My Toostep Remarks and Comments

1.
Government to import to check rising prices: Is it a right decision?

Rashmi Patil, Financial services | 3 months ago

The government made a decision on Thursday that government will import essential commodities to improve supplies, as food inflation touched a ten-year high. A host of steps, including zero import duty on wheat, pulses and crude edible oil and allowing imports of various commodities like sugar and rice, have already been taken by the government to tame food prices.

My Remark:

Hello! Are we looking at the big Picture. It is not the non-availability that is the issue. The issue is High pricing. And when we look at the roots. the farmers are not getting any amount of this hike. Why are we not willing to see inside the issue. The middlemen are the ones basking all the margin, ALL THE INFLATED MARGIN. Why can't we check them. If we simply Import the Goods, the Price Mafias still are there in between. They'll eat up all the cream. What will the government do then? More IMPORTS?
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2. 60th Republic day: How do you want see India transform?
Sudeep Tarafdar, Senior Consultant, IBM 1 month ago
Industry : Radio, TV & FilmsFunctional Area : India(Markets)


Republic Day Of India. India became republic on 26th of January 1950. The Republic Day of India is a national holiday of India to mark the adoption of the Constitution of India and the transition of India from a British Dominion to a republic on January 26, 1950.

http://sqldbpool.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/republic-day.jpg

But still India is a developing country when many countries have become developed countries or much more developed than India. And for this there are many factors which has hampered its growth. So, on the eve of Republic day, how do you see India transforming in future? Share your thoughts on this..

My Remark:
A nation of more Self-Respecting People

We Love to nag, brag, and complaint. How many of us have looked at ourselves as a person who could initiate change. How many of us have stood up for our own ground. We say we are proud of India. But are we making India Proud?

What I would love to see, is a nation with all the people standing for themselves, with their society, for a nation united by a sense of mutual respect, understanding, and responsibility. A place where crime does not require a police control, but the conscience control by the people who could do it. I Know it is a long dream. But let's hope....

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3. What were the reasons behind Government abolishing Deemed universities?
Sudeep Tarafdar, Senior Consultant, IBM 1 month ago
Industry : Radio, TV & FilmsFunctional Area : India(Markets)

Tuesday morning was unlike a usual morning for it brought with it very shocking news for lakhs of students across the country. Forty four deemed universities in 13 states were de-recognized by the HRD Ministry. The decision brought gloom amongst the students and their parents.

Their future, their fate was at stake. More than 2 lakh students doing under-graduate and post-graduate courses in these universities were shattered by this decision.

I would like to know from the users in this platform, what were the reasons behind Government abolishing these Deemed universities?

My Remark:
The Implementation of Norms by Universities was feeble, and was damaging the Education System.

Most of the Universities in the deemed Category donot have a proper study material, their norms are not well followed, still the students pass through without any much of education recieved. This was resulting in Financial Wastage, and most of all INTELLECTUAL WASTAGE OF INDIAN YOUTH. financial loss can be tolerated. but, talking of the moral loss, it really had taken Gross shape. they needed a jerk. at least.

Another reason was that some colleges tagged 'expected(2012)' DEEMED UNIVERSITY, spoiled the scene by commercializing the Deemed Tag. The Corruption was going over the brink. THE ACTION NEEDED TO BE TAKEN.
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4. Are You A Knower Or A Learner When Selling?
Mohit Aggarwal, Sales/BD Manager, Oracle | 10 months ago
Industry : IT ProductsFunctional Area : Business Processes(Operations)

While selling any product,how do you behave as a knower of the product or a learner of the product?

My Remark:
Learner



Hi,

I started as a Radisson Hotel Trainee in Marketing Department, and currently am working as Marketing and Project Co Ordinator in Water Treatment Industry(10 months now).

In both the places, I have seen, with every new customer coming in, with every new prospect we look at, we are looking at an entirely new dimension of Marketing. Every new Project brings a new perspective to handling Projects. Marketing is something that brings in new tricks tips ideas and insights, every time we look to making a penny more for the company.

Its more like creativity leading to innovation. and need leading to invention.

There's another Catch to being a learner when in business, anything is new, only till it reaches the first few 100 clients, then it becomes an experience, then a thing of past. So no experience, as long as it be, is worth more than the clients it carries. If something Pays, it sells. If something sells well, it wont sell for long. Hence redundance of experience is another aspect we keep on ignoring.

The way we say, only thing permanent is CHANGE. Experience counts, when backed with latest learning only.

I'll be a learner throughout my life.

Please see throgh my blog for a new perspective of looking at Sales and Marketing. http://kabirdaskalyugi.blogspot.com/2010/02/market-dekhe-kavijan-barbas-nikle-bol.html

Regards,

Sujeet
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5. Donkey and Dog...The Old and New Version
Kanikaa Dutta, Marketing, Hindustan Unilever

Good story with old version

There was once a washer man who had a donkey and a dog.

One night when the whole world was sleeping, a thief broke into the house, the washer man was fast asleep but the donkey and the dog were awake.

The dog decided not to bark since the master did not take good care of him and wanted to teach him a lesson.

The donkey got worried and said to the dog that if he doesn't bark, the donkey will have to do something himself. The dog did not change his mind and the donkey started braying loudly.

Hearing the donkey bray, the thief ran away, the master woke up and started beating the donkey for braying in the middle of the night for no reason.

Moral of the story " One must not engage in duties other than his own"

Now take a new look at the same story

The washer man was a well educated man from a premier management institute.

He had the fundas of looking at the bigger picture and thinking out of the box. He was convinced that there must be some reason for the donkey to bray in the night.

He walked outside a little and did some fact finding, applied a bottom up approach, figured out from the ground realities that there was a thief who broke in and the donkey only wanted to alert him about it.

Looking at the donkey's extra initiative and going beyond the call of the duty, he rewarded him with lot of hay and other perks and became his favorite pet.

The dog's life didn't change much, except that now the donkey was more motivated in doing the dogs duties as well. In the annual appraisal the dog managed a " meets requirement" Soon the dog realized that the donkey is taking care of his duties and he can enjoy his life sleeping and lazing around.

The donkey was rated as "star performer". The donkey had to live up to his already high performance standards. Soon he was over burdened with work and always under pressure and now is looking for a job rotation

If you have worked in a corporate environment, I am sure you have guessed

the characters of the new story.....:-)


My Remark:


Hi,

In the current scene, educated Dogs who keep updates of Donkey's work, are assumed as Donkey's Boss. Let's face it, at our level we are all Donkeys, but a level lower, We are sure thought of as DOGS.

lol
:)

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6. CHAMPU KI KAHANI Old version of Management Pot-Pourri..... still in existance.. will be forever
Nitin M Aras, Head/VP/GM-Tech. Support, Wintech Taparia Limited



Pareshaan thi Champu ki wife
Non-happening thi jo uski life


Champu ko na milta tha aaram
Office main karta kaam hi kaam

Champu ke boss bhi the bade cool


Promotion ko har baar jate the bhul
Par bhulte nahi the wo deadline
Kaam to karwate the roz till nine

Champu bhi banna chata tha best
Isliye to wo nahi karta tha rest


Din raat karta wo boss ki gulami
Onsite ke ummid main deta salami

Din guzre aur guzre fir saal
Bura hota gaya Champu ka haal
Champu ko ab kuch yaad na rehta tha


Galti se Biwi ko Behenji kehta tha

Aakhir ek din Champu ko samjh aaya
Aur chod di usne Onsite ki moh maya
Boss se bola, "Tum kyon satate ho ?"


"Onsite ke laddu se buddu banate ho"

"Promotion do warna chala jaunga"
"Onsite dene par bhi wapis na aunga"
Boss haans ke bola "Nahi koi baat"


"Abhi aur bhi Champu's hai mere paas"

"Yeh duniya Champuon se bhari hai"
"Sabko bas aage badhne ki padi hai"
"Tum na karoge to kisi aur se karvaunga"
"Tumhari tarah Ek aur Champu banaunga"



(WAKE UP CHAMPU)

My Remark:


I'd like to write a retrospect...'

Champu ban gaya Champak bhumiya,
Maan li boss ki baat.
Boss ne khoja dusra champu,
Maari Champu ko laat.

Champu ne resume banaya,
Naya navela, with detail.
Bhar kar likha aisa experience,
Uska Boss bhi fail.

Chun li dhang ki competitor,
Maar k dekha chance.
Jhat se Payroll me aa gaya,
Champu ne kiya dance.

Ab Champu Job badal k khushi manata hai,
Kyonki ab wo boss se zyada package paata hai.

Jai ho "SWITCH the LADDER" growth policy ki....

:)

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7. Product recall: How brands can ensure minimal damage?
Mridula Maity, Product Development Manager, Rugel 14 days ago
Industry : AutomobileFunctional Area : Growth(Strategy & Execution)

Recently, we have seen a huge number of callback of cars across the world. Few days back, Toyota called back 3.8 million Prius cars which was followed by Honda which called back its 1,40,000 cars in US alone. This trend is slowly coming in India as well. Recently Maruti has called back approximately 1 Lakh A-star cars due to bad quality.

Because of all these problems in quality, automobile companies are getting bad reputation and bad image to the brand image of the automobile company. So I would like to ask you all, how can brands ensure minimal damage?

My Remark:

Creating Cost sensitive Checkpoints and strengthening Quality Departments
The Big Firms Normally have a practice of Market research before selecting a vendor Brand. Also there is a feasibility check for the Quality of inputs right at the Procurement entry Register stands. Now, if the Vendor is giving a component under some Quality Criteria, there are ways to check them at the procurement stage itself. Also there are some operations that lead to high Value adds in the process of production. Quality Department can decide on the check centers,and keep the Quality Deptt. at strict adherences to reporting Quality at the Check Centres in these processes.

Also the big Companies mostly get components made at the OEMs, or Sub Production Units, These places should have a revved-up quality assurance team.

Why the backlog happens... is not a tough answer. Backends are the last ones to recieve incentives. Also the Quality Department work is considered Dormant and Invisible... (perhaps, the value they add is difficult to calculate) This leads to a slack in performance.

Let's see from their perspectives.. to understand what goes wrong on their end.

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8. 65 people died in stampede
Himanshu Pathak, Sr/Principal Coresspondent, Coresspondent

Today, at least 65 people were killed and 30 injured in a stampede at Ram Janki temple in Pratapgarh district in Uttar Pradesh. The stampede occurred after the main gate of the temple collapsed. More than 30 people were trapped in the debris. Most of the trapped people are women and children. There was a huge crowd gathered at the temple to attend a 'bhandara' (luncheon) of Swami Kripaluji Maharaj. Sixty bodies had been recovered and more could have been killed in the tragedy. Some of the injured were reported to be in critical condition.



Its very easy for people like us, who are sitting at homes, to comment on these kind of articles. But my heart felt condolences for the lives which were lost in this incident. So users, I would like to ask you people like, What measures should be taken to prevent such stampedes?

My Remark:
Stop spreading Rumors
rumors are easily spread, and most believed thing, as it mostly comprises of what people expect or what people oppose. reality is between these two extremes.

hence rumors attack the sentiments of people, as a result a misconceived message spreads unrest.

be it cricket, bollywood, or social events, rumors turn to beliefs, beliefs create a hyped image, and that creates a lunacy of hightened affection. mostly resulting in stampedes, riots of either affection or protests.

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9. Do u hate someone???
Amit Ranjan, Manager HR & Operation, Legal, One of the Largest Paper Manufacturing Organization in India
Industry : Human Resources (HR) Consulting Functional Area : Organizational Development

A kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game. The teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic bag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name of a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that a child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number of people he/she hates.

So when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with the name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some 3 while some up to 5 potatoes. The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes in the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.

Days after days passed by, and the children started to complain due to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides, those having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1 week, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended....

The teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes with you for 1 week?". The children let out their frustrations and started complaining of the trouble that they had to go through having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.

Then the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game. The teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred will contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just 1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred in your heart for your lifetime???"

Moral of the story:
Throw away any hatred for anyone from your heart so that you will not carry sins for a lifetime. Forgiving others is the best attitude to take!

True love is not loving a perfect perfect person but loving an imperfect person perfectly!!

My Remark:
If we hate someone...

It is the part of the person's prominent behavior, that is a subtle part of us, we hate to reveal. And that hate for our own hidden trait, makes us hate others.

It is difficult to accept a dislike in self, hence we display it by hating others.

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Did India Inc. used US Recession as a tool to exploit employees ?
Amit Kumar, Design Engineer, Bharat Heavy Electricals limited
Industry : Management & Strategy ConsultingFunctional Area : Performance(Corporate Finance)
Recently India Inc. came with its Third Quarter results and surprise ,most of the companies came with improved performance ,some bettered it even than from their pre-recession performance.Doesn't it shows that India Ins didn't suffer any such thing called recession but it surely used that as a tool to exploit employees,playing on global sentiments prevailing on recession.By freezing salaries and appraisals they reduced input costs and by reducing head counts , loaded existing employees by double the work and improved efficiency.Thats clever Business Strategy Isn't it?

My Remarks : Yes
The Big Co's are like small kids, "Use the toys, the way you like it."

The Companies used recession as an excuse for

1. Changing the pattern of work from 8 hrs to 10-11 hrs.

2. Laying off less efficient/ not liked people.

3. cutting down the pay packages.

4. cripping off the Bonuses and incentives.

Before Recession, the courses like MBA, MFC, and other Specialised Masters were seen with respect.

Post recession they are bound to stand parallel to Class 12th students in most of the job profile.

IT Companies have started hiring B.Sc IT grads instead of B.Techs as the pay package asked is just the half.

Hospitality Co's have removes the stipend from the trainings(or have it as mere Rs. 500/- something), and take up 14-16 hours of the trainees.

Recruitment Firms Have Made a killing by registering a record number of unemployed-or-willing-to-be-better-employeds.

Recession made more of impact on the way people look at their employees in India, than what actually hit.
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10. Generation Y children are harder to teach
Sarika Singh, Assistant Professor, BIT
Industry : Radio, TV & FilmsFunctional Area : Growth(Strategy & Execution)

With the passing of every generation, it becomes tougher and tougher to make things learn to the coming generations as every generation considers itself more intelligent to than the previous one and older ideas to be outdated. Being a teacher, many a times, I have personally felt that it is very tough to teach the modern generation, i.e, Generation Y.

I am sure many people in this platform also might have felt similar kinds of problems. Thus, I would like to ask you all, according to you people, what can be done for this for this? How can we teach the children belonging to generation Y? Please share your views....

My Remarks:
Lets Change with the change
In classical age, people had a very traditional way of leaning, waterman ink pens, thick pulp papers.

Then came books, and blackboards.

Then came Classrooms and College Environments.

The World has been changing, all the time. Hence the way people groom, learn and grow also WILL CHANGE.

The same question shall be raised by our Children, for their children too.

Let's change with the world. We cannot control Technology, and exposure, Let's control our way of dealing with children.

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11. Indian academia not upto the Industry standards: Kiran mazumdar shaw
Namrata Pathak, Accounts Manager, American Express
Industry : Industrial Products/Heavy MachineryFunctional Area : India(Markets)

Recently, by recognizing the technical innovations of young Indian engineers, Massachusetts Institute of Technology's(MIT) Technology Review honored 20 Indians below the age of 35, but speaking at the same forum, Biocon CMD Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw said that Indian academia has not reached to that standard where industry could think of partnering with them.

According to her, for creating an ecosystem it is very important to have a collaboration between government, academia and industry, but in India, institutions are yet to reach the standard of MIT. Though Indian engineers have skills, but it is getting lost somewhere.

So users, what do you think, Is Indian academia not upto the Industry standards? do share your views on this..........


My Remarks:


Have you ever heard that the government ministers, Big Education Institutions, and Industry Senior HR people met and discussed what is required, and what is being done, and what can make things better?

All the Systems are working in a Ram Bharose style...

I fully agree with Kiran Ma'am.

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12. Only Britishers could have invented this Language
Paresh.Khanchandani, Process Manager, E-Procurement Technologies Limited

THE BEAUTY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE UNDONE

We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,
Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.

If the plural of man is always called men,
Then shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?
If I speak of my foot and show you my feet,
And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?

Then one may be that, and three would be those,
Yet hat in the plural would never be hose,
And the plural of cat is cats, not cose.
We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren.
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
But imagine the feminine: she, shis and shim!

Let's face it - English is a crazy language.
There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
English muffins weren't invented in England ..We take English for granted, but if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square, and a
guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing,grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend. If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the folks who grew up speaking English could be running the danger of being called verbally insane.

In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?
We ship by truck but send cargo by ship.
We have noses that run and feet that smell.
We park in a driveway and drive in a parkway.
And how can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out, and in which an alarm goes off by going on.

And, in closing, if Father is Pop, how come Mother's not Mop?

I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT IF PEOPLE FROM POLAND ARE CALLED POLES THEN
PEOPLE FROM HOLLAND SHOULD BE HOLES AND THE GERMANS GERMS!!!

My Remark:


Paresh your insight is really great...

I feel English Language began with selection of sounds to frame alphabets and signs. Then people went places and picked words. All the words were taken as they were (in writing and speaking in their 26 alphabet draft). English contains more borrowed words than any other language... maybe that makes it so odd/ expansive/ confusing/ great.

Thanks for the post.

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13. Creative marketing for the HOTEL industry..!!
Adesh Dalvi, Marketing Executive, TAJ
Industry : BiotechnologyFunctional Area : Innovation(Strategy & Execution)

Let us ideate here a few creative ways of marketing for the hotel industry which can help them increasing their sales.

My Remarks:

Get a database of Upper Class, and upper middle Class. Get the database of their Birthdays and anniversaries.

Wish them.

Then gift them with a discounted offer for anniversary/ birthday.

We can offer anything from Banquets for party, to a holiday package with Gold card membership. Let them name it .. try giving ... se the clientel rise...

How about this idea..?

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14. How to be creative
Vishal Goel, Founder, Vismodeep
Being Creative is not something you get by doing a course, or program or seminar.

Being creative is the urge of asking the W questions about anything and everything and trying to solve it.

What if hamburgers were used as pillows?

What if Pens could read our thought and write it all by default?

What is money was non- existent, and world ran on smiles and sneers?

What if I did not hate "A"? What if "B" loved me?

Any question that you fear, or admire to ask, leads to a creative thinking.

And any solution you get out for these questions... is CREATIVITY.

:)

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15. How can we promote customer feedback?
Radha Sharma, Sales/BD Manager, TCS

Customer feedback is one of our most valuable assets. It helps us to improve consumer confidence and boost sales. So I want to ask the users in this platform how they think customer feedback can be promoted?

My Remark:
Make the Customers feel important...
The customers laze off in giving feedback feeling their individual feedback has no much relevance aforth the inertia of large numbers operating in the results.

Inviting them to the work, or research premises will add value to your questionnaire.

Now you might say, How many can you call in a base of Millions of people!

Be honest! How many of the customers have you met with a warm smile and told them of the importance of their feedback. How many of your customers have you invited at you production facility, or office to interact with you.

Let them associate their lives with you. they will not only give feedback, but also be a brand ambassador for your company.

:)

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16.
How students should be groomed to face different scenarios of market in future
Leena Khade, Banc Assurance, Deutsche Bank
Radio, TV & FilmsFunctional Area : India(Markets)

Earlier when recession happened many blamed all the MBA people who were unable to handle the situation, as they didn't know what to do as never one had faced such situation before.

And in future we can see businesses getting affected by climate and environment changes, corporate governance, geo-political issues and redundancy, innovation and inclusive growth with environment empathy define strategies in HR, marketing, finance, and product design... almost every aspect of business.

This raises a question, that how students should be groomed to face different scenarios of market in future? Please share your views on this.....

My Remark:
Simultaion Teams

Many MBA Colleges have come with this concept of Simulation games to give real time feel about the possible events in the Corporate environment.

All students made to team up and think on real time topics like:

If our company took a very big order, then the client backed off... what next?

If one of the management team is corrupt, all know it, but can't speak out.. what next?

I give you 20 lakh Rupees, Plan a business venture with all details you can.... with all specifics.

I believe this practice should be there with all the professional Courses.

Also real time Company Exposures seeing the workplace, and interacting with the People currently working in these environments is a blessing in disguise they can have...

Also if a person guides them, what part of their theoretical study can be correlated with which practical aspect. they will become much more employable, and job ready.

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17. What Education reforms you want to see to reduce the burden on students?
Smita Dalvi, Sales/BD Manager, Hewlett-Packard
Teaching/EducationFunctional Area : Executive Education(Personal Interests)

Recently Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal expressed concern at the increasing pressure on schoolchildren, resulting in their committing suicide. I have already seen a similar kind of Idea contest where how one should deal Increasing in number of youth suicide.

But here we are talking of education system which is creating too much of pressure on students, which is making them to commit suicide. So what kind of Education reforms do you want to see in future to prevent less stress among students? Do share your views.

My Remark:
Making growth a progressive transition and not Paradigm shifts.
Our Education system is governed by the bodies responsible of making the people Educated.

All the schools are different. A boy switches schools, he has to adapt entirely to a new environment, study pattern, everything. Somewhere inside he feels, all his experience from past is irrelevant for the present. A Generalist till Class 10th, all of a sudden has to make a paradigm focus shift from Science sst Math, english and sanskrit, only to find that now he has to chose only one among the all subjects he read till then. Isn't this choice discomforting?

Then again post 12th, he has to go for grads, same Cycle repeats, Post Graduation, the same vicious cycle repeating.

Making at least four Paradigm attitudinal and perception shifts, a child is barely left decisive.

Then he is supposed to look for JOB?

and he has no practical exposure to back him there, all the 17 years of education feels vague in front of the new experience he gets, hence he again has to change by a paradigm.

I feel the Education System should focus on making this abrupt process more smooth and transition mode easily practicable.

It can be done by telling a class Vth student, why he needs to study all that he has to study in 6th class.

It can be done by telling the students that they can asses their core intrest areas in class 9th itself, because many proffessional diplomas also engage 10th pass.

I donot say students need to be exposed to all aspects of society.

But if we can afford to keep them in vacuum till junior highs, cant we be generous enought to guide them through their life transitions by giving them planned exposures.

Companies look for Employable people not educated people.

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18. Do MBA graduates deserve such high salary packages?
Sonam Kapoor, Software Developer, IBM
Industry : Human Resources (HR) ConsultingFunctional Area : Talent Management(People Management)

Recently we are seeing news like IIM Kolkata MBA graduate got a whopping 1.4 cr package and other IIM placements across the country also getting salary package in the range of 80 lakhs or more than that.....

I mean why are these guys getting such high salary pakcages, what is that they do that other normal non MBA guys do...there are many people at senior positions who are not having MBA degrees for that matter, why only MBA guys get a fat pay package and not others...with all this I would like to ask users here on the platform of Toostep, do MBA graduates really deserve such high salary package? Share your views on this.

My Remark: YES

I won't be a blind supporter, but please see to it. An MBA is a person who has given two years of his life, simply polishing and developing his skills, to fit in the Corporate world. The aspects of a job, especially the Interpersonal Skills, and Managerial aptitude the person might have, is more likely to be better than the Graduate with a year of Experience.

Again there are two types of MBAs. Cat 1: who hone for the fact that they have an MBA Certificate, and Cat 2:the others whose personality reflects professionalism, and who inspire a halo of perfection, people look at them and say, " He is an MBA!".I am talking about the Cat 2 MBAs.

I feel the Kind of personal aura a well spent MBA Program gives, is much more than an experience of similar time frame. Moreover, MBAs are more in demand in the places requiring Communication skills and managerial promptness. The people from their specialized fields are masters at what they do, but the probability of them being that well representable, is comparatively less.

Talking of the current scene, if a person happens to be an MBA from a small institute, He is not considered anywhere better than a B-Tech. Ask the employers, they'll tell better. They forget that a lot more hardship goes into completing a 2 years course to stand competing with IIMs and Singhads.

I have been a victim in some instances, where my CV was rejected for mere fact that I was from a College they'd not heard of.But the people who meet our batch say, there is something good radiating from them. Trust me... Taking a name MBA for granted is acceptible, but taking an investment of 2 years of life by Lakhs of all around India, is simply not justified.

There are many, who enter this course without the idea of what they are doing, the repo of MBA program has gone down because of them. I feel for the intellectuals who spent their 2 years of life, only to sit in rounds of interviews with their graduate counterparts.

:)
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19. Should English be taught to children over mother tongue?
Sudeep Tarafdar, Senior Consultant, IBM
Industry : Radio, TV & FilmsFunctional Area : India(Markets)

A recent news report highlighted the fact that only 48.3% of Indian children in Class 1 could read the English alphabet, even in big capital letters.
The annual education audit by the NGO Pratham showed that Gujarat had the worst record: only 25.3% of Gujarati children could read capital letters in English, and only 8% could read English sentences.

To rectify this, and join the globalisation bandwagon, the Gujarat government proposes to teach English in Class 1. Other states are making similar moves.

What do you think people is this the right move, Should English be taught to children over mother tongue? share your views

My Remark:
From the small exposure to the foreign clients, I have seen that the people in Korean Region, UAE, Iraq, and especially Japan and China, speak very precise English with minimized accent and exaggerations, and at a slower rate of speech. Their Language sounds crisp, clear, and just enough to convey the message. I had a chatter with one my clients( I pray my boss isn't on toostep!), they said that exhaustive english is taught only when there is a need for it. Else, they focus more on subjective knowledge gathering, and decoding of the global information in their own mother tongue.

She asked me a question and I was dumb on it. She asked ," How many Hindi wesites can you name? and English?" , " I know 100s of sites in Japanese."

Does anyone around have any answer to that...

Handy knowledge of English is enough. And if the child feels attracted, his instincts will teach him better.

Otherwise putting an imposed foreign language ahead of ours, right from the grassroots, only can weaken our own integrity and respect for our National Sentiments.

" To be a global leader, one must take pride in what he is, and where he belongs. Are the children being allowed this prestigious honour?"

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20. How can we reduce study stress in children without compromising with the quality of education?
Sarika Singh, Assistant Professor, BIT
Industry : Teaching/EducationFunctional Area : India(Markets)

Every time, when designing the new education policy, the state government finds itself walking a tight rope. These days, the education department is working on creating a whole new policy for schooling that goes beyond just academics and examinations.

But at the same time, it will have to ensure that in an increasingly globalised world, state board students will be able to compete with their counterparts in other parts of the country and the world. They have to create a policy that is stress-free as students are overburdened with the pressure of exams. But without compromising on quality.

So users, how do you think we can reduce stress in children without compromising with the quality of education?

My Remarks:
Make the education process fun...

I also faced a lot of trouble preparing for the schools and colleges.

But I had this trick, that always worked. I never could remember Alloys,

I did not, I made it into a wordcraft jingle,

" fenicro stain Cfestil Brascozin and broncutin, pbtinsolder german silver conizin. duralcomagman."

Dont get hassled... It means ," Fe Ni Cr are present in Stainless steel, C Fe are present in steel, Brass contains Cu and Zn, Bronze contains Cu and Tin, Solder contains Pb and Tin, German Silver has Cu Ni & Zn, Duralium contains Al Cu Mg Mn.

I had similar codes for many tough topics in subjects ranging from, physics to biology, hindi to economics, and History to Maths....

The key is to attach the things and concepts being learnt with daily life, and being spoken often, people often being met.

Like in hostel we Request our colleague, " Ek din k liye copy de do..."

I made , " Ec pole socu na dete in" meaning Economic, Politico Legal, Socio-Cultural, Natural, Demographical, Technological, International. These are Aspects of a Business Environment.

It's not a rocket science injecting fun... try thinking their age, the answers will come.

Whatever you do to the Education system, it is the students who have to learn. perhaps, making studies FUN will solve all the problems, and Taking any Macro level steps can solve other issues for sure, but not this one.

:)

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21.
100 brands competing for the consumer’s attention..& still counting..
Namrata Pathak, Accounts Manager, American Express
Industry : Advertising/PR/MR/EventsFunctional Area : Branding(Sales & Marketing)

With the upcoming of IPL - War Of Warriors, many companies have lined their strategies to promote their brands/products. More than 100 brands are competing on the platform of IPL for the attention of consumer's. IPL had, last month, floated new sponsorship slots for the 11 cities that will host 60 matches this season at Rs 8-10 crore per sponsor.
The sponsors were offered access to branding on perimeters and in-stadia displays. But most marketers have found the price, about one-fourth of what a central sponsor like DLF pays, far too steep to spend on a specific city.
So, is IPL really a hot spot for companies & their brands?? Suggest your views....

My Remark:


this year, the broadcast will be a chaos of ads and noise of crowd at stadium. Every time any shot is hit, Stars will come in 10 second snippet ads bashing their style promoting something cheerful. When someone get's out, the insurance Co.'s will flash their names and ads. on the main game screen, the only part of game visible will be the batsman and the bowler , the pitch and the path of the ball. rest of the screen will flash with promos and ads...

Also Youtube will be Showing IPL, so you can expect a popup of an ad every 10 seconds you watch the game. God knows you'll kill the popups or stop watching.

The Hype of Cricket is about to reach the threshold. Let's see if it reaches there this IPL.

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more ahead...
keep watching...
:)

thanks for reading through...

My Articles...

Article 1



The Boiling Frog test

Test 1

Take a big water utensil. Fill it with water. Start boiling it. As soon as water becomes Hot, make a frog go in it.

Result: The frog will immediately jump out of it.

Test 2

Take a big water utensil. Fill it with water. Dip a frog in the water. Start Boiling. Let the water Get hot, then boil.

Result: The Frog does not jump out, and EXPLODES after a tipping temprature and time of Boiling.



Reason:

When the water is hot, and frog jumps into it, he realises that the water is too hot for him to survive, hence he springs back out.

When the frog is made to stay in pitcher before heating the water. He gets accustomed to the temprature, with rising temprature, he tries to make his body adapt to it. but after a point, the body becomes numb and he cannot help... later to which... it EXPLODES.

Which Frog are you?...


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Article 2

WHY DO WE MISS THE PEOPLE & PLACES WE LET GO...

A youth in the jungle, knelt beside a lake to contemplate his own beauty. He was so fascinated by himself that, one morning he fell into the lake and drowned. At the spot where he fell, a flower was born, it was called Narcissus.

When Narcissus died, the Goddesses of the forest appeared and found the lake which had been fresh water, transformed into a lake of salty tears.

"Why do you weep?" The Goddesses asked.

" I weep for Narcissus". The lake replied.

They said ,"for though we always pursued him in the forest, you alone could contemplate his beauty close at hand"

"But! was Narcissus beautiful?" the lake asked.

"Who better than you would know that!" The goddesses said in wonder ,"After all, it was by your banks that he knelt each day to contemplate himself".

The lake was silent for sometime. Finally it said ,"I weep for Narcissus, but I never noticed that Narcissus was beautiful. I weep because each time he knelt beside my bank, I could see, in the depth of his eyes, MY OWN BEAUTY REFLECTED!"

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Article 3

Tow choices: must read

A small inspiring abstract by Petty Hansen.

TWO CHOICES

Two seeds lay side by side in the fertile spring soil.

The first seed said ,"I want to grow, I want to send my roots deep into the soil beneath me and thrust my sprouts through earth's crust above me...

I want to unfurl my tender buds like banners to announce the arrival of spring.... I want to feel the warmth of the sun on my face and blessing of the of the morning dew on my petals."

And so she Grew.

The Second said ," I'm Afraid! If I let my roots into the ground Below, I don't know what I will encounter in the dark. If I push my way through the hard soil above me, I may damage my delicate sprouts .... What if I let my buds open and a snail tries to eat them? And if I were to open my Blossom, some small child may pull me from the ground. No, it's much better for me to wait until it is safe.

And so she waited.

A yard hen scratching around in the early spring ground for food found the waiting seed and promptly ATE IT.

Moral : Those of us who refuse to risk and grow, get swallowed up by life.

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Article 4

Soch bhala kya pachhtaye..



Hi,

this is my latest composition...

Kyun Pachhtaye

kal kal karti jeevan dhaara, ek madhur sandesh sunaye,

mera man kuchh kehte karte, Soch bhala kya pachhtaye.



Oopar hai akaash khula, dharti ki dhara neeche fayli,

beech bandhi apni duniya me, jhatak raha chaadar mayli,

Krandan sun sapno ka, sach me jeene ka abhyas karun,

Door ki duniya samajh na aayi, khud par bas vishwas karun.



Sach aur swapn ka man me manthan, jaane kya kuchh dikhlaaye,

Mera man kuchh kehte karte, Soch bhala kya pachhtaye.



Vartaman me apne Upar, prashn chinh ban kar k khade hai,

hum ashwaasan, aur pravanchan, dekh dekh kar hue bade hain.

Sheheron ki hariyaali khoyi, gaon me ghee, aur ganne ka ras,

jeevan me nakleepan jeeta, kudrat khadi dekhti bebas.



Jeevan dhaara ki mithas me, khud hi kadve ark milaye,

mera man kuchh kehte karte, Soch bhala kya pachhtaye.

- Sujeet Kumar Vishwakarma

:)

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Article 5

What an Attitude!

A little boy was overheard talking to himself as he strode through his backyard, a baseball cap in place and toting a ball and a bat.

"I'm the greatest Baseball player in the world" , he said proudly. Then he tossed the ball in the air, swung and MISSED.

He picked up the ball undaunted, he picked up the ball threw it in the air and said " I'm the greatest Baseball Player ever".

He swung at the ball and again he MISSED.

He paused and examined his bat and ball carefully. Then once again threw the ball in the air and said, " I'm the best Baseball Player who ever lived".

He Swung and MISSED AGAIN.

.

.

"WOW!" He Exclaimed.

"WHAT A PITCHER!"

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Article 6

Who's Mad and who's not?

A Powerful Wizard, who wanted to destroy an entire Kingdom, placed a magic potion in the well from which all the inhabitants drank. Whoever drank the water, would go mad.

The following Morning, whole population drank the water from the well, and they all went mad, apart from the king and his family, who had a well set aside for them alone, and which the magician had not managed to poison. King was worried and tried to control the population by issuing a series of edicts governing security and public health. The policemen and inspectors, however, had also drunk the poisoned water and they thought the king's decisions were absurd and and resolved to take no notice of of them.

When inhabitants of the kingdom heard these decrees, they became convinced that the king had gone mad, and was giving nonsensical orders. They marched to the castle and asked for his abdiction.

In Despair, the king prepared to step down the throne, but queen stopped him, saying, " Let us go and drink from that well and then, we will be same as them.

They drank the water of madness, and immediately started talking nonsense. The subjects repented at once, now that the king was showing SUCH WISDOM! Why not allow him continue ruling the country?

People think they are normal because they've drunk from the same well. They think they are normal because they all do same things.

What about you? ...

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Article 7

AN AMAZING WAY TO DEAL WITH CHANGE IN YOUR WORK AND IN YOUR LIFE



I'd like to share this brilliant piece of work by DR. SPENCER JOHNSON. It's called

"Who moved my cheese"

The Story

Once, long ago in a land far away, there lived four little characters who ran through a maze looking for cheese to nourish them and make them happy.
Two were mice named "Sniff" and "Scurry" and two were littlepeople - beings who were as small as mice but who looked and acted a lot like people today. Their names were "Hem" and "Haw".
Due to their small size, it would be easy not to notice what the four of them were doing. But if you looked closely enough, you could discover the most amazing things!
Every day the mice and the littlepeople spent time in the maze looking for their own special cheese.

The mice, Sniff and Scurry, possessing only simple rodent brains, but good instincts, searched for the hard nibbling cheese they likes, as mice often do.
The two littlepeople, Hem and Haw, used their brains, filled with many beliefs, to search for a very different kind of Cheese - with a capital C - which they believed would make them feel happy and successful.

As different as the mice and littlepeople were, they shared something in common; every morning, they each put on their jogging suits and running shoes, left their little homes, and raced out into the maze looking for their favourite cheese.
The maze was a labyrinth of corridors and chambers, some containing delicious cheese. But there were also dark corners and blind alleys leading nowhere. It was an easy place for anyone to get lost.

However, for those who found their way, the maze held secrets that led them enjoy a better life.

The mice, Sniff and Scurry, used the simple, but inefficient, trial-and-error method of finding cheese. They ran down one corridor and if it proved empty, they turned and ran down another.
Sniff would smell out the general direction of the cheese, using his great nose, and Scurry would race ahead. They got lost, as you might expect, went off in the wrong direction and often bumped into walls.
However, the two littlepeople, Hem and Haw used a different method that relied on their ability to think and learn from their past experiences, although, they would sometimes get confused by their beliefs and emotions.

Eventually in their own way, they all discovered what they were looking for - they each found their own kind of cheese one day at the end of one of the corridors in Cheese Station C.
Every morning after that, the mice and the littlepeople dressed in their running gear and headed over to Cheese Station C. It wasn't long before they each established their own routine.
Sniff and Scurry continued to wake early every day and race through the maze, always following the same route.

When they arrived at their destination, the mice took off their running shoes, tied them together and hung them around their necks - so they could get to them quickly whenever they needed them again. Then they enjoyed the cheese.

In the beginning Hem and Haw also raced toward Cheese Station C every morning to enjoy the tasty new morsels that awaited them.
But after a while, a different routine set in for the littlepeople.
Hem and Haw awoke each day a little later, dressed a little slower, and walked to Cheese Station C. After all, they knew where the Cheese was now and how to get there.
They had no idea where the Cheese came from, or who put it there. They just assumed it would be there.
As soon as Hem and Haw arrived at Cheese Station C each morning, they settled in and made themselves at home. They hung up their jogging suits, put away their running shoes and put on their slippers. They were becoming very comfortable now that they had found the Cheese.
"This is great," Hem said. "There's enough Cheese here to last us forever." The littlepeople felt happy and successful, and thought they were now secure.
It wasn't long before Hem and Haw regarded the Cheese they found at the Cheese Station C as their cheese. It was such a large store of Cheese that they eventually moved their homes to be closer to it, and built a social life around it.
To make themselves feel more at home, Hem and Haw decorated the walls with sayings and even drew pictures of Cheese around them which made them smile. One read:
HAVING CHEESE MAKES YOU HAPPY.
Sometimes Hem and Haw would take their friends by to see their pile of Cheese at Cheese Station C, and point to it with pride, saying, "Pretty nice Cheese, huh?" Sometimes they shared it with their friends and sometimes they didn't.
"We deserve this Cheese," Hem said. "We certainly had to work long and hard enough to find it." He picked up a nice fresh piece and ate it.
Afterwards, Hem fell asleep, as he often did.
Every night the littlepeople would waddle home, full of Cheese, and every morning they would confidently return for more.
They went on for quite some time.
After a while Hem's and Haw's confidence grew into arrogance. Soon they became so comfortable they didn't even notice what was happening.
As time went on, Sniff and Scurry continued their routine. They arrived early each morning and sniffed and scratched and scurried around Cheese Station C, inspecting the area to see if there had been any changes from the day before. Then they would sit down to nibble on the cheese.
One morning they arrived at Cheese Station C and discovered there was no cheese.
They weren't surprised. Since Sniff and Scurry had noticed the supply of cheese had been getting smaller every day, they were prepared for the inevitable and knew instinctively what to do.
They looked at each other, removed the running shoes they had tied together and hung conveniently around their necks, put them on their feet and laced them up.
The mice did not overanalyze things. And they were not burdened with many complex beliefs.
To the mice, the problem and the answer were both simple. The situation at Cheese Station C had changed. So, Sniff and Scurry decided to change.
They both looked out into the maze. Then Sniff lifted his nose, sniffed and nodded to Scurry, who took off running through the maze while Sniff followed as fast as he could.
They were quickly off in search of New Cheese.
Later that same day, Hem and Haw arrived at Cheese Station C. They had not been paying attention to the small changes that had been taking place each day, so they took it for granted their Cheese would be there.
They were unprepared for what they found.
"What! No Cheese?" Hem yelled. He continued yelling, "No Cheese? No Cheese?" as though if he shouted loud enough someone would put it back.

"Who moved my Cheese?" he hollered.

Finally, he put his hands on his hips, his face turned red, and he screamed at the top of his voice, "It's not fair!"
Haw just shook his head in disbelief. He, too, had counted on finding Cheese at Cheese Station C. He stood there for a long time, frozen with shock. He was just not ready for this.
Hem was yelling something, but Haw didn't want to hear it. He didn't want to deal with what was facing him, so he just tuned everything out.
The littlepeople's behavoir was not very attractive or productive but it was understandable.
Finding Cheese wasn't easy, and it meant a great deal more to the littlepeople than just having enough of it to eat every day.
Finding Cheese was the littlepeoples' way of getting what they though they needed to be happy. They had their own ideas of what Cheese meant to them, depending on their taste.
For some, finding Cheese was having material things. For others it was enjoying good health, or developing a spiritual sense of well-being.
For Haw, Cheese just meant feeling safe, having a loving family someday and living in a cozy cottage on Cheddar Lane.
To Hem, Cheese was becoming A Big Cheese in charge of others and owning a big house atop Camembert Hill.
Because Cheese was important to them, the two littlepeople spent a long time trying to decide what to do. All they could think of was to keep looking around Cheeseless Station C to see if the Cheese was really gone.
While Sniff and Scurry had quickly moved on, Hem and Haw continued to hem and haw.
They ranted and raved at the injustice of it all. Haw started to get depressed. What would happen if the Cheese wasn't there tomorrow? He had made future plans based on this Cheese.
The little people couldn't believe it. How could this have happened? No one had warned them. It wasn't right. It was not the way things were supposed to be.
Hem and Haw went home that night hungry and discouraged. But before they left, Haw wrote on the wall :
THE MORE IMPORTANT YOUR CHEESE IS TO YOU THE MORE YOU WANT TO HOLD ON TO IT.
The next day Hem and Haw left their homes, and returned to Cheese Station C again, where they still expected, somehow, to find their Cheese.
The situation hadn't changed, the Cheese was no longer there. The littlepeople didn't know what to do. Hem and Haw just stood there, immobilized like two statues.
Haw shut his eyes as tight as he could and put his hands over his ears. He just wanted to block everything out. He didn't want to know the Cheese supply had gradually been getting smaller. He believed it had been moved all of a sudden.
Hem analyzed the situation over and over and eventually his complicated brain with its huge belief system took hold, "Why did they do this to me?" he demanded. "What's really going on here?"
Finally, Haw opened his eyes, looked around and said, "By the way, where are Sniff and Scurry? Do you think they know something we don't?"
Hem scoffed, "What would they know?"
Hem continued, "They're just simple mice. They just respond to what happens. We're littlepeople. We're special. We should be able to figure this out. And, besides, we deserve better.
"This should not happen to us, and if it does, we should at least get some benefits."
"Why should we get benefits?" Haw asked.
"Because we're entitled," Hem claimed.
"Entitled to what?" Haw wanted to know.
"We're entitled to our Cheese."
"Why?" Haw asked.
"Because, we didn't cause this problem." Hem said. "Somebody else did this and we should get something out of it."
Haw suggested, "Maybe we should stop analyzing the situation so much and just get along and find some new Cheese."
"Oh no," Hem argued. "I'm going to get to the bottom of this."
While Hem and Haw were still trying to decide what to do, Sniff and Scurry were already well on their way. They went farther into the maze, up and down corridors, looking for cheese in every Cheese Station they could find.
They didn't think of anything else but finding New Cheese.
They didn't find any for sometime until they finally went into an area of the maze where they had never been before: Cheese Station N.
They squealed with delight. They found what they had been looking for: a great supply of New Cheese.
They could hardly believe their eyes. It was the biggest store of cheese the mice had ever seen.
In the meantime, Hem and Haw were still back in Cheese Station C evaluation their situation. They were now suffering from the effects of having no Cheese. They were becoming frustrated and angry and were blaming each other for the situation they were in.
Now and then Haw thought about his mice buddies, Sniff and Scurry, and wondered if they had found any cheese yet. He believed they might be having a hard time, as running through the maze usually involved some uncertainty. But he also knew that it was likely to only last for a while.
Sometimes, Haw would imagine Sniff and Scurry finding New Cheese and enjoying it. He thought about how good it would be for him to be out on an adventure in the maze, and to find fresh New Cheese. He could almost taste it.
The more clearly Haw saw the image of himself finding and enjoying the New Cheese, the more he saw himself leaving Cheese Station C.
"Let's go!" he exclaimed, all of a sudden.
"No," Hem quickly responded. "I like it here. It's comfortable. It's what I know. Besides it's dangerous out there."
"No it isn't," Haw argued. "We've run through many parts of the maze before, and we can do it again."
"I'm getting too old for that," Hem said. "And I'm afraid I'm not interested in getting lost and making a fool of myself. Are you?"
With that, Haw's fear of failing returned and his hope of finding New Cheese faded.
So every day, the littlepeople continued to do what they had done before. They went to Cheese Station C, found no Cheese, and returned home, carrying their worried and frustrations with them.
They tried to deny what was happening, but found it harder to get to sleep, had less energy the next day, and were becoming irritable.
Their homes were not the nurturing places they once were. The littlepeople had difficulty sleeping and were having nightmares about not finding any Cheese.
But Hem and Haw still returned to Cheese Station C and waited there every day.
Hem said, "You know, if we just work harder we'll find that nothing has really changed that much. The Cheese is probably nearby. Maybe they just hid it behind the wall."
The next day, Hem and Haw returned with tools. Hem held the chisel while Haw banged on the hammer until they made a hole in the wall of Cheese Station C. They peered inside but found no Cheese.
They were disappointed but believed they could solve the problem. So they started earlier, stayed longer, and worked harder. But after a while, all they had was a large hole in the wall.
Haw was beginning to realize the difference between activity and productivity.
"Maybe," Hem said, "we should just sit here and see what happens. Sooner or later they have to put the Cheese back."
Haw wanted to believe that. So each day he went home to rest and returned reluctantly with Hem to Cheese Station C. But Cheese never reappeared.
By now the littlepeople were growing weak from hunger and stress. Haw was getting tired of just waiting for their situation to improve. He began to see that the longer they stayed in their Cheeseless situation, the worse off they would be.
Haw knew they were losing their edge.
Finally, one day Haw began laughing at himself. "Haw, haw, look at me. I keep doing the same things over and over again and wonder why things don't get better. If this wasn't so ridiculous, it would be even funnier."
Haw did not like the idea of having to run through the maze again, because he knew he would get lost and have no idea where he would find any Cheese. But he had to laugh at his folly when he saw what his fear was doing to him.
He asked Hem, "Where did we put our jogging suits and running shoes?" It took a long time to find them because they had put everything away when they found their Cheese at Cheese Station C, thinking they wouldn't be needing them anymore.
As Hem saw his friend getting into his running gear, he said, "You're not really going out into the maze again, are you? Why don't you just wait here with me until they put the Cheese back?"
"Because, you just don't get it," Haw said. "I didn't want to see it either, but how I realize they're never going to put the Old Cheese back. That was yesterday's Cheese. It's time to find New Cheese."
Hem argued, "But what if there is no Cheese out there? Or even if there is, what if you don't find
it?"
"I don't know," Haw said. He had asked himself those same questions too many times and started to feel the fears again that kept him where he was.
Then he though about finding New Cheese and all the good things that came with it and gathered his courage.
"Sometimes," Haw said, "things change and they are never the same again. This looks like one of those times, Hem. That's life! Life moves on. And so should we."
Haw looked at his emaciated companion and tried to talk sense to him, but Hem's fear had turned into anger and he wouldn't listen.
Haw didn't mean to be rude to his friend, but he had to laugh at how silly they both looked.
As Haw prepared to leave, he started to feel more alive, knowing that he was finally able to laugh at himself, let go and move on.
He announced, "It's maze time!"
Hem didn't laugh and he didn't respond.
Haw picked up a small, sharp rock and wrote a serious thought on the wall for Hem to think about. As was his custom, Haw even drew a picture of cheese around it, hoping it would help Hem to smile, lighten up, and go after the New Cheese. But Hem didn't want to see it.
It read:

IF YOU DO NOT CHANGE, YOU CAN BECOME EXTINCT.

Then, Haw stuck his head out and peered anxiously into the maze. He thought about how he'd gotten himself into this cheeseless situation.
He had believed that there may not be any Cheese in the maze, or he may not find it. Such fearful beliefs were immobilizing and killing him.
Haw smiled. He knew Hem was wondering, "Who moved my Cheese?" but Haw was wondering, "Why didn't I get up and move with the Cheese sooner?"
As he started out into the maze, Haw looked back to where he had come from and felt its comfort. He could feel himself being drawn back into familiar territory - even though he hadn't found Cheese there for some time.
Haw became more anxious and wondered if he really wanted to go out into the maze. He wrote a saying on the wall ahead of him and stared at it for some time:

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WEREN'T AFRAID?

He thought about it.
He knew sometimes some fear can be good. When you are afraid things are going to get worse, if you don't do something, it can prompt you into an action. But it is not good when you are afraid that it keeps you from doing anything.
He looked to his right, to the part of the maze where he had never been, and felt the fear.
Then, he took a deep breath, turned right into the maze, and jogged slowly, into the unknown.
As he tried to find his way, Haw worried, at first, that he might have waited too long in Cheese Station C. He hadn't had any Cheese for so long that he was now weak. It took him longer and it was more painful than usual to get through the maze. He decided that if he ever got the chance again, he would adapt to change sooner. It would make things easier.
Then, Haw smiled a weak smile as he thought, "Better late than never."
During the next several days, Haw found a little Cheese here and there, but nothing that lasted very long. He had hoped to find enough Cheese to take some back to Hem and encourage him to come out into the maze.
But Haw didn't feel confident enough yet. He had to admit, he found it confusing in the maze. Things seemed to have changed since the last time he was out here.
Just when he thought he was getting ahead, he would get lost in the corridors. It seemed his progress was two steps forward and one step backwards. It was a challenge, but he had to admit that being back in the maze, hunting for Cheese wasn't nearly as bad as he feared it might be.
As time went on he began to wonder if it was realistic for him to expect to find New Cheese. He wondered if he had bitten off more than he could chew. Then he laughed, realizing that he had nothing to chew on at the moment.
Whenever he started to get discouraged he reminded himself that what he was doing, as uncomfortable as it was at the moment, was in reality much better than staying in the Chesseless situation. He was taking control, rather than simply letting things happen to him.
Then he reminded himself, if Sniff and Scurry could move on, so could he!
Later, as Haw looked back on things, he realized that the Cheese at Cheese Station C had not just disappeared overnight, as he had once thought. The amount of Cheese that had been there toward the end had been getting smaller and what was left had grown old. It didn't taste as good.
Mold may even have begun to grow on the Old Cheese, although he hadn't noticed it. He had to admit however, that if he had wanted to, he probably could have seen what was coming. But he didn't.
Haw now realized that the change probably would not have taken him by surprise if he had been watching what was happening all long and if he had anticipated change. Maybe that's what Sniff and Scurry had been doing.
He stopped for a rest and wrote on the wall of the maze :

SMELL THE CHEESE OFTEN SO YOU KNOW WHEN IT IS GETTING OLD.

Sometime later, after not finding Cheese for what seemed like a long time, Haw finally came across a huge Cheese Station which looked promising. When he went inside, however, he was most disappointed to discover that the Cheese station was empty.
"This empty feeling has happened to me too often," he thought. He felt like giving up.
Haw was losing his physical strength. He knew he was lost and was afraid he would not survive. He thought about turning around and heading back to Cheese Station C. At least, if he made it back, and Hem was still there, Haw wouldn't be alone. Then he asked himself the same question, again: "What would I do if I weren't afraid?"
He was afraid more often than he liked to admit, even to himself. He wasn't always sure what he was afraid of, but, in his weakened condition, he knew now he was simply fearful of going on alone. Haw didn't know it, but he was running behind because he was weighed down by fearful beliefs.
Haw wondered if Hem had moved on, or if he was still paralysed by his fears. Then, Haw remembered the times when he had felt his best in the maze. It was when he was moving along.
He wrote on the wall, knowing it was as much a reminder to himself as it was a marking for his buddy Hem, hopefully, to follow :

MOVEMENT IN A NEW DIRECTION HELPS YOU FIND NEW CHEESE.

Haw looked down the dark passageway and was aware of his fear. What lay ahead? Was it empty? Or worse, were there dangers lurking? He began to imagine all kinds of frightening things that could happen to him. He was scaring himself to death.
Then he laughed at himself. He realized his fears were making things worse. So he did what he would do if he wasn't afraid. He moved in a new direction.
As he started running down the dark corridor he began to smile. Haw didn't realize it yet, but he was discovering what nourished his soul. He was letting go and trusting what lay ahead for him, even though he did not know exactly what it was.
To his surprise, Haw started to enjoy himself more and more. "Why do I feel so good?" he wondered. "I don't have any Cheese and I don't know where I am going."
Before long, he knew why he felt good.
He stopped to write again on the wall :

WHEN YOU MOVE BEYOND YOUR FEAR, YOU FEEL FREE.

Haw realized he had been held captive by his own fear. Moving in a new direction had freed him.
Now he felt the cool breeze that was blowing in this part of the maze and it was refreshing. He took in some deep breaths and felt invigorated by the movement. Once he had gotten past his fear, it turned out to be more enjoyable than he once believed it could be.
Haw hadn't felt this way for a long time. He had almost forgotten how much fun it was.
To make things even better, Haw started to paint a picture in his mind. He saw himself in great realistic detail, sitting in the middle of a pile of all his favourite cheeses - from Cheddar to Brie! He saw himself eating the many cheeses he likes, and he enjoyed what he saw. Then he imagined how much he would enjoy all the great tastes.
The more clearly he saw the imagine of New Cheese, the more real it became, and the more he could sense that he was going to find it.
He wrote:

IMAGINING MYSELF ENJOYING NEW CHEESE EVEN BEFORE I FIND IT, LEADS ME TO IT.

"Why didn't I do this before?" Haw asked himself.
Then he raced through the maze the greater strength and agility. Before long he spotted a Cheese Station and became excited as he noticed little pieces of New Cheese near the entrance.
They were types of Cheeses he had never seen before, but they looked great. He tried them and found that they were delicious. He ate most of the New Cheese bits that were available and put a few in his pocket to have later and perhaps share with Hem. He began to regain his strength.
He entered the Cheese Station with great excitement. But, to his dismay, he found it was empty. Somehow had already been there and had left only the few bits of New Cheese.
He realized that if he had moved sooner, he would very likely have found a good deal of New Cheese here.
Haw decided to go back and see if Hem was ready to join him.
As he retraced his stops, he stopped and wrote on the wall :

THE QUICKER YOU LET GO OF OLD CHEESE, THE SOONER YOU FIND NEW CHEESE.

After a while Haw made his way back to Cheese Station C and found Hem. He offered Hem bits of New Cheese, but was turned down.
Hem appreciated his friend's gesture but said, "I don't think I would like New Cheese. It's not what I'm used to. I want my own Cheese back and I'm not going to change until I get what I want."
Haw just shook his head in disappointment and reluctantly went back out on his own. As he returned to the farthest point he had reached in the maze, he missed his friend, but realized he liked what he was discovering. Even before he found what he hoped would be a great supply of New Cheese, if ever, he knew that what made him happy wasn't just having Cheese.
He was happy when he wasn't being run by his fear. He liked what he was doing now.
Knowing this, Haw didn't feel as weak as he did when he stayed in Cheese Station C with no Cheese. Just realizing he was not letting his fear stop him and knowing that he had taken a new direction nourished him and gave him strength.
Now he felt that it was just a question of time before he found what he needed. In fact, he sensed he had already found what he was looking for.
He smiled as he realized:

IT IS SAFER TO SEARCH IN THE MAZE THAN REMAIN IN A CHEESELESS SITUATION.

Haw realised again, as he had once before, that what you are afraid of is never as bad as what you imagine. The fear you let build up in your mind is worse than the situation that actually exits.
He's been so afraid of never finding New Cheese that he didn't even want to start looking. But since starting his journey he had found enough Cheese in the corridors to keep him going. Now he looked forward to finding more. Just looking ahead was becoming exciting.
His old thinking had been clouded by his worries and fears. He used to think about not having enough Cheese, or not having it last as long as he wanted. He used to think more about what could go wrong than what could go right.
But that had changed in the days since he had left Cheese Station C.
He used to believe that Cheese should never be moved and that change wasn't right.
Now he realized it was natural for change to continually occur, whether you expect it or not. Change could surprise you only if you didn't expect it and weren't looking for it.
When he realized he had changed his beliefs, he paused to write on the wall :

OLD BELIEFS DO NOT LEAD YOU TO NEW CHEESE.

Haw hadn't found any Cheese yet but, as he ran through the maze, he thought about what he had already learned.
How now realized that his new beliefs were encouraging new behaviors. He was behaving differently than when he kept returning to the same cheeseless station.
He knew when you change what you believe, you change what you do.
You can believe that a change will harm you and resist it. Or you can believe that finding New Cheese will help you to embrace the changed.
It all depends on what you choose to believe.
He wrote on the wall :

WHEN YOU SEE THAT YOU CAN FIND AND ENJOY NEW CHEESE, YOU CHANGE COURSE.

Haw knew he would be in a better shape now if he had embraced the changed much sooner and left Cheese Station C earlier. He would feel stronger in body and spirit and he could have coped better with the challenge of finding New Cheese. In fact, he probably would have found it by now if he had expected change, rather than wasting time denying that the change had already taken place.
He gathered his will and decided to keep proceeding into the newer parts of the maze. He found little bits of Cheese here and there and began to regain his strength and confidence.
As he thought back on where he had come from, Haw was glad he had written on the wall in many places. He trusted it would serve as a marked trail for Hem to follow through the maze, if he chose to leave Cheese Station C.
He just hoped he was heading in the right direction. He thought about the possibility that Hem would read The Handwriting On The Wall and find his way.
He wrote on the wall what he had been thinking about for some time :

NOTICING SMALL CHANGES EARLY HELPS YOU ADAPT TO THE BIGGER CHANGES THAT ARE TO COME.

By now, Haw had let go of the past and was adapting to the future.
He continued on through the maze with greater strength and speed. And before long, it happened.
When it seemed like he had been in the maze forever, his journey - or at least this part of his journey - ended quickly and happily.
Haw found New Cheese at Cheese Station N!
When he went inside, he was startled by what he saw. Piled high everywhere was the greatest supply of Cheese he had ever seen. He didn't recognize all that he saw, as some kinds of Cheese were new to him.
Then he wondered for a moment whether it was real or just his imagination, until he saw his old friends Sniff and Scurry.
Sniff welcomed Haw with a nod of his head, and Scurry waved his paw. Their fat little bellies showed that they had been here for some time.
Haw quickly said his hellos and soon took bites of every one of his favorite Cheeses. He pulled off his shoes and jogging suit and folded them neatly nearby in case he needed them again. Then he jumped into the New Cheese. When he had eaten his fill, he lifted a piece of fresh Cheese and made a toast. "Hooray for Change!"
As Haw enjoyed the New Cheese, he reflected on what he had learned.
He realized that when he had been afraid to change he had been holding on to the illusion of Old Cheese that was no longer there.
So what was it made him change? Was it the fear of starving to death? Haw thought, "Well, that helped."
Then he laughed and realized that he had started to change as soon as he had learned to laugh at himself and at what he had been doing wrong. He realized the fastest way to change is to laugh at your own folly - then you can let go and quickly move on.
He knew he had learned something useful about moving on from his mice buddies, Sniff and Scurry. They kept life simple. They didn't overanalyze or overcomplicate things. When the situation changed and the Cheese had been moved, they changed and moved with the Cheese. He would remember that.
Then Haw used his wonderful brain to do what littlepeople do better than mice.
He reflected on the mistakes he had made in the past and used them to plan for his future. He knew that you could learn to deal with change:
You could be more aware of the need to keep things simple, be flexible, and move quickly.
You did not need to overcomplicate matters or confuse yourself with fearful beliefs.
You could notice when the little changes began so that you would be better prepared for the big change that might be coming.
He knew he needed to adapt faster, for if you do not adapt in time, you might as well not adapt at all.
He had to admit that the bigger inhibitor to change lies within yourself, and that nothing gets better until you change.
Perhaps most important of all, he realized that there is always New Cheese out there whether you recognize it at the time or not. And that you are rewarded with it when you go past your fear and enjoy the adventure.
He knew some fear should be respected, as it can keep you out of real danger. But he realized most of his fears were irrational and had kept him from changing when he needed to change.
He didn't like it at the time, but he knew that the change had turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it led him to find better Cheese.
He had even found a better part of himself.
As Haw recalled what he had learned, he thought about his friend Hem. He wondered if Hem had read any of the sayings Haw had written on the wall at Cheese Station C and throughout the maze.
Had Hem ever decided to let go and move on? Had he ever entered the maze and discovered what could make his life better.
Haw thought about going back again to Cheese Station C to see if he could find Hem - assuming that Haw could find his way back there. If he found Hem, he thought he might be able to show him how to get out of his predicament. But Haw realized that he had already tried to get his friend to change.
Hem had to find his own way, beyond his comforts and past his fears. No one else could do it for him, or talk him into it. He somehow had to see the advantage of changing himself.
Haw knew he had left a trail for Hem and that he could find his way, if he could just read The Handwriting On The Wall.
He went over and wrote down a summary of what he had learned on the largest wall of Cheese Station N. He drew a large piece of cheese around all the insights he had become aware of, and smiled as he looked at what he had learned:

THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL

CHANGE HAPPENS

THEY KEEP MOVING THE CHEESE
ANTICIPATE CHANGE

GET READY FOR THE CHEESE TO MOVE
MONITOR CHANGE

SMELL THE CHEESE OFTEN SO YOU KNOW WHEN IT IS GETTING OLD
ADAPT TO CHANGE QUICKLY

THE QUICKER YOU LET GO OF OLD CHEESE,
THE SOONER YOU CAN ENJOY NEW CHEESE

CHANGE
MOVE WITH THE CHEESE

ENJOY CHANGE!

SAVOR THE ADVENTURE AND
ENJOY THE TASTE OF NEW CHEESE

BE READY TO CHANGE QUICKLY AND ENJOY IT AGAIN
THEY KEEP MOVING THE CHEESE

ANTICIPATE CHANGE
GET READY FOR THE CHEESE TO MOVE

MONITOR CHANGE
SMELL THE CHEESE OFTEN SO YOU KNOW WHEN IT IS GETTING OLD

ADAPT TO CHANGE QUICKLY
THE QUICKER YOU LET GO OF OLD CHEESE,
THE SOONER YOU CAN ENJOY NEW CHEESE

CHANGE
MOVE WITH THE CHEESE

ENJOY CHANGE!
SAVOR THE ADVENTURE AND

ENJOY THE TASTE OF NEW CHEESE
BE READY TO CHANGE QUICKLY AND ENJOY IT AGAIN

THEY KEEP MOVING THE CHEESE

Haw realized how far he had come since he had been with Hem in Cheese Station C, but knew it
would be easy for him to slip back if he got too comfortable. Each day he inspected Cheese Station N to see what the condition of his Cheese was. He was going to do whatever he could to avoid being surprised by unexpected change.
While Haw still had a great supply of Cheese, he often went out into the maze and explored New areas to stay in touch with what was happening around him. He knew it was safer to be aware of his real choices than to isolate himself in his comfort zone.
Then, Haw heard what he thought was the sound of movement out in the maze. As the noise grew louder, he realized that someone was coming.
Could it be that Hem was arriving? Was he about to turn the corner?
Haw said a little prayer and hoped - as he had many times before - that maybe, at last, his friend was finally able to .
MOVE WITH THE CHEESE AND ENJOY IT!