Good to Great..Edition 6

Hello Friends, Thanks all for your continued support. This week's special thanks and Credits are to Sumathi, Radha, Mohit, Mithra, Murthy, Sri and Juliette.

New topics for this week include topics on YOUR resp. to community. More pictures have been included this week , Just click on the same to see a Bigger view. There are some good articles shared by our readers, so this edition is a bit longer. Please read in Leisure and skip over to topics that are more relevant to you.

As always, to share interesting articles, puzzles, thoughts, views, feedback...jus mail them to balajineela@gmail.com (Or leave feedback in the Blog itself)

Contents:

1. It's all about YOU….B/f Priya
2. Cost savers… Conserve energy (& Money)
3. Health(y) tips
4. Inspiring...web….B/f Sunantha
5. Jokes Corner….B/f Murthy
6. Safety/ Our Environment
7. Thought for the Week….B/f Bala
8. Management Thirukkurals
9. Management Fundas….B/f Sumathi
10. Trivia….B/f Arvind
11. Tip for this week….B/f Balaji R
12. Cartoon….B/f Murthy
13. AD-ZAP
14. Parenting….B/f Arvind / Ram
15. A Puzzle
16. Community and YOU….B/f Babu
17. Closing thoughts

1. It's all about YOU

Never Ignore a Person WHO…
Loves YOU…
Cares for YOU…
& Misses YOU…

Because…
One Day YOU may wake up
From your sleep and realize that,
YOU have lost the MOON,
While counting the STARS…!!!

2. Cost savers Conserve energy (& Money)

Simple tips that all houses can do to conserve energy and money:
1. Turn off anything you're not using. Any equipment or appliances such as televisions, Videos and computer monitors.
2. When using the clothes washer and dryer, do only full loads.
3. Water heater: Lower the temperature.
4. Turn off your lights whenever they are not needed.
5. Air conditioner: Clean filters regularly. Provide shading for your air conditioner.

3. Health(y) tips

Swimming, cycling, jogging, skiing, aerobic dancing, walking or any of dozens of other activities can help your heart. They all cause you to feel warm, perspire and breathe heavily without being out of breath and without feeling any burning sensation in your muscles. Whether it is a structured exercise program or just part of your daily routine, all exercise adds up to a healthier heart.

Here are some tips for exercising success:
- Choose activities that are fun, not exhausting.
- Add variety. Try not to rely too much on one activity, but develop a repertoire of several that you can enjoy. That way, exercise will never seem boring or routine.
-Wear comfortable, properly fitted footwear and comfortable, loose-fitting clothing that is appropriate for the weather and the activity.
-Find a convenient time and place to do activities.

- Try to make it a habit, but be flexible. If you miss an exercise opportunity, work activity into your day another way.
- Use music to keep you entertained.
- Surround yourself with supportive people.

- Decide what kind of support you need. E.g. - Do you want them to remind you to exercise? Ask about your progress? Participate with you regularly or occasionally?
- Share your activity time with others. Make a date with a family member, friend or co-worker. Be an active role model for your children.
- Don't overdo it. Do low- to moderate-level activities, especially at first. You can slowly increase the duration and intensity of your activities as you become more fit.
- Keep a record of your activities. Reward yourself at special milestones.

Nothing motivates like success!

4. Inspiring...web Can you imagine this is happening in INDIA?

Government of India has an online Grievance forum at http://pgportal. gov.in/

The govt. wants people to use this tool to highlight the problems they faced while dealing with Government officials or departments like Passport Office, Electricity board, BSNL/MTNL, Railways etc.

Many people will say that these things don't work in India , but this actually works as one of our colleague found. The guy I'm talking about lives in Faridabad. Couple of months back, the Faridabad Municipal Corporation laid new roads in his area and the residents were very happy about it.

But 2 weeks later, BSNL dug up the newly laid roads to install new cables which annoyed all the residents including this guy. But it was only this guy! Who used the above listed grievance forum to highlight his concern. And to his surprise, BSNL and Municipal Corporation of Faridabad were served a show cause notice and the guy received a copy of the notice in one week. Government has asked the MC and BSNL about the goof up as it's clear that both the government departments were not in sync at all.

So use this grievance forum and educate others who don't know about this facility. This way we can at least raise our concerns instead of just talking about the ' System ' in India. Invite your friends to contribute for many such happenings.

PLEASE SPREAD THIS MESSAGE IF U WANT OUR INDIA TO HAVE A BETTER TOMORROW.

5. Jokes Corner

There was a student who was desirous of taking admission for a study course.He was smart enough to get through the written test, a GD and was to appear for the personal interview.

Later, as the interview progressed, the interviewer found this boy to be bright since he could answer althea questions correctly. The interviewer got impatient and decided to corner the boy.

"Tell me your choice" said he to the boy," What's your choice: I shall either ask you ten easy questions or ONE real difficult. Think well before you make up your mind.

"The boy thought for a while and said, "My choice is ONE real difficult question.""Well, good luck to you, you have made your own choice!" said the man on the opposite side. "Tell me: What comes first, Day or Night?

"The boy was jolted first but he waited for a while and said: "It's the DAY, sir.""How?" the interviewer was smiling ("At last, I got you!" he said to himself.)

"Sorry sir, you promised me that you will not ask me a SECOND difficult question!"Admission for the course was thus secured.

6. Safety
The message is so simple and so cool…Click on the image to see a bigger picture.
Real Life E.g. One of our employees escaped with minor injuries to his hand/ knees – thanks to the helmet which he was wearing, which took the
Major brunt of his hard fall.

(Click on the image to see a bigger image)

7. Thought for the Week

If we cannot love the person whom we see,
How can we love GOD, whom we cannot see?
- Mother Teresa

8. Management Thirukkurals Give honest, sincere appreciation.
This tip comes from Dale Carnegie’s, How to Win Friends and Influence People from a section called, The Big Secret of Dealing with People. Here’s how he distinguishes appreciation from flattery:

“The difference between appreciation and flattery? That is simple.

One is sincere and the other is insincere. One comes from the heart out; the other from the teeth out. One is unselfish; the other selfish. One is universally admired; the other universally condemned.... If all we had to do was flatter, everybody would catch on and we should all be experts in human relations.
When we are not engaged in thinking about some definite problem, we usually spend about 95 percent of our time thinking about ourselves. Now, if we stop thinking about ourselves for a while and begin to think of the other person’s good points, we don’t have to resort to flattery so cheap and false that it can be spotted almost before it is out of the mouth.”
Well, there’s nothing unclear or indirect about that advice from Carnegie, is there!
This is a great tip for everyone, but particularly important for managers and leaders, who rely on the strengths of their relationships to get things done.

9. Management Fundas...R u a Duck or an Eagle.

Harvey Mackay tells a wonderful story about a cab driver that proved this point. He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey. He handed my friend a laminated card and said:

"I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement." Taken aback, Harvey read the card. It said: Wally's MissionStatement: "To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment".

This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean! As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, "Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf."

My friend said jokingly, "No, I'd prefer a soft drink." Wally smiled and said, "No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice." Almost stuttering, Harveysaid, "I'll take a Diet Coke." Handing him his drink, Wally said, "If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USAToday."

As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card. "These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio." And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him.

Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts.

"Tell me, Wally," my amazed friend asked the driver, "have you always served customers like this?" Wally smiled into the rearview mirror. "No, not always. In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day. He had just written a book called You'll See It When You Believe It. Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, `Stop complaining! Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don't be a duck. Be an eagle.
Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.

"That hit me right between the eyes," said Wally. "Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy.

So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more." "I take it that has paid off for you," Harvey said. "It sure has," Wally replied. "My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today.

I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action." Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab. I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn't do any of what I was suggesting. Johnny the Bagger and Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. They decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles.

So, what is your Choice? Duck or Eagle??

10. Trivia

Letters 'a', 'b', 'c' &'d' do not appear anywhere in the spellings of 1 to 99

(Letter 'd' comes for the first time in Hundred)

Letters 'a', 'b' & 'c' do not appear anywhere in the spellings of 1 to 999

(Letter 'a' comes for the first time in Thousand)

Letters 'b' & 'c' do not appear anywhere in the spellings of 1 to 999,999,999

(Letter 'b' comes for the first time in Billion)
And
Letter 'c' does not appear anywhere in the spellings of entire English Counting.

11. Tip for this week....Prepare For the Meeting

Ø Define the objectives and desired outcomes.

Ø Determine topics to cover and the best format for the discussion of each one.

Ø Estimate the length of the meeting. People need to know how much time they need to allocate for the meeting.

Ø Create an Agenda that is carefully scripted:
ü Give Start and Stop times. Time is money -- plan wisely!
ü Identify the place of the meeting.
ü List participants and guests.
ü List what the participant's roles are and what is expected from them so they may gather all the relevant data they need to bring to the meeting.

Ø Deliver the agenda in advance so that the participants have time to plan and prepare for the meeting.

12. Cartoon….Crazy Photos

5 meters distance…This is the craziest thing, seen in a long time.Please Get up from your seat and walk away from your computer.
People may think you're crazy.But it's well worth it.
When you look at this picture in a closer look you see its Albert Einstein.But if you stand 15 feet away, it will become Marilyn Monroe.

13. AD-ZAP
(this write up is a Recognition of the wonderful Advt. and not the product)

This weeks pick of advt is Reliance Mobile. On How subtly the conversation between the Girl and the Guys emphasizes on clarity to the person receiving the call – either when the girl turns the pages of the fashion magazine or the Burnt bread in the Toaster which the other person is able to hear so clearly…makes a big impact on the viewer…

14. Parenting
This was narrated by an IAF pilot to IIT students during a Seminar on Human Relations: Venkatesh describes how his gesture of booking an air ticket for his father, his maiden flight, brought forth a rush of emotions and made

Venkatesh realizes that how much we all take for granted when it comes to our parents. My parents left for our native place on Thursday and we went to the airport to see them off. In fact, my father had never travelled by air before, so I just took this opportunity to make him experience the same.

In spite of being asked to book tickets by train, I got them tickets on Jet Airways. The moment I handed over the tickets to him, he was surprised to see that I had booked them by air... The excitement was very apparent on his face, waiting for the time of travel. Just like a school boy, he was preparing himself on that day and we all went to the airport, right from using the trolley for his luggage, the baggage check-in and asking for a window seat and waiting restlessly for the security check-in to happen.

He was thoroughly enjoying himself and I, too, was overcome with joy watching him experience all these things. As they were about to go in for the security check-in, he walked up to me with tears in his eyes and thanked me. He became very emotional and it was not as if I had done something great but the fact that this meant a great deal to him.

When he said thanks, I told him there was no need to thank me. But later, thinking about the entire incident, I looked back at my life. As a child, how many dreams our parents have made come true. Without understanding the financial situation, we ask for cricket bats, dresses, toys, outings, etc. Irrespective of their affordability, they have catered to all our needs. Did we ever think about the sacrifices they had to make to accommodate many of our wishes?

Did we ever say thanks for all that they have done for us? Same way, today when it comes to our children, we always think that we should put them in a good school. Regardless of the amount of donation, we will ensure that we will have to give the child the best, theme parks, toys, etc. But we tend to forget that our parents have sacrificed a lot for our sake to see us happy, so it is our responsibility to ensure that their dreams are realized and what they failed to see when they were young. It is our responsibility to ensure that they experience all those and their life is complete. Many times, when my parents had asked me some questions, I have actually answered back without patience.

When my daughter asks me something, I have been very polite in answering. Now I realize how they would have felt at those moments. Let us realize that old age is a second childhood and just as we take care of our children, the same attention and same care needs to be given to our parents and elders. Rather than my dad saying thank you to me, I would want to say sorry for making him wait so long for this small dream.

I do realize how much he has sacrificed for my sake and I will do my best to give the best possible attention to all their wishes. Just because they are old does not mean that they will have to give up everything and keep sacrificing for their grandchildren also.

They have wishes, too... Take care of your parents. THEY ARE PRECIOUS

15. A Puzzle

http://www.miniclip.com/games/magic-pen/en/

Another interesting game, to bring the best out of us and refresh our thinking process

16. Community and YOU Show Mercy

Nethaji Mercy Home, a recognized organization for the helpless, destitute and orphan children was started in the year 2000 with the aim of creating awareness against female infanticide. It provides home for the destitute without any barriers of religion, creed or sex. They currently have 25 children in the age group of 1 to 16 living in the home. To further brighten their lives we seek help and support from one and all.

Show your mercy to this home by:

Ø Donating old clothes, children books, note books, stationery, toys
Ø Providing groceries, toiletries, general medicines
Ø Celebrating your special days like birthday, festivals, wedding day and so on
Ø Sponsoring for lunch or full day meal
Ø Contributing for children's education, health...
Ø Giving a one-time contribution for building in cash or in kind

We welcome voluntary contributions in this noble cause. Donations can be made by Crossed Cheque/DD/MO in favor of Nethaji Mercy Home.
Be the candle in their lives !!!
Nethaji Mercy Home, 12, Pandithurai Street, Kamarajapuram, Velachery, Chennai – 42.
Phone: 2244 8447, Cell: 9841 3359 51; Founder: A. Muthukumar
If you would like to get more information or clarification on this institution or would want to have your donation administered in a particular way, Please reach Ford Champion for this institute Babu (pbabu4@ford.com)

17. Closing thoughts
"Nothing motivates like Success"…Simple statement with a strong message. So don’t once you achieve a victory…don’t rest or slacken or lose focus…take that as a step In the ladder of success…and Keep marching ….this simple rule applies to all aspects of our life – be it Work, Workouts, relationships..!!!