Rajat Bhushan Srivastava’s Post

Happy today to see long-time acquaintance Mark Frauenfelder cite the late, famed polymath Anatol Rapoport on active listening, disagreement & conflict management! These skills are prime for those of us in Agile & Change. Try Rapoport's method for 2-3 weeks; I'm sure you'll find it life-changing. "Here are social psychologist Anatol Rapoport’s rules for criticizing something: * You should attempt to re-express your target’s position so clearly, vividly, and fairly that your target says, “Thanks, I wish I’d thought of putting it that way.” * You should list any points of agreement (especially if they are not matters of general or widespread agreement). * You should mention anything you have learned from your target. * Only then are you permitted to say so much as a word of rebuttal or criticism." This is truly a profound practice in my experience & I've learned much from using it. Not being a should-ist generally, I would phrase these ideas a little differently, but I will not deny their power. If you try this method, please tell me what you learn! #activelistening #disagreement #conflictmanagement #comingtoterms #empathy #respectforpeople #learningjourney #learningorganization #agile #agilecoaching #lean #leancoaching #anatolrapoport #constructivecriticism #feedback https://lnkd.in/eGpB5ENb

I was knocked unconscious in the middle of a performance. “Fly me to the moon” required a clarinet solo that although it wasn’t even 10 bars long it was enough for me to feel the pressure of perfectionism that had been chasing me since I was born. After 7 seconds unconscious I woke up and was still on my chair, the clarinet had slipped between my legs and the music was still going on. Only my stand partner and the conductor had noticed. I picked up my clarinet and continued playing as if nothing had happened until the end of the score. I was still too young to understand several things: -Don't set high expectations, specially not with yourself. -No one is looking at you, nobody cares and life goes on. -Trust yourself because you are good, God's sake. This happened because I felt I wasn’t in control of the situation, which is probably why I am good today at managing risks and priorities, so that I ensure a successful outcome of anything I put my mind to. In case you need to hear this, you’re good at something because you were rubbish at something else. #projectmanagement #agile

Sharing a good PMBOX Review Youtube Video that I found to be very helpful this weekend- The Complete Project Management Body of Knowledge in One Video (PMBOK 7th Edition) (youtube.com)

Knowledge, Practice, Trial and Performance There are 4 complementary building methods to improve a competency: - Knowledge: Reading, listening, and other ways of getting information about a skill. - Practice: Trying specific parts of the skill with feedback loops to create focused improvements. - Trial: Trying the whole skill in a simulated environment to see how we're doing. - Performance: Putting all the skills and competencies to use for real-world results. https://lnkd.in/gazrCsxG #selfdiscipline

⬇️⬇️⬇️ #product #management #productdiscovery #productdelivery #agile #scrum #agiletransformation #leadership caribbean,technology,innovation,creativity,product-development

Is there one way to do anything in soft skills? By soft skills I mean anything that involves relationship and conversation concerning yourself or with others. (Apologies if you call them core skills)? I would answer “No, of course not” because anything human-related has unpredictable outcomes. Rather like asking someone to create a picture (or music, poetry, stories) actual outcomes demonstrate the complexity of life and the myriad of perspectives we might adopt in that instance. Where do we learn soft skills? Through life naturally; more specifically I learned about some philosophies in my doctoral study related to coaching. When I mentor new students of coaching they can find this learning of art rather challenging  Despite the fact that many courses offer a coaching process that simplifies what actually happens in a conversation between two people, experiencing the reality of human contact is necessary practical education. Let’s just pose this question – how does one build a collaborative relationship as in a coaching (or mentoring) partnership? Is there really a prescription for this? No, though you might say the question is not well-posed – it takes two (or more) for a collaborative relationship! How can one person have total control of any relationship? Impossible! (Note Leaders!) I can give you my prescription for a collaborative relationship ..... It gets started through some kind of reciprocity – from a smile or kind word to giving each other information or effort. It continues because we start to like one another or the reciprocity continues. It becomes more solid and more difficult to break when we have started to recognise the relationship i.e. we talk to each other about it, essentially negotiating terms. I end a relationship when I’m not getting what I expect from it or the other party loses interest in me. I’d like to think I’m direct about endings, but I suspect not in every case.  (How about you?) Endings can be respectful and show gratitude for what has passed. What is your prescription? And how do you think we can best learn how to each take responsibility for our share of any relationship (in the case of adults)? (Picture from adamr on Pixabay) https://lnkd.in/eKiAnzeG ) #mentoring #relationship #responsiblePM

🎶”I’m gonna give all my secrets away”🎵by One Republic! Sing it with me. This song embodies why I teach/mentor/coach. Consider this: 1) You have so many secrets to give away. It feels very satisfying to share what you know. And you know a lot! 2) You have many ways to share. It could be experiences, it could be advice, or it could be an understanding ear. No matter what it is. Give it away! 3) Nobody is taking your job. Just because you are mentoring does not mean you are teaching someone who will take your job. You know too much and you are too smart and experienced for that. Let’s all step up and give those secrets away. I challenge you to Give All Your Secrets Away. You won’t regret it. https://lnkd.in/gurcSExW

Public Speaking Tips! (3 of 20) 3. The Importance of Pausing “The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between them.” This may seem strange, but it refers to that feeling between the notes, where musician and listener are waiting eagerly for where the music goes next. ·     Use pauses for emphasis and to give the audience time to absorb. Letting something “land” so it can be considered for a few seconds can be powerful. ·     Add natural breathing breaks. This not only gives you much needed oxygen, it allows you to get into and maintain a steady pace or rhythm. ·     Drop your voice at the ends of your phrases (downward inflection). This cues the listener that a thought has been completed and gives you a more natural opportunity to pause if needed. (It also conveys certainty and confidence) #publicspeaking #storytelling #pause

I have learned operaion Management #operationmanagement

After another year around the sun, I thought I’d share a few things that I learned within the last year that have helped me not only professionally, but personally. There’s a Japanese philosophy called Ikigai which is essentially discovering your life purpose. It isn’t very revolutionary, but I observed over this past year, every day I had the ability to create music which is what I love to do most. This in itself is a gift and one that I cherish. Sometimes this aspect is often overlooked as we forget about it since we are so focused on where we are headed in our careers. I’ve known nearly my whole life that writing music was my purpose, but a simple reminder of that every day is inspiring. Another valuable lesson I learned is coincidentally also a Japanese belief called Kaizen which is constantly working to improve. I feel like this past year, a lot of challenges were overcome and since then I’ve focused on getting better and learning as much as I can. Once we stop learning, we stop growing. I often find asking as many questions throughout a project is a great way to stay proactive and to also absorb as much information in order to excel at it. Sometimes asking a question can be perceived as being misinformed, but I see the opposite. The last piece of wisdom is from the great music guru Rick Rubin, who reminded me in his book “The Creative Art” that your art or craft is ever-evolving and perfection doesn’t exist. Art is being able to release an imperfect piece of expression to the world and standing behind it. I aim to continue to do the same and keep releasing new music that I’ve been working on for a long time. Wishing you all a wonderful year ahead in your creative endeavors. #wisdom #creative #inspiration #musician #composer