B-school KIAMS Convocation Ceremony held

The emergence of more investors in corporate world provides huge opportunities for the young executives to turn entrepreneurs, Pramod Chaudhari, Executive Chairman, Praj Industries said here.

“Unlike in the past, with so many private equities, angel investors, venture capitalists and others willing to provide funds for start-ups now, it is ideal time for today’s young talent to become entrepreneurs," Mr Chaudhari said.

He made this remark while delivering key note address at a convocation ceremony for the Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) of Class 2015 of Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies, popularly known as KIAMS in the B-school world. The event was held in Pune.

Ms. Vaanya Bhatia was awarded the gold medal while Ms. Pranasha Sahu bagged the silver. Class of 2015 is the fourth integrated batch of KIAMS to pass out. Mr. Pramod Chaudhari conferred the diplomas on all the graduating students of Class of 2015 from KIAMS Pune and Harihar in Karnataka.

Mr. Rahul Kirloskar, Executive Chairman, Kirloskar Pneumatic Company Ltd. (KPCL) who presided over the ceremony highlighted that at KIAMS the thrust is to ensure that the graduating students become industry relevant and ready to face competitive environment.

"With academic rigour, branding and strengthening research and other capabilities, KIAMS is set to occupy a position of eminence amongst top B-schools in the country," he said.

Dr. C. N. Narayana, Director, KIAMS reviewed academics and ranking received by KIAMS as well as initiatives being taken to occupy the place among top B-schools and the efforts of faculty-students in the area of research and publication that resulted in publication of papers and cases in national and international journals.

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IMD Business School Plans Expansion in Singapore

IMD Business School Plans Expansion in Singapore With New Executive Learning Center
New facility launch slated for May 2015

IMD, a top-ranked business school and worldwide expert in executive education, will plant deeper roots in Singapore with the opening of a new IMD Southeast Asia Executive Learning Center. The new Executive Learning Center will include state of the art teaching space, rooms for breakout discussion, dining facilities, a boardroom and IMD''s main offices in Southeast Asia.

The IMD Southeast Asia Executive Learning Center will be housed on Beach Road in the new South Beach Tower. Located in the heart of downtown Singapore, the complex has gained notary for its design by Foster and Partners that includes a unique canopy "environment filter." Rabobank, Facebook, Sanofi, Bain & Company and De Lage Landen are just some of the companies who will also be tenants in the building.

"More than providing executive education, in our customized approach and in our high-touch engagement with clients, IMD is becoming a true partner for Asian business," said Margaret Cording, IMD's Regional Director in Southeast Asia and Oceania. "By establishing a Center where discussion and learning can take place, our new facility is one of the ways we are investing in these partnerships."

"I am extremely proud of IMD's growth in Southeast Asia and that now our clients can choose to come to our campus in Lausanne or in Singapore," said IMD President Dominique Turpin. "While IMD will always promise Swiss excellence, with the new IMD Southeast Asia Executive Learning Center, we look to seek deeper bonds and connections to Asian-based business leaders."

IMD runs workshops and other development programs for companies in Singapore and across the entire region.

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ITM University hosts ‘Lean for Leadership’ Workshop

With the aim to provide its students exposure to best global practices in industry, ITM University, Gurgaon hosted ‘Lean for Leadership’ workshop, an initiative by American Society for Quality (ASQ).

ITM University shapes its students for leadership roles with such initiatives and strives for making them highly competent skilled professionals who are ready to meet national needs and international standards.

“In today’s competitive world it is crucial to delight your customers more than your competitors do. In order to do this, it is imperative for organizations to maintain total quality, instantaneous service, and flexibility in terms of what you want to offer and what the customer is looking for like competitive pricing besides other factors. The workshop will give important insights to our students into crucial need for focus towards quality and global practices,” said Prof. Prem Vrat, Pro-Chancellor, ITM University, Gurgaon.

The session concluded with the thoughts that the country’s policy of ‘Make in India’ will be successful if global quality standards are maintained, and projects are cost effective with minimal wastage to ensure ‘Zero Defect, Zero Effect’.

ITM University is the first university in India to be selected by ASQ and form a Students’ Chapter to usher in world-class process in every part of academic and professional life.

Many eminent people from the industry, including Mr Sachin Garg, Vice President, Max Life and Ms Savita Bradoo, Director Quality, Convergys, participated in the workshop and shared their experiences gained over the years.

Mr Ciby James, Director, ASQ (India), conducted the workshop, which received a good response from the students. Prof. Ravindra Ojha, Director School of Engineering and Technology, ITM University, Gurgaon, led the students of the varsity.

ASQ is a leading authority on quality in all fields, organizations, and industries. ASQ (I) offers high-end training programs leading to certification which are considered a universal benchmark. Besides running a number of useful national and international workshops and seminars, it also conducts Certificate course for student to provide them an enabling foundation for leveraging quality tools to accomplish their major domain projects and objectively enhance their profiles for placements.

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IIT Bombay launches e-Yantra Lab Set-up Initiative

Mumbai, April 05, 2013: IT Bombay today announced the launch of its e-Yantra Lab Set-up Initiative (eLSI) – a nationwide vision to enable and empower engineering education in the country through creating facilities and producing mentors. A logical next step to providing scalability and sustainability to the pan-India e-Yantra Robotics Competition for students launched in July last year, e-Yantra Lab Set-up Initiative will create the infrastructure for students to engage their interest in Robotics and Embedded systems in a continuing manner. E-Yantra is an MHRD sponsored project under the National Mission for Education in ICT (NMEICT) program.

‘We do this by setting up e-Yantra labs, training teachers and getting them to integrate our "learn by doing" ideas into the curriculum. Once the labs are in place we can share our know-how, teaching insights, project methodologies, etc. ultimately to train the teachers to take ownership of our Embedded Systems course,’ says Prof. Kavi Arya of the Computer Science and Engineering department of IIT Bombay and one of the conceptualisers of e-Yantra.

(L to R) Prof. Kavi Arya, Dr. Seema Shah, Prof Srikant Velankar, Prof. Krithi Ramamritham.jpg

In the pilot phase, e-Yantra conducted workshops where teams of 4 teachers from the shortlisted 16 engineering colleges in the Mumbai region were trained in the theory of micro-controllers and programming of Robots. To give them a hands on experience, these 16 teams participated in the e-Yantra Robotics Teacher Competition - a competition over a period of 4 months to train them in all aspects of a technology project. The finale of this teachers' competition also coincided with today’s launch of eLSI as a symbol of preparedness of the teachers to assign projects to their students in the newly launched Robotics labs.

Today’s launch event took place at the Vidyalankar Institute of Technology, Wadala - one of the 16 participating colleges from Mumbai. The entire team of teachers and principals from the remaining 15 colleges were present at the launch along with the team from IIT Bombay including Prof. Krithi Ramamritham, Prof. Kavi Arya and also Dr. Rajan Welukar Vice Chancellor of Mumbai University who joined in through a video link to address the audience.


By the end of first year, IIT Bombay aims to create e-Yantra labs across 100 colleges and 5 Nodal Centers (each Nodal Center (NC) to oversee around 20 colleges). By the end of 3rd year this number would go up to 500 colleges and 25 NCs in all the small and large towns, villages and cities of the country.

A couple of weeks ago IIT Bombay’s e-Yantra concluded its first National Robotics Competition grand finale. First a phenomenon and then a rage among engineering students from across the nation; it led to 6000 registrations (from some of the remotest parts of the country), 500 participants, 25% female participants, 131 teams, 20 finalist teams and all winners.

While that created awareness and identified a need, in order to sustain the generated impact on the engineering curriculum in future, it was essential to create a supporting infrastructure that enables and empowers. An infrastructure that brings students and teachers together to work on innovative and meaningful projects and solves problems, which are unique to our country and environment.

Prof. Suresh Ukarande, Dean of Faculty of Technology, University of Mumbai who enthusiastically put Mumbai University behind this initiative and piloted and supported the e-Yantra Lab Setup Initiative said, ‘through Robotics, we want to create a culture of practical knowledge, research and creative and innovative thinking among students’.

‘What makes e-Yantra special is its inter-disciplinary approach. This results students across departments – be it electrical, mechanical, computer science – to come together to solve an existing tangible problem and create something that is beyond their defined syllabus. The e-Yantra Lab Setup Initiative is a visionary concept that only an institute of the stature of IIT Bombay can think of and see through. I wish them all the best,’ he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Krithi Ramamritham also from the CSE department and co-conceptualiser of e-Yantra said, ‘our goal is to help develop core engineering skills in our students to inspire them to look upon themselves as “problem solvers for society.” To stimulate their creativity and analytical skills and to “learn by doing.” This practical approach is sadly lacking in Indian education’.

‘We believe e-Yantra will play a significant role in addressing a number of the pressing issues in our education system at the college level. We need to scale up the program as fast as possible to create useful skills in the students. This means not only technology development but to nurture a market driven eco-system that will sustain the new infrastructure being created of robots and ancillary equipment in the academic community. This being our goal, we have certainly made a promising start and the story promises to get more exciting as we reach out to the rest of the country to colour it in different hues of e-Yantra,’ added Prof. Arya.

Commenting on the launch, Dr. Seema Shah, Acting Principal of Vidyalankar Institute of Technology said, ‘We at Vidyalankar Institute of Technology are extremely proud to be a part of the e-Yantra MHRD pilot project. Under the able guidance of the capable e-Yantra team from IIT Bombay, all the 16 colleges in Mumbai will definitely take this project to greater heights. This is just the start of a productive relationship among us all in the field of Robotics. The success of the pilot initiative will enable the e-Yantra team to extend this project to the other engineering colleges across the country’.

The IIT Bombay e-Yantra team has devised a simple, scalable and sustainable model for setting up labs in colleges across India. Colleges with strong networking and infrastructure capabilities in different regions are identified as Nodal Centers (NCs) each of which will serve as a coordinating and mentoring entity for 20-30 colleges from that region. All that the participating college needs to do is make an investment of Rs. 5 lakh to purchase robots, tools and ancillary equipment, have a dedicated team of 4 teachers (to be trained by IIT Bombay), physical space for the e-Yantra lab and 20 PCs/laptops to be made available to the students.

Once the infrastructure and willingness is in place, IIT Bombay steps in with its 3-pronged approach of setting up the e-Yantra labs that most teachers and colleges have found motivating and rewarding:

- Mentors: delivering mentors by training teachers through workshops on Robotics and Embedded systems

- Infrastructure: helping in infrastructure set up with its expertise and knowledge of setting up and running a Robotics lab

- Competition: leading the teachers through their participation in a teachers' version of the contest to show how to handle a project.

Every college has the responsibility to create and sustain the interest of students in their engineering subjects. e-Yantra does this by making teaching exciting and demonstrating the societal problem-solving angle at every stage. A college gains highly motivated students and teachers and a relevant curriculum. It gains visibility amongst students. It creates students with the practical systems engineering outlook much more desirable to industry and the community. It creates value all round for all stakeholders.

By plugging the college into the IIT Bombay eco-system of projects and project ideas, e-Yantra’s intention and goal is to give each college a start such that over a period of time they also help create content for the robotic eco-system with a multiplicative effect on intellectual property creation.


For further information, please contact:
Atul Malikram
9827092823

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Tip of the Day: Management

Management is about making things happen and this means managing change - unknown. 

Effective management is the key to success, not only in the arena but also in all aspects of life. Proper management is the best practice to keep fit you and your organization, no matter what you are doing or what sort of tasks you have for the day.It is managing changes that will reflect your leadership quality hitting the targets set.

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Management Skills that are Effective

There are some managers, who make your work place, positive and vibrant, and on the contrary, there are also those kinds of managers, that make you feel sick, and make your life miserable.

In most of the cases, when an employee chooses to leave a position, it is because of his relationship, with the manager, or with other people in the work place.

For any company, to prosper, and to see growth, good and effective managers, are very necessary. The role of an effective manager is to see that, each individual in the team, gives his best, performs well, and then the team as a whole achieves its results.

It requires both talent and skill, to be a successful manager. These skills need not necessarily be born; they can be developed through, experience, or by acquiring training.

Persons who are good at communication, leadership, development of self and others, who are adaptable, and are good at maintaining relations, prove their worth, as effective managers.

A manager with good communication skills will be able to instruct effectively, and listen effectively. Best managers are those, who exhibit, best leadership qualities, and as a true leader they should be able to gain trust, guide or give direction and promote a sense of responsibility in others.

Adaptability is the most important quality that a manager should have. Only when he is adaptable to the various and unexpected situations, will he be able to guide others, on the path of success.

When emergency or serious situations emerge, he should be able to think creatively and positively, and should come out with a solution.

Effective managers, have good relationships with their team, they earn their trust and respect, and help them to give their best, and they also motivate them, to do more productive work. Last but not the least, effective manager gives importance to, self development or growth.

He is always willing to learn, acquire knowledge, and upgrade himself, with the best qualities, and skills, both personal and professional.

These are the components that make a good and effective manager. And these are the qualities that you should look for, in a manager. A manager with these skills and capabilities is sure to take the organization, on the path of success, and progress.

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Education – What does it mean?

“Intelligence plus character-that is the goal of true education.” Martin Luther King Jr.

Seeing today’s world one really wonders, in what sort of educated and cultured society we are living and what kind of educated and cultured people are we surrounded by? In so called old days, educated people were less, but, they never behaved the way, the so called educated and cultured people do today. In olden day’s peoples lives were guided by principles and values, where as money and comforts are the only guiding factors today.

What sort of education are we getting? Is the education we are acquiring making us humans or is degrading us to animal humans? Education should help humans become divine and should result in a better society. But where is all that? We make tall claims that we are living in a very cultured, very broadminded, technically advanced and global world? But how far our thinking is global? All these are the questions we need to ask ourselves.

Education based on values and life guided by principles is what we need. Until and unless people give value to these things and try to inculcate them in our life the society will not progress. We see so many people who are called genius lying on the roads, ending up their lives in mental asylums. What is the reason? Why are the so called genius people becoming perverted?

The main reason because they lack the kind of education that is necessary for making their life meaningful. It is not enough if we have education that will help us earn few rupees and lead a comfortable life. We need education that will enlighten us, elevate us, bring more maturity in our thinking and helps us to bring out the divine qualities in us. May we all be blessed enough to have that kind of education.

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Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa on doing Worldly Duties

Image Credit: Panormio

"Do all your duties, but keep your mind on God. Live with all — with wife and children, father and mother — and serve them. Treat them as if they were very dear to you, but know in your heart of hearts that they do not belong to you. A maidservant in the house of a rich man performs all the household duties, but her thoughts are fixed on her own home in her native village. She brings up her master's children as if they were her own. She even speaks of them as 'my Rama' or 'my Hari'. But in her own mind she knows very well that they do not belong to her at all.

The tortoise moves about in the water. But can you guess where her thoughts are? There on the bank, where her eggs are lying. Do all your duties in the world, but keep your mind on God.
If you enter the world without first cultivating love for God, you will be entangled more and more. You will be overwhelmed with its danger, its grief its sorrows. And the more you think of worldly things, the more you will be attached to them. "First rub your hands with oil and then break open the jack-fruit; otherwise they will be smeared with its sticky milk. First secure the oil of divine love, and then set your hands to the duties of the world.

"But one must go into solitude to attain this divine love. To get butter from milk you must let it set into curd in a secluded spot: if it is too much disturbed, milk won't turn into curd. Next, you must put aside all other duties, sit in a quiet spot, and churn the curd. Only then do you get butter.

"Further, by meditating on God in solitude the mind acquires knowledge, dispassion, and devotion. But the very same mind goes downward if it dwells in the world. In the world there is only one thought: 'woman and gold'.

"The world is water and the mind milk. If you pour milk into water they become one; you cannot find the pure milk any more. But turn the milk into curd and churn it into butter. Then, when that butter is placed in water, it will float. So, practice spiritual discipline in solitude and obtain the butter of knowledge and love. Even if you keep that butter in the water of the world the two will not mix. The butter will float.

"Together with this, you must practice discrimination.’Woman and gold' is impermanent. God is the only Eternal Substance. What does a man get with money? Food, clothes, and a dwelling-place — nothing more. You cannot realize God with its help. Therefore money can never be the goal of life. That is the process of discrimination.

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Positive Effects of a Recession

Image Credit: Ecominoes

Fewer jobs, less money, and less, sense of security. These are all the ill effects, of recession, that majority of the people suffered across the world. But there is a good to learn even from bad things and bad experiences. So let us have a look at the positive effects of recession.

• Less Wastage:  When we have limited resources we learn to value them and to use them carefully. Because of recession, people have started focusing on the need aspect rather than want aspect. This results in less wastage and utilization of the resources to the best.

• Breaking gender barrier: Majority of men had to lose their jobs because of recession. So, the role play of the women from being limited to household duties, extend to earnings as well. And this resulted in increasing the confidence level and social status of the women.

• Benefits to the government: when people have enough money everyone prefers his own means of transport. But in the times of recession, preference has shifted from personal transport to public transport. This results in increase in the government revenue. And this in turn results in benefits to the public.

• Betterment of skills/change of profession: Necessity is the mother of all inventions. When people have no income source and are in bad need of money, they usually focus on sharpening their skills or focus on alternative and better sources of income.  

• Time to think: This is the right time to think about your life, and make necessary changes. You want to spend time with your loved ones or you want to give a new direction to your life change your goals and priorities. This is the time for all these changes.

So, when we learn good lessons even from bad times, we are on our way to progress and prosper.

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Body Language or Non-verbal Communication during Interviews

Image Credit:Where Great Workplaces Start

"It's not what you say, it's how you say it," is a very apt saying that holds true in case of job inter views. What majority of the people appearing for the interviews do is. They prepare technically, and focus on the subject. Know the details of the company; update yourself of its recent news if any. Prepare yourself for the common interview questions. Plan what kind of clothes you will wear for the interview. But the important point to be noted here is that, the person who takes the interview not only tests your capabilities and skills, professionally, but is also concerned with the way you carry yourself and your body language.

There are some dos' and don’ts to be followed during the interview. Especially concerning the body language, let’s have a look at them.

Do

• Give a firm shake hand, confidently and make sure you make eye contact with the person. 
• Even if you are on a phone interview make sure that you stand up and smile, as this increases your alertness and allows you to engage in the conversation. 
• Sit up straight, and lean slightly forward in your chair. Show interest in interaction. Align your body’s position to that of interviewers, this shows agreement and admiration. 
• Make positive gestures and nod according to the need but, in moderation. 
• Make sure that, there is a minimum of 20 inches gap between you and the person taking interview. If you maintain this gap, you will not enter into the person space of the person taking the interview and keep his comfort levels. 
• Use a minimum of deodorants, or performs. As far as possible use very mild ones and limit it to small doses, as there are some people, who are allergenic to these, and who knows your interviewer is one of them. 
• If there is more than one person, or a group of three or four persons taking the interview, make sure you maintain eye contact with everyone get back to the person who asked you the question. 
• If there are any interruptions, or if some is talking to the interviewer, refrain from staring at your interviewer, and if necessary show your willingness to leave if they need privacy.

Don't

• Rub the back of your head or neck, as these gestures indicate that you are disinterested. 
• Touch or rub your nose, as this shows that you are not completely honest. 
• Sit with your arms folded across your chest; this will appear unfriendly and disengaged. 
• Cross your legs, and shake them, as it is distracting and shows that you are feeling uncomfortable. 
• Lean your body towards the door.
• Slouch back in your seat, as this will make your appear unprepared and not interested. 
• Stare blankly.

A Goodbye With Grace

Unless you are sure and you are given permission to leave the interview room, don’t be in a hurry to leave the interview room. When you are leaving the interview room, make sure that you shake hands with the interviewer(s) with eye contact and with a firm smile. Make sure that your goodbye handshake is also confident.

Carry yourself in a dignified manner and behave properly, even after coming out of interview room. When you have come out of the building and are at a distance from the area, you can be at ease.

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Advisory Review on Business and Management Ethics

Management and Business Ethics

Managers play an important role in establishing a company’s ethical tone. A company's leaders are responsible for setting standards for employee behavior.

It's important for managers to play an active and positive role in creating a working environment, where employees are encouraged and rewarded for acting in an ethical manner.

Managers should show in action by following ethics themselves, so that in turn employees may emulate and follow them.

They should remember the fact that leading by example is the first step in fostering a culture of ethical behavior in their companies.

Importance of Ethics

Ethical behavior improves the atmosphere at work and motivates the employees. Following ethics evokes a sense of pride for the company and improves its image in the eyes of the employees.

From the outer point of view, ethical behavior improves the public image of the company, and sets an example for others to follow.

Companies and business persons, who wish to have long term business, must adopt sound ethical decision-making practices.

Knowing the difference between right and wrong and choosing the right is the foundation for ethical decision making.

In many cases, doing the right thing is what leads to the greatest financial, social, and personal rewards in the long term.

Image credit: ReadytoManage

Management ethics are the ethical treatment of employees, stockholders, owners, and the public by a company.

While a company needs to make a profit, it should have good ethics also.

Employees should be treated well. By being respectful of the environment in the community a company shows good ethics.

Ethics and ethical behavior are important parts of healthy management. From the point of view of management, behaving ethically is an integral part of long - term career success.

Organizational ethics

• The company should care for the consequences of its actions on the society.
• The company should expand its activities apart from required legal obligations or formalities.
• The company should adjust its policies according to the social conditions, demands and pressures.
• The company decides to concentrate on its long-term goals for the benefit of society in general.

Ethical decision-making  

When taking a decision the management should following criteria of ethical decision-making:

• Legality – what will be the legal consequences of the decision?
• Fairness – What effect does the decision have on those involved in decision making and those involved?
• Effectiveness – Decision once implemented and takes the form of action will it be able to achieve the goals and results?

Any decision that is illegal, not fair and not effective should not be taken. If a business or a company is built on strong foundation of business and management ethics, no one and nothing can stop it prosperity and progress.

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Critical Thinking - Required Skills and their Importance

Critical thinking is an important element of all professional fields and academic disciplines. The process of critical thinking involves the careful acquisition and interpretation of information and use of it to reach a well-justified conclusion. The concepts and principles of critical thinking can be applied to any context or case but only by reflecting upon the nature of that application.

Critical thinking forms, therefore, a system of related, and overlapping, modes of thought such as anthropological thinking, sociological thinking, historical thinking, political thinking, psychological thinking, philosophical thinking, mathematical thinking, chemical thinking, biological thinking, ecological thinking, legal thinking, ethical thinking, musical thinking, thinking like a painter, sculptor, engineer, business person, etc. In other words, though critical thinking principles are universal, their application to disciplines requires a process of reflective contextualization.

Critical thinking is considered important in the academic fields because it enables one to analyze, evaluate, explain, and restructure their thinking, thereby decreasing the risk of adopting, acting on, or thinking with, a false belief. Critical thinking includes identification of prejudice, bias, propaganda, self-deception, distortion, misinformation, etc.

Check List of Skills for Critical Thinking Competency:

1. Accessing and Collecting Information: One needs to locate and collect relevant data, facts and figures also information and knowledge.

2. Observing: One needs to gain information by training and using various senses.

3. Taking Effective Notes: One needs to record significant information in written form.

4. Managing Attention: One needs to focus on multiple observations. And needs to retain and recall.

5. Attributing: One needs to recognize characteristics or properties of any idea, object or situation.

6. Evaluating Evidence: One needs to check, if the data/information is valid or correct.

7. Organizing in Advance: One needs to create a framework in which information can be arranged, learnt, remembered and used.

8. Classifying: One needs to group the entities based on common characteristics or properties.

9. Comparing/Contrasting: One needs to examine two or more ideas, objects or situations to uncover or discover similarities or differences between them.

10. Determining Cause(s) and Effect Connection: One needs to recognizing and determining relationships between two or more events.

11. Recognizing Patterns: One needs to Recognize and understand the patterns of events from data, information and knowledge.

12. Sequencing: One needs to arrange events, items, relationships or objects in a predetermined order.

13. Remembering: One needs to retain and recall information and knowledge when needed.

14. Prioritizing: One needs to establish an effective order of preference.

15. Developing Ideas/Concepts: One needs to work out idea(s) or concept(s) by using investigation/study and analysis.

16. Elaborating: One needs to enrich an idea/concept or process to make it better, meaningful and useful.

17. Check List of Skills for Critical Thinking Competency: One needs to formulate a proposition, test its effectiveness and analyze results.

18. Paraphrasing: One needs to reword accurately the written or spoken information.

19. Critically or Strategically Questioning: one need to intensify quantity and quality of collected information through enquiry and open dialogue.

20. Inferring: One needs to deduce conclusions from the collection and analysis of information.

21. Thinking Flexibly: One needs to generate variety of thinking categories, shift categories and detour in the direction of thought.

22. Thinking Fluently: One needs to generate free flow of ideas quickly resulting in multiple ideas.

23. Thinking Originally: One needs to think originally or uniquely to produce non-obvious and unusual thoughts/ideas.

24. Thinking Systematically: One needs to accommodate all the factors that influence an event or a situation and all its effects, impacts or results in an orderly manner.

25. Decision Making: One needs to work out the alternatives and decide which one to choose among them.

26. Predicting: One needs to think what will happen in the future.

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This Week in Business Skills - Critical Thinking

Critical thinking does not mean "disapproval" or "negative." There are many positive aspects of critical thinking, for example formulating a workable solution to a complex personal problem, working out as a group about what course of action to take. Using strong critical thinking we might evaluate an argument. Critical thinking may occur whenever one judges, decides, or solves a problem; in general, whenever one must figure out what to believe or what not and what to do and what not? Reading, writing, speaking, and listening can all be done critically or uncritically. Critical thinking is "a way of taking up the problems of life.

Critical thinking skills include observation, interpretation, analysis, inference, evaluation, explanation, and meta-cognition. Critical thinking gives space not only to logic, but also to intellectual criteria, such as clarity, credibility, accuracy, precision, relevance, depth, breadth, significance, and fairness. For critical thinking we need the ability to recognize problems, to find workable means for meeting those problems. We need to understand the importance of prioritization and order of precedence in problem solving. We need to gather relevant information. We need to recognize unstated assumptions and values. We need to comprehend and use language with accuracy, clarity, and discernment. We also need to interpret data, to appraise evidence and evaluate arguments.

In critical thinking we need to recognize the existence or non-existence of logical relationships between propositions. We are also required to put to test the conclusions and generalizations at which one arrives. In critical thinking we need to re construct our patterns of beliefs on the basis of wider experience and render accurate judgments about specific things and qualities in everyday life. In short critical thinking is "A persistent effort to examine any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the evidence that supports it and the further conclusions to which it tends."

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This Week in Business Skills - Preparation for Selling

Selling is a Skill (which one acquires skills in any thing by doing it repeatedly). Before approaching a client for sale, if we do some homework then it becomes easy to close the sale and have the result in our favor. Let’s have a look at some points on how to prepare for selling:

• Try to acquire knowledge about the client like from a website, history or from people related to the Client.
• Apart from gathering professional information, if possible try to gather some personal information like interests, hobbies, etc.
• Gather information about the client such as if he is a member of any club or organization or any voluntary organization or some society. This will help you to know the person and help you build a positive relation with him, which in turn will help you to close the sale.
• Work out on client’s needs; try to find out the reason as to why he can buy from you and work out in that direction.
• It is not just enough to make your sale somehow and come back with your commission. Before going to the client, you should know the good will that the client and his company have in the market. And what position or rating they hold in the market. This will give you idea if you can rely on the company and the client for the payment, you are supposed to get once you make the sale.
• You need to know if the person or the client you are approaching is the person with the authority to close the sale and to make the choice. If not who else is involved in the decision making process and in closing the sale. If that is the case you need to do homework regarding the other person also.
• The most important thing you need to find out, about the client is that, what kind of relationship does the client maintain and keep up with his vendors? Is he and his company only interested in money or are they interested in maintaining long term relations and good will. What is their prime concern only money or quality.

Do this home work before approaching a client for sale and you can be sure to give your best 100%.

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What is Discipline and why we need it

The common misconception about discipline is that it is only applied for defense personnel or students. What we need to know is that discipline is not something we need to be afraid of. Discipline is what we all follow knowingly or unknowingly, to achieve what we want to achieve. An athlete follows a routine doe’s exercise; takes qualitative diet; leads a disciplined life style which helps him to achieve his goal and that’s what discipline is. Discipline is the pathway to our dreams and goals.

When we walk on the road we need to walk on the footpath to avoid accidents and for our safety. When driving we are supposed to wear helmet and that is again an example of discipline for our own safety. Discipline allows us to be safe and makes sure the right thing is achieved in the right way. Discipline is a part & parcel of life and as earlier as we understand this fact, the life will be much easier. We all need discipline in every stage of our life and every aspect of our lives. If we want to be healthy, we need to have disciplined food habits and lifestyle. If we want to be financially well, we need to be disciplined financially by planning budgeting, personal finance and other money issues accordingly.

There will not be one area of our life where there is no need for us to be disciplined. Discipline is a path we intentionally or non-intentionally choose, so that we can reach our destination, our goals and dreams in life. It allows us to have control over our life, situations, consequences and even happiness. It is a precaution we need to take so that our life goes in a smooth and safe way. So when we make discipline a part of our lives, we make life better and easy to live.

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This Week in Business Skills – Facing the Situation

We all face different kinds of problems each day. Right from childhood till we take the last breath, we all face various situations in life where we feel totally helpless. How do we need to face such problems? Well, it all depends on the nature of the problem and how much confidence do you have on yourself.

There are mainly three kinds of problems that we commonly encounter in day-to-day life. Those are problems relating to health; finance; and relationships. To arrive at a solution for any kind of problem we need to go to the root of the problem or the cause. We need to assess the situation and the causes that lead us to the present state of affairs and then we need to think of a solution to the problem we need to work out on the alternatives.

But the wise thing to do is to prepare you for a better tomorrow. If you want to lead a healthy life (free of health complications), then you need to maintain a healthy lifestyle right from the beginning. You must have heard that education comes from Home. So your home is your playground. Here are some tips

• Keep calm during stressful situations
• Take limited yet healthy diet which will boost up your spirit to stand against even bigger problems.
• Keep yourself away from habits that degrade your physical and psychological health.
• Keep your mind occupied with positive thoughts and engage yourself in positive actions.

To avoid financial problems you need to plan. Which direction you want to go and what suits your skills or talents? Which is the best profession that suits you, where you want to make it to the top? Then work out on the best possible way to follow your dream and always plan for alternatives, backups and analyze what problems you face. Planning and budgeting are important aspects of finance. Regarding the financial aspects it will always be better to take the advice of the experienced and skilled person in the field before planning or investing.

Relations are the foundation of our life. These are the basis on which our whole life goes. Invest your time in relations; work out on improving relations and this is the best way to make it to the top in any sphere of life.

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Today’s Actions determine Tomorrow

Today, in this moment what you are experiencing in life is the result of your past thoughts and actions. And what you do and think right now will determine your tomorrow. Knowingly and unknowingly we have so many thoughts throughout a day and intentionally or unintentionally we do so many things that become habit and determine our future. So, in every moment we have to be careful about what we are thinking or doing and how this is going to shape our tomorrow.

Every thought that we hold and every action that we do, leave impressions on our mind. When we repeat them over time, our mind and body gets habituated to them and thus we form habits. If for example a student wants to see himself as a topper, he has to form habits and do things that allow him to achieve this dream. He has to stick to a routine, lead a disciplined life and resist himself from temptations. There are so many things that determine his success and lead him to his goal, unless-until he takes that particular path from the beginning else he cannot achieve his goal.

What path of action he undertakes today will determine what result he will have tomorrow. The same holds true for every one of us. We have so many ambitions and dreams in life and we do want to achieve them. But are we disciplining our life in the way which will help us achieve our goals? You can take the example of Technology Innovator Steve Jobs. It’s said that he thought of creating smartphones, virtual maps and streets before even starting Apple. He dedicated himself to the technology world so deeply that Apple is now among the biggest smartphone innovators in the world. If you want to reach a destination you have to take a particular route to reach the airport and then you have to board the particular flight to reach where you want to go. Right from the house, each and every step you take will determine where you will go.

Goals and dreams are the same, every step you take, every action you do, every thought you hold, will either take you closer to your dreams or away from them. So, every action matters and every thought counts. Make your today, a pathway to future and you are sure to reach your goals.

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Top 15 tips to do great in life [Part 2]

Watch out your company: There is a saying that goes like this “show me your friends and I will tell you who you are”. This is not just a saying but golden words from someone who has studied life. Always try to keep the company of those people who are more experienced than you in work and life. People who are successful, motivational; who lead life like leaders by helping others and adding value to their life. When you keep the company of such people you have their influence on you and you start to learn from them life’s important lessons.

Never give up: If we compare the lives of people who are successful in their life and are leading an exemplary life with the lives of those who are experiencing failure, there is only one single difference and that is successful people pursue their dreams till they become reality. And people who are experiencing failure in either personal or professional life are those who gave up working for their dreams. Reasons may be any but the end result is same those who work till their dreams become true become successful. So you should never give up as whatever the situation may be and shouldn’t stop until you achieve your dream.

Vision: People who are successful are those who have dreams and vision in life. If we lead life without any motive or purpose then life becomes meaningless. A person with vision is the one who has control over his future as he knows how he wants his future to be and goes in that direction. Vision gives motivation and it helps us becoming better every day to lead life with purpose.

Have faith in yourself: Faith is everything in life whether it is towards God or any other person or ultimately yourself. It is faith that leads people. There is a saying that goes like this “what others say about you is their opinion about you not your worth”. So having faith that there is a purpose in your life and you have all the capabilities to accomplish it is the core aspect.

As every day progresses improve: Some great person has said that if you lead the life the same way as you did yesterday without any improvement or progress in any sphere that is no life. With every passing second and with every passing day, just think what values you’ve added to your life and to the life of those around you. Try to improvise yourself by improving your capabilities in every possible area, because life is meant to improve and to progress.

“Live each day like it’s your last” – Steve Jobs

Watch out for the third part of Top 10 tips to do great in life in tomorrow’s edition.

Follow us over Twitter @Neel5 or like Business News This Week in Facebook for more updates.

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The Best Ways to Relax during Working Hours

Most of us believe that the best way to get out of the stressful routine and come back to normal relaxed state is a week-through vacation. Though it is also true to a great extent, but stress is a daily matter or concern, at least in the existing times, whether it is personal life or professional. Stress has become an unavoidable factor and to come out of the day-to-day existing stress, which is the better way? Yearly once vacation for a week or to look out for alternatives ways through which we can relax us on a daily basis.

It will be always better to look for alternatives for relaxation on a daily basis. Because every time you are stressed it is not possible to go for a vacation. There are several ways of relaxation depending upon people types, geographical area, working environment, people or assets around you and many others. Some people prefer listening to music; some opt to dance; or exercise. Well it all depends on the person as to find his own personal relaxation source. But there are times when you feel burnt out of energy and no more in a way to concentrate on work. Especially in today’s time, whether it’s corporate job or otherwise, working hours are extremely long and people get squeezed into their desks.

So the best ways we think to relax during working hours are:

• Take a break for ten minutes every hour.
• Sit down with closed eyes and concentrate on breathing for a period of ten minutes
• You can go for small walk in the office which loosens your mind and body pressure.
• Talk to someone who can make you laugh or with whom you open up
• Take a sip lemon soda drink with colleagues and get energized 
• Play something you find cool like a Puzzle, board game or even cycle a bit. 

      Caution: You may want to avoid computer games if you were on a desk job or computer job,  though some people also find these games relaxing

And the greatest advantage of doing these is, at the end of the day you don’t come out totally burnt out of physical and psychological energies and you can take charge of your personal life.

Live Healthy and Live Long!!

Follow us over Twitter @Neel5 or like Business News This Week in Facebook for more updates.

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This Week in Business Skills – Negotiation Outcomes

Normally there are three kinds of outcomes of a negotiation. Those are:  win/win, win/lose and lose/lose. 

Win/win: This is a kind of situation where both the parties or persons involved in the negotiation are benefited by the negotiation. The main aim of this kind of negotiation is to find out a solution that is acceptable to both the parties and the persons and where both the persons have a feeling that the negotiation has worked in their favor. It is always preferable that one should aim this outcome as this helps in establishing a long term

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