10 ways to have a better conversation - Celeste Headlee

10 ways to have a better conversation - Celeste Headlee

Here are the “10 basic rules”

1. Don’t multitask.

I mean, be present. Be in that moment. Don’t think about other things. If you want to get out

of the conversation, get out of the conversation, but don’t be half in it and half out of it.

2. Don’t pontificate.

If you want to state your opinion without any opportunity for response or argument or

pushback or growth, write a blog. You need to enter every conversation assuming that you

have something to learn.

3. Use open-ended questions (not yes, or no questions).

Start your questions with who, what, when, where, why or how. Try asking them things like,

“What was that like?” “How did that feel?” Because then they might have to stop for a moment

and think about it, and you’re going to get a much more interesting response.

4. Go with the flow.

That means thoughts will come into your mind and you need to let them go out of your mind

and I would add, stay with what is on their mind and not yours. Stories and ideas are going to

come to you. Don’t stop listening to them.

5. If you don’t know, say that you don’t know.

Now, people on the radio, especially on NPR, are much more aware that they’re going on the

record, and so they’re more careful about what they claim to be an expert in and what they

claim to know for sure. Do that. Err on the side of caution. The talk should not be cheap.

6. Don’t equate your experience with theirs.

If they’re talking about the trouble they’re having at work, don’t tell them about how much you

hate your job. It’s not the same. It is never the same. All experiences are individual. And, more

importantly, it is not about you. You don’t need to take that moment to prove how amazing you

are or how much you’ve suffered. Conversations are not a promotional opportunity.

7. Try not to repeat yourself.

It’s condescending, and it’s really boring, and we tend to do it a lot. Don’t do that.

8. Stay out of the weeds.

Frankly, people don’t care about the years, the names, the dates, all those details that you’re

struggling to come up with in your mind. They don’t care. What they care about is you. They

care about what you’re like, what you have in common. So forget the details. Leave them out.

9. Listen.

I cannot tell you how many really important people have said that listening is perhaps the most,

the number one most important skill that you could develop. Buddha said, and I’m

paraphrasing, “If your mouth is open, you’re not learning.”

10. Be brief.

A good conversation is like a skirt; short enough to retain interest, but long enough to cover the

subject.


Thank you for reading.

Differences between Agile and Waterfall Methodologies

Agile Vs Waterfall Methodologies

I think every method of project management of software development has its own pros and cons. Agile has its own benefits over waterfall methodology and vice versa.

Let's understand the basics of both of them and the differences between them. There is a general practice of using Agile Methodology more over Waterfall in the current work culture as it provides us more flexibility and adaptability of the product.

The steps are shown for each methodology below.

What is Agile Methodology?

Agile methodology has its own seven principles to follow.


1) Adaptability - Flexibility to change the requirement.
2) Customer Involvement - The customer is constantly involved in the development process.
3) Lean Development - Try to achieve the goal with lesser steps.
4) Teamwork - The team will constantly assess the process and progress.
5) Time - Work based on the time-boxed sprints.
6) Sustainability - Sustainable pace of achieving the goal.
7) Testing - Testing through every phase of the development.

What is Waterfall Methodology?

Steps of Waterfall Method.


1) Conception
2) Initiation and Analysis
3) Design
4) Construction
5) Testing
6) Implementation

Differences -

• Agile is an incremental and iterative approach; Waterfall is a linear and sequential approach.

• Testing is performed concurrently with development in Agile; the testing phase comes only after the build phase in a Waterfall project.

• Agile helps complete many small projects; Waterfall helps complete one single project.

• Agile introduces a product mindset with a focus on customer satisfaction; Waterfall focuses on successful project delivery.

• Agile allows requirement changes at any time; Waterfall avoids scope changes once the project starts.

• Agile separates a project into sprints; Waterfall divides a project into phases.

• Requirements are prepared every day in Agile, while requirements are prepared once at the start in Waterfall.

Importance of Transferrable Skills

 

• Transferable Skills Make You Adaptable – Versatility is the name of the game in the job market. Employers want people who can do multiple things and fill different roles if needed. When you have skills that apply to a wide variety of things, employers will take note.
• You Already Have Transferable Skills – You learn transferable skills everywhere – at life, at home, or at work. The cumulative experiences that you have will dictate what transferable skills you possess. No matter what you do or where you do it, you have skills. As long as you can figure out how to sell your skills to a hiring manager, you’ll be in a good position.
• Transferable Skills Are Yours To Keep – You are constantly accumulating transferable skills and no one can take them away from you. These portable skills go with you from job to job. Take account of your skillset and you’ll see how you can apply it to your job search.
• You Can Use Transferable Skills To Land A Job – Employers want job candidates to have experience and skills before they hire them. Transferable skills are a way for you to show that you can do the job, even if you aren’t the perfect match of the job description. Therefore the more relevant skills that you have, the more likely you will be to land the job. Transferable skills can highlight your potential to be an asset to a company.

Promotional Strategies

Versa 3 Black Smart Watch

1.       How does the company create awareness of its product?

         The company is advertising this product on its Christmas Gifts page in Men's section.

2.       How does the company get consumers to try its product?

         The company gets consumers to try this product by the description of the product and its benefits.

3.       How does the company give information about the product to its customer?

       The company writes the description including all the important and advanced features of the watch and provides pictures of it from different angles, colours,  look and feel.

4.       How does the company retain loyal customers?

       The company provides 789 points credit on the purchase from a loyal customer which can be used by the customer for the next purchase.

5.       How does the company entice the customer to buy more and use their product frequently?

       The company offers a part payment service too so that customer doesn't have to pay the whole amount on the day of purchase only. This may able the customer to buy more.

6.       What promotions does the company use to identify more customers?

        The company uses different discounts and memberships discount to promote the product. 

Working with disability policy and procedures

What is Disability?

The Disability Inclusion Act 2018 (SA) defines disability in relation to a person as including long-term physical, psycho-social, intellectual, cognitive, neurological or sensory impairment, or a combination of any of these impairments, which in interaction with various barriers may hinder the person’s full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.

Disability etiquette

The tips in this fact sheet are based on what is currently broadly accepted in Australia. It is important to remember that everyone is different and will have their own preferences. When communicating with a person with a disability, you should ask the person what works for them, and respect their wishes.

Basic tips

• Avoid asking personal questions about someone's disability.

• Be considerate of the extra time it might take for a person to do or say something.

• Be polite and patient when offering assistance, and wait until your offer is accepted. Listen or ask for specific instructions. Be prepared for your offer to be refused.

• Relax. Anyone can make mistakes. Offer an apology if you feel you’ve caused embarrassment.  Keep a sense of humour and be willing to communicate.

Speaking or writing

• The following terms should be avoided because they can have negative meanings:  invalid, able-bodied, wheelchair-bound, victim, crippled, defect, suffers from, handicap, a patient.

• Avoid terms that imply that people with disability are overly courageous, brave, special, such as “inspirational”. The late Stella Young addresses this idea in her 2014 TED Talk, I'm not your inspiration, thank you very much.

For more information on speaking or writing, read our Inclusive Language factsheet.
Face to face communication

• Use a normal tone of voice when welcoming a person with disability. Do not raise your voice unless you are asked to.

• Shake hands even if the person has limited hand use or wears an artificial limb. A left-hand shake is acceptable. If the person cannot shake hands, acknowledge them with a smile and a spoken greeting.

• When planning a meeting or other event, think about specific accommodations a person with disability might need. If a barrier cannot be avoided, let the person know ahead of time. Our Event Accessibility Checklist is a useful resource for planning accessible events.

• Look and speak directly to the person with disability, not just to the people accompanying them, including interpreters.

• Don't patronise or talk down to people with disability. Treat people with respect and dignity.

• Be patient and give your undivided attention, especially with someone who speaks slowly or with great effort.

• Never pretend to understand what a person is saying if you don’t. Ask the person to repeat or rephrase, or offer them a pen and paper.

• If requested to by the individual, offer a person who is blind or has low vision your elbow or shoulder, to guide rather than propel them.

• It is okay to use common expressions like "see you soon" or "I'd better be running along".

Mental illness

People with mental illness may at times have difficulty dealing with the tasks and interactions of daily life. Their condition may interfere with their ability to feel, think or relate to others. One of the main obstacles they face is the attitudes that people have about them. Because it is a non-visible disability, chances are you will not even realise that the person has a mental health condition.

• Stress can affect a person's ability to function. Try to keep the pressure of any given situation to a minimum.

• People with mental illness may have different ways of coping with their disability. Some may have trouble picking up on social cues; others may be overly sensitive. One person may be very hyperactive, while someone else may appear lethargic. Treat each person as an individual. Ask what will make them most comfortable and respect their needs to the maximum extent possible.

Social events

Work-related social events are an important part of developing a healthy work environment. Social events do not just refer to the annual Christmas party or the family picnic day, but include things like Friday night drinks and sporting groups. Just like any other employee, employees with disability should be included in these events, with considerations made for issues such as:

• Access

• Transport/parking

• Toilet facilities

• Noise levels and

• Any other relevant factors.

Don’t assume that a person cannot or does not want to be involved simply because they have disability. Adjustments can almost always be made so that everyone can be included.

Examples of workplace adjustments

Now that you know all about workplace adjustments and where you can find support to make your workplace more flexible and accessible to employees with disability, here are some more examples of adjustments that may help your employees to perform at their best. 
Keep in mind that everyone's needs and capabilities are different. The most important thing you can do is to ask the person. 

For a person with a mobility impairment (including dexterity impairments)

• Ramps

• Scooter

• Stair lifts

• Automated doors

• Height-adjustable work stations

• Vehicle modifications (work-related)

• Accessible bathroom

• Accessible lift

• Handrails

• Accessible computer keyboards, mouses

• Adapted office furniture or equipment

• Speech-recognition (speech-to-text) software

For a person who is deaf or hard of hearing

• Hearing loops

• Vibrating or visual alarms

• Text Telephone (TTY) or Short Message Service (SMS) text messaging 

• Live captioning

• Auslan interpreters

• Video phones

• Subtitling

For a person who is blind or has low vision 

• Screen-magnification (e.g. ZoomText) or screen-reading software (e.g. JAWS)

• Magnification software for Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) and mobile phones 

• Braille machines and printers

• Video magnifiers for reading printed material

• Tactile Ground Surface Indicators (TGSI)

• Contrasting work surfaces or trays

• Braille or tactile maps

For a person with a mental health condition

• Flexible working arrangements, e.g. working from home, working part-time, change of start/finish times

• Longer or more frequent breaks

• Partitioned area or private office to reduce noise/distractions

• Division of large projects into smaller tasks

• 'To-do' lists or checklists

• Regular meetings with supervisors

For a person with a learning disability (e.g. Dyslexia)

• Smartphones or PDAs, to assist with memory and planning

• Task cards

• ‘To-do’ lists or checklists

• Screen-reading software (e.g. JAWS)

• Speech-to-text dictation software

• Verbal instructions

For a person with a long-term or chronic health condition

• Cooling collars

• Air-conditioning

• Height-adjustable work stations

• Building modifications

• Changes to lighting, e.g. increased natural light, removal of fluorescent lighting

• Flexible working arrangements, for example working from home, working part-time.

• Progression planning may be required for degenerative conditions, e.g. car parks, ramps, lifts, bathroom modifications

Some of the most common workplace adjustments 

• Allowing a person with disability to have some flexibility in their working hours, such as working part-time or starting and finishing later

• Moving a person with disability to a different office, shop or site closer to their home or onto the ground floor, or allowing them to work from home

• Moving furniture, widening a doorway or providing a ramp so that a person using a wheelchair or other mobility aid can get around comfortably and safely

• Redistributing some minor duties (not inherent requirements of a job) that a person with disability finds difficult to do 

• Allowing a person with disability time off during working hours for rehabilitation, assessment or treatment (e.g. physiotherapy or psychotherapy appointments)

• Providing additional training, mentoring, supervision and support

• Purchasing or modifying equipment, such as speech recognition software for someone with vision impairment, an amplified phone for a person who is hard of hearing, or a digital recorder for someone who finds it difficult to take written notes

• Making changes to tests and interviews so that a person with disability can demonstrate their ability to do the job 

• Providing Auslan interpreters for a person who is deaf or hard of hearing, or readers who will read out documents for someone with low vision or learning disability

• Modifying disciplinary or grievance procedures 

Remember: Everyone's different; don't make assumptions about a person's needs or capabilities. The most important thing you can do is to ask the person. 
The majority of adjustments cost very little or nothing at all. However, funding for workplace adjustments is available for eligible employees through the JobAccess Employment Assistance Fund (EAF).

• Refer to a person's disability only when necessary and appropriate.
  Refer to the individual first, then to their disability (for example, “person with disability," rather than "disabled person").

Weekly blog for work, health and safety at Navitas Professional Services

Hi all, 

I, Anand Nandani, WHS representative of Navitas Professional Services welcomes you to this weekly blog for your work, health and safety. You can always post your creative suggestions below in the comment section and I am happy to address them. This blog will cover information about ethical and legal work practices, tips to keep your health well from a health professional, safety and precautions at the workplace for yourself and others too. We can achieve a beautiful workplace by considering others' well-being.

Here are some tips to remember...

1) Practice cleanliness. Always keep your surroundings clean and tidy.

2) Remove any hazardous things if you find them.

3) Use resources mindfully. 

4) Make sure that there is proper ventilation at your workplace. 

5) Check and update your safety equipment for emergencies.

6) Take a break from your work and drink enough water during the day.

7) Check your body posture and the comfortability of your position at the workplace.

8) Attend all the training and meetings to keep yourself updated about the work, health and safety.

9) We would encourage you to wear appropriate clothes at the workplace considering the comfort, temperatures and weather conditions.

10) Treat others the way you want yourself to be treated!

11) Be mindful of the situation and take prompt action in the case of a crisis. Avoid Shortcuts and be alert.

12) Feel free to ask for help.

Eat healthy food, practice a healthy lifestyle, leave your home 10 minutes early to avoid your blood pressure rise.! We are a family and it's our moral responsibility to take care of others too, help them, consider the limitations of each other and work accordingly to grow together. Talk to your colleague, WHS representative, Team Manager and discuss your ideas to achieve a more joyful and progressive workplace culture and feel free to ask your doubts.

Happy Janmashtami!

अभी अभी कुछ गुज़रा है, लापरवाह, धुल में दौड़ता हुआ, ज़रा पलट के देखु तो, बचपन था शायद। 

~ पीयूष मिश्रा

મમ્મી લઇ ગઈ હતી મને એ દિવસે ફોટો સ્ટુડિયોમાં... સ્પેશ્યલ આ કૉસ્ચ્યુમ માં ફોટો પડાવવા માટે...અને એ કૉસ્ચ્યુમ પણ મારા મામાના દીકરા મિતનો હતો. એને ક્યાંક સ્કૂલમાં કે અમારી ન્યાતના કાર્યક્રમમાં કાનુડો બનવાનું હશે તે એ પછી આપડે'ય બનેલા..ઘરમાં જ. (નાના બાળકને કૃષ્ણ કરતા કાનુડો કેહવું જ વધારે શોભે.) અને દરેક મા ની જેમ મારી મમ્મીને પણ એના દીકરા માટે આવી હોંશ અને સામાન્ય કહી શકાય એવી ઈચ્છા હશે. આમે'ય પપ્પા કરતા મમ્મી વધારે શોખીન. પપ્પા તો નોહતા આવી શક્યા કદાચ, એમના કામમાં વ્યસ્ત હોવાને લીધે પણ મને પાક્કી ખાતરી છે કે "ફોટો પડાવી આવ જે હો મીના" એવું એ જરૂર કહેતા ગયા હશે. હું ત્યારે લગભગ ચારેક વર્ષનો હોઈશ એટલે કે વાત છે 1998 આસપાસની. એ વખતે તો મોબાઈલ પણ નોહતા કદાચ અને આવ્યા હશે તો પણ નવા નવા જ અને એ પણ પેલા કી-પેડ કે જે સામાન્ય વર્ગને તો પોસાય એવાં હતાં જ નહીં પાછા. એટલે આજની જેમ ઈંસ્ટન્ટ ફોટોની વ્યવસ્થા એ વખતે નોહતી. અને સ્ટુડિયોમાં ફોટો પડાવ્યા પછી પણ કઈં તરત થોડો મળતો?! એ પછી પણ એક-બે દિવસ રાહ જોવી પડતી... સ્ટુડિયો વાળા ભાઈને ત્યાં ફોટો લેવા જવું પડતું... અને ત્યારે ખબર પડતી કે કેવો ફોટો આવ્યો છે. આ તો આજે આ ફોટો જોયો અને એની ધૂંધળી યાદો મારા માનસપટ ઉપર છવાઈ ગઈ. બધું તો મને ક્યાંથી સરખું યાદ પણ હોય... પણ યશોદા મૈયા ને બધું બરાબર યાદ હતું... મેં અત્યારે પૂછ્યું તો સ્ટુડિયોના નામ સાથે મને કીધું કે આ સ્ટુડિયોમાં ગયેલા. અને આ વાત લખતા લખતા અત્યારે જ આવેલો એક વિચાર - મને એવું લાગે છે કે ખરા અર્થમાં મેં તો જન્માષ્ટમી ઉજવી લીધી... કારણ કે આજે હું ફરી પાછો મારી બાળપણની શેરીઓ સુધી પહોંચ્યો, સંસ્મરણો સુધી પહોંચ્યો. મા પાસે બેસીનેે એની પાસેથી મારી વાતો સાંભળી. હવે બાળપણના દેવ..પ્રેમના દેવ..કૃષ્ણના જન્મદિનની આથી વધારે કઇ મોટી ઉજવણી હોય વળી..?! મારે મન તો હું મારી મા પાસે બેસું 'ને મને કૃષ્ણ મળી ગયા..મારુ નાનપણમાં એ પીતાંબર પહેરવું 'ને મને કૃષ્ણ મળી ગયા..માથે મોરપીંછ ખોસવું 'ને મને કૃષ્ણ મળી ગયા..બાળપણને યાદ કરું 'ને મને કૃષ્ણ મળી ગયા..હું વાંસળી વગાડું 'ને મને કૃષ્ણ મળી ગયા..એનું એકાદ ગીત ગણગણું 'ને મને કૃષ્ણ મળી ગયા..અને આ મળી ગયા પણ શું હોય વળી?! કૃષ્ણને આજ સુધી પૂર્ણતઃ તો કોણ પામી શક્યું છે? જે જેવું હોય છે કૃષ્ણ એની સાથે એવા બનીને રહે છે! એટલે મેળવી લીધા કરતાંય આ બધી વાતો દરમ્યાન મેં મારી સમજણ મુજબ...કાનુડો બનીને કૃષ્ણને સ્પર્શી લીધા એવું તો જરૂર કહી શકું...!

આ સાથે જ...નંદ ઘેર આનંદ ભયો... જય કનૈયાલાલ કી.

આપ સર્વેને જન્માષ્ટમીની ખૂબ ખૂબ શુભેચ્છા.