Cinematography School (Mindscreen Film Institute)
by Rajiv Manon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajiv_Menon)

It is a nice opportunity those who are aspiring to excel in cinematography field. Rajiv Manon the cinematography icon of south Indian film industry has started an institute named Mindscreen Film Institute, inaugurated by the direction legend Mani Ratnam by last May 2006.
Highlights of the institute and course:

• Fully integrated film production company
• Any graduate is eligible for this course
• Any currently working in the industry as assistant cameraman can also pursue
• Duration is six months only
• Course fee Rs. 1 lakh
• For details the institutes website http://www.mindscreen.co.in/

India Inc. in TIME

The current issue (June 26, 2006) of Time Magazine (http://www.time.com/) focused on the growth of the world largest democratic country – India and how does it important to America.
There are series of articles that are penned to substantiate the growth of India in multi dimensions, in that the one that is quite interesting one is “India Awakens”. The highlights of this article include:

• Agreed statement that the Indians are changing the world!
• India's economy is growing more than 8% a year and the country is modernizing so fast that old friends are bewildered by the changes that occurred between visits. The economic boom is taking place at a time when the U.S. and India are forging new ties.
• India is the un-China
• Like side:
• Largest democracy the world has ever seen
• US learns that with the democrats it is easier to talk to than communist apparatchiks
• Making friends with India is a good way for the U.S. to hedge its Asia bet
• Unlike side:
• Prosperity and progress haven't touched many of the nearly 650,000 villages where more than two-thirds of India's population lives
• The nation has more people with HIV/AIDS than any other in the world
• Transportation networks and electrical grids, which are crucial to industrial development and job creation, are so dilapidated that it will take many years to modernize them
• Conclusion
• India is younger and freer than China
• India is playing catch-up, for sure, but it has the skills, the people and the sort of hustle and dynamism that Americans respect, to do so

Good sign for India!

Best Self - Motivation Literature

“A Bias for Action” by Heike Bruch, Sumantra Ghoshal from Harvard Business School Press

In this book the authors explain about the nature and work style of executives/managers in the organization. All the executives can be classified into any of the four categories based on the energy and focus levels of the individual as shown below:

Any one can use the information in the book to find out the current level of the individual. For example, if I am falling under Detached category of manager/executive, then using the guidelines that are available in the book, I can work to move to Purposeful area wherein all my actions are purposeful to the organization/team/etc.

In this book the authors clearly explain about the need and difference between motivation and willpower. What an executive should do to have these attributes. This is really very good for one who wants to motivate and build strong executive competency. This is highly recommended!

I could see a PPT by Sumantra Ghoshal which can be useful: Ghoshal’s Leeds PPT

For more review information:

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Lessons Learnt from my Professional Life

Being a software professional/consultant in IT Services/consultancy industry, I learnt significantly the following lessons. I hope these lessons might helpful to others.

• Should have clear career goal - Analyze and make appropriate decisions at right time – For many situations the consultants are not given right vision or appropriate options. They are forced to take what is available. Sometimes this is OK, but not always. If you accept what ever that are forced to you that are not in your career plan then you are not going away from your plan – Be careful! The career plan either could be in technical, functional or managerial.
• Unplanned Performance Review – You should know your performance indicators in which you are going to be evaluated in advance – during review period itself. Most cases the manager fails to define performance indicators and their expected values in advance, but they do try to do performance appraisal after the review period. This is not at all accepted! – Suffering party is always the subordinates – NOT SUPERVISORS!
• Be clear with organization’s Standards, Policies, and Procedures, at least from quality perspective, if you are in delivery side.
• Big Picture - Understand the organization strategy/objective and find out how you are contributing to achieve that objective.
• Have good network of relationships with others in the project/organization – will learn so many good things from others. Of course even negative lessons too!
• Enhance your knowledge always by learning – Sharpening the saw!
• Presentable – Make sure that you do enough marketing so that your boss (and other appropriate stockholders) knows what you have accomplished – Write somewhere in your scribble pad or maintain your own activity log. This will help you in many aspects. Like during review, this will serve as a tool to showcase your accomplishments.
• Build your soft skills as required – Oral and written communication, presentation skills, handing situations, facing customers, controlling your emotions, etc.
• Professional Environment – Try to maintain professional environment as much as you can that includes oral and verbal communication.
• Try to look for change in career at least once in a year – Or you will be locked in one production support project for YEARS! – Wherein the scope to learn new stuff is limited.
• When you shift projects – make sure that you know your complete roles and responsibilities
• Try to participate in professional level corporate activities – a way to build relationships with top management
• Be effective during office time; spend time for your personal side. Morning times are always efficient – Use efficiently!
• Always try to lead your leader, but at the same time make sure that you are not led by your subordinates!