Do Business Well

MYTH #2: “SOME ROLES ARE SO EASY, THEY DON’T REQUIRE TALENT”

The famous management theorist Oscar Wilde once said:

“A truth ceases to be a truth as soon as two people perceive it.”

All right, so Mr. Wilde was better known for his wit than for his management advice; nonetheless, every manager should be required to remember this one remark. Although he phrased it in the extreme, Mr. Wilde simply meant that the only truth is your own. The world you see is seen by you alone. What entices you and what repels you, what strengthens you and what weakens you, is part of a pattern that no one else shares. Therefore, as Mr. Wilde said, no two people can perceive the same “truth,” because each person’s perspective is different. Continue Reading »

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It’s almost Meeting Failure-Proof

Keep in mind that most meetings aren’t very effective as they are now run. When you get a chance to facilitate or record, it will be because your group has agreed that it is worth trying something new. You are probably going to look good no matter what you do. The mere presence of a facilitator, recorder, and group memory will do wonders. Even if you think you have done a lousy job, your group may well be impressed just because it will all be so new. Explain that you are learning and will make mistakes. Ask people to help you stay in your role and remain neutral. You are there to help them. It’s their meeting and they share the responsibility for making it a success. Continue Reading »

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A recent survey by the psychology department at Swansea University found that the major difficulty experienced by people who had just started working from home was the inability to separate their work and home life. That was not just because they themselves found it hard, but because family and friends found it equally hard to accept that the person who was previously ‘mum’ or ‘dad’ at home was now also a worker. ‘They found it very difficult to accept the change in roles,’ says Professor Osborne. ‘It was hard for partners and kids to comprehend that the person who had previously been available when at home, no longer was, and that they had a new role inside the home.’ Continue Reading »

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How often do you …

• Dawdle before work, causing frequent lateness?
• Forget things?
• Fidget around losing productive work time?
• Misunderstand instructions?
• Take extended coffee breaks?
• Get major assignments and projects in late?
• Feel at odds with your boss?
• Feel alienated from your workmates?
• Take sick leave when you are feeling ‘just a bit off’?
• Daydream about being elsewhere than at work?

The items above suggest a common picture—the non-productive worker. Of course, we all have bad days and even the occasional disastrous period, but if non-productive events crop up regularly in your day-to-day work, then you should do something about them. If you don’t, your boss might. Continue Reading »

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Personal needs at work

• Do you prefer to work in a small business, a large organisation, or on your own?
• Do you enjoy initiating new developments and seeing them fulfilled in your work?
• How important are workplace friendships? Do you rely upon these daily contacts to provide interest and stimulation to your work day?
• Are you competitive? Do you like pushing yourself and comparing your achievements with others?
• Are you a creative person who needs to express yourself frequently in your work?
• Do you see yourself as a leader? Do you enjoy exercising control over your situation at work and delegating responsibilities to others?
• What sorts of rewards are important to you? High salary; status in the job title; fringe benefits (car, expenses); long-term security etc.
• How willing are you to take risks, to try even though you know there is a considerable chance of failure?
• Do you prefer to work: inside or outside; with people, ideas, or equipment?

Continue Reading »

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While jobs vary in work tasks and objectives, there are some general and basic procedures which can be implemented to enhance worker productivity.

• Work to a daily plan.
• Look for ways in which you can productively use previously unused time.
• Start a follow-up file to periodically contact people who are important to your work. Be certain to record background information, special events and possibly even important birthdays on your file cards.
• Practise placing yourself in the shoes of the people you deal with and see yourself from their perspective. Can you approach them more positively? Can you make them feel more positive in their relationship with you?
• Talk with experienced people in your field of work and try the strategies they used to increase their productivity.
• Update your job skills.

Continue Reading »

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One of the most traumatic experiences for any worker is to get dismissed. No matter how gently the news might be given, losing one’s job is still a major loss experience. If your work has not been satisfactory and you have had at least one warning meeting with your boss, then the dismissal message might not be a surprise. However, the news is seldom cheerfully received.

The immediate emotional response to being dismissed might be any of the following: anger; numbness; denial; or perhaps even apathy. Whatever your response, you will want to summon your practical senses. Continue Reading »

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Who are your subordinates? Your co-workers of yesterday. They are likely to find your changed position an adjustment too. They may show approval and pride, or resentment and scepticism.

But whichever way you look at it, sound relationships with all your subordinates are essential if you are to get your new job done. They, in turn, are dependent on you to satisfy their needs and to help them grow.

Here are some strategies to build a winning team from the start:

Get to know your team

Get to know your team members, their strengths and their weaknesses. Spend time individually with the people who work for you. Ask them about their jobs. Get them to show you what they do. Find out what motivates them. Continue Reading »

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It can happen anytime. You get up in the morning and the prospect of going to the office doesn’t stir your juices. Sometimes it occurs because of a specific issue or job that must be handled that day. Other times, it may be the weather, the business climate, or a simple matter of body chemistry being out of whack. These problems are generally short-lived, and don’t require much in the way of remedial action.

However, there are instances where the problems are more deep-seated. Possibly you don’t feel like going to work almost all the time. You’ve concluded that your feelings aren’t related to the type of work you’ve chosen. You’ve also ruled out other aspects of your life such as marital problems or a general emotional disorder. Continue Reading »

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In 1950, W. Edwards Deming was invited to Japan to help bring Japanese industry back to its feet. Although his management methods revolutionized Japanese quality and productivity, he did not gain full recognition in the United States until recently. One of the tenets of his philosophy is that workers who are prone to be fearful and anxious cannot perform effectively.

Many employees operate in a climate of fear. The result is stress, low productivity, medical and personal problems. In the absence of actual physical danger, what are employees afraid of?

Fear generally comes out of a feeling of powerlessness. Someone (the boss) or something (the organization) has control over crucial aspects of a person’s life. Uncertain job security, performance appraisals, loss of status, failure to meet goals—all of these contribute to an employee’s malaise. Continue Reading »

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