Prioritization - The Key to Time Management

Have you ever experienced this situation in life? When you step into office, the desk is filled with memos and papers, suddenly you hear the phone ringing, and the door open all at the same time! Remember the 'frozen feeling' that comes over you? Have you ever thought about why you experience this frozen feeling?  

To know this, you should know why animal trainers carry a stool when they go into a cage of lions. Of course they have their whips and pistols but invariably they also carry a stool. Mind it, it is the most important tool of the trainer! He holds the stool by the back and thrusts the legs toward the face of the wild animal. The animal then tries to focus on all four legs at once. In that attempt to focus on all four, a kind of paralysis overwhelms the animal, and it becomes tame, weak, and disabled because its attention is fragmented. The same can happen to us, TOO MANY PRIORITIES CAN PARALYZE US!  

But in our complex business world, you can't wait until you have reached one long-term goal before neatly moving on to the next. Or any given day, you will be working on short-term tasks associated with multiple goals and objectives. So how do you decide which task to be completed first, second and so forth? Well the answer is Prioritization - The key to your Time Management. 
 

The first step in Prioritization is to have a clear understanding on what's involved in each task by asking the following questions - Who, What, When, Why and How. WHO? Who needs this to be done? Who will benefit from this? WHAT? Exactly what are you required to do? Just the benefit of doing the job does it justify the investment of your time, energy and resources? WHEN? By what date you need to complete your task? Do I have time to accommodate this task? WHY? Why have you been asked to complete this task? Why is it necessary in the context of long-term goals? HOW? How should you complete the task? How will your completed task be measured or evaluated? 

Remember, all the above questions have a huge effect on time management decisions and on the quality and cost of task. Once these questions are answered, the best way to begin is to make a list. I know you've heard this advise a thousand times : 'write things down'. Don't take it lightly, writing down things has a surprising benefit beyond merely helping you remember important information. After writing down what has to be done, you're more likely to experience a sudden 'aha' moment about the best way to accomplish things done. The truth is, this list will make you feel in control of your time! Having made this list you need to the following :
 

1)  Prioritize what is most urgent, second most urgent, and so on. Rather arrange tasks in order of their importance and urgency.

2) Rewrite your list as priorities change or fluctuate.

3)  Tackle your list by completing the first item on it, then moving on to the next one.

4)  Clean up and rewrite your to-do list every day before you leave the office.

5) Take an upbeat attitude toward your tasks so that each one seems worthy of your time.

6) Don't allow the tasks you don't complete to accumulate.

7)  Don't procrastinate, focus on how good it feels to accomplish tasks and dig in.
 

Unfinished weekly objectives muddy the waters of your goals to be reached. Executing the immediate tasks at hand sets the stage for executing your objectives and long-term goals. The only way to achieve goals and manage your time effectively is one small step at a time. You must address these small steps in the moment. That makes the 'now' priority number one. Use it or lose it !
 

Have you noticed, time deadlines and emergencies force us to prioritize. Just take an example, If you have only one letter to write, it will take all day to do it. If you have twenty letters to write, you'll get them done in one day! Like Brian Tracy says, one of the most important rules of personal effectiveness is 10/90 Rule. This rule says that the first 10 percent of time that you spend planning and organizing your work before you begin will save you as much as 90 percent of the time in getting the job done once you get started. 
 

Time management is really taking control of the sequence of events. And you are always free to choose the task that you will do next. Your ability to choose between the most important and unimportant is the key determinant to your success in life and work. So what's your call, to Prioritize or get Paralyzed ? Do visit my website www.winnerinyou.in for more!

 

Shamim

Care Your People - "Achieve Amazing Results"!

Another year has passed by. While looking back, I am glad that I could deliver lot of lectures and do training for several corporates, small businesses, nonprofit institutions, social organizations, service clubs, schools & colleges.

When I reflect these experiences, one of the things that strikes me is the amount of confusion that surrounds the act of caring about others. While most people quickly admit that caring about others is a good thing to do, they fail to appreciate two very important aspects of caring : how huge the return is that comes back to us from caring and how quickly our personal and professional lives can change for the better once we start.

I believe our success depends on the support of other people. The only hurdle between us and what we want to be is the support of others. A person is not pulled up to a higher level job. Rather he or she is lifted up. We are lifted to higher levels by those who know us as likeable, personable individuals.

If caring can energize us and our work place, let me share with you some simple steps that will show us how to maximize the return that comes back to us from caring.

1) Master your Emotions : Even the best leaders have personal problems at one time or another. In those situations, the most effective leaders reach down inside themselves to find the strength to keep their emotions in check, especially at work.
2) Listen to your Inner Voice : When you share your dreams and goals with those close to you- a change of career, starting a new business, going back to school- you're very likely to hear a negative response. Don't let others rain on your parade- instead, go for it!
3) Engage with Attitude : Have you ever heard the phrase, “Attitude is everything”? Take it to heart, for there’s no such thing as an effective leader with a bad attitude. The best way to engage people is with your attitude, enthusiasm, and excitement.
4) The Power of Positive Action : Don't be nice to people just because you want something from them. Be positive just to be positive, and watch how your life changes for better.
5) Sincere Appreciation gets Results : One of the deepest needs of our human existence is the need to be appreciated. Each and every one of us absolutely loves to be appreciated for who we are and what we do.
6) Get others to go Extra Mile : To really energize those around you, you need to not only take a sincere interest in them and what they do, but also blow them away by doing something incredible and unexpected
7) Excitement is Contagious : So is passion. If you're fired up about what you do, chances are that those around you will be, too!
8) Engage People by Involving Everyone : The key is making sure that everyone has a voice in making suggestions on how things can be improved.
9) Leave a Trail of Gratitude : When people really hit one out of the part for you, or even if they do something simple but well –meaning, find a sincere way to express your appreciation.
10) Give Credit to Others : The best leaders are confident enough to give credit to others when things go right-and to take the blame when things go wrong.
11) Turn Enemies into Allies : The workplace is too small a place for you to have enemies. They can only sidetrack you from important things. If someone seems to have an axe to grind, find a way to engage that individual informally to find out the problem.
12) Celebrate your Success : When you achieve something that is important to you, make sure you don't let the moment pass without celebrating. It recharges your batteries!

Caring energizes everyone around us. When we open up and really care about people, we make them feel really good about themselves. This releases the reservoir of positive energy that resides in all of us. Let me assure you, if we can put the above universal principles into practice, our success at work will immediately begin to skyrocket and our personal life will thrive as never before.

Ready to energize every one ? Let me warn you, it may cause extreme enthusiasm and lead to real result in the workplace !!!

Shamim
Ref : "Revved" by Harry Paul & Ross Reck

The Little Squirrel from 'Ramayana' - A Dream Employee for Entrepreneurs!

A friend of mine in business recently told me," I have got several employees who have got long standing in my company but they have no ownership and accountability for what they do. How do I make them accountable & take ownership on what ever they do? "

Sounds familiar? His complaint or question is not unique rather a universal problem which every entrepreneur and manager face on a day to day basis - Lack of Ownership & Accountability among Employees!

Before we discuss more on this, let me share with you a small story from the great epic 'Ramayana' which always inspires me. The story is about a little squirrel’s contribution to the construction of the mighty bridge to Lanka. In order to reach Lanka when Hanuman’s vaanar sena was busy building the bridge, a squirrel was seen doing something funny: rolling herself in the sand and then shaking off her body to deposit sand particles amongst rocks brought by the monkeys. When asked, she said, “I am making my own small contribution to build the bridge for ending the injustice against Sita.” The monkeys roared in mocking laughter: “We have never heard anything so foolish.”

Listening to this, Lord Rama remarked, “Blessed be the little squirrel. She is doing her work to the best of her ability. Therefore, she is quite as great as the greatest of you. Never despise those that are not as strong as you. What truly matters is not the strength one has, but the love and devotion with which one works.” Then he gently stroked the squirrel on the back, and it is believed that the marks of Rama’s three fingers are still seen on the squirrel’s back.

I am sure, many of us wish to have an employee like the little squirrel. Dedicated and motivated, ready to do anything, stretch to any level to contribute the best. We know, when we motivate our workforce to create a sense of ownership and accountability for desired results, the job of getting results gets easier. But we should also understand for our people to get desired results, it is imperative that the leader attempt to create an environment in which employees have a sense of ownership in activities he or she is engaged.

The easiest answer we can say is, use motivation as a tool to create ownership and accountability. But to me, motivation is not simply a means to get people to pursue organizational goals; rather, it is a means to get people to buy in and take ownership of the organization's needs as well as their own. It drives to two areas, (1) things to increase ownership of performance and (2) things to create accountability for results.

Let's zoom into it and understand what are we supposed to do to create ownership & accountability among employees :

Things to Increase Ownership of Performance:

1) Develop a personal connection with each employee so that we know and understand that employee's strengths and weaknesses. We can encourage ownership by developing trust and maintaining a positive attitude with the employees.
2) Clarify each employee's responsibility through effective delegation so that they all know what challenges they must meet and what work they must take ownership of.
3) Ensure that people are properly trained and equipped to perform their work so they will feel prepared to succeed. Make it clear that we want all our people to be successful.
4) Make sure that employees are empowered with the authority and information they need to make decisions that affect their performance.
5) Involve employees in key practices that affect them-such as goal-setting, planning, and implementing change-so that they take ownership of decisions that affect them.
6) Always listen to employees, and when problems emerge, encourage participation, new ideas, and ownership of solutions.
7) Practice "open-book management" with employees in terms of sharing organizational goals, plans, and performance feed back. In this way, our people see the bigger picture.
8) Develop linkage between desired performance and rewards and incentives to demonstrate to people that there are good reasons to take ownership of their performance.
9) Allow people an opportunity to grow and develop new skills and talents. Dong so causes people to be more committed to both the job and the organization.
10) Celebrate success because people want to be part of a winning enterprise and because feeling successful makes it easier for people to come to work. Recognition for strong performance increases the desire for more good performance

Things to Create Accountability for Results:

1) When responsibilities and goals have been clarified, always establish standards of performance that should be challenging yet realistic enough to encourage people to hit the mark.
2) Provide balanced, ongoing performance feedback for our people so that they know and have no doubt about how well they are performing.
3) Provide ongoing coaching for our people on how to improve their performance and be very specific in doing so.
4) Use the formal appraisal process as a strategic planning activity to review performance, identify ways to improve, and recognize and reinforce desired levels of performance.
5) Deal with non performers who are damaging group performance and morale by either implementing a corrective action program or setting the stage for the person's departure from the organization. To not do so is to send all the wrong messages to non performers and performers alike.

I hope these tips will help you to create a workplace that brings out the best in your people, while at the same time increasing their ownership and creating accountability which will result in developing effective systems and processes that improve performance. All we need to do is to give a gentle stroke on the back of our employees like Lord Rama did to the little squirrel and remember his motivational words as well.

Fill your Organization with such little dedicated squirrels and sky rocket your results.

Good Luck.
Shamim

Want To Be A Chicken Or An Eagle?

I always felt our thinking plays such a huge role in how we operate on a daily basis but seldom do we realize it. There are many people who will never experience the joy of success, all because they have already decided that, success is going to be too hard for them and that it is only there for a few lucky people.

Once after my training session got over, a participant came over and said, " I will never be able to speak like you". You know, he is exactly right! He never will. Not because I am any better or smarter than he is. But because he has already made up his mind. His thinking controls his actions, which in turn will control his outcomes. His mindset has determined his end result.

To make things clear, let me share with you a simple but powerful story. Once upon a time, there was a large mountainside, where an eagle's nest rested. The eagle's nest contained four large eagle eggs. One day an earthquake rocked the mountain causing one of the eggs to roll down the mountain, to a chicken farm, located in the valley below. The chickens knew that they must protect and care for the eagle's egg, so an old hen volunteered to nurture and raise the large egg.

One day, the egg hatched and a beautiful eagle was born. Sadly, however, the eagle was raised to be a chicken. Soon, the eagle believed he was nothing more than a chicken. The eagle loved his home and family, but his spirit cried out for more. While playing a game on the farm one day, the eagle looked to the skies above and noticed a group of mighty eagles soaring in the skies. "Oh," the eagle cried, "I wish I could soar like those birds." The chickens roared with laughter, "You cannot soar with those birds. You are a chicken and chickens do not soar."

The eagle continued staring, at his real family up above, dreaming that he could be with them. Each time the eagle would let his dreams be known, he was told it couldn't be done. That is what the eagle learned to believe. The eagle, after some time, stopped dreaming and continued to live his life like a chicken. Finally, after a long life as a chicken, the eagle passed away.

The moral of the story is very simple, we become what we believe we are. For this, we need to be aware of who we are, what we are capable of doing, rather, define our identity which will keep us focused as we set our priorities, organize tasks, deal with emergencies, and accomplish challenges in our personal and business lives.

How can we make ourselves realize that, we are not just chickens but we are eagles both in our personal and professional lives? Let me share with you some simple tips :

1) Believe in ourselves : Allow only positive thoughts to dominate our thinking such as, I am worthy, I like myself, I am strong & self secure, I can handle what comes my way & I know the future holds opportunities for me.

2) Overcome fear : Fear creates stress, panic and anxiety. Fear defeats our plans and goals. Over come it by building self-confidence. Identify our fears then take action. Once we start to do something, our fears will disappear.

3) Build on failures and mistakes : Socrates once remarked that there is more risk in buying knowledge than buying food. He is correct. If we purchase spoiled meat, we throw it out, not allowing it to harm our body. But ideas imprinted on the mind are not so easily dislodged. Once we learn from our failures and mistakes, they should be discarded like spoiled food.

4) Welcome challenges : Challenges are opportunities to break out of the routine of our job and expand our skills. Challenges can be spring boards to professional growth if they are welcomed as opportunities rather than tolerated as nuisances.

5) Take pride in achievements: As we progress in life, it is important to take pride in our achievements. Though we cannot overlook the problems of tomorrow, we should not forget to celebrate the successes of today.

6) Visualize success : As clearly and vividly as we can, we should visualize the rewards of our success in our mind. Make it such a good picture that we'll do almost anything to be part of it.

7) Be flexible : Sometimes, lack of self-motivation is because of failure to adapt or change. The solution to this may be flexibility- a willingness to adapt goals so they more nearly fit our values and skills.

8) Start now : Get in motion as soon as possible, and as our momentum builds, so will our motivation.

I believe, in life, what we focus on is all that we will see and gain. If we believe we cannot, we never will. It's time to unleash the potential inside us, realize who we are, what we are capable of. We can choose to live as a chicken who will always look up and envy the mighty eagle or we can be an eagle and enjoy the thrill of soaring in the sky.

Time to decide, Chicken or Eagle - choice is all yours!

Shamim

Leaders- Help Others, Help Yourself !

To be a successful leader, we need other people’s intelligence and other people’s cooperation. We need to be able to attract into our life and work the help, assistance, influence and active involvement of lots of other people in achieving our goals. Let me narrate a funny but interesting story which tells us the importance of being useful to others that makes us lovable & respectable in our organization.

Once a stranded tiger entered the washroom of a corporate office and hid itself in a dark corner. As there was always human movements outside, the tiger was afraid of coming out. Many persons frequented the washroom, but the frightened tiger did not attack any one.

But after four days it could not bear the pangs of hunger and caught the man who went in and ate him up. This man happened to be an Assistant General Manger of the organization, but nobody noticed his disappearance. Since nothing happened by way of attacking, the man-eater tiger became more daring and after two days caught another man and ate him. This man was the General Manager of the organization. Still nobody worried about his disappearance (some people were even happy that he was not in the office).

The next day, the tiger caught the Vice President who was a terror in the organization. Again, no one tried to finish off the tiger. The tiger was very happy and decided that this was the right place for it to live.

The very next day, the happy tiger caught a man who had entered the washroom with a tray of teacups. The frightened man fell unconscious. Within 15 minutes, there was a big hue and cry and everyone in the office was out in search of the missing man. The search team reached the washroom, flushed out the tiger and saved the unconscious man. He was the tea supplier to the office!

The story tells us, it is not the position but usefulness to others that makes one lovable and respectable. We need to realize the fact that, no matter how independent we are as individuals, we depend upon others to define ourselves and create purpose in our lives.

Let me share with you seven things we need to do in an organization which form the basis for effective work relationships. These are the actions we should take to create a positive work environment for people:

1) Talk about solutions- not just the problems: Most of the people spend lot of time identifying only problems. That's something any one can do. But the solutions to the problems are the challenge that will earn respect and admiration from team members and leaders.

2) Never play the blame game: We tend to alienate team members, subordinates, and people reporting to us. But, we may need to identify who was involved in a problem. We also need to understand about the work system which caused the team member to fail. Instead if we say, it’s not my fault and publicly blaming others for failures will earn enemies. These enemies will only help us to fail. All we need is allies at work.

3) Our communication matters: If we talk down to another team member, use sarcasm, or sound nasty, others hear us. Once a senior manager of an organization told me, "I know I shouldn’t scream at my team member. But, sometimes, they make me so mad. Tell me when is it appropriate for me to scream at the team members?" My answer is simple- Never! Giving respect for our people is a hallmark of our organization.

4) Don’t blind side a team member, manager, or people reporting to you: If a team member hears about a problem related to him through an email sent to his superior, we have blind sided that team member. It’s better to discuss problems with the people directly involved. We will never build effective work relationships unless our team members trust us.

5) Keep our words: In every organization, the jobs are interlinked. When we fail to meet deadlines or commitments given, we affect the work of other team members. It’s important to keep up our words, and if we can't, make sure all affected team members know what happened. Give a new due date and make every possible effort to honor the new deadline.

6) Give full credit for accomplishments, ideas, and contributions: Can we accomplish a goal or complete a task with no help from others? As a leader, how many of the great ideas we promote were contributed by our team members? Take time and energy to thank, recognize, reward the contributions of the team members who help us succeed.

7) Help other team members to find their potential: Every team members in our organization has talents, skills, and experience. If we can help them to harness their best abilities, the entire organization will grow. Let’s compliment, recognize, praise, and value contributions. By doing this, team members do find and contribute their best.

Like Brain Tracy says, we can accomplish anything we want in life by simply finding ways to help other people to accomplish their goals in life. And the more creative we are in leveraging and multiplying our talents and abilities times the talents and abilities of others, the higher we can rise and the faster we can move forward in our life.

Want to help yourself? Then be ready to help others!

Shamim

"Working Together Hand In Glove"

Working with others, whether as an individual or as a leader of an Organization, is an essential part of every individual, manager's and entrepreneur's remit. Team working is rapidly becoming the preferred practice in many organizations as traditional corporate hierarchies give way to flat, multi skilled working methods.

Whether we are Entrepreneur's, CEO's, Manager's or something else, there's a pretty good chance we'll interact with other people along the way. Unless our plan is to work in a vacuum and be unknown to anyone ever, we'll have to factor these people into our equation of success - partners, patrons, investors, bosses, colleagues, clients, customers, and / or critics. Depending on our goal, working with others may be a big factor or a little factor, but it almost certainly counts.

The famous quote by Ryunosuke Satoro, " Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean " reminds me of a good Chinese story which tells us the importance of working together.

In ancient China, during the period of the South-North Dynasty, there was a kingdom called Tuguhun, which was established by the Xianbei ethnicity at the Northwestern border region. The legend Acai was the emperor of this kingdom.

Acai had twenty sons, each one of whom was strong and skilled at fighting. Each had his unique expertise. When Acai was very ill, he called all of his sons together and asked each one of them to give him one arrow. He then said to his younger brother, Mu Liyan, "Please take one arrow here and break it." Mu Liyan easily broke the arrow. Acai then said, "Please take nineteen arrows here and break them." Mu Liyan could no longer break the bundle of arrows. Acai said, "Now do you understand? One arrow is very easily broken, while a bundle of arrows is hard to break. As long as all of you work together with one heart, our kingdom will be stable."

Acai's words, "One arrow is easily broken, while a bundle of arrows is hard to break," tells us the same thing that has been said by the ancient people, "When people's hearts are joined together as one, even a Mountain can be moved,". The story points out the importance of people working together with one heart.

In his best seller book " Success ", J.Pincott talks about how we can successfully work with others. Let me share with you these simple tips which can help us in effectively working with others :

1) Realize that we need others : No matter how independent we are as individuals, we depend on others to define ourselves and create purpose in our lives.

2) Get them to identify with us : Finding out how successful people get others to work with them or for them is always interesting. The bottom line is that we need to make an effort to identify with others and to get others to identify with us.

3) Don't worry so much about getting credit : We may need to work with others as partners or in teams, or working under another person or within a company. Our job, always, is to make that person above us look good at the same time that we get what we need from the job. Actually, the better job we do, the better it is for the person above us. Don't worry about the boss getting credit for what we do.

4) Earn the respect of others : Respect is a strong motivator for success. But it's not easy to achieve the kind of success and respect we wanted. It requires a consistency of behavior that is truly impressive. It requires that we treat others in a honest and caring way.

5) Watch our words : To successful people, working with others means knowing what to say - and what not to say.

6) Handle difficult people with care : Some jobs require better social skills than others. From those who must constantly interact with others, there's a good chance we'll encounter difficult people. Sometimes people say unkind or thoughtless things, and when they do, it is best to be a little hard of hearing - to tune out and not snap back in anger or impatience.

7) Have a healthy skepticism of authority : Like Buddha says, " Do not believe in anything simply because we have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. But after observation and analysis, when we find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it. "

8) Don't be afraid to depend on others : Don't be afraid to ask for help; our success might depend on it. There is a magic that results when a person invests in us. He becomes a big-time investor in our success, a stockholder in our dreams. Because, when we ask someone for help, we are implicitly asking him to place a bet on us. The more people we get to bet on us, the larger our network of investors and the shorter the odds.

It goes without saying, the basic principle of working together with our team should underpin how we operate. Managing people doesn't just mean acting as a watch dog but it to see that they get their work done satisfactorily. It also means involving people throughout in a creative role, to ensure that together we are all able to succeed.

When we involve people on broad issues, it will motivate them. Let's not underestimate our people and always remember, their views can enhance everything: methods, standards, processes and overall effectiveness. The managers are not paid to have all the ideas that are necessary to keep their section working well in a changing world, but they are paid to make sure that there are enough ideas to make things work and go on working. Let's use our people and make it clear to them that we want and value their contributions.

Like Henry Ford said, " Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success. What are we waiting for, " Let's come together, keep together and work together to be successful in personal and professional life.

Shamim

Decision Making - The Bridge Between Failure & Success!

Decision making is the foundation of every management and business activity. It goes with out saying better management decision making and problem solving can greatly improve an organization's profits and goals. But the studies show that Entrepreneurs and Managers do not achieve more than 50% correct results in their decision making and problem solving.

In today’s complex business scenario, decision making is one of leadership’s greatest challenge. In fact, decision-making ability differentiates between a poor and a good leader. Many bad decisions are made simply because leaders move through the decision-making process too hastily, basing conclusions on emotions, bad information or impulses.

Before we talk more about it, let me share with you a funny story on decision making which tells us how good our Managers are when it comes to decision making!

The story is about a manager of a large company who got a heart attack, and the doctor advised him to go for few weeks to a farm to relax. The guy went to a farm, and after a couple of days he was very bored, so he asked the farmer to give him some job to do.

The farmer told him to clean the shit of the cows. The farmer thought that to somebody coming from the city, working the whole life sitting in an office, it will take over a week to finish the job, but for his surprise the manager finished the job in less than one day.

The next day the farmer gave to the manager a more difficult job: to cut the heads of 500 chickens. The farmer was sure that the manager will not be able to do the job, but at the end of the day the job was done.

The next morning, as most of the jobs in the farm were done, the farmer asked the manager to divide a bag of potatoes in two boxes: one box with small potatoes, and one box with big potatoes.

At the end of the day the farmer saw that the manager was sitting in front of the potatoes bag, but the two boxes were empty. The farmer asked the manager: "How is that you made such difficult jobs during the first days, and now you cannot do this simple job?"

The manager answered: "Listen, all my life I'm cutting heads and dealing with shit, but now you ask me to make decisions!!! "

Jokes apart, this could be true with many of our Entrepreneurs & Managers - when decision making is too complex or the interests at stake are too important, quite often we do not know or are not sure what to decide. As an Entrepreneur or Manager, sometimes we know everything we can know. Sometimes we know only somethings, but not everything. And sometimes we know absolutely nothing - but we still have to decide!

A "good" decision-making starts with a purposeful, consecutive, strategic-thinking process. A correct decision makes our life better and gives us some control over life. On the other side, a bad decision may force us to make another one which could be even worse! Like the old saying, if the first button of one's coat is wrongly buttoned, all the rest will be crooked.

Good decision making invites lot of thinking and thinking is the ultimate human resource. The main difficulty of thinking is confusion. We try to do too much at once. Emotions, information, logic, hope and creativity all crowd in on us. It is like juggling with too many balls.

We may have great plans that have been studied and worked out in great details, but if we do not take decision to act on it, they can be of no use to us except to be sorry reminders of wasted time, lost opportunities and unrealized goals.

So a good decision is not an accident, it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction, skillful execution and represents the wise choice of many alternatives. A significant part of decision making skills is in knowing and practicing good decision making techniques. With that note, let me share with you some simple decision making steps as under:

1) Assign priorities : All the things that need to be decided on are not equal in importance. As we do with time management where we prioritize, rank the importance of the decisions we have to make. At least by setting priorities, we'll be going in a direction. If it turns out to be the wrong direction, we can always make a course correction.

2) Set a time frame : Decision making boils down to the gut thing. And faster is better. Be 80 percent right and first rather than 100 percent correct and last. By setting a time, we have an idea on the deadline to take the decision.

3) Gather and review up-to-date, cold, hard facts : Collect as many facts as possible, but not too many. Organize them. Based on the priority, we can either wait until it's perfect and we have all information possible or we just have to go with our judgment.

4) Paint a scenario of desired outcome : What do we ideally want? If we haven't thought about it, how will we know whether we get it?

5) Weigh the pluses against the minuses in getting where we want to be : There will be trade offs and compromises. Weigh the costs and the effects.

6) Explore the ramifications for all involved : Who will be effected? Understand the impact of decisions we make on people concerned.

7) Keep emotions out of it : Don't let our emotions to effect our decisions as much as possible.

8) Use our wisdom, have courage, go with our gut instinct and decide : Procrastination in the name of reducing risk actually increases risk. If the analytical approach ends up different from our instinct, we really should stop and take the time to figure out why the difference exists. We'll probably end up going with instinct but at least we considered the analytical approach.

9) Put the decision into action : Transfer our decision into specific plan of action steps. Execute our plan.

10) Evaluate the outcome of our decision and steps of action : What lessons can be learned? This is an important step for further development of our decision making skills and judgment.

Many a times, decision making may not be as simple as we think and it can be hard when it involves some conflicts or dissatisfaction. The challenge is to pick one solution where the positive outcome can outweigh possible losses. Avoiding decisions often seems easier. But remember, making our own decisions and accepting the consequences is the only way to stay in control of our life, business and its success.

Like Jim Rohn says, " It doesn't matter which side of the fence we get off on sometimes. What matters most is getting off. We cannot make progress without making decisions ".

Ready to make a decision ? Do it – success is just across the bridge. Trust me it will be a great decision !

Shamim

Reference : How To Act Like A CEO by D.A Benton

Is " Success " Like A Trip To Mars?

Success is the topic we often talk about and something that we all aspire for. The interesting thing about success is, it has a different meaning for all. For some, the path to success is crystal clear but for many it's like a trip to mars! Even though we don't see many who are successful, the most encouraging reality about success is that it is attainable by all, irrespective of who we are, what we are or where we are! The question is what can drive us to success ? Well before i get in to that, let me share an interesting story with you on success.

The story is about a famous guru and his two disciples. Once their education was complete, and they were ready to leave, the guru called one of them and asked, " Now that your education is complete and it is time for you to leave and find your own place in the world, what plans do you have for your future? " The disciple said, " When I go into the world I will look for success and prosperity. "

With a smile, the guru gave him a bag full of gold coins, blessed him, and allowed him to leave. Now the guru called the second disciple and put the same question to him. He replied, " I will go into the world and achieve success and be prosperous. " The guru gave him one silver coin, blessed him, and let him go.

There was a pedestrian resting a few yards away. After both the disciples had left he went up to the guru and asked him why he gave a bag full of gold coins to the man who was going to look for success and prosperity for himself, while he gave only one silver coin to the man who wanted to achieve success on his own.

The guru smiled and replied, " the man who is going to look for success and prosperity is unlikely to find it as he will be dependent on external forces for his accomplishments. He will need this bag of gold; it will not last long with him. The second man, he said, " is set to achieve success on his own, he will get it. He will also be at peace with himself. He does not need gold from me; he will earn enough for himself. I gave him one silver coin which is what he need for his bus journey to his destination" .

The story tells us that, success is achieving one's chosen goals. Success requires its share of hard work, dedication and perseverance. To be successful we just have to know the rules and apply them in our life. Now let's talk about the golden rules of success which are the universal rules of attaining meaningful success. Let me share with you the following simple rules for success which is easy to understand and follow. We just have to assimilate these rules with determination and let them do wonders for us.

1) Find our passion : If our motivation is to fulfill another person's expectations of us, or simply to make money, chances are that we won't be a great success. Pick our passion- or let it pick us - but don't let others pick it for us! Let's not conflate the pursuit of success with the pursuit of wealth. Success transcends dollars and cents.

2) Set our goals : Now that we know what we want to do, it's time to set our goals. Passion alone won't guarantee success. Just don't look for consensus about how detailed our goals must be, it's all about getting started and find a medium that works for us. Remember- Goals are dreams with deadlines!

3) Cultivate character : What motivated us to choose our goal? What inspires us to succeed at it? What pushes us to keep trying? Our answers to these questions comprise our character; they define our interests, values, strengths, and means of support. The stronger our character, the more stable our success.

4) Be determined : Determination is ambition fueled by will. Do we have that to achieve our goals? If we do, we'll use everything at our disposal to succeed. Realize that if we really want to succeed at something, we'll make the time for it, take the risk for it, and do our best to ease any doubts about it.

5) Work hard : No matter how passionate we are about our work, it may test our stamina and resolve. We need to determine what sacrifices we're willing to make to be successful. Hard work requires uncommon discipline. Ask ourselves if we're willing to do it, and to what extent. But take a step back if we begin to feel that our hard work ceases to be meaningful.

6) Lead others : Success isn't always an individual achievement. In fact, it often isn't. Our success may depend upon countless others, especially the people who support us in our day-to-day work. Good leadership skills are always key to success. Knowing how to lead others and sharing our vision will help us to reach our goals. If we inspire the people working for us, they will be more inclined to be accountable for the work they do for us.

7) Take risks : No risk, no reward. It's no shock that the most successful people seem to be those who take significant risks. They jeopardize their personal comfort. They challenge the status quo. They put their money and time at stake. Taking risk is a creative act and we need to dare to approach a situation in unconventional ways.

8) Get feedback : Just when things start going well and our ego starts to swell, there's another force you'll reckon with: feedback. It comes in many forms, including criticism, advice, and hard numbers. It will ground us, keep our ego in check, and help us refine our goals and make improvements. Don't let criticism eliminate our drive. At the same time, don't let our fear of criticism prevent us from seeking feedback.

9) Survive setbacks : Midway in our pursuit to success, something may happen and we may think that we had been deluding ourselves about a happy ending. Every successful person has experienced failure. It's just part of taking risks. Surviving setbacks means stepping back to see the whole of a situation. This gives us perspective, which in turn gives us control.

10) Stay successful : Is success like a mountain; once we peak we can only go downhill? We need to make our success a series of peaks. The most important factor for this is to keep growing by acquiring new skills and dreaming up new ideas. Like Lily Tomlin said, " The road to success is always under construction. " Remember success breeds success. Use our momentum to stay always successful - with a little luck, effort, determination, support, good habits, hard work, and character.

Achieving success is our right and we can realize it with ease provided we go about it in the right way. There are no reason why we cannot conquer the heights of our aspirations. There always is, and will be, room at the top; we just have to know our ways. Let's start to realize our full potential. To be successful, we don't need a bag full of gold - all we need is a silver coin to reach our destination. Whether our destination is moon on mars nothing can stop us to be successful.

Success is our right, Work for it and Get it!

Shamim

Reference : 'Success' by J.Pincott / Rules of Success by Mridula Agarwal

Who Pays Our Salary ?

Have you tried asking any one employed or in business, who pays your salary ? Well, you are likely to get answers like - " my company, my boss, my accounts department, my finance department...it goes on and on. But how many will realize that, it is the " Customer " who pays our Salary! Profits for Entrepreneurs, Salary for Employees, Wages for Workers... the basic survival of an organization itself is at the mercy of customers.

In a period were terminologies like Globalization, Open Economy, CRM etc. was alien to people, Mahathma Gandhi had the wisdom to say, " A customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption of our work, he is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider to our business, he is a part of it. We are not doing him a favor by serving him. He is doing us a favor by giving us an opportunity to do so ".

Today, when our economy is going through turbulent times, I guess its time for us to go back to the basics. Go back to doing those things that gave us success in the start-up days of our business. Strive to build strong relationships with customers and make them buy our products and services. But sometimes, we tend to get carried away with technology and forget basic principles of customer service and understanding of what customers really need which is indeed vital to a company’s success.

You buy a product or service, in two days its faulty, you call the aggressive Sales guy who convinced you to buy it. He gives you a recorded message, " please call our customer care number xxxxx " ! He will not even take the pain to ask what the complaint is. Sounds familiar ? We can't blame them, they are programmed like that by the companies.

We fail to realize that, our employees can be our ambassadors or our assassins. They need to consistently display behavior that can satisfy customers and even exceed their expectations at all times. Everything that our people say and do has an effect on whether our company will be able compete and win during this tough economy. I know it is easy to talk about the importance of customer service and make employees accountable for that etc., but how do we practice it ?

Well, let me take you to the world of Zappos, the company which re-defined the word, customer service! Founded in 1999, Zappos.com is the biggest online Shoe store, with over $1 billion in sales. They have grown from zero to $1 billion in just 9.5 years! They have got over 7.5 million customers and interestingly, on any given day, 75% of sales come from repeat customers, and those repeat customers spend much more than the first time buyers! The majority of sales happens through word of mouth.

Zappos offers customers a huge selection- more than four million pairs of shoes (and other items such as handbags, apparel etc.). What makes them unique is, they offers free delivery and free returns and if you don't like the shoes, you box them up and send them back to Zappos for no charge. They promises free, four-day delivery. Sounds good ? But most of the time they deliver it next-day, a surprise that leaves a lasting impression on customers: "You said four days, but I got them the next morning !"

Zappos are experts in handling telephone service- a black hole and nightmare for most companies. Zappos smart and entertaining call-center employees are free to do whatever it takes to make you happy. They work with no scripts, no time limits on calls, no robotic behavior, and plenty of legendary stories about Zappos and its customers you can read on the net. Zappos goes out of their way to make it easy for customers to do business with them like 24/7 1-800 toll free number, 365- days return policy etc.

Hundreds of touching customer experience stories about Zappos are available on the net and the most popular of it is from a blogger, Ms.Zaz Lammar. She ordered 7 pairs of shoes from Zappos for her mother who was sick. Once the goods arrived, out of 7 only 2 pairs fit. The rest were waiting to be returned. But unfortunately her mom got hospitalized and she being away, the shoes were never sent back. There’s a time limit on the return of shoes which is 15 days. When you do a return to Zappos, they pay the shipping, but you have to get the shoes to Courier company by yourself.

Sadly, Ms.Zaz lost her mother and once she got back home, she got an e-mail from Zappos asking about the shoes, since they hadn't received them. She replied that her mom had died but will send the shoes as soon as she could. They e-mailed her back that they had arranged with UPS to pick up the shoes.

Here is what happened after that in her own words - " Yesterday, when I came home from town, a florist delivery man was just leaving. It was a beautiful arrangement in a basket with white lilies and roses and carnations. Big and lush and fragrant. I opened the card, and it was from Zappos. I burst into tears. I'm a sucker for kindness, and if that isn't one of the nicest things I've ever had happen to me, I don't know what is. So…IF YOU BUY SHOES ONLINE, GET THEM FROM ZAPPOS."

But here's what makes Zappos even more interesting. As we know, the toughest job is answering phones and talking to customers to solve their complaints. When Zappos hires new employees, it provides a four-week training period that immerses them in the company's strategy, culture, and obsession with customers. During this period, People get paid their full salary.

Once the training is over, Zappos do something unique which they call as "The Offer." The company, after taking the pain to recruit and train, says to its newest employees: "If you quit today, we will pay you for the amount of time you've worked, plus we will offer you a $1,000 bonus." Zappos actually bribes its new employees to quit! Surprised? Well they have a reason. They believe, if you're willing to take the company up on "The Offer", you obviously don't have the sense of commitment they are looking for.

Zappos today employs more than 1500 people. They know how important it is for every employee to feel like they have a stake in the culture. As a result, they have defined a set of core values that act as a formalized definition of company culture. Their core values weren't formed by a few people from senior management that sat around in a room at a company off site. Instead, they invited every employee at Zappos to participate in the process, and here are the core values that help to keep them focused on the right things:

1) Deliver "WOW" Through Service
2) Embrace and Drive Change
3) Create Fun and A Little Weirdness
4) Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded
5) Pursue Growth and Learning
6) Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication
7) Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit
8) Do More With Less
9) Be Passionate and Determined
10) Be Humble

Zappos is interested only in employing people who truly care about their customers. If you ask Tony Hsieh the Zappos CEO or any Zappos employee for that matter - to describe the company, they would tell you that, " Zappos is a customer service company that just happens to sell shoes "! At Zappos, Customer care is not a department but a culture!

The success story of Zappos clearly tells us that, creating a great customer experience is about getting back to basics - simple human kindness. It also tells us, if we want our employees to treat our customers like stars, then we need to give our employees a little red-carpet treatment of their own.

Its time for us to realize that,our business wouldn't exist without the customers, and all it takes to win them over is thoughtfulness. We need to get that through our head and if we can win them over, they will will be our best advocates. Like Ms.Zaz, they'll tell everyone about their good experience, and our business will grow.

I think, if ever there was a time to engage and reach out to our customers, it’s now. When we do that, it will come through loud and clear that we do care about them. When they are ready to order, it will be from our company and not from our competitors. And once they order, we get paid - Yes Customer pays our salary !

Ready to serve our Pay Master ? Then lets go Zappos way!

Shamim

The Geese Story - Team Building & Leadership Lessons from Nature!

Yesterday evening I was enjoying the weather (finally it was raining for a moment in the mid of summer) from my backyard and I could hear a funny sound coming from the big pond behind my house compound wall. So like any curious person I rushed out to see what the sound was. Sure enough there was a family of Geese trying to cross the pond. It was so beautiful to see the Geese in the evening sunshine and I have never seen them so close.

This group of Geese reminded me the wonderful story which I use for training to learn the basics of Team building & Leadership.Well, is there any link between the Geese & Team building ?

We know Team building skills are critical for our effectiveness as a Manager or Entrepreneur. People in every workplace talk about building the team, working as a team, but few understand how to create the experience of team work or how to develop an effective team. Belonging to a team, in the broadest sense, is a result of feeling part of something larger than yourself.

We do have some lessons from Geese which provides a perfect example of the importance of team work and how it can have a profound and powerful effect on any form of personal or business endeavor. Geese take full advantage of the power of their group, sharing leadership responsibilities and flying in a structure that enables the flock to leverage the strength and power of its individual members, sometimes numbering in to thousands. It is said that the Geese can make an annual round trip journey of more than 5,000 miles at a speed of 50 mph or more!

I am sure the Team building & Leadership lessons from the geese can be helpful in our workplaces. Lessons from Geese was originally transcribed from a speech given by Angeles Arrien and was based on the work of Milton Olson.We can use the following five lessons in our personal and business life and it will help us to foster and encourage a level of passion and energy in ourselves, as well as those who are our friends, associates or team members.

Lesson 1 - The Importance of Achieving Goals

As each goose flaps its wings it creates an "UPLIFT" for the birds that follow. By flying in a 'V' formation the whole flock adds 71 percent extra to the flying range.

Outcome : When we have a sense of community and focus, we create trust and can help each other to achieve our goals.

Lesson 2 - The Importance of Team Work

When a goose falls out of formation it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back to take advantage of the lifting power of the birds in front.

Outcome : If we had as much sense as geese we would stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. We are willing to accept their help and give our help to others.

Lesson 3 - The Importance of Sharing

When a goose tires of flying up front it drops back into formation and another goose flies to the point position.

Outcome : It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks. We should respect and protect each other's unique arrangement of skills, capabilities, talents and resources.

Lesson 4 - The Importance of Empathy and Understanding

When a goose gets sick, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to the ground to help and protect it.

Outcome : If we have as much sense as geese we will stand by each other in difficult times, as well as when we are strong.

Lesson 5 - The Importance of Encouragement

Geese flying in formation 'HONK' to encourage those up front to keep up with their speed.

Outcome : We need to make sure our honking is encouraging. In groups and teams where there is encouragement, productivity is much greater. 'Individual empowerment results from quality honking'.

I'm quite sure our fine feathered friends, the geese don't spend a millisecond thinking about the Team building & Leadership lessons they provide. They teach us that we can accomplish more when we work together as a team. Individual talent, as impressive as it may be, will only be multiplied when that person joins forces with others.

People who share a common vision, mission, and purpose, like the geese, attain that goal faster and more efficiently when they work together. Just as the geese generate thrust as they travel together, our team's thrust will allow us to accomplish more when we stay together. The geese also teach us that staying in formation gives a bonding and makes it better than going alone. Unity in the workplace is defined not by a pat on the back when we succeed, but in lifting up a team member's hand when he is down. A unified team wants everyone to succeed.

Finally, the geese teach us that someone has to take the lead and someone has to honk from behind. Each team member brings different skills and abilities to accomplish the goals. Sometimes, we may be the person to bring the team to victory. At times, someone else may have the right talent and skills to accomplish the mission, and therefore we must fly in formation from the back; honking our support with enthusiasm.

So, the next time you see geese flying above, take a moment to remind yourself just how smart they are, and what we can learn from them. The geese teach us to work as a team, work together in unity, share the hard jobs when it comes to leading, and honk from behind to encourage others.

What does your honk say about you? Don't forget to visit my website www.winnerinyou.in for more!

Shamim

Think Positive - Make Life Better !

Is our glass half-full or half-empty? On those days when nothing in our life seems to be going right, it can be really tough to see the silver lining among all those clouds. However, it's during these times when the ability to see the good in even the worst situations is so important. A positive attitude benefits not only our mental health, but your physical well-being as well.

Helen Keller says, " When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us ". This is very true and most of us are victims of this. To make it clear let me share a simple but good story which I came across reminding us of the choice we have to think- positive or negative.

There was once an old lady who cried all the time. Her elder daughter was married to an umbrella merchant while the younger daughter was the wife of a noodle vendor. On sunny days, she worried, "Oh no! The weather is so nice and sunny. No one is going to buy any umbrellas. What will happen if the shop has to be closed?" These worries made her sad. She just could not help but cry. When it rained, she would cry for the younger daughter. She thought, "Oh no! My younger daughter is married to a noodle vendor. You cannot dry noodles without the sun. Now there will be no noodles to sell. What should we do?" As a result, the old lady lived in sorrow everyday. Whether sunny or rainy, she grieved for one of her daughters. Her neighbors could not console her and jokingly called her "the crying lady."

One day, she met a monk. He was very curious as to why she was always crying. She explained the problem to him. The monk smiled kindly and said, "Sister! You need not worry. I will show you a way to happiness, and you will need to grieve no more."

The crying lady was very excited. She immediately asked the monk to show her what to do. The master replied, "It is very simple. You just need to change your perspective. On sunny days, do not think of your elder daughter not being able to sell umbrellas but the younger daughter being able to dry her noodles. With such good strong sunlight, she must be able to make plenty of noodles and her business must be very good. When it rains, think about the umbrella store of the elder daughter. With the rain, everyone must be buying umbrellas. She will sell a lot of umbrellas and her store will prosper."

The old lady saw the light. She followed the monk’s instruction. After a while, she did not cry anymore; instead, she was smiling everyday. From that day on she was known as "the smiling lady".

The story tells us, we cannot change the things happening around us but we can change the way we look at it.The choice between positive & negative thinking is very much within us.We can focus on the positive side of everything and stop worrying about the negative side of it.

Our minds are an incredibly powerful tool, and as we know, we only use a small portion of it every day. Our thoughts play a significant role in how we view the world, and the positive v/s negative thoughts we carry with us can be the foundation for all sorts of things in our lives, both good and bad.

But, we know no matter what happens and how good our life seems to be going, there are going to be times when it seems like everything is going bad or just not the way that we want it to. In these times, we can choose to either allow ourselves to feel down and out, or we can decide to overcome any of these adversities and learn how to look for the opportunity that is being presented.

How to Think & Stay Positive?

Many people believe that positive thinking takes lots of effort. In the beginning, while we form the new habit, it certainly will take awareness. However, the only way to empower ourselves to live Our Very Excellent Life is to live consciously with an awareness of our thoughts.

It is said that of the 65,000 plus thoughts that flip through our mind each day, 95% of them are the same ones we thought yesterday. Yes, 95%! Why in the world do we do that? The simple answer-most of us live in the past or the future, missing the only time that really counts and really that matters- the present.

Most of us use the energy we need for today, to keep alive memories from the past or misuse our imagination by carrying past pain into the future as slightly altered experiences. The fears that stop us from living our dreams are really expectation of bad experiences in the future. In other words, many of us take our past into the future and remain stuck in life.

With little effort we can find ourselves to be positive thinkers. Positive thinking is actually very simple, here are a few ways we can get started...and have a positive impact on all areas in our life:

• If we find ourselves thinking a negative thought, change it to a positive thought.
• Surround our life with positive people, don't allow negativity into our life.
• Spend our time on activities that bring us happiness.
• Invoke positive memories whenever we can.
• Cherish the simple pleasures in our life.
• Be around people who make us laugh.
• Love ourselves

Don't fool ourselves into thinking that, just because the above ideas are simple they will not work. The opposite is actually true, and we all know what impact positive v/s negative thoughts can have in our life. If we convey a positive attitude towards others we will be surrounded by people who want to be around us and are positive themselves. These relationships will only continue to grow and bring more positive energy into our life. The opposite is true as well, so keep positive thoughts.

Remember thinking positive is only a plat form where the thinking has to translate into positive action which should eventually become positive habits which lead to positive results. But every thing starts with positive thinking!

Have you heard of the old saying "he woke up on the wrong side of the bed?" We have all experienced this before ourselves, for some reason we wake up in a bad mood and our entire day seems to turn out bad. Did you know that we can change this?

Begin each day in a positive manner. Open the drapes to let the sun shine in, put on some of our favorite music, tell ourselves a positive thought or two...whatever it takes to start our positive thinking. We will be amazed at what these simple changes can bring to our life.

Well, just because these ideas are simple...does not mean they are easy. That is probably why everyone is not walking around with a positive attitude, because it takes work, desire, and discipline to live our life in this manner. It is easier being negative! The choice is ours, we have nobody to blame but ourselves, when deciding between positive v/s negative thoughts.

What are your thoughts now- Positive or Negative ?

Shamim

A.R Rahman - "An Inspiring Story of Success through Excellence" !

Few weeks back I wrote an article on M.S Dhoni and the lessons from his unique leadership style. We have another role model who has mastered excellence in his profession and brought the whole world under his feet - The Music Legend - A.R Rahman.

Is there any thing common in these two youth icons of our country ? Yes,commitment to excellence is their DNA. Winning is their habit and they always perform at ' WOW '! Aiming for perfection and winning the competitive edge are the things for what they crave constantly and add them to their attitude. The next thing is performance. During any moment of the day, their performance is EXCELLENCE. Performance is their language and they understand the language of result only.

If you pick up any newspaper or see the web or watch the news these days, chances are that you will find an interview of A.R.Rahman. He is all over the place after his OSCAR achievement and he really deserves it! All of us have been seeing videos of his arrival back to India and his press conferences with excitement.

Today, A.R. Rahman is one of the world's most successful musicians. With a brand name like Rahman, movies rake in millions. But it isn't just Rahman's exceptional enthusiasm that's so contagious, but also the quality and success of the work he's churning out. The man has redefined contemporary Indian music and has become an icon for millions all over the world.

Like everyone, I have known him and his music right from the time 'Roja' was released in 1992.. that's a good 17 years! Everyone speaks of his music, and what he eats, sleeps, drinks and what he does when he is free and so on so forth. But really, there are things much beyond that one needs to know and learn from the legend that A.R.Rahman is. With so many people who speak so high of him at all times, there are some things that are unsaid and certain things that we so easily ignore about Rahman, that makes him stand apart from the clutter.

The musical genius that Rahman is, most of that comes from his being and principles. Rahman's success presents some valuable tips to us which can be applied to our professional lives and achieve our goals. And on that note, with the little that I know of him, let me share some of the learnings from A.R.Rahman.

1. Family - Respect your Parents

It might be very easy to brush this fact aside, but the truth is Rahman has always loved, respected and adored his parents. With his father R.K.Shekar leaving for heavenly abode when Rahman was nine years old, Rahman's mother Kareema Begum, gave Rahman a new ray of hope and fresh lease of life. She painfully raised the family, and is one of the driving factors of why Rahman is a legend today.

Remember what he said when he received his first OSCAR award, " Mere paas ma hai, which means I have nothing but I have a mother, so mother's here, her blessings are there with me. I'm grateful for her to have come all the way ". Which other music composer or for that matter which other media/entertainment/corporate personality do we know who follows this principle. How many of us will openly show our love and respect to our parents like him. That makes him truly unique.

2. Belief - Be Spiritually inclined

A.R.Rahman believes in god and spiritualism. Its not about the fact that he follows Islam, and offers prayers 5 times a day…its much more than that. I believe there is a huge difference between being religious and being spiritual, of which the latter is what Rahman is made of. In a recent interview Rahman revealed that, "Religion sounds vulgar these days, I am more of a spiritual person. And I believe in being consistent with my spirituality. As one grows in life, one realizes the magnitude of spirituality. It is the most beautiful passion. It raises you above all the negativities. For me and my music, spirituality is the most important element and I don't think I can create the kind of music I do, if I don't practice spirituality."

Spirituality has not only made him connect to his music, but has also made him connect to humanity. When he received his second OSCAR, he said " all my life I had a choice of hate and love and I chose love and I am here, god bless " . That's the powerful message of his spirituality!

3. Country First - Be Patriotic

Though Rahman acknowledges his accomplishment, after receiving OSCARS he quickly points out that this is a COLLECTIVE INDIAN VICTORY. He says, he is more happy because this is the first OSCAR for an Indian work and the whole country was waiting for this with bated breath and hence he wanted to get it. He says, now all Indian artists will be looked upon with more respect as we have shown what we are capable of. His patriotism is evident in all his patriotic songs including the latest " Jai Ho ". The way he sings ' vande mataram ' injects some kind of positive energy into our blood stream !

4. Roots - Don't leave your Soul

Mumbai the mecca of Indian films and the entertainment industry, a place where any and every musician will find a way out to survive and earn enough to feed him for the day. It would have been so easy for a musician like Rahman to go and settle in Mumbai and work for acclaimed filmmakers post " Roja and Bombay ". But the man preferred not leaving his home, his roots to a place where instant fame, recognition and money was assured. Of the many ignored facts, Rahman's major success lies in working from his home. Home is where your heart, mind, body and soul is.

With no distraction whatsoever, he has all his energies focused on doing quality work from the comfort of his home. It means a lot to be based out of the place where your family is, where your soul is..your home, your hometown.

5. Focus - Let your work speak for itself

Yes, let your work speak for itself. Many a times, there are instances where one will be criticized for the way he is, his dressing, his upbringing, his economic background. One will be made fun off, and will be called names. One will not get the support he expects to receive from his seniors and so on….But at the end of all this, if you have a strong will power you can overcome all these, and prove yourself with your work.

There was a time when Rahman was being humiliated by some critics, directors and producers over the kind of music he had scored, and all this when he was at the peak of his career. He could do nothing about it, and preferred to remain calm and unmoved. And when ever his work was released, it got an outstanding response and was embraced by the masses. This overwhelming response and success was a slap on the face of those critics, producers and directors. This tell us, all we need to do is to focus on what we are good at, not on the success it can bring. Success will follow us, our work will speak of itself.

6. Service - Consideration for others

Not many may have noticed that Rahman has introduced maybe a hundred new young singers to the Tamil and Hindi screens – his faith in the youth of India is evident in his statement that he would like youngsters to take a different view of music after his winning the OSCARS. Rahman has done what no other music director has done for the cause of music-starting a music school, the KM MUSIC CONSERVATORY. His objective for starting this school is to make Indian musicians have a global orchestra of their own. This is such an innovative idea and Rahman is spending a lot of time, money and energy towards realizing this noble musical mission!

Rahman is the UN ambassador for the campaign fighting against poverty and he has associated himself with many social causes. When he was in a state of probably disillusionment - one of the things his mother said to him was "why don't you live for others and then you will find a meaning to life". Rahman stuck to that and he does music to make people happy and to enrich their lives.

On the night he returned to India after receiving the OSCARS, his request that his fans ought not to disturb his neighbors in the dead of night attracts attention to a long forgotten quality in India—consideration for others.

7. Humility - Be Humble. Be Honest. Be Simple

With all the above in place, being humble, simple and honest is all that one needs to do to ensure a great life. With so much of stardom and attention after the Golden Globe and OSCARS, Rahman could have got carried away with the success, however he always chose work over publicity.

After winning the OSCARS, he was asked by the press, " what's left for you to achieve? " He replied in a polite way, " Well, I have not achieved anything. I have not ended poverty level. I have not stopped wars happening.For me these are achievements. And in my opinion, I am just a small musician who has got an award that is it " !

He carries no weight around him, and that makes him completely approachable and genuine. His childlike smile can pacify ones fear and anxiety of meeting him in person. Its like his smile speaks a thousand words. It depicts the purity of his heart and soul. Each and every success makes him more humble, honest and simple. What more we can learn from this winner!

Regardless of season he march towards rock climbing success. Even in tough time his eyes do not move away from excellence. Commitment, giving 100 percent, focusing on performance is the key ingredients to his success. Meeting challenges and riding over obstacles are in his blood cells. Transferring stumbling stones into opportunities with conviction and leading towards 'WOW' level is the essence of his success.

Through his eternal value and simple living A.R Rahman presents us with opportunities for professional success provided we learn from them, adapt them to our own situations and implement them appropriately.

He convey a message to all of us silently especially to the youth - " humble origins need not prevent us from aspiring for and achieving great success ". How does he convey this message ? Dil Se !

Shamim