Don't wait for THINGS to happen, Make them Happen!

"I will give my life to play like you" said somebody from the audience while listening to a great musician."I have already given", said the musician.

Clarity of thought, sense of direction and ability to execute is the key necessary to achieve our aspiration. Lot of us aspire, however, when it come to perspiration, we fail to make the cut. If you want to be part of cream de la cream you need to have inspiration (10%) followed by perspiration (90%).

When we look at organization pyramid, 85-90% people are at staff level, 5-7% at middle management and 3-5% at top leadership. All of us know very few professionals become Leaders and rest follow them. Choice is nobody else, but our own - whether we want to be part of successful leaders group or want to be bracketed in the follower’s category. It take some EXTRA efforts to shift from Ordinary to EXTRA ORDINARY. It takes a while to be there. Trust me if you are honest to yourself and priorities are clear, you will certainly make it there. I have seen people start pretty well initially, however, they tend to loose the momentum afterward. Continuous rigor has to be there. As a professional, one should definitely have perspicacity and indefatigable approach towards the targeted goal. We must be able to visualize our successes in long term and create a documented plan with defined milestones to be successful.

Relentless Focus is inevitable. Never allow complacency to crop in, once it’s there you will certainly be deviated from your core objective. Everyone gets 24 hrs in a day; it’s up to us how we make a judicious use of our precious time. Time is very important; believe me every second counts in the long run. Life is like a 100 meters race and think of a sprinter’s pain if he looses the race by few micro seconds. Never loose the momentum, continuous effort has to be put in always. Look at Australian cricket team; they always maintain the top ranking in shorter and longer version of game. Their core strength is consistency and never say die attitude. They never allow opposition team to dominate them. They have their plans for individual players of the opposition team & they play mind game before the first ball is bowled.Create new work - In case you have spare time with you, do create a new work for you. Always engross yourself in some work or the other. Utilize time to work on self developmental needs. Don’t wait for your manager/supervisor to assign you with a new work. Be the first one to ask for the new work. You’ll certainly be acknowledged for your humility and honesty. Always leverage your execution ability and make it a hygiene.Sachin Tendulkar symbolizes high performance ; this is about performing in all kinds of testing environment, physically and mentally. He reinvents himself as per the need, while consistently being recognized as someone at the top of his craft. He epitomizes distinctive capability, and it is easy for us to aspire to be like him. High performance and adaptability is the key. I would recommend aspiring professionals to be sincere in approach in their professional career. It’s for their betterment only. “Too many people go through life waiting for things to happen instead of making them happen“.

Source: Raj @ HRsucessmantra.com

When ever we come across such Kicking article, we also read one common question from different readers i.e " How do we ensure our daily routine schedule doesn't take us away from our Goal?".


I think we need to follow these steps to overcome this:


A. Draw SWOT for your career to create SMART Goals.
B. Involve a competent Mentor.
C. Review your progress regularly with your mentor.

Addition by Roshan Kumar Rawat

Twelve Attributes of a Truly Great Place to Work

More than 100 studies have now found that the most engaged employees — those who report they're fully invested in their jobs and committed to their employers — are significantly more productive, drive higher customer satisfaction and outperform those who are less engaged.

But only 20 per cent of employees around the world report that they're fully engaged at work.

It's a disconnect that serves no one well. So what's the solution? Where is the win-win for employers and employees?

The answer is that great employers must shift the focus from trying to get more out of people, to investing more in them by addressing their four core needs — physical, emotional, mental and spiritual — so they're freed, fueled and inspired to bring the best of themselves to work every day.

It's common sense. Fuel people on a diet that lacks essential nutrients and it's no surprise that they'll end up undernourished, disengaged and unable to perform at their best.

Our first need is enough money to live decently, but even at that, we cannot live by bread alone.

Think for a moment about what would make you feel most excited to get to work in the morning, and most loyal to your employer. The sort of company I have in mind would:

1. Commit to paying every employee a living wage.  Many companies do not meet that standard for many of their jobs. It's nothing short of obscene to pay a CEO millions of dollars a year while paying any employee a sum for full time work that falls below the poverty line.
2. Give all employees a stake in the company's success, in the form of profit sharing, or stock options, or bonuses tied to performance. If the company does well, all employees should share in the success, in meaningful ways.
3. Design working environments that are safe, comfortable and appealing to work in. In offices, include a range of physical spaces that allow for privacy, collaboration, and simply hanging out.
4. Provide healthy, high quality food, at the lowest possible prices, including in vending machines.
5. Create places for employees to rest and renew during the course of the working day and encourage them to take intermittent breaks. Ideally, leaders would permit afternoon naps, which fuel higher productivity in the several hours that follow.
6. Offer a well equipped gym and other facilities that encourage employees to move physically and stay fit. Provide incentives for employees to use the facilities, including during the work day as a source of renewal.
7. Define clear and specific expectations for what success looks like in any given job. Then, treat employees as adults by giving them as much autonomy as possible to choose when they work, where they do their work, and how best to get it accomplished.
8. Institute two-way performance reviews, so that employees not only receive regular feedback about how they're doing, in ways that support their growth, but are also given the opportunity to provide feedback to their supervisors, anonymously if they so choose, to avoid recrimination.
9. Hold leaders and managers accountable for treating all employees with respect and care, all of the time, and encourage them to regularly recognize those they supervise for the positive contributions they make.
10. Create policies that encourage employees to set aside time to focus without interruption on their most important priorities, including long-term projects and more strategic and creative thinking. Ideally, give them a designated amount of time to pursue projects they're especially passionate about and which have the potential to add value to the company.
11. Provide employees with ongoing opportunities and incentives to learn, develop and grow, both in establishing new job-specific hard skills, as well as softer skills that serve them well as individuals, and as managers and leaders.
12. Stand for something beyond simply increasing profits. Create products or provide services or serve causes that clearly add value in the world, making it possible for employees to derive a sense of meaning from their work, and to feel good about the companies for which they work.

In more than a decade of working with Fortune 500 companies, I've yet to come across a company that meets the full range of their people's needs in all the ways I've described above. The one that comes closest is Google. I'm convinced it's a key to their success.

How does your company measure up? What's the impact on your performance? Which needs would your company have to meet for you to be more fully engaged?

Source: Tony Schwartz @ HBR

Happy employees brings a Happy customers,add above cost while finalizing your product pricing and slowly it will increase your assets. Many organisations let HR create Processes to Bring speed & transparency but very less let HR create a environment which motivate employee to do more. In case you like this article then You should also read a book  by Vineet Nayar - CEO, HCL Technologies" Employee First Customer Second"

Addition by Roshan Kumar Rawat

What is the Right Way to Fight?

 Differences of opinion at work are inevitable and often integral to innovation, problem-solving, and performance improvement. But knowing that most clashes have benefits does not make them any easier to manage. Disagreements with coworkers can be uncomfortable, and if handled poorly, result in unproductive and even harmful conflict. The good news is that, with a little planning, you can avoid a fight and find an answer that everyone agrees on.

Below are some guidelines to help you turn a negative situation into a positive one.

What the Experts Say

Because most people are uncomfortable discussing differences, it's rare that disagreements go smoothly. "Most conflicts are resolved through brute force or splitting the difference," says Jeff Weiss, a Founding Partner of Vantage Partners, LLC. Unfortunately, this approach often means both sides are unhappy with the outcome. Having a productive disagreement starts with your mindset. "Assume you have something to learn, assume there is a more creative solution than you've thought of," says Weiss. By entering the discussion with an open mind, regardless of your coworker's stance, you are likely to find common ground. Of course, doing this right takes time and attention. 

Prepare
Being prepared for a dispute requires knowing your own position and trying to better understand your coworker's. Before approaching your colleague, White advises you "know what your underlying intentions are." Weiss identifies three types of differences between coworkers:

1. Substantive, in which you disagree over the content or task at hand
2. Relational, when the dissent is really about your relationship with your coworker
3. Perceptual, when you and your coworker are seeing the problem differently

Understanding this can help you approach the conversation with clarity. First, acknowledge the type of disagreement you are having and check with your coworker that he sees it the same way.

Regardless of the nature of the quarrel, try to leave your emotions at the door. "Disagreements are best solved through objectivity rather than emotions," says Weiss.

Preparation also includes careful consideration of logistics. Schedule your meeting so you will have enough time to reach a conclusion. Be sure the conversation can happen face to face in a private setting. Don't try to solve differences using email, which does not do a good job of conveying tone or nuance.

Identify common ground
To start a difficult conversation the right way, it's important for you and your coworker to identify something you agree on. This may be a common goal or a set of operating rules that you consent to. Try saying something like: "We both want to develop a plan that will take our company to the next level," or "We said we would be thorough about this decision." Be sure that the common ground is something your colleague genuinely cares about, and not something you think he should. Before moving on, check for your coworker's agreement. You may also want to reassure him that you value your relationship. This will reassure him that your point of contention is not a personal one.

Hear your coworker out
Even if you think you already understand your coworker's perspective, you should hear what she has to say. Ask questions that help you fully understand her point of view and determine whether your disagreement is a function of differing interests or differing perceptions. According to Weiss, this requires that you "stop figuring out your next line" and actively listen. Don't just hearing her story but take it in as well. Remain open to persuasion since your coworker's explanation of her side may uncover an important piece of information that leads to a resolution. For example, if she says she is just trying to keep her boss happy, you can help her articulate how a resolution is aligned with her boss's concerns.

Once you've heard your coworker out, share your own story. This should not be done in a "point, counter-point" way, but should focus on helping your coworker see where you're coming from. If she challenges your interpretation, let her vent and express her frustration.

Propose a resolution 
When all of the data is on the table, offer a resolution. Don't propose what you walked in the door with, but use the information you gathered during your conversation to come up with a better solution. Say to your coworker, "You've said A, and I've said B, perhaps we can consider solution C." "Don't assume a combative stance," says White. If he isn't happy with the solution you've put out there, engage him in a problem-solving process to come up with a result you can both live with.

When it goes badly...
Even with a well thought-out approach, some disagreements turn ugly. "Most often these conversations turn into battles when it gets personal," says White. If your exchange becomes heated, bring the conversation back to your shared interests or goals. Re-focus the dialogue on the future. "You can't resolve a battle over a problem that has already happened, but you can set a course going forward," says White.

If your coworker is antagonistic or aggressive, it may be best to take a break from the conservation. You can either literally step out of the room or pause mentally pause to observe the course of the conversation. This "outsider" observation can help you gain perspective on what's really going on. You may also try changing the process: step up to the white board, take out a piece of paper to brainstorm, or even offer to continue the discussion over drinks or dinner. This can help to alter the dynamic that's developed between you. If all else fails, withdraw and find a third person to mediate.

Principles to Remember

Do:

• Focus on shared goals and interests
• Understand the nature of your disagreement before meeting with your coworker
• Remain open to persuasion

Don't:

• Assume you fully understand your colleague's perspective
• Try to solve a disagreement over email
• Stop your coworker from venting his frustrations

Case Study: Reframing the disagreement as an agreement
Andrew Lund is a professor of film and media at Hunter College in New York. His department, like all departments at Hunter, is assessed by an external reviewer every eight years to help the university allocate resources. Last year, the department received a glowing evaluation. However, the reviewers said in their report that film and media's graduate program was taking valuable resources away from its undergraduate program.

Andrew and his colleagues knew that this would upset graduate program professors. Before long, they began to hear rumors that these colleagues were planning to repeal the report. Simon (not his real name), one of Andrew's coworkers, a leader in the film and media department, felt that the group should remain silent on the issue, neither endorsing nor distancing themselves from the report. According to Simon, they weren't responsible for what went into it especially since no one in film and media had expressed that opinion during the review process.

Andrew believed that remaining silent would only infuriate the graduate program professors. "The only thing it would do is create suspicion and competition between colleagues," he said. With a faculty meeting looming, he knew he had to resolve the conflict between him and Simon and align the department. After listening to Simon's view, he told him that they both wanted the same thing: funding for the department and a good working relationship with all their colleagues. He said he believed that their disagreement was procedural more than anything. Andrew explained that speaking up would show support for graduate program faculty and put film and media in a position to dictate further funding terms.

He proposed that they make a motion at the beginning of the faculty meeting to rescind the section of the report without taking accountability for it. After hearing Andrew out, Simon agreed to go on record that the review didn't reflect the department's views. "Not only did we solve the conflict, we won goodwill," Andrew said. "It was a triumphant moment for our faculty."


Source: Amy Gallo @ HBR