Vjbreathes

The first day of the first job is as good as the first day of driving classes. You don’t know much about the process, the systems, the expectations or your abilities. However, you want to learn and you know that this is a time bound exercise. The first job is a test of sorts and a pace-setter for many careers. The first job needs a different approach. This approach is subjective and depends on aspects like organizational culture, reporting structure and role requirements. The first day of the first job is an excellent opportunity to create a great first impression. Small things like reaching office on time, being well-mannered and wearing the right dress do matter. But these cannot be major differentiators. Qualities like the ‘Right attitude’, ‘Being proactive’ and ‘Attention-to-detail’ can be major factors in giving you the ‘edge’ over others. Your first day at work can lead to many perceptions. Hence, you have to be a little observant and careful. Giving the right signals ...

Several students come to me and request me to help them improve their written communication skills and oral communication skills. There is no shortcut that can make anyone a great communicator instantly. Improving your communication requires dedicated efforts and a great deal of persistence. However, there is a list of things that can be done to improve written communication skills and oral communication skills. Improving Written Communication Skills: 1) Read more : One of the greatest learning tools to enhance your writing skills is ‘reading’. Read more books and start by reading books with easy language. Some authors who write ‘easy reads’ could be a good starting point. Ex: Chetan Bhagat’s books may be good for people who are not used to reading much. As you progress you can select books and authors according to your area of interest. This can also help you enhance your writing skills. 2) Start writing a blog : Writing a blog can be an interesting exercise and requires min...

Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things. -Winston Churchill- The dictionary meaning of criticism is “the expression of disapproval of someone or something on the basis of perceived faults or mistakes”. It clearly means that criticism is subjective. Healthy criticism is one of the most underrated skills at workplace. Let’s accept the fact that most people don’t like to be criticized and hence criticizing other people is a tough job. In fact, successful managers are always good at healthy criticism. They convince people to change in an amicable manner. ‘What you say’ and ‘how you say it’ becomes important and critical when it relates to criticism. Colleagues who engage in healthy criticism are regarded as good mentors and guides. Giving and receiving feedback at the workplace is essential for continuous improvement and progress of the team. This is ...

Bengaluru attracts a huge number of students and employees from different parts of the country and is known for several good things including the weather. Many a time, people ask me, "What's special about Bengaluru?" . There are hundreds of interesting things to do at Bengaluru and hundreds of places to visit as well. But then, some things just stand out and qualify to become the "must do things at Bengaluru". They are: 1) Enjoy the local cuisine in at some iconic eateries like MTR and Vidyarthi Bhavan. (Try the Masala Dosa and the Rava Idli which are a specialty offering) 2) Visit the Lal Bagh and Cubbon Park to breathe in some fresh air and enjoy the serene atmosphere. The Cubbon Park also houses a huge library with a great collection of books. 3) Visit the 'Food Street' at V.V. Puram and taste some of the best snacks and the great variety of food stuff. 4) Visit the “Art of Living’ International Center located on the Kanakapura Road to get...

Its 31 st December again, and New Year Resolutions are in vogue! But then, this is so much like performance management systems in companies. Mostly it’s a documentation exercise. And this scheme of setting New Year Resolutions is supposed to be even more customized, precise and acceptable. How do we know if it’s working? The answer lies in having an ‘Old year Introspection’ exercise. This is designed to purge out the blocks and hurdles which creep in and prevent us from living life to its fullest. And in this post I try to suggest a framework for this purpose. While it may sound strange, it does work. It’s a simple format and you may require only 10 minutes carrying out this exercise. Remember, don’t fake it and don’t get defensive with your-self. THE INTROSPECTION MATRIX: Top 5 Top 3 Top 5 Goals/Resolutions you had for 2014: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) REASONS: 1) 2) 3) Top 5 Achievements of 2014: ...

ARE YOU A SELFIE ADDICT? YOU HAVE TO READ THIS …… Wikipedia states that selfie is ‘ a self-portrait photograph, typically taken with a hand-held digital camera or camera phone’. This is usually shared on social networking sites, displayed as the propfile pic, used as memorabilia and so on. While I have nothing against the trend itself, I am surely worried about the manifestations of selfie. We now have so many categories in selfies, like welfies, romfies, groupfies, abfie, celebfie and God knows whatfie. This trend has slowly become a norm and may evolve become an obessesion for many, considering the pace at which this trend is catching up across generations and geographies. Higher penetration of smartphones into the market has contributed to the popularization of the trend. I do appreciate the merits of taking selfies of all kinds and I have myself taken some selfies in different contexts. But then, I abhor the addiction that some people have with the selfies c...