Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Together we can.... The Valley crossing



Together we can.....

The above lines are aptly signified by the Valley crossing activity performed in Prof. Mandi's class. An activity which tells us to support the weakest link to make the strongest chain. This activity helps us learn the importance of roles each member plays in achieving the most difficult targets.

The 3 Idiots Crossing the Valley:- Dr. Mandi          

Teamwork can be defined as an activity or a set of inter-related activities done by more than one person to meet a common goal. Teamwork is not followed only in the corporate world today, rather it is one of the oldest things known to man. Mankind has worked in teams and groups since the primitive days of civilization. Hunting and wandering together in groups is an apt example of teamwork during those days. It is only in recent times, that it has been developed as a 'concept' in the management jargon. 


Refer the attached video for Valley crossing activity.
                               




Team is aptly signified by :-
                                        T  - Together


E - Everyone



A - Achieves



M -     More   
    

I am sure you have definitely heard or read the above extended form of the word TEAM many times. Together Everyone Achieves More, itself conveys the importance of teamwork in the workplace and elsewhere.

Why is Teamwork Important ?

The importance of working in a team are many. It involves the joint efforts of a number of people to achieve a common goal. Therefore every organization should emphasize on the importance of teamwork for the overall growth of the company.

Fast Learning
You tend to learn things at a faster rate, if you are working as a team. the faster you learn the faster you tend to perform in the team. The experiences and knowledge of the older team members help you to grasp new concepts quickly. At the same time it proves to be an added bonus for you as you avoid mistakes at work. 

Workload Distribution
Working in a team has an advantage of the workload getting distributed among all the team members. With work properly distributed, you can concentrate on a single activity till the time you gain expertise in it and you do not feel stressed out due to work. 

Building Bonds
Continuous interaction with the team members, working with them for the day, having your meals with them, sharing your joys and sorrows helps in building a strong bond between each other. The team members build strong relationships of trust and understanding which can invoke loyalty for the team and work place as well. In this way, you can even make friends for a lifetime. 

Healthy Competition
Just think of a situation where people are competing with each other and trying to excel better than the other. At the same time they are helping and assisting each other in work-related as well as personal difficulties and problems. Wouldn't that be a great sight! Well this is possible when you work as a team, as everyone is emotionally bonded to each other. 

Exploring Creativity
While working in a team you will never be alone, you will always have some or the other person to suggest you good things. Suggestions and advice can help you in generating new ideas and bring out the creativity in you. 

Job Satisfaction
Teamwork is one of the most important reasons for employee job satisfaction. This is because working in a team improves employee performance as well as makes the work enjoyable. This is also conducive to employee motivation. 

Increased Speed of Work
With many people handling a single project and doing the assigned work properly, the overall work speed increases and your team can complete the project well within the given time frame. 

 
The above-mentioned benefits of teamwork were team specific. But teamwork is even beneficial at the organizational level. Effective teamwork in the workplace benefits the organization by increasing the productivity which is important to meet the targets and fulfill commitments. Also, teamwork ensures maximum use of manpower. This is the reason companies are promoting teamwork in the workplace. 

Working as a team can benefit you as an individual, as a team as well as an organization. For some people it might be a bit difficult to adjust in a group initially, but I am sure, they will gradually learn to adjust and work as a team. Effective teamwork motivates an individual to grow into a responsible citizen and accomplish individual as well as organizational goals.

In the present day globally competitive market, the real success of a firm lies in the performance of its team. A dull, demotivated team lacking in coordination leads to the downfall of an organization whereas a company with well organized employees charts out the path to success. HR policies of the company are hence always directed for the betterment of the employee so that their performance can be maximized. So, next time, your team lands up with a project, remember the motto: "Together We Can".




Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Khan Academy:- A Revolution in Free Education



                                 

Khan Academy. On a first read u think it’s one of the bollywood Khan’s theatre Academy. But reading down further u get to know that you are in for a ride. This is one of the most innovative and the noblest thing being done by a person till date. This person has revolutionised education. Free online study video’s for everyone to learn and grow. Where everyone is in for profit making, Salman is running a non profit organisation for the people around the world.
Salman khan Born to a Bengali mother and Bangladeshi father is a MIT graduate and a MBA from Harvard. The Khan Academy started with Khan remotely tutoring his cousins interactively using Yahoo Doodle images. These sessions got famous with other cousins taking advantage of the same, other friends and cousins started taking advantage, remote tutoring. This is when YouTube came into play. Khan saved a lot of his as well as his cousin’s time, wherein Khan started  to make YouTube video tutorials.  He recorded audio narratives with a Samson C03U USB  Condenser.Video lessons subjects varying  from Finance to Biology and many more pouring in, tutors from various disciplines are giving video lessons for the students around the world to watch and grasp. 

                                             

Khan left his job as a Hedge fund analyst and followed his passion of teaching. Khan's efforts have born fruit with monetary support pouring in from Philanthropic sources of the likes,Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Google announcing $2 million aid and many more coming forward to support this noble cause of free education for all. With such kind of support its growing bigger and better day by day. Way to go Mr. Khan. All the very Best.

Attached below is an example video:- 




References:- 
en.wikipedia.org
www.khanacademy.org