6 'soft' skills you need for success
Reputed Software Company in India is all geared up for a client
visit.
The clients have indicated that, after inspecting the progress of the
project they have outsourced, they would like to meet the team
members working on it.
Why? To select one team member for a stint onsite -- something almost
every software engineer aspires for.
Ravi has been one of the most active members in the project and has
done a wonderful job. He is technically brilliant, but has some
concerns:
Will he able to communicate his performance to the client in an
impressive manner so that he is chosen?
Why do his team mates not prefer to come to him for solutions and go
to less capable people instead?
His project manager doesn't seem to be very warm towards him either,
although he does drop in those occasional mails appreciating his
work.
Here is a typical scenario in an IT company; or for that matter, any
organisation where interpersonal communication is involved. Or, like
in Ravi's case, where an employee suffers from a lack of
interpersonal skills.
Are technical/ job-related skills enough?
Technical and job-related skills are a must, but they are NOT
sufficient when it comes to progressing up the ladder.
With the traditional paternalistic style of leadership becoming
passé, professional managers expect their teams to be proactive and
communicate openly.
"Soft skills are very important in business. It is essential to be
technically sound, but one should also have the ability to convey the
idea to the masses in the simplest possible manner," says Mayurkumar
Gadewar, an ERP consultant with Pricewaterhouse Coopers.
With the boom in outsourcing taking root across industries, many
professionals and subject matter experts directly deal with their
clients on a regular basis.
Their approachability and people skills are what ultimately sustain
the contract their employers have bagged.
"Planning is necessary but execution is also equally important. And
it takes soft skills to execute any idea because it involves dealing
with people directly," says Gadewar.
6 soft skills for every hard-nosed professional
Behavioral training experts say there are several soft skills are
required in these circumstances. Some of them include:
i. Interpersonal skills
ii. Team spirit
iii. Social grace
iv. Business etiquette
v. Negotiation skills
vi. Behavioral traits such as attitude, motivation and time
management
Do you have these? If your answer is yes, good for you.
But if your answer is no, then you know it is time to approach either
a training organisation or a training consultant.
Will formal training enhance your soft skills?
There is a lot of argument in the industry as to whether it is
possible to enhance soft skills in a few hours of training,
especially when one considers the fact that a person has lived with
those traits all his life. To this, the answer is harsh but real -- a
professional who wants to do well in his/ her career does not really
have a choice.
In the initial years of your career, your technical abilities are
important to get good assignments. However, when it comes to growing
in an organisation, it is your personality that matters, more so in
large organizations where several people with similar technical
expertise will compete for a promotion.
Training on soft skills becomes all the more relevant in a country
like India where the education system does not delve into personality
development.
"Soft skills training are essential because we do not have it in our
academic curricula. Therefore, corporate houses have to take up the
task of grooming employees who are the link between the company and
the external world, so that they are able to present themselves
better, " says Sumeet Mehta, an equity research analyst with Fortis
Securities Ltd.
Be your own trainer!
While organizations are definitely investing in augmenting their
staff's people skills, here are some inputs for professionals and
students who would like to initiate the process themselves:
i. Be a part of team activities
It could be either as a part of your church choir, or an NGO, or your
local youth circle.
Observe your own behavior in the group and how you relate to others.
ii. Ask family members or close friends to write down your best and
worst traits.
Ideally, have at least four to five people do this for you.
Evaluate the common traits all of them have mentioned. Thus, you can
be aware of your strengths and work improving your weaknesses.
iii. How well do you manage your time?
Think.
Can you do more in life? Or is your day too crammed with activities?
Effective time management is very essential in the corporate world.
iv. Introspect on how you react to feedback.
In organizations, people skills mostly come into the picture when
there is feedback given -- be it for an idea, an executed project or
a presentation.
You are judged by the way you respond to feedback.
Do you get defensive?
Do you insist you were right?
Do you meekly accept criticism?
Remember, people tend to be judged and stereotyped according to their
responses. You will, too.
v. How good are you at critiquing?
While responding to feedback is one side of the coin, giving feedback
is the other side.
Are you aggressive? Pessimistic? Do you believe in constructive
criticism? Or prefer to be the yes-man?
vi. Live consciously
Any organisation is manned by people, therefore soft skills are all
about how you deal with people and present yourself.
Though it may be easier said than done, soft skills can be enhanced
simply by being aware of oneself and living consciously.
Monday, September 17, 2007
The Hallmarks of Good Leadership
The Hallmarks of Good Leadership
THERE are tomes written about how to lead and how to follow, and as with all things, paradoxically people end up reading these through one eye and blinking away the learning through the other. The end is that, to play on what dear old Polonius said to his son: Neither a follower, nor a leader be, for following often loses both its way and trends, and leading dulls the edge of brigandry. In the mad desire to clear my musty mind of (mis)conceptions about how to be a leader, I went into several ancient treatises on the subject and hit on Sun Tzu's `Art of War', Adolf Hitler's `Mein Kampf' and Genghis Khan's guttural growls (to say nothing of large lashings from Krishna's advice to Arjuna) to distil the essence of efficient leadership and proactive following.
Attribute #1: Leaders must have courage to take decisions, and followers must have the courage to do as they are told. While leadership has the problem of carrying the can at the end of the day, followers have the advantage of whining away to each other about the vicissitudes of their day's work. All the while keeping in mind Attribute #2 below
Attribute #2: Followers can crib all they want... to each other and not to everybody that comes their way, especially those that do not belong to the organisation. Doing so is disloyal and should be rooted out buckle and thong. Disagreement is not disloyalty. Disobeying is. A leader is disloyal to his followers if he does not back them up to his fullest ability. A person that has another view should be allowed to explain it. Indeed leaders and followers should listen. Neither should show any bias, even if the explanation is unusual and seems unsound. Attempts should be made to understand the divergent view
Attribute #3: Leaders should want to be leaders. There are some people who were excellent field men, but make useless managers. They think like field men and cannot marshal a group of field men from headquarters. Similarly, followers that want to be leaders out of turn, often turn out to be utter failures because they don't know how to follow properly and make followers happy to follow
Attribute #4: Leaders should be able to manage their own emotions and those of their followers. If a leader is devastated by a failed deadline or target, he is not inspiring enough to energise his followers to better performance the next time around. Followers should not allow their own disappointment to alloy the will of their teams and erode the quality of output. A leader should feel for the individuals in his care. By doing so, he ensures loyalty from his followers
Attribute #5: Leadership is not a cushy job. It requires high levels of energy and drive. If these are missing, no corporate house will succeed. A leader should lead by personal example. Only an energetic leader can enthuse a group of followers to be energetic. An energetic group of followers is a dynamic, productive and result-oriented group of followers
Attribute #6: Leadership is all about dynamism and the ability to choose the right path from the analysis of the facts before him. A leader cannot afford to be ambivalent. He must be decisive and bold enough to follow through on his decision. Lack of decision confuses and frustrates followers. Followers should follow with a will for their efforts to be successful
Attribute #7: Leadership involves anticipating the course of events with an educated instinct. Good followers learn to anticipate the wishes of their leader and support him in his decision. Anticipation of issues by leaders involves risk, the character of a leader should be able to accept and take that risk. Leader should anticipate the timing of their actions too. This they can often learn to do by learning from the failures they have had
Attribute #8: A leader should never be content to lose. Winning should be the goal every time since it inspires followers to perform well time and again. Understanding the adversary is crucial and should be one of the top priorities of a leader. A follower needs to appreciate his leader's assessment of the situation and the threats that face a strategy
Attribute #9: A leader has to show and be self-confident. He has to be because he needs the strength of his convictions to be successful. He has to display his self-confidence because he needs to convey the sensation to his followers. A successful leader is one that does well when things are going well and does better when things get rough. Persistence in the face of difficulty is essential
Attribute #10: A leader should praise a follower if he has done well, but in moderation. Over-praise is worse than no praise at all because it inflates the ego of the recipient and undermines his future efforts. It might also make the follower less of a follower. Similarly, leaders should be able to take the blame and not lay it at the doors of their followers. A good follower performs well because he has been well led. He performs badly because he has been badly led. Giving all the credit to a follower is as bad as blaming him for the failure of the team. In the final analysis, the leader is responsible for the success or failure of his group
Attribute #11: Leaders should have integrity so that both follower and other leaders can have faith in him. Indeed the best leader has integrity that is admired by his adversaries as well. A good follower should respect his leader's integrity and model his credibility on that of his leader
Attribute #12: Leaders should lead by encouraging loyalty, trust and dependability. Followers should be guided, trained and developed into sub-leaders. Punishment should not be harsh; it should be swift and just and should not take the form of humiliation. Punishment by exclusion is more powerful than punishment by humiliation. A follower that has been excluded will wish to return to favour. A humiliated follower will wish to distance himself from the group and may join the competitor. A good follower should be aware of personal wrongdoing. A wise follower will go to his leader before discovery and ask for remedial advice
Some suggested GD topics
Suggested GD Topics:
1. Is coalition politics here to stay?
2. Does
3. Is
4. Education in
5. What ails Indian sports?
6. The Age of Information
7. Is Philosophy just an armchair theory?
8. Success is all about human relations
9. Borderless worlds - Dream or reality?
10. Quality is a myth in
11. Education and success - Is there a correlation?
12. We don't learn from history, we repeat it
13. Do we need a global policeman?
14. Indian villages - our strength or our weakness?
15. Agrarian Economy in
16. if there were no armies in the world......
17. Indian customs - are we in a time warp?
18. "How green was my valley........". Is nature paying the price ?
19. Management Education - Is it necessary to succeed in business
20. The role of NGOs in economics and politics
21. NGOs - Do they serve peoples interests or are they pressure groups?
22. Death of Socialism
23. Role of women in development
24. Kids today are not what they used to be
25. Casteless
26. Should Trade Unionism be banned in
27. Repeated elections - Should taxpayers pay for it?
28. Indian bureaucracy - foundation strengths or colonial hangovers?
29. In
30. Generation X - Drivers of our future or are they our lost souls?
31. Do we need a cut in the defence budget?
32. "Dot.com" companies - Is there room for everyone?
33. Artificial Intelligence - Will man be ever replaced by machines?
34. if I were to choose my person of the millennium...
35. All the world is a stage....
36. when managers become Hamlets...
37. If Patel were our first Prime Minister.......
38. Materialism - Have we sold our souls to the Devil?
39. You've come a long way, baby - The rise and rise of feminist power .
40. Role of ethics in tobacco industry, liquor industry etc.
41. Should gambling be legalised in
42. Are we unfit for Democracy?
43. Survival tools for the new millennium
44. Examinations - has it killed education
45. Cultural Invasion through the air waves
46. Should doctors be tried in Consumer Courts
47. Abortion and Euthanasia - Is it morally right for society
48. Are beauty pageants neccessary?
49. The relevance of Gandhism today
50.
51. Did
52. Is E-Commerce the best thing for
Is coalition politics here to stay?
The following points could be discussed under this topic:
Nature of coalition politics.Indecisiveness of elections. No particular party is getting the peoples mandate.Advantage of coalition politics in enabling formation of government. Flipside of coalition politics- a party with a handful of seats become powerful.Government falls before tenure. Fresh elections each time. Suggest a way out of this problem, for e.g.: once a party pledges support to a coalition, it will not withdraw its support until it has watched a governments performance for atleast three years...etc The future -will it only have coalitions, emerging political trends...etc...
Does
The following points could be discussed under this topic:
The current political structure.Drawbacks of it.Bureaucracy, layers in decision making, anarchy. Dictatorship would mean centralised power and faster decision making.But, country run on whims and fancies of an individual.Freedom on individuals could be clamped ..etc.. Present a balanced argument for and against and take up your position on the issue. C h e t a n a S
Is
The following points could be discussed under this topic:
Define secularism.Constitution calls our country such a state, but how things have changed over the last 50 years.Spread of nationalism. Division into majority and minority groups-e.g. benefits given to minority groups perceived as a threat by others. Role of non-tolerant neighbors in fuelling fundamentalism. It is a passing phenomenon. We have the national character to overcome this.. Points along these lines can be discussed.
Education in
The following points could be discussed under this topic:
Discuss current education system. Discuss our sociological structure.Poverty which forces kids to drop out to supplement family income.Vicious circle-poverty due to lack of education and vice versa.Suggest solutions to get out of this-for e.g., governments are doing a commendable job with the midday meal schemes but we need more of such efforts. Going down further, why restrict it to government alone? why cant private people, NGOs and other voluntary bodies come forward to do the same? How about tapping corporate funds for such causes .....etc.
The following points could be discussed under this topic:
A nation of 950 million, we fail to produce great champions barring the occasional Vishwanathan Anand or Geet Sethi. Sports system steeped in bureaucracy. Overriding popularity of cricket leading to neglect in other sports.Traditionally, sports not accorded much importance by us as a career. Need to develop sports from the primary school level- "catch em young". Various incentives to be given to budding sportsmen like academic credits, sports in lieu of a few other subjects etc. Development of sports infrastructure, making it amenable and affordable...etc.....
The Age of Information.
The following points could be discussed under this topic:
Is Philosophy just arm chair theory?
(This is an example of an abstract topic which is thrown up to students once in a while by the examiners)
The following points could be discussed under this topic:
Talk what you know about this topic . Talk of its relevance in day to day life( or irrelevance if you feel so..). Talk of its influence in literature e.g. Influence of Kant on the romantic poets especially Wordsworth or of Bacon, Voltaire et al on the "Enlightenment" period etc. Talk of its influence in politics e.g. Influence of Nietszche on Hitler and subsequent genocide during Nazi regime etc. Talk of ethics and morals and their importance in life. talk of Indian philosophy. the Gita. Discuss whether we use any of these in our lives and their importance in moulding our values...etc...
Success is all about human relations
The following points could be discussed under this topic:
The most important skill for success in to have people on your side. One can get a lot of work done by superiority and hierarchy but one cannot be a leader of men unless one maintains excellent human relations.Its importance not only in professional life but personal life too.Knowledge and expertise does one no good if one cannot maintain proper human relations...etc.
Borderless worlds-Dream or reality?
The following points could be discussed under this topic:
Globalisation of business.Opening up of the various economies. Cross cultural exchanges. More and more people getting an opportunity to work in different lands among different peoples and absorbing a bit of their values and culture.This leads to greater tolerance and understanding of others' problems. The other side-people despite all this have nationalistic and regionalist chauvinism. A world divided into first, second and third worlds. People still talk of "their" economy and not world economy.
Quality is a myth in
The following points could be discussed under this topic:
The Indian products and manufacturing techniques. Why are we unable to sustain against global competition.Our mindset towards quality. Indian attitude of "chalta hai" which leads to an undemanding customer which in turn lets people get away with substandard products and services. Today competition is forcing our industry to adhere to global standards so we are getting there in terms of quality. Examples of our software industry which is recognised for its ability to meet global standards etc. Since the topic is general, we can extrapolate it to our quality of life-the air , the water , the facilities we have, the infrastructure we have, the services we get and put up with ....etc......
Education and success-Is there a correlation?
The following points could be discussed under this topic:
This is a topic which provides ample scope for dialectics. One can argue for and against it. One of the best examples is Bill Gates who went on to become the richest man in the world despite dropping out of hid education. Closer home we have the example of Dhirubhai Ambani. What a person learns and what he really wants to do has no correlation many a times. A person succeeds only if he likes what he does.The argument for education will be that, in practice, it is your marks and qualifications that opens doors for you. While one can become successful without education, education brings about a richness in one's life. One is able to appreciate many facets of life due to the extended knowledge that education provides. It opens a new window and provides a different perspective towards things, ability to distinguish between ethical and unethical, moral and amoral ....etc. http://www.ChetanaSinterview.com
We don't learn from history, we repeat it
The following points could be discussed under this topic:
Relevance of history. Reminder of our past telling us what to do and what not to do. Still we have numerous examples which have occurred again and again for e.g. Time and again we have had innumerable wars and bloodshed, Hitler made the same mistake as Napoleon and Napoleon in turn the same ones as Alexander and all the three wanted to rule the world, countries making similar mistakes in world war II as they did during world war I ....etc....
But despite this there are also many examples which have not been repeated ( or rather not brought out to the fore as they were not repeated). This could mean we have indeed learnt from history and avoided those mistakes. In fact that has been the purpose of teaching history so as not to repeat them. Today fear of war is directly due to the record history places before us...etc....
Indian villages-our strength or our weakness?
The following points could be discussed under this topic:
A typical Indian villages and its myriad problems. Lack of basic amenities and infrastructure. their contribution to the economy both in goods and services vis-a-vis their urban counterparts. they could be an even bigger drivers of our economy if they are made self reliant by improving infrastructure and reducing the general disparities between cities and villages ...etc...etc
Agrarian Economy in India-boon or bane
The following points could be discussed under this topic:
Speaking for the topic one can argue the following- time and again it has made us self reliant in food. This increases our bargaining power tremendously in the world economy. Internally also food prices can be kept low and this will have a direct bearing on inflation. This would bolster the economy and provide us freedom from world bodies and other nations.
Against the topic-agrarian economy is at the mercy of climatic conditions. A bad summer, monsoon, or winter could bring the nation down. It will have a spiral effect as increased prices will lead to inflation and problems associated with it. World bodies and other nations will dictate terms..etc....
If there were no armies in the world......
The following points could be discussed under this topic:
Wishful thinking indeed! It would be the key element for world peace. There will be no instrument to wage a war. It will also remove fear and distrust among various nations. We wont have a defence budget. This means more funds channelised into other productive areas. Reduced terrorism and very little separatist groups
But the disadvantage could be imposition by one group, anarchy, laissez faire politics, lawlessness..etc..
Do we need a global policeman?
The role of some countries in "disciplining" others. Assuming on itself to decide what is right and what is wrong for the whole world. Bullying others into submission by its sheer economic power. Overriding the brief of world bodies in world politics C he ta naS
Suggest alternatives like more authority to world bodies like UN etc which is more representative of everyone's interests. More assertiveness to be shown by other nations to such policing nations . making more nations self reliant so that we have less of "Big Brother" Syndrome....etc.....
Indian customs-are we in a time warp?
The following points could be discussed under this topic:
Some undesirable practices over a long time. Dowry- prevalent even among the educated class, Sati- recent example of a lady in North India, Child marriages- still prevalent in backward areas etc. Reason on why do we still follow such customs. Traditional subjugation of women-present even in big cities among upper class society. Allied problems due to such customs- intolerance, fundamentalism, exploitation, etc http://www.ChetanaSinterview.com
Suggest ways out of this like education the masses, indicating the outmodedness and irrelevance of such practices today...etc...
"How green was my valley........".Are we paying the price of nature?
The following points could be discussed under this topic:
As every one tries to be one up on the other in the race for industrialisation, deforestation is taking place on a large scale. This effect is more pronounced in developing countries. It has made a perceptible difference in the last 50 years with rising temperatures. Global warming. Greenhouse effect. Ozone layer depletion. El Nino type effects. Similarly it has affected other living beings-both plant and animals driving many of them to extinction..etc...
But people have realised it now. A lot of NGOs and voluntary bodies are working on it. Infact there is even a Greens party in
Management Education-Is it necessary to succeed in business
The following points could be discussed under this topic:
This is again a topic where we can have for and against arguments. There are many examples of great visionaries and leaders in business who have succeeded without any formal management education. People have simply done it by their will, passion and desire. But management education has also produced many bigwigs. A management education gives a perspective towards analysis and problem solving.It enables one to take decisions in a scientific manner, it enables you to handle the stress and strains of a demanding job...etc...
The role of NGOs in economics and politics
The following points could be discussed under this topic:
11 REASONS FOR REJECTION IN THE INTERVIEW
1. Poor attitude. Many candidates come across as arrogant. While employers can afford to be self-centered, candidates cannot.
2. Appearance. Many candidates do not consider their appearance as much as they should. First impressions are quickly made in the first three to five minutes.
3. Lack of research. It's obvious when candidates haven't learned about the job, company or industry prior to the interview. Visit the library or use the internet to research the company, then talk with friends, peers and other professionals about the opportunity before each meeting.
4. Not having questions to ask. Asking questions shows your interest in the company and the position. Prepare a list of intelligent questions in advance.
5. Not readily knowing the answers to interviewers' questions. Anticipate and rehearse answers to tough questions about your background, such as recent termination or an employment gap. Practicing with your spouse or a friend before the interview will help you to frame intelligent responses.
6. Relying too much on resumes. Employees hire people, not paper. Although a resume can list qualifications and skills, it's the interview dialogue that will portray you as a committed, responsive team player.
7. Too much humility. Being conditioned not to brag, candidates are sometimes reluctant to describe their accomplishments. Explaining how you reach difficult or impressive goals helps portray you as a committed, responsive team player.
8. Not relating skills to employers' needs. A list of sterling accomplishments means little if you can't relate them to a company's requirements. Reiterate your skills and convince the employer that you can "do the same for them".
9. Handling salary issues ineptly. Candidates often ask about salary and benefit packages too early. If they believe an employer is interested, they may demand inappropriate amounts and price themselves out of the jobs. Candidates who ask for too little undervalue themselves or appear desperate.
10. Lack of career direction. Job hunters who aren't clear about their career goals often can't spot or commit to appropriate opportunities. Not knowing what you want wastes everybody's time.
11. Job shopping. Some applicants, particularly those in certain high-tech, sales and marketing fields, will admit they're just "shopping" for opportunities and have little intention of changin jobs. This wastes time and leaves a bad impression with employers they may need to contact in the future.
Article contributed BY: T.MOHNISH
2. Appearance. Many candidates do not consider their appearance as much as they should. First impressions are quickly made in the first three to five minutes.
3. Lack of research. It's obvious when candidates haven't learned about the job, company or industry prior to the interview. Visit the library or use the internet to research the company, then talk with friends, peers and other professionals about the opportunity before each meeting.
4. Not having questions to ask. Asking questions shows your interest in the company and the position. Prepare a list of intelligent questions in advance.
5. Not readily knowing the answers to interviewers' questions. Anticipate and rehearse answers to tough questions about your background, such as recent termination or an employment gap. Practicing with your spouse or a friend before the interview will help you to frame intelligent responses.
6. Relying too much on resumes. Employees hire people, not paper. Although a resume can list qualifications and skills, it's the interview dialogue that will portray you as a committed, responsive team player.
7. Too much humility. Being conditioned not to brag, candidates are sometimes reluctant to describe their accomplishments. Explaining how you reach difficult or impressive goals helps portray you as a committed, responsive team player.
8. Not relating skills to employers' needs. A list of sterling accomplishments means little if you can't relate them to a company's requirements. Reiterate your skills and convince the employer that you can "do the same for them".
9. Handling salary issues ineptly. Candidates often ask about salary and benefit packages too early. If they believe an employer is interested, they may demand inappropriate amounts and price themselves out of the jobs. Candidates who ask for too little undervalue themselves or appear desperate.
10. Lack of career direction. Job hunters who aren't clear about their career goals often can't spot or commit to appropriate opportunities. Not knowing what you want wastes everybody's time.
11. Job shopping. Some applicants, particularly those in certain high-tech, sales and marketing fields, will admit they're just "shopping" for opportunities and have little intention of changin jobs. This wastes time and leaves a bad impression with employers they may need to contact in the future.
Article contributed BY: T.MOHNISH
Thoughts on computer science. Is it a science?
Thoughts on computer science.
Is it a science?
Note you can use some this for your SOP. However quote the original author's name :Dr. Robert Bridson of University of British Columbia.
The debate rages on: is CS a science, or engineering, or math, or even art? Funnily enough, often you don't hear from those arguing how they define science or engineering or math or art before they start listing arguments one way or another. This is not a silly exercise: I think it would be difficult to exactly define these disciplines, since the boundaries certainly are fuzzy. Is a physicist designing and building a new apparatus to test someone else's theory doing engineering? Is an engineer theorizing and testing by experiment how natural materials behave under loading doing science? One of the gold standards of traditional mathematical results is that they be elegant, beautiful, pleasing---is that art?
I think the truth is simply computer science is more or less all of these things. Attempts to nail it down will ultimately fail.
CS is science---if the defining feature of science is the scientific method of testing theory with experiment. Outside of some theory, most algorithm development goes along the lines of speculating how problems need to be solved according to some intuitive model of the domain, building an algorithm to fit that "theory", and then running experiments to demonstrate the (in)efficacy of the algorithm. HCI usability studies, performance tests, and the studies of many other branches are clearly scientific. Even debugging, beyond the searching-for-typos level, is arguably science: you start with a theory of how a program is (mal)functioning, then design experiments to tease out if your theory is correct allowing you to find and attack the bug.
CS is engineering---if the defining feature of engineering is building useful artifacts in a rigourously informed way. Building new hardware, large software systems, or studying how to do these things lies unquestionably in this domain. Even a lot of heuristic algorithm development is arguably engineering.
CS is math---if the defining feature of math is the logical synthesis of unambiguously true statements. Depending on the field within CS you look at, there may be more or less theorems and proofs in the papers, but even where they are not apparent, there is also the universality that computer science is steadily joining math and statistics in. In virtually every branch of science, the essential tools of analysis are math, statistics, and increasingly computation (or at least information technology).
I find it harder to argue that CS is art, though certainly aesthetics play an important role (but then again they play a role in virtually every endeavour). I would say the defining feature of art is the _expression of quintessentially human attributes to communicate those to other people. There are artists who indeed write software or build hardware as a means of _expression, but I would guess many would debate if that truly is computer science. I'm undecided---or rather as with most things in life it's not black and white, and trying to force a shade of grey one way or the other is unproductive.
Is it a science?
Note you can use some this for your SOP. However quote the original author's name :Dr. Robert Bridson of University of British Columbia.
The debate rages on: is CS a science, or engineering, or math, or even art? Funnily enough, often you don't hear from those arguing how they define science or engineering or math or art before they start listing arguments one way or another. This is not a silly exercise: I think it would be difficult to exactly define these disciplines, since the boundaries certainly are fuzzy. Is a physicist designing and building a new apparatus to test someone else's theory doing engineering? Is an engineer theorizing and testing by experiment how natural materials behave under loading doing science? One of the gold standards of traditional mathematical results is that they be elegant, beautiful, pleasing---is that art?
I think the truth is simply computer science is more or less all of these things. Attempts to nail it down will ultimately fail.
CS is science---if the defining feature of science is the scientific method of testing theory with experiment. Outside of some theory, most algorithm development goes along the lines of speculating how problems need to be solved according to some intuitive model of the domain, building an algorithm to fit that "theory", and then running experiments to demonstrate the (in)efficacy of the algorithm. HCI usability studies, performance tests, and the studies of many other branches are clearly scientific. Even debugging, beyond the searching-for-typos level, is arguably science: you start with a theory of how a program is (mal)functioning, then design experiments to tease out if your theory is correct allowing you to find and attack the bug.
CS is engineering---if the defining feature of engineering is building useful artifacts in a rigourously informed way. Building new hardware, large software systems, or studying how to do these things lies unquestionably in this domain. Even a lot of heuristic algorithm development is arguably engineering.
CS is math---if the defining feature of math is the logical synthesis of unambiguously true statements. Depending on the field within CS you look at, there may be more or less theorems and proofs in the papers, but even where they are not apparent, there is also the universality that computer science is steadily joining math and statistics in. In virtually every branch of science, the essential tools of analysis are math, statistics, and increasingly computation (or at least information technology).
I find it harder to argue that CS is art, though certainly aesthetics play an important role (but then again they play a role in virtually every endeavour). I would say the defining feature of art is the _expression of quintessentially human attributes to communicate those to other people. There are artists who indeed write software or build hardware as a means of _expression, but I would guess many would debate if that truly is computer science. I'm undecided---or rather as with most things in life it's not black and white, and trying to force a shade of grey one way or the other is unproductive.
12 Tips for Creating Better Presentations
You have a presentation to create. It's important. But, formatting diagrams can take forever and the text on your slides seems to have a mind of its own. Then, there's the sad fact that everybody's PowerPoint presentations look the same.
Sound about right? If so, I've got good news for you! Creating professional, unique presentations can be much easier than you might think.
This article will help you find the right tools to get exactly the presentation you want. We'll look at three components of creating effective presentations, and provide timesaving tips to help send your presentation off in style.
On This Page
Clearly Communicate Your Information
Grab the Viewer's Attention
Stay in Control of Your Presentations
Clearly Communicate Your Information
Want slides that clearly communicate your most important points? You might be surprised at how little work it takes to go from basic to brilliant! PowerPoint provides a host of tools for keeping your slides consistent, precise, and professional.
Take a look at two versions of a basic bulleted text slide below. The text in both slides is identical. Which would you prefer to present?
It took just a couple of shapes and a bit of editing in the Slide Master to go from the slide on the left to the slide on the right.
Here are 4 ways to let Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003 help you clearly communicate your information:
1. Set up and use AutoLayouts. In PowerPoint 2003, you can select from over two dozen available layouts with a single click. Just open the Slide Layout task pane to view and access layouts for text and a variety of content. To open this task pane, on the Format menu click Slide Layout.
You can also customize the positioning and appearance of all layouts at once, using the Slide Master. On the Slide Master, make a variety of formatting changes just once to affect all slides in your presentation.
To access the Slide Master, on the View menu select Master and then click Slide Master. Once in Slide Master view, you can reformat the font, bullets, and even the line spacing of text. (These options are all available in the Format menu.) Or, alter the size and positioning of AutoLayout areas—the areas of the master that control slide layouts for the active presentation. Learn more about the Slide Master.
Get more tips for using masters in the Stay in Control of Your Presentations section of this article.
2. Turn off (or manage) AutoCorrect layout options. PowerPoint 2003 provides several automatic formatting options to help your slides conform to the provided layouts. They can be big timesavers, but they can also be frustrating if you're not using them intentionally. If you don't want your bulleted text to shrink automatically in order to fit content, or the positioning of pasted objects to change automatically, you can easily turn off these features.
To turn off any AutoFormat options, on the Tools menu click AutoCorrect Options. Then, select the AutoFormat As You Type tab of that dialog box.
The bottom three options on the AutoFormat As You Type tab of the AutoCorrect dialog box control automatic formatting behavior for layouts.
3. Start by outlining your presentation in Word. Take time to outline your presentation before creating slides. Doing so can save time and help you give a more clear and effective presentation.
Try setting up your outline in Word, using paragraph styles Heading 1 through Heading 9. When you use those styles for your outline, you can create PowerPoint slides in just a click. Learn to create PowerPoint slides from a Word outline.
4. Consider differences for print vs. screen presentations. Presentations designed to be viewed on screen don't always work well when you print them. Dark backgrounds that look good on slides, for example, rarely print well. Similarly, footer content that you need in print is likely to be distracting on-screen. Fortunately, PowerPoint makes it easy to switch between print and screen presentation designs. Here are two features that can help:
• PowerPoint provides color schemes that apply to different slide elements (such as text, lines, and object fills). You can format slides for print using one color scheme, then just click to apply a different scheme for on-screen use. All slide elements formatted with scheme colors will automatically swap to take on the new scheme. Learn more about using and customizing color schemes.
• Showing, hiding, and customizing header and footer content in PowerPoint can be a snap. Learn how to create and manage headers and footers.
Top of page
Grab the Viewer's Attention
The Microsoft Office Clip Art gallery offers a huge range of images. These can be great for many uses, but they might not be the most sophisticated way to emphasize your important idea.
Creating slides that get the viewer's attention is not about which pictures to include. It's about using the space on your slides effectively. Don't crowd your slides, and only include elements that contribute to the points you want to make. When you use graphics on a slide, choose images that serve a purpose (such as a chart or diagram that displays a direct benefit of your idea). Compare the two marketing slides below, for example.
The simple column chart in the slide on the right replaces two paragraphs of text, and makes a much stronger impression. Coordinating the chart colors with the slide design was automatic.
Check out 4 ways to help grab and keep your viewer's attention.
1. Use sound recordings when sending a presentation electronically. A clean slide that emphasizes key points is more effective than a slide that contains every word you intend to say. But, what do you do if you're sending your presentation electronically? Consider recording narration to accompany your slides.
• To record narration for a presentation, on the Slide Show menu click Record Narration.
• To record sound for a single slide, on the Insert menu select Movies and Sounds and then click Record Sounds.
Learn how to record narration and sounds.
2. Use Notes and Handouts to help you stay on track or to create quick and easy leave-behinds for your viewers. Use the Notes pane that appears below the slide in Normal view to write notes to yourself for your presentation, or to create notes that you can print for your viewers. You can also format and print handouts that contain up to nine slides per page.
Learn to create Notes pages and Handouts.
3. Create charts and diagrams that emphasize your key points. To chart data in PowerPoint, start by clicking the Insert Chart icon on any Content slide layout, as show here:
The Insert Chart icon is circled in red.
• When you click the Insert Chart icon, you'll get a default chart that's a snap to customize and a data worksheet that's easy to edit. Visit my blog to learn about charting data in PowerPoint.
• The Insert Diagram or Organization Chart tool (available from the Drawing toolbar) is a nice way to create quick and easy flowcharts. However, I find that using AutoShapes to create any type of diagram or flowchart can provide much more flexibility without much more work. See the Stay in Control of Your Presentations section of this article below for information on the available tools for creating flawless presentation graphics.
4. Use animation and slide transitions consistently and sparingly. Having text and graphics appear on-screen just when you need them can be a nice touch. However, using too much animation can distract from your presentation's content.
• For effects that emphasize without overwhelming, limit animation to key points and use consistent animation choices throughout the presentation. Open the Custom Animation task pane (available on the Slide Show menu) to apply and manage animation. Learn to use Custom Animation.
• Subtle and consistent slide transitions can also provide a professional touch without being distracting. Use the Slide Transition task pane (available from the Slide Show menu) to format and apply slide transitions. Learn about using slide transitions and timings.
Top of page
Stay in Control of Your Presentations
Custom colors, layouts, and graphics can do a lot for your presentation. But a misaligned flowchart, or a presentation that crashes on your client's computer, isn't likely to make the impression you want. For example, take a look at the two organization chart images below. Which would you prefer to call your own?
Nudging and fussing to create the organization chart on the left took about an hour, and it's far from perfect. Using available PowerPoint tools for duplicating and alignment, the chart on the right took just 10 minutes to create.
Here are 4 ways to keep your presentations both great-looking and easy-to-manage.
1. Keep file size manageable. A common cause of stress with PowerPoint presentations is that the file size becomes too large to edit or to run presentation smoothly. Fortunately, this problem is easy to avoid by using smaller picture file types, compressing pictures, and using native PowerPoint features whenever possible (such as tables, charts, and AutoShapes) instead of embedding and importing objects.
Visit my blog to learn more about options for reducing picture file size.
2. Use the available tools for creating perfect diagrams. One of the nicest things about PowerPoint is that getting something perfect is easier than getting it close.
• Instead of nudging objects until your eyes get tired, use the Align Or Distribute tools. They can help you perfectly align and evenly distribute objects in a click. To access these tools, select Align or Distribute from the Draw menu, which is available on the Drawing toolbar.
• You can also use Guides to align and space objects. Guides can help you measure distance and keep positioning of elements consistent across multiple slides. To see your Guides, on the View Menu select Grid and Guides. Then, in the Grid and Guides dialog box, select Display drawing guides on screen.
Learn more about alignment and distribution options for PowerPoint objects.
• Zooming in on an object in PowerPoint can greatly increase the accuracy of what you see. To do this without trial and error, just select the object before changing the Zoom setting on the Standard toolbar.
Visit my blog for more tips on creating beautiful, flawless diagrams.
3. Know exactly what the recipient of your presentation will see. If you're sending a presentation by e-mail, try saving the presentation as a Slide Show so that it automatically opens for the recipient in slide show view. To do this, on the File menu click Save As. In the Save As dialog box, select PowerPoint Show (.pps) from the Save As Type dropdown list, as you see here:
This screenshot shows how to use save your presentation as a slide show.
If you're sending a presentation on CD, the Package for CD feature in PowerPoint 2003 is a great time and stress-saver. This feature will set up your presentation (including linked files) on a CD so that the slide show will run correctly for any recipient. It even adds a PowerPoint viewer so that the recipient's computer doesn't need PowerPoint to run the show. Learn more about Package for CD.
4. Use Masters for consistency and to save time. In addition to customizing elements of slide layouts (as discussed earlier in this article), you can use the masters to save time and keep slides consistent by adding graphics and formatting just once for all slides.
• Place graphics (such as your logo) on the Slide Master, so that they automatically appear on all slides. Note that, when graphics appear on the master, you can still hide them for just certain slides. To hide graphics for an active or selected slide, on the Format menu click Background. Then, in the Background dialog box, select Omit background graphics from master.
• You can add a Title Master to use different formatting and graphics on title slides from other slides in your presentation. To do this, switch to Slide Master View. Then, select New Title Master from the Insert menu.
• While a great new feature in PowerPoint enables you to create multiple slide masters for a single presentation, use this feature carefully. Keep in mind that the purpose of a master is to help keep your slides consistent
Sound about right? If so, I've got good news for you! Creating professional, unique presentations can be much easier than you might think.
This article will help you find the right tools to get exactly the presentation you want. We'll look at three components of creating effective presentations, and provide timesaving tips to help send your presentation off in style.
On This Page
Clearly Communicate Your Information
Grab the Viewer's Attention
Stay in Control of Your Presentations
Clearly Communicate Your Information
Want slides that clearly communicate your most important points? You might be surprised at how little work it takes to go from basic to brilliant! PowerPoint provides a host of tools for keeping your slides consistent, precise, and professional.
Take a look at two versions of a basic bulleted text slide below. The text in both slides is identical. Which would you prefer to present?
It took just a couple of shapes and a bit of editing in the Slide Master to go from the slide on the left to the slide on the right.
Here are 4 ways to let Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003 help you clearly communicate your information:
1. Set up and use AutoLayouts. In PowerPoint 2003, you can select from over two dozen available layouts with a single click. Just open the Slide Layout task pane to view and access layouts for text and a variety of content. To open this task pane, on the Format menu click Slide Layout.
You can also customize the positioning and appearance of all layouts at once, using the Slide Master. On the Slide Master, make a variety of formatting changes just once to affect all slides in your presentation.
To access the Slide Master, on the View menu select Master and then click Slide Master. Once in Slide Master view, you can reformat the font, bullets, and even the line spacing of text. (These options are all available in the Format menu.) Or, alter the size and positioning of AutoLayout areas—the areas of the master that control slide layouts for the active presentation. Learn more about the Slide Master.
Get more tips for using masters in the Stay in Control of Your Presentations section of this article.
2. Turn off (or manage) AutoCorrect layout options. PowerPoint 2003 provides several automatic formatting options to help your slides conform to the provided layouts. They can be big timesavers, but they can also be frustrating if you're not using them intentionally. If you don't want your bulleted text to shrink automatically in order to fit content, or the positioning of pasted objects to change automatically, you can easily turn off these features.
To turn off any AutoFormat options, on the Tools menu click AutoCorrect Options. Then, select the AutoFormat As You Type tab of that dialog box.
The bottom three options on the AutoFormat As You Type tab of the AutoCorrect dialog box control automatic formatting behavior for layouts.
3. Start by outlining your presentation in Word. Take time to outline your presentation before creating slides. Doing so can save time and help you give a more clear and effective presentation.
Try setting up your outline in Word, using paragraph styles Heading 1 through Heading 9. When you use those styles for your outline, you can create PowerPoint slides in just a click. Learn to create PowerPoint slides from a Word outline.
4. Consider differences for print vs. screen presentations. Presentations designed to be viewed on screen don't always work well when you print them. Dark backgrounds that look good on slides, for example, rarely print well. Similarly, footer content that you need in print is likely to be distracting on-screen. Fortunately, PowerPoint makes it easy to switch between print and screen presentation designs. Here are two features that can help:
• PowerPoint provides color schemes that apply to different slide elements (such as text, lines, and object fills). You can format slides for print using one color scheme, then just click to apply a different scheme for on-screen use. All slide elements formatted with scheme colors will automatically swap to take on the new scheme. Learn more about using and customizing color schemes.
• Showing, hiding, and customizing header and footer content in PowerPoint can be a snap. Learn how to create and manage headers and footers.
Top of page
Grab the Viewer's Attention
The Microsoft Office Clip Art gallery offers a huge range of images. These can be great for many uses, but they might not be the most sophisticated way to emphasize your important idea.
Creating slides that get the viewer's attention is not about which pictures to include. It's about using the space on your slides effectively. Don't crowd your slides, and only include elements that contribute to the points you want to make. When you use graphics on a slide, choose images that serve a purpose (such as a chart or diagram that displays a direct benefit of your idea). Compare the two marketing slides below, for example.
The simple column chart in the slide on the right replaces two paragraphs of text, and makes a much stronger impression. Coordinating the chart colors with the slide design was automatic.
Check out 4 ways to help grab and keep your viewer's attention.
1. Use sound recordings when sending a presentation electronically. A clean slide that emphasizes key points is more effective than a slide that contains every word you intend to say. But, what do you do if you're sending your presentation electronically? Consider recording narration to accompany your slides.
• To record narration for a presentation, on the Slide Show menu click Record Narration.
• To record sound for a single slide, on the Insert menu select Movies and Sounds and then click Record Sounds.
Learn how to record narration and sounds.
2. Use Notes and Handouts to help you stay on track or to create quick and easy leave-behinds for your viewers. Use the Notes pane that appears below the slide in Normal view to write notes to yourself for your presentation, or to create notes that you can print for your viewers. You can also format and print handouts that contain up to nine slides per page.
Learn to create Notes pages and Handouts.
3. Create charts and diagrams that emphasize your key points. To chart data in PowerPoint, start by clicking the Insert Chart icon on any Content slide layout, as show here:
The Insert Chart icon is circled in red.
• When you click the Insert Chart icon, you'll get a default chart that's a snap to customize and a data worksheet that's easy to edit. Visit my blog to learn about charting data in PowerPoint.
• The Insert Diagram or Organization Chart tool (available from the Drawing toolbar) is a nice way to create quick and easy flowcharts. However, I find that using AutoShapes to create any type of diagram or flowchart can provide much more flexibility without much more work. See the Stay in Control of Your Presentations section of this article below for information on the available tools for creating flawless presentation graphics.
4. Use animation and slide transitions consistently and sparingly. Having text and graphics appear on-screen just when you need them can be a nice touch. However, using too much animation can distract from your presentation's content.
• For effects that emphasize without overwhelming, limit animation to key points and use consistent animation choices throughout the presentation. Open the Custom Animation task pane (available on the Slide Show menu) to apply and manage animation. Learn to use Custom Animation.
• Subtle and consistent slide transitions can also provide a professional touch without being distracting. Use the Slide Transition task pane (available from the Slide Show menu) to format and apply slide transitions. Learn about using slide transitions and timings.
Top of page
Stay in Control of Your Presentations
Custom colors, layouts, and graphics can do a lot for your presentation. But a misaligned flowchart, or a presentation that crashes on your client's computer, isn't likely to make the impression you want. For example, take a look at the two organization chart images below. Which would you prefer to call your own?
Nudging and fussing to create the organization chart on the left took about an hour, and it's far from perfect. Using available PowerPoint tools for duplicating and alignment, the chart on the right took just 10 minutes to create.
Here are 4 ways to keep your presentations both great-looking and easy-to-manage.
1. Keep file size manageable. A common cause of stress with PowerPoint presentations is that the file size becomes too large to edit or to run presentation smoothly. Fortunately, this problem is easy to avoid by using smaller picture file types, compressing pictures, and using native PowerPoint features whenever possible (such as tables, charts, and AutoShapes) instead of embedding and importing objects.
Visit my blog to learn more about options for reducing picture file size.
2. Use the available tools for creating perfect diagrams. One of the nicest things about PowerPoint is that getting something perfect is easier than getting it close.
• Instead of nudging objects until your eyes get tired, use the Align Or Distribute tools. They can help you perfectly align and evenly distribute objects in a click. To access these tools, select Align or Distribute from the Draw menu, which is available on the Drawing toolbar.
• You can also use Guides to align and space objects. Guides can help you measure distance and keep positioning of elements consistent across multiple slides. To see your Guides, on the View Menu select Grid and Guides. Then, in the Grid and Guides dialog box, select Display drawing guides on screen.
Learn more about alignment and distribution options for PowerPoint objects.
• Zooming in on an object in PowerPoint can greatly increase the accuracy of what you see. To do this without trial and error, just select the object before changing the Zoom setting on the Standard toolbar.
Visit my blog for more tips on creating beautiful, flawless diagrams.
3. Know exactly what the recipient of your presentation will see. If you're sending a presentation by e-mail, try saving the presentation as a Slide Show so that it automatically opens for the recipient in slide show view. To do this, on the File menu click Save As. In the Save As dialog box, select PowerPoint Show (.pps) from the Save As Type dropdown list, as you see here:
This screenshot shows how to use save your presentation as a slide show.
If you're sending a presentation on CD, the Package for CD feature in PowerPoint 2003 is a great time and stress-saver. This feature will set up your presentation (including linked files) on a CD so that the slide show will run correctly for any recipient. It even adds a PowerPoint viewer so that the recipient's computer doesn't need PowerPoint to run the show. Learn more about Package for CD.
4. Use Masters for consistency and to save time. In addition to customizing elements of slide layouts (as discussed earlier in this article), you can use the masters to save time and keep slides consistent by adding graphics and formatting just once for all slides.
• Place graphics (such as your logo) on the Slide Master, so that they automatically appear on all slides. Note that, when graphics appear on the master, you can still hide them for just certain slides. To hide graphics for an active or selected slide, on the Format menu click Background. Then, in the Background dialog box, select Omit background graphics from master.
• You can add a Title Master to use different formatting and graphics on title slides from other slides in your presentation. To do this, switch to Slide Master View. Then, select New Title Master from the Insert menu.
• While a great new feature in PowerPoint enables you to create multiple slide masters for a single presentation, use this feature carefully. Keep in mind that the purpose of a master is to help keep your slides consistent
12 Steps to a Positive Attitude
More than 100 years ago, author Robert Louis Stevenson offered the following tips for maintaining a positive attitude. They still apply today.
· Make up your mind to be happy. Learn to find pleasure in simple things.
· Make the best of your circumstances. Everyone has problems. The trick is to make laughter outweigh the tears.
· Don’t take yourself too seriously. Don’t think that somehow you should be protected from misfortunes that befall others.
· You can’t please everybody. Don’t let criticism worry you.
· Don’t let your neighbor set your standards. Be yourself.
· Do the things you enjoy doing, but stay out of debt.
· Don’t borrow trouble. Imaginary burdens are harder to bear than the actual ones.
· Hate poisons the soul, so don’t carry grudges. Avoid people who make you unhappy.
· Have many interests. If you can’t travel, read about new places.
· Don’t hold post-mortems. Don’t spend your life brooding over sorrows and mistakes.
· Do what you can for those less fortunate than yourself.
· Keep busy at something. A busy person never has time to be unhappy.
· Make up your mind to be happy. Learn to find pleasure in simple things.
· Make the best of your circumstances. Everyone has problems. The trick is to make laughter outweigh the tears.
· Don’t take yourself too seriously. Don’t think that somehow you should be protected from misfortunes that befall others.
· You can’t please everybody. Don’t let criticism worry you.
· Don’t let your neighbor set your standards. Be yourself.
· Do the things you enjoy doing, but stay out of debt.
· Don’t borrow trouble. Imaginary burdens are harder to bear than the actual ones.
· Hate poisons the soul, so don’t carry grudges. Avoid people who make you unhappy.
· Have many interests. If you can’t travel, read about new places.
· Don’t hold post-mortems. Don’t spend your life brooding over sorrows and mistakes.
· Do what you can for those less fortunate than yourself.
· Keep busy at something. A busy person never has time to be unhappy.
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