NISSAN TO CUT 20,000 JOBS, FORECASTS BIG LOSS

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Do you want to be a Leader - Watch it...

Its time to step forward from managing to leading!
Leila Bulling Towne offers five easy steps to help you take your skills to the next level. She is Executive Coach and Management Consultant at The Bulling Towne Group and also hosting the videos at bnet.com. I have seen her many lectures at Greenwhite.org which is uploaded from bnet.com. I have also taken this video from the bnet business blog. I hope, this would be very helpful to you to be a very effective leader.

Good Luck!

Announcement - Management finals on 11th of Feb

Dear Management fellows, final of Management course 170 is on 11Th of February. Sir Mannan himself has confirmed this fact. The time of finals is 8:00-10:00, I think. But you need to confirm the timing. Enjoy weekend and prepare more extensively. 

Bon chance!

Terrorist Attacks in Pakistan: Past 3 Year's Figures

In the following chart is the data on terrorist and non-terrorist attacks (security forces, operational etc.) and causalities due these attacks taking place in Pakistan during the past 3 years combined. It should be noted that all these attacks and causalities are a direct result of the "war on terror" going on for past seven years in Pakistan's neighbour, namely, Afghanistan. The highest number of attacks took place in NWFP, 1,009 (the province which shares a borderline with Afghanistan), followed by Balochistan, 682, and the Tribal Areas, 385.Only 35 took place in Punjab, 25 in Sindh and 7 in Islamabad.

Total Attacks and Causalities During Last Three Years in Pakistan:

Year	Total Attacks*	Annual Increase (in %)	Killed	Injured
2005	254		216	571
2006	675	159%	907	1,543
2007	1,0503	129%	3,448	5,353
2008	2,577	43%	7,997	9,670

 

Ironically, the military operations by security forces of Pakistan against terrorist organizations have done more harm than any good. These operational attacks alone have killed 3,182 people, according to a report. And, this death toll surpasses the number of killings by terrorist attacks.

This chart has been published in the Pakistan Security Report 2008 by the Pak Institute for Peace Studies, or in short, PIPS. The PIPS is an independent, non-profit nongovernmental research think-tank. Its office is located in Islamabad. You can visit their official web-site at www.san-pips.com.

* The attacks combine "causalities in clashes between security forces and terrorists, sectarian clashes between tribes, border clashes and incidents of operational and political violence."

Use Test Taking Strategy to Gain highest Scores in Final

I have read an article named "Test Taking Strategy" which I have found very useful for our Final exam coming in near future. It focuses on the three types of idol behaviors those are Before Test, During Test and After Test strategies.

So, I want to share this useful instructions with my all class fellows.

Test Taking Strategies

Before:

• Take a practice test the day before with conditions as much like the test as possible.
• Review your summary sheets for an overall view of the material. Recite in your own words
• Get enough sleep. Avoid caffeine which increases anxiety.
• Remember to encourage yourself and STOP critical statements.
• Give yourself time to feel composed and to be on time for the exam. Avoid anxious classmates who are talking about the exam.

During:

• Look over the entire test, READ THE DIRECTIONS, plan your approach, and schedule your time.
• Start with the easiest question first.
• Focus your attention on the test. Don't waste time and energy worrying, thinking about the consequences of not doing well, or wondering what others are doing.
• If you don't know an answer, mark the question.
• Suggest to yourself that you probably studied it and the answer will come to you when you get back to it.
• If you start to feel anxious, practice your relaxation techniques. Use anxiety as a cue to relax. Close your eyes, take three deep breaths and then back to the task.

Essay Exams. Organize your thoughts in a brief outline. Look for key words such as compare, contrast, describe, identify. Start with a short summary or topical sentence and then make your points. Don't ramble. Remember what the professor emphasized.

Objective Exams. Think of your own answer before looking at the choices provided. Eliminate clearly wrong answers and make an educated guess (unless there is a severe penalty for wrong answers). After you have answered those you know, return to those you checked. Think about only one question at a time. After you have answered those you know, return to those you checked.

• If your time is running out, concentrate on those questions you know well and/or have the most weight.
• Use all the time allowed for reviewing your answers, completing ideas. Only change answers if you are sure of yourself.

After:

• Reward yourself for having tried. Don't go over the test questions with others. No matter how the test went, you can learn from the returned exam.

Final Thoughts

• List the resources which are available: free tutors, Reading and Writing Center, etc.
• List at least three specific steps which you can take now to meet your goals. (Check those suggestions you plan to follow).

Measuring Brain Activity In People Eating Chocolate Offers New Clues About How The Body Becomes Addicted

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WHY CROSS FUNCTIONAL TEAMS?

When ideas meet and information comes together, you bring innovations to market smarter and faster.

A diversity of ideas and opinions are needed to generate high quality solutions.

Innovation, the source of sustainable competitive advantage for most companies, depends upon the individual and collective expertise of employees. In the new era of systemic innovation, it is more important for an organization to be cross-functionally excellent than functionally excellent. In addition to formal planning at the business level, best-practice companies use crosscutting initiatives on major issues in order to challenge assumptions and open up the organization to new thinking.
Firms which are successful in realizing the full returns from their technologies and innovations are able to match their technological developments with complementary expertise in other areas of their business, such as manufacturing, distribution, human resources, marketing, and customer relationships. To lead these expertise development efforts, cross-functional teams, either formal or informal, need to be formed. These teams can also find new businesses in white spaces between existing business units