings, stunning experiments in print and poster work all combined to give the brand a truly benchmark image. But way back in 1980, no one would have believed it could have ever been possible. Except Dhirubhai.
But though he dreamed big, he was able to clearly distinguish between perception and reality and his favourite phrase "dream with your eyes open" underlined this.
He never let preset norms govern his vision, yet he worked night and day familiarizing himself with every little nitty-gritty that constituted his dreams constantly sifting the wheat from the chaff. This is how, as he put it, even though he dreamed, none of his dreams turned into nightmares. And this is what gave him the courage to move from one orbit to the next despite tremendous odds.
Dhirubhai was indeed a man of many parts, as is evident. I am sure there are many people who display some of the traits mentioned above, in their working styles as well, but Dhirubhai was one of those rare people who demonstrated all of them, all the time.
5. Dhirubhaism: Leave the professional alone!
Much as people would like to believe, most owners (even managers and clients), though eager to hire the best professionals in the field, do so and then use them as extensions of their own personality. Every time I come across this, which is much too often, I am reminded of how Dhirubhai's management techniques used to be (and still remain) so refreshingly different.
For instance, way back in the late 1970s when we decided to open an agency of our own, he asked me to name it. I carried a short list of three names, two Westernised and one Indian. It was a very different world back then. Everything Anglicised was considered "upmarket."
There were hardly any agencies with Indian names barring my own ex-agency Shilpi and a few others like Ulka and Sistas. He looked at the list and asked me what my choice was. I said "Mudra": it was the only name that suited my personality. And the spirit of the agency that I was to head.
I was very Indian and an Anglicised name on my visiting card would seem pretentious and contrived. No further questions were asked. No suggestions offered, just a plain and simple "Go ahead and do it." That was just the beginning.
He continued to give me total freedom -- no supervision, no policing -- in all my decisions thereafter. In fact, the only direction that he gave me, just once, was this: "Produce your best."
His utter trust in me was what pushed me to never, ever let him down. I guess the simplest strategies are often the hardest to adopt. That was the secret of the Dhirubhai legend. It was not out of a book. It was a skillful blend of head and heart.
6. Dhirubhaism: Change your orbit, constantly!
To understand this statement, let me explain Dhirubhai's "orbit theory."
He would often explain that we are all born into an orbit. It is up to us to progress to the next. We could choose to live and die in the orbit that we are born in. But that would be a criminal waste of potential. When we push ourselves into the next orbit, we benefit not only ourselves but everyone connected with us.
Take India's push for development. There was once a time our country's growth rate was just 4 per cent, sarcastically referred to as the "Hindu growth rate." Look at us today, galloping along at a healthy 7-8 per cent.
This is no miracle. It is the product of a handful of determined orbit changers like Dhirubhai, all of whose efforts have benefited a larger sphere in their respective fields.
In a small way, I too have experienced the thrill of changing orbits with Mudra. In the 1980s, we leapt from the orbit of a small Ahmedabad ad agency to become the country's third largest ad agency -- in just under a decade.
However, when you change orbits, you will create friction. The good news is that your enemies from your previous orbit will never be able to reach you in your new one. By the time resentment builds up in your new orbit, you should move to the next level. And so on.
Changing orbits is the key to our progress as a nation.
7. The arm-around-the-shoulder leader
I have never seen any other empire builder nor the CEO of any big organisation do this (why, I never adopted this myself!).
It was Dhirubhai's very own signature style. Whenever I went to meet him and if on that day, all the time that he could spare me was a short walk up to his car, he would instantly put his arm around me and proceed to discuss the issues at hand as we walked.
With that one simple gesture, he managed to achieve many things. I was put at ease instantaneously. I was made to feel like an equal who was loved and important enough to be considered close to him. And I would walk away from that meeting feeling so good about myself and the work I was doing!
This tendency that he had, to draw people towards him, manifested itself in countless ways. This was just one of them. He would never, ever exude an air of aloofness and exclusivity. He was always inviting people into sharing their thoughts and ideas, rather than shutting them out.
On hindsight I think, it must have required phenomenal generosity of spirit to be that inclusive. Yes, this was one of the things that was uniquely Dhirubhai -- that warm arm around my shoulder that did much more than words in letting me know that I belonged, that I had his trust, and that I had him on my side!
8. The Dhirubhai theory of Supply creating Demand
He was not an MBA. Nor an economist. But yet he took traditional market theory and stood it on its head. And succeeded.
Yes, at a time when everyone in India would build capacities only after a careful study of market expectations, he went full steam ahead and created giants of manufacturing plants with unbelievable capacites. (Initial cap of Reliance Patalganga was 10,000 tonnes of PFY way back in 1980, while the market in India for it was approx. 6000 tonnes).
No doubt his instinct was backed by years and years of reading, studying market trends, careful listening and his own honed capacity to forecast, but yet despite all this preparation, it required undeniable guts to pioneer such a revolutionary move.
The consequence was that the market blossomed to absorb supply, the consumer benefited with prices crashing down, the players increased and our economic landscape changed for the better. The Patalganga plant was in no time humming at maximum capacity and as a result of the plant's economies of scale, Dhirubhai's conversion cost of the yarn in 1994 came down to 18 cents per pound, as compared to Western Europe's 34 cents, North America's 29 cents and the Far East's 23 cents and Reliance was exporting the yarn back to the US!
A more recent example was that of Mukesh Ambani taking this vision forward with Reliance Infocomm (which is now handled by Anil Ambani). In India's mobile telephony timeline there will always be a very clear 'before Infocomm and after Infocomm' segmentation. The numbers say it all. In Jan 2003, the mobile subscriber base was 13 million, about 16 months later, shortly after the launch, it had reached 30 million.
In March 2006, it has touched 90 million ! Yes, this was yet another unusual skill of Dhirubhai's -- his uncanny knack of knowing exactly how the market is going to behave.
9. Money is not a product by itself, it is a by-product, so don't chase it
This was a belief by which Dhirubhai lived all his life. For instance when he briefed me about setting up Mudra, his instruction was clear: 'Produce the best textile advertising in the country,' he said.
He did not breathe a word about profits, nor about becoming the richest ad agency in the country. Great advertising was the goal that he set for me. A by-product is something that you don't set out to produce. It is the spin off when you create something larger.
When you turn logs into lumber, sawdust is your by-product and a pretty lucrative one it can be too! It is a very simple analogy but extremely effective in driving the point home. Work toward a goal beyond your bank balance.
Success in attaining that goal will eventually ring in the cash. For instance, if you work towards creating a name for yourself and earning a good reputation, then money is a logical outcome.
People will pay for your product or service if it is good. But if you get your priorities slightly mixed up, not only will the money you make remain just a quick buck it would in all likelihood blacklist you for good. Sounds too simplistic for belief? Well, look around you and you will know exactly how true it is.
Hari Nair

Outstanding Performance Professional

The Outstanding Performance Professionalby Harold D. Stolovitch, Ph.D.What makes an outstanding performance professional? This is the question we at HSA Learning & Performance Solutions posed to a number of recognized experts during interviews at a variety of conferences. They worked in specialty areas such as human resource management, human resource development, organizational development, organizational effectiveness, performance consulting and learning and development. After sorting and collating responses, what emerged was a remarkable consensus about 10 characteristics shared by exceptional talent and HR leaders.Outstanding Performance Professionals' CharacteristicsThe following 10 characteristics of outstanding workplace performance specialists detail the value they can bring to both organizational clients and the talented performers who make up the organizations' workforce:1. Focused on client need: Exemplary performance professionals never lose sight of the primary mission: valued performance. They are not swayed by enthusiasms or constraints. They ably separate wants and whims from true needs and stick to required outcomes despite pressures.2. Cause-conscious, not solution-focused: The performance professional is an analytic and systematic investigator. This leads to decision making based on data, hard evidence and a thorough sifting of facts. As a result, solutions are derived from cause, not opinion.3. Systemic thinkers: This means outstanding performance professionals view workplace and talent gaps holistically. They anticipate how change in one area affects others. Single, simple solutions, while attractive, rarely achieve long-term performance improvement. The system view weaves together a web of interventions that are mutually supportive.4. Appropriately involve others: Successful performance professionals seek out complementary skills, experiences and power sources to support an effort, such as those of authority figures, knowledgeable individuals and union representatives. They draw strength from diversity. They are project orchestra leaders.5. Organized, rigorous and prudent: The true performance professional lets data and credible evidence speak for itself. This characteristic builds trust with management, clients and stakeholders. It increases support for a project and smoothes the way for work to progress. It also enhances the belief that solution recommendations will deliver as promised due to data-based decisions and actions.6. Sensitive to the need for verifying perceptions: Careful performance professionals continuously conduct reality checks with reliable people. They double and even triple-test interpretations. By frequently checking and rechecking understandings, they ensure the project is on the right track. Investments in "verifying time" are worthwhile because they negate the need for rework and can eliminate the ill feelings that result from misinterpretation.7. Sort out and maintain a firm hand on priorities: This results in adherence to business needs. A byproduct is protection from spontaneously appearing miracle-cure seductions. All projects have the potential to slip off course because of new, exciting "discoveries" reported to clients. It demands skill and wisdom to absorb new information while maintaining goal focus. The ability to suppress distractions, including faddish hype and the latest and greatest technological marvel, is a major asset.8. Diplomatic and credible: Being able to overcome resistance without antagonizing, while convincing decision makers and team members to remain on track has powerful payoff. This characteristic takes the edge off rejection of nonessential recommendations. It fosters smoother implementation of talent interventions and the attainment of performance goals without bitterness.9. Generous in giving credit to others: By highlighting other people's accomplishments and sharing in success rewards and recognition, performance professionals achieve loyalty to the project. They also draw out the best from all players.10. Principled, yet flexible: True performance professionals stick to bottom-line outcomes. They bend with pressures and constraints without deviating from the mission.[About the Author: Harold D. Stolovitch, Ph.D., CPT is a principal of HSA Learning & Performance Solutions LLC and is emeritus professor of instructional and performance technology at the Universite de Montreal.]

Teaching and Learning

Best way of teaching is by learning.

When we learn we are open to exploring, analysing and ready to find something new to add to what is known. Instead of learning quietly one can make it learning openly, allowing others to observe and react and aid in learning. To start and sustain the process of open learning one needs to have courage to ensure that our fears do not come in the way. Fear of loosing higher pedestal, respect, job, opportunity etc.

When people around us observe this method of learning, they become interested, find it easy to communicate and join the process.

When we start teaching we assume the position of a speaker. Our thoughts start reverberating in the mind space and it becomes difficult to listen. Hence it becomes a monologue. Without listening it is not possible to learn or make others learn since during the process the communication is most of the time one way.

While teaching we also assume a position of knowing all about it. Since knowledge on any subject is never finite this position is a false position and therefore obstructs learning.

In any learning environment the participants are at different levels of knowledge. There is no one completely ignorant and will have some impressions in his mind (leaving aside the jargons) if not the reservoir of information. At the same time there is no one who has complete and final knowledge since knowledge is infinite. The knowledge should be allowed to flow freely in order to enrich from each mind and become more substantial.

The one who takes the responsibility to conduct the learning session needs to only share his knowledge and provide direction so that the contributions from everyone remain relevant.

The ABC of Life Leads to DEFGH

You are special, you are different
Your are a pleasant present to the world.
You are a unique gift and one of a kind.
Your life is actually lived in your mind.
Count your blessings, not your troubles.
since troubles are like passing clouds!
And solutions are very much WithIN you
Understand your behaviour, gain an attitude of courage, be strong and win within.
Enable your powers, not be limited by problems.
Dream big and positive and you work on them relentlessly.
Change your beliefs and change your life.
Reach for your peak, your purpose and your rewards.
Anxiety and worry are all about past and future
The longer one carries a problem the heavier it gets.
Learn to live in the present and that is the best gift
Live a life of serenity, not a life of regrets.
Love is about giving and forgiving
Not getting and forgetting!
Love is unconditional and not a bargain
Love yourself so that others love you too.
It is never too late to take the first step.
One step is better than no step at all
Do a little bit extra with ordinary things to make it extraordinary
Work on your uncommon asset - the common sense!
The ABC of life leads to DEFGH-
Attitudes, Behaviours & Competencies leads to Development & Empowerment for Future Growth & Happiness.

BE UNREASONABLE

BE UNREASONABLE

One of my favorite quotes comes from George Bernard Shaw, who noted , " The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man." Please think about that idea for a moment. I suggest it's a big one.
Sure, be practical and operate intelligently as you move through your world. I agree, its important to use common sense. True, foolish risks can lead to difficult consequences. But having said that, don't be so scared of failure and disappointment that you fail to dream. Don't always be so reasonable and practical and sensible that you refuse to seize glorious opportunities when they show up. Pust the envelope as to whats possible for you. Remember, critics have always laughed at the visions of bold thinkers and remarkable visionaries. Ignore them. And know that every outstanding piece of human progress was achieved through the heroic efforts of someone who was told their idea was impossible to realize. The world needs more dreamers. Unreasonable souls who fight the urge to be ordinary . Who resist the seduction of complacency and doing things the way they have always been done.You can be one of them . Beginning today.
Kahlil Gibran, in The Prophet, made the point far more beautifully than I ever could, when he wrote, " The lust for comfort murders the passion of the soul."

The Brain Science of Persuasion: 7 Automatic Triggers

People make two major mistakes when trying to persuade others:
1. Using the argument that would work best on themselves
2. Overestimating the power of logic and rationality
The scientific study of persuasion has continued for more than half a century, yet executives across all fields make presentations based on these faulty assumptions.
Instead of researching what makes people buy or make decisions, they ask themselves, "What would motivate me to participate in this program or buy this product?"
When learning economics, finance and management, executives refer to outside experts to achieve a level of competence. But when it comes to persuasion skills, most believe they already possess an intuitive understanding of psychological principles, simply by virtue of living life and interacting with others. Consequently, they’re less likely to consult psychological research on how people make decisions.
This overconfidence leads many executives, managers and salespeople to miss opportunities for improving their presentations and efforts to influence others.
The fact is, persuasion can be defined, learned and successfully incorporated into anyone’s communication abilities. It doesn’t matter if you work in sales, marketing or another field directly related to persuasion. Every leader or manager depends on getting things done through others.
Getting Things Done Through Others
Personal and organizational success hinges on how well you persuade people to willingly follow your directions. Your boss may give you specific powers, but execution and results come from successfully influencing others.
So, what have we learned about the process of persuasion that we didn’t know before? What does brain science tell us about the natural processes of decision-making and being influenced? What can we learn to become better persuaders?
Actually, we’ve discovered a great deal in the last 10 to 15 years about how the human brain processes information. With the recent advent of live, real-time brain-imaging technology, we can now look at what happens inside the brain as we process information, make decisions and respond to others.
It’s important to emphasize that our brain isn’t similar to a computer. Author and neuroscientist Richard Restak, MD, puts it this way:
• "We are not thinking machines, we are feeling machines that think." (The Secret Life of the Brain)
• "Your brain is not a logic machine. As it turns out, emotions and feelings about something or someone occur before you’ve made any attempt at conscious evaluation." (Mozart’s Brain and the Fighter Pilot)
Feelings First, Logic Later
Most of us try to persuade by using our best arguments, best data, logical flow charts and rationality to generate the thinking, decisions and actions we seek. Business leaders still believe everyone relies heavily on logic and reason to make decisions. We’ve traditionally believed that emotion wreaks havoc on rationality, especially in business.
As science evolves, we’re starting to realize that emotions come first. Not only do they guide our decisions and actions, but we’re incapable of making decisions without them.
We use the emotional parts of our brain to make rational decisions. Emotional context helps us make the best choices, often in a split second, long before the rational centers of the brain are even activated.
It’s estimated that managers spend 80 percent of their time communicating with others, trying to persuade them to accomplish what needs to be done. But how well have leaders and managers understood how humans process information and make decisions?
Perhaps we should pay attention to what the new brain science tells us about persuasion.
Ethos, Logos and Pathos
Aristotle identified the three basic elements of every persuasive argument:
• Ethos — the credibility, knowledge, expertise, stature and authority of the person trying to persuade
• Logos — the appeal of logic, reason, cognitive thinking, data and facts
• Pathos — the appeal to the emotions; the non-cognitive, non-thinking motivations that affect decisions and actions
These elements are the powerful cornerstones of every persuasive argument or presentation. They aren’t weighted equally, however, and therein lies the hidden secret of unlocking your persuasive powers.
The Secret Key to Unlocking Persuasive Powers
If we pay attention only to these three keys, we still won’t unlock the full potential of our persuasive powers.
Research on the brain during decision-making reveals that we respond to persuasive attempts either analytically or automatically.
Those who respond analytically use a reasoned evaluative approach to come to a decision, but this requires enormous mental energy. The brain uses up reserves of glucose and calories whenever it evaluates. And because it’s human nature to conserve energy, most of us won’t respond with the extra effort required to be analytical.
In fact, most people slip into automatic response mode whenever possible. We avoid cognitive evaluation because it’s hard work. This doesn’t mean we’re lazy; it’s actually a primitive survival instinct. We automatically take the easy way to conserve energy in case we’re attacked or threatened.
That’s why most people don’t act on logic and reason. We make emotional decisions and then justify them with logic and reason.
The Brain’s Trigger Center
If we had to evaluate every decision before acting, we’d be exhausted. Instead, we rely on the limbic system and our brain’s center for emotions and memories, the amygdala. This part of the brain acts as our personal navigation system, with an internal data bank of triggers.
The more complicated and sophisticated our lives become, the more we rely on simple ways to make decisions and get through each day — a key concept in Malcolm Gladwell’s book Blink. Smart managers, leaders and marketers understand this need.
This doesn’t mean you can skip logical arguments, but it does place less emphasis on reason and more on emotion. When you understand that people want to make rapid, automatic and accelerated decisions, you can make it easier on those you’re trying to influence and increase your success at persuasion.
How do we generate automatic influence? With triggers. Everybody has them. A trigger is any stimulus that will help us make a non-thinking decision or action. A trigger activates a person’s immediate compliance to an attempt to influence.
We are preprogrammed to comply with requests when a trigger is activated. It’s simply a shortcut to avoid the pain and effort of mental activity.
Each of us has infinite triggers, and some are universal. Research has identified seven super triggers. Once you understand them, you’ll see them everywhere — in every request you make, email you write and TV commercial you watch.
Seven Super Triggers
These triggers help us quickly sense and feel the best decision or action to take. They allow us to navigate paths that would be overwhelming and unmanageable if we had to constantly employ cognitive thought.
Most of us, especially marketing people, understand the trigger of benefits. Appeal to what people want, and talk to them in terms of solving a problem or filling a need. This is part of the hope trigger. But it’s only one limited approach. You can improve your chances of persuasion success by using more than one trigger.
Let’s examine the seven triggers that automatically influence others.
1. The Friendship Trigger
We are more easily influenced by people we like, and liking is a prerequisite for the other triggers. Friendship generates trust, and trust activates a strong internal trigger. This is the basis of the marketing axiom "people buy from people they know, like and trust." The best way to activate friendship is through similarity. Find connections and common interests, and listen to the people you wish to influence.
2. The Authority Trigger
We respond with unthinking, automatic compliance to those we believe have authority, credibility and power. Managers and leaders may think they have authority by virtue of their position, but without the likeability factor, this trigger is weakened. The authority trigger works because we assume the person in position of authority has done the evaluation work for us.
3. The Consistency Trigger
Our internal guidance system compels us to be consistent in the way we see ourselves and the peers we admire. We are slaves to consistency and conformity; in fact, these drives are hard-wired into our brain, governed by the amygdala.
The research is clear: Decisions are emotion based. When it’s time to make a decision, we call up an emotional memory that’s similar to the situation at hand, and we’re guided in the same direction.
4. The Reciprocity Trigger
One of the strongest, most universal internal triggers is the law of giving and receiving, or quid pro quo. Reciprocity is the well-documented psychological desire to give back to someone who has given us a gift. It’s another automatic response hard-wired into our brains. Marketers have been using bonus gifts and free samples for years.
5. The Contrast Trigger
Framing a proposition so it appears more desirable than an alternative is a proven automatic compliance technique. How you frame the proposal is critical: Always present the most onerous approach first, followed by what you really want.
6. The Reason Why Trigger
The brain looks for shortcuts to doing mental work. When you present a valid reason to accept a proposition, you achieve compliance. This concept has been successfully applied in myriad situations, and we know it works because we’ve seen the neural networks in the brain’s decision-making process. The amygdala seems to accept any valid reason and doesn’t bother to send the information to the cerebral cortex. When you provide a reason, you persuade successfully.
7. The Hope Trigger
Hope motivates all human activity. We are easily persuaded by those who understand our hopes, wishes and dreams. This is one of the strongest persuaders, underlying all others. We hope our decisions and actions will somehow improve our lives and status, helping us to become more successful and happy. Once we perceive an opportunity to satisfy our hopes, we seldom rely on rational, cognitive thought or logic before we act.
The constant desire for happiness is the foundation for the omnipotent hope trigger. Among the best examples are get-rich-quick scams, gambling and lotteries. The vitamin and cosmetic industries thrive because of the strong hopes and desires their marketing messages trigger. Not a shred of logic or reason is employed in weighing the odds.
Six Steps to a Persuasive Presentation
Virtually everything we communicate is a proposal of sorts. All persuasive communication hopes to move someone to do something. The best way to accomplish this is to use the brain’s natural processes.
We make most decisions based on the amygdala’s initial emotional response. If we deal with rationality and logic, it’s to reinforce these emotional decisions with logical information sent after the fact to the prefrontal cortex.
A properly framed presentation will be more easily understood and acted upon by the brain. Here’s a proposed outline for framing a successful presentation that persuades others to act in the direction you desire:
1. Write down your persuasion goal, what you hope to accomplish, what you expect others to do and the ideal time frame.
2. List the questions you’ll ask your audience to determine their perceptions on the issue.
3. List each of the seven internal triggers. Under each one, list every possible item that could apply. Select and prioritize the three or four triggers best suited to the situation.
4. Frame your presentation with the beginning and ending that have the highest impact. The friendship trigger, coupled with the reciprocity trigger, is a great start. You’ll also want early application of the authority trigger.
5. The body of the proposal, including the logic and data, will follow the other trigger information. Minimal application of logic and data will reinforce a positive decision.
6. Finally, frame your closure by defining precisely what you want your audience to do, and determine how you will ask for this action.

Planning a Workshop - Organizing and Running a Successful Event

Anyone who has ever planned a workshop will tell you that it's a big job. And planning a good one? Well, that takes organization, focus, and a lot of creativity.Running a workshop is useful whenever you need a group of people to DO something together, rather than just report on what they’ve done. Examples include bringing experts together to solve complex problems, designing sophisticated processes that need the input of many different people, and making decisions that take into account the views of different individuals and groups. Some people HATE going to workshops. Done wrong, they can be a huge waste of time and money. However, if they're planned well, they can be incredibly valuable for everyone involved. This is why advance planning is critical.
So how do you prepare for a workshop that will be not only relevant and productive, but memorable as well?
Before the WorkshopFollow these steps to make sure your workshop is a valuable experience for everyone:
Step 1: Define the Goals Every workshop must have a goal. Do you need to improve your company's hiring procedures? Do you want to teach managers how to be better organizers? Do you need to do some team building with a newly formed team? Many workshops are a waste of time because there's no clear goal kept at the center of the discussion. Without this clear goal, there's really no point in getting people together.
Step 2: Decide Who Will AttendKnowing who will attend directly relates to your objective. For example, if your workshop's goal is to develop a detailed solution to a problem, then you probably want 10 or fewer key attendees. If your goal is centered on education, then you might be happy with a much larger group, which divides into smaller groups for discussion.Make a list of the people who need to be there. Try to be as specific as possible, but leave a few openings for last-minute additions.
Step 3: Choose the Right LocationIf you have 10 attendees, then the conference room down the hall will probably be just fine. But if you have 50 people, you may have to find an outside location that's large enough.Think about the logistics and practical details of your workshop when you choose the location. Will everyone be able to see your visual aids? If you need a certain technology, like teleconferencing, will the location support it? Are there appropriate facilities for breakout sessions? Will everyone be able to reach the venue? Will you need to organize accommodation for people who are coming from a long way away? And what catering facilities does the venue provide?
Step 4: Create an AgendaNow that you know your primary objective and who will attend, you can start to develop an outline of how you'll achieve the workshop's goal.
Main Points - Create a list of main points to discuss, and then break down each larger point into details that you want to communicate to your audience.
Visual Aids - List the visual aids, if any, you'll use for each point. If you need technical support, this helps the people providing it to determine where they need to focus their efforts.
Discussions & Activities - Take time to list exactly which group discussions and activities you'll have at which point in the workshop. How much time will you allow for each exercise? Make sure your activities are appropriate for the size of the group, and ensure that your venue has the resources (for example, seminar rooms) needed to run sessions.
Remember, the more detailed your plan, the more you'll ensure that your workshop will run to schedule - and be successful.
Step 5: Develop a Follow-up PlanThe only way to find out if your workshop was a success is to have an effective follow-up plan. Create a questionnaire to give to all participants at the end of the event, and give them plenty of opportunity to share their opinions on how well it went. Although this can be a bit scary, it's the only way to learn - and improve - for the next time.It's also important to have a plan to communicate the decisions that were reached during the workshop. Will you send out a mass email to everyone with the details? Will you put it on your company's intranet? People need to know that their hard work actually resulted in a decision or action, so keep them informed about what's happening after the workshop has ended.
During the Workshop - Getting People Involved
Once you have a solid advance plan, figure out how to bring some excitement into your event. You know the topics that you want to cover, but how will you make the information fun and memorable for your team?Getting everyone involved is key to a successful workshop. If you stand up and talk for three hours, you're just giving a lecture - not facilitating a workshop. Everyone needs to participate.Creating group exercises is different for each workshop. Keep these tips in mind:
Many people are nervous about speaking up in an unfamiliar group. If you plan group exercises, keep the size of each group small, so people are more comfortable talking and interacting.
Mix up different types of people in each group. For example, if several departments participate in your workshop, don't put members of the same department in their own group. By encouraging people to interact with other departments, they can learn to look at things from different perspectives.
Determine how you'll record the ideas from each group. Will participants shout them out while you write them down? Or will they write down their own ideas and then give them to you? This is a small, but important, detail that's often overlooked.
If you have five or fewer groups, spend time allowing the entire team to evaluate the ideas from each smaller group. This is a great way to narrow down your list of ideas, and let the good ones really shine.
Remember; spend as much time as you can create fun and interesting group exercises. These will likely keep everyone interested and participating.
Overall Workshop Tips
Here are some more ideas for running a successful workshop:
If you plan the meeting, you may want to facilitate it as well. Learn how to do this effectively in The Role of a Facilitator.
Start the meeting with a few Icebreakers to get everyone relaxed and comfortable.
If your workshop's goal is to address a difficult or sensitive topic, it's especially important to get the group comfortable before starting. One way is to tell a story that's loosely related to the topic before you begin discussing the difficult issue.
Sometimes, not everyone has to stay for the entire workshop. For instance, the CEO might be too busy to attend the whole session. Identify which sections your busiest participants need to attend, and suggest in advance when they might want to arrive and leave. They'll appreciate your consideration.
Where possible, avoid holding your workshop after lunch, between 2:00 and 3:00 in the afternoon. For many people, this is their slowest, most unproductive time of day. Your group will probably be more energetic if you schedule the event in the morning or late afternoon. (If you have to run the workshop in the early afternoon, make sure there's plenty of strong coffee available!)
If your workshop's ultimate goal is to make a decision about something, the more people who attend, the less likely it is that you'll reach a decision. Here, try to keep the number of people attending to a minimum (for example, by issuing minutes after the event to people who are just interested.) It's also important to become familiar with the different strategies for team decision making. See our article on Organizing Team Decision Making to learn more.
Key Points:
There's no doubt that planning a great workshop is a lot of work. But if you spend time thinking through the details, everyone will get full value from the event. The workshop's goal should be at the center of all your planning. Creative exercises will get everyone relaxed and involved, and don't forget to follow up afterward: Although it can be scary to hear what people really thought of all your hard work, it's the only way you'll improve your next event.

When Your Shoes Don't Fit

In the past I would wear any type of shoe, including high heels, clogs and other fashionable, but uncomfortable shoes. Now I find myself selecting shoes, not so much for their appearance, but by whether they will allow me to stand for eight hours as I conduct daylong seminars.
Many times we buy shoes, not for their fit and comfort, but based on how good they look. There are aspects of our lives that are aptly described by the shoe analogy. We see a nice looking pair of (currently stylish) shoes. We ask to try them on and find that the store is out of that particular style in our size. We may insist that they bring another size and we try to make that size work because we really want those shoes NOW! Or, perhaps the store may have them in our size and although they don't feel right, we still buy and wear them, regardless of the pain.
Often we may select our friends, our relationships, our jobs or other aspects of our lives with the same mentality. They may not fit and they may pinch, but they look good to others.
Take a job that does not fit. The title may be impressive, the benefits may be good, and the pay may be respectable, but every day we go to work at a job or a company that does not fit. We may find ourselves pinched, constrained, rubbed the wrong way or blistered.
Perhaps we have chosen friends who are too restricted in their thinking, which does not meet our desire to have a more tolerant and positive view of the world. We may even be involved in a personal relationship with someone whose constricting demands may keep us from moving forward with our personal growth. Other people may bind us by their personal fears in an attempt to keep us as small as they may feel.
Why do we do these things? Often the response to that question is, "because they or it looks so good." Should it be so important to us to be admired by others that we will suffer pain and discomfort in our lives?
So what is a person to do? Select your shoes carefully, being concerned first of all for the fit. Understand also that our feet do grow as we grow older. If you try to fit your size 8 foot into a size 7 shoe just because you have always worn a size 7, be prepared for your feet's rebellious response.
If you are working in the same job, which you have outgrown and which brings you no pleasure, try expanding it into a better fitting position. If you are in a relationship with a person because he or she (or the situation) looks good but brings you no happiness, find a way to work with that person to make the relationship beneficial for both.
Affirmation:“If the shoe fits, I will wear it. If it does not, I will measure my feet and my expectations to determine if my needs have outgrown my former shoe size.”