Sunday, 8 September 2013

Presentation Skills Checklist for N.E.mation 8 2013

Hi Everybody!

It was such a blast to meet all of you on Sat. I wish all of you the very best in your presentation to the judges.

I strongly recommend for you guys and gals to video your presentation and then review it to see how you can further enhance your entire presentation. Show the judges your passion, commitment and most of all team work. May the best amongst us prevail!

HANDOUTS - It is password protected. It is the the name of the company is providing the training for you guys - CLUE it rhymes with imagine. 

Wednesday, 4 September 2013

PsychoSpiritual Talk Handouts at Singtel Learning Fiesta 2013

Hello!

You can download your handouts by clicking the link below. It is password protected.
Please drop me a mail to get the password. either at rameshspeaks@yahoo.com.sg  or ramesh@akltg.com


PsychoSpirituality HANDOUTS



regards,
Ramesh.M


Friday, 23 August 2013

An Inquiring Mind Program with National University of Singapore (Critical Thinking)

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen!

It was such a great experience working with all of you on the areas of logic and construction of valid arguments. I hope all of you will revise and practice the 7 steps of Critical Thinking in a disciplined fashion and also do a reflection on whether you are committing some of the logical fallacies like Ad Hoc or Slippery slopes in your working life.

Till we meet again keep your mind open and from your friends Jane, Ah Keong, Subramaniam and Sunee "KEEP SEARCHING and KEEP THINKING!"
At the National University of Singapore 2013. 



Saturday, 10 August 2013

Believe it or Not we Need to Conflict More!


Picture courtesy from www.freedigitalphotos.ne

“The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.” Chinese Proverb

Imagine we are sitting at a nice al fresco café and as  you are sip your hot coffee, I asked you  to describe what is a  'healthy working relationship'

 What do you think you might say? What are the factors and components  you would consider important for a relationship between colleagues to be engaging and productive? Does having a healthy working relationship mean you need to be in agreement all the time?

 Would you say that a healthy working relationship is one where everyone feels comfortable in raising conflicts, make sense of the conflicts and respond resourcefully in a timely fashion and thereafter document and share their learning with the rest? Emm... Now wouldn't that be spectacular. 
In this post I would like to begin an exploration in Organisational Conflicts.

As HR practitioners and solution partners there are many things we can do to help our Organisations become more graceful in dancing with Conflicts instead of locking horns and creating a ruckus. 

“You know if you look around your Department and there are no conflicts, it only means two things; The company has either exists in Shangri-La or people have thrown in the towel and don’t really care about anything anymore.” These were the words of a wise Manager at a French Pharmaceutical company I had the opportunity to work with some years ago. When put talented and people from a diverse background in terms of culture, age, education, experience, gender in an environment there will be differences in opinions and that in turn is grounds for conflicts.

 Sometime ago when I was doing a project for the National Institute of Education in Singapore I was walking along a long corridor when a simple poster struck me with Awe. It read “ Harmony  Uniformity”  Oh how true! Many Leaders and managers, especially in my experience of the asian context, want to achieve harmony the simpler way which is the “can we all just go this agree and those of you don’t, just pretend like you do... ” approach. It’s nauseating and a vastly unhealthy way to handle differences. The massive side effect of this is that ordinary folks in the company start to wonder what I am actually fighting for anyways?

As HR Partners its time for us to roll up our sleeves and be candid about Conflicts in the Organisation. Be bold in talking about what they are and how we can all play a part in developing our personal emotional intelligence and having a more civil yet robust approach to conflict resolutions.

Unresolved conflicts are like wounds that turn septic have the potential to poison the entire biology of your Organisation. That I think most of us who have been in the working world already know. The glaring evidence is people walking out of the business because they are tired of fighting.

On the upswing when you do manage to educate your leaders and their teams about conflicts and especially their own predominant style you are going to foster real meaningful relationship instead of a mechanical soullessness.

So what can you do ?
1.     Help your Organisation have a deeper appreciation of what are conflicts and how individual personality types and bias shapes the direction a conflict takes. There are many wonderful instruments and training programs that help you do that. (For example, even a simple training on helping them identify the five styles of conflicts Competing, Avoiding, Collaborating, Accomodating and Compromising has a huge effect on teams)
2.     Encourage people to be brave and positive about conflicts. Generally speaking there are going to be three main areas people are going to have conflicts in
a.     Core Product/Service : vision, direction, purpose, price, value
b.     Operational Matters: logistics, costs, manpower, workloads
c.      Customer Experience : Speed, satisfaction, care, technology outreach

3.     Educate people (Especially the leaders) to do self reflections and practice ethical conflict practices such as not talking about a person when they are not present at the table (this was inspired by Jack Welch ). Separating their personal wounds from the conflict to prevent projections and transference.  This I assure you will fosters greater trust amongst everyone in the team. In fact when people in the Organisation are more professional about conflicts they open up to newer possibilities and innovation. At the end of the day though conflicts can be disruptive, we can stop it from being destructive. 

I  love the look on people's faces when they get a peer review or a survey result about themselves. The room will be filled with this transformative energy. If you listened carefully, you can actually hear clicking noises. Its the sound of people making that connection between their history, behaviors consequences and new better choices that can make.

Workshops and programs designed to work on conflicts will always be  vibrant, revitalizing and progressive for teams and Organisations.  To inspire you to take on conflicts in your organization more productively let me share a quote from Buckminister Fuller, “If you want to teach people a new way of thinking, don't bother trying to teach them. Instead, give them a tool, the use of which will lead to new ways of thinking.” So  teach them new conflict resolution tools and if there is going to be friction let it be  only those that help polish your Organisation and team to Brilliance!

Tuesday, 27 November 2012

The most awesome work in the world.


Teaching is THE most AWESOME job in the entire world.
I'm not going to wait for an official "Teacher's Day" to acknowledge the impact you have in many of us. You are angels who change our lives with Sneaky smiles, rigged class tests where you "revise" the questions to boost our confidence and paint a better tom with your kind words at the end of our essays and assignments.
What you do everyday is tiring and often unaffirmed. Press on I say. Keep pushing us. Fuel the faith in yourself that you do make a difference. A massive difference. Scold us, punish us, persuade us but never forsake us. You have allowed children and others who seek to learn to unravel and discover the world and it's infinite mysteries, and in that perhaps they find greater meaning in living. Teachers thank you thank you thank you for being best salespeople in Hope.. Without you we would not have had the courage to dream! -Ramesh.

Friday, 3 August 2012

Time

every minute of everyday you have a choice as to how that moment pasess. Time is a powerful asset. so we must.... No I am not going to preach of the importance of being hyper productive and be go go go getter. Nope. Take time to just sit with what is present. Resist the uerge to solve or plan. Definitely there is great value in investing your time in those types of tasks to help us move closer to our goals. But would you also agree with me when I say that there is also time for consolidating what has happened. Time to perhaps savour a thought and reflect. These tasks may not be seen by the industrious busy bees of our society as useful activities. However, Mr or Ms busy bee who has been speed reading this post there is one Massive selling point in just taking time to sit and relax. It calms your mind and gives you an awesome clarity. The kind of clarity that allows your deeper genius to speak to you. So here is an image I would like you to focus on for next minute. The gentle movement of a prIstIne raIndrop resting on a broad green leaf glistening in the rays of the morning tangerine sun.

Friday, 20 July 2012

Inner Arts and Rejuvenation July 2012 National University of Singapore

Dear friends from Inner Arts workshop!

Thank you for being open and doing the exercises wholeheartedly.
I wish all of you all the best in your personal journey towards discovering your True talents.

Remember to reduce the Drama of the Ego!


Friday, 29 June 2012

Emotional Intelligence for Organisational Excellence for Toyota

Dear Friends from Toyota!

I hope you had a useful learning journey during the EI program.

Do remember that we bring passion into an occupation and usually not the other way around.

Emotional Intelligence for Organisational Excellence
29th June 2012 Toyota (Singpaore)

Thursday, 31 May 2012

Emotional Intelligence 30th and 31st May ST Electronics

Dear Insanely passionate friends from ST Electronics

I certainly had a blast working with you guys during the EQ program.

Do remember this...

"A happy man lives in a happy world
An angry man lives in an angry world"

:ove.
Ramesh. <

Thursday, 10 May 2012

Today I was hurt...

This is where I grew up. 


These are some thoughts I put on my faceback which I wanted to port over into this blog because this is a pressing issue in my mind. 

1. Something hurt me today. Was in a conference and there was this person from overseas who was chatting with me. In the dialogue he asked where am I from and and to that I said Singapore. With a puzzled look he asked another question. "No I mean your country of ORIGIN" After I recoiled from that flabbergasting moment I took a deep breath and said firmly, " I am born here. and I am Singaporean. My grandmother was originally from India"

2.Personally I think we cannot and must not let our Singaporean identity disappear. We are truly a unique group of people.


3. Personally lots of first and second generation Singaporeans feel so deeply emotional about this issue in my opinion because it rocks our identity. Yes perhaps it has come of age that as a tiny nation state we need to reinvent our selves to answer gravely pressing economic challenges of being competitively priced and attracting hot money HOWEVER we cannot move forward without a new common identity. It only hurts because we care. Forget who are and we will live to remember the era where Singapore lost her soul.

4.  
the one thing people can never take away from us... is eating roti prata with fish curry accompanied with hot fragrant teh tarik next to others enjoying themselves with their family and friends. I have no particular gripes with our friends from overseas other than the fact that be respectful of our culture and if you didn't plan to stay here for long or integrate with the rest us please move to Pulau Senang where you can help our airforce improve their marksmanship. In the bigger picture what can we Nasi Lemak, Roti Prata, Chicken Rice loving Milo Dinosaur gulping Original Singaporeans do? Immortalise our heritage thru instruments of the Arts. It's a call for action not a situation to sit down and lament our woes. Get Arty. Tell Your Story. Fill today with our Feelings of Our History.





Tuesday, 3 April 2012

Create Winning Speeches!

Hi Friends!

Here is a video of the slides. It's really fast so I suggest you pause it and move the slider at your own pace.



CREATE WINNING SPEECHES BY RAMESH MUTHUSAMY PDF link

Keep it going comrades!


love ram!

Friday, 30 March 2012

Emotional Intelligence for Organisational Intelligence

29th and 30th  March 2012 -
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE FOR ORGANISATIONAL EXCELLENCE! 


Hi Friends!

I hope you enjoyed your two day session at the EI for Organisational Excellence Program. It was a honor to serve all of you. Do remember to F.G.I.O !

Till we meet again, take care and all the best in your Journey!

regards,
Ram

Thursday, 8 March 2012

Inner Arts and Rejuvenation 7th and 8th March 2012

Hi Guys,

This was truly a wonderful experience for me. Patience came up as a theme for all of us... so let us do our best to practice mindfulness in our Body, Breathe and Mind.

You are created in greatness.

Love,
Ram

Wednesday, 28 December 2011

Have you heard of the NO - BRAND branding strategy?

Image

How do  people  experience a BRAND?

  • Name: The word or words used to identify the company, product, service, concept

  • Logo: The visual trademark that identifies the brand

  • Tagline or Catchphrase: "The Quicker Picker Upper" is associated with Bounty; "Can you hear me now" is an important part of the Verizon brand.

  • Shapes: The distinctive shape of the Coca-Cola bottle or the Volkswagen Beetle are trademarked elements of those brands.

  • Graphics: The dynamic ribbon is also a trademarked part of Coca-Cola's brand.

  • Color: Owens-Corning is the only brand of fiberglass insulation that can be pink.

  • Sounds: A unique tune or set of notes can "denote" a brand: NBC's chimes are one of the most famous examples.

  • Movement: Lamborghini has trademarked the upward motion of its car doors.

  • Smells: Scents, such as the rose-jasmine-musk of Chanel No. 5 is trademarked.

  • Taste: KFC has trademarked its special recipe of 11 herbs and spices for fried chicken.


Something else which is interesting... The NO-BRAND strategy...

Recently a number of companies have successfully pursued "no-brand" strategies by creating packaging that imitates generic brand simplicity. Examples include theJapanese company Muji, which means "No label" in English (from 無印良品 – "Mujirushi Ryohin" – literally, "No brand quality goods"), and the Florida company No-Ad Sunscreen. Although there is a distinct Muji brand, Muji products are not branded. This no-brand strategy means that little is spent on advertisement or classical marketing and Muji's success is attributed to the word-of-mouth, a simple shopping experience and the anti-brand movement.[22][23][24] "No brand" branding may be construed as a type of branding as the product is made conspicuous through the absence of a brand name. "Tapa Amarilla" or "Yellow Cap" in Venezuela during the 80s is another good example of no-brand strategy. It was simply recognized by the color of the cap of this cleaning products company.

Tuesday, 27 December 2011

100 Best Companies to work for in 2011- From CNN

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompanies/2011/snapshots/1.html

Advertising Code in Singapore... Rules for how contraceptives should be portrayed

http://www.case.org.sg/downloads/asas/SCAP%202008.pdf

Some Interesting Snippets from the Article

CONTRACEPTIVES l (page 32)

6.7.1 There is no objection under the Code to the advertising of contraceptive methods, either in general or particular, provided a reference is made in appropriate cases to the fact that certain methods are available only on prescription.

6.7.2 The effectiveness or safety of particular methods in comparison with others should not be exaggerated.

6.7.3 Condom advertisements should also adhere to the following: (a) Should be in good taste (b) Should not promote promiscuity (c) May include pack shots provided they are not suggestive or offensive (d) Should not have erotic settings

(e) Should not include superlative claims

(f) Should focus on the protective function rather than the pleasure- enhancing aspect of condoms

 

SOCIAL VALUES  (Page 13)

(a) Downplaytheimportanceofpatriotismandnationalunity;

(b) Misinterpretnationalpoliciesandgoalsforthebenefitofanyindividual;

(c) DistorttheperceptionofSingaporeansandthequalityoflifeinSingapore;

(d) Distorttheperceptionsofcitizens’influenceinnationalissues;

(e) DiscreditorbederogatorytoSingaporeasademocraticcountryorinany other way.

 

MOTORING

1. Advertisements for motor vehicles, fuel or accessories should avoid portraying or referring to practices that encourage anti-social behaviour.

2. Advertisers should not portray speed in a way that might encourage motorists to drive irresponsibly or to break the law.

3. Vehicles should not be depicted in dangerous or unwise situations in a way that would encourage irresponsible driving. Their capabilities may be demonstrated on a track or circuit provided it is clearly not in use on a public highway.

4. Care should be taken in cinema advertisements and those in electronic media where the moving image may give the impression of exceptional speed. In all cases where vehicles are shown in normal driving circumstances on the public road they should be seen not to exceed speed limits.

5. When making environmental claims for their products, advertisers should conform with the Appendix on Environmental Claims.(Appendix L)

6. Prices quoted should correspond to the vehicles illustrated. For example, it is not acceptable to feature only a top-of-the-range model alongside the starting price for that range.

7. Safety claims should not exaggerate the benefit to consumers. Advertisers should not make absolute claims about safety unless they hold evidence to support them

 

Thursday, 22 December 2011

You cannot imagine how much I want to work with this Organisation!

http://www.kraftfoodscompany.com/assets/pdf/kraft_foods_fact_sheet.pdf

Here are their Corporate Values...

Inspire trust

Act like owners

Keep it simple

Are open and inclusive

Tell it like it is

Lead from the head and the heart

Discuss, decide, deliver

I have always loved chocolates. It will truly be Charlie's Chocolate Factory!!

Friday, 14 October 2011

Appreciative Inquiry Techniques and Templates

Over the years of having spoken to and interviewed a large number of professionals as part of the research work I do before providing solutions, I have found the 5D system of Appreciative Inquiry a very powerful tool. 


AI is both a tool and a philoshopy. 


I have copied this from wikipedia (Link to wikipedia)

The following table illustrates how AI supporters describe some of the distinctions between Appreciative Inquiry and approaches to organisational development not based on what they call positive potential[7]:
Problem SolvingAppreciative inquiry
Felt need, identification of problem(s)Appreciating, valuing the Best of What Is
Analysis of CausesEnvisioning what might be
Analysis of possible solutionsEngaging in dialogue about what should be
Action Planning (treatment)Innovating, what will be
Appreciative Inquiry attempts to use ways of asking questions and envisioning the future in-order to foster positive relationships and build on the present potential of a given person, organisation or situation. Applied research has demonstrated that this method can enhance an organisation's internal capacity for collaboration and change.[8] Appreciative Inquiry utilises a cycle of 4 processes, which focuses on what it calls:
  1. DEFINE - Finding a positive view on the situation (Instead of defining it as a LOW budget, look at it as an opportunity to find value for money,  innovative solutions.) 
  2. DISCOVER: The identification of organizational processes that work well.
  3. DREAM: The envisioning of processes that would work well in the future.
  4. DESIGN: Planning and prioritizing processes that would work well.
  5.  DELIVER: The implementation (execution) of the proposed design.[9]
The basic idea is then to build - or rebuild - organisations around what works, rather than trying to fix what doesn't. AI practitioners endeavour to be convey this approach as the opposite of problem-solving, with a positive focus on how to increase exceptional performance instead of reactive remediation of skills and practices. AI assumes that this line of reasoning is motivational because organisational development work does not stop when a particular problem is solved but leads to continuous improvement. The method draws from stories of success in an attempt to create meaning.

In my websearch, i came across a fantastic site which has collated all the various types of positive questions we can use in various situations. 

I hope this entry helps you in your journey of becoming a stronger leader and a more empowered individual. 

Make today a GREAT DAY!