Good to Great! - By Jim Collins

I was misled into thinking that "Good to Great" is about personal transformation initially. However, after taking a closer look at the smaller fonts, I realized that it is about the transformation of teams, companies etc.,
Given my penchant for reading management books, I, however, went ahead and completed it. The author and the team is trying to do reverse engineering and figure out elements of a black box which leads a good organization to become a great organization. The metric they are using here is stock appreciation & return on investment.

Here are some of the notable points from the book:

• Good is the enemy of Greatness! 
• We don't have many great organizations because we have good organizations
• Similarly, we don't have many great men because we have good men! 
• Take away here is - are you complacent with just good or do you want to achieve greatness?! 
• The research has resulted in 7 important but not necessarily exhaustive steps which can transform an organization from Good to Great! 

1. A Level 5 leader is needed to make this transformation
1. These leaders are like servant leaders for whom company comes first. They take less credit and ensure the successor is set up for greater success
2. First Who, Then what --> Meaning first build a great team and then figure out a vision. Not the other way around
1. Love the quote- " There are going to be times when we can't wait for somebody. Now, you're either on the bus or off the bus" - Ken Kesey
2. Purpose of compensation is not to get right behaviors from people. It is just to get the right people on the bus and them to keep them there. 
3. Confront Brutal facts--> You got to face the reality. Create an environment for autopsies and lessons learned without placing any blame on anyone. 
1. Learned interesting idea- The Stockdale Paradox
1. Have faith in the end of the story even if you can't see the end but face the brutal facts anyway! 
2. Ex: Stockdale had faith that he will be released from prison but faced the brutal facts that it may not happen anytime soon. On the other hand, optimists who blindly thought they will be released for Christmas, Easter etc could not make it! So sad! 
4. Hedgehog concept- Hedgehog knows thyself. You should know thyself too! 

1. Know that is best of the three circles and pick only those opportunities which fall in the middle. Be only what you can best be! 
2. Hedgehog + Fox
5. Culture of Discipline 
1. Have disciplined people. This leads to disciplined thought and then in turn into disciplined action
2. Have a stop doing list along with to-do list
6. Technology accelerators: Technology can accelerate growth but cannot create it

1. Think & apply those technologies to yourself & your company which fits into your hedgehog concept
2. Quote: "Most men would rather die, than think. Many do!" - Betrand Russel
7. Flywheel- Love the analogy of flywheel. It takes great effort to move the gigantic flywheel by an inch initially. Sustained efforts in the same direction will help flywheel slowly move and then gain momentum  eventually. Once the momentum is build it becomes unstoppable. That's when others notice an individual or a company. What others can't see is some thousands of small pushes to move the flywheel

Overall, it was a good read. Hope these concepts will help us somewhere in our careers!  

Attached are some picture related to this book which are available freely on the Internet.

Cheers,

Vishal

The Last Lecture- Lessons in Living

What will you do if you have only a few months to Live? How will you make it count? How will you ensure that your legacy is left?

Author and the Professor, Randy Paush, summarized his life and his thoughts in a concise and crisp fashion in this book called - "The Last Lecture- Lessons in Living". He was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer and knew that he has only a few months to live. In this book, he explained his mental agitation in handling the news, tried to make sense from his past experiences in life and give a message to the future. I became emotional reading the last chapter where he embraces her wife, Jay, after his last lecture, kisses her as she whispers in his ears- "Please don't die!!". What a dramatic, emotional and heavy moment!

We all know that we have a limited amount of time on this planet, yet we behave as if we are here for ever. Randy has come face to face with truth because of cancer and battled bravely with it. May his soul rest in peace.

Hope we all realize this universal truth that our time is limited and we should make every second and every minute count. :)

I would like to say to my Wife,  Anusha, "I love you"!
I love you Dad & Mom and I love you my Sisters!

Top ideas/inspirations from this book

• Advice on how to negotiate better: "Never make a decision until you have to"
• If you are in a position of strength, you have to play fair
• Just because you are in the driver's seat, doesn't mean you have to run people over
• Have something to bring to the table, that will make you more welcom
• Working on Fundamentals : 
• You have got to get the fundamentals right, because otherwise the fancy stuff is not going to work
• Good football analogy- How may are touching the ball at any moment?
• Only one! Hence we need to work on what the other 21 guys are doing :) 
• When you are screwing up and nobody says anything to you anymore, that means they've given up on you
• AI - Watch the movie "Star Trek" & observe Kirk's leadership skills
• Kirk was the distilled essence of a dynamic manager- a guy knew how to delegate, had the passion to inspire and looked good in what he wore to the work
• Shanter, who played Kirk, was the ultimate example of a man who knew what he didn't know, was perfectly willing to admit it, and didn't want to leave until he understood. That's Heroic to me
• Kirk- "I don't believe in No-Win scenario"
• AI - Let other people finish their sentences while they are talking. Don't prompt or suggest words
• AI - If you don't know what should be the bar for your team, just say- 
• Guys, that was pretty good, but I know you can do better
• Randy on winning Stuffed animal- 
• I didn't want anyone to know how long it took me to be successful. Tenacity is a virtue, but it's not always crucial for everyone to observe how hard you work at something
• Randy's mantra: 
• The brick walls are there for a reason. They are not there to keep us out. They are there to give us a chance to prove how badly we want something.
• Brick walls are there to stop people who don't want it badly enough. They are there to stop the other people. 
• Sometimes the most impenetrable brick walls are made of flesh ( about other people as hurdles)
• Do your preparation or home work on the topic before you meet any expert. This projects a good image of you and shows your preparedness. Also, it is easy to look smart when you're parroting the smart people. So go out and get knowledge from all the smart people you know
• AI- Start my Imagineer team! 
• Be supportive to your wife. If you love her, support her
• Cars should be used as Utilitarian devices and not to show social status. If you have dents and still it runs fine, I would use them
• You buy new clothes when your old clothes wear out! 
• Time Management tips
• Time must be explicitly managed like Money
• Have to-do list with small tasks of steps. Ex: Don't put get healthy. Write- go to gym 1hr
• Ask- Am I spending time on right things?
• Learn to effectively Delegate
• Take time out (no emails or business calls!)
• Only way any of us can improve is if we develop a real ability to assess ourselves. If we can't accurately do that, how can we tell if we're getting better or worse?
• Getting people to welcome feedback is the hardest thing
• Give yourself permission to dream. Fuel your Kid's dreams too! 
• Somehow, with the passage of time and the deadlines that life imposes, surrendering became the right thing to do
• Don't complain, Just work harder
• If you put one-tenth of energy you put into complaining and applied it to problem solving, you'd be surprised by how well things can work out
• AI - Read life stories of Jackie Robinson & Sandy Blatt
• Complaining doesn't work as a Strategy. We all have finite time and energy. Any time we spend whining is unlikely to help us achieve our goals. And it wont make us happier
• Treat the Disease, not the Symptoms
• Ex: She would breathe out in meditation, telling herself that her money problems would one day be behind her
• Her symptoms were stress and anxiety. Her disease was the money she owed
• AI:How can I apply this and help my father?
• Team work-
• Find things you have in common
• Try for optimal meeting conditions. Ex: find lunch, coffee etc
• Let everyone talk
• Praise each other
• Check egos at the door
• Phrase alternatives as questions:
• AI : Ex: Instead of "I think we should do A, not B", say "What if we did A, instead of B?"
• AI: Important to Just ignore everything they say and only pay attention to what they do
• This will help to understand the other person
• Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity
• It's not how hard you hit. It's how hard you get hit... and keep moving forward
• Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted
• Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other. Send handwritten - Thank you notes to express sincere gratitude
• Hard work is like compounded interest in the bank. The rewards build faster
• Go out and do for others what somebody did for you
• Be prepared and have contingency plans. Ex: Randy's friend having extra bulb in projector
• How do deliver apology: 
• Proper apology have 3 parts:
• What I did was wrong
• I feel badly that I hurt you
• How do I make this better?
• Bad apologies:
• I am sorry you feel hurt by what I've done
• I apologize for what I did, but you also need to apologize to me for what you've done
• More than one way to measure Profits:
• There is more than one way to measure profits and losses. One every level, institutions can and should have a heart
• No job is beneath you:
• AI: Work in different fields, part time over weekends to experience all jobs
• Ex: Be a teacher, be a cab driver, be a hard laborer, be a vegetable vendor, be a farmer
• It makes no sense to talk about rights without also talking about responsibilities
• When we're connected to others, we become better people
• Everyone has to contribute to the common good. To not do so can be described in one word: Selfish
• All you have to do is Ask
• Don't hesitate to ask for time of senior & important people
• AI: Create an yearly get together with close friends
• AI: Check out website: Stop sucking and live a life of Abundance
• Encourage kids to ask full sentence questions instead of they  saying just "why?"
• For kids: I want them to find their own path to fulfillment

Regards,

Vish

The One Minute Manager

Pouring out my thoughts:
What is the use of reading books and acquiring knowledge, if you don't use it?

Well, I have been reading many books but was lazy to note down my top ideas out of the book. After a few months or years, when some one asked me about the book, I knew I read it. But cannot remember what were the important take away. Hence Jotting down my take aways from the book - " The One minute manager". I shall strive to note points from each book I read hence forth,

_________________________________________________________________________________

This 100 page book - "The One Minute Manager", by Kenneth Blanchard & Spencer Johnson, is a simple read and I completed it in a day. Most of the ideas were familiar to me as I have been reading similar leadership books and attending training.

Personally, I may not like to be the "One minute manager" especially about being harsh and to the point about not repeating some important points to your team members. But some times I think it is necessary.

There are good ideas that we can practically implement. Glad that I already practice the concept of "one minute praise" and "Catching them doing good".

Read along for take aways- 

1. People who feel good about them themselves, produce Good results
2. Help people reach their full potential. Catch them doing something right
3. The best minute I spend is the one I invest in people
4. Every one is a potential winner. Some are disguised as losers. Don't let their appearances fool you
5. Take a minute: 
1. Look at your goals. Look at your performance. see if your behavior matches your goals
6. We are not just our behaviors. We are person managing our behavior
7. Important quote:
1. Goals begin behaviors. Consequences maintain them
8. One Minute Goal setting- This is something I need to adopt
1. Agree on a goal, write it under 250 words and have clarity on what is good behavior and expectation
2. Read it regularly and see whether your behavior matches the goal
3. I like the story of training pegion in a box to push a lever and a whale to jump over the rope
4. We need to help others know what is expected, followed up with rewards. Start the expectation low. Hence catch them quickly when they do it right
9. One Minute Praising
1. Tell people from the start that you are going to let them know how they are doing
1. I need to do this aspect
2. Praise people immediately for a specific right thing they did
3. Tell them how good you feel about it and how organization benefits- Show biger picture
1. Again, I don't do this often
4. Pause for a moment. Let them feel how good you feel. Let it sink in
5. Encourage them to do more and show support through gestures- hand shake, touch etc
10. One Minute Reprimand
1. Use this only with experienced who knows what to do, but fails to do
2. Tell them that you are going to talk about how they are doing in no "uncertain terms"
3. First half
1. Highlight what they specifically did wrong
2. Talk about how you feel about what they did wrong
3. Pause. Let it sink in
4. Second half
1. Shake hands or touch them to inform that you are honestly on their side
2. Remind how much you value them
3. Reaffirm that you think well of them but not their performance in this instance
5. Don't get hung up on reprimand. Once these two steps are done. It is done

Wisdom comes by applying the knowledge. What else is the use of knowledge. Let us use these techniques to make the corporate world a better place.
Thank you authors for sharing this worldly wisdom. :)

Urs,
Vish

Bring out the best in people

If you are a leader, manager or a technical lead, bringing out the best in people is your number one priority. Your primary job is to enable your team to perform at their best and you seek out ways to do that. In my pursuit of the same as a Tech lead, I came across a good read and would like to share my nuggets and my thoughts about the book- "Bringing out the Best in people" by Aubrey Daniels.

If you have been reading psychology or behavioral analysis, some of the concepts in this book are easy to understand. Except the technical terminology antecedent, consequence, PIC table etc which need to be familiarized.
Before delving into a few concepts in this book, lets familiarize ourselves with these terminologies.

Antecedent:
As per Wiki, An antecedent is a stimulus that cues an organism to perform a learned behavior. When an organism perceives an antecedent stimulus, it behaves in a way that maximizes reinforcing consequences and minimizes punishing consequences.
Consequence: 
It is the result that follows after a behavior or action



My top ideas from the book

1. Be aware of Antecedents and Consequences present in your team/company. Antecedents set the event which results in behavior or action. After the behavior team member will receive consequence ( reward or punishment). This is called ABC model
1. Ex: What are the stimulus available for your team members to take up tasks, execute projects and complete them on time with quality? 
2. Is it because they are paid to do? Or are they motivated enough to do great work and help the team or company? Are they excited about the challenging task?
3. What are the consequences of doing a job? Do they have sufficient consequences to reward employees for a great job? or They are punished immediately with next task or more tasks?
4. Are their victories celebrated? Are they given opportunities to talk about their achievements in the team meetings?
2. Performance Management is providing and controlling antecedents and consequences. Analyse the antecedent and consequence based on Positive/Negative, Immediate/Future & Certain/Uncertain
3. When giving rewards, don't make the tangible rewards the highest priority. Instead the tangible rewards should help employees remember their achievements
1. For example, if you have budget to give costly rewards for great performance, then great. But if you don't, even you can give small rewards and present them to make them feel good. You may say, "Dear Suresh, this is a gift for your to help you remember your achievement".
4. Let the performer bask in the glory. The presentation ceremony should not be just receiving for performers, rather participatory. For example, instead of saying this award is for your so and so achievement and be done, ask employee how difficult or challenging that achievement was?
5. Model for performance problem solving
1. Pinpoint
2. Record
1. Measure
2. Feedback
3. Consequate or Reinforce
4. Evaluate

If you are using a different method of motivating your employees, do write in the comments.

Love,

Vish

Is She the ONE?

Generic Purpose: To entertain the audience

Specific Purpose: Is she the one?

 Speech organizing type: Three incidents in chronological order

Idea/Foundational phrase: Is she the one?

Characters: My father, the girls I Visited

Project 4: ACB Entertainment Manual

Title: Is she the One?

 Opening (60 words)

In India, you get to marry only once. And marriage is like skydiving. You only get one chance to get it right. And the secret to get it right is find the right person. So, the puzzling question for me and for most of us was how do you find the right person? How do you know if “she is the one”?

Dear Toastmasters, Guest and all the people who eagerly want to get married, Good evening!

Today I am going to narrate you my experience of finding the One.

My Intro (97 words)

I am an engineer with good understanding of grids and graphs but not girls. I didn’t know what to look for in a life partner. So I went to my godfather, google and asked “How to check if she is the one?”

There came 1 lakh 67 thousand results. I skimmed through each of them carefully and made a check list of top ten aspects to look for. She should be educated, slim, beautiful, fair working woman with long hair and so on. I was quipped and ready to meet girls in an arranged setting.  

Girl 1 (165 words)

The first girl I visited was a software engineer. After initial discussion with her family and light snack and tea, I was eagerly looking at the door for the girl to enter. A slim, cute and short girl came and sat in the chair opposite to me. She was good looking and seemed to match my checklist. The question puzzled me was “Is she the one?”

With permission of her father I went to talk to her privately. After initial Hi-Hello, I hesitantly asked” What are your hobbies?”

Girl: “ I am interested in Travelling. I want to visit all the countries after marriage and finally settle in US.”

Me: “Nice. That’s a good hobby.”

I do not plan to settle in US.  We were not compatible to each other. I immediately started looking eagerly at the door. This time to exit.

A software programmer updates his code after failed case, I updated my checklist. Point 11. Girl who is willing to settle in India.

Girl 2 ( 155 words)

The next Girl I met was a Doctor. She was a fair, tall and confident person who came in a green saree. Whenever she talked, the swinging ear rings with the white glittering stones caught my attention. My heart pounded heavily and asked me: Is she the one?

It was time for the private talk. I asked my well prepared question:

What are your hobbies?

Girl: My work is my hobby. I am a veterinarian surgeon who operates rats and frogs : cut them, observe the functioning of heart, liver.. Before she could finish, I was running away throw the exit door.  

Point 12. No Doctors

Months passed by. I met many girls and had many debacles. One day I sat at my home, sadly looking at my check list. It grew from one page into 10 pages and from 10 points to 101 points. Somehow I was unable to answer myself “Is she the one?”

Guidance ( 50 words)

My mother came and sat beside me, looked at the check list in my hand and gave a sigh. she put a hand on my shoulder and said, “Son, Stop asking the Question : Is she the one?

Instead, take the conscious decision of making a person your soulmate.

Climax (108 words)

It was 10 in the morning. She gracefully walked through the door and sat on the chair opposite to me. She wore a white creamish dress that went well with her skin tone. The strands of hair were falling on her forehead and she was gently pushing them back of the ear. She was looking gorgeous.   I mentally pushed aside the check list and the question- Is she the one?

 Instead of matching her to my check list, I tried to understand her. We also chatted online and understood each other better. We were not perfectly aligned on all views, but were compatible and respected each other. After a week, I consciously chose my soulmate.

Conclusion ( 84 words)

Dear Toastmasters and friends, some of you have successfully chose your life partner and some of you are in the process. The process of finding the right girl in an arranged setting is dramatic, fun filled and nervous experience all at the same time. I realized that we cannot find our Cinderella who fits our magic shoe. Instead, first I chose my Cinderella and am planning to make her a magic shoe that fits her. That’s how I know that “She is the one!! “ J

IF- By Rudyard Kipling

A wonderful poem!! Great source of motivation and it can help you guide through your life during difficult situations!!

In this world of rat race, chaos and uncertainty, this shall be a light tower of virtues to help us reach the sea shore.

Savour the Peom,

-Vish

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master,
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools!

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)

Source: A Choice of Kipling's Verse (1943)

How to prepare for an Icebreaker?

Following are the aspects one need to consider for his/her Icebreaker speech

Objectives of a good Icebreaker

• Icebreaker speech asks you to speak in front of the audience and help your audience to get to know you. That's all !! :) 
• How?
• By giving insights into your life- from childhood to your present life
• This should include where you are born, Family details, Education, hobbies, your aspiration etc..
• Why?
• To build a personal connect with audience whom you are going to make friends. Probably for life time!! 
• Also, It helps to connect with like minded people 
• Ex: same alumni, same state, same future aspirations or hobbies)
• Speech duration : 4 to 6 mins with 30 sec grace time
• Considering the average word count (100/120 words per minute). Recommended word count is 500-550 words
• Have an Opening, Body and Conclusion

Please answer these questions for yourself

1. Will audience know me better after my speech?
2. Am I speaking about all the important aspects of my life?
3. Is there any take away message from my life to the audience? ( optional)

You can find the descriptive Icebreaker document from Toastmaster at this link. 

Yours,

Vish

Owner of a Lonely Heart

"Owner Of A Lonely Heart"



Lyrics
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Move yourself
You always live your life
Never thinking of the future
Prove yourself
You are the move you make
Take your chances win or loser

See yourself
You are the steps you take
You and you - and that's the only way

Shake - shake yourself
You're every move you make
So the story goes

Owner of a lonely heart
Owner of a lonely heart
Much better than - a
Owner of a broken heart
Owner of a lonely heart

Say - you don't want to chance it
You've been hurt so before

Watch it now
The eagle in the sky
How he dancin' one and only
You - lose yourself
No not for pity's sake
There's no real reason to be lonely
Be yourself
Give your free will a chance
You've got to want to succeed

Owner of a lonely heart
Owner of a lonely heart
Much better than - a
Owner of a broken heart
Owner of a lonely heart

Owner of a lonely heart

After my own decision
They confused me so
My love said never question your will at all
In the end you've got to go
Look before you leap
And don't you hesitate at all - no no
Owner of a lonely heart

Owner of a lonely heart

Owner of a lonely heart
Owner of a lonely heart
Much better than - a
Owner of a broken heart
Owner of a lonely heart
[repeat]

Owner of a lonely heart

Sooner or later each conclusion
Will decide the lonely heart
It will excite it will delight
It will give a better start

Owner of a lonely heart

Owner of a lonely heart

Don't deceive your free will at all
Don't deceive your free will at all
Don't deceive your free will at all
Just receive it

Owner of a lonely heart
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Source: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/yes/ownerofalonelyheart.html

Urs,
Vish

Don't Worry Be Happy!!

This is a nice song I came across- "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin.
Enjoy the song, rhyme and the rhythm.



Lyrics
______________________________________________________

Here is a little song I wrote

You might want to sing it note for note

Don't worry be happy

In every life we have some trouble

When you worry you make it double

Don't worry, be happy......

Ain't got no place to lay your head

Somebody came and took your bed

Don't worry, be happy

The land lord say your rent is late

He may have to litigate

Don't worry, be happy

Look at me I am happy

Don't worry, be happy

Here I give you my phone number

When you worry call me

I make you happy

Don't worry, be happy

Ain't got no cash, ain't got no style

Ain't got not girl to make you smile

But don't worry be happy

Cause when you worry

Your face will frown

And that will bring everybody down

So don't worry, be happy (now).....

There is this little song I wrote

I hope you learn it note for note

Like good little children

Don't worry, be happy

Listen to what I say

In your life expect some trouble

But when you worry

You make it double

Don't worry, be happy......

Don't worry don't do it, be happy

Put a smile on your face

Don't bring everybody down like this

Don't worry, it will soon past

Whatever it is

Don't worry, be happy 

source: http://www.lyricsondemand.com/

Urs,

Vish

Emotional Equations

"A set of simple equations to guide you through life".
This is the promise of the book and the author Chip Conley has fulfilled his promise. This book gives you a hard time especially if you are not patient enough and not paying enough attention to the the equations and how can you use them for your benefit.

Couple of equations I liked and would like to use them as my light post are:

• Happiness= Wanting what you have/Having what you want
• Flow=skill/challenge
• Calling=Pleasure/Pain
• Anxiety= UncertainityX powerlessness

To understand how you can use these equations you will need to read the book and it is good read. As I read through it, I could understand the anxiety and dilemma of a entrepreneur and I am sure that it will help me one day when I become one. :)

I admire the idea of simplifying the emotions using equations and play with them to become more happy and take control of life.

I will refer to these equations when in need and it will help you too to guide you in your difficult times.

Urs,
Vish

Awkward Questions!!

Santa noticed that Banta was looking depressed, and asked what was wrong.

"Well," said Banta, "I ran afoul of one of those awkward questions women ask. Now I'm in deep trouble at home."

"What kind of question?" asked Santa.

"My wife asked me if I would still love her when she gets old, fat and wrinkly."

"That's easy," said Santa. "You just say 'Of course I will.'"

"Yeah," said Banta, "That's what I did, except I said 'Of course I DO...'

Source : Santabanta.com

Urs,
Vish

Why are Goals Important?

On the best sunny day, the most powerful magnifying glass will not light paper if you keep moving the glass. But if you focus and hold it, the paper will light up. That is the power of concentration.

A man was traveling and stopped at an intersection. He asked an elderly man, "Where does this road take me?" The elderly person asked, "Where do you want to go?" The man replied, "I don't know." The elderly person said, "Then take any road. What difference does it make?"

How true. When we don't know where we are going, any road will take us there.

Suppose you have all the football eleven players, enthusiastically ready to play the game, all charged up, and then someone took the goal post away. What would happen to the game? There is nothing left. How do you keep score? How do you know you have arrived?

Enthusiasm without direction is like wildfire and leads to frustration. Goals give a sense of direction. Would you sit in a train or a plane without knowing where it was going? The obvious answer is no. Then why do people go through life without having any goals?

Source : Email of FOLK-
Friends of Lord Krishna (FOLK)
Hare Krishna Movement, Chennai

Urs,
Vish

The Employment?

Just reflect on this video and a long deep sigh follows....

Urs,
Vish

Project 5: "Fake it until you make it"

Surprised to see that the Bangalore TM club has taken effort to upload my speech. Thank you.

This is my project 5 and objectives are to improve body language and stage presence. Here I talk about my childhood fear of dog. This fear is well know to all Bangaloreans for the fact that we face this menace at every nook and corner of the city.

Hope the speech drives you with a clear take away message.
You may provide your comments and suggestions.




Urs
Vish

17 Wealth Secrets on Developing A Millionaire Mind

17 Wealth Secrets On Developing A Millionaire Mind by T.Harv Eker

Today is a Fine Day! :)

Husband to wife: Today is a fine day.

Next day he says: Today is a fine day.

Again next day, he says same thing: Today is a fine day.

Finally after a week, the wife can't take it and asks her husband: Since one week, you are saying this 'Today is a fine day'. I am fed up. What's the matter?

Husband: Last week when we had an argument, you said, 'I will leave you one fine day.' 

I was just trying to remind you. :) :D 

Source: http://www.santabanta.com/

Urs,
Vish

My Humorous Speech- Area D3 Contest

Here is my novice attempt to make audience laugh in my club- Express2Lead, Bangalore at Area D3 Level Toastmaster contest, which was held on 27th September 2013. Humor or Comedy has always been a difficult and daunting task for me. Sometimes I end up laughing at my own jokes lest no one laughs. I could get 3+ laughs from audience during the talk and I consider that as a success from the beginner's perspective. :)

Some of my B.Tech friends should be able to co-relate the talk with an incident in my college. :P
Hope you like and enjoy the video.
Please provide your comments and feedback.

PS: Toastmasters watching this video, please provide your suggestions to improve my Humorous skills.



Urs,
Vish

My Journey of Toastmasters

Year 2011 and place Hyderabad

Big surprises come in small packets and it was an invite to a non-work related meeting. This meeting had a different aura as all our HR's were actively promoting it and I wondered what is so special? With nudging from our manager, I accepted the invite and skeptically sat in the conference room.

The meeting started with a high pitched eccentric person shouting “Good Morning” multiple times. This person was so persistent to get a Good morning that I wondered if I was listening to a desperate School principal asking for Good Morning. I later learnt that he is called “Sargent-At-Arms”J. The meeting continued with MC and other role players.

All this seemed well rehearsed and did not impress me much until one session of the meeting. Yes, it was a Table Topic session and I was called as a speaker. I managed to mumble and fumble for 1 min and stood silent for the next. 

During then I realized how difficult it is to speak just for two minutes in front of an audience. This part of the session showed me the scope for impromptu speaking and convinced me to associate with Toastmasters. I visited nearby club for next 4 weeks, but could not join as I was contemplating to relocate to Bangalore.

I joined Express2Lead TM Club in April 2012 and continued to be an active member till date. Currently I am Vice-President- Education of out club helping members reach their goals. I am amazed by my increased ability in public speaking and looking forward to learn at every meeting and from every member.

Dear Toastmasters, remember: Big surprises come in small unwelcome packets. Look out for them and seize! J

Urs,
Vish

Caught in waves of Time

Wonderful poem! and kudos to the writer.
Hopefully I start writing such wonderful poems one day. :)

___________________________________________________
Looking into the sea I stood gaping,
Trying to understand why the waves are moving,
Caught in waves of time they complained of worry,
Sometimes to a greener grassland they would aspire to ferry.
Singing a song that only I knew of,
I wondered if the haste is worth the fight,
Why should I worry if I am always right?
Destination is a mystery -some call it destiny -
Lest we fool ourselves with the chaotic theory.
People here can't stay idle,
Even the fuel prices rise cant quite bridle.
Mobility is the order of the race,
Bonus points if you leave a path to trace.
"But what's with the points?" if you care to ask,
You will know -On earth there's no real task.

___________________________________________________

Poem Written by Divya, a enthusiastic Toastmaster from Chennai Communicators Club
(Extracted from CCC Newsletter)

Urs,
Vish