Loud Thinking

Archive for the ‘My Views’ Category

By Colin Shaw

First impressions count.

When you start a job interview one of the first things you will do is shake your prospective employer’s hand. What impression will they get of you by doing this? Handshakes can indicate many things.

The strength of a handshake conveys a lot of information. From a firm to a limp handshake, each intensity communicates pertinent conscious and subconscious clues about your personality. It doesn’t take an expert to interpret these clues either. Anyone can tell you that a limp handshake is not a great first impression.

Handshakes can also symbolize important information. For example, at the conclusion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) summit in mid-November, the importance of handshakes took center stage. From a reluctant handshake between the prime minister of Japan and the Chinese president to the choreographed approach of Barrack Obama, handshakes became an important demonstration of the power of body language.

An article in The Economist describes the significance of both handshakes. In the case of Japan, the handshake between Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping signified the triumph of diplomacy over conflict regarding a disputed island ownership between the two countries. Also, the article describes how President Barack Obama’s approach from the left gave him a “defensive position” toward the photographers. They compared his approach across the stage to the Chinese President to a metaphor for Obama’s paying tribute to his host.

Handshakes are a form of body language, and body language is an important part of the interview, too. From your handshake to your shaking hands, your body language is also sending signals for good or ill. Fidgeting, eye contact, the position of your hands above or below the table are all details communicating clues about you to the interviewer. Sometimes without either of you realizing it, as body language often has subconscious interpretation.

Body language is something we talk a lot with our clients about when we consult them on Customer Experience. How your team presents itself to customers can become an extension of your brand. At Beyond Philosophy, we often refer to these as White Coat Moments.

A White Coat Moment is defined as a person’s appearance helps others determine that person’s ability and personality. The name refers to the famous Milgram Studywhere participants administered what they thought were lethal shocks to a fellow participant when prompted by the authority in the “white lab coat.” Grim origins of the term aside, the white coat moment, has evolved to represent the branding moments of an experience. Examples of these moments could be how a Ritz Carlton employee responds with, “My pleasure,” to guests’ requests, or the subconscious reaction we have when we see the blue shirt worn by the Apple Genius at their retail store.

Body language is an important part of these white coat moments, particularly for your Customer Experience. Little things from eye contact to posture can convey signals to the Customer. If you don’t consider the signals sent by body language in your Customer Experience design and related training of your team, these signals might be the wrong ones.

Two organizations that understand this are Apple and Disney. In a past post, we have looked at how Apple trains their employees how to stand and gives them specific language to use when responding to customer objections. At Disney, they also define the white coat moments of their experience in detail as well. Moreover, they assess their employees by their body language. For example, if a Disney employee is caught leaning against the wall rather than standing straight, they will be marked down in the mystery shopping survey.

If we learned anything from the APEC summit last year, it is that there is meaning in everything we see from body language. Even something as benign as a handshake can have implications intended or otherwise. Body language also influences the Customer Experience, intended or otherwise as well.

Every impression you make at an interview counts. Be sure that you consider how your handshake and other body language signals become white coat moments for your interview experience–and make sure that you are sending out the right ones! You never know…you might handshake your way into a better job.

This article is published in collaboration with LinkedIn. Publication does not imply endorsement of views by the World Economic Forum.

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Author: Colin Shaw is CEO of Beyond Philosophy

“When you are grateful — when you can see what you have — you unlock blessings to flow in your life.”

— Suze Orman

“No two leaves are alike, and yet there is no antagonism between them or between the branches on which they grow.”

—Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948)
Indian Political And Spiritual Leader

Terrorism is only temporary…Peace is forever..!

Sports is more powerful than government in uniting the people.

An Open letter to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on way forward in Sports

Honourable Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Sahab,

AoA.

Sir, It may not be a news for you that Pakistanis are a true sports loving people. Nothing unites the nation more than the news of an international level victory in any sporting arena.

I am greatly surprised about the fact, that why our successive governments failed to channelise the energy of our youth, towards the various traditional and non traditional sports, to lure them away from the engulfing culture of drugs and related crimes.

It should also be understood that Pakistanis not just only love the sports, they also understand its very basics as well. While victories are celebrated like a festival, defeats suffered after putting up a good fight, are also duly appreciated. Nevertheless, the masses are so intelligent that they can easily smell the rat, when our teams lose to the minnows like Bangladesh, Ireland and Zimbabwe etc.

Similarly, the whole nation knows how politics coupled with corruption, has spoiled the sports in the country, which has earned the distinction of the worlds BIGGEST nation, NOT to have earned a single medal in the Olympics, since the year 1992.

While much smaller and poorer countries like Ethiopia and Kenya, have proved that winning medals at international levels is just a matter of commitment, dedication and simple hard work, sans politics.

In the past, luckily our cricket, hockey, squash and some other sporting teams and players have been bringing laurels for Pakistan; with very little money, extremely small size governing boards and minimal politics.

Gradually, the foundations of key sports in Pakistan were eaten up by the greed of money, rampant corruption, nepotism, politics and incompetencies of the successive governments, sports managers and the players combined.

If, we have to put the sports in Pakistan back on the right track, two basic things are necessary.

Firstly, a vision and secondly, visionary leaders, to put Pakistan back on top, at the worlds’ sports map. As far as, the vision is concerned, nothing ever said about sports can match the following quote of Mr. Nelson Mandela, “Sport has the power to change the world…it has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers.”

Now, taking a cue from the above mentioned statement of Mr. Nelson Mandela, it is suggested that Pakistani government should slightly re-phrase it and declare the following as its mission statement: “Sports has the power to change Pakistan…it has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite Pakistani people in a way that little else does. It speaks to the Pakistani youth in a language they understand. Sports can create hope for the entire Pakistani nation where once there was only despair, lawlessness, hunger, poverty, drugs, suicide bombings and alarming increase of suicides, due to the economic hardships. It is more powerful than government in breaking down the menace of terrorism which has blown the country to the smithereens.”

Coming to the visionary leadership, may be Pakistan is very lucky in the sense that its current Prime Minister, is himself a born sportsman. Moreover, if in the past, we had world class sports administrators cum leaders, like Syed Wajid Ali, AIS Dara, Brig. Rodham, AH Kardar, Air Marshal Noor Khan and last but not the least Zakir Hussain Syed; then even today we are lucky to have a great sports administrator cum leader (AVM Farooq Umar), who can be appointed as advisor to the PM, for revamping the entire sports canvas of Pakistan, in consultation with the provincial governments, all the sports governing bodies and sports lovers of the country.

The need for a dedicated advisor to the PM on sports matters is all the more urgent and necessary, keeping in view of the total collapse of the sports infrastructure and its out put in Pakistan, which needs immediate revamping, starting from the zero level. Never ever in the history of Pakistan, the performances of our players in all major and minor sports (Cricket, Hockey and Squash etc.) have gone so dismal, as it was today.

It is hoped that the above submissions, if juxtaposed with your recently announced package for youth, may bring the desired results for which, you have been dreaming about, for so long.

Wishing you all the success and Godspeed in your endeavours to turn around Pakistan, in all
the walks of life.

Younis Khan, we have had it

Noman Ansari Updated about 5 hours ago Dawn

Dear Younis Khan,

Let me start by saying I am a vocal fan of yours. Many would agree that you are one of the greatest test match batsmen to play for Pakistan and you are certainly our greatest test match batsmen at the moment.

But as good as you are at test match cricket, you are not a limited overs’ cricketer.

After you were last dropped from the ODI squad, you threw a very public tantrum.

This wasn’t unexpected; after all you’ve thrown many such tantrums before.

Here, the test match series followed against the Aussies and you scored heavily. While I cheered for you, I was weary.

I was weary of the smirk on your face that said: ‘See? Try dropping me now.’

I was also weary of those who used your test match performances as proof of your class as a limited overs cricketer.

Explore: Age of the Playerzilla

Of course, this makes as much sense as someone claiming a truck can drive on the 60-minute race track because it was so good at carrying a heavy load on a day-long journey from Karachi to Peshawar.

Younis, you sir are not a sports car. You are a truck.

A beautiful truck that is as good as any truck we’ve had in our history of cricket. But you are a truck nonetheless.

Here are the cold hard facts:

You’ve only scored one century and two fifties in recent times. The century you scored was painful to watch and wasn’t quick enough to win us the game.

Your overall strike rate stands at 75.31 when batsmen playing at number three from other nations are close to 100.

Meanwhile, your batting average is a poor 31.65. With all due respect to Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, and the West Indies, with your record, you’d be unable to automatically walk into their ODI teams either.

Fawad Alam is a much better accumulator
Perhaps what is worse is that by emotionally blackmailing your way into the World Cup team, you are keeping Fawad Alam, a more deserved player, out of the side.

Fawad Alam was dropped when you forced yourself in, and Moin Khan hinted at this in an interview with PakPassion.com

“As for Fawad Alam, look, he’s a good player but at the same time, you have to understand that this is a difficult decision for us. We have to make sure we have the right composition of players in the team. We cannot have too many similar players in the team.”

Like yourself, Fawad Alam is an accumulator of runs. But unlike you, he is a better accumulator.

What’s more, he can bowl and is an excellent fielder. Compared to your awful numbers, Fawad Alam seems like the Don Bradman of Pakistani ODI cricket.

Fawad’s batting average stands at 45.14 and he’s been Pakistan’s top scorer in the format for some time.

His exclusion also perplexed the intelligent former Indian skipper, Rahul Dravid, who said:

“He seems to have a fantastic record, but for some reason they don’t seem to pick him. I read somewhere, that they think that his game wasn’t going to be good enough in Australian conditions. That’s a presumption and they’re playing a lot of games in New Zealand.”

Also read: Why are we carrying this baggage to the World Cup?

Moin Khan’s reasoning that we can’t have too many players anchoring the innings bears logic. But in you Younis, we have the wrong anchor.

While Fawad keeps the boat steady, your chain is broken.

Even in the current squad, Sohaib Maqsood, a young aggressive batsmen has missed out on vital practice, while you’ve flopped in the four matches played in New Zealand so far.

Younis, what if everyone starts acting like you?
There could be many reasons why you can’t perform in the shorter format. Perhaps the white ball used in ODIs swings too much and exposes your technique. Perhaps the faster pace of the game is unsuitable to your style.

Frankly, it doesn’t matter, because you’ve been given enough chances, and have failed time and time again, especially at World Cups.

Also see: Younis deserves to play at the World Cup: Zaheer Abbas

At this time, I urge you to lose your ego and withdraw from the team, so someone like Fawad can take your place. Otherwise, this vicious cycle will continue. Four or even eight years from now, when Fawad Alam passes his prime, with this injustice still lingering in his mind, he too will refuse to leave the squad in favour of younger talent.

Younis, I can’t quite fathom why you insist at earning more chances. At the age of 37, perhaps you feel ashamed to admit that this format is beyond you. But there is no shame in accepting your limitations.

The only shame is in having yet another disastrous World Cup campaign.

Younis Khan, we have had it

Noman Ansari Updated about 5 hours ago Dawn

Dear Younis Khan,

Let me start by saying I am a vocal fan of yours. Many would agree that you are one of the greatest test match batsmen to play for Pakistan and you are certainly our greatest test match batsmen at the moment.

But as good as you are at test match cricket, you are not a limited overs’ cricketer.

After you were last dropped from the ODI squad, you threw a very public tantrum.

This wasn’t unexpected; after all you’ve thrown many such tantrums before.

Here, the test match series followed against the Aussies and you scored heavily. While I cheered for you, I was weary.

I was weary of the smirk on your face that said: ‘See? Try dropping me now.’

I was also weary of those who used your test match performances as proof of your class as a limited overs cricketer.

Explore: Age of the Playerzilla

Of course, this makes as much sense as someone claiming a truck can drive on the 60-minute race track because it was so good at carrying a heavy load on a day-long journey from Karachi to Peshawar.

Younis, you sir are not a sports car. You are a truck.

A beautiful truck that is as good as any truck we’ve had in our history of cricket. But you are a truck nonetheless.

Here are the cold hard facts:

You’ve only scored one century and two fifties in recent times. The century you scored was painful to watch and wasn’t quick enough to win us the game.

Your overall strike rate stands at 75.31 when batsmen playing at number three from other nations are close to 100.

Meanwhile, your batting average is a poor 31.65. With all due respect to Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, and the West Indies, with your record, you’d be unable to automatically walk into their ODI teams either.

Fawad Alam is a much better accumulator
Perhaps what is worse is that by emotionally blackmailing your way into the World Cup team, you are keeping Fawad Alam, a more deserved player, out of the side.

Fawad Alam was dropped when you forced yourself in, and Moin Khan hinted at this in an interview with PakPassion.com

“As for Fawad Alam, look, he’s a good player but at the same time, you have to understand that this is a difficult decision for us. We have to make sure we have the right composition of players in the team. We cannot have too many similar players in the team.”

Like yourself, Fawad Alam is an accumulator of runs. But unlike you, he is a better accumulator.

What’s more, he can bowl and is an excellent fielder. Compared to your awful numbers, Fawad Alam seems like the Don Bradman of Pakistani ODI cricket.

Fawad’s batting average stands at 45.14 and he’s been Pakistan’s top scorer in the format for some time.

His exclusion also perplexed the intelligent former Indian skipper, Rahul Dravid, who said:

“He seems to have a fantastic record, but for some reason they don’t seem to pick him. I read somewhere, that they think that his game wasn’t going to be good enough in Australian conditions. That’s a presumption and they’re playing a lot of games in New Zealand.”

Also read: Why are we carrying this baggage to the World Cup?

Moin Khan’s reasoning that we can’t have too many players anchoring the innings bears logic. But in you Younis, we have the wrong anchor.

While Fawad keeps the boat steady, your chain is broken.

Even in the current squad, Sohaib Maqsood, a young aggressive batsmen has missed out on vital practice, while you’ve flopped in the four matches played in New Zealand so far.

Younis, what if everyone starts acting like you?
There could be many reasons why you can’t perform in the shorter format. Perhaps the white ball used in ODIs swings too much and exposes your technique. Perhaps the faster pace of the game is unsuitable to your style.

Frankly, it doesn’t matter, because you’ve been given enough chances, and have failed time and time again, especially at World Cups.

Also see: Younis deserves to play at the World Cup: Zaheer Abbas

At this time, I urge you to lose your ego and withdraw from the team, so someone like Fawad can take your place. Otherwise, this vicious cycle will continue. Four or even eight years from now, when Fawad Alam passes his prime, with this injustice still lingering in his mind, he too will refuse to leave the squad in favour of younger talent.

Younis, I can’t quite fathom why you insist at earning more chances. At the age of 37, perhaps you feel ashamed to admit that this format is beyond you. But there is no shame in accepting your limitations.

The only shame is in having yet another disastrous World Cup campaign.

“We need to find the courage to say no to the things and people that are not serving us if we want to rediscover ourselves and live our lives with authenticity.”

— Barbara de Angelis

THE MANAGEMENT TIP OF THE DAY: Harvard Business Review

February 3, 2015

Assign New Challenges to Keep Your Employees Satisfied

Employees don’t just want their skills used, they want them stretched. If your team members are spending a lot of time fixing other peoples’ problems or have become increasingly, but inexplicably, negative, it might be time to make them feel challenged again. Just remember, the goal is to stretch them, not break them, so offer guidance along the way.
Increase the difficulty. Try giving them higher-stakes work that addresses more complex problems and a more diverse set of stakeholders.
Turn them into rookies. Invite people to tackle projects in which they don’t have the full knowledge and skills required. Their comfort zones will expand, and they’ll take pride in mastering new things.
Pivot them to a new problem. Have people point their existing expertise at new problems.

Adapted from “An Easy Way to Make Your Employees Happier” by Liz Wiseman.

My proposal to the PM discussed in Dunyanews Program video of 40 seconds from 28.8 -28.48 minutes. Link:- http://www.livemedia24.com/videos/4029-nuqta-e-nazar-2nd-february-2015

We must forget about the outcome of the match and enjoy the glorious batting of Ahmad Shahzad..!