Is monotony tampering your efficiency? Are you bored of the daily rigmarole of work? There are different ways in which you break free from the monotony blues and move ahead in your career. Yes, monotony at work indicates the chances of progress in your career. It depends on your interpretation of monotony. There are people who find their jobs monotonous due to the lack of passion towards their work. If you are good at your work and respect your company, and yet feel that your job is monotonous, here are different ways in which you can solve your problem. However, if you are not interested in your job, it is time for you to switch careers.
Excel in whatever you do. Begin by mastering the nuances of your job. Learn all the tricks of the trade and come up with interesting ways to excel in your work. Experienced people often discover tricks and tips to do things faster with increased efficiency. Focus on the quality of your work while you experiment with your work. Beware of the quantity trap that might trouble you later.
Help others and learn more. It is not just through work that you gain. There are many other aspects that you hardly notice. You need to help others while they are working. Thus, you can come across the mistakes that they commit and find ways to solve such problems. You tend to learn more by sharing your knowledge and experience with others.
Build in the competitive spirit. Compete with your peers and put your best foot forward to excel in the competition. Vie with your peers to outperform them. Learn the rules of competition and help your peers also move ahead by sharing your secrets of success. You will prove to be a leader as your peers are inspired by your approach and this gives you an edge over your colleagues.
Think out of the box. Let your creative juices flow. Brainstorm frequently with your colleagues to invent creative ways to increase the efficiency of your work. Think creatively to come up with better ideas that can increase customer satisfaction. Learn the goals of the team and the organization. Harness your creativity in this direction and your career will automatically progress.
Develop cycles of work and rest. Remember the human mind also need some rest. Plan your routine well in advance to include cycles of work and rest. Straining your senses might also pose a problem in the near future. Schedule your work effectively with adequate focus on stress relief. An increase in stress might lead to burn-out.
Focus on priorities and prepare to advance. Most experienced people fail to reach their goals just because they are poor when it comes to basics such as prioritizing things. If you are unable to focus on priorities, you are at a loss. Look at the consequences of various activities that you need to perform. Activities that have a long-term influence and activities that can save your day should come first in your list of priorities.
Seek additional responsibility. Volunteer to train any new colleagues or seek the permission of your team leader to conduct interviews for college graduates aspiring to join your organization. Likewise, you can help your team leader in preparing the weekly and monthly reports. Schedule your work and your peers work so that there is little pressure on your team leader. You can also interact with customers frequently to find ways that can improve your efficiency.
Master the allied fields. Each field has its own allied fields. If you are a programmer, it always helps to learn the various testing procedures and quality methods followed by your company. You can learn more about project management from you superior or other experts. If you are a content writer, you can learn the basics of allied fields such as technical writing and instructional design.
Link to my original article at Associated Content
Combating Job Monotony Blues
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Listening is a virtue
Listening is an art; listening is a craft; listening is a virtue in itself. It has become a rare commodity these days. People with good listening skills are revered everywhere. Gone are the days when experts suggest us to concentrate on oratorical abilities. It is high time most of us realize the importance of silence and communicate more than through just words. Ignore the body language part of communication. Young executives are trained extensively to develop a business oriented and professional body language, that it seems everything is programmed. Silence is the only natural language that conveys more. The significance of silence lies more in absorbing the required information than conveying. To be successful in any business or excel in any workplace, you need to be a good listener. We have enormous literature explaining the traits of a good listener. It is not worth our while to discuss the same here. Indeed, it would be of no use to even list the advantages of being a good listener. We are here to just understand the difference in life that can be achieved by mastering these listening skills.
Yes, listening skills have become an important skill set that cannot be taught anywhere. Patience and perseverance are very necessary to become a good listener. Imagine an angry manager shouting at you. Most of us tend to prepare our statements even before he completes his discourse. We tend to close our ears to what he says as soon as we sense an imminent danger in his demeanor. It is a grave mistake that can rob many chances to prove ourselves. All we need to do through listening is understand and appreciate the concerns of the other person. The moment we get into the shoes of the other person, we tend to get a clear picture of the situation. Instead, if we also set out to losing our temper, there is very little that we can achieve. We can never reach the neutral point of view. The day we reach this point of view with regard to problems and situations, we will become excellent problem solvers.
Yes, problem solving is achieved only when there is an unbiased outlook towards a problem. Perhaps, such an outlook concentrates more on the solution than the problem. If we are busy delving into the intricacies of the problem and its consequences, we get little time to consider the various opportunities and threats that lie ahead for us. There is a hazy picture of the problem. Instead of arriving at conclusions while the other person is speaking, listen to him until he completes delivering his statement. Most interpersonal and relationship problems get solved the moment we allow the other person to vent his anger to the maximum. With a balanced approach, we need to ensure that none of us ends up losing. We can never create a win-win situation if we become defensive in our approach.
Understand that you need not completely accept with what the other person speaks. All you need is to give a hearing to the speaker and understand his point of view. You need to later get into third party view and analyze the problem from three different angles to arrive at unbiased perception of the problem. This helps reach healthy conclusions for one and all. You can later put across the points effectively and even the other party would be more than willing to listen to you as you have done. The healthier chemistry solves interpersonal problems immediately and paves the way to solve other existing problems.
Remember actions speak better than words. You can convey a lot with your actions than mere words that add to the confrontation. Learn to solve problems with consultation rather than confrontation. People will say that you are more amicable and approachable if you just listen to their woes. Managers who fail to understand this basic virtue find it very difficult to communicate to their subordinates. As you move up the corporate ladder, the significance of listening increases because you need to address the issues of a good number of stakeholders.
Yes, listening skills have become an important skill set that cannot be taught anywhere. Patience and perseverance are very necessary to become a good listener. Imagine an angry manager shouting at you. Most of us tend to prepare our statements even before he completes his discourse. We tend to close our ears to what he says as soon as we sense an imminent danger in his demeanor. It is a grave mistake that can rob many chances to prove ourselves. All we need to do through listening is understand and appreciate the concerns of the other person. The moment we get into the shoes of the other person, we tend to get a clear picture of the situation. Instead, if we also set out to losing our temper, there is very little that we can achieve. We can never reach the neutral point of view. The day we reach this point of view with regard to problems and situations, we will become excellent problem solvers.
Yes, problem solving is achieved only when there is an unbiased outlook towards a problem. Perhaps, such an outlook concentrates more on the solution than the problem. If we are busy delving into the intricacies of the problem and its consequences, we get little time to consider the various opportunities and threats that lie ahead for us. There is a hazy picture of the problem. Instead of arriving at conclusions while the other person is speaking, listen to him until he completes delivering his statement. Most interpersonal and relationship problems get solved the moment we allow the other person to vent his anger to the maximum. With a balanced approach, we need to ensure that none of us ends up losing. We can never create a win-win situation if we become defensive in our approach.
Understand that you need not completely accept with what the other person speaks. All you need is to give a hearing to the speaker and understand his point of view. You need to later get into third party view and analyze the problem from three different angles to arrive at unbiased perception of the problem. This helps reach healthy conclusions for one and all. You can later put across the points effectively and even the other party would be more than willing to listen to you as you have done. The healthier chemistry solves interpersonal problems immediately and paves the way to solve other existing problems.
Remember actions speak better than words. You can convey a lot with your actions than mere words that add to the confrontation. Learn to solve problems with consultation rather than confrontation. People will say that you are more amicable and approachable if you just listen to their woes. Managers who fail to understand this basic virtue find it very difficult to communicate to their subordinates. As you move up the corporate ladder, the significance of listening increases because you need to address the issues of a good number of stakeholders.
Clarity and chaos in communication
Are you worried about your communication style? Efficient and effective communicators heed to one single aspect of communication – Clarity. Even though some people suggest putting across your point in a complex fashion for the sophisticated audience, it is always advised to avoid chaos and prefer to present your message in a clear way. You should initially have the clarity about the message that you wish to communicate. Here are some ways in which you can communicate with clarity.
Clarity saves time and money.
Try the approach of clarity. As you try to complicate things in your communication, you often spend time explaining concepts that are no way related to the intended message. It is always better to be clear and thereby save your time and money.
Choose chaos only in few situations.
Experts suggest choosing chaos over clarity only in some situations. The best example of such a situation would be when you would like to advertise your product, where you can first complicate and then simplify things. Even this strategy does not approve to most of the products. It applies only to products that are sophisticated and that are aimed at niche customers.
Keep it short and simple.
You need to realize the fact that the human mind is able to register anything that is short and simple. Perhaps, this can be owed to the short-term memory, which can store only 7 plus or minus two things at a single moment. Psychological experts also insist on keeping things simple.
Focus on the message, not on the style.
It is the message that is the lifeline and you need not focus more on the style. Such a focus would often lead to confusion because you are completely diverted and sometimes the receiver of the message misunderstands the intended message. Hence, you have to focus on the message and slowly a style gets established on its own.
Even little messages require planning.
We often take it for granted that little messages require little attention and planning and go about without any planning. You need to understand the importance of planning as you try to communicate something to someone. Such a planning saves you from any last minute exigencies that might trouble you.
Presentation differs with audience.
Likewise, you need to present the same message in different ways to different receivers. There are many factors that you need to take into consideration here. It is the knowledge level of the listeners that also plays an important role here. Understand the perceptions of the audience if you can and it is a sure shot victory for you.
Seek adequate feedback.
You need to learn from your presentation and communication. Insist on getting feedback from the listeners and try to improve your communication each time you communicate with the audience. There are many aspects such as body language that we hardly get to notice and others can help us identify our faults and come up with interesting solutions. Each interaction is an experience. Let your experiences teach.
Establish your own communication style. Very soon, you will be able to establish your own communication style and there is so much that you gain by having a unique communication style. You might wonder how clarity is helpful for sophisticated audience. You need to observe the presentations of very successful people. You will notice the fact that most of the successful orators focus on simplicity. Begin today to establish your own communication style with clarity.
Clarity saves time and money.
Try the approach of clarity. As you try to complicate things in your communication, you often spend time explaining concepts that are no way related to the intended message. It is always better to be clear and thereby save your time and money.
Choose chaos only in few situations.
Experts suggest choosing chaos over clarity only in some situations. The best example of such a situation would be when you would like to advertise your product, where you can first complicate and then simplify things. Even this strategy does not approve to most of the products. It applies only to products that are sophisticated and that are aimed at niche customers.
Keep it short and simple.
You need to realize the fact that the human mind is able to register anything that is short and simple. Perhaps, this can be owed to the short-term memory, which can store only 7 plus or minus two things at a single moment. Psychological experts also insist on keeping things simple.
Focus on the message, not on the style.
It is the message that is the lifeline and you need not focus more on the style. Such a focus would often lead to confusion because you are completely diverted and sometimes the receiver of the message misunderstands the intended message. Hence, you have to focus on the message and slowly a style gets established on its own.
Even little messages require planning.
We often take it for granted that little messages require little attention and planning and go about without any planning. You need to understand the importance of planning as you try to communicate something to someone. Such a planning saves you from any last minute exigencies that might trouble you.
Presentation differs with audience.
Likewise, you need to present the same message in different ways to different receivers. There are many factors that you need to take into consideration here. It is the knowledge level of the listeners that also plays an important role here. Understand the perceptions of the audience if you can and it is a sure shot victory for you.
Seek adequate feedback.
You need to learn from your presentation and communication. Insist on getting feedback from the listeners and try to improve your communication each time you communicate with the audience. There are many aspects such as body language that we hardly get to notice and others can help us identify our faults and come up with interesting solutions. Each interaction is an experience. Let your experiences teach.
Establish your own communication style. Very soon, you will be able to establish your own communication style and there is so much that you gain by having a unique communication style. You might wonder how clarity is helpful for sophisticated audience. You need to observe the presentations of very successful people. You will notice the fact that most of the successful orators focus on simplicity. Begin today to establish your own communication style with clarity.
Patience at the workplace
Losing patience at the workplace is not advisable for new employees. Indeed, it is not the sole property of managers either. You need to appreciate the fact that new employees are expected to be energetic and enthusiastic. Losing patience stands in your way of going ahead in any race. Yet, there are some places where you need to express even negative feelings. Learning to say ‘No’ is also an art. Hence, it is a balancing act that needs some time and experience to master. Here are some ways in which you can handle such situations.
Learn the culture of the organization.
If your company presents a composed and comfortable disposition even during testing times, you need to reflect the same. You should fit into the style of the company. A single person cannot alter the culture of the company. You can learn a lot from the way your company responds to customers and employees. Likewise, your interaction with managers and other administrative staff gives you a clue of the common culture and demeanor.
Identify key people and observe their behaviors.
Apart from mere interaction with managers and bosses, you need to study their behaviors and reaction patterns to get a clear picture. Identify the key people. There are some people who might not occupy managerial positions but demand significant respect and attention from all the quarters. You need to get into the good books of all the key people to benefit in the long run. The way the key people react to testing situations also gives you a clue on whether to remain calm or react immediately. However, an aggressive disposure is unwelcome in any organization with any kind of culture.
Appreciate the gravity of the situation.
If you seem to lose patience, try to understand if the outcome is significant or not. You need to understand the nuances of various situations to judge the outcomes. Even though it takes some time to come to terms with such situations, you can gain and learn a lot through other's experiences. Keep asking questions to managers and senior employees. Ask intelligently and refrain from pestering people to gain knowledge.
Formulate an appropriate reaction pattern.
As you identify the culture and the behaviors of the key people of the organization, you can easily frame your own reaction pattern. Do not try to be what you are not. With a little amount of flexibility, try to alter your existing style to suit with the various organizational factors. Focus on the various circles of influence and try to make the best use of situation and work effectively to move up the corporate ladder.
Test your reaction patterns and behaviors with peers.
Experiment with your peers and ask for feedback. Learn from the various outcomes and link your behavior with the right attitudes. Foster better relations with all the employees and try to remain patient most of the times. This adds more friends to your existing list of friends. Look ahead into the future and alter your personality style accordingly. There are many lessons that each employee learns in each job in every company. Employees who switch careers also get to learn while challenging themselves to the change in cultures and working styles of different companies.
Even though it is not advised to lose your calm in most of the situations, it is better to learn about situations where you need to be assertive to get the work done. Understand the difference between being assertive and aggressive. If you are being too submissive most of the time, you will lose control of the things that you need to perform.
Learn the culture of the organization.
If your company presents a composed and comfortable disposition even during testing times, you need to reflect the same. You should fit into the style of the company. A single person cannot alter the culture of the company. You can learn a lot from the way your company responds to customers and employees. Likewise, your interaction with managers and other administrative staff gives you a clue of the common culture and demeanor.
Identify key people and observe their behaviors.
Apart from mere interaction with managers and bosses, you need to study their behaviors and reaction patterns to get a clear picture. Identify the key people. There are some people who might not occupy managerial positions but demand significant respect and attention from all the quarters. You need to get into the good books of all the key people to benefit in the long run. The way the key people react to testing situations also gives you a clue on whether to remain calm or react immediately. However, an aggressive disposure is unwelcome in any organization with any kind of culture.
Appreciate the gravity of the situation.
If you seem to lose patience, try to understand if the outcome is significant or not. You need to understand the nuances of various situations to judge the outcomes. Even though it takes some time to come to terms with such situations, you can gain and learn a lot through other's experiences. Keep asking questions to managers and senior employees. Ask intelligently and refrain from pestering people to gain knowledge.
Formulate an appropriate reaction pattern.
As you identify the culture and the behaviors of the key people of the organization, you can easily frame your own reaction pattern. Do not try to be what you are not. With a little amount of flexibility, try to alter your existing style to suit with the various organizational factors. Focus on the various circles of influence and try to make the best use of situation and work effectively to move up the corporate ladder.
Test your reaction patterns and behaviors with peers.
Experiment with your peers and ask for feedback. Learn from the various outcomes and link your behavior with the right attitudes. Foster better relations with all the employees and try to remain patient most of the times. This adds more friends to your existing list of friends. Look ahead into the future and alter your personality style accordingly. There are many lessons that each employee learns in each job in every company. Employees who switch careers also get to learn while challenging themselves to the change in cultures and working styles of different companies.
Even though it is not advised to lose your calm in most of the situations, it is better to learn about situations where you need to be assertive to get the work done. Understand the difference between being assertive and aggressive. If you are being too submissive most of the time, you will lose control of the things that you need to perform.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Articles published in The Hindu Opportunities
Here is the list of some of my articles published in The Hindu Opportunities.
Picture the Culture
http://www.hinduonnet.com/jobs/0602/2006021500380400.htm
Commandments to keep that nice job going
http://www.hinduonnet.com/jobs/0608/2006081600701000.htm
Complementary Conflicts
http://www.hinduonnet.com/jobs/0604/2006041900260400.htm
Working with difficult people
http://www.hinduonnet.com/jobs/0602/2006020100700900.htm
Working to Change
http://www.hinduonnet.com/jobs/0603/2006032900130200.htm
Clues to browbeat devious colleagues http://www.hinduonnet.com/jobs/0608/2006082300841300.htm
Mistakes organizations commit
http://www.hinduonnet.com/jobs/0604/2006041900560700.htm
Keep that office gossipmonger at bay http://www.hinduonnet.com/jobs/0609/2006092000821100.htm
Ends and Endeavors
http://www.hinduonnet.com/jobs/0606/2006062802170700.htm
10-point ponder list on why teams don't perform http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/jobs/0608/2006082300731200.htm
Unlisted rules for the exemplary corporate citizen http://www.hinduonnet.com/jobs/0701/2007011000230600.htm
Getting the ears of friends, peers or anyone http://www.hinduonnet.com/jobs/0610/2006101800550800.htm
Be a lark, cut boredom from your work http://www.hinduonnet.com/jobs/0610/2006101800711000.htm
Are you a managing manager?
http://www.hinduonnet.com/jobs/0609/2006092700781200.htm
Trying to be everything to everyone may lead you nowhere http://www.hinduonnet.com/jobs/0609/2006092700030100.htm
Picture the Culture
http://www.hinduonnet.com/jobs/0602/2006021500380400.htm
Commandments to keep that nice job going
http://www.hinduonnet.com/jobs/0608/2006081600701000.htm
Complementary Conflicts
http://www.hinduonnet.com/jobs/0604/2006041900260400.htm
Working with difficult people
http://www.hinduonnet.com/jobs/0602/2006020100700900.htm
Working to Change
http://www.hinduonnet.com/jobs/0603/2006032900130200.htm
Clues to browbeat devious colleagues http://www.hinduonnet.com/jobs/0608/2006082300841300.htm
Mistakes organizations commit
http://www.hinduonnet.com/jobs/0604/2006041900560700.htm
Keep that office gossipmonger at bay http://www.hinduonnet.com/jobs/0609/2006092000821100.htm
Ends and Endeavors
http://www.hinduonnet.com/jobs/0606/2006062802170700.htm
10-point ponder list on why teams don't perform http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/jobs/0608/2006082300731200.htm
Unlisted rules for the exemplary corporate citizen http://www.hinduonnet.com/jobs/0701/2007011000230600.htm
Getting the ears of friends, peers or anyone http://www.hinduonnet.com/jobs/0610/2006101800550800.htm
Be a lark, cut boredom from your work http://www.hinduonnet.com/jobs/0610/2006101800711000.htm
Are you a managing manager?
http://www.hinduonnet.com/jobs/0609/2006092700781200.htm
Trying to be everything to everyone may lead you nowhere http://www.hinduonnet.com/jobs/0609/2006092700030100.htm
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Structured Inductions Ensure Employee Commitment
Structured and well-planned orientation programs for employees ensure increased motivation, satisfaction, and engagement, according to research. There are some critical factors that have to be taken into consideration during planning induction programs.
When a group of employees are recruited as a team, it might be a problem if the employees are of different ages and from different culture. You need to prepare your orientation sessions in tune with these subtle nuances of each new employee. Similarly, some jobs might require people with different levels of experience joining together. You can have a separate induction process for employees on the basis of their experience. This might prove costly in most situations and hence you need to come up with ideas to make the induction process easier for everyone. Experienced managers adopt a down-to-earth approach while training to add to the comfort levels of people with different experience levels.
There are many advantages of a well structured induction process. Employees are more motivated as the first impression is the best impression. They would prefer to stick to the same organization as they were received well. They are more committed and dedicated in their approach towards work. They would not try to leave the organization at the very first chance. It is most unlikely that such employees would try for other opportunities until a few months pass by.
Employees tend to be pro-active in solving their problems and improving their work. A well-planned induction process results in better relations with the key people. So employees are confident enough to approach the right people and express their feedback during the initial days.
Steps to develop a solid socialization method
1. Identify the goals for employees. Managers often commit the mistake of underestimating the importance of induction and employee socialization. A mental image about the company starts developing from the very first day. Hence, there is an increased emphasis on improving the initial days and atmosphere.
2. Develop practices to achieve the desired results. Ensure that there is clarity in communication when employers want to develop practices to ascertain that employees reach their goals. It might even be necessary to communicate employee expectations during the induction stage itself. This develops clarity and employees will be proactive and geared to put in the best of their efforts.
3. Initiate a rapport of comfort with all the key persons. Employees do not work with HR managers throughout the year except if they belong to the same environment. Hence, it is necessary to initiate a rapport of comfort with the managers and supervisors. Employees respect the freedom and they also reflect it in the form of dedication and commitment.
4. Develop a sense of belonging from the very first day. Let employees understand the fact that they are a part of the organization from the very first day. Some employers consider new recruits as foreigners and treat them as special citizens. This is good unless employees feel isolated. This, in turn, begins a chain of defensive mechanisms and ultimately employee disengagement with the organization.
Poor socialization results in long-term repercussions such as high rates of staff turnover, low levels of productivity and negative attitudes among new employees. It is the duty of the manager to carry on the benefits of good socialization further ahead by his leadership abilities.
When a group of employees are recruited as a team, it might be a problem if the employees are of different ages and from different culture. You need to prepare your orientation sessions in tune with these subtle nuances of each new employee. Similarly, some jobs might require people with different levels of experience joining together. You can have a separate induction process for employees on the basis of their experience. This might prove costly in most situations and hence you need to come up with ideas to make the induction process easier for everyone. Experienced managers adopt a down-to-earth approach while training to add to the comfort levels of people with different experience levels.
There are many advantages of a well structured induction process. Employees are more motivated as the first impression is the best impression. They would prefer to stick to the same organization as they were received well. They are more committed and dedicated in their approach towards work. They would not try to leave the organization at the very first chance. It is most unlikely that such employees would try for other opportunities until a few months pass by.
Employees tend to be pro-active in solving their problems and improving their work. A well-planned induction process results in better relations with the key people. So employees are confident enough to approach the right people and express their feedback during the initial days.
Steps to develop a solid socialization method
1. Identify the goals for employees. Managers often commit the mistake of underestimating the importance of induction and employee socialization. A mental image about the company starts developing from the very first day. Hence, there is an increased emphasis on improving the initial days and atmosphere.
2. Develop practices to achieve the desired results. Ensure that there is clarity in communication when employers want to develop practices to ascertain that employees reach their goals. It might even be necessary to communicate employee expectations during the induction stage itself. This develops clarity and employees will be proactive and geared to put in the best of their efforts.
3. Initiate a rapport of comfort with all the key persons. Employees do not work with HR managers throughout the year except if they belong to the same environment. Hence, it is necessary to initiate a rapport of comfort with the managers and supervisors. Employees respect the freedom and they also reflect it in the form of dedication and commitment.
4. Develop a sense of belonging from the very first day. Let employees understand the fact that they are a part of the organization from the very first day. Some employers consider new recruits as foreigners and treat them as special citizens. This is good unless employees feel isolated. This, in turn, begins a chain of defensive mechanisms and ultimately employee disengagement with the organization.
Poor socialization results in long-term repercussions such as high rates of staff turnover, low levels of productivity and negative attitudes among new employees. It is the duty of the manager to carry on the benefits of good socialization further ahead by his leadership abilities.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Contingency Planning Prevents Disasters
Be prepared for the worst. Most of us have come across this principle and realized its importance only after facing the tough consequences of not being ready for contingencies. Planning is an important step in any type of management. As time flies by, none of us is sure of what happens in the near future. Trivial mistakes can cost us dear both in the short and long term. Hence it is always advisable to plan for contingencies.
Ignorance or indifference towards contingencies can prove harmful due to the following reasons.
- We are often at crossroads when something unexpected happens. We tend to waste time while trying to understand why a particular thing has happened. It is very late by the time we realize the importance of doing something to better the situation.
- Even if we try to do something, we often end up making wrong decisions. This is due to the lack of knowledge and analysis of the situation. Most situations can be expected, simulated and prevented just by applying a little amount of thought.
- Likewise, we tend to get disheartened at the slightest deviation in our plans. This negativity reflects in our further steps where fear and worry come to the fore. More mistakes might occur.
- While working in teams, the blame game begins as soon as there is a discrepancy in the execution of a task. This demoralizes the team members. Team cohesiveness also declines.
There are a few nuances of contingency planning that can help us prevent the big disasters.
- Add flexibility to your plans. This gives leeway to incorporate sudden action plans to deal with exigencies. The easiest way to add flexibility is to add more time to each activity that you plan to execute. If a particular activity takes fifteen minutes to complete, you can allot or assign thirty minutes to check it thoroughly and deal with any unexpected situations.
- Develop the habit of spontaneity. Artists are revered everywhere because of their spontaneity. Despite the fact that stage artists do a lot of preparation and rehearsals before the actual performance, they are always ready and active with spontaneity that helps them face any untoward challenges at the exact moment of truth.
- Foresee potential problems and come up with creative solutions. We often brand people who try to foresee problems as doomsayers, but fail to recognize that such an attitude just makes us prepared for the worst. Apply creativity to prepare solutions that help both in the short term and long term. Discuss with experience people in the field and use their advice as the basis to prepare your won creative solutions to problems.
- Never ignore the trivial aspects. As you begin executing your plans, it is essential to concentrate on each trivial aspect. Experts often state that trivial mistakes lead to dangerous consequences. Focus on these aspects while carefully executing the important tasks at hand.
- Ultimately, you need to remain calm and confident during the entire process of execution of your plans. If you lose heart at a minor deviation, it leads to many misconceptions that can entirely derail the execution process.
Experience helps you refine your planning process to include contingency measures on your lists. Managers and executives often learn it the hard way to be prepared for the worst. Therefore, begin today and plan for any contingencies that might occur in your way towards reaching goals.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Hone Your Decision Making Abilities
Skills are taught; abilities are mastered. Yes, you need to work hard to master the abilities. Decision making ability can only be learnt with experience. It takes a great amount of time before you are able to take better decisions. Learn from your mistakes. This is the best way to master the ability of decision making. Here are some other ways in which you can hone your decision making skills.
Simulate real-life situations and problems.
Either you have a resource crunch or lack access to the work that you like to learn. You can try to simulate real life situations and come up with your own solutions for the problems. The internet acts as a great database for most kinds of jobs where you can at least have a look at the case studies that relate to your field of operation. You can use these to gain a working experience. Virtual interviews are an example of such facilities available on the internet.
Understand and analyze the problem.
Good decision makers spend more time to understand the problem. As we all know, a problem understood is a problem half solved. Each person is unique with regard to perceptions and approaches to finding solutions to problems. Find your own way of understanding and analyzing the problem. Let not your perceptions make you misinterpret the problem and steer you in the wrong direction. Analyze in consultation with peers or experts to gain a better understanding of the problem at hand.
Break the problem into smaller problems.
However tough and testing a problem is, you can always solve it by breaking it into smaller chunks of problems. Find ways to break into smaller but interrelated problems and establish a link between the consequences that you would like to attach to each small problem. Once you break it, you can assess your strengths and weaknesses as you begin trying to make a decision. Understand where you lack and try to develop in that particular direction.
Identify the various alternatives available.
We are all in the habit of framing alternatives of which the consequences are favorable to us. We tend to limit our perceptions and analysis to things that benefit. Learn to look at both sides of the coin. Expect the unexpected and try to come up with alternatives that might even have unfavorable consequences. Identification becomes easier as you have a clear picture of what is good and bad for you in the near and long term.
Perform a feasibility study of each alternative.
Not all alternatives are feasible to you under all situations. As you try to expect the unexpected, there are many feasible alternatives that become impossible within a fortnight. Keep in mind the opportunities and threats of your environment as you try to conduct feasibility study of each alternative. Spending too much time to assess the alternatives might also be risky. Use your own judgment to avoid delay in taking a decision.
Seek the advice of managers or experts in the field.
Managers and experts are always available to help you. Make the most advantage of their experience. The advent of forums and mailing lists on the internet has helped many amateurs to get in touch with veterans and learn the nuances of any topic and carry off their work with ease. Develop better relations with your manager by seeking his help wherever necessary. The manager appreciates the fact that you always like to learn more and that you respect his knowledge.
Brainstorm with peers and subordinates.
The other way is to brainstorm with your peers or subordinates. It is a win-win affair as you increase their knowledge and you can come up with an immediate solution to your problem. Always prefer a safe decision when you take it with your peers or subordinates.
Document your progress in understanding the various problems.
As you follow different approaches to solve problem and make your decisions, you learn more. Document your progress during the initial days and your mind automatically registers the information within a few days. This helps as a reference when you encounter similar problems. You need not follow the entire process again.
Experiment by applying your creativity.
Let your creative juices flow throughout the year and you will soon be amazed at your decision making abilities. Creativity is innate and it surely helps you to come up with creative solutions to your problems. This is how experienced managers develop what they call as gut instinct. You can soon rely on your own gut instinct and it consumes far little amount of time to arrive at a decision.
Let people respect your ability to take decisions in a jiffy. Whatever you call it – traditional decision making or gut instinct – the process can be learnt with enough dose of dedication and commitment. Learn to tricks of the trade and move up the corporate ladder with your effective decision making abilities.
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