Big THANKS to Nicholas Bate for a gift of ideas!

I referred to few great lists from Nicholas Bate – “Professionalism101“, “Be Different25” and “Outrageous101” earlier on this blog. I mentioned earlier that I felt very upbeat after reading these lists.

I would like to express a BIG Thanks to Nicholas Bate for sending me autographed copies of his books How to Sell and Market Your Way Out of This Recession and Get Your Business Buzzing Like Never Before (even Though Your Customers Don’t Want to Know!) and Instant MBA: Think, Perform and Earn Like a Top Business School Graduate (52 Brilliant Ideas) along with host of other small booklets and a wonderful greeting card signed by him.

Over at About page on his blog, Nicholas has written that he is passionate about supporting people to ensure they realise and release their true and full potential. This gesture goes on to prove that he lives his passion.

These books are a valuable addition to my collection and I am sure to pick up some very valuable insights. Thanks to blogging, I have been able to communicate and build relationships with some of the most eminent thinkers. It can’t get better than this.

Thanks Nicholas, and I look forward to reading more of those thoughtful and provocative lists. This is certainly a high point in my blogging career.

Leadership Development Carnival – April Edition

The April Leadership Development Carnival is up at “Great Leadership” blog by Dan McCarthy. For those who are aren’t aware of Carnival concept, Carnival is a blog event where excellent insights on a particular topic are hosted in form of single post with links to original blog posts.

“Great Leadership” is an excellent Leadership blog which offers remarkable insights on Leadership and related subjects and is also the host of Leadership Development Carnival.

I am happy and proud that one of my posts “Personal Leadership – It shines in difficult times” has been included in the Leadership Development Carnival along with other great blog posts on Leadership subject. I am particularly excited because this was my maiden participation in a blog carnival.

Recognition is important because it pushes you to do better – and inclusion of my post on Leadership Development Carnival just does that!

I recommend you to drop by the Leadership Development Carnival to read some very useful and practical insights on Leadership.

"Be Different" and other great lists from Nicholas Bate

Nicholas Bate is at it again – lists I mean. He is simply too good at articulating his thoughts in lists of 10, 25 and 100 points. Lists that are provocative and call for action. I did refer to his “Professionalism 101″ list earlier. This time around, its “Be Different 25” – list of 25 things you can do to be different.

You should read the full list on his blog, but here are 10 that I liked the most:

• Be punctual;
• Encourage others;
• Listen to understand;
• Get really, really good at some things;
• Accept the above may take you years, but it’ll be fun;
• Lead whether or not you have manager/leader/supervisor in your job title;
• Grab every damn opportunity;
• When those run out: create your own damn opportunities;
• Say thank you;
• Be grateful;

By the way, there is one more list titled “Outrageous101” – I like it each and every point mentioned there. So if I try to list down my favorites, I am afraid, I will end up reproducing the w hole post!

So, I would recommend that you read it yourself – Outrageous101. Outrageous thinking, outrageous goals, outrageous value and outrageous living!

I feel so upbeat when I read these lists and I am sure you will too! Enjoy!

Twitter Updates – March 2009 (Great Quotes)

Here are a few selected Twitter updates I posted through March 2009. March was a month of quotes and I found a lot of appealing and interesting quotes from people whom I follow on Twitter. While I love all of them, I specially like the ones marked in bold.

For those new toTwitter, RT stands for Retweet which simply means re-posting the tweets posted by others.

If you enjoy these tweets, you can start following me @tnvora! See you on Twitter.

• Great RT @rosasay A conversation is like a dance. Someone leads, someone follows. Try to lead at the same time, you’ll end up with sore toes.
• RT @silixell “If you posses something that you can’t give away, then it posses you.” Frank Sinatra #quote
• Note at my dentist’s office: “Your teeth – you get them free twice, third time you have to pay for it”
• “Workaholsim is as bad to productivity as alcoholism.”
• “No matter what business you are into, you are in the people business!“- heard Tom Peters saying this in one of the podcast!
• RT @SusanOrchard A lady at a recent networking event had on a button that said “I refuse to participate in the recession.” – What about you?
• RT @Mike_Wesely #QUOTE: “Love is a game that two can play and both win.” ~Eva Gabor
• Spend just a bit more timewith all your staff:(1) to show that they are valued and (2) to check they know EXACTLY how to do their job well.
• Stars shine brighter when surrounded by other stars. Questn: Are you a star? If so, are you surrounded by stars who help you shine brighter?
• RT @raj_bokdia “I would rather be able to appreciate things I can not have than to have things I am not able to appreciate.” Elbert Hubbard
• RT @Mike_Wesely #QUOTE: “Remember the difference between a boss and a leader; a boss says “Go!” – a leader says “Let’s go!” ~E.M. Kelly
• #GreatQuote “If you want to know what a man is, place him in authority.” – Yugoslav proverb
• “Leaders live in fish bowl and are always being watched. They should always be conscious of that fact and take advantage of it.” Gene Klann
• “Men don’t follow titles they follow courage…” – this quote emphasizes that leaderships is not about title, position or rank!
• RT @wclements “I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.” -Mark Twain
• RT @Ben14864 #QUOTE “Most people fail in life because they major in minor things.” – Anthony Robbins
• Very Interesting – RT @BreakThruGuy “Worry is like a rocking chair – it gives you something to do but it doesn’t get you anywhere.” ~Unknown
• RT @rosasay “The price of discipline is always less than the pain of regret.” —Nido Qubein
• #GreatThought If ethics are poor at the top, that behavior is copied down through the organization. –Robert Noyce
• #GreatQuote “There is good in everybody – Boost, don’t Knock.”
• RT @BreakThruGuy RT @iquote “Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping them up.” — Jesse Jackson
• RT @nametagscott To bring more of yourself to any situation, just ask: Am I currently acting in harmony with the way I see myself?
• “All things being equal people will do business with people they like. All things not being equal, they still will.” -John C. Maxwell
• Expect the best only after giving your best, consistently!
• I think that failure is acceptable after you have given your best. Accepting failure without giving your best attempt is criminal.
• RT @UpbeatNow Very nice. RT @janebutton “Wisdom is knowing the right path to take…integrity is taking it.” — M.H. McKee
• Insightful Question: “If you don’t enjoy what you have, how could you be happier with more?” – RT @BreakThruGuy @ChipEFTRT @HemalRadia
• RT @alexmalave Environment beats Discipline.
• MUST READ: A truly inspiring story at Boston.com – that “E” in CEO can sometimes stand for “Empathy”. http://tinyurl.com/c7gh9l
• #QUOTE “Nearly all men can stand adversity – but give him power, and the extent of his character will be revealed.” -Anonymous
• RT @SKanderson “The desire to win only matters when coupled with the desire to prepare.”10:41 PM Mar 16th from web
• RT @Mike_Wesely #QUOTE: “I’ve never seen a smiling face that was not beautiful.” ~~Author Unknown
• RT @MarvinTowler “The world is full of willing people; some willing to work, the rest willing to let them.” -Robert Frost
• RT @BreakThruGuy @silixell “Reputation is what other people know about you. Honor is what you know about yourself.”–Lois McMaster Bujold
• A gem from Seth Godin – “The only thing worse than starting something and failing… is not starting something.” http://tinyurl.com/bsd4us
• “Good judgment comes from experience, and experience – well, that comes from poor judgment.” -British author A.A. Milne
• #QUOTE “Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well.” -Josh Billings
• #QUOTES “Life is luck, make it.” – Mother Teresa
• #QUOTE The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow. –William Pollard
• #QUOTE “If it wasn’t for the rocks the river would have no song.”
• #QUOTE “Life is a grindstone whether it grinds you down or polishes you up – it depends on what you are made of.”
• #QUOTE “Needs can be met, greeds never.”
• RT Ben14864: #QUOTE “Leadership is an opportunity to serve. It is not a trumpet call to self-importance.” – J. Donald Walters
• RT @Mike_Wesely #QUOTE: “He was a self-made man who owed his lack of success to nobody. ~Joseph Heller. (Just loved this one) Good Day!
• RT @Mike_Wesely “If Columbus had an advisory committee he would probably still be at the dock.” ~Arthur Goldberg
• RT @Ben14864 “The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn” – David Russell
• RT @JayKoch @Ben14864 “The world has the habit of making room for a man whose words and actions show that he knows where he’s going.- N.Hill
• @Mike_Wesely “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and to discover that the prisoner was you.” Read more @ my blog http://tinyurl.com/dmr4vh
• #GreatThought “Some people just don’t want freedom of choice though, they want freedom from it.” http://tinyurl.com/brf5eq
• RT @Mike_Wesel #QUOTE: “Rather lose in a cause that will some day win, than win in a cause that will some day lose.” ~~Woodrow Wilson
• RT @JayKoch “People do not seem to realize that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
• #PowerQuote “The most effective marketing is human to human; everything else is a compromise.” http://tinyurl.com/agu93u10:50 PM Mar 5th from TwitterBar
• RT @nametagscott MANAGER: “But my door is always open!” EMPLOYEE: “True. My question is – Are your mind and heart open too?
• #TRIVIA When month & day form square root of year,math geeks celebrate “Square Root Day”. 3/3/09 was that day which comes only 9 times in a century.
• #GreatQuotes “It isn’t the mountain that wears you out, its the grain of sand in your shoes”
• A professional knows it is very easy to attack/destroy, much harder to build, augment, be help and think abundant. http://qaspire.com/
• On web, why would someone connect to you if you have not built a value-based relationship? Even if they connect would that be helpful?
• Ten Personal Commandments of Management/Leadership at http://www.qaspire.com/ What commandments do you follow to lead?
• #SundayHumor Palmist to a Politician: You stand a good chance of winning elections since both the head and heart lines are missing!
• #SundayHumor Palmist to a man: You have nothing left in your right hand and you have nothing right in your left hand!

Mini Saga: Accountability & Delegation

Joe was made responsible for getting proposal out to client. Joe blindly delegated it and instructed his team to send it to client once done. When proposal went to client, mistakes were found! When asked, Joe mentioned that he did not review the final outcome. Does accountability just mean delegating?

Note: A mini saga is a story in exactly 50 words (not 49, and not 51!). This mini-saga is derived from a real-life experience.

You can also read the other mini-saga “Knowledge and Action” that I wrote way back in 2006.

Thanks Nicholas Bate

I am humbled to have been referred by Nicholas Bate – who is the author of 8 management books and a blog “Business of Life + Life of Business“.

He points to this blog by referring it as “A great management and leadership blog” – very inspiring. Blogging has given me so many great friends and this is another great addition to that list.

Thanks Nicholas.

I look forward to some great conversations via our blogs.

Twitter Mania

Twitter is catching up on me.

I am too excited to have people like Guy Kawasaki (his blog “How to Change the World“, his twitter feed, his new book “Reality Check“) and David Zinger (his blog on Employee Engagement, his other blog on Strength-Based Leadership) follow me on Twitter. There are other followers too who come  different walks of work life (PR, Marketing, SEO, HR, Sales etc.) and bring interesting insights on board. I follow them too.

My focus on ROII gets more intense with such an elite following.

Here are some of the tweets I posted in Feb 09 – for you to catch up.

• Wise owl lived in an oak, more he saw less he spoke. Less he spoke more he heard. Can’t we all be like that bird? http://tinyurl.com/lstng
• The person who works harder when the boss isn’t around is headed for a better future. – via an email forward.
• “People Don’t Hate Change, They Hate How You’re Trying to Change Them.” – Mike Kanazawa. http://tinyurl.com/bms6jm
• The triggers of recession are different but economic basics are same. In any case this could be a good time do things differently
• I learnt from 2001 recession that if you resist bad times, you fall victim to it. If you thrive on it, you flourish. Time to re-apply.
• Simple Rule: People cooperate if you cooperate. You defect and people are more likely to do the same with you. http://tinyurl.com/c6b98u
• If your intent is to get it done, time is generally not an problem. We always have ample time to do things we really “want” to do.
• Planning is fine but you only get oil if you drill wells (Tom Peters). Execution trumps planning! Specially in troubled times. What say?
• If each communication with others is an experience, what experience are you extending to people you talk to? Experience builds memorability.
• As a professional, do you provide enough value to people who interact with you (mail/twitter/blog..or in person)? http://tinyurl.com/aurevs
• I realize that I can only see +ve side of things when I am +ve from within. What you see depends on what you are internally.
• Reading this amazing list of 999 business ideas made me feel very optimistic. Possibilities are abundant. http://tinyurl.com/cakfrx
• Right Questions > Right Answers > Right Results. Do you ask right questions? http://tinyurl.com/cu5d5b
• ” There is only one success – to be able to spend your life in your own way ” – Christopher Morley
• Rajesh Setty @UpbeatNow is compiling an eBook on “Facing a Layoff AND doing it anyway” Have a unique tip to share? http://tinyurl.com/b9uuqa
• “The only way to make a man trustworthy is to trust him” – Henry Lewis Stimson
• Bumper Striker for a Software Tester – “To err is human; to find the errors requires a tester.”
• The most truthful part of the newspapers (specially some of them in India) is the advertisements!!
• HumorTweet: “When the going gets tough, the tough go to Government.” Hilarious!
• From the book “On Writing” by Stephen King – “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time or the tools to write”.
• Talking of leading by example, what example are you setting for your team today?
• I always fail to connect to people who have a very materialistic point of view. Isn’t joy within us and not in material things? I wonder.
• To raise someone’s expectations then not fulfill them is worse than mediocrity. – Seth Godin. http://tinyurl.com/bw9whv
• HumorTweet: New definition of Liquidity – “When you look at your investments, your eyes get wet!”
• Lead by example to me is that you should not expect your team to do anything you won’t do yourself. http://tinyurl.com/bycxyb
• Note on Mutual Fund Prospectus “Past Performance is no guarantee for future returns” Isn’t it true for us as well?
• Optimism should stem from your abilities to do things and not merely from dependence on fate. http://tinyurl.com/cpb5js
• Inspiration, afterall is like a good bath – you need it daily! http://tinyurl.com/dlseow

Earlier, I thought micro-blogging was time consuming and non-productive. As I use these tools more, I realize that they have a potential to generate a tribe that follows you and your thoughts. Immense potential when you want to reach out to many people.

Follow me on Twitter

 (Image Courtesy: Vincent Abry’s Twitter Button Collection)

Are you on Twitter yet ?

Communication lessons from U.S. President Obama’s Inaugural Address

Inaugural address  was a great opportunity for U.S. President Obama to communicate with his countrymen and restore their faith a difficult time. He seized this opportunity brilliantly with an elevating speech.

It was one of the best speeches I have heard in a long time. It left me with some very important lessons on communication and writing and hence this post.

Lynn Gaertner-Johnston at Syntax Training blog has done a brilliant analysis of the speech and here are a few excerpts from the post:

• Number of words: 2414 (according to Microsoft Word)
• Number of words per sentence: 21.4 (Microsoft) or 21.9 (my calculator)
• Number of times “I” appears: 3
• Number of times “we” appears:  62
• Number of times “my” appears: 2
• Number of times “our” appears: 66
• The President’s speech includes not one “however,” “moreover,” or “in addition.”
  Sentences with passive verbs: 10 percent (Examples: “The capital was abandoned”; “It must be earned.”)

Here are some of the important lessons on communication that I could extract out of the speech:

1. Communication is all about packing a lot of meaning into a few words. Speech and sentences were not long, but very meaningful. Same applies to writing as well. Brevity is the key in all business communication. Some write for the sake of writing and some write for communicating. You get the point.
2. President Obama painted pictures with usage of words and right expression. People were hooked when he spoke because he added feelings into each and every spoken word. This is very important public speaking lesson too.
3. From a management standpoint, his speech was a progressive and inclusive one. Note that he used “We” and “Our” more than “I” and You”.  He used words like “unity of purpose”. People only relate to words when they are inclusive. He also used positive words like “hope”, “ambitions”, “confidence”, “reaffirm”,  “greatness”, “prosperity”, “freedom” etc.  Bringing out issues and pointing towards them is important but communication has to be solutions driven.  People easily relate with whatever is progressive and hopeful.
4. He did not use any junk into his speech. He was speaking with utmost clarity (of thought and words) which created the impact.

All in all, a great speech. Did you follow his inaugural address? Any thoughts you would like to share?

LinkedIn InApps – Connecting WordPress Blog to LinkedIn Profile

I always thought about integrating my blog to my LinkedIn profile. The only way I could do that so far was to add my blog URL in LinkedIn profile – and add a LinkedIn profile button onto my blog. I always wanted something more than this.

And it finally happened with LinkedIn introducing “InApps” – a collection of applications that can be used in your LinkedIn profile. I used “WordPress” app and connected my blog to my profile in a way that now people can also see summary of recent blog posts from within my LinkedIn profile.

Great that Web 2.0 is finally coming togather to enable someone have a unified and integrated profile. There are some other good apps one can use – go, check it out!

Hat tip to Web Worker Daily blog for pointing me to this useful resource.

Project Communications – Redux

I have written a number of posts earlier on importance of communications for successful management of teams and projects. I keep on reading different posts around the blogosphere related to communications and one such post was “The Process of Interpersonal Communication: 4 Ways to Overcome Interpersonal Communication Barriers” at John Reiling’s blog PMCrunch.

Here are some of the links to my earlier posts on communications specific topics:

1. On Constructuve Criticism
2. Power of Personal Communication
3. On silence and not listening
4. Effective Communications on Projects
5. Quality of Project Communications
6. Effective One on One meetings
7. No-progress intimations and expectation management
8. Learnings in People Management
9. On Good Writing Skills
10. For managers – no news is not a good news

I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing these! Comments, as always, are welcome.