‘Big Billion Days 2016’. ‘Amazon Great Indian Festival’. The headline grabbed as much attention as the conversation that went around it. It was a festival bonanza with the leading three e-commerce companies offering discounts at unbelievable rates which may not be possible offline. Questions of all hue and shades came flying thick and fast. ‘Who is offering the discount? The marketplace or the brand marketed?’ that’s interesting given two of the service providers in the picture commenced e-commerce by selling books online. And then the conversation veered off ‘what about the competition? How will the small business survive this onslaught of deep cuts engineered in the form of discounts that will leave many retailers bleeding? Won’t they be crushed under the might of the online companies that have the money and muscle to move around? And another inquired“Well, why would the west look at east?“ Apple teams up with Flipkart to sell iPhone 7 in India’, Wal-Mart Is in Talks to Invest in Indian Startup Flipkart. Does it mean the well has dried up? Not necessarily, just that another source of stream has been spotted and sellers want to make the most of the opportunity. Market research and consumer behavior might sound as marketing jazz and jargons, but closer scrutiny would help to analyze the information other than those matters that meets the eye. Bank of America estimated Amazon could increase its market share to 37 percent by 2019 from 31 percent now, approaching the 44 percent held currently by Flipkart. Essentially, looking east speaks about synergy. Apple teams with Flipkart for a win-win engagement. While online sales range from anything to everything, the festivity seemed to focus more on the consumer electronics and large appliances categories. Chinese mobile manufacturer Xiaomi reported selling half a million smartphones in just 72 hours by riding on the high wave of online shopping festivals. With the kind of financial backing or by virtue of their own strength, the top three can turnaround the game with a price pitch that others won’t be able to match. Is it all over for the small business? We have to accept that trade and commerce has evolved from wholesaler to retailer to E-tailers. Market penetration is still a challenge – and so is internet connectivity. For instance, Italy has one of the lowest internet penetration rates in Europe. It would be presumptuous to credit every sale to be online. There is market for offline or brick and mortar – apple store is a telling testimony. And market out there is big enough to accommodate but you have to bet on your brand as there is no guaranteeing your slice of the share. End of the day, does the consumer care about the competition? NO. It would be after-sales service. Read through the above passage as an analogy and place it in the perspective of your career. Corporate shop for talent – and your place of origin is irrelevant so long you deliver. You can be a native or expatriate – how does it matter when visa can be arranged, in case required. But the topline is talent.

It can sound so ironical when the soldiers safeguarding the borders endure rigorous drills routinely, even in peace time to be ever ready – war footed, as it is known – why are those civilians enjoying the serenity of the surrounding, buoyed by the security at the borders, lowering their guard? There was a time when a renowned industrialist lamented “we haven't done well is in reducing the number of people who suffer from inadequacy - in terms of education.” So what’s our weakness? Inadequacy. Not so far away are the days that the jobs that exist today will be completely wiped out. That’s the bad news. Don’t despair. There will be new jobs that will be created. That’s the good news. The question unanswered is “are you prepared?” It is not suggested, even remotely, that you are incompetent. But in the coming days, would you be capable enough to compete with Bots, automation and artificial intelligence? What will be the odds on your chances against these competitors? Don’t fret. Help yourself. Start all over again. When you can catch up with the changing times, can’t you toe in line with the ? Yes, you can by rebooting. Start first by dusting off. Any threat perceived, or present, like the ones in the form of these Robots coming to chew your job away or gobble you down is to shake you up from the slumber, the comfort zone that ensconces from the emerging challenges. It isn’t a shield if you can’t defend; rather it leaves you weak and vulnerable. A complacent mind is the most susceptible to fall apart. Shocking as it might be, but if you have learnt anything new of late, then the same flour is ground. The most difficult of all is to learn. Education doesn’t come with an expiry and neither is there a timeline for learning. Sadly, your stock of accumulated knowledge has a shelf-life, while learning is for a lifetime. Brutal facts. “Ninety-five percent of my assets drive out the gate every evening. It’s my job to maintain a work environment that keeps those people coming back every morning,” according to Jim Goodnight, CEO of SAS Institute (#6 Best Employer 2016). What drives you to your desk every morning? What makes you wanted at your workplace? What is your worth? Present and future. Do the math. There comes a moment in our lives when we reflect at the days that passed by and wonder why didn’t we make the most of it. You never know unless you lose it might sound so clichéd but that’s the truth. Study today for tomorrow' needs. Succeed.

According to information published in 2012 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for computer and information systems managers is projected to increase by 15% through 2022. ITIL® (IT Service Management) is the most recognized framework for IT service management in the world. The opportunities presented are plenty – and subjective to a professional’s preference. Professionals inclined more towards managing and leading teams are recommended to pursue the Lifecycle Modules; for those who are process oriented and wish to play an active in service management then it is strongly suggested to take up Capability modules. Certification & Credits ITIL® is undoubtedly one of the most recognized and accredited IT Service framework and helps professionals to pursue career goals. More often not, ITIL certification is understood for service management exclusively. While that’s true, ITIL also complements Project Management. So the scope is quite broad and left to the individual’s preference about career path. How many Credits do I need to become ITIL® Expert? ITIL® certification commences with Foundation and moves forward with Lifecycle or Capability Modules, which eventually will make you qualify to appear for the MALC certification. You need 22 credits to qualify for the expert level – which is usually achieved by becoming certified as Foundation level and earn 2 credit followed by Intermediate Modules and then MALC. Foundation (2 credits) + 5 Lifecycle Modules (each module is worth 3 credits and hence 5 x 3 =15 credits) + MALC (5 credits) =22 credits. Or Foundation (2 credits) + 4 Capability Modules (each module is worth 4 credits and hence 4x4 =16 credits) + MALC (5 credits)=23 credits. The criteria set are to earn 22 credit to become an Expert. You can learn more about the Credit system , please visit Axelos link. Career Advancement Excellent. For a qualified professional, the prospects can be just amazing. Evaluating studies from payscale.com offer valuable insights about the Employees with a Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Expert Level Certification: There is an increasing need and growing demand for this certification and indicators from the public domain forecast a trend of capitalizing on IT Service Management. ITIL professionals with more certifications earn on average 13% more in US, according to the ITSM Salary Survey by Plexent. According to the survey, certifications really do pay: in 2011, an ITIL Expert made on average $122,000 and an ITIL Service Manager $125,000 in US.

There seems to be early burn-out in IT professionals. Doctors are appalled at the heart-risks and related ailments; whenever a young person wheeled into the emergency ward, the first question invariably is “are you working in IT?” why is it so? Job pressure, peer pressure, management pressure – the stress is too much. A number of factors collide and contribute to this havoc wreaked on youngsters. Heart attack in the forties or fifties doesn’t shock or surprise but in late twenties and early thirties psyches the physicians, who are perplexed dealing with the predicament. Such is the severity, and cut-throat the companies, employees either by choice or force end up staying late at their desk ‘burning the midnight oil’. Does the number of hours clocked or the contributions count? The misconception in the market is that one who spends long hours in the office is deemed ‘hard working’. Anything less and your talent is questionable or the workload is not just enough to justify your paycheck. So some just pretend to stretch or ‘kill’ time by indulging in other activity instead of freeing up bandwidth to take up additional tasks. “If I do this task or accommodate more chores in addition, will the amount in the salary credited change?” this reflects not just the individual lack of commitment, but reflects poorly on the leadership as well. Devotion to work should be wilful, lest it leaves one dissatisfied and disgruntled. Once resourceful, now turned rebels are primarily due to poor people management. Long and late nights are part of the daily rigor of an IT Professional. Time consumed at office leaves with less for family. Everything ought to be balanced – including work. A project manager, whom I used to report, will sit beside me and plan the ‘tasks for the week’ taking my inputs for the ‘hours allocated’ and sometime let me estimate the ‘number of hours’. Effort estimation is both critical and crucial. Bagging the project by heck or crook, and later slogging the days, night and weekend are typical signs of burnout. It’s like cutting the foot to match the boot. That’s not project management. Weekends usually act as buffer and my manager managed on the maxim of “if you can’t get the work done in eight hour, either you are inefficient or incompetent." People also tend to procrastinate – another malaise with no medicine in sight. Hence there is no blaming the managers alone. Both sides suffer from their own shortcoming and apparently there has to be a middle ground.

Just like corporates announce their annual results, few companies decide to lose weight by shedding or offloading, which is marked metaphorically as ‘deadwood’. In some fiercely competitive employment, top 10% is generally booted out citing uncompetitive or poor performance. Some layoff in the recent days shook the very ground – just like blindsided. Hundreds of developers lost their jobs. The most perilous is the pink slip. Nothing scares the daylight of a professional, especially in the IT industry than the prospect of losing the job. A status of ‘looking for a job’ isn’t exactly tantalizing. It means ‘moving mountains’. The first thing to lose is not the job: it is confidence. And then the slow undoing of everything built thus far. A typical domino effect that comes down crumbling like a pack of cards. Nothing can be as disturbing, particularly when you didn’t see that coming or failed to detect those distress signals. Your credibility is on the line. Confidence erodes, confusion prevails. Like a vision becoming blur, the future looks bleak. Questions of survival and means for sustenance crops from all corners. The wherewithal withdrawn, individuals accustomed to a certain living standards will find it disturbingly difficult in being displaced. And that is to put it mildly. When the curtains are down in your services offered to a company, its not the end of your career – just that the engagement you were roped met its logical conclusion wherein your services are no longer required. Fine. Look elsewhere. Very early in the career, when someone close to the author of this article was ‘fired’, devastating as it was in having shattered dreams and aspiration that dies premature, the CEO commiserated ‘well, may be we don’t find a fitment here but this doesn’t mean you will not shine and succeed somewhere. Play up to your strength’. You might be initially dismayed and distressed. Of course dejected, but never get depressed. ‘Play to your strength’ – and that’s exactly what one should do in the given circumstances. We are in the edtech industry for some time and, Professionals walking into our premise for consultations with regard to professional certification and career counseling makes us under better the anger and unrest when such unexpected misfortune scuttles and chokes career path. ‘Expect the unexpected’ – be prepared always. Learn from the defence services – why is that the army does the drill day in and day out? That’s preparedness. Keep educating yourself. Reinventing – is learning new things and innovation is about iterations in ideas. Figure out your strength and try channeling in many ways – that’s what makes you versatile. Its not about hour hard you get hit – but to collect yourself and stand up to the challenge. You may be down but not out. There is always an opening for those who pursue relentlessly. The reason why we insist on professional certification – to be certified in as many as possible is to become recognized instantly. May be that company doesn’t need you, fine, but someone wants you. There is always someone.

Yet another splash of the waves. The news is about AI. Again. All along, the news beamed over the web had to stress this message to drive home the hard fact that machines are here to replace professionals. It sounds so artificial. Want your business to boom, add on AI. We can argue all day about the robots coming to the rescue, but replacing jobs altogether is something we can agree to disagree. Industrialization introduced the concept of automation – the first of the threat to replace human workforce. Before computers became really personal, typist was a typical occupation. That has been taken over or obliterated by software. Weren’t the threat of AI perceived real then? Yes, just that the impact was less, and man moved on. Today the business runs on a different lane. Cross-selling and upselling is rampant. Technology is making business thrive. A cancer patient can know the course of treatment, courtesy not a doctor but a biotech company. So, software coding for cancer cure? Well, Microsoft too has stated as its long term goals. Wakeup call At some point in time, we all tend to become complacent by becoming too comfortable at workplace – the cushion factor. And it takes something like that of a threat to shake us out of the comfort zone – competition is the ultimate threat. AI is another competitor, not your counterpart. How did farming take place before the advent of tractor? More hands in the field, and more time to till. The tractor proved to be a game changer. Was it warded off as a threat to uproot livelihood? Why is that robots would act as our replacement and wipe out employment? What happens if robots fail to function or malfunction? Even in the worst of cases, it’s the repetitive work that can be automated. What about creative? All your bets on an algorithm. Then try this read. It might help you to revise your opinion. Nothing like your instincts. And who is going to replace that as well? Certainly not algorithms – which has its pros and cons. AI and Writing The writing is on the wall about man’s dependence on AI but not its dominance. In fact, word from the industry has hinted instead of competing, AI can utilize the service of the human mind to complement. “When you talk to an AI chatbot, who do you think writes those professional, peppy responses?” was an interesting read. AI didn’t appear intimidating, rather impressing the significance of the mind power as if to suggest ‘ we can compete against each other and also co-exist.’

As much as companies expect employees to upskill, the attrition rate in recent times has rocked the boat, and almost ran the ship aground. A large IT firm considered a bellwether in the Asian-pacific region witnessed unprecedented exits, especially in the upper management. Sources within cite “performance related issues’ for the departure. With so many legs to march out the door apparently was too much of a jolt, that the leadership itself came in to question as why talent, that too at the top of the pyramid, are hitting the bricks? Resignation are rampant. Job-hopping seems to be most happening that it is no longer a shocker to screen a resume with several companies chequered in the career path. Why? While the companies quote ,b>‘performance’, the employees have a different perspective that paints a different picture altogether. Expected and evident. Both parties need justification and play it out for the records. But the crux of the matter is ‘leadership failed’. Either it didn’t see it coming or perhaps caught off-guarded. Either ways, the executive cant be excused or exempted. Observations made from the key trends of human capital mention that ‘Only 30% of CEOs said they were confident that they would have the talent they needed to grow their organisation in the near future’. Companies have little idea or limited information behind the reasons of resignation of high-profiles despite digging on data available. At best, they turn out as conjectures and not conclusions. HBR.org offers insights in why employees choose to leave. Some of them aren’t sure of their call to quit, some chose to get out and some shunted out. If innovations are the guiding force of the future, then the best and brightest can’t be possibly let go just like that – which does happen when paths collide or for the sheer pride. Effective leadership is to know when to reign in and when to cut loose. Stop the flow and stem the tide. To influence beliefs and behavior to beget the best in result.

We all misunderstand and misinterpret that technology can solve everything or rather it will eventually. While right and wrong, sometimes we lay too much emphasis on technology that faith on our own prowess fails or simply overlooked. Weren’t we able to memorize and remember a truckload of telephone numbers? Weren’t we able to do math mentally? Remember birthdays, anniversaries of near and far. The mailman was our main source of communication exchange. We had our own internal database – that can store number, words, equations, law and rules – and that’s why we call it ‘by-heart’. It was not a super computer, but it was superb processing unit. 

How long can you dwell in the past? Dust up and wipe the cobwebs for the mind needs fine-tuning and freeing up the bandwidth these cobwebs occupy. Its going to be a hardsell. We need to step up to sync with the trend that’s fast changing like shifting sands. Steam engine won’t work in 2000 and electric engine will not be powerful enough to pull a bullet train. Just as we change with times and arise to the calling, learning is no different. We have an understanding about illiteracy. But, ‘The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn’ – Alvin Toffle The threat of robots replacing jobs looming large just the long shadows on an overcast skies that met with differing and disastrous results. This is not the challenge per se. This is just a part. For the algorithm in the robot can be reworked to make it more intelligent. But what about you? If much is expected from a robot, the expectations for sure will surge when it comes to man. Man competing animals ( Jessie Owens raced), and later man versus machine(remember, Deep Blue). We are stepping into an era which mandates man to be more dispensable. The endeavor is to eliminate the dependence on human – for instance, the driverless car, self-engaging instruments, even flying cars in the future. We are speaking the language of artificial intelligence with robotics gleaning away the role meant for humans. If the sky is no longer the limit, then those fancied becomes a possibility. That’s the philosophy now. Its challenging times – critically and constructively. Lethargic, lackadaisical, and laidback attitude wont carry an inch forward. To be on your toes, you need to stay abreast with the rapid changes all over. 360 degrees. How will you able to negotiate despite the years of experience to your credit if you cant comprehend the latest appss launched by google yesterday? google is just a reference, to imply in vogue. Your ‘value add’ for the day can be contested. Companies are extremely competitive that they only want A players. Steve Jobs was known to be ruthless in flushing out those that didn’t add value in his team. How can you become the part of the A team? Confronted with such uncomfortable poser might sound uncivilized, but then that’s inevitable. If not today, it’s going to pop tomorrow and you better brace yourself. You have to be significantly superior to justify your hire. How? Unlearn and relearn. You will realize that your learning will help you winnow the wanted from unwanted. Its about reskilling and upskilling. When a product needs an upgrade, the mind needs more of it. Sounds surreal? Check this from the movie matrix: “As Morpheus says to Neo in the film: “What is real? If you are talking about your senses, what you feel, taste, smell or see, then all you’re talking about is electrical signals interpreted by your brain.” Don’t have to get psyched and worked out. The positive connotation communicate the simple truth - that you can better machines – for they too are just a bundle of wires that communicate through electric signals. So start enrolling for the latest workshops, boot camps, certifications, knowledge hubs – whatever it takes that will act as knowledge enabler. Desire to be one step ahead. Broaden knowledge. Stay relevant.

What is the challenge today? To keep stakeholders interested and engaged. Stakeholders are wrongly read as customers. Employees too are stakeholders, same goes for every participant in the business eco-system. Why is it so difficult to engage? That’s not much as an issue, rather keeping them engaged. It’s the attention span. For instance, observe the consumer behavior – a person visiting your website. More than 5 seconds, nothing on screen, the person fidgets, and 10 seconds later seeing nothing, the person move on to something else. So, whatever drew the person to your place was whittled in that 10 seconds to feel withdrawn, and shutdown. You just blew away a prospect – blame the bandwidth, or the brainstorming that sat on the site design, nothing can be done to salvage the damage. If you want to dismiss it as ‘website issue’, then remind yourself of the personal branding being pulverized. The site is your reflection. If you weren’t able to sustain the interest, how do you probably expect people to engage? Like writing, the stroke starts with a single dot, which often is either ignored or overlooked, we miss out on the basics and begrudgingly admit after the deck is done. Most companies do the product first and then look for customers. Apple did and succeeded. So, is that the template for achievement or tried model for accomplishment? Then its own iterations were based on the consumer behavior and customer response. You just can’t get everything right in your first attempt. Alright. But neither can you create something and then create a demand. It’s not reverse engineering. 

Two decades before, aspirations ran really high in securing a seat in one of the prestigious colleges – which often was an analogy for ‘springboard to successes’ or the ‘launch pad’. A good and sound education ensured you can eke out a living that hopefully will enrich the future. You can’t be done with education, and you just can’t have enough. Knowledge never erodes. Back then, education was the primary means to meet your ends. To graduate, find a high-paying job and learn on the ropes and settle in life was the well beaten path, which has been stamped by worn out feet. That was then. Today is telling. The mindset of a millennial is interesting and intriguing. Hiring manager are witnessing a tectonic shift in the attitude and approach of youngsters, especially, ‘freshers’ out of colleges whose outlook has been completely influenced by today's’ trends and tomorrow’ expectation. There is a paradigm shift – as compared to ‘how much can I earn?’ they are questioning ‘what will I learn?” while the assurance then was “learn while you earn’, the audacity today is to challenge 'learn “what” while I earn.' The pride in joining a prestigious organization or fortune 500 company can be just about the same as working in the latest technology. It’s to the inquisitive mind that can ignite thoughts to touch zenith, and not only youngsters but those that are ambitious in giving whatever it takes uttering “if required sleep under the desk”. 

Conflict amongst co-workers is a common occurrence in the work place. If there isn’t none, call that a monastery, even where doubt persists about domestic disturbance. We aren’t programmed metallic boxes but people with a myriad of emotions that at times, distracts from some difficult and disturbing disagreements which stem mostly from difference of opinions, when taken personally proves toxic and dismembers from the team. Too often distancing away, avoiding eye-contact, building blocks of hate, digging wells of anger and raising wall of resentment are too many symptoms of this malaise. This further deteriorates to forming allies who would have endured something similar and hence a common thread that connects the complaint. So a tussle between two extrapolates in numbers, and before the situation could be brought into control, its blown away out of proportion as finding a way to settle personal scores can’t find a better timing than the present confrontation. So one versus another turns out to be they vs. them - factions of dissent. And of course, those defectors within the dissenters and add to the woes, the fence sitters. So two embittered employees embroiled in an encounter escalate to the point of livelihood endangerment? Better to sack than put up with the strife? Ridiculous. The best is to resolve. Interpersonal conflicts is a given in our daily walk of life from haggling with a vendor – and hence the disgruntled customer, to the ticket collector in the bus short of change fuming at you for the lack of, and so will it be in an organization. Conflicts can be due any reasons from skirmishes or stress or pressure or plainly put, ego. An argument is usually an assault of words, and accusations hurled out of which conflicts arise in your work and outside work as well.

A learned person passed on wisdom and insight about eLearning – which itself was altruistic. The selfless act to dispel the darkness of ignorance by lighting the torch of education is perhaps the brightest of illumination. It’s a beacon of hope to the uninformed and underprivileged. The brilliant and beautiful quote of Durant ‘Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance’ characterizes our pursuit of knowledge and excellence as the more we learn, the more we confound our understanding. So when a deemed expensive education at one of the prestigious academic institution is beyond the possible reach of those who can ill-afford, e-Learning proved to be the panacea in making it possible. The educated are morally obliged to educate the uneducated. Hence, altruism is still a long way. 

First, it’s an efficient educational system, and inexpensive as well. It’s self-driven and hence the sense of admission and accountability is all-time high. It’s not bound by anything – be it place or time. So you can do-it-yourself anytime, anywhere. Being Boundless, eLearning clears bottleneck and opens up any opposition you might have harbored against the system. The freedom is unrestrained and unhinged. You are absolutely free in apportioning your time according to your convenience. The same is applicable for both the employers and employees. Many are well-acquainted with e-Learning, and the positive highlights. The rapid rise in technology removing any hassles with regard to the reach, access is not the issue. It’s the approach. Left to themselves, are they really accountable? This is a valid poser as learners (read as employees) fail to take training seriously misusing the very advantage e-Learning offers – the freedom to choose time and place. Just because it can be accessed anytime, there is a tendency to procrastinate. Since there is no one to monitor, complacency creeps in making one lethargic and even lazy and listless. We expect self-discipline, and regretfully, the instances of utter disregard to discipline are just incredible. There can be umpteen benefits, but like a full blown balloon all it takes is just a pinprick. And that’s the reason why e-Learning had failed to establish as one of the standard more of learning like classroom or virtual online class training. So as many positives are nullified or neutralized by the ill-effects. Wait a minute! Hear the other side of the story. “Oh! Its so boring and the monotony can wear you out.” Many opt out or just fake it because there is a mandate to complete the course. The completion might be the basis for some points, perks or even promotion, and one just can’t afford to ‘skip’ the classes and hence just ‘sit through’ the hours leaving the learning cycle in a limbo.

Expectations are always high. One of Abraham Lincoln’s letters goes like this : “Let Him Have The Courage To Be Impatient, Let Him Have The Patience To Be Brave.” In changing times, especially in the IT realm surrounded by gadgets and flooded with apps [to the point that alert about rogue apps are being circulated], the millennial and iGen just can’t be restrained by patience. They are already pampered with the luxury of living that one hears the lament of ‘I want it and I want it now.” Cost isn’t the criterion; it’s the catch – what’s new and exciting. Inventive and innovative. It’s the desire to stand alone by owning either that’s something new to the market or that has something better than existing. The glint of pride lies in the possession. Try with a kid and it could be anything from a tablet or the latest game to greet the market. One wonders the psyche of long queue to get hold the new gadget. People lining up for apple’s products are legendary. Their needs long met, kids are screaming about wants. The adults fare no better. Oversupply and undervalue The market is skewed when it comes to skilled professionals. We have an oversupply and hence undervalue, which is inevitable. The Asian sub-continent is known to roll out hundreds of thousands of engineers and yet recruiters are finding it a hard time in zeroing on the ‘right’ candidate. Why? Those who line up for openings somehow fails to measure up to the expectation. In the milieu that’s driving professional mad with its demands and infinite possibilities NEEDS no longer suffice. It’s the WANTS. For instance, how many certified PMP®s are available to be engaged in typical waterfall methodology? It may not be surplus, but let’s say, sufficient enough or barely adequate. Alright, assuming the same professional is expected to work in an agile environment, and the norm is to possess a PMI-ACP® certification, now check your human capital that holds these two certifications? What’s the count? Professionals holding a dual certification of PMP® and PMI-ACP® are much less in numbers that recruiters would have to really look into the talent bucket to scrounge and scrape. What’s now a ‘good to have’ in your resume will become a mandate as ‘must have’. So brace yourself, as times ahead aren’t going to be any easier. Get certifications, get higher salaries Globally renowned and internationally acclaimed certification, especially in niche technologies like social, mobile, analytics, cloud including big data and internet of things, is a clear recognition of acquired skill, and when they address the mission critical initiatives , then their ‘ worthiness’ will soar for sure, commanding attractive compensation. It’s becoming passé to excel in a particular field or specific area of interest. Professionals these days are expected to be more fluid, without bracketing into a particular bucket, but to meet ever changing and evolving needs. They need to be flexible enough to accommodate as many tasks as possible - is the minimum expectation. In how many possible ways can I use the same resource to increase the ROI - yes, multitasking and that translates as 'monetising'. You are an asset and there is substantial investment. And as an investor, it’s only fair to expect an enhanced return on investment. Here again, the need is replaced with want. Let’s accept that not everyone becomes an entrepreneur. Segment the society and sift the populace and find out how many families run on salary as bread-winning source. Most remain salaried. So your job matters. Disruption in technology is understandable but automation is not only perceived as a mere threat of disturbance but uprooting your livelihood . Why is that threat real? Because the same skills don’t serve all time always. Like system upgrade, human capital too should reboot and reinvent. When one need is met, another arises. Redefining Maslow in the present, would it be off the target to postulate when one want is met, one more emerges. Needs and wants intertwine. But wants outshine.

Communication is the cornerstone for the success of any venture. Preceding blog discussed about the importance of Communication in Project Management, and this post will draw your attention to the different forms of communication. Communication put simply is sending or receiving information. Be it person to person [one-on-one] or with multiple contact [one with many] or within contacts [many to many], the bottom line is effective and efficient communication will prove decisive in the success of business venture. Timely call and timely action underscores the indispensible need for communication. The insights from PMI’s Pulse of the Profession™ In-Depth Report: The Essential Role of Communications are interesting in its findings. “Highly effective communicators are also more likely to deliver projects on time (71 percent versus 37 percent) and within budget (76 percent versus 48 percent).” The methods and means to communicate are as important as communication itself. It’s a difficult fact to digest that despite understanding the significance of communication at the required hour, there is still a struggle to keep concerned informed of the critical details and updates. To get everyone associated with the project on the same page, it is necessary to speak the language of business. Communication is often glorified as a dialogue or discussion between figure heads or ‘key’ personnel, especially decision makers, sponsors or business owner. The last person is counted whose views, opinions, suggestions and response matters. 

With the rise in AI, amidst the cheers that hailed the new arrivals, there were few that suffered some anxious moments wondering ‘will I be out of a job?’ Finance fuels the journey of life. Disruption had a negative connotation but the perception has altered peculiarly in the parlance of information and Technology. More so in Robotics. So far humans have been in the control of machines. What happens if it reverses? Automation in large-scale, like manufacturing wherein a robotic arm could effectively handle the operations of many a skilled workers and in effect replace them. Public didn’t panic then other than sympathizing with the misfortune that befell on the displaced workforce and largely embraced the change and went about their lives. If robotic arm wasn’t artificial intelligence that failed to give the jitters, why is that the, a superior and smarter robot of the present makes us feel weak and vulnerable? Could it be the ‘thinking aloud’ of the leading lights about the advent of AI and its impact on humans affect our composure or we become too complacent by ensconcing in the comfort zone? It’s a rude jolt or a rough wake-up when a technocrat and an economist point in the same direction and almost articulate alike. The imposing power of artificial intelligence “will eliminate a lot of existing types of jobs” by Bill Gates and former IMF Economist Rajan raising reservation about the “anxiety in middle class” because of the technology progress can be unsettling. It sure doesn’t send the shiver down the spine, though apprehensions are shared by profession about the doomsday.

Information is wealth and knowledge is power.

Records reveal that 90% of the productive time engaged by Project Managers is on communication. The PMI’s 2013 Pulse of the Profession report states that effective communications to all stakeholders as the most critical in project management. The report further cautioned about the high risks due to poor communication, which is a shocking figure of 56% percentage. One of the reason attributed to this rise in risk is the negligence to proper communication as project managers, at times, tend to take it for granted. Communication during the inception, especially about requirement walk-through can prove critical and impact the outcome of the project. It’s important all the stakeholders well informed and educated about the expectations. Capturing the requirement correctly – usually exchanging notes and drawings or prototype – is again typical communication management. If the start is good, it’s as good half the battle won. Most of the failures when analyzed point to the requirement analysis when the customer and vendor’ understanding failed to match. Furthermore, effective communications prove to be main reason(s) for successful execution of projects by meeting deadlines with some delay and at cost. It spells top performance of all the stakeholders. For the scope of this article, let’s look at key aspects that stress the need for effective communication in a business project. Understanding stakeholders’ expectation: it’s easy to misread as ‘requirements’. Stakeholders always have an expectation as to how the project should evolve and shape up. It will be difficult to gauge the expectation in the first call and hence it’s iterative. The back and forth exchange is a necessity till all involved are able to read and interpret the message in voice – unanimous. The objectives agreeable mutually should be engaged as the mission of the project. Risk Mitigation: Any undertaking will have its share of risks. Black and white is almost picture perfect. There will be some grey area, which is expected in a business engagement. . When the communication is free and frequent, chances are good in ironing out the difference and closing the gaps. The worst of risks are the assumptions made in the absence of valid or required information. Correspondence between different stakeholders will cut down the clutter and enhance understanding. The better the understanding, lesser will be the assumptions. Assumptions are inevitable, but efforts should be made to keep it to the minimum with least impact. Transparency leads to trust. Communication helps to earn the stakeholders confidence. Much depends on the matter and manner which is being communicated and the manner. Its time bound and information critical to build a good rapport in order to build credibility. When there is nothing to hide, why will be the need to doubt? Open and transparent communication always clear results in garnering goodwill and establishing trustworthiness. An honest response that conveys an unpleasant message might be difficult to savor but that’s how integrity is build. Trust deficit or erosion can create serious conflicts in slowing or stopping project. On the other hand, earning stakeholders’ confidence will help in better understanding within both the parties to allow some leeway or latitude. All said and done, it boils to the trust – how reliable you are, and more importantly, truthful. Precise and concise communication. Prompt, punctual and proper exchange of information using appropriate channels defines communication. How many actually acknowledge a mail receipt – though it’s the best way to assure. It doesn’t need to be rich in prose or sound poetic – a simple message using simple language is enough as long it communicates the required and desired information. Besides, stakeholders, especially decision makers are always short of time and may not be read the length of the letter. Hence it’s recommended to keep it precise and to the point. Regular and frequent communication. It’s never construed as disturbance when it comes to the messages affecting the commitment. Free and forthcoming communication that’s scheduled or unscheduled is always welcome and never understood as an intrusion specifically about project updates. The daily status report, weekly status report and similar reports are scheduled ones that are expected. And any alerts, warning or clarification exchanges are unplanned or unscheduled. Frequent communication will help in project navigation and better understanding of the actual progress made as accountable stakeholders will confirm or raise flags as concern to undertake remedial measures, if required. Communication Management features as one the knowledge areas in PMI’s PMBOK® A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide). If you have a comment, please drop by and we can discuss it further. We are one of the leading educational service provider offering project management programs as part of niche certification courses. In case you are interested to know more about our programs, please visit our website www.icertglobal.com.

It’s a well beaten track, and oft-walked path and probably worn out. Even after it goes a full circle, sometimes we are back at square one. So what does it serve to hold a professional certification/training? Maslow postulated that ‘when one need is met, another arises’. It’s a two way street between employers and employees. While one is on the lookout for extraordinary skills offering position and perks, the other is on the pursuit of offering its services to best bidder. The employer-employee relationship is reciprocal. ‘How can I help you’ to ‘what do you have to offer me’. As a professional aspiring to move ahead in the corporate ladder, what are the expectations from an individual standpoint as well as collective?

The iron triangle is too tough to balance. Too often or not, it was observed that one axis is either long or short compared to the other two. And it might be near perfection to maintain equidistant axes. Project stakeholders are left perplexed tearing the hair wondering what went wrong, and ‘how didn’t we see that coming? We failed to detect and decipher the warning. Did we throw caution to the wind?’ that will sound too critical as due diligence is done through detailed discussion and deliberation before inking the contract, yet, projects going off the rails poses serious threats in damage control and contingency measures. What went wrong should be a lesson learnt for the next or projects in pipeline, yet projects seems to stumble in the same spot flummoxes and shakes the foundation. It might sound clichéd or routinely repetitive but professionals tread on a beaten track and worn out path, and ironically can’t sight the pitfalls and potholes? What possible oversights that project suffer – that are ‘known’ knowns and still found wanting on action and remedy.

And its not another chess game. Way back in 1996, a super chess power named Garry Kasparov agreed for a match with IBM’s Computer [it was still ‘computer’ without the intelligence aspect amplified] named Deep Blue. Was the name an inspiration from Deep Throat?Or is just the phonetics? The incredible then happened. Deep Blue won the first match. History was created. Unbelievable! If it stunned the world, the chess champion shattered would be an understatement. Kasparov would recollect later about playing with computers but none like Deep Blue. Kasparov, as the reigning champion, was so confident about his strength that the might of the machine that made its move in the chess match was no match. It wasn’t just the champion, but the pundits and public never for once doubted. No one doubted. Just the same no one expected. Computer to dethrone the champ? It happens in the time when google was probably in incubation and software was limping its way in to our lives. The impact was limited, restricted to few and used by fewer. Times when people remembered phone numbers of their contacts and reliance on ‘hardware’ like computers was confined to space, defense and research. All things around too hardly smelled anything close to ‘software’, and programs was yet to be synonymous as software just as search with google. It was in this exciting backdrop, the fight between a human brain versus a relatively unknown machine was pitted. It might sound Ayan Randish, but there is no such thing called a ‘collective brain’ and should it exist, then it will not be mortal but machines, and rightly positioned, Deep Blue was a result of many a mind with innovations and inventions. Chess is an amazing, sophisticated and brilliant game where the mind is really placed at a premium. Its philosophical too ‘you cannot reach the white square without stepping into a black’, and game is a strategic one, just like wars fought with ‘horses and bayonets’. A great tactical move or act of blunder – whichever way, that’s the game of chess. So imagine Kasparov moving a pawn, what should Deep Blue do in response? Defense or offence? So the machine had to think of all possible scenarios and also think further about the countermove. Its about preempting and predicting to an accuracy that’s alarming, and even freaking IQ. A normal mind cannot fathom as much, and hence Kasparov was deeply respected for his intelligence and ability to look ahead – way ahead that he could do the mental math to break all barriers or detect a breach from a distance. That was baffling. Even more would be Deep Blue, for it shocked not just the millions of multitude, but Kasparov himself was baffled by the way the system battled “But a computer, I thought, would never make such a move. A computer can't ‘see’ the long-term consequences of structural changes in the position or understand how changes in pawn formations may be good or bad.” So when he conceded, rather, Deep Blue won, Kasparov would acknowledge the brilliance and the intelligence “I GOT MY FIRST GLIMPSE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ON Feb. 10, 1996, at 4:45 p.m. EST, when in the first game of my match with Deep Blue, the computer nudged a pawn forward to a square where it could easily be captured. It was a wonderful and extremely human move.” Kasparov will go on to win the next game and eventually the championship, and we all recall that near to impossible win of Deep Blue and cheered the challenge posed to the champion. Today the odds are reversed as we almost revere AI to the point of ubiquitous in our lives. There is no aspect in our life that AI has not penetrated. All along we lived without the knowledge of its existence. And our dependence on data is almost complete for even simple and mundane chores are reflective in our inability to store data in a machine than carry in person. Why call it artificial? We have seen advancement exceed advancements in AI. We have seen job creation to job destruction by the very intelligence. It works both ways. Automation and robotics disrupted human lives by replacing their services and unseated their position and unsettled their lives. That’s the typical trade-off for change. Its not the cry of a luddite but all things come at a cost and technology today is the most powerful inclusion. Kasparov would state “my instincts told me “. So a celebrated chess champion still relies on his behavioral response. Till that day, artificial will be artificial. Then again, wasn’t it a terrific wake-up call that made us stand up and salute. We owe as much to Deep Blue in enabling us to deep dive in AI. And what the future holds…… machines might rule but will never master the creator.

The PRINCE2 Practitioner exam is an open-book format which enables those taking the exam to access Book(s) prescribed by Axelos.

If you have PRINCE2 Foundation certification, then the calling is to commit to the next level and complete - The PRINCE2 Practitioner certification. As a PRINCE2 Practitioner certified professional, you are empowered with the knowledge and understanding in applying your learning to a real-time situation or scenario, and expected to lead and manage projects in an environment that supports PRINCE2. 8 questions - 10 question items per question, each worth one mark

The Internet growth has reshaped service and its outlook. The ITSM best practices and processes put in place so that organization can step-up potential, performance and profit. The service aspect, unlike the software, is not the cynosure yet the product lifecycle will be incomplete, if not, stunted without service in its place. More often, repeat orders [read as customers] are the key business drivers, and in order to gain confidence and increase traction, improve service. In the ITSM realm, the stress of service is on information and technology (IT) – as the definition states design, delivery, manage and improve IT services within an organization to meet its business goals. Process optimization: The most pressing issue as highlighted by a number of service management experts is Process Optimization. How can you maximize efficiency at minimum cost? Process Optimization. The key is to identify the areas which have the best impossible impact to effect. A typical scenario to understand optimization is automation. Setting auto-response to any query, instead of acknowledging receipt manually is the basic automation that goes unnoticed but very effective. Process optimization will ensure compliance adherence, increased accountability and avoid wastage. Self-service: Self-service is a hard-biting issue that still finds itself lagging and lacking for want of a better system. ITSM should be optimized to offer the experience of self-satisfaction. While customer-satisfaction is paramount, the interest of the self shouldn’t be delayed or discarded. The Self-service issue was a priority in the previous year 2015 which went unaddressed as expected and given the lacuna, the need to close the gap and plug holes took precedence over other priorities for 2016. Any issue important can be read as a good opportunity to make the most and hence focus is on improving the service standards. IT – business alignment: The synergy between IT and Business always results in a greater yield. to understand IT-Business alignment, you need to understand how and where does IT and Business connect. How are your meeting with customer captured? And how does technology enable business? You might want to look at dashboards that typically summarize the events and present critical information to empower informed decision-making. Its very much a strategic call, like IT Governance with risk and compliance management. The insights posited as trends or ‘Opportunities’ for 2016 is more of reflection from the remnant and projections for future. While Process Optimization was closely followed by self-service, the value of aligning business needs to increased customer satisfaction too was a pronounced call for action. Strong indication was sounded for Automation mainly to streamline process and resources and avoid waste of time and material. The list also featured Budgets, Digitization ESM and ITAM. While Budget and Digitization are prospects, ESM and ITAM stem from the remnants of 2015. The Status of 2015: The trends of 2015 was studied to understand the reach and addressal; and the understanding is that Services found wanting and fell short on Self-service, Service beyond management and IT Asset Management. The table below depicts the findings. Self Service: When user is self-empowered, the dependence on others can be cut down to improve productivity. Usually time-chokers, when issues have to be resolved by ‘someone’ always burdens the user with increased reliance on resources. Instances when access to a particular site is blocked that not only interrupts your work but arrests the thought flow, scuttling spontaneity and slowing work as a result, all in the aspect of security? There is always a better way to get things done without compromising security and still serving the self-service. The ITSM can step-in to sort out the mess and streamline flow to avoid interruption and enhance engagement. The service desk inexplicably, fails to empower self-service Service management beyond IT: It is also known as Enterprise Service Management (ESM), which can optimize service management to pass on benefits to other departments like Human Resources, Finance, to improve delivery. If you have to follow-up on a leave request or a loan applied, will it not be necessary to touch base with HR for eligibility and approval, and pass the request to Finance to disbursement? The services that can make the entire process seamless, cutting out the delay and accelerating the request-response will result in greater satisfaction. IT Asset Management (ITAM): Software management is significant because of its need and value, and also the adherence, compliance and audit check makes it increasingly important to manage your assets. Its observed from industry practice and use that aligning asset management with service management will result in substantial cost reduction. You will be able to better control and become cost-effective through screening and shortlisting to prioritize and take preventive measures to ac\void any attack or breaches in safeguarding your assets and value. Some of the critical shortcoming in 2015 were lined up for redressal and remedy in 2016 and prominently featured were self-service and IT Asset Management. You may please access the white paper which requires registration. For more information about our ITSM programs, we request you to visit our website http://www.icertglobal.com/ all-courses or call the nearest branch close to your locality.

Password could be a pain, particularly when you have multiple web sites to access many sites. The consumer complains that passwords are fast becoming a psychological burden – an albatross that weighs down the person with too much data dumped in the head that’s hard to decipher. And apparently one can sense discomfort and disconnect. It’s like having too many keys to open one room and woefully, you can’t pick out the right one which will unlock. And the real hassle is when password is forgotten and the allowed number of ‘attempts’ gets exhausted, the system locks, leaving you stranded but the chore running back and forth with the back-office executive walking-through the password retrieval process leaves you fuming ‘is technology a boon or bane’. Anything will have its downside – including technology. You might want to have a turnkey system that does the trick and get you going.

This blog is written in the backdrop of Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai heralding “Artificial Intelligence’ as “We will move from mobile first to an AI first world." in the recently held Google I/O 2016. Science becomes spectacular in its endeavor to make possible the deemed impossible, reminding Robert Kennedy “There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why? I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?” Sometimes it’s so surreal. When the movie ‘Minority Report’ , a concept conceived in the late nineties and hit the silver screen by 2002, the reviews about the sci-fi was superb and many wondered what could the world be in 2054 as set as timeline in the movie. It was half-a century away. Everything can be put in place past the event or outcome but possible to predict something to happen with precision? Plausible? From a technology perspective, the spectacle that dazzled us with 3-D, touch screen depicting data on-demand, transportation and logistics, the movie ported us to a scientific space of sophisticated software and advanced intelligence.

Profile A high-tech company in the travel industry has bagged a contract from a reputed Client for data migration with phased delivery over a period of ten quarters. The project plan was created based on the requirements available. Since the project spanned in time, the data points presented covered only a year, which was deemed good to start by stakeholders. The visibility was for only one year and hence the limitation with data available – which is expected and accepted in this kind of engagement. The budget for the said timeline was apportioned. The team identified to undertake the project was present in different locations as a strategic call. The Pain Point It will be the assumptions that will turn out to be the worst of risks. The stakeholders agreed it was a long tunnel but not quite certain about the length. Since it was a time bound, the requirement gathering was focused for the first quarter as agreed by the stakeholders and signed-off. Assumptions can become one of the major risks. The team initially settled on a framework only to change after the first sprint. The change would impact the team composition calling for ‘sourcing’ soon after launch that sent the human resources scrambling for talent. The need of the hour is never met and that’s the lesson learnt and hence due diligence paid to the selection from talent pool. With new resources inducted, there was already burn on time and cost, the knowledge transfer turned out to be to be too steep and the project plan revisited to factor the changes. There were different verticals within the team which started concurrently, and it was the approach of the scheduled milestone that sent the alarm bells ringing as one of the core development team failed in meeting the deadline and thereby derailed further developments adversely impacting other teams as the output will be the primary feed for them to move forward. It had a typical domino effect shaking the entire team. When the causal analysis was conducted, the results unearthed many issues that seemed to be swept under the carpet. Communication weren’t open and transparent; accountability absent and leadership clueless as team members tried passing the buck and concerned about safeguarding their position. The most baffling will be the lack of attention to basic details. There should have been a single point of contact for escalation; People Management and Stakeholder management. The root cause clearly spells poor communication and lack in understanding. The bottleneck undoubtedly was communication management. Clearly the opportunity would have been squandered if not for the milestone. It was the worst wake-up call for a company known for its intellectual capital and track record. Analysis revealed that the actual against planned in the project plan left a gaping hole and lacked foresight for risk mitigation particularly to problem faced as such a scenario was never contemplated. How? That’s why the absence to attention on basic details. Too much rode on assumptions. The impacts due to the imbalance resulted in # changes in the team composition which proved too expensive at that point in time as investment and Knowledge Transition and team ramp-up # Conflicts in the mid-management The squabbles stressed the need for conflict resolution through effective people management and stakeholder management. Troubleshooting It was back to basics about team-building with open communication, more transparency and greater accountability. The team met frequently till all onboard were on the same page. Having ceded grounds, it’s more prudent to save and salvage and move on. Since it was the first milestone, the impact on the short-term goal was severe and long-term could be contained. The positive impact can be captured as # Commitment from the stakeholders on requirements and delivery # Transparency /Clarity to all the stakeholders Recommendations The Plan B that somehow missed the plan should be prepared. The alternate scenario for worst cases should be assessed and addressed. The assumptions must be studied again and stakeholders should provide clarity in closure. The team should be cohesive and engage effectively to expedite delivery. The Start of the Day and End of Day of meeting must analyze the day’s target and plan for next day deliverables. The leadership to introduce SPOC and take stock at regular intervals (smaller intervals as possible) till things are streamlined and then schedule the standard stand-up meetings

Didi President Jean Liu said "Our company's legal name is called 'little orange,“ so apples and oranges today do have a connect – as companies. While it was gathered from industrial sources that Didi was on the lookout for working with investors on products and technology, Tim Cook of Apple Inc., said in an interview that he saw opportunities for Apple and Didi Chuxing to collaborate in the future. It also presented him an opportunity to better understand ‘critical Chinese market’ as reported.

As a prelude to appearing for the PMP® Certification exam, few pointers worth to ponder.

Penned by a Project Manager

There was an interesting and exciting write about Business Analysts - The 21st century business analyst is a liaison, bridge and diplomat who balances the oftentimes incongruous supply of IT resources and demands of the business. Forrester's research found that those business analysts who were most successful were the ones who could "communicate, facilitate and analyze." Business Analyst, as a role and title, is often connected with IT industry given its dominating presence and dependence in the scope of business. This is not to discount or discredit Business Analysis in other industries but this article’s premise is clearly IT. It’s the customer who drives the business. The stakeholders help create the ecosystem and the principal players play their part to progress and ensure profit. The endeavor should end in business value. The eyes are set at the topline and bottom line, and any business venture should demonstrate capabilities to monetize. The bottom line is the backbone. We have always toiled to profit in any profession and in software parlance Solution, as a way of business, is created based on the customer’s problem statement. In business, the most difficult part is to please is your customer. Try as you might, they are never content. It’s an uphill task and times, unreasonable too. It’s unwise and unfair to expect the customer will record the requirement in their Business Requirement specification. The specification is subject to change as it evolving in nature but the scope should be pinned right at the start for change in scope can prove catastrophic.

Amazing. Astounding. Awe-inspiring. The technology revolution has taken the industry by storm and dazzles with “disruptive technology “ or ‘creative destruction. Buzz words by the horde appear on the headlines startling you by its sheer ‘sentence-construct’. Many couldn’t decipher disruptive technology then but we are now used to and even conversant to the point of expecting more. If you are someone juggling with more than one assignment – then talk of multi-tasking. Now when its managing multi-projects, then the unknowns and unexpected changes complicates to a severity hitherto undefined. So as one entrusted with the Program management, how do you anticipate the unexpected and negotiate the unforeseen changes? Please note that a program is a portfolio comprised of multiple projects. Its common knowledge that managing large-scale programme can be very complex in terms of planning, organizing and execution. The business environment has changed drastically with the advent of mobile apps in every sphere of life and digitization of every dot, which demands completion at a pace that’s fast and yet cost-effective. While the scale and size in project and programs are growing, qualified professionals who can consistently perform and contribute are found wanting. We recommend MSP® ( Managing Successful Programs). Your organization would want to continually improve, manage multiple projects to the minute detail, manage stakeholder expectation, provide value for investment, capitalize on business opportunities and become an enabler of change – which is why MSP® is strongly proposed to be pursued by your Personnel managing programs. MSP’s framework enables organization to break down complex programs in to manageable interrelated projects, balancing on the budget and staying on time without compromising the quality. Thus it’s a strategic approach to accomplish a complex engagement through transformation activities whereby a file is split as dossiers, organized, implemented and executed to achieve the intended outcome or business result, in other words, business value.

The more the merrier. Just as our quest is insatiable so are the expectations. Try meeting a hiring head or a business investor and you will be questioned more about your skillset. Yes! Your primary skills are a given. While the focus on primary skills is paramount, the stress is always about developing additional abilities considered vital in competitive analysis. Those interested in your profile would want to know ‘more’. It’s the additional information that elicits more interest. A quintessential professional is versatile – like a player on the field ready to be placed in any position. So possessing the technical skill (read primary skill) wouldn’t provide that edge over peers, rather when supplemented and complimented with strategic and leadership traits places you in a formidable position clearly pushing your boundary further. With business needs growing with greater unpredictability and technology advancement defying expectation through groundbreaking innovations, the landscape seems to be shifting perpetually, and hence there is admittedly a paradigm shift from the professional perspective without an exception. With time Individual assessment has changed. The organization is looking to fill the slot as Musterberg stated “finding the best possible man, how to produce the best possible work, and how to secure the best possible effects”. What it takes to become top performer with top potential. Potential is the possibility of an individual to do more than current contribution. Aon Hewitt defines potential as the assessment of an employee’s ability to rise to and succeed in a more senior or expanded role. Potential considers individuals’ performance, character, capability and motivation. Today, the critical talent is evaluated in terms of knowledge, skills and abilities. The PMI Talent Triangle™ clearly lays emphasis on ‘more than’ technical skills by subscribing to Leadership and strategic & Business Management As inferred from the PMI’s ‘Pulse of the Profession 2016’, the most successful organizations seek added skills in leadership and business—competencies that support and sustain long-range strategic objectives. The ideal skill set—a combination of technical, leadership, and strategic and business management expertise—is embodied in the PMI Talent Triangle™. When organizations focus on all three skill sets, 40 percent more of their projects meet goals and original business intent. As one of the leading educational powerhouse enabling to become professionally trained and certified, especially PMP®, PRINCE2, ITIL, Six Sigma, we interact with professionals on a daily basis. They are the folks wanting to stand out in their sphere of work. And we regularly hear how ‘Certification’ validates competency and enables your candidature as ‘eligible’. What is the value add You bring to the table? Your bona fide already vetted, increased scrutiny would be on the ‘what else’ as the key differentiator. It’s always about ‘what more do I get’ and it applies to one and all. With the raw aggression witnessed like never before, it will be hard sell in promoting your profile given the spiraling number of applicants competing alongside and here is where ‘the more you have’ makes you leapfrog into the short list – a short one. So dear Professional, what makes you so elite and eligible? Is the spotlight on you to single out in a crowded room? How do you distinguish yourself to differentiate? We, at iCert Global, besides the benchmarked certification courses also offer career counseling whereby our expert panel will engage with you to chalk out the future course of action to steer ahead the crowd and cacophony. We conduct exciting programs that shape your personality and profile to become more competitive and complete . Follow the link http://www.icertglobal.com/all-courses.php to get a glimpse of our offering and feel free to schedule a call with us. Together We Win!

Did you know the average annual salary can go up to $81,000 USD? It’s exciting to study the top 10 countries with the highest median annual salaries for project practitioners. Your resume gets only 6 seconds to strike an impression. The threshold is that small a window. The initial credibility has to be telling to take the conversation forward. The door opener ought to be something valuable. As testified by Project Managers in a survey published in techrepublic online journal, many accounted PMP® certification as ‘the compelling factor’ in being counted. Else they won’t consider your CV. So the counsel is a PMP-packed profile will surely get past the screening process. Experience can further be strengthened with education. The PMP® certification is more about the science of project management in delivering successful projects. Certification is a clear indicator that you possess the relevant knowledge and expertise. Research undertaken by PMI® shows that Organizations that fully understand the value of project management and place a high priority in creating a culture that recognizes its importance report 71 percent of projects meeting original goals and business intent versus 52 percent that place a low priority on it. Besides, chances that one can clear the checks and balances created by PMI are favorably presumed to be equipped with expertise and proficient in their profession. Does a PMP® certificate make a Project Manager more successful in managing project with time, scope and budget? There is a business value to every deal signed. What’s the assurance the Project manager will deliver? Study reveals that a certified Project Manager, when weighed from all distinguishing parameters, has a better shot at success. And more often delivers. For that kind of competence, the PMP® professional commands an attractive compensation as compared to their non-certified counterparts. The ninth edition of PMI’s Earning Power: Project Management Salary Survey states that “those with a PMP certification garner a higher salary (20% higher on average) than those without a PMP certification.” Before we arrive at why salaries surge for certified PMPs as compared to the non-certified, let’s first deliberate why certifications count at all. Statistics reveal seven out of 10 projects fail. So what’s the best bet that a certified professional will perform? The PMI's 2008 Pulse of the Profession research found "that having project managers without PMP certification results in a lower percent of projects coming in on time and on budget—especially when less than 10 percent of the project managers in the company are PMPs. Organizations with less than 10 percent of project managers who are PMPs are also much less likely to indicate an increase in projects successfully meeting the goals and business intent." This is not to drive home that certification alone is the clincher as there are other factors that do impact project completion, but one cannot downplay or undermine the significance certification lends to success. That’s the point. The grind in getting a PMP certification is certainly rigorous given the prerequisite of practical experience and the hours invested in preparation to earn the credential. And the paycheck as well. The informed insights as published in PMI’s Earning Power: Project Management Salary Survey In the United States, keyed out project managers in the pharmaceuticals industry reported the highest median salary ($125,500), followed by those working in agriculture, mining and natural resources ($120,640) and consulting ($120,000). Other industries posting high median U.S. salaries include aerospace ($115,000), engineering ($112,000), utility ($110,425), government ($110,000) and information technology ($110,000). The median salary of U.S.-based respondents holding a PMP certification was $111,000 versus a median salary of $91,000 for participants without PMP certification. Interestingly, the median salary was based on a number of key demographic factors, especially the Country of employment, PMP status, and years of project management experience, project team size and budget. Some of the salient highlights listed below for your immediate attention: 

More often parroted of any other virtues and clichéd by now, the strength and success behind every organization is always attributed to its assets – human assets. And corporate capitalize on their human capital. It’s only a natural corollary in terms of objectives and accomplishment for every organization to get its recruitment process right. Skill and strength go together. Given the backdrop does Certification count? We will come to it soon…. ‘ whatever carried you this far won’t take you no forward’ – is well worn by now but that’s the truth of the matter. Someone who wish to be employed or already employed needs to hone skills; keep sharpening the axe and as much a software is updated with frequent release, the software professional is expected to shop for more soft skills. Technical competence is the cornerstone on which the career is built. Scenarios wherein recruitment would routinely involve the rigor of clearing an online test was ensured without refrain. ‘Online’ exams which came free, without cost was clearly the challenge in the candidature being shortlisted for the successive round. Certification from a reputed governing body was a clear indicator about caliber and still some selection process did involve sitting for an unscheduled test. Didn’t Certification count? Present times poses perplexing pathways to steer past peers without nudging or edging but succeed through outshining others in advancing one’s own career path. Could be chaotic and would it send alarm bells rings given the competitive spirit of the market? Education is paid its due respect; experience is rewarded but the proof of the pudding about your expertise and experience can be coalesced in certification. Let’s elaborate: a PMP certified professional stands for someone with stipulated education and substantiated experience without which the eligibility criteria will fall short. Certification is met with instant recognition. Still second thoughts about certification? Yes and No. We will help you cast your doubts aside. Will your mentioning about your competency on a piece of paper and pass as Resume advance as compared to an Accredited Governing Body attesting your proficiency as a ‘professional’. Certificate, too, is a piece of paper – with a difference. Incredible difference. It’s all about recognition and reward follows. Not the other way around. Yes, there is the acid test one must endure to prove proficiency and experience is baptism by fire. As a prelude to the final performance, we at ICert conduct online exams for you to self-assess your standing, and if you successfully pass our exam then a Certificate is awarded in your name recording the grade as well. http://www.icertglobal.com/free-resource.php Try cracking the exam. And check for yourself the ‘value-add’ of our certification. The results will speak for itself. While you are at it, we at iCert wish you the very best in your endeavors. Get Certified; Get Recognized.

When the clock chimed 12, and crackers burst open ushering the new year , greetings galore and goodies strewn around, it was a moment to reflect about the past and look right ahead with renewed hope. How did we fare in 2015 and what’s the forecast for 2016? This probably is deliberation of many a minds both from a personal and professional perspective. 2015 witnessed some great happenings which will make a geek beam with pride – gadgets, gizmos, apps and what not. India observed with heightened expectation the numerous startups, the growing number of entrepreneurs, the surpassing rise in technology as never was the adage ‘happening today, history tomorrow’ proved so plausible. And in all these, the overriding factor and dire demand proved to be the digital presence and exceptional soft skills. Just as we are increasingly online and extremely mobile, the medium and means have changed dramatically. As much as technology is becoming the key differentiator, technologists are the game-changers. 2015 was more about delivering technology at doorstep. Brick and mortar gave way to online offerings and our niche product offerings to professionals saw a surge in Live Virtual Class and e-Learning with corporate accounts in our clientele. In all it was a successful year, having posted results close to the projections. So the ride was bumpy sometimes and smooth as well. Farewell 2015. The road ahead is full of opportunities if one knows how to count and capitalize. There is going to be exciting and engaging times . ‘Education never ends’ – it’s for a lifetime. Knowledge is the key and Technology-enabled services will be the touchstone. Today there is a surplus in headcount if supply is anything to go by, but do they really meet the demand? That’s a million-dollar question. There is indeed a growing gap – from both the employers and employees standpoint. The fitment is really a hard-find. Hence, grooming the greatest asset – human capital – is the critical need as exponential growth in technological developments makes it mandate to embrace existing and emerging technologies. It’s the innovation in serving the digital experience that holds the key to unlock the fortune. More than reaching out to the customer, much will rest on customizing. The blended training is a tested approach and going forward we need to try other practices with technology leading from the front. We will have to rejig our offering by stacking with latest learning and impart to the niche segment. The focus will be on Big Data, Cloud Computing, Digital Marketing, SalesForce and list is expected to grow. 2016 – Welcome!

What if, there is no Project Manager for the project? At times, people often ponder 'why do we need Project Manager as they neither code nor do QA validation and their effort is of no use to the delivery'. Assume there is a team of 10 in which 6 are developers and 3 QA engineers and 1 Development Lead and all are exceptionally good technically and functionally. They are all aware how to efficiently code and of course all QA engineers are experts in Automation. So in that case do you think we need Project Manager to handle the project? The point is, rather than getting into a debate on whether we need Project Manager, its worth discussing on whether people in the team can take care of required project management activities. In general Project Manager is related to Captain for the Project which means he/she has clear vision & direction for the project. One should know the objective of the project, and who are the primary stakeholders and secondary stakeholders; When we should reach where (Milestone details with target dates) and its dependencies and its owners. Another focus area will be communication. Communicating right things to right people and at right time - which includes Risk Management (Dependencies, Issues, & Risks) tracking with right people at right time apart from the Status reporting. When we mention status reporting, people at times think status of the project deliverable, though this is one aspect of the status reporting, but more than that project status should get the visibility on Planned Budget/Effort/Project Scope Vs Spent Amount/Spent Effort/Delivered Scope. This in turn fixes the spotlights on the entity called Project Manager to get the visibility of high level and detailed level also to the respective stake holder. People in the top hierarchy should get the visibility on Budget Spent Vs Ready Scope. The crew might be exceptionally competent in their sphere of work but beyond the call of work is an unfair expectation as it might hamper productivity and thats why and when a Project Manager is pressed into service. In nutshell, Project Manager helps to get predictability of the project all times with relevant information to the relevant stake holders….

images courtesy:goo.gl/s6meA8

Agile doesn’t trade places with traditional project management which is centered around water-fall methodology. Hence Agile doesn’t counter against PMI®, long known for its project management credentials through PMP, rather it complements… Let’s get the insight on why do we recommend Agile. It is to be noted that PMI features PMI-ACP® as one of its flagship certification which is fast gaining grounds, if the traction is any indicator. We are one of the leading lights in knowledge and certification of PMI-ACP® and regularly conduct training and workshops on key locations around the globe. Let’s move on to the narrative. 

I am in the middle management and certainly at the crossroad when in conflict with customer and colleagues. This is not made up but picked right from one of the conversation, no, a heated discussion when a team member protested “aren't you supposed to stand by us?” averting their desperate look, I swivelled my chair and stared hard at the table with my eyes focus nowhere in particular but mind probing endless paradoxes and possibilities. Stand by whom? We will have to get educated not to take things personal but when someone slams ‘your idea makes no sense’, how can you detach and differentiate ‘it’s not me that’s criticized but my idea? So that means they are both different? Isn't my thought born out of me and interpreting as impersonal and remain impassive?” Impasse. Don’t dismiss that as banal, as everyone without an exception, at some point in time have introspected on similar lines. “Is it an individual’s interest or collective that matters? Should I have to prove standing by you? Client’s interest precedes and prevails above everything”, the hush in the room was so audible and I knew of touching a raw nerve, and their grievance wasn’t without ground. But if we start listening to such calls and concede ground on behalf of the crew, then there will be no option but pull the shutters down. Clients run the business – we manage. Attitude is all that counts. But a demoralized crew is more dangerous than a deadly weapon, and slighting their service will be huge let-down. So I counsel with an admission “agreed not all calls are fair but we should learn to overlook few just the same way they have accommodated our careless mistakes as ‘oversight’. Eventually business is about give and take, and no need to take things personally. It’s strictly professional. Alright, here is the call: prove them wrong by laying out the outline for closure and I will even it out.” Their eyes lit up. “Wait. What if we fail to deliver?” they sank into their seats. One developer took it up with me “WE WILL DELIVER”. That’s the spirit. I wanted to hear that and those words only. Management are sometime like middlemen who speak for both the side without letting the other down. Not fence sitters, but firmly on the ground. Project Managers must engage stakeholders, who are keen about the bottom line, while also ensuring the team’ morale never suffers at any cost nor become a casualty. It’s difficult to please everyone and unwise to even attempt or aspire. Set the priorities and take calculated risks. It’s not like one’s interest should be affected in order to meet another – that’s a compromise. Make it a win-win for all. Successful Managers are those who factor both the interest – commerce and camaraderie and maintain to sustain a long standing relationship that’s rich in its yield [revenue from client and retention of employees]. The subject is dealt very well in Project Management Certification course, especially in Stakeholder Management, Human Resource Management. You might want to visit know more about our offering http://goo.gl/VljmtT

Risks Vs. Opportunities 

The iron triangle of project management has scope+ time+ cost and at the core rests the Quality. Meaning none of the axes can be compromised, which consequently impact Quality adversely. So what’s about Quality? Well, everything boils down to Quality. Standards are Quality measure. High standards attributes to High Quality. Well, when thoughts transcend from personal experience as Project Manager, I always ensured the quality team has the final word on everything shipped much to the chagrin of the development team. They often sparred as to ‘who called the shots?’ and I will put my best foot forward “I do” to the eerie silence of the team. A team is a bunch of individuals with their own talent, and that’s why we refer recruitment more as Talent Acquisition. No matter the nomenclature associated, no two individuals are going to be the same. Like-minded perhaps, but unlikely twins in thoughts. So it’s a mixed pool. Fundamentally its still the make, sell, support, and the Quality team falls under the support bucket while developers act as the breadwinners in the ‘make’ stream, and hence feel privileged and even entitled. At the inception of the project, when the Developers roll up the sleeves and get busy writing Unit Cases, testers too are full of activity preparing test cases. So the any claim of entitlement is very juvenile in judgement and I dare say never to expect anything additional other than the allocated. One incident always enlivens and worth narrating. He was a super-duper geek that touching his code is deemed an insult. It’s like rinsed with Listerine mouth freshener every five minutes that the teeth are sparkling white and fragrant. One should marvel at the pride taken in their work that they come down to challenge “check my code and any bug, I am toasted else you are roasted”. I found a demure girl, belying her age, walking up to the rock star “I am sorry but there seems to be a bug”. A volcano just erupted. When the pride is pricked, what else can you expect? Fireworks. I was observing the exchange from a distance but didn't intervene. They are professionals and ought to conduct like one. A dent to his dignity, he mounts a ferocious attack justifying every nook and corner while the tester patiently hears him out. After a full fifteen minutes of explanation, the girl calmly states “I understand but it’s a bug”. The developer slams his forehead and unloads a heap of curses in which one expletive burst out unbeknown. Now discipline and decorum can never be conceded at any cost. Since the unfortunate exchange happened on the floor, the shrill pitch made heads turn around. The lady was unmoved and strangely didn't emote at all but retained her composure. The developer, in sharp contrast, was belligerent and a nervous wreck. However sharp you might be, team play takes prominence and position. Both approached my desk and my silence spelled ANGER. My glare at nowhere but all ears, I wanted to hear one word ‘sorry’ instead he defied everything that’s sacrosanct and conduct hardly propriety. I demanded ‘Apologize. Now’. It was not a counsel but a command, and reluctantly he budged and muttered the apology. He might be a rock star but that lady’s attitude made her much taller and he dwarfed in stature. I then requested the tester to walk through the bug and she clearly made her case which was watertight. Confounded with the bug and confused as how his code can be cracked, the developer was at his wits ends and close to tears. Passion is different to taking things personal. After all to err is human. Managing people is far too different and difficult than project. My call still remained unaltered ‘the tester will have the final word’ and pausing “if the client finds fault in the UAT [User Acceptance Testing], it will the tester who will be taken to task”. Even that developer smiled. Much rests on the shoulders of the tester who are gate-keepers. Nothing can or should slip or creep between their legs. With an eye for details and investigating instincts to sniff something unusual, they treat every test case as a suspect and once convinced of merits pass it for clearance. That tester demonstrated typical traits expected – the poise, politeness, profound knowledge, patience, perseverance, while the other (Developer) displayed pettiness. Her signature statement was bereft of sentiment but well stated “I am more concerned about the Quality of the Project just as you are about the principles of Project Management.” Well said! Quality Management is a key knowledge area in PMP® Certification exam. For more details visit http://goo.gl/U4Rtez

images courtesy: goo.gl/FtgC51

Many of us are familiar with AI [Artificial Intelligence] but what is Emotional Intelligence? And its relevance in Management, especially people management? One respondent quipped ‘ego’. Though not entirely off the mark, it addresses just an aspect. Look before you leap; right. Do you think before acting? Emotional intelligence (EI) is a term used to describe the ability of an individual to recognize their own and other people's emotions, to discriminate between different feelings and label them appropriately, and to use emotional information to guide thinking and behaviour [courtesy: wiki]. The term EI gained recognition in 1995 and thereafter evolved as a model, namely ability and trait model. So far we have studied human behaviour, but seldom self-behaviour consciously. As individuals, we often introspect about our actions, and those who dig deeper to understand emotions and then associate with actions to adjust and adapt are better as decision-makers states studies. How effective as Managers? More than anything and anywhere, Emotional Intelligence most needed when negotiating with a colleague or peer or team or superior. Man exhibits myriad emotions. To handle and navigate needs successful soft skills for our decision ought to be rationale, objective and holistic. In a chaotic world with its cacophony like – snarls created after caught in traffic jams or embroiled in a heated exchange - it can be anything trivial to most trying of circumstance. Conflict is common occurrence but the choice to respond rest with us. Calm, collected and composed even in the wake of a storm can’t be seen in everyone. It’s a calling at a very high level and hence those who EI is way above are really adept in adjusting response/reaction and revel at interpersonal relations. The ability to recognize, relate, identify, empathize with others plight, connecting with others, commendable communication and control crisis are typical traits. In other words, high Emotional intelligence (EI) proves very effective in man-Management. Emotionally intelligent leadership are recognized by strong sense of self-awareness whereby that can detect one’s emotion and direct appropriate response mechanism. That call is critical. As highlighted above how we choose to respond is always our choice. Failure to manage might prove to fatal to one and all involved. Develop skills to be aware and evaluate the emotions of others, so as to react suitably to the situation. Leaders’ hallmark lies in this reception/response that has a direct impact on gaining confidence enhance performance, Employee retention to total satisfaction. They speak less and listen a lot. Not hear but listen to understand the underlying emotions. The tone, tenor, language, gestures gives scope to study and gauge emotions. Leaders always choose the words and measure before delivery – again in the right tone and tenor. These are exceptional skills to anticipate and in some case pre-empt – emotional intelligence is all about this and such Leaders prove to be remarkable in management. It might sound new to some or even niche, but make no mistake - only the fittest survive. Emotional intelligence is treated as a critical factor in assessing your management skills complementing human capital [education, certification] and fitness aspects. Yes, very much! Project Managers are expected to have a high emotional intelligence, as important and credible as the Project Management certification. One is a testament about your psyche and other about education, expertise and experience. Please visit our http://goo.gl/IRCmJz to know more of our offerings.

One of my close associate failed to show up for work – very unusual given his propensity to be punctual and as the days dragged on, strangely there was no sign of him. His mobile wasn’t reachable. His absence made me shiver with apprehension. A week later, he did report – to quit and be gone for good. I slumped on my desk and the lump in my throat just choked me. Why? Why? “My health mate. Docs scanned, said this and that, none of which I understood other than surgery”. As an act of solidarity “what can we do to help you?” He wasn’t himself. With that tired look, unenthusiastic and awful body language “pray if you can. I have to meet the HR”. After the meeting he came straight to me “HR is asking to serve the notice period. I have to board the train by noon. I came to hand over my papers and walk out and all he is concerned is about notice period‟.” His agony and anguish, in the given circumstances, was unquestionably understandable but for the time served he hardly understood or got to know better of HR. I am very close to HR as we discuss everything under the sun and sometimes the stars and galaxies too. He is a good-hearted guy but with a stoic face that betrays emotions or rather he hardly expresses and reserves a smile especially dealing with official matter. So when my close chum came out disheartened and disconsolate, little did he know that the HR empathized with his plight personally but discharged his duties professionally? The HR would later confide with me “I feel sorry for that guy, but if I came across as cold-hearted, I just can’t help it. I am paid to win heads and meet your needs. It’s strictly business.” What a character! His benevolence is blanked out like that thick fog on a wintry morning and what comes to the fore is akin to a policeman on a beat - Strict and stocky. This is not to be dismissed as delusion because dealing with humans can be far more complex and conversations, if gone haywire, can become catastrophic. I, serving in any capacity, always advocated promoting a culture where everyone can question and be questioned. “Give them what they want and get what you want‟- will avert grudges and grumbling within. There is discord and discontent, as disturbing, could prove detrimental and that’s where HR has a larger role to play in leveling the play area. Of course, I have been fortunate to mix and mingle with some fabulous HR personnel. And continue to do so……. PROJECT HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT is one of the 10 knowledge areas in area in PMP® Certification exam. For more details visit http://goo.gl/U4Rtez