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Friday, January 8, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Anger Management
Surprised to see the topic name. This is not the review of the movie 'Anger Management'. I know this is quite a off-beat subject, but is really helpful to everybody. You may say now.. what happened to Mahesh as this is just a fresh start of the year and I am touching such a topic. But .. I'll say this is the good time to start working on this. Anger is a completely normal, usually healthy, human emotion. But when it gets out of control and turns destructive, it can lead to problems—problems in your personal relationships or at work. Anger can be caused by both external and internal events. We all know about the anger. So we will see few techniques on how we can control our anger.
1) Agree yourself: Quite often, we express our anger on somebody else. We are letting our anger to take control of ourselve. So first tip.. agree yourselve that you get angry. This will help to dilute your anger.
2) Measure: Report the incidence of your anger and your reaction. This will help you to understand your anger pattern. If required, you can take help from your colleagues.
3) Perspective: Typically we blame/hold a person responsible for the anger. Now think in that persons view as well. This will surely reduce the intensity of your anger.
4) Listen carefully: Very often, we give a angry reaction to somebody without listening to him completely. Build a habit of listening carefully, patiently. Improve your communication skill.
5) Humor: Humor as always is the best medicine on anger. It can kill the anger very quickly.
6) Relaxation: Relaxation or meditation will be very helpful. I usually count 1 to 10 when I get angry. ( Yes.. I am a short tempered guy :) ). Yoga may also prove to be useful to remain calm.
One can choose the best method(s) suitable for oneself.
Bottomline is.. one should be able to control the anger !!
Catch you next time,
Mahesh Masurkar, PMP
1) Agree yourself: Quite often, we express our anger on somebody else. We are letting our anger to take control of ourselve. So first tip.. agree yourselve that you get angry. This will help to dilute your anger.
2) Measure: Report the incidence of your anger and your reaction. This will help you to understand your anger pattern. If required, you can take help from your colleagues.
3) Perspective: Typically we blame/hold a person responsible for the anger. Now think in that persons view as well. This will surely reduce the intensity of your anger.
4) Listen carefully: Very often, we give a angry reaction to somebody without listening to him completely. Build a habit of listening carefully, patiently. Improve your communication skill.
5) Humor: Humor as always is the best medicine on anger. It can kill the anger very quickly.
6) Relaxation: Relaxation or meditation will be very helpful. I usually count 1 to 10 when I get angry. ( Yes.. I am a short tempered guy :) ). Yoga may also prove to be useful to remain calm.
One can choose the best method(s) suitable for oneself.
Bottomline is.. one should be able to control the anger !!
Catch you next time,
Mahesh Masurkar, PMP
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Four Dimensions of EI
There are four dimensions of Emotional Intelligence. First two fell in the category of Personal Competence as Self-awareness and Self-management. Remaining two, Social awareness and Relationship management, fell in Social Competence. These are nothing but the new Leadership competencies as described by Goleman.
Self-Awareness:
It is ones’ understanding about his/her emotions, strength, limitations as well as values and motives. People with strong self-awareness are realistic. Normally these people reflect quietly rather than acting impulsively. Emotional awareness, accurate self assessment and self-confidence constitute self-awareness.
Self-Management:
One should control the emotions. Most of the times, emotions control us. That will be fine for positive emotions like enthusiasm or pleasure of meeting a challenge. But keeping disruptive (negative) emotions and impulses under control is the key to self management. Importantly, self-management enables transparency – openness to others about feelings, beliefs. Other aspects of self-management include adaptability, initiative and optimism.
Social Awareness:
In simple words, it is called Empathy which is nothing but sensing others’ emotions, understanding their perspective, and taking interest in their concerns.
In the growing global economy, empathy is a critical skill for both, getting along with diverse workmates and doing business with people from other cultures.
Social awareness is the most easily recognized dimension of EI.
Relationship Management:
This is the final EI ability and is a mixture of above three. Managing relations skillfully boils down to handling other people’s emotions. Relationship management is nothing but friendliness with a purpose: moving people in the right direction. Teamwork, collaboration and conflict management are the key parts of relationship management.
In short, these EI competencies are not innate talents, but learned abilities, and hence more effective.
Catch you next time,
Mahesh Masurkar, PMP
-------
I had a training on EI in last month. I got my EI profile during the same.
It will look like this.
Self-Awareness:
It is ones’ understanding about his/her emotions, strength, limitations as well as values and motives. People with strong self-awareness are realistic. Normally these people reflect quietly rather than acting impulsively. Emotional awareness, accurate self assessment and self-confidence constitute self-awareness.
Self-Management:
One should control the emotions. Most of the times, emotions control us. That will be fine for positive emotions like enthusiasm or pleasure of meeting a challenge. But keeping disruptive (negative) emotions and impulses under control is the key to self management. Importantly, self-management enables transparency – openness to others about feelings, beliefs. Other aspects of self-management include adaptability, initiative and optimism.
Social Awareness:
In simple words, it is called Empathy which is nothing but sensing others’ emotions, understanding their perspective, and taking interest in their concerns.
In the growing global economy, empathy is a critical skill for both, getting along with diverse workmates and doing business with people from other cultures.
Social awareness is the most easily recognized dimension of EI.
Relationship Management:
This is the final EI ability and is a mixture of above three. Managing relations skillfully boils down to handling other people’s emotions. Relationship management is nothing but friendliness with a purpose: moving people in the right direction. Teamwork, collaboration and conflict management are the key parts of relationship management.
In short, these EI competencies are not innate talents, but learned abilities, and hence more effective.
Catch you next time,
Mahesh Masurkar, PMP
-------
I had a training on EI in last month. I got my EI profile during the same.
It will look like this.
Friday, October 30, 2009
5 Free PDU - Urgent notice
A course worth 5 PDU is available for FREE.
Last date for getting it is 31st October 2009.. So you need to act quickly to grab this offer.
I got 5 PDUs with this course.
Details:
Go to http://www.prodevia.com/
Check this link at bottom left side.
Course:- Project Search and Rescue
After completion, visit the home page again and go to Course Completion Tab
Complete the course evaluation form to get the PDUs.
You can contact registrar@prodevia.com or info@prodevia.com.
This free course will apply the wilderness search and rescue body of knowledge that is used to help rescue people lost in the woods to the troubled project environment. Based on various wilderness survival resources as well as a detailed analysis into lost person behavioral characteristics this course helps you to identify lost projects before they get too far off the path. This course provides a robust process for interviewing project team-members and assessing the probability that the project effort is lost and requires intervention.
Catch you next time,
Mahesh Masurkar, PMP
Last date for getting it is 31st October 2009.. So you need to act quickly to grab this offer.
I got 5 PDUs with this course.
Details:
Go to http://www.prodevia.com/
Check this link at bottom left side.
Course:- Project Search and Rescue
After completion, visit the home page again and go to Course Completion Tab
Complete the course evaluation form to get the PDUs.
You can contact registrar@prodevia.com or info@prodevia.com.
This free course will apply the wilderness search and rescue body of knowledge that is used to help rescue people lost in the woods to the troubled project environment. Based on various wilderness survival resources as well as a detailed analysis into lost person behavioral characteristics this course helps you to identify lost projects before they get too far off the path. This course provides a robust process for interviewing project team-members and assessing the probability that the project effort is lost and requires intervention.
Catch you next time,
Mahesh Masurkar, PMP
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Dump your brain
Don't take it word by word. I don't want to drain your brain. This is a simple trick to be used during your PMP exam. This small technique is called "Brain dump".
You are through to your study, remembered all the formulaes, short cuts, ITTOs, process groups and what nots. Still there will a question back in your mind.. will I remember all these till the end of my exam? Will I be able recollect it during exam time? Such questions will make you nervous and any kind of such feelings is not good... at least before the start of the exam. Let your brain take the control of your body and not the heart.
Remedy
Do practise to write whatever you have remembered on a piece of paper. prepare your own dump sheet. Don't borrow it from others 'cause whatever you feel important may not be the case with other. Note the time required to do the same. Do it 3-4 times to make it perfect.
Before the start of the exam, you will be guided by a tutorial of 15 mins time. Please go through that tutorial thoroughly checking all the aspect till the last page.. STOP.. don't click and exit the tutorial. Exiting the tutorial means start of your exam. Completing the tutorial requires hardly 6-7 mins. The remaining time (8-9 mins), you can utilize for the brain dump on the papers provided. Key to success (or at least relaxing your mind) is to effectively use these 8-9 mins. This is the time when you will dump whatever you have practised.
So.. lets start to create your own dump sheet.. All the best.
Read more tips on the PMP exam here
---------------------------------
Catch you next time,
Mahesh Masurkar PMP
You are through to your study, remembered all the formulaes, short cuts, ITTOs, process groups and what nots. Still there will a question back in your mind.. will I remember all these till the end of my exam? Will I be able recollect it during exam time? Such questions will make you nervous and any kind of such feelings is not good... at least before the start of the exam. Let your brain take the control of your body and not the heart.
Remedy
Do practise to write whatever you have remembered on a piece of paper. prepare your own dump sheet. Don't borrow it from others 'cause whatever you feel important may not be the case with other. Note the time required to do the same. Do it 3-4 times to make it perfect.
Before the start of the exam, you will be guided by a tutorial of 15 mins time. Please go through that tutorial thoroughly checking all the aspect till the last page.. STOP.. don't click and exit the tutorial. Exiting the tutorial means start of your exam. Completing the tutorial requires hardly 6-7 mins. The remaining time (8-9 mins), you can utilize for the brain dump on the papers provided. Key to success (or at least relaxing your mind) is to effectively use these 8-9 mins. This is the time when you will dump whatever you have practised.
So.. lets start to create your own dump sheet.. All the best.
Read more tips on the PMP exam here
---------------------------------
Catch you next time,
Mahesh Masurkar PMP
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Self Directed Learning
Hi Everybody,
As a PMP, one has to earn 60 PDUs towards recertification in a cycle.
There are total 5 categories under which one can get PDU.
As a PMP, one has to earn 60 PDUs towards recertification in a cycle.
There are total 5 categories under which one can get PDU.
Out of that, there is one category "2-SDL" which gives PDU for self-directed learning activities for individualized learning events. I am presently reading a book on Primal Leadership(1) from Daniel Goleman. Below is the extract from the said book on Self-directed learning.
Most of the companies use something called Developmental strategy or goal for individuals. This theory is equally applicable in that case too.
=======================
Self-directed learning: Intentionally developing or strengthening an aspect of who you are or who you want to be, or both. This requires first getting a strong image of your ideal self, as well as your real self.
This model of learning was developed by Richard Boyatzis (coauthor of the said book). This learning involves five discoveries. The goal is to use each discovery as a tool for making changes. This has been explained better in the picture below.
1) My ideal self
- Who Do I want to be?
2) My real self
- Who am I? What are my strengths and gaps?
3) My learning agenda
- How I can build on my strengths while reducing my gaps?
4) Experiment and practise
- New behaviors, thoughts, and feelings to the point of mastery.
Practise new leadership skills.
5) Developing supportive and trusting relationship that make change possible.
Although this model is called self-directed learning process, it actually cannot be alone. Others' involvement is a must for lasting change. Self-directed learning is most effective and sustainable when you understand the process of change -and the steps to achieve it-as you go through it.
=============
Catch you next time,
Mahesh Masurkar, PMP
1: Primal Leadership -Realizing the power of Emotional Intelligence
By Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis & Annie McKee
Friday, September 11, 2009
SMILE: A BUSINESS SECRET
A research by Yale University says that cheerfulness and warmth spread most easily among working groups than irritability and depression. This greater diffusion rate for good moods has direct implications for business results. The research also says that mood inadvertently influence how effectively people work. Happy moods boost fairness, cooperation and business performance.
There is something called open-loop nature of the limbic system. Humans rely on connections with other people for their emotional stability. This open-loop limbic system helps to foster this stability. Laughter demonstrates the power of the open-loop in operation. Hearing laughter, we automatically smile or laugh too, creating a spontaneous chain reaction in a group.
Smile has an irresistible power to make others smile in return. Smiles and laughter plays important role to cement alliances. Laughing represents the shortest distance between two people. It has been proved that good moods create a good work.
The bad mood such as rudeness or anger is the opposite of good mood and it is bad for the business too. Business is benefited by upbeat (happy) moods. A good leader is the one who is able to pitch a group into an enthusiastic, cooperative mood which will ultimately determine the success of the group.
===================================
Catch you next time,
Mahesh Masurkar, PMP
There is something called open-loop nature of the limbic system. Humans rely on connections with other people for their emotional stability. This open-loop limbic system helps to foster this stability. Laughter demonstrates the power of the open-loop in operation. Hearing laughter, we automatically smile or laugh too, creating a spontaneous chain reaction in a group.
Smile has an irresistible power to make others smile in return. Smiles and laughter plays important role to cement alliances. Laughing represents the shortest distance between two people. It has been proved that good moods create a good work.
The bad mood such as rudeness or anger is the opposite of good mood and it is bad for the business too. Business is benefited by upbeat (happy) moods. A good leader is the one who is able to pitch a group into an enthusiastic, cooperative mood which will ultimately determine the success of the group.
===================================
Catch you next time,
Mahesh Masurkar, PMP
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