PASSION: Creating Your Own Rainbow

A Success Mindset

2012-01-17T13:13:00.000-08:00

The year 2012 is here and everyone is scrambling to set New Year resolutions. I remember two good articles – one from the Marshall Memo blog and another from the Harvard Business Review, an intriguing article by Shawn Achor.

Performance is a critical word. While it would be fair to say poor performance is due to a host of factors, in today’s competitive world, non performance or poor performance has severe consequences. Aligning yourself with the organisational goals or finding your purpose with an organisation that is in sync with your goals is important for success. The first step towards success is having a success and happiness mindset.

Happiness precedes success. When we are happy with what we are doing and we have a positive mind set, success is more likely. We are better equipped to deal with anxiety and challenges that are bound to happen in today’s anxiety prone competitive world. Demands, uncertainty and inadequate communications increase anxiety levels and activates the part of the brain that processes threats (amygdale) which steals resources from the problem solving part of the brain (the pre-frontal cortex). Nevertheless when we cultivate positive habits and learn to interact positively with colleagues at the workplace, we start to think about stress in a positive way – eustress rather than distress. We are happy and we increase our chances of succeeding in what we want to do.
Just a look at some corporate success stories and it is inevitable all successes start with an entrepreneur exceptionally passionate about what he or she wants to contribute to the world.

Achor urges managers to take the time and effort to create a more positive culture: “Research shows that when people work with a positive mindset, performance on nearly every level – productivity, creativity, engagement – improves.” And he says that training our brains to be more positive is not very different from training muscles at the gym: specific activities and new habits can literally rewire the brain. Achor’s argument, happiness can become a habit and create a success mindset.

He proposes one of the following activities, to be done every day for three weeks:
• Jot down three things you’re grateful for.
• Write a positive message to someone in your work area.
• Meditate at your desk for two minutes.
• Exercise for ten minutes.
• Take two minutes to describe in a journal the most meaningful experience of the past 24 hours.

I always ask myself one question after watching Steve Jobs – what I would do today if tomorrow was the last day of my life. Just adds so much value to your life.

Another Achor activity I truly valued is the 10/5 way - when they walked within ten feet of another person in the workplace, they were to make eye contact and smile. When they walked within five feet, they were to say hello. Most people complied, and this simple intervention led to measurable improvements in performance and happier employees.
Achor contends that stress is an inevitable part of work – and in fact, it’s often the crucible of personal and professional growth (there’s evidence for this in the biographies of successful people). What’s important is our attitude toward stress.

Achor recommends that the next time we’re feeling overwhelmed, we should make a list of the things that are stressing us out and then sort them into two groups: those we can control and those we can’t. “Choose one stress that you can control and come up with a small, concrete step you can take to reduce it,” he says. “In this way you can nudge your brain back to the positive – and productive – mind-set.”

For more details:

“Positive Intelligence: Three Ways Individuals Can Cultivate Their Own Sense of Well-Being and Set Themselves Up to Succeed” by Shawn Achor in Harvard Business Review, January-February 2012 (Vol. 90, #1-2, p. 100-102). Visit the Marshall Memo blog.

Memories

2011-06-02T05:51:00.001-07:00

April 19th is a day that will be etched firmly in my memory. It was a great day in my life. His Royal Highness, the Sultan of Perak bestowed on me the title of '‘Dato’' , it was a great honour.

My wife and I were extremely nervous but delighted with the recognition. It was a recognition for the Human resources community

Handling Pressure

2011-01-10T08:46:00.001-08:00

“Before getting into how to handle pressure, let's first talk about what it is.
What exactly is pressure and how does it play a part in whether or not you will achieve your goals? Pressure, in terms of accomplishing goals, is the feeling you get the moment you set a deadline on your goals. As you may already know, a goal is a dream with a deadline.
A dream without a deadline is just that, a dream, it'll never happen. So why is putting pressure on yourself a good thing? It's good because it forces you to act now, rather than later.
Think about those situations where you had to perform under pressure. The only reason you felt that pressure was because you had to do something within a certain amount of time. The basketball player who is under pressure because the time is running down and he has to make the final basket in order to win the game feels the pressure because he has to act right now, not later. If he had all day to take the shot, there wouldn't be any pressure. Pressure causes us to move.
Of course, pressure could also cause people to freeze up. Some people are not able to deal with pressure. When it comes down to it, they just don't have what it takes. Or do they? Pressure is something that you can handle if you know what to do. If you think about it, when you freeze up under pressure, it usually means that you don't have confidence in performing the task at hand in the amount of time that you're given to perform it. In order to deal with pressure, there is one thing you need to do. You need to get confident.
The way you have confidence is simply by being prepared. When you have done something over and over again, your level of belief in yourself rises. As your confidence rises, your ability to deal with pressure will also rise. Now, this doesn't mean you won't feel any pressure. It just means you'll be able to act despite of the pressure. Once you get use to working under pressure, you may start to actually like it because it helps you take immediate action.
I put myself under pressure every time I set a goal because I know if I don't, I will tend to delay taking the necessary actions in order to accomplish the goal. Usually setting a deadline is enough to put enough pressure on me to make it work. Sometimes though, I find that I need to "up the ante", meaning put more at risk in order to increase the pressure, which causes me to take immediate action. The reason I am able to do this is because I am used to working under these conditions, and the reason for that is because I've done this so many times.
So dealing with pressure comes down to building confidence in yourself and your abilities through lots of practice performing under pressure. Put pressure on yourself to perform at a high level because when the time comes to perform on the public stage, you'll be able to feed from it instead of freeze from it.”
Love Life. Do Good. Live Well.
http://www.motivational-well-being.com/how-to-handle-pressure.html

Letting go as 2011 gets nearer

2010-12-19T02:54:00.000-08:00

HOW TO LET GO & GROW
I was reading some articles and here is a summary of some of them. In the next two to three days, let me cover them and give you the links to the sites.

When you have to get over it, a lot of times it feels impossible. Realize that part of what hurts is not reality. It's the pain of losing the picture you've kept creating in your own mind of how wonderful things would have been.
CHOOSE to create different pictures. Be positive and listen to positive songs such as Listen to Mariah Carey's A Hero. Always remember that pain is necessary and suffering is optional. It's always YOUR choice.
Happy people let go of old emotional baggage.
What is old emotional baggage?
Old baggage is emotional stuff we carry around with us for days, months or years. It is usually negative like old hurts, resentments, anger or some kind of pain inflicted by another person. It can also be just carrying around some old guilt, failure or fear.
Why do people hold on to all of these old feelings? Everyone moves through life with their own very personal agendas, needs and life issues. Old baggage starts to feel very comfortable after a while, so comfortable as a matter of fact many people die never able to let go of these hurts, slights and pain.
There is one very good reason to let go of all of this baggage. One of the major causes of stress today is suppressed emotions that fester in the body taking their eventual toll on some aspect of our physiology. One of the biggest causes of stress today is all of this old baggage. So why let it go? It may kill you if you don't.

Habits

2010-04-11T03:09:00.001-07:00

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore,
is not an act but a habit.
Aristotle

Leadership

2010-03-30T16:49:00.001-07:00

Last night, I was there at the Sime Darby Lecture series with my colleague Subra to listen to Prof Ram Charan, renowned author and former Harvard Professor. Simple message: Leaders work on their basics just like athletes do. And, they are not shy of hiring people who are more clever than them.

Wellness

2010-03-06T04:07:00.000-08:00

I read a wonderful piece by A R Samson in the Town & Country, a Philippines magazine. The article on Social Graces: Vintage Years emphasised the simple truth that age serves as a kind of social boundary, much like milestones on the way to a destination.

• Twelve when airlines charge you full fare
• Sixteen to get a driver’s license
• Eighteen when you can vote
• Twenty one for males and twenty three for females when you can marry without parental consent
• Thirty when you are no longer a whiz kid
• Forty when life is supposed to begin but passes by un-remarked
• Forty five when you are certified middle age no matter how you dress
• Sixties when you are eligible for senior citizen status and discounts

Wellness and happiness comes from accepting yourself, whatever age you are. The ultimate test of wellness is equanimity and avoiding the stress of trying to become what you cannot be. It’s fine to be greedy but more important is the acceptance of the gift of life.

Aamir Khan's Three Idiots

2010-02-20T08:41:00.001-08:00

Aamir or Rancho as he is known in the film is a true Rainbow Creator.

I watched this lovely film today with my family. Enjoyed it immensely. The message do what you are passionate about and follow your heart resonated with me.

Become an engineer if you desire so, become a photographer if you desire so not because of parental or peer pressure.

All is Well were three most powerful words I took away from the film.

My name is Khan

2010-02-18T07:16:00.000-08:00

I watched Sharukh Khan's movie, I was so touched by the story line. My family enjoyed it too. The film is about an autistic person but who said such a person cannot create a perfect world for others.

He shows you to be yourself, taught me so much about what prejudices mean. I only wish every American Caucasian gets to see this film. The country that elected a non Caucasian to the country's highest office must be proud of this movie.

It helps erase so much of the prejudices prevailing about Muslims and clearly communicates you cannot stop someone from showering their love and goodwill for you.

A wonderful movie. Just made me sit up and recognise what I should be doing for the needy every day of my life.

Creating a perfect world

2010-02-11T21:49:00.000-08:00

Mahatma Gandhi remarked that we must be the change we wish to see in this world.
Yet, we expect others to change but not us.

The world may not be a perfect place but there are huge opportunities for us to create a perfect world for at least some if not all the people. We can touch people’s lives if only we stop for some time in our busy lives and take notice of what is happening in the world. This requires personal change, a personal commitment and a resolve to do things differently.

If we just look around, we see numerous problems that we wish will go away. Problems stubbornly persist despite all our good intentions. Just take the Haiti earthquake or the one in Indonesia; what do we do more than just think about it for a few minutes. It is strange that other than a few minutes of sadness, most of us just go about our lives in a routine way. We take many things for granted. This largely arises from the thought that what can an individual do.

Mahatma Gandhi started the Indian independence movement; Mohamed Yunus started the micro credit revolution. They did not expect others to change; they initiated the change stemming from the belief that they can do something substantial to make the world a better place.

In our work with people to develop them into Rainbow Creators, we work on the principle:

Recognize you can make a difference

My friend and colleague Scott Friedman talks about creating a perfect world. He says this starts from recognising that you can create a perfect world for your loved ones and the communities you desire to serve. This is my 2010 goal.

How can I create a perfect world for my family, colleagues and society in my own way?

What can I do to touch people’s lives?

Annual Survey of the Training Industry

2009-11-10T18:10:00.001-08:00

The Annual Survey highlights the Training Industry status. We need to create Rainbow Creators but budgets have been cut. How do we exceed retrun on expectations as Jim Kirkpatrick calls or provide greater value to the end user. Some key points from the Bersin survey.
The Bersin & Associates Annual Training Industry Survey is interesting; visit their website for more details. Some salient points:
In 2009, the faltering U.S. economy continued to take its toll on training organizations. Companies cut their L&D budgets by another 11 percent from 2008 levels, with median spending falling to $714 per learner. Combined with the budget reductions that occurred in 2008, training budgets have fallen a total of 21 percent over the past two years. Spending was down across all company size categories. Small companies cut their L&D spending by 10 percent; midsize companies cut 11 percent and large companies cut 12 percent of their L&D spending.

Many L&D organizations also shed jobs in 2009. The median L&D staff fell from 7.0 staff per 1,000 learners in 2008 to 6.2 in 2009. Small businesses reduced their training staffs by four percent, while midsize firms cut five percent and large companies cut eight percent of their L&D headcount.

These budget and staffing figures show that large businesses have taken the hardest hit in 2009. Large companies generally have more “fat” to cut, with more L&D program offerings and more L&D staff playing specialized roles. Although they are often slower to respond to economic changes, they are assessing – and cutting now. As part of these cost-cutting efforts, many large companies are centralizing their training operations and moving toward a shared services model.

Appointment

2009-09-13T00:54:00.000-07:00

I have been honoured with the appointment as a Director of the Human Reources Development Corporation by the Honourable Minister of HR, Government of Malaysia. It gives me an opportunity to contribute to the development of human capital.

The Human Resources Development Council manages the Human Resources Development Fund and aims to support human capital development. For more details visit their web site.

A quote to remember

2009-08-17T21:04:00.000-07:00

Do not let others perceptions of you become true for you

Leadership

2009-08-17T00:30:00.000-07:00

If you can inspire someone to aspire to do, to be and to become great, you are a leader. Quincy Adams

A Smile means a lot

2009-06-26T10:32:00.000-07:00

Rainbow Creators make a huge difference, they touch people.

In service language, Mr. Sim Kay Wee, former Chairman of Service Quality and Senior VP of Singapore Airlines used to say more service does not equal to better service.
I have enjoyed travelling Emirates Airlines in the past but today was a nightmare.
They did everything to ensure I had a nightmare experience. I travelled with them London Dubai KL. Obviously I chose not to fly business but economy given the current economic climate. I realised that economy passengers are punished severely.

What they did were a few simple things?
• Forgot my lunch for 4 hours
• Served me a quarter glass of mango juice and the follow on never came
• Too busy to serve coffee
• Gave me a bag - this was meant to be service recovery - sewing kit, comb, razor, opened box of chocolates
• They had great make up and looked real pretty

What they did not do?

All the things a Rainbow Creator would have done:

• Smile
• Say Sorry
I wish they had just smiled and said sorry. That would have gone a long way.
Guess life is challenging. Customers have fw rights. Starve and then get out at the airport and buy a decent meal at Burger King.
Emirates Airlines would do wll to learn from the fast food restauarants on customer service.
I real hope they learn well and look after customers well. Otherwise they may not have many of them left.

Saudi Arabia

2009-06-24T13:34:00.000-07:00

I have been with Dr Abdul Hai and Omar, my delightful companions in Riyadh. I have learned so much about the local culture from them.

I happened to read the Gulf News - the article Blue Sky Thinking was all about the Rainbow Creators who are introducing low cast airlines and changing the way airlines operate here.

Inclusiveness

2009-04-21T08:34:00.000-07:00

I happened to work with a CEO of a major Insurance company in Malaysia, who happens to be a good friend too.

His Secretary looked Chinese but the name sounded Malay. My colleague and I asked her if she was Malay and her answer shamed us.

She responded: I am a Malaysian and a human being.

Her ability to look beyond race and at how we can promote the value of the human spirit stumped me. While she was an ethnic Malay, my colleague was Chinese and I was Indian, her ability to reflect human values even though she was young thrilled me. There is still goodness left in this world.

She is a Rainbow Creator.

Sense of Urgency

2009-04-07T06:55:00.001-07:00

Professor John Kotter from the Harvard Business School says while most may know that their organisations need to change, what is likely to be missing and most needed in most organisations is a real sense of urgency.

Rainbow Creators demonstarte a sense of urgency.

The change guru and author of the book Leading Change talks about the first step in his very successful eight step framework. Kotter illustrates in simple language, increasing the sense of urgency is the toughest of the eight steps. This is a book for anyone who wants to navigate the turbulent world of today. Visit www.johnkotter.com for more details.

Legacy

2009-03-22T08:31:00.001-07:00

My friend Datuk J. L. Solomon is a great humorist. He will be speaking at the Asia HRDCongress May 11 to 13, 2009. The subject he will be speaking on "Personal Branding" is close to his heart. When I met him on Friday he said his subject will revolve around the idea: Personal Branding is about legacy not currency. Sure makes sense.

Getting right your emotional states

2009-01-18T07:59:00.001-08:00

I am sure you have experienced days when everything went right and days when nothing went right. One day you are superb and another day you feel terrible. Research reveals that the one difference between successful people and others is the ability to summon the most suitable states of mind on command.
Rainbow Creators are able to motivate themselves and inspired whenever they want to and need to. They get focused in minutes. Fit and healthy people have disciplined thought and disciplined action. They do it; they don’t talk about it. Rainbow Chasers talk about how good they are and what they are going to do but never do.
Why does this difference take place?
Rainbow Creators control their emotional states. They are able to summon their emotions that create their ability for excellence.

It is often attributed to two steps:

1. State Generation - the process where you intentionally put yourself into a specific emotional state so that you can do what needs to be done well

2. Anchoring is what happens naturally when you are in an intense emotional state and something unique happens over and over while you are in that state. Eventually, the state and that unique "something" get linked up with each other in your mind and your body.

In the next blog we will look at these two concepts and the programmes available to develop these two steps.

Begin with the End in Mind

2009-01-04T07:06:00.000-08:00

Begin with the end in mind.

What is your life plan?

Let us not get into the great New Year resolutions and then do nothing about them.

Let us develop into Rainbow Creators.

There is a famous saying - plan your work and work your plan.

Happy New Year

2009-01-02T07:49:00.000-08:00

Palan’s thoughts for the month: BLINK

I read Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink. It was all about three simple facts: decisions made very quickly can be every bit as good as decisions made cautiously and deliberately, when should we trust our instincts and when should we be wary of them, the power of knowing the first two seconds is not the preserve of a chosen few; it is an ability that we can all cultivate for ourselves.

Momentary autism is a term Gladwell introduces when describing what happens when our ability to read people's intentions is paralyzed in high-stress situations. You may remember we discussed this last time.

He explains the situation when the cops misread a "terrified" black man for a "terrifying" black man, they didn't correctly understand his intentions in that moment, and as a result they completely misinterpreted what that social situation was all about. It's only one of many neatly packaged catchphrases Gladwell sprinkles throughout his new book, Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking (Little, Brown, January 2005).

There's "rapid cognition," "thin-slicing," and the "Warren Harding error," but "momentary autism" is the one that you can quickly relate to like when you froze during the new presentation pitch.

Mention his impact, though, and Malcolm Gladwell modestly tries to brush it off -- leaning, like any good journalist, on data points to support his argument. "Remember," he points out, "even a book that's a best-seller still is only read by less than 1% of the American public."But as the expert in social epidemics knows better than anyone, it's not how many people you reach, it's whom you reach.

Gladwell and his ideas have reached a tipping point of their own, and evidence of his impact can now be found in all corners of our culture, from politics (Donald Rumsfeld used "tipping point" to describe the war in Iraq.

Good is the enemy of Great

2008-11-26T07:13:00.001-08:00

You want to be great then don't kid yourself that good is good enough.

Great corporations are way above good organisations.

Yesterday I had the opportunity of going with our consultant Rizal for a meeting with an MNC. We were talking about the brand promise and following through.

Why is it that some people really refuse to take anything but the best and why is it some are just indifferent to greatness when it is possible.

The answer I suppose lies within the person - Rainbow Creator or Rainbow Chaser.

President Obama

2008-11-06T08:37:00.000-08:00

Just like millions of others I waited for the results of the US Presidential election.

Well, the historic event happened, America chose a new President not because he was black but because of his appeal to a majority of Americans. As I said in my last e news some loved him, some did not like him and some really thought it was McCain’s turn. There is a famous expression in the community where I grew up. When the time is right, nothing can stop change.

Whatever happened is immaterial. The important thing is the character of America.

America is truly the land where everyone and anyone can aim for the impossible. The majority white population proved they could vote for a person from another race. It is not the color of the skin but the policies of the candidate.

Secondly, the gracious concession speech by the defeated candidate McCain said so much about the person.

Thirdly, Obama’s acceptance speech was equally gracious Read the book Say it like Barack Obama.

Fourthly, America is indeed able to lead because of its ability to change and reinvent when it matters most.

Fifth, like most others I sat glued to the television and sat in amazement as I saw vivid pictures of great personalities in joy and sorrow.

If only every country in the world could accept that democracy is about not just winning but the free choice of people, the world will be a better place to live.

He is truly a Rainbow Creator.

WACRA Cebu, Phillipines

2008-10-05T19:42:00.000-07:00

I am here in this beautiful island of Cebu with representatives of 49 airlines.

The journey from Kuala Lumpur was a long one - from KL to Singapore to Manila to Cebu but what a place. Hospitality is excellent.

I will be speaking on the subject Creating Your Own Rainbow and Talent Management- B players.

Some interesting statistics:

2.2 billion air travellers last year - this contributed to 35% of global trade.

After 29 years

2008-10-03T06:48:00.000-07:00

I was in Chennai India for a day on Oct 2nd.

Life is strange and God works in unusual ways. As I landed in Chennai I called Mustafa Badsah to wish him Happy Id only for him to invite me to my Alma mater as it was the Alumni day - Oct 2nd. Mustafa, a dynamic young man (29 years ago), a year junior to me and my colleague Dr. Nat's classmate is now the President of the Madras School of Social work alumni. He still has all the fire in him.

I land up in the School Campus after 29 years and felt so good. Little did I realise all these 29 years what I had missed. It was great seeing all the alumni, many of them doing great work - Rainbow Creators, my classmates Bina Samuels - as beautiful as ever and her husband Thomas as handsome as ever.

The most poignant moment of the evening for me was to deliver the citation for Professor George, a Rainbow Creator who gave me the opportunity to gain a Masters degree. I was totally unprepared but what I spoke was all from my heart. Professor George's dedication to the cause of education at the Madras School of Social Work is without parallel. I had to rush back to the airport to catch a flight back.

Well I have been rushing for 29 years and I felt I had missed so much and I was rushing again this evening but the difference was I felt good about the evening.

Stop and enjoy the moment. Do not lose the being in the process of becoming - a phrase I heard long ago impacted me today.

Smile

2008-09-26T00:21:00.000-07:00

A smile costs nothing but gives much. It enriches those who receive without making poorer those who give. It takes a moment, but the memory of it sometimes last forever. Some people are too tired to give you a smile. Give them one of yours, as no one needs a smile as much as he who has no more to give.

Education

2008-09-23T00:57:00.000-07:00

Learn something new every day. Ignorance is the worst possible ally you can have. As Nelson Mandela said “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

Thank God - its Monday

2008-09-21T00:18:00.000-07:00

Bringing FUN & Passion back to the workplace

I had the opportunity to speak at this conference organized by Asia HRDCongress. How do we get people to move from TGIF (Thank God, its Friday to Thank God, its Monday)? We can create the passion by ensuring great workplaces. This simply indicates the need for great people to work with. Read Robert Sutton’s book No More Jerks at the Workplace. I have reworded the book title to avoid a profanity. It also requires the person to be connected to his or her life purpose. Is the competency connection present? When people are connected, we call them Rainbow Creators. Visit http://www.amazon.com/Creating-Your-Own-Rainbow-Palan/dp/1599320649/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1221963557&sr=1-1 for more details

Self Respect

2008-09-16T23:13:00.000-07:00

Self respect is the ability to love and accept your true self. Love yourself and others will love you. One must learn to respect oneself before he demand respect from others.

Learning

2008-09-14T21:22:00.000-07:00

We do not stop learning because we grow old. We grow old because we stop learning. The best way to stay young is to keep one’s mind young.

Leadership

2008-09-10T19:22:00.000-07:00

A true leader is someone who has the ability to motivate others to their highest level of achievement, then gives them the opportunity and freedom to achieve their goal.

Believe in your dreams

2008-09-07T18:59:00.001-07:00

Success will only come to those who dare to dream. Believe in your dreams and work towards it with determination, dedication and self-discipline.

Joy at work

2008-09-03T21:22:00.000-07:00

The only way for us to find joy at work is to love what we do every day.

From Failure to Success

2008-08-20T18:29:00.000-07:00

Don’t be afraid of failure and never give up trying. Believe in your passion. As Winston Churchill said “Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm”.

Strive for the best!

2008-08-18T17:51:00.000-07:00

You can never achieve 100% if you think that 99% is enough. Always strive for the best!

Reflections for Rainbow Creators

2008-08-10T09:32:00.000-07:00

I was travelling with Joyce Gioia. A US based author and speaker when she talked to me about Marshall
Goldstein’s , What got you here won’t get you there.

I was intrigued and I went on to read about him. Just after I did that, I went on to re - read Malcolm Gladwell’s book - Tipping Point. As they say he is "just a thinker." But what a thinker. . His provocative ideas are taking the business world by storm. So who is this Rainbow Creator, and what can he teach us?

Danielle Sacks talks about the Accidental Guru and I produce the excerpts from the article:

"I really like that term 'momentary autism,' " a woman says softly into the mike. She is in the back of the Times Square Studios speaking to a room of some 200 people, and more important, Malcolm Gladwell, who's standing solo onstage. It's the second day of the fifth annual New Yorker Festival, and Gladwell has just finished a detailed reprise of the seven seconds that led to the infamous 1999 fatal shooting of Amadou Diallo. Minutes before, every eye in the room was locked on him as he un spooled the nano decisions that misled four New York cops into thinking the innocent Guinean immigrant was an armed criminal, resulting in 41 shots, 19 to the chest. As the woman repeats the phrase to the crowd, you can hear her digesting it as if it has just become a part of her.
It is a term Gladwell introduced to the group only moments earlier when describing what happens when our ability to read people's intentions is paralyzed in high-stress situations. Cocking his hands back in a gunlike position, he had explained in a tone that was part sociologist, part Shakespearean actor, how the cops misread a "terrified" black man for a "terrifying" black man.
"They didn't correctly understand his intentions in that moment, and as a result they completely misinterpreted what that social situation was all about," he said. "I call this kind of failure 'momentary autism.' "
It's only one of many neatly packaged catchphrases Gladwell sprinkles throughout his new book, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking (Little, Brown, January 2005). There's "rapid cognition," "thin-slicing," and the "Warren Harding error," but "momentary autism" is the one that you can quickly imagine this woman using, explaining to her boss why she froze during the new business pitch.
Mention his impact, though, and he modestly tries to brush it off -- leaning, like any good journalist, on data points to support his argument. "Remember," he points out, "even a book that's a best-seller still is only read by less than 1% of the American public."But as the expert in social epidemics knows better than anyone, it's not how many people you reach, it's whom you reach. Gladwell and his ideas have reached a tipping point of their own, and evidence of his impact can now be found in all corners of our culture, from politics (Donald Rumsfeld used "tipping point" to describe the war in Iraq.

Can we talk about our own tipping points and blinks? Can we impact people as he has done? http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/90/open_gladwell.html

Happiness

2008-07-12T07:47:00.000-07:00

Pursuit of Happiness – Rainbow Creators

Jonathan Haidt’s book will make you understand more about the pursuit of happiness. According to him, there are several different “happiness hypotheses”. The message is that the purpose of our existence seems obvious. Since we are born with only one certainty, death, and since we cannot take our achievements with us when we go, being happy while we’re here is surely the best way for us to spend our limited time on Earth. But how? Where does happiness come from?

Happiness comes from getting what you want, but we all know (and research confirms) that such happiness is short-lived. A more promising hypothesis is that happiness comes from within and cannot be obtained by making the world conform to your desires. Author of The Happiness Hypothesis, Haidt’s writing makes you believe there are benefits to striving for external things. Buddhists and Stoic philosophers counsel people to break emotional attachments to people and events — which Haidt’s view is these are always unpredictable and uncontrollable. He suggests we cultivate instead an attitude of acceptance. More details http://www.thetimes.co.za/Entertainment/Article.aspx?id=792273

Rainbow Creators look for happiness from within. We will be releasing in partnership with Advantage Publishing, USA our revised edition of Creating Your Own Rainbow. More details carynn@smrhrgroup.com

A film with the children

2008-06-14T08:55:00.000-07:00

This morning I decided not to get into the office. We only work five days a week even though I work seven. At about eight in the morning I went to our training centre to open the Interviewing Skills course for our young managers. Felix was there right on time to conduct the course.

Right after that I decided to see the new Tamil film Dasavatharam acted by the Indian legend Kamalhassan. The story was about a Rainbow Creator. A scientist who decides to work for the right purpose rather than money. The journey filmed in a beautiful manner and acted exceptionally well with lots of positive social messages made my day.

While I did get irritated and became impatient for a little while in the afternoon, I spent the entire evening with my family in the park and play centre.

Watching a film about a Rainbow Creator Kamalhassan I think made me one too.

Even if I am blogging at 1200 mid night, I think it was a pleasant day.

Personal Responsibility

2008-06-01T00:25:00.000-07:00

Are you personally responsible?

Do you realize it is all about YOU?

You are where you are because of who you are.

Grow Up

Brian Tracy says that thought that is all about YOU is like a parachute jump: It is scary and exhilarating at the same time. It is one of the biggest and most important ideas that can ever occur to you, or anyone else. The acceptance of personal responsibility is what separates the adult from the child. It is the great leap forward into maturity.

Fully functioning human being

Responsibility is the hallmark of the fully integrated, fully functioning human being. Responsibility goes hand in hand with success, achievement, motivation, happiness and self-actualization. It is the absolute minimum requirement for the accomplishment of everything you could ever really want in life.

Accepting that you are completely responsible for yourself and realizing that no one is coming to the rescue is the beginning of peak performance. There is very little that you cannot do or have after you accept that? If it is to be, it is up to YOU, the individualI had a personal situation recently and all I can say in a nutshell is that the person, who had everything going well, was totally irresponsible. To me, Rainbow Creators are those who are personally responsible. If only we could have every person be personally responsible and accountable, 90% of the problems we see in the world today will not be there.

YOU can make a difference

The first chapter in my book: Creating your own Rainbow – Recognising YOU can make a difference emphasizes this point. As Brian Tracy says everything that exists in your life exists because of you, because of your behavior, words and actions. Because you have freedom of choice and because you have chosen each and every circumstance of your life, you are completely responsible for all of your success and failure, your happiness and unhappiness, your present and future.

The opposite of this is being a Rainbow Chaser – finding good excuses and blaming everyone else for their mistakes. The opposite of accepting responsibility is making excuses and blaming people and things for what are going on in your life. Everything we do is a matter of habit. If we get into the habit of making excuses, we get into the habit of evading responsibility at the same time.

Are you happy with your job? Are you happy with the amount of money you are earning? Are you happy with your level of responsibility and your activities each day? If you are not, you need to accept that YOU are completely responsible for every aspect of your job and your career.

Levels of irresponsibility

If we set a goal or objective and we create an excuse to hold in reserve just in case the accomplishment of the goal is too difficult or requires more self-discipline and persistence than we had thought, then we are Rainbow Chasers. As soon as things start to go poorly, irresponsible people give good excuses and let themselves off the hook. But that will not get them anywhere in the long run.

In fact, a good definition of insanity is total irresponsibility, to the point of needing a straitjacket and a padded cell. Thomas Szasz, the great psychoanalyst, once wrote, there is no such thing as insanity. There are only varying levels of irresponsibility.

Authentic Change

You took the job, you assumed the responsibilities, and you accepted the compensation by choice. You were free to do what you wanted. . If you are not happy with any of them, for any reason, then it is up to you to do something different. YOU need t o change.You are earning today exactly what you are worth-not a dollar more, not a dollar less. In life, we tend to get exactly what we deserve. There is a famous saying that it is insanity to expect another result if you are doing the same thing again and again.

If you are not satisfied with your salary, job or environment, look around you, at people who are doing the kind of work you would like to do and earning the kind of money you would like to earn. Ask them what they are doing differently from what you are doing.
Once you know what they are, accept complete responsibility for your situation, apply your wonderful mind and abilities, back them with willpower and self-discipline, and get busy making the changes you need to make to enjoy the life you want to enjoy. The changes must be authentic. Look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself – have you changed to grow up.

Say I am responsible
Brian Tracy says your great aim in life is to develop character. Character is composed of self-esteem, self-discipline, the ability to delay gratification, and the willingness to accept full responsibility for your life and everything in it. The more you say to yourself, I am responsible, the stronger, better and finer a person you become.
And every part of your life will improve at the same time. YOU will become a Rainbow Creator.

Visit my Google Groups http://groups.google.com/group/rainbow-creators?hl=en

Self Esteem

2008-05-27T09:32:00.000-07:00

One of the key things that a Rainbow Creator does is to be happy with Self. Rainbow Creators have a great self esteem, they are happy with who they are. I happened to read this story by Novoneel Chakraborty from India who details about a conversation between the sun and the wind about a rose and a thorn. It is a great story about Self Esteem.

What Are You Looking At?

"It always happens this way', the Sun told the Wind."What does?" The Wind, as usual, was curious."Thorns and roses - they always co-exist.""But their outer self is in such irony to the inner self."The Sun gave the Wind a blank look.Surmising the hint, the Wind chose to clarify further.

"Yesterday when I was blowing, I overheard the rose talking to itself…

"THE ROSE: "I don't know why the hell people smile when they see me. I look so pathetic. All my life I simply exist being a sharp and pointed thing, good for nothing except hurting people. Or maybe they feel better about themselves after seeing my silly and ugly existence!"The Wind sighed and continued. "I overheard the thorn too..

"THE THORN:"I don't know why people are afraid of me. Some even ask their children to maintain a safe distance from me whereas I think I am one of the most beautiful things ever created. My petals, my design, my color, my softness, my aura, my romance...where else would they get such an austere mix? And yet...still, I thank God for the way he made me and no matter what others think or do to me, I would rather prefer to remain happy forever as in the end there are so few things in this world which are as beautiful as I am."

"So", this time the Sun sighed, "the rose is unhappy for it assumed itself - probably looking at the thorn all its life - to be just a thorn and thus ignored the happiness that it deserved all these years. While on the other hand the thorn assumed itself to be a rose and thus enjoyed happiness ever since."The Wind nodded."It always happens this way", the Sun said."What does?" asked the Wind.

"Happiness can definitely follow us wherever we go and whatever we do ... only if we know what we are and what actually we are looking at." -

China and Myanmar

2008-05-16T09:08:00.003-07:00

Tragedies in both countries.Watching the television made me very sad. Chinese officials have responded very well but in Myanmar, the aid work has not been great.Hope we can all pray for speedy relief and God's kindness to the affected people.

Image

2008-05-05T09:05:00.000-07:00

By design NOT by accident

I have been reading this book by Clive Chajet and Tom Shachtman. Dr. Venkata Majeti was kind enough to let me have it and I have been enjoying the book very much.

There is always a question I am asked - can we live our life by design and not by default.
I have been reading this book that shows us how we can shape corporate image by design. A company’s image is indeed a vital corporate asset and can make all the difference in a competitive marketplace. We live in a world full of business images. McDonalds, Apple, IBM, Dell, Singapore Airlines.

A Company’s image is what is perceived by its various audiences. A Company’s identity is what it chooses to shape those perceptions. One learning point from the book – corporate images must reflect reality not distort reality, if they are to positively impact its audiences.

I am sure we can shape our life but that is always going to be the reult of our actions, what we chhose to DO.

Akbar - the Rainbow Creator

2008-04-30T08:55:00.000-07:00

I saw the Hindi film Jodha Akbar starring the Hrithik Roshan and Aiswarya Rai Bachan. Ironically it was a Bahraini friend who had asked me to see the film. It was well worth it.

Set in the sixteen century, the film is the story of the greatest Mughal emperor Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar and the fiery young Rajput princess, Jodhaa. The epic romance begins as a marriage of alliance between two cultures and religions for political gains.

Little does the great Emperor know that this political journey transforms into a journey of love, one of understanding the human spirit and the common man. In the current context where it is increasingly becoming difficult to find politicians who understand what public service is, the great emperor Akbar shows what greatness is all about – respecting diversity – different cultures, religions and ethnicity.

His success despite his inability to read or write is clearly attributed to emotional intelligence. That one single competency that led him into the history books as one of the greatest Mughal emperors of Hindustan. He was a devout Muslim but still was the favourite among the largely Hindu population. The story of love with music by legendary A.R. Rahman is beautifully filmed, needless to say I learned so much from this film.

Change starts with YOU

2008-03-16T05:23:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to work with a large organisation in the Middle East. The goal of the programme was to create Rainbow Creators. It was not about having everything to change but to recognise what each individual could do. Change starts with each one. Personal Accountability starts with everyone.

We had an interesting exercise - A STOP DOING LIST before working on a START DOING LIST.

Try it for yourself and reflect on both the lists.

All Roses Have Thorns....

2008-03-07T01:51:00.000-08:00

Even a perfect life may have conflict. But don’t let conflict turn your life upside down. Instead, find a way to manage the conflict without hurting any party like arranging roses in a vase without cutting yourself.

Don't Compare

2008-03-05T19:01:00.001-08:00

Don’t compare yourself with others. Don’t compare your beauty, success and luck with theirs, but you can take that as an inspiration to improve yourself to be the best you can be.

Challenge Yourself

2008-03-02T19:06:00.001-08:00

You are best at what you do. Challenge yourself and try to beat the yesterday you so you can be a better you today.

Authentic Change

2008-02-23T19:06:00.000-08:00

It is quite some time since I wrote the last blog. I was traveling extensively through to about four countries - the USA, U.K., Bahrain and South Korea.

While in the US, I heard the cry for change - "Change We Can" from the most likely next President of the United States of America Barack Obama. The general public fed up with poltics as usual are turning towards a young and charismatic leader Barack Obama.

He in many ways personifies a true Rainbow Creator who believes in authentic change.

Sir Edmund Hillary

2008-01-24T05:22:00.001-08:00

Sir Edmund Hillary, who has died at the age of 88 on 11th January, 2008 made it to the summit of Everest in 1953, and became the first man on the planet to reach its highest point. He was a true Rainbow Creator whose fragile appearance as a boy belied his ground-breaking potential. At school, the world class mountaineer was in a gym group for those lacking co-ordination and admitted to feeling a "deep sense of inferiority". The 40-mile journey to school in Auckland each day gave young Edmund many hours to pore over adventure stories and travel ever further in his mind. On May 29, 1953, he and the Nepalese Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay, set foot on the summit of Everest, the highest point on earth. They had succeeded where others had failed, and had survived a journey that had taken the lives of great explorers before them. Despite his great success and the unprecedented feat of scaling the world's highest mountain that brought him a fame he could hardly have imagined, he often returned often to the mountains of Nepal, the scene of his greatest triumph. Sir Edmund Hillary dedicated much of his long life to environmental causes and to humanitarian efforts on behalf of the Nepalese people. More than half a century after his most famous feat, his fame remained undimmed.
His name has become a byword for courage and endurance.
We salute this great humanitarian, a true Rainbow Creator who made things happen.

Manage Yourself According to Time

2008-01-08T22:26:00.000-08:00

Time will never stop for you, so you have to be wise on how you use it. You need to prioritise your needs and never forget the needs of others as well.

Good and Bad Changes

2008-01-06T21:25:00.000-08:00

Changes are dynamic and inevitable. It can be either good or bad, depends on how we take it. Internet is a good change to life but it has both positive and negative impact to the society. Nevertheless, it is up to us to either accept it positively or negatively.

Be firm with what you want

2008-01-01T23:12:00.000-08:00

In life where one can become anything, we tend to be indecisive when asked to choose a path. This has unfortunately resulted procrastination. We need to get rid of the ambivalence and be firm with what we want.

Happy New Year

2008-01-01T06:54:00.000-08:00

2008 is here.

Let us focus on creating our rainbows in 2008.

All the best.

Another thought

2007-12-27T22:09:00.001-08:00

Never be the first to arrive at a party or the last to go home, and never be both.

Some thoughts

2007-12-27T22:07:00.000-08:00

My father gave me the best advice of my life. He said whatever you do, don't wake up when you are 65 years old and think about what you should have done with your life.

Give to Get Back

2007-12-18T22:03:00.000-08:00

Everything we do need at least a small amount of effort and time. For example, we make an effort to spend time with the children and receive love, trust and happy memories back from them. We need to invest our time and money to see the results.

It’s the Journey that Matters

2007-12-16T22:30:00.000-08:00

There are no short cuts to success. However, the long journey to our destination can be colourful if we can be open-minded, try on new things and make use of our time. It will be regrettable if we are able to achieve success but missed a lot of other events and blessings along the way.

Hard Work

2007-12-10T20:04:00.000-08:00

When you see a top ballerina dance gracefully on the stage, what we think is, she has a great gift. What we don’t know is, that ‘gift’ is the result of the tremendous hours of hard work every day for years. Anybody can be great if one would work hard and never give up.

Be Clear with Your Goals

2007-12-09T16:19:00.000-08:00

Do you know what your goals are? How much effort and sacrifice are you willing to give? When you know what you really want in your life, it’s natural you would go all out to get it. But your goals must be clear so the path you take will also be obvious.

Don’t Be Afraid of Changes

2007-12-06T22:54:00.000-08:00

Changes do happen whether we like it or not and whether we asked for it or not. Getting married or bankruptcy means a huge change in your life as it will affect your finance, lifestyle and state of mind. However, changes doesn’t mean the end, it is simply a beginning of something new.

People you can Count on

2007-12-05T16:39:00.000-08:00

When it looks like the world is crushing down on you, you can always count on the people who have been the prism in your life. These people who have been supporting you and guiding your way to success are the core pillars for your strong confidence and faith.

Self-Image

2007-12-02T17:13:00.000-08:00

Perform a self-reflection on yourself. Feel good and use your self-image positively. Self-Image is important for your growth.

Attitudes of Success

2007-11-30T01:54:00.000-08:00

The seven life management steps are the seven attitudes you need to reinforce within yourself. To achieve success, one must use the seven steps positively to become a Rainbow Creator.

Smiles

2007-11-29T02:07:00.000-08:00

Fill the world with smiles. A smile can entice happiness within you and people around you will also be affected. Smiles can also increase your self-esteem and confidence. You will view the world in a wider and wiser sense.

You are Best when you do what you like to do

2007-11-28T01:36:00.000-08:00

Parents taught us and shaped us to become terrific individuals. However, nobody should program us to become what they want. Everyone should be free to choose without any interference from the society. You are the best when you do what you like to do.

Take Charge

2007-11-26T16:41:00.000-08:00

Take charge of your life. Don’t let anybody control it for you. You mustn’t let anybody put you down and allow that to become a solid obstacle between you and success. As Eleanor Roosevelt said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your permission.”

Look beyond

2007-11-22T19:19:00.000-08:00

We look only at a narrow paradigm. We are stuck to one view; a routine life. I believe we have to make an effort to see beyond narrow perspectives, look at opportunities.

Learn from Others

2007-11-22T01:04:00.000-08:00

Life is too short for us to live life by trial and error. Learn from the mistakes of others. Mistakes may occur but do not let them recur.

Character

2007-11-20T23:53:00.000-08:00

Successful people work hard. They have determination and are persistent. They have a strong character. Your character and attitude decides who you are and who you will be.

Emotional Intelligence

2007-11-20T17:59:00.000-08:00

Managing EQ is important especially if you are a leader. Leaders with high EQ mean they are able to express themselves appropriately. By not destroying other’s feelings, we can create companions to help us create our rainbow as well as help others create theirs.

Passion vs. Qualification

2007-11-18T23:24:00.000-08:00

Qualifications may be your green light to embark on your career but passion is the driving force to achieve greatness in life. You will be able to create your own rainbow much easier when passions override qualifications. Do not let the absence of a qualification prevent you from doing something you are passionate about.

Believe in Yourself

2007-11-15T16:38:00.001-08:00

The first key to success is to believe in yourself. Once you set your mind to be successful, the rest of your body functions and subconscious mind will follow.

Desire to Change

2007-11-14T17:28:00.000-08:00

Everything that happened, happening or will happen is up to you. It’s your choice to let things go or to take matters into your own hands. All you need is the strength and courage to desire change and a strong will to execute the actions required. In the end, it’s all up to you.

Blending

2007-11-12T18:42:00.001-08:00

A successful person has a strong character. Using the 7 Life Management steps is not good enough unless you blend the principles to become a Rainbow Creator.

Life is an Echo

2007-11-11T16:56:00.000-08:00

The environment is a major factor in shaping us. The words uttered by people around us are critical. The words that you say or they say can shape you and the people around you. Always bestow your friends and family positive and encouraging words and everyone can be each other’s prisms.

Lessons in Entrepreneurship

2007-10-07T07:46:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity of speaking to 250 entrepreneurs this morning. While it was interesting talking to them about Rainbow Creators, I was sad to hear some speakers talk about prejudices and why it will be difficult to succeed as an entrepreneur. Some sessions focused on what we call as Rainbow Chasers.

I took great pains to talk about Rainbow Creators, people who make things happen. The focus is on SELF. What you can do and a focus on NOW is vital for success.

Possibility is a state of mind. Entrepreneurs must be Rainbow Creators.

Rainbow Creators

2007-10-02T06:42:00.000-07:00

I have just seen the Forbes rich list. While I do not subscribe to rich=happy, the interesting thin g about this list is that most of them are self made not inherited.

Rainbow Creators

2007-09-23T05:04:00.000-07:00

The Forbes list has published the richest people in the United States of America and other countries.

Do you know that nearly 90% in the top 40 are self made millionaires. They did not inherit but worked their way up including Bill Gates of Microsoft.

Bill Gates might be hated for his wealth and monopolistic tendency but no one can deny the impact that his business has on everyday life.

Creating Your Own Rainbow

2007-09-23T04:56:00.000-07:00

Finally, I have started the Creating Your Own Rainbow blog.

Based on my book, this blog hopes to share inspiring stories for Rainbow Creators. It is more of a contemporary ravings unlike the book that has a unified theme.

I do not believe that Rainbow Creation is only about Wealth Creation. It is about a purpose in life, it is about SELF. It is about making a disproportionate contribution to society.

Let us share ideas that can help us GROW.

Let us make this world a better place to live.