One major reason behind this could be ability to take risk amongst engineers is very less. One of my college commented that the very fact we are engineers shows that we don’t like any risks in life. But I think investing for higher gains doesn’t have to be coupled with high risk. There are a number of options available today that suit exactly the risk profile of a person. All it takes is a bit of effort to learn new things about finances and financial planning.

Know your risk profile:

The first thing to understand is your risk taking ability. Are you ready to lose and if so, how much? It is always safe to invest from the point of view that even if you lose all the money you invested, would you be able to continue your life normally? There are many online tools available that would help you understand your own risk profile. Some thing like this, but in your own currency might help : Risk Analyser

Diversify, not DiWorsefy:

Never put all the eggs in a single basket. Always treat these as investments and not as income. It is very easy to get lured by the fact that you potentially can make a lot of money. But it is also true that you potentially can make a lot of loss as well. So try and look for many options to invest and split your investments in all financial instruments you have chosen. At the same time, try not to invest in something you do not understand. If you don’t know what you are doing, you probably would end up unsuccessful, unless if you are very lucky!

Check them often:

Track your investments as often as possible. Make a round-up of all your investments and savings at least once a fortnight or a month. Try and learn if any of your investments have had bad news over the week. Based on your risk profile, assign a “stop loss” and get rid of that investment before it gets even worse.

Financial Advice:

In this Internet era, it is very easy to learn and gain knowledge and at the same time research new items. The same holds true for financial investments. Unless you are not very confident about yourself, you can handle your finances without any external advice. But if you want to seek professional advice there are a number of financial services companies and banks that deal with regular and one-off investments. Try and talk to them.

Finally, always look out for some interesting investment opportunities. There are enough around and it is just a matter of interest and a bit of effort to get your finances sorted.

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The software can be downloaded for free from www.blender.org. The website also has tons of useful material but for starters, i would recommend going through this short tutorial – Blender basic tutorial This gives an overview of the GUI and gets you started on using this brilliant tool.

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It would be surprising to know most engineers and scientists are introverts and shy. Many find it very hard to express themselves since they see most of the things to be very obvious. The fact is, not all people are sharp enough to understand the obvious and they expect us to communicate. Anyway, coming back to the lunch discussion, the best way to handle a situation like that is to be prepared with a list of topics to talk about and a few sentences or even jokes to get you started. There is nothing shameful in preparing for a lunch. After all, some lunches may determine if you would continue to get paid or not!

Whenever I go for a meal with some new Japanese colleagues, i tend to memorise a few funny lines and phrases in Japanese that would impress and amuse them and would get them talking to me more easily. Something like ” I am very poor at cooking but i am great at eating”. Of course the topic and the content would depend on the group you are going to meet.

To start a communication in a formal business setting, you might want to watch the weather forecast before hand and talk about what is predicted for the next few days. You can then compare how last summer was and how this summer is! Most of us generally need a starting point – once we start rolling, we might be able to gather pace quite easily.

In a semi-formal business lunch scenario, you might talk about your last trip to a holiday destination and how great it was. It would be great if you know where your customer is from and you can consider yourself lucky if you were on holiday to the same place.

Some people even talk about pets, climate change, economy, technology or about an upcoming gadget. It really depends on your interest and the other persons interests. One important point to note here is that, you need to analyse others response to your topics and change or tune them accordingly. With such basic ground work, business lunches need not be considered difficult at all. All the best!

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Donating Blood:

Blood donation is about helping the people who are in very bad need of a renewed life. It is about giving people an opportunity to get back to their normal life. There can be nothing noble when compared to giving someone a life to live. I used to donate blood in the past to a blood bank and i learnt that the blood will be disposed after 90 days if that is not used. After knowing this, i stopped donating blood to blood banks and would only donate if approached from hospitals asking for my particular blood group. I now realise how wrong i was.

Blood nowadays is not used in its original form. Instead it is divided into smaller components like Red Blood corpuscles, Blood platelets and plasma and they are used for treatment of various diseases. We all should remember that all hospitals take only what is medically accepted as allowed quantity to donate.So what we generally donate would just be the extra blood our body can really afford to loose. The donated blood regenerates in 8 weeks time so there is really nothing to worry about it.

Benefits of Blood Donation:

An unfortunate event can turn the donor to an acceptor and hence it is required for all of us to realise the importance of donating blood. The most important benefit to the blood donor is the feel good factor. The deep satisfaction of helping the community and saving some one’s life is something that is indescribable. Apart from these, there are a few health benefits as well that arise because of donating blood.

A study in the US showed that people who donate blood regularly have lesser risk of getting heart problems and cancer. The theory behind this is people who have very high iron content in their bloods are vulnerable to the formation of free radicals. These free radicals are the key for heart diseases and cancer. By donating blood regularly, the excess iron is taken out and that helps in reducing the formation of free radicals. Before donating blood, a GP would check the haemoglobin levels in the blood and would advise not to donate if the iron content is too low. So do not worry about loosing too much iron.

Preparation before donating blood:

There are a few precautions that need to be followed before donating blood. These are very simple steps that would ease the whole process.

• Drink Lots of water. It helps in not getting dehydrated.
• Eat Iron rich foods to maintain healthy haemoglobin levels. Have orange juice or other Vitamin C supplement. Vitamin C helps absorb iron faster. Maintaining the right iron levels is required for oxygen transport and cell respiration. So to be healthy you need the right amount of iron in the blood.
• Avoid foods that have too high fat content for a few days before donating.
• Have proper breakfast / meal with relatively high sugar content before donating blood.
• Relax and do not be nervous.

After donating blood:

• Feel happy to have made an effort to save some one’s life.
• Drink fruit juices or eat fruits. Have glucose supplement if available.
• Do not workout or do extensive exercise after donating.
• Some may feel very tired or even faint. Resting for a while (30 minutes or so) will make the body get back on track.

Donating blood is a very simple process and with the improvement of technology, we have completely safe and very very less painful needles and apparatus to collect blood. There is nothing to worry or be tensed about donating blood. If everyone of us can donate blood once in a year at least, then there will be enough blood in this world to save the needy. Go enrol yourself today. There isn’t a better time to start.

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Then i transferred myself from the international airport to the domestic airport to take my other flight to my home town, and believe it or not, the airport was to the same standards as any other airport in a developed country. Everything that one would expect in an airport in a developed country was available – from prams to wheelchairs and plenty of shops and cafes to entertain the travellers. If i didn’t just know that i am in India, i could have been easily fooled i was somewhere else – it felt really good!

That said, the system is not perfect in anyway. When i came out of the international airport, i was respectfully threatened to bribe – which i managed to speak my way out of. The airport has free transfers but the system is nowhere designed to be efficient. The coach stops wherever the  driver feels like and it is no where near compared to the safety that we enjoy in a developed nation. The domestic airport itself was tiny for the population and the flight departure gates resembled Oslo central bus station! (Not joking here)

But the bottom line is, India is growing and transforming ! It took many educated men and centuries for the developed countries to come up to the state they are in today and i think it is incredible for a developing country like India to follow suit of the developed countries and be able to do something  what they can do – in a span of few years. I was only hoping so far that the world would get better and be a much nicer place for ALL of us to live, but today i get a feeling that it is no more a mere hope!

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( The below list does not assume priority in the order of occurrence.)

1. Personality

When we look at great leaders this world has had in real life, they all have had an exceptional personality associated with them. The moment we look at them, we tend to get an urge to follow what they say and do what they ask us to do. Consider leaders like Barrack Obama, Sir Richard Branson, Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. All of the great leaders have a charisma associated with them that makes them stand tall than any other fellow being. Their personality helps connect followers on a emotional basis before they even know what they are capable of. Something similar to Love at First Sight.

2. Visionary

The next important aspect we discussed was being a visionary. If only the leader can see the future and guide the followers in the right direction he would still be considered a leader. This is a very important characteristic of any successful leader. If the leader cannot see where he is going, it is impossible to convince his followers that he knows the path. The vision of a good leader makes the team achieve what he has foreseen. A person with an excellent personality but with no vision will end up being a follower in the long term.

3. Listener/Observer

A real leader needs to be sharp. He/she should have toned all his/her senses to perfection that he/she should be able to sense even the slightest of changes in situation. One who is naturally sensitive to issues will definitely be a good listener and observer. Only if the leader listens to the needs of the followers and observes and understands them, he can make wise decisions on whom to trust and whom not to trust. Delegation is a another very important aspect of a successful leader. One cannot take up all things on his shoulder and be successful. If only a leader is sharp enough to delicate efficiently, he/she will have any chance to succeed.

4. Believer and Motivator

Listening is an important factor to be successful and so is self-belief. If a leader doesn’t believe in himself / herself then it is impossible to instill confidence on his/her fellow mates. So believing in himself / herself is the first step to becoming a successful leader. Motivation on the other hand will come quite naturally once there is self-belief. Motivation is also dependent on how good a listener and observer a leader is. Some people need more motivation than others and it is the duty of the leader to understand this just by observation and take relevant measures.

5. Team Player

The fifth most important attribute we listed was being a team player. Team player means working within the team to achieve a common goal that would satisfy the whole team. This also means giving up personal priorities and preferences for a bigger and a unified goal. Only when the leader works within the team, the followers will agree to follow his orders and would work as a team. The other benefit of the leader (with all the above mentioned qualities) being a team player is that the followers would want to be associated with such a person. They would give more than what is required just to remain in the team and to be associated with the leader.

These are not the only qualities a successful leader would need. Instead, these are the 5 most important ones that we felt a successful leader should have. Some successful leaders may not have all the qualities but might be intelligent enough to use the qualities they have to successfully conceal their negatives.

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The whole point of inventions were to make life easier. But it seems now we are living in a point in time where inventions are not based on necessity rather based on luxury. The economy of the world has taken over science and dictates what needs to be the next big invention.

It is no more left to the scientists to decide what they can invent, instead it is the venture capitalist who has the final word. If we were to live a life similar to that of 1950’s then we need to work for just 2 days a week. That was the idea behind creating machines to do the work for us. But now we try and create more and more machines – especially the ones that dictate luxury. Where would we stop?

I personally think there is no end to this. Every industry hires very talented business graduates and spend millions in making people believe that their next invention is the biggest necessity. Everyone in business is solely focused on making money. And the only way to make money is by selling their product. And the only way to sell their product is to make people feel it is very much necessary for their life. Peer pressure is another factor that businesses try and create. A latest gadget is a must though it would do almost the same job as its predecessor. They infuse this thought into every human to make sure their business gets going.

Almost all business nowadays go to great lengths of  lawfully destroying the world and claim to create a better one. The world is what nature has given us and humans are trying really hard to rewrite it with a new meaning. Does it make any sense to see 10000 sq. km. of the amazon rain forest  deforested every year to make this world better? The economy and politics that surrounds the world have made sure all the luxuries are perceived as necessities and have tried really hard to make us all prisoners of these new inventions. Decades ago, I don’t believe an average person would have spent a month without a car, a fortnight without electricity a week without gas and a day without all three. But we are not far away from the day where we say, we cannot spend a day without the television,game console, mobile phone, a PC – not all of them but just one of them.

The only final way out of this man made mess is when our civilisation collapses! That way the earth can give itself a fresh start – possibly a better one without humans.

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Be confident:

The first and foremost attribute required to become a more assertive person is confidence. To become more assertive, you first need to believe in you and should be more confident about what you know and what you say. Confidence helps boost self-esteem and has an automatic effect on body language. People always listen to a confident person than to a shy person. Try looking people in their eyes and hold your head high with you chin up when you talk to others. This shows that you are confident about what you are speaking.

Work on your personality:

How you look and talk helps in being assertive to others. Try and dress smart and work on your appearance before meetings. Always dress for the occasion. People listen more to well groomed and smart looking people when compared to their not-so-smart counterparts. In addition to your looks, having a clear and steady voice helps in portraying yourself to be assertive. Do not try to please the other party with a soft and smiling voice when not required. The unexpected happens all the time and never panic and stumble when put in a unforeseen situation. Try to maintain a calm voice and be concise and straight. Remember, everyone knows when you react. But they can only guess when you don’t.

Know the big picture:

To be assertive, you need to know what you want. Understanding the big picture and focusing on the end result helps in being assertive and getting your point through. It also helps to talk yourself out of a tricky situation. A successful negotiator always knows the target he is looking for and always try and emulate the successful personalities. If you are a shy person, try and be prepared with a few phrases and comments that can be used at situations to make you look more assertive.

Do not be over conscious:

Do not try and think how the others would grade you or judge you. This would not let you speak out or ask questions, even if you had a brilliant idea. Have a positive mindset and assume that everyone is going to appreciate what you ask and what you suggest. Try not to react based on the subtle body language feedback you receive from others.

Keep the emotions under check:

Being assertive has its own perils. When both parties are equally assertive, emotions are very high and situation tends to be very stressed. Always keep a check on anger and try not to vent it at the wrong time and at the wrong person. Try to maintain a poker face – a face that shows no reaction whatsoever.

In general, assertiveness should not be confused with pushiness. Assertiveness is more of a give and take when compared to being pushy. Assertiveness is about finishing a deal ideally with a win-win situation for both parties. It is not about winning a negotiation but winning it and still maintaining the relationship with the negotiator.

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Marketing is not just about selling a product. It can be very effective and useful in many other ways. Good marketing generates enough money for the company that can be invested further. The money can be spent on new products or to engineer the existing product to make it better. Marketing a skill or expertise is no different. We all love fame and money and the only way to achieve both is to effectively market ourselves. So how do we do it? What are the things to consider before marketing a product? I think, there are 3 basic requirements to consider.

1. Do you have a good product?

First thing to consider is that if you have a good product in hand. There are many products in this world that are just OK and sell like crazy. But none of them last long. To have long lasting success the product needs to be exceptional. Good and genuine products always require lesser marketing to be done than their not-so-good counterparts. Their quality speaks for themselves and hence before you market make sure you have a good product to sell. I think if the product is flawed there is no point in pursuing a marketing route – instead that time and effort can be spent in improving and upgrading the product. This is entirely true for marketing skills associated with a person. If the skills are not suitable enough for the current market there is no point in concentrating on preparing an excellent CV. Instead that time could usefully spent on building competence.

2. Do you have a market for the product?

The next most important aspect is whether there is enough market potential for the product. Recently i received an email from a fellow blogger saying even after writing more than 100 articles, his blog did not churn out enough visitors. He had spent hundreds of hours of effort on the website but had very less returns. He had also tried popularising his blogs in various methods but none of them really got him to a point where he can call it success. The problem here was he was in the wrong market. He had spent a lot of time on something that doesn’t have so much demand. He believes he has an excellent product but if there are no takers then there is no way he is going to sell it. So before you market it make sure this question returns an definite yes – or else you might have to repent later.

3. Does your product add any extra value?

The third and final question before marketing the product is if it adds extra value to life. This could be anything from making life easier to adding fun and enjoyment. Does it have a niche where competing products might not flair? If there is no extra value then it can be very easily replaced by another product in the near future. Providing exceptional value with a new idea also lets you to patent it and that deters competition. The only way to add value is to genuinely understand the needs of the market and to bundle it with the product. The product should make buyers feel that they are paying for something that is indeed worth paying for. This creates a huge customer base who would want to be repeat customers.

A recent study showed that more than 60% of the customers are likely to stick to a brand or a store if they had a successful experience the first time. So never miss an opportunity to impress the buyer the first time. If any of the three questions here returned a no, then it is time to get back to the drawing board and do some serious thinking on how to fix the problem. Satisfying these criteria definitely helps build a brand – one that can survive for many years to come.

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