Right Attitudes » Ideas for Impact » by Nagesh Belludi

Ideas won’t keep;
something must be done about them.
* Alfred North Whitehead

There is no power on earth that can neutralize
the influence of a high, simple and useful life.
* Booker T. Washington

I can tell you, honest friend, what to believe:
believe life; it teaches better that book or orator.
* Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The moment that one gives close attention to anything,
even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious and awesome,
indescribably magnificent world in itself.”
* Henry Valentine Miller

There’s only one corner of the universe
you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.
* Aldous Huxley

You do not really know your friends
from your enemies until the ice breaks.
* Icelandic Proverb

The mere apprehension of a coming evil has put many into a situation of the utmost danger.
* Lucan

The mere apprehension of a coming evil has put many into a situation of the utmost danger.
One can acquire everything in solitude but character.
* Henri B. Stendhal

Clear thinking requires courage rather than intelligence.
* Thomas Szasz

A goal properly set is halfway reached.
* Zig Ziglar

Visit www.Inspiration.RightAttitudes.com for my compilation of inspirational quotations by author and topic. You may also subscribe to the weekly newsletter of inspirational quotations by sending a blank email to iqml-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

*Keyword(s): Inspiration, Quotations

Your dreams can be realities. They are the stuff that leads us
through life toward great happiness.
* Deborah Norville

Throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbor.
Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover.
* Mark Twain

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the
majority, it is time to pause and reflect.
* Mark Twain

A new idea is delicate.
It can be killed by a sneer or a yawn;
it can be stabbed to death by a quip,
and worried to death by a frown on the right man’s brow.
* Charlie Brower

An act of goodness is of itself an act of happiness.
No reward coming after the event can compare with the
sweet reward that went with it.
* Maurice Maeterlinck

I am looking for a lot of men who have
an infinite capacity to not know what can’t be done.
* Henry Ford

You will find men
who want to be carried on the shoulders of others,
who think that the world owes them a living.
They don’t seem to see that we
must all lift together and pull together.
* Henry Ford

Perhaps there is only one cardinal sin: impatience.
Because of impatience we are driven out of Paradise;
because of impatience we cannot return.
* Franz Kafka

Willingness to change is a strength, even if it means
plunging part of the company into total confusion for a while.
* Jack Welch

Visit www.Inspiration.RightAttitudes.com for my compilation of inspirational quotations by author and topic. You may also subscribe to the weekly newsletter of inspirational quotations by sending a blank email to iqml-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

*Keyword(s): Inspiration, Quotations

There is a magnet in your heart that will attract true friends.
That magnet is unselfishness, thinking of others first.
* Paramahansa Yogananda

When many work together for a goal,
great things may be accomplished.
It is said a lion cub was killed by a single colony of ants.
* Saskya Pandita

Knowledge is light; avarice ice.
Knowledge is water; this world dirt.
A trickle of wisdom appears from beyond
to check the vices of this world.
Should the trickle become abundant,
none would endure, be it virtue or vice.
* Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi

Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.
* Aristotle

The stupid neither forgive nor forget;
the naive forgive and forget;
the wise forgive but do not forget.
* Thomas Szasz

I have no regrets. I wouldn’t have lived my life the way I did
if I was going to worry about what people were going to say.
* Ingrid Bergman

Pressure makes diamonds.
* George Patton

I think that our fundamental belief is that for us
growth is a way of life and we have to grow at all times.
* Mukesh Ambani

The difference between great people and everyone else is that
great people create their lives actively, while everyone else
is created by their lives, passively waiting to see where
life takes them next. The difference between the two is
the difference between living fully and just existing.
* Michael E. Gerber

Visit www.Inspiration.RightAttitudes.com for my compilation of inspirational quotations by author and topic. You may also subscribe to the weekly newsletter of inspirational quotations by sending a blank email to iqml-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

*Keyword(s): Inspiration, Quotations

A senior colleague at work recently mentioned that Procter and Gamble [PG] recruited his daughter as a management trainee. She would work at the corporate headquarters in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. He said, “She interviewed at General Electric [GE] and got rejected in the last round of interviews. She was very disappointed; GE was her top choice.”

General Electric’s management practices and vast managerial talent are widely recognized as one of the world’s best. Its leadership development program and the John F. Welch Leadership Center at Crotonville, New York state, receive wide publicity, especially in the print media.

Procter and Gamble is equally well known as one of the best breeding grounds for managers. Its reputation for hiring the best young talent, training them rigorously, and challenging them with opportunities in marketing, product strategy and operations is legendary.

“Many CEOs and top managers in corporate America are Procter and Gamble alumni,” I explained to my colleague that his daughter out to be thrilled she joined Procter and Gamble. “So, she has a chance, haan?” replied my colleague, ending the conversation.

Procter and Gamble Alumni

From memory, I compiled a list of current corporate leaders that, at some point in their careers, worked at Procter and Gamble. Here it is for your reference.

• Jeffrey Immelt, CEO, General Electric
• Steven Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft
• Steve Case, former CEO, America Online (AOL)
• James McNerney, CEO, Boeing
• Margaret Whitman, CEO, eBay
• Stephen Sanger, Chairman and CEO, General Mills
• Crispin Davis, CEO, Reed Elsevier
• Scott Cook, CEO, Intuit (Quickbooks, etc.)
• Michael Szymanczyk, Chairman and CEO, Philip Morris USA
• Paul R. Charron, Chairman, Liz Claiborne
• Bernd Beetz, CEO, Coty
• James Orr, CEO, Convergys

*Keyword(s): Procter and Gamble, General Electric, leadership development, management training

Consider the following experiences.

• While disembarking from a private aircraft recently, I complimented the captain on a smooth landing. She waved her hand and replied, “Ah, that was not very smooth. This aircraft-type is new to me. I haven’t yet mastered the controls. I need more practice.”
• A colleague presented me a book on the Toyota Production System. I had been reading about the history of Toyota and considered this gift a thoughtful gesture. I thanked my colleague. His response, “I found this book on clearance sale at the Border’s outlet store. Just $1.99.”

Many of us have trouble accepting compliments. We have the urge to deflect or downgrade the compliments. We do not realize that our actions draw unwanted attention. We unnecessarily belittle ourselves, as well as the people offering the compliments.

People may consider our “I don’t deserve your compliments” attitudes as signs of personal insecurity or false modesty. By failing to honor the opinions of others, we discourage them from offering affirmative feedback.

Accepting compliments positively demonstrates your self-confidence and leaves positive impressions about you. The next time somebody praises you, acknowledge the compliments enthusiastically. Instead of saying “Oh, it was nothing,” just smile and say, “Thank you. I appreciate your kindness.”

*Keyword(s): appreciation, recognition, encouragement, likeability, compliments, thanking, people skills

Never cut what you can untie.
* Joseph Joubert

Management is doing things right;
leadership is doing the right things.
* Peter Ferdinand Drucker

The most damaging phrase in the language is:
“It’s always been done that way.”
* Grace Hopper

The world turns aside to let any man pass who knows wither he is going.
* David Starr Jordan

Act as if you were already happy and that will tend to make you happy.
* Dale Carnegie

When you are in a state of nonacceptance,
it’s difficult to learn.
A clenched fist cannot receive a gift,
and a clenched psyche grasped tightly against the reality of
what must not be accepted cannot easily receive a lesson.
* John Roger

A rising tide lifts all boats.
* John F. Kennedy

What we see depends mainly on what we look for.
* John Lubbock

Nothing in the affairs of men is worthy of great anxiety.
* Plato

Visit www.Inspiration.RightAttitudes.com for my compilation of inspirational quotations by author and topic. You may also subscribe to the weekly newsletter of inspirational quotations by sending a blank email to iqml-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

*Keyword(s): Inspiration, Quotations

Blog reader Sasawat from Bangkok (Thailand) asks:

“I recently joined a multinational chemicals company that uses a performance appraisal system. I supervise seven engineers. To help me do their performance evaluations at the end of the year, should I maintain a diary to record their projects and actions?”

Most managers rely on employee performance in the period immediately preceding the performance evaluation deadline. Unfortunately, they do not weigh performance from throughout the year (or quarter, if their organizations use a quarterly review system.) Some employees exploit this behavior by slacking-off during most of the year and by shaping-up in the weeks before a performance evaluation is due.

A log or a diary will help managers record employee projects and behaviors in one location. Clearly, recording significant and relevant examples of employee performance helps managers write objective performance summaries.

Recording events in a dairy every week, however, becomes overwhelming when you have seven employees. Instead, ask each employee to keep a diary of his/her achievements. Review this information with your employee once every week. Give regular, specific feedback, both affirmative and corrective. This ensures that you keep yourself informed of your employee’s work and demonstrates that you care about his/her current work and achievements.

When a performance evaluation is due, study the employee’s diary along with your notes, if any from your weekly meetings. You should not have to dig through your files or seek reports from various sources. You will have accumulated all the data you will need, in one place, to help you prepare for an effective performance evaluation statement and discussion.

*Keyword(s): performance appraisal, performance review, evaluation, managing

One of our most significant aspirations is that people around us value our contributions at work, home and elsewhere. We desire that our supervisors, friends, or family members appreciate our good work; we are hungry for their compliments.

Praising and recognizing people around us are an essential skill that we need to develop to be effective. One of the many reasons we fail to recognize the positive contributions of people around us is that we may not feel comfortable praising others or we may not know how to recognize people. Here is a simple framework.

• Observe. Look for opportunities to recognize your peers, team members, friends, family members, bosses and other people you interact with everyday.
• Smile. A smile is a true indicator of your cheerfulness and passes your good feelings to the recipient.
• Right away. Praise as soon as you make your observation. Your message will be relevant, sincere and will have the most meaning only when delivered immediately following the recipient’s behavior.
• Be specific. Describe what the recipient did so that he/she understands the specific reason for your praise.
• Detail the impact. Tell the recipient how his/her action or behavior impacted you or your organization. Explain how his/her contributions are reflected positively upon him/her.
• ‘Thanks.’ Offering praise often involves just smiling and saying “Thank you. I appreciate your work.” This sends a message that you acknowledge the value of the work and want the recipient to repeat his/her behavior.

An example. “[Smile.] Hey Santosh. When you presented our logistics proposal to our clients, I think you did an excellent job with the flow of arguments. Your illustrations clearly drove home the advantages of the new system. Our clients were very impressed with your leadership on this project. Our Divisional Vice-President who was in the meeting complemented you. Thank you for a job well done. Keep it up.”

Making people around us feel valued in a sincere manner goes a long way in improving our inter-personal relationships. In addition, observing, acknowledging and reinforcing good work motivates people around us.

*Keyword(s): appreciation, recognition, encouragement, likeability, motivating people, thanking, managing people, teamwork, people skills

The best fortune that can fall to a man is that which
corrects his defects and makes up for his failings.
* Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The best fortune that can fall to a man is that which
corrects his defects and makes up for his failings.
As the ocean giveth rise to springs, whose water
return again into its bosom through the rivers,
so runneth thy life force from the heart outwards,
and so returneth into its place again.
* Akhenaton

I would rather have a good plan today
than a perfect plan two weeks from now.
* George Patton

If we want a joyous life, we must think joyous thoughts.
If we want a prosperous life, we must think prosperous thoughts.
Whatever we send out mentally or verbally will come back to us in like form.
* Louise Hay

You are not here merely to make a living.
You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply,
with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement.
You are here to enrich the world,
and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.
* Woodrow Wilson

When a true genius appears in the world,
you may know him by this sign,
that the dunces are all in confederacy against him.
* Jonathan Swift

You have only failed if you fail to try.
* Unknown

Nobody doubts that he exists,
though he may doubt the existence of God.
If he finds out the truth about himself and
discovers his own source, this is all that is required.
* Ramana Maharshi

The truth that makes men free is for the most part
the truth which men prefer not to hear.
* Herbert Agar

Every now and then go away, even briefly. Have a little relaxation,
for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer
since to remain constantly at work will cause you to lose power.
* Leonardo da Vinci

Visit www.Inspiration.RightAttitudes.com for my compilation of inspirational quotations by author and topic. You may also subscribe to the weekly newsletter of inspirational quotations by sending a blank email to iqml-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

*Keyword(s): Inspiration, Quotations

Last month, an Airbus A380 aircraft completed crosswind performance trials at an airport in Ireland.

A crosswind condition occurs when a wind blows across the direction of travel. A crosswind-landing condition occurs when a large vector (component) of the prevailing wind is perpendicular to the runway centerline. By construction, the aircraft drifts into the wind direction. Under such situations, pilots are faced with the challenge of maneuvering the aircraft’s speed and direction to align with the runway upon touch down. See the Wikipedia article on crosswind landings for more details.

Aircraft manufacturers perform a series of crosswind performance trials to demonstrate the capabilities of their aircrafts and publish crosswind limits. Consider the following crosswind landing videos from YouTube.

Crosswind trials of the Airbus A380-800 [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHrLB_mlir4]

Crosswind trials of the Boeing 777-200 and the Boeing 747-SP [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KewDaYDG1i0]

Crosswind landing attempt of an Airbus A321-200 [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0HynFr4LrA]

Amazing. The videos illustrate just how challenging flying is: a combination of skill, calculation and practice. Makes mankind, particularly us, engineers, proud of our achievements.

*Keyword(s): Airbus, Boeing, airliners, great products