Buyers market

1- What matters most?
The good news is, there’s no right or wrong answer. Yet, what was most important a year or two ago may not be the driving force in the business or in your life today. Press the reset button and, together with your leadership team, clarify priorities and commit to keeping them in focus.

2- What is one “problem” I can turn into an opportunity?
No need for rose-colored glasses — just view a current challenge through a lens of opportunity. Think about past successes in the business and figure out how to apply those skills to the issue at hand. You grow by building on strengths, not “fixing” weaknesses.

3- What do employees need to hear from me?
Be careful about sending the message that you need people to hear. Think from your employees’ point of view — if they don’t feel understood, they won’t listen to you anyway — and resist the urge to tell them how they “should” think or feel. Remember that inspiration doesn’t come only from motivational speeches to the masses. It should happen more informally, too.

4- What is our customers’ greatest pain?
Be relentless about knowing and meeting that need. Skip the complicated surveys. Instead, pick up the phone and ask. Listen and understand first — then get busy offering solutions.

5- What new business relationships will I pursue?
New opportunities come from new relationships. Inside and outside your industry, seek out opportunities where there is potential for mutual benefit — not just “what’s in it for me?” Remember, too, that even in these boom days of social media, significant business relationships begin with real dialogue — not a tweet.

6- How will I be more strategic?
Skip the SWOT exercise. Strategic planning isn’t an event — it’s a discipline. Get serious about setting direction, always starting with a big-picture view of the possibilities. Resist the urge to discuss and deal with tactics until you’re clear on what you want to accomplish. Even then, don’t check strategy off your list — put it into daily practice.

7- How can I make swift yet smart decisions?
Now more than ever, you can’t afford to overanalyze. Clear the clutter — the “mind clutter” that plagues even the best leaders — and make way for swift, smart decision-making. Hint: Slow down your thinking during the planning process, so you can make faster and better decisions later.

8- How will I recognize success?
You won’t know if the business is on the right path if you haven’t determined some key markers or indicators. What’s more, not all measures of success are quantitative, so consider how you’ll know when a result “feels right.”

9- What is my biggest fear, and how will I face it?
Name it – and claim it. If you don’t, it can be damaging, even deadly, to you and the business. After all, what you resist, you empower. Own your fear — before it owns you — and decide how you’ll confront it.

10- What leadership skill can—and should—I get better at?
Fact is, your personal effectiveness affects the success of the business. Pick the leadership skill that most needs your attention—listening, coaching, or problem solving, perhaps—and commit to improvement. Small changes really can make a big difference. Just ask your team and others on the receiving end.

Don’t be afraid to answer these questions honestly and openly.

If you don’t feel like answering these questions on the forum, do it at home, in the office but do it!!!
However, as a Leaders or wannabe leaders, you shouldn’t be afraid of revealing your fears our doubts as you reach for new goals because it shows employees it’s OK to struggle when striving for change.

This is a beautiful article:
T he woman ..very well expressed…

Tomorrow you may get a working woman, but you should marry her with these
facts as well..

Here is a girl, who is as much educated as you are;
Who is earning almost as much as you do;

One, who has dreams and aspirations just as
you have because she is as human as you are;

One, who has never entered the kitchen in her life just like you or your
Sister haven’t, as she was busy in studies and competing in a system
that gives no special concession to girls for their culinary achievements

One, who has lived and loved her parents & brothers & sisters, almost as
much as you do for 20-25 years of her life;

One, who has bravely agreed to leave behind all that, her home, people who
love her, to adopt your home, your family, your ways and even your family
,name

One, who is somehow expected to be a master-chef from day #1, while you
sleep oblivious to her predicament in her new circumstances, environment
and that kitchen

One, who is expected to make the tea, first thing in the morning and cook
food at the end of the day, even if she is as tired as you are, maybe
more,
and yet never ever expected to complain; to be a servant, a cook, a
mother,
a wife, even if she doesn’t want to; and is learning just like you are as
to what you want from her; and is clumsy and sloppy at times and knows
that you won’t like it if she is too demanding, or if she learns faster
than you;

One, who has her own set of friends, and that includes boys and even men
at her workplace too, those, who she knows from school days and yet is
willing to put all that on the back-burners to avoid your irrational
jealousy, unnecessary competition and your inherent insecurities;

Yes, she can drink and dance just as well as you can, but won’t, simply
Because you won’t like it, even though you say otherwise

One, who can be late from work once in a while when deadlines, just like
yours, are to be met;

One, who is doing her level best and wants to make this most important,
relationship in her entire life a grand success, if you just help her some

and trust her;

One, who just wants one thing from you, as you are the only one she knows
in your entire house - your unstinted support, your sensitivities and most
importantly - your understanding, or love, if you may call it.

But not many guys understand this……

Please appreciate “HER”

I hope you will do…..

Once upon a time, in the Dandakaranya (forest), there lived a group of
sparrows under the leadership of an old sparrow by name Chitragreeva. One
day, as they were searching for food, they saw some grains being strewn on
the ground. When the sparrows wanted to go down and eat the grains,
Chitragreeva told them, “This appears strange. How can grains be found
strewn on the ground in a forest where no human beings live? There must be
some danger behind this.” One of the young sparrows said, “One listens to
old people only when one is in danger or needs some advice. Old folks
doubt everything and if one listens to them, one can not do anything in
life”. Other sparrows agreed with the young one and descended to eat the
grains. Chitragreeva also followed them. It so happenned that the grains
had been strewn by a hunter to catch the birds and they were all caught in
the net that was hidden on the ground. The sparrows soon relaized thier
folly and started abusing the young sparrow who suggested to them to go
for the grains. Chitragreeva told them , “It is not his fault. We have
been trapped by our greed. Let us see how we can get out of this. If we
all combine our efforts and fly together, we can fly with the net. Let us
try”. All sparrows tried with one mind and they could lift the net and
flew away. The sparrows asked, “What do we do now?” Chitragreeva said, “I
have a friend Hiranyaka, a mouse living near the river. Let us go to him
and he can cut this net and release us from this net”. They landed on the
banks of the river. Hiranyaka saw Chitragreeva and enquired about how they
got into that trouble. Chitragreeva said, “We have been duped by a hunter.
Can you release us from this bondage?”. Hiranyaka said, “My teeth are not
powerful enough to cut all the net. I will release you from the net and
you can further help. Chitragreeva replied, “In that case, do release as
many as possible from the group. In case you have energy left, you can
release me. I am old and I have lived my life. Let these young ones be
released first”. Hiranyaka appreciated Chitragreeva for his sacrifice. It
so happenned that Hiranyaka could release all of them. They all thanked
Hiranyaka and flew away happily.

This is an old Hitopadesa story. This tells a lot about leadership:

It is the duty of a leader to warn the team about risks they are taking.
But at the same time, when a group decision is made, the leader has to go
with it.
When the team gets into trouble, there is no point in blame games. The
leader has to divert the attention of the team from blaming each other and
constructively direct their energies towards retrieving the situation.
The leader has to use the wisdom to come up with ways of solving the
problem.
Leader should get the team additional help when required.
The leader never blames the team - when the young sparrow was blamed by
others, Chitragreeva said “It is due to OUR greed” and to Hiranyaka, he
said “we have been duped by a hunter”. A leader never lets down his team.
When the resources are scarce (Hiranyaka’s inability to free the whole
team), the leader comes last in using them - the team gets the first
preference.

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If Columbus had been married, he might never have discovered America, because he would have had to answer all the following questions:

· Where are you going?

· With whom?

· Why?

· How are you going?

· To discover what?

· Why only you?

· What do I do when you are not here?

· Can I come with you?

· When will you be back?

· Dinner ghar par hi khaoge?

· Mere liye kya laoge?

· You deliberately made this plan without me, didn’t you?

· You seem to be making a lot of these programs lately…

· Answer me – why?

· I want to go to my mother’s house.

· I want you to drop me there.

· I don’t want to come back – ever!

· What do you mean, OK?

· Why aren’t you stopping me?

· I don’t understand what this whole ‘discovery’ thing is about.

· You always do things like this.

· Last time you also did the same thing!

· Nowadays you always seem to do this kind of stuff.

· I still don’t understand what else is left to be discovered!

Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home
of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the
angels stay in the mansion’s guest room. Instead the angels
were given a small space in the cold basement.
As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel
saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel
asked why, the older angel replied, “Things aren’t always what they seem.”

The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very
poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little
food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where
they could have a good night’s rest.
When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the
farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had
been their sole income, lay dead in the field. The younger angel
was infuriated and asked the older angel “how could you have
let this happen? The first man had everything, yet you helped him,”
he accused. “The second family had little but was willing to
share everything, and you let the cow die.”
“Things aren’t always what they seem,” the older angel
replied. “When we stayed in the basement of the mansion,
I noticed there was gold hidden in that hole in the wall.
Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and
unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he
wouldn’t find it.” “Then last night as we slept in the
farmers bed, the angel of death came for his wife.
I gave him the cow instead.
Things aren’t always what they seem.”

Sometimes that is exactly what happens when things don’t
turn out the way they should. If you have faith, you just need to trust that
every outcome is always to your advantage. You just might not know it
until some time later…

Some people come into our lives and quickly go.

Some people become friends and stay awhile…
leaving beautiful footprints on our hearts…
and we are never quite the same because we have
made a good friend!!

Yesterday is history.

Tomorrow a mystery

Today is a gift.

That’s why it’s called the present!

Keep Smiling always..

This is a quiz for smart people who know everything!

These are not trick questions.

They are straight questions with straight answers.

Ready ..See how many you know…..

1. Name the one sport in which neither the spectators nor the participants know the score or the leader until the contest ends.

2. What famous North Americanlandmark is constantly movingbackward?

3. Of all vegetables, only two can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons. All other vegetables must be replanted every year. What are the only two perennial vegetables?

4. What fruit has its seeds on the outside?

5. In many liquor stores, you can buy pear brandy, with a real pear inside the bottle.

The pear is whole and ripe, and the bottle is genuine; it hasn’t been cut in any way. How did the pear get inside the bottle?

6. Only three words in standard English begin with the letters ‘dw’ and they are all common words.Name two of them..

7. There are 14 punctuation marks in English grammar.
Can you name at least half of them?

8. Name the only vegetable or fruit that is never sold frozen,

canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form except fresh.

9. Name 6 or more things that you can wear on your feet

beginning with the letter ‘S..’

Here are the Answers To Quiz:

1. The one sport in which neither the spectators nor the participants know the score or the leader until the contest ends.

Boxing

2. North American landmark constantly moving backward.

Niagara Falls

(The rim is worn down about two and a half feet each year because of the millions of gallons of water that rush over it every minute.)

3. Only two vegetables that can live to produce on their own for severalgrowing seasons.

Asparagus and rhubarb

4. The fruit with its seeds on the outside.

Strawberry.

5. How did the pear get inside the brandy bottle?

It grew inside the bottle..

(The bottles are placed over pear buds when they are small, and are wired in place on the tree. The
bottle is left in place for the entire growing season. When the pears are ripe, they are snipped off at the stems.)

6. Three English words beginning with dw :

Dwarf, dwell and dwindle .

7. Fourteen punctuation marks in English grammar.

Period, comma, colon, semicolon, dash, hyphen,
apostrophe, question mark, exclamation point, quotation marks, brackets, parenthesis, braces, and ellipses.

8. The only vegetable or fruit never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form but fresh:

Lettuce.

9. Six or more things you can wear on your feet beginning with ‘S’.

Shoes, socks, sandals, sneakers, slippers, skis, skates, snowshoes, stockings, stilts.

An Interesting Story

Never underestimate your Clients’ Complaint, no matter how funny it might
seem!

This is a real story that happened between the customer of General Motors
and its Customer-Care Executive. Pls read on…..

A complaint was received by the Pontiac Division of General Motors:

This is the second time I have written to you, and I don’t blame you for
not answering me, because I sounded crazy, but it is a fact that we have a
tradition in our family of Ice-Cream for dessert after dinner each night,
but the kind of ice cream varies so, every night, after we’ve eaten, the
whole family votes on which kind of ice cream we should have and I drive
down to the store to get it. It’s also a fact that I recently purchased a
new Pontiac and since then my trips to the store have created a
problem…..

You see, every time I buy a vanilla ice-cream, when I start back from the
store my car won’t start. If I get any other kind of ice cream, the car
starts just fine. I want you to know I’m serious about this question, no
matter how silly it sounds “What is there about a Pontiac that makes it
not start when I get vanilla ice cream, and easy to start whenever I get
any other kind?” The Pontiac President was understandably skeptical about
the letter, but sent an Engineer to check it out anyway.

The latter was surprised to be greeted by a successful, obviously well
educated man in a fine neighborhood. He had arranged to meet the man just
after dinner time, so the two hopped into the car and drove to the ice
cream store. It was vanilla ice cream that night and, sure enough, after
they came back to the car, it wouldn’t start.

The Engineer returned for three more nights. The first night, they got
chocolate. The car started. The second night, he got strawberry. The car
started. The third night he ordered vanilla. The car failed to start.

Now the engineer, being a logical man, refused to believe that this man’s
car was allergic to vanilla ice cream. He arranged, therefore, to continue
his visits for as long as it took to solve the problem. And toward this
end he began to take notes: He jotted down all sorts of data: time of day,
type of gas uses, time to drive back and forth etc.

In a short time, he had a clue: the man took less time to buy vanilla than
any other flavor. Why? The answer was in the layout of the store. Vanilla,
being the most popular flavor, was in a separate case at the front of the
store for quick pickup. All the other flavors were kept in the back of the
store at a different counter where it took considerably longer to check
out the flavor.

Now, the question for the Engineer was why the car wouldn’t start when it
took less time. Eureka - Time was now the problem - not the vanilla ice
cream!!!! The engineer quickly came up with the answer: “vapor lock”.

It was happening every night; but the extra time taken to get the other
flavors allowed the engine to cool down sufficiently to start. When the
man got vanilla, the engine was still too hot for the vapor lock to
dissipate.

Even crazy looking problems are sometimes real and all problems seem to be
simple only when we find the solution, with cool thinking.

Don’t just say it is ” IMPOSSIBLE” without putting a sincere effort….

Looking closer you will see, “I’M POSSIBLE”…

Solve this over your lunch! If you have finished lunch, keep it for
evening tea! Very simple one!

Green numbers indicate how many pieces could move to that square on the
next move. Blue squares show the possible locations of the following five
different chess pieces:

How are the five pieces arranged?