Secrets of Persuasion

Unlock the three Secrets of Persuasion

Learn to Influence Without Authority

By Sathya Menon

 

If you are keen to fast-track your career then learning the science of persuasion can prove to be your biggest asset. Evidently it's easy for those in authority to be influential but the real challenge lies in influencing others to do what you want without an overt show of power or by making others  fearful of consequences.

 In today's competitive environment, mastery of the softer interpersonal skills separates executives who merely survive from those who thrive and grow as leaders. The key is to unlock Aristotle’s three secrets of persuasion  -- ethos, lagos and pathos – and use them in the context of real-world situations.

 When a leader has been able to establish his credibility though trust, knowledge and expertise, he is able to persuade and influence his peers much better. He is respected because he is knowledgeable, skillful and innovative –this is when ethos comes into play.

The second mode of persuasion pathos involves emotions or story-building – when a manager narrates stories, creates metaphors to establish a point with his peers or subordinates. Emotions – however unwanted in the workplace – play a powerful role in persuasion and intelligent leaders learn to tap into a person’s emotions to make him conform.

Logos is a mode of persuasion when a leader tries to persuade someone based on pure logic or facts. The Logos appeal also helps in enhancing credibility and trust.

The Harvard Business Review describes this ability to cooperate with and influence peers as lateral leadership among managers. Managers, the world over are being challenged by flattened management structures, outsourcing and virtual teams.

 Lateral leadership, counts among a manager’s most essential skills, and comprises a constellation of capabilities—from networking and coalition building to persuading and negotiating.

Though honing these skills takes time and patience, the payoff is worth it. The initiative you’re championing will stand a far better chance of being implemented quickly.

You’ll gain access to the resources you need to carry out the effort. Doors will swing open freely to the key players whose cooperation you need most. And perhaps most important, you’ll achieve the central purpose of managerial work: getting things done through other people—and catalyzing valuable change for your organization.

 

Handy Hints

 ·        Establish personal credibility through knowledge and expertise

·        Analyse the workplace to understand equations of power and persuasion

·        Cultivate a broad network of relationships with people who support your initiatives

 

Sathya Menon is the Executive Director, Academics, Blue Ocean Academy, Dubai.

 

Overcome Fear of Public Speaking

When the Mind is Without Fear….

Of Rhetoric and Substance

By Sathya Menon

 

Public speaking is a powerful professional skill. A master orator not only wins fans but also fast forwards his career. A case in point is the US President Barrack Obama, a master orator who can captivate millions of people with his power-packed speeches.

Yet in the UAE and elsewhere in the Middle East the power of rhetoric and public discourse remains grossly underestimated. Very few educational and professional institutions actually train professionals to speak eloquently and confidently. 

 A flair for public speaking can actually land a professional in a win-win situation. He not only succeeds in a job interview, but is also regarded by the management as an asset to the company, often called upon to make presentations to clients, and address the audience from the podium during seminars and conferences.

The lack of public speaking skills on the other hand has disrupted careers and resulted in sleepless nights for many professionals. Studies show that the fear of being tongue-tied on stage is the most common of all phobias. Some people dread public speaking even more than death and some live with this fear throughout their lives.

 The first step towards overcoming this fear is to go ahead and start speaking in front of others. The longer you wait, the greater your difficulty. So take the bull by its horns and deliver the speech that you have been preparing or give the presentation that your boss wants you to. You will see that it is hardly as difficult as you made it out to be. Better still join a local toastmasters club to hone your skills.

In your professional life, it is always advisable  to move out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. Similarly you can become a good speaker only if you believe you can. It is always important to shed pre-conceived notions and begin with a fresh mind.

 Preparation is the key to success. If you prepare your speech well, your mode of delivery improves, so does you articulation, vocabulary and diction. Along with the speaking cultivating an attitude where you can take the brickbats with the bouquets is very important. People might be critical initially, but be confident and carry on.

 Finally learn to catch the pulse of  your audience and try to feel at ease with them. Last but not the least is perseverance – the art of public discourse is not cultivated in a day. So prepare, learn and practice and you will prosper soon.

 

Handy Hints

 Overcome stage-fright and get started immediately.

Prepare your speech well in advance to gain in confidence.

Learn to connect with your audience and persevere.

 

Ends

 

Mr. Sathya Menon is Executive Director, Academics, Blue Ocean Academy, Dubai

 

 

 

Blue Ocean Students Receive International Certification

 

PRESS RELEASE

 

                       April 23, 2013                        

 

BLUE OCEAN STUDENTS AWARDED INTERNATIONAL CERTIFICATES

 

Promoted by Employers, Felicitated by Peers

 

Dubai: Euphoria marked the second Blue Ocean convocation ceremony of 2013 as more than 180 students converged at the Park Regis Hotel on April 19, to receive their much-deserved international certifications.

 The turning point of the event was when many of the students wielded mikes to share the good news with the faculty and the student network that they were being promoted or on the verge of receiving a hike in their salaries, following their certification at Blue Ocean.

Javed Rasheed, a Blue Ocean student who underwent Six Sigma Green Belt and Six Sigma Black Belt certification said that he had been promoted to the position of Vice President with two certifications under his belt. Blue Ocean’s Six Sigma programme is certified by the International Quality Federation (IQF).

Blue Ocean, UAE’s leading management training and consultancy organization has trained more than 40,000 professionals in the UAE. Eighty per cent of UAE’s top-notch companies are currently employing professionals groomed at Blue Ocean.

The students received certificates for becoming a Certified International Supply Chain Professional, Certified International Supply Chain Manager, Certified Business Administrator, Certified International Purchase Professional, Certified Professional Purchasing Manager, Six Sigma Green Belt, Six Sigma Black Belt, Certified International Commercial Contracts Manager, Certified Human Resource Professional, Certified Human Resource Manager.

Saqib Awan, a Blue Ocean student of Supply Chain Management spoke about Blue Ocean faculty who had made learning such a thoroughly enjoyable experience for him. However he noted that the warmth of the Blue Ocean family was what attracted him.

Saqib Awan, a Blue Ocean student of Supply Chain Management spoke about Blue Ocean faculty who had  made learning such a thoroughly enjoyable experience for him. However he noted that the warmth of the Blue Ocean family was what attracted him.

Apart from flexible timings and fast-track courses for busy professionals, Blue Ocean offers its past and present students an unique opportunity to continue hone their skills through free workshops and seminars held during weekends.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Abdul Azeez, Regional Marketing Director said: “Professionals employed in the Middle East are constantly looking to learn new skills, acquire international certification, to keep pace with the constant changes taking place in the infrastructure and workplace.”

“We at Blue Ocean have designed custom-made training solutions to enrich and empower professionals so that they can make valuable contribution to their workplace.”

According to Mr. Sathya Menon:“Blue Ocean is a name to reckon with in training and consultancy. We have sparked the careers of professionals employed throughout the world. Companies have benefited from business process re-engineering projects conducted by Blue Ocean consultants.”

“The success of Blue Ocean is measured by the professional achievements of our students. Most of our students have gone on to carve top-notch careers for themselves,” Mr. Menon added.

(ENDS)

 

If you have any clarifications, please do not hesitate to contact:

 Debasree Banerjee

Corporate Communications Manager
Blue Ocean Academy
www.blueoceanacademy.com
debasree@blueoceanacademy.com
04-3367787; 050-1416435;

Invest in your Employees... They will pay rich dividends

Invest in Employees… It Pays

 

Employee Return on Investment

 

By Sathya Menon

 

“We are a people company” – is a commonly made corporate philosophy statement.  Most people would assume that the company is drawing its strength from a large base of satisfied clientele. While this is partially true, a real people company is one that holds on to its “empowered, learned and innovative employees” as its pillars of success.

 

Indeed in today’s competitive world, people or the workforce make all the difference. Very often the thin line distinguishing companies that are struggling to stay in business and those who are striving is made by a team of efficient and engaged employees. It makes a lot of business sense for a management to invest on its workforce because it will pay rich dividends later.

 

In the Middle East where private companies depend on a largely mobile and floating expatriate population to drive their profits, managements tend to regard their employees as highly dispensable and are reluctant to invest in their training and development.  In most cases this has proved to be counter-productive and the last decade has seen a renewed thrust on employee enrichment and empowerment.

 

There is a growing understanding and consensus that people are a critical asset that needs to be cultivated and properly managed. Without the right employees, businesses will not grow, become profitable, or generate new ideas. A company's workforce is not merely a necessary expense, but also an investment in future competitiveness and earnings.

 

A lot of research studies support the idea that keeping employees engaged and motivated, as well as retaining the best performing employees over the long term, have positive effects on corporate financial results.

 

Investing in employees affects the bottom line in two ways. First, it reduces employee turnover, sick leave and healthcare costs. Second, investments in employee engagement programs, training, talent management, information and decision support, communication, wellness programs and technology all have a positive effect on workforce performance and productivity.

 

Empowering employees also augurs well for a company. Involvement and recognition generate positive energy and increase ownership of individual contributions. The freedom to act and take initiative within agreed frameworks motivates employees to reach their full potential and do a better job.

 

(ENDS)

 

Mr. Sathya Menon is Director –Academics, Blue Ocean Academy, Dubai.

 

 

ViaMENA KSA is looking to Recruit a General Manager and has given Blueocean Academy the Honor of sending a list of names of suitable candidates. Please Send your CV's to Mr. Shafi on shafi@blueoceanacademy.com or Call Him on 050-878-5062

Blue Ocean Strategy: Learning to Win Without a Fight

Make Competition Irrelevant

Blue Ocean Strategy: Learning to Win Without a Fight

 

By Sathya Menon

 In a post-recession economy, when major companies are looking to reinvent the industry and create a whole “new market space” to conquer competition and push profit margins, they are increasingly adopting the “Blue Ocean” mantra advocated by Harvard professors W.Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne.

 First published in 2005 the Blue Ocean Strategy handbook outlines that the best way to compete is to stop trying to beat the competition. Professionals should learn to create new demand in an uncontested market space, or a "Blue Ocean", rather than compete with each other in an existing industry.

Markets are typically classified into red oceans (known or existing markets) and blue oceans (non-existent, unknown or untapped markets).

Blue Ocean is an analogy to describe the wider, deeper potential of market space that is not yet explored. In sharp contrast, in the Red Ocean industry boundaries are defined. Here companies try to outperform their rivals to grab a greater share of product or service demand.

As the market space gets crowded, prospects for profits and growth are reduced. Products become commodities or niche, and cut-throat competition turns the ocean red.

The most dazzling example of the Blue Ocean strategy is the performance of the Cirque du Soleil.  Created in 1984 by a group of street performers, Cirque productions have been seen by almost 40 million people in 90 cities around the world.  What makes this rapid growth all the more remarkable is that it was not achieved in an attractive industry, but rather, in an industry with declining revenue for potential growth.

Cirque du Soleil’s success was not attained by taking customers from the already shrinking circus industry (which had historically catered to children) but instead, they were successful because they created a new marketplace in which to compete. Their offering appealed to a whole new group of customers: adults and corporate clients who were prepared to pay a price several times as great for a show that spelled excellence.

Some of  the other shining examples include lightweight footwear company Crocs (fashionable and low-priced), Air Asia (easy booking system),  ING Direct banking (superior interest rates on savings with no fees) and  Ninetendo electronic games (less complexity, more fun).

       Tips

• Create new market space by challenging traditional assumptions.
• Innovative and reinvent, adding value for customers.
• Cut costs, not corners.
• Set your own rules, make competition irrelevant.

UAE Needs Trained Logistics Professionals

Bridging Gaps between Infrastructure and Knowledge

UAE Needs Trained Logistics Professionals

 

By Sathya Menon

 UAE is fast becoming the logistics hub of the world vying with Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Manchester for top honours. What the country needs today is a new generation of logistics leaders: dynamic, skillful, innovative and tech-savvy who can effectively bridge the existing gap between knowledge and infrastructure in the region.

The Dubai World Central Logistics Park is nearing completion near the Jebel Ali Free Zone with a projected logistics turnover of 12 million tonnes of air cargo annually. When the Maktoum International Airport opens its doors, UAE’s logistics handling capacity will also increase manifold.

New jobs are being created every year in the UAE and in other Middle East countries. Challenging opportunities await those who can captain the industry in the future. Trained manpower is needed to match the ongoing boom in infrastructure.

Case studies have revealed that a majority of those working in the logistics sector have no specialized training in logistics or supply chain functions. Instead, they are professionals drawn from different streams of engineering and science and sometimes even humanities –who have learned on the job but lack expertise and awareness of global best practices.

Also with the global supply chain function become increasingly complex, a greater understanding of the international logistics and supply chain industry is needed for specialists.

What with the Logistics infrastructure in the Middle East undergoing massive transformation, and a large number of multinationals shifting base to UAE, there is an urgent need now for logistics professionals who can think globally but act locally.

The Logistics and Supply Chain industry has fashioned lucrative careers for thousands of professionals in the Middle East and with a boost infrastructure and facilities, their career is expected to follow an upward trajectory. An internationally certified logistics professional with considerable experience can demand a monthly salary of Dhs. 30,000 plus. Entry level salaries would range from Dhs. 8-12,000.

Those who are grooming themselves for a senior management role, need to focus on global best practices, breakthrough research and cutting edge technology that has revolutionised the industry in the last decade.

Tips

As a logistics professional you need

·         Expertise

·         Awareness of global best practices

·         Ability to think globally but act locally

Ends

 

 

Mr. Sathya Menon is the Academic Director of Blue Ocean Academy, Dubai.