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These days HR personnel are having a field day handling grievance redressal, conflict management, anger management, talent retention, attrition control, morale and welfare of the workforce like never before. HR in the heydays used to be about hiring [No Firing, which was considered as a last resort when all avenues and alternatives have been exhausted because the cost of hire is always high; besides a new hire is an asset, be it a green horn or groomed one with so much investment in terms of intellectual property through training and knowledge transfer. It would be a colossal loss to let go of someone equipped with the expertise at the expense of company as exit results in their entire endeavor going down the drain. So HR, contrary to the misconception of being trigger-happy to fire anyone in the range, possess the acumen to weed out the best from the worst and hence posted at the gate.] Today it’s a different scenario with its own sets of demand that justifies almost anything. My former CEO would chide if employees are referred as ‘Resources’. “Can we please address them as staff or colleagues or team? I don’t ever want them to be addressed as Resources.” It wasn’t a counsel but command. He will sermonize ‘Mind is at premium. Not machines. Remember it’s the brain that churns the logic to create algorithms and formulae to make those chips and programs. Learn to assign priority and the nomenclature while naming. Never should I hear my men and women of workforce as Resources.’ A mild dressing down but will live in memory as a cardinal rule. People management is as difficult, if not, worse than Project Management. Set aside the hardware and software, its humans at work without whom what good will it serve to have these ‘Resources’. Wondered why do the HR personnel need to spend a significant time in Managing Human affairs as their main responsibility, apart from appraisal, hike, promotion and other related engagements? Because each and every one of us carry our baggage of ego. “Why should I?” is perhaps an explosive poser that doesn’t dress your ego, instead it brings it to center stage demanding attention and clutches on to the cog of the wheel controlling its spin. And of course, dealing with some ‘prime-Donna’ employees known for their tour de force with bloated ego wanting instant gratification in the form of appreciation, accolades or simply ‘you are the best’ compliment is always a sore wound that’s often scratched. And there are bruised egos biding the time for retribution to settle scores. As humans, we are all self-righteous and sanctimonious. What we do appears to be right; else we won’t be doing it at all, right? Besides, some of us are the biggest bigot, unacceptably intolerant to others views. “I am always right”, too busy expressing our views opinions and hardly ever listening. Forget others; I studied my own behavioral aspects to understand what makes me so egoistic. I can be extremely humble to excruciatingly haughty and all it takes to set me off would be a word, look, gesture or ignorance. It’s the pride or vanity that has to vanish. Anyone to claim immunity to ego is hollow and hoodwinking. ‘You will never be free until you free yourself from the prison of your own false thoughts.’ And that false notion is your unworthy self-importance. When pride is pricked, it poisons our mind purging rationale out of our behavior and that’s when I become vindictive. Anyone in agreement is friend and disagreement decidedly foe. Recently I took a stroll with my HR and a colleague and on the way had a difference of opinion over a subject, which soon snowballed and escalated into a heated exchange. When tempers soared, the HR intervened by directing the colleague to ‘go to office’, and stayed put with me for a while without uttering a word. Though two were involved, HR absolved the other person of any misdemeanor, while I was pulled up with a scalding statement ‘I expected better from you. Apparently your ego got the better of you’. A casual chat can inadvertently ignite into a crisis and set the self on fire. Ego is dangerous and destructive. One must be humble in victory and gracious in defeat, but then we tend to take things too personally that even a joke turns out to be a jibe. Professionals are adept in getting rid of ego by containing emotion and restraining response. There is a choice to react to any disagreement – if only we can be judicious. Dealing with human emotion is complex, caustic and can prove catastrophic. One wrong move or a misstep, the blame will be squarely on the ‘incompetent’ handling of the HR professional, and once the storm has blown over and dust settles, charges will be dropped and HR cleared of any wrong doings. What about the unfair accusation and unwarranted hardship endured for no reason or rhyme. Oh! please, let’s not talk about 'who said life is fair'. Try being at the receiving end and you would know what I am trying to say. Now the most important aspect – won’t the HR personnel suffer from the same ego issues after all they aren’t Aliens. Human Resources management is usually touchy. It’s complicated and complex and extremely sensitive. From compliments to cursing, the HR would have heard it all. But isn’t the HR human as well to emote, react, respond or even allowed to be rude? NO. That aint HR then. Do they really smile or just wear one? Very business-like in demeanor and diplomatic in response, it’s very hard to figure out their face. I am very blunt in my response – unedited and unadulterated and paid for the consequence but admittedly it’s a liberty on part of my portfolio which a HR is deprived. They are advised and expected to contain emotion, refrain from reacting like being boxed and closed from emoting. The glorified lot of the HR know exactly when to speak what, how to conduct in the given circumstances demonstrate dazzling presence of mind in curating the content before uttering. Some of the HR professionals have taken me by sheer surprise as I marveled at their composure to stay absolutely still in the wake of a storm. They aren’t easily ruffled and can’t be roughed up. Something that makes them stand apart and sifted from sea of faces. The glorified ones. Now I have begun to understand the HR actually manage to keep the company’s [read employees] ego in check and balance, always with an emphasis ‘if anything, it’s not the employee but the EGO that has to go!!

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PMPCertification Training Course with 100% Money Back Assurance in India at iCertGlobal | PMPTraining | PMP Classroom Course with 100% Money Back Assurance | PMP Boot CampWorkshop Training, India | Get trained on the latest PMBOK 5th edition by our industry-renowned trainers, who are veterans in their own right with years of working experience in the industry & training PMP aspirants. We are a Global Registered professional certification organization in the areas of Project Management [PMI®, PRINCE2, MSP], Service management [ITIL Foundation, Intermediate, MALC and Expert Track], Quality Management [Six Sigma Green Belt & Lean Six Sigma Black Belt], Agile & Scrum [CSM, PMI-ACP, CSPO], Citrix, Cisco and Emerging Technologies. 

Sounds good? It’s just the sound. Wish we all, as professionals, can conduct like one. My friend with that swagger would brag ‘the moment I enter the office, I remove my personal suit and don the professional blazer’ like a jersey by a footballer ready to play ball. I bought that line for he was very convincing given his long hours, confidence, competence, career path strewn with glowing accolades from clients and colleagues. Besides, he was my buddy. Well, I for one, in the corporate context was the turncoat. I was like Tommy Lee Jones in the movie ‘Fugitive’ – even in the call of duty he will stress “Yes, it’s personal ‘. To me, as well, “everything was personal. There is nothing professional even in the ‘line of work’” an aphorism my friend abhorred, thrashing me time and again as ‘conduct unbecoming’. I couldn’t care any less as I wore the way and carried myself as it suited – call me professional or petty, I dusted it off my shoulders. The definition of Professional/professionalism, especially the academic ones are galore if you glance Google. So my interest is more from ‘what exactly we know to be a professional?’ I sure don’t wear two suits, besides the claim to split personalities like scissoring a piece of cloth is unacceptable – even clinically. When you have a sick spouse at home who needs your attention and a deep crisis in the project which you are leading – you stay at home nursing or report to work firefighting? It’s a moral call, and truly professional and personal. Many of us, from my own experience, will select someone at home to park in your place and rush to office because there is no one to replace. It boils down to the most significant aspect of ‘dispensability’. In terms of priority, both are equally important, so while you HAVE TO BE PRESENT at work, the SPOUSE CAN’T BE SIDELINED and hence the phone is abuzz with feeds about progress from home. Multitasking? Now this is not a specific scenario for a particular individual? Check the pulse in the professional arena and you will hear scream and shouts of “I second”. Like a log of wood lit on fire at both ends and left to deal with the unforeseen, wondering which to fend first, is that a moral dilemma or a professional predicament? Won’t you agree, any which ways, it becomes very personal? We are humans made up of flesh and bones, not robots programmed to ‘respond’ to a request. And emotions always run high. If you are devoid, either you are an exceptional person or exceedingly good at camouflaging. Bottom line – as my good friend quipped “what do you mean by being Professional?”, very valid as we are so used to using that word without knowing its definition because everyone employs it – be it vernacular or scholarly speech. I tried with the amateur turned pro line because in sports a ‘pro’ is one who plays for pay while amateur pursues as pastime, besides the skill level is a far cry from a seasoned player. A clear distinction but then we aren’t seated in a stadium but sharing space in an office separated by cubicles. So what makes one a professional in the corporate circle? Professionalism, as most perceive as well-groomed, neatly-attired, impeccable manners, which indeed are important and inclusive. Is it limited with these attributes? Setting aside the heavy-duty business jargons the quintessential aspect is being truthful and transparent when your ‘yes’ is a ‘YES’ and ‘No’ is ‘NO’; when you have the courage and conviction to call a spade a spade. The litmus test will be the integrity and excellence, and we are a mixed bag. It’s not a thin line but a fine one that tugs your conscience in addressing the call of your child when you are stuck deep in a deadlock in the project working hard to iron out the impasse. Be critical; don’t criticize How often we ridicule a suggestion as silly or stupid? My brother after graduating from IIT was hired by an amazing fortune 500 company and whatever he shared was enlightening that we should emulate. During their brainstorming session, which usually is a small circle of people of the middle and senior management, everyone has to propose an idea failing which treat the folks assembled for Pizza. Scurrying to avoid a burnt hole in the pocket, everyone would pitch something or other – forget it making sense or not, but say something and usually the least of all is voted as the best. Well, that’s the moment of epiphany in Brainstorming. Rather than stifle and suppress by silence for the fear of mockery from the many, the management eggs you to “give it a go as you never know”. Perfect. How will you know unless you have tried? As a green horn, at the start of my career, I did have the audacity to ask and even [ashamed to admit] be cynical about the comments. My reporting manager wouldn’t even flinch, instead will be focused on my eyes reading my thoughts. While appreciating my candor, he would caution “listen, it’s not me but this white board you are riling. It’s never me but my idea. Let’s be clear about that.” Point taken, but you step out of the room deriding the person with disparaging remarks “the guy is stupid”. Juvenile thought? I am not contesting. ‘How can you separate the dance from the dancer’ logic? Pretty dumb in hindsight and that’s why I was so naïve and nonchalant. While you can be critical, don’t ever criticize for you just don’t discredit but damage the faculty and impair from functioning forever. The criticism, far from constructive, is destructive damaging beyond repair, shattering the confidence of the battered individual who will be very reluctant or hesitant even to spell out should the need arise. The mouth should not be muzzled just because few didn’t agree or accept to appreciate the merit. Better be belittled as dumb or dimwit so long the word is heard loud and clear. Call it nice or names. Unfortunately, not everyone sport that an attitude and wear on their sleeves. Be vocal; not vicious Another attribute that puts an individual to a great sense of discomfort would be the viciousness when voice amplifies as vociferous. We victimize by making it a vendetta when difference of opinions should be aired without offending the sense and sentiment. Words can wound and enslave; sting and scald; Vitriolic and vengeful. Seasoned professional have their own way in making it sound so ‘personal’ and still communicate the message professionally. An incident is worth narrating: We worked in agile methodology where the day begins with a ‘stand-up meeting’ and latecomers are strongly discouraged without resorting to reprimand. It was another team at work and the team lead was charismatic and quite a contender in leadership. With arms folded, he greeted the team members as they stepped, and once the watch clicked ‘time’, the latecomers were greeted with a wider grin “check the clock, and count the heads. We will pass on our flavor of ice-cream” and true to the words, the team was treated to ice-cream. Within a week, the team was clocking ‘on-time’ arrival. Brilliant! “They are mature enough to own up their act, and pay for it as well. Don’t think they need to be told. They know” was his response to me when queried why no disciplinary action was initiated. “We did. There is discipline. Studied silence has its own share of success”. It doesn’t get better than that – you win a battle without shooting a bullet or shedding a drop of blood and yet there is a battle. Baffling! When professional, be professional. The toughest of all is ‘to be professional’. I wish to recall my father’s advice “detached attachment. Learn to express your love without mollycoddling. The care will become a curse. Safeguard your sanity.” A man of very few words, he always spoke to us in Silence – that stern glare said it all. But we do have to reconcile to the fact that spending 10 plus hours in a common space with co-workers makes office as THE HOME and colleagues more as family. I did my math and the actual waking hours at home were so less my five fingers proved too many. So you make sure office is as good as home, if not better start treating like one. Not lethargic but responsible. ‘Distance lends enchantment to the view’, so ‘close’ doesn’t have a personal connotation, rather its resembles the sync in ideology, the same wave of frequency, common grounds, our communion in word and deed, and remember there is always this invisible wall impregnable erected for our good lest we fail and fall on moral values. We need to strike the right balance and govern by a code of conduct – not by a rule book as our guideline but the very conscience. In conclusion, I still stand by my ‘personal’ stance and strive as much to conduct professionally. We are not mercenaries on a mission, but mortals with our own strength and shortcoming. The workplace should be treated fairly with the admission and accommodation of ‘personal’ needs that extends beyond our immediate family. When professional, may we be professional - It’s not desire, but directive. ~Alice

First day at office is always a day to remember and memories are still fresh in me about the day I reported to work on day one in my previous engagements. Reaching home, sounding anxious, my wife would ask me “how was the day in new office, iCert? Exciting?”. It was a casual remark “hey, it resembles more like college, most of the crew at an average age of 24 with both the Management Executives in their twenties and single. I stood out – more like a faculty.

Second day was “colorful”.

Ten days later I would rename it as ‘carnival’.

Not all days are Sundays. True. When the colleague seated behind would slam her forehead “gawd, I just called this guy thrice. Incredible, but he was so polite to a fault excusing as always ‘it’s alright madam. I understand’”. I would empathize her predicament “it happens when you key-in the excel sheet that a number can be misread and redialed – again and again.” Halting my bike at 8pm in my portico, sometimes my wife still at office and son seated in tuition class next door, in the stillness of silence, I often introspect about the unfolding of the day, and that one was grilling and grueling. Try calling number after number, and the reception from the other end can range from nice to nasty. I heard one caller being so rude and that too to a woman. Uncouth, and uncivilized. Instantly I asked her to redial and give me the phone, which she politely declined stating ‘we have heard it before and will hear again. Life is like that…..’ that resigned look said it all. Doing the same task makes it mundane and the monotony can drive you to madness. It’s the lighter moments on the floor which is a welcome relief else we will go crazy…..nuts…..loony…

When the HR ushered me to the conference room, it was the curiosity that got better in me wondering the fuss about the commotion, and there up in the front of the conference table stood two employees – a gentleman and lady – both a bit jaded and jittery, whilst most of those assembled eyed the cake and the coke bottle. HR broke the ice “congratulation for completing 1 year of active service in iCert Global”. I was very new then and their names didn’t register but their faces I would never forget. And the audacity of that guy who chose to question the Director “sir, it marvels me as how you manage to muster such effort”, and the response was repaid in the same currency “motivated from guys like you.” Completing one year in IT industry is no big deal, especially ‘freshers’ and there would be one too many cakes to cut in that case, but putting up one year here makes you a ‘veteran’. And it’s so appropriate for us to assemble and applaud.


Life is full of events and hence called ‘eventful’? One incident in the morning is worth mentioning. You will have to bear my anecdotes as I rant as a raconteur but can’t expect the same in everyone. Two colleagues were in front of my desk and I was busy studying some information when their pitch made me look up. A fair, tall guy questioning one his team member “I have targets to achieve and might miss the boat“ to which the team member protested vehemently “sir, even the sun and star take break every day and you deny us of the same. Please be considerate”. Wait a minute!. wasn’t he the same guy who cut the cake and another name I learnt to respect. What a presence of mind to quote the sun and stars to drive home the message of ‘we aren’t machines but mortals. So have a heart!’. Awesome!

In any company, balancing professional and personal lives is gonna be a pain point. Something very hard to negotiate like maneuvering in the crowded streets of Bangalore during peak hours. As professionals we are known to be solid like rocks, but also admit that at times we too are fragile like a flower and from bold bottled down to brittle. A colleague sitting next to me complained to the system administrator about her system ‘ is not working’, and he was busy in some other chore that seemed more important. Half an hour later, the patience severely tested, she complains more audibly “it’s been 30 minutes since I escalated to your attention’ and the sys admin erupts “what do you think I am doing? Huh? There are other people also. You aren’t the only one with issue. Wait for your turn.” It was a royal snub. Exchanges like these are routine in the professional road. Some choose to unload, some prefer to lock it in themselves. But I was more keen about the aftermath of the altercation. How the sys admin would handle the situation as the snubbed ‘lady’ is akin to a wounded tigress who was baying for blood. Sulking in her seat and muttering something that was incoherent and inaudible, she was staring at the blank monitor when the sys admin appeared from nowhere with a genuine apology and won my heart. Man! That’s THE way to handle. ”sorry, I flew off the handle. Thing sort of got out of hands and I wronged you for no fault. I would fix it in a minute” and they were buddies back again. This, people, is the defining moment. The character to acknowledge one’ own mistake and apologize and make due amends. Hats off to you mate!!


But that said, all is not hunky dory. In my career path, courtesy is never to be compromised and one should always praise in public and punish in private. That’s the maxim of my theory of management. At times of aggravation, a guy I adore , remarks “mate, life is like a chess board. We cannot get into a white square without crossing the black”. Pearls of wisdom from all the corners of this place that enlighten me and continue to do so. The HR, in a casual tone complimented, my cuff and collar shirt – something I didn’t know and my wife was taken aback ‘oh come on, for goodness sake, we have been shopping at the same showroom for the past 5 years and you don’t this term?’ She was both right and wrong. We shopped – that’s true, but it was for her 90% and 10% for my son. I have enough of my own through gifts [I hate these goodies as gifts. Only my brother knows my true gift which I treasure , true to Abraham Lincoln’ quote “my best friend will present me a book that I have never read”]. So these guys become my teacher and I will remain an avid student all my life, trying to know as many words possible.

The purpose in penning this long prose is to tap the potential in every team member. There can be number of eminent ‘thinkers’ whose mind still harbor those words and I say ‘let it sail and Bon voyage’. You are an author in your right and might. During the secret Santa ‘talent parade’, many took me by surprise and frightening shock. The ensemble had amazing artist who could dance, sing and act – all impromptu. Not a line or move was rehearsed and yet it was breathtaking. A female co-worker’s gracious moves and rhythmic steps was mind blowing that my wife remarked ‘is she a professional?’ and I corrected ‘classical’, and another colleague's dance left me in a daze that I questioned later “you participated in your college culturals, right?” Every employee was sporting enough to participate and perform with fun and fanfare, and I would have never known about their prowess – rather potential. One lady sang so melodiously that it was music to my ears, and I hail her as the ‘nightingale of iCert’. Any time our spirits sink due to stress. We do request to sing a song which she readily obliges.

The most incredible and impressive aspect in this employment is the opportunities provided for the “Differently-abled’ people. I shook hands with that new face and question about his native and he replied “I have hearing problem and speech too” and for a moment I stood there transfixed. I warmly shook his hands welcoming with a “pleasure meeting you’ and never miss to greet whenever and wherever I meet him. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) or professional benevolence, iCert Global proved that you don’t have to be enlisted in the fortune 500 or rake in millions as turnover. In a small way, we still can contribute to the society through people who are ‘specially-abled’ qualify to be recruited. To me this wasn’t just munificence or CSR, but very noble and responsible. An individual career path is carved and can carry oneself with pride as being ‘specially and significantly’ abled. You don’t have to big shot in business – just a big heart will do. Awesome!!!

Long way to go iCert!! In a gentle way, you can shake the world!! Making the Mahatma proud!

image courtesy: goo.gl/NciC8f

Why do we fear failures? because it draws flak? That people are highly opinionated and evaluate our performance only to condemn and crucify and finally culminate with character assassination. “He is a misfit”, “doesn’t know how to handle pressure”, “ill-equipped and lack the faculty in the functioning of an enterprise”, “doesn’t have it in him in becoming capable of carving a career". Comments as these sure aren’t a shot in the arm, neither does it set your adrenalin rising, but dampens your enthusiasm and deepens into depression. You start licking your wounds in self-pity or incriminate yourself in self-condemnation. Do you know why? Because you took it personally. Recently I was watching a program on the television with my family and there was this toothpaste advertisement. The dentist visits the school and makes every student undertake the gum test and one boy fails. Sneered by his bus mates, he sits alone and aloof near a window when his best friend wraps his shoulder around him and assures” hey chum, chin up! Remember, you didn’t fail. Your toothpaste failed. Change your toothpaste. Simple”. I was reclining till then, but this advertisement struck me hard that I sat upright. What a message through school kids. That’s why I insist the message is important than the medium. After that I didn’t view that program but read the message in that advertisement which kept replaying in my mind. To me, the ad made more sense to drive home the point that it’s not the person but the engagement that failed. Professionals will face failures – but it’s not they failed rather the venture failed, or, it was a bad idea or the execution was poor. Whatever be it, even in failure, we stand to gain – and that’s experience. “Good Judgment comes from experience and Experience comes from bad Judgments..!” For a professional, failure is not about giving up, but it’s about finding new ways to make it work. People are entitled to their opinion, and you can’t seal every lip that speaks against but let it not disturb your sense of balance. If you have the maturity to respond to adversity and prosperity likewise, then you will realize that you have bettered yourself as a human. More often not, we tend to take the results personally. When successful we gloat and blow our trumpet, and in debacle get into depression. Triumph and tragedy are two impostors to be treated alike. Steel unless tested with fire cannot be stronger. If you can overcome the setbacks and still steer through the hardships by enduring, trust me, you will be empowered as there is no better a teacher than failure. If failures are the stepping stones of success, it’s when you really savor the taste of success. Dare to defy – and that includes fear of failure. You should overcome, overpower and overtake. Outperformers are those who are smart enough to flush out the fear that inhibits or impedes initiatives. For me aspirants are like those athletes who see the hurdles on the track not as obstacles but as launch pads that provides them an opportunity to take a leap.


image courtesy: goo.gl/Jps1sM

"education is empowerment" ‘Organizations need to adapt and provide both conventional & technology enabled training’ – one of my contacts emphasized with a brute force to reiterate the corporate expectation of ‘we want a knowledge center, and expect the workforce to be fully equipped, and armed to engage in professional combat.’ The certification is no assurance of a ‘job in waiting with wings spread wide’. Surely and certainly, PMP® does equip you with the knowledge considered essential and emboldens with a positive spirit to take the ‘corporate bull by its horn’. Given a choice would you want to flaunt your certification or your crazy pay check with incredible numbers? My take? Simple: a judicious mix of both. It’s left to the discretion of the individual in the given circumstances to highlight which but there have been compelling circumstances with dire straits in trying to cloak the pay over post. Market sentiments reek stronger of the smell that emanates when one reads headline as like ‘Certified PMPs earn 25% more than non-PMPs’. It can be dismissed as subjective bereft of substance but the market seems to buy by gorging the plate dirt clean with no leftover. Such is the frenzy with respondents react in this space that any such comparison is lapped up and when numeric data are inserted to drive home the message, the market feeds on it and never dumps. Possessing a certification is not just a cosmetic facelift; it’s all about cognizance. It stamps your understanding of PMP concept in measurable data good enough for interpretation and thereby allows validation of your profile that’s close to correct. Globally recognized and demanded, the PMP® certification course as an accreditation clearly demonstrates your experience, education, competence and confidence to lead, manage and direct projects. PMP is a definite differentiating factor to distinguish you from peers. Very seldom an advertisement these days is placed without mentioning PMP as a mandate of skill and talent acquisition. A certified professional, on an average earns 10k per more year dollars as compared to an uncertified one. You are better with it than without. In this blog of ‘What’s about PMP Certification’, let’s begin with the lifecycle of project process groups on a high level Initiating Defining the scope of a new project, or upgrade that of an existing or ongoing project. Planning (Plan) Confirming scope, identifying objectives, plan the course of action by setting up milestones Executing Completing the project as per the specification in satisfying all the stakeholders involved. Monitoring and Controlling Tracking, reviewing, monitoring, fixing and regulating the performance in ensuring the success of the project. Closing Handing over the project to Client in a completed state after sanitizing from any bugs and get set for the support phase. In all, there are 5 Process Groups, 10 Knowledge Areas, and 47 Processes. The lifecycle of project can be broken down into five distinct phases or process groups. These five PMBOK Process Groups describe and organize the project from start to finish. So how do you get trained and clear the coast as PMP can be a School of Hard Knocks? Think iCertGlobal If you are willing to give what it takes, you must enroll in a knowledge center that embodies your spirit of giving everything in getting out a PMP certified professional out of you, and here is the juncture where you pause in your path in selecting THE center that will complement your profile and complete with the sought certification. Enroll in iCert Global LLC. But why iCert Global LLC? Why not some other name in the business? Well, that’s fair to ask as to why we zero on iCert. In an unbiased analysis, giving equal weightage on various factor with the competitors, iCert emerged as a favorite amongst its peers with its · Vantage Point: Head office in US, and strategically located all over the world, iCertGlobal is the professional center that better understands YOUR needs and accordingly advises on further course of action. · Customized approach in coaching – the tutor assesses the class profile before picking on the case studies and examples best suiting as the ‘ideal sample’. · Course material prepared by our expert and experienced trainer, who was a panel member and contributed to the contents in rolling out the fifth edition of PMBOK. · Consistent pass rate of 98% - deemed high in industry standards, batch after batch we have maintained this pass rate and so far created 100,000 PMI certified professionals thereby addressing the salient feature of identification - the psychological need for most people is recognition. And that’s how the engagement shifts from a ‘YOU’ to a collective ‘we’ [read you and iCert Global]. It’s not just all about certification – care for a closer scrutiny – and it’s all about YOU qualifying as a certified professional!

ITIL® Foundation The Foundation Level is the entry-level qualification that offers candidates a general awareness of the key elements, concepts, and terminology used in the ITIL® Service Lifecycle, including the linkages between Lifecycle stages, the processes used and their contribution to Service Management practices. Why should I take ITIL® Foundation? Upon successful completion of the education and examination components related to this qualification, candidates can expect to gain a general overview, and basic knowledge and understanding of ITIL®. the qualification also fulfills the prerequisite entry criteria for the next level of study within the ITIL® qualifications scheme, the ITIL® Intermediate Level. Is it right for me? This qualification is primarily aimed towards: those who require a basic understanding of the ITIL® framework; those who need an understanding of how ITIL® can be used to enhance the quality of IT service management within an organization; IT professionals or others working within an organization that has adopted and adapted ITIL® who need to be informed about, or contribute to an ongoing service improvement program. The ITIL® qualification is open to any individuals who may have an interest in the subject. The ITIL® Foundation qualification is not intended to enable the holders of the qualification to apply the ITIL® practices for Service Management without further guidance. For more information and to register for ITIL Foundation  Please click on below register button. images courtesy: goo.gl/NVVU7g

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Want to get certified in first attempt in ITIL Foundation certification exam? Well then, how do you prepare for the exam? This article will walk you through some insights considered critical and vital to successfully crack the exam. ITIL is considered as the best-practice service management framework across the industry, especially for IT service and governance. If your field of interest and area of expertise happens to center around IT services management, and serious about shaping a career, then we strongly recommend you to take up ITIL® certification. The certification will accelerate your career path and professional advancement. Now that you are sure of your interest and inclination, the stepping stone towards the ITIL® certification is the ITIL Foundation. Start your research Before enrolling to ITIL Foundation course, do a bit of research to gain a basic understanding about ITIL Foundation. This will help you to assess and analyze the knowledge gap as some topics might be familiar, which is a shot in the arm and makes you more confident. It presents an idea of your own appetite as well. Scout for a good learning providerExtend your research to check the available learning academies in and around your place. Alternatively, check and confirm if other modes of learning like instructor-led online class or e-learning can take the place of physical classroom. If your employment comes in the way of attending regular classroom training, other options should be open for consideration. So factor these aspects in your search ad don’t prioritize based on just proximity hoping to catch up on shortfall later. It should be well searched and informed decision before you can make your move. Sign up Once you screen and settle on a service provider, sign up after checking your calendar to ensure there are no planned events that might impact or interfere with your training dates. A dedicated effort always calls for a detailed plan. A systematic approach and meticulous plan and good balance bring in the much desired discipline. Make sure everything in its place before the course begins. There are tons of literatures available in the public domain. Read and upgrade. Study The relentless pursuit of learning leaves you rich and rewarding. So scratching the surface won’t suffice, instead dig deep and deeper and find roots. Study every chapter and summarize your learning. The Foundation course will be more about terminology, core concepts, process, lifecycles stages and links within. The course summary for every chapter will help you in identifying the learned and missed. If required, start all over again until you are satisfied and confident to close. Always question and seek greater clarity through illustration and examples. Try to reinforce learning through workplace experience and scenarios. After the completion of every chapter, attempt without fail the chapter test as this exercise will help you close the gaps that may exist and provide you the opportunity to assess your own standing based on the test outcome. Self-study Classroom study must be supplemented with self-study. The chapter tests taken in classroom can be replicated through tests available online. Today, the internet presents a wealth of information and poses hundreds of questions to test your skills and strength and as part of self-study, attempt as many as you can in the time available – that’s why the need for the systematic study and meticulous plan to apportion time accordingly. Usually, candidates are provided some time after the course completion to schedule the exam. Use this time effectively. Self-assessment The mock-exam or final test will be a comprehensive question papers simulating the severity of the Certification exam. You must endeavor to take as many as possible. Further, the official site hosts mock exam for participants to prepare themselves. Become conversant with course by scoring more than 90% in your mock exam. The ITIL Foundation is an objective-type 40 questions, and its possible to get all 40 correct. Your score above 90 must become a pattern from the series of mock exam attended. The score is a clear indicator of your learning and in case the score dips below 90, then restart by revisiting the chapters where the marks went missing. It’s plugging the holes and closing gaps that one scales. It’s very much possible and, with effort, achievable. Sit for the examination With the kind of strenuous preparation, just keep your cool and calmly appear for the exam. Make sure you read all the answers and most importantly understand the answers from the perspective of the question, and not misunderstand with your professional experience. Often candidates confuse the questions with scenarios experience in their professional front and as a result get sidetracked and struggle to find our way back. The percentage of pass is 65% which is answering 26 question correctly out of 40. The insistence in scoring 90 and above successively in a series of mock exam is to make oneself fluent and assure a safe passage to the subsequent level of certification exam, namely ITIL Intermediate. Wish you well in your endeavors. As the next step in your professional ITIL certification, you can either opt for Intermediate-Lifecycle modules for those wanting to pursue managerial openings or Intermediate-Capability modules for those who wish to involve with process or mix of both Lifecycle and Capability. About ITIL® ITIL®, an acronym of Information Technology Infrastructure Library, is a collection of best practice in IT service management. ITIL is considered as the best-practice service management framework across the industry, especially for IT service and governance. If your area field of interest and area of expertise happens to center around IT services management, then we strongly recommend you to take up ITIL certification. There are currently six levels for the ITIL® Qualification Scheme (ITIL® Certification): § ITIL® Foundation Level § ITIL® Practitioner (newly added in 2016) § ITIL® Intermediate Level (Lifecycle Stream / Capability Stream) § ITIL® Managing Across the Lifecycle § ITIL® Expert § ITIL® Master The ITIL certification is a platform independent, vendor neutral and non-prescriptive credential, that’s widely accepted and recognized across the industry with regard to IT management and service advancement initiatives.

(A personal account of the perils of scope creep) As Jobs puts it ‘we can only connect the dots afterwards’. That’s the benefit of hindsight? Well, if you have that as foresight, it makes you a visionary. Las Vegas was just a desert till one guy redrew the map toasting success on the sand dunes, and Vegas couldn’t have been just conjecture then. When I took over the reins, the project looked promising. Communications were open and the client very forthcoming in comments. One look at the team composition and my hopes were inflated: a trusted hand, a familiar figure and a total stranger, rest of the crew comprised of tester, Us Ex, web developer. The lead developer is more of a man-Friday as we have engaged in couple of projects and hence a tried and tested chap. It looked good and should have soared to great. We could spot the shore. If wishes were horses then beggars would ride! We prepared the plan, sized the effort, scoped the requirement, and swung into action. The progress too was pretty much in line. We built a good rapport with the client and the stinkers were sporadic. The plan and progress almost matched with some slippage. A qualified tester got onboard and it was a shot in the arm. I had several sessions with the team and joint calls with client in understanding the requirement. The long evenings, late nights, brainstorming sessions, soaring rhetoric and sizzling arguments, and not to miss the cat-fights, we saw it all as a team. The phone would suddenly scream followed by a volley of questions growing in decibel, and my team mate would politely hush her husband ‘I will be leaving in 5 minutes’. Remarkably, she taught me what I can never achieve no matter how much ever I aspire – that patience and politeness in answering an agitated call. Perplexingly the problems and posers kept piling, and from then on, we prioritized issues as critical, major and minor with color red, yellow and orange respectively. An open document was created and shared with client. And the bug count closely monitored with status reports both at start and end of day. The fixes left me vexed; flummoxed by failure after failure as I knew for sure that the bugs will be reopened. I chewed my finger nails all the way to my knuckles and went bone dry when the count refused to climb down. We dragged out weary souls and worn-out soles day-in and day-after licking defeat in the hope that ‘we lost the battle but will win the war’. The client is not to be blamed completely as for the team goofed up pretty bad inmanaging the scope. A little here and a little there and the result wasn’t scope creep but a bloated scope with too many ‘bells and whistles’. It wasn’t the foot in my mouth but the whole leg. Chewed more than we could swallow? It wasn’t time to wallow in self-pity. But I couldn’t help feeling sorry for the team; for myself and then DH Lawrence hit me hard where it hurts the most ‘I have never known a wild animal feel sorry for itself’. May be I am ‘domestic’ – heck, man is a social animal, if it can be used as a disclaimer. The client squeezing hard and the management make it clear about the climbing cost, the noose was tightening. The stakeholders had a simple mandate – the timeline. Problems and philosophy are a pair.When you muck-up big time, be prepared for your back to be blackened.But as they say if the progress is as per the plan, then there is something wrong with the plan. Then why plan? [we will discuss as a different thread] Tell me something, only Results count? Is it? I checked this quote by Jacoob Riis who, it seems, coined it for me. When nothing seems to help, I go look at a stone cutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it, but all that had gone before - Jacob Riis. Results count but efforts can’t be discounted. We narrowed down the action-items as in-scope’ and passed it around, armed ourselves with facts and figures as counterweight. We managed to complete the project but not in the prospect and promise we had pinned our hopes, rather it was mixed-feeling of bitter-sweet that the final handover happened. Post the delivery, when we did the causal analysis, the scope creep sank our boat. Expectedly CRs (Change Request) were raised but they were either counted in as ‘courtesy’ or ‘cost-free’ who didn’t treat it binding as billable. It was a lesson learnt about clearly recording your scope and securing a sign-off on the deliverables and we became more conscious and cautious about the creep in succeeding projects. It was indeed a slippery slope! For more detail visit: http://www.icertglobal.com/

Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is a set of globally recognized best practices for IT Service Management that can be tailored to any organization. ITIL provides the foundation for quality IT Service Management through documented, proven processes that cover the entire Service Lifecycle. It is easy for organizations to learn, tailor, and implement ITIL to suit their environment. A complete ITIL philosophy has grown around the guidance contained within the ITIL books and the supporting certification and qualification scheme. ITIL is the most widely adopted approach for IT Service Management in the world. It provides a practical, no-nonsense framework for identifying, planning, delivering and supporting IT services to the business. The ITIL Foundation Course is an entry-level certification. It introduces the Lifecycle of managing IT Services to deliver to business expectations and provides an approach to learning the core disciplines of ITIL best practices. The ITIL Foundation Course is a stepping-stone for everyone who is interested in learning more about ITIL best practices. The audience includes all IT professionals who work in or plan to work in an ITIL supported environment as well as in key business areas.

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The Service Strategy module is one of the ITIL Service Lifecycle modules, and will be of interest to candidates looking to focus on the use of process and practice elements used, and the management capabilities needed to deliver quality Service Management practices. Is it right for me? As with any of the Intermediate modules, it is recommended that candidates have exposure to basic concepts in IT and at least two years professional experience working in IT Service Management. The Service Strategy qualification would suit candidates in the following IT professions or areas: IT Management IT Finance Manager Supplier Relationship Management We have provided this list as a guide only, and choices will depend on the candidate's individual career goals and objectives.

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ITIL Service Operation Purpose of Service Operation: Purpose of Service Operation is to make sure services are delivered at agreed levels. Its purpose is to also manage the technology, infrastructure and applications implemented in organization in order to meet customers' needs. In fact this is the the stage in the whole life cycle where services basically deliver the value to the business because from business point of view this stage has the highest visibility. It is Service Operation staff responsibility to ensure that the value to the business is delivered. At this stage there may be some conflicting goals appear and it is important to know how to balance this. Some examples are: - technological, internal IT perception versus external business point of view. - stability versus responsiveness. - quality versus time to deliver versus cost of service. - reactive attitude to support services versus proactive activities. All the conflicts mentioned above are just examples. In practice there are much more of them and each one has to be balanced and maintained by the Service Operation staff. Excessive focus on one side without balancing another side will result in poor service.

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CMMI is a proven approach to performance management with decades of results showing it works. Organizations using CMMI have predictable cost, schedule, and quality—business results that serve as discriminators among their competitors. CMMI is built with practices and goals seen in thousands of real organizations worldwide. Use these practices and goals to evaluate your own performance and decide what to improve for your own business reasons.

ITIL Qualification Scheme The ITIL Qualifications scheme provides a modular approach to the ITIL framework, and is comprised of a series of qualifications focused on different aspects of ITIL Best Practice, to various degrees of depth and detail. These are the levels of qualifications within the scheme: ITIL Foundation ITIL Intermediate Level ITIL Managing Across the Life cycle ITIL Expert Level ITIL Master Qualification The modular, tiered structure of the qualification not only offers candidates the flexibility in relating to the different disciplines and areas of ITIL, but generally makes ITIL qualifications more accessible and achievable.

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Project Management

ITIL Foundation The Foundation Level is the entry level qualification which offers candidates a general awareness of the key elements, concepts and terminology used in the ITIL Service Life cycle, including the linkages between Life cycle stages, the processes used and their contribution to Service Management practices. Why should I take ITIL Foundation? Upon successful completion of the education and examination components related to this qualification, candidates can expect to gain a general overview, and basic knowledge and understanding of ITIL. Successful completion of the Foundation qualification also fulfils the prerequisite entry criteria for the next level of study within the ITIL qualifications scheme, the ITIL Intermediate Level .

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