December 4, 2009 in Links with
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What was once the domain of motley crews of uni students has now become a centralised hub for new parents. You can’t so much as check your status updates without seeing some adorable tyke smiling a toothless grin or a parent giving the latest update on what their little genius is up to today. With everyone from Dr. Sears to CafeMom hanging up their FB shingle, it seems this former bastion of social networking cool has been taken over entirely by parents — oftentimes with mixed results. Here are the five biggest offenders.
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Do you ever feel like the only good desktop wallpapers you can find are the either the basic 15 or 20 Apple provides or solid colors? Do you often find yourself spending time looking for something that isn't a beautiful photograph but also isn't a gradient and drop shadowed mess with a little lens flare and some annoying copyright information in the corner?
Do you want less, but not boring? Then you want Simple Desktops.
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What follows is intended as a broad discussion of the most common types of musculoskeletal injuries. You should take care not to conclude that any pain you may be experiencing could only be coming from the diagnoses discussed below, nor should you use this discussion as confirmation of a diagnosis you may be considering yourself without consulting your own doctor. Having said that, once a clear diagnosis is made, you may find the principles below helpful:
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Don't be tempted to bend the feedback rules for top performers. No matter who is receiving the feedback, it is essential to follow good feedback practice. Do your homework; gather data and details to support your feedback. Always describe behaviors, not traits. Don't dwell on the past; instead focus on what the employee can change in the future. Be sure to check for understanding and agree on clear next steps and a fair way to measure progress…
remember that results don't always speak for themselves. High performers often have great results; yet it's important to understand how they achieve those results, and often at what cost…top performers often get results by forgoing other things, such as caring for their people, building alliances with others, or maintaining a healthy work/life balance… a top performer's strengths may often be her weaknesses. Think carefully about the behaviors that have enabled your star to succeed — they may be the same behaviors holding her back.
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Churchill at age 40 found himself very much alone and reviled. So what did he do? He "brooded" for a bit; his wife Clementine said "I thought he would die of grief." But then to his great delight, Churchill found a new hobby — painting. And through his art, for which he exhibited great talent, he reconnected himself. Rejuvenated, he enlisted in the Army and served on the Front in France for six months of 1915-16. Later Churchill re-entered politics, and from there continued his public life.
The Churchill of this period teaches us that we can recover from our mistakes if we do two things: one, recharge; two, act. The latter is familiar to any executive but action after adversity should be preceded by a period of reflection as well as rejuvenation. Here are three ways to make this happen.
Reflect…
Recharge…
(Re)Act.
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When he says he uses a stopwatch, he means that he tracks his time to make sure he gets the most from his waking hours. He divides his life into blocks — 50% creative time, 30% teaching time, and 20% other stuff ("random things that just need to get done").
Jim took out a piece of paper and drew a picture of four blocks stacked atop each other. Pointing at the top block, he said, "I block out the morning from 8 am to noon to think, read and write. " He unplugs everything electronic, including his Internet connection. Although he has a reputation for reclusiveness, when asked about this, he replies: "I'm not reclusive. But I need to be in the cave to work."…
He aims to spend 100 days next year in the white space. "As a great teacher, Rochelle Myers, taught me, you can't make your own life a work of art if you're not working with a clean canvas," he says. (Another smart bit of Collins philosophy: "Speak less. Say more.")
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Some organizations undercut their ability to discover their way to greatness by confusing the information needed to see problems with the information needed to solve them. So, they overburden staff with establishing the former and then underarm them in tackling the latter…
What are the lessons here? First, simplify reporting systems. Make it easy to report where, when, and what went awry — in a few seconds, and certainly under a minute. Second, act on that information quickly…
those doing the direct work of the organization have to be expert "crime scene investigators," supported by those who are even more expert. This could mean reconfiguring QA roles from enforcing compliance to developing easy-to-use triggers and supporting problem investigation and resolution.
Approached this way, people's work can more directly contribute to creating the things that customers value — and can devote themselves to relentlessly figuring out how to do so ever better.
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Cricket is a non-contact sport, but watching Virender Sehwag bat is as visceral an experience as watching Muhammad Ali dominate the ring in his prime…But for back spasms that restricted him to a more mortal scoring-rate in the last half hour, Sehwag might have become only the second batsman after Sir Donald Bradman to score 300 runs in a day…
Has there ever been another like him? Matthew Hayden could pillage bowlers too, but his strike-rate looks pedestrian next to Sehwag's. Adam Gilchrist scored marginally quicker but how often did he have to face the new ball? Even the King, Sir Vivian Richards, never went after bowlers with such menacing intent, day in, day out…
When remotely attacking fields were set, Sehwag just shifted his feet and cleared the infield with an ease that bordered on contempt. When the fielders then fanned out, he was free to pick gaps at will…
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Virender Sehwag batted like the nearby Arabian Sea in high tide – and when Sri Lanka tried to plug one hole, he rushed in through the other. He ended the day 16 short of becoming the first man to score three triple-centuries in the history of Test cricket but he'd already broken a string of records – the most double-centuries by an Indian, the second-highest scorer of 250-plus scores, the most runs by an Indian in a day…
Sri Lanka had forgotten what an edge looked like. In the 71st over, with Sehwag on 264, they finally saw one…
Sehwag did slow down after that edge…but as a parting shot he crashed Dilshan through covers for his 40th four, to go with seven sixes. That's when Dravid came in, and took the majority of the strike till close of play. A fair time, then, to acknowledge Vijay, who at some other time would have been the story of the day. But when Sehwag bats like he did, you feel sorry for the bowlers, put the other batsmen in the footnote, and move on.
December 3, 2009 in Links with
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Imagine grading an exam and saying nothing to the test takers about their incorrect answers just because the correct ones are more numerous. The (well-intended) omission can, unfortunately, make people become preoccupied with the unacknowledged errors and thus overvalue their importance. Not to mention that folks won't learn from their mistakes. Frank, properly weighted recognition of what doesn't work makes the emphasis on what does work much more meaningful.
But, you may think, if being super-positive gets everyone to feel good, what's the big deal? To my ear, the main drawback is the creation of so much white noise that when clear, authentic positive feedback is given, it gets muted and loses its punch. Indeed, people may stop believing that others really mean what they say. And a culture can develop in which those who don't gush praise are misperceived as being insensitive or having a bad attitude.
December 2, 2009 in Links with
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I am reminded of the movie “Shall We Dance”: “Why is it that people get married? Because we need a witness to our lives. There’s a billion people on the planet. What does any one life really mean? But in a marriage, you’re promising to care about everything… The good things, the bad things, the terrible things, the mundane things. All of it…all the time, every day. You’re saying: ‘Your life will not go unnoticed because I will notice it. Your life will not go unwitnessed, because I will be your witness.’”
Deep down, we all long for this. Someone with whom we can communicate all sorts of things — the good, the bad, the terrible, the mundane — and that person will care. They will care simply because we care.
The road to intimacy is paved with communication.
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"It seems that the systems were not tested for the scale at which they were deployed. Yes, our students did face issues. The issues faced were exams were rescheduled, test environments were far from conducive, questions took long to load, biometrics did not load and tests got cancelled and delayed. We have been counselling students to stay calm in such situations. Getting over anxious is only detrimental," said Anand Bhatia, general manager, Career Launcher India Ltd.
The whole CAT fiasco has turned out to be a matter of shame—not just for Prometric but for the IIMs too.
December 1, 2009 in Links with
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1. Keep your expectations balanced…Remember that everything doesn't have to be perfect and don't worry about things that are out of your control.
2. Don't try to do too much. Fatigue, over scheduling, and taking on too many tasks can dampen your spirits. Learn to say no, delegate as much as possible and manage your time wisely. If you choose to do less you will have more energy to enjoy the most important part of the season – friends and family.
7. Watch your diet and remember to exercise…It can be very helpful to take a walk before and/or after a big holiday meal.
8. Be aware of the Post Holiday Syndrome. When all the hustle and bustle suddenly stops and you have to get back to the daily grind it can be a real let down. Ease out of all the fun by planning a rest day toward the end of the season.
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I am all for inter-faith marriages. Two people, belonging to two different religious denominations can happily co-exist, respecting each other’s sensibilities. What puts me off mildly is when I hear that one party has to convert: no, not because he or she actually wants to because of personal beliefs, but because the other party would have it no other way…
I have a close Muslim friend in India, who married a Hindu. They had a civil marriage. Their son has not been not given a ‘religion tag’. “The day he turns 18,” my friend tells me, “He will decide what he wants to be – I am not going to decide that for him.”
November 30, 2009 in Links with
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In recent years, Mother India has welcomed back tens of thousands of former emigrants and their offspring…But…many Indians who spent most of their lives in North America and Europe are finding they can’t go home again…
These repats, as they are known, are drawn by India’s booming economic growth, the chance to wrestle with complex problems and the opportunity to learn more about their heritage…
The repats complained about traffic, lack of infrastructure, bureaucracy and pollution.
For many returnees the cultural ties and chance to do good that drew them back are overshadowed by workplace cultures that feel unexpectedly foreign, and can be frustrating. Sometimes returnees discover that they share more in their attitudes and perspectives with other Americans or with the British than with other Indians. Some stay just a few months, some return to the West after a few years.
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तुम मेरी हो भी जाओ
तब भी तो
होंगे ये दुख और ये जुल्मोसितम
ठह-ठह हँसेगा असत्य
नाचेगी नंगी दरिन्दगी
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ढल रहा है सूर्य
घिर रही है शाम
पर ठहरो
कुछ कहना है तुमसे!
सुन लो
तो जाना!
जाना खतरनाक है अन्धेरे में
लौटना तो और भी
फिर भी मैं कहता हूँ–
चीखूँ जब
अन्धकार के खिलाफ़ उठकर पुकारूँ
तो आना!
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What are the principles of success as recess? First, success has to be about you, not your organization. Imagine yourself being as big as your organization – what would you be like? How do you match your destiny to your desire? Second, freedom is actually a bigger game than power. Power is about what you can control. Freedom is about what you can unleash. Third, think about time differently. You have to think about your legacy. What are you doing that will live beyond you? If the answer is nothing, what do you have to be proud of? Fourth, don't motivate – model. Success is not what you're doing, it's how you're doing it. Are you able to live with flourish, panache, ambition, and pride? And fifth, remember that things evolve. The things you attach success to will have a life of their own and a destiny beyond anything you can see. In fact, the ultimate measure of your success is to realize that you don't have to be recognized for your work – because you're making a contribution.
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In simpler times, fierce personal confidence, a sense of infallibility as a leader, might have been be a calling card of success. Today it is a warning sign of failure, whether from bad judgment, low morale among disillusioned colleagues, or sheer burnout from the pressures of always having to be right.
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My favorite Harvard Business School professor gave our class this parting advice: always keep enough money in the bank to free you from having your actions shaped by financial need. Be able to walk away.
I'd add: Enjoy, but never take life's trappings too seriously.
In this special week, I'm very thankful for all I have… and for the knowledge of what it's like to have not.
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No one knows he'll get fired for a bungled project so ignoring it seems safer than addressing it. But, of course, it's the opposite. When you go into denial and ignore something, you don't act. And if you don't act, you can't prevent what you fear from happening. In fact, your inaction may even make it more likely.
Here's a general rule: the more you fear a conversation, the more you probably need to have it. Think of fear as an indicator of a problem that needs to be addressed…
The sooner you accept the situation, the sooner you can do something about it. Instead of shying away from the answers, dive in. Remember: use the fear as a catalyst, not a focus. Your focus needs to be the underlying problem.
November 27, 2009 in Links with
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No one wants to see young people drift into problem behaviour; but we may be helping to create it. It's not our commitment to raising healthy children that is the problem; it's simply that the methods we use to keep our children safe inadvertently put them at much greater risk of serious harm…
Families everywhere are teaching me:
• We need to be vigilant when real risks exist, but ease up when our fear gets the better of us…
• When children do act out and put themselves in harm's way, we need to force ourselves to listen to them closely so they can tell us why they have chosen to take more risk and assume more responsibility than we think they can handle.
• Then we need to provide children with safe substitutes for their inappropriate risk-taking and responsibility-seeking behaviour that can provide just as much excitement as they found when they put themselves in harm's way.
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A few years ago, writing about the book business and how dumbed down and craven books had become—and pathetic, designed only to sell and then not selling—I wrote the line “books suck,” subjecting me to much middlebrow opprobrium.
I’d like to revise that line: Books are evil.
They’re pernicious. They represent themselves as being one thing, when they’re insidiously the opposite.
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I've noticed that people who read a lot of blogs and a lot of books also tend to be intellectually curious, thirsty for knowledge, quicker to adopt new ideas and more likely to do important work.
I wonder which comes first, the curiosity or the success?
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Musician Dave Carroll recently posted a video on YouTube after United Airlines refused to take responsibility for one of its employees' having wrecked his Taylor guitar.
In his last conversation with the United Airlines Customer Relations Manager, Carroll said he would make a music video to expose the airline's lack of cooperation. The manager replied, "Good luck with that one, pal."
Carroll didn't need luck. He needed, and had, creativity–and the Web. His video has received almost 6 million hits. United Airlines contacted him and tried to settle. The quid pro quo: pull the video. Dave replied, "Good luck with that one, pal."
Taylor Guitars sent Carroll two new custom guitars in appreciation for the product recognition from the video that led to a sharp increase in orders.
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