How do you get kids ready to become entrepreneurs?

How do you get kids ready to become entrepreneurs?

Journal Report

Read the complete Small Business report.

The classic answer, of course, is the lemonade stand: Encourage your kids to start a homespun business instead of just bugging you for money. But entrepreneurs and educators say the real solution goes much deeper than that. There are crucial psychological traits an entrepreneur needs to succeed, they say, and parents should help kids develop them at every opportunity.

Here's a look at those attributes—and how to foster them.

Adventurous

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Paul Hoppe

Parents should urge kids to explore their environment—and don't let them get too comfortable, advises Arthur Blank, co-founder of Home Depot Inc. and owner of the National Football League's Atlanta Falcons. That means urging them to ask questions constantly and develop an inquiring mind. For instance, "get them the right kind of toys—in which kids must figure out for themselves what to do," he says. And "on vacation, try different restaurants outside their comfort level."

Pierre Omidyar, founder of eBay Inc., agrees that exploration and inquiry are crucial lessons. "Our kids seem to thrive in situations that engage their curiosity and allow them to explore and discover the world around them on their own terms," Mr. Omidyar says.

In his own childhood, he was immersed in both Persian and French culture thanks to his parents' backgrounds. "Being exposed to and learning about these cultures taught me early on that there are different ways to think about any single situation, and that you don't always have to do things the way they've always been done," Mr. Omidyar says.

Dependable and Stable

Pramodita Sharma, a visiting professor at Babson College and director of the school's STEP Global Project for Family Enterprising, also advises parents to help their kids develop an inquiring mind. But she says a couple of other traits are just as important: conscientiousness and emotional stability.

Parents should insist that kids deliver high-quality work at the promised time, whether it's chores, homework or extracurricular activities. And parents should model good behavior, demonstrating control when emotions run high. They should also urge their children to take steps such as waiting to respond when they lose their temper.

Observant

Parents should help kids recognize that their world is full of business opportunities, and finding them just takes some careful observation and creativity.

Christine Poorman, executive director of the Chicago office of the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, which provides an entrepreneurship course for at-risk youths, says students are encouraged to walk around their communities and evaluate business needs. One student found her neighborhood's bodegas and hardware stores didn't have an online presence, so she created logos and websites for them.

Real-estate magnate Sam Zell also puts a high value on teaching curiosity and observation. An entrepreneur, he says, is always "seeing problems and then seeing solutions."

Sometimes those problems aren't as obvious as they look. "When I was 12, my parents moved from Chicago to the suburb of Highland Park," says Mr. Zell. Every day, "I would go into the city by train after school to attend Yeshiva school. I noticed that under the L track, they were selling Playboy magazines. I would pay 50 cents apiece for them and then bring them home to the suburbs to sell to my friends for $3—it was my first lesson in supply and demand."

Team Player

Sports can be a great classroom for entrepreneurial values. Mr. Blank says his six children, who have all played a variety of sports, have had to learn how to deal with setbacks and how to move past losses. "Sports teach how important teamwork is. The germ of the idea for Home Depot was with Bernie [Marcus] and me, but we also needed the ability to get other people excited about the idea—to get in the game, so to speak," he says.

Related Video

A child born with an extraordinary gift in the arts or intelligence can be difficult to raise. Kelsey Hubbard talks with WSJ's Sue Shellenberger about some of the challenges parents' face encouraging their kids without squashing their potential.

His son Joshua is captain of his eighth-grade soccer team, he says—a role that will help the boy learn about leadership and inspiring others, as well as playing his own position.

"Not winning every game and teamwork—these are all good lessons for entrepreneurship," Mr. Blank says.

Solitary pursuits can instill good values, too. Jim Koch, founder of Boston Beer Co., found climbing mountains a good building block in becoming an entrepreneur. "Climbers are a lot like entrepreneurs. They are willing to put themselves in a risky situation and then once there they become careful and cautious and try to reduce and eliminate the risk," says Mr. Koch, who taught mountaineering for Outward Bound in British Columbia in the 1970s.

Lead by Example

In the end, many entrepreneurs say the most valuable thing you can do to teach your kids about entrepreneurship is to practice it yourself.

For Mr. Blank, his parents were his biggest influence on his becoming an entrepreneur.

"I saw living examples of entrepreneurs," he says. "My dad was 39 years old when he started a pharmacy wholesale business. He passed away at 44 when I was 15. My mother, who was 37 at the time, had no business experience but was a risk taker in her own way. She grew the business and later sold it to a larger pharmaceutical firm."

For Scottrade founder and chief executive Rodger Riney, the entrepreneurial model was his grandfather, who owned several small businesses in Hannibal, Mo., including a fertilizer plant, cemetery, grain elevator, insurance firm, alfalfa plant and trailer-rental business.

His mother's lessons in the Golden Rule were another big inspiration. "I paid attention to that and tried to treat people the way I wanted to be treated, and that later translated into how I wanted to treat my customers," Mr. Riney says.

Ms. Haislip is a writer in Chatham, N.J. She can be reached at reports@wsj.com.

Data

Fast Slow : Strategy

Activity Vector Analysis

In 1940, using Marston's model, Walter Clarke developed a tool called the Activity Vector Analysis. It measured how one perceived themself and how one thought others perceived them. Participants took it twice with these two response focuses. The combination from these two focused responses described behavior with these four dimensions: Aggressive, Sociable, Stable, and Avoidant.

In 1950 John Cleaver created a 24-question forced-choice instrument from the Activity Vector Analysis. This instrument required the participant to select two words from four choices -- the word that was the MOST and LEAST like them.

In 1970, two professors from the University of Minnesota -- John Geier and Dorothy Downey -- created the DiSC® Personal Profile System, which took the responses from Cleaver's 24-question forced-choice instrument and identified a total of 15 classical patterns that emerged. They created a company called Performax Systems International to promote this assessment. In 1984, Curt Carlson (also a graduate of the University of Minnesota) purchased Performax Systems International and created Carlson Learning Company.

In 1994 the Personal Profile System was revalidated. Since the meaning of some words had changed over the years, some of the words were changed in the forced-choice instrument, and four more tetrads were added. Today's DiSC® assessment includes a total of 28 tetrads.

After Curt Carlson died, his company sold the DiSC Personal Profile System to The Riverside Company in 2000, which soon thereafter became Inscape Publishing, Inc. (Inscape is a hybrid word created from internal landscape.)

Today, more than 50 million people around the world have benefited from using the DiSC® assessment. Inscape Publishing has trademarked DiSC® with a small "i". The DISC model itself cannot be patented because Marston never developed a product to patent. He created the model and theory behind it, but never created an actual product that could be sold. Therefore, a number of companies have since created profiles based on Marston's model. The original assessment tool is the one created by what is now known as Inscape Publishing, Inc. You can always tell if you have the original assessment by looking for the small "i" in DiSC®.

In addition to DiSC, Inscape Publishing has created a number of other assessments and learning tools. We invite you to spend some time looking over the many samples, which you will find links to on this site.

* * * * * * * *

What does DiSC Mean? DiSC® is a non-critical tool for understanding behavioral types and styles. It is designed to help people explore personality and behavior types so they can better understand themselves and others. Each person's DiSC® profile is based on the combination of these four primary behavioral dimensions:


Dominance:

Direct, driver & decisive -- D's are strong-minded, aggressive, strong-willed people who enjoy challenges, taking action, and immediate results.

They thrive on power, prestige, authority, and individual accomplishment. They fear being taken advantage of through loss of control. Their focus tends to be on the bottom line. They ask WHAT questions. A good high D slogan: Just do it! (good with RESULTS)
Influence:

Social, optimistic & outgoing -- I's are "people" who prefer participating on teams, sharing ideas, entertaining and energizing others. They like to gain consensus.

They thrive on popularity, recognition, expression, and talking. They fear loss of social approval. They focus on shaping the environment by influencing or persuading others to see things their way. They ask WHO questions.

A good high I slogan: Don't worry, be happy! (good with PEOPLE)
Steadiness:

Stable, sympathetic & cooperative -- S's tend to be helpful team players. They prefer being behind the scenes, working in consistent and predictable ways. They don't like rapid change, and they don't like conflict. They are often good listeners.

They thrive on team work, structure, predictability, and calming down excited people. They fear loss of stability in the environment and abrupt changes. They focus on cooperating with others to carry out the task, being patient and loyal. They ask HOW questions. A good High S slogan: Don't rock the boat! (good with PROCESSES)
Conscientiousness: Concerned, cautious & correct -- C's usually plan ahead, constantly check for accuracy, and use systematic approaches. They thrive on details, proof, critical thinking, analysis, accuracy, and perfection. They fear criticism of their efforts or actions. They focus on quality and accuracy. They ask WHY questions. A good high C slogan: Measure twice, cut once! (good with DETAILS)

Six Keys to Changing Almost Anything - HBR

Six Keys to Changing Almost Anything - HBR

Change is hard. New Year's resolutions almost always fail. But at The Energy Project, we have developed a way of making changes that has proved remarkably powerful and enduring, both in my own life and for the corporate clients to whom we teach it.

Our method is grounded in the recognition that human being are creatures of habit. Fully 95 percent of our behaviors are habitual, or occur in response to a strong external stimulus. Only 5 percent of our choices are consciously self-selected.

In 1911, the mathematician Alfred North Whitehead intuited what researchers would confirm nearly a century later. "It is a profoundly erroneous truism," he wrote, "that we should cultivate the habit of thinking of what we are doing. The precise opposite is the case. Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking about them."

Most of us wildly overvalue our will and discipline. Ingenious research by Roy Baumeister and others has demonstrated that our self-control is a severely limited resource that gets progressively depleted by every act of conscious self-regulation.

In order to make change that lasts, we must rely less on our prefrontal cortex, and more on co-opting the primitive parts of our brain in which habits are formed.

Put simply, the more behaviors are ritualized and routinized — in the form of a deliberate practice — the less energy they require to launch, and the more they recur automatically

What follows are our six key steps to making change that lasts:

1. Be Highly Precise and Specific. Imagine a typical New Year's resolution to "exercise regularly." It's a prescription for failure. You have a vastly higher chance for success if you decide in advance the days and times, and precisely what you're going to do on each of them.

Say instead that you commit to do a cardiovascular work out Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6 a.m., for 30 minutes. If something beyond your control forces you to miss one of those days, you automatically default to doing that workout instead on Saturday at 9 a.m.

Researchers call those "implementation intentions" and they dramatically increase your odds of success.

2. Take on one new challenge at a time. Over the years, I've established a broad range of routines and practices, ranging from ones for weight training and running, to doing the most important thing first every morning without interruption for 90 minutes and then taking a break to spending 90 minutes talking with my wife about the previous week on Saturday mornings.

In each case, I gave the new practice I was launching my sole focus. Even then, in some cases, it's taken several tries before I was able to stay at the behavior long enough for it to become essentially automatic.

Computers can run several programs simultaneously. Human beings operate best when we take on one thing at a time, sequentially.

3. Not too much, not too little. The most obvious mistake we make when we try to change something in our lives is that we bite off more than it turns out we can chew. Imagine that after doing no exercise at all for the past year, for example, you get inspired and launch a regimen of jogging for 30 minutes, five days a week. Chances are high that you'll find exercising that much so painful you'll quit after a few sessions.

It's also easy to go to the other extreme, and take on too little. So you launch a 10-minute walk at lunchtime three days a week and stay at it. The problem is that you don't feel any better for it after several weeks, and your motivation fades.

The only way to truly grow is to challenge your current comfort zone. The trick is finding a middle ground — pushing yourself hard enough that you get some real gain, but not too much that you find yourself unwilling to stay at it.

4. What we resist persists.

Think about sitting in front of a plate of fragrant chocolate chip cookies over an extended period of time. Diets fail the vast majority of time because they're typically built around regularly resisting food we enjoy eating. Eventually, we run up against our limited reservoir of self control.

The same is true of trying to ignore the Pavlovian ping of incoming emails while you're working on an important project that deserves your full attention.

The only reasonable answer is to avoid the temptation. With email, the more effective practice is turn it off entirely at designated times, and then answer it in chunks at others. For dieters, it's to keep food you don't want to eat out of sight, and focus your diet instead on what you are going to eat, at which times, and in what portion sizes. The less you have to think about what to do, the more successful you're likely to be.

5. Competing Commitments.

We all derive a sense of comfort and safety from doing what we've always done, even if it isn't ultimately serving us well. Researchers Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey call this "immunity to change." Even the most passionate commitment to change, they've shown, is invariably counterbalanced by an equally powerful but often unseen "competing" commitment not to change.

Here's a very simple way to surface your competing commitment. Think about a change you really want to make. Now ask yourself what you're currently doing or not doing to undermine that primary commitment. If you are trying to get more focused on important priorities, for example, your competing commitment might be the desire to be highly responsive and available to those emailing you.

For any change effort you launch, it's key to surface your competing commitment and then ask yourself "How can I design this practice so I get the desired benefits but also minimize the costs I fear it will prompt?"

6. Keep the faith.

Change is hard. It is painful. And you will experience failure at times. The average person launches a change effort six separate times before it finally takes. But follow the steps above, and I can tell you from my own experience and that of thousands of clients that you will succeed, and probably without multiple failures.

Oxymorons

1. virtual reality

2. original copy

3. old news

4. act naturally

5. pretty ugly

6. living dead

7. jumbo shrimp
8. rolling stop

9. constant variable

10. exact estimate

11. paid volunteers

12. civil war

13. sound of silence

14. clever fool

15. only choice

Great Proverbs

From 4-hour Work Week


Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect. - MARK TWAIN

Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination - OSCAR WILDE

Assertive Communication

Elements of the Assertive Style

1. Mottoes and Beliefs
* Believes self and others are valuable
* Knowing that assertiveness doesn't mean you always win, but that you handled the situation as effectively as possible
* "I have rights and so do others."
2. Communication Style
* Effective, active listener
* States limits, expectations
* States observations, no labels or judgments
* Expresses self directly, honestly, and as soon as possible about feelings and wants
* Checks on others feelings
3. Characteristics
* Non-judgmental
* Observes behavior rather than labeling it
* Trusts self and others
* Confident
* Self-aware
* Open, flexible, versatile
* Playful, sense of humor
* Decisive
* Proactive, initiating
4. Behavior
* Operates from choice
* Knows what it is needed and develops a plan to get it
* Action-oriented
* Firm
* Realistic in her expectations
* Fair, just
* Consistent
* Takes appropriate action toward getting what he/she wants without denying rights of others
5. Nonverbal Cues
* Open, natural gestures
* Attentive, interested facial expression
* Direct eye contact
* Confident or relaxed posture
* Vocal volume appropriate, expressive
* Varied rate of speech
6. Verbal Cues
* "I choose to..."
* "What are my options?"
* "What alternatives do we have?"
7. Confrontation and Problem Solving
* Negotiates, bargains, trades off, compromises
* Confronts problems at the time they happen
* Doesn't let negative feelings build up
8. Feelings Felt
* Enthusiasm
* Well being
* Even tempered
9. Effects
* Increased self-esteem and self-confidence
* Increased self-esteem of others
* Feels motivated and understood
* Others know where they stand

Clearly, the assertive style is the one to strive for. Keep in mind that very few people are all one or another style. In fact, the aggressive style is essential at certain times such as:

* when a decision has to be made quickly;
* during emergencies;
* when you know you're right and that fact is crucial;
* stimulating creativity by designing competitions destined for use in training or to increase productivity.

Passiveness also has its critical applications:

* when an issue is minor;
* when the problems caused by the conflict are greater than the conflict itself;
* when emotions are running high and it makes sense to take a break in order to calm down and regain perspective;
* when your power is much lower than the other party's;
* when the other's position is impossible to change for all practical purposes (i.e., government policies, etc.).

Elements of the Aggressive Style

1. Mottos and Beliefs
* "Everyone should be like me."
* "I am never wrong."
* "I've got rights, but you don't."
2. Communication Style
* Close minded
* Poor listener
* Has difficulty seeing the other person's point of view
* Interrupts
* Monopolizing
3. Characteristics
* Achieves goals, often at others' expense
* Domineering, bullying
* Patronizing
* Condescending, sarcastic
4. Behavior
* Puts others down
* Doesn't ever think they are wrong
* Bossy
* Moves into people's space, overpowers
* Jumps on others, pushes people around
* Know-it-all attitude
* Doesn't show appreciation
5. Nonverbal Cues
* Points, shakes finger
* Frowns
* Squints eyes critically
* Glares
* Stares
* Rigid posture
* Critical, loud, yelling tone of voice
* Fast, clipped speech
6. Verbal Cues
* "You must (should, ought better)."
* "Don't ask why. Just do it."
* Verbal abuse
7. Confrontation and Problem Solving
* Must win arguments, threatens, attacks
* Operates from win/lose position
8. Feelings Felt
* Anger
* Hostility
* Frustration
* Impatience
9. Effects
* Provokes counteraggression, alienation from others, ill health
* Wastes time and energy oversupervising others
* Pays high price in human relationships
* Fosters resistance, defiance, sabotaging, striking back, forming alliances, lying, covering up
* Forces compliance with resentment

Elements of the Passive Style

1. Mottoes and Beliefs
* "Don't express your true feelings."
* "Don't make waves."
* "Don't disagree."
* "Others have more rights than I do."
2. Communication Style
* Indirect
* Always agrees
* Doesn't speak up
* Hesitant
3. Characteristics
* Apologetic, self-conscious
* Trusts others, but not self
* Doesn't express own wants and feelings
* Allows others to make decisions for self
* Doesn't get what he/she wants
4. Behaviors
* Sighs a lot
* Tries to sit on both sides of the fence to avoid conflict
* Clams up when feeling treated unfairly
* Asks permission unnecessarily
* Complains instead of taking action
* Lets others make choices
* Has difficulty implementing plans
* Self-effacing
5. Nonverbal Cues
* Fidgets
* Nods head often; comes across as pleading
* Lack of facial animation
* Smiles and nods in agreement
* Downcast eyes
* Slumped posture
* Low volume, meek
* Up talk
* Fast, when anxious; slow, hesitant, when doubtful
6. Verbal Cues
* "You should do it."
* "You have more experience than I do."
* "I can't......"
* "This is probably wrong, but..."
* "I'll try..."
* Monotone, low energy
7. Confrontation and Problem Solving
* Avoids, ignores, leaves, postpones
* Withdraws, is sullen and silent
* Agrees externally, while disagreeing internally
* Expends energy to avoid conflicts that are anxiety provoking
* Spends too much time asking for advice, supervision
* Agrees too often
8. Feelings Felt
* Powerlessness
* Wonders why doesn't receive credit for good work
* Chalks lack of recognition to others' inabilities
9. Effects
* Gives up being him or herself
* Builds dependency relationships
* Doesn't know where he/she stands
* Slowly loses self esteem
* Promotes others' causes
* Is not well-liked

3 Requirements of Change Efforts

OCTOBER 27, 2010
Know the 3 Requirements of Change Efforts
Setting a new direction, changing behavior, or transforming a culture is never easy. Before you start down the road of change, know three of the things you'll need on your journey:

1. A clear destination. Many change programs fail because not everyone understands where they are headed. Be clear up front with everyone who needs to change about what the end point looks like.
2. A starting point. Big goals are intimidating and sometimes paralyzing. Get started by taking small steps toward your goal. Momentum will build.
3. Persistence. Most change efforts look like they will fail at some point, usually in the middle. Don't give up prematurely. Find a way around obstacles, make necessary alterations, and keep going.

Good One by SP

Seth Priebatsch
“I had friends at Princeton; I’m sure it’d be fun to see them,” he says. “But I know that what I’m going after is huge and others are going after it, and if they’re not, they’re making a mistake. But other people will figure it out, and every minute that I’m not working on it is a minute when they’re making progress and I’m not. And that is just not O.K.”

Link to this Article

Transformational and Transactional Leaders

Scholars in organizational studies tend to divide the world into “transformational leaders” (the group that hypomanics are bunched into, of course) and “transactional leaders,” who are essentially even-keeled managers, grown-ups who know how to delegate, listen and set achievable goals.

Both types of leaders need to rally employees to their cause, but entrepreneurs must recruit and galvanize when a company is little more than a whisper of a big idea. Shouting “To the ramparts!” with no ramparts in sight takes a kind of irrational self-confidence, which is perfectly acceptable, though it can also tilt into egomania, which is usually not.

SOAP vs. REST

Web Services, Part 1: SOAP vs. REST
By Brennan Spies

* Web Services
* XML

Developers new to web services are often intimidated by parade of technologies and concepts required to understand it: REST, SOAP, WSDL, XML Schema, Relax NG, UDDI, MTOM, XOP, WS-I, WS-Security, WS-Addressing, WS-Policy, and a host of other WS-* specifications that seem to multiply like rabbits. Add to that the Java specifications, such as JAX-WS, JAX-RPC, SAAJ, etc. and the conceptual weight begins to become heavy indeed. In this series of articles I hope to shed some light on the dark corners of web services and help navigate the sea of alphabet soup (1). Along the way I'll also cover some tools for developing web services, and create a simple Web Service as an example. In this article I will give a high-level overview of both SOAP and REST.

Introduction

There are currently two schools of thought in developing web services: the traditional, standards-based approach (SOAP) and conceptually simpler and the trendier new kid on the block (REST). The decision between the two will be your first choice in designing a web service, so it is important to understand the pros and cons of the two. It is also important, in the sometimes heated debate between the two philosophies, to separate reality from rhetoric.

SOAP

In the beginning there was...SOAP. Developed at Microsoft in 1998, the inappropriately-named "Simple Object Access Protocol" was designed to be a platform and language-neutral alternative to previous middleware techologies like CORBA and DCOM. Its first public appearance was an Internet public draft (submitted to the IETF) in 1999; shortly thereafter, in December of 1999, SOAP 1.0 was released. In May of 2000 the 1.1 version was submitted to the W3C where it formed the heart of the emerging Web Services technologies. The current version is 1.2, finalized in 2005. The examples given in this article will all be SOAP 1.2.

Together with WSDL and XML Schema, SOAP has become the standard for exchanging XML-based messages. SOAP was also designed from the ground up to be extensible, so that other standards could be integrated into it--and there have been many, often collectively referred to as WS-*: WS-Addressing, WS-Policy, WS-Security, WS-Federation, WS-ReliableMessaging, WS-Coordination, WS-AtomicTransaction, WS-RemotePortlets, and the list goes on. Hence much of the perceived complexity of SOAP, as in Java, comes from the multitude of standards which have evolved around it. This should not be reason to be too concerned: as with other things, you only have to use what you actually need.

The basic structure of SOAP is like any other message format (including HTML itself): header and body. In SOAP 1.2 this would look something like










Note that the

element is optional here, but the is mandatory.

The SOAP

SOAP uses special attributes in the standard "soap-envelope" namespace to handle the extensibility elements that can be defined in the header. The most important of these is the mustUnderstand attribute. By default, any element in the header can be safely ignored by the SOAP message recipient unless the the mustUnderstand attribute on the element is set to "true" (or "1", which is the only value recognized in SOAP 1.1). A good example of this would be a security token element that authenticates the sender/requestor of the message. If for some reason the recipient is not able to process these elements, a fault should be delivered back to the sender with a fault code of MustUnderstand.

Because SOAP is designed to be used in a network environment with multiple intermediaries (SOAP "nodes" as identified by the element), it also defines the special XML attributes role to manage which intermediary should process a given header element and relay, which is used to indicate that this element should be passed to the next node if not processed in the current one.

The SOAP

The SOAP body contains the "payload" of the message, which is defined by the WSDL's part. If there is an error that needs to be transmitted back to the sender, a single element is used as a child of the .

The SOAP

The is the standard element for error handling. When present, it is the only child element of the SOAP . The structure of a fault looks like:



env:Sender

m:MessageTimeout



Sender Timeout


P5M



Here, only the and child elements are required, and the child of is also optional. The body of the Code/Value element is a fixed enumeration with the values:

* VersionMismatch: this indicates that the node that "threw" the fault found an invalid element in the SOAP envelope, either an incorrect namespace, incorrect local name, or both.
* MustUnderstand: as discussed above, this code indicates that a header element with the attribute mustUnderstand="true" could not be processed by the node throwing the fault. A NotUnderstood header block should be provided to detail all of the elements in the original message which were not understood.
* DataEncodingUnknown: the data encoding specified in the envelope's encodingSytle attribute is not supported by the node throwing the fault.
* Sender: This is a "catch-all" code indicating that the message sent was not correctly formed or did not have the appropriate information to succeed.
* Receiver: Another "catch-all" code indicating that the message could not be processed for reasons attributable to the processing of the message rather than to the contents of the message itself.

Subcodes, however, are not restricted and are application-defined; these will commonly be defined when the fault code is Sender or Receiver. The element is there to provide a human-readable explanation of the fault. The optional element is there to provide additional information about the fault, such as (in the example above) the timeout value. also has optional children and , indicating which node threw the fault and the role that the node was operating in (see role attribute above) respectively.

SOAP Encoding

Section 5 of the SOAP 1.1 specification describes SOAP encoding, which was originally developed as a convenience for serializing and de-serializing data types to and from other sources, such as databases and programming languages. Problems, however, soon arose with complications in reconciling SOAP encoding and XML Schema, as well as with performance. The WS-I organization finally put the nail in the coffin of SOAP encoding in 2004 when it released the first version of the WS-I Basic Profile, declaring that only literal XML messages should be used (R2706). With the wide acceptance of WS-I, some of the more recent web service toolkits do not provide any support for (the previously ubiquitous) SOAP encoding at all.

A Simple SOAP Example

Putting it all together, below is an example of a simple request-response in SOAP for a stock quote. Here the transport binding is HTTP.

The request:

GET /StockPrice HTTP/1.1
Host: example.org
Content-Type: application/soap+xml; charset=utf-8
Content-Length: nnn


xmlns:s="http://www.example.org/stock-service">


IBM




The response:

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/soap+xml; charset=utf-8
Content-Length: nnn


xmlns:s="http://www.example.org/stock-service">


45.25




If you play your cards right, you may never have to actually see a SOAP message in action; every SOAP engine out there will do its best to hide it from you unless you really want to see it. If something goes wrong in your web service, however, it may be useful to know what one looks like for debugging purposes.

REST

Much in the way that Ruby on Rails was a reaction to more complex web application architectures, the emergence of the RESTful style of web services was a reaction to the more heavy-weight SOAP-based standards. In RESTful web services, the emphasis is on simple point-to-point communication over HTTP using plain old XML (POX).

The origin of the term "REST" comes from the famous thesis from Roy Fielding describing the concept of Representative State Transfer (REST). REST is an architectural style that can be summed up as four verbs (GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE from HTTP 1.1) and the nouns, which are the resources available on the network (referenced in the URI). The verbs have the following operational equivalents:

HTTP CRUD Equivalent
==============================
GET read
POST create,update,delete
PUT create,update
DELETE delete

A service to get the details of a user called 'dsmith', for example, would be handled using an HTTP GET to http://example.org/users/dsmith. Deleting the user would use an HTTP DELETE, and creating a new one would mostly likely be done with a POST. The need to reference other resources would be handled using hyperlinks (the XML equivalent of HTTP's href, which is XLinks' xlink:href) and separate HTTP request-responses.

A Simple RESTful Service

Re-writing the stock quote service above as a RESTful web service provides a nice illustration of the differences between SOAP and REST web services.

The request:

GET /StockPrice/IBM HTTP/1.1
Host: example.org
Accept: text/xml
Accept-Charset: utf-8

The response:

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: text/xml; charset=utf-8
Content-Length: nnn



IBM
45.25


Though slightly modified (to include the ticker symbol in the response), the RESTful version is still simpler and more concise than the RPC-style SOAP version. In a sense, as well, RESTful web services are much closer in design and philosophy to the Web itself.

Defining the Contract

Traditionally, the big drawback of REST vis-a-vis SOAP was the lack of any way of specifying a description/contract for the web service. This, however, has changed since WSDL 2.0 defines a full compliment of non-SOAP bindings (all the HTTP methods, not just GET and POST) and the emergence of WADL as an alternative to WSDL. This will be discussed in more detail in coming articles.

Summary and Pros/Cons

SOAP and RESTful web services have a very different philosophy from each other. SOAP is really a protocol for XML-based distributed computing, whereas REST adheres much more closely to a bare metal, web-based design. SOAP by itself is not that complex; it can get complex, however, when it is used with its numerous extensions (guilt by association).

To summarize their strengths and weaknesses:

*** SOAP ***

Pros:

* Langauge, platform, and transport agnostic
* Designed to handle distributed computing environments
* Is the prevailing standard for web services, and hence has better support from other standards (WSDL, WS-*) and tooling from vendors
* Built-in error handling (faults)
* Extensibility

Cons:

* Conceptually more difficult, more "heavy-weight" than REST
* More verbose
* Harder to develop, requires tools

*** REST ***

Pros:

* Language and platform agnostic
* Much simpler to develop than SOAP
* Small learning curve, less reliance on tools
* Concise, no need for additional messaging layer
* Closer in design and philosophy to the Web

Cons:

* Assumes a point-to-point communication model--not usable for distributed computing environment where message may go through one or more intermediaries
* Lack of standards support for security, policy, reliable messaging, etc., so services that have more sophisticated requirements are harder to develop ("roll your own")
* Tied to the HTTP transport model

What's Next

In the next article in this series I will discuss WSDL, what contract-first web service development means, and (the dark horse) WADL. Stay tuned!

Winning by Core Idea + Partnership - Allurent

Adobe
Adobe (www.adobe.com) is motivated by the belief that great experiences build great businesses. Adobe's software empowers millions of business users, developers, and designers to create and deliver effective, compelling, and memorable experiences - on the Internet, on fixed media, on wireless, and on digital devices.

Allurent uses Adobe technology extensively in its core product suite. Additionally, Allurent has built a prototype desktop application named Allurent Desktop Connection (ADC) which is built on the Adobe® AIR,™ platform.
Scene 7
Scene 7, an Adobe Company www.scene7.com), offers Scene7 On Demand, a hosted rich media platform to enable companies to grow revenues, enhance customer experience and cut production costs. Adobe Scene7 On Demand offers rich media solutions built on a robust, integrated technology platform for unrivaled breadth, depth, scalability and ease of ongoing rich media use.

Allurent has extended its existing partnership with Adobe Systems to resell Scene7 On Demand in North America. This reseller relationship provides online retailers with a one-stop shop for creating compelling shopping experiences that leverage the combination of Allurent's rich Internet commerce and Scene7's industry-leading Dynamic Imaging solutions.
Blueport Commerce
Blueport Commerce is the trusted provider of e-commerce technology and services to considered commerce retail chains representing over 2,100 stores and $8 Billion in sales. Created by the management team of Furniture.com, the furniture industry's leading e-commerce solution, Blueport Commerce is a one-stop shop combining a decade of experience, innovative technology and customized services to help make the considered commerce retailer's transition to e-commerce easy, worry-free and profitable. Learn more at www.blueport.com.

Blueport Commerce offers Allurent on Demand to its ecommerce clients. Allurent on Demand interactive widgets are used by Leon's, Canada's largest retailer of home furnishings, as well as Flooring America and Carpet One.
ATG
ATG (www.atg.com) makes the software that the world's largest and most prestigious companies use to create and manage highly targeted, relevant, and rewarding online marketing, sales, and service initiatives. Core to ATG's solution set is the ecommerce platform declared a market leader by both Forrester Research and Gartner. ATG powers the online business of many of the world's best known brands including: Best Buy, The Body Shop, Casual Male, Foot Locker, J.Crew, Restoration Hardware, Sephora, Target, Walgreen Company, Sharper Image, Benetton, Neiman Marcus, InterContinental Hotels Group, American Airlines, Sony Online, Hotels.com, and Mercedes Benz.

ATG and Allurent have partnered to deliver Allurent Checkout, Allurent Details, and Allurent Display as part of the ATG Commerce OnDemand platform. Through this partnership, ATG leverages Allurent's rich shopping features that highlight ATG's strong personalization and commerce capabilities.
Bazaarvoice
Bazaarvoice (www.bazaarvoice.com) develops outsourced technology, services, analytics, and expertise to encourage and harness word of mouth marketing and bring it closer to a company's brand and customer experience. The company is privately held with venture capital funding from Austin Ventures.

Allurent and Bazaarvoice cooperate in marketing and sales initiatives.
Coremetrics
Coremetrics (www.coremetrics.com) is the leading provider of online marketing and business optimization solutions. Its products help businesses increase revenues and find and retain their most profitable customers by maximizing every online interaction. More than 1,500 online brands globally, transacting more than $20 billion this year, use Coremetrics' Software as a Service (SaaS) to optimize their online marketing. The company's solutions encompass Coremetrics web analytics and integrated precision marketing applications, including search engine bid management, email targeting and cross sell recommendations to acquire customers more cost effectively, increase conversion rates, and increase lifetime customer value.

Allurent and Coremetrics cooperate in marketing and sales initiatives.
Demandware
Demandware (www.demandware.com) provides an ecommerce platform that combines full merchandising control and flexible functionality with the optimal profitability that only a Software as a Service (SaaS)-based pricing model can offer. With Demandware, retailers and manufacturers have complete control over the online brand and customer experience because they can tailor every aspect from the "look and feel" to the functionality to meet the needs of their specific customer profile. And all with a scalable architecture that provides features and functionality retailers will never outgrow.

Through its partnership with Allurent, Demandware customers can leverage Allurent's full suite of products and features improving all aspects of the online shopping lifecycle.
Endeca
Endeca's (www.endeca.com) innovative information access software powers the user experience of the world's most successful and demanding websites. More than 500 leading global organizations including Barnes & Noble, Circuit City, Discovery Communications, The Home Depot, Marriott, Newegg, Nike, Panasonic, and Walmart.com rely on Endeca to boost revenue, reduce costs and increase customer loyalty.

Allurent has partnered with Endeca to offer retailers an integrated solution that incorporates the Endeca Information Access Platform with Allurent Navigation and Allurent Details. For additional information, please visit www.endeca.com.
ForeSee Results
ForeSee Results (www.ForeSeeResults.com) is the leader in online customer satisfaction measurement, using online voice of customer data to help organizations around the globe increase sales, loyalty, recommendations, and website value. Using a proven, patented technology, ForeSee Results identifies the improvements to websites and other online initiatives with the greatest ROI. With over 28 million survey responses collected to date and benchmarks across dozens of industries, ForeSee Results offers our clients unparalleled expertise in customer satisfaction measurement and management. ForeSee Results works with clients across industries, including: retail, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, telecommunications, and government, including clients such as Borders, Sears, Newegg, Ace Hardware, NFL, and The Finish Line.

Allurent and ForeSee Results cooperate in marketing and sales initiatives. ForeSee Results, a privately held company, is headquartered in Michigan and can be found on the web at www.ForeSeeResults.com
Omniture
Omniture (www.omniture.com) is a leading provider of online business optimization software. Omniture's software, delivered to customers through hosted, on-demand services, offers an easier and more flexible way to manage online, multi-channel and off-line business initiatives without costly investments in IT infrastructure.

As an Omniture Accredited Application Partner, Allurent's innovative e-commerce products are available for automated integration via Omniture Genesis. Companies can now use a pre-configured wizard to automate integration between Allurent's rich media products and Omniture SiteCatalyst®.

Online retailers implementing Allurent's rich commerce applications can successfully measure the ROI of e-commerce transactions that take place in Flash-based applications through the integration with Omniture SiteCatalyst.
Onestop Internet
Onestop Internet provides turn-key e-commerce services to companies on a completely outsourced basis. These services include design, fulfillment, customer service, technology, photography and marketing. Clients include Seven for All Mankind, Betsey Johnson, London Fog, J Brand, Paul Frank, Nicole Miller, True Religion Brand Jeans, lululemon athletica and Splendid, among other esteemed brands. The company is based in Rancho Dominguez, California. Please visit www.onestop.com.

Onestop Internet offers Allurent on Demand to its portfolio on ecommerce clients. The companies currently have several joint deployments underway.
PowerReviews
PowerReviews (www.powerreviews.com) is an enterprise solutions company that provides customer reviews and social-merchandising solutions to retailers, driving higher conversion and increased purchase satisfaction. PowerReviews' patent-pending PowerTagsTM technology captures customer opinions in their own words, making reviews more useful for shoppers, empowering them to make more informed and confident purchase decisions. Its customers include Staples, Toys'R'Us, the Wine Enthusiast, NetShops, Ritz Camera, the Sports Authority, and over 100 more. With the introduction of Buzzillions.com, the company has entered the consumer shopping portal market, leveraging its tag-based technology to introduce social navigation and affinity recommendations into the shopping research process for consumers.

About Winners

Winners are too busy to be sad,
Too positive to be doubtful,
Too optimistic to be fearful,
And too determined to be Defeated

Ways to Get Your Team Engaged

Courtesy - HBR

2 Ways to Get Your Team Engaged

Team meetings are supposed to be collaborative events. If you are doing all the talking and your team members are doing all the listening, something's not right. Here are two ways to revive your team and get their best thinking out on the table:

1. Share your ideas sparingly. It is tempting to share all of your genius ideas upfront. Instead, share one or two suggestions at a time. By limiting your comments, you give others the chance to contribute.
2. Ask lots of questions. Don't worry about having all of the answers. Ask insightful questions that spark discussion. When people speak up, ask them to clarify their ideas so others can understand.

Steps to Recover from a Mistake

Courtesy - HBR

3 Steps to Recover from a Mistake

While most people accept that mistakes are inevitable, no one likes to make them. The good news is that even large errors don't have to be career-enders if they are handled well. Next time you make a blunder, follow these three steps to recover gracefully:

1. Fess up. Trying to hide a mistake or downplay its importance can be fatal to your career. Be candid and transparent about the mistake, take responsibility for your part in it, and don't be defensive.
2. Make necessary changes. Mistakes are important learning opportunities. Explain to your boss and other interested parties what you will do differently going forward.
3. Get back out there. Don't let your errors keep you from ever taking risks again. Once the mistake is behind you, focus on the future.

Good One1

If you treat people well and let them know you value them, they will often live upto your expectations.

Relationship Tips

Problem-solving strategies: You and your partner can develop trust in each other by following these tips :

* TRUST - Key to Relationship
* Be consistent.
* Be on time.
* Do what you say you will do.
* Don't lie -- not even little white lies, to your partner or to others.
* Be fair, even in an argument.
* Be sensitive to the other's feelings. You can still disagree but don't discount how your partner is feeling.
* Call when you say you will.
* Call to say you'll be home late.
* Carry your fair share of the workload.
* Don't overreact when things go wrong.
* Never say things you can't take back.
* Don't dig up old wounds.
* Respect your partner's boundaries.
* Don’t be jealous.
* Be a good listener.

3 Tips for Achieving Short-Term

3 Tips for Achieving Short-Term
Career Goals
Development efforts often focus on how you can achieve your career goals over the long term. Short-term successes, however, are critical to making your next move and preparing for those long-term aspirations. Here are three immediate ways to build your career options:

1. Play to your strengths - Do more of what you do best. Early in a career, it makes sense to try a bit of everything and push to improve in areas of weakness, but at a certain point, it is better to focus on your strengths.
2. Reinforce your "brand." Choose activities outside work that develop the image you want to convey. For example, volunteer for the school building committee if you're good at managing projects. Gain broader experience and conversational ways to reinforce your capabilities at work.
3. Create the context for success. Surround yourself with people you need to do your work well. People have to recognize common values and goals before they're likely to share what they know, so invest in these relationships.

From HBR-> Mgmt-Tip

Good One - Need to Know

Never Break Four Things in your Life - Trust, Promise, Heart and Relation. Because, When they BREAK they don't make NOISE, But PAIN'S a LOT.

PEST

Should You Be An Entrepreneur?

Should You Be An Entrepreneur? Take This Test

by Daniel Isenberg - Babson College

Some of your friends are doing it. People who do it are in the front pages and web almost every day. Even President Obama is talking about it. So should you do it? Should you join the millions of people every year who take the plunge and start their first ventures? I've learned in my own years as an entrepreneur — and now an entrepreneurship professor — that there is a gut level "fit" for people who are potential entrepreneurs. There are strong internal drivers that compel people to create their own business. I've developed a 2–minute Isenberg Entrepreneur Test, below, to help you find out. Just answer yes or no. Be honest with yourself — remember from my last post: the worst lies are the ones we tell ourselves.

1. I don't like being told what to do by people who are less capable than I am.
2. I like challenging myself.
3. I like to win.
4. I like being my own boss.
5. I always look for new and better ways to do things.
6. I like to question conventional wisdom.
7. I like to get people together in order to get things done.
8. People get excited by my ideas.
9. I am rarely satisfied or complacent.
10. I can't sit still.
11. I can usually work my way out of a difficult situation.
12. I would rather fail at my own thing than succeed at someone else's.
13. Whenever there is a problem, I am ready to jump right in.
14. I think old dogs can learn — even invent — new tricks.
15. Members of my family run their own businesses.
16. I have friends who run their own businesses.
17. I worked after school and during vacations when I was growing up.
18. I get an adrenaline rush from selling things.
19. I am exhilarated by achieving results.
20. I could have written a better test than Isenberg (and here is what I would change ....)

If you answered "yes" on 17 or more of these questions, look at your paycheck (if you are lucky enough to still get one). If the company that issued the check isn't owned by you, it is time for some soul searching: Do you have debts to pay? Kids in college? Alimony? Want to take it easy? Maybe better to wait. Do you have a little extra cash in the bank and several credit cards? Do you have a spouse, partner, friends, or kids who will cheer you on? If so, start thinking about what kind of business you want to set up. It doesn't matter what age you are: research by the Kauffman Foundation shows that more and more over–50s are setting up their own businesses. Talk to people who have made the plunge, learn how to plan and deliver a product or service, think about that small business you might buy, talk to people with whom you would like to work, and talk to customers.

"I like to take risks" is not on the list. People don't choose to be entrepreneurs by opting for a riskier lifestyle. What they do, instead, is reframe the salary vs. entrepreneur choice as between two different sets of risk: the things they don't like about having a steady job — such as the risk of boredom, working for a bad boss, lack of autonomy, lack of control over your fate, and getting laid off — and the things they fear about being an entrepreneur — possible failure, financial uncertainty, shame or embarrassment, and lost investment. In the end, people who are meant to be entrepreneurs believe that their own abilities (e.g. leadership, resourcefulness, pluck, hard work) or assets (e.g. money, intellectual property, information, access to customers) significantly mitigate the risks of entrepreneurship. Risk is ultimately a personal assessment: what is risky for me is not risky for you.

"I want to get rich" is not on the list either. All else being equal (and all else is rarely equal in the real world), on the average, people who set up their own businesses don't make more money, although a few do succeed in grabbing the brass ring. But the "psychic benefits" — the challenge, autonomy, recognition, excitement, and creativity — make it all worthwhile.

Daniel Isenberg is a Professor of Management Practice, Babson College

10 Rules of Life by CC

cherie carter-scott's rules of life

Cherie Carter-Scott PhD is a very modern guru. Her theories explain our attitudes and behaviour with a special clarity, and provide a practical guide to behaviour and self development. Dr. Carter-Scott achieved her PhD in human and organisational development and for the nearly 30 years has been an international lecturer, consultant and author. She founded the MMS (Motivation Management Service) Institute and has been called a guardian angel to CEO's. Carter-Scott's book 'If Life Is A Game, These Are The Rules' is essential reading if you are interested in behaviour, relationships, communications, and human personality. Cherie Carter-Scott's rules for life - also known as 'The Ten Rules For Being Human' and referenced in her book with Jack Canfield: 'Chicken Soup For The Soul' - are a map for understanding and pursuing personal development, and for helping others to understand and develop too. 'If Life Is A Game, These Are The Rules' is also commonly referenced book in the life-coaching industry.

Here is a brief summary and explanation of Cherie Carter-Scott's 'rules of life'.

cherie carter-scott's rules of life

(Carter Scott references this quotation:) "Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood." (Helen Keller)

Rule One - You will receive a body. Whether you love it or hate it, it's yours for life, so accept it. What counts is what's inside.

Rule Two - You will be presented with lessons. Life is a constant learning experience, which every day provides opportunities for you to learn more. These lessons specific to you, and learning them 'is the key to discovering and fulfilling the meaning and relevance of your own life'.

Rule Three - There are no mistakes, only lessons. Your development towards wisdom is a process of experimentation, trial and error, so it's inevitable things will not always go to plan or turn out how you'd want. Compassion is the remedy for harsh judgement - of ourselves and others. Forgiveness is not only divine - it's also 'the act of erasing an emotional debt'. Behaving ethically, with integrity, and with humour - especially the ability to laugh at yourself and your own mishaps - are central to the perspective that 'mistakes' are simply lessons we must learn.

Rule Four - The lesson is repeated until learned. Lessons repeat until learned. What manifest as problems and challenges, irritations and frustrations are more lessons - they will repeat until you see them as such and learn from them. Your own awareness and your ability to change are requisites of executing this rule. Also fundamental is the acceptance that you are not a victim of fate or circumstance - 'causality' must be acknowledged; that is to say: things happen to you because of how you are and what you do. To blame anyone or anything else for your misfortunes is an escape and a denial; you yourself are responsible for you, and what happens to you. Patience is required - change doesn't happen overnight, so give change time to happen.

Rule Five - Learning does not end. While you are alive there are always lessons to be learned. Surrender to the 'rhythm of life', don't struggle against it. Commit to the process of constant learning and change - be humble enough to always acknowledge your own weaknesses, and be flexible enough to adapt from what you may be accustomed to, because rigidity will deny you the freedom of new possibilities.

Rule Six - "There" is no better than "here". The other side of the hill may be greener than your own, but being there is not the key to endless happiness. Be grateful for and enjoy what you have, and where you are on your journey. Appreciate the abundance of what's good in your life, rather than measure and amass things that do not actually lead to happiness. Living in the present helps you attain peace.

Rule Seven - Others are only mirrors of you. You love or hate something about another person according to what love or hate about yourself. Be tolerant; accept others as they are, and strive for clarity of self-awareness; strive to truly understand and have an objective perception of your own self, your thoughts and feelings. Negative experiences are opportunities to heal the wounds that you carry. Support others, and by doing so you support yourself. Where you are unable to support others it is a sign that you are not adequately attending to your own needs.

Rule Eight - What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. Take responsibility for yourself. Learn to let go when you cannot change things. Don't get angry about things - bitter memories clutter your mind. Courage resides in all of us - use it when you need to do what's right for you. We all possess a strong natural power and adventurous spirit, which you should draw on to embrace what lies ahead.

Rule Nine - Your answers lie inside of you. Trust your instincts and your innermost feelings, whether you hear them as a little voice or a flash of inspiration. Listen to feelings as well as sounds. Look, listen, and trust. Draw on your natural inspiration.

Rule Ten - You will forget all this at birth. We are all born with all of these capabilities - our early experiences lead us into a physical world, away from our spiritual selves, so that we become doubtful, cynical and lacking belief and confidence. The ten Rules are not commandments, they are universal truths that apply to us all. When you lose your way, call upon them. Have faith in the strength of your spirit. Aspire to be wise - wisdom the ultimate path of your life, and it knows no limits other than those you impose on yourself.

Porters Five Forces + Blue Ocean Strategy

Combining Porter's FIVE Forces for Competitive Strategy and Blue Ocean Strategy can yield really measurable results.

Complete focus on Blue Ocean Strategy might let to break even point. But controlled focus on BOS and concentrating on Five Forces can lead to measurable results in Business

Difference between : Losers - Defenders - Dreamers - Winners

Types of People that we come across in our LIVES:

Losers - These are people who don't really care about things in life. They take life as it comes or turns to them.

Defenders - These are people who give reasons for not doing things in their life. They makeup reasons for their failures without making sincere effort to succeed in their respective endeavor.

Dreamers - These are people who have a dream to acheive BIG/SMALL, but don't have concrete plan to achieve them. They just think they will do it, but they really don't know how to do it not they don't take initiative to get to the state of realizing their dream.

Winners - These are the people who dream to acheive BIG/SMALL and have a GAMEPLAN to achieve it. They focus on their execution to adhere to the plan and make all necessary efforts sincerely to SUCCEED and they surely do succeed either exceed or meet their targets.

Ten Powerfull Phrases for +VE People

I'm Wrong
I'm Sorry
You Can Do It
I Believe in You
I'm Proud of You
Thank You
I Need You
I Trust You
I Respect You
I Love You

Keys for Thought

1. Managing Innovation
2. Managing Change
3. Customers First - Agents for Business Success

Take Innovation Baby Steps

Forget Breakthroughs: Take Innovation Baby Steps
Every innovator hopes for and works toward breakthrough innovations. But in tough economic times, innovation often requires too much risk for an organization and its change-resistant customers. Instead of dreaming of The Next Big Thing, focus on innovating in smaller, shorter bursts. Look for improvements to current products and services. Use small and cheap experiments to test new ideas. Seek out innovations that are easily adapted by consumers and don't require huge investments. These innovations are more likely to be palatable to your stakeholders and customers, and they're often the building blocks for larger, more long-term breakthroughs.

From HBR-MgmtTip

Active and Staging Build Deployment

For enterprise applications, deploying and managing the process of activation and validation can be challenging.

Ant build process helps the teams in achieving this without much hassle.

Usually the build folders are constructed as Staging and Active for reference. These folders in turn link to CodeBaseA (points to staging) and CodeBaseB (points to active)

The new build that is being constructed for release is built and moved to CodeBaseA folder and previous active codebaseB folder remains intact.

Once the new build is copied to codebaseA, the logical link for active application code base is flipped to CodeBaseA and the staging link is flipped to CodeBaseB.

If the new build validation is successful, the flipped links remain in the same manner. If the build validation fails for any reason, the logical links will be flipped again. In this second flip process, CodeBaseB (old functional build) becomes active build and CodeBaseA(new build) becomes staging build.

Amazing way of managing traffic and content delivery

This was one of the Amazing way to manage the internet traffic and content delivery. Installed the infrastructure with Akamai Server (DNS) manages the traffic based on the rules established on the server.

Example: If there is a Phased launch for a product for entire USA, the strategy will be to open the application for some less customer based state. This rule can be configured on Akamai server to process the traffic from that particular state (eg: RI) with a different URL (url for new application). If the traffic is from any other states, they get routed to the old URL (old application).

This helps in containing the launch related issues and to validate the application usage in production environment.

Akamai, also replicates the content on its distributed servers which enhances the request throughput (less response time) for content delivery.

Partnership Capitalism to Drive Performance and Culture

Partnership Capitalism to Drive Performance and Culture

Partnership - In simple terms its a combined workforce to achieve a Purpose/Goal/Objective

Capitalism - Process of growing Wealth among the community which thereby improves the country's economy.

Early days, there used to be one leader (autocratic/authoritative) who has the idea or energy to run a Company/Organization. This leader takes the majority of the profit because he is key for the origin or existence of business.

In today's world, where most of us are Knowledge Worker (Credit to Peter F Drucker) most(ALMOST ALL) of the employees in an Organization work towards the Organizations Success which translates to Dollars. This profit is being divided across the employees as Shares (ESOPs) which are disbursed based on the individual performance towards the success.

Effectively, the Organizations Performance is aligned to People Performance where these both parameters are measured and mapped against Key Performance Indicators that are baselined based on that industry.

This process gives ownership of success and drives the resources to function in challenging environment where they can WIN in the flat world of the Organization.

This process has been improved over time which has created great differential factor in the Organization Performance and Culture.

Amazing aspect of Wal-Mart

Amazing aspect of Wal-Mart

I have always wondered how a company like Wal-Mart consistently performs GREAT and consistently overtakes its previous baselined SUCCESS.

This Giant doesn't produce a product of its own. But has the power and knowledge to effectively streamline the whole retail process by effectively managing the Resources(People & Systems), Suppliers and The Supply Chain Management.

Its truly AMAZING wonder, how this consistently High Performing Engine manages this epitome of SUCCESS :

Leadership development,Systems Development, Relationship Management, Supplier Management, Logistics, Community Giving (Corporate Social Responsibility), Diversity, Analytics, Systems Integration,Technology Adaptation/Migration, Managing for Performance, Forecasting the Needs (Demand & Supply), a lot of other aspects.

The key differentiator of this Gaint when compared to others is EXECUTION. Its this miraculous way of executing all of the above mentioned parameters in a collaborative approach that yield results.

A True Admiration

By SuRaJ.

Quantitative Strategy Manager

Quantitative Strategy Manager

This person has knowledge in efficient Quantitative Models and uses them wisely along with the information provided or accessible to him to make decisions that contribute greatly towards the Organization's SUCCESS.

Based on the results arrived by using the above mentioned process, this person is efficient and effective in managing and driving the resources (People & Systems) to meet the Customer and Market Needs.

This Leader sees the areas where the society can have a Positive Impact and drives resources to create that impact which adds Value Proposition to the Organization.

By Raj Pat

Key aspect for Performance in Anything

The Key aspect for Performance in anything is Communication.

Let's take any example in our life, all those examples revolve around atleast one medium (speech, written, art, sign) of Communication.

The Art of Communication depends strongly on the motive of the Sender and Receiver. This also depends on the actual intention of delivery and the mindset of the receiver.

When the Sender's information is being interpreted by the Receiver with no error (motive and mindset are same), the probability of occurrence of a Problem/Issue between them is less.

To avoid the severity of the problem, the received information can be paraphrased for better understanding and confirming the same.

There are many ways addressing this communication challenge between individuals.

One of Key Attribute that WILL ALWAYS be a common denominator (differentiation factor) for a person from Level 0 Analyst(Entry Level) to Level n Leader (Chief) of any kind of Organization is COMMUNICATION.

To COMMUNICATE effectively, first one should LISTEN, Understand the Facts, Interpret, Act on that information effectively based on the Situation that Warrants.

By Raj Pat

Strategy + Analytics

Quantitative Strategy

Strategy - This is defining ways or means to achieve an Objective/Goal

One of the key to Strategy is understanding the Objective/Goal along with the big picture of the Organization's need.

This can be improved by measuring the processes/systems that we have currently.

We cannot improve, What we cannot Measure

Analytics - This is the process of gathering Information/Data over time and interpreting the direction of actions that yield results to the business problem. This can also help the Organization in understanding its Products/Services and show the Paths of improvement/Acceleration.

Aligning the Organization Strategy with Analytics forms the Key Logic to create differentiation to the Business. This helps in understanding the open space for the evolution of new Markets for the Organization.

Data can be gathered for the following aspects (the below mentioned list doesn't have any boundaries.... Means the list can be updated as needed)
Analyzing the Organization's emotions
How People Perform/Execute ?
How Systems are Performing ?
What are the throughput measures of People & Systems ?

What is happening with the Customer Service ? Measuring all the directions of the Customer Service realm.
What are the approaches for delivering the Product / Service to the Customer ?
Understanding the Competitors segment ? What alternatives of Product / Services are available to the Customers ? What is the Cost differentiation for them ?

Storing these data/information in a centrally accessible systems which is accessible by the Management and Analyst is crucial. Proven analytical models can be developed using this information, which will drive the effective decision making process.

Effective decision making helps in directing the resources (People & Systems) towards right direction for achieving business results.

By Raj Pat

Five Key Discovery Skills

The five key discovery skills

- A major new study has highlighted the key skills that innovative and creative entrepreneurs need to develop. According to Hal Gregersen, an INSEAD professor and co-author of a six-year-long study into disruptive innovation involving some 3,500 executives, there are five ‘discovery’ skills you need but, he says, you don’t have to be ‘great in everything.’

Associating

Creative entrepreneurs ‘connect the dots’ to make unexpected connections. They combine pieces of what may seem disparate pieces of information until “surprise - you've got this innovative new idea.” Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple, was interested in calligraphy and this eventually led to his company producing user-friendly, graphics-based Macs. “Several years later, when Jobs was trying to figure out the Macintosh screen, and the 'what you see is what you get' (WYSIWG) sort of image, he connected the dots back to what he had learnt in calligraphy to what might be on the screen and it was a key component of making that whole computer work.”

Observing

Some of the most innovative entrepreneurs are “intense observers,” Gregersen says. Take for example Scott Cook, the founder of Intuit: “When we interviewed him, we talked about how he got the initial idea for Quicken software. He watched really carefully in terms of how his wife was very frustrated doing their finances. Manually it was frustrating and irritating. She purchased some software that was equally frustrating and irritating.” It was at that point that Cook thought he might be able to develop a product that could help his wife “solve that problem more effectively.”

After a ‘sneak preview’ of an early Apple computer, Cook got a “rich sense of what it might look like to have a user interface and a mouse and so on, and be able to have things like checks on the screen that looked like what they should be.” And from this observation, Gregersen says, sprang Quicken.

Experimenting

When Jeff Bezos, the founder of internet retailer Amazon, was growing up, he used to spend time on his grandfather's farm in the summer. When machinery broke down on the farm, his grandfather would try to fix it himself, with some help from Jeff. They would “experiment, trying this and that, until it would finally work again.” If the animals on the farm got sick, his grandparents wouldn’t call the vet, but rather experiment and try to fix the problem themselves.

“So Jeff grew up with that kind of attitude and mindset, that if I am confronted with a challenge, I can figure out a solution,” Gregersen says. “That kind of experimentation spilled over into Amazon.” At first, the idea had been to sell books via the internet without inventory. “That was the initial idea. We sometimes forget that it took him seven, eight, nine years of experimentation to build the capacity to have warehouses full of books.” As a consequence of his experimentation, Bezos “built this business model that we now call Amazon today.”

Questioning

Questions are at the core of what we do. We can be observing the world or experimenting, “but if I have no questions in my mind, I'm pretty unlikely to get any observations or insights or ‘ahas’ that I never saw or thought about,” Gregersen says.

“And this kind of questioning attitude and mentality is just rampant in these folks.” Some may be better than others in observing, but when it comes to questioning, “all were powerful.”

“I'll never forget when I sat down with A.G. Lafley (the former CEO of Procter & Gamble) to talk with him about his world of leadership. I had a series of questions related to research about global leadership and I swear he asked me far more questions in that interview than I asked him because he was just simply curious about what was going on in the research.”

Another was Michael Dell. “I had the naivete to ask Michael if he had any favourite questions he likes to ask when he wanders around the world. And he instantly responded with a quizzical look, like ‘That's a dumb question.’ Then he said : “Hal if I had some favourite questions, everybody would know the answers. Instead, when I'm wandering the world, I try to construct a question for every conversation that might generate information that I never had before’. And for most of these innovative entrepreneurs, that's just how they think."

Networking

Typically, when we think of networking, we think of this in terms of jobs, a career or maybe social life. But when it comes to creativity, it takes on a different meaning. “Innovators are intentional about finding diverse people who are just the opposites of who they are, that they talk to, to get ideas that seriously challenge their own,” Gregersen says. Creative and innovative entrepreneurs look for people who are “completely different in terms of perspective” and regularly discuss ideas and options with them “to get divergent viewpoints.” There could be differences in gender, industry, age, country of origin, or even politics. “If I'm on the right, they're on the left, that kind of notion. And those sorts of diverse inputs in terms of conversations enabled them to get new ideas,” he says.

“Now it doesn't come instantly. Sometimes the conversations provide their own insights.” David Neeleman, founder of JetBlue Airways and now CEO of Azul Airlines in Brazil, got the idea for paperless ticketing or e-ticketing, Gregersen says, by talking to one of his employees about the frustration of having to carry around paper tickets in order to give them to passengers flying on their planes. “So that conversation then led to a new idea and a way of doing things differently.”

Disruptive innovation

Another of the co-authors of the study, Clayton Christensen, is an expert in disruptive innovation and this led Gregersen to wonder what the origin was of “those disruptive organisations that changed whole industries.” They then drew up a list of the world’s most innovative companies based in part on BusinessWeek’s ”Most Innovative Company” ranking and began interviewing the CEOs or founders.

They got access to the likes of Dell, asking him and others: "Tell us about what was going on when you got the initial idea that led to this innovative business called Dell computer (or Amazon in the case of Bezos)." They then realised, when looking at the responses to this question, that innovative entrepreneurs are “doing a lot of the same things -- there’s a little bit of variation but a lot of the same things.”

At that stage, they developed a self assessment and 360 degree survey based on the concepts of experimenting and so on, and assessed ‘thousands of executives and entrepreneurs.’ “And what we discovered was that those engaging in these behaviours and this thinking pattern, were actually the ones who delivered breakthrough processes, new products and services, new business lines within companies, corporate entrepreneurship, and new businesses outside of companies—all of which were financially profitable and successful.”

“At the core of this, all these these folks were driven by a fundamental bias against the status quo. They were absolutely uncomfortable with things being the way they are. They wanted to make things change ... They wanted to change the world. And they're going to risk failure in order to make that a reality.”

Corporate decision-making, he says, does “not usually value or support innovative actions.” Yet, some companies do. P&G’s marketers, for example, spend more than 12 hours on average each month just observing customers. “They value the behaviour and they get the innovative results. So one of the surprises for me is that even though these are relatively straightforward things that we could do, most of us have lost the capability to do them.”

Practising and developing the skills

Gregersen says the five discovery skills may seem ‘intuitive’ but when it comes to the actual practice, “doing them is counterintuitive.” That’s because the adult world in which we live “does not value these actions.”

Gregersen’s advice? Start acting like a child again: “Not 100 per cent of the time, that would be absurd. We're adults and we have to run businesses. But 20 per cent, 25 per cent of our time, act like a four-year-old again,” Gregersen told INSEAD Knowledge. “Because all these skills are what four-year-olds do. They ask thousands of questions: ‘Why?’ ‘Why not?’ This and that. They're always asking those questions ... They observe intensely and they'll talk to just about anybody.”

“These are the things that we all did as four-year-olds. We all did this stuff. And if we happened to attend a Montessori-type school like many innovative entrepreneurs did, then we still might be doing this stuff. But most school and corporate systems consistently say: ‘Don't do it, stop doing it’ ... and we lose our innate creative capacity.”

But this ability is not lost forever. “We can get it back and that's where, if I want to become better at questioning, I start asking more questions.”

His suggestion is to get a journal and, if you've got a problem, take a few minutes each day to write down questions about that problem. After a month or so, “your questions will change and it's by changing the question that we change our fundamental understanding about the problem that leads us to a solution that we never thought of before.”

Take notes when observing others. “Step back from (the problem or situation), talk to people: ‘What did you learn? What surprised you? What was interesting?’ If you like to talk to people, talk to somebody different: maybe on another floor, a different building, a different office, another country, but talk to somebody who's 180 degrees different from you. These are things that we can do and they don't take a lot of time to do them.”

“Innovation is a habit,” Gregersen says. “And for these innovative entrepreneurs it's a way of life. It's the fabric of who they are. And for others who aren't that way, they could be: if they choose to act different to think different.”

IT Re-engineering - BPR

Any IT System re-engineering or a Business Process Re-engineering can be done following ways :

1. Big-Bang Approach : This approach is the once where the current system is replaced with NEW SYSTEM and NEW PROCESSES all at once. Eg: Current systems A1 ...Z1 is being replaced with A2....Z2 with change in systems and processes.

2. Incremental Approach : This approach is to improve or replace the existing system one small piece at a time.

3. Modular Infrastructure Approach : In this approach, the modular infrastructure that at first would function in parallel with but eventually would supersede the current infrastructure

By designing and deploying enterprise systems in a different way, Japan’s Shinsei Bank turned IT from a constraint into a launchpad for growth.

How much do we observe ?

How many times have you noticed a change in the engine noise ? change in tire pressure ? slight scratches ? simple or small changes around us


Most of us don't look at these until they cause troubles or breakdown. Paying attention to these kinda things contributes towards personal management.

One of the Key Triangle for Leadership

The below mentioned is one of the Key Triangle for Leadership :

1. TRUST

2. RELATIONSHIP

3. ACCOUNTABILITY


Best Painting of Leadership : (Thoughts from Manfred F.R Kets de Vries)

1. Painting of Ouroboros. Its a serpent or dragon swallowing its own tail and forming a circle. Its means reinventing itself.

A True leader should reinvent himself always.