Vol 8, Issue No. 3
March 2009

Articles

Intek Lifeskills Coaching
Team Building
Management
Leadership

Cross Cultural Awareness
Bits and Pieces

Resources

Book of the Month
Motivational Quotes
Intek's Q&A Forum
Free Resource


 
Intek Lifeskills
Coaching

1:1 Coaching

Book of the Month




Monthly Quote
“Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.”
Barack Obama



Motivational Quotes




Corporate Humor



 

Stress Management

 

1.  Talk it out. Discussing your problems with a trusted friend can help clear your mind of confusion so you     can concentrate on problem solving.

2.  One of the most obvious ways to avoid unnecessary stress is to select an environment (work, home,
leisure)  which is in line with your personal needs and desires. If you hate desk jobs, don’t accept a job which requires that you sit at a desk all day. If you hate to talk politics, don’t associate with people who love to talk politics, etc.



March Birthdays

Wishing all our Participants a very
Happy Birthday
"Do we know your Birthday?"


 

Spiritual Corner

 

Health Tips

CREATIVITY

 

 

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Get your questions solved from Intek's Q & A Forum

 

Dear Friends
 

Since our childhood we have always had the pleasure of several mentors around us, who have helped shaped our lives, but we were so busy growing up that we never realized the catalysts around us; and neither did we care. As life’s experiences and the infinite rat race got us involved in the day-to-day crises, these angels of change became sparse in our lives. And finally, when we hit the impermeable barrier which binds us so strongly that we can not overcome it alone; and in retrospect we remember the times, when we received a helping hand from a friend, relative or teacher, but our egos never let us acknowledge that person. As we become affixed to this ‘Stop’ sign on the highway of life, we yearn for a helping hand or perhaps an objective perspective; we look around and find none…!

Mentors have been around for a long time helping individuals achieve their purpose in life. "A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could." The mentor does just that, they believe that their mentees can do it. This, in itself, is usually encouragement enough for the mentee to do their best to succeed in life.

Alexander had Aristotle as his mentor , Mozart was mentored by Bach and many more in history. In the modern day autobiographies we read commendations to the mentors of all successful people, whether in businesses, arts, sports or entertainment. All famous people owe their success to the counsel of mentors

What does a mentor actually do? He / she becomes the mirror for the mentee to reflect his personality, all his actions – past or present, to give a fresh perspective. Sometimes the mentor becomes the last nudge required by the person to take the leap of faith.

Where can we find mentors? I asked this question from Paulo Coelho three years ago and he looked at quizzically, perhaps trying to fathom the real intent behind the question, and then with a smile replied, “Don’t look for him in a wise, intelligent person, you will find him in an inconspicuous ordinary person” Doe this mean that every person that crosses my path is in some way my guide?

In the spiritual sense, a Teacher or Mentor is likened to an Alchemist that helps transcend a normal sinful human into an awakened state of being; hence, transforming ordinary Lead into Gold.


The Buddhist proverb, “When the student is ready – the master appears” gives synchrodestiny another outlook. What does readiness signify? My desperation for help, or flexibility of acceptance of the advice or going through enough crises to mould my personality as an ideal student?

There is a Zen story of a person who wishes to meet the Master and keeps being turned down by the servant. After his tenth visit, as he is refused by the servant yet again, he asks him, “I need to see the master, Why don’t you let me see him?” The servant leads him to the river and ducks his head under water; as the young person struggles to free himself, the servant says, “When you need the master more than you need air, you will find him.”
 

Always look forward to your suggestions / feedback which helps the Intek team to continually improve this Ezine.

 

Zaufyshan Haseeb and The Intek Family

Groups form a basic unit of work activity throughout engineering and yet the underlying process is poorly managed. This article looks at the basics of group work and suggests ways to accelerate development.
 

In the beginning, God made an individual - and then he made a pair. The pair formed a group, together they begat others and thus the group grew. Unfortunately, working in a group led to friction, the group disintegrated in conflict and Caian settled in the land of Nod - there has been trouble with groups ever since.

When people work in groups, there are two quite separate issues involved. The first is the task and the problems involved in getting the job done. Frequently this is the only issue which the group considers. The second is the process of the group work itself: the mechanisms by which the group acts as a unit and not as a loose rabble. However, without due attention to this process the value of the group can be diminished or even destroyed; yet with a little explicit management of the process, it can enhance the worth of the group to be many times the sum of the worth of its individuals. It is this synergy which makes group work attractive in corporate organization despite the possible problems (and time spent) in group formation.

This article examines the group process and how it can best be utilized. The key...

click here to read more

The second problem, and one of much more long term significance is the issue of those that remain.  Somehow managers have to deal with the fall-out from the downsizing process, and move their organizations beyond the grief, the anger and the loss of morale that characterizes these major organizational events.  It is those that remain that will determine what happens to the organization.  We are going to talk about the long term issues...

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You are the CEO of a well-managed credit union and you have just left a board meeting where you submitted your resignation. You start another job in 30 days and plan on relaxing and renewing with your family on the slopes around Tahoe, catching up on the latest novels, sleeping in and just hanging out. The board is surprised at the announcement of your sudden departure and prefers that you stay on and lead the credit union. However, they are comfortable that the transition will be smooth because a strategic initiative, for the past four years, has been to continually and systematically build an internal talent pool.

Five years ago you and your board agreed to assess the organizational talent to ensure that it meets with the aggressive future strategic direction of the organization. In a nutshell, you started Succession Planning. Your credit union was in a marketplace that called for innovative products and services delivered through multiple delivery channels. If you did not grab the market, it was ripe for other financial institutions, both traditional and nontraditional. Some bold moves needed to be taken with your leadership team. A couple managers moved on to other organizations; you restructured roles and responsibilities; and created a mindset aware of the need for excellent ...
 

Cross Cultural Awareness Global Non-Verbal Signals - Australia & Bangladesh

Burma (Myanmar) It is not proper in Mynamar to show public displays of affection. Buddhism is the main religion in Mynamar, thus practices of the religion are widely revered. Thus, the bottom half of the body is considered lowly, while the upper half is held in greater esteem. When you see any statues or images of Buddha in Mynamar, do not touch the head of Buddha. The feet in Mynamar are considered "unclean", thus it is very rude to show the soles of your feet or even raise your feet, such as in placing them on a table or desk.

People's Republic of China

• The Western custom of shaking a person' hand upon an introduction is becoming widespread throughout China. However, often a nod of the head or a slight bow will suffice. If your Chinese host does not smile upon introductions, don't worry. The Chinese culture is rooted in the attitude of keeping one's feelings inside rather than displaying emotions openly and publicly.

• The Chinese generally are not a touching society, especially with visitors. Thus, avoid any prolonged bodily contact.

• Personal space is very limited in China, especially while conversing. You may have the idea to then move backward, while probably will make your Chinese host follow you forward, thus resulting in a bit of a dance!

• The Chinese love to applaud, thus don't be surprised if you are greeted by a round of applause, even by children. If you are applauded, be respectful and return the applause.

• It is common in China to show one's surprise or dismay by sucking air in quickly and loudly through the lips and teeth. If you have been shown this gesture, it would be advisable to modify your request, thereby not having the Chinese host face the situation of saying "no" to you, which they consider to be very embarrassing.

• Silence is respected in China, so don't be discouraged if there are long periods of no talking. This time can be used for contemplation by your hosts. During a conversation, though, be respectful about not interrupting when someone else is speaking.

• If you are offering your Chinese host a gift, it is common for the Chinese to decline the gift several times before accepting it; this is a matter of proper etiquette in China.

• Seating arrangements are important in China. At a business meeting, the main guest is always seated at the "head of the room", facing the door, with the host having his or her back to the door. When dining, the guest of honor always sits to the left of the host.

Bits & Pieces

1. The customer who raises an objection to your product or service is putting you on the spot. If you agree with the complaint, it may stiffen sales resistance. If you disagree, you may find yourself in an argument with the customer. Either way, it's a bad situation. If the people who raise the objections are at all shrewd, they will be watching your reaction closely, knowing that a hit bird flutters. So don't flutter! Never let them suspect that an objection may have hit a vulnerable spot. Take it calmly - don't be in a rush to answer. Ask a few questions first.
   
   Get a complete case history of the objection. Find out if you are merely being challenged, or if there is really a serious complaint. Find out why it's being raised, and the source on which it is based. By that time you'll have a much better idea how to go about answering it. For example, let's suppose a prospect says he can buy the same product or service from a competitor for less. On the face of it that's a pretty formidable objection. If you ask the right questions, however, you may find it's not nearly as difficult to handle as you thought. You might ask....

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March Events

Eid Milad-un-Nabi

March 9

Holi

March 11

St Patrick's Day

March 17

Spring Equinox

March 20

Training Calendar
2009

Training Workshops in UAE, Saudi Arabia and Singapore

LifeSkills
by Haseeb Hasan

A glimpse of Intek's
Previous Workshops

Managing Conflict & Stress At The Workplace 
 

Intek's Upcoming workshops

Management Development Program

A memorable journey ...

To equip participants with effective managing tools to motivate and facilitate their teams. Prime areas of focus include Goal Setting, Delegation Skills, Team Building, Leadership, Time Management, Communication, Stress Management and Motivation.
For More Details...

Sales Force Management Workshop

This interactive, exercise based workshop aims at equipping Sales Managers with effective Goal Getting and motivational techniques.
For more details...

Strengthening Women in Management

This workshop provides the opportunity for skills building for women professionals in an action- orientated format. Real take-away skills are practiced in lively simulations carefully designed for training a particular skills set.

It concentrates on acquiring the most critical skills of communication, decision-making, building enthusiasm, trust and collaboration, delegation, motivation and managing conflict and crisis.
For more details...