Hubli's Plant Doctor

An email which I received of an inspiring story of a man's selfless effort, time and money to make a difference to the environment and for people around him.

Setting himself a target of a thousand trees each year, Dr Mahantesh Tapashetti has greened his neighbourhood and surrounding areas in Hubli by himself. Many residents appreciate his work, and the Forest Department has been happy to support him, supplying trees for his care and planting them each year. Shree Padre reports.

The mortuary near the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) Hospital in Hubli presents a very unusual look; whereas in all other mortuaries, one cannot find any shade nearby where friends and relatives can take shelter while post-mortems of the recently deceased are carried out, here at the KIMS mortuary, there is plenty of shade for those in grief. The man behind this 'thankless job' is a busy ENT surgeon, Dr. Mahantesh C. Tapashetti, who has been silently planting and taking care of plants at public places in Hubli. Thanks to his 'treatment', in the last 12 years, Hubli has grown richer by 12,000 trees - an astonishing figure for a single individual's efforts.

Every day, he spares at least one hour for his dear plants. His car is always equipped with materials like twine, scissors and chicken mesh. On his 'check-up rounds', seeing a bent plant, he stops the vehicle and ties it back to its support. If the shoot is within reach of goats, he wraps a thin chicken mesh around it. "If you just take care of these plants for one year, that will suffice. After that, they grow without any problem", he explains.

Examples of Dr Tapashetti's plant doctoring are evident all around town. Earlier, there was not even a single tree around the playground at Dr.Joshi English Medium School . Today, 25 big trees encircle it, lending beauty and shade at the campus. This was one of the oldest 'adoptions' of the good doctor. "This land is strewn with rocks. As such, it required Herculean efforts to save the plants in the beginning", he reminisces while showing us around. When he was the Rotary President years ago, he got 1500 trees planted near the then-new bus-stand. These are growing very nicely now. BVB Engineering College , Santhosh Nagar, Adarsh Nagar, Vishweshwara Nagara, Nrupatunga Hills and Central School are some other areas where this doctors 'plant children' are raising their heads. Peltoforma trees planted decade ago on the edge of Central College have grown very big, providing shade for the students and teachers who relax here sitting on the cement rings constructed around the basins.

Once when Dr Mahantesh was passing by KIMS Medical College , the gardeners were trimming the fence. Amidst the ornamental shrubs, there were many trees like neem too, and the shoots of these trees were also being trimmed every year! Mahantesh went inside and discussed this with the authorities. This en-masse trimming had been the practice since the last 30 years, he learned! He persuaded the authorities otherwise; the trees which were allowed to grow since then have attained a height of 10-12 metres in only the last three years.

Greenery around revived tank

Three years ago, the Santhosh Nagar tank was silted. It was being encroached upon from all around by hutment dwellers. Unless something was done, Dr Tapashetti realised, the tank would go useless in a few years. He brought the alarming state of affairs to the municipal member Rayanagoudara. Luckily, the member took it seriously, evacuated all the encroachers, and got the tank desilted. Now this tank is full of water.

At the same time the plant doctor got trees planted all around the tank area. Seeing them today, it is very difficult to believe that these are just three years old. "Yes, we have irrigated each one of them throughout the summer. We had employed a labourer for this purpose specifically. In the last year, the rainfall was very meagre. So these plants had to be irrigated continuously for 14 months. Three kodas (a water vessel that is common in the state) of water to each plant, daily. When water was not available nearby, we got it in tankers too." Dr Tapashetti personally accompanies the tankers, making sure that water is distributed to each plant. Not only that, on some occasions, he physically carries kodas containing water on both his shoulders, as farmers do in villages.

A thousand plants each year - that's this plant doctor's target. The Forest Department happily co-operates with him by supplying and planting them. Neem, Pongamia, Rain Tree, Peltoforma etc are the main varieties he gets. "The forest department", he says, "has recognised my interest. 'Which area you would take up this year, doctor?' they ask me. In the area I suggest, they provide and plant the trees neatly. For my convenience in taking care [of these plants], I have selected most of the places within one kilometer of my residence."

Surprisingly, not all residents welcome his efforts. "Some house owners protest planting trees in front of their homes", he says. "We try to convince them. If they aren't willing, we don't plant there. Because if we plant against their wish, they themselves might cut them off." A particular problem area is Nrupathunga hill, the only hill in Hubli, covering approximately 50 acres. It appears green only during the monsoon months. Trees are very scarce. If only it is possible to develop a thick forest on this hill, it would have augmented the declining groundwater table of a bigger part of Hubli around it. But Mahantesh has stopped his afforestation efforts on the hills. "As we go on planting from one side, people start cutting from the other."

Wherever Mahantesh starts his 'after-care' of plants, the first step he takes is to arrange to harvest rain for the new plant. A simple furrow and trench does the job, and ensures the survival and growth rate of the plant. He explains, "seeing these structures, engineers complain that I am damaging their roads. But if they care to see and understand it properly, these tiny structures don't do any harm to pedestrians or vehicles passing by. Nor to the road as well." This low-effort technique to retain in-situ moisture is one of the secrets of Dr Tapashetti's plants health and growth.

Year-round activity

Planting trees is only a monsoon activity for many NGO's and social workers, but Mahantesh spends the whole year on his mission. In between, he always keeps an eye out for public places where the next year's planting programme could begin. Meeting public officials, convincing them, taking their permission, etc. is all done in the pre-monsoon months. And after taking care of the plants for one year intensively, he shifts his attention to the next area.

His wife, Dr Vijayalakshmi, a Professor at KIMS Medical College , recalls a memorable incident that happened a decade ago. "Our son Chandrasekhar was three years old. Father and son had gone to Nrupathunga hill. Mahantesh was so involved in inspecting the plants that he forgot the boy. This little boy came back alone walking all the way, half a kilometer on the road. Even now, when I recall the incident of such a small boy returning alone on road, my body shivers for a while." She adds, "now it's okay [to say this]. All our three children are grown-up."

How did this unusual interest get started? The doctor's memory takes him back to his native city of Bagalkot, which now lies submerged by the waters of the Alamatti dam. Mahantesh recalls, "there is a nasty disease of the nose by name Atrophic Rhinitis. Some glands at the inner side of the nose secrete a liquid that keeps it moist. Drying up of these glands causes this disease. The nose loses its ability to smell, and a bad odour starts emanating. Such patients are kept away by the rest of society. There is no cure for this. It's not clearly known why this disease occurs. But it affects mainly poor people, who lack good nutrition. Its occurrence is more in dry areas than in Malnad where there are abundant trees. So I felt that planting more and more trees would at least bring down the incidence of this disease."

While at Bagalkot, he planted 200-300 plants in three years. These trees, planted on a barren area falling in the campus of Basaveshwara Dental College have grown considerably now.

His year-round tending of plants and care requires substantial resources. How does the doctor meet these? "Once in a while I collect a little money from well-wishers who would contribute happily. For example, Reddy's Laboratories of Hyderabad paid for one year's care of all the plants near Santhosh Nagar tank. Some close friends too join hands and pitch in. The rest is from my pocket. God has given me a good opportunity to earn, you see", he explains.

Though many Hublians see and appreciate his work, Dr Tapashetti is a bit disappointed because he has not been successful in getting some like-minded to match his spirit and vision. Two years ago, Mahanthesh founded the Green India Club. However, this has remained a sort of one-man's organization. His interest, however, has not diminished, despite the failure to find similar minds to work alongside him. Sheshachala Karpoor, Assistant Horticulture Officer, Hubli Municipality, says, "I have known Dr Mahantesh's mission for a decade. There is no great soul like his in the whole of Hubli. A silent worker, he never goes in search of publicity. Have you ever seen a busy doctor like him physically digging a pit and carrying water on his shoulders elsewhere in this country?" ?

Dr Tapashetti can be reached at 79, 3rd Cross, Adarsh Nagar, Hubli 580032, or online at ashwini_sac@yahoo.co.in

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The 13 Characteristics of Successful People by Jeffrey J. Mayer

I got this email today which I would like to share with you.

I've spent many years studying successful people and have identified the skills, talents, and characteristics that enable them to succeed. As you look at and study these skills, talents, and characteristics, you'll realize that you possess many of them yourself. Some of these skills and talents are more dominant than others and will play a greater part in your being, or becoming, a success in the business of life. These are the things you do well. The things you do easily and effortlessly. These are your strengths. When you find you need a skill or talent you don't have, just go out and look for a person or group of people with the skills, talents, and training you need. Skills and talents that complement your own. These people will become your teammates, colleagues, co-workers, professional advisors, and friends. With these combined skills and talents organizations grow, prosper, and become successful.

These are the five things you'll find every successful person has in common:

1. They have a dream.
2. They have a plan.
3. They have specific knowledge or training.
4. They're willing to work hard.
5. They don't take no for an answer.

Remember: Success begins with a state of mind. You must believe you'll be successful in order to become a success.

The following is a list of the skills, talents, and characteristics you'll find in successful people:

1. Successful People Have a Dream. They have a well-defined purpose. They have a definite goal. They know what they want. They aren't easily influenced by the thoughts and opinions of others. They have willpower. They have ideas. Their strong desire brings strong results. They go out and do things that others say can't be done.

Remember: It only takes one sound idea to achieve success.
Remember: People who excel in life are those who produce results, not excuses. Anybody can come up with excuses and explanations for why he hasn't made it. Those who want to succeed badly enough don't make excuses.

2. Successful People Have Ambition. They want to accomplish something. They have enthusiasm, commitment, and pride. They have self-discipline. They're willing to work hard and to go the extra mile. They have a burning desire to succeed. They're willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.

Remember: With hard work come results. The joy in life comes with working for and achieving something.

3. Successful People Are Strongly Motivated Toward Achievement. They take great satisfaction in accomplishing a task.

4. Successful People Are Focused. They concentrate on their main goals and objectives. They don't get sidetracked. They don't procrastinate. They work on the projects that are important, and don't allow those projects to sit until the last minute. They're productive, not just busy.

5. Successful People Learn How to Get Things Done. They use their skills, talents, energies, and knowledge to the fullest extent possible. They do the things that need to be done, not just the things they like to do. They are willing to work hard and to commit themselves to getting the job done.

Remember: Happiness is found in doing and accomplishing, not in owning and possessing.

Anecdote: Many years ago I was asked: "Jeff, do you like pleasing habits or pleasing results?" As I pondered that probing question, and squirmed in my chair like a worm at the end of a hook, I felt as if I had painted myself into a corner. A few moments later I answered: "I like pleasing results." From that moment on my life changed. I began to do the things that were difficult, because they enabled me to achieve my goals.

6. Successful People Take Responsibility for Their Actions. They don't make excuses. They don't blame others. They don't whine and complain.

7. Successful People Look for Solutions to Problems. They're opportunity minded. When they see opportunities they take advantage of them.

8. Successful People Make Decisions. They think about the issues and relevant facts, give them adequate deliberation and consideration, and make a decision. Decisions aren't put off or delayed, they're made now!

SuccessTip: Spend more time thinking and planning before you make your decision, and you'll make better decisions.

SuccessTip: When you don't get the expected results from the decision you've made, change your course of action. Decisions should never be carved in stone.

9. Successful People Have the Courage to Admit They've Made a Mistake. When you make a mistake, admit it, fix it, and move on. Don't waste a lot of time, energy, money, and/or other resources trying to defend a mistake or a bad decision.

Remember: When people are wrong, they may admit it to themselves. If they are handled gently and tactfully, they may admit it to others and even take pride in their frankness and broad-mindedness. But people become very defensive and angry when others try to cram their mistakes down their throats.

10. Successful People Are Self-Reliant. They have the skills, talents, and training that are needed in order to be successful.

11. Successful People Have Specific Knowledge, Training, and/or Skills and Talents. They know the things they need to know to be successful. And when they need information, knowledge, or skills and talents that they don't possess, they find someone who does possess them.

12. Successful People Work with and Cooperate with Other People. They have positive, outgoing personalities. They surround themselves with people who offer them help, support, and encouragement. They are leaders.

13. Successful People Are Enthusiastic. They're excited by what they're doing, and that excitement is contagious. They draw people to them because these people want to work with them, do business with them, and be with them.

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A-B-C Method of Managing Attitudes

As an airport skycap checked through a customer at curbside, he accidentally knocked over the man's luggage. He quickly collected the fallen bags and apologized for the mishap. Unappeased, the traveler burst into an angry tirade, raging and swearing at the skycap for his clumsiness. Throughout the traveler's rant, the baggage handler simply apologized and smiled. The angry man continued to berate the skycap, until he finally headed off to catch his plane. Even then the baggage handler remained calm and passively smiled.

The next customer in line witnessed the incident and marveled at the skycap's professionalism and control. "I have never seen such restraint and humility," he said. "How do you keep your cool when somebody is attacking you so viciously?"

"It's easy," the skycap answered. "He's going to Denver, but his bags are going to Detroit."

That is certainly ONE way of managing attitudes, but here is a more constructive approach.

Have you heard of the A-B-C method of managing your attitude? It's simple and effective.

"A" stands for the "Activating Event." Let's say you get stuck in traffic. The traffic jam is the activating event.

"B" stands for your "Belief System." You believe that traffic is only getting worse and you'll have more and more days like this ahead.

"C" stands for the "Consequence of the Event." You become angry. You want to honk your horn. Your stomach is tied in knots and you bang the dashboard with your fist.

The problem is...most people jump directly from "A" to "C." They get stuck in traffic and become angry. They think the traffic jam made them upset. They don't realize that they didn't HAVE to get angry. They skipped an important step!

Let's try it again:

"A" - you get stuck in traffic.

"B" - you believe that you were given some unexpected and extra time to spend in solitude, to listen to a great tape or to plan your day.

"C" - the consequence is that you feel gratitude for the gift of time.

I have a friend who is fond of saying, "A traffic jam has no power to make us angry. It just stops our car." He is aware that between the activating event and the consequence is something that we control: our beliefs about what is happening.

The next time you have a problem -- at home or at work, big or small -- decide to manage your attitude toward it. Practice the A-B-C method. You probably can't change "A," the activating event. But try changing "B," your beliefs about the problem. When you change your beliefs, you also change "C," the consequences of the situation.

It's as simple as A-B-C. Manage your beliefs, and you'll manage to be a lot happier!

__________

Steve Goodier Publisher@LifeSupportSystem.com is a professional speaker, consultant and author of numerous books. Visit his site for more information, or to sign up for his FREE newsletter of Life, Love and Laughter at http://LifeSupportSystem.com.

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Motivation Equation And Orientation by Kurt Mortensen

A good article on motivation; whether it is externel or internal. Motivation can be either a push or pull factor. Find out which can be more lasting and use it to motivate your team.

When we break motivation down to its most fundamental level, it’s either inspiration-oriented or desperation-oriented. Whatever action we take, we are moving either toward something we favor or away from something we disfavor.

The majority of the world uses desperation as a motivator. Desperation is like a cattle prod forcing you to move forward and take action. You can motivate anyone on your team with desperation. The problem is that motivation spurred by desperation does not last. When desperation is the motivator, sales reps are in an “away from” mentality.

This kind of motivation is fleeting, arising only when threat, fear or discomfort is present. If you want motivation to last, you need to rely on inspiration. When your team is motivated by inspiration, they’re moving of their own initiative because they want to and are excited to, rather than because they are being forced to. Motivation becomes long term when it taps into a person’s inner recesses.

While the inspiration approach is certainly the more appealing of the two motivational methods, sometimes there has to be an element of “desperation.” I don’t mean that you want to cause your team members to feel despair, but sometimes things that push us away have to be present just as much as things that draw us near. The main reason for this recommendation is that if inspiration isn’t quite enough, your prospects may just simply fall into inactivity. That is, they fall into a comfort zone.

I’ve developed a grid that maps out the different motivators, their varying degrees and the effects they have on others. Draw a horizontal and an intersecting vertical axis on your paper. On the left of the horizontal axis, write “Desperation.” On the right of the horizontal axis, write “Inspiration.” At the top of the vertical axis, write “Internal” and at the bottom of the vertical axis, write “External.” In the Internal Inspiration quadrant, write the letter “A.” In the External Inspiration quadrant, write the letter “B.” In the Internal Desperation quadrant, write the letter “C.” In your last quadrant, External Desperation, write the letter “D.”

The central region is the comfort zone, where we experience complacency. How do you get someone on your team to move outside the middle? Let’s start with the short-term, easy form of motivation, quadrant D, where we find external desperation. You apply an external pressure to force someone into action. In other words, your team members must do what you say or they’re fired. “Hit these numbers or pack your bags.” Sure, it will work temporarily, but long-term consequences will result.

The next area of the Motivation Equation is quadrant C, where we find internal desperation. Desperation motivation can be made internal if you can use your prospects’ sense of duty or obligation to get them to move. Internal motivation works something like this: “I’m getting paid, so I guess I have to do this. If I don’t do this, the team will miss its quota.” You can see that in both of these examples, the person is acting of her/his own initiative but only out of obligation or to avoid a worse consequence.

So, is there a place for either of these latter two motivational approaches? Yes, but use them sparingly. Most teams will not put up with this treatment unless they know it is tough love. Every once in a while, when other things have failed, you can use these types of motivation. You have to let your team know not only that there are positive consequences for their actions, but if they don’t perform, there may be negative consequences as well. There has to be a baseline or a standard from which to evaluate the situation. Your team members can’t think that no matter what they will always have a job. Let’s face it—sometimes we all need a kick in the pants.

When we do resort to this approach, it’s usually a negative circumstance based on desperation. Just don’t go overboard or take it to the extreme. Make sure before you use any negative reinforcement that your sales rep has the tools s/he needs to get the job done. Does s/he need more training? Does s/he know exactly what you expect and how to do it?

The next quadrant is quadrant B, where we find external inspiration. Here, it is still external factors that influence you, but this time in a positive way. You are inspired and energized rather than acting simply to avoid pain. External inspiration is getting on the right motivational track because it can grow into internal inspiration. Sometimes, this quadrant is referred to as “borrowed light.” It’s OK to be guided and inspired by borrowed light until you’ve lit your own flame. At least this kind of motivation keeps you progressing in a positive way. Even with external influences, this type of motivation can produce long-term effects because it is inspiring and thus begins to tap into your inner emotions.

The best type of motivation is internal motivation, as shown in quadrant A. This quadrant is what we call passion. There’s no stopping the person who has found inspiration that is purely internally driven. You can wind her/him up and s/he’ll go on forever.

Hopefully, this chapter has given you lots of ideas on how to help individual team members as well as your team as a whole feel more motivated. As I said earlier, this material will apply to certain people in certain situations and will help them learn to find the right tools. The point is, you possess the knowledge and are equipped to take on any situation. Review this chapter anytime you need to give your team a boost, or even just to keep current momentum going. Of course, any of these suggestions may be adapted to suit your team’s specific needs.

Questions

1. Why is the mindset of your sales force the foundation of your success?

2. What are three ways in which you can praise and recognize your team? How will you implement these strategies?

3. Gallup Consulting Group has spent more than two decades interviewing hundreds of thousands of salespeople in an effort to help corporate clients form and develop their sales teams. Its findings suggest that the top four qualities of top-tier producers are: 1) solid closing skills; 2) self-motivation; 3) strong work ethic and 4) excellent people and relationship skills. How can you implement these four qualities into your sales team?

About The Author: Learning how to persuade and influence will make the difference between hoping for a better income and having a better income. Beware of the common mistakes presenters and persuaders commit that cause them to lose the deal. Go to http://prewealth.com/mistakestoavoid and explode your income today.

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Dream

An article that I received a few days back in my email which I like to share.

"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve." Would you agree with the statement that a dream is born from an idea-a simple idea conceived in the mind?

Back in the 19th century two brothers had an idea which eventually became their passionate and consuming dream. Their relentless pursuit of that dream was rewarded with an accomplishment that changed world travel.

On Friday December 17, 1903 at 10:35 AM, the Wright brothers (Wilbur and Orville) achieved their dream. They flew "the world's first power-driven, heavier-than- air machine in which man made free, controlled, and sustained flight." This memorable feat took place at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on a cold windy morning.

The dream started with an idea that was planted in their minds by a toy given to them by their father. In the words of the boys, "Late in the autumn of 1878, our father came into the house one evening with some object partly concealed in his hands, and before we could see what it was, he tossed it into the air. Instead of falling to the floor, as we expected, it flew across the room till it struck the ceiling, where it fluttered awhile, and finally sank to the floor." This simple toy made of bamboo, cork and stretched rubber bands, fascinated the Wright brothers and sparked their life long interest in human flight.

The Wright brothers were great thinkers. They enjoyed learning new things. Initially, they recycled broken parts, built a printing press and opened their own printing office. Their interest moved to bicycles and in 1893, they opened the Wright Cycle Company where they sold and repaired bicycles. But Wilbur (the older brother) had his mind set on something more exciting. He decided to seriously pursue flying.

The brothers spent many hours researching, testing their machines and making improvements after unsuccessful attempts at human flight. What started out as a hobby soon became a passion. With determination and patience they realized their dream in 1903.

The next time you hear or see an airplane or travel on one, remember where it all started. A simply idea conceived in the minds of two young men who did not finish high school. Believe it or not, they did not have a University degree in Aeronautical Engineering, Mathematics, Physics or any other subject.

They were not scientists in the true sense of the word. In fact, many of their peers who did not witness their accomplishment, had trouble believing that two bicycle mechanics from Dayton, Ohio did what they claimed.

What idea or ideas are YOU working on? Have you said you can't do this or that because you are not a scientist? Have you limited yourself by saying you are not smart enough? Or have you joined the majority in saying that everything has already been invented or discovered?

Since the introduction of the first generation of personal computers in 1981, we are able to do many things more efficiently. With a super computer between your ears and the personal computer at your finger tips, your dream can be achieved. First, give birth to that dream with an idea. A simple idea that ANYONE of us can conceive!

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How To Use Goals As A Time Management Tool

You’ve heard the saying, “If you do not know where you are going, how will you know when you get there.” Imagine the aggravation of traveling by automobile to another state for a conference, meeting or preferably a vacation, without a map as a guide, the convenience of map quest or have the privilege to have On Star in your automobile to determine the best route to take to get to your destination. You would travel unnecessary routes, waste time and increase your stress level 100 percent. Why would you do this to yourself?

Well, you do it to yourself in your business if you do not have clearly defined goals which pave a way to your desired destination or outcome. Let’s explore three simple ways to use goals as a time management tool.

Define Goals

The Webster Dictionary defines goals as a purpose; objective. I define goals as a route, plan or series of steps to get to a desired destination or outcome. You must have clear goals stating what you would like to accomplish in your business. What are your goals? What would you like to accomplish within the next three, six or twelve months? If you do not have a least five concise, clear goals written down you must do it now. Define your short term and long term goals. Without a direction or plan you will spend your days and time aimlessly without being productive. Don’t get stuck working in your business, work on your business.

Know The End Before You Began

Upon completion of defining your goals, it is best to know the end before you began. What will be the desired result of your goal? For example, one of my goals was to have a monthly e-zine, the monthly e-zine is the desired result, the end. In order to reach that result, I had to brainstorm on the necessary steps needed to get to the end. I studied other e-zines publications, auto responders, researched topics and wrote articles, created and included an opt-in box on my web page for subscribers. Those steps became my road map, my atlas to get to my desired outcome. It also broke my goal down to smaller reachable tasks that I could include in my daily schedule. How do you eat an elephant? One piece at a time!

Take Daily Action Steps

You must commit to completing daily tasks towards your goals until successful completion. You’ve defined your goal, mapped out the steps, now get out your planner and block time everyday to work on your tasks. Do not add the tasks to your “to do list”, actually put it in your schedule so that you are expected to work on it no matter what else is going on. If I schedule writing articles from 9:00 am – 10:00 am, I will not do anything else during this time, I will not answer the telephone or check email messages. Time blocked on your schedule should be uninterrupted time avoiding all time wasters. Develop a habit to plan your next day’s schedule at the end of your current work day, this will keep you organize, monitor your time and increase your productivity.

© 2006 Bridgette Boudreaux

About The Author: Business Coach, Bridgette Boudreaux, teaches small business owners to get it all done in 6 hours or less daily! If you’d like to accelerate your business productivity and increase revenue while finding time for family & fun stuff with Bridgette’s simple but powerful 5 Step System, call today to schedule a FREE half-hour phone consultation at 512-351-4842. Learn more now at http://www.YourTime2Soar.com

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A Clever Dog

A very interesting analogy which brings out one very important point of Human - contentment. Should we be contented with our life and what we have or should we continue to strive for excellent? I think there should be a balance. We must be grateful for what we already have and yet at the same time to strive to be a better person. It also touches on some important qualities of a leader, someone who must be willing to serve others and who must know when to give appreciation to his team members.

A butcher watching over his shop is really surprised when he saw a dog coming inside the shop. He shoos him away. But later, the dog is back again.

So, he goes over to the dog and notices he has a note in his mouth. He takes the note and it reads "Can I have 12 sausages and a leg of lamb, please. The dog has money in his mouth, as well."

The butcher looks inside and, lo and behold, there is a ten dollar Note there. So he takes the money and puts the sausages and lamb in a bag, placing it in the dog's mouth. The butcher is so impressed, and since it's about closing time, he decides to shut up shop and follow the dog.

So off he goes. The dog is walking down the street when he comes To a level crossing.

The dog puts down the bag, jumps up and presses the button. Then he waits patiently, bag in mouth, for the lights to turn. They do, and he walks across the road, with the butcher following him all the way.

The dog then comes to a bus stop, and starts looking at the timetable.

The butcher is in awe at this stage. The dog checks out the times, and then sits on one of the seats provided. Along comes a bus. The dog walks around to the front, looks at the number, and goes back to his seat.

Another bus comes. Again the dog goes and looks at the number, notices it's the right bus, and climbs on. The butcher, by now, open-mouthed, follows him onto the bus.

The bus travels through the town and out into the suburbs, the dog Looking at the scenery. Eventually he gets up, and moves to the front of the bus. He stands on 2 back paws and pushes the button to stop the bus. Then he gets off, his groceries still in his mouth.

Well, dog and butcher are walking along the road, and then the dog turns into a house. He walks up the path, and drops the groceries on the step.

Then he walks back down the path, takes a big run, and throws himself against the door. He goes back down the path, runs up to the door and again, it throws himself against it. There's no answer at the house, so the dog goes back down the path, jumps up on a narrow wall, and walks along the perimeter of the garden.

He gets to the window, and beats his head against it several times, walks back, jumps off, and waits at the door.

The butcher watches as a big guy opens the door, and starts abusing the dog, kicking him and punching him, and swearing at him. The butcher runs up, and stops the guy. "What in heaven's name are You doing? The dog is a genius. He could be on TV, for the life of me!" to which the guy responds: "You call this clever? This is the second time this week that this stupid dog's forgotten his key."

Reflection:
Some people will never be satisfied with what they've got.

Lesson from The Story :

When it comes to the work place, Employers do not know how to appreciate their people who have served them loyally through the years. I've seen companies lose good people for the simple fact their leaders failed to show appreciation.

Employers with big egos enjoy the fact that they have more power and authority than others. They show, in the way they give orders and directions, that they think they are superior.

They get a kick out of displaying this superiority. People who do this are fools, and everyone but them knows it.

They are never satisfied because they could not be satisfied even if their people perform well.

They don't listen to the opinion and ideas of their subordinates.

Why? Because of their pride and insecurity. People of this kind will never be satisfied. Why? Because they are so busy wrapped up in themselves and, fact is, the self can never be satisfied.

Happy and productive people are always those who are "others-centered" rather than "self- centered."

The greatest idea of leadership is not someone who throws his weight around. Rather, he is a servant.

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Leadership - The Test Of A Clear Vision

An informative article about vision. Indeed, one of the important qualities of a leader is to be able to put forth the vision clearly to the whole organisation and moving everyone in an unified direction towards the vision.

Many leaders assume that everyone understands their vision. Often there is a big gap between their vision and what the people they lead see as the vision. Unfortunately many leaders don’t take the time to actually find out how well they have expressed their vision to their team.

When the vision is uncertain, people tend to default to doing whatever vision seems best to them. In a medium sized organization I heard one of the vice presidents gave his opinion on a branding issue and then casually mentioned how it aligned with the vision. However, the vision he articulated was very different from the CEO’s vision. In fact the vice presidents view of the CEO's vision was 180 degrees from what the CEO had articulated as his vision. This was not the vice president's fault. I’m sure the CEO thought he had communicated the vision clearly, but the test of a well-communicated vision is whether or not the people responsible for implementing the vision correctly understand it.

A very simple way to test your organization’s vision alignment is ask people to write down the vision anonymously on a piece of paper in a short paragraph. Keeping the process anonymous helps people concentrate more on articulating the vision and less on worrying about getting it wrong or any repercussions from an incorrect answer . Once you get the feedback read over each and every vision statement.

If everyone comes back and states the vision exactly as you feel you’ve communicated it, consider yourself fortunate. Most of the time this will not be the case. You will probably discover that what people see as the vision, is not what you thought you communicated. By taking this information and attempting to discover the sources of the miscommunication you can prepare yourself to better communicate your vision in the future.

About The Author: Leadership501 is a website with resources for leaders and people in management positions. Please visit http://www.leadership501.com to learn more about how to develop a clear vision for your organization.

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101 Ways To Motivate, Energize And Inspire Your Team

Here is a long list of effective and simple incentives for your team.

At the conclusion of an incentive program, it is important to assess how successful it was. Did you get the results you wanted? One of the best ways to judge the program’s effectiveness, besides considering your own observations, is to get feedback from the reps and administrators involved. You want to be sure that your directions were communicated clearly and at the right intervals, that the rewards were appealing and sparked interest and drive, that your team members felt supported and prepared to take on the challenges being presented, that the program boosted morale, team effort, energy and creativity,etc.

What were the weaknesses, if any? Did the program meet or fall short of participants’ expectations? And of course, you must consider the bottom line impact on sales. Another important thing that cannot be overlooked is whether there may have been any outside influence that you did not have any control over. For example, has the industry experienced an increase in pricing? Was the product or service new, or has there been longstanding consumer awareness and recognition of it? Have there been any fluctuations in the company’s marketing campaigns? All of these questions can basically be broken down into different areas, such as goals, budget or administration. In each area, identify what worked and what didn’t so you have concrete information to help you develop your next incentive program.

I have outlined a list of different activities and they have been categorized for your convenience.

Group Building

1. Movie day—bring popcorn
2. Water-skiing/Lake trip
3. Join the city softball team
4. Go watch a professional team sport
5. Miniature golf
6. Volunteer opportunities
7. Cold-calling contest
8. Work-at-home week
9. Have the CEO address the sales staff
10. Racecar contest
11. Bring in a comedian for sales training
12. Fun, harmless practical jokes
13. Joke of the day to start a meeting
14. Bring in take-out for reps staying late
15. Laser tag
16. Ropes course
17. Bowling
18. Free lunch for the first sale of the day
19. VM broadcast about someone’s personal success
20. Company Olympics

Company Socials

21. Luau
22. Fiesta
23. Ice cream social
24. Barbeque
25. Pizza party
26. Customer appreciation day
27. Four-day weekend
28. Bring in donuts
29. Company newsletter about the success of the week
30. Dress up like Santa and hand out gifts
31. Thanksgiving or other holiday party

Esteem Building/Awards

32. Best phone demeanor
33. Best dresser
34. Most creative close
35. Best sales week
36. Most improved
37. Best team player
38. Most cold calls
39. Most new clients
40. Best customer service
41. Top attitude
42. Special note or email
43. Telegram
44. FedEx special note
45. Thank-you card
46. Personal pat on back
47. Lead part of a training meeting
48. Personal goal-setting meeting
49. Suggestion box
50. Personal call from CEO

Simple compliments like…

51. You’re incredible.
52. You’re a good…
53. I believe in you.
54. Great job!
55. You made my day.
56. Hug.
57. Thank you for …
58. I’m proud of you.
59. Perfect.
60. You’re awesome!
61. Well Done.
62. Great!
63. Excellent!
64. I knew you could do it.
65. I trust you.
66. Spectacular!
67. Outstanding!
68. I’m your biggest fan.

Friendly gestures like…

69. Smile
70. Warm handshake
71. Pat on the back

Individual Building

72. Daily contact with praise
73. Let them off to take their children to school on the first day
74. Free calls on company cell phones
75. Motivational plaque
76. Health club membership
77. Lotto wheel
78. Drive CEO’s car for the week
79. Shirt/Hat with logo
80. Special parking spot
81. Photo with CEO
82. Remodel office
83. Disneyland trip
84. Porsche for weekend

Personal Development

85. Books
- As a Man Thinketh
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
- Swim With the Sharks
- How to Win Friends and Influence People
- Maximum Influence
- The Power of Your Subconscious Mind
- Think and Grow Rich
- Psycho-Cybernetics
- The Magic of Thinking Big
- Learned Optimism

86. Videos
Remember the Titans
Miracle
Rocky
Chariots of Fire
Apollo 13
Field of Dreams
Mr. Holland’s Opus
Seabiscuit
The Right Stuff
The Rookie

87. Audios
- The Secrets to Manifesting Your Destiny
- Lead the Field
- Unleash the Power Within
- The Psychology of Selling
- Magnetic Persuasion
- Present with Power
- The Strangest Secret
- Exponential Success
- The Science of Personal Achievement
- The Psychology of Winning

88. Travel Incentives
- Hawaii
- Upgrade to first class
- Local hotel with dinner
- Limo to airport
- Las Vegas
- Bermuda
- Cancun
- Caribbean cruise
- Free miles to fly
- Tahiti
- Hotel suite upgrade
- Australia

Monetary Rewards

89. Large-screen TV
90. Computer
91. DVD player
92. $100 bill
93. Lottery tickets
94. Restaurant gift certificates
95. Cashews
96. Take the rep’s family to dinner
97. Department store gift certificate
98. Movie rental gift certificate
99. Costco certificate
100. Bookstore gift certificate
101. New suit

About The Author: Kurt Mortensen’s trademark is Magnetic Persuasion; you should attract customers, just like a magnet attracts metal filings. Claim your success and learn what only the ultra-prosperous know by going to http://prewealth.com/mistakestoavoid and get my free report "10 Mistakes that Cost You Thousands."

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Inspirational and Heart Touching Story of a Dancer

I received this very inspiring story in my email a few days back which I would like to share it with you. How would you expect someone with a leg amputated and yet still make it big in dancing? She did it and inspire others. More Power to you!

Sudha Chandran, a classical dancer from India, was cut off in the prime of her career - quite literally - when her right leg had to be amputated after a car accident.

The dancer was 17 when tragedy struck. Her right leg was badly injured in a traffic accident and had to be amputated below the knee when gangrene set in. The tragedy was all the more poignant as Sudha was on the verge of beginning a glittering career in Baratha Natyam, one of the most exacting forms of Indian classical dance. Sudha's world crumbled. She felt that all the years of training had gone to waste and in any case what kind of life was it to be without a leg. The reality that she would never dance again was too much to cope with, she simply did not want to live.

During the six month recuperation period after surgery she became obsessed with the idea of walking again but without crutches. By chance she picked up a magazine and read about Dr Sethi and his famous Jaipur foot and immediately made an appointment to see him. This was in December 1981.

The first question she asked of him was 'will I dance again?'. His reply without hesitation was 'why not'. They tried out various options including a spring loaded ankle fitting for more flexibility essential for the intricate footwork required in Baratha Natyam. The spring was not successful as it kept jamming during practice. For the next round of fittings Sudha brought her dance teacher along.

For twenty days Dr Sethi and his team watched the two working together. In the end they fitted her with the same Jaipur foot and limb that was given to any other amputee who came to the rehabilitation centre at the SMS Hospital in Jaipur.

Sudha's dance practice resumed in earnest. It was like starting all over again. She persevered through pain, blood, tears and doubts. Her family, teacher and doctor stood by her in this ordeal. It was worth it, for in 1984, she danced again for the first time in front of a capacity Bombay audience. After paying obeisance to the Lord of Dance she started and finished to thunderous applause two and a half hours later. Overnight she had become a celebrity and a star was born. She was feted in the press.

She starred in a feature film 'Mayure' her life story, and it was an instant box office 'Bollywood' hit. Other offers of stardom and many dance recitals followed. She acted in many films and was invited to perform all over the world, living proof that the Jaipur foot works and became its most ardent ambassador.

She now lives and works in Bombay. Her heavy work schedule as leading lady and star of numerous TV soaps leaves very little time for dancing, she can only manage one or two dance recitals a year. She has come a long way from the young girl wanting to end it all to a mature woman who considers that fateful accident a blessing in disguise. Her story, much simplified, is also featured in a Standard Three reader for every primary school going child in India.

It truly shows that nothing is impossible in this world. If you have the will you can achieved anything in this world!

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