Do Business Well

Going to a workshop may seem attractive. Yes, you can pick up some skills. But it’s difficult to transfer these skills to your work environment. The so-called university model of training (sending employees to outside educational institutions) has proven relatively ineffective. On the average, you can expect to see the transfer of no more than 5 to 20 percent of the desired skills two years after the training program. 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.

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Sometimes, you have to be a clown

Sometimes, it pays to be a clown. It pays to do things that make your people and your customers laugh. Remember the power of the Court Jester: in the Middle Ages, the jester was the second most powerful person in the kingdom after the king because he made people laugh while he was telling the truth. If you truly want to capture the attention of others, make sure you amuse and entertain them. But do it in a way that is respectful and appropriate.

This point is especially appropriate to those people who have a great sense of humour. If you have this skill, use it to its maximum. If you haven’t, try to develop it. But don’t force it. Continue Reading »

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Your new assignment may sound like a “mission impossible”:

• You’ve been chosen to direct an important new company project, which involves putting together a group comprised of both new and experienced employees.
• You’re the manager who has been brought in after a takeover and asked to shape up a department.
• You’ve survived a merger or reorganization, but your new job— streamlining the department you’ve been managing—may prove to be an even bigger challenge.

Naturally, you’ll feel anxious about building a new staff or department. To proceed with fewer problems, keep your mission in mind and follow these three steps: Continue Reading »

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