Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from December, 2015

3 Ways to Get Stress Working for You

We have all had times when we scrambled at the last minute to finish an assignment for work or burned the midnight oil to complete a final paper for a class. As the deadline approaches, our hearts beat faster, our palms begin to sweat, we feel uneasy, worried and even fearful. Stressful situations induce anxiety. Feeling acutely anxious too often may require treatment but occasionally feeling anxious and stressed out is completely normal. Sitting with anxiety and stress may feel uncomfortable, but it is also necessary for motivation, change and advancement. Here are three ways to harness the power of anxiety and stress to increase your productivity and make forward movements in your life. 1. Set several small, achievable goals. When you feel stressed or anxious, your brain is hard-wired to motivate you to achieve your goals. According to  the National Institute of Mental Health , when we experience threats, the amygdala, a small, almond-shaped structure located deep in the

8 Problem-Solving Practices That See Startups to Success

If you find problem-solving to be energizing, you could be the next great entrepreneur. On the other hand, if facing unforeseen problems annoys you and causes ongoing stress, don’t quit your day job. Creating an innovative new business is guaranteed to test your skills, patience and determination, and you need to derive satisfaction from the journey, as well as the destination. Contrary to a popular myth, problem-solving is a talent that can be developed. To do it well requires a focus on several key activities and practices, including the following: 1. Maintain a positive attitude, since startup problems are normal. If you feel angry or exhibit a negative attitude to the team about problems, you will jeopardize the potential success of your startup. Successful problem-solving is often more a state of mind than any particular skill or process. 2. Remember that learning requires listening more than talking. The first challenge for many aspiring entrepreneurs is to put asid

5 Steps to Handle Any Unforeseen Challenge

As an entrepreneur, unforeseen challenges are going to constitute the bulk of your workdays. It might be something big, like a long-committed employee who decided to quit or a new competitor emerging in your area, or something small, like a deadline that’s getting pushed back due to technical issues. Learning to face and overcome these challenges without losing your cool or compromising your long-term goals is one of the most important -- yet most difficult parts of becoming an entrepreneur. Personalities who prefer to plan tend to have a harder time dealing with unforeseen challenges than personalities who thrive in an improvisational setting, but unexpected challenges are universally demanding. By nature, they’re unpredictable and often arise in sudden, unanticipated ways. They may disrupt previously existing plans or increase the amount of time, money or effort necessary to complete an otherwise straightforward task. Fortunately, no matter the scale or nature of the beast,  

4 Quick-and-Easy Ways to Connect With Influencers on Social Media

Social media is one of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to promote your brand within your target market, but you won’t have much of a reach on your own page. Building relationships with social media influencers is your answer -- you can extend your reach and boost your visibility by creating relationships on social media with the right people. You probably already have a personal network built and know some of the people in your industry. But there is more to be done. Are you connected to the bloggers who write about your industry? People who have written books on your topic? What about magazine editors in your space, or investors who are particularly interested in your sort of product? Keep in mind that there are billions of people out there, many of whom are looking for the answer that you provide. Here’s how to get their attention and utilize your network to the fullest, building relationships that get you noticed. 1. Connect on Facebook. Facebook is a good tool for

Andhra Pradesh signs MoU with Microsoft

Seeking to improve use of ICT, drive digital inclusion and provide better citizen services, Andhra Pradesh Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Microsoft India during a breakfast meeting hosted by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for technology giant's CEO Satya Nadella at the former's residence here on Monday. According to the MoU, Microsoft India will provide technical knowledge to A.P. Government and support building three proof-of-concept (PoC) solutions by applying Microsoft Azure Machine Learning and Advanced Visualization method in the fields of education, agriculture and eCitizen services. The PoC solutions will be built and deployed to address specific problems within each of the fields to achieve better outcomes for the State. It would use the lab method for data gathering, analysis, predictive analysis and policy planning, according to an official release from the Chief Minister's office. Continuing its commitment to support t

CEBR: World Economic League Table 2015 Highlights

Revisions to China’s GDP mean that it is now forecast to overtake the US in 2025 compared to 2028 in last year’s forecasts The UK appears to have overtaken France this year to become the world’s 5 th  largest economy (but as the 2014 GDP figures are $2,828bn for the UK and $2,827bn for France, the gap is well within the margin of error) The rise of India looks unstoppable. India overtakes the UK in 2018 to become the largest economy in the Commonwealth and the rise continues – by 2024 India is the world’s third largest economy Korea is becoming an economic powerhouse (Gangnam Style?) as its growth continues – its league table position moves from 15th in 2013 to a solid 8 th , just behind Germany in 2030 Russia’s economic woes, a likely weak rouble and a low price of oil mean that it drops back from 8 th  position in 2013 to 10 th  in 2014 and stays around that position to 2030 Germany slides back, held back by a declining population and the likely weakness of the euro. In 203

New smartphones for 2016 - most exciting upcoming phones

With a new year upon us, I thought I'd run down the handsets that are going to make the biggest splashes in 2016. Whether you're looking forward to your next straightforward upgrade or thinking of jumping ship to a different manufacturer I'll summarise what's coming when and whether it's worth getting excited about. We've gone with the flagship handsets here, as those generally attract the most attention before release and we've stuck to the big guns too, rather than include niche or unusual designs that will probably never see the light of day (we're looking at you Project Ara). Can't wait for a new handset? Here are the best smartphones you can buy today 1. Samsung Galaxy S7 - March/April Samsung's handset plan for 2016 is as predictable as Apple's. The Samsung Galaxy S7 will follow the current Galaxy S6 as night follows day. The timing of the announcement might be edged forward a little in the year but I can't see the ph

An year of new opportunities and some tough lessons

A few years down the line, when we would look at 2015, it will be with mixed emotions. Depending on your perspective, it was a year replete with innovation, creativity and opportunity, but also, it was a year of turbulence, low confidence and a pavement for tighter capital regime to follow in 2016. As per a wise old saying, ideas are worth nothing unless executed. They are just a multiplier. It is the execution that is worth millions, and it is not foolproof either. I often wondered what went wrong at Housing.com that had both good idea and execution. We recently caught up with Rahul Yadav and spent over two days with him to understand what really happened. I realized after hearing him out, that there was no single individual or investor who could be blamed for the downfall, and it also got me contemplating if Indian startup entrepreneurship ecosystem is as developed as we would like it to be. Startup’s journey from a blackboard to an excel sheet is still not mature in India.

Can You Manage What You Can't Measure?

We are stepping out of one era and into a new one in the working world. It is crystal clear that the Machine Age structure and rhythm of work has hung on far past the point of usefulness. In the new-millennium marketplace, our businesses and institutions will fail if we try to hire and lead people using outdated, factory-style ideas and practices. It is easy to see how technology and culture are shifting the world in fundamental ways related to our sense of time and place, our mobility and our connectedness with one another. The complex and time-sensitive work we do in this Knowledge Economy doesn’t mesh with old-fashioned, mechanical work and leadership practices. We can’t divided today’s work into neat bundles and give people tidy, consistent job descriptions. That management style is too confining. It’s boring for the people doing the work and they’re hampered by stupid things like job descriptions and pay grades. Then the machine runs your business instead of good ideas a