SBY Academy

Imagine a fine afternoon. You're working from your laptop, ready to rule the world, and you hear your cell phone ring with an incoming message.
Yeah, so much for a distraction-free work day.

Now? Every other person would end up opening the notification that disrupted their peace and will get sucked into the world of replying to other messages or just mindlessly scrolling.

Tell me honestly, haven’t you been in the same scenario? I know I have.

To help you get into a distraction-free zone, I have 3 tips for you.

Follow the 90-15 rule.

If you don’t know/follow the 90-15 rule, you’re missing out on a lot of productive work.

According to this rule, after working intensely on anything for 90 mins, you must follow it up with 15 mins of break.

To get started, you can put an alarm for both 90 minute work sessions and your 15 minute break, and then see your productivity explode.

That brings us to the second point.

Plan your distractions.

Planning our day with to-do lists is something we all practice, right? But planning your distractions? What does that even mean?

Let me give you an example. Say, for instance, your daughter/son gets back from school at 4 pm every weekday. You can plan your schedule in a way that you’ve baked in a slot to greet your kids and spend quality time with them. After all, that's what makes WFH worthwhile :)

The point here is to create a few blank slots for things that can take your attention away, like - returning calls, checking insta/LinkedIn, scanning the inbox etc

Follow the Pareto Principle or the 80/20 rule.

The last tip I can give you would be to follow the Pareto Principle. The 80/20 rule, which says:

80% of your tasks give you only 20% of results, or
20% of your tasks get you 80% of the results.

So, identify your 20% tasks that gives you max results, plan them as your priority and complete them first, with laser-sharp focus.

Do you follow any of these tips? Would love to know what helps you to make your day more productive.

An effective cross-cultural leader must have a well-rounded skillset and understanding of the differences that exist among people from different backgrounds.

Here is a list of traits found to be associated with successful cross-culture leaders by different researchers.

Public speaking is one of the most effective ways to get your message across. With public speaking, you can influence the world around you.

If you see something that needs to change, use public speaking to change it!

When addressing a conflict with a colleague, your words matter.

Sometimes, regardless of how good your intentions are, what you say can further upset your coworker and just make the issue worse.

Hence, try to use words that don't hurt anyone.

Here are 4 ways to say 'Don't Argue with me' in a more effective manner.

Cross-cultural leadership is the way to understand leaders who work in the newly globalized market.

It involves the ability to influence and motivate people’s attitudes and behaviors in the global community to reach a common organizational goal.

Understanding how individuals of different cultures interact with each other is very important.

Not all individuals can adapt to the leadership styles expected in a different culture whether that culture is organizational or national. In a fast-paced business environment, developing a richer understanding and sensitivity to other cultures is a skill that leaders must possess.

Do you work in a cross-cultural setting?

Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, and aware of where we are and what we’re doing. It is something we all naturally possess, it’s more readily available to us when we practice on a daily basis.

The goal of mindfulness is to wake up to the inner workings of our mental, emotional, and physical processes.

Mindfulness is available to us in every moment, whether through meditations and body scans, or mindful moment practices like taking time to pause and breathe when the phone rings instead of rushing to answer it.

Public speaking is a useful skill, whether you're called upon to make a speech at a friend's wedding or inspire volunteers at a charity event.

Even if you don't make regular presentations in front of a group, developing strong oratory skills can help you cope and improve your overall confidence in emotional or stressful situations.

'Delivering well' means you’re saying what you want to say in a way that lands just right with your listeners.

If you want to boost your public speaking skills, here are some tips you can follow to improve your public speaking skills.

India is no stranger to female leaders. Back in 1966, Indira Gandhi became the first female primer minister, and in 2019, Nirmala Sitharaman became the first full-time female to be appointed finance minister, and defense minister.

Women who are entrepreneurs and leaders have made notable strides in recent times around the region.

I salute the women who have emerged from the margins to become decision-makers and I am proud of their achievements.

In order to master communication skills, one needs to understand that it’s not so much about what you say, it’s about how you say it.

Mastery is more a function of process, not content.

Here are some tips on how you can be a Master Communicator.

Empathetic leadership means having the ability to understand the needs of others, and being aware of their feelings and thoughts.

Empathetic leadership is the ability to lead while understanding the contexts, experiences, and needs of others, and being aware of their thoughts and feelings.

It is the ability to live and experience the story of another as if it were our own. The story in our minds is often different from the one playing in the minds of others.

Good communication has the power to transform human outlook, sentiment, attitude, emotion, and behavior. Most importantly, it can provide a much-needed sense of direction.

From confusion to clarity–communication does have the magic to make it happen.

Persistent quality communication is a significant bridge that connects the whole interaction process and forges relationships. It is worth the effort to find your confidence when communicating.

Do you feel the need to improve the way you communicate?

Your body language is a fundamental part of who you are; chances are you don't even think about how you stand, sit, and move. You should, of course, because other people instinctively pick up the nonverbal signals you send.

Gestures and postures make a dramatic impact on how you think, feel, and perform.

Body language can have a strong influence on how others perceive you. The challenge is that it’s often conveyed unconsciously, through subtle movements, gestures, and positioning.

Follow these secrets to get started on building that confidence to become a successful person.

Though we sacrifice much in the name of success, deep down we desire something more meaningful--a genuine sense of purpose and fulfillment.

It's possible to experience this sense of purpose without giving up the pursuit of success.

How? By serving others.

A big misconception about giving back is that it requires a substantial investment of time or significant contribution of money. I once thought this same thing, but have since realized that there are many ways I can serve others without breaking the bank or taking time off.

The options are endless, but just to get you started, here are nine ways you can easily serve others.

When you become the kind of leader that people follow voluntarily- you can inspire a meaningful and emotional call to action that will allow your team to become the best version of themselves.

If you want to be a leader, you ought to be a wise enough personality, such that people follow you voluntarily. You should be the kind of person whom others love to stick to, the kind of person people follow voluntarily.

Listening is one of the most important skills you can have. How well you listen has a major impact on your job effectiveness and on the quality of your relationships with others.

The way to improve your listening skills is to practice "active listening." This is where you make a conscious effort to hear not only the words that another person is saying but, more importantly, the complete message being communicated.

Here are 5 things to keep in mind and use to improve your skills as an active listener.

A time for celebration, a time for victory of good over bad, a time when the world sees the power of good, Let us continue the same spirit.

May the divine blessings of Goddess Durga be with You On this Ashtami and always!
Blessed Durga Ashtami to you.

As we celebrate World Health Day, let us all remember that everyone deserves access to quality healthcare.

Take care of yourself, eat well and stay active. Our bodies are amazing and we need to take care of them.

Let us all pledge to keep our minds, hearts, and souls happy for ourselves and our loved ones.

Happy World Health Day to everyone.😊

Leaders help themselves and others to do the right things.
They set direction, build an inspiring vision, and create something new.

Leadership is about mapping out where you need to go to "win" as a team or an organization; and it is dynamic, exciting, and inspiring.

Yet, while leaders set the direction, they must also use management skills to guide their people to the right destination, in a smooth and efficient way.
Came across this beautiful quote by Ronald Regan, 40th president of the United States.

“Leadership is like a muscle. The more intelligently you train, the stronger you get.”💯

Share your experience with us about how Leadership skills helped you to accelerate your team's performance.

Swipe left and double-tap to like the post.

A new hope,a new begninngs, a new dream is awaiting to unfold
May this new year bring your way millions of joy.

Happy Gudi Padwa🌸