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Dear NBK Colleagues,
So what’s your EQ folks? Have you ever measured your
EQ? Is it more important than your IQ and how does this
apply to your workplace?
In this month’s issue, we look closely at our Emotional
Intelligence, its definition, its role and its metrics. On
page 13, you’ll find a set of fun questions which will help
you measure your EQ. At the bottom of this issue you’ll
find the answers – don’t forget to share your results by
dropping us a line at nbkinsider@nbks.com.
Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the ability to per-
ceive, control and evaluate emotions. Some researchers
suggest that emotional intelligence can be learned and
strengthened, while others claim it is an inborn character-
istic.
Since 1990, Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer have been
the leading researchers on emotional intelligence. In their
influential article "Emotional Intelligence," they defined
emotional intelligence as, "the subset of social intelli-
gence that involves the ability to monitor one's own and
others' feelings and emotions, to discriminate among
them and to use this information to guide one's thinking
and actions" (1990).
Emotional Intelligence (EI) has been recently validated
with about 25 major skill areas that can influence your
career and create abilities that improve your worth at
work. These EI skills are not readily measured on stand-
ard intelligence or expertise tests. People with emotional
intelligence have tremendous advantages that far out-
weigh highly intelligent people who may be moody or
have temper tantrums.
The "emotional intelligence" skills can count for far more
when it comes to being a "star performer" or excelling at
just about any job. To be outstanding, these EI skills are
nearly everything for reaching success and the top of any
career ladder. In the USA Today article, "Working
Smart," author Dr. Daniel Goleman stresses that emotion-
al intelligence is not just being "nice" or giving free rein
Insider’s Note
September 2011 Issue 38
to feelings so that it "all hangs out." Instead, success-
ful people use their EI to manage feelings both appropri-
ately and effectively so that the common good and goals
of the work group can be readily achieved.
To know your emotional intelligence you need to under-
stand these 25 abilities that matter the most. The five ma-
jor categories include: Self-Awareness, Self-Regulation,
Motivation, Empathy, and Social Skills. There are only
about two dozen emotional intelligence skills that affect
all aspects of work. Some of them are: accurate self-
assessment, self-confidence, self-control, conscientious-
ness, adaptability, innovation, commitment, initiative,
political awareness, optimism, understanding others, con-
flict management skills, team capabilities, communica-
tion, and the ability to initiate or manage change.
The good news for everyone is that unlike IQ which does
not change much after our teen years, the level of
our emotional intelligence can continue to grow, devel-
op and change as it is largely a learned area of expertise.
So don’t forget to fill in the questionnaire at the middle of
the Insider and let us know how you measure up!
All the best from your favorite NBK Insider team!
All the best,
NBK Insider Team
NBK IN THE NEWS
Two lucky winners walking away with great prizes during Ramadan!
Sheikh Ahmed Khaled Al Thani and Noor Badr Al Ali walked away with a free 5-year service package or what is
equivalent to 100,000 Km in mileage during Ramadan courtesy of NBK Automobiles.
NBK Automobiles has kick-started this promotion at the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan giving all Mercedes
-Benz customers the chance to revel in a series of prizes ranging from considerable service packages to attractive ac-
cessories and the chance to win a fantastic Mercedes-Benz top of the range car models.
Additionally, customers had the chance to avail of an extended grace period for every brand new or pre-owned vehicle
that is purchased this year with first settlement starting in 2012 through Qatar National Bank.
Greeting the Eid with a farewell Iftar dinner
QAC (Qatar Automobile Company), celebrated the be-
ginning of the Holy Eid and the last days of this year’s
blessed month with an Iftar dinner for QAC’s manage-
ment officials and eminent representatives of the media.
The event was attended by selected officials from QAC
including the newly appointed General Manager – Mr.
Ayman A. Mohamad-Ali, and media representatives in-
cluding the high-level representatives from Al Wattan,
Chief Executive Officer in Qatar Business Review , Mr.
Joseph Jones, the Director of Arab Motors , Mr. Nabil Al-
Hassan, Deputy Managing Director of Al Sharq Mr. Has-
san Aboarafat, in addition to reporters from all the select-
ed newspapers and magazines such as Gulf Times and
Peninsula.
Mitsubishi’s Iftar dinner is considered to be a combina-
tion of both, a Holy Eid greeting dinner, and a reunion of
the elite representatives from the renowned companies in
Qatar.
September 2011 Issue 38
NBK IN THE NEWS
Ramadan marked the 22nd edition of our annual
and yearly awaited NBK Ramadan Tennis Tour-
nament. Witnessing increasing interest and ac-
claim year on year, the NBK Ramadan Tennis
Tournament is an NBK home-grown sports initia-
tive and a prestigious calendar event which has
continuously contributed to the sports community
of Qatar.
The NBK 22nd Ramadan Tennis Tournament
September 2011 Issue 38
NBK IN THE NEWS
NBK Ready Mix has recently organized its
2nd annual cricket tournament as part of its
social programs wherein 60 players from dif-
ferent organization departments have partici-
pated in the event.
Held on 31st August 2011, the next tourna-
ment shall be open for all other NBK subsid-
iaries and joint ventures.
Adel Hajjaj, NBK Ready Mix General Man-
ager, says, “ Such initiatives help enhance
inter-group communications, social gather-
ings and team spirit, hence we are keen on
doing this again.”
NBK Ready Mix Organized its 2nd Annual
Cricket Tournament
The closing ceremony was attended by Nasser Al
Khelaifi, QTF President and HE Sheikh Nawaf Bin Nas-
ser Al Thani, Chairman of NBK Group and Hassan Al-
Thawadi, Secretary General of the FIFA 2022 World Cup
Organising Committee.
Qatar’s Mohammad Khanji claimed the title of men’s sin-
gles after beating Ahmad Marawan of Syria 2-6 6-2 6-4.
September 2011 Issue 38
In the final of Under-12 event, Omar Al-Jefairi outplayed
Ali Al-Mahmoud 6-2 6-4.
Basel Murad won veterans singles after beating Raymon
Hayek 6-3 4-6 10-7 in the final while Ula Basel, daughter
of Basel Murad won Under-14 girls title.
Khalif Al Khulaifi and Michal downed Mohammad Saleh
and Mohammad Daki in the finals of veterans doubles.
NBK IN THE NEWS
The beat of the tribal drum is brought to life in Amina
Ghali for Azza Fahmy’s Neo Tribal Spring/Summer
2011 Collection that is now available at ZAI ,Salwa
Road in Doha.
Inspired by a simultaneous fusion of the past and pre-
sent primal and tribal influences from Africa, India
and Afghanistan; Amina Ghali included exotic influ-
ences in a collection that radiates hip pieces that takes
through a cultural and colorful journey.
The collection includes big earrings, statement cluster
and tassel necklaces to modern bangles and bracelets
with decorative motifs; Ghali managed to reinvent old
traditional techniques through modern techniques
whilst combining cultural references to create unique
pieces that transcend time.
“Designing the Spring/Summer 2011 collection was a
lot of fun; I got to research and learn about different
tribes absorbing their culture and art. The challenge
was modernizing the tribal jewellery to create hip and
trendy pieces which made this collection one of my
favorites as I truly had fun designing each and every
piece” said Amina Ghali
Amina Ghali brings Neo Tribal beauty to ZAI!
NBK kick-started its annual NBK Ramadan Good-
will Drive in partnership with Qatar Charity via
sponsoring Qatar Charity’s banquets offered to peo-
ple in need at tents erected at Madinat Khalifa, South
District.
NBK also distributed 300 daily Iftar meal boxes to
passer-bys across different locations in Qatar in part-
nership with the same charitable organization.
NBK Ramadan Goodwill Drive
Designers draw inspirations from every corner of
the globe, yet Ghali channeled simplified luxury
by reworking the familiar to create for all devout
fashion lovers a complete boho chic collection.
Amina Ghali has been working with Azza Fahmy
Jewellery for six years after graduating from Uni-
versity of Central England, Birmingham, UK with
a BA in jewellery design and silver-smithing; this
is her third Fashion collection to be launched.
September 2011 Issue 38
NBK IN THE NEWS
ZAI Boutique in Salwa Road, one of the most favorite luxury shop-
ping destinations, announces the debut of their new high end brands
and collection of red carpet worthy evening dresses.
ZAI, being known for carrying luxury brands, launches their amaz-
ing and remarkable new luxury brands that can satisfy every wom-
an’s desire for fashion at its best because ZAI believes that every
woman of style deserves nothing but the best.
Lorena Sarbu, Badgely Mischka,Christian Siriano and Pamella Ro-
land are just few of the newest additions to the line up of ZAI’s
trusted brands for extravagance fashion. All of their newest collec-
tions are proudly displayed at ZAI’s private secition for a more spe-
cial shopping experience.
On the other hand, all time favorite brands like Lanvin, Elie Saab,
Naeem Khan, Loewe and Nina Ricci have never been so good. New
collections keep on coming and are all equally lovely as the others.
Also, the men’s collection will never be out of the running. Fred
Perry by Raf Simons’ collection just arrived and suits from Lanvin
and Zilli are ready and available to be partnered with a lovely even-
ing dress.
It just keeps getting better at ZAI. The family is getting bigger,
bolder and better. For latest updates and information, you may con-
tact ZAI at +974-44092600 or like their page on Facebook. ZAI’s
facebook page: www.facebook.com/zaisalwa, Loewe’s facebook
page: www.facebook.com/loeweqatar .
Zai announces the debut of their new high end
brands and collection
September 2011 Issue 38
NBK IN THE NEWS
As a contemporary woman with impeccable style, Lorena infuses
her glamorous and European-inspired personal style into each of
her beautifully timeless creations. With an eye for exquisite detail,
Lorena combines sumptuous fabrics, unique textures and intricate
embellishments to create distinctively stunning designs for the
modern woman.
LORENA SARBU
PAMELLA ROLAND
Pamella designs for a confident woman with exceptional taste - one who
demands a versatile wardrobe in which she feels polished and impecca-
ble without forsaking her sensuality and femininity. Pamella strives to
create clothes that allow women to comfortably exude their strength and
beauty, while projecting innate elegance.
September 2011 Issue 38
HR ANNOUNCES ITS NEXT TRAINING CALENDAR
SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 2011
HR NEWS
The Human Resources Department (Training and Development) has compiled a new Training
Calendar September 1st - December 31st 2011 to follow our first highly successful training pro-
gram roll-out January 1st – June 30th 2011.
Training Calendar January-June Review Based upon the performance needs of NBK staff,
22 different non-technical training programs (35 in
total as some courses were run more than once)
were delivered in-house by either Spearhead Train-
ing as the external training partner (7 programs over
14 training days), Lance Rooney as Head of Train-
ing and Development (13 programs over 22 training
days) or NBK’s In-House Certified Trainers (15
programs over 24 training days).
A total of 364 employees attended these programs
and, since some of these staff members enrolled on
more than one course, the number of different em-
ployees totaled 232.
“ We encourage all staff to consider the differ-
ent programs on offer and, based upon the
need to improve your job performance, to ap-
proach your line manager to ask for his or her
approval to enrol when each course is an-
nounced. ”
Furthermore, HR Officer and In-House Certified
Trainer, Lucya Abraham, also ran 7 half-day New
Hire Orientation Workshops during this period. It is
a testament to the quality training delivered by
Spearhead Training, NBK’s Head of Training and
Development, and our Certified Training Team that
not one of the 364 staff evaluated their program as
‘Not Recommended’ in the post-course evaluation
form.
On the contrary, 89% of staff assessed Lance
Rooney’s courses as ‘Highly Recommended’ and
11% as ‘Recommended’, 75% of employees evalu-
ated the Certified Training Team’s programs as
‘Highly Recommended’ and 25% as
‘Recommended’, while 70% of employees evaluat-
ed Spearhead Training’s programs as ‘Highly Rec-
ommended’ and 30% as ‘Recommended’.
Therefore, since the HR Department (Training and
Development) used Spearhead Training for only 7
programs, but utilized the skills of our Head of
Training and Development and Certified Training
Team for 28 courses, we have provided extremely
cost-effective training for NBK’s divisions and
companies, while maintaining the highest quality
training in the process.
September 2011 Issue 38
Training Calendar September-December
Preview The HR Department (Training and Development) is
pleased to announce that, in addition to the delivery
of some of the same high importance programs as in
the first Training Calendar, we will be offering 15
new courses September 1st-December 31st: Cus-
tomer Database Management, Problem Solving
and Decision-Making Techniques, MS Access
(Beginner), MS PowerPoint (Intermediate), Ms
Excel (Intermediate), Essentials of Marketing:
Preparing a Marketing Plan, The Certified Associ-
ate in Project Management, Time Management
and Stress Management, Coaching for Optimum
Performance, Counseling Skills, Innovative and
Creative Thinking, Conducting Effective Meet-
ings, Assertiveness: Dealing with Difficult Situa-
tions, Effective Team-Working (Certified Training
Team only) and Negotiation Skills.
Once again, HR will be using the services of both
our outstanding Head of Training and Development
and current Certified Training Team to deliver some
of these courses, supported by a new batch of certi-
fied trainers. In this Training Calendar, HR also
plans to use 4 different external training providers to
deliver one course each in-house, thus continuing to
make training as cost-effective as possible for NBK
staff while maintaining the highest quality service
delivery.
We encourage all staff to consider the different pro-
grams on offer and, based upon the need to improve
your job performance, to approach your line manag-
er to ask for his or her approval to enrol when each
course is announced. You should also enquire as to
the other programs on the Training Calendar. Please
note that since all courses are delivered in English,
you must also have a sufficient level of English pro-
ficiency to participate effectively on the course.
HR (Training and Development) looks forward to
serving the training needs of all our customers in
this next exciting Training Calendar
HR NEWS
September 2011 Issue 38
It is not the strongest of the species
that survives, nor the most intelligent,
but the one most responsive to
change." - Charles Darwin
SPECIAL REPORT
Apparent in many aspects of human interaction is the
notion of "survival of the fittest." In business, govern-
ment, science, and even personal relationships, the
competition for that which is scarce drives humans to
find an "edge" over their adversaries. A good indica-
tor of success in the past has been the level of one's intelligence. It was assumed that the relationship between
one's IQ and one's success would be positively correlated. In other words, "smarter" individuals were bound to
triumph over those less intelligent.
However, what about "book smarts vs. street smarts?" Can an individual with an average IQ be more success-
ful than an IQ genius?
Yes, but only if the individual in question has the higher level of emotional intelligence (EQ); IQ will get you
through school, but EQ gets you through life.
Short Definitions
IQ - A number that signifies the relative intelli-
gence of a person; the ratio multiplied by 100 of
the mental age as reported on a standardized test to
the chronological age. IQ is primarily used to
measure one's cognitive abilities, such as the ability
to learn or understand new situations; how to rea-
son through a given problem/scenario; the ability to
apply knowledge to one's current situations. It in-
volves primarily the neo cortex or top portion of
the brain.
Over 140 - Genius or almost genius
120 - 140 - Very superior intelligence (Gifted)
110 - 119 - Superior intelligence
90 - 109 - Average or normal intelligence
80 - 89 - Dullness
70 - 79 - Borderline deficiency in intelligence
Under 70 - Feeble-mindedness
EQ - A measure of one's emotional intelligence, as
defined by the ability to use both emotional and
cognitive thought. Emotional intelligence skills in-
clude but are not limited to empathy, intuition, cre-
ativity, flexibility, resilience, stress management,
leadership, integrity, authenticity, intrapersonal
skills and interpersonal skills. It involves the lower
and central sections of the brain, called the limbic
system. It also primarily involves the amygdala,
which has the ability to scan everything that's hap-
pening to us moment to moment to see if it is a
threat. As defined by Dr. Daniel Goleman, the
components of emotional intelligence are "simple,
yet powerful enough to effect change." Hence, if
Goleman and Darwin are to believed, it is emotion-
ally intelligent individuals who are most able to
adapt to dynamic environments and therefore most
likely to survive (read: succeed).
Intelligence (IQ) vs. Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
September 2011 Issue 38
Examples by comparison of EQ vs.
IQ
Appealing to emotions to convince
someone rather than using facts
alone
Using your emotions in addition to
your cognitive abilities to func-
tion rather than relying solely
on logic
Knowing how and why vs. Know-
ing what
Knowing how to motivate separate
individuals as opposed to treat-
ing everyone the same way
Understanding and controlling your
emotions to use them for some-
thing vs. Letting your emotions
control you because you do not
know how to deal with them.
The Components of EQ
Emotional intelligence is measured
using 5-major components and 15-
subcomponents:
1. Intrapersonal Skills (ability to
understand and apply personal emo-
tions)
* Self Regard (ability to accept one-
self as basically good)
* Emotional Self Awareness (ability
to recognize one's own feelings,
which allows us to manage them and
make better decisions. It is important
to be positive even when challenged
because it results in more focused
thinking)
* Assertiveness (ability to express
feelings, beliefs, and thoughts with-
out becoming antagonistic and unco-
operative towards others)
* Independence (ability to be self-
directed and self-controlled in ones
thinking and actions and to be free of
emotional dependency)
* Self Actualization (ability to real-
izes one's potential)
2. Interpersonal Skills (people
skills)
* Empathy (understanding the feel-
ings of others, which enables us to
respond appropriately to changes in
the emotional climate of others; Sig-
nificant others, take note)
* Social Responsibility (being a co-
operative, contributing, and construc-
tive member of various social
groups)
* Interpersonal Relationships
(ability to establish and maintain mu-
tually beneficial relationships noted
for their intimacy and by the giving
& receiving of affection, whether it
be as a lover, friend, family member,
or loyal employee)
3. Stress Management (ability to
handle challenges)
* Stress Tolerance (Ability to han-
dle difficult situations without
‘falling apart')
* Impulse Control (ability to resist
or delay an impulse, drive, or tempta-
tion to act; controlling the need for
"instant gratification")
4. Adaptability (Ability to react
quickly, appropriately, and efficient-
ly to change)
* Reality Testing (ability to assess
the correspondence between what is
experienced and what objectively
exists; knowing what you want to do
vs. what you actually can do)
* Flexibility (ability to adjust one's
emotions, thoughts, and behaviors to
changing situations and conditions)
* Problem Solving (ability to identi-
fy and define problems as well as to
generate and implement potentially
effective solutions)
5. General Mood
* Optimism
* Happiness
How can EQ Help?
To be successful and survive in to-
day's society, individuals need to
have the necessary communication
and organizational skills to make
sound decisions and interact with
each other. Goleman argues that an
individual's success at work is 80
percent dependent on emotional quo-
tient and only 20 percent dependent
on intelligence quotient. This is be-
cause EQ components are useful in
assisting employees with decision-
making in areas like teamwork, in-
clusion, productivity, and communi-
cation.
Furthermore, good listening habits
and skills are integral components of
EQ, and carry the elements of self-
awareness and control, empathy and
social expertness. When a manager at
AT&T Bell Labs was asked to rank
his top performing engineers, high IQ
was not the deciding factor, but in-
stead how the person performed re-
garding the answering of e-mails,
how good they were at collaborating
and networking with colleagues, and
their popularity with others in order
to achieve the cooperation required
to attain the goals. This is just one
example of the benefits of high EQ
regarding communication skills, time
management, teamwork, leadership
skills and business acumen. After all,
we've often heard of the "genius"
with no personality, and the brilliant
surgeon with a horrible bed-side
manner.
September 2011 Issue 38
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE QUIZ
How emotionally
intelligent are you?
Read through each of the 10 sce-
narios and select one answer only
in terms of what you would actu-
ally do in each situation, not what
you think you should do. Then,
check your scores and the reasons
for the most emotionally intelli-
gent responses at the back of this
month’s Insider magazine.
Note: The purpose of the quiz is
to provide you with an introduc-
tion to Emotional Intelligence
(EI). The results are NOT a com-
prehensive picture of your EI and
the quiz is NOT representative of
Hay Group surveys.
1. You are on an airplane that suddenly hits ex-
tremely bad turbulence and begins rocking from
side to side. What do you do?
A. Continue to read your book or maga
zine, or watch the movie, trying to pay little atten-
tion to the turbulence.
B. Become vigilant for an emergency, carefully
monitoring the stewardesses and reading the emer-
gency instructions card.
C. A little of both a and b.
D. Not sure - never noticed.
2. You are in a meeting when a colleague takes
credit for work that you have done. What do you
do?
A. Immediately and publicly confront the colleague
over the ownership of your work.
B. After the meeting, take the colleague aside and
tell her that you would appreciate in the future that
she credits you when speaking about your work.
C. Nothing, it is not a good idea to embarrass col-
leagues in public.
D. After the colleague speaks, publicly thank her for
referencing your work and give the group more spe-
cific details about what you were trying to accom-
plish.
(Quiz taken from www.haygroup.com and presented by Lance Rooney, Head of
Training and Development)
3. You are a customer service representative and
have just got an extremely angry client on the
phone. What do you do?
A. Hang-up. It does not pay to take abuse from any-
one.
B. Listen to the client and rephrase what you gather
he is feeling.
C. Explain to the client that he is being unfair, that
you are only trying to do your job, and that you
would appreciate it if he would not get in the way of
this.
D. Tell the client you understand how frustrating
this must be for him, and offer a specific thing you
can do to help him get his problem resolved.
4. You are a college student who had hoped to get
an A grade in a course that was important for
your future career aspirations. You have just
found out you got a C grade on the midterm.
What do you do?
A. Sketch out a specific plan for ways to improve
your grade and resolve to follow through.
B. Decide you do not have what it takes to make it
in that career.
September 2011 Issue 38
C. Tell yourself it really doesn't matter how much
you do in the course and concentrate instead on oth-
er classes where your grades are higher.
D. Go and see the professor and try to talk her into
giving you a better grade.
5. You are a manager in an organization that is
trying to encourage respect for racial and ethnic
diversity. You overhear someone telling a racist
joke. What do you do?
A. Ignore it as the best way to deal with these things
is not to react.
B. Call the person into your office and explain that
their behavior is inappropriate and is grounds for
disciplinary action if repeated.
C. Speak up on the spot, saying that such jokes are
inappropriate and will not be tolerated in your or-
ganization.
D. Suggest to the person telling the joke that he go
through a diversity training program.
6. You are an insurance salesman calling on pro-
spective clients, but have left the last 15 clients
without making any deals. What do you do?
A. Call it a day and go home early to miss the rush-
hour traffic.
B. Try something new in the next call and keep per-
severing.
C. List your strengths and weaknesses to identify
what may be undermining your ability to sell.
D. Sharpen up your resumé.
7. You are trying to calm down a colleague who
has worked herself into a fury because the driver
of another car has
cut dangerously
close in front of
her. What do you
do?
A. Tell her to forget
about it: she is OK
now and so it is no
big deal.
B. Put on one of her favorite tapes and try to distract
her.
C. Join her in criticizing the other driver.
D. Tell her about a time something like this hap-
pened to you, and how angry you felt, until you saw
the other driver was on the way to the hospital.
8. A discussion between you and your partner
has escalated into a shouting match. You are
both upset and in the heat of the argument, start
making per-
sonal attacks
which neither
of you really
mean. What
is the best
thing to do?
A. Agree to
take a 20-
minute break before continuing the discussion.
B. Go silent, regardless of what your partner says.
C. Say you are sorry, and ask your partner to apolo-
gize too.
D. Stop for a moment, collect your thoughts, then
restate your side of the case as precisely as possible.
9. You have been given the task of managing a
team that has been unable to come up with a cre-
ative solution to a work problem. What is the
first thing that you do?
A. Draw up an agenda, call a meeting and allot a
specific period of time to discuss each item.
B. Organize an off-site meeting aimed specifically
at encouraging the team to get to know each other
better.
C. Begin by asking each person individually for ide-
as about how to solve the problem.
D. Start out with a brainstorming session, encourag-
ing each person to say whatever comes to mind, no
matter how wild.
10. You have recently been assigned a young
manager in your team, and have noticed that he
appears to be unable to make the simplest of de-
cisions without seeking advice from you. What
do you do?
A. Accept that he "does not have what it takes to
succeed around here" and find others in your team
to take on his tasks.
B. Get an HR manager to talk to him about where
he sees his future in the organization.
C. Purposely give him lots of complex decisions to
make so that he will become more confident in the
role.
D. Engineer an ongoing series of challenging but
manageable experiences for him, and make yourself
available to act as his mentor.
September 2011 Issue 38
In The Spotlight
Regular awardee of the
Star of the Month, a true go-getter
and high-achiever by all stand-
ards; funny, helpful, thoughtful,
hard-working, courteous and soft-
spoken are some of the many
things that people have used to de-
scribe our very own Mercedes-
Benz super-star and AMG Expert-
Mustafa Habbab.
Mustafa has joined NBK Automo-
biles in 2007 and has shot to the
top in no time owing to his great
sales and interpersonal skills. A
dedicated pro, Mustafa is sharing
this month some of his business
and personal thoughts and what it
feels like to be part of our cher-
ished NBK community!
Mustafa Habbab:
Certified Sales Expert
Can you please describe yourself in 3
words?
Friendly, Hard-working and Committed
How long you have been working at
NBK? What’s the most important lesson
you learned from work?
I have been working at NBK Automobiles
for 4 years as a senior sales consultant. As
you all know, our customers are very high-
class so the most important thing that I
learned is how to exceed all their expecta-
tions.
September 2011 Issue 38
September 2011 Issue 38
How your job at NBK differs from your previous job?
When you sell Mercedes Benz you sell a royal car so your
showroom is different, the group you work with is different,
and your customers are different. Everything is really high-
end.
Have you ever encountered a difficult customer?
I wouldn’t say difficult. I would say that they are savvy and
demanding for a good reason. Our customers are very well-
seasoned and therefore one needs a lot of skills to handle
their requests. I try to offer the best advice and customized
solutions for each client taking into consideration their per-
sonalities, preferences and aspirations.
If you met a BMW owner, how would you try to convince
him to shift to Mercedes?
Mercedes-Benz has benefits which you can't find in other
cars and I make sure to bring these differentiators under the
limelight. A personal experience as well always helps and
therefore driving one of Mercedes-Benz fabulous vehicles is
enough to convince the toughest customers possible!
How do you deal with your staff?
I make sure to give them all the support they need and moti-
vate them as well in different ways. Empowerment is always
key as well.
How do you cope with problems?
Managing problems is part of what we do; throughout my
career I was able to build enough skills to find quick and
helpful solutions for everybody.
You’ve been a regular candidate for EOM’s for the past
several months; can you please share with us any secret?
It's so simple really; the success of any business depends on
your dedication and loyalty
What’s your principle in life?
Enjoy the journey of life
How do you motivate yourself?
Trying to be positive most of the time and try to see the
bright side in my life and always for me tomorrow is new
day.
Your favorite hobby?
Fishing and swimming
How your weekend looks like?
Family day, I escape from formalities
How do you want people to remember you?
A decent person and collaborator
NBK Street
“If you were to be remembered
for one thing, what you would
want it to be?”
Eric Calderon
HR Department
I want to be remembered as a
structured procrastinator. The
essence of the structured pro-
crastination was introduced by
Philosophy Prof. John Perry of
Stanford University, famous
for his “Philosophy Talk” podcast – “the program that
questions everything --- except your intelligence”.
As we all know, ordinary procrastinators put off things
they have to do and do marginal things like gardening,
sharpening pencils, arranging files because they are a way
of not doing something more important. In fact, they tend
not to do anything at all and become a couch potato.
Structured Procrastination is the art of making this bad
trait works for you. Structured procrastination is a careful
way of strategizing our to-do list or shaping the structures
of the tasks, in which we try to avoid task on top of our
list, thereby engaging in other worthwhile tasks lower
down on our list. In accomplishing this strategy we have
to use our self-deceptive skills, to make this character flaw
offset the bad effects of another.
Alma Boncilao
Accounts Department
I just wanted to be remembered being a
happy person, “the best buddy” they ever
have, especially for my friends who have
been very close and dear to me.
Omar El-Mohtadi
Marketing Department (QAC)
In life, like in our careers, every sin-
gle person we meet leaves a certain
impression or mark on us.
On a personal level I try to leave a
good impression on every person I
meet, because it is fascinating when
people remember you as the person
who gave them a smile or made them feel comfortable
that day. That is NOW!
And hopefully in the future I want to be remembered as
the person who offered as much as he can to help under-
privileged children and all those in need in his society;
just a normal person who wants to see everyone around
him happy!
Elaine Tapnio
Stock Control Department
“If I am to choose one word people
to describe me , that would be hon-
orable. I want to be remembered as
a person with honor. Someone with
great integrity, with good values
and trustworthy. It’s not easy to find a person whom you can really rely on anything,
whom you can trust with everything. A person you know
who will do what is good and what is right, even if there
are eyes looking at them. Nowadays when moral is not a priority , when what is essentially good is being negotiat-
ed and debated, to be called honorable and to be recog-
nized as such is truly a great achievement to have”
Celso Icasiano
Clearance Department
I would like to be remembered as some-
one who is faithful.
My measure of success is not within the
terms of acquiring wealth, accomplishing
goals, attaining prestige, obtaining status or arriving at a
certain level of power, although these are the world’s
central definitions of success. I realize its flaws when I
see the lives of the rich and famous in disaster, often
ending in tragic notes.
My natural values make me come to terms with the real
source of success is with faithfulness to God, to family,
to superiors, to co-workers, to friends, and to everyone
with whom I interact. It is living a life of integrity with-
out compromise, regardless of opposition or resistance.
Faithfulness hinges upon what we value as good and
right combined with commitment. Money and status are
deceiving barometers of success. Where there is faithful-
ness, there are rewards. Where there are rewards, there
is abundance. I believe that faithfulness will bring me to
where it really matters in due time. It is the legacy of
faithfulness that will linger in hearts and will retain in
minds, long after all has been said and done and after
everything has come and gone.
September 2011 Issue 38
EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH
Service Center
Showroom
Motaz Dwedri Mahmoud Churbaji Ayman Mohammad Ali, Motaz Al-Hams,Yann Lassade, Ihab El-Feky
Nathu Gurung Gayan Harshaka Abdullah Abu Hassan Chabbi Lal Sapkota
September 2011 Issue 38
Mr. Ayman Mohammad Ali, QAC
newly-appointed General Manager
with staff and Managers
EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH
Showroom
Service Center
Loay Nammoura Nur Kurbag Khalid Hassan Adnan Salim
September 2011 Issue 38
Alfonso Reyes Rodnie Ragandan
Wilmer Caraang Hari Kumar Shrestha
From Left to Right : Leon Carstens, Salman Yousef El-Tetr (Body Shop & CV
Manager) , Rodnie, Wilmer, Hari,Hani Zaabalawi (Parts Sales Supervisor) and
Can Karauc (QAC After Sales Manager)
HEALTH NEWS
11 Healthy Ways to De-Stress With Food
1. Snack on a handful of nuts. They’re packed with magnesium,
which seems to help keep cortisol levels low. Nuts are high in calories,
so if you’re watching your weight, make sure not to eat more than a
dozen a day.
2. Eat broccoli and low-fat ranch dip. Broccoli has folic acid,
which aids stress reduction
4. Have a whole grain English muffin
with jam or honey. Complex carbohydrate-rich foods raise serotonin
levels, boosting your mood and helping you relax.
5. Savor some salmon. Omega-3 fatty acids
help brain cells to function more collaboratively,
helping you to deal with stress more effectively.
3. Enjoy sorbet with a vanilla sugar wafer. Sugary
foods decrease levels of anxiety-producing hormones, specifically
through the production of glucocorticoid, a stress hormone linked
to storing more fat in the belly. Just a little sugar on the tongue is
enough to produce a feel-good effect, so don’t overdo it!
September 2011 Issue 38
6. Indulge in some dark chocolate. By far the most potent
endorphin-producing food on earth, chocolate contains more than
300 different compounds, including anandamide, a chemical that
mimics marijuana’s effects on the brain, and theobromine, a mild
stimulant. Look for imported dark chocolate with a cocoa content
of 70% or more.
11. Drink a glass of cold water,
then go for a walk outside. The water
gets your blood moving and the air in-
vigorates by stimulating the endorphins
that de-stress you.
HEALTH NEWS
7. Drink a glass of milk. It contains tryptophan, which as
it is metabolized is converted to mood-boosting serotonin.
Plus, its calcium, magnesium and potassium content may help
keep blood pressure down.
8. Drink hot cocoa. Warm drinks raise your body
temperature-a feeling we associate with comfort, so it
triggers a similar response in our brains.
9. Order black tea instead
of coffee. A study by Univer-
sity College London shows that
drinking black tea four times a
day for six weeks lowered the
stress hormone cortisol after a
stressful event.
1 0 . D r i n k
g r e e n t e a -
p a c k e d w i t h
theanine, which increases the brain’s
output of relaxation-inducing alpha
waves and reduces the output of ten-
sion-making beta waves.
September 2011 Issue 38
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE QUIZ ANSWERS The questionnaire that you have just completed is by no means an exhaustive measure of your Emotional Intelligence, both because
of its length and the fact that it is self-scoring. However, it does provide a general picture of your EI. The highest score is 100 and
the average score is 50. However, for a more complete and accurate picture of your Emotional Intelligence, log on to
www.haygroup.com and see their multi-rater assessment tool called the ‘Emotional and Social Competency Inventory’
1. The turbulent airplane: Anything but D. That answer reflects a lack of awareness of
your habitual responses under stress. Actively acknowledging
your stress and finding ways to calm yourself (i.e. engage in a
book or read the emergency card) are healthier responses.
[A] 10 Points [C] 10 Points
[B] 10 Points [D] 0 Points
2. The credit stealing colleague: The most emotionally intelligent answer is D. By demonstrating
an awareness of work-place dynamics and an ability to control
your emotional responses, publicly recognizing your own ac-
complishments in a non-threatening manner will disarm your
colleague as well as puts you in a better light with your manager
and peers. Public confrontations can be ineffective, are likely to
cause your colleague to become defensive and may look like
poor sportsmanship on your part. Although less threatening,
private confrontations are also less effective in that they will not
help your personal reputation.
[A] 0 Points [C] 0 Points
[B] 5 Points [D] 10 Points
3. The angry client: The most emotionally intelligent answer is D. Empathizing with
the customer will help calm him down and focusing back on a
solution will ultimately help the customer attain his needs. Con-
fronting a customer or becoming defensive tends to anger the
customer even more.
[A] 0 Points [C] 0 Points
[B] 5 Points [D] 10 Points
4. The 'C' Midterm: The most emotionally intelligent answer is A. A key indicator of
self-motivation, also known as Achievement Motivation, is your
ability to form a plan for overcoming obstacles to achieve long-
term goals. While focusing efforts on classes where you have a
better opportunity may sometimes be productive, if the goal was
to learn the content of the course to help your long-term career
objectives, you are unlikely to achieve.
[A] 10 Points [C] 5 Points
[B] 0 Points [D] 0 Points
5. The racist joke: The most emotionally intelligent answer is C. The most effective
way to create an atmosphere that welcomes diversity is to make
clear in public that the social norms of your organization do not
tolerate such expressions. Confronting the behavior privately
lets the individual know the behavior is unacceptable, but does
not communicate it to the team. Instead of trying to change prej-
udices , try and prevent people from acting on them.
[A] 0 Points [C] 10 Points
[B] 5 Points [D] 5 Points
6. The setback of a salesman: The most emotionally intelligent answer is B. Optimism and
taking the initiative (both indicators of emotional intelligence)
lead people to see setbacks as challenges they can learn from,
and to persist, trying out new approaches rather than giving up,
blaming themselves or getting demoralized. Although listing
your strengths and weaknesses can be a helpful exercise, without
actively persevering, motivation to sell will tend to decrease.
[A] 0 Points [C] 5 Points
[B] 10 Points [D] 0 Points
7. The Road-Rage colleague: The most emotionally intelligent answer is D. All research
shows that anger and rage seriously affect your ability to per-
form effectively. Daniel Goleman, in his book WWEI , coined
the phrase "amygdala hijacking" to describe the process of los-
ing your temper in this kind of situation. Your ability to avoid or
control this emotional reaction in yourself and others is a key
indicator of emotional intelligence. In the road rage scenario,
any attempt to calm down your colleague by distracting her
away from the effects of the amygdala hijack will have a posi-
tive impact on the situation and her behavior, particularly if you
are able to effectively empathize with her.
[A] 0 Points [C] 5 Points
[B] 0 Points [D] 10 Points
8. The shouting match: The most emotionally intelligent answer is A. In these circum-
stances, the most appropriate behavior is to take a 20-minute
break. As the argument has intensified, so have the physiologi-
cal responses in your nervous system, to the point at which it
will take at least 20 minutes to clear your body of these emo-
tions of anger and arousal. Any other course of action is likely to
aggravate an already tense and uncontrolled situation.
[A] 10 Points [C] 0 Points
[B] 0 Points [D] 0 Points 9. The uninspired team: The most emotionally intelligent answer is B. As a leader of a
group of individuals charged with developing a creative solu-
tion, your success will depend on the climate that you can create
in your project team. Creativity is likely to by stifled by struc-
ture and formality. Instead, creative groups perform at their
peaks when rapport, harmony and comfort levels are high. In
these circumstances, people are most likely to make the most
positive contributions to the success of the project.
[A] 0 Points [ C] 0 Points
[B] 10 Points [D] 5 Points 10. The indecisive young manager: The most emotionally intelligent answer is D. Managing others
requires high levels of emotional intelligence, particularly if you
are going to be successful in maximizing the performance of
your team. Often, this means that you need to tailor your ap-
proach to meets the specific needs of the individual, and provide
them with support and feedback to help them grow in confi-
dence and capability.
[A] 0 Points [C] 0 Points
[B] 5 Points [D] 10 Points
September 2011 Issue 38