CULTIVATING THE HABIT OF GOOD LISTENING

One must listen rightly, cautiously, effectively, intelligently, unpretentiously and calmly. If you want to be a good listener you have to cultivate the habit of effective listening. Those who are good at communication know the importance of listening, which is perhaps more significant than even speaking.
It is not an exaggeration to say that relationships thrive more on listening skills than on speaking. A good speaker may sometimes find himself out of place in a group, but a good listener seldom finds himself in such a situation.
Efforts can be made to improve the listening habits by following practices
1. To make listening, a regular habit you ought to start from somewhere. Start from today and from now on dedicate at least an hour to listening only
.
2. During this one-hour do nothing but listen with all your attention and application. Listen to the sounds and the words as they come to you in their unmodified state.
3. Listen without the intervention of any thoughts, without any agitation in your mind. Enjoy the pristine beauty and the syllables of the sounds
4. Concentrate on one sound or many sounds or on all sounds that comes to you at a time. Listen to them in the milieu of the background in which they arise.
5. Listen to the distant sounds that are almost inaudible but can be heard only by dint of effort. Listen to the faintest of the sounds such ticking of a watch, movement of wind, the rustling of the grass or for that matter your own breathing. At the end of this exercise, listening should have become an integral part of your system.
6. Try to replay in your mind the various sounds that you hear every day. Try to replay a particular piece of music or song that interests you. Try to recreate mentally the sounds of nature.
Can you recollect the sounds exactly the way they are? Can you recollect various sounds at one swoop? Can you play an entire orchestra mentally in our mind? Keep practicing till you can say confidently? To these questions confidently.
A mind that is fully vigilant, alert and liberated from all cares and worries is most conducive to effective listening. If you want to allow the words of others to enter your mind freely, you must cultivate a free and undistributed mind and an unassuming personality.
Pay more attention to others, their thoughts and words than to yourself and to your own thoughts and words as you listen. Rid that egotistic attitude.

We conclude it is in our eagerness to make an impression and communicate our thoughts to others that we tend to forget the true act of listening. To become a good listener we must learn to keep ourselves in the background. It is only through humility that we can reach out to others. Empathy and rapport are the two wires through which you can connect yourself with the rest of the humanity.

Building a brand for self

Employees who can brand and market themselves well carry an image that gets associated with not only their brand name but also the organization’s. Self branding always helps. But the employee should not resort to bragging or pretense. It is a careful study of oneself in a quest to understand what one excels in and then leveraging on those attributes to create a brand called ‘me’. A great communicator for instance, brands himself /herself likewise. Whereas a silent performer carries this very attitude as his/her brand identity.

Personal branding is not all about self promotion and marketing tactics, it is more fundamental than that. It is a clear, deep and profound understanding of who you are and what you stand for. Every organization should believe in playing with the strengths of the individual.

This is not a new phenomenon. It happens in all relationship; people always wish to establish their identify (brand). Branding is a positive and an essential long term process in one’s career as long as it is based on and backed by one’s competencies and achievements. Branding oneself stems from a simple fundamental of how human beings co-exist in a given environment. Humans can exist only in two forms of relationships. Either, they compete or collaborate. Taking advantage of natural opportunities to promote your accomplishments and letting others know what you have done is a good thing and needs to be encouraged. One of the ways to stand out, shine through is to wisely promote your accomplishments and use effective self marketing and self branding tools.

Is it a fair deal for the silent worker whose effort go unnoticed and some other employee who is good at branding himself/herself walk away with all the applause? Branding is neither about making noise nor is it a popularity contest. Hence it does not matter whether you are silent or outspoken. Branding is about what image/brand one wants to build for oneself and how he/she goes about doing it. Building a brand for oneself is a highly individualistic process and what works for one may not work for the other. So, being an introvert or an extrovert does not matter.

Talking about whether it is an unfair for the silent workers. There are many successful introverts. An extrovert or a good orator need not be successful compared to an introvert or poor speaker. Networking and blogging are domains where introverts can beat their more talkative rivals in their own game of self promotion. It would be wrong to say that these silent or the introvert employees miss out on a lot as they do not get the appreciation or recognition as they tend to maintain a low profile. If they are good at what they do their ‘silent’ attitude towards work may even add to their performance and productivity. In fact, at Endeavor, every Project Lead has a special knack of identifying and rewarding the silent performers. Extrovert employees are more suited for the client-oriented roles, where their ability to speak out and good presentation and persuasion skills may do wonders. On the other hand, an introvert employee may be suitable for the back end delivery kind of roles where a dedicated and focused effort is required.

Fairness in this entire process is only about an opportunity being provided to all to showcase his/her success. Leveraging the opportunity is only a function of his/her ability to communicate with confidence. Introversion could be referred to someone who lacks confidence in articulating his/her success openly. Such an employee would expect his/her supervisor to point out his/her success to the rest of the team.

It is imperative for any organization to make sure that their employees gets the right kind of appreciation and does not feel side lined and disappointed. How do organizations make sure that they keep employees who blow their own trumpet at bay and identify the deserving talent? Differentiating a deserving employee from a hypocrite is only about an organization being knowledgeable about human behavior and work performance standards. With so many skilled self-marketers around, leaders need to develop tools and skills to evaluate and reward real performers.

It is very important for organizations to weigh the claims of individuals against time; It is easy to form opinions about employees as professed by them in the short run and determine roles and responsibilities, accordingly. However, a real brand is created only when the opinions are vindicated time and again and the individual delivers consistently over a long period of time.

Hence the moot point remains that as much as self barding is highly recommended for every individual a short term image should not be confused with branding. It’s always in the long run that an individual’s brand gets established. If organizations are good at identifying the deserving talent then the practice of an employee branding oneself will certainly work wonders for both.

Some thing worth reading! Speech by Chetan Bhagat at Symbiosis

Don?t just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order.
There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions.
"Life is one of those races in nursery school where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same is with life where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die. ??????.
One thing about nurturing the spark - don’t take life seriously. Life is not meant to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up??????
It’s ok, bunk a few classes, scoring low in couple of papers, goof up a few interviews, take leave from work, fall in love, little fights with your spouse. We are people, not programmed devices..." :)

"Don’t be serious, be sincere."!!

Neuroscience Meets the Startup Mindset+ Some Inevitable Questions

How Entrepreneurs Think- A Clinical Study

Entrepreneurs are a class apart. Or are they? While much has been said about entrepreneurs and their way of thinking, there is very little actual clinical research done despite the hype. A very interesting piece of evidence was uncovered recently when MIT, one of the world’s most respected institutions, conducted a thorough and in-depth research into the mind of the entrepreneur- quite literally speaking.

 The Objective

The study, one of the most focused and well-structured ever undertaken, was conducted to actually verify what we have suspected all along- that entrepreneurs are indeed different from the rest of us The broad based objective of the study was to test whether individuals who were entrepreneurs had the much-needed dexterity to switch between different problem solving modes that are prevalent in the human brain. The researchers at MIT’s neuroscience department collaborated with the Sloan Business School to identify 63 test subjects who were self-described entrepreneurs and managers. The test subjects were required to engage in a game involving virtual slots. During this game, their brains were scanned for signs of strain on both sides of their frontal cortex- the section that governs cognition and problem solving. The technology used was an FMRI scan to map the neural activities.

The Results-

Not surprisingly, the behavior of the entrepreneurs were significantly different from the managers,  implying that they were indeed making more of the shifts between their explorative and exploitative skills, while at the same time, retaining their coherent, problem solving abilities.

The research proved that the entrepreneurs were not necessarily smarter than managers or that they had a higher IQ levels- however, the fact that they use their brains in a more complete way when performing decision making functions cannot be overlooked.

Clinical studies have shown that the entrepreneur’s brain is indeed, wired to think differently. However, as research shows, this is not entirely unattainable by those who wish to tread the path of becoming a first or second generation entrepreneur. With the re-emergence of entrepreneurship as a mainstream career option in the recent times, extensive researches have been conducted and have all pointed to the fact that entrepreneurship can be taught to aspiring venture builders using pretty much the same techniques and methods that business and leadership training can be imparted to M.B.A’s. Simply put, according to a recent Wall Street Journal article that elaborates on this, well-structured case studies and projects are  as much valuable to successful entrepreneurship education as they are to an MBA program. After all, the common objective is to run and manage a successful business venture while avoiding the pitfalls and hazards. ”The added advantage for management students to undertake a course in entrepreneurship is that it instills the innovation mindset while teaching students how to successfully maneuver today’s complex and rapidly changing business landscapes” ,says Aditya Malik, CEO of Talentedge, India’s leading Ed Tech Company,  which collaborates with IIM Rohtak for their Executive Entrepreneurship Training Program. “As the digital revolution gains traction among the young business managers, entrepreneurship is becoming more entwined in the overall business management model”, he says further, “There are some who believe that the best way to learn entrepreneurship is by practical experience; but is it really feasible for an entrepreneur to waste valuable time and resources on making and correcting mistakes that they can be taught to avoid altogether?”

Then there are the obvious skills that go beyond the classroom. People management, motivation, overcoming social barriers and others such are just a few of the elements. Indeed, the unprecedented success of IIM Rohtak’s Executive Programme in Entrepreneurship points out to the benefits of learning the subject even as learners come across relevant situations in their professional lives even during the course. “A substantial number of our learners are working professionals looking to start their own ventures shortly, and programs like these are what they are choosing for their final preparations even as they work on their business plans”, he says.

Career in Digital Marketing (Your Ultimate Guide)

Do you think the ‘digital marketing industry’ is growing at a rapid rate? The technology is shrinking the globe every second? Does the latest in Digital landscape fascinate you and you avidly keep a track of the newest trends in the industry by following major digital marketing sites and influential celebrities on social media? Do the major digital players such as Google, Facebook and Twitter fascinate you? Then ‘Digital marketing’ surely is your cup of tea.

We all know that the world is swiftly shifting from analogue to digital space every minute. The consumption of Digital content is on an all-time high, and the smartphone revolution has spruced it further. The space has seen tremendous expansion in the past decade, experiencing an exponential growth of 100 per cent within a span of last three years.

Why Digital marketing?

India’s base of about 120 million Internet users is currently the third-largest in the world. With the given current downward trends in the costs of Internet access and mobile devices, India is likely to have the second-largest internet user base in the world, and the largest in terms of incremental growth, with 330 million to 370 million Internet users in 2015.

Given the above scenario, it’s unsurprising that Digital way of life is fast becoming the epicenter of corporate, social and political activities. The world is not just mobile but literally on the mobile.

It is believed that the key in the near future for building reputation and informational capital will be leveraged exclusively by the digital vertical and the same gets reflected in the sudden surge of Digital Marketers around the globe. While some doubt the loss of traditional marketing the internet generation has already embraced this as a way of life.

The traditional working verticals (HR, Sales, Marketing,etc.) in the corporate world and otherwise can no longer afford to work in isolation from the Digital medium. The first touch point for information for every audience in the world, whether a student or a professional, young or old, urbane or evolved rural is a digital platform. Whether they refer the company website, online product and service reviews, or shop online, the choices are unlimited. Reputations are built and shaped on this platform every day;therefore it is fast becoming the frontrunner to achieve overall success in every domain.

The modes of digital communication are faster, more multipurpose, and modernized; it is therefore foreseeable that once the technology is available the world adjusts its life around it.The development of digital media in India has contributed to the need for skilled and qualified professionals who can not only understand the nitty-gritty of digital marketing but can also lead the critical campaigns individually or for clients in the digital domain.

Digital Marketing from Talentedge

If you are budding professional looking to pursue a career in this dynamic space, an entrepreneur or a digital specialist who wishes to hone his skills further, the certification course in Digital Marketing from MICA exclusively available at Talentedge can give your career a momentum. The comprehensive course includes dedicated modules on Business and E-marketing, Search, Display, Mobile, Web Analytics, Email Marketing and Social Media, to help you adapt to the latest in the industry.

Developed in collaboration with India’s leading education institution – MICA, the flagship course is provided online through Direct to Desktop interactive technology of Talentedge, a unique e-platform that facilitates learning through LIVE classes held by eminent faculty while providing the students the flexibility to learn virtually from anywhere. This fully virtual course not only promotes anywhere, anytime learning but also provides an interactive learning experience that is better than the real classroom.

Giving you an edge and making a meaningful difference to you, your career and your life, by changing the way you learn — is the challenge we are up to at TALENTEDGE.

For details on the course visit: http://talentedge.in/mica/

Digital Marketing- IIM Kashipur

• If you’re looking to add immediate value to your CV that actually gives you a comfortable job with a high paying salary,
• If you’re frustrated by too many new institutes claiming that they are the best place to learn digital marketing from,
• If you have friends or colleagues who earn handsome salaries as digital marketing managers and you’re wondering how to step into that level of success,

You should seriously consider the Digital Marketing Program from IIM Kashipur, a new entrant in the elite league of IIMs.

Digital Marketing Careers- Quick Facts

• Digital Marketing is very different from traditional offline marketing. Digital Marketers are required to understand new channels of market communications, advertising and analytics on different platforms.
• Digital Marketing is the present and future of marketing. Every business on the planet is moving to establish itself in the digital marketing space. Several among them are not only creating new teams, but rapidly expanding their existing teams.
• In fact, the field of Digital Marketing has been by far the fastest growing job opportunities segment since 2014.
• Did you know that you could also build a career in IT companies with a recognized certification from a prestigious institution? Yes, in fact every large Indian IT company has a large Digital Marketing Team that handles projects from clients abroad
• Digital Marketing is also a very sought after skill in foreign countries. This is in fact, is one of the highest in-demand skills for those looking to settle abroad in a well paying job.

How to Get Started and Move Ahead

The digital marketing program from IIM Kashipur is the way to master the digital domain. Not only do you learn about Planning & Strategy, you also get to know about Website Optimization and Analytics too. From Affiliate Marketing to Email, Mobile and even Social Media Marketing, this program is your go-to guide for Digital Marketing. If you are new to the digital field, no worries. There’s a detailed introduction to Digital Marketing too.

Learn from the best:

Prof. Rajat Sharma is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Indian Institute of Management, Kashipur. His current research interest targets the analysis of the marketing consequences of the Internet and digital media on industries and markets. He has expertise in the application of analytics in business, with specific emphasis on marketing, sustainability, retailing and E-commerce.

Prof. Sharma has a Ph.D. in Marketing from IIM, Bangalore. He has consulted in various capacities for A.P. Civil Supplies Corporation, Winning Matters, UTC Aerospace Systems, Leisure Hotels and many other firms on realizing business value from marketing investments, internet marketing and business analytics. He is also assisting numerous start-ups in their digital and analytical needs.

IIM Kashipur offers a limited number of seats for its Digital Marketing Certification program, so drop your details and get a free counselling session with our counselor and information on next steps. Remember : Immediate Action takers are the ones who grow the fastest in their careers!

Foreign Media On Pros And Cons Of PM Modi's Money Crackdown

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's crackdown on black money may have an unintended consequence: a slump in consumer spending that hits India's corporate earnings recovery.

Investors are trying to gauge the impact on company profits after Modi's surprise recall of high-value currency notes last week. At risk is a strengthening earnings picture that has seen three quarters of gains, after operating profit fell in every quarter of 2015. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said Nov. 9 the move will damp consumption in the short term, a belief that's helped send an index of consumer discretionary goods to a four-month low.

"The earnings revival will get delayed as the liquidity crunch will hit consumer-facing industries," said Nilesh Shah, chief executive officer of Mumbai-based Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Co., which has $9.5 billion in assets. The measure will "lead to a temporary squeeze in small-ticket consumption and discretionary spending," he said. 

Economic expansion of above 7 percent, the $13 billion salary boost for government staff and a good monsoon after two years of drought had led investors to bet on company profit growth accelerating. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. in October forecast corporate earnings growth in India to outpace its regional peers in the year to March. The sudden decline in money supply has muddied the picture. 

Modi's decision to withdraw 500 and 1,000-rupee notes, which accounted for 86 percent of the money in circulation, has virtually stalled the economy. While no one is predicting the anti-graft measures to push Sensex earnings into negative territory just yet, the move will disrupt segments of the economy such as property and gold where cash transactions play a vital role, analysts say. 

"This move has multiple long-term benefits but in the near term it will lead to material transition-related uncertainty and can potentially disrupt several economic activities that have traditionally relied on unaccounted cash transactions," Deutsche Bank AG analysts Abhay Laijawala and Abhishek Saraf wrote in a note. There will be an "adverse" impact on shares of developers, cement producers and infrastructure companies, they said. 

An index of real-estate companies tumbled to a seven-month low on Tuesday, while the S&P BSE Auto Index capped its biggest four-day loss since August 2009. The S&P BSE Consumer Discretionary Goods & Services tumbled the most in 14 months, extending last week's 6.4 percent retreat that was the steepest in five years. 

The benchmark S&P BSE Sensex gained 0.4 percent at 9:27 a.m. on Wednesday, rebounding from a five-month low. The gauge is still up 15 percent from its February low. 

Deposits Surge 

Even so, money managers including ICICI Prudential Asset Management Co., India's biggest, and SBI Funds Management Ltd. say the crackdown on illegal wealth will boost liquidity and open up room for more interest-rate cuts. Banks deposits have risen by $48 billion after last Tuesday's ban as customers rushed to deposit the old bills. 

Slowing inflation allowed a panel led by Reserve Bank of India Governor Urjit Patel to lower the benchmark rate to the lowest in more than five years last month. A further reduction would help revive stalled infrastructure projects, according to S. Naren, executive director and chief investment officer at ICICI Prudential, which has $29 billion in assets. 

"There may be temporary setbacks in the immediate term but investors should use such opportunities to increase their equity allocations," Naren said. 

Operating profit for the Sensex companies has risen 12 percent in the September-quarter reporting season currently underway, after increasing 4 percent and 6 percent each in the previous two quarters, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Net incomes at companies in the index may rise 20 percent over the next 12 months, the data show. 

"The magnitude of the earnings recovery will not be as robust as expected earlier," Gopal Agrawal, chief investment officer at Mumbai-based Mirae Asset Global Investments (India) Pvt., said by phone. "The cash crunch will curtail consumer spending for the next three to six months

'Government Is Not Stupid': Economist Bibek Debroy On Notes Ban

NEW DELHI: For those who say that the new 2,000 note will fail at making it harder to hoard black or undeclared money, economist Bibek Debroy has a short answer: "Don't assume the government is stupid." He also has another health warning: "Do not assume that Indians are stupid. They will figure out ways of circumventing it (the new rules on notes), and what the government is trying to do - is preempt it."

Mr Debroy, who is a member of the NITI Aayog or the PM's Policy Commission, said that the new 2,000 rupee note is necessary because "cost wise, a higher-denomination note is more effective, the printing costs are lower and it lasts longer."

Critics of the week-old ban on 500 and 1,000 rupee notes say that the sudden removal has hit the poor hardest since they transact entirely with cash, a claim denied by Mr Debroy.
 

Top Economist Bibek Debroy is a member of the NITI Aayog or the PM’s Policy Commission

The new Rs. 500 notes were released days after the old notes were pulled from circulation; Rs.2,000 bills are are being given to account holders at banks and ATMs. Without enough Rs. 500 notes in circulation and old Rs. 100 notes running out quickly, people are left only with Rs. 2,000 notes to offer at shops. It's impossible to get any change. So what is the point of such a high-denomination note, many have asked.

"The ATM can only stock a limited number of notes...so that is the reason 1 why you need higher-denomination (Rs. 2,000), apart from 100 rupee notes. The second reason is, there's been inflation, so you do need a higher denomination note," said Mr Debroy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's radical move at demonstration has been largely praised by financial experts. The government has said that the fact that the ban on the old notes was announced just four hours before they were declared invalid was essential to prevent those with black money from channeling their untaxed cash into buying assets like property or gold.

"This was an extremely, extremely secret operation. Not more than about 7 or 8 people knew about it," said Mr Debroy to NDTV. When asked if he was among them, he hinted, "Can you keep a secret? Because I can.''

The problem is that across the country, those outside the banking system have been left stranded without cash. Banks continue to witness round-the-block lines of people desperate to collect the allotted quota of new notes.

Right next to his office are the the teeming crowds outside the Reserve Bank of India; Mr Debroy has been carefully studying the crowds there and he believes that a majority of them are not trying to swap their old notes for new ones, but serving as proxies for others. That is partly why the government today said that indelible ink, the sort used for voting, will be marked on those who've collected their cash.

"Today's measure of indelible ink will take care of letting other people exchange cash,'' he said. In the first six days, over 45 billion dollars were deposited in banks as people turn in their old notes. "There is a short-term disruption in production but the gains are long term and helps cash lying around people's houses back into the system," said Mr Debroy.
 

Donald John Trump

Vice President	Mike Pence (elect)
Succeeding	Barack Obama
Personal details
Born	Donald John Trump June 14, 1946 (age 70) New York City, New York, U.S.
Political party	Republican (1987–99, 2009–11, 2012–present)
Other political affiliations	Independent (2011–12) Democratic (before 1987, 2001–09) Reform (1999–2001)[1][2]
Spouse(s)	Ivana Zelníčková (m. 1977; div. 1991) Marla Maples (m. 1993; div. 1999) Melania Knauss (m. 2005)
Children	Donald Jr. Ivanka Eric Tiffany Barron
Alma mater	Fordham University University of Pennsylvania (BS)
Net worth	US$4.5 billion[3]
Signature
Website	greatagain.gov

Interview Tips

An interview is like a sales presentation and an opportunity for you to present and sell yourself to a prospective employer. This is usually a two stage process; the first meeting giving the overview as to the job and person fit, the second being more in depth, running through the role and your attributes in more detail. This is the time for highlighting your skills and abilities to the employer and satisfying any questions that you have about them. Be prepared to answer questions on anything that you have included in your CV.

Take time to research and read through all the information that you can find about the company; their website will be a good place to start, most information can be found on the company website and ideally this should be the first source of information.

  Some tips:
» Present yourself in a corporate and professional manner, offering good eye contact to interviewer, listen carefully and answer concisely, and if required, ask for the chance to elaborate.

» Remember that what you say in the interview is what the interviewers will base their decision upon – you only get once chance and if you don't tell them, they won't know you did it!

»  Some interviewers apply a relaxed approach as they want to see the 'real' you.  You can be relaxed, but remember it's a formal interview and don't cross the line.  The interviewer still wants to see that you are professional and will be client facing.

»  Smile and be solutions orientated. You will bring solutions not problems

»  Never be negative about your previous role or employer, even if you think they are terrible!  This may put doubt in your interviewer mind that you might be one with the issues!

»  Always be solutions orientated and show where you have solved problems or learnt from your mistakes and how you have imparted your knowledge to others and helped them to learn.

»  Print off a current copy of your CV in case you need to refer to it and make sure you know what's on the CV inside out!

» Try to stay calm, don't rush your answers try to give consideration to all of them. If you need a moment just say to your interviewer can I have a second to think about that.

»  Stay positive. If you are asked about your continued interest in the position, answer in the affirmative, the interviewer is trying to perceive your thoughts. Decisions are always better made when you can stand back from the situation. Should you be offered the position there and then, show your pleasure, say thank you and let them know you will let them know after a little time to contemplate.

Best way to motivate

Satish Kumar

The best way to motivate is to organize the job so that doing it provides the feedback and challenge that helps satisfy the person’s higher level needs for things like accomplishments and recognition. These needs are relatively insatiable, so recognition and challenging work provide a sort of built in motivation generator. Satisfying lower level needs for things like better pay and working conditions just keep the person from becoming dissatisfied.

The factors satisfy lower level needs are different from those (motivators) that satisfy or partially satisfy higher level needs. If hygiene factors (factors outside the job itself, such as working conditions, salary and incentive pay) are inadequate employees become dissatisfied. However adding more of this hygiene (like incentives) to the job (supplying what Herzberg calls extrinsic motivation) is an inferior way to try to motivate someone, because lower level needs are quickly satisfied. Soon the person simply says in effect, what have you done for me lately? I want another raise.

Instead of relaying on hygiene says Herzberg the employer interested in creating a self motivated workforce should emphasize job content or motivator factors. Managers do these enriching workers’ jobs so that the jobs are more challenging and by providing feedback and recognition — make the job itself intrinsically motivating in other words. Here the motivation in a sense come from within the person and just dong the job provides the motivation. Among other things Herzberg’s theory makes the point that relying exclusively on financial incentives is risky. The employer should also provide the recognition and challenging work that most people desire.

Psychologist Edward Sash’s work highlights another potential downside to relying to heavily on extrinsic rewards: they may backfire. Sash found that extrinsic rewards could at times actually detract from the person’s intrinsic motivation. For example, a Samaritan who risks danger by rushing to an accident victim’s aid might be insulted if the victim said Thanks here’s some money for your trouble. The point may be stated thusly, Be cautious in devising incentive pay for highly motivated employees lest you advertently demean and detract from the desire they have to the do the job out of a sense of responsibility.

Victor Vroom

Expectancy

A person’s expectation that his or her effort will lead to performance

Instrumentality

The perceived relationships between successful performance and obtaining the reward

Valence

The perceived value a person attaches to the reward.

Another important motivational fact is that in general people won’t pursue rewards they find unattractive or where the odds of success are very low. Psychologist Victor Vroom’s motivation theory echoes these commonsense observations. He says a person’s motivation to exert some level of effort depends on three things: the person’s expectancy (in terms of probability) that his or her effort will lead to performance; instrumentality or the perceived connection (if any) between successful performance and actually obtaining the rewards; and valence which represents the perceived value the person attaches to the reward. In Vroom’s theory motivation is thus a product of three things: Motivation = (E x I x V), where of course, E represents expectancy), I instrumentality and V valence. If E or I or V is zero or inconsequential there will be no motivation.

First, if employees don’t expect that effort will produce performance, no motivation will occur. So, managers must ensure that their employees have the skills to do the job, and believe they can do the job. Thus training job descriptions and confidence building and support

Second, Vroom’s theory suggest that employees must be see the instrumentality of their efforts – they must believe that successful performance will in fact lead to getting the reward . Managers can accomplish this, for instance by creating easy to understand incentive plans.

Third, the reward itself must be of value to the employee. So ideally the manager should take individual employee preferences into account. Endeavor to use extrinsic and intrinsic rewards that make sense in terms of the specific behaviors you want to encourage.

The RBI issues new currency

The Reserve Bank of India will issue fresh currency notes in denominations of ₹1,000, ₹100, ₹50 with new designs, specifications and enhanced security features, in the coming months.

“In due course, ₹1,000 notes will come back in the market with new dimensions, new design and new colour,” Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das said at the Economic Editors’ Conference here on Thursday.

The new notes in the denomination of ₹2,000 are being issued due to factors of convenience and inflationary pressures.

His comments come after the government had on Tuesday night demonetised the existing ₹1,000 and ₹500 notes as legal tender to curb counterfeits, black money and terror financing.

Banks and post offices have started issuing the new series of ₹500 and ₹2,000 notes.

Das also said that denomination of notes will be re-introduced with new designs and added security features. However, the existing currency notes will continue to have legal tender status.

“The legal tender status of the existing ₹100 and ₹50 notes will continue,” he said.

Sources said the new notes are likely to be issued in the next three to four months. “It is a continuing exercise when new notes are issued along with existing notes,” said an official.

The Finance Ministry on Thursday also allowed old denomination currency notes of ₹500 and ₹1,000 to be used for payment of fees, charges, taxes, penalty to Central and State governments, including municipalities, local bodies as well as payment of utility charges to electricity and water.

“The facility will be available till midnight of November 11. Records will be maintained of deposits by people,” Das said.

FIIs in commodity trading
Meanwhile, responding to a query, Das said the government is also considering a proposal to allow all foreign institutional investors in commodity trading but a decision has not been taken yet. 

“Many suggestions have come with regard to permitting FIIs into commodity trading, but no decision has been taken. The matter is under consideration. The matter is also under consideration of the SEBI,” he said.

Modi Dares to think Beyond!!!!!

Modi Dares to think Beyond!

Bans 500 and 1000 rupee notes!  Absolutely the greatest thing he could ever do! Hats off! Absolutely awesome !

The greatest move! Cheers!

There is absolutely nothing more amazing that he could have done to wipe off black money circulating inside India! Two thumbs up! Now await another move to attack the real big hoarders of black money. Those who have it stashed abroad... am sure since he has done this,  he will do something about that too...soon!

Till then let's rejoice this once in a lifetime moment!

Trump and modi_ by Arindam Sir

11/9 for you!

Absolutely historical! Both for India and the world! And I am indeed happy!

I had decided to delay my editorial for 'The Sunday Indian' this month till today i.e. 11/9 (writing 9th of November the American way) because I wanted to write the edit on the next American President. But as the joke goes, Modi decided to upstage the American excitement, at least in India!

But before coming to Modi, let me finish writing on why Trump as POTUS makes me reasonably happy! I followed the elections in the US with maximum enthusiasm...only till Bernie lost. Have written earlier too. I wanted Bernie like no one else ever, including, Obama! And had it been Bernie, today most likely Democrats would have been the guys celebrating!

Post Hillary getting the nomination all my excitement died. Yes, I would have loved to see a woman finally breaking the Presidential glass ceiling! But did that mean supporting Hillary? When Susan Sarandon was asked why wouldn't she support Hillary when the man she supported - Bernie - wanted support for Hillary. She said "I don't vote with my vagina". That's the crux, you vote with your brains.

And I am glad Americans used their below average brains to vote. So the result? First the sad one... Bernie lost to Hillary and Americans proved that as a nation they were still intellectually dwarfed. Next the better one. Trump won. And Americans proved that though they were less educated as a nation on the whole, but not complete idiots yet. So why am I happy at Trump's victory?

Well I quite disliked that crooked -as Trump loves to call-  woman, for certain. On the other hand,  Trump has been a case study of business success in B Schools all over the world and is quite transparent. You get what you see. An arrogant, boisterous Billionaire with scant respect for anyone.. and absolutely practical. To me, Trump, represents in every which way,  the majority of Americans. From the Great American dream of unlimited wealth in their eyes to their multiple partners, marriages and divorces to being  absolutely coarse and racist illiterates... He is America. Rarely has anyone ever represented today's America more. At least in the Oval office.

As I told a friend of mine as she stood in a queue to vote yesterday... I wouldn't vote if I were in her place.. but if I were forced to, I would vote for Hillary and hope that she loses... that way I wouldn't live for 4 years with the guilt of electing an unscrupulous lady of totally suspect ethics and values nor live with the guilt of voting for an openly racist and misogynistic man.

Hillary has repeatedly used her and her husband's name and their joint official posts to join hands with the worst corporations and rulers around the world for personal gains directly, or, indirectly through the Clinton Foundation. Also I believe it's better even for women to have Melania out there inside the White House than Hillary... I mean for the future of feminism as well...Its better to have a woman who posed nude for magazines, and did so proudly, than to have a woman who for all her claims of championing the cause of women couldn't take a stance on her husband when he cheated - even if it was to tell the world boldly that so what if he got a blow job, I am absolutely happy to be with this intelligent man with so many other exceptional qualities. She didn't. Neither did she divorce. For feminists like Susan Sarandon, no wonder then, she was a strict no.

I also believe,  unlike Hillary, Trump would be under no pressure to prove "I am as good as a man"... and chances are world will be more peaceful... First time a man openly respectful of Russia - and wanting to be friends with Putin- with a formerly communist wife is the president of US. In my understanding Hillary would have escalated the neo cold war. Trump on the other hand as per my guess-apart from US President being a lame duck- wouldn't do any over the top nonsense he kept saying during his campaign. That's my guess.. That was the marketing strategy of a true blue reality realty star. Totally don't believe he will do anything stupid... he will probably choose having a good ball in each room of white house or getting himself a new wife for all that matters over going for a war.

I sound disrespectful? Yes and No. I respect his business acumen and his leadership abilities. I don't respect his openly racist behaviour that he displayed and misogynistic attitude. But then as I said,  that's the average American for you!

Also, I strongly feel, it was time Obama paid for doing nothing worth his while in 8 long years -apart from taking home the Nobel Peace Prize - despite his big words and charm.  Yes  he was a so called decent guy compared to Trump... but then we all know,  decency is a completely over rated virtue. Two weeks post white house he could be caught having a foursome with two men and a sex worker. And yet that wouldn't really make any difference to who he is or make him any better or worse.

To me it really is Obama's loss,  Bill's loss and then Hillary's. She was in any case reflected glory somehow managing to pull off a campaign without falling off the stage anywhere. She actually almost did once.

Untrustworthy,  conniving, greedy and a complete hypocrite. She will perhaps go back and try to make money from Wall Street in the name of her daughter's future possible election... that is unless Trump actually doesn't send her to jail for playing with the nation's security and striking deals with questionable characters around the world -using her official status- for the Clinton Foundation.

I pity Trump could never get across this message properly to the elite because he was always blabbering incohesively... but then the majority of Americans are hardly educated, and his communication worked with them. They did get his simple message in between all the incoherent stuff he blabbered - Crooked Hillary - because he kept saying it a million times. Absolutely exceptional case study of political marketing!

Internally for Americans, after a few days, the stock markets will be back and the economy will be as it was, Trump really won't make it any worse. In fact there might be a few more casinos attracting some more tourists - the Vegas way - as an added attraction. But on the flip side, apart from continuing their devious tradition of coups and attempted coups in Latin American countries, Obama and Hillary and their war mongering made a mess of the world.. from Afghanistan to Libya to Syria. They actually funded and created terror groups and called them moderate jihadists and indirectly funded ISIS. It would have continued and become worse. That may however get cleaned up due to Trump. And illegal immigration might be down inside America. And China and Pakistan will probably face real heat...

So, let's celebrate Trump's victory and look forward towards a more practical and peace loving America.

Let's hope for a better world.  A Trump-Modi-Putin axis too? Let's keep that for another day.

Coming now to the Indian 11/9 and Modi!

Modi after his complete let down for three years with rubbish Swachch Bharat type campaigns -which resulted more into selfie opportunities for celebrities and politicians than real work- while allowing fringe elements to feast on divisive messages, finally Dared to think Beyond as 11/9 set in, in India! What a courageous and brilliant move to ban 500 and 1000 rupee notes! Absolutely the greatest thing he could ever do! This is what people expected from him.  A man who would have the courage to take tough steps unlike his predecessors. A man who would really go behind the corrupt. And he did it with elan.

There is absolutely nothing bigger as well as symbolic that he could have done - to give Indians hope as well as to wipe off black cash circulating inside India! Two thumbs up! Now of course we await another move to attack the real big hoarders of black money. Those who have it stashed abroad... am sure since he has done this,  he will do something about that too...soon!

Till then let's rejoice this almost once in a lifetime moment! At IIPM Think Tank we are specially happy because we have always supported the idea of abolishing 500 and 1000 rupee notes (here is a link from one of our 2011 articles in support of the same http://www.thesundayindian.com/en/story/dictatorship-of-the-sycophants/16135/ ).

But yes let's admit that this doesn't solve the black money problem. A huge proportion of black money is stored in land and gold. So, the truth is too much to be done yet. But I do believe this is a huge beginning because a substantial amount of black money is in cash... And even those who have it in property/gold, the rates will fall now.

So, many of those Indians who avoided paying taxes despite being fully aware of them; and kept making black money will surely suffer.

Yes, the big guys have it mostly stored abroad. And Modi knows it very well. So one would still await his promise on that front specially because many of these guys are his supposed close friends.

It's also interesting to note that most politicians get their funds from smaller business guys in India. So this move of Modi is a political master stroke too, with UP and Punjab elections coming up. Most political rivals will suffer big time! As of now Mamta Bannerji at least is openly livid, though for other reasons and plans to file a PIL. I am certain it will be dismissed.

I believe this could just be the beginning of real action from Modi. And this might continue not just till 2019 but till 2024 because he surely realizes eye wash policies like Swachch Bharat and divisive attempts to polarize India isn't the way forward. Before elections he spoke of toilets before temples and the constitution of India being his only religious book. I think he has finally remembered his good words.

The question is now will he take similarly path breaking steps towards education,  health,  employment and judicial reforms?  If he does that,  he could end up being one of the greatest world leaders, because, changing India is like changing the world.

Cheers!