Won 1st prize in biz competition........Organized by i create.US based organization

HEYYYYY....... WE WON 1ST PRIZE IN BUSINESS PRESSENTATION COMPETITION...CONDUCTED BY I-CREATE INDIA....US base organization........now lets go to delhi for national level business competition.....thank to all team members trainers,prof and friends.....feeling really good

 

Forbes India Magazine - Kishore Biyani: The Never-say-die Retailer

Forbes India Magazine - Kishore Biyani: The Never-say-die Retailer

Few advice for Achieving your personal GOALS..............

One of the most important tasks in a person's life is goal setting, because this is the mechanism that every person uses to take themselves from where they are today to where they would like to be. The problem is, many times when we set an important goal for ourselves we end up falling through and not reaching our final objective. This article will give a few very powerful pieces of advice that will greatly increase the probability of accomplishing your goals that you set for yourself, starting with changing the words and language that you are using to define your goal.

An incredibly effective and simple technique that you can use to greatly increase the chances of fulfilling the goals that you set for yourself is to change the words that you use when you state the goal to yourself, so that you are using the word "promise" instead of the word "goal." If you tell yourself that you have a certain goal that you want to meet, this type of language is not nearly as powerful as saying "I promise myself" that I will accomplish a certain achievement. Most people have a much better track record with promises than they have with setting goals, so by making this subtle shift in the type of language you are using it can change the way your mind sees the objective and it will get you thinking about all the things you can do to fulfill a promise to yourself.

Another important tip that is crucial to your success is to take out a pen and paper, and write down exactly what the promise is that you are making to yourself. This is important for two reasons:

 First, you are taking an abstract thought and crystallizing it into concrete physical form, which is the first step in making your goal a reality.

 Second, you are becoming absolutely clear about what it is that you want to accomplish, so that there is no longer any ambiguity and the objective is very clearly defined. Writing down your goals is absolutely necessary if you are serious about achieving them, because it is how you start to make them real.

Once your goals are written down on paper, you should be sure that you keep this information personal and do not share it with anyone. You are making a promise and a contract with yourself when you do this, and it allows you to be completely honest with yourself about where you are now and how you want to get where you want to be. Now that you have clearly defined your objective, you should write down as many steps and ideas that you can think of about actions you can take to further achieve your goal and fulfill your promise to yourself.

This will give you a clearly defined path with certain measurable actions you can take, along with short-term objectives that you can accomplish one-by-one to work your way to your long-term objective. By breaking up your larger goal into smaller benchmarks, you make your work easier to understand and less intimidating, which will give you more confidence and a greater sense of fulfillment as you reach each benchmark. By following these simple steps, it will make it much easier for you to achieve any goal in your life that you set for yourself, no matter what it may be.

Salary Negotiations

Salary negotiation is more of an art than a science. It usually is one of the most neglected and under-rated aspects of a Job search. I have heard quite a few people say, "I just want to get my foot in the door, and I don't care about how much they pay me to start with. Once I am in, I can get good raise etc." In my opinion, don't ever make that mistake. It just doesn't work that way. Do not accept a position at a salary lower than you know you are worth with the hopes of big raises in the future. The article below by Lee Miller is the best article I have found on this subject. He has also written a book, "Get More Money on Your Next Job", which is very interesting and an informative read.

 

Principles for Negotiating:

 The Commandments of Employment Negotiations

Taking into consideration those things that make employment negotiations unique, together with generally applicable negotiating principles, I have developed a set of basic principles which I refer to as The Ten Commandments of Employment Negotiations. These principles, along with what I refer to as the Eleventh Commandment, apply in every employment negotiation.

Commandment 1: Be Prepared

Preparation is critical when negotiating the terms of your employment. The more information you have, the more successful you will be. This is so important that I have devoted a full chapter in my book to preparing for employment negotiations. This is the first commandment because it is the most important single thing you can do to ensure that you get the best deal possible.

Commandment 2: Recognize That Employment Negotiations Are Unique

Employment negotiations are different from other types of negotiations. They are not a one-shot deal like buying a house or a car. When the employment negotiations are over, you will have to work with your former "adversary" on a daily basis; more important, your career success may depend on the person with whom you have just finished negotiating. Therefore, even though you want to negotiate the best possible deal, you need to proceed in a way that doesn't tarnish your image.

By the same token, your future boss will want you to feel good about joining the company. Once an employer has decided that you are the person for the job, the primary concern will not be to negotiate the least expensive compensation package the company can get away with. Rather, the main focus will be on getting you to accept the job. As a result, employment negotiations are unusual in that both sides share that same basic goal.

Commandment 3: Understand Your Needs and Those of Your Prospective Employer

Any employment negotiation is going to involve trade-offs. To be successful in this type of negotiation, you need to examine your own priorities. What is it that you want? Are comfortable with a low salary and a large equity stake? Do you feel confident that you can meet the requisite criteria to earn a bonus? Are you able to handle dramatic swings in income from year to year? How important is job security to you?

Understanding your needs will also help you determine what type of company you want to work for. (For example, a family-owned company might offer a larger salary than start-up company, but the same start-up company will offer stock or stock options that a family-owned company typically will not.) Regardless of the type of company you are considering, an employer may not be able to give you exactly what you want. There are numerous institutional constraints on how much a company can pay for a given position or what kinds of benefits it can offer.

Understanding what you want and what a company can do within its own organizational and budgetary constraints will enable you to determine what trade-offs are possible in order to maximize what you get. This knowledge will also enable you to walk away from a job when a company cannot offer the type of compensation package that suits your needs.

Commandment 4: Understand the Dynamics of the Particular Negotiations

Sometimes you will have skills or experience for which there is a great demand. You may be the only qualified candidate to have made it through the interview process, and the company would like to hire someone quickly. Similarly, if you have been able to defer discussing compensation until the company has determined you are the best candidate for the job, your bargaining position will be greatly strengthened. These are enviable positions to be in.

On the other hand, you may in fact be one of several candidates the company is considering, any one of whom it would be happy to hire. Under those circumstances, compensation may be the key factor in determining who gets the job. Sizing up the situation and understanding the relative position of each of the parties to the negotiations will help you determine when to press your advantage and when to back off.

Commandment 5: Never Lie, but Use the Truth to Your Advantage

Honesty is important. If you lie during the negotiations, sooner or later you are likely to be caught. Once you are caught lying, you lose all credibility. Even if you don't lose the job, you will be placed at a tremendous disadvantage, and your future credibility on the job will be undermined.

On the other hand, total candor will not be rewarded. You are not required to answer a specific question directly unless the answer helps your position. You can determine what you want to say and how you want to say it. One element of preparation is to understand those areas which may be problematic so you can rehearse how you will handle them when they come up.

Commandment 6: Understand the Role That Fairness Plays in the Process

The guiding principle for most employers in determining what they will agree to is fairness. Within the constraints of their budget and organization structure, employers will usually agree to anything that is fair and reasonable in order to hire someone they want. Appeals to fairness are the most powerful weapon available in employment negotiations. Sometimes such an appeal may even convince an employer of the need to adjust its salary structure or increase the amount of money budgeted for a position.

You should be able to justify every request in terms of fairness. If the cost of living is higher where you're going, it is only fair to have your salary increased sufficiently to compensate. If comparable executives in similar companies are given one percent of the company's stock, you should be treated no differently. Your prospective employer will want you to accept its offer and to feel that you have been treated fairly. Understanding the importance of fairness as a negotiating principle can make the difference between success and failure.

Commandment 7: Use Uncertainty to Your Advantage

If an employer is not certain what it will take to recruit you , its initial offer is likely to be close to its best offer. If you have divulged too much information, it will likely not offer you as much as it might have otherwise. By not disclosing exactly what your compensation package is or exactly what it would take to get you to leave your current job, you will force a potential employer to give you its best offer.

Commandment 8: Be Creative

You may not be able to get everything you want, but you want to be sure to get everything you can. Focus on the value of the total package. Look for different ways to achieve your objectives. Be willing to make trade-offs to increase the total value of the deal. Limit your "requirements." When you lock yourself into a position, you limit your ability to be creative.

If you are creative, you can package what you want in ways that are acceptable to the company. You will also be able to find creative "trades" that allow you to withdraw requests that might be problematic to the company in return for improvements in areas where the company has more flexibility.

In the end, however, you still must get the company to agree to those elements of the deal that are critical to you. If you are not able to do so, or if have to give up too much to get what you need, perhaps this is the wrong job for you. However, before you insist on any particular term in your employment package, be sure that it is really essential. By insisting on a particular term you may be giving up something of greater value; you may even be giving up your chance to get the job altogether.

Commandment 9: Focus on Your Goals, Not on Winning

Too often in negotiations winning becomes more important than the actual goals that are achieved. This tendency is particularly problematic in employment negotiations. Not only is it important to focus on achieving your goals; it is also important not to make your future boss feel like a loser in the negotiations. Remember, that this person will control you future career. You will have gained little by negotiating a good deal if you alienate your future boss in the process.

Commandment 10: Know When to Quit Bargaining

There comes a point in every negotiation when you have achieved everything that you could gave reasonably expected to achieve. At that point you should thank the person you are dealing with and accept the offer. If you don't recognize when to stop negotiating, you run the risk of having the company decide that it made a mistake by offering you the job in the first place. Most companies will want to treat you fairly and make you happy, but few companies want to hire a prima donna. Being perceived as greedy or unreasonable may cause the deal to fall apart. Even if it does not, you will have done immeasurable harm to your career with your new employer.

Commandment 11: Never Forget That Employment Is an Ongoing Relationship

This is the most important commandment and cannot be overemphasized.

Employment negotiations are the starting point for your career with the company. They set the tone for your employment relationship. Get too little and you are disadvantaged throughout your career; push too hard and you can sour the relationship before it even begins. How you handle the initial negotiations can have an impact, for better or worse, on how successful your tenure with a company will be.

Following the Ten Commandments of Employment Negotiations and employing the negotiating strategies described in my book will enable you to effectively negotiate the terms of your new employment. Once you have done so, you will be able to start your new job confident that you have achieved the best possible result. If you do your job well, there will be opportunities to negotiate further improvements as time goes on.

     By Lee Miller; copyright 1998 by The McGraw Hill Companies, Inc

30 lessons from Infosys Narayana Murthy

NR Narayana Murthy, who steps down as Infosys chairman on August 20, is a role model for not just what he achieved but also how he did it. Here are 30 lessons from Murthy, one for each year he spent at company.

1-Seize Your Gandhi Moment
Murthy, a self proclaimed socialist in the mid ’70s was jailed for 72 hours in Bulgaria. The experience taught him that entrepreneurship and job creation is the way to alleviate poverty.
2-You might fail, but get started Learn from mistakes and move on.
In 1976, Murthy founded Softronics, a company that lasted a year and a half. When he realised that his first venture wasn’t taking off, he moved on.
3-Think Big. Don’t Hesitate to Start Small
In 1981, a determined Murthy started Infosys with Rs 10,000 he borrowed from his wife. In few years, Infosys went on to become one of the largest wealth creators in the country.
4-Cut Yourself a Slice, Not a Large One Always
When Infosys was set up, Murthy took a pay cut while salaries of other co-founder’s were increased by 10 percent. According to Murthy, a leader needs to show his or her sacrifice and commitment

.5-Lend a Hand and Throw in a Foot Too.

After Murthy convinced seven of his colleagues, there was a problem. Nandan’s future inlaws were not sure about him. Murthy met Nandan’s uncle and convinced him.
6-Own Up, and Then Clean Up
In the ’80s Infosys developed an application for a German client. Murthy noticed a single character error and informed the client immediately.
7-Trust in God, But Verify with Data
In God we trust, the rest must come with data, is perhaps Murthy’s favourite statement. When confronted with difficult decisions, he tends to rely on data.
8-Keep the Faith
Infosys almost wound up in 1990. Murthy did not want to sell the company. He asked co-founders if they wanted out and offered to buy their shares. All of them stuck together.
9-Get Involved
Infosys won a contract from Reebok in the early ’90s. Seeing the founders involvement, the software, was nick named ‘Dinesh, Murthy and Prahlad.’ Infy veterans still recall those days.
10-Sharing is Caring
After the IPO, Infosys decided to share a portion of its equity with employees. This helped them retain talent and gave employees a sense of ownership. Murthy is proud of having given away stocks worth over Rs 50,000 crore to employees.
11-Treat your People Good, but Your Best Better
Murthy always had a thing for good performers. And he rewarded them well. When Infosys decided to give its employees stock options, Murthy insisted that some shares be given to good performers through the ‘Chairman’s quota.’
12-Hire a Good Accountant, Even if he is Argumentative
A young, argumentative Indian, was asking too many questions at an annual general body meeting of Infosys. More impressed than irritated, he hired Mohandas Pai, who went on to help Infosys list on Nasdaq.
13-When in Doubt, Disclose
Keep your books clean and leave the cooking to the chef. Murthy’s philosophy about being open and transparent has given the company a lot of credibility. He often says, “When in doubt, please disclose.”
14-Leave the Family Out
Murthy told his wife that only one of them could be with the company. Murthy, along with other founders, said that none of their children would work for Infosys. This left no room for nepotism at Infosys.
15-Don’t be a Push over
In 1994, when General Electric wanted to re-negotiate rates, Murthy said no to selling services any cheaper. This helped Infosys not to be overly dependent on any one client.
16-Make hay While the Sun Shines
In late 90′s, India’s tech companies made use of the Y2K opportunity to make themselves known in the global market. For Infosys, it was a great opportunity to enter into long-term relationships with their customers.
17-Brand-aid First, Get Clinical
When the sexual harassment case against Infosys’ top sales guy Phaneesh Murthy threatened to tarnish the company’s brand, Murthy decided to quickly react. He let go of Phaneesh, and settled the case out of court despite Phaneesh wanting to fight it out.

18-Mind your Business, you’ll See Things Coming

Murthy carries and updates a mental model of Infosys’ business all the time. According to him, every leader must have a model, consisting of six to seven parameters that might affect business.
19-Keep it Simple, Not Silly
Keep your life simple and straight. That way, you get to work more and worry less. Murthy is known to be frugal with money. Despite being one of the richest Indians, he leads a simple life. However, he does not cut corners on buying books or brushing up on literature.
20-Founders Keepers, but Not Forever
Murthy’s decision to not allow founders to continue with the company after the age of 65 set another standard for the company. This way, younger leaders at Infosys had a greater chance at the top positions.

21-Talent Spotting and Division of Labour

Murthy is known to have an eye for talent and a talent for dividing labour. Nandan was given sales responsibilities while Kris and Shibu did the tech stuff. N S Raghavan was asked to handle people and Dinesh was assigned quality.

22-Hold on to Your People but don’t Cling
Letting go is never easy but its not good to cling on to your colleagues either. Amongst the founders, Ashok Arora, Nandan Nilekani and K Dinesh have quit Infosys. Infy veteran Mohandas Pai has also left Infosys.

23-Give, it only gets you more

In 2010, the Murthy’s donated $ 5.2 million USD to Harvard University Press for a project that aims to make India’s classical heritage available for generations to come. He is also supporter of the Akshaya Patra Foundation.
24-Do it First and Do it Right
Infosys did many things first. And most things right. For example, it was the first Indian company to list on Nasdaq. It was the first Indian company to make it to the Nasdaq 100 list and it was the first Indian company to attain the highest level of quality certification.
25-Perils of Being a Poster Child
Being the poster child of Indian IT industry, Infosys and Murthy have been at the receiving end of many criticisms. The company has been accused of taking away American jobs and been called a “chop shop.”
26-Get Rich. Honestly
Rich businesses were considered to be dirty in the days when the country had a socialist bent. Infy was a company which got rid of this sentiment. Murthy, with his ‘no compromise’ policy on greasing palms and doing ethical business, set the standards.
27-Do Not be Afraid to Court Controversy
Ever since Infosys became a success, Murthy was under constant public glare. This did not deter the straight talking Murthy from courting controversy or voicing his opinions openly.
28-Invest in Learning
With big investments in training, development and building facilities, India’s IT bell-weather has always been keen on grooming the younger generation. Murthy drove the culture of learning in the company in its early days
.
29-Never Lose the Common Touch
The big man of Indian IT kept his personal life simple. He lives in a simple, middle class house and flies economy till date. Murthy has always been accessible to people around him.
30-Do Good, Look Good
Murthy knew the importance of creating an image for Infosys. He invested in creating a sprawling, world class campuses early on, bigger than any other company’s headquarters in the country, that would make his global customers feel like they were in a global office.

Having a Career Goal

Why to have a career goal? Does a career goal limit your future?

Many of us spend most of our working hours engaged in work. Yet over 75% or working population is not happy with their current job situation. Here comes the importance of having a Career Goal. A career goal helps you focus on what you want to do for a living. A career goal can be a specific job you want to do – such as doctor, teacher or engineer – or a career goal can be a particular field you want to work in, such as IT, Education etc.

Rather than limiting your future, a career goal may help you discover career opportunities that you wouldn’t have thought of otherwise. There are several job opportunities with any chosen career. For instance, if you choose a medicine as career, you may want to be a scientist, a nurse or a doctor.

A career goal will also guide you into doing what you want with your life – rather than just drifting into a job. Generally, a career goal in based on your skills and interests, career possibilities, and job trends. Once you have chosen a career, think strategically about the steps to accomplish your goal.

Understanding and accomplishing your career goal will be a lot easier if you also create a career plan. A career plan determines your skills and interests, what career best suits your talents and what skills and training you need for your chosen career.

• Tips on achieving a Career Goal
  Analyze and evaluate your skills and capabilities
  Whether you’re employed, unemployed, considering a career change, re-entering the job market, or recently graduated, the first step toward reaching your career potential is to objectively analyze and evaluate your skills and capabilities.
  Have a coach or a career counselor objectively assess your natural talents, skills & professional strength
• Set realistic goals
  Create a career plan that will give you a competitive edge. Be specific. Have it reviewed objectively.
• Use marketing techniques for a competitive edge
  You need to implement an effective marketing strategy to increase your visibility and give you an edge. Create a career plan to meet your needs.
• Find long term support, even after your short term career goals are met
  In order to keep growing, stay abreast of market trends and issues related to your career growth and development. Use an objective partner to support you.
• Use an approach that meets your needs
  Don’t follow guidelines in a book or from a friend if they are not comfortable for you and representative of who you are. Be authentic in designing a plan that really reflects who you are.

Tips to crack interview

• Don't blame others
  There are many tough questions that put pressure on you or create stress. What if you are asked: "Why did you leave your last job?", or "Why have you had so many jobs?" If you say your last boss was an idiot, or all your jobs have been terrible, you'll be seen as someone who blames others and fails to take responsibility for your own actions and decision.
  
  Moreover why would employers want to employ someone who doesn't take responsibility and come up with answers, not problems? Employers don't want to employ people who blame others.
  
  "Always express positive reasons and answers when given an opportunity to express the negative. Never blame anyone or anything else," says Amy Lightfoot who teaches 'Interview skills' as part of Spoken English at British Council India, Delhi.
  
  "I was ready for more challenge", or "Each job offered a better opportunity, which I took...," such responses are better.
• Sell yourself
  Remember, the job interview is a platform to market yourself. It is a strategic conversation with a purpose. Your goal is to persuade the employer that you have the skills, background and ability to do the job and that you can comfortably fit into the organisation and its culture.
• Keep your praise & observations credible & realistic
  "The best technique to handle such question is to praise your past employers. However, keep your praise and observations credible, realistic and relevant. Try to mention attributes that your interviewer and prospective new employer will identify and agree with. This will build association and commonality between you and the interviewer, which is normally vital for successful interview outcomes," explains Lightfoot.
  
  However, there can be real tough ones: "Why should we appoint you?" or "What can you do for us that other people cannot?"
  
  Nevertheless, Shiv Khera author of bestseller "You Can Win" explains, "Candidate has a choice here as to how to play this: he can either go for it strongly, re-stating his relevant strengths -- behaviour, experience and skills, or he can quietly confidently suggest: I don't know the other applicants, so it would be wrong for me to dismiss their claims. However, I am sure that I have all the main attributes the role requires, which, combined with determination and positive approach, should ensure that I'd be a very good choice."
• Be positive
  He further says that the candidate should be positive in saying, "I don't know the other applicants, but generally I excel at..." and pick up strengths that most fit with what they're seeking.
• Maintain calmness
  Most of the candidates fail due to fear and tension. Rajeev Vaid, CEO, Smart Hiring, Delhi says, "A candidate's resume may be good, he may have good IQ but a successful interview depends also on emotional quotient. How well he handles the pressure questions. However, one should maintain calmness even if the interviewer howls."
• Do your homework well
  The only way to handle such situation is to be confident, credible and constructive (accentuate the positive) in your answers. And more important is 'preparation for the interview'. Plan and rehearse your 'verbal resume'. You will almost always be asked, "Please tell us about yourself," so be prepared with a good response, tailored to the job at hand. Prepare a written list of likely interview questions and job requirements. Prepare key points you need to make to demonstrate your specific accomplishments in each area.
  Why did you leave your last job?
  Why have you had so many jobs?
  Why do you want this job?
  What qualities do you think are required for this job?
  Why should we appoint you? 6. What can you do for us that other people cannot?
  What can we offer you that your previous company cannot?
  What are your greatest achievements within and outside the workplace?
  What are your great strengths and weaknesses?
  How has your experience prepared you for this position?
  If you are asked what questions you have, and you don't have any, the interviewer may get the impression you haven't done your homework, or aren't seriously interested in the position. Prepare your questions in advance and phrase them to demonstrate your insight and ability to handle the position. "Often, the most successful applicants are those who simply out-work their competition," points out Khera.
• Communication is the key skill
  Develop your verbal communications skills. Having great management or technical skills and a strong record of accomplishment is not helpful if you can't verbally convey you successes.
• Answer questions directly
  Then elaborate with examples. Choose examples that highlight past successes and relate it to the projects or issues that interviewer is facing, but avoid excessively lengthy responses. The purpose of tough interview questions is to encourage interviewees to think about themselves and to give the interviewer clear and revealing information as to the interviewee's suitability for the job. One key to success is to use every means at your disposal to develop effective interviewing skills, including selective presentation of your background, thoughtful answers to typical interview questions, well-researched questions about the organisation, and an effective strategy to market yourself. There is no magic to interviewing. It is a skill that can be learned and developed with practice.