If you stick with a winner, You might just become one

A bizarre new consumer study reiterates what your class teacher always told you change your company to change your performance. iTALK shows you how hanging out with go-getters can make you one

A bizarre new consumer study reiterates what your class teacher always told youu00a0change your company to change your performance. iTALK shows you how hanging out with go-getters can make you one

Yuki owes his success to us Junior Australian Open winner Yuki Bhambri's elder sister, Sanaa says little bro is going places because he saw success all around him while growing up. "He saw Ankita and me training hard, travelling and winning attention from our parents. That got him motivated. He will always have the hand of experience to guide him."

They say you've got to do your own growing, no matter how high your grandpa stood. But when you walk with someone who stands tall at work, you are bound to push your chin up harder. A strange experiment carried out by author Arul Mishra of the University of Utah proves that our everyday choices are based on the principle of contagion, and consequently, being close to a person who has that winning-streak makes you imbibe it.

Participants of Mishra's study were asked to choose a cola bottle from one of two groups. In one group, the bottles were close together and in the other, they had been arranged somewhat apart. When volunteers were told that one of the bottles in each group contained a gift coupon, the majority of subjects chose a bottle from the fizzies huddled together. But when they were told that one of the bottles in each group was defective, most of them picked one from the group that was arranged apart.

The tests, published in the Journal of Consumer Research, concluded that qualities are contagious, transferable and quite pervasive in ordinary everyday choices. Our desi findings on the professional platform reflected the same.


How to make a friend's success work for you

' Observe his/her daily habits. Steal the best.

' Talk about personal and professional goals. His/her words may prove helpful.

' Take quick on-the-job tips if he/she's been in the same situation before, and emerged a winner.

' Think over his/her advice, but don't follow it blindly. Trust your instinct. It is important to learn from your own mistakes.


But you won't lose if a loser gets close

If you're one of the top employees in office and fear that others would strip you of your success by getting too close and causing harm, this age-old saying by sage Rahim should ease your fears:

Jo Rahim uttam prakriti ka, kar sakat kusang

Chandan vish vyapat nahi lapte rahat bhujang (Even though poisonous snakes twirl around sandalwood trees, the latter never loses its fragrance or qualities, just like you won't, if you believe in yourself).


What to read

The Power of Who

In the book The Power of Who, author and motivator Bob Beaudine challenges many widely-held presumptions on how to get the job you want, including the importance of traditional networking. Instead, he says one should identify people within one's own group of friends and friends of friends, as they are the foundation for making dreams come true. An excerpt tells you how to choose pals who can have a positive influence on your professional life.


What is a "Who" friend?

' A "Who" friend will call a halt to fearful thinking by insisting we stop listening to our own negative self-talk. In the face of those lies, they will start speaking truth, the truth about your value and uniqueness, and the value of your dreams and goals.

' A "Who" friend will intercept you on the dark path you've taken, and redirect your steps back on to the path of light. They know you, care for you and will remind you that you have a future and hope.

' A "Who" friend knows your true identity and won't let you forget it.


Positivity rubs off

Psychologist Dr Samir Parikh, Head of Mental Health at the Max Healthcare Centre, says, "Any positivity, just like any negativity, rubs off. When you are close to a person who is focused and hardworking, the attributes are bound to pass on."

Great company kept them going

Ujjala Bhattacharjee Gupta, Communication Consultant I've always seen well-performing friends and colleagues as a benchmark for good standards, and watching them excel fires a positive competitive urge within me. But you must know your limitations, so that an inferiority complex doesn't creep in. Vishal Dadlani, Singer-composer To me, success isn't a goal but a journey, and along the way, I have learnt a lot about music, dealing with people and life in general, from Shekhar (Rajviani) and my band. Good company has great power. Jasmine Arora, Senior Marketing Executive, Sony Many of my colleagues and close friends have inspired me in various ways. Of course, for a moment, you can't help but experience a pang of jealousy that sends you into introspection mode. Eventually, it turns into a hunger for achievement.