Personal Effectiveness

Frzen Thoughts' excerpt

2011-07-07T12:09:00.000-07:00

I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality... I wanted to quit my life.
I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.
"God", I asked,
"Can you give me one good reason not to quit?".
His answer surprised me...
"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"
"Yes", I replied.
"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them.
I gave them light.I gave them water.The fern quickly grew from the earth.
Its brilliant green covered the floor.Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful.
And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. He said.
"In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed.But I would not quit.
In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. I would not quit." He said.
"Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant...But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.
It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive.I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle."
He asked me. "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots".
"I would not quit on the bamboo.I will never quit on you."
"Don't compare yourself to others." He said."The bamboo had a different Purpose than the fern.
Yet they both make the forest beautiful.""Your time will come", God said to me.
"You will rise high".

"How high should I rise?" I asked.
"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.
"As high as it can?" I questioned."Yes." He said, "Give Me glory by rising as high as you can."
I left the forest and brought back this story.I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on
you.Never, Never, Never, Give up.

How to Become an Early Riser

2010-08-27T10:34:00.000-07:00

A good article that I came across on raising early!

An extract - For detailed article pls checkout zenhabits

Don’t make drastic changes. Start slowly, by waking just 15-30 minutes earlier than usual. Get used to this for a few days. Then cut back another 15 minutes. Do this gradually until you get to your goal time.
Allow yourself to sleep earlier. You might be used to staying up late, perhaps watching TV or surfing the Internet. But if you continue this habit, while trying to get up earlier, sooner or later one is going to give. And if it is the early rising that gives, then you will crash and sleep late and have to start over. I suggest going to bed earlier, even if you don’t think you’ll sleep, and read while in bed. If you’re really tired, you just might fall asleep much sooner than you think.
Put your alarm clock far from you bed. If it’s right next to your bed, you’ll shut it off or hit snooze. Never hit snooze. If it’s far from your bed, you have to get up out of bed to shut it off. By then, you’re up. Now you just have to stay up.
Go out of the bedroom as soon as you shut off the alarm. Don’t allow yourself to rationalize going back to bed. Just force yourself to go out of the room. My habit is to stumble into the bathroom and go pee. By the time I’ve done that, and flushed the toilet and washed my hands and looked at my ugly mug in the mirror, I’m awake enough to face the day.
Do not rationalize. If you allow your brain to talk you out of getting up early, you’ll never do it. Don’t make getting back in bed an option.
Have a good reason. Set something to do early in the morning that’s important. This reason will motivate you to get up. I like to write in the morning, so that’s my reason. Also, when I’m done with that, I like to read all of your comments!
Make waking up early a reward. Yes, it might seem at first that you’re forcing yourself to do something hard, but if you make it pleasurable, soon you will look forward to waking up early. A good reward is to make a hot cup of coffee or tea and read a book. Other rewards might be a tasty treat for breakfast (smoothies! yum!) or watching the sunrise, or meditating. Find something that’s pleasurable for you, and allow yourself to do it as part of your morning routine.
Take advantage of all that extra time. Don’t wake up an hour or two early just to read your blogs, unless that’s a major goal of yours. Don’t wake up early and waste that extra time. Get a jump start on your day! I like to use that time to get a head start on preparing my kids’ lunches, on planning for the rest of the day (when I set my MITs), on exercising or meditating, and on reading. By the time 6:30 rolls around, I’ve done more than many people do the entire day.

Love Yourself - How to

2010-07-23T12:15:00.000-07:00

#Be honest with yourself about how valuable you believe you are. The way you see yourself and treat yourself is the very way others will see you and treat you. Do you see yourself as valuable and worthy of the gift of love? Do you treat yourself lovingly and as a valuable being? And most importantly, do you treat OTHERS with love? That's the first step to feeling better about yourself. It’s ok to be truthful with yourself, though it may not be pretty! Awareness is the first and more powerful step on the path to change!

#FORGIVE yourself if you ever believe you aren't worthy of love.''' After all, there were probably things in your childhood or previous years that created that belief for you. It SIMPLY IS NOT TRUE; every being on this planet is worthy of love, after all, love is what we are here for, it’s what it’s all about. Say to yourself now; “I forgive myself for believing that I was not worthy of love.” Go look in a mirror and say it out loud to yourself, look yourself right in the eyes and say it like you mean it.

#'''Post this affirmation up someplace where you will see it each and every day;''' "I have the courage to believe that I am worthy of love." Read it out loud, every day, at least once, ideally at least ten times each time you notice it. Sticky notes are fabulous for affirmations.

#'''Take action and make those words real.''' Begin loving and valuing yourself. It is said that you cannot give what you do not have. So, if you are not able to love and accept yourself unconditionally, how in the world are you going to love and accept anyone else unconditionally? Much less accept that love in return from them?

# Learn to let go. There are a lot of people out there that have had hard lives/bad beginnings or moments. A lot of people close up on themselves out of grief or fear and have a hard time opening back up. It is important to let go of all the pain that is still inside of you from that bad experience. This is often the hardest part of the journey, but once you've done it, you will really benefit from it.

#'''Remember that love is not a feeling, it is a choice!''' Make the choice to love yourself and the feeling will come. After all, who deserves it more? The more loving you are to yourself, the more loving you will be able to be to everyone around you. Family and friends will especially benefit from this. Make a choice to come from a place of love for yourself and for everyone who is important in your life.

#'''Think about what you need to fill that emptiness inside, that place that is longing for love.''' What specifically are you lacking? Find the answer and then give it to yourself. No one is more capable of loving you, and giving you exactly what you need than you are! When you learn how to fulfill yourself in that way, you stop searching for it outside of yourself and you suddenly begin attracting it to you. You change yourself from a sponge to a magnet! People see you radiating self love and they are drawn to you.

#'''[[Keep a Journal|Keep a journal]].''' Write about your experiences, good and bad. When you write down your good experiences allow yourself to feel those good feelings again. When you remember the bad experiences, allow yourself to feel pride. Pride because you faced a challenge in your life and you are here today to write about it, which must mean you are a survivor and a fighter. Tell yourself, "I know pain, but I have yet to be introduced to surrender." Keep on keeping on.

#'''Get in Tune with Yourself.''' Music reminds us of who we really are.

#''' Do 3 things a day, to change yourself into your dream girl''' If it is gaining or loosing weight, then take a step by dancing for 20 minutes. If you want to ace your midterms, study harder. If you need to become more organized and stop procrastinating then start cleaning and maintaining a place for every single item. Do what is on your to do list by scheduling yourself. Those are an example of 3 things to do in one day, to further a goal of someone becoming more fit,great career and has mental clarity from liberation of clutter! Achieving your goals, can make you love yourself much more because you are building foundation of your own life and character. That is very attractive and will make you more valuable! Motivation ? happiness, success and hopefully inner peace. Grab a hobby, finish or start education. The brand new you will arrive. Success is the best revenge!

Joy at work

2009-04-22T14:24:00.000-07:00

Few tips to find joy at work

1) Be Realistic –
We often have the habit of setting unrealistic goals for ourselves. We expect more than what we are capable of and when we are not able to meet our goals, depression seeps in and work becomes a source of unhappiness rather than joy.
Set S.M.A.R.T goals for yourself.
[SMART = Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely goals]

2) Enter Office With The Right Mindset –
Enter your office with a positive mindset about your work, colleagues and employer. Bearing negative thoughts about your workplace will not only hamper your performance but will also not let you like your work!

3) Maintain A Good Rapport With Everyone At Office –
This is something that is often said but not practiced.
The best way to maintain a good rapport at work is to maintain open communication with your boss and colleagues.
Small things like helping people wherever you can, smiling often as you see a colleague etc will help here.

4) Try To Fix The Problems Rather Than Simply Complaining About Them -
Most of us have the habit of sitting and criticizing things rather than thinking of how we can help to make things better.
Rather than just discussing the problems around us, it will be a better idea to find a solution to them.
This will not only create a healthy work atmosphere but also give you a sense of achievement.

5) Focus On Your KPAs –
Many of us feel that we are doing a lot of work which is not recognized. This acts as a source of depression at work.
The best way to come out of such a situation is to focus on your Key Performance Areas.
If you do everything but your actual job, your performance will never be appreciated.
So see if you are doing the right things.

6) Maintain Transparency –
If you are a boss or a senior person at your workplace, try to maintain transparency in the work culture.
Well informed employees are easier to work with and will reduce your worries. Moreover, you will see that they will stand by you in the hour of need.

7) Celebrate Success With Juniors –
Keep patting for the next batting!
Celebrate success with the junior members of your team. If they are happy and motivated, half of your worries will evaporate.
Also, such informal gatherings bring your team members closer and increase the compatibility quotient.

8) Accept New Challenges And Risks –
Accepting challenges is a common feature of most of the happy professionals around.
This will give you not only the joy of recognition but also a feeling of satisfaction. Identify new challenges and volunteer to handle them.
If you are offered an opportunity to handle any new project which might be totally new for you, accept the challenge and do all that is required to make it successful.

9) Keep Your Distance From Office Politics –
Office politics will not let you do your actual job. It will affect your performance, will keep your colleagues away from you and won't let you think constructively.
Therefore keep a distance from work place politics and “Blame Games”

10) Take A Rejuvenating Break From Work –
There will be times when even after practicing all the above mentioned things you will feel exhausted. This is an indication from your body that it needs rest.
So, take a break and rejuvenate yourself for the next innings.

With these 10 tips on our minds, we can enjoy and celebrate work every day of the year!

Tips for Better Sleep

2008-12-24T07:59:00.001-08:00

In worklife, a healthy mind produces better ideas and yields satisfaction. And a better day often starts after a good sleep. In this article we present tips and techniques for a sound and satisfying sleep.
1. Sleep is a ‘Life process’: Sleep replenishes our physical and cognitive resources. Sleep deficiency causes fatigue and enhances perception of pain. The pain contributes to insomnia and this becomes a cycle. Sleep has a restorative function and must not be treated as optional.

2. Quality matters: quality of sleep can be attributed by freshness and energy levels you experience when you wake up, and not by the hours spent. Ideally, 6-8 hours sleep can be sufficient for the majority of people.

3. Enter the bedroom only when you feel sleepy: Don't eat, worry, or argue in the bedroom. For some, mild music is useful.

4. Do not engage yourself with stress when you are trying to sleep: If you must, walk out of the bedroom, pick up a pen and pad and write down your problem areas and action plans. Return to bed only when you are sleepy.

5. Conditions such as anxiety, depression, stress and chronic pain need to be addressed to get a relief from chronic insomnia. Breathing exercise and mild workout during the day is vital for good sleep.

6. Take the word of Experts: Look for the cause of your insomnia. Don't just take a pill for it and ignore the cause. Behavioral changes yield better results than medication.

7. Physical inactivity and restlessness caused by ongoing major medical illness such as heart disease or chronic pain resulting from physical and psychological conditions cause insomnia. Consult medical expert if you are insomniac for a long period of time.

Tips for Enhancing Memory

2008-12-11T06:41:00.000-08:00

In worklife, there are times when we want to recall some detail and we can't. For Example, name of peer/ client, schedule/ venue or time of an important meeting. In most of the cases, we can significantly improve it by following a few simple tips.

1. Higher the depth of processing, better the recall: The more you think, reason, and comprehend, better the likelihood that you will retain and recall it later on. Good memory is a state of the active mind.

2. Interest and importance: When you are really interested, you pay greater attention and your brain releases chemicals to form deeper "symbol systems" that store memory.

3. Relaxed mind controls anxiety: Learn with a relaxed mind. Recall the learned material with a relaxed mind. High anxiety levels can impair ability to concentrate which limits the recall. If we are too anxious during an interview, we may not recall what we know very well.

4. Faith: If you believe you have a poor memory, your brain will do everything to prove you right.

5. Depressions impair the interest levels and joy in life events. As a result too little energy is left to recall anything. We often hear this phrase "I have lost my mind” when the mind is agitated.

6. Use your favorite sensory channel: Use symbols, Acronyms, Colours and shapes to store and represent information. If you prefer, discuss something with peers. More you process the information, lesser the chance that you would forget it. Use a combination of your sensory systems to stay organized and focused.

References:
http://users.ipfw.edu/abbott/120/AtkinsonShifrin.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Memory_processes

Presentation...Contd.

2008-10-14T06:25:00.000-07:00

Active Listening

Good speakers not only inform their audience, they also listen to them. By listening, you know if they are understanding the information and if the information is important to them. Active listening is NOT the same as hearing! Hearing is the first part and consists of the perception of sound.
Listening, the second part, involves an attachment of meaning to the aural symbols that are perceived. Passive listening occurs when the receiver has little motivation to listen carefully. Active listening with a purpose is used to gain information, to determine how another person feels, and to understand others. Some good traits of effective listeners are:

Spend more time listening than talking (but of course, as a presenter, you will be doing most of the talking)
Do not finish the sentence of others
Do not answer questions with questions
Aware of biases. We all have them. We need to control them
Never become preoccupied with their own thoughts when others talk
Let the other speaker talk. Do not dominate the conversation
Plan responses after others have finished speaking...NOT while they are speaking. Their full concentration is on what others are saying, not on what they are going to respond with
Provide feedback but do not interrupt incessantly
Analyze by looking at all the relevant factors and asking open-ended questions. Walk the person through analysis (summarize)
Keep the conversation on what the speaker says...NOT on what interest them

Nerves

The main enemy of a presenter is tension, which ruins the voice, posture, and spontaneity. The voice becomes higher as the throat tenses. Shoulders tighten up and limits flexibility while the legs start to shake and causes unsteadiness. The presentation becomes "canned" as the speaker locks in on the notes and starts to read directly from them.
First, do not fight nerves, welcome them! Then you can get on with the presentation instead of focusing in on being nervous. If you welcome nerves, then the presentation becomes a challenge and you become better. If you let your nerves take over, then you go into the flight mode by withdrawing from the audience. Again, welcome your nerves, recognize them, let them help you gain that needed edge! Do not go into the flight mode! When you feel tension or anxiety, remember that everyone gets them, but the winners use them to their advantage, while the losers get overwhelmed by them.

Questions

Keep cool if a questioner disagrees with you. You are a professional! No matter how hard you try, not everyone in the world will agree with you!Although some people get a perverse pleasure from putting others on the spot, and some try to look good in front of the boss, most people ask questions from a genuine interest. Questions do not mean you did not explain the topic good enough, but that their interest is deeper than the average audience.
Always allow time at the end of the presentation for questions. After inviting questions, do not rush ahead if no one asks a question. Pause for about 6 seconds to allow the audience to gather their thoughts. When a question is asked, repeat the question to ensure that everyone heard it (and that you heard it correctly). When answering, direct your remarks to the entire audience. That way, you keep everyone focused, not just the questioner. To reinforce your presentation, try to relate the question back to the main points.
Make sure you listen to the question being asked. If you do not understand it, ask them to clarify. Pause to think about the question as the answer you give may be correct, but ignore the main issue. If you do not know the answer, be honest, do not waffle. Tell them you will get back to them...and make sure you do!
Answers that last 10 to 40 seconds work best. If they are too short, they seem abrupt; while longer answers appear too elaborate. Also, be sure to keep on track. Do not let off-the-wall questions sidetrack you into areas that are not relevant to the presentation.
If someone takes issue with something you said, try to find a way to agree with part of their argument. For example, "Yes, I understand your position..." or "I'm glad you raised that point, but..." The idea is to praise their point and agree with them. Audiences sometimes tend to think of "us verses you." You do not want to risk alienating them

Techniques for Presentations

2008-09-30T06:28:00.000-07:00

“To fail to prepare is to prepare to fail” - Great presentations require planning in advance. A good presentation starts out with introductions or icebreakers such as a story, interesting statement or fact, joke, quotation, or an activity to get the group warmed up. The introduction also needs an objective, that is, the purpose of the presentation. To prepare the presentation, ask yourself the following:
· What is the purpose of the presentation?
· Who will be attending?
· What does the audience already know about the subject?
· What is the audience's attitude towards me?

A 45 minutes talk should have not more than about seven main points. This may not seem like very many, but if you are to leave the audience with a clear picture of what you have said, you cannot expect them to remember much more than that.

Presentations are ways of communicating ideas and information to a group. A presentation carries the speaker's personality better and allows immediate interaction between all the participants. A good presentation has:
· Content - It contains information that people need. Presentations must account for how much information the audience can absorb in one sitting.

· Structure - It has a logical beginning, middle, and end. It must be sequenced and paced so that the audience can understand it. The speaker must be careful not to lose the audience or digress from the main objective of the presentation.

· Human Element - A good presentation will be remembered much more because it has a person attached to it
The Voice
The voice is probably the most valuable tool of the presenter. It carries most of the content that the audience takes away. One of the oddities of speech is that we can easily tell others what is wrong with their voice, e.g. too fast, too high, too soft, etc., but we have trouble listening to and changing our own voices.
There are four main terms used for defining vocal qualities:
· Volume: The goal is to be heard without shouting. Good speakers lower their voice to draw the audience in, and raise it to make a point.
· Tone: An airplane has a different sound than leaves being rustled by the wind. A voice that carries fear can frighten the audience, while a voice that carries laughter can get the audience to smile.
· Pitch: How high or low a note is.
· Pace: This is how long a sound lasts. Talking too fast causes the words and syllables to be short, while talking slowly lengthens them. Varying the pace helps to maintain the audience's interest.

The Body
Your body communicates different impressions to the audience. People not only listen to you, they also watch you. Slouching tells them you are indifferent or you do not care...even though you might care a great deal! On the other hand, displaying good posture tells your audience that you know what you are doing and you care deeply about it. Also, a good posture helps you to speak more clearly and effective.
Throughout you presentation, display:
· Eye contact: This helps to regulate the flow of communication. It signals interest in others and increases the speaker's credibility. Speakers who make eye contact open the flow of communication and convey interest, concern, warmth, and credibility.

· Facial Expressions: Smiling is a powerful cue that transmits happiness, friendliness, warmth, and liking. So, if you smile frequently you will be perceived as more likable, friendly, warm, and approachable. Smiling is often contagious and others will react favorably. They will be more comfortable around you and will want to listen to you more.

· Gestures: If you fail to gesture while speaking, you may be perceived as boring and stiff. A lively speaking style captures attention, makes the material more interesting, and facilitates understanding.

· Posture and body orientation: You communicate numerous messages by the way you talk and move. Standing erect and leaning forward communicates that you are approachable, receptive, and friendly. Interpersonal closeness results when you and your audience face each other. Speaking with your back turned or looking at the floor or ceiling should be avoided as it communicates disinterest.

· Proximity: Cultural norms dictate a comfortable distance for interaction with others. You should look for signals of discomfort caused by invading other's space. Some of these are: rocking, leg swinging, tapping, and gaze aversion. Typically, in large rooms, space invasion is not a problem. In most instances there is too much distance. To counteract this, move around the room to increase interaction with your audience. Increasing the proximity enables you to make better eye contact and increases the opportunities for others to speak.

· Voice. One of the major criticisms of speakers is that they speak in a monotone voice. Listeners perceive this type of speaker as boring and dull. People report that they learn less and lose interest more quickly when listening to those who have not learned to modulate their voices.

Attitude

2008-08-18T06:20:00.000-07:00

Attitude is the way we think, feel and act. And it is the way we react to the world around us. It determines the quality and effectiveness of our thinking, emotions and behavior, and the positive or negative consequences of that behavior.
You will see three basic attitudes in the working world.

1. Spectators with neutral attitudes. They watch life happen and observe others. They play it safe and avoid risks. Spectators are afraid of change. They often are tired or detached. Their defining word is "maybe."

2. Critics with negative attitudes. They comment on life and complain. They critique after the fact, imposing their "expertise" and finding fault in others. Critics are annoyed about change. They often appear frustrated or pessimistic. Their defining word is "No."

3. Players with positive attitudes. They actively participate in life and embrace opportunities. They take risks and are willing to make mistakes. Players enjoy learning and change. They usually are confident and optimistic. Their defining word is "Yes."

Most of us have some of each type in us. Often, though, one general attitude predominates.
A study of success factors by Telemetrics International found that one of the most significant differences between high and low achievers was not their education or intelligence but their attitude. Although you have the necessary skills and experience, a negative or neutral attitude could prevent you from climbing the corporate ladder.

Negative or neutral attitudes can be changed. The most powerful way to do this is by listening to the way you talk to yourself and turning negative statements to positive ones. Remember, we can't control what happens to us, but we can control how we react to it.

Managing Stress

2008-07-01T05:37:00.000-07:00

Stress is a psychological and physiological response to events that upset our personal balance in some way. When faced with a threat, whether to our physical safety or emotional equilibrium, the body's defenses kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the “fight-or-flight” response. We all know what this stress response feels like: heart pounding in the chest, muscles tensing up, breath coming faster, every sense on red alert.
Managing stress is all about taking charge: taking charge of your thoughts, your emotions, your schedule, your environment, and the way you deal with problems. The ultimate goal is a balanced life, with time for work, relationships, relaxation, and fun—and the resilience to hold up under pressure and meet challenges head on.
Stress management strategy #1: Avoid unnecessary stress
Not all stress can be avoided, and it’s not healthy to avoid a situation that needs to be addressed. You may be surprised, however, by the number of stressors in your life that you can eliminate.
Learn how to say “no” – Know your limits and stick to them. Whether in your personal or professional life, refuse to accept added responsibilities when you’re close to reaching them. Taking on more than you can handle is a surefire recipe for stress.
Avoid people who stress you out – If someone consistently causes stress in your life and you can’t turn the relationship around, limit the amount of time you spend with that person or end the relationship entirely.
Take control of your environment – If the evening news makes you anxious, turn the TV off. If traffic’s got you tense, take a longer but less-traveled route. If going to the market is an unpleasant chore, do your grocery shopping online.
Avoid hot-button topics – If you get upset over religion or politics, cross them off your conversation list. If you repeatedly argue about the same subject with the same people, stop bringing it up or excuse yourself when it’s the topic of discussion.
Pare down your to-do list – Analyze your schedule, responsibilities, and daily tasks. If you’ve got too much on your plate, distinguish between the “shoulds” and the “musts.” Drop tasks that aren’t truly necessary to the bottom of the list or eliminate them entirely.

Stress management strategy #2: Alter the situation
If you can’t avoid a stressful situation, try to alter it. Figure out what you can do to change things so the problem is avoided in the future. Often, this involves changing the way you communicate and operate in your daily life.
Express your feelings instead of bottling them up. If something or someone is bothering you, communicate your concerns in an open and respectful way. If you don’t voice your feelings, resentment will build and the situation will likely remain the same.
Be willing to compromise. When you ask someone to change their behavior, be willing to do the same. If you both are willing to bend at least a little, you’ll have a good chance of finding a happy middle ground.
Be more assertive. Don’t take a backseat in your own life. Deal with problems head on, doing your best to anticipate and prevent them. If you’ve got an exam to study for and your chatty roommate just got home, say up front that you only have five minutes to talk.
Manage your time better. Poor time management can cause a lot of stress. When you’re stretched too thin and running behind, it’s hard to stay calm and focused. But if you plan ahead, you can avoid these stress-inducing pitfalls.
Time management tips to reduce stress
Create a balanced schedule
All work and no play is a recipe for burnout. Try to find a balance between work and family life, social activities and solitary pursuits, daily responsibilities and downtime.
Don’t over-commit yourself
Avoid scheduling things back-to-back or trying to fit too much into one day. All too often, we underestimate how long things will take.
Prioritize tasks
Make a list of tasks you have to do, and tackle them in order of importance. Do the high-priority items first. If you have something particularly unpleasant to do, get it over with early. The rest of your day will be more pleasant as a result.
Break projects into small steps
If a large project seems overwhelming, make a step-by-step plan. Focus on one manageable step at a time, rather than taking on everything at once.
Delegate responsibility
You don’t have to do it all yourself, whether at home, school, or on the job. If other people can take care of the task, why not let them? Let go of the desire to control or oversee every little step. You’ll be letting go of unnecessary stress in the process

(…..to be continued in the forthcoming edition)

Stay Smart : Dealing with Change

2008-06-17T05:22:00.000-07:00

We are living in an age of constant change. Being in tune with changes and adapting ourselves is essential to excel in the workplace of tomorrow. Here are a few quick tips to help you.

Be flexible: The future trend indicates associates would determine their career more than the business, employer or overall business ecosystem. For this, you should not be looking at your assignment just as a “job” because this imparts a fixed identity which you will find difficult to get out of. Instead, if you stay buoyant, flexible and open to change you will move ahead in your career. Flexibility is the key.

Expand imagination: Horizon needs to be expanded by seeing how your work affects the goals of the organization. And if you are developing your career, make it in sync with development in your field. If you want to make it to the top, you will have to be sensitive to how you contribute to organizational business results.

“Right” skills: We often tend to limit expansion of skills within the package of “Job description” that comes with a particular assignment. List all those attributes that enables better value-addition. To do this, describe the best possible ways your skills can be used in different and new situations. Repackaging / upgradation of skill helps your professional growth.

Prepare for the change: Business environs are expanding on a global scale and hence it calls for better skills to stay in shape and consistently deliver value. You can prepare yourself by learning a foreign language and studying different cultures. Assess if you can handle an overseas assignment, do a customer facing job, handle a team and gear yourself for it. There will definitely be a need for global associates in the future who can negotiate across cultures and develop business. So get ready with your skills now.

Finding unmet needs: Initiative is important. Rather than being happy with what you do and your contribution to the company, try to discover the unmet needs in your practice which provide potential avenues for growth.

Willingness to learn: The view that learning stops with college is outdated. You need to continually learn to keep abreast of improvements.

People savvy: Being able to work as a team, resolve conflicts and take decisions as a group are essential skills. Interpersonal skills not only includes the ability to get along well with others but also the ability to solve problems as a team, leadership skills and efficiently getting work done.

Effective Time Management

2008-06-05T04:43:00.000-07:00

Have you ever felt that your days have been spent in a frenzy of activity, but have achieved very little, because you are not concentrating your effort on the things that matter the most? Then it is high time that you have managed time!

a) Beating procrastination:
The first step in time management is to beat procrastination which prompts you to put off important things for later. Procrastination may be due to reasons such as waiting for the right mood or the right time, a fear of failure in undertaking work and completing it, poor organisational skills or simply because you feel you do not have the relevant skills to perform the task right away. A few sure shot tips to get over this:
i) recognise that you are procrastinating
ii) work out why you are procrastinating
iii) get over it!

b) Activity Logs:
How long do you spend each day on unimportant things; Things that don't really contribute to your success at work? Do you know how much time you've spent reading junk mail, talking to colleagues, making coffee and eating lunch? And how often have you thought, "I could achieve so much more if I just had another half hour each day."
Activity logs help you to analyze how you actually spend your time. Keeping an Activity Log for several days helps you to understand how you spend your time, and when you perform at your best.

c) Action Plans:
An Action Plan is a simple list of all of the tasks that you need to carry out to achieve an objective. It differs from a 'To Do List' in that it focuses on the achievement of a single goal. Wherever you want to achieve something significant, draw up an Action Plan. This helps you think about what you need to do to achieve that thing, so that you can get help where you need it and monitor your progress.To draw up an Action Plan, simply list the tasks that you need to carry out to achieve your goal, in the order that you need to complete them. This is very simple, but is still very useful!

d) To Do Lists:
To-Do Lists are prioritized lists of all the tasks that you need to carry out. They list everything that you have to do, with the most important tasks at the top of the list, and the least important tasks at the bottom. And starting to keep a To-Do List effectively is often the first personal productivity breakthrough that people make as they start to make a success of their careers.By keeping a To-Do List, you make sure that you capture all of the tasks you have to complete in one place. This is essential if you're not going to forget things. And by prioritizing work, you plan the order in which you'll do things, so you can tell what needs your immediate attention, and what you can quietly forget about until much, much later. This is essential if you're going to beat work overload. With To-Do Lists, you'll be much better organized and much more reliable.

e) Personal Goal Setting:
Goal setting is a powerful process for thinking about your ideal future, and for motivating yourself to turn this vision of the future into reality.The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts.
A few tips on goal setting:
i) state each goal as a positive statement, be precise and set down your priorities
ii) set realistic performance goals and not outcome goals
iii) follow the SMART mnemonic [Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time bound]

f) Effective Scheduling:
Scheduling is the process by which you look at the time available to you, and plan how you will use it to achieve the goals you have identified. Go through the following steps in preparing your schedule:
i) Start by identifying the time you want to make available for your work.
ii) Block in the actions you absolutely must take to do a good job. These will often be the things you are assessed against.
iii) Review your To do list, and schedule in the high priority activities, as well as the essential maintenance tasks that cannot be delegated and cannot be avoided.
iv) Block in appropriate contingency time.

What you now have left is your "discretionary time": the time available to deliver your priorities and achieve your goals. Happy Time Management!

- Extracted from a corporate e-zine..

Developing your Personal Excellence

2008-06-04T06:28:00.000-07:00

1) LOVE CHANGE : You can love and embrace change or hate and reject change. Change is the only constant happening. Water is more powerful than rock. Water flows and adapts to its surroundings while retaining its power. Given enough friction, solid rock can turn into a sand pile. To choke back your resistance to change. · Adjust your attitude. Be flexible. Focus on solutions · Learn continuously. You'll keep your brain sharp and stay ahead of the curve · Pay attention to trends. Spot them first and adjust your plan before you're forced to · Nurture support systems. Change is smoothed with a little help from your friends Tip - If you're experiencing change in one area of your life, reduce changes in other areas of your life. Don't change jobs, mates, locations at the same time. Routines are your friends when you're in the midst of change.

2) TAKE RISK: Life is all about taking risks. And you willingly take chances every day. Whether you drive, take public transportation, or walk to work, you are risking getting into an accident. But you go ahead and do it anyway. What separates achievers from ordinary folks is their willingness to take optional as well as necessary risks.

3) MAKE MISTAKES: Just think of what you can learn from your mistakes. What steps did you take to make the mistake and how do you avoid repeating the same mistake in the future. If you think about it, that’s what you do when you learn something new. You take some action or perform a technique. You get a result. · If it’s the result you want, you make sure that you do it that way every time · If it isn’t the result you want, then you stop, figure out what you did that wasn’t quite right, adjust and try again. When you make a mistake, go with it. Admit you blew it, look to see why, take action to fix it, learn and move on. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes!

4) LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY: Most of us have one or two areas of knowledge that we strive to know very well — things related to our jobs, of course, and maybe a hobby or two. While it’s important to develop a deep understanding of the things that matter most to us, it is just as important to develop a broad understanding of the world in general. There is, after all, a reason the term “well-read” is a compliment.

5) SET GOALS: The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts. You'll also quickly spot the distractions that would otherwise lure you from your course. Properly-set goals can be incredibly motivating, and as you get into the habit of setting and achieving goals, you'll find that your self-confidence builds fast.

6) ASK FOR CRITICISM: Asking for criticism will help you understand the areas that you need to work on to improve yourself. A few pointers on how to deal with criticism: · Accept that you are not perfect. Double check your work · Listen carefully. Don't take it personally · Don't hold a grudge. Clear the air. Use the six keys and remember the people that are there to help you!