What is Self Talk?

Self Talk includes all the random thoughts that run through our mind. A simple way of defining Self Talk is that it is talking silently to oneself. Self talk can be positive, it can tell us what to do, where to focus, and get one motivated. Unfortunately, self talk can also be negative and critical. Such internal talk definitely does not help performance and,in most cases, probably hurts performance.

Positive Self Talk is the stuff that makes you feel good about yourself and the things that are going on in your life. It is like having an optimistic voice in your head that always looks on the bright side.

Example - I can do it.

Negative Self Talk is the stuff that makes you feel pretty crappy about yourself and things that are going on. It can put a downer on anything, whether it is good or bad.

Example - "Everything is bad and nothing is going to get better”

When Self Talk goes away from the usual?

1. When user is focusing more on the Past or Future.
2. When user is focusing on weaknesses during competition.
3. When user is focusing on only 'Out Come'. i.e. I am best than others.
4. When user is focusing on uncontrollable factors.
5. Demanding Perfection.

How to Listen and Change your Self Talk ?

1. Observe the Self Talk on Daily Basis
2. Decide what sort of Self Talk you want to hear
3. Catch or generate Flag whenever you begin to Self Talk in a negative manner.
4. Managing your Self Talk on Daily Basis.
5. Figure out what type of positive Self Talk will encourage and motivate you throughout the day and then strive to stay in that frame of mind.
6. Discard Self Talk that is self-defeating or projects anger.

To Be Continued ???

This is the basic terminology I try to explained. If you like my article and wants to know in detail terminology than let me know. I will publish the second part of this article with more detailing such as:

• How to Overcome Procrastination Using Self Talk.
• "Stopping" Negative Self - talk
• Tips on Self Talk Management
• Example

References:

http://www.wikihow.com/Listen-to-and-Change-Your-Self-Talk

http://www.eacgators.com/selftalk.pdf

Big Data in Education Domain

Education Domain has always had the power to generate a large amount of data. Start with Academic study requirement that includes long hours of school & homework, 5+ days per week turns into years. These exercise produce a huge quantity of information.

We are now able to collect and track this data using LMS (Learning Management Systems), Social networks, and other media that reach how students interpret, consider, and arrive at conclusions about course material.

The best part is that this information – called Big Data – can do helpful within the Education Sector. Using this solution, there could be the rise of many risks like Privacy, Security aspect all of which need to be addressed before starting on it.

What is Big Data: Big data is a large volume unstructured data which cannot be handled by standard database management systems like DBMS, RDBMS or ORDBMS.

What Big Data can do: Big Data allows for the analysis and prediction of behavior in a huge variety of demographics, skills, potentials – anything user can think for purpose of measuring.

How Big Data can Impact on Education: In Education Sector, these data points can being used to help institutional / organization strategies, personalized learning environments etc.

At initial level, Education can take below steps to start on it:

• Educational Data Mining: This layer will focus on developing new algorithms and discovering data patterns for Students.
• Learning Analytic: This layer will focus on applying tools and techniques at big scales in system.

Process:

• Online Learning System for Student – Front end Interface.
• Database – Detailed data about student’s experience.
• Predictive Analysis - The data is used to make predictions about knowing student’s future performance.
• All Predictions data are visible on parent & teacher dashboards.
• Students are getting learning material based on their performance level and interests.
• Parents & Teacher user can negotiate and help us necessary.

Challenges:

• Investments are require to store logged data, to hire data mining engineer.
• Privacy need to be sustained.
• Maintaining one picture from data can be difficult.
• Identification for which data should be mined and analyzed is challenge.

How to Develop Strategy:

• Develop a culture that uses data in making instructional decisions.
• Planning for Data collection and use.
• Focused Areas where data will help and build.
• Communication medium for parents & students about how the data is collected & stored.

References:

• http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2014/01/29/big-data-in-education-big-potential-or-big-mistake/
• http://www.knewton.com/blog/ceo-jose-ferreira/big-data-in-education/
• http://www.bigdata-startups.com/

Your Comfort Zone Vs Change

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A person’s success in life can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have.” - Tim Ferris

What is Comfort Zone:

As per Wikipedia, the definition of Comfort zone is:

"The comfort zone is a behavioral state within which a person operates in an anxiety-neutral condition, using a limited set of behaviors to deliver a steady level of performance, usually without a sense of risk. A person's personality can be described by his or her comfort zones. A comfort zone is a type of mental conditioning that causes a person to create and operate mental boundaries. Such boundaries create an unfounded sense of security. Like inertia, a person who has established a comfort zone in a particular axis of his or her life, will tend to stay within that zone without stepping outside of it. To step outside their comfort zone, a person must experiment with new and different behaviors, and then experience the new and different responses that occur within their environment."

Most of us feels happy in our comfort zones because it is easy & feels good. But in longer run it does not breed success.

Are You Flexible to Change:

If I can give you my Personal example, after Graduation in Information Technology, I was doing the business in Agricultural firm in local city for almost 5 years. During that 5 years I was completely out of Technology but later stage, I realized that I was not in right track. I should have to leave this comfort zone for better life and growth. At that time seems like not having any clue like:

• How to start?
• How to enter in IT Industry again.
• Some says " It is too late for me to enter in IT".
• Some says " By chance, If you entered, you cannot success".

But, one thing i am having it is called a passion. Your passion can cause you to want to do things you would normally avoid like the plague.

Due this passion, i started my post graduation again & worked hard in IT industry since 2008. It has been 6 years so far i left my comfort zone, but have enjoyed what stepping outside of my comfort zone has done for me so far.

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• Signing up for a English Speaking class: I would never signed up English speaking class if i have not started my post graduation class. That is before my passion gave me the courage to do it anyway that is. The real truth is that I know that the career path I have chosen for myself meant that i needed to communicate effectively with others.

• Expand R&D power: In my early days of career, i realized that i need improvement to expand my R&D power. so next step for me to expand on it. The day i realized i need to expand it is till expanding and continue towards it. As i do not want to settle with this. It should be continues process like our Heart beat.

• Learning Technology: Learning any technology is scary feelings. I am sure most of us are lack confident when it comes to the technology. If we are having a burning desire to learn something we must learn. I came from the Technical background as i started my career as a Software Programmer and has set the goal of to master in the Technology. Despite having this goal, it courage me every day to learn something new in technology like what stuffs are doing, what are the new things in the market, what are the solution etc.

• Mentoring: I was asked to become mentor. Everything inside of me screamed at me to say No! The truth is I am very shy person, but I know I will do better and experience will help me so much. I stepped outside of the box. My passion to help others become aware on the new technology trends, mentoring or guide him on the right path whether it is related to personal or professional.

• Starting Blog: To be honest, even though i had never attended any classes on English writing or written anything significant before join in IT organization. When it comes to blogging, I literately fight over the idea for many weeks / months and because i was scared of something i had never done. But i feel very confident in my ability to write great articles and having passion some day i may become great author. Over the years, I try to improved and look forward to growing even more in my writing abilities. I started to writing blog this month and published 4 articles before. But over this days, i received valuable comments and made some great friends and connections along the way. This should not happen if i had stayed inside my comfort zone.

At last, comfort zone always feel proud to us, but it comes at the cost of not seeing all of the opportunities that come our way. Take a courage step outside for one month at least and started the things you don't like and you may be delightful at what you see.

The Need of Business & Technology Consulting Group in Software IT Organization

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I still remembered 2008, when there was highly demands from the client to guide on their Product or Project on Functional Part by preparing Wire-frame / Scratches, Scoping etc. At that time iTunes or Google Play was new. But, now time has changed. There are millions of applications are available in the Market with ready made Simple Tool for wire-frame to guide client on Functional Part.

Now a days, most of organization is facing project fails scenarios on the Software Development. The reason is due to not having detail clarity on the Technical Points.

The detail clarity in the sense:

• Automated Business Rules are not finalized while sending Business Proposal.
• Infrastructure Architecture is not finalized.
• High level SOA Level Architecture is not identified.

The second thing, Most of the organizations are in false assumption to consider Functional Scope as a complete Scope. It is true but it is just a Project Discovery Document phase. The other technical phases should be consider while sending Business Proposal or SOW to client.

Looking at current scenario and market trends, every organization is suffering to get Large scale Enterprise level project which is having complex Big Data solutions, Cloud Strategy etc. The main worried for him is they do not have any immediate action plan to tackle this situation.

So, What client is expecting from Service provider to Guide him on?

The Answer is Business & Technology Consulting Group who can guide him on Business & Technology point of view that includes Competitor Analysis, Advise on Latest IT Trends and Best Practices, Advising and Selection of Web & Mobile Framework.

1. The need of Business & Technology Consulting Group:

Today we all are live in Digital World with increased amount of structured and Unstructured Data. In order to make project or product successful there are multiple scenarios needs to be taken care like:

• Does this project require to integrate Cloud Solutions?
• Does this project require integrating Big Data Solutions?
• NoSQL DB Implementation
• Scalability Point of view

The trends are the same that was in 2008 but organization has to change approach to battle this situation to divert into Technology Consulting.

The organization should start this group today or in near future to get advantage of this below things:

• This model is highly suitable to Technology Partner.
• This model can help organization to track complex project which is having require detailed technical consulting in Pre Sales Stage only.
• This model can convert Client’s Idea into Reality by providing Consulting Service.
• This model can Identify Technical Consulting Strategy, Road Map and Phases wise Development Execution.
• This model can design the scalable Server Side Architecture
• This model can implements Big Data with Cloud Solutions Integration.
• This model can gives Solution to client in terms of Business as well Technology Point of View.
• This model can Define Revenue Generation Strategy to client to their Product.

The prime role for this group is to facilitate favorable working atmosphere, proper Business & Technical consultation, knowledge about Market Needs, anticipated changes in technology which have direct impact on client business growth etc.

I reckon it was 2008, where I started my career as a Mobile application developer and worked on multiple platforms such as Android, Symbian, J2ME and BlackBerry than worked as a Business Analyst, Technology Consultant etc.

Over the 6 years, I was lucky enough to get practical experience on overall Software Development Life cycle that includes Analysis, Development & Consulting.

Always Hungry for Great Innings in Sales

Everyone wants an Quick things in their life weather it is related to personal or professional achievement. When this specific things comes on Sales, it is the daily routine for the sales guys to do anything in on fast track.

In the Sales cycle, consider yourself as a Virendra Sehwag where you have to play 15 overs for achieving 400 runs target on 50 overs each day, so your role should be to give

- Quick Start on whatever the condition.
- Take the Risk.
- Always Hungry for Loose Ball to kick
- Show your full energy
- Show your full Positive power

This way you can get self motivated on each day while doing your task. It is the truth that you cannot give good starts on each day, you cannot play your natural innings but you have to be enough lucky to convert 3 great innings out of 10 so you can survive for next 10 inning, otherwise your each day goes to different direction and you loose your natural attitude.

The other important things that sales guy having is good energy power and full of Positive Attitude.  If you loose this power than it becomes difficult for you to achieve your target. You does not have to worry on the task that are not performed well or it has been lost. You always to be ready for next inning with same energy power with same positive attitude, so something goes happen for good things surely.

The last thing is to always remembered your mistake and past experience while doing current task. This can give good impact on your current task and you do not repeat or waste time for doing same mistake in twice. In some cases, it is reliable to do mistakes in twice for surviving, but when it comes to find great deal or you are near to close for your destination this scenario should not occur.

Be focus on the things that are currently happen and do not allow any negative energy to your mind. Play your natural inning always on whatever the times, Weather it is good time or bad time, you always have to do the new inning every day with from scratch.

Infrastructure Consulting Practice

Infrastructure Consulting Practice is the vital role along with Server Side Architecture.  Infrastructure Consulting mainly involves the part like Performance, Scaling of the web server, Data management.

The approach to be not the same but unique depend upon the requirement.  The other factors is to where we can use Cloud or where we can use dedicated environment. It is mainly depend upon the who are the target users, regions, what are the concept.

If the concept is related to Media Library platform where Live streaming Video, On the fly conversion of Format, Radio Streaming involved than first identify the target users, their needs. The need in the sense like - People can stay hours & hours for this type of platform for watching Video, Listening Radio Stations. So, It can drastically effect on the Server Bandwidth, Performance Issue etc. For this situation, prefer to choose as a Cloud as a Hosting Infrastructure provider so web server can easily maintain traffics, bandwidth of the data.

In some cases, where target users are limited,  data are limited than in this case go with the dedicated hosting services as it could not impact much on the Server Performance & Bandwidth. As we have the idea of the data & users.

The other reason to choose Cloud because it provide us the flexibility for the using and for payment part it is mainly consider Pay-Per-Use. So it is helpful for the vendor who seeks audience on the Peak season like Christmas etc. Apart from this, they are not expecting much target audiences so overall the balance can be manage easily.

The another use case, where Videos are uploading from mobile application, web server is converting the format on the fly and than stored on the database and web server is deployed on Dedicated Hosting. In this case, the best approach is to use Cloud services for the part that can allow to maintain the Queue of Video for conversion only, rest part to be communicate on dedicated server, so it cannot impact much on the dedicated server bandwidth and other performance issues. There could be the different use cases needs to be follow depending upon the functionality.

My Conclusion on this topic is to give choices and suggest flexible approach while doing Infrastructure consulting so application & performance cannot be overloaded.

Early Pre-sales Question Tips

In the beginning of early stage of project requirement, sales guy will ask few pre-sales question to client in order to get good insight of the project.

Majority of sales person do have the fix question list that were used at the time of sending email or calling with client. It is not the right approach.

The best approach is to ask question based on the need of requirement. In some cases, we do received requirement with one or two line, some cases client do send us reference application link etc.  Your approach should be unique on every new assigned lead.

Based on my experience, i do identified few common questions pack that we can used at very early stage for client to get good insight to their vision. 

- What are the industry are you targeting?

- Who are the end users?

- In which region are you targeting to sell your product?

- What is your revenue generation Plan?

- What is your marketing strategy?

- Do you have any specific technology preferences to develop product?

- What is the launch date are you targeting?

- What could be the assistance are you looking at this stage on Pre-sales?