Swim Model

"People want to learn to swim and at the same keep one foot on the ground too"

New swimmers often tell me that they can't put their faces in the water, but no one ever has a problem with this when it comes to the lesson. So far, I have not had anyone who hasn't been able to do it within about five minutes. There are simple techniques to overcome this fear and they always seem to work.

Once you can put your face in the water, you can float. More or less everyone floats. Occasionally you do come across someone who is less buoyant than most, but this just means they need a little bit more forward propulsion to actually swim or they may float a little lower down – more under the surface – than most. However, fear and tension mean that people hold themselves stiffly and, by hunching their heads or shoulders, they unintentionally push their feet towards the bottom of the pool.

The biggest fear for many people is taking their feet off the bottom when they have nothing to hold on to. One woman described it as a "fear of gaps" – like when you step from the platform to the train. Another said it was like the moment when you fall asleep and the feeling of falling jerks you awake. Letting go is the hardest part to teach because so much of it is in the mind. Many people are fine as long as they can hold hands. But, as soon as they try to let go, panic sets in and – even though I don't feel it myself – I can see that it is a real, deep-seated fear.

An instructor told me, “Teaching swimming has taught me so much about fear itself. Fear keeps us safe, but it also prevents us from moving forward. If you are frightened and try to hold on to the water, you can't swim. It is only by letting go and trusting that the water will hold you up that you can learn to swim. This is far more important than technique, but it takes time.”

Adding more to me she said, “Occasionally, I have adult pupils who have not learned to swim simply because of circumstances. One woman I taught grew up in a war zone – there was no time for swimming. She was not afraid of the water, she had just never learned. She was swimming lengths of the pool easily after just a few lessons because she had no fear and the process was straightforward.”

Sometimes lessons learned in the water seem to translate into real life. One man who was a total non-swimmer before he came to me told me that, once he conquered his fear of water and learned to swim, he found that he was no longer afraid of dogs.

If its fear which is holding you back to do your best, than you are only blocking your own progress….

Ascending-Descending Model

Workplace-Organizational Learning seem to be the buzzwords for training professionals today and I guess that's where your Training and Development division should be doing a lot of their thinking sooner than later. So, the thinking should be around how learning can be a part of people's day to day work-life as against limiting it to a strongly structured experience in a training room.

 It’s very nice to have efficient project teams, but it’s even nicer to see knowledge move from within project teams to the rest of the organization. The learning professional needs to think about how capabilities and innovations become more explicit across the firm; how people can avoid reinventing the wheel and how "best practice" solutions can be easily available across projects. Leveraging technology becomes a key skill here, given that face to face communication is usually not feasible. So while low-tech solutions such as Open-Spaces are excellent communication methods, it’s the technology driven solutions of podcasting, video-blogging, tagging, crowd-sourcing that overcome the limitations of time, space and distance. Again, none of these are path breaking yet putting together the right combination of technology to solve the workplace learning problem is what the learning professional can help with.

Experiments were conducted concerning fixation movements while climbing or descending the staircases at a subway station.  In climbing or descending, fixation movements differed, but tended to occur near the stairs and at occluding edges of floor or walls, and were greatly changed depending on if they were visible or not.  When climbing the staircases, fixation also changed depending on where the subject was located at the stairs, whether making a turn or walking straight at landing.  Fixation movements on the occluding edge, blocking off the turn following immediately after the stairs, inform us the danger that exists.

Visual information is critical for planning and guiding locomotion. Visual information provides advance notice about the size, composition, and location of obstacles in the environment so that we can control locomotion prospectively

National Gallery of Canada this structure is based on "impossible staircase" devised by the famed twentieth-century psychiatrist, geneticist, mathematician, and chess theorist Lionel Penrose. Escher formulated the structure so that one line of monks is continually descending the stairs while the other line is always ascending; they follow each other in a never-ending spiral that never reaches any destination.

In most cases the impossibility becomes apparent after viewing the figure for a few seconds. However, the initial impression of a 3D object remains even after it has been contradicted. There are also more subtle examples of impossible objects where the impossibility does not become apparent spontaneously and it is necessary to consciously examine the geometry of the implied object to determine that it is impossible.

The unsettling nature of impossible objects occurs because of our natural desire to interpret 2D drawings as three-dimensional objects.

The way you look at an object can affect how you see it. Sometimes there are two images in the same picture, but you can only see one at a time so your brain chooses one. Ambiguous figures demonstrates our ability to shift between figure and ground which provides the basis for the two.

They exemplify the fact that sometimes the same perceptual input can lead to very different representations. Teaching us to learn to our best, when faced with any ambiguity.

Spiderweb Model

People have got to get to know each other in social change work. Sometimes we assume that just because we share a common interest we’ll get to know each other, and that’s just not true! Projects will go on for months before people really get comfortable with each other.

When a group of people are preparing to participate in social change, there needs to be some breaking down of inhibitions before they become group participants. "There is no 'I' in T-E-A-M". Before a group can build effective solutions to the problems facing their communities, they need to trust each other and communicate.

The idea is to discover which style represents your personal - your Comfort Zone. And to recognize the benefits and drawbacks of style - both in how you approach projects and in how to communicate with people who have a different style to you. And to develop the less-strong side - which, for many of us, should mean developing the 'just do it!' side.

People with the 'just do it!' approach learn-by-doing. Like the Spider's Web approach they have stretched themselves more, too. And, while they may not have successfully got everyone through the web, they have learned a lot about each other, about their personal styles, about what works and what doesn't work, and about how teams can pull it together.

We human beings are natural experimenters: after all, learning by doing and experimenting is how we learned to walk and talk. But at this early stage we were encouraged continually - even when we got it wrong.

It was only a bit later, when we began school, that we learned that there were 'right' and 'wrong' answers and that taking the time to get things right is rewarded. This is when we discovered that were penalties for being impulsive, for not thoroughly thinking things through and for unconventional views or impulsive actions.

Recognizing the penalties involved in not 'getting it right', many of us developed strategies for playing safe - avoiding such penalties. One such strategy was to avoid being spontaneous, or impulsive, or just having a go. And a great way of doing this was to evaluate and plan and talk and talk. We learned that it is wiser and safer to talk and to think rather than have a go.

Of course, it's not a matter of becoming a 'just do it!' person.

That's a bit too simplistic for a complex world. It's a matter of having the flexibility to do what will work best at any stage in a situation - and recognizing when to use which style. And for many of us this means we must first recognize our learned tendency to over-intellectualize rather than balance thinking with action.

In selling they will just dive in, make the pitch and ask for the sale - while the rest of us are wondering if this is the right time or if perhaps we should wait a bit longer while we develop a better relationship with our customer.

They do more. So they make more mistakes - many more.

But in doing so they learn much more. And, because they haven't bought into the get-it-right-every-time they are continually extending their repertoire of skills. And developing their self-belief and self-confidence along.

Tree Model

The Tree of Life is an eternal emanation of the Divine principle, and it lives and emanates within each unique human personality.  Every human being is a Tree of Life: we all have the powers or attributes that correspond to the divine. When you sit down and think deeply about the powers of your soul, your deepest self, it is possible to comprehend aspects. It is possible to look at any aspect of life and see the imprint of the Tree of Life, to sense the eternal vibration of its emanations. 

The trees that bend a little to the harmless breeze will later grow to withstand the wild wind. Similarly, if we maintain a degree of flexibility in our attitudes and viewpoints we will not be broken in any storm of criticism or opposition.

Leaves, though they can be small, are vital to the life of a tree. Similarly, expressions of encouragement and appreciation, whether it be by spoken word or in the form of a simple "Thank You" card can go a long way to build the spirits of the receiver. If they are wholly restrained, the motivation of others to work with us and support common goals may die at the roots.

Mighty oaks do indeed grow from little acorns. Efforts, when enriched with strong motivation and determination, will grow to fruition. Remember that the mighty oak tree was once a little nut that held its ground.

As David Zindell observed in "The Broken God", an acorn is unafraid to destroy itself in growing into a tree. Invigorate your life by letting go of the past and pressing forward to something new.

In forests, individual trees support one another. Whereas even a giant Sequoia growing by itself could be blown over, by interlocking its roots with other trees around it, Sequoias are able to stand as a grove against any wind. How much support do you share with those around you? Teamwork can accomplish much more than the sum of individual efforts, often making the difference between success and failure.

Leadership characteristic is to provide an environment that empowers and enables others to take on greater responsibility so that they, too, can develop into full-grown leaders.

Trees have extensive root systems. Some trees, such as mesquites, grow taproots that are often larger than the trunk and that can extend down into the ground hundreds of feet to reach vital sources of water. How extensive is your root system? Is it solidly embedded in principles and values that provide valuable guidance when life-decisions need to be made? 

It's important to have roots. In today's complex world, it pays to branch out. If you really believe in something, don't be afraid to go out on a limb. It's perfectly okay to be a late bloomer. Be flexible so you don't break when a harsh wind blows.

In nutshell you can't hide your true colors as you approach the autumn of your life.

Iceberg Model

A primary component in effective teaching or learning is the continual process of expanding your base of knowledge and skills because, although only the pinnacle is visible, but others will perceive the magnitude of the hidden base that defines your diving/teaching ability. 

On a more global scale, this principle underlies all credible teaching and is a good basis for anyone who desires to impart skills and knowledge to others, regardless of the target age group or the subject matter under discussion.

There's a lot going on in organizations that doesn't meet the eye.

It's a puzzled maze, Organizational life is something like an iceberg. Most leaders are aware of only about one-tenth of what is actually going on -- the tenth they can see and hear -- and often they think that is all there is. Some suspect that there may be more, but they don't know what it is and have no idea how to find out.

Not knowing can set an organization on a dangerous course. Just as a sailor's fate depends on knowing about the iceberg under the water, so an organization's fate depends on understanding the needs and patterns and feelings that lie beneath everyday organizational events.

Fortunately there are solutions to many of these puzzles. And for the ones without solutions, there are enabling ways to build bridges of learning and understanding. It is the role of leadership to find and share the known solutions. It is the role of leadership to guide the entire organization onto the path of building new bridges. By learning to see the structure below the water and to help the entire organization to see it as well.

In this age of rapidly expanding technology and means of connectedness, we are learning many new things about relationships with people. It is in this arena of relationship that successful organizations are born and thrive. We're entering a new era of the development of mankind where people can begin to work and live more comfortably with one another. 

Organizations are in the beginning of another evolution. Probably never before have so many people been discouraged and dissatisfied with the state of affairs in organizations. There are huge pockets of people demanding change. There is a cry for greater individual self-esteem and the nurturing contexts that support it.

"Organize don't Agonize"     

Chess Model

When you play a game of chess understand the plan and the ideas that are hidden in the blindfolded position too. There are many concepts and plans to be learned, & applied in your games too. Playing without a plan will make sure you lose, your pieces going aimlessly not working together harmoniously like a family to achieve a common goal. Chess strategies should be honed to paint as an artfully good player through. Be patient as genius also could not trod to it overnight.

Tactics is most vital. If can't see a combination, "How do you plan to win?"  you will be nothing more than a blind duck running around in circles. Before you learn to play the game in a positional way, try to develop your tactical abilities to the best. By keeping an eye  to all your positions where you slipped through. Involving yourself more is the way to magnify. Which can't be mastered only by reading books or solving puzzles though. It’s important to be able to find good ordinary routine moves, to apply chess strategies in your real game moves too.

Your superior knowledge gives you an advantage in a game of chess when you know the opening system better than your opponent do. This often makes the difference between winning and losing as the opponent drifts slowly, but surely, into a bad position. Drawing your opponents to be whatever you focus to win over.

Beginners of chess players discover very quickly that learning how the pieces move is the very tip of the tip of the chess playing iceberg. It's usually sometime during the first several moves of their very first chess game that they find themselves saying, "What now?"

Nothing here is carved in granite and there will be times later when you'll violate one or more of these principles. An underlying principle in the chess strategy of the chess opening is to try to control the center of the board. The chess board's center is typically defined as the four squares right in the middle of the board, its important as your pieces tend to be more mobile the closer they are to the center. Define your own center with the center of what you do, keeping it proportional all the way through.

The Queen is your most powerful piece, but she can't win a chess game all by herself. She's being a very enticing target for your opponent in a game, where she can be easily trapped on a crowded board. Generally, chess opening strategy dictates that the Queen is one of the last pieces you'll develop. Make sure we are not lost with or to the crowd though.

Career wise, you will learn that there are always exceptions to general strategic principles. Yes, you can think of chess as being divided between strategy and tactics. The truth is that chess is a game of strategy. Tactics make the difference of how easily you succeed to put in practice your strategy. Everything you do on the chess board is strategy. Tactics are subordinated along to what ever you do.

Bicycle Model

Bicycle is a perfect example of how pure, scientific ideas can be harnessed in a very practical piece of technology. People often say that it's virtually impossible to fall off a bicycle because its spinning wheels make it behave like a gyroscope—but, unfortunately, it's not quite that simple!

Scientists have been puzzling over what makes bicycles balance since they were invented, back in the 19th century. In 2007, a group of engineers and mathematicians announced they'd finally cracked the mystery with a set of incredibly complex mathematical equations that explain how a bicycle behaves—and it turns out that gyroscopes are only part of the story.

According to these scientists, who used 25 separate "parameters" or "variables" to describe every aspect of a bicycle's motion, there's no single reason for a bicycle's balance and stability. As they say:

"A simple explanation does not seem possible because the lean and steer are coupled by a combination of several effects including gyroscopic precession, lateral ground-reaction forces at the front wheel ground contact point trailing behind the steering axis, gravity and inertial reactions from the front assembly having center-of-mass off of the steer axis, and from effects associated with the moment of inertia matrix of the front assembly"

In fact, let's ask a basic question: “What is learning?”

It is important to note that learning and behavior are linked together. Learning can change or modify our behavior, while our behaviors are often antecedents for additional learning. You cannot have one without the other. For instance, consider the steps in learning to ride a bicycle. First, we see someone riding a bicycle. Either out of curiosity, desire, or necessity, we decide to learn to ride. We push on the pedals to propel the bike forward. Balance is an important part of riding a bike. As we ride the bike, we may fall several times. We may complete one behavior, i.e. pushing down on the pedals, & with it improper balance may cause us to fall. From the consequence, we learn to lean more to the opposite side so we won't fall on the next try.

This process or trial and error continues until we get used to the feeling of balance required to stay upright. We are proud of ourselves as we speed down the street with perfect balance until we realize we don't know how to stop. After more tries and more skinned knees, we finally learn how to stop without getting injured. As seen in this example, learning & behavior precedes additional learning which in turn modifies our behaviors. Therefore these two concepts learning & behavior must co-occur for progress to take place.

"Learning how to learn is one of the most important skills in LIFE"

Gear Model

The other day shifting my gears with my car gears made me realize, why we don’t have a learning to this? Bringing you a jukebox colored with my own threads. A perfectionist in driving by now must be having his first driving lesson, good & old as history to him. Changing gears can be a difficult process for many learner drivers then practicing along block changing - from 5th into 1st, 4th into 1st, and 3rd into 1st gear. Neutral a position where no gear selected, in our instances when we refuse to take an action we get labelled into same. Placing it ahead & above our Sleep-Mode.

When we start off towards our goal or project name it as you like. You will always start from 1st never end up doing a high jump straight to 5th. But gradually lift & take all the gears without skipping a single one in the process. To reach the highest point where you can maintain your balance to the speed.

It's very common for learner drivers to force the gears. How smoothly the gears change depend on the driver, rest the make of car and the quality of the gearbox and clutch should fade away. Aiming not to leave a single stone un-turned will make us blame less on the car as we need to be the best drivers irrespective of our mode.

Whilst learning to change gear, you simply guide & glide with the lever in the correct direction of your selection without pushing too hard making it sound like your only conquest. The gentle you are, the easier it is. What makes me love this whole process is even when we are at our highest the gentle word does not leave its side.

Selecting the wrong gears isn't necessarily a test failure providing it isn't done to excess. Can be a common for a learner driver during lessons and driving test to select the wrong. The most common to be incorrect is 1st gear when the intention was 3rd and 4th gear when intention was 2nd. Makes me only smile as shows to others our focus is a mismatch, where a new explorer who does not do this will make me wonder more. The whole thing gets boiled to master your reflexes to your best.

Several years ago, when slowing down from a high speed to a slow speed or a stop, you would need to go down through the gears before stopping. With modern cars this is not necessary. Time has & is changing, technology is moving faster than us. No reason for us to be behind, with innovative thinking you also need to innovate yourself. Which often we all forget…. Innovative You = Innovative Thinking.

“Exploration is the engine that drives Innovation”

Conductor Model

Have you ever flexed your muscle by looking at the musical band, “How they operate in synchronization to a person waving his wand in the air?” Before delving further, we know an important cog in the wheel. How do we address him? Do you have a name? Nor did I, but decided not to leave it blind. Asking on same from the lead would mark a red cross in my book of manners. Research work is a tool which I knew will take me through. The one which I felt defined him the best, out of several given to him was the “conductor”.

The conductor's craft may be described as an art of persuasion by which musicians, audiences, and communities come to share a deep connection with the orchestra and its repertoire. Passion, intellect, insight, musical talent, and charisma all come into play. A conductor's authority flows from the power of his musical vision, the skill & facility by which musical ideas are communicated through physical movement as well as verbal instructions.

One of the most basic functions of the conductor, I learned, was simply keeping the whole orchestra coordinated, so that all the different musicians started and stopped playing at the right time. One key to this was to express the beat of the music through the movement of the conductor’s baton. Musicians count the number of beats when they are silent, and begin playing at the right time. Different songs have different rhythms, and so the conductor uses different movements to express the beat depending on the rhythm.

To simplify & eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak. While a conductor should give players direction a great conductor treats his players as partners. Focusing on making music together, rather than controlling their each note, giving them the desired freedom in guidance.

There is a mismatch between “what science knows & what businesses do”. While research shows traditional incentive motivators are not effective at getting employees to do what you want, businesses use them anyway. If we really want high performance on those definitional tasks of 21^st century. The solution is not to entice people with a sweeter carrot or threaten them with a sharper stick. We need a whole new approach in which companies provide employees with a high degree of autonomy to explore their own ideas.

After being re-acquainted with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, had an epiphany. “We’re not asking meaningful metrics,” “We’re not asking important questions. We’re not asking anything that’s intangible.” Revamp the company’s business model to focus on some less than tangible indicators of success, the higher needs of customers & investors.

Feedback Model

Before buying anything we all look for feedback through all channels. The importance of feedback can never be underestimated, some we get warranted & some unwarranted. In fact to break it thin the postings which we get on our social network also roofs under the same. The right or the wrong words can always cause a stir. At the same time acknowledging the fact that all cannot be artful with their words. The ones caught at the wrong side end up always facing burnt.

The focus not being social network, but the corporate world. The HR has its planned feedback forum in place, to meet the appraisal targets in time. But did you realize off & on, knowingly or unknowingly on daily basis how much feedback you end up giving? All your check points & discussions ends up under that. We are again standing at the same point, play of words. Do you put it in the right way? When I say right way, not questioning your wisdom tooth, but the way you convey it. One is you can make it sound like a Win-Lose, the other in-spite of correcting make it sound like Win-Win. Believe me finally you will be more a winner, as you win the person forever with you.

The Newtonian principle that every action produces an equal and opposite reaction. Every time we think or do something, we create a cause, which in time will bear its corresponding effects. In plain words his theory of “Cause & Effect” has lot of significance which we fail to acknowledge through. How do we say it? Instead of pointing out the bug point blank on the person. Show the effect caused by the error due to his misstep, hence the person can relate & understand. Furthermore add the repercussions on How it affected & molded others along too.

When giving feedback to individuals or groups, an interactive approach is deemed to be most helpful. This helps to develop a dialogue between the learner and the person giving feedback and builds on the learners’ own self-assessment, it is collaborative and helps learners take responsibility for their own learning.

To provide developmental feedback, describe an alternative action – something the person could have done differently – and the result that the alternative action might have produced. Focus on facts, not the person. Choose positively phrased statements, such as "Forgetting to do that caused a delay," rather than saying "You're completely disorganized." Share your thoughts by remembering to seek the other person's ideas. Provide your employee with the necessary support in terms of time, resources or coaching to act on your feedback.

“We all need people who can give us feedback, that’s how we improve”…Bill Gates

Kabaddi Model

Fiddling with the TV remote blindly scanning with mind drifted towards opposite. A news channel showcasing the game Kabaddi within few seconds was all over me. The sight was more for my mind than my eyes, I had an untouched research model with my gray cells bursting through. MBA institutes while discussing successful entrepreneurs with their business models should along with that drift towards different channels to excel. In fact how I see this model gives you more than the prior. The entrepreneurs with their individual experiences will light you with each one having their own unique journey sketched in it. The best of the cream is not always available to us. The latter model makes your foundation strong to spin to any given take which will mould you to be the best craftsman around.

To sum it on scales Infinite Entrepreneurs = Kabaddi Model

I will make sure by the end of this you are nodding along with me on the same. 

To be on the same page Kabaddi is a game where two teams are the focal point. The team in which I stand with all of you is one side opposing to us is our problems - Break, Make & Name it anything which does not let you, be you. A game of attack & defense, Raid is the focal point of the game. We are attacking & defending our barricades by continuously raiding.

One of the unique features of Kabaddi is the cant. The raider has to withhold his breath during the entire course of the raid and keep up a continuous and audible chant of the word Kabaddi until he returns to home court. I don’t see much difference between cant & can’t. The rule we have here for us the word ‘can’t’ is not said in the whole process of your head on coalition till you reach your home court. The minute you say or think you have lost it.

This is a game, probably the only one, in which physical prowess and vital capacity, go hand in hand. Pranayama associates mental processes with respiration. Win of you over your mental hiccups with best physical prowess to the show. It’s a symphony in duet to go none can go without one.

Kabaddi in its initial era led to various research work. Where the breathing technique was studied to the depth concluding that fast & shallow breathers are easily excitable where slow & deep breathers are cool & calm. I relate to blowing of our nostrils, losing our temper where patience is far to go. Prime for us to make it our prime if we want to always win over our problems.

Settling means getting set before an attack. Normally, after entry into the opponent's court, the raider study the situation and decide upon the path of attack. In these few seconds chooses a target and makes his moves accordingly. If he does not get set but charges blindly into the opponent's court, there is more likelihood of his being caught. Master your moves the above say is all sorted out for us. 

Footwork in Kabaddi the movements made by the raider during the course of the raid include the stance of the raider, body position, movement, speed, agility. Check your spirits to the above & a subtle message things don’t happen things are made to happen.

Last & not the least, Tactics means to exploit a given situation to one’s advantage to suit one’s purpose in the game & in our game too.

Walk the Talk

Walk the Walk or Walk the Talk to be consistent to your words with actions marking to your throw. In my experience, consistency is a must as you build and grow. Throughout my career, I've strived to stay consistent about consistency. Even the best business plans will fail without a dedication to consistency. 

Ethics are supposed to shape your ways of moral living, and to do that, you must have logical rationalizations. This means, there cannot be contradictions present in any regard. 

 How do you measure effectiveness if what you are measuring isn't performed consistently?

Business growth requires a track record of success. You can't establish a track record if you are constantly shifting gears or trying new tactics. Many efforts fail before they get to the finish line, but not because the tactic was flawed or goals weren't clear. The problem is often that the team simply didn't stay the course to achieve the objective.

Your team pays as much or more attention to what you do as to what you say. Consistency in your leadership serves as a model for how they will behave.  If you treat a meeting as unimportant, don't be surprised when you find they are doing the same to fellow teammates or even customers.

If you want to be consistent, you’ll need to choose your battles wisely. If you have too many rules or too many consequences, it’s impossible to keep it all straight. It’s easier to be consistent when you have a clear plan. Establish house rules so that you can consistently respond to unacceptable behavior. A written list of rules ensures that what is expected of them.

We live in unpredictable and uncertain times. When people go to work they want as much certainty as they can get. People worry that they are going to lose their jobs, or have hours cut. If we can have work be as consistent and predictable as possible then they appreciate it more.

The most important and overlooked characteristic a good leader to lead by example must have is consistency.

Engineer Your Teamwork

Few understand how to create the experience of team building or how to develop an effective team. Many view team work as the best organization design for involving all employees in creating business success and profitability, where it’s much deeper to the skin.

The best saying is not always, “If you want something done right, do it yourself.”

Whenever Team Work comes to mind the flock of birds can never go without a pass. In the hustle bustle of life have you ever halted realized looking at them how they fly in groups forming V’s A’s without breaking the synchronization? This realization is already tied, they can survive & perform better if bond together.

Their survival is higher & stronger as they are not only two eyes looking for food or danger but many together. Similar to a problem on a table when we are as a team stronger with more brain power as our strength. We will not only be good with solutions, but more equipped in dealing with unseen problems.

Scientists estimate that the whole flock can fly about 70% farther with the same amount of energy than if each flew alone. When people work together harmoniously on teams, sharing common values and a common destination, they all arrive at the destination quicker and easier, because they are lifted up by the energy and enthusiasm of one another.

When a bird falls out of the group it quickly returns back to the formation to take advantage of the lifting power that comes by flying together. Sometimes people playing in teams will drop out of the group and try to accomplish goals on their own. Only to discover that they miss the synergy and energy that comes when they are an active part of a cohesive team moving toward their destination.

Birds bearing the torch in front of the formation, when gets tired breaks from the front moving towards the rear. Where faces the resistance lighter, and another bird takes over the leadership position. When a team is bonded & functioning together each member of the team should take up the leadership role as per their expertise & experience. By Rolling the dice & giving everyone the opportunity to serve as a leader & a follower.

 Michael Jordan 

  “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.”  

Optimist vs Pessimist

In our walk of life we will come across all kind of people. Some will make you, some will break you & some will take you. Some you will resist, some you will get magnetized too & some you will always keep looking for.

Handling pessimists realized, I have to learn to deal with them without my positivity dying. For every 1 negative person I face now, there are probably thousands of them out there whom I’ll meet one day. If I learn how to deal effectively no weather can wear me out.

If there’s someone negative in your life at the moment, don’t let yourself be affected by them. You’re not alone in your problem – I face negative people as well and dealing with them is always a learning experience. While people can try to get you down, you've a choice in how you react to them.

One thing I learnt people colored towards negativity harp on the bad things and ignore the positive stuff. They have a tendency to exaggerate issues they are facing, making their predicament seem a lot worse than actually is. Provide a listening ear and offer help if needed. Provide support let them know they are not alone. However, be sure to draw a line somewhere.

Negative people can be quite critical at times. They tend to drop insensitive comments that are hurtful, especially if they are directed at you. Recognize that the negative person usually means no harm they are just caught up in negativity. Start by learning how to deal with critical comments. Objectify the comments made, Rather than taking their words personally & recognize that they are just offering a point of view. Sieve out the underlying message.

Be conscious of how much time you’re spending with them limit the duration where you can help it. For example, if they want to hang out with you but you don’t enjoy their company, learn to say NO. Keep to the objective of the discussion & don’t let it extend beyond that time.

As Jim Rohn puts it – “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with”. What this quote means is that who you spend your time with has an impact on the person you eventually become.

Think about the times you hang out with negative people – Do you feel more positive or negative after that? Same for positive people – How do you feel after spending some time with them?

Face Off

Brushing through an acting book made me realize they are the best people to teach us how to play with your face expressions. The speed of how you can display them effectively, is a direct indication of your talent.

Back in the olden days when films used to be silent, actors relied solely on their facial expressions and bodily movements to convey their feelings. With the advent of sound, there is little need for such hysterics, but the idea of being able to convey a story with just your face has not changed.

 How does your face look when you make certain emotions? Are your facial expressions “normal” looking or a bit odd? How do you look when you laugh? What about when you cry? Most people probably don’t go rushing to a mirror when they are experiencing heightened emotions.

I wonder how much time you take to think about where you sit in relation to the client, the tone of your voice, your dress, the length of pause when asking and receiving questions, your ability to contextually touch clients and so on?

Discern which reactions cause your face to look “weird”, that way you can work on avoiding & adjusting how your face responds. Have you ever watched an actor’s face on television or film and thought to yourself, “Wow, he does not look pretty when he cries”? Those are the kinds of faces you need be wary of…

We form impressions of the people we encounter. We take in their posture, their gait, their gestures, and we see their facial expressions. All contribute to conveying their energy levels and their feelings. Body language gives away the emotions we are experiencing. When we are weighing other people quietly looking at them, the same others are doing it on you.

Manhandle your face expressions before they start handling you….

Say It Right The First Time & Every Time

Before starting it & making it sound like one of them as many. In-Fact always want to make it sound like one out of many. The aim is to hit at the root as whenever an effort starts from there stays with us forever....

Everyone has a distinct voice, different from all others; almost like a fingerprint, one's voice is unique and can act as an identifier. The human voice is composed of a multitude of different components, making each voice different; namely, pitch, tone, and rate. The pitch of our voices is created through vibrations of the vocal folds. The rate at which these folds vibrate changes the way our voices sound, with faster rates equating higher pitches. 

How we sound when we speak does influence others, the tone, clarity, passion & enthusiasm. Think about how you talk to someone who is ill? Gentle, Compassion & Understanding. Pause & reflect how you greet an old friend? How you sound when you are angry?

If you talk in monotone you will sound dull & uninteresting, you will also lack credibility. The more credible you are the more persuasive you will be. Try varying your pitch & pace of your voice. Try injecting more passion. A good way to practice this is read aloud to young children because then you have to put all the different voices to keep them glued or You can listen to yourself attentively as you speak in front of a mirror, you can record your voice on the device & play it back. 

Breathing deeply and projecting from your diaphragm is key to having a full, rich, strong voice. When you're breathing deeply, your stomach move in and out with each breath, rather than your chest rising and falling. Practice projecting from your diaphragm you'll notice that your voice rings out loud and clear.

Believe you are worth listening to convey that belief to others. The more passionate you are about your subject the more persuasive you sound. A good pitch makes your heart race. Show the fire in the belly and your passion to succeed. Avoid sounding like a solution in search of a problem. Explain how your unique solution fills a “must have” need. If you aren't solving a problem or filling a need, you're in for a tough sell. 

Break Brain Storming

Even those of us not in explicitly creative fields must come up with new ideas and insights in order to move ahead. How can we shake up our thinking patterns?

What happens during a brainstorming session the key players on the team speak up and express their ideas. While others may not speak up because they're shy, or are afraid that their suggestions may be rejected

An idea-generating process that enables everyone in the group to participate in a nonthreatening way. This approach can often generate more potential solutions than traditional brainstorming. Traditional brainstorming sessions allow only one person to speak at a time. By the time each individual has spoken, most participants have edited, discarded, or simply forgotten their own ideas. This is called ‘blocking' & it can reduce creativity and productivity in these sessions. 

When you brainstorm on your own, you don't have to worry about other people's egos or opinions, and you can be freer and more creative. However may not develop ideas as fully, because you don't have the wider experience of other group members to draw on.

Once everyone has shared their ideas, start a group discussion to develop other people's ideas, and use them to create new ideas. Building on others ideas is one of the most valuable aspects of group brainstorming. Encourage everyone to contribute including the quietest & discourage anyone from criticizing ideas.

Don't follow one train of thought for too long. Make sure that you generate a good number of different ideas. If a team member needs to "tune out" to explore an idea alone, allow them the freedom to do this.

Welcome creativity, and encourage your team to come up with as many ideas as possible, regardless of whether they're practical or impractical…