SUCCESSFUL professionals are leaders who have mastered the art of effective communication. They are well-liked by colleagues — subordinates or superiors — and your company’s clients love them too.
You may think these individuals are blessed with a natural talent for speaking well — and maybe they are. But everything can be learned, including how to speak like a star.
Apply the five Cs of effective communication to enhance your relationships and get on the road to greater professional success.
1 ARTICULATE CLEARLY
If your listeners cannot understand what you are saying, your message will never be effective. The easiest way to instantly improve the clarity of your speech is to slow down.
When you get nervous or stressed, your rate of speaking often increases. And these are the times when calm eloquence and tact are most needed. Take a deep breath, slow down and speak clearly.
It is also important to formulate your thoughts in a clear manner so that other people can understand your message. Stick to your main point, be as concise as possible and back up your arguments with examples and stories that make sense to your listener.
2 SPEAK CLEARLY
Whether you like it or not, you will be judged on how you speak. Individuals with poor grammar and sloppy speech patterns are often viewed as being lazy, uneducated and even disrespectful.
Make proper speech a priority. Polish your grammatical skills and build a healthy vocabulary. Read as much as you can, and ask your friends, family or colleagues for help or join a grammar refresher course.
As our world becomes more global, just speaking English isn’t enough. You need to speak it really well.
3 BE CONSIDERATE
Even before you open your mouth, focus on being considerate towards everyone you meet. Make eye contact with people when they approach you. Have a good attitude and a winning smile.
Show that you care for others by asking questions and showing interest. Remember personal details that are important to them, and build a relationship that consists of more than just the work at hand.
Small talk is imperative for building rapport and stronger relationships in the workplace.
If you are considerate towards others, they will also treat you with care and respect.
4 GIVE COMPLIMENTS
In addition to being considerate, another way to build instant rapport is to give sincere compliments. Recognise those around you for a job well done. Show interest by congratulating others on their accomplishments.
If your colleague mentions that he finally finished that big project that you know he was slaving over for months, respond with a sincere “Great job!” or “Good for you!” Such remarks are always appreciated.
Keep in mind that compliments should be subtle and appropriate and the closeness of your relationship also determines how a compliment will be received.
Commenting on a colleague’s physical appearance, for example, may not be acceptable in the modern workplace, unless you are also very close friends outside of the office.
5 HAVE CONFIDENCE
A successful communicator is a confident communicator. It is hard to take someone who doesn’t seem to believe in his own words seriously.
Confidence does not just come from what you are saying, but also what you are vocalising — that is, the pace, pitch and volume of your voice.
A calm, steady voice always sounds stronger and more confident than a mousy squeak.
Your visual appearance can also exude confidence. Make sure you stand straight and make firm eye contact when you address other people.
Even the least confident individuals can “fake” a confident image simply by forcing themselves to do these two simple things.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Pick yourself up
RESILIENCE means knowing how to cope in spite of setbacks, barriers or limited resources.
Resilience is a measure of how much you want something and how much you are willing, and able, to overcome obstacles to get it.
It has to do with your emotional strength. For instance, how many cold calls can you make in a row that all turn out to be, “No, thank you”?
Look to Lincoln
Remember Abraham Lincoln? You wouldn’t, if he had given up.
In 1832, he was defeated for the state legislature. Then he was elected to it in 1834.
In 1838, he was defeated for speaker of the state house.
In 1840, he was defeated for elector. He ran for Congress in 1843 and, guess what, he was defeated.
He was elected to Congress in 1846 and then lost for re-election in 1849.
He ran for the United States Senate in 1855 and was defeated.
In 1856, he was defeated for vice-president. He ran again for the US Senate in 1858 and lost.
And in 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected president of the US — but only after eight major setbacks. That is resilience!
Your challenge to stay resilient may not be quite the same as Abe Lincoln’s.
You might be working on making a sales quota when 90 per cent of your prospects say “no”.
You might be pushing for a change in your department and you have to fight with the management.
You might be trying to get your co-workers to recycle paper to save money and trees.
When you are up against obstacles, you can either maintain your resilience — or cave in to defeat.
Kids know better
People are all pretty resilient when they are kids. When they fall down, they pick themselves up again.
When the tent they make with sheets and cardboard gets blown apart by the wind, they put it back together again.
When someone says they cannot go to the park because it is raining, they find something else to do.
However, somewhere along the way, they start to develop a rigidity towards the unexpected, and then towards change in general.
They lose their ability to shift course or to try something else. They lose their resilience.
Bounce back
Let me give you a couple of tips on improving your resilience.
Here is an exercise that is fun and can tell you something about yourself.
Finish this sentence with five different endings: “When I’m faced with a problem, I ...”
Give yourself 30 seconds to come up with any five answers. Be creative.
Is there a pattern to your answers?
Here are some answers I came up with for myself:
When I’m faced with a problem, I...
generate several different options to deal with it.
ask my wife, Sue, what she thinks.
listen to music in the dark.
say to myself: ‘OK, this too shall pass.’
call one of my friends to get his input.
decide it is time to read the sports page.
Now, some of those answers are useful and some are silly. However, the exercise revealed to me that my attitude is basically one of engaging the problem rather than running away from it.
I hope you have some silly answers among the serious ones. But I hope that your answers indicate that your basic approach to problems is a hands-on, can-do attitude. That is the stuff resilience is made of.
Resilience is a measure of how much you want something and how much you are willing, and able, to overcome obstacles to get it.
It has to do with your emotional strength. For instance, how many cold calls can you make in a row that all turn out to be, “No, thank you”?
Look to Lincoln
Remember Abraham Lincoln? You wouldn’t, if he had given up.
In 1832, he was defeated for the state legislature. Then he was elected to it in 1834.
In 1838, he was defeated for speaker of the state house.
In 1840, he was defeated for elector. He ran for Congress in 1843 and, guess what, he was defeated.
He was elected to Congress in 1846 and then lost for re-election in 1849.
He ran for the United States Senate in 1855 and was defeated.
In 1856, he was defeated for vice-president. He ran again for the US Senate in 1858 and lost.
And in 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected president of the US — but only after eight major setbacks. That is resilience!
Your challenge to stay resilient may not be quite the same as Abe Lincoln’s.
You might be working on making a sales quota when 90 per cent of your prospects say “no”.
You might be pushing for a change in your department and you have to fight with the management.
You might be trying to get your co-workers to recycle paper to save money and trees.
When you are up against obstacles, you can either maintain your resilience — or cave in to defeat.
Kids know better
People are all pretty resilient when they are kids. When they fall down, they pick themselves up again.
When the tent they make with sheets and cardboard gets blown apart by the wind, they put it back together again.
When someone says they cannot go to the park because it is raining, they find something else to do.
However, somewhere along the way, they start to develop a rigidity towards the unexpected, and then towards change in general.
They lose their ability to shift course or to try something else. They lose their resilience.
Bounce back
Let me give you a couple of tips on improving your resilience.
Here is an exercise that is fun and can tell you something about yourself.
Finish this sentence with five different endings: “When I’m faced with a problem, I ...”
Give yourself 30 seconds to come up with any five answers. Be creative.
Is there a pattern to your answers?
Here are some answers I came up with for myself:
When I’m faced with a problem, I...
generate several different options to deal with it.
ask my wife, Sue, what she thinks.
listen to music in the dark.
say to myself: ‘OK, this too shall pass.’
call one of my friends to get his input.
decide it is time to read the sports page.
Now, some of those answers are useful and some are silly. However, the exercise revealed to me that my attitude is basically one of engaging the problem rather than running away from it.
I hope you have some silly answers among the serious ones. But I hope that your answers indicate that your basic approach to problems is a hands-on, can-do attitude. That is the stuff resilience is made of.
Accepting Yourself Unconditionally
How Are You Treated By Others?
Self-acceptance begins in infancy, with the influence of your parents and siblings and other important people.
Your own level of self-acceptance is determined largely by how well you feel you are accepted by the important people in your life.
Your attitude toward yourself is determined largely by the attitudes that you think other people have toward you. When you believe that other people think highly of you, your level of self-acceptance and self-esteem goes straight up.
The best way to build a healthy personality involves understanding yourself and your feelings.
Let the Light Shine In
This is achieved through the simple exercise of self-disclosure. For you to truly understand yourself, or to stop being troubled by things that may have happened in your past, you must be able to disclose yourself to at least one person. You have to be able to get those things off your chest. You must rid yourself of those thoughts and feelings by revealing them to someone who won't make you feel guilty or ashamed for what has happened.
Understand What Makes You Tick
The second part of personality development follows from self-disclosure, and it's called self-awareness. Only when you can disclose what you're truly thinking and feeling to someone else can you become aware of those thoughts and emotions If the other person simply listens to you without commenting or criticizing, you have the opportunity to become more aware of the person you are and why you do the things you do. You begin to develop perspective, or what the Buddhists call "detachment."
Be Honest With Yourself
Now we come to the good part. After you've gone through self-disclosure to self-awareness, you arrive at self-acceptance. You accept yourself for the person you are, with good points and bad points, with strengths and weaknesses, and with the normal frailties of a human being. When you develop the ability to stand back and look at yourself honestly, and to candidly admit to others that you may not be perfect but you're all you've got, you start to enjoy a heightened sense of self-acceptance.
Do An Inventory of Your Accomplishments
A valuable exercise for developing higher levels of self-acceptance involves doing an inventory of yourself. In doing this inventory, your job is to accentuate the positive and minimize the negative.
Think of your unique talents and abilities. Think of your core skills, the things that you do exceptionally well that account for your success in your profession and in your personal life right now.
Think About Your Future
Think about your future possibilities and the fact that your potential is virtually unlimited. You can do what you want to do and go where you want to go. You can be the person you want to be. You can set large and small goals and make plans and move step-by-step, progressively toward their realization. There are no obstacles to what you can accomplish except the obstacles that you create in your mind.
Action Exercises
Here are three steps you can take immediately to put these ideas into action:
First, sit down with your spouse, or a good friend, and tell him or her about something that is troubling you and is still causing you unhappiness.
Second, develop perspective on your problem by standing back from it and imagining that it was happening to someone else. What advice would you give to that person?
Third, think continually about the good experiences and accomplishments you have enjoyed in the past. Remind yourself regularly that you are a pretty good person and you've done a lot of good things in your life.
Self-acceptance begins in infancy, with the influence of your parents and siblings and other important people.
Your own level of self-acceptance is determined largely by how well you feel you are accepted by the important people in your life.
Your attitude toward yourself is determined largely by the attitudes that you think other people have toward you. When you believe that other people think highly of you, your level of self-acceptance and self-esteem goes straight up.
The best way to build a healthy personality involves understanding yourself and your feelings.
Let the Light Shine In
This is achieved through the simple exercise of self-disclosure. For you to truly understand yourself, or to stop being troubled by things that may have happened in your past, you must be able to disclose yourself to at least one person. You have to be able to get those things off your chest. You must rid yourself of those thoughts and feelings by revealing them to someone who won't make you feel guilty or ashamed for what has happened.
Understand What Makes You Tick
The second part of personality development follows from self-disclosure, and it's called self-awareness. Only when you can disclose what you're truly thinking and feeling to someone else can you become aware of those thoughts and emotions If the other person simply listens to you without commenting or criticizing, you have the opportunity to become more aware of the person you are and why you do the things you do. You begin to develop perspective, or what the Buddhists call "detachment."
Be Honest With Yourself
Now we come to the good part. After you've gone through self-disclosure to self-awareness, you arrive at self-acceptance. You accept yourself for the person you are, with good points and bad points, with strengths and weaknesses, and with the normal frailties of a human being. When you develop the ability to stand back and look at yourself honestly, and to candidly admit to others that you may not be perfect but you're all you've got, you start to enjoy a heightened sense of self-acceptance.
Do An Inventory of Your Accomplishments
A valuable exercise for developing higher levels of self-acceptance involves doing an inventory of yourself. In doing this inventory, your job is to accentuate the positive and minimize the negative.
Think of your unique talents and abilities. Think of your core skills, the things that you do exceptionally well that account for your success in your profession and in your personal life right now.
Think About Your Future
Think about your future possibilities and the fact that your potential is virtually unlimited. You can do what you want to do and go where you want to go. You can be the person you want to be. You can set large and small goals and make plans and move step-by-step, progressively toward their realization. There are no obstacles to what you can accomplish except the obstacles that you create in your mind.
Action Exercises
Here are three steps you can take immediately to put these ideas into action:
First, sit down with your spouse, or a good friend, and tell him or her about something that is troubling you and is still causing you unhappiness.
Second, develop perspective on your problem by standing back from it and imagining that it was happening to someone else. What advice would you give to that person?
Third, think continually about the good experiences and accomplishments you have enjoyed in the past. Remind yourself regularly that you are a pretty good person and you've done a lot of good things in your life.
Eight Steps to Problem Solving
There is a simple eight step method for systematic problem solving. By solving problems in an orderly way, you can dramatically increase the power of your thinking.
Proceed With A Positive Attitude
First, approach the problem with the expectant attitude that there is a logical practical solution just waiting to be found. Be relaxed, calm, confident and clear in your mind.
Second, change your language from negative to positive. Instead of the word "problem," use the word "situation." Problem is a negative word while situation is a neutral word. "We have an interesting situation", is better than, "We have a problem."
Define the Situation Clearly
The third step in systematic problem-solving is to define the situation clearly, in writing. "Exactly what is the situation?" Then ask, "What else is the situation?" Sometimes stating the problem in different words makes it much easier to solve.
Once, when I was working with the Chamber of Commerce, I came to the attention of a senior executive who hired me away from the company I was working for a year later at triple the salary. Meeting people is very important. Network at every opportunity.
Fully 50% of situations can be resolved by accurate definition
Identify Causes and Solutions
Step number four is to, ask "What are all the possible causes of this situation?" Failure to identify the causes or reasons for the situation often causes you to have to solve it again and again. Fully 25% or more of situations can be effectively dealt with by discovering the correct causes.
Step number five is to ask, "What are all the possible solutions?" Write out as many solutions or answers to the situation as possible before moving on. The quantity of possible solutions usually determines the quality of the solution chosen.
Clear Decisions Are Key
Step number six is to "Make a clear decision." Usually any decision is better than none.
Step number seven is to "Assign clear responsibility for carrying out the decision and then set a deadline for completion and review." Remember, a decision without a deadline is just a fruitless discussion.
Finally, step number eight is to follow-up, monitor the decision, compare actual results with expected results and then generate new solutions and new courses of action.
Action Exercises
Now, here are two ways you can apply this technique to think more creatively.
First, state the problem clearly, in writing, so that you know exactly what it is that you are trying to solve. Ask, "What else is the problem?"
Second, develop as many solutions as you possibly can, including doing nothing, before you make a decision. Quality of ideas is in direct proportion to the quantity that you generate.
Proceed With A Positive Attitude
First, approach the problem with the expectant attitude that there is a logical practical solution just waiting to be found. Be relaxed, calm, confident and clear in your mind.
Second, change your language from negative to positive. Instead of the word "problem," use the word "situation." Problem is a negative word while situation is a neutral word. "We have an interesting situation", is better than, "We have a problem."
Define the Situation Clearly
The third step in systematic problem-solving is to define the situation clearly, in writing. "Exactly what is the situation?" Then ask, "What else is the situation?" Sometimes stating the problem in different words makes it much easier to solve.
Once, when I was working with the Chamber of Commerce, I came to the attention of a senior executive who hired me away from the company I was working for a year later at triple the salary. Meeting people is very important. Network at every opportunity.
Fully 50% of situations can be resolved by accurate definition
Identify Causes and Solutions
Step number four is to, ask "What are all the possible causes of this situation?" Failure to identify the causes or reasons for the situation often causes you to have to solve it again and again. Fully 25% or more of situations can be effectively dealt with by discovering the correct causes.
Step number five is to ask, "What are all the possible solutions?" Write out as many solutions or answers to the situation as possible before moving on. The quantity of possible solutions usually determines the quality of the solution chosen.
Clear Decisions Are Key
Step number six is to "Make a clear decision." Usually any decision is better than none.
Step number seven is to "Assign clear responsibility for carrying out the decision and then set a deadline for completion and review." Remember, a decision without a deadline is just a fruitless discussion.
Finally, step number eight is to follow-up, monitor the decision, compare actual results with expected results and then generate new solutions and new courses of action.
Action Exercises
Now, here are two ways you can apply this technique to think more creatively.
First, state the problem clearly, in writing, so that you know exactly what it is that you are trying to solve. Ask, "What else is the problem?"
Second, develop as many solutions as you possibly can, including doing nothing, before you make a decision. Quality of ideas is in direct proportion to the quantity that you generate.
Be a better team player
A team environment facilitates a brainstorming of ideas as each individual brings to the table different ways of solving a problem, handling an assignment and new approaches to running a project more effectively.
Through this, the team can leverage on the synergy that is created. Each team member has varying strengths and weaknesses but often, the sum of the individual parts outweigh the weaknesses, thus enabling the team to achieve the 1 + 1 = 3 formula that represents synergy.
Having such synergy enables the team to create more impact and propels it to greater success.
So what does it take to be a team player? Here are some essential people skills you need to hone:
Seek to understand
In his bestselling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, leadership guru Stephen Covey says that the key to emphatic communication is to “seek first to understand, then be understood (Habit 5)”. What this means is making the effort to understand the other party before choosing your response.
In the corporate environment, each team member needs to understand the vision, objectives and goals of the team.
Why does this team exist and what does it hope to achieve within the given timeframe? When members understand this, they will know what role to play and what sort of accountability is required of them and precisely what they are able to contribute to the team.
Be cooperative
Everyone wants cooperative team members who are able to meet the team’s objectives and fulfil their individual responsibilities rather than a teammate who merely wants to outshine the rest.
To achieve the team’s goals, you should not only be very competent and demonstrate excellent performance but also have a cooperative spirit.
Be assertive
Assertiveness in this context means to speak one’s mind. It springs from having self-awareness and confidence. It is also means that team members are not necessarily fixated on the need to be politically correct.
With this attitude, the team member can contribute his experiences or challenge the ideas brought up by others for the best interest and effectiveness of the assignment at hand.
Being assertive does not equate to aggressive behaviour such as running people down and screaming at the top of your voice. Assertiveness facilitates open communication — each team member has the right to speak his mind and contribute for the team’s benefit.
Build trust
To have a truly effective team, other members must know that they can count on you. So walk your talk and do what you say you’re going to do. If you say a report will be completed by next Monday, make sure it is delivered as promised. If you agree to take on a task or project, make sure you follow it through.
Be solutions-oriented
All members in a team essentially solve “people problems” — problems with customers, the boss and organisations.
Every team member should be solutions-oriented and when issues arise, which are inevitable, effective team members should not blame others, circumstances or the management. Instead, they should acknowledge it and seek solutions, which can be done through brainstorming with other teammates.
Be tenacious
There is a saying that goes, “There are no half-hearted champions”. Only when a team member is tenacious enough to press on towards the goals and objectives of the team with a “never say die attitude” will the team win.
In any project or assignment, there will always be obstacles, difficulties or setbacks. But are you just going to give up when you face difficulties? If all members are able to push on in the face of adversity, then success will be yours.
Be a mentor
All teams will have some members who are “stronger” than others. And it is the weakest link that will cause a team to fail. So if you have certain strengths that your teammates can benefit from, take the initiative to help the weaker ones by mentoring them.
Keep growing
The world is marked by constant change as technological breakthroughs revolutionise the way we live and work.
To cope with all these changes, you need to have a spirit of growth within you to become a more effective individual. No team can survive with stagnant members as every team needs to change to stay competitive.
Thus, as a team member, you must always seek to improve and challenge yourself, your paradigms, the way you work and the strategies and approaches of your organisation.
Working in a team presents many challenges. But the ability to function as an effective team player is fundamental to success in almost any setting, be it the football pitch or the corporate boardroom
Through this, the team can leverage on the synergy that is created. Each team member has varying strengths and weaknesses but often, the sum of the individual parts outweigh the weaknesses, thus enabling the team to achieve the 1 + 1 = 3 formula that represents synergy.
Having such synergy enables the team to create more impact and propels it to greater success.
So what does it take to be a team player? Here are some essential people skills you need to hone:
Seek to understand
In his bestselling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, leadership guru Stephen Covey says that the key to emphatic communication is to “seek first to understand, then be understood (Habit 5)”. What this means is making the effort to understand the other party before choosing your response.
In the corporate environment, each team member needs to understand the vision, objectives and goals of the team.
Why does this team exist and what does it hope to achieve within the given timeframe? When members understand this, they will know what role to play and what sort of accountability is required of them and precisely what they are able to contribute to the team.
Be cooperative
Everyone wants cooperative team members who are able to meet the team’s objectives and fulfil their individual responsibilities rather than a teammate who merely wants to outshine the rest.
To achieve the team’s goals, you should not only be very competent and demonstrate excellent performance but also have a cooperative spirit.
Be assertive
Assertiveness in this context means to speak one’s mind. It springs from having self-awareness and confidence. It is also means that team members are not necessarily fixated on the need to be politically correct.
With this attitude, the team member can contribute his experiences or challenge the ideas brought up by others for the best interest and effectiveness of the assignment at hand.
Being assertive does not equate to aggressive behaviour such as running people down and screaming at the top of your voice. Assertiveness facilitates open communication — each team member has the right to speak his mind and contribute for the team’s benefit.
Build trust
To have a truly effective team, other members must know that they can count on you. So walk your talk and do what you say you’re going to do. If you say a report will be completed by next Monday, make sure it is delivered as promised. If you agree to take on a task or project, make sure you follow it through.
Be solutions-oriented
All members in a team essentially solve “people problems” — problems with customers, the boss and organisations.
Every team member should be solutions-oriented and when issues arise, which are inevitable, effective team members should not blame others, circumstances or the management. Instead, they should acknowledge it and seek solutions, which can be done through brainstorming with other teammates.
Be tenacious
There is a saying that goes, “There are no half-hearted champions”. Only when a team member is tenacious enough to press on towards the goals and objectives of the team with a “never say die attitude” will the team win.
In any project or assignment, there will always be obstacles, difficulties or setbacks. But are you just going to give up when you face difficulties? If all members are able to push on in the face of adversity, then success will be yours.
Be a mentor
All teams will have some members who are “stronger” than others. And it is the weakest link that will cause a team to fail. So if you have certain strengths that your teammates can benefit from, take the initiative to help the weaker ones by mentoring them.
Keep growing
The world is marked by constant change as technological breakthroughs revolutionise the way we live and work.
To cope with all these changes, you need to have a spirit of growth within you to become a more effective individual. No team can survive with stagnant members as every team needs to change to stay competitive.
Thus, as a team member, you must always seek to improve and challenge yourself, your paradigms, the way you work and the strategies and approaches of your organisation.
Working in a team presents many challenges. But the ability to function as an effective team player is fundamental to success in almost any setting, be it the football pitch or the corporate boardroom
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Receiving staff feedback
ACCORDING to media reports, about 30 per cent of British workers regard staff appraisals as a waste of time.
It is probable that many local employees feel the same way.
But until a dramatically different way of measuring work performance is created, it looks like staff appraisals are here to stay.
You may have just had one and are keen on preparing better for the next.
First, make sure you know what exactly a staff appraisal is.
PERFORMANCE REPORT
A staff appraisal is information provided to an individual concerning certain aspects of his performance on a task.
It takes the form of positive and/or negative feedback.
Positive feedback is where the employee is essentially told to “keep up the good work”.
Negative feedback is where an improvement in areas of work, competencies or behaviours is usually sought.
It is an employer’s responsibility to praise an employee’s strengths and alert him to his weaknesses so that his work performance may go from strength to strength.
But how can employees accept negative feedback to improve themselves and move one notch up to reach or optimise their potential?
RECEIVING FEEDBACK
Some people do not want to receive feedback as they consider it “a criticising session”.
Others see it as another way to confirm their worthlessness.
Many only want to hear “the good stuff” and nothing more.
And then there are those who want feedback and are willing to accept it although it may be painful or disturbing, only because they believe they can benefit from it.
Supervisors should always treat their staff with dignity and respect, and feedback should be given in a fitting manner.
Employees should also accord their managers with similar respect and listen to what they have to say.
Here are some tips on how to receive feedback:
1 DON’T BE DEFENSIVE
Trying to justify your every action leaves you little time to see your supervisor’s point of view. Listen carefully to judge if the feedback is correct or misplaced. Clarify issues if necessary, and do not interrupt your supervisor as far as possible. You will have time to respond accordingly.
2 DON’T VERBALLY ATTACK YOUR SUPERVISOR
Getting personal may not be in your interest.
Just stick to the facts and defend yourself, if you have to, by clarifying your actions regarding specific events.
Take feedback as a reflection of another person’s perspective. You might learn something about yourself.
3 DON’T SHIFT THE BLAME
Blaming someone else is not the solution.
If you believe that a colleague should be held accountable for something, ask that he be included in the dialogue session too.
You don’t want to be accused later of having “stabbed someone in the back”.
4 DON’T IGNORE YOUR SUPERVISOR
Looking blankly at him while he is giving you negative feedback tells your supervisor that you are not interested in improving.
5 DON’T PRETEND TO LISTEN
Giving the impression that you agree to what your supervisor is saying may seem like an easy way out, but it really does you no good.
Your supervisor is hoping for a sincere effort from you to improve.
It is better to ask him to specify exactly what he expects from you, rather than to nod in agreement.
You don’t want to come back the next time and face the same criticism.
OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE
Be thankful for the feedback you receive during your appraisal. Treat it as an opportunity to reflect and ponder on your actions or non-actions.
If you are able to act on both positive and negative feedback — leveraging on your strengths and minimising your weaknesses — you will have an advantage over your peers.
As a final tip, focus on the future and not the past. Think about what you can do instead of what you did not.
It is probable that many local employees feel the same way.
But until a dramatically different way of measuring work performance is created, it looks like staff appraisals are here to stay.
You may have just had one and are keen on preparing better for the next.
First, make sure you know what exactly a staff appraisal is.
PERFORMANCE REPORT
A staff appraisal is information provided to an individual concerning certain aspects of his performance on a task.
It takes the form of positive and/or negative feedback.
Positive feedback is where the employee is essentially told to “keep up the good work”.
Negative feedback is where an improvement in areas of work, competencies or behaviours is usually sought.
It is an employer’s responsibility to praise an employee’s strengths and alert him to his weaknesses so that his work performance may go from strength to strength.
But how can employees accept negative feedback to improve themselves and move one notch up to reach or optimise their potential?
RECEIVING FEEDBACK
Some people do not want to receive feedback as they consider it “a criticising session”.
Others see it as another way to confirm their worthlessness.
Many only want to hear “the good stuff” and nothing more.
And then there are those who want feedback and are willing to accept it although it may be painful or disturbing, only because they believe they can benefit from it.
Supervisors should always treat their staff with dignity and respect, and feedback should be given in a fitting manner.
Employees should also accord their managers with similar respect and listen to what they have to say.
Here are some tips on how to receive feedback:
1 DON’T BE DEFENSIVE
Trying to justify your every action leaves you little time to see your supervisor’s point of view. Listen carefully to judge if the feedback is correct or misplaced. Clarify issues if necessary, and do not interrupt your supervisor as far as possible. You will have time to respond accordingly.
2 DON’T VERBALLY ATTACK YOUR SUPERVISOR
Getting personal may not be in your interest.
Just stick to the facts and defend yourself, if you have to, by clarifying your actions regarding specific events.
Take feedback as a reflection of another person’s perspective. You might learn something about yourself.
3 DON’T SHIFT THE BLAME
Blaming someone else is not the solution.
If you believe that a colleague should be held accountable for something, ask that he be included in the dialogue session too.
You don’t want to be accused later of having “stabbed someone in the back”.
4 DON’T IGNORE YOUR SUPERVISOR
Looking blankly at him while he is giving you negative feedback tells your supervisor that you are not interested in improving.
5 DON’T PRETEND TO LISTEN
Giving the impression that you agree to what your supervisor is saying may seem like an easy way out, but it really does you no good.
Your supervisor is hoping for a sincere effort from you to improve.
It is better to ask him to specify exactly what he expects from you, rather than to nod in agreement.
You don’t want to come back the next time and face the same criticism.
OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE
Be thankful for the feedback you receive during your appraisal. Treat it as an opportunity to reflect and ponder on your actions or non-actions.
If you are able to act on both positive and negative feedback — leveraging on your strengths and minimising your weaknesses — you will have an advantage over your peers.
As a final tip, focus on the future and not the past. Think about what you can do instead of what you did not.
Stretch a year to 54 weeks
HOW do you find the time to achieve everything you want to? Suppose you were suddenly given the gift of two extra weeks each year to do anything you wanted. How would you spend this time?
What would you want to accomplish? Would you increase your efforts on an existing project? Start something new? Or even use it as restorative personal time?
This gift is not a fantasy. Eliminating just 15 wasted minutes each day adds up to 91 extra hours a year — more than two full work weeks.
Here are some simple ways to achieve this “miracle”.
1 Do the right things
Don’t confuse activity with accomplishment. Management expert Peter Drucker defines them like this:
Efficiency is doing things right.
Effectiveness is doing the right things.
There is no point doing well what you shouldn’t be doing at all. Make the hard decisions about what you want and need to do. Then do them right.
You have probably heard someone say, “I don’t have time to get organised” or even “I don’t have time to do it correctly right now, but I’ll come back later and fix it”. But the future does not hold limitless time to undo and redo something done poorly.
2 Pace yourself
Your calendar is probably full as you try to squeeze in everything you need and hope to do. As hard as it may seem, don’t overbook. Be realistic! Underbooking will actually allow you to achieve more.
3 Block-book
Some projects can’t be picked up and put down easily. Block-book your high-priority items.
4 Multi-task
Combining or piggybacking tasks makes you more efficient.
While you are holding on the phone, sign letters or cheques or mark magazine articles you want to read later.
In small buildings, don’t wait for elevators, take the stairs. It’s good exercise, and you’ll get there sooner.
Have a meditation break instead of a coffee break.
Listen to motivational tapes or CDs while commuting or travelling.
When you plan to meet someone, do it in a place where you can accomplish something while you are waiting.
5 Confirm
Save yourself hours of wasted time by confirming all appointments and flights. Yes, it takes time to confirm, but the payback can be enormous.
6 Do it now
One of the biggest time-wasters is waiting to do something until it doesn’t matter any more. You lose more than just time. You surrender control to others or to random chance. And you sacrifice your two-week time bonus.
Some things have to be done perfectly. Some don’t. Don’t strive for perfection in items or actions that don’t matter. People are usually paid to get results, not to be perfect.
Decide. Do it. And don’t waste your time on regrets or rehashing decisions, justifying bad ones or salvaging poor time investments that ought to be written off.
Use the past as a guide for the future, not as an excuse for not dealing with it.
There! You have just saved yourself weeks of time. What will you do with it?
What would you want to accomplish? Would you increase your efforts on an existing project? Start something new? Or even use it as restorative personal time?
This gift is not a fantasy. Eliminating just 15 wasted minutes each day adds up to 91 extra hours a year — more than two full work weeks.
Here are some simple ways to achieve this “miracle”.
1 Do the right things
Don’t confuse activity with accomplishment. Management expert Peter Drucker defines them like this:
Efficiency is doing things right.
Effectiveness is doing the right things.
There is no point doing well what you shouldn’t be doing at all. Make the hard decisions about what you want and need to do. Then do them right.
You have probably heard someone say, “I don’t have time to get organised” or even “I don’t have time to do it correctly right now, but I’ll come back later and fix it”. But the future does not hold limitless time to undo and redo something done poorly.
2 Pace yourself
Your calendar is probably full as you try to squeeze in everything you need and hope to do. As hard as it may seem, don’t overbook. Be realistic! Underbooking will actually allow you to achieve more.
3 Block-book
Some projects can’t be picked up and put down easily. Block-book your high-priority items.
4 Multi-task
Combining or piggybacking tasks makes you more efficient.
While you are holding on the phone, sign letters or cheques or mark magazine articles you want to read later.
In small buildings, don’t wait for elevators, take the stairs. It’s good exercise, and you’ll get there sooner.
Have a meditation break instead of a coffee break.
Listen to motivational tapes or CDs while commuting or travelling.
When you plan to meet someone, do it in a place where you can accomplish something while you are waiting.
5 Confirm
Save yourself hours of wasted time by confirming all appointments and flights. Yes, it takes time to confirm, but the payback can be enormous.
6 Do it now
One of the biggest time-wasters is waiting to do something until it doesn’t matter any more. You lose more than just time. You surrender control to others or to random chance. And you sacrifice your two-week time bonus.
Some things have to be done perfectly. Some don’t. Don’t strive for perfection in items or actions that don’t matter. People are usually paid to get results, not to be perfect.
Decide. Do it. And don’t waste your time on regrets or rehashing decisions, justifying bad ones or salvaging poor time investments that ought to be written off.
Use the past as a guide for the future, not as an excuse for not dealing with it.
There! You have just saved yourself weeks of time. What will you do with it?
Connect with employees
WHEN he was commander of the Pennsylvania State Police, Major Benjamin Brooks had an open-door policy at his workplace, but he noticed that no one ever came to see him.
When he tried to find out the reason, he discovered a startling reality. He was told that anyone who came to his door found it always closed.
It was a simply a case of sending out mixed messages. The closed door communicated to the employees that Maj Brooks was busy. In reality, he kept the door closed to ward off the noise in the office area. He immediately saw to it that it remained open thereafter.
What he realised was that though an open-door policy allowed an employee access to the manager, the employee had to be encouraged to utilise this procedure.
“Often, employees are reluctant to take advantage of this service because there’s a discrepancy between what the managers say and what they do,” he says.
“The biggest challenge for employers is to recognise that what worked in the past may no longer be appropriate, and that it’s time to make a significant shift in how business is conducted. Employers in this new millennium require different coping skills in order to effectively connect with the different generations in the workplace.”
Naturally, the employer who is aware of these changes, he says, will be able to compete better in the multicultural, global marketplace.
The next logical question is “how?”
Says Maj Brooks: “The best way for employers to handle these challenges is to recognise the demographic realities of the workplace.”
By recognising the need to be culturally competent and culturally flexible, the employer will not allow superficial differences to impede organisational progress.
It will also make better business sense when the employer realises that the organisation’s success will depend on the full utilisation of all of its available human resources, irrespective of their cultural or territorial differences.
In his career as a human resource (HR) consultant/presenter, Maj Brooks says he has spent a great deal of time on recruitment, retention and talent management, and by employing many of these strategies he was able to realise a greater return on investment in HR.
“This was measured by higher morale, and greater job satisfaction and as a result, realistic alignment of skill and job function. The biggest challenge was finally realising that we were in the people business. It was much easier to retain, develop, and manage our existing HR talents than to constantly hire new employees.”
The best way for organisations to retain and manage valuable human resources is to ensure that positive inclusion is an organisational philosophy, rather than a programme.
The importance of inclusion, says Brooks, is critical in today’s multicultural talent market more than ever before.
“It’s important because it ensures that the organisation will become more competitive in a multicultural marketplace. When employees feel that they’re an integral part of the organisation, morale is high, production increases and there’s a greater return on the organisation’s investment in its people,” he asserts.
But where do employers start? The best way for employers to connect with the employee is to undertake this simple principle: the key to learning is listening.
An employer must be able to bond spiritually or emotionally with the employee. Adds Maj Brooks: “If the employer can connect with the employee, it will be able to impact the employee. If it is able to impact the employee, it will be able to influence the employee. If it is able to influence the employee, it’ll be able to move the employee wherever it desires.”
However, he is quick to clarify that this will only happen when the employer is able to positively connect with the employee through his words, deeds, philosophy and emotion.
Research shows that when an employee is hired, 90 per cent of the emphasis for selection is on his or her technical skills. However, when an employee is fired, in 90 per cent of the cases, it is due to the lack of people skills.
Consequently, employers must become more proficient in the art of emotional intelligence. “This challenge becomes more acute, particularly when bridging the gap between veterans, Baby Boomers, Generation X-ers, and Nexters in the multicultural work place,” he explains.
When he tried to find out the reason, he discovered a startling reality. He was told that anyone who came to his door found it always closed.
It was a simply a case of sending out mixed messages. The closed door communicated to the employees that Maj Brooks was busy. In reality, he kept the door closed to ward off the noise in the office area. He immediately saw to it that it remained open thereafter.
What he realised was that though an open-door policy allowed an employee access to the manager, the employee had to be encouraged to utilise this procedure.
“Often, employees are reluctant to take advantage of this service because there’s a discrepancy between what the managers say and what they do,” he says.
“The biggest challenge for employers is to recognise that what worked in the past may no longer be appropriate, and that it’s time to make a significant shift in how business is conducted. Employers in this new millennium require different coping skills in order to effectively connect with the different generations in the workplace.”
Naturally, the employer who is aware of these changes, he says, will be able to compete better in the multicultural, global marketplace.
The next logical question is “how?”
Says Maj Brooks: “The best way for employers to handle these challenges is to recognise the demographic realities of the workplace.”
By recognising the need to be culturally competent and culturally flexible, the employer will not allow superficial differences to impede organisational progress.
It will also make better business sense when the employer realises that the organisation’s success will depend on the full utilisation of all of its available human resources, irrespective of their cultural or territorial differences.
In his career as a human resource (HR) consultant/presenter, Maj Brooks says he has spent a great deal of time on recruitment, retention and talent management, and by employing many of these strategies he was able to realise a greater return on investment in HR.
“This was measured by higher morale, and greater job satisfaction and as a result, realistic alignment of skill and job function. The biggest challenge was finally realising that we were in the people business. It was much easier to retain, develop, and manage our existing HR talents than to constantly hire new employees.”
The best way for organisations to retain and manage valuable human resources is to ensure that positive inclusion is an organisational philosophy, rather than a programme.
The importance of inclusion, says Brooks, is critical in today’s multicultural talent market more than ever before.
“It’s important because it ensures that the organisation will become more competitive in a multicultural marketplace. When employees feel that they’re an integral part of the organisation, morale is high, production increases and there’s a greater return on the organisation’s investment in its people,” he asserts.
But where do employers start? The best way for employers to connect with the employee is to undertake this simple principle: the key to learning is listening.
An employer must be able to bond spiritually or emotionally with the employee. Adds Maj Brooks: “If the employer can connect with the employee, it will be able to impact the employee. If it is able to impact the employee, it will be able to influence the employee. If it is able to influence the employee, it’ll be able to move the employee wherever it desires.”
However, he is quick to clarify that this will only happen when the employer is able to positively connect with the employee through his words, deeds, philosophy and emotion.
Research shows that when an employee is hired, 90 per cent of the emphasis for selection is on his or her technical skills. However, when an employee is fired, in 90 per cent of the cases, it is due to the lack of people skills.
Consequently, employers must become more proficient in the art of emotional intelligence. “This challenge becomes more acute, particularly when bridging the gap between veterans, Baby Boomers, Generation X-ers, and Nexters in the multicultural work place,” he explains.
Finding A New Business Idea
Look for Opportunities
How do you find a new product or service, recognizing that 80 percent or more will be new in five years? Here's a series of ideas. Number one, begin with yourself. Begin with your own talents, your abilities, your experience, knowledge, interest, background, education, and so on. Look carefully at your current work, your current business, your current position, or your current product or service. Seek for what is called your own acres of diamonds. Look under your own feet.
Look Into Yourself
Here's a question. What qualities account for your greatest successes in life so far? What personal qualities and abilities have gotten you to where you are? And how could you apply those qualities and abilities to starting and building a new business?
If you already have a company, ask what are your companies' talents, abilities, experience, knowledge, interest, background, and so on. What qualities and talents and abilities have enabled your company to succeed up to now? Where can you specialize? Where can you make a difference?
Identify What You Really Enjoy
Number two is look for a product or service about which you can really become enthusiastic. Sometimes people become wealthy by translating or transforming their hobbies into a business. You will be most successful doing something or marketing something that you really love.
Every product must have a champion. Every product or service must have someone in the business who really, really loves the product or service and is eager to get out and tell other people about it.
Improve On Something Else
Number three, look for something that is an improvement on an existing product or service, not something brand new. Look for something that's cheaper or better quality. Or that has additional features or functions. Look for something that's an improvement.
Remember improving an existing successful product or service is the fastest and surest way to build a successful business. An idea only needs to be ten percent new and better to capture substantial market share. Brand new products or services are very risky.
Be Willing to Work Hard
The fourth key to finding a new product or service is this. Don't look for easy money. Don't look for gimmicks or useless knickknacks. Don't look for get-rich-quick schemes or rewards without working, because they're aren't any.
More people have wasted more time and more life and more money trying to find quick ways to make easy money than you can possibly imagine. So be willing to put in a lot of hard work before you start making real money in a business.
Success Takes Time
It takes two years to break even in the average business. It takes four years to show a profit. It takes maybe eight to ten years before it starts to generate real cash flow. So you have to be patient. If you're impatient, what will happen is you'll end up setting yourself further back than you can imagine.
Action Exercises
First, be prepared to research a lot of business ideas before you make a final decision. The first 10% of time that you spend doing your homework will save you 90% of the effort in getting results later on.
Second, look for something that you can make an improvement upon rather than something brand new. You are surrounded by ideas and opportunities for improvement if you can just identify them.
How do you find a new product or service, recognizing that 80 percent or more will be new in five years? Here's a series of ideas. Number one, begin with yourself. Begin with your own talents, your abilities, your experience, knowledge, interest, background, education, and so on. Look carefully at your current work, your current business, your current position, or your current product or service. Seek for what is called your own acres of diamonds. Look under your own feet.
Look Into Yourself
Here's a question. What qualities account for your greatest successes in life so far? What personal qualities and abilities have gotten you to where you are? And how could you apply those qualities and abilities to starting and building a new business?
If you already have a company, ask what are your companies' talents, abilities, experience, knowledge, interest, background, and so on. What qualities and talents and abilities have enabled your company to succeed up to now? Where can you specialize? Where can you make a difference?
Identify What You Really Enjoy
Number two is look for a product or service about which you can really become enthusiastic. Sometimes people become wealthy by translating or transforming their hobbies into a business. You will be most successful doing something or marketing something that you really love.
Every product must have a champion. Every product or service must have someone in the business who really, really loves the product or service and is eager to get out and tell other people about it.
Improve On Something Else
Number three, look for something that is an improvement on an existing product or service, not something brand new. Look for something that's cheaper or better quality. Or that has additional features or functions. Look for something that's an improvement.
Remember improving an existing successful product or service is the fastest and surest way to build a successful business. An idea only needs to be ten percent new and better to capture substantial market share. Brand new products or services are very risky.
Be Willing to Work Hard
The fourth key to finding a new product or service is this. Don't look for easy money. Don't look for gimmicks or useless knickknacks. Don't look for get-rich-quick schemes or rewards without working, because they're aren't any.
More people have wasted more time and more life and more money trying to find quick ways to make easy money than you can possibly imagine. So be willing to put in a lot of hard work before you start making real money in a business.
Success Takes Time
It takes two years to break even in the average business. It takes four years to show a profit. It takes maybe eight to ten years before it starts to generate real cash flow. So you have to be patient. If you're impatient, what will happen is you'll end up setting yourself further back than you can imagine.
Action Exercises
First, be prepared to research a lot of business ideas before you make a final decision. The first 10% of time that you spend doing your homework will save you 90% of the effort in getting results later on.
Second, look for something that you can make an improvement upon rather than something brand new. You are surrounded by ideas and opportunities for improvement if you can just identify them.
The Key to Leadership
The Foremost of the Values
Winston Churchill once said, "Courage is rightly considered the foremost of the virtues, for upon it all others depend." The systematic development of the deep down quality of unflinching courage is one of the fundamental requirements for leadership in any field. Fear, or the lack of courage is more responsible for failure in management, and in life, than any other factor. It is always fear that causes people to hold back, to sell themselves short, to settle for far less than they are capable of!
Eliminate Fear and Doubt
I firmly believe that you can do, have or be far more than you now know if only you could eliminate the fear, doubts and misgivings that consciously and unconsciously interfere with your realizing your full potential.
Unlearn Your Fears
If there is anything positive about fear, it is that all fears are learned, that no one is born with fears, and that having been learned, they can be unlearned. If you want to understand the role of fear in shaping the course of your life, just ask yourself, if you had a magic wand that would absolutely guarantee you success in any one thing you attempted, what goal would you set for yourself.
The Great Question
"What one great thing would you dare to dream if you knew you could not fail?" If you had no fears at all with regard to money or the criticism of others, what would you do differently? Most people can think of all kinds of changes they would, or could, make in their lives if they had no fears to hold them back.
The Origins of Fear
The development of courage begins with understanding the psychological origins of fear. The newborn child has only two fears; the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. All other fears that we experience as adults are learned as we are growing up, primarily as the result of well-meaning but destructive criticism from our parents.
How Fears Develop
When the curious child gets into things and makes a mess, the parent scolds and punishes the child, eventually building up a pattern of fear connected with trying or getting into anything new or different. As adults, we experience this as the fear of failure, the fear of risking, of making a mistake, of losing.
Action Exercises
Here are two steps you can take immediately to put these ideas into action.
First, imagine that you had no fears at all. What would you set as a goal for yourself if you were guaranteed of success?
Second, decide exactly what you want and then act as if it were impossible to fail. You may be surprised at how successful you are.
Winston Churchill once said, "Courage is rightly considered the foremost of the virtues, for upon it all others depend." The systematic development of the deep down quality of unflinching courage is one of the fundamental requirements for leadership in any field. Fear, or the lack of courage is more responsible for failure in management, and in life, than any other factor. It is always fear that causes people to hold back, to sell themselves short, to settle for far less than they are capable of!
Eliminate Fear and Doubt
I firmly believe that you can do, have or be far more than you now know if only you could eliminate the fear, doubts and misgivings that consciously and unconsciously interfere with your realizing your full potential.
Unlearn Your Fears
If there is anything positive about fear, it is that all fears are learned, that no one is born with fears, and that having been learned, they can be unlearned. If you want to understand the role of fear in shaping the course of your life, just ask yourself, if you had a magic wand that would absolutely guarantee you success in any one thing you attempted, what goal would you set for yourself.
The Great Question
"What one great thing would you dare to dream if you knew you could not fail?" If you had no fears at all with regard to money or the criticism of others, what would you do differently? Most people can think of all kinds of changes they would, or could, make in their lives if they had no fears to hold them back.
The Origins of Fear
The development of courage begins with understanding the psychological origins of fear. The newborn child has only two fears; the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. All other fears that we experience as adults are learned as we are growing up, primarily as the result of well-meaning but destructive criticism from our parents.
How Fears Develop
When the curious child gets into things and makes a mess, the parent scolds and punishes the child, eventually building up a pattern of fear connected with trying or getting into anything new or different. As adults, we experience this as the fear of failure, the fear of risking, of making a mistake, of losing.
Action Exercises
Here are two steps you can take immediately to put these ideas into action.
First, imagine that you had no fears at all. What would you set as a goal for yourself if you were guaranteed of success?
Second, decide exactly what you want and then act as if it were impossible to fail. You may be surprised at how successful you are.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Four Essentials for Happiness
You may have a thousand different goals over the course of your lifetime, but they all will fall into one of four basic categories. Everything you do is an attempt to enhance the quality of your life in one or more of these areas.
The Key to Happiness
The first category is your desire for happy relationships. You want to love and be loved by others. You want to have a happy, harmonious home life. You want to get along well with the people around you, and you want to earn the respect of the people you respect. Your involvement in social and community affairs results from your desire to have happy interactions with others and to make a contribution to the society you live in.
Enjoy Your Work
The second category is your desire for interesting and challenging work. You want to make a good living, of course, but more than that, you want to really enjoy your occupation or profession. The very best times of your life are when you are completely absorbed in your work.
Become Financially Independent
The third category is your desire for financial independence. You want to be free from worries about money. You want to have enough money in the bank so that you can make decisions without counting your pennies. You want to achieve a certain financial state so that you can retire in comfort and never have to be concerned about whether or not you have enough money to support your lifestyle. Financial independence frees you from poverty and a need to depend upon others for your livelihood. If you save and invest regularly throughout your working life, you will eventually reach the point where you will never have to work again.
Enjoy Excellent Health
The fourth and final category is your desire for good health, to be free of pain and illness and to have a continuous flow of energy and feelings of well-being. In fact, your health is so central to your life that you take it for granted until something happens to disrupt it.
Peace of Mind is the Key
Peace of mind is essential for every one of these. The greater your peace of mind, the more relaxed and positive you are, the less stress you suffer, the better is your overall health.
The more peace of mind you have, the better are your relationships, the more optimistic, friendly and confident you are with everyone in your life. When you feel good about yourself on the inside, you do your work better and take more pride in it. You are a better boss and coworker. And the greater your overall peace of mind, the more likely you are to earn a good living, save regularly for the future and ultimately achieve financial independence.
Control Your Attention
Life is very much a study of attention. Whatever you dwell upon and think about grows and expands in your life. The more you pay attention to your relationships, the quality and quantity of your work, your finances and your health, the better they will become and the happier you will be.
Action Exercises
Here are three things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.
First, take time on a regular basis to think about what would make you really happy in each of the four areas.
Second, set specific, measurable goals for improvement in your relationships, your health, your work and your finances and write them down.
Third, resolve to do something every day to increase the quality of some area of your life - and then keep your resolution.
The Key to Happiness
The first category is your desire for happy relationships. You want to love and be loved by others. You want to have a happy, harmonious home life. You want to get along well with the people around you, and you want to earn the respect of the people you respect. Your involvement in social and community affairs results from your desire to have happy interactions with others and to make a contribution to the society you live in.
Enjoy Your Work
The second category is your desire for interesting and challenging work. You want to make a good living, of course, but more than that, you want to really enjoy your occupation or profession. The very best times of your life are when you are completely absorbed in your work.
Become Financially Independent
The third category is your desire for financial independence. You want to be free from worries about money. You want to have enough money in the bank so that you can make decisions without counting your pennies. You want to achieve a certain financial state so that you can retire in comfort and never have to be concerned about whether or not you have enough money to support your lifestyle. Financial independence frees you from poverty and a need to depend upon others for your livelihood. If you save and invest regularly throughout your working life, you will eventually reach the point where you will never have to work again.
Enjoy Excellent Health
The fourth and final category is your desire for good health, to be free of pain and illness and to have a continuous flow of energy and feelings of well-being. In fact, your health is so central to your life that you take it for granted until something happens to disrupt it.
Peace of Mind is the Key
Peace of mind is essential for every one of these. The greater your peace of mind, the more relaxed and positive you are, the less stress you suffer, the better is your overall health.
The more peace of mind you have, the better are your relationships, the more optimistic, friendly and confident you are with everyone in your life. When you feel good about yourself on the inside, you do your work better and take more pride in it. You are a better boss and coworker. And the greater your overall peace of mind, the more likely you are to earn a good living, save regularly for the future and ultimately achieve financial independence.
Control Your Attention
Life is very much a study of attention. Whatever you dwell upon and think about grows and expands in your life. The more you pay attention to your relationships, the quality and quantity of your work, your finances and your health, the better they will become and the happier you will be.
Action Exercises
Here are three things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.
First, take time on a regular basis to think about what would make you really happy in each of the four areas.
Second, set specific, measurable goals for improvement in your relationships, your health, your work and your finances and write them down.
Third, resolve to do something every day to increase the quality of some area of your life - and then keep your resolution.
Retirement Planning
For every working adult, does it not seem like yesterday that some of you were at school, some at university and others already planning to go out to work for the first time. The cliché "Time flies" is certainly very real. Besides, it is a known fact that due to better medical practices and health management, Malaysians are living longer.
As all of us grow old and retire, we shall need to use our nest egg to support us through old age. Take for example a Malaysian civil servant who retires at 55 years old, and then lives till 85 years old, the retiree would need money to see through another 30 years of post-work years. If a certain life-style is envisaged during retirement, a tidy sum of money is certainly needed that will last at least for as long as the retiree lives. To ensure the sum is available, much planning is needed. Surely nobody in his right mind will want to face retirement with uncertainty and without knowing how to make ends meet. Lack of money during retirement surely cannot be fun as improved standard of living and advances in medical technology have greatly added to the life span of South East Asians.
Besides, during retirement there are aging stages that all of us go through. For the better part of the first ten years into retirement, it is likely that many retirees are still in an active phase. During this phase there can much travelling to see the world, play golf and tennis with friends, and much social activities. The real slowing down starts if ill-health gets in the way or through the natural aging process. Generally as one gets on in years, say from mid-seventies and above, the body is more susceptible to diseases. More money will be spent on medicine, doctor and hospital bills to sustain health. In the meanwhile, health care costs are getting more and more expansive with the years.
When to plan for retirement?
For the working adult, the answer has to be right away. In fact there is much advantage to plan for retirement whilst young as it requires less money for the power of compounding to ensure your money grows if you have invested the money wisely.
Take for example if you started to save $10 per month from the age of 20 years old until you are 60 years old. At an interest rate of 6%, you will have $19,700 then. By comparison, a person who starts from age 40 years old will need to save $42 per month until age 60 years old to achieve $19,700. This example illustrates that it will cost much more the longer one waits.
If you were in your 50s and you now start to plan for retirement, you will need to be more conservative in your investments because you do not have time to re-earn the money should you lose part of it during a market slump.
What about unforeseen situations?
What happens if a working adult falls ill and had to prematurely retire? People are more likely to suffer serious illness and survive than die outright. This can be a common omission especially for adults who are active, enjoying good health and think they have many years ahead without having to worry about retirement. To protect against such unforeseen eventualities, consideration should be given to some form of illness protection such as critical illness insurance and income protection policies.
Then what about the possibility of divorce for married adults. Especially for the women, this unfortunate social situation can be particularly serious especially if one was completely focused being a housewife. Housewives generally do not earn an income but yet spend a significant time out of the work force raising children or caring for an elderly relative. Retirement can be daunting if one had to start planning when one is in the late 40s and 50s. At least in the case of death of one partner in the marriage there is still a chance that there are assets available for the surviving partner to deploy. Whereas in the case of a divorce, unless amicably settled, facing the future alone can be a serious problem.
How much is needed for retirement?
This really is a million-dollar question. It depends very much on the life-style that you envisage during retirement. If during retirement you wish to be able to play at every known golf course in the world, then you will need to plan for the travel costs that will come with that ambition. If you basically wish to maintain the kind of life style that you have enjoyed during your pre-retirement years, and if your family is independent of you, then it is possible that you can discount the living expenses to perhaps 80% or less of your pre-retirement income.
Although some expenses such as taxes will fall, the cost of other expenses such as medical treatment will increase. This is especially so as with the increase in the availability and convenience of private hospitals and the perceived better treatment at such facilities, the cost of using such private hospitals will substantially be higher than using public hospitals. It is imperative therefore that every retiree must plan to use his tax-free cash wisely including the use of insurance policies to protect themselves in the future.
EPF - Employee Provident Fund
It is estimated that there are some 70-80% of working adult employees, partaking in the compulsory savings scheme via the Employee Provident Fund. Currently, the EPF scheme requires the employee to contribute 11% and the employer 12%. Collectively, if the money had not been used by the beneficiary, there should be a substantial sum at retirement as the EPF does undertake to provide a return of at least 2.5% per annum on the accrued funds. However, the EPF had over the years provided interest payments that ranged to 7% per annum in the good years. This EPF compulsory savings can be the basis to earn a replacement income for retirement.
As all of us grow old and retire, we shall need to use our nest egg to support us through old age. Take for example a Malaysian civil servant who retires at 55 years old, and then lives till 85 years old, the retiree would need money to see through another 30 years of post-work years. If a certain life-style is envisaged during retirement, a tidy sum of money is certainly needed that will last at least for as long as the retiree lives. To ensure the sum is available, much planning is needed. Surely nobody in his right mind will want to face retirement with uncertainty and without knowing how to make ends meet. Lack of money during retirement surely cannot be fun as improved standard of living and advances in medical technology have greatly added to the life span of South East Asians.
Besides, during retirement there are aging stages that all of us go through. For the better part of the first ten years into retirement, it is likely that many retirees are still in an active phase. During this phase there can much travelling to see the world, play golf and tennis with friends, and much social activities. The real slowing down starts if ill-health gets in the way or through the natural aging process. Generally as one gets on in years, say from mid-seventies and above, the body is more susceptible to diseases. More money will be spent on medicine, doctor and hospital bills to sustain health. In the meanwhile, health care costs are getting more and more expansive with the years.
When to plan for retirement?
For the working adult, the answer has to be right away. In fact there is much advantage to plan for retirement whilst young as it requires less money for the power of compounding to ensure your money grows if you have invested the money wisely.
Take for example if you started to save $10 per month from the age of 20 years old until you are 60 years old. At an interest rate of 6%, you will have $19,700 then. By comparison, a person who starts from age 40 years old will need to save $42 per month until age 60 years old to achieve $19,700. This example illustrates that it will cost much more the longer one waits.
If you were in your 50s and you now start to plan for retirement, you will need to be more conservative in your investments because you do not have time to re-earn the money should you lose part of it during a market slump.
What about unforeseen situations?
What happens if a working adult falls ill and had to prematurely retire? People are more likely to suffer serious illness and survive than die outright. This can be a common omission especially for adults who are active, enjoying good health and think they have many years ahead without having to worry about retirement. To protect against such unforeseen eventualities, consideration should be given to some form of illness protection such as critical illness insurance and income protection policies.
Then what about the possibility of divorce for married adults. Especially for the women, this unfortunate social situation can be particularly serious especially if one was completely focused being a housewife. Housewives generally do not earn an income but yet spend a significant time out of the work force raising children or caring for an elderly relative. Retirement can be daunting if one had to start planning when one is in the late 40s and 50s. At least in the case of death of one partner in the marriage there is still a chance that there are assets available for the surviving partner to deploy. Whereas in the case of a divorce, unless amicably settled, facing the future alone can be a serious problem.
How much is needed for retirement?
This really is a million-dollar question. It depends very much on the life-style that you envisage during retirement. If during retirement you wish to be able to play at every known golf course in the world, then you will need to plan for the travel costs that will come with that ambition. If you basically wish to maintain the kind of life style that you have enjoyed during your pre-retirement years, and if your family is independent of you, then it is possible that you can discount the living expenses to perhaps 80% or less of your pre-retirement income.
Although some expenses such as taxes will fall, the cost of other expenses such as medical treatment will increase. This is especially so as with the increase in the availability and convenience of private hospitals and the perceived better treatment at such facilities, the cost of using such private hospitals will substantially be higher than using public hospitals. It is imperative therefore that every retiree must plan to use his tax-free cash wisely including the use of insurance policies to protect themselves in the future.
EPF - Employee Provident Fund
It is estimated that there are some 70-80% of working adult employees, partaking in the compulsory savings scheme via the Employee Provident Fund. Currently, the EPF scheme requires the employee to contribute 11% and the employer 12%. Collectively, if the money had not been used by the beneficiary, there should be a substantial sum at retirement as the EPF does undertake to provide a return of at least 2.5% per annum on the accrued funds. However, the EPF had over the years provided interest payments that ranged to 7% per annum in the good years. This EPF compulsory savings can be the basis to earn a replacement income for retirement.
The Four D's of Financial Success
Start From Nothing and Become Financially Independent
More than eighty percent of self-made millionaires in America began with nothing or in many cases, less than nothing. I can certainly relate to that because when I was growing up and right into my early 30s, I never had any extra money with which to start a fortune. It seemed to me that there was always enough, if not more than enough bills, to absorb every penny I earned. I was always in debt.
Be Ready for Your Opportunity
And even if a great business opportunity did come along, I wouldn't have been able to do anything with it. As I began studying financial success and self-made millionaires, I noticed that almost everyone around me was in pretty much the same boat. The idea of becoming really wealthy was a distant dream with very little possibility of coming true. You may be in the same situation, with more bills than money or assets.
Look at the Numbers
The statistics are a little scary. Of 100 people who reach retirement age, according to insurance industry statistics, only one will be wealthy. Four out of the hundred will be financially independent; fifteen will have some savings put aside. And the other 80 will be dependent on pensions, still working or broke - this after a lifetime of well-paid work in the most affluent society in human history. Now why does this happen?
Why People Retire Poor
There are two main reasons why people retire poor. First, they never decide to retire rich. They wish and hope and pray, but they never make a firm, unequivocal decision that they're going to do it. Second, even if they do decide to retire rich, they procrastinate until it's too late. They always have some good reason for putting it off.
Start With Desire and Decision
If you sincerely want to beat the odds, to achieve financial independence and retire wealthy, there are four critical steps that you must take, all starting with the letter D.
The first step is desire. You must want it badly enough to make an unshakable commitment and to be willing to make sacrifices. The second D is decision. You must make a decision right now to do whatever is necessary, to be willing to pay any price, go any distance, to achieve your goal.
Practice Determination and Discipline
The third D is determination, which is to keep at it until you succeed in spite of all the problems and obstacles you will experience. And the fourth D is discipline - the discipline to master yourself to develop the habits necessary for achieving financial independence.
Those are the four Ds. Desire, Decision, Determination and Discipline. And you can measure how successful you're going to be in the future by measuring how well you're doing in each of those on a scale of one to ten.
Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.
First, make a decision, right now, that you are going to be financially independent, no matter what obstacles you face in the short term. Then write it down, make a plan and start to work on it every single day.
Second, resolve in advance that you will persist in the face of every setback or obstacle you face. You will never give up. You will keep on moving forward until you finally achieve your goal.
More than eighty percent of self-made millionaires in America began with nothing or in many cases, less than nothing. I can certainly relate to that because when I was growing up and right into my early 30s, I never had any extra money with which to start a fortune. It seemed to me that there was always enough, if not more than enough bills, to absorb every penny I earned. I was always in debt.
Be Ready for Your Opportunity
And even if a great business opportunity did come along, I wouldn't have been able to do anything with it. As I began studying financial success and self-made millionaires, I noticed that almost everyone around me was in pretty much the same boat. The idea of becoming really wealthy was a distant dream with very little possibility of coming true. You may be in the same situation, with more bills than money or assets.
Look at the Numbers
The statistics are a little scary. Of 100 people who reach retirement age, according to insurance industry statistics, only one will be wealthy. Four out of the hundred will be financially independent; fifteen will have some savings put aside. And the other 80 will be dependent on pensions, still working or broke - this after a lifetime of well-paid work in the most affluent society in human history. Now why does this happen?
Why People Retire Poor
There are two main reasons why people retire poor. First, they never decide to retire rich. They wish and hope and pray, but they never make a firm, unequivocal decision that they're going to do it. Second, even if they do decide to retire rich, they procrastinate until it's too late. They always have some good reason for putting it off.
Start With Desire and Decision
If you sincerely want to beat the odds, to achieve financial independence and retire wealthy, there are four critical steps that you must take, all starting with the letter D.
The first step is desire. You must want it badly enough to make an unshakable commitment and to be willing to make sacrifices. The second D is decision. You must make a decision right now to do whatever is necessary, to be willing to pay any price, go any distance, to achieve your goal.
Practice Determination and Discipline
The third D is determination, which is to keep at it until you succeed in spite of all the problems and obstacles you will experience. And the fourth D is discipline - the discipline to master yourself to develop the habits necessary for achieving financial independence.
Those are the four Ds. Desire, Decision, Determination and Discipline. And you can measure how successful you're going to be in the future by measuring how well you're doing in each of those on a scale of one to ten.
Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.
First, make a decision, right now, that you are going to be financially independent, no matter what obstacles you face in the short term. Then write it down, make a plan and start to work on it every single day.
Second, resolve in advance that you will persist in the face of every setback or obstacle you face. You will never give up. You will keep on moving forward until you finally achieve your goal.
Tips on Managing People
The Right Way to Give a Critique
The worst thing you can do if you want to get somebody to listen to you is to criticize him or her.
As human beings, we hate being criticized. When attacked we attack back.
And we attack even when we are in the wrong. Right or wrong has nothing to do with it.
Many of us fall into the trap of thinking, “I know I am right, so I’m going to tell the others how silly they are!” It’s tempting, but it doesn’t work.
If you have the self-control and the presence of mind to put aside the needs of your own ego and say, “I’ve got a problem. Will you help me?” you are much more likely to get cooperation from the other person.
The Only Way to Get Anybody to Do Anything
If you want to get something from another human being, you must first do something for them. In other words, you can’t win influence unless you first invest in the relationship.
So before you need something from someone, make it your business to at least get to know them without making any demands. This doesn’t mean invading their privacy but it does mean making the relationship personal. For example, I have learned that I should take my assistant out to lunch occasionally.
This is not something I am naturally disposed to do, but unless I show an interest in her as a human being the relationship won’t work. (I still don’t do it as often as I should!)
If the only time she hears from me is when I want something, then she will form a kind of resistance.
You Are There to Help
If someone comes in to criticize us or get us to raise our game, under what circumstances would we accept that person’s critique?
That’s easy. If I think someone is really trying to help me then I’ll listen, I’ll engage. On the other hand, if I think someone is just trying to get the job done or make himself or herself look good, I may listen because I need to keep my job, but my heart won’t be in it. My creative energies will be depleted.
So the bad news is that you will only have influence over people to the extent that they think you are sincerely trying to help them. It’s not a moral point. It’s simply how human beings work.
The most influential managers are those who can be convincing to other people that they care about them as people.
Team Players
The most common prima donnas are people who don’t want to be team players at all. If they throw a fit about something, they are not really talking about anything specific: they just don’t want to have to fit in with others.
If one person won’t fit in, the minute you are seen to tolerate their behavior, to tolerate an exception, you as the leader have just given permission to everybody else to do things their own way, too.
You are better off without a prima donna if their actions ruin the teamwork of the whole group. If you want the benefits of collaboration you cannot afford to make exceptions.
Getting the Task Done
Each time you have an interaction with someone there are two things going on: one deals with the immediate topic, getting the task done, and the second is the way in which every interaction affects your relationship with your colleague. It will be advanced, ruined or left neutral.
Bear in mind that you should not sacrifice the task to the relationship. Similarly, just winning on the task is not good if you have ruined your relationship. You’ve got to do well on both counts.
There is a certain way of saying things. Instead of saying, “You are wrong,” you must learn to say, “Might there be another way of looking at this?”
It’s about helping the other person save face. And the only way to get anybody to do anything is to make them want to do it. Some people are naturally good at these diplomatic human relations. Sadly, many of us have to learn these skills.
I have pretty much every business degree that the planet has to offer, but no one ever taught me about managing people. That skill I had to learn by trial and error. So for many of us it’s a good idea to mentally rehearse our phraseology before we go into a meeting.
Don’t Be Paternal/Maternal
There is another trap to avoid. When you are giving feedback to an employee, it is easy to come across as paternal or maternal. Nothing will raise someone’s hackles more than being treated like a child.
So, as an exercise, imagine you are going in to give the same critique to your mother or father. Turn it around and respectfully help “Dad” arrive at the right conclusion for himself.
The Domineering Boss
There is a natural temptation for people in charge to say, “This is how I deal with people—like it or lump it.” But if you want to influence others, then it’s about what turns them on, not what turns you on.
On the other hand, there are bad managers who are so good at relating to people that they never actually get the job done. They are too soft and caring to inspire hard work and positive energy.
No Two People Are the Same
You don’t influence everybody the same way. People do things for their own reasons—not for yours. So if you want to inspire someone, you don’t give him or her some wonderful company vision.
Instead, you help them see what’s in it for them. That varies from person to person. Some people are motivated by challenge, some by money and some by the social opportunities afforded by a project.
It’s about reading the other person, finding their hot button, not yours.
Interest in People
To be a good manager or team leader you have to have an above-average interest in people. If you are not very interested in people that doesn’t make you a bad person, but you are going to have to work hard to overcome that if you want to be a successful manager.
It’s also about laying down challenges, getting people to stretch themselves creatively and getting people excited about your ideas rather than seeing those ideas as stressful demands.
The best group leaders see themselves as catalysts. They like to accomplish a great deal but understand that they can do little without the combined efforts of others.
A good manager does not see himself as the “people’s boss” but as the leader of a cohesive team of autonomous, creative individuals.
The worst thing you can do if you want to get somebody to listen to you is to criticize him or her.
As human beings, we hate being criticized. When attacked we attack back.
And we attack even when we are in the wrong. Right or wrong has nothing to do with it.
Many of us fall into the trap of thinking, “I know I am right, so I’m going to tell the others how silly they are!” It’s tempting, but it doesn’t work.
If you have the self-control and the presence of mind to put aside the needs of your own ego and say, “I’ve got a problem. Will you help me?” you are much more likely to get cooperation from the other person.
The Only Way to Get Anybody to Do Anything
If you want to get something from another human being, you must first do something for them. In other words, you can’t win influence unless you first invest in the relationship.
So before you need something from someone, make it your business to at least get to know them without making any demands. This doesn’t mean invading their privacy but it does mean making the relationship personal. For example, I have learned that I should take my assistant out to lunch occasionally.
This is not something I am naturally disposed to do, but unless I show an interest in her as a human being the relationship won’t work. (I still don’t do it as often as I should!)
If the only time she hears from me is when I want something, then she will form a kind of resistance.
You Are There to Help
If someone comes in to criticize us or get us to raise our game, under what circumstances would we accept that person’s critique?
That’s easy. If I think someone is really trying to help me then I’ll listen, I’ll engage. On the other hand, if I think someone is just trying to get the job done or make himself or herself look good, I may listen because I need to keep my job, but my heart won’t be in it. My creative energies will be depleted.
So the bad news is that you will only have influence over people to the extent that they think you are sincerely trying to help them. It’s not a moral point. It’s simply how human beings work.
The most influential managers are those who can be convincing to other people that they care about them as people.
Team Players
The most common prima donnas are people who don’t want to be team players at all. If they throw a fit about something, they are not really talking about anything specific: they just don’t want to have to fit in with others.
If one person won’t fit in, the minute you are seen to tolerate their behavior, to tolerate an exception, you as the leader have just given permission to everybody else to do things their own way, too.
You are better off without a prima donna if their actions ruin the teamwork of the whole group. If you want the benefits of collaboration you cannot afford to make exceptions.
Getting the Task Done
Each time you have an interaction with someone there are two things going on: one deals with the immediate topic, getting the task done, and the second is the way in which every interaction affects your relationship with your colleague. It will be advanced, ruined or left neutral.
Bear in mind that you should not sacrifice the task to the relationship. Similarly, just winning on the task is not good if you have ruined your relationship. You’ve got to do well on both counts.
There is a certain way of saying things. Instead of saying, “You are wrong,” you must learn to say, “Might there be another way of looking at this?”
It’s about helping the other person save face. And the only way to get anybody to do anything is to make them want to do it. Some people are naturally good at these diplomatic human relations. Sadly, many of us have to learn these skills.
I have pretty much every business degree that the planet has to offer, but no one ever taught me about managing people. That skill I had to learn by trial and error. So for many of us it’s a good idea to mentally rehearse our phraseology before we go into a meeting.
Don’t Be Paternal/Maternal
There is another trap to avoid. When you are giving feedback to an employee, it is easy to come across as paternal or maternal. Nothing will raise someone’s hackles more than being treated like a child.
So, as an exercise, imagine you are going in to give the same critique to your mother or father. Turn it around and respectfully help “Dad” arrive at the right conclusion for himself.
The Domineering Boss
There is a natural temptation for people in charge to say, “This is how I deal with people—like it or lump it.” But if you want to influence others, then it’s about what turns them on, not what turns you on.
On the other hand, there are bad managers who are so good at relating to people that they never actually get the job done. They are too soft and caring to inspire hard work and positive energy.
No Two People Are the Same
You don’t influence everybody the same way. People do things for their own reasons—not for yours. So if you want to inspire someone, you don’t give him or her some wonderful company vision.
Instead, you help them see what’s in it for them. That varies from person to person. Some people are motivated by challenge, some by money and some by the social opportunities afforded by a project.
It’s about reading the other person, finding their hot button, not yours.
Interest in People
To be a good manager or team leader you have to have an above-average interest in people. If you are not very interested in people that doesn’t make you a bad person, but you are going to have to work hard to overcome that if you want to be a successful manager.
It’s also about laying down challenges, getting people to stretch themselves creatively and getting people excited about your ideas rather than seeing those ideas as stressful demands.
The best group leaders see themselves as catalysts. They like to accomplish a great deal but understand that they can do little without the combined efforts of others.
A good manager does not see himself as the “people’s boss” but as the leader of a cohesive team of autonomous, creative individuals.
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Surviving a merger
YOU have heard it all before. In the current climate of mergers and acquisitions mania, you are constantly told to embrace change.45tfr5
You have to be leaner and faster and create more growth and profit.
Does this sound familiar?
Take heart, whatever level you are at in your organisation, there are practical things you can do to survive the inevitable changes that are on their way.
FOR LEADERS
If you have just been given the task of leading change in your organisation, your first task should be to create a vision for the first 100 days.
This needs to be something that you can articulate in one sentence, explaining what your organisation will become and by when.
One question you must ask is whether your new vision statement inspires you. If it does not, it will not inspire anyone else.
Change is emotional, and people will respond to it differently at different stages.
Start by getting connected within your organisation. Mobilise your staff, remove barriers, see through the politics and bring the vision to life.
Placing a high value on innovation will be vital in creating solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems — something that can be done only in a climate of trust, collaboration and creativity.
Expect people to push back — either by blatantly refusing to cooperate or, perhaps, by agreeing to something but never quite finding the time to follow it through.
It could be useful to identify people who really support the change and give them positions of influence.
Likewise, you have to identify the most influential resistors to find out why they are against the change, and work out how to win them over.
You should create your vision with your management team, communicate it to everyone and then set up small teams throughout the organisation to work on specific problem areas.
Small teams visibly working on change projects will be noticed quickly, which will help to build the momentum you need, particularly if you have a well-structured internal communications system in place.
FOR FOLLOWERS
If you are not in a leadership role, you will be able to see something big coming down the line towards you.
The best place to start is to always seek accurate information. Talk to your line manager and find out when the next communication event is scheduled.
Sort out the myths from the facts, and avoid “emotional vampires” who will suck you dry of energy by telling you why this is wrong for you, the organisation and business in general.
Get involved. Typically, any organisation going through a big change will expect to lose some of its workforce because these workers do not fit in with the new vision.
Do not be among those just because you have not bothered to find out how to make it work for you.
To deal with change with as little pain as possible, you will need to work fast, stay focused, be flexible, cope with the demands of ambiguity and take control of your own destiny.
The people who survive change will be those who embrace it, taking the lead and taking others with them so that the whole organisation is moving in the same direction.
TEN COMMON PITFALLS TO AVOID
1 Not communicating the hard messages — for example, potential job cuts. People will think that redundancies are coming any way and blow the issue out of proportion.
2 Not ensuring that every member of the leadership team is “on message”. Slightest variations in the information communicated will be picked up and spread around the company.
3 Pushing the change down from the top, rather than involving people from the bottom up too. If they are not engaged and do not see any benefits for them, change is unlikely to happen.
4 Failing to provide space and support for people to think through the personal implications of change. The key to success is understanding “what’s in it for me”.
5 Ignoring or fighting “troublemakers”. These are often crucial individuals, and if you can win them over by responding to them effectively, they can become your most powerful allies.
6 Not reviewing your progress regularly. You will not be able to correct your course if you plough on regardless.
7 Focusing on the rational at the expense of the emotional and political — that is, proceeding with no understanding of what people feel. If you do this, the change will not stick.
8 Focusing on the emotional and political at the expense of the rational. As with all things in life, there needs to be a balance.
9 Thinking “it won’t happen to me”. Ignore the change and it won’t go away, but you might get sidelined as a result.
10 Going along with the most vocal group. Often, those who make an impact through the change process are not the usual (loud) suspects, but those who have grown in confidence by using it as an opportunity to progress.
You have to be leaner and faster and create more growth and profit.
Does this sound familiar?
Take heart, whatever level you are at in your organisation, there are practical things you can do to survive the inevitable changes that are on their way.
FOR LEADERS
If you have just been given the task of leading change in your organisation, your first task should be to create a vision for the first 100 days.
This needs to be something that you can articulate in one sentence, explaining what your organisation will become and by when.
One question you must ask is whether your new vision statement inspires you. If it does not, it will not inspire anyone else.
Change is emotional, and people will respond to it differently at different stages.
Start by getting connected within your organisation. Mobilise your staff, remove barriers, see through the politics and bring the vision to life.
Placing a high value on innovation will be vital in creating solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems — something that can be done only in a climate of trust, collaboration and creativity.
Expect people to push back — either by blatantly refusing to cooperate or, perhaps, by agreeing to something but never quite finding the time to follow it through.
It could be useful to identify people who really support the change and give them positions of influence.
Likewise, you have to identify the most influential resistors to find out why they are against the change, and work out how to win them over.
You should create your vision with your management team, communicate it to everyone and then set up small teams throughout the organisation to work on specific problem areas.
Small teams visibly working on change projects will be noticed quickly, which will help to build the momentum you need, particularly if you have a well-structured internal communications system in place.
FOR FOLLOWERS
If you are not in a leadership role, you will be able to see something big coming down the line towards you.
The best place to start is to always seek accurate information. Talk to your line manager and find out when the next communication event is scheduled.
Sort out the myths from the facts, and avoid “emotional vampires” who will suck you dry of energy by telling you why this is wrong for you, the organisation and business in general.
Get involved. Typically, any organisation going through a big change will expect to lose some of its workforce because these workers do not fit in with the new vision.
Do not be among those just because you have not bothered to find out how to make it work for you.
To deal with change with as little pain as possible, you will need to work fast, stay focused, be flexible, cope with the demands of ambiguity and take control of your own destiny.
The people who survive change will be those who embrace it, taking the lead and taking others with them so that the whole organisation is moving in the same direction.
TEN COMMON PITFALLS TO AVOID
1 Not communicating the hard messages — for example, potential job cuts. People will think that redundancies are coming any way and blow the issue out of proportion.
2 Not ensuring that every member of the leadership team is “on message”. Slightest variations in the information communicated will be picked up and spread around the company.
3 Pushing the change down from the top, rather than involving people from the bottom up too. If they are not engaged and do not see any benefits for them, change is unlikely to happen.
4 Failing to provide space and support for people to think through the personal implications of change. The key to success is understanding “what’s in it for me”.
5 Ignoring or fighting “troublemakers”. These are often crucial individuals, and if you can win them over by responding to them effectively, they can become your most powerful allies.
6 Not reviewing your progress regularly. You will not be able to correct your course if you plough on regardless.
7 Focusing on the rational at the expense of the emotional and political — that is, proceeding with no understanding of what people feel. If you do this, the change will not stick.
8 Focusing on the emotional and political at the expense of the rational. As with all things in life, there needs to be a balance.
9 Thinking “it won’t happen to me”. Ignore the change and it won’t go away, but you might get sidelined as a result.
10 Going along with the most vocal group. Often, those who make an impact through the change process are not the usual (loud) suspects, but those who have grown in confidence by using it as an opportunity to progress.
Excellence Combined With Integrity
How to set standards for excellence and back them with total integrity.
A Commitment to Excellence
Leaders have specific responsibilities and must fulfill certain requirements. One requirement of leadership is the ability to choose an area of excellence. Just as a good general chooses the terrain on which to do battle, an excellent leader chooses the area in which he and others are going to do an outstanding job. The commitment to excellence is one of the most powerful of all motivators. All leaders who change people and organizations are enthusiastic about achieving excellence in a particular area.
Be the Best!
The most motivational vision you can have for yourself and others is to "Be the best!" Many people don't yet realize that excellent performance in serving other people is an absolute, basic essential for survival in the economy of the future. Many individuals and companies still adhere to the idea that as long as they are no worse than anyone else, they can remain in business. That is just plain silly! It is prehistoric thinking. We are now in the age of excellence. Customers assume that they will get excellent quality, and if they don't, they will go to your competitors so fast, people's heads will spin.
Have A Vision of High Standards
As a leader, your job is to be excellent at what you do, to be the best in your chosen field of endeavor. Your job is to have a vision of high standards in serving people. You not only exemplify excellence in your own behavior, but you also translate it to others so that they, too, become committed to this vision.
This is the key to servant leadership. It is the commitment to doing work of the highest quality in the service of other people, both inside and outside the organization. Leadership today requires an equal focus on the people who must do the job, on the one hand, and the people who are expected to benefit from the job, on the other
The Most Respected Quality
The second quality, which is perhaps the single most respected quality of leaders, is integrity. Integrity is complete, unflinching honesty with regard to everything that you say and do. Integrity underlies all the other qualities. Your measure of integrity is determined by how honest you are in the critical areas of your life.
Integrity means this: When someone asks you at the end of the day, "Did you do your very best?" you can look him in the eye and say, "Yes!" Integrity means this: When someone asks you if you could have done it better, you can honestly say, "No, I did everything I possibly could."
Integrity means that you, as a leader, admit your shortcomings. It means that you work to develop your strengths and compensate for your weaknesses. Integrity means that you tell the truth, and that you live the truth in everything that you do and in all your relationships. Integrity means that you deal straightforwardly with people and situations and that you do not compromise what you believe to be true.
Action Exercises
Now, here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.
First, identify the area of your work where excellent performance can contribute the very most to productivity and profits. Focus all your efforts in this area.
Second, do your very best on every task. Imagine that everyone is watching even when no one is watching. Imagine that everyone in your company was going to do their work exactly the way you do yours.
Never compromise your standards!
A Commitment to Excellence
Leaders have specific responsibilities and must fulfill certain requirements. One requirement of leadership is the ability to choose an area of excellence. Just as a good general chooses the terrain on which to do battle, an excellent leader chooses the area in which he and others are going to do an outstanding job. The commitment to excellence is one of the most powerful of all motivators. All leaders who change people and organizations are enthusiastic about achieving excellence in a particular area.
Be the Best!
The most motivational vision you can have for yourself and others is to "Be the best!" Many people don't yet realize that excellent performance in serving other people is an absolute, basic essential for survival in the economy of the future. Many individuals and companies still adhere to the idea that as long as they are no worse than anyone else, they can remain in business. That is just plain silly! It is prehistoric thinking. We are now in the age of excellence. Customers assume that they will get excellent quality, and if they don't, they will go to your competitors so fast, people's heads will spin.
Have A Vision of High Standards
As a leader, your job is to be excellent at what you do, to be the best in your chosen field of endeavor. Your job is to have a vision of high standards in serving people. You not only exemplify excellence in your own behavior, but you also translate it to others so that they, too, become committed to this vision.
This is the key to servant leadership. It is the commitment to doing work of the highest quality in the service of other people, both inside and outside the organization. Leadership today requires an equal focus on the people who must do the job, on the one hand, and the people who are expected to benefit from the job, on the other
The Most Respected Quality
The second quality, which is perhaps the single most respected quality of leaders, is integrity. Integrity is complete, unflinching honesty with regard to everything that you say and do. Integrity underlies all the other qualities. Your measure of integrity is determined by how honest you are in the critical areas of your life.
Integrity means this: When someone asks you at the end of the day, "Did you do your very best?" you can look him in the eye and say, "Yes!" Integrity means this: When someone asks you if you could have done it better, you can honestly say, "No, I did everything I possibly could."
Integrity means that you, as a leader, admit your shortcomings. It means that you work to develop your strengths and compensate for your weaknesses. Integrity means that you tell the truth, and that you live the truth in everything that you do and in all your relationships. Integrity means that you deal straightforwardly with people and situations and that you do not compromise what you believe to be true.
Action Exercises
Now, here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.
First, identify the area of your work where excellent performance can contribute the very most to productivity and profits. Focus all your efforts in this area.
Second, do your very best on every task. Imagine that everyone is watching even when no one is watching. Imagine that everyone in your company was going to do their work exactly the way you do yours.
Never compromise your standards!
The Causes of Money
Never Worry About Money Again
You must aim to reach the point where you have enough money so that you never have to worry about money again. The good news is that financial independence is easier to achieve today than it has ever been before. We live in the richest country at the richest time in all of human history. We are surrounded by more wealth and affluence than ever before. Your job is to get your fair share.
Financial Success Is Not An Accident
The Law of Cause and Effect applies to money as much as to any other subject. This law says that financial success is an effect. As such, it proceeds from certain, specific causes. When you identify these causes and implement them in your own life and activities, you will get the same effects that hundreds of thousands, and even millions of others have gotten. You can achieve whatever level of affluence you really want if you will just do what others have done before you to achieve the same results. And if you don't, you won't. It is as simple as that.
Your Beliefs Determine Your Success
There is perhaps no other area where universal laws are more in evidence than in the acquiring and keeping of money. In America today, there are several million men and women who have started with nothing, or deeply in debt, and achieved financial independence. Their attitudes and behaviors have been studied in great depth. We now know the keys to wealth creation better than ever before. And what we know is that your most cherished beliefs on the subject of money will be the primary determinants of how much you acquire and how much you keep over the course of your working lifetime.
Your Primary Aim in Life
Your primary aim in life should be the achievement of your own happiness. However, happiness is something that exists naturally in the absence of fears, doubts and negative emotions. One of the factors that most deprives you of happiness is worry about money. And, by the way, when we talk about money worries, we're not referring to your having too much. The problem is virtually always that people feel that they have too little money and their lives are suffering as a result.
Build a Financial Fortress
Perhaps the greatest single fear, the one that causes you more distress and unhappiness than anything else, is the fear of failure. In the area of money, you experience this as the fear of poverty and the fear of loss. Since one of the deepest needs of human nature is security, any threat to your security, real or imaginary, can cause you tremendous stress.
You can only free yourself from the fears of poverty and failure by achieving a specific level of financial worth and then by building a fortress around it so that you are safe and impregnable. This achievement of financial independence is a key responsibility of adult life. No one else will do it for you.
Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to implement the Law of Cause and Effect in your financial life:
First, begin today to implement the causes of financial success in our society. This requires that you spend less, save more, invest carefully and strive toward financial independence.
Second, study other people who are financially successful who have started from little or nothing. Find out what they did to become financially independent and discipline yourself to do the same things.
You must aim to reach the point where you have enough money so that you never have to worry about money again. The good news is that financial independence is easier to achieve today than it has ever been before. We live in the richest country at the richest time in all of human history. We are surrounded by more wealth and affluence than ever before. Your job is to get your fair share.
Financial Success Is Not An Accident
The Law of Cause and Effect applies to money as much as to any other subject. This law says that financial success is an effect. As such, it proceeds from certain, specific causes. When you identify these causes and implement them in your own life and activities, you will get the same effects that hundreds of thousands, and even millions of others have gotten. You can achieve whatever level of affluence you really want if you will just do what others have done before you to achieve the same results. And if you don't, you won't. It is as simple as that.
Your Beliefs Determine Your Success
There is perhaps no other area where universal laws are more in evidence than in the acquiring and keeping of money. In America today, there are several million men and women who have started with nothing, or deeply in debt, and achieved financial independence. Their attitudes and behaviors have been studied in great depth. We now know the keys to wealth creation better than ever before. And what we know is that your most cherished beliefs on the subject of money will be the primary determinants of how much you acquire and how much you keep over the course of your working lifetime.
Your Primary Aim in Life
Your primary aim in life should be the achievement of your own happiness. However, happiness is something that exists naturally in the absence of fears, doubts and negative emotions. One of the factors that most deprives you of happiness is worry about money. And, by the way, when we talk about money worries, we're not referring to your having too much. The problem is virtually always that people feel that they have too little money and their lives are suffering as a result.
Build a Financial Fortress
Perhaps the greatest single fear, the one that causes you more distress and unhappiness than anything else, is the fear of failure. In the area of money, you experience this as the fear of poverty and the fear of loss. Since one of the deepest needs of human nature is security, any threat to your security, real or imaginary, can cause you tremendous stress.
You can only free yourself from the fears of poverty and failure by achieving a specific level of financial worth and then by building a fortress around it so that you are safe and impregnable. This achievement of financial independence is a key responsibility of adult life. No one else will do it for you.
Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to implement the Law of Cause and Effect in your financial life:
First, begin today to implement the causes of financial success in our society. This requires that you spend less, save more, invest carefully and strive toward financial independence.
Second, study other people who are financially successful who have started from little or nothing. Find out what they did to become financially independent and discipline yourself to do the same things.
The Key to Motivation
Your Real Goal
Your goal is to become a transformational leader, the kind of person that motivates and inspires people to perform at levels far beyond anything that they had previously thought possible.
Keep People In the Know
Transformational leaders empower others by keeping them "in the know," by keeping them fully informed on everything that effects their jobs. People want and need to feel that they are "insiders," that they are aware of everything that is going on. There is nothing so demoralizing to a staff member than to be kept in the dark about their work and what is going on in the company.
Give Regular Feedback
One empowering behavior practiced by transformational leaders is regular feedback on performance and results. People need to know how they're doing so they can improve if performance is below standards and so that they can be proud of their successes. The more feedback you give to people, the better it is, as long as the feedback is objective and not critical. My friend, Ken Blanchard, says that, "Positive feedback is the breakfast of champions."
Be Generous With Praise
Be generous with your praise and encouragement. Remember, people are the only asset that can be made to appreciate in value by giving them warmth, respect, approval and by creating a climate of positive expectations.
Create An Exciting Future
What companies and countries and institutions need today are courageous visionary leaders who are committed to creating an exciting future for themselves and others. You have within yourself the ability to evolve and grow as a leader and to make a real difference in the world around you. And the one thing you can know for sure about yourself is that, no matter what you've accomplished up to now, there is far more that you can do.
As you practice the behaviors of effective leaders, you will grow more and more toward the realization of your full potential. It's completely up to you.
Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action in your work.
First, hold regular meetings with your staff and tell them everything that is going on. Invite their comments, questions and concerns. Make everybody feel as if he or she was an insider in the organization.
Second, continually look for opportunities to give positive feedback, praise and encouragement. People need praise and encouragement like roses need rain and sunshine. Take every opportunity to make people feel better about themselves and their work.
Your goal is to become a transformational leader, the kind of person that motivates and inspires people to perform at levels far beyond anything that they had previously thought possible.
Keep People In the Know
Transformational leaders empower others by keeping them "in the know," by keeping them fully informed on everything that effects their jobs. People want and need to feel that they are "insiders," that they are aware of everything that is going on. There is nothing so demoralizing to a staff member than to be kept in the dark about their work and what is going on in the company.
Give Regular Feedback
One empowering behavior practiced by transformational leaders is regular feedback on performance and results. People need to know how they're doing so they can improve if performance is below standards and so that they can be proud of their successes. The more feedback you give to people, the better it is, as long as the feedback is objective and not critical. My friend, Ken Blanchard, says that, "Positive feedback is the breakfast of champions."
Be Generous With Praise
Be generous with your praise and encouragement. Remember, people are the only asset that can be made to appreciate in value by giving them warmth, respect, approval and by creating a climate of positive expectations.
Create An Exciting Future
What companies and countries and institutions need today are courageous visionary leaders who are committed to creating an exciting future for themselves and others. You have within yourself the ability to evolve and grow as a leader and to make a real difference in the world around you. And the one thing you can know for sure about yourself is that, no matter what you've accomplished up to now, there is far more that you can do.
As you practice the behaviors of effective leaders, you will grow more and more toward the realization of your full potential. It's completely up to you.
Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action in your work.
First, hold regular meetings with your staff and tell them everything that is going on. Invite their comments, questions and concerns. Make everybody feel as if he or she was an insider in the organization.
Second, continually look for opportunities to give positive feedback, praise and encouragement. People need praise and encouragement like roses need rain and sunshine. Take every opportunity to make people feel better about themselves and their work.
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