Global markets dampened by Bernanke, eye PMI

 

Asian shares mostly fell on Thursday as Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke put the brakes on a recent rally by not signalling any further monetary easing to stimulate growth, while investors shifted their focus to manufacturing data due later in the day.
The European Central Bank's second liquidity injection operation came within market expectations, spurring the unwinding of positions built up ahead of the event on hopes that the money would further ease funding tensions in Europe and bolster risk appetite.
The MSCI Asia Pacific ex-Japan fell 0.3% after rising 1.4% to a seven-month high on Wednesday, taking its cues from US stocks which were weighed down by Bernanke's comments.
Japan's Nikkei opened up 0.5%t and extended its gains in early trade, but was still below a seven-month high hit on Wednesday.
The euro stood steady at USD 1.3328 after falling more than 1% on Wednesday to a nearly one-week low of USD 1.3315 as the ECB extended 530 billion euros in cheap, 3-year loans, with more than 800 banks applying for funding, up from 523 banks in its first auction in December.
The dollar held its ground after rising strongly on Wednesday when Bernanke, while offering a cautious view of the US economy, stopped short of signaling further Fed bond purchases, disappointing investors who were hoping for more stimulus.
"The US dollar pushes higher while equities retreat alongside metals as Bernanke gives a nod to inflation, departing from his last three speeches where he accentuated the extension of extremely low interest rates into 2014," said Ashraf Laidi, chief global strategist at City Index Group.
Bernanke described rising gasoline prices as "primarily reflecting higher global oil prices -- a development that is likely to push up inflation temporarily while reducing consumers' purchasing power," an acknowledgement of inflationary pressure, Laidi said.
Focus on recovery
As the ECB completed its much-awaited liquidity operation and Bernanke sounded a cautious note on extending the current super-loose monetary stance, gold was caught in the unwinding of positions built on expectations of more funding supplies from central banks.
Spot gold regained 0.6% on Thursday to USD 1,704.80 an ounce after falling 5% to less than USD 1,690 an ounce on Wednesday, for its biggest one-day drop in more than three years, as funds exited the bullion trade on speculation that central banks might be done with easy monetary policies.
Oil recovered after two straight days of losses, with US crude up 0.1% at USD 107.12 a barrel. Brent crude settled at USD 122.66 on Wednesday, rising 10.5% last month for its best monthly performance since February last year.
With the three-year longer term refinancing operation out of the way, the markets' attention is expected to focus on the state of the global recovery, Barclays Capital analysts said.
Data on factory activity in Asia, Europe and the United States will be released later in the session. China's PMI manufacturing report is due at 0100 GMT.
Data released on Wednesday provided further evidence of underlying strength in the US economy, with a gauge of factory activity in the Midwest hitting a 10 month high in February, while the US economy grew slightly faster than initially thought in the fourth quarter.
A Fed report showed the economy expanded modestly in January through mid-February as hiring picked up a bit.

http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/international-markets/global-markets-dampened-by-bernanke-eye-pmi_675141.html

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ONGC gains as govt begins 5% stake sale

Cholesterol & Eggs: How Many Eggs Can You Eat Per Day?

You eat 40 whole eggs per week. 5 to 6 eggs daily at breakfast. You eat them with veggies, really like them and feel full of energy at the gym each time your day starts with an omelet.
But everyone tells you you're crazy eating so many eggs. They tell you eggs are unhealthy because they're full of cholesterol. You'll clock your arteries and die if you continue. Sounds familiar? Truth or myth? Let's see.

Why People Say Eating Lots of Eggs is Unhealthy. Eggs contain high amounts of cholesterol. 1 large egg has about 200mg cholesterol and 5g of fat. Almost half of that fat is saturated fat.
The logic is that since eggs are high in cholesterol, a high egg consumption will increase your blood cholesterol. So by cutting eggs from your diet, your blood cholesterol will decrease. This, however, isn't how your body works.

Facts on Cholesterol. You can find studies showing that high cholesterol levels will make you live longer and more immune to infections & diseases than low cholesterol levels. More facts:

• Your Body Makes Cholesterol. Your liver makes 3-6x more cholesterol than you can get eating eggs and other animal products.
• Cholesterol is Vital To Your Body. You need it for the production of steroid hormones like Testosterone and to build & repair cells.
• Dietary Cholesterol Isn't Bound to Blood Cholesterol. There's no relation to cholesterol & saturated fat intake to higher cholesterol levels.

Benefits of Eating The Egg Yolk. Eating the yolk makes your life easier since you don't have to separate it from the egg white each time. Eating the yolk is also healthier for 3 reasons:

• More Vitamins. The yolk is full of vitamins A, D, E. Vitamin D is especially important since most people lack vitamin D.
• Twice The Protein. Eating whole eggs doubles the protein intake you'd get eating egg whites only: the yolk contains half the protein.
• Increased Testosterone Levels. Saturated fat and cholesterol increase testosterone production. Both are heavily present in the egg yolk.

How to Protect Yourself Against Heart Diseases. This is the real concern people have regarding cholesterol. Some things you can do.

• Lose Fat. People with high cholesterol usually have excess body fat. Read the article on fat loss and apply.
• Exercise. This will make you lose fat and improve your health. Check StrongLifts 5x5 if you don't know where to start.
• Eat Healthy. No more junk food, sodas, artificial trans-fats and refined sugars. Apply the 8 nutrition rules.
• Get Antioxidants. Like berries and green tea. These keep your LDL particles acting normal, preventing blockage in arteries.
• Relax. Stress can negatively influence your cholesterol levels. Relax, take breaks, exercise, think positive, ...
• Avoid Drugs. Cholesterol lowering drugs are harmful to your liver in the long-term and useless if you don't eat healthier, exercise and lose fat.

If you tried the above and your cholesterol levels haven't improved, then MAYBE you're part of the minority of the population who's genetically predisposed.

http://stronglifts.com/cholesterol-saturated-fat-how-many-eggs-daily/

Investors turn bullish on silver; prices zoom by 18%

Sleeping pills linked to fourfold risk of dying

 
Occasional insomniacs who took fewer than 18 pills per year were three times more likely to die than those prescribed no sedatives, according to the study published in British Medical Journal Open. The risk of dying increased in relation to the dose, so the more pills a person took, the greater the risk. And those taking high doses, an average of nine pills per week, were 35 per cent more likely to develop cancer.

Sleeping pills, or  hypnotics, are commonly prescribed by GPs despite growing evidence that non-addictive, psychological therapies are safer and more effective in the long-term. Nearly 13million prescriptions were dispensed by UK pharmacists in 2010,  explained by the fact one in four Britons is dissatisfied with their sleep and one in 10 suffers from a sleep disorder.

Observational studies like this one do not prove cause and effect, but randomised control trials cannot be carried out for ethical reasons. This  research is the 19th study to show a statistically significant increased risk of death among people taking sleeping pills. Controlled studies have linked hypnotics to depression, suicide, falls, car accidents, and respiratory diseases. The 1979 American Cancer Prevention Study first linked the drugs, along with tobacco, to cancer deaths.

The researchers tracked the survival of 10,529 people with a range of underlying conditions, who were prescribed a range of sleeping pills such as temazepam and zolpidem for an average of 2.5 years. The survival of these patients, average age 54, was compared with 23,676 people matched for age, sex, weight, smoking, alcohol and health problems, who had not been prescribed sleeping pills.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/sleeping-pills-linked-to-fourfold-risk-of-dying-7447141.html
The safety of commonly prescribed sleeping pills is under scrutiny again after new research linked the drugs, used by millions of people worldwide, to a fourfold increased risk of dying.

The safety of commonly prescribed sleeping pills is under scrutiny again after new research linked the drugs, used by millions of people worldwide, to a fourfold increased risk of dying.

Sensex rises 300 pts; ADAG stocks outperform

Even Anil Dhirubhai Ambani group' stocks topped the buying list among Nifty 50 stocks. Reliance Infrastucture shot up 8%; Reliance Communications was up 6.4% and Reliance Power gained 5%.
Shares of Tata Motors, SBI, BHEL, Sterlite Industries, Hindalco, Tata Steel and DLF gained 3.5-5%.
Reliance Industries, ICICI Bank, HDFC, L&T, Bharti Airtel, Tata Power and Hero Motocorp climbed 2-3%.
However, TCS was the biggest loser among 30 largecaps, falling 1.5%. ITC and Infosys were marginally lower.
Advancing shares outnumbered declining by 1849 to 592 on the BSE.

India ink: Tattoos in office

Shikha Mishra, 31, a human resource executive with a mobile phone company, has a phoenix inked on her right shoulder. It was after eight years of working that Mishra decided to get inked. While at work, the HR executive, who probably hands out dress codes to people on not to wear visible body art, decided to get her shoulder tattooed as it stays covered while at work. "It's a visibility issue. No one cares what you have on your body as long as it stays hidden," she says. Plus you look "professional".

Like most of the corporate dress codes - ties, formal pants, jackets - no tattoos at workplace is an unspoken rule. In other words, tattoos are not an issue in a corporate environment, provided they remain unseen. By and large, the consensus is tattoos and workplace don't mix. Maybe because they started as the bastion of the marginalised: gypsies, freak shows, criminals and the non-conformists. It's being the official expression of rebels and hippies that corporate world doesn't look kindly towards it.

Tattoo Trouble
Tattoos are considered to be an under-25 phenomenon with most people going in for an ink by that age. But celebrity tattoo artist and director of Hakim's Aalim Tattoo Lounge, Aalim Hakim, feels that the average age of a tattoo getter is higher in India. "It's not a coming of age thing in India as it is in the West. People actually make a very conscious decision to go in for a tattoo after having given it careful thought," he says. The average age is likely to be above 25.

In fact, the growth of the tattoo trend can be gauged from Hakim's progress. In 2005, he started with a small parlour in Mumbai. Today, he has six tattoo lounges in Mumbai and one each in Hyderabad and Bangalore. "Even in the so-called IT hubs like Bangalore and Hyderabad the demand for tattoos has grown exponentially," he says. In between his many celeb assignments - he's the personal tattoo artist to Hrithik Roshan, Sanjay Dutt and Saif Ali Khan - Hakim personally fields 3-4 tattoo requests daily.

Given the clean hygienic parlour, good tattoo artists, tattoos are definitely more accessible now, but whether they are acceptable is another matter. Corporate grooming coach and etiquette trainer Yatan Ahluwalia advises that if you have a tattoo, keep it hidden. "Wear dark shirt, full sleeves, leave your hair open or if need be wear makeup to hide it," he says. And this goes double for those working in organisations that are more service oriented like banking, airlines, consulting and hospitality.

The Unwritten Code
A study by job website CareerBuilders found that tattoos are looked as a sign of immaturity, bad judgement and bad taste by managers. Over 42% of managers polled said their opinion of someone would be lowered by that person's visible body art. Three out of four respondents believe that visible tattoos are unprofessional.

Globally, companies prefer written down codes dictating what is acceptable. Starbucks requires employees to cover all tattoos and remove certain piercings. Walt Disney World doesn't allow its employees to use bandages to cover their tattoos, but they can use opaque makeup. Wal-Mart specifies tattoos 'that are offensive or distractive are to be covered by clothing or other means.'

As economist Stephen Levitt pontificates over tattoos in his popular column Freakonomics: "Economists tend to like choices that are reversible. Whatever my current preferences may be, who knows what they will be a week, a year or a decade later? I loved singer Adam Ant when I was in high school, but I'm glad I never tattooed his name on my forearm."

Clearly, body art and boardroom don't mix. "In India, dress codes are unwritten rules but companies that are inward-oriented where the work doesn't involve customer interaction like a BPO or a software firm are more open to such liberties in office dressing," says Uday Sodhi, chief executive officer HeadHonchos.com, a job-search portal focussed exclusively on mid- and senior-management professionals.

Sodhi claims though that Indian workplaces are not very strict about body art policies. "Ultimately, they look at your CV not your tattoo," he says. He's quick to add that anything offensive, too visible or controversial would obviously not be accepted. "Before every tattoo we have a consultation with the client on his nature of work, what tattoo he or she should go for and where should they get it," Hakim says. His advice: The inner upper arm, shoulders, chest or lower back as they stay covered. Either this, or you work for Yash Birla - now here's an industrialist who believes the only ink in the boardroom is not the one in your pen.

 

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/9252771

Before picking up next call, pick up some manners

In an uncharacteristic frank-speak Ratan Tata made headlines when he said it was impossible to get hold of British workers from either firm - Corus and Jaguar - at the weekends, starting from 3.30 pm on Friday. Maybe Tata was making an international call, and Brit workers, so used to switching off as the weekend arrives, put it on call divert.

While mobile phones are not allowed to interfere in the work-life abroad, for Tata it was unprofessional behaviour. After all, we come from a work culture where the phone is constantly on and ringing and people are always walking in and out of meetings to take calls. When someone said mobile phones are the cigarettes of this decade - it's an addiction, they must be thinking of the Indians.

Etiquette trainer Pria Warrick, founder of Pria Warrick Finishing School, is sensitising global executives to the level of mobile phone dependence in the Indian work culture. "I have clients from the UK, Germany and Hong Kong who tell me that the work culture in India is affected by mobile phones," she says. So if Tata had called, none of us would have let that call go to divert.

"The work timings are defined in the global working culture and the phone, especially for the frontline to mid-level management, gets switched off the moment they step out of the office," Warrick adds. Etiquette trainers, however, claim that Indian workplace is immune to this concept.

While a recent survey in the US claimed that 40% companies will come out with a mobile phone usage code for their organisations, India Inc has no such intentions. Uday Sodhi, CEO, HeadHonchos.com, the job search portal focussed exclusively on mid- and senior management professionals says all that is changing. "Mobile policies range from mild, self-regulated policies to blanket restrictions on carrying mobiles during office hours," he says.

Depending on your business, the mobile can boost productivity or be a distraction, so the policy needs to be linked to the business as well as the employee's role. Sodhi cites his own case as a job search portal. "Our mobile phone policy covers internet usage from the mobile. The key is that the policy should be measurable and not 'open-to-interpretation'."

The thing about cellphones is: we all love our own phone, but we hate yours! While talking loudly and embarrassing ring tones are everyday mobile phone code violations, there are some others that we overlook. Like following an email immediately with a call. Give it 24-48 hours. Unless you know someone personally don't call from mobile to mobile, use a landline.

And finally remember the person sitting in front of you is more important than the call. If the call is really important, inform the person that you are expecting an important call and may have to take it. "Updated mobile contact information is equally important. Your number should be updated on all online touch points and profiles - outdated numbers create a poor first impression," Sodhi adds. He adds that mobile content is as important - if you are using your mobile for work, the choice of caller tune or text languages needs to signal your professionalism when dealing with customers. "And avoid texting, it's a teenager thing," says Warrick.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/9165580.cms

Best Times Of The Year To Look For A Job

If you have been job hunting and have had no positive results, it could be because your targeted employers are not hiring when you applied. Unbeknownst to most job applicants, some companies limit their hiring process to certain times of the year. Some companies hire during seasons when they experience high volumes of customer contact, and others schedule their hiring process to coincide with company timelines, such as at the end or beginning of their fiscal year. If you are in the market for a job, consider the following.

Seasonal JobsMost retailers actively hire seasonal employees during major holidays so that they are adequately staffed to service shoppers. For example, department stores may need additional staff during Christmas, Easter and other holidays during which the shopping volumes are high. If you are looking for a full-time job, these may not seem appealing to you. However, if you impress your supervisors, they could lead to full-time positions. When applying for these jobs, do so well in advance of the season, as these companies usually staff in advance to allow time for training.
Hiring by ProfessionSome companies hire new employees in order to meet customer demands for professional services. For example, income tax firms may hire new employees at the end of the calendar year in order to be prepared for the tax season. Financial institutions may hire during the third quarter of the year to ensure staff are fully trained to handle calls about transactions that must be done by the end of the year.
In some cases, companies hire based on market demands. For example, if the housing industry is booming, building contractors, architectural firms and bank loan departments may need to hire new staff to handle increased demand from consumers.
Government Contracts and Unusual Events Check your local newspaper for announcements about large government contracts for projects in your area, as this will likely mean new jobs. You should also pay attention to unusual events, such as if oil is discovered in your area. For example, a recent CNN article discussed a large increase in jobs in North Dakota, which is the result of an oil boom.
Low Volume Season May Work for YouThe summer seems to be the period when most job applications are inactive, and some companies put their hiring processes on hold. While this may seem like the least favorable time to apply for a job, it could work in your favor as not all employers put their hiring process on hold. During the high-volume seasons, employers have a large number of applications to review, which makes it hard for your application to stand out. But, if you submit your application during the low-volume season, you are more likely to stand out if your application is done properly.
The Bottom LineWhile these are good suggestions for when you should ramp up your job search, the best time to look for a job is anytime. Companies are always hiring for different reasons, including the need to fill vacancies left by employees who change jobs. Therefore, you always have a chance of being hired even during the off season.
The best approach is to submit your applications all year round if you can, and to as many companies as you can. Doing so will increase your chance of being hired.


http://in.finance.yahoo.com/news/best-times-look-job-181607510.html

Pricey gold no more the preferred investment: Farmers opting for bank deposits and insurance schemes

KOLKATA: Satya Prakash Saini, a small farmer from Rajasthan's Jhalawar district, had a reasonably good harvest last year when he managed to save Rs 25,000 after all expenses. As most villagers would do, Saini visited a local jeweller to buy some gold for his second daughter, who he plans to marry off four years from now.

But, alas, his precious saving was not enough to even buy 10 gram of 24 karat gold, priced at about Rs 28,000. Saini changed his plans and parked his savings in a three-year bank deposit. Some 750 km away to the north in Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, horticulturist Rajpal Singh put his savings in a life insurance-plus-investment product for the same reason.

"Gold has been preferred by our family as it is a symbol of prosperity and is a safe instrument. But this time I could not buy gold because of its steep price," says Singh, who belongs to Jaghetta Gujjar village.

Farmers in India, who have traditionally bought gold and silver for asset creation, are now increasingly opting for banking and insurance products due to soaring prices of bullion.

So, while rural jewellers report a 25-30% fall in gold demand over the past five months, bankers say term deposit collections in rural areas have grown in double digits in recent months.

Welcome development for banks & economy

Economists say it's a welcome development not just for banks, but for the economy as well. "Gold as an asset class is unproductive in nature as it largely remains locked up in households. But banking instruments such as term deposits can be deployed for the benefit of the rural economy," says Anish Chakravarty, director and senior economist at Deloitte, Haskins & Sells, a financial advisory firm.

"However, one critical component is that farmers should remain invested in these products to accrue the benefits," he adds. It's not just rural folks drifting away from the yellow metal. Gold demand in the country fell 42% during October-December to 173 tonnes, the World Gold Council (WGC) said in a report last week.

The country's gold imports dropped 44% during the quarter to trail China for the first time as gold's popularity as an investment safe haven and a weakening rupee pushed prices to record highs. The WGC expects China to overtake India as the largest gold consumer in 2012 when Indian gold imports may fall by a fifth to 770 tonnes. Average gold price (24 karat) in 2011 was Rs 23,620 per 10 gram, 31% more than the previous year.

Now, it's more than Rs 28,500. Viraj Singh, a jeweller from Gurdaspur in Punjab, confirms gold demand has slipped. "Footfalls have dwindled as prices have gone up. They (farmers) must be investing in other instruments," he says.

Banks are now aggressively selling products in rural areas. Kotak Mahindra Bank's Consumer Bank President KVS Manian says the maximum response has come from rural Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, where his bank has increased deposit mobilisation in rural areas year-on-year by 70%, 85% and 39%, in the past five months. "People were lured by higher deposit rates and pumped in more money into term deposits.
The poor performance of equity as an asset class also helped in higher deposit collection," he says. Around 25-30% of Kotak's branches are in rural and semiurban centres. A senior official with Bank of Baroda says deposit collection from rural India grew 22% yearon-year in the first nine months of 2011-12. "People have switched to term deposits from savings bank to get higher returns," he adds.

Bank of Baroda acts as the convenor of the state-level bankers' committee in Uttar Pradesh. Kashi Gomti Samyut Gramin Bank, a regional rural bank with 370 branches in Uttar Pradesh, for instance, says its deposits grew 16.05% in calendar 2011. BK Pandit, chairman of Prathama Bank, another regional rural bank in Uttar Pradesh, says deposit growth will speed up because of the good sugarcane harvest this year.

"We operate in the sugarcane belt in UP. The harvest is very good this time and we expect higher deposit collection as other investments such as gold have become prohibitive due to spiralling prices," he says. While several farmers are parking their savings in life insurance policies, insurers are yet to report any significant jump in premium collections from rural areas.

In fact, the number of policies sold in rural areas in the nine months ended December at 81.6 lakh was 12% less than the year-ago period, according to data from industry body Life Insurance Council. "At present we cannot say whether rural India has picked up life insurance policies in lieu of gold," a senior insurance official says.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/personal-finance/savings-centre/analysis/pricey-gold-no-more-the-preferred-investment-farmers-opting-for-bank-deposits-and-insurance-schemes/articleshow/12027523.cms?curpg=2

Average salary of Indian CEOs up 30% to Rs 2 crore: Report

BANGALORE: The average salary of top CEOs in India has risen to Rs 2 crore, up by close to 30% in the last one year, says an executives compensation report by global consulting firm Hay Group that has just been released.

The study covered 87 top Indian and MNC CEOs (no family CEOs were eligible) operating across industry domains. It found that some 50% of them are now in the Rs 2 crore per annum category and 12% in the Rs 7 crore category. "There is a substantial jump in what professional CEOs carry home today compared to a year ago. Most of the CEOs in the Rs 2 crore category were in the Rs 1.4 crore or Rs 1.5 crore pay scale a year ago. Conglomerate CEOs who used to get Rs 5.25 crore on average a year ago now get about Rs 7 crore," said Sridhar Ganesan, rewards practice leader at Hay Group.

A growing trend of cross-sector employability of CEOs, coupled with scarcity of holistic CEOs (those with experience across functions), has created a scramble for CEO talent in the job market. "Enterprises are hiring function/sector agnostic CEOs, those who are general operational specialists. They are willing to pay a premium for leaders with broad-based experience and exposure," said Ganesan.

The Indian CEO market has always seen a large pool of "operationally excellent" CEOs, but a constant scarcity of "managing-business" CEOs has driven compensation high. Compensation is expected to further spiral upwards owing to the increasing cross-sector employability of CEOs-the new breed of "Lateral CEOs", said the study.

Cross-sector movements are becoming the order of the day. The Hay Group study notes that a global cement major recently recruited an Indian investment banker as CEO of its India operations and that the CEO of an Indian manufacturing company has joined an IT company to lead its manufacturing vertical.

The average CEO's salary is 2.6 times that of the rest of the executive population, in terms of total cost to company (CTC), excluding long-term incentives. However, there is very little total compensation differential between top executives across core and enabler functional roles.

The study looked at sectors like mining, oil and gas, chemicals, automotives, construction, consumer durables, FMCG, retail, telecom, transportation, and power/utilities. Technology companies were not part of the study.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Average-salary-of-Indian-CEOs-up-30-to-Rs-2-crore-Report/articleshow/12010688.cms

IIM-A, IIM-C, IIM-B & ISB make it to Asia Pacific top 10 B-school list

Indian business schools have strengthened their standing among international employers as four Indian institutions have made it to the list of top-10 B-schools in the Asia Pacific region, says a survey.

According to the QS Global 200 Business Schools Report, Indian business schools have improved in international employer opinion considerably this year, moving up in both the Asia-Pacific rating, and almost all of the specialisation.

Among the top 36 business schools in the Asia Pacific region, Australia boasts of 11 premier schools, but India is among the biggest improvers as the country has six schools on the list, including four in the top-10.

The four Indian B-schools that have made it to the top 10 among Asia Pacific region are the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (2nd), Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (5th), Indian School of Business (7th) and the Indian Institute of Management Kolkata (8th).

Other two business schools that got featured in the list include S P Jain Institute of Management and Research at 16th rank and Indian Institute of Foreign Trade which made the cut this year for the first time at 21st place.

The report noted that business schools in India continue to climb up the ratings.

"In an economy that is rapidly growing in global importance, the rise in employer opinion of MBA graduates is extremely promising in ensuring the development of future business leaders to sustain the fast-paced economic growth," the report said.

Overall, INSEAD - Singapore is the preferred choice among employers, retaining its position in the top spot of the Asia-Pacific rating for three years running.

The schools that have shown the biggest improvements in employer opinion this year are two Indian schools, both jumped four places up the ratings: Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta

Year-on-year, business schools in the Asia-Pacific region have strengthened their role in the global MBA education scene as well.

The number of Asian and Australian schools featured in the QS Global 200 Business Schools Report has increased from 10 in 2004 to 36 this year.

"Economic growth in some Asian countries, particularly in China and India has heightened the demand for more accredited business schools in the region in order to train the next generation of successful business leaders," the report said.

The major players in the region's education sector are Australia, Singapore and India, the report said adding that the rapid rise in the number of schools highlights the fact that across Asia, and especially so in India and China, employers are embracing MBAs.

Other premier B-Schools in the Asia Pacific region include Melbourne Business School, The University of Melbourne at the 3rd place, followed by NUS Business School, National University of Singapore (4th), University of South Wales (6th), China Europe International Business School (9th), the HKUST Business School at (10th).

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/services/education/iim-a-iim-c-iim-b-isb-make-it-to-asia-pacific-top-10-b-school-list/articleshow/11991383.cms

Management Tip of the Day: Compete to be unique

How you think about competition will define the choices you make and your ability to assess those choices critically, says Harvard Business Review.

The Management Tip of the Day offers quick, practical management tips and ideas from Harvard Business Review and HBR.org (http:\\www.hbr.org). Any opinions expressed are not endorsed by Reuters.

"Most companies want to be the best at what they do. But in the vast majority of business, there is no such thing as "the best." Trying to imitate rivals will get you nowhere: It's impossible to do exactly what your competitors are doing and end up with superior results.

Customers choose different products and services for different reasons, and it's unlikely you'll win them all. Instead, focus on creating superior value for the customers that choose your company.

Doing this profitably means accepting limits and making tradeoffs-you can't meet every need of every customer. Don't set out to win a war. Instead find your audience and capture their attention and loyalty."

Detach Yourself from Your Work

Almost a decade ago, on a flight from Houston to New York, I found myself sitting next to a seemingly pleasant woman who introduced herself as a sales director for a large technology company. We began with a polite exchange, sharing a few details about our backgrounds and the reasons for our visits to New York. After a few minutes of conversation, I reached for my newspaper, signaling that I wanted to read quietly. But instead of taking the hint and winding down gracefully, my neighbour launched into a monologue that lasted for the entire journey.

As I left the plane, my head was throbbing with useless details of this stranger's life and I asked myself how I'd let this happen. I realized that I'd asked her that fatal question: "What do you do?" Naively, I'd assumed she would say a few things and leave me alone, instead she had regaled me with every detail of her working life, from her role and responsibilities, her results, objectives for the year, her problems, to her team, her boss, her company, its politics and culture, her ambitions and even her career history.

I clearly remember the feeling she emanated — a wave of such intensity and pressure that I just wanted to escape. But there was no getting away from her and every time I tried to stop her, she came back with more stories, so I just let her run on and on. I just watched her stressed face and listened to the unending roll-call of facts and figures, names and personalities, problems and challenges of her life.

That story came back to me with a flash last month as I walked through passport control at Zurich airport. I had had a very pleasant flight, sitting next to a young woman who had politely asked me what I did for a living. Two hours later, on the way out of the airport, I realized I had become that person who bored unsuspecting people on planes as I had talked non-stop throughout the journey with barely a break to ask her about her life.
It is very easy to be consumed by work and consequently become crashing bores. For most of us it's rare to have an hour's undivided attention to talk about our challenges and triumphs at work, and when we do get the opportunity, we tend to grab it. So it was with me that day. I have no excuse, since my work as a coach is all about listening to people — and I have a coaching supervisor who allows me to let off steam when necessary. But if you don't have a coach and your partner is really not interested in your work, in whom do you confide? Where can you take those important issues and everyday anxieties?
I have been thinking about this lately and have come to a few conclusions about what we can do to ensure we don't become too identified with work. Of course, there will always be workaholics among us who don't wish to change, and these points will not be relevant to them. But for those of us who want to maintain a reasonable balance between our life and our work, here are my thoughts:
1. Be honest about how much time you spend at work and why.
2. Manage your energy, not your time.
3. Identify and banish time-stealers.
4. Find a buddy or mentor at work.
5. Treat time outside work as sacrosanct and refresh yourself.
6. Remind yourself that you are much more than your job.

Finally, living your life well in small ways is a great way to detach yourself from work. A French colleague once explained l'art de vivre (the art of living) to me. Enjoying small things on a daily basis — such as good bread, a favourite café, lovely flowers, using a nice pen, a brisk walk home, reading a book to your child, dinner with your partner, an hour to yourself with a glass of wine ¬— will help you remain relaxed at home and ready for the challenges of work.

http://blogs.hbr.org/corkindale/2011/01/detach_yourself_from_your_work.html

Positive thinking: Will or self-will?

When we hear the word will, we take it as will power. We say if a person is determined and dogged in his pursuance of something he has a strong will. A person may be a habitual smoker and suddenly he hits the brakes or even stops. We call this will.
Our will is a kind of self-will — aggressive, having our way, wanting our desires to be fulfilled. We do not realise that we have so many desires that they fragment our will. An experiment I practise is observing the play of desires in the small incidents of life. I decide to sit down to write a few notes. As I sit down, I switch on the TV and scan the channels. Some good serial is on so I say, I will write the notes later, let’s watch the serial. Watching the serial, I feel a little itch - maybe a drink with a packet of chips would be good, even though in the morning I had decided to go on a diet. Observing everything from afar one can only laugh at the comedy. Yes, we have a fragmented will.
To increase will, we can do small experiments. If we are feeling very hungry, then stay with the feeling of hunger for just half an hour. Similarly, we can practise this with so many of our likes and dislikes. Over a period of time, as our fragmented will starts uniting, we will have a new and powerful feeling of ourselves. Then every thought or desire that pops up in our minds will not seduce us.
What the guru teaches the disciple is spiritual will. That is, to rearrange a negative situation and connect it with a positive idea. If someone insults me, and I am feeling hurt — I now rearrange everything.I say my aim is to be free of the ego. His insult is helping me do this, as the ego which was lying in the dark has suddenly appeared because of his insult. Now that we can see the ego, we can work with it. We rearrange the same situation positively.
The Bible says Real Will is the word of God, but we can only connect with it by dropping our personal self-will.

http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/report_positive-thinking-will-or-self-will_1648131

Jokes- 6 Short Management Lessons - Worth reading again!!

LESSON:1
A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower, when the doorbell rings.
The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs.
When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the next-door neighbor.
Before she says a word, Bob says, 'I'll give you $800 to drop that towel.'
After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in front of Bob, after a few seconds, Bob hands her $800 and leaves.
The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs.
When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks, 'Who was that?'
'It was Bob the next door neighbor,' she replies.
'Great,' the husband says, 'did he say anything about the $800 he owes me?'

Moral of the story:
If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk with your shareholders in time, you may be in a position to prevent avoidable exposure.

Lesson 2:
A priest offered a Nun a lift.
She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to reveal a leg.
The priest nearly had an accident.
After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg.
The nun said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?'
The priest removed his hand. But, changing gears, he let his hand slide up her leg again.
The nun once again said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?'
The priest apologized 'Sorry sister but the flesh is weak.'
Arriving at the convent, the nun sighed heavily
and went on her way.
On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm 129. It said, 'Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory.'
Moral of the story:
If you are not well informed in your job, you might miss a great opportunity.

Lesson 3:
A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp.
They rub it and a Genie comes out.
The Genie says, 'I'll give each of you just one wish.'
'Me first! Me first!' says the admin clerk. 'I want to be in the Bahamas , driving a speedboat, without a care in the world.'
Puff! She's gone.
'Me next! Me next!' says the sales rep. 'I want to be in Hawaii , relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life.'
Puff! He's gone.
'OK, you're up,' the Genie says to the manager.
The manager says, 'I want those two back in the office after
lunch..'

Moral of the story:
Always let your boss have the first say..

Lesson 4
An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, doing nothing..
A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, 'Can I also sit like you and do nothing?'
The eagle answered: 'Sure, why not.'
So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.
Moral of the story:
To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.


Lesson 5
A turkey was chatting with a bull.
'I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree' sighed the turkey, 'but I haven't got the energy..'
'Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?' replied the bull. They're packed with nutrients.'
The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree.
The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch.
Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree.
He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.

Moral of the story:
Bull Shit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there..


Lesson 6
A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold the bird froze and fell to the ground into a large field.
While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him.
As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm he was.
The dung was actually thawing him out!
He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy.
A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate.
Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him.

Morals of the story:
(1) Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy.
(2) Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your
friend.
(3) And when you're in deep shit, it's best to keep
your mouth shut!

THUS ENDS THE FIVE MINUTE MANAGEMENT COURSE

Management Tip of the Day: In tough times, unplug and wait

When you unplug you mind for a minute, you restore yourself to your "factory default settings," which tend to be generous, open-hearted and hopeful, says Harvard Business Review.

"When a project or meeting gets difficult, it can be tempting to power through to try to get it over with. But it's better to do the same you might do for a slow-moving computer: shut it off and wait a minute. Give yourself the opportunity to regain your composure.

In a meeting that's going nowhere? Take a break. Not making headway on that proposal you need to write? Take a walk. During the break, don't think of new strategies or arguments.

By taking yourself out of the situation, you allow your brain to rest so that when you return-with a fresh perspective and a calm mind-you are more likely to find a new solution."

- Today's management tip was adapted from "Restore Yourself to Your Factory Default Settings" by Peter Bregman.





http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/jobs/mana...

Only you can lead yourself to where you want to go

By Ravi Subramanian, Author, 'The Incredible Banker '

It was sometime in 2001 that I got promoted from assistant VP to vice president . At that time, I was managing the mortgage business in North India for a leading foreign bank. Even after my promotion, I continued doing the same role - only the title changed. All my earlier promotions had come with a change in my role and responsibilities.

One of my seniors, who is still with the bank, on one of his visits to Delhi, took me out for dinner to celebrate my move from AVP to VP. Vice presidents were a rare breed those days, so becoming one did call for a celebration. I took the opportunity and decided to voice my concern. "What next? Does the organisation have a plan for me?"

"As in?" "Now that I have been promoted, will I continue doing the mortgage role for another two years or is there any plan to move me to some other role?" He smiled. I guess my anxiety was obvious . "Do you know Ravi, who all love you?" I had a blank reaction to this question .

"Remember" , he continued, "Your family and parents are the only ones who love you. They will do things selflessly for you. Not only that, they will always have your best interests in mind. Everyone else will only do what suits them." "But what's the relevance?" I was a bit confused.

"If you think anyone is managing your career for you, you are mistaken. Others will only do what fits in their scheme of things and not necessarily what is good for you. Very few people will put your interests before themselves." I didn't take long to understand what he was saying. The cold, hard truth is, one has to look after oneself. No one else will. This is the reality of corporate life. Bosses, human resources teams, mentors and godfathers, among others, will come and tell you they are really looking out for your rocking future.

Don't get fooled. They will only take you where they want to lead you. They will channelise your career in a direction that suits them - and not necessarily you. Your career is up to you... and you alone. "Be clear in your mind as to where you want to go, what you want to do, what you want to achieve, what kind of experience you need to specifically get to reach your goal, and what your broad career aspirations are. And articulate it to the right people. If you want a specific experience, ask for it.

Better still, if you can, go grab it," says Rahul Bhimani, a human resources expert with a consulting firm. Deven Sharma, who heads HR for a large MNC, is even more candid. "Don't expect that you will be promoted because you deserve it - it is unlikely that anyone is keeping track."

Generally, things don't come to people who do not ask for them. You give yourself a better chance to be in the reckoning if you stake claim for anything that you think should be rightfully yours. This, though, does not mean you should be combative, aggressive, rude or disrespectful. It just means do not be naive when it comes to managing your career.

That brief conversation with a senior left me with an everlasting imprint. In spite of what anyone says, you are on your own. In the battlefield that many refer to as the workplace, you need to take charge. If you need to progress, to do well in your career, to be recognised as a good leader of men and resources, you need to stand up and demand what you want. You may not always end up being successful . Just remember one thing: If you ask for anything, you give yourself a better chance of getting it. Career is no different.
tp://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/jobs/only-y...