facebook naren@hybreed.co, Author at Focus U - Page 24 of 64

There. I said it. Spontaneity is over-rated.  And much so…

Billy CrystalWhat people see as spontaneity is in fact gems pulled out from the bag of experience. These are gems that have been collected and polished to a sheen over the years, and that they have stood the test of time. Spontaneity is a result of being well-prepared. In 1940 Winston Churchill memorized each word of his maiden speech in House of Commons, leaving nothing to chance! Because he memorized it and knew it by heart, he delivered a speech that is amongst the most memorable speeches of all times, popularly known today as “Blood, Sweat, and Tears.”  Another example of prepared spontaneity at work is the most successful host of the Oscars, Billy Crystal.

In our work as facilitators of corporate workshops, “spontaneity” plays an important role. It is the ingredient that adds flavor to the performance and helps us connect with the participants. However, just like Churchill, the script needs to be memorized so that it becomes second nature and makes every moment of performance, memorable. Spontaneity is born from confidence of knowing the content intimately.  On the flip side, spontaneity without any preparation is a sure-shot recipe for disaster. It may lead to loss of face or worse, lost business. Imagine you’re the host at the Oscars and you screw up the punch lines of your jokes! In showbiz, you just committed professional and personal hara-kiri!

Continue reading “Spontaneity is Overrated”

Quite often we hear senior managers, corporate trainers, and business leaders search for the right content for training their new managers. Try googling “new managers training PPT” and you will get thousands of them. But power point presentations are just not enough. To train your new managers, you also need audio-visual aids to make the learning stick. And what can be better than movie clippings that deliver powerful message. Movie clippings bring together emotions, characters, and a story that is sure to make a huge impact. If you are looking for a movie list, check out my other blog – 5 Movies To Inspire You To Dream Big.

Continue reading “Management Lessons From Movies”

In his book, “The 5 dysfunctions of a team”, noted author Patrick Lencioni makes a very pertinent observation, “”Not finance. Not strategy. Not technology. It is teamwork that remains the ultimate competitive advantage, both because it is so powerful and so rare”.

Continue reading “How To Make A High Performance Team?”

If you have watched the movie ‘Pursuit of Happyness’, you would definitely recall the image of Chris Gardner, hauling a huge medical device – a portable bone density scanner –  from one hospital to the other. He is often running between them and facing some very tough questions from potential clients. 

Continue reading “7 Challenges Of Learning In The Pharmaceutical Industry”