Constructive feedback is focused on pointing out things that the person does well and areas where he or she can improve. This is an essential part of a healthy personal or professional relationship. Giving constructive feedback is as much an art as it is science.
As Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, had said it takes humility to seek feedback and wisdom to understand it, analyze it and appropriately act on it.
Our words have value when we do as promised. They have value when we communicate if we cannot do as promised. They have less value when we do something other that what we promise.
So simple yet we have miscommunication so often. Sometimes we get carried away and promise too much too soon. Other times we promise too much to save face, not disappoint the other party, or just have a habit of speaking a lot. Words have power when we communicate wisely.
We see new ventures come and go. Some new businesses start out with a bang. They launch competitions, giveaways, raffles…you name it. Yet, only a few businesses make it. That’s the reality.
Best to be consistent in delivering. Delivering on your promise. Delivering on your customers. Delivering to stay relevant to your audience.
ICT Startup & Innovation Mela 2019 will be totally based on technological inventions, students’ projects, and startups’ idea and innovation. The title sponsor for ICT Startup & Innovation Mela 2019 is Fusemachines Nepal. For more details, visit
https://www.facebook.com/livingwithict/ or http://www.livingwithict.com/
I’m very excited to share with you something that I have been working on for a while: a podcast. Here’s an episode from my podcast “The Nirmal Thapa Show.” For this episode, I had a conversation with Giovanni Patrick, founder of The Dare Tactic where we talked about entrepreneurs, art, and working with a mission.
In our Nepali culture, we give utmost priority to relationships and always want to be in “good terms” with our colleagues, elders, relatives etc. In the professional setting, we often lean on the positive side when we provide feedback so we do not offend others, play it safe to avoid a possible confrontation, maintain the current relationship we have, among others.
But with this approach of providing only or mostly positive feedback, are we really helping the person, the team or the company? We have to sincerely believe in providing and asking for honest feedback and value the long term benefits of this approach. Giving only positive feedback will not help the individual, team or anyone for that matter to improve. It also means that you are not doing proper justice to that relationship.
You have to keep going. Keep moving forward.
Cal Newport in his book “So Good They Can’t Ignore You” encourages us to approach our careers by adopting what he calls a ‘craftsman mindset’. The craftsman mindset is treating your job as a craft: that is, focus on gaining rare and valuable skills until you ‘become so good they can’t ignore you.’
The craftsman mindset, with its relentless focus on becoming ‘so good they can’t ignore you’, is by definition the pursuit of gaining rare and valuable skills. This is why it trumps the passion mindset if your goal is to create work you love.
Looking forward to reading the book soon!
Some text taken from https://commoncog.com/blog/so-good-they-cant-ignore-you/
“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” – Muhammad Ali
“Dream is not what you see in sleep, dream is something which does not let you sleep.” – Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam
“Be thankful for what you have-you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” – Oprah Winfrey
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” – Steve Jobs
“The best investment you can make, is an investment in yourself…the more you learn, the more you’ll earn.” – Warren Buffet
Competition brings out the best in us. It allows us to showcase our talent, preparation, and efforts on the court. In a game, there will be a winner or loser when the time is up.
The winner gets the spotlight, the awards, all the right press etc. The loser will go home reflecting on their season, analyze what went wrong, and make the right adjustments next time. A sign of a good competitor is when the game is done, they recognize each other’s efforts, show good sportsmanship, and give credit where it’s due.
One good example of credit given where it’s due can be seen at the press conference of the Los Angeles Clippers players Patrick Beverley & Lou Williams Postgame after their Game 6 loss to the Golden State Warriors. Although I’m a Golden State Warriors fan, I give my hats off to the two Clippers players for showing a lot of professionalism, class, and poise. Much respect to the Clippers.
If you’re looking to digital detox, here are some helpful tips from Jay Shetty. He mentioned these tips in a video conversation with Jim Kwik. Jay breaks down digital detox into three key steps.
First is awareness. Build a digital diet sheet. See how much time you are actually spending on your phone and on social media/email etc.
Second is to build no technology zones and times in your home. Avoid kitchen and bedroom areas where you can enjoy those spaces with people.
Third is not to go from one extreme to another (excessive usage to completely no usage). Take small steps towards a digital detox.
These are some of my favorite places in Kathmandu (in no particular order)
OR2K-a sit down Middle Eastern restaurant located in the heart of Thamel. The atmosphere is cozy and laid back. The food is amazing and the place always attracts a crowd.
Chandragiri Hills-Nice place to visit with friends and family by taking a cable car to the top of the hill. A historic place in Nepal’s history. On a clear day, you can view the dense landscape of Kathmandu. There is also a way to Chitlang (Makwanpur) from the top of the hill.
Basantapur Durbar Square-One of the three Durbar squares, this one’s located in the heart of Kathmandu. Filled with restaurants that offer local delicacies to foreign cuisines, and plenty of specialty shops, it’s always fun and refreshing to walk around the square.
Bhojan Griha-Located in Dillibazar, this authentic Nepali restaurant is the go to place to have dinner while enjoying cultural dance and music. It has a nice ambiance, delicious food, good hospitality, friendly staff and indeed offers an experience like no other.
Garden of Dreams-Located in the entrance to Thamel, this place is serene and beautiful. Nice to just stroll around the garden and enjoy the peaceful environment.
Derek Sivers, an entrepreneur and musician shared several life changing experiences throughout his career in an interview with Tim Ferriss on the popular podcast called The Tim Ferriss Show. Derek shares a story of when he was 18 and played in a band. One day the bass player of the band told Derek that he could not go to play in a pig show in Vermont and asked Derek if he wanted to. Derek was ecstatic and took the paying gig. He did well at the pig show and then got a call to play at an art opening. One thing led to another and Derek received many more opportunities to play in other events later on.
Derek shares that when you are starting out in your career, the best thing you can do is to say yes to all the opportunities that come your way. You never know what it could lead to, whom you will meet or what the future holds. When you take on projects and capitalize on the available opportunities, you will realize what you are good at and what you are not good at. No work should be looked at as too small or not important enough. You will be accumulating experience with every gig and project. There is no need to wait for the perfect job and there might not even be a perfect job out there as you might have initially imagined. I strongly believe that each work experience will better prepare you and lead to more opportunities in the future.
Based on a recent LinkedIn report, the top five soft skills that companies need most in 2019 are creativity, persuasion, collaboration, adaptability and time management. As a working professional, young professional or college/graduate student, it is important to hone the above skills and be able to showcase those traits in your professional or academic life. It is essential to be aware of the highly demanded soft skills in the market and work toward gaining or honing those skills.
Ways to explore
Whether you are about to graduate from college and looking for a job or currently in a job and want to switch to another job, it is vital to do the necessary research, apply for the job(s), and be ready for the interview. There are numerous ways to apply for jobs. The easiest way to apply is through online portals and there are pros and cons to using them. As technology enables job seekers to easily search and apply for jobs, it is best to also consider different avenues where you can land an interview with the right company. Using a variety of approaches listed below can help a job seeker land an interview and hopefully a job.
One of the best ways to get a job is to talk to your friends and relatives and let them know that you are actively looking for a job. Companies are always looking for great talent and the best way to get an interview is through someone already working at the company that can refer you. Some companies offer a referral bonus to the employee if the candidate they referred accepts the job and works for a certain period of time. Thus, there is incentive for employees to bring good talent to their companies. This approach can help you get an interview and then it is all in your hands to convince the potential employer why you are the best candidate for the job. Individuals who get the opportunity for an interview through a referral should do their homework and be very prepared. Otherwise, lack of seriousness for the job or unpreparedness of the interviewee will harm the employee who actually referred you. No employee will want to refer a candidate to the job that ruins his or her reputation.
Another way to get noticed and land an interview is to reach out to people on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a great tool for professionals. You can build your personal brand by writing articles, posts, as well as adding people in your network. Instead of just adding people randomly on LinkedIn, it is better to attend events, network with the right people and then add them on LinkedIn. This way you have a professional way to start the conversation and build meaningful relationships. The quality of the relationship is more important than the number of people you have added on LinkedIn. I know a few individuals who have received amazing work opportunities by connecting with the right people and applying to jobs via LinkedIn. Your LinkedIn profile should be updated, professional, and represent the best version of yourself.
An additional way to land an interview for a job is by reaching out to the alumni of your college or university. For example, if you are currently studying at Apex College, you can research on companies where graduates of Apex College are currently working. Once you have researched the companies, reach out to them via email or LinkedIn and let them know you are interested in a job. There might also be companies started by Apex College graduates and this would be a good starting point for job seekers. There is a very good chance that graduates of a particular college or university are more likely to help others who went to the same college or university. Be proactive and reach out to them.
Build your network
Last but not the least, you can build your network and land conversations with the right people through volunteering. When you volunteer, you will have the opportunity to meet many people. Some of the people that you meet can be a project manager, a sales manager or even a CEO. While doing good work out there in the world through volunteering, you will also be making friends and building your network. You can also volunteer at a conference, meetup, or anywhere that you could meet the right people. Most people will not consider volunteering to land a coffee meeting or even an interview. However, I personally believe this is a good way to meet people and build trustworthy connections that can be used to enhance your professional network.
In conclusion, there are many ways to land an interview and ultimately a job. A job seeker should try various ways to land interviews and not limit him/herself to only one approach. There is no one solution that works for everyone in the job search process. What works for someone else might not work for you.
Link to the article:
https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/how-to-get-good-jobs/
A lot of times we don’t get to see the best stuff from people. Most of us are working behind the scenes. We are working on our draft for that book, for that podcast, for that website or for that special thing to come out to the world. The world is eagerly waiting for you to put your work out there. It might not be your best work but it needs to be seen.
No work is perfect right off the gate. I have seldom seen it happen. The best projects get out in the world and improve incrementally. There are so many benefits of putting your work out there (first mover advantage, critical feedback, real time analysis, more confidence, more accountability etc). Don’t just keep it in your draft, unleash it to the world.
“You want to hear “I” when things don’t go well. You want to hear “We” when things do go well.” Golden State Warriors General Manager Bob Myers stated as he discussed the conversations he had with Warriors players after their Game 7 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals.
When things go well, that’s the easy part. Everyone’s happy. They’re celebrating. Congratulating each other. When things do not go well, the real test comes in. Who steps up to take the responsibility? Are the team members pointing fingers to others or are they owning up to their actions? You’ll probably learn a lot more from losing than winning.
The risk takers love the challenge. Sometimes the “challenge” is handed to them; other times they chase the challenge. While the risk takers are busy chasing the challenge/opportunity, the other 80% are looking to do what everyone else does.
I sincerely feel it’s rare that one achieves huge success on the first try. The risk takers accept whatever comes their way. It’s the way it is. Even if the first try is not a success, experience is the best teacher. They keep going. While others are getting comfortable in their daily lives, most of them slowly start to “admire”, “wish” or even feel “invigorated” when they talk to the risk takers. Risk taking is not everyone’s cup of tea. Anything great that has ever been achieved is mostly from the risk takers. At first, it’s seems all risky, challenging, and impossible to attain it until someone does it.
In 2011, The Annual Review of Psychology said that reading triggers our mirror neurons and opens up the parts of our brains responsible for developing empathy, compassion, and understanding. Reading makes you a better leader, teacher, parent, and sibling.
Another study published in Science Magazine found that reading literary fiction helps us improve our empathy and social functioning.
And, finally, an incredible 2013 study at Emory University found that MRIs taken the morning after test subjects were asked to read sections of a novel showed an increase in connectivity in the left temporal cortex — the area of the brain associated with receptivity for language. Just imagine the long-term benefits of cracking open a book every day. -by Neil Pasricha on 8 Ways to Read the Books You Wish You Had Time For
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