Lapaas Digital

Category: Productivity

  • Eight ways to improve Self-Regulation – Ultimate Guide

    Eight ways to improve Self-Regulation – Ultimate Guide

    Are you here to know how to improve self-regulation? Or how to be self-regulated?

    Here in this article, I will clear all your doubts about this.

    If it comes to your self-worth, just one opinion matters — you’re personal.

    Absolute human value supposes that each of us is born with the abilities necessary to live fruitfully. Still, everybody has a different blend of capabilities, which are in various levels of development.

    Some browse the planet — and associations — looking for evidence to confirm their self-limiting customs. Much like jury and judge, they always put themselves on trial and, at times, sentence themselves into a life of self-criticism.

    WHAT’S IN IT

    Be cautious about Self-Regulation

    self-control

    We can not change something if we do not realize there is something to modify. 

    With this consciousness, we can easily fall into the trap of thinking that our self-limiting conversation, and as meditation instructor Allan Lokos states, “Do not believe everything you believe. Ideas are only that — ideas.“

    The moment you end up moving down the route of self-criticism, softly note what’s going on, be curious about it, and remind yourself, “All these are ideas, not details.“

    Change the narrative about Self-Regulation

    Most of us have a story or a story we have created about ourselves, which shapes our self-perceptions, upon our heart, self-regulation relies on honour. 

    If we would like to change this story, we must comprehend where it came from and where we obtained the messages we inform ourselves.

    Occasionally automatic negative thoughts like you are fat or idle can be replicated in your head so frequently that you begin to think they’re accurate. 

    These ideas are learned so that they could be dumb. It’s possible, to start with, affirmations. What do you want you to believe on your own? Repeat the following phrases to yourself daily.

    A demonstration claims that “fluency instruction” in positive affirmations (by instance, writing down as several positive things you can help yourself at the moment) can reduce symptoms of depression as measured by self-reports with the Beck Depression Inventory. 

    perceptions

    More significant amounts of composed, positive statements are connected with increased improvement. While they have a poor reputation due to late-night TV, positive affirmations might help.

    Avoid Falling to the Compare and Despair bunny hole about Self-Regulation

    Two important things I highlight would be to practice approval and quit comparing yourself to other people. 

    I focus that simply because somebody else seems happy on social networking or perhaps in person does not mean they’re so glad. Comparisons only cause unwanted self-talk, which contributes to stress and anxiety.” 

    Feelings of non-self-worth can negatively influence your mental health and some other regions in your own life, such as relationships, work, and bodily well-being.

    Channel your inner rock star

    Albert Einstein stated, “Everyone is a genius. But should you judge a fish with its ability to scale a tree, then it will live its entire life believing it is dumb” Most of us have our flaws and strengths. Neither quality defines their centre values. 

    Realize what your muscles are and the feelings of assurance engender, particularly in times of uncertainty. 

    It’s simple to create generalizations if you “mess up” or “neglect” in something, but depriving yourself of those means by which you stone provides a more realistic view of yourself.

    What exactly were you doing at the point of your life?”

    Exercise for Self-Regulation

    Exercise for Self-Regulation

    Several studies have demonstrated a correlation between exercise and greater self-regulation, in addition to improved mental health. 

    “Exercising generates empowerment both bodily and psychological,” and “particularly weightlifting at which it’s possible to calibrate the achievements. Exercise arouses your day .” 

    One indicates falling a job daily out of the endless to-do list for the only purpose of comfort or doing something interesting, and seeing the way that feels. Other kinds of self-care, such as proper nutrition and adequate sleep, have also been proven to positively impact self-perception.

    Do unto others

    It’s implied that volunteers assist individuals who might be less lucky. Whenever you can help somebody else, it makes you focused on your issues.”

    What I find is that the more somebody does something in their lifetime they may be pleased with, the easier it’s for them to realize their value.

     Doing things that you can honour about yourself would be the one key I have found that works to increase one’s worth. It’s something tangible. Helping in a homeless shelter, animal shelter, providing time in a big sister or sister company. 

    All these are items that mean a thing and give significance to not only oneself but also others.

    There’s a lot of truth that what we set out there to the world will boomerang back to us.

    Forgiveness

    Forgiveness

    Is there a personage in your life you have not forgiven? An ex-partner? A relative? Yourself?

    Forgiving self and many others have been proven to boost self-regulation, possibly because it connects us with our innately adoring character and promotes an endorsement of individuals, regardless of our flaws. 

    It’s called the Buddhist meditation forgiveness, which is practiced anytime: “When I’ve hurt or hurt anyone, intentionally or unknowingly, I ask forgiveness. For those ways, I’ve hurt myself knowingly or unknowingly, and I provide forgiveness.”

    Bear in mind that you are not in your situation.

    Ultimately, learning how to distinguish between your situation and that you are is essential to self-worth. 

    “Recognizing the inner value, and enjoying the imperfect self, supply the stable foundation for expansion, with this safety, one is free to develop with pleasure, not fear of collapse — since failure does not change core value.” These words seem to be hard, no, they are not.

    We’re all born with boundless potential and equivalent worth as human beings. Therefore, with challenging labour and self-compassion, self-destructive ideas and beliefs could be dumb. 

    Taking the actions outlined previously is a beginning to boost self-worth and to “comprehend self-worth. It exists in every individual.”

    Conclusion

    So, here we complete our talk about how to improve our self-regulation. Regulating ourselves properly is very important, or this may mislead our life.

    If this article helped in any way, please do share and also let me know if anything mentioned here where you know already. 

    And, if you still have any questions, try to find them in FAQ or comment them down.

    If you skipped any part of this article, then it may be harmful to you because half information is deadlier than no data.

    Also, read our blog on Helping your people developing Emotional intelligence

    FAQ’s

  • David Rock’s SCARF Model – Using Neuroscience to Work Effectively

    David Rock’s SCARF Model – Using Neuroscience to Work Effectively

    David Rock Scarf Model is a neuroscience process that helps to comply better with our employees’ cum colleagues. 

    It is better used for influencing people to develop their inherent capabilities; it is best to fit those who are not optimum with their efficiency. 

    For instance, consider a scenario; Raj is the marketing head in a company, and he has ten people working under him. 

    After some analysis of employee performance, Raj came to know that one employee was not performing up to the mark. 

    So the next very day he sat together with that person to know what he was lacking, and then he got to know that he is not using some strategies correctly for which the results are below par. 

    However, he explained to him that, but nothing went in his favour. 

    The employee got stubborn and did the work according to his knowledge.

    So now, think why the employee did not listen to his superior?

    That’s the matter that everyone should understand that you can’t just say to work correctly.

    You have to do it in a good manner. 

    In this case, the employee got fearful and doubted his skills against his head because of Raj’s rude instructions.

    If Raj had put the SCARF concept, then the situation may have happened in the opposite direction.

    So I’m going to explain this model, and you will get to know every detail about it in this article.

    WHAT’S IN IT

    What is the SCARF Model?

    David Rock's Scarf Model

    The SCARF Model was quoted by David Rock in 2008, in his published article “SCARF: A Brain-Based Model for Collaborating With and Influencing Others.”

    In this name SCARF, every alphabet shows various essential qualities required to influence people’s behaviour in social and workplace situations.

    Following are the different terms David Rock has used in his model;

    • Status- Relative importance 
    • Certainty- Ability to predict future
    • Autonomy- Control vital happenings
    • Relatedness- Ability to comfort the person
    • Fairness- Equal treatment with a sense of trust

    This model is based on human neuroscience that deals with two key factors in human nature, and they are the opposite as well.

    These five elements help to factor in all the positives and flush out the negatives. 

    The two key factors are threat and reward. In the above-said story, you can confirm that the more threat you feel towards your ability, the more stubborn you became to your work. 

    Moreover, you no longer want to get instructed for every job you perform by your superiors.

    So this model is a lifesaver for the higher authorities to get their employees to perform at their optimum level of efficiency. 

    Why is this all happening in a negative way when we are threatened; well, some hormones let you do that so nothing is your fault.

    When we are insecure about something, a hormone called Cortisol, a stress hormone secrets.

    When we are rewarded or praised for something, we secrete a hormone called dopamine, an exciting hormone. 

    That’s why whenever we are rewarded for something, we tend to perform better with higher productivity as well as energy.

    We are comfortable enough to work with our colleagues and ready to receive instructions given if any.

    How to use the David Rock SCARF Model?

    If we feel threatened, we tend to go through a lot of stress and working anxiety. As a result, we underperform and neglect our creativity hence loses our ability to solve problems and decision making.

    We hardly communicate with our colleagues to work together.

    On the other hand, when we are rewarded, we feel more secure and safe.

    We want to work together, and our productivity and creativity are at their peak at that time.

    We want to perform better, and most of the time we achieve it also.

    Now, it’s clear how important threats and rewards are in workspace and social meetings.

    Also, it is essential to get to know the five elements deeply.

    Status

    Status

    Taking for granted and leaving behind the instructions may cause the other person to feel inferior to you.

    As a result, he gets angry and will hesitate to share anything next time if any situation arises.

    This status feel is vital and crucial to take care of as you never know what thing offends the other person professionally and in-person.

    However, you can tackle it by letting him or her evaluate himself or herself in his or her past performance.

    You can just approach him or her on a very positive note of the typical bossy culture.

    Lastly, appreciate your team more than just criticizing them.

    The more you make them feel secure, they will work more passionately. 

    This process will help them feel highly trustable, and they will work for you like you are his or her family.

    Certainty

    Certainty

    Certainty is the most essential aspect to get a job done. When you have not decided on your goal, how can you expect your team to achieve it relentlessly? 

    The more vague your goal is, the more delayed it would become to get done with it. 

    So we as humans are likely to predict the future.

    That’s why you need to see a future vision with a particular goal to instruct your team to reach there. 

    Be sure of what you are doing; then only you can assure your colleagues and be sure to reach your goals. 

    Autonomy

    Autonomy in Scarf Model

    Doubt your colleagues on their potential to complete any task is the greatest threat to the employees.

    You have to keep trust in your employees and let them do their best job on themselves only. 

    Don’t just instruct on every action they perform, until you give them a free hand; you can’t demand productive work. 

    Motivate them to grow and develop in their field and acquired skills thereon. 

    The more freedom they get, the greater creativity will generate from them.

    Relatedness

    Relatedness is very much required in terms of complimenting your colleagues better. 

    But in most cases, the employees feel isolated in their cubicles due to heavy assignments and least communication as they hesitate to ask. As a result, superiors doubt their efficiency. 

    So to increase team communication, you can arrange corporate parties, seminars, etc.

    This will build a strong bond between employees and make them work together as a healthy team.

    Fairness

    Fairness in Scarf Model

    The work stress and anxiety increase to another level if someone feels that something unfair has happened to him. 

    This leads to a reduction in efficiency and creativity.

    Moreover, this is harmful in keeping the employee loyal to your company.

    So to gain the loyalty of your employee, consider them as your assets, not your liabilities. So that they also feel the company is their own. 

    And there is nothing wrong with it; you will also get respect and loyalty at the same time without any force.

    Remember taking good care of employees is beneficial for their mental health.

    As Ratan Tata said, “If you want to walk fast, walk alone. But if you want to walk far, walk together.”

    Key Points of SCARF MODEL

    • SCARF Model is applied to tackle the treat
    • This is used to ensure the reward policy
    • It is helpful for health employee relationship
    • This prompts you to build a healthy team
    • It ensures employee loyalty

    Reward increases creativity and efficiency

    Conclusion

    David rock’s neuroscience of the human brain helps this model as nothing more than an ideal human behaviour to other humans to treat them correctly.

    As they say, “A company’s health can be determined by the actions done towards its employees.”Lastly, it is necessary to mention that everyone should understand ideal human brain functions and the neuroscience behind them to excel in professional and social gatherings.

    Also, read our blog on Helping your people developing Emotional intelligence

    FAQs

  • THE ALPHABET TECHNIQUE (REMEMBERING THE ORDERED LIST)

    THE ALPHABET TECHNIQUE (REMEMBERING THE ORDERED LIST)

    People having strong and sharp memory are not much different from us. Neither there is any such thing that they all have great recall time by birth and are god gifted. The main thing is that they just use some combination of alphabet technique effectively that works well for them.

    Such memory techniques will make them memorize things for a long period of time. Many times, you’ve faced the problem of forgetting things. You might have thought that it is hard to remember things like names, lists, formulas and equations, and many other such tasks you thought to remember.

    That is where the memory techniques play their roles. Memory techniques make you remember almost everything you want. You can use these techniques to remember any kind of list or set of equations or whatever you want not to forget.

    In this blog, I’m sharing with you a very effective memory technique that you can use to remember the ordered list properly in the defined sequence. Have a look at this effective memory technique!

    WHAT’S IN IT?

    What is the Alphabet Technique?

    The Alphabet technique is a very effective technique that lets you memorize the lists of up to 26 items. Along with this, the more important thing is that it lets you remember the items of the list in the proper sequence.

    What is the Alphabet Technique

    Under Memory Techniques, there is a sub-head as the Mnemonic Peg system. This Alphabet system of remembering the ordered list comes under the head of the same Peg system.

    In the Alphabet technique, each alphabetical letter is associated with some kind of picturized things. Such picturizing of things makes it easier for us to remember. In this way of associating the alphabets with different pictures and other visual mnemonics, you can memorize a sequential list of up to 26 items in it.

    In this way, we use A, B, C, D, E, and so on alphabets to remember the things instead of using numbers like 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on. The main catch in this technique is that the things are associated and hence remembered in this picturized form. So That’s why things will remain in our minds for a very long period.

    You can associate these letters with anything you want, or with anything that you think will retain in your mind much effectively. I’ll give you some hints by associating the letters A, B, C, D, E with different things so that you’ll get an idea that how you can make the things relatable with anything you find easier to remember.

    Let’s suppose I’m comfortable with associating the letters with animals to remember. So, here’s the example.

    A = associated with “Ape”

    B = associated with “Buffalo”

    C = associated with “Cow”

    D = associated with “Dog”

    E = associated with “Elephant”o   …And so on

    Now let’s suppose I’m comfortable with associating the letters with some daily objects to remember. So, here’s the example.

    A = associated with “Ace”

    Secondly, B = associated with “Balloon”

    C = associated with “Chair”

    D = associated with “Desktop”

    E = associated with “Earring”

    o   …And so on

    Now let’s suppose I’m comfortable with associating the letters with some food items to remember. So, here’s the example.

    A = associated with “Apple”

    B = associated with “Banana”

    Third C = associated with “Coconut”

    D = associated with “Donut”

    E = associated with “Eggs”

    …And so on

    After associating the words this way, you then have to relate the items of the list with these associated things, but in a posturized manner. Then, when you recall your associated things, the visualization of the related item of the list also comes to your mind. In this way, you can make yourself remember all the list items, even in the proper sequence.

    How you can use the Alphabet technique? (My live example)

    For remembering any list, I usually prefer to associate the letters with animals and picture them by relating all of the items with the corresponding animal. I’m now sharing with you my incidence, which can be a live example for you so that you can understand exactly how you can use this Alphabet technique in your daily lives.

    What is the Alphabet Technique

    I only go up to four letters, from A to D, in this example so that it’ll not take too much of your time and you’ll also understand the main concept of this technique.

    For me,

    Firstly A is associated with an Ape, and I picture a large Ape.

    Bis associated with a Bear, and I picture a wild Bear.

    Third C is associated with a Chimpanzee, and I picturized a huge Chimpanzee.

    D is associated with a Deer, so I pictured a cute Deer for that.

    And so on.

    Now after associating the animals, I then connect them with whatever list items I want to remember.

    One day, I have to go to the Supermarket. I have the entire list of items in my hand which I was thinking that I would forget while reaching the Supermarket. So, I used the Alphabet technique to remember the whole list. I just make some silly pictures of the animals with the item that’s in that place on the list.

    The first thing I want to get to the Supermarket is Tomatoes, then I could have pictured an Ape eating the tomatoes to relate, but that’s almost natural and common. So, for making it a silly visualization, I pictured it as I take a Tomato and throw it at the Ape, maybe a couple of times hitting him with Tomatoes. Now that was a silly picture that will make that picture stick in my mind.

    Alphabet technique

    Then the next item on the list was Bread Buns. As I have the Bear on my list at number 2nd, so I would have to relate the Bear with those Bread buns. Again, I could picture it as a Bear having the Buns in his hands and enjoying it, but that again would be boring. So, what I did is that I took the whole Bear, shrink it down, and put it between the two pieces of my Bread buns. This stupid imagination makes that picture rememberable for me.

    Likewise, the next item on my list was a Shoe polish, and the next animal for me was the Chimpanzee. For this, I’d pictured myself as I took the shoe polish and polishing that Chimpanzee’s feet. Now, this is something uncommon, and that’s made that picture stuck in my mind.

    The next animal for me was the Deer, and the next item on the list was a Bathing Soap. So, I visualize it as a Deer running at full speed, midway in the Jungle. The day was Sunny. There was a pond alongside. The Deer was running, running and running and at last, take a jump and dived into that Pond. Then that cute deer took the soap, enjoys its aroma, rubbing it here and there on his body, and bath cherishingly. Now, this unusual and stupid visualization made that thing unforgettable.

    I’m quite sure you got the idea about how you can picture a silly scene in your mind related to both the item on your list and the corresponding thing you’ve chosen. In the same way, you can also make the visualization of anything you want to remember, even in the order.

    Conclusion

    The way I made the things rememberable for me, you can also remember any ordered list of up to 26 items. All you have to do is just take anything you’re comfortable with, make it in alphabetical order as I made. Then just visualize the items in the list with each character you’ve chosen. That’s it, and ultimately you’ll remember the things in proper sequential order. This is a simple technique to remember anything you need. That’s the benefit of using this very effective Alphabet technique.

    Also you can read our blog on How to Improve Concentration -Achieving Focus Amid Distractions

    FAQ’s

  • The DiSC Model | How to Understand Human Behavior with DiSC Model

    The DiSC Model | How to Understand Human Behavior with DiSC Model

    The DiSC model is used to study the behavioral aspects of a person within a specific situation. If you don’t know your behavioral model, don’t worry just visit this blog and get an idea about your true behavior.

    WHAT’S IN IT

    What is the DiSC Model?

    DiSC Model

    A DiSC is a quadrant behavioural model based on the book “The Emotions of Normal People” published in 1928 and written by Psychologist Dr William Moulton Marston.

    The DiSC Model is used to study the behavioural aspects of a person in his/her known environment or within a specific situation. It, therefore, focuses on 4 aspects by testing the styles and preferences of human behaviour. It is a very good model that can help you connect with those around you in a better way.

    The diSC is an acronym for Dominance Influence Steadiness Conscientiousness. Most of us would be able to identify ourselves as dominant in one of these four areas. Sometimes we would also have a secondary character including the other four personality types. We will know more about the words later.

    DiSC Matrix

    DiSC Matrix

    The four behaviours of DiSC, Dominance Influence Steadiness and Conscientiousness, can be drawn in a square box with 4 parts with D and I in the top row and representing extroverted factors of the human personality and C and S below representing introverted factors of the same.

    The left column contains D and C which represents factors relating to tasks and I and S share the right column which represents factors relating to social aspects. In this matrix, the vertical dimension represents a factor of assertive or passive while a horizontal dimension represents open or guarded.

    Understanding Human Behavior with DiSC Model

    Human

    Everyone is different, right? But the cool thing is that everyone in the world is predictably different! Human behaviour can be predicted. One can easily predict how a person will act or react in a given situation by just knowing his behaviour.

    Earth has people with only 4 types of behaviour. The Dominant or the D style, the Influencer or I style, the Steady or the S style and the Conscientious or the C style. Let’s take a look at each of the behaviour and understand them-

    Dominance

    Dominant people are those who want to control their environment and then do something to make a difference in their world. Dominance is related to control power and assertiveness.

    They are confident individuals, determined and driven to move forward to accomplish the things in front of them to create things of significance. They enjoy challenges and are looking for control. All they need is respect.

    For example, We all have seen a person waiting for the elevator and pressing the button again and again. Yeah, that’s a D style. The frustrated person may be thinking that he/she can make the elevator move faster. But it actually won’t do so!  Such styles are Dominant, direct and results-driven.

    People with high D scores are the people who are very active in dealing with problems and challenges while people with low D scores are the ones who want to do more research before committing to a decision.

    High D factor people are described as

    •       Demanding
    •       Forceful
    •       Egocentric
    •       Strong-willed driving
    •       Determined
    •       Ambitious
    •       Aggressive and
    •       Pioneering

    While Low D factor people are described as

    •       Conservative
    •       Low-keyed
    •       Co-operative
    •       Calculating
    •       Undemanding
    •       Cautious
    •       Mild
    •       Agreeable
    •       Modest and
    •       Peaceful

    Influence

    Influencers are those people who want to engage others through talking and activity and tend to be emotional. Influence means the power to control or affect something. Sometimes the word Inducement is used in place of Influence.

    These people are optimistic and are inspiring. They are big enthusiastic that love bringing fun and energy into every project they’re involved in. They are very imaginative when involved with other people. They’re good communicators and they always focus on the big picture. They’re friendly and optimistic. All they need is recognition and popularity.

    For example, A talkative person who always finds someone to talk to. They are strong-armed people and love to engage with others. They are compliant and obey the rules and want everyone else to do the same.

    High I factor people are described as

    •       Convincing
    •       Magnetic
    •       Political
    •       Enthusiastic
    •       Persuasive
    •       Warm
    •       Demonstrative
    •       Trusting and
    •       Optimistic

    People are low I factor influence more by data and facts and not feelings.

    Low I factor people are described as

    •       Reflective
    •       Factual
    •       Calculating
    •       Logical
    •       Suspicious
    •       Pessimistic and
    •       Critical

    Steadiness

    Steady people are relaxed and are never in a hurry. Steadiness relates to patience, persistence, and thoughtfulness. These individuals are steadfast and loyal. They are patient and they’re the ones helping people connect.

    They’re stable, consistent, supportive, and very often shy. Most of them are caring, dependable, calm, and patient. All they need is security and approval.

    For example A steady man keenly aware of his surroundings. He wants everyone to be happy and he finds happiness in it. Seeing everyone happy makes him happier. He doesn’t judge others; instead, he tries to help them.

    People with high S factors want a steady pace, security and do not like sudden change. Those individuals are

    •       Calm
    •       Relaxed
    •       Patient
    •       Possessive
    •       Predictable
    •       Deliberate
    •       Stable
    •       Consistent

    People with low S scores are those who like change in variety. And those are described as

    •       Restless
    •       Demonstrative
    •       Impatient
    •       Eager or even
    •       Impulsive

    Conscientiousness

    People with high C scorers adhere to rules, regulations and structure. They like to do quality work and do it right the first time. Conscientiousness relates to structure and organization.

    These people are systematic. They are analytical, careful and wanting to do things the right way every time that they do them. They love structure. They’re perfectionists and very accurate. All they need is value and excellence.

    For example, A man who is very careful about his surroundings. He always keeps an eye on everything to be cautious.

    High C factor people are

    •       Careful
    •       Cautious
    •       Exactly neat
    •       Systematic
    •       Diplomatic
    •       Accurate and
    •       Tactful

    And those with low C factor challenge the rules and won independence and are described as

    •       Stubborn
    •       Opinionated
    •       Unsystematic
    •       Arbitrary and
    •       Unconcerned with details

    Conclusion

    As a leader, it’s important to know these DiSC tiles so you can begin to better understand the people around you. It’s also important to understand that we are all a blend of these styles. Sure you can adapt those blends based on our environment or when a specific situation calls for one style over the other.

    The diSC is not just used to predict behaviour rather it is meant to free you from those components. It gives you a foundation of understanding what makes you, you! What makes you unique and how you can get a greater understanding of who you are!

    Also you can read our blog on Self-motivation: 5 Practical steps to motivate yourself

    FAQs

  • Fast reading- How to absorb information quickly and Effectively?

    Fast reading- How to absorb information quickly and Effectively?

    We know the fact that reading is the key to success. Reading opens up people’s minds to different ideas, different outlooks, different literary points, etc. Every successful person reads at least 20 books per year. 

    How much time do they take in reading? Not much. When the person reads regularly, their reading speed increases eventually with the practice. But what if we can do a fast reading using some techniques and a little exercise every day. 

    Fast reading

    WHAT’S IN IT

    8 POWERFUL TECHNIQUES OF FAST READING 

    POWERFUL TECHNIQUES OF FAST READING

    1. Determine Your Baseline. 

    Try to get an idea about the number of common words a page contains. Suppose that we have ten words in a sentence, and one page contains an average of 30 sentences. 30×10= 300 words per page. 

    Now find your average reading speed. Put a timer of 1 min and start reading usually and read for comprehension. After reading for 1 minute, count the common words you read, to understand your current words-per-minute (wpm) rate. 

    2.Tracker and Pacer Technique. 

    This technique can minimize regression, back-skipping, fixing durations. You already know what a tracker is. A tracker can be an object which simply tracks any location or anything. 

    Similarly, in reading too, the tracker is all about the practice of eyes in fast reading and maintaining focus and accuracy. 

    When you were little, you remember how your teachers taught you to read every word to maintain your focus on each term by your index finger. Similarly, To practice this technique, we can use any pen or your index finger. So, it is the same thing. 

    Tracker and Pacer Technique

    You have to take a pen and start underlining each line, keeping your eyes focused on the tip of the pen. In the same vein, This will work as a pacer too, as it helps in maintaining consistent speed at a particular time. 

    Meanwhile, underlining each sentence and focus on each sentence for not more than a second or two. DON’T CARE ABOUT THE COMPREHENSION FOR NOW. 

    Repeat the technique while increasing the tracker’s speed and take 1⁄2 second per line for 2 minutes, for instance. And repeat the process to 1/3 second per line for 2 minutes. This practice will increase your speed adaptations in your body. 

    3. Read Selectively

    Read Selectively

    According to various studies, it is found that every student is taught to read each word thoroughly. Not every word holds importance in a line. Try skipping the less important terms to improve your speed. 

    To do a fast reading, just glance through those words and skip them, and so it will take less time to complete one sentence subsequently. 

    There are some sections too which don’t hold mere importance in an article. Skip those sections. It will help you to digest only the main points and will take less time to read. 

    4. Try Practicing Peripheral Vision

    Peripheral vision is a technique in which focusing on one point while having the view of side words too happens. 

    Try Practising Peripheral Vision

    For this practice, take a worksheet and write some words in the centre of the page vertically, from top to bottom. Now try reading these words without the horizontal movement of the eye. 

    Now try this by writing two words in each line at the centre and vertically downwards. In this practice, focus on the centre of two words And try reading both words at a time without having horizontal eye movement. 

    Continue practising this by increasing the number of words in a line. Therefore in this way, you will eventually learn to read ten words at a time. It will help you improve fast reading. 

    5. Use a Timer

    Use a Timer

    While practicing, test yourself, and record your reading time. As a result, this will help you keep your record of practice and improve your speed reading. Try setting a timer to complete your tasks. Keep doing this and try to beat your previous word count. 

    6. Read More and More 

    You know the saying ‘practice makes perfect is pretty accurate. Every professional was once a beginner, for instance. They practice daily, and this makes them better at doing things. Whether they are painters, authors, dancers, musicians, etc., the reader should be practisingafterwards

    The more you read, the better you will become. The better you will become, the more you’ll be good at fast reading. 

    Read More and More

    7. Work on Your Vocabulary 

    While reading, there may be many difficult words you’ll come across. What will you do? Skip it? Or you will find it means first? Whatever you’ll choose, it will slow your time significantly. On the other side, you may not understand what the line is telling if you don’t know this particular but essential word. 

    For any reader, vocabulary is critical to understand what the sentence wants to tell. Try to learn 5-10 words a day. It will enhance your fast reading. The more words you know, the more will be your speed reading. 

    8. Focus and Stop Daydreaming. 

    For effective reading, you need to be focused every time you read. You can’t just read and daydream altogether. 

    You will never understand the concepts or the meaning of the article if you are not focused. Increase your concentration by trying to read using your finger as a pointer. It is the most crucial step for fast reading. 

    8 STRATEGIES OF EFFECTIVE READING

    STRATEGIES OF EFFECTIVE READING

    Reading without understanding is useless. If you won’t remember and absorb the useful information, it’s not worth it. 

    Let us know some tips on how to absorb more and more information through reading. 

    When you practice it, it will eventually become your habit and will help you increase your productivity and comprehension. 

    1.Preview the Text 

    You ever notice, before releasing a movie, the directors release a trailer to the audience. It helps the audience to take the idea of what this movie will be about. It helps them understand the concept of the film. 

    Similarly, previewing a text before reading works. It helps you understand what the concept is all about, enhancing your understanding capacity. 

    For previewing a text, scan it from starting to end, read it’s headings, subheadings, anything written in bold or highlighted font, bullet points, etc. 

    It will help you picture the concept of the text. Examine all the images, graphs to understand the idea the author wants to give here. 

    2. Plan 

    Before starting to read any text, strategically approach the book with perfect planning. It will help you in digesting the material quickly. Write down some questions about the article so that you can evaluate yourself after reading the text. Determine the author’s goal or message he wants to convey through the document or article. This will take time initially, but with practice, it will become your daily habit. 

    3. Be Focused 

    Read something effectively, and our mind needs to be focused on the context. Try to minimize the external noises, distractions, and choose a peaceful environment for your reading. 

    4. Use Highlighters 

    Try highlighting the essential points. This will help you save time the next time you want to read that text. You can only read those crucial points repeatedly to gain more information and absorb these points quickly. 

    EFFECTIVE READING

    5. Note the Main Points. 

    The highlighted points can be jotted down in a notebook or diary. This will help you make essential notes and remember what you have read. This step initially takes time, but with practice, eventually, it will be considered in your reading time. 

    6. Summarizing.

    After you have done reading, try to write a summary of the text you read. This will help you know how much you understood from the book. Therefore, this step is a crucial step to learn and digest what you read the whole time. 

    On the other hand, by these techniques, you will become productive. As a result, these methods help to synthesize the information, solidify the material you read, and recall your content afterward. 

    However, You can also try brain mapping the full information if you are a visual learner or even tell someone about what you read. It will help enhance your learning effectively. 

    CONCLUSION

    These are the ways through which you can enhance your fast reading and absorb more and more information effectively. These effective strategies help a lot. 

    Everything needs practice. During the reading, you need to practice various techniques such as peripheral vision technique, fast browsing, tracker and pacer technique, selective reading, etc. You should be better at vocabulary too. 

    But Absorbing the information requires time and practice. With practice, you will subsequently learn to read quickly and note the information all together in a lesser period. 

    More importantly, Try using a timer for everything to make notes about what you read, try highlighting and asking questions about the text, further summarize the text in your way and memorize it all by recalling these notes repeatedly. 

    Also you can read our blog on How to manage time wisely – the best way to use dead time wisely

    FAQ’s

  • Career Journal – Effects of Journaling on Professional Development

    Career Journal – Effects of Journaling on Professional Development

    Do you want to improve yourself every day? Do you want to be a confident, self-aware, and better communicator person and learn quickly from mistakes and avoid repeating those mistakes? Career Journal – a powerful tool for professional development, which can solve all the questions above even also solve more than that.

    Career Journal might sound to be boring and a waste of time when you are a beginner. But when you start Career Journal regularly, believe me, you find that journaling is one of the best work you have done in your day.

    WHAT’S IN IT

    Benefits of Career Journal 

    Benefits of Career Journal
    1. The most significant benefit of writing a Career Journal is that you will learn from your own experience. It can help you to become a better version of yourself.
    2. The mistakes you have made ever if mentioned in your Career Journal will help you learn from them. Even it also helps you to avoid those mistakes in the future.
    3. Career Journal helps you to improve your critical thinking power and problem-solving skills.
    4. You can review your Journal so that it keeps your idea and learning fresh in your mind.
    5. You can improve your writing skills and communication skills because you have learned how to express your thoughts and feelings due to journaling regularly.
    6. Additionally, you will become more self-aware and emotionally mature too.
    7. Last but not least, you can also monitor your progress towards your goals. That undoubtedly leads to a clear focus on your goals that make you achieve them very fast.

    Ways to Start Writing Career Journal

    Ways to Start Writing Career Journal

    The simplest way for writing a Career Journal is to take a pen and a notebook and start writing, which is a physical way.

    If you have chosen to write your Career Journal in a physical way that looks like a better option to start writing, you need to buy a robust, attractive, and well-made notebook or Journal. Journal should be like encouraging you to write regularly.

    There is another way to start electronically. It is as simple as open a document on your computer and starts writing there.

    You can also download the journal apps available on the android play store or any other store and start writing there.

    Another electronic way is to start writing in a blog. But you have to keep in mind that if you publish the blog on the internet, it will be accessible. That lets others know your thoughts, feelings, and experiences, which can be misused. Or You can find a way to set up your blog private so that no others-only you can access it, which seems to be a better idea rather than publishing on the internet.

    Best Time to Write Career Journal

    Write Career Journal

    However, there is no such rule of time to write in the Journal.

    Some people write their Career Journal at the starting of the day means in the morning. Some others choose their journal writing time just before bed. But it entirely depends on you, which time is best for you to write.

    To get the best result inconsistency, you should write at the same selected time every day. That helps you a lot.

    Points to remember, Writing a career journal is making a habit. If you are a beginner, like a process to make a new habit- Journaling also takes time and self-discipline to make it build.

    One of the most important things is to start with slow means 5-10 minutes initially and stop when it is enough. But later, you find that you are writing a lot of time enjoying it. It will happen due to writing the Career Journal over a long period. Also, don’t force yourself to write significantly; just go with the flow of your thoughts.

    After a period of practice, you will find that you are writing so that you have never thought before.

    Another important thing is that you always try to be honest while writing in your Career Journal, which helps you a lot.

    Topics to Include in Career Journal

    Mention Your Future Goal

    “Clarity is power.” If you don’t have any clarity about your future goal, you are like a ship in the middle sea without radar.

    So you just have to mention what you want from your life and what you want to achieve. Writing it in a career journal is far better than keeping it in mind because writing gives our brains more clarity.

    Future Goal

    So one must have to write their career goal no matter what the current situation is.

    Strategies Related to The Goal

    Once you have the clarity to your goal, Make strategies that can help you achieve your goal.

    Write the strategies and steps to be taken this year, month, week, and day in the career journal. This simple and small step of a day will lead you to your life’s great achievement means your goal.

    Real-time Marketing and Professional Development

    Ideas of Your Mind

    A great idea may not come when you think it can come anytime, anywhere.

    If you don’t write it, it is also flown away like the other invaluable thoughts and very hard to remind.

    So whenever you get a great idea in your mind, always try to write them as soon as possible because you don’t know which idea can change your entire life.

    Advice and Experiences

    Today what we are, somehow, depends upon what experiences we have and how we learn from those experiences.

    Experiences may be good or bad, but it entirely depends on us how we learn from them. This learning from experience will make us better day by day.

    Advice and Experiences for Professional Development

    So you must have to add your experiences whatever they may be and find the learning from that experience after analyzing it, which helps you be better and successful in your life.

    Whenever you come across any mentor-they can be your Boss, Manager, or Trainer, you should always take their words in mind and add it to your Career Journal that always helps you to grow your career. 

    You find the words by your mentors a blessing when you feel like struggling and looking for inspiration.

    Thoughts and Feelings

    In our day to day life, we come across many thoughts and feelings that might be good or bad.

    Due to some bad thoughts and feelings, we get frustrations in our minds and can’t also share them with others. Allowing these types of thoughts and feelings to stay in our minds leads to stress in our life.

    So it is better to write that down than keeping in mind. Your private Career Journal is one of the best places to retract all your negative thoughts and emotions.

    Some Possible Uses 

    Let’s think someone knows the benefits of keeping a Career Journal and start physically writing his/her Journal means pen and paper or in a digital way. He/She also fixes time and starts writing the Career Journal regularly in a significant way. But if He/She doesn’t use his/her learning from the Journal effectively, then all the steps he/she has done before has no value.

    You make strategies and plans daily for your career goal mentioned in your Career Journal, but always try to stick to the strategies you have planned.

    Professional Development

    You should always try to implement those changes you mentioned in your Journal over your daily habit and work habit, which leads you to be more productive and effective.

    When you feel stuck in some situations, Use your it to get out of it because you have mentioned many experiences in it.

    One of the essential journaling uses is that you can track your progress in all the areas of life.

    You can change whatever needs to be changed within you to become a better version of yourself.

    You can also work on your thoughts and emotions that you need to change and effectively use these thoughts and emotions, which adds a lot of positive value to your professional career and personal life.

    Conclusion

    In the above article, we have discussed the benefits of keeping a Career Journal, how to write regularly, the best time to write a Journal, and what to write on the Career Journal.

    From the article, we are now clear that writing a Career Journal can improve a person’s professional life and personal life.

    Here Career Journal will be more effective when we follow the process discussed and write regularly with Honesty- The most important word to keep in mind while writing.

    Also you can read our blog on List of Best Ways to Future Proof Your Career Full Guide

    FAQ’s

  • Learning From Your Mistakes – Ultimate Guide

    Learning From Your Mistakes – Ultimate Guide

    We often make mistakes in our life, almost daily, be it small or big. Many times we even do not realise that we have made a mistake. It is natural for humans to make mistakes because mistakes just happen. However, do you know what is the biggest mistake we do in our life? It is not learning from your mistakes.

    Mistakes are acceptable and forgiven if it is done once or twice, but if done repeatedly, it is the sign of complete ignorance. Mistakes provide an opportunity to realize and correct ourselves from our wrongdoings. When you have a realization of your mistakes it gives you a pinch. It irks your consciousness and thoughts and that pinch prevents you from repeating the same mistake. 

    However, you should never carry the guilt of that mistake. When you are in guilt, you also live in fear for the outcome and to cover up for the mistake you tend to open the possibilities of messing up more.  

    In this similar context, a question was asked by a person to a very famous spiritual leader Sri Ravishankar in one of his sessions: ‘The only mistake I make is that I keep on making mistakes. What should I do?’. So To this question, he replied: “It is alright to make a mistake. So Making a mistake is a part of life. Sometimes a mistake happens; it happens. Fine! Accept it and move ahead. The pain of making the same mistake, again and again, itself is good enough to take you out of the same mistake. The pain and pinch of suffering will make you come out of that. But never justify your mistake.” 

    His elaboration on the difference between guilt and pain: Guilt is about a specific action and pinch is about a specific result or happening. You can only feel guilty about what you did and not about what happened. But whatever happened, whether because of you or someone else can cause a pinch in you.

    And also on how we can free ourselves from guilt: “See, if you have done a mistake in the past, it was at the time when you did not know when you are ignorant. so a mistake done in ignorance should not be considered at all – it is done, gone, finished. So You are a new person now, move on. As long as you do not repeat it, it’s okay. Through wisdom, by knowing the nature of mind, nature of consciousness and from a broader perspective of the phenomenon, you can get over the guilt.”

    Learning from your mistakes is a process of self-realization, thinking and reflection on your further actions. Let us talk about the key values of learning from mistakes.

    Take Ownership of Your Mistake

    WHAT’S IN IT

    Take Ownership of Your Mistake

    Take Ownership of Your Mistake

    It is hard to admit your own mistakes. It takes courage to do that. You have to leave behind your ego and pride. So You need to take responsibility for your mistakes and be able to stand up in front of the world honestly admitting that “Yeah this is my mistake and I am solely responsible for this.

    This will give you the strength to act forward and also earn respect from others. Initially, you may have that fear of appearing weak but later, you will come out as a stronger person. At least it is better to come clean than to hide your errors which may lead to a series of errors and your loss of integrity among people.

    Do Not Blame Others for Your Mistake

    Do Not Blame Others for Your Mistake

    As already discussed in the above point of taking ownership of your mistake, you should not blame others for the mistakes you committed. So You need to understand that every person in this world is responsible for their actions and outcomes. People take decisions or actions based on their level of consciousness and intellect. So, you cannot point fingers at others for your actions.

    If you blame that you took some actions based on the influence of some other person, but still, in the end, it was your consciousness of your mind only to believe that person or get influenced by him. You take some actions, it may go well or it may turn out to be a big mistake. That is how the nature of this life is. But, whatever the consequence is you should be able to face it and take complete responsibility for it because blaming others for your situation is not going to help you.

    Do Not Give Excuses for Your Mistakes

    Again, giving excuse is a sign of a weaker character. A mistake is a mistake not a crime, so, giving excuses and justifications will not help your case. A mistake is an action that already happened, now, instead of giving excuses, evaluate the root cause, and look at how you can rectify it.

    Do Not Give Excuses for Your Mistakes

    Do not Find Intentions Behind Other People’s Mistakes

    The definition of mistake will not change whether it is committed by you or other people. It is usually human nature to find the intention behind other people mistakes while giving excuses for their ones. You should do neither of them. Nobody commits a mistake to commit a mistake. However, if somebody is unaware of his mistakes then you can point out to him with not the intention of offending him or making him feel guilty but with the intention for his self-realisation and rectification. You should carefully watch your words and tone

    while correcting them in a way to improve their situation with harmony, care and compassion.

    Learn From Other People’s Mistakes

    Learn From Other People’s Mistakes

    Again I want to quote here the spiritual leader I mentioned above ‘Sri Ravishankar’: “Wise is the one who learns from other’s mistakes. Less wise is the one who learns from his own mistakes. The fool keeps making the same mistakes again and again and never learns from them.”  

    I think it is quite understood with the quote only that wiser people will learn from other’s mistake so that they can refrain from committing the same mistake. This way you can save yourself from putting yourself into a state of undesired situation and misery.

    Bring Your Learning Into Practice

    Bring Your Learning Into Practice

    When you realize your mistake, you need to analyze the root cause and implement a new approach or strategy. Apply all the new disciplines and experiences you learned into your daily practice so that you can avoid the same mistake further. So Act on your learnings and improvise regularly, and in this way, you will discover your better self with negligible chances of committing errors.

    Conclusion

    A mistake is an action that can be bound to happen by anybody. But, you can control and minimize its recurrence through continuous learning and application. So Foremost, you have to change your mindset of being ignorant and careless.

    So Admission, realization, thoughtfulness, reflection are the process you should follow to learn from your mistakes and build a better character for yourself. You should take your mistakes as an opportunity for growth and setting an example rather than just lamenting over them. 

    Also you can read our blog on :- Decision Making Mistakes – Avoid 10 Biggest Common Mistakes

    FAQ’s

  • Building Self-Confidence – Preparing Yourself for Success!

    Building Self-Confidence – Preparing Yourself for Success!

    Self-Confidence is the key ingredient to have a successful life. Everybody admires a confident person with their ability to perform any task with ease and their  “Can Do” attitude.

    This quality can help anyone in almost all aspects of one’s life whether it’s a relationship, job interview or debate competition.

    Given the importance of this quality, it’s something everyone should possess, but unfortunately, that’s not the case. Even two people ideally living in the same condition might showcase different levels of Self-Confidence, but why so? Short answer: “It’s just a matter of believing yourself”.

    Just to be on the same page I would like to mention two things:

    First: Self-Confidence is not something we are born with.
    Second: It’s possible to gain Self-Confidence no matter what.

    WHAT’S IN IT

    What is Self-Confidence?

    What is Self-Confidence

    As per the Psychology Wiki “Self-Confidence is defined as an attitude which allows individuals to have positive yet realistic views of themselves and their situations.”

    Self-confident people trust their abilities, have a general sense of control in their lives, and believe that, within reason. They will be able to do what they wish, plan, and expect. Now it’s not a static measure, but a variable one. That is our confidence level to interact with different tasks and people varies from situation to situation.

    For example, one might be comfortable giving a speech to 10-15 people but would find it hard to handle 100 people. Also, it’s very much possible that one day you feel very confident in your abilities and the very next day you feel low. It’s like the saying goes “Not every day is a good day”.

    So far we have established how Self-Confidence is fruitful, but there is one catch. There are different states of confidence which one should take into notice. Low Self-Confidence is a no, no, but at the same time, Overconfidence is not going to do you any good too. Let’s see how these two different states look like.

    Low Confidence

    It’s a result of many factors including fear, low self-esteem, poor management etc. This state of mind is such when we believe in what others think about us even if they are far from being right.

    Self-doubt starts growing in such people and soon they start running away from their tasks and responsibilities. Even if such a person accomplishes something he/she won’t feel happy about it.

    Overconfidence

    People under this appear to be narcissistic and egoistic to others. Such a person neglecting the realistic approach of confidence believes that he/she can do anything. Anything without even having the basic skills and knowledge necessary.

    Characteristics of a Self-confident Person

    Characteristics of a Self-confident Person

    There’s more to a Self-Confident person than just being a successful individual. Contrary to the general belief, the Self-Confident loses too, but when they lose they take their failure in a positive manner and an opportunity to grow. Let’s see the other indicators which talk about a confident person:

    • They do what is right and the goals they have worked hard for. They don’t let the negativity and criticism from outside deviate them from their goal.
    • Bragging and Boasting is not their cup of tea.
    • They admit when it’s their mistake instead of covering it up and arguing about it. They see their failure and mistake as a learning experience.
    •  Such a person is always ready to put in the extra work whenever required to accomplish the target. 

    How to Build Self-confidence?

    Pretty sure that after reading how a self-confident person behaves and how this quality helps to accomplish one’s goals. Everybody would like to be a confident person. Here I will talk about some simple steps you can take to prepare yourself for success.

    Let me remind you that it’s a long term process. It’s not like that you will start applying these principles in your life one day. And will wake up oozing out with self-confidence the next day. This process may take months or years in some cases. During this journey, you will encounter the benefits of this exercise at different points of your life. This in turn will motivate you to keep on moving forward.

    Let’s now move ahead see some of the steps which will help you in building self-confidence.

    1) Forethought Thinking

    It means thinking or planning out in advance. Whenever we are about to do something new we feel less confident as compared to work we have experience with.

    Let’s take an exmaple you’re going for an interview for an internship at a company. Now apart from focusing on your resume, just pay a little bit of attention to what you are about to wear. Iron your clothes a day before and check if your vehicle is in good condition.

    Just try to avoid an unwanted surprise. Also, there is no harm in having a plan B.

    2) Take Risks

    Whenever there is a new opportunity knocking at your door, don’t say no. Just take it with open arms. Use the opportunity as a learning experience instead of making about a win or lose situation.

    It’s better to fail and learn something than saying no and learn nothing. Not opening up to new tasks for a longer time will create unnecessary fear of failure.

    3) Celebrate small achievements

    Progress is progress no matter how small. Sometimes we focus too much on the bigger picture. So much so that we completely forget to celebrate those little achievements which we are building blocks for the bigger picture.

    Pat yourself on the back whenever you achieve success. No matter if it’s a big win or small.

    4) Create a Positive Environment

    Be in the company of people who believe in your ability. Also, those who encourage you to accomplish your goals. Positive vibes from people around you will affect you. Now the positive environment is not only limited to people.

    The same applies to your workplace, kitchen, bedroom etc. A messy bedroom will already occupy some unnecessary space in your mind. Talking about the workplace, stick a motivational quote. You can do this every week or have a small plant at your desk.

    5) Avoid Comparison

    Self-Confidence is about ourselves and the prefix is an indicator of that. When we see others winning, meanwhile we are losing. We start comparing ourselves and create a problem.  We start seeing ourselves in a negative light. Without even knowing the effort and time the person has put we compare ourselves and ultimately we disappointed.

    Conclusion

    Self-Confidence is a very crucial part of one’s life. It not only affects our work-related performance but also plays a major role in our relationships. So, if you think you need to work on your Self-Confidence, start working on it asap.  It’s like “sooner the better” I am saying this because if you do nothing about it, your confidence level will keep on dropping.

    This could be a major concern as dropping confidence will bring in some extra problems in your life,  like self-doubt, negativity etc. So just start working on it. Keep in mind that it’s never too late. What you need are patience and practice.

    Also you can read our blog on Self Efficacy

    FAQ’s

  • Identifying and Developing Leaders in your Organization

    Identifying and Developing Leaders in your Organization

    In every company, the main leader gives instructions to the other leaders under him or her and that leaders also do the same. So, a pyramid type of structure is created for proper work distribution. A great leader always keeps developing leaders in the organization.

    For every company, identifying and developing leaders is difficult and problematic work. But developing leaders is a necessary thing for a company. The good leaders who have worked in your company for a long time will know the company well and will bring good results for the company. Thus, identifying and developing leaders in the organization is very important and we are going to see that how should we Identify and keep developing leaders in our company.

    WHAT’S IN IT

    Who is a True Leader

    Who is a True Developing Leader

    Leadership is not positional power, it is personal power. Imagine you are the son of a businessman. After your father retires, he is making you the new boss of the company. Now, if you don’t have the skill to run the company and developing leaders. So, in this case, you have positional power but don’t have personal power. Therefore, the employees will not accept you as a leader.

    Identifying Leaders

    Identifying and developing leaders in an organization is a good practice for a leader, which will help him or her over the period. Below are some key points that are noted for identifying the person, who can be a good leader. After identifying the right employees you should put efforts into developing leaders.  

    • The person who can work with almost every type of person without big conflict is the one who understands that everyone has their point of view. This type of person can be a good leader. 
    • If you read the history, you will notice that whenever a difficult time comes, a new leader is born. The great leaders of India were born when India was not independent.

    So, when the company is down filling the employees of the company who have the leadership quality will try to uplift the company.

    • You can identify them in the meetings. The enthusiastic one, who wants to do the work that has any meaning will share ideas and most importantly he will ask the questions.
    • A leader has the personality that he can influence his team. And the team will also respect and obey the leader, who behaves kindly with the team members.
    • Leaders have a little bit of a different perspective than others and they respect and try to understand someone else’s perspective also.

    Developing Leaders in your Organization

    Developing Leader

    Here are some key-notes you should take at the counter while developing leaders in the organization.

    • If the leader asks for a suggestion from his employees they will also think like a leader and by doing this their leadership skill will improve.

    Another profitable by-product you will get by doing this is that they will start to think about improving the company and they will feel like they are an important part of the company because your opinion matters for your leader. Now, they will not work for the salary only.

    • For developing leaders in an organization, You should test your teams by asking some questions. You should ask questions that don’t have one specific answer. Ask questions that have more than one solution. By doing this you can check the thinking capability of the person.

    The leader should have problem-solving skills and should be solution-oriented.

    • The studies have found that people are more excited to work on their idea rather than someone others’ idea. So, when some issue is found, if you know the cause and solution of it, still don’t say it directly. Try to give the employee tips in between your conversation to help him or her to reach the solution.

    So the employee will learn how good leaders think and cure the solution of the problem. Another profit that you will get by doing this, is that when the employee will reach the solution he will think that he has found the solution to it. So, he will be more confident and happy to do his work.

    • When a leader gives the responsibility to complete the project to one employee and appoint him as a leader and assign him a small team for help, He/she will work to accomplish the goal and not for the salary only. By doing this your employees will find a purpose to work and their leadership skill will improve. 

    Qualities of a great leader

    Qualities of a great leader

    A great musician can identify the talent of the other great musician, same as a great leader can

    Identify the other one. For developing organization leaders first it is important to identify them.

    • No matter who you are, you can also be wrong sometimes, so allowing the employees to suggest you without any hesitation is one another great quality. Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said to the people working under him that they can stop him in between if they are thinking there is something wrong.
    • If any employee comes to the leader with new suggestions and that idea brings something good to the company, the leader should give him the credit for his work. Credit doesn’t mean that bonus or anything, it means the leader should appreciate the employee and give him a big round of applause at the office with the full team.
    • Trying to understand the other person’s point of view is a quality that a leader must have. Then after whatever the result is, the leader should tell the employee why his or her suggestion is not considerable. 
    • A leader should be focused on the goal of the company and he should work twister harder than the employees. So, the employees also get motivated by seeing you. In short, leaders should be the inspiration for the employees. Thus, your employees will respect you and they will obey all the orders of yours.
    • Leaders should have the quality to identify every employee’s speciality and distribute the work on behalf of that.
    • There should be a common goal for the team. If employees are working just for money, this could be the biggest fallback point for the company. So, the leader should make sure that the employees know the purpose of their work and realize that their work is important and worth something.
    • Not always, but sometimes leaders should give the employee any big work or project so they will always grow and don’t settle down in any comfort zone.
    • Lastly, the most important thing is the relation between leader and employee. Leaders should not always open their mouth to give orders, leaders should maintain a good relationship with employees. The leader should crack a joke in the office sometimes, and sometimes the leader should talk with employees on random topics. He or she should ask the employees about their family or any other thing. So, there will be a bond between you and them. They will get to know that the leader cares for them.    

    Conclusion

    For developing leaders in an organization, the leader should often give the challenging task to the employee so they can come out of their comfort zone. And remember that people are more excited to work on their idea rather than someone others’ idea. So, you should not suggest or teach them directly, let them figure it out on their own. Just help them by giving hints in between conversation.

    Also read our blog on How to develop a Competitive leader for the future?

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  • Leading Equals and Feiner’s Seven laws of Leading Peers

    Leading Equals and Feiner’s Seven laws of Leading Peers

    “Leadership is about managing relations”, said Micheal Feiner, and so is Leading Equals. Whenever it comes to equals, the word itself justifies when two people are the same in authority and influence. 

    But how is it possible to lead a diverse group of people with similar authorities?

    Let’s see some key facts towards leading equals.

    The essence of great leadership is Influence, not Authority.

    WHAT’S IN IT

    Meaning of Equality by Leading Equals

    Influence is the Key!

    So, if we observe the tendency of the generation, we can get this instantly. The generation is such that it follows the one who inspires it, rather than following the instructions of someone superior.

    It is said that whenever you are trying to influence the behaviour of another person or group, you are attempting to lead. Say, it is about leading a player by his coach, leading a child by his parents, or, leading a team by its Manager.

    Leadership has always been typically challenging, especially when it comes to peers.

    If we have a look at the types of leaders we had witnessed, then we would get a diversity of known leaders. Some were value-based leaders, some were empowering leaders, whereas some were charismatic leaders.

    But at some stage, in some style, they had also faced such situations where their influence was not effective.

    Still, such leaders could rely on their Legitimate Power. That is the power due to the position in the organization. For example, in a company, the employees are aware of the authorities of the managers. When things get completely out of hand, one can use this power to impose his instructions.

    But the doors of this room closes completely when it comes to leading peers. Here, the authority of the leader might be as mere as the authority of the one who has been given the task.

    So, here are some key skills that can help one in such situations.

    Managing Relations: Feiner’s Seven laws of Leading Peers

    Feiner is one of his finest books ‘The Feiner Points of Leadership’ has mentioned the seven basic laws of Leading equals. They are:

    1. Law of Equality

    Every organization has more influence on a leader than any other employee, because of his/her role in the organization. But Feiner says, ‘A peer relationship will only be successful if neither party feels he or she is the boss of the other. You must adopt a partnership mentality. By this statement, he directs that a leader needs to take a little more than his share of the blame, and a little less than his share of the credit.

    2. The law of Trust

    Building trust within Peers

    Leadership and trust need to go hand in hand for an organization to be well-led. The most important key to lead peers is ‘Being Trustworthy!’. A leader can build trust upon him/her-self only when the group has a feeling that they can rely on his/her leader if they get into trouble. Also, a leader needs to have the confidence to trust his group to try, succeed and sometimes even fall.

    3. The law of Push vs. Pull

    By Push, Feiner means the hard art to get the team to work like asserting, declaring, or commanding. Whereas, by Pull, we understand that it is the soft art of getting the team on work, i.e., by questioning, involving, discussing, etc. To lead peers, a leader needs to use both ways and know when to engage which method.

    4. The law of Good Samaritan

    Feiner says, ‘I won’t stand back and watch you flounder and fail, and I will expect the same from you!’. This law tends more towards friendly relations with peers. It states that a leader needs to be that friend who will not let his/her group fail without a fight. He/she needs to make this assured that he is holding his team’s back.

    5. The law of the Mirror

    In this law, Feiner exclaims ‘When there is a disagreement between the two of us I will look in the mirror before I look at you!’ By highlighting this value-based law, he tries to explain that one should never look at someone as having an evil intent unless he/she is very sure of it.

    6. The law of Feedback – Again

    Feiner summarises his book by saying, ‘…if you’ve got a problem with a peer, you must step up and speak up, confronting the issue directly with him or her. Remember – feedback is a gift.’ It has always been better to speak up if one has any problem with his peer instead of telling around or speaking it with other peers.

    7. The law of Tell your cat

    This law brings the key into the spotlight that ‘Don’t Gossip! ’. He says, ‘When you have the opportunity to talk negatively about someone else… DON’T!’ He suggests mockingly, that if one needs to say something about someone, don’t say it loud, don’t write it, Just tell it to your Cat! 

    A traditional leader is always judged based on his/her reaction at the time of crisis. It is popularly said that “A leader takes water for his team if required”. It means that in any situation, a leader is always ready to do what’s needed.

    In a situation of crisis, a leader cannot panic. Instead of blaming others, one needs to be more solution-oriented, i.e., discussing more solutions instead of the problem. 

    Flexible

    Just after the above key point, comes the flexibility of an organization. Any organisation resembles the attitude of its leaders. Sometimes strict rules, regulations and a heavy-handed approach cause resentment among the equals in the organization. 

    It is always preferred to have a flexible environment when it comes to leading peers. If one rigidly goes with the predefined structure in every situation, there could be various times, especially in a diverse group when one faces ambiguity and uncertainty. 

    In such situations, one needs to help and direct his/her team towards accepting and adjusting to changes according to the priority of the situation.

    Master the Group Process

    Leading a group of Peers with influence

    By mastering group processes does not mean leading the process or rather monitoring the process. Whereas group processes like any internal meeting or a group conference, one needs to take initiative to begin the process in a very friendly manner. 

    It is popularly said that “Anyone can steer a ship but it takes a leader to chart the course”.

    A leader needs to know how to lead discussions and proactively plays different personalities. One never knows what could be the equation of two team members in the group, and what situations they had faced. One needs to always keep this in mind and act accordingly. 

    Few actions that can support this behaviour are

    • Create a friendly and relaxed environment in such group discussions, where everyone is free to give their input.
    • Have a keen look at everyone in the group and encourage the silent ones to give their input as well.
    • Actively listening to the conversations and asking questions brings out more clarity.
    • Add watercooler conversations in the discussion.
    • Prefer more participative decision-making methods, like asking everyone’s opinion on any discussion in such events.

    Empower Team Members

    Leading Equals is Empower Team Members

    “A true Leader creates other Leaders instead of Followers!” It is the prime duty of the leader to be the strength of the team.

    One who empowers others is always found to be motivating and influential. And, for such leaders, people often want to work hard for them.

    So, what can we do to empower others?

    One can trust others by giving him/her valuable responsibilities. This always motivates them to complete the task in the best possible way. 

    When leading peers, giving rewards, recognition and tasks of higher authority keeps them motivated throughout. Also, one can praise them for their efforts.

    Conclusion

    Leading equals means leading peers. In other words, it means leading someone or a group of people with the same authority. In such cases, the leader and the team do not have much difference in their position in the organisation.

    ‘The Feiner Points of Leadership’ Book has mentioned the seven basic laws of Leading equals. They are Law of Equality: Every organization has more influence on a leader than any other employee, because of his/her role in the organization.

    Also read our blog on Traditional Marketing- Old, not Abortive

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