An interesting article on 'TEAMWORK'

With Janmashtami (Dahi Handi) recently gone by, what we witnessed was a show of good team work, just as the people were holding each other supporting each other to get their fellow team member on top.... Something to ingrain from the experiences....

The person on top would not have reached there had it not been the support of the team members down below....and the people below could not have achieved their objective had they not helped a person capable enough to move up!!!!

Further if we look deeper into the pyramid formation, the person who reaches the top may be climbing from just one side of the pyramid with the support of team members from that side, but that does not mean that the other members are ineffective or defunct, in fact just because the other members in the formation are providing that strong support and forming a sturdy chain, hence the person on that side is effectively able to support the other person moving up.

If we look at this through a corporate angle:

Some departments may seem to be directly contributing to the company bottom line (such as the Sales or the production department) but it needs to be understood that had it not been with coordination of other departments such as admin, Finance, HR, etc., the entire organization objective of transacting business would not have been achieved.

At a Team Level:

Speaking about this at a much compact level of working in Teams, if the Team supervisor or Project manager addresses, interacts or coordinates with a specific member or members in the team to relay his directives, it does not mean that only this the only important person contributing to the project and the other members in the team are redundant, in fact the entire team is responsible for the outcome of the project to make (or for that matter break) it.

Hence drawing parallels, just as one loose joint/ link at any level of the pyramid can break the entire chain or may even bring down the whole pyramid so also one disconnected member may affect the morale of the entire team and adversely influence the project/ task outcome.

So everyone has an important role to play whether at the bottom or in the middle or on the top, so let us realize our own worth in the chain of humanity and so also appreciate the presence of others in there...

I we look at it as a societal thought……then let us all join hands together, help each other, try to support each other and try to bring/ raise our fellow beings on top...

It would be so nice to see humanity rising a notch above!!!!

Mr. S. S. Alam, Ex-Group Director, International Foodstuffs Company joins Octaware’s Advisory board.

Mr. Alam who till recently was working as Group Director with International Foodstuffs Company, a USD 4 Billion Global Conglomerate operating in 42 countries, with Corp. office in UAE will be joining the Advisory Board with immediate effect.

Mr. Alam, product of the most reputed institutes in Asia -did his engineering from I.I.T Kharagpur (1974) and M.B.A. from I.I.M. Ahmedabad (1976) respectively. He has worked for over 35 years in the industry in various senior roles in India and abroad. His expertise has been largely in HR, plus Overall Business Strategy formulation, ERP implementation (SAP and Oracle) for all functions/ business verticals, Strategizing Business Turnaround, Performance improvement technologies, Balanced Score Card, Change Management, Business Process redesigns, Competency Development, and overall General management.

For further details, kindly visit: Press release for Mr. S.S. Alam appointment as below:

http://www.i-newswire.com/mr-s-s-alam-joins-octaware-s-advisory/195069

Annoying Public Speaking Habits

Here are some annoying public speaking habits. They can be deal breakers, so avoid these annoying habits at all costs!

Voice Trailing Off – Many speakers let their voices trail off at the end of every sentence. The audience can hear the first part of their sentence, but they have no idea what pearls of wisdom might be lost in the whispers at the end.

Looking Down – Sometimes this speaker will deliver complete sentences inaudibly while looking down — obviously not interested at that moment in engaging the audience.

Mumbling – Mumbling is not cool. Inexperienced speakers will often speak at conversation level, not giving any thought or consideration to the people in the back of the room. Recently, I sat in on a panel discussion at a workshop. The panelists chose to sit instead of stand to address the standing-room-only crowd, which I thought was rude. And one man, whenever it was his turn to speak, would rest his elbows on the table and fold his hands in front of his mouth during the entire time that he was speaking.

Reading – Some speakers are not good readers. If you are not skilled at reading something out loud, don’t do it while speaking. Especially avoid doing this secretly. In other words, if you plan to deliver your speech by reading all or part of it, and you do not have good out loud reading skills, forget it.

Not keeping everyone involved - Inexperienced or thoughtless speakers leave members of the audience out. When an audience member asks a question, it is rarely heard in the back of the room. I’ve seen many expert speakers respond to the question by engaging in a one-on-one conversation with this person while the rest of the audience is left wondering. Speakers, I urge you to repeat the question so everyone is on the same page. And then respond to the question so that everyone in the room can hear it.

Sitting Down – Some speakers choose to sit down on the job. In a very small, intimate group or when the audience is sitting in a circle of chairs or on the floor, for example, speaking while seated is generally okay. But if you have a room containing six rows of chairs or more, you really should express respect for those in the back of the room by standing so that you can be seen as well as heard.

Filler Words – Even some professional speakers still use too many filler words. It takes practice, but you can rid your vocabulary (especially while speaking in public) of those filler words like, uh, ah, er. Also avoid connecting sentences by overusing “and.”

Overshooting Time Allotment – Many speakers have trouble staying within the time allotment. Most programs or presentations are carefully organized. Each segment is designed to fit into a specific time slot. I’ve seen speakers completely disregard their time constraints and foul up the entire evening’s program. Not cool.

“Speak clearly, if you speak at all; carve every word before you let it fall.” - Oliver Wendell Holmes  -       Shared by Shahnawaz

Listening Skill

How to listen:

Listening is an important leadership skill. Through good listening, you can acquire information, identify and clarify issues, make decisions, and resolve conflict.

While listening may seem like it should be easy to do, it can be very difficult, often requiring more mental effort than speaking.  To learn to listen better:

1.       Keep an open mind. Avoid making assumptions and judgments before the speaker finishes.

2.       Maintain eye contact. Give the speaker your full attention.

3.       Watch your body language. Relax. Uncross your arms and legs, and refrain from tapping your fingers or making other nervous gestures. Instead, lean toward the speaker and nod and smile when appropriate.

4.       Listen for key ideas and full understanding. Seek out and remember the speaker’s main ideas and points. For example, if the speaker is relaying the reasons why a major project is being delayed, listen carefully for each specific reason.

5.       Rephrase what the speaker is saying. Show the speaker you understand what he is saying and allow him to clarify if you are missing the point. For example, say something like, “If I understand correctly, the main reason for the delay is the design change.”

6.       Ask questions. Confirm your understanding and get more information: “Why was the previous design inadequate?” “How much will the design changes cost?”

7.       Evaluate. When the speaker is finished, think carefully about what he said before you respond.

- Shahnawaz