What is your SQ?

High IQ is passé, Having High EQ is still needed, but it is SQ that will lead you to the top. Research has revealed that most admired and charismatic leaders have highly developed SQs. So, let us find out what exactly is this SQ?

It has been an old practice to measure intelligence and qualify people on the basis of their IQ (the Intelligent Quotient). Societies like MENSA International only allow members who score highly in their IQ tests. But these tests measure the rational intelligence that is used to solve logical problems. It was believed that the people who have higher scores are more intelligent.

But then authors such as Goleman came up with another measure that not only makes us aware of our feelings but those of others too. This was called the EQ --.Emotional Quotient. According to experts, a highly developed EQ can help people become better at understanding and managing others. It makes them more empathetic and compassionate towards others.

But recently, authors such as Dana Zohar and Ian Marshall have introduced a new dimension to human intelligence. It is called the Spiritual Quotient (or SQ). This is the intelligence used to answer questions on meaning and value of life, it seeks fulfillment and happiness at the workplace. The concept of spirituality at workplace is increasingly becoming popular. Till now, workplace was considered a place to earn money to live a better life – but not as a place where you can connect with others. This created a conflict between values of life and working only for money. All humans in general are spiritual – to curb these tendencies in workplace to be able to move forward was becoming the ultimate paradox for all. No wonder, then we tend to feel curbed, and choked, unable to unleash our true selves to our colleagues as the workplace for long has been considered as a place of race towards the top rather than for peaceful co existence.

In such circumstances, IQ is totally inadequate while EQ can still help create more meaningful relations at work, but what is needed is the ultimate intelligence of compassion, balance, peace and a belief in good for all. In more direct terms, spiritual intelligence motivates people to balance their work schedules to spend more quality time with their families. It will help executives understand the importance of ethics in business and CSR (corporate social responsibility) will not remain just another yardstick to measure performance.

Thus where IQ solves the logical problems, EQ helps us in more meaningful relations with emphasis on self awareness and social skills. SQ helps us to understand our core values and makes us more active to create new situations according to our desires. These qualities sustain long term business development and build strong corporate cultures that promote high morale and prevent loss of talent.

SQ is transformative in nature. It provides the necessary courage and conviction in times of paradigm shift and chaos. Creativity, Innovation, Clear communication, being Visionary are some of the key indicators of a High SQ personality.

Many people falsely believe that being more religious makes you spiritual. Wrong. Religion has nothing to do with spiritualism. Nor is SQ related to any particular religion. Spiritualism is a way of life. It is more to do with their inner self and giving wings to your true nature. Naturally, if you are able to work in a place which gives you full freedom to work and unleash your creativity.

Personal grooming and Etiquettes

All of us at some point in our life have admired leaders having a charismatic personality and secretly wished that we had some of that charisma in ourselves. Though charisma or inner charm cannot be acquired superficially, it is still possible to develop a well liked and admired personality through proper grooming.

There are other qualities that a make a fulsome personality than sheer physical beauty. This is not to undermine the importance of a beautiful face but it is not everything. The inner charm or personal magnetism is what actually makes someone very special. However when the two are combined the combination is irresistible. A good attractive personality is always an advantage in any situation. People are drawn towards magnetic and attractive personalities and want to know all about them. It is exactly the reason why people are crazy about celebrities and devour every bit of news regarding them with interest.

The most important trait of good personality is its confidence. Self confidence or having confidence in yourself can make a huge difference in how people perceive you. If you unsure of yourself, you will be projecting the same image outside to others as well. So, it is important that you cultivate confidence in your self and this can only happen if you really believe that you are capable of handling any situation. Self belief and prepared ness are the keys to self confidence.

Pay adequate attention to you personal grooming. Be clean and neat all the time. Dress up properly for the occasion. No one wants to talk to persons who are shabbily dressed. A neat and clean personality always radiates a confident attitude – someone who takes care of himself can also take care of others. Clothes should be comfortable – not necessarily fashionable. Every fashion does not suit everyone. Do not be a blind follower – choose only outfits that you can carry off confidently.

Remember , The first impression is the last impression. People take only a few seconds to judge others and in these first few seconds, what they note is the appearance. When you are fresh and well groomed, it creates a positive impression. Research has shown that good looking people have a 20% advantage over the not so groomed ones.

As Dale Carneige in his best seller “ How to win friends and influence People” said -- Everyone can spot a fake and it does not help to be one. Be kind and gentle to people. Sometime, everyone makes a mistake, be forgiving and importantly – differentiate between the mistake and the one committing mistake. True, it may cause a lot of trouble, but it is not going to end the world. So be forgiving and be gentle. Develop your character by inculcating good behavior and discipline in your life. Let your inner charm and faith flow out and embrace others in its magnetic wrap. Charge yourself with strong willpower and have full faith in your abilities.

Decision Making Ability

In our daily life, we take a lot of decisions everyday, some of them are routine while some involve some thinking from our side. And it is these decisions that we take , that has a profound effect on the way we lead our lives in present as well as in future. But we never give much credence to ourselves or to our ability to tackle sound decisions in our life. And we have all been involved from simple to many complex decision making activities at some point in our life.

But, even though we take lots of personel decisions every day , it is only in the context of our workplace that our decision making ability emerges as a good skill. As employees and as management personnel, our decision making ability is constantly under scrutiny at our workplaces and here we ourselves are not only more aware of our decisions but also pay more attention to making them.

As per one of the study, a sound decision making ability is given weightage by prospective employers especially at middle and top management level.But how does this process of decision making takes place ? What is so difficult about it that most managers are downright fearful of the consequences of a wrong decision? Generally, a decision making process involves three steps: A recognition of a need; a decision to change and a will to implement the decision.

Decisions are an inevitable part of human activities. If understood properly, each problem becomes an opportunity. Decision making is a key role for any manager or leader. But many people struggle when it comes to taking decisions. And this is not due to their inability but simply a fear of taking the wrong decision which makes them fearful. The fear of failure, procrastination and lack of clear understanding of the issue are the main reasons why decisions go wrong. And these are things which managers should totally avoid.

Management experts have come out witha structured approach to decision making which involves certain simple steps to take a complex decision. The first is to Define the problem as clearly as possible. It is absolutely vital to have a clear idea of the problem you are trying to reach a decision on. Many experts suggest writing down the problem on a sheet of paper and revising it again and again till it can be written down in one single sentence. Then the decision taker should assess all the possible outcomes. It is importanat to take a look at all possible outcomes of that decision. The third step is to explore various alternatives and finally Choose the best alternative. Of course, any decision taking will be incomplete without proper implementation. So, once you have decided on the option, go ahead and implement it.

Work Life Balance

The concept of work-life balance is not something new. It has been around for ages but it is only recently that people have become much more aware of having a good balance between work/career/profession and personal life. Not only the individuals but the organizations are also waking up to the fact that they have a role to play in helping employees maintain a good work – life balance.

It has been observed that the high stress levels or an imbalance between these two aspects in any employee negatively affect his quality of work, increases problems related to his health and causes decline in productivity and efficiency. Moreover, it also affects his personal life which again causes more stress in work life. So, this is basically a vicious circle which affects both the spheres of our lives.

There is a life at work and at home and also a life having space for leisure. Of late, we have been seeing an increasing number of social issues such as high divorce rates, infertility due high stress levels, more frequent nervous breakdowns etc. in young people. This is all due to the increasing importance of one’s career over personal life. Young people are falling prey to working 24 hours a day and hoping to get to the top very soon and in the process they totally neglect their personal lives which ultimately create such an impact on their lives that they lose out in work sphere as well.

Thus it is necessary that people exercise some control over when, where and how they work. True, work is important but not at the cost of health and personal life. Just as a good job is necessary to boost our self esteem and self worth, a good family and personal life is necessary for a happy and peaceful mind. A good balance in work and life can play a phenomenal role in the attainment of personal and professional goals.

The core of work life balance could be defined as the achievement with enjoyment. If an individual goes on working his or her best at work place without enjoying it, they will never be able to sustain it for long. Sooner or later, the performance will fall. But if you enjoy what you do, you will sustain your work motivation and excel in whatever you do. But most of us are not so lucky to get a job which we enjoy doing. There are many more concerns such as money, family etc which are involved. In such a case, though it may seem difficult, if you have a personal life to fall back on in tough times, it will help. Having something to look forward to at the end of a boring day at work can help lift your spirits and make you ready to face another challenging day at work. The key is to relax and unwind before commencing another grueling day at work.

It is quite possible that you do not enjoy what you do for eight hours a day , but you do look forward to what you do for next three four hours and that will energize you and de- stress you and let you enjoy your life. When you are relaxed and not totally dependent on your job, you have a better chance of managing your job better. Infact, you will see that you will find ways to motivate yourself and create a much better atmosphere at work too. Your productivity will increase and this will help you get better opportunities at work. Hence, it becomes absolutely vital, that you give equal importance to all the spheres of life. A person who is a workaholic and does not enjoy his family life cannot be termed a successful person.

Today the deadlines are getting tighter and an individual's job is not only to match that deadline but also to give quality output. Due to this work pressure it becomes exceedingly difficult to maintain a family life. It becomes very difficult to have the right mix of work and pleasure. While you strike a work life balance, you are not merely balancing your profession and family, you are also balancing your mental and status quo and thereby balancing your emotional intelligence, which is the worldly ability to manage you and to handle others.

According to Sarang Panchal, Nielsen’s managing director, customized research, Asia-Pacific, India, China and Greater China, “A booming economy has resulted in better jobs and salaries. However, this has brought in long work schedules, leaving individuals with very little time to balance their work and life,” It is not surprising that most Indians consider work-life balance as their biggest concern since demanding careers are taking a toll on their family lives.”

The organizations are also doing their bit by helping employees have a healthy work life balance. They have specialized training and awareness programmes and also allow their employees to actively pursue a hobby and a healthy after work life. According to Shantanu Banerjee, Director HR, Xansa , “Employees tend to feel motivated when they feel that the organization is putting extra effort in providing a healthy balance between work and life." It has been seen that there is a strong link between work-life balance policies and reduced absenteeism, increased productivity and job satisfaction. Other benefits include improved recruitment and retention rates with associated cost savings, a reduction in employee stress, greater levels of job satisfaction and loyalty and an improved corporate image.

The benefits of a healthy work life balance are there for both the individuals and the organizations. Hence, it is not only important but also better to give equal importance to all the spheres of your life.

Tips on Personality Development

Here are some tips to develop your personality.

All of us at some point in our life have admired leaders having a charismatic personality and secretly wished that we had some of that charisma in ourselves. Though charisma or inner charm cannot be acquired superficially, it is still possible to develop a well liked and admired personality.

There are many other qualities that make a fulsome personality than sheer physical beauty. This is not to undermine the importance of a beautiful face but it is not everything. The inner charm or personal magnetism is what actually makes someone very special. However when the two are combined the combination is irresistible.

A good attractive personality is always an advantage in any situation. People are drawn towards magnetic and attractive personalities and want to know all about them. It is exactly the reason why people are crazy about celebrities and devour every bit of news regarding them with interest.

So, what is the secret of developing a good personality?

By constant self appraisal and discipline, we can cultivate habits and attitudes that can develop our personality. These are not too difficult to follow and are qualities that we learn from our childhood but forget as we grow up.

1. Being courteous and friendly to everyone without bias and discrimination is a must. We are all so engrossed in ourselves that we fail to appreciate good work and people around us. Do not do so.

2. Be active in praising and pay attention to your friends, relatives, co workers by listening to them and taking interest in their lives. You do not have to go overboard by giving gifts , remembering birthdays etc, but even if it is a small nod of acknowledgement or encouragement, make sure it is genuine. Everyone can spot a fake and it does not help either.

3. Be kind and gentle to people. Everyone makes a mistake, be forgiving and importantly – differentiate between the mistake and the one committing mistake. True, it may cause a lot of trouble, but it is not going to end the world. So be forgiving and be gentle.

4. Perhaps the most important trait of good personality is its confidence. Self confidence or having confidence in yourself can make a huge difference in how people perceive you. If you unsure of yourself, you will be projecting the same image outside to others as well. And you can acquire confidence in your abilities by keeping your mind and body healthy.

5. Do not be selfish, be open to other people’s interests and try to be helpful.

6. Be clean and neat all the time.

7. Try to be happy and maintain a positive outlook to life. If you are at peace with yourself, you will radiate peace and happiness to others as well and people will feel comfortable talking and meeting you. .

8. Silence is Golden – an age old proverb, but useful nevertheless. Think before you speak Unnecessary comments or speaking without your turn are considered bad manners and no one actually wants to listen to people who try to show off all the time. You may be an expert in your field, but that does not give you the leeway to hijack conversations and turn them into me, me and me monologues. Successful people speak little and put their efforts into doing rather than showing. So be wise and speak only when you are required to and upto the limit of your knowledge. It is important to acquire wisdom in addition to knowledge which helps us to distinguish between right and wrong. Wisdom involves character. And a good character makes a good personality.

9. Develop your character by inculcating good behavior and discipline in your life. Let your inner charm and faith flow out and embrace others in its magnetic wrap. Charge yourself with strong willpower and faith in your abilities. And see the world fall at your feet.