Strategies Used for Effective Time Management Training

Time management training has turned out to be an integral part of organizations for successful delegation of quality work. Improper management of time and work, inability to handle excess tasks and procrastination of duties lead to inefficiency and decreased productivity. Training institutes of repute like MMM Training Solutions give you opportunities to buy such training materials from the websites directly. You can also practice certain time management strategies to help you deliver tasks on time.

1. To-Do Lists: Remember how your parents used to pester you to make a planned routine of the things to study for the day or week? This holds true for performing your personal and professional life as well. Keep a small notebook in your pocket, a handy tool to remind you of the tasks that you require completing every day. Priority is the key to successful planning and hence, it is important that you pen down the things according to their importance and urgency.

2. Be Organized, Focus on a Single task: One of the commonest issues which many face while managing a whole load of tasks is being disorganized. Training strategies on Time Management offered by professionals at institutes like MMM Training Solutions teach individuals to first clean away the mess by discarding the items or tasks which you do not need any more or can sell or give away. Once the clutter is cleared plan out how and when to accomplish the rest of the tasks one by one by not going haywire.

3. Learn to Say “NO”: Just as telephone etiquette training teaches you to say “no” to customers for things you cannot do or resolve, an important strategy of time management is to learn saying no to tasks you cannot handle. It is better telling people you cannot help them rather than taking the responsibility and not fulfilling them.

4. Time Yourself: Make use of your time wisely. Incorporate smaller tasks in between commuting or waiting at the doctor’s. Make a planner for setting up goals that need to be accomplished at present and the long term ones.

Time management training is key for success! 

MMM Training Solutions conducts time management training, soft skills training, cross cultural training and leadership training programs for corporates in India and abroad. 

Wish to master the art of managing time? Learn more about our training programs and trainers at www.mmmts.com 

Freedom of Communication versus Political Correctness

Dr. Benjamin Carson a distinguished man of science and healing; the Director of the Pediatric Neurosurgery Division at the John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, narrates a very interesting anecdote in his speech at the National Prayer Breakfast, which provided a lot of food for thought.

A very successful businessman was in the habit of giving his mother exotic gifts on Mother’s Day, and was frantically looking for what to get her one particular year, when he came across two magnificent birds. He got very excited upon seeing them because these were no ordinary birds; they could sing and dance and talk!! Thoroughly pleased with his discovery, he sends the birds to his mother. Unable to contain his jubilation at finding such an exotic gift for his mother, he calls her and asks her, “Mother, mother what did you think of the birds?” His mother says, “They were good!” In utter dismay, he realizes that his mother had eaten the birds and says, “No! No! No! Mother you didn’t eat those birds! Those birds could sing and dance and talk! They cost $5000 apiece!” And his mother coolly replies, “Well then they should’ve said something.”

That, Dr.Carson believes, is where we will end up as well if we don’t speak up for what we believe in. He talks about how political correctness can become quite a threat because it fastens a muzzle on others. People become afraid to say what they are thinking or feeling because they are afraid of offending people. As Dr. Carson lightly puts it, “I have found out that it is very difficult to speak to a large group of people without offending someone.” Once, when he was talking about the difference between a man’s brain and a dog’s brain, someone heatedly claimed he was being offensive to dogs!

It is this bristling sensitivity that makes us deaf to the intention and intelligence behind other people’s opinions. Dr.Carson tells us that education is meant to liberate man and by stifling our voices, we are stifling the spirituality and development of an entire nation. Closer home, we see such a situation emerging in our personal and professional lives as well. People are so engrossed in coming up with the perfect communication strategy, that they lose sight of their point. While it is crucial to show respect for anyone else’s opinion, it is also important to communicate your mind without any shackles on the freedom to communicate.

True spiritual and economic development can only emerge if you remove that muzzle from your mouth and communicate with confidence, sensitivity and strength. Use your intelligence to nurture yourself and your nation. Jump over those communication barriers and never ever give excuses.

Dr. Benjamin Carson proudly concluded his speech with his vision for the future; “One nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.”

Being mute out of fear or an unwillingness to take the lead, will only make us take ten steps backwards or end up like those poor birds. A man who was bullied in school, who was the butt of all the jokes, who was called a ‘stupid dummy’ is now one of the most renowned doctors and scholars in the world. If he had chosen to stay mute, or if he had been adversely affected by the cruelties of his critics, can you imagine what the world would have lost out on?

Watch his absolutely inspiring speech on conducting critical conversations versus political correctness, and answer Dr. Carson's question, "What are you most concerned about when it comes to the spirituality and direction of our nation?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgP2yKFV6ig 

Communication Skills Training plays a vital role in shaping the confidence of individuals and also encourages freedom of expression and a healthy intellectual growth.

MMM Training Solutions conducts communication skills training, corporate training, soft skills training, cross cultural training and leadership training programs for corporates in India and abroad. 

The Cardinal Rules of Good Interviewing

I remember conducting my first interview like it was yesterday. I was the production manager in a high-end furniture company and had department floor strength of 29 workers at the time. I was interviewing candidate ‘No.30’. But this interview was more significant for other reasons than just a nice round number. The position I was conducting interviews for was for the floor supervisor position. While there was a lot of talent in my department, they needed a leader to watch over the more trivial aspects of managing a team. Clearly the person for this job needed to have some ‘leadership’ under their belt. And so after sifting through numerous resumes over weeks, I finally narrowed it down to two candidates. I remember scheduling them on the same day, one before lunch and the other after. This was going to be a good opportunity to exercise some interviewing skills.

The first candidate had all the credentials on paper. He had worked in supervisory positions before, was used to being in charge and working under the pressure of goals and targets. But he was a very ‘by the book’ player. When I asked him what he would do in a unique situation, he could not think out of the box. The second candidate, whose resume did not match the first one’s, was a more intuitive leader. He seemed to understand the pulse of a team and had the creativity to handle out of the normal situations. So on the one hand I had a candidate who was very methodical and rigid and on the other I had a candidate who was intuitive and creative. In hindsight though I realized that I probably didn’t give them an equal shot or do justice to how their skills fit into the job requirements. I had interviewed them with different parameters and the results were apples and oranges. I had no way to gauge which one was better for the job. Looking back now I could have done things a lot better in terms of interviewing skills.

• Job requirement vs. Benefit to the job – While I gauged them on their skills and abilities, I was more interested in what they could bring to the job to add to its overall efficiency (or even diversity), instead of determining if what they had, was what the job fundamentally required.
• The Whole Package – I seemed satisfied with the fact that they were one-dimensional in their skills or abilities. While certain employees may lean heavily toward their natural strengths, it is important sometimes for the sake of their own careers that they grow or develop in the areas of weaknesses. Determining this is a crucial part of interviewing.
• Compatibility with Vision – Ultimately, what is most important is not what an employee can bring to the table or which one was better for the job but rather which one, in the larger scheme of things, would fit better not only for the job but also in the larger context of understanding one’s contribution to the company as a whole.

InterviewingSkills Training  plays a vital role in preparing the hiring manager to conduct interviews in an efficient manner to best determine the right candidate, not only for the job but also in terms of the larger need of the company. Even successful corporations today understand the importance of factoring in not only skill but also attitude in such training. 

MMM Training Solutions conducts interviewing skills training, corporate training, soft skills training, cross cultural training and leadership training programs for corporates in India and abroad. 

Corporate Theatre - Our Adventures With Creativity Training Continues!

“Creativity takes courage.” – Henry Matisse

Recently we successfully concluded our inaugural training program on Corporate Theater as a part of our Creativity Training module.  A lot of you may have done a quick double-take at the name of the session and may be wondering how on earth something as artistic as theatre could influence an inherently process-driven corporate team. Well, we must admit that it seemed like quite the task initially, but the positive results of the module left us overwhelmed, stunned and flushed with success.

When the client came to us with the unique requirement, instead of feeling stumped, we were quite excited at the prospect of a new challenge! Putting our heads together and working tirelessly with the client and our internal creative team, we came up with a module that seamlessly integrated the art of acting and theatre, and connected it to coming up with creative solutions to corporate problems.

The ice-breaker saw everyone from Superstar Rajnikanth to wrestling stars to Jack Sparrow entering our midst. As the participants slowly shed their inhibitions, we saw something quite spectacular unfold in front of our eyes.

The activities were designed to give the participants a chance to perform a series of skits in different genres and the core of every challenge was a work-place situation that they would encounter in their daily professional lives. Outrageous characters were created as managers donned the role of Yama Dharma Raaja (the god of death), thieves, Kings, Lord Vishnu, five year old children and even animals found their way into the festivities! What was most interesting was the way they engaged their creative and critical thinking skills when they found themselves under the spotlight.

What we realized at the end of the session, was that while our module enabled the participants to tap into their reserves of creativity, it also gave us an opportunity to dive into our own pools of ingenuity! While we guided the participants into awakening the creative spirit in them, we also used creativity in business and put together a fun, innovative and informative module and unleashed our creative sides as well!

As Albert Einstein rightfully said, “Creativity is contagious. Pass it on!” We definitely saw this come alive both within our own team and within each participant. The more they interacted with each other on creative solutions, the more each and every one of them started thinking outside the box!

So remember, there is a creative genius inside each and every one of us. Sometimes we are awake to its presence and sometimes we are not. So indulge in creativity training and learn to set your ideas wild and free! They will ignite your own conscience and also roar like wildfire across your team, spreading positive thoughts and ingenious innovations all around! 

MMM Training Solutions conducts corporate training, soft skills training, cross cultural training and leadership training programs for corporates in India and abroad. 

Please visit our website http://www.mmmts.com to know more about our programs and our trainers. 

‘Two States’ and Cross Cultural Awareness!

Chetan Bhagat’s novel ‘Two States’ spread like wildfire across the country and soon enough, the sparkling, glitzy,  Technicolor Bollywood movie followed in all its grandeur.

While the world marveled over the picturesque cinematography, the adorable romance between the couple, the acting prowess of the cast and the colorful explosion of Bollywood songs and sentiments, I was focused on something rather different.

The clash between Krish Malhotra’s (Arjun Kapoor) North Indian culture and Ananya Swaminathan’s (Alia Bhatt) South Indian Tamil culture awoke a lot of sensitivity in me and I realized how we have grown very fiercely protective of our own cultures and tradition. While this may be a beautiful sentiment to harbor in an age where tradition and culture is casually neglected, it may be coming at the price of learning to respect cultures that are different from ours.

Despite a vast increase in exposure and education, the need for cultural awareness has grown monumentally today and this especially extends into the professional forum. The work environment now includes people from all walks of life, who hail from different parts of the world. This influx carries a surge of different cultures along with it. Only by imbibing a sense of cultural competence in ourselves will we be able to respect people who are different from us.

With an increase in awareness, the harmony within different, sometimes even conflicting cultural groups will automatically increase and the team synergy becomes a symphony! This is the strength of cross cultural training.

At the end of ‘Two States’ what Krish and Ananya’s families realized, was that only by wanting to learn about other cultures would they be able to understand each other better. When they stopped believing that theirs was the superior culture and looked upon the newcomers with friendliness and a willingness to learn, understand and compromise, the newcomers became fond friends and even families!

In any environment, when we are met with people who are different, the first step towards understanding them is accepting their difference as a beautiful unique identity. I was overwhelmed with excitement at the prospect of the amount of beauty there is in exploring different cultures and this is what I carried with me at the end, when two complete opposite poles of traditions came together in a marriage that had the best of both worlds.

So embrace the adventures that come with meeting people from different cultures and shed your inhibitions! This little anecdote from a popular movie is one of many instances of the need for cross cultural training and cultural competence. This awareness is vital for both our professional and personal lives.

Stay tuned to our blog to see what we bring forth next!

MMM Training Solutions conducts soft skills training, cross cultural training and leadership training programs for corporates in India and abroad. 

Please visit our website http://www.mmmts.com to know more about our programs and our trainers. 

Emotional Intelligence - You Are Your Own Master

“When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.” – Kahlil Gibran

Recently I watched a tamizh movie starring Jyothika titled 36 Vayadhinile (At 36 years of age). This movie is a re-make of the popular Malayalam movie starring Manju Warrier titled How Old Are You and my expectations were quite high as I entered the theater. Half an hour into the movie my mind was whirring with a million thoughts and revelations.

In the first half of the movie, Vasanthi (Jyothika) is the kind of woman who is very submissive with her husband and silently bears abuses and insults from him. But more than feeling sorry for her, I only felt an indignant rage.

When Vasanthi was emotionally manipulated into abandoning the project that she had worked so hard on and moving out of the country, she initially felt she had no way out. But when she thought about it and realized that her decision was in her own hands, she very calmly and confidently put her foot down and refused to do something that she felt was not right. For the exact same situation in which she first felt trapped and betrayed, a simple change in perspective made her feel strong and secure.

Eventually in the second half of the movie Vasanthi finds herself and finds true happiness. While this may seem like a fairy-tale ending that makes us sniffle and well-up, it isn’t as easy as it may seem on the big screen.

We need to make a conscious effort to be more in tune with our emotions. What Vasanthi displayed initially was a complete lack of emotional literacy where she was not aware of her own emotions or the emotions of those around her. Her very low levels of emotional intelligence was the reason she was her own biggest obstacle.

When we apply this concept to our own lives, we realize that we need to be emotionally intelligent so we can grow holistically. If we do not respond to the words that are being said on the inside, the face we present to the world is going to remain resolutely, woefully incomplete.

So put your best foot forward and embrace your emotions. There are instances in your life when emotional intelligence training will make you evolve as a person. Look out for those moments and carpe diem- seize the day!

This little anecdote from a popular movie is one of many instances of the reason for emotional intelligence training and emotional literacy. This awareness is vital for both our professional and personal lives.

The next blog post will delve deeper into the complexities of human emotions and how we can perceive them to our advantage. 


MMM Training Solutions conducts soft skills training, executive coaching and leadership training programs for corporates in India and abroad. Please visit our website http://www.mmmts.com to know more about our programs and our trainers.

Communication Skills for Leaders

Every employee has a story of working with someone who was just a poor communicator. I have my own story too. The person I worked under was, by all polite standards, a mystery. 

He was not clear about his expectations, his feedback (positive or negative),  was always vague and his instructions were very arbitrary to say the least. Simply put, he had terrible communication skills. This caused problems in many areas – poor relationships with his subordinates, lack of camaraderie with his peers and animosity with his superiors. Surprisingly his job with the company somehow lasted longer than it should have. Truth eventually won the battle and he was terminated. But his departure left such a huge ‘crater’ of confusion that the entire company revamped its method, mode and policy for communication across the board. In the aftermath, the new communication policy was much clearer than before!

So what type of communication skills should a good leader have? What makes a good communicator? Leaders carry a great deal of responsibility on their shoulders - manage production output and quality service, marshaling his or her personnel and resources and all the while keeping the whole process within the satisfactory limits of the company’s watchful gaze. 

Lets look at a few aspects of good communication that a leader should keep in mind:

•  Leaders must give clarity to his or her team on vision, goals, roles & responsibilities
• They must give clear and consistent feedback  so that the required demands of performance or quality are adhered to 
• They communicate any progress or deficiency clearly to higher levels of authority so that appropriate decisions can be made in accordance with the needs.
•   Lastly, regardless of how the job plays out, they make sure to give ample motivation and inspiration to the team on a job done, inspiring better efforts for the next project

Communication Skills Training is a vital component of enhancing correspondence within the organization regardless of their size or business. Such training programs equip the people that matter with the skills that matter even more. 

MMM Training Solutions conducts soft skills training, executive coaching and leadership training programs for corporates in India and abroad. Please visit our website http://www.mmmts.com to know more about our programs and our trainers.