Do decently and in order

Every one loves a neat job. Set things in place. Set things in order. Set a time-frame, a time-table and then move forward.

Here is a wonderful quote from the Bible: "Let all things be done decently and in order" (1 Cor 14:40)

Can you do that today?

Go off grid and rethink

You need to focus what you want to do and stay focused. Prioritize and then plan ahead. Spend sometime every time to plan and them go for the kill.

Going off grid, reading a book, thinking what you have done this year and what you want to do the next and planning ahead gives you an advantage you never knew!

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Talent or team?

Michael Jordon, the iconic basketball player says... "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships".

I agree to an extent. It is necessary to depend on talent and the team together. Each individual should be able to delve into his/her experience and pool of individual talent to be of use at a certain part of the whole process.

Blessed is a manager who has the resources (s)he can count on in times of need. Though I support this view of the team supporting and winning championships together, I also believe that it is important to have few aces to shoot those crucial baskets needed to have things change. When you have aces like that, don't let them fight the whole battle for you. Coaches have done this in far too many games and army generals have done this in battlefields. The war is the championship but the decisive strikes and kills come from few aces who are the heros and rule the day. They deserve much more than the team-like treatment, a cult like status, a hero like worship. This is more of a responsibility than a title, but a well deserved one at that. So if you are planning your team, ensure you have those aces in place.

Meticulously thoughtoutness

The problem with too much thinking is that there is no action involved. Mere thinking isn't going to take to you anywhere. I am talking about plans we make in daily life and how they change with time and how we settle for something or should I call conclude and finalize. The reason I am quoting this is because thinking of loopholes and what usually happens is that you would end up with things that tell you why you shouldn't be doing it.

While it is good to think, it is equally important to put things on paper in to practice, be it in life or at work. One of the people I pay attention keeps telling me, nothing works like clockwork and it is true. Many things happen and come up when you set out to implement plans that seem water tight and sure to happen.

What is the point in telling me all your plans when you don't even step out and do something in that direction. Leave all ifs and buts and actually get out and do something. Being lazy and finding excuses has become a fashion these days. Don't be one of these this May.

What is life without risk? But isn't it foolish to sit down and relax, waiting for some miracle to happen yet unwilling to take the risk. Can I hear some ayes?

Pic is from www.explodingdong.com

Advertising more

Contrary to the popular belief from many marketeers about the decreasing conversion rates from TV ads, TAM India reports that the volume of ads on TV had a 28% increase in Jan-Sep' 08 compared to last year. Hope this works for them. Incidentally what I feel is slog which mean you do everything desperately to keep it going, stop it from dying. They could have been invested in some other marketing tool which could have pushed the sales.

Ads, especially on TV just take the consumer from Awareness to Desire stage in the AIDA framework but doesn't make him buy it unless giving him a good reason to.

My parents don't approve

Like it or not, parents are an inevitable part of the process of recruiting members of Generation Y. Most members of this generation seek their parents' input on key decisions; virtually no Y will accept an offer of employment without first calling home to discuss the pros and cons with his or her parents. You should anticipate this, accept parental involvement as a given, and make the most of it.

Your goal should be to make sure that when that Y calls home, he or she hears three magic words: "Good choice, honey." Your company needs to have a "parent-approved" employer brand.

Do you have a parent-approved brand?

Plan B

Too much planning has always been saving you all the time. Do you always plan well ahead? Does nothing fail you? Have you always been considered being well planned and organized? Have you never missed a bus, appointment, exam or plan? Then good.

But...

Are you ready with the back up plan? What if all your plan fails? Are you ready?

Crisis Management is what you need to be ready all the time. Because you never know what is going to happen. Keep a plan B ready and plan in the same way for it as well.

Pic: FFO

Chaadar jitna hai, utna hi paon phailao

What better financial advise do you need?
Plan your expenses so that you dont have to stick your feet in the cold repaying your debts. Spend only what you can pay, buy what you can afford.
Simple yet useful.