Category: Career

  • The World Is Changing – 2014 Thoughts !

    The World Is Changing – 2014 Thoughts !

    1. The business world is getting dynamic with each passing day. Winners are created in a short span of time and old reputations shattered in even shorter span of time. Samsung and Blackberry are good examples.
    2. Winners are created in shorter span of time. Also, winner takes it all ! Samsung and Apple control the profits of the entire industry.
    3. No Innovation – No Respect.
    No World-Class Offerings – No Admission In Business World.

    4. Mobile and cloud are now integral to enterprises. There are no fence-sitters now!
    5. Big Data Analytics indeed seems to be the next billion dollar opportunity.
    6. Wearable Devices are the next big thing. Smart Shoes, Smart Accessories. Hopefully human beings will be more smarter as well !

    7. As always, money is still not the prime motivator of people. As always, designation does not determine the leader. It is always the purpose, vision, challenging work and respect that drives people !
    8. Digital Detox is gaining currency ! Slow Movement will fasten !

    9. AAP is transforming and influencing Indian Political thinking. India’s Jasmine Revolution is beyond the social media now.
    10. Youth are driving the change across Sports, Movies and Businesses.

  • Life Is Beautiful – Cherish It With Safety

    Life Is Beautiful – Cherish It With Safety

    Accidents bring lot of dreams and aspirations to a crash. Often with blood and tears. The pointer of guilt is a secondary factor as the biggest damage is already done.

    Though destiny cannot be changed, we can change our habits to reduce the damage:

    1. Helmets – Helmets can reduce the extent of damage. All people on two-wheelers need to wear it. It is not cool to not wear the helmets – though many think it otherwise.
    2. Mobiles – Mobiles have changed us as human beings. Conversations can distract us from the road situation and blind us to impending disasters. I amazed to see young men and women speaking on mobile with and without hands-free. People fix mobile phone in the helmet and talk. Women drive Activa with a single hand. Please avoid it.
    3. Speed – Speed Thrills. Speed Kills. Let us get our highs and adrenaline rushes from our achievements, great work. Life is not a Xbox game.
    4. Traffic Rules – Traffic rules exist for a reason. We need to be aware and obey the basic traffic rules. Ahmedabad is notorious for the lack of traffic sense. Why? Let us be the change. Let us not break traffic rules. Let us avoid the temptation of going in the wrong side. Let us avoid the temptation of jumping the light.

    Let us always remember that someone is waiting for us at home. Loved ones and their entire world depends on you. Many times, parents have cut their stomaches, sacrificed dreams and given up luxuries to educate us and see us go ahead in life. Let us value that.

  • Dravid’s Wisdom

    Dravid’s Wisdom

    Rahul Dravid is an leader who walks the talk. He is a leader who is grounded, humble, sincere, achiever and team-player. He has taken a stand on the current cricket controversy – he speaks his mind and he is fearless. We know many ex-cricketers who just sit back and enjoy perks from BCCI. He has chosen to show the mirror. Great Act !

    Here is a Quick Edit which appeared on Mint. Worth repeating !

    Rahul Dravid has always been a class act, both on the field and off it. It is thus good to see him remind cricket administrators, in an interview, that the success of the game rides on the loyalty of the fans. He had made a similar point in his wonderful Sir Donald Bradman Oration in 2011.

    Indian cricket is facing a credibility crisis, with administrative turf wars, betting controversies and conflicts of interest. The situation was similar in the mid-1990s. Dravid was one of a generation of cricketers who not only came together in a formidable combination on field, but also brought credibility to the game with their exemplary behaviour. The others were Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, V.V.S. Laxman and Anil Kumble.

    Dravid makes a point that has far broader relevance: Politicians owe their jobs to voters, CEOs to shareholders, bureaucrats to citizens, journalists to readers.

  • Sales Super Saturday : Half Glass Full

    Sales Super Saturday : Half Glass Full

    The Sales Super Saturday of July 2013 will have a special session from Brand Guru Shri Sanjay Chakraborty.

    Mr. Sanjay Chakraborty Is An Advertising Professional And Has More Than Two Decades Of Extensive Experience In Sales, Marketing, Communication And Advertising. His Keen Interest Lies In Understanding Consumer Behavior And Providing Marketing Communication Strategies To SME’s (Small & Medium Enterprises). He Has Been Actively Involved As A Guest Faculty And An Adviser To Various Management Associations, Institutions & Business Schools. Presently He Is The Council Member (Marketing & Brand Management) Of Gujarat Technical University. Recently He Secured His Place In India Book Of Records As The Only Advertising Professional Visiting Maximum Management Institutes To Deliver Management Sessions. For Many Years, He Has Been A Part Of Various Initiatives Of Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA) As A Key Member Of The PR Committee As Well As The Editorial Board. He Has Been Associated With FICCI & CII On Various Projects. He Has Written Two Books Till Now. He Is Also The Founder Member Of Brand Klub, Ahmedabad

    Sales Super Saturday Forum Is Excited To Have Mr Sanjay For The Special Session

    About Sales Super Saturday
    Sales Super Saturday is a special training and knowledge-sharing event organized to sharpen the saw. The idea is to unwind from daily routine, look at larger picture, evaluate sales organization, address gaps and have lots of fun. The event is held on third Saturday of every month.

  • Robin Sharma : The 50 New Rules of Work

    Robin Sharma : The 50 New Rules of Work

    Robin Sharma’s New Post : The 50 New Rules Of Work

    1. You are not just paid to work. You are paid to be uncomfortable – and to pursue projects that scare you.
    2. Take care of your relationships and the money will take care of itself.
    3. Lead you first. You can’t help others reach for their highest potential until you’re in the process of reaching for yours.
    4. To double your income, triple your rate of learning.
    5. While victims condemn change, leaders grow inspired by change.
    6. Small daily improvements over time create stunning results.
    7. Surround yourself with people courageous enough to speak truthfully about what’s best for your organization and the customers you serve.
    8. Don’t fall in love with your press releases.
    9. Every moment in front of a customer is a moment of truth (to either show you live by the values you profess – or you don’t).
    10. Copying what your competition is doing just leads to being second best.
    11. Become obsessed with the user experience such that every touchpoint of doing business with you leaves people speechless. No, breathless.
    12. If you’re in business, you’re in show business. The moment you get to work, you’re on stage. Give us the performance of your life.
    13. Be a Master of Your Craft. And practice + practice + practice.
    14. Get fit like Madonna.
    15. Read magazines you don’t usually read. Talk to people who you don’t usually speak to. Go to places you don’t commonly visit. Disrupt your thinking so it stays fresh + hungry + brilliant.
    16. Remember that what makes a great business – in part – are the seemingly insignificant details. Obsess over them.
    17. Good enough just isn’t good enough.
    18. Brilliant things happen when you go the extra mile for every single customer.
    19. An addiction to distraction is the death of creative production. Enough said.
    20. If you’re not failing regularly, you’re definitely not making much progress.
    21. Lift your teammates up versus tear your teammates down. Anyone can be a critic. What takes guts is to see the best in people.
    22. Remember that a critic is a dreamer gone scared.
    23. Leadership’s no longer about position. Now, it’s about passion. And having an impact through the genius-level work that you do.
    24. The bigger the dream, the more important the team.
    25. If you’re not thinking for yourself, you’re following – not leading.
    26. Work hard. But build an exceptional family life. What’s the point of reaching the mountaintop but getting there alone.
    27. The job of the leader is to develop more leaders.
    28. The antidote to deep change is daily learning. Investing in your professional and personal development is the smartest investment you can make. Period.
    29. Smile. It makes a difference.
    30. Say “please” and “thank you”. It makes a difference.
    31. Shift from doing mindless toil to doing valuable work.
    32. Remember that a job is only just a job if all you see it as is a job.
    33. Don’t do your best work for the applause it generates but for the personal pride it delivers.
    34. The only standard worth reaching for is BIW (Best in World).
    35. In the new world of business, everyone works in Human Resources.
    36. In the new world of business, everyone’s part of the leadership team.
    37. Words can inspire. And words can destroy. Choose yours well.
    38. You become your excuses.
    39. You’ll get your game-changing ideas away from the office versus in the middle of work. Make time for solitude. Creativity needs the space to present itself.
    40. The people who gossip about others when they are not around are the people who will gossip about you when you’re not around.
    41. It could take you 30 years to build a great reputation and 30 seconds of bad judgment to lose it.
    42. The client is always watching.
    43. The way you do one thing defines the way you’ll do everything. Every act matters.
    44. To be radically optimistic isn’t soft. It’s hard. Crankiness is easy.
    45. People want to be inspired to pursue a vision. It’s your job to give it to them.
    46. Every visionary was initially called crazy.
    47. The purpose of work is to help people. The other rewards are inevitable by-products of this singular focus.
    48. Remember that the things that get scheduled are the things that get done.
    49. Keep promises and be impeccable with your word. People buy more than just your products and services. They invest in your credibility.
    50. Lead Without a Title.

    I encourage you to share + discuss + debate these with your team and throughout your organization. Within a quick period of time, you’ll see some fantastic results.

  • Sales Super Saturday

    Sales Super Saturday is a special training and knowledge-sharing event organized to sharpen the saw. The idea is to unwind from daily routine, look at larger picture, evaluate sales organization, address gaps and have lots of fun. The event is held on third Saturday of every month.

    Sales Super Saturday has been a great success in promoting team spirit and shared vision. Sales Super Saturday has a special format:

    1. Knowledge Presentations by Team Members covering Sales and Non-Sales Areas.
    2. Group Discussions on Sales Function, Sales Cycle, Organizational Events and Trends
    5. Guest Sessions by Cross-Functional Teams
    4. Luncheons with One Question Funda
    5. Sales Movies & Interesting Videos
    6. Games & Exercises

    No laptops. No cell talks. No distractions.

    Please find the snapshots of an offsite Sales Super Saturday:

    Sales Super Saturday – Offsite

    So what actually Happens in Sales Super Saturday? See two comments:

    Comment 1:
    A great event pulled together for best utilizing the Saturday! It was a super Saturday indeed.
     
    I’m sure that Kunal’s session on lead generation will bring up everyone’s skill sets at par in capturing the right contacts for prospecting efforts. Also appreciated the expert inputs from Parag on using Google in the best way.
     
    The presentation & interaction on Customer Service from Umeshbhai was also a great way to get insight on how customer service never ends! Though Sales People are the torch bearers of customer service it is equally important to get support from every corner of the organization. Getting the live case studies from Umeshbhai like the Air India, Barcelona Stock exchange and Railway explained how customers challenges should be mapped and how the proposing the right solution will help in winning a relationship with the customer.
     
    Just as we thought that we just had the best, the sales videos came in as a fun way to have a new paradigm of the mistakes happens during sales. I was undoubtedly sure that videos were handpicked very carefully. We shall not forget How important it is to “listen” to your prospects?
     
    Post the gala luncheon, the brainstorming session was everyones delight, as finally the sales guys were allowed to do what they love… talk! Talk! And TALK! As mentioned, we look forward to a next session soon!
     
    Hope everyone were able to connect one’s self with the story of Chris Gardner (Will Smith) in “The Pursuit of Happiness”! Lets try the Rubic’s cube trick on your next sales call 😉
     
    Three Cheers to Sales Team!!!
     
    Premal

    Comment 2:

    I read this below agenda as a perfect case study of a Salesperson – looking to crack a first deal and needs desperately.
     
    9:30 – 10:00 : Kunal – Lead Generation Tips – Salesperson identifies leads using his lead generation skills
    10:00 – 12:00 : Customer Service by Umeshbhai – Salesperson is well-versed with Customer Service basis (Most IMP), but it still important to keep in mind, every time.  
    12:00 – 13:30 : Sales Videos – Diff Sales Areas – Salesperson prepares himself for a Sales pitch, after referring some sales videos and past experiences
    13:30 – 15:00 : Lunch Treat @ Dasprakash – Salesperson meets client at the schedule venue and trying to sell.
    15:00 – 16:00 : Open Q & A – Improving Effectiveness Of ISPL Sales, Good To Great – Salesperson certainly had a good lunch, but not lucky to get a deal. He is trying to figure out WHY?
    16:00 – 18:00 : Movie – One Of The Best Sales Movies – Bcoz of many failures, Salesperson is losing his confidence. Salesperson’s Supervisor plans to go for a movie that helps Salesperson to get motivated and rebuild.
    18:00 – 18:30 : Learnings, Next Steps, Action Items, Closing Remarks – Salesperson is now charged up and plans for next day. He resumes again and gets ready for another Sales call.
     
    Regards,
    Parag

    Like every good concept, Sales Super Saturday has its planning and feedback cycle. A lot of brainstorming is collectively done by the team for the same as it is an area of common interest.

  • Results Vs Processes !

    Every organization has star performers and champions. Quite often these champs have a different way of doing things – they abhor bureaucracy, are passionate about goals and want to get the job done quickly. For them processes are a hurdle. Many IT Geeks I know – they are magicians with code but they just do not want to update the Project Management Software. Or The Sales Dude who exceeds his targets but never updates the CRM or is always late.

    As organizations grow, it is important for multiple stake-holders to create sustainable, predictable and light-weight processes which help in an objective, knowledge-rich and manageable growth. Processes require extra effort and attention in the short-run but they help in the long run. It needs the support of top management in form of leading the processes and communicating the importance of these processes.

    I believe that champs will continue to be champs with processes in place – in fact they will know the distance between them and also rans ! So the answer to Results Vs Processes is Results Backed By Processes !

  • InfoStretch Hiring For Exponential Growth!

    InfoStretch’s Is Growing At Gravity-Defying Speeds. The India Centre has doubled the office space and is looking at high energy professionals to fuel the growth. QA Experts, Mobile Evangelists, HR Whiz – We are looking for you !

    infostretch_job_openings1

  • The All Time Favorite Books – My Must-Read List

    I am a voracious reader and I have diverse taste in reading. In my MBA days, library was my home.

    The other day, my friend asked me for a list of my favorite books. It was a difficult task. The favorites change over a period of time. But I realized that there are a few books that remain a must-read for me. I have often recommended these books to people. And ultimately, the wisdom lies in a few good books.

    So here are the books that have inspired me and influenced my thinking:

    Best Of The Best

    The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
    Stephen R. Covey
    My Favorite Self Management Book

    The Dale Carnegie Collection
    The only self-help books that you will ever need !

    The Alchemist
    Paulo Coelho
    The Power of Dreams

    The Fountainhead
    Ayn Rand
    Philosophy of Values. Love Story

    My Experiments With Truth
    Gandhi’s Biography

    Management Books / MBA Books

    Built To Last
    Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras
    A Management Book which is Built To Last

    Good To Great
    Jim Collins
    Management Concepts

    The Goal
    Eliyahu Goldratt
    A Thought Provoking book on Project Management

    Its Not About Luck
    Eliyahu M. Goldratt
    Sequel to The Goal

    The Tipping Point
    Malcolm Gladwell
    The power of Word of Mouth Marketing

    Snapshots from Hell : The Making of An MBA
    Peter Robinson
    An wonderful journey !

    Made In America
    Sam Walton
    An amazing book!

    Nuts!: Southwest Airlines’ Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success
    Kevin Freiberg & Jackie Freiberg

    Maverick
    Ricardo Semler

    The Art Of War
    Sun Tzu
    The final word on Strategy

    What They Do Not Teach You At Harvard Biz School
    Mark H. McCormack

    Focus
    Al Ries
    The Power of focus in marketing

    The High Performance Entrepreneur
    Subroto Bagchi
    An insightful and experience-rich book on Entrepreneurship

    Inspiration / Self-Help / Philosophy

    Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus
    John Gray
    A must read !

    The Bhagvad Gita
    Classic Gyan for life

    Man’s Search For A Meaning
    Viktor Frankl’s
    The story of a survivor from a Concentration Camp.

    Fish! for Life: A Remarkable Way to Achieve Your Dreams
    Stephen C. Lundin, John Christensen, Harry Paul

    The Secret
    Rhonda Byrne
    Self Help, Laws of Attraction

    The Diary of A Young Girl
    The journal of Anne Frank when she was in hiding for two years.

    It’s Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life
    Lance Armstrong & Sally Jenkins

    Biographies / History / General

    Jinnah – The Man Who Divided India
    Rafiq Zakaria
    Jinnah’s Biography – Read It To Get Surprised

    It Happened In India
    Kishore Biyani
    The Rise of Retail and Biyani

    The Richest Man In Bablyon
    Personal Finance

    Freedom At Midnight
    Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins

    Roots And Wings
    Raksha Bharadia
    A wonderful handbook on parenting

    Fiction

    Midnight’s Children
    Salman Rushdie

    The Namesake
    Jhumpa Lahiri

    The Da Vinci Code
    Dan Brown

    Eleven Minutes
    Paulo Coelho

    The Train To Paksitan
    Khushwant Singh

    Shantaram
    Gregory David Roberts

  • What Is The Most Important Interview Question?

    Magnet Technologies is in hiring mode ! I spend a substantial amount of time on interviews. Every interview is an investment as well as an important conversation. 

    So how do we find the right person for the job? How do we find out the smart guy who is faking it? How do we find the right talent who is not good in English but is a Mozart in disguise?

    Jessica Stillman of BNET Blog mentions that the most important interview question is :
    What do you do in your spare time? 

    The blog mentions the following:

    “Understand a person’s obsessions and you will understand her natural motivation,” Bregman asserts. Of course what to look for when hiring a receptionist is no where near as clear cut as what to look for when hiring a pilot, but Bregman claims that the principle holds no matter what sort of job you are hiring for. Receptionists need to be outgoing, so passionate readers who spend hours upon hours alone will probably not excel in the position, though they won’t necessarily be terrible at it. But if a potential receptionist is a frequent hostess and loves to throw parties, you might just have found your star.

    Good observation. It follows the often quoted idea – Do what you love to do, and you will never have to work again in life. From interviewer’s perspective, it gives an idea of person’s natural personality. 

    Some believe the most important question is : Why should we hire you?

    What do you think is the most important interview question?