Loud Thinking

Archive for 2013

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Brilliant Obituary..!

This is so true!

An Obituary printed in the London Times…..Absolutely Brilliant !!!

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense , who has
been with us for many years.
No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago
lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
– Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
– Why the early bird gets the worm;
– Life isn’t always fair;
– and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don’t spend more
than you can earn) and

reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but
overbearing regulations were set in place.
Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a
classmate; teens suspended from school

for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an
unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job
that they themselves had failed to do

in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent
to administer

sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a
student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and
criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to
realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot.

She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust,

by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son,
Reason.

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers;
I Know My Rights
I Want It Now
Someone Else Is To Blame
I’m A Victim

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

If you still remember him, pass this on.
If not, join the majority and do nothing.

Six Ways to Grow Your Job by Herminia Ibarra

To get ahead, don’t hesitate to take on more work; but make sure it’s the right work.

Courage is doing the right thing in the face of opposition.

Know When to Coach and When to Teach

To develop your employees’ skills, evaluate the situation before choosing an approach. Are you working with someone who’s inexperienced or a colleague who requires immediate improvement? If so, you’ll want to take a directive approach and teach, showing or telling her what to do—give clear instructions, answer questions, or have her shadow you on a project so she can learn by observing.

Otherwise, you’re probably better off with a more supportive approach; coach by asking questions that prompt her to think and solve problems, rather than just doling out advice. Use the moment as an interactive opportunity to discover and create new solutions. When coaching, ask more than you tell—aim for a ratio of about 4:1. If you flip that ratio, you’re teaching.

Adapted by HBR from the HBR Guide to Coaching Your Employees.

Teaching-By-Example is serving as a desireable model to others.

“Greatness lies, not in being strong, but in the right using of strength.

And strength is not used rightly when it serves only to carry a man above his fellows for his own solitary glory.

He is the greatest whose strength carries up the most hearts by the attraction of his own.”

Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887);
clergyman, social reformer

“Don’t stress about the closed doors behind you. New doors are opening if you keep moving forward.”

— Thema Davis

Ignite Employee Engagement

Recent research from Gallup shows that engagement among US workers is holding steady at a scant 30%. Employee engagement is linked to profitability, customer satisfaction, and turnover – but it’s not simple to address. Here are some pointers:
Find out what engages your employees. Instead of focusing on why engagement is low, figure out what’s already working and find ways to replicate it. Help others model what the most engaged individuals and teams do.
Encourage grassroots engagement. You can’t mandate passion for the work. Instead, ignite it by empowering your people to share stories, exchange ideas, and disseminate best practices.
Recognize a moving target. Enthusiasm can’t be assessed just once; it fluctuates with changing circumstances. To keep your organization engaged, you must remain engaged yourself and check in often on its progress.

Adapted by HBR from “Disengaged Employees? Do Something About It,” by Susan David.

DUNYA TV was the first channel to report that PIA plane which was in flames landed safely at the Karachi air port.