Chacko Jacob

5 Ways to Feel Super-Optimistic

2012-02-12T20:20:00.001-08:00

Optimism is the hidden key to your personal and business success.Optimists possess a clear vision of an exciting life, confidently work on goalsto achieve their vision, and take self-responsibility. In contrast, pessimistshave no clear vision of a fantastic life, and they love to complain, blame, andmoan. How can you become more optimistic?

I will divulge five little-known “secrets” to help you immediately feel upbeat,confident, and optimistic.

Research: Why Optimism Is Good for You?

Tons of research prove that optimists do vastly better than pessimistsin their:
1. Health
2. Wealth
3. Career success

Health.
A growing body of “psychoneuroimmunology” medical research links how a person’semotions affect his or her health. Some intriguing findings: Optimistic peopleare less likely to get sick than pessimistic or depressedpeople. Optimistic people also get well faster than pessimists.

Wealth.
A fascinating study found that self-made millionaires worry much less thanpeople who earn as much money but have not achieved millionaire status. What isthe connection between being optimistic and making yourself into a millionaire?Optimists are much more likely than pessimists to make a goal of achievingmillionaire status. They also keep plugging away at being frugal, investingwisely and working hard to turn financial dreams into reality. In contrast,pessimists are less likely to set net-worth goals or consistently take actionsto become millionaires.

Career Success.
Many companies use my firm’s Abilities & Behavior Forecaster™pre-employment tests when choosing applicants. To start, a company hashigh-achievers take the test. Also, underachievers may take the test. Then, weidentify how the high-achievers score, so the company can prefer hiringapplicants who score like its profitable, productive employees. Intriguingfinding: One of the Forecaster™ test’s 18 scales is Optimism. Typically,high-achievers typically score high on the Optimism test scale, whileunderachievers score moderate or low on Optimism. This repeated findingverifies that optimists achieve greater career success than pessimists.

So, how can you boost your optimism to achieve greater health, wealth, andcareer success? Here are five immediately useful techniques. Each takes onlyone minute to do, so you can start fast and get results today.

1st Technique: Straight Posture and Big Steps

Optimistic people use straight posture, walk fast, and take big steps.Pessimistic people slouch, walk slowly, and use small steps. Imagine seeingsomeone walking with his or her head held high, shoulders back, walking fairlyfast with big steps. That person exudes confidence. In contrast, a person whosehead and shoulders slouch and walks with slow, small steps reeks a gloomy mood.

Why is a straight posture crucial? Because before you can straighten out yourhead, you first need to straighten up your body!

2nd Technique: Cheerful Voice

A lightning quick way to feel upbeat is to use a cheerful voice. Think of atime when you felt annoyed. Then, your phone rang. You answered it, and yourcaller was someone you wanted to impress. I bet you spoke in a cheerful voiceso you would impress your caller. Result: You immediately started feeling yourmood lift.

Why is a cheerful voice an incredibly powerful optimism tool? Psychologicalresearch proved that a person emotionally feels the emotion he or she is actingat the moment. So, if you act cheerful, you feel cheerful. And a cheerful voiceis the fastest way to act optimistic.

3rd Technique: Use Upbeat Words

You can use types of words: upsetting and upbeat. Pessimists relish usingupsetting words, while optimists excel at using upbeat words. Examples:

Upsetting Words, Upbeat Words
Problem, Opportunity
Tired, Recharging
Depressed, Bumming

For example, a pessimist says, “I have a problem.” In contrast, an optimistwould say, “I have an opportunity to do better next time!”

4th Technique: Use Upbeat Attitudes

I find the chief way to become an optimist simply is to focus on solutions– andnot focus on problems. Every time a difficulty pops up, immediatelycreatesolutions and put them into action. Examples:

Upsetting Attitudes, Upbeat Attitudes
Focus on problems, Focus on solutions
Dwelling on weaknesses, Dwelling on strengths
Thinking about financial woes, Thinking about achieving prosperity

Why is a solution-focus ultra-important? Because you can only have one thoughtin your head at a time. So, if you focus on solutions, you cannot wallow inproblems, complaining, blaming, or moaning.

5th Technique: Be a Magnificent Role Model

Remember a time you were a role model for someone. As you helpedthatperson, you also helped yourself. As the proverb goes: “What goes around,comes around.” If you are a delightfully optimistic role model for mployees, co-workers,family and friends, then you simultaneously make yourself optimistic.

How do you do this? Make sure people see you using straight posture, taking bigsteps, speaking in a cheerful voice, using upbeat words and focusing onsolutions.

Anyone can become an optimist. When people use these five techniques, theyinvariably tell me they feel heavy burdens lift off their shoulders. They feelpositive, upbeat, and confident. You only need a few minutes to put these tipsinto action. They can be your key to enhanced health, wealth, and careersuccess.

The MEAT inside a Winning Proposal

2012-01-29T20:37:00.000-08:00

By Kris Mills

"Yep!"Preparing proposals is enough to make most people cringe. They take too long toprepare. They're absolutely boring to write and a real pain in the neck. Soundfamiliar?

Having said all that, proposals have an enormous bearing on whether or notsomeone is going to buy from you, so it makes sense to ensure that yourproposal sells. The only problem with doing that is "normally" tocreate a really "flash" proposal takes time and that's something thatmost people simply don't have to spare.

If you've tried proposal templates before in an effort to save time, you'llknow that unless it easily customisable, the document comes out looking like anunpersonalised template which can leave a bad taste in your prospects' mouths.

Inside this article I'll show you how to create a winning proposal that canhave a dramatic effect on your conversion rates and then how to create a"template" so it looks as if you've written it from scratch for eachindividual prospect.

To achieve the most powerful results, the message needs to look like it'spersonalised to that particular business YET if you were to do that, there's agood chance you'd spend all your time writing proposals.

So, what's the answer?

Your proposal master document will be made up of three types of information:
1. 100% templated material: You can develop a set structure for your proposalwith set sections and some of these sections can be re-used verbatim time andtime again eg. case studies.

2. Then there are other sections which, utilising macros built into yourword-processing program, you can select from depending on the type of client.Depending on your macro programming skills you can actually havemultiple-choice tick-boxes that you check and the copy that relates to thosetick boxes is then automatically inserted into your document.

3. Totally personalised content. This applies to specific figures, strategiesand ideas that you may include at the beginning or the end of the document toadd to the sales appeal.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Creating the "Meat"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

As with a verbal sales presentation, your written sales presentation shouldhave a beginning, a middle and an end.

The beginning addresses the prospect's situation, thanks them for theopportunity and identifies with their specific needs.

The middle includes all the selling information about your product/service andcompany and ...

The end includes the "move forward" strategy including an action planand "the next step".

It should also address the 6 questions of selling:

"Who, What, When, Why, Where and How"… or more specifically:
What products and services do you sell?
Who is your target market?
Why do they need your product and your company?
How can you prove that your product or service fulfil their needs?
When do they need to make a decision?
Where can they get it? What's the next step?
When creating your "template" document, answer each of thesequestions in detail.

1. The products and services you sell

List each product. The easiest way to do that is to (in the first instance)create a table like the one below and list the following elements against eachproduct or service. List as many as you can think of.

Also list things like:
How does it compare with competing products

If selling services, what process do you go through to ensure the clientreceives results?

Once you've done that, then turn this information into sentences within blockof text that talk about the product, and list the various benefits in order ofimportance.

This information can either be used in whole or you can create programmablefunctions that enable you to select the benefits that are most important to aparticular client. (If you're working with MS Word, we can help you do that inan effective manner.)

Create a table with the following headings:
Product
Feature
Advantage
Benefit
Investment (price)
What do they receive for their money

2. Who is your target market?

Some businesses sell the one product to different target markets with differentsets of needs. Others sell a range of products with one target market for eachtype of product. Then others still have a broad range of products and serviceswith a variety of target markets buying a variety of their products.

By articulating which target markets you sell various products and services to,you can then match various benefits of your products to best suit the uniqueneeds of your various buyers.

For instance, let's say you're a business forms printer and you provide anin-house design and film preparation service, short turnaround times, precisionquality and a great price. Some types of clients are more likely to beinterested in the precision quality than the price and viceversa.

3. Why do they need your product and your company?

What are their buying needs? ....

Follow, these guidelinesand you are on the way to creating a winning proposal … a proposal that has stuffi.e. The MEAT.

The 5 Key Facets of Quality Leadership

2012-01-08T21:07:00.000-08:00

by Brian Ward

What are the key facets of quality leadership? Here arethe ones that we have distilled from our research and practice ... we call itthe FACET Leadership Coaching Model™:

Focus - Authenticity - Courage - Empathy - Timing

Focus

Effective leaders stay focused on the outcomes they wishto create, and don't get too married to the methods used to achieve them. Theyprovide this 'outcomes focus' for their organization by emphasizing themission, vision and strategic goals of their organization and at the same timebuilding the capacity of their organizations to achieve them. This capacitybuilding emphasizes the need to be flexible, creative and innovative and avoidbecoming fossilized through the adoption of bureaucratic structures, policiesand processes.

Authenticity

Leaders who are authentic attract followers, even leaderswho are viewed as being highly driven and difficult to work for. Simply put,they are viewed as always being themselves … and therefore followers know whatto expect from them and can rely on them, come thick or thin. Authenticityprovides the leader with the currency to obtain 'buy-in' from key stakeholders,because it builds and maintains trust.

Courage

The challenges facing leaders are immense, and requiregreat courage to overcome. Leaders are constantly being challenged by others,be it their own team, customers, the public or other stakeholders. Standingfirm in the face of criticism, and having the courage to admit when they arewrong are hallmarks of courageous leaders. For example, shifting anorganization from being introspective to becoming customer focused requirescourage when people pay lip service to the new direction ... it means callingpeople on their bluff.

Empathy

Effective leaders know how to listen empathetically …thus legitimizing others' input. By doing so, they promote consensus building,and build strong teams. They coach others to do the same, and so create aculture of inclusiveness. But they don't get bogged down in overly complicateddialogue. They know when to 'fish or cut bait', which brings us on to the finalfacet ...

Timing

The single most critical facet is in knowing when to makecritical decisions and when not to. All of the other facets must be viewed assubservient to getting the timing of critical decisions right. There is a timeto be focused, authentic, courageous and empathetic, but get the timing wrongon critical decisions and everything else is nullified. Great leaders move withappropriate speed. They don't believe that everything must be done immediately... they know how to prioritize, and how to get their team to prioritize. Aswell, they engage in timely follow-through to ensure actions that are committedto happen in a well-coordinated and timely way.

These facets of quality leadership are not exhaustive. Justas one would look at the facets of a diamond, upon closer observation otherfacets become observable. Any person can aspire to being a great leader bycommencing with these facets. If you are in a leadership role, regardless ofyour position in your organization, start by asking yourself the following keyquestions:

Key Questions

1. How focused am I?

How much of my time do I spend communicating andinspiring people about our mission, vision and strategic goals? How much focusdo I create in my organization? How married am I/my organization to methodsthat have outlived their usefulness?

2. Am I viewed as authentic?

Do people see and hear the real me? Do I wear a mask atwork, and remove it when I leave each evening?

3. How courageous am I when my values, vision and goals arechallenged? Do I stand firm and only change my position when I know that I amwrong?

4. How empathetic am I?

Too much/too little? Do I create enough opportunities foropen and candid dialogue? Do I ever find myself getting bogged down inconsensus building, or achieving false consensus? Is there a feeling ofinclusiveness amongst the members of my organization, and with otherstakeholders, including customers?

5. Do I make and execute decisions in a timely fashion?

Do I know when to 'fish or cut bait?' - do I demand wellcoordinated and timely execution of strategy from others?

Asking these questions in a candid way will open up manypossibilities for you and your organization ... if you have the courage to doit.

Ten Rules for Success in the Year 2012

2012-01-01T20:54:00.000-08:00

Rules thatmay mark the years to come:

Rule #1:Expect Volatility.

We are witnessing an exponential increase in the velocity, complexity, andunpredictability of change. This increase creates a hypercompetitiveinternational environment that bears little resemblance to the one that existedeven five years ago.

Rule #2:Invent New Rules.

Invent your own and make others follow you! Competitive advantages and profitswill belong to innovators who transcend the existing parameters of competition.

Rule #3:Innovate or Die.

Develop conscious strategies and mechanisms to promote consistent innovation.Resting on your laurels is simply not an option: winners are innovating andsurpassing themselves constantly.

Rule #4:Break Barriers.

21st Century companies must dismantle the internal barriers that so oftenseparate people, departments and disciplines. The boundaries between firms andtheir outside suppliers, customers and sometimes even competitors are alsounder severe pressure.

Rule #5:Be Fast.

Implementationis everything and it better be fast. These days it's far better to be 80percent right and quick than 100 percent and three months late.

Rule #6:Think Like an Entrepreneur.

The daysof depending on corporate size and reputation to drop opportunities in your lapare over. Entrepreneurs go out and make things happen and allow themselves tofail and improve because of it.

Rule #7:Think Global.

Thefastest growing markets in the world today are outside North America. Companiescan and do now shop in a single global supermarket for just about everything.

Rule #8:Keep Learning.

At theend of the day, the only truly sustainable competitive advantage will be yourability to learn faster and better than your competitors, and to turn thatlearning into new products, services and technologies before your competitorscan imitate your last innovation.

Rule #9: MeasurePerformance Differently.

Concentrateon key strategic and profitability drivers, ones that reveal the underlyingdynamics of your business, focus your energy on what really drives the futuresuccess of your business.

Rule #10:Be Nice.

The placeto improve the world is first in one's own heart and hands and then workoutward from there. If we improve ourselves by doing good for others, we builda solid bridge for success in the year 2012.

Happy New Year 2012

2011-12-26T22:17:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year 2012

2011-12-26T20:33:00.001-08:00

Setting Your Goals

2011-12-25T22:12:00.000-08:00

by Brian Tracy

In numerous conversations with top salespeople over theyears, we've found that they all have one thing in common. They have taken thetime to sit down and create a clear blueprint for themselves and their futurelives. Even if they started the process of goal setting andpersonal strategic planning with a little skepticism, they eventually becometrue believers.

Becoming a TrueBeliever

Salespeople are amazed by the incredible power of goalsetting and strategic planning. Believers often accomplish far more than theyever believed possible in selling and they ascribe their success to thedeliberate process of thinking through every aspect of their work and theirlives, developing a detailed, written road map, and continually working towardswhere they want to go.

The Definition ofHappiness

Happiness has been defined as "The progressiveachievement of a worthy ideal, or goal." When you work progressively,step-by-step toward something that is important, you generate a continuousfeeling of success and achievement.You feel more positive and motivated. You feel more incontrol of their lives, happier, and more fulfilled. Feeling like a winner, youwill soon develop the psychological momentum that enables you to overcome obstaclesand plough through adversity as you move toward achieving the goals that aremost important to you.

Determine Your Values

Personal strategic planning begins with determining what you"believe in" and "stand for"-your values. Your values lieat the very core of everything you are as a human being. Your values are theunifying principles and core beliefs of your personality and your character.The virtues and qualities that you believe in are whatconstitute your person today. Your values, virtues, and inner beliefs are theaxle by which the wheel of your life turns. All improvements in your life beginwith a clear definition of your personal values and then committing yourself toabide by them.

Fuzzy or Clear?

Successful people are successful because their values arevery clear. Unsuccessful people are unsuccessful because their values arefuzzy. Complete failures have no real values at all.

Build Self-Confidenceand Self-Esteem

Value clarification is the first step to improving your lifeand establishing your goals. It builds your self-confidence and self-esteem anddefines your personal character.When you take the time to think through your fundamentalvalues and then commit yourself to living your life consistent with them, youfeel a surge of mental strength and well-being.You feel stronger, more capable, closely centered, and morecompetent. You will accomplish the goals you set for yourself.

Action Steps

1. Decide for yourself what makes you truly happy and thenorganize your life around it.

2. Determine your true values, what do you "believein" and "stand for"?

3. Commit yourself to living your life consistent with yourvalues.

4. Write down your goals and then make plans to achievethem.

Dump Those Negative Habits Now

2011-12-18T20:34:00.000-08:00

I just thought that this would be a good article for us to read as we enter into the Christmas Season & New Year 2012.

If you want to distance yourself from the masses and enjoy a rich and unique lifestyle, understand this - your habits will determine your future.

The fact is, if you keep on doing things a certain way, you will get a predictable result. That's the simple law of Cause and Effect.

Successful habits create positive rewards. Negative habits breed negative consequences.

If you want to enjoy longevity, you must have healthy habits. If you are in the habit of starving your most important relationships of time, energy and love, how can you expect a happy outcome?If you spend money on the fly or don't save any money, your bad habits will lead you to a never-ending cycle of work.

Shift yourself out of your bad habits

Fortunately, you can jump from this bad habits path anytime you want. It's a very simple process - it just takes some applied focus.

Here's the step-by-step process I recommend:

1. Clearly identify your bad or unproductive habits. Write them down. Be specific. Remember to consider the long-term consequences should you continue in this bad habit. As an example, a couple cigarettes a day may not seem like much, but after 10 years, the buildup of having smoked 7,300 cigarettes remains in your system.Consider habits at home, in your communications and relations with others, at work, in your driving habits, in your free time, and in matters related to your physical, emotional and spiritual health. Be totally honest.

2. Define your new successful habit and visualize its results in your life. Your new habit is usually the simple opposite of your bad habit. To motivate yourself, think about all the benefits and rewards for adopting your new successful habit. The more vividly you describe the benefits and create the picture in your mind, the more likely you are to take action.

3. Create a three-part action plan. For every bad habit, there are at least 15 action steps you can take to help you stop. Put some time into this and think about it - it's easy to come up with action steps, but they have to be YOUR action steps that you know are within your realm of taking.As an example, if you want to stop smoking, hypnosis therapy may be more preferable than a nicotine patch. Don't list action steps that you know in your heart you won't do.

4. For the next three weeks, schedule these action steps into your day. If you know you want to start exercising three times a week, schedule it now in your appointment book. If you want to start reading uplifting books, schedule an hour in your daily schedule and make plans now as to where you will read without interruption. Whatever the new habit, work it into your schedule for the month ahead as most habits - even the very ugliest ones - can be completely re-patterned in this short time frame.

5. Then, take actionStart with one habit that you really want to change. Focus on your three immediate steps and put them into action. Do it now. Remember, nothing will change until YOU do.

7 Keys to Building Great Work teams

2011-12-04T19:52:00.000-08:00

By Suzanne Willis Zoglio,Ph.D.

Fostering teamwork is a top priority for many leaders. The benefits are clear: increased productivity, improved customer service, more flexible systems, employee empowerment. But is the vision clear? To effectively implement teams, leaders need a clear picture of the seven elements high-performance teams have in common.

1. COMMITMENT
Commitment to the purpose and values of an organization provides a clear sense of direction. Team members understand how their work fits into corporate objectives and they agree that their team's goals are achievable and aligned with corporate mission and values. Commitment is the foundation for synergy in groups. Individuals are willing to put aside personal needs for the benefit of the work team or the company. When there is a meeting of the minds on the big picture this shared purpose provides a backdrop against which all team decisions can be viewed. Goals are developed with corporate priorities in mind. Team ground rules are set with consideration for both company and individual values. When conflict arises, the team uses alignment with purpose, values, and goals as important criteria for acceptable solutions.

To enhance team commitment leaders might consider inviting each work team to develop team mission, vision, and values statements that are in alignment with those of the corporation but reflect the individuality of each team. These statements should be visible and "walked" every day. Once a shared purpose is agreed upon, each team can develop goals and measures, focus on continuous improvement, and celebrate team success at important milestones. The time spent up front getting all team members on the same track will greatly reduce the number of derailments or emergency rerouting later.

2. CONTRIBUTION
The power of an effective team is in direct proportion to the skills members possess and the initiative members expend. Work teams need people who have strong technical and interpersonal skills and are willing to learn. Teams also need self-leaders who take responsibility for getting things done. But if a few team members shoulder most of the burden, the team runs the risk of member burnout, or worse -- member turn-off.

To enhance balanced participation on a work team, leaders should consider three factors that affect the level of individual contribution: inclusion, confidence, and empowerment. The more individuals feel like part of a team, the more they contribute; and, the more members contribute, the more they feel like part of the team. To enhance feelings of inclusion, leaders need to keep work team members informed, solicit their input, and support an atmosphere of collegiality. If employees are not offering suggestions at meetings, invite them to do so. If team members miss meetings, let them know they were missed. When ideas -- even wild ideas -- are offered, show appreciation for the initiative.

Confidence in self and team affects the amount of energy a team member invests in an endeavor. If it appears that the investment of hard work is likely to end in success employees are more likely to contribute. If, on the other hand, success seems unlikely, investment of energy will wane. To breed confidence on a work team, leaders can highlight the talent, experience, and accomplishments represented on the team, as well as keep past team successes visible. The confidence of team members can be bolstered by providing feedback, coaching, assessment and professional development opportunities.

Another way to balance contribution on a work team is to enhance employee empowerment. When workers are involved in decisions, given the right training, and respected for their experience, they feel enabled and invest more. It is also important to have team members evaluate how well they support the contribution of others.

3. COMMUNICATION
For a work group to reach its full potential, members must be able to say what they think , ask for help, share new or unpopular ideas, and risk making mistakes. This can only happen in an atmosphere where team members show concern, trust one another, and focus on solutions, not problems. Communication --when it is friendly, open, and positive --plays a vital role in creating such cohesiveness.

Friendly communications are more likely when individuals know and respect one another. Team members show caring by asking about each other's lives outside of work, respecting individual differences, joking, and generally making all feel welcome.

Open communication is equally important to a team's success. To assess work performance, members must provide honest feedback, accept constructive criticism, and address issues head-on. To do so requires a trust level supported by direct, honest communication.

Positive communication impacts the energy of a work team. When members talk about what they like, need, or want, it is quite different from wailing about what annoys or frustrates them. The former energizes; the latter demoralizes.

To enhance team communication, leaders can provide skill training in listening, responding, and the use of language as well as in meeting management, feedback and consensus building.

4. CO OPERATION
Most challenges in the workplace today require much more than good solo performance. In increasingly complex organizations, success depends upon the degree of interdependence recognized within the team. Leaders can facilitate cooperation by highlighting the impact of individual members on team productivity and clarifying valued team member behaviors. The following F.A.C.T.S. model of effective team member behaviors (follow-through, accuracy, timeliness, creativity, and spirit) may serve as a guide for helping teams identify behaviors that support synergy within the work team.

Follow-through:
One of the most common phrases heard in groups that work well together is "You can count on it." Members trust that when a colleague agrees to return a telephone call, read a report, talk to a customer, attend a meeting, or change a behavior, the job will be done. There will be follow-through. Team members are keenly aware that as part of a team, everything that they do --or don't do---impacts someone else.

Accuracy:
Another common phrase heard in effective work groups is "We do it right the first time." Accuracy, clearly a reflection of personal pride, also demonstrates a commitment to uphold the standards of the team, thus generating team pride.

Creativity:
Innovation flourishes on a team when individuals feel supported by colleagues. Although taking the lead in a new order of things is risky business, such risk is greatly reduced in a cooperative environment where members forgive mistakes, respect individual differences, and shift their thinking from a point of view to a viewing point.

Timeliness:
When work team members are truly cooperating they respect the time of others by turning team priorities into personal priorities, arriving for meetings on time, sharing information promptly, clustering questions for people, communicating succinctly, and asking "Is this a good time?" before initiating interactions.

Spirit:
Being on a work team is a bit like being part of a family. You can't have your way all of the time, and - to add value - you must develop a generous spirit. Leaders can help work teams by addressing these "rules" of team spirit: value the individual; develop team trust; communicate openly; manage differences; share successes; welcome new members.

5. CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
It is inevitable that teams of bright, diverse thinkers will experience conflict from time to time. The problem is not that differences exist, but in how they are managed. If people believe that conflict never occurs in "good" groups, they may sweep conflict under the rug. Of course, no rug is large enough to cover misperception, ill feelings, old hurts, and misunderstandings for very long. Soon the differences reappear. They take on the form of tension, hidden agendas, and stubborn positions. On the other hand, if leaders help work teams to manage conflict effectively, the team will be able to maintain trust and tap the collective power of the team. Work teams manage conflict better when members learn to shift their paradigms (mindsets) about conflict in general, about other parties involved, and about their own ability to manage conflict. Three techniques that help members shift obstructing paradigms are reframing, shifting shoes, and affirmations.

Reframing is looking at the glass half-full, instead of half-empty. Instead of thinking "If I address this issue, it'll slow down the meeting," consider this thought: "If we negotiate this difference, trust and creativity will all increase."

Shifting Shoes is a technique used to practice empathy by mentally "walking in the shoes" of another person. You answer questions such as "How would I feel if I were that person being criticized in front of the group?" "What would motivate me to say what that person just said?"
Affirmations are positive statements about something you want to be true. For example, instead of saying to yourself right before a negotiating session, " I know I'm going to blow up", force yourself to say, "I am calm, comfortable, and prepared." If team members can learn to shift any negative mental tapes to more positive ones, they will be able to shift obstructing paradigms and manage conflict more effectively.

6. CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Tom Peters, in Thriving On Chaos, writes "The surviving companies will, above all, be flexible responders that create market initiatives. This has to happen through people." It is no longer a luxury to have work teams that can perform effectively within a turbulent environment. It is a necessity. Teams must not only respond to change, but actually initiate it. To assist teams in the management of change, leaders should acknowledge any perceived danger in the change and then help teams to see any inherent opportunities. They can provide the security necessary for teams to take risks and the tools for them to innovate; they can also reduce resistance to change by providing vision and information, and by modeling a positive attitude themselves.

7. CONNECTIONS
A cohesive work team can only add value if it pays attention to the ongoing development of three important connections: to the larger work organization, to team members, and to other work teams.
When a work team is connected to the organization, members discuss team performance in relationship to corporate priorities, customer feedback, and quality measures. They consider team needs in light of what's good for the whole organization and what will best serve joint objectives. Leaders can encourage such connection by keeping communication lines open. Management priorities, successes, and headaches should flow one way; team needs, successes, and questions should flow in the other direction.

When a work team has developed strong connections among its own members, peer support manifests itself in many ways. Colleagues volunteer to help without being asked, cover for each other in a pinch, congratulate each other publicly, share resources, offer suggestions for improvement, and find ways to celebrate together. A few ideas for developing and maintaining such connections are: allow time before and after meetings for brief socialization, schedule team lunches, create occasional team projects outside of work, circulate member profiles, take training together, and provide feedback to one another on development.

Teams that connect well with other work groups typically think of those groups as "internal customers". They treat requests from these colleagues with the same respect shown to external customers. They ask for feedback on how they can better serve them. They engage in win/win negotiating to resolve differences, and they share resources such as training materials, videos, books, equipment, or even improvement ideas. To build stronger connections with other groups, work teams might consider: scheduling monthly cross-departmental meetings, inviting representatives to their own team meeting, "lending" personnel during flu season, and combining efforts on a corporate or community project.

To compete effectively, leaders must fashion a network of skilled employees who support each other in the achievement of corporate goals and the delivery of seamless service.

Light Is Born

2011-11-28T22:55:00.000-08:00

Leading L's In Life

2011-11-20T21:31:00.000-08:00

Leading is the one skill that we should practice toward ourselves first, and then to others: There is no good leadership possible without proper self-leadership. If you don’t know how to carry yourself, you will never be able to show others the right way. It is only when people respect how you present yourself over time, that they will really accept your leadership, whether you are their official superintendent or not. However, in order to be a great self-leader and an accepted leader for others, there are some priceless facts of life that you should continuously practice.

Listed below are these 10 vital facts and the way they should be perceived:

Learning is the only thing we do from day one after birth: every new experience, every disappointment or victory, is a lesson that we should use in our decisions later.

Listening is not just a polite activity, but it can be the determining factor in being accepted or not. When people know that you lend them an empathetic ear, that you also listen to the unsaid, and that you listen with more than just your ears and your mind, you will earn their timeless respect and loyalty.

Loving is the single emotion that will weed out all negativity that is presented to us in the course of time. It will lead us to the realization that the world will be a much better place if we all start practicing it just a little bit more intense.

Laughing is the one act that we should practice more often: not only when we hear something funny or when we experience a great progress, but also when we catch ourselves making silly mistakes: for if you cannot laugh about yourself, you are in big trouble.

Looking is one of the most misinterpreted words in the alphabet. Most of the time we consider it as an act to be executed with the eyes only. But looking with the mind, heart, and soul into other people’s character and their spirit can guide you to the right decisions…more than anything else.
Leaping may be considered the most daring act in life: It comes after looking, but it requires much more than insight. It also demands bravery and decisiveness. Some leaps may have a life-changing effect.

Legacy is what every self-respecting person would like to leave for others. What a wonderful idea that people will continue to think of us, quote us, use our wisdom or our strategies, long after our physical presence has faded away. Leaving a legacy begins with living in an exemplary way.

Loyalty toward friends, co-workers, subordinates, and not in the least to your own principles, will be recognized by the ones who follow your acts. They will learn from your behaviour, and carry forth this skill toward others.
Luck cannot be bought or ordered. But it can be found in the most unexpected corners of life. It will manifest itself when least expected: as a result of a good deed done to someone, somewhere, somehow. Luck is the karma that some people mention when they encourage you to do well unto others. Luck is the positive reward we get for the unknown blessings we brought unto others.

Living, finally, is the one requirement without which none of the above would be possible. If you want to be a good leader for yourself and others, you should realize that the art of living lies in a good balance in everything you do: enough hard work, enough exercise, enough fun, and enough rest. You just perform better when you are in balance. Remember: you exude what you are, whether you are aware of it or not.

Critical Communication

2011-11-14T01:16:00.000-08:00

Top Ten Ways to Generate Brilliant Ideas

2011-11-14T00:05:00.000-08:00

By Darren Roberts

Here you will find ten of the best methods I have used in my organization for idea generation. They have worked for me very well. I now share them with you. I trust they will assist you in your endeavors as they have done with mine.

1) DEFINE THE PROBLEM
To generate ideas to solve business problems we all need a starting point. You will not be able to fly from New York to Frankfurt, Germany until you first arrive at JFK. If you don't exactly know where you are you will need a map to pinpoint your current location and then gradually work your way to JFK airport.

It is imperative that you establish where you are before looking to progress. In other words study the map that will take you to New York thoroughly.

2) BRAINSTORMING
You have quite probably heard of this brilliant method. Simply, when a group of people get together and simply write down as much as you can in relation to the objectives outlined. Don't worry about about strategic planning or anything like that. Concentrate solely on idea generation. Place a time limit on the group and choose the location and the time well so that they are conducive to performance.

Make sure that everybody is at their peak and has been instructed to "Think Big". I have been able to move mountains after a very healthy brainstorming session.

3) FOCUS ENTIRELY ON WHAT YOU WANT
To give your ideas the best chance to sprout for your business solutions you are going to need to switch off to outside influences. Tolerate nothing! Eradicate the distractions, the daily frustrations and predictable dramas of your life once and for all!

Don't just fix the problem, re-design your routine so the predictable irritations can't ever bother you again!

4) HAVE A GENUINE INTEREST IN WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO SOLVE
Do you remember your schooling days when you participated in sports (or particular class subjects) that you absolutely detested; as back then, they were compulsory? Do you remember how good you were at these activities? Probably not as it doesn't present itself as a good memory. But it's probably safe to say that you didn't perform well.

It's very very difficult to perform magnificently at something you're not overly fond of. If you have a vested interest in what it is you're trying to do, the likelihood of success is multiplied substantially. If you are trying to solve something that bores you to tears for heavens sake give it to someone who really likes it. This concept encompasses teamwork which is another subject altogether.

If you are self-employed you will have an automatic interest (taking into account that you have a vision of what you want your business to become).

5) LOOK AT PARALLEL PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS
Relate your current problem to one that you had in the past and check for parallels between the two. The way(s) earlier problems were solved can assist you greatly in generating ideas to solve subsequent situations that present themselves.

Think laterally, think vertically, think logically. The best ideas will always come from groups working for the common goal. Give your group as much opportunity to be creative by listening twice as much as speaking. Do this as informally as possible and get past situations into the open.

You can then draw on the past successes and take them a step further with the challenge of today.

6) LOOK AT EACH TASK AS A CHALLENGE
It's true that if you look at a problem simply as a "problem" then that is exactly how many will look at it. Sure it is a problem and therefore, needs a solution. However, this thought should not be in the forefront of the mind when looking to turn this "problem" into an "asset".

The word, "problem" tends to sum up negative thoughts within us. It is these negative thoughts that can almost act as a barrier to its resolution. Now if we turn the coin over and look at it from the other side (using our example in step 1) we can look at the trip from wherever we are to New York as an adventurous challenge. It is simply by this method that we have more positive thoughts within our mind and are more likely to enjoy ourselves along the way presented with an interesting challenge as opposed to a potentially difficult problem.

Just look at the goal. How happy will you be when you arrive at Frankfurt?

7) TURN THE CHALLENGE/PROBLEM INTO A CATCHY EXPRESSION
Okay we have looked at using past example and creating parallels to "answer our challenge". One step further is to present the challenge as a catchphrase.

Using our same example:
'Aunty Jackies For Christmas' 'Frankfurt Or Bust' (Hmmm!! This one's a bit old) 'Europe For The Summer' 'Dream Trip Of A Lifetime' 'The European Cultural Experience' 'Tomorrow travel at 250kmh legally'

Doing this will give everyone an idea of the benefits associated with the attainment of the problem at hand. It puts them in the situation that they are already there. It's so much easier to get there with a popular vision on the mind. What expression would you suggest?

8) DAYDREAM!!! LET YOUR CREATIVE SUB-CONSCIOUS WORK FOR YOU!!!
It's no strange coincidence that during the time you drive along staring out the window, sleep in your bed, undertake your daily duties at work or anything for that matter your sub-conscious continues to work for you (even though you may not always be fully aware of this).

How often have you been doing something totally unrelated and then suddenly an idea snaps into your mind? Often? Sometimes? Never? In any case after you have put considerable time into solving your problem you will find your inner mind will work for you. Sometimes if you try too hard to solve something you end up with nothing short of major frustration.

So, as the expression goes "chill out", have a break and sleep on it. You may be surprised at how successful switching off can be.

9) ALTER YOUR ROUTINE REGULARLY
Have you ever noticed how easily we accumulate habits. Many habits can actually stifle your creativity. If you are someone who: 'travels the same route each day' 'work at the same desk and task day in day out' 'mix with the same people regularly' 'take your annual holidays to the same destination each year'

To continue generating healthy ideas to better our work, our surroundings, our family etc we must continually be looking for "newness". Familiarity is very good in that it makes us feel very very secure. It is this very security that closes our mind to change and restricts our creative abilities.

Take the bus or the train across town or maybe even just a different route from time to time, broaden your job responsibilities, take on another sport or leisure activity and meet some different people with a different outlook.

You will be quietly surprised at how much positive energy you will get from doing things as small as that outlined above.

10) CARRY A NOTEPAD
I always have a notepad with me. I am now at the point where I can't live without one of the most simple devices known to man, which has probably been around almost since the days of the "Cave Man".

A pen with a pocket size pad is brilliant as you can capture every idea that comes to you. It's absolutely useless to say "I'll write it down later" as the chances are very slim that you will in fact do that at all.

They will be your ideas. Capture them, preserve them, apply them.

10 Qualities to look for while Interviewing People

2011-11-08T20:40:00.000-08:00

By Jan Gordon

There's a lot to listen for in a conversation. When a person speaks, listen to what's NOT being said, as well as what's being said. The purpose of an interview isn't merely to learn about an applicant's skills or background you've already gleaned this information from their resume. Listen beneath the words to who a person is. Listen for the qualities that most matter to the position and to the company.

1. Confidence & Self-Acceptance

Beneath the surface conversation, listen to who a person is. Listen for how comfortable a person is during the silences within a conversation. All conversation waxes and wanes during the pauses in a conversation, listen for the level of confidence and self-acceptance a person has. When s/he pauses to gather her/his thoughts prior to answering your question, do you sense nervousness or anxiety? The level of comfort a person exhibits during the pauses within a conversation says a lot. Listen for the level of confidence and self-acceptance beneath a person's word.

2. Follow Through & Persistence

Follow through and persistence is the unique ability to engage in a project and see it through -- at all costs. The downside of persistence is the fine line that exists, separating persistence from stubbornness. Think about the qualities that are essential to the position - then, upgrade those qualities, envisioning a top performer in the position. Identify the desired qualities for the job - then pursue a line of questioning that will allow the quality to emerge. What line of questioning will bring forth the quality you're looking for?

To ask the applicant to "tell me about your follow through abilities" isn't going to reveal anything but an artificial response. Use your own experiences to identify impactful questions. What line of inquiry would bring out YOUR perseverance? A question about personal commitments and passions, or a question about your project management skills? My guess is that you'll learn more about a person's persistence by asking them about their passions vs. previous job responsibilities.

3. Integrity

Integrity is about being responsible for our actions and inactions; it's about keeping one's word -- to oneself and to others. It's about being responsible for handling whatever happens, and making adjustments so problems don't reoccur. When one is responsible, one doesn't blame or complain. Listen for how the applicant responded to situations in the past. Does prior behavior demonstrate responsibility, integrity and keeping one's word? Listen for level of ownership and the attitude one has in accepting responsibility. (Hint: You'll also learn about their leadership qualities in this conversation.)

4. Creativity

The most tedious jobs benefit when performed by a person who thinks creatively. Listen for the level of comfort in considering and/or behaving in an "out of the box" way. Don't confuse style with creativity. Creative thinkers can present very "ordinary." Listen to a person's mind when assessing their creativity. A bold dresser who looks "creative" might very well be a rigid thinker. A conservatively dressed person might be an extraordinary creative thinker. Don't let appearances fool you.

5. Standards

We're all motivated by our values, whether we realize it or not. Values are what motivates and sustains us. They are the core of who a person is. What standards motivate the applicant? Does s/he seem to value working hard and getting the job done at all costs, or does s/he place priority on communication? Is s/he motivated by setting standards of excellence and quality, or are her/his motivators about connectedness and team? Listen for what drives a person. By doing so, you'll have a better sense of "job fit."

6. Clarity of Communication

Communication isn't just about the words a person uses. It's also not only about the tone or affect the speaker uses. Communication is about being 100% responsible for the other person's listening. Communication is also about making a profound connection with another human being. It's about establishing rapport and being such an excellent listener that your responses perfectly answer the needs of the conversation.

How strong a connection has the applicant made with you? Did the person present authentically or were they playing a role to impress you? Listen for how well a person listens and connects with you. This is a highly valuable skill with enormous benefit for your team and organization.

7. Personal Philosophies & Beliefs

What are the beliefs of the person? What messages do they embrace or are passionate about? A person's beliefs about opportunity will generate activity based upon their particular perspective and beliefs. Is their glass half full or half empty? A person's personal philosophy about life will tell you something about how they'll approach the challenges of the job. Guide the conversation to allow the person's belief system to emerge. Then listen for it.

8. Commitment

The word commit comes from the Latin word committere, which means to connect and entrust. Listen for a demonstration that the person has the ability to connect and entrust her/him self consistently to your product, service or organization. The ability to connect and entrust oneself is a key ingredient for rapport and building trust. Commitment is the quality that generates a consistent connection with another - an ability that benefits all types of relationships. Listen for evidence that the person can follow through on the connections they make - this is where commitment is found.

Connection + Consistency = Commitment

9. Passion

Success comes effortlessly to the person who's doing work they're passionate about. But, must a salesperson be passionate about their product to be successful? Maybe not. Listen for what the person's most passionate about - is s/he a people person or is s/he passionate about analysis? What motivates a person and lights their passion? When do their eyes sparkle with excitement? The more aligned a person is to their job, the more passionate and successful they and you will be.

10. Authenticity

Warren Bennis, professor and noted author of more than 20 books on leadership, change & management and who's advised 4 U.S. Presidents, speaks about authenticity as a core ingredient of leadership. He says: "Becoming a leader is synonymous with becoming yourself. It is that simple. It is that difficult."

How genuine is the person during the interview process? How comfortable with oneself does she/he appear? Authenticity is about being real & about being genuine - listen for conflicts that get in the way of a person's authenticity.

Balanced Behavior For Fair Management

2011-10-09T22:28:00.000-07:00

The first rule of good management is fundamental fairness. This is the management golden rule. Treat employees the way you want to be treated. This requires an attitude of openness and a keen sensitivity to know when you are approaching the point of no return in crossing the line.

Balance 10 Behaviours

Fundamental fairness means achieving a workable balance between opposing behaviors, such as in the following 10

1. Giving vs. Taking.

Managers who constantly take in the way of mandating new rules and procedures and making isolated decisions, without considering employee input and concerns, will lose support when they may need it most. The manager who gives a little to employees, especially, especially when the issue is important to both, will gain tremendous respect and support.

2. Autocracy vs. Democracy.

Every good manager knows when it is time to lead and act, and when it is time to listen before taking action. Management gets to chose the "what" of the direction, leaving the "how" of getting there to employees. Management has the foresight and vision to establish the mission, primary goals and values, but allowing employees to use their creativity and abilities to figure out how to get things done is what empowerment is all about.

3. Autonomy vs. supervision.

Arriving at a smart balance is not an easy task. The effective manager will take the time to know the competency and motivational level of each new employees, to apply the right amount of instruction and motivation to get maximum productivity. Of course, taking the time to clarify expectations for performance and outcomes will always have big payoffs. Another fundamental fairness rule here is to never delegate responsibility without assigning authority with it.

4. Change vs. stability.

Most employees fear and resist change, preferring familiar routine, and stability. Change can be scary and disruptive. But sometimes change is absolutely necessary to make real progress. An effective manager will learn how to orchestrate and facilitate changes that can help the organization and win support from employees. The tricks in knowing what routines to preserve -- ones that won't inhibit productive change -- so that isn't counterproductive.

5. Aloofness vs. Approachability.

Management positions tend to foster aloofness as a serf-preservation defense. Self-sharing may even be seen as a weakness. But, when this aloofness keeps employees from approaching managers with genuine concerns and issues, this self-defense crosses the line of fairness. A good rule of thumb is to preserve aloofness for private and social matters. Be approachable in professional and business matters, By being approachable, you learn things you need to know to be an effective manager.

6. Idealism vs. Realism.

An effective manager will learn when ideal standards are not achievable and when more "realistic" results are just a copout. Most employees want to achieve the best results in what they are doing and even want to be held accountable for achieving those results. However, as they approach the threshold of doubting their ability to achieve what may be expected, they tend to get very resistant. The wise manager has to be constantly guiding and gently pushing employees to achieve more than they think they can. This idealistic flavor, tempered by realism, is the way the universe operates -- and being in sync with that process can never be wrong.

7. Talking vs. Listening.

Managers tend to do most of the talking and have employees do most of the listening. But careful listening always gives you an edge on saying the right thing.

Careful listening can alert you to important perturbation points, where small but well-placed and well-timed comments can have a major impact on what employees hear and do. Moreover, when you don't say much, people tend to listen very carefully to what you say when you do talk.

8. Simplicity vs. Complexity.

Every effective manager has evolved through the cycle of starting out doing things the most simple way possible and then getting things so complex, nobody understands anything, only to realize the necessity of simplifying them again. Simple things scare managers, are no real shortcuts and that there is always a bigger picture to attend to; things can never be simple enough for employees. The goal is to identify and sell simplicity just on the other side of complexity. That point is difficult to get to, but once there, it is one of those things everyone can agree upon. A balance between thinking and acting can be a good way to get to this place.

9. Organization vs. Individual.

Traditionally, the good of the group is always more important than the welfare of individuals. This is a very difficult position because it interrupts two human drives: To be treated fairly in line with the rest of the group, but to be seen as unique. Trying to understand individual concerns is a good practice, even if you know beforehand you cannot honor them because of more important priorities. So is explaining why you are unable to bend and accommodate them.

10. Thinking vs. Acting.

Nothing is more unfair to employees than a manager who will not take action on reasonable requests. There is a built-in fear that once a decision is made and a precedent set, nothing can ever be changed. Reality, however, is rarely consistent. In fact, inconsistency may be the only thing that is really consistent. A smart manager will soon sort out what needs to be consistent for fundamental fairness versus what just needs to be consistent for the sake of convenience

7 Attitudes To Dissolve Conflicts

2011-09-26T00:17:00.000-07:00

by Daniel Robin

If you notice yourself getting dug in or angry in the face of differing views, ask for a time out and step out of the content for a moment and notice if you are presently moving toward your true goal. If not, or if the situation is just getting too uncomfortable, check to see which of the seven strategies shown below would be most helpful in turning your conflict into collaboration.

Define what the conflict is about. Studies on spousal disputes showed that about 75% of the time, partners are fighting about different issues. Ask the other person "What’s the issue?" then "What’s your concern here?" or "What do you feel we are fighting about?" Eventually ask "What do you want to accomplish?" and "How can we work this out?"
It’s not you versus me; it’s you and me versus the problem. The problem is the problem. It’s stupid to try to defeat the other side, because after losing, the first thing the other side thinks is I need a rematch (and I’ll come back with more firepower so I can win this time). If we win at the other person’s expense, we also pay a price in the long run. We have a world of rematches of rematches of rematches. Don’t bring your adversaries to their knees, bring them to the table.
Identify your shared concerns against your one shared separation. Deal with the conflict from where the relationship is strongest (where you agree), not weakest. It’s easier and thus more likely to be effective if you move from areas of agreement to areas of disagreement, than the other way around. Find common ground by meeting the other person where they are. Acknowledge their viewpoint. Stand on this common ground as a stronger platform from which to work out respective differences.
Sort out interpretations from facts. Never ask people who have been in a fight what happened. You’ll get their interpretation, their opinion, their version of what occurred. Instead ask, "What did you do or say?" Then you get perceptions that are much closer to facts, not merely opinions. Facts help clarify perceptions, which is basic to conflict dissolution.
Develop a sense of forgiveness. Reconciliation is impossible without it. Many people are willing to bury the hatchet, but they insist on remembering exactly where they buried it — in case they need it for the next battle. Let it go completely (or decide when you will). A brilliant definition of forgiveness: "giving up all hope for a better past."
Learn to listen actively. Turn it around, from "when I talk, people listen to me," to "when I listen, people talk to me." Habit Five in Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is "Seek first to understand, then to be understood." Take time to backtrack and verify what you hear. Listen with the intent to understand; not with the intent to respond. Take the first step toward reconciliation by being willing to listen with the intention to understand, and by being willing to listen first. This unblocks the logjam of right/wrong thinking, of ego and power struggle, of compassion over fear.
Purify your heart. You can’t get conflict and violence out of other people without first getting it out of your own soul. We can’t eliminate the weapons of the world without first getting them out of our own hearts. Consider what you really want and find the place inside you that can lead you to it. Peace begins at home. Peace begins with you.

Share this article with people around you. Experiment with these strategies, and you’ll be paving the way for peaceful and rewarding interactions in your business and personal life.

Peak Performance with Strategic Selling

2011-09-26T00:12:00.001-07:00

Winning With People

2011-05-10T17:42:00.001-07:00

My first public program as part of the Springboards team

V.Chacko Jacob

2011-01-09T23:13:00.000-08:00

$ Double Post Graduate Degree Holder in Marketing & HR

$ MBA, HR from Bharatidasan University, Trichy

$ MBA, Marketing from University Of Missouri, USA

$ 12+ years of work experience in Sales, Marketing, HR & Training with 8+ years of dedicated experience in training.

$ Currently working as a training consultant / freelance trainer with many leading corporate companies both directly & indirectly (through leading training companies) in the areas of soft skill, sales & general management training.

$ National level award winner in essay and poetry writing.

$ Award winning orator at several state level & national level forums.

$ Youngest Carnegie Sales Champion in India.

$ Conducted successful public training programs at Chennai, Pondicherry & Cochin.

$ Appeared on TV in a popular motivational talk based program called “Vetri Nichayam” at Pondicherry, India

$ For a detailed professional profile or work related queries, mail me at jacob27@gmail.com

Testimony - The God Of Glory Glorifies His People

2010-08-30T21:47:00.000-07:00

I praise & thank God for blessing me to achieve one of the toughest turn-arounds in my life.

I cannot forget 5th May 2010,the day the turnaround began.I was on a high after successfully completing an audit by a Chinese firm and after several other successes at my work place. I was basking in this success, when I was suddenly called to the HR department of my company & told “Jacob,your services are no longer required by us”

It took me time to digest this shock. After all, I was expecting, if anything “A reward”, for my successes.The signs were there, my assistant was retrenched in February & what made me think, I was above retrenchment?

Just in April, I had paid my son’s school fees for the next school year after a lot of prayer and thought. I had held on till the last possible moment thinking that if God wants to move my family,He would. And now, no job, stuck in limbo, neither here or there. A thought struck me strong, “Is the God that I worship a liar?”

How could he do this to me? Here I am looked at by people as a leader of the corporate Christian movement & I do not have a job. My testimony was shaken. In fact, at the moment I lost my job, I felt I lost my testimony and with it the power to testify about God to anyone.

I did all I could on my own effort to get my corporate life / career back on track. I approached people I knew, clients I serviced in the past & knocked on every door I could but it seemed that all doors were closed to me.

It was then that my prayer life gave me hope. The ministry, in which I am an active part of, Chennai Corporate Fellowship (CCF),started a telephonic prayer bridge. In every prayer bridge, my fellow corporate prayer warriors prayed for my career in addition to the usual prayers.My Church (Halluejah AG Church, Pondicherry) too had prayer on almost every day during that period & I was able to participate in most of the prayers.

In one such Church prayer, which was attended by a very few people,a sister in Christ approached me and told me that I should set aside a day of fasting & silent prayer.I just obeyed this Word that came to me through that sister and I set aside a day for prayer. I must acknowledge to you that fasting was easy for me compared to keeping silent for a whole day (9am to 5pm). Though it was tough, “I went through it”. The whole day, I felt God’s presence in the silent place (A Chapel) where I was praying & went home happy telling God that,I was confident He would take care of me as He has always done.

At 7pm on the same day, I received a call from one of my superiors (boss) in a previous job with whom I had lost touch over the last 4 years. He went on to offer me an opportunity with a leading training company in India as a Freelance Trainer.

Praise God,this was the exact opportunity I was looking for, an opportunity to converge my ministry & my work. God blessed me with a door that opened by his Grace alone. I did nothing to get this opportunity; it was opened by God’s grace alone.
Now, the real miracle, 8 days of work exceeds the salary that I was drawing in my previous employment. I had 8 days of training in July & have 14 days of training confirmed for August. Praise God, this is exactly what I wanted, “work to support my family & more time for ministry”

By God’s grace, my ministry is working fine too. God is making more activity in Church, programs & mission trips possible for me as I plan & make maximum possible use of the free time God has gifted me.

The conclusion of the matter is, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind & soul. Follow his commandments & do his work as much as you can,and goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life”. We serve the God of Glory who knows how to glorify his people. Though I was tested, I just knew that the God I serve will not destroy my testimony. Though I did not have a job I continued to preach and declare in faith that God will transform my situation. In fact, I also delivered a CCF monthly meeting message titled “Transform” in my jobless period. My God did “Transform” everything.

I Pray God will bless this testimony to touch many people. May the good Lord be glorified in your life & through your life too.

Mission Lanka 2 - Report

2010-03-17T02:08:00.000-07:00

“Praise God”, The Lord blessed Mission Lanka 2 to be as successful as Mission Lanka 1. I thank God that many people at Sri Lanka were encouraged & blessed through this mission. Find below a report of the happenings there day vise.

March 12th (Fri) – I landed at Colombo Airport around 2:30am & Bro.Christie was there to extend me a warm welcome. We reached his house & took rest. Bro.Christie went to office & I continued with rest and preparation for the first event of the day. At 5pm, I got into the arranged transport and left for the venue of my first event, “God’s Career Plan for You”, a launch of the “Virtusa Corporate Fellowship”. The event was a success and could lead to the creation of more IT corporate fellowships and a doctor’s fellowship at Colombo. I “Praise God” that I was on top form and the message was well received, I am certain that the seed that was sown will soon grow into a mighty tree.

March 13th (Sat) – Bro.Christie & I started at 6am to get to Assemblies of God Church, Deraniyagala. I had a huge responsibility here to minister to a group of people who have already dedicated their lives for missions. God blessed me & he poured his anointing fire on me and all who were listening to me. Many testimonies came up as to how God has encouraged the participants. I “Praise God” for he used me mightily on that day.

March 14th (Sun) – We started at 7 am to minister at the Calvary Telegu Church. “Praise God”, this message was also a blessing to all who attended. One of the participants agreed to connect Bro.Christie to a few companies to get corporate fellowships started there. Many gave testimony that God spoke to them through the message.

At 5:30pm, we started to the residence of Sis. Shirana Wikramanayake, who was the force behind P4P (Prayer for peace), an initiative to unite the Sri Lankan churches to pray for peace. We had a very constructive, spirit filled discussion and decided on the modalities of conducting a 1-day seminar on October 9th called “Call to Work”, which will involve me and other speakers from India & Sri Lanka. Mission Lanka 3 is already on.

“Praise God”, I thank you one and all who prayed & contributed to make this mission trip a grand success.

I give God all the glory for making many impossible things possible during this mission. Mission Lanka 2 was such a grand success that I am encouraged to do more mission trip & bigger things for the Lord.

Mission Lanka 2

2010-01-19T22:46:00.000-08:00

Mission Lanka 2 is planned between 12th March 2010 to 14th March 2010.

I am looking forward to support from all my friends & relatives to make this mission as successful as my previous mission trip to Sri Lanka.

To See Pictures Of Mission Lanka 1 - Click Here

To Read A Testimony Of Mission Lanka 1 - CLICK HERE

To Contribute Financially For Mission Lanka 2 - CLICK HERE

God blessed every single activity & every single person who was involved with me during Mission Lanka 1 & I am sure that as a team of Prayer Warriors prays for us, the same blessings will be poured upon all who are involved in Mission Lanka 2.

Do Contribute & Pray for the success of this mission trip

Happy New Year 2010

2009-12-31T20:52:00.001-08:00

General - New Year Blessing

2009-12-29T21:49:00.000-08:00

"Praise God". I pray that God bless you all in the NEW YEAR 2010 in accordance to this promise in the Bible..."I will do a new THING; now it shall SPRING FORTH. I will even make a way in the WILDERNESS & RIVERS in the DESERT (Isaiah 43:19)"....."God Bless You".....Have a Fantastic & Blessed 2010.

General - Seasons Greetings

2009-12-20T20:19:00.000-08:00

"Praise God", My busy Christmas Season continues & I may not have net access around Christmas time. So, here are my heartfelt Seasons Greetings to you all.

"God Bless You" this Holiday Season.

Programs - Raga 'n' Rock

2009-12-15T00:57:00.000-08:00

God Blessed this event to be really successful & I was happy to do my part in this program.

To see pictures involving my role in this event Click Here

To see the entire Raga 'n' Rock concert pictures Click Here

I give God all the glory for blessing me to be part of programs like "Raga 'n' Rock"

Programs - Immanuel

2009-12-13T21:16:00.000-08:00

"Praise God", the program went really well. Inspite of the rains, the hall was filled to capacity & many were blessed. I am happy that I am chosen to do small things for Jesus.

For Pictures Click Here

Programs - Immanuel

2009-12-10T23:06:00.000-08:00

"Praise God", I am blessed with an opportunity to anchor my Church Christmas program. I pray that everyone who attends this program will be blessed by God through Bro.David Stewart.

Programs - Raga 'n' Rock

2009-11-30T23:23:00.000-08:00

My thoughts are right now focussed on my work & the short message that I have to deliver at the Raga 'n' Rock program organized by the Synergy Fellowship at Bangalore.

Programs - God's Health Plan For The Corporate World

2009-10-18T21:06:00.001-07:00

This is the first time I am doing the message at the "All Corporate Fellowship Monthly Meeting" of the Chennai Corporate Feloowship (http://www.ccf.org.in)

Mission Lanka 1 - Pictures

2009-10-07T20:37:00.000-07:00

"Praise God". God blessed me with an excellent personal mission trip to Sri Lanka.

To see the pictures taken during Mission Lanka

CLICK HERE

Do pray that God bless me to do many more successful mission trips like this in future.

Mission To Sri Lanka 1 - Testimony 3

2009-10-05T23:45:00.000-07:00

This 3rd testimony is on the general goodness of God in all the work done by me during my mission trip to Sri Lanka.

- "Praise God". God relocated Bro.Christie, with whom I have been involved in the CCF (http://www.ccf.org.in) ministry to Sri Lanka 3 to 4 months ahead for his own mission / ministry calling so that he could be the main coordinator of my mission trip. Every single event, my transportation to the events, my food & shelter was arranged by Bro.Christie. I "Praise God" for he works everything in accordance with his larger plan for our lives.

- "Praise God". Every single need with respect to the finances was met & I was also able to give the surplus generated as an offering for the betterment of Sri Lankan people.

- "Praise God". Bro.Christie was able to able to meet / reconnect with his friend after a gap of 10 long years during the "Glorey Of Christ Prayer Church" service in which I was preaching at Wattala.

- "Praise God". During the course of my teaching / preaching assingments. 2 youngsters who had completed Bible college & were now silent (Not active) decided to re-dedicate their lives to ministry.

- "Praise God". Many Church pastors have decided to encourage & start corporate fellowships among their Church congregations. A couple of pastors have agreed to start fellowships among plantation workers & other similar groups of believers.

- "Praise God". I was able to sustain energy to preach at 3 Church services and a meeting on Sunday. It was God alone who sustained me with a tireless energy during this mission trip.

"Praise God. Though I am a very unknown person in Sri Lanka, through Bro.Christie & the Lord's blessing I was able to meet many top Sri Lankan Christian / Secular leaders and meet, fellowship & pray with them.

On the whole, I can only say that the Lord personally cares for and blesses every single activity carried out under the sun in his name. May the Lord alone be glorified & may every single credit of this successful mission trip go only to him & him alone. "Praise God"

Mission To Sri Lanka 1 - Testimony 2

2009-10-05T21:57:00.000-07:00

On Program Schedule

The 2nd testimony is on the actual work to be done at Sri Lanka during my mission trip.

My Plan
Friday (2nd Oct evening) - A house prayer meeting.
Saturday - A seminar/conference for youth "or" corporates.
Sunday - Teaching/preaching at 2 Churches near Airport.

God's Plan
Friday - Meeting with Church leaders & Business leaders to kick start a corporate fellowship movement at Colombo city.
Saturday - Meeting at the residence of the PA of the Social Developement Minister of Sri Lanka along with senior pastors, leaders of the Hatton Pastors Fellowship and involving the Founder & President of the Sri Lanka Christian Federation. The meeting was to encourage the Church leaders to start fellowships among plantation workers & corporates.
Sunday - Preaching at "Living Christ Church" at Wattala followed and preaching at "Glorey Of Christ Prayer Church" at Wattala in the morning session followed by preaching at "Colombo Gospel Tabernacle Church" in the evening at 5pm. Enroute to the airport, a meeting with the secretary of the "Shephard Fellowship" for Pastors, to encourage them to start a corporate fellowship movementa at Wattala.

As we can see from the program schedule, if I had gone as per my plan, I might have been 75% satisfied with my mission work at Sri Lanka. But, now I am 100% satisfied with the work done at Sri Lanka through this mission.

I "Praise God" that he has guided me to do so much good work at Sri Lanka during my first mission trip to Sri Lanka.

Mission To Sri Lanka 1 - Testimony 1

2009-10-05T21:30:00.000-07:00

On The Overall Travel Plan

"Praise God". Even though we make great plans, God has greater plans in store for us. This testimony will clearly speak about how going along with God's plans will enable a greater blessing into our lives.

My Plan
To start from Chennai to Sri Lanka on Friday (2nd Oct) by flight at 12.30pm & Return on Sunday (4th Oct) by flight at 3.30pm from Colombo.

God's Plan
There was a strike & my travel plans were modified. I started to Sri Lanka by Midnight on Oct 2nd (12:35am) & Returned to India by flight from Colombo on Oct 5th (3.20am)

Benefits on going along with God's Plan
- My local coordinator Bro.Christie was able to pick me up at the airport as Friday was a working day for him & if I was reaching in the afternoon as against at Midnight, it would have been difficult for all of us.
- I was able to preach in one more additional Church & make one more meeting with the secretary of a leading pastors fellowship possible because of stating on Monday early morning instead of Sunday afternoon.

By this change in the travel plan, I was able to do more of God's work at Sri Lanka.

Mission To Sri Lanka 1

2009-09-07T21:30:00.000-07:00

"Praise God", this is the first time in my life that I am attempting a mission trip outside India.

God willing, I am going to Colombo between 2nd October 2009 to 4th October 2009

My tentative plan of action is as below
1) Fri - Oct 2nd - Reaching Sri Lanka & leading a house prayer / care cell / prayer fellowship in the evening from 7pm onwards in one of my friends house.

2) Sat - Oct 3rd - One Day Seminar /Conference for youth "or" corporates at a Hotel at Colombo / Negombo.

3) Sun - Oct 4th - Teaching / Preaching in the morning service of one Church at Colombo.

How Can You Help Me ???

Contribute financially for this mission. You can transfer an offering to my account (Account Name: V.Chacko Jacob, Bank Name: HDFC Bank, Account No: 00101000027685, Branch: Shastri Nagar, Chennai, India). Every contribution will be accounted and used responsibily. The surplus funds will be used up for the Sri Lankan people as God has blessed me with a ver y good job. Reports of the mission trip will be put on this blog site & sites like "Facebook" & "Orkut"
Please pray for the success of this mission as it's only through prayer that all matters of the Kingdom move forward.

I pray that God Bless every one of you who are helping / will help me on this mission.

Programs - C2C "Campus To Corporate"

2009-04-27T03:26:00.000-07:00

Another CCF Program that was a really good blessing to all concerned. I anchored this program & "yes" many appreciated that the program content was really good. It was also an opportunity for me to work with Bro.Isaac Joe again after a long time.

General - Teaching at Women's Polytechnic (Pondicherry)

2009-03-30T23:08:00.000-07:00

General - Out of Complete Failure to…35 Years of Blessing by the Grace of God

2009-01-16T04:04:00.000-08:00

On my 35th Birthday, I was thinking about God’s goodness in my life thus far. I must admit that I have written many articles in the past in several forums both secular & spiritual but I am finding this a really tough article to write; that’s the extent of God’s goodness in my life. It would be tough to list all of God’s goodness in one article but I will attempt to capture the major acts of God in my life in the process of a thanksgiving to him.

I thank God that…

Even though I failed in the 12th Standard & Dropped out of college, he gave me the grace to never give up in life & today I am blessed to be a double post graduate degree holder in Marketing & HR.

Though I dropped out of college, He gave me the gift of the Holy Spirit & a desire to live while a fellow college student who got 85% marks committed suicide.

I was never good in academics, I have been blessed by him to always get the right opportunity at the right time and today I find myself ahead in position compared to most people my age.Even though I went through testing times for my marriage, I finally got married to a wonderful woman who best compliments me in life and supports me in all that I do in work or ministry.

Though we were tested when we did not have children after 2 years of marriage, today God has blessed us with a son who is bringing joy to my whole family.

Though I have been a poor planner in personal matters, in matters of the Kingdom I have been blessed to plan very successful programs, concerts, seminars & other events for Jesus.

Though I cannot even read or write in my own mother tongue Malayalam, God has blessed me with grace to stand and teach his word in front of large gatherings in almost every language spoken in South India and in India’s national language.

I cannot thank God enough for the fact that he has raised a complete failure like me to be a shining light for Him

Since Jesus came into my life, I have worked with so many successful and mighty servants of God that I have often asked God “Am I Worthy?”

His answer to me & to all of you reading this message is simple. God loves you enough that He sent his only son Jesus to take your unworthiness and make you worthy.

As I contemplate on my birthday, I am glad to be a shining light for Jesus and I pray that you will all be too.

God Bless You (Read Testimony On CCF Website)

Programs - CCF Fasting Prayer For "Current Corporate Crisis"

2009-01-16T03:49:00.001-08:00

This was one of the most simple CCF programs I have ever done. The meeting was planned to pray for the Current Corporate Crisis, especially for "SATYAM" and the slowdown in the economy. I praise God for the below that he specially blessed on that day.

1) Even after the program finished "no one" left. Everyone stayed back for some more time. That was the measure of God's presence during the program

2) I was not keeping good health but when I started preaching / teaching God blessed me to deliver a goood message with good flow. Many said the message was a blessing to them. "Praise God"

3) Everyone participated during the prayer and really prayed with a burden.

On the whole the program worked because God send his presence mightily upon this particular meeting & every one connected with this program felt blessed in the end. "Praise God"

To read a report on the CCF website Click Here

To see pictures on the CCF website Click Here

General - Seasons Greetings

2008-12-18T01:40:00.000-08:00

Programs - CIA Images

2008-12-03T01:28:00.000-08:00

I will never forget this program for the following reasons.

1) The program was during the time Chennai was under severe flooding. God stopped the rain just in time for the people to come in large numbers. The hall was filled to bursting capacity.

2) Till 3-days to go we had just Rs.45000 in hand but by the day of the event we exceeded our target and had a surplus fund to give to "Caritas"

3) Bro.Freddy Joseph gave such a powerful message that we are all thanking God from the bottom of our hearts that we are living and not dead like the Mumbai blast victims.

Programs - CIA

2008-11-05T20:00:00.000-08:00

This is the next program that I am going to be involved in through Chennai Corporate Fellowship ( http://www.ccf.org.in/ ). I pray that this program will be as huge a success as all the other programs that God has blessed me to be a part of in Chennai.

Programs - CFG At Pondicherry

2008-10-20T21:01:00.000-07:00

The members of my Church Care Cell at Chennai CFG-NLAG came to minister at my current Church "Halluejah AG Church", Pondicherry on October 19th,2008.

They performed a few spirit filled songs, a soul stirring testimony and a very powerful skit with a touching message.

I was blessed to be able to lead this group at Chennai & I pray for many more blessed programs to happen through this team.

General - CCF Articles & Messages

2008-08-25T04:27:00.000-07:00

CREATION OF AN AWESOME GOD

GIVING TO GOD

GOD BASICS

SAVING & INVESTING

General - Team MAT Training Program Images

2008-05-07T02:12:00.000-07:00

Images of a "Team MAT" training program involving me as a guest faculty at Hotel Pondicherry Executive Inn.

CLICK HERE

General - Old Online Video

2008-04-18T03:10:00.000-07:00

http://ko.fooooo.com/watch.php?id=9be303a89a2f3c2ed2fcc6d60f44fcca

http://ko.fooooo.com/watch.php?id=ad9a9047f2d44a0b4c23b7bef3fcabc0

http://www.webmunism.com/vids/of/macrocomm%2Cchacko

General - Old Article On Rediff

2008-04-18T03:06:00.000-07:00

http://in.rediff.com/election/2006/apr/27citizen.htm

Election means chaos

In Anna Nagar, election means chaos. A week ago, I was on my way to Shanthi colony when to my surprise I found a huge traffic jam. The reason was some political rally/meeting was holding up the entire traffic. What is usually a 10-minute work turned out to be a 45-minute task to complete.

In a large country like India, I am surprised that after so many years politicians cannot think of any other constructive way to campaign other than setting up shamianas and blocking up the whole area where they have their meetings.

Testimony - Dr. God Program

2008-03-23T22:13:00.000-07:00

I thank & praise God for the success of the "Dr.God" program. You can find the testimony of this program online at the below URL

http://www.ccf.org.in/Testimonies.asp?31

General - First Online Interview

2008-02-22T01:10:00.000-08:00

I am happy that my first online interview has been published at the below URL
http://argetslam.blogspot.com/2008/02/day-with-personality-trainer.html
I give God all the glory that somone thought me fine to be interviewed and put the interview online, where it can be a blessing to many people.

Public Program - Dr.God

2008-02-14T20:48:00.000-08:00

This is the first public program that I am going to be involved in at Pondicherry. I pray that this program will be blessed by the Lord's presence & that the people who attend will be blessed in abundant measure.

Public Program - WIRED

2007-09-20T21:40:00.000-07:00

This is the largest program that I have been involved in up till now. Till date I have done seminars / public programs that have had a little over 100 participants. But, this program
will have more than 800 people ( The hall capacity is 820) - We are expecting 1000+

I pray that Chennai Corporate Fellowship (CCF)
http://www.ccf.org.in
will continue to grow from strength to strength after this program.

I also Pray that Pas.Sam, me and all others on stage will glorify God
through this program.

Video - Christmas Talk at Macrocomm Office

2007-03-22T23:17:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McwuUea6YNc

We had a Christmas Celebration at the Macrocomm Office and I had the opportunity to do a motivational talk for all the Macrocomm Employees. "Check it out"

Video - New Year 2006 at Macrocomm Office

2007-03-22T23:10:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvpjQZfksRM

The above link directs you to a video blog site where you can view one of my talks done at the Macrocomm Office for New Year 2006.

Public Program - Call To Excel

2007-03-18T21:46:00.000-07:00

Call To Excel was a successful program targeted at Christian Professionals. 85 people attended this program. This program was my break through program into the Christian Leader space.

Public Program - H2H

2007-03-18T21:41:00.000-07:00

H2H - (Hell)th to (Heal)th was a successful program done at NLAG church attended by more than 200 participants.

Public Program - SOS

2007-03-06T00:30:00.000-08:00

I am happy that my Church care cell program "SOS-Stress Of Souls" is progressing good. The publicity material is ready and we have got cracking on the registrations.

As one of the speakers I am fine tuning my talk for that day. I pray that on March 17,2007 - I will "rock"

I pray that the people who attend will benefit from our program and that my Church Care Cell "CFG-NLAG" will grow.

General - Radio Program / Story Blog Site

2007-02-28T02:27:00.000-08:00

We (Samuel Eddy - Director "EMCOM") and me have submitted a letter to "Radio One"informing them of our willingness to do a motivational radio program. We are waiting for them to get back to us.

My story blog site which is at http://trainerstories.blogspot.com is going fine too. I am in the process of inputing stories from the "Panchatantra" into the blog site. "Well" collecting stories is a life long process and I pray I will be able to keep it up.

General - Radio Program +ve

2007-02-22T20:45:00.000-08:00

The hight of +ve attitude is that you begin something based on something else happening with the assurance that it will happen. This blog site is one in that direction. I shall blog on this site the talks /stories/illustrations that I present on my upcoming motivational talk Radio Program.