6 Ways To Make Effective Connects

This week has been super busy but at the same time very productive. We were able to get a lot of work done and what I realized is that if you are really busy, you actually get a lot of ideas to do things differently. On the other hand, if you are not busy, you are actually laid back and at times lazy. 

Here are some of the learning from a very busy week, which, I wish I knew earlier:

That Power point presentation are not the only way to engage people/ make impact

Yes, PPTs are a good traditional way to share information and make a good impact but they are not the only way. There are multiple other innovative ways  that one can use to not only share information but also make a bigger and better impact on the targeted audience. Some of these ways are:

Debates: A discussion forum or platform where people get opportunity to come and share their opinion. A well organized debate helps in more than one way, it not only provides a platform for the participants to come and speak but also becomes an enriching/ learning experience for the audience.

Group Discussions: This is a very effective format when you want to test the ability of your team to analyze a situation completely within a very short period of time. Largely executed in two different forms of (a) Roleplay and (b) Case study. In role play, the participants actually enact or play the role of a specific character based on the given situation. While in case study, they are given a case study and asked to read, understand and express their views. Thanks to Kaumudi Bhat for sharing this valuable information with me.

Quiz Competitions: There is nothing more exciting than to witness a group of talented individuals compete with each other. Quiz competitions organized on relevant topics make a good learning platform for both the participants as well as the audiences.

Speak your mind: Impromptu settings are the most challenging. This is where the ability to think and speak instantly comes into picture. A 5 minute speak your mind workshop is a good idea for people to come and share their thoughts on random topics which may prove valuable to the audience.

Sharing is caring, you can actually multiply your time if you work together as a team

I used to read a lot of books few years back but then for no good reason, I stopped. Few days ago, I was watching a video on Youtube, it was about the importance or value of reading. It really proved to be an eye opener. I quickly realized that I made a huge mistake when I stopped reading books. By not reading, I had stopped a very good external source of information or knowledge for myself. So I asked myself, how do I make up for the lost time? I cannot read more than one book at the same time. So I needed a smart solution. This is how I think the smart solution would work:
(A) Identify a group of people who are interested in reading
(B) Get that group together for some targeted reading.
(C) Each one can read a different book of their choice(between the agreed timelines)
(D) Once the set time period is over, the group comes together and each one shares the summary and learning from the book that they have read during that period.

Effectively, if there are 10 people in the group then at the end of the exercise you get to hear summary and learning from 10 different books. Wow, that's exciting. It is really motivating to see your thoughts in action and even more exciting if the group/ team participates with open mind and heart. Sharing is caring in real world of grown up children.

Biggest secret of Stakeholder Management is Stakeholder Connect

We all manage stakeholders in our respective roles at our workplace. Who really is a stakeholder? Stakeholder is someone who has a positive or negative impact on your work/ project. It can be your team member, your peer, your customer or a key decision maker. So you have stakeholders all around you. Have you ever thought, how to manage them? While stakeholder management is a bigger topic, one important aspect of it is Stakeholder Connect. How connected are you to your stakeholders? How often do you speak to them? How often do you meet them? if they are global stakeholders, do you utilize technology to connect to them via audio/ videos? Answer to these questions are the very foundation of stakeholder management. Here are few suggestions:

(A) It is vital that we identify all stakeholders with respect to our work. No one should be left out.

(B) Identify a way to "Connect" with them in a positive way. 

(C) Develop an attitude of Gratitude and appreciate the good work done by your stakeholders whenever there is an genuine opportunity.

Remember like attracts like, if you make the first positive move there is a high possibility that the other person will reciprocate in the same way. Make a bridge, go connect now!

You may also want to read 23 Email Etiquette Rules Every Professional Should Follow

How To Get A Green Card?

How to get a Green Card?

The best way to get all the details of the green card process is to visit the official website of the department of homeland security at https://www.uscis.gov/

In this short article we will attempt to touch upon few of the basic things which most folks want to know regarding green card processing. You may also want to read a similar article on the various USA work visas here: USA Visa Basics L1A, L1B and H1B.

So what exactly is a green card? In a layman term, it is a kind of a permission or legal status or authorization granted to live and work in the United States of America. A green card holder is also called a permanent resident. There are multiple ways or categories in which a person can apply for permanent residency or green card. Most common categories are:

• Green card through family
• Green card through job
• Green card through Status(Refugee or Asylee)
• Other ways: Green card lottery(Diversity immigrant visa program), LIFE Act, SIJ Status

There are few more ways, you can read those here: Other Ways To Get Green Card

What is the difference between being a Green Card Holder and being a US Citizen? OR Is it one and the same thing to be a Green Card Holder/ Permanent Resident and be a US Citizen?

Having permanent residency, that is, having a green card does NOT mean that you are US citizen. In order to become a US citizen you need to go through the naturalization process. You can apply for naturalization once you meet the requirements for:
1. Continuous residence
2. Physical presence
3. Time in state or a USCIS district
4. Good Moral Character
5. English and Civics
6. Attachment to the constitution

By continuous residence it is meant that you must be permanent resident for continuously five years before you can begin the process(naturalization) to become a US citizen.

Note the use of word "continuous", there are lot of conditions that will come into play if you leave the US for six months or longer. If you leave the US for more than a year and return then the clock may reset and you may need to begin all over again as far as the naturalization process is concerned.

Who gets priority or preference for Green Card processing?

There are eligibility criteria's defined to determine who qualifies for green card processing. You may refer Green Card Eligibility to know exactly what are the eligibility requirements in each category. For those who are going to apply based on the Job or Employment need to know the following employment based preferences(as mentioned on the USCIS website):

First Preference: Priority Workers, including aliens with extraordinary abilities, outstanding professors and researchers, and certain multinational executives and managers
Second Preference: Members of professions holding an advanced degree or persons of exceptional ability (including individuals seeking a National Interest Waiver)
Third Preference: Skilled Workers, professionals and other qualified workers
Fourth Preference: Certain special immigrants including those in religious vocations
Fifth Preference: Employment creation immigrants (investors or entrepreneurs)

if you have offer for permanent employment then your employer may need to get a labor certification and then file Form I-140, Immigration Petition for Alien Work for you.

You will need to go through CP, that is, consular processing if you are living outside the united states. If you are living in the US you will need to go through the adjustment of status process.

The preferences listed above are also called EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, EB-4 and EB-5.

It may also make sense to read and understand How Much Money Would One Save In USA?

5 Ways To Separate Facts From Opinions

A lot of people around the world get confused while making decisions because they are not able to distinguish between facts and opinions. Most times they assume that the opinions/ views expressed by the people around them are facts and make incorrect decisions for which they repent later in their life. Understanding what separates facts from opinions can have a huge impact on your day to day life.

What is a fact?

Fact is something which is supported by data or evidence. It has objectivity. It is not ambiguous. It is not based on someone's viewpoint. It does not vary from person to person.

What is an opinion?

Opinion is a viewpoint. It is based on observation and experience of people and may vary from one person to another.

Here are five examples which will help you separate facts from opinions in your day to day life:

#1 My Salary is less than my friend's or colleague's salary

Opinion:If you think that your salary is less than your friend's or colleague's salary then this is an opinion not a fact.

Fact: You compare your salary with the industry standard using tools like http://www.payscale.com/ or https://www.glassdoor.com and get results based on your experience, skills and location then the resulting indicators are facts not opinions.

#2 Working on a IT support project is not as good as working on a IT development project

Opinion: Based on what is told by your friends or seniors, you start believing that an IT development project in Java or any BI technology or niche technology is better than any IT Support project or Testing project then this is an opinion and not a fact because what may work for your friend or colleague may not work for you.

Fact: First you list down relevant information about your profile: 
(a) You realize what is your interest and strength 
(b) You understand what is your inclination towards technology
(c) You find out the career path and future growth path
(d) You gain experience in various types of work profiles by participating in few initiatives and taking few risks
Once you have done this due diligence then you reach a logical conclusion about the 'Type of Work' you are going to pursue in your career. This will be a decision based on facts and not based on opinions.

#3 These days IT Professionals don't save a lot of money in USA

Opinion: Someone may advise you: These days you cannot save much money in the USA because the cost of living and expenses have increased a lot as compared to 10 years ago. This is an opinion and not a fact because it is not supported by the details/ numbers.

Fact: Suppose you gather relevant figures/ numbers/ data about the cost of living in USA and then make a logical decision that savings may vary based on the life style, cost of living in different states and state taxes then this decision is based on facts and not based on opinions. 
For example, refer article: How Much Can I Save in USA?

#4 Which is better Amazon or FlipKart? or Is One e-Commerce platform is better than other?

Opinion: Most people follow the advise given by their friends or relatives when it comes to Online shopping. This advise is generally based on their own personal shopping experiences. These experiences may vary from person to person and is based on various other factors hence these are strictly opinions and not facts.

Fact: If you really want to know whether amazon.com is better than aliexpress.com or whether kohls.com is better than macys.com then you will need to do the comparative analysis yourself. Most e-Commerce websites offer deals and the best way is to search for each of the sites for the "specific product" that you want to buy. You may also get deals on better shipping rates or better offers on packages deals. So website 1 may sell a product for less price than website 2 but website 2 may sell another product for less price than website 1. One needs to collect all these facts before making any online shopping decisions. Just going by your friend's opinion may not work.

Fantastico Fact: Did you know that https://www.groupon.com has 1000 deals daily, it is available in over 500 cities and 48 countries around the globe.

#5 Jack is a jerk, is that a fact or an opinion?

Opinion: Let's take example of people having opinion(s) about people. If some of your friends think that Jack is a nerd then that is purely their viewpoint. It may or may not be true. They are calling him a nerd based on their experiences or feelings but you should not get influenced by such opinions. All you should do is to be more careful or cautious about your interactions with Jack and find out facts about him.

Fact: Suppose you lend some money to jack and he refuses to return your money then you know for sure that he is a jerk. Another example, if some of your friend produces evidence which is concrete to prove that jack has stolen money then you know for sure that Jack is not a good person. In these cases you are not just relying on the word of mouth, you have enough information or evidence to prove a fact about a person.


Conclusion: Be very careful while making small but important decisions of your life. You may seek inputs, opinions or advice from multiple people but don't get influenced by such opinions which may not be relevant to your situation. Look for facts or relevant information which is dependable for making the right decisions.

If you liked this article, you may also like reading How To Stop Procrastination & Improve Productivity

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.