Tech Wonders that made a difference to my life in 2013

As 2013 comes to a close, I wanted to thank all the technology wonders that changed my behaviour or became an integral part my life:

1. iRobot Roomba : For making the lazy me even more lazier
2. Songza: For reading my mind and playing that music. I never knew the world of music that existed
3. Pebble: For making me believe in the concept of Crowdfunding
4. Fitbit: For bringing a behavioural change and getting me to be more fitter
5. Appletv:  For making me believe in a product ecosystem
6. Square: For making me look good at the Toastmasters club as we could accept credit card payments 
7. Flipboard: For making me give the best of written world in a short span of time
8. WhatsApp: For connecting me to the loved ones

Maho Beach, Saint Martin

 Sometimes, you just land up at  place unplanned. We were trying to go to Antigua when our plane had to land at St. Martin. We stayed there overnight at a hotel and experienced this beach right next to the airport. Here is more:Located on the Dutch side of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin (i.e., Sint Maarten) is the famous Maho Beach. While it has the characteristic white sand and turquoise water of a Caribbean paradise that is not what makes Maho Beach such a popular tourist destination. Read more here

Most Colorful Cities in the World

From Jodhpur in India to St. Johns, Newfoundland, check out the most colorful cities in the world
http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/2013/12/06/the-most-colorful-cities-in-the-world-photos.html#f19f34a1-344e-424b-9c69-f711c241678e

How Recruiters See Your Resume

I agree with this article. Recruiters perhaps look at your resume for 10 Seconds . Very nicely put -  "What they look for in the scan are name, current title and company, current position start and end dates, previous title and company, previous position start and end dates, and education."

This picture from (Source : TheLadders) is a great visual.

Do you have a mobile strategy?

India's Tablet Revolution

India's Tablet Revolution — Coming to a Country Near You

Online Business Courses

First Wharton decided to offer the core of its first year MBA program online. Now Harvard Business School is exploring online options as well.

Increasingly, it's possible to get an extremely well-rounded business education from the best professors in the world without enrolling in a university 

http://www.businessinsider.com/best-free-online-business-courses-2013-10

10 Innovations That Improved the World in 2013

A lab-grown burger, Google glass for the disabled and debit card for Syruan refugees...some of the innovations that improved the world in 2013

Your Office Space

What should you office space contain? Here's a few that I have noticed and read

1. Bottle of emergency whiskey  for the bad surprise. (Best One!)
2. One big screen connected to a desktop
3. Decorated  mementos that illustrate career and educational highlights
4. Office with a view
5. Sports  jerseys

 

Don't feed the Monkeys!

One of the things I learnt  as I grew up as a Manager was to get the monkey out of my back. What is a Monkey, you might ask?

This article talks about it and this one explains it quite well on not to feed the monkey.

What is a Monkey?

“Monkeys” are the problems, issues, or challenges your employees bring you that somehow become your responsibility to manage and solve. Instead of the monkeys stopping by your office for a quick visit and going back home with their owners, they end up taking residence and you become responsible for their ongoing care.

So, what happens?

I liked feeding monkeys because I thought I was helping people solve problems. Over time, I learned my good intentions were actually handicapping my employees from learning how to solve their own problems, resulting in me being overloaded with work.

Best practices of LinkedIn profile

1. Avoid having typos in profile
2. Have a great professional profile picture
3. Have a descriptive or strong job title
4. Personalize your LinkedIn connection requests
5. Have a good summary of the page
6. Get credible recommendations

You can read more here. Here is another article to writing an amazing LinkedIn recommendation.

Do Think!

A very nice article. You were hired as a Management Consultant because of your ability to think. However, over a period of time, we have got so tuned to responding to situations that at times perhaps we don't think hard enough. I sometimes feel that I would be able to think more logically about the situation if I didn't have to respond to several emails. So, take some time off and think. Spend some time reflecting and of course plug yourself out from any of he gadgets and wonder how you can make a difference to the project, firm and the world.

Here is an article: 

http://99u.com/articles/6947/what-happened-to-downtime-the-extinction-of-deep-thinking-sacred-space

The author has nicely put that. "believe that genius in the 21st century will be attributed to people who are able to unplug from the constant state of reactionary workflow, reduce their amount of insecurity work, and allow their minds to solve the great challenges of our era. Brilliance is so rare because it is always obstructed, often by the very stuff that keeps us so bus"

Cuff links

I started wearing them when I got into Management Consulting. Some call it a piece of jewellery while others call it accessories that define your personality. I think this is something that gets you noticed. Give it some thought and pick up one that suits your personality. Spend some $ on it and trust me they are for sure to be a topic of conversation during a meeting or at the dinner sessions. I had a Asian client who always talked business and never had any time for small chat. One of the evenings, when we were having dinner and discussing work, she stopped and said that she really liked my cuff links and wanted to get one for her hubby. What was interesting that she could easily recall the cuff links that I wore every other day. The blue stone, the tortoise, the tennis racquets. Impressive! Since that day, I have made sure that I spend some quality time choosing the cuff links I wear. It does matter. 

Ties to brighten up your life!

My collection of ties. From Ralph Lauren to CK, from Satya Paul to Raymond..I love each of them. I think a tie makes a statement about your personality.

And here is one from the internet. couldn't find the source but liked all the display.

9 Best Practices for Successful C-Suite Meetings

I read an interesting book today called the 'Trusted Advisor'. Nice points below.

1.Bring the right mind set

2. Prepare, then adapt

3. Make connecting a priority

4. Bring five slides (if any),  not 50

5. Listen with empathy

6. Speak plainly and honestly 

7. Master the 30 second answer

8. Do your thinking out loud

9. Watch the CXO's watch, not yours

Source: 

Different ways to think Innovatovely

Interesting info graphic on how one can think Innovatovely. Not a great set of ideas (they are generic) but are presented well. 

Running a meeting

If you are a consultant and you can't run a meeting well, you have lost all creditibility. A consultant has to have traits of a good Project Manager and a good Adminsitrative Assistant. Often, if the environment Is new, it is a golden chance for you to gain respect. Send out the objective of the meeting and decide what would comprise a successful meeting. Here is a good checklist to keep. I know when you read the list, it sounds like common sense but hey ..isn't that something that is does not exist easily. 

Undergoing Pain

We must all suffer from one of the two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is that discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.

Jim Rohn 

Dress for success

Simple rules to keep in mind when dressing up

1. Sock color should match your pants and not your shoes 

2.Coordinate your shoe color to your suit 

3.Belt should match your shoe color 

How you start the day..,

How you start the day decides how you spend the day. Here is an interesting info graphic 

Facebook Humor

Holiday Humor!

Want to get promoted? Operate at the next level

People are usually promoted when they are already demonstrating that they can perform at a level that is beyond the role they are currently in, so by definition you will be doing work that is “not your job.

People who volunteer to do work that needs to be done, even when outside their role or even their function, are often seen as the “go to” people within their organization. Those “go to” people are the most trusted, and the most likely to be promoted, because they’ve already shown they can take on more than what they are currently doing. You want to be one of those people.  

Six tips to communicate like a leader

Great article in Globe and Mail which has Six Tips to Communicate

The Dos:

1. Win their hearts, not just their heads.

Great leaders get personal. Your audience not only wants to respect you, they want to like you. It’s okay to be humble, even self-deprecating (in a humorous way), but be sincere. Tell stories that help the audience get to know you and, at the same time, deliver your vision.

2. Be a chameleon.

Adjust your style, but not your message. Remember different people relate in different ways so get to know your audience, whether they are customers, investors, staff or the general public. Do your research. Recognize your employees’ personal interests as well as their on-the-job skills and be prepared to talk about both. Would the person prefer a chat over coffee or a more formal meeting with an agenda?

3. Have a conversation, not a monologue.

The interactive nature of social media has changed the way we communicate and we are better for it. Interaction is crucial to growing your business, your career and your communication acumen. Create a conversation by incorporating audience feedback into your meeting or your presentation. Often, the less you talk and the more you listen and probe, the better. This makes people feel valued and important.

he Don’ts:

1. Drop the lingo.

This is the most common mistake made by leaders. You may be a technical wizard but the minute your audience doesn’t understand what you are talking about, they tune out. This is a wasted opportunity. Try giving your presentation to your teenager’s best friend and see if they get it. Anecdotes, analogies, and pictures work – like turning yourself into a human infographic.

2. Don’t ramble.

Researchers from New York University found that we make 11 major decisions about one another in the first seven seconds of meeting. Create a strong opening and follow it through with succinct, to the point comments and memorable information. A surprising statement or a startling statistic grabs attention.

3. Never blame.

Leaders take responsibility. They admit their mistakes. They fix things. Publicly. It doesn’t matter where the problem started, as the head of your company or your department, your audience needs to be reassured that you are in control. If something bad happens, step up and take ownership and make sure you provide the reassurance that this will never happen again.

Bonus Point:

Body language is a significant part of communication.

The words we speak actually account for less than 10 per cent of the message that we convey. So pay attention to your body language at least as much as your message when you communicate. Use your body and facial expressions in your delivery. Together, they make a powerful combination.

Tip of the day: Consulting Zen Gyaan

Be kind to every consultant you work with as each one is fighting an inner battle. ! 

Funny Cartoons!

5 Levels of Leadership - John Maxwell

No explanations required. Enough said! 

Likeability means Leverage

From the book "The Truth About Managing Your Career ......And Nothing But The Truth" by Dr. Karen Otazo

What’s the Status of Your Relationship With Innovation?

Nice article on Harvard Business Review
http://blogs.hbr.org/2013/09/whats-the-status-of-your-relationship-with-innovation/

• In 2008, the word 'Innovation' appeared 1,733 times in earnings calls for 435 large publicly traded companies. That’s an average of about four mentions per company (Starbucks topped the list with 139 mentions).
•  In the last four quarters where full data are available, the total was 3,299, or about 7.5 mentions per company (Nike, recently named the world’s most innovative company, topped the list with 239 mentions)
• In the last four quarters where full data are available, the total was 3,299, or about 7.5 mentions per company (Nike, recently named the world’s most innovative company, topped the list with 239 mentions).
• Innovation — particularly that which pushes a company into new markets or new businesses — requires a serious ongoing commitment

So how can you tell how truly committed your organization is? Inspired by the somewhat tongue-in-cheek quizzes that populate fashion magazines, we created a short quiz. Find a colleague, and see how you fall on the following seven questions.

1. Who is working on innovation?
a) What’s innovation? (You might want to stop the quiz now.)
b) Some people spend bounded time on innovation (e.g., “Free Thinking Fridays”)
c) We have dedicated resources who eat, breathe, and sleep innovation

2. What’s in it for them?
a) Suffering — it’s their job. If they screw up, they’ll feel it
b) Glory — the spotlight shines bright when they succeed
c) Riches — we have specific incentive programs for innovation

3. What is the background of the people working on it?
a) Some of our best performers
b) Internal talent that has a demonstrated history of successful innovation
c) Blend of internal talent and external hires with a proven track record

4. What are they working on?
a) Nothing specific — it takes 1,000 flowers, right?
b) All hands are on deck for a single make-or-break “bet the company” initiative
c) We have identified a handful of strategic opportunity areas we are exploring

5. Where does the money come from?
a) Our budget is focused on operating priorities, so there isn’t any money for it
b) We don’t have a budget for innovation, but we find money when we need it
c) We have a dedicated budget for innovation

6. What is leadership’s role? 
a) Get out of the way — we don’t want to constrain it
b) We have a special quarterly meeting where senior leaders talk about it
c) We have a member of the executive committee or board who owns it

7. Word association — innovation is…
a) Random! We just hope for the best
b) Fun! We support it but don’t constrain it.
c) A discipline! We approach it systematically.

Give yourself one point for every “A” answer, three points for every “B” answer, and five for every “C” answer in the right column.

If you scored:

• Fewer than 10 points: You tease! You are still just flirting with innovation.
• Between 10 and 25 points: All right, you’ve had your innovation fling. Are you ready to get serious?
• More than 26 points: Congratulations! You have made the life-long commitment to innovation

Ask colleagues to take the version of the quiz that we have posted at www.innoquiz.com. Once we get enough data we’ll summarize the results to see what patterns emerge.

Innovation has its moments of fun, no doubt, but success requires discipline and hard work. Just like many other areas of life, real results don’t come without real commitment

Blackberry: Once Upon a Time

BlackBerry’s decline has become a case study about what happens when a tech giant fails to innovate in a consumer-technology market evolving at breakneck speed. 

BlackBerry’s failure to keep up with Apple and Google was a consequence of errors in its strategy and vision.

First, after growing to dominate the corporate market, BlackBerry failed to anticipate that consumers — not business customers — would drive the smartphone revolution. 

Second, BlackBerry was blindsided by the emergence of the “app economy,” which drove massive adoption of iPhone and Android-based devices.

Third, BlackBerry failed to realize that smartphones would evolve beyond mere communication devices to become full-fledged mobile entertainment hubs.

Read more: http://business.time.com/2013/09/24/the-fatal-mistake-that-doomed-blackberry/#ixzz2frDIaYED


 

The Lewis Model Explains Every Culture In The World

A really nice article I read on Business Insider. 

Lewis plots countries in relation to three categories:

Linear-actives — those who plan, schedule, organize, pursue action chains, do one thing at a time. Germans and Swiss are in this group.

Multi-actives — those lively, loquacious peoples who do many things at once, planning their priorities not according to a time schedule, but according to the relative thrill or importance that each appointment brings with it. Italians, Latin Americans and Arabs are members of this group.

Reactives — those cultures that prioritize courtesy and respect, listening quietly and calmly to their interlocutors and reacting carefully to the other side's proposals. Chinese, Japanese and Finns are in this group

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-lewis-model-2013-9#ixzz2euJrIybc

Better Writing

These are some of the questions that I have often have when writing a document. Someone I know was kind enough to share some of the writing tips from his style guide.

• Single space after a PERIOD
• Periods and commas are always inside the closing QUOTATION MARKS (e.g. he said, “I love eating Chocolate.” Or “Sometimes I just feel lazy,” Peter remarked.).
• Use a HYPHEN (-) for hyphenated words and use the EM DASH (—) for interruptions in the sentence/side notes. The em dash is an extended hyphen. It can be found by pressing shift + option and hyphen symbol on a Mac. There should be a space on both sides of the em dash.

RULES FOR NUMBERS:

• • Spell out whole numbers below 10 and use figures for 10 and above.
• • Numbers at the beginning of a sentence are spelled out.
• • A year/era in full doesn’t have an apostrophe before the s (e.g. 1930s).
• • A year/era in short has a backward apostrophe at the beginning (e.g. ’30s).

Why you need a Sponsor

If you thought finding and cultivating a mentor with clout would be your key to career success, you were dead wrong.

Mentors may offer an open door and helpful guidance, but little more. To win, you need a sponsor, says Sylvia Ann Hewlett, CEO of think tank The Center for Talent Innovation (CTI...

http://www.businessinsider.com/you-need-a-sponsor-to-fast-track-your-career-2013-9

9 Things Successful People Do In The First Few Weeks Of A New Job

This post is important if you are starting a new job. This post is even more important if you are starting a new job after having spent several years at a firm where everyone thought you were a rockstar.

People who change jobs are in a way "warriors". They know they need to get in there and quickly prove their "worth" and show that they have it in him/her to succeed here. Here is an interesting article for you to read.

The article rightly says that from the first day, you need to be on your game.The first three months of any new job are an extension of the interview process

Here are what the most successful people do that first week in a new job

1.Be a geek about introducing yourself.
2.Befriend a veteran who can help you navigate politics (and find the pencils).
3. Set expectations with your boss and employees.
4.Learning where the coffee is will always be a good strategy for success. It's also important to    figure out the unwritten rules of the office that, if violated, make people go ballistic.
5.Whatever you sold them on in interview, make it your mission to demonstrate that you're going to do it
6.Get organized to set good habits - It is important to update your title across your own social media platforms and also start following your new company and colleagues
7.Once you're officially on the job, it's important to update your title across your own social media platforms and also start following your new company and colleagues
8.Reconnect with former colleagues - Go back and reconnect with people at your old company, and ask for LinkedIn recommendations
9.Find your go-to pharmacy and take-out lunch spot.

Rate your you

I finished reading the book - Little Red Book of Selling: 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness 
by Jeffrey Gitomer. It is a nice book that lets one pick up the habits that great salesman have. There is a small self-evaluation that you could do to test your 'You'. I have copied them

Rate your you. Here are 10.5 things that make "you" strong enough to make a sale. Rate yourself in each category from one (poor) to ten (the greatest) -- and see how great "you" are. Put your rating in the box.

____1. Your image. How you look affects the way you are perceived. How do you look?

____2. Your ability to speak. Your ability to convey the message. Are you a member of toastmasters?

____3. Your ability to establish rapport. Making the prospect feel at ease, and developing some common ground as a basis to move forward. Do you make the scene warm?

____4. Your attitude. Your enthusiasm combined with your state of internal happiness. Not what you say, but how you say it. Are you positive plus?

____5. Your product knowledge. Your convincebility. Do you know it cold? 

____ 6. Your desire to help. Desire to help shows through, so does greed. Does your help side outweigh your greed side?

____7. Your preparedness. A confidence builder if you are, or destroyer if you aren't. Do you prepare for every call?

____8. Your humor. Nothing builds good feelings like good humor and a good laugh. Can you make others laugh?

____9. Your sincerity. Shows through either way. Are you genuine?

____10. Your reputation (or the reputation that precedes you). If you are well known in the community, or in your field, you may walk in with a slight advantage. How's your reputation?

____10.5 Your glue. The way you handle your total package. Your Stature. The way you carry yourself. The way you put it all together. The character of you is what leads to the credibility of what you sell. How well are you "put together"?

How'd you score? Perfect score is 110.

If you scored from 100-110 you are a great you with a great success story to tell, and are setting a great example for others.

• 90-99 Pretty darn good you. Climbing the ladder, and making daily progress.
• 70-89 You ain't as hot as you think. You're in need of a 20 minute personal daily workout.
• 50-69 You're mediocre at sales, and so is your success to date. You have a decision to make. Stay and get better every day, or get out before you're fired, and blame someone else for all that's wrong with you.
• 30-49 You stink. Go to the nearest bookstore, buy Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People. Don't leave home until you read it.

Few Important Rules of Networking

From the 'Little Red Book of Selling',

1. To make the most of a networking event, spend 75% of your time with people you don't know
2. Networking works best well when you employ the two-word secret: SHOW UP
3. Networking works best when you employ the three-word secret: SHOW UP PREPARED

Why Top Talent Leave Their Jobs

A great infographic by LifeHack that explains why top talent leave their jobs. No surprises that the top of the list is a bad boss. I heard someone last week leave the firm because of "lack of recognition". Politics becomes an important aspect when things go wrong. Lack of empowerment is a limiting factor for folks who are on the accelerated path. And if a company is not doing well, nobody wants to be a part of the story. Resumes from RIM were flooding the market in recent times.

.

Power Point Presentations

The big problem with business presentations is not boredom but rather confusion.
A few important points
1. Stick to one main point or idea per slide. The top of the slide should carry a headline, much like those in a newspaper, which summarizes the takeaway message. The body of the slide should be a visual that illustrates the point you are making
2. You need to rehearse your talk, practising it out loud. It might feel foolish, but it’s the only way to be sure the presentation flows and to head off any confusing moments.

Read the article here:

Disruptive Innovation - Did you see it coming?

Disruptive Innovation

Climbing the five steps to leadership

Climbing the five steps to leadership


1. Position : People follow you because they have to

2. Permission: People follow you because they want to.

3.Production: People follow you because of what you have done for the organization

4.People development: People follow you because of what you have done for them.

“Leaders become great not because of their power but because of their ability to empower others,” Mr. Maxwell advises

5.Pinnacle: People follow you because of who you are and what you represent.

Read the article here

Customer Service

The three most common contributors to poor customer service are 
1. Organizational culture
2 Business processes 
3. Technology

Read the article here

Blueprint for Achievement

BELIEVE while others are doubting. 
PLAN while others are playing.
STUDY while others are sleeping.
DECIDE while others are delaying.
PREPARE while others are daydreaming.
BEGIN while others are procrastinating.
WORK while others are wishing.
SAVE while others are wasting.
LISTEN while others are talking.
SMILE while others are pouting.
COMMEND while others are criticizing.
PERSIST while others are quitting

When Your Friend Becomes Your Boss

Here is the link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122274037610089019.html

When Brian Anderson's friend asked him to come work for him at a start-up, Mr. Anderson had a lot to think about. It wasn't the potential instability of a start-up that caused him the most concern. It was the thought of what the dynamic would be when his friend became his boss. While the idea of a friend turned boss might sound appealing, there are a number of possible pitfalls. Here are a few ways to ensure a good friendship-work dynamic.

Friendships matter. At first, you might have difficulty accepting your friend's senior role. That's the time to remember the good points about the new relationship. "People get more enjoyment from cleaning the house than spending time with their boss. But we all love spending time with friends," says Tom Rath, author of "Vital Friends: The People You Can't Afford to Live Without." Mr. Rath says a fusion of the two is "probably not a bad thing" if you remember where your relationship started. Also, people who have close friendships with their bosses are twice as likely to be satisfied with their jobs, according to research by the Gallup Organization and Mr. Rath.

Remain objective and calm. With a friend, there's often little room for confrontation or awkward interaction. "You have to figure out how to spar and disagree without threatening the friendship," says Mr. Anderson, who left his friend's company and is now vice president of development for Marketo, a San Mateo, Calif., start-up. His advice: Focus on the end result, which will make it easier to keep perspective. Also key is maintaining objectivity on both sides, says Mr. Rath, especially when it comes to performance evaluation.

Separate work and play. No matter how tempting it is, avoid talking about work when you're together away from the office. Otherwise, you'll end up polluting both relationships. It is also important to be aware of the impression you are giving co-workers, says Jan Yager, author of "When Friendship Hurts." Don't start discussing your weekend plans together in earshot of others. "You want to be really careful of not being perceived as misusing the friendship in the workplace," she says.

Take your honeymoon later. Many people mistakenly think that with a friend as boss, they will be able to get away with more. "Resist the urge to kick up your feet. Keep doing your job, working hard, and even offer to do extra work to help out your friend," says career expert Eve Tahmincioglu. Remember, if the boss is successful, you will be, too.

Keep jealousy at bay. Even if you're happy for your friend, you may feel a tinge of the green-eyed monster. It's important to recognize it and get over it. "Be happy for your friend and move on," says Ms. Tahmincioglu. If you're in a larger company and are now working for a friend, it's even more critical to keep jealousy at bay. Otherwise, say experts, you're likely to hurt the business and your work might suffer.

Show support. You might not agree with everything your boss does, but try to be as positive as possible. "You might find out things about your friend you never knew and don't like," says Ms. Tahmincioglu. "But, go into those first few months with big fat pompoms to cheer on your new boss."

Write an Email That People Will Read

Write an Email That People Will Read

From HBR

When you send an email, chances are that it’s competing with hundreds of others for the recipient’s attention. Here’s how to compose emails that people will actually read, answer, and act on:

• Get straight to the point. Make your request in the first few sentences. Be polite, but concise. Try an opening like, “Great interview. Thanks for sending it. May I ask a favor?”
• Keep it brief. People find long emails irksome and energy-sapping. The more they have to scroll, the less receptive they’ll be. Limit your message to a single screen of reading.
• Write a short but informative subject line. With a generic or blank subject line, your message will get lost in your recipient’s inbox. Be specific — try “The Nov. 15 Leadership Program” instead of “Program.” If you’re asking someone to take action, highlight that in the subjec

Business Casual Guidelines for Men

Here is some interesting information from a session that I attended from Sarah Collins Image Consulting. Here are some guidelines for business casual:

1. In summer months, better to wear dress shirt with collar and sleeves rolled rather than wearing a polo t shirt
2. Corduroy pants are permitted
3. Blue Jeans are NOT acceptable

Image Grooming

Impressions are being made constantly. You are still low on the food chain which requires a certain standard of professionalism to be maintained on an ongoing basis. Don't slack off just because you landed the coveted job position.your performance as is being evaluated on job performance ... But total image packaging Encompasses personal grooming, mannerisms, professional etiquette and dress

Corporate Fashion

Being Stylish is as much about knowing what NOT to wear, as it is about knowing what outfit to select from your wardrobe .

Getting Visibility

Dress Well

If you don't look the part, you don't get a start.

Be passionate but don't kill yourself

Compliment people sincerely

Learn from others' mistakes

A clever man learns from his own mistake, but a wise man learns from others' mistake

Volunteer Carefully

Humor in Speeches

The Zen Master is visiting New York City from Tibet. He goes up to a hotdog vendor and says, "Please make me
one with everything."

The hot dog vendor fixes a hot dog and hands it to the Zen Master, who pays with a $20 bill. The vendor puts the bill in the cash box and closes it.

"Where's my change?" asks the Zen Master.

The vendor responds, "Change must come from within."

Humor

One Interview Question

What single project or task would you consider the most significant accomplishment in your career so far?

Read here for more

Quotes to Inspire You

Courtesy: LinkedIn

Listening

1) "When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen." - Ernest Hemingway

Storytelling

3) "Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today." -Robert McKee

Authenticity

6) "Authenticity is the alignment of head, mouth, heart, and feet - thinking, saying, feeling, and doing the same thing - consistently. This builds trust, and followers love leaders they can trust." -Lance Secretan

Transparency

7) "As a small businessperson, you have no greater leverage than the truth." -John Whittier

Responsiveness

12) '"Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning." - Bill Gates

Adaptability

14) "It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change." –Charles Darwin

Passion

16) "I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." -Albert Einstein

Leadership

23) “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” — Peter F. Drucker

Right Said

Very well said in this article

The most important phrase you'll ever say in a meeting isn't "Please" or "Thank you." It isn't "How are you?" to open the meeting or "What are the next steps?" to close the meeting. No, the most important phrase you'll ever say in a meeting is:

How can I help you?

There are two possibilities when you ask how you can help:

1) The person will tell you, thereby giving you an opportunity to help, after which the person you helped will feel compelled to return the favor, and help you.

2) The person won't tell you, instead politely declining, but then she will still feel like you care, and will be emotionally invested in helping you