2.c. Effective Delegation

The hallmark of good supervision is effective delegation. Delegation is when supervisors give responsibility and authority to subordinates to complete a task, and let the subordinates figure out how the task can be accomplished. Effective delegation develops people who are ultimately more fulfilled and productive. Managers become more fulfilled and productive themselves as they learn to count on their staffs and are freed up to attend to more strategic issues.

Delegation is often very difficult for new supervisors, particularly if they have had to scramble to start the organization or start a major new product or service themselves. Many managers want to remain comfortable, making the same decisions they have always made. They believe they can do a better job themselves. They don't want to risk losing any of their power and stature (ironically, they do lose these if they don't learn to delegate effectively). Often, they don't want to risk giving authority to subordinates in case they fail and impair the organization.

However, there are basic approaches to delegation that, with practice, become the backbone of effective supervision and development. Thomas R. Horton, in Delegation and Team Building: No Solo Acts Please (Management Review, September 1992, pp. 58-61) suggests the following general steps to accomplish delegation:

1. Delegate the whole task to one person
This gives the person the responsibility and increases their motivation.

2. Select the right person
Assess the skills and capabilities of subordinates and assign the task to the most appropriate one.

3. Clearly specify your preferred results
Give information on what, why, when, who and where. You might leave the "how" to them. Write this information down.

4. Delegate responsibility and authority -- assign the task, not the method to accomplish it
Let the subordinate complete the task in the manner they choose, as long as the results are what the supervisor specifies. Let the employee have strong input as to the completion date of the project. Note that you may not even know how to complete the task yourself -- this is often the case with higher levels of management.

5. Ask the employee to summarize back to you, their impressions of the project and the results you prefer

6. Get ongoing non-intrusive feedback about progress on the project
This is a good reason to continue to get weekly, written status reports from all direct reports. Reports should cover what they did last week, plan to do next week and any potential issues. Regular employee meetings provide this ongoing feedback, as well.

7. Maintain open lines of communication
Don't hover over the subordinate, but sense what they're doing and support their checking in with you along the way.

8. If you're not satisfied with the progress, don't take the project back
Continue to work with the employee and ensure they perceive the project as their responsibility.

9. Evaluate and reward performance
Evaluate results more than methods. Address insufficient performance and reward successes. See the next major section, "Employee Performance Management."

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2.d. Basics of Internal Communications

Effective communications is the "life's blood" of an organization. Organizations that are highly successful have strong communications. One of the first signs that an organization is struggling is that communications have broken down. The following guidelines are very basic in nature, but comprise the basics for ensuring strong ongoing, internal communications.

1. Have all employees provide weekly written status reports to their supervisors
Include what tasks were done last week, what tasks are planned next week, any pending issues and date the report. These reports may seem a tedious task, but they're precious in ensuring that the employee and their supervisor have mutual understanding of what is going on, and the reports come in very handy for planning purposes. They also make otherwise harried employees stand back and reflect on what they're doing.

2. Hold monthly meetings with all employees together
Review the overall condition of the organization and review recent successes. Consider conducting "in service" training where employees take turns describing their roles to the rest of the staff. For clarity, focus and morale, be sure to use agendas and ensure follow-up minutes. Consider bringing in a customer to tell their story of how the organization helped them. These meetings go a long way toward building a feeling of teamwork among staff.

3. Hold weekly or biweekly meetings with all employees together if the organization is small (e.g., under 10 people); otherwise, with all managers together
Have these meetings even if there is not a specific problem to solve -- just make them shorter. (Holding meetings only when there are problems to solve cultivates a crisis-oriented environment where managers believe their only job is to solve problems.) Use these meetings for each person to briefly give an overview of what they are doing that week. Facilitate the meetings to support exchange of ideas and questions. Again, for clarity, focus and morale, be sure to use agendas, take minutes and ensure follow-up minutes. Have each person bring their calendar to ensure scheduling of future meetings accommodates each person's calendar.

4. Have supervisors meet with their direct reports in one-on-one meetings every month
This ultimately produces more efficient time management and supervision. Review overall status of work activities, hear how it's going with both the supervisor and the employee, exchange feedback and questions about current products and services, and discuss career planning, etc. Consider these meetings as interim meetings between the more formal, yearly performance review meetings.

To be continued……

2.b. Planning

Quick Look at Some Basic Terms
Planning typically includes use of the following basic terms.

NOTE: It's not critical to grasp completely accurate definitions of each of the following terms. It's more important for planners to have a basic sense for the difference between goals/objectives (results) and strategies/tasks (methods to achieve the results).

1. Goals
Goals are specific accomplishments that must be accomplished in total, or in some combination, in order to achieve some larger, overall result preferred from the system, for example, the mission of an organization. (Going back to our reference to systems, goals are outputs from the system.)

2. Strategies or Activities
These are the methods or processes required in total, or in some combination, to achieve the goals. (Going back to our reference to systems, strategies are processes in the system.)

3. Objectives
Objectives are specific accomplishments that must be accomplished in total, or in some combination, to achieve the goals in the plan. Objectives are usually "milestones" along the way when implementing the strategies.

4. Tasks
Particularly in small organizations, people are assigned various tasks required to implement the plan. If the scope of the plan is very small, tasks and activities are often essentially the same.

5. Resources (and Budgets)
Resources include the people, materials, technologies, money, etc., required to implement the strategies or processes. The costs of these resources are often depicted in the form of a budget. (Going back to our reference to systems, resources are input to the system.)

Basic Overview of Typical Phases in Planning
Whether the system is an organization, department, business, project, etc., the basic planning process typically includes similar nature of activities carried out in similar sequence. The phases are carried out carefully or -- in some cases -- intuitively, for example, when planning a very small, straightforward effort. The complexity of the various phases (and their duplication throughout the system) depend on the scope of the system. For example, in a large corporation, the following phases would be carried out in the corporate offices, in each division, in each department, in each group, etc.

NOTE: Different groups of planners might have different names for the following activities and groups them differently. However, the nature of the activities and their general sequence remains the same.

NOTE: The following are typical phases in planning. They do not comprise the complete, ideal planning process.

1. Reference Overall Singular Purpose ("Mission") or Desired Result from System
During planning, planners have in mind (consciously or unconsciously) some overall purpose or result that the plan is to achieve. For example, during strategic planning, it's critical to reference the mission, or overall purpose, of the organization.

2. Take Stock Outside and Inside the System
This "taking stock" is always done to some extent, whether consciously or unconsciously. For example, during strategic planning, it's important to conduct an environmental scan. This scan usually involves considering various driving forces, or major influences, that might effect the organization.

3. Analyze the Situation
For example, during strategic planning, planners often conduct a "SWOT analysis". (SWOT is an acronym for considering the organization's strengths and weaknesses, and the opportunities and threats faced by the organization.) During this analysis, planners also can use a variety of assessments, or methods to "measure" the health of systems.

4. Establish Goals
Based on the analysis and alignment to the overall mission of the system, planners establish a set of goals that build on strengths to take advantage of opportunities, while building up weaknesses and warding off threats.

5. Establish Strategies to Reach Goals
The particular strategies (or methods to reach the goals) chosen depend on matters of affordability, practicality and efficiency.

6. Establish Objectives Along the Way to Achieving Goals
Objectives are selected to be timely and indicative of progress toward goals.

7. Associate Responsibilities and Time Lines With Each Objective
Responsibilities are assigned, including for implementation of the plan, and for achieving various goals and objectives. Ideally, deadlines are set for meeting each responsibility.

8. Write and Communicate a Plan Document
The above information is organized and written in a document which is distributed around the system.

9. Acknowledge and Celebrate Accomplishment of the Plan
This step is frequently forgotten, which can lead to increasing frustration and skepticism on the part of those people who are responsible to carry out the plan.

Guidelines to Ensure Successful Planning and Implementation
A common failure in many kinds of planning is that the plan is never really implemented. Instead, all focus is on writing a plan document. Too often, the plan sits collecting dust on a shelf. Therefore, most of the following guidelines help to ensure that the planning process is carried out completely and is implemented completely -- or, deviations from the intended plan are recognized and managed accordingly.

1. Involve the Right People in the Planning Process
Going back to the reference to systems, it's critical that all parts of the system continue to exchange feedback in order to function effectively. This is true no matter what type of system. When planning, get input from everyone who will responsible to carry out parts of the plan, along with representative from groups who will be effected by the plan. Of course, people also should be involved if they will be responsible to review and authorize the plan.

2. Write Down the Planning Information and Communicate it Widely
New managers, in particular, often forget that others don't know what these managers know. Even if managers do communicate their intentions and plans verbally, chances are great that others won't completely hear or understand what the manager wants done. Also, as plans change, it's extremely difficult to remember who is supposed to be doing what and according to which version of the plan. Key stakeholders (employees, management, board members, funders, investor, customers, clients, etc.) may request copies of various types of plans. Therefore, it's critical to write plans down and communicate them widely.

3. Goals and Objectives Should Be SMARTER
SMARTER is an acronym, that is, a word composed by joining letters from different words in a phrase or set of words. In this case, a SMARTER goal or objective is:

Specific:
For example, it's difficult to know what someone should be doing if they are to pursue the goal to "work harder". It's easier to recognize "Write a paper".

Measurable:
It's difficult to know what the scope of "Writing a paper" really is. It's easier to appreciate that effort if the goal is "Write a 30-page paper".

Acceptable:
If I'm to take responsibility for pursuit of a goal, the goal should be acceptable to me. For example, I'm not likely to follow the directions of someone telling me to write a 30-page paper when I also have to five other papers to write. However, if you involve me in setting the goal so I can change my other commitments or modify the goal, I'm much more likely to accept pursuit of the goal as well.

Realistic:
Even if I do accept responsibility to pursue a goal that is specific and measurable, the goal won't be useful to me or others if, for example, the goal is to "Write a 30-page paper in the next 10 seconds".

Time frame:
It may mean more to others if I commit to a realistic goal to "Write a 30-page paper in one week". However, it'll mean more to others (particularly if they are planning to help me or guide me to reach the goal) if I specify that I will write one page a day for 30 days, rather than including the possibility that I will write all 30 pages in last day of the 30-day period.

Extending:
The goal should stretch the performer's capabilities. For example, I might be more interested in writing a 30-page paper if the topic of the paper or the way that I write it will extend my capabilities.

Rewarding:
I'm more inclined to write the paper if the paper will contribute to an effort in such a way that I might be rewarded for my effort.

4. Build in Accountability (Regularly Review Who's Doing What and By When?)
Plans should specify who is responsible for achieving each result, including goals and objectives. Dates should be set for completion of each result, as well. Responsible parties should regularly review status of the plan. Be sure to have someone of authority "sign off" on the plan, including putting their signature on the plan to indicate they agree with and support its contents. Include responsibilities in policies, procedures, job descriptions, performance review processes, etc.

5. Note Deviations from the Plan and Replan Accordingly
It's OK to deviate from the plan. The plan is not a set of rules. It's an overall guideline. As important as following the plan is noticing deviations and adjusting the plan accordingly.

6. Evaluate Planning Process and the Plan
During the planning process, regularly collect feedback from participants. Do they agree with the planning process? If not, what don't they like and how could it be done better? In large, ongoing planning processes (such as strategic planning, business planning, project planning, etc.), it's critical to collect this kind of feedback regularly.

During regular reviews of implementation of the plan, assess if goals are being achieved or not. If not, were goals realistic? Do responsible parties have the resources necessary to achieve the goals and objectives? Should goals be changed? Should more priority be placed on achieving the goals? What needs to be done?

Finally, take 10 minutes to write down how the planning process could have been done better. File it away and read it the next time you conduct the planning process.

7. Recurring Planning Process is at Least as Important as Plan Document
Far too often, primary emphasis is placed on the plan document. This is extremely unfortunate because the real treasure of planning is the planning process itself. During planning, planners learn a great deal from ongoing analysis, reflection, discussion, debates and dialogue around issues and goals in the system. Perhaps there is no better example of misplaced priorities in planning than in business ethics. Far too often, people put emphasis on written codes of ethics and codes of conduct. While these documents certainly are important, at least as important is conducting ongoing communications around these documents. The ongoing communications are what sensitize people to understanding and following the values and behaviors suggested in the codes.

8. Nature of the Process Should Be Compatible to Nature of Planners
A prominent example of this type of potential problem is when planners don't prefer the "top down" or "bottom up", "linear" type of planning (for example, going from general to specific along the process of an environmental scan, SWOT analysis, mission/vision/values, issues and goals, strategies, objectives, timelines, etc.) There are other ways to conduct planning.

9. Critical -- But Frequently Missing Step -- Acknowledgement and Celebration of Results
It's easy for planners to become tired and even cynical about the planning process. One of the reasons for this problem is very likely that far too often, emphasis is placed on achieving the results. Once the desired results are achieved, new ones are quickly established. The process can seem like having to solve one problem after another, with no real end in sight. Yet when one really thinks about it, it's a major accomplishment to carefully analyze a situation, involve others in a plan to do something about it, work together to carry out the plan and actually see some results. So acknowledge this -- celebrate your accomplishment!

To be Continued.....

CORE SKILLS IN MANAGEMENT & SUPERVISION

Continue of Previous Post.........

CHAPTER - 2

**CORE SKILLS IN MANAGEMENT & SUPERVISION**

2.a. Problem Solving and Decision Making

Much of what managers and supervisors do is solve problems and make decisions. New managers and supervisors, in particular, often make solve problems and decisions by reacting to them. They are "under the gun", stressed and very short for time. Consequently, when they encounter a new problem or decision they must make, they react with a decision that seemed to work before. It's easy with this approach to get stuck in a circle of solving the same problem over and over again. Therefore, as a new manager or supervisor, get used to an organized approach to problem solving and decision making. Not all problems can be solved and decisions made by the following, rather rational approach. However, the following basic guidelines will get you started. Don't be intimidated by the length of the list of guidelines. After you've practiced them a few times, they'll become second nature to you -- enough that you can deepen and enrich them to suit your own needs and nature.

(Note that it might be more your nature to view a "problem" as an "opportunity". Therefore, you might substitute "problem" for "opportunity" in the following guidelines.)

1. Define the problem
This is often where people struggle. They react to what they think the problem is. Instead, seek to understand more about why you think there's a problem.

Defining the problem: (with input from yourself and others)
Ask yourself and others, the following questions:
a. What can you see that causes you to think there's a problem?
b. Where is it happening?
c. How is it happening?
d. When is it happening?
e. With whom is it happening? (HINT: Don't jump to "Who is causing the problem?" When we're stressed, blaming is often one of our first reactions. To be an effective manager, you need to address issues more than people.)
f. Why is it happening?
g. Write down a five-sentence description of the problem in terms of "The following should be happening, but isn't ..." or "The following is happening and should be: ..." As much as possible, be specific in your description, including what is happening, where, how, with whom and why. (It may be helpful at this point to use a variety of research methods. See Research Methods.)

Defining complex problems:
a. If the problem still seems overwhelming, break it down by repeating steps a-f until you have descriptions of several related problems.

Verifying your understanding of the problems:
a. It helps a great deal to verify your problem analysis for conferring with a peer or someone else.

Prioritize the problems:
a. If you discover that you are looking at several related problems, then prioritize which ones you should address first.
b. Note the difference between "important" and "urgent" problems. Often, what we consider to be important problems to consider are really just urgent problems. Important problems deserve more attention. For example, if you're continually answering "urgent" phone calls, then you've probably got a more "important" problem and that's to design a system that screens and prioritizes your phone calls.

Understand your role in the problem:
a. Your role in the problem can greatly influence how you perceive the role of others. For example, if you're very stressed out, it'll probably look like others are, too, or, you may resort too quickly to blaming and reprimanding others. Or, you are feel very guilty about your role in the problem, you may ignore the accountabilities of others.

2. Look at potential causes for the problem
a. It's amazing how much you don't know about what you don't know. Therefore, in this phase, it's critical to get input from other people who notice the problem and who are effected by it.
b. It's often useful to collect input from other individuals one at a time (at least at first). Otherwise, people tend to be inhibited about offering their impressions of the real causes of problems.
c. Write down what your opinions and what you've heard from others.
d. Regarding what you think might be performance problems associated with an employee, it's often useful to seek advice from a peer or your supervisor in order to verify your impression of the problem.
e.Write down a description of the cause of the problem and in terms of what is happening, where, when, how, with whom and why.

3. Identify alternatives for approaches to resolve the problem
a. At this point, it's useful to keep others involved (unless you're facing a personal and/or employee performance problem). Brainstorm for solutions to the problem. Very simply put, brainstorming is collecting as many ideas as possible, then screening them to find the best idea. It's critical when collecting the ideas to not pass any judgment on the ideas -- just write them down as you hear them. (A wonderful set of skills used to identify the underlying cause of issues is Systems Thinking.)

4. Select an approach to resolve the problem
When selecting the best approach, consider:
a. Which approach is the most likely to solve the problem for the long term?
b. Which approach is the most realistic to accomplish for now? Do you have the resources? Are they affordable? Do you have enough time to implement the approach?
c. What is the extent of risk associated with each alternative?
(The nature of this step, in particular, in the problem solving process is why problem solving and decision making are highly integrated.)

5. Plan the implementation of the best alternative (this is your action plan)
a. Carefully consider "What will the situation look like when the problem is solved?"
b. What steps should be taken to implement the best alternative to solving the problem? What systems or processes should be changed in your organization, for example, a new policy or procedure? Don't resort to solutions where someone is "just going to try harder".
c. How will you know if the steps are being followed or not? (these are your indicators of the success of your plan)
d. What resources will you need in terms of people, money and facilities?
e. How much time will you need to implement the solution? Write a schedule that includes the start and stop times, and when you expect to see certain indicators of success.
f. Who will primarily be responsible for ensuring implementation of the plan?
g. Write down the answers to the above questions and consider this as your action plan.
h. Communicate the plan to those who will involved in implementing it and, at least, to your immediate supervisor.
(An important aspect of this step in the problem-solving process is continually observation and feedback.)

6. Monitor implementation of the plan
Monitor the indicators of success:
a. Are you seeing what you would expect from the indicators?
b. Will the plan be done according to schedule?
c. If the plan is not being followed as expected, then consider: Was the plan realistic? Are there sufficient resources to accomplish the plan on schedule? Should more priority be placed on various aspects of the plan? Should the plan be changed?

7. Verify if the problem has been resolved or not
One of the best ways to verify if a problem has been solved or not is to resume normal operations in the organization. Still, you should consider:
a. What changes should be made to avoid this type of problem in the future? Consider changes to policies and procedures, training, etc.
b. Lastly, consider "What did you learn from this problem solving?" Consider new knowledge, understanding and/or skills.
c. Consider writing a brief memo that highlights the success of the problem solving effort, and what you learned as a result. Share it with your supervisor, peers and subordinates.

To be Continued......

Free Basic Guide to Leadership and Supervision

Free Basic Guide to Leadership and Supervision
Written by Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD | Applies to nonprofits and for-profits unless noted otherwise
First-timers | Library materials | Library home page | Contact us | Leaders Circles

(Some of the following information is adapted from the guidebook, Nuts-and-Bolts Guide to Leadership and Supervision.)

This guide is basic, yet comprehensive, in nature to be useful to new managers and supervisors. Note that many organizations struggle, not from lack of advanced information -- rather, they never really master the basics. This guide will help you master the basics.

Each topic includes references to Web addresses that provide additional, advanced, free information. These Web addresses are spelled out in the text of the guide. Therefore, the reader might best benefit from this guide by printing it out for continued reference.

Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Introduction to Management and Supervision
What is "Management"? What do Managers Do?
What is "Supervision"? What Do Supervisors Do?

Chapter 2. Core Skills in Management and Supervision
2.a.Problem Solving and Decision Making
2.b.Planning
2.c.Delegation
2.d.Basics of Internal Communications
2.e.Meeting Management
2.f.Managing Yourself

Chapter 3.a. Designing the Organization and Staff
Designing the Organization and Staff

Chapter 3.b. Staffing
3.b.1.Defining a New Job Role
3.b.2.Hiring (Advertising, Screening and Selecting)
3.b.3.Building Teams

Chapter 3.c. Employee Training
3.c.1.Orienting New Employees
3.c.2.Job Training

Chapter 3.d. Employee Performance Management
3.d.1.Setting Goals
3.d.2.Supporting Employee Motivation
3.d.3.Observing and Giving Feedback
3.d.4.Conducting Performance Appraisals/Reviews
3.d.5.Addressing Performance Problems
3.d.6.Firing Employees

Chapter 3.e. Personnel Policies
3.e.1.Developing Personnel Policies
3.e.2.Developing an Employee Manual
3.e.3.Sample List of Personnel Policies

Chapter 4. General Resources
Additional Resources

Free, Complete, On-line Training Programs That Include This Topic!
For For-profit Organizations:
This topic is also included in the Free Micro-eMBA learning module, Staffing and Supervising of Employees. This complete, "nuts and bolts", free training program is geared to leaders, managers and consultants who work with for-profit organizations.

For Nonprofit Organizations:

This topic is also included in the Free Nonprofit Micro-eMBA learning module, Staffing and Supervising of Employees and Volunteers. This complete, "nuts and bolts", free training program is geared to leaders, managers, consultants and volunteers who serve nonprofit organizations.

Tell Friends! Local Professional Organizations! Spread the Word!
Tell friends and professional organizations about these free programs! Advertise them in your newsletters and web sites so that others can save training dollars, too!

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CHAPTER - 1

**INTRODUCTION TO MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISION**

What is "Management"? What Do Managers Do?
What is "Management"?
Traditional Interpretation
There are a variety of views about this term. Traditionally, the term "management" refers to the set of activities, and often the group of people, involved in four general functions, including planning, organizing, leading and coordinating activities. (Note that the four functions recur throughout the organization and are highly integrated.)

Another Interpretation
Some writers, teachers and practitioners assert that the above view is rather outmoded and that management needs to focus more on leadership skills, e.g., establishing vision and goals, communicating the vision and goals, and guiding others to accomplish them. They also assert that leadership must be more facilitative, participative and empowering in how visions and goals are established and carried out. Some people assert that this really isn't a change in the management functions, rather it's re-emphasizing certain aspects of management.

What Do Managers Do?
Both of the above interpretations acknowledge the major functions of planning, organizing, leading and coordinating activities -- they put different emphasis and suggest different natures of activities in the following four major functions. They still agree that what managers do is the following:
1) Planning,
including identifying goals, objectives, methods, resources needed to carry out methods, responsibilities and dates for completion of tasks. Examples of planning are strategic planning, business planning, project planning, staffing planning, advertising and promotions planning, etc.

2) Organizing resources
to achieve the goals in an optimum fashion. Examples are organizing new departments, human resources, office and file systems, re-organizing businesses, etc.

3) Leading,
including to set direction for the organization, groups and individuals and also influence people to follow that direction. Examples are establishing strategic direction (vision, values, mission and / or goals) and championing methods of organizational performance management to pursue that direction.

4) Controlling, or coordinating,
the organization's systems, processes and structures to reach effectively and efficiently reach goals and objectives. This includes ongoing collection of feedback, and monitoring and adjustment of systems, processes and structures accordingly. Examples include use of financial controls, policies and procedures, performance management processes, measures to avoid risks etc.

Another common view is that "management" is getting things done through others. Yet another view, quite apart from the traditional view, asserts that the job of management is to support employee's efforts to be fully productive members of the organizations and citizens of the community.

To most employees, the term "management" probably means the group of people (executives and other managers) who are primarily responsible for making decisions in the organization. In a nonprofit, the term "management" might refer to all or any of the activities of the board, executive director and/or program directors.

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What is "Supervision"? What Do Supervisors Do?
What is "Supervision"?
There are several interpretations of the term "supervision", but typically supervision is the activity carried out by supervisors to oversee the productivity and progress of employees who report directly to the supervisors. For example, first-level supervisors supervise entry-level employees. Depending on the size of the organization, middle-managers supervise first-level supervisors, chief executives supervise middle-managers, etc. Supervision is a management activity and supervisors have a management role in the organization.

What Do Supervisors Do?
Supervision of a group of employees often includes
1. Conducting basic management skills (decision making, problem solving, planning, delegation and meeting management)
2. Organizing their department and teams
3. Noticing the need for and designing new job roles in the group
4. Hiring new employees
5. Training new employees
6. Employee performance management (setting goals, observing and giving feedback, addressing performance issues, firing employees, etc.)
7. Conforming to personnel policies and other internal regulations

To be continued……

Self Development

Set Your Goal

Many people bring great unhappiness to themselves because they refuse to accept themselves. Someone else's job, somebody else's personality always seems so much desirable than one's own. The essence of life is that every one in the whole world is unique. Success, therefore, lies in a single-minded development of one's own abilities and personality traits. Never try to copy or model other people whose potentials and qualities may be quite different than yours. Groom your own garden.

While setting your goals, you must accept your own potentials and drawbacks. Have a proper critical introspection about your own self and only thereafter you should decide the goals that are in accordance with your personal and environmental needs, apart from the resources available to you. Impulsive decision making in this regard would be damaging to your career planning/setting of the goals. You ought to carefully observe inside and look outside for tapping the suitable and achievable goals of your life.

Personality

In fiction and journalism people use the terms "charming personality", "charismatic personality", "electrifying personality" …… "a milk-toast personality"……, and so on. These phrases/terms, however, do not use the scientific principles of vocabulary.

The term personality has been derived from Latin persona, a mask worn by actors in classical dramas. Behaviorist psychologists feel that if a person has some kind of impact, makes a certain impression on others, it must be because of his actions. The simplest possible way to explain the meaning of personality, therefore, is "the pattern of responses" which characterizes the individual. Contrary to the general idea that good personality refers to good physical features or trendy looking individual, the fact is the personality includes many other more important behavioral and mental features.

Think of a boy who is not handsome and attractive apparently, not even tall or robust, yet he has a commanding verbal influence which makes him a successful army officer. Think of Mahatma Gandhi for example. Most people did not find him to be attractive or impressive as far as his physical make - up was concerned. Short, meek looking, bard, dhoti - clad old looking man moved the whole India behind him. Even today he is known his 'Personality' which had its impact, and force with an everlasting impression on the people around him that made him the man of world - fame. Personality is the sum total of all physical, mental and emotional attitudes, values, interests and motivational factors. Personality is the core potential that determines one's success in life and career.

If you feel depressed or disheartened because you think that you are born with weak personality - stop thinking negatively. Personality make - up of yours is not only (totally) determined by heredity. There is another important factor that determines (influences) your personality - environment. It is the environment that can be manipulated to get the desirable positive effects in shaping the personality. Well known psychologist Watson (a behaviorist) emphasized the importance of environment in shaping personality of the child so much that he declared, "… give me a dozen mentally healthy infects, well formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in …… and I will guarantee to make any one at random and train him to be any type of specialist I desire - doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant …..., even beggar man or thief!" This is obviously an extreme view that some behaviorists have taken to focus on the role of environment in personality development. The fact remains that enriching the environment of the individual does show significant improvement in developing your personality. At the same time, however, do not get blindly influenced by some non-standard, cheap publicity stunts of some people who sell their "personality-development" courses just to make quick money. You must use your brain and understanding before you join such courses.

Improving your personality requires a strong will and determination to achieve healthy growth. Any one of you who aspires for self-improvement should make an objective evaluation about himself. Then he must look into his positive potentials and also (confess) weaknesses. On this basis of this information, an objective self-evaluation may be carried.

At the same time it is also essential to counteract all negative and pessimistic thoughts. These negative thoughts/forces destroy many potential abilities of human beings. Brooding, self-debasement, feeling of inferiority, hate and jealousy are all negative and damaging emotions. One must face and tactfully weaken these negative forces to emerge as successful. You should not be fatalistic in your approach to life. Never feel you are at mercy of others.

So what if you have failed repeatedly? With all your intelligence, wisdom, and vigor make your positive potentials to grow. Reveal yourself with truth and you will find that there is a storehouse of virtues within you. You don't have to expect chances of miracles, just decide to move in a determined and positive direction, and move.

Social Development is an important aspect of ideal personality development. Closed room with open books, may help you to fetch higher marks in certain exam, however, for a full and complete growth of personality, one must be able to expose himself to the social realities of life. Interaction with people around you may give you pain or pleasure but it certainly adds to your personality growth if taken from healthy frame of mind.

A school or university is just not a cramming machine. You may study at home too. The value of lectures over reading is that you get a sense of participation with other like you. Such a situation is also suitable for development of the personality. The class - room situation encourages debags and discussions and thus broaden the horizons of mind. There is always a need to socialize - mix with fellow colleagues to know them, feel them and understand them to grow socially (socially educated). There is a natural (social) need to know if other are like you or different. Some people are more social than others. Sociability is an art which should be cultivated to grow into effective personality.

Extrovert is a person whose basic orientation is towards external world. Such persons are outgoing (going out and socially mixing with others), sociable, rather impulsive and require constant stimulations from the environment. The psychological research shows that their (extreme extraverts) academic performance tends to be lower than that of introverts, because (mostly) concentration is not one of their strong points.

Introvert is a person who may be described at the other continuum of the bipolar scale, as hesitant, reflective, withdrawn ….., reserved etc. None of you fall on the extreme of the bipolar scale. Infact, most of the people have various degrees of the two types combined. At times you feel you are introvert and sometimes you feel you are extrovert. In reality most of us are ambivert - the mixture of two. The degree of the two sets of characteristics varies from person to person and that is what makes you different from others.

In case you find that you are basically an introvert but in peace and comfortable with yourself, fine! Don't push yourself out and out to be like extreme extroverts. You will have your own merits of uniqueness. Making fun, giggling, over-laughing or teasing, talking more are not the goals to be achieved by modeling others or practice. By asking you to socialize with people I don't mean to suggest that you become a joker or chirping bird.

The whole essence of social development as a part of personality improvement reminds us of the fact that we are social by nature. Total isolation from others is against the basic principles of social living - of which you and me are the part. Emotions, empathy, co-operation, competition, group working, group cohesiveness, …… being one like the others and yet unique in the whole world should be the outcome of healthy personality development. Have positive attitude towards people in general. It is wrong to think of people as always striving to side on one another's back. The natural urge is towards co-operation. Such attitudes always help you to cultivate stronger and healthy personality. Another interesting area of personality research has highlighted two types of personality - Type A and type B personalities. The individuals who are like Type A personality, are action - emotion oriented that can be observed in any person who is aggressively involved in a chronic, incessant struggle to achieve more and more in less and less time, and if required to do so, against the opposing efforts of other things or other persons. It may also be seen as a temperament characterized by excessive drive and competitiveness, unrealistic sense of time urgency, inappropriate ambition, reluctance to provide self - evaluation and a tendency to emphasize quantity of output over quality. Such people are believed to have greater chances of coronary disease. In contrast, Type B persons are characterized by a relaxed, easygoing approach to life. They focus on quality over quantity have low competitiveness and a tendency for self - reflection. A word of caution into a 'type' - don't fall into type fallacy. None of the above types are mutually exclusive or bipolar, in the sense that you need not label yourself at one or the other extreme. You may have the characteristics of both the types i.e., Introversion - Extraversion; type A - type B, and all the qualities have their virtues if used in a balanced and mature way at appropriate place.

Effective Learning

You may like it or not, the fact is that in order to be successful, one have to study – at least up to some level. Even if you ultimately decide to avoid studies by joining some vocational/professional course, you are required to study at least some minimum. And yes (if your objective is to become a doctor, an engineer, professor, scientist or administrative officer or a manager, you have to study and study very hard.

It is easy to sit down and look at the book. Real study, however, is a concentrated attack on the book or other resources of information until (a) you understand it (b) you have learned as much the information as you wish to learn. Many students despite being intelligent, may find that the hardest part of the study is settling down to it - - i.e. the beginning. Very often a student decides to become serious about his studies from the next morning. And when the alarm rings he gently presses the button (of the alarm) and honestly re-decides to work in the evening and so on. And the process continues. If you happen to be one of such students – Don't worry. Follow some tips to start studying and learning the subjects efficiently.

Work out a schedule for yourself. It acts as a challenge and as a guide. It is better to begin with a general schedule which is flexible. After following it for a few days, you will know which subjects require the greatest allotment of time and then you adjust your schedule accordingly. Try to spread out your time allocation in a rational way. With more and more experience you will be your best judge: you may then re-schedule your timing, depending on your weakness or strength in various subjects.

If your study is interrupted every ten minutes to attend to something for your comfort, you will loose concentration, break the threads of argument and waste a great deal of energy. Therefore before settling to the spell of hard study, adjust the window to you liking, get a drink if you are thirsty, keep a bottle of water with you, and attend to any other small physical matter that may otherwise distract you later. At the same time never try to be over comfortable: don't study on the beds using pillows, always use a table and chair and keep your back upright. Try to use natural day light rather than artificial.

Learning is an active effortful process. Just to read the words passively is ineffective. You must have interest in the matter and should get involved in the task actively. Retention of the subject matter will be better if reading is supplemented by self-recitation. If a psychological research it was found that when the students devoted all their time to reading, recall (memory) of the five biographies averaged 16% after four hours. However, when 3/5th to 4/5th of the learning time was devoted to self-recitation, recall after four hours was nearly twice as great. The advantage of recitation over passive reading is that the student is forced to react to the subject matter rather than merely trying to absorb it.

Improving The Will

To begin with do something that you do not want to do, at least once every day. It could be writing a letter, getting up early from bed, taking the dog for a walk …….. Let it be something that normally you would avoid. Increasing its frequency gradually and tell yourself, "If I want I can do it." Visualize yourself as being a person of strong will. Tell yourself proudly: hour-by-hour, day-by-day "my will power is getting stronger and stronger. Thus by your strong will power the concentration will increase. If you are lazy by nature, don't feel bad about it. We all try to avoid physical and mental effort if at all possible. When confronted with something that is a little difficult, all thoughts tend to shoot off to what is easy and pleasant. Will power and interest again come to focus. What is helpful in such a situation is to develop the attitude, which regards difficulties as a challenge and an opportunity. Instead of running away from them, your combative instinct will release fresh energies. Laziness feeds on discouragement, and this often arises from dwelling too much on the enormity of the task you have set for yourself. The solution is to breakdown the task into manageable parts. Cross your bridges one at a time. Do not be discouraged by looking at the final examinations while you have not yet passed the preliminaries.

To live a full and varied existence is an admirable thing but when you have an objective in view, then concentration is the order of the day, and you must restrict your activities. If you participate in number of activities (like football, debating, acting, tuition taking etc.) better restrict the field of your activities in priority order. It is always safe and secure way to win one front than loose on a dozen.

What differentiates the other animal kingdom from human species is perhaps for more superior 'intelligence' that we posses. You must have gone through many articles or write-ups about intelligence. Some titles like 'test your intelligence' and improve your intelligence are quite popular and common for general masses. At times, you may wonder whether intelligence can be measured by something like weighing machine or what kind of vitamins and tonics can improve it?

You may be one of unlucky persons to feel sorry for thinking that you are less intelligent than some others. Worst of all you may develop an inferiority complex after going through some questions given by the author (to test IQ) because you are unable to answer many of them correctly. Let me make it clear to you that intelligence is not IQ. Intelligence quotient (IQ) is an index of intelligence. It is the unit of measuring intelligence. And most of the tests (claiming to be intelligence/aptitude tests) published in common magazines or books are not reliable and valid for measuring what they loudly claim. Your ability in answering or in not answering a few questions does not measure your intelligence. There is no need for despondency or feeling sad if you were unable to score high on such non-serious tests, jut made for publicity. The myths about intelligence usually misguide the students and in many cases create psychological fallouts.

Time Management

Once you have set your goals and targets to be achieved and drawn a schedule to follow, learn to manage the time at your disposal effectively. You must seek some satisfaction in doing whatever task you undertake. You should see the days work in some perspective. To achieve these purposes, you can make a list of the things you wish to do during the day, and take a good look at it. One effect of such an exercise would be that a 'mental scheme' of the work to be done is achieved. You will become clear about the number of activities and their kinds which will help you in scheduling and executing the chain of linked activities.

Then as each task is competed, you can cross it off the list. The act of crossing it off will give you just the small satisfaction and a feeling of achievement. Finally, when you look at the list, you can modify or alter your plans according to the need of the hour. Such an exercise may be done at a piece of paper or a diary. Later this may become just a part of your mental habit.

Honestly speaking, most of the students sabotage their working day by too long pottering in the bedroom, or breakfast, or over newspaper. Get up early, dress up briskly, finish breakfast without lingering and then attack the day's work. There are some very obvious priorities. You should tackle first those tasks that can least afford to wait. Being a student competing with lakhs of others, you have to decide and plan the schedule of the day on priority basis. Should you do mathematics or English; or should you go for chemistry or G.K. book ……… or should you finish with exercise that your teacher gave …… choice is yours. But do not quickly change your mind impulsively or because you like X subject better than Y - after all you have to score well in all the subjects.

Tackle one job at a time. There is so much to be done that one is likely to get confused as to what to do first and from where to begin it. Consequently on any of the tasks for fear of not finishing the other in time, and finally do nothing. These are times when you have to do many things at a time. Decision ought to be yours. It is your life. It is your day. And it will be your achievement. Think with a cool mind and take up the job of top priority first. Most things require attention - and you are capable of attending one thing at a time. So, don't let your attention be split or diverted, come what may. If you tackle most obviously urgent task first, and let others wait, then tackle the other in whatever order (you think is appropriate), you will be surprised at the amount of work you can do. Remember, "panic paralyses and calm can strengthen us."

It is equally important that you do not overwork yourself and become fatigued - mentally or physically. As some jobs are finished and provide satisfaction to you, take rest period also - not to forget the next job but to be better prepared for it. A few minutes to splash an aching brow with cold water or work in fresh air will be helpful. To avoid/reduce fatigue you may also alternate sedentary jobs and active jobs, because a change is as good as rest. If you have been doing mathematics for hours, better do some gardening for some time and shift back to your studies later. This will give you a fresh frame of mind and strength. Comparative freshness of new occupation helps us to concentrate and makes work more interesting.

The Expanding And Spiritual Quotient (SQ)

To begin with let me confess that the terms Spirit and Spiritual Quotient are not the part of scientific vocabulary yet. And still you hear more and more about the terms like: Spiritual intelligence, Spiritual quotient, Spiritual relation quotient, Soul's intelligence, Cosmic intelligence, Self-actualization and so on. Man's interest in extra sensory process has always been multiplying despite his scientific bent of mind coupled with well-focused empirical zeal. Religion and Spiritualism have always involved greater number of believers and followers than non-believers: it is to say that the number of believers has always been higher than others, throughout the world.

Greatest scientists and scholars at some stage of their life have recognized the existence of ‘some kind of intelligence', which cannot be measured or touched, perhaps referring to Spiritual Intelligence. We may talk and reason all our lives, but cannot understand a word of Truth unless we Experience it ourselves.

The neurologists and other scientists know that the greatest power is lodged in fine, not in the coarse. In his words Swami Vivekananda said, "we see a man taking up a huge weight, we see his muscles swell, and all over his body we see signs of exertion, and we think muscles are more powerful things. But it is thin thread-like structures, the neurons that bring power to the muscles. The moment one of these tiny looking neurons is cut off from reaching the muscles from brain, the muscles will not be able to move. These neurons actually bring the power from something finer still-- thought, and so on". Thus, it is the finer that is really the seat of power.

We can see the movements in gross but cannot see the movements in finer, as too subtle these are in order to be perceived. Perhaps our senses are not that sharp or keen to be able to notice the subtle world. Neurologists, psychologists and other scientists are working in such directions, with the hope that one-day humans (at least some of them), may be trained to work at very subtle level of the existence. Some familiar terms in this context are Extra Sensory Perception (ESP), Distance seeing or Remote viewing etc. After all we talk so much about mind but who has seen it? Who has touched or tasted it?

SQ-- The Spiritual Quotient - IQ and EQ are the integral part of Spiritual Quotient (SQ). Spiritual intelligence is not necessarily related to religion. According to Zohar, Spiritual intelligence is about the human need and talent for finding meaning in experience. She says" it is our access to and use of meaning, vision, and value in the way that we think and the decision that we make" SQ can not be quantified or measured, whereas IQ and EQ may be assessed. The reason being that the very essence of spiritual intelligence lies in its seeking a bigger and broader, ever growing perspective. SQ may also be seen as the highest and ever growing need in the mankind.

Basically all the human beings are spiritual in their nature. They may differ in their evolution of such a need and hence work at different levels of "need satisfaction". Abraham Maslow, a great psychologist and existentialist, classified such needs of the man in five categories in a hierarchical order:

5. SELF ACTUALISATION HIGHER NEEDS

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4. SELF ESTEEM
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3. BELONGINGS
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2. SAFETY
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1.BIOLOGICAL LOWER NEEDS

The lowest needs in such hierarchy are Biological, such as hunger, thirst and sex. Next are the Safety needs that include security, stability and order. Then come belongingness such as affiliation, affection, and identification. Thereafter Self-esteem needs follows that include prestige, success, and self respect. Finally at the top in hierarchy comes the need for Self-actualization that refers to person's need to develop his full potentialities in whatever field he works.

The beauty and essence of Self-actualization is that it is spirally cyclic in nature: more and more a person gets satisfied, more and more he seeks such satisfaction. It's parallel is seen in Indian concept of Self-realization and Atma darashana. Vedanta refers to "Ananda", that keeps on multiplying and ever evolving that finally merges into Parmananda the Universal Self.

In today's materialistic and highly competitive world man seem to be loosing his identity and direction both. Fast growing technological changes have put a lot of pressure on him that blinds his vision for other alternatives of growth and survival.

Man seems to have become machine forgetting his true essence and original needs with which he comes to earth. Career, Competition, jobs, more money, higher status, etc. are the slogans of the day. Breath a moment, give a chance to your self for self-reflection. You may find some relevance of spiritualism not only with your career and career planning, but also with your life and success.

It gives you an opportunity to uncondition your mind and look for a different, unstressed and relaxed way of life even in career planning. It also provides you careers-- don't forget people do teach yoga, astrology, ayurveda, and other healing techniques throughout the world. As a matter of fact even though I personally don't like calling it Industry, billions of dollars flow in market that gives some kind of relief to the people from the stress and agony being produced by the present style of living. Acupuncture is so widely being used in western and south Asian countries that people do make their career in this line too.

Why struggle only for English style of medicine and surgery only. Remember, you need to be creative in order to find new solutions of the chronic problems-- be it anything.

Creativity

You may be aware of the words 'Eureka ……. Eureka ……', and yet unaware about its relation with creativity.

King Hiero decided to place a golden crown in the temple as a gesture of thanks - offering to Gods after he won the throne of Syracuse. He made a contact at a fixed price and weighed out the gold for the contractor at the royal scale. The contractor worked on the given gold and delivered a beautiful crown equal to the weight of the gold given to him. Later, a charge was made that the contractor had removed the gold and added silver instead, to keep the weight equal. The king became furious and asked Archimedes to find out the facts.

It was a big problem for Archimedes as he knew little about the ways to answer this problem of the king. Yet he kept on thinking about some kind of solution to establish if the contractor had stolen the gold. While he was working on the problem in his mind he happened to go into a bath and noticed that when he got into the bath-tub, exactly the same amount of water flowed over the side as the volume of his body that was under water. This (accidental) observation gave him a clue to the solution. He jumped out of tub and in a rush of joy, he ran naked, shouting loudly 'Eureka … Eureka …' (i.e., I have found it ……, I have found it …….).

Archimedes could scientifically prove that the contractor had cheated the king. The silver in the crown, having a larger volume than an equal weight of gold, made the crown displaced more water than it would have, had it been made of pure gold.

Archimedes seemed to have found the novel and unique solution magically (all of sudden), but the truth is that even in bath tub, he was working on the problem (unconsciously) without being aware of it. In this example the process of Creativity (Creative thinking) is clearly seen. It refers to mental process that leads to solutions, ideas, artistic forms, theories or products that are novel and unique. Creative thinking involves the manipulation of images and other symbolic elements; the elements are rearranged (bypass) to achieve some goal in such a way that the pattern of symbols is totally new. It may be surprising how many great principles and ideas were achieved in buses, bathrooms, and bedrooms. Obviously, these are the places where the individual is relaxed and under little pressure.

Usually, even though it seems that creative solution to a problem has emerged all of a sudden, it is not so. Creative process takes (quite often) certain sequential step: (i) problem recognition (ii) preparation (iii) inculcation (iv) illumination (v) verification and evaluation. If for instance the solution to the problem does not stand verification, one goes back (unconsciously) to the beginning (step I) and repeats the process or else the final solution is accepted.

One may improve creativity by:
Providing specific instruction in creative thinking as divergent thinking is in focus of such a process.
Fostering openness to new experiences.
Providing consigned and favorable social environment.

You may also improve your creativity by putting your thoughts and mind to proper use. For such achievement, you apply wings to your thoughts but not to wonder around and day-dream. Practice to think in divergent manners and unique ways to solve your problems. Diversion does not necessarily imply perversion or revolt. It only provides bigger challenge and more stimulation to your brain to work more independently. Remember, everyone has this potential. What you have to do is to put yourself in the situations where you have no common solution to the problem. Give your mind some exercise - the only way to be Creative is to think Creatively.

Power of Concentration

No matter how long you sit with open eyes looking at the open book, hardly anything is registered in your brain unless you make meaning out of the text.

Concentration is the process of selecting certain inputs for inclusion in the focus of experience. Whenever an individual tries to focus his concentration on an object, idea or text the process of attention divides the field of his experience into a focus and a margin. While trying to concentrate, one ties to bring the information (e.g., a text) under focus of attention. While trying to focus your attention on relevant (text) material, you are filtering all other irrelevant, marginal and unwanted information to the margin. If you succeed in doing so you will definitely understand the (text or spoken) material and not complain about lack of concentration.

Many great persons are known for their power of concentration. While it is common for many students not to be able to concentrate, it is in their interest to develop their power of concentration.

When we read a thrilling novel or magazine of our interest, we are usually not troubled with the problem of concentration. At times, you don't even notice a person entering the room. What is important to you is to arouse and maintain interest in various subjects of your studies. Some subject/s would definitely not interest you but you have to remember and remind yourself about the goals you want to achieve.

Mudit, a student at undergraduate level wanted to be fully qualified and successful in his perspective career. He wanted the prestige, the security, and the satisfaction that his career would bring to him. This was his ambition, his supreme desire. Mudit resolved to begin studying for the series of examinations which would give him his heart's desire. During his intensive studies, there were times when he faltered a little in his resolve, and frequently there were evenings when his mind would wander from some of the textbooks. After consulting me about his problems, Mudit discovered that the secret of concentration lay in quickening his original desire, in re-kindling his interest. When he found his attention to be wandering seriously, he would visualize himself as having gained his much desired qualifications. He would remind himself of the increased income it would bring and many exciting and worthwhile things he could do with that bigger salary and higher status. After this little excursion into a very possible future, Mudit found that he returned to his studies with great zeal and enthusiasm. This resolve to succeed thus strengthened and improved his concentration. You may find your own ways and techniques to improve the concentration. Nothing else could interest you so much as negotiating your present difficulty, and irrelevant thoughts will cease to obtrude.

Strong Will-power is a necessary condition, especially for academically oriented subjects. The person of weak will would have spent all the evening in day dreaming, without doing anything to make his dreams come true. How about you? You might say "that's what I lack-will-power ……. I just can't bring myself to act ……"

Power of Mind

Everything speaks of expansion in the contemporary world. Through the expansion of knowledge in psychology, a new era of mental power is emerging. There are many discoveries in the field of psychology that can help us to realize our mental potentials – the mental powers.

The medical science acknowledges that in case of many functional diseases, the troubles are caused, not so much by physical factors, but primarily by emotional factors in the mind of the sufferer. A rash for instance, might be caused by a guilty conscience, a headache might appear as a consequence of the emergence of an intolerable memory.

Mind – The Master: - Just imagine you may cure asthma, peptic ulcer, high blood pressure, allergic troubles and many such ordered by a part of the mind you are not conscious of. This (unconscious) part of the mind is at work, both while you are awake and when you are sleeping. And it never tires.

You ought to realize that there are much healthier ways of dealing with day to day problems, worries and anxieties. You may do so by training your mind consciously. Tell yourself that you are going to keep well. Every time the temptation comes to suggest to yourself that you are not so well, counter it with the suggestions of health, success and well being. An hour before you go to bed, get a pencil and a paper, write down your problem and possible answers to it. Quietly feed your mind with the problem asking your unconscious mind to deal with it during the quiet hours of the night. Give assurance to yourself that the right answer will be delivered to you when you get up the next morning

In the morning, give a few minutes to yourself – mediating before the day's work. Come back to your problem and you may realize that everyone has sufficient mental power but a few use it to the maximum possible extent. Be one of the latter.

The mind waits to serve you and has the capacity much greater than what you realize. There are no limits to the mental power. You must stop putting limits to yourself. Stop allowing self-pity to rule your mind. Stop believing the arguments like, “ I never had a chance”, ….. “ It is all the fault of my parents”…..” if only the things had been different” Remove such phrases and notions from your vocabulary for all practical purposes. Know that you have your chance by work and study. You have the power to settle your destiny. And if you really wish it, with diligence and good heart, you can climb to the top of the ladder.

Improving The IQ

Those of you know that intelligence is not one ability but aggregate of many abilities have a reason to be optimistic. There is always a hope that one can improve some of his abilities and thereby can achieve better IQ grades. Intelligence is something with which we have been programmed at the time of birth. Intelligence is like a seed. The seed will determine the quality of the plant, its height, strength, flowers and fruits. However, the seed can become that plant (or a tree) only if it is nurtured by its environment. No matter how fine (quality) a seed you have, unless it gets good soil, good sun, minerals, water etc. it will not result in the best of its quality in terms of size and amount of flower or fruits. On the other hand, even if the quality of the seed is just average and it gets optimal environmental support, the resultant plant may be better at least comparable to the better quality seed not nurtured properly. This precisely is the case with intelligence.

Your friend may be more intelligent than you. But you have no reason to feel depressed about your own self. A little insight in the whole process and some efforts on your part can easily bring you at par with him. Obviously you will ask, how? "How do I improve my results or outcome and make it at par with those who have inherited better capacity than me?" the answer is simple: enrich your environment.

The character of enriched environment is that it gives more than usual opportunities for learning through experience. Recent psychological research shows that one can improve his IQ by enriching his environment. It does not mean that those who are economically rich are having enriched environment naturally, and those who are poor lack it.

Any one who wants to improve his measured intelligence or IQ can do it without spending a single penny. He can do it without spending geniuses come from environments rich in interaction between the developing persons and older (experienced) people. Talk to people who interest you, listen to them, try to analyze and understand them; see their positive aspects and try to gain from them. Surprisingly, you learn a great deal, lot more with such interactions than from reading volumes of books for months.

If you feel your earlier achievements have not been satisfactory due to some reasons other than your potentials you ought to recognize your environment. Your friends, books, TV programs that you see, and the kind of people you interact with constitute your environment. It also includes kind of magazines you read, the articles and the radio programs you listen to. Reading more books and articles are good but not sufficient for growth. One must expose one self to various kind of people and situations. You have to be very careful as to what kind of discussions you do and its content. Then analyze them and give feedback to yourself to improve further. Real friendship or good company is not just to spend time; rather it should add to your intellectual growth. Thus, one always grows with continuous interaction with his environment. That is why your environment should be carefully organized in tune with your goal.

If you are poor in particular language, expose yourself more to people who speak that language. If you are not able to solve arithmetic problems with ease and accurately, do more practice with such problems. Remember failure is the first step towards success. Practice makes a man perfect. Those who become IAS or engineers or even doctors are mostly of the same intelligence as you have - it is just that they practice more and work harder for their goals. There is no substitute to work. Everyday of living brings you opportunity of self - improvement - just use them and by doing so you can improve your IQ (measured intelligence).

Initiative

The emperor-philosopher Marcus Aurelius anticipated the findings of modern psychology that the general tenor of our thoughts determines the kind of our thoughts, which determines the kind of person we actually become. This is true not only in the realms of social accomplishment, moral development, and material success, but also in that of health. If your health has been poor, don't accept that condition as a life sentence. So is true if you failed in making your career in the desired field. Take initiative in various possible fields.

In the field of education, ordinary people tend to rest content with what was handed out to them in school or college. But ambitious people are increasingly taking the initiative and doing something to remedy the gaps in their education. They join coaching classes, read educative magazines, participate in academic activities, and try to reach the latest and most informative ways to gain knowledge. They use such knowledge to improve the abilities and personality. They plan their career and work for it with an all out effort.

You should not expect the career of your dreams to be handed to you on a plate. Make up your mind exactly what you want to do and then go after it like a ‘hound after a hare'. Achievement involves much patience and hard work, and the effort will be amply rewarded. Within reasonable limits, hardly anything is impossible to the man who really makes up his mind. Determination and enthusiasm can overcome the most formidable obstacles. The chemist of May and Baker produced the drug for pneumonia – it was called “M and B 693” because it was produced only after six hundred ninety three experiments. Thomas Edison, who invented electric bulb after more than fifteen hundred experiments, said “I never allow myself to be discouraged under any circumstances”.

Once you begin showing initiative, even the most terrifying circumstances will shrivel and slink away, acknowledging your supremacy. With courage and initiative, you can start changing your circumstances in the desired direction.

Improving Memory

Memory is a fundamental power without which there could be no other intellectual operation. The present examination and education system in India gives much weightage to memory. Thus it becomes all the more important to those who aspire to score higher ranks in examinations. It does not, however, mean that memory is the sole factor in determining the examination performance. Nevertheless, it remains the focus of primary importance for nothing can be expressed if one does not remember, no matter how well one has learned the material without memory there can be no learning, and without learning each of us would remain as helpless as in the hour of birth.

Many students forget quite a bit of their learned material in the examination hall. And a soon as the examination is over, one says, "Oh I forgot it in the examination, but now I remember it very well ……". Perhaps, it was due to some kind of stress that inhibited with your recall during examination, and when the situation of stress (duration of examination) was over, the memory came to your conscious stream of mind. Good memory results from deeper, more elaborate processing (understanding) of the material. It is, however, not always important for a person to process information deeply. For example while going to school it is not important for you to process much information while driving your vehicle or sitting in a bus. But if you want to achieve good grade in examination, you must go into depth of the lessons and other relevant contents for otherwise your memory may fade.

No matter how confident you are about your understanding of the material, unless at times you repeat (rehearse) the material it is likely to deceive you. Rehearsal is not a parrot. If involves 'Keeping information' at the center of attention. Most effective way of rehearsal is elaboration. It means degree to which incoming information (e.g., text) is processed so that it can be tied or linked with the existing memories in the form of images or figures.

You may also use Mnemonics to improve your memory. Most of these techniques are based on the linking or association of the material to be remembered, with systematic and organized set of images or words that are already firmly established in long-term-memory and therefore can serve as reminder cues. Thus, the fact can be woven into a jingle which makes them easy to memorize. For example, many of you remember the order of colors in the spectrum of visible light - VIBGYOR - violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, red. Friends, you will be surprised to know that people can remember unbelievably well the things you don't even make attempts for. Very often, their secret lies in memories. You may just make little fun by remembering the poem here and in a matter of few minutes, you may realize that you have remembered forty-two names of the presidents of United States.

Intelligence

Though there is no perfect way in which intelligence can be defined, psychologists have given emphasis on different aspects of intelligence. For example some place emphasis on ability to learn, others define intelligence as the ability to carry on logical thinking. And yet some other psychologists focus on ability to adjust or adaptation of individual to his total environment. Thus it is logical to assume that a person who can recognize and apply what he has acquired for the purpose of dealing with varied and novel situation is more intelligent than a person who is capable of little beyond repeating what he had previously acquired. So friends! if someone has memorized a standard answer to the question asked and got more marks than you, it does not show that he is more intelligent than you. But yes, he has put efforts in memorizing for which he has been rewarded. Memory is definitely an asset and it also adds to intelligence. However, it cannot be solely equated with intelligence. As a matter of fact intelligence is just not one ability. Intelligence is a global capacity of the individual to act purposefully, to think rationally, and to deal effectively with environment. Therefore we observe that intelligence consists of number of abilities of an individual. Then, how can your inability to answer some questions on mathematics or general knowledge make you less intelligent? The problem with most available cheap literature in the market is that in zeal of selling psychology quickly, they give wrong prescriptions to increase your intelligence quickly. Alas! This is not possible. Intelligence is not something like weight that can be altered easily. But yes, by exposing yourself to 'enriched environment you can certainly improve your IQ by a few points. But certainly not by merely reading a book.

Psychologists have also distinguished several kids of intelligence. There are three kind of intelligence: social intelligence, concrete intelligence and abstract intelligence. Social intelligence involves the abilities to understand to deal with persons; concrete intelligence involves the abilities to understand and deal with the things (e.g., scientific appliances); abstract intelligence involves the abilities to understand and deal with verbal and mathematical symbols. If you happen to be poor in one kind of intelligence, it does not mean that you are low in overall intelligence. Take the example of a boy who is not good at talking to people or even understanding the verbal and mathematical symbols; he, however, may be very good in dealing with machines and thus can be an excellent mechanic for cars, scooter or even aeroplanes. Similarly you do not have to worry if you find yourself to be poor in understanding the scientific appliances etc., as you may be good in some other kind of intelligence e.g., in social or abstract.

Coming back to the meaning of intelligence, remember, "intelligence is not one ability, it consists of many abilities put together." So if you happen to score low on dimension of intelligence you are likely to compensate it by scoring high on some other dimension. Then why you should be told that you have lower intelligence? In fact you are not below average by failing on some best items. You rather ask yourself as to what there items are measuring? Most of the tests that you see in various magazines/newspapers and books are the tests of reasoning or mathematics which is just a part of intelligence. Moreover, such tests are usually not standardized tests - they may lack the required validity and reliability. It does not mean that you don't practice with these tests or throw them away. Just remember that these items are tapping 'some' kind of ability of your and not what is technically called intelligence.

What if you repeatedly cannot score high on such tests in order to be successful in some exam? Don't worry. It takes some time for you to understand the basics behind such items are practice; even when you fail again. It will take time - less for some and more for others. But you will grasp the things ultimately and within few months you will be surprised by your own progress. It does not mean, however, that your intelligence has improved.

Can we improve intelligence - Now many of you may ask: Can we improve our intelligence? 'Yes' and 'No'. For answering these questions we should pose another question: Is intelligence inherited or derived from environment? Why people differ in their intelligence? Most psychologists and other experts agree that at least some aspects of intelligence are inherited, but opinions differ to the relative contribution of heredity and environment. The idea is that if intelligence is inherited absolutely then it is rather difficult to improve it.However, if it happens to be on environment, then one could perhaps improve his intelligence by bringing certain changes in the environment. The evidence bearing on the inheritance of intelligence comes from the studies correlating IQs between persons of various degrees of genetic relationships. In a survey of more than 100 such studies, it was found that the average correlation between IQs of parents and their children in +0.40. It means that intelligent parents are likely to have intelligent children. The correlation between the IQs of identical twins is very high i.e., +0.86. it is because the identical twins develop from single egg and share precisely the same heredity. In contrast of this, correlation between the IQs of foster parents and their children is very low i.e., +0.31. all these findings seem to suggest that heredity plays a very important role in determining the intelligence.Although genetic determinants of intelligence are strong, there studies also indicate that environment is also important. For example, when siblings are reared together - in the same home environment - their IQ similarity (correlations) increases. There stands always a good chance of improving intelligence, as the kind of environmental influence, we live in, usually inhibit the full - capacity - use of intelligence. And if we can organize the environment in such a way so that it facilitates the abilities associated with intelligence, it will result in apparently enhanced intelligence. Practically such exposure to environment results in increased IQ on a test. So you can definitely improve your ID even through in reality the intelligence can only be improved up to what you have come with i.e., true intelligence. How could we enrich our environment to improve the IQ?