Articles

Upcoming Events

No events

View Full Calendar

Buy Event Tickets

NetIP NC Bollywood Karoake

Join NetIP

Join Us On

Hunt For Jobs

Let Us Network

Articles

For a brighter career - Smile Please

Yes, the economy is in doldrums. Job loss rate has slowed by job loss is still a threat that hangs over many a minds in every sector in the economy. Pay raise are meager, that is if you got one and bonuses seem to headed towards a long hibernation is not complete extinction. We all get it. Times are tough and there are more reasons to frown than smile. However, I would like to prescribe an unconventional remedy to assuage the situation if not completely cure it. The prescription is a big, bright smile.

Yes please, time to invest in a better toothbrush (throw away your worn out discounted soft bristle medium head thing of the past and move on to a robust full bodied brush) along with a paste with teeth whitener, a dash of mouth fresh with some fresh attitude from your side to go with this paraphernalia. Armed with these tools, work up a fine foam as you start your day and meditate on the good things that life has given you. Once in a happy spot, chain it down and carry this happy feeling with you throughout the day. Moods are highly infectious and by carrying a positive attitude into your workplace, you generate a lot of positive energy around you and create a more amicable workplace setting for yourself and well as your colleagues.

As corporations tighten their belts and their wallets while becoming generous with the workload that is handed out, it is expected that there will be an atmosphere of discontent and dissent among the employees. So here we have two choices, either to gripe and complain and join the herd or set a different tone with a positive attitude that is different that the majority and become an epitome for optimistic attitude and constructive behavior in your work place. Rest assured, a positive attitude is something that is sure to be noticed and admired, and though tangible rewards may not be forthcoming immediately in most cases, you will surely feel the intangible benefits of upbeat attitude, some of which will include better relationships with your partners leading to less friction and increased efficiency, better overall morale in your team etc.

So how does one start to exude an aura of 100% fresh baked positive attitude with a topping of unsullied exuberance? Well, there is not happy pill that you can take, though there are prescriptions available to get you to a baseline level of happiness. However, that is a topic reserved for pages of medical journal and thus not an object of contemplation for this article. In my experience, the first place to start would be a smile. Give a generous helping of a big, bright and healthy smile to anyone you encounter during the course of the day. It may not cure all the frowns that walk up and down the workplace, but it will surely put a dent in the frown circle. People like to be greeted with a smile even though they may not carry one and sooner or later you are bound to run into someone who will reciprocate this energy and multiply the positive verve that you have planted. Sure, deadlines have to be met, priorities will change and you will have to juggle multiple things during the day. We all face competing priorities during the course of our day, but how we tackle the initial request to get a job done defines, to some extent, how the results of the request are perceived.

Imagine an associate who grumbles and moans in protest at a request but gets the job done versus an associate who takes the request with a smile and get the job done. Both associates have reached the same end goal of having accomplished an assigned task however the latter associate seem to have done so by demonstrating a positive can-do attitude which will surely come with better appreciation of the work being done in majority of the cases and earn the associate a good rapport with the partners.

In fact, I came across a very witty poster at my dentist’s office earlier today. It read something like:

“Answer $0.75

Answer that requires thinking $1.25

Correct Answer $2.50

Correct Answer with a Smile $5.00

Dumb looks Still FREE”

The above poster captures the essence of customer service wherein positive experience and delighting the customer take precedence over everything else. The maxim that “laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you cry alone” stands to reason that positive attitude has plentiful benefits waiting to be reaped from its implementation and smiling may be the least expensive and most potent of all tool that can effect and provoke a better environment around you.

Did you know that a smile can be heard over the telephone? I experience it firsthand every time I talk to a dear friend, whose smile is let loose over the phone and I can’t help but smile myself. So even when a person can’t see you in, they can sense your mood and attitude and smiling builds a upbeat tone on your voice that be heard on the other side of the line. There are days when smiles are hard to come by and things just seem to be moving in the wrong direction. We all have those days, and I being no saint, have had my fair share. It is but human to portray emotions, whether good or bad, but it is useful to bounce back fairly quickly and shed your frowns for as you toil in your daily life, be rest assured that folks are watching, reviewing and taking a measure of your personality and performance and it is not merely sufficient what you achieve in life but also how you achieve it in life. So we wish our readers all the success in their endeavors and hope you achieve them with a big smile on your face.

We value your feedback. Please visit our website and leave us your feedback so that we can harvest a few smiles of our own courtesy of our readers.

By Amit Arya ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

President – NetIP Charlotte Chapter

NetIP NC - Carolinas Chapter of North America’s largest Network of Indian Professionals

More information at: www.netipnc.org

A new year resolution

First, wish you all a very happy new year. May the new year bring upon you good luck, good times and may you get all that you need and most that you want. The year promises to be a good one. For one, the stock market is already gaining ground it had lost in previous years. For the Chinese, this year starts the advent of the year of the tiger which they will usher in with much fanfare and delight in February of this year. The air is full of optimism and it is a good thing to have when we start on a journey through time.

So any new resolutions this year? Some of the most common resolutions include losing weight, making more money and having more time with the family and at some point in my life I have made one or more of these resolutions. How much I was able to exact out of my resolutions? Well, that’s a tale for another day.

But as tradition must continue, I decided to dole out a few resolutions again this year, one of which is to continue to devote myself to non-profit causes this year like American Red Cross, United Way, Network of Indian Professionals and Crisis Ministry to name a few. Of the few resolutions I made last year, this one was something that I was definitely able to stick to throughout the year.

Mother Teresa once said, “I have found the paradox that if I love until it hurts, then there is no hurt, but only more love.” The selfless Mother Teresa devoted her entire life to the service of the poor, sick and needy. She is an epitome for us all and while we cannot match her feats nor her sacrifice, we can certainly make a difference in the community in which we live, grow and evolve. Every great journey begins with a first step and I would encourage our readers to take that first step this year and help out with any one of non-profit organizations in the area. Here are a few suggestions.

The American Red Cross (http://www.redcross.org/) is an iconic name and symbol. Founded in 1881, the organization aims to prevent and relieve suffering. One of the most critical organizations during natural disasters, Red Cross provides vital supplies like blood, food water etc to the needy. Red Cross runs blood donation drives throughout the year. For people who cannot make it to blood donation sites, their mobile center brings the organization to you. The blood you donate helps save the life of a fellow human being and only a few things are nobler than that.

United Way (http://www.liveunited.org/) is another non-profit organization with a mission “to improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities”. Founded in 1887, it has seen an exponential growth in its members and efforts around to world in improving people’s lives. United Way’s campaign slogan of LIVE UNITED “is a call to action for everyone to become a part of the change.” Mahatma Gandhi left us with the wisdom to “be the change you want to see in the world.” and United Way gives everyone a perfect opportunity to be and live the change.

Network of Indian Professionals or NetIP (http://www.netip.org) is another organization close to my heart as I have been involved with this vibrant organization for almost 3 years now. NetIP is a non-profit organization that seeks to facilitate the personal and professional growth of South Asian professional in North America. While NetIP is a valuable networking organization, its mission is broader and seeks to improve and enhance the communities in which we live. In North Carolina, NetIP has seen tremendous growth and has not become a state chapter with locations in Charlotte and Raleigh. NetIP conducts 2 events each month that facilitate networking opportunities and foster relationships in its members.

Crisis Assistance Ministry (http://www.crisisassistance.org/) is another one of my favorite non-profits and I love to volunteer at its free store located at 500-A Spratt Street near Charlotte downtown. Crisis Ministry’s mission is to help move individuals in need towards self-sufficiency. With its mission to inspire the “community to justice and generosity”, Crisis Assistance Ministry provides help and hope to those who most need it.

So what does a person gain from helping out with a non-profit. Surely, there can be no profit to be had as it defeats the very purpose after which such organizations are named. But can we measure the intrinsic value of love, generosity and care with which our family and friends nurture us. Though we find reasons to excuse ourselves from community service, are always hard pressed to stop and help someone in need, we make every effort to bestow our love on the ones near and dear to us knowing and content in the knowledge that they will surely do the same for us in our time of need and despair. It is only human to think and act in such a fashion. However, to help a stranger in need, to bestow hope where none existed before, to reach out pull someone out of their despair, that is an act of divine intervention, at least to the recipient of such help. So this year, let us be those words that soothe not shun and anger, the hands that uplift and not just take without giving back, the eyes that see, care and cry and not that ignore, the feet that move to help instead of turning and walking away. Let us be the agents of that divine intervention which every human being seeks when faced with insurmountable odds in the face of abysmal despair. In short, let us be human and let us lend a hand. If you are still choosing your resolutions this year, hopefully you will include this one in your list.