Solving a problem involves a number of cognitive activities:

• ascertaining what the problem really is
• identifying the true causes of your problem and the opportunities for reaching your goal
• generating creative solutions to the problem
• evaluating and choosing the best solution, and
• implementing the best solution, then monitoring your actions and their results to ensure the problem is solved successfully

Clearly, problem solving isn’t a one-step process. Your success will depend on whether you approach and implement each of the stages effectively. The best way to do this is to use a well-established, systematic problem-solving model.

The six steps of problem solving

Problems vary widely, and so do their solutions. Sometimes a problem and its solution are clear, but you don’t know how to get from point A to point B. At other times, you may find it hard to define what’s wrong or how to fix it. Regardless of what a problem is, you can use a six-step problem-solving model to address it. This model is highly flexible and can be adapted to suit various types of problems. It also comes with a flexible set of tools to use at each step. The model is designed to be followed one step at a time, but you may find that some stages don’t require as much attention as others. This will depend on your unique situation.

The steps in the problem-solving model are as follows:

1. Define the problem – Defining the problem is a crucial step that involves digging deeper to identify what it is that needs to be solved. The more clearly a problem is defined, the easier you’ll find it to complete subsequent steps. A symptom is a phenomenon or circumstance that results from a deeper, underlying condition. It’s common to mistake symptoms for problems themselves – and so to waste a lot of time and effort on tackling consequences of problems instead of their causes. To define a problem, you can use gap analysis, which involves comparing your current state to the future state you want to be in, to identify the gaps between them.
2. Analyze the problem – You decide what type of problem it is – whether there’s a clear barrier or circumstance you need to overcome, or whether you need to determine how to reach a goal. You then dig to the root causes of the problem, and detail the nature of the gap between where you are and where you want to be. The five-why analysis is a tool that’ll help you get to the heart of the problem. Ask “Why?” a number of times to dig through each layer of symptoms and so to arrive at the problem’s root cause. You can get to the root of a more complicated problem using a cause-and-effect diagram. A cause is something that produces an effect, result, or consequence – or what contributed to the current state of affairs. Categories of causes include people, time, and the environment.
3. Identify as many potential solutions as you can – Brainstorm creatively – ask lots of questions about the who, what, where, when, and how of the causes to point to various possibilities. Don’t limit yourself by considering practicalities at this stage; simply record your ideas.
4. Choose the best solution – In evaluating your ideas, more options could present themselves. You could do this by rating each possible solution you came up with in step 3 according to criteria such as how effective it will be, how much time or effort it will take, its cost, and how likely it is to satisfy stakeholders.
5. Plan of action – During this step, you determine what steps must be taken, designating tasks where necessary. And you decide on deadlines for completing the actions and estimate the costs of implementing them. You also create a contingency plan in case of unforeseen circumstances so that if anything goes wrong with your plan, you have a “plan B” in place. Typically, this stage involves narrowing down the possible ways to implement the solution you’ve chosen, based on any constraints that apply. You also should draw up an action plan. The complexity of the plan will depend on the situation, but it should include the who, what, and when of your proposed solution.
6. Implement the solution – This is an ongoing process. You need to ensure the required resources remain available and monitor progress in solving the problem; otherwise, all the work you’ve done might be for nothing.

Remember that this model is highly adaptable. Although you shouldn’t skip any of the six steps, you can tailor the amount of time you spend on each stage based on the demands of your unique situation.

The six-step problem-solving model, and the tools it provides, is an effective, systematic approach to problem solving. By following each step consciously, you can ensure that generating solutions is a fact-driven, objective, and reliable process. It encourages you to dig deeper to the root cause, allows you to get input from others, to be creative when finding solutions, and to monitor your solutions to make sure they’re working. So by following this model you’re more likely to come up with good, original, lasting solutions.

To solve problems effectively, you need to use a good problem-solving model. The six-step model is a tried-and-tested approach. Its steps include defining a problem, analyzing the problem, identifying possible solutions, choosing the best solution, planning your course of action, and finally implementing the solution while monitoring its effectiveness.

Networking with new contacts

There are three stages to the process of making a connection at a networking event. First, you have to initiate contact. Second, you need to make appropriate conversation that shows that you’re genuinely interested in getting to know the other person. Third, you have to be able to close the conversation naturally, so you can move on and meet new contacts.

Initiating contact

Many people find the first stage the most difficult. This is when you have to either start a conversation with a stranger or break into a conversation with strangers. It can be very challenging to start a conversation with a person you don’t know who’s reserved and quiet, and it can be intimidating to try to break into an already animated discussion. But if you take the right approach, your initial contact will appear confident and natural.

Taking the right approach to initiating contact means following some basic guidelines. The first thing is to come prepared for conversation. You should have already thought up some possible conversation topics beforehand. A second tip is to be on the lookout for someone alone with no conversation partner. Third, be the first to greet others and have an introduction to yourself ready. Finally, use a proper handshake.

There are several guidelines for initiating contact:

• come prepared for conversation – Before the event, try to come up with a number of generic questions to encourage others to engage in conversation. For example, you could ask people if they’ve attended the event before, or if they live or work nearby. You could also find out about any special attractions in the area where the event is being held and use this knowledge to spark conversation.
• look for someone alone – Remember that other people may feel just as awkward as you do when it comes to starting conversations with strangers. Look for people who haven’t found a conversation partner yet – they’ll appreciate the effort you make to start a conversation.
• be first to greet others – It’s essential that you take a proactive attitude at networking events. Instead of waiting for others to introduce themselves, take the initiative and be the first to say “hello.” Before the event, prepare a short introduction about yourself that you can use when greeting others. Your self-introduction is important in creating a positive first impression. Don’t just mention your job title – try to give a brief but interesting description of what you actually do.
• use a proper handshake – Whenever you greet a new contact, make sure to use a firm handshake lasting two to three seconds. Remember to smile, and maintain eye contact with the other person while shaking hands.

But not all opportunities to initiate contact are one-on-one. You may have to join a conversation between members of a group. Some people may feel uncomfortable entering a conversation already in progress. They might fear they’ll make an inappropriate remark, or ruin the group dynamics. However, by choosing the right time and group, you’ll be able to gracefully break into a group conversation.

The first step is to identify a group that interests you. If you recognize a member of your network talking to a group of people, you’re more likely to have something in common with that group. You could then have your contact introduce you to this group. You might also identify a group to join by unobtrusively listening to the participants’ conversation. Focus on groups where the conversation is upbeat and informal, and where they’re talking about something relevant to you. When you’ve identified a group you’d like to join, try to make eye contact with someone in the group. Once you’ve established eye contact, smile, move closer to the group, and nod your head to acknowledge any interesting points you agree with. This body language will alert members of the group that you’re interested in participating in the conversation. Having gained the group’s attention, you then have to pick your timing carefully. Speaking over someone may cause offense, so keep listening until there’s a natural break in the conversation. As soon as there’s a pause, you can follow up on the previous speaker by making a positive comment, or by asking an easy-to-answer question. Once you get a response to your question, move in closer to join the group, introduce yourself, and continue with the conversation.

Making conversation

Having initiated contact, the second stage in the process of making a potential networking contact is to make conversation. Making conversation comes naturally to some people, while others may feel uncomfortable, or unable to think of anything to say. However, with the proper preparation, you’ll be better able to make conversation that sounds effortless and confident.

Here are some pointers to help you when making conversation at a networking event. Use small talk effectively to build rapport with other people. Listen to what others have to say, and respond appropriately to make a connection with them. Discuss neutral topics, and avoid speaking too long with the same person.

Closing the conversation

The third stage in the process of making a connection with a potential network contact is closing the conversation appropriately. You may want to leave a conversation if the topic is of little interest to you, or if you want to speak to another contact. But how do you exit a conversation without causing offense to your current conversation partner? With the right approach, you can leave a conversation on a positive note.

To exit a conversation tactfully, you should prepare an exit strategy in advance. One way is to introduce someone new into the conversation. Don’t make up a lie to get out of the conversation. And before moving on, remember to give the new contact your business card.

There are three stages in the process of making a connection with a potential network contact: initiating the contact, making conversation, and closing the conversation. All stages can be challenging for some, but there are easy-to-follow principles that can be applied at each stage. By following these basic principles, you can make the process run smoothly. As a result, you’ll be able gain many good contacts at all kinds of networking events.

As adults, we have to rely on our ability to negotiate to get what we want or need. There are many ways to win at negotiation, but they needn’t be at the expense of others. In addition to gaining what you want – more money or a better price, for example – there are benefits to building a relationship through negotiation.

Negotiation can reveal previously hidden opportunities for both sides:

• in cases of conflicts inside an organization, negotiation can strengthen the structural links that exist between people and departments, and
• in cases of negotiation between organizations, each side may discover that the other has useful strengths or resources and that both can benefit from an exchange or partnership

While negotiation is an ideal strategy for handling conflict, there are some non-productive ways of dealing with conflict that should be avoided. These include denial, escalation to a higher authority, capitulation, and passive-aggressive behaviour.

Types of negotiation

These two approaches align more or less with the two main types of negotiation:

• Distributive – Distributive negotiation is a way of dividing up a single, fixed quantity where a gain to one side results in a loss to the other. While both sides may benefit from the deal, one side will definitely benefit more than the other.
• Integrative – Integrative negotiation involves a more collaborative approach, where both sides work together in the hopes of achieving the greatest possible benefit for both sides.

Even in a negotiation where there’s direct competition between the two sides, there are often opportunities for collaboration. It’s rare to find a negotiation that’s purely distributive or purely integrative. Most fall somewhere in between, but it’s important to understand each type on its own.

Distributive negotiation is often referred to as “zero-sum” negotiation. Its goal is the acquisition of value. At the end of the negotiation, the person who can claim the most value is the winner.

Distributive negotiation is often used in situations where there’s a single, fixed issue to be negotiated, and where the greatest concern is getting the best possible value. You may have thought of situations such as buying an expensive item such as a car or a house, or perhaps bartering a price for an antique.

A key difference between the two types of negotiation is how information is handled in distributive negotiation. In distributive negotiation, the goal is to withhold as much information as possible, putting the other side at a disadvantage. It’s also important to try to find out as much information as you can about the other side, to create a greater advantage for yourself.

In distributive negotiation, future relationships are not a priority. In a purely distributive negotiation, you’ll likely never meet with your negotiating opponent again. Your relationship with this person is typically the farthest thing from your mind.

In purely integrative negotiation, both sides cooperate to achieve the greatest benefit. This type of negotiation requires that you be good at both creating value and claiming it. Your goal is to create as many options with as much value as possible for both sides. And then you need to claim the best value for yourself among the options you’ve helped create. This can result in both sides getting exactly what they want, but in most cases it requires that each side compromise slightly to get what it values the most.

So instead of trying to get the biggest piece of the pie, or focusing on a single issue, you consider other options – other types of value. The more options you have, the more likely you’ll be able to claim value in the negotiation. Parties in integrative negotiations seek creative options rather than focusing on which concessions to make.

Unlike in distributive negotiation, to be successful at integrative negotiation, you need to share information. There are several ways negotiators can do this:

• discuss key issues related to their situation, including why they want to make a deal and what their real interests are, as well as their business constraints
• be up-front about their preferences among options and issues, and
• reveal any additional resources or capabilities that match the other side’s interests

Selecting the right negotiation type

There are pros and cons for each type. The most common analogy for these two types of negotiations is the pie. In the case of distributive negotiation, the pie represents the whole of what’s available, and each side fights to get as much of it as possible. Integrative negotiation looks to enlarge the pie so that both sides get what they need.

Integrative negotiation may seem to be the weaker of the two types. After all, distributive negotiation is about going after what you want while protecting what you have, whereas integrative negotiation requires negotiators to consider the interests of the other side. However, integrative negotiation isn’t negotiating from a position of weakness, but is rather a way to create and claim value. It says “Let’s work together on this. We’ll both benefit, but here’s what I want out of the deal.”

Most negotiations should be handled using an integrative approach, as it has more potential for creating lasting agreements and relationships. There will, however, always be negotiations in which a distributive approach will yield results, and it can also play a part in an integrative negotiation, when appropriate.

Conflict in business is unavoidable. In fact, business is built on the premise of competition between the various players – buyers are looking for the best price, and sellers are looking to make a profit. In order to survive in this environment, negotiation is essential. There are two main types of negotiation: distributive and integrative. In distributive negotiation, a gain by one side represents a loss to the other. The practitioners of this type of negotiation act accordingly. Integrative negotiation, on the other hand, involves collaboration and uses creative ways for both sides to benefit.

Develop a vision

Without a vision, you may end up bumping along in a dead-end job or a series of jobs that are ultimately disappointing. If you have a vision though, you can aim for specific jobs and work responsibilities, which can act like stepping stones that will get you where you want to go.

Your vision becomes your overarching career goal. So when you create your vision, be sure to keep these important details in mind:

• Be true to yourself and keep in mind your values, interests, lifestyle aspirations, strengths and weaknesses, and your personal attributes.
• Don’t get overly committed to a specific job or path. Your circumstances will change over time, and you’ll change too as you live your life and experience new things.
• Don’t get bogged down in details. Stay focused on larger goals and don’t sweat the small stuff.

When you think about your future, you may ask yourself some questions to stimulate your thinking:

• Is there a particular topic or activity that I enjoy?
• Is there a specific job that attracts me?
• Is there an industry that I’d like to investigate?

It’s a good idea to do some market research to make sure your dream job actually exists. And, you want to find the industry or market where you can fulfill your vision most efficiently. Begin with your current organization and think in broad terms about which areas might have a need for your skills. Think about how your strengths fit within those areas and what kinds of problems you could help the organization resolve. Consider whether changes are coming along that might impact your vision.

If you don’t think you’d be able to fulfill your vision in your current market, research other markets. Use any and all resources for information. The Internet is particularly helpful. You may also have or want to get started building a network of contacts with whom you can share career information.

Create an action plan

An action plan is a detailed outline of the goals and objectives you must meet in order to achieve your overall vision. When you make your action plan, it’s much easier to break the time frame into manageable chunks, and work from the end point backwards. Nobody can plan 15 years into the future – there are too many variables to consider. But you can certainly plan for where you want to be a year from now.

In many respects, action planning is similar to the performance appraisal process. You figure out where you want to be or what you want to be doing a year from now to be on track with your career goal. Then you establish shorter term goals and objectives that will get you there.

If you don’t set goals and objectives, you’ll lose track of your progress. Goals and objectives enable you to check off the qualifications you need as you acquire them. You achieve a sense of progress that can sustain you over the long haul and motivate you to continue on your path. Your short-term goals and objectives are established to correct deficiencies in your skill and knowledge levels. Some deficiencies represent gaps in knowledge. The solution to knowledge deficiencies is training. Other deficiencies represent gaps in experience. You can only correct experience deficiencies with actual experience.

Set a time line

Setting a time line is something you can do at the same time you make your action plan. The time line is what sets an action plan apart from a simple “to do” list. People respond to target dates; they don’t like to exceed them. So assigning dates to actions helps to ensure the actions will be attended to in the desired time.

People change over time. The environment changes and priorities shift. Unless you revise your action plan to correspond with your personal changes, the plan ceases to be a useful tool and becomes a relic. To avoid this fate, you should include “Evaluate action plan” as an objective on the plan and give it an estimated time of completion.

After you’ve evaluated your situation and you have a full inventory of your values, needs, strengths, and weaknesses, you need to pull it all together and develop your career plan. You can do this in three steps: develop a vision of the future, create an action plan, and establish a time line for your development plan.

 Stop Marketing and Start Engaging   

 By Dr Manu N.Kulkarni,

 Professor Emeritus, Global Institute for Corporate Education, Bangalore.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has now become a buzz word and many corporate uses it as PR tool to build their image as a Socially Responsible enterprise and most of the time it ends up as a marketing tool. In the words of Prof Colin Crouch of Warwick University CSR is all “noise”   and little substance in it. But this is not true in a broader context.   Triple Bottom line (TBL) and CSR are now the buzz words in the corporate gatherings. Mr Scott Stratten in his book “UN Marketing” says “If all business is built on relationships, then no matter your enterprise, building good relationships is your business. UN marketing supplies you with a wining approach to stop ineffective marketing and put relationships first – then reap the long term high quality growth that follows.” Corporate bodies have basically five responsibilities – one to the investors and money lenders, second to the value creators like the customers, employees, third to the physical environment where the corporate work and operate, fourth to the local’s good health, education employment and well being and finally for the political health of the societies like human rights protection and fair treatment of locals.  In the words of one International NGO “CSR is now emerging as a burgeoning business seen as a vital tool in promoting and improving the public image of some of the worlds largest companies and corporations.”

There is now need for CSR to be  reoriented more towards  engagement  with the Human Development than with stakeholders and shareholders or promoting just Triple Bottom lines like profits, planet and people. Among the three Ps  People are the most critical stakeholders and the future of a country or a region or the Enterprise has to develop first its people in terms of talent and capabilities. The recent reports on India’s  poor track record in nutrition of children, poor schools leading to drop outs and  poor learning , lack of concern  for girls as seen from adverse sex ratios in many rich States like Punjab and Haryana  and overall poor record of Human Development indices, are all very disappointing. This despite the booming Indian economy and many Corporate Leaders are entering the list of World Billionaires. The recent HUNGaMA report (Hunger and Malnutrition)   and the reports of Citizens Alliance against Malnutrition have highlighted the problems of malnourished children across the country. These stunted children would one day add to the labour force which would be stunted also.  We need to start hungama against our malnourished children. We have umpteen State sponsored feeding programmes like Noon Meals in schools and “Bisi Uoota”  and ISKON sponsored School feeding programmes in Karnataka and elsewhere are feeding  1.5 million school children daily and the food contains butter milk , banana and pongal – simple but nutritious . This is a great achievement. But look at the corporate agency – the Nandi Foundation in collaboration with Britannia Biscuits have started adding iron fortified   Tiger Biscuits to feed the kids in the school and end malnutrition. According to Down to Earth Columnist Latha Jishnu “Biscuits are snacks full of additives like emulsifiers raising agents, and synthetic food colors and one is not sure how these biscuits are made by outsourced agents of Britannia which is now outsourcing the bulk of its production” (Down to Earth Feb 15 2012)   Over the years it has been proved by many Nutritionists ( e.g National Institute of Nutrition) that fortified Biscuits or snacks or ready to eat food are not superior to leafy vegetables or pulses and legumes. These are less costly and are locally available and manyAnganwadiCentersorChildFeedingCentershave successfully used such foods in their feeding programmes.    It is here where the corporate sector has to show some innovative ways of pushing the “nourishment” among the growing kids. But unfortunately many CSR inspired feeding programmes have not helped. Many Global players like Bill Gates Foundation and Global Alliance for Nutrition and so on have putting in lot of their “Marketing Skills” in fighting malnutrition but their outcomes are not visible. HarvestPlus , a research group, breeds staple crops with extra nutrients and distribute the bio-fortified  seeds. It released a vitamin A-rich cassava inNigeriain 2011. This year it will bring Vitamin A rich maize corn toZambiaand iron rich beans toIndia. (See The Economist Feb 18, 2012) Instead of tiger biscuits such fortified foods are better for kids to be provided in their noon meals programme. ISKON has done a great job in their Akshaya patra programme in Karnataka. Some corporate can collaborate with them..

The best way is to work in a defined geographical area like a District with high levels of  malnourished children over a period of time like three years or five years   and benchmark them out  and show the world how CSR has worked  in fighting malnutrition among children in that District. This would be something like Corporate Childhood Responsibility (CCR) at its best .At present there is no dialogue among the State Level Bureaucrats and the corporate leaders in designing and implementing Human Development Strategies starting from childhood to skilled-educated-adulthood

Similarly the famous PRATHAM Education Foundation Report by entrepreneur-turned educationist Mr Madhav Chavan has revealed that the industry now is not concerned with school certificates for employment but have started their own textbook independent Employment Eligibility Tests at different levels regardless of the number of years the applicant has spent in school as long as she/he is above 18 years.  This will be negating the preschool and primary school concept and will not help the emerging talent. The PRATHAM’s Annual Status of Education Report,   popularly called  as ASER Report  of 2011 has found  that Government schools are lagging behind private schools in parameters like learning levels and poor teaching skills and even attendance . We have now Right to Education ACT and this gives Corporate Sector to do more for schooling the emerging young kids particularly in the remote rural areas in the country. According

to National Innovation Foundation and Honey Bee network Founder Prof Anil Gupta “Maybe children in bigger places are being groomed to run this country, while the ones in smaller towns with bigger minds and hearts will generate enterprises, trigger new ideas and thus unfold creative resistance” (See his  write up on creative children Governance Now,   February 1-15, 2012, New Delhi) Corporate world has now  a challenging field to show their engagement with Human Development issues in defined Districts and geographical areas. This requires a high level of engagement of the corporate entities with the Government and Stake holders and just not marketing of their CSR brand. If the Industries are concerned with talent – for innovation for entrepreneurship and for the economy to grow such short cuts do not help neither the industry nor the nation nor the emerging talent inclusive growth strategies.

Indiais now an emerging nation with young work force and Gen Y is out beating Gen X and this workforce has to be productive, it has to be educated and skilled workforce and not just a workforce. Many corporate groups like Azim Premji Foundation and  others have floated Educational Enterprises like   Private  Universities which is laudable but talent building has to begin with the growing   childhood(School age)  and not at the adulthood.(post school age)

Here  again the corporate  sector has to work in defined pockets of  poor learning and high drop out of kids from the school because of  poor teaching and  poor infrastructure Over several decades  India ‘s BMRU ( Bihar ,M.P., Rajasthan ,UP) pocket was known for   poor record of Human Development Index and in this BMRU   pocket CSR has not made any impact , except for running schools in the Factories of  leading Manufacturing Companies for their large work force but not for  bypassed children of the neighboring hamlets and villages.

To conclude the corporate sector should pursue Human Development Strategies by engaging with the stakeholders and needy groups and partner with grassroots governance institutions like District/Village Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies over a period of time to tackle Human Development problems like WASH (Water, Sanitation and Health)

Education, Nutrition and entrepreneurial spirit among the Gen Y.

References:

1)      “Of Growth, Gains and Gaps” – A Profile of Human Development Indicators   UNICEF, New DelhiFeb 2011

2)      Gopalan Balgopal , Needed More Hungama  over Malnutrition, The Hindu , Feb 20, 2012

3)      How our Schools are Faring – The GovernanceNow, New Delhi February 15, 2012.

4)      Latha Jishnu , “ Tiger Takes the Biscuit”  Down to Earth, Feb 1-15, 2012,New Delhi

According to one dictionary definition, negotiation is “discussing or bargaining in order to reach agreement.” Most people have experience with some form of negotiation, although they may not realize it. It can be as minor as exchanging trading cards, as mundane as haggling over the price of paper products for the office, or as exciting and stressful as purchasing your first home. Regardless of what form it takes, negotiation is something we all take part in at one time or another.

If done well, negotiation can strengthen the relationship between parties and lead to a deeper understanding and respect – which is especially important if a long-term relationship is desirable.

Benefits of negotiating well

By developing your negotiation skills, you’ll

• Sharpen your focus – The first benefit of being able to negotiate is that it can sharpen your focus on what you want. As with most things, preparation is more than half the battle. Negotiating forces you to examine your position in a way you ordinarily might not. If you look at your position from the other person’s point of view, you may discover things that cause you to modify or refine your goals. As a result, you may be able to communicate more clearly what you want.
• Satisfy your needs – The second benefit of negotiation is satisfying your needs. In a successful negotiation, your needs and the needs of the other party aren’t mutually exclusive – in fact, they should be tied to each other. You may not always get exactly what you want, but by working in a collaborative fashion, you will at the very least walk away with your needs satisfied.
• Improve your relationships – The third benefit of negotiation is improving your relationships with others. This benefit is often overlooked – in fact, many people don’t consider it a part of negotiation. The old adage “strength in numbers” is particularly appropriate in negotiation. By working together in a spirit of cooperation, both sides are able to achieve things that wouldn’t be possible in isolation.

Five actions for negotiating

There are five actions that can help you negotiate successfully:

• Preparing well – In order to prepare well, you must consider the negotiation from three perspectives. You must consider yourself, the other person you are negotiating with, and the marketplace.
• Setting goals and limits – You should document your goals, because it allows you to consider them in a concrete format, which makes them seem real. Setting limits enables you to identify where your cutoff point is. If you don’t have a walk away position, you put yourself in danger of not only failing to achieve your goals, but also of losing what you currently have.
• Communicating clearly – Listen carefully. Slow down, take a moment to absorb what you’ve learned, and think about the implications. Many people fail to do this. They continue to plow ahead and only later realize what they missed or misunderstood. Take notes during the negotiation. Not only does this force you to slow down, but the act of writing down what you’ve just heard may help you absorb it more effectively. You’ll also have the notes to refer back to at a later date. Also, speaking clearly is the key to effective communication.
• Controlling your emotions – Controlling your emotions prevents you from doing or saying things that might place the negotiation in jeopardy. Controlling your emotions is easier when you know what might upset you or cause you to stumble. Be prepared for these situations.
• Closing the negotiation – Regrouping can give you a chance to get out of a corner you’re being forced into and develop strategies for dealing with certain kinds of tactics. It also allows you time to cool off and not make any hasty decisions. Listening and clearly stating your position are also important for a successful close to a deal.

Negotiation is a process that enables both parties to achieve, through discussion and compromise, a mutually acceptable objective. Participants benefit from negotiation by increasing their focus, satisfying their needs, and improving their relationships with others. There are five actions you must take if you hope to have a successful negotiation: prepare well, set goals and limits, communicate clearly, control your emotions, and close the deal.

The Bosch Group is one of the world’s biggest private industrial corporations. Headquartered in Germany, Bosch has 283,500 employee’s worldwide and about 350 subsidiaries and regional companies around the world.

In India, Bosch is a leading supplier of technology and services, and has a strong presence in the country at different locations in diverse industry segments.

Bosch set up its manufacturing operations in 1953, and has grown over the years to 14 manufacturing sites and 3 development centres. Bosch employs about 22500 associates in India, and in business year 2010 achieved total consolidated revenue of over 6630 crores.

Founded in 1951, Bosch Limited is India’s largest auto component manufacturer and also one of the largest Indo – German companies in India. The company generated net sales of Rs. 6630 crores in 2010. The Bosch Group holds 71.18% stake in Bosch Limited.

Bosch Limited has a strong nationwide service network which spans across 1,000 towns and cities with over 5,000 authorized representations to ensure widespread availability of both products and services. The company is headquartered in Bangalore, where we visited, with manufacturing facilities at Bangalore, Naganathapura (near Bangalore), Nashik, Jaipur and Goa.

Bosch Limited manufactures and trades in all the three major business sectors of Bosch. Details below -

Automotive Technology
Business divisions: Diesel and Gasoline Fuel Injection Systems, Car Multimedia Systems, Auto Electricals and Accessories, Starters and Generators, Energy and Body Systems.

Industrial Technology
Business divisions: Packaging Machines, Special Purpose Machines

Consumer Goods and Building Technology
Business divisions: Power Tools, Security Systems

This was a very good learning experience for us, as we had an opportunity to visit a manufacturing plant and visibly see some of the processes.

This was a very good learning experience for us, as we had an opportunity to visit a manufacturing plant and visibly see some of the processes.  of shares of a Fortune 500 company are held by a non-profit foundation, what does it speak of the values of the company? Perhaps that is why Bosch is on the Fortune list of most admired companies. While the Robert Bosch Stiftung or Foundation manages the world wide Bosch philanthropic activities, the Bosch India Foundation is the torch-bearer of the social activities of Bosch in India. We also learnt that Bosch India has been the number 1 company for training its employees.
Ultimately, the working of Bosch reflected in one of its core values, i.e. a good idea will solve a problem. A brilliant one solves a whole lot more.

Submitted By: Anushree Shanbhag

Jansi shares her experience regarding the interactive session MBA students had with Mr. Sabu Joseph. Mr. Sabu Joseph, is the only Indian Consultant with JMJ Associates, a global consulting firm specializing in enterprise transformation. He is a specialist on leadership development & organizational transformation. He consults for giant MNCs like Shell, ExxonMobil, and Chevron. Mr. Joseph has facilitated corporate social responsibility conversation with corporates & groups. He has co- founded and is part of a NGO, ‘DREAM SCHOOL FOUNDATION’ which strives to make a happy childhood for under privileged children through education.

When I came to know that, we will be having an interactive session with Sabu Sir, I thought it will be a monotonous lecture. But, when our session started, I instantly knew that this is something different. He taught as about organizational transformation. He started the session by telling us the three different ways of participation i.e. like a “prisoner” or “tourist” or “partner”. He told us the difference between ‘BEING & DOING’. Being is related to our heart that is making relationship with our dreams whereas doing is the way we do our things according to our brain.

JFK’s declaration of independence, explains how relationships lead to possibility and that creates opportunity that will lead to action and will ultimately take us to accomplishment. If you are ready to change it gives you improvement. We should realize that we are a part of a bigger game plan and not a nut or bolt of a machine; therefore we should have a bigger context. It is only then, the content will follow.

The process of transformational thinking goes as follows:

It starts from BEING, to DOING & finally HAVING. This is also called as wishful thinking and it creates a lot of possibilities of growth.

Sabu Sir also told us that it is a tendency of people to get Defensive instead of converse, wherein the case should be just the exact opposite. We should continuously adopt something called as “Already, always listening” which is a kind of open listening.

Tunnel vision is a defensive way of behaving and is not result – oriented. As a result we miss the big picture. Hence, our perception is not always real. Perception leads to actions and it will show results.
It has given me great pleasure in writing this article about Mr. Sabu Joseph and I’m glad I was a part of this interactive session wherein I learnt many new as well as important concepts that are a necessity in the corporate world today.

About the Author
Jansi A is a Second Year MBA Professional (Batch 2010-2012)

Ramesh Kumar Gupta shares his interaction experience with Dr. Rajesh Nair, Professor& Head of the Department of MBA at Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology, Bangalore during the orientation programme session for first year MBA students of GICE.

Before switching over to academics, Dr. Rajesh Nair served as the Business Development Manager of HOTLINE Computer, AJMAN, UAE. He also worked as a Business Consultant of Index Group of Companies, UAE.

The first thing which comes to my mind when i think of him is that he is a true professional. I remember the time, when he came to our class. His session started with a discussion on the various managerial skills such as Technical, Interpersonal and Conceptual skills. And then he started discussing about perceptual process, behaviour and value system. He told everyone that if anybody wants to be a successful manager, five things are very important. The five things are men, money, machine, material, and methods. He told that freedom is a psychological feeling.

The session was very interactive. Everyone in the room was excited to ask him questions. During the classes, he always had a personal anecdote to share this helped us to understand the topic better. And he talked about team building, and he told that team work always put one in a winning position. He told that too many expectations lead to misery. So give personal space to everybody and create a win – win situation. He said that one should never expect instant miracles. Always give people around you a chance to perform. He also added that gossiping leads to isolation. He showed a video clipping to prove the point. Rajesh Sir stayed back in the class along with us and he enquired about our background and what each one of us studied in his or her graduation. He made us to believe that what one believes, may not always be correct. He said that arrogance is not confidence. There would always be temptations and one needs to work on them.

About the Author
Ramesh Kumar Gupta is a First Year MBA Professional (Batch 2011-2013)

Saumil Majumdar the founder director of Sport Village, he is personally engaged with over 100,000 children’s, 50,000 parents and over 200 schools in the sports context over the last decade. He is an alumnus of IIT Mumbai and Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.

He played a key role in linking partnership between sports consults and the world’s leading marketers and media networks. With his deep skill set, the company has built strong relationship with sponsors, media, the government, federations, sports associations and athletes, and has a strong presence across the country.

The class started with cross introduction of each student, which was crucial for understanding everyone and developing fondness among one another. It was an informal class and the topic was shifted to team building, the students were divided into three groups, resembling various departments of an organization, like Human resource management (HRM), Marketing department and Sales department. Through this group exercise we mainly came to know each other well and come to understand how to perform in the group. Group work is essential in an organization, and if yes then how to work in a group and perform better. His classes were based on developing individuals enthusiasm and to bring out the creativity among each student. Each group was given a particular situation and they have to find solutions to that. We had our good time learning about how to interact in a group and how to face uncertain situations. We also had a rapid fire questioning round relating to the task that has been completed by us.

All the groups performed good in respect to their confidence and presentation on stage. I personally feel that through this class I gained a lot of self confidence, and his class were enthusiastic till the end.

And in the end he said that “Experience taught me a few things. One is to listen to your gut, no matter how good something sounds on paper. The second is that you’re generally better off sticking with what you know. And the third is that sometimes your best investments are the ones you don’t make. The best reason to start an organization is to make meaning – to create a product or service to make the world a better place.

To conclude I would say that the time spent with Saumil Majumdar were priceless and his suggestions were appreciated by all of us. Throughout his class we got to learn about team work, building personality and developed interpersonal skill. I strongly feel that we as human being are living in a society and are dependent on each other thus we should know about team work and how to live in a group, because it doesn’t matter where we work but the thing that matters is how we work individually and in a group with others.

About the Author
Aadil khan is a Second Year MBA Professional (Batch 2010-2012)