Most people know in broad terms what a manager is, although usually they cannot define it exactly. But to ask them what managers do is to invite scores of different answers. Today what they are not is “bosses” who just order workers what to do. Rather they are team leaders and work with their team to achieve common objectives. Not everyone who has “manager” in their job title is a manager. Some people are given the title to make them look more important to a firm’s customers. For example some businesses call every sales person a “sales manager”.
On the other hand there are management jobs that do not have “manager” in the job title – such as an orchestral conductor, the leader of a Himalayan climbing expedition, or a commissioned officer in the armed forces. The work of managers can be broken down under six main headings. Firstly they set their team’s objectives. Then they must organise, by working out what needs to be done and allocate people to these tasks. Thirdly they must communicate lucidly so that each person understands what they are responsible for. They must also motivate each person in the team to give their willing effort.
They must set targets for their team. And finally they must develop the knowledge and skills of the individuals in their team. That looks a pretty daunting list. But if you look at a simple example it becomes less alarming. Imagine that you plan a long weekend away with several friends and they ask you to lead it. Your objectives will be where you go, when, how you get there, what you intend to do when you are there and what type of accommodation you want. You must decide who is responsible for booking travel, accommodation and so on and make it clear who does what. You may need to chase some people to make sure they complete their tasks by the agreed time. You might also have to show someone how to read a timetable, or use a map and compass to navigate across country, or make a youth hostel booking. And you will need to get everyone to agree to the plan and their individual tasks if the trip is to be a success.
LeaderHard work yes, but not too daunting if you can focus everyone’s energy and skills to the task in hand. The other thing you must always remember is that you as the leader carry the responsibility, even if other team members let you down.
Team MakerEverybody in a team must work to the same aims, otherwise there is chaos – these objectives must be set by the manager. This usually involves dealing with other managers in the organization because most functions depend on one another. For example, a sales manager should not aim to sell more than the production department can make, or the IT manager aim to computerise the firm’s accounts without consulting the managers in the affected departments. The manager should also let his or her own team have their say in case they spot any problems or can suggest better ways
is the manager’s responsibility to ensure that everyone gets appropriate training and experience to remain on top of their job. This may involve identifying people’s training needs and letting the training department do the training, but sometimes the manager must train people. Training and development is not only important to ensure the job is done as well as it can be, but it is also a great motivator of people.
knowledgeableFrom the above it looks as if managers have a lot to do. But some of these tasks – such as setting objectives, work organisation, setting targets and identifying training needs might take only a very few weeks in the year. Managers spend most of their time sorting out problems, communicating with people and especially enthusing their team members. And good managers never forget that the collective knowledge and experience of their team members is almost always far greater than their own – so they avoid arrogance. of doing things. Once agreed, the manager lets every team member know what the objectives are, clearly and
without ambiguity.
Clear ObjectiveThe manager must work out what needs to be done to achieve the objectives, breaking down the work into individual tasks, and selecting people to perform each job. This means allocating the work by matching the skills and experience of individuals to the needs of each particular job. It also means using materials, tools and so on as efficiently and economically as possible.
CommunicatorA key management skill is the ability to communicate. This is not just “telling” people what to do, however clearly. Managers listen to their team, encourage their ideas and, where practical, adopt these into the plan. They also offer reassurance if members of the team have any worries or concerns. And if a team’s ideas cannot be incorporated in the plan, the manager should explain why, but still let the team know that its contribution was valuable. It is better to persuade than to tell. Another important element of communication is creating trust. A manager has to be honest or lose the respect of the team. Managers should not bluff. If they do not know something they should say so – and offer to find out. If they promise to do something, they should always do it or explain why they were unable to do it. And if they make a mistake they need the courage to say “I was wrong” and to apologise. Once a manager loses the trust of the team he or she can never successfully lead that team again.
Motivator How a manager communicates is an important part of motivating the team. The things that motivate people at work are that their job offers interest and challenge, that their contribution is recognised, that they have the opportunity to develop their careers – though training, practicing new skills and hopefully through promotion. Contrary to what some people will tell you, all these are more important than more money. Something as simple as a smile and a “well done” can work wonders. Good managers also inspire their colleagues. They are always optimists in front of their team – however pessimistic they are in private. If there are problems, such as a sudden inrush of work, they don’t tell their team to work harder but roll up their own sleeves and get stuckin. And if someone makes a mistake, good managers don’t say: “You have a problem. What are you going to do about it?” They say: “We have a problem, what shall we do to solve it?”
Clear TargetsHaving set objectives for the team, and organised the work that needs to be done to achieve them, the manager must monitor progress. This is done by setting targets both for the team and often for individuals within the team. The manager can then measure what is happening against these targets and inform both the team and higher management. This monitoring helps to highlight any problems that may occur before they become serious.
GroomerJobs are changing at an exhilarating pace. So skills and knowledge soon get out of date unless they are regularly updated. It is the manager’s responsibility to ensure that everyone gets appropriate training and experience to remain on top of their job. This may involve identifying people’s training needs and letting the training depa rtment do the training, but sometimes the manager must train people. Training and development is not only important to ensure the job is done as well as it can be, but it is also a great
motivator of people.
Brain StormingFrom the above it looks as if managers have a lot to do. But some of these tasks – such as setting objectives, work organisation, setting targets and identifying training needs might take only a very few weeks in the year. Managers spend most of their time sorting out problems, communicating with people and especially enthusing their team members. And good managers never forget that the collective knowledge and experience of their team members is almost always far greater than their own – so they avoid arrogance
Friday, October 16, 2009
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Effective negotiation
In this economy, being able to close important deals and negotiate better prices and terms is more essential than ever. But if you’re worried that being a good negotiator means having to fight dirty, you’re wrong – a negotiation should be an opportunity for give and take that results in a win-win situation for the participants involved. Learning how to negotiate effectively can help you achieve these winning results while strengthening business relationships.
Start improving your negotiation skills with these dos and don’ts:
Don’t appear needy.People can smell desperation. This will weaken your position and allow opponents to get you to make too large a concession or give too deep a discount.
Don’t take it personally.Getting your emotions involved will cloud your ability to make sound arguments and judgments. To keep yourself from losing your cool, think of yourself as a professional deal maker who will not be personally affected by the outcome of the negotiation. Take your emotions out of the equation.
Be prepared to walk away.Being able to say “no” and mean it ensures you don’t end up making a bad deal. Before going into negotiations – and before your emotions and the heat of the moment become part of the mix – set your walk-away point. Then if the terms offered do not match up to your expectations, walk away. This not only strengthens your position, it will also win you some respect.
Don’t force it.By dragging out negotiations that are going nowhere, you’re wasting time and causing a lot of frustration. By pressuring your opponents to make an agreement they don’t want or can’t afford to make, you’re creating bad feelings that could lead to mistrust and a wary working relationship. Remember, it’s about give and take, and when neither party is willing to budge, the negotiation is over.
Further, like many things in life, it’s beneficial to:
Do your research.Good negotiators come prepared. They find out what their opponent’s needs and wants are and what competitors can offer. They anticipate objections so they can counter them with arguments or other concessions.
Practice, practice, practice.Like anything else, getting good at negotiating requires practice. Develop your confidence by practicing whenever you have the chance, whether it’s at a flea market or at home with your family members. Get used to negotiating in your daily life.
Ask for it.Many people dislike negotiating because they feel embarrassed or scared asking for things they want. But if you don’t ask for something, you’ll rarely, if ever, get it. In fact, you may be pleasantly surprised by what you can get if you ask for it. If the answer is “no,” then you have a starting point for your negotiations.
Those who are good at negotiating usually enjoy it. So don’t dread or fear negotiations. See it as a fun exchange, a battle of skills, practice grounds for future negotiations, and more importantly, as a way to build up the client-vendor relationship and win terms, prices and deals that are advantageous for you and your business.
Start improving your negotiation skills with these dos and don’ts:
Don’t appear needy.People can smell desperation. This will weaken your position and allow opponents to get you to make too large a concession or give too deep a discount.
Don’t take it personally.Getting your emotions involved will cloud your ability to make sound arguments and judgments. To keep yourself from losing your cool, think of yourself as a professional deal maker who will not be personally affected by the outcome of the negotiation. Take your emotions out of the equation.
Be prepared to walk away.Being able to say “no” and mean it ensures you don’t end up making a bad deal. Before going into negotiations – and before your emotions and the heat of the moment become part of the mix – set your walk-away point. Then if the terms offered do not match up to your expectations, walk away. This not only strengthens your position, it will also win you some respect.
Don’t force it.By dragging out negotiations that are going nowhere, you’re wasting time and causing a lot of frustration. By pressuring your opponents to make an agreement they don’t want or can’t afford to make, you’re creating bad feelings that could lead to mistrust and a wary working relationship. Remember, it’s about give and take, and when neither party is willing to budge, the negotiation is over.
Further, like many things in life, it’s beneficial to:
Do your research.Good negotiators come prepared. They find out what their opponent’s needs and wants are and what competitors can offer. They anticipate objections so they can counter them with arguments or other concessions.
Practice, practice, practice.Like anything else, getting good at negotiating requires practice. Develop your confidence by practicing whenever you have the chance, whether it’s at a flea market or at home with your family members. Get used to negotiating in your daily life.
Ask for it.Many people dislike negotiating because they feel embarrassed or scared asking for things they want. But if you don’t ask for something, you’ll rarely, if ever, get it. In fact, you may be pleasantly surprised by what you can get if you ask for it. If the answer is “no,” then you have a starting point for your negotiations.
Those who are good at negotiating usually enjoy it. So don’t dread or fear negotiations. See it as a fun exchange, a battle of skills, practice grounds for future negotiations, and more importantly, as a way to build up the client-vendor relationship and win terms, prices and deals that are advantageous for you and your business.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Urgent vs Important
Use Time Effectively, Not Just Efficiently
Time stressors are some of the most pervasive sources of pressure and stress in the workplace, and they happen as a result of having too much to do in too little time.
With this kind of pressure all too common, effective time management is an absolute necessity.
You probably use a day-planner and to-do list to manage your time.
These tools are certainly helpful, but they don't allow you to drill down to one of the most essential elements of good time management: distinguishing between what is important and what is urgent.
Great time management means being effective as well as efficient. Managing time effectively, and achieving the things that you want to achieve, means spending your time on things that are important and not just urgent.
To do this, and to minimize the stress of having too many tight deadlines,
We need to distinguish clearly between what is urgent and what is important
Important activities have an outcome that leads to the achievement of your goals.
Urgent activities demand immediate attention, and are usually associated with the achievement of someone else's goals, or with an uncomfortable problem or situation that needs to be resolved.
Urgent activities are often the ones we concentrate on.
These are the "squeaky wheels that get the grease."
They demand attention because the consequences of not dealing with them are immediate.
The Urgent vs Important Matrix is a useful tool for thinking about this.
How to Use the Tool:
The Urgent/Important Matrix is a powerful way of thinking about priorities.
Using it helps you overcome the natural tendency to focus on urgent activities, so that you can keep enough time clear to focus on what's really important.
This is the way you move from "firefighting", into a position where you can grow your business and your career.
The matrix is drawn as shown in figure 1, with dimensions of Importance and Urgency.
How to use this matrix to prioritize your activities:
Firstly, list all of the activities and projects you feel you have to do.
Try to include everything that takes up your time at work, however unimportant.
If you manage your time using an Action Program, you'll already have done this.
Next, assign importance to each of the activities –
you can do this on, say, a scale of 1 to 5: Remember, this is a measure of how important the activity is in helping you meet your goals and objectives.
Try not to worry about urgency at this stage, as this helps get to the true importance.
Once you have assigned importance to each activity, evaluate the urgency of each activity.
As you do this, you can plot the listed items on the matrix according to the assigned importance and urgency.
Now study the matrix using the guidelines below, and schedule your work according to your priorities.
Urgent and Important ("Critical Activities"):
There are two distinct types of urgent and important activities: Ones that you could not foresee, and others that you have left to the last minute.
You can avoid the latter by planning ahead and avoiding procrastination.
Issues and crises, on the other hand, cannot always be foreseen or avoided. Here, the best approach is to leave some time in your schedule to handle these. Also, if a major crisis arises, some other activity may have to be rescheduled.
If this happens, identify which of you urgent-important activities could have been foreseen and think about how you could schedule similar activities ahead of time, so they do not become urgent.
Urgent and Not Important ("Interruptions"):
Urgent but not important activities can be a constant source of interruption. They stop you achieving your goals and completing your work. Ask yourself whether these tasks can be rescheduled, or whether someone else could do them.
A common source of such interruptions is from other people coming into your office.
Sometimes it's appropriate to say "No" to people, or encourage them to solve the problem themselves.
Alternatively, try allocating time when you are available, so that people only interrupt you at certain times (a good way of doing this is to schedule a regular meeting so that all issues can be dealt with at the same time).
By doing this, the flow of work on your important activities will be less disrupted.
Not Urgent, but Important ("Important Goals"):
These are the activities that you can plan ahead for to achieve your goals and complete your work.
Make sure that you have plenty of time to achieve these, so that they do not become urgent.
And remember to leave enough time in your schedule to deal with unforeseen problems.
This will maximize your chances of keeping on schedule, and help you avoid the stress of work becoming more urgent that necessary.
Not Urgent and Not Important ("Distractions"):
These activities are just a distraction, and should be avoided if possible.
Some can simply be ignored. Others are activities that other people want you to do, but they do not contribute to your own desired outcomes.
Again, say "No" politely and firmly where this is appropriate.
If people see you are clear about your objectives and boundaries, they will often not ask you to do "not important" activities in future.
Time stressors are some of the most pervasive sources of pressure and stress in the workplace, and they happen as a result of having too much to do in too little time.
With this kind of pressure all too common, effective time management is an absolute necessity.
You probably use a day-planner and to-do list to manage your time.
These tools are certainly helpful, but they don't allow you to drill down to one of the most essential elements of good time management: distinguishing between what is important and what is urgent.
Great time management means being effective as well as efficient. Managing time effectively, and achieving the things that you want to achieve, means spending your time on things that are important and not just urgent.
To do this, and to minimize the stress of having too many tight deadlines,
We need to distinguish clearly between what is urgent and what is important
Important activities have an outcome that leads to the achievement of your goals.
Urgent activities demand immediate attention, and are usually associated with the achievement of someone else's goals, or with an uncomfortable problem or situation that needs to be resolved.
Urgent activities are often the ones we concentrate on.
These are the "squeaky wheels that get the grease."
They demand attention because the consequences of not dealing with them are immediate.
The Urgent vs Important Matrix is a useful tool for thinking about this.
How to Use the Tool:
The Urgent/Important Matrix is a powerful way of thinking about priorities.
Using it helps you overcome the natural tendency to focus on urgent activities, so that you can keep enough time clear to focus on what's really important.
This is the way you move from "firefighting", into a position where you can grow your business and your career.
The matrix is drawn as shown in figure 1, with dimensions of Importance and Urgency.
How to use this matrix to prioritize your activities:
Firstly, list all of the activities and projects you feel you have to do.
Try to include everything that takes up your time at work, however unimportant.
If you manage your time using an Action Program, you'll already have done this.
Next, assign importance to each of the activities –
you can do this on, say, a scale of 1 to 5: Remember, this is a measure of how important the activity is in helping you meet your goals and objectives.
Try not to worry about urgency at this stage, as this helps get to the true importance.
Once you have assigned importance to each activity, evaluate the urgency of each activity.
As you do this, you can plot the listed items on the matrix according to the assigned importance and urgency.
Now study the matrix using the guidelines below, and schedule your work according to your priorities.
Urgent and Important ("Critical Activities"):
There are two distinct types of urgent and important activities: Ones that you could not foresee, and others that you have left to the last minute.
You can avoid the latter by planning ahead and avoiding procrastination.
Issues and crises, on the other hand, cannot always be foreseen or avoided. Here, the best approach is to leave some time in your schedule to handle these. Also, if a major crisis arises, some other activity may have to be rescheduled.
If this happens, identify which of you urgent-important activities could have been foreseen and think about how you could schedule similar activities ahead of time, so they do not become urgent.
Urgent and Not Important ("Interruptions"):
Urgent but not important activities can be a constant source of interruption. They stop you achieving your goals and completing your work. Ask yourself whether these tasks can be rescheduled, or whether someone else could do them.
A common source of such interruptions is from other people coming into your office.
Sometimes it's appropriate to say "No" to people, or encourage them to solve the problem themselves.
Alternatively, try allocating time when you are available, so that people only interrupt you at certain times (a good way of doing this is to schedule a regular meeting so that all issues can be dealt with at the same time).
By doing this, the flow of work on your important activities will be less disrupted.
Not Urgent, but Important ("Important Goals"):
These are the activities that you can plan ahead for to achieve your goals and complete your work.
Make sure that you have plenty of time to achieve these, so that they do not become urgent.
And remember to leave enough time in your schedule to deal with unforeseen problems.
This will maximize your chances of keeping on schedule, and help you avoid the stress of work becoming more urgent that necessary.
Not Urgent and Not Important ("Distractions"):
These activities are just a distraction, and should be avoided if possible.
Some can simply be ignored. Others are activities that other people want you to do, but they do not contribute to your own desired outcomes.
Again, say "No" politely and firmly where this is appropriate.
If people see you are clear about your objectives and boundaries, they will often not ask you to do "not important" activities in future.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Create SMART Goals
Create SMART Goals
Internationally renowned business philosopher Jim Rohn says, "We want to set the goals that our heart conceives, that our mind believes and that our bodies will carry out." We are intelligent beings and as intelligent beings we need to have
SMART goals. The acronym S.M.A.R.T. outlines the set of criteria that your goal must follow in order for it to be a well-focused and achievable goal. That set of criteria is:
Specific: Do you know exactly what you want to accomplish with all the details?
Measurable: Are you able to assess your progress?
Attainable: Is your goal within your reach given your current situation?
Relevant: Is your goal relevant towards your purpose in life?
Time-Sensitive: What is the deadline for completing your goal?
Create Specific Goals
Jack Canfield in his book, The Success Principles, states that "Vague goals produce vague results." There is no place in your life for vague goals. Your subconscious mind will fulfill whatever it focuses on and if your goals are ambiguous or incomplete, then you will achieve results that are also ambiguous or incomplete. You want to make your goal as detailed as possible in order to achieve the specific results that you desire. A specific goal is one that is clearly defined in such a way that anyone could come by and understand what you intend to accomplish. Your goal should contain a detailed description of what you want to accomplish; when you want to accomplish it by; and the action(s) you will take to accomplish it.
Bad Thought: "I want to write a book."
Good Thought: "I want to write a book on time management that is at least 200 pages in length and have it done by December 16th. I'll commit myself to writing at least 2pages every workday until I reach completion."
Create Measurable Goals
Always set goals that are measurable in some way. You need to establish a measuring stick for assessing the progress towards your goals because if you can't measure it, you can't manage it. A good measurable goal will be one where anyone can come up to you at the deadline and, by viewing the results, determine whether or not you have completed your goal. You also want to be able to see the progressive changes that you make on your goal so that you can judge whether or not you are reaching the completion of your goal. Select a standard unit of measurement that will enable you to see exactly how far you have come from the start of your goal and how far away from the completion of the goal you are.
Bad Thought: "I want to be rich."
Good Thought: "I want to generate $100,000 in passive income within 5 years from this date."
Create Attainable Goals
Having high goals that stretch you is important, but you need to also need to create goals that are realistic for your situation and skill level. Many people unfortunately set their goals and dreams so high that they are just not very realistic and, as a result, they never seem to reach their dreams in life. Creating goals that are not attainable is very disempowering and will only serve to demotivate you in life. Remember to set high goals, but be realistic about your goals. On the same note, goals that are too easily accomplished do not stretch you or make you grow as a person because they are not challenging enough. You will want to find that right mix of goal that is challenging, but not extreme.
Bad Thought: "I want to become a millionaire in 2 months."
Good Thought: "I want to become a millionaire within 10 years by starting my own personal development company and doing seminars all over the world and by creating a line of passive income products."
Create Relevant Goals
Having goals is great, but what is the underlying purpose for those goals? You want to create goals that are in-line with your personal mission statement or your purpose in life. Relevant goals ensure that you are dedicating your effort towards goals that are focused towards who you are as a person. It is similar to a college curriculum that focuses on specific courses for each major. All of us should create a mission statement for ourselves which is basically our purpose in life and all of our goals should spawn from that mission statement. Goals are just a means of achieving that mission in life. A goal can be very evil in nature and still abide by all the other criteria, but relevancy is the ethical check on that goal to make sure that this particular goal fits within your purpose in life.
Bad Thought: "Within one year, I want to become a warlord and have many loyal soldiers who will commit acts of terrorism on my behalf."
Good Thought: "By the end of the year, I want to build a philanthropic foundation that helps feed the homeless."
Create Time-Sensitive Goals
Every goal that you create must be time-sensitive in nature. Not having a time element attached to your goal breeds procrastination. We would simply be motivated to put the goal off for a later time and never get around to it. Goals must have definite starting points and ending points and milestones along the way.
Bad Thought: "I am going to do my homework."
Good Thought: "I am going to finish my homework by 8pm tonight and I'll achieve this deadline by spending one hour on each subject."
By spending some time towards making sure that your goals fit the SMART criteria, you will ensure your success.
Internationally renowned business philosopher Jim Rohn says, "We want to set the goals that our heart conceives, that our mind believes and that our bodies will carry out." We are intelligent beings and as intelligent beings we need to have
SMART goals. The acronym S.M.A.R.T. outlines the set of criteria that your goal must follow in order for it to be a well-focused and achievable goal. That set of criteria is:
Specific: Do you know exactly what you want to accomplish with all the details?
Measurable: Are you able to assess your progress?
Attainable: Is your goal within your reach given your current situation?
Relevant: Is your goal relevant towards your purpose in life?
Time-Sensitive: What is the deadline for completing your goal?
Create Specific Goals
Jack Canfield in his book, The Success Principles, states that "Vague goals produce vague results." There is no place in your life for vague goals. Your subconscious mind will fulfill whatever it focuses on and if your goals are ambiguous or incomplete, then you will achieve results that are also ambiguous or incomplete. You want to make your goal as detailed as possible in order to achieve the specific results that you desire. A specific goal is one that is clearly defined in such a way that anyone could come by and understand what you intend to accomplish. Your goal should contain a detailed description of what you want to accomplish; when you want to accomplish it by; and the action(s) you will take to accomplish it.
Bad Thought: "I want to write a book."
Good Thought: "I want to write a book on time management that is at least 200 pages in length and have it done by December 16th. I'll commit myself to writing at least 2pages every workday until I reach completion."
Create Measurable Goals
Always set goals that are measurable in some way. You need to establish a measuring stick for assessing the progress towards your goals because if you can't measure it, you can't manage it. A good measurable goal will be one where anyone can come up to you at the deadline and, by viewing the results, determine whether or not you have completed your goal. You also want to be able to see the progressive changes that you make on your goal so that you can judge whether or not you are reaching the completion of your goal. Select a standard unit of measurement that will enable you to see exactly how far you have come from the start of your goal and how far away from the completion of the goal you are.
Bad Thought: "I want to be rich."
Good Thought: "I want to generate $100,000 in passive income within 5 years from this date."
Create Attainable Goals
Having high goals that stretch you is important, but you need to also need to create goals that are realistic for your situation and skill level. Many people unfortunately set their goals and dreams so high that they are just not very realistic and, as a result, they never seem to reach their dreams in life. Creating goals that are not attainable is very disempowering and will only serve to demotivate you in life. Remember to set high goals, but be realistic about your goals. On the same note, goals that are too easily accomplished do not stretch you or make you grow as a person because they are not challenging enough. You will want to find that right mix of goal that is challenging, but not extreme.
Bad Thought: "I want to become a millionaire in 2 months."
Good Thought: "I want to become a millionaire within 10 years by starting my own personal development company and doing seminars all over the world and by creating a line of passive income products."
Create Relevant Goals
Having goals is great, but what is the underlying purpose for those goals? You want to create goals that are in-line with your personal mission statement or your purpose in life. Relevant goals ensure that you are dedicating your effort towards goals that are focused towards who you are as a person. It is similar to a college curriculum that focuses on specific courses for each major. All of us should create a mission statement for ourselves which is basically our purpose in life and all of our goals should spawn from that mission statement. Goals are just a means of achieving that mission in life. A goal can be very evil in nature and still abide by all the other criteria, but relevancy is the ethical check on that goal to make sure that this particular goal fits within your purpose in life.
Bad Thought: "Within one year, I want to become a warlord and have many loyal soldiers who will commit acts of terrorism on my behalf."
Good Thought: "By the end of the year, I want to build a philanthropic foundation that helps feed the homeless."
Create Time-Sensitive Goals
Every goal that you create must be time-sensitive in nature. Not having a time element attached to your goal breeds procrastination. We would simply be motivated to put the goal off for a later time and never get around to it. Goals must have definite starting points and ending points and milestones along the way.
Bad Thought: "I am going to do my homework."
Good Thought: "I am going to finish my homework by 8pm tonight and I'll achieve this deadline by spending one hour on each subject."
By spending some time towards making sure that your goals fit the SMART criteria, you will ensure your success.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Chang in routine (Life)
When it comes to changing your life, it can seem like it will take years before you actually make
substantial changes. You might feel like giving up before you even get started.
What you need is a way to kick start the changes that you want to make in your life – and here
are ten ways to get started today.
1 Change Your Routine
One of the simplest ways to start improving and changing your life is to change something that you’ve always done. And it doesn’t have to even be related to the goal that you have in mind.
Here are some simple ways to change up your routine today:
Take a new route to work Eat a meal during a different time of day (i.e. eat breakfast at dinnertime) Change the order of your exercise routine
Get up earlier or later than you normally do Do different chores around the house or ignore chores that you always do
2 Look in your closet
In Feng Shui decorating principles, when you use certain colors and positions of furniture in your house, you can affect greater changes in your life. Taking this idea a step further, when you want to change something about your life for the better, doesn’t it make sense to start changing your surroundings?
A simple way to do this (without spending your money redecorating your house) is to simply change your appearance for a day.
Here are some simple ways to change up your routine today:
Wear a skirt instead of pants (ladies, of course) Try a different shirt with a suit – one that you’ve never paired together before
Wear a scarf to accessorize
Wear a different piece of jewelry
3 Don’t lie
What would your day be like if you didn’t lie about anything? Think about it for a moment. We all seem to lie about something during out day, even if we don’t realize it. When our food comes at a restaurant, we might say that there’s nothing else that we want, even if the wrong order comes out. Or when we’re heading to a movie, we might say to our friend or partner that we really don’t care what show we’re going to, even if there’s one that we really want to see.
4 Think like an optimist
Many experts will tell you that when you change the way you look at things, you will change your life – and it’s true. If you’re sitting around expecting the worst of things, you’ll be certain to find the worst of things. You’ll find all of your mistakes along the way to your goals. You’ll notice all of the problems with your plan. And then you’ll stop trying because you’ve noticed that everything is going wrong.
5 Don’t have any expectations
How many times have you been disappointed? Probably hundreds of times, right? However, if you think back to your times of pain and loss, many of these instances were the direct result of having some goal in mind that wasn’t reached or some expectation that wasn’t met.
6 Make a mistake
Too often, you can start to believe that making changes in your life means that you have to be perfect. However, logically, you know that no one is perfect, even if they seem to be. Perfection has become a burden that we have placed on ourselves – even though it’s not realistic
7 Talk to a stranger
Although the world is more connected than ever was before - with the inventions of the Internet and cellular phones - it seems that we’ve become more disconnected. We seem to forget that we aren’t the only ones that walk down out streets or have problems. And this might be hindering your ability to change your life.
8 Quit your job
You don’t actually need to quit your job in order to change your life, but if you’re not happy about the job that you have, what are you still doing there? The object of this tip is to help your recognize things that you are settling for instead of making room for the things that you’ll really enjoy having in your life.
9 Find an old hobby
Remember when you were a kid and you wanted to be a basketball player? You went to the garage and started to bounce a basketball up and down. You didn’t think about how good you really were at it; you just wanted to do it because it made you happy.
10 Thank someone that you love
When we’re changing ourselves, we forget how often others have stood by us when we weren’t in the best of places in our lives. Instead of taking this support system for granted, today is a great time to thank the people that you love.
The idea of change is one that we are frightened of. It signifies moving away from what has ‘worked’ for us in the past and moving towards something unfamiliar. However, when you stop to just make smaller changes in your daily life, you can start the process more easily. Change doesn’t have to be startling and unnerving; it can be as simple as doing something different than you would have before: reading a new book or driving a new route to work. However, in these smaller changes, you can find the strength for the bigger changes.
substantial changes. You might feel like giving up before you even get started.
What you need is a way to kick start the changes that you want to make in your life – and here
are ten ways to get started today.
1 Change Your Routine
One of the simplest ways to start improving and changing your life is to change something that you’ve always done. And it doesn’t have to even be related to the goal that you have in mind.
Here are some simple ways to change up your routine today:
Take a new route to work Eat a meal during a different time of day (i.e. eat breakfast at dinnertime) Change the order of your exercise routine
Get up earlier or later than you normally do Do different chores around the house or ignore chores that you always do
2 Look in your closet
In Feng Shui decorating principles, when you use certain colors and positions of furniture in your house, you can affect greater changes in your life. Taking this idea a step further, when you want to change something about your life for the better, doesn’t it make sense to start changing your surroundings?
A simple way to do this (without spending your money redecorating your house) is to simply change your appearance for a day.
Here are some simple ways to change up your routine today:
Wear a skirt instead of pants (ladies, of course) Try a different shirt with a suit – one that you’ve never paired together before
Wear a scarf to accessorize
Wear a different piece of jewelry
3 Don’t lie
What would your day be like if you didn’t lie about anything? Think about it for a moment. We all seem to lie about something during out day, even if we don’t realize it. When our food comes at a restaurant, we might say that there’s nothing else that we want, even if the wrong order comes out. Or when we’re heading to a movie, we might say to our friend or partner that we really don’t care what show we’re going to, even if there’s one that we really want to see.
4 Think like an optimist
Many experts will tell you that when you change the way you look at things, you will change your life – and it’s true. If you’re sitting around expecting the worst of things, you’ll be certain to find the worst of things. You’ll find all of your mistakes along the way to your goals. You’ll notice all of the problems with your plan. And then you’ll stop trying because you’ve noticed that everything is going wrong.
5 Don’t have any expectations
How many times have you been disappointed? Probably hundreds of times, right? However, if you think back to your times of pain and loss, many of these instances were the direct result of having some goal in mind that wasn’t reached or some expectation that wasn’t met.
6 Make a mistake
Too often, you can start to believe that making changes in your life means that you have to be perfect. However, logically, you know that no one is perfect, even if they seem to be. Perfection has become a burden that we have placed on ourselves – even though it’s not realistic
7 Talk to a stranger
Although the world is more connected than ever was before - with the inventions of the Internet and cellular phones - it seems that we’ve become more disconnected. We seem to forget that we aren’t the only ones that walk down out streets or have problems. And this might be hindering your ability to change your life.
8 Quit your job
You don’t actually need to quit your job in order to change your life, but if you’re not happy about the job that you have, what are you still doing there? The object of this tip is to help your recognize things that you are settling for instead of making room for the things that you’ll really enjoy having in your life.
9 Find an old hobby
Remember when you were a kid and you wanted to be a basketball player? You went to the garage and started to bounce a basketball up and down. You didn’t think about how good you really were at it; you just wanted to do it because it made you happy.
10 Thank someone that you love
When we’re changing ourselves, we forget how often others have stood by us when we weren’t in the best of places in our lives. Instead of taking this support system for granted, today is a great time to thank the people that you love.
The idea of change is one that we are frightened of. It signifies moving away from what has ‘worked’ for us in the past and moving towards something unfamiliar. However, when you stop to just make smaller changes in your daily life, you can start the process more easily. Change doesn’t have to be startling and unnerving; it can be as simple as doing something different than you would have before: reading a new book or driving a new route to work. However, in these smaller changes, you can find the strength for the bigger changes.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Think Big, Dream Big
Make your dreams comes true
Welcome dreamers!
You have many outstanding qualities - creative ideas, a vivid imagination; perhaps you even view yourself as a visionary.
Yet, at the same time you may also feel disappointed - in yourself or in life itself.
If your creative ideas usually fizzle out, it may be due to a lack of dedicated work. If so, know that not even Albert Einstein could get away with that.
Einstein said,
"It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer."
Don't believe that? Then read what Thomas Jefferson said,
"I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have."
Dreamers have a tendency to indulge in "magical thinking," believing that one day great things will "magically" happen for them.
Living in a world of lovely fantasies can seem so desirous, yet it's no fun when you wind up living in your dreams instead of living out your dreams.
This is no way for a creative person to live. You deserve better. It's time for you to create a future that "will come true". Here's what you need to keep in mind:
Become more active and less passive.
Be cautious of letting yourself be seduced into an excess of passive activities. Rather than spending a great deal of time lounging in bed, reading the paper, watching TV or surfing the Net, experiment with more physically vigorous activities.
Nothing succeeds like success. Find an activity that you like to do (it doesn't have to be going to the gym). For me, it's tennis and Pilates. Take pride in what you do. And enjoy it! As you become more active, you'll be enacting Isaac Newton's first law of motion:
"An object at rest tends to stay at rest and
an object in motion tends to stay in motion".
Next time you're simply sitting and staring into space, remind yourself that you're an object at rest. Until you find a way to shift into motion, you'll tend to stay at rest. So discover the motion that makes you come alive. Then get going! Challenge yourself to pay more attention to details.
Have you had the experience of learning a new word and then suddenly you see that word everywhere? Clearly, the word has been there all the time. But your antennae never picked it up. Since dreamers tend to focus on the 'whole' and gloss over the 'details', challenge yourself to reverse that direction.
Look around you. Right now, without getting up from your seat, notice something you hadn't noticed before. Look with wide-open eyes. Observe either a new object or observe a new detail about a familiar object.
This exercise works even with your own body. Put your left hand out in front of you. Pretend you're a neurosurgeon specializing in hands. What details do you notice about your own hand that you hadn't noticed before? Now put your two hands next to each other. Notice at least 3 differences between your two hands.
Yes, there's always more to observe. As a dreamer, your strength is your creativity; your weakness is your lack of attention to details. Once you begin to notice the details that make up the whole, they'll be no stopping you!
Transform vague, passive language into concrete, active language.
Become more attuned to the subtle ways in which you speak evasively or in generalities. For example, as a way of obscuring your personal responsibility, you might tell a friend:
"I have a cash-flow problem" instead of "I'm in debt."
"It's a lazy day today" instead of "I feel lazy."
"I'm getting out of shape" instead of "I am out of shape."
Make it a habit to avoid euphemisms.
Practice declaring 'what is' as clearly and straightforwardly as you can.
That way, there will be little opportunity for sidestepping reality.
You may initially feel uncomfortable speaking in this precise manner.
But give it a shot. It becomes more natural with practice.
And the perk for you will be: a firmer grip on what your situation really is.
Welcome dreamers!
You have many outstanding qualities - creative ideas, a vivid imagination; perhaps you even view yourself as a visionary.
Yet, at the same time you may also feel disappointed - in yourself or in life itself.
If your creative ideas usually fizzle out, it may be due to a lack of dedicated work. If so, know that not even Albert Einstein could get away with that.
Einstein said,
"It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer."
Don't believe that? Then read what Thomas Jefferson said,
"I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have."
Dreamers have a tendency to indulge in "magical thinking," believing that one day great things will "magically" happen for them.
Living in a world of lovely fantasies can seem so desirous, yet it's no fun when you wind up living in your dreams instead of living out your dreams.
This is no way for a creative person to live. You deserve better. It's time for you to create a future that "will come true". Here's what you need to keep in mind:
Become more active and less passive.
Be cautious of letting yourself be seduced into an excess of passive activities. Rather than spending a great deal of time lounging in bed, reading the paper, watching TV or surfing the Net, experiment with more physically vigorous activities.
Nothing succeeds like success. Find an activity that you like to do (it doesn't have to be going to the gym). For me, it's tennis and Pilates. Take pride in what you do. And enjoy it! As you become more active, you'll be enacting Isaac Newton's first law of motion:
"An object at rest tends to stay at rest and
an object in motion tends to stay in motion".
Next time you're simply sitting and staring into space, remind yourself that you're an object at rest. Until you find a way to shift into motion, you'll tend to stay at rest. So discover the motion that makes you come alive. Then get going! Challenge yourself to pay more attention to details.
Have you had the experience of learning a new word and then suddenly you see that word everywhere? Clearly, the word has been there all the time. But your antennae never picked it up. Since dreamers tend to focus on the 'whole' and gloss over the 'details', challenge yourself to reverse that direction.
Look around you. Right now, without getting up from your seat, notice something you hadn't noticed before. Look with wide-open eyes. Observe either a new object or observe a new detail about a familiar object.
This exercise works even with your own body. Put your left hand out in front of you. Pretend you're a neurosurgeon specializing in hands. What details do you notice about your own hand that you hadn't noticed before? Now put your two hands next to each other. Notice at least 3 differences between your two hands.
Yes, there's always more to observe. As a dreamer, your strength is your creativity; your weakness is your lack of attention to details. Once you begin to notice the details that make up the whole, they'll be no stopping you!
Transform vague, passive language into concrete, active language.
Become more attuned to the subtle ways in which you speak evasively or in generalities. For example, as a way of obscuring your personal responsibility, you might tell a friend:
"I have a cash-flow problem" instead of "I'm in debt."
"It's a lazy day today" instead of "I feel lazy."
"I'm getting out of shape" instead of "I am out of shape."
Make it a habit to avoid euphemisms.
Practice declaring 'what is' as clearly and straightforwardly as you can.
That way, there will be little opportunity for sidestepping reality.
You may initially feel uncomfortable speaking in this precise manner.
But give it a shot. It becomes more natural with practice.
And the perk for you will be: a firmer grip on what your situation really is.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Leaving Positive Impression
Does Body language matter?
If you succeeded in leaving a positive impression your chance of getting a job will become higher, your social relations will improve and people will admire you.
I avoid using vague advices like “Be confident” or “Be a good listener” and these commonly heard phrases but instead i use will effective and practical advices that are backed by Deep psychological principles. If you followed these advices the first impression you will leave will be positive 99% of the time.
I didn’t say 100% of the time because sometimes the impression people form of you depends on their own past experience. For example if you saw someone who looks just like your arrogant boss you will tend to think of him as arrogant even if he was not.
The Psychology of Impression Formation
A person takes about 5 to 10 seconds to form an impression of someone else And then he uses the other 5-10 minutes to confirm his judgment. So if you made a good use of the first five seconds then your chance of leaving a positive impression will become much higher. I know you may be thinking that 5 or 10 seconds is a very short period of time and that nothing much can be done in them but if you read the following section you will discover that lots of things take place in these five seconds but you never used to focus on them.
How to Leave a Positive Impression
Eye Contact
The first thing you can do is proper eye contact. Proper Eye contact shows respect, interest and that you are not shy. Proper eye contact means that the eye contact should be around 70% to 80% of the time.
Handshake
Another thing that happens in the first few seconds is the handshake, a firm handshake combined with proper eye contact leaves the impression that you are a confident person. people who don't shake hands in a firm way will most likely leave the impression that they are not confident.
Smile
If you did the previous two points you will appear to be confident but in the same time you may appear to be a little cold and that’s why you need to add a smile on your face. This smile will not only make the other person think that you have got a sense of humor but he will also feel more comfortable in dealing with you
Straight back
Sit with your back straight and your shoulders stretched. A straight back leaves the impression that you are confident happy or interested in what you are listening to Never ever cross your legs or fold your arms when sitting because this leaves the impression that you are not that comfortable or even afraid. Don't place an object like a bag or a file between you and the interviewer because this leaves the same impression that folding your arms leaves
Do not Scratch nose
if you felt like scratching your nose do not do it because this shows that you are negative evaluating something, after all your emotions are private and you shouldn't let anyone know what are you thinking about unless you want that
Blue color
If you can wear blue clothes then do it, in the psychology of colors blue gives the impression of loyalty and honesty, wearing blue will leave an unconscious impression in the mind of other people that you are loyal and honest.
Research has actually proven that confident people, those who smile often and those who maintain above average eye contact are usually perceived to be more attractive than their peers.
If you succeeded in leaving a positive impression your chance of getting a job will become higher, your social relations will improve and people will admire you.
I avoid using vague advices like “Be confident” or “Be a good listener” and these commonly heard phrases but instead i use will effective and practical advices that are backed by Deep psychological principles. If you followed these advices the first impression you will leave will be positive 99% of the time.
I didn’t say 100% of the time because sometimes the impression people form of you depends on their own past experience. For example if you saw someone who looks just like your arrogant boss you will tend to think of him as arrogant even if he was not.
The Psychology of Impression Formation
A person takes about 5 to 10 seconds to form an impression of someone else And then he uses the other 5-10 minutes to confirm his judgment. So if you made a good use of the first five seconds then your chance of leaving a positive impression will become much higher. I know you may be thinking that 5 or 10 seconds is a very short period of time and that nothing much can be done in them but if you read the following section you will discover that lots of things take place in these five seconds but you never used to focus on them.
How to Leave a Positive Impression
Eye Contact
The first thing you can do is proper eye contact. Proper Eye contact shows respect, interest and that you are not shy. Proper eye contact means that the eye contact should be around 70% to 80% of the time.
Handshake
Another thing that happens in the first few seconds is the handshake, a firm handshake combined with proper eye contact leaves the impression that you are a confident person. people who don't shake hands in a firm way will most likely leave the impression that they are not confident.
Smile
If you did the previous two points you will appear to be confident but in the same time you may appear to be a little cold and that’s why you need to add a smile on your face. This smile will not only make the other person think that you have got a sense of humor but he will also feel more comfortable in dealing with you
Straight back
Sit with your back straight and your shoulders stretched. A straight back leaves the impression that you are confident happy or interested in what you are listening to Never ever cross your legs or fold your arms when sitting because this leaves the impression that you are not that comfortable or even afraid. Don't place an object like a bag or a file between you and the interviewer because this leaves the same impression that folding your arms leaves
Do not Scratch nose
if you felt like scratching your nose do not do it because this shows that you are negative evaluating something, after all your emotions are private and you shouldn't let anyone know what are you thinking about unless you want that
Blue color
If you can wear blue clothes then do it, in the psychology of colors blue gives the impression of loyalty and honesty, wearing blue will leave an unconscious impression in the mind of other people that you are loyal and honest.
Research has actually proven that confident people, those who smile often and those who maintain above average eye contact are usually perceived to be more attractive than their peers.
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