From Raj Balakrishnans Desk

Politics are very bad in professional environment. But we can not get away from them. Handling the things in fair manner will always lead to satisfaction of colleagues. Even if someone plays politics we should be careful in tackling them. For example some colleagues may try to degrade your status so that they can overtake you. In such cases you should try to clear your status to the superiors and keep yourselves fair. Even if someone is playing games with you, you shouldn’t do it because politic players always face a hard time when their games are exposed and if you feel someone is playing with you then you should immediately report it to the superiors in assertive tone. If you just keep quiet then please realize that you are going to be the looser. And always keep a good relation with all of your colleagues despite how they are. Because only they will be successful both in profession and socially with whom their colleagues are happy.
The smart professional gets that the unofficial rules of politics can be more important than the formal rules and regulations. They know that decisions are rarely “fair” or “right” and that the decision makers have both personal and professional buttons that need to be pressed. They may not be the best at what they do but their connections and influence help them to climb up the career ladder over their purist colleagues.

Politicking is the act of scrutinizing business relationships and learning how to influence others more effectively. It means going through informal channels rather than officially sanctioned ones, and that isn’t necessarily bad. It does not have to be selfish. You can use your understanding of politics to influence people and achieve goals that are good for your company as well as yourself. Even in the most friendly and supportive of organizations, people don’t always agree. So having an understanding of politics and knowing how to exert influence can help you to pull people together and achieve outcomes that are in the organization’s best interests too. So Tell the truth all the time and be aware of your timing as well as who is in the room at the time. .

Alliances and relationships do not always trump good work and vice versa. You need both. Align yourself with people who should be aware of the quality of your work and your potential to make a positive contribution. Develop the skill of knowing who might not have your best interests at heart and develop a survival strategy. Identify your professional goals and develop strategies that support them. Work hard not to step on other people to obtain what is important to you. Be aware and prepare for the consequences of your actions. If the media followed you around at your job, would you be pleased with what they wrote about your words, your behavior and your actions? The best way to handle office politics is to allow your productivity to speak for you. During these economic times politics is far less important than actually contributing to the bottom-line. One way to stand out is by out performing others and being willing to take-on other projects at work that makes you visible to the decision-makers that may not know you, but could dictate how far you go within the firm. The problem with most office political environments is that they are based more on regimes than anything to do with the firm. If you align yourself too close to a manager etc. they may fall out of favor with the suits (executives), then you may appear tainted by his/her influence. You should establish your own unique professional brand within the organization that includes your personality, character, ethics, and work-habits.

What we do not want is negative politics or maneuvers that are harmful for the society or organization. Such maneuvers are the result of skewed understanding of the people, priorities, resources, environment or situation. To control and eliminate such negative politics, two important arrangements are necessary i.e. Establishing free flow and sharing of information, as maneuvers are basically manipulated presentation and interpretation of information. With free flow of information, manipulation in presentation and interpretation of information becomes difficult. Establishment of professional culture in the organization by professional culture I mean a culture where decisions are made based on facts, figure, data, information and scientific analysis; and not on personal whims, fancies, priorities, or similar unscientific beliefs.

I would not waste time trying to climb the mountain of office politics because there is a threat of spending too much of your time-capital there that could be better utilized within another organization or department. This is how many professionals wind up unhappy after twenty years of playing the game and getting nowhere professionally. There is some degree of politics that has to be played within any organization, but when it becomes just as demanding as your job, and then there may be deeper issues. Take notice of those who have played the game and look at how long they have played it and compare that to how far they have gone within the organization over their history in the firm. Are they political to advance within the organization or are they political to save their jobs? Just remember that politics can only take you so far and the game will be played whether you are there today or there tomorrow.

However as such arrangements limit power, influence and security of senior management professionals, many are not sincerely interested to implement.

Good day.

Regards

Raj Balakrishnan

From Raj Balakrishnan,s Desk

A series of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations occurring against your will in the mind during certain stages of sleep is called a dream. Logical dreaming is defined as dreaming while knowing that you are dreaming. Articulateness usually begins in the middle of dreams when the dreamer realizes that the experiences that are occurring are not that of the physical reality, but rather the creation of a dream.

The daily grind can become stressful and even overwhelm our ability to function. At times like this, our mind is consumed by fear, self-doubt, and worry, leaving us no room to enjoy life. Wouldn’t it be nice to have the luxury of leaving all the problems at the office? Imagine spending evenings focused 100% on the people that matter most. With clear dreaming, you can!

Coherent dreaming has been practiced for centuries but has just recently been accepted as legitimate phenomena in the scientific community. Essentially it is the practice of waking the conscious mind during a dream while the body remains asleep. Once aware of the dream the dreamer may participate and even control the content of their dreams. Now reasoned dreaming itself does not magically enhance one’s mental discipline. However in order to become a successful plain dreamer, there are a series of disciplines that must be learned and practiced regularly. These disciplines are the keys to developing obedience.

There are dozens of simple dreaming techniques, each of which require a set of skills and disciplines to perform correctly. It is the lifestyle and a set of habits that train lucid dreamers to harness the chaos of their mind. After all it is impossible to dream without falling asleep which in turn is difficult with a mind full of thoughts and worries. Practicing the techniques and skills necessary to simple dream develops a certain inner calm. In fact cogent dreaming has appeared in dozens of ancient religious and spiritual texts from Hinduism, Buddhism to Christianity based on its meditative qualities.

Some of the skills important to thought through dreaming and developing mental discipline include Mantras, a phrase which can be repeated several times to imprint a thought into the subconscious mind and silence the mental chatter. Meditation is another skill focusing on a thought, object, or stimulus to shut out the constant press of thoughts and external distractions. Intention setting which is also known as visualization is a desired outcome with positive emotion focusing the mind on a single line of thought and removing needless worry. Reality checks are like walking through a door which signals an activity to be performed. This is not only an excellent way to develop strong habits but can be repurposed to aid the development of any skill or discipline one desire.

The World of dreams is not strictly related to improving mental control. It is a great way to relax and enjoy an evening without any consequences and can help you wake up energized. While lucid dreaming is not strictly about reclaiming your mind but controlling your dreams is just another added motivation to tip the scales in favor of practicing the healthy habits of self control. If you have ever had difficulty convincing yourself to try clear dreaming or develop mental discipline, there is now a double incentive to give it a shot.

Many of us stay in jobs we don’t enjoy because we have bills to pay or children to support and we don’t know how else to do it. Change is frightening and sometimes means admitting we made a mistake. The only way to find out is to take a few risks and if you take them one step at a time, you still have the option to dive back into your comfort zone for a while or change direction if you need to. Dreams are a good resort and help us to stay away from utter realities in life. Hence for some it could be a stress buster.

But dreams are opportunities to create a niche and be successful in life. Your dreams are the most important thing in your life. In order to live your dreams, you must make them sacred. You must become the person you will be when your dreams become your reality. To get started or to give an extra boost to your efforts is serious dreaming. Dream how you can become a Humanitarian, Doctor, Engineer, Politician or as an Industrialist and what good you can do for the country and the welfare of its citizens. It’s only by these activities we can end on positive notes that dreams can be true. Minds are set and dreams like cream soothes your jangled nerves and keeps sharp your intellectual prowess.

Take care and happy dreaming.

Regards

Raj Balakrishnan
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