Getting old is not a problem (11)

Creating Leaders: A Case Study of Innovative Leadership Development

Leaders should focus on creating new leaders, rather than just managing followers. This article will share the experience of a group of companies that have successfully implemented an innovative approach to leadership development.

The company’s first priority was to eliminate the traditional “One Man Show” mentality and help employees grow by providing new and challenging tasks, learning opportunities, and full support. To achieve this, the company took several steps, this article will outline a few of the leadership development initiatives they implemented:

  1. The company encouraged department leaders and managers to cultivate their second and third tiers of leadership. The goal was to eliminate the traditional “One-Man Show” approach.
  2. The Human Resources Division added a clause to their policy that every employee must complete at least 40 hours of learning each year. The company established partnerships with universities and institutes for learning opportunities, and also provided access to online learning resources through partnerships with online portals. This helped employees improve their knowledge and skills, leading to improved performance at work.
  3. Leaders were instructed to properly delegate tasks and evaluate performance in order to nurture leadership qualities.
  4. The company introduced an Office Management System, where employees were required to input daily and monthly task reports, as well as project completion reports. The intention was to manage the system, not the people, to increase bonding between employees.
  5. Employees were encouraged to present their ideas for revenue generation through the Office Management System, complete with resource planning and mobilization plans, and a team and focal person for implementation. This policy helped employees present their ideas in a structured manner, reducing the possibility of failure.
  6. The company adopted a Hybrid Management Structure, with both top-down hierarchy and bottom-up approaches, allowing for early identification and resolution of critical issues.

Initially, these innovative leadership development strategies faced criticism from some employees, however, a few optimistic leaders embraced the changes and reaped the rewards. Within two years, the company discovered numerous emerging leaders and launched multiple new offerings, services, and systems. The employee retention improved, customer satisfaction grew, and the company’s annual revenue saw a boost of 40%. Most significantly, work was fairly distributed among all staff and the “One Person Show” mentality was completely eradicated.

Creating new leaders is crucial for the growth and success of any organization. By providing learning opportunities, implementing effective management systems, and encouraging employees to take the initiative, organizations can develop a strong and dynamic leadership pipeline.

 

Author: K M Hasan Ripon, Executive Director, BSDI

Getting old is not a problem (10)

From Scratch to Modernity: The Rise of the Daffodil Smart City

The 10th Convocation of Daffodil International University is set to take place in 24 hours, with the campus in a festive mood and ready to welcome its graduating students, their guardians, and guests. Nearly 13,000 students will attend the event in the Green Campus. I recently came across a video from a previous foundation ceremony back in 2010 and was struck by a speech in which it was announced that, in just 10 years, the students would see the transformation from a Redbrick empty field to a modern green campus, and it would be a great example to the world. Addressing the Graduating Students, Dr. Md Sabur Khan, the visionary leader during the time mentioned in his speech “ I assure you that the Red Empty Brick Field you are visiting today will become a world-class Green campus”.  At the time, many people, including myself, couldn’t believe it but today Daffodil International University has proven that it was not an unrealistic promise, but today it’s a  reality.

 

 

The transformation of Daffodil International University is a testament to the power of a leader’s vision to change an entire community and society. The present campus is unrecognizable compared to its appearance 12 years ago, and visitors are always in awe of its modern infrastructure, including the presence of all necessary facilities, transportation, sports zone, academic institutions, entertainment facilities, and a thriving business community. The words and commitment made a decade ago have come to life and have not only transformed the campus but have also transformed the surrounding society. 

The local residents, who used to rely on mostly daily wage earners for their livelihood, have now shifted to business, as 85% of the people are now engaged in the business community. The mindset of the community has changed, and people are now more focused on education and business. Based on its placement, the roads, citizen services, infrastructure, and architectural view of the place the lifestyle, mindset, and culture have been changed, the local community also got the blessings of many modern New shopping centers, financial institutions, medical centers, largest libraries, research centers, Gymnasium, child care center, libraries, auditoriums, swimming pools, and sports facilities have been established, making this transformation a model for others to follow. Apart from the development issues, focusing on the Daffodil International University many national & international institutions, associations, and personalities, visited this locality and through their visit, new development issues are coming forward before the local government too. 

 

 

The transformation of Ashulia Center has given the country a new vibe, and Daffodil International University’s transformation over the past 22 years has been recognized and appreciated by others.

Tomorrow, 9th February 2023, around 6,000 students will gather for the convocation ceremony, and another 50,000+ alumni worldwide are ready to welcome them.

If more examples like Akrain, and Ashulia can be set, from a “Scratch to Smart City,” Bangladesh can soon be declared a “Smart Bangladesh.”

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Author

Amena Hasan, Deputy Director, Daffodil International University

Getting old is not a problem (4)

Rise and Shine: The Benefits of Waking Up Early

I used to be a night owl, staying up late to work and believing that it was the best time for me to be productive. However, after deciding to make a change and go to bed early, wake up early, and start my day early, I have seen a significant improvement in my lifestyle and an increase in my productivity after consistently following this routine for a month.

Waking up in the morning has many benefits, including refreshing the mind and starting the day with energy and focus. Additionally, morning light exposure can help regulate circadian rhythms and improve sleep quality, and physical activity in the morning can improve overall health and fitness.

Starting the day with prayer and showing gratitude to Allah can provide spiritual strength and a sense of peace and connection. Many people find that incorporating spiritual practices into their daily routine can help them feel more grounded and focused, and can provide a sense of purpose and direction. Moreover, expressing gratitude can help shift one’s focus from negative thoughts and feelings to positive ones, which can lead to an overall sense of well-being.

After morning prayers, doing some light physical activity can help to improve overall physical and mental fitness. Exercise is known to release endorphins which can improve mood and reduce stress and anxiety. A light workout can help to wake up the body and prepare it for the day ahead. Also, incorporating physical activity into the morning routine can help establish a consistent exercise habit which is essential for maintaining overall health and fitness. It is important to note that it’s always best to consult a doctor or a health professional before starting any new exercise routine, especially if you have any health conditions.

After prayers, exercise, breakfast, and a cup of tea, starting the day with creative work such as writing, or tasks that require deep thinking, can be a productive and effective way to begin the day. Engaging in creative activities in the morning can help to stimulate the brain and promote focus and productivity. Deep thinking tasks can also help to get your mind in the right state for problem-solving and decision-making. Furthermore, starting the day with a sense of purpose and accomplishment can help to set a positive tone for the rest of the day.

It is also important to note that waking up in the morning without a goal or plan can be less productive as it can lead to a feeling of aimlessness and lack of direction. Having a clear goal and plan for the day can provide a sense of purpose and motivation, which can help to increase productivity. When you know what you want to achieve and have the plan to get there, you’re more likely to stay focused and motivated throughout the day. Additionally, planning your day in the morning can help you to prioritize tasks, manage your time more effectively, and reduce stress.

Some people believe that waking up early, specifically at 5 am, and starting the day with a set routine, can be beneficial for productivity, focus, and overall well-being. This is known as the “5 am club” and it is based on the idea that the early hours of the morning are less busy and less distracting, which can provide a quiet and focused environment to work, exercise, meditate, or pursue other goals. Waking up early can help to establish a consistent sleep schedule, which is essential for maintaining overall health and well-being.

However, everyone’s sleep needs and schedules are different, and what works for one person may not work for another. It’s best to find a schedule that works for you and your lifestyle.

 

Author

K M Hasan Ripon, Executive Director, BSDI

Email: kmhasan.ripon@gmail.com

Getting old is not a problem (3)

Can Soft Skills save humans from Robot/AI

Soft Skills, such as creativity, critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving, are often considered to be unique to humans and difficult or impossible for robots to replicate. As a result, some experts believe that soft skills could help protect human workers from job displacement due to automation.

For example, jobs that require creativity, such as graphic design or writing, may be less likely to be automated because robots currently lack the ability to generate truly original ideas. Similarly, jobs that require critical thinking, such as management or consulting, may be less likely to be automated because robots currently lack the ability to fully understand and analyze complex situations.

Similarly, jobs that require strong interpersonal skills, such as customer service or sales, may be less likely to be automated because robots currently lack the ability to fully understand and respond to human emotions and social cues.

There are many Soft Skills that are considered unique to humans then Robots/AI, including:

  • Understanding and experiencing emotions: Humans have the ability to understand and experience a wide range of emotions, such as joy, sadness, anger, and love, which are critical for social interactions and decision-making.
  • Creativity: Humans have the ability to generate truly original ideas and solve complex problems in unique ways, which is essential for innovation and progress.
  • Empathy: Humans have the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, which is critical for social interactions and building relationships.
  • Decision-making: Humans have the ability to make decisions based on intuition, emotions, and past experiences, which is essential for adapting to new situations and solving problems.
  • Self-awareness: Humans have the ability to reflect on themselves and their actions, which is essential for personal growth and development.
  • Critical thinking: Humans have the ability to analyze and evaluate information, arguments, and ideas, and to form their own opinions and decisions.
  • Adaptability: Humans have the ability to learn and adapt to new situations, cultures, and environments.
  • Intuition: Humans have the ability to make quick decisions based on a combination of past experiences, emotions, and subconscious processing.

However, it’s important to note that while soft skills may make some jobs less vulnerable to automation in the short term, they may not completely protect human workers from job displacement in the long term. With the rapid pace of technological advancements, it’s possible that robots will eventually be able to replicate some or many of the soft skills that are currently considered unique to humans.

Therefore, it’s important for workers to continuously adapt and acquire new skills and knowledge to stay relevant in the job market. This can include not only soft skills but also technical skills in areas such as data analysis, programming, cybersecurity, AI, designing skills, and digital marketing.

 

Author

K M Hasan Ripon, Executive Director, BSDI

Email: kmhasan.ripon@gmail.com

Getting old is not a problem (2)

Are Human and Robots Partners or Competitors?

Humans are the most powerful than any robot or artificial intelligence system that has been created so far. Human is capable of performing a wide range of tasks and functions that are not yet possible for robots or AI systems, such as understanding and experiencing emotions, creativity, and understanding and responding to complex social situations.

Human is also capable of multitasking, recognizing billions of patterns, making decisions, and learning from experience, which is still a challenging task for robots and AI systems. Additionally, humans can adapt and learn new things, while robots and AI systems can only perform the tasks they have been programmed to do.

On the other hand, robots and AI systems can perform specific tasks more quickly and efficiently than humans, such as performing calculations and analyzing large amounts of data.

Currently, robots and artificial intelligence systems are capable of performing a wide range of tasks. These tasks include:

  • Understanding and experiencing emotions: Robots and AI systems can mimic basic human emotions and respond to certain social cues.
  • Creativity: Robots and AI systems can perform certain tasks that require problem-solving and critical thinking.
  • Empathy: Robots and AI systems can be programmed to respond to certain situations.
  • Decision-making: Robots and AI systems can be programmed to make decisions based on certain rules and data.

Tasks that are considered unique to humans include:

  • Understanding and experiencing emotions: Humans have the ability to understand and experience a wide range of emotions, such as joy, sadness, anger, and love, which are critical for social interactions and decision-making.
  • Creativity: Humans have the ability to generate truly original ideas and solve complex problems in unique ways, which is essential for innovation and progress.
  • Empathy: Humans have the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, which is critical for social interactions and building relationships.
  • Decision-making: Humans have the ability to make decisions based on intuition, emotions, and past experiences, which is essential for adapting to new situations and solving problems.
  • Self-awareness: Humans have the ability to reflect on themselves and their actions, which is essential for personal growth and development.
  • Critical thinking: Humans have the ability to analyze and evaluate information, arguments and ideas, and to form their own opinions and decisions.
  • Adaptability: Humans have the ability to learn and adapt to new situations, cultures, and environments.
  • Intuition: Humans have the ability to make quick decisions based on a combination of past experiences, emotions, and subconscious processing.

It’s important to note that while the human is currently considered more powerful than robots and AI systems, it does not mean that robots and AI systems do not have their own advantages. With the rapid pace of technological advancements, it’s possible that robots and AI systems will eventually be able to perform many tasks in the future that are currently considered unique to humans.

It is also essential, to recognize that robots and artificial intelligence are tools created by humans to help humans in various tasks and situations. They can improve efficiency and productivity of human, but they should not be viewed as a replacement for human workers. Instead, a partnership between humans and robots/AI can lead to greater overall success and advancements. By combining the strengths of both humans and robots/AI, we can achieve better results and solve more complex problems.

It’s significant to understand the capabilities and limitations of the technology and use it to complement human skills and expertise. By working together, humans and robots/AI can improve efficiency, productivity, and overall performance in various industries. Therefore, it’s important to view robots and AI as a tool, not as a competitor, and to focus on how they can be used to augment human capabilities and augment our lives.

 

Author,

K M Hasan Ripon, Executive Director, BSDI

Getting old is not a problem (1)

Plan Like a King

As an executive, you are a leader in your organization. You are responsible for guiding your company to success and achieving your goals. One of the most important tools you have at your disposal is your ability to plan.

Just like a king planning his next conquest, an executive must also plan in order to conquer their targets. A well-crafted plan can provide direction, focus, and clarity to your team, and it can help you stay on track and achieve your goals.

The first step in the planning like a king is to set clear and specific goals. These goals should be aligned with the overall mission and vision of your organization, and they should be measurable so that you can track your progress.

Once you have set your goals, it’s time to develop a strategy. This is where you map out the steps you need to take in order to achieve your goals. A good strategy should be flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances, and it should be communicated clearly to your team.

Next, you need to assemble your team. Just like a king needs his loyal subjects to help him conquer new territories, an executive needs a team of talented and motivated individuals to help achieve the goals. It’s important to assemble a diverse team with different skills and perspectives, as this will help to ensure that all angles are covered.

As you move forward with your plan, it’s important to stay focused and stay the course. Just like a king must remain focused on his goal of conquest, an executive must also remain focused on their goals in order to achieve success. This means that you need to be willing to make tough decisions and take calculated risks.




Finally, it’s important to measure and track your progress. This will help you to identify areas where you need to improve and adjust your plan. It will also help you to stay motivated and on track.

In conclusion, planning like a king is essential for any executive who wants to conquer their targets. By setting clear and specific goals, developing a strategy, assembling a team, staying focused, and measuring progress, you can position yourself and your organization for success.

Getting old is not a problem

Getting OLD is not a problem, Thinking OLD is a Problem!

It is true that getting older is not a problem in and of itself, but rather it is the tendency to think and act in a way that is rooted in the past that can become a problem. When individuals or organizations become too focused on the past and become resistant to change, it can limit their ability to adapt to new circumstances and opportunities.

When individuals or organizations adopt a “thinking old” mindset, they may become resistant to change, which can limit their ability to adapt to new circumstances and opportunities. This can lead to stagnation, a lack of progress, and missed opportunities. Furthermore, it can also limit the ability to innovate and create new ideas.

On the other hand, if individuals or organizations can maintain a growth mindset, they can continue to learn, grow, and adapt as they age. By staying open to new ideas and perspectives, embracing change, and fostering a culture of innovation and learning, they can continue to be successful in the long term.

We can put a sample case here:

This can be seen in the examples of companies like Nokia and General Motors, who, despite being well-established and successful brands, were ultimately left behind in the market due to their inability to adapt and evolve.

Nokia, for example, was once the dominant player in the mobile phone market. However, as the market shifted towards smartphones, Nokia failed to adapt and was overtaken by companies like Apple and Samsung, who were able to capitalize on this new technology.

Similarly, General Motors was once one of the world’s largest and most successful car manufacturers. However, as the market shifted towards electric and autonomous vehicles, General Motors failed to adapt and invest in these new technologies, ultimately leading to its decline.

In both cases, these companies were unable to adapt to changes in the market and failed to innovate, which ultimately led to their decline. This illustrates the importance of organizations being open to new ideas and perspectives, embracing change, and fostering a culture of innovation in order to stay competitive and succeed in the long term.

Thinking old can lead to a number of negative consequences, such as:

  1. Motionlessness: When individuals or organizations become too focused on the past, they may stop learning and growing, which can lead to motionlessness and a lack of progress.
  2. Inability to adapt: When individuals or organizations are too focused on the past, they may be unable to adapt to new challenges and opportunities, which can make it difficult for them to be successful in the long term.
  3. Lack of innovation: When individuals or organizations become too focused on the past, they may lose their ability to think creatively and develop new ideas, which can limit their ability to innovate.
  4. Missed opportunities: When individuals or organizations become too focused on the past, they may miss out on new opportunities that could benefit them.

It is important for individuals and organizations to stay open to new ideas and perspectives, even as they get older. This can be done by actively seeking out new information and experiences, embracing change, and fostering a culture of innovation and learning. By doing so, they can continue to grow, adapt, and evolve to meet the ever-changing needs of the world around them.

In summary, growing older is not a problem, but thinking old can be. It is important for individuals and organizations to actively work to overcome the tendency to think and act in a way that is rooted in the past and to adopt a growth mindset in order to stay innovative and competitive in today’s fast-paced world.

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Competency Based Education for Ensuring Sustainable Development

The world presented us with new opportunities and challenges which requires a different approach to education. In this fast-changing world, it has become necessity for children to acquire the knowledge, skills, values, attitudes and take action to adapt and to thrive. There is a need for a change in the Education Systems which needs to prepare them for living and working in a global society. In this change circumstances, the big issues affecting our planet is the climate change and global poverty. To face the challenges we require an innovative generation that knows how to find solutions. Therefore Competency Based Education has been has been brought in to practices. To ensure Sustainable Development of the country we need to ensure proper education to the young generation of Bangladesh. Bangladesh is considered as the most potential country of Asia as major part of its population are young generation which means they are in the level of productive workforce of the country. If we can train them to become skilled workforce, then it will have major impact to the national economy.

One of the key reasons for economic progress of develop countries are the skilled human resources and the development was possible for the education systems which ensures the young generation not only have the required knowledge, skills, attitude and values to work in the industry but also develops them as responsible global citizens through creating sense of responsibilities on social cultural and environment issues. Competencies include explicit, measurable, transferable learning objectives that empower students. CBE place a heavy emphasis on what a person can do in the workplace after the completion of the training program. One of the primary advantages of CBE is that, the focus is on the success of each participant. It gives individuals opportunities to “achieve qualifications that relate to required performance in the workplace”. CBET is very positively regarded by employers, job seekers, management and learners in many countries like the Australian enterprises and it strongly supports the development of job-specific skills. Enterprises are also very positive about the increased level of on-the-job learning.




In Bangladesh the Education systems has not yet been changed in the last few years to ensure sustainable development. Though there are some opportunities to learn and practice CBE, but it has not been promoted as we expected. Therefore, a large no of students remain unemployed or fail to get desired job after graduation. They fail to serve the industry based on its requirement. But recently the trend has changed. The Higher Education Institutions are very much serious on its student’s employability and they have started to change the teaching and learning approaches in the institutions. Besides, they are now very much concerned to develop responsible global citizen which has taken into account considering the Global perspective. Here, students, educators, employers, and policymakers alike are beginning to embrace competency-based education models that have the potential to transform standards of higher education, keeping students competitive in the global workforce. It focuses sharply on what students know and can do—are on the rise. These programs do not assume that successful completion of a series of courses results in the achievement of learning outcomes; rather, they confirm student learning through individual assessment. Probable Obstacles/Challenges in Implementing CBE in Bangladesh: There are a number of challenges hindering the effective implementation of CBE in Bangladesh such as

  • Lack of awareness in CBE systems
  • Lack of attitude to adopt the new learning & teaching systems
  • Very few certified CBE trainers in Bangladesh though ILO is working in this sector
  • Lack of Fund to change the existing Teaching & Learning systems

The higher education has changed remarkable in this decade and if we have to adopt the changes to ensure sustainable development. The adoption of Competency Based Education and Knowledge on Environment factors has become essential to develop Global Responsible Citizens. Bangladesh shouldn’t lag behind here. Time has come to shift to a new Higher Education Systems which will ensure Knowledge, Skills, Attitude, Values and Action among the young generation who will lead the country.

 

Author

Kabul Mohammad Hasan, Executive Director, BSDI

Email: kmhasan.ripon@gmail.com

Green Photo Music YouTube Channel Art (6)

Does Skill Matter in Job Market?

Our Desire

Everyone is looking for job. The fresh graduates are looking for a job, and the person who is even working, he also wants to get a better job. That is the norms of the world I guess. In the process of finding a better job, some of us get it and some people will wait for a job.

Among all of us, we will find a category, who will be successful in getting their desired job. We call them lucky! We all may agree on the point that no one will give us a job as a gift! We have to achieve it or we have to prove that somehow I am the competent person among all and deserve the job. However, it is a tough place and success comes to the person who truly gives their best to prove them. There is a simple but open trick to get the success too.

That is, if we can match our knowledge, skills, experience, relationship and behavior with employer’s problems and fulfill expectations, then we will get into the spotlight. Are you thinking it is hard? Not at all. We just need to take careful steps ahead.

Our Belief

As human being, we always like to be proficient in our respective fields. To get success in our career we need to have different skills associated with our career and we have to go through the learning process to prove our excellence and ensure the care growth. If we stop learning new skills, it will automatically leave our position behind or someone else may take away our position. So in developing a successful career we need to remember it.

Learning something new is sometimes difficult too, especially at the beginning of the career when we start to learn. We make mistakes over and over again. In some cases, we leave the learning effort for the fear of making mistakes. But the reality is that the only way to learn something new is:

  • to practice relentlessly,
  • to make mistakes over and over again, and
  • to be committed not to repeat the same mistakes again.

Canadian journalist, author Malcolm Gladwell, in his famous book Outliers, says that “ten thousand (10,000) hours of practice is required to be an expert in any one field.” on the other hand, Going a step further, author Josh Kaufman, in his book The Personal MBA, mentions that it takes about 20 hours of practice to get from “I can’t do anything to I can do one thing” – which is 45 minutes a day of regular practice.

So no matter what you want to be “fairly good” or “expert” in a subject, you need to practice. Various studies say that practice is also extremely difficult for those who have already acquired high skills in one subject and want to acquire skills in another new subject. And this is probably why many of the veterans are a little reluctant to acquire any new skills. They think that reading a book and discussion on a specific topic is enough to become competent in any skills. Our education system is the example of it.

Students are awarded degrees based on how well they can memorize. But at the present time it is universally acknowledged that skill is never possible by only reading and discussing. It requires learning by doing and practicing it over and over again. So skill development is very crucial.

Let me clear the facts with some Case studies:

Case#1:

I started my career in the Corporate Cell of a reputed organization. For the nature of my job, I had to keep communication with National & International organizations. I had to submit Project proposals. So many times, I had to submit the proposal in Bangladesh and which was a difficult job for me, as I didn’t know the Bengali typing. Therefore I had to depend on others. I used to take the help from one of my colleagues. First time he was enthusiastic. But when I started to send proposal then his facial expressions directly indicated me that he is not at all enjoying typing my tasks.

So I decided to learn it. I made my mind to learn Bengali typing. Firstly it took around 12 hours to type a single page. I didn’t leave the battle. I started doing it with more enthusiasm and I can proudly say I have the fastest typing skill in Bangla now.

Case#2:

As I am leading few organizations, I remain always engaged in Marketing and Promotional tasks. Sometimes, I have to depend on Graphic Designer, and sometimes, I depend on Video Editor. Yes, I get great cooperation, no doubt, but sometimes, we face such situation, where the production of promotional materials becomes very urgent. Neither I can rush to them, nor give support here. Because those are technical skills and we need to learn it. I have some experience here too.

Many years ago, for an urgent design task I worked with an official designer for long hours. I gave him all idea, contents and he also designed it as per requirements. I found a huge thrust while I found the output of the design materials. A small spelling mistake completely changed the idea of the event. I was trying to find how it happened? My findings were that, as the graphic designer type the content in the adobe illustrator so spelling mistake become the common problem in them.

From this incident, I took a decision to learn Graphics Design. I bought a book from New Market and started my designing effort. I could blame a person or a situation, but I felt, this is also an essential skills and learned it through rigorous practice. It is helping me to save my time and giving highest satisfaction too.

Case#3:

Similarly, we need to make video documentary on various topic. We collect the footage and we have a very skilled editing team who helps us to get the professional video documentary. It’s a very busy department and the members always remain busy in making video. So getting any essential output urgently sometimes become very much impossible for us. I thought why not I learn the same to support the urgent assignment. It’s not a rocket science that I will not be able to learn.

As I said, I started to learn it. I find out tutorial and I started editing the video. You may have seen my Video Documentary and all of them are done by me. I can work like a professional Video Editor now. How I did it? I had the patience to learn it and as soon as I learned it, I practiced it. I wanted to learn it from my heart, I utilized my time, resources, I had the interest and I succeeded here. It means we always have to have the patience for learning, learning can never ensure you that you will be the best here. Practicing is also important here. Practice makes you perfect. I applied this theory in my profession.



Our Mindset

Usually we all are born with a quality. We have the power to quickly grasp a clear idea of a subject by reading it with our minds and talking to friends. But in order to be proficient in any one subject, we must apply the knowledge we have acquired in real life. In fact, knowledge and skills are never the same thing. After gaining knowledge on a subject, you have to practice it hand-in-hand over and over again, then we can apply the skills. Also, you need to know the feedback from your friend or experienced person who have a progressive mind or advanced mind. It really helps to convert ‘no’ to ‘yes’.

Learning something new means you are initially thinking yourself inexperienced. You have the mindset of making mistakes through application, correcting opinions, and trying again and again to make yourself perfect. Undoubtedly it is now always easy to follow so many steps. Even though we know that the skills you want to add to your career are invaluable, we stop trying when we think of 20 to 10,000 hours of practice and go back to our old habits. We all know the importance of practice but the question is how can we make it possible?

Let me give you some suggestions:

  • Fix your target:

    What do you want to achieve? Or what do you want to add or modify? That should be clear first. For example, now a day’s employers want presentation skills from every job seeker. If you have doubt on your own presentation skills or if you want to have more perfection, then only you can sketch the plan for learning and practicing. Otherwise you will be floating in the middle of the ocean like a boat without engine.

  • Constantly challenge yourself:

    learning something new and gaining skills means working hard, accepting it and moving forward, and being honest with yourself about how difficult it will be to learn, especially when you are in a leadership role (by the way leading college or university club also means you are and you scope to sharpen your leadership traits).

  • Realize your limitations:

    Even if we want, we can’t be perfect at everything. That is the reality. So we have to make ourselves proficient by practicing the subject again and again until we become confident that we have mastered well.

  • Careful about time:

    We have to be committed to practice every day. Many people block time on the calendar or use many other methods which means to be committed to oneself and time. Remember this is a project and we are working as its head.

  • There is nothing wrong with having someone with you:

    Working with classmates or co-workers to hold each other accountable for practice gives good results quickly.

  • Minimize Disruption:

    We need to care about different sources of disturbance. For an example, we use social media platforms. Sometimes we devote ourselves in using it ignoring our important task during office times. We have to be careful about it.

Conclusion:

Lastly, my favorite tagline is “Practice makes Everything Possible (অনুশীলনে সবই সম্ভব)”. Just three words but has huge depth. In fact, it is a matter of faith. Whatever and however critical situation we face ahead, everything is possible in perfect practice. And in words, there is a long way to go in arguing about the object of faith. From today onwards, let us believe again that even if it is difficult or uncomfortable, it is true. ”In practice, everything is possible.

I want to conclude this write-up with a question “What new skills are you thinking of practicing now?”

 

Author

K M Hasan Ripon, Executive Director, BSDI

Email: kmhasan.ripon@gmail.com

AHA Blog3

Women unseen jobs!

This special category unseen jobs are regular in kind but which we neither find in the job board or neither there are some HR rules advised to follow. But the performer gives highest attention and dedication to perform it without expecting any reward or evaluation. There is no specific time schedule to perform this Unseen Job and the performer does it with highest motivation any time anywhere, or wherever needed. Here the performer is a mystery and the only demand that the performer may have is the recognition or little expression of “good job” from the other part. The mysterious character here is someone around us as daughter, mother, mother in laws or aunty or anyone. 8th march is dedicated to expressing gratitude to them. Yes I am not feminist but for the back two years I was planning to write this. Because I was feeling that Women are fighters! They have the super power of leading life.

I have seen the tireless effort of many women around me to fight for giving comfort to their family ignoring the self-part. I have seen my Mom, even though feeling sickness or having weakness never said no to any demand. Her dedication always remains to make us feel happy. I have seen my aunty, after coming back home attending a long hour office, she directly enters the kitchen with new enthusiasm and happily cooks for the family, checking the kids diary for school work. She never brings any excuse to ignore the kitchen part any day. Rather she feels happy seeing happiness in the family member’s face. A working woman is giving double effort in her life to keep balance between job life and personal life. Without any rules the family maintenance part is assigned to her. So, her performance in the job results from her extreme dedication towards her workplace, But do we really feel the load of unseen jobs? Do we really feel to count those special Unseen Jobs?

Let’s make those unseen jobs recognized from heart of every soul in this planet

Salute to all fighters on this very special Day!

 

Blog Author

Amena Hasan Ana, Sr. Assistant Director, Daffodil International University