Success Blog

The first step to better result is to get a winning team in place. Today we will see how we can go about this. Keep these essentials in mind when motivating your team.

1. YOU WILL NEED A MODEL

Workplace teams are different from sports teams so someone has to show you what to do. As a first step, I would start by sharing with all your managers successful examples and case studies. it is also good idea to develop your team through effective training where they will learn basic communication skill as well as strategies for setting up good teams.

2. DELEGATE FOR BETTER RESULTS

They don’t just bring employees within the department together for a weekly meeting just to pass on information or listen to complaints and excuses. Instead, even worker teams at the project level should be asked to identify problems, including the costs associated with them. They then should be empowered to solve those problems.

3. ENCOURAGE TEAM INTERACTION

Many of the successes team-oriented workplaces have seen come because they bring together groups of workers who never before talked. For example, technical/project management and customer service teams frequently are at odds with each other; Customer service wants the product out as soon as possible but project management has multiple deadlines to meet and doesn’t want to give poor service to anyone. However, by bringing the two groups together to solve a problem, they will agree on the results and both sides will feel as though the other understands what their concern are.

4.TEAMS CAN GET STALE

The whole idea of teamwork is to bring together people with different areas of expertise to address a specific problem.  As a result, teams should be formed and disbanded as needed. When a person or group identifies a problem, teams are formed by gathering employees with the necessary information to help solve it. when one task is complete, the team ends, new problems are identified and new teams are formed.

5. YOU MUST PROVIDE RESOURCES FOR TEAM

To be effective, teams need access to key functions and services such as varied technical skills and processes, customer service, marketing, HR as well as continuing management and technical education via consultants. They will need money to conduct studies such as comparison of two processes or benchmarking process with other companies.

6. DEAL WITH DIFFICULT CO-WORKER

we all have people in our lives that we don’t like but we can’t ignore. We also know the toll these relationships take on our own mental - and sometimes even physical- health. You dread having to be in the same room with him/her. Your heart rate start to skyrocket at the mere through of having conversation with him/her. Worse yet, you spend hours of precious time you could be working just dealing with the bad feelings. Yet it doesn’t have to be this way. You don’t have to like everyone you come into contact with, but you can make the relationship easier on yourself by following a few key communication tactics.

BEGIN IN A FRIENDLY WAY

You’ll realise a huge difference when you make a conscious effort to smile at your co-worker and ask him a non work question, such as how his family is doing or what he thought about the local football team’s latest game

SHOW RESPECT FOR THE OTHER PERSON’S OPINION

Never tell the person he or she is wrong. This can be especially difficult, especially if the person is antagonistic or poorly informed. However, we’ve found that it often doesn’t take long for a difficult person become more easy- going once he’s truly being listened to.

SEE THE THINGS FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE

Again, this can be a challenge when you’re convinced that the other person is coming from a completely alien mindset. Yet,  with a little practice, you can begin giving people the benefit of the doubt and start see why they might feel that way.

GIVE HONEST AND SINCERE APPRECIATION

Remember: ‘ if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.’ It may seen quaint, but it works, especially when you’re in a contentious realtionship.

Of course, there will still be tense moments, but you and your co -worker will be able to handle them as professionals, instead of letting your emotions get in the way. The higher you are in your organizations, the more important it is to work in teams and know how to deal with people. As you learn to successfully manage your inter-personal relationships at work, you will have a definite leg up on many of your peers.

- Originally written by Pallavi Jha and published in Bangalore Mirror.

There are some key criteria to keep in mind before you decide to accept an job offer. Lets check 10 important points in this regard.

Organization

Background information on an organization can help you decide whether it is a good place for you to work or not. Some of the factors that you may want to consider include the organization’s business or activity, financial condition, age and size. You can generally get this information through public resources such as internet, through annual reports, press releases, company newsletter or magazines.

Location

This is primary factor which you need to consider before taking up an offer. There certainly no point in working for an organization which is located extremely far from your residence resulting in a substantial amount of money and time being wasted in commuting to and fro. In addition to this, long hours of travel also leave you fatigued by the time you reach office leading to lower productivity at work.

Environment

Everyday you will be spending a substantial amount of your waking hours at work. It is important that the environment be conducive to your health, happiness and general well-being.

Workplaces very widely in terms of their feel and you would not want to work in an environment where you are not able to maximize your productivity or where the noise and distractions overwhelm you. Find out about the work environment such as-do employees acknowledge each other in the hallways? Is the workplace in an urban or suburban area? Are the workplaces clean and spare or do employees put up personal effect?

Work Hours

Most jobs involve regular hours for example, 40 hours a week, 9-5, Monday through Friday. However other jobs require night, weekend or holiday work. In addition some jobs routinely require overtime to meet deadlines or sales or production goals, or to better serve customers. And thus, it is essential to consider the impact of the work hours on your personal life.

Benefits And Perks

It is impotent for you to review benefits and perks offered by an organization such as health and life insurance coverage, vacation, sick time, disability, and other benefit programmes like day care centers for working parents, gyms on site or transport options for employees.

Job Content

If you are a person who gets greater satisfaction doing quality work then this criterion plays a vitals role while selecting a job. you need to figure out the scope in terms of your responsibilities and if there is enough challenge to keep you interested and focused. Also, does the position meet your personal goals and objectives? What have been the opportunities for professional growth and advancement offered to others, and what can you expect? Do you prefer team a activity or independent work, and which does this position require?

Flexibility

Many of you, with small children elderly parents , studies or other personal considerations, need flexibility in your schedules. Thus important for you to opt for an organization which gives you such kind of flexibility.

Advancement

When considering job offers, looks at the company structure and think about whether you are able to see yourself as a manger or executive. Ask about leadership potential in your interviews to help gauge the atmosphere. Which position will look better on your resume if you decide to pursue other career paths in few years? Will you get to learn new skills, increase your earnings and rise to positions of greater authority? Are there opportunities for mobility within the firm? What is the appraisal system like? Do they have training programmes for employee? All these question are very impotent to plan one’s career graph, with the next step in mind.

Security

Security is a major concern especially if you are amongst the older employees nearing retirement. In such situation, you should ask about the future direction or goals of a company, or do some research. Look up the company’s competitors and see how they are doing. Check news articles for updates on the growth or decline of a company. You do not want to hop on board an organization that cannot support you in the long term.

Your Manager

Before accepting an offer, develop an understanding about the demeanor or attitude of your manager. Any immediate red flags could tip you off about working with this person. Additionally, establishing a rapport with a prospective manager can ally any concerns you have about taking a job.

Factors That Comes Into Play

Pleasant surroundings or office space

location:

• Appeal of city or town
• climate
• Commuting time
• Proximity of family
• Cost of living

Size of organization

Flexible work hours

Overtime vs no overtime

Variety in work

Creativity

Learning potential

Skill transferability

Independence

Significant responsibility

Positive relationship with supervisor

Opportunity to supervise others

Level of pressure on the job

Opportunity for advancement/mobility

job status

Company image

Company ethics

Industry growth

Travel

Health/fitness

- Originally written by Rashi Dubey and published in Bangalore Mirror.

Unless you’re at the extreme top, you can’t choose who you work with. Here what you need to keep in mind when dealing with a difficult co-worker

MOVE AHEAD OF THE BLAME GAME

Do not get into direct accusation or blaming a single person for any blunder. Often, indirect language works because it puts the focus away from any one person and gets focus towards the problem at hand. A small change in words here and there will  go good. For example, instead of saying “You need to complete the report by xyz time”, try “Reports must be completed by xyz time.”

FEEDBACKS WORK

When somebody misses the deadline, let them know what’s in store for them and for the company. That would ensure he or she has an idea of how ugly things can get with delay. So be aware of the situation at office.

ADD A PERSONAL TOUCH

E-mails may be great when you are in no mood to speak with someone. But it’s very easy and vulnerable to come accross as sharp and rough with wrong words used. Use the phone or drop by their cabin to address sensitive issues.

KEEP IT BRIEF

While discussing problems, make sure you keep it short and direct.It minimises the stressful situation at both ends.

HANDLING A WHINER

Let’s face it. You cannot change a whiner but definetly keep a check on your interactions with them. Stay clear of open-ended questions limit your greetiongs to ‘Good Morning’ and’Good Evening.’ And who saying you can’t be busy alll the time, right?

DO YOUR HOMEWORK

You are going in to voice an idea or a report to your boss. And fumbling at key issues can get you in a lot of difficulty, especially for the boss who is waiting to find something to pick on you. And the only way out is getting a thorough research by your side.

DONT’ COMPLAIN

Think before you speak. Bring out negetive issues only if you plan to rectify them. VComplaing for the sake of complaiining can leave a bad impression and creat an unheathy environment.

LET GO OFF YOUR ANGER

It may be hard to let go off your feelings but on many occasions, that’s the best way out. A good way to get rid of them  is to write how you feel on a piece of paper and tear it off. Does sound kiddy but it works for those looking to drain those memories out.

DON’T TAKE IT PERSONALLY

 Keep it separate. A criticism (constructive or intended) of your work is not a criticism of you. Don’t let it come in your way of good self-esteem.

STICK TO THE POINTS

Whenever you’ve got to discuss something with a difficult co-worker, write down the main point and stick to them. No matter how many times does the conversation drifts away, come back.

KEEP PEOPLE IN THE LOOP

Keep your co-worker and bosses updated about every small development, maybe like a new deadline. Or else they cant react negatively.

DEAL WITH A SCREAMER

Tell the person that the screaming just makes the situation even more difficult and their can’t be a consensus till the screaming stop. Also remind him/her how unprofessional it is.

WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE

 Your own words can either create or solve a problem. Don’t make a situation worse by using harsh words or even abusing the person. Use neutral words.  A more diplomatic way would be to sympathise with the person, saying, “I understand it’s difficult for you to deal with this situation.”

MEASURABLE GOALS FOR EMPLOYEES

These goals should be measurable and specific rather than vague. Don’t expect your employees to achieve illogical standards in a short time. Give them the necessary period to put in that effort to get the desired results. For example, instead of saying, “I expect you to improve your attitude, “Say, “There will be no more incidents of raising your voice to another employee.”

STOP GOSSIP

If other people around you can’t stop gossiping, at least you can. Respond to the gossip with surprise and leave it over there. Gossipers just want to stir up trouble but if you make sure that you don’t respond, they will move on and the damage will be limited.

BE FRIENDLY WITHOUT GETTING TOO CLOSE

You need not be the best of friends with every one at work and need not gel with everyone. And yes, it’s perfectly okay. Its more important to have a friendly and cordial realtionship with your co-workers, but for emotional fulfillment, look outside work.

CULTIVATE SMALL TALK

Small talk can break that initial barrier and also make sure that you won’t be a stanger charging at them in alarming situations. Ask them about simple things like music, movies and hobbies. It need not be fun-filled exercise. But some cordial sharing of information is fine.

Keep Your Temper

The most important thing, do not raise your voice whatsoever. Keep your voice normal because there are high chances that the other person will be highly tempted to go overboard. Not only does it keep the tempo even, it also actually forces the person to listen.

DISH OUT COMPLIMENTS

It is a human tendency to look at other’s mistakes and dish them out with great ease. However, what’s difficult and more important is to look at what’s right in the person. An optimistic attitude in life goes a long way. It is just fair, isn’t it?

STAY OPEN MINDED

When someone criticises you, regardless of what you feel about them, think about it with an objective idea. Be responsive and consider improvement. It is actually oppurtunity for growth. Making an effort to be flexible means that you will have an easier time adapting to your company’s (inevitably) changing structures, and your open-mindness will make others want to work with you.

- Published in Bangalore Mirror.

Inspiring and leading older team members is a challenge, but if you can harness their experience and wisdom, targets can be a calkwalk

Here are some tips to successfully manage older members on your team.

PROVE YOURSELF

Do this without showing off. For this you need to have enough knowledge and expertise in your field of work. To build credibility especially with the older employees in your team,  it is important that you are perceived as knowledgeable.  Afterall, power comes with knowledge-goes the adage.

HAVE THE RIGHT ATTITUDE

To get respect, you must in turn show respect. Avoid using authority or your managerial position to get work done. If an elderly person on your team points out mistake, do not get defensive about it. Acknowledge it and make efforts to learn from them. Also never shy away from asking questions if you dont know something.

On the contrary, be forthcoming in seeking their advice on important decision or key issues. This way they will be less likely to consider you as an “arrogant” and ” know-it-all” boss. Instead they will see you an avid learner and respect you for that. Remember there is plentry to learn from the experienced generation even if you are the boss.

BE SENSITIVE TO EMOTIONS

As young manager you need to have an understanding about issues that may upset your older employees. Also be aware of the fact that they might hold some grudges against you because you are making more money or enjoying greater authority than they do. Such situations need to be dealt with some tact, patience and a lot of emotional maturity. Listen to them to them empathetically and encourage them to express their feelings and vent out their emotions. This will help you to garner respect for yourself and in turn foster an environment of openness.

COMMUNICATION STYLE

Understand and use the style of communication preferred by them. Older employees tend to be high on building relationships and consider communications via emails as very cold way of interaction. Thus as a manager when you need to assign them some work, it is best done by walking upto their desks or communicating over the phone. The more human contact you share, the more comfortable they feel scheduling face-to-face meeting on regular basis for feedback or other reasons also makes them feel wanted.

SET CLEAR EXPECTATIONS

Don’t assume that they know what you expect of them. It is important to be very clear on what you want done and waht the measurement of completion and of success will be.

DO AWAY WITH STEREOTYPES

Your older employees are individuals like others in the group, so it’s essentials that they are not differentiated on the basis of some pre-concived notions of age. For instance, believing that all the older employees will have no desire to learn new skills is one of the biggest mistakes people tend to make. Instead, you must encourge them to explore fresh horizons and remain abreast of latest developments in their area.

Send them for training programmes. Research shows that older learner are keener to learn and are as capable as their younger counterparts in grasping new skills.

Use Their Experience Right

Re-engage them in fresh assignments and knowledge sharing roles. Let them coach and encourage younger workers, since these people have a wealth of knowledge and experience they would love to pass on. Give them the opportunity to do so and the entire organization will benefit.

Value Them

You should explicitly acknowledge their expertise and knowledge accumulated over the past several years. These workers can be a great source of wisdom, particularly when it comes to company and customer history.

Synergy Time

For any team or organization to deliver, it is important to bridge the generational conflict. When you synergise your confidence to execute things with the experience and wisdom of older employees, achieving targets becomes a cake walk.

 - Written by Rashi Dubey and originally published in Bangalore Mirror.

These days with hectic schedules and time constraints, one may not have the time carefully plan their finances and investments. Internet is a huge aid in this regard by one may not have the expertise to choose the correct info. So one naturally choose to look for an wealth adviser. However, it is important to make sure if the adviser have the required expertise, experience and track record.

A good financial adviser should be able to -

• Answer specific questions, organize and orient your overall financial picture
• Asses your needs and make sure you have all of the basic insurance you need to protect yourself, your family and your assets
• Avoid costly mistakes, manage risk, save time and improve your overall investment results.
• Guide your through the maze of legal and tax implications and can put you on course to have a flexible financial plan.
• Decrease your tax liability
• Provide the emotional discipline required to make sure plans are acted upon
• Provide guidance, reassurance, support and stability to reach your goals.

Choose an adviser who -

• Comes across as a pleasant personality who can listen
• Has at least 8 - 10 years experience in the advisory domain
• Can be with you for a long time
• Not just tells you when to buy, but also tells you when to sell and protects you from the downside of the market.

Written by Debojyoti Gosh and originally published in Times of India.

The CV is very important for a job seeker as it can be taken as a formal application. If there are annomalies it can have undesireable consequences and rejection. CV is the first form of marketing face of YOU. So it is very important we present the CV in the right prospective and manner. The interviewer not only see what is written there but also why and how. Sometimes even more. Recently, I read a article on this topic and I will put it for your here so that you can check. To read the article, click here.

EARLY BIRDS

Financial planning in these early years would mean creating wealth aggressively. Accumulated wealth would be of great advantage when the person decides to settle into matrimony or when buying big-ticket items like a home.

The target should be to invest approximately 40% of net income. Equities directly or equity-based mutual funds should be an absolutely critical element in this portfolio it can reduce in later years of life once a fair amount of wealth has been amassed.

Life insurance may be totally irrelevant for this person unless there is someone who depends on his or her income. Low yielding investments like a fixed deposit PPF are best avoided for this person.

LATE BLOOMERS

Financial planning for this category of singles would entail creation of a safety net, which would help if the person wants to quit a regular job or start a new venture. It would ensure that s/he has enough wealth to maintain his /her lifestyle for the rest of his/her life and also pursue a hobby or interest as a career.

The planning strategy would depend on how much is accumulated. The first target here should be to have enough money to last a lifetime so that one does bit have to depend on anyone.

Once this threshold is achieved, a balanced investment approach would be fair as the need then to create wealth is not as much as to protect and nurture it.

Life insurance is again not a requirement unless there is a dependent child. Existing life insurance, if any, may be curtailed to optimize use of money to other avenues. Preparing a will and identifying an executor of estate is very important as you don’t have heirs and may like the money to be utilized in a certain manner once you are gone.

Consolidate all assets and do not spread too far, that is across cities and countries. Do not have multiple bank accounts everywhere and investments all over the country or the world.

Real estate in multiple locations is avoidable here as management and inheritance will both become an issue later.

It is important to get hold of your credit card before it is too late. I think credit card should be used more as a back up and convinience of payment rather than easy access to money. If you plan properly it can be a great asset. Recently, the TOI published some tips on credit card usage. Let me share that with you all:

1. Read the terms and conditions carefully and evaluate before signing

2. Advisable to have not more than 2 cards

3. Understand the billing cycles and capitalize on the interest free period

4. Restrict your credit card limit to 4 - 6 times of your monthly salary

5. Don’t use credit card for cash withdrawls. The interest rate are very high

6. Tighten your spending in line with your budget. Don’t be an impulsive buyer

7. Try to clear the entire outstanding at one go. Don’t succumb to the minimum due payable. You end up paying high interest along with taxes

8. Avoid taking EMI option for big purchases. It will push you into a long repayment cycle at high cost

9. 5% of your salary can be a credit card bill for personal expenses

10. Go for a holistic saving plan, it’s better option to invest rather han taking credit and spending depreciating assents

- Written by debojyoti Ghosh and originally published in Times of India.

Get organized at work, or it’ll cost you dearly. Here’s how you get started

Haven’t you termed that ‘completely organised’ colleague of yours as a ‘perfectionist’? we think you did it more out of jealousy than jest. There is a reason for it though: it is that far from being perfect, you know you aren’t ‘completely organised’ either. There is a way through which you emulate the perfectionist though, if you are ready to put in some efforts and have a knack of pursuing your goals. Be assured, what follows is no gyaan on developing a new skills, rather these are just tips to oganise your skills so you and your team fare better at the workplace. And by the way, it’s still not late to make a New Year resolution. So we suggest you read on:

CONTROL SHIFT

With full schedules, there are daily problems that will occur and will need immediate attention. This means that other tasks will have to be kept aside. Impromptu meetings, absence of fellow team-members and other situations can make getting through the workday almost impossible. Staying organized i.e. having a time-plan is essential if you want to stay true to your deadlines. If you’re a team –leader, your schedules will assume more importance. This will help you delegate additional responsibilities when necessary. The following tips will help you (and even your colleagues and superiors) stay on track even on the stormiest days at your workplace.

Invest in a planner or calendar with big blocks so that you can write down not only yours schedule, but also your team members’ schedules. Ideally, this should be on your desk all the time, but many prefer to make use of software for this. You will only have to use it regularly to realise how it helps you to keep track of your projects, deadlines and productivity in general.

Get into the habit of ‘separating’ things according to their importance or priority. Using files and folders would do you quite some service (if you don’t care about people calling you ‘boring’). Make sure you file all material in designated sports. Each morning, take out what will be needed and keep it close by. Carrying things to office in a bulky bag is something worth doing on days of presentations – since you have materials ready, you will feel a sense of completeness, which in turn will also boost your confidence.

Use technology! Pen drives, flash drives and several other USB- based devices are now available in our markets at dirtcheap prices. And since it is a matter of a right click to create virtual folders, why not do it ? USB drives (which double up as key chains, bottle openers and even neck pieces these days) are a cool, convenient option to carry all your contacts, presentations, files and a load of things with you – all the time

Enlist your daily tasks and reminders and mark them off as you complete them. If you own a funky cellphone, we’re sure it’ll have a pretty decent ‘organiser ‘ too! Why not feed it with alarms and reminders everyday on your way to work ? It will not only catch you napping, but also let you know what all you have done.

If you’re a team –leader, here’s something worth doing: create a list of your team members and their strengths and their skills in particular area. When planning a project, refer to the list when deciding which roles people will fill. If a team member specifically asks for a role, write it down on their list so that next time, you will remember to consider them for it.

OUT OF WORK

While all the above is important to help you save the blushes at work, planning time for your family, work or a hobby too is crucial. For, the work-free time balance itself will let you be more organized and keep stress levels low. If you are taking work home everyday, even more planning needs to be done to keep your near ones happy.