As we draw to the end of the year, I have chose to reflect upon a fundamental subject, communication and the art of listening. If you ever want to be a good speaker, a good problem solver or a good writer, the first skill to develop is good listening skills. I have come across many smart and talented people who have limited listening skills. They often speak over any other person in a discussion or in a forum, which often results in a much lesser team participation in any forum or problem solving discussion.

So what exactly distinguishes a good listener

1. A good listener will wait to hear a problem completely. Wait for the presenter to finish before offering solutions.
2. A good listener in a forum setting or a discussion will wait to speak out their thoughts
3. A good listener will also explain the problem first before the solution; this will set the expectations and avoid any communication issues

I was once told very long ago by a famous public speaker that these are very important skills to develop. Today I share his words with you.

Seasons Greetings and Happy Holidays to all the readers worldwide.

Well, with the official word that US has entered into a recession, the next big question is how do we keep business moving. If you have not already started a business intelligence program, well guess what, this is the best time to start the same in your organization. Implementing a BI solution will give you a much needed boost about your own company and your customers. As long as you can retain your customers and keep them happy in this economy, you will be a winner when we all emerge out of this recession.

Next question is how to implement the BI program on a shoestring budget? there are a number of options and opportunities from cutting edge solutions like data warehouse appliances, BI appliances to offerings from Microsoft, Oracle, IBM and Teradata. Depending on the complexity and the sophistication you require, you can mix and match the solutions to implement a successful program. You will need MDM, DG and all the other bells and whistles, but they all can be implemented once you have figured out a solution strategy and a roadmap.

Better late than never.