6 steps to more productivity

Every one of us needs to organize his/her workload in order to be more productive below is a summarized steps on how to reach that. (summarized from reference below)
1-make a daily list: make a daily list of what you are going to finish today.
2- Segregate time for each task: give each task of your daily list a specific amount of time to be finished.
3- focus: The instant we break concentration, the entire problem that we were modeling in our head drops on the floor and shatters into a million pieces.
4- Take breaks: When you can’t figure out a problem, it’s time to put it on your mind’s back burner for a bit. Or, right after you solve a problem, have a 10 minute celebration before moving on to the next thing.
5- Take care of your equipment: Most of what you’re paid for is produced by your brain, so treat it like your most important piece of equipment. Caffeine may put some spark in it, but overdoing caffeine may make you think less clearly. Beer as well causes neurotoxins (nerve cell damages)
6- Follow through: If you have a choice between working on two projects, choose the one that is nearly finished even if the other one is more fun. When you complete a project, it creates momentum and reduces that long to-do list.

Reference: http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/project-management/?p=193&tag=nl.e108

Personal Development!

Today as I was talking online to a very best friend of mine, I noticed his personal quote:

"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Others stay for a while and leave footprints in our hearts, minds and steps we walk. We're never the same"

These words make me think for the people I have encountered up so far, and how different I was going to be would be without having shared those experiences and moments.
As I interact with people, different situations, I slightly changed myself. Interests change in my life. I have found new goals to pursue, at professional or personal level.
Sometimes I am more self motivated and at other moments not.
What I try to do on my daily life is to improve myself emotionally, spiritually, mentally and physically.

This is what the term "Personal Development" or "Personal Growth" is all about. Each of us can give its own definition for it.
I was searching online to come up with a scientific definition for the term "Personal Development", and I found a very interesting video on this topic, by Jim Rohn.

Jim Rohn-Personal Development_1.

Jim Rohn-Personal Development_2

Enjoy folks!
Ana.

"Twelve Angry Men" The Art of negotiation

"Twelve Angry Men" movie used by Harvard University in their course (The Art and Science of Negotiation) by Professor Brian Mandell, we learned a lot during the 3 full days course. Most of days were a real scenarios training plus watching and analyzing the movie.
The movie is basically about 12 random jurors from different backgrounds are summoned to give a verdict on a case concerning murder in the first degree. The vote has to be unanimous. The penalty for the guilty verdict is the death sentence. An 18-year-old boy accused of stabbing his father. All the jurors but one decide the young boy is guilty within the first few minutes of the film. Yet a few questions from one daring person, (Jack Lemmon) changes every thing slowly but steadily, the jurors' opinion sways, due to the very same factors that clinched the verdict of 'guilty' in the initial scenes. Finally all twelve jurors acquit the boy of the crime.

Lessons learned from the course
-You need to know when is a NO is not a real NO.
-People will not change their mind until they feel save to change.
-When negotiate people usually are (an ally, adversary or recruitable), so try to figure them out. It will make your job easy.
-When negotiating try to build a coalitions.
-During the negotiations others will try to pursuit your allies. So you have to be careful.
-Never leave the important things that need to be discussed until the end (endgame).

Enjoy negotiating,
Fadi and the team.