Opinion about opinion

According to Google, “opinion” means “a view or judgement formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.”

It is not only for famous people, we all have an opinion about something or someone and  express at the right time. That is why it is a common and must needed topic for all, to think and discuss.

A view or judgement refers to statements told by people from their knowledge or experience about something or someone. And, it may not be based on fact or knowledge. Hence, it may or may not be true. 

From this point of view, it is clear that every opinion is based on someone’s preferences, likes and dislikes.That too can not be true to the whole. Because everyone’s preferences, likes and dislikes are also dependent on various conditions and elements such as age, education, culture, upbringing, locality, overall lifestyle, their mood and etc., 

So we should have a clear idea about opinion. Opinions reveal a lot about human beings. In other words, the opinion we have about something or someone tells who we are. Knowingly or unknowingly, we all do have and express our opinion. (the quote “Tell me about your friends; I will tell about you” may pop up. Yes! There you are.)

The following are some of the key factors that influence the opinion:

1. Time:  

Time is one of the main factors that influences the opinion in a huge way. One may like something at one point of time and the same person may dislike it, at different time periods. No opinion can be a permanent one. Everything changes in the course of time. This is the universal fact that everyone accepts.

When the truth is so, how can we be so stick with any particular opinion?

Practice: When there is a heating argument is going on, and there is no need for any urgent decision making from your side, it is better to stay calm and just listen to the other person’s point of view. In fact, in most of the practical life situations, most of the people are too busy in their day-to-day activities that they have no time or patience to think of their situations neutrally without any emotional or sentimental attachment with that particular problem or situation. In most of the cases just listening without any reaction itself is more than enough. Give it a try! 

2. Social/ Economic status: 

Everyone is media person in this gadget-filled world. Everyone is a writer and columnist and giving solution to social problems in various social platforms such as Twitter, Fb, Youtube and etc., It has now become a fashion to write opinion about social activities and many do not worry about the whole history of the events and authentication of the news that they know and nothing. Common people, Celebrities, and media all are simply throwing their opinion on public platforms just like that. 

We see many famous personalities and celebrities show their emotions in media publicly and get into trouble also. It does not mean that they are unaware of the results or reactions of their opinions. The way of expressing the opinion is also very important. Their poor emotional management skills is the reason for it. If one is not clear about the way of expression, that too may lead to lots of confusion, unwanted misunderstandings and misinterpretations.

Practice: Imagine for just a few minutes before expressing an opinion, about the effect or impact or reaction, that our opinion is going to create in that particular platform and then, if you still have the impulse to express it, then you proceed. Most of the time, we will simply change our mind. Because, all our intentions are good. 

3. Day-to-day life situations:

People do have their own partiality, prejudices, biases based on their knowledge and brought up. Everyone of us belongs to various statuses, environment, education, culture, economic status and life style. Those who are listening to an opinion, also has to be more careful in giving response to such opinions. He / she may be forced to give their opinion for that opinion. 

Practice: As a listener (of course judge) we have to think from all aspects rationally, before giving counter-dialogue or solutions or before reacting. 

Dude, Can anyone think about such details at the time of a heating argument? You may ask. You are right. We in fact, should think like this. And it is not an impossible one and it is a skill which can be developed by practice.

Practical: people change themselves based on the heavy pressures of their situation. Or if not, they face the severe effects of their ego, suffer, regret and feel a lot, and then finally realize their mistake. But at that time, they are forced to take a different choice and act upon it. The choice is always ours!  

4. Media: 

We all know the impact of “opinion poll” conducted by various organisations. Various responsible people, media, organisations and even courts have to discuss and tell their opinion  about these “opinion polls”. Modern TV, press media even social platforms such as Facebook, twitter and whats app play vital role in expressing an opinion on any important social events. 

Practice: Nobody can be forced to give opinion. As a public, if we wish to contribute our social responsibility through any social media, it's well and good. Let us do some background research  of current happenings, and then in a neutral tone, we will express our opinion.  

Yes...! An opinion expressed in an appropriate way and tone, has the power to create strong impact.   

5. Mood: 

When discussing about the opinion, “mood” plays a very important role. People’s mood can not be the same all the time. It changes time to time. We all know that. Even intellectual people’s mood is subject to change.

Coming to a conclusion about someone or something, before taking some time to think about that particular matter is really an easy task. But wise people never do that. Because they know that people talk and behave according to their mood.

Practice: Before giving any opinion,let us check our mood at least just for a minute. So simple one right…! 

6. Emotions: 

“Emotion” is one of the main factors that affects the opinion of anyone. You take any regional newspaper or watch any news. There will definitely be some news on murder or suicide or attack or rally or demonstration and protest or arrest of any such kind. Thousands of such incidents are happening all over the country and the world. The common thing behind all of those negative and destructive activities is “emotion”. 

In practical life situations, most of the people find it very difficult to control their emotions. They simply act and react out of their emotions so quickly without a single second thought or intention. Later, they regret for their mistakes and quick reactions and decisions based on their emotions and impulses.

As a reader and listener, we have the power to save our mind from all these negativity. The remote is in our hand only. Where the focus goes energy flows. “Emotion control” is a key leadership quality and it requires constant practice to think rationally before reacting and responding to any situation. 

One may be educated or uneducated or semi educated, rural, urban or male or female, young or aged. Emotion control” is a must needed practice for each and every one of us in this modern, technologically-developed and fast-paced lifestyle. To protect ourselves from mental stress, to maintain the peace of mind, we need this practice. When the mind is calm, decision making becomes easier. 

Practice: When  we are not responding or reacting immediately to any heating arguments with others, it gives us enough time to see things as they are As a result, we can know exactly what happened. And based on that we can think neutrally and take appropriate action. 

Conclusion: There is a difference between reacting and responding. The latter is the choice of wise. There are always choices. Aren’t they? 

Let us keep sharing and supporting positive vibrations! Thanks for reading patiently. Have a good time...!   

- N.VENKATESAN

To watch my Youtube Videos:

Office Administration & life-style

Hi all, This is not related to Indian economy or economic slow down. 

I would like to share a company's administration-experience of my long term friend. He is very passionate, hard working and highly self-motivated person. He has started his business from scratch level with a TVS-50 bike in Chennai. Now around 20 employees are working in his company. Recently, I received a call from him. I went and met him. He told me that he had sent out few of his employees to home, due to their lack of responsibility. Since he is a busy man, and I also have no business with his company, I did not want to spoil his office hours with my going there and having friendly talks. Only if he calls, I will go and meet him.

Exactly a year ago, I went and met him after his call. He told me that, "I am planning to update my office administration with modern technologies and software. So that it will be easy for me to get any data easily whenever I want. Now I have purchased and installed a software for CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and there are loads of all customer data in Excel format. You just arrange the Excel sheet in such a way so that it can be easily exported in that CRM software. If it is exported in that software once, then it will be easy to enter and update the data and also it will also be useful for the overall viewing and monitoring the data and business". I felt happy to help him any way. So he asked one of his staffs to sit near me and explain me the procedure. 

I, with my little bit of basic excel knowledge and lots of Youtube Tutorials, started to work on Excel sheet and it took around 1 month for me to arrange and edit all the customer data year wise from the beginning of the company to till date.

Whenever I had doubt, I used to call the CRM software installer and clear my doubts and after finishing the excel sheet, my work completed. Then the SRM person came, checked my work and exported it in the software. It was throwing many errors. Even after his efforts of many hours, the problem did not solve. Then the boss (my friend) came and asked to submit the total Customers list for his company. Nobody was unable to help him. He got angry and the CRM person tried to explain the technical part in many ways. But the boss is not satisfied. What he asked was just the total customers of his company. 

At that time, another friend of my boss has returned from abroad. So he called that friend and explained about the company status and current update procedures. That abroad friend said that, "you don't worry; I will take care of this. This CRM matter can be solved with in few hours. leave it to me" and started to work in the Excel sheet. He applied some filters and used some formulas, reordered, edited and did something so fast. I was also watching him. and I went home, since that experienced guy is there to solve this. 

The very next day, that new person called me and told that the CRM problem was solved completely. I felt relief and happy.

Then after 3 months, my friend (boss) called me to his office and I went. Then he told me that he has sent few of his employees including the foreign-returned friend, to home because of their lack of involvement. Then he explained me the whole thing simply. "I wanted to do some update in this business so that I purchased a Software and installed and gave one month training for my employees to use that software. After that, the trainer went. I was thinking that staffs are using that software and updating all transactions in that software. One day, when I realized that my business cash flow is very low, I wanted to check the details and asked about some transaction reports and total customers list. Their office staffs could not give that required report to him. When he got angry and asked the reason, they told that, "Sir, nobody is using that software. nothing is updated in that. we are simply doing what we were doing previously. Sorry! there are really many errors and problems unsolved that we are unable to solve it while using that software". Now he is back to where he started a year back and purpose was not solved. 

The boss, got angry and this time, shouted at everyone and fired them immediately. In fact, if the staff had written all the transactions and details in a notebook on a daily basis, within few hours, they could have submitted the required report to their boss. 

As a owner of a company, thinking about the development and taking necessary action to update and sustain the business is compulsory. But with unproductive staffs and those who are not willing to adapt to the new technologies, and with Robo-like staffs, what can an enthusiastic owner of a company do productively? When any development is not implemented in practical properly, what is the purpose of new technologies and software and education training? Now who will repay the money and time that he invested in that software, training, one year payment for that operator and such thing? According to me, his office is equipped with modern technologies and nice working ambiance. Anyone will be liking to work in such a office. The boss is also a very friendly person and can easily be approached. He used to consider all staffs as his team and friends. But employees were always in low energy. Even after so many meetings, pressures, advice, psychological approaches, he was unable to improve the team spirit among the employees. 

The boss may or may not be present in any company. But all the transactions must be running smoothly. Like Karl marks comparison with the God and the government administration. That kind of office set up and administration and understanding staffs to a company are really a boon to a good boss. MBA, PHD, Foreign job experiences and such things can not help to create awareness, basic common sense, understanding. They are possible only through self analysis, self discipline and team spirit. Let us all think and keep sharing. Thank you all and all the very best!

- N.VENKATESAN 
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