10 characteristics of highly successful people

Some people have a passion for music. Others can't stop watching reality TV. My accountant collects baseball cards. Me? I've got this thing about trying to figure stuff out. It's like my brain never stops working, which is probably why I drink too much.

Today, I'm thinking about the dozens and dozens of people I've known that made it big. CEOs, VCs, entrepreneurs, VPs, business owners -- all sorts of success stories. Some were so ridiculously improbable -- shocking, really -- that only now, looking back on it, does it even begin to make sense. Others, you just knew all along they had what it takes.
Now, I hear from readers all the time about the losers they work for. The incompetents, back-stabbers, and game-players that somehow manage to get themselves into positions where they can order people around and feel like big-shots. They are out there; I've known a few myself.
Does slow and steady win the race?
Where do big ideas come from?
How to schmooze your way to business success
But here's the thing. Nobody's perfect. Not you, me or them. If they're just low-level managers, fine, it can happen. But if they made it to the top or anywhere close, I'd be willing to bet they've got some positive characteristics, as well. Speaking of which, if any of these ten attributes describe you, you've got a decent chance of making something of yourself.
Just to be clear, I'm not saying you've got to have one or more of these characteristics to be successful; I just can't think of anyone who managed to pull it off, at least not today. If you think I missed something, be sure to let me know.

You're a fierce competitor. Maybe you've got something to prove, even if you don't really know to whom or why. Some people have a real killer instinct; they've just got to win. And one of the reasons they do is because they're relentless about getting the job done no matter what. That's a big deal in the business world.

You're really, really smart. You may be quirky and dysfunctional, but if you're smart enough and don't screw up too badly, you'll manage to do something cool, especially these days. You see, Jesus was misquoted. He actually said, "The geek shall inherit the Earth."

You're a turtle. I knew somebody back in the day at Texas Instruments who was anything but a shining star. But you know, he still managed to accomplish things, just one step at a time. He paid attention to detail. He did the right things. And slowly but surely, he climbed the corporate ladder. Now he's a CEO. It happens.

You're an idea guy. Some people somehow come up with big ideas. Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, Albert Einstein, and Steve Jobs, to name a few. Are they geniuses? I really don't know, but I do know that those who are capable of brilliant inspiration and innovation don't always fit the classical definition of smart.

You've got instincts. Some people don't have their own ideas but they're very good at recognizing a good idea when they see it. They may not be brilliant, but they can see it in others. Some VCs are very good at picking and developing winners. They trust their gut instincts and it works.

You're a born leader. When you speak, people listen. When you say go there, folks do it. Some people have a knack for inspiring others. So people follow. Where you lead them doesn't really matter; you'll probably make a name for yourself anyway.

You think you're special. Of course you're not. We're all the same, flesh-and-blood people. Maybe you're a little bit delusional; who knows? But that characteristic can drive you far. In other words, it can be self-fulfilling, at least to a point.

You're a narcissistic psychopath. Leaders are sometimes identified that way. Well, some are. Keep in mind, there are shades of gray here. We all have egos, but too much and you've got narcissistic tendencies. Some people are capable of compartmentalizing their feelings. That alone doesn't make them psychopaths, although it's a good start.

You've got a head for business. The kid that made money selling comics and trading baseball cards grew up to be Donald Trump. Sometimes it's parenting, which almost certainly played a role in Trump's case. Bill Gates, too. Some people just have business in their blood. Head, blood, DNA -- I don't know where it is, but it's there.

You're a schmoozer. The word schmooze often has a negative connotation. That's just wrong. Whether you're good with relationships, have the gift of gab, or can sell ice cubes to an Eskimo, you can call it schmoozing or anything you like, but it just means you can relate to people. That's a very good thing in the business world.

ANUP SHAH

Adroitt Flow Control Pvt Ltd

Cell +91 9820501463

anup@adroitt.net

(Sent from iPhone)

10 things to learn from Apple Store

My friend, Carmine Gallo, has written a book called The Apple Experience: Secrets to Building Insanely Great Customer Loyalty. The Apple Store is the most profitable retailer in America, generating an average of $5,600 per square foot and attracting more than 20,000 visitors a week.

In the decade since Steve Jobs and former head of retail, Ron Johnson, decided to reimagine the retail experience, the Apple Store not only reimagined and reinvented retail, it blew up the model entirely and started from scratch. In his research for The Apple Experience, Carmine discovered ten things that the Apple Store can teach any business in any industry to be more successful:

1. Stop selling stuff. When Steve Jobs first started the Apple Store he did not ask the question, "How will we grow our market share from 5 to 10 percent?" Instead he asked, "How do we enrich people's lives?" Think about your vision. If you were to examine the business model for most brands and retailers and develop a vision around it, the vision would be to "sell more stuff." A vision based on selling stuff isn't very inspiring and leads to a very different experience than the Apple Retail Store created.
2. Enrich lives. The vision behind the Apple Store is "enrich lives," the first two words on a wallet-sized credo card employees are encouraged to carry. When you enrich lives magical things start to happen. For example, enriching lives convinced Apple to have a non-commissioned sales floor where employees feel comfortable spending as much time with a customer as the customer desires. Enriching lives led Apple to build play areas (the "family room") where kids could see, touch and play on computers. Enriching lives led to the creation of a "Genius Bar" where trained experts are focused on "rebuilding relationships" as much as fixing problems.
3. Hire for smiles. The soul of the Apple Store is in its people. They are hired, trained, motivated and taught to create magical and memorable moments for their customers. The Apple Store values a magnetic personality as much, if not more so, than technical proficiency. The Apple Store cares less about what you know than it cares about how much you love people.
4. Celebrate diversity. Mohawks, tattoos, piercings are all acceptable among Apple Store employees. Apple hires people who reflect the diversity of their customers. Since they are more interested in how passionate you are, your hairstyle doesn't matter. Early in the Apple Store history, they also learned that former teachers make the best salespeople because they ask a lot of questions. It's not uncommon to find former teachers, engineers, and artists at an Apple Store. Apple doesn't look for someone who fits a mold.
5. Unleash inner genius. Teach your customers something they never knew they could do before, and they'll reward you with their loyalty. For example, the Apple Store offers a unique program to help people understand and enjoy their computers: One to One. The $99 one-yearmembership program is available with the purchase of a Mac. Apple Store instructors called "creatives" offer personalized instruction inside the Apple Store. Customers can learn just about anything: basics about the Mac operating system; how to design a website; enjoying, sharing, and editing photos or movies; creating a presentation; and much more. The One to One program was created to help build customers for life. It was designed on the premise that the more you understand a product, the more you enjoy it, and the more likely you are to build a long-term relationship with the company. Instructors are trained to provide guidance and instruction, but also to inspire customers, giving them the tools to make them more creative than they ever imagined.
6. Empower employees. I spent one hour talking to an Apple Store specialist about kids, golf, and my business. We spent about ten minutes talking about the product (a MacBook Air). I asked the employee whether he would be reprimanded for spending so much time with one customer. "Not at all," he replied. "If you have a great experience, that's all that matters." Apple has a non-commissioned sales floor for a reason—employees are not pressured to "make a sale." Instead they are empowered to do what they believe is the right thing to do.
7. Sell the benefit. Apple Store specialists are taught to sell the benefit behind products and to customize those benefits for the customer. For example, I walked to the iPad table with my two young daughters and told the specialist I was considering my first iPad. In a brilliant move, the specialist focused on my two daughters, the 'secondary' customer who can influence a purchase. He let the girls play on separate devices. On one device he played the movie, Tangled, and on the other device he brought up a Disney Princess coloring app. My girls were thrilled and, in one memorable moment, my 6-year-old turned me to and said, "I love this store!" It's easy to see why. Instead of touting "speeds and feeds," the specialist taught us how the device could improve our lives.
8. Follow the steps of service. The Apple Store teaches its employees to follow five steps in each and every interaction. These are called the Apple five steps of service. They are outlined by the acronym A-P-P-L-E. They are: Approach with a customized, warm greeting. Probe politely to understand the customer's needs. Present a solution the customer can take home today. Listen for and address unresolved questions. End with a fond farewell and an invitation to return.
9. Create multisensory experiences. The brain loves multi-sensory experiences. In other words, people enjoy being able to see, touch, and play with products. Walk into an Apple Store upon opening and you'll see all the notebook computer screens perfectly positioned slightly beyond 90-degree angles. The position of the computer lets you see the screen (which is on and loaded with content) but forces you to touch the computer in order to adjust it. Every device in the store is working and connected to the Internet. Spend as much time as you'd like playing with the products—nobody will kick you out. Creatives who give One-to-One workshops do not touch the computer without asking for permission. They want you to do it. The sense of touch helps create an emotional connection with a product.
10. Appeal to the buying brain. Clutter forces the brain to consume energy. Create uncluttered environments instead. The Apple Store is spacious, clean, well-lit, and uncluttered. Cables are hidden from view and no posters on placed on the iconic glass entrances. Computer screens are cleaned constantly. Keep the environment clean, open, and uncluttered.

The three pillars of enchantment are likability, trustworthiness, and quality. Apple's engineers take care of quality, and the Apple Store experience personifies likability and trustworthiness. I've never left an Apple store without being enchanted—in fact, I seldom leave the Apple Store on University Avenue in Palo Alto without being enchanted and buying something too! Resisting Carmine's book, like resisting an Apple Store, is futile, so just get it here: The Apple Experience: Secrets to Building Insanely Great Customer Loyalty

ANUP SHAH

Adroitt Flow Control Pvt Ltd

Cell +91 9820501463

anup@adroitt.net

(Sent from iPhone)

Val-Matic® Plug Valves enter the UK MARKET

Val-Matic® entered the United Kingdom market on a major project for Thames Water. The project involved an upgraded contract worth more than US$189 million at the Crossness Sewage Treatment Plant in east London. The improvements enabled the site to treat 44% more sewage than before, significantly reducing the amount of storm sewage that overflows into the River Thames. Thames installed Val-Matic® Cam-Centric Plug Valves in a full range of sizes for the primary settlement tank, desludge and aeration applications. Val-Matic Cam-Centric Plug Valves maintained the ability to withstand the harsh process environment, with its hard wearing and non-stick fusion bonded epoxy coating, coupled with a unique bearing packing including Grit-Guard seals to assure a tight seal and trouble-free service.      The Val-Matic Cam-Centric Plug Valve is a 1/4 turn valve allowing cost effective, low torque actuation for shut-off and throttling service. Val-Matic Cam-Centric® Plug Valves meet AWWA C517 and are WQA Certified Lead-Free.

ANUP SHAH

Adroitt Flow Control Pvt Ltd

Cell +91 9820501463

anup@adroitt.net

(Sent from iPhone)

Metso Strengthens in India

Metso opens a new valve supply and service center in Vadodara, India. The new supply centre supports company's strategy to grow valve business globally and strengthens Metso's service capabilities in India for major petrochemical, energy, and oil and gas companies such as Reliance Industries Ltd, Indian Oil Corporation, Technip, Praxair India Pvt Ltd and PRAJ Industries Ltd. 

This investment is in line with Metso's long-term strategy to develop and expand its valve offering, delivery and service capabilities for customers in oil and gas, power, pulp and paper industries. It was preceded by a series of investments in Metso's global offering and presence. Last month Metso announced acquiring a valve technology and service company, Valstone Control Inc. in South Korea. Currently Metso is expanding its valve production premises in the US. Last year, Metso opened a new valve technology center in Finland. In 2010 Metso opened a new valve facility in Shanghai, China. Metso also has high-class industrial valve facilities in Brazil and Germany. 

The new valve supply center is located in Vadodara city, 400 km north of Mumbai in the state of Gujarat, where Metso's service center has been in operation for more than two years.

ANUP SHAH

Adroitt Flow Control Pvt Ltd

Cell +91 9820501463

anup@adroitt.net

(Sent from iPhone)

Corflex Engg supplies pinch valve for 72 bar working pressure to silver mine in Bolivia

Pinch valve supplier Corflex Engineering has supplied pinch valves for a working pressure of 72 bar to a silver mine in Bolivia, South America.

The order, worth over R2-million, is for 12 pinch valves to operate on a tailings dam where pipeline pressure is supplied by positive displacement pumps. This is believed to be the highest pressure that a 200-mm pinch valve has ever been built for.

The high operating pressure required hydraulic operation of the valves. As there is no electrical power available on the tailings dam, each valve was fitted with its own hydraulic power pack and designed to be operated from a mobile generating set. The order was a new development for this size of high-pressure pinch valve, taking over seven months to produce.

The pinch valve sleeves were built by rubber product manufacturer Dunlop Industrial Products. These high-pressure sleeves and all other Corflex pinch valve sleeves are built to the highest standard required by Dunlop's strict quality assurance programme, ISO 9001:2008.

The 200-mm pinch valve sleeves have a design working pressure of 75 bar. The rubber hose sleeves have a test pressure of 150 bar, which is twice the highest recommended working pressure. To build these sleeves, Corflex had to design and build special tooling, as well as a test rig to test the sleeves.

To close and seal 200-mm pinch valves at 72 bar requires a minimum force of 44 t in addition to a good safety factor. To this end, a special valve body had to be designed and built. The valve body is fitted with two opposed nonrising hydraulic cylinders securely bolted to the body, with large-diameter high-tensile cap screws.

The two body halves are also securely bolted together using high-tensile bolts. The valves are very heavily built because of the high pressure. The finished product weighed over 1 600 kg. The valve bodies are designed to contain the sleeve test pressure in the event of a sleeve failure.

Open-frame pinch valves in high-pressure applications are potentially dangerous in the event of a sudden pinch valve sleeve failure, which is similar to a burst pipe. Corflex safety requirements only recommend that enclosed pinch valves are able to withstand the pinch valve sleeve test pressure, for all high-pressure applications.

Most pinch valves are built with rising actuators, which is generally the least expensive way of building pinch valves. However, for this order, the more expensive and stronger nonrising pincher actuation, where the pinchers move independently from both sides, must be used.

This order enabled Corflex, who supply pinch valves for both low- and high-pressure applications, to increase its size range for very high pressure pinch valves.

Corflex Engg is represented in India by Adroitt Flow Control Pvt. Ltd.  Please contact us for more information on product & applications.

Regards,

ANUP SHAH

Adroitt Flow Control Pvt Ltd

Cell +91 9820501463 | Fax +91 22 66459630

anup@adroitt.net | Skype / Gtalk - anupshah76

www.adroittflowcontrol.com

Corflex Engg receives R3.5million order for Pinch Valve for Copper Mining Project in Zambia

Pinch valve manufacturer Corflex Engineering, which supplies pinch valves for low- to high-pressure applications, has received a R3.5-million order from a copper-mining project in Zambia for 500 mm pinch valves with a working pressure of 25 bar.

The order was awarded on the condition that the valves be tested and witnessed to be working at 1.1 times the working pressure to ensure that they did not leak when closed.

The force required to seal the valves is over 120 t at a pressure of 27.5 bar.

Corflex previously performed sealing tests on its valves; however, this is the first time that a sealing test was required for a 500 mm pinch valve at this pressure.

The most common method used to construct pinch valves uses rising actuators owing to its cost effectiveness. This is, however, not suitable for pinch valves operating at high pressures as the pincher mechanism is held together using only two nuts.

By using this construction method, the actuators have the tendency to move about, caus- ing the valve to jam. The poten- tial danger with this method is the high risk of bolts or nuts shearing.

The valves used in the test were fitted with four hydraulic cylinders – two on either side – and certified gauges were used.

The sealing test is based on the recognised API 598 testing standard for valves.

The Test Procedure

The open valve is first filled with potable water and pressurised to a nominal 8 bar to fully expel any residual air and to provide back pressure to the closing mechanism so that the sleeve can be pinched in an operating manner as normal as possible.

Next, the hydraulic pressure is applied and the valve is fully closed. The upstream side is then pressurised to 27 bar – 10% above nominal operating pressure – and the down-stream side is exhausted to zero pressure through the stand pipe.

The observations throughout the test indicated that leakage was a droplet of water forming on, and falling from, the stand pipe. In this period, the up-stream pressure did not reduce.
The test was repeated with three valves and the same results were observed.  Corflex Engg is represented in India by Adroitt Flow Control.  Please contact us for more details.

Regards,

ANUP SHAH

Adroitt Flow Control Pvt Ltd

Cell +91 9820501463 | Fax +91 22 66459630

anup@adroitt.net | Skype / Gtalk - anupshah76

www.adroittflowcontrol.com

BHEL open to collaborations with Chinese companies

Bharat Heavy Electricals, which is facing stiff competition from Chinese equipment makers, today said it is open for collaboration with companies from the neighbouring country.

In response to a query on whether the company would be open for collaboration with Chinese entities, BHEL Chairman and Managing Director B Prasada Rao said, "If it adds value to us, we are open to that".

Import of cheaper Chinese power equipment are impacting state-run BHEL which today posted a net profit of Rs 6,868 crore for the year ended March, 2012.

The government is looking at higher import duty on Chinese power gear to provide a level playing field for domestic manufacturers such as BHEL.

Announcing the annual results, Rao said the company is open for collaborations with the private sector.

"Definitely, we will be providing (help) if the private sector comes for help from us. Secondly, we are open for that (collaboration with private sector)," he noted.

Among others, the company would be ready to offer 26 per cent equity in power projects. "We don't mind deploying our resources... that will also help in (ensuring) better business," Rao added.

Unperturbed by the significant slowdown in orders from the power sector, he said that current problems in the power sector are temporary in nature.

The entity's order book declined to Rs 22,096 crore last fiscal, as against Rs 60,000 crore in 2010-11 mainly due to sluggishness in the power sector.

As part of efforts to boost its overall business in the coming years, BHEL would be focusing on growth areas such as transportation and defence.

Rao stressed that transportation is expected to be the next growth area for the company after power.

"We have formed a group within the company to focus on metro (business)... We are also (participating) in the latest tender of Delhi Metro Rail Corp," Rao said.

According to him, the company is now refocusing on wind mills, which it left long back. "We are now looking for partner again... Defence is another big area," he added.

ANUP SHAH
Adroitt Flow Control Pvt Ltd
Cell +91 9820501463
anup@adroitt.net

(Sent from iPhone)

Dow Chemical Announces Plans to build Coating Material Facility in Saudi Arabia

The Dow Chemical Company announced plans to build a Dow Coating Materials manufacturing facility in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to manufacture a range of coating materials for domestic use in Saudi Arabia and for export worldwide.   Anton Van Beek General manager, Dow Coating Materials Europe, Middle East & Africa "By investing in a new coatings facility in Saudi Arabia, we are moving closer to our regional customers, and realizing our regional business objectives in a key growth market for Dow," said Jerome Peribere, executive vice president of The Dow Chemical Company and president and CEO, Dow Advanced Materials Division (AMD). The plant, to be located at the Jubail Industrial City, will be the latest in a series of investments announced by Dow in Saudi Arabia. In July 2011, Dow and Saudi Aramco announced an agreement to form Sadara Chemical Company, a joint venture to build and operate a world-scale, fully integrated chemicals complex in Jubail Industrial City. Upon completion, the joint venture is projected to be among the world's largest petrochemical facilities and would represent the largest foreign direct investment into Saudi Arabia's petrochemical sector. Dow also recently announced plans to invest in a best-in-class manufacturing facility forDOW FILMTEC™ Reverse Osmosis (RO) elements in the Kingdom. Dow Coating Materials manufactures a broad portfolio of coatings raw materials, including acrylic and styrene-acrylic resins, rheology modifiers, specialty waxes, solvents, epoxy resins and curing agents, glycol ethers, polyurethane products, antimicrobial agents, opaque pigments, and others. "We are committed to helping our customers rethink coatings by working closely with paint and coating formulators worldwide to develop breakthrough technologies that are differentiated," said Anton Van Beek, general manager, Dow Coating Materials Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA). Dow Coating Materials operates 43 manufacturing plants worldwide and 13 dedicated R&D facilities.

ANUP SHAH

Adroitt Flow Control Pvt Ltd

Cell +91 9820501463

anup@adroitt.net

(Sent from iPhone)

Tata Power signed MoU with Jharkhand for 3x660MW Project at Tiruldih

Arun Bapat (left) and Bimal Kirti Singh exchange files after the agreement was signed between Tata Power and the government in Ranchi on Tuesday. Picture by Prashant Mitra

Tata Power today signed an MoU with the state energy department to set up a 1,980MW thermal power plant at Tiruldih in Seraikela-Kharsawan at an estimated cost of Rs 1,200 crore.

The pact comes close on the heels of the cancellation of 13 MoUs by the state government last month, that had pledged an investment of Rs 80,000 crore to set up power plants in Jharkhand.

A total of 28 MoUs were signed between 2006 and 2008 to set up power plants, of which 13 were cancelled after the state decided that they were signed only to corner mineral resources as entrepreneurs had failed to initiate any work on the projects.

Today's agreement was signed by Bimal Kirti Singh, principal secretary in the energy department and Dinabandhu Santra, Tata Power Jharkhand project head. Hanuz Mistry, company secretary and Arun Bapat, legal head of Tata Power, were also present.

The plant at Tiruldih is the outcome of this month's visit to Jharkhand by Tata Sons chairman Ratan Tata and his successor designate Cyrus Mistry. The plant will comprise three units, each with an installed capacity of 660MW.

Santra said 25 per cent of all power generated would be given to Jharkhand.

Santra said work on the plant would commence in the first quarter of next year. The first unit would begin operation in 44 months. The second and third units would commence operation at intervals of six months each.

"The Tiruldih plant would generate between 1,000 and 1,200 jobs. We have already procured 300 acres for the project. We need another 200 acres," he said.

Referring to the Maithon Project, Santra said a power purchase agreement was being finalised to ensure that 25 per cent of the generation was earmarked for Jharkhand.

ANUP SHAH

Adroitt Flow Control Pvt Ltd

Cell +91 9820501463

anup@adroitt.net

(Sent from iPhone)

HPCL Mittal Bhatinda Refinery to be inaugurated in April 2012

Guru Gobind Singh Refinery, a Rs 21500 crore project of HPCL-Mittal Energy Limited project, would be inaugurated in mid-April.

Mr Prabh Das, Managing Director cum Chief Executive Officer of HPCL-Mittal Energy Limited, today called on Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and thanked him for total cooperation offered by the Punjab Government in completing this mega project in a record time.

Mr Das said this was the largest investment in Punjab since Independence, which could be possible because of pro-active approach of the SAD-BJP government.

He said that it was a matter of record that the refinery, whose construction began in 2008, had started refining mineral oil in August 2011 less than 48 months.He said that with the cooperation of Punjab Government the company could construct Crude Oil Terminal and 1017 km cross country pipeline in record 27 months. (UNI)

ANUP SHAH

Adroitt Flow Control Pvt Ltd

Cell +91 9820501463

anup@adroitt.net

(Sent from iPhone)