The greatest feeling in the world is watching our children growing right in front of our eyes. All parents can relate to this sentiment very well. The proud moment for all parents is to see their own characteristics developing in their child. My wife and I, without missing a beat say, “That’s our boy” when we see our five year old son Aaran doing anything new that the world or we have taught him. It puts our heads in the clouds to see that our teaching isn’t in vain. However, when we realize that we are not his only teachers in life, the bubble of this feeling bursts; I see him handling some of the life’s tough situations (well, tough for his size) beautifully while playing and I know that I’m not the sole reason for his success. Despite my brain’s natural tendency to see it only as child’s play, I know for a fact that this problem solving is much more than simple play. Play has immense power to solve many of the challenges in life. Every child is blessed with the power of enjoying every moment with ease. I see these kids teaching us some important life lessons each and every day.
Tag: Facilitation
In FocusU India, we believe that we don’t do training programs, we create an experience and it is an eye for detail that helps us accomplish that.
We might not remember all of Newton’s Laws, but we do remember what happened in the movie Titanic scene by scene. Movies engage us fully and we feel as if we are a part of the story. It connects with us visually and sometimes we become immersed in the entire experience. That’s the power of movies!
“If you’re a leader, a fellow that other fellows look to, you’ve got to keep going.” Sir Earnest Shackleton
Some say leaders are born. Others say they are molded. Throughout history, leaders have forged new paths for others to follow.
In 1914, Sir Earnest Shackleton lead 27 men for almost two years to a harrowing fight for their lives after the wreck of their Antarctic vessel: The Endurance let them stranded on an ice floe 12 hundred miles from a civilization with no means of communication and no hope of rescue. The temperatures were so low the men could hear the ice freeze. They subsisted on a diet of penguins, seals and ultimately dogs.
Continue reading “Leadership In Extreme Situations”
Whether you are a manager or a CEO, you would be required to present your work to people in or outside your organization, some day. If that day has not arrived for you, then it’s coming very soon. I write this blog after interacting with the first time managers of a reputed Indian MNC. The group said if they could get a fool-proof system of effective presenting, then they could pay anything for that system. So allow this blog to be a teaser for our excellent workshops for first time managers (Presenting With Impact – a workshop that we conduct for leaders to become effective at making a mark).
Continue reading “10 Fool-Proof Ways to Ruin Your Presentation”
The offsite is the most anticipated event for any organization. The organization aims at aligning people and the organization’s vision, while employees expect a break from their routine. Both of the parties have their own expectation of an offsite; some are fulfilled and some are not. Let me share the four things employees expect at an offsite –
First let me explain what “motivational offer” even means. The motivational officer (aka celebration officer) is always the one who looks out for a tonne of reasons to celebrate, like each achievement and milestone. But there’s more to it than just a reason for a cold beer – as Uncle Ben would say, “with great power comes great responsibility!”
Continue reading “6 Steps to Become Your Team’s Motivational Officer”
There. I said it. Spontaneity is over-rated. And much so…
What 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!