People over Profit

People over Profit

As a leader, there's nothing wrong with enjoying the thrill that comes with running a company performing at its best. But it's important to remember that your employees are the ones making those numbers go through the roof.

Numbers and facts and figures are intoxicating things--it's exciting to see your revenues and profits climb over time. While there's nothing wrong with enjoying the thrill that comes along with running a company that is performing at its very best and generating lots of sales, as a leader, it's important not to forget exactly who is making those numbers go through the roof--your employees. If not for them (and your customers), you wouldn't have a business at all.

In his book People Over Profit, Dale Partridge--co-founder of Sevenly--explains that socially-conscious business models that put people first the future of the enterprise. Says Partridge, "I believe these new business models represent the future--one we want and need to realize." Not only are these business models socially responsible, but they are also surprisingly profitable.

By adopting these 7 core beliefs shared by an increasing number of consumers, start-ups, and business leaders, you can break the old profit-first cycle and crush it in the marketplace--all by simply putting people first.

1. People matter

It's easy to forget just how important people are to the success of any business. Remember: employees and customers are people, not parts--and not gears in some big money-making machine. How you make them feel about themselves says a lot about your business.

2. Truth wins

Leaders must tell the truth completely, tell the truth quickly, and tell the truth clearly. When you tell the truth, you build trust. And when you build trust, you build powerful business relationships that will take your business to a higher level of success.

3. Transparency frees

Company vulnerability + management accessibility = transparency. When you are transparent, you and your business are open and accessible, and your people, your customers, and the communities in which you do business will reward you with their loyalty.

4. Authenticity attracts

Instead of trying to be something or someone you're not, just be you. Authenticity attracts authentic people. Fight the lie and resist the urge to become someone else.

5. Quality speaks

Would you rather be known for producing the best quality products and services, or the worst? Would you rather be the company that everyone loves or the one that everyone hates? Never compromise. Even if it's a painful point.

6. Generosity returns

It's true: What goes around comes around. To be authentic, generosity must be built in, not tacked on.

7. Courage sustains

Assassinate fear and create space for insane courage. The energy you release in your business will be powerful--and it will boost your bottom line in ways you never imagined possible.

Innovation Vs Continuous Improvement

Principles and skills that have been learned in operating the business are embedded in the Quality Processes of the business as a reflection of the process ensuring customer satisfaction and business continuity. The conservation often leads to the topic around continuous improvement and innovation. Often clients will ask,

“At what point do you stop with continually improving and look for a new process or new innovation”

A really interesting point and often where it culminates with a discussion about reviewing the outputs of the processes to see if they actually fit the needs of the receiver of these outputs. This conversation reminds me of a really great point someone once made at a conference I attended, which went something along the lines of…

“The light bulb wasn’t invented by continuously improving the candle…it was about understanding what the job to be done was and then stepping back to look for solutions to solve this”

I feel this makes a great point in that you could spend lots of time and energy making a candle burn the longest or the brightest, least smoky but you would never get to a lightbulb; it would always be a candle. In the same hand if you don’t truly understand what the ‘job to be done’ is then you could waste precious time and resource improving processes not fit for purpose. This is often a moment for and I think (to avoid the pun) a few ‘light bulb’ moments for the clients themselves in terms of thinking about continuous improvement and innovation…

Take a look at your processes to become more innovative. Surviving in today’s landscape needs a concentrated view of how to change the way the company delivers a quicker, better more ‘wow’ moment for the customer without any compromise in quality.

INCOME TAX RETURN (ITR) FOR FREE!!

INCOME TAX RETURN FOR FREE!!

Now that I have gotten your attention with words like FREE and ZERO (come on..admit it J ), the method I am about to tell you is indeed FREE and involves ZERO cost.

The method is – Do it yourself for FREE on govt. website.  You can easily fill your ITR for free and it is not that difficult or Rocket Science as you might think.

Every year, during these 2-3 months (May-July), many CA’s and 3^rd party ITR e-filing service providers sprout up to “Help You” out in your herculean task of IT return.

The charges of these friendly service vary from 100-500 for simple ITR and 1000 onwards for ITR involving multiple income sources and other variables.

Well you can now save all those hard earned money & spend it on more productive affairs like Movies at Elante or something along the line..you get the drift..right J

I am outlining the FREE ITR filing steps below for everyone’s benefit

The information may seem little over-whelming, that’s only because I am trying to be as detailed as possible. Its only lengthy in reading, once you start doing it..it will be easy to follow and wrap up

Alternatively, You can file ITR through ClearTax also: https://goo.gl/JcCzy9 (Very Very Simple)

ITR Filling Step 1:

Go to the website http://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/ and

1. Click on the "Register Yourself" button if you are not registered (Registration is simple - Just need you PAN Details and DOB and stuff like that)

2. Click on the "Login Here" button once you're registered or already a registered user. Login using the details you provided while registering.

(Both the buttons are on the Right Hand Side Menu of the home page).

ITR Filling Step 2:  

After Login, Check the left hand side menu and click on the “Quick e-File ITR” link.

ITR Filling Step 3:

After clicking the “Quick e-File ITR” link, a form will open in the same window saying “Prepare and Submit Online ITR”.

Your PAN no. will be filled in by default. Select ITR Form Name ITR-1. Select Assessment Year.

Select Prefill Address with option as applicable (Previous Year Return or from PAN Database). Digitally Sign will be NO and click Submit.

ITR Filling Step 4:

You will be provided an easy 7 tabs form to fill in the details. The tabs may seem over-whelming at first. But it’s easy and I am explaining everything in detail.

Some details will be filled from the Salary Certificate so keep it handy. Here is the link from Harmony for your salary certificate and form 16

ITR Filling Step 4 (Tab 1: Instruction):

Leave it. I will guide you in detail.

ITR Filling Step 4 (Tab 2: Personal Information):

A1 – A18 -> Simple Name and address formality. Fill as desired. Some info will be already filled in. No need to fill any non-mandatory field.

A19 -> Others

A20 -> Choose as applicable (Refundable or Payable or Nil)

Refundable – If extra tax was deducted from you. It happens when you are not able to submit your tax proof on time with Your Employer and have some pending proofs to claim. I will get to it too.

Payable – If you have some tax to pay which was not deducted by Your Employer. I will get back to it shortly.

Nil – Will be the case of most of us. Who have regularly submitted IT proofs and tax has been deducted as per the investment plan.

A21 -> RES

A22 -> Before due date

Select Original ITR return in case you are filling the first ITR of this year.

Revised in case you are re-filling the ITR in case of some modifications. In this case, the ITR ref no. and date of the earlier filled return will be needed to fill in mandatory columns.

A23 -> No

A24 -> In case 23 is Yes which most probably won't be.

A25 -> In case it's revised return. Here the previous ITR detail and date will be needed to fill in.

A26 -> In this case no need to fill.

A27/28 -> Aadhar details. You can fill it if you like. Not mandatory.

Once fill the tab, Save Draft.

ITR Filling Step 4 (Tab 3: Income Details):

B1 -> Section 8 in your salary certificate (Gross Income)

B2, B3 -> Fill if needed. Leave otherwise. If you fill it, it will increase your net income resulting increase in payable tax, which in turn will result in "Payable" option as discussed above in A20 of Tab2.

How to pay tax in case of Payable, will discuss in this section soon.

Deduction -> Section 9 of your salary certificate.

In case there is Nil return - No need to fill in anything else. The tax will be calculated automatically. It will be pretty much as shown in your Form 16 – give or take 2-3 Rs.

In case of Refundable – You have to show your total investment done here NOT PROOF, just net amount – acknowledged by Your Employer and the rest which you were not able to submit on time.

Once you fill the investment details, the tax deducted amount will be reduced automatically and you will see refund on the next tab. You don’t have to show the investment while filling ITR.

You can show the investment if you get notice from IT dept, which usually come if there is something shady in the details. Nevertheless, keep your tax proofs with you till Sep/Oct of this year.

In case of Tax Payable – Now comes the interesting part. This will be the case when you have some other source of income (House rent from tenants or FD/Bank investment interests etc – The section B2/B3 of this tab)

In this scenario, you will enter additional source of income in the income section. The section B2/B3. Once you will in the details, your net income will increase and so will the tax.

Now when you have some tax payable, it will also be done online and in 5 minutes.

Tax Payable Step 1:

Go to this site: https://onlineservices.tin.egov-nsdl.com/etaxnew/tdsnontds.jsp

Tax Payable Step 2:

At the bottom of the website, in the Non-TDS/TCS section, choose CHALLAN NO. / ITNS 280

You will be re-directed to a page where you can fill in your remaining tax.

Tax Payable Step 3:

Tax Applicable will be 0021 Income Tax Other than Companies. Followed by usual PAN details and assessment details and House address.

Type of Payment will be 300 - Self Assessment Tax (As you have assessed your tax in the ITR and paying the remaining tax like good citizen)

Then Bank Name - They will redirect you to the bank to pay the remaining tax. Make sure you know how much you owe to govt and pay accordingly. +/- of 10 rupees is acceptable.

Fill the captcha and Click the "Proceed" button.  

Now you will be redirected to your bank, you will pay the tax amount and then you will be given a Challan number & BSR code (showed online in the form of PDF which you can save).

Note down the Challan Number and BSR Code. We will  use these details while giving tax details in the next section of the ITR.

You are done with any remaining payable tax. Logout your bank website and return to the ITR form.  

ITR Filling Step 4 (Tab 4: Tax Details):

Sch TDS1 will be applicable for you.

Tax Deduction Account Number – Acc No.

Name of Employer –  Your Employer Name

Income Under Salary (Gross Salary (minus) Deduction = Net Taxable Income in Tab 3)

Tax Deducted = Amount of tax you paid (More or less than actual needed as applicable)

Sch TDS2 will also be automatically filled in case you had some Bank FD or savings on which you got interest.

Bank would have already taken some tax from the interest which will be mentioned here.

Sch TDS3 will be most prob empty and no need to fill in anything here.

Sch IT - This is the section where we will fill in our BSR code and Challan Number of the additional tax that we paid. 

After filling the details and saving, the net payable tax amount will be Nil. It will non zero in case of refund.   

ITR Filling Step 4 (Tab 5: Tax Paid and Verification):

We are almost done now. The calculations of this page will be done automatically and if you have followed the above instruction properly, you will see the final tax details here.

D21 is the mandatory bank details to be filled in.

Total number of saving account will be 1.

IFSC code for YOUR bank. In case of any other bank, fill in accordingly.

Enter the bank name, account number and account type.  

In the verification section, fill only Place. Rest mandatory fields will be auto filled in. No need to fill anything else.

ITR Filling Step 4 (Tab 6: 80G):

This will be NA for you in case you didn’t donate substantial amount in Charity. Considering YOUR salary, I doubt you need this section anyways..right J

So leave it as it is..if you have given some major charity…fill as required.

ITR Filling Step 4 (Tab 7: AL):

No need to fill anything here as well.

Save draft and double check the sections once again..in case you missed anything, check the above instructions and the hit the SUBMIT button.

Great! Now you have filled in your ITR details...and free of cost..planning for the shopping already?  Wait..there is one last thing to do J

Now final step is to verify the details and get the confirmation from ITR deptt.

ITR Filling Step 5:

After submitting the ITR tab form, you will be given option to e-verify your return.

If the option doesn’t come automatically or you closed it accidently, go to the third horizontal menu of the website "e-File" and click on the sub-menu "e-verify Return".

You will be redirected to the page where your just submitted ITR is waiting for your verification. Click on the "e-Verify Return" link.

Now you will be given 4 options to e-verify your return:

If your Aadhar name matches with your PAN name and you have registered your phone in the Aadhar deptt, click on the Verification by Aadhar card.

You will be sent and OTP, enter the OTP on the online form and your ITR is e-verified.

Select the EVS option from Net Banking in other cases as it is most effective in case Aadhar card trump card doesn't work.

From ITR site, you will be given link to open your bank website. I have ICICI account so I shall be sharing info on that.

The link will redirect you to ICICI home page. Login from there. In the top menu, hover on the third one (PAYMENTS & TRANSFER)..click on the last link MANAGE YOUR TAXES.

In the left hand menu section, there is group of links under heading “Manage your Taxes”. The second last link says “Income Tax e-Filing”. Click on it.

Click the agree combo box and click Submit button. You will be re-directed to the ITR website and you can confirm the e-verification from there.

Done Dana Done...as simple as that.

You have successfully filled in your ITR and e-verified the return as well.

If you found this post useful, share with your friends so they don’t have to pay for ITR return either.  

“It always seems impossible until it's done.”

“It always seems impossible until it's done.” 

Eliud Kipchoge blew away the marathon world record, achieving a time of 2:00.24.

How did he manage to cut Dennis Kimetto’s world record of 2:02:57 by over two and a half minutes? A pace which is 7 seconds per mile faster than world record pace?

With focus, preparation - and science.

Nike began planning the project, “Project2” in 2013, when they set the target of cutting running economy by 3% - with the goal of trying to achieve a sub-2-hour marathon.

Over the last 4 years they went through 100 different shoe prototypes in their top-secret “Innovation Kitchen” led by Geng Luo Ph.D, who said “For a shoe nerd like myself, this is heaven.”

The result? The “Nike Zoom Vaporfly 4%” - a super-light shoe with a mix of rubber, plastic and carbon-fibre. The shoe increases your running efficiency by an amazing 4%, and all three podium places at the Rio Olympics, including Eliud Kipchoge who Gold, wore shoes.

Nike then brought three selected runners (Eliud Kipchoge, Zersenay Tadese and Lelisa Desisa) to their HQ in Portland, Oregon, where they went through tests and training with treadmills, refrigerated rooms and wind tunnels, where they found the perfect drafting pattern.

Lead physiologist, Brett Kirby, Ph.D says: “What we saw could be akin to running downhill at like two-and-a-half percent grade.”

They then found the ideal course: Monza race track, with the idea flat surface, the right temperature and close to sea level to ensure maximum oxygen in the air.

And finally, they equipped the runners in ‘superman pants’ - Aerodynamic, half tights with compression bands to support the muscles.

Today, Eliud, accompanied by rotating pace runners and a pollution-free Tesla pace car, broke the record with a time of 2:00.24 - narrowly missing the sub-2-hour mark.

Derek Clayton’s 1968 marathon world record of 2:08:33 held for 12 years. In the 39 years since, it’s been broken 13 times, each time slicing seconds off the record.

Today, Eliud Kipchoge has combined human spirit, superhuman effort and modern science to achieve a bigger drop in the record in 2 hours than all record-holders combined have achieved in the last 20 years.

63 years ago, Roger Bannister beat the 4 minute mile for the first time. Since then, over 2,000 runners have done the same. Roger changed the mindset of a generation of what was possible.

Now it's just a matter of time before Eluid breaks the 2 hour barrier, and does the same.

Everything changes when you shift from “It’s impossible” to “How can I make it possible?”

Right doesn’t matter when you cease to be effective

Change :

Change demands a letting go. In order to grasp new possibilities, we must let go of what is comfortable and familiar. Change not only asks that of us; it demands it, with an urgency that can be uncomfortable – and even frightening. But try as we might, we cannot simultaneously cling to a familiar past and grab hold of a promising future. So as individuals, how can we challenge our comfortable habits and risk an uncertain outcome? And as leaders, how can we inspire others to follow us into the unknown?

A few insights that my mentors have shared with me over the years may offer some clues.

“The real measure of a leader is how many people would follow if no one had to.”

Strip away the title, the grade level, the reporting relationships that you enjoy, and how many of your team would still follow you into battle? We often confuse the ability to command action with the ability to inspire and motivate action. Why do people follow? I believe it boils down to three factors.

First, people follow an individual who gives them a higher purpose and makes them feel part of something greater than themselves.

Second, people follow a leader whom they can trust. Someone who has the courage of his or her own convictions and an unerring inner compass which always points True North. Someone who can step with confidence into the most chaotic of circumstances, set direction and maintain an unwavering course.

Third, people follow a leader who protects their interests – in fact, who puts their team’s interests ahead of their own.

I grew up with this type of leader on both my sides of my family. One grandfather was a ship’s captain who made it very clear that, put to the test, a captain puts women and children on the lifeboats first, then able-bodied seamen, and finally – only if there is room, and only if there is nothing more to be done on board – takes a seat himself. Fortunately, my grandfather never had a shipwreck, but I have no doubt how he would have acted if he had! And not surprisingly, he enjoyed the service of a dedicated crew who followed him from ship to ship for over three decades. My other grandfather was an investment banker at the time of the 1929 U.S. financial crash. His two partners walked out of the firm declaring bankruptcy, but he spent the next thirty years of his professional life repaying the firm’s debts. His client list, and his reputation in the East Coast city where he lived and worked, grew steadily, even during the Depression’s darkest years.

So who are we as leaders? Do we create an uplifting vision for our team? Do we have the courage to take an unpopular or unprecedented position, in which we truly believe? Do we step confidently into the unknown? And, do we put our team members in the lifeboats first or rush for a seat ourselves?

Stay curious

I’m a physical scientist by background, for both my graduate and undergraduate degrees. A geologist, a student of rocks and soil, of mountains forming and wearing away, of earthquakes twisting and rending the earth’s crust. People often ask how my physical sciences background relates to working as a management consultant. In actuality, few things could have prepared me better. First and foremost, the physical sciences instill curiosity. How? Why? When? If this, then what? Staying curious is a crucial attribute for a leader – and particularly a leader of change. Curiosity allows one to envision the unprecedented. To consider possibilities. To learn. What’s the biggest obstacle to learning? Knowing. When we think we know it all, we close our minds to new information. Curiosity keeps us open and also builds bridges. Instead of focusing on personal differences, on things that annoy us, objections to new ideas, we seek the whys and the what-ifs. We suspend judgment and consider what might be. We ponder what the other guy is thinking and feeling. A manager can be dogmatic, insisting on the world as he or she knows it. A true leader is open to the possibilities.

“Right doesn’t matter when you cease to be effective.”

Anyone who’s been in my orbit for a few years has heard me say this. It’s probably the single most important piece of advice I’ve ever received. It’s easy for all of us to get hung up on being right. Probably each of us can remember a time when we were so bent on defending a position or a belief that we ceased to be effective. I certainly can! In those situations, we lose track of our impact on others, we close our minds to new information, and we focus on the battle, rather than the war. We sacrifice our tactical maneuverability, as well as our strategic vision.

When we think we need to be right, what we really need is to be effective. A leader who is focused on being right will find himself or herself thwarted on many occasions. In contrast, a leader who stays effective can adjust on the fly, suspend disbelief and consider new alternatives, take a risk without fear of seeming a fool. A leader who stays effective removes roadblocks to getting things done and has a “sixth sense” about what is, and is not, worth spending time on. As leaders, when others see us opening ourselves to possibilities, changing our position and tactics as we get better information, being willing to compromise, and avoiding useless conflicts, we attract followers and our influence expands.

These things — consciousness of building followers, staying curious, focusing on being effective rather than on being right — have helped me lead many changes, and face many more in the past 35 years. When I left graduate school, I joined what was essentially an all-male industry. Women are commonplace in oil companies today; when I went to work, we were a novelty — we were literally reading and writing the book on gender diversity in the workplace. When I gave up geology to work in shared services, strategic communications, and organizational change, my geologist friends thought I was crazy. When I left a prominent western consulting firm to join the fledgling Infosys Consulting in 2005, my consulting friends thought I was nuts. And yet, each of these experiences has dramatically enriched both my professional and personal life. Each time, I’ve also had the good fortune to be able to help and inspire others to pursue their own passions and goals.

How as leaders do we inspire change? By meeting it boldly and forthrightly ourselves, and by blazing a trail for others to follow. The best preparation for leading change is living it.

How to Crack Technical Interview ?

CRACK INTERVIEW

• Speak Truth by giving brief introduction of yourself / your projects or anything the interviewer asks.
• Keep in the mind that Interviewer is also NOT CodeGeek / TechnicalGeek .
• THE Interviewer will just test Your Basics Technical Skills.
• Most of the time we FAIL to tell even basics questions.
• So , Brush up your Technical Skill by starting through Basics.
• Be Confident to every question.
• Keep Smiling while giving any Answer and positive attitude.
• Be ready to say I DONT KNOW , if you are unable to answer any question the Interviewer asks.
• Think and then try to answer.

Follow this manta , I'm sure you will come with Flying Colours.

Stay Inspired. Stay Lucky !

Who are the lucky and unlucky?

Interesting analysis of a professor of psychiatry. 
Why do some people get all the luck while others never get the breaks they deserve? Professor Richard Wiseman, a psychologist says he has discovered the answer.

He says…

Ten years ago, I set out to examine luck. I wanted to know why some people are always in the right place at the right time, while others consistently experienced ill fortune. I placed advertisements in national newspapers asking for people who felt consistently lucky or unlucky to contact me.

Hundreds of extraordinary men and women volunteered for my research. Over the years I interviewed them, monitored their lives and had them take part in various experiments.

I carried out a simple experiment to discover whether their disparity in luck was due to differences in their ability to spot opportunities. I gave both lucky and unlucky people a newspaper, and asked them to look through it and tell me how many photographs were inside. I had secretly placed a large message halfway through the newspaper saying…

“Tell the experimenter you have seen this and win $50.”

This message took up half of the page and was written in type that was more than two inches high. It was staring everyone straight in the face, but the unlucky people tended to miss it and the lucky people tended to spot it.

Unlucky people are generally more tense than lucky people, and this anxiety disrupts their ability to notice the unexpected. As a result, they miss opportunities because they are too focused on looking for something else. They go to gatherings intent on finding their perfect partner and miss opportunities to make good friends. They look through newspapers determined to find certain types of job advertisements and miss other types of jobs.

Lucky people are more relaxed and open, and therefore see what is there rather than just what they are looking for. My research eventually revealed that lucky people generate good fortune via four principles. They are skilled at creating and noticing chance opportunities, make lucky decisions by listening to their intuition, create self-fulfilling prophesies via positive expectations, and adopt a resilient, “never say die” attitude that transforms bad luck into good.

So, here are four tips for becoming lucky:

1) Listen to your gut instincts – they are often right

2) Be open to new experiences and breaking your normal routine

3) Spend a few moments each day remembering things that went well

4) Visualize yourself being lucky before an important meeting or phone call.

Remember that the happiest people in the world are not those who have no problems, but those who learn to enjoy things that are less than perfect.

~ Professor Richard Wiseman, University of Hertfordshire