Improve your memory

http://lifehacker.com/384954/top-10-memory-hacks

The Mnemosyne Project has two aspects:
It's a sophisticated free flash-card tool which optimizes your learning process. It's a research project into the nature of long-term memory. http://www.mnemosyne-proj.org/index.php

SuperMemo is based on the insight that there is an ideal moment to practice what you've learned. Practice too soon and you waste your time. Practice too late and you've forgotten the material and have to relearn it. The right time to practice is just at the moment you're about to forget.... Twenty years ago, Wozniak realized that computers could easily calculate the moment of forgetting if he could discover the right algorithm. SuperMemo is the result of his research. http://www.supermemo.com/english/down.htm

Holy wiki, Batgirl! GTD TiddlyWiki tracks all your Getting Things Done lists - Next Actions, Projects, and context lists - in a you-won't-believe-your-eyes dynamic web page made up of editable chunks. Life Hacker - getting things done

http://www.tiddlywiki.com/

 

Misc

http://www.mind-mapping.co.uk/mind-maps-examples.htm

Wired Health Magazine (intro)

Wired Health Magazine

Diamonds are a girl's best friends

Your Life's Ambition

http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive/phd050508s.gif

The Inscrutable American - Anurag Mathur

This book @ Amazon

Executive Summary : I really liked the book (about 250 pages), maybe not a must read but if you have the time definitely go for it.

I read this book over the weekend, I quite enjoyed the book. The book starts off being funny & witty, then later moves into more serious issues.

Gopal is a small town boy and is destined to head the family hair-oil business. But before that Gopal leaves for the USA for a year to complete higher studies.

I liked the way the author puts himself in Gopal's shoes (or is he recounting his experiences ? ) to explain the feelings of a vegetarian who travels abroad. This book can be read at a high level without much involvement, or it can be a mental journey for all those who can associate themselves with Gopal (which I'm sure a large number of Indians will be able to). This book puts into words a lot of feelings that Indians encounter on their first visit to America.

This book is about Gopal's journey both physical & mental over a period of one year. A journey which can be described with the old-cliche 'a journey of self-discovery, realization and acceptance'. The humor, the Indian English and the author's depiction of Gopal is what makes this book an excellent read.

The books starts with Gopal eating only cashews and drinking large quantities of cola to avoid meat on the flight. After transit and on finally reaching his destination Gopal is greeted by an American college student who will be Gopal's mentor & friend thru his stay. Gopal for the life of him can't figure out why Randy is so called. Randy is a kind hearted soul who entire waking efforts are spent in pursuing goals which are chiefly girls. And Randy's unsuccessful efforts in introducing Gopal to the American 'way-of-life'.

The book I feel can chiefly be divided into three parts - the hook, line & sinker.

The first part is about 40% of the book and deals with Gopal's amazement in his introduction to the great land. This is mostly funny and will definitely get you to grin or chuckle multiple times. This is the hook that gets to you to keep reading the book.

The second part again about 40% is the stark realities of living in USA - the racial discrimination, the liberation of his mind, the educational system, the issues with staying away from meat, his introduction to bars, beers & cigarettes, and his gradual shift of perception and acceptance of the fact that his neighbors really don't care who he is and the lifting of the associated burden that he is no longer responsible for all the past of his country & ancestors.

And the sinker is the part where he has to part with his friends, the education and return to India to manage his hair oil factory. The sinker does really give you a sinking feeling as you know your coming to the end of the book.

I feel the author has shown a great depth of insight into the different characters - Gopal's cousins in the USA, his friend Randy, the dean & his wife, his landlady Gloria, his crushes Anne & Sue, Randy Wolf's parents, the African-American student 'peacock', the other Indian student Anand who calls our hero as 'Goh-Pal' whilst trying to sound like the Americans. All the characters complement each other very well, especially the characters of Randy & Gopal.

The role of stress in just about everything

The role of stress in just about everything 

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/008200801091711.htm

Stress, to put it bluntly, is bad for you. It can kill you, in fact. A study now reveals that stress causes deterioration in everything from your gums to your heart and can make you more susceptible to everything from the common cold to cancer. Thanks to new research crossing the disciplines of psychology, medicine, neuroscience, and genetics, the mechanisms underlying the connection are rapidly becoming understood, says eurekalert press release.

The first clues to the link between stress and health were provided in the 1930s by Hans Selye, the first scientist to apply the word "stress"— then simply an engineering term— to the strains experienced by living organisms in their struggles to adapt and cope with changing environments.

One of Selye's major discoveries was that the stress hormone cortisol had a long-term effect on the health of rats.

Cortisol has been considered one of the main culprits in the stress-illness connection, although it plays a necessary role in helping us cope with threats. When an animal perceives danger, a system kicks into gear: A chain reaction of signals releases various hormones — most notably epinephrine ("adrenaline"), norepinephrine, and cortisol — from the adrenal glands above each kidney.

These hormones boost heart rate, increase respiration, and increase the availability of glucose (cellular fuel) in the blood, thereby enabling the famous "fight or flight" reaction.

Because these responses take a lot of energy, cortisol simultaneously tells other costly physical processes — including digestion, reproduction, physical growth, and some aspects of the immune system — to shut or slow down.

When occasions to fight or flee are infrequent and threats pass quickly, the body's stress thermostat adjusts accordingly: Cortisol levels return to baseline (it takes 40-60 minutes), the intestines resume digesting food, the sex organs kick back into gear, and the immune system resumes fighting infections.

But problems occur when stresses don't let up —or when, for various reasons, the brain continually perceives stress even if it isn't really there.

Stress begins with the perception of danger by the brain, and it appears that continued stress can actually bias the brain to perceive more danger by altering brain structures such as those which govern the perception of and response to threat. Prolonged exposure to cortisol inhibits the growth of new neurons, and can cause increased growth of the amygdala, the portion of the brain that controls fear and other emotional responses.

The end result is heightened expectation of and attention to threats in the environment. Stress hormones also inhibit neuron growth in parts of the hippocampus, a brain area essential in forming new memories. In this way, stress results in memory impairments and impairs the brain's ability to put emotional memories in context.

Think of it this way: Too much stress and you forget not to be stressed out.

These brain changes are thought by some researchers to be at the heart of the link between stress and depression — one of stress's most devastating health consequences — as well as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Although when we think of stressors we might think of big things like abuse, illness, divorce, grieving, or getting fired, it is now known that the little things — traffic, workplace politics, noisy neighbors, a long line at the bank — can add up and have a similar impact on our well-being and our health.

People who report more minor irritants in their lives also have more mental and physical health problems than those who encounter fewer hassles. And recent research shows that PTSD may be the result of stressors adding up like building blocks, remodeling the plastic brain in a cumulative rather than a once-and-for-all fashion.

But the best known of stress's health impacts are on the heart.

The idea that stress directly causes coronary heart disease has been around since the 1950s; although once controversial, the direct stress-cardiac link is now well-documented by many studies. For instance, men who faced chronic stresses at work or at home ran a 30 percent higher likelihood of dying over the course of a nine-year study; in another study, individuals reporting neglect, abuse, or other stressors in childhood were over three times as likely as nonstressed individuals to develop heart disease in adulthood.

Adding insult to injury, stress may even have a selfperpetuating effect. Depression and heart disease, for example, are not only the results of stress, but also causes of (more) stress. Consequently, the chronically stressed body can appear less like a thermostat than like a wailing speaker placed too close to a microphone — a feedback loop in which the stress response goes out of control, hastening physical decline with age.

Growing evidence shows that our sensitivity to stress as adults is already "tuned," so to speak, in infancy. Specifically, the amount of stress encountered in early life sensitizes an organism to a certain level of adversity; high levels of early life stress may result in hypersensitivity to stress later, as well as to adult depression.

A history of various stressors such as abuse and neglect in early life are a common feature of those with chronic depression in adulthood, for example.

At McGill University in Montreal, Michael J. Meaney and his colleagues have studied mother and infant rats, using rat maternal behavior as a model of early life stress and its later ramifications in humans. The key variable in the world of rat nurturance is licking and grooming. Offspring of rat mothers who naturally lick and groom their pups a lot are less easily startled as adults and show less fear of novel or threatening situations — in other words, less sensitivity to stress — than offspring of less nurturant mothers.

The same thing is true of offspring of naturally less nurturant mothers who are raised (or "cross-fostered") by more nurturant ones. By the same token, low-licking-and-grooming rat mothers are themselves more fearful than the more nurturant rat moms; but again, female offspring of those non-nurturant mothers foster-parented by nurturant mothers show less fear and are themselves more nurturant when they have pups of their own.

This indicates that the connection between maternal nurturance and stress responsiveness is not simply genetic, but that fearfulness and nurturance are transmitted from generation to generation through maternal behavior.

The vicious cycle of stress hormones biasing us to perceive more threat and react with an increased stress response might seem like some kind perverse joke played by nature — or at least a serious design flaw in the brain. But it makes better sense if we take the brain out of its modern, urban, "civilized" context.

The stress response is a necessary response to danger.

For animals, including most likely our hominid ancestors, behavioral transmission of individual differences in stress reactivity from parents to offspring makes sense as an adaptation to fluctuating levels of danger in the environment.

Animals raised in chronically adverse conditions (e.g., high conflict, material deprivation) may expect more of the same in the near future; so in effect, the maternal treatment of offspring attunes them to the level of stress they may expect to encounter in their lives. As such, a response that seems baffling and counterproductive in a modern, civilized context may make more sense in the context of our distant evolutionary past.

Even depression has been theorized as playing an adaptive role in certain contexts.

The inactivity, lack of motivation, loss of interest in pleasurable activities like sex, and withdrawal from social relationships experienced by depressed people closely resemble "sickness behavior" — the energy-saving lethargy activated by the immune system in response to infection.

In a natural setting, the hopeless attitude of depression may be the most adaptive for an organism infected with a pathogen: The best strategy for survival is not to expend energy fruitlessly and become exposed to predators, but to hunker down, hide from threats, and direct energy to immune processes where it's needed.

And it turns out that baboons suffer from depression and other stress-related disorders, just like people do. According to Stanford neuroendocrinologist Robert Sapolsky, who has studied stress in baboon troops, it is the relative safety from predators and high amounts of leisure time enjoyed by some primates — including humans — that has transformed these useful biological coping mechanisms into a source of pointless suffering and illness.

Besides heart disease, PTSD, and depression, chronic stress has been linked to ailments as diverse as intestinal problems, gum disease, erectile dysfunction, adult-onset diabetes, growth problems, and even cancer. Chronic rises in stress hormones have been shown to accelerate the growth of precancerous cells and tumors; they also lower the body's resistance to HIV and cancer-causing viruses like human papilloma virus (the precursor to cervical cancer in women).

The great challenge in stress psychology — and the necessary precursor to developing interventions against stress's harmful effects — has been understanding the mechanisms by which thoughts and feelings and other "mental" stuff can affect bodily health.

For many years, it was believed that the main causal link between stress and disease was the immune suppression that occurs when the body redirects its energy toward the fight-or-flight response. But recent research has revealed a far more nuanced picture.

Stress is known to actually enhance one important immune response, inflammation, and increasingly this is being seen as the go-between in various stress-related diseases.

Ordinarily, inflammation is how the healthy body deals with damaged tissue: Cells at the site of infections or injuries produce signaling chemicals called cytokines, which in turn attract other immune cells to the site to help repair it. Cytokines also travel to the brain and are responsible for initiating sickness behavior. Overactive cytokine production has been found to put individuals at greater risk for a variety of aging-related illnesses.

Cytokines may be an important mediator in the relationship between stress and heart disease. When the arteries feeding the heart are damaged, cytokines induce more blood flow, and thus more white blood cells, to the site. White blood cells accumulate in vessel walls and, over time, become engorged with cholesterol, becoming plaques; these may later become destabilized and rupture, causing heart attacks.

Cytokine action also has been implicated in the link between stress and depression. People suffering from clinical depression have shown 40–50 percent higher concentrations of certain inflammatory cytokines. And about 50 percent of cancer patients whose immune responses are artificially boosted through the administration of cytokines show depressive symptoms.

The close connection between inflammation and both depression and heart disease has led some researchers to theorize that inflammation may be what mediates the two-way street between these two conditions: Depression can lead to heart disease, but heart disease also often leads to depression.

Sleep may be part of this puzzle too, as disturbed sleep, which often goes with anxiety and depression, increases levels of proinflammatory cytokines in the body.

Not everyone responds the same way to stress. Personality traits like negativity, pessimism, and neuroticism are known to be risk factors for stress-related disease, as are anger and hostility.

In the late 1950s, Friedman and Rosenman identified a major link between stress and health with their research on the "Type A" personality: a person who is highly competitive, aggressive, and impatient. This personality was found to be a strong predictor of heart disease, and later research clarified the picture: The salient factors in the relationship between the Type A personality and health are mainly anger, hostility, and a socially dominant personality style (for example, tending to interrupt other people while they are talking).

When negative emotions like anger are chronic, it is as if the body is in a constant state of fight or flight.

There is now evidence that another trait associated with success-striving in the modern world — persistence — may also lead to health problems in some circumstances. When goals are not readily attainable, the inability to detach from them may produce frustration, exhaustion, rumination on failures, and lack of sleep. These in turn activate harmful inflammatory responses that can lead to illness and lowered immunity.

Studies also have shown that optimistic people have lower incidence of heart disease, better prognosis after heart surgery, and longer life.

The effects of a positive attitude on immunity were shown in a study by Sheldon Cohen, Carnegie Mellon University, and his colleagues, in which individuals were exposed to a cold virus in a laboratory setting and watched over six days. Those with a positive emotional style were less likely to develop colds than were individuals with low levels of positive affect. Positive affect was also found to be correlated with reduced symptom severity and reduced pain.

Personality and environmental factors are not the whole story when it comes to stress.

The next frontier of stress research is the rapidly growing field of behavioral genetics. Modeling the interaction of genetic and environmental influences is no longer a matter of weighing the relative input of nature and nurture. The two intertwine in subtle and complicated ways, with environments affecting gene expression, and vice versa, throughout life. Thus, the current watchword is "stress-diathesis" models, in which environmental stressors have varying impact on individuals due to preexisting inherited vulnerabilities.

One major advance in this area was the discovery by Avshalom Caspi, University of Wisconsin, and his colleagues of a link between stress sensitivity and a particular gene called 5HTTLPR. Findings suggest certain genetic makeup seems to increase the risk for a serious illness through the mechanism of increased sensitivity to stressful occurrences.

Nathan Fox, University of Maryland, and his colleagues subsequently reported that children with two short alleles of the 5HTTLPR gene, whose mothers also reported receiving low social support, were more likely to show behavioral inhibition (fearfulness and a tendency to withdraw) at age 7. Those receiving high support did not show the tendency, and those with the long alleles but receiving low support also appeared "protected" by their genetic makeup.

Genetic predisposition to stress sensitivity may in some cases become a self-fulfilling cycle. Fox and colleagues found that some very behaviorally inhibited children were regarded by their mothers as hard to soothe and received less care and sensitivity as a result; this in turn tuned up the child's sensitivity to stress. In the model Fox and colleagues propose, genetically influenced temperament in early childhood influences the quality of caregiving children receive, which in turn shapes a child's attention bias to threat.

But look on the bright side: The newly refined science of stress could lead to new drug therapies that can control stress or inhibit its effects on health. Also, depression and anxiety are not only results of stress, but also causes, and existing therapeutic and medical treatments for these conditions can help change how people perceive threats, put their life challenges in context, and cut stressors down to manageable size. The cycle doesn't have to be vicious, in other words.

What's more, the confirmation that the mind directly affects the body can work as much in our favor as it does to our detriment, as the personality-and-stress research above indicates.

As Carol Dweck, Stanford University, has argued, personality is mutable. In theory, if our outlooks and beliefs about ourselves can be changed, so can our vulnerability to life's slings and arrows. Relaxation techniques such as meditation and yoga, for example, have been confirmed to quell stress demons.

Even if you are a determined workaholic glued to your cell phone or a fearful and angry urban neurotic, stress-reduction methods are readily available to cope with stress in the short term and even alter perceptions of stressors in the long term. The bottom line: Stress is not inevitable.

Current Research on Stress:

At the University of Chicago, APS President John Cacioppo and Louise Hawkley have studied the health effects of social isolation, an increasingly common malady in the modern world. Among their findings are that lonely older adults show more arterial stiffening and higher blood pressure than their nonlonely counterparts and that the association between loneliness and blood pressure increases with age.

In middle-aged and older adults (but not young adults), loneliness is associated with higher levels of epinephrine in the blood, and lonely people of all ages show elevated levels of cortisol. By desensitizing the mechanism whereby cortisol turns off more cortisol production, the social isolation frequently experienced by older adults may hasten physical decline. Lonely individuals of all ages also have poorer sleep than nonlonely people and therefore get less of sleep's essential restorative benefits.

Humans and other social animals particularly seek the company of others when facing threats — both for safety and for social support. The general affiliative response — what Shelley Taylor, UCLA, has called "tending and befriending." Oxytocin rises during times of separation or disrupted social relations. Just as the familiar "adrenaline rush" of epinephrine induces the familiar fight-or-flight reaction, it is oxytocin that causes us to desire company and social togetherness.

It may be especially important in females, reflecting their different reproductive and survival priorities from those of males — i.e., caregiving (tending offspring) and lessening social tensions through friendly overtures (befriending).

Things I wish I knew when I was younger...

Things I wish I knew when I was younger...

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/things-i-wish-i%E2%80%99d-know-when-i-was-younger.html

 

 

• Most of it doesn't matter. So much of what I got excited about, anxious about, or wasted my time and energy on, turned out not to matter. There are only a few things that truly count for a happy life. I wish I had known to concentrate on those and ignore the rest.
• The greatest source of misery and hatred in this world is clinging to past hurts. Look at all the terrorists and militant groups that hark back to some event long gone, or base their justification for killing on claims of some supposed historical right to a bit of land, or redress for a wrong done hundreds of years ago.
• Waiting to do something until you can be sure of doing it exactly right means waiting for ever. One of the greatest advantages anyone can have is the willingness to make a fool of themselves publicly and often. There's no better way to learn and develop. Heck, it's fun too.
• Following the latest fashion, in work or in life, is spiritual and intellectual suicide. You can be a cheap imitation of the ideal of the moment; or you can be a unique individual. The choice is yours. Religion isn't the opiate of the masses, fashion is.
• If people complain that you're too fond of going your own way and aren't fitting in, you must be on the right track. Who wants to live life as a herd animal? The guys in power don't want you to fit in for your own sake; they want you to stop causing them problems and follow their orders. You can't have the freedom to be yourself and meekly fit in at the same time.
• If you make your work your life, you're making your life into hard work. Like most people, I confused myself by looking at people like artists and musicians whose life's "work" fills their time. That isn't work. It's who they are. Unless you have some overwhelming passion that also happens to allow you to earn a living doing it, always remember that work should be a means to an end: living an enjoyable life. Spend as little time on the means as possible consistent with achieving the end. Only idiots live to work.
• The quickest and simplest way to wreck any relationship is to listen to gossip. The worst way to spend your time is spreading more. People who spread gossip are the plague-carriers of our day. Cockroaches are clean, kindly creatures in comparison.
• Trying to please other people is largely a futile activity. Everyone will be mad at you sometime. Most of the people you deal with will dislike, disparage, belittle, or ignore what you say or do most of the time. Besides, you can never really know what others do want, so a good deal of whatever you do in that regard will go to waste. Be comforted. Those who love you will probably love you regardless, and they are the ones whose opinions are worth caring about. The rest aren't worth five minutes of thought between them.
• Every winner is destined to be a loser in due course. It's great to be up on the winner's podium. Just don't imagine you can stay there for ever. Worst of all is being determined to do so, by any means available.
• You can rarely, if ever, please, placate, change, or mollify an asshole. The best thing you can do is stay away from every one you encounter. Being an asshole is a contagious disease. The more time you spend around one, the more likely you are to catch it and become one too.
• Everything takes twice as long as you plan for and produces results about half as good as you hoped. There's no reason to be downhearted about this. Just allow for it and move on.
• People are oddly consistent. Liars usually tell lies. Cheaters cheat whenever it suits them. A person who confides in you has usually confided in several others first—but not got the response they wanted. A loyal friend will stay loyal under enormous amounts of thoughtless abuse.
• However hard you try, you can't avoid being yourself. Who else could you be? You can act and pretend, but the person acting and pretending is still you. And if you won't accept yourself—and do the best you can with what you have—who then has any obligation to accept you?
• When it comes to blatant lies, there are none more egregious than budget figures. Time spent agonizing over them is time wasted. Even if (miracle of miracles!) yours are honest and accurate, no one else will have been so foolish.
• The loudest noise in the world is the sound of people whining. Don't add to it.

Bangalore Maps

40 Year Old Men Vs 4 Year old (little) women

Now as the days go by, I realize the not so little difference in Men & Women... What strikes me as unusal is the fact that both these are referred to as the same species. I think not, its just two species living together pretending to be one...

I mean look at it, we have distinct physical differences not to mention an altogether different evolution of the brain. Look I'm no scientist to dwell into the exact structure & firing of neurons but the intent and thinking are totally different. Men evolved as the hunter & the women as the nest maker which explains the 'subtle' differences between them.

Now getting to the main point - When I'm transferring my baby to a grown adult male, it looks short of a wrestling match because neither of us is sure how the transfer goes.... Now fast forward to a little women who are not more than four years old, who with surgical precision slide one hand under the baby's neck, the other under the baby's back and are ready to lift the baby. Perhaps the young ones mimic their mothers, but it certains leaves me stunned.....

Advice to Young Men from an Old Man

http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/sfo/279126743.html

Birthing Tips

After being blessed with a baby recently... I thought I share my experience for those who need it.

1) Pregnancy is an emotional roller coaster ride get used to it (umm there is such thing as post pregnancy depression too)

2) A very important tip - during the labor process deep breathing is very essential to overcome the unbearable pain. Deep breath in, and deep breath out... its not easy as this counters the instinct to hold one's breath while in pain.

3) Normal delivery is the best... some praise other means but from my (uh my wife's) experience, I would think normal is the best thing

4) Your baby is going to be the center of your world, get used to the idea.

5) Don't listen to people who predict the gender of the baby. Listen to your heart... you will know if its a son or daughter by the sixth month. Remember in certain places its illegal to acertain the gender of the baby.

6) "In India, advice is free. Everybody has their opinion on what is to be done during pregnancy" - my wife's doctor. Her advice (we ignored some of it that we thought was useless) was important (she thought) she was charging us for it after all ;)

7) It does help if your with your wife during the labor process. She will definitely thank you for it.
Its not easy, some preparation is required. Birthing videos do help, I definitely wanted to throw up after watching the video for few minutes. Steel yourself, nobody said pregnancy is easy.

8) Be prepared to go for long durations without sleep, once the labor starts (yeah the baby will keep you awake after that is over...)

9) A quick list of things that
a) your baby will need (do this before the baby is born)
clothes,diapers, nappy rash cream, nasal aspirant + saline drops, baby friendly soap (pears ?), nail clippers, warm clothing for baby, baby stores closest to your home, pillow, crib, pram, feeding bottle, pacifier, your medical history easily accessible, list of drugs that your allergic to, contact numbers of your doctor, arrangements for travel to the hospital in case of emergency - best routes, ambulance numbers, mosquito net for the baby (no you cannot use coils and other mosquito repellents), baby talcum powder, subscribe to pregnancy/parenting newsletters etc

b) you will need -
rubber/plastic sheet for the bed, mother's horlicks, barley, good diet, a decent camera, cash/credit-card for the delivery, well-wishers, the URL where you will upload your baby pics,

10) Welcome to parent-hood :)
a) Makes you think about the part you just played in the circle of life...
b) Makes you wonder how you lived your life without the baby for so long...
c) Clears all doubts you had about your existence

11) The hospital may NOT provide food for the patient's attendant. food is not allowed inside either. Go figure ...

12) babies are (sometimes?) born with a slight touch of jaundice (its common?). Sunlight is very necessary for the baby esp. during the morning and evening times

13) Important - babies cry because -
a) They are hungry
b) They are hungry
c) Stomach pain (ask your doctor before hand what medication is suitable)
d) Uncomfortable (make sure they are in a comfortable position, ensure diaper does not need to be changed)
e) They are hungry

14) Every guest wants to pick up the baby, be firm. The less contact your baby has with the tons of germs from outside the healthier the baby is going to be.

15) Its also a good idea to pick up a gift for your wife, that you can give her post-delivery.

16) Post pregnancy does not mean all medications are allowed. Talk to your doctor before taking any medicine.

17) No amount of planning can mitigate risk outside your circle of influence. Stay calm, think clearly & proceed accordingly. Remember sometimes a timely decision makes all the difference.

18) Your baby will sleep about 20-22 hours during the intial months, this is perfectly normal.

19) The babies are not very foccussed for the initial period, don't worry about it.

20) Talk to your baby, they find your voice very reassuring. After all they would be used to hearing your voice for the entire nine months (yeah yeah nothing scientific... its just my belief) :)

I've attempted to cram about 10 months of experience into twenty points, I would like to know if you found these pointers useful. Suggestions are welcome !

Disclaimer : This is not intended to be a replacement for medical care during pregnancy or substitute for other necessites. This is just a guide that aims at making you better equipped to handle the new member of your household. Use your common sense, if in doubt it will make sense to consult a qualified personnel.

On the way to parent hood, figuring out new things

http://fatherhood.about.com/od/newdadsresources/tp/newdadtips.htm

Help - Birth

http://www.whathappensnow.com/sec_item.cfm?sec_uid=9632841e-c277-4fe4-a042-f0897acd62bf&cat=LIF&event_id=50&sec=HC

Help - Birth

The following is a checklist of items you may need to bring to the hospital for the labor and birth and for the expectant mother, family and newborn baby. Hospital Bag For Your Partner For the Siblings For the Baby Do Not Bring Additional Information

Print out this list in a form.

Hospital Bag

1. Documents
• Your birth or labor plan, if you have one
• Your health insurance card and hospital paperwork, if needed
• Your driver's license or photo I.D.
• Address and phone book to contact family members
  
  WHN TIP: Some hospitals do not allow cell phones, so it’s important to make a list of numbers before you go
• A phone card and quarters, since you may not be able to use your cell phone.
• 
  
• Insurance company's phone number to add the baby to your policy
• Manila envelope or folder to keep loose paperwork together
• Paper and pens/pencils (to write down questions or notes for hospital staff)
• Camera, film, video camera
  
  WHN TIP: Remember to check with hospital about photo and video policies.
2. Comfort items
   • Bring a book and/or magazine to read to pass the time
   • Bring your own pillow(s)
   • Bring your own large towel (or two) for showering. Some hospitals only supply small towels. Consider bringing dark-colored towels, in case of stains.
   • Baseball hat (or any hat) for hair, in case it’s a while before you get to wash it.
   • A comfy robe and jammies. You may be walking the hallways.
   • Consider bringing two or three front-opening nightgowns.
     
     WHN TIP: Bring an old gown for labor.
   • Choose gowns with shorter sleeves so staff can easily check your blood pressure. Cotton material tends to breathe the best.
   • Extra pairs of maternity underwear, nursing bras and pads.
   • Extra set of comfy, loose clothes and shoes to wear when you leave the hospital. (You’ll still feel a bit pregnant.)
   • Family photos
   • Favorite music or radio
   • Mints, hard candy (to help with dry mouth)
   • Slippers and socks
   • Snacks (for you and your partner), water bottles
   • A watch with a second hand to time contractions
3. Toiletries
   • Deodorant
   • Eye glasses/contact cases and solution
   • Facial sponge to use before and during labor
   • Hairbrush, comb, hair ties and clips
   • Lip balm (for chapped lips)
   • Make-up
   • Massage oils or lotion, tennis balls (for a massage)
   • Maternity pads
   • Necessary medications
   • Shampoo/conditioner
   • Soap/body wash
   • Toothbrush, toothpaste

For Your Partner

1. Extra set (or two) of comfy clothes
2. Eye glasses/contact cases and solution
3. Medications
4. Pajamas, robe, slippers
5. Quarters for phone calls, parking and vending machines
6. Small amount of money to buy anything birthing mom may need
7. Snacks and beverages
8. Toiletries (shampoo, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.)

For the Siblings

1. Coloring books and crayons
2. Books
3. Stuffed animals, toys
4. Snacks and beverages
5. Other special needs items: medications, toiletries, etc.
6. Gift for the baby (chosen by the big brother/sister)
7. Gift from mom or partner for the big brother/sister (to help with jealousy)

For the Baby

1. Baby book (hospital staff may be able to put baby's footprints in the book for you)
2. Baby nail clippers (newborns have longer nails, so they may be able to scratch themselves)
3. Booties
4. Cans/bottles of formula
5. A car seat (this is required by law)
6. Going-home outfit and undershirt
7. Hat
8. Jacket (if cool weather or winter)
9. Newborn diapers
10. Outside blanket (extra warm one for winter)
11. Receiving blanket
12. Wipes

Do Not Bring

1. Jewelry
2. Any important valuables
3. Lots of credit cards or cash. Instead, take one card or a small amount of necessary cash.

Additional Information

Have advice on what to bring to the hospital? Head to Stories and share tips with others.

Looking for more information? Visit our Be Prepared, Articles and Links sections for more tips and advice

Leading at a Higher Level: Is Your Organization High Performing?
(http://www.informit.com/articles/article.asp?p=605375&seqNum=1&rl=1)
(http://www.informit.com/title/0131443909)
* By Ken Blanchard.
* Sample Chapter is provided courtesy of Prentice Hall.
* Date: Sep 22, 2006.

Marksmen will tell you that if you’re going to aim for a target, you should go for the bull’s-eye. The reason for that is if you miss the bull’s-eye, you’re still on the target. But if all you do is aim for the target and you miss, you’re nowhere. Don Shula, who coauthored Everyone’s a Coach with Ken Blanchard, always told his Miami Dolphins football team that the target they were aiming at was to win every game. Was that possible? Obviously not, but if you don’t shoot for excellence, you never have a chance of getting there. That’s probably why Don Shula’s teams won more football games than those of any coach in the history of the NFL and why his 1972 Dolphins is still the only team in history to go undefeated for an entire season. So the target you aim for has a lot to do with your performance.

Wall Street and the pressures of business today make many people think that the only target that counts is financial success. Yet few, if any, businesspeople would want their epitaph to include their company’s bottom line—their stock price or profit margin. They might, however, want people to remember their contribution to the creation of a high performing organization.

Those who want to lead at a higher level need to understand what a high performing organization looks like and what is necessary to create one. They need to aim for the right target.
The Right Target: The Triple Bottom Line

In high performing organizations, everyone's energy is focused on not just one bottom line, but three bottom lines—being the provider of choice, the employer of choice, and the investment of choice. This triple bottom line is the right target and can make the difference between mediocrity and greatness.1 The leaders in high performing organizations know that their bottom line depends on their customers, their people, and their investors. These leaders realize the following:

Profit is the applause you get for taking care of your customers and creating a motivating environment for your people.

Provider of Choice

Being the provider of choice is becoming increasingly more challenging. Competition is fierce as new competitors emerge unexpectedly. Customers are more demanding with many more options at their fingertips. They expect to get what they want when they want it, and they want to have it customized to suit their needs. The world has changed in such a way that today the buyer, not the seller, is sitting in the driver's seat. These days, nobody has to convince anybody that the customer reigns. People are realizing that their organizations will go nowhere without the loyalty and commitment of their customers. Companies are motivated to change when they discover the new rule:

If you don't take care of your customers, somebody else will.

In Raving Fans®: Satisfied Customers Are Not Enough, Sheldon Bowles and Ken Blanchard argue that to keep your customers today, you can't be content just to satisfy them; you have to create raving fans. They describe raving fans as customers who are so excited about how you treat them that they want to tell everyone about you; they become part of your sales force. Let's look at a simple yet powerful example.

What's the most common wake-up call that you get in a hotel in America today? The phone rings at the allotted hour, but when you pick it up, no one is there. At least they got the machine to call your room at the designated hour. The second most common wake-up call greets you with a recording. But again, no one's there. Today if you pick up the phone on a wake-up call and there's a human being on the other end of the phone—someone you can actually talk to—you hardly know what to say. A while back, one of our colleagues was staying at the Marriott Convention Hotel in Orlando. He asked for a 7:00 wake-up call. When the phone rang and he picked it up, a woman said, "Good morning; this is Teresa. It's 7:00. It's going to be 75 and beautiful in Orlando today, but your ticket says you're leaving. Where are you going?"

Taken aback, our colleague stammered, "I'm going to New York City."

Teresa said, "Let me look at the USA Today weather map. Oh, no! It's going to be 40 degrees and rainy in New York today. Can't you stay another day?"

Now where do you think our colleague wants to go when he gets to Orlando? He wants to go to the Marriott so that he can talk to Teresa in the morning! Raving fans are created by companies whose service far exceeds that of the competition and even exceeds customer expectations. These companies routinely do the unexpected and then enjoy the growth generated by customers who have spontaneously joined their sales force.
Employer of Choice

Being the employer of choice is equally challenging. With highly mobile, competent workers in demand, employers must find ways to attract and keep their best people. Good pay is no longer the only answer. It is true that some competent workers will go elsewhere for a higher wage; however, today’s workers generally want more. They seek opportunities where they feel like their contributions are valued and rewarded—where they are involved and empowered, can develop skills, can see advancement opportunities, and can believe they are making a difference.

You will get little argument today if you tell managers that people are their most important resource. Some even argue that the customer should come second, because without committed and empowered employees, a company can never provide good service. You can’t treat your people poorly and expect them to treat your customers well.

Several years ago, a friend of ours had an experience in a department store that illustrates this point well. He normally shops at Nordstrom but found himself in a competitor’s store. Realizing that he needed to talk to his wife, he asked a salesperson in the men’s department if he could use their telephone. "No!" the salesperson said.

He said, "You have to be kidding me. You can always use the phone at Nordstrom."

The salesperson said, "Look, buddy! They don’t let me use the phone here. Why should I let you?"

People who are treated poorly tend to pass that attitude on to their customers.

Another reason that your people are so important today is because these days your organization is evaluated on how quickly it can respond to customer needs and problems. "I’ll have to talk to my boss" doesn’t cut it anymore. Nobody cares who the boss is. The only people customers care about are the ones who answer the phone, greet them, write up their order, make their delivery, or respond to their complaints. They want top service, and they want it fast. That means you need to create a motivating environment for your people and an organizational structure that is flexible enough to permit them to be the best that they can be.
Investment of Choice

Growing or expanding requires investment, regardless of whether the company is publicly owned, privately held, government, or nonprofit. All organizations require funding sources, through stock purchases, loans, grants, or contracts. To be willing to invest, people must believe in the organization’s viability and performance over time. They need to have faith in the leadership, the quality of the people, the product and services, the management practices, and the resilience of the organization.

If the financial success of an organization is a function of revenue minus expenses, you can become more sound financially by either reducing costs or increasing revenues. Let’s look at costs first, because in today’s competitive environment, the prize goes to those who can do more with less. More organizations today are deciding that the only way for them to be financially effective is to downsize. There’s no doubt that some personnel reduction is necessary in large bureaucracies where everyone just has to have an assistant, and the assistant has to have an assistant. Yet downsizing is an energy drain, and it’s by no means the only way to manage costs.

There’s a growing realization that another effective way to manage cost is to make all your people your business partners. For instance, in some companies, new people can’t get a raise until they can read their company’s balance sheet and understand where and how their individual efforts impact the company’s profit-and-loss statement. When people understand the business realities of how their organization makes and spends money, they are much more apt to roll up their sleeves and help out.

Traditionally, managers have been reluctant to share financial information. Yet these days, many organizations are responding with open book management. That’s because they realize the financial benefits that come from sharing previously sensitive data. For example, in working with a restaurant company, one of our consulting partners was having a hard time convincing the president of the merits of sharing important financial data with employees. To unfreeze the president’s thinking, the consulting partner went to the firm’s largest restaurant one night at closing time. Dividing all the employees—cooks, dishwashers, waiters, waitresses, bus people, hostesses—into groups of five or six, he asked them to come to an agreement about the answer to a question: "Of every sales dollar that comes into this restaurant, how many cents do you think fall to the bottom line—money that can be returned to investors as profit or reinvested in the business?"

The least amount any group guessed was 40 cents. Several groups guessed 70 cents. In a restaurant, the reality is that if you can keep 5 cents on the dollar, you get excited—10 cents, and you’re ecstatic! Can you imagine the attitude among employees toward such things as food costs, labor costs, and breakage when they thought their company was a money machine? After sharing the actual figures, the president was impressed when a chef asked, "You mean, if I burn a steak that costs us 6 dollars and we sell it for 20, at a 5 percent profit margin, we have to sell six steaks for essentially no profit to make up for my mistake?" He already had things figured out.

If you keep your people well informed and let them use their brains, you’ll be amazed at how they can help manage costs.

What about revenues? If you develop committed and empowered people who create raving fan customers, you can’t help but increase your revenues. Why? Because raving fan customers want to brag about you. They become part of your sales force or PR department, which increases your sales and/or visibility and makes your organization more attractive as an investment. Now you are a leader of a high performing organization.

Tips for an effective Presentation

We have a lot of thoughts that we wish to express when making a presentation. Lets keep in mind that the everybody in the room may not have the same understanding as you. We follow coding standards, the same way lets follow some structured way of presentation so that it will be clear on the presentation will proceed.

These are suggested guidelines while making a presentation.

1) Overview of the presentation - What/Why/How about the presentation.
2) Agenda of the presentation - Outline the topics that will be covered in the presentation
3) Architecture/Block diagram - How does this module interact with the rest of the world ?
4) Inter module interaction - How do the blocks inside the module communicate with each other ?
5) Details about each block .

This document is a guideline for filing (spouse) H4 Visa. It covers details like the documents required, photograph requirements, visa fees and the questions that may be asked at the consulate.

Disclaimer: The details are compiled from multiple websites; the intent is to consolidate the information at one place. To the best of my knowledge none of the content below is copyrighted. Before reading this document you agree that you are entirely responsible for anything that happens to you/around you before/during/after reading this document. Confirm all the details from the consulate before applying for the visa.

Documents

• TTS Web Appointment
• Orginal H-1B Approval Notice (I-797)
• Copy of H-1B Petition (I-129)
• Visa Application Form DS-156 for Spouse
• Marriage Certificate
• Marriage Photographs
• Original + Copy of Imran's Passport.
• DD for Vissa Issuance
• DD for Vissa Application
• Employment Verification Letter(deputation Letter)
• spouse passport (name of spouse should be endrossed on both passports)
• 1 photo of spouse measuring 2" X 2" , digital with white background front view)
• Visa drafts (office arranges)
• Covering letter (office provides) cash for tts courier

Optional
• Bank Statement (imran)
• Salary Stubs (imran)
• W-2 form (imran)


Site: path2usa.com/h4.doc

• Documents required for dependent visa (H4/L2/F2/M2/J2):
• Completed visa application along with the applicable draft amount.
• Original and valid Passport.
• 2 recent color photograph, (2x2 inches or 50x50 mm) for each applicant showing full face, preferably without head covering, and with a light background. Always keep some extra photos with you.
• Your original marriage certificate.
• 4-5 marriage photographs. All the snaps must be very clear and easy to identify both the bride, and the bridegroom. Photographs showing some marriage rituals are must.
• **Example : Few photographs around the agni ceremony.
• A copy of of each sides marriage invitation card.
• A copy of your spouse's H1 visa and passport. (This is required for H4 visa only. If you are applying for F2/M2/J2 visa then you are required to show your spouses I-20 form copy instead.) Similarly for L2 visa the copy of your spouse's L1 approval.
• Spouse's, employment verification letter. See the sample.
• Demand draft for visa application Fee.
• Demand draft for visa issuance Fee.
• See more details at US consulate Delhi , website.
• For current visa fees rate, visit:
• -Current Visa Fee?
• Note: All visa payments should be in the form of demand draft, made
• payable to the American Consulate General, (Mumbai/ Delhi/ Chennai/
• Calcutta which ever is applicable)

Tips:
• If you are applying for your visa along with your spouse, who is
• applying for H1 simultaneously, then submit both your applications together.
• It is advisable to get your ECNR checked on your passport beforehand.
• It is advisable to get your spouse's name endorsed on your passport beforehand.
• If after marriage your last name has changed, then it's better to endorse the change in your passport beforehand. Otherwise you will have to continue your maiden name here.
• Upon receiving your visa, carefully check for any kind of mistakes
• like name, date of birth, type of visa, validity date, etc.


[Your Company Letter Head]

To Whom It May Concern:

Dear Sir/Madam,

This is to certify that Mr. [First Name] [Last Name] is an employee at
[Employer 's Company Name] and as working as a [Designation] since
[Date with year] .
[His/Her] current gross salary is USD [xx,0000] [In words] per annum.

If you have question regarding his/her employment, please contact our
office at [office HR Phone Number].


Yours Sincerely,

[Signature of Person issuing certificate]
[ Manager- HR] or [Designation]

Date : [Date of issuing certificate]



Site: http://usembassy.state.gov/delhi.html/wwwhnivdep.html

Dependent Visas: H-4, L-2


• Applicants for the related dependent visas, H-4 and L-2 visas, should submit:

• all the required documents for any non-immigrant visa

• Your marriage registration certificate, and an original birth certificate for each child

• Your wedding invitation and wedding ceremony photos

• All 36 pages of the principal applicant's passport (if not applying with principal applicant). If a copy of the passport is submitted, it should be a GOOD copy and the photo must be clearly identifiable

• A letter from the spouse's employer confirming continued employment

• Copy of the principal applicant's I797, I129 and LCA

• Copy of the principal applicant's work experience letters

• Copy of the principal applicant's letter of offer from the US company

• Pay stubs from principal applicant's current place of work and income tax return.

• The Embassy cannot accept documents received directly from the company by mail or fax. If confidentiality is of concern, the applicant should bring the documents to the Embassy in a sealed envelope. The Embassy will not make this information available to anyone and will respect the confidentiality of the information.

Documents Required For A Non-Immigrant Visa

• The following documents are mandatory for any application being made:

• A fully completed and signed Visa Application Form DS-156, with one recent - within the past six months- 50mm x 50mm forward-facing visa photograph.

• Every male applicant between the age of 16-45 must also complete the Supplemental application Form DS-157

• For all student and exchange visitor applicants, Application Form DS-158 and Form DSP-2019 (formerly called an IAP-66) from an approved Exchange Visitor Program sponsor

• A passport valid for at least six months after the date of entry in USA

Dependent Visas: H-4, L-2


Applicants for the related dependent visas, H-4 and L-2 visas, should submit:

• all the required documents for any non-immigrant visa Plus

• Your marriage registration certificate, and an original birth certificate for each child.

• Your wedding invitation and wedding ceremony photos. Please submit no more than 30 photos.

• Please do not send entire wedding albums.

• All 36 pages of the principal applicant's passport (if not applying with principal
• applicant). If a copy of the passport is submitted, it should be a GOOD copy and the photo must be clearly identifiable.

• A letter from the spouse's employer confirming continued employment.

• Copy of the principal applicant's I-797, I-129 and Labor Condition Application (LCA)

• Copy of the principal applicant's work experience letters

• Copy of the principal applicant's letter of offer from the US company

• If your spouse is currently working in the US on an H1-B visa, please submit the pay slips for the current calendar year and federal tax returns (IRS Form 1040 and W-2s) for all the years in which he/she has been employed in the U.S. on the H-1B visa.

• The Consulate cannot accept documents received directly from the company by mail or fax. If confidentiality is of concern, the applicant should bring the documents to the Consulate in a sealed envelope. The Consulate will not make this information available to anyone and will respect the confidentiality of the information.

• An individual passport valid for travel to the U.S. for at least six months after your date of entry in to the U.S.

• A fully completed and signed Visa Application Form - DS-156

• All male applicants between the ages of 16 and 45 must also submit a fully completed and signed Supplemental Application Form DS-157

• In addition to the above forms, if you are applying for a F-1, J-1 or M-1 visa, you need to submit a fully completed and signed Application form DS-158

• One recent (within the past six months) passport size photograph, 50mm X 50mm with a white or off-white background. Click here for details.


Important things to remember when filling out application forms:

• Respond to all the questions. If you have no response for a question, put "none" or "nil" - do not draw a line or write " n.a." or "not applicable" If you fail to answer all the questions, this could create problems with your application, so remember to have an answer for each question.
• Respond fully to each question. For example, No. 27 is "What is the purpose of your trip?"
• If you are going on a tourist visa to see your son who is working in Detroit, don't just put "tourist" as an answer, put " "going to visit son in Detroit". If you are a student, don't respond to "purpose of trip" with " to study", be specific – for example "going to study for B.E. degree at Louisiana State".
• Provide details whenever it is useful.
• The applicant must sign the application, even if someone else fills it out.
• Please note that all of these application forms may be downloaded From http://travel.state.gov/visaforms.html.
• There also may be certain suggested documents to bring to your interview. Please refer to the specific visa type for a list of suggested documents.

Very important:

• Remember: though suggested documents may assist you in your interview, the Consular Officer relies primarily on the interview to determine your eligibility for a visa. Documents are of secondary importance.
• Caution: Use only valid Documents. Fraud or misrepresentation can result in permanent ineligibility for a nonimmigrant visa.
• Visa fees for Indian Nationals effective October 11, 2003



Visa fees are as follows:
• Non-immigrant visa application fee (non-refundable) * RS. 4600
• Non-immigrant visa issuance fee (paid only upon issuance)** RS. 2300
• Courier fee Rs. 400***

• Applicants for the following non-immigrant visa categories are exempt from paying the Non-Immigrant Visa Application Fee: A, C-2 , G, and NATO.

• * As of October 11, 2003, applicants for the following non-immigrant visa categories will be exempt from paying the Non-Immigrant Visa Issuance Fee: A, C-2 , D, F, G, J, K, M, N, NATO, S, T, and V.

• Visa fees are payable only via Demand Draft drawn on a nationalized or international bank. The draft should favor the "American Consulate General, Chennai". Please see the list of banks in Chennai from which the American Consulate General, Chennai will accept demand drafts.

• Important: Please write your complete name and passport number on the back of each draft.

• Courier fees may be paid in cash or via a demand draft favoring "T.T. Services"

• Not an Indian National? Visa Fees for other countries can be found in the Visa Reciprocity Tables.



Photo instructions for non-immigrant visas

• The photograph must be an un-mounted full-face photo taken within the last six months. The photograph must be full front view, taken facing the camera – no side or angled views are acceptable. The most important goal of the photograph is that it identifies the person.
• The photograph should measure 2 inches x 2 inches (roughly 50 mm x 50 mm) with the head centered in the frame. The head (measured from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin) should measure between 1 inch to 1 3/8 inches (28 mm and 35 mm) from the bottom of the photo.
• The photograph must have a white or off-white background. Photos with colored, dark or patterned backgrounds will not be accepted.
• For persons wearing glasses, there must be no reflection around the eyes.
• Photos with reflections will not be accepted. A photograph wearing a traditional facemask or veil that does not permit adequate identification is not acceptable. Head coverings or hats are acceptable only due to religious beliefs and then only when the applicant's face is completely exposed.
• Since a separate visa is issued to each qualified applicant, an individual photo is required in all cases. Group photos are not acceptable.
• Please follow these instructions carefully. If photographs presented do not meet these requirements, the visa may be refused.
• For more information photo requirements:
• http://travel.state.gov/photorequirements.html


TIPS FOR PERSONAL INTERVIEW WITH THE VISA OFFICIAL

Find below probable questions and suggested answers to help you face
the visa interview. Please note that these are only guidelines and need
not be asked in the same sequence. You are likely to get only 1-2
minutes of interview time with the visa official. It is essential that
you impress them about your being a computer software professional
going to US to render specialised service. Therefore we suggest you
dress formally. Answer all the questions with confidence. It is also
essential that you make and maintain maximum eye contact effort with
the Visa Official. You are evaluated not only by your answers but also
by your body language. Hence, you must appear normal and relaxed.

What is your name?
My name is (give your full name)

What is your qualification?
I am Graduate/Post Graduate in Engineering or MCA (as the case may be)

Where are you presently employed?
You should give your present employer details.

What is your current assignment?
Explain about your current assignment, the project name, the
environment.

Have you resigned?
If you have not resigned, please say so clearly and that you will
resign soon after collecting your visa. If you have resigned you can
say that you have resigned and indicate that you will travel after
getting relieved.

How did you know about your sponsor (employer)?
I saw an advertisement and applied for a suitable position. I was
interviewed and then selected. I have accepted the offer and have come
to collect my visa.

What is your salary?
State clearly the salary mentioned in the letter to the consulate (for
example 55,000 USD per annum plus fringe benefits like medical, dental
care insurance and life insurance)

What is the compelling reason for you to come back to India?
There are ample high paying software jobs in India itself.
I have my old parents whom I have to look after.
I have valuable properties to be taken care of by me (if you are
unmarried, you could say that you have to get married).

Are you paying any H1 Visa processing fees to your sponsor (employer)?
No, I am not paying any H1 visa processing fees. It is being taken care
of by the Company.

If your are married, your spouse should know the following.
Your Full Name,
The name of the Company you will be joining in the U S A.,
The location of your posting with the company and your salary

Feed burner (Unknown Indian)

http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheUnknownIndian

Triade against humanity

http://tiradeagainsthumanity.blogspot.com/2006_04_01_tiradeagainsthumanity_archive.html

WHY EMPLOYEES LEAVE ORGANISATIONS?

Every company normally faces one common problem of high employee turnout ratio. People are leaving the company for better pay, better profile or

simply for just one reason' pack gay '. This article might just throw some light on the matter... After reading it' I realized how true the subject

line of this mail is.

Early this year, Arun, an old friend who is a senior software designer, got an offer from a prestigious international firm to work in its India

Operations developing specialized software. He was thrilled by the offer. He had heard a lot about the CEO of this company, charismatic man often

quoted in the business press for his visionary attitude. The salary was great.

The company had all the right systems in place employee-friendly human resources (HR) policies, a spanking new office, and the very best

technology, even a canteen that served superb food. Twice Arun was sent abroad for training. "My learning curve is the sharpest it's ever been," he

said soon after he joined. "It's a real high working with such cutting edge technology." Last week, less than eight months after he joined, Arun walked

out of the job.

He has no other offer in hand but he said he couldn't take it anymore. Nor, apparently, could several other people in his department who have also

quit recently. The CEO is distressed about the high employee turnover. He's distressed about the money he's spent in training them.

He's distressed because he can't figure out what happened. Why did this talented employee leave despite a top salary? Arun quit for the same reason

that drives many good people away.

The answer lies in one of the largest studies undertaken by the Gallup Organization. The study surveyed over a million employees and 80,000

managers and was published in a book called First Break All The Rules.

It came up with this surprising finding: If you're losing good people, look to their immediate supervisor. More than any other single reason, he is the

reason people stay and thrive in an organization. And he's the reason why they quit, taking their knowledge, experience and contacts with them. Often,

straight to the competition.

"People leave Bosses not companies," write the authors Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman. "So much money has been thrown at the challenge of

keeping good people - in the form of better pay, better perks and better training - when, in the end, turnover is mostly manager issue." If you have

a turnover problem, look first to your managers. Are they driving people away?

Beyond a point, an employee's primary need has less to do with money, and more to do with how he's treated and how valued he feels. Much of this

depends directly on the immediate manager. And yet, bad bosses seem to happen to good people everywhere. A Fortune magazine survey some years ago found that nearly 75 per cent of employees have suffered at the hands of difficult superiors. You can leave one job to find - you guessed it,

another wolf in a pin-stripe suit in the next one.

Of all the workplace stressors, a bad boss is possibly the worst, directly impacting the emotional health and productivity of employees.

HR experts say that of all the abuses, employees find public humiliation the most intolerable. The first time, an employee may not leave, but a

thought has been planted. The second time, that! Thought gets strengthened. The third time, he starts looking for another job.

When people cannot retort openly in anger, they do so by passive aggression, by digging their heels in and slowing down. By doing only what they are

told to do and no more, by omitting to give the boss crucial information. Dev says: "If you work for a jerk, you basically want to get him into

trouble.

You don't have your heart and soul in the job." Different managers can stress out employees in different ways - by being too controlling, too

suspicious, too pushy, too critical, but they forget that workers are not fixed assets, they are free agents.

When this goes on too long, an employee will quit - often over seemingly trivial issue. It isn't the 100th blow that knocks a good man down. It's

the 99 that went before. And while it's true that people leave jobs for all kinds of reasons- for better opportunities or for circumstantial reasons,

many who leave would have stayed - had it not been for one man constantly telling them, as Arun's boss did! : "You are dispensable. I can find dozens

like you."

While it seems like there are plenty of other fish especially in today's waters, consider for a moment the cost of losing a talented employee.

There's the cost of finding a replacement. The cost of training the replacement. The cost of not having someone to do the job in the meantime.

The loss of clients and contacts the person had with the industry. The loss of morale in co-workers. The loss of trade secrets this person may now

share with others. Plus, of course, the loss of the company's reputation. Every person who leaves a corporation then becomes its ambassador, for

better or for worse.

We all know of large IT companies that people would love to join and large television companies few want to go near. In both cases, former employees

have left to tell their tales. "Any company trying to compete must figure out a way to engage the mind of every employee," Jack Welch of GE once

Said, "Much of a company's value lies "betwee the ears of its employees". If it's bleeding talent, it's bleeding value.

Unfortunately, many senior executives busy traveling the world, signing new deals and developing a vision for the company, but have little idea of what

may be going on at home ????

Author - Unknown

Characteristics of A Great Workplace - 3

These are my thoughts that is my ideal work place -

Employee Focus -
Customers are important, but remember what good are customers when there are no employees? "Customer delight" is vogue what about "Happy Employees" ?

Motivation -
The ability of the company to provide motivation. Money means a lot, but believeing in what you do is more important !

Vision -
A consistent and stable motto of the company. Keeping in tune with the times is important, but changing the vision/mission statement is a definite no-no.

Lead by Example -
Set an example that your employees can follow. Double standards are best left at the door.

Harassment
As long as this exists only and not beyond the anti-harassment policy its fine...

Pride
Does the work force sneak out of the door to avoid being seen ? A sense of belonging is what is needed....

Training
Enough is asked and evaluated of the employee.... What is the value add of the employer ?

Load Balancing
Some are frustrated because they are over-loaded others are because they have no work....

Walking the Talk & more...
Do open door policies end outside the door? Does the 360 degree system exist beyond the air conditioning system?

Great Workforce
Creating a place where great minds gather is not cheap !

Professionalism
Its good to take work personally. Vindictive personalities are best shown the door.

Work Culture
Walking the talk is important. But ensuring that the talk is good is a greater responsibility.

Once a wise man told me - If he works....

Once a wise man told me - "If he works give him more work.. otherwise just pay him his salary."