Employees are often termed as the internal customers. Management gurus have been preaching the fact that to satisfy the external customers it is initially necessary to satisfy your internal customers. Internal customers are more than your Brand ambassadors. Indeed, they are a part of your culture. They do more than merely representing your company.
1. Employees who imbibe the organizational goals can be pro-active and help suppress your fears about competition. Employees are the most significant weapons you can use against competition. If your employees are able to safe-guard your interests in fighting with your competition, the war is half-won. Customers who can understand the loyalty of the employee indeed, in turn, become loyal to your company. The route to customer loyalty is therefore employee loyalty.
2. There are many products and services of which your employees are also your customers. Many companies offer free samples to their own employees. This has two advantages. Firstly, employees are happy to be a part of the organization and for getting the recognition that they very well deserve. Secondly, they can act as a centre of feedback as you can get the real customer feedback through the employees. Unbiased feedback can also be derived from employees who are really loyal to the company. With such a feedback, companies can improve the quality of their products or services and increase the customer base.
3. Research has proved the fact that employees who are also given a share of the company realize the significance of ownership with increased sense of responsibility. Such employees often leave no stone unturned to ensure the success of the company. It is very easy to imbibe the organizational goals in the minds of such employees. They devise strategies to generate more revenues with minimal costs.
4. A big multi-national company has succeeded in innovation when compared to the other companies as it has succeeded in motivating its employees in the right way. The company, indeed, has found the easiest route to motivation. Managers motivate the employees and the managers get the deserved recognition at the success of a project. This does not happen in most of the companies where the Chairman or the Managing Director win the accolades for successful projects where they invove in nothing beyond planning of the entire activity. It is is necessary to ensure recognition for the real leaders who encourage innovation.
5. Human beings always pine for something more. Companies are at crossroads on how to satisfy and motivate their employees. New strategies have been designed to increase the satisfaction levels of the employees. Leaders have learnt to become more participative encouraging the involvement of each and every team member. The best way to esnure that the employees are continuously satisfied is to delight them in ways hitherto unknown. This rule is borrowed from the Marketing theory where customers delight needs take significance over other needs.
It is employees who make or break the organization. Learn to deal effectively with the employees and avoid problems in the future.
Monday, July 03, 2006
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Shape Up Your Resume
Little things do matter when it comes to your resume. Even a little comma or period can deny a copywriter his job. Take adequate care to ensure that your resume is picture perfect. Indeed, the advent of word processors has made our job very easy and we can dish out resumes according to the job and the company. The interview is largely determined by the resume and the way in which it is arranged. HR professionals accept the fact that the resume acts like the index of the person. Here are some silly mistakes that people commit while preparing their resume that can play havoc during interview times.
Objectives and organizations
All of us are used to include the common hackneyed objective. It states that you aspire to be a part of a world-class organization that focuses on growth ensuring your career growth as well. Ever wondered why most of the resumes end in the database at the very first glance. It is primarily due to this objective statement in the resume. Stop saying about the organization you would like to work with. Use your word space to mention what you aspire to become in the near future and clearly mention your long term goals as well. This adds clarity to the expectations of the company. Clarity and commitment attract immediate attention as these are the qualities least expected from any candidate. Your expectations from the company can be stated during the interview or further interactions once your resume is screened and accepted. Most HR managers are tired of seeing the same objective in all the resumes and seek something specific about the job.
Some people with experience are fond of adding a summary of their experience and do not mention any objective. This might be helpful when you wish to do some freelancing or would like to volunteer to some activity. When it comes to a new job, you need to have some aspirations and they should be obvious in the first glance at your resume. Experienced people can frame an objective that lists out the past and present and states the future aspiration. Simple sentences can be framed taking into consideration the answers to the following questions. Where do you dream to go in your career in the future? Your objective statement begins with the single phrase that comes as an answer to this question. What is your experience and what are your strengths? The strengths and experience together can form a part of your second part of your objective. Avoid using complicated sentences. It is better to break up your objective statement into two sentences - the first sentence reflects your aspiration and the second should reflect your experience, strengths, and skills.
Profile, Skills and competencies
Different resumes include different sub-sections called as profile, skills, and so on and so forth. Most people include skills such as team playing skills and ability to adjust to adversary conditions. However, these skills need not be mentioned in one's resume. It is better to include objective skills that are in tune with your job requirements. An accountant might include his expertise in Tally in this section. This captures more attention and there will be more expectations on you.
Ultimately, it is how you to live up to these expectations in the interview that matters.
Objectives and organizations
All of us are used to include the common hackneyed objective. It states that you aspire to be a part of a world-class organization that focuses on growth ensuring your career growth as well. Ever wondered why most of the resumes end in the database at the very first glance. It is primarily due to this objective statement in the resume. Stop saying about the organization you would like to work with. Use your word space to mention what you aspire to become in the near future and clearly mention your long term goals as well. This adds clarity to the expectations of the company. Clarity and commitment attract immediate attention as these are the qualities least expected from any candidate. Your expectations from the company can be stated during the interview or further interactions once your resume is screened and accepted. Most HR managers are tired of seeing the same objective in all the resumes and seek something specific about the job.
Some people with experience are fond of adding a summary of their experience and do not mention any objective. This might be helpful when you wish to do some freelancing or would like to volunteer to some activity. When it comes to a new job, you need to have some aspirations and they should be obvious in the first glance at your resume. Experienced people can frame an objective that lists out the past and present and states the future aspiration. Simple sentences can be framed taking into consideration the answers to the following questions. Where do you dream to go in your career in the future? Your objective statement begins with the single phrase that comes as an answer to this question. What is your experience and what are your strengths? The strengths and experience together can form a part of your second part of your objective. Avoid using complicated sentences. It is better to break up your objective statement into two sentences - the first sentence reflects your aspiration and the second should reflect your experience, strengths, and skills.
Profile, Skills and competencies
Different resumes include different sub-sections called as profile, skills, and so on and so forth. Most people include skills such as team playing skills and ability to adjust to adversary conditions. However, these skills need not be mentioned in one's resume. It is better to include objective skills that are in tune with your job requirements. An accountant might include his expertise in Tally in this section. This captures more attention and there will be more expectations on you.
Ultimately, it is how you to live up to these expectations in the interview that matters.
Monday, June 26, 2006
The Right Interview Skills
Walk-in interviews are quite interesting. It is difficult, often, to have some preparation about the company. Under some situations, there is little time left when a friend informs of such an interview at the last moment or the HR consultant calls you an hour before. There is a process through which one can deftly handle such testing situations.
•Frame the Mindset. Your approach is largely determined by your mindset. If there is a fear lingering somewhere in your mind about the lack of preparation, it automatically shows off your behavior. The most effective way to avoid such deliberations is to prepare your mindset in such a way that you are comfortable and ready to face any interview at the last moment. Indeed, the focus is on your previous job or knowledge which hardly requires any preparation. Employers also test the qualities that take long time to master. Little facts about the company can be easily acquired through the company's website. Some intelligent candidates seek the company's brochure before they enter the interview chambers to get a hang of the company and gain some knowledge.
•Understand the interviewer. Even though most of the problems get solved once your mind is confidently set to face the interview, it is also essential to try to identify the psyche of the interviewer. There are some interviewers who tend to leave everything to the candidate while others focus on a structured interview to gage the skills of the candidate. Candidates either speak too much or too less due to factors such as curiosity. Remember the first interview you attended. Even though you wish to relaxed, you can hardly reflect such an attitude.
•Redirect the interview. Interviewers are often happy when the candidate is ready to express his knowledge with confidence and express deep interest in beginning a relationship with the company. Take time to understand the point of focus in the interview and re-direct the interview towards areas that you are strong at. In this way, you can put in your best efforts and get the best results. Relax as soon as you enter the interview chamber. This helps you recollect all the information that you feel is necessary.
•Frankness pays. There are many questions for which you might not know the answer. Learn to say that you do not know the answer. This creates an honest impression in the minds of the interview. There exist some interviewers who accept even wrong answers during the interview and reject the candidates later. Therefore, speak only when you are fully confident of the answers to the particular question. You can display your high levels of confidence assuring accuracy at the same time.
•Establish a cordial atmosphere. On the whole, establish an amicable atmosphere with your words and body language. Stay comfortable and display confidence as you proceed with the interview. Leave no chance to praise the company for it's worth. Do not involve in over-praise or adulation. List out the characteristics of the company that best suit your interests with adequate care.
Remember that with each interview you can add a lot of experience that helps you later in your job. Never get disgusted with the failure of an interview. There is a burgeoning growth in the opportunities and grab the opportunity that best suits your interests and talents.
•Frame the Mindset. Your approach is largely determined by your mindset. If there is a fear lingering somewhere in your mind about the lack of preparation, it automatically shows off your behavior. The most effective way to avoid such deliberations is to prepare your mindset in such a way that you are comfortable and ready to face any interview at the last moment. Indeed, the focus is on your previous job or knowledge which hardly requires any preparation. Employers also test the qualities that take long time to master. Little facts about the company can be easily acquired through the company's website. Some intelligent candidates seek the company's brochure before they enter the interview chambers to get a hang of the company and gain some knowledge.
•Understand the interviewer. Even though most of the problems get solved once your mind is confidently set to face the interview, it is also essential to try to identify the psyche of the interviewer. There are some interviewers who tend to leave everything to the candidate while others focus on a structured interview to gage the skills of the candidate. Candidates either speak too much or too less due to factors such as curiosity. Remember the first interview you attended. Even though you wish to relaxed, you can hardly reflect such an attitude.
•Redirect the interview. Interviewers are often happy when the candidate is ready to express his knowledge with confidence and express deep interest in beginning a relationship with the company. Take time to understand the point of focus in the interview and re-direct the interview towards areas that you are strong at. In this way, you can put in your best efforts and get the best results. Relax as soon as you enter the interview chamber. This helps you recollect all the information that you feel is necessary.
•Frankness pays. There are many questions for which you might not know the answer. Learn to say that you do not know the answer. This creates an honest impression in the minds of the interview. There exist some interviewers who accept even wrong answers during the interview and reject the candidates later. Therefore, speak only when you are fully confident of the answers to the particular question. You can display your high levels of confidence assuring accuracy at the same time.
•Establish a cordial atmosphere. On the whole, establish an amicable atmosphere with your words and body language. Stay comfortable and display confidence as you proceed with the interview. Leave no chance to praise the company for it's worth. Do not involve in over-praise or adulation. List out the characteristics of the company that best suit your interests with adequate care.
Remember that with each interview you can add a lot of experience that helps you later in your job. Never get disgusted with the failure of an interview. There is a burgeoning growth in the opportunities and grab the opportunity that best suits your interests and talents.
Monday, June 19, 2006
Interview Etiquette
Are there any set rules to follow while attending a job interview? The interesting part is that most employers get to understand our personality even before we make ourselves present for the interview. This is done in different ways.
1. Your resume acts as an interface to introduce your personality even before you present yourself. Therefore, begin with making your resume to suit with your personality and learn to reflect the same personality as you attend the interviews.
2. Specify certain key words in your profile and master them as you learn to attend the interviews. A candidate who has mentioned that his key strength is confidence was very nervous in the interview and this reflected lack of honesty. Avoid making these silly mistakes. Stick to what you say in your resume.
3. Prepare yourself and your resume to suit the job requirements. People are coming up with on-the-fly resumes to each interview that they would like to attend. When you try to apply for two different jobs, prepare two different resumes that suit each job. The internet is a great resource with many samples related to each job.
4. Following the minimum guidelines necessary when it comes to your style of dressing, try to be as bold as possible when you attend the interview. Lack of courage is often misinterpreted as caused some guilt feeling within. Administrative experts suggest that certain candidates who lie on their resume with regard to experience or education are more nervous and they show signs of guilty and are easily avoided.
5. Psychological experts suggest you to be ready to the interview. A candidate who is well dressed but has no knowledge about the company is easily ignored. Allocate your resources to know more about the company and get equipped with some homework even before you face the interview. Apart from the age-old rules of interviews such as punctuality, these rules are fast gaining prominence.
6. Honesty is appreciated by employers. Try not to beat around the bush when you are unsure of the answer of a particular question. Learn to say no when you do not know the answer. There are certain situations in which the interviewer accepts the answer even if it is wrong and later rejects your application. Avoid these mistakes and remain honest in your approach towards the interview.
7. Experienced people who stick to an organization for a good number of years are often frightened to face interviews when they have to change the organization. The problem can be avoided by understanding more about your current job and the responsibilities needed for the new job. Most interviewers try to grasp your knowledge in the domain by asking you to relate to your experiences in the job. This gives little time to question you in subject related matters. Even managers are in search for people who have adequate practical knowledge. The subject knowledge can be imparted through coaching and training while it takes a long time to really gain the practical knowledge. Hence, the next time you wish to attend an interview, make a broad perspective of your current job and try to relate it as much as possible. This also adds to the confidence as you are ready to be interviewed.
Remember that the interviewer is also nervous to meet people. Reinforce the fact that this interview is not your last chance to strike gold in any company. Put your best foot forward and get prepared for the worst.
1. Your resume acts as an interface to introduce your personality even before you present yourself. Therefore, begin with making your resume to suit with your personality and learn to reflect the same personality as you attend the interviews.
2. Specify certain key words in your profile and master them as you learn to attend the interviews. A candidate who has mentioned that his key strength is confidence was very nervous in the interview and this reflected lack of honesty. Avoid making these silly mistakes. Stick to what you say in your resume.
3. Prepare yourself and your resume to suit the job requirements. People are coming up with on-the-fly resumes to each interview that they would like to attend. When you try to apply for two different jobs, prepare two different resumes that suit each job. The internet is a great resource with many samples related to each job.
4. Following the minimum guidelines necessary when it comes to your style of dressing, try to be as bold as possible when you attend the interview. Lack of courage is often misinterpreted as caused some guilt feeling within. Administrative experts suggest that certain candidates who lie on their resume with regard to experience or education are more nervous and they show signs of guilty and are easily avoided.
5. Psychological experts suggest you to be ready to the interview. A candidate who is well dressed but has no knowledge about the company is easily ignored. Allocate your resources to know more about the company and get equipped with some homework even before you face the interview. Apart from the age-old rules of interviews such as punctuality, these rules are fast gaining prominence.
6. Honesty is appreciated by employers. Try not to beat around the bush when you are unsure of the answer of a particular question. Learn to say no when you do not know the answer. There are certain situations in which the interviewer accepts the answer even if it is wrong and later rejects your application. Avoid these mistakes and remain honest in your approach towards the interview.
7. Experienced people who stick to an organization for a good number of years are often frightened to face interviews when they have to change the organization. The problem can be avoided by understanding more about your current job and the responsibilities needed for the new job. Most interviewers try to grasp your knowledge in the domain by asking you to relate to your experiences in the job. This gives little time to question you in subject related matters. Even managers are in search for people who have adequate practical knowledge. The subject knowledge can be imparted through coaching and training while it takes a long time to really gain the practical knowledge. Hence, the next time you wish to attend an interview, make a broad perspective of your current job and try to relate it as much as possible. This also adds to the confidence as you are ready to be interviewed.
Remember that the interviewer is also nervous to meet people. Reinforce the fact that this interview is not your last chance to strike gold in any company. Put your best foot forward and get prepared for the worst.
Corporate Etiquette
Changing rules and changing times often leave a person confused as to what the contemporary corporate etiquette is. There are many employees who have tried to keep in touch with the corporate etiquette, while others have been going in their own way to establish a completely new set of rules.
The only rule is to establish rules of your own. There is no corporate etiquette or meeting etiquette or conference etiquette in the true sense. Certain marketing executives try different ways to suit their etiquette to that of the culture of the clients they often visit. They are perplexed at the variety of cultures available in the market. Things that appear similar in the outline have remarkable differences and deviations that can understood with little observation. The most important thing that has to be reflected in your etiquette is your confidence. Be confident. If you are able to reflect your confidence through your body language and etiquette, most of the job is done. The focus should be on the task at hand and an air of confidence reinforces the efficiency factor. You also need to be honest and straight forward in your approach. Companies have stopped becoming particular about the type of tie you wear or the dress that you wear to a particular conference. There are many more brand images to the company. An executive clad in casual wear stunned all the people in a conference with his simple presentation that suited the tone of the meeting and he ended up getting the contract. The focus, therefore, has shifted to the mindset that concentrates only on growth and development of the companies.
Earlier, administration executives were busy framing the different materialistic attributes such as office wear to describe the corporate etiquette. Nowadays, most of it is left unsaid and executives are learning it through observation. There are many factors that one will be able to master only after completely understanding the culture of the organization. It is this culture that determines the way in which a person has to present himself. So, marketing executives should learn to reflect their own companies rather than try to act like the clients while visiting the client's place. This gives the marketing executives a chance to showcase the culture of their organization. Business relationships can thus be fostered through mutual understanding of each other's cultures.
It has become fashionable for marketing executives to be addressed as brand ambassadors of the company. The responsibility of the marketing executive, therefore, does not end at showcasing the products the company and giving stunning presentations about these products. They need to carry themselves in such a way that the client should be eager to establish an immediate relationship with such a company. This makes use of the Brand Image concept where the marketing executives themselves act as the Brand representatives of the company. There are other intangible factors that have to be taken into consideration while reflecting one’s company. The demeanor from the initial contact such as a smiling interaction and such trivial things leave a lasting impression in the minds of the client and hence it is necessary to follow one’s rules before trying to understand the Corporate Etiquette.
The only rule is to establish rules of your own. There is no corporate etiquette or meeting etiquette or conference etiquette in the true sense. Certain marketing executives try different ways to suit their etiquette to that of the culture of the clients they often visit. They are perplexed at the variety of cultures available in the market. Things that appear similar in the outline have remarkable differences and deviations that can understood with little observation. The most important thing that has to be reflected in your etiquette is your confidence. Be confident. If you are able to reflect your confidence through your body language and etiquette, most of the job is done. The focus should be on the task at hand and an air of confidence reinforces the efficiency factor. You also need to be honest and straight forward in your approach. Companies have stopped becoming particular about the type of tie you wear or the dress that you wear to a particular conference. There are many more brand images to the company. An executive clad in casual wear stunned all the people in a conference with his simple presentation that suited the tone of the meeting and he ended up getting the contract. The focus, therefore, has shifted to the mindset that concentrates only on growth and development of the companies.
Earlier, administration executives were busy framing the different materialistic attributes such as office wear to describe the corporate etiquette. Nowadays, most of it is left unsaid and executives are learning it through observation. There are many factors that one will be able to master only after completely understanding the culture of the organization. It is this culture that determines the way in which a person has to present himself. So, marketing executives should learn to reflect their own companies rather than try to act like the clients while visiting the client's place. This gives the marketing executives a chance to showcase the culture of their organization. Business relationships can thus be fostered through mutual understanding of each other's cultures.
It has become fashionable for marketing executives to be addressed as brand ambassadors of the company. The responsibility of the marketing executive, therefore, does not end at showcasing the products the company and giving stunning presentations about these products. They need to carry themselves in such a way that the client should be eager to establish an immediate relationship with such a company. This makes use of the Brand Image concept where the marketing executives themselves act as the Brand representatives of the company. There are other intangible factors that have to be taken into consideration while reflecting one’s company. The demeanor from the initial contact such as a smiling interaction and such trivial things leave a lasting impression in the minds of the client and hence it is necessary to follow one’s rules before trying to understand the Corporate Etiquette.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Nurture your Network
What is the best way to search for a new job while working? The easiest way is to nurture your network from the beginning. This not only lets you plan your career ahead, but informs you of any new opportunities that you can immediately grab without any hassles. How can you grow and nurture your network?
We all do it everyday. We communicate with people. We make friends with whomever we get in touch. We often have long-lasting relations with important people. The key to success is to make this process more serious and doing it with a purpose. Firstly, frame your career goals for yourself. Update yourself with all the skills and abilities necessary to reach your goals. Constant up-gradation of skills is very essential. Once you are sure of your career goal and you are geared enough to accept such a responsibility, begin communicating. Communicate your career goal with clarity to everyone you come across. Indeed, to intensify the growth of your network, identify the most important people who can have a strong influence on your career growth. There are many people who have significant contacts and who can really show you the correct route to the right person. These are the indirect agents and learn to stay in regular touch with all such acquaintances. Here is the list of prospective people who can become a part of your network.
Friends and family
You can suddenly be surprised to find your wife's distant family relative to be the recruiter in your field in a very big company. Similarly, your friends and their relatives can also be a great source. Stay in touch with all your friends and family members and be ready to help anyone to seek a return favor in times of necessity. Family acquaintances can always be an advantage. Identify all the influential people in your family circle and all you have to do is just stay in regular touch with the most significant members. Beware of the fact that any perceived insignificant person can become significant overnight.
Business Associates
You work in different companies and come across different colleagues in different companies. These colleagues can help advance you to the right position and guide you in the right direction. Use the advantage of networks of your colleagues to move up the corporate ladder and realize your goals. Outshine within your sphere of work so that your skills are well noticed by all the members of your team. This adds an extra edge and your talents will soon approach in the mind. Similarly, amicable colleagues are wanted by everyone and soon you receive opportunities and people vie to work with you.
Former Professors and Classmates
These form a significant group of people who can come to your help. Remember to be in constant touch with all the former professors who might shift to bigger universities and have contacts with bigger organizations in this process. Learn to capitalize on the advantage of newer acquaintances of all your friends, family, colleagues, and former instructors.
With the advent of internet and numerous networking capabilities available on the internet, utilize every chance to showcase your skills on online groups and message boards and get in touch with all the significant people with great enthusiasm. Networking, one day, will pave you the way to reach your career goals with a great amount of ease.
We all do it everyday. We communicate with people. We make friends with whomever we get in touch. We often have long-lasting relations with important people. The key to success is to make this process more serious and doing it with a purpose. Firstly, frame your career goals for yourself. Update yourself with all the skills and abilities necessary to reach your goals. Constant up-gradation of skills is very essential. Once you are sure of your career goal and you are geared enough to accept such a responsibility, begin communicating. Communicate your career goal with clarity to everyone you come across. Indeed, to intensify the growth of your network, identify the most important people who can have a strong influence on your career growth. There are many people who have significant contacts and who can really show you the correct route to the right person. These are the indirect agents and learn to stay in regular touch with all such acquaintances. Here is the list of prospective people who can become a part of your network.
Friends and family
You can suddenly be surprised to find your wife's distant family relative to be the recruiter in your field in a very big company. Similarly, your friends and their relatives can also be a great source. Stay in touch with all your friends and family members and be ready to help anyone to seek a return favor in times of necessity. Family acquaintances can always be an advantage. Identify all the influential people in your family circle and all you have to do is just stay in regular touch with the most significant members. Beware of the fact that any perceived insignificant person can become significant overnight.
Business Associates
You work in different companies and come across different colleagues in different companies. These colleagues can help advance you to the right position and guide you in the right direction. Use the advantage of networks of your colleagues to move up the corporate ladder and realize your goals. Outshine within your sphere of work so that your skills are well noticed by all the members of your team. This adds an extra edge and your talents will soon approach in the mind. Similarly, amicable colleagues are wanted by everyone and soon you receive opportunities and people vie to work with you.
Former Professors and Classmates
These form a significant group of people who can come to your help. Remember to be in constant touch with all the former professors who might shift to bigger universities and have contacts with bigger organizations in this process. Learn to capitalize on the advantage of newer acquaintances of all your friends, family, colleagues, and former instructors.
With the advent of internet and numerous networking capabilities available on the internet, utilize every chance to showcase your skills on online groups and message boards and get in touch with all the significant people with great enthusiasm. Networking, one day, will pave you the way to reach your career goals with a great amount of ease.
New Team Management
Here is the tale of the successful team leader who has successfully groomed his team members to scale new heights as they succeeded in one assignment after the other. The real trouble for the team leader began when there is no more stability in the composition of the team. There is a constant change in the members of the team. The team dynamics are under constant change as well. People with diverse characters and good amount of experience began working together under him and new problems started cropping under the carpet. There is a gradual decline the quality of the work delivered by the team. The leader is worried about reaching the goals of the team. With the deadlines fast approaching, he hardly has any time to follow his traditional strategy of understanding the personalities of his team members and direct their energies in the right direction. In fact, the more experienced members of the team tend to take things for granted and continuously involve in doing things on their own. The sudden promotion of the team leader to deal with experienced people seemed to be a short-lived dream. This happens in most situations where managers have to prove their worth as leaders carefully dealing with the new team members.
Leadership entails continuous change in style. Leaders need to understand the fact that different rules apply for different people. The fact that young executives need more authoritative leaders and the more experience executives need participative leaders has to be realized. However, if the leader fears that the goals cannot be reached by being participative in nature, he needs to go a step further. The focus on motivation and rewards significantly increases at this juncture. The zeal for recognition increases as experience increases for the executives. It is this aspect that the leader has to take into advantage and imbibe the goals of the team within each and every team member.
Secondly, every one is interested in playing the blame game and no one is willing to take responsibility for their actions. The leader has to begin taking the responsibility for the failure of the team and should plan the activities in such a way that no single executive is blamed for the failure of the entire team. At the same time, the focus on rewards and recognition of the entire team in times of success should be attributed to the entire team. Competitive spirit also needs to be encouraged. However, the leader has to emphasize the fact is necessary to work together to win in the competition. The team cohesiveness has to be ensured under all circumstances.
Promotions are favored by everyone. However, many managers and team leaders tend to misinterpret their new responsibilities as mere extensions of their old positions. Indeed, there are a lot of transformations necessary on the part of the team leader and his style of management. The manager needs to be proactive, not only to the external forces, but also to the internal forces that can often act detrimental to the organizational objectives if not properly handled.
Leadership entails continuous change in style. Leaders need to understand the fact that different rules apply for different people. The fact that young executives need more authoritative leaders and the more experience executives need participative leaders has to be realized. However, if the leader fears that the goals cannot be reached by being participative in nature, he needs to go a step further. The focus on motivation and rewards significantly increases at this juncture. The zeal for recognition increases as experience increases for the executives. It is this aspect that the leader has to take into advantage and imbibe the goals of the team within each and every team member.
Secondly, every one is interested in playing the blame game and no one is willing to take responsibility for their actions. The leader has to begin taking the responsibility for the failure of the team and should plan the activities in such a way that no single executive is blamed for the failure of the entire team. At the same time, the focus on rewards and recognition of the entire team in times of success should be attributed to the entire team. Competitive spirit also needs to be encouraged. However, the leader has to emphasize the fact is necessary to work together to win in the competition. The team cohesiveness has to be ensured under all circumstances.
Promotions are favored by everyone. However, many managers and team leaders tend to misinterpret their new responsibilities as mere extensions of their old positions. Indeed, there are a lot of transformations necessary on the part of the team leader and his style of management. The manager needs to be proactive, not only to the external forces, but also to the internal forces that can often act detrimental to the organizational objectives if not properly handled.
Is it your Resume?
Is it your Resume?
The wonderful resume samples and resume writing services available online often tend to mislead you. When you work so hard to come up with a dazzling resume with all the right contents at the right places, do you take enough pains to ensure that your resume reflects your skills and abilities? Experts say that the resume is the index of your personality. The personality that includes your skills, abilities, experience, and expertise.
Undoubtedly, it is your resume that lands you at the interview and you are confident of steering from there. However, there have been many candidates who have been ruthlessly rejected within the first few minutes of the interview process. This can be attributed to the lack of connection between what is shown in the resume and what the person actually is. Indeed, resume writing is not as easy as searching for sample resumes in a search engine and copying and pasting the information that best suits your profession. By doing so, you tend to paint a false picture. No company is willing to take people who are interested only in copying others and have no inclination to showcase their actual character. Honesty matters. Keeping aside the fake experience that people often include in the resume, there are many other little mistakes that tend to have detrimental effects on your career as a whole. Be wary in adding words to your resume. While some people stick to the same age old format of writing an objective to scale heights in organization, others go to the extent of adding qualifications and other details that they are not actually associated with. The first impression is the best impression. Try not to hamper the first impression that your resume makes on your behalf.
Similarly, do not exaggerate your responsibilities or overstate your achievements. A marketing executive included some of the responsibilities of a marketing manager in his resume to attract the attention of the recruiter. The recruiter, having enough knowledge of all the roles and responsibilities, immediately rejected the application. Such blunders are to be avoided under any circumstances.
Remember that a best looking resume with all the requirements is enough to land in a job. Indeed, if the interviewer finds that you are not in par with your resume, you will be easily eliminated. This is due to the reason that your resume gives birth to a good number of expectations. If you fail to live up to the expectations in the first interaction or interview, you will be easily shown the door. It is considered as deception to include false information in the resume.
Sometimes, due to nervousness, it might happen that you do not exhibit confidence and it can become a barrier to securing the job. Management experts, hence suggest you to be in tune with the process of your work and carry samples wherever possible. Programmers can prove their ingenuity by coming up with new innovative ideas and little programs that win accolades. Similarly, writers can carry samples of articles that they have written.
Last but not the least; take adequate care in designing your resume in such a way that it completely reflects your physical significance. Lie on your resume and you are doomed to failure even in the long run.
The wonderful resume samples and resume writing services available online often tend to mislead you. When you work so hard to come up with a dazzling resume with all the right contents at the right places, do you take enough pains to ensure that your resume reflects your skills and abilities? Experts say that the resume is the index of your personality. The personality that includes your skills, abilities, experience, and expertise.
Undoubtedly, it is your resume that lands you at the interview and you are confident of steering from there. However, there have been many candidates who have been ruthlessly rejected within the first few minutes of the interview process. This can be attributed to the lack of connection between what is shown in the resume and what the person actually is. Indeed, resume writing is not as easy as searching for sample resumes in a search engine and copying and pasting the information that best suits your profession. By doing so, you tend to paint a false picture. No company is willing to take people who are interested only in copying others and have no inclination to showcase their actual character. Honesty matters. Keeping aside the fake experience that people often include in the resume, there are many other little mistakes that tend to have detrimental effects on your career as a whole. Be wary in adding words to your resume. While some people stick to the same age old format of writing an objective to scale heights in organization, others go to the extent of adding qualifications and other details that they are not actually associated with. The first impression is the best impression. Try not to hamper the first impression that your resume makes on your behalf.
Similarly, do not exaggerate your responsibilities or overstate your achievements. A marketing executive included some of the responsibilities of a marketing manager in his resume to attract the attention of the recruiter. The recruiter, having enough knowledge of all the roles and responsibilities, immediately rejected the application. Such blunders are to be avoided under any circumstances.
Remember that a best looking resume with all the requirements is enough to land in a job. Indeed, if the interviewer finds that you are not in par with your resume, you will be easily eliminated. This is due to the reason that your resume gives birth to a good number of expectations. If you fail to live up to the expectations in the first interaction or interview, you will be easily shown the door. It is considered as deception to include false information in the resume.
Sometimes, due to nervousness, it might happen that you do not exhibit confidence and it can become a barrier to securing the job. Management experts, hence suggest you to be in tune with the process of your work and carry samples wherever possible. Programmers can prove their ingenuity by coming up with new innovative ideas and little programs that win accolades. Similarly, writers can carry samples of articles that they have written.
Last but not the least; take adequate care in designing your resume in such a way that it completely reflects your physical significance. Lie on your resume and you are doomed to failure even in the long run.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Feeling Dizzy at Work
The nature of the work determines whether you are happy with your work or you are disappointed. You are bound to be happy when there is a great amount of activity in the work. However, once your work gets repetitive and monotonous, you tend to feel extremely bored and lazy. This disrupts the work flow and there is a decrease in productivity. It initiates a cycle of de-motivation and disappointment. If you are de-motivated, you are disappointed and vice-versa.
The way in which we tend to plan and distribute our work is the main reason behind feeling lazy and drowsy. There are innovative ways through which we can distribute our work efficiently and implement it effectively. Let us begin with an exercise. Divide your activities into three categories - activities that require lot of energy, enthusiasm and concentration, activities that are to be done in coordination with others, and activities that require only half of your attention. The common mistake that most of us commit includes the last category in the odd times of the day such as the time after lunch. The period before taking lunch is the time when you can prefer to do such activities. Experts suggest you to consider activities that require coordination with other employees immediately after lunch. It all depends on the nature of the work. There are many more categories and sub-categories into which you can divide these activities.
Once you are done with scheduling your activities, learn to alienate your workplace from laziness and dizziness. If we feel dizzy for a day and repeat it for the second day, there are many chances that this particular activity gets synchronized in your brain for that particular period of time every day and very soon develops into a habit that you can hardly change. Hence, it is better to avoid associating any negative feeling with your workplace. This is the numero uno mistake that people often commit. They tend to avoid different negative implications to the workplace. There are others who tend to bring the tensions from home and associate such feelings with the workplace. Decorate your workplace or cabin in such a way that there is a peaceful ambience with subtle messages. Such interesting associations tend to help you in the long run. With the ever increasing competition, it is becoming increasingly necessary for you to stay on your heels every other moment and grab any opportunity as it comes. It is difficult to accept opportunities when your mind is roaming in a completely negative world and all the doors are shut immediately. It causes for a sudden pause in the communication flow and there is no information reaching your sub-conscious mind. It develops a negative attitude that has all the chances of ruining your career. Hence, it is very essential to associate positive feelings to the workplace and develop a positive attitude. This makes your workplace very enchanting and you like to complete your work in time. Deadlines will soon be taken as interesting challenges and the entire team works towards completing the project before schedule. Most of the companies focus on only monetary benefits. It is necessary to lie emphasis on the two weapons that the company can use - rewards and recognition. Let all the employees vie for the competition.
The way in which we tend to plan and distribute our work is the main reason behind feeling lazy and drowsy. There are innovative ways through which we can distribute our work efficiently and implement it effectively. Let us begin with an exercise. Divide your activities into three categories - activities that require lot of energy, enthusiasm and concentration, activities that are to be done in coordination with others, and activities that require only half of your attention. The common mistake that most of us commit includes the last category in the odd times of the day such as the time after lunch. The period before taking lunch is the time when you can prefer to do such activities. Experts suggest you to consider activities that require coordination with other employees immediately after lunch. It all depends on the nature of the work. There are many more categories and sub-categories into which you can divide these activities.
Once you are done with scheduling your activities, learn to alienate your workplace from laziness and dizziness. If we feel dizzy for a day and repeat it for the second day, there are many chances that this particular activity gets synchronized in your brain for that particular period of time every day and very soon develops into a habit that you can hardly change. Hence, it is better to avoid associating any negative feeling with your workplace. This is the numero uno mistake that people often commit. They tend to avoid different negative implications to the workplace. There are others who tend to bring the tensions from home and associate such feelings with the workplace. Decorate your workplace or cabin in such a way that there is a peaceful ambience with subtle messages. Such interesting associations tend to help you in the long run. With the ever increasing competition, it is becoming increasingly necessary for you to stay on your heels every other moment and grab any opportunity as it comes. It is difficult to accept opportunities when your mind is roaming in a completely negative world and all the doors are shut immediately. It causes for a sudden pause in the communication flow and there is no information reaching your sub-conscious mind. It develops a negative attitude that has all the chances of ruining your career. Hence, it is very essential to associate positive feelings to the workplace and develop a positive attitude. This makes your workplace very enchanting and you like to complete your work in time. Deadlines will soon be taken as interesting challenges and the entire team works towards completing the project before schedule. Most of the companies focus on only monetary benefits. It is necessary to lie emphasis on the two weapons that the company can use - rewards and recognition. Let all the employees vie for the competition.
Monday, May 29, 2006
SME in Technical Documentation
The process of technical communication might appear simple according to the various articles available on the internet. It is the human factor that plays a significant role in determining the success of a technical document. Considering the example of technical documentation for software applications, it is very simple and easy if the technical writers just had to try the software and document everything according to their experience. Indeed, this was my personal opinion with regard to technical documentation until I joined my second company. In my first company, all I had to do is try the software and document its various features. The job was not so complicated owing to the simplicity of the features of the software. I never had the responsibility to prepare Release Notes and Installation Documents. The first thing I was asked to do in my second company is to prepare an installation document for a particular application. This is the place where the human element came into play. The developer for this first assignment was very encouraging and gave me all the instructions and I prepared the installation document within no time. I faced the real problem while preparing the User Guide. I was a champion of writing User Guides in my previous company and used to help my colleagues with the nuances of writing a User Guide. However, the problems surfaced in this new company when there are many elements in the application that are very complicated and best understood only by the developers and testers of the software.
The war begins.
As soon as I began documenting the application, I sought the help of the testers. There were some areas under last minute developments which the testers were not fully aware of. I was asked to consult the developers for such parts of the application. The developers were reluctant to help me. They asked me to get all the information from the testers. I realized then the developer-tester divide in my company. I brought this topic to the Project Manager. His answer to my complaint shocked me. He informed me that there was never any tiff between the developer and the tester and I as the Technical Writer sparked off an enmity between the two. Even after months, I am confused as to whom to approach. From little experience and thorough research on the internet, I found the following as the chief characteristics of the Subject Matter Expert with regards to technical communication.
1. The developers are the primary Subject Matter Experts in most cases.
2. In projects that are divided into modules and developers are unaware of the functionality of other modules except for the inter-relationship, it is the testers who form the primary Subject Matter Experts.
3. The developers or testers consider helping the technical writers a waste of their precious time. This is mostly because of the attitude of the technical writers who wait to get all the information from the Subject Matter Experts. However, it is the duty of the Technical Writers to do a considerable amount of homework before consulting the developers or testers. In most companies, documents called Product Requirement Documents or Design Documents prepared even before the development begins. The technical writers should access such documents and gather as much information as possible and solicit the help of developers only when things are ambiguous or complicated.
4. Developers and testers suggest that technical writers attend all the product development meetings and conferences to get the required information. However, most of the meetings are truly technical and the technical writer hardly gains from such meetings. Technical Writers should attend meetings where the functionality of the application is discussed or the development is planned. Finally, after the development is over and the product is ready for testing, technical writers need to attend the demo sessions to get a hang of the application.
The technical writer should involve in the SDLC or Product Development Life Cycle from the beginning and attend only the essential meetings and gather all the required information. They need to respect the time constraints of the developers and the testers. Developers and testers face enormous pressure during the release dates and find it difficult to breath through the last minute updates and changes. Technical Writers should not act as thorns under such circumstances and be prepared with all the information to make last moment changes with respect to the changes in the application.
The war begins.
As soon as I began documenting the application, I sought the help of the testers. There were some areas under last minute developments which the testers were not fully aware of. I was asked to consult the developers for such parts of the application. The developers were reluctant to help me. They asked me to get all the information from the testers. I realized then the developer-tester divide in my company. I brought this topic to the Project Manager. His answer to my complaint shocked me. He informed me that there was never any tiff between the developer and the tester and I as the Technical Writer sparked off an enmity between the two. Even after months, I am confused as to whom to approach. From little experience and thorough research on the internet, I found the following as the chief characteristics of the Subject Matter Expert with regards to technical communication.
1. The developers are the primary Subject Matter Experts in most cases.
2. In projects that are divided into modules and developers are unaware of the functionality of other modules except for the inter-relationship, it is the testers who form the primary Subject Matter Experts.
3. The developers or testers consider helping the technical writers a waste of their precious time. This is mostly because of the attitude of the technical writers who wait to get all the information from the Subject Matter Experts. However, it is the duty of the Technical Writers to do a considerable amount of homework before consulting the developers or testers. In most companies, documents called Product Requirement Documents or Design Documents prepared even before the development begins. The technical writers should access such documents and gather as much information as possible and solicit the help of developers only when things are ambiguous or complicated.
4. Developers and testers suggest that technical writers attend all the product development meetings and conferences to get the required information. However, most of the meetings are truly technical and the technical writer hardly gains from such meetings. Technical Writers should attend meetings where the functionality of the application is discussed or the development is planned. Finally, after the development is over and the product is ready for testing, technical writers need to attend the demo sessions to get a hang of the application.
The technical writer should involve in the SDLC or Product Development Life Cycle from the beginning and attend only the essential meetings and gather all the required information. They need to respect the time constraints of the developers and the testers. Developers and testers face enormous pressure during the release dates and find it difficult to breath through the last minute updates and changes. Technical Writers should not act as thorns under such circumstances and be prepared with all the information to make last moment changes with respect to the changes in the application.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Tapping the Customer's Mind
Ever since language was discovered and people started interacting with each other, this urge to know what the other person is thinking has been in vogue. With the international markets and increasing number of players, all the big multinational companies are clamoring to know what is inside the mind of the customer. Niche customers are a few. It takes little effort and resources for the huge companies to identify the needs and aspirations of these customers. However, when it is a product with diverse customers serving diverse needs and requirements and differing brand images, it is becoming increasingly difficult to understand what is there in the minds of the consumers.
With the advent of technology in our daily lives in the form of websites and online shopping, companies are devising ways to understand the customer's tastes and preferences and formulate their marketing strategy on the basis of what the customer desires. Cookies are included in the web-pages to track the mouse clicks of the customer and inform the marketer of the process through which customer selects a product from among the many players. Nonetheless, these cookies fail to fully tap a single customer's preferences. Most of the mouse clicks are momentary and involuntary guided by marketing campaigns online. The customer exhibits a completely different taste when it comes to real time shopping where he gets adequate freedom to choose between the various varieties. More customers aspire for the physical feel before buying a product. However, statistics show a confusing trend where the people who prefer online shopping and real time shopping are equally divided.
Marketing campaigns earlier used to be a mix of print media, outdoor hoardings, and TV commercials as the dominant players. The internet has crept in very fast to become one of the most dominant players in this campaign. Indeed, there are certain companies established just to help you in your online marketing activities. A single click by a customer has become so significant that companies are trying in various ways to make the customer go to a web site and click on a link. Mouse clicks have become an important aspect of revenue generation for such companies that are bent in making online campaigns. Interestingly, customers are ignoring the colorful mails with offers from different companies. Email marketing is fast loosing its sheen. The fact that email marketing might soon come in a new wave cannot be ruled out in these turbulent times. Anticipation seems to be a difficult task, especially when it is related to the customer's tastes and preferences.
Experts suggest that customer research is the only way to identify their tastes and preferences. Online research firms are mushrooming and storming the customer mails again. Request mails to customers to spare a few minutes are abundant. The information that the customers provide are sent to the respective marketers and companies. Regardless of understanding the real customer needs, tastes and preferences, many people are thriving on this aspect of marketing especially with the advent of internet into our everyday lives.
With the advent of technology in our daily lives in the form of websites and online shopping, companies are devising ways to understand the customer's tastes and preferences and formulate their marketing strategy on the basis of what the customer desires. Cookies are included in the web-pages to track the mouse clicks of the customer and inform the marketer of the process through which customer selects a product from among the many players. Nonetheless, these cookies fail to fully tap a single customer's preferences. Most of the mouse clicks are momentary and involuntary guided by marketing campaigns online. The customer exhibits a completely different taste when it comes to real time shopping where he gets adequate freedom to choose between the various varieties. More customers aspire for the physical feel before buying a product. However, statistics show a confusing trend where the people who prefer online shopping and real time shopping are equally divided.
Marketing campaigns earlier used to be a mix of print media, outdoor hoardings, and TV commercials as the dominant players. The internet has crept in very fast to become one of the most dominant players in this campaign. Indeed, there are certain companies established just to help you in your online marketing activities. A single click by a customer has become so significant that companies are trying in various ways to make the customer go to a web site and click on a link. Mouse clicks have become an important aspect of revenue generation for such companies that are bent in making online campaigns. Interestingly, customers are ignoring the colorful mails with offers from different companies. Email marketing is fast loosing its sheen. The fact that email marketing might soon come in a new wave cannot be ruled out in these turbulent times. Anticipation seems to be a difficult task, especially when it is related to the customer's tastes and preferences.
Experts suggest that customer research is the only way to identify their tastes and preferences. Online research firms are mushrooming and storming the customer mails again. Request mails to customers to spare a few minutes are abundant. The information that the customers provide are sent to the respective marketers and companies. Regardless of understanding the real customer needs, tastes and preferences, many people are thriving on this aspect of marketing especially with the advent of internet into our everyday lives.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Marketing Strategy
Consider the way in which Hindustan Lever Limited has succeeded in securing a strong market hold in India. Beginning its journey with low cost products such as Lifebuoy, Lux and Sunsilk hair care products, it has now extended its market to expensive products such as Dove, Surf Excel, & cosmetics such as Lakme. Lifebuoy soap began its journey in 1895 and is dubbed as the world's largest selling soap after its remarkable re-launches in 2002 and 2004. Ever since it was launched in 1978, Fair & Lovely has been the constant companion to every growing girl in India.
Tapping the rural market, HLL has introduced the concept of sachets in 1980s with minimal costs and these sachets today account for 55% of its shampoo revenues. Low unit price packs are also available for products such as soaps, detergents, and tea. Marketing Managers at HLL have the advantage of a properly structured Marketing Strategy. Marketing Strategy acts as the foundation for a successful marketing plan. Once an effective Marketing strategy is formulated, marketing objectives become clearer with measurable results. As the goals are set, the marketing team is involved in formulating marketing policies and ultimately marketing tactics to reach the end consumer. Numerous theories are available suggesting the various types of marketing strategies that can be used by an organization. The different theories of Marketing Strategies are as follows.
1. Marketing Strategies based on Product Dominance.
2. Michael Porter's Generic Strategies
3. Innovation Strategies
4. Growth Strategies
5. Aggressiveness Strategies
While formulating a Marketing Strategy, many factors are to be taken into consideration. Beginning with corporate objectives and strategy, it is necessary for the company to identify the business level objectives and strategy also. Once the objectives are identified, a market opportunity analysis has to be carried out. Who ignores the competitor before formulating a strategy? More than the competitor, the customer is very frightening. Customer analysis, of date, has been the most difficult factor to tackle. The target markets are volatile and keep changing. Similarly, it is your customers who determine the positioning strategy that you need to follow.
The analysis helps you arrive at a good marketing strategy on the basis of market situations. Different strategies need to be formulated for different market situations such as new market entries, growth markets, mature and saturated markets, and declining markets. Marketing texts abound in theories for preparing strategies in each of these situations. Certain things are easier said than done. Implementation of marketing strategies is the most difficult task. The marketing strategies have to be broken into marketing programs and plans and action sequences have to be framed properly to reach the marketing goals. If the marketing objectives and goals percolate from the top brass of the marketing management to each an every individual salesperson, it is very easy to reach them.
Tapping the rural market, HLL has introduced the concept of sachets in 1980s with minimal costs and these sachets today account for 55% of its shampoo revenues. Low unit price packs are also available for products such as soaps, detergents, and tea. Marketing Managers at HLL have the advantage of a properly structured Marketing Strategy. Marketing Strategy acts as the foundation for a successful marketing plan. Once an effective Marketing strategy is formulated, marketing objectives become clearer with measurable results. As the goals are set, the marketing team is involved in formulating marketing policies and ultimately marketing tactics to reach the end consumer. Numerous theories are available suggesting the various types of marketing strategies that can be used by an organization. The different theories of Marketing Strategies are as follows.
1. Marketing Strategies based on Product Dominance.
2. Michael Porter's Generic Strategies
3. Innovation Strategies
4. Growth Strategies
5. Aggressiveness Strategies
While formulating a Marketing Strategy, many factors are to be taken into consideration. Beginning with corporate objectives and strategy, it is necessary for the company to identify the business level objectives and strategy also. Once the objectives are identified, a market opportunity analysis has to be carried out. Who ignores the competitor before formulating a strategy? More than the competitor, the customer is very frightening. Customer analysis, of date, has been the most difficult factor to tackle. The target markets are volatile and keep changing. Similarly, it is your customers who determine the positioning strategy that you need to follow.
The analysis helps you arrive at a good marketing strategy on the basis of market situations. Different strategies need to be formulated for different market situations such as new market entries, growth markets, mature and saturated markets, and declining markets. Marketing texts abound in theories for preparing strategies in each of these situations. Certain things are easier said than done. Implementation of marketing strategies is the most difficult task. The marketing strategies have to be broken into marketing programs and plans and action sequences have to be framed properly to reach the marketing goals. If the marketing objectives and goals percolate from the top brass of the marketing management to each an every individual salesperson, it is very easy to reach them.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Learning Organizations
Competition is at its peak. Survival is becoming difficult. However, some companies always hog the limelight and shine in their own spheres. With an impeccable track record, certain companies are always on their way up the profits graph. Recent surveys earthed certain interesting trivia about the successful and not-so successful companies. Amazingly, the infrastructure of the not-so unsuccessful companies is on par with the very successful companies. Talent, in human terms, is also not lacking in the poor performing companies. They follow the best talent management practices and offer the most attractive salaries to their employees. Such companies are digging to find the reason for the gap. The answer is an emerging concept called Learning Organization.
Organizations should fast transform into what is called as Learning Organization. The chief characteristics of a company that calls itself a learning organization are as follows.
1. Focus on growth over profits. Companies that focus on overall organizational growth and individual employee growth and development rather than concentrating on the short-term profits and increases in revenue. Companies encourage employees to indulge in what is called as self-development. Employees show enthusiasm to improve their skills and knowledge levels to excel in the sphere of their work and extend their expertise in related areas as well.
2. Knowledge sharing is the sole aim of the employees within the organizations. Employees are expected to frequently update the knowledge and share information with all the colleagues. In certain companies, information hoarding is considered a crime. Employees willing to grow and let others grow are the most sought after by such companies. Good team players make better leaders in the future. Companies are fast building upon the essence of team playing to groom good leaders in the future.
3. Attaining expertise is the singular goal of the executives at a learning organization. Employees are eager to master the various areas of work to creatively come up with innovative ideas to improve performance. Mastery of that particular field of work is not an easy task in the present situation of continuously evolving technological advances. The vast amount of information available on the internet is certainly helpful for individual employees to add to their knowledge base. Employees need to attend seminars, presentations, and workshops to showcase their knowledge and expertise.
4. Competitive effectiveness is the effort to constantly outperform competitors and ride on the success wave even in dire straits such as economic down turns. Continuous market analysis with constant focus on customer's interests ensures a perfect SWOT analysis to move ahead in the race. Competitive essence plays a vital role in determining the success of a company.
5. Differentiation between knowledge and skills. Apart from knowledge, continuous upgradation of skills is also essential. Skills with knowledge, dedication, and commitment make impossible goals simple to the organization. This attitude should be reflected by each employee across different levels of the hierarchy.
Companies have been bloating the fact that employees constitute their most important asset. It is easier said than done. Companies that signify the importance of human resources, hardly take steps to improve the human resources.
Organizations should fast transform into what is called as Learning Organization. The chief characteristics of a company that calls itself a learning organization are as follows.
1. Focus on growth over profits. Companies that focus on overall organizational growth and individual employee growth and development rather than concentrating on the short-term profits and increases in revenue. Companies encourage employees to indulge in what is called as self-development. Employees show enthusiasm to improve their skills and knowledge levels to excel in the sphere of their work and extend their expertise in related areas as well.
2. Knowledge sharing is the sole aim of the employees within the organizations. Employees are expected to frequently update the knowledge and share information with all the colleagues. In certain companies, information hoarding is considered a crime. Employees willing to grow and let others grow are the most sought after by such companies. Good team players make better leaders in the future. Companies are fast building upon the essence of team playing to groom good leaders in the future.
3. Attaining expertise is the singular goal of the executives at a learning organization. Employees are eager to master the various areas of work to creatively come up with innovative ideas to improve performance. Mastery of that particular field of work is not an easy task in the present situation of continuously evolving technological advances. The vast amount of information available on the internet is certainly helpful for individual employees to add to their knowledge base. Employees need to attend seminars, presentations, and workshops to showcase their knowledge and expertise.
4. Competitive effectiveness is the effort to constantly outperform competitors and ride on the success wave even in dire straits such as economic down turns. Continuous market analysis with constant focus on customer's interests ensures a perfect SWOT analysis to move ahead in the race. Competitive essence plays a vital role in determining the success of a company.
5. Differentiation between knowledge and skills. Apart from knowledge, continuous upgradation of skills is also essential. Skills with knowledge, dedication, and commitment make impossible goals simple to the organization. This attitude should be reflected by each employee across different levels of the hierarchy.
Companies have been bloating the fact that employees constitute their most important asset. It is easier said than done. Companies that signify the importance of human resources, hardly take steps to improve the human resources.
Monday, April 17, 2006
The Lonely Worker
Loneliness is not a new term; the newness arises from its connection with the workplace. Who contradicts the fact that loneliness is the worst thing to happen to one at work? Being a social animal, man needs someone to interact with continuously. Informal interaction is more necessary to improve performance. It might be ridiculous to link employee performance with informal interactions and interrelationships. How is it possible for the HR personnel to identify people who are feeling lonely at the workplace? Two out of ten people always feel alone even in the crowd or in a noisy party. Ignoring such people, the HR personnel need to identify the lonely ones. One of the following situations can lead a person to be lonely.
1. They are aloof from the remaining staff. The place of work should not demarcate one employee from the other. Everyone should feel the warmth of being within the team. Physical distance can also impede productivity.
2. Mental distance due to an isolated role and responsibility. New positions are added everyday and a new employee might be completely alienated with the other workers with regard to the work flow. Special attention has to be focused on employees whose role is new to the organization. Constant restructuring should be done to make such people feel a part of the team.
3. Some persons are disinclined to move with the flock. Men who are basically vociferous but are isolated after certain situations have to be influenced to regain normalcy. Very soon, they end up getting frustrated with the team and the job.
4. Teams isolate certain people due to various reasons. If one of the employees is involved in a scam, it might happen that the team members feign enmity with such an employee and ignore him. Men learn from their mistakes. A forgiving attitude should be cultivated within the organization. Equality has to be ensured.
Once the reason for loneliness is identified, try to turn things around to make such people move in the organization and excel in their performance. A 4-step strategy can be devised to avoid loneliness and the consequential loss.
1. Recruitment & Selection. From the moment of first interview, the prospective employees should feel at home with the organization. HR personnel who gloat about the organization are sowing seeds of misinterpretation.
2. Orientation. Despite the welcome home strategies followed by big companies, most employees feel lonely when they begin work alone. Employees joining in groups are more comfortable and work effectively than singleton enrolments.
3. Staff Structuring. Try to constantly discuss the employee structure with the team leaders to ensure that everyone is a part of the team. Technological mapping software are available to relate to employees and tasks.
4. Even after the employees are aloof from the others, try to make them special by coming up with creative ideas to award them as the Most silent employee in the annual meetings.
Human resources management, indeed, is the most complicated task. Numerous people with varying attitudes from different cultures come together to work in an organization.
1. They are aloof from the remaining staff. The place of work should not demarcate one employee from the other. Everyone should feel the warmth of being within the team. Physical distance can also impede productivity.
2. Mental distance due to an isolated role and responsibility. New positions are added everyday and a new employee might be completely alienated with the other workers with regard to the work flow. Special attention has to be focused on employees whose role is new to the organization. Constant restructuring should be done to make such people feel a part of the team.
3. Some persons are disinclined to move with the flock. Men who are basically vociferous but are isolated after certain situations have to be influenced to regain normalcy. Very soon, they end up getting frustrated with the team and the job.
4. Teams isolate certain people due to various reasons. If one of the employees is involved in a scam, it might happen that the team members feign enmity with such an employee and ignore him. Men learn from their mistakes. A forgiving attitude should be cultivated within the organization. Equality has to be ensured.
Once the reason for loneliness is identified, try to turn things around to make such people move in the organization and excel in their performance. A 4-step strategy can be devised to avoid loneliness and the consequential loss.
1. Recruitment & Selection. From the moment of first interview, the prospective employees should feel at home with the organization. HR personnel who gloat about the organization are sowing seeds of misinterpretation.
2. Orientation. Despite the welcome home strategies followed by big companies, most employees feel lonely when they begin work alone. Employees joining in groups are more comfortable and work effectively than singleton enrolments.
3. Staff Structuring. Try to constantly discuss the employee structure with the team leaders to ensure that everyone is a part of the team. Technological mapping software are available to relate to employees and tasks.
4. Even after the employees are aloof from the others, try to make them special by coming up with creative ideas to award them as the Most silent employee in the annual meetings.
Human resources management, indeed, is the most complicated task. Numerous people with varying attitudes from different cultures come together to work in an organization.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Overcome Procrastination
With no one to blame at the end of the season when the deadline is fast approaching, I often realize that my procrastinating attitude has cost me a good project or assignment. It is human to feel lazy and postpone things. It is human to want to do something more interesting than the monotonous work at hand. Mostly, the work is monotonous because we have done it a good number of times and get the impression that we are fit to do something better. I have gone to the ridiculous extent of planning to go to a psychologist to avoid procrastination. Luckily, I met an old HR lecturer from my college who has come up with wonderful advice to avoid procrastination and enjoy your work. It sounded similar to the literature available, but its simplicity really bowled me over.
The first important thing to be dealt with is the forgetting attitude. We tend to forget things after procrastination. So, if we can avoid forgetting things, procrastination is not a difficult thing to deal with. My lecturer told me like this. The human brain is most active in the first few minutes as we wake up in the morning. Whatever happens then is remembered well for the rest of the day and even more than that. The brain also sends positive vibes across the body immediately after we wake up. So, we need to make the list of things that we have been postponing of late every night before sleeping. As soon as you wake up, you need to say yourself- I love to do this work today. This work refers to the most irritating and complicated thing that you have been postponing till date. You need to say it at least ten times to yourself even before you are out of your bed. That has the maximum impact and you will be startled how easily you get to do the work on the same day.
Division of work is the other important way in which we can avoid procrastination. Scientists suggest that our brain requires at least 5 minutes break after working for every 25 minutes. This is necessary to rejuvenate the energy cells and regain the interest that we are doing. Normally, filled with zeal to complete things, we work continuously for hours sans any break. By doing so, very soon we will dread the work because the information is registered in the brain that it takes so long for that work to get completed without any break. Your brain works in the way you want it to. So break your work to enjoy every 5 minutes after a hectic 25 minutes work.
Man is a creature of reason. We do not do anything without any reason. I earn to make my ends meet and provide my family with whatever is necessary to lead a happy life. I have got the reason to work. Happiness is the reward towards which I am aiming and struggling so hard. Similarly, for every little work that you do, present a reward for yourself so that the sub-conscious mind is eager to complete the work to fetch the reward. You will be amazed at the perfection and speed with which you can complete your work for the sake of a reward. I present myself with a wonderful lunch at a good restaurant for having completed a difficult assignment in a short period of time. I even buy a book for myself for having done a particular work. You can plan your little or big rewards to keep your mind on the track.
The other place where everyone falters is the inability to prioritize things. We are confused as to what is important and what is not at certain junctures. You can follow your superior's instructions to avoid the dilemma. If there is no instruction from the superior or if you have no superior, you have to understand the important work that will ensure smooth flow of organization production process and complete it first. Such things are easier said than done. However, you learn to prioritize things by experience. It is better to experiment a lot in the initial stages to understand the nuances of the various processes in your organization.
Enhance your knowledge every frequently to know the short-cuts necessary to complete a particular work. Technological developments are saving a lot of time and a constant updating of skills is necessary to benefit from these developments. We procrastinate when we find that the particular job is lengthy and boring. With experience and technology in the right mix, you can devise ways to make your job easier for yourself and for others.
It is very obvious that procrastination is a very trivial issue and can be easily overcome.
The first important thing to be dealt with is the forgetting attitude. We tend to forget things after procrastination. So, if we can avoid forgetting things, procrastination is not a difficult thing to deal with. My lecturer told me like this. The human brain is most active in the first few minutes as we wake up in the morning. Whatever happens then is remembered well for the rest of the day and even more than that. The brain also sends positive vibes across the body immediately after we wake up. So, we need to make the list of things that we have been postponing of late every night before sleeping. As soon as you wake up, you need to say yourself- I love to do this work today. This work refers to the most irritating and complicated thing that you have been postponing till date. You need to say it at least ten times to yourself even before you are out of your bed. That has the maximum impact and you will be startled how easily you get to do the work on the same day.
Division of work is the other important way in which we can avoid procrastination. Scientists suggest that our brain requires at least 5 minutes break after working for every 25 minutes. This is necessary to rejuvenate the energy cells and regain the interest that we are doing. Normally, filled with zeal to complete things, we work continuously for hours sans any break. By doing so, very soon we will dread the work because the information is registered in the brain that it takes so long for that work to get completed without any break. Your brain works in the way you want it to. So break your work to enjoy every 5 minutes after a hectic 25 minutes work.
Man is a creature of reason. We do not do anything without any reason. I earn to make my ends meet and provide my family with whatever is necessary to lead a happy life. I have got the reason to work. Happiness is the reward towards which I am aiming and struggling so hard. Similarly, for every little work that you do, present a reward for yourself so that the sub-conscious mind is eager to complete the work to fetch the reward. You will be amazed at the perfection and speed with which you can complete your work for the sake of a reward. I present myself with a wonderful lunch at a good restaurant for having completed a difficult assignment in a short period of time. I even buy a book for myself for having done a particular work. You can plan your little or big rewards to keep your mind on the track.
The other place where everyone falters is the inability to prioritize things. We are confused as to what is important and what is not at certain junctures. You can follow your superior's instructions to avoid the dilemma. If there is no instruction from the superior or if you have no superior, you have to understand the important work that will ensure smooth flow of organization production process and complete it first. Such things are easier said than done. However, you learn to prioritize things by experience. It is better to experiment a lot in the initial stages to understand the nuances of the various processes in your organization.
Enhance your knowledge every frequently to know the short-cuts necessary to complete a particular work. Technological developments are saving a lot of time and a constant updating of skills is necessary to benefit from these developments. We procrastinate when we find that the particular job is lengthy and boring. With experience and technology in the right mix, you can devise ways to make your job easier for yourself and for others.
It is very obvious that procrastination is a very trivial issue and can be easily overcome.
Monday, April 10, 2006
Ways to enhance "Brand Equity"
A brand encompasses the set of expectations associated with a product or service in the minds of the consumers. The branding process is the most complicated process. Marketers have tried various strategies to brand particular items and some of them have succeeded in branding their items to perfection. The more associations a customer is able to make with the brand, the higher the Brand Equity of the product.
Brand Equity can be viewed from different perspectives including financial perspective, extensions, & consumer attitude perspective.
With regard to the financial perspective, we can measure the Brand equity by comparing the price premium with a generic product. However, it has to be remembered that there are 4 Ps of marketing and Price is just one of them. Promotion is fast dominating the other Ps in influencing the sale of the product. However, it is the judicial mix of all the 4Ps that is essential to successfully market a product.
The MORE factor is catching up. People are asking for more of everything. Gone are the days when people are satisfied with what they have. They want more for little ever they want to pay. Marketers have begun this concept of using a successful brand to launch another product. In the Indian market, a yet to be released product is given free-of-cost in the form of sample sachets along with a successful brand.
To influence the consumer attitude, marketers are aiming at glorifying the experience of the product. It is the trial samples mentioned earlier that are more effective in giving an experience than the colorful advertising commercials featuring hot models and top film stars. Consumer's experience adds to the perceived quality and ensures brand loyalty. If a consumer is happy and delighted with a product, there are many chances that the information is soon spread through an effective word-of-mouth. It is the most effective promotional tool always overtaking the advertising commercials and newer marketing collaterals.
Some ways to increase brand equity include:
1. Associating the brand with the right brand ambassadors. Recently, there have been many ads with ambassadors with no relation to the product or no use of the product. We need to come out of the days when beautiful models are used to advertise men's shaving cream without any man in the commercial. Creativity should not sideline the target audience.
2. Newer needs are to be created. The needs here refer to the psychological needs for the consumer. The flaunting episodes have come to an end. The brand attitude should reflect a particular ago state common to most of the people and effectively portray in the promotional mix.
3. Even brands should be treated like human beings. The way a successful celebrity is treated and the response generated from the audience is always a lesson to the marketers. Managers and marketers should learn to respect their brands and let the consumer do the same. In this way, a brand culture can be established. The company should continue the product quality and always strive to delight the customers to ensure that the brand does not disappoint the consumer like a top star's flop film.
Brand Equity can be viewed from different perspectives including financial perspective, extensions, & consumer attitude perspective.
With regard to the financial perspective, we can measure the Brand equity by comparing the price premium with a generic product. However, it has to be remembered that there are 4 Ps of marketing and Price is just one of them. Promotion is fast dominating the other Ps in influencing the sale of the product. However, it is the judicial mix of all the 4Ps that is essential to successfully market a product.
The MORE factor is catching up. People are asking for more of everything. Gone are the days when people are satisfied with what they have. They want more for little ever they want to pay. Marketers have begun this concept of using a successful brand to launch another product. In the Indian market, a yet to be released product is given free-of-cost in the form of sample sachets along with a successful brand.
To influence the consumer attitude, marketers are aiming at glorifying the experience of the product. It is the trial samples mentioned earlier that are more effective in giving an experience than the colorful advertising commercials featuring hot models and top film stars. Consumer's experience adds to the perceived quality and ensures brand loyalty. If a consumer is happy and delighted with a product, there are many chances that the information is soon spread through an effective word-of-mouth. It is the most effective promotional tool always overtaking the advertising commercials and newer marketing collaterals.
Some ways to increase brand equity include:
1. Associating the brand with the right brand ambassadors. Recently, there have been many ads with ambassadors with no relation to the product or no use of the product. We need to come out of the days when beautiful models are used to advertise men's shaving cream without any man in the commercial. Creativity should not sideline the target audience.
2. Newer needs are to be created. The needs here refer to the psychological needs for the consumer. The flaunting episodes have come to an end. The brand attitude should reflect a particular ago state common to most of the people and effectively portray in the promotional mix.
3. Even brands should be treated like human beings. The way a successful celebrity is treated and the response generated from the audience is always a lesson to the marketers. Managers and marketers should learn to respect their brands and let the consumer do the same. In this way, a brand culture can be established. The company should continue the product quality and always strive to delight the customers to ensure that the brand does not disappoint the consumer like a top star's flop film.
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Audience Analysis in Technical Documentation
All of us do it every day and every moment. We try to guess what is in the mind of the person we are speaking to. Even before we speak, sub-consciously doubt if the listener knows what we are speaking. We like to give him the right information. Advertising agencies spend millions of bucks to research the consumer behavior and understand the mindset of the audience. They initially try to attract attention and then attempt to win the customer’s hearts in various ways. Filmmakers try to gaze the taste of the audience and make films that set the audience on their nerves. Obviously, whatever you do, wherever you go, the customer is the Queen. In marketing parlance, the customer is referred to as the Queen because it is easier to appease the Gods and the King. Truly speaking, audience analysis in technical documentation is a lot easier than the other fields.
Purposeful approach
We make documents to serve a purpose. It is the purpose that defines what document we need to make for the audience. If the user is new to the product and knows nothing, we need to make a step-to-step user guide. For sophisticated users, a briefing about the product and the options available would be enough. This makes it clear that the purpose and the knowledge level of the audience together form the primary part of audience analysis. Knowledge level can be guessed by asking questions such as:
What does the user know and what is it that the document should impart?
What level of detail is required for the user to neither get confused nor irked by including basic information?
Knowledge Level
It is difficult to know what the users know. There is always a difference in knowledge levels even between two students who graduated from the same school. In order to pacify both experts and novices, we can follow the safer approach. Assume that the user does not anything about this particular product but knows about everything else under the sky. Under such circumstances, we can elaborate upon our product to make the job easier for the user.
Relevance matters
We need to include all the relevant information about the product from installing the product, configuring it, using it, maintaining it to troubleshooting it in times of necessity. The functionality of the product should be detailed in tune with the knowledge levels of the user as assumed. It is not advisable to include any information outside the arena such as information about the industry.
With an air of authority, the technical document should complete all the areas about the document and must be sans voids. Any user is comfortable to refer to the document that covers everything about a product in spite of his knowledge about the product. Being nonchalant to the expert will often prove to be risky. Hence tell everything about the product gives them a choice to ignore parts of the document that they already know.
Purposeful approach
We make documents to serve a purpose. It is the purpose that defines what document we need to make for the audience. If the user is new to the product and knows nothing, we need to make a step-to-step user guide. For sophisticated users, a briefing about the product and the options available would be enough. This makes it clear that the purpose and the knowledge level of the audience together form the primary part of audience analysis. Knowledge level can be guessed by asking questions such as:
What does the user know and what is it that the document should impart?
What level of detail is required for the user to neither get confused nor irked by including basic information?
Knowledge Level
It is difficult to know what the users know. There is always a difference in knowledge levels even between two students who graduated from the same school. In order to pacify both experts and novices, we can follow the safer approach. Assume that the user does not anything about this particular product but knows about everything else under the sky. Under such circumstances, we can elaborate upon our product to make the job easier for the user.
Relevance matters
We need to include all the relevant information about the product from installing the product, configuring it, using it, maintaining it to troubleshooting it in times of necessity. The functionality of the product should be detailed in tune with the knowledge levels of the user as assumed. It is not advisable to include any information outside the arena such as information about the industry.
With an air of authority, the technical document should complete all the areas about the document and must be sans voids. Any user is comfortable to refer to the document that covers everything about a product in spite of his knowledge about the product. Being nonchalant to the expert will often prove to be risky. Hence tell everything about the product gives them a choice to ignore parts of the document that they already know.
Switching Careers
The idea of switching careers arises when you are in dire need of complete change. It is important to do a great amount of introspection. Even after that, if you find that you are working only for money and losing on your hopes and aspirations, you can decide to switch to a new career.
It is always advisable to have a broad outlook when you think of switching careers. It would be short-sighted to shift to similar careers. Both your skills and interests should be taken into consideration. Here again, you need to have clarity in your motives. You have to decide whether you are looking for a change in careers, environment, or industry. Each change has its own implications.
You can begin by identifying the crests and troughs of your work history. The gap between your expectations and your current job can help understand the reason for despair. A complete analysis of your own skills in line with your aspirations is useful to prepare a background for your next job. You can begin the switching process though research. You should delve into the various fields that interest you. It is necessary to consider the vulnerability of the fields themselves. You can't plan to get into a typewriter's chair after the computers have come just because you like it. A complete SWOT analysis (Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, & threats) helps you identify the right career ahead for you.
You need a strategy, not just a plan when you want to shift to a new career. People are in a hurry once they have decided that they are bored in their jobs. You can begin by assessing your likes and dislikes. Most people, who feel that the creative part of their brain is not utilized, decide to change to a more creative work. Others, who have goals to serve humanity, plan to go in their preferred path. If you can identify any singular goal within, there is no looking back. Such work kindles the real potential within you. After recognizing your passion, a research should be done into the various careers that relate to it. If you are confident of your writing skills, you can find that there are various avenues like copywriting, technical writing, content editing, journalism, and much more. Software programmers who are interested in writing can begin their transition by first getting in as technical writers.
Your current skills and experiences might be helpful for building your new career. Leadership skills, interpersonal skills, & communication skills are always transferable. They are applicable to whatever field you plan to enter into. Whether you want to change your career or start a new journey, networking is always helpful. Friends or acquaintances can provide job leads, offer useful insights and information about an industry. They can also increase your network by introducing you to others.
Since you are planning to start it all from scratch, it would be enormously useful to do a part-time job or volunteering in the new career of your choice. You can have a taste of the work and add the experience feather. Any person, who is interested in writing, can begin it with part time freelancing. It might even be necessary to burn the midnight oil to gain the experience. Finding a mentor may help you avoid the troubles. You can even take advantage of his network and power. Even though it happens rarely, you can consider the idea of changing your career within the organization. It is always suggested to pitch in for any vacancies with the current employer in the field of your choice. Flexibility with regard to employment status, relocation, & pay structure is also necessary.
It is always advisable to have a broad outlook when you think of switching careers. It would be short-sighted to shift to similar careers. Both your skills and interests should be taken into consideration. Here again, you need to have clarity in your motives. You have to decide whether you are looking for a change in careers, environment, or industry. Each change has its own implications.
You can begin by identifying the crests and troughs of your work history. The gap between your expectations and your current job can help understand the reason for despair. A complete analysis of your own skills in line with your aspirations is useful to prepare a background for your next job. You can begin the switching process though research. You should delve into the various fields that interest you. It is necessary to consider the vulnerability of the fields themselves. You can't plan to get into a typewriter's chair after the computers have come just because you like it. A complete SWOT analysis (Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, & threats) helps you identify the right career ahead for you.
You need a strategy, not just a plan when you want to shift to a new career. People are in a hurry once they have decided that they are bored in their jobs. You can begin by assessing your likes and dislikes. Most people, who feel that the creative part of their brain is not utilized, decide to change to a more creative work. Others, who have goals to serve humanity, plan to go in their preferred path. If you can identify any singular goal within, there is no looking back. Such work kindles the real potential within you. After recognizing your passion, a research should be done into the various careers that relate to it. If you are confident of your writing skills, you can find that there are various avenues like copywriting, technical writing, content editing, journalism, and much more. Software programmers who are interested in writing can begin their transition by first getting in as technical writers.
Your current skills and experiences might be helpful for building your new career. Leadership skills, interpersonal skills, & communication skills are always transferable. They are applicable to whatever field you plan to enter into. Whether you want to change your career or start a new journey, networking is always helpful. Friends or acquaintances can provide job leads, offer useful insights and information about an industry. They can also increase your network by introducing you to others.
Since you are planning to start it all from scratch, it would be enormously useful to do a part-time job or volunteering in the new career of your choice. You can have a taste of the work and add the experience feather. Any person, who is interested in writing, can begin it with part time freelancing. It might even be necessary to burn the midnight oil to gain the experience. Finding a mentor may help you avoid the troubles. You can even take advantage of his network and power. Even though it happens rarely, you can consider the idea of changing your career within the organization. It is always suggested to pitch in for any vacancies with the current employer in the field of your choice. Flexibility with regard to employment status, relocation, & pay structure is also necessary.
Negativity at the Workplace
The financial performance of a company is heavily influenced by the emotions of the employees. Strong positive emotions ensure better financial results while negative emotions tend to increase the turnover rates. Negative emotions or negativity hinder growth, productivity and overall happiness at the workplace. Negativity tends to threaten the future of the company and its employees. It is very contagious and can soon spread across the various echelons of hierarchy in an organization. Negative behaviors can sometimes have serious business impacts.
Right diagnosis helps in curing the existent negativity. If a company misinterprets the underlying causes, there are many chances for its efforts to boomerang. The causes should be carefully identified and the problems should be immediately addressed. Recent human resource studies suggest that work overload is one of the significant reasons for workplace negativity. The most common cause for negative emotions is the lack of sufficient recognition for the efforts put in. Monotony in the nature of the work and boredom are said to increase frustration. The other reason is the presence of a huge gap between employees’ expectations of their work and their actual work. Numerous techniques are available to combat negativity. These techniques help maintain a healthy organizational culture.
Individual perspective
Trivial issues such as technical snags at work and irate customers can frustrate. However, when negativity becomes an everyday companion, it impedes creativity and enthusiasm and can go to the extent of creating perpetual negative attitudes. It reflects the greater problems beyond the control of the individual and harms the effectiveness of the employee.
1. The individual has to recognize his negative thoughts and try to act upon them.
2. Managing stress plays an important role.
3. Communication with managers and coworkers often helps resolve many issues.
4. An optimistic outlook towards work life is a successful antidote in many cases.
5. Employees should be averse to gossip and rumors.
6. It is not obstinate to completely avoid negative people at work. Saying no or walking away from negative vibes is always advisable.
Organizational/HR staff perspective
To prevent negativity at the first place is better than trying to cure the framework later. The leaders and managers can consider the following factors to avoid negativity from appearing.
1. Employees should be involved in the process of decision making. People become pessimistic when unfavorable decisions about their jobs are taken by the superiors. They are more frustrated if the decisions are taken without their input.
2. All the employees should be able to voice their opinions regarding company policies and procedures. The motivational factors such as pay, benefits, & working conditions should be carefully dealt with.
3. Rules should not be enforced on employees. They are all mature enough to recognize the norms and follow them.
4. Communication gaps add more fuel to the fire. Transparency in information flow is always helpful.
5. The team leaders or organizational leaders should be able to imbibe the missions, visions, values, and goals of the organization into every individual.
6. Proper rewards for contribution enhance job satisfaction for each employee. The overall morale can also be enhanced through a justifiable rewards system.
Creating a learning environment always helps solve all negativity problems. In a learning organization, employees learn to identify their job as a part of a whole interdependent system. This attitude is useful to enhance job satisfaction. Every employee shares the mission of the organization and strives to reach his potential. Clarity in objectives can be achieved and individuals can take part in the decision making process.
Interestingly, most of the successful teams and companies have few things in common - a common goal, result oriented structure, unity in commitment, collaborative climate & good leadership.
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