Dated: 3rd Nov 2014

Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda smiles during a news conference at the BOJ headquarters in Tokyo.
The bank surprised global financial markets on Friday by expanding its huge stimulus spending, in an
admission that economic growth and inflation have not picked up as much as expected after a sales tax hike in
April.Reuters
Reclaim your free time
There are 168 hours in a week. That should be enough time to succeed at work, at home and at
everything else that makes up a fulfilling life. Yet we always feel stretched too thin. Follow these
steps to reclaim your time:
Dont fall for time sucks. These are trivial activities that you keep doing because theyre comfortable.
Limit yourself to a few hours of TV or gaming a week, to 30 minutes a day on Facebook or to just
one sports team.
Block off free time in chunks. An hour of play with your kids feels like more time than four distracted
15-minute interactions in between other stuff. Set aside real time for greater enjoyment, relaxation
and mindfulness.
Limit your technology use. Set limits such as no screen hours, letting everyone at work know the
one time youll check email each night, and banning devices from the dinner table.
(Adapted from Relax, You Have 168 Hours This Week, by Scott Behson)
Keep your next negotiation on track
We waste too much time and emotion during negotiations. We argue about items that dont really
matter and let our feelings override our logic. If you want to move a negotiation forward and advance
to where you want to be:
Understand the common goal. You both should articulate your goals and interests in writing and
share them to ensure clarity and alignment.

Be transparent and explain the why of your points. Its surprising how seldom people explain why
theyre fighting for something. The other side likely doesnt know why youre asking for a term or
condition. If something is going to affect you personally, think about disclosing it the other party
may understand.
Calculate whats actually important. Figure out how material each point is. Then determine whats
really worth fighting for in the bigger picture and what you might be able to use as leverage.
(Adapted from Keep Time and Emotion From Killing a Negotiation, by Anthony K. Tjan)
Improve your ability to tell persuasive stories
If you want to convince someone to support your project, or explain to an employee how he might
improve, or inspire a team thats struggling, you need to be able to tell a persuasive, compelling
story. Start by asking yourself: Who is my audience and what is the message I want to share? Next,
look to your own life experiences for any anecdotes that highlight struggle, failure or success that
might resonate with listeners but dont try to make yourself the star. The ultimate focus should be
on people you know, lessons youve learned or events youve witnessed. You could even make the
audience play a role theyll be more engaged and willing to buy in to your message. Keep it
simple and straightforward, with just a few key details. And dont forget to practice.
(Adapted from How to Tell a Great Story, by Carolyn OHara)
Give credit fairly
People want their contributions to be acknowledged. But fairly assigning credit is difficult in
collaborative environments where several people come up with new ideas together. If you want to
eliminate resentment over recognition, you need to give credit the right way. Tie individual
recognition to the overall success of the group. This reduces tension over who did what and
reinforces teamwork. Recognise results instead of activities. Align your reward systems with the
outcomes you want, not metrics like length of service or attendance that may not have a direct
bearing on those outcomes. And embrace risk-taking by recognising team efforts even if something
fails. This will encourage people to learn and improve.
(Adapted from A Fairer Way of Giving Credit Where Its Due, by Joe McCannon and Sachin H. Jain)
Use tweets
Social ads let companies reach target customers with impressive efficiency and theyre cheaper
than any other paid ad channel. You just have to know how to use them effectively. Here are some
tips to get started:
Use free social media to beta-test paid ads. Your company is likely already tweeting and posting to
Facebook and LinkedIn. Track which messages are working, and use the high performers for native
social ads.
Take advantage of targeting features. LinkedIn lets you target regions, industries and job titles.
Twitter lets you drill down based on demographics. And Facebook lets you send sponsored posts to
a long list of interest groups.
Rotate ads frequently. Engagement plummets if you hammer users with the same message. But you
can reuse social ads by targeting them to multiple demographics.

(Adapted from When (and Why) to Pay for Tweets, by Ryan Holmes)
Published in Dawn, Economic & Business, November 3rd, 2014

Dated: 10th Nov 2014

A customer looks at clothes on display at a store of a major second-hand clothing importer in Budapest
November 5. The global financial crisis hit hard in central and eastern Europe, but one business that has
thrived is second-hand clothing stores. Second-hand clothing retailers in Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria and
Croatia have grown rapidly and are investing millions of euros to expand their businesses.Reuters
Give everyone a say
Many people see staff meetings as a waste of time. To make them more useful, try engaging
everyone in the room. Dont allow the usual suspects to dominate the discussion while others remain
largely quiet. If you want to hear from everyone:
Ask for ideas ahead of time. People will be able to prepare, so they can present their arguments
backed up by facts.
Dont let people hog the conversation. Interrupt them nicely: Excuse me, George, Im sorry to
interrupt you, but I want to make sure we have time to hear from everyone.
Give the podium to different participants. Create airtime for quiet team members by giving them a
specific slot on the agenda.
Ask different people direct questions. Are we missing something? Have we thought this through
from all possible angles? Cold call on people who dont speak up.
(Adapted from Save Your Next Staff Meeting From Itself, by Costas Andriopoulos)
Not let viral get in the way of good marketing
Marketers make a lot of mistakes when trying to make their messages go viral. One of them is failing
to develop relationships with the people who spread their content. For starters, you should stop

applying passive descriptors like audience, consumers or targets, and call the important people
who share your content multipliers. Stop focusing on viral as the goal. Its fleeting. Someone sees
a shared video, watches part of it and the marketer never figures out who he is. The relationship
ends there. Instead, identify your multipliers. Get to know them. Encourage them to share often. You
dont need to offer financial rewards. Acknowledging them publicly, by featuring them on your
website or responding to them on social, is often enough to generate engagement. Get their email
addresses so you can deepen the relationship further with truly useful updates, offers and calls to
action.
(Adapted from four Mistakes Marketers Make When Trying to Go Viral, by David Spitz)
Approach your next feedback conversation
Getting feedback is inherently stressful. When we encounter people of higher status, experience
uncertainty, feel less autonomy or believe that something is unfair, we feel vulnerable. To make
receiving feedback less ominous, reframe the experience. Realise that you only feel threatened;
youre not facing a literal threat. And that the person providing you with feedback isnt necessarily
lording her status over you she is trying to help you improve. If you feel that the feedback is unfair,
find out if she made wrong assumptions about you. You can state your true intentions and point out
how they differ from what she assumed. But remember that your capacity for feedback is finite. If
youve absorbed all the feedback you can at the moment, pause the conversation so you can make
sense of what youve heard so far.
(Adapted from Make Getting Feedback Less Stressful, by Ed Batista)
Working quickly isnt always the best idea
We all know procrastination isnt productive but neither is pre-crastination, or trying to do
something quickly just to be able to mark it complete. Many of us pre-crastinate because were
constantly trying to check off tasks to free up our working memory. How often have you rushed to
complete something, only to find that you need to go back and fix errors? Do you usually tackle easy
stuff on your to-do list first, or do you dedicate your peak hours to your most meaningful
assignment? Have you ever spent a whole day responding to emails, only to find its 5pm and you
havent done any real work? These tasks may feel productive in the short term, but rushing to
complete something anything wastes time when you have to go back and revise and refine.
Instead of being eager to get things done quickly, focus on getting the right things done slowly and
better.
(Adapted from The Irresistible Allure of Pre-crastination, by David Burkus)
Smart negotiators know when to take breaks
A good negotiator asks for a timeout when he needs to regroup. If youre not sure what to do next, if
you get annoyed and need to calm down, or if you want to consult with colleagues who arent at the
table, dont hesitate to take a break. It helps to step away briefly and evaluate the situation
especially if you learn something unexpected at the negotiating table. A break could be anywhere
from 10 minutes to a few days. If youre concerned about sending the wrong signal, just ask for a
chance to use the bathroom, check your email or grab a cup of coffee. But its less awkward if you
establish up front that either of you can call a break at any time. That way it doesnt look odd if you
ask for a timeout right after your counterpart has suggested an option you dont like.
(Adapted from the HBR Guide to Negotiating, by Jeff Weiss)

Published in Dawn, Economic & Business, November 10th, 2014

Dated:24th Nov 2014

A resident on an electronic bicycle and a truck travel past solar panels on the roof of greenhouses growing
mushrooms in Henan province, China, November 21.Reuters
Have a strategy for impromptu speaking
A key demand in business is the ability to speak off the cuff. Whether its giving an unexpected
elevator pitch to a potential investor or being asked to quickly defend a proposal to sales, many of us
have had to speak with no preparation. Next time, dont panic. The worst business speeches are
those that ramble on. If forced to speak, quickly draft a structure of your main argument on a
notecard (or napkin). Jot down an introduction, two or three supporting points and a conclusion. Use
extra time to fill out any examples or data you want to address. Always state your thesis upfront so
listeners can easily follow your supporting comments. Focus on key stories and statistics, rather than
your delivery. If you know your topic, the words will come. Finally, keep it short. When in doubt, say
less.
(Adapted from 5 Tips for Off-the-Cuff Speaking, by John Coleman)
New team leaders: do these four things first
New team leaders often skip over the basics of team building in a rush to start achieving goals. But
your actions in the first few weeks and months have a major impact on whether your team delivers
results. Heres how to set things up for success:
Get to know one another. Resist the urge to jump right into the work and focus instead on fostering
camaraderie with team-building exercises.
Showcase your values. Explain whats behind each of your decisions, what your priorities are and
how you will evaluate the teams performance.

Explain how you want the team to work. Not everyone knows the best ways to ask for help or go
about tasks. Set expectations and explain processes.
Set or clarify goals. Make clear what the team is working toward and how you expect to get there.
Setting goals early on lays the framework for holding team members accountable.
(Adapted from What New Team Leaders Should Do First, by Carolyn OHara)
Ask about MBA
If youre thinking about getting an MBA, first determine whether your expectations are aligned with
what the degree will likely do for you. One benefit of MBA programs is that the credential sends a
signal to the marketplace. But no career paths absolutely require an MBA many senior people in
general management roles, consulting and financial services dont have one so dont assume it
will necessarily serve a meaningful purpose in your chosen field. Instead ask yourself:
What market am I in now? What markets might I seek to enter in the future?
Whos interested in my services? How might this change if I had an MBA?
How are MBAs perceived in these markets? What stereotypes (both positive and negative) might I
face as an MBA?
What is the reputation of the MBA programs Im considering? How are these schools and their
alumni viewed within my desired markets?
What are my alternatives?
(Adapted from Should You Get an MBA?, by Ed Batista)
Write a speech
Theres a huge difference between crafting a speech and writing an essay, yet too many people
approach them in the same way. The average adult can read 300 words per minute, but can only
follow a speech at half that rate. So speeches require you to simplify. To make sure your audience
stays with you, state your thesis and lay out the structure of your speech first. Then, let listeners
know where you are with signpost words (second, finally, etc.). Lead or end an argument with
statistics, but dont fall into reciting strings of numbers or citations. The human brain is wired for
narrative, so focus on telling a compelling story. And remember that when delivering a speech, you
are your punctuation. Use your voice, hand gestures, pacing and your position on stage for
emphasis.
(Adapted from A Speech Is Not an Essay, by John Coleman)
Reduce your stage fright
Butterflies in the stomach, waning confidence, sweaty palms even people who regularly present
in front of audiences get stage fright. You may not be able to eliminate your fear completely, but
below are four ways to help you handle the symptoms:
Focus on your audience. Pick a person in the crowd and speak directly to him. Then find another
person and deliver your next message directly to him.

Relabel negatives as positives. Instead of considering your symptoms of stage fright an indication of
nerves, think about them as signs of anticipation or excitement.
Avoid rigid rules. Dont be overly focused on what makes a good presentation. There are no set
rules.
Research shows that self-assessment of presentations is often overly harsh. If you assume you look
calm and relaxed to your audience, you will.
(Adapted from the HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations)
Published in Dawn, Economic & Business, November 24th, 2014

Dated: 1st Dec 2014

Drivers put gas in their cars at a filling station with a sign indicating a litre of regular gas
price in Tokyo Friday. It is a panacea as pump prices fall, giving individuals more
disposable income and lowering costs for many businesses. The latest slide was
triggered by Opecs decision Thursday to leave its production target at 30 million barrels
a day.AP
Get creative
Studies suggest that boredom can actually help you get your work at least your creative work
done better. Boredom felt during passive activities, liking reading reports or attending tedious
meetings, heightens the daydreaming effect on creativity and motivates people to approach new
and rewarding activities. So the next time you need to dream up new ideas, start by spending some
time on humdrum activities, such as answering emails, making copies or entering data. Afterward,
you may be better able to think up more (and more creative) possibilities to explore. Likewise, if you
need to closely examine a problem and produce a solution, schedule that task after a routine staff
meeting. By engaging in less interesting activities before problem-solving ones, you may be able to
elicit the type of thinking needed to find creative solutions.

(Adapted from The Creative Benefits of Boredom, by David Burkus)

Inventory your teams knowledge
Team leaders often dont fully tap into the knowledge team members bring with them. This is, in
large part, because the most confident, outgoing people get the most airtime, while the real experts
take a back seat and have limited impact. But a brief intervention can change this dynamic. When
starting on a new project, encourage team members to first discuss the relevant knowledge they
each bring to the table. By opening the floor for reflection, you can lead the group in assessing
members knowledge and discussing its relevance to the task at hand. And your team will be less
likely to defer to those with the most confidence, and more likely to combine their expertise to devise
strategies for solving the problems. The process may sound simple, but it can help you bring out the
best in your team.
(Adapted from Bring Out the Best in Your Team, by Bryan L. Bonner and Alexander R. Bolinger)
Not be afraid to cold-email powerful people
Were often hesitant to reach out to senior leaders who are only an email away. But a concise email
to the right person can open up new possibilities for learning and growth its happened for many
people. And besides, whats the worst that could happen? So the next time you want to cold-email
someone powerful, consider these tips:
Expect a 50-90pc failure rate (i.e., no response) the first time you cold-email someone.
Emailing once every two days is politely persistent, but you should probably give up after three or
four tries without a reply.
Weekends are often the best time to send busy executives a note, since they may have more time to
read something.
Keeping your message short and to the point increases the chance that it will actually get read
and you may even get a response.
(Adapted from Tips for Cold-Emailing Intimidatingly Powerful People, by Peter Sims)
Resolve a conflict with your co-worker
Differences of opinion between co-workers can be useful and even productive. But when clashes
turn ugly, conflict can hurt working relationships. Here are three tips for handling the next
disagreement you have with a colleague:
Identify common ground: Point out what you both agree on at the conversations outset. This may be
a shared goal or a set of operating rules.
Hear your co-worker out: Allow your colleague to share and explain his opinion. Dont disagree
with individual points he makes; listen to the whole story.
Propose a solution: Use the information you gathered in the conversation to offer a resolution. This
should incorporate your co-workers perspective and differ from your initial proposal.
(Adapted from The Right Way to Fight, by Amy Gallo)

Ask for a reference letter, the right way

Asking someone to devote the time and energy to enumerate all the ways in which youre great can
feel like an inconvenience at best and a true imposition at worst. Here are three tips on easing the
process and ensuring that your mentor, boss or colleague writes a rave review:
Highlight your references qualifications: Articulate why you are asking this particular colleague for a
reference and explain what uniquely qualifies her to speak on your behalf.
Provide a draft: Even more difficult than asking for a reference letter is writing one. Make it easy on
your mentor by providing a draft. However, be sure that she knows that she doesnt need to use it.
Give her an out: Allow your colleague a chance to gracefully say no for any reason. You arent
likely to get a glowing review from someone who feels forced to write one.
(Adapted from How to Ask for a Reference Letter, by Jodi Glickman Brown)
Published in Dawn, Economic & Business, December 1st , 2014

Dated: 15th Dec 014

How to spoil a hockey victory

Hockey player Shakeep Butt Ammad gestures to spectators to keep quiet as he and
teammates celebrate their victory over India during their Hero Hockey Champions
Trophy 2014 semi final match in Bhubaneswar. AFP
All the Pakistan hockey team had to do, was smirk and walk away, letting the scoreboard do the
talking for them. Instead, they sent the world a reminder that the principle of sportsmanship isn't a
prescription for the losing team alone.

Through the course of this article, my signature snark will be delivered in strictly metered doses; so
as to not fan disproportional outrage against the players, nor appease those who laugh it off as a
complete non-issue.
Beginning with the fact that the athletes were provoked by unruly groups among the Indian
spectators who were catcalling the players, the young athletes whipped off their shirts and
responded fittingly. Note, fittingly does not make it decent or professional.
In pictures: Pakistan vs India: When the shirts came off
I admit, even I spilled my cup of Earl Grey all over my well-starched shirt, at the sight of that dreadful
rudeness. I politely asked my maid, Mrs. Judgington, to turn off the telly until the athletes had
composed themselves.
There was nothing politically incorrect about the behavior, as far as I can tell; it was not offensive to
black people; it did not belittle the tragedy of 9/11; no one suffered head injury or had a concussion;
and it did not propagate a deadly culture of crude gesturing that paves way to a grotesquely
dystopian future.
Its important to keep the indignation within reasonable bounds. Coach Sheikh Shahnaz, after all,
officially apologised for his teams behavior, and the International Hockey Federation (FIH) examined
the incident, arriving at a conclusion that no further action is warranted.
The apology wasnt enough for Hockey Indias furious chief, Narinder Batra, who threatened to
suspend playing ties with Pakistan and boycott all future FIH events, demanding that they punish the
Pakistani players for their conduct. Some may argue that only half that rage is attributable to the
actual misconduct; the other half displaced after losing the match.
Ultimately, FIH rescued its twisted arm by banning two Pakistani players, Amjad Hussain and
Tauseeq Ahmed, for one match each.
Heres the thing, though. The Indian side may be accused of overreacting to this peccadillo, but the
Pakistani hockey team did hand them a perfectly legitimate cause for anger.
Seriously, boys. Even if you were being catcalled by the Indian spectators as you allege, all you had
to was flutter away with a victors contented grin. If you wanted to make a gesture, you ought to have
pointed to the scoreboard, upon which a ready-made booyah! flashed on your behalf.
Instead, youve rewritten the headlines on many Indian newspapers from a humble, Pakistan
defeats India 4-3 to an outraged Pakistani players hurl obscene gestures at home crowd.
Today, we shouldve been celebrating your hockey skills. Instead, were managing a diplomatic
mayhem because you thought your exuberant victory dance was worth tossing the code of ethical
conduct out of the window.
Next time, please just make a V-sign with your fingers. It's easier for everybody.

Dated: 29th Dec 014

A businessman enters the entrance of the Japan Post headquarters in Tokyo. Japan Post
on December 26 confirmed a long-awaited plan to list its shares in Tokyo with the
government-owned firm set for what could be one of the worlds biggest initial public
offerings.AFP
Stop trying to hide your failures
Even though failure is praised in places like Silicon Valley, its still considered taboo in many
workplaces. But the truth is that we need to experience failure in order to learn and grow. So how do
we leverage a setback to succeed next time? First, we have to speak openly and honestly about our
failures, so they are put into their proper context. Recognise that innovation requires failure. If you
have a 100pc success rate, youre not doing anything new. Instead of hiding your mistakes, own
your narrative. In some ways, its a reframing: Its not so much that youre creating something (such
as a product or service) that failed; its that youre steadily improving a series of drafts. And
remember, failure is ongoing. After all, stretch goals are things outside your wheelhouse that may not
work out. But if youre making new and different mistakes, thats progress.
(Adapted from Stop Believing That You Have to Be Perfect, by Dorie Clark)
Make everyone on your team feel included
Feeling left out or ignored at work can have tremendously negative effects on workers well-being. If
you want to create a more inclusive environment for your team, set an example. Inclusive attitudes
start at the top. Examine your own biases and behaviours. Helping people feel that they belong
doesnt mean downplaying their differences. Make sure you recognise each team members
uniqueness by acknowledging the distinct talents and perspectives he or she brings to the table.
Supporting your employees development will also help foster a sense of inclusion. For a more
introverted worker, assign some management responsibilities to help him build his leadership skills.
(Adapted from Whos Being Left Out on Your Team? by Carolyn OHara)
Build strong internal sales network
Certain behaviours differentiate the most successful salespeople. Regardless of what you are
selling, who you are selling it to or where you happen to be in the world, success in selling is highly

correlated with access to customers, experts and senior leaders. If you want to improve your
performance, heres what you should work on:
Spending enough time with customers and prospects. Increase the amount of face time you spend
with customers .
Developing a strong network within your organisation. Buyers want someone who understands their
needs and can address their questions quickly. So you need to be able to get the right people with
the right expertise at the right time.
Building a relationship with your manager and other senior leaders inside your organisation. You
have to know how to get a deal approved internally, which means having access to management
when needed.
(Adapted from 3 Behaviours That Drive Successful Salespeople, by Ryan Fuller)
Retain Gen Xers
Many employers are at risk of losing some of their most valuable talent Gen Xers. Now in their
late 30s and 40s, Xers make up the bench strength for management. Xers are frustrated because
their career progress has been blocked by baby boomers who wont retire and impatient millennials
who want to jump ahead. If you want to retain these talented and experienced workers, consider
these steps:
Put them in charge. Gen Xers value having control over their work. Placing them in charge of highvisibility projects is a way to spotlight their abilities.
Offer flexibility. Extreme jobs 60-hour workweeks, unpredictable schedules and tight deadlines
are the norm for Generation X. Consider offering more flexible work arrangements.
(Adapted from 4 Ways to Retain Gen Xers, by Sylvia Ann Hewlett)
Improve productivity
What we eat affects our performance more than we realise. Thats why a poor decision at lunch can
derail an entire afternoon. Foods like pasta, bread, cereal and soda give you a burst of energy,
followed by a slump. And high-fat foods like cheeseburgers and BLTs make you groggy because
your digestive system works harder to process them, reducing oxygen levels in the brain. Fruits and
vegetables, on the other hand, contain vital nutrients that can motivate and energise you, as well as
improve memory and enhance mood. To eat healthier and accomplish more work in the afternoons,
make your eating decisions before you get hungry. Eat smaller, more frequent meals to avoid spikes
and drops in blood sugar, which are bad for productivity. And make healthy snacking easier; place
some almonds, protein bars or fruit by your computer, rather than a bag of chips.
(Adapted from What You Eat Affects Your Productivity, by Ron Friedman)
Published in Dawn, Economic & Business, December 29th, 2014

Dated:26th Jan 2015

An oil rig is seen off shore in Long Beach, California, January 14. The city where man-made islands built to
pump oil sit just off shore, is deciding which capital projects can still move forward. Oil revenue pays for the
basketball courts, pools and other amenities on the waterfront, but there is only $95m on hand for $232m in
work authorised. In ways large and small, plummeting oil prices are now reverberating through businesses,
towns, schools and family budgets, causing confusion and changing plans.AP
Ask the right people for references
Dont underestimate how important references are to the hiring process. Even before you start
interviewing, develop a mental list of past and current colleagues who could serve as your
references. Your list should have former and current bosses, co-workers and subordinates. Ask
managers who have given you positive performance reviews, co-workers who have thanked you for
help on projects and people who have successfully worked under you. Never ask someone to be a
reference if you dont know for certain what he is going to say. If you dont want colleagues to know
youre considering leaving, offer to provide references outside of your company or offer to provide
references once you get a formal job offer. Just make sure to find out what the hiring manager wants
to check.
(Adapted from How to Choose the Right References, by Rebecca Knight)
Tackle new projects
The new year is a good time to think about trying fresh initiatives that can help move your
organisation forward. But if you want them to be successful, you need to manage the time involved.

Dont give your team more assignments without taking some away first. If you dont communicate
clear priorities, people wont know whats important and what can wait, and it wont be long before
almost everyone feels overworked. Once you let your team know which areas are ripe for
improvement, free up time to move toward that vision by consolidating, eliminating or streamlining
current activities. Then encourage short-term experiments that will help them learn how to get to the
vision quicker and with greater impact.
(Adapted from Help Your Team Spend Time on the Right Things, by Ron Ashkenas and Amy
McDougall)
The value of smart follow-up questions
Whether youre deciding who to hire, who to trust or who to partner with, the better you are at
judging people, the better off you will be. Stop relying on go-to questions like What are your greatest
strengths and weaknesses? What do you want to be doing in five years? and What motivates
you? The answers wont tell you much. The key to understanding people lies in the follow-up
question. Pay attention to how the interviewee responds to your initial question, and then build on his
answer. Instead of accepting a vague answer at face value, ask your original question again, but
slightly differently. This shows that you are not letting the person off the hook, that youre trying to
make the first question clearer. Ask about the implications of that answer: How does your
perfectionism play out in the workplace? What are the consequences of your detail orientation?
(Adapted from Tactics for Asking Good Follow-Up Questions, by Richard Davis)
Adapt presentation for different cultures
Presentations are never one-size-fits-all especially across different cultures. People have different
ways of learning, so when presenting, you need to be able to adapt your style according to your
audience. For example, in principles-first cultures (e.g., France, Spain, Germany, Russia), people
want to understand the why behind proposals before moving to action. You have to explain and
validate the concept underlying your reasoning before coming to conclusions and examples. And
you should leave time for people to challenge and debate. But in applications-first cultures (US),
people focus less on the why and more on the how. Make your arguments by getting right to the
point. Provide practical examples of how it worked elsewhere, and then discuss tools and next steps.
(Adapted from Tailor Your Presentation to Fit the Culture, by Erin Meyer)
Practice mindfulness
Practicing mindfulness, which is all about being in the present moment, can boost creativity, lower
stress and improve concentration. But people miss out because they think theyre too busy to
meditate. Consider using your daily commute to practice mindfulness. When you get in the car, take
a few deep breaths. Buckle up and become aware of your body. Feel your hands on the steering
wheel and your foot on the pedal. As you drive, notice what you are looking at: the road, your
windshield, your mirrors. Notice the sounds you hear. Avoid sinking into autopilot. This sounds basic,
but concentrating isnt easy. Our minds wander and were tempted to check our phones. Brush these
distractions aside and focus on making the most of your time in the car, on a train or however you
travel.
(Adapted from Your Car Commute Is a Chance to Practice Mindfulness, by Maria Gonzalez)
Published in Dawn, Economic & Business, January 26th , 2015.

Dated: 2nd Feb 2015

SriLankan residents walk among cars at a vehicle sales centre in Colombo on January 29. Its new government
has announced hefty taxes on top companies in a bid to raise revenue, accusing the previous regime of fudging
figures and leaving the economy in a sad state. Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake also said prices of
essential food items would be slashed to cut the cost of living for average citizens, as he unveiled his
supplementary budget.AFP
Focus on problem-solving
With everyone rushing to be innovative, its easy to lose focus on why we need it in the first place:
customers. Innovation isnt an end-goal in and of itself its a byproduct of trying to solve
interesting and important problems. Rather than trying to innovate in order to keep up with other
companies, focus your innovation efforts on meeting customer needs. Encourage your team
members to ask: Whats going on with our customers? What are they happy about? What arent
they responding to? How can we better serve them? Great innovations happen when people are
inspired by a problem. If you want your team to start producing truly innovative outcomes, get out of
the building and go talk to your customers. Listen to their challenges. Come up with ideas about how
you can help them, and then figure out which ones you can act on.
(Adapted from Successful Innovators Dont Care About Innovating, by Doug Sundheim)
Help voice concerns
No one wants to upset the boss. Thats why it can be difficult to get candid opinions from your
employees. But you need to encourage them to speak up if you want to know about minor issues
before they become big problems. If some people are uncomfortable airing concerns in large group
settings, initiate more casual one-on-one conversations. You should keep an open-door policy, but
dont wait for people to come to you. You can get people in the habit of speaking up by routinely
asking if there are any issues you should be aware of. Offer regular financial updates so people will
know whats working and whats not. If they feel that they have a stake in the success of the
organisation, theyll be more willing speak up.

(Adapted from How to Get Your Employees to Speak Up, by Rebecca Knight)
Manage a project
A projects scope, schedule and budget all affect what you can achieve. So if you tweak one of these
factors, youll have to change something else. For example, if your time frame for developing a new
database is cut, youll have to hire more people (up the budget) or deliver a system with fewer
features (reduce the scope). Youll face many similar trade-offs when managing a project. The point
is: Dont panic. If you know from the start which of these three is most important to stakeholders,
youll be able to make the right trade-offs. A less ambitious or even lower-quality product isnt
necessarily a bad thing as long as the functionality meets the needs of the end users and fits the
budget and schedule. Just keep your stakeholders in the loop. Youll spot trade-offs long before they
do, so tell them when you want to make changes and negotiate to reach a solution.
(Adapted from Managing Projects, from the 20-Minute Manager series.)
Avoid common traps
Acquiring new customers is expensive, which is why you want to attract and keep the right kinds.
One way to measure whether youre doing this is to calculate your customer churn rate just make
sure you avoid these common mistakes:
Dont look at churn as simply a number or metric. Think about the behavior behind the number. Ask:
What are we doing to cause customer turnover? What are our customers doing thats contributing to
their leaving? How can we better manage our customer relationships to make sure it doesnt
happen?
Dont believe theres a magic number. Whats acceptable varies by business model and depends on
how quickly and efficiently a company can acquire customers and how profitable they are in the
short and long term.
Dont assume that you have a retention problem. Often, a high churn rate simply means that youre
attracting the wrong kinds of customers in the first place.
(Adapted from The Value of Keeping the Right Customers, by Amy Gallo)
Find your footing after a bad review
Its hard to pick yourself up after a bad performance review. But in order to move forward, you have
to push past any anger and embarrassment and use the critical feedback to improve. Vent to
someone who will be candid, not just consoling. Ask what might be right about the criticism, and
think about whether youve heard it before. Ask colleagues for additional feedback. Once youve
cooled off, make sure you fully understand the review. Go back to your boss with any questions (just
check your tone). For example, if your boss said you dont take enough risks, ask, Can you give me
an example of when I should have taken the initiative, but didnt? What might you have done?
Come to an agreement with your manager on what changes to make. Experiment with doing some
things differently and ask for another review.
(Adapted from What to Do After a Bad Performance Review, by Carolyn OHara)
Published in Dawn, Economic & Business, February 2nd, 2015

Dated: 9th Feb 2015

Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda (L) attends a lower house committee session
at the parliament in Tokyo February 4. The BoJ is caught in a bind, nearly two years into
its stimulus experiment, as it further qualifies its inflation goals in response to tumbling
oil prices, a move that could prove self-defeating by tempering price expectations.
Reuters
Greater engagement starts with leaders
Its important to cultivate a belief in the power of engagement across your entire company. And the
first step is making engaging leadership part of your culture. To drive this, focus on four key steps.
First, measure engagement levels through a survey. You cant manage what you dont measure.
Next, actively develop engaging leaders. Use workshops and coaching to help managers make
engaging behaviours more habitual. Then, select engaging leaders to fill high-impact roles. Use tools
like 360 reviews to assess and predict whether someone can improve his engagement skills. Finally,
reward the engagement you achieve. Tying incentives to engagement survey scores can be tricky,
but you need to get serious about recognising leaders who are engaging and holding accountable
those who are not.
(Adapted from What Makes Someone an Engaging Leader, by Ken Oehler, Lorraine Stomski and
Magdalena Kustra-Olszewska)
Prioritise good communication
Global virtual teams are becoming more common. And because its harder to keep people in
different regions of the world on track, you need to make sure that people are communicating as
effectively as possible. Here are some ideas to try:
Make email a priority. Instant messaging relies on everyone being there at the same time. Email, on
the other hand, can be totally asynchronous as it fits time zone differences and keeps teams in
rhythm together.

Be intentionally positive. Its easy for things to sound negative in an email. Sarcasm and humor can
come across the wrong way, but being friendly and approachable is always welcome even if it
means using emoticons.
Offer suggestions, not critiques. I dont get it can steer the conversation into a dead end. People
should always suggest an alternative instead of simply sharing their dislike for an idea.
(Adapted from Communication Tips for Global Virtual Teams, by Paul Berry)
Dont give feedback when you dont need to
While feedback should be a regular part of work, not every behaviour warrants input. For example,
you shouldnt offer corrective feedback just because someone has a different work process even
if it stresses you out. So before you deliver feedback, think about what youre trying to achieve. And
avoid giving it when:
You do not have all the information
It concerns something that the recipient cant control The person appears to be highly emotional or
especially vulnerable You dont have time to explain it thoroughly Its based on a personal
preference, not a need for more effective behaviour
(Adapted from Giving Effective Feedback, from the 20-Minute Manager series)
Make it easier for your team to keep learning
Leaders want employees to continue to learn and develop new skills, but this wish will fall flat if
people arent given extra support. You might encourage employees to sign up for extra training and
courses, but not many people will have time to engage properly, or at all, if their workloads remain
the same and their studying has to be done after hours. If you truly want to promote more learning
among your team, start by giving people opportunities to develop at work. Give them stretch
assignments and more autonomy. Make sure your team has access to the resources they need to
learn and grow. Use mentoring to connect younger stars with seasoned executives. Establish regular
check-ins to provide feedback, and measure progress through 360 reviews. You can also fuel
development by giving rewards such as promotions and stock ownership.
(Adapted from How to Keep Learning and Still Have a Life, by Lisa Burrell)
Be skeptical of data
Managers shouldnt take important analyses at face value, even if it is easy to be seduced by good
news. In fact, when it comes to data, err on the side of skepticism. For example, if a company sees
that its website traffic is up, it might be tempted to celebrate and continue doing what its doing. But if
something looks too good to be true, it probably is. A deeper dive might reveal that mobile traffic is
actually flat, and if that company is interested in mobile platforms, it should look closely at its
strategy. Always dig as deeply into the data as you can, make sure it is accurate and make sure you
understand the real-life processes that produced it. Seek confirmatory data sources and develop
new ways to explore the conventional wisdom.
(Adapted from When It Comes to Data, Skepticism Matters, by Thomas C. Redman)
Published in Dawn, Economic & Business, February 9th, 2015